Day: February 11, 2014

Book Brief: Blind Sight

Blind SightBlind Sight (The Celadon Circle)
by Nicole Storey
Genre: YA Paranormal
Word count: Approx. 73,000

Jordan has visions of monsters, demons, and death. Seventeen, orphaned, and born into the family business, she doesn’t have friends, she doesn’t have choices. Her uncle, older brothers, and a few annoying angels dominate her life, demanding she tow their lines – and the punishment is severe when those lines are crossed.

When Jordan is ordered to help hunt down a monster, she’s not sure which she dreads more: the elusive, blood-thirsty creature or spending time in a cramped backwoods cabin with a brother who despises her. To make matters worse, a demon shows up and warns Jordan that she could be her family’s next assignment.

In a game between Good and Evil where God seems to have tapped out early, lines are blurred and not everything is as it seems. Jordan learns a little too late that the real monster is closer than she thinks.

This book is available from Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes & Noble. Continue reading “Book Brief: Blind Sight”

Indie News Beat: Future Shock

Indie Publishing NewsOne of the fun things about being a Science Fiction fan is seeing how previously predicted futures pan out as time passes. But the truth is, very few writers from the past managed to get anything right. Even the grandfather of the genre, H.G. Wells, was invariably off the mark when he tied himself down with certain events happening by certain dates. Probably his most accurate forecast was in The Last War, written in 1914, in which he predicted the atomic bomb, although his bomb kept exploding continuously.

Arthur C. Clarke deserves much kudos for predicting in the 1950s that the Earth would be ringed by satellites to aid communication, but as we get closer to today, much of what has been invented over the last generation cannot be found predicted in books written thirty or more years ago. And a lot of what was predicted has not come to pass. Continue reading “Indie News Beat: Future Shock”

How to Download and Install Fonts

fun with fontsNot long ago, an author asked me to take a look at her book cover while she was designing it. The old-style oil painting in the background was very nice – but I thought the title font was too modern. So, I searched for some rustic fonts online and gave her the links.

“Okay, now what?” she asked.

Hence, the reason for this tutorial. (By the way, she ended up going with a great font that fit the cover perfectly!)

There are lots of websites which offer free font downloads. As with anything you do online, check to make sure that before you open anything – you’ve ascertained it does not contain a virus, and check the licensing terms as far as usage goes. Some designers only allow free font downloads for personal use. Personal use is basically anything that does not generate financial income. Things like personal scrapbooking, family or non-profit websites, or anything printed to be used for non-profit organizations.

For a book cover, author website, advertising flyers, and/or swag – these items would fall under commercial usage. In these instances, if you really really want to use that font and it’s marked for personal use only, you would need to contact the artist directly to see what the terms would be.

So, with that out of the way, let’s locate a font to download. I’ve decided to try 1001fonts.com since Melissa Bowersock recommended them. What’s neat about this site is it actually gives you the opportunity to see what your book’s title (or whatever you need it for) will look like in the typeface before you download it. See screenshot below: Continue reading “How to Download and Install Fonts”

Wattpad for Writers

wattpad logoWattpad has about 20 million monthly users, both amateur and professional (including Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid’s Tale who joined about a year and a half ago). Writers retain all rights, and upload anything from short stories to full e-books. A story is uploaded every second, with users from 200 countries posting in 30 languages.

Anyone can access Wattpad via a phone, tablet or computer and it is used by all sorts of people. Relativity Media used Wattpad to promote the release of the film Romeo & Juliet, serializing script excerpts online. Publisher Harlequin used Wattpad to host a new adult genre writing contest. Boy band Emblem3 has even used the platform to connect with fans through stories about teenage issues.

I first decided to try out this site after watching a news item about Lily Carmine who began sharing her novel, The Lost Boys, on Wattpad in February 2010. It clocked up over 33 million reads and became the platform’s most read book. Her publishing deal with Random House UK came from an editor who’d read her work on Wattpad. As a result, Lily secured a deal to publish three books in The Lost Boys series. Continue reading “Wattpad for Writers”