Yearning for Wonderland

Who Won Dark Fairy Queen Midsummer’s Night Dream Contest?

WINNNNNNAAAAAARS!

For me, the hardest part of these contests is always the judging. One story, I love because of the lyrical writing. Another, because of the gorgeous imagery or the clever plot or the way it makes me feel at the end.

Ultimately, I could probably choose several sets of winners. Thank you to everyone who entered. Judging is very subjective, so I have to leave it to: who wrote a story for #DFQMND that encompasses the theme and does all of the above. I am very excited to announce these winners. I chose two, one for the Dreams package (Light) and one for the Nightmares Package.

So, without further ado, I present…your winners.

WINNER, Dreams

Daniel Swensen, for Annabella of the Spring

Sheer gorgeousness. Daniel, your writing makes it totally worth having to revamp the prize package, since I’m not awarding you the book you wrote. Your story is delicate and yearning and a perfect drop of longing in 400 words. Well done. I will be in touch regarding other prize options.

 

Honorable Mentions, Dreams

J.T. Ellis, for January in Sunset

Dr. Pete Meyers, for Listen

Holly Kench, for Dreaming Just Enough

 

WINNER, Nightmares

Steven Marsden, for The Princess and the Whispering Pines

This is a fantastic surprise, for Steven put up a blog simply to enter this contest. He wasn’t even in the DFQ group before this. Of course, now he is doomed. #MOOGHOOHAH. Steven, your story was lovely and the tempo was classical fairytale, but there’s a dark underbelly that took my breath away. Brava! So glad you entered.

Honorable Mentions, Nightmares

Eric Martell, for Evidence of Things Not Seen

Lyndsey E. Gilbert, for Mother May I

K.J. Collard, for The Coming Winter

 

Again, thank you to all those who entered! You humble and honor me with your collective talent.

Love to all,

#DFQ

 

Dark Fairy Queen Literary Gift Guide

‘Tis the season to support indie authors and show a little #indieluv. For your shopping pleasure, I have compiled a list of minion books. These are hard-working, talented people and if you can’t buy their stuff, sharing this post so that other shoppers can find it will be so appreciated.

Books are organized by genre and then author last name (books in a series are listed in order). All prices are current to date of post, 12/16/14 and are not guaranteed past 12/18/14. A lot of them are on sale just for this brief time, so snap them up now!

Special thanks to Joni Lynn and Blue Harvest Creative for designing our awesome #DFQ Literary Gift Guide image!

Click on the book cover or the format links (Kindle/Paperback) to buy.

 

And without further ado…

ANTHOLOGIES

 

 

 

 

 

Cutthroats and Curses: An Anthology of Pirates edited by Michael Wombat, with stories by Michael Wombat, Lisa Shambrook, Boyd Miles, Marissa Ames, Bryan Taylor, Beth Avery, Eric Martell, Michael A. Walker, Alex Brightsmith, et al. 

Genre: Anthology, adventure.

Kindle: $2.99

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flash Dogs: An Anthology by 34 authors, including Eric Martell and Rebekah Postupak

Genre: Anthology, collection of 110 stories, proceeds benefit children’s charity.

Kindle: $2.99

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Creeps the Night: An Anthology edited by Laura Jamez and Marissa Ames, with stories by authors including Ailsa Abraham, Beth Avery, Christine Fitzner, Cory John Eadson, Eric Martell, J. Whitworth Hazzard, Joni Lynn, Kevin Hammond, Laura Jamez, Leslie Fulton, Michael A. Walker, Mary MacFarlane, Marissa Ames, Michael Wombat, Nick Johns, Rebecca Fyfe, Ruth Long, Sorcha O’Dowd, Spencer Stoner and Theresa Miller, et al.

A creepy collection of flash fiction for horror lovers.

Genre: Anthology, horror

Kindle: $3.99

Paperback: $13.32

 

 

 

 

 

 

Orange Karen: Tribute to a Warrior by Christina Esdon, Jennifer Gracen, Steven Luna, Mark Ethridge, Anne Baker, Anna Meade, Jeff Tsuruoka, James Hazzard, et al.

Laugh. Cry. Swoon. Gasp. All the feels in one book.

Genre: Anthology, proceeds go to medical bills of Karen Delabar

Kindle: $3.99

Paperback: $13.35

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blood on the Ground and other Short Stories by Michael Wombat

A cornucopia of adventure that absorbs, amuses, thrills and terrifies.

Genre: Anthology, short stories by one author.

Kindle: $2.99

Paperback: $7.33

 

FANTASY

 

 

 

 

 

Minstrel: The First Book of Tir Athair by Marissa Ames

How does playing for the king spark a civil war?

Kindle: $4.99 99 cents (for three days only!)

Paperback: $13.35

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vassal: The Second Book of Tir Athair by Marissa Ames

Peasants tell stories of her sacrifice.
Soldiers tell about him.

Kindle: $4.99 $3.99 (for three days only!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Orison by Daniel Swensen

The power to change the world is now in the hands of a sneak thief — if it doesn’t kill her first.

Kindle: $3.99

 

HORROR/MYSTERY (includes Dystopian, Suspense/Thriller)

 

 

 

 

 

Gasher Creek by J. Birch

Jack Devlin awakes with a shotgun pointed at his face. Sally, a whore, lay dead beside him. Jack remembers nothing; could he really have killed her? And if so, why?

Genre: Mystery, Western.

Kindle: $2.99

 

Zombie War by Jean Booth

What began as a cure…became a nightmare.

Genre: Zombie Dystopian.

Kindle Presale price: $3.95 (until Feb. 7)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Viennese Waltz by Alex Brightsmith

A calculated dance of duty and deceit.

Genre: Thriller

Kindle: $2.00

Paperback: $11.47

 

 

 

 

 

 

Find the Lady by Alex Brightsmith

Somebody’s nightmare, somebody’s dream, but who is Kathryn Blake?

Genre: Thriller

Ebook: $2.99 $1.99 (use voucher discount code MD62C)

 

 

 

 

Countenance by Joy Ross Davis

Genre: Cozy Paranormal Suspense

Haunted B&B with secrets, ghosts, demons, and angels.

Kindle: $6.00 $5.00

Paperback: $14.99

 

 

 

 

 

 

Church of Bacon by Kevin Hammond

A man ends up in prison with a transvestite and a supernatural radio

Genre: Horror

Kindle: 99 cents

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dead Sea Games by J. Whitworth Hazzard

One year after the Emergency, the island of Manhattan is a prison.  If Jeremy Walters manages not to get killed, he’ll still face every teenager’s greatest fear: an angry mother.

Genre: Zombie Dystopian

Kindle: $5.95 ($1 Kindle MatchBook program + Kindle Lending Library for Prime members)
Paperback: $15.95

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dark Holidays by Jeffrey Hollar

The holidays are not always a time of goodness and light. With this collection of tales, you’ll realize just how dark the holidays can be.

Genre: Short story collection, horror with holiday focus.

Kindle: $1.99

Paperback: $6.64

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kitchen Antics & Other Tales by LE Jamez

Collection of creepy Flash Fiction.

Genre: Flash fiction collection, horror.

Kindle: 99 cents

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not a Whisper (A Klondike Mystery Book 1) by D.B. McNicol

Cherie finds herself in the middle of a local crime wave where arson, kidnapping, embezzlement and a decades-old murder are just the tip of the iceberg.

Genre: Mystery

Kindle: $4.99 (on sale Dec. 31, 2014 – 7 am PST to Jan. 2, 2015 – 7 am PST for $1.99)

 

 

 

 

 

Fog by Michael Wombat

When all you know is to run for your life…

Genre: Supernatural Thriller

Kindle: $2.55

Paperback: $13.72

 

LITERARY FICTION

Beneath the Rainbow by Lisa Shambrook

It’s those silly dreams that keep us alive, and Freya won’t let death stand in her way…

Genre: Contemporary Drama

Kindle: $3.99 or £2.50

Paperback: $9.99

 

Beneath the Old Oak by Lisa Shambrook

Meg thinks her mother is broken. Is she broken too?

Genre: Contemporary Drama YA

Kindle: $3.99 or £2.50

Paperback: $9.79

 

NON-FICTION

 

 

 

 

 

The Complicated Geography of Alice by Jules Vilmur

“I’m always angry because I’m always sad, and I’m always sad because I am a girl.” These were the words that changed everything.

Genre: Memoir/Narrative Non-Fiction

Kindle: $9.99

Paperback: $14.77

 

ROLE-PLAYING GAMES

 

 

 

 

 

Becoming: A Game of Heroism & Sacrifice RPG by Brian Engard

 

 

 

 

Choice (Origins of the Supernaturals Book 1) by Jean Booth

It was chance, guided by the hands of a god that brought them together.

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Kindle: $4.99

Paperback: $9.99

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hunted Heart by Alison DeLuca

When Tali’s hired to cut out the heart of Prince Kas, the huntress can’t refuse. Tali realizes there’s no escape from the dark magic of the queen’s mirror, though her own feelings for the prince are too complex to understand.

Genre: Adult Fairytale, Genrebent Snow White (18+ only). Proceeds go to SavetheChildren.

Kindle: 99 cents

 

 

 

 

 

 

Autumn Getaway (Seasons of Love Book 1) by Jennifer Gracen

Genre: Romantic Women’s Fiction

Kindle: $3.99

Paperback: $13.79

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winter Hopes (Seasons of Love Book 2) by Jennifer Gracen

Genre: Romantic Women’s Fiction

Kindle: $3.99

Paperback: $11.17

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love Before Honor by Nicole Zoltack

A medieval knight. A Regency lady. The magical Christmas that brings them together.

Genre: Time-travel Romance, Christmas

Kindle: $2.99

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Test of Time by Nicole Zoltack

If Katia can’t master the test of time, she’ll never be reunited with Landon.

Genre: Time-travel Romance

Kindle: $3.99

 

YOUNG ADULT & CHILDREN’S (Includes YA and MG)

 

 

 

 

 

Captured: A White Road Tales Novella by Jackie Castle

He will lose everything if their secret is found out.

Genre: YA Fantasy

Kindle: 99 cents

 

 

 

 

 

 

Illuminated: The White Road Chronicles Book 1 by Jackie Castle

If the Wizard of Oz swept you away and Narnia enchanted you, then follow the White Road Chronicles for a new kind of adventure

Genre: YA Inspirational Fantasy

Kindle: 99 cents

 

 

 

 

 

 

Storyteller, Book 1: The True World by Lisa T. Cresswell

Lily Lightfoot can make weird things happen while storytelling.

Genre: MG Fantasy

Ebook: $2.99

 

 

 

 

 

 

Storyteller, Book 2: The Quest of Galamar by Lisa T. Cresswell

The tale of half-breed fairy Lily continues.

Genre: MG Fantasy

Ebook: $2.99

 

 

 

 

 

 

Swallow Me, Now! by Melissa Gijsbers

Could life at Sam’s new school get any worse?

Genre: Middle Grade, Age Level 8-12

Kindle: $4.99

Paperback: $15.28

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flight of Blue: Keeper of the Keys Chronicles by A.E. Howard

One boy stands between the Darkness and everyone he loves.

Genre: MG Fantasy

Kindle: $2.99

Paperback: $11.45

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ghostnapped by Ashley Howland

Genre: MG

With the help of a ghost named Susan and her trusty Labrador Thuds, Alex must solve the mysteries of the present – and the past – to rescue her brother from a monster before it’s too late!

Paperback: $8.99

 

 

 

 

 

 

Obi the Super Puppy and the Mystery of the Red Mist by Ashley Howland

Who’s behind the evil red mist, which controls animals and toys? Can Obi and his friends save the day before it’s too late?

Genre: MG

Paperback: $3.61

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bump in the Night by Michael Johnson

A bedtime story for clever children who do not frighten easily

Genre: YA Horror/Dark Fantasy

Kindle: $5.99

Paperback: $13.35

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edgar Wilde and the Lost Grimoire by Paul Ramey

Everybody needs a hobby. Edgar’s is digging up a town’s dark, forgotten past.

Genre: YA Mystery

Kindle: $1.99

Orison, at long last

Friends…Minions…Countrymen.

We have come to publish Daniel Swensen, not to praise him —

Oh, who are we kidding? Let’s do both!

Today marks the release day of Orison, the debut novel of Daniel Swensen.

 

This is the second novel published by Nine Muse Press (the first being “Edgar Wilde and the Lost Grimoire” by Paul Ramey, available here)

I know you have all enjoyed reading the release week posts (viewable here). Thanks to our amazing Nine Muse Press affiliate bloggers: Ruth, Angela, Lisa, Tracy and Emmie! Your creative reflections on Daniel’s characters have been a joy to read.

Thanks to my tireless partners at Nine Muse Press, Paul Ramey and Tina Ramey. Without you, I assure you none of this could have happened. Look at us manifest!

And, finally, thanks to Daniel for creating a world that I could not rest until I shared with our world.

I’d like to present the world premiere of the book trailer for Orison.

 

And once you’ve watched it, you can buy it…

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HERE! (Amazon link)

or HERE! (Nine Muse Press link, for those who can’t use the Amazon link or need .pub copies. You can also find amazing downloads for wallpaper, banners and so forth in our media kit)

And, last of all, be sure to enter in our fantabulous Rafflecopter and share and share and share till you cannot share anymore!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Orison: An Editor’s Perspective

As Nine Muse Press kicks off our Orison release week extravaganza, I thought I’d take a look back at the journey with this book.

The job of an editor is a strange one. After all, any decent word-processor can catch spelling or grammar errors.  My job is to cut away the excess verbiage, the clumsy sentences, the lazy cliche, drag away all that obfuscates the luminescence of the author’s vision. If a scene is in the wrong place, if the pacing is off, if a character is redundant, if the ending is weak, if the opening is slow…these are the places where I come forward with ideas to improve. They are only ever ideas; the author has the last word. But I see the potential in a manuscript. Once I get it, the work has just begun.

I do not sell my services. That is to say, I don’t work as an editor for an hourly rate (though it would doubtless be more lucrative). I only edit books that Nine Muse Press accepts for publication. If I’m doing my job right, the author may struggle with whether to strangle or hug me at any given moment.

Perhaps I should take a step back and relate why fantasy matters to me. When I started reading as a child, the fantasy genre was my first love: a common story with gawky, socially-awkward and shy girl. It swept me away to misty mountains, to faery bowers, to the Mines of Moria and the snowy woods of Narnia. I will read fantasy till I die.

It wasn’t until I got older that I realized that the protagonists were almost never like me: that is, a girl who was neither beautiful nor magical. Though there were a few notable exceptions, they were usually male: callow youths or hardened swordsmen.

When I first read Orison, I was intrigued. Calushain felt real to me, those who peopled it felt real too. There was one secondary character named Story that I fell hopelessly, irrevocably in love. Story was not beautiful nor magical. She was an ordinary girl who had been dealt a rough hand, then been given an extraordinary chance to change her life forever.

We decided Orison would be the second novel that Nine Muse Press released. And then Daniel and I started scrubbing away at the book to make it gleam. If we were content with just releasing a pretty good book, we could have published it three or four months ago. That is, a book with no errors or typos. But it would not be the book it is today.

Today, I am privileged to announce that on the last day of February in the year two thousand and fourteen, Daniel Swensen’s Orison will be a reality and you will be able to download it to your very own e-reader. Paperbacks are next, fear not, ye fellow Luddites of mine. We have so many wonderful things in store for you this week.

Every day, there will be a brand new post from a Nine Muse Press Affiliate blogger that celebrates a different character in the book. Be sure to check them all out this week, as they will have a ton of exclusive, never-before-released content. I have them listed below for your reading pleasure this week.

Sunday, Feb. 23: Ruth Long and Wrynn at 6 pm EST

Monday, Feb. 24: Angela Goff and Dunnac at 2 pm EST

Tuesday, Feb. 25: Lisa V. Tomecek-Bias and Ashen at 2 pm EST

Wednesday, Feb. 26: Tracy McCusker and Camana at 2 pm EST

Thursday, Feb. 27: Emmie Mears and Story at 2 pm EST

Friday, Feb. 28: HAPPY RELEASE DAY!

This book represents a tremendous amount of work and love and I am terrifically proud to be a part of its inception. My most sincere gratitude to my NMP partners, Paul and Tina Ramey. And, to Daniel, for sharing your world with us.

 

ALL THE ANNOUNCEMENTS!

This post is such a massive series of announcements that it took me until the day before to even figure out how to say it all in one post.

First of all, THE BIGGEST NEWS. I’ve made you wait this long; I won’t torture you any further.

In the past few years, I have become aware of a surplus of writing talent in my social media circles. In most cases, I noticed that this talent was not getting the attention, recognition or promotion it deserved.

I tried to do my best to share the love, retweeting and sharing on Facebook, but it didn’t seem enough.

Then, one day, the skies opened up and I was suffused with a golden glow of inspiration. Well, not exactly, but it sounds better than “I almost drove off the road.”

Why not create a small, digital press to publish and promote the work of a select group of authors that I could offer full promotional and sales support? Why not put my money (or at least my time and talent) where my mouth is?

So with only a little more fanfare *cue angelic trumpet blast*, I present to you Nine Muse Press:

 

 

Go ahead. Go read about it. I’ll wait.

*munches on pistachios*

 

OH GOOD. You’re back.

 

So, you might ask how you can be a part of this.

 

Well, you can follow NMP on Twitter. #followorperish

You can Like them on Facebook.

 

More excitingly, I have developed an amazing blog affiliate program.

You can qualify for this program if you:

 

A) Have a blog

B) Talk about books sometimes

Look how particular we are. 😉

 

Wondering what the advantages of this program are?

GO SIGN UP FOR IT RIGHT NOW – you will be glad you did!

Related to this announcement, I am pleased to announce that we are releasing our very first e-book, Edgar Wilde and the Lost Grimoire by Paul Ramey. You can click on the link or the cover photo to go to Amazon to purchase. You will love this mystery/adventure!

Catch Edgar Wilde news and events on Facebook

Follow Paul on Twitter at @paulramey  #followorperish

Also, please add Edgar Wilde to your TBR shelf on Goodreads. If you do read it, a few kind words of review on GR or Amazon is SOOOOOO appreciated. Extra MWA to you!

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And finally, last, but never least!

Nine Muse Press would like to announce our second author, Daniel Swensen, whose high fantasy adventure novel Orison will be the second release from Nine Muse Press. Welcome aboard, Daniel!