Playlist for “A Cast of Stones.” by Patrick W Carr: Music to write and read by.

Please welcome author Patrick W. Carr to the Nook today. He's on tour celebrating the release of his new book, "A Cast of Stones".  It's an epic Medieval fantasy saga and the first in his series, The Staff and The Sword. Patrick was kind enough to sit down and talk about the music that kept him company and helped him write as he worked on the book.

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I tend to write at a fairly slow pace. I have some facebook friends who are also writers and I’ll see them post these incredible daily word counts of three-or-four thousand words, sometimes more. It’s difficult for me to imagine that. I tend to write a few sentences, ponder the scene, and then write a few more. If I get stuck, I’ll take a breather and play a game of Spider Solitaire. This is definitely not writing advice. One of the habits I’ve fallen into that helps me when I’m writing my first draft is listening to music. I have those earbuds that fit snugly inside the ear so they not only play music, they block out external sound as well.

So, what do I listen to while I’m writing. It all depends on the scene. Here are some examples:

Light-hearted:

Vince Guaraldi’s Greatest Hits (He’s the guy who wrote “Linus and Lucy” and a great jazz pianist)

Serious Descriptive:

This entails a few selections because this is a big portion of my writing.  

Enya – Watermark, The Celts, or Wolf Moon. These selections are the only ones on the entire list that have any lyrics to them.  She sings in Gaelic a lot so I can’t understand the words. Otherwise, I would just copy the lyrics right into my book. She has a great mix of melancholy and upbeat that work well.

   

David Lanz – Cristofori’s Dream. I’m a huge fan of piano music because I took classical lessons for a few years and I can feel the music better.

Fight Scenes:

My music choices here might seem a little strange because they’re not amped and raucous like, say, “The Pirates of the Caribbean” soundtrack. I need something with percussion, but not so much energy that I spin out of control. My adrenaline is on a hair trigger when I’m writing anyway.

Windham Hill Chill – There are some pieces in here with just enough percussion to accentuate the sword blows and staff parries. Good stuff.

The Most Relaxing Jazz in the Universe – I love jazz. It’s my favorite genre of music, but I can’t listen to much of while I write because it totally breaks my concentration. I end up not writing so that I can listen to a really good solo. This works because it’s subdued.

Sorrowful or Contemplative Scenes:

Everybody Digs Bill Evan – This is my other goto piece of jazz. I love everything on this release and because there are not lyrics, it just washes over me and the words just flow. I wrote a lot of scenes with water in them because Errol lives near a river. This was the perfect music to go with those.

The above selections make up the vast majority of listening time while I’m writing. Now, if you want to know what my book is going to sound like, all you have to do is check into my website, www.patrickwcarr.com, in a month or so. Patrick, Jr. and Daniel, two of my sons, write music and have agreed to score a portion of my book. Patrick is writing the theme song to “A Cast of Stones.” It’s a piece for piano and cello and sets a very mysterious mood. Daniel has agreed to score a theme song to one of the chapters called “Dark Flight.” It’s an awesome piece for strings, bass, cello, viola, and violin, and he and a group of friends from the Music City Youth Orchestra are going to try and get together to record it.

I should have both available for download, I hope, by the end of January. Once you read the book you’ll have to tell me what you hear. You can find me on my website or on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/PatrickWCarr.

  

Thanks.

Cover Reveal for The Dragon Empire by Heather McCorkle

This is a forthcoming epic fantasy novel featuring dragons. I'm not a big epic fantasy fan but I do love dragons so I'll be picking this one up and checking it out. In the meantime, we get to enjoy the cover, which IMO does not have enough dragon goodness on the cover.

First, a little about the book.

The Dragon Empire by Heather McCorkle -- February 2013 / Compass Press

Book Blurb (from author):

On Yacrana, dragons stand at the top of the evolutionary ladder instead of humans. Such an advanced species is not without its issues though.

There's trouble in the Dragon Empire, the kind that could start a war between dragons and the races of people. Hidden factions of dragons believe they should rule the lesser races, not simply stand aside and allow them to develop as they will. Having lived so long in peace, the Emperors turn a blind eye, many oblivious that such attitudes even exist.

Despite being only an architect class, emerald dragon, Grendar is willing to risk banishment and death to stop that which his rulers refuse to see. The hope of peace lies not within the scaled breast of a dragon however, but within the hands of a group of people. But if the hidden factions have their way, these people won’t live to fulfill such a destiny. With a reluctant seer at his side, Grendar must leave his precious Empire for the outside world to save those that will one day save his kind.

Author Heather McCorkle in her own words ~

I am an author of fantasy, in all its many sub-genres. Living green, saving endangered species, helping other writers, and supporting fabulous authors are a few of my passions. I am also a volunteer for the IS Foundation which works to make the world a greener place. When I'm not volunteering, writing, or surfing my social networking sites, I can be found on the slopes, the hiking trails, or on horseback. As a native Oregonian, I enjoy the outdoors almost as much as the worlds I create on the pages. No need to travel to the Great Northwest though, you can find me here, on my blog, and Monday night's on Twitter where I co-moderate the #WritersRoad chat.

Author Links:

Website: http://heathermccorkle.blogspot.ca/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4957267.Heather_McCorkle

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Heather-McCorkle/211058455603533

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherMcCorkle

Blue and green are two of my favorite colors so the cover appeals to me color-wise but I do wish we saw more dragon on the cover. I also like how spacious the design is and not cluttered. What do you think? Does the cover grab you and make you want to read it?

Sunday Share #19 - Where is it?

Sorry folks, no sharing post this week. I had some health setbacks this week and I just don't have the energy to put the post together. For one thing, I keep having nap attacks :D  I'll try to have a post up next week, that covers both weeks, or maybe just the highlights.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a great week ~ Bea

Spotlight On AFTER THE RAIN By Karen White

 

"After the Rain" was originally released in 2003. The author, Karen White, has revised it and Penguin via its New American Library imprint will re-release it in February with a new cover, above. It's a sequel to her book, "Falling Home". Last June, White hit the New York Times bestseller list for the third time with her book "Sea Change". White's writing is a mix of romance and Southern-style womens fiction and has won numerous awards.

I haven't read it yet but it sounds like one I'd enjoy. I like small town romances and I have a fondness for Southern stories so I'll be adding this to my TBR pile.

When "After the Rain" was first released it had a different cover, shown below, and I admit, I prefer this one. It's more evocative and seems more relevant to the book's blurb. What do you think? Do you prefer the original below, the new one above or do you like both?

Book Blurb (from author website):

After the Rain After the Rain In the stunning first novel FALLING HOME, Karen White introduced readers to the magic of small town Walton, Georgia, and a charming cast of characters who captured our hearts. Who can resist a return trip…especially when love is about to transform the lives of two very special people?

When photographer Suzanne Paris lands in Walton, Georgia, she’s pretty sure she’s never seen a town so small—or quite so disquieting. It’s a far cry from the life she left behind—and Joe Warner is nothing like any man she’s known in the past. He’s the mayor, in the first place, and in the second…he has six children. Hardly a picture-perfect boyfriend for a woman who’s on the run and can’t stick around. But something about Joe’s slow Southern warmth lights up Suzanne in places that have been cold for far too long—and tempts her to look at life through a whole new lens…

Even in a dinky place like Walton, the mayor has big work to do—and very little time for anything resembling a relationship, especially with a pretty out-of-towner who seems to be keeping secrets. But even if Suzanne isn’t exactly the ideal choice for a new romance, Joe can’t help but wonder if the way she smiles at him means that he’s made a dent in the sturdy wall around her heart…and he begins to believe that there really is sunshine…

Interested? Click here to read an excerpt. If you've read the original will you read this new version? What did you think of the story?

Dragonthology, A New Anthology

 

If you love dragons, this book is for you. It features a range of stories in different genres, each one starring a dragon. One of the contributors is J.A. Campbell, who, as you know, is a favorite author of mine. The other contributors are Jason Andrew, G.L. Jackson, Jay Wilburn, Marian Allen, Sandra Graves, and Troy Lambert. 

I haven't read it yet but it's sitting on my Kindle, impatiently waiting it's turn. I love dragons and I'm a Julie fan so it was a no-brainer for me. I remember Julie posting snippets from her story on facebook, teasing us. Now her story and the book are here and to celebrate its release, the publisher, Untold Press, is giving away a $25 Amazon GC - http://untoldpress.com/contests-and-giveaways/dragonthology-release-tour-giveaway-25-amazom-gift-card

Dragonthology

Authors: G.L. Jackson, Jason Andrew, Marian Allen, Jay Wilburn, Troy Lambert, Sandra Graves, J.A. Campbell

Genres: Fantasy + Mystery, Sci Fi, Humor, Dystopian,

Release Date: Jan 1 2013

Publisher: UntoldPress

Length: 54,552 words, 171 pages, 435 KB 
Format: Kindle

ASIN: B00AVLQZ6G

Buy Link

Amazon US:  http://www.amazon.com/Dragonthology-ebook/dp/B00AVLQZ6G

Amazon UK:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dragonthology-ebook/dp/B00AVLQZ6G

Amazon IT:  http://www.amazon.it/Dragonthology-ebook/dp/B00AVLQZ6G

Jan 1 –March 31- Amazon Prime members can borrow for FREE

Book Blurb (from the publisher):

Enter the pages of the Dragonthology. No single story has ever been great enough to contain the mystical, wondrous creature known as the dragon. We assembled the greatest draconian tales and put them between the covers of a single tome to satisfy your hunger for everything dragon. Seven magnificent stories, ranging from science fiction to mystery, await you within.

The Case of the Bloodstone Dragon by G.L. Jackson

A washed up has been, Private Investigator Clark is down to his last $100. That is, until the night a mysterious femme fatale walks through his door weaving a tale of intrigue in hope of recovering an artifact steeped in mystery and danger. What follows is a raucous ride through a little known human and dragon history, played out on the streets of New York City.

Unto the Breach by Jason Andrew

Jonathan Heller uncovers an unusual secret during one of the bloodiest campaigns of World War One in the middle of horrific trench warfare.  Can he convince an ancient dragon that humanity is worthy of life during their darkest hour?

The Dragon of Sullivan Hall by Marian Allen

A dormitory full of fun loving female students, an angry red dragon with a litter full of hungry whelps, and a particular student of Irish descent. This won’t end well for the dragon.

Egg Hunt by Jay Wilburn

A lonely smuggler must make decisions he never dreamt possible in the darkness of space to elude capture and protect his precious cargo of dragon eggs. When one of them hatches, it threatens to damage his ship. Can a person change enough to save a ship, a dragon, and himself?

The Clan by Troy Lambert

Dragons return to the earth and humanity enslaves them with the last remnants of technology of their dying race. Now the technology of old is fading. Will the dragons be able to rise again? Will the humans declare war, or will a peaceful solution be found? It all rests in the hands of an ancient dragon, and a lowly shepherd and his clan.

Dragon Seeks a Wife by Sandra Graves

What happens when a dragon falls ill and is told he will die in a year and a day unless he finds his one true love? The only thing a dragon can do. He sets out on a quest to win the hand of the perfect mate for a dragon–the daughter of the king. Aided by a Quetzal bird sorcerer, he begins his quest. An old fashioned fairy tale with a Meso-American twist.

Darkness Taken by J.A. Campbell

In a land where children are warriors and the only adults are mythical creatures, all are called to fight the Darkness. Til and her dragon partner, Heliodor, complete the perfect Welcome Ceremony, but their joy is short lived. The Dark has slain a unicorn and taken her foal back to the Darklands. Can Til and Heliodor venture where none go and rescue the young unicorn?

Author Bios:

Marian Allen 
Marian Allen writes science fiction, fantasy, mystery, humor, horror, mainstream, and anything else she can wrestle into fixed form.

Allen has had stories in on-line and print publications, on coffee cans and the wall of an Indian restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky.

Allen is a member of Quills and Quibbles and the Southern Indiana Writers Group, and is a regular contributor to SIW's annual anthology.

Find out more about Marian at  http://MarianAllen.com  and follow her on twitter @MarianAllen

J.A. Campbell 
Julie has been many things over the last few years, from college student, to bookstore clerk and an over the road trucker. She’s worked as a 911 dispatcher and in computer tech support, but through it all she’s been a writer and when she’s not out riding horses, she can usually be found sitting in front of her computer. She lives in Colorado with her three cats, her vampire-hunting dog in training, Kira, and her Irish Sailor.

She is the author of many Vampire and Ghost-Hunting Dog stories and the young adult urban fantasy series The Clanless.

Find out more about Julie at  www.writerjacampbell.com  and follow her on twitter @Pfirewolf

G.L. Jackson 
G.L. Jackson lives in the hills outside Portland, Oregon with her family. She's a licensed massage therapist, but when she's not working at that she's either writing, reading, taking photographs, or indulging in philosophical discussion with the birds, stray cats, raccoons, and other creatures that stop by on a daily basis. Much to the chagrin of her parents, she cut her literary teeth at an early age by writing and performing plays with her two sisters. From there she moved on to stories both short and long, but poetry has remained elusive.  Born and raised on the east coast, she's fallen in love with the Pacific Ocean. The Case of the Bloodstone Dragon is her first detective story.

Find out more about Gwynne at gwynnejackson.wordpress.com  and follow her on twitter @notsuestorm

Jay Wilburn 
Jay Wilburn lives in Conway, South Carolina with his wife and two sons. His novel, Loose Ends: A Zombie Novel, is available now. He has a novella, Circuit Rider, in the acclaimed anthology Realms of the Undead.  He has published a number of horror and speculative fiction stories.

Follow his many dark thoughts @AmongtheZombie on Twitter or at JayWilburn.com. 

Jason Andrew 
Jason Andrew lives in Seattle, Washington with his wife Lisa.  He is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, the Horror Writers Association, and the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers.   His short fiction has appeared in markets such as Shine: An Anthology of Optimistic SF, Frontier Cthulhu: Ancient Horrors in the New World, and Dark Tales of Lost Civilizations.  In 2011, Jason received an honorable mention in Ellen Datlow’s List for Best Horror of the Year for his story “Moonlight in Scarlet”.  Jason also writes for awesome RPG games such as Vampire: the Masquerade and Shadowrun.

Find out more about Jason at www.jasonbandrew.com  and follow him on twitter @jasonbandrew

Sandra Graves 
Raised in Colorado by European immigrant parents who passed on their love for both great literature and great music, Sandra has had her nose in a book since she first learned to read.  When she isn’t reading, she’s either writing fiction or designing her latest artwork project.  She also owns and operates her own business.

Sandra spent her school years in Denver and her summers attending musical events in the mountain valley of Aspen.  Throughout her youth she was a talented cellist, achieving first chair position in the Colorado Youth Symphony as well as a position in a semi-professional symphony while in high school.  She earned an MA degree in Anthropology from Eastern New Mexico University where she met her husband.  They have been married for more than thirty years.

She currently lives in Minnesota, a state far away from her beloved mountains but featuring thousands of lakes and rivers.  She is combating homesickness by writing a novel that takes place in the years of the Colorado gold rush. She’s looking forward to the necessity of doing on-site research within the next year.

Find out more about Sandra at www.IsisRising08.com 

Troy Lambert 
Troy began his writing life at a very young age, penning the as yet unpublished George and the Giant Castle at age six. He grew up in Southern Idaho, and after many adventures including a short stint in the US Army and a diverse education, Troy returned to Idaho, but the north end of the state this time, where he currently resides.

Troy works as a freelance writer and researcher by night, and the Museum Operations Specialist and Head of Research at the Wallace District Mining museum by day. He truly loves to write dark, psychological thrillers and released Broken Bones, a collection of his short stories, last September to great acclaim and with reasonable success. His new thriller Redemption is available now.

Troy lives with his wife of eleven years, two of his five children and two very talented dogs. He is a skier, cyclist, hiker, fisherman, hunter, and a terrible beginning golfer. The sequel to Redemption, titled Temptation will be released early in 2013.

Find out more about Troy at www.troylambertwrites.com  and follow him on twitter @authortroy 

Dusty Reads Link Up

 

Dusty Reads is a meme started by Giselle at Xpresso Reads featuring a book that has been sitting unread on your shelf for some time. Books don't have to be 'x' years old. If you've had the book for a few months without reading it, it's dusty! :D You can post on any day but Giselle and I usually post or put up a linky on Tuesdays. If you don't use the button, try to link back to this post or Giselle's so others will know how/where to link up. You can use the above button, the one below or create your own if you prefer.  

Excerpt from EDGE OF THE PAST By Jennifer Comeaux

Today I'm pleased to present an excerpt from a new romance, "Edge of the Past" by Jennifer Comeaux. I had the pleasure of reading it pre-publication as I did the line edits for it. Jennifer and I "met" when she saw on goodreads that the book had been added and someone, me, had a status of 'currently reading' for it. She messaged me, curious about how I could be reading a book that hadn't been published yet. I replied along the lines of "Oh hi, I'm Bea, your line editor." I explained that I use goodreads to help me keep track of books I am currently working or have worked on. I also now email authors I haven't worked with before to introduce myself; it helps cut down on confusion. :D

Now, the book is finished and available for purchase. I have an excerpt for you and a giveaway, but first some information about Jennifer. She started writing stories when she was seven years old and dreamed of one day seeing her name in print. Dreams of being a writer were overruled by practicality, however, and she decided to go the business school route, earning a master's degree in accounting from Tulane University. While at Tulane, she kept her creative muscles loose by writing for the school newspaper, The Hullabaloo. Seeing her name in a byline was great, but she still dreamed of writing a novel and having it published.

Writing was put on hold while she became a Certified Public Accountant and worked as a corporate tax manager. Not until a few years ago did she pick up her writer's pen again, thanks to encouragement from a friend.

Even though she's lived in south Louisiana all her life and has only stepped on an ice rink once, she is a passionate fan of figure skating and follows the sport closely. This passion spurred the idea for a story, a romance between a skater and coach, and after years of toying with the idea in her mind, she finally put the story down on paper. It started as a fun project to share with friends, but then she realized she wanted to share the book with a wider audience. She buckled down and learned how to be a better writer, and through many hours of writing and rewriting, the story came alive. LIFE ON THE EDGE became her first completed novel!

When she's not working or writing, she enjoys traveling, especially to figure skating events, and photographing all of her adventures. Attending competitions has allowed her to visit some wonderful places and meet some wonderful people. She couldn't have written LIFE ON THE EDGE without those experiences!

She is currently working on book three of the Edge series and hopes to have it published in late 2013.

Find Jennifer Online:

Website & Blog
Goodreads
Facebook 
Twitter
Pinterest

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Excerpt

After I got comfortable in my pajamas, I climbed into bed with my laptop to check email but never made it to my inbox. Thinking back to the conversation at dinner, I pulled up a search engine and typed Sergei Petrov and Elena Gorshkova. With a click on the Images tab, I landed on a page of photos from Sergei and Elena’s competitive days.

I’d looked at the pictures before – Sergei and Elena with their World Junior Championship gold medals, action shots from their winning free skate, and their celebration in the kiss and cry when they received their scores. But now I studied them longer, knowing I’d soon be in the city where all the history had taken place.

Elena and I had the same petite build, perfect for pairs skating, but our other physical features differed greatly. Her raven hair, cut in a bob, contrasted with my long, dark blonde locks. And her eyes were brown, almost black – the total opposite of my blue ones.

Even though Sergei and I had a lifetime together ahead of us, a twinge of something – perhaps jealousy, perhaps curiosity – hit me as I stared at the photos. Elena had given birth to Sergei’s child. His first child. They’d always have that bond, no matter the time and distance between them. Going back to Russia would surely trigger old memories for Sergei, especially since his father was obsessed with past mistakes.

I shut my laptop and burrowed deeper under the blankets. The ghosts must finally be put to rest.

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Edge of the Past 

Author: Jennifer Comeaux

Series: Edge #2

Genre: Romance, New Adult

Format: ebook, paperback

Release Date: November 27, 2012

Length: 471 KB, 269 pages

Buying Links: Amazon   Astraea Press   Barnes & Noble

Disclosure: I work for Astraea Press, the publisher. I also worked on this book. I am not being compensated by Astraea or the author for participating in this tour or putting up this post.

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Blog Tour Review of Escucha Means Listen by Talia Aikens-Nunez

Publisher: Musa Publishing
Format Read: PDF
Release Date: November 30, 2012
Buying Links:  Amazon   Musa   Barnes & Noble

Book Blurb (from goodreads):

From the mowing of the lawn to the splish-splashing of rain puddles, Talia Aikens-Nuñez’s bilingual picture book Escucha Means Listen introduces toddlers and babies to the sweet sounds around them.

Take a journey through the world—just listening. Escucha Means Listen helps children discover sounds around them in English and Spanish.

Reviewed by: Bea

Bea's Thoughts:

I love when childrens books are available in languages other than English or in multiple languages such as this book. They introduce children to other languages and cultures, build their vocabulary and language skills and can assist in providing much needed diversity in a classroom. Working in a toddler room, with children who speak American, Hindi, Spanish, and Mandarin, it can be a challenge finding appropriate books.

"Escucha Means Listen" is written primarily in American English. Each page has text in English with a noun and sometimes a phrase in Spanish (I think it's Castilian Spanish, but I'm not positive.) For example:

Ding Dong! Que oyes? (What do you hear?) Las Campanas (the bells) are ringing from the tower.

The artwork illustrates the text which enables the children to make the connection. The pictures are bright and cheery with a moderate amount of detail; not so much that it could be overwhelming but not stark and spare either. I wish there were more of a story and a more rhythmic flow. Instead, we have a series of random objects and occurrences with little to no context. I doubt that most kids will care, but I would have liked it.

This is a cheerful, easy story for young readers that doesn't patronize or condescend its audience. Nor does it hit you over the head with the message that you are learning another language; it's casual and breezy. I would recommend it for parents and classrooms.

I received a PDF from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer for review.