Sunday, January 31, 2021

The Odd and the Strange: A Collection of Very Short Fiction by Harvey Havel Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi, Surrealist, Fabulist

 

Guest Post Topics for Silver Dagger Book Tours

 

  • Can you, for those who don't know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author? 

I went to a tiny college in Hartford, Connecticut.  In my sophomore year, I joined a fraternity.  In my senior year, there was a fraternity brother of mine named Jason Morfoot who told me this story about a group of guys who wrote poetry and literature all the time, smoked a lot of pot, dropped a lot of acid, and drove around in a psychedelic-painted bus with the Grateful Dead. 

Once I heard this story, I asked Jason to tell it to me over and over again, probably to his chagrin.  I was so charmed by what the Beats did way back when that I said to myself, ‘Gee, maybe this writing thing is for me.’  Of course, it never turned out the way it turned out for them, but I never would have gone into writing had Jason not told me about the Beat Generation.  At the time, it sounded like they lived a fairy-tale life.  Perhaps they did. 

  • Where were you born/grew up at? 

I was born in Lahore, Pakistan in 1971.  I immigrated to the United States when I was just a newborn.  My family first moved to Buffalo, New York, and over the years, we found ourselves in New York City by the mid-1970s.  Back then, New York City was in dire straits – high crime, intense poverty, drugs, etc.  I still can’t believe how my mother got through it all, living in the toughest neighborhood in the city at the time, which was then known as Alphabet City, or what is currently known as the Lower East Side.  God must have been with her the entire time.  I am really amazed at how she persevered. She was incredible woman, even though our relationship was not. 

  • What do you do to unwind and relax? 

I like listening to the radio a lot.  Usually, NPR, or Classic Rock and Roll. 

  • What inspired you to write this book? 

Interestingly enough, these stories were somehow stored on my computer for several years before I accidently found them in a hidden file on my hard drive.  I discovered nearly ninety short stories that I forgotten I had ever written.  It turns out that nearly seven or eight years ago, the poet, John Allen of Albany, New York, had asked me to submit stories for his website, The New Surrealist Institute, which is now defunct.  This site had really been thriving, and a core group of authors had submitted avidly to it.  It was also quite popular with many readers.  When the website went offline, I had simply forgotten about the stories.  When I found them, I just knew I had to compile them into a book. 

I wouldn’t say that anything in particular inspired me to write these stories, though.  The ideas came to me out of nowhere, which is why it took a lot of effort to construct them.  Some of the political stories were inspired by the 2016 elections, for instance.  There’s a science fiction story that is more a personal response to my past relationships with friends who have now grown up to do amazing things with their lives.  A couple stories are tributes to old friends of mine who had passed on: a painter friend of mine who had committed suicide in the 1990s and also a Black-American bluegrass musician who had recently passed away a couple of years ago.  But I can’t say exactly how I got the ideas for them, which is strange.  They are very diverse and, I hope, fun to read. 

  • What can we expect from you in the future? 

Right now, I am working on a book about September 11, 2001, when the Word Trade Center in New York was hit by a terrorist attack.  I haven’t been working on the project consistently as of late, though, but I hope to have it done in a couple of years.  Sometimes, life gets in the way of writing every day, which is something I made sure to do.  But I really do want the September 11th book to be my finest publication, so it is always on my mind, and when I am working on it, I am working really hard. 

  • Who designed your book covers? 

I have to do everything on the cheap, as I have self-published for a long time.  I usually find ready-made covers on the web, purchase them, and use them for my book covers.  I use a site called www.selfpubbookcovers.com.  There’s a guy named Rob there who runs the show, and he has always been very responsive and helpful.  He has hundreds of covers to choose from.  Hiring designers for the job is just way too expensive for me.  Ready-made covers from great designers are a great way to package my books. 

  • Anything specific you want to tell your readers? 

Never give up!  Never give up!  Never give up! 

  • How long have you been writing? 

I have been a professional writer for nearly 30 years without much success.  While I have published 18 books, it seems that it is hard to attract the public to read them.  I am definitely not able to make a living off of any of these books.  Instead, I have a fixed income every month from a variety of sources, including Social Security Disability, that has sustained me for all of these years.  While I am very happy to see all of my peers succeed and do very well in life, it has been equally as difficult to remain within the same income bracket for so long.  But then again, if you are concerned about the money, writing is definitely not the right career path to choose, or so is my experience. 

Lately, I have been taking it easier.  I hope to continue writing for the rest of my years, but I do admit that I am a bit tired of always being broke and pinching pennies all the time.  That is the hard part.  But somehow, I have made it through, and my books are all out there, should anyone find them. 

  • What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book? 

I invest a lot in the research process.  After a general story idea comes to mind, I refine that idea into a plot outline.  Once that is done, I target those parts of the plot that I know nothing of.  

For instance, I wrote a book about football.  While I had known about football from playing it in my youth, I needed to investigate how professional players practice, not generally, but specifically.  So, with that example in mind, I had to go to the library, or surf the internet, to find books that detailed the drills that professional coaches used in their practices.  I took this information and then put them on notecards.  Then, I added this information to the plot outline and created a chapter-by-chapter outline with the research included in every respective chapter.  That’s how it has worked for me thus far. 

Also, I find it extremely important to include a bibliography at the back of the book, should I use research.  That way, the writing is based not only on my imagination, but also cold, hard facts.  One should always cite one’s sources anyway.  Plus, I have found it really fun doing the research.  It’s incredible how much I have learned about a variety of subjects over the years.  When writing historical fiction especially, research is always key. 

  • What do you think about the current publishing market? 

Not much.  But then again, I haven’t read much of what is out there. 

  • Pen or type writer or computer? 

I usually hand-write a manuscript, revise it on paper, and then I type it into the computer, constantly revising it. I then print out the manuscript and revise it again.  But I usually do this chapter-by-chapter, not the entire manuscript at once.  I find it easier to break it down into manageable parts. 

I used to hand-write it and then use a typewriter, but luckily for everyone, the personal computer came along. 

  • Advice they would give new authors? 

Definitely do not put all of your eggs in the one basket of writing.  If you are going to write or edit for a job, or work as a journalist for a decent salary, that’s fine.  But please do not make the same mistake I had made by banking it all on writing fiction novels at an early age.  Even though I have developed as a writer through hardship, I don’t think it was really all that worth it.  

If I had to do it all over again, I would have chosen a career with a good salary, so that I could have afforded a good car, attracted a nice girlfriend, afforded a simple house, and did what most of my peers have done, or at least developed how most people are portrayed in the media of today.  I wouldn’t have had such a cavalier ‘all or none’ attitude about a becoming a writer.  

Betting it all on the one hand and winning at it is the stuff of dreams and fantasy and not reality.  I am definitely not saying that it won’t happen, though, because a new author definitely could hit the big time with a book or a number of books.  But if you find yourself broke and on the street in the freezing cold, as I have witnessed in every city I have lived in, you should really stop and reassess where you are heading.  In my opinion, it is not possible to write under conditions of abject poverty for too long.  Better to get a roof over your head before writing that next line. 


The Odd and the Strange:
A Collection of Very Short Fiction
by Harvey Havel
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi, Surrealist, Fabulist


A Collection of Very Short Fiction from a variety of genres, including but not limited to horror, science fiction, politics, and the surreal. These celebrated very short stories have been collected over a number of years and have been published in a variety of online e-zines and posted on various websites.


THE ODD AND THE STRANGE by Harvey Havel is a collection of urban tales that toe the line of reality.
The subtitle of Harvey Havel’s THE ODD AND THE STRANGE is A Collection of Very Short Fiction. A better one would be A Very Long Book of Normal-Sized Short Fiction. There are 89 stories in all, most 5-10 pages long (though a few stretch to nearly twenty), with unassuming titles like “Visitation,” “Girlfriend,” and “Daughter.” Though set in the real world, the stories tease reality with nameless characters–the candidate, the doctor, the Big Man–and fantastical occurrences, similar to the parables of Jorge Luis Borges (Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator, and a key figure in Spanish language literature).
Being a librarian, I was eager to read the story “The Librarian.” A young male librarian–unnamed, naturally–looks into a mirror in his office and sees not his reflection but a woman with “walnut hair luxuriously long and her skin as supple as a young girl’s.” He has seen her many times, and though the two cannot touch, they can talk. What do they talk about? The books he steals from the library and passes into the mirror for her to read. Eventually, his boss confronts the librarian over the missing books only to be told that the latter he gave them to his mirror-world girlfriend. To prove this claim, the librarian tries to summon the woman, and when she doesn’t appear, the librarian smashes the mirror. You can imagine the rest.
Some stories are less Borges and more Stephen Crane (author of The Red Badge of Courage): bleak, violent. Like “Lightning Love,” narrated by a wife whose husband changes into . . . something (the twist at the end is brilliant). Others are political fables, like “Santa Claus and Madam Secretary,” which makes Havel’s proclivities as clear as the image on a 98-inch TV. His style can be clunky–one woman’s breasts are described as “shaped like a queen’s”–and some endings are telegraphed. A few stories, like “Sex Toy,” are more like story fragments. Yet THE ODD AND THE STRANGE is quite an accomplishment: unusual, provocative, and honest.
Mixing the fabulism of Jorge Luis Borges with the bleakness of Stephen Crane, the tales contained in Harvey Havel’s THE ODD AND THE STRANGE draw the reader into a world they won’t soon forget.
~Anthony Aycock for IndieReader


**Get this book at 50% off at Smashwords and check out Harvey's other books 
– a lot of them are FREE or on sale at Smashwords too!**








Harvey Havel is a short-story writer and novelist.
His first novel, Noble McCloud, A Novel, was published in November of 1999. His second novel, The Imam, A Novel, was published in 2000.
Over the years of being a professional writer, Havel published his third novel, Freedom of Association. He worked on several other books and published his eighth novel, Charlie Zero's Last-Ditch Attempt, and his ninth, The Orphan of Mecca, Book One, which was released several years ago. A full trilogy of this work had been completed a few years after Mr. Big is about a Black-American football player who deals with injury and institutionalized racism. This book was published in 2017. It's his fifteenth book.
The Wild Gypsy of Arbor Hill is his sixteenth book, and his seventeenth is a non-fiction political essay about America's current political crisis, written in 2019. He has just now published his eighteenth book, The Odd and The Strange: A Collection of Very Short Fiction.
Havel is formerly a writing instructor at Bergen Community College in Paramus, New Jersey. He also taught writing and literature at the College of St. Rose in Albany as well as SUNY Albany.





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Saturday, January 30, 2021

Second Chances A Perfectly Stated Novel by Sky Lawley Genre: Paranormal Romance

 

 






A Nephilim hiding out at her diner on New Year's Eve. A blizzard rages on outside trapping her in with an old flame from her past.

A fallen angel running from his past only to stumble upon the one he lost so many years ago. His only crime was loving the forbidden half breed.

She shouldn't even exist, and he wasn't supposed to find her. An eternal love burning hot what will happen when they're stuck together for the night? Could it be a new year for second chances?











A Texan Indie Author who writes steamy Paranormal and Fantasy Romances for readers.

Her stories include anything from Angels to Reapers to Shifters and even Nephilims. Sky Lawley's stories are not for the faint of heart as they contain some strong mature and sexual content within.







Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$10 Amazon
 

Friday, January 29, 2021

Ashes of Blood The Dragon Mafia Chronicles Book 1 by Lela Grayce Genre: YA Fantasy

 

 


Ashes of Blood
The Dragon Mafia Chronicles Book 1
by Lela Grayce
Genre: YA Fantasy


Do not serve drinks to a dragon mob boss. They bite. Zero stars.

A century ago, rips in reality appeared all around the globe, allowing creatures from myth to surge into our world.

Dragons.
Shifters.
Fae.
Witches.

All now walk the earth in an established hierarchy of power. At the bottom of that chain are mixed-species Mutts... like me. My abilities should be minimal. Yet, after an unfortunate run-in with a dragon mob boss, the thirst for my blood quickly becomes his obsession. Violence. Seduction. Bitter betrayal. He will stop at nothing to use me as a pawn in his dark agenda. My only ally is Kreed, a pureblood Zavarian, who will push his own annoyance at being saddled with a Mutt aside if it means bringing down the dragons.

But when someone I trust betrays me, suppressed memories resurface to remind me of how destructive my power can be. No matter how I fight it, a rain of ash and blood is coming. When it stills, will I be the healer of the people... or their destruction?




Lela Grayce lives in rural Wyoming in a small college town. She works for a non-profit organization and loves what she does for the company. She is married to her best friend and hero. By day she is a working mom and wife but by night she is lost in dreams, moonlight, and delusions that she is, in fact, Batman.





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Caught in His Webb The Love Connection Book 2 by Sean D. Young Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense

 


Caught in His Webb
The Love Connection Book 2
by Sean D. Young
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense



Sara Simmons has no desire to go into law or politics, so her brothers will continue the family's legacy of prestige and honor. Making her mark on the world with high fashion has always been her dream. Taking her shot, she is threatened by a situation that could not only ruin her career but her family's reputation. There's only one person she can run to for help and keep her secret too...Derrick "Spyder" Webb.

Being the man of the house at the age of twelve when his father died unexpectantly, caused Spyder to grow up quickly. It made him a little unforgiving and demanding, but it also made him one of the greatest problem solvers this side of the Mississippi. Now, when people are in trouble, they come to him, but Sara is another story. He'd helped his best friend's baby sister one night so many years ago. What he didn't expect, however, was pulling her in his arms to comfort her and feeling things he hasn't since. Now, she's older, more mature, and gorgeous as hell. The problem is she's off-limits, but lately, he can't deny that her presence makes him want to pull her inside of his web of protection ...into his web of desire.










Sean Young has always been an avid reader. This Gary, Indiana native joined her first book club at the age of seven. A lover of the happily ever after, Sean uses her vivid imagination to craft heartwarming and passionate family love stories that deal with forgiveness, promise, romance and redemption. A certified wedding planner by trade, Sean continues to help brides plan the wedding of their dreams.







Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$10 Amazon giftcard, 
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The Bridge of Magic Trilogy by Robert E. Balsley Jr. Genre: Fantasy

  

  • Can you, for those who don't know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author? 

I’m a long-time Dungeon and Dragons player. The first few games I was prepared as the Dungeon Master (DM) came from existing modules that can be bought from most book or gaming stores. But as I matured and gained more confidence as a DM, I preferred writing my own games using my own ideas. Using experience gained as a technical writer in my civilian job with the USAF, my games were extremely detail orientated, original, and offered up adventures that were tailored around the players themselves. My modules were standalone… but they were also built to serve as steppingstones in a much larger storyline. It wasn’t long before my players – my friends – were saying I should write a book. After I retired, I set out to do just that. The genesis of The Salvation of Innocence came from a storyline in one of my games. And every one of my D&D friends are characters in the books (trilogy, actually). It was easy to develop their personas because I’ve known them for decades.  

  • What is something unique/quirky about you? 

I refuse to watch any live game on TV that one of my favorite teams is playing in (particularly Oklahoma University football). I consider myself a jinx. This goes back to the early eighties. My wife reports to me during the game with scores and updates. I won’t even watch another game because of the scores that scroll along the bottom. I’m not just quirky, I’m weird. 

  • Tell us something really interesting that's happened to you! 

It was 1993 and I was a First Level Supervision at Tinker AFB. Part of my responsibilities was the management of all the communications records for all Air Forces bases and sites worldwide. There was a near-fatal accident at Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado, when a project installation team member went into an electrical manhole instead of a communications manhole. Part of the accident findings referenced faulty records. I was sent to help resolve any of the issues within my purview. While there I was able to take a tour of “the Mountain”, a huge complex built underneath an actual mountain. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. 

  • What are some of your pet peeves? 

Hypocrisy. Double standards. The phrase “At the end of the day.” (Though I’ve caught myself saying it every once in a while.) Lying. Messiness. 

  • Where were you born/grew up at? 

I was born in Sioux City, Iowa. (My father was stationed there while he was in the Air Force. It’s where he met mom.) When I was about four, we moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where dad was from. A little while later we moved about forty miles east to the town of Fayetteville, Ohio. We lived there until I was about twelve, then we moved back to Cincinnati. 

  • If you knew you'd die tomorrow, how would you spend your last day? 

With family. I’d also smoke a few cigarettes. I quit a little over twenty-five years ago and still miss them from time to time. 

  • Who is your hero and why? 

The easy answer is dad. Though my family wasn’t rich, we always had what we needed, including an example of how we should live our lives. I also had a boss with whom I worked for many years. A lot of my ability as a writer is due to his tutelage. Then there’s the American veteran, especially the combat veteran. Two words sum up “Why?” Our freedom. 


The Salvation of Innocence
The Bridge of Magic Trilogy Book 1
by Robert E. Balsley Jr.
Genre: Fantasy


A young woman embarks on a harrowing journey to save her world's last vestige of magical healing in Robert E. Balsley Jr.'s epic new fantasy novel, The Salvation of Innocence.
Althaya, the goddess of healing, wishes to share her ability to help those in need, providing "empaths," which give clerics the means to magically heal others-a means that some people fear and wish to destroy. In response, a dark magic known as the Purge is created to seek out and eradicate all empaths.
But one lone survivor remains, spirited away by Althaya and hidden in a magical stasis field. There, the last empath must remain alive until the time comes for rescue-but the Purge will not rest until the last empath is found and killed.
Three thousand years later, Kristen Rosilie Clearwater is only beginning to realize her destiny. Having been brought to the island of InnisRos as an orphan, she has long felt a "tug" toward something she can't quite understand. But when she begins experiencing the dreams of a young child, Kristen knows that the two are somehow connected-and that the fate of the world, and the future of healing magic, rests on.



The Struggle For Innocence
The Bridge of Magic Trilogy Book 2


In this suspenseful sequel to The Salvation of Innocence, the war against evil rages on. This time good must fight on two fronts to stop a great evil-one strong enough to commit genocide-or their world will be changed forever.
After barely escaping death at the hands of the vampire Lukas, Emmy still faces an even greater threat. The Purge is approaching. Emmy and her comrades' only chance is to get help from the sentient city of Elanesse and commit the first assault.
Far way, another conflict is brewing. Father Horatio Goram must face off against the power-hungry First Counselor Mordecai Lannian, whose demonic concubine pushes for war, but the odds are against him. Emmy's fate rests on this struggle, and this determined priest will do anything to win.
In a realm where healing magic relies on a single emissary's ability to commune with the gods, Emmy's death would have wide repercussions. This sensational thriller reveals the destructive power evil will use to achieve its dastardly ends-and the depths to which good must go to stop it.



The Loss of Innocence
The Bridge of Magic Trilogy Book 3


War has come to InnisRos!
The Ak-Séregon Stone, stolen by the demon Nightshade, has been used to force open a corridor between Aster and the Svartalfheim, the home world of the Dark Elves. The Dark Elf army, led by Nightshade's father, Aikanáro, marches on InnisRos. Only Father Goram and his allies, with Queen Lessien's army, can close down the corridor and break the stranglehold the Dark Elves have on the island of the Elves of Light.
But the Dark Elf invasion of InnisRos is only one phase of Nightshade's design. To ensure InnisRos' human allies stay on their side of the world, she blackmails Lord Ternborg, leader of the Draugen Pesta, the Black Death, to invade the mainland from the east. Forced to collaborate with the mercenary cities of HeBron and Madeira, Lord Ternborg reluctantly leads three armies into the Forest of the Fey and the surrounding valley to capture the sorcerer stronghold of Havendale. Tangus, Kristen, Emmy and the humans now have their own war to fight on the mainland.
Meanwhile, deep below the surface, a new threat arises. The sylph are awake and moving from the depths with one goal in mind... destroy all life on Aster.






Robert E. Balsley, Jr honed his fantasy writing skills as a game master in Dungeons and Dragons over twenty-five years. During that time he developed the thoughts and ideas that turned into the Bridge of Magic series. The Salvation of Innocence is the first book of that trilogy and Robert's debut novel. Robert graduated from Elder High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. He served in the US Air Force for six years. After his discharge, Robert started working at Tinker Air Force Base in Central Oklahoma where he's been an engineering technician, first-level supervisor, and lead technician. Robert retired in late 2014. He left Oklahoma and currently lives in Burlington, Kentucky. He and his wife have three children, three grandchildren, and three dogs.



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Thursday, January 28, 2021

Clarissa by Giulietta M. Spudich Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy

 

Emerging Voices of Young Writers

By Giulietta M. Spudich 

One of the best things about being a published author is that children and young adults show me their stories. Their imagination, passion, and connection with nature is inspiring – water beings pacify violence and magic wands clean up oceans. 

Our younger generations inherit a difficult world – one with much beauty, yes, but also one with continuous species extinction, growing plastic waste and deforestation. These young people are writing, in the face of it all, with deep connection, love, courage, and hope. 

“Remember carefully, o’ precious one, all that is lost and all that is won. And then, with all your might, blow out your wishes into the night.” – Beatrice, age 14 

“Blow with the wind to lighten the fire, blow with the wind to liven the fire. Fire, dance, dance, dance.” – Amani, age 10 

May young writers keep sharing their passion, inspiration, and connection through their beautiful words. 

“To the Earth, we love you, happy Earth day,” – Orson, age 7

 

Clarissa
by Giulietta M. Spudich
Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy


A fire is coming. It starts with a girl and a key.

After her mother’s death, Clarissa doesn’t know how to connect with her distant father. Her only friend is an oak tree who she can tell her deepest secrets. When she discovers a mysterious key that unleashes a long-forgotten fire spirit, she must find her voice to protect those she loves.

"A delightful, fantastical tale of how oak trees and humans can be friends." -Dr. James Canton, author of "The Oak Papers"

**Get it FREE Jan 9th & 10th!! **








Giulietta M. Spudich enjoys writing everything from children's stories to grown-up fiction and poems in between. She lives in Cambridge, England where she moved from California in 2002. She is inspired by cats, especially her late black cat, Smokey.





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Wednesday, January 27, 2021

The Hideous Garden Mara of the League Book 3 by Thomas M. Kane Genre: Fantasy

 



The Hideous Garden
Mara of the League Book 3
by Thomas M. Kane
Genre: Fantasy


After surviving a fiery assassination attempt, the League’s honorable new ruler resolves to end a twenty-five-year war. Mara, now director of the League’s spy service, warns that he is walking into a trap. As Mara argues for increasingly ruthless policies, she must ask herself whether she likes the person she has become.

This is a story of intrigue and military strategy, set in a low fantasy world. It is also a story of a political marriage which could be more.



The Rebels of Caer City
Mara of the League Book 2


Throughout five years at a strict boarding school, Mara has turned to her friend Annie-Rose for comfort. Now Annie has disappeared. Mara teams up with two other students – bold Gretchen and soft-spoken Ginny -- to find her missing friend. Together, Mara, Gretchen and Ginny take on a conspiracy involving some of the most dangerous people in their world.

 


The Witches of Crannock Dale
Mara of the League Book 1


When an enemy army threatens eleven-year old Mara’s home, she makes up her mind to save her family, one way or another. But when the knights protecting her village arrest her favorite aunt for witchcraft, she discovers that the difference between friend and foe may not be as obvious as she once thought.

This is a story of war and espionage, set in a low fantasy world. It is also about a child getting to know her mother and father in a new way.









Thomas M. Kane is a fantasy author living high on a wooded hilltop. He taught international relations at a British university for close to twenty years and brings his insights concerning real-life war and politics into his fiction. He takes a character-based approach to writing, paying attention to his protagonists' personal relationships and inner lives.







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$20 Amazon