The Season of the Dragon

 

 

Season of the Dragon

Dragos Primeri Book 1

by Natalie Wright

Genre: Epic Fantasy 

“This dazzling epic fantasy series kickoff rewards and upends reader expectations.”—BOOKLIFE REVIEWS, Editor’s Pick

“[Readers] looking for fantasy series titles that open with a bang of psychological and political allure will find that few can equal the force of Season of the Dragon.”—D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW

“A real epic in the making!” ~Dario Ciriello, Editor

When dragons rise from a thousand-year slumber, to save her loved ones, a young changeling woman must unite her warring souls.

Quen Santu wasn’t born to save the world. She was created to destroy it.

Quen was born cursed with a second, shadow soul and is a misfit in her nomadic herding culture. Quen yearns to belong and for a love to call her own. But she is detested by animals, and no herdclan will have her. On the cusp of her twentieth year, Quen is at risk of becoming pesha—no one. Quen’s only hope for an honorable life is to take vows at one of the Pillars, schools dedicated to the magical and martial arts.

On the day a mysterious stranger reveals a dark prophecy, a dragon kills Quen’s father. The murder turns her life upside down, and dashes hope for an honorable life. Anger fuels Quen’s quest for vengeance, and she joins a vigilante group hunting the murderous dragon. The new found family provides comfort amid her profound loss and holds the promise of new love. But to preserve the belonging and love she craves, Quen struggles to hide her true identity.

Quen’s journey spans the continent, from the nomadic herding lands of the Sulmére sands to the opulent largesse of the capital—and reveals terrible truths. That a power-hungry Dynasty can ruin a life with a quill stroke. That a shadowy dragon cult has laid claim to her. And that even the leader of a revered institution aims to control Quen's growing power.

Yet the question persists: Why?

The truth awaits at the end of her journey, but can love survive the truth? As Quen battles the beast within, time is running out. Will Quen finally overcome her curse and unite her warring souls? Or will her phantom soul consume her—and everyone she loves?

The fate of her homeland—and all she loves—hangs in the balance.

“[Wright’s] powers of description are first-class, and her worldbuilding impressive. She presents her world with great clarity… The scenes in Qülla are especially sumptuous and vivid, and it’s impossible to not believe in such a place: a fabulous work.” ~Dario Ciriello, Editor

“Wright’s Season of the Dragon world is unique, sumptuous, and highly engaging. I want to feast at the Palace di Solis and witness the incredible Volenex! SotD is filled with dragons, new magical creatures, sorcerers and mages, and intriguing new mythology. But SotD is more than great worldbuilding. Wright deftly weaves worldbuilding into a story that about the power of love. The love of a father for his child and how that love survives even death. Of the complex love between siblings and the bonds of friendship. And of the blossoming love of two young people trying to find their place in the world and discovering that love can be a life raft in the darkest of times. I highly recommend Season of the Dragon, and look forward to the next book in the series.” ~Jim Farley, Beta Reader

** Releases March 1st!!**

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Epic Fantasy & Sci-Fi Author and Podcaster. Mother, wife, and cat-wrangler. World traveler and lifelong nerd. Insatiably curious.

A member of SFWA, Natalie is the author of six published Sci-Fi & Fantasy novels and co-host of the Tipsy Nerds Book Club podcast. When not writing or podcasting, you can find Natalie participating on panels at SFF cons, book festivals, and comic-cons throughout the western U.S. She’s also a short story judge in the NYC Midnight international writing challenge, and a freelance content development editor. Her debut teen novel, Emily’s House, has been read over 2.2 million times on Wattpad. Now focusing on epic fantasy for adults, stay in touch via social media to learn more about her forthcoming epic fantasy series, tentatively titled Season of the Dragon.

Favorite book quote — “One more dance along the razor’s edge finished. Almost dead yesterday, maybe dead tomorrow, but alive, gloriously alive, today.” - Robert Jordan, Lord of Chaos (Wheel of Time #6)

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This, That, These, Those, and Next!

This, That, These, Those, and Next!

 

This, that, these, those, and next can all represent a person, people, thing(s), or ideas for the present or near a place in time, thought, or action. People don’t have a problem with most demonstrative pronouns.

For example:

This book is paranormal.

That book is historical fiction.

Those books are young adult.

These books are contemporary.

 

However, I’m not really sure why people get them confused when referring to present, time, action, etc. If you look at the words as describing distance, perhaps it may help.

 

This person, someone near you.

That person, someone who is a distance from you.

 

These children, a group near you.

Those children, a group a distance from you.

 

“This car is mine.” This would pertain to the car nearest to the speaker.

“That car is mine.” Referring to the car in the distance of the speaker. As in, “Over there, that is my car. Not this one.”

 

“This box is mine.” (nearby)

“That box is my husband’s.” Referring to something nearby that isn’t mine.

“These are mine.” (nearby)

“Those boxes belong to another author.” Boxes in the distance, away from the speaker.

 

It can get confusing if not spoken correctly. People understand distinction, and when it’s not forthcoming, confusion sets in. This, that, and next referring to time can throw some people through a loop as well.

This week, next week, this Saturday, and next Saturday. It doesn’t help when one person considers Sunday the beginning of the week and one person considers Monday the beginning of the week. But, we’ll not go into that right now.

To avoid confusion, we’ll go with Monday as the beginning of the week.

 

On Tuesday morning (the 17^th), your boss says the package will arrive next Thursday. You’re thinking it’s arriving on Thursday, the 19^th. Thursday comes along and no package arrives. You do what you’re supposed to do. Find out why it didn’t arrive, right?

Except, he said it would arrive next Thursday, meaning the 26^th. If he’d said this Thursday, it would’ve been arriving on the 19^th.

This being closer in time, and next being farther away.

 

Another example: It’s Thursday, and you’re told the package will arrive next week.

Easy! Even if Saturday or Sunday is the last day of the week for you, next week is definitely any time after the last day of the week. Why? Because this week is the present. The week in which you’re presently working.

Therefore, next week, when the work week begins will be on Monday. The following week (next) of your present day/week.

 

Signing off with this article, and we’ll see you with more Dear Qwerty, in the next issue!Want a jump on marketing and advertising?

 

This book’s for you. My whole point of writing it is to help all authors. I’ve had many established authors, aspiring authors, and WIP authors ask me a multitude of questions and I was more than happy to help. (WIP-work in progress) I took the most commonly asked questions and solutions and put them in a nifty, absolutely priceless book.

What you’ll find in Be More Successful with Marketing and AdvertiZING:

 

Social Media Marketing and AdvertiZING for Books or Any Business

Becoming a Bestseller

Saying NO and Being the Bad Guy

How to Write Incredible Click Enticing Promotions

Promoting Your Book With or Without a Publisher

How Much is That Advertisement in the Window?

Self-publishing Doesn’t Have to be a Disaster

How to Make Your Website Awesome

Taking the Plunge into Publishing Audio Books

How to Make More Sales at Book Signings

The Uniform of Success

 

Purchase Be More Successful with Marketing and AdvertiZING at your favorite bookstore or on  Amazon.

E-Book $4.99

Paperback $9.99

 

 

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

You can find me:

PamelaAckerson.net

PamAckerson@AdCMagazine.com

Twitter.com/PamAckerson

Facebook.com/pam.ackerson.7

Amazon.com/Pamela-Ackerson/e/B00QY1ARI4

 

Wondering what my qualifications are? Don't want to get any advice from someone who doesn't know what they're talking about? I understand! There are too many people out there giving bad advice. 

 

The first thing I'm going to tell you is that the book industry is constantly changing and even the "experts" have to keep their ears to the ground to stay in the game!

Okay, so...Here goes.

I'm President of Marketing and Advertising for AdC Magazine. Affaire de Coeur Book Review Magazine has been in business since 1980. No small potatoes there! We've managed to survive all the ups and downs in the industry. www.adcmagazine.com

I'm an award-winning, Wall Street Journal, Amazon and Barnes and Noble bestselling author. I've been a published author since 1972. Yup, you read that right. My 10th grade high school teacher entered my sci-fi short story in the Science Fiction Reader's Digest Contest and I took first place. I continued to write and publish short stories for several years after that. 

A short break--which felt like forever--in 1996 I finished my first novel. I was picked up by a publisher two years later and I haven't stopped since.

Olive's Birthday

 

 

Olive's Birthday

Choosy Olive Series Book 1

by Elizabeth & Roger Milbourn

Genre: Children's Picture Book 

Olive is very excited about her birthday! What presents will she get? What sort of party will she have? What will her birthday cake be like? Help Olive Choose. In this first book of the Choosy Olive series, the reader gets to decide how Olive's birthday unfolds. See if you can dodge the odd outcomes. Help children feel empowered and learn about the consequences of choice from an early age in a fun and silly way with Olive as she embarks on her day to day childhood journey.

Amazon US * Amazon UK * Book Depository * B&N * Author Site * Goodreads

Elizabeth and Roger's children's book, Olive’s Birthday, has been a work in progress for over 5 years. Life got in the way a bit as did running around after their young children. Olive’s Birthday is the first book in the 'Choosy Olive' series, which allows readers to choose how the stories unfold. Elizabeth and Roger wanted to create something a bit different in a picture book and are passionate about giving children choices (within appropriate boundaries!) to empower them. Elizabeth is an avid reader and will read anything and everything but can barely go a day without an Agatha Christie fix. Roger loves children's books and reading to their children and is partial to a non-fiction. Elizabeth is Australian but has called England her home for nearly two decades. Her and Roger (originally from Liverpool) live in the Worcestershire countryside with their two children and quite a lot of pets. When not writing or reading, they spend most of their time washing mud off the children and the dog.

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The Bridge to Magic

 

 

The Bridge to Magic

The Sundered Web Book 1

by Alex Thornbury

Genre: YA Dark Dystopian Fantasy 

2022 Royal Dragonfly Award Winner for Science Fiction/Fantasy

"This is dark fantasy at its best ... "—The Book Commentary

A gripping, award-winning debut for lovers of traditional high fantasy, set in the dying world where humanity is likened to weakness, and the only path to salvation is the same path which might lead to death.

The Blight. The end of Mankind. The Bridge that may be salvation or the final betrayal.

In this grimdark fantasy, Elika, an orphan on Terren's streets, hates and fears the bridge that spans the great chasm to the Deadlands. Like everyone else, she clings to the hope that purging every lingering echo of magic from the world can stop the Blight.

Then she discovers that magic is hiding within her, and through her it seeks to enact the will of its own. Everything Elika knew about her past shatters, as long-buried secrets about her true birth emerge. Accused of being a mage, many doubt her loyalties. Her gang turns against her. The one man she thought she could trust and love, abandons her. Elika must soon decide: Either destroy the magic inside her or cross the bridge to her own uncertain end. But what awaits them in the Deadlands where the enemy of mankind roams wild? Her future or her end?

The Bridge to Magic is a story of a life between two deaths and an impossible choice to make. It is a story of finding hope, love and survival in a world where none seems possible.

Praise for The Bridge to Magic

"A magnificent high fantasy debut...stunning page-turner...original, captivating, and readers may be surprised to find this is the author’s debut novel. The storyline is absolutely mesmerizing, and Thornbury has a knack for telling a dark story. And I do mean dark." Reader Views⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

"This was a really great introduction into the Sundered Web series. Alex is wonderfully skilled in world building and this book is a prime example of that. Her wonderful descriptions creates beautiful and vivid imagery. It's almost like the reader becomes Elika." NetGalley Reviewer ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

"This is dark fantasy at its best... The more creative descriptions of the darkness that threatens humanity pull the narrative somewhere between horror and fantasy... A delightful read with a voice that works and prose that is bold and enticing. But it is the immersive world of this creation that will have most readers turning the pages." The Book Commentary ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

"A sensational work of fantasy fiction that will captivate YA readers and adult fantasy fans alike... An accomplished tale with a fascinating core concept, great character development, and gorgeous, spine-tingling dark fantasy styling. A series not to be missed." Readers' Favorite ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

"A wonderful fantasy story for teens and adults... The author has a great imagination and whilst this book is a complete story in itself I look forward to the sequel." Booksprout Reviewer 

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

"Shut your windows. Draw your curtains. Lit a candle and let the pages suck you in. This is a gritty chilling, and dark story set in a fascinating world. The plot has many pleasant twists and the characters can surprise with unexpected actions that reveal more about their hearts... Despite all of the desperation the end of the world brings, there is a sense of beauty and coziness. Occasionally even humor. And it all creates an engaging balance." BookSirens Reviewer ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

"Expertly crafted and highly readable… Mesmerising." The Prairies Book Review

"... thought provoking ... enchanting novel." Sally Altass - Author of the Witch Laws

"The Bridge to Magic is well written and draws you in from the start. Well-paced and filled with good characters... a quality entry into the fantasy genre." Christian Warren Freed – Author of The Lazarus Men

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Bookbub * Goodreads

Alex Thornbury grew up in Cheshire UK, and developed a deep love of history and fantasy thanks to the many castles she visited as a child. Though she grew up to be an Alchemist by trade, she never stopped fantasizing about other worlds, dragons and epic battles. She has abandoned her Alchemy and potion making career, and is now a full time author of high fantasy. After all, who does not love to build new worlds and meet its wondrous inhabitants?

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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Spellbound

Spellbound

Joe Mack Shadow Council Files Book 4

by Gail Z. Martin & Larry N. Martin

Genre: Dark Urban Fantasy

Werewolves, Vamps, and Thieves!

Joe Mack and his friends head to Pittsburgh to deal with a surge of disappearances, all people with psychic abilities going missing under highly questionable supernatural circumstances. That’s enough to keep anyone hopping, but Joe can’t ignore the feeling that there’s something even bigger going on behind the scenes.

Joe, West, and Sarah Grace team up with new allies to fight a whole new level of danger—and uncover the secrets behind why people with special abilities are vanishing and who’s taking them. What they learn could change the paranormal balance of power—permanently. It’s their job to keep the worst from happening, whatever it takes.

From the steel mills to the coal mines, Joe Magarac is the man to call for supernatural problems. After all, he does have a little help from Krukis, the god of blacksmiths, but immortality isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Magarac left his old life behind him and now lives as Joe Mack, a literal man of steel and magic.

Spellbound is full of paranormal adventure, murdering mediums, creepy circuses, a theater full of vampires, malicious mesmerists, found family, secret supernatural agencies, dark magic, and loyal friends.

It’s the fourth in the Joe Mack series of Shadow Council Archives from Gail Z. Martin & Larry N. Martin, the duo that brought you Spells, Salt, & Steel. The Shadow Council Archives are urban fantasy novellas set in the universe of Quincy Harker, Demon Hunter and featuring folk heroes throughout history.

Amazon * Goodreads

Chicagoland

Joe Mack Shadow Council Files Book 3

Haunted hotels, old gods, mobsters, molls, and monsters are abroad in Chicago, and it’s up to Joe Magarac to protect the innocents from them. But how can he protect the city when he might not be able to keep himself alive? The mad ramblings of Alastair Crowley and the tales of horror imagined by HP Lovecraft have nothing on the magic etched into the walls of a secret room below Chicago’s Lexington Hotel.

Deep in the coal and ash tunnels beneath the city, workers are being murdered, their bodies left in shreds, and with Al Capone out of the picture, the criminal underbelly in Prohibition-Era Chicago is teetering on the edge of all-out chaos. Now it falls on Joe Mack, the steelworker-turned-nigh-immortal man of steel, to bring Chicago back from the brink before all is lost for good.

Can Joe Mack, along with his companions West and Sarah, determine what mysterious creature is causing the deaths? But more importantly, will Krikus’s magic be enough to keep Joe alive when the chips are down and they go toe-to-toe with their foe?

Chicagoland is the third book in the Joe Mack Shadow Council Files by award-winning author team Gail Z. & Larry N. Martin, authors of the Spells, Salt, & Steel series and the Wasteland Marshals novellas. The Shadow Council Case Files are historical fantasy novellas set in the world of Quincy Harker, Demon Hunter that tell the true stories behind the tall tales surrounding some of the world’s most famous (and infamous) folk heroes.

Amazon * Goodreads

Black Sun

Joe Mack Shadow Council Files Book 2

From the steel mills to the coal mines, Joe Magarac is the man to call for supernatural problems. After all, he does have a little help from Krukis, the god of blacksmiths, but immortality isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, especially as the anniversary of his “death” looms near. Magarac left his old life behind him and now lives as Joe Mack, a literal man of steel and magic.

Now Joe teams up once again with Jack West and Sarah McAllen to fix a problem, this time leaving Cleveland behind for Reading, Pennsylvania. Witches are being murdered, secret societies are brewing more than illegal bathtub gin, and someone is trying to summon creatures from Lovecraftian lore from deep within the mines. Again.

Black Sun is the second in the Joe Mack series of Shadow Council Archives from Gail Z. Martin & Larry N. Martin, the duo that brought you Spells, Salt, & Steel. The Shadow Council Archives are urban fantasy novellas set in the universe of Quincy Harker, Demon Hunter and featuring folk heroes throughout history.

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Cauldron

Joe Mack Shadow Council Files Book 1

When you ask a god for favors, be careful what you wish for. You just might get it.

Josef Magarac was a brave man, a strong man, a hard-working immigrant who only wanted a better life for his family.

Instead he got a bloodbath.

From the bloody steel mill strikes of Pennsylvania rose a true man of steel, a steelworker transformed into something more by the power of the Old Gods. Now Joe Mack is in Cleveland, and he’s working to protect those who can’t protect themselves. When a friend asks him to look into disappearances in a largely immigrant neighborhood, Joe takes an interest. When his interest leads him to a vampire stalking the streets of his adopted home, he takes more than an interest. He takes on a mission.

Cauldron is the first in the Joe Mack series of Shadow Council Archives from Gail Z. Martin & Larry N. Martin, the duo that brought you Spells, Salt, & Steel. The Shadow Council Archives are urban fantasy novellas set in the universe of Quincy Harker, Demon Hunter and featuring folk heroes throughout history.

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Gail Z. Martin discovered her passion for science fiction, fantasy and ghost stories in elementary school. The first story she wrote at age five was about a vampire. Her favorite TV show as a preschooler was Dark Shadows. At age 14, she decided to become a writer. She enjoys attending science fiction/fantasy conventions, Renaissance fairs and living history sites.

Larry N. Martin is the author of the new sci-fi adventure novel Salvage Rat. He is the co-author (with Gail Z. Martin) of the Spells, Salt, and Steel/New Templars series; the Steampunk series Iron & Blood; and a collection of short stories and novellas: The Storm & Fury Adventures set in the Iron & Blood universe. He is also the co-author of the upcoming Wasteland Marshals series and the Joe Mack Cauldron/Secret Council series.

The Martins have three children, a Maltese, and a Golden Retriever.

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$10 Amazon

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Than vs Then

 

Than vs Then

 

Perhaps much of the confusion with than vs then is pronunciation. Many people tend to pronounce the words exactly the same. Whether caused by accent or just mispronunciation doesn’t really matter. Doing so, they tend to spell it the way they’ve pronounced it.

Isn’t that what most of us do when it comes to words? I mean, if we’re not sure how to spell a word, phonetics come into play. If someone has read a word and never heard it spoken, they may not pronounce it properly.

However, let’s get to the bottom of than vs then.

Than is a preposition or conjunction.

The best way to figure out than is to think of it as a word used for comparing things—bigger than, better than, quicker than, or slower than a snail.

He did better than they expected.

She is crazier than a loony bird.

Now you can understand it better than all the rest!

 

Let’s move on to then.

Then is an adverb and has to do with time. Hopefully, you read last month’s article about adverbs, and how important adverbs can be for us.

Now and then is a common expression.

When I was in high school, we had to have a B average if we wanted to participate in sports. Once we proved our grade point average, then we could participate.

Back then, things we very different.

If you want to become a doctor, then you need to work hard to be accepted to the right colleges.

She found a great pair of boots, then bought two more pairs.

Now then, you’ll be able to understand better than all the rest!

Want a jump on marketing and advertising?

 

This book’s for you. My whole point of writing it is to help all authors. I’ve had many established authors, aspiring authors, and WIP authors ask me a multitude of questions and I was more than happy to help. (WIP-work in progress) I took the most commonly asked questions and solutions and put them in a nifty, absolutely priceless book.

What you’ll find in Be More Successful with Marketing and AdvertiZING:

 

Social Media Marketing and AdvertiZING for Books or Any Business

Becoming a Bestseller

Saying NO and Being the Bad Guy

How to Write Incredible Click Enticing Promotions

Promoting Your Book With or Without a Publisher

How Much is That Advertisement in the Window?

Self-publishing Doesn’t Have to be a Disaster

How to Make Your Website Awesome

Taking the Plunge into Publishing Audio Books

How to Make More Sales at Book Signings

The Uniform of Success

 

Purchase Be More Successful with Marketing and AdvertiZING at your favorite bookstore or on Amazon.

E-Book $4.99

Paperback $9.99

 

 

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

You can find me:

PamelaAckerson.net

PamAckerson@AdCMagazine.com

Twitter.com/PamAckerson

Facebook.com/pam.ackerson.7

Amazon.com/Pamela-Ackerson/e/B00QY1ARI4

 

Wondering what my qualifications are? Don't want to get any advice from someone who doesn't know what they're talking about? I understand! There are too many people out there giving bad advice. 

 

The first thing I'm going to tell you is that the book industry is constantly changing and even the "experts" have to keep their ears to the ground to stay in the game!

Okay, so...Here goes.

I'm President of Marketing and Advertising for AdC Magazine. Affaire de Coeur Book Review Magazine has been in business since 1980. No small potatoes there! We've managed to survive all the ups and downs in the industry. www.adcmagazine.com

I'm an award-winning, Wall Street Journal, Amazon and Barnes and Noble bestselling author. I've been a published author since 1972. Yup, you read that right. My 10th grade high school teacher entered my sci-fi short story in the Science Fiction Reader's Digest Contest and I took first place. I continued to write and publish short stories for several years after that. 

A short break--which felt like forever--in 1996 I finished my first novel. I was picked up by a publisher two years later and I haven't stopped since.

Wrecked

 

 

Wrecked

Merciless Few MC Book 1

by S Courtney

Genre: MC Motorcycle Club Romance

Reaper

Crashed and burned
Wrecked....
My relationship, my life, my bike
All turned upside down
But I needed to get my bike back in gear
She's the only one I need
No woman was going to ever change that
No woman was going to make me crash and burn again

My club is my sole focus
Until her...and that cute little tater tot daughter
I'm going to protect them from whatever, including family
Now I wonder...
If I open up, will she wreck my life?

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

S Courtney is new to the published writing community but has been a lifelong writer and began creatively writing in junior high.

She is the author of the paranormal romance, the Bound Series, which includes Bound to You, Bound by Destiny, and Unapologetically Nessa which are available on paperback and kindle.

She is also the author of her contemporary romance, the Black Aces MC, a motorcycle club romance and the Sandman, a dark, slow burn paranormal romance.

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$10 Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway