Dschinnanya, world of the demons, is in danger. Soon this magical place which changes its appearance each day will be extinct. Only you can save it! Part 1 of the fantasy series “Creatures of Fire: Demons Die Harder featured Dschinnanya, the world of the demons. If the author, J.B. Brooklin can’t write part 2 of the series, Dschinnanya will leave this world and be forgotten. If you want to prevent this, you can help. In return you will soon be able to delve into the next fantasy mystery, visit Dschinnanya and find out what happens to Sariel and Alexander, the two […]
Content Rating: What the Bleep?!
It’s panel time! Today, A Drift of Quills is focusing its attention on content ratings. Not on the ratings of our works by readers, but of our works for readers. These ratings, adopted from the motion picture industry, differ by country, but we’ll be referencing the current—as of 2013—U.S. system. (See more at Wiki’s Motion Picture Rating System and the Motion Picture Association of America (What Each Rating Means). What are our positions, or what difficulties might we have writing things rated beyond a PG-13? Do we write such things? Why or why not? PATRICIA REDING Author of […]
Chocolate Fix: Chocolate Orange Ice Cream
It’s been a while since we had a chocolate fix—online, anyway. 🙂 You don’t really think I’d go without, do you? I’ve got some serious scrumptiousness lined up for you. I hope you’re not tired of ice cream yet. I’m not. I thought that when the temperatures started going down I’d crave something new (and warm!), but nooooooo … So I have to indulge in one more chilly, creamy confection before winter actually sets in, and then I’ll find something more suitable to the season to share with you. ÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷ Chocolate Orange Ice Cream (modified from the recipe at Scoop Adventures)Yield: about 1½ quarts […]
New Release by Matthew Keith
Author Matthew Keith has just released Indicium Rising, Book 2 of his series, Watchers of the Night. To celebrate, the first book is on sale for 99¢ until the end of the month. Don’t miss this action-packed sequel as Paul and the rest of the gang at Astralis go head-to-head with a new and dangerous adversary. Hurry and grab your copy! Paul Bennett is a Walker–someone who walks the night in their dreams free of their body–and a member of Astralis, an agency funded by the UN that uses Walkers to gather intelligence. A rogue Walker from Astralis attempted to […]
Fall Into Fantasy (With a Massive Giveaway!)
Fall is such an amazing time of year—What’s not to love about the changing colors, the crisp scent in the air, ripening apples, cider, pumpkins, comfy sweaters … And then we have those wonderfully gloomy days of threatening clouds and rain and the promise of coming snow. Obviously, ’tis the season of Books, Hot Cocoa (or cider!), and a Cozy Chair! Coincidentally, I happen to know where you can fall into a ton of Book Booty. The amazing Ash Krafton is hosting a giveaway that will run from October 17 through October 31. More than FIFTY authors of fantasy and paranormal books […]
FLASH SALE!
Hello, world! I’m celebrating my 100th post with a sale! Okay, that’s not the real story. It’s just a fantastic coincidence that my sale announcement and Post Number 100 are happening on the same day. But cool, right? For just one day—this coming Monday, October 14th—As the Crow Flies will be on sale for a mere 99¢. Spread the word! Tell your friends! Post to all your social hangouts! Please feel free to swipe the banner and share! Share! Share!
Peer Reviews: Fair Or Foul?
Peer reviews—authors reviewing authors—are the subject of frequent and heated debate. I’m so pleased to bring to you today the first episode of a new panel discussion that will be featured on the first Friday of every month. We are fantasy writers, and we’ll be discussing the industry and our experiences, and we plan to throw in some fun things as well. Our first topic? Peer reviews. (You guessed that, didn’t you?) Enjoy! KRISTIE KIESSLING Author of the short story, Sanguis Dei and a poetry collection, Light and Dark Kristie’s Blog The peer review. Just the words are frightening. They should be. […]
“What’s Past Is Prologue”
“What’s past is prologue” is a quotation by William Shakespeare from his play The Tempest. As the phrase was originally used in The Tempest, Act 2, Scene I, it means that all that has happened before that point (the past) has set the stage for the present. So it is with the prologue (or prelude) in novel form. I’ve read a lot of articles that claim a prologues is the kiss of death; editors hate ’em and readers skip ’em. I’m not sure what that makes me, because I read them, except when… Well, we’ll get to that in a […]
Is There Money in eBooks?
“Is there money in e-books?” It’s a question often repeated and, while I think the dynamics of the publishing world will continue to transform over the next few years, it is a question worth investigating. Traditional publishers are changing their stances. For the “little guy,” the “indie publisher,” there are a host of fantastic folks (book authors and bloggers) who work hard to announce changes, expose problems, explore and share marketing information, and mentor one way or the other. The list is growing, but a few of my favorites are: David Gaughran Lindsay Buroker J. A. Konrath Joanna Penn Jeff […]
Choosing The Right Distributor: Smashwords vs Draft2Digital
Self publishing can be challenging for the independent author—As if writing the book weren’t difficult enough, we have editing, formatting, covers, and distribution to deal with. Smashwords has knocked the socks off the traditional publishing route, and there are a few newcomers rising through the ranks of the search engines to give them some competition. In the following article, expert and indie mentor David Gaughran lays out some pros and cons worthy of our attention. Reblogged from David Gaughran: Since I started self-publishing in 2011, Smashwords has been the overwhelming favorite for savvy self-publishers who wanted or needed a distributor […]