Friday, July 26, 2013

5 STAR SciFi ~ ROGUE GENESIS by CERI LONDON #Epic #Syfy #Paranormal #Thriller #Mustread #ASMSG


Finally, an epic scifi novel that's even more epic than the phenomenal cover art!!
ROGUE GENESIS (SHIMMER IN THE DARK)

by CERI LONDON


Now Available on Smashwords, Amazon US & Amazon UK

THE BLURB


One man. Two worlds separated by a universe. Space-time warped by black holes. In the passing of seconds on Earth, Major Niall Kearey has witnessed the birth and death of generations on Astereal. His mind shortcuts light years to visit a fantastical world of floating sky cities populated by telepaths.

Astereal is in decline, the dueling forces of black holes threaten extinction. Ancient prophecy predicts their interstellar visitor brings salvation. As Niall faces the staggering truth – that his alien dream world is real – he and his family are targeted by secret societies, scheming politicians, and the US military.

Time is running out as Astereal races towards annihilation and temporal alignment with Earth. Power brokers vie for control of his capabilities. Niall must act, balancing the needs of Earth, his family, and the alien civilization he has come to know and love.

The fate of two worlds rests on his shoulders.


Add it to your 'want to read' on Goodreads HERE

THE REVIEW (★★★★★

So, you like scifi?

How about epic, universal, telepathic, psychokinetic, electromagnetic, space-time warping, worm-holing scifi?

Yeah...I thought so.

This novel is all that and so much more.

Rogue Genesis presents us a seemingly simple military man, Niall, who has a little something special, an uncanny intuition, and the ability to astral project out across the reaches of space. Niall soon learns he will be held responsible to save all 100 million inhabitants of an alien planet on the far side of the universe. This planet he visits regularly in his subconscious dreams, Astereal, happens to be parked curbside to the apocalypse. Not one, not two, not even three, but SEVEN black holes encircle this poor solar system. And one of them has become dominant, throwing the whole deal off balance.

But the US govt., and age-old corrupt secret societies are not having it. Not unless they are in control of Niall and his abilities.

Niall finds his whole world turned inside out, friends become enemies, everything he holds dear is threatened, and yet the responsibility to save these alien people resides solely in his hands.

Astereal is running out of time, and Niall is running out of options on Earth. As this epic paranormal scifi thriller drags you to the clinch point, we realize the future of mankind and the Astereans depend on the choices Niall makes.

As it says so eloquently in the description, "The fate of two worlds rests on his shoulders."

They say you can't judge a book by its cover, but this one you can. The book is even more awesome than the pop-bang-wow head-turning cover art.

If you call yourself a fan of scifi, you need to read Rogue Genesis.


Just do it. 

AVAILABLE FREE 4 REVIEW HERE
 

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

MGR PRESENTS: ASK AN AGENT ~ Sheree Bykofsky LITERARY AGENT #GIVEAWAY #AuthorsRT #WritersRT #ASMSG


Modern Good Reads Presents:
ASK AN AGENT ~ Sheree Bykofsky

SHEREE BYKOFSKY ASSOCIATES, INC.

July 17th-19th

Discussion here═► ASK AN AGENT w/Sheree Bykofsky


Sheree Bykofsky Associates, Inc., AAR, represents hundreds of authors in all areas of adult non-fiction as well as literary and commercial fiction. Her non-fiction specialties include popular reference, business, health, psychology, poker, spirituality, self-help, humor, cookbooks, pop culture, biography, women’s issues, decorating & crafts, music, and much more.

*Full list of Authors/Books Represented Here ═►http://shereebee.com/books-represented-by-sheree-bykofsky-associates-inc/


Sheree is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Publishing at New York University and an Adjunct Professor at Rosemont College. She teaches and lectures at a variety of conferences and symposiums around the country, including the upcoming interactive workshop, SPEND A DAY WITH A LITERARY AGENT, held at the Ocean City Public Library, Ocean City, NJ, Saturday, July 13, 2013, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more information about SPEND A DAY WITH A LITERARY AGENT, please contact Karen Mahar at: Karen@oceancitylibrary.org

Author and Speaker:


Sheree Bykofsky is the author, co-author and editor of more than twenty books, including the best-selling The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Getting Published (Pearson), now in its fifth edition.



ADD it to your “want to read” shelf on Goodreads HERE

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
★ RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY ★
WIN ONE OF THREE COPIES!!
 
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COME JOIN US at Modern Good Reads for a chat with Sheree on publishing, an agent’s role in today’s turbulent world of publishing, and working with NY Publishers.

July 17th-19th

Discussion here══►ASK AN AGENT w/Sheree Bykofsky



Friday, July 12, 2013

LAUNCH/GIVEAWAY ~ THE ATHERFAE Weald Fae Journals #YoungAdult #Fantasy by Christopher Shields @WealdFaeJournal


"The Weald is No More!"

Much has changed for Maggie O’Shea in the past eight months. The Weald is abandoned—its last Steward dead and the Seelie Clan in tatters. Maggie, her family, and her friends are on the run, frantically traversing the globe as they are hunted by Ozara’s Alliance, Rogue Fae, and a ruthless vampire tracker named Mara, who is capable of seeing through all of Maggie’s cleverest tricks and disguises.

As Maggie travels deeper and deeper into Europe’s most ancient Fae territories, danger and destruction follow her at every turn. The only things that can save her? Discovering the identity of the Second Aetherfae—her most dangerous adversary—and learning the secret to creating Aether, the only weapon strong enough to destroy her enemy. And the clock is ticking.

THE AETHERFAE is the third book in the four part epic fantasy saga, Weald Fae Journals by Christopher Shields. Look for the first and second books, THE STEWARD (Weald Fae Journals, Book 1), and THE CHANGELING (Weald Fae Journals, Book 2), also available on Amazon. For more information about the Weald Fae Journals, including exclusive story and character content, please visit: www.wealdfaejournals.com

Add it to your 'want to read' HERE


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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: CHRISTOPHER SHIELDS

Christopher Shields lives in Northwest Arkansas with his family and three dogs. Following what he considers to be his calling, he is a professor of criminal justice at the University of Arkansas, in Fayetteville. He loves working with students during the day, and writing at night. Christopher also enjoys spending time with his circle of close friends, playing his sax, and indulging his life-long passion for the Arkansas Razorbacks.
 

Founder of the Goodreads Group: Modern Good Reads



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Read on for a FREE copy of 
ALL 3 WEALD FAE JOURNALS novels 
(for review)
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 MODERN GOOD READS PRESENTS:

THE STEWARD   THE CHANGELING  &  THE AETHERFAE

FREE Read 4 Review




*Exclusive for members of Modern Good Reads


Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Ask A Publisher ~ LISA RUTHERFORD, CEO of COLILOQUY #Publishing #AuthorsRT #ASMSG

Ask A Publisher ~ LISA RUTHERFORD, CEO of digital publisher COLILOQUY, July 11th-12th 

 



Modern Good Reads Presents:
 
Ask A Publisher ~ LISA RUTHERFORD, CEO of digital publisher COLILOQUY

July 11th-12th

Discussion here═► Ask A Publisher ~ LISA RUTHERFORD, CEO of digital publisher COLOQUIY, July 11th-12th

BIO:

LISA RUTHERFORD
is the co-founder and CEO of digital publisher Coliloquy. She has been e-reading since 2006 and is deeply passionate about using technology to create new types of books and tell stories in ways that weren’t possible on the printed page.

Lisa started off as an undergraduate English major from Pennsylvania, before making her way west to California. Most recently an entrepreneur and venture capitalist, Lisa was named an AlwaysON Top 25 Women to Watch in Tech and has an MBA from Stanford and an MA from the University of Chicago.

ABOUT COLILOQUY:

Coliloquy is a digital publisher focused on active and interactive storytelling. We leverage advances in technology to create groundbreaking new forms of digital content and innovative business models. Originally developed as part of the Kindle Developer Program, we launched in early 2012. Eighteen months later, we have over 30 authors under contract, and our books and apps are available across all tablet, phone, and e-reading platforms, including iOS, Android, Kindle, NOOK, and Kobo.

Coliloquy publishes a wide range of interactive series and standalone novels – from YA to adult suspense to nonfiction and everything in between. Recent projects have included:

HARD LISTENING, a mixed media memoir by an all-star line-up of literary titans, including Stephen King, Mitch Albom, Scott Turow, Amy Tan, and Dave Barry. The book interweaves, essays, fiction, email conversations, fun quizzes, and archived footage for a unique look inside these authors’ lives.





GEORGETOWN ACADEMY, our “West Wing meets Gossip Girl” YA series, just wrapped up its first season in our new mini-series format and featured our popular choice point technology.



KINGDOM KEEPERS INSIDER, an interactive app that invites readers of the Kingdom Keepers MG book series to help author Ridley Pearson write the seventh and final book in the series. Winners of weekly contests will be included in the final book published by Disney in 2014.



Some of our coolest technology implementations can be found in our interactive series
- Heidi R. Kling’s SPELLSPINNERS OF MELAS COUNTY (YAR) includes multiple pathways and a spooky magic trick in THE GLEANING

- Kira Snyder’s PARISH MAIL (MG/YA mystery) features twisting pathways and choices that unlock special scenes for careful readers

You can see a full list of our titles here:
http://www.coliloquy.com/productscat/titles/
 
ASK ANYTHING!
I’m happy to answer just about anything…our technology, authors, publishing trends, chief kitten officers, marriage, having it all, why Waynn is the best cofounder, pies, mistakes we made, and things we’ve done right…

SUBMIT MANUSCRIPTS TO WIN A READING FROM OUR EDITORIAL TEAM:
Coliloquy’s editorial team will read two unpublished manuscripts or self-published books.

Submit Manuscripts Here═► WIN ONE OF 2 PUBLISHER’S READING OF A MANUSCRIPT

Contest will be open from July 11th through July 14th. Winners will be announced the week of July 15th.

Coliloquy would also like to extend an invite to join their group here:  http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/100361-the-coliloquy-book-group

Monday, July 1, 2013

CRASHING DOWN TO EARTH ~ #Fantasy by TERRY REID #ASMSG


I am suffering from a serious case of cover art envy.  This cover makes me want to write a book about angels at war.  It invokes the imagination of lightning-soaked, epic battles between winged medieval creatures. 

Swords clashing and Armageddon. 

Fallen angels perhaps?

Its not yet released ... but don't you wish it was?


Add it to your "want to read" list here ═► http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18136407-crashing-down-to-earth

DESCRIPTION:

Hayley Foster is a woman with a secret. Her flatmate is her guardian angel. But with the terrifying events of two years ago firmly put behind them, Hayley finally dares hope for a quieter life for her and Alex to enjoy.

But it is not long before the old angel’s past comes back to haunt him in the form of an ex-lover. As Alex tries to protect Hayley though, it quickly becomes apparent that far greater powers are at play, far bigger than either of them could ever have possibly imagined.

Join Hayley and Alex in the first part of their epic journey as they try to save Glasgow, as well as each other, from doom.

TERRY REID AUTHOR BIO:

I am a new writer who is based in Dumfries, south west Scotland. 

I primarily write science fiction/fantasy novels and have published two books to date. 

When I am not writing I enjoy running (I have completed two half marathons for charity and will likely do more in the future) and I enjoy playing video games. 

I also review books my other indie authors on my blog in my spare time and usually post a review once a week.
 
Books by Terry Reid available on Amazon Kindle

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: 
 
Blog: http://fourcornersofsanterria.blogspot.co.uk/

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

What is Google+ good for? WHATEVER. #AuthorsRT #WritersRT #ASMSG



 
If you were ever looking for a reason to post on Google+, as much or more than you post on any other social media, read on....

Google+ has been compared to other social media in all kinds of ways. I don't need to bore you with statistics and all that drivel. But if that's your thing, here's some data for you  http://www.businessinsider.com/google-plus-is-outpacing-twitter-2013-5  
 
So, according to all the number crunchers and bean counters from businessinsider.com, Google+ has lots of active users, more than Twitter. Cool. Groovy.
 
Then you say, "But Travis, I rarely talk to anyone on Google+ like I do Facebook and Twitter, and my Google+ shares and +1 activity doesn't even hold a candle to the hundreds of RT's and Facebook shares I get every week."
 
Yep, you're right. 
 
So why use Google+? 

Here's a little something the number crunchers didn't seem to understand:
 
Take a look at this Google search for the novel HERS TO COMMAND by Patricia A. Knight, published June 4th, 2013 (2 weeks ago).
 

There are several results from a book published in 2006, from a different author.  BUT, its plain to see, within the first 6 results, there are 2 Google+ postings from 10 days ago. How do a couple postings on social media, with no significant number of shares or retweets, get into the top 6 results of Google's search engine in only 10 days?  These Google+ postings have a higher ranking than the Goodreads giveaway for signed copies of HERS TO COMMAND!!!

 
Well, it is Google's search engine isn't it?  And its their social media....

Google, being the megamonster search engine, has given Google+ an unnatural,  instant and viral rankingGoogle+ posts for a given subject matter always show up in the first page of search engine results. This is not organic SEO, like what websites are forced to go through over months and months of backlinks and other time-resource consuming junk. Its an instant, mouse-click SEO, with a very unusually high ranking.

Google gives preferential treatment to posts in Google+. Why? Well, most likely, to compete with Facebook & Twitter. And its their search engine, so they can do what they damn well please.
 
Another example, a Google search on my novel THE NIGHTLIFE PARIS, published May 1st, 2013, by Travis Luedke (me). 
 
 
You have some actual stuff on the nightlife in Paris, tourist stuff, and my own website twluedke.com (needs updating badly). That comment in my website, about THE NIGHTLIFE PARIS being scheduled for release, has been there for the past 8 months.  Took 8 months to get that kind of SEO on the words THE NIGHTLIFE PARIS for my website. And yet we see there in the  #6 placement on the search, my good 'ole Google+ post about my book release, on May 4th 2013.

Amazon and Goodreads listings of my novel have not yet seen the same level of SEO rankings that my Google+ post received instantly.


Conclusion:

If you never speak to anyone on Google+, if you never add people to circles and friends and post those hilarious GIF images like the one I posted a few days ago,

 
If you never have a single ounce of fun with Google+, at least make damn sure you POST EVERYTHING RELATED TO YOUR BUSINESS, WITH LINKS. Instant SEO rankings, like that which Google+ receives, cannot be purchased for any amount of money. But it can be had for FREE, with a couple mouse clicks on Google+.
 

 
Until next time,

Travis Luedke
Author of The Nightlife Series novels
 

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

ASK AN AGENT/GIVEAWAY | BLACK COUNTRY--ALEX GRECIAN | Signed Copies






Come join Seth Fishman, Literary Agent representing Alex Grecian, our Book of the Month author of THE YARD, and the sequel, BLACK COUNTRY.


GIVEAWAYS:

THE YARD, now--June 14th

BLACK COUNTRY June 12th--14th



ASK THE AGENT:  Seth and Alex have graciously agreed to answer questions from Modern Good Reads members related to traditional publishing, an agent’s role in publishing, and all those myriad things we all want to know about working with agents and New York publishers.





Seth Fishman’s bio:



Seth Fishman (me) was born and raised in Midland, Texas (think Friday Night Lights) and received his MFA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England (think cold and rainy and millions of castles). His YA thriller, The Well's End, is the first in a series and the protagonist, Mia Kish, is roughly inspired by a hometown drama that (when I was young) really blew him away: (http://articles.latimes.com/2012/oct/...).  When not writing, Seth is a literary agent at The Gernert Company (www.thegernertco.com), and thinks writing and agenting are the two very best jobs in the world.
 



Agent/Publications & Experience:



I've been a literary agent for over eight years, beginning at Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc. (www.sll.com) and now, for the past three years, at The Gernert Company (www.thegernertco.com).  My list is deliberately wide-reaching, as I'm fervently of the mind that good writing and strong stories can be found in any genre.  For sake of ease, however, a few published examples in varying categories I rep:


Literary Fiction: NYTimes Bestseller and Orange Prize winner Tea Obreht's The Tiger's Wife, Liz Moore's Heft, Alex Gilvarry's From the Memoirs of a Non-Enemy Combatant
Hugo winner Will McIntosh's Love Minus Eighty, Ted Kosmatka's Locus finalist The Games.
 
Thriller: Alex Grecian's Bestselling The Yard and The Black Country, Ted Kosmatka's Prophet of Bones.



NonFiction: NY Times Bestseller Maria Konnikova's Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes, BoingBoing Science Editor Maggie Koerth-Baker's Before The Lights Go Out.

Graphic/comic/illustrated: #1 NYTimes Bestseller Kate Beaton's Hark! A Vagrant, Matt Kish's Moby Dick In Pictures





Young Adult: Nora Price's Zoe Letting Go, Shawn Goodman's Something Like Hope

Picture Book: Matthew Olshan's The Mighty Lalouche (This is just out, his future books I rep).

Forthcoming publications (in the next 3/4 months): The Thousand Names by Django Wexler, What The F Should I Drink by Zach Golden, and The Age of Ice by J.M. Sidorova.



Seth Fishman’s debut novel:

The Well's End, a YA thriller, due out from Putnam YA February 2014.  COVER REVEAL June 11th 2013:  http://io9.com/





A childhood accident, a bizarre outbreak, and an impossible discovery…



Mia Kish is afraid of the dark. And for good reason. When she was a toddler she fell deep into her backyard well only to be rescued to great fanfare and celebrity.  In fact, she is small-town Fenton, Colorado’s walking claim to fame. Not like that helps her status at Westbrook Academy, the nearby uber-ritzy boarding school she attends. A townie is a townie. Being nationally ranked as a swimmer doesn’t matter a lick. But even the rarefied world of Westbrook is threated when emergency sirens start blaring and the school is put on lockdown, quarantined and surrounded by soldiers who seem to shoot first and ask questions later.  Only when confronted by a frightening virus that ages its victims to death in a manner of hours does Mia realize she may only just be beginning to discover what makes Fenton special.



The answer is behind the walls of the Cave, aka Fenton Electronics. Mia’s dad, the director of Fenton Electronics, has always been secretive about his work. But unless Mia is willing to let her classmates succumb to the strange illness, she and her friends have got to break quarantine, escape the school grounds, and outsmart armed soldiers to uncover the truth about where the virus comes from and what happened down that well.  The answers they find just might be more impossible than the virus they are fleeing.









Alex Grecian:





JOIN SETH FISHMAN & ALEX GRECIAN June 12th through June 14th


▼Giveaway Rafflecopters below (Win Signed Copies)▼ 

Exclusively for MODERN GOOD READS members.

If you are not a member, you must join MODERN GOOD READS to qualify.