Labotomy of a Writer

Delicate Surgery of the Imaginational Cortex

Great Indie Reads Blog Hop: Interview: Justin Dennis

January 18, 2012 | Comments (1) | Authors

Welcome Justin Dennis to my little blog! It is great to have you visit for this wonderful event! Let’s get straight to the question shall we?

Tell us a little about yourself Justin.

Well, hi! I’m Justin and I’m just a freshman at college studying what I love: Creative Writing. I grew up in Seattle but I’m out here in California to soak up the sunshine, study, and write novels! I love soccer and video games—although I no longer have time for either of those.

What is your latest book about?

My latest book is Through the Portal, which is a young adult fantasy about Jem, a shy kid who gets thrust into a new and magical world thanks to his outgoing and adventurous best friend, Oliver. In this new world, they meet all sorts of people and magical creatures, but also they encounter an evil Regime that is taking over. Seeking to join the rebellion, they set off across this new world braving all sorts of terrain and monsters in an attempt to save the world. It’s also the first book in a trilogy, so definitely expect more of Jem’s adventures!

Where can people get this book?

Is it your first book?

Yes, although it was a conglomeration of everything I have had cooking up in my mind for years. I wrote it over the course of my senior year in high school and will have the second one out before the end of my freshman year of college!

What motivated you to publish it now?

After hours and hours and hours of research I decided that self-publishing would be the best route for me, rather than searching for agents and publishers and dealing piles of rejections. I would rather keep the rights and get my book out there for the world; hopefully the readers can help get my book known through word of mouth. :)

Who is your favourite character?

That’s always very difficult to choose but I love Sierra because she is such a strong, independent female character and really knows how to hold her own. Without her, Jem would not have made it halfway through his adventure.

What’s your favourite indie book that you’ve read in the past 12 months?

I finished Edge of Dreams by Debbie Bennett a few weeks ago and it was very good. A really fast-paced contemporary fantasy.

What’s your favourite book of all time?

Got to be the Harry Potter series: the last one specifically. The incredible intricacies of the plot are just phenomenal and I cannot believe Rowling kept that all in her head.

Do you use any groups or mailing lists? Wanna tell us about them?

I run a website at www.JustinDennis.com. I’m on Facebook: Justin Dennis, Author. And Twitter: @justindennis4

Any advice for new writers?

Just keep writing. I know a full-length novel may sound daunting, and the publishing world may look scary, but it will be worth it. The satisfaction of finishing a novel and getting it published is unbelievable. Don’t say you may finish it later: set goals and meet them. Trust me, it will force you to sit down and write and meet those goals.

What’s next for you?

I’m currently working on the second novel in the Through the Portal Trilogy, but it is so far unnamed. It will be released by Summer 2012 though: that is my goal.

Anything else you’d like to tell us?

Thanks for reading my interview and have a great day. :)

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Review: Darkspell by Elizabeth Mueller

January 11, 2012 | Comments (4) | Authors

Winter Sky believes she is everything ordinary … until she is kissed by Alex Stormhold. As seer of Stormhold Coven, Alex is sworn to be Winter’s protector against the darkness that hunts her. Violently thrust into a magical realm she always thought impossible, she stumbles upon a disturbing secret of her own. Will love prove thicker than magic?

File Size: 2949 KB
Print Length: 361 pages
Publisher: TreasureLine Publishing (October 27, 2011)
ISBN-13: 978-1617520808 (Paperback)
ASIN: B0060Q7AY2 (Kindle Edition)
Purchase: Kindle ~ Paperback

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Darkspell is a cute read perfect for young adults. It’s a great debut novel for sure. The characters were well developed and while I couldn’t relate to Winter personally, I still could clearly see her as a person throughout the story. The characters had their own unique voices and quirks, some of which made me chuckle aloud as I read the book.

The beginning hooked me right in and I didn’t put the book down until I was finished. I did feel the middle was too focused on the relationship between Alex and Winter, and not related to the actual plot. However, I do think the relationship needed to be explained in that manner, so that the ending had more of an impact.

The ending was fast-paced for sure! Had my heart racing as I read. I was a little a dissapointed that we didn’t actually find out what Winter’s power was by the end. Mrs. Mueller makes us guess or leaves a hint for us, but I’m still not 100% sure on what it is. But, it does leave it open to be reveiled in the next book!

Overall I really enjoyed the book. It’s not my normal choice in a book, but I’m glad I had the chance to read it. I’ll definitely read the next book in the series. I look forward to reading more about Alex, his “family”, and Winter.

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Debutante Ball: Winners!

January 2, 2012 | Comments (1) | Events

Announcing Cleanse Fire, Fantasy Adventure novel, by Anastasia V. Pergakis!

Complete the mission, no matter what…
Captain Derac Vidor has served Kinir for nearly twenty years. It’s his life, his blood. And then his Commander betrays everything Derac holds dear. Now he has to focus on his own life and his team instead of saving the citizens of Kinir.

Treason is only the beginning…
Fueled by rage, the team chases the source to their Commander’s betrayal – a powerful wizard bent on revenge. The wizard seeks to destroy the Kinir Elite, in both mind and body. No place is safe, even among their allies.

The past holds the key…
Derac’s tragic past may be the key to saving the team. But can he face the gruesome nightmare in time?

A signed paperback copy of Cleanse Fire, Kinir Elite bookmarks, and a poster of the Kinir Elite, signed by all six members! I might include some other little goodies too for a surprise!

I’m having MORE giveaways during December and January, so head to the Kinir Elitefacebook page or website for more chances to win copies of Cleanse Fire. (For everyone – international too!)

WINNERS!

Winner of the signed paperback, bookmarks, and poster signed by the team is…..

CINDY HOGAN

Winner of the e-book and digital poster signed by the team is….

MELISSA PEARL

Congratulations! Send me an email at avpergakis[at]gmail.com. Cindy, I’ll need your mailing address and Melissa, I’ll need your email and what format your ebook needs to be in.

If you didn’t win, dont’ worry! My tour for the print release of Cleanse Fire is still going strong! Follow along the tour and you can win! Or, just follow the links below to buy your own copy right now!

Purchase Cleanse Fire

Read the first five chapters HERE.

Check out the other authors that participated in the Debutante Ball. You might have won one of their great books too!

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Debutante Ball: A Feast of Debut Authors

December 22, 2011 | Comments (15) | Events

Announcing Cleanse Fire, Fantasy Adventure novel, by Anastasia V. Pergakis!

Complete the mission, no matter what…
Captain Derac Vidor has served Kinir for nearly twenty years. It’s his life, his blood. And then his Commander betrays everything Derac holds dear. Now he has to focus on his own life and his team instead of saving the citizens of Kinir.

Treason is only the beginning…
Fueled by rage, the team chases the source to their Commander’s betrayal – a powerful wizard bent on revenge. The wizard seeks to destroy the Kinir Elite, in both mind and body. No place is safe, even among their allies.

The past holds the key…
Derac’s tragic past may be the key to saving the team. But can he face the gruesome nightmare in time?

What people are saying about Cleanse Fire:

Cleanse Fire, the first book of the Kinir Elite chronicles by Anastasia V. Pergakis, is a fun new take on a classic genre: high fantasy. By this, I mean the tradition of J.R.R and Dragonlance, but with an added dash of military thriller. In Cleanse Fire, the Elves we are introduced to are part of an elite fighting squadron known as the Kinir Elite; they may look like gorgeous elves, but they fight like Marines.

But enough set-up, here’s the meat. The plot is engaging, and calls to mind some of the military thrillers of Dan Brown (no, not Angels and Demons, but the Scarecrow series, much better stuff) as well as the fantasy styling of Dragonlance. The characters themselves have complex backgrounds and are not the simple one dimensional critters you sometimes find in fantasy novels that rely solely on their mythical race to provide depth. These characters are full-fledged characters.

~ Rebecca Demarest

Anastasia writes the type of fantasy that even non-fantasy fans, like myself, would love to read. Her characters come to life from page one and the reader can’t help falling in love with them. Cleanse Fire is a fun, fast read full of adventure and romance, heartbreak and honor, danger and happily ever afters.

The reader is captured immediately in chapter one with the gruesome death of Captain Derac’s wife, then taken on a wild ride through all the adventures of Kinir Elite, who’s love and honor for their captain eventually mends Derac’s heart.

~~J.D. Brown author of “Dark Heirloom”

Purchase Cleanse Fire

Read the first five chapters HERE.

If I was sucked into my book, I think I would be Kie. She’s tough, independent, and confident. Plus, she gets to kiss Derac! *swoon*

Now, if my book was made into a movie, Kie could be played by Angelina Jolie because of her roles as a bad-ass action chick. But in the end, I think Elisha Cuthbert would be better suited to play her. The facial expression in the picture here just says “Kie” all over it. Just gotta give Elisha long auburn hair, amber colored contacts, pointed ears and tada!

Leave a comment for a chance to receive the great prizes below! You can get more chances to win by tweeting about this post, or posting it on facebook. On twitter make sure to use the hastag #CleanseFire. Leave a comment on this post to tell me you’ve tweeted or posted about this with a link for me! Winners will be announced at the end of this Debut Author Tour on the 2nd of January.

A signed paperback copy of Cleanse Fire, Kinir Elite bookmarks, and a poster of the Kinir Elite, signed by all six members! I might include some other little goodies too for a surprise!

I’m having MORE giveaways during December and January, so head to the Kinir Elitefacebook page or website for more chances to win copies of Cleanse Fire. (For everyone – international too!)

*Sorry, parcel shipping is for US residents only this time around; International winners will get an e-book of Cleanse Fire and an e-copy of the poster signed by the team. That means they’ll be 2 different winners–please let me know if your International so that I may enter you in the drawing! Winners will be chosen by Random.org*

Want MORE books to win? Who doesn’t? Click the links below to visit the other debut authors attending the Debutante Ball! Have fun!

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Disney Princesses: Bad or Good for Little Girls?

December 20, 2011 | Comments (9) | News

Okay, I’m going to go off a little rant here. This first picture was circulating around facebook and I just HAD to add my two cents. However, you all know how long winded I am so I thought best to make it a blog post rather than reply on facebook. (If you can’t read the text, click on the image so see a larger version)

Finished reading? Regardless of whether you agree or don’t, I have another slant on this.

Belle (backrow, third from the left): Okay, Belle likes to read – a lot – and people in the town she lives in makes fun of her for it. As the oh so handsome Gaston says in the movie “It’s not right for a woman to read. First she starts getting ideas and thinking…” Oh yea, heaven forbid she have her own brain. Also, she didn’t just marry Gaston when he asked her – even though by rights he is a good looking guy. But like the quote says, it’s all about your heart. I disagree with the “unless your the girl” part because Belle is not shallow, or vain in anyway. She has a good heart too and that is what counts for her. Plus, as a writer, how can you hate a girl who reads all the time!?

Jasmine (backrow, second from the left): I can’t disagree necessarily with the words on this one. The culture in the world in the movie, makes it true. History has shown it plenty of times too. However, I want to mention how awesome Jasmine is! She falls in love with Aladdin, a poor boy living on the streets. She’s not a selfish, vain, spoiled little Princess. And then in the movie with Aladdin wishes for Genie’s freedom rather than making himself a Prince to be with her, she says she understands – because she has a good heart. And frankly, I don’t remember being an 8 year old or whatever watching this movie and thinking “She’s just a political piece of property.” I mean, I was EIGHT!

Cinderella (backrow, far right): Oh my goodness. I seriously don’t think that is the message Cinderella sends to little girls. Cinderella is one of my ultimate favs so I can talk about her forever. Instead, I want to talk about her Prince. HE didn’t care that she was a servant girl! He loved her anyway! That’s the beautiful part of her story. The Prince wanted her anyway. Isn’t THAT a good thing to tell little girls? That your “Prince Charming” will love you no matter what?

Aurora (backgrown, far left): She didn’t even grow up as a Princess! She was raised in the woods by three fairies – with pretty much no contact with other people her whole life. Prince Phillip falls in love with her when she’s “Briar Rose”, living in the farmer’s cottage and walking around barefoot. HE then slays the evil Maleficent – slays a dragon, fights through thick thorny bushes, escapes from her castle with all her goons. So where did Disney go wrong here? No where I think.

Snow White (front row, far left): I want to point out that it wasn’t JUST Snow White’s beauty that made the Queen want to kill her. It was her youthfulness too. But that’s not the point. Snow White did not just wait around for a man to show up to protect her. She ran away and took care of the 7 dwarves! And further more, when she was living at the castle with the Queen, the Queen made her work and dress in rags – skills she then used to help care for the dwarves and the animals in the forest. It wasn’t until after the Queen poisoned her with the apple that the Prince even showed up at all.

Arial (front row, far right): I saved this one for last because it made me the most upset. Does anyone not remember how mad King Tritan was when Ariel fell in love with Eric in the first place? Or how about how Ariel was tricked by the sea witch to do all those things. Manipulated so the sea witch could get what she wanted, picking the perfect moment (right after King Tritan destroyed all of Ariel’s collection) to her advantage. So with those two right there, that could be teaching our kids things like racisim or how to manipulate people. But oh no, let’s talk about Ariel and her rash decisions instead. Oh and then there is Eric. Eric didn’t give a flip that Ariel had a tail and he jumped right into the ocean without hesitation to save her.

And as a final thought – when I was a little girl, I was well aware that these stories were fiction. I mean, Ariel is a Mermaid mmkay? My Mom made sure I knew that. So, if you think Disney is bad for little girls, maybe people should step up as parents and explain the point of a movie to their kids. (The same thought goes for the whole “Violent video games make boys violent” thing)

Okay, I’m done ranting. I’m sorry but this really irked me. As a lover of stories, I just couldn’t stand by and not say my piece. I grew up on Disney Princesses and I don’t have any of those “issues” they tried to talk about in the picture. I’m 27, married to a wonderful man, have a beautiful son, and I’m a published author. I tought myself webdesign and graphic design. I’m independent, opinionated, and self-motivated. I’m a good mother, a good wife, and a good friend.

So what about me did Disney corrupt or ruin?

Aboslutely nothing.

This version of the picture was remade by Elizabeth Mueller. Sooo much better.

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