Sunday, October 30, 2016

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: "Blood Lust" by Markie Madden


Is the man Lacey loves really a murderer? Lacey receives a chilling phone call. Her boyfriend, a Vampire, wakes alone in his home, covered in blood, with no memory of what happened. It looks as if he’s violated the Undead Oath, and fed on a human.
While he’s in custody, reports come in from all over the city. Other Vampires, covered in human blood, know nothing of what they’ve done. Lacey and the team struggle to find the person responsible for framing Vampires for murder.
Can the Undead Unit put a stop to the worst hate crime in Dallas’ history? And can Lacey overcome accusing the man she loves of homicide?
Kindle link: http://geni.us/blkin

Friday, October 28, 2016

BOOK REVIEW + GUEST POST: "Unblemished" by Sara Ella


It all began with an unfortunate run-in with a book recommendation from a popular parenting magazine. My spite for that book led me to write my first blog post. I had no idea what I was doing. The writing was terrible, the blog design nothing special. But it was a start.
That post was the beginning of my happy ending.
When I entered the world of blogging, I soon discovered that authors and publishing companies will actually give you books for FREE if you review them within a certain period of time. Free books? Yes, please!
Except too many free books equal burnout. Oops!
I quickly learned reading books on a deadline took all the fun out of reading for me. But blogging did teach me a couple things. First, I learned how to meet a deadline. And second, I learned what platform was.
I’d always dreamed of being a novelist, but the publishing world was a strange and unfamiliar place. I began my research and found there were certain things I needed. Blogging helped me 1) build my platform and 2) network with authors and those in the publishing industry.
When blogging became a task rather than a hobby, I found other avenues online to use as outlets. While I’ve seen others master the art of blogging, it just wasn’t my specialty. But I knew I needed an online presence.
That’s when I discovered BookTube.
BookTube is this fabulous community on YouTube and everyone within the community vlogs about books. My first videos were awkward and low quality, but it was a start. I made friends in the community and had a blast filming everything from tags to book hauls.
By the time I pitched to my agent at my very first writer’s conference I hadn’t even made it to 1,000 subscribers yet. But the fact that I had a channel caught my agent’s eye. He was honest and admitted my book would be a hard sell, but he liked my enthusiasm for social media and the fact that I did indeed have a consistent presence online.
So he signed me.
Within six months of offering representation he landed me a contract with my dream publisher. And what did my publisher tell me made the difference for them in the proposal? My platform. I had readers and followers and connections that I’d spent several years building and growing.
Blogging was only the beginning. It took years of hard work, several writing contests, a freelance editor, patient critique partners, a firm mentor, hours of research, and buckets of blood, sweat, and tears to go from blogger to published author. And I think it all came full circle. Now I’m an author. But I think I always was one. Because author isn’t a title specific to those who have a book for sale at Barnes&Noble. No, author is what you are if you write. Are you a blogger? Then, hello. It’s nice to meet you, fellow author. What are you working on these days?
Sara Ella is the author of Unblemished [Thomas Nelson / HarperCollins]. Learn more at www.SaraElla.com.

My Review of Unblemished:
(I received an ARC of the book from the publicist in exchange for an honest review.)


Eliyana can’t bear to look at her own reflection. But what if that were only one Reflection—one world? What if another world exists where her blemish could become her strength?Eliyana is used to the shadows. With a birthmark covering half her face, she just hopes to graduate high school unscathed. That is, until Joshua hops a fence and changes her perspective. No one, aside from her mother, has ever treated her like he does: normal. Maybe even beautiful. Because of Joshua, Eliyana finally begins to believe she could be loved.
But one night her mother doesn’t come home, and that’s when everything gets weird. Now Joshua is her new, and rather reluctant, legal Guardian. Add a hooded stalker and a Central Park battle to the mix and you’ve gone from weird to otherworldly.
Eliyana soon finds herself in a world much larger and more complicated than she’s ever known. A world enslaved by a powerful and vile man. And Eliyana holds the answer to defeating him. How can an ordinary girl, a blemished girl, become a savior when she can’t even save herself?

So, YA fantasy is a pick and choose genre for me. But because Ella is originally a book blogger like myself, I wanted to see what she came up with. I wasn't disappointed in this story about a young girl who was defined by her physical deformity, but instead found in it a blessing, in a way.
This book does have some Christian undertones, but I don't think that that will dissuade any readers of any other religion. I'll start with the things I liked, which was that El is a very relatable character whom I liked very much. She wasn't overly whiny, nor was she unrealistically tough. I also liked Ky, and I think a lot of readers will, too, as the story develops.
While some of the things in the book were predictable for me, they were still enjoyable, and the author brought together classic elements of fantasy to a new perspective, tying it up in modernity and alternate universes.
I did find a couple flaws, which stemmed from descriptions. Her friend doesn't fit the personality of the Gothic subculture whatsoever, and reading the beginning made me cringe a few times whenever she opened her mouth. Ditto the party El gets taken to where she meets Ky. At no party will they play "heavy metal" (the author's words) and then go on to play Jimmy Eat World. At no party would they play metal, period. As a Goth metalhead, I found my subcultures to be a bit used and abused here with bias.
The only other thing was that this book, like nearly every other YA book, features a love triangle. I wish there had been something a bit more different, and not had romance be such a prominent factor.
The world building is great, though it got a bit much at times, and I think younger YA readers might have a hard time keeping up. However, I still want to see where the next installment takes us!

3.5/5--a really good book.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW + GUEST POST: Andrew Joyce, regarding "Yellow Hair"


Yellow Hair documents the injustices done to the Sioux Nation from their first treaty with the United States in 1805 through Wounded Knee in 1890. Every death, murder, battle, and outrage written about actually took place. The historical figures that play a role in this fact-based tale of fiction were real people and the author uses their real names. Yellow Hair is an epic tale of adventure, family, love, and hate that spans most of the 19th century. This is American history.
Purchase links:

INTERVIEW:

1. When/why did you decide to become a writer? *

One morning, about six years ago, I went crazy. I got out of bed, went downstairs, and threw my TV out the window. Then I sat down at the computer and wrote my first short story. Just for the hell of it, I threw it up on a writing site. A few months later, I was informed that it had been selected for publication in an anthology of the best short stories of 2011. I even got paid for it. I've been writing ever since.

2. What authors inspired you when you were younger? What books do you enjoy reading today? *

Arthur C, Clarke and Agatha Christie. Nowadays I read John Steinbeck and David Baldacci to name just two.
3. What was the inspiration behind your latest release? *

The inspiration for the book came to me when I was reading a short article and it made reference to the Great Sioux Uprising of 1862. It also mentioned that the outcome involved the largest mass execution in the history of the United States. That piqued my interest.
4. Were any of the characters personalities or emotions taken from real life? *

I think everything one puts into a book, character wise, has to come from real life.
5. Why do you write in your chosen genre? What other genres would you like to try your hand at? *

I write in all genres. I have 150 short stories almost ready for publication that encompass everything from detective stories to science fiction to children's stories and everything in between. So far my novels have all been action/adventure and historical novels because it just happened that way.
6. What would you do if you were your main character? *

Probably the same things that he did.
7. Will we ever see these characters again? *

No.
8. Would you like to see this book as a film or TV show? If yes, who do you want to see play your characters? *

I'm an old guy. I don't know who's around nowadays. That last time I paid any attention to movie stars, Tom Mix was a pretty big deal.
9. Where do you see yourself and your career in the next ten years?

As I said, I'm an old guy.
10. Is there anything you haven't touched on that you'd like readers to know about your book? *

I put a full year of research in before I started the writing process.
11. What would you be doing if you weren't writing? *

Going crazy.
12. Can you tell KSR what you're working on next? *

A novel of three generations of Irish immigrants starting in 1840 in Ireland and ending about 1970 somewhere in the US.
13. What authors, dead or alive, would you like to collaborate with? *

John Steinbeck.
14. What are three things that may surprise your readers to know about you? *

I type with only two fingers, I've lived on a boat for the last 42 years, and I'm hell-on-wheels when it comes to making a batch boston baked beans.
15. Please list your links where readers can find you online and purchase your works. *

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LXOXHBI & www.andrewjoyce76.com

GUEST POST:

My name is Andrew Joyce and I write books for a living. Kelly has been kind enough to allow me a little space on her blog to talk about my latest, Yellow Hair.
Yellow Hair documents the injustices done to the Sioux Nation from their first treaty with the United States in 1805 through Wounded Knee in 1890. Every death, murder, battle, and outrage depicted actually took place—from the first to the last. The historical figures that play a role in my story were real people and I used their real names. I conjured up my protagonist only to weave together the various events conveyed in my fact-based tale of fiction. Yellow Hair is an epic tale of adventure, family, love, and hate that spans most of the 19th century. It is American history.
The inspiration for the book came to me when I was reading a short article and it made reference to the Great Sioux Uprising of 1862. It also mentioned that the outcome involved the largest mass execution in the history of the United States. That piqued my interest.

When I started my research into the incident, one thing led to another and before I knew it, I was documenting the entire history of the Sioux, who are also known as the Dakota, vis-à-vis the relationship between them and the United States.

Because the book exists only because I read the phrase, “the largest mass execution in the history of the United States,” I’ll tell you a little about that. What follows is an extremely abbreviated version of events.

The Dakota signed their first treaty with the United States in 1805 when they sold a small portion of their land to the Americans for the purpose of building forts. It was right after the Louisiana Purchase and President Jefferson wanted a presence in the West. At the time, “the West” was anything on the western side of the Mississippi River.

In the treaty of 1805, the Dakota sold 100,000 acres to the Americans. The agreed-upon price was $2.00 per acre. But when the treaty came up before the Senate for ratification, the amount was changed to two cents per acre. That was to be a precursor for all future treaties with the Americans. There were subsequent treaties in 1815, 1825, 1832, 1837, and 1851, and basically the same thing happened with all those treaties.

In 1837, the Americans wanted an additional five million acres of Dakota land. Knowing it would be a hard sell after the way they failed to live up to the letter or spirit of the previous treaties, the government brought twenty-six Dakota chiefs to Washington to show them the might and majesty that was The United States of America.

The government proposed paying one million dollars for the acreage in installments over a twenty-year period. Part of the payment was to be in the form of farm equipment, medicine, and livestock. Intimidated, the Indians signed the treaty and went home. The United States immediately laid claim to the lands—the first payment did not arrive for a year.

The significance of the 1837 treaty lies in the fact that it was the first time “traders” were allowed to lay claim to the Indians’ payments without any proof that money was owed . . . and
without consulting the Indians. Monies were subtracted from the imbursements and paid directly to the traders.

By 1851, the Americans wanted to purchase all of the Dakota’s remaining lands—twenty-five million acres. The Sioux did not want to sell, but were forced to do so with threats that the army could be sent in to take the land from them at the point of a gun if they refused the American’s offer.

“If we sell our land, where will we live?” asked the Dakota chief.

“We will set aside land for the Dakota only. It is called a reservation and it will be along both banks of the Minnesota River, twenty miles wide, ten on each side and seventy miles long. It will be yours until the grasses no longer grow,” answered the Commissioner of Indian Affairs.

The Dakota were offered six cents an acre for land that was worth at least a dollar an acre. The payment would be stretched out over a twenty year period and was to be made in the form of gold coins. One year later, in 1852, the Americans took half the reservation, the seventy miles on the north side of the river. The Dakota were now reduced from a nation of fierce, independent people to a people dependent on hand-outs from the ones who stole not only their land, but also their dignity.

The Dakota were forced to buy their food from the traders who ran trading posts at the Indian Agency the U.S. Government had set up on the reservation. All year long the Dakota would charge what they needed. When the yearly payment for their land arrived, the traders would take what they said was owed them. Subsequently, there was very little gold left for the Dakota.

By 1862, the Dakota were starving. That year’s payment was months late in arriving because of the Civil War. The traders were afraid that because of the war there would be no payment that year and cut off the Dakota’s credit. The Indian Agent had the power to force the traders to release some of the food stocks, but refused when asked to do so by the Dakota.

After they had eaten their ponies and dogs, and their babies cried out in the night from hunger, the Dakota went to war against the United States of America.

They attacked the agency first and liberated the food stock from the warehouse, killing many white people who lived there. Then bands of braves set out to loot the farms in the surrounding countryside.

Many whites were killed in the ensuing weeks. However, not all of the Dakota went to war. Many stayed on the reservation and did not pick up arms against their white neighbors. Some saved the lives of white settlers. Still, over 700 hundred whites lost their lives before the rebellion was put down.

When the dust settled, all of the Dakota—including women and children, and those people who had saved settlers’ lives—were made prisoners of war.

Three hundred and ninety-six men were singled out to stand trial before a military commission. They were each tried separately in trials that lasted only minutes. In the end, three hundred and three men were sentenced to death.

Even though he was occupied with the war, President Lincoln got involved. He reviewed all three hundred and three cases and pardoned all but thirty-eight of the prisoners.

On a gray and overcast December morning in 1862, the scaffold stood high. Thirty-eight nooses hung from its crossbeams. The mechanism for springing the thirty-eight trap doors had been tested and retested until it worked perfectly. At exactly noon, a signal was given, a lever pulled, and the largest mass execution to ever take place in the United States of America became part of our history.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Andrew Joyce left high school at seventeen to hitchhike throughout the US, Canada, and Mexico. He wouldn’t return from his journey until decades later when he decided to become a writer. Joyce has written five books, including a two-volume collection of one hundred and fifty short stories comprised of his hitching adventures called BEDTIME STORIES FOR GROWN-UPS (as yet unpublished), and his latest novel, YELLOW HAIR. He now lives aboard a boat in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with his dog, Danny, where he is busy working on his next book, tentatively entitled, MICK REILLY.

Thursday, October 27, 2016

PRESS RELEASE: Swipe™ To Launch Swipie™ Design Platform Expressly For Consumers

LOS ANGELES (October 27, 2016) – Swipe™ – the design platform that is fast becoming embraced by professional designers as an industry standard for the creation of digital comics and graphic novels – has launched Swipie, a version specially-made for the general market.  With Swipie, viewers can explore all of the design work achieved via Swipe Studio and create their own remixes. 

Swipie brings the fun and innovation of Swipe Studio to everyone, allowing users to view designs created with Swipe Studio and remix them in a fun and immersive app environment,” said Satoshi Nakajima, the renowned software engineer and architect of Swipe Studio.
Please visit App Store to download Swipie app: https://itunes.apple.com/app/id1157808113?ls=1&mt=8
You can immediately enjoy the first Swipie contents as follow:
Jaywalkers v.5 by RYU AMBE:  https://swipie.com/toon/EIOI6tKK5V
TATE - Japanese Samurai sword fight form: https://swipie.com/toon/wBRX2p1QMn

Illustrators and designers from legendary comic book artist Neal Adams (www.nealadams.com) to noted designer RYU AMBE (http://ryuambe.com/) are adapting Swipe Studio tools for their own creative works.  Neal Adams will be introducing the next eagerly anticipated installment of Bucky O’Hare – all created on the Swipe platform – at the upcoming Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic Con, taking place October 28-30 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.  Swipe, Inc. will release Neal Adams the very first Swipe Studio creative work, Bucky O’Hare on October 29, 2016!

Swipie is the Swipe app that enables consumers to peruse the Swipe Studio-based designs and work with them for the purposes of remixing.

As for Swipe Studio, Swipe, Inc. is recently announced Swipe Studio Creative Challenge and now underway.   Swipe, Inc. is pleased to announce the first submission for Swipe Studio Creative Challenge:
The entry deadline for the promotion is Friday, November 18.   To judge, download Swipie and click the ‘like’ button on your favorites.  Visit the Swipie app often as new creative works utilizing Swipe Studio are added regularly. Here are some initial Swipe Studio works to check at your computer (Of cause, you can SWIPE once you download Swipe Studio!)

Swipe Studio Creative Challenge applicants for will also have their works displayed at the Swipe Booth (#800) at Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic Con taking place October 28-30 at the Los Angeles Convention center.


(more)

Swipie Launches - Page Two


Two award winners will be selected and receive global exposure for their design works, including visibility on Swipie, along with participating in media announcements and future Swipe conferences and exhibitions.  Select awards applicants will have the opportunity to join in the Swipe/Neal Adams panel session taking place during Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic Con at 11a.m. of Saturday, October 29, 2016 at conference room 403A.

The brainchild of software genius Satoshi Nakajima – the engineering architect responsible for Windows 95 and Windows 98 along with Internet Explorer versions 3 and 4 – Swipe Studio provides for the ability to easily animate everything from emails to digital comics with media-rich digital elements and make use of animation, video, vector graphics as well as full audio for voice, music and sound effects on tablets and smartphones. Created to take full advantage of today’s touch-enabled smartphone and tablet technology, Swipe eliminates the need for complex programming typically required to build animation or other forms of design content.  

About Swipe, Inc.
Headquartered in Tokyo, Swipe, Inc. is the parent company for Swipe™, an open source platform embedding the full range of visual and audio media into digital documents for smartphones, tablets and other touch-screen devices.  Swipe, Inc. Founder-Chief Technology OfficerSatoshi Nakajima is recognized industry-wide as the lead engineer and architect of Windows 95 and Windows 98 which he created during his tenure with Microsoft.  Visit Swipe, Inc. online at http://www.Swipe.net/.

PRESS RELEASE: Legion M Offers Fans the Opportunity to Win a Film & TV Development Deal with Innovative Legion M Pitch Elevator

Legion M Offers Fans the Opportunity to Win a Film & TV Development Deal with Innovative Legion M Pitch Elevator

Fans invited to participate in pilot filming at Stan Lee’s LA Comic Con and submit pitches online

WHAT:
Legion M, the world’s first fan-owned entertainment company, will debut the Legion M Pitch Elevator at Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic Con on October 28-30. Fans are invited to share their ideas for the next big hit film, TV, or virtual reality project with Legion M’s panel of industry insiders and executives, and compete for $4,000 in cash prizes and a development deal with Legion M that could be worth $15,000.

For those pitching on-site, Legion M has built a full-size elevator set where pitches will be recorded to potentially be a part of the Pitch Elevator TV pilot. Online submissions will also be accepted for consideration through the Legion M website from October 28 to November 28.

The Legion M Pitch Elevator is the next step in the company’s goal to open the gates of Hollywood by giving fans the opportunity to be a part of the content they love.

Here's how it works:
  1. Prepare a pitch of up to 2 minutes for your movie or TV idea.
  2. Join Legion M at Stan Lee's Los Angeles Comic Con to make your pitch inside the Pitch Elevator movie set, and be a part of our TV series pilot!
  3. If you can't make it person, record a 2-minute video of your pitch and submit online.
  4. Once all the pitches are collected, staff, members and shareholders of Legion M will judge and select finalists.
  5. 10 finalists will receive a $250 cash prize and a chance to pitch their idea to a panel of Hollywood agents and executives. One grand prize winner will receive $1,500 in cash and a development deal with Legion M that guarantees $15,000 if their project gets made!

WHEN:  
In-Person: 5pm PT – Friday, October 28 –  4pm PT on Sunday, October 30
Online: Friday, October 28 – Monday, November 28

WHERE:
In-Person: Stan Lee’s LA Comic Con
Los Angeles Convention Center – 1201 S. Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90015
Pitch Elevator Set located @ Booth 402

Online:

More Info


Video Embed:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GqpBccefxA0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

About Legion M
Legion M will be the world's first FAN-OWNED entertainment company. FANS own the company, FANS get behind the scenes, and when Legion M is successful—FANS share the rewards! Legion M co-founders Paul Scanlan and Jeff Annison are the Emmy-winning team who co-founded MobiTV, the pioneer and market leader in over the top and multiscreen platforms and content monetization, as well as the New York Rock Exchange which brought Fans and the musical artists they love together in partnership.   

Legion M’s mission is to empower creators to push the boundaries, and empower Fans to be a part of the content they love.  Join us at www.thelegionm.com.

PRESS RELEASE: Stan Lee Autographed Flying V Guitar Set for Auction

Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic Con Partners With Guitar Center For Charity Auction Event To Be Held Sunday October 30 at 3:00PM

The World’s Largest Retailer of Musical Instruments and Pro Audio Gear Teams with L.A.’s Very Own Pop Culture Extravaganza to Auction a Gibson Flying V – Signed by Stan Lee – With Proceeds Benefitting The Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory

For Immediate Release:

LOS ANGELES (October 24, 2016) – All music-loving attendees of Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic Con will be heading to the Main Stage of the Los Angeles Convention Center on Sunday, October 30 at 3:00 PM where one lucky convention-goer will become the owner of a Gibson Flying V signed by Stan Lee – all courtesy of the Los Angeles Comic Con and Guitar Center.   

The one of a kind electric guitar will be auctioned off by the Los Angeles Comic Con with all proceeds generated from the auction benefitting the Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory, a downtown Los Angeles center that teaches the comic arts free of charge to local youths.

Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory (BHAC) is dedicated to helping young people explore careers in Film, Television, Broadcasting, Digital and the Creative Arts industries. BHAC provides professional training and workshops that prepare students in becoming solid candidates for these industries. Through innovative programming such as Cartoons and Cereal, and Comics & Culture - Limited Edition, BHAC partners with multi-media professionals to bring technology and pop culture to our most under-resourced communities.  BHAC works to create career pathways for ages 6-22, to develop the next generation of leaders in these fields and create an economic equity for our most underserved.

“We are extremely thrilled to be joined by Guitar Center whose awesome contribution of a Gibson Flying V will serve to benefit an outstanding cause.  There are lots of musicians on the L.A. Comic Con team and they all regard Guitar Center as a home away from home for all of their musical and sound needs.  It will be a joy for all of us to work alongside Guitar Center to help benefit the Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory,” said Regina Carpinelli, President and Founder of Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic Con. “We are also really happy to have the chance to help expose future comic artists and comic lovers to the comics industry. These young Los Angelenos are the future of this business.”

“Guitar Center is pleased to partner with Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic Con Expo to help benefit such a worthy cause,” said Brian Berman, Vice President of Marketing at Guitar Center. “We’re looking forward to a phenomenal turnout for the auction and we appreciate the opportunity to support the Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory and their mission to remove barriers and create pathways for artists to continue their craft.” 

Set for October 28-30 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic Con is L.A.’s ultimate comic and pop-culture convention, a 3-day mega-celebration featuring the biggest stars and creative talent in pop culture.  

About Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic Con: 
Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic Con is Los Angeles’ biggest and best large-scale, multi-media pop culture convention. Held annually at the Los Angeles Convention Center, Stan Lee’s L.A. Comic Con assembles the most exciting and innovative in comics, video games, sci-fi, fantasy, horror and all things pop-culture. Partnering with comic legend Stan Lee himself and Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic Con is the only pop-culture convention owned and operated by true pop-culture icons. With a mission to provide celebrity, creator and talent access that is unequalled in comic conventions, Stan Lee’s L.A. Comic Con’s unique panels, autograph sessions and photo-ops give fans once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to truly interact with their favorite creators and major players in the entertainment industry.  Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic Con is a partnership of Stan Lee’s Pow! Entertainment, Cassandra Peterson, and Comikaze Entertainment, Inc.  Visit http://www.stanleeslacomiccon.com/.

About Guitar Center:
Guitar Center is the world’s largest retailer of guitars, amplifiers, drums, keyboards, recording, live sound, DJ, and lighting equipment. With more than 270 stores across the U.S. and one of the top direct sales websites in the industry, Guitar Center has helped people make music for more than 50 years. In addition, Guitar Center’s sister brands include Music & Arts, which operates more than 120 stores specializing in band & orchestral instruments for sale and rental, serving teachers, band directors, college professors and students, and Musician’s Friend, a leading direct marketer of musical instruments in the United States. With an unrivalled in-store experience, an industry-leading online presence and passionate commitment to making gear easy-to-buy, Guitar Center is all about enabling musicians and non-musicians alike to experience the almost indescribable joy that comes from playing an instrument. For more information about Guitar Center, please visitwww.guitarcenter.com. 

PRESS RELASE: Neal Adams' "Bucky O'Hare" Movie at LA Comic Con 2016

Neal Adams To Unveil Excusive Bucky O’Hare Digital Comic Via The
All-New SWIPE Design Platform At Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic Con

And more!

You can create YOUR Bucky O’Hare Digital Comic with Neal Adams original drawings on SWIPE Design Platform!
Neal Adams Bucky O’Hare assets are available at SWIPE!
You may also use part of Neal Adams Bucky O’Hare assets to decorate your photos, graphic arts, etc.!

Swipe App Version Of Bucky O’Hare Based on Planned Motion Picture To Be Unveiled In Special Panel Session Set for Saturday October 29

              For Immediate Release:

LOS ANGELES (October 20, 2016) – Bucky O’Hare – the original comic book series turned into a classic cartoon – makes its debut in the digital domain with an 8-page exclusive Swipe Studio e-comic book written and illustrated by brand creators Larry Hama and Michael Golden together with Neal Adams and his Continuity Productions.   Bucky O’Hare and the Toad Menace makes its premiere appearance Day One of Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic Con taking place October 28-30 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Designed utilizing the tools available on the all-new Swipe Studio design app, the latest offering in the Bucky O’Hare legacy follows Bucky and his crew as they do battle with the Toad Armada.  A special Los Angeles Comic Con presentation featuring legendary artist Neal Adams together with Swipe Studio’s famed creator Satoshi Nakajima (the software genius behind Windows 95 and Windows 98 along with Internet Explorer versions 3 and 4) is set for Saturday October 29 from 11am-12:00pm in room 403A.  

The 8-pager provides fans with a glimpse into the creative for the planned Bucky O’Hare theatrical motion picture now in the works with Neal Adams producing and directing.  

In addition to the Swipe Bucky O’Hare comic book, artist Neal Adams also worked with the Swipe team to load into the platform an impressive portfolio of Bucky art elements and animation that can be adapted by anyone for any digital purpose, including e-mails or presentations of any kind, including all main characters and several backgrounds. 

Creators and artists can experience the free Swipe app instantly by downloading Swipe Studio to their iPhone/iPad/iPod touch and begin to create media-rich animated digital content.  To download the Swipe Studio, go to App Store  https://appsto.re/us/hlcDeb.i

Swipe Studio users are welcome to join Facebook group; Swipe Studio Users https://www.facebook.com/groups/1076516299084537/

Swipe Studio is available only for iPhone/iPad/iPod touch users with version iOS9 or later.

“We are thrilled to unveil the newest Bucky O’Hare creative from the team responsible for this celebrated and enduring property at Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic con,” said Nakajima.  “I look forward with tremendous enthusiasm towards sharing a panel with the great Neal Adams whose brilliant use of the Swipe Studio design tools helps us usher in a new era in digital design.”

“It has been a lot of fun to work with Swipe Studio and I encourage artists to check it out for their own design projects.  In fact, Swipie – which is Swipe’s platform for consumers – continues to offer a wealth of art and animation applications to enhance everything from emails to digital presentations.  Mr. Nakajima has built an extraordinary platform and I am proud to contribute Bucky O’Hare as a way of underscoring its power as a design platform,” said Neal Adams.

The brainchild of software genius Satoshi Nakajima – the engineering architect responsible for Windows 95 and Windows 98 along with Internet Explorer versions 3 and 4 – Swipe empowers everyone from consumers to creators to easily animate everything from emails to digital comics with media-rich digital elements and make use of animation, video, vector graphics as well as full audio for voice, music and sound effects on tablets and smartphones. Created to take full advantage of today’s touch-enabled smartphone and tablet technology, Swipe eliminates the need for complex programming typically required to build animation or other forms of design content.  As a result, creators, designers, animators and artists have the tools to create media-rich animated digital content for consumption via touch-enabled devices including smartphones, tablets and touch-enabled set-top-boxes, such as iPhone and Apple TV.  

About Swipe, Inc.
Headquartered in Tokyo, Swipe, Inc. is the parent company for Swipe™, an open source platform embedding the full range of visual and audio media into digital documents for smartphones, tablets and other touch-screen devices.  Swipe, Inc. Founder-Chief Technology OfficerSatoshi Nakajima is recognized industry-wide as the lead engineer and architect of Windows 95 and Windows 98 which he created during his tenure with Microsoft.  Visit Swipe, Inc. online at http://www.Swipe.net/.

Friday, October 21, 2016

RELEASE DAY + BOOK REVIEW: "Envious Existence" by Katie Keller-Nieman


Sometimes love is so strong, not even death can stop it.

The world I thought I understood...
The man I thought I knew...
Nothing is the same.


Sandy spent most of her life in a toxic friendship with a girl who wanted her dead. Finally free, she now has a chance for happiness with the man she loves. Eric is back in her life, and everything should be right between them...but nothing is what it seems. 
Eric has been keeping a dangerous secret. One that threatens their lives and the futures of those they love. 
A secret that changes everything. 
Their world has become a different place, with complex rules and terrifying dangers. 
But there is a way out. Their only hope for survival is to make a deal with Aurora. But can Sandy trust the girl who tried to kill her, the girl who still wants her dead? 

Love will be tested. 
Trust will be broken. 
And truths will be revealed.

THE ENVIOUS SERIES READING ORDER:
Book 1-Envious
Book 2-Envious Obsession
Book 3-Envious Existence

I received an ARC of this copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

I was not so patiently waiting for this book. If you've been following my reviews, you know how much I love the Envious series, its world and its characters. This is going to be hard to review for one simple reason: it's nearly impossible not to give spoilers for this or the other two books! So I'm going to be as straightforward and inclusive as I can.
A great series that is fantastical and yet still realistic and relatable is hard to come by, but the Envious books are just that. For me, personally, the extreme frenemy relationship between Sandy and Aurora is something that I really relate to, and I'm sure others will as well.
I think I said before that I didn't like Eric, and this book didn't make me feel any warmer towards him. Aurora, of course, I'd like to throttle, Sandy is really coming into her own, dealing with her problems a bit differently than she did in previous books.
This story takes everything to a whole new level, and I honestly can't sell this book enough. Romance, drama, fantasy, intrigue, and so much more awaits you when you open the pages of this book. I recommend reading the first two before this one, so you get the full feel of the story.
Ms. Nieman is one of my absolute favorite authors and I can't wait for the next book!

5/5--excellent!

Purchase Envious Existence via Amazon!

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

RELEASE DAY + BOOK REVIEW: "Wealthy Menage" by TL Travis (18+)


The Sebastian Chronicles is a series of 5 Erotic Paranormal Novelettes that will take you through each century since Sebastian Benoit’s Vampiric inception.
In book three Wealthy ménage, our beloved vampire Sebastian has found himself in 19th century New Orleans, a vibrant town in the midst of rebuilding after the war.
Sebastian’s insatiable sexual appetite gets him into some precarious positions. Positions that will leave you wanting more.

I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Unlike many readers, I love serials (short series which are released in a quick period of time as opposed to long novels that are released once or twice a year). They're like little treats, and the Sebastian Chronicles are certainly, ahem, tasty.
I am, however, new to menage stories. I have never read a threesome (or moresome) before tonight, and if they're all as good as Wealthy Menage, I will certainly be reading more of them in the future!
We follow our hero Sebastian as he settles into a new life in New Orleans, on a plantation, which immediately reminded me of Anne Rice's Interview With The Vampire.
As I read on, I fall more and more in love with Sebastian. While in book one I found him to be an insatiable rake (and jerk), and in book two I found him a bit too soft, this book made me wish he was real! You get to see not only more of his sexual side, you get to see his sweet side as well.
Lorenzo (Sebastian's lover in book two) is back, and still as sexy as ever as these two bisexual vamps tear it up in New Orleans, hosting threesomes with a wealthy widow, and then entertaining multiple of her female friends at once.
New positions (anal sex is introduced with women, and I only put that here in the review because I know some readers might be turned off by it, so this is a warning), new lovers, new friends, and new possibilities abound, all in thirty or so pages! My only issue with this was that I wish there was more emotional detail. At one point, I nearly teared up.

5/5--This is a must-read!

Purchase Wealthy Menage via Amazon.

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Stephen Kozeniewski


1. When/why did you decide to become a writer? *

It was a cold summer's day in October '44. I was having a snuff with Petersen when he looked at me and said, "Fats" ("Fats" was my nickname at the time) "Fats, there's no money in this damned investment game. We need to find the mouth of the Nile, if you understand my manner of speaking." We rolled up our shirtsleeves and set to work that very day with a butcher block and a piece of charcoal we'd nicked from the local energy concern. And by the end of the afternoon we had figured out our new goldmine: the words industry. Ever since it's been hot and cold running caviar and Porsches.

2. What authors inspired you when you were younger? What books do you enjoy reading today? *

I read a lot of the classics when I was very young: Poe, Lovecraft, Dostoevsky. Also a lot of pulp like Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine. Later, Brian Keene was a big influence. Nowadays I'm mostly reading my peers: Mary Fan, Glenn Rolfe, K.P. Ambroziak, even a young lady called Luchesi, though I suppose you might say she's already outstripped me and isn't really a "peer" anymore.
3. What was the inspiration behind your latest release? *

HUNTER OF THE DEAD was inspired by, well, bad vampire movies. Or not necessarily "bad" but very bowdlerized. Hollywood vampires have a very storied history, but they're basically their own thing, almost entirely separate from the Eastern European folkloric vampires. I wanted to put a jolt of old-school creep factor back into the genre, and I hope it turned out well.
4. Were any of the characters personalities or emotions taken from real life? *

Oh, sure. Both of the main human characters have these crap day jobs at a convenience store that allow them to indulge in their exciting alter egos as vampire hunters. So that may (or may not) be a metaphor for being a writer by vocation but not being able to pay the bills with it. And there's a scene very early on where Nico has to deal with a very dickish customer belittling him about cigarettes. That basically happened to me word-for-word in real life. So enjoy your horrible fictional fate, real-life Cigarette Dick.
5. Why do you write in your chosen genre? What other genres would you like to try your hand at? *

Science fiction has always been a passion of mine, from way back to the early '80s when pretty much the only sci-fi on TV was "Star Trek: The Next Generation." I love horror, though, because of the community. Horror writers of every stripe, my idols and neophytes alike, have welcomed me with open arms. It's an amazing, electric thing to be part of. I think even if I end up making my bones in science fiction I'll still come around to the horror conventions and trade shows. As for what I'd like to try my hand at, some day I might work on some kind of fantasy, maybe grimdark or high fantasy or something like that, but I'd have to find a way to make it my own so that I'm not just eating Tolkien's lunch. I'm not ready for that plunge yet.
6. What would you do if you were your main character? *

Oh, shit. I guess all things being equal Idi Han is the main character of HUNTER OF THE DEAD. If I were her I would probably tread very lightly, and make sure I'm not ruffling any feathers, especially amongst my followers. But Idi Han being who she is, I can pretty much guarantee you that won't happen. :)
7. Will we ever see these characters again? *

If my fans want it. So far sales have been robust, so if this keeps up, it might happen. I'm not a big fan of sequels, so I haven't really been writing them. I treat most of my books (probably BILLY AND THE CLONEASAURUS is the exception for obvious reasons if you've read it) as a standalone with series potential. I'm not going to foist a sequel on a market that's not interested in it, but I'm not going to ignore my fans if they start chanting in the street for book 2, either.
8. Would you like to see this book as a film or TV show? If yes, who do you want to see play your characters? *

Ah, well, HUNTER OF THE DEAD originated as a screenplay, so, yes, definitely I'd like to see it made into a movie. I think Bruce Campbell would make for a good Carter Price. I've always envisioned Nigel Bennett as Cicatrice. Idi Han and Nico Salazar would have to be very young actors, possibly unknowns, so I don't really have anyone in mind, but I'm sure they're out there.
9. Where do you see yourself and your career in the next ten years?

My mentor jokingly told me recently that I'm shooting straight to the center of the mid-list. I'd be okay with that. I hope within the next ten years I get some kind of break, either a TV/film adaptation or a book that's just a breakout hit on its own. If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. Provided society doesn't collapse, I expect I'll be writing for the rest of my life anyway, so any form of success is just gravy.
10. Is there anything you haven't touched on that you'd like readers to know about your book? *

Early buzz is that HUNTER OF THE DEAD is my goriest work ever. I did not initially think that, but I guess I'll leave it up to the fans and critics to decide.
11. What would you be doing if you weren't writing? *

Drinking.
12. Can you tell KSR what you're working on next? *

Only because it's you, Kelly, I can tell you that I already have a manuscript in the can for Mirror Matter Press called THE HEMATOPHAGES, which is like a cross between "The Office" and "The Thing." And I need to get my ass in gear and get started on a collaboration with Stevie Kopas I owe Sinister Grin Press early next year.
13. What authors, dead or alive, would you like to collaborate with? *

Collaborating with dead authors seems like you'd just end up shouldering all of the work. But living ones, I'd be tickled pink to work with Phillip Tomasso, Armand Rosamilia, Guy Haley, or Adam Cesare.
14. What are three things that may surprise your readers to know about you? *

1. I wear a tie every day. 2. I give blood six times a year. 5. I'm a big Monty Python fan
15. Please list your links where readers can find you online and purchase your works. *

Blog: manuscriptsburn.blogspot.com