Liz Keel

Enlightenment by Liz Keel

10 Things I Wish I Knew About Being an Author I Didn’t Know Before by Liz Keel

1. Believe in yourself! One of the main challenges is to have confidence in yourself and persevere. It can be quite daunting putting something you have created – your heart and soul – out there for others to view and potentially criticize.

2. Utilize all the help you can get! Use all the help and experience you are offered. Take my illustrator for example - Joemel Requeza who is brilliant! With Enlightenment, he not only took my thoughts and ramblings and made Thea come to life, but designed an intriguing cover that makes the reader want to find out more.

3. My work is done! It’s just about writing a story isn’t it?! Wrong! Just because you have written the story it doesn’t mean your role is now finished. Far from it, as you’ll now enter the world of marketing, social media and keeping up with the demands from your publishing house!

4. Develop a hard shell. You’ve finally done it! After hours, weeks and maybe even years of hard work your book is finally out there ready for people to purchase and it happens…you get a negative review. It can feel soul destroying at first but it’s important to remember not everyone will like what you have to say and it happens to authors all around the world. When it does though, try your hardest not to take it personally or respond negatively to the reviewer and instead focus on all the positives your readers have to say.

4. Have no regrets. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but even so I’m a firm believer you learn from your mistakes and if anything become stronger as an author.

6. The Financial Implications! Unfortunately it can be a long process getting to the stage when you can live purely off the royalties from the books you have written. Publishing one book won’t be enough to live off and you will need to keep your writing momentum going especially if you have built up a fan base – they will be hungry for more!

7. The world of social media! There are so many ways to reach out to your fan base and it is such a rewarding thing to do, not only because they will help get the word out about any of your new releases but they will also become your invaluable support network.

8. The importance of marketing! Whether you decide to go through a publishing house or not, knowing how to market your book can feel overwhelming especially when learning to do this the first time round. Do take the time to research what’s the best path for you.

9. Network! Connect with other authors out there who are in the same position as you on sites such as Goodreads; they can become your rock when needed as well as providing advice and a sounding block for all those questions you may have.

10. Don’t Give Up! Lastly and I think most importantly you have to have faith in yourself and know that you can do this. It won’t be easy and you’ll feel like pulling your hair out half the time, but when you finally do it…see your book out there for people to buy, it’s the most amazing feeling ever and makes all the heart-ache worthwhile.

Enlightenment
The Driel Trilogy
Liz Keel

Publisher: Fire Quill Publishing

Release Date: 21st April 2016

ISBN:  9780996974875
ISBN:  9780994664198

Book Description:

After losing everything, all seventeen-year-old Thea wanted was to be a normal teenager. Instead, she was attacked by a mysterious creature she thought only existed in fairy tales.

Now thrown into the unknown realm of Faey, Thea is forced to determine the difference between reality and fantasy, in a world ruled by a dark elite and a society wracked by intolerance and prejudice. With the support of her new friends and a mysterious dark haired, blue-eyed guardian watching her every move, Thea will discover that when it comes to Faey, nothing is what it seems.

Will her courage and desire to save this new world from darkness be enough? Or will Thea be the next victim to fall to the dark whispers of fate...

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About the Author:

I live in Surrey, England, a short walk from the beautiful Windsor Park, with my husband Richard and our two gorgeous children Noah and Olivia. For me, writing is nothing short of an addiction and I often find myself sneaking out to my writing shed for just a few minutes, which can often turn into hours of pure, unadulterated bliss catching up with my characters and continuing their story.

In-between writing, I teach in a primary school where there’s never a dull moment! I will also often be found Kindle in hand, reading a wide variety of genres but with YA fantasy and paranormal romance at the forefront of my reading list. Although I’m currently writing the second book in the Driel trilogy, other characters involving all things fantasy, paranormal and YA romance are jockeying for position, wanting me to write their story next, so watch this space! It is such a privilege to share my stories with you the reader. Thank you enough for taking the time to find out more about me.

To find out more about Liz, visit her website: www.lizkeelauthor.com

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Saul Tanpepper

Gameland: Deep into the Game

by Saul Tanpepper

139 Pages

Published by Brimstone Press April 29, 2013
Genre: Horror, Zombies, Apocalyptic, YA
ASIN: B007Z4UP4A

ISBN: 978-1479177554

Currently FREE on Amazon

Everyone loves Survivalist, a live-action, virtual reality show based on Arc Entertainment's The Game, where cybernetically controlled zombies do battle in a video arcade in the middle of a Long Island wasteland. It's to die for.

If you're rich enough, you can buy your way in. If you're desperate enough, you can volunteer to become one of the Undead Players. Jessie Daniels and her gang of computer hackers plan to break their way in. Welcome to GAMELAND. Access Restricted.

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The apocalypse is old news. Zombies roam the restricted areas and Gameland, a Long Island arena owned by Arc Entertainment is the sport of choice for the wealthy. Zombies are used not only to compete in the games, but janitorial tasks. A group of teens decide to break into Gameland. Things go bad, so very bad.

Gameland is told first person by Jessie, a teenage girl. She and her moody boyfriend, along with her best friend Ash, and Micah and Reggie aren't looking forward to their senior year of high school. Their last hoorah is to sneak into the infected zone to have some fun before the monotony of school begins.

Tanpepper's got something here. I like the unique plot he's created; reminds me of Mad Max's Thunderdome. The story is told in episodes, a total of eight. I've read only the first episode but I'm definitely looking forward to reading further. The book kept me intrigued all the way through, but at the halfway point it got even better and turned into something I just couldn't put down. It was an exhilarating and nail-biting adventure. I considered giving this a four star rating, but as the story progressed, it earned my five stars. The setting was new and futuristic, the concept was imaginative, and the characters were well fleshed out.

The prologue sucked me right in. Tanpepper jumps forward to reveal a hint of the ending and there was no way I could stop reading without finding out the journey that got our little group to that point.  Being that the book is episodic, I wasn't rewarded with the full scope of the story. The episode ended in such a way that I can't let it end there...so I downloaded the second episode...ALSO FREE on Amazon! Get your copy of Episode 2, Failsafe here.

Deep into the Game is well written. I had no issues with a male author narrating from a teen girls perspective, not an easy task I'm sure. The read is fast-paced and full of action. These are the most ambitious group of teens I've ever come across! As a die hard fan of zombie fiction, it was invigorating to find something so unique inside my genre. Here's to hoping I find a new review request for the entire season! (hint hint, lol)

About the Author:

Saul spent his formative years in a leaky century-old house overlooking the Erie Canal in Upstate New York. His bedroom was a refurbished attic, which he shared with all manner of creatures, not all, he is convinced, flesh and blood.

After bouncing around the US and Europe for several years, he settled down to pursue a career in the sciences, opting to study the mysteries of human molecular genetics. But even positions as an experimental biologist, teacher, manager and biotech entrepreneur couldn't keep him from his true passion as a storyteller.

He now writes speculative fiction full time from his home in the San Francisco Bay Area. Although his house is now attic-less and waterproof, he continues to be haunted by a variety of creatures, including a wife, kids, four dogs, three cats, six chickens, a wayward rooster, and one very grumpy possum. They are all flesh and blood. 

Except, maybe, for the possum, which he's convinced is the reincarnated spirit of Jack Torrance.

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About the Reviewer:

Shay Festa a.k.a The Bookie Monster reviews horror and paranormal books, with an emphasis (but not limited to) zombie fiction. She is currently working hard on completing her debut zombie fiction novel, Time of Death.