Blog Archives
A paranormal Merry Christmas!
Hydra Publications is running a special sale this Christmas season– Starting Christmas Day, Hydra will be running Hydra for the Holidays, using Kindle Countdown.
Starting Christmas morning, select Hydra titles will be .99. The next day 1.99, third day 2.99 and then regular price. The titles involved are: Reality Check, Gnosis, The List, Dearly Departed, The Heart Denied, Heart of the Hunter, Love Me Kiss Me Kill Me, Eternal Patrol, Anon, The Wall Outside, Empyreal Fate, 
Bounty Hunter, Ukishima, The Hand of God, Amy the Astronaut, The Know it All Girl, Without a Conscious, and The Parrot Told Me. Here’s an easy Amazon link.
What are people saying about Love Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me?
“LOVE ME, KISS ME, KILL ME is a riveting suspense thriller with supernatural themes. Fans of the genre will very much enjoy this novel.”
“This was a well written and very unique take on the vampire theme. It kept me hooked and wondering who was good and who wasn’t up to the very end.”
“Lyndi Alexander’s newest release, “Love Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me,” is heart stopping. The author has skillfully crafted a thriller filled with danger and suspense, which also happens to involve a romance. When the main character becomes involved with a popular local healing center, she becomes suspicious of its management, as several local young women her age mysteriously die of “natural causes.” Each of these victims had a connection with the healing center. As she begins quietly investigating to learn the truth of the deaths, she learns that she is in danger herself, and realizes that she has no one to turn to that she can trust. Read to learn how the mystery is solved, which you won’t know until the very end, for a real surprise. I was still guessing all the way!”
Interested? It’s waiting for you–Merry Christmas!
Vampires come in many flavors–have you found this one?
As part of Melissa Snark’s Halloween blog roundup, I’ve contributed a piece on psychic vampires, and she’ll feature a review of LOVE ME, KISS ME, KILL ME later in the week. Have you ever noticed that just being in the presence of some people leaves you feeling like a wring-out dishcloth? Perhaps you’ve encountered a psychic vampire.
Please stop by and learn how to protect yourself from people who might suck your energy dry– we need all the life force we can get!
Are we ready to r-r-rumble? Or READ?
One of my favorite small publishers, Hydra Publications has announced its SUMMER BASH! This means, thirty–yes, 30!–of their ebooks will be FREE on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 16 and 17. The Facebook Event is listed here.
Here’s a list of the books to be offered, including mine:
- Amy the Astronaut and the Flight for Freedom by Steven Donahue
- Andraste by Marissa Mills
- Anon by Peter Giglio
- Blood of the Highland Moon by Morinda Montgomery
- Bounty Hunter by Amy McCorkle
- Bridgeworld by Travis McBee
- Chronicles of Destiny by Etta Jean
- Dearly Departed by Rachael Rawlings
- Deception Peak by Dianne Gardner
- Empyreal Fate by Rachel Hunter
- Eternal Patrol by Michael Wallace
- Gnosis by Tom Wallace
- Into the Spiral by Erin Danzer
- Love Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me by Lyndi Alexander
- Lure of the Vampire by Bertena Varney
- Morning Star by Desiree Finkbeiner
- Primal by Raven Bower
- Raising Riley by Brick Marlin
- Reality Check by Eric Garrison
- Tale Spinner by David Donaghe
- The Exile’s Violin by Bobby Hunter
- The Fall of Onagros by Marian Allen
- The Hand of God by Tony Acree
- The Heart Denied by Linda Anne Wulf
- The Know-it-all Girl by Joanna Forman
- The Universal Mirror by Gwen Perkins
- The Wall Outside by James Peercy
- Ukishima by Nigel Sellars
- Virginia Creeper by Blaine Pardoe
So many books, so little time. What are you waiting for? Mark your calendars for next week and get ready to read! Here’s the site where the book links can be found: http://www.hydrapublications.com/hydra-summer-bash/
Andronia RPG guide now available!
Oooo! Hydra Games has just come out with the Region of Turmoil (Andronia Region Guide) RPG book!
Listen:
As you round the Draekyn Peak, storms of pure chaos buffet you from all sides. Tears streaming from your eyes, you dare to stop and get your bearings. In that brief moment, a bolt of energy flies past your face, nearly causing you to lose your footing and fall 1000 feet to the chasm below. You glance backwards to find your guide incinerated in the blast of Tek energy. It is not the battlefield you would have chosen, but you have enemies and they will track you to the very ends of Andronia.
ANDRONIA– A new campaign world designed by Hydra Games. An epic high fantasy world crackling with magic and an ancient, controversial technology called tek. Using the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game rules as its base Andronia offers familiar rules coupled with: ~ New races and classes to create exciting characters and NPCs ~ New skills to help Players survive this untamed world ~ New weapons, armor, equipment and items to discover ~ New monsters to fight ~ Intriguing and dangerous areas to explore With guides devoted to each region of the world, novels, RP modules and adventure packs, you will have a vibrant and massive world at your fingertips to run any type of campaign you desire.
Get it here: http://www.amazon.com/Region-Turmoil-Andronia-Guide/dp/0615838316/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373467842&sr=1-1
Sounds like a huge amount of fun. Who’s in??
This news reporter goes out of her way to get the story–all the way to Hell!
One of my sister authors from Hydra Publications is sharing the covers for her four short stories, part of her soon-to-be-released series titled THE WORLD AMONG US, a YA/Urban Fantasy series about forbidden love and Greek Mythology. Each of these is a short story based on THE WORLD AMONG US: PRINCE OF DARKNESS.
In the first story, Murderous Regrets,
Leon Greene is accused of murdering his best friend, Jason Aysel, and the world wants to know if he really did it. Cue Elise Stevenson, the top news reporter for the Daily Gazette who gets the scoop. Will Leon tell her the truth and his motives behind the murder?
In the second story, Moon Spirit,
Raul Blackoak’s world is tossed upside down one evening when he stumbles upon a damsel in distress.
What he wasn’t expecting was that his life would be changed forever by her. Because he risks his own life to save her, he is caught between two worlds; the world to which he belongs, and the human world. Will he be able to balance being in both worlds? Or will he have to give up one to be happily ever after in the other?
The third story is Hell Bound. 
After impressing her boss with her interview with werewolf, Leon Greene, Elise is Hell Bound to an interview with the Lord of the Underworld himself. Mr. Murphy wants her to find the dirty scoop on Hades himself, and foil his plot to take over the world. Will she survive the clutches of Hell?
The final of the four is Hell’s Captive.
As if interviewing Hades himself wasn’t enough, Elise gets sucked into doing an interview with his son, Prince Damien. It turns out that the Prince of Darkness has a few tricks up his sleeve himself, and is head over heels for the girl he murdered. Will Elise uncover the Prince of Darkness’s deepest, darkest secrets?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Beth Ann Masarik was born on Long Island, NY in the year 1984 with an over-active imagination. She used to love playing make-believe games, and now loves creating her own fantasy worlds. Masarik has been writing since she was 15 years old, and had her first newspaper article published in her high school newspaper in her sophomore year. She has taken several creative writing classes, and started writing her very first novel in college, and is currently searching for the right literary agent. Aside from writing novels, Masarik enjoys bowling, gaming, and role playing online. She enjoys reading fantasy novels written by Richelle Mead, L.J. Smith, and J.K. Rowling, and looks to them for role models.
Beth is recently married, and when she isn’t writing or role playing, she is found volunteering down at her church.
Masarik is also the founder of Literary Lunes Magazine/Literary Lunes Publications, a bi-monthly zine that is dedicated to promoting authors. You can find out more about Literary Lunes by going to its website at www.literarylunespublications.com
You can find Beth at the following places:
Websites: www.bethannmasarik.com, www.theworldamongussaga.com and www.literarylunespublications.com
Twitter: @theworldamongus and @literarylunes
Facebook fanpages: https://www.facebook.com/bethannmasarikauthor
https://www.facebook.com/TheWorldAmongUs
and https://www.facebook.com/Literarylunespublications
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4667718.Beth_Ann_Masarik
Meet Hydra author Rachel Hunter!
As the final day of the Hydra Blog Hop arrives, we have young author Rachel Hunter with us, with her book Empyreal Fate, first in the Llathalan Annal series.
Author Bio:
Rachel Hunter has always been fascinated with words and the intricate way in which they combine. Since a child, she has been an avid writer, winding vibrant tales and elaborate stanzas on folded bits of paper. As the years passed, her love of words never died; her adoration for reading fared no equal. Always with her nose in a book, Rachel took fondly to works spanning all genres. Yet it was the compelling grasp of fantasy and science fiction that wrenched her fascination above all.
In 2007, Rachel was selected a state winner of the Minnesota Promising Young Writers Program. Accordingly, her winning poem, It All Starts with Creativity, was published in An Anthology of Poetry by Young Americans. Senior year of high school proved another momentous year. A winner of the Oklahoma Young Writers Competition, Rachel was awarded with publication of her Sestina of Elven Regret in the 2010-2011 anthology, Growing Voices. In March of 2012, Rachel published her first short story with Trestle Press, titled, Perfect Nothing, which recounted her harrowing relationship with an eating disorder and was also fueled by her passion for psychology. But her writing does not end there. While currently pursuing a degree in nursing at the University of Oklahoma, she aspires also to illuminate the creative spark of eager readers. In her desire to incite intrigue, she is exploring new worlds and creating vast empires of her own. Empyreal Fate is only the first in her Llathalan Annal series. Indeed, it is only the beginning.
Empyreal Fate Blurb:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Empyreal-Fate-Llathalan-Annal-Volume/dp/0615638589
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Empyreal-Fate-Llathalan-Rachel-Hunter/dp/0615638589
Empyreal Fate Excerpt:
Drevan’s loins grew hot as he watched the sway of the woman’s body, and
he felt the urge to see her full – to gaze upon her womanly figure and marvel at her
sensitive places. It was not often he felt such appetence, and he relished it now,
taking pleasure in the maddened spur that gripped him.
He wet his lips as she flicked her bronze hair to the side and stared at the
exposed flesh of her pale neck. He nearly swooned on the spot – the heat of his body
intense – and had to grasp hold of the trunk to keep straight. Then, from beneath a
tumbled lock, the woman’s pointed ear was revealed. Drevan caught his breath midthroat,
nearly choking. He bit his tongue as reality struck a blow. This woman – she
belonged to the elves!
-–Scene from Empyreal Fate– Part One of Rachel Hunter’s Llathalan Annal series.
Contact Links:
Blog: http://www.rachel-m-hunter.blogspot.com
Website: http://www.rachel-m-hunter.yolasite.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-Hunter/170131499766376
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/young_author
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Empyreal-Fate-Llathalan-Annal-ebook/dp/B007WWB24W
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5762735.Rachel_Hunter
Welcome Hydra author Dianne Gardner!
Synopsis
The first book of a trilogy, Deception Peak is a young adult adventure fantasy about a teenager, Ian Wilson, who follows his father through a portal that magically appears on their computer screen. They travel into a deceptively beautiful Realm, where horses run free, the wind sings prophetic melodies, and their computer avatars come to life. But when the two are separated, Ian is abducted by a tribe of dragon worshipers and is forced to find his courage. As he struggles for his freedom and embarks on a perilous search to find his father, Ian meets the true peacekeepers of the Realm. It's then that he learns there is a greater purpose for being there.
Link to the Deception Peak book trailer: http://youtu.be/7nhN62CmJsI
Excerpt:
They came to a bend lined with thick brush that rose over their heads. The passage led them through giant firs into a part of the forest wild with sword ferns and fallen trees. The rapping of a woodpecker hollowing a rotten trunk echoed through the thicket. The whisper of wind brushed the tree limbs high above his head, causing dots of sunlight to dance on the forest floor. Ian was awed by the forest’s beauty, yet he was terrified by what might await them at the next crook in the trail.
Welcome Hydra author R.S. Hunter!
Thanks for being with us today. First, would you tell us a bit about yourself? What area of the country do you live in, do you have a family, pets, etc. Are you a coffee fiend, or do you have another “addiction” you must have on your desk at all times? 
It’s great to be here. I’m R.S. Hunter, a science fiction, fantasy, and horror author from sunny San Diego. I live in the suburbs so I use writing as a way to escape them.
Unlike a lot of writers I know, I don’t drink coffee. However, I am a sucker for a good craft beer. (One of the perks of living in San Diego). All I need when I write is my laptop and my headphones. That’s what you’ll find on my desk, which also doubles as my kitchen table.
Tell us about your new novel, coming in September from Hydra Publications.
My debut novel, The Exile’s Violin, the first book of the Tethys Chronicles, is a steampunk adventure tale that follows a young woman’s quest to unravel the mystery surrounding her parents’ murder. Along the way she teams up with bored socialite Clay Baneport, and the two of them discover a conspiracy that threatens the fate of the world.
How would you best describe your books?
I have a lot of experience with video games and writing about them, so I think because of that, my books have a very strong visual quality to them. A lot of times when I write, I try to picture how the scene would look in a movie or in a game.
The Exile’s Violin has clear steampunk influences along with parts that feel like action/adventure movies. But I’ve also been told that some parts of it have some noir influences. I wasn’t trying to channel that when I wrote the book and characters, but I can’t say I’m complaining!
What is your favorite genre to write? To read?
My favorite genres to write and read are speculative fiction. Hands down. I’ve been in love with genre fiction ever since I saw Star Wars as a small child. I also like horror a little bit, but it comes in third after SFF. To clarify, I like horror books. Horror movies on the other hand scare the hell outta me. No thank you.
I wrote The Exile’s Violin and its sequel, Terraviathan, because they were the books I wanted to write at the time. I don’t try to chase trends or try to jump on the next big thing. I write what I like—explosions, science fiction, fantasy, gun fights, sword fights, etc.—and I just try to make sure it ends up being the best damn book I’m able to produce.
What do you most like about writing? Least like? When did you first know you wanted to be an author?
I love being able to create new worlds and characters. That’s one of the best parts about speculative fiction; I’m not hampered by real locations and people.
Many other writers out there all say things like they started writing when they were 4 etc. etc. Not me. I’ve loved reading all my life, but I didn’t start writing fiction until college. I asked the professor of my World Literature class if I could write a story instead of writing a final paper. She said yes. I wrote the story. Passed the class. Workshopped the story the next semester, and then it became the first thing I ever had published.
Do you belong to any writing groups? Are there any writing websites you find particularly useful?
I want to find a local SFF writing group that focuses on novels rather than short fiction, but I haven’t had any luck yet. As far as websites go, I like Absolute Write and Goodreads. I also have a bunch of “name generator” websites bookmarked. Those sites are life savers.
Is there any special music you like to listen to while writing? How does it inspire you?
It all depends on my mood. Sometimes I listen to videogame music, remixes, and electronica. Other times I’ll listen to heavy metal or classic rock. I have to have music on while writing though. Silence and me are enemies.
Tell us a little about your path to publication. How many books have you published? How many stories did you write before selling one?
The first piece I had published was a short story called “Runner” in the Abaculus II science fiction and fantasy anthology. The Exile’s Violin will be my first published novel. I know it’s incredibly rare to have your first novel also be your first one published, but the book has undergone significant changes between when I first wrote it and where it’s at today.
What are you writing now? What’s next for you—will you be making personal appearances anywhere our readers can find you?
Right now I’m working on revising and polishing Terraviathan, the sequel to The Exile’s Violin. Unfortunately due to financial reasons, I won’t be able to travel to any conventions. There might be a few local signings around the San Diego area, but there’s nothing definite yet.
Readers can visit my website (http://rshunter-author.com) for more information about me and my work. And of course, follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/rshunter88). I love talking about writing, speculative fiction, videogames, TV, and just about anything on there.
THE STORY:
Thanks so much for coming by today–steampunk is definitely an up and coming genre, and I’m sure this book will be fabulous! Lyndi
Meet Hydra author Kate Lynd!
As part of this week’s “Getting to Know You” blog hop for the Hydra Authors, we kick off with Kate Lynd. Welcome, Kate!
Growing up I loved all forms of escapism. Film, books, television. It was all the same to me. And I always, given my background, wanted to be rescued, but as I got older I found the victim role to be less appealing, and I wanted a bad ass heroine to be. And I found myself, whenever I wrote, casting the hero as my favorite actor (high school it was Scott Bakula, how I loved Quantum Leap), and me as the heroine. That still true today.
In my most recent release, GLADIATOR, I chose Daniel Craig. To be honest most times I choose Daniel Craig. He’s such a brute force and has this bad ass quality that won me over in Casino Royale and his tender side flashed a bit in that film too. Of course an easy pick would have been Russell Crowe. And at one point I might have picked him, but these days it’s all about Daniel.
GLADIATOR tells the tale of Tristan Shane, a man who in an effort to avoid fighting loses his family in a swift act of brutality and is enslaved and forced to fight to the death for the mob’s and the new regime’s pleasure. Until one night the queen comes to him and demands the unthinkable, murder her innocent sister for fear she is the Healer prophesized believed to be sent to usher in a new world of equality and healing.
Tristan was a great hero to write about. His heart twisted and jaded, the Healer changes everything for him, and for the first time since the loss of his family he begins to believe their might be hope for him. To say much more would be to give away what was so much fun to write about him. And seeing Daniel Craig as this character was easy for me. I was on so much caffeine while penning this sometimes I forget what writing some passages were like. But I remember thinking I hope people really like this story. But then, don’t all authors feel that way?
My heroes now are less soft and have more of a world weariness to them. And my heroines my have been through hell, but they don’t feel sorry for themselves and maybe have an edge all their own. I hope you pick up GLADIATOR. It’s my favorite book I’ve written to date. It’s out now. And the second book, ORACLE, is targeted for March of next year. But that’s another blog.
Leave a comment and I’ll be sure to answer you. I love hearing from my readers. Or even potential readers. Until then, happy scribbles.
For more information:
Writers, come learn a lot for only a little at Context 25!
Do you want to be one of the first people to score a print edition, hot off the press, of my new book LOVE ME, KISS ME, KILL ME? Hydra Publications will release them at Context 25! This is a wonderful science fiction and fantasy con in Columbus, Ohio September 28-30 where, in additional to panels on a variety of subjects, gaming sessions and filk concerts, attendees can (for a minimal fee) take writing workshops provided by a number of multi-published writers and professors from great writing schools like Seton Hill.
This year, I’ll be teaching a workshop on Saturday morning about writing diverse characters:
(Saturday, September 29th, 10am-noon)
The world is full of different ethnicities and cultural groups; unfortunately, most writers tend to only write about people like themselves. Others who want to include more diverse characters may be afraid of portraying people poorly.
The two-hour workshop costs only $20 and leaves you plenty of time the rest of the day for classes with Maria Snyder, Tim Esaias and Linnea Sinclair, as well as a multitude of panels.
The workshops are filling up, so get on over to the site and sign up!
For those who are reluctant to attend conferences because you feel overwhelmed, I thoroughly recommend this one. The people are nice, the workshops intimate, and there’s a very welcoming vibe. Definitely something for everyone here–you could attend the con to get your fill of gaming play and talk, or just take writing workshops the whole time, at an extremely reasonable cost. Tim Esaias of Seton Hill recently pointed out that his workshops are essential the same module he teaches at the University–but much less expensive. Don’t miss it!
Lyndi Alexander's worlds of fancy 