Hay Festival 2013: General impressions

Credit: Finn Beales

I was lucky enough to manage to get to the Hay Festival, Hay-on-Wye this year. I'd like to share with you some of my experiences over the next week or so.
Read on and then do enter my giveaway to win some of the books by authors who appeared during the event.

Day One

A good day. The sun stayed bright (so bright infact that I have a bit of a suntan) and the rain didn't arrive. The Hay Festival is very interesting. The site itself isn't as big as I thought it would be. There are loads of cafes on site and its quite bustling. Driving through town, it looked like a really fascinating place to be.

Day Two

 This place is beginning to feel like home. All in all a great day. Comedy and education all built into one. This really is a great place to be!

Day Three

Watched some children playing today. Its amazing what difference being readers, or having parents who read seems to make. I saw a little girl plonk down on a bench and break it. I was expecting tears but, instead, this 6 year-old turned the bench over and began fixing it. Before her parents looked up from their book she had fixed it. In the meantime other youngsters were making their own entertainment; not an electronic device in sight!

Day Four

Terrible weather. Still, I managed to keep busy going to talks. Its very useful that the walkways are almost completely undercover.

Day Five

I feels like I've been here forever now, and I wish it could stay this way. I'm just so relaxed, and I'm really enjoying listening to (and meeting) such a variety of people. Getting up slowly in the morning and reading throughout the day is good as well. 

Day Six

Lovely sunny day. The birds are singing and the day is bright. A really thought-provoking day, finished off with a dash of comedy. 

Day Seven

A really beautiful day, which I spent exploring the surrounding area. The sun shone through and I saw some really amazing things. I returned to Hay feeling more excited and at home than other. Queuing was no longer boring. I was happy simply just to sit back and watch the world go by. 

Have you been to Hay? How did you find it?

Book Tour: Angel Falls by Michael Paul Gonzalez (Review & Giveaway)

About the Book - About the Author - Prizes!!!

Welcome to Novel Publicity's first ever publishing house blog tour. Join us as three new titles from Perfect Edge--we're calling them the Perfect Edge Trifecta--tour the blogosphere in a way that just can't be ignored. And, hey, we've got prizes!  

About the book: It's been rough lately for the Lord of Darkness, with ex-girlfriend drama rearing its head at inconvenient moments, ancient gods returning to take over the universe, and Satan's own unstoppable laziness. But whatever. Satan is okay, and he thinks you're okay, too. This whole eternal damnation thing is all a bit of a misunderstanding. He runs Hell as a resort, kind of. A vacation spot. The point is, he's not a bad guy. He's trying to save Heaven and all of creation, and he only has a dimwitted giant, a surly waitress, and a monkey to help him. So, a thank you might be nice. Maybe buy him a cup of coffee next time you see him. And you will see him. It's the Apocalypse, and all that. Pick up your copy of this Fantasy/ Satire through Amazon US, Amazon UK, or Barnes & Noble.

My review:
A true fantasy novel, with theological impact, Angel Falls is a really original story. The characters are interesting, spoofs of those from myths and legends. The places are unique. The action is full of emotion, tense and dramatic, with hilarious inputs.

Overall: a good, fast-paced read.

Action Reader's Action: Try to let your good side show today.

If you could change the world, what would you do?

About the author: Michael Paul Gonzalez lives and writes in Los Angeles. He is the editor at ThunderDomeMag.com, an online lit zine and small press. He is at work on his next novel as you read this. Seriously. He probably just rattled off a really amazing chapter, and someday you’ll read it and think back to this moment, and exhale. Connect with Michael on his website, Facebook, GoodReads, or Twitter.  

About the prizes: Who doesn't love prizes? You could win either of two $25 Amazon gift cards, an autographed copy of Angel Falls, or an autographed copy of one of its tour mates, The Sound of Loneliness by Craig Wallwork or Stranger Will by Caleb J Ross. Here's what you need to do...

1. Enter the Rafflecopter contest
2. Leave a comment on my blog.

That's it! One random commenter during this tour will win a $25 gift card. Visit more blogs for more chances to win--the full list of participating bloggers can be found here. The other $25 gift card and the 3 autographed books will be given out via Rafflecopter. You can find the contest entry form linked below or on the official Perfect Edge Trifecta tour page via Novel Publicity. Good luck!  

Perfect Edge Books was founded in late 2011 to unite authors whose books weren't "obviously" commercial. Our books tend to sit in various genres all at once: literary fiction, satire, neo-noir, sci-fi, experimental prose. We believe that literary doesn't have to mean difficult, and that difficult doesn't just mean pointless. We prefer to cultivate a word-of-mouth approach to marketing, and keep production as simple as we can. Learn more at www.PerfectEdgeBooks.com.

Learn more about Angel Falls's tour mates HERE.

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Tour Stop: The Persnickety Princess by Falcon Storm (Review & giveaway)

About the book:
High up in the tallest tower of the purplest castle in the Kingdom by the Sea, Princess Lavender awaits rescue. Desperate as she may be, only the most dashing, well dressed, properly mannered prince will do. Oh, and he must stand exactly four and three-quarters inches taller than her. A princess has got to have standards, after all. When, finally, one such prince comes to her castle—not to rescue her, but her younger sister—Lavender refuses to be ignored. Instead of waiting for the next suitor to come along, she devises a plan to put herself in danger, thus forcing the upstart prince to forget her sister and rescue her instead. Well accustomed to getting her way, there is only one thing, unfortunately, that this princess can’t control—her luck. When her plans go awry, putting her in very real danger, will she allow the prince to rescue her as he sees fit? Will he even want to try? And will anyone be able to find a way to rescue Lavender from her persnickety ways once and for all? Find out in this comedic tale of princes, dragons, and dreams that just may come true. The Persnickety Princess is a lower grade chapter book intended for kids 6 to 9 years old (although kids of all ages are sure to enjoy it! Pick up your copy through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords or Kobo Books.  


My review:
An amusing tale. Suitable for children, as well as being a very light and quick adult read. Enter a magical, yet familiar world, which children are bound to relate to.
I found the characters well-rounded and charming. I particularly enjoyed the Persnickety Princess and the moral tale which she bestows. Her preconceptions are sure to make any adult who is familiar with youngsters chuckle to themselves.
A great story for adults to share with their young ones at bedtime.

Action Reader's Action: Consider you preconceptions and how you can challenge them. 

About the author:
I was born in the frozen wasteland of Alaska with the unfortunate stigma of being both a daydreamer and left-handed. Starting from an early age, I've filled my life with stories of every sort from my father's hunting trips to the Holy Trilogy (read: Star Wars). In the fourth grade, I became more interested in telling stories of my own than listening to those of others. Doctors—being doctors—attempted to medicate them out of me, but the best cure has always been a pen, a notebook, and my crazy, unrestrained imagination. I continue to whittle away at these stories in my endless search for the one that will finally bring me back to reality. All the while, I secretly hope such a story will never come along. I hear "reality" is far too boring. Connect with Falcon on his website, Facebook, GoodReads, or Twitter.  


About the prizes:
Who doesn't love prizes? You could win (1) a $25 Amazon gift card, (2) a $50 Amazon gift card, or (3) a Princess Prize Pack, which includes a plush purple dragon, necklace with lavender pendant, The Fairy Godmother's Guide to Being a Princess, tiara and wand party set, and a DVD of The Princess Bride. Here's what you need to do...

1. Enter the Rafflecopter contest
2. Leave a comment on my blog.

That's it! One random commenter during this tour will win the $50 gift card. Visit more blogs for more chances to win--the full list of participating bloggers can be found here. The other two prizes (including the awesome Princess Prize Pack) will be given out via Rafflecopter. You can find the contest entry form linked below or on the official Persnickety Princess tour page via Novel Publicity. Good luck!

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What was your favourite childhood book?

 

Hannah's Voice by Robb Grindstaff (excerpt and giveaway)

Excerpt:

The giant barn-shaped house out in the country had a couple rooms added on. They'd finished the basement and turned it into a large dormitory-style room for the boys. Daniel slept in there to keep an eye on the boys at night. The girls had three bedrooms set up by ages, each room able to accommodate two to four girls. The bunk beds were regularly taken apart and moved from one room to another as kids of different ages came and went.

For the past two years, I'd been situated in the middle room, always with another girl or two, but close enough to the others so I could hear them cry at night and go check on them.

Ma and Pa were like the grandparents from a TV show or something—gray hair, except for when Ma's was tinged with blue. They'd had a "shotgun wedding," as Ma called it, when they were sixteen. Shortly after the wedding, she lost the baby and never could get pregnant again. They started taking in the occasional stray, and finally got officially certified as a group foster home when Pa finished building the house and they could move out of the trailer.

They never had a harsh word for any of us kids, just, "Here are the rules, and you can stay as long as you abide by them. Break the rules, and you have to leave."

Getting kicked out of the Lyons' place meant going back to the state facility in Raleigh. No one got beat here, but a look of disappointment from Ma or Pa did more good than any whipping. We got home-cooked meals rather than institutional food, and we had a field and a forest to play in, a pond for fishing, and enough chores and homework to keep out of trouble.

Every Sunday, we piled into two vans and headed for Sunday School and church service. Every evening, Pa would read a passage from the Bible and tell us what it meant, and explain how we should apply it to our daily lives, and then we'd have prayer requests and prayer time.

I wrote down the same prayer request every night and handed it to Ma. "Dear Lord Jesus, please help me find my momma." And every night, Pa or Ma would pray and ask Jesus for every child's prayer request to be answered. Except if they asked for a new bicycle or video game or doll. Pa said we shouldn't pray for material or selfish things, but only for the Lord to provide what we need, and for us to learn how to be better Christians, like how to love someone who hates us, or forgive someone who'd done us wrong. And we could pray for other people, so some kids prayed for their mommas or daddies to find a job or quit meth or to get out of jail soon and become good Christians. We could write down prayers of thanks, too, like when kids would thank the Lord for the Lyons and for the food and for not having to sleep with their little brother who wet the bed.

Pa didn't mind praying for me to find my momma every night for ten years. He didn't think it was asking for a material or selfish thing. But after a while, I wasn't even sure I was praying to find Momma, or if not writing it down one night might look like I didn't love her anymore. The first night I didn't make that prayer request might be the first night the Lord Jesus would listen to me.

Blurb:

When six-year-old Hannah's brutal honesty is mistaken for lying, she stops speaking. Her family, her community, and eventually, the entire nation struggle to find meaning in her silence.

School officials suspect abuse. Church members are divided—either she has a message from God or is possessed by a demon. Social workers interrupt an exorcism to wrest Hannah away from her momma, who has a tenuous grip on sanity. Hidden in protective foster care for twelve years, she loses all contact with her mother and remains mute by choice.

When Hannah leaves foster care at age eighteen to search for Momma, a national debate rages over her silence. A religious movement awaits her prophecy and celebrates her return. An anarchist group, Voices for the Voiceless, cites Hannah as its inspiration. The nation comes unhinged and the conflict spills into the streets when presidential candidates chime in with their opinions on Hannah—patriotic visionary or dangerous radical. A remnant still believes she is evil and seeks to dispatch her from this world. 

Hannah stands at the intersection of anarchists and fundamentalists, between power politics and an FBI investigation. All she wants is to find her momma, a little peace and quiet, and maybe some pancakes. 

One word would put an end to the chaos if Hannah can only find her voice.

GIVEAWAY
If you would like to win one of 5 copies of Robb Grindstaff's Short stories then fill in the rafflecopter form below:  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Buy Links 

Amazon

Smashwords

 

 
About the author:
  
In addition to a career as a newspaper editor, publisher, and manager, I’ve written fiction most of my life. The newspaper biz has taken my family and me from Phoenix, Arizona, to small towns in North Carolina and Texas, and from seven years in Washington, D.C., to five years in Asia. Born and raised a small-town kid, I’m as comfortable in Tokyo or Tuna, Texas. I now reside in a small community in Wisconsin where I manage the business operations of a daily newspaper. The variety of places I’ve lived and visited serve as settings for the characters who invade my head.

I’ve had a dozen short stories published in several print anthologies and e-zines, and several articles on the craft of writing fiction. My first novel, Hannah’s Voice, debuted January 15, 2013, and two more novels are in the works for 2013-14.
I also edit fiction and non-fiction books for authors from around the world. It helps that I’m fluent in five languages: U.S. English, U.K. English, Canadian English, and Australian English, plus my native language, Texan.

AUTHOR CONTACT INFO:

Website: http://robbgrindstaff.com/writing

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/robbgrindstaffauthor

Twitter: @RobbWriter

On Evolved Publishing: http://www.evolvedpub.com/press/litfic/hannahs-voice/

Winner of Crashing Eden!

Check the rafflecopter form below to see if you're a winner!


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Congratulations!

To those of you who haven't won this time, please keep reading for another giveaway coming soon! 

25000+ Pageviews Giveaway

Wow, this blog has now been visited over 25,000 times (and that's not including my regular visits).

To celebrate I'm giving away my copy of one of the latest books Ive been asked to review (and its international).
As usual, simply fill in the rafflecopter form to have a chance of winning


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20+ Google+ Followers Giveaway

To celebrate having over 20 Google+ followers, I'm giving away a copy of The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa.

This is a physical copy which I won in someone else's giveaway but, unfortunatly, on arrival realised that I wasn't my sort of read. If it's yours though, I'd love for you to have it and, if possible, review it.



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Grand giveaway extension

Due to lack of entries I'm extending my 'Summer Special giveaway' until the end of September.

If you're into music and/or books then this is a great giveaway for you!

All you have to do is leave a comment, or respond to a post then leave a link in the rafflecopter widget to enter. You can do this once per day!

Plus, you can get an extra entry if you promote the giveaway using twitter. a Rafflecopter giveaway

'Music Through The Pages' giveaway

Apologies for the late posting of this, it was due to do up near the beginning of the month but (for some reason) blogger didn't post it.

Feel free to comment or post about any 'music through the pages' topic at any time and then enter your link below (in the relevant box) for an extra entry.


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Pre-event Giveaway (International)

I'm the first to admit that I'm not particularly artist, so I need yor help to create banners and buttons for my summer event.
As a thankyou all who provide a banner/button for use during 'Music Through The Pages' will be entered to win a copy of 'What A Performance' by Reginald Frary, as well as getting an extra entry into the main event giveaway.
One banner and one button will be chosen for use during the event, and I'll select one of these to receive the book prize.

To enter, simply design a banner or button, post it somewhere where I can see it, and then fill in the rafflecopter below:


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Music Through The Pages: Giveaways Sign-Up List

I'll be hosting a giveaway here next month as part of my 'Music Through The Pages' event.

But I'd also like to be able to link up to any relevant giveaways you're having as a thankyou for joining in.
If you'd like your giveaway to be featured then leave a link below to your blog/twitter/facebook etc. (I'm also happy to host your giveaway here if you don't have anywhere to host it yourself- just leave your e-mail address and I'll get back to you).

Any giveaways featured must meet the following criteria:

• Take place during August
• Do not require any purchases to be made
• Should be linked to books and music, e.g. a book featuring music, a music book, bookmarks with music on them, music inspired by a book, a book and music linked to it

Stay tuned for more information on my own giveaway towards the end of the week. 

50+ Twitter Followers Giveaway (International)

Wow, you guys are really booster my follower numbers recently!
Now, its the turn of Twitter to celebrate, as I've reached over 50 followers!

As a thankyou, I'm giving away one of 2 Sci-fi/fantasy books (winner can choose which one they want).
This is open internationally, and you do not have to follow to enter (although it would be much appreciated)


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10+ NetworkedBlog Followers Giveaway (international)

To celebrate getting 10 NetworkedBlog followers (just one of the many ways you can follow this blog) I'm giving away one of a choice of 3 books. This is open to all, with extra entries available for NetworkedBlog followers, and other bloggers.
To enter simple fill in the rafflecopter below:


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Armchair BEA Giveaway: International

To celebrate Armchair BEA, I'm giving away 1 of my favourite books of all time. Everyone is welcome to enter (its international), but Armchair BEA participants get extra entries.

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I've reached 20 twitter followers!

And, to celebrate, I'm adding an extra winner to my giveaway. You now have two chances to win!

15000 Pageviews Terry Pratchett giveaway

To celebrate this blog reaching over 15000 pageviews I've decided to offer a Terry Pratchett giveaway to all my readers. You don't need to be a follower to enter, but extra entries are available as usual.

Because you guys are so great, I've decide to make this one international!
Simply fill in the rafflecopter below to enter (you may have to visit the actual postby clicking on its title to enter)

BBRAW 2012: Inspire Me!

Hosted by Miss Remmers' Review

Today I have two spectacular choices for you! You could do a reader interview with a reader of your choice OR (if you're not the interview type) you could highlight a blog that you enjoy reading. What is it about this blog that you enjoy, what is it about the reviews, the blogger, the style, the look, etc? If you don't feel comfortable highlighting one blog, be general in regards to a few blogs you enjoy and what you enjoy about them.

I'd love to do a reader interview but, typical me, I didn't look at the schedule ahead of time and therefore don't have one ready. So, instead I'm going to ask you, my readers, to fill in a questionnaire/interview and then I'll post the responses over the next week or so as they come in. I think this will be a great way to get to know you better. And, as an added bonus, I'll throw in a surprise book (that I've read) for one random respondant.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

International Giveaway: Strata by Terry Pratchett

To celebrate having over 10,000 blog views I'm giving away a book by one of my favourite authors- Terry Pratchett. Strata is one of Pratchett's earliest works and is completly stand-alone since it is not part of the Discworld saga. To be in with a chance of winning a copy of Strata simply fill in the rafflecopter form below.

This is what goodreads has to say about the book:

The Company builds planets.
Kin Arad is a high-ranking official of the Company. After twenty-one decades of living, and with the help of memory surgery, she is at the top of her profession. Discovering two of her employees have placed a fossilized plesiosaur in the wrong stratum, not to mention the fact it is holding a placard which reads 'End Nuclear Testing Now', doesn't dismay the woman who built a mountain range in the shape of her initials during her own high-spirited youth.
But then come a discovery of something which did intrigue Kin Arad. A flat earth was something new...

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Ambasadora- Author interview and giveaway (international)

You may remember that a few months ago I was read and reviewed 'Ambasadora' by Heidi Ruby Miller.
Well, Heidi's been kind enough to answer a few questions for us.
I also have my copy of Ambasadora to give away to one lucky winner (fill in rafflecopter to enter).

1. What inspired you to write Ambasadora?

I have always been drawn to the mix of Science Fiction and Romance like I saw in Star Wars, Farscape, and BSG. I wanted to create my own world and characters, and what better time to do that than for my graduate thesis novel?

2. How do you usually go about creating a character for your stories?

I think and dream about my characters a lot, creating appearances, backgrounds, personalities, and quirks for them. They become actual people to me—that's why it's so hard to torture them.

3. Who is your favourite Ambasadora character, and why?

Right now, it's David because I just finished a novella in the Ambasadora-verse (Greenshift) where we get a glimpse into David and Mari's courtship and the danger that befalls them before Sara ever arrives on the Bard. But I think Sean will always hold the most special place in my heart—he's tortured and sacrifices so much. My kind of guy.

4. Describe your ideal virtual world.

There was a world in the V-side that never made it into the final version of Ambasadora. It was originally meant as the ending scene, but I changed my mind on that last rewrite. The setting was like Greek ruins, all alabaster pillars and an amphitheater surrounded by rolling meadows with fluorescent green grass and purple and blue wild flowers. The interesting part was how an av entered this world—dropping as a large flower from silvery clouds in the sky, then when the flower reached the ground, it burst apart leaving the av standing in its place. You'll probably see this world in a future book….

5. Do you have a favourite author?

I have lots of favorite authors, but I recently fell in love with Sara Creasy's Scarabaeus series. Edie and Finn were incredible characters that I cared so much about I had to read the second book right after finishing the first—that seldom ever happens to me. Creasy also made the science an integral part of the story in both Song of Scarabaesu and Children of Scarabaeus—something very important for good SF Romance. I hope she has another one planned in the series!

Click here for my short review 

Help Me Decide What to Read for Dewey's Readathon

Quick, quick! Time is running out before th Dewey Readathon and I still don't know what I want to read!
This will be my second time and I'm so looking forward to it, but I just can't choose whether I should read one of the 2 series I'm collecting (Discworld and Christian Jacq books) or whether I should carry on going through my TBR pile as usual. Part of me would like to make it special, but then part of me wants to get through the backlog of books that I haven't touched yet.

So, I wondered whether you- my readers- could  help (yes I realise its a lazy approach, but hopefully it will work). If you'd like to help me out then please fill in the poll below. To say thankyou if you leave your e-mail address then I'll enter you into a giveaway to win one of the winning books.
Poll will end 1pm tomorrow (Saturday) UK time, when the readathon starts.

Thanks in advance.