WIN THREE PAPERBACK BOOKS!

On Saturday, September 10th I will be Giving Away signed paperback copies of all the books in The Song of Forgetfulness trilogy!

Just click on the link below!

http://eepurl.com/cebU4L

What people are saying about the Dystopian/Sci-fi/Action Adventure novels.

Whisper Gatherers:

“If you like action, and science fiction then you’ll appreciate one of the first books EVER that gives you high powered adrenalin with chilling revelations of utter suspense!”

Echoes from the Lost Ones:

“I loved the unique language, and both the style and the voice of the book reminded me of Patrick Ness’ Walking Chaos Trilogy. I would definitely recommend it to people who enjoy his books! A brilliant and unique read for adults and young adults alike. Very impressed and will be reading the next instalment.”

A Silence Heard:

“A Silence Heard was action oriented and perilous! I was definitely on the edge of my seat as I read, waiting to find out what happened next!’

Just click on the link below to be in with a chance to win  books that are: “Addictive and engrossing-. It creates its own unique world where there’s danger, and fear, and regret, but where there is a barrel load of humour, too…”

Giveaway Link:  http://eepurl.com/cebU4L

Good Luck!!

The Competition ends at midnight 10th September – EST time zone.

For more information about The Song of Forgetfulness trilogy please visit the website:

http://www.thesongofforgetfulness.com

 

 

FREE Sci-fi and Fantasy ebooks!!!

On Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th June there will be 100 Sci-fi and Fantasy ebooks to download for FREE! Not only from Amazon but many other retailers too.

Grab your copies here: http://pattyjansen.com/promo/

Including book 1 in my Dystopian/Sci-fi Action Adventure novel

Whisper Gatherers

You can download your 100 FREE ebooks at the link below:

http://pattyjansen.com/promo/

Also on offer this weekend book 2 and 3 from The Song of Forgetfulness series only $0.99 and £0.99

    

You can purchase Echoes from the Lost Ones and A Silence Heard from the following retailers:

Echoes:

Amazon:      http://amzn.to/1Tg9DHH

iTunes:         http://apple.co/1UN1XhA

Nook:            http://bit.ly/23hJMFH

Kobo:            http://bit.ly/1RIshqw

Silence:

Amazon:      http://amzn.to/1sRA2kL

iTunes:         http://apple.co/1qxQq95

Nook:            http://bit.ly/1NdpD70

Kobo:            http://bit.ly/1qxQJ3K

So why not grab yourself some Bargain and FREE ebook this Weekend!!

http://pattyjansen.com/promo/

Does changing your book cover help sales?

I have heard many authors say that your book cover is what sells your book. True, to a certain extent. The cover has to reflect the content in some way and be the branding image for your books, especially if they are a series.

These were my book covers after I changed them when my publisher closed down. I was in  a rush to get them out so as to keep my reviews. The one that really stood out for me was A Silence Heard.

Now, I really don’t like most of the book covers I see. However, I do realise why in some genres, the images are the way they are, to attract a specific fan base. That would mean for example, that these days a YA Dystopian covers will almost always look something like this.

 Yeuk, as far as I’m concerned, but I am not the target reader.

Dystopian with a strong female protagonist, such as Divergent by Veronica Roth, and The hunger Games Suzanne Collins, also my genre for The song of Forgetfulness series, take a more abstract approach to their cover design. They sell a lot of books.

After delving into the some of these books, the content is pretty much the same, so yeah, the covers reflect that.

I have noticed recently in the Dystopian genre a huge trend  in favour of the fantasy style covers with images of pretty girls on them. They all look like romance books to me.Yet they are listed as Dystopian.

                                     

My problem is that my story is different, my narrative style is very different. If I were to choose a cover similar to the ones above, then the reader would be disappointed with the content, perhaps. At least, it would not be what they expected. That is if they bought the book solely on the merit of the cover.

With that in mind I decided to choose  covers that were very different in style from those in the same genre, yet reflected the content in some way. I want to attract readers who will like my quirky style of writing by using a cover design that would stand out from the others.

In the words of the late, great Umberto Eco. “Eco discussed his approach to writing in an interview at a Guardian Live event in London in 2015. “I don’t know what the reader expects,” he said.

“I think that Barbara Cartland writes what the readers expect. I think an author should write what the reader does not expect. The problem is not to ask what they need, but to change them … to produce the kind of reader you want for each story.”

I have been told by a few authors that I am wrong to do this and that I should get a cover like one of  these.

• 

 

Will I sell more books if I use a design like the ones above?

I’ll never know because I will never have a cover like that.

I want to stand out.

Have I ruined my chance at selling my books because I dare to be different?

I took a chance with the narrative style of my book and it worked, so why not the covers?

To my delight, I have gotten some excellent reviews often praising my slang-based language. Echoes from the Lost Ones was even used as the basis for a graduate thesis by Mattia D’agostina. You can read the blog post here: https://nicolajmcdonagh.wordpress.com/2016/02/05/translation-can-it-work-for-every-book/

So, I think I’ll see how these new covers work when I start to re-market my books.

What do you think?

Am I right?

You can purchase any of the books from The Song of Forgetfulness series on Amazon:

US: http://amzn.to/1TlwaBP

UK: http://amzn.to/1O01bZ1

For more information about The Song of Forgetfulness series, please go to the website: http://www.thesongofforgetfulness.com/

 

 

 

 

New Release – Changeling Fog – A Novelette from The Song of Forgetfulness series.

I have a new release. Changeling Fog – the novelette.

It was just a short story. A free download when someone bought Changeling Fog, book 1 in The Song of Forgetfulness Dystopian/Sci-fi/Fantasy adventure series.

It is an introduction to the post-apocalyptic world of Adara and her troubled life in Cityplace. We learn more about the plight of this future world, meet some the mysterious inhabitants and get a glimpse of the supernatural in the eerie, scary Carnieval show that reveals just how devious and cruel the Agros really are.

Then I began to tinker with it, you know introduce some new aspect of the heroine’s character via action scenes. Before I knew it, the short story became a novelette. That’s when I realised it could be used as part of my overall marketing strategy to gather a list of reader subscribers.

So, I am offering a pretty good deal.

If you buy Changeling Fog at only $0.99 and £0.99 you can get a copy of Whisper Gatherers absolutely FREE!!!

Is that a good marketing ploy?

I hope so. Anyway, it’s worth a try, I guess.

Here it is then – Changeling Fog.

The Carnieval horror show hits town.

Cannibal renegades – Carnies – have entered the quiet confines of Cityplace. With them comes a clinging fog that turns the gentle occupants into savage beasts.

In the future the world is ravaged by famine and disease, almost all animal life is extinct, people are starving and living in fear of the cruel Agros that rule NotSoGreatBritAlbion. Yet there is a haven amongst the desperate, scattered population – Cityplace – a closed community of peaceful folk, living a germ-free, worry-free existence.

Within this sanitised metropolis, lives a seventeen-year-old girl who is different – a girl with a special power. She is Adara – Catcher of birds.

Available to purchase from the following distributors:

Amazon:                     http://bookShow.me/B017Z4WOVG

Banes and Noble:     http://bit.ly/1Yi4Y8l

ITunes/apple:            http://apple.co/1PPmP3w

Kobo:                            http://bit.ly/1O58Qa6

Scribd:                          http://bit.ly/1QvXb5G

Want a FREE YA Dystopian Sci-Fi Action Adventure E-book?

I recently acquired the rights back for my Young Adult, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Action Adventure series – The Song of Forgetfulness.

Two of the books in the series, Echoes from the Lost Ones and A Silence Heard, had been published by an Indie publisher, but when they closed down in June of this year, I decided to self-publish them with new covers and re-edited. I also had a Prequel – Whisper Gatherers – that I’d wanted to publish for a while. So I was sad, yet happy when my publishers closed their books.

I am not great at self promotion, in fact I’m hopeless, so I enrolled on a book marketing course to learn how to sell myself and my books.  It’s going slowly so far, but I am attempting to put into practice what I have learned.

I am giving away the Prequel to hopefully attract readers to my book series. I am getting some really great 5* reviews too!

Whisper Gatherers is  FREE to download from Amazon from 20th-21st August. 

http://bookShow.me/B00YMSP1UA

“If you like action, and science fiction, then you’ll appreciate one of the first books EVER that gives you high powered adrenalin with chilling revelations of utter suspense! This book is amazing to read and you will not want to put it down!”

 

I hope you decide to download a copy, it would help me get my books a bit of exposure.

Thanks in advance!!”

Want to Come to a Fantasy Sci-Fi Dystopian Steampunk Bargain Books Party? Then Read On – Meet the author – Nicola McDonagh

Prior to the Facebook Extravaganza – Fantasy Sci-Fi Dystopian Steampunk Bargain Books Party I am spotlighting each author taking part. Today, the day of the event, I am spotlighting – Myself!

In June, my publishers closed down and I gained the publishing rights to my YA Dystopian/Sci-Fi series The Song of Forgetfulness. So I self-published the books with an addition of a Prequel, Whisper Gatherers.

So, this is me:

Nicola McDonagh is an author, creative writing tutor, and photographer. She lives in Suffolk, UK, with her musician husband and a plethora of rescued/feral cats. She came to writing prose late in life and is trying to make up any lost time by dabbling in more than one genre.

Nicola won the Suffolk Book League’s Short Story Competition 2011 with her story, ‘Glimmer’. The anthology of short stories – Glimmer and other stories was given a Certificate of Excellence by All Authors Publications and Promotions in June 2015.

Nicola was short-listed for the Escalator Genre Fiction Competition 2012 with an extract from Echoes from the Lost Ones; book 2 in her YA dystopian/sci-fi series, The Song of Forgetfulness.

You can contact Nicola and learn more about her work below:

 Email:                          nikki@nicolamcdonagh.com

 Author Website:      http://www.nicolamcdonagh.com/

Book series site:     http://www.thesongofforgetfulness.com/

 Facebook:                https://www.facebook.com/thesongofforgetfulness?ref=hl

Blog Page:               https://nicolajmcdonagh.wordpress.com/

Twitter:                      @McDonaghNikki https://twitter.com/McDonaghNikki

Re-Launch of The Song of Forgetfulness-Dystopian/Sci-fi Series  

“A story of trust and faith…it is an adventure that takes you to a time and place like no other.”

“A brilliant and unique read for adults and young adults alike…reminded me of Patrick Ness’ Walking Chaos Trilogy.”

                    

http://www.thesongofforgetfulness.com

 The struggle to survive just got harder.

In a land disfigured by famine and disease, fear spreads throughout the scattered population of NotSoGreatBritAlbian when the Agro Empire cuts food supplies and kidnaps special children – The Meeks. But there is hope. Adara, with her secret power.

 I’m Adara. I’ve got six fingers on each hand, and a secret I cannot share.

There is a rustling in the wind. Lights beyond the boundary fence.

A sign of Agro threat.

A murmur haunts Cityplace.

Something is coming.

 

“The moon shone bright. A shock-faced ball in the black sky that looked down on the three of us as if to shout, “Prevail. Stand steady.” The wind whipped around our feet and legs, and a swirl of ash and dry earth spiralled up before us. I coughed and spat out the filthy soil that bore the taste of Agro boot.”

Synopsis of The Song of Forgetfulness:

The Song of Forgetfulness is an unsettling and mysterious vision of the future where animals are almost extinct, humans are subjugated by the sinister and secretive Agros, and gifted children know as Meeks, are going missing.

After her brother is snatched and her Santy is injured during a ruthless raid on Cityplace, Adara embarks on a dangerous quest to find Deogol. But her journey through the ravaged terrain of NotSoGreatBritAlbion is fraught with danger when her search is jeopardised by lustful Woodsmales, savage Wolfies, and sinister monks in the Monastery in the Clouds.

Yet Adara finds friends and allies who help her to realise her true potential as a Bringer and deadly weapon. When she encounters powers greater than hers, Adara must use all her courage and skill to battle against evil forces to save herself and those she loves from being slaughtered by Agro spies.

As filthy battles ensue and loved ones perish, Adara must sing The Song of Forgetfulness one last time if she is to save not only the Meeks, but all the folk of NotSoGreatBritAlbion, from a life of slavery and despair.

There is hope. The Meeks have a hidden weapon that only Adara can unlock. Outside the Agro headquarters, folk are gathering. A legion of Woodsfolk, Clonies, S.A.N.T.S, Holy ones and Ladies, are on their way.

There’s just one problem Adara’s bro – Deogol.

You can purchase your copies of the books in The Song of Forgetfulness series on Amazon.

From 18th July to 25th July, all three books will be on sale for $ 0.99 and £ 0.99 What a Bargain!

Plus! there is a short story Changeling Fog Free to Download when you purchase a copy of Whisper Gatherers.

http://amzn.to/1GSFkQQ

I hope you found my books interesting.

Don’t forget – join the other authors and me Today – 18th July for – Fantasy Sci-Fi Dystopian Steampunk Bargain Books Party

https://www.facebook.com/events/577034945770324/

 

Author Spotlight – Fantasy Author Devorah Fox

Prior to the Facebook Extravaganza – Fantasy Sci-Fi Dystopian Steampunk Bargain Books Party

I am spotlighting the authors taking part. Today I would like you to have a look at the very talented and Acclaimed Fantasy author Devorah Fox. The Lost King the first instalment of the Bewildering Adventures of King Bewilliam epic fantasy series, is a brilliant book.

Devorah’s Biography

“What if?” Those two words all too easily send Devorah Fox spinning into flights of fancy. Best-selling author of The Lost King, The King’s Ransom, and The King’s Redress in The Bewildering Adventures of King Bewilliam literary fantasy series she also co-authored the contemporary thriller, Naked Came the Sharks with Jed Donellie and the Masters of Time: a SciFi/Fantasy Time Travel Anthology. Publisher and editor of the BUMPERTOBUMPER® books for commercial motor vehicle drivers she is developer of the Easy CDL test prep apps. Born in Brooklyn, New York, she now lives in The Barefoot Palace in Port Aransas on the Texas Gulf Coast where she herds rescued tabby cats and writes the “Dee-Scoveries” blog at http://devorahfox.com.

The KIng’s Redress is the Third in the Series the Bewildering Adventures of King Bewilliam epic fantasy series.

When everyone you trust turns against you, what do you do? Dragon slayer of renown, Robin, King Bewilliam, has bested both man and beast to battle his way back to the Chalklands and reunite with his sons, but discord threatens the kingdom’s hard-won peace and prosperity. War breaks out and Robin finds that there is no one he can trust, not even his closest knights. Fighting for his throne pits him against a shocking, unsuspected rival. With his own life and lives of all his imperiled subjects at stake, Robin faces off against his fiercest enemy in mortal combat.

Don’t forget there are two more excellent books in the Bewildering Adventures of King Bewilliam epic fantasy series.

You can watch a trailer for the King’s Redress here:

http://youtu.be/H5IW8oVJCnQ

You can Purchase the book here:

amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LDZ0XY4

smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/3235

More information about Devorah can be found on her blog and Facebook Page:

my blog: https://devorahfox.com

my FB page: https://facebook.com/DevorahFoxAuthor

 

I hope you enjoyed learning about Devorah’s books.

Don’t forget – join Jane and me on 18th July for Fantasy Sci-Fi Dystopian Steampunk Bargain Books Party

Just go to this link to download Free short Stories and watch book trailers: https://www.facebook.com/events/577034945770324/

Fantasy Sci-Fi Dystopian Steampunk Facebook Bargain Books Party!

On Saturday 18th July 5.00pm GMT and 12.00pm EDT – there is going to be an exclusive Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Dystopian/Steampunk Facebook Extravaganza!!  https://www.facebook.com/events/577034945770324/

I have asked some writers, of whom I consider to be the best Indie authors in these genres, to be part of a mass promotion of their work. Books will be drastically reduced for one day only.

So do not miss out on the chance of grabbing a bargain in your favourite genre, or best selling, award winning author. At such low prices you might even want to try out something new.

    

There will be a chance to chat with the authors, ask questions, find out about new releases and future projects, as well as entering Giveaways, signing up for newsletters and much more!

I am promoting a New Release – Whisper Gatherers, the prequel to the Action Adventure Dystopian Sci-fi series, The Song of Forgetfulness. Not only will all three E-books in the series be $0.99 – but also – I am Giving Away A Signed Paperback Copy Of Whisper Gatherers to one lucky winner. Plus – you can download a FREE Song of Forgetfulness short story – Changeling Fog.

So, if you love speculative fiction, then spread the word and join us on July 18th for a Fabulous Exclusive Celebration of all things Fantasy and Sci-Fi.

In the next few weeks I will be posting information about each author participating so that you can get to know them and their work.

Don’t forget to join the event and pick up some Bargain Books!

Here is the Link to the Facebook Event page:  https://www.facebook.com/events/577034945770324/

Book Launch of Sentinel by Frederick H Crook

I am very pleased to announce the launch of Sentinel by Frederick H Crook. Read all about this gritty sci-fi drama below:

 

It is 2110 and migration to the colony planet, Alethea, has depleted Earth of billions of people. As a result, migration has been declared illegal by all world governments. Human trafficking becomes highly profitable for organized crime and their influence reaches beyond the Earth’s atmosphere. Many starships returning from Alethea are diverted from the scrapping process and secretly refurbished, allowing the population to shrink further.

Frank Campanelli is a blind Chicago Police detective who depends on his fully functional bio-electronic implants to see and do his job. After assisting on a botched infiltration of a top human trafficking network, he and his partner, Marcus Williams, are transferred into the CPD’s Organized Crime Division to head the newly formed Sentinel group and bring down the Ignatola family business.

Excerpt:

Frank took manual control of the car and set its alert status to ‘Condition Two’. The car’s computer sent out its signal to traffic lights and other computerized vehicles, clearing the way for them. The blue lights flashed and the siren whooped and warbled to warn pedestrians and non-computerized vehicles of their presence.

Campanelli adjusted his lenses to zoom in just enough that he saw the leading edge of his vehicle’s hood and beyond. This gave him advanced warning of upcoming pavement hazards. He kept his thought commands on visual adjustments, putting them back to default when the car was in traffic and zooming forward again once the road was clear ahead. Frank’s full-service lenses had an advantage over the standard bio-electronic breed. His fully encompassed the surface of the eyes to give him the benefit of peripheral vision. When he magnified his view, it was not merely like looking through binoculars, it was akin to being physically thrust forward a few feet, albeit with some distortion at the edges of his field of view. With this advantage, Frank Campanelli had the reputation of being a rather insane driver, but from his point of view, he simply saw more detail than others and drove to match.

As it was Saturday morning, the traffic was light. As a result, Frank could get the car up to eighty miles an hour at times, broken up by sudden slowing and lane changing to avoid a vehicle or road hazard. This unsettled Marcus Williams to no end, forcing the veteran to increase his serotonin levels as he held on to the door handle and center console while plastering his feet into the floorboards.

The engine whined and whistled with acceleration, alternating with the crying of rubber whenever the brakes were hit hard or the steering yoke was twitched to go around something.

Marcus was just glad they were not in pursuit, otherwise Frank would be in a real hurry.

Campanelli slowed at the corner of State and Madison and hung a tight left. The powerful car accelerated like a shot, but the siren went quiet. Marcus dared to open his eyes and saw that the road ahead was deserted of pedestrians, cars and potholes.

The siren sounded again as they approached the intersection at Dearborn. Dodging around a CTA bus, Frank made the turn and accelerated again, though only briefly as they were close to their destination.

Suddenly, the siren quieted and the motor wound down to its near-silent normalcy. Marcus opened his eyes in time to see the blue lights cycle one last time before going out. The light at West Washington Street still turned green for them, indicating that Frank had set the car to ‘Condition Four’: ‘No lights, no sirens, just an officer in kind of a hurry’, as it had been explained to him once by someone he could not remember.

To purchase Sentinel go to this link:

Amazon Link

http://www.amazon.com/Campanelli-Sentinel-Frederick-H-Crook-ebook/dp/B00PMET6JA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416403905&sr=8-1&keywords=Campanelli%3A+Sentinel

 

 

And now a little bit about Frederick:

Frederick was born in Chicago in 1970 and now lives in Villa Park with his wife, Rae and their three miniature dachshunds. He began by writing fictional works all through high school, earned an Associate Degree of Applied Science in Electronics in 1994 and the Bachelor of Science in Technical Management from DeVry University in 2005.

In 2009, Frederick began writing his first novel, The Dregs of Exodus, which was self-published in late 2010. This was followed up with another novel, The Pirates of Exodus in 2012.

Throughout that year and early 2013, he continued writing and published four short stories in eBook form for Kindle and Nook. All of these stories share the same premise, but all are independent from one another, though the short eBook, Campanelli: The Ping Tom Affair and his third novel, issued by Solstice Publishing, Campanelli: Sentinel, share the same main characters.

He loves writing and enjoys meeting and talking to readers at book signing events.

For more information about Frederick please visit his website: 

http://frederickcrook.wix.com/crooksbooks

Read A Book Video Challenge

I was recently challenged to record a video, requesting people to read a book. Whilst I was practising the piano accordion, I began to sing a few lines about what books mean to me and why people should read them. After a few goes and some interesting input from a large red bookworm, I decided to record the following video and post it on Facebook.

 

You can view it here: https://www.facebook.com/nikki.mcdonagh.56?fref=ufi

 

So – READ A BOOK!!  Preferably mine: