Plains of Ion: Neon Sands Trilogy - Good to go!

I set the preorder date for this book before completing it - a common tactic used by indie authors, particularly those with series, looking to create and continue the momentum that rapid releases can create.

I'm not sure this works for me though. The second half of Plains of Ion could have been a sprawling epic, and indeed was originally intended to be, but I stay true to my characters when writing and if I had kept my original ending, it would have ended up contrived.

Luckily this meant I didn't have to rush.

BUY IT HERE NOW

Flames of Apathy will not go on immediate pre-order, to give the freedom to explore the story and characters without the pressure of a deadline. I've created some good writing habits these past few months so while I may have needed the motivation of a deadline previously, this is not the case anymore.

I can't wait to get stuck in!

Reading

I'm giving myself a couple weeks off first. I have books to catch up on, including Kor and the Wingless Stranger by Sanna Hines and Rusticles by Rebecca Grandsen - two intriguing titles that I'm really looking forward to.

I did manage to squeeze in a little bit of reading - of course! - and finished Locked In by MJ Lau, a genre I had not ready before (YA - Gaming & Virtual Reality / Fantasy) and  you can see my 4-star review here. I also ready 1-3 of the Mortal Engines Series, with the fourth one sitting on my desk staring at me. These are incredibly well realised stories with great worlds - unfairly I probably compare them too much to the Dark Materials trilogy, and so only gave them each a 4-star rating. The fourth book looks meatier than the others, so we'll see what rating that gets. Weirdly, I'd probably give the overall series 5-stars.

Don't get me started on the Mortal Engines trailer. First, they wimped out on Het and her scar, and second, it looks like The Golden Compass all over again. It's also your usual Hollywood show-it-all trailer, sapping any sense of suspense or mystery that could have existed. The first teaser was fine - it made people question what was going on. (So see the film for answers). The latest trailer gives you those answers. (So no need to see the film.) Infuriating. 

Contest

Lastly, there's a little contest going on at the moment which may be of interest to you! Lots of Walking Dead goodies up for grabs!

Author Sylvester Barzy (who has an array of undead and zombie novels to his name) is celebrating his birthday by giving the above away (to US entries only). 

Go to the link below for your chance to win this awesome Walking Dead Gift Box with:

Walking Dead Dog Tag
Funko Walking Dead Pop Ezekiel
Foam Michonne Katana
10" McFarlane Toys Glenn Figure
Signed Copy Of Planet Dead

Share the love and tell all your Walker Friends!

Best of luck!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/51269e3a1/?