Posted in amazon, book review, book series, books, Kindle, Kindle Vella

How To Get Started On Kindle Vella

I’ve been curious about Kindle Vella for awhile, but I was so engrossed with my Kindle Unlimited books, I didn’t take the time to check it out. Then something happened to help me out a little with that.

Recently, I was contacted by an author to review his book. Since I was in between books at the time, I told him I could get started right away. Then he responded that his book wouldn’t be out until March, but he did have episodes posted on Kindle Vella.

Well, I certainly couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try out Vella and get a start on another awesome story. Isn’t it great when stuff lines up like that! Anyways, the following is a how to on Kindle Vella and my thoughts on A.R. Witham’s The Legend of Black Jack.

What Is Kindle Vella?

Kindle Vella is a place to read (and publish) serialized fiction. Any device that can download the kindle app can easily access Vella. It’s really geared toward readers who want a quick read on their phones.

A story is broken down into episodes (instead of chapters). These episodes can vary from author to author. I’ve seen some really long and some really short. One thing I like is that authors have an opportunity at the end of each episode to address the audience directly in A Note From Author. Sometimes there’s little stories extras in the note, or information to contact the author directly if desired.

Another cool feature is if you liked the episode, then you can do a thumbs up at the end of it.

How Does Vella Work?

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Posted in book addict, book review, book series, book spotlight, ebook, reading

Book Series Review: Cradle By Will Wight

This next series I am reviewing is by far one of my absolute favorites. And I mean top five of all time favorites, favorites. Yeah, it’s that freaking good. This was another series that was recommended to me. It is similar to LitRPG, but without all the status updates and player progression information. From what I understand, this series called Cradle is a cultivation (I think that’s the word?) or progression book.

Anyways, the series follows the adventures of Lindon who grows up thinking he is unworthy to be a sacred artist, but that’s all he wants to become. His clan, and even his family doesn’t think he has the power to do it (and won’t help him either). He was born unsouled, and can never truly harness the powers of even a low level sacred artist. Lindon doesn’t accept this fate.

After a truly bizarre experience where he nearly dies, Lindon is given the opportunity to change his fate and become a powerful sacred artist. So he makes the decision to leave everything he has ever known behind to do just that. He also knows there’s a looming threat to his clan and family sometime in the far future, and he’s determined to become the best sacred artist he can, so he can stop it.

On his journey, he meets Yerin and Eithan, who are also dedicated to advancing through the stages of sacred artist as fast as possible. And so the three of them race against an unknown clock as they advance, and face surmounting enemies and devastating monsters.

This series has a very martial arts feel to it that reminds me of a kung fu movie, but it certainly has it’s own and unique world. Will Wight really makes the characters and story come to life with his lovely descriptions and well thought out storyline. He had me hooked from the very beginning of book one.

Right now, there are ten books in the series. The titles are…

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Posted in book addict, book review, book series, reading, series review

Series Review: The Land By Aleron Kong

I honestly never heard of LitRPG books until a friend of my started talking about writing one. I was full of questions. He ended up suggesting a few series to read in LitRPG. I was hesitant at first, because I do love playing RPG video games, but never considered reading a story that was like a video game. So decided to take the plunge. Wow, what a ride!

I started my adventure with Aleron Kong and his LitRPG series called The Land.

I won’t lie, the first book took me several weeks to finish. It took me awhile to adjust to how LitRPG books work.

One of the major differences of a LitRPG compared to a regular novel is there are regular status updates on the character and “game play”. In this particular series, it happened with tabled charts showing the progression of the characters points, level attributes, upgrades, ect.

At first this was very jarring to me, because I felt liked it halted the story big time. On the other hand, I did like knowing all the progression and upgrades as the story progressed. I think for me, it was just getting used to this kind of new reading style. Once I did, I literally could not put these freaking books down. I felt like I was right there with Richter as he stepped into The Land and began a wild journey of adventure and exploration.

aThe story starts out with a group of real life gamers playing a video game. One of the players ends up finding a hard to reach place in the game that he’s been searching for a long time. He’s expecting epic loot, but ends up finding himself catapulted into a new reality.

Once inside The Land, Richter quickly makes new friends and enemies as well as discovers an old place of power, which he claims and plans to erect a village. He quickly becomes a powerhouse as he racks up points and power, determined to find as much loot as possible and rise to the top.

Right now this book has eight books with a ninth on the way soon. The titles are…

Founding, Forging, Alliances, Catacombs, Swarm, Raiders, Predators, Monsters.

This book is set in a fantasy type setting with swords, dwarfs, elves, magic, monsters, and many more fun and imaginative things. There’s a lot of exploration and learning about this new world. There’s also lots of fighting action with sprites, goblins, demons, banished gods, and hordes of monstrous creatures.

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Posted in book addict, book review, book series, hooked on books, series review

Book Series Review: Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children By Ranson Riggs

I started reading this series after I watched the movie in theaters back in 2016. The movie peaked my interest enough to start reading the books, and I’m so glad, because I really enjoyed the first three books (Home For Peculiar Children, Hollow City, and Library of Souls). Though, I thought that was the end of the series, because the way book three ended, it seemed like a good place to stop things.

A few years later, I was browsing in a library, and was tickled pink when I stumbled across book 4: A Map Of Days. I grabbed it off the shelf and eagerly went home to to read it. And the way book 4 ended, I knew 5 was in the works, because it left the story on a pretty huge cliffhanger. So I waited patiently for Conference of the Birds, which of course was as fantastic as the other books. And then yesterday, I finally finished the series reading book 6: The Desolations of Devil’s Acre.

I have to say there isn’t any feeling quite like the one being hooked on a good series. The anticipation of what will happen next, and the excitement of knowing some of your favorite characters are coming back to dish up a great read. So when I finished Devil’s Acre, I was a little sad that the series was done. But also completely satisfied, because Riggs delivered a very good wrap up for his six book series (man, I love it when that happens!).

Ransom Riggs dished up a fun, exciting, and darkly twisted story that delighted and left me in shocked horror more than once. The best part was the absolute weirdness of his world. Some of the stuff he came up with was absolutely impossible, but he made it believable for his story, and that, I think, was his crowning achievement. He took weird (peculiar) and made it cool, fun, and causing me wish I was a little peculiar too.

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Posted in blog tour, book series, ebook, Indie Author

Blog Post Tour: London Calling By A.C. Merkel

2nd book in Lady Dreamscapes series
Genres: Fantasy, LGBT, Romance, Science-Fiction
Publication date: 26th October 2020

Visions, it seems like everyone is having them.

Anne, Murder, and Levi all share a vision across the Atlantic Ocean and 485 years.

Time and space are crying out, London is Calling.

The future is in peril, Alice Noble…

An impossible structure…

New York is burning…

In the past?

Anne is facing her own execution and the peril of yet another stillborn child.

Only the Boleyn Triumvirate hold the power that could save her and the unborn Alice, But will Mary and George cooperate? Can Mary be trusted?

In the present?

Time traveler “Eustace Black” May very well be the mouthpiece of the Holy Roman Empire.

Tress is charged with figuring out his plan so The Nobles can go to London to meet the tragic and mysterious “watchmaker”. The only magic user who can help them get to the truth.

Murder must face her past once more, up close and in person, as she races the clock to find out what really happened to her mother.

London Calling yes I was there too, and you know what they said? Well, some of it was true.

Series Overview:

We have existed in the shadows of your world for all of history.

The blessed, the cursed, the mages and the witches.

Sometimes you choose to ignore us.

Sometimes we cover it up.

We keep our heads down, lest you lot make them roll.

Additional information/Trigger warning: religious history, domestic violence, miscarriage/stillbirth, mention of historical slavery, suicide and assisted suicide.

Purchase Link

Amazon UShttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086343C8T/

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/London-Calling-Lady-Dreamscapes-Merkel/dp/B08L33WJZ5/

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53771862-london-calling

Author Bio

Author A.C. Merkel is a Mechanic in Birmingham Alabama.

Formerly lead Singer in local and regional bands.

Known to friends as Drew.

Drew uses his former experience as stage crew for concerts to bring a very real edge to the magical musical lead character in the Lady Dreamscapes Series. Fan of authors such as Anne Rice, Ray Bradbury, CS Lewis. And influenced by television creatives Joss Whedon (Buffy The Vampire Slayer/Firefly) and Joseph Mallozzi (Stargate SG-1/Atlantis- Dark Matter) he brings charming/sarcastic wit and found family to his magical musical books. Drew is a founding member of Queer Indie. https://queerindie.com

Media Links

Webiste – https://acmerkel.com/

Queer Indie – https://queerindie.com/

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19916587.A_C_Merkel

Twitter – https://twitter.com/Blink_Drive

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMerkel/

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/acmerkel/