#Kindle Book Review, #NaNoWriMo and more projects than I know what to do with!

So, I’ve been pretty quiet lately. Why, you ask? Well, I’ve been super busy. Here’s what has been happening with me lately:

  • My first novel, ‘The Phoenix Project’, got through to the final round of the Sci-Fi/Fantasy category of the Kindle Book Review! I am incredibly proud of this achievement, and even if I don’t win, it is such an honour to have come this far. I will find out the result on November 1st. Eeek!

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  • November 1st is going to be an important date for me, because not only will I find out the winner of the Kindle Book Review, but it is also the first day of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). I have never taken part in the proper NaNo before (although I did complete Camp NaNo – the mini version – this year.) So, for the month of November, I will be attempting to write a complete new project of 50,000+ words from scratch. Though I am mid-way through another book at the moment, I’ve decided to start a new story from my fantasy series – The Light and Shadow Chronicles.

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  • I have so many projects in the pipeline at the moment that it’s difficult to keep up with it all! I’ve created a spreadsheet of my books and the progress I’m making. My next book to be released will be The Shield of Soren (the adult version of ‘Soren’). Following that will be ‘Genesis of Light’.

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5* to Rise of the Elohim: The Spirit of Iris by Rocky Rochford

Rise of the Elohim - The Spirit of IrisRise of the Elohim – The Spirit of Iris by Rocky Rochford

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This fun, action-packed middle grade fantasy was a wonderful adventure. Crammed full of goblins, magic and sword fights, I was gripped from start to finish. The characters are wonderfully imagined (I particularly loved Izal and Zach) and the plot is simple enough to be followed by children, but involved enough to entertain adults as well. Another great piece of work by Rocky Rochford!

View all my reviews

Exciting times for D.M. Cain!

Well, summer 2016 has been a busy one. As a primary school teacher I have six weeks summer vacation in which to catch up with all the writing and editing I can’t do in the school term.

So, what have I been up to in these six weeks?

Aside from looking after my hyperactive, cheeky little 5 year old son, I’ve been away on two holidays – Snowdonia in Wales, and a cruise to the Norwegian fjords. Both had beautiful, mountain scenery – just what I need to get my writer’s inspiration flowing.

These two breaks, as well as a significant amount of time at home have allowed me to achieve the following:

Camp NaNoWriMo

My editor (and awesome friend) Pam Elise Harris asked me this July to take part in Camp NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)  I was terrified of the concept of only having one month to complete a writing project, but I decided to go for it. As it was my first challenge, I set myself a manageable target of 20,000 words and started a brand new novella entitled ‘Origin of Shadow’.

I am delighted to announce that I managed to completed my target! I now have a shiny Camp NaNo winner’s certificate to be proud of!

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This story was written to complement Genesis of Light – a similar sized novella. Each of these novellas tells the story of the origin of one of the armies in my Light and Shadow Chronicles series. Origin of Shadow lets readers in on the secrets of how the Brotherhood of Shadow were formed.The two novellas will need to go through editing but I hoping to release them sometime next year (My cover designer, Irina French, is due to start work on the covers shortly!)


Author talk at Newbold Verdon library

On Wednesday 10th August I gave my first ever author talk at my local library. I did this 2.5 hour presentation/interactive Q&A with a fellow author named Stewart Bint (we live 500 yards from each other!). It was so much fun and the engagement from our audience was wonderful! I am pleased to say I even managed to sell a few copies! I can’t wait to do more events like this in the future.


#Writestorm marathon day

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July 31st was our first #writestorm marathon. Facebook group ‘The #Awethors’ (of which I am co-creator) joined in with a 24 hour writing marathon. People were not required to write all day (that would have been crazy!) but they were asked to select certain hour long periods entirely dedicated to adding words to their current Work-In-Progress. The #writestorm methodology is a concept developed by talented author Andy Mengel, which involves short, intense periods of writing which are timed and structured. This method allows authors the chance to blast out a high word count without distractions, and helps to feed motivation in the next writing session.

The event was a huge success! Between us we managed to write 41,000 words! No small feat of accomplishment for 24 hours. We’ll be sure to run more events like this in the future.

For more about the #writestorm process – check out the official handbook:

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GRAB YOUR COPY HERE!

 

 

 

 

 

 


I’ve finally finished the first rounds of edits for The Shield of Soren!

The next novel in my Light and Shadow Chronicles series is ‘The Shield of Soren’. The books in this epic fantasy series are not chronological so this new installment could be read before or after the first release ‘A Chronicle of Chaos’ (available to buy here – just saying…) There are some characters who will appear in The Shield of Soren whom you might know from A Chronicle of Chaos: Raven, Deacon, Callista, Vincent, the mysterious tattooed man in black…

Now I’ve finished first round of edits, the book will be heading back to my editor for round 2 and I am hoping to be finished editing by the end of 2016, with a view to release in 2017.


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What writing advancements has this summer brought for you?

Wizarding Protection Program: J.B. Taylor

This week the incredible J.B. Taylor (author of a whole range of exceptional stories and novels) has released two fantasy stories entitled ‘Wizarding Protection Program’.

Take a look and grab a copy!

Wizarding Protection Program 1

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Wizarding Protection Program 1 – Christine is an actress, a breakout star in truth. She never believed in wizards. She never knew of the darkest wizard ever to have existed … Mortem. But Mortem knows of her. Christine is the sole survivor of his assassination of two wizarding journalists that resulted in a destroyed café and many dead civilians. Fearful her rising celebrity will bring his great plan to take over the wizarding world into the consciousness of the public he seeks her out, and Christine is forced on the run.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HYDFE60/

https://www.scribd.com/book/319509695/Wizarding-Protection-Program-1-Wizarding-Protection-Program-Series

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/wizarding-protection-program-1

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1138626342

http://www.inktera.com/store/title/f104070d-8e75-40d5-b0e6-ac8b1d8067f9

 

Wizarding Protection Program 2

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Wizarding Protection Program 2 – A disciple of Mortem is on the hunt, killing those who’ve offended him deeply. Christine has survived one dark wizard and is forced to flee yet another. Help proves to come from the strangest of places. And maybe, just maybe, Christine will prove magical after all.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wizarding-protection-program-2-jb-taylor/1124215726?ean=2940153347035

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1138626228https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/wizarding-protection-program-2

https://www.scribd.com/book/319509691/Wizarding-Protection-Program-2-Wizarding-Protection-Program-Series

http://www.inktera.com/store/title/3662b8e0-305b-4aff-a6e2-11ddf2b0c7ac

A Chronicle of Chaos for 0.99!

A Chronicle of Chaos is available to buy for just $0.99 / £0.99 from July 21st – July 27th. After that, the price returns to $4.99 – so why not grab a copy of this epic fantasy now!

BUY IT HERE!

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BLURB:

“The new book in DM Cain’s epic Light and Shadow fantasy series certainly plunges us in at the deep end. The heart of this book—its true essence—is prejudice and love, persistence, and stubbornness.” Stewart Bint, author of In Shadows Waiting and Timeshaft.

A brutal war has raged for centuries. The Brotherhood of Shadow and The Children of Light each yearn to rule the planet and will stop at nothing to defeat the other. Now, from the deepest bowels of Hell, the Brotherhood has summoned demons to fight for them. The demons could end the war once and for all, if only the Brotherhood can keep them under control.

Prophecy, destiny, honour, and glory: Chaos, a soldier in The Children of Light, fights in the name of all these things and could achieve them if he wasn’t so arrogant. He believes he is the best warrior in the land, until a fateful coincidence puts him at the mercy of the demon, Anathema.

The two warriors, demon and human, strike up an intense rivalry, but their obsession to destroy one another only leads them closer together. When the forces of Heaven and Hell collide, where will their loyalties lie?

Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DMCainauthor

https://www.facebook.com/dmcain84/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DMCain84

Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/XevZH

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/dmcain84/

Google+: https://plus.google.com/+DMCain/posts

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7888430.D_M_Cain

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzt_E8st1pyfkoTiA4E5jNg

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/D.M.-Cain/e/B00LTTX3PA/

The Phoenix Project for just 0.99!

The Phoenix Project is available to buy for just $0.99 / £0.99 from July 11th – July 17th. After that, the price returns to $4.99 – so why not grab a copy of this psychological dystopian thriller now!

BUY IT HERE!

The Phoenix Project Cover

BLURB:

How can you fight to the death, when you’ve given up on life?

A thought provoking and compelling dystopian world that will change the way you view justice.

Britain has descended into chaos, as violence and terrorist attacks seethe across the once-peaceful country. Outraged by the steady stream of lawlessness, citizens demand a harsher penal system, and the Phoenix Project is born.

In prisons across the country, inmates fight to the death in a weekly bloodbath while the nation cheers them on.

Raven Kennedy, a prisoner who has never forgiven himself for his unspeakable crime, struggles against his own guilt and self-loathing. But even as the real war rages on within himself, Raven is forced to battle some of the prison’s most ruthless killing machines.

Fighting for his life and a chance for redemption, can Raven survive long enough to unravel the anger and regret that shackle him – and find the forgiveness he seeks?

“A superbly written debut, soaked in tension and intrigue.” Jack Croxall, author of the ‘Tethers’ trilogy.

Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DMCainauthor

https://www.facebook.com/dmcain84/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DMCain84

Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/XevZH

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/dmcain84/

Google+: https://plus.google.com/+DMCain/posts

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7888430.D_M_Cain

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzt_E8st1pyfkoTiA4E5jNg

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/D.M.-Cain/e/B00LTTX3PA/

In desperate need of Thunderclap help!

With just 2 days left until my Thunderclap campaign ends, I am still in need of 22 supporters! From July 11th – 17th The Phoenix Project will be on sale for just $0.99 / £0.99 and in order to get this news to as many people as possible, I need Thunderclap’s help.

This means I need as much support as possible. I will gladly return support for anybody else’s campaigns, or if you need shares or tweets etc.

Here is my campaign:

https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/43726-the-phoenix-project-for-0-99

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#IndiePrideDay book FREE!

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July 1st 2016 marked #IndiePrideDay, a day when the Indie Authors of the world united to offer a real alternative for readers and lovers of books by offering special discounts on their books. There is a huge Indie Author community out there and they’re determined to take indie books mainstream. What does this mean for you? Well author, Sharon Lipman is offering her paranormal romance novel, Bound to Blackwood for free this weekend! Yes, that’s right, a great book, totally free. A proud indie author herself, she’ll be supporting the movement on July 1st, and you can too. Download your copy of Bound to Blackwood now and follow the #IndiePrideDay trend on twitter for some more amazing indie books and discover some new-to-you authors. You won’t regret it!

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Bound to Blackwood

Would you surrender your soul for the love of the King?

Lena, a vampire and a Guardian of the Order, has been honour-bound to protect human souls all her life. Acting first and thinking second is what’s saved her skin time and again in the war against the Fallen, but her disregard for orders soon catches up with her when her boss is seriously injured. Forced to take responsibility for her actions, Lena is thrust into the path of her very own kryptonite; Thorn. The raw power of his soul calls to her and his mere presence lights a fire within her that she cannot contain.

With Vampire magic waning and the race in crisis, can either of them afford to ignore Nature’s call? If they do, the future of the race is in jeopardy. If they don’t, they will both lose the most precious part of themselves. Their souls.

BUY LINK

http://mybook.to/b2b

The author

A huge fan of the paranormal romance genre, Sharon Lipman started writing in her teens. It wasn’t until she was in her thirties that she found a story she was desperate to share. House Blackwood was born and Bound to Blackwood is her debut novel.
She was born in west London and grew up in leafy Surrey in south-east England. A lover of all things British, except the weather, she now lives in Almeria, southern Spain with her husband and an ever growing collection of dogs.

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Facebook: Http://www.facebook.com/sharonlipmanauthor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/authorslipman

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/SharonLipmanAuthor

Website: http://www.sharonlipman.com

Join the mailing list: http://zc.vg/AcrYMxVgx7

Excerpt 

Thorn stepped out from the shadow of the Huguenot Protestant Church in Soho Square. The stench of Fallen hung heavy in the air, making the bile rise in his throat. But what made him nauseous was the delicate scent of Lena’s blood that rode the air with that of the Fallen.

Flashing across the small park, he found her.

His first thought was to go to her, but as he rushed towards her, he realised she wasn’t alone. Lena cradled the human to her as the air around them hummed and crackled. Thorn’s jaw went slack as the realisation of what he was seeing hit him.

The faint green glow of the human’s soul shifted and shimmered as Lena’s power forced it back, moulding it, shaping it. Binding it. The pale green shone more brightly as Lena worked, the air becoming more dense as the spring greens turned into a deep emerald.

Lena’s raven hair whipped across her face and her eyes glowed a vibrant sea-green as she forced the woman’s soul back to her body. A great roar echoed around the park, and for a moment, the air stood still before a blinding light made Thorn shield his eyes. And then it was gone.

Thorn heard the woman’s heartbeat kick-start as her soul found home again.

Lena released her vice-like grip on the woman and fell backwards. Thorn caught her before her head could hit the ground. She was ghostly pale as Thorn cradled her against his chest, her breathing shallow. The exertion of holding the human soul showed in the sheen of sweat across her brow, and Thorn winced at the bruising on her cheek bone.

“For the love of all that is holy, Lena! What the hell were you thinking?”

Lena’s black eyes fluttered open and stared up at him in disgust. Even injured, with her powers severely depleted, Lena’s contempt for him was tangible. “No one should hold dominion over another’s soul,” she spat back at him.

Thorn closed his eyes. So she knew. In that moment, he realised he’d convinced himself that she hadn’t really seen through him that night in her bedroom. That she’d just rejected him because she didn’t want him, even told himself that it would all be fine. The look on Lena’s face told him otherwise.

As if on cue, the delicious scent of her blood became overwhelming. Thorn gritted his teeth as exotic spices assaulted him. It was almost overpowering.

“You need to get away from me.”

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