Nothing warms the heart more than when a fan (with skills in this case), takes your writing and tries to do something with it. In this case, one of my alpha readers, Joshua Bernhard, expressed his appreciation for the Magic Shop by doing a wonderful first illustration. I am totally honored. Thanks for letting me share this Joshua!
The Magic Shop - Illustration by Joshua Bernhard
Jazz bear plus birthday cake – you can only imagine what that means…
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I’m currently working my way through several books. Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, Vampirates Book 1, by Justin Somper, and Evil Star (Book 2 of the Gatekeepers series), by Anthony Horowitz. I must say, that after being exposed to Anythony Horowitz, I just gobble up everything he writes. There is such ambiance and pace to his writing, and I find it very engaging. It’s a little dark, but that makes it feel a little more real.
Anthony Horowitz
Check out the Gatekeepers series here. I’m really enjoying it. (I wish they were out on ebook though).
Happy reading!
Justin
]]>For those of you who are Lord of the Rings fans like me, you just can’t wait for the Hobbit to come out. I still can’t believe it’s still a year away. The first official trailer hit YouTube a week or so ago, and I just fell in love with the song that the dwarves sing. It brought back memories of reading the Hobbit for the first time. I just found the links to the artist’s word press site where he has a video of himself playing the song on the violin. Also, he posted the sheet music. Amazing! Links below.
Song:
Sheet Music:
http://thesurfingviolinist.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/hobbit.pdf
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Mayan Blood on Kindle
My short novella, “Mayan Blood,” is now available on Amazon.com for the Kindle.
The story follows a pair of very different tourists on holiday in the Yucatan. Things go terribly wrong when they discover a Mayan secret that is as old as the pyramids.
Check it out here!
Buy Now!
5 Stars I thoroughly enjoyed reading this short story, “Mayan Blood” by author Justin Swapp. I’ve long dreamt of visiting Mayan ruins and through Swapp’s writing, I experienced the humid jungle. My weary legs trudged up the stone Mayan ruined staircase alongside Ned and Fay. “Mayan Blood” defines what might happen when a tourist visiting a foreign country asks questions that best remain unasked. “Mayan Blood is well written and concise, with a satisfying ending. I look forward to seeing more from this author. Kevin McArthur Author- Devastation co-author – Jonathon’s Secret Love co-author – Benjamin Ridge 5 Stars It is a great short story. I also appreciate the historical references. The author is good with detail/description. I can see myself reading this story in a norton anthology. Great Job! 5 Stars Great quick read! Fun historical novel set in South America with a surprise ending! When a couple takes a tour looking for more than what they paid for, they get it…
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I have some very exciting news. A few weeks ago I blogged about the first illustration ever done on one of my stories. Well, I just got a note from Chase (the illustrator), giving me permission to display his illustration for my story, “Cigars for Sawyer!” This will be appearing in The Memory Eater anthology (release date TBD).
Here’s the initial image I received (the illustration included in the anthology will be HD/cleaner). What an amazing job Chase did! Just click on the thumbnail to enlarge.
If you want to check out more of Chase’s work, here is a link his illustrators page on deviant art.
]]>This is why we miss NBA basketball folks:
The Memory Eater anthology is coming along. It’s approximately 90% done, with the editor reporting that is he just missing a few illustrations. I got a first look at the illustration to my story, “Cigars for Sawyer,” and I have to say it’s quite amazing. If you have any interest in the memory eater as an anthology, you can wet your whistle in the short-term by visiting the link below. The editor has posted a page on his blog dedicated to how The Memory Eater came to be. Check it out:
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If you like to read, and you also like to support charities then you should check out the Spec The Halls anthology. It features a mix of prior contest winners,
donated prior publications, and new original fiction – It’s available
at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at the Alliteration Ink website. All the
proceeds – less what the digital shops charge the editor will go to Heifer
International.
More information (including a full author list) is at:
There is also a contest, with cash prizes.Submissions to the contest
will be considered for next year’s anthology. Guidelines for the contest
are there as well.
Jeanne Bannon recently did an interview with me about my writing. Here is a little bit about Jeanne:
I have worked in the publishing industry for almost 20 years. Currently, I work as a writer and freelance editor. My first novel, Invisible has just been released and is now available for purchase. I am currently working on Dark Angel, a supernatural thriller.
If you want to check out the interview, just hit the link below.
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