It is said that the second most important thing to sell a book is the cover. What they don't tell you is the author name is the first thing. So if you are like me and a complete unknown then the cover is your greatest seller of your book. I know we aren't supposed to judge a book by its cover but that is exactly what we do. I have previously spoken of genre specific things that can tell you what to expect from a book and what not to have on the cover if it isn't in there. Thi

Ah, the days when teachers actually had some power in the classroom. By day I'm a school teacher and the opening scene of this book is something of the past I'm afraid. But it was very nostalgic to read. Nostalgia is definitely the theme of this book. We are introduced to Zoe and Jamie who get sent back into the past as Dancing girls in 1861 San Francisco as well as other places. A real eye opener for our rather frivolous girls. At least they keep their wits about them when t

I keep seeing people online talking about registering their copyrights which has me scratching my head. You see you automatically have copyright the moment you write it down. Well, that is true in my own country of New Zealand. That isn't true of every country. For instance China doesn't recognise copyrights made outside of China. You have to register it in their country and be a citizen etc before it counts in their country. That is how you can get a lot of knock offs becaus

It seems every one has an opinion on the Last Jedi. I rather liked it but then I also like most of the Star wars. Mostly because I turn off the critic when I watch these films. They are made for the masses and that means they appeal to the lowest common denominator. But here are some things I liked and didn't like about the movie. Warning spoiler alert. What I liked I liked that they failed. I always thought it strange that the other side had all these soldiers and resources

Please, please read the blurb for this book. The cover makes much more sense when you do and you will enjoy the story a heck of a lot more if you read the blurb. I've seen genre mismatch disasters before and if you read the blurb you won't have that problem. We start off with Slade. He has been adopted by an 'Orgress' and when she dies it sets him on a path to get justice from the people who senselessly took her life. The journey will certainly take Slade away from his relati

Sarah Sanchez was born in Dallas, TX. She graduated from the University of North Texas with a BA of Arts in Spanish. She loves to write fantasy. She is married and has three wonderful children. She loves hiking and spending time outdoors when she is not writing. Tell us about your latest novel I just released 2 back to back. The Portal Keeper, a Middle Grade Fantasy Novel about a boy named Ajax. He is assigned the sacred duty of guarding a secret portal. When the prince co

Don’t believe all the hype: Sarah Ashwood isn’t really a gladiator, a Highlander, an expert fencer, an archer, a magic wielder, or a martial arts expert. That’s only in her mind. In real life, she’s a genuine Okie from Muskogee who holds a B.A. in English from American Military University, and is the author of the Sunset Lands Beyond fantasy trilogy, Amana, and A Minstrel’s Musings. She lives (mostly) quietly at home with her husband and three sons, where she tries to sneak i

This book promised to be the perfect fit for me. Steampunk, check. Strong female character, check. Bi racial couple, check. Bechdel test, pass. Lovely cover, check. Okay, the last isn't really needed for a good read but it certainly helps with my expectations. And the story did deliver. We have our very competent Dr who got ghosted by her love when he came down with a mysterious illness. It is all the fault of a blue frog from deep in the Amazon jungle. I would have liked a f

I love getting reviews. I hoard them close and stroke them and whisper, "My precious." But the other day I got one that made me bang my head against a wall. They gave my Blazing Blunderbuss 2 stars because it had too much steampunk and fantasy. Blazing Blunderbuss IS a STEAMPUNK and FANTASY. The whole point is to have steampunk and fantasy. This is what we call a genre mismatch and this is the topic of this post. How to avoid it both as a reader and as an author. As a reader

I had a terrible year at reading. I only read 150 books last year. I know that is more than all the students in all of my classes have ever read but for me that is a bad year. I usually do double that. I've been writing more and focusing on my publishing rather than reading. Also I've had trouble finding good books. That has lead me to share the best books I've read this year so others can at least have some good books to read. In no particular order. Love Undefined A collect