A.R. Arias's Blog
February 2, 2020
Epic Apocalypse-Book Two
Hello, fans of apocalyptic fiction!
For those who are following the Edge of Time book series, Book Two Epic Apocalypse is now available on Amazon.
Read a preview here:
https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin...
Book One is available for free download until February 5, for those who missed the initial promotion last month.
Edge Of The Apocalypse
This way you can catch up with the first part of the story leading into Book 2.
Book Three will be available in March.
Thank you to those who reviewed the first book here and on Amazon. Edge of The Apocalypse.
I assure you, Book 2 is just as fascinating so don't miss it!
For those who are following the Edge of Time book series, Book Two Epic Apocalypse is now available on Amazon.
Read a preview here:
https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin...
Book One is available for free download until February 5, for those who missed the initial promotion last month.
Edge Of The Apocalypse
This way you can catch up with the first part of the story leading into Book 2.
Book Three will be available in March.
Thank you to those who reviewed the first book here and on Amazon. Edge of The Apocalypse.
I assure you, Book 2 is just as fascinating so don't miss it!
December 17, 2019
Edge of The Apocalypse - Free 2nd Edition
Hey folks, just a quick mention that the first e-book in the Edge of Time Trilogy series is currently available for free this week!
Fans of apocalyptic fiction know a good story when they see one and so I'm hoping you'll give this short story a read. You just might get hooked and enjoy the whole series when the other two books are available in January.
I've been hooked myself writing for these characters and the extraordinary events they're facing when terrorists from the Worldwide Alliance Resistance attack Austin, the first city pounced by nuclear warheads.
For two best girlfriends, Andrea (a cyborg) and Maria, that means they go into survival mode and run for their lives on an unforgettable journey to New York City in the midst of nuclear war.
The cast of strange characters, the obstacles, and conflict they face along the way will certainly change their lives forever.
I hope you enjoy this 3-book series, as much as I've enjoyed writing and designing it.
Edge Of The Apocalypse
***
Author's Note: I had published the first edition of this story earlier this year but I've made slight changes to the ending because it's now a 3-book series with new covers.
Fans of apocalyptic fiction know a good story when they see one and so I'm hoping you'll give this short story a read. You just might get hooked and enjoy the whole series when the other two books are available in January.
I've been hooked myself writing for these characters and the extraordinary events they're facing when terrorists from the Worldwide Alliance Resistance attack Austin, the first city pounced by nuclear warheads.
For two best girlfriends, Andrea (a cyborg) and Maria, that means they go into survival mode and run for their lives on an unforgettable journey to New York City in the midst of nuclear war.
The cast of strange characters, the obstacles, and conflict they face along the way will certainly change their lives forever.
I hope you enjoy this 3-book series, as much as I've enjoyed writing and designing it.
Edge Of The Apocalypse
***
Author's Note: I had published the first edition of this story earlier this year but I've made slight changes to the ending because it's now a 3-book series with new covers.
January 19, 2019
Edge of The Apocalypse
Fans of post-apocalyptic stories are lucky to enjoy a genre with so much latitude, rich themes, and so many possibilities.
Here's a fresh take on the apocalypse with a hint of romance between best friends (female) as the main subplot.
Edge of the Apocalypse-Girl With a Broken Heart, was a story born out of my debut board game, Millennium-Glory Beyond The Ages.
Not such a stretch, mind you. Several board games include stories to enhance the game narrative. Although Edge will eventually become a standalone novel, for now, I'm offering it in two editions: a paperback edition on Amazon and as a free ebook as the companion to the board game on The Game Crafter website.
Both the board game and the book officially launch 9.11.2019, but I'm testing the waters starting in January to see how much interest they generate, either as standalone products or as a group.
For me, writing within a genre is satisfying enough, but I like to experiment with different options and crossing genres a bit.
For example, this new book is a blend between The Book of Eli, Thelma and Louise and Love Story. Wow! What does a story like that even feel like?
Hey, romance does not always take a day off, even during an apocalyptic event.
For now, Edge is an intriguing short story based on the events in a board game, but this story wants to be so much more and so I'm expanding it into a standalone novel. Otherwise, the story will remain as originally intended; a companion journal narrative to a very interesting board game.
Enjoy the read!
Here's a fresh take on the apocalypse with a hint of romance between best friends (female) as the main subplot.
Edge of the Apocalypse-Girl With a Broken Heart, was a story born out of my debut board game, Millennium-Glory Beyond The Ages.
Not such a stretch, mind you. Several board games include stories to enhance the game narrative. Although Edge will eventually become a standalone novel, for now, I'm offering it in two editions: a paperback edition on Amazon and as a free ebook as the companion to the board game on The Game Crafter website.
Both the board game and the book officially launch 9.11.2019, but I'm testing the waters starting in January to see how much interest they generate, either as standalone products or as a group.
For me, writing within a genre is satisfying enough, but I like to experiment with different options and crossing genres a bit.
For example, this new book is a blend between The Book of Eli, Thelma and Louise and Love Story. Wow! What does a story like that even feel like?
Hey, romance does not always take a day off, even during an apocalyptic event.
For now, Edge is an intriguing short story based on the events in a board game, but this story wants to be so much more and so I'm expanding it into a standalone novel. Otherwise, the story will remain as originally intended; a companion journal narrative to a very interesting board game.
Enjoy the read!
November 10, 2013
Fans of Literary Fiction, Rejoice!
Hey folks,
I’ve been away for a while because I’ve been busy working but I just had to come out of hiding to mention this one book I’m reading now. (Yes, it takes a really good book to bring me back to life.) It’s titled Then Like The Blind Man-Orbie's Story by Freddie Owens.
For fans of historical fiction, this is a nice treat, although I suppose the story appeals mostly to guys since it’s about a young boy’s travails with his stepfather.
Come on ladies, you can identify with the boy’s sister or his mother right? Tough audience here, I know but I love the energy on this site.
So book lovers of Literary Fiction and coming-of-age stories alike (aka, Bildungsroman) check out this story, (Especially the guys, this story is for us.) I’m sure you’ll get a kick out of it. Good stuff.
Also, here's the official TLTBM Book Trailer (which I’d been working on.) coming to this site soon.
Book Trailer
Freddie Owens has just approved it. Like I always say, good stories make good book trailers and this is especially true for this book.
I’m not sure but I think Mr. Owens will also record a full audio version. You’ll love his sample chapter readings.
Chapter Readings
I'll get back to reading this fascinating story. Enjoying every word. Come on back for my review.
I’ve been away for a while because I’ve been busy working but I just had to come out of hiding to mention this one book I’m reading now. (Yes, it takes a really good book to bring me back to life.) It’s titled Then Like The Blind Man-Orbie's Story by Freddie Owens.
For fans of historical fiction, this is a nice treat, although I suppose the story appeals mostly to guys since it’s about a young boy’s travails with his stepfather.
Come on ladies, you can identify with the boy’s sister or his mother right? Tough audience here, I know but I love the energy on this site.
So book lovers of Literary Fiction and coming-of-age stories alike (aka, Bildungsroman) check out this story, (Especially the guys, this story is for us.) I’m sure you’ll get a kick out of it. Good stuff.
Also, here's the official TLTBM Book Trailer (which I’d been working on.) coming to this site soon.
Book Trailer
Freddie Owens has just approved it. Like I always say, good stories make good book trailers and this is especially true for this book.
I’m not sure but I think Mr. Owens will also record a full audio version. You’ll love his sample chapter readings.
Chapter Readings
I'll get back to reading this fascinating story. Enjoying every word. Come on back for my review.
September 10, 2012
A HEARTBREAKING STORY YOU'LL NEVER FORGET
Cruel Harvest: A Memoir by Fran Elizabeth GrubbMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
A MUST-READ!
Some stories hit you like lightning, while others slowly seep into your mind and soul with a permanence that’s hard to shake. Cruel Harvest was such a story for me.
Based on some reviews I thought this would be a very graphic story, and while some passages are explicit, Fran Grubb has opted not to sensationalize these very traumatic events in her life. She tells her story straight from the heart from page one and slowly grips you with an ensemble of endearing siblings you’ll never forget.
The difficult part is not reading this story, but not being there to stop this very troubled man she calls “Daddy,” from perpetrating senseless brutality on women and on his helpless young daughters.
Cruel Harvest is a truly gut-wrenching story that will stay with you long after you’ve read the last pages but for good reasons, as its ending is positive and uplifting in the most memorable way.
I truly loved this book and highly recommend you read it not for its harrowing details, but for its beautiful and redemptive ending that makes up for its many scenes of misfortune with an amazing example of spirituality, all in the name of forgiveness.
Watch the Book Video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbeZ79...
View all my reviews
March 23, 2012
Interesting Fundraising Website (Book Projects Welcome)
Hey folks, got some exciting news about this new website I stumbled on a few months ago. It's called Kickstarter.com and it's filled with all sorts of interesting projects. I've backed 4 projects so far and have a few more in mind.
It's kind of addictive but in a good way because you not only help others but they offer rewards when you back their projects too.
So if anyone has an idea in mind they'd like to get off the ground and needs funding, this is a great place to try to kickstart a project.
I was very reluctant to post my novel project for editing (book reviewers might rejoice) but I went ahead and set up a page to test it out. Doesn't look too promising yet, but it's free to try so nothing to lose, except for a bruised ego. I'm used to that.
Anyone dare to join me? I know it's hard to tear you guys away from this site, I love it too, but check it out.
We can meet back here later.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1...
It's kind of addictive but in a good way because you not only help others but they offer rewards when you back their projects too.
So if anyone has an idea in mind they'd like to get off the ground and needs funding, this is a great place to try to kickstart a project.
I was very reluctant to post my novel project for editing (book reviewers might rejoice) but I went ahead and set up a page to test it out. Doesn't look too promising yet, but it's free to try so nothing to lose, except for a bruised ego. I'm used to that.
Anyone dare to join me? I know it's hard to tear you guys away from this site, I love it too, but check it out.
We can meet back here later.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1...
October 8, 2011
Protagonists We Love
Ever wonder where the fascinating characters in your favorite novels come from? Protagonists in particular, can sometimes pique our interest, especially when we see ourselves reflected in these characters, or even better, when we want to become these characters. It’s an exercise in vicariousness that readers live by.
Whenever I read Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, I always put myself in the boy’s shoes, or lack thereof, and imagine what it would be like to be Huck Finn. This is the real reason we read. We want to become someone else for a time. It’s the perfect escape into another world—another time and place. We want to live another life in someone else’s shoes and walk around in their skin, as Atticus Finch would say, which begs the question, who was the star in To Kill a Mockingbird anyway?
Excuse my digression but, it seems to me it was Scout who led the way in the book and in the movie version, although Atticus, played by Gregory Peck was clearly in the lead role, it was his daughter, Scout, who the story centered around for the most part. Having seen the movie as a young boy, I naturally identified with the young, curious, and feisty tomboy that dominated almost every scene.
That’s the effect I tried capturing when I created my main character, Virginia Mae Mercy in A Death for Beauty. She had to be a complex woman. A confident woman with many personality quirks, but also, someone with a vulnerable disposition. Because what good is a strong main character without faults and insecurities? For the most part, I modeled Virginia after both, a common and uncommon woman of the 19th century.
Modern women can certainly identify with Virginia’s feminine traits, her needs and wants as a woman who takes care of herself and someone who aspires to be something more than she is. I think most women can relate to that.
Virginia’s flip side is less predictable. While she often comes across as surefooted and resolute, in the same breath, she questions everything around her. She’s never certain of anything. This wavering is what gives her a sense of humanity. It’s what readers empathize with above all else and what they connect with. In essence, it’s the one trait, which drives her character forth and propels readers into the story. They want to care and they want to follow her along her journey.
Multifaceted characters are what makes stories resonate and can sometimes take readers by surprise, but again, that’s what readers enjoy and what they expect from interesting characters. Aside from Virginia’s quirky personality, I had to tap into a voice that fit.
At first, during my research for part two of the story, where the Sioux tribe absorbs Virginia into their culture, I couldn’t get the voice of Fanny Kelly—the woman in the true story—out of my head so Virginia sounded very much like Fanny.
But once I decided to include Emily Dickinson’s poetry, for some reason, I thought Emily Dickinson’s tone of voice, her manner of writing, was more fitting and almost inescapable from my point of view.
The rhythm of Dickinson’s poetry (featured in chapter openings) was more than an accompaniment to the writing, it was for me, a melody of words that set the tone for the whole novel, so giving this voice to Virginia was as natural as including the poetry itself.
I think I can safely admit that Virginia Mae Mercy’s personality has shades of Emily Dickinson. They certainly share a fierce and witty style all their own and writing that kind of dialogue was a lot of fun.
Virginia: “I love you Darlin, let’s go. Birdy would never forgive me. Besides if he were here he’d knocked the old croaker galley-west.”
For more about this story: http://www.adeathforbeauty.com/extras...
Whenever I read Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, I always put myself in the boy’s shoes, or lack thereof, and imagine what it would be like to be Huck Finn. This is the real reason we read. We want to become someone else for a time. It’s the perfect escape into another world—another time and place. We want to live another life in someone else’s shoes and walk around in their skin, as Atticus Finch would say, which begs the question, who was the star in To Kill a Mockingbird anyway?
Excuse my digression but, it seems to me it was Scout who led the way in the book and in the movie version, although Atticus, played by Gregory Peck was clearly in the lead role, it was his daughter, Scout, who the story centered around for the most part. Having seen the movie as a young boy, I naturally identified with the young, curious, and feisty tomboy that dominated almost every scene.
That’s the effect I tried capturing when I created my main character, Virginia Mae Mercy in A Death for Beauty. She had to be a complex woman. A confident woman with many personality quirks, but also, someone with a vulnerable disposition. Because what good is a strong main character without faults and insecurities? For the most part, I modeled Virginia after both, a common and uncommon woman of the 19th century.
Modern women can certainly identify with Virginia’s feminine traits, her needs and wants as a woman who takes care of herself and someone who aspires to be something more than she is. I think most women can relate to that.
Virginia’s flip side is less predictable. While she often comes across as surefooted and resolute, in the same breath, she questions everything around her. She’s never certain of anything. This wavering is what gives her a sense of humanity. It’s what readers empathize with above all else and what they connect with. In essence, it’s the one trait, which drives her character forth and propels readers into the story. They want to care and they want to follow her along her journey.
Multifaceted characters are what makes stories resonate and can sometimes take readers by surprise, but again, that’s what readers enjoy and what they expect from interesting characters. Aside from Virginia’s quirky personality, I had to tap into a voice that fit.
At first, during my research for part two of the story, where the Sioux tribe absorbs Virginia into their culture, I couldn’t get the voice of Fanny Kelly—the woman in the true story—out of my head so Virginia sounded very much like Fanny.
But once I decided to include Emily Dickinson’s poetry, for some reason, I thought Emily Dickinson’s tone of voice, her manner of writing, was more fitting and almost inescapable from my point of view.
The rhythm of Dickinson’s poetry (featured in chapter openings) was more than an accompaniment to the writing, it was for me, a melody of words that set the tone for the whole novel, so giving this voice to Virginia was as natural as including the poetry itself.
I think I can safely admit that Virginia Mae Mercy’s personality has shades of Emily Dickinson. They certainly share a fierce and witty style all their own and writing that kind of dialogue was a lot of fun.
Virginia: “I love you Darlin, let’s go. Birdy would never forgive me. Besides if he were here he’d knocked the old croaker galley-west.”
For more about this story: http://www.adeathforbeauty.com/extras...
October 3, 2011
eBay Benefit Event for Women with Cancer
Hi folks, I mentioned this in another post but wanted to highlight this event here.
I'm auctioning off a special Casewrap Hardcover Edition of "A Death for Beauty" on eBay. Twenty five percent of the proceeds from this sale will go to benefit women with breast and ovarian cancer through a Charity called "Bright Pink" sponsored by Mission Fish.
eBAY Benefit:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/280747539524?...
Mission Fish is a great organization which helps many people worldwide. Whenever you buy merchandise and use Paypal, for instance, you have the opportunity to make donations of your choice to a variety of charities like Mission Fish.
It's a terrific feeling to give because there is so much need in the world today and I'm thankful I can help in a small way. There are several other charities I support and I'll mention them here soon. One of them gives away books, so I know you're going to love that one.
Thanks again!
I'll mention those in my next post. Until then, Godspeed.
Alberto
I'm auctioning off a special Casewrap Hardcover Edition of "A Death for Beauty" on eBay. Twenty five percent of the proceeds from this sale will go to benefit women with breast and ovarian cancer through a Charity called "Bright Pink" sponsored by Mission Fish.
eBAY Benefit:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/280747539524?...
Mission Fish is a great organization which helps many people worldwide. Whenever you buy merchandise and use Paypal, for instance, you have the opportunity to make donations of your choice to a variety of charities like Mission Fish.
It's a terrific feeling to give because there is so much need in the world today and I'm thankful I can help in a small way. There are several other charities I support and I'll mention them here soon. One of them gives away books, so I know you're going to love that one.
Thanks again!
I'll mention those in my next post. Until then, Godspeed.
Alberto
ADFB Book Tour Starts Today
Hi everyone! I just wanted to thank all those who participated in the book giveaway here on GoodReads. I've mailed out books to the winners and plan to give away more copies soon but I might do it differently so more people can win from my website instead.
My Book Tour starts today through the 28th. You can check out all the Blog stops here:
http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2011/09...
I hope you can drop by and say hello.
eBAY Benefit Offer:
There's also an eBay offer for a special Edition of the Hardcover to benefit a Charity called "Bright Pink" that helps women with breast or ovarian cancer.
See it here:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/280747539524?ssP...
Hope you can participate.
Thanks again, I'll be back here from time to time. Hope to chat with you soon.
Alberto
My Book Tour starts today through the 28th. You can check out all the Blog stops here:
http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2011/09...
I hope you can drop by and say hello.
eBAY Benefit Offer:
There's also an eBay offer for a special Edition of the Hardcover to benefit a Charity called "Bright Pink" that helps women with breast or ovarian cancer.
See it here:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/280747539524?ssP...
Hope you can participate.
Thanks again, I'll be back here from time to time. Hope to chat with you soon.
Alberto
September 30, 2011
ADFB Book Giveaway
Okay folks, the book giveaway is over. A total of 661 readers (more than the last time) requested the novel and 3 have one a free paperback copy, which I'll be mailing out in a few days.
I'll notify the winners by email when I ship the book. Congratulations to the winners and thanks to all those who requested the book.
MORE FREE BOOKS
I'll be giving away free ebooks in PDF form that you can read on your computer during my tour that kicks off October 3, next week. These are the same files used to print the hardcover version, which includes a preface, Reader Guides and ADFB trivia. You can see a sample of this book on the ADFB website. Click on First Chapters for a preview.
Thanks again for participating, I'll be in touch with you here during my tour. It's going to be a good time. I hope you'll join me.
I'll notify the winners by email when I ship the book. Congratulations to the winners and thanks to all those who requested the book.
MORE FREE BOOKS
I'll be giving away free ebooks in PDF form that you can read on your computer during my tour that kicks off October 3, next week. These are the same files used to print the hardcover version, which includes a preface, Reader Guides and ADFB trivia. You can see a sample of this book on the ADFB website. Click on First Chapters for a preview.
Thanks again for participating, I'll be in touch with you here during my tour. It's going to be a good time. I hope you'll join me.
