Aaron Dennis's Blog - Posts Tagged "giveaway"
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https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
Otherside
So, you all remember I had trouble with Caliburn Press, and that I got my rights back for books such as Lokians and Shadowman, and that I just rewrote and re-released Lokians 1, which has been retitled as Beyond the End of the World, Lokians 1, rather than Lokians, Book 1, Beyond the End of the World, but anyway….
I rewrote Shadowman, and changed the title, too. There’s enough stuff called Shadowman, so now, I call this voodoo, urban fantasy, Otherside.
A man witnesses a murder. The deceased speaks in riddles. Vertigo settles in….
Adja wakes to learn he’s got the mojo. The old woman teaches him the ways of Voodoo. He must stand alone, under the guidance of Bear, against Snake, a villain, a murderer, an innate force, but there are other forces amidst the crack between the worlds.
Are you brave enough to journey…to the otherside?
Here’s an excerpt:
I felt something moving me, kicking me. I woke up sprawled on the ground. My eyes rejected the sunlight coming in from the window. I looked at the old woman. She was wincing and kicking me in the hip. Slowly, I rose to my feet.
“Time to take them cast off,” she said.
She left and returned with another bowl and another concoction. Using a brown cloth to dab some brown liquid on the cast caused it to bubble and crack. Next, she peeled layers off then placed that cloth and bowl down to grab a second cloth, a green one, and another bowl with clear liquid. She washed my previously injured joints. The stiffness vanished.
“Eat,” she ordered while handing me a plate of dried fruits and nuts.
I tore into it ravenously before drinking a glass of water in one gulp. I felt that same, watery, effervescent euphoria of a week or so ago. It felt good. I felt right.
“You must done good, Adja, or you not be so happy,” she chirped.
“I guess,” I chuckled.
She handed me a knapsack. I opened it to find all my stuff inside; my two original mojo bags, and a new one. Half the bag was green cloth. The other half was blue flannel. I also found the knife. A fuzzy, brown, fur handle had replaced the old, snakeskin handle. Bear fur? I assumed. That brought back the image of Iboga, and I remembered turning into a bear. My surprise must have shown on my face because she laughed at me. This was the first time I had heard her belly laugh. It was contagious.
“You see them ghost?” she joked.
“Nah. Was I a bear,” I asked, sheepishly.
“No, but maybe one day. Iboga was showin’ you something.”
“So, I can’t turn into a bear?” I was disappointed.
“No. You can use Bear’s strength. Bear has much power. Use it, Adja. Your task come to an end now. Collect what you need then go face Snake. Plunge the knife deep into him.”
“Doesn’t he have a gun?”
“Them bullets no match for you, you a Shadowman now. You know what to do,” she said to me. “Finish it.”
She held my shoulder and shook it gently. Her smile gave me confidence. I was going to go exact revenge upon the man who killed her grandson. I was going to kill Snake and earn the respect of Bear.
If you like the excerpt, and you haven’t already entered the free, Goodreads giveaway for a chance to win a signed copy of this voodoo, urban fantasy, please enter now. Thanks.
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
Entry closes Nov. 20, 2016
Otherside
So, you all remember I had trouble with Caliburn Press, and that I got my rights back for books such as Lokians and Shadowman, and that I just rewrote and re-released Lokians 1, which has been retitled as Beyond the End of the World, Lokians 1, rather than Lokians, Book 1, Beyond the End of the World, but anyway….
I rewrote Shadowman, and changed the title, too. There’s enough stuff called Shadowman, so now, I call this voodoo, urban fantasy, Otherside.
A man witnesses a murder. The deceased speaks in riddles. Vertigo settles in….
Adja wakes to learn he’s got the mojo. The old woman teaches him the ways of Voodoo. He must stand alone, under the guidance of Bear, against Snake, a villain, a murderer, an innate force, but there are other forces amidst the crack between the worlds.
Are you brave enough to journey…to the otherside?
Here’s an excerpt:
I felt something moving me, kicking me. I woke up sprawled on the ground. My eyes rejected the sunlight coming in from the window. I looked at the old woman. She was wincing and kicking me in the hip. Slowly, I rose to my feet.
“Time to take them cast off,” she said.
She left and returned with another bowl and another concoction. Using a brown cloth to dab some brown liquid on the cast caused it to bubble and crack. Next, she peeled layers off then placed that cloth and bowl down to grab a second cloth, a green one, and another bowl with clear liquid. She washed my previously injured joints. The stiffness vanished.
“Eat,” she ordered while handing me a plate of dried fruits and nuts.
I tore into it ravenously before drinking a glass of water in one gulp. I felt that same, watery, effervescent euphoria of a week or so ago. It felt good. I felt right.
“You must done good, Adja, or you not be so happy,” she chirped.
“I guess,” I chuckled.
She handed me a knapsack. I opened it to find all my stuff inside; my two original mojo bags, and a new one. Half the bag was green cloth. The other half was blue flannel. I also found the knife. A fuzzy, brown, fur handle had replaced the old, snakeskin handle. Bear fur? I assumed. That brought back the image of Iboga, and I remembered turning into a bear. My surprise must have shown on my face because she laughed at me. This was the first time I had heard her belly laugh. It was contagious.
“You see them ghost?” she joked.
“Nah. Was I a bear,” I asked, sheepishly.
“No, but maybe one day. Iboga was showin’ you something.”
“So, I can’t turn into a bear?” I was disappointed.
“No. You can use Bear’s strength. Bear has much power. Use it, Adja. Your task come to an end now. Collect what you need then go face Snake. Plunge the knife deep into him.”
“Doesn’t he have a gun?”
“Them bullets no match for you, you a Shadowman now. You know what to do,” she said to me. “Finish it.”
She held my shoulder and shook it gently. Her smile gave me confidence. I was going to go exact revenge upon the man who killed her grandson. I was going to kill Snake and earn the respect of Bear.
If you like the excerpt, and you haven’t already entered the free, Goodreads giveaway for a chance to win a signed copy of this voodoo, urban fantasy, please enter now. Thanks.
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
Entry closes Nov. 20, 2016
Gods and Dragons giveaway
I’m releasing this post today to announce that I’ve started a new Gods and Dragons giveaway on Goodreads.
The Dragon of Time: Gods and Dragons
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
Gods, Dragons, a mercenary with a blade and no memory of his past…. The world of Tiamhaal is alight in war. Men ruled by kings slay their opposition in the name of their God, but there are others who claim the Gods are little more than scorned Dragons of ages past. Scar has come to find the truth, but is the truth an absolute certainty, or is it just the skewed memory of a forgotten kingdom?
This is, without a doubt, one of the fastest growing fantasy adventure series.
It has already won the August 2016 novel reading.
https://wildsoundfestivalreview.com/2...
It has also won the best logline in the world for its genre.
https://novelwritingfestival.com/2016...
I can’t stress this enough; fans of fantasy adventures have been clamoring for a great series of books about dragons, and this one is it. It won’t be long before it beats out The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and A Song of Ice and Fire. People are already saying it’s as good as The Wheel of Time, which is a lesser known fantasy series, and The Dragon of Time is far from finished.
For now, you can enter the giveaway for a chance to win a signed copy of the first book, Gods and Dragons, but it doesn’t end there. You can download free samples of Gods and Dragons directly through Goodreads.
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Or Smashwords
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
You can read the reviews for yourself on Goodreads, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble online.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-d...
I know indie and self published books still get a bum rap, but many people are yet to realize that Harry Potter was turned down by numerous publishers. The only reason Harry Potter was released through a major publisher is because Rowling’s sister worked for the company and went over the acquisitions editor’s head.
Don’t misunderstand, I’m not taking anything away from Harry Potter; people love the series, and that’s what counts. I also hope the acquisitions editor was fired because they nearly cost that company billions in revenue, but my point is that the only reason The Dragon of Time series is self published is because it has become increasingly difficult for new writers to land a literary agent, and just because an agent turns down a book, doesn’t mean it isn’t good; it just means that person doesn’t think it’ll be marketable, but look at how much I’ve done all on my own. Clearly, The Dragon of Time is marketable; if I had had a whole team of marketers behind me, you’d all be buying these books from your local book store, but don’t fret, not only am I giving away a signed copy of Gods and Dragons, I’m also giving away free e-copies of the sequel, The Dragon of Time Two, Dragon Slayer.
With the death of Kulshedra, Dragon of Truth, it has been revealed that Scar, the mercenary, is in fact Sarkany, the Dragon Slayer, a creature fashioned for the sole purpose of purging the Dragons from the world of Tiamhaal, yet such a thing is not so simple. Kings and queens yet war amongst one another. They, too, lie, connive, and coerce, and so, Scar and his friends must find a way to persuade those few, benevolent rulers to band together. In the midst of peace talks and dead Dragons, those still in the worship of the beasts grow more powerful. Some of them even doubly praise their oppressor in an effort to wield more magic. Now, united with his friends, Scar sets his gaze upon a hopeful horizon, but is strength in numbers sufficient to keep the Dragons from completing their machinations?
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-d...
I’ll be giving it away free until December 24th of 2016. A link to a free e-book makes for a great gift to friends and family for the holidays when money is tight, and I know money is tight for a lot of people right now, but all you guys and gals out there are my fans, or potential fans, and without you readers, writers are nothing; we’re a fart in the wind, so giving away this amazing book is my way of saying thank you to you all.
Please go and grab your free copy of Dragon Slayer. Be sure to also enter the Goodreads giveaway, and grab a free sample of Gods and Dragons. You will not be disappointed.
Thank you all for your continued interest and support. Stay tuned for the next post, which will be about conjunctions and prepositions.
The Dragon of Time: Gods and Dragons
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
Gods, Dragons, a mercenary with a blade and no memory of his past…. The world of Tiamhaal is alight in war. Men ruled by kings slay their opposition in the name of their God, but there are others who claim the Gods are little more than scorned Dragons of ages past. Scar has come to find the truth, but is the truth an absolute certainty, or is it just the skewed memory of a forgotten kingdom?
This is, without a doubt, one of the fastest growing fantasy adventure series.
It has already won the August 2016 novel reading.
https://wildsoundfestivalreview.com/2...
It has also won the best logline in the world for its genre.
https://novelwritingfestival.com/2016...
I can’t stress this enough; fans of fantasy adventures have been clamoring for a great series of books about dragons, and this one is it. It won’t be long before it beats out The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and A Song of Ice and Fire. People are already saying it’s as good as The Wheel of Time, which is a lesser known fantasy series, and The Dragon of Time is far from finished.
For now, you can enter the giveaway for a chance to win a signed copy of the first book, Gods and Dragons, but it doesn’t end there. You can download free samples of Gods and Dragons directly through Goodreads.
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Or Smashwords
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
You can read the reviews for yourself on Goodreads, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble online.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-d...
I know indie and self published books still get a bum rap, but many people are yet to realize that Harry Potter was turned down by numerous publishers. The only reason Harry Potter was released through a major publisher is because Rowling’s sister worked for the company and went over the acquisitions editor’s head.
Don’t misunderstand, I’m not taking anything away from Harry Potter; people love the series, and that’s what counts. I also hope the acquisitions editor was fired because they nearly cost that company billions in revenue, but my point is that the only reason The Dragon of Time series is self published is because it has become increasingly difficult for new writers to land a literary agent, and just because an agent turns down a book, doesn’t mean it isn’t good; it just means that person doesn’t think it’ll be marketable, but look at how much I’ve done all on my own. Clearly, The Dragon of Time is marketable; if I had had a whole team of marketers behind me, you’d all be buying these books from your local book store, but don’t fret, not only am I giving away a signed copy of Gods and Dragons, I’m also giving away free e-copies of the sequel, The Dragon of Time Two, Dragon Slayer.
With the death of Kulshedra, Dragon of Truth, it has been revealed that Scar, the mercenary, is in fact Sarkany, the Dragon Slayer, a creature fashioned for the sole purpose of purging the Dragons from the world of Tiamhaal, yet such a thing is not so simple. Kings and queens yet war amongst one another. They, too, lie, connive, and coerce, and so, Scar and his friends must find a way to persuade those few, benevolent rulers to band together. In the midst of peace talks and dead Dragons, those still in the worship of the beasts grow more powerful. Some of them even doubly praise their oppressor in an effort to wield more magic. Now, united with his friends, Scar sets his gaze upon a hopeful horizon, but is strength in numbers sufficient to keep the Dragons from completing their machinations?
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-d...
I’ll be giving it away free until December 24th of 2016. A link to a free e-book makes for a great gift to friends and family for the holidays when money is tight, and I know money is tight for a lot of people right now, but all you guys and gals out there are my fans, or potential fans, and without you readers, writers are nothing; we’re a fart in the wind, so giving away this amazing book is my way of saying thank you to you all.
Please go and grab your free copy of Dragon Slayer. Be sure to also enter the Goodreads giveaway, and grab a free sample of Gods and Dragons. You will not be disappointed.
Thank you all for your continued interest and support. Stay tuned for the next post, which will be about conjunctions and prepositions.
Cayneian audiobook now available
A man stands resolved. Dysart, clan Bloodhammer, has returned to the island of Volgunther to purge it of the evil called Salamandrus. He has given his tongue, so that he may speak no contracts. He has given his manhood, so that he may not know his power as a man. He has given his mind, so that no God may take pity upon him.
Wielding the forbidden power of Sang Daemanus, Dysart imbibes the blood of Daemons to cast his spells, to grow his strength, to fuel his powers, but will he be able to stave off the bloodlust before the evils upon the island claim him?
Check out this Kirkus review on Cayneian, A Man from Blood:
This series opener sees a warrior determined to free an island from a Daemon’s grasp.
Dysart of clan Bloodhammer has lost his sloop and is now washed ashore on the island of Volgunther. He’s immediately
set upon by savages, but thankfully a man named Talbot saves Dysart with his bow and arrows. At his nearby cabin,
Talbot learns that his guest has no tongue. Then Dysart draws a rune in hog’s blood on his throat, which allows him to
speak. He explains that his people, the Cayne, once inhabited the island. They also woke a Daemon called Salamandrus,
making a pact with the entity for power that involved the ritual of Sang Daemanus. Later, they sealed the Daemon away,
but “instead of ending their service to Salamandrus, they departed from this place, hoping to retain their power.” Dysart
has come to end his people’s accord and make Volgunther a hospitable island once more. After obtaining an axe and
other supplies from Talbot, he travels east toward a settlement. He saves a pyromancer named Randall from wolf men
and drinks their blood to receive heightened senses and healing abilities. But Dysart concludes that his rune for speech
will fade without the esper oil derived from a plant somewhere on the island. Randall joins him, and they head for Etmire
Abbey, where they encounter the Order of the Cross. Dysart will need every ally he can find as he battles through
monstrous hordes toward Salamandrus’ lair in Castle Golvundehr.
Dennis (War and Glory, 2017, etc.) squeezes all the gore he can from his muscular imagination to enhance his novel,
which recalls the viscera-strewn adventures of fantasy icons like Conan and Elric. Readers learn early on about Dysart’s
magic: “Animal blood is effective, if weak. Human blood is potent, if unsavory…but Daemon’s blood makes us
unstoppable.” This results in a marathon of grisly dispatches—encounters with frog men, murderous plants, zombies,
and worse—that propel the hero but also fuel his addiction to power. While the plot is somewhat linear, the gruesome
premise shines blackly throughout. Dysart not only needs blood, but he’s also traded his tongue, his testicles (“that we
might not realize our own power as humans”), and his mind as an initiate of Sang Daemanus. Fighting at his side are
characters like Pattius, a thief; Marcus, a knight; and Reman, a young orphan. The author often fleshes out these warriors
just enough to draw from readers a meaningful wince as he sacrifices them to Dysart’s cause. A dreadful ambience
hovers even in quieter moments, as in the line “Only darkened hills loomed in the distance. Everything else was flat
grassland molded by gusts of wind.” The dialogue during combat scenes is appropriately maniacal (“Blast you, croakers!
Fall to the wrath of Randall!”), yet Dysart is capable of speaking beautifully. In cautioning Talbot, whose family is dead,
he says: “Hold their memory dearly, and do not rush to see them.” Though the violence grows monotonous, a finale
bristling with invention redeems the work.
A bloodbath that should impress readers of the grimmest fantasy tales.
This review is attributed to “Kirkus Reviews”, and you can follow the link to my review on their site.
For now, the Cayneian audiobook is available through a couple of retailers. More retailers will be making the audiobook available over the next few weeks.
Buy Cayneian on Google Play
Buy Cayneian on Scribd
Buy Cayneian on Nook Audiobooks
You can still download the ebook for free until January 1st, 2019 via Smashwords
Finally, I have 30 giveaway codes for the new audiobook! If you already have an Authors Direct account, the book will simply appear instantly in your library, ready to play. If you don’t have an account, visit authors-direct.com/redeem to enter your giveaway Code and email address. They’ll automatically create an account and send a link to download the Authors Direct app, where the audiobook will be waiting in your library.
Since I only have 30 giveaway codes, I can only give them to the first 30 people who email me, asking for a code, so don’t be shy! Email me right now dennis@storiesbydennis.com and ask for a Cayneian giveaway code.
Wielding the forbidden power of Sang Daemanus, Dysart imbibes the blood of Daemons to cast his spells, to grow his strength, to fuel his powers, but will he be able to stave off the bloodlust before the evils upon the island claim him?
Check out this Kirkus review on Cayneian, A Man from Blood:
This series opener sees a warrior determined to free an island from a Daemon’s grasp.
Dysart of clan Bloodhammer has lost his sloop and is now washed ashore on the island of Volgunther. He’s immediately
set upon by savages, but thankfully a man named Talbot saves Dysart with his bow and arrows. At his nearby cabin,
Talbot learns that his guest has no tongue. Then Dysart draws a rune in hog’s blood on his throat, which allows him to
speak. He explains that his people, the Cayne, once inhabited the island. They also woke a Daemon called Salamandrus,
making a pact with the entity for power that involved the ritual of Sang Daemanus. Later, they sealed the Daemon away,
but “instead of ending their service to Salamandrus, they departed from this place, hoping to retain their power.” Dysart
has come to end his people’s accord and make Volgunther a hospitable island once more. After obtaining an axe and
other supplies from Talbot, he travels east toward a settlement. He saves a pyromancer named Randall from wolf men
and drinks their blood to receive heightened senses and healing abilities. But Dysart concludes that his rune for speech
will fade without the esper oil derived from a plant somewhere on the island. Randall joins him, and they head for Etmire
Abbey, where they encounter the Order of the Cross. Dysart will need every ally he can find as he battles through
monstrous hordes toward Salamandrus’ lair in Castle Golvundehr.
Dennis (War and Glory, 2017, etc.) squeezes all the gore he can from his muscular imagination to enhance his novel,
which recalls the viscera-strewn adventures of fantasy icons like Conan and Elric. Readers learn early on about Dysart’s
magic: “Animal blood is effective, if weak. Human blood is potent, if unsavory…but Daemon’s blood makes us
unstoppable.” This results in a marathon of grisly dispatches—encounters with frog men, murderous plants, zombies,
and worse—that propel the hero but also fuel his addiction to power. While the plot is somewhat linear, the gruesome
premise shines blackly throughout. Dysart not only needs blood, but he’s also traded his tongue, his testicles (“that we
might not realize our own power as humans”), and his mind as an initiate of Sang Daemanus. Fighting at his side are
characters like Pattius, a thief; Marcus, a knight; and Reman, a young orphan. The author often fleshes out these warriors
just enough to draw from readers a meaningful wince as he sacrifices them to Dysart’s cause. A dreadful ambience
hovers even in quieter moments, as in the line “Only darkened hills loomed in the distance. Everything else was flat
grassland molded by gusts of wind.” The dialogue during combat scenes is appropriately maniacal (“Blast you, croakers!
Fall to the wrath of Randall!”), yet Dysart is capable of speaking beautifully. In cautioning Talbot, whose family is dead,
he says: “Hold their memory dearly, and do not rush to see them.” Though the violence grows monotonous, a finale
bristling with invention redeems the work.
A bloodbath that should impress readers of the grimmest fantasy tales.
This review is attributed to “Kirkus Reviews”, and you can follow the link to my review on their site.
For now, the Cayneian audiobook is available through a couple of retailers. More retailers will be making the audiobook available over the next few weeks.
Buy Cayneian on Google Play
Buy Cayneian on Scribd
Buy Cayneian on Nook Audiobooks
You can still download the ebook for free until January 1st, 2019 via Smashwords
Finally, I have 30 giveaway codes for the new audiobook! If you already have an Authors Direct account, the book will simply appear instantly in your library, ready to play. If you don’t have an account, visit authors-direct.com/redeem to enter your giveaway Code and email address. They’ll automatically create an account and send a link to download the Authors Direct app, where the audiobook will be waiting in your library.
Since I only have 30 giveaway codes, I can only give them to the first 30 people who email me, asking for a code, so don’t be shy! Email me right now dennis@storiesbydennis.com and ask for a Cayneian giveaway code.
