Stalking Shadows only 99c until the 17th
STALKING SHADOWS: Diamond Peak Series book 2 is only 99c until the 17th of October, so if you don’t already have it, this is a great chance to pick it up for much less than a cup of coffee. If you have it already, please tell your friends by sharing this post. $2.99 $0.99 Ariel hopes that the great library at Sheldra holds the key to rescuing her mother. But in order to get there, she must negotiate a forest of evil spirits, escape a mind-numbing city of sparkling towers, travel through the treacherous gullies of Minion Hills, and avoid an attack by a demon lord intent on killing her. At the same time, a battle rages between her heart and her mind. A relationship with her travelling companion, the enigmatic Nick, is just too tempting, but can they be together without Ariel losing her focus and falling to the demons?…
Share your Happiness Hints, Heros and Hurdles
Happiness Hints are practical tips for how to lead a happy life. They are drawn from my study and practice of Buddhism, and I use analogies and short pithy titles to help you remember them. I first wrote them as blog posts and are planning a book of them. I’ve been writing Happiness Hints since 2011, first on the now defunct Happy Honkers blog, then here, and soon I’ll be doing a Happiness Hints podcast. What will be in it? Practical tips for how to lead a happy life, delivered with a light touch by Tahlia Newland, a Buddhist practitioner, author, artist and editor. Happiness hints, hurdles and heroes from guests with any or no religious affiliation. Quotes on happiness from great people. To make sure that you’re notified when the podcast is up and running, sign up to my Happiness Hints newsletter. Click Here. (You’ll also get a free meditation…
Free checklist with 16 essential points of meditation
There are a lot of misconceptions about meditation flying around that prove that many are missing the essential points of meditation. One popular misconception is that one holds ones hands turned up in a weird pose. Presumably, the style belongs to some tradition, but it looks really uncomfortable to me. Meditation posture is a lot easier than that. In an effort to set things straight, I’ve come up with a Meditation Checklist with 16 essential points in it that if you follow, you can be sure you have the main points to need for an effective meditation practice. These essential points of meditation practice are relevant for all levels of meditation experience. They come from Tibetan Buddhism, but the meditation can be done by anyone regardless of their beliefs. Use the meditation checklist as a guided meditation to kickstart a practice or breath new life into an established one. Click Here to get Your Free Meditation…
Around the blogs – helpful articles for authors & self-publishers
https://celtic-publications.com/timelines-and-storyboards/ Amazon searchability tip for authors https://www.amarketingexpert.com/indie-authors-price-book-optimal-success/ https://www.amarketingexpert.com/indie-authors-tips-optimizing-facebook-posts/
Book Marketing – Do Book Posters Help?
The Big Issue The biggest issue for authors once they have their book in print is selling them. Even if you have a mainstream publisher, if you want your book to have staying power, you need to do some marketing yourself. And if you’re self-published or with a small publisher, then your own efforts are vital. Trouble is, artistic types aren’t always that great at selling their art. In fact I’d venture the idea that most of them aren’t; that’s why every creative field has agents whose job it is to sell the artists work. Before the self-publishing revolution, publishers did all the advertising. Authors really did just write, but that’s not the case these days. You can spend a lot of money learning how to market your book and still find yourself floundering – I certainly do. I have, however, found a way that I can use my creative…
Can fiction help you learn how to deal with inner demons?
Outer demons A lot of fantasy books have demons in them, but they’re mostly outer demons rather than the inner demons that hassle modern people. We all need to know how to deal with inner demons, but when we think of demons in fiction, we usually think of outer demons, of which there are many kinds: Christian demons, as in the denizens of Hell, Wiccan demons as in those from a different dimension that can be trapped in magical circles and made to obey commands, Asian demons related to Buddhism and Hinduism, and various other demons associated with different cultures around the planet. Is there any culture that doesn’t have some kind of demonic entity associated with it? Modern Westerners in general don’t believe in demons. And if they consider demons to be any of those mentioned above, why should they? It’s hard for a modern person to believe that demons exist when they can’t see them with their…
What to see in London?
What’s to see in London? Lots. So how do you know what is worth seeing? That depends on what kind of thing you like to see. A relative of mine was visiting with a friend and they didn’t think it worth the 18 pound to visit the inside of St Pauls, so they didn’t go. I, however, wouldn’t have missed it for the world, and for me, it’s a ‘must see’. But then, I’m particularly interested in architecture, particularly of the gothic variety. I also, having done some research, had a National Rail week’s travel ticket that gave me a two for one deal on many sights including St Pauls and Westminster Abbey. So my daughter and I got in for 9 pounds (roughly 18 AUD) which is a lot more reasonable than 18 pounds or roughly 36 AUD each. As some of you know, I made travel vlogs of…
Can you help me name an airship?
The Locksmith’s Secret has a steampunk thread in it. It’s the story that Prunella Smith, the central character, is writing. The story ends with Nell, the character in the steampunk story, hanging from a rope trailing from an airship. It’s the beginning of a story called ‘The Rise of the Aether Mages’ and I’m writing the next installment now. Part one, from The Locksmith’s Secret, will be available separately for free, but not until part 2 is ready to roll. So in part 2 of the story, Nell takes her family’s airship, and along with Richard, Beth, her brother John and a couple of others, chases after Lord Burnett. And this is where I’d love some help. Can anyone think of a name for the steampunk airship they’ll be flying in? Double word names are good for steampunk. If I pick your suggestion, I will, of course, mention you in…
What makes great fantasy novels great?
I’ve been reading some great fantasy recently, so good that I read the first in a series then want to read the rest. That’s the kind of book authors want to write and readers want to read. So what makes great fantasy novels great? There are plenty of books out there that don’t have the elements they need to make their stories great, so clearly this is something worth looking at. Of course writing a great book in any genre is not easy. You never know if what you’re writing will hit that sweet spot with readers or not, but you can know what your story needs to have if it is to have any chance of being popular. What makes great fantasy novels great? Great plot, Great characters and believable relationships, Great world-building, Believable actions, reactions, dialogue and relationships, Great writing and professional editing. What does ‘great’…
Stunning mask video
I thought you might enjoy this look at some of the masks I make. What do you think? The video was made by Velvet Wings Media and the masks can be found on http://tahliasmasks.com