Isis Sousa's Blog: Tragic Books' news - Posts Tagged "new-release"

Flash Promo – 50% OFF on Hardcover books

This is your chance to buy The Night of Elisa – Hardcover Edition with 50% discount! But hurry, it is valid only until 24th November.
Learn more here: http://tragicbooks.blogspot.no/2014/1...

New website
Tragic Books, a young and indie publishing brand of illustrated Dark books has now a new website: http://tragicbooks.blogspot.no/
There you can check out more about upcoming titles, news and promotions – and whatnot!

Upcoming title: No Escapes Vol. I – Melancholic Beauty in Norwegian Landscapes

A beautiful photography/art book packed with 76 hand-picked moody photographs taken on Mid-Norway highlands during Autumn season. Each photo is accompanied by a handmade color palette, which can be used as inspiration for your design projects, sketches and paintings whether digital or traditional.
For more information, visit: http://tragicbooks.blogspot.no/p/no-e...

Hey there, how are you doing? So, it was about time to make a new blogpost :)

New Book: Dark Love
is out now, already in several stores in North America, Europe and Scandinavia (and will soon reach many more) and on the Amazon network. Available in paperback, hardcover and Kindle fixed-layout.

Watch out for the Official Blog Tour, coming very soon. Stay tuned for those news!

New Book Covers:
On the last couple of months, two new book covers/artwork I have done have been added to GoodReads! Yay! It is so much fun doing illustrations and layout for authors out there!

Both are subgenres of Fantasy. You may want to add them to your bookshelf :)

Videos:
As mentioned on the previous post, I’d start a series of quick videos, presenting some news, book releases, and answering to questions. The first two are now out:

Intro to the Quick Vid series:
Here I tell you that I hate making videos :D
https://youtu.be/o_gIDDO-8Qc

About the author Quick Vid
Here I tell you a little bit about me and my writing process :D
https://youtu.be/tIdSg3yRbGE

The video quality is cheap, though.

See you around soon again! :D

I have a Gothic Short story coming this Halloween: Eleanor's Gift. It is Victorian Gothic, like The Night of Elisa - but with more elements of Classic Gothic Horror to it.

And here is an excerpt, the story's opening.

.:Eleanor’s Gift
.:The darkness

A downpour washed the dark pointed roofs, old cobblestone roads and woods surrounding Rivercrook. The strong wind shook the plants and carried away their yellow leaves. It howled at windows and doors, scaring infants and their mothers. Lightning flashed around the town’s monuments and sculptures, distorting stone faces and casting twisted shadows.

On the old cemetery road there was not a soul to be seen, yet the shadow-play of the storm made the graves seem to dance without rhythm or grace. Soon there came a wagon, pulled by two horses running for their lives and tormented by the lashes of a mad coachman; only a mad person would dare to travel in such conditions.

Inside the wagon, in complete darkness, a lady held tightly to the bench. Her breathing was shallow, her heartbeat so strong she could feel it in her throat. The wagon rocked terribly and threw her belongings in all directions.

The wagon hurried along that road and then took an exit onto an earthy countryside bridleway, narrower than the roads across Rivercrook and much darker, as the trees grew tall on each side and formed a natural roof of branches and leaves. The only light the coachman could count upon was the faint reddish-yellow glow of his lamp. He knew they needed to make their way along the bridleway to the clearing. It wouldn’t take too long, but still he lashed the exhausted horses to run even faster.

They were almost there when the dying light flickered one last time. Now there was nothing but the darkness amidst the trees. The coachman saw the clearing when it was illuminated by lightning. Once they crossed it, it wouldn’t be long until they reached their destination, just a day or two more of harsh travel.

The terrain was uneven and soaked, making it difficult for the horses to stay on course. The storm obscured the moonlight and the frightening flashes were now resting in the clouds so the travelers could not see where they were going. The coachman was forced to slow the horses against his will. He had a calling, a duty to fulfill, and it could not wait any longer.

But the powers of nature can go with you or against you, and that night, despite having come so far – already such a great victory – nature was indeed against the struggling man. All it took was a slide of the left-hand horse to drag the other horse and the entire wagon with it, down the soft, muddy cliff that gave into the river. The horses, the coachman and the lady struggled against the darkness and the waters.
.....................
>>Anyone who subscribe to the Tragic Books' newsletter will receive a Smashwords coupon to download a free copy in their fav format (KIndle or Epub). http://tragicbooks.blogspot.no/

>>> Anyone interested in reviewing it until Halloween , drop me a message :) And I will provide you a free e-book :)

Enjoy your autumn! ^.^

Since I no longer have a book blog, I'm participating on fellow author Ben Starling's Blog Tour right here, on GoodReads!
* * *
GoodReads author Ben Starling is now publishing his new book: Something in the Water, An Ocean Romance

""""""""SYNOPSIS""""""""
What if to be with the man of your dreams…you had to give up your life? On the verge of losing her job, side-lined journalist Teal Douglas is forced to travel to the South Pacific to profile a powerful businessman. But with her almost-but-not-quite fiancé Bear discouraging her every step of the way, she may not be able to save her career or her relationship.

When corporate criminals invade paradise, Teal teams up with former boxer turned marine biologist Perry Stanley to investigate. As she discovers the true intentions behind the new fishing operations, she must either accept the plum promotion that will save her career or—with Perry—defend the island with more than her life.
""""""""EXCERPT""""""""

Something in the Water – Chapter 1 begins…
New York, September

He didn’t look like the hotel guests, the business people, or the tourists. He didn’t move like them either.

He brushed past me as I climbed off my Vespa, stilettos in hand, outside the entrance of the Waldorf Astoria. Had he smiled at the radiance of my scarlet ball gown? Or was he amused by my battered Converse sneakers?

As a valet approached to take my scooter and helmet, I spotted my boss, Malcolm, waving hello from the lobby. He was approaching the glass doors that separated us when I noticed a small wooden box on the ground. Two steps later, I had picked it up. Who could have dropped it?

No one was close by, so I turned. The only man who’d passed me was already a half block away, gliding beside the cars that waited for the lights to change at the end of the block. Was it his?

What I knew for sure was that now wasn’t the time to be tracking down the little box’s owner. I should hand it in to reception and concentrate on the evening ahead. For a few seconds, I relaxed as I studied the hotel’s confident, soaring opulence—a world unknown to me before my arrival from Nantucket four years ago. The smooth texture of the box, however, drew my thoughts back to it. Was there something valuable inside? What if it did belong to that man, and he never returned to collect it? I turned the box over—and caught my breath.

“How on earth…?”

Malcolm emerged in front of me. “Hello, darling, you look absolutely—are you okay?”
I thrust my sparkly evening shoes into his hands, and hitched up my shawl. I was about to give chase when a convertible Ferrari lurched to a stop beside me.

“Going my way, babe?” its driver shouted, over the thrum of the engine.

But my dress was redder, and I got the better start.

You can find the rest of Something in the Water, Chapter 1 at http://ben-starling.com/chapter-one/

............>>>>Something in the Water, An Ocean Romance is available on Amazon. http://bit.ly/SITWbtour2am


""""""""QUESTIONS & ANSWERS""""""""

First of all, tell us a little about yourself. If you could choose anywhere in the world as a location to write, where would it be?
By the ocean, of course! The problem is, I’d keep looking out the window, wandering along the beach, going for a swim and whatever I was writing might never get finished. So I think I’d better stay in London for now.

What excites you about writing?
When my characters grow in proportion to my readers’ expectations; when apparently unrelated plot strands join in a Gordian knot; when my writing elicits a wide range of powerful emotions; when my editor smiles.

Love is an important theme in your work. Why is it so important to you?
Many will have heard of the idea that people live either love- or fear-based lives. I hadn’t heard of this train of thought until quite recently: I began reading about it, following my partner Melisa’s death. She was the first person to have discussed it with me. It’s a fascinating idea that seems to explain many things—including why we get the political leaders, the financiers, the people in positions of authority that we end up with...who then cause many of the world’s problems.

With more love-based leadership and less decision-making based on fear, the world would surely be a more stable and happier place. In my writings, I attempt to explore possible outcomes that might be achieved with various applications of this concept.

Fear-based approaches are not de facto. Love-based conciliatory approaches are possible. We have a choice—if only we could find the way to reach a stasis with this as the generally accepted principle. It’s the transition that’s the trick, but through education, I believe this is possible.


""""""""BEN STARLING ON THE WEB""""""""
Here are some links to find Ben Starling and his work on the web:

www.amazon.com/author/benstarling

www.twitter.com/benstarlingauth

www.facebook.com/authorbenstarling

www.facebook.com/ben.starling.author

www.goodreads.com/ben-starling

www.ben-starling.com

* * *
Good luck with your new book, Ben :D

Fantasy author Nathan Barham tells about his inspiration for the locations of his series "Alora's Tear Vol. III - The Voice Like Water" - is coming for sale this 9th August! The paperback and e-book versions will be available on popular book retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and so on. Check www.barhamink.com for more info.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

* * * Locations - A Guest Post by Nathan Barham * * *
Click on the links to see pictures and more info about the real life places.

I’ve always hoped the places my characters visit feel real and lived-in. Often, I tell my students that their characters shouldn’t simply be disembodied heads floating around empty rooms. But more so than having the places feel inhabited, I want Vladvir, Tolarenz, Grafmark, and the rest to be characters that readers know and understand in the way they understand John or Brâghda, Thomas or Askon.

If Tolarenz is empty, we should feel not just Askon’s loneliness, but the loneliness of the valley itself. Grafmark should threaten and glower, irritated that our heroes dare set foot within its bounds. King’s City should go on without taking notice, bustling and busying itself with the mundane, the everyday, even as fleeting moments of the fantastic pass through its streets. --

>>>>>>> Continue reading on Illustrating Words and discover which real locations inspired the beautiful places of Fragments!



I painted this cover and the previous two of the series as well as the map :D Isn't that cool? :)

I have been very silent, but I have been working intensely on my new books :) One of them is The Picture of Dorian Gray in Quotes and Nudes a beautiful art book / coffee table book based on the original work of Oscar Wilde. With permission from CMG Worldwide, Clare Diston, Celine Frohn and I have selected 60+ quotes from the Gothic Classic and packed them in a beautiful layout, accompanied by 20 art nude painting studies.

***RELEASE DATE 24th OCTOBER***

Both editions, Paperback and Hardcover are LIMITED to 150 copies each!!! There will never be a second print of these books! The sales are numbered and on a first come, first served base.
You find it EXCLUSIVELY @ TRAGIC BOOKS WEBSITE http://tragicbooks.com/picture.html



***VIRTUAL BOOK BLITZ***
To help spread the word about this special release, RBTL READ BETWEEN THE LINES http://www.rbtlbooktours.com/ is organizing a 2-Day VIRTUAL BOOK BLITZ, on 24th and 25th October with the following blogs:

Oct 24

Read Between the Lines http://www.rbtlreviews.com/
Sabrina's Paranormal Palace http://sabrinasparanormalpalace.blogs...
My World http://xxxxmyworldxxxx.blogspot.no/
BooksChatter http://bookschatter.blogspot.no/
Books, Dreams, Life https://staceyschneller06.wordpress.com/
Tears of Crimson http://www.tearsofcrimson.com/
Ramblings of a Book Nerd http://www.booknerdramblings.com/
The Book Quarry http://thebookquarry.blogspot.no/

Oct 25
Sylv all about Books & Films http://sylv.net/
Fallen Over Book Reviews http://fallenoverbookreviews.blogspot...
Dante Eternal's Virtual Book Shelf http://chronicles75.blogspot.no/
Fabulous and Fun http://fabulousandfun.com/
Lynn's Romance Enthusiasm http://lynnromanceenthusiast.blogspot...
Silver Dagger Scriptorium http://silver-dagger-scriptorium.weeb...

Thank you for reading and I will catch up with Goodreads very soon :) Have a nice weekend!

I have been quite for some time, that’s because for the past months I have used all of my free time to work/edit and finish my upcoming novel As Cold As Thorns, to be release 28th November now :)

It was a time of marathon, and now, apart from the rush with client work and teaching arts, I am back as a reader :D I am resuming my reading of Make Me BurnMake Me Burn, by Tiffany Roberts and The Rebel's Sketchbook by Rupert Dreyfus. So I will post these reviews along this month.

I have missed reading other author’s books and I am having a great time with both of my current reads. They are highly entertaining and very recommended!

* ~ * ~ *
Exclusive giveaway for newsletter subscribers:


Some of you know, some don’t, that I brand my books under the label of “Tragic Books” - http://tragicbooks.com and I have a special giveaway now open to all my newsletter subscribers – those who are already subscribed and those who do so until 6th December. The winner will get all these cool prizes :)

Cheers and enjoy your time! I am enjoying mine here in mid-Norway at -9 C :)

So, I am slowly coming back as a reader, as mentioned on my previous blogpost. I have been very busy for the past months with work stuff and using all free time to work on As Cold As Thorns. Things are a little less stressful now, though I’m still on a rush with work.

I missed posting something more personal as means to connect with you, dear follower/friend/reader. So here goes some random (negative?) bookish thoughts and I don’t mind if you will hate me for that after reading :P :

I do judge books by covers and titles: in general I am a bit weird person and can be a bit *OCD about certain things. Cover and titles are some of them. If I don’t like the cover, I will most likely never read that book. UNLESS the author is a friend, then I will pass that. And the title, if it has words I don’t like, or sounds too trendy or vulgar, it will certainly be in the way for me reading that book as well. Unless, again, the author is a friend of mine, I will swallow the ugly/unpleasant/unoriginal title.
* as some use the expression – though it is poorly used in many cases, including this one – LOL

I hate these words in a book title: girl – rockstar* - crown – king – game – throne – city – raven – ice + fire – light – alpha – and some more I don’t remember at the moment… Added: millionaire and billionaire (Suggestion from Monique!)
*A rockstar is an artist that works in the rock music scene - now they use this term, wrongly, to describe all sorts show-off people!

Character names: If I don’t like the character name, it takes more effort for me to like the character. Or skip it all together.

I don’t like series!: Mostly because… I don’t have patience for them. If it is an extraordinary series, then I can like to read 2 or 3 books. Otherwise, I keep my distance. Exception: some comic book series. :)

First person: I am not fond of first-person POVs in general, but some authors manage to do a good job on that, I have read some great books in first-person POV.

Muscular naked/semi-naked blokes on the cover:Ahhhsh! I steer away from them! It’s like seeing an ugly, ravenous monster! (or like a Brazilian quote for something extremely ugly – "like the devil sucking a mango!") :S I think they are horrible and remind me of Neanderthals or gorillas! There are very few exceptions for that rule, and only like the characters that I paint for my clients ^.^ Ha!

Print or digital?: I like digital books for Non-Fiction that mostly text – and print for Fiction and Art / Comic Books.

GoodReads Choice Awards: Does not represent me. Never have.

…………………………………..
Now that you know some of my ***dark side*** as a reader ^.^ I’d like to talk of something else.

I’d like to giveaway free e-book copies As Cold As Thorns for any GoodReads follower that would like to read it :) There’s no limit of copies – but there is a limit of time.

You can send me a PM and request it until 24th November – Thursday.
And that’s all, folks! Have a great Sunday!

I am really happy to announce that As Cold As Thorns is now OUT for sale on Amazon, iBooks, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble and other indie shops worldwide!

More info + book preview HERE: http://tragicbooks.com/as.html

The e-book and paperback are available, while the hardcover with dustjacket may take a few days more to be out for sale.
Do you like Gothic classics? As Cold As Thorns may be a story for you!
Do you like character driven stories? You may want to read this guest post about Henrique, the lead @ Whispering Stories Blog: http://whisperingstories.com/guest-po...

Buy it/Look Inside @ Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1533467692
Buy it at an indie shop worldwide: http://tragicbooks.com/buy.html

Now, I am really curious to know how people will react to the story...

I have one brand new hardcover with dustjacket PROOF COPY of As Cold As Thorns in spare to giveaway, SIGNED and with dedicatory, together with a Norwegian chocolate to a follower.

Will you be the lucky one???

Before you think about entering the giveaway, I need to stress that this is a PROOF COPY - it means it is a version with a few glitches and not the final version out for sale, however, it is very close to the published editions, apart from the few glitches.

Here are the rules to participate:

1. Must be a follower on GoodReads OR on Twitter OR Pinterest (if you are a follower on the 3 channels... Wow! You rock!)

2. Leave a comment/reply on the giveaway thread on my GoodReads author blog - if you are participating via GoodReads

3. If you participate via Twitter or Pinterest: must retweet/repin the giveaway post/pic
Tweet: https://twitter.com/tragicbooks/statu...
Pin: https://no.pinterest.com/pin/39814642...

4. Must be from one of these locations: Scandinavia, Europe, UK

The winner will be announced on 20th December!



A lucky and awesome follower will be picked at random, I will contact the person to get his/her shipping address and send the package. :D

Thank you for the amazing support! ;)

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~


And here is the view from the window I took the book snapshots today! A beautiful winter day in Vuttudal, Norway. - See a bigger size on my blog: https://illustratingwords.blogspot.no/