Let's Play Catch-Up

Hello, all.
No, I didn't die, though I have been absent for quite a bit. Various things going on in my personal life have kept me busy and I honestly haven't been reading as much of late. So in this post, I will share the few indie books I have read since April. 
Before I get to that, let me plug my newest release that hit the market in July. Tantalizing Tales of the Horrific and Fantastic is a collection of short stories that span various genres.

Here is the blurb and buy links:
Sink your teeth into this book of fantastical short stories that will leave you wanting more. This collection mixes fantasy, science fiction, horror, and more into one big boiling pot of tastiness. Stories may include princesses, talking birds, alien species, magical items, terrifying creatures, cyborgs, or assassins. You’ll get your fill of thrills and chills.
BUY LINKS: Universal link - Amazon - Goodreads - Books2Read


Now on to the indie books!

Valkyrie on Planet Fury
by Lynne Murray

Rating: 5 Stars

Review:
Lynne Murray knocks it out of the park again!
It had been a while since I read the first book Gravitas: Valkyrie in the Forbidden Zone. I had almost forgotten what an amazing storyteller this author is but two pages in and it all came rushing back. Her memorable characters. Her own sci-fi take on various mythologies. Her amazing building of complex societies. Everything about this book makes it such a pleasure to read.
Though there are some editing issues, the storytelling shines through as we are whisked away on another edge-of-your-seat adventure with Sybil, our favorite oddball from Planet Valkyrie. Tension, romance, devious plots, and sexy fun are in store. We even meet Medusa!
I highly recommend this one.

American Darkness
by Garrison Kelly

Rating: 3 Stars

Review:
If you're looking for a collection of short stories where everyone is pissed off all the time, look no further. Each story certainly delves into the darkness of humankind, showing how unreasonable and crazy some people can be. Though most of the characters are over-the-top and violence is the word of the day, there is usually a happy-ish ending in store. Be sure to listen to some angry screamo while reading this one!

Once Upon a Fabulous Time
Various Authors

Rating: 4 Stars

Review:
Here are a bunch of random fairy tale stories from various authors put together nicely in one anthology. Though I still didn't see how each story tied into the main story throughout, I enjoyed this book more than expected. I have to say that both Aliya DalRae stories were my favorite of the bunch. "Where Darkness Lies" by Joanna Van Leerdam was my next favorite. Their stories were the strongest and best written.
Though some of the other stories were okay, my least favorite was Mr. Wizardo. There was confusing head-hopping as well as scene jumping that would jolt me out of the story. To be honest, I skipped the rest of the story after Chapter Two. The author's need to slap the reader in the face with a Wizard of Oz reference in every single paragraph got really old really fast, especially when most references didn't come across as making any sense.
Overall, a nice collection with a few tales I wouldn't mind seeing fleshed out into novel length stories.

Ghostly Writes 2017
by Various Authors

Rating: 3 Stars 

Review:
An entertaining collection of short stories. Only a few of the stories were scary, though all contained some aspect of the supernatural. My favorite stories were "A Grave Business" by Michael Lynes and "The Big Escape" by Marjorie Hembroff.

 Happy reading, all!

Hollow Hills, A New Publisher

Hello faithful readers and fellow book lovers!
I wanted to tell everyone about a new publishing company for independent authors. Hollow Hills, LLC. was co-founded by my friend Aurora Styles and myself as a place for authors whose works might be considered too "different" for traditional publishers. We don't believe in formula writing or writing by the numbers. We are looking for stories without all the usual tropes. We want original. We want unique. We want fantasy!

Though we do specialize in fantasy and all it's sub-genres, we will also consider horror, romance, mythology, and erotica. The most important thing to us is the story itself. Are the characters three-dimensional? Does the story reach down inside and pull out all those feels? Do the vivid setting details make you feel like you are really there? Does the story not fit neatly into one genre? Then we are interested!

For those indie authors who prefer self-publishing, we offer services that are vital to creating a sell-able product. As some of you may know, I have been a paid beta reader for a few years now and I am bringing my experience to Hollow Hills.
Aurora instructs Composition 101 and Freelance Writing. She also holds an MFA in Creative Writing. She has experience editing papers and manuscripts full-time. So if you need a beta reader or editor, we've got you covered.

Two other services we offer through our company are the sales of pre-made book covers, and extra promotional services for authors. We have a variety of choices for book covers and we guarantee that any sold will never be sold again. Hollow Hills understands that most authors work other jobs and may not have the time to promote their books. We offer affordable services that include daily posts on social media accounts and posts on blogs.

To start our company off with a bang, we have decided to publish an anthology later this year. This collection of short stories and/or poetry will give new authors a chance to shine. All royalties earned from the sales of the anthology will go towards a charity. We are still in talks about which charity, but it will be one that involves the theme of the stories.

This first anthology will be titled "Still Standing" and the stories will involve a protagonist who has undergone some kind of ill treatment from a person in power, whether they were abused, harassed, fired, dismissed, etc. The antagonist can be a boss, co-worker, evil overlord, whatever you would like. The story can be a revenge story, but the main theme is empowerment and the healing process. The victim came through and is standing on their own two (or more) feet. Again, though we specialize in fantasy, we would gladly consider horror or romance submissions.
For more information on the submission guidelines, please visit our blog on our website here: www.hollowhillsbooks.com

Be sure to stop by and see what our company can do for you, independent author!