Free e-books

As you know, I love to read.

If you haven't found it yet, there's a place where you can grab free fantasy and sci-fi e-books: The Baen Online Library.

Mmmm, tasty books.

Drop in. Download books. Read. It's that simple. No cash, nothing but book. Okay, so maybe the goal is to hook you on a series so you'll buy the next one. But who could say no to an entire free library?

Not me.

Especially not when I might have spent most of my weekend reading, instead of writing blog posts...

On GoodReads
The author's website

Speaking of which, I've really been enjoying Robin Hobb. I read her Liveship Trilogy last year, and just started Dragon Keeper. The books start off with a slow build, but the world is fascinating, and she's a master of converging plot arcs. The characterizations are heart-breaking but great, even the characters I wanted to strangle (and there indeed some of those). With the first trilogy, I wasn't at all sure it would end well (epic fantasy, not romance), so every time things went wrong I flailed, but the ending was satisfying. Now I can't wait to see how the Rain Wild Chronicles goes.

No promises you won't see me flailing and gnashing my teeth through this week and next, or however long it takes me to devour this set. They say writers should never stop reading, because it's good for discovering what we love in other books, and improving ourselves. I think they just can't admit writers are all too addicted to books to stop...

The phone covers turned out nice.

Into the Tides goes live tomorrow! Hurrah!

Looks nifty on a gymbag.

I've been excitedly preparing for the release, including spiffing up my website (rebekkahniles.net) and setting up a CafePress shop.

For the latter, I've made an extra design, and am thinking about adding others.

And, of course, I've been running around and squeeing, and bouncing off the walls. It's my first release. Of course I'm excited!

Wish me luck, and please feel free to pick up a copy of your own! The book is available for pre-order at Smashwords, and will be up for sale on Amazon and Barnes and Noble tomorrow.

Tone-deaf Kelly has long considered her inborn music magic to be useless. But after a disaster drowns the American South in magic, including most of her family, she discovers her “useless” magic lets her hear the voices of those lost. Now she’ll face magic itself to save them–only the attempt may cost her everyone she has left.

Heart of the Matter Anthology

Are you a writer with questions about publishing?

Our local chapter of the Romance Writers of America, the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, has put together an anthology, with contributions from New York Times best-selling authors as well as from authors in various stages of their careers.

It's called Heart of the Matter. It's priced at $2.99. You can buy it here:
Amazon buy link
Smashwords buy link
Barnes & Noble buy link


The book blurb from Amazon explains it well:

"Who do you go to for answers to your most pressing writing and publishing questions?

It’s an exciting time to dive into publishing. But writing can still be a confusing and even a lonely job. What if you had an experienced published author friend that you could call on at a moment’s notice with questions from “How do I get my characters to sound different from each other?” to “Can I expect my publisher to do that for me?”

Written by authors for authors, Heart of the Matter includes advice, anecdotes and information gathered through the hard-won experience of members of the Heart of Carolina chapter of Romance Writers of America. From the exciting beginning of your writing project to its triumphant end, this collection covers everything from the tricky creative challenges that can arise in your work-in-progress to the toughest decisions a published author has to make. Top names in the industry—including Sabrina Jefferies, Bob Meyer, Katharine Ashe, Deb Marlow, Ava Stone, Virginia Kantra and many more—share with you their secrets for smoothing out the rough spots and taking your writing career on the path to success.

Heart of the Matter is a great resource for ideas, inspiration, and practical advice. A must-have for your craft shelf.

For authors in all stages of their careers, HEART of the MATTER offers 40 articles of instruction, guidance, and encouragement from the multi-published and talented authors from HEART OF CAROLINA ROMANCE WRITERS.

With contributions by: Katharine Ashe, Nancy Lee Badger, Lisa Creech Bledsoe, Melinda Collins, Caren Crane, Andrea Dalling, Jennifer Delamere, Sonja Foust, Mari Freeman, Lilly Gayle, Sherri Hollister, Constance Hussey, KD James, Sabrina Jeffries, Samantha Kane, Virginia Kantra, Summer Kinard, Erin Knightley, Gina Lamm, Jennifer Lohmann, Elizabeth Martal, Bob Mayer, Heather McCollum, Hannah Meredith, Rebekkah Niles, Kate Parker, Lena Pierce, Emilie Rose, Reese Ryan, Laura Simcox, Ava Stone,Carol A. Strickland, Judy Teel, Andrea J. Wenger, and Sarah Winn."

Right now it's up on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. It's just over 60K words, in 40 articles.

If you're a writer and looking for a book on writing, check it out!

Official Cover Reveal!

My novel Into the Tides has a cover!

Release scheduled for this winter or early next spring--details to come!

Tone-deaf Kelly considers her inborn music magic to be mostly useless--until her stopgap control over it gives her a clue on how to collapse the bubble of wild magic enveloping the American South and its millions of people, including all of her own family except her twin brother. The catch? To do so, she'll have to enter the magic herself. That's something neither her twin brother nor her kitchen-invading, green-eyed neighbor Derik will let her try alone, since failing means becoming one of the lost, and they're not about to lose her. Trying to save everyone might just cost her everything she has left.
 

This amazing cover was put together thanks to Samantha Collins and her incredible Photoshop skills.

(If you're looking for some Photoshop cover help of your own, you can inquire about rates at collinssamanthac@gmail.com).

Free eBook!

Remember that interview with James Hutchings? Self-published author of The New Death and Others and Two-Fisted Tweets?

The New Death and Others is currently on Amazon special for free, if you'd like to drop by this week and download it. ;)