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Wolves and War by Candy Rae Wolves and War by Candy Rae Aug. 02, 2010 122347 words Read a sample
Author bio:
Candy lives in Ayrshire, Scotland with her family and two four year old cats who still think they are kittens. She has been a fan of fantasy fiction (and sci-fi as long as it isn't too technical) since her first year at university when a friend introduced her to talking dragons. She started to write on Christmas Day 2003 when she sat down and planned out her first book which (after many revisions) became the first book in the Planet Wolf Series, Wolves and War. Candy works in accountancy, scribbles words in amongst the figures and carries a notebook everywhere she goes (in which she writes down ideas and stories). She has been known to drive off the motorway, park the car in the first available safe spot and write for an hour or more. Candy writes her books in British English. Originally a language of mainland Europe, through the centuries it evolved in England and Southern Scotland before spreading around the world. Added to the basic standards, many national versions are recognised, including American English and British English, which have some grammatical differences and a number of spelling differences.
Sapphire of the Fairies (Sword of Heavens #1) by Richard S. Tuttle Sapphire of the Fairies (Sword of Heavens #1) by Richard S. Tuttle March 22, 2009 122327 words Read a sample
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eBook Reviews Weekly called Richard “…one of this century's leading authors of innovative fantasy tales." Molly Martin calls him “…a skillful weaver of tales.” Richard has this to say, “Making the transition from President of a computer consulting firm servicing Fortune 500 companies to the reclusive life of creating new worlds is not as difficult a task as one would imagine. Both require organization, patience, and a vision of what is possible.” Richard S. Tuttle accomplishes this transition in a dramatic way with the release of over twenty novels dealing with three entirely created worlds. The Forgotten Legacy Series evolves around a continent comprised of three countries with widely diverse cultures. The Targa Trilogy, Sword of Heavens series, and the Demonstone Chronicles deal not only with a diverse world, but widely varied universes as well. His ability to create a believable world and unique characters is already drawing a following of readers.
Deviations: Destiny by Elissa Malcohn Deviations: Destiny by Elissa Malcohn Nov. 30, 2009 122170 words Read a sample
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Elissa Malcohn's novelette "Lazuli" (Asimov's, Nov. 1984) made her a 1985 John W. Campbell Award finalist for best new science fiction writer of the year. Her short story "Moments of Clarity" (Full Spectrum, Bantam, 1988) reached preliminary ballot for the 1989 Nebula Awards. Commenting on "Moments of Clarity" in his review of Full Spectrum in the November, 1988, Out of This World Tribune, Bruce D. Arthurs wrote, "This one story is worth the price of the entire book." Elissa's work also appears in publications that won awards in 2009. IPPY Silver Medalist Riffing on Strings: Creative Writing Inspired by String Theory (Scriblerus Press) contains her story "Arachne" (originally published in Aboriginal Science Fiction, Dec. 1988). Bram Stoker Award winner Unspeakable Horror: From the Shadows of the Closet (Dark Scribe Press) contains her story "Memento Mori." Her story "Hermit Crabs" in Hugo Award winner Electric Velocipede (#14) and her novelette "Flotsam" in Asimov's (Oct./Nov. 2009) made the recommended reading list in The Year's Best Science Fiction, 26th and 27th Annual Collections, respectively. Elissa's work has appeared in dozens of publications since the 1970s. Covenant, the first volume of her Deviations series, was originally published by the now-defunct Aisling Press in 2007. Elissa edited Star*Line, the journal of the Science Fiction Poetry Association, from 1986-88 and was a four-time Rhysling Award nominee for best speculative poetry of the year. Outside the genre, Elissa won first prize in the Woodview Coffee House 2010 song-writing contest. Member, Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Science Fiction Poetry Association, Broad Universe, more. Proud participant, Operation E-Book Drop, Books For Soldiers, and Shadow Forest Authors.
Mayne Attraction: In The Spotlight by Ann Mauren Mayne Attraction: In The Spotlight by Ann Mauren April 17, 2010 122132 words Read a sample
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Ann Mauren was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky and now resides in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband and two young sons, within earshot of the King’s Island Railway, the author’s favorite attraction at the ride’s namesake amusement park.
Bombardirovka by Crystal Allene Cook Bombardirovka by Crystal Allene Cook May 30, 2009 122103 words Read a sample
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In 2004 – 05 I spent a year on a creative writing Fulbright to Armenia. A couple of years later I shopped around Bombardirovka, the novel I began while there, hearing from several agents how much they liked it, but that they couldn’t determine its “market.” So that led me to believe I could do what they couldn’t: I could give it away. The most important things to me about Bombardirovka have always been that it keeps its integrity....and finds a readership. So a little while back I gave away 500 “unfinished” art house copies, generously designed and painted upon by 20 painters. That same evening 140 artists generously donated their work... all to raise money and awareness for Doctors Without Borders. So, now at Smashwords, Bombardirovka continues. It is under a Creative Commons license, which means it can be copied and shared, as long as that is not done for profit. So, that’s a little about Bombardirovka’s journey, now a little about me: I am a self-described "hillbilly-New-Yorker-Angelina." Currently I am Virginia Tech pursuing a doctorate in Science & Technology Studies, with a focus on communities in economic decline. Along with a degree in history from Barnard, I have an MST from the New School in New York City and an MFA in Writing from Antioch LA. My creative work has appeared in the US in Shenandoah, the Flint Hills Review, the Southeast Review, Ararat, and online in CARVE, southernhum, and the Hamilton Stone Review, etc. Thanks again to everyone who has helped me along the way!
Razzle Dazzle by Robert Blair Kaiser Razzle Dazzle by Robert Blair Kaiser March 09, 2012 121836 words Read a sample
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Reporter for The New York Times, prize-winning foreign correspondent (for Time) and, later, for Newsweek in Rome, journalism chairman at the Univ. of Nevada Reno, author of 13 published books and one prize-winning musical comedy.
they say the owl was a baker's daughter: four existential noirs by they say the owl was a baker's daughter: four existential noirs by KUBOA Aug. 31, 2011 121451 words Read a sample
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Going Home by Rebecca Abbott Miller Going Home by Rebecca Abbott Miller Feb. 21, 2011 120897 words Read a sample
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The Guild of Fallen Clowns by Francis Xavier The Guild of Fallen Clowns by Francis Xavier Aug. 18, 2011 120894 words Read a sample
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To learn more about the author, please visit his blog at The Guild of Fallen Clowns website.
Peter And The Vampires (Volume One) by Darren Pillsbury Peter And The Vampires (Volume One) by Darren Pillsbury May 10, 2011 120855 words Read a sample
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The Wicked Heroine by Jasmine Giacomo The Wicked Heroine by Jasmine Giacomo June 01, 2010 120816 words Read a sample
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Jasmine Giacomo writes from Washington State, where she lives with her husband and two small children. She graduated last millennium with a B.A. in English Literature from a college built atop a volcano, where she began crafting her first novel-length stories. Though she's been writing since the age of four, she also enjoys geocaching, history, science and games, and holds a black belt in Danzan Ryu Jujitsu. She particularly enjoys reading and writing fight scenes. Jasmine has various short stories published in print and online, links to which can be found at Smashwords, B&N, Kobo, Sony, Apple, Amazon, and her blog. Become a fan of Jasmine on Facebook and get exclusive short fiction, sneak peeks at upcoming e-book releases, and an inside look into the indie author world.
Evanescent Part I: Mortal by Kristen Portillo Evanescent Part I: Mortal by Kristen Portillo Sep. 26, 2011 120757 words Read a sample
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Kristen Portillo is a 26 year old mom to two small girls. Quirky, sarcastic, politically interested and religiously committed, she spends her free time writing her books and playing with her children. She lives in Vancouver (not British Columbia) where she derives most of the setting inspiration for her novels. Special thanks to linh.ngân for allowing the use of "Fallen Angel" as Evanescent's book cover.
Root by A. Sparrow Root by A. Sparrow Feb. 11, 2012 120457 words Read a sample
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I'm an independent writer/musician/scientist with a bad attitude. My novels skirt the edge of reality and fantasy, exploring themes as diverse as musical alchemy, strangers in strange lands, dysfunctional gods and corporate evil. My characters are weak and imperfect, the plots and situations unlike any you've ever encountered. I have no ambition but to write more and better novels.
The Tree Goddess: a novel of mystery and macabre by Tom Raimbault The Tree Goddess: a novel of mystery and macabre by Tom Raimbault July 30, 2010 120344 words Read a sample
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Tom Raimbault resides in the Chicago land area with his wife and two daughters. When not writing, he works as a lab technician at a telecommunications company and is self-described on his resume as a “technology professional” who has worked with cellular & IP infrastructure, biomedical equipment, emergency two-way radios and computer hardware. Tom began to produce weird writings back in 2000 while working the graveyard shift. The nightly edits were emailed to a small collection of coworkers who looked forward to something unusual to keep them awake or humored. This practice was ended when he was moved to a different shift. Sadly, his enjoyment of writing was forgotten for several years, until the autumn of 2007, when old friends received a “blast from the past” email with the recognizable words, “Hello All”. The strange writings and short stories had resumed and a personal website was soon to follow. In autumn of 2009, Tom published his first book, Freaked out Horror (a collection of short stories). The work has been temporarily unpublished and will be re-released in 2011 with many additions, revisions and improvements. Check out his website that includes the blog at: http://sites.google.com/site/tomraimbaultwritings/ Tom is always open to new friends on Facebook where he shares photos from his nature hikes, family vacations and any random thoughts throughout the day. Feel free to request him as a friend on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/#/profile.php?ref=profile&id=100000526443534
Stealing Flowers by Edward St Amant Stealing Flowers by Edward St Amant Nov. 09, 2009 119528 words Read a sample
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E A St Amant is the author of How to Increase the Volume of the Sea Without Water, Dancing in the Costa Rican Rain and Stealing Flowers.
Soul Bonds Book 1 Circles of Light series by E.M. Sinclair Soul Bonds Book 1 Circles of Light series by E.M. Sinclair March 29, 2012 119157 words Read a sample
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The Phoenix Conspiracy by Richard L. Sanders The Phoenix Conspiracy by Richard L. Sanders May 12, 2011 119144 words Read a sample
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Please visit http://www.richardlsanders.com for more information about the author and his writings.
To The Stars by Thomas Stone To The Stars by Thomas Stone March 29, 2010 119014 words Read a sample
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Indie Author Thomas C. Stone developed a fascination for science fiction early in life, reading most of the modern-day masters by fourteen years of age. As a student, Stone studied writing, classical literature, philosophy, linguistics, and computer science. To support his writing, he has worked as a teacher, technical writer, systems analyst, martial arts instructor, and various other odd jobs. Additionally, Stone has completed a dozen novels primarily in the science fiction genre and, by his own admission, is more interested in the depiction of characters under stressful and extraordinary settings. Stone’s take on the world can be observed in his blog, http://northtexasdrifter.blogspot.com.
whither Willow? by Peter Ponzo whither Willow? by Peter Ponzo June 18, 2011 118858 words Read a sample
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http://www.gummy-stuff.org/index-me.htm
Dual Identity by Esther Minskoff Dual Identity by Esther Minskoff Feb. 04, 2012 118685 words Sample 20%
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My life is split. The first part (the majority) was spent as a Professor of Special Education at James Madison University where I trained teachers to work with students with disabilities. I wrote two professional books. I authored "Teaching Reading to Struggling Learners," and co-authored "Academic Success Strategies for Adolescents with Learning Disabilities and ADHD" which has been translated into French and Korean. Upon retirement, I began writing novels which is more taxing intellectually than writing textbooks, and much more fun. There's just no way to include sex scenes in a book on teaching reading! However, the thought of my children reading such scenes is a bit worrisome. I have completed two novels, the first "Dirty Genes" has just been published by the miraculous technology afforded by Smashwords. My second book "Dual Identity" is now available through Smashwords also.
Metamorphosis by Huda Ab Rahman Metamorphosis by Huda Ab Rahman Dec. 29, 2009 118604 words Read a sample
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Hello! I am the author of Metamorphosis, the first installment in the Welcome to the World of Freaks series. I have so much fun writing and figuring out ways to conclude the mystery, so I hope you will experience the same thing! Hopefully, I could publish the second book soon, so keep an eye on that! Feel free to contact me on Twitter, and tell me your opinion about my book! And tell me who's your favorite character as well! If you want to learn more about me, just simply visit my blog! From the deep of my heart, I thank you with much gratitude for reading my book, and reading my profile! Much love to all of you. :)
Grave Danger by K.E. Rodgers Grave Danger by K.E. Rodgers Aug. 18, 2010 118419 words Read a sample
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K.E. Rodgers is a Florida native. To escape from real life obligations she loves to create unusual stories set in her beloved state. Most of her ideas come to her while in the car with the music turned up very loud. Writing is a new and enjoyable outlet that she hopes to continue for a very long time. Ms. Rodgers likes to hear from her fans. If you live in Florida or are planning a visit to St. Augustine you might see her. She'll be the one in dark sunglasses...like everyone else.
Slow Curve on the Coquihalla by R.E. Donald Slow Curve on the Coquihalla by R.E. Donald Sep. 05, 2011 118204 words Read a sample
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R.E. Donald worked for Alltrans Express in the late 80's, and began writing the Hunter Rayne highway mystery series in the mid 90's. Now, being semi-retired, was the time to return to the series. The first novel, "Slow Curve on the Coquihalla", was first released as an ebook in September 2011, and was followed by "Ice on the Grapevine" in November 2011. Ruth is at work on a third novel in the series.
Szent Johanna Gimi - III. Egyedül by Jasmin Fath Szent Johanna Gimi - III. Egyedül by Jasmin Fath March 17, 2012 117999 words Read a sample
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Dreamwalker - The Ballad of Sir Benfro: Vol.1 by James Oswald Dreamwalker - The Ballad of Sir Benfro: Vol.1 by James Oswald March 08, 2012 117866 words Read a sample
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James began writing comic scripts because he couldn't think of anything better to do. Since then he has written prose in many genres, from SF and Fantasy, through urban fantasy and thrillers on into crime. Natural Causes, his first adventure with Edinburgh-based Detective Inspector McLean, was short-listed for the CWA Debut Dagger in 2007. Its sequel, The Book of Souls was short-listed in 2008. Down the years, James has held a bewildering number of jobs to feed his writing addiction, from international carriage driving competition course builder to web application designer for agricultural research. Nowadays he can be found roaming the hills of North East Fife, where he farms 350 acres, raising Highland Cattle and Romney Sheep.
Streams Of Yesterday by W.H. Harrod Streams Of Yesterday by W.H. Harrod Jan. 07, 2012 117762 words Read a sample
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The Son Can Dream by Mike Cruz The Son Can Dream by Mike Cruz Aug. 24, 2011 117761 words Read a sample
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Dominus Noctis (El señor de la noche) by M.C. Mendoza Dominus Noctis (El señor de la noche) by M.C. Mendoza Jan. 01, 2011 117371 words Read a sample
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Lunara: Seth and Chloe by Wyatt Davenport Lunara: Seth and Chloe by Wyatt Davenport June 17, 2011 117286 words Read a sample
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Wyatt Davenport was born in 1977 in Kingston, Ontario, and grew up in London, Ontario, and Atlanta, Georgia. He currently lives in Colorado Springs with his wife Colleen and their two Siberian Huskies. He has a computer science degree from the University of Western Ontario. An avid fan of science fiction and fantasy, Wyatt is inspired by authors like Timothy Zahn, Michael Crichton, Robert Aspirin, and J. R. R. Tolkien.
Le Patriarche - Le Premier Monde - À la Recherche d'un Dieu by Florent Villard Le Patriarche - Le Premier Monde - À la Recherche d'un Dieu by Florent Villard Dec. 15, 2011 116808 words Read a sample
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Little Boy Blue by Harper Kingsley Little Boy Blue by Harper Kingsley June 15, 2011 116729 words Read a sample
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Harper Kingsley is a science fiction and fantasy author living Washington State with her young nephew and Kahluah, a Labrador retriever/husky mix. She enjoys writing and hopes that readers enjoy the characters and plots she creates. ~~~~ She also writes mm romance under the pen name Sol Crafter
Syndrome by Thomas Hoover Syndrome by Thomas Hoover Aug. 20, 2010 116612 words Read a sample
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Live in New York City. Have published nine books. All available from Smashwords or my web site.
Even They Have Secrets by Adrienne Baldwin Even They Have Secrets by Adrienne Baldwin May 01, 2012 116526 words Read a sample
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I am 28 years old and currently live in Birmingham, Alabama. I recently finished my Masters in Social Work and am moving to Phoenix, Arizona to complete my PhD. I have been writing since 5th grade and attended my first writer's conference for elementary and middle school children. Most of my time was spent writing poetry and short stories but I always wanted to write a novel. But I never had the time. Then I was fired from a job I hated and a few weeks later my father surprised me with a laptop. I believe that was the universe telling me I no longer had an excuse to put off my dream. Writing will always be a major part of my life and I hope to keep publishing novels until my fingers are too brittle to move. I hope you enjoy my work and please feel free to give feedback. The worst thing I can do as a writer is remain stagnant in my skills. Your advice and criticism can help me continue to develop and continue telling stories you want to hear.
Are You Positive? by Stephen Davis Are You Positive? by Stephen Davis Oct. 03, 2010 116401 words Read a sample
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In his sixty-five years, Stephen Davis has been (in chronological order) one of the co-creators of "Up With People," a Physician’s Assistant in the U.S. Army (Vietnam vet), a commercial airline pilot, an Arizona State Senator, an Aide to L. Ron Hubbard in the Church of Scientology, President of an international management consulting firm (WISE), Director of Development and professor at Sherman College of Straight Chiropractic, computer software designer, horse whisperer, and captain of a whale and dolphin research ship. He is the author of a number of books and won the George Washington Medal of Honor from Freedoms Foundation for his published article, "The Government Versus the Economy." In his own words… Like you, and many others, I’ve spent a lot of time in my life trying to find answers to some very simple questions:  Who am I?  Where did I come from?  How did I get here?  What am I doing here?  Why is my life the way it is? My personal quest began at age nineteen when I went to work with Edgar Cayce’s son at the Association for Research and Enlightenment in Virginia Beach. I took the opportunity to study as many of Cayce’s “readings” as I could from their original transcripts. From there I went deeper into parapsychological and psychic research, meeting and talking with such notables (at the time) as Dr. J.B. Rhine, who founded the first parapsychology lab at Duke University; Ruth Montgomery ("A Search for Truth"); and Lynn Schroeder and Sheila Ostrander ("Psychic Discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain"). By the time I reached my twenty-fifth birthday, I owned a theosophical library of several thousand books. In the next decade I would become a personal “Aide” to L. Ron Hubbard in the Church of Scientology and achieve “OT6” status. By the time I turned forty-five, I had also dabbled in "A Course in Miracles," Urantia, Eckankar, channeling, Kundalini Yoga, meditation, Numerology, astrology, Tai Chi, Focusing, and Rosicrucianism. I read all the “Seth” books, along with Walsch's "Conversations with God" and Sitchin’s "Earth Chronicles." I attended numerous self-help seminars and workshops, tried "The Secret," listened to Abraham, watched "What the Bleep Do We Know," and learned everything I could from Peter Marshall, John Bradshaw, Sai Baba, Krishnamurti, Deepak Chopra, Eckart Tolle, and others. I even studied conventional religions — Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. — and at one time planned on becoming an Episcopal priest. In the end I still couldn’t find a satisfactory answer to even one of my simple questions — at least not an answer that worked well enough for me and everyone else to create a happy and fulfilling life on a continuous and daily basis. But I knew there had to be some grain of truth in most of these spiritual philosophies — sometimes well hidden and hard to get at, but some truth none the less. Yet no single philosophy or practice or technique worked for very long, or satisfied me, or produced the kind of life I longed for or believed was possible. Something was just a little “off” in every one of them that seemed like it wasn’t really true, and made both the “old-age” and “new-age” theories come up short. So I kept searching, putting together a giant jigsaw puzzle, using pieces from everything I had learned along this spiritual journey; and I began to scout a new path toward serenity of being. I now have those answers I so desperately needed and wanted, and the jigsaw puzzle is virtually finished. The result is my latest book, "Butterflies Are Free To Fly: A New and Radical Approach to Spiritual Evolution."
Microcosmia by Ron Sanders Microcosmia by Ron Sanders Dec. 12, 2010 116118 words Read a sample
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L.A. based author and illustrator, cynic and skeptic, atheist and misanthrope; funny guy for those with strong stomachs. Charitable to a fault. Single, childless, rootless; sold his soul to the Muse of poetry at an early age. Staple diet of carnitas, beer, and Tylenol. Favorite color: invisible. Never met father, ditched mother on eighteenth birthday. No friends except for an old sock puppet named Shut Up. Suicide runs in family. But not me, man. Not me.
Traitor Blade by Richard Crawford Traitor Blade by Richard Crawford Feb. 20, 2011 115967 words Read a sample
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I have been working on Traitor Blade for several years. As it is very long it seemed best to break it down into separate books, which I hope to publish close together. I am working on book three (preview of the first chapter is up on my blog if you want to stop by and say hello). Book three will complete this series though I might write more in the same world. I have tried to find the right place to end each book; my apologies if I have not got it quite right. I would very much like to receive reviews and would like to thank readers who have taken time to comment.
The Servant by Delaney Scott The Servant by Delaney Scott Sep. 25, 2011 115759 words Read a sample
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Edward - Interactive by Mike Voyce Edward - Interactive by Mike Voyce April 02, 2012 115738 words Sample 20%
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Proud father of a very able daughter, fortunate husband of a wonderful wife. Solicitor (as described in EDWARD), Teacher (of Law and Psychology), now retired. An unnatural state of idleness which gives time to write THE TRUTH ABOUT HISTORY. It is time I opened my mind to readers, on reincarnation, the nature of reality, other worlds (past and present) we all have shared or can share. EDWARD is the first instalment.
Witch's Bell Book One by Odette C. Bell Witch's Bell Book One by Odette C. Bell Jan. 30, 2012 115627 words Read a sample
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I started out writing on FictionPress (pen name: Scrabble Cat), and I still upload there today. I am currently working on another book in the Modern Gods Series (of which Details, Details, Details - available for free download - is the first). I should be uploading it by the end of May. I can be reached via my FictionPress account, if anyone has any questions or suggestions :) Happy reading!
In Over Her Head by Elsie Russell In Over Her Head by Elsie Russell March 03, 2012 115556 words Read a sample
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Elsie Russell was born in 1956 in Nevers, France, of French and American parents. Her mother, Andrée Déscharnes, was a traditional painter of still lifes, as well as a textile designer for the ancient French line of Nobilis in Paris, and later with Gloria Bucé in New York where she specialized in intricate floral and botanical wallpapers and fabrics. Déscharnes got her artistic training first in Nevers, then went on to become a wartime graduate of the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts of Paris. Elsie Russell's father, Alfred Russell, was also a painter, who began his career as an abstract expressionist, gaining recognition on both sides of the Atlantic in the early post war years. Beginning in the Fifties, dissatisfied with the direction abstraction was going in with its recent commercialization and alienation from the human condition, he switched to a figurative style inspired by the art of Hellenistic Greece as well as that of Picasso of the Twenties. He had been studying for a doctorate at Columbia University under art historian Margarete Bieber and the study of Greek art and thought opened up new avenues for understanding the modern dilemma. Russell became an important member of the art scene at this time, as a member of "the Club", frequented by Wilhelm De Kooning, Ad Reinhardt, Mark Rothko, and particularly, Stanley William Hayter of Atelier 17 in Paris and New York, where Russell was immersed in a dynamic that would shape the rest of the century. Alfred Russell's new direction towards figuration quickly brought a rift with many of this circle of artists and his influence shifted to a more esoteric group, the new figurative artists coming out of New York, many coming out of Alfred Russell's legendary courses at Brooklyn College, CUNY, where he would teach for the next twenty-five years. Here, he helped restore the traditional program, reviving the study of anatomy, and adding the drawing of sculpture and the copying old master paintings in museums to the established training. The Russell home was an atelier itself, with two working artists, incoming students, artists from all walks of life and Andree made sure to guide her daughter as early as possible with the basic foundations for drawing, seeing form and color. Alfred took Elsie, as well as his students, to the museums for advance study sessions, drawing from sculpture and understanding the elements of the great painting techniques and elements of composition and expression. In Paris, he would go to Atelier 17 and make copper engravings and etchings with Hayter and show his daughter the basics of the burin, dry point etching, preparing the paper, inking and using the press. Once again, immersing in the atelier system. Another factor that runs through the life of the Russell family is the connection to Salvador Dali, through his relationship to Andrée's brother, the photographer and art book writer Robert Désharnes, who was the lifelong biographer and secretary to this stellar artist. Both Andrée and Elsie had continuous contact with the master, working with him in Spain and New York and getting casual instruction and advice from him in art as well as philosophy and even science. Elsie spent her adolescence mostly in Italy, first with her parents and some of Alfred's students, then when Alfred and then Andrée became ill, Elsie was enrolled at St Stephen's boarding school in Rome, where she graduated in 1974. Elsie attended the Baudry Atelier Préparatoire aux Ecoles d'Arts in Paris, and studied anatomy and life drawing with Robert Beverly Hale at the Art Student's League of New York. Elsie also attended Pratt Institute, then worked as gallery assistant and manager for two New York galleries, Tatischeff Galleries on 57th Street and Alexander Milliken Gallery on Prince Street, Soho. It was during this period that Elsie, who continued her studies independently, realized that now that her father was no longer teaching, there were no American Beaux Arts Atelier- type academies where a complete discipline could be followed. Elsie, with Alfred's Brooklyn College colleague Milet Andrejevic and Alfred's student Edward Schmidt, laid the groundwork for a New York Ecole des Beaux Arts which was to later become the New York Academy of Art in 1982. This dream came into being thanks to the efforts of collector and philanthropist Stuart Pivar and an elite group of American art historians and museum professionals such as David B. Lawall of the Bayley Museum in Charlottesville, VA, and Prof. Albert Boime of UCLA, author of The Academy and French Painting in the Nineteenth Century. One thing Elsie wanted to include in this new school was to have, along with large Academy classes, a focus on on smaller intensive atelier type classes with close supervision and collaboration with the teacher to set a working discipline as example beyond an academic environment, just as Elsie had had during her formative years. She emphasized this approach during her time as teacher for the NY Drawing Association and later in NYAA. Also, this approach emphasizes a freer creativity, away from the encroachment of stale, narrow academic boundaries, a crucial personal stylistic formation that is today a modern necessity. In 1983, after her work founding the New York Academy, Elsie Russell, at 25 had her first one person exhibit at the Bayley Museum in Charlottesville -- the first non-university diploma carrying artist to do so. The exhibit filled the large central room of the Thomas Jefferson designed museum and was surrounded on all sides with masterpieces of American 18th and 19th century neo-classicism. Shortly thereafter Elsie settled in New Orleans, Lousiana, where she painted an 18 foot mural for the French quarter mansion of Dr. Brobson Lutz, and regularly worked on commissioned portraits and small works as well as continuing her explorations into a modern interpretation of pre-classical and classical mythological themes. This led to the 1987 Boise Gallery of Art, Idaho, exhibit, Modern Myths:Classical Renewal, that went on to tour the Northwest. (Yellowstone Art Enter, Billings Montana, Washington Sate University Museum of Art in Pullman and Mills College Art Gallery, Oakland California.) In 1988 Elsie Russell relocated back to New York, where she became involved in the figurative painting revival happening there, and in 1995, in the development of the Internet with a web museum and in writing articles and organizing web involvement for the new figuration with an exhibit and general awareness. Exhibiting regularly until 2000, Elsie then added fiction to her interests with a novel, In Over Her Head, completed in 2007 that was an Amazon Fiction competition Semifinalist out of thousands of entries. In 2010, Elsie Russell returned to her motherland of France to establish her life in Avignon, France, a long held dream. There she paints in a large 15th century studio in what was a building that was the stables of the nearby palace of Good King Rene (1409-1480), Comte de Provence, king of Naples, Jerusalem and Aragon, who was himself a great Renaissance humanist and art patron. Across the street is the site of the Chapelle Ste. Clare, where the poet Petrarch met his true but unrequited love, Laura, and launched the Humanist Renaissance in Europe.
Gettin' Paid by J. Lewis Celeste Gettin' Paid by J. Lewis Celeste Dec. 26, 2011 115345 words Read a sample
Author bio:
J. Lewis Celeste was born in Washington Heights, New York City on June 11th, 1970. He has written "Gettin' Paid", a fictional urban novel about crime and choices made in the ghettos of America. He is also the author of the short story, "A Wake of Vultures"- a tale that takes place in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Feel free to contact J. Lewis Celeste through his e-mail or Facebook page. Gettin' Paid cover art work courtesy of Kris Dunham. Graffiti by J. Lewis Celeste If you wish to purchase a paperback copy of "Gettin' Paid" feel free send an e-mail to jlceleste@gmail.com
Sissy! by Tom Mach Sissy! by Tom Mach July 16, 2011 115334 words Read a sample
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Tom Mach wrote two successful historical novels, Sissy! and All Parts Together, both of which have won rave reviews and were listed among the 150 best Kansas books in 2011.Sissy! won the J. Donald Coffin Memorial Book Award while All Parts Together was a viable entrant for the 2007 Pulitzer Prize Award. He also wrote a collection of short stories entitled Stories To Enjoy which received positive reviews. Tom has two other novels which appear as E-books: An Innocent Murdered and Advent. His poetry collection, The Uni Verse, won the 2008 Nelson Poetry Book Award. In addition to winning poetry awards from Kansas Authors Club, Tom was a finalist in a nationwide Writer’s Digest Awards competition.
AmerIndian 2192 by J. Scott Garibay AmerIndian 2192 by J. Scott Garibay Jan. 25, 2011 114964 words Read a sample
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Philadelphia science-fiction writer J. Scott Garibay is the author of the standalone novel “Amerindian 2192” and the standalone novel “Gamers Gate”.
Big Book of Smut by Gia Blue Big Book of Smut by Gia Blue Dec. 17, 2011 114800 words Read a sample
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Gia Blue writes smut because she's been cursed with an unbelievably dirty mind. Every erotic thought has her putting pen to paper and then releasing the stories to all of the naughty people in the world. A self-proclaimed whore, nympho and ex-stripper now that she's traded her pole for a Mac. She's embarked on an important mission to convert everyone who reads her books into jolly, one-handed readers. She'd shake your hand, but it looks like you're busy.
The Sunwright Chronicles: Empire at War (Second Edition) by Kevin Villegas The Sunwright Chronicles: Empire at War (Second Edition) by Kevin Villegas July 04, 2011 114767 words Read a sample
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I have been writing for as long as I can remember. My ongoing series "The Sunwright Chronicles." Is a culmination of fifteen years of creating a unique living world with a rich history. I am currently writing the second book in the series. The first book of the series "Empire at War," is currently in productin status. Besides writing I enjoy computer gaming, reading, watching the history and science channels. My favorite activity is hanging out with my awesome family :). Please feel free to visit my blog and comment. http://thesunwrightchronicles.wordpress.com/
The Day's Vanity, The Night's Remorse by Angus Brownfield The Day's Vanity, The Night's Remorse by Angus Brownfield Oct. 11, 2011 114684 words Read a sample
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My life, sort of The writers whose lives interest me most are either long dead or have led lives not typical of writers. Yet it evidently helps readers to know about writers. A writer whose works I’ve recently become acquainted with, Jodi Picoult, writes a lot about herself on her web page, posts candid photos, and I’m guessing this helps readers connect with her books. Megan McCafferty, author of Sloppy Firsts, Second Helpings, etc., started a retroblog—her diary from age ten through twenty-something, in part, I gather from reading a review in Salon.com, to separate herself from her characters (http://www.meganmccafferty.com/retroblogger/ ). There’s nothing about my life that will enhance the experience of reading my novels. To the extent that they’re autobiographical, they’re not so in any direct way. Flaubert said of Madame Bovary, “Emma, c'est moi.” In the same sense, I’m all the characters in, say, Rigoberto and his two wives: Rigoberto Calderón, Carmen Noble de Calderón, Juan the apprentice and Bernardo the curandero. Like personages in dreams, all the characters in a novel are the author. Still, I think it helps to know where an author came from, not to read his or her works but to put you in touch with him as you would with a performing artist whom you can see in the flesh. Celebrity is an inappropriate concept for writers, usually, but feedback is a workable one. So, here are some of the accidents of my life that I believe helped form me: I’m the last of five children, my oldest sibling twelve years older than I, the closest in age six years my senior. My mother died when I was six, an accident of her life I can’t blame her for but have never fully accepted: I never got enough of her. My father had an extensive library, and I read constantly growing up, though since college television has cut into my reading time. I was raised a Catholic, going to parochial schools and an all-boys Catholic prep school. I graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, back when it was the consensus best university in the world. This is a humbling experience: you may have been a whiz in high school, you were no big deal on that campus. I live in Ashland, Oregon, which is an interesting small town, with a world-class repertory theater and a satisfying mixture of foresters, bohemians, geeks, artists and coupon clippers. I married (and divorced) three times, all interesting women, and fathered five children. All of these have shaped me. These authors’ works have most informed my own writing: Elmore Leonard, whom I put first because I’ve read him most recently. There is no one better at catching the flavor of places and peoples through using their patois. Thomas Mann, whose Joseph and His Brothers is the nonpareil of epic novels, indeed, may be the best work of prose fiction ever written. (I consider Shakespeare’s plays to be poetry.) William Faulkner, whose apocryphal Yoknapatawpha County was in my youth as familiar to me as any place I’ve ever lived, and who made me realize what power words have. Faulkner’s short fiction is matched only by Mann’s. Ernest Hemingway, whose The Sun Also Rises surpasses any novel I’ve read in the way he put words down on paper; for a large part of my formative years I read this book every eighteen months or so. Albert Camus, whose novel, The Plague, touches my heart beyond any prose I’ve read. Carlos Castaneda, whose first four books (fiction? non-fiction?) blew out the corners of my imagination. Aeschylus, whose Oresteia made me understand what drama is. E. E. Cummings, who demonstrated that a seemingly mined-out convention, the sonnet, could be fresh and new in the hands of a master. W. B. Yeats, whose corpus is the standard by which I judge all modern poets. Here are some other likes and dislikes: To cook: it’s the bead game, it’s a challenge, it is manic and relaxing at once. I bake all my own (sourdough) bread and make a mean soufflé. My favorite movies: Black Orpheus and Shoot the Piano Player, with 8½ Some Like It Hot, Treasure of Sierra Madre and Chushingura not far behind. My favorite music: almost anything but Rap and the heaviest of Rock and Roll—Allison Kraus to Denny Zeitlin, with Chopin, Beethoven and The Beatles thrown in for good measure. But if I were shipwrecked with the work of just one person, it would have to be Bach’s. Writing is both a therapy and my compulsion. In 2011 I published eight novels, some started back in the Eighties, four completed last year, two started and finished in 2011. For a list of extant works, click here.
Reckless Magic by Rachel Higginson Reckless Magic by Rachel Higginson March 15, 2011 114524 words Read a sample
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I was born and raised in Nebraska, but spent my college years traveling the world. I fell in love with Eastern Europe, Paris, Indian Food and the beautiful beaches of Sri Lanka. But I came back home to marry my high school sweetheart and now I spend my days raising our growing family. In those few spare moments I have, I am either reading or writing Young Adult Fiction, because I am Obsessed with it! Five other things I'm obsessed with right now: 1. My Kuerig Coffee Machine. Genius. 2. 90's music. Oh man, I might not have understood the 80's but the 90's speaks right to my soul. 3. Chocolate smelling body wash. Who doesn't want to walk around smelling like a bakery? 4. E-Readers. Probably my favorite invention of all time! Well, other than indoor plumbing.... And. 5. Bubble Blast. Way better than Angry Birds. Way too addicting. And Way fun!!!
The Book of Adam: Autobiography of the First Human Clone by Robert M. Hopper The Book of Adam: Autobiography of the First Human Clone by Robert M. Hopper Nov. 21, 2010 114435 words Read a sample
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The Gentile Witness by Samuel David The Gentile Witness by Samuel David Oct. 26, 2010 114217 words Read a sample
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Let me preface something for I guess I should have named the book something else. I am not affiliated with the Jehovah Witness movement. I guess “Gentile Witness” is a sort of identifier with them. I am actually Catholic and probably on my way to excommunication for writing this book for many in the church would call this heresy. But then I am not concerned about men and their institutions for I have my own peace with God and his son Jesus. If you have read other books that are rapture based then maybe you should read this one. This is book one of four. The inspiration of the storyline came about when I woke from a dream I was having. Thee dream woke me up at 3:00 AM and the entire story was in spinning around in my head. I got up grabbed a pen and paper and started outlining it right then. The final result is the book you are about to read. On another note I am often asked if GOD had me write this book, and the answer is I do not know the answer to that question. Did he put the idea in my head and wake me at 3:00 AM to write the outline? Maybe he did maybe he did not. All I do know is that I wrote this book based on wanting people to understand that Tribulation, the end of man’s time, does not start till the arrival of the final two witnesses. 2012, Mayan Prophecies, Nostradamus, Hopi Indians, and countless other oracles or seers are irrelevant. God decides (as I have spent my life researching) when the world will change, and heaven and earth will pass away. That is when the time of man will end not before and not after. When then does Tribulation start? I do not know, maybe today maybe tomorrow, next week, next year maybe even December the 21st 2012. However once again you will know when it starts absolutely, and that is when the two final witnesses step forward and start to prophecy. My lifetime? Maybe, maybe not, that time is in god’s hands, not any mans. However if it did start today and the witnesses do appear in our modern world then maybe the story will be something like the story you are about to read. I think so, or I would not have written it. We are now letting people read book one at no charge and book two “Elijah and the Temple” is forthcoming in the coming months. I hope that this book will be an inspiration to you and your love of God and Christ as your savior.
Double You by Nell Peters Double You by Nell Peters Nov. 29, 2011 114210 words Read a sample
Author bio:
Hi! My real name is Anne, with a double-barrelled surname, so I use a much shorter pen name, courtesy my parents' Christian names. And no, my dad is not called Nell. I've always written, in one form or another - I just love it. Because I enjoy writing crime, I went back to uni to read psychology and sociology, hoping to give my plots and characterisation a bit of an edge. I may hold some sort of record for most ancient student on campus. My protagonist, Rose Huntingford (Double You and sequel Santa's Slays) takes her name from my paternal great grandmother, who was illegitimate, born in a workhouse in 1876. Nowadays, it is almost impossible to image how poor she and her mother (Rosa) would have been. But Rose must have been quite a lady - she pulled herself up by the bootstraps and married a rich landowner. That sort of social mobility was very rare indeed for the time. I hope she'd approve of 'my' Rose. Incidentally, her son (my grandfather, obv.) lied about his age to become a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I - so, I have two acts that are pretty hard to follow. Must try harder! I live in Norfolk (UK) with my husband, an artist, plus our two youngest boys (of four!) Thanks for dropping by!