Happy birthday to George and the Galactic Games

It's hard to believe that three years ago, I published my first novel, George and the Galactic Games. At the time, I had only written short stories and didn't know if I could write a full-length novel. It turns out that I can because, after George and the Galactic Games, I wrote four more!

To celebrate the book's third book birthday, I've discounted the price to 99 cents! I don't know yet how long I'll keep it at that price, so get it while it's on sale.

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Book review: This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

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Description:
Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski’s strong suit. All throughout her life, she’s been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing.

Told in a refreshingly genuine and laugh-out-loud funny voice, THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE is an exuberant novel about identity, friendship, and the power of music to bring people together.
 
Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

NaNoWriMo 2014

For the first time ever, I've decided to take the plunge and try my hand at NaNoWriMo! If you aren't familiar with NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), it's a month-long challenge that takes place every November. The idea is to attempt to write a novel of at least 50,000 words between November 1 and 30. Yes, in just one month!

I've always been afraid to try NaNoWriMo because I don't think I can complete a novel in one month. It takes me four or five months to write a first draft, so I'd have to write 4x or 5x my usual speed. This year, however, I figured I'd give it a try, not because I have more faith in my abilities, but because I was going to start a new novel anyway, and NaNoWriMo is as good an incentive as any to force me to write daily.

Last month, I did the research for my new novel, and I already have an outline of the plot. (I'm not sure how much preparation is allowed before November for NaNoWriMo, but I hope doing research and outlining is OK.) Now I'm ready to start writing it! If you want to follow my progress, the best way will be to stalk me on Twitter. :-)

(Guest Post) My Name is Ariele and I Write Books: What if John and Quin Had iPhones

Hello, H.S. Stone’s fans! My name is Ariele and I write books, specifically science fiction. I recently released my third novel, The Wounded World. The story revolves around my main character, Quin, and his relationship with his father. After returning home from his military duty, Quin discovers that his father has disappeared, leaving behind a very dangerous piece of new technology. Thus, he sets out to find out where his father has run off to, and to solve the problems that get in his way.

If it sounds interesting, check it out here! You can find out more about me or my books by visiting my website or following me on Facebook and Twitter.

To celebrate the publication of my newest novel, I give you three short scenes from my two main characters:

What If John and Quin Had iPhones

Episode 1: The Spider





Episode 2: The Pre-Date Advice 



 

Episode 3: John Tells Bad Jokes
 




Curious to learn more about John and Quin? Get a copy of The Wounded World, or read an excerpt of the book on Zoe’s blog.

Book review: Hunger by Michael Grant

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Description:
It's been three months since everyone under the age of fifteen became trapped in the bubble known as the FAYZ.

Three months since all the adults disappeared. GONE.

Food ran out weeks ago. Everyone is starving, but no one wants to figure out a solution. And each day, more and more kids are evolving, developing supernatural abilities that set them apart from the kids without powers. Tension rises and chaos is descending upon the town. It's the normal kids against the mutants. Each kid is out for himself, and even the good ones turn murderous.

But a larger problem looms. The Darkness, a sinister creature that has lived buried deep in the hills, begins calling to some of the teens in the FAYZ. Calling to them, guiding them, manipulating them.

The Darkness has awakened. And it is hungry.
 
Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)

Gifted release announcement

My latest novel, a YA Fantasy story titled Gifted, has officially been released! You can now buy it on Amazon. Although Gifted won't be available at other retailers for another few months, the upside is that it's part of the KDP Select program. That means it's also available for free to Kindle Unlimited members and eligible for borrowing if you're an Amazon Prime customer as part of the Kindle Owners' Lending Library. Enjoy!

In a kingdom where the Gifteds are captured and thrown into fights to the death, Voima is fortunate that she is just a Regular. However, her brother, Vendd, isn’t so lucky. Since his Power started manifesting itself, the siblings have lived a life on the run, barely escaping the king’s soldiers.

Just as Voima and Vendd have settled into a new home, a fleeing Gifted enters their lives, begging for help but bringing soldiers after him. Despite the siblings’ efforts, the soldiers discover Vendd’s Power. Now Voima, an outmatched Regular girl, must find a way to defeat the kingdom’s most dangerous Gifteds in order to save her brother from certain death.  

Book review: God Made You Special by Eric Metaxas

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Description:
Bob s red and round, and he bounces cause he has no feet. Madame Blueberry lives in a tree. What makes her special? She s as blue as can be. What about those French Peas? They speak with zee accent. Tots will discover that it s okay to be different, because God made you special and he loves you very much. Through fun rhymes and humor, and some help from those lovable Veggies, little ones will realize that God makes everyone special!
 
Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)