Review: Citizen of Earth by Joseph Kassabian

This is a novel in by Joseph Kassabian and published by Kyanite Publishing.

Once again, this is a novel that I received as an advanced reader copy. So, my version may vary slightly from yours. I also want to preface this review by mentioning that this is one of the two books chosen for the July Kyanite Book Club. I seriously recommend checking it out!

Citizen of Earth is the science fiction pick and you can read about the fantasy pick, River, here. 

And now, let's get down to business!

I grew up on science fiction - TV, movies and books. It was, and still is, my dad's favourite genre to read. For the longest time, I resisted reading it. I mean, I loved science, but I read fantasy and horror. Then my dad, in his infinite wisdom, put a book in my hands that he knew I would love. After that, I was hooked on science fiction.

I mention all of that because one of the best things about this book was the nod that it gives to much of the classic science fiction that I read growing up. Not that cheesy shit you might be thinking about, but those good classics that were full of wonder and adventure. And Kassabian gave it all a healthy dose of modern snark and perspective.

Kassabian's characters were wonderfully realistic. I enjoyed getting to know them throughout the story and was never disappointed in them. One may even go as far as calling Vincent and Fiona beautiful examples of anti-heroes. You cannot help but want to cheer them on as you wonder how they're going to manage to get out of yet another deadly situation.

Vincent and Fiona aren't all there is to admire in this story when it comes to how well written these characters are. Human and alien alike were incredible. Everyone had their own motives and all the character dynamics, no matter how little or how long they were in the scene, was expertly done.

And speaking of aliens, I adored the wonderful intricacy the Mwar culture that we got to learn about. When it comes to science fiction, creating one alien race can be a challenge for an author, but here we get to meet several and I loved it. From landscape to culture, to physical differences and language, I love how Kassabian gave us a wonderful array of characters that enriched the story greatly.

I won't ruin anything for you, of course, but this action-packed, edge of your seat science fiction story is one that is worth the read. Right to the very (appropriate) end, it keeps you invested. If you like classic science fiction, this is a book you need to read. If that isn't your thing, read it anyway for the great plot and engaging characters.

This novel is available direct from the publisher as well as through most major retailers. You can find out more at https://kyanitepublishing.com/product/citizen-of-earth/

Kyanite Book Club

Alrighty, maybe you've seen the post about this, or maybe not, but this is an interesting and fun idea that my publisher, Kyanite Publishing decided to do. A Book Club! (Read their blog post about it here)

For the TL:DR people here is a summary.

• They choose two books each month. A science fiction and a fantasy or horror novel. Because not everyone likes the same kinds of books.
• Those who take part can get a 30% discount off the book they choose when ordering directly through Kyanite Publishing. I am aware that this will be most beneficial to those in the USA, but their website isn't the only place to get books. However, for those who buy ebooks, that works GREAT no matter where you are and who doesn't like a discount? (The discount code is in the Book Club on the Kyanite Discord channel)
• And you get a chance to chat about these books not only with other readers but with the author themselves on the Kyanite Discord channel. There will even be an official Q & A within the channel for the chosen books. 

One of the things I love about the people at Kyanite Publishing and Press is that they are willing to do and try new things. They know that readers love the chance to interact with the writers of their favourite novels and this is your chance.

This JULY will be their first Book Club and I would love to see it be a great success so that when Feathers and Fae come out, it could potentially be a choice for November!

The choices for this month are:

 Vincent Solaris is a teenage malcontent who barely graduated from the Detroit District Six School of Ethics. His unplanned future changes dramatically when he is arrested and charged with crimes against the Central Committee. Rather than being put to death, he is sentenced to three years in the Earth Defense Forces.

Relieved by this twist of fate, Vincent is sent off to train at the local Replacement Depot. But any dreams of him lazing away his years of servitude are shattered when an alien horde called the Alliance attacks. On their way to the harsh killing fields of war, Vincent meets Fiona, a Martian gangster serving a life sentence. Together, they must find a way to survive against the most terrifying foe humanity has ever seen.(Get it here)


Does she have a secret life? One even she doesn’t know about?

Seventeen-year-old River has always felt like she doesn’t belong. It doesn’t help that she sees a light around people that reveals their true nature. When a new kid shows up at school who she can’t read, everything changes. Transported to a new life, River is forced into a dangerous, beautiful world that has been impatiently awaiting her return. (Get it here)




I am currently in the process of reading Citizen of Earth which will quickly be followed by me binging on River.

These are both talented and dynamic writers that I am sure you will enjoy. I am looking forward to having reviews up no later than the first week of July to help you choose which novel you want to read. Of course, that doesn't mean you can't read both! I know I'm going to be reading them both!

Review: The 7 P's of Publishing Success by Mark Leslie Levfebvre

This was book came to me as a part of the Write Publish Profit 2.0 bundle that I mentioned a few days ago. Lucky for me, it was offered as both an ebook and audiobook. So, I was able to listen to this wonderful advice on the long commute to and from the office.

I only go to the second chapter on this novel when I realized that I could think of a lot of authors out there that could really use to take these words to heart.

Chapter two was about professionalism. How we conduct ourselves as writers when interacting with reviewers, publishers, readers, and even general.

Unlike the first item I read from this bundle, this is something I really took a lot out of - and not just that second chapter. The 7 P's, if you were wondering, area Practice, Professionalism, Patience, Progression, Persistence, Partnership, Patronage.

Whether you are self-published or traditionally published or just thinking of getting into the industry, this is a book that you will find useful - if you're open to listening and thinking about what Mark has to say. He has decades of experience in the industry with both self and traditional publishing, so he does know what he is talking about. 

Some of the things he reminds and tells us about may be things that one would think are common sense, but sometimes I don't think there is such a thing as common sense. I've known authors, and perhaps myself made many of the mistakes that he mentions. His reminders that we must always keep growing and learning as writers is very important. 
  
Do I recommend that you take the time to listen or read this book? The answer is yes. I do. There are oodles of good advice whether you are thinking of becoming a published author or have more than ten books under your belt. Sometimes, we all need a little reminder of these essentials of being a writer.  

And, as an added bonus, he even recommends books and podcasts that he has found useful during his writing career. 

**Do note, there are some small discrepancies between the audio and ebooks as he mentions at the beginning of the audiobook.** 

Review: Blood Shadow: A Vera Shadow Mystery by Enkelli Arn Robertson

This is a novel in by Enkelli Arn Robertson and published by Kyanite Publishing.

Once again, this is a novel that I received as an advanced reader copy. So, my version may vary slightly from yours.

Do you ever long for the days of those hard-boiled detective stories? Those wonderful pulp style stories that dived right into things and barely gave you a chance to breathe because you had to know what was happening next?

That is the very base of this novel. A hard-boiled detective story that is reminiscent of the days of pulp-style fiction with a modern flare and set in a world of paranormal fantasy.

Vera Shadow, our main character is in many ways the epitome of the stereotypical detective from many of those old detective stories. She drinks, she smokes, she has a soft spot for a long pair of legs and a pretty face. That fact that she has horns and a tail and is... well a SHE, really makes this tale a fun and interesting read. As the story unfolds, Enkelli shows you exactly what makes her stand apart from the expected tropes.

One thing that Enkelli did do, was keep the atmosphere of the 1920-1930 era feel of the environment. From nightclubs to the attitudes of cops to even the colourful descriptive language that one would expect in this style of novel that often had me grinning. And of course, a nice smattering of terrible weather that sets the mood.

As for the plot itself, I loved it. This is a story that accomplishes what it sets out to do with style and flare. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guess. And, not to spoil thins, but that ending! Dang.

Although I have heard nothing of the sort, from the title and that ending I can only hope that there will be more Vera Shadow Mysteries in the future.

This novel is available direct from the publisher as well as through most major retailers. You can find out more at https://kyanitepublishing.com/product/blood-shadow/

Write Publish Profit 2.0

On June 18, 2019, I decided to spend money that I couldn't really afford on what looked like an amazing deal from Infostack which offers bundled digital resources. This one was for writers in general and included information and resources that covered everything from the planning to the marketing stages.

Since I am about to start the major marketing campaign for my upcoming novel, Feathers and Fae, I was mostly in it for the marking aspect. Everything else was just a bonus for me.

I can honestly say that the amount of stuff I have is impressive. I started with the downloadable material since I was at the office and didn't have the time or energy to begin signing up for e-courses. Those could wait until I had the time for them.

List of ebooks and audiobooks only

It is also nice to note that I received a secondary email saying that most of the stuff I had access to was available until June 2020 unless the stated otherwise. I didn't particularly note anything that said otherwise under my list of items, but I didn't look for specifically.

 There are some things even in the downloadable items that were not of much interest to me, but since I had access I figured I should download them anyway. So I did.

I should mention that a few downloads annoyingly came with having to sign up for newsletters. Not something I would normally do because I don't like a lot of random emails. Okay, a tiny annoyance because I can always unsubscribe if I don't find it interesting.

For the amount of stuff, I would like to say this is worth it. I haven't even begun the e-courses yet, but I know that many of those cost a lot of money if I had to pay for them.

Over the next year or so, you might see me post about one of these courses or ebooks that I received in this bundle.

Although first up, if you did download this and were hoping that the "Master Twitter in Two Hours" (powerpoint or pdf available) might be useful for you - I have some news. It's fairly basic and doesn't go into as much detail as I would have liked from something telling me how to "master Twitter". While there are some good notes and advice to be found, it is targeted more towards the new Twitter user instead of the experienced.

I won't say don't read it, but if you know what you're doing and understand analytics and lists, you won't get much out of this simple compilation of information.

Which makes me think that perhaps a post on Twitter for writers in the near future or do you think that's been overdone?

Review: Inn Spirits by C.M. Harris

This is a collection of short stories by C.M. Harris and is published by Kyanite Publishing. I had the privilege of being able to read an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of this book that is available now. 

Find out more about this story and where to purchase this novel here: https://kyanitepublishing.com/product/inn-spirits-tales-of-the-folsom/

I'm a bit behind on my reading schedule and only finally managed to get some reading time in to finish this delightful collection of stories. I'm glad I managed to get some reading time in because these tales were well worth it.

I am going to be honest with you. I am a hard scare. Even as a teenager I read horror novels when I was home alone in the dark. So, I can't speak on scare factor because even when I write horror I have to ask others if what I've written is scary. However, I think that your average reader will find this collection delightfully terrifying.

As one would expect with the subtitle on this collection, all the stories are related, but more than that, they are weaved together within the narrative of yet another story. This is an aspect of that a highly enjoyed because as much as I love a collection of short stories, I love when there is a sense of connection between them all.

In regards to the individual stories in this collection, I found them all very well written and highly enjoyable. Each story had great characterization, wonderful structure and beautiful detail to it. There was not a single story that I read that was less than fully enjoyable.

I highly recommend that if you like tales of horror that do not skimp on the details and imagery then this is a collection for you. C.M. Harris is a gem of a writer and I am so glad I got a chance to read his work for the first time. I only wish I had gotten to read it sooner.

You can follow C.M. Harris on Twitter under the delightful handle of "Ned the Zombie" (https://twitter.com/Ned_the_zombie). I've been following him since long before this book came across my radar simply because he is a delight follow.