Want to Giggle? F*R*E*E* Book

WANTED: Family-friendly book of kid quips and anecdotes seeks beta readers. Must be willing to have your funny bone tickled and your heart touched. Cynics need not apply.

Spanning several decades, “Hello, You Freaks!” is a charming, heartfelt read. Perfect for lovers of Erma Bombeck’s humor, Chicken Soup for the Soul and American’s Funniest Home Videos.

I actually snorted out loud several times while reading it. The book still is in the process of correcting some minor formatting issues and will be getting a new cover, but the authors want your feedback.

Willing to help out indie authors and take the challenge?

You can download a free copy of “Hello, You Freaks!” by Constance Roark and Larry Goins from Smashwords here:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/217959

When you go to check out, enter coupon code: KP32C. You can then download it free in any format: HTML, for Kindle or for Nook.

This code expires September 21, 2012, so be sure to go snag your free copy now.

Once you’ve read it, let me know what you think – jot me a quick note at annabbps at gmail dot com. I’ll forward your feedback to the authors. Thanks so much in advance for your thoughts!

Book Review: The Unseen Chronicles of Amelia Black

I have not reviewed many ebooks on my blog, but made an exception in this case as I’d been intrigued by the sample chapter and wanted to read the rest. When A.G.R. Moore (@agrmoore on Twitter) approached me, I agreed to review his book, The Unseen Chronicles of Amelia Black.

The book is a little fantasy and a little steampunk: there are wizards and robots and monsters and a haunted forest. And an airship, naturally. The illustrations were done by Gillian Reid and, honestly, were some of the best I’ve seen. It was a perfect marriage of picture and text. Her interpretations really brought the story to life.

I enjoyed Amelia as a heroine, as she’s exactly the type of plucky little girl I would follow into an adventure like this. There is a great exploration of the shades of grey within us all – not all of the good guys are good and even the bad guys are not as they seem. Amelia has powers that she struggles to control, on her quest to find her parents.

The narrative suffered from a slightly disjointed feeling. The action would occasionally leave Amelia for awhile and focus on the other characters, but none of them had the draw for me that she did. It was a quick read and pleasurable.

Some truly not-so-nice things happen to the characters along the way, a few nightmarish moments, so be prepared. This book would be too intense for young children, but might be just right for tweens and, of course, adults who enjoy Young Adult literature. I recommend this book for lovers of Tim Burton, Neil Gaiman’s Coraline, and dark fantasy.

It’s a very affordable buy on Amazon and totally worth it – support indie authors!