Checkout this Drafnel Blog Post on Tales of a Bookworm, by Jaelyn Quisel

Years of deception and suppressed trauma do not prevent secrets from unraveling when parallel worlds clash, intertwining families and exposing hidden agendas. An unwanted romance mirrored in an alternate universe has devastating consequences for an unsuspecting young woman and a mysterious stranger.

“There is a vast literary intellect behind Camille and The Bears of Beisa: Drafnel, and it belongs to author Simone Salmon. The language is transfixing, bewitching, erupting into that realm between an epic poem of breakneck pace, and the clarity and rigor of an after-action report meant only for a general’s eyes. Read More

24-HOUR DRAFNEL GIVEAWAY CONTEST - ENTER TO WIN FREE PRIZES

Enter the 24-hour Giveway to win FREE one-of-a-kind prizes.
2 lucky winners will be chosen at random.

GOOD LUCK!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and Conditions

Drafnel Featured on Eden Royce's Blog - The Dark Geisha

Camille and the Bears of Beisa—Drafnel is a sci-fi/fantasy/thriller tale that has been compared to Frank Herbert’s masterpiece, Dune in its sweeping worldbuilding.  In addition, it has several urban settings, a matriarchal society, and a female protagonist of African descent.  READ MORE

My Feature on Author and Blogger, Gloria Weber's, Blog - Feeling the Love Baeebbbyyy!!

Years of deception and suppressed trauma do not prevent secrets from unraveling when parallel worlds clash, intertwining families and exposing hidden agendas. An unwanted romance mirrored in an alternate universe has devastating consequences for an unsuspecting young woman and a mysterious stranger.

“There is a vast literary intellect behind Camille and The Bears of Beisa – Drafnel, and it belongs to author Simone Salmon. The language is transfixing, bewitching, erupting into that realm between an epic poem of breakneck pace, and the clarity and rigor of an after-action report meant only for a general’s eyes... READ MORE

Drafnel Featured on Alex McGilvery's World

Loving all of this publicity for Camille and the Bears of Beisa -Drafnel. The reader responses and reviews have been awesome and Alex McGilvery was kind enough to write a post on his blog, Alex McGilvery's World.

One of the things that I’m working on in the next while is to bring more authors and unique stories to my author page. There is a world full of very talented and fascinating people out there. My goal is to introduce you to a few. The first is Simone Salmon with a book that looks like a very good read. I have it on my list and it will be reviewed in the not too distant future on Celticfrogreviews.com. Read More

Martha Wells listed Drafnel on Her Blog Today - woohooo!!!

* Camille and the Bears of Beisa - Drafnel by Simone Salmon

Years of deception and suppressed trauma do not prevent secrets from unraveling when parallel worlds clash, intertwining families and exposing hidden agendas. An unwanted romance mirrored in an alternate universe has devastating consequences for an unsuspecting young woman and a mysterious stranger. Read More

YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS - Simone Salmon's Interview with BR Sanders, Clatter and Clank

I'm excited to have Simone Salmon stop by my blog today and answer a few questions about her novel, Drafnel! 

There are so many moving pieces in DRAFNEL, and it’s all the more complicated by the fact that, as presented, the book is non-linear. How did you keep everything straight? What was your writing process like?

This is a fantastic question and I hope that my answer explains why. I have always wanted to write a book or poetry or short story…just about anything. After receiving a C- from my freshman English professor, I decided that maybe the writing dream needed to be shelved in pursuit of a more realistic profession: something having to do with computers. READ MORE

Guest Author - Mary Fan

I hate coming across artwork that brings out that ugly green monster, but darn it if the cover of Mary Fan's newest novel doesn't make me just fume. Is that cover art dah diddity bomb or whaht?!! I'm feeling it on so many jealous levels! 

Mary Fan's latest creation, Firedragon Rising, is now available on Amazon. 

FIREDRAGON RISING (A Flynn Nightsider Tale)
By Mary Fan

Sinister plots. An underground rebellion. And a treacherous road filled with monsters and enemies unknown.

It's been three months since Aurelia survived the International Challenge--an elite monster-fighting competition. And the Triumvirate has been keeping a close eye on her ever since ... as if they expect her to cause them more trouble.

They're right.

Now that she knows about the underground revolution--and the dark secrets of her own past--Aurelia is hell-bent on escaping the government's watchful gaze and joining the rebels. Finally, she's found a cause worth fighting for. A way for her kind, the Norms, to take back their freedom.

Then, when she overhears a Triumvirate official's conversation, she learns that it's even worse than she realized. The government knows about the rebels, and the rebellion. They're searching for people who sympathize with the cause. And they're coming after her next.

Suddenly the time for dreaming about the rebellion is over. Aurelia must make contact with the rebels and plot a quick escape ... before the Triumvirate has a chance to capture her. But government forces and miles of monster-filled wilderness stand between her and the rebel headquarters, and dangers she never imagined lurk in the shadows.

Before she can fight for the freedom of her people, she must achieve her own—or die trying.

All revenues will be donated to the San Diego Department of Animal Services Spirit Fund, a nonprofit society dedicated to giving homeless animals the medical care they need.

EXCERPT (From Chapter 6: Darkness Closing)

Suddenly a chill—icier, even, than the winter wind—wafted through the air, and she stopped abruptly. Something dangerous was coming, and the slight tremor in the ground beneath her confirmed it. Another freezing gust blasted toward her, causing the trees to shake and their bare branches to rattle. Beneath the gale, she heard a woman’s faint voice calling, “Hellooooo, little giiiiirl...”

      A specter. Its voice seemed to have come from all directions at once. Shuddering, Aurelia seized her swords and held them out to her sides, swinging them quickly in hopes that the silver blades would force the spirit to back off. There wasn’t anything else she could do to fight a spirit. Fear pricked at her, but she swatted it away. Specters fed on fear, drawing strength from its energy. She wouldn’t give it that advantage.

      “Helloooooo,” the specter said again, and this time its tone carried a cruel laugh.

      Aurelia looked around wildly, searching the dark and hoping she wouldn’t find anything. The more visible a specter was, the more power it wielded, which meant the weakest were as transparent as the wind while the most powerful looked almost solid. As long as this specter wasn’t strong enough to materialize, she stood a chance of escaping before it hurled her into a tree, or heaved a boulder at her head, or found some other way to kill her. Dread clawed at her insides, and she fought to keep it down.

      Then an abrupt, resounding crack shot through the night, and she sensed something huge coming at her. Realizing it was a falling tree, she leaped out of the way just before the trunk crashed into the ground. The snapping of branches peppered the air like gunfire, and she ducked as one came barreling toward her.

      As she sprang back up, her eyes caught a horrifying sight: A faintly glowing, translucent woman in a blue dress that hung in tatters from her skeletal figure, which was loosely covered in torn, gray skin. Her face was so distorted that Aurelia wondered how it had ever been human at all. One eye looked as if someone had grabbed it and its surrounding flesh, yanked it down next to the nostrils, and then filled the resulting space with an enormous gray boil. The lips appeared to have crumbled away, leaving a ragged hole around the eternal grin of a skull’s teeth.

GET YOUR COPY HERE - AMAZON

About the Author

Mary Fan is a hopeless dreamer, whose mind insists on spinning tales of “what if.” As a music major in college, she told those stories through compositions. Now she tells them through books—a habit she began as soon as she could pick up a pencil. FIREDRAGON RISING is part of the FLYNN NIGHTSIDER universe, which is currently under contract with Glass House Press. Mary is also the author of the JANE COLT sci-fi trilogy and the co-editor of BRAVE NEW GIRLS: TALES OF GIRLS AND GADGETS, a YA sci-fi anthology about tech-savvy girls.

Mary lives in New Jersey and has a B.A. from Princeton University. When she’s not scheming to create new worlds, she enjoys kickboxing, opera singing, and blogging about everything having to do with books.

Loving that hat Mary! And that smile....green monster rears its ugly head again...

MARY FAN'S WEBSITE

Hey Checkout this Article About Me on "The Mysterious Ink Spot" by Blogger Rachel Stapleton - Wooty Woooo!!!

Adventures of a Bookish Foodie: Jamaican Ackee and Saltfish

Please welcome Monday's Cozy Chef, Author Simone Salmon! 

Simone is a Jamaican born New Yorker, who enjoys cooking, especially Jamaican dishes and Ackee and Saltfish is one of her faves. Ackee and saltfish is Jamaica’s national dish. In Jamaica, the local drawl sounds more like, ackee and sall-fish. Saltfish is known as codfish in the USA and bacalao to Spanish folks. No matter the label, Simone assures us it's delicious. Jamaicans also prepare saltfish with callaloo or often with cooked vegetables. READ MORE

Checkout My Feature on John E. Guzzardo's Blog, Books and Blondes

As my guardian angel instructed, I wrapped a small piece under the ribbon tied around my braid. I noticed Miss Mattie’s immediate reaction. Her harsh tone gentled and she even allowed me to eat with her at the dining table. A welcomed change, my nerves were still on guard, unsure of how long Miss Mattie’s tolerance would last. Against my better judgment, I decided to ask about Caleb and Cassandra. Read Article Here.

Guest Author - Gloria Weber

I love a good short story and recently got introduced to the inspiring work, Alicia, by the talented author, Gloria Weber. Gloria's writing is suspenseful and I'm hoping to see more of her stories soon.

Blurb

Leon has decided it is better to remain silent and accused of Alicia’s murder than admit the truth. The truth, well… that’s so unbelievable it’s crazy. Not that Detective Dorndorf believes a word that comes out of Leon’s mouth. Dorndorf just wants a confession and figures dragging Leon to the last spot Alicia was seen might just pry it out of him. Will the detective’s plan work or will the truth come out?

Check out Gloria's book it's only:

Price: $0.99 - woohooo!!!

GET YOUR COPY - AMAZON

GET YOUR COPY - SOLSTICE 

AUTHOR BIO

Gloria Weber lives in Ohio with her husband, son, daughter, and many pets. She has been writing for publication since March 2006 with over a dozen titles published. Her favorite letter is L.

Girl, I am loving that hair!

Social Media Links:

WEBSITE
TWITTER or @GloriaWeber
GOOGLE+
FB PAGE
GOODREADS

Review: Selling Steve Jobs' Liver: A Story of Startups, Innovation, and Connectivity in the Clouds

Selling Steve Jobs' Liver: A Story of Startups, Innovation, and Connectivity in the Clouds by Merrill R. Chappman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My connection with this book: I'm from the Bronx, an entrepreneur working in the computer industry and love technology. Chapter one's unexpected ending had me hooked. I did, however, have to keep reminding myself that this book is a satire - some of the characters are so very weird and un-likeable. Not to mention the macabre Reliqueree app they're intent on creating and marketing to the world, which integrates the DNA from Steve Job's cancerous liver - yeah exactly! The random text messages really tied in with, creative genius inventor of said morbid app, Nate Pennington's inability to emotionally connect with anyone, especially his very stereotyped pregnant Asian girlfriend - yeah that too! Everyone eventually buys into his ghoulish dream and there is no boundary he will not cross in pursuit of his perceived entitlements.

Techies, geeks and lovers of social/cultural thought-provoking parodies will enjoy the story's quirkiness and diabolical twists.

View all my reviews

Guest Author - Eden Royce

I came across this gem while sifting through hashtags on Facebook and had to email the author because, honey, the book cover gave me life! 

Spooklights is Eden Royce's newest creation and is on my list for an upcoming review. Here is an excerpt from the book, author information and links to get your copy. 

Excerpt from Spook Lights: 

Hag Ride

By Eden Royce

The two women sat on the hardwood floor of the cabin with moonlight illuminating Big Mama’s mis en place for the ritual. Two piles of sea salt, a wad of Henry’s coarse hair tied with butcher’s twine and six blood smeared candles sat next to the refilled juice glasses. 

“This your last chance, Frieda. Think this through.”

The younger woman’s face remained resolute. “I’m done thinking.”

Big Mama nodded and lit the first candle. Murky shadows danced to its flickering. When the final candle began to glow, she spoke. “Get me a hidin’ man.”

Frieda smoothed her shirtdress and tiptoed out to the marsh, her Keds squishing in the soft, dank mud. The moon was a smile in the darkness as she looked for a stalk of seagrass leaning heavily to the ground. Finding one, she crouched to complete her task, her feet sinking deeper into the cool, black muck. She plucked a conical shell from the crisp grass and hurried back inside.

Big Mama placed the open end of the shell against her neck and hummed low in her throat. The hum filled the small room, vibrated across the floor to imbed itself in Frieda’s chest and infuse her limbs with its eerie, toneless rumble. 

She pulled the shell away from her throat and Frieda saw a small, pale crab, stirred by the vibration, peek out of the shell. Big Mama yanked it from its home and pulled a switchblade, slick with sweat, from the depths of her bosom. In one motion, she opened the knife and skewered the frightened crustacean to the floor before it could scuttle away. Henry’s clump of hair covered the crab’s death throes. She took a gulp of the caustic wine, spat it on the gruesome pile and touched a candle to it. It burned, not destroying the wooden floor, while Frieda’s voice joined the humming. 

Wind came, strong through the curtains and the hovering shadows coalesced into a swirling ash grey mass.

“She here. Be ready with the salt.”

The grey cloud moved around the calling space, stopping at each candle, before it slunk between the two women to examine its sacrifice. Satisfied, it slid over to Frieda and swayed like a cobra. She could feel its presence inside her mind, inside her chest and she gasped as it probed at her most tender heartaches. Crushing memories rushed to the surface of her psyche: Henry’s countless betrayals, looks of pity from the local women, laughter from the men. Frieda’s heart seized. She gasped for breath as scabs, new and old, tore from each emotional wound. It delved deeper in its search, picking curiously, while tears grew behind Frieda’s fluttering eyelids. Her chest heaved and quivered with impending sobs. 

“The salt. Throw the salt!” Big Mama yelled, breaking through the creature’s trance-inducing sway.

Frieda’s arm shook with the effort of tossing a small handful of salt over her left shoulder. While most of the salt found its way down the front of her dress, enough landed behind her to end the Hag’s internal quest. The smoky funnel whirled and spun with its newfound knowledge.

Brought to the surface again, her pain crystallized into diamond hard resolve, but it eased enough for her to gasp her request. “Make Henry stay with me.”

The whirlwind roiled with fervor, covering the wine-soaked crab carcass in its dervish. When it finally moved, only the switchblade remained. The coil of ash rose in the thick, muggy air and hovered above the women. One word came from the twisting center eye. 

“Agreed.” 

It extinguished each candle, then dissipated to leave the women surrounded by darkness and the scent of charred sulfur.

Be sure to get your copy of Spooklights, now available on:

Lulu

Amazon - US

Amazon - UK

Eden Royce Biography and Information

Think a small-town girl who grew up around rootworkers and hoodoo practitioners might have a new take on horror?

BIO

A former stockbroker, Eden Royce is descended from women who practiced root, a type of conjure magic in her native Charleston, South Carolina. She now lives in Kent, The Garden of England, and writes stories loosely based on her childhood. A lover of mystery and magic, Eden writes Gothic horror and dark fantasy tales that teeter on the edge of realism. Featured in her work are the language and traditions of the Gullah people, descendants of the first slaves brought to the Sea Islands off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia.

Eden’s stories have been called “a fist in a velvet glove” (Roma Gray, author of Gray Shadows Under a Harvest Moon), “atmospheric, unforgettable, and haunting” (Crystal Connor, author of The Spectrum Trilogy) and she has been praised for bringing “a refreshing perspective to the table that paranormal lovers are sure to enjoy.” (B.D. Bruns, author of The Gothic Shift). Eden is also one of the writers for The 7 Magpies project, a first of its kind: a short horror film anthology written and directed entirely by black women.

She is also the horror submissions editor for Mocha Memoirs Press where she conceived and edited The Grotesquerie, an anthology of twenty-one horror short stories written by women. She also writes a regular feature for Graveyard Shift Sisters, a site dedicated to purging the black female horror fan from the margins, where she interviews black female authors and reviews their latest work.

As a woman from the American South, Eden has been a storyteller all her life. She focuses on creating tales with strong female characters and stories that bring the experience of people of color to the fore. Learn more about Eden’s brand of horror at darkgeisha.wordpress.com and at edenroyce.com.

Checkout Eden on Social Media:

TWITTER
FB AUTHOR PAGE
FB Page - Eden Royce The Dark Geisha

Website: http://edenroyce.com/
Blog: http://darkgeisha.wordpress.com/

PRESS

Eden featured in the non-fiction book: 60 Black Women in Horror Writing
Eden creating “Hell Noir” on the world-building podcast, Crucible of Realms
Interview with Eden for All Hallows Read
Eden reading an excerpt from her upcoming novella, Containment II: Unleashed
Eden’s guest post on the difference between voodoo, hoodoo, and conjure magic
Eden’s interview on the Things that Go Bump in My Head blog
7 Questions with Eden Royce
Eden’s Women in Horror Month interview
Eden on the European Geeks blog
Eden’s Top Ten Reasons You Should Read Southern Gothic
Eden on Graveyard Shift Sisters
Review of Spook Lights on Sit. Write. Bleed.
Review of Spook Lights on The Cerebral Writer
Review on Damsels with Chainsaws

Guest Author - Tevis Shkodra

Tevis Shkodra is a fellow Solstice author whose humanitarian work provides the backdrop for his newest novella, Symbiois. This story canvasses the complexities involving how companies are constantly growing into multi-million (or billion) dollar enterprises while the middle-class continues to diminish, and the dichotomous extremes of wealth in comparison to the ever-increasing poverty levels. I know right! Will be reviewing this baby shortly.

Blurb

It is often when individuals are consumed with their daily lives, that they miss the camouflaged world beneath their feet. Ohm, a mentally unstable lower-class worker, has always considered himself ‘normal’, yet he always feels as if he lacks a purpose in life. 

Unlike the others, Ohm is unsatisfied with his life, and sees himself as a small cog in the totalitarian machine overseeing his life. His curious nature leads him to The Brotherhood, a secret organization dedicated to changing the regime. 

Ohm is caught in the middle of a war he was previously unaware of, and his life now depends on his ability to keep a secret. 

Symbiosis’ pages practically turn themselves, leaving the readers questioning their own sanity.

GET YOUR COPY OF SYMBIOSIS HERE:

BOOKGOODIES
AMAZON - US

Tevis Shkodra's Bio

Tevis Shkodra was born on July, 6th 1994 in the small town of Elbasan, in the small mediterranean country of Albania. He currently lives in Oakville, ON with his family, and is currently undertaking his Undergraduate Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Business Administration. 

The inspiration for his first novella Symbiosis arose from his humanitarian travels in Costa Rica, where he worked at an orphanage, and as an English teacher. Other inspirations were his love of dystopian stories, and his family’s past, under a communist regime. 

Stop by Tevis' Blog: dystopianauthor.wordpress.com

Make sure you checkout Tevis on Social Media:

TWITTER

FB AUTHOR PAGE

Next Time Someone Complains About Your Prices

Book Trailer - Drafnel

Camille and the Bears of Beisa is slated to be released on August 28, 2015. The reviews have been spectacular so far and I am looking forward to seeing lots more.

Please enjoy the book trailer and share your comments. 

Book Review - 4 Stars from BR Sanders for Drafnel

4 out of 5 stars from BR Sanders for Drafnel!!!  BR's review of my first novel is downright awesomeness.

"Drafnel, the first novel in the Camille and the Bears of Beisa series by Simone Salmon, is a major genre-bender. Equal parts paranormal thriller, romance, sweeping sci-fi novel and folkloric fantasy all wrapped together, Salmon manages to weave them all into an absorbing whole. Drafnel is scheduled for release on August 28, 2015;..."

She frigging got it!!!! Yeassss!!!

"Drafnel is Dune-like in the grandiose sweep of its worldbuilding. The sci-fi universe Salmon creates, Narvina, with its eight ruling clans and ornate power structures was intriguing. It was also refreshing to read a great space opera like this where the people in charge are people of color, and where the universe is a matriarchy."

READ BR's ENTIRE REVIEW HERE

Guest Author - Janice Almond on "Being Grateful"

This IS IT! The antidote, in a simple, easy-to-read format, to issues such as:

• Low self-esteem
• Negative thinking
• Fear of failure

In the monotony of our very busy lives, we often forget the simple principle that our thoughts determine our destiny. And it's not until we hit a rough patch, that we decide that we need to retool our life's compass. In this book, Janice takes you on a journey that causes you to unearth a heart of gratitude that will provoke you to change the way that you perceive and live your life.

If you are looking for an abundant and more fulfilled life, this book is for you. In her thirteen steps, Janice gives compelling reasons for changing your attitude and outlines specific details with quick and easy to implement strategies. These methods are vital in order to develop and maintain an "attitude of gratitude" and to live a life of gratefulness.

Here's an excerpt from the book:

"CHOOSE TO BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. On this journey we call "life," if we don't believe in ourselves, there is not much we can do or accomplish with this life we’ve been given. We will be stuck, immobilized, similar to being connected to a stake in the ground. Believing in ourselves is something we must all do. We must know there is something this current life has to offer us. Where does this belief come from? It comes from the value that we place on ourselves and our life. It comes from within."

If you're interested in a better quality of life and are tired of your mood swings, bouts with depression, or your inability to experience true joy—this book was written with you in mind.

As you turn the pages you will discover tips that you can implement immediately. You will find that being grateful can and will transform your life. It is the key that unlocks the door to a life of ultimate fulfillment and perpetual abundance. 

GET YOUR COPY HERE