Guest Post: Tori Zigler, on Writing Kero’s World

The story behind my decision to write my “Kero’s World” books is a simple one:

When I first started writing a blog, my main topic of conversation was pets. I later expanded my subject matter, but my pets were a big part of what I talked about.  I even sometimes did posts from the point of view of one of my pets, which later turned in to a regular weekly feature.

A few months after I started publishing my books, I stopped blogging.  This was a move I later regretted, and I’m only thankful I didn’t actually delete my blog, but instead made it private.  My blog is now public again – and has been for over a year – and I’ve recently started doing “furkid Friday” posts again. The reason I mention my blog in connection with my “Kero’s World” books, is that, during the time when my blog was private, I was missing entertaining readers with the posts from the point of view of my pets.

I’m sure you can see that it was only a small leap of the imagination to get from thinking about those posts, to coming up with the idea to write a series in a similar tone; telling the events of the lives of my pets from their point of view. The “Kero’s World” series was born from that idea, and was later followed by the “Degu Days Duo” – with more stories from the point of view of my pets to come.

The series was originally planned as a series of six books, but when the real Kero died in August 2014, I wrote a seventh book as my way of saying goodbye to a dog who was more than just a pet to me.  I’m sure you’ve heard this one before, but he really was; Kero was the most loyal of friends, and meant everything to me.

I’m glad I have the “Kero’s World” books to help keep his memory alive, and to let the world meet the dog who spent a decade giving me the loyalty, and unconditional love, that only a dog can give.

 ***

Author bio:

Victoria Zigler is a blind author of children’s fiction and poetry.  She has a very vivid imagination, and spends a lot of time in fictional worlds; some created by her, others created by other authors.  When she remembers to spend some time in the real world, it’s mostly to spend time with her hubby and pets, though sometimes to indulge in other interests such as doing crafts, listening to music, watching movies, playing the odd figure game or roleplaying game, and doing a little cooking and baking.  Tori was born in the shadow of the Black Mountains in Wales, UK, has been writing since she knew how, and became a self-published author in 2012.  To date she has published 6 poetry books, 33 children’s books, and a fantasy story in a sci-fi and fantasy anthology, with plenty more planned for the near future.”

Website: http://www.zigler.co.uk

Reviews: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17881737-kero-goes-walkies

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/312873

Barnes & Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kero-goes-walkies-victoria-zigler/1115292107?ean=2940044515840

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/kero-goes-walkies

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/kero-goes-walkies/id646101881?mt=11

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Everywhere Bargains

Here are a couple of Everywhere Indie sales coming up: children’s poetry, and genre- blending mystical mystery:

 

Starting April 21^st

The Calling by Amber Foxx

The first Mae Martin Psychic Mystery

Obeying her mother’s warning, Mae Martin-Ridley has spent years hiding her gift of “the sight.” When concern for a missing hunter compels her to use it again, her peaceful life in a small Southern town begins to fall apart. New friends push her to explore her unusual talents, but as she does, she discovers the shadow side of her visions— access to secrets she could regret uncovering.

Gift or curse? When an extraordinary ability intrudes on an ordinary life, nothing can be the same again.

The Mae Martin Series

No murder, just mystery. Every life hides a secret, and love is the deepest mystery of all.

Sales links: https://amberfoxxmysteries.wordpress.com/buy-books-retail-links

$1.99 through April 30

 

Starting April 22^nd:

Mr. Pumpkin-Head and Other Poems by Tori Zigler

A collection of poems – many with a hint of humor – about nature, magic, emotions, and the world around us.

Sale price: $1.20 (70% off)

Coupon code: QC34R (valid from April 22nd 2015 to May 1st 2015).

Sales link: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/154488

Look for a guest post from Tori later this week on one of her charming stories for children.

For a chance to win The Calling and other books in paperback, go to

https://amberfoxxmysteries.wordpress.com/2015/04/21/giveaway-and-first-in-series-sale/

 

More Historical Mystery: Guest Post from Carmen Stevens

Amber Foxx: Since I’ve been in historical mystery mode, I asked Carmen Stevens to share some background on how she came to write her novel, Anne.

Carmen Stevens: I published my debut novel, Anne, in July of 2013. I’ve always enjoyed writing, and as I grew up, I wrote novellas and short, autobiographical stories. But I felt like I needed to write a substantial novel like Anne. With its themes of love, life, finding happiness, and treating everyone with respect, it is my hope that everyone who reads this book will learn something from it. I like to think that my protagonist, Anne, possesses traits that stem from my own dark side.

Let’s go back in time to the slums of eighteenth century London, England. Filth and disease were prevalent, as were rats and other disgusting creatures. Epidemics of illnesses such as cholera, which resulted from consuming contaminated water, were a common happenstance. Needless to say, such horrid areas in large cities like London in those days certainly weren’t the happiest. But let’s take a look at the psychological makeup of one of the many orphaned children who lived in those slums.

Anne’s life was cursed from the moment she was born. Her fragile mother died giving birth to her, and because of this, her father’s mind snapped. He became an alcoholic, hated his daughter, and abused her. Often Anne ran away from home in order to. Had she not, when she reached twelve years of age, she would have perished along with her father in the fire that he set for himself within their home. After that, Anne became truly homeless, and had to endure living on the worst side of London, begging for food, sipping the filthy water, and learning to do nothing more than to take care of herself. Is it no wonder, then, that her personality becomes rough, self-centered, and narcissistic as she struggles to survive? Anne looks out for no one but herself, yet she dreams of attaining a much happier, better life, no matter the cost.

Reviews: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18245315-anne

Sales link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/372253

Blog: http://bubblymissy16.wordpress.com

Genres: historical fiction, suspense, mystery, thriller, romance, young adult, new adult, women’s fiction, literary fiction, tragedy

Review: Murder by Misrule, by Anna Castle

History, Mystery, and Mastery of Both

 Elizabethan England comes to life in this colorful, tightly plotted murder mystery. It follows the classic conventions of the genre creatively. When the plot takes a surprise turn—it’s a big surprise. The characters are three-dimensional and original. The middle-class working women give depth to what could have been told as a man’s story and still worked well enough. The young lawyers-in-training are complex, lively characters, and their tutor Francis Bacon is the perfect historical personage to cast as a detective, with his knowledge of law, his scientific thinking, and his strong, somewhat quirky personality. It was fascinating to meet the great thinker at twenty-five years of age, early in his career.

Anna Castle did her research. Her dialog feels true to the times without being stilted or archaic. She portrays the clothing, the social customs, the law, law school and the manners of the queen’s court, as well as the details of life for the working people, without being pedantic, integrating the details into active, suspenseful scenes. I double-checked the one thing I thought might be an anachronism—a song—and found that it actually is that old. I should have trusted her. An author this good wouldn’t mess up a little thing like that. From the brightest and wittiest scenes to the darkest, every page rings true. The dances and the masque and the scenery were wonderful. The scenes in Newgate prison were grimly accurate. If you’ve ever doubted that an indie book could be as polished as a traditionally published work, give Murder by Misrule a try. I think it could change your mind.

Review: Fundamental Error by Martyn V. Halm

This long short story or short novella is one of the four of its kind that make up the Amsterdam Assassin Series along with three full-length novels. (I’m glad to know that a fourth novel is on the way.) One of the many things I like about this series is that Halm’s style is so unique and his characters so original that I can’t describe his work by referring to other books or authors. The protagonist is a professional assassin—a complex woman, strong and unusually intelligent, with expertise in many areas related to her occupation. In Fundamental Error, Katla’s skills with technology and explosives and her capacity for careful planning, self-control, and observation are central to the plot. There’s a deceptive calm to the narration that somehow raises the tension. The shifts in time and point of view are structured masterfully, shifting back and forth between the minutes before a terrorist’s attempt to blow up an Amsterdam shopping center and the weeks leading up to the attack. The target’s horrific goal makes this story less morally ambiguous than the others. I didn’t feel the “Oh my god, I’m rooting for Katla and she’s an assassin” amazement that has struck me as I got swept up in the novels and the other Killfiles. Not that I mind having that experience. In fact, it’s one of the marvels of this series. Halm somehow makes a woman whose job is unsympathetic—to say the least—into a riveting lead character for a series.

If you’re new to the series, you could start here (free)

https://everywhereindies.wordpress.com/short-story-singles-and-collections

Or jump in with the first full-length novel in the series, Reprobate, for only 99 cents

https://everywhereindies.wordpress.com/suspense-and-thriller

You can see my reviews on the Goodreads links for all the other books and Killfiles in the series.

Book shopping!

I hope this list will work as well for other readers as it already has for me. Since I’m a mystery fan and author I seem to have attracted the most listings from that genre. I’ve bought Anna Castle’s Murder by Misrule,  a B.R.A.G. Medallion honoree, and I’m a third of the way through it. It’s set during the reign of Elizabeth the First; Sir Francis Bacon is trying to solve a murder. What a perfect choice for a historical character to cast as a detective! I also bought Diane Vallere’s Designer Dirty Laundry and look forward to reading my first cozy mystery. It’s great going straight to the link for a Nook book . Fellow mystery lovers with e-pub e-readers–happy shopping.