Distraught by the death of his brother and exhausted by the torment of bullies, twelve-year-old Devin is weary of life until he finds an enormous emerald. The gryphon egg is a gift from Lady Gladislynn. A dryad that searches for the Forgotten, descendants from Midgard. A parallel world concealed by an ancient Veil of magic and governed by the Norse gods.
After a grueling battle that leaves Devin on the brink of death, he must decide to remain at Half Peak with Alar’s Pride or return home beyond the Veil.
Thomas Tinnin is self-publishing a book with Outskirts Press. And he wants your help deciding his book cover.
Book Summary
When the era of the nation-state has ended, it will be replaced by corporate city-states under a world government.
About the Author
Thomas Tinnin was raised and lives in Colorado. After having joined the Navy at an early age, he obtained his MA in economics from the University of Colorado and has since been employed as a statistician for the government. Always an avid reader, his pastimes include reading philosophy, history, and political science—and writing in his spare time, both fiction and nonfiction. This fictional work, set in the near future, was started over 20 years ago as a result of a dream, but was subsequently set aside over career demands, along with a companion nonfiction work. The two works have endured all these years, mostly unchanged, and are even more relevant today.
Please take a look at two possible covers below and then vote on the choice you recommend for Thomas.
Cover A
Cover B
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James Smith’s “Robots and Mad Scientists.” A satirical collection of science fiction short stories that touch on many of today’s current events. The stories run the gambit of the science fiction genre; from time traveling robot secret agents to portals into alternate dimensions and wannabe evil overlords.
Author Kevin Vachna is taking his latest book OBSOLETE: A Teacher’s Tale (of tomorrow, today!) on tour — a Virtual Book Tour, that is, with Outskirts Press! Technology has created a wide variety of ways to reach audiences all over the world. All it takes is a little thinking outside the box, and nowadays you can market a self-published book in a variety of affordable and impactful ways. Virtual book tours, for example, are a great way to connect with readers from all corners of the globe, all from the comfort of your own home. Join Kevin Vachna and OBSOLETE: A Teacher’s Tale (of tomorrow, today!) as they appear in features and interviews (such as the one below) in the weeks and months ahead!
Luckily for us, Kevin was kind enough to answer a few questions as the tour was getting started so that we can give you a sneak peek into the mind of the creator of OBSOLETE: A Teacher’s Tale (of tomorrow, today!).
OP: Tell us a little bit about OBSOLETE: A Teacher’s Tale (of tomorrow, today!). What is it about?
Kevin: OBSOLETE is a thrilling adventure about the future of school, technology, and society. Crime, Disease, and Poverty are all but extinct. Democracy is decided in real-time with lightning-fast ease. Holographic projections are at everyone’s fingertips, swallowing them in in a world of constant entertainment and communication. There’s just one problem: the kids are all becoming hyperactive, disconnected screen-addicts. The America Learns Initiative, a federal program under the Department of Restructure, has a solution: The Success Spheres! Championing the mantra, “Do nothing and learn!” this state of the art technology promises to save the failing school system, its students, and teachers, once and for all. After an unauthorized history lesson, Professor T is reassigned to one of the worst performing schools around. There, unlikely allies and hidden threats lead T to revelations about a conspiracy with sinister roots. What T discovers could threaten to overturn the ALI’s Success Sphere program and the very foundations of society, itself.
OP: Why did you decide to write this story?
Kevin: I wrote and drew this graphic novel after being inspired by what I saw in the schools every day. There were never enough resources and they were always pushing for something that wasn’t in the students’ best interest but their own. And that’s when an over-reliance on technology infected our schools. I watched teachers replaced by screens. Education stagnated and the children suffered most of all. Over the past decade I have been witness to, participant in, and victim of this drastic transformation inside the New York City public school system. They’ve embraced detrimental practices under the guise of technological reform. There are computers in every classroom, but students enter through metal detectors and undergo body-searches. More often than not, teachers are encouraged to use media such as YouTube to entertain and pacify students while passing them through to graduation. Like parts in a machine, these overworked teachers are replaced by younger, cheaper ones. Students graduate into a world in which they are wildly under-prepared to participate let alone prosper. The What-If, nightmare scenario of where this path might lead and the underlying dangers for society are realized in the world and characters of my graphic novel, OBSOLETE.
OP: How did you get your book published?
Kevin: As we shifted to screen learning during the pandemic, the relevance of what I wrote seemed increasingly important, so I was encouraged to publish OBSOLETE and share my story. Outskirts Press accepted my manuscript and has been incredibly supportive throughout this process.
OP: What types of readers would be interested in this story?
Kevin: Parents, teachers, and students (ages 15+) will benefit from reading this book and will connect with its important lessons and themes. People involved in school and education will connect with this and hopefully re-examine the effects technology has on education and their lives. For high school students and teachers, this book offers confirmation of many unspoken frustrations and fears they may have. The visual nature of this graphic novel creates avenues for reluctant readers to reach places of comprehension and introspection. Additionally, lovers of science fiction and/or dystopian fiction will enjoy this, as well, due to the major conflicts and tensions with technology in this book. Anyone who has attended (or is attending) High School will be interested in this graphic novel. There is some violence, so I wouldn’t want to give it to anyone under 15.
OP: What is special about your book?
Kevin: I spent the last decade working as a teacher and eventually an administrator in several NYC public schools. Slowly, but surely, I found myself experiencing what F. Scott Fitzgerald called “Emotional Bankruptcy.” It was emotionally draining, and I felt like I was continuously being forced to make ethical compromises for the sake of data. The stress of this time period was like nothing I had ever felt before. I started to reflect on the plight of the students and teachers around me. I needed a way to process these experiences. I also felt like there were a lot of sinister decisions made “behind the curtain” of which most people were oblivious. I’ve always written as a way to process and make sense of my own experiences, but my writing career has truly been a search for an appropriate medium. I’ve written stories, poems, novels, scripts, but this time I decided I’d experiment with a graphic novel. I love graphic novels, use them in my teaching, and found them influential in my own literacy development. So I began the 3-year process of learning to draw, and finally finished my graphic novel, OBSOLETE: A Teacher’s Tale (of tomorrow, today!). As we shifted to screen learning during the COVID pandemic, the relevance of what I wrote seemed increasingly important, so I was encouraged to publish OBSOLETE and share my story.
OP: What differentiates it from other books in the same category?
Kevin: As a teacher with over ten years of classroom experience, published author, and frequent media expert on themes involving technology and culture, my life has centered on pedagogy, analysis, and storytelling. I believe the characters and setting are unique among other science fiction books, dystopian fiction books, and graphic novels. The setting of the school is a location most readers will have intimate knowledge of and experience with, despite there not being many dystopian, science fiction stories that take place in school. The characters also are relatable due to their interactions with and dependency on technology like cellphones and computers. In a time of distance learning and increasing screen-time, many individuals (including teachers, students, and parents) are beginning to seriously contemplate the impact of technology in the classroom and on our lives. While technophobia is an emerging mood in fiction, OBSOLETE focuses heavily on these themes and moods in a way I believe has not yet been explored and discussed, prior.
OP: Have you published any other books?
Kevin: In 2009, at the age of 21, I published a short novel, Summer of the Fall.
OP: Do you plan to publish more?
Kevin: Absolutely! I currently teach English at a private high school in Westchester, NY, host a film discussion series on television, and use any remaining time to work on the next volume in the OBSOLETE series. In addition to all that, I’m hard at work, developing a new graphic novel, End of the World, where two college students must team-up with the Antichrist to prevent the Apocalypse.
OP: Thanks for your time, Kevin! We look forward to learning more about you as you visit other bloggers!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
In the spring of 2009, at the age of 21, Kevin published a short novel, Summer of the Fall, through Outskirts Press. He spent the next few summers editing a second, experimental novel, Not All Vampires Suck Blood and a screen play, titled End of the World. For ten years, Vachna was employed as a high school English teacher at a New York City public school in the Bronx. In 2012, Kevin completed an English Literature MA at Lehman College. In 2016, he received a Masters in School Administration. The completion of Kevin’s latest project OBSOLETE in 2019 came on the footsteps of his exit from the New York City Department of Education. Neither parties elected to comment on any meta-narrative connections between art and life. Currently, Kevin teaches English at a private high school in Westchester, New York and hosts a film discussion show on television.
Press play to watch the book video for OBSOLETE: A Teacher’s Tale (of tomorrow, today!)
This author purchased the Virtual Book Tour marketing option, which allows self-publishing authors to connect with bloggers and harness the power of the blogosphere by taking their book on the “virtual road.” Learn more about this service by visiting your Publishing Center and reviewing the available marketing options.
Technology has created a wide variety of ways to reach audiences all over the world. It takes is a little thinking outside the box and you can market a self-published book in creative, affordable and impactful ways. Consider book tours! Tours are a great way to connect with your readers and technology has made them easier and more cost effective than ever!
Author B.A. Vonsik is taking his latest book Primeval Origins: Rise of Serpents (Book #3 in the Primeval Origins Epic Saga), on tour — a Virtual Book Tour with Outskirts Press. This will allow B.A. to take his book into the far corners of the globe, all from the comfort of his own home! Keep an eye out for B.A.’s book as he will be featured on several blogs over the weeks and months ahead!
Luckily for us, B.A. was kind enough to answer a few questions as the tour was getting started so that we can give you a sneak peek into the mind of the creator of Primeval Origins: Rise of Serpents (Book #3 in the Primeval Origins Epic Saga).
OP: Tell us a little bit about Primeval Origins: Rise of Serpents (Book #3 in the Primeval Origins Epic Saga). What is it about?
B.A.: A Science Fantasy tale revealing mankind’s origins and the creation of the Four Horsemen of humanity’s final judgment. Experienced through the eyes and mind of Nikki, a paleo-archeologist graduate student, whose life is turned upside down during a field expedition and is now on the run with an enigmatic group of companions fleeing and seeking refuge from the relentless and deadly forces of humanity and their guiding masters known from our shrouded deep past, answering the question…”What if all our myths and legends are true?”
OP: Why did you decide to write this story?
B.A.: Curious about the similarities between our many myths and legends, I embarked on a three decades long study of our mythological tales, ancient characters and creatures of legends, and our many religions. I discovered the similarities were indeed real, building a common story of mankind’s origins rich in interactions with our mythological gods as living alien beings…also being known to us as the fallen angels…the Watchers of the Bible and Qur’an. I wanted to provide to the curious an integrated story of our conceivable past and origins in what has become known as Ancient Alien Theory in a story told through a unique perspective filled with thought-provoking characters and creatures and events discovering the meaning and purpose of our mortal lives and the nature of our human souls.
OP: How did you get your book published?
B.A.: Self-published through my company Celestial Fury Publishing. The complete story will be told through the main storyline of the published books of the Primeval Origins Epic Saga, with supplementary tales published through an in-development role-playing game. Planned are releases of the story in different formats to reach fans of all ilk’s. Formats planned include: Audio books, graphics novels, and the role-playing game both pen-and-paper and then as a computer game series.
OP: What types of readers would be interested in this story?
B.A.: Cross-genre Science Fiction and Fantasy…Science Fantasy fans, Epic Fantasy fans, fans enjoying epic adventures with realistic characters and scientifically accurate settings, fans desiring dystopian settings with a cyberpunk theme, young adult fans, and Christian Fantasy fans.
OP: What is special about your book?
B.A.: A very interesting story with characters you will love and those you will love to hate that will end in the Book of Revelations. Books #1 (Paths of Anguish) and #2 (Light of Honor) have already won 16 awards and honors between them.
Paths of Anguish
Young Adult Book of the Year, 2014/2015 Reader Views Literary Awards
Finalist, Fantasy Book of the Year, Readers Favorite 2016 Book Awards
Finalist, Fantasy Book of the Year, 2016 International Book Awards
Distinguished Favorite, Epic Fantasy Book of the Year, 2017 Independent Press Awards
Fantasy Book of the Year, 2017 NYC Big Book Award
Winner, Science Fantasy, National Association of Book Entrepreneurs (NABE) Winter 2018 Pinnacle Book Achievement Award
Light of Honor
Fantasy Book of the Year, 2016 Reader Views Literary Awards
Finalist, Fiction/Fantasy Book of the Year, 2016 CIPA EVVY Award
Merit, Fiction/Fantasy Book of the Year, 2016 CIPA EVVY Award
Finalist, Fantasy Book of the Year, 2016 International Book Awards
Finalist, E-Book Fiction Book of the Year, 2016 Next Generation Indie Book Award
Finalist, Science Fiction, 2016 Best Book Award
Epic Fantasy Book of the Year, 2017 Independent Press Awards
Fantasy Best Books, NABE Summer 2018 Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards
Fantasy Book of the Year, 2018 New York City Big Book Award
Epic Fantasy Book of the Year, 2018 New York City Big Book Award
Early reviews of Rise of Serpents are even stronger than those received by Paths of Anguish and Light of Honor. Things are looking good for more awards and honors blessing the Primeval Origins Epic Saga. Each book is written to allow readers to enjoy the book and become new fans without the need to read the previous books. Difficult to do, but successful so far.
OP: What differentiates it from other books in the same category?
B.A.: I know of no other books…or stories integrating all our major myths and legends spanning 65 million years, our religious stories and accounts, all the disciplines of the sciences, engineering and emerging technologies of the 21st century, and our contemporary human history into one tale of mystery in a Science Fantasy “What if…” setting, exploring the our morality and existence.
OP: Have you published any other books?
B.A.: Three books of the Primeval Origins Epic Saga…
Paths of Anguish
Light of Honor
Rise of Serpents
OP: Do you plan to publish more?
B.A.: Book #4 of the Primeval Origins Epic Saga is in the works, as is the master rule book for the role-playing game. Please visit the Primeval Origins website at www.primevalorigns.com for more information on all of the above, the encyclopedia and lexicon, the happenings and research blog, and the research source reference material. For the curious, you will be able to spend months, even years going through all the available material…or you can just enjoy the compelling multiple award-winning story filled with terrible tyrannies, deadly dinosaurs, brutal beasts, ancient gods, and heroic hearts of our undiscovered history and the telling of our End Times.
OP: Thanks for your time, B.A.! We look forward to learning more about you as you visit other bloggers!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Multiple award-winning B.A. Vonsik graduated from the United States Air Force Academy and served as an USAF Special Operations aviator. Currently, B.A. Vonsik works in the training and simulation industry by day while at night and all other times detailing the world of Primeval Origins with new discoveries and research in ancient mythologies, creation myths, religions, sciences and technologies. Starting with a curiosity about why many of our mythologic pantheons seemed very similar, B.A. created the Primeval Origins story based on more than 25 years of research integrating our mythologies, ancient alien theory, history, the sciences, and with the stories of the Bible, Qur’an, and Hindu religions. B.A. Vonsik lives with his extraordinary wife in Florida.
This author purchased the Virtual Book Tour marketing option, which allows self-publishing authors to connect with bloggers and harness the power of the blogosphere by taking their book on the “virtual road.” Learn more about this service by visiting your Publishing Center and reviewing the available marketing options.
Are you an author looking for help to market your self-published book?
Technology has created a wide variety of ways to reach audiences all over the world. It takes is a little thinking outside the box and you can market a self-published book in creative, affordable and impactful ways. Consider book tours! Tours are a great way to connect with your readers and technology has made them easier and more cost effective than ever!
Author Ladybug is taking her latest book Life in Ann’s World, on tour — a Virtual Book Tour with Outskirts Press. This will allow Ladybug to take her book into the far corners of the globe, all from the comfort of her own home! Keep an eye out for Ladybug’s book as she will be featured on several blogs over the weeks and months ahead!
Luckily for us, Ladybug was kind enough to answer a few questions as the tour was getting started so that we can give you a sneak peek into the mind of the creator of Life in Ann’s World.
OP: Tell us a little bit about Life in Ann’s World. What is it about?
Ladybug: The story is in the view from a 12-year-old girl’s perspective. At the beginning of the book she contemplates about her life up to her present.
OP: Why did you decide to write this story?
Ladybug: I got tired of almost every show you see these days or read about is another branch of law enforcement. There are other stories out there other than law enforcement. Don’t get me wrong some of the shows and stories you read are great, but I prefer a break from them. I can go in my living room right now and turn on the tv and there will only be some type of law show but, in the end, I wanted to create a story that the whole family could enjoy, I hope they do!
OP: How did you get your book published?
Ladybug: Outskirts press is a self-publishing company. I submitted my book for review, and they agreed to publish it. After paying a lot for having it published, it finally became published in May of 2018.
OP: What types of readers would be interested in this story?
Ladybug: It is my hope that all walks of life will enjoy my book. My intentions were to send people in a different reality, even if it is for a little while.
OP: What is special about your book?
Ladybug: Other than I wrote it? It is not a law story, it captures the imagination of the people reading it. I love a story where all the characters get along and work together to help with an imminent crisis.
OP: What differentiates it from other books in the same category?
Ladybug: Towards the end of the story Ann’s friends are beginning to go their own separate ways. These things happen in real life as when young children become young adults and after high school these young adults will pursue college, work, family or all three. It is a time in their lives when major changes take place in their lives and Ann is no different. Ann’s changes are a little more obvious than real peoples’ lives, but I think everyone can relate to her and the fast pace of her life. Ann is always wanting her life to slow down but, for her it does not.
OP: Have you published any other books?
Ladybug: No, not yet.
OP: Do you plan to publish more?
Ladybug: Maybe.
OP: Thanks for your time, Ladybug! We look forward to learning more about you as you visit other bloggers!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
After high school, Ladybug received an AA degree in business, but when she was younger, she used to go on tons of different adventures. Ladybug would carry her little dog in the basket on her bike wherever she went. She would go to the lake and lay there and watch the waves from the lake hit the shore and her dog would run around playing in and around the lake.
This author purchased the Virtual Book Tour marketing option, which allows self-publishing authors to connect with bloggers and harness the power of the blogosphere by taking their book on the “virtual road.” Learn more about this service by visiting your Publishing Center and reviewing the available marketing options.
Are you an author looking for help to market your self-published book?
Konrad Koenigsmann’s “Mind vs. Matter.” The world has been carved into empires after World War III and the mysterious leader of a shadowy organization makes plans to take over the entire planet. A new force emerges, a father and son, who have unparalleled mental capabilities and they begin to use their mental prowess to battle for control of the world. This book is a gripping and thought-provoking award-winning novel.
For many readers, summer marks the perfect time to slow down and pick up a new book or two to savor, whether basking in the sun on the beach or camping in alpine meadows … or adhering to the same work schedule as always. Book sales in the fiction genre, including science fiction and fantasy, spike at this time of year, and for good reason! Whether readers are looking for their next travel-friendly book or for a way to escape when they’re stuck in place, the fantastical and the technological sublime are the perfect escape valve.
They’re also, sometimes, difficult books to market. Both science fiction and fantasy qualify as “genre fiction,” and while massive numbers of science fiction and fantasy books are sold each year, those numbers are not, by and large, coming from standard bookstore sales and standard marketing campaigns. If you’ve recently published a work of science fiction or fantasy yourself, you’re probably already aware of the fact that your ideal readers, while incredibly loyal, can be difficult to reach.
So how do you market to them effectively? Here are five fearless ideas to get you started.
1. Publish an ebook edition.
Nothing appeals to readers of genre fiction quite as much as accessibility, transportability, and ease of use. After all, many of your readers are on the move at this time of year, and the others are likely too busy to bother with shopping at physical stores every time they want a new science fiction or fantasy book, which is on average more frequently than readers of pretty much any other genre when you consider the numbers. If you want your book to be easy to find and easy to buy, you absolutely must consider investing in an ebook edition of your book if you haven’t already. You can promote the release of your new ebook edition on your website, blog, and social media sites, and even offer an e-giveaway to boost traffic and engagement on all of the above websites!
2. Get thee to social media, STAT.
It naturally follows that you need to be online, and you need to have a robust digital footprint. Readers of science fiction and fantasy, once they fall in love with a book of yours, will want to engage with you online. And most, if not all, of the top science fiction and fantasy authors are already online, so rounding out your social media platforms isn’t so much giving you a foot up over the competition as it is leveling the playing field. Luckily, plenty of established authors love to network and boost their fellow authors on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and elsewhere, so don’t forget to follow your favorites and interact with their tweets and posts. They are likely to respond, follow you back, and help get news of your latest book out there. Perhaps it’s a legacy from the difficult, hard-boiled bootstrap days that current science fiction and fantasy authors went through in the 1980s and 1990s, but science fiction and fantasy authors tend to be more supportive and collaborative than authors in many other genres. And don’t forget about Reddit! Many of your ideal, technologically-savvy readers are to be found on that website, debating upcoming releases and the details of their current favorites.
3. Make sure your book cover is on point.
Each genre has a kind of shared visual vocabulary, and when you peruse the shelves of your local bookstore or web-based sales platform, it’s easy to see just how the vocabulary differs from one genre to another. Can you guess which of the five book covers we’ve included at the top of this post are science fiction and which are fantasy? Here’s a hint: there’s a lot to do with the font, the imagery, and the prominence given to the title. And here’s the thing: the difference between your average science fiction and your average fantasy book cover is much less pronounced than the difference between covers in these genres as compared to books in other genres, such as crime fiction and romance. When you set out to design your book’s cover, or hire an expert to do so, spend some time analyzing what makes for particularly eye-catching book covers in your chosen genre … and make sure to include some of those same visual cues in yours! In the end, readers do tend to judge a book by its cover, at least a little, especially when they already know what they like and are looking for books which may do something similarly and well.
4. Find your nearest convention.
Here’s the flipside to the whole “ease of access, go digital” coin: many readers in the science fiction and fantasy genres love to discover new books in person, too. And there’s no better way to identify your local genre-lovers than to attend your nearest convention! While many of these are still classified as “comic cons,” most conventions have expanded their offerings to include all things science fiction and fantasy, and many will actively solicit vendors and presenters from creators within these genres. Many of the biggest conventions may be too expensive to afford vendor privileges (including the San Diego Comic Con, Dragon Con, and the Denver Comic Con), there are always plenty of smaller conventions with more reasonable fees taking place around the country at the city or regional level. Hop online and search for events happening in your area, and reach out to the event organizers to inquire about pricing and ways to promote your book. Even if you only break even on sales at one of these conventions, you’ll have raised a great deal of awareness about your book, which can have cascading positive repercussions for your marketing strategy. And most often, you’ll do much better than simply breaking even!
5. Reach out to the genre gatekeepers.
Convention organizers are only one category of important gatekeepers you need to be reaching out to if you truly want to boost sales of your science fiction or fantasy book! Many readers in these genres find their books by word of mouth, and from their favorite online content providers, including pop culture bloggers, vloggers, reviewers, and podcasters. Do some research into the most popular personalities in all four of these categories. And once you’ve identified them, use your social media platforms to engage with them. Once you have established some sort of digital handshake, you can reach out to them to request a shout-out on Twitter or a review of your book. Even if not every one of these genre gatekeepers has the time to do so, it’s likely that at least one of them will be interested if you truly do your research and contact all of the likely candidates. All it takes is one positive response to get the ball rolling!
Still not sure where to start in marketing your book this summer? It may be time to lean on an expert! If you’re looking to market your science fiction or fantasy book, there’s never a better time than now to inquire. Visit us online at www.outskirtspress.com or access our wonderful free resource center at http://anyflip.com/bookcase/mhpb, where you’ll find countless further recommendations to suit your marketing needs.
Rachel Ronning’s “Ravs Are Rarely Wrong: The Kinowenn Chronicles Vol III.” Return to the land of Kinowenn in Book 3 of this imaginative series. Join the crew as they travel through the mists, facing damp misery, flesh-eating insects, and nightmare creatures to uncover the source of malice bent on the destruction of the free lands of Kinowenn. The King of Lerramorre struggles with his kingdom reign and Lucy faces difficult decisions as she grows into her magical powers. Can Lucy help her friends unite diverse kingdoms to fight a common foe?
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