tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26703691398903227682024-03-14T13:00:34.087+00:00The Scribbling Sea Serpent(K M Kelly's Blog)K M Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09801740095715755112noreply@blogger.comBlogger457125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670369139890322768.post-66542620585268804512024-03-14T13:00:00.001+00:002024-03-14T13:00:00.151+00:00Review: Kenai by Dave Dobson<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTCzq4NOytByN_Zf0dgJBWlsQ-hyIaTksAg80S2KKaF9-aLYeruwmHokPR7hF5vr-WIf7Mras2YK8F0CKfFfRFUqApnlog8hciRn-b2NPAAqgXEWyyON-ZQA39YDOa0M7bzN0Utt0ogh47lFLFJ46BobvwX3f1r1x8voJPX1Z_WW43MjYy1t2EHSxSNE/s522/kenai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="326" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTCzq4NOytByN_Zf0dgJBWlsQ-hyIaTksAg80S2KKaF9-aLYeruwmHokPR7hF5vr-WIf7Mras2YK8F0CKfFfRFUqApnlog8hciRn-b2NPAAqgXEWyyON-ZQA39YDOa0M7bzN0Utt0ogh47lFLFJ46BobvwX3f1r1x8voJPX1Z_WW43MjYy1t2EHSxSNE/s320/kenai.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></div><b><br />The Book</b><p></p><p><i><b>A planet steeped in mystery...</b></i></p><p><i>Jess Amiko is long past her days as a space marine, with all the glory of that time tarnished beyond repair by what came after. Trying to rebuild from the ashes, she's taken a job as a security guard on Kenai, a lonely world far from the Council systems. It's supposed to be easy duty - quiet and peaceful, on a docile world with no real threats, watching over an archaeological dig at a site built by a race long vanished.</i></p><p><i>Betrayed and attacked by forces unknown, and finding that nothing on Kenai makes sense, Jess is plunged into a desperate fight for survival that leads her deep into the mysteries of Kenai's past, and deep into the hardship and paradox the planet imposes on all who call it home.</i></p><p><i> </i></p><p><b>My Thoughts</b></p><p>This blurb had me instantly intrigued. I love a good archaeological mystery, blended into Science Fiction, so this book was right up my street.</p><p>And what a good read it was! It’s written with a very clear military SF vibe. The female narrator is well drawn and compelling and I was immediately drawn into her world, empathising with her past and her predicament.</p><p>The worldbuilding is also one of the best things about this story. The universe that has been created here has great depth and history, but all this is fed naturally into the narrative. The pacing is spot on and the mystery unravels.</p><p>There’s not much I can say about the plot without giving away spoilers, but what I will say is that the underlying concept is both clever and original, but also the author executes it with great skill. It’s mind-bending and fascinating. And aliens? Should I mention the aliens?</p><p>I’ll say no more, other than this is an excellent book which I strongly recommend.</p><p> </p>K M Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09801740095715755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670369139890322768.post-26401902207400576132024-02-21T13:00:00.001+00:002024-02-21T13:00:00.156+00:00The Arid Lands themes: A vast engineering project<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTURec_0aOV9c57II5aOqEG5E-eYsObncrfStkrofPAdy2Dod2A3xjvb_BffWOfuspNUdoqMAodh76qvJJAfaIkJdPMk_Zws1dVjJ1L3W4oA0AdVgk0lF4F8Dn85Fq9kk0VStKUyX6__l1v2toWdv03SueLw-8Sz2L5m1l843PETDv0abDSTz6TirfyU/s1080/%E2%80%9CWe%20are%20an%20inconvenient%20memory.%20An%20uncomfortable%20truth.%20It%E2%80%99s%20easier%20to%20live%20in%20denial.%E2%80%9D.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTURec_0aOV9c57II5aOqEG5E-eYsObncrfStkrofPAdy2Dod2A3xjvb_BffWOfuspNUdoqMAodh76qvJJAfaIkJdPMk_Zws1dVjJ1L3W4oA0AdVgk0lF4F8Dn85Fq9kk0VStKUyX6__l1v2toWdv03SueLw-8Sz2L5m1l843PETDv0abDSTz6TirfyU/s320/%E2%80%9CWe%20are%20an%20inconvenient%20memory.%20An%20uncomfortable%20truth.%20It%E2%80%99s%20easier%20to%20live%20in%20denial.%E2%80%9D.png" width="320" /></a></div>In the 1920s the German architect Herman Sorgel came up with the concept for a vast Engineering project to build a hydroelectric dam across the Straits of Gibraltar. This project was known as Atlantropa and was promoted by Germany until Sorgel’s death in 1952.<p></p><p>The construction of this dam, along with several others at strategic locations, would have the effect of controlling the inflow into the Mediterranean from the Atlantic. It would have generated vast amounts of electricity as well as causing the Mediterranean Sea level to drop by 200m, so freeing up large areas of land for colonisation.</p><p>Sorgel saw this project as a gateway to forming a peaceful Pan-European utopia, although critics found many faults with his proposals, including the detrimental effects on coastal communities who would become stranded as the seas retreated, as well as the problem of finding agreement amongst all the counties which border the Mediterranean.</p><p>The project was largely forgotten after Sorgel’s death.</p><p>But what if it really had happened? What if the dams really were built? Of course, in The Arid Lands the capacity for generating hydroelectric power was never realised, for reasons you’ll have to read the book to find out. This resulted in the Mediterranean inflow being completely cut off, and as a result, some 600 years of evaporation later, the world of The Arid Lands where Inez and her people struggle to survive, has come into being.</p><p>The Arid Lands is available from Amazon in both kindle and print format.</p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Arid-Lands-Kate-Kelly-ebook/dp/B0CJ19Z5WT/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3MZW3ZRXZSW7G&keywords=the+arid+lands+kate+kelly&qid=1695225685&sprefix=kate+kelly+the+arid%2Caps%2C84&sr=8-1" target="_blank">UK Link</a></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Arid-Lands-Kate-Kelly-ebook/dp/B0CJ19Z5WT/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1T5GE39IIUH4M&keywords=the+arid+lands+kate+kelly&qid=1695225789&sprefix=the+arid+lands+kate+kelly%2Caps%2C205&sr=8-1" target="_blank">US Link</a></p>K M Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09801740095715755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670369139890322768.post-7221599512703630332024-02-12T10:00:00.001+00:002024-02-12T10:00:00.240+00:00Review: Not By Sea by Paul Weston<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnjCmlbME0RAARTjnugSpKXKNYsqxPFPn1oBqK1ava2Ii4Gc3Upu5kpJqB9N13S-Sw9gJ2J5A-hKh1BLI7QHtDJjTqu8MSE-IGRpYPZ_jYGi-wEOp08BMhhLU8NISy2xq18PemJt51XR8-5Yev2P00TEYSGHgfqFtTcg2YN53fbPLUgwEBGxAJZaM3Mw/s445/NotBySea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="335" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnjCmlbME0RAARTjnugSpKXKNYsqxPFPn1oBqK1ava2Ii4Gc3Upu5kpJqB9N13S-Sw9gJ2J5A-hKh1BLI7QHtDJjTqu8MSE-IGRpYPZ_jYGi-wEOp08BMhhLU8NISy2xq18PemJt51XR8-5Yev2P00TEYSGHgfqFtTcg2YN53fbPLUgwEBGxAJZaM3Mw/s320/NotBySea.jpg" width="241" /></a></b></div><b><br />The Book</b><p></p><p><i>The brief respite of the Peace of Amiens is over, and Britain is once again at war with France. Napoléon knows that if he is to win the war, he must invade England, but the Armée d’Angleterre is blockaded in Boulogne by the Royal Navy. Frustrated by British sea power, Napoléon entrusts an alternative scheme to the brilliant Captain Morlaix which if successful, could lead to the subjugation of Britain.</i></p><p><i>During the Peace, English visitors had flocked to France, among them Midshipmen Stone and Snowden. At a soiree in Paris, they attracted the attention of Fouché, the feared minister of police, who believed that Jack Stone was a civilian when he fought the French in Normandy, and is therefore a criminal.</i></p><p><i>In the subsequent war, Lieutenant Snowden leads a raid to disrupt France's invasion plans.</i></p><p><b>My Thoughts </b></p><p>I read Paul’s previous book Weymouth Bound, some years ago and enjoyed it very much, so when I saw that I could reacquaint myself with the hero of that story, Jack Stone, I jumped at the opportunity.</p><p>Paul knows how to tell a good story, but what sets these books apart is the authenticity. The books are incredibly well researched and Paul draws on his own maritime and historical knowledge when he writes, resulting in something totally immersive. The sequences set at sea are simply wonderful. I could almost feel the deck rolling beneath my feet as I read.</p><p>But more than this Not by Sea is a cracking story, set during a fascinating period of history. I came away feeling I’d experienced something special and learned a few things along the way.</p><p>If you love all things historical and maritime then this book if for you.</p><p>Recommended.</p>K M Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09801740095715755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670369139890322768.post-28472742288659209612024-02-05T09:00:00.001+00:002024-02-05T09:00:00.137+00:00Guest Post by Lydia Baker: Writing an apocalyptic world and the theme of family<p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"> Writing an apocalyptic world and the theme of family</span></b></p><p>Thank you so much for having me on your blog, Kate. My sci-fi novel, AVA, takes place in a futuristic city that mirrors London but could be any big city. Ava and her fellow humans have been trapped under an electrical barrier that appeared fourteen years ago when Ava was a child visiting the city with her father and brother. As a young adult, her determination to escape the barrier and discover if her family has survived drives her. But the things that wait for her on the outside are beyond anything she could have imagined. The novel follows the themes of family, self-sacrifice and self-discovery. </p><p>One of the beauties of writing an apocalyptic world is that you can create a plethora of problems for your main characters so you can explore many different themes. Ava is separated from her mother and twin sister, something that her father struggles to deal with and eventually the grief of the loss and not knowing overcomes him. The loss of her father is detrimental to Ava. He was her protector and without him, Ava is left with her brother, who was adopted but is resentful of his sisters that are his parent's biological children. This theme of family plays out in the relationship between Ava and her brother with the distrust and betrayal that clouds their friendship and the abuse her brother deals out to her. </p><p>Without giving too much away, Ava faces the ultimate betrayal from her brother when she escapes the barrier. On the other side, she is faced with the family she lost and struggles to work out her place with those she thought she had lost, as it had been fourteen years since they saw each other. </p><p>Growing up inside the barrier, oppressed and hiding her gender to save it, has changed and warped Ava's character. Her loyalty is skewed and she struggles to accept that her family has moved on or to trust others. The family she left behind, that she has risked everything to find, isn't the one she has been imagining. Eventually, she comes to realise that the world is bigger than her, it is more than just her pain and she can make a difference—the most important difference.</p><p>Ava grows considerably during the novel. She goes from a somewhat immature young woman, only thinking of herself, to someone who knows that though it means giving up everything she can save those who mean the world to her, those she loves. I wanted to show the development of character through the growth of Ava and the shedding of her naivety. Something we all have to do as we grow and experience the world. I also wanted to explore how the world can shape us through Ava. There are some stark differences between her and the family she finds on the outside, who weren't oppressed by MTech (the controlling government) yet have still had to face equally terrifying dangers. Their attitudes are very different. </p><p></p><p>As well as the more serious themes, AVA is full of twists and thrills, fighting and exploring. If you like a fast-paced, dystopian, sci-fi novel with a determined yet flawed female protagonist then please check out AVA! Thanks again, Kate, for having me on your blog. </p><p><i><b>Lydia Baker </b>is an author of science-fiction and fantasy, she loves to write novels you can escape into.</i></p><p><i>Her novel ‘The Return of the Queen’ won the Pink Heart Society Reviewers Choice Award for Best Paranormal/Fantasy Romance in 2019 and ‘Ava’ was Shortlisted for the Agora Books - Work in Progress Prize in 2019. Her short story A.R.C is featured in the Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers Alliance Anthology, 2023.</i></p><p><i>When she’s not writing she loves to read, run and crochet (not all at the same time though!). She lives in Crawley with her husband and four children.</i></p><div><b>AVA by Lydia Baker:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYgyZKuk1S1PmV-bBwXadKdOHo9qbISkUJLUNM8JsTzi51EG7xiK-8xm11_Op1Qby6i7QupDBqYSeC4gc4sT_qkU5Gu0izLMWHeZriW-Ss7P_RvGXjWTDjJOB28JQiBa81G24FKxF-FMm6I6bm6MpGHSQQzhj0BxOX8Kvapc-f7DQllnxR0YinvCTZebg/s522/AVA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="326" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYgyZKuk1S1PmV-bBwXadKdOHo9qbISkUJLUNM8JsTzi51EG7xiK-8xm11_Op1Qby6i7QupDBqYSeC4gc4sT_qkU5Gu0izLMWHeZriW-Ss7P_RvGXjWTDjJOB28JQiBa81G24FKxF-FMm6I6bm6MpGHSQQzhj0BxOX8Kvapc-f7DQllnxR0YinvCTZebg/s320/AVA.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><div>First, they came for the city, and we allowed it. They put up the Barrier and we stayed quiet, silenced by the fear of what was beyond. Our elderly were next and still, we didn’t cry out; then they came for the women, removed their fertility and stole our future, so I hid. I became Alec and I turned my back on my true self, Ava.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ava can’t live as Alec any longer, the lie is killing her, destroying all that she is.</div><div><br /></div><div>The world beyond MTech’s Barrier calls to her and she can’t ignore it. She has to know what, if anything, survived the terrible day that tore her family apart fourteen years ago.</div><div><br /></div><div>But what if the Outside is far more dangerous than anything Ava has ever faced on the Inside?</div><div><br /></div><div>Ava is set in a dystopian future, where individual rights are being eroded and the population live under a dome barrier that they have been told is for their protection. But, what is outside? Is escape possible? Even if it is, will it be a death sentence?</div></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://amzn.eu/d/3vGqmG3" target="_blank">Purchase link</a></div><div><br /></div>K M Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09801740095715755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670369139890322768.post-27164554838639219232024-01-25T11:00:00.009+00:002024-01-25T11:00:00.133+00:00The Arid Lands themes: Climate effects of a dried up sea. <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBHRJnYZoRCDZaYuk3GG1VRTDEXfeHWMhvZ4L8jB-5gwiXrf9trfMQXjp37Bwb0SsHETX0_D8nvMCN8BMywrPvUthqW2bpfAbGBT2uK0GknHasb8_04npGR_6EQaIovS51ESm-cNTuDiMmIOLptwdx5C7FXZoGEuMqO3EIlk3ToJgtjWxlmlLCnnZh28/s1080/People%20were%20approaching%20us,%20shrouded%20in%20their%20desert%20robes.%20I%20couldn't%20tell%20who%20they%20were,%20but%20I%20could%20guess..png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBHRJnYZoRCDZaYuk3GG1VRTDEXfeHWMhvZ4L8jB-5gwiXrf9trfMQXjp37Bwb0SsHETX0_D8nvMCN8BMywrPvUthqW2bpfAbGBT2uK0GknHasb8_04npGR_6EQaIovS51ESm-cNTuDiMmIOLptwdx5C7FXZoGEuMqO3EIlk3ToJgtjWxlmlLCnnZh28/s320/People%20were%20approaching%20us,%20shrouded%20in%20their%20desert%20robes.%20I%20couldn't%20tell%20who%20they%20were,%20but%20I%20could%20guess..png" width="320" /></a></div>As I have mentioned in a previous post, 6 million years ago (Ma) the Mediterranean Sea entered a phase of desiccation when it became cut off from the Atlantic, and almost completely dried up. This is the same scenario I have envisioned for the alternate future world of The Arid Lands, where Inez and her people struggle to survive, not knowing that everything is about to change.<p></p><p>The desiccation of the Mediterranean Sea would have a number of knock-on effects for the climate of the surrounding lands as well as creating a unique environment in the basin itself.</p><p>The climate of the basin can only be speculated for no equivalent environment exists on Earth today. But it is likely that as the depth of the basins increased so did the temperatures, possibly reaching summer midday highs of as much as 80C at its deepest points. This would not allow the existence of permanent life and it is likely that temperatures were nowhere near this extreme. But they would have been elevated enough to make life there extremely uncomfortable and difficult.</p><p>The surrounding areas would also experience climatic changes. Currently evaporation from the Mediterranean Sea provides moisture to the atmosphere which drives rainfall across much of the surrounding areas. With the Sea drying up there would be no input of moisture to the atmosphere and these rains would fail, resulting in a significantly drier climate over most of the central and eastern mediterranean belt.</p><p>In fact, the Mediterranean climate that we associate with Greece, Italy and the Levant would exist only in the Iberian Peninsula and NW Africa.</p><p>The desiccation would result in the extinction of much of the marine flora and fauna native to the basins, but the fusing of the two land masses would allow dispersal of terrestrial animals across the region.</p><p>Inez’s people survive by fishing for shrimp in the brine pools. In truth such a hypersaline environment would be hostile to life, but life is adaptable and my poor basin dwelling people have to eat something. Hence the shrimp. But apart from that I’ve tried to keep the environment in which they live as plausible as possible.</p><p>So how did this scenario arise in the world I have created? That will be the subject of a future post on this blog.</p><p>The Arid Lands is available from Amazon in both kindle and print format.</p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Arid-Lands-Kate-Kelly-ebook/dp/B0CJ19Z5WT/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3MZW3ZRXZSW7G&keywords=the+arid+lands+kate+kelly&qid=1695225685&sprefix=kate+kelly+the+arid%2Caps%2C84&sr=8-1" target="_blank">UK Link</a></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Arid-Lands-Kate-Kelly-ebook/dp/B0CJ19Z5WT/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1T5GE39IIUH4M&keywords=the+arid+lands+kate+kelly&qid=1695225789&sprefix=the+arid+lands+kate+kelly%2Caps%2C205&sr=8-1" target="_blank">US Link</a></p>K M Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09801740095715755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670369139890322768.post-71879406981914721852024-01-15T11:30:00.001+00:002024-01-15T11:30:00.131+00:00Review: Hot Ash and the Oasis Defect by Philip Wyeth<p><b>The Book</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2kT0K93NuKC_WsC0nOXkm4sQtzjwyEjMcotKFifBD4CsqCM1rqDtTfYHeQSdA5VIRuo1NBUMrr848ZZzC1cv_Ote6L3VqaP7czNQ7D3bZX0uJkeAyI0ILVsGj75GynvR0zbgNvuPTlwppfSUHZUHqcwj_WFHbIVLeWYssXGIGOnhSlFmXLexQD9UZXms/s445/Ash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="279" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2kT0K93NuKC_WsC0nOXkm4sQtzjwyEjMcotKFifBD4CsqCM1rqDtTfYHeQSdA5VIRuo1NBUMrr848ZZzC1cv_Ote6L3VqaP7czNQ7D3bZX0uJkeAyI0ILVsGj75GynvR0zbgNvuPTlwppfSUHZUHqcwj_WFHbIVLeWYssXGIGOnhSlFmXLexQD9UZXms/s320/Ash.jpg" width="201" /></a></b></div><p></p><p><i>Welcome to 2045. Automation has freed humanity from the drudgery and limitations of blue-collar labor. For twenty years, a remarkable group of female bureaucrats has overseen an ambitious construction program that is spreading equity, prosperity, and peace worldwide.</i></p><p><i>But Detective Ashley Westgard of the Jacksonville Police Corps senses that beneath all the glimmer and shine, a new malaise has taken root in society. From brazen acts of criminality and rampant party pill abuse, to her own insatiable desires... All is not well on the road to paradise.</i></p><p><i>Ash is beautiful, vain, headstrong, and erratic. A symbol of her time as she careens from impulsive shopping sprees to drunken fights to escapades of sin. But now that a methodical killer is on the loose, she must rise above apathy and doubt in order to forge her raging inner fire into a fearsome weapon of justice.</i></p><p><b>My Thoughts</b></p><p>This is a futuristic detective story with a pulpy feel and a noir vibe. The story charges along at pace and the twists and turns keep you guessing. I read it in one sitting. The world the author has created is immersive and there is a strong sense of place.</p><p>The only criticism I have is Ash herself. This book is clearly written by a man from a female POV. At times I felt that Ash was more of a man’s ideal of what a feisty woman should be like, rather than someone who, as a female myself, I could relate to.</p><p>But unless that really bothers you it won’t distract from what is at heart a fun romp. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. It’s short, but it’s entertaining.</p>K M Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09801740095715755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670369139890322768.post-34502003428817976522024-01-03T11:00:00.001+00:002024-01-03T11:00:00.136+00:00The Arid Lands themes: The Messinian Salinity Crisis <p>My newly released SF novel, The Arid Lands is set some 600 years from now, in an alternate future when the Mediterranean has almost completely dried out. It is in this inhospitable landscape of salt flats and occasional pools of hypersaline brine that Inez and her people struggle to survive. Inez knows no other existence. But all that is about to change.</p><p>You may think that the idea of a vast sea such as the Mediterranean almost completely evaporating is pure fiction, but let me tell you, it is not. For the Mediterranean Sea did indeed dry out, albeit a long time ago.</p><p>About 6 Million years ago (Ma) the Mediterranean Sea became disconnected from the Atlantic Ocean. During the period that followed, known as the Messinian Salinity Crisis the sea almost completely evaporated.</p><p>The closing of the connections between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean, which is now the Straits of Gibraltar, was caused by the shifting tectonics in this region. This isolation of the Mediterranean from the main inflow happened several times, between 6 and 5.3 Ma.</p><p>The initial phase was one of repeated cycles of evaporation and replenishment which led to the formation of thick sequences of evaporite deposits, minerals such as halite and gypsum, deposited from the evaporating seawater.</p><p>The connection was then cut off for a prolonged period of time. During this later episode of desiccation, the Mediterranean became a dry basin, as much as 5 km deep, with only a few hypersaline pockets of water remaining. This process of drying out the Mediterranean Sea is estimated to have taken about 1000 years.</p><p>The Mediterranean remained dry until 5.3 Ma when the Straits of Gibraltar were finally breached, and water flooded back into the Mediterranean basin in the form of a cataclysmic flood, and so the Mediterranean Sea as we know it today was formed.</p><p>But the thick evaporite deposits and the presence of deep canyons in the seabed which cut down into the abyssal plains as water returned to the sea are testament to this arid phase in the Mediterranean Sea’s history.</p><p>This is the setting for The Arid Lands. A hostile environment that once really existed. I will talk more about this geological event and how it inspired the world I describe in The Arid Lands in future posts on this blog.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjwdCqcJaG95yAqv55MDFJiZcrooGEWlzf8MvQ_3vOSjjn-HZKU9EVwrp4K_g9f__ANWwefcOqN_rDdJQWzHoJCmyLNZY5J94YePGt8spLLil6jVnsvGEV4ibpEldIQJ0VcUDossA9zXoH3X1Rh9m6Xe6LM0vEKnGEBr6lhkyfRt6wwx4J02s_p30TIE0/s1080/The%20ship%20was%20a%20stark%20reminder%20of%20a%20time%20long%20past,%20when%20the%20world%20was%20very%20different%20to%20the%20one%20we%20now%20knew.%20The%20time%20before%20the%20Desiccation..png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjwdCqcJaG95yAqv55MDFJiZcrooGEWlzf8MvQ_3vOSjjn-HZKU9EVwrp4K_g9f__ANWwefcOqN_rDdJQWzHoJCmyLNZY5J94YePGt8spLLil6jVnsvGEV4ibpEldIQJ0VcUDossA9zXoH3X1Rh9m6Xe6LM0vEKnGEBr6lhkyfRt6wwx4J02s_p30TIE0/s320/The%20ship%20was%20a%20stark%20reminder%20of%20a%20time%20long%20past,%20when%20the%20world%20was%20very%20different%20to%20the%20one%20we%20now%20knew.%20The%20time%20before%20the%20Desiccation..png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>The Arid Lands is available from Amazon in both kindle and print format.</p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Arid-Lands-Kate-Kelly-ebook/dp/B0CJ19Z5WT/ref=sr_1_1?crid=NLHSOB4KBZC1&keywords=the+arid+lands+kate+kelly&qid=1698080600&sprefix=the+arid+lands%2Caps%2C237&sr=8-1" target="_blank">UK Link</a></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Arid-Lands-Kate-Kelly-ebook/dp/B0CJ19Z5WT/ref=sr_1_1?crid=22JWX5LNXYR5N&keywords=kate+kelly+the+arid+lands&qid=1698080646&sprefix=kate+kelly+the+arid+lands%2Caps%2C168&sr=8-1" target="_blank">US Link</a></p>K M Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09801740095715755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670369139890322768.post-14097384838747382892023-12-21T09:00:00.005+00:002023-12-21T09:00:00.255+00:00Review: Zen Dynamics – Putting Buddhist theory into practice by Andrew May<p><b>The Book</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipoCEWm_PKMGXOiRUCsVkmXuWe5pRp4jOBR1GEScrH8DNEBqOO9JTat1Kz-wMhyns7rSzuFU4b-0jAxarxn2LkuPnPiCgvBrn7xPSeAVSdaohbxbn1zzhcBy38NVGsmArj7B0lqBMiE7LDR-_PPCH6lVShVqTHo45DH1lBc03OYqtmVUAtJRNGZgmOvlA/s522/zendynamics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="331" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipoCEWm_PKMGXOiRUCsVkmXuWe5pRp4jOBR1GEScrH8DNEBqOO9JTat1Kz-wMhyns7rSzuFU4b-0jAxarxn2LkuPnPiCgvBrn7xPSeAVSdaohbxbn1zzhcBy38NVGsmArj7B0lqBMiE7LDR-_PPCH6lVShVqTHo45DH1lBc03OYqtmVUAtJRNGZgmOvlA/s320/zendynamics.jpg" width="203" /></a></b></div><p></p><p><i>Buddhism can sometimes come across a</i><i>s abstract and philosophical, but it has a strongly practical side too – and that’s what this book is all about. It focuses on four areas in particular:</i></p><p><i>– The analysis of personality types, both in Buddhism and traditional Chinese medicine, showing how this can enhance self-awareness and personal development.</i></p><p><i>– How “karma”, or the law of cause-and-effect applied on a personal scale, functions in an entirely non-mystical, non-supernatural way within the flow of human thoughts and emotions.</i></p><p><i>– How meditation techniques are used in different schools of Buddhism to calm the mind and provide insight into its inner workings.</i></p><p><i>– A “demystification” of Zen Buddhism, showing how its seeming illogicality and iconoclasm actually serve a serious practical purpose in developing the human mind.</i></p><p><b>My Thoughts</b></p><p>Andrew is probably best known for his science books, but has also written on a wide range of subjects, from the mysterious to the historical, so it comes as no surprise to find this little gem about Buddhism among his latest work.</p><p>Buddhism is something which has fascinated me for a long time, but I sadly don’t know as much about it as I would like, so I came to this book with eager interest and I wasn’t disappointed.</p><p>I found this book to be a fascinating introduction to the practical aspects of Buddhism. As is always the case with Andrew’s books the topic was discussed in an approachable and accessible way, clearly laid out, and themes that might have at first seemed complex were explained in a way that made them easy to understand. I was left feeling that I’d been given a really solid introduction to a subject that was quite new to me and have come away with a far better understanding of Buddhism in general. I certainly feel inspired to read more on this topic.</p><div><br /></div>K M Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09801740095715755112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670369139890322768.post-4614192021348883452023-12-13T12:00:00.001+00:002023-12-13T12:00:00.132+00:00Review: Embargo on Hope by Justin Doyle<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Zw569JMt9Yeh3vuqF9F6yGCLaxXT6o24F9NynDgM6pDChqQaPQIGIhhkkrOawPNZ6BUVX5UI7mZ-KzWKPUx7PPvXzC4s8uQmMQiRHfOPmvP0qkvlSjjxwRR3ZoJ_hBZyHvfrCZ4Ry5o35s8nyDBdAnOdfS2HoPziEfarktvrNnxxrsor22W9v0p3nW8/s445/embargoonhope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="287" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Zw569JMt9Yeh3vuqF9F6yGCLaxXT6o24F9NynDgM6pDChqQaPQIGIhhkkrOawPNZ6BUVX5UI7mZ-KzWKPUx7PPvXzC4s8uQmMQiRHfOPmvP0qkvlSjjxwRR3ZoJ_hBZyHvfrCZ4Ry5o35s8nyDBdAnOdfS2HoPziEfarktvrNnxxrsor22W9v0p3nW8/s320/embargoonhope.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><b>The Book</b><p></p><p><i>Even gods have secrets...</i></p><p><i>On planet Vastire, worth is set by the sins of one's ancestors. Good families rise to the elite and the wicked fall into poverty. Unfortunately for sixteen-year-old Darynn Mark, his father incited a revolution. Now, Darynn scrounges his way through life in the slums. When Vastire is surrounded by an embargo, it gets even harder to survive.</i></p><p><i>That all changes when an alien ship slips through the embargo, seeking Darynn with an offer: finish the revolution and the embargo ends. He might have a chance thanks to mysterious magic powers, and his two companions: clairvoyant crush Fyra and soldierly alien Kaylaa.</i></p><p><i>Cutthroat killers, mystical beasts, Vampires, power-hungry priests and lords, and self-serving spies stand in their way. If the three of them can crack his father's secret, maybe they can end the embargo and save the poor. If not, another poor orphan will be added to the growing piles of dead.</i></p><p><b><br />My Thoughts</b></p><p>This was a thoroughly enjoyable book with lots of great action, wonderful world building and engaging characters. I enjoyed it immensely. It’s the first of a trilogy but wraps up nicely in its own right while still leaving the reader eager to know more. It put me in mind of books I’ve read by Adrian Tchaikovsky and China Meiville so if you enjoy those authors you will probably enjoy this. The main character, Darynn, was engaging and easy to connect with. I’m looking forward to seeing where his adventures lead. There are still so many questions he needs to answer.</p><p>This book is a fellow SPSFC3 entry although not in the same group as Red Rock. I expect it to do well.</p><p>Strongly recommended.</p>K M Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09801740095715755112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670369139890322768.post-54383971964208946712023-12-04T12:00:00.001+00:002023-12-04T12:00:00.147+00:00The Arid Lands and Red Rock promotion update: <p>Here is my latest update on the various promotional activities I have undertaken to try to spread the word about my self-published books, and how successful or otherwise these activities have been.</p><p><b>1.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Social Media</b></p><p>I continued to promote Red Rock and The Arid Lands on Twitter/X, IG, my Facebook/Meta page, Threads and Discord. I did pick up sales of The Arid Lands on preorder and downloads of Red Rock from my free promotions, as well as the occasional sale of both outside of promotion.</p><p><b>2.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Red Rock free kindle deals</b></p><p>The first free deal which ran for 3 days to coincide with the ten-year anniversary of Red Rock first being published resulted in a modest number of downloads but at least I was reaching potential new readers. I will have to wait and see how many of these translate into reviews.</p><p>The second 2 day free deal for Red Rock was run to coincide with the launch of The Arid Lands and produced a similar result.</p><p><b>3.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>SPSFC3</b></p><p>This contest (The Self Published SF Competition) will run for a year and the first phase, where I fully expect to get culled judging by the quality of some of the other contestants in my group, will run for 5 months. Initially there was no uptick in sales but it is likely that this is where my new downloads during the free offers came from. However, the contest did enable me to gain more visibility for my writing, which is always a good thing, and may well have contributed to those sales I did gain.</p><p><b>4.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Review bloggers</b></p><p>I started approaching reviewers with The Arid Lands as soon as it was live for preorder on Amazon and I had set it up on Goodreads. My first observation was how many are asking for money for reviews. I’m not interested in paying but it’s clearly a lucrative industry. I passed over these guys and pitched the book to anyone who looked as if it would be a good fit. It takes a long time to thoroughly check out each review site so I sent these out in dribs and drabs throughout the preorder period. At launch date I had pitched/submitted to 20 reviewers. It is impossible to tell how many, if any, will result in reviews at this stage.</p><p>So in conclusion, of all the activities so far, it looks like free deals and participation in SPSFC3 have been the most worthwhile. I will have to look out for more opportunities like this.</p>K M Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09801740095715755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670369139890322768.post-38791249204975688102023-11-29T18:15:00.001+00:002023-11-29T18:15:00.146+00:00Review: Arkhangelsk by Elizabeth Bonesteel<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN_FM9SoyMH_kG1i2_BIj2uizAr2Idl2wfMqJhRiUAigXjGOQLA-JiBpJ3XAHHgB2jlE_Yk40nRuytLSvXAIfqmIUQwr6Q6P2pi4lx0QOFVz7Fe1450o0gJseStvIzs319vOGXY7CpYQH3FXOsFAmQoYiZXFdOxFcYwwNdU22PWFYKZi8AP0AkjsjopjY/s445/arkhangelsk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="292" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN_FM9SoyMH_kG1i2_BIj2uizAr2Idl2wfMqJhRiUAigXjGOQLA-JiBpJ3XAHHgB2jlE_Yk40nRuytLSvXAIfqmIUQwr6Q6P2pi4lx0QOFVz7Fe1450o0gJseStvIzs319vOGXY7CpYQH3FXOsFAmQoYiZXFdOxFcYwwNdU22PWFYKZi8AP0AkjsjopjY/s320/arkhangelsk.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><b>The Book</b><p></p><p><i>Head peace officer Anya Savelova believed her people, living on a hostile planet in the ice-bound city of Novayarkha, were the last of humanity.</i></p><p><i>Until the day she learned they weren’t.</i></p><p><i>When a starship from an Earth thought long dead appears in orbit over her world, Anya imagines an explosion of possible futures, offering her people the freedom to transcend the limiting environment of the planet they’d thought was their last refuge. In the starship’s crew, Anya finds creativity, diversity, innovation–all things the colony has had to inhibit to survive.</i></p><p><i>Seeing her world through the eyes of the starship crew makes Anya look closer at her city’s inconsistencies, oddities she’s always been told to ignore. But the harder she pushes at the pieces that don’t fit, the more her government perceives the strangers as a threat. There are secrets in Novayarkha, hiding in plain sight, that the strangers can’t possibly understand–and Anya’s drive to uncover them risks shredding the fragile web holding together everything she’s ever known and loved.</i></p><p><br /></p><p><b>My Thoughts</b></p><p>Wow. What can I say. I was completely blown away by this book. It’s one of the best things I’ve read in a long time. When I finished I felt a<br />chingly bereft having become invested in these characters and immersed in their turbulent world.</p><p>This is space opera at its best. The characters are fascinating, engaging and I felt an immediate connection with Anya. There is a great deal of poignancy in this story and it is beautifully written, this world and its people deftly drawn. There is a gradual unravelling of the history of these people, and a steady reveal of their plight and their struggles. The author has created a truly unique world and is clearly a master of her craft.</p><p>All in all, a truly wonderful book. I will be checking out more from this author and strongly recommend this book.</p><p><br /></p>K M Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09801740095715755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670369139890322768.post-69573415718450127902023-11-20T18:48:00.005+00:002023-11-20T18:48:56.648+00:00Political Thrillers on offer<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ1iHabn_MwhS_D1W7SaSajWR1xYMGrzrtkvALqsGCJGsdBFa-kz-HQoqhbxURaC7ZfcZaHo8q37qAA4kiu6PZf2c2NyyWhBvQ4_Svrl0jvftkc6WCs8R-WrhWcKmCUaCzexh87lpO9VPWxVClCP3UlUQYgVP2iGjpnNUqMb26NmjmlTwj1sDpU4lwo04/s1080/Political%20Thrillers%203.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ1iHabn_MwhS_D1W7SaSajWR1xYMGrzrtkvALqsGCJGsdBFa-kz-HQoqhbxURaC7ZfcZaHo8q37qAA4kiu6PZf2c2NyyWhBvQ4_Svrl0jvftkc6WCs8R-WrhWcKmCUaCzexh87lpO9VPWxVClCP3UlUQYgVP2iGjpnNUqMb26NmjmlTwj1sDpU4lwo04/s320/Political%20Thrillers%203.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>November bargain books - Political thrillers from Bloodhound Books, including my little book, The Sleepers.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://amzn.to/3s23VDs" target="_blank">UK Amazon link</a></p><p><br /></p>K M Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09801740095715755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670369139890322768.post-73772031786079094122023-11-06T10:00:00.002+00:002023-11-06T10:00:00.127+00:00Review: The Day the Earth Turned: Book 1. Summer by Chantelle Atkins<p><b> The Book</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Qo_v-9zgezs61mtfkFu_XlzQEcC8asWzuLA_xA7RgPvKtiBXysN-w9laa_jdgjnaVZMdTIlzwP8a6Tjhw2r2UXACDTLNYhFp-wvLr5VoT0-xoUnNV1NDvKy6A0Hd5a6iyk87Ifv6ybkOT-4OnkhO8RvflLCnSopzhzWTPV_IeHm5B1FfKadKiM6dI_c/s445/DayEarthTurned.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Qo_v-9zgezs61mtfkFu_XlzQEcC8asWzuLA_xA7RgPvKtiBXysN-w9laa_jdgjnaVZMdTIlzwP8a6Tjhw2r2UXACDTLNYhFp-wvLr5VoT0-xoUnNV1NDvKy6A0Hd5a6iyk87Ifv6ybkOT-4OnkhO8RvflLCnSopzhzWTPV_IeHm5B1FfKadKiM6dI_c/s320/DayEarthTurned.jpg" width="213" /></a></b></div><p></p><p><i>The adults are all dead. Society has collapsed.</i></p><p><i>Two groups of teenagers emerge on either side of a rural village, traumatised, bereaved and determined to survive.</i></p><p><i>As tribes form and territorial lines are drawn, can they overcome their differences and find a way to rebuild?</i></p><p><i>Or will gang warfare end this emerging new world before it’s even begun?</i></p><p><i>Each of them have their theories about what killed the adults and as the dust settles on the old world, a far bigger, darker, and angrier threat is bursting to life all around them.</i></p><p><i> </i></p><p><b>My Thoughts</b></p><p>A compelling survival story. This is the first in a series of four books which are clearly going to rotate through the seasons and the challenges that this will present. It’s a well written book with a compelling cast of characters and plenty of mystery and intrigue. Be aware though, that this series functions very much as a whole, rather than a series of standalones, so you will need to commit to reading all of them. There are a lot of loose ends and unanswered questions and I’m looking forward to seeing how this new world Chantelle has created all pans out.</p><p>Recommended</p>K M Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09801740095715755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670369139890322768.post-5076806606607478622023-10-19T08:00:00.001+01:002023-10-19T08:00:00.144+01:00The Arid Lands Launch Day Deal<p> Today I am announcing a very special launch Day deal.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcAUw9Cso_oIG-XVLM_Qn5r1SnAtTn1QFP1zI5UmrHy8Df7MPyIE1NzGMzVmMo_hLq9g7uZM0u1_kMcWMl6lKSPwBuAOYP9YhqPbvhTjlHaq8sdEn_eZyhlHDyhEU386GCK-errWAf6G7F0sp5JlAwCRPgQSZsftebw8_5Ymh5Pr4ULJdR_yqOCV4D1Xc/s1080/To%20celbrate%20the%20launch%20of%20The%20Arid%20Lands.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcAUw9Cso_oIG-XVLM_Qn5r1SnAtTn1QFP1zI5UmrHy8Df7MPyIE1NzGMzVmMo_hLq9g7uZM0u1_kMcWMl6lKSPwBuAOYP9YhqPbvhTjlHaq8sdEn_eZyhlHDyhEU386GCK-errWAf6G7F0sp5JlAwCRPgQSZsftebw8_5Ymh5Pr4ULJdR_yqOCV4D1Xc/s320/To%20celbrate%20the%20launch%20of%20The%20Arid%20Lands.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>To celebrate the launch of The Arid Lands I am making the kindle edition of Red Rock free for two days only, today and tomorrow, so why not grab yourself a copy.</p><p>Red Rock and The Arid Lands have a lot in common. They are both what might loosely be referred to as Climate Fiction although the themes involved are very different, and they may also both be referred to as SciFi thrillers with a dystopian setting.</p><p>The Arid Lands was originally written as my second book after Red Rock. However it went out on sub just as the market for YA dystopian fiction collapsed, and because it has a somewhat dystopian feel to it nobody wanted it.</p><p>So it sat on my hard drive, but I still loved it. I’ve reworked it to age it up, although it will still appeal to a YA audience. And I’m so happy to make it available at last.</p><p>Dystopian fiction is still popular among readers if not among publishers. All I need to do is find those readers.</p><p>So if you have read and enjoyed Red Rock, then why not give The Arid Lands a try. And if you enjoy it please take a moment to leave a review, however brief.</p>K M Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09801740095715755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670369139890322768.post-74456260957388866652023-10-10T10:00:00.001+01:002023-10-10T10:00:00.139+01:00Review: Ironheart by Allan Boroughs<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_b66GSwazrEpGHG-NtA7wAbnuQmlWtgCehfTXDh8LXAjvCq3B5GztcP4EPp1sKR_67r7DzzqjR8sPVmwnIUOhSJv3KbK2ipg_SwCpLHArg0vZLJ1cE_AM5EQGpmkrW-T-n7Pt6IKB22k8CcN4PFNrqn0h_L6evMS414DMr16XeJeu_gG-S6P-N5VT5dM/s445/ironheart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="279" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_b66GSwazrEpGHG-NtA7wAbnuQmlWtgCehfTXDh8LXAjvCq3B5GztcP4EPp1sKR_67r7DzzqjR8sPVmwnIUOhSJv3KbK2ipg_SwCpLHArg0vZLJ1cE_AM5EQGpmkrW-T-n7Pt6IKB22k8CcN4PFNrqn0h_L6evMS414DMr16XeJeu_gG-S6P-N5VT5dM/s320/ironheart.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><b>The Book</b><p></p><p><i>First comes the iron and then comes the snow. And then comes the winter when nothing will grow.</i></p><p><i>A hundred years after the catastrophic Great Rains, a shattered world cries out for salvation. Haunted by the mysterious disappearance of her father, India Bentley, embarks on an extraordinary adventure to unlock the secrets of a bygone era. Teaming up with the seasoned Tech-Hunter, Verity Brown and an enigmatic military android, India sets out to discover the secrets of Ironheart— a mythical fortress that holds the power to either save or annihilate humanity.</i></p><p><i>Driven by the urgency of her father's unfinished mission, India ventures into the remote depths of Siberia, braving treacherous landscapes and ruthless outlaws led by notorious oil baron, Lucifer Stone. But as the race to find Ironheart intensifies, the truth that awaits them beneath the icy wasteland proves far more sinister and perilous than they ever anticipated.</i></p><p><i>In this gripping tale of resilience and sacrifice, failure is not an option. If India falters, the fate of the world will hang in the balance. Prepare to be enthralled as you join India on a journey that will test her limits and ignite a battle for survival against insurmountable odds.</i></p><p> </p><p><b>My Thoughts</b></p><p>This is an excellent book, pacy and well written. India is an engaging character, but in fact all the characters we meet are well rounded and authentic. I particularly enjoyed the worldbuilding, from the desolation of a ravaged London to the icy Arctic bleakness of Siberia. The book is aimed at a younger audience, but all ages will enjoy this exciting adventure. It is a fabulous romp and I enjoyed it immensely.</p><p>Recommended</p>K M Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09801740095715755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670369139890322768.post-51988386957755107282023-09-28T12:00:00.001+01:002023-09-28T12:00:00.147+01:00Review: The Runesong Trilogy Books 1 and 2<p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Books:</span></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Hammer of Fate<br /></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQqFqJOikYtSuuf2-UAd5lrXn4PvxnPZkG06yl0oYGweV53ianA9esXm3KBchYVMpA4CJgWTuyDUjn8Z-_-Qw0mUejpoIE37KGUdcM1pC-9gdCBCU1gwUpXyhUBtTEZe-hgQ78kszCA5OM1kvj1Pt4EeqFUzLMhrIYGlVfTlolN-QXKxexr6YmLbGpRg/s445/HammerofFate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQqFqJOikYtSuuf2-UAd5lrXn4PvxnPZkG06yl0oYGweV53ianA9esXm3KBchYVMpA4CJgWTuyDUjn8Z-_-Qw0mUejpoIE37KGUdcM1pC-9gdCBCU1gwUpXyhUBtTEZe-hgQ78kszCA5OM1kvj1Pt4EeqFUzLMhrIYGlVfTlolN-QXKxexr6YmLbGpRg/s320/HammerofFate.jpg" width="213" /></a></b></div><p></p><p><i>“No surrender. No retreat.” With twenty enemy swords at their backs and a broken bridge ahead, the last knights of an outlaw order turn to fight. A young woman with forbidden magic joins their final stand. And as blade meets blade, she starts to sing…</i></p><p><i>Adelais was raised in the far north, learning stories of the old gods and the skill of weaving runes into magic. Now, she is locked in a convent far from home, forced to kneel to a foreign god.</i></p><p><i>When inquisitors arrive with plans to torture an innocent man, Adelais cannot stand by. She aids an attack to free the prisoner and joins the raiders as they flee into the night.</i></p><p><i>Her new companions are the last of the Guardians—once a powerful holy order, now ragged fugitives, hunted almost to extinction.</i></p><p><i>The knights carry a secret treasure, precious and powerful enough to shape kingdoms. Their pursuers, desperate to possess it, will crush any who stand in their way.</i></p><p><i>Nowhere is safe—in city or chateau, on the road or in the wilds. And even disguised as a boy, Adelais draws attention wherever she goes. Is she angel or demon, priestess or witch?</i></p><p><i>Adelais must summon all her courage and all her memories of the old gods’ magic as the noose tightens around her and a thunderous final reckoning approaches.</i></p><p><i> </i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhizqJZOce19cuHpR3Nruo6LTHAPSMFijfg6nKkhK1YgQSRfY5QR6b_UTH9tgNeCKkXF8I-VCed9CXQLH_5rErOjOsBiUP-a5IgC2LYVTV6YfppqicDmyn9mz3agJRb1RFkGE5LEdv5B_ltJqmV3nMpMvy6UG-ca6StQiWfTp8DVnVXXNPqA6o6_koXGuA/s445/runesofbattle_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhizqJZOce19cuHpR3Nruo6LTHAPSMFijfg6nKkhK1YgQSRfY5QR6b_UTH9tgNeCKkXF8I-VCed9CXQLH_5rErOjOsBiUP-a5IgC2LYVTV6YfppqicDmyn9mz3agJRb1RFkGE5LEdv5B_ltJqmV3nMpMvy6UG-ca6StQiWfTp8DVnVXXNPqA6o6_koXGuA/s320/runesofbattle_.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><b>Runes of Battle</b><p></p><p> <i>Adelais is on the run.</i></p><p><i>And the kingdom of Galmandie has never been more dangerous.</i></p><p><i>In every town square, people whisper of a girl who brought down lightning on her enemies. The king has placed a huge price on Adelais’s head and sent troops to hunt her down.</i></p><p><i>Adelais flees high into the mountains. But winter is closing in and she cannot hide for ever.</i></p><p><i>Far to the north, there is a chance of escape. Her homeland has risen in rebellion against Galmandie. To reach freedom and safety, Adelais must cross many miles of hostile territory with inquisitors and royal soldiers always close behind.</i></p><p><i>If she is captured, Adelais will be burned as a witch. But if she learns to control the storm of magic within her, she could be the spark that sets the whole country aflame.</i></p><p><br /></p><p><b>My Thoughts</b></p><p>Quality historical fantasy. I fell instantly in love with the world in which this is set. It’s loosely based on Medieval Europe and the conflicts and strife that affected the Medieval world. But it is also unique in all sorts of clever and fascinating ways. One thing I will say is that the author’s knowledge of this period of history shines through in all the telling detail that he gives.</p><p>But no fantasy can be without a good dollop of magic and this is where this story really shines. I absolutely loved the magic lore that the author has created. It’s subtle and yet fascinating. It grows and develops in a beautifully organic way and I think this is what makes this story truly unique. I also loved the characters, especially the lead, Adelais. She is wonderfully written and truly compelling. Then to cap it all are the wonderful descriptions of the countryside and the cities through which they travel.</p><p>So far I’ve read the first two. I can’t wait to get my hands on the third. Strongly recommended.</p><div><br /></div>K M Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09801740095715755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670369139890322768.post-41964466548881259212023-09-20T09:30:00.005+01:002023-09-20T17:03:43.957+01:00Pre-order The Arid Lands<p>The Arid Lands is now available for pre-order from Amazon UK and US for only 99p/99c.</p><p><b>Can one girl hold back the flood?</b></p><p><i>The Tyrhennians struggle to survive in the dried out basin of an ancient ocean. Inez knows no other world than this endless cycle of heat and brine, but listens to the stories of a distant land of great cities and endless seas.</i></p><p><i>She never believed them, until the day her brother is injured by a strange craft crossing the desolate plains. So she discovers that the stories are true. But as she tries to find her brother in a strange city she realises that she is not the only person from the salt plains here. Others from the Arid Lands have infiltrated the city - and they have a plan.</i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhczbOWkxGkROHSv5UbyV88Dtq2-__lhr7SkV-t95WvTk3R8YLWzdrIckYword-fAjHlocXzrqFAplbnOaigl_WDVQz9GDxQYoADuMunJAO5DRUDlVim9rZ2ATbbB0d0Sf7ddSGK7vMIOXUDBbwoMXz3CaN1j2wzcQOlYpioPH8eLt1Te0qE1yO4oNDqBU/s1080/The%20Arid%20Lands%20by%20Kate%20Kelly%20Pre-order%20now%2099p%20Amazon%20Kindle.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhczbOWkxGkROHSv5UbyV88Dtq2-__lhr7SkV-t95WvTk3R8YLWzdrIckYword-fAjHlocXzrqFAplbnOaigl_WDVQz9GDxQYoADuMunJAO5DRUDlVim9rZ2ATbbB0d0Sf7ddSGK7vMIOXUDBbwoMXz3CaN1j2wzcQOlYpioPH8eLt1Te0qE1yO4oNDqBU/s320/The%20Arid%20Lands%20by%20Kate%20Kelly%20Pre-order%20now%2099p%20Amazon%20Kindle.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Arid-Lands-Kate-Kelly-ebook/dp/B0CJ19Z5WT/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3MZW3ZRXZSW7G&keywords=the+arid+lands+kate+kelly&qid=1695225685&sprefix=kate+kelly+the+arid%2Caps%2C84&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Arid-Lands-Kate-Kelly-ebook/dp/B0CJ19Z5WT/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1T5GE39IIUH4M&keywords=the+arid+lands+kate+kelly&qid=1695225789&sprefix=the+arid+lands+kate+kelly%2Caps%2C205&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon US</a></p>K M Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09801740095715755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670369139890322768.post-52281147376546491652023-09-12T09:00:00.001+01:002023-09-12T09:00:00.152+01:00Ten Years of RED ROCK <p> It is now ten years since Red Rock was first published.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9fXlrVICEGvpIWyAUKzeffPnx0zhOIsEI_oTJl1G9cFWaBq63oHspT9MsHuVT1YsKUfwBgEuUhN-GEBfb5jgTvADKVexJMpvH_65BMpy9I8NCIVEtOy2nak2CtvyezatcBT7tDajFvFlgFBIaTb-GLx_7eSpqBE4rsV9f2JLukc6D0f7X_dhrqnwZUUQ/s1080/Add%20a%20little%20bit%20of%20body%20text.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9fXlrVICEGvpIWyAUKzeffPnx0zhOIsEI_oTJl1G9cFWaBq63oHspT9MsHuVT1YsKUfwBgEuUhN-GEBfb5jgTvADKVexJMpvH_65BMpy9I8NCIVEtOy2nak2CtvyezatcBT7tDajFvFlgFBIaTb-GLx_7eSpqBE4rsV9f2JLukc6D0f7X_dhrqnwZUUQ/s320/Add%20a%20little%20bit%20of%20body%20text.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>Red Rock remained in print for nine years until my rights reverted and I self published it so that it would still be available. I’ve enjoyed the process. It’s good having control although I do now realise how much my publisher did with marketing and promotion. They fixed me up as a speaker at conferences and placed Red Rock into libraries (from which I still get a modest income in PLR).</p><p>My main market was through those travelling book fairs that do the rounds of schools in the UK, and through these Red Rock sold quite well. It’s a book I am very proud of. I hope my readers, past, present and future, enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.</p><p>So to celebrate Red Rock’s ten year anniversary I am making it free on kindle for three days only – 12th, 13th and 14th September.</p><p>If you would like to grab yourself a copy, now is your chance.</p>K M Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09801740095715755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670369139890322768.post-55107967872913567782023-09-05T10:00:00.002+01:002023-09-20T17:02:16.226+01:00The Arid Lands Cover reveal <p>Today I am delighted to share with you all, the cover for my next novel The Arid Lands, a dystopian Sci Fi thriller set in the Mediterranean 600 years from now.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWX1J0HQY_zdMnFTdCC5IIWA7ro4Y6wqZETVgp7KxVp3aPGY3FjE4iBwxJ6vzkEecIHruasmOKtQuIZIyyYBGSIOrI9eVuKdzulwz0ckzemV5gGIOIXqgSHYncVn204DFCr9T_8QZAN7hmSLa8OQWCw8wZsyKrujJAcrD9uZJJJhOTAT_LElr9Ypn2mug/s2250/TheAridLands-kindle-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="1410" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWX1J0HQY_zdMnFTdCC5IIWA7ro4Y6wqZETVgp7KxVp3aPGY3FjE4iBwxJ6vzkEecIHruasmOKtQuIZIyyYBGSIOrI9eVuKdzulwz0ckzemV5gGIOIXqgSHYncVn204DFCr9T_8QZAN7hmSLa8OQWCw8wZsyKrujJAcrD9uZJJJhOTAT_LElr9Ypn2mug/w403-h640/TheAridLands-kindle-cover.jpg" width="403" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>K M Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09801740095715755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670369139890322768.post-87495213607684418202023-08-23T10:00:00.001+01:002023-08-23T10:00:00.139+01:00The Arid Lands<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfq5LhVdwilmh4lNmIEGNA1Mcjh_ShLTvtxO1ZJ3KN18QdKhI775ZzFF7GIGAzhcncvfF0e4ZARy8ZgIeDFNKo2b3T5gM0oQOX-wbH50L7JCS3qU8bJ9RAw4oP6xIsNRGpdGTBnDDnHY_G_35ebU0lSbwY4ymmvNxffT_v5SULMGYFqGhjog39A8Risrg/s1080/THE%20ARID%20LANDS.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfq5LhVdwilmh4lNmIEGNA1Mcjh_ShLTvtxO1ZJ3KN18QdKhI775ZzFF7GIGAzhcncvfF0e4ZARy8ZgIeDFNKo2b3T5gM0oQOX-wbH50L7JCS3qU8bJ9RAw4oP6xIsNRGpdGTBnDDnHY_G_35ebU0lSbwY4ymmvNxffT_v5SULMGYFqGhjog39A8Risrg/s320/THE%20ARID%20LANDS.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>This blog has been quiet recently for a number of reasons. Firstly I never have much spare time during the summer months, life takes over and there are so many places to see and things to do. I’m very much an outdoor person and can think of nothing worse than sitting indoors at my computer when the sun is shining inviting me out to play.</p><p>But in between all this sunshine and frolics things have been happening and progress has been made. The new thriller is coming on well, and I have decided to self publish my next Sci Fi book, just because I can.</p><p>Originally I felt it was important to have a proper release schedule for my self published books in order to increase visibility, but the sorts of schedules that people advise are well beyond my reach, and even if I did save up my books to release in rapid succession, there would still be a cliff edge when I stop.</p><p>So I have decided to release them as I am ready, not worry too much about schedules and simply enjoy the process.</p><p>So I am delighted to announce that my next book, THE ARID LANDS, a Sci Fi Thriller with a dystopian feel to it, will be released on the 19th October.</p><p>I will be telling you more about it over the coming weeks, starting with a cover reveal – watch this space!</p>K M Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09801740095715755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670369139890322768.post-90859915033451693552023-06-12T20:56:00.006+01:002023-06-12T20:56:47.261+01:00Sale of Two Drabbles<p>In case you are wondering, a drabble is a short story of exactly 100 words. And I'm delighted to share with you that two of my drabbles, 'Afterwards' and 'Oak and Ash' will be appearing at <i><a href="https://wyldblood.com/" target="_blank">Wyldeblood Press</a></i> in the not too distant future. I will let you know when they go live.</p>K M Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09801740095715755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670369139890322768.post-48751473098527314392023-06-01T17:09:00.006+01:002023-06-01T17:09:48.862+01:00The Red Rock Promotion Experiment and where I go next.<p>The results of the Red Rock publicity and promotion experiment are in, and I’ve been analysing the results. Hmmm.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs8dye_BvPWVyyOgVWWsS0PWQLxZCufPnUHeix8WAEJb3LUSZ8VWwjeLJSoY9lN4gA-hY5agASPe_ZIreUETkLxP76M_sTUfHYKbdWwQdFiuDFNY6g-d2ZzD18oHHxKFiOvXfOwIZm4EU_oovFyJgxGTqh8VFnusIKHpot-q0_qWEhdQt7BuRTX9Ii/s1080/Risin%20seas%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs8dye_BvPWVyyOgVWWsS0PWQLxZCufPnUHeix8WAEJb3LUSZ8VWwjeLJSoY9lN4gA-hY5agASPe_ZIreUETkLxP76M_sTUfHYKbdWwQdFiuDFNY6g-d2ZzD18oHHxKFiOvXfOwIZm4EU_oovFyJgxGTqh8VFnusIKHpot-q0_qWEhdQt7BuRTX9Ii/s320/Risin%20seas%20(1).png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Red Rock was originally published in September 2013 through a traditional publisher and I had all the advantages of having a marketing team and a designated publicist helping me. I have spoken elsewhere on this blog about the promotional activities which we did.</p><p>For the re-release I avoided repeating those, although with future books there are definitely options I can pursue. But I did take the opportunity to try out a few other publicity activities largely geared towards the e-book, and focussing on what I could achieve online. This was mainly through the medium of social media. For example:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>1.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I set up an author Instagram account and make regular posts about my writing</p><p>2.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I promoted Red Rock on twitter with a cover reveal and in general increased my interactions on that platform</p><p>3.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I increased my activity in the various writing/author groups to which I belong and talked about Red Rock and what I was doing about re-releasing it</p><p>4.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I revived my author facebook page</p><p>5.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I enrolled in a Kindle countdown deal setting the price at 99p for one week</p><p>6.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I timed the countdown deal to coincide with Earth Day</p><p>7.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I participated actively in #IndieApril on Twitter </p></blockquote><p>Of course, there is the disadvantage that most of my immediate network have already read the book (if it is to their taste) so I was really trying here to extend my reach outwards to find new potential readers. I certainly learned what doesn’t work, (pretty much everything listed above) and I found the whole exercise an interesting if rather depressing experiment.</p><p>What is clear is that producing a quality product, editing, formatting, cover art, is the easy bit. Finding readers is a lot more difficult without the backing of a publisher. Even those who expect the author to do a lot of legwork can still make a huge difference to sales through their review networks etc.</p><p>So where do I go moving forwards? Well I still intend to self publish my Science Fiction novels, but I’m going to keep aiming at the mainstream market with my thrillers and I will be giving them priority. I have a new novel on the go, but you will be seeing one of my SciFi novels hitting the virtual shelves in the not too distant future. But more on that later. For now I have some writing to do.</p><div><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>K M Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09801740095715755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670369139890322768.post-45337232384087651192023-04-11T11:30:00.001+01:002023-04-11T11:30:00.201+01:00Countdown Deal for Earth Day<p>April the 22nd is Earth Day. A perfect opportunity to promote Red Rock. And also to test out Kindle countdown deals.</p><p>So for one week in the run up to Earth day, from the 15th - 22nd April, Red Rock will be available for the reduced price of 99p (UK) and 99c (US).</p><p>I will do my best to promote it on social media during this time. Let's see if I get an uptick in sales.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeWPUOalF9fy8U68H957fdJq7tSvGkONW-WmrKKHxlcA3Hns12MZzaK5bQOXqFag_7wWJWjvDxzdrMIqNRFYvp9iHWhTOty-YwT6yRXjrwAzEAiBbRawY5mBwEmDnB9L8MdeCFeqjIOqeQqNCCKKwlR__uu17Exu_pRxnQXjzU236ebKyte4y-ywyI/s940/99p.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeWPUOalF9fy8U68H957fdJq7tSvGkONW-WmrKKHxlcA3Hns12MZzaK5bQOXqFag_7wWJWjvDxzdrMIqNRFYvp9iHWhTOty-YwT6yRXjrwAzEAiBbRawY5mBwEmDnB9L8MdeCFeqjIOqeQqNCCKKwlR__uu17Exu_pRxnQXjzU236ebKyte4y-ywyI/w400-h335/99p.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>K M Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09801740095715755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670369139890322768.post-78737437067839343352023-02-21T10:30:00.001+00:002023-02-21T10:30:00.195+00:00Marketing Red Rock – a plan for promotion<p>I don’t intend doing a great deal of marketing and promotion for Red Rock. This is a re-release and in my mind it’s already had its day. But rather than simply press publish and leave it there to gather dust, I’ve decided to do a few things to give it a boost. It will be interesting to see which, if any of these, result in an uptick in sales.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>1.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Author social media accounts, twitter, Instagram, other? In the end I decided to set up an author Instagram account. I then generated a set of promotional graphics using Midjourney and Canva which I will publish to this account at regular intervals.</p><p>2.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Run a giveaway. (Unfortunately Goodreads only allows this for US authors so I will run it from my author IG account and try to boost on Twitter) The giveaway will be for an e-copy – that way I can run it internationally. It might be good though to have some additional swag or a prize to make it more interesting. The easiest thing for me to offer is a chapter critique.</p><p>3.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Countdown deals on Kindle Unlimited. I could offer it free or at 99p to coincide with a special event such Earth day.</p><p>4.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Review copies. Offer review copies in various ‘groups’ I belong to in the hope that they will enjoy it and give it a boost.</p><p>5.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Participate in indie author events eg #indieapril on twitter</p></blockquote><p>I will report back on these and what effects they have, which appear to be the most useful, and which don’t appear to make any difference to sales. This will be useful for me when I come to self publish my next book, which won’t be a re-release. The next one will be something new.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8CM4BnJx8x6VcRXU11vdxL21NLygBspHrxUj_E5np6nKgZpHGh2fbTtPWmyv1gwOFHpagW7qd3eyRtB5_SSHNo6QruikaoBP7HOMKVRDN6vATjJwfTs2XSNOwC_Ru2w_vVOOjZfwzjHNXUXtYkdMdp9sAYpetwTZn9P-7FhxiV0COq5BKc4BJc2iA/s1080/Untitled%20design%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8CM4BnJx8x6VcRXU11vdxL21NLygBspHrxUj_E5np6nKgZpHGh2fbTtPWmyv1gwOFHpagW7qd3eyRtB5_SSHNo6QruikaoBP7HOMKVRDN6vATjJwfTs2XSNOwC_Ru2w_vVOOjZfwzjHNXUXtYkdMdp9sAYpetwTZn9P-7FhxiV0COq5BKc4BJc2iA/s320/Untitled%20design%20(1).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>K M Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09801740095715755112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670369139890322768.post-28900499114406617572023-02-06T10:30:00.001+00:002023-02-06T10:30:00.217+00:00Formatting for Kindle and Print: A very simple guide.<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigCacs2hNCxlrv5FOzaEUztaTXUsry88EPWAqtxh4W0k6ktVQUCWZo5Fkifk4oXnVR0FjBzAZM83LTgf50iGJrl48kVLPKgNckEs4ZJ4bdnwAHI3odt2pyI4iDpfFjUvtpqUyMG--Fh3vUrE1c30LO_wTFoRPy3T92Vl_61wN9_oBLWdf1fZKe0jui/s1080/RED%20ROCK%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigCacs2hNCxlrv5FOzaEUztaTXUsry88EPWAqtxh4W0k6ktVQUCWZo5Fkifk4oXnVR0FjBzAZM83LTgf50iGJrl48kVLPKgNckEs4ZJ4bdnwAHI3odt2pyI4iDpfFjUvtpqUyMG--Fh3vUrE1c30LO_wTFoRPy3T92Vl_61wN9_oBLWdf1fZKe0jui/s320/RED%20ROCK%20(1).png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Here is a very simple checklist for formatting your book for publication using Amazon. This is for both kindle and print. Make sure that before you start this stage that your novel had been fully edited and proofed.</p><p><b>Formatting for Kindle:</b></p><p>• Clean document: Ctrl A to select all. Set to ‘normal’ from headings section.</p><p>• Set up title page, copyright etc format to centre set book title to Title, other text to normal.</p><p>• Insert hyperlinks.</p><p>• Inset page break at end of section</p><p>• Set chapter titles to Heading, set text to normal,</p><p>• Put page break at end of each chapter: On the Paragraph screen, under Indentation > Special: select First Line, and indent it by 0.38”</p><p>• Remove spacing before and after</p><p>• Click on normal and update normal to match selection</p><p>• Edit title and heading style in the same way so they do not indent.</p><p>• Generate epub/MOBI files (I use Draft2Dignital for this stage but I don’t press ‘publish’ as I’m only after the files.</p><p>I find it useful at this stage to send the novel to my kindle to check it is displaying correctly and also to pick up any last minute errors that may have crept in.</p><p><b>Formatting for print:</b></p><p>• Use your clean kindle file as your starting point.</p><p>• Set book size 6x9 (or 15.24: 22.86)</p><p>• Ensure that you have no clickable hyperlinks in your book.</p><p>• Add page numbers at bottom of page in the centre.</p><p>• Select different first page to remove the page 1 number.</p><p>• Check page breaks are where you want them</p><p>• Export to pdf</p><div><br /></div>K M Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09801740095715755112noreply@blogger.com0