Friday, July 30, 2021
Thursday, July 29, 2021
Interview: Laurie McAndish King NFT Author of An Elephant Ate My Arm
Hello, everyone! Today we have another in our series of interviews with NFT authors taking part in a historic first drop. I'm excited to chat to Laurie, who seems to have a truly interesting (crazy? lol) life, as she reveals in An Elephant Ate My Arm: More true stories from a curious traveler, which is now available as an NFT collectible.
Laurie McAndish
King writes about encountering the Minotaur in Greece, coming eye-to-eye with 20-foot-long
Australian earthworms, and an Ivy League astrophysicist’s explanation of how
flying saucers are powered—not your typical travel writing. That’s probably why
Kirkus Reviews hails her as “an
author with an eye for the quirky.” Her stories—insightful, inspiring, and
often quite funny—are always entertaining.
Laurie’s award-winning essays and photography have appeared in Smithsonian magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle, Travelers’ Tales’ The Best Women’s Travel Writing, Lonely Planet’s The Kindness of Strangers, and other magazines and literary anthologies. Her work earned a Lowell Thomas Gold Award, the international travel industry’s highest literary award. Laurie’s first two books are Lost, Kidnapped, Eaten Alive: True stories from a curious traveler and Your Crocodile has Arrived: More true stories from a curious traveler.
As an author of
humorous travel books, why did you select An
Elephant Ate My Arm: More true stories from a curious traveler for this
historic NFT offer?
First, because it’s so timely: We’ve been starved for travel—and the fun and
adventure that come along with it—during the pandemic. This collection provides
welcome relief with twenty-one true stories from around the world: You can pass
through the portal to the Uncanny Valley, visit the room that served as the
inspiration for the magic shop where Harry Potter bought his sorcery supplies,
search for the world’s first labyrinth, learn to tell a counterfeit shrunken
head from a real one, and plenty more…
Also, I got excited about the opportunity to offer readers extra content—in this case, a slideshow of beautiful and exotic butterfly photos from when I visited a “butterfly farm” in Costa Rica. I love that NFTs let me deliver a multimedia experience for readers. And An Elephant Ate My Arm is a new release, so the timing to make it available for this offer worked perfectly.
NFTs are relatively new and many don’t yet understand how they work. Why, therefore, enter what is essentially uncharted territory?
I’m an adventurer—at
least in my own mind. (You can tell that as soon as you read these stories
about searching for a three-eyed cannibal, tracking down a witch who is
sequestered in a glass bottle, walking on a man-eating lake, and taking some
photos I really shouldn’t have taken in
Libya.)
So participating in NFT books was an easy “Why not?” for me—another adventure! After doing a little research—including learning that Italy is now using NFTs to manage copyrights—I’m convinced that blockchain-based platforms are the wave of the future. No one knows quite where this technology will lead, but I do know that I want to be along for the ride.
These offerings are among the very first book NFTs—they’re leading the way for the industry—and therefore have the potential to appreciate significantly in value. So they’re a win-win-win-win: Great stories, bonus content, ability to resell, and potential to appreciate.
What’s next for you?
I have a day job
in the book publishing industry; also, I’ve already started my next book, the
fourth in the “Curious Traveler” series. It includes stories about swimming
with crocodiles in Australia, an unfortunate encounter with Kobe beef in Japan,
and tracking down remnants of the mysterious Pictish civilization in Scotland.
EJD: By the way, here’s a 2-minute video of Laurie reading an excerpt from one of her stories, “The Curious Case of the Witch in a Bottle and Other Illuminating Oddities”: https://youtu.be/Hjgl4nNFFHE
Thanks, Laurie, and may you go from strength to strength!
Laurie McAndish
King’s links:
·
NFT link
Wednesday, July 28, 2021
Tuesday, July 27, 2021
Monday, July 26, 2021
African Moon and Feast Night updated
Tomorrow she will go on with her life …
It’s a hot day in Cape Town but a woman holds the vigil at a
window overlooking the beach. She has repeatedly dreamed of a sailing boat, a
lost soul perhaps, entering upon silver streaks on the water. Is this merely
dreaming or, as she believes, a vision?
She will watch, she will give it this one day and night, and then go
on with her life, and waiting with her is Barney, her beloved dog, and Fantasy,
her snooty cat. Man, a girl and her fur babies get hungry while waiting for
something to happen, and yet her instincts keep her there … watching … waiting
…
Lattice 3 from Latticework: 14 Lattices from Space and Time
The town of Flarant is abandoned to its fate, year after
year.
Year after year the people of Flarant lose their children to
the ghosts and ghouls on All Hallows Eve. They cannot flee. They are beyond all
hope.
And then a stranger enters the town in the days leading up
to the event. This year, there is difference in the air. This year, the
children are not alone.
Lattice 11 from Latticework: 14 Lattices from Space and Time
Both reads coming in audio also
Thursday, July 22, 2021
The Student's Spanish translation now available
Links are still coming as it reaches retailers, but meanwhile, here's where you can find it on
Tuesday, July 20, 2021
Monday, July 19, 2021
Interview: Tahlia Newland NFT Author of Journey to Diamond Peak
Today we have the pleasure of chatting to Tahlia Newland all the way from Oz. Over to you, Thalia!
Tahlia Newland has written eight novels (magical realism & inspirational fantasy) and two non-fiction books (a narrative memoir and a book on writing). She is an editor for AIA Publishing, and in her spare time, she makes masquerade masks and works in her permaculture garden. Four of her novels have won multiple awards - B.R.A.G. Medallions for Outstanding Fiction and the Awesome Indies Book Awards Seal of Excellence in Fiction. She has had extensive experience in the study and practice of meditation and lives in an Australian rainforest with a lovely husband and two cheeky Burmese cats.
As an author of multiple books why did you
select Journey to Diamond Peak for this historic NFT offer?
The first four novels I wrote – plus some added extras -
make up my NFT, Journey to Diamond Peak, and they are dear to my heart
not only because they were my first works but also because the story they tell
has the same kind of significance as A Pilgrims Progress, but in a
Buddhist context, and they haven’t yet been widely recognised as that. Once that’s
recognised, this NFT will be quite a good investment. I haven’t released the
series in one bundle before and I liked the idea of limiting the number.
The story is a sweeping analogy of the path to enlightenment
as seen by the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. It’s a contemporary fantasy that has
all the elements of adventure, romance and quirky characters that make any
story entertaining, and it doesn’t use a single Buddhist term. So as well as
being significant in terms of the translation of Tibetan Buddhism into the
Western world, it’s just a jolly good read. I’ve included a section on the
symbolism in the story as well as the story behind the story, about my personal
journey into and out of Tibetan Buddhism.
NFTs are relatively new and many don’t yet understand how
it works. Why, therefore, enter what is essentially unchartered territory?
I find that it’s best to get into new things quickly before
everyone else is doing it. Also I had something that I could put together quite
quickly, and I was thinking of ways to raise money to take a couple of months
off to write another novel in my Prunella Smith Series. The book I have
in my head will explore how beliefs distort one's perception of reality,
specifically religious beliefs (in the context of Buddhist clerical abuse),
conspiracy theories and climate change denial. It’s not a book I can write in
my spare time.
So when the offer came, I thought it was perfect. All I need
now is to sell them all so I can write Alternate Worlds.
What’s next for you?
I’d like to write that book over Christmas, but until then,
I’m busy editing and publishing books for other authors under AIA Publishing
and Editing.
Thanks so much, Tahlia, and loads of luck!
Btw, Tahlia tells us more about why she chose Journey to Diamond Peak in this video: https://youtu.be/KqVjxOyLTxc
Tahlia Newland's links:
https://booksgosocial.com/journey-to-diamond-peak-information/https://www.amazon.com/Tahlia-Newland/e/B0063WTC8U
https://www.facebook.com/TahliaNewland.author.editor.artist
https://www.instagram.com/aia_publishing/
https://twitter.com/tahlianewland
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB7JME-_SsWmAxRaJEzQ1Hw
https://www.pinterest.com/tahlianewland/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tahlia-newland-2b909a72
Friday, July 16, 2021
Interview: Matt Crisci NFT Author of Call Sign, White Lily
As mentioned yesterday, 14 authors took part in the first NFT drop for books, and today we have Matt Crisci telling us why he selected Call sign, White Lily. Take it away, Matt!
Why I selected Call Sign, White Lily as my first NFT collectible
offering.
By M.G. Crisci
I am the
Manhattan-born author of 16 books based on true stories and events across
multiple genres. My brand positioning
for the past two decades has been: Stories that entertain. People you will
remember. Literature that matters.
Despite my literary library, the first most frequently asked question at the majority of my speaking engagements is, “how did an American author with no Russian background come to write a best-selling book about the world’s first female fighter pilot?"
My response? Fate. In 1995, I attended a two-city museum exhibition
called World War II through Russian eyes. There I learned that more than 30
million Russians died helping to save the world from Hitler for the first time.
After some preliminary
research, I made a decision that changed my life forever. Instead of writing
some self-aggrandizing academic treatise, I decided to use the world’s first
female fighter pilot, the remarkable Lt. Lilia Litvyak, 18, as a metaphor for
Russian WWII sacrifices.
To develop the story, I took the bold step of contacting Vladimir
Putin at the Kremlin. People laughed. Amazingly, three months later, I received
an email explaining my request had been given “priority treatment.” I was instructed
to contact two women, Valentina Vaschenko and Yelena Sivolap, in a town I never heard of—Krasny Luch—who
were ready, willing, and able to help.
During the next three years, I not only spent hours with the women
in person, but I also took additional trips to parts of Russia and Ukraine,
little visited by Americas, with names like Donblass, Dmitrovka, and Mari’inka,
in addition to Moscow and St. Petersburg. I also interviewed over 100 citizens
and government officials (with not one single incident, I might add).
Soon, with a bit of creative fill-in, Call Sign, White Lily was born. It was positioned correctly as an epic story of woman’s
empowerment in a male-dominated society and a bittersweet tale of wartime love
story. I also was the proud owner of an extensive collection of vintage Litvyak
pictures and videos unavailable anywhere else (more about that later).
To my amazement,
the book, Call
Sign, White Lily. The world’s first female fighter pilot becomes Hitler’s worst
nightmare,
quickly became an Amazon No. 1 one best-seller in
historical fiction, as well as numerous other categories. And, almost nine
years later still sells robustly both in ebooks and print, and the reader
reviews are astounding.
Along the way, I
have also spoken at high-profile venues in New York, Washington D.C., Moscow,
and St. Petersburg, RU, including the United Nations, The American and Russian
and Ukrainian Embassies and Cultural centers, and Voice of America.
Like most authors, I know little about digital tags, blockchains,
and the rest. But I do know some of the largest auction houses in the world are
now offering special digital editions (NFT’s) of various works of art. Major
League Basketball and Baseball have also launched NFT memorabilia, so I said to
myself, we may be early, but let’s test the proposition against quality
literary works.
Also, given the tangible Call Sign assets I own, I thought Lilia’s unabridged story, with a robust
epilogue from individual Russian citizens, and an attractive 50-page picture
book of her life, times, loves, and friends, would make for a one-of-a-kind NFT.
Something someone might want to keep or one day resell. To make the offering
even more attractive, the NFT holder gets to see videos with me interviewing
Lilia’s last living friend, government officials, and my two collaborators,
Valentina and Yelena.
As for pricing, I
established a fair value price point of $25, knowing previously read hardcover
copies of Call
Sign, White Lily sell for $79 or more by Amazon
book resellers. Here’s a link to the NFT page.
What’s Next for M.G.?
This
summer we launched, volume 2 of Only in New York. 37 big apple
stories that span 55 years and 5 boroughs. The early reader and
editorial reviews are fantastic, and the book is selling nicely in eBook and
print formats.
This
fall, the Books Go Social Marketing Team will begin promoting another one-of-a-kind
book, The King of Violins. The extraordinary life of Ma Sicong, China’s
greatest violin virtuoso. The first activity is a major worldwide
multi-media presentation, sponsored by the Chinese-American Museum and San
Diego State University. The audience is expected to be 2,000 plus.
I’ve also decided to mimic American
author John Dos Pasos and his U.S.A. trilogy, by completing my N.Y.C. trilogy,
Only in New York, Volume 3. That’s 40% completed)
Finally, I’m working on another
amazing story in which I was intimately involved. Ms. Banker. No Rules. No Judgments.
No glass ceilings. It the true story of New York City’s most powerful
female banker in the 1980’s. That is 50% completed.
Stay safe and keep smiling. 😊
Matt
Thank you, Matt! To say I'm blown away by your literary adventures is underselling my awe. Good luck with your NFT, and happy writing!
Thursday, July 15, 2021
Interview: Caitlin Lynagh NFT Author of Quantum Messenger
Hello, everyone! Today I have something special to post - the first of a series of interviews with the 14 authors chosen to pioneer our books as NFTs. BooksGoSocial launched our work into the crypto world (see press release) and we are all really excited about this. This is the first drop only - more special edition books are coming - and thus are we at the start of something extra special, something to gift both readers and writers far more freedom.
Without further ado and all that, allow me to introduce you to Caitlin Lynagh, author of Quantum Messenger, which has already sold out. Congrats, Caitlin!!
CAITLIN LYNAGH was born in Cardiff and graduated from Keele University with a BSc in Biology and Geology in 2013. Since graduating, Caitlin has followed her passion for writing and recently won a Young Writer's Award with Outlet Publishing. In her spare time, Caitlin has a creative drive, creating bookish art in paintings, clay and paper-crafts. She enjoys travelling and has recently spent six weeks in the Amazon rainforest.
Caitlin draws on her science knowledge for The Soul Prophecies series to create emotional stories which query whether the possibility of an afterlife lies in science, rather than faith.
"I wanted to write a series that was personal to me about life and our social development as a species.
The books are based on thoughts and observations about society from the eyes of a young person trying to understand humanity and their role in a regimental society like ours.
I want to challenge the idea that we should grow up thinking that we should be part of the system. At the moment the system punishes free thinking and as a result we are left with this confused culture of opinion, where people want to be heard but aren't able to be open-minded enough to consider if their opinion has substance - or indeed moral. As a result we abandon the things that once made us happy. We dismiss our dreams like discarded pennies and that's all they end up meaning to us. Only those who are true to their dreams end up happy with whichever level of success they find.
In Anomaly it takes time for Kyle Hunter to recognise what he gains as a result of his loss, and the tenderness of his relationship with Alice - faced with her own mortality - allows him to understand the value of life and real love. As the series progresses I look deeper into the role our knowledge and conscience plays in the development of our soul. Our weaknesses and our strengths from an alien perspective and from artificial intelligence."
Hi Caitlin, and thanks for being here!
As an author of four sci-fi books, why did you select Quantum
Messenger for this historic NFT offer?
The hardback and eBook were released in November 2020 and we
tried a different approach to the launch, given Covid restrictions. The central
character, Apollo, started his own Twitter account as a time-travelling robot
prior to the release and we put out a daily video teaser in the one-hundred
days before the release. We also had a song, written by Apollo and recorded by cyberpunk
artist OUR EYES, which was released on the day of the book. It made sense to
use Quantum Messenger as the NFT as the whole release was experimental.
It’s all been an exciting journey, we had no idea if
anything would work in terms of sales but it’s been so much fun to plan out and
watch it all come to fruition.
I decided to release a one-off NFT. A special edition of
just one eBook, it had a dedicated ISBN, new cover made from a canvas painting,
a dedicated foreword and the lyrics to Apollo’s song Who Am I? in the
place of relevance in the book (together with link to audio). The NFT sold to a
crypto collector in the USA for $100 within 24 hours of the launch.
I am looking to sell Apollo as an NFT later this year.
NFTs are relatively new and many don’t yet understand how
it works. Why, therefore, enter what is essentially unchartered territory?
I had looked into NFTs late 2020 but didn’t know that books could be sold that way. I am creative by nature and use many artistic mediums within my projects so it was just something I was keeping at the back of my mind. When Laurence (Books Go Social) emailed to see if any authors would be interested in creating NFT books, I immediately jumped at it. I had no idea how it would work, and they have done an excellent job experimenting with minting and organising the logistics.
I made the decision to release a one-off book because I felt
that was in the nature of NFT collectors – as opposed to book collectors.
Partly because I hadn’t thought about the long-term potential of actually
collecting multiple books this way and selling them on. I also thought it would
be more press-worthy as a one-off. I did have press interest but the $100 price
tag didn’t seem newsworthy enough. It still may be the most expensive eBook
ever sold.
There is so much potential for NFT collections. I think the
concept is new but will grow. I’ve had other NFT Book start-ups contact me over
the past few weeks, interested in my blog post. I don’t think there has been
this much hype since the initial launch of eBooks.
I need to think out the sale of Apollo as an NFT as I would
need to keep ancillary rights and I am looking into the legal side of that. If
it can be done, I want to come up with a long-term strategy and give Apollo the
right to be free to roam the internet as he currently does. He tweets, rights
songs, hijacks my blog and has developed a very human, albeit innocent,
personality. He’s somewhat adorable.
What’s next for you?
The paperback version of Quantum Messenger should be
released in November. I was considering a launch around ComicCon but to be
honest, with Covid dates surging, I don’t feel safe doing it that way so I
might hold back until next year.
I am writing a new book, my first since concluding The
Soul Prophecies series, which I hope will be released next year.
I am also considering an NFT version of some of my backlist
too. I have ideas but they will take time to put together but NFTs are
definitely an avenue I intend to pursue and experiment with in the future.
Where can we find you and your books online?
All websites and social media can be found here: https://booktoff.ee/caitlin/
My books can be found here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Caitlin-Lynagh/e/B01B13SFR4
My NFT Blog is here: Why I am Selling
My Book as an NFT - Caitlin Lynagh
Seems to be a day for audiobooks!
Since early this morning I've been managing audiobooks. Two have been approved and two more went into production, so it was preparing samples on SoundCloud, downloading promo codes, creating docs for the links, and then also uploading manuscripts to my narrators. Well, phew, almost done, so here's the scoop:
The Sleeper Sword, book 3 in the Reaume series is now available, and book 4, The Dreamer Stones, just went into production.
Lore of Arcana's omnibus audio book is now live as well! Whoop! Massive value for money - 4 books for the price of 1!
Book 1 of Lore of Sanctum, The Nemesis Blade, just went into production as well!
I'll be putting up the SoundCloud samples asap, and all links will also be available on the Audiobooks page :)
Wednesday, July 14, 2021
About the Jeweller ...
So it's ready and live! My narrator, Katrina, reckons she had so much fun reading this story and loves how it showcases the magic of creativity, and the totally irreverent bits also. Do have a listen to the sample in the post below, and I'm adding more links here :)
Monday, July 12, 2021
Friday, July 9, 2021
Thursday, July 8, 2021
How to defend yourself against animal attacks (snort!)
Made me laugh! Especially the goose - when my son was potting training, he'd run outside naked bum and all, and Mr Goose thought that so much sport! No harm came to either boy or fowl, promise :)
Wednesday, July 7, 2021
Lore of Arcana's Epic Special Edition
Did you know that this special edition has an animated cover? Far better than this gif! Do pop in and have a look - it's brilliant!!
Ancient Illumination
Fire spews and ice follows. The world Drakonis is near death
and all life has fled. Except for Brennan, the thief who hears mysterious
directions to Castle Drakon on the wind, and brothers Bastian and Cole, who
choose to follow her. Then there’s Halley, an exotic dancer from the burning
cities, and Audri, who refuses to speak.
In a grotto under the ice they discover three others alive and before the warmth of a fire hear of a mighty legend. Unravelling its mysteries could lead to a way off a dying world. An ancient light will illuminate their path.
Monday, July 5, 2021
Saturday, July 3, 2021
Audio Book Reviews I missed!
Here are a few reviews I discovered on Audible while looking for a link; thought I'd share even if some are a few months old. (Note to self: check Audible more regularly …)
Two updated covers
The season of change? Nope, not quite yet, but certainly in my writing world :)
(Am seriously tinkering with the idea of changing my entire Lore Series, too … hmmm …)
