Myrddin Has All your Valentine’s Day Romance Needs Covered!

find love with myrddin publishing

Here at Myrddin Publishing, we cover a lot of genres and romance is no exception. Whether you like contemporary, historical, or paranormal romance, there is something for everyone on your list. Below is just a sample of where you might find your next Valentine’s day treat! you can find the full list of Myrddin romance here.

find love with myrddin publishing

Contemporary

A Beatutiful Chill by Stephen SwartzA Beautiful Chill by Stephen Swartz

Life is impossible when every moment of the present is haunted by the past.

Íris is a refugee from an abusive youth in Iceland, further abused on the streets of Toronto – until she sees Art as an escape. With a scholarship, she drifts from depression to nightmare to Wiccan rituals to the next exhibit. There’s a lot she must forget to succeed in a life she refuses to take responsibility for.

Eric is settling in at Fairmont College, starting a new life after betrayal and heartbreak. Divorced and hitting forty, he has a lot to prove – to his father, his colleagues, and mostly to himself. The last thing he needs is a distraction – and there’s nothing more distracting than Iris.

A Beautiful Chill is a contemporary romance set in the duplicitous world of academic rules and artistic license.

BUY NOW

Ednor Scardens by Kathleen BarkerEdnor Scardens (The Charm City Chronicles Book #1) by Kathleen Barker

Growing up in an Irish Catholic neighborhood in Baltimore in the 1960’s was hard enough when everything went right. Kate Fitzgerald wasn’t that lucky.

Struggling to cope with unwanted attention from older boys and men, Kate’s childhood friendship with shy classmate Gabe Kelsey begins to blossom, but quickly becomes tangled when she falls hard for his darkly handsome older brother, Michael.

As the brothers vie for Kate’s affections, she doesn’t know how to choose between them without tearing their family apart. She looks to her girlfriends for advice, but the tragic death of a classmate brings them face-to-face with mortality, shattering their facade of invincibility.

Her dilemma deepens when a predatory priest with a hidden past arrives at Holy Sacrament School. And when she silently witnesses a frightening scene between Gabe and Fr. O’Conner, Kate unknowingly becomes O’Conner’s intended next victim.

BUY NOW

Historical

The Truth About Lagertha And Ragnar by Rachel TsoumbakosViking: The Truth about Lagertha and Ragnar by Rachel Tsoumbakos

 

Lagertha was known to be one of the wives of the famous Viking, Ragnar Lodbrok. But did you know they first met each other at a brothel? And just how long did their marriage last? Was Lagertha really the revered shield maiden we see her as today? ‘Vikings: The Truth About Lagertha And Ragnar’ aims to unravel all these secrets.

‘Vikings: The Truth About Lagertha And Ragnar’ is so much more than a history book though.

In Part One their story is brought to life with a historically accurate retelling. Part Two then explores the historical facts surrounding this story.

BUY NOW

Paranormal

Heart Search by Carlie M A CullenHeart Search (Book #1) by Carlie M.A. Cullen

One bite starts it all . . .

When Joshua Grant vanishes days before his wedding his fiancée Remy is left with only bruises, scratch marks and a hastily written note. Heartbroken, she sets off alone to find him and begins a long journey where strange things begin to happen.

As Joshua descends into his new immortal life he indulges his thirst for blood and explores his superhuman strength and amazing new talents while becoming embroiled in coven politics which threaten to destroy him. But Remy discovers a strength of her own on her quest to bring Joshua home.

Fate toys with mortals and immortals alike, as two hearts torn apart by darkness face ordeals which test them to their limits.

BUY NOW

 

What The Covfefe? What Donald Trump Did Is Exactly How New Words Can Be Invented

Covfefe, new words, donald trump

Covfefe, new words, donald trump
[Image: Supplied]
This morning everyone awoke to a new word: Covfefe. We are all talking about the new word and those not yet up to speed are furiously Googling it to find out what is going on. But, what does it even mean?

At 2 p.m. on May 31, Donald Trump tweeted. This is not at all unusual. While, sometimes his tweet might be strange, it is a known fact that the president of the United States like to get active on Twitter. It seems he accidentally tweeted something and pulled after the event. However, the internet never forgets and here is a screen capture of his faux pas:

Myrddin blog post, covfefe,
[Screen capture via Twitter]

“Despite the constant negative press covfefe,” is an interesting thing to write, it doesn’t even feel like a complete sentence.

According to one Twitter-savvy person, Jemima Sampson, this is the best definition for covfefe she could find:

 

And that, my friends, is how a new word is born in this day and age.

So, what was going on there? What does covfefe even mean?

It is assumed Donald Trump misspelled “coverage” as “covfefe.” This hasn’t stopped everyone on social media creating a definition for the new word. However, has this every happened before? Can new words actually be created this way?

new words, donald trump, covfefe
[Image by Wolfgang Sauber (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0] | Wikimedia Commons]
The creation of new words within the English language is not a new thing. For as long as people have been talking, new words have been created from old ones.

Today, everyone uses the term “smog” to describe what happens when pollution and fog combines. It is an accepted word. However, this word is a mash up of “smoke” and “fog.” What has happened with the term smog is that two words have been shortened and joined together to create a new word. This is called blending, or, more specifically, clipping. Covfefe is not this.

Another way new words can be created is by shortening words. Fax (facsimile), flu (influenza) and bot (robot) are all examples of this. While covfefe is supposed to be “conference,” the word has not been shortened here to create a new one, instead, it has been misspelled, likely in Trump’s haste to create a new tweet.

Harry potter, covfefe, new words, donald trump

 

New words can sometimes be created is by a process called “calque.” “Loan words” is another way to describe this word creating event.  Calque is when a word or phrase is borrowed from another language and used. The term “faux pas,” used above, is an example of this. Some people are already trying to associate covfefe with calque. Considering all the rumors in regard to Donald Trump and the Russians, many have already put the word into the Google translator to see if it was a calque word. For the record, it is not a Russian word. Although, Google did try to link it to the Samoan language.

Another way a new word can be formed is by a process called neologism. There are a few components to this word-forming action. Loan words is one such way neologism creates new words.

Another way is called “eponym.” Does anyone here use a Hoover or take Panadol, or wrap their food in Glad wrap? These are all examples of eponyms. What the person meant to say was “vacuum cleaner,” “paracetamol,” and “cling wrap.” However, these words take on these meanings to replace the original words. This is quite often a localized event. In Australia we use Panadol and Glad wrap. However, the U.S. would more likely use “Tylenol” or “Saran wrap.”

“Onomatopoeic” is the final way to form a word under the umbrella of neologism. This takes the sound of a word and makes it an actual word. “Ding ding” and “cuckoo” are examples of this process.

new words, donald trump, covfefe
Cyrille Le Floch, from The Noun Project [CC BY 3.0] | Wikimedia Commons]
So, did Donald Trump actually use any of these word-forming actions to create covfefe? No, what he did was misspell a word. This is very close to something called “malapropism.” This is when you accidentally use the wrong word in place of a similar word. This is not really word-forming, more an error on the person’s behalf, whether they accidentally used the incorrect word, or think that word is the correct one. And, that is not what Trump did with covfefe either.

Alternatively, what Trump did could also be associated with “chat speak” or “eye dialect.” This is where people spell words incorrectly on purpose so that they look the way they sound, or shortened to save both time and space. Anyone who has received a text that looks like this will know what chat speak is:

“B home b4 8, ok?”

What he did could also be associated with dyslexia. This is a condition where people find they have trouble reading and spelling even though they are not mentally lacking.

Once again, this is probably not quite the correct term for what Donald Trump did.

Is there even a term for this yet? Probably there is, or there will be after this event. Maybe that term will be known as “covfefe.”

Covfefe: n. When you accidentally misspell a word so badly a new definition has to be defined.

What do you think about the new word? Will it take off or is it destined to just be a curious Urban Dictionary listing by the end of the month? Let us know your thoughts on covfefe by commenting below.

[Featured image: Supplied]

Cover Reveal For ‘Vikings: The Truth About Lagertha And Ragnar’ And A Quick Word About PaintNET

The Truth About Lagertha And Ragnar by Rachel Tsoumbakos FINAL COVER ART 940 resize

Now that Christmas and New Year’s has come and gone and the school holidays are nearly over here in Australia, it is time to get serious about edits for my upcoming book, Vikings: The Truth About Lagertha and Ragnar. But, before that can happen, there was just enough time to create the cover!

Thanks to some awesome input from my fellow Myrddin authors, and, in particular, Connie J. Jasperson, there has been many hours spent relearning how to use PaintNET. So, what does the cover for Vikings: The Truth About Lagertha And Ragnar look like? All the details are below.

 The Truth About Lagertha And Ragnar by Rachel Tsoumbakos FINAL COVER ART 940 resize
[Image via © Nejron | Dreamstime.com/Rachel Tsoumbakos]

Vikings: The Truth About Lagertha And Ragnar Blurb

 

Lagertha was known to be one of the wives of the famous Viking, Ragnar Lodbrok. But did you know they first met each other at a brothel? And just how long did their marriage last? Was Lagertha really the revered shield maiden we see her as today? The Truth About Lagertha and Ragnar aims to unravel all these secrets.

Vikings: The Truth About Lagertha and Ragnar is so much more than a history book though. While Part One examines the historical facts, Part Two brings their whole story to life with an historically accurate novella of their lives.

Vikings: The Truth About Lagertha and Ragnar aims to discover just how much of what we know of the shield maiden, Lagertha, and the famous Ragnar Lodbrok in popular culture today is actually true.

The Truth About series explores the historical fact from present day fiction in regards to the Vikings and other key historical figures that existed in the Viking era.

You can add Vikings: The Truth About Lagertha and Ragnar to your Goodreads reading list. Also, once the next stage of editing is completed (I’m around the halfway mark for this), I should have more idea of a release date, which means you will soon be able to pre-order The Truth About Lagertha and Ragnar on Amazon. Make sure you sign up to the Myrddin Publishing blog so you will know as soon as pre-order is available!

Also, for some fun facts you might not know about Lagertha and Ragnar already, you can check out my previous post on these two Vikings here.

So, What Is PaintNET Anyway?

If you have ever wanted to use Photoshop but just can’t afford the money or time to learn how to use such an enormous program, PaintNET might be just your thing. It is a freeware product designed by the people and for the people. This program is part of GNU, another free software operating system. While PaintNET is a great resource for those designing book covers and manipulating images, it is not entirely a full version alternative to Photoshop. If you want that, you will need GIMP, which is very much the freeware equivalent of Photoshop. However, if you — like me — have tried Photoshop and become completely overwhelmed with all it can do, PaintNET is nice alternative. It is very much a bridge between what can be done in Microsoft’s Paint program with a few added extras and the full Photoshop experience.

[Image via © Nejron | Dreamstime.com/Rachel Tsoumbakos]

Delving Into History To Discover The Truth Behind The Vikings Lagertha And Ragnar

Lagertha and Ragnar as depicted in History's 'Vikings'

I know my last blog post was on research when writing. But, here I am again, writing another post on the virtues of research. Actually, to be honest, this one is more about my latest book series, The Truth Behind.

When I started writing TV articles for the Inquisitr, I never thought it would lead me to my next novel. But, thanks to one of History Channel’s shows, Vikings, I have managed to find out an awful lot about a group of people I previously knew very little about. Vikings tells the story of Ragnar Lothbrok, based on a character from Viking lore that may, or may not have existed, Ragnar Lodbrok. Season 1 started with Ragnar and his wife, Lagertha, as farmers. Ragnar, being a typical inquisitive Viking, decides to travel West to raid rather than East and manages to wind up in England. While there he does the normal Viking thing — pillaging and murdering — before returning to Norway with his loot.

 Ragnar and Lagertha as depicted in History's 'Vikings'

Ragnar and Lagertha as depicted in History’s ‘Vikings’ [Image via HISTORY]
By Season 4 of Vikings, Ragnar is a king, having quickly traveled up the ranks because of his adventures in England. His wife, however, has left him thanks to an affair Ragnar had with Aslaug. Yet, their love story still keeps fans of the show swooning. And it is this story that has brought me to researching the sagas as I delve into the real story of Ragnar and Lagertha.

While it seems very likely that Lagertha is not a real person that existed during the Viking era, there is one recorded story about her. This tale comes from book 9 in Saxo Grammaticus’ History of the Danes (you can read this story for free via Sacred Texts). Saxo was a scholar who lived in England. He was tasked with recording the Viking stories up to two hundred years after the actual events. So, if this is the only record we have of Lagertha, it seems likely she doesn’t exist since none of the Viking sagas mention her.

Regardless, for the sake of a great love story, I have been using this one story, along with the many stories about Ragnar (that may or may not be about several men named Ragnar), to formulate the true story of Ragnar and Lagertha rather than the current romanticized one. Along the way I have come across some very interesting facts about the pair. For example:

 Ragnar wears his hairy breeches to protect himself against a dangerous snake

Ragnar wears his hairy breeches to protect himself against a dangerous snake [Image via AngloSaxonNorseAndCeltic]
  • Ragnar’s surname literally translates to hairy or shaggy breeches. This name came about after Ragnar wore shaggy pants in an effort to get past a dangerous viper that breathed venom. In some instances of this story, it is a dragon Ragnar has to pass. In both stories, Ragnar was trying to impress a lady (or her father anyway).
  • Ragnar first met Lagertha in a brothel. But it’s totally not what you think. Ragnar was merely saving a group of women that had been taken hostage by Frø, the king of Sweden, after he killed King Siward. Frø placed these women in a brothel to publicly shame them. Ragnar, a fan of Siward, decided to avenge his friend and rescue the women. During this battle, many of the women in the battle decided to dress in men’s clothing and fight on Ragnar’s side. And so the myth about the shield maiden called Lagertha was born along with the prose below.

“Lagertha, a skilled Amazon, who, though a maiden, had the courage of a man, and fought in front among the bravest with her hair loose over her shoulders. All-marvelled at her matchless deeds, for her locks flying down her back betrayed that she was a woman.”

Lagertha on a ship
Lagertha (as the goddess Thorgerd) in battle [Illustration by Jenny Nyström (1895).
  • Ragnar attempted to woo Lagertha after he saw her fighting ability. However, Lagertha was not one to fall at a man’s feet. She made it quite the task to win her hand and Ragnar ended up having to kill a bear and a hound just to reach her house.
  • Lagertha really did love Ragnar though. In fact, many years after they had divorced (Ragnar had taken a fancy to Thora Borgarhjört, the daughter of King Herraud, that resulted in his surname), Lagertha chose to fight for Ragnar once more when he needed support in a civil war. Being the independent woman, she brought 120 ships to his aide.
  • What ever happened during that final battle together is not mentioned. However, the final part of her tale is very revealing in that she returned home and slayed her husband rather than be with him a moment longer. It is unclear why she killed her husband or what happened after this other than she went on to rule independently.
  • It seems likely Lagertha may actually be based on a Norse goddess called Thorgerd. It is also possible Saxo made the story about Lagertha up using his knowledge about the Amazon women from Greek mythology.

My research into Ragnar and Lagertha is far from complete, however, I have already created a page on Goodreads. So, if you are intrigued by the story of Lagertha and Ragnar, why not add The Truth Behind the Vikings: Lagertha and Ragnar to your reading list.

Have you watch History’s Vikings or read any of the Viking sagas? Let us know by commenting below!

The Eerie Places Research For Novels Can Take You

Larundel is a place rife with urban legends and ghost stories [Image: Supplied]

One of my favorite things about writing is the research that naturally goes along with it. While I sometimes stress over just who is watching my Google search history and which search term will be the one that results in the FBI knocking on my door, mostly it is this learning about new things that gets under my skin.

Even when writing zombie apocalypse fiction, the need to know things is always present. For example, did you know that if you are stuck in the midst of the zombie apocalypse without your water purifying tablets or electricity for boiling, you can either use the sun or a very small amount of household bleach to purify dirty water? Neither did I until I was researching Emeline and the Mutants.

If you are in Australia when the zombie apocalypse hits, a crossbow is your best bet
[Image via MorgueFile]
When I was researching Zombie Apocalypse Now!, I had a search history that was filled with weapons used to break through skulls. After all, here in Australia, our gun laws are quite prohibitive and the average person suffering through the zombie apocalypse here would have to be a little more ingenious with their weapons. For the record, I would probably opt for a machete or, in a pinch, a spade. Although, if you can get your hands on one, a crossbow would be the best choice if you can’t obtain a gun. Once again, I worry about the FBI turning up on my doorstep.

Rachel Tsoumbakos The Ring Of Lost Souls 375

But, the most fun I ever had researching was when I was writing The Ring of Lost Souls. This book is based on a historical location; Larundel. Originally built as a mental institution in the early 20th century, it is now–or at the time of my research–abandoned since the mid-1990’s when the Australian government decided Australia didn’t really need a mental health system. You can read more on the history of Larundel here.

Larundel has been abandoned since the mid-1990s
Larundel is a place rife with urban legends and ghost stories [Image: Supplied]
Not only did I manage to classify watching every episode of Ghost Hunters International as “research” but I also included day trips to Larundel and speaking to local urban explorers as valuable research into my novel.

The Ring of Lost Souls was written in 2011, a time when work had begun on restoring Larundel. However, most of the building were so still dilapidated that to enter them was to seriously risk injury. But even without setting foot inside the buildings, people were able to walk around them and look in the windows to easily get an eerie sense of the place.

But it was the ghost stories and urban legends that piqued my interest the most. The most famous story involved a music box that played mysteriously at nighttime. Rumor had it the music box belonged to a girl who threw herself from the third floor of Larundel. Anyone who has ever been there knows Larundel is only two stories high, but still the story persisted. And so it was included in my story.

Larundel: This street art on the hospital ward of Larundel reminds me of Maisy from 'The Ring of Lost Souls'.
Larundel: This street art on the hospital ward of Larundel reminds me of Maisy from ‘The Ring of Lost Souls’. [Image: Supplied]
Another story perpetuated is the undiscovered morgue at Larundel. A quick Google search will show stories of people who claim they have been to the morgue in Larundel and seen dead bodies left there. Word on the street is that the morgue in the basement of Larundel. I found a picture of a lift in Larundel so clogged with rubbish that you would never even know if there was a basement or not. I also found other pictures of the floor space underneath Larundel that proves there is no room for a basement level. Still, the morgue went into my story too.

As you can see, writing a novel is just not a matter of letting the muse speak, sometimes research can take you in the craziest of places!

Weird Words Australians Use

The iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge in Sydney, Australia

The iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge in Sydney, Australia
[Image credit: MorgueFile.com / http://mrg.bz/amUxFK]

Growing up in Australia, reading involved having to grasp the U.S. vernacular from an early age. Reading my favorite Sweet Valley High and Trixie Belden books, I knew what Twinkies, sofas and trunks all meant even though Australia didn’t have Twinkies and we sat on couch and put our luggage in the boot of our car.

With the advent of the Internet, Americans now get the opportunity to learn the differences between U.S. and Australian English. To help you out a bit, let’s have a look at some of the most common weird words Australians use.

Thongs: The funniest usage confusion I have ever come across with this word was when I was researching for my novel, The Ring of Lost Souls. I was on an urban explorations site (urban exploration means people who like to explore derelict buildings) and due to a nice mix of Aussies and Americans, there was some confusion as to why you would suggest entering a rundown building wearing just your underwear. Well, here in Australia, to wear thongs means you are wearing flip flops on your feet. So that person had been suggesting the building was so rundown you needed decent footwear.

What you call flip flops, we call things
Image credit: MorgueFile.com / http://mrg.bz/JCM0N3

Chooks: I was on an organic gardening site when this word came up in conversation. No, chooks are not a type of plant, they are what we call chickens. Whether we are keeping a flock of backyard chickens or talking about what type of meat we are roasting, it all comes under the blanket of chooks over here.

Bludger: While reading Harry Potter, it is likely that most Aussies had a little chuckle whenever Quidditch was mentioned. After all, in Australia, a bludger is someone who is particularly lazy. If they rely on welfare as their main source of income, they are also likely to be called a “dole bludger”.

Dag: In sheep shearing terms, a dag is a knotted piece of fleece quite often found at the tail end of the sheep matted together with excrement. So, to call your friend a dag should be considered an insult. But, it actually isn’t. A dag is a friend who is a little bit nerdy, a little bit clumsy or has just done something that is mildly embarrassing.

Arvo: Australians love to abbreviate their words or end them in “o”. We’re lazy when it comes to speaking, basically. Most Aussies have mates (friends) who are called Robbo or Johnno. Arvo is simply short for afternoon.

Cuppa: In the arvo, it is likely an Aussie will take a break and have a cuppa. This is the term we use for a hot beverage. To ask your friend if they want a cuppa, means you want to know if they would like a cup of tea or coffee.

Esky: This is where Aussies keep their drinks cold when they are going to the beach or camping. It is an insulated box with a handle that is filled with ice from the servo (service or gas station) and topped up with — usually — beer.

Esky (image via Masters.com.au)
Esky (image via Masters.com.au)

Bottle-o: A bottle-o is where we buy our alcohol from to put in our esky.

Coriander: If you decide to visit Australia and are looking for Cilantro in the supermarket, try looking for Coriander instead.

Bogan: A bogan is a hard one to fully explain. If any of you have watched the Australian program, Housos, that’s what a bogan is. Otherwise, if you pass someone in Australia who looks like any of these people:

Housos bogans
Photo credit: Housos/Paul Fenech/SBS

then you have met your first bogan. Be warned, they swear. A lot. And by swearing, I mean they don’t consider “sh*t” to be a swear word.

Bum bag: have you ever been speaking to an Australian and they laughed at you because you went to get your fanny bag or fanny pack? That’s because we call  it a bum bag. The reason we don’t call it a fanny bag is because, in Australia, a fanny is a slang term for female genitalia.

Bush: To visit the bush means we are going to the forest. It is also slang for pubic hair, so make sure the Australian you’re speaking to isn’t being sarcastic when they suggest they’d “like to go bush.”

Trackies or Trakky daks: Sweat pants.

Snags: We can use snag to describe something catching on something else, we can also use SNAG as an acronym for Sensitive New Age Guy. But, most often, we are talking about the sausage we are cooking up on the barbie (BBQ).

With snag, it brings us to the strange foods section of weird things Aussies say. Because, without even realizing it (if you were raised in Australia), our food can sound particularly homophobic and racist.

Golden Gaytime: This is possibly the best ice-cream you will ever buy in Australia. It is vanilla ice-cream, coated in caramel ice-cream and then encrusted in a thin layer of chocolate and a thick layer of biscuit crumbs. It also comes with the slogan “It’s hard to have a Gaytime on your own” and the following advertisement:

Fairy Bread: I once wrote an article on themed food to have at a True Blood finale party. I got a whole pile of questions over what fairy bread was. I am so sorry you guys have no idea what this deliciousness is. Basically, you get white bread, spread a thick layer of margarine on it and cover it in sprinkles (either the splinter variety or the ones we call 100s & 1000s but are actually tiny balls of sugar that are brightly colored). This is usually served as an item at a child’s birthday party.

Chicos: You guys have jelly babies right? These are chocolate flavored jelly babies. Totally racist, I know, but they are so delicious!

While there are many more Aussie words that have confused my American friends over the years, this here is just your starter guide to some of the weirder words Australians use in everyday conversation.

Let me know if I have missed any words. Or, have you had a hilarious conversation that was only funny because it got lost in translation? Let me know by commenting below.

Dystopia, Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalypse: What’s the Difference?

Dystopia, Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalypse: What’s the Difference?
For many readers, of fiction such as The Hunger Games and the Divergent series, the distinction between dystopia, apocalypse and post-apocalyptic fiction can be confusing. And, to be honest, the lines can be blurred between the three genres as well as sometimes having them able to exist together within the same novel! So what are the distinct differences? Let’s break it down:

Dystopia

This is the opposite to the term utopia which means a perfect place, or the assumption of a perfect existence. It is usually also assumed to be an imagined or idealistic state and not a physical place. The term was first used in the novel called Uptopia, written by Sir Thomas Moore and published in 1516.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne CollinsIf utopia is quite literally paradise, then dystopia can be thought to be a place that is hell on earth. While this definition can be true, dystopia as a genre is quite often used to describe a place that appears perfect on the surface but is bad underneath. Sometimes this corrupt existence is known but suppressed (The Capitol in Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games is a perfect example of this). In other instances, the world appears to all intents to be perfect, but it is discovered as otherwise, quite often by the main character in the story.

As of late I have heard a lot of people referring to AMC’s The Walking Dead as dystopia for adults. This TV series is set in a post-apocalyptic world that is indeed filled with horrors that, by nature, are the very opposite of a Utopian world, however, I would not consider it true dystopian. Without the appearance of an organised ruling body that seems perfect on the outside, this TV series falls neatly into the post-apocalyptic genre. While there are small factions of seemingly Uptopian communities (Woodbury, Terminus, etc), the ruling body needs to be more global than that to classify as true dystopia. If the TV series were set entirely within one of those communities, then, yes, the show would be considered dystopia, but these communities act as catalysts for story lines and plot development rather than the complete direction of the series.

Apocalyptic/Apocalypse

The Stand by Stephen KingMany novels you see in the genre of post-apocalyptic are actually apocalypse novels. The Stand by Stephen King is an example of this, his more recent novel, Under the Dome, also falls into the apocalyptic genre. For this category, you need a world that is in the midst of crumbling. There can be many reasons for this: famine, disease, medical mayhem, earthquakes & other natural disasters  the Mayan calendar, religion & the end times, zombies, aliens, and so the list goes on. The main thing to be aware of is the fact that life as we currently know it is disappearing and the survivors have to cope with this as well as plan for the future ahead.

Post Apocalyptic/Post-Apocalypse

The Passage by Justin CroninThis genre is similar to the apocalyptic one, and sometimes it can even overlap. The Passage by Justin Cronin does this. His book starts as a post-apocalyptic adventure, but in parts we are taken back to the time of the apocalypse.

In the post-apocalyptic world, the life-changing event has occurred and human existence as we currently know it has drastically changed. This genre, however, is not interested in how people react to the cataclysmic events as they occur, but how people change and evolve as time goes on.

The Walking Dead comic series by  Robert KirkmanSometimes the post-apocalyptic world will be many years and generations into the future and this is quite often where the line between post-apocalyptic and dystopia blur. When this is the case, the world that we currently live in is quite often (but not always) seen by the post-apocalyptic characters as an utopian world. In other instances, the post-apocalyptic world will be newer and many of the characters in the story remember what life was like before the big change. They have memories of lost loved ones and things that they once had but no longer can have (ie. TV, McDonalds, the internet, etc). The Walking Dead comic series by Robert Kirkman is an excellent example of a newly post-apocalyptic world.

Are They All Considered Horror?

The Giver by Lois Lowry (Genre: Dystopia)The short answer is: No. However, many of these books do indeed fall into the broader genre of horror. The Stand by Stephen King would certainly be considered a horror novel, where as a lot of the YA (young adult) dystopia would not be considered horror. The Giver by Lois Lowry is an example where it certainly isn’t horror. And it is probably thanks to the massive amounts of YA dystopia literature available at the moment that this genre has really come into its own. Twenty years ago, you would just go to the horror shelves and look there for these types of books.

So, there you have it, the difference between the genres dystopia, apocalypse and post-apocalypse! Let me know if you think I got them right (or wrong) 😉

Sections of this post originally featured on Racheltsoumbakos.wordpress.com

How do readers find books in the digital age?

How do readers find books in the digital age? (Photo Credit: MorgueFile.com)

It a burning question and one that we at Myrddin Publishing are keen to explore!

Do readers still read paperbacks, hardcovers or are eBooks really taking over the reading world? And where do you go to find new books and authors?

We would like to find out just how exactly people do search for and purchase books these days – and that is where your help is needed.

By filling in our survey and sharing it will your friends, we will be able to better target you, the reader, with just what you crave – new books!

Clicking here will take you to the survey

Thank you for taking the time to participate in our short survey.

Unremembered Things – Book Launch plus #giveaway

Unremembered Things by Rachel Tsoumbakos

Unremembered Things by Rachel Tsoumbakos (Genre: Paranormal Romance)

Unremembered Things†(Wood Nymph Chronicles #1) by Rachel Tsoumbakos
Age category: New†Adult
Release Date: February 10, 2015
Genre: Paranormal†Romance

Blurb

One woman, two worlds and nothing but UNREMEMBERED THINGS separating them.

Indiana Shamira has a dark secret that could shatter her version of reality and get her killed in the process. Now if only she could remember what it is.

When Indiana wakes with no memory of her past life and a vampire called Sam hanging from the rafters in her cellar, she knows things are about to get nasty. Not only does Sam know all about her previous life, but he seems intent on seducing her as well. Of course her boyfriend, Kurt, has different ideas – like making her open the portal to hell!

And then there is the nagging suspicion that Indiana is not entirely human, now she can see ghostly images from the Otherworld. Or could it be from the life she can no longer remember? They include the flickering effigy of Kurt and a redwood forest that conjures up deeply repressed magic.

Not only will Indiana have to risk everything to keep the door to another dimension closed, she will have to decide whether she is ready to lose her heart to someone who has more secrets than herself.

Set in the lush Australian bush, UNREMEMBERED THINGS is a fusion of fantasy, paranormal and forbidden romance.

Add to GoodReads

Purchase (Pre-order)

AMAZON

Excerpt

“It is time.” Her voice purred like a kitten, but Indiana suspected she was really a feral animal on the inside.

“For what?” Her voice was raspy, hesitant and unsure if she really wanted to know the answer. Somewhere, deep inside, she suspected she already knew.

“Just remember I’m doing this for us,” Sam whispered into her ear. “So we can be together forever.”

Before Indiana could question him further, she felt a flurry of hands over her body. Indiana tried to open her eyes, but a warm hand reached up and carefully covered them.

Indiana was bitten hard, and she groaned in pleasure. Shocked by her unexpected display, she clutched her hands†outwards. Feeling the writhe of skin on skin, she tried to pull herself free. The tickle of fingers across her neck and down her spine calmed her with their warm familiarity.

“It’s okay, Indiana.”

The feathery words danced across her skin, warm like a summer breeze. She stilled and let Sam’s fingers intertwine with her own, relieved by his simple touch.

Time seemed to move forward and Indiana was presented with brief snippets of fleeting images; Camilla biting Sam, biting her. Indiana enjoying the pain of Camilla’s sharp teeth as they gnashed at her neck, her thighs and her wrist. The flurry of skin and hands and teeth as they writhed together in the height of passion. Pale hands slithered over her own luminescent skin, then Sam’s darker skin brushed against her own, warming her and protecting her but against what she was unsure.

Then Camilla poised over Sam, a knife in her hand. A flash of blood as it splayed out from a gaping neck wound. Indiana’s involuntary gasp and then choking sob at the sight of the cavernous hole. Hungry sucking as Camilla drank her fill. A warm hand, its fingers still laced through hers, slowing turning ice cold.

Giveaway

PRIZE (international):

  • 1 x eCopy of Unremembered Things
  • 1 x eCopy of Metanoia
  • 1 x eCopy of The Ring of Lost Souls
  • 1 x $10 Amazon gift card

Rafflecopter giveaway. Click to Enter

About the Author

Rachel Tsoumbakos. Author of contemporary horror and paranormal fiction.Rachel Tsoumbakos is a stay home mother of two.

Her main passions are writing, reading and organic gardening. Rachel lives with her husband, two kids, three cats and eight chickens in the hills surrounding Melbourne, Australia.

While she has had several articles published through mainstream magazines, she has also written extensively for True Blood Net and the now defunct Suite 101.

When she is not tending to her organic veggie garden, she is working on her cardio as she trains for the zombie apocalypse.

Author Links

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS | GOOGLE + |PINTEREST

 

Bring in the New Year With Myrddin Books!

Myrddin Publishing Group New Years Eve 2014 Party Banner

2015 is nearly upon us – and what better way to bring in the new year than with some new releases, 99 cent and free eBook deals from Myrddin Publishing Group?

As well as these great offers, we will be hosting a New Year’s Eve Facebook party.

Make sure you head on over early and join the event here. Once you are joined up, you can pop in as often as you like over various time zones (after all our authors span across Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States) to join in the party atmosphere as well as to possibly win some great prizes! You can also join us on Twitter by using the following hashtags: #PartyInTheLibrary #Myrddin #NewYearsEve

On offer we have Myrddin authors giving away free eBooks and signed copies of their paperbacks via a plethora of competitions and pop up giveaways.

To find out if your favorite author is participating in this fantastic event, then head on over to the Facebook event page and find out now!