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#LFLR Indie Breakdown of “Era of Undying” by Emilie Knight @Emilie_Knight_

5/27/2021

"Era of Undying"

Author: Emilie Knight
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Format: Novel

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“Rules, sorry. You’re dead now.”

Pen has a buried secret. She could very well be the last living Blood Warrior in existence. With her wounds still fresh from the death of her husband and son, the future of her kind seems bleak. Self-preservation has become her primary focus, but shouldn’t be difficult during the “Era of Undying”. People are no longer passing away, and King Aegeus suspects that this crime against humanity has something to do with the Goddess Nyx. Pen is faced with an ultimatum, and uncovering a secret could be her only means of reuniting with the love she lost, as she embarks on a mystical journey too dangerous for any mere mortal.

#LFLR Indie Breakdown of “We Run Bad” by John Curry @curry_writer

5/4/2021

"We Run Bad"

Author: John Curry
Genre: Literary Fiction
Format: Novel

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“It has nothing to do with you or the decisions you make; you’re just unlucky.”

Tim’s luck has run out. After his house flipping venture goes bust in Philly (post two thousand eight real estate market crash), Tim cuts his losses and decides to try his luck in Atlantic City. After going bust at the poker tables, things are looking bleak until Tim is made an offer that he feels has no business to refuse. The tables turn when Tim starts making some real cash in his new role (running underground poker games in New York). As luck would have it, he begins to question everything he previously understood about the American dream, in “We Run Bad”.

#LFLR Indie Breakdown of “Nocturne: A Collection of Dark Tales” by H.B.Diaz @HollyBDiaz

4/27/2021

"Nocturne"

Author: H.B. Diaz
Genre: Horror
Format: Flash Fiction Anthology

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“Before long, sensations morph into monsters.”

“Nocturne: A Collection of Dark Tales” is my first attempt at dissecting a complete anthology of flash fiction stories. I feel as though I must preface this breakdown, as it will differ slightly from the others I’ve written. Flash fiction is a difficult format to grasp, because context can be slim to none in a piece that only contains around fifteen hundred words or less. What these stories lack in context, I try to read between the lines and pick apart subtle clues in order to pick up on any subtext that may have been implied by the author, which can end up being nothing more than subjective interpretation on my part (again dealing minimal material here).

Flash fiction is a piece of writing where the writer poses a thought provoking question or offers the reader a way to explore a single idea/concept in the shape of a fictional tale. Flash fiction may not contain much of a plot or any in depth character development. Examples of flash fiction projects would be legends (urban & folk), myths (like Bigfoot), or writing that has anecdotal structure.
(LFLR article)

#LFLR Indie Breakdown of “Once Upon A Lane” by Duncan Wilson @MrDuncanWilson

4/23/2021

"Once Upon A Lane"

Author: Duncan Wilson
Genre: Literary Fiction
Format: Novel

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“…the house no one ever went into or out of…”

“Once Upon A Lane” in a cozy cul-de-sac with pristine lawns, there’s a community of neighbors and friends alike who are going about their day to day lives. Paxton Green makes his rounds to appreciate the landscape of the lane with his green thumb. Mrs. Habernathy has been on the lane the longest and likes to keep an eye on things. Young Tommy is the mailman making deliveries and dodging the youngest Murphy boy with his best friend Bobby, while they run all around the lane on their latest imaginary adventure. Of course the boys will have to make a pit stop at Ella and Ida’s house for some fresh baked treats. The ladies will most likely be out on their porch discussing the latest gossip involving all the other members of the lane, while something across the street sticks out like a sore thumb. The only place that everyone in the lane seeks to avoid interacting with, but cannot help but wonder what could be inside... the house with the dead yard…

#LFLR Indie Breakdown of “The Ringmaster’s Interview” by Colin C. Martin @HorrorificThe

4/10/2021

"The Ringmaster's Interview"

Author: Colin C. Martin
Genre: Speculative Fiction (SciFi/Fantasy)
Format: Novella

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“Then the world exploded.”

For Stefan Hannberg, the pen is mightier than the sword. He is a small town journalist with a big influence on the local eatery scene, which often translates into free meals and tickets to special events. One day, Stefan finds a magical invitation left on his office desk, which grants him access to an alternate realm where he meets a whole cast of carnival characters that exist beyond the veil. Through them he learns that his words have more power than meets the eye, in “The Ringmaster’s Interview”.

Getting Noticed as an Indie Author #LFLR

4/3/2021

This is not going to be a clickbaity “How to gain success as…” type of article, nor is this going to be a one size fits all strategy-guide for marketing your work. In this article I plan on giving you just the tips, if you will, so that you may position yourself in such a way as to become more accessible for potential readers to discover your work - by best leveraging the amount of time, money, energy, and effort it takes to do such a thing. Browse this checklist to get some ideas of what you can do to “put yourself out there” as an independent author - before you even consider whether or not you’re ready to “put some skin in the game”. The goal is to show you how all the pieces just kind of fall into place.

#LFLR Indie Breakdown of “Behemoths Rising” by John Grover @JGroverWriter

4/1/2021

"Behemoths Rising"

Author: John Grover
Genre: Action/Adventure
Format: Novel

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“If not now, when?”

The United Nations has become the central force to battle against the biggest threat facing humanity, climate change. Jason and his fleet of fighter pilots battle storms off the Atlantic coast with weather altering weapons. Doctor Mara is a geologist called to study some mysterious seismic activity that’s been taking place in the now desolate environment of Siberia. A paleontologist (Warren) has made an incredible discovery in a Brazilian rainforest. Nothing could have prepared them for the ancient forces of nature about to awaken from the depths, but life must go on in spite of the “Behemoths Rising”!

#LFLR Indie Breakdown of “Mary Lee Whales” by Ashley M. Franklin @AshleyMFrankli1

3/30/2021

"Mary Lee Whales"

Author: Ashley M. Franklin
Genre: Horror
Format: Short Story

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“A Game of Fun Gone Wrong”

A school teacher becomes obsessed with a local urban legend after an unbelievable sighting of a horrific apparition. A fellow faculty member shares a tale about Mary Lee Whales, the daughter of a Mr. Whales, and some of the gruesome history surrounding her family name. The teacher becomes hell-bent on finding out whether or not there is any truth to the curse of Bloody Mary or if it’s just some spooky slumber party past-time. Sometimes urban legends hit closer to home than some would like to believe.

#LFLR Indie Breakdown of “Music of the Gods” by Richard Schiver @RichardSchiver

3/29/2021

"Music of the Gods"

Author: Richard Schiver
Genre: Suspense Horror
Format: Short Story

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“He hated her!”

During a planned weekend getaway to rekindle their marriage, Donald and Susan become lost along the way. An argument ensues, which distracts Donald with the fear that their marriage has been lost for much longer than their car ride. Donald is determined to get them back on track and to the bed and breakfast, but instead their car nearly careens into the grill of an oncoming truck! The near miss accident leaves the couple in a complete wreck along the countryside. There’s a place called White Hall just one mile away, according to a nearby road sign, where Susan hears music and Donald suggests they travel by foot.

#LFLR Indie Breakdown of “Rising Up” by Tanya Ross @tanyarossauthor

3/26/2021

"Rising Up"

Author: Tanya Ross
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian SciFi
Format: Novel

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“A man’s gotta live, right?”

There are two types of people in this world. There are those who live in Tranquility, and there are those who live on The Outside looking in. For those who live in Tranquility, the most important value above all else is happiness, so every citizen is fashioned with a device called an “Alt”. This device measures the physiological output of each individual continuously around the clock and keeps an account of their emotional wellbeing. When a “Trank” named Ember struggles to maintain a state of positivity, after the untimely death of her mother, she comes into contact with the hometown hero (Will). She’s his first case as a new first responder for residents dealing with severe emotional crisis. If civilians fail to maintain a happy and positive outlook in Tranquility, then they risk being exiled to The Outside. A place that lingers on the back of any would be social outcast’s mind, like Xander, who marches to the beat of his own drum. When each character uncovers a piece of a conspiracy stemming from the highest levels of power in this world, they must find the courage within themselves to stand up for what they believe in before “Rising Up”.