Once again, I learned about something amazing via social networking. A couple of days ago, I saw that namenick of PasswordIncorrect and a number of my #weblit acquaintances were tweeting about #ebookweek. It turns out, this awesome event has been around for years and I was just hearing about it for the first time.

Read an Ebook Week is a week-long annual event that runs from March 7th thru 13th. Many major ebook retailers and writers participate by sharing information about ebooks and offering massive discounts–up to 100% off numerous ebook titles.

Coincidentally, I already had a FREE ebook offering in the works. I only had to speed things up a little bit to make it available, in time for this week’s event.

Fancy a Free Ebook?

Download EARTHBOUND EXOTICA

EARTHBOUND EXOTICA is a small selection of some of my urban fantasy flash fiction and short stories. These stories are already available for online reading at www.tonyamoore.com but I wanted to make a small sampling of my favorite Urban Fiction pieces available for Free download.

You can download your very own copy in the format of your choice from Smashwords and it should soon be available from Barnes & Noble, Sony, Kobo (formerly Shortcovers) and Amazon.

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Nobody writes werewolves like Naomi.

Her style and her unique stories and striking characters are unforgettable. SILVER KISS, the brand spanking new novel by Naomi Clark follows somewhat closely on the heels of the success of the QUEER WOLF Anthology which includes her story, WOLF STRAP.

In “SILVER KISS” by Naomi Clark…

Ayla Hammond has come home. After years as a lone wolf in a self-imposed exile she’s rejoining the pack and trying to mend fences with her parents. She’s convinced them to accept her girlfriend, but can a lone wolf change her ways?

As if homecoming wasn’t hard enough, Ayla also can’t help getting involved in a missing person case.
With pressure to solve the case mounting from the pack alphas, Ayla is starting to question where her loyalties lie – and if a return to the pack she left behind is really what she wants.

Silver Kiss is now available from Queered Fiction.

Today is the big Release day, so don’t miss the Twitter release party for SILVER KISS. Tweet about SILVER KISS using the #silverkiss hashtag and you could be in for an awesome treat. Gifts include tarot readings, ebooks, and print books.

Now, I haven’t read SILVER KISS yet but that’s only because I am determined to hold out until I can get may hands on my very own print copy. Can I do it or will I break down and get the ebook before the week is out? Stay Tuned.

In the meantime, here are some essential links to get to know this awesome author a little better:

SILVER KISS Blog Tour Schedule | Naomi’s Homepage | Follow Naomi on Twitter

When Google Buzz first launched, I was eager to give it a try. Now that the novelty has worn off, I’ve come to the same conclusion as most. Google Buzz is undeniably powerful and has the potential to be very versatile. I think that Google Buzz is a great service that will definitely augment my web experience but I doubt that it will significantly affect my use of other services, such as Twitter or even Facebook.

It’s also very noisy.  A couple of days ago, I set out to de-clutter my stream. Twitter and any other micro-blogging sites from which I frequently broadcast, have been removed from my connected sites. The endless torrent of micro-updates is hard to follow. Since I happen to be a chatty Tweeter sometimes, I have no desire to add to the chaos. I then proceeded to unfollow a large number of irrelevant accounts that happened to be included in my stream, due to my bloated-by-Google-Wave contact list. Once I did that, my stream became a whole lot less chaotic and I find I’m no longer disinclined to use Google Buzz.

All I need now, is an option to Share/Note a post included in the iGoogle module for Google Reader and keeping on top of my subscriptions will be even easier. Before I started using Google Buzz, I would completely forget that Google Reader even existed. You can Buzz updates from sites to which you subscribe via Google Reader. Sure, I used to “share” occasional updates from Google Reader before Buzz but who was actually seeing them?

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I’ve always admired women’s ice skating. The deceptive delicacy of female ice skaters is fascinating. The success of their performances depends up their seemingly effortless economy of motion and grace, yet those movements require an almost brutish degree of physical strength, endurance and grit. Most of the competitors that I’ve seen so far, brought their best game faces to the Olympics. I was impressed with even those participants who weren’t quite at the elite levels but competed for the experience and for testing their own limits. Of all of these wonderful ladies, three stood out in my mind.

“Queen” Yu-Na Kim, the tremendously talented and idolized favorite from Korea was was a cool customer. Her performance was flawless, a confident display of grace and subtle ferocity.

Sixteen year old American hopeful, Mirai Nagasu performed exceptionally as well. While her inexperience might have cost her a few points, her exuberance was infectious and she firmly established that both the ice and spotlight are where she belongs.

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Inspiration propels our endeavors. For many, there’s no greater feeling than that moment when unexpected words arrive in a great deluge. Much as we love it when the cup runneth over, it becomes necessary to switch mental gears and approach the creative process in a disciplined and methodical manner.

The fertile mind is a constant battleground. The transient and unpredictable nature of the creative drive can be as much of a hindrance as a boon to our craft. Striking a comfortable balance between inspiration and productivity a common dilemma. The challenge therein, lies with determining when and how to effectively silence that wayward muse.

Lately, I’ve been wondering how others writers walk this particular tightrope. How often do you find yourself tempted to set a work-in-progress aside to entertain a new and exciting story idea? Do you go with the flow or firmly tighten the reins on your enthusiasm? To what degree does your current approach to writing affect the evolution of your craft?

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Purple Magazine Issue #9: Finding the Bliss Lense is one of several planned bonus offerings of the otherwise, bi-annual publication. Highlights include featured afro-punk musician, TreZure the Empress, as well as a glimpse into the fertile inner-worlds of Dwayne White, and Anyabwile Love & Aki Hirata-Baker.
Part 6 of Valjeanne Jeffers‘ The Story of Eve: A War from Within is in good company with a review of Basanta Kar’s The Unfold Pinnacle and Dara and the Dream Engine–an excerpt from Dazjae Zoem’s afro-steampunk fantasy omnibus, WonderDark. This excellent issue is a tantalizing offering of bold and unique works of art, poetry and literature.

Independently launched in 2006, Purple Magazine started as a grass-roots endeavor to overcome the narrow scope and prejudices of mainstream publications and expectations. In addition to the efforts of a growing number of artists, photographers, designers and spiritualists, creative works showcased by PurpleMag run the gamut of Speculative Fiction genres–including but not limited to esoteric cosmology, Afro-centric fairy tales, steampunk and modern interpretations and futuristic permutations of oral lore.
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Silverthorn Press Ezine is a free bi-monthly paranormal fantasy ezine. Corbin Silverthorn and  Staff brings us writing industry news and highlights, as well as Creative Writing advice and inspiration. Each issue of Silverthorn Press Ezine features authors and artists of the speculative fiction and fantasy genres.

The Bleeding Pen Writer’s Showcase presents proactive writers of paranormal fantasy. The aim is to help spread the word about their work and engage readers and industry professionals alike. I was recently interviewed by Corbin Silverthorn for the January 15,2010 issue of Silverthorn Press Ezine. It was a really interesting experience which prompted a fair amount of introspection and set me thinking about things that hadn’t crossed my mind in years. You can read my interview here.
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While it should be well known by now, that I’m personally an advocate of all manners and new mediums for presenting fiction, it’s only fair to give a nod to good old fashioned Literature at its finest.
In the spirit of encouraging and promoting the Art of Writing, The MAG has brought forth it’s first annual Short Story Writing Contest. The contest which is open to all genres of fiction, will focus on the talent of participants and the quality of their entries.
This is a great opportunity for writers who are seeking to garnish a little literary cred. I hear there may be a small bundle of cash for the winner too. The Short Story Writing Competition will run from 10th January 2010 to 31st May 2010. Visit The MAG’s  Short Story Writing Contest page for more information.

As an avid reader, I prefer my books in print be it paperback or hard cover. I love books for what they are, the texture of paper, the smell of old books. I love that feeling you get from leisurely flipping through the pages of a very old and very well-written piece of work. Sadly, the physical space I would need to accommodate all of my books is simply not available. Luckily, I also have a certain fondness for technology, the convenience and fun of using nifty gadgets.

It wasn’t such a great leap to consider purchasing novels in electronic format as an excellent alternative, until I realized how many restrictions some of these companies attach to a purchase. The mainstream publishing industry’s latest weapon against piracy (and readers alike) is Digital Rights Management (DRM). Basically, these are controls hard-coded into various technologies and software in order to tightly control the manner and frequency of a buyer’s access to the electronic media they purchased.
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If you’ve ever read a history book, sci-fi novel or watched an anime, I doubt much of Avatar will take you by surprise. The premise is quite predictable.
A more technological advanced culture swaggers in and tries to stake a claim on the resources and land occupied by those they deem to be–conveniently, less evolved than themselves.
The ensuing conflict and cross-cultural, romantic entanglements are not unexpected.

Here’s the thing to note about Avatar: the plot is not the point. To be honest, a more complex plot might have caused me some major brain overload. Really, how much awesomeness can a single human being absorb all at once?

The sheer beauty of Pandora is staggering. The night world that James Cameron and his team created is rife with an abundance of bio-luminous plant-life and strange and vicious animals. It’s nothing short of spectacular. I could watch Avatar in 3D a hundred times and never get tired of being immersed in it. This is the kind of film that sci-fi fans have been waiting to see for a very long time. I hope it’s the start of a whole new movie-making trend.
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