This week I happened to stumble upon a Fantasy series that I thought readers might be interested in. I haven't read the book yet, but am excited to. Initiate is the first in a twelve (yes twelve!) book epic fairy series. Book One is free so check it out of you have time. Download on Amazon.

Here's the blurb.

DEADLY INITIATION

A DETERMINED GIRL...
Dindi can't do anything right, maybe because she spends more time dancing with pixies than doing her chores. Her clan hopes to marry her off and settle her down, but she dreams of becoming a Tavaedi, one of the powerful warrior-dancers whose secret magics are revealed only to those who pass a mysterious Test during the Initiation ceremony. The problem? No-one in Dindi's clan has ever passed the Test. Her grandmother died trying. But Dindi has a plan.

AN EXILED WARRIOR...
Kavio is the most powerful warrior-dancer in Faearth, but when he is exiled from the tribehold for a crime he didn't commit, he decides to shed his old life. If roving cannibals and hexers don't kill him first, this is his chance to escape the shadow of his father's wars and his mother's curse. But when he rescues a young Initiate girl, he finds himself drawn into as deadly a plot as any he left behind. He must decide whether to walk away or fight for her... assuming she would even accept the help of an exile.

LINKS

Tara’s blog http://bit.ly/MtlSRJ
Tara’s Twitter http://bit.ly/162sCtE
The Unfinished Song on Facebook http://on.fb.me/1400mMq
Amazon http://amzn.to/15ciwYc
Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/13yM5Dr
Kobo http://bit.ly/1aFhg1P
iTunes http://bit.ly/1baddhN
Smashwords http://bit.ly/17zK8Xn

Initiate is free everywhere except on Barnes and Noble (where it’s $0.99). You can download a free .epub version via Smashwords.

I'm so excited to announce that The Breeders will be included in a new dystopian box set. The books included are awesome. Check them out. All for a crazy low price. Read below for an awesome giveaway.

Read these bestselling tales of survival against the odds, dark worlds, dystopian regimes and heroic rebels.

Shattered Worlds features six full-length novels from bestselling authors. Immerse yourself in post-apocalyptic civilizations and bleak near-futures where hope still lives.

The Books:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Elle Casey – Apocalypsis Book 1: Kahayatle

My name’s Bryn Mathis. I’m seventeen years old, and I live in a neighborhood outside of Orlando, Florida. I live alone because my dad died almost a year ago, along with all the other adults in the world. I’m almost out of food and the gangs of kids that roam around my town are getting more vicious by the day.

It’s time for me to leave and find another place to live … a place where I can find food and shelter … a place where they won’t be able to find me.

Alone, it might have been possible; but now I’ve got company. I’m worried that I don’t have what it takes to get from here to my final destination.

And I have no idea what might be waiting for me when I get there.

Shalini Boland – Outside

A post-apocalyptic romance thriller.

The world of the future is divided by Perimeters: high-security gated communities where life goes on as normal. If you’re inside you’re lucky, if you’re outside life expectancy takes a nose dive.

Riley is fortunate to have been born on the right side of the fence. But her life of privilege comes crashing down when someone breaks through the Perimeter and murders her sister. She forsakes her own safety to go in search of the killer. Luc decides to go with her otherwise she’ll be dead before she’s past the security gate. But what awaits her outside is more unbelievable than she ever expected.

Cut to the present day where Eleanor’s world is falling apart. This time next year, civilisation won’t be quite so civilised . . .

Zoe Cannon – The Torturer’s Daughter

When her best friend Heather calls in the middle of the night, Becca Dalcourt assumes it’s the usual drama. Wrong. Heather’s parents have been arrested as dissidents – and Becca’s mother, the dystopian regime’s most infamous torturer, has already executed them for their crimes against the state.

To stop Heather from getting herself killed trying to prove her parents’ innocence, Becca hunts for proof of their guilt. She doesn’t expect to find evidence that leaves her questioning everything she thought she knew about the dissidents… and about her mother.

When she risks her life to save a dissident, she learns her mother isn’t the only one with secrets – and the plot she uncovers will threaten the lives of the people she loves most. For Becca, it’s no longer just a choice between risking execution and ignoring the regime’s crimes; she has to decide whose life to save and whose to sacrifice.

It’s easy to be a hero when you can save the world, but what about when all you can do is choose how you live in it? An Amazon dystopian bestseller, The Torturer’s Daughter is a story about ordinary life amidst the realities of living under an oppressive regime… and the extraordinary courage it takes to do what’s right in a world gone wrong.

Scott Cramer – Night of the Purple Moon

Abby, 13, is looking forward to watching the moon turn purple, unaware that deadly bacteria from a passing comet will soon kill off older teens and adults. She must help her brother and baby sister survive in this new world, but all the while she has a ticking time bomb inside of her–adolescence.


Sarah Dalton – The Blemished

A beautiful world comes at a price…

In a world filled with stunning clones Mina Hart is Blemished. Her genes are worthless and that takes away her rights: her right to an Education, her right to a normal life and her right to have a child.

Mina keeps a dangerous secret which she never thought she could share until she meets Angela on her first day at St Jude’s School. But their friendship is soon complicated by Angela’s adoptive brother Daniel. Mina finds herself drawn to his mysterious powers and impulsive nature. Then there is the gorgeous clone Sebastian who Mina is forbidden from even speaking to…

The Blemished is a frightening take on a fractured future where the Genetic Enhancement Ministry have taken control of Britain. It will take you on a ride filled with adventure, romance and rebellion.

Book one in the popular YA dystopia series ‘Blemished’.

If you've been trolling the blogosphere like I have lately you've heard a lot of flap about traditional publishing versus self publishing. We draw lines in the sand and take sides like we're hometown rivals and today is the big game. We shout across the battle lines with traditional people saying, "Self-publishers make less than $1000 a year." The self-published firing back with examples of bad contracts and abused books. We fight. We post. We shake fists into the ether. 

People, we can go back and forth all day, but at one point it begins to feel like we're pundits on Fox News or CNN. Do those bald and beautiful talking heads ever change their minds when confronted with a carefully crafted argument from the opposition? I think not. This is how Americans are. We pick a side and then we hold onto it like a child to his binkie. And don't you dare try to take that binkie. 

As a self-published author-entrepreneur, I have taken a side I like considerably, thank you very much, but I am not into evangelizing the other side. If they are happy over there in the glittering land of the Big Five than I am happy for them. I wish them wonderful book covers, editors who work tirelessly and contracts promising cashola so fat they can buy a private island. It affects my little world none. And I think that very point is the reason I self-published a year and a half ago. I don't have to worry about anyone else. I worry about myself. I please myself and my fans (get your minds out of the gutter, people). I pick my covers. I chose what I write and when I write it. I edit until I am happy and then I put the book up. I am el capitan, CEO. I'm the big dog, the head cheese, the... oh, you get the point. Bottom line is I get to be my own boss. This means I have very high job satisfaction. I read an article in the Huffington Post not too long ago that discussed this very idea. Did you know that CEOs have less stress in their lives then their underlings? How can that be, I thought. Everyone is pawing at them to make decisions, fix problems, dig the company out of foreclosure. Yet, a new study shows that bosses, on average have less stress hormones present than the rest of us drones. 

"The reason your boss is so chill? Control. The executives and leaders in the study --148 of them, from the military, government, business and nonprofits -- were in command of their schedules, daily living circumstances, financial security and basically just about everything in their lives, notes the Los Angeles Times."  


This is exactly what self-publishing promises. It may not promise a financial windfall (though neither does traditional publishing), it may not bring fame and glory, but it brings great satisfaction. I've been working a full time professional job for nearly twelve years and the longer I work, the more job satisfaction plays a huge roll in how I view life. Money is slowly losing its driving force and power too. I want to do something that makes me happy and fulfills me. This is the reason I chose self publishing. 


Instead of taking drawing lines in the sand and fighting over which side is "right" we should examine our own satisfaction. If you're there, you're there, man. Don't let anybody harsh your mellow. 


What about you? How much do you feel happiness plays a role in which paths you take? Sound off below.