Monday, December 8, 2014

Rainbow Awards, Honorable Mention, and Giveaway Reminder

I have to admit I had a very different post scheduled for today because I didn't expect to win a category in the 2014 Rainbow Awards. I was completely satisfied and happy with the two honorable mentions Alpha Trine received.

Imagine my surprise when I received the news that Alpha Trine won in one category and made first runner up in another. It included a lot of cuss words, some, "No way," a few brief bursts of tears over several hours, and my husband making celebration suggestions. (He was determined to cash in, folks.)

As a reader, I loved the Rainbow Awards because the event introduced me to books and authors I hadn't read before. My pocketbook always hurt afterwards.

Now I'm on the flip side and I'm not sure how to act. I'm deeply humbled by this honor. Just thinking about the number of people involved, hundreds of books (520) submitted, the amount of time the 170 judges spent reading, the man hours that Elisa put into this from beginning to end, and the $11,500 raised for charity--it's mind boggling. A huge Thank You to everyone who made this happen.



Best Bisexual General Fiction

1. Alpha Trine (The Valespian Pact) by Lexi Ander
Paperback: 200 pages
Publisher: Less Than Three Press (September 25, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1620042444
ISBN-13: 978-1620042441
Amazon: Alpha Trine (The Valespian Pact)
Amazon Kindle: Alpha Trine (The Valespian Pact)

Honestly this is one of the best books I've read this year. It is a rich, full world with rich, full characters. I couldn't have asked for a better sci-fi book. Sci-fi is one of the hardest (in my opinion) genres to write in, and it's rare (for me) that a story captures my interest so thoroughly.

I read the original free version, but this is much smoother and well edited. The characters are the strong point. The start with the alien lizardlike species who adopt Zeus is really inventive and fascinating. The symbiont bond between Dargon and Alpha is very interesting and original too. World building is good, but I have a feeling more will come with the sequel. Same goes with plot development - it felt a tiny bit unfinished. Writing style is very good.

A rare books that sends reader straight back to the bookstore to get part 2. The story keeps you wondering what's next till the very end. Just the right balance between sci-phy and romance in perfect space settings. Thank you for introducing that wonderful author to my library.
d. Alone in deep space, Zeus is adopted by a noble family whose lineage may be too great for him to join. Exciting tale of danger and privilege.

The first in a series; a very different story about a world where humans are revilved and other species revired, and how a blind human changes the course of several worlds, including his own future. 


Runners Up:
2. Cythera by Jo Graham
3. The River Within by Baxter Clare Trautman
4. The Stars Change by Mary Anne Mohanraj
5. Best Bi Short Stories by Sheela Lambert


Best Bisexual Book


1. Hibernation and Other Poems by Bear Bards, an anthology by Ron J. SureshaPaperback: 218 pages
Publisher: Bear Bones Books (June 1, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1590212592
ISBN-13: 978-1590212592
Amazon: Hibernation and Other Poems by Bear Bards
Amazon Kindle: Hibernation and Other Poems by Bear Bards

This work, this anthology is a gem. Full of unexpected surprises and delightful sallies into wholly foreign realms. A delight, a bucolic frolic, an earnest journey, a vigorous climb up the mountain of our own understanding, and a foggy glimpse into the glade of our own souls where bears in all their myriad forms dance beneath the stars. By turns funny and poignant, wry and crass, it’s a pocketful of honey drizzled goodness. None of the poems in and of themselves is perfect, for all poems are onl

Love, love, love this. So many authors, so many emotions, in fact, if I may, I’ll call this a rainbow of emotions. From the sublime to the thought provoking; from innocent to ‘don’t tell anyone you’re reading this book.’ It’s all there, and I was left wanting more only because of the quality of the writing. In my years as a Rainbow Award judge, I have never given a perfect score, until now.

Poetry is difficult to judge but each piece was beautifully written.

This book did what Poetry was supposed to do, elicit emotion. I laughed, paused, thought, and teared up a few times. Well done.

BRILLIANT! Lush and evocative, it gave me an excellent peep into a rich, diverse culture and made a Bear Admirer out of me! I especially enjoyed the poems by Jack Fritscher and Gavin Geoffrey Dillard.

Poetry written with the flair of genius. Incredible look inside the author’s mind.



Runners Up:
2. Alpha Trine by Lexi Ander
3. Cythera by Jo Graham
4. Stuff by Josephine Myles
5. Slide by Garrett Leigh


Over at Less Than Three Press I'm the featured author of the month of December!!! Holy Cow!! Use the coupon code ANDER to save 20% on my books.




Honorable Mention for Alpha Trine in the Final Round

The winner announcements for the 2014 Rainbow Awards started posting last night. Since the beginning of December Elisa began publishing the Honorable Mentions. I'm tickled to say that Alpha Trine received another one. You can see the post HERE.

"The characters are the strong point. The start with the alien lizard like species who adopt Zeus is really inventive and fascinating. The symbiotic bond between Dargon and Alpha is very interesting and original too. World building is good, but I have a feeling more will come with the sequel. Same goes with plot development - it felt a tiny bit unfinished. Writing style is very good.

A rare books that sends reader straight back to the bookstore to get part 2. The story keeps you wondering what is next until the very end. Just the right balance between sci-fic and romance in perfect space settings. Thank you for introducing that wonderful author to my library.

Alone in deep space, Zeus is adopted by a noble family whose lineage may be too great for him to join. Exciting tale of danger and privilege.

The first in a series; a very different story about a world where humans are revilved and other species revired, and how a blind human changes the course of several worlds, including his own future."


Keeping Faith Giveaway Reminder

The Keeping Faith giveaway ends on December 8th. (Keeping Faith made All Romance best seller list. Yay!!)

12/1 – Toni Griffin's blog
12/2 – Hearts On Fire Reviews
12/3 – Angel Martinez's blog
12/4 – World of Diversity Fiction
12/5 – Lexi Ander's blog!

To celebrate the 2014 Rainbow Awards:


1) Unbroken by Larry Benjamin is at 50% discount with the code: RBA1450
eBook: http://www.beatentrackpublishing.com/shop/proddetail.php?prod=unbroken_format
Paperback: http://www.beatentrackpublishing.com/shop/proddetail.php?prod=unbroken

2) Affinity eBooks is offering a 15% discount on Rapture, Sins of the Sinners by Fran Heckrotte & A.C. Henley and Out Of Retirement by Erica Lawson, the discount will be applied once the sale has been made through their website with a refund.

3) Use coupon code 82LJJ555 at https://www.createspace.com/4470977 for $4.00 off the paperback of Silent by Sara Alva. Expires 12/31/14.

4) Bloom Books extends free shipping on Velvet Rodeo (only $8!) to friends of the 2014 Rainbow Awards. Visit http://bloomliteraryjournal.org/shop/velvet-rodeo/.

5) 50% off print and kindles by Jim Provenzano
Message of Love (paperback): https://www.createspace.com/3934263 Coupon Code: H8YLCCRK
Every Time I Think of You (paperback): https://www.createspace.com/3663047 Coupon Code: 5K9CLT8S

Kindle Countdown deal:
Message of Love for only 99 cents, December 9-16: http://www.amazon.com/Jim-Provenzano/e/B000APM4MW
http://www.amazon.com/Message-Love-Jim-Provenzano-ebook/dp/B00J1CJE7S/

Print orders of Cyclizen are also 50% off through the publisher: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/cyclizen
http://www.lulu.com/shop/jim-provenzano/cyclizen-a-novel/paperback/product-1010467.html

6) Anyone purchasing a winning Lethe Press or Bear Bones Books title via Paypal can do so at 50% off and $3.00 shipping costs domestic USA (international orders email them). Payments should be sent to lethepress@aol.com

7) Riptide Publishing is running a 25% discount on all the finalists now through the 15th, coupon code 2014RBA20%

8) There is a special link for a Rainbow Awards sale of Corruption by Eden Winters at Rocky Ridge until January 1: http://rockyridgebooks.com/rainbow-awards-sale/

9) Love in Dark Settings Press is offering a 50% discount on its honored title, Mercy's Prisoner, during the month of December: http://duskpeterson.com/lifeprison/#mercysprisoner

10) Stay tuned for a sale on Bold Strokes Books winners -- coming soon!
Link: http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/4489098.html


Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

2 comments:

  1. Congratulations on the Rainbow Award and Honorable Mention!

    ReplyDelete