VAT shocker for Ereader Users in EU.

Read ebooks? Just got one for Christmas, perhaps? Well, you may not know it, but your local MP and
that friendly crowd of MEPs in Europe have got their heads together and imposed new regulations regarding VAT on digital items. The legislation was intended to stop mammoths like Ebay and Amazon taking advantage of low VAT rates in places like Luxemburg, but with the usual attention to detail shown by our political representatives (sic) they neglected to make allowances for small businesses.
For you, as a reader, this means that any digital book you purchase from 1st January 2015 will be more expensive. In some cases, depending on your country of residence, the price could rise by 25%. In UK, the VAT will go up from 3% to 20%, if you buy via Amazon.
So, it might be worth looking for and buying those new books for your Ereader before 1st January checks in.

And, if I might be a bit cheeky, perhaps you'll understand if I alert you to the fact that my own adult epic fantasy trilogy, A Seared Sky, is available at a special price at present, which means you'll make double savings if you buy before 1st January.  Click here to reach that deal
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It’s Out! Book Three of A Seared Sky Hits the Shelves.

For all you fans of fantasy, the third book in my epic fantasy series, A Seared Sky, is now out, completing the trilogy. At present, Convergence is available in digital form only, but the print version will be out soon in the New Year.

So, what is book three, Convergence, about? I assume that you’ll have read, or intend to read, books one and two, as this is a sequential story set over the three books.

Wise woman, Ivdulon, finally discovers how the world is in danger, but knows only young Tumalind, a gifted female mindtalker, has the means to save it.

Dagla Kaz, fanatical High Priest, fights to prevent changes that will undo all his power and prestige, engaging with evil forces to get his way.

Aklon-Dji, fighting to save the future of his islanders, faces war, treachery and violent death to bring justice to his land and security to the woman he loves.

Tumalind, gifted and brave, faces unknown terrors and the peril of utter destruction for herself, as she sends her beloved Okkyntalah into great danger in hope of saving the world from evil.

As a gift for the Christmas period, my publisher, Fantastic Books Publishing, is offering the new book as part of a package of all three in digital form with a substantial discount. Bought separately, they’re £9.27 (already good value for 660,000 words of adventure, excitement and character-driven action), but you can have them for £7.99 as a set, saving you 14%. Just click this link.

And remember, 10% of all proceeds go to charity, funding research into ME/CFS.

To buy book one, Joinings, in digital form, click here. In paperback, click here.

For book two, Partings, clickhere.

And for all three in digital form, either separately or as a bundle, click here.

5 Star Review for Partings.

Partings is now available in print form. We’re still waiting for Amazon to connect the digital and print versions, but you can still buy it either from your local Amazon store by clicking here. Or direct from Fantastic BooksPublishing by clicking here.

And, after a long wait, I’ve finally got a review of the book. Here it is. For those who’ve read either of the books so far published, I’d really appreciate your review, regardless of what you have to say. All reviews help both the author and other readers. Thank you.

Love it, an enjoyable story with interesting characters., 29 Sep 2014

By MR David TW Hughes - See all my reviews

Verified Purchase(What is this?)

This review is from: Partings (A Seared Sky Book 2) (Kindle Edition)

The second installment of this fascinating series carries on where "Joinings" left off but introduces a lot of new characters for the second part of the journey. All the characters are interesting and are continuing to develop. Unlike many fantasy novels, where the focus is on the journey and the lore, "A Seared Sky" isn't afraid to let the character drive the story and undergo significant change along the way.

Highly recommended for adults everywhere, but don't leave it somewhere the kids can find it - unless you don't mind questions like "daddy, what does 'prodding a fern" mean? ;-)

Author's note on the above - 'fern' is a local euphemism for a part of the female anatomy; local to the characters in the series, that is.

A Couple of Nonfiction Pieces in Print.

Generally, I write fiction: it satisfies my imagination. But, currently, I’m preparing a nonfiction book to describe my experiences of ME/CFS in order to help sufferers and their helpers. Along the way, I’ve ventured into some short nonfiction pieces for publications. And, I suppose, most of my blog posts here and the stuff I’ve placed on ReadWave is nonfiction. I’m a writer, and I let the piece choose the genre.

It’s always satisfying to have work published, no matter how brief and transitory it may be. This week, I had a short piece of personal memoir published in a local daily newspaper, The Yorkshire Post. It was an observation on regional stereotypes presented in humorous form. And it’s a piece for which I’ll be paid, which is a nice bonus. Also this week I’ve had a short article published in the major UK  Writing Magazine, a monthly publication, that has a section for subscribers to tell the world their news. I wrote a piece on my great experience at Fantasticon 2014 and it’s now appeared in the current issue (January 2015).

Both of these short features have put my name, and in the case of the writing mag, my website address, in front of a wider readership. There’s the possibility that readers of the journals may investigate further and I may, as result, gain new readers for my fiction.

So, if you generally confine your activity to fiction only, perhaps you might consider the occasional foray into journalism. These publications certainly cheered up an otherwise stressful week for me. Have a go. What have you to lose?

Updates from my Publisher

Regular readers will know I have a great relationship with my publisher: unusual for author and Fantastic Books Publishing is something of a maverick and a man who knows the value of talent and honesty.
publisher to be friends, of course, but Dan Grubb of

Two bits of great news today and to present them, I'll simply copy the words from recent newsletters sent out by the publisher:

Stuart Aken’s final novel in his ‘A SearedSky’ series
Stuart’s trilogy has been very well received by epic fantasy fans and his attention to detail, meticulous planning and hand drawn world maps all combine to make this series something really special. The third in the series ‘Convergence’ will be available as an ebook soon and as a print-on-demand paperback shortly afterwards.

SA: Can't wait for it!

Fusion:

SA: This collection was formerly only available in digital form. now those who prefer to hold a book in their hands can also read it!

A collection of 25 stories of fantasy and science fiction from around the globe, each illustrated by digital artist Alice Taylor.

This collection has been compiled from the winners of the Fantastic Books Publishing International Charity Short Story Competition 2012 and features 2 stories from our professional contributors Danuta Reah and Stuart Aken.

10% of the proceeds of this book will be donated to the WCRF (World Cancer Research Fund – Registered Charity Number – 1000739) who do sterling work in the field of global cancer prevention.

SIGNED BY THE ARTIST!

This is a PRE-ORDER purchase. Orders placed on or before the 15th December will be delivered to you in time for the December holidays.

SA: To order your copy, click on this link.

Price: £7.99

AUTHORS:
Apeksha Harsh
Brad Greenwood
Celia Coyne
Danuta Reah
David K Paterson
Dawn Hudd
Denise Hayes
Drew Wagar
Joanna Vandenbring
John Hoggard
John-Paul Cleary
Jonny Rowland
Katy Huth Jones
Leonie Ewing
Natalie Kleinman
Peter Ford
Peter Holz
Polly Robinson
Rose Thurlbeck
Sarah Cuming
Stuart Aken
Thomas Pitts
Walt Pilcher

So, there you go. More good stuff for those who love to read. Enjoy.

Writing and Running for ME/CFS #2

Returning from Friday's running session.

This week’s update on progress.

The running continues to the training programme. This week I did a 20 minute brisk walk on Tuesday. A running session on Friday, consisted of running for 4 minutes and walking for 2 minute, repeated 3 times, so a total of 12 minutes running. And today I took a 3 mile walk over 50 minutes with my wife, in place of the required ‘30 minute easy walk’. The training plan I’m following is intended to prepare someone who isn’t very fit for a twenty minute running session at the end of 8 weeks. I’ve just completed the first 4 weeks, and I’m managing to keep to the programme, or to exceed it, so all going well so far.

The writing of the ME/CFS book hasn’t gone far yet  - I’ve been working on some appendices to go into the back of book 3 of the epic fantasy trilogy. My publisher wants to publish Convergence: A Seared Sky in time for Xmas, so I need to ensure it’s absolutely ready for him. And I decided I would include all the myths and legends that form the basis for the actual story as appendices in the final volume. It’s one of those jobs that you feel should be straightforward, until you start on it. Then you discover there are more than you remembered, names have changed during the writing, and some changes to format need doing. But it’s all great for me, as I enjoy the writing.

However, on the ME/CFS book front, I’ve resurrected the files of the diaries I kept during the period of illness. They’re a bit patchy, but they contain details I’d forgotten, so will be a useful resource when I start the actual writing.

Related articles

• Apologies for Absence, And a 5 Star Review!
• Joinings: A Seared Sky. Couldn't put it down
• The Full Reveal and 5 Stars
• Romancing the Fantasy - Stuart Aken
• Partings; A Seared Sky Now Available on Amazon