William L. Stuart

author of The Gemstone Chronicles Series

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Absence of Color (Spectrum of Color #1) by SK Wee – My Review!!

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Absence of Color – My Review!!

Absence of Color by SK Wee Cover

Sorry I’ve been away, but I had to take a few days to visit Universal Orlando with my grandchildren and my lovely bride. Despite the vacation, I didn’t neglect my reading, although I had to wait to write this review. Today I want to share my thoughts on Absence of Color (Spectrum of Color #1) by S. K. Wee.

Synopsis (from the author):

“Secret orders and brotherhoods, wizened sages and mages, stealthy assassins and spies …” Shared misery forges an unlikely friendship between three young adventurers…

Frankie the daughter of Bhaelor’s Ruler and her father’s servant. Only it gets worse. He’s going to trade her into slavery.

Twig, kidnapped after his mother’s death, is used and abused by Bhaelor’s ruler. Since Twig is believed to be dead, there’s no one looking for him.

Conny, a young mage, is tricked into coming to Bhaelor. His magic may give his master the true power he desires.

Rescued by an underground spy network, Frankie and Twig realize they have a chance to right some wrongs. Frankie is optimistic and believes in a good future. Twig is bitter and ruled by his past. He wants revenge. Conny is left behind to learn the full extent of his magic but he will not be easily tricked again. Each must play a part in pretending to be something they are not. They share a destiny, a converging path but can they overcome the horrors they’ve lived to discover their true abilities? Who can they trust? Appearances can be deceiving and no one is who they first appear to be.

What I liked about Absence of Color:

First, Absence of Color was a great story. Our three heroes are coming of age and face many different challenges. For Frankie, becoming a woman brings new abilities. Conny has to deceive his master and hone his magical talents. Twig battles inner demons from his time with the Amir and tries to prove himself a man in Darby’s eyes. Darby and Wagner are excellent as Frankie and Twig’s mentors, and Lil Red, with her fingers in many pies, plays a crucial role. The Academy is cool, and the intrigue woven through the story makes it an enjoyable read!

What I didn’t like about Absence of Color:

Although an integral part of the story, the abuse children face at the Amir’s hands was disturbing. Other than that, not much to dislike in the book!

Overall impression:

Absence of Color (Spectrum of Color #1) has all the elements for a great read! Good characters, lots of intrigue, a touch of romance, and the trials of coming of age make it a fun read. I recommend this one to all fantasy readers, though I’d say it is definitely PG-13!

My rating:

4.5 Stars (rounded to 5 Stars)

Connect with S.K. Wee: 

Find all of S.K. Wee’s books on her Amazon Author page or her Goodreads page. Since you’ll be there, please consider leaving a review for her books once you’ve read them!

Connect with me: 

Find me on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and Pinterest and let’s connect!

My Collection – Gemstones and More Gemstones!!

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After digging through a box the other day, I decided I finally needed to organize my collection of rocks garnered from my many trips to the North Georgia Mountains. I was surprised and excited when I went through my plastic bags and grouped the stones together. I didn’t realize all the cool stones I had!

Hematite:

Let’s start with hematite. If you recall a previous post on hematite, this stone looks like a dark gray lump, but, once tumbled, turns into a beautiful silver color. The cool thing about hematite is that when rubbed against sandpaper, it leaves a red streak (hence the name hematite, which comes from the Greek root word for blood). Hematite is one of my favorite stones!

Hematite Collection
Hematite Collection

Quartz:

Quartz is a great stone, too! It comes in many colors and I haven’t found one I didn’t like. In my collection, I have clear, rose, lemon (yellow), smoky, and the cool pencil quartz. I had clear quartz cut into round brilliant cut stones and they are gorgeous!

Round-Brilliant-3-Carats-Web
Round Brilliant Cut 3 Carats
Faceted Gemstones Round Brilliant Cut Quartz
Round Brilliant Cut Quartz Pair

The stones below are quartz as I found them. I will start with the pencil quartz. It is a misleading name, as some of the crystals are much larger than a pencil!

Pencil-quartz-Jan-2016
Pencil Quartz Collection

I think some of these would look great just hanging from a chain, but a couple of them are too big for anything except maybe a paperweight! Below is a picture of one of the large crystals.

Large-Pencil-Quartz-Jan-2016
Large Pencil Quartz

Clear and lemon quartz are beautiful stones, too. I think I might send my gem cutter a couple of the lemon quartz to see what he can do with them. I expect they will be gorgeous! Here are some of each.

Clear-Quartz-Jan-2016
Clear Quartz Collection
Lemon Quartz Collection
Lemon Quartz Collection

Aventurine:

Aventurine is another quartz stone and usually has bits of mica or other minerals that give it a shimmering appearance. Here is my collection of aventurine.

Aventurine Collection
Aventurine Collection

Amethysts and Citrines:

Amethysts and citrines are other forms of quartz. I have a nice collection of each and I have some large amethysts. Which are your favorites?

Amethyst Collection
Amethyst Collection

The two large amethysts are shown on the scale below. Using the conversion of 5 carats per gram, the first stone is 630 carats and the second is 575 carats!

Collection 630 Carat Amethyst
630 Carat Amethyst
Collection 575 Carat
575 Carat Amethyst

Both of these stones are too fractured to cut into gemstones, but I love the deep purple color of them.

The citrines are a golden version of amethyst. I like the lighter color ones, but the darker ones (second picture) are the ones I might send to the gem cutter to see if he can get anything out of them.

Citrine Collection
Citrine Collection
Collection Citrine Dark Tips
Citrine Dark Tips

Emerald Collection:

I have a large number of emeralds, too. One of my all-time favorite stones, these are rough and ready to tumble. I might have a few that are suitable for gem cutting.

Emerald Collection
Emerald Collection
Collection Emeralds to Facet
Emeralds to Facet?

Moonstone Collection:

If you recall from The Gemstone Chronicles Book Two: The Amethyst, Laura used a moonstone to turn her friends and family invisible during a battle. Now, I haven’t tried invisibility with these moonstones, but I like them!

Moonstone Collection
Moonstone Collection

Garnet Collection:

I find lots of garnets. The garnets are a deep red and its hard to show the color in a photo. I did manage to capture one, though. What do you think of them?

Collection Garnet Red
Garnet

Rubies and Sapphires Collection:

Lastly, I wanted to share my collection of rubies and sapphires. Now, I don’t believe any of these are gem quality stones, but I like them anyway. I think when I start cabbing (making cabochons) in the near future, I will do a few of these just to see how they turn out. Stay tuned for them!

Rubies and Sapphires Collection

Collection Rubies and Sapphires 2
Rubies and Sapphires

Connect with me:

I have more, but these are the favorites of my collection. What do you think? Feel free to leave a comment, subscribe to the blog, email me at bill@williamlstuart.com, or connect with me on social media. I can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads!

2015 – A Year in Reviews!!

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2015---A-Year-in-ReviewWeb

2015 – A Year in Reviews! 2015 was a busy reading year for me. As an Indie author, I realize the importance of reviews. Reviews provide feedback from readers, give the author a chance to interact with readers, makes new friends, and generally improve his/her writing. In 2015, I decided I would write reviews for all the books I read, post them to as many sites as I could, and try to give constructive feedback to the authors.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I typically buy the books I read so I don’t create any obligation to provide a “good” review. However, since I am trying to help authors, if I cannot give at least a 4 Star review, I try to contact the author directly to offer my comments, rather than post the review. In this post, I wanted to list all my reviews, a link to the Amazon.com review, and the star rating I gave each book. So, without further ado, here is my 2015 review list from newest to oldest!

My 2015 Reading List:

Darkspire Reaches by C N Lesley: 4 Stars

Scroll Back by Jay Stamatis and Steven Stamatis: 4 Stars

We Journey No More by Sahara Foley: 4.5 Stars (rounded to 5 Stars)

Lodestone Book 1: Witch Hunt by Wendy Scott: 5 Stars

Necessary Evil of Nathan Miller by Demelza Carlton: 4.5 Stars (rounded to 5 Stars)

Rys Rising by Tracy Falbe: 5 Stars

Daniel’s Fork: A Mystery Set in the Daniel’s Fork Universe by Zeece Lugo: 4.5 Stars (rounded to 5 Stars)

The Wanderer: Book One of the Godsend Series: Section One by Timothious Smith: 4 Stars

The Battle for Brisingamen by Harmony Kent: 4 Stars

Timelapse by Lorrie Farrelly: 5 Stars

Halfway Dead by Terry Maggert: 5 Stars

A Pink Zombie, With a Mist by Jada Ryker: 4 Stars

Hero For Hire (Eno The Thracian Book 1) by C B Pratt: 5 Stars

Think Murder by Cassidy Salem: 4 Stars

The Dark Masters: Tales of Nevaeh: Volume II by David Wind: 5 Stars

Worlds of the Never (Tales of the Neverwar 2) by C J Rutherford: 5 Stars

Haunted Hearts – #1: A Lana Malloy Paranormal Mystery by Kim Cox: 4 Stars

The Soldier’s Secret by Heather Anne Osborne: 5 Stars

Simple by Dena Nicotra: 4.5 Stars (rounded to 5 Stars)

I Hero: The Beginning by Jason Zandri: 4 Stars

The Dry by Rebecca Nolen: 4.5 Stars (rounded to 5 Stars)

Glitter of Magic: The Knight and the Fairy (Myth Retold, Book 1) by J. R. Biery: 4 Stars

Dragon Fireside Tales: The Dragon Chronicles by Adam Boustead: 4 Stars

The Revelation Room (The Ben Whittle Investigation Series Book 1) by Mark Tilbury: 4.5 Stars (rounded to 5 Stars)

Everwud Book 3: Revolution by Marilyn Dieckmann: 5 Stars

Edge of the World: A Dystopian Story Set in the Daniel’s Fork Universe by Zeece Lugo: 4 Stars

Doom (The Heart of the Staff Book 6) by Carol Marrs Phipps: 5 Stars

Crystal Conquest by Doug J. Cooper: 5 Stars

Birth of an Assassin by Rik Stone: 4 Stars

Born To Magic: Tales of Nevaeh: Volume 1 by David Wind: 5 Stars

Bound to Survive: The Magic Within (The Magic Within Series Book 1) by Sharon Gibbs: 4.5 Stars (rounded to 5 Stars)

Forever Boy (Clockpunk Wizard Book 1) by Lita Burke: 4 Stars

Origins of the Never (A Prequel to The War of the Neverwar Series) by C J Rutherford: 5 Stars

The Unknown Sun by Cheryl Mackey: 5 Stars

The Reaper Witch (Heart of the Staff Book 5) by Carol Marrs Phipps: 4.5 Stars (rounded to 5 Stars)

Kyrathaba Rising (Kyrathaba Chronicles Book 1) by William Bryan Miller: 5 Stars

Elevation of the Marked by March McCarron: 5 Stars

The Secret of Excalibur by Sahara Foley: 4 Stars

Crystal Deception by Doug J Cooper: 4.5 Stars (rounded to 5 Stars)

Alien Nightmares by Sharon Delarose: 4 Stars

A Demon’s Quest: The Beginning of the End by Charles Carfagno: 4 Stars

Riddle of Prague (QuickSlver Legacy Series Book 1) by Laura DeBruce: 5 Stars

Tredan’s Bane by Lita Burke: 4 Stars

Division of the Marked by March McCarron: 5 Stars

Hunter’s Haven by Linda Thackery: 4.5 Stars (rounded to 5 Stars)

Forest Bull (The Fearless Book 1) by Terry Maggert: 4 Stars

Looking forward to 2016:

There you have my 2015 – A Year in Reviews list. Everything from fantasy, science fiction, paranormal romance, mysteries, thrillers, adult to middle grades, and a bit of dystopia thrown in for good measure. I hope maybe you can find a new author to read in 2016 based on this list.

If you do decide to read one of these books, or if you decide to read one (or more) of The Gemstone Chronicles, please consider leaving a review. And, if you do find something interesting to read, leave me a comment, send me an email, or connect with me on social media and let me know! I would love to read your review of the books!

Connect with me:

On social media, I can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads, or just email me at bill@williamlstuart.com! Or, if you don’t want to miss a post, subscribe to the blog!

Happy New Year and best wishes for a fantastic 2016!

The Gemstone Chronicles – Born 3 Years Ago!!

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The Gemstone Chronicles – 3 years old!!

3 Years Ago

It’s sometimes hard to believe, but almost 3 years ago, I published the first book of The Gemstone Chronicles! That’s right, The Carnelian was published on August 12, 2012. What a day it was! I remember the excitement, happiness, and sense of accomplishment that accompanied hitting the publish button on Amazon. Just as clearly, I remember how nervous I was. I mean, here I was, a person who never really had a goal of becoming a writer and now I was about to put my first novel out there for public consumption. What if it flopped? How will I handle bad reviews? These and many other questions floated through my mind as I uploaded the manuscript. As I celebrate that event from 3 years ago, I wanted to give you readers an update on how things have gone!

How have the books done?

Let me start by saying that I doubt I will ever be able to retire from the proceeds of book sales. Remember, too, that I didn’t write the books to become a bestselling author (although if it happens, I’m fine with it). I wrote the books as stories for my two amazing grandchildren, so any financial gains from them are simply a bonus. However, if I look at how much I spent to have a cover designed, and how much I paid my awesome editor, and then compare it to the book sales (for all four of the books in the series), I’ve just about broken even. Not bad!

In addition to The Carnelian, I also published Book Two: The Amethyst, Book Three: The Emerald, and Book Four: The Ruby. I’ve made a few changes to the covers, and made some edits to the manuscripts based on feedback from my readers. Such is the advantage of being a self-published author – I have complete control over my content.

What did I learn?

I have learned to do better marketing, made some amazing friends (both authors and readers), and have grown my social media presence. I’ve always enjoyed reading and now post reviews for most of the books I read. I didn’t do that until I became an author and realized the importance of doing reviews. I joined the Atlanta Writers Club and have learned a ton just from listening to the guest speakers. I’ve been fortunate to attend literary festivals, book signings, and was recently recognized by a reader (which was very cool and totally unexpected). I also started this blog at about the same time and I hope it continues to entertain readers. I even tried my hand at a book trailer!

That’s has what has been going on with me and my books for the last 3 years. I’m working on a new book (though it is going slowly). It will be completely different from The Gemstone Chronicles. Stay tuned for updates as it progresses.

Connect with me:

What was your favorite part of The Gemstone Chronicles Book One: The Carnelian? Which character did you like best? You can comment here, or find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads, or simply email me at bill@williamlstuart.com.

Oh, and to celebrate the events from 3 years ago and to give deep and heartfelt thanks to those of you who have read the book (and thanks in advance to those who will), The Carnelian is on sale for $0.99 from August 1 – August 15, 2015! Get your copy and consider leaving a review. I love to know what you are thinking!!

Shameless Self Promotion – My Truck Magnet!

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If you recall from my last post, I listed a couple of new promo sites I found (ebookdiscovery.com and TheBooksMachine.com) and talked about the magnetic sign I was ordering for my truck. Well, the sign arrived yesterday and I am very pleased with how it looks! Time for shameless self promotion!

Shameless Self Promotion Truck Magnet

I’m even more please by how it looks on my truck’s tailgate! Here goes the shameless self promotion!

Shameless Shelf Promotion Magnet on Truck

I placed the sign in the middle of the tailgate and it almost blends in with the truck paint. I like the look of it!

Shameless:

Yes, I know that I’m going to be accused of shameless self promotion for riding around Atlanta with a sign promoting my books on the back of the truck, but I’m okay with it. After all, it really isn’t any different from a lawn service or other business advertising their business or service on their vehicles. And, as an Indie author, I don’t have publicists or other such folks doing this kind of work for me. When it comes to marketing and promotion, I’m about all I have and I have to do it on a slim budget.

I ordered my sign online and it cost about $25 for a 12 x 18 magnet (including shipping). I got it in a week or so. It was easy to do (especially since the lovely and adorable Lana did the design work for me). I took the .jpg Lana designed and scaled to the proper size, loaded it on the website (I used Vistaprint), and it was done. Easy!

Of course, I have no idea if this will work at all. I may simply be out $25. But, I figure that I pass (or get passed by) hundreds of vehicles every day to and from work and I can have the magnet attached every time I go to the mall, a bookstore, or even the hardware store. Readers are everywhere, and maybe one will take notice, read one of the books, and recommend it to others. If nothing else, I may get a few new friends on social media!

Connect with me:

Speaking of social media, if you want to connect with me, I can be found at any of the following: Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads, or you can email me at bill@williamlstuart.com. I welcome comments, shares, and other blogs to follow, so don’t be shy!

What do you think of my shameless self promotion idea of the magnetic sign for my truck? Too much? Not enough? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Dragons!! Fine Fire-breathing Friends!

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Readers of The Gemstone Chronicles know that I didn’t use any sparkly vampires, werewolves, or zombies for the guardians of the stolen Elven Bow gemstones. In spite of the popularity of the common monsters, I wanted different monsters. In Book One: The Carnelian, a kelpie guarded the gem. Book Two: The Amethyst had the most familiar creature, a giant named Brendan. Book Three: The Emerald had a strange combination creature, the cockatrice. The final book of the series, The Ruby, the cherufe, a fearsome lava monster, protected the gemstone. However, I like dragons, and had to find a way to get them in the story. I didn’t want the dragons to be necessarily bad or good, and they didn’t even have to be a major player in the books, but they had to be there!

Dragons - Black Dragon

Dragon Lore:

First a little background on dragon lore and history. Dragons have been in the mythology of the world for thousands of years. They permeate Asian and European stories and literature. Who hasn’t seen the dragons as part of Chinese New Year celebrations? Or St. George slaying the Dragon? So where did dragons originate? According to Wikipedia, the word dragon entered the English language in the early 13th century. However, the concept of a serpent being overcome by a heroic figure was part of the Epic of Gilgamesh, and the mythology of the ancient Canaanites, Hittites, and Mesopotamians. Dragon depictions have been found on artifacts in China dating back to the 16th century BC!

Dragons - chinese Festival Dragon
Chinese Festival Dragon
Dragons - St George and the Dragon
St George and the Dragon St. George’s Hall, Liverpool

Dragon types:

Despite the same name, two distinct groups exist. The European versions are often winged and the Chinese counterparts typically resemble snakes. Most often, the beasts are snakes or reptilian and hatch from eggs. Dragons are often shown as being wiser than humans, have speech capability, have great longevity, guardians of treasure, and many can breathe fire. Heraldry incorporates dragons in Coats of Arms. Even Oliver Cromwell had a winged European dragon in the Coat of Arms of the Protectorate.

Dragons Protectorate of Cromwell
Protectorate of Cromwell Coat of Arms

Dragons around the world:

There are tons of examples from other cultures, too. Dragons exist in the legends and myths of Japan, Bhutan, Greece, Russia, India, Persia, Korean, and Vietnam, among others. In the Norse Poetic Edda, the wyrm (dragon) Nidhoggr is wrapped around the roots of the One Tree (Yggdrasil).

Nidhoggr Gnawing at Yggdrasil
Nidhoggr

Modern manifestations of the beasts abound, too. From Tolkien’s Silmarillion and The Hobbit to Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern, and the fantasy roleplaying game Dungeons and Dragons, the creatures have captured the imaginations of millions. One of my writer friends (Colin Rutherford) has a fantasy series called Tales of the Neverwar that features dragons. I’ve read the prequel and the first book of the series and they are great! What dragon inspired books do you like?

Dragons are allies of the Drow in The Gemstone Chronicles Book Four: The Ruby. The first dragon in the book is a red dragon, which, in my story, is not the most intelligent of creatures. He breathes fire (and burns trucks, but you have to read the book to discover how it all comes about). Other dragons appear in the story, but mostly play a minor role. One exception to that, but no spoilers from me!

There you have my homage to dragons! I think they are cool and, in the words of the cartographers of old, “Here Be Dragons!”

What are your favorite dragons? Are they treasure guarding beasties? Misunderstood creatures given a bad rap? Truly evil creatures? Leave me a comment and let me know. Share your dragon lore with us!

Connect with me:

Connect with me on social media! I’m on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads, or email me at bill@williamlstuart.com! I enjoy meeting new friends!