Happy Holidays & WINDFIRE Series Discounts!



Roman and Atlanta from WINDFIRE

Happy Holidays from me, Atlanta, and the rest of the WINDFIRE gang! 

Yep, its that time of year where us indie authors and characters hope and pray you'll support us and either buy our books or give them as gifts! We especially hope you get or give an e-reader so you and those you love can get our stuff for even cheaper!

In fact, we're hoping ALL of you get e-readers or have one! OR just have a Kindle app on your phone. Why? Well...'cause...in honor of the holidays AND the world not ending.....

I am selling the e-books in "The WINDFIRE Series" for 99₡ EACH and "Heroes Square" for FREE starting TODAY and going through Friday, December 28th...EXTENDED till the end of 2012! 

Sean Cameron from WINDFIRE



Here's how it works...

1) Go to Smashwords.com (or just go HERE...and skip step 2)

2) Type in my name

3) Plug your e-reader or phone into your computer

4) Select my book for purchase

5) It'll ask if you have a coupon upon purchase...type in the appropriate code from the list below.

6. When you download it, you'll select your e-reader/phone as the drive you wish the file to go to.

 

WINDFIRE 99₡ CODE:  RD47W

LIVING DEAD GIRL 99₡ CODE:  CP73A

METAMORPHOSIS 99₡ CODE:  MY75F

CYDONIA 99₡ CODE:  UY28H

HEROES SQUARE *FREE* CODE: JP84X

Jensine from WINDFIRE

If you are unable to use Smashwords (for whatever reason) the books are on Amazon for a mere $2.99 anyway and you can download them via whispernet in seconds. For those links OR just more info on the books themseles...go HERE

I appreciate it if you'd alert your friends even if you aren't interested...cause they might be!

Thanks so much for your support and HAPPY HOLIDAYS! I hope you and the ones you love have a safe and wonderful holiday season!

xoxo

Tamsin :)

Gray and Stephan from WINDFIRE

  

*NOTE: If you have ANY issues with using these coupons, please leave a message here on this blog or email me at tamsinlsilver@gmail.com. Thanks! :)

CONVENTION UPDATE!

That's right! I will be in Artist's Alley at Boston Comic Con the weekend of April 20-21! I will have ALL FOUR books of The WINDFIRE Series and printed copies of "Heroes Square" with me as well. As soon as I know my booth number I'll be sure to post it! If you live near the Boston area...get your tickets while they are still available. Click HERE for that link! Tickets are cheap! $25 for one day...$40 for both days! And something tells me, you'll want BOTH days!

Now...that's not ALL...there's MORE!

I will also be HERE....

HOW FRIGGIN' AWESOME IS THAT?

I'm so terribly excited to not only be going to the convention...but to be selling my books there. And that's not even the best part...you ready for the best part? I will have the honor of sharing a booth with New York Times Best Selling Authors, Faith Hunter and Kalayna Price! PLUS...my friend and kick ass author, John Hartness will be there with us, too!

Dragon Con is from August 30-Sept 2nd...and all 5 hotels that host this four day event over the holiday weekend are booked solid! I was lucky to get a room a few stops away on the rail...so if you're going...get your tickets as soon as you can...and get your hotel booked NOW.

This year has been good...but next year is going to be better! In fact....I plan to announce a BIG thing on New Years Day so stay tuned...2013 is going to be HOT for The WINDFIRE Series gang! I hope you jump on board with us!

Cheers!

Tamsin :)

Thoughts on the tragedy in Newtown, CT

I've not spoken on this because I've been too devistated.

I used to be a middle school and then a high school teacher.

My dad was an elementary school teacher my whole childhood.

The idea of this act of violence happening just hit me like a brick and I didn't...couldn't...really talk about it without just crying and spouting rage.

So...I want to just address it. I won't announce this post online anywhere...not on Twitter or on FB. It's just for whoever reads my posts. Why? Cause I'm not wanting to fan the fire. I'm just wanting to express my thoughts in general.

I've heard people spouting on about gun control...mental health benefits...prayer/God in schools...and so on. I read a blog post by an author and friend of mine, John Hartness, that I thought was an interesting idea. You can read his Modest Proposal for gun control HERE. He and I'd be interested in your thoughts on that...and I think he's got a good idea here.

Now...as to the "why"...no one can know that except God. That doesn't stop everyone, me included, in thinking about the reasons. Me personally, I do not believe it comes down to one thing, one person, one problem, etc. I think it's a culmination of issues...I have six of those on my mind...and none of that is God in schools. I happen to believe in seperation of church and state (unless its a school based on that religion...ie: catholic schools) and you choose to go there/send your kids there.

Anyhoo...here are my thoughts...

#1. THE. MEDIA. I feel this is truly the heart of the issue. If a person is either depressed, vengeful, and/or wanting to end their existance...they use to just kill themselves. Or if they wanted their parents dead, they did it at home. Now...well...they can do it in public and go out in a blaze of glory...get their "fame." The news stops everything to report about them...put their name on papers...put their face on the news. They will become infamous. They will get the attention they feel they so richly deserve. And the media gives it to them. We know the killer's name before a single victim (yes, some of that is due to notifying family) and that's wrong. The victims should be names we know, the killer should be given a number, just like in jail. Their face should never be seen. Besides, the curiosity of the people isn't so much about WHO as it is WHY. And the "who" part is more on...was he/she young or old, did they have a connection to the location or people, and what is their background. None of that can be explained by a name or face. We should really remove both. Know them by numbers or numbers with letters. Random things you will forget unless you study it in behavioral science.

#2. QUALITY TIME. Due to the economy, many parents today are having to work two jobs to support a family (either because of low pay or because one of the spouses is w/o work or not in the picture for one reason or another) and they spend less time with their kids having quality time. That time also is wonderful for teaching them values as well as other things. However, not many of these families can do much about the problem of no time for the "family unit." They MUST work or those kids won't eat or have shelter, and those things are much more important than family time and I get it. Yet...I think it should be something the family unit strives for again. My family had dinner each night together. No phones, no TV, nothing but discussing things in our lives. Support, love, and attention...all things our busy lives seem to not put focus on anymore.

#3. RELIGION. Parents tend to not discuss religion in the home much anymore as it's become the norm to not go to church. When I was a kid, 80% of families went to a church of some kind, whether they were religious or not. Now most families don't force religion on their children. I agree with not forcing...I do not agree, however, in not exposing them to religion. Expose and let them decide...from middle school through high school...after that, its their call. Now, I may not attend church regularly myself, but I have a background in it and I learned my love/respect of others from there as much as from my family. In fact, when my life at public school was utter shite, and my home life was having stress, my friends at church were who made me feel good about who I was...who I could be. So...there are other reasons church is good...support and friends...as well as values taught. Not just Jesus. Not just God. Not just religion.

#4. MENTAL HEALTH. Either parents do not have insurance to help their children if they show signs of mental instability OR worse, they turn a blind eye to it. NO ONE likes to think that the one they love could have something wrong with them. It has become quite an issue in this country; ignore the problem and it will go away. Sadly, that doesn't work. But it is WIDELY practiced. I think it has a lot to do with perception...what will people think of my family if one of them needs help? What does that say about ME? News flash: It's not about YOU! Quit thinking you did something wrong if your child needs help. Sure, you could've had an influence or hand in it...but 8 times out of 10...it's very likely a chemical imbalance that can be treated. (Note: If you did have a hand in their issues, damn it, be an adult and own up to it...learn, apologize, help them! It's your responsibility.)

#5. TV/VIDEO GAME/MOVIE VIOLENCE. No...these do NOT cause the problem. I repeat...they ARE NOT THE CAUSE. Mind you, they do create an air of violence being both "cool" and "ok"...much like smoking used to be seen. When I was teaching middle school theater in Hickory, NC, and my classes would do improv scenes...if I put a ban on violence they were stumped. The boys especially. They would stand there and look at me with NO idea how to create a scene without violence. That is sad. (Note: You might then point a finger at fantasy books (YA and adult) as they too have violence, mine included. I can't speak for others, but I know I try to keep it minimal and story based...and show concequences when it fits. Most authors I know do NOT use violence for the sake of excitement and sales. That, however, is not so much the case for a lot of TV, movies, and especially video games. There's your difference.)

Last but not least...

#6. GUNS. Firstly, they are WAY too easy to get your hands on. I think you should be able to own a gun if you want one to protect yourself. I see no reason to stop people from owning them. I DO think that there should be testing done in order to get one, a yearly fee, and insurance that would penalizes you if your guns are used by you or someone else to kill another human being. (Someone is huffing and puffing right now that they shouldn't be held responsible if someone steals their gun and uses it to kill someone.......I'm not saying you go to jail....I'm saying you are penalized financially for not locking up those things appropriately.) Secondly, I think that you do NOT need a semi-automatic weapon to protect you and your home. A six shooter...a shotgun...fine. They will kill and protect you easily enough. I highly doubt that an army of 20 are going to break into your home, which is why semi-automatics are good for. One gun with a few shots should do you fine. If the young man who went into the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT had only had a revolver with six bullets...unless his aim was stellar...chances are, only a few would have been hit before someone tackled him.

Those are some of my thoughts. Only thoughts and opinions. To be honest...I have NO idea why. I can only speculate...which is what that above is.

I point no fingers at just one thing...I don't think we can. I think it's a mixture of the above and evil. There is extreme good in this world...and extreme evil...and sometimes evil wins. But let's remember, good can be born from the evil. Bad things happen. It's what we do about that...how we react...how we learn/grow from it that adds more evil or brings light.

My heart is broken for those families...not just those of the children who died, but for the families of the teachers who died for those children as well. May God bless all those affected this holiday season. If you are someone who talks to a higher power...please do so, for those families. Lift up a prayer or chant...etc. If you have kids...hug them. Tell them you love them. Show them every day how every life has value. I think that is so very important.

I cannot fathom this kind of pain...it just takes my breath away to think on it...may God give them some them the peace only He can...somehow...

And Dad...I'm so blessed that this was never a situation when you taught school. Thank you and mom for all the time you spent with me...teaching me right from wrong and the value of each life. You both worked very hard to make sure I had more than just clothes on my back, a roof over my head, and food in my belly. It was hard work to find that time, to give up time for self, in order to to mold/teach me. Know that I appreciate it and you. So thank you. I love you both with all my heart.

Tamsin Silver

I need a Private Detective Agency name!

I need a name for a private eye firm...or more exactly, the name for an independant firm of witch hybrids who take jobs to pay the bills, whether it be helping find someone's lost belongings, collect stolen property, figure out if your spouse has strayed with a new lover or is dabling in bad magicks, or helping you keep that pesky stalking vampire out of your window if he's sneaking in to watch you sleep....

I'm opening up to the interwebs to help me pick cool name for the investigative team of six. I still have no last name for the leader (first name is Jazmin) so we could come up with a cool last name that makes a good name for the firm.

All members of the team are witches, but are mixed with other forms in the Clandestine World. There's two vampire mixes, two shape-shifters, and two werewolves (twin girls) and it takes place out in San Francisco. So...any fun ideas for catchy names for  private detective firm of witches who deal with human and non-human issues, would be great.

If I choose yours, you'll get mentioned in the acknowledgments of the book and I'll work your name into the story.

SO....hit me with them!

xo

Tamsin :)



San Francisco, CA



NaNo Update. Day Five.

So, how is your NaNo going?

I usually am WAY ahead of the word count, but after I spent the past few months being a crazy with editing and working myself to the point of exhaustion with The WINDFIRE Series, I need to NOT be making myself crazy.

I am, however, until today (cause I've not written today, yet) getting my 1667 word count a day in. In fact, I actually skipped writing on Saturday to swim, have a nice brunch with a gal pal of mine from the gym, and then read the rest of the second novel in the Alex Craft series written by a friend of mine, Kalayna Price. In fact...I didn't write until Sunday afternoon when I finished book three of the series. I'm actually afraid to start my friend Faith Hunter's series (I got book one on my Kindle ready to rock!) but if I get caught up (which I'm sure I will) I'll not write and this month is for writing. So...I shall put my new Kindle down and write instead. It'll be hard...but...I will have a fun book to read as of December first. Oh, and my pocketbook will appreciate me not buying books right and left for a month.

I'll do a review of the Alex Craft books soon...but until then, just go bloody buy them. You can thank me later.

And it's now my lunch break. Time to do that writing thing I have been talking about...caio!

Tamsin :)

Halloween Has Been Canceled?

WHAT? HALLOWEEN IS CANCELED?!

WHAT ABOUT THE GREAT PUMPKIN?

CANCELLED, TOO. SORRY LINUS.





Sally & Jack from The Nightmare Before Christmas



That's right! As far as NYC and the coastal part of NJ is concerned...Halloween has been canceled. The parade has been canceled and my party tonight has been as well. Correction, tonight's party has been "postponed." 

Thankfully I went to two Halloween parties over the weekend! The delay in getting this post up is because I was waiting on pics from others who had no power due to that bitch Sandy.

Anyhoo...

I'll share with you my early Halloween. :)

On Friday night I left work a hair early to get home to get into costume. My best gal pal in NYC was dressing as Jack and I was dressing as Sally (The Nightmare Before Christmas). The costume gives me the shape of a giant redwood tree...so I added my clear plastic waist piece (it doesn't cinch in, but it was better with it than w/o it, trust me). The pic to the right is Lauren and I while the pic on the left is me in the make-up while I was working the Vampire Freaks booth at their Halloween Massacre Party over at Gramercy Theater. It was a mini-Triton-Festival, too. Bands started playing around 8pm ended at 3am-ish. Many were in costume...and sadly I don't have more pics of those in the costume contest as I was backstage helping them get on and off the stage vs. out front taking pics. But the girl who won had made this bad-ass costume from a video game with body armor and a big gun...the oufit even lit up. I'm sure VF has a pic of her somewhere.



Imperative Reaction




Ted Phelps - Imperative Reaction

What was truly spectacular was that the two top bands to play that night were Imperative Reaction (they are one of my favorite bands). I happen to know their usual keyboardist, Clint Carney (Who wasn't with them this tour due to his artwork doing well in LA...GO Clint! Woo! ), have met Ted Phelps (lead singer), and respect their drummer, Trevor Friedrich. He's an amazing tattoo artist as well as a phenominal drummer. They performed for about an hour were absolutely fantastic!



Tom Shear - Assemblage 23

As I watched them from the side of the stage (floor level) the doors to backstage opened and out walked Tom Shear, aka Assemblage 23. I'd met him briefly last year and so we chatted briefly. He's a really nice guy. So, if you like his music (the new album is great, btw), know that he's worthy of his fame. I personally hate celebrities, no matter how big or small, who are such assholes that they don't deserve the money or fame. Tom isn't that guy. 

Assemblage 23



 Tom did an hour and a half set...plus encores (that he just did, w/o making us scream for them) and then signed CD's and took pics after. Sadly, the pic we got of me with him turned out blury...but I posted it here anyway. :) 

I think I got home and was in bed around 5am...but it was totally worth it! Vampire Freaks put on a fun night yet again!

On Saturday my pal Matt from Boston arrived (so he could go to a concert in Brooklyn on Sunday) and I dragged him to my Writers Group's Halloween gathering. I'd just spent the night before in costume and had no desire to figure out another one...so I went as myself, as did Matt. We ate good food, drank great liquor, and talked with my writing pals until midnight. Here's a pic of me and Matt and the glowing ghosty, taken by Alexis Daria. She always takes the best pics of me.

If you are asking where our costumes are....well....we sorta sucked at that. I only had the one costume and didn't want to wear it two nights in a row. If I'd gotten my the lab coat I was trying to snag from my boss at work I'd have dressed as Abby from NCIS...but, oh well. Next year. :)

Sadly you can't tell the ghosty changes colors...I begged Erin for one. I'd have it out all year...but that's me.

Hope you all had a wonderful Halloween, even if it was truncated by Sandy. Right now I'm excited for November and NaNoWriMo...not just to write, but to spend time with my writing gals/guys! If you are doing NaNo...drop me a line! tamsinlsilver@gmail.com

Until then...have a silly pic of me...

xoxoxo

Tamsin :)

Sandy's visit to NYC

The Perfect Storm

NYC is reeling from water and wind damage today...the day before Halloween. They have canceled the Halloween Day Parade for the first time ever in the 39 years its has been in existance, roads are still closed, many are still without power, and there is no subway service.

86th Street R Train station in Brooklyn after Hurricane Sandy

On Sunday the Mayor began evacuations of Zone A, the subways were shut down at 7pm, buses were shut down at 9pm, and the mayor ordered everyone to get indoors and stay put. This wasn't a big concern to me, as any excuse to snuggle with the pets and read/relax is always welcomed. Plus, I'd already had my big costume party on Friday night and my Writers Group party on Saturday night (yes, pictures will go up soon).

However, I had a guest in town this weekend from Boston who got trapped here until today (Tuesday). My pal Matt was here to see a concert on Sunday night. When they announced train/bus shut-downs he planned to still get out there for the concert and take a car home (which I'm not so sure he would've been able to do, if I'm being honest). Thankfully (in my opinion, not his) the concert was cancelled (due to the venue being in Zone A of Brooklyn) and he got back to my place on the last train and we had a nice dinner at a place near my apartment before tucking ourselves in for the storm.



Long Island City under water from 5th Street onward Monday night.

I live on the Upper Upper West Side of Manhattan...which I lovingly refer to as Upstate Manhattan often. Inwood is its technical name and its not as fancy as living by the water and my building isn't as new as those down on Pearl Street or  have a view of the Statue of Liberty. It IS, however, sturdy, high up (Inwood area of Manhattan is the highest elevation on the island I think) in elevation making it Zone C, and the safest spot during a hurricane. From my window we got a lot of strong wind, a bit of rain, and that's it. One of the new trees planed across the street snapped in half (which wasnt surprising) and we have debris from the bigger trees. I've heard from my roommate taht the PARK sign by the parking garage came down but I've not gone out to inspect so that's all I know at the moment. If I don't work again tomorrow I plan to investigate the park.


Lower Manhattan without power during Hurricane Sandy

As you can see from the above photo, the lower half of Manhattan has no power. Some of that was a shut off by ConEdison prior to the storm...but some isn't. Transformers blew and power was lost from 39th Street and down in Manhattan, Long Island, the Rockaways, and places like Fire Island. Not to mention the entire coast of NJ.  I have friends without water (and thus heat) and power who have been taken in by friends or family, thank goodness.

That said, 8.2 million households on the east coast are without power right now, there's been 20 billion in property damage, and between 10-30 billion dollars in lost business. A huge fire in Queens destroyed 100 homes as flooding made it impossible for firemen to get to the blaze with hoses and wind was so harsh (80mph at points) the fire spread fast and consumed quickly. Thankfully only three were injured and no deaths from that incident were reported. However, there were deaths due to this storm. 17 victims were in New York State — 10 of them in New York City — along with five each in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Hoboken stop on the Path Train that connects NYC & NJ

This morning, watching Gov. Chris Christie speak, you could see he was just exhausted and devistated. As was Mayor Bloomberg and Gov. Cuomo. The damage is extensive and the people of NJ and NY are broken hearted over the loss of lives, homes, property, and know there is a long road ahead to bring back power and transportation to both states. But with the help of the Red Cross, city workers, first responders, FEMA, and Obama declaring NYC/NJ in a state of emergency, we can start to work at fixing the damage. FEMA has money for us to rebuild...even money allocated for small business owners and home owners. This makes me feel a lot better.

Side Note: Mitt Romney is now back peddling what he said about removing FEMA. But you can't take back what you say...even though he makes a habit of it, we all know he was once again proven wrong. On top of that, on the week Chris Christie was supposed to be in swing states talking up Romney and trashing Obama, he is instead been on National TV praising Obama for his help and work with state officials for NJ.

Anyhoo...that said, we still have to dig out from the mess before we can rebuild. Some subways are flooded to the ceiling and need pumping...there are so many without power...and so many roads blocked by debris/trees/powerlines...it's going to take a week or two to be up and running somewhat normally, and then we still have more to go. Jersey Shore is pretty much no more and Hoboken is under water, to name a few things.

But, there really is nothing more powerful than New Yorkers in a crisis. We all look out for each other here. I've had more New Yorkers checking in on me than people outside the state. The pride we all have for this city is immense and that ties us all together. We'll pick up the pieces and rebuild. But your prayers and donations to the Red Cross would be much appreciated.

That said...

I am so thankful to have barely been touched by the storm and that all of my friends are safe. The buses came back tonight at 5pm (no fee tonight or tomorrow) so we have minimal movement around the city and my pal Matt made it out of the city as well today. He couldn't leave via Port Authority (still closed) or Penn Station (all tickets sold out for the next three days), but he did rent a car (thank you Hertz) and is probably almost back to Boston by now. In fact...as I typed that, I got a text from him that said, "I made it home!" Yay!

I don't know if this photo is real or touched up...but it's a nice image...much like the one God gave Noah after the flood...a positive thought that says the storm is over and we will rebuild. And that's exactly what NY and NJ will do.

XO

Tamsin

NaNoWriMo is Upon Us!

That's right...it's that time, ladies and gents! Time to be putting your thinking cap on (yes, with horns), purchase dubious amounts of caffeine, load your Starbucks or Argo Tea card, make sure your laptop or computer is in working order, and jot down a outline for your next novel (if you've done that yet).

National Novel Writers Month (aka NaNoWriMo) is upon us again and thousands (millions?) around the globe will join together to support one another in the art of storytelling. Each person who joins (its FREE to do so!)  will embark on a journey to write a 50,000 word novel in the 30 days of November.

Why?

Because we're crazy. Because we love to write. Because we love a challenge.

My first year of NaNo I was working on Moon Over Manhattan and wanted to see how fast I could write 50K. I did it in two weeks. O_O  I was shocked. So the second year (aka last year) I took my time and enjoyed it. Mind you, I type rather fast, and I have a wee bit o' Hyperactive Disorder, so my brain goes about as fast as my fingers...but, MANY people get 50K done in 30 days. You can to!

But how do you join the crazies? How do you become a part of the growing number of those who bond together both in person and across the internet each November? Easy! Go HERE or type www.nanowrimo.com in your browser. The site will take you through the steps of joining. And once you do...go to "NaNo Near You" at the top and see where people in your city are meeting up for kick off parties, write-ins, and so on. I met the amazing people of my writing group by going to write-ins on Sunday afternoons back in 2010. They have become a very important part of my life and I'm pretty sure I'd not be published now without their friendship, critiques, and support.

You see, writing is an alone sport most of the time. It's really important, in my opinion, that writers get out of their offices/cubicals/bedrooms/etc and interact with other writers. These people understand your passion. They are supportive of it and you. So pack up your laptop and head out! You won't regret it.

You can also choose to do this from home and not go out...no one will question that. Some folks never attend a write-in. They work better alone. Which is fine too! In fact, you can join online write-ins where people sign into the site and do writing sprints, ask questions, and commune with writers all over the world. So if your city doesn't have write-ins you can attend, you can do the online version. They are fun and motiviating, just like going to the ones in person.

You may ask why I'm writing this when you already know all about NaNo. Well, it seems I've come across a lot of people who like to write lately who do NOT know about it. Most were at NYCC, one was at the club, and most recently an aquaintence in Denver (Pixie) I know through Sanctuary Radio was interested. So...pass this blog post on to others if you know they like to write. They may not know either!

That said, if you are a NYC based writer, the kick off party for NaNo is this upcoming Monday night at 6pm at Lily O'Brien's Irish Pub/Restaurant in Tribeca. No writing, just drink, food, and chatter. I'll be there...hope to see you there, too!

Until then...below is a calendar to help/inspire you through NaNo that I found online. Enjoy!

xo

Tamsin :)

P.S. Oh, and add me as a writing buddy if you want! You'll find me under Tamsin_Silver. I'll be working on the next few Clandestine Conflict short stories so that I have enough for a book! So if you liked Heroes Square (available on Nook, Kindle, and Smashwords for 99 cents) I'm writing the sequels this November!

CONTEST ALERT!

OK...I usually don't get many people who participate in these...but, what the hell, we'll try.

Seeing as over ONE HUNDRED books were sold at NYCC and last I checked, 20 more were sold online...we should do a give away...of something. Right? To celebrate and stuff.

But...I need help getting the word of those books out there.

So...

LET'S GET REVIEWS OF THESE BOOKS UP!

Where?

ON Goodreads or Amazon or even a review on your blog!

All those who do any of those will get the first copy of Parts II & III of The Clandestine Conflict Short Story Series for FREE before I release it online. And, I'm writing them for NaNoWriMo this November...so you won't be waiting too long! :)

REPEAT............ANYONE who does a review (3 stars or higher) for ANY of the books in The WINDFIRE Series on Amazon or Goodreads OR a blog BEFORE Thanksgiving...will get the free short stories WAY before anyone else.

IF YOU GET THAT REVIEW IN BEFORE ELECTION DAY...

YOU GET A FREE EXCERPT FROM

BOOK FIVE OF THE WINDFIRE SERIES ALSO!

(There's a huge surprise that will blow you away in that excerpt!)

How do you participate?

EASY! Do the review and then email me at tamsinlsilver@gmail.com to let me know which book you reviewed and where. (Note, if you use a "username" on those sites that doesn't match your email name, be sure to tell me).

That's it! Easy Peasy!

Happy Monday! Have a great week! Hope to see some reviews soon!

xo

Tamsin :)

*Note: If you have NOT read through book 4 and get that review in before Election Day (November 6), I'll send you an e-file of an excerpt from the next book you are considering reading. Just be sure to tell me in the email how far in the series you will be by end of November.

New York Comic Con 2012 - Part III

 One of the best parts of NYCC is seeing friends from other parts of the globe. This lovely blue-haired beauty is my friend and artist, Anastasia Catris, from Wales. This pic is of me, Lauren (in the Denika wig...you'll note the pic of the character in the poster below looks like her), and Ana on Friday. She gave up an hour of her time to sign copies of this, our announcement for doing a werewolf comic together called "Moon Over Manhattan"...which is the sequel set of stories to The Windfire Series. Here is the poster:

 Ana is an amazing artist! In fact, she also designed my logo goth gal you now see on all my things.

Sadly, we didn't have much traffic the hour she was with us as I'd have liked, but she signed them all and I'll try to sell them as the year goes on, or give them as prizes.

What was even better than our hour to hang out at the booth was taking her and her boyfriend, Paddy (this was his first trip to the U.S. ever!), to one of my fave restaurants in NYC called Route 66. It's located on 9th Ave and West 56th.



Ana & Paddy



Our group that night included my boothmates, Emily Imes & John Hartness, Lauren, Ana, Paddy, and...my pal Matt from Boston. He came in late in the game...but that didn't stop his entrance from being memorable.

As Matt is on his way to the restaurant from the Port Authority he texts me to get him a drink...something fruity...he doesn't care. So I tell this to our waiter. He asks, "On a scale of one to ten, how gay is Matt?" I say, "Matt's actually straight, but I'd still say a five. Very Metro-sexual." The waiter returns with the drink pic to the left here. So...Matt arrives and the waiter leans down to me and says, "Honey, I'd say a seven." I snort my drink and tell Matt what is going on. He thinks its hilarious. So he orders another drink....

And we ended up with THIS phallic display of beverage...

Matt decides to then pose for this shot...and the waiter snaps his fingers and announces his 7 has jumpted to a 9. The table looses it. Then, because the waiter liked Matt, he brought us all a blue shot (to match Ana's hair?). Said he invented it himself...and named it "Smurf Jizz."  O_O  It was stout to say the least and I downed a half a glass of water after throwing back the shot (no, I have NO idea what the heck was in it). But for the rest of the con...the sayings were..."On a scale of one to Matt, how gay is ___?" or "I blame it on the Smurf Jizz."

I never said we were normal.

And did he stop at two? Oh no...this was the third version of the drink...

I don't think I've laughed this hard in ages. It was an epic dinner with good friends, a great waiter (who we tipped amazingly well), and amazing food! If you visit NYC, I recommend going there. They have outdoor seating in the summer too. It's very nice...with a great drinks and prices, too.

And of course, no meal is complete without desert. Here is John eating red velvet cake off his belly! :)

Now THAT is a happy man! :)

But that wasn't the only great dinner I had during the convention. I also got the honor of having dinner on Saturday night with two NYT best selling authors, Faith Hunter and Kalayna Price. John, Emily, and I went to feast on good bar food and beer with these two amazing women and talk shop. It was one of the high points of the convention for sure. Just wonderful ladies whose work you should be reading!!! I myself picked up books of theirs on Monday! I'm excited to finish the book I'm on so I can start in on theirs!



John, Lauren, & me at Route 66
(How tired do I look? Jeez!)



Have no fear, I won't make a Part IV about the con...but before I go, let me say this...

Many thanks to John, Emily, and my booth girls...Lauren, Sheri, Mandana, Rachel, Alexis Daria, and Miss Aurora Black. You all made this convention an amazing success for me. Thank you for giving of your time, help, advice, and support. Also a thank you to Suzanne for loaning me chairs! She drove from NJ twice, to loan us 4 folding chairs for the con. You, my dear, are a goddess!

I have no idea if I'll be there next year as I'm planning to hit Dragon Con at the top of September...but you never know.

Until then...many thanks to Reed Pop for a successful convention...and a HUGE hug of thanks to all who took a chance on The Windfire Series and bought books. It was an honor to meet you all, talk writing, and the series. If you like it, please tell your friends and me...you can email me at tamsinlsilver@gmail.com.

Cheers!

Tamsin :)



Rachel's costume for helping me on Sunday!



New York Comic Con 2012 - Part Two

Meet my best gal pal in NYC, Lauren. She wasn't working for me on Thursday, but she was stopping by often, and so we snagged a pic just before the con started on Thursday. As you can tell by her shirt, she was working for our friends at Vampire Freaks that day. :)

I've been wondering what you all would want to know about the con other than pictures...so I've got two great stories for you.


Lauren with her new swords
(and yes, she knows how to use them)

The first story would be this: I had a woman and her young daughter come up to me and I got talking writing with the teenage girl. She had short hair like me and glasses (which I actually wear most of the time) and as we spoke, I found out she was a Cancer survivor. Well, seeing as my day job is at a cancer hospital I was so happy, I had to hug her. I was so excited to meet a survivor, seeing as book 4 of the Windfire Series is dedictated to a young woman who did not survive. I showed it to this girl, told her of Shannon and held it together just long enough for she and her mom to buy two books and leave the booth. At which point I burst into tears.

Thankfully Lauren was there at the moment and knows the story of Shannon (go HERE for her story) and was able to help me find my center again and get back to work. But it was just one of the most amazing moments at the con. To meet a survivor and share the story with her. It meant a lot. If you make it to Book Four, Cydonia, read the dedication. Shannon deserves you to know.



My view of my gals on Saturday...MANY took pics of them

That said, my second favorite story happened at the very end of the last day. A pair of teen gals ran over to the booth and the one gal, who had bought books one and two on Saturday, said, "It's your fault I've hardly had any sleep!" I laughed and asked why. She said she'd started reading the series and couldn't put it down. She just HAD to have the next two (which were my last two of those books, btw) and then her best friend said she better get books one and two since she knew her friend wouldn't share. Then, they told me they'd met Stephanie Meyer and gotten a signed copy of Twilight WAY before it blew up and predicted I would be next.

The WINDFIRE Series

That was my last sale of the day...of the con...and a great thought. I'd very much like for TONS of kids to read this series (and adults too). Though, I'm sort of the "Anti-Twilight." Sure, I have vampires (they don't sparkle), werewolves, witches and shape shifters...but I have very strong female characters. Girls who fight and kick ass! Girls who take the bull by the horns and even if they make a mistake, forge forward into the darkness...because that's how life is. You push forward. You make mistakes and you learn. So I very much hope kids read these and see that being a strong woman is just as sexy as being the damsel in distress. And men can do more than just save you from physical danger...they can be the support system and partner in your life that save you from yourself.

Part III with silly pics of a fun night out to dinner coming up in Part III...so stay tuned!

xo

Tamsin :)

New York Comic Con 2012 - Part One

I SURVIVED NEW YORK COMIC CON 2012!

---wish there were shirts that said that---

What an AMAZING and EXHAUSTING weekend! I slept almost 14 hours on Monday to recharge my battery and my voice is just now (two days later) coming back. My feet and legs are still sore but...I wouldn't change much of anything! I learned a lot...about what worked, what didn't, and what to do next year for the convention that would use my time more wisely. But that's how it goes...you do cons and you learn.

Anyhoo...that's me above...standing in front of my booth at New York Comic Con (NYCC) with my banner and booth of books (mine and my booth-mates stuff) behind me.

Below is the layout of my books/swag/short stories I had out for the masses. And I do mean MASSES. NYCC pulls over 100,000 each year, and that's not counting the Exhibitors, the people that work in their booths, or the kids 11 years old and below that get in free on Sunday! That said, below you'll see that I was selling four books, a short story with color cover (Heroes Square), and the Moon Over Manhattan posters. Free swag included stickers, Sanctuary Radio flyers, bookmarks, Vampire Freaks cards and stickers, and business cards for me and others. My "booth babes" were handing out bookmarks and Sanctuary Radio flyers to passers by, urging them to come in and see the rest.



Tamsin Silver's NYCC Table



Darth Maul made of Legos

All in the booth did well. I sold out of books three and four (as I ordered less of them than books one and two) by the end of the con. Which was a wonderful surprise, seeing as my editor thought I'd maybe sell 5 of each and I sold three times that. In fact, I sold over 100 books this weekend in total. O_O  After only selling 17 at Heroes Con (and many of those being to friends) I was leary of what I would sell. But I surprised both myself and my editor and exceeded our expectations by quite a bit. That said, I saw nothing of the convention (or should I call it a Trade Show?) than I'd have liked to have.


Gandalf & Bilbo made of Legos



For instance, I'd wanted to meet Nicholas Brendon (Xander from Buffy), Carrie Fisher (if I have to say who she was you lose all your nerd cred points), and Anne Rice. But alas, I was in my booth selling my bum off. Which is why, next year, I'll set up on Thursday morning vs. Wednesday and then wander the con and open on Friday. Cause we were DEAD on Thursday.

That said, I did get some GREAT photos of costumes and had some unique experiences...First we'll show pictures! Here you go! We'll start with my favorite shot...



Drag Queen of Aqua Girl posing with my "Booth Babes" on Saturday



 



One of my fave Steampunk Cosplay's



Jessica Rabbit



Green Goblin



After this green guy walked by, so did the MIB...and we had them take him in...

 

 





A Border Collie!
(The woman made this herself!)

My girl, Sheri, with Gumby & Pokey!

I will leave you with that...as this post is long enough. I'll do Part II next...

xo

Tamsin :)