Tuesday, May 29, 2012

KIRKUS REVIEWS Speaks Out on Atticus For The Undead!

Without further ado, I post their review here, in full.

"In this novella, a young attorney risks his career and life to bring justice to his wrongfully accused clients—zombies, vampires and other arcane species shunned by society.

In this action-packed novel full of ironic, esoteric characters, Abramowitz spins a tale full of twists, turns and danger. Reversing the roles of so-called threats to society and defenders of public safety, Abramowitz creates a world where it is the inhuman creatures who must be protected from power-hungry district attorneys and supremacy groups that target innocent victims under the mask of heroism and protection. The novel touches on high concepts as Hunter Gamble, the book’s lead, works against the social biases and stereotypes that ultimately keep the justice system unjust. Not only does Gamble face the standard difficulties of trying to persuade a jury, police and court officials, but he must also build trust
with his arcane clients who, in the beginning, place him in the group of lawyers who “wore suits and had sticks up [their] asses.” Abramowitz uses this complex dynamic to develop characters, their fears and ultimately their ambitions. Gamble’s ambition is large—he won’t stop until he saves an innocent client—but the goal is complicated when his young assistant, with whom he has a growing mutual endearment, is threatened and attacked by the Salvation Alliance, a group of vigilantes who use moblike tactics to target innocent creatures. Once his assistant and young client are attacked, Gamble knows his fight for justice will be larger than saving a few clients: He’s now up against the constructs that allow social inequality. Abramowitz writes with punchy dialogue, sonic action and vivid description. His characters sing, bellow, shout and stumble; one even flies through a public bathroom into a fancy gala, shattering the door behind her. There’s never a dull moment as Abramowitz earns his high-concept theme with tight dialogue and full characters who often display as many human vulnerabilities as they do supernatural abilities. Danger shadows each chapter and the courtroom battles will have the reader flipping pages in anticipation. Fortunately, the characters’ witty exchanges and Gamble’s inner monologue provide a measure of levity to the more intense scenes.

A surprisingly fresh, funny and fiery mystery that envelopes the reader in a uniquely colorful world."

Monday, May 28, 2012

On This Memorial Day

I'd like to take a moment to salute all the men and women who serve this great country in uniform.

What I do would not be possible without what you do.

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Why Should YOU Read THE VOID?

I'll let Miranda Wheeler over at Ricochet Reviews say it for me. Here is an excerpt from her 5-star review of the book.

"Overall, it was a great read! Fast-paced, fascinating, creative, and curious, the entire novel sped through an insanely unique plot - pulling old and new enemies into the storm and slicing the work up with an intense journey, darker creatures (zombies, Xorda, and wolves - oh my!) graver circumstances, worse consequences, and an epic cliff-hanger ending. Trust me, while The Void is a definite must-read - its definitely not somewhere you want to be." (Emphasis mine.)

You can find the full review here! Thanks to Miranda for taking the time to read it and compose her thoughts, and for understanding what I wanted the book to be.

Monday, May 14, 2012

EMPOWERED Guest Post!






Today I'm proud to host fellow author Darlene Jones (that'd be the lady on the camel). She's here promoting her new book Empowered, which launches on May 16! So you might say I'm empowering her to bring you Empowered. Though really, you'd probably only say that if you're lame.

Anyway!

Darlene, take it away!



EMPOWERED by Darlene Jones

Synopsis:
 
The power of Jasmine’s childhood visions convince her that she cannot be harmed. But trusting these visions can lead her into danger, possibly even death. Jasmine pursues Victor relentlessly, believing he is her soulmate. But, the visions promise much more than a lover. They warn of a threat to Jasmine’s perfect life. She will wrestle with unknown forces that drive her, and with the knowledge that she has lived before. Who was she in that other life? Why is she so sure she is invincible? Where will her beliefs lead?


And Yves? He is the celestial being assigned to watch over her, and to provide the people to protect her. He must experience again the agony of losing the woman he loves to another as Jasmine and her lover fulfill their destiny. Will Yves jeopardize his rise in power by going to her on Earth? Will he give up his love? Or …


Bio:

Initially, I intended to write “a” novel. The story and characters took over and the ending of EMBATTLED demanded another. EMPOWERED is that “other.” I've always believed we can't be the only beings existing in the vastness of the universe, There must be others “out there somewhere” and I'd like to believe they're not all that different from us. Those beliefs are reflected in my writing. My novels stay, for the most part, within the realities of our world, but I've found that I love the magic the sci-fi element of other beings could bring to a story.


Links:

Amazon:



My website: www.emandyves.com

Saturday, May 12, 2012

It's Here!



The Void on Amazon
The Void on Amazon UK
The Void on Barnes & Noble
The Void on Smashwords


"Captivating and compelling...." Stephen Ormsby
"This book showcases Abramowitz's growth as a writer ... If you're looking for a fun summer series, you can't go wrong with this set." My Mercurial Musings

Friends-
Problem solved! The Void, Book 2 of The Weaver Saga, starts now!

The premise:
The zombie apocalypse is nigh!

The trouble is, Alex Cronlord is the only person who knows it. She is a Weaver -- one of a group of superhuman children who are able to see the future -- and she can still remember the vision she had just weeks ago of being chased by a shambling undead horde. But that's all she's seen of the coming horror, and lately, her visions have mostly been confusing. Dead bodies in dumpsters, a strange place called "Pinnacle," and no sign of a Xorda anywhere. At least, not at first.

As Alex struggles to make sense of these bits of information, a stitch-faced assassin surfaces with a vendetta against Ainsling Cronlord, Alex's mother. Ainsling is a member of the enigmatic Wells Society, a secret order of women who genetically mutate their own children to turn them into fighters against the Xorda. She is the person who gave Alex her Weaver powers. And she is the person Alex can least afford to trust.

But when the stitch-faced man steps up his campaign against the Cronlord family, Alex begins to realize she may not have a choice. As she learns the disturbing truth behind her recent visions, Alex must decide how far she is willing to go to save the world.

Monday, May 7, 2012

Under The Influence



As I kick off the Weaver Saga blog tour, I thought it would be appropriate to discuss what some of my influences for the Saga were and weren't. Since launching the first book in the series, Weaver, last August, I've had several people compare it to James Patterson's Maximum Ride series. While I'm deeply flattered to be compared to an author of Mr. Patterson's prestige, the fact is that any resemblances you see are purely coincidental. As of this writing, I have never read the Maximum Ride series -- though I certainly intend to now.

The initial inspiration for The Weaver Saga was a real person -- specifically, an old college friend of mine. One of the many remarkable things about her was that every night, she had incredibly vivid, detailed zombie dreams. When she awoke, she took great pleasure in regaling us with the story of the previous night's adventure -- I believe she once said that it was like getting to see a free zombie movie, every night. One day, as I was waxing nostalgic about those good old days, I thought -- what if there were someone like that whose dreams came true the next day?

Thus began The Weaver Saga.

Of course, the idea of psychics and superpowered children is hardly a new one, but I like to think I've added some unique touches to my tale. In fact, I would say that, when writing The Void (Weaver Saga, Book 2, which launches May 12!), my biggest influence was The Godfather, Part II. This may seem strange, for a book with two female protagonists and which is, in some ways, designed to appeal to female readers (though there's plenty here to keep male readers interested, as well), but it's true.

At its core, the story of The Godfather is a family story, and so is The Weaver Saga. The Xorda and the visions and the chases and the soul-sucking are window dressing -- the meat of the story is about the Cronlord and McBain families, and also about the impromptu family that Alex, James, and Moira form. But more specifically, The Godfather, Part II is a generational story, tracking the parallel movement of a father and son as they are confronted with similar choices. I don't want to say too much to avoid spoiling the novel, but The Void follows a similar narrative arc: two of the novel's central characters are confronted with parallel sets of circumstances, and the audience gets to see the choices those characters make -- and the effects those choices have on the characters.

And the Wells Society is kind of like a mafia, too, I suppose. (Maybe I should write that horse's-head trick into one of the remaining books. I can totally see Ainsling doing it.)




Remember that Weaver, the first book in The Weaver Saga, is now free everywhere but Amazon, which hasn't gotten the hint to price match yet. I'm hoping they will soon.

Also, I'm holding a giveaway for two free advance copies of The Void. The giveaway is open until the stroke of midnight tomorrow night. To enter, just leave a comment on this blog entry. I'll pick the winners at random and they should receive their copies on May 9th. Be sure to enter for a chance to be among the first to read this exciting new book!


Launch day is May 12! Soon you, too, can learn the identity of The Stitch-Faced Man!

Wednesday, May 2, 2012