For starters... Love the cover art! It's simple yet very engaging! I enjoyed Against the Beast. It had several very interesting elements: the magic system, the way the antagonists worked, the stealing of the life energy, and the military organization were all there. The story is clean, which is fantastic and often hard to find in this genre. I like that this story had a specific point and purpose. While it was setting up for other books, it was still a good solid story with beginning, middle and end. The reason it is four stars is mainly due to pacing. Because there was world building, orcs, elves, magic, military, rangers and new fantasy creatures, it felt like a lot going on in a short amount of time, which made some of the story feel rushed. (Quick example is how they super charged their swords going into battle. That was something that was very creative and had the potential to be super cool, but seemed glossed over and a little rushed.) I think this same novella could have been easily expanded into a full novel that included Royn's training as a ranger. Then I would know more about what rangers were, how their gifts expressed themselves, how they were different from the other soldiers etc. Having said that... too fast paced is definitely better, in my opinion, than too slow and boring which this book certainly is not! Definitely lots to look forward to in future books! I recommend this book to people looking for a clean, fun fantasy adventure!
The Dragons of Dorcastle by Jack Campbell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars In a world where the Mage Guild and the Mechanic Guild are stark opposites, a mage and mechanic are forced into an adventure together where they need to decide if the traditions and teachings of their guilds are more important than survival, trust and friendship. This book was a lot of fun! The cover art is intriguing and made me want to know how a gun, a mage and a dragon could co-exist, and the book was a fantastic mix of these items! I enjoyed this book very much! View all my reviews This month is Autism Awareness Month. This is a time when we hopefully help to spread awareness of Autism and perhaps help to teach that people with autism are people first. Unique people with perhaps many similar symptoms, but symptoms that may express themselves in totally different ways. At the end of March my wife and I went to Portland Oregon to get an autism service dog from Autism Service Dogs of America for our son. After being on the waiting list for two years, we were able to bring Pearl home and already we have seen some changes although many are in unexpected ways. We got the service dog to help anticipate and prevent his outbursts, and running away. Those things actually have reduced pretty drastically in the two years we have been waiting for a dog, so we wondered what else we would see when we added a dog to our lives. Andrew is more social, tends to stick with his class more, and has been leaving the classroom for sensory breaks less often. That's pretty good progress for a couple of weeks! He also has a buddy now who he totally loves! On a totally separate note, I saw a video I wanted to share about Julia, the first Muppet with autism. I think they did a great job showing some things that might happen when you have friends with autism, and I also like that they kept emphasizing that it is this way for this little girl, but it might not be the same with everyone. I think it's amazing that Sesame Street is showing a Muppet with autism. Great Job! I saw this video and thought it was a very random review for a very random book! Thanks for the review Randy! It's always fun seeing people enjoying the things I write and having some fun with them! Keep reading and keep letting me know what you think! Being an author is fun in a lot of ways. I get to create new worlds, characters and adventures and I get to bring other people into my mind through storytelling.
It has also been fun since the release of The Troven to get feedback from readers. My daughter came up to me and punched me one time for something I did to a character, that must have been nice for her since she's always reading, and never able to fully express to authors how frustrated she gets when things don't go the way she thinks they should. Some other people have reached out to me by my facebook author page, commented on this blog, and I've also gotten reviews through goodreads and Amazon. It has been mostly well received, but I've also gotten some pretty harsh reviews. And that is to be expected. Not everyone is going to like everything. I've actually been very pleased with the reviews overall and taken into consideration some of the pointers given in them when writing Secrets at the Keep and The Changing. I enjoy getting feedback from people to help make my books better, so thank you for reaching out and thanks for everyone who also tells me when they think the books are great. It's always rewarding to get that kind of feedback. In September I released another book, one that is just goofy random thoughts I've had and written down. It's called This book is Random. The reviews I've gotten on this book just make me laugh, and I want to thank the people who have taken the time to read this book and give feedback. One reader wrote: "I give the book three stars. Just a random rating for a random book. I just like three. Don't ask." That one cracked me up. Another reader said, "Thank you, Mr. Buffington for the giggles!" That was super kind! And one that I think might be my favorite to date was a note from a reader on Goodreads that sort of encapsulates the book perfectly. They simply wrote: ????? HA HA HA! I love that review! The most frequent comment on review for books in the Kingdom of Denall is that you're anxious for The Changing. I'm working every day to get that one done and make it an explosive and satisfying ending to this trilogy. It has been a great adventure for me making this books and sharing my stories with you. Thanks so much for reading, keep sending the love through your reviews! Huge Congrats to the Young Adult Scavenger Hunt Winners! BLUE TEAM : Breanna Broad GOLD TEAM : Beth Long GREEN TEAM : Jana Hill ORANGE TEAM : Emi Curtis PURPLE TEAM : Lori Blackburn RED TEAM : Cailin Sumpter BONUS HUNT : Caitlin Opeil I also had a giveaway of my most recent book, This Book is Random. I want to announce the winners of this: Jordan W from Canada, and Anika C from the USA. Great job the two of you! Then I thought to myself, "E Gerald," cause that's what I call myself, "What would be more random with a random book drawing than having everyone win?" So that's what I'm doing! If you signed up for a copy of This Book is Random through the rafflecopter you are getting an e-book copy in your inbox! I sent it out yesterday so if you did sign up and it has not come, check your trash folder, or the filter. Thanks so much for participating! Enjoy the book, and if you love it be sure to leave a review on Amazon, and tell your friends about it! :) *Note* The book and its contents are copyrighted by Eric Buffington 2016. The book is non-transferable, do not send the file to others. If they want a copy, they can get it for $0.99 on Amazon. With the Young Adult Scavenger Hunt completed, I wanted to share the bonus material that I did create for that hunt. Thanks so much for everyone who visited the site and participated. I'll be posting the winners of the Rafflecopter later on today and reaching out through e-mail to them with their copies of 'This Book is Random'
Bonus Material: Web Exclusive Extra from The Troven: Garin groaned and rolled over slowly in his bed. In his foggy sleepiness he wasn’t entirely sure what was happening, but his enhanced hearing told him someone was standing in his room, and he knew exactly who it was. He tried to act asleep so his twin would leave him alone, but with another poke in the ribs he was quickly learning that there was no putting him off. “What do you want?” Garin asked in a low whisper as he turned over to look at his brother. Farin was dressed in dark brown pants and an equally dark shirt and he had a coil of rope around his arm. “Get dressed,” he urged. “We don’t have much time!” Garin shook his head slowly. He knew it wasn’t a good idea, and he was surprised that Farin was actually going to do this on the night before their Troven, but of all the crazy things his brother dragged him into, this was one he was actually very okay with doing. He tried to be as quiet as possible as he slipped into some clothing. Farin attached the rope to his bed and they lowered themselves out the window with the other end making sure to be completely silent. Their mother had enhanced hearing and they knew that even the slightest sound would rouse her. Once on the ground, they crouched low and quietly as possible dashed through the garden and down the path towards the village. It wasn’t a long walk, but traveling at night always seemed to take longer. “Farin, I can’t believe you’re actually doing this.” “I had to,” Farin replied with a mischievous smile. “You’re my favorite twin brother, how could I live with myself if I didn’t help you out?” “Help me out?” Garin said incredulously. “You’re dragging me out of the house on the night before we are exiled from the village. The one way you could really help is to let me sleep.” “Sleep is for grandmothers,” Farin argued. “We’re young, and your love awaits.” “She’s probably asleep,” Garin argued. He hadn’t seen Fenn since their small argument the previous day so he wasn’t sure how happy she would be to see him, especially dressed in dark clothing, sneaking to her house at night. “What are you expecting to happen?” Farin stood dramatically on the road with his hands raise to the sky. “You’ll look up to her window,” he began in a voice that was trying to be romantic. “As you are watching the window will crack slightly and you’ll know that she has been waiting for you too, willingly sacrificing her sleep in expectation of your visit.” “Now I know you’re being ridiculous,” Garin said interrupting his brother. Farin playfully punched his brother in the gut, “Don’t interrupt,” he chided. “You climb up onto the porch roof, helped by your strong and faithful brother I might add, and then the window opens and you see her there.” Although Garin was against the idea of sneaking out at night to see Fenn, the story Farin was making up actually sounded pretty great. In his mind he was picturing what it would be like to see her beautiful face, and he hoped she would be happy to see him one more time before he left. What he really wanted, was to finally share their first kiss and hear her make a vow to wait for him until his Troven was finished. “Then,” Farin continued his dramatic tale, “she will reach out and take your hand and tell you, “I’m sorry Garin, I’ve been in love with your superior-in-every-way-brother for all these years.” That’s pretty much what will happen,” Farin concluded as he dodged Garin’s attempt to give him a kick in the pants. “I really don’t know why I let you get me into these things,” Garin admitted. “Shhh!” Farin cautioned as they approached Fenn’s house. It was one of the larger houses in the village of Dungan, so he would need to quietly climb up onto the porch roof to get to Fenn’s window as Farin had described, but Garin wasn’t sure how that would work with Fenn’s mother having the gift of enhanced hearing. “There,” Farin said pointing at the back corner of the house. Garin followed his brother to the spot he had pointed and found a small barrel they would use to give them the extra height they would need to boost Garin up onto the porch roof. Farin stood up on the barrel and cupped his hands expectantly. Garin stood for a moment in hesitation. Was he actually doing this? It was one of the more crazy things his brother had convinced him to do and he wasn’t entirely sure it would work. Farin shook his hands and looked urgently at his brother as if to say, “Come on! What are you waiting for?” Without waiting another moment, he climbed up on the barrel and placed his foot into his brother’s cupped hands. He reached up and grabbed the edge of the roof then with a boost from below he was quickly up onto the roof. He silently moved across the roof towards Fenn’s window, not sure how she would react to him being there, but having gone too far at this point to turn back. As he inched closer her window opened a crack, then some slender fingers appeared and pushed it the rest of the way open. Garin’s eyes just about bulged out of his head when he found himself face to face with Fenn’s mother. “Hello young man,” she said in a stern voice. “How may I help you tonight?” Behind her mother, Fenn stood looking down at her feet as if she was also caught doing something wrong. She looked up to meet Garin’s eyes and smiled before she looked back down again. He had no idea what to say. He was caught. “I guess I could use a rope if you’ve got one,” he said. “It would help me get down off this roof.” He was pleased that his response made Fenn smirk, but her mother only scowled even deeper. “Young man, tomorrow I will have a very serious talk with your parents. I don’t care that you are leaving on your Troven, this behavior is completely unacceptable.” From the corner of his eye Garin saw Fenn step up next to her mother and tap her on the shoulder, then she looked at Garin with a stern look that matched her mothers. “Yes, Farin Segris,” she said in agreement emphasizing his brother’s name. “I can’t believe you would do this. Get down off this roof immediately!” She pulled the window closed and shut the curtains behind them. Garin chuckled as he moved to the edge of the roof and jumped down. He rolled when he hit the ground and stood up to see an angry glare from his brother. “Have I mentioned how much I hate having you for an identical twin?” Farin asked. My Kid's School is going Nut-Free. I wonder what they'll do without all the students. Hey, just wanted to announce a new book. It's filled with random thoughts, ideas and experiences that are super funny, family friendly and definitely worth a dollar! It's also fun to have the actual book in your hands for only $5.38. But I warn you... This Book is Random From the dedication through the book to the forward (which is at the end) this book will make you laugh out loud with humor! So I stayed up last night watching Donald and Hilary argue. I could say it was a good use of my time, but honestly, that's debatable...
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