Mission

"We created this blog as a hub; the nerve center of our collective social-networking, homepages, books and distribution.

This is a place for our unyielding, genuine selves to pool together as many badass books and as much information about as many rock-star writers as we can.

We've done this to give readers, fans, players, and watchers of badass entertainment the badass material they need...

We do not fit the stereotypical author profiles.
We like heavy metal, epic movies, video games, and high octane, in-your-face, full throttle materials.
Many of us have a dark mindset, others are just wild and scattered, and some may or may not need an attitude adjustment.
But that's just the way we like it.
Raw, real, harsh to some, but an epic home for our ilk.

Some of us you may not have discovered until the moment you set your digital foot into this space, but we have bound together a group to prove that quality writing isn't restricted to genre-favoritism and big-publishing.

Our philosophy:
If you like a Thriller written by a badass, chances are, if that badass wrote a Fantasy, you'd like it too. So, if another badass with similar a mindset wrote a fantasy, we believe you may just enjoy that too.

Genre is now irrelevant in this new publishing world.

Instead, we take a good long look at the people behind these stories, and suggest you read them based on who they are; not what genre they write.
Why?
Because a badass book is a badass book no matter where it lands on the shelves!
This is because their authors share badass interests and have similar mindsets...Mindsets like your own!

Many of us aren't even "just writers," but artists in a variety of forms.

Here, you fans of the badass slice of life we all thoroughly enjoy, will have a source for new and unexpected originality, and a powerful, ever-expanding collection of soulful stories by badass people.

But more than just books; you will find more about the artists themselves than you might find in other blogs.
We give you their social media, home pages, distribution and the like, so you can connect with some of the most accessible, badass writers out there."
~M. P. and all the Badasses

...Welcome to our second home...

Monday, October 28, 2013

Badass Interview - Author on Author

Here at Badass Authors, part of our M.O. is taking things into new lights and approaching from different angles. Today, we have interview #2 in the Author-on-Author style interviews we conduct to give you a better picture of who we are and what it is we do.
Badass Author, C.A. Sanders and Badass Author & Admin, M.P. Ness square off in the battle of the century...
Ok, well, not exactly. But we do have a chat.
Let's get this rollin.

C.A.SANDERS: Ok, I'm here with Mike, otherwise known as M.P. Ness; head poomba and fearless leader of Badass Authors. Mike, you wanna tell us a little bit out your background? How did you get into writing?

M.P. NESS: I actually got into it immediately after high-school, when I realized H.S. taught nothing about life after. I had a cousin who was going to write a book, and my late father was told often that he should be a writer. So, when looking at life, asking myself what I should do with it...I thought of what I enjoyed most; reading fantasy. If others could write it, so could I. And so I wrote a single scene in 2000, and never stopped.

~I would be curious to find out what brought you to the literature world in turn? As I'm sure the readers would be as well, as I honestly think you've got better chops than I.

C.A. SANDERS: I was reading before I was three, and by the time I was six, I was already writing short scenes on my gramma's old typewriter. By third grade I was already writing short stories. I honed the skill in college and grad school, and I've been writing professionally (in one form or another) since right out of college. It's what I was born to do, and no other path ever entered my mind.

M.P. NESS: Wow, started young, didn't you?

C.A. SANDERS: Sometimes, you just KNOW.

M.P. NESS: I began reading epic fantasy in the 4th grade, myself. And I thought I'd started young.

C.A. SANDERS: You youngins don't know how easy you got it. When I first started, the Internet barely existed. You had to send stuff into magazines by snail mail, and they almost never took new writers. It was like bashing your head against the wall.

M.P. NESS: Still is in some cases, C.A.. 

C.A. SANDERS: This is true, though the rise of self-publishing has evened the field.

M.P. NESS: But, you've managed to get into a small house. Can you help us see what that effort looks like?

C.A. SANDERS: I use a website called Duotrope.com to find homes for my stories. It's a search engine that helps you find the magazines and publishers best suited to a particular story. It led SONG OF SIMON to Damnation Books, and they took it. I was shocked, since I had about a dozen agents pass on it.

M.P. NESS: Have you bagged an agent since? Or have you not needed to try that now that you've joined a house?

C.A. SANDERS: I think I'm going to look for an agent for THE WATCHMAGE OF OLD NEW YORK. Contracts are a complicated thing, and since the serial is already hosted on JukePop Serials, any future contract will be more complicated.

~E.L.F started at JukePop as well. What drew you to them?

M.P. NESS: I was just going to mention JukePop!
~An accident brought me there. I was cruising creative writing type classified ads, found their beta website ad, a call to writers of genre fiction, and ignored it; considering there's lots of shady stuff out there. Can't be too careful with your creative endeavors. But then I was cruising visual art classified ads, looking for work to do as a painter, and saw someone who'd got accepted to JukePop looking for cover art work.
So, I changed my tune, submitted, got accepted in the "Original" JukePop line-up, and had phenomenal success with E.L.F. As you know, #1 for two months (jan-feb 2013).

~As for Watchmage. Love it. Just gotta say. It's why I think your chops are better than my own. That story is fantastic. What inspired Watchmage? I know you have an affinity for old N.Y.

C.A. SANDERS: I was born in The Bronx, in an area called Co-Op City. I moved out to the near suburbs when I was 10, but I still consider it my home. After SONG OF SIMON, i was looking to decompress with a light short story. I had this idea of elves immigrating to New York for a while, and the wizard parts grew out of that. What was meant to be 2000-3000 words became a massive 16,000 word monstrosity. JukePop was the only site that was hosting such huge stories. The rest is history.

~I know some about E.L.F. but would you like to summarize for the audience?

M.P. NESS: Describing E.L.F. in a word? Morals. Morals. Morals.
E.L.F. is a fairy tale. Of course, it’s a modern, harsher, pull-no-punches, play-no-patty-cake fairy tale. Not at all like traditional "G" rated fairy tales.
Reviews have indicated it is unlike any "elf" or "fae" story out there, which is about the best response I could hope to hear. It's epic in scope, visual, and I'd just be happy if people saw it like I do; a film for the mind's eye.
I'm very interested to hear what people take out of it as for those morals, which are what make it a fairy tale. Some of the responses have been pretty cool to hear. But I won't blatantly TELL you what they are, as I enjoy the subjective responses to the work. Part of what I do in stories is work to have things suffer the interpretation bug.
To summarize the story and plot is a challenge I've always struggled with.
But in very short - Elves exist in our world, and they've deemed us, standing upon our own terminus, heedless of ruin. They've decided to eradicate the plight our presence imposes upon the nature world. But, the scope leaves that raw concept in the dust by the time said dust settles.
It gets pretty massive.

C.A. SANDERS: I was impressed by the detail in it. How much of that did you draw for real life experiences?

M.P. NESS: Actually a fair bit.
When I was a kid, growing up in Western Washington, full of forests and playing D&D and Magic the Gathering, Elves were my imaginary WORLD.
So, given much of my experience in Washington and games has come to play a part in the real-world-building aspect of E.L.F.
Moreover, I did some considerable research on the real-world E.L.F. (Earth Liberation Front), the eco-terrorist organization based here in the Pacific Northwest. So much of that also plays a part in the mechanics of the tale, though I omitted a lot of the research's actual facts and persons of interest to keep away from infringing on individuals and keep it more on the fictional side; away from getting bogged down in the documentary-like details.

C.A. SANDERS: What do you think the Earth Liberation Front would think of the fictional E.L.F.?

M.P. NESS: Oh, I've wondered if they'd be pissed, to demean their efforts, and portray their wrongdoings as wrongs; for naturally, they think they're doing the right thing.
Problem is, they're misguided.
They have a great idea, and their motive is pure. But they're execution is terrible.
~If they burn down a housing complex to rebuke mankind's encroachment on nature...those houses are just going to be rebuilt, and that will only cost the companies more money, as well as cost the environment more of the precious trees they're hoping to save.

C.A. SANDERS: Then again, your protagonist is a member, and I would consider her heroic, especially compared to the elves.

M.P. NESS: Yes, this is because, in my mind, nothing is ever as it seems; not even ourselves. Shannon Hunter in E.L.F. is a good person. She wants to do the right thing, and that's based on her perspective. But then she realizes the errors of her ways, and must cope with them.

C.A. SANDERS: It's natural to make mistakes. It's part of the Heroic Journey, and she certainly goes through that.

M.P. NESS: Whereas, the Elves are kinda the villains, in this story.
I always hated stories where the ultimate creatures (in my eyes) were portrayed as bad.
But, with E.L.F., while the Elves are villains of a sort, because they're against mankind(and the human protagonist), they're also still good people with good intentions. They're just as misguided as the human E.L.F.
They're looking out for the world itself. But, as with nature, good intentions oft pave the way to hell, as they say.
Its really one of the morals I can reveal from my perspective.
The world isn't a black-n-white world. It’s filled with gray areas. Everyone is a villain, and everyone is a hero.

C.A. SANDERS: Words of wisdom. I tried to do the same thing in SONG OF SIMON. There aren't just anti-heroes in fiction anymore, there's anti-villains and anti-everything in between.

M.P. NESS: I personally LOVE the anti-hero archetype. Many of my stories are consumed by that type of protagonist.
~Tell me a little about SONG OF SIMON that I can't get from the blurbs, would you?
Start with Simon.

C.A. SANDERS: SONG OF SIMON is my attempt to give a big fuck you to the fantasy genre. Too often in fantasy, the writer gets off on writing these epic, gory battle scenes that run like a D&D game (we were talking about this earlier). I happen to like those, but too often the writers forget about the emotional impact of violence.
Violence is traumatic; it fucks you in the head. I wanted to write a story that showed the effects of violence on someone. Every character is affected by and reacts to war differently. Some rise above, some are emotionally destroyed by it. I felt that using a character from "our world" and putting him in a fantasy world would be the best catalyst.
Beyond that, I just wanted to write a good coming of age/heroic journey, with some "romp ‘em stomp ‘em" action.
Simon is a teenage from Westchester, NY, a suburb of the city. An incident with bullies leads to what appears to be his death.
Instead, he is pulled into a fantasy world, where their God has been imprisoned by the priesthood.
Simon is shy, he's been abused both at home and in school. But he has a quick wit and a talent for music. It would be simplistic to say that he represents me, but we share many traits. I've been playing guitar for about 30 years now; i also took some shit from bullies in school.
I think that Simon is someone that's easy to relate to.
He's timid, he's nervous around girls, he tries to make people laugh so they accept him.

M.P. NESS: Holy, brilliant idea batman!
I like that angle. I tend to gloss over the effect of trauma in heroic characters in heroic settings, as its often common knowledge what you'd expect someone to go through facing massive adversity.
But, like you with Simon, I did focus on Shannon Hunter in E.L.F. having repeated failures in the face of absolute, inexorable monstrosity despite being a strong female protagonist.
Taking a cue from Lovecraft and the unbelievable power of true horror and evil...even the most well-prepared person, even the most hardened of heroes, WILL collapse when confronted by such wickedness, if it was utterly, unquestionably real.
I once had a near-heart attack because I saw something disturbing that I wasn't prepared to see. My adrenaline shot through the roof in the blink of an eye. I just couldn't handle witnessing it. I'm not going to say what it is. But that's the notion I'm talking about.
Even someone completely desensitized by modern media would fail in terror if confronted by a monstrosity from beyond our realm.

~ back on the JukePop note, I find it gunny how JukePop is a culture of competition...and yet, where You and I were enemies at one time, challenging one another, fighting for the same goals; now I consider us good friends. That may be a topic to discuss for another time; competition breeding alliance and equality and friendship.
But back to point.
Where you dealt with bullies, I personally escaped that stuff. Most liked me, or didn't know what to make of me enough to leave me alone, really. I had a...persona that deterred assaults in any form. I went through those years like a ghost. So, I write a fair number of aloof hero-types. The guy who fits everywhere and nowhere. He may be part of a group, but he's his own group at the same time. He may have allegiances, but he isn't bound to them. I hope to really exhibit this with my future release, Pheinixfall.

C.A. SANDERS: I mentioned guitar for me, what are your hobbies?

M.P. NESS: I used to play bass guitfiddletar when I was in my teens and early twenties. But it fell by the wayside when I got into art and writing. I was just better at them, and more interested in them. I used to sing choir in youth, and I am told I have a good speaking voice. However, I fear I'm slightly tone deaf after all the heavy loud musical years.
Now, my hobbies are my professional pursuits, Art and Writing. Its the best of both worlds right now...self-entertainment and self-professionalism. I'm living the fuckin’ dream. haha.
I also used to play video games, but again, they took too much time away from the big two.

C.A. SANDERS:  Its always awesome when your job and hobbies mesh like that.

M.P. NESS: Right?! We’ve got it made! If people only buy our books. :)

C.A. SANDERS: Hahaha...Sooooooon!

M.P. NESS: So, what are you waiting for? Go buy SONG OF SIMON!

C.A. SANDERS: And go buy White Leaves ~ ELF #1!  Buy ‘em both! Buy all of our books! Buy buy buy!!! …sorry, I got a little carried away there.

M.P. NESS: Its okay. We ALL get carried away from time to time.





Thanks for reading!

You can follow the works of C.A. Sanders @ Home

Purchase C.A. Sanders' "Song of Simon" via: Damnation Books

And follow him @ Facebook Fan Page
To catch C.A's FREE serial fiction, "The Watchmage of Old New York" visit:
Juke Pop Serials 

And Vote for it to keep him going!



You can follow M.P. Ness @ Facebook and Twitter 


And purchase book one of the E.L.F. saga "White Leaves" basically everywhere books are sold!
Amazon Kindle

Sunday, October 20, 2013

New Additions, paperbacks, giveaways, and updates from Team Badass!

Today we are stoked to announce Badass Author, Justin Osborne, is unveiling his newest short!

"The Punisment Due"!
Horror - Paranormal
"Garrett Mosely is facing a long and arduous prison sentence for his unspeakable crimes, but when a strange man pays him a visit in his cell, Garrett is given the chance to cleanse his soul at a terrible and fitting cost."



But we also get to let you all know that two other fellow Badass Authors, J.L. Hickey and Charlie Flowers, both now have print paperback editions of their novels!

And there's More! Badass Author, Bex Pavia's debut publication, her poetry collection, will be available for FREE for 5 Days!

As well as Badass Author's moderator, M.P. Ness', debut novel blogtour giveaways and news!



J.L. Hickey's 
"Secret Seekers Society and the Beast of Bladenboro"
(Now in Paperback!)



And much of the Charlie Flowers' fast paced, action packed "Riz" series are now available in those most enjoyable, tangible forms!
 "Hard Kill"
(Now in Paperback!)




"Kill Order"
(Now in Paperback!)



"Danger Close"
 (Now in Paperback!)

Get them now!



And Badass Author, Bex Pavia's poetry collection and debut publication Free for Five days starting Monday and running thru Friday!!! (Oct 21st - 25th)
It's already getting great reviews!
Must check it out! And why not?! Its Free! Enrich your Soul!

 #Freebie!

"The Soul Bearer -and other poems"


U.S.



U.K.



Moreover, Badass Author, M.P. Ness' debut "E.L.F. vol. 1 White Leaves" has been on tour all Oct.
He is running a massive 20 paperback giveaway!

"E.L.F. vol. 1 White Leaves"



#Giveaway!

~20 limited "White" print paperbacks, Signed, "E.L.F." Stamped, and Numbered books will be given away at random to 20 eBook buyers/reviewers.
@ $2.99, you could have both eBook and a limited print paperback all because you reviewed!
Send confirmation of purchase/review to saywhatsavannahmae@gmail.com to be entered to win that limited "White" paperback!

~Another chance to win a swagpack exists at most of the blog-tour stops! 
*Swagpack includes ~ Signed... Paperback, Cover-art Mini-poster, Bookmark, and an eBook copy for you or a friend via Smashwords, which means, ANY format you need for whatever eReader device you use!
(More than 575 hopeful readers have already entered! Don't miss your chance!)

Friday, October 11, 2013

A Badass Freebie! - "Secret Seekers Society and the Beast of Bladenboro"

This Weekend only!
Oct 12 and 13th!
Saturday and Sunday!

Badass Author, J.L. Hickey's beloved "Secret Seeker's Society and the Beast of Bladenboro" is going to be absolutely FREE on Amazon!


Kindle

If you haven't read it yet, now's your chance to pick it up absolutely FREE!
Find out just why it has well over 50+ Reviews and STILL has a 5* average!

That's sayin somethin!

Thursday, October 10, 2013

New Additions/Releases from the Badass Authors team!

Today we add not only a new release, but also a debut publication!
So, we give you, Badass Author, Bex Pavia!

We can finally get our grubby mitts on a first glimpse inside Bex's mind with her this release.
Think of it as a tiding-over for the mind until she's prepared to release her upcoming fantasy novel, "The Sanctum of Souls"






"The Soul Bearer, and other poems"
by Bex Pavia
(Poetry Collection)
41 pages - Poetry

Buy!
Lulu - Paperback

"Bringing you a selection of emotional, often dark, rhyming verse – seventeen(17) poems have been chosen from the many this fantasy-loving author has written over the years, to deliver a pocket-sized introduction to her imagination. 

From the heartfelt honesty of ‘A Prayer for My Children’, to the meandering tale of a lost king in ‘The Soul Bearer’, this is a little parcel of rhyme that offers a light, yet thought provoking treat or two."


So, welcome Bex!

A Badass Reviews - "Carpe Diem"

 "Carpe Diem" (short story) by Badass Author, Michael Loring
As reviewed by resident Badass Author, Justin Osborne

"The protagonist, James, learns first hand that the afterlife ain't what it's cracked up be.

After meeting his sudden demise, James finds himself not in a fluffy clouded Heaven or even a fiery Hell.

Instead he is led around Limbo by a mysterious guide known as 'Bud'. Limbo is filled with James' memories, both good and bad, and 'Bud' finally leads him to the ultimate decision and an answer to the ultimate question.

What comes after Purgatory?
No one knows, not even 'Bud'.

Well written and witty, Mr. Loring describes an ideal Purgatory where anyone would be content to spend eternity, but unfortunately no one can stay. Questions are asked, and some are never answered, but where's the fun in that?

Despite being so short in length, Carpe Diem leaves an impact and will have you asking a few questions yourself.

Seize the day, and pick up Carpe Diem!

Bonus: Carpe Diem is permanently FREE, and you can't go wrong with that!"

****
Four of Five Stars!

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

New Release/Additions from the Badass Authors Team!

*Today we add a New Release from Badass Author, Justin Osborne, to the Badass Library!

Now you can get ALL of Justin Osborne's awesome shorts in One book!

We urge you readers to Go get it Now!
Because its absolutely FREE until 10-12-13 (Saturday)!!!
And Just in Time for the spooky Holloween reading season!
Get your copy Now! (link below)

"Bitter Fruit: A taste of the Antholocaust"
by Justin Osborne
Cover Art by Barbara Tillison Photography
(Short Story Anthology)
Approx. 172 pages - Horror

Buy!
Kindle

The Anthology Contains them all!

"Post 2"
45 pages
~Trevor LeRoche is a security guard working the graveyard shift at Calwest Geo-Thermal power plant, alone and isolated, his nights are usually uneventful and quiet. But after an earthquake at the plant disturbs something deep underground, Trevor is still very much isolated, but not alone.

"Prepped"
33 pages
~Dave Moore has been awaiting the 'Zombie Apocalypse' for most of his life, now that it appears to have begun, it's time for him to get 'prepped'...

"You Can't Kill Rock and Roll"
33 pages
~After moving into a new apartment, an out-of-work musician discovers the apartment came with an unexpected extra...the spirit of a murdered guitar prodigy.

"Muffinz"
35 pages
~When Mitch rescues a strange looking stray cat from a cold, New York alleyway, little does he know how it would impact his life forever...

"Prepped 2"
27 pages
~Sometimes you can't keep a good 'Prepper' down.
 'Ol' Crazy Dave is back and finds himself responsible for the last thing he ever expected; helpless survivors of the initial wave of the Zombie Apocalypse.




(*Due to a small, seemingly incurable javascript problem creating new segments and altering existing segments, new additions to the Badass Authors Library and related links will temporarily come as posts.)

A Badass Reviews - "E.L.F. - White Leaves"

"E.L.F. vol.1 White Leaves" by Badass Author, M. P. Ness
As Reviewed by resident Badass Author, Natasha Wetzel

"This book is wonderful!

The beginning drew me in with no effort at all. I was wrapped up in this tale, and ate it up hungrily.

The descriptions, wonderful. The conversations, believable. The ending, mind blowing!

I loved it.

From 70% on in the novel I was reading so close to the kindle that I had folks making fun of me in my home. Usually, I am one to make a snippy comment to hush them up, but because I would have had to stop reading to do so, it went undone. I loved the book, I loved the way it was written, and furthermore, none of it was silly or unbelievable.

As a fantasy novel, it did everything that it was supposed to do, and the modern elements that played their parts didn't make everything in the book less believable or take away from the fantasy portions. I followed easily, and loved all of it!

I would recommend this to everyone!"

*****
Five of Five Stars!

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Badass Interview - Author on Author

Resident Badass Author-on-Author Interview
~Rich Knight with Justin Osborne~
The "Epic" Series

Rich: Tell me about "Epic," man. So, you get to this world called Avalon by drinking Meadale? What's that?


Justin: Passage to and from Avalon is possible through the Sidhes, or Faerie Mounds. Which can only be powered up by Faeries. Meadale is a potent Avalonian alcoholic beverage. EPIC's protagonist, Deacon, drinks too much and rather accidentally stumbles through a Sidhe after an encounter with a Faerie.


Okay, interesting stuff. But what's a "Sidhe"?


A Sidhe, pronounced 'shee' is a magical stone that act as a doorway between the two worlds, with many of them scattered throughout the United Kingdom.


Cool. And why did you set your story in the United Kingdom? Are there Sidhe's all over the world, or do they only appear in Europe?


Because that's where all the best legends come from! The story goes between Scotland and Avalon. Deacon is living in Canada before going to stay with his uncle Evon in Scotland. In story, the only known Sidhes are in the UK, but...There is mythology from all over the world, maybe there's others...


I see. So tell me about where you got the idea from. You plan this out as four books, right?


Years ago I had picture in my head of a boy falling through a portal with a guitar in his hand. As time passed, I fed that idea, and it some more until I had the outline of the whole thing in my head. And yes, EPIC will be a 4 part series.


Nice. And the second one is already out, right? Did you envision the entire story in the beginning or did you see more and more story once you were in the middle of writing the first book?


I had most of the story mapped out before I even started writing. Now I have it all mapped out, I just need to fill in the blanks.


That's really cool. Now tell me about your website. What's the song playing on there?


I really haven't used the website in ages, I don't even have the second book posted on there, haha. I had originally REALLY wanted to use 'Crystallize' by Lindsey Stirling as the first books 'Theme Song' of sorts, but I didn't want to get slapped with a lawsuit for copyright infringement! So I checked out Soundcloud for something similar and asked the composer if I could use it, he said Yes!


That's really cool. As a writer, what do you feel that you bring to the world of fiction that other writers don't?


As it is almost impossible to be completely original in this day and age, so the best any author can do is put a different spin on certain elements. I, for one like to throw many different elements of other genres other than the base genre I'm working in.


Such as?


The EPIC books are filled with Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi, Comedy, Drama, and some light romance, it's very much a stew of everything put together to make for a tasty experience. Also the Horror stories have comedic elements to lighten the mood before I scare the bejeezus out of you.


Ha! I like to be scared. Who are some of your inspirations as a writer?


Stephen King, primarily. I really don't read anyone else except for a few choice Indies. I don't read much because I don't want to be accidentally influenced. Funny story: As I began to read Joe Hickey's Secret Seekers Society: The Beast Of Bladenboro, I noticed that the first chapter was startlingly similar to the beginning of EPIC: Legacy. Luckily the stories veered off in other directions after that, but Joe and I found it pretty odd, both books were published around the same time and we had never seen each others work up until that point. So, it can happen whether you read others' work or not, haha


This is true. So tell me, what's next for you after EPIC. Do you have another series in mind?


I've begun work on EPIC: Reunification, the third book. I'm also working on finishing Antholocaust, my short story collection. I'm making "Prepped" into a serialized series that will one day be made into a single book, and it was only supposed to be a one-off! As well as quite a few other novel projects lined up.


Awesome stuff, thanks for talking to me. Stay badass.


De Nada! And I can't be anything BUT Badass!

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Badass Author, M.P. Ness' "E.L.F. - White Leaves" - Tour w/Giveaway!

E.L.F. - White Leaves and Badass Author admin, M.P. Ness is on Tour!



Enter to win Swagpack giveaway here!
Black Words - White Pages
There will be two winners!
Each wins the following!

Swagpack:
Signed Paperback 
Signed Bookmark
Signed Mini-poster of E.L.F. cover art, designed by M.P. Ness
Free eBook download(for you or a friend)!

Follow the tour as well, via www.tourdeblogg.com for Interviews, Guest Post Articles, Reviews, Giveaways, Discount Codes and a Big Special Announcement is coming soon! 
Stay Tuned and Keep Up!

Appearances thus far:
Oct. 1st
Say What? Savannah Mae
Black Words - White Pages
I feel the need, the need to read
Cassandra Lost in Books

Oct. 3rd
The Bearded Scribe - Interview
The Bearded Scribe - Review/Spotlight
Blogging Authors
 

New Releases/Additions from the Badass Authors team!

(Due to a small, seemingly incurable javascript problem creating new segments and altering existing segments, new additions to the Badass Authors Library and related links will temporarily come as posts.)

Today we are adding a few new releases from resident Badass Authors, Michael Loring and Natasha Wetzel!



Dance of Demons and Angels 
by Natasha Wetzel 
(Novella) 
116 pages ~ Paranormal Thriller 

Kindle

~They both have a painful past, they both became what they thought was needed to right the wrongs of their hurt filled history. 

When Leena stumbles onto one of the worst crimes scenes she had seen in her long years as a FBI agent, she knows that the Blood Fire Tyrant is now stateside and nothing will stop his reign of blood and death unless she can stop him. But something isn't right with the man known as Tyran... something about his eyes, his speed... he doesn't seem human at all and none live that oppose him. But Leena stands up to him, risking her career, her badge and even her life to stop him. 

Who will be the victor? 



The Wallflower's Collapse 
by Michael Loring 
(Short Story)
17 pages ~ Supernatural Horror 

Kindle

~A night at the club turns to so much more. 

Kathryn was looking for a night of fun – for a chance to shed her wallflower ways and finally gain the confidence she’s always desired. Confidence to speak her mind, to dance like the rest of the club, to talk to the extremely attractive guy by the bar… 

Encouraged, Kathryn is finally able to speak with the man, and with him comes a night to be remembered…

A Badass Reviews - "E.L.F. - White Leaves"

"E.L.F. vol.1 White Leaves" by Badass Author, M. P. Ness
As Reviewed by resident Badass Author, Joshua Thornbrugh

"E.L.F. White Leaves is a wonderful modern fairytale that is sure to delight fantasy and action fans alike. This book literally has it all: rogue activists, government agents, elves and epic battles. But the truly remarkable thing about White Leaves is the lyrical prose and the in-depth, well thought out mythos of the story world. There is such depth here that it is very easy to accept the fantastical elements as truth, and to me, that's what makes a great story.

I can't recommend it enough. There are so many delights waiting to be discovered, so don't wait, get started on your journey."

Five out of Five Stars!
*****

A Badass Reviews - "Epic: Legacy"

"Epic: Legacy" by resident Badass Author, Justin Osborne
As Reviewed by resident Badass Author, J. L. Hickey


(This review is a two-parter. The Short-short version, and the Long Way Around version)


-"The Short-short version"

"Epic: Legacy by Justin Paul Osborne is fantasy adventure written with some sly humor, excellent dialogue, and a lovable main character named Deacon.

Sure, Epic is filled with fantasy clichés, (let's keep in mind, there is nothing new under the sun) however, what stands Epic apart from your traditional fantasy narrative is its ability to use Deacon's sly banter as a way to sort of play off the cliché's in a unique, and almost "non-clichéd" way. I almost wish the author used Deacon as this sort of "metafictional" voice more dominantly.

This book is damn good.It offers a fun teen-aged fueled fantasy adventure with a witty and sly protagonist that never fails to deliver.

Toss in a very intriguing bad ass villian, and we are onto to something.

One of my only complaints, I really wanted to see more of this villain in the first book. There are some very cool scenes with him, when the narrative switches viewpoints to him.

Do yourself a favor and pick this book up and give it a chance, it's worth it."
Five out of Five Stars!
*****


-"Taking the Long way around version"

"Epic: Legacy" by resident Badass Author, Justin Osborne
As Reviewed by Badass Author, J.L. Hickey.


"Epic: Legacy by Justin Paul Osborne is fantasy adventure written with some sly humor, excellent dialogue, and a lovable main character named Deacon.

Sure, Epic is filled with fantasy cliché’s, (let’s keep in mind, there is nothing new under the sun) however, what stands Epic apart from your traditional fantasy narrative is its ability to use Deacon’s sly banter as a way to sort of play off the cliché’s in a unique, and almost “non-clichéd” way. I almost wish the author used Deacon as this sort of “metafictional” voice more dominantly.

So, as I read and critique books, I know authors want to know whether or not I liked the book. My critiques are not your standard affair, I do not write reviews, (there good, yes, and we all need them, I know…) however, I want to offer something with more substance for their narrative than just a one to five star rating and a synopsis of what I read.

But, I will answer one simple question when I finish a book.

Would I recommend this book to others?

The answer is a simple, yet fairly dominant, yes.

However the second question remains, who would I offer this book to? What is Epic’s audience?

Simply put, I would offer it up to middle school and high school boys ages 13 and up. Sure there are a few violent parts, some “shits” and other colorful language, but this book is an action first, punch the bully in the face and ask questions later, sort of narrative. I find boys enjoying the action a lot more. Yes, there is a splash of love interest in the mix, but alas, I find my nephew keeping interest longer than my niece.

So, is that a good or bad thing? Well, it depends on the target audience the author was intending. I will leave that up for him to answer.

So let’s get to the interesting stuff, what worked for me, what didn’t, and the overall critique of the narrative.

I will be brutally honest, if the author had any other main character, other than the humor infused, witty teenage boy named Deacon, I would not have liked this narrative at all. It works without him… it just doesn’t stand out in any significant way. However! Once you add this delightful character into this magic infused world he created, that is where the personality and tone of this book shine. I truly think Justin created a character that is the “ash from evil dead” version of a fantasy novel…. And a little more PG-13. Sweeeeeeeeet.

Deacon is a flawed character (this is a good thing, no one likes a perfect person who does not evolve, and adapt) who struggles with acceptance. In fact, if you break down the higher story arc, this is simply a book about being accepted into a new social structure and dealing with those who discriminate against.

It’s a modern spin on culture shock, and how people tend to dislike others who are different from themselves.

Something we as people have struggled with since the beginning of time. It’s a powerful read when you pull that lens into the mix. Could it have been implemented stronger, I think so, and I wish it had been. However, this read may never have been intended by the author. So, to say I wish it were developed more is neither here or there. That’s why I offer critiques; it brings up elements of author’s narratives that they may have not known existed.

That’s the cool thing about critiques. All books offer numerous lenses for a reader to read from. Many times the reader pulls from their own lives and bring out an entirely different deconstruction of what the author ever intended.

Justin may never have thought that his book had to do with society and how people view outsiders, the social adaptation of a person looking from the outside in, the evil that resides in so many people when they are forced to deal with someone different invading their space, que the bully. But, alas it is there, and it works extremely well.

I did have some qualms with the pacing, there were parts where I was glued to the book, and others where I was interested, but lost some of that magic.

I think it was because I was expecting the antagonist to be someone specific, and it really never materialized, instead the only real antagonist was the bully who Deacon was forced to square off with.

This is largely due to the fact that this book is the first in a series, which is fine, but the big bad ass evil doer only had small cameos. One that comes fairly early in the narrative that sets you up for a specific story-line that fails to deliver in the first book.

I wanted either less of his character or more, maybe hints at who he was but leave me in suspense… or a larger role in this specific story-line of the series.

Because, let’s face it, this bad guy is pretty freaking cool. I won’t get into details, but he may be a better character than Deacon himself.

I don’t need a big one-on-one battle, but I don’t know… as a reader I wanted something else to cement this man’s evilness and Deacon’s goodness, and that they are aware of each other, and that at some point there will be a battle.

The book is almost written as two different stories going on at the same time, from two different viewpoints. 90% of these are given to Deacon, the other 10% to the villain. I would have liked it more 60/40, or at least 70/30.

The setting of the book is done well, very well actually. The two worlds and how they differ are (as I mentioned before) fairly clichéd (I wrote a similar book lol) but it’s the way Justin uses the streamline of consciousness of Deacon to make this world so exciting. It works so well. It’s a modern view of the sometimes overly-done fantasy world.  Kudos!

Loved the dialogue. However, it was so very hard to read without the proper formatting. In fact, before I began reading the book, I started it months earlier, and was immediately turned off by the formatting issues and put it aside. It’s rough to say because once you get passed the awkwardness, it is a wonderful tale, but I think it will turn off many readers.

I would fix that asap.

Epic: Legacy is a blast of a read, fun, exciting, and filled with adventure. Please keep in mind, critiques are 90% opinion based, and what I offer are merely ideas that I think could add more to the narrative. As all authors know, take them or leave them, it is their manuscript after all.

To end, and to put a bit more simply, Epic: Legacy is worthy of it’s 1.99  price tag, and then some. Go support an indie author and give this book a chance, you will be pleasantly surprised!"
Five out of Five Stars!
*****

A Badass Reviews - "Otherworld Prophecies: Starving Blades"

"Otherworld Prophecies: Starving Blades" by resident Badass Author, Natasha A. Wetzel
~As Reviewed by Badass Author, Michael Loring.

"Starving Blades is the first book in Author Natasha Wetzel's series Otherworldly Prophecies, telling the tale of Angelique "Angel" Le'Count; a half-blood angel who carries out the work of God by doing battle with the many foes before him...or, at least, he used to.

Angel has fallen into despair after the abrupt departure of his girlfriend Kira. He has turned to the bottle to ease his woes, favoring vodka over actual resolution. He has lived for centuries, but nothing prepared him for a broken heart, not even his War Spirit Sarre who was part of the problem. After six months he becomes fed up with his deteriorating life and goes to find Kira in hopes of winning her back.

What he encounters was much more than he bargained for.

I don't want to give too much away from this book, because there is so much in it that deserves to be discovered. Natasha Wetzel's style of writing is a unique one, and brilliant beyond most others. Her characters are fascinating and relatable on different levels, even if a few are maniacs who are obsessed with cookies. She creates a world where mankind is just a roommate to all the other creatures/beings that are out there. Angels, Demons, Half-Breeds, Were-Animals (or "Shift Shaman") and possibly so much more. The details are so intricate and expansive your head might spin at first, but with Natasha's writing style you very quickly catch on and grow eager to learn more of this new world full of fascinating characters and interesting storylines.

Angel is a very deep character, cynical to a fault, trying to redeem his alcoholic ways in order to win back the love of his very long life, he is definitely a main character worth following. You end up caring for this character more than you expected early on. I personally felt bad for him throughout the first half of the novel, when everything was just in shambles around him and he was fighting desperately to piece it all back together. I rooted for him, and I was not disappointed with how the book ended.
Deeply philosophical, excellently executed, and terrifically written, Starving Blades is destined to go places!

Five out of Five stars!"
*****