Skip to main content

Hidden Gem Awards: Round Up

The contest is over, and congratulations to the winner, Jason P. Crawford. I will be posting up an author interview about The Chains of Prophecy within the next month!

Here are my thoughts for the next contest. Feel free to comment below if you have any ideas, opinions, or musings.


A Few Alterations

So that the whole process is a little quicker, I will only select three top entries to read. This should make it much easier for me to post up the results within a few weeks, especially in case life gets unexpectedly busy again.

After I've selected my three finalists, I will read each of the books entirely. In this contest, I mentioned I might put the book down at some point, but I decided against this. I need to know the ending to be able to truly judge a book. With so few final contestants, it seems unfair of me not to give everyone an equal chance.


To Potential Contestants

There's still time to vote on the next genre. The top two genres were Fantasy and Sci-Fi, so place your votes now if you want a say on what the next topic should be.

It's easier for me to judge your books when they fall into one category, even though they were so different this time round!

The next competition is likely to take place later summer/early autumn. It depends on how much time I have, but I'll post up a warning here and on GoodReads.


Want me to review your self-pub/indie book?

I'm only going to be accepting review copies through my Hidden Gem Awards. You'll have to wait until your genre appears.


Cheers a bunch

Thank you for all the social media support, for the free copies of your fantastic novels, and for your enthusiasm over the whole process. It has made the competition enjoyable for me, and I hope you guys have had fun too.

Cheers!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

I took my book for a walk

I know what you're thinking...or actually, I don't.  It's easy to picture that anyone who reads your work will only see the negatives. They have every right to, after all, and I'm a big critic myself. I find things to improve in most books, even when I give them five star reviews. This is why solidifying one of my novels into print was a big step for me, and because of Sod's Law, it coincided with one of the hardest times of my life to date. When my book published, I struggled to market it. Besides being crippled with morning sickness, followed by a decent into depression and anxiety (coupled with friends not really liking my book - only softened slightly by the fact they don't like YA/reading), I didn't have the energy - emotionally or physically - to give my book the launch it deserved.  It deserved better.  Because no matter what, I put a lot of work into The Clearing. Over several years and iterations, too. I'm proud of the twists, and I enjoy hearin

Book Review: Threads That Bind

THREADS THAT BIND by Kika Hatzopolou Disclaimer time: As always, the following is just my opinion. Other opinions are available.  THREADS THAT BIND is an epic fantasy with an urban feel. It has a fascinating magic system inspired by Greek mythology, and a story that explores the bonds of sibling relationships. Overall, it's a fast-paced book about fate, choices, and forgiving yourself, so prepare for morally grey moments and difficult sibling relationships.  Io and her sisters are descendants of the Fates, which means they're able to see and manipulate the threads that connect people to the things they love. Io is the third sister, and therefore she is able to cut threads. The story kicks off when Io is hired by the 'mobqueen' to investigate murders linked to vengeful wraiths. To top it off, she has to work with the very person she's been avoiding for years, a boy she's fated to love - except he already has a girlfriend. If you think that the above sounds like t

Indie Book Review: The City of Snow and Stars

THE CITY OF SNOW AND STARS by S.D. Howard 4 Stars Verdict: A dark fantasy with a wholesome cast.  Trigger warning for rape/abuse.  'I'm not wanted for me, only what I can give, and there is nothing left.' I don't usually quote books, but this is a very quotable story! The dialogue was powerful in places, and the way the characters bonded together was the strength of this Christian fantasy adventure.   It's written in third person with a narrative that I personally found a little distant at times. That said, the characters are easy to root for. Runaways Trinia and Jayden team up with a wizard to take down Trinia's abusive father before he can take over the kingdom. They're joined by a talking wolf and a shapeshifter called Batanny, who in many ways seems like an older version of Trinia. Threads of pain run through this book and pull the characters together in a way that makes this dark read still feel wholesome at times.  It soon became an easy to enjoy fant