June 2023, Issue 16
Summer is finally here, I hope everyone can take some vacation days and have some time to read new books or watch more Netflix/Disney+/Prime/TVB! I picked up Yellowface by by R.F. Kuang to read at a cottage we are renting with friends and I sincerely hope the bugs will leave me alone!
Best,
Artsy Raven Podcast Updates
Click for access to The Artsy Raven Youtube Channel
Click for access to The Artsy Raven on Spotify
Click for access to The Artsy Raven on Apple Podcast
On episode 34 of the Artsy Raven we interviewed Joseph Sassoon, an economics and history professor who wrote a book about his family's rise to become a mega rich global superpower to their downfall through the centuries. How wonderful it is to be able to follow one's lineage throughout time and be able to fly to different countries to research their family!
On episode 35, Peter Chiykowski talks about his journey from being a writer to making a "Story Engine" deck to help writers and gamers formulate stories. He is running a campaign for his latest lore deck right now with lots of goodies and the demo he did for us makes us believe this tool will help an author write a bit faster!
Vincenzo 빈센조 - Netflix quick review
Recently I finished watching Vincenzo 빈센조 on Netflix about a Korean-Italian mafia lawyer who fights an unrivaled Korean conglomerate. The lead actor, Song Joong-ki plays Vincenzo, a Korean child adopted by an Italian family who grows up to become a lawyer and consigliere for the mafia. There was a lot of action, violence and laughs as Vincenzo interacted with the quirky residents living in an old building, Geumga Plaza. The main villain, the CEO of the conglomerate, was played by Taecyeon (2PM boy band rapper) and he was fantastic although he was giving orders to kill opponents left and right. Some of the acting was more over the top, with lots of screaming by frustrated lawyers and there were numerous cultural references about respecting elders along with the hierarchy order of siblings. One of the themes in the show was the corruption of businesses, law enforcement and the judiciary system which is alarming, but sadly not surprising either because power and money corrupts. Italian is spoken in parts of the show, it sounded very nice but I don't speak Italian so I can't say if the tones were accurate! It was fun to see a mix of Italian and Korean cultures presented and there is a running joke of a Korean chef cooking Italian food who has never been to Italy but has a curly moustache. Overall, a great show for those who are ok with cartoonish violence (it's not as bloody as Oldboy) and I highly recommend watching it in Korean with English subtitles! (Rating: 8/10)
Writing Resources update
I haven't updated my website in a while, but recently took a time to list out a lot of resources for anyone interested in writing and publishing. Click here to check it out.
Design - The Artsy Raven
Finally we made an official "The Artsy Raven" design for t-shirts, bags, even skateboards! A design with just the image available as well.
Click here to see all the designs for sale on Threadless, all proceeds go towards Dark Helix Press to make more books!
Artsy Fun - Magazine Strip Silhouette Art
Little Stuff website has a great idea for an easy art project you can make or keep the kids busy with. It's basically using strips of magazine to cover a shape to make an art piece!
See here for instructions, picture from Little Stuff website.
Free Book Giveaways and Promos
(click book title to access free ebook download link or book preview)
Splintered Fate: A Paranormal Women's Fiction Urban Fantasy Novel (Splintered Magic Book 3) by Jilleen Dolbeare (Click for preview). In a desperate move, Brigid defeated the witches, but now she is stuck in Faerie with zero ideas, or the power, to get back home. At least her cat and her bestie are with her.
Fated Daggers by Ulana Dabbs (click to download). A girl who dreams of becoming a warrior. A master swordsman bound by the rules of his homeland. When fate brings them together, will he go against tradition and teach her the way of the sword?
Strong Heroine Fantasy Collection I-7 books 2 boxsets: Ember and Spark Complete Series, Daughter of Cloak and Mask Trilogy by Lauren M.D. (click for preview). Ember and Spark Complete Series: a high fantasy featuring strong female characters in a struggle to survive dark secrets. Daughter of Cloak and Mask Trilogy: a fantasy enemies-to-lovers romance interweave with twists and turns and the intrigue of magic.
Last Wave (The Last Wave Series Book 1) by Earl T. Roske (click for preview). Is being alone worse than death? Acharon has no interest in finding out. He and Sovelet are two of the last humans on Earth. They’ve lived an idyllic existence on their man-made island over the decades. For Acharon, these have been good times, quiet times. Life, though, has other plans.
Sour Roots by Shawn Burgess (click to download). Roger and Gertrude Davis enjoy an idyllic existence in the small Appalachian town of Harper Pass. With the twin daughters they dote on gone missing and ominous signs of foul play evident, a suspect quickly emerges. But not everything is always what it seems. Amidst the murder, madness, and mayhem, they soon learn there’s blood to pay when the past comes calling.
Jivaja (Soul Cavern Series Book 1) by Venessa Giunta (click for preview). Mecca is a murderer. That’s what she thinks when she accidentally kills the man who attacks her in the parking lot of her favorite coffee shop. When word gets back to the Visci of someone who can kill one of their kind with just a touch, the race is on to acquire Mecca as a weapon in the coming war.
The Prometheus Prophecy by D. F. Wink (click to download). It depicts a dystopian society with a cast of unique characters, epic settings, historical battles and a mixture of science and mythology. If you are looking for your next, much darker, Hunger Games, then get Book 1 of the Prometheus Trilogy.
The Pumpkin Mage by Lou Yardley (click to download). On one fateful autumnal morning, Nyx and Croll receive a missive from the Queen that sends them on an adventure full of magic, monsters, mages and pumpkins. Their journey takes them to the Everlasting Forest of Doom where they stumble into the Pumpkin Mage. The Pumpkin Mage asks them one simple question...Trick or treat?
Minds of Men (The Psyche of War Book 1) by Kacey Ezell (click for preview). 2018 Dragon Award Finalist-Best Alternate History Novel. Evelyn Adamsen grew up knowing she had to hide her psychic abilities, lest she be labeled a witch. However, when the U.S. Army Air Corps came calling in 1943, looking for psychic women to help their beleaguered bomber force, Evelyn answered, hoping to use her powers to integrate the bomber crews and save American lives. She was extremely successful at it…until her aircraft got shot down.
The Shadow Host by River Starling (click to download). The Vine Sea is alive and full of monsters. Embark on an epic adventure that unearths a world of secrets and danger.
The Ravenglass Chronicles: Complete Omnibus by Jon Cronshaw (click for preview). Kat is heir to a brutal empire...but the last thing she wants to do is rule. When the day she’s been dreading finally arrives, she is torn between her royal duties and a desire to follow her magical destiny. Will Kat choose true love and risk certain war, or accept an arranged marriage with a man three-times her age?
Keys of Time by Georgiana Kent (click to download). Erica Shylocke is your average University student, in debt and chasing deadlines. She also has a secret—a curse. One she’s kept hidden her entire life. She was doing a damn good job too, until she was attacked by a Lost Soul, a creature hell-bent on consuming her most valuable commodity: her soul. Saved by Michael Nicholas, a Time traveller who’s as sexy as he is mysterious, her whole life is about to unravel, and it’s only a matter of time before her secret unravels too...
Crazy Foolish Robots by Adeena Mignogna (click to download). Ruby Palmer finds herself on an entire planet surrounded by the things she hates the most: robots. Besides taking everything she says way too literally, the robots have problems of their own. A myriad of technical glitches are, on the cosmological scale, quickly destroying them. Ruby has the programming knowledge and skills that matter to them, but can she overcome her fears and find it within herself to help? Her survival, along with the survival of all of humanity and robot kind, depends on it.
TRAITOR by Drew Avera (click for preview). Trapped in an impossible situation, Commander Kevin Hoyt must fight for his life and the safety of his family. Traitor is an action-packed space opera series that blends elements of Star Trek and Farscape for an intense and thrilling read. If you enjoyed books like The Expanse by James S. A. Corey, you will love this fast-paced adventure.
Chosen Ones by TC Marti (click to download). Chosen Ones is the prequel to TC Marti's Elementals of Nordica Series. If you love complex plots, tyrannical governments, non-stop action, elemental magic, and sword and sorcery in one epic novella, make this brewing science fantasy your next great read.
BISHOP by Candance Nola (click for preview). Caught between an ancient evil and a man with nothing to lose, a young girl's fate hangs in balance. Erin and her daughter Casey have been missing in the Alaskan wilderness for five days. A longer, Bishop, a man shrouded in secrets may be their only hope.
The Sleeping Sickness by European P. Douglas (click for preview). If you die in a nightmare, you die in real life - that used to be a myth! Howell Warren hasn't seen another human face for over five years. If he did, that person could die at any time. This is the world of the Sleeping Sickness.
Group book promos
Happy Pride Month! - Download these free eBooks fast! This promotion ends June 30th! Click here for access
Sword and Sorcery Spectacular - magical fantasy books available on Kindle Unlimited, promo ends July 17th! Click here for access
June is for Unicorns (and other Fantasy Creatures) - Get these books fast on Kindle Unlimited! This promotion ends July 1st! Click here for access
Fables and Myths: An All-Genre Book Fair for Stories with Mythological Creatures or Gods - Get these books fast on Kindle Unlimited! This promotion ends June 30th! Click here for access
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