Tales from Virdura: A Murder in Carrington

At Virdura Castle, Queen Celeste and her chief advisor, the Wizard Solon, were sitting down for their evening meal, and discussing the events of the day.

“We had a messenger today, from Carrington. A young man named Jonah,” said Solon, before tearing off a piece of chicken with his teeth.

“Carrington?” answered the queen, “We haven't heard from the village of Carrington in... how long has it been?”

“Too long, your highness. Your mother visited there once, when you were but a child. You should really pay them a visit one of these days.”

“That's a good idea,” said Celeste, “Perhaps in a month or two's time, when things have quietened down at the castle. Anyway, what did this Jonah want?”

“A young girl was murdered yesterday, on a fishing vessel from Carrington. It's the first time that's happened in over fifty years,” answered Solon.

Celeste gasped, and she brought her open palm up to her mouth, before Solon continued, “They apparently have a young man in custody, a boy by the name of Richard. The local Sherrif is requesting a magistrate to travel to the village, to preside over his trial and make a pronouncement.”

“You should go!” said Celeste immediately. “Murder is serious business. You should go, and divine the truth for them.”

Solon gave a half-chuckle, half-sigh, before responding. “I'm sure Virdura's magistrates are quite capable, Celeste,” he said, slipping into a familiar demeanour towards his friend and queen. “Besides, you said yourself how busy we all are here. I'm afraid that I can't spare the time to go to Carrington, any more than you can.

“I have asked Jessa to travel with an entourage to assist them. She will leave at first light tomorrow morning, and should arrive in Carrington in no more than two days.”

Author's Note: This is an extract from one of my works in progress, about a murder in the small fishing village of Carrington, in the kingdom of Virdura. What do you think? Should I pursue this story, and would you be interested in reading it?

E-Book Prices in South Africa

The de facto standard minimum for independently published e-books is $2.99.

That's thanks to Amazon, because $2.99 is the lowest an author can price his work to qualify for 70% royalties from Kindle Direct Publishing. Below that level, authors can only expect to earn 35%. Books on sale are generally priced at $0.99, or free.

Some people think $2.99 is too low, and price their books at $4.99 or even $5.99, but for most self-published books on Amazon, $2.99 appears to be the norm.

Now, if you live somewhere other than the United States (and particularly in a country where Amazon doesn't have a native store), like me, then you really have no idea what $2.99 equates to. Sure, you can ask Google, and it will tell you that, at the time of this writing, it's worth ZAR36.93, or whatever, in your native currency. But is R36.93 a fair price for a South African to pay for an e-book? Does $2.99 really mean as much to an American as R36.93 to a South African.

Clearly not. There's a reason why iTunes in South Africa charges R7.99 (or did, up until a couple of months ago) for stuff that Americans pay $0.99 for, even though $0.99 actually works out to R12.20!

Maybe the Bic Mac index will help shed some light on it, but it's clear to me that $2.99 means less to an American than R36.93 does to a South African, and that R36.93 means more to a South African than $2.99 means to an American. In real terms, does R36.93 translate to... $6 to an American? More?

Add to that the fact that South Africa is in the middle of Amazon's infamous "surcharge zone", which means that you're extremely unlikely to actually pay $2.99 for a book with a list price of $2.99; you'd be lucky to pay under $5 (R61.60) in South Africa!

So what do you think? Do you live in South Africa, and buy e-books from Amazon? Do you think the prices are fair?

If you live in another country, have you had any similar thoughts?

I'd love it if you'd post your experiences and thoughts in the comments below, and let me know what you have to say!

Crossword Puzzle - June 2015

All right, so by now you know the drill (if you don't, read on). Each month, I  post a crossword puzzle for your brain-teasing enjoyment.

Print it out, solve it, and e-mail me your answers. If you're the first person to send me the correct answers before I post them on Tuesday, 20 July 2015, I'll mention you as the winner. I'll even offer you the choice of one of my e-books, completely free.

So, what are you waiting for? Let's go!

Clues

Across

1 A young goat (3)
3 With a needle (3)
5 Nothing (3)
8 Anger (3)
9 Thailand (4)
11 Brand of beauty soap (3)
13 Do with a canoe (3)
14 Open area of land for temporary pasture (3)
15 Witch (3)
18 Motor-cross bicycle (3)
20 Estimated time of arrival (3)
21 A tree's blood (3)
24 Used to see (3)
26 A young wolf (3)
28 Currency of Japan (3)
30 Make a mistake (3)
31 The alphabet (3)
33 Afrikaans uncle (3)
35 First month (3)
36 Fancy (4)
37 Submachine gun (3)
38 Dude, or guy (3)
39 Rodent with a long tail (3)
40 Catholic, wears a habit (3)

Down

2 Not bright (3)
3 Work well together (4)
4 Reminiscent of a box (4)
6 Member of a people of S.E. Nigeria (3)
7 For extinguishing cigarettes (7)
10 Persistent pain (4)
12 U-turns (4)
13 Steal (3)
16 Did with food (3)
17 Happy (3)
19 Height of the lowercase x (7)
22 Large primate (3)
23 Prefix in pursue (3)
25 Island in Tuscany (4)
27 Command for a horse to stop (4)
29 Vietnam (3)
31 Slightly open (4)
32 Also Canute (4)
34 Large evergreen tree (3)
36 Small metal rod (used in needlework) (3)

Crossword Puzzle - May 2015 Answers

Still struggling to complete the May 2015 Crossword Puzzle?

Well, if you want to keep struggling, I suggest that you close this page now, because the answers are in!

Answers

Across

1 Preparer of food (4) cook

7 Pier (4) quay

8 Help (3) aid

9 Hard bench in church (3) pew

10 Snake from the Jungle Book (3) Kaa

12 Your father's brother (5) uncle

13 Gordimer (6) Nadine

15 Of the young (6) youthy

18 ... of your being (5) fibre

19 Mafia Boss (3) Don

21 ... you're it! (3) tag

22 Evil intelligent fantasy creature (3) orc

23 You don't want to find it in your apple (4) worm

24 Belonging to you (4) your

Down

2 Dutch hill (5) kopje

3 "War is a Machine" (6) HAWKIN

4 Barbie Girl band (4) Aqua

5 Whisky and ..., the day the music died (3) rye

6 Tropical American agave plant (6) maquey

11 One less than two, Afrikaans (3) een

14 Latin for neediness or poverty (6) egency

16 Or best offer (abbr.) (3) OBO

17 Gossiping women (Yiddish) (6) yentas

18 An old-fashioned person (5) fogey

19 A lady (4) dame

20 It's company (3) two

So how was that for you? Too easy? Too difficult? Just right? I'd love to know your thoughts. Please let me know in the comments below.

See you next week, for the June 2015 puzzle!

Tales from Virdura: Kathryn's Saviour

Kathryn sat on the front steps of their family's small farm, just outside Virdura Castle. She was staring wistfully at Marcus, working in the fields of the neighbouring farm. He was far away, but she could still see the cords of his bulging neck muscles as he bent down and dragged the hoe through the soil.

“Mama,” she said as an older woman walked up behind her and put her hand of Kathryn's shoulder, “One day, I'm going to marry that man.”

Kathryn's mother looked down at her and smiled. “That's nice, dear,” she said, “but right now, we should get back to work. Your father will be back from the fields soon, and he will want his afternoon meal.”

***

Kathryn and her mother, Iris, were standing at the fire, stirring a pot of gruel, when David stormed in.

“What's for lunch?” He sat down at the kitchen table and banged his fists onto the surface, growling like a bear. Kathryn cringed at the noise, and rubbed her hands together nervously.

“Gruel, dear,” said Iris, “and please stop making so much noise. You're scaring our daughter.”

David got up and screamed at his wife. “Well, she should grow a backbone, then!” In a flash, he was towering over Kathryn, holding her wrist in his hand. He twisted hard.

Kathryn screamed and pulled her hand away. She cowered in the corner, nursing her wrist.

David slapped her through the face. “Stop your snivelling, girl! You're never going to make it in this world if all you do is cry.”

His daughter stood up and scurried away into the adjoining room. David and Iris ate their meal in silence, while listening to the soft weeping coming through the open doorway.

***

The next day, Kathryn was leaning against the wooden log fence separating their farms. Once again, she was watching Marcus tilling his field, shirtless. She dreamt of the day when this muscle-bound man would sweep her up in his arms, and take her away from her abusive father. They would have children together, and she would love them and care for them, and they would never know the horror that she had to endure. Marcus would never beat them they way her father beat her. Of that, she was sure.

She was brought out of her reverie by the sound of someone calling.
“Hey, you there!”

She looked up, and saw Marcus standing, some distance away, waving at her.

Kathryn's heart leapt up into her throat. This man, the man she had loved from a distance for so long, had noticed her! Sheepishly, she waved back.

Marcus trotted up to Kathryn. “Hello,” he said. “My name is Marcus, what's yours?”

With that, Kathryn burst into tears.

***

That day, Kathryn told Marcus everything about her father and his abuses. She learnt that Marcus had been beaten by his father, too, but that one day, he had fought back, and beaten his father so badly that the man had to be sent to the healer. Marcus' father had never laid a hand on him again.

Over the coming weeks, Kathryn and Marcus would become closer and closer, sharing every detail of themselves and their lives. Kathryn even confessed to him how she had felt about him all those months. She had been desperately afraid that he wouldn't feel the same way, but he had.

She was happier than she'd ever been, and the day that the couple decided to tell Kathryn's parents about their engagement was a happy one indeed.

***

“Papa,” said Kathryn one day, after their evening meal. Marcus had joined them for the meal, and she clutched his hand for reassurance. “Papa, Marcus and I are getting married.”

Iris was overjoyed. She leapt up from her seat and wrapped her arms around her daughter. She sobbed, as she exclaimed how happy she was for her daughter.

David's reaction was a bit different. He, too, shot up from his chair, a dark glaze appearing over his eyes. “No daughter of mine will be getting married to a man like this!” He lunched forward, and it looked as though he was going to punch Kathryn in the face.

Marcus reacted instantly. He reached behind his waist, and grabbed the small knife that he always carried, out of its sheath. He stepped between Kathryn and her father, and plunged it into his chest. The man stopped in his tracks, clutched at the handle of the knife, and crumpled to the floor.

Iris immediately dropped to the floor and began stroking her husband's cheek. David spluttered a few times, and then fell silent.

Kathryn's mother stood up, faced her daughter, and slapped her through the face. Tears were streaming down her own cheeks, as she screamed at her daughter and her new fiancé.

“What have you done?” She continued to pound her daughter's chest as she continued. “Get out! Get out, and don't ever come back! I never want to see the two of you again as long as I live.”

Seeing that there was no arguing with Kathryn's mother, Marcus grabbed his beloved's hand and pulled her out the door.

They ran, as far as their feet could carry them.

Iris never saw her daughter again.

---

If you'd like to find out what became of Kathryn and Marcus, read my fantasy short story, A Petition to Magic.

(Image from Wikimedia Commons)

Do you Read on the Toilet?

When I was growing up, my father used to keep the latest book he was reading in the bathroom, and he used to read it whenever he was on the toilet. In fact, I think that might have been the the only time he read!

My wife tells a similar story. They only had a single bathroom in their house growing up, and she has fond memories of doing the "potty dance" outside the bathroom door, waiting for her father to finish just one more chapter.

Now that I have my own property, I do exactly the same thing. Only now, I take my tablet or phone with me whenever I go to the toilet, and sit there long after I'm... done, because I want to finish the chapter I'm busy with, first.

Of course, with the convenience of e-books, the toilet isn't the only place I read. I always have my phone or tablet with me, and I sneak in a couple of pages of my latest read whenever I possibly can.

So how about you? Do you read books on the toilet? What kinds of books do you read? Are they print or e-books?

Please fill out this fun little survey below, and also (if you're feeling brave) feel free to tell me about your lavatory reading habits in the comments!

(P.S. Want the form in full screen? Click this link)

Image from Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jbird/19650368

Want Free and Deeply Discounted E-Books?

Have you ever wondered why most book marketing is so Amazon-centric? Lots of readers sign up to receive free and discounted books in their e-mail, every day, but many of these deals are only available on Amazon.

As you can imagine, it's important for me as an author to market myself and my books, but personally, Amazon is not my favourite retailer. I understand that a lot of people love them, but the beauty of a competitive industry means that they're not the only shop in town when it comes to selling books. So, why does it seem that they're the only one that matters?

Personally, my favourite e-book retailer is Smashwords, mostly because they offer coupon codes. I don't know about you, but for me, entering a coupon code on a website, and watching the price of an item drop, is a great feeling. It makes me feel as though I've been given something special, something that's just for me, and nobody else. I said as much on a guest post that I wrote for Sarah Jane Butfield's blog, recently.

Because I love coupon codes myself, I run a lot of Smashwords coupon codes for my own books, offering great discounts and freebies. But when I went looking for a place to market those codes, I couldn't find any. So, like the the enterprising soul I am, I started my own!

Book Coupon News

Book Coupon News is a place for readers who love coupons. It's that simple. Visit the website, punch in your e-mail address, and start receiving weekly e-mails, containing coupon codes for great discounts on e-books - some might even be free!

And, if any of my author friends are reading this, you can add your own coupon codes to my weekly newsletter, completely free of charge.

So what do you think? As a reader, do you like coupon codes? What's your favourite e-book retailer? Do you shop at Smashwords, and would you be interested in signing up for this new service?

Authors, would you be interested in advertising your Smashwords coupon codes in the new newsletter?

Let me know in the comments below.

In the mean time, thanks for reading this far, and don't forget to sign up for Book Coupon News today!