The Stories of Scott D. Southard

June 6, 2013

Two Book Giveaways and New Reviews: A Writing Update
This is a busy and tiring time right now for me. With A Jane Austen Daydream out in the real world making new friends left and right and Maximilian Standforth and the Case of the Dangerous Dare about to be released. (Whoa!)

Here is a quick update on what you may have missed around my books and the opportunities out there on the internets to learn/read more:
- On Indie Jane (a fun website for Jane Austen readers and writers) there is a book giveaway going on which ends on Sunday. One lucky recipient will win an ebook copy of A Jane Austen Daydream. I have also written a guest post for the site on the creation of the book called “Finding Jane’s Voice.” You can find the book giveaway and post via this link.
- To celebrate the upcoming release of Maximilian Standforth and the Case of the Dangerous Dare I am having a book giveaway for it on Good Reads. Two good readers will win a signed print copy of the book! This bookgiveaway goes through Tuesday and you can enter it here.
- Maximilian Standforth… will be officially released on amazon.com on June 11. On Monday, I will be sharing an excerpt from this creepy and unpredictable book. It will be available in print and eBook. I hope you will check it out.
- This week A Jane Austen Daydream received three new 5-star reviews on amazon.com. “I loved this book.” “I couldn’t put it down.” “By the end of the novel you will, if you have a heart, feel for the characters, and you will be happy that you gave Scott Southard’s A Jane Austen Daydream a try.” You can read those and all of the reviews here.
A Jane Austen Daydream is available via amazon.com where you can find it in print for just $13.85 in print and only $3.99 for the eBook.

Here is the link: http://amzn.com/0983671923

Thanks for reading!
Share this:
Email
X
Facebook
WhatsApp
Pinterest
Reddit
Print
LinkedIn
Tumblr
Like Loading…
May 30, 2013

“Delightful and insightful.” A new review of A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM
Day by day it seems people are starting to find my book A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM. It’s a lot of fun for me to read people’s responses to it via Twitter and reviews and blogs (and no one has yet to ruin the big surprise of the book!). This review is by the blog “MamaBeanablog.” Here is an excerpt:

From the first page, I was hooked by the wit and intelligence of the main character which is the love-searching Jane Austen. The story twists and weaves Jane, the Austen family, and other comical characters cunningly through the entire book.

You can read the rest of the review here.

A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM is available via amazon.com where you can find it in print for just $9.85 in print and only $3.99 for the eBook. Here is the link: http://amzn.com/0983671923

…and remember there is a book giveaway going on now for my book MAXIMILIAN STANDFORTH AND THE CASE OF THE DANGEROUS DARE on GoodReads. You can enter the giveaway here.

Thanks for reading!
Share this:
Email
X
Facebook
WhatsApp
Pinterest
Reddit
Print
LinkedIn
Tumblr
Like Loading…
May 15, 2013

Chasing the Ghost of Sherlock Holmes
As I write this I am surrounded by the ghost of Sherlock Holmes.

I am wearing a t-shirt for the BBC show Sherlock. You can also find the Blu Rays for the seasons behind me, alongside the box set containing all of the films starring Basil Rathbone and the series with Jeremy Brett (my favorite television Holmes).

Over to my side is my Sherlock Holmes deerstalker hat that I bought at 221B Baker Street in London many years ago. I remember that moment vividly.

Why?

Well, honestly, I have a big head. I can’t really buy hats since it is rare I find one that fits my large skull. After spending an afternoon walking through the properly messy rooms of the museum, I assumed I would be going home with just a copy of an illustration from the original books (now on the wall in my kitchen), but to my utter surprise there was a hat that fit me. My large head? Really? It was a glorious moment, as if the great detective was prepared for my arrival. (more…)
Share this:
Email
X
Facebook
WhatsApp
Pinterest
Reddit
Print
LinkedIn
Tumblr
Like Loading…
May 14, 2013

My new book MAXIMILIAN STANDFORTH AND THE CASE OF THE DANGEROUS DARE to be released on June 11. And a book giveaway!
I’m pleased to announce that my new book MAXIMILIAN STANDFORTH AND THE CASE OF THE DANGEROUS DARE will be released on June 11. It will be available via amazon.com. Here is a description of my fun (and possibly mad) book:

The cursed and foreboding McGregor Castle is the most terrifying and haunted location in all of the British Empire. Only a brave (or foolish) soul would consider visiting it, let alone staying within its walls for five days. In other words, a perfect dare for a man like Maximilian Standforth!

Maximilian Standforth, famed playboy aristocrat and private detective, is a genius with dangerous tastes. With Bob (his trusty carriage driver, biographer, and body guard) and Maggie Collins (actress, spy, and maid) by his side, Maximilian will experience horrors and madness unlike any seen before. For it is at McGregor Castle that the team will discover more than they ever could imagine in this very experimental and genre-breaking thriller.

There is also a book giveaway for the work on GoodReads! Two readers will win a print copy of the book. The book giveaway goes through June 12. I hope you will consider entering below.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Maximilian Standforth and the Case of the Dangerous Dare

by Scott D. Southard

Giveaway ends June 12, 2013.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

I hope you enjoy my new book!
Share this:
Email
X
Facebook
WhatsApp
Pinterest
Reddit
Print
LinkedIn
Tumblr
Like Loading…
May 9, 2013

Five Things I Am Into Right Now, May 2013
My life revolves right now around books.

Well… let me correct that. My life revolves right now around MY books. And that is not a bad thing. A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM was just published by Madison Street Publishing (you can find it for an incredibly reasonable price on amazon.com right here), I just ordered the proof copy of MAXIMILIAN STANDFORTH AND THE CASE OF THE DANGEROUS DARE to review, and I am debating what to do with PERMANENT SPRING SHOWERS.

Remember PERMANENT SPRING SHOWERS? It was my novel experiment last year. I wrote a book in real time, one chapter a week. It was originally based on a screenplay, but that went out the window after chapter 2. It was a fun challenge and looking back I am really proud of myself for getting through it with my creativity in one piece. My hope is to find a publisher for the book later this year; of course, it really comes down to how good JANE and MAXIMILIAN do on the market (sales, reviews, etc.).

Until then, I need to be strategic around the book. Which means, as soon as I get a spare evening, I’ll probably be taking it down from my website. The page will stay up with my updates, insights and lessons learned on the process, you just won’t be able to read it. (For those that are still working their way through the book you have been warned.)

Anyway, with summer fast approaching, and the idea of a lot less on my plate, most of the things I am enjoying right now emphasize the word “fun” with only one little book reference in the list. (more…)
Share this:
Email
X
Facebook
WhatsApp
Pinterest
Reddit
Print
LinkedIn
Tumblr
Like Loading…
May 7, 2013

My Adventure in Self-Publishing: Curse All These Fonts!
I am haunted by fonts. While the characters in MAXIMILIAN STANDFORTH AND THE CASE OF THE DANGEROUS DARE are haunted by ghosts and other demonic surprises, I am haunted by the way an “a” can curve, and what each letter may or may not say about my story.

Yes, I have lost days, weeks, debating with myself the right kind of font to use for the book I am self-publishing. It has gotten so bad that some of the fonts are starting to take on personalities for me. For example:
- Times New Roman is the preppy know-it-all in school. The one you would swear at under your breath when they get a better grade than you.
- Verdana thinks it is mysterious (it is not).
- Palatino would dot its i’s with hearts if it could. It is that overly cute.
- Calibri… well… it is just dumb.
- Arial is a pampering old grandmother with stale hard candy in a dusty bowl. Yes, the best intentions are there, but you don’t want to eat them. Ew.
I’ve changed my manuscript again and again trying to find the one that best captures my book. Now the book is a Victorian period mystery (of course, that is not without including the experimental twists in it), so a font that feels a little dated would be nice. Yet, I don’t want to go too much in that regards. I don’t want to drive readers away as if they can feel the dust on the font and story. (more…)
Share this:
Email
X
Facebook
WhatsApp
Pinterest
Reddit
Print
LinkedIn
Tumblr
Like Loading…
April 24, 2013

My new book A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM is almost here! Only a few days left on the book giveaway!
On April 30, next Tuesday, my new novel A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM will be released!

It will be sold exclusively via amazon.com in both print and eBook. The price for the print version will be $14.99 but the eBook will be only $3.99. (Links will be suplied later.)

Also, there are only a few days left on the book giveaway for the novel on GoodReads.com (a really fun site for readers). Two lucky readers will win a free copy of my new novel! I hope you will consider entering, you can do so here.

To prepare for the release of the book and introduce the work to readers I’m writing a series of articles on this site around the creation and inspiration for this experimental, fun, and surprising novel. So far I have written two. They are “Braving Austen” and “Visiting Austen.” I hope you will check them out.

All her heroines find love in the end–but is there love waiting for Jane?

Jane Austen spends her days writing and matchmaking in the small countryside village of Steventon, until a ball at Godmersham Park propels her into a new world where she yearns for a romance of her own. But whether her heart will settle on a young lawyer, a clever Reverend, a wealthy childhood friend, or a mysterious stranger is anyone’s guess.

Written in the style of Jane herself, this novel ponders the question faced by many devoted readers over the years–did she ever find love? Weaving fact with fiction, it re-imagines her life, using her own stories to fill in the gaps left by history and showing that all of us–to a greater or lesser degree–are head over heels for Jane.

The countdown is almost over!
Share this:
Email
X
Facebook
WhatsApp
Pinterest
Reddit
Print
LinkedIn
Tumblr
Like Loading…
April 15, 2013

Two weeks left! What is A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM? A Book Giveaway.
On April 30 my new novel A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM will be released. It will be available from amazon in both print and eBook (I’ll share the links once they are up). At this time there is a book giveaway where two lucky winners will win a free copy of it on Good Reads. You can enter it by clicking here.

Also, over the remaining weeks, I’ll be writing posts on my experience around the book. The first post “Braving Austen” was released last week. You can read it here.

A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM stars Jane Austen, but this is a novel. Yes, it does have romance, but it is also a story about a writer finding their voice, creativity and inspiration. While I truly think the work has something special for fans of Austen (the Janeites and Austenites), if the book was only that… well… it wouldn’t be my book. In many ways, when I think of A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM, personally, I think of it as a love letter to literature, to books that we love and cherish. And because of that it includes many of the things I hold the most dear in reading- characters, surprises, wit, and something unique to experience. Unique?

More than unique, A JANE AUSTEN DAYDREAM has something very revolutionary in it. If you enjoy my posts, my fiction on this site, I hope you will check out the book. Trust me, I got something very new up my sleeve.

All her heroines find love in the end–but is there love waiting for Jane?

Jane Austen spends her days writing and matchmaking in the small countryside village of Steventon, until a ball at Godmersham Park propels her into a new world where she yearns for a romance of her own. But whether her heart will settle on a young lawyer, a clever Reverend, a wealthy childhood friend, or a mysterious stranger is anyone’s guess.

Written in the style of Jane herself, this novel ponders the question faced by many devoted readers over the years–did she ever find love? Weaving fact with fiction, it re-imagines her life, using her own stories to fill in the gaps left by history and showing that all of us–to a greater or lesser degree–are head over heels for Jane.

Again, you can enter the competition by just visiting this page. The competition runs through April 29.
Share this:
Email
X
Facebook
WhatsApp
Pinterest
Reddit
Print
LinkedIn
Tumblr
Like Loading…
April 1, 2013

A Book Giveaway! A Jane Austen Daydream is on GoodReads.com
I’m happy to announce that Madison Street Publishing has announced a book giveaway for my upcoming new novel A Jane Austen Daydream!

Two lucky winners will win copies of A Jane Austen Daydream!

To enter, simply visit this page here (http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/48730-a-jane-austen-daydream) and click on the “Enter to Win” button.

A Jane Austen Daydream is set for release in print and eBook on April 30. Here is the description of the work:

All her heroines find love in the end–but is there love waiting for Jane?

Jane Austen spends her days writing and matchmaking in the small countryside village of Steventon, until a ball at Godmersham Park propels her into a new world where she yearns for a romance of her own. But whether her heart will settle on a young lawyer, a clever Reverend, a wealthy childhood friend, or a mysterious stranger is anyone’s guess.

Written in the style of Jane herself, this novel ponders the question faced by many devoted readers over the years–did she ever find love? Weaving fact with fiction, it re-imagines her life, using her own stories to fill in the gaps left by history and showing that all of us–to a greater or lesser degree–are head over heels for Jane.

Again, you can enter the competition by just visiting this page. The competition runs through April 29.

Good luck!
Share this:
Email
X
Facebook
WhatsApp
Pinterest
Reddit
Print
LinkedIn
Tumblr
Like Loading…