The Earth Shifter Review & Feature Fest

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Amazon Kindle, author interview, Author Lada Ray, Barnes&Noble, book reviews, books by Lada Ray, Catharsis Legend of the Lemurians, Gold Train, Goodreads, Green Desert, indie authors, Smashwords, Stepford USA, The Earth Shifter, YouTube

Hello everyone! In October 2012 I did a Book Review Fest where I shared my new reviews of several awesome books by fellow indie authors. The Review Fest 1 became so popular that I decided to continue the tradition. As many of you know, my new release, fantasy/thriller THE EARTH SHIFTER, has received some very nice reviews in the past couple of months. Also, it is coming out as paperback on or after March 18th, which will be a pre-launch release: the official book launch is in April. The paperback will feature excerpts from the best and most interesting reviews The Earth Shifter has received so far.

I’m very grateful to all those who took the time and effort to not only read my book, but also post a thoughtful and honest review. Many of these reviews put a smile on my face and warmed my heart because their authors have captured the very essence of the story. All the reviews were fabulous and rich in material, and I had a hard time choosing which reviews, and which excerpts, to include. But due to space limitations, I had to make some hard choices.

Today, I want to honor all of my first reviewers by posting excerpts from their reviews, the links to their original websites and blogs, as well as other sources, where the full reviews can be found. The excerpts below have been selected for the inclusion in THE EARTH SHIFTER paperback Praise Section, as well as on the back cover. You will notice that one of the review excerpts below is longer than the others. That is because its author, Sofia Siberia, is the very first reviewer of The Earth Shifter, and also, because her review hits on so many great points that resonate deeply with the book’s message and intent.

For those who have missed my recent author interviews and features, I am also including the links below. What I especially love about these pieces is that they are all so different, reflecting varying personalities and interests of my interviewers, while working in concert to lift the veil of secrets, big and small, and complimenting each other quite wonderfully. Check out these one-of-a-kind and cool interviews (and this not an exaggeration!), which will shed additional light on the characters, settings, and the wild, wild ride that was the creation of this “cosmic adventure thriller,” as author J.J. Collins has called it!

Before we begin, a want to share some breaking news:

As you may have noticed from the image above, the front cover of THE EARTH SHIFTER has received a face lift based on my publisher’s guidance. I really like the new cover and I think it will showcase the book even better! This will be the cover we’ll use for both the paperback and ebook editions.

Also, just to mention, my birthday is coming up and to celebrate it, I’m starting a Read and Review Program. Anyone interested in reading and reviewing any of my books, including The Earth Shifter, Gold Train, Stepford USA, Catharsis & Green Desert, will receive respective ebooks for free. See the full list of my books here. The details of the Read and Review will be announced in a couple of days both here and on Goodreads, and it will be accompanied by a new, awesome giveaway, as well as other goodies! Please stay tuned!

Without further ado, The Earth Shifter Review & Feature Fest!

Check out these wonderful recent INTERVIEWS & FEATURES:

Feng Shui, Fidel Castro & Fascinating Predictions! An Interview with Lada Ray! - Title says is all. One-of-a-kind interview conducted by author & blogger Rohan Healy, Rohan7things blog!

Interview with Author Lada Ray - A very different, witty and spunky chat conducted by spiritual blogger Madeline Walsh, 1EarthUnite blog!

Interview with the Author: Lada Ray – a detailed and fun talk conducted by Michala of Bitemybook.com

Author Spotlight: Lada Ray - A cool piece, where M.C. O’Neill, the Author of The Ancients and the Angels, is discussing The Earth Shifter & Catharsis (Legend of the Lemurians). Includes reviews!

The Earth Shifter and yours truly have also been discussed in this cool radio/video interview: Ancients & Spirits: Author M.C. O’Neill on the Vinny Eastwood Show

Last, but certainly not least, I’m delighted to announce that I will also be a guest on the Vinny Eastwood Show at 6pm EST on March 18th, all thanks to Mark O’Neill’s glowing introduction, for which I’m eternally grateful! Tune in to listen on the American Freedom Radio or watch it at  vinnyeastwoodshow.com and guerillamedia.co.nz.  I will also post the show on LadaRay Youtube channel and here, on my blog, a few days after. Please tune in to listen, ask questions and comment! Hope you enjoy it, and please stop by to let me know what you think!

And now, the reviews!

5 Stars - “Lada Ray’s The Earth Shifter is the easiest five star review I’ve done in a long time, I loved and was captivated by the story right from he beginning. The parallels with so much of what is happening in the world today, and so many other detailed aspects give believability to this well crafted, wonderful story. My only complaint is that it is a trilogy and I have to wait till the end of 2013 to find out what happens next.”—Paulette Mahurin, Author – The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap (California) 

5 Stars - “The best book I’ve read in two years! Warning: Lada Ray knows more about human nature than Gandhi himself! Read The Earth Shifter and you’ll see a new definition to YA fantasy.” —M.C. O’Neill, Author – The Ancients and the Angels (Chicago, USA)

5 Stars - “Fantastic new young adult fiction! I finished The Earth Shifter 3 nights ago and it has been on my mind since. The characters and plot have stuck with me and I eagerly await the next installment. As I was reading a book set primarily in Russia about comets striking the Earth, what should happen but a comet should strike Russia! That was crazy and gave the book a whole new level of intrigue!” —Rohan Healy, Author, Blogger (Ireland)

5 Stars - “If you could read just one book this year, seriously consider The Earth Shifter! This metaphysical fantasy/thriller is simply one of the most compelling stories you’ll find. Author Lada Ray expertly weaves a tale about the consequences that mankind’s insanity has upon the world. The adventure is all-encompassing and epic in scope, and the author mindfully balances multiple story lines where the characters play a very crucial role in the outcome. It’s a real eye-opening, earth-shifting experience for sure!”—Madeline Walsh, Blogger (New York)

5 Stars - “A cosmic adventure thriller that will take the reader through history and across continents. The plot moves along quickly, introducing each key character and sub-plot with precision timing. An awesome, fast-paced, original storyline with exceptional twists that will leave you breathless and wanting more. The book is outstandingly researched and a marvel of creativity. It contains the perfect mix of history, fact, fiction and creative imagination at its best.”—J.J. Collins, Author – James Madison, The Father of the Constitution (London, UK)

5 Stars - “A hypnotizing novel which moves with deeply ingrained subplots. It serves up juicy portions of a storyline you will be begging to finish reading. A book that is hard to put down…because it is more complex than you can imagine…the next page must be turned… MUST BE… And just when you think you know all the essentials, Lada interrupts your story with an added element, perfectly knitted into the world of Sasha and the Key. I wouldn’t hold this novel to being just a YA because it is perfectly suited for the adults as well. Most all of characters were easy to grab onto and hold close. Final Verdict: 10/10.”—Bite My Book Reviews

5 Stars - “Tolkien, move over, another Russian has hit the deck running. Must read!”—Nanakulikane Reviews (Hawaii) – see this review on Amazon

5 Stars - “The Earth Shifter is a rich cocktail of amazing ingredients with the two core, and most delicious components being, the mystical realm of Lake Baikal in Siberia, as well as the Prophecy of the Key. The author covers a wide range of interests from history and legends, to mysticism, prophecy and origins of humanity. There are elements of a spy thriller set against the glamorous backdrop of modern Moscow and New York.

My family is originally from Siberia, and I was mesmerized by the beautiful descriptions of indigenous Siberia, including shamanism, ancient history, Tunguska Meteorite explosion, local village life. The author Lada Ray is a unique mysterious encyclopedia in herself! Her writing style is inimitable and her esoteric knowledge is impressive. While reading the book, I just couldn’t help but wonder how one person can possibly know all that!

The unexpected twists and turns, amazing flashbacks, stand-out characters and unforgettable settings all fold into an astonishing kaleidoscope of events and a mystically-integrated message. Every new chapter is an escalating suspense, and every new piece of information is an introduction to another, even more gripping revelation. The Earth Shifter will keep you thrilled, intrigued and glued to the next page. You’ll wish you could finish your chores ASAP so you could absorb yourself in reading again. The book brings modern present and ancient past into a fantastic unity, being prophetic, revealing, casting lights on the shadowy preliminaries and the shifting destinies of humankind.

The Earth Shifter will literally “shift” your consciousness, for, after reading it, the world as you see it will never be the same again! I’m endlessly happy I discovered Lada Ray’s books and got to know her as a writer!” —Sofia Siberia, Blogger (Russia/ Ukraine/ Lebanon)

5 Stars - “World-enriching spiritual journey filled with drama and excitement! Another impressive thriller. Ms. Ray artfully puts the pieces in place, building the suspense steadily until the reader is fully encompassed. The Earth Shifter has incredible scope. It combines geopolitics, spirituality, cultural depth and, perhaps most of all, the idea that it is the relationships we form, how we treat each other, that is so important to the healing of the planet.” —Jason Sullivan, Author – Rahala, An Ascension Odyssey (USA)

4.5 Stars - ”A complex tale with a great cast of characters. A great YA thriller that is sure to please. I think adult readers will enjoy it as much.” Kate Farrell - The Kindle Book Review & katesreads.com (USA)

Also, many thanks to authors George Wensley (UK), Darlene Foster (Canada) and Guy Portman (UK) for their lovely 5 and 4 star reviews!

You can also read these reviews & more on:

Amazon     B&N     Goodreads     Smashwords   

See book extras on Shelfari

THE EARTH SHIFTER characters/settings/themes/news/excerpts

Stay tuned to the Read and Review Program! Coming next week!

Related articles

• THE EARTH SHIFTER Plot Playing out in Real Time: Massive Meteor Rocks Russia! (ladaray.wordpress.com)
• Ancients & Spirits: Author Mark O’Neil on the Vinny Eastwood Show (ladaray.wordpress.com)
• The Earth Shifter & Gold Train Paperback Preview (ladaray.wordpress.com)
• My Favorite EARTH SHIFTER Themes & Characters: Fantasy, History, Geopolitics, Metaphysics (ladaray.wordpress.com)
• Feng Shui, Fidel Castro & Fascinating Predictions! An Interview with Lada Ray! (rohan7things.wordpress.com)
• Interview with Lada Ray (1earthunite.wordpress.com)
• Book Review – The Earth Shifter by Lada Ray (rohan7things.wordpress.com)
• Happy Birthday to Me and Award Party 2013! (ladaray.wordpress.com)
• The Earth Shifter Review & Feature Fest (ladaray.wordpress.com)

THE EARTH SHIFTER Plot Playing out in Real Time: Massive Meteor Rocks Russia!

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Asteroid hits Earth, Author Lada Ray, Chelyabinsk, Comet of Karma, eyewitness videos, RT, Russia, Russia Today, Russian Meteor Shower, Russian Meteor Videos, Siberia, The Earth Shifter, Tunguska event, Tunguska Meteorite explosion, Ural Mountains, YouTube

I received a flood of emails and tweets with messages like, “Hey, does this remind you of anything?” and “Is this like The Earth Shifter plot?” Yes, it is like the plot of THE EARTH SHIFTER materializing in front of our very eyes. Exactly as described, just like it happened in Siberia in 1908, or just like it could happen again – but a little ahead of schedule, so to speak…

In 1908, the Tunguska Meteorite explosion in the remote Podkamennaya Tunguska region of Siberia rocked the world. This historic event has become the fantasy/scifi premise for THE EARTH SHIFTER. Read more about it.

And this just happened in the Chelyabinsk region of the Ural Mountains, which is the dividing point between the European part of Russia and Siberia.

According to Russia Today (RT):

“It’s not been quite average morning in Russia. People in the Urals region have seen burning objects raining down from the sky after a meteorite exploded above the Earth.
MORE INFO & PHOTOS: http://on.rt.com/qn2v57“

I’m happy to say that there were no deaths and all the injuries received were treatable, based on reports. That’s a big relief.

Russians have obviously embraced the 21st Century very thoroughly, as a myriad of spectacular videos of the meteor and its aftermath were captured by various web cams, dash cams, cell phones, and CCTV installed in cars, trucks, offices, parking lots, and even schools.

Witness how it happened! Watch these incredible eye-witness Youtube videos, courtesy RT. Click on each video to watch!

Massive Meteor Rocks Russia

Huge Hole as Russian Meteor Smashes into Icy Lake

Apocalypse Now? The meteor report

Russian meteor explosion: Spectacular dash cam video

Skyfall: Hundreds injured as meteorite wreaks havoc in Russia’s Urals

Planet Earth escapes asteroid Armageddon

Tired of characters you don’t care about? Want to read an intensely moving fantasy cleverly intertwined with true historic events? Want to immerse yourself in the new, rich and fascinating world, with surprises and revelations at every turn?

THE EARTH SHIFTER is for you!

The meteor that broke up over the Urals today, hurtling its pieces down on the unsuspecting city, was only the size of the kitchen table. The meteor (or asteroid) that just missed Planet Earth by 17,000 miles (not much by the Cosmic standards), was 155 feet long! See the last video above.

The Comet of Karma described in THE EARTH SHIFTER is much, much larger. It’s roughly the size of the Island of Manhattan, akin to the size of the Comet that ended the dominion of the once mighty Dinosaurs on our planet (what happened to the Dinosaurs would be described in the upcoming Earth Keepers Chronicles: Origins – April release). Watching all these videos, I can’t help but ask the question raised in the book: Will the Earth Keepers interfere, saving the day again? Read Excerpt

read THE EARTH SHIFTER Ebook NOW!

Barnes & Noble Nook     Smashwords

Amazon US   UK   CA   DE   ES   IT   FR   JP   BR  

Paperback coming in April!

More about THE EARTH SHIFTER:

Goodreads page    Shelfari page   LadaRay site

Meet My Wonderful Lily Cat

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Author Lada Ray, beautiful cat pictures, Bodhi Tree, calico cat, cat lovers, cat photos, Gautama Buddha, Gold Train, Lily Cat, Meditation, pets, Stepford USA, YouTube

Lily is very loving, beautiful, smart and fluffy, and I love her with all my heart. She co-starred in Stepford USA, and made her appearance in Gold Train as the super-intelligent and sassy cat, Princess Lily. She also starred in my YouTube video, Enchanted Halloween, as the Halloween Cat. Despite these lofty credentials, Lily Cat likes simple pleasures of life.

Lily and I, when we were just a notch younger

Us again, today

Hello, I am the official greeter

Lily’s famous ‘white paw pedestal pose’ featured in Stepford USA

And another version of the same pose

This carpet is very comfortable

Lily, this famous master of meditation, can meditate anywhere, even in the kitchen

Meditation over, time to go

Under the Bodhi Tree. A great place to relax, Buddha style

The Bodhi Tree meditation

I want my privacy, please!

Time for a nap

Lily: a portrait

Another rendition

Lily of the garden

The best hiding spot

A cozy spot by the warm heater on a cold winter day

What wouldn’t I do for a nice meal!

Time to say goodbye. See you again soon!

How to Make a Book Trailer

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Amazon, Author Lada Ray, book promotion, book trailer, classical music, Film, Gold Train, Goodreads, Green Desert, images, indie authors, movie trailer, music, nature videos, photography, Shutterstock, Smashwords, Social Media, Stepford USA, trailer, United States, video, Windows Movie Maker, YouTube

Authors traditionally rely on writing to spread the word about their books. Yet they often overlook videos as a fabulous promotional tool. Trailers historically have been reserved for movies. But with the advent of Social Media, it became possible to make book trailers at low or no cost.

A book trailer adds an extra dimension and visibility to the promotion of your book. And in our competitive world, we, authors, should use every advantage we can get. This, visual dimension can be quite valuable. A book trailer can be posted on your YouTube channel, website, author Amazon and Smashwords pages, Goodreads, as well as a number of other places.

I know, I know. You think it’s too hard. It actually isn’t, but there is a learning curve – a rather steep one. One point I want to make is that the trailer doesn’t need to be overly complicated. For example, you don’t need to make it into a movie, unless you like that kind of thing. It is very effective to use pictures/photos, together with a snappy narrative and suitable background music. This is my preferred way of making a trailer, but of course, use your imagination and let your creativity tell you what works for you and your book. Sky is the limit!

I estimate the learning curve for making a trailer at about 50-60 hours. So, if you can’t afford to dedicate this much time to learning about movie and trailer making, than you are better off delegating this task to someone else.

But if you are up for the challenge, here is what you need to know.

First, you need to start a YouTube channel. It’s easy to sign up and setting it up takes no more than half an hour.

Mine is called Lada Ray Channel and for now, I keep it simple. So far, I’ve made 4 book trailers and a bunch of nature/Halloween videos. But I may expand my channel in the future, time permitting.

Take a look at my channel here: http://www.youtube.com/user/LadaRay/videos

Once you’ve set up your Youtube channel and learned the ropes, you can start making your book trailer. Estimated time for each trailer: 5-10 hours.

Here is what you will need:

1. Find and upload on your computer a movie maker software. Google it. There are several that are free, including Windows Movie Maker. Of course, you can also pay for a more sophisticated version.

2. Think about the theme and flow of your trailer. I love this part! It’s like directing your own movie. I usually write down the narrative for each frame and visualize what kind of picture would work with it.

3. Write out the narrative. Don’t overwhelm your trailer with text though. Remember, you are making a movie, not writing a book. It’s supposed to be snappy, entertaing, and a feast for ALL the senses.

4. Gather enough images to be used in your trailer before you begin. My advice, have plenty of extras. You can always discard the ones you decided not to use. It is much better than coming short while in the middle of your trailer-making process.

To find the images, go to a website like Shutterstock, where you can purchase royalty-free photos inexpensively.

I love photography, so whenever I can, I use my own pics for trailers and videos.

5. Find the music that works with your trailer. You can purchase a piece of music online, or use a royalty-free piece that is past its copyright. These are usually classics. A word of warning: classics are great if they go with your topic and presentation. But I sometimes see pieces that are completely mismatched. Try your music for size before applying it.

For example, check out my STEPFORD USA trailer.

The music used is a classic: Second Waltz by Russian composer, Dmitry Shostakovich, written in the 1940s. And it works very well with this particular piece.

6. After you’ve assembled all the elements, the real fun begins! Upload your images into frames, add text and music! Enjoy!

TIPS:

1. To make my videos look and feel more professional, I usually play with extending or narrowing time frames depending on how long I want every image to linger.

Check out my GOLD TRAIN  trailer.

Notice how the music changes and highs emphasize the narrative and work with images?

2. Always fit your music to frame. Otherwise it will be too long or too short. This will make it look sloppy and unprofessional.

Check out my videos:

Enchanted Autumn  and  Amazing Autumn Meditation

to see how the music precisely matches the length of the video. Unfortunately, not every video has this, resulting in a period of silence or a cut off piece.

3. YouTube offers some very cool video enhancement tools, like color enhancement, moving frames and text, etc. I used some of them in my videos. See if you can spot what enhancements I used in the following trailers and videos:

GOLD TRAIN  trailer

STEPFORD USA trailer

Autumn Waltz of the Ducks

Amazing Autumn Meditation

Enchanted Autumn

Humorous Enchanted Halloween

These video enhancement tools are great fun and I enjoy playing with them. Word of caution: make sure they work with your particular piece! And sometimes less is more.

Good Luck! If you decide to make a book trailer or if you already have one, feel free to post a comment together with the link!

P.S. When you set up a YouTube channel, make sure you subscribe to Lada Ray Channel and let me know about it. I’ll be glad to reciprocate!

Copyright Lada Ray, 2012

My Beautiful Nature Walk

Tags

Amazon, Author Lada Ray, beauty, book giveaway, book reviews, Catskill Mountains, E-book, Gold Train, mystery thriller, nature photography, nature walk, New York, paperback, photography, Rail Trail, Soviet Union, Twitter, Upstate NY, YouTube

This post features original photography by author Lada Ray. 

First, a few quick announcements: Today, May 6, is the last day of the GOLD TRAIN  BLOG TOUR, and I want to thank all my gracious blog hosts and readers for a truly wonderful experience! I enjoyed all the interviews, reviews and new friendships very, very much!

Today is also the end of the GOLD TRAIN Giveaway on Lada Ray Blog. Giving away 2 Gold Train ebooks. This is the last chance to participate! Please check it out here! Two lucky winners will be announced at 8 p.m. tonight on this blog and on Twitter. I’ll also send both winners Twitter DMs with further instructions.

Finally, today is the last day to download GOLD TRAIN ebook on Amazon for $0.99 or the European equivalents. Tomorrow, the price will be $2.99 (reg. $3.99) – Mothers Day Sale. Buy ebook here.

GOLD TRAIN paperback is now on sale for only $9.99 till May 13 as Mothers Day Promotion. Regular price is $14.95. Buy GOLD TRAIN paperback here.

Happy reading and see you on pages of my books!

Now, without further ado, today’s post:

Sunday. Today, I was supposed to post my new piece, FACT AND FICTION IN GOLD TRAIN… but something in me rebelled against that. So I decided that I would do this very important article on May 12, as a follow up to the GOLD TRAIN Blog Tour. Also, another follow up, THE COOL, THE ORIGINAL AND THE CONTROVERSIAL, will appear on this blog on 5/9.  See the GOLD TRAIN Blog Tour Schedule.

But today… the sun is shining brightly, the air smells like honey and freshly cut grass. So, my husband and I decided to get our camera and embark on a lovely nature adventure instead. We are surrounded by some wonderful nature here, in the Western Catskills. And it’s actively awakening now. Spring comes late to the northern NY State, but finally it’s here! My goal is to capture on camera its joyful awakening!

In keeping with the GOLD TRAIN theme, we decided to take the Rail Trail, a defunct rail road turned walking nature trail, which connects many towns in our area.

I am inviting you to share our today’s nature walk! Enjoy the images I’ve captured along the way, including the giant fields of sunny dandelions, the beautiful horses, graceful geese, local farms and colorful chickens, and of course, the mountains.

This is just a primer. I will be doing a bigger post: Spring in the Catskills, and a YouTube video later. Stay tuned!

New GOLD TRAIN Book Trailer – new dramatic score!

Tags

action, Barnes & Noble Nook, book trailer, CULTURE: Russia, geopolitical thriller, Gold Reserve of the Russian Empire, Gold Train, historic mystery, Jade Snow, Jade Snow International Adventure Series, Moscow, mystery thriller, romance, Russia Adventure, Saint Petersburg, spy thriller, suspense, trailer, World Heritage Site, YouTube