Out with 2016 and Hello 2017!

Yes, its that time again. First day of the new year.  Time to shut the door on the old year and prepare to welcome in the new.  Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words turned 5 and got a whole new look!  We added reviewers and content hoping to provide more reviews as well as author and narrator interviews, giveaways and much more for all our readers.  I hope we’ve succeeded.

2016 held such promise.  LGBTQIA rights moved forward in the courts with marriage equality, transgender equality gaining ground in many states as laws were passed to protect peoples rights to live and love as they saw fit.  And so many of our stories reflected that hope and societal change.  It was wonderful and uplifting.  I loved reading about couples getting engaged and married while remembering stories reflected a reality not that long ago where that was not a possiblity.

Then came the elections.  Shock, disbelief, numbness,and so much more. Now we face an uncertain 2017 with a very different minded administration.  What will 2017 bring for the LGBTQIA community and the rest of us? And how quickly will we see that uncertainty and wide ranging emotions translated into our stories?  Will it be in our contemporary stories, science fiction, alternate universe or everything the authors can imagine and pour into their tales?  I can’t wait to read what 2017 will bring us with novels and short stories.

2016 saw the rapid rise of the audiobook as we mentioned during our month long series  where we interviewed audiobook narrators, authors and listeners.  This format is still rising in popularity and our reviews (and number of them) certainly reflect that.  We hope to be interviewing more narrators and talking more about this format in the coming year.  Do you have a favorite narrator?  Let us know and we’ll see if we can get them in for an interview!

We left off our Book Format series with the publishers view of  ebook publishing – how far its come, how its changed and where they think its going.  We hope to get back to that in 2017.

As we announced yesterday, several publishers are closing their houses.  All Romance is closed as of yesterday.  Torquere Press is closing but getting information about that is harder as all most people have is a message from the owners.  If you have more information, please let us  know so we can update our information to all our readers.  It would be greatly appreciated.

On the positive front, Samhain Publishing which once thought it would be closing, is staying open.  Great news for all.  Don’t forget to check them out as they now have over 2500 titles available to choose from.

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words also started our Flash Fiction Writing Month.  That will continue in 2017, although not in contest form.  Look to see it again towards the end of the year as it was this time.

So many thoughts swirling and scattered about in my head….not unusual this first day of the year.  It will take more than a day to process it all.  Look for my ramblings to continue each Sunday this month as we reflect back and forward on 2016 and 2017.  STRW will also be taking a look at our favorite stories and covers, reviewer by reviewer.  Today we start off with Barb the Zany Old Lady’s favorite covers and stories of 2016.  How do they match up with yours?  Have you missed some?  Start  your TBRandMissed List now!

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Best of 2016

 From Our Reviewers!

 

Barb the Zany Old Lady’s Top Ten of 2016 (in no particular order)

Top 5 Covers:

• Empty Net by Avon Gale– cover by Aaron Anderson
• Wolfsong by T.J. Kllune – cover by Reese Dante
• A Second Harvest by Eli Easton – cover by Bree Archer
• Enjoy the Dance by Heidi Cullinan – cover by Kanaxa
• Clickbait by E.J. Russell – cover by L.C. Chase

*****

 Top Books & Audiobooks released in 2016:

Wolfsong by TJ Klune audiobook narrated by Kirt Graves

Absolution by Sloane Kennedy audiobook narrated by Joel Leslie

Dinner at Fiorelli’s by Rick R. Reed audiobook narrated by Joel Leslie

How to be a Normal Person by TJ Klune audiobook narrated by Derrick McClain

A Second Harvest by Eli Easton

Blank Spaces by Cass Lennox

Beyond the Sea by Keira Andrews

Enjoy the Dance by Heidi Cullinan

Tied Up in Knots by Mary Calmes

Empty Net by Avon Gale

If you’re adding to your TBR pile, keep going with some of the books we’ve reviewed this week.   From Amy Lane’s The Virgin Manny to Tara Lain’s Death Dancer to Tal Bauer’s Interlude: First Noel in his outstanding series, The Executive Office, to Falling Down by Eli Easton, there’s something for everyone this week.  Have a happy New Year’s Day everyone!

This Week in 2017 at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, January 1, 2017 🎉 Happy New Years!:

• Out with 2016 and Hello 2017 and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
• Release Blitz  Tour – Amelia Faulkner’s Lord of Ravens (giveaway)
• A Free Dreamer Review:O/s by Jane Davitt and Alexa Snow
• A MelanieM Release Day Review: The Virgin Manny (The Mannies #1) by Amy Lane

Monday, January 2:

• Release Day Blitz for A Collision with Reality by Storm Duffy
• Tour: From the Ashes by Xen Sanders (excerpt and giveaway)
• Release Day Blitz for Oops Caught by Alli Reshi
• A Jeri Review: Wolf in League by AF Henley
• A Lila Review: Interlude: First Noel by Tal Bauer
• A PaulB  Review: Interlude: First Noel by Tal Bauer
• An Alisa Review: Honey Trap by Fyn Alexander

Tuesday, January 3:

• Release Blitz & Review Tour – Suki Fleet’s Light Up The Dark
• DSP GUEST POST Avon Gale on “Whiskey Business“
• A Jeri Review: Death Dancer (Dangerous Dancers #2) by Tara Lain
• A MelanieM Review: The Next Competitor by Keira Andrews
• A Paul B Review: Warrior Wolf and His Little Lamb (Pariah Pack #3) by Susan Laine
• An Ali Review: A Collision with Reality by Storm Duffy

Wednesday, January 4:

• Release Blitz Tour – Clare London’s Chase The Ace (London Lads #1)
• A Free Dreamer Review: Crush by Caitlin Ricci
• RIPTIDE TOUR: Assassins: Nemesis by Erica Cameron
• A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Saving Silas by S.J. Himes and Derrick McClain (Narrator)
• A Jeri Review: Heart’s Gamble By S.J. Frost
• A Lila Release Day Review: I Love You More Than Pierogi (World of Love) by K.A. Merikan
• A Stella Review: Falling Down by Eli Easton
• An Alisa Release Day Review: A Coal Miner’s Son by TA Chase

Thursday, January 5:

• DSP GUEST POST C.L. Etta
• DSP GUEST POST F.E. Feeley Jr on “The Haunting of Timber Manor“
• A Lila Review: Tartan Candy by KC Burn
• A Paul B Review: Henning Box Set by Hayden Thorne
• A Stella Review:  Idlewild by Jude Sierra
• An Alisa Review: Under the Mistletoe by Shawn Bailey

Friday, January 6:

• Cover Reveal for Fireballs by Tara Lain
• AE VIA BLOG SPOT on Nothing Special
• DSP GUEST POST Taylor V. Donovan on “Six Degrees of Lust“
• A Caryn Review:  Alpha Barman by Sue Brown
• A Lila Review: Nothing Special V by AE Via
• An Ali Release Day Review: Block & Strike by Kelly Jensen
• An Alisa Review:  Defrosting Jack by Susan Laine

Saturday, January  7:

• Release Blitz for Kayleigh Sky’s Doll Baby
• DSP GUEST POST Thianna Durston on “Vespar“
• An Ali Audiobook Review: Merry Christmas, Mr. Miggles by Eli Easton