Last year I took part in the Self Published Fantasy Blog Off (#SPFBO) organised by Mark Lawrence which proved to be very successful (I think) (more details here).

This year sees the return of the competition with 300 entries being received and distributed between the bloggers taking part (10 bloggers with 30 books each).  The details for this year, the entrants and other bloggers can be found here.  I’ve listed below my entries for the competition and will shortly be doing a separate post that will highlight the book covers for all 30 titles.  Following that – I will schedule an introductory post each month with the five books I’m hoping to take a look at for that month – this will be a description of the book.  At this stage I will not have read any of the books but simply wish to try and spotlight them.  At the end of the month I hope to do a short round up of the books for that month.  Last year I had a rather ad hoc approach to the books on my list and the order in which I read them.  This year I haven’t quite made up my mind whether to read the books in order or not but regardless my monthly introduction will highlight the books I’m planning to look at.  My aim is to check out 5 books a month (although this could go over or under depending on how successful each book is).

I can safely say that last year was a learning curve for me, I approached the SPFBO very much as a reviewer and not as a publisher whittling down a pile of submissions.  This year I aim to stick to a certain percentage of reading time for each book before I decide to move on – I want to be as fair as I possibly can to each of the books and give them a fair opportunity but at the same time I intend to trust my instincts and I really do intend to wear a ‘publisher hat’ in order to do so.   As it says in the title, and indeed this could be a slogan for the whole competition, ‘there can be only one’ and even though it’s possible I will enjoy a number of the submissions I can only put one book forward – it’s harsh but it’s also the objective.  I will also aim to keep notes on each of the books so that I can hopefully provide some form of constructive feedback (although I make no promises in that respect – I will try my best to do so but sometimes when I get caught up in reading my good intentions leave the building).  Any book that I read fully will receive a review (I fell down on this area last year and didn’t review a couple of my first round books that I completed – although I did review all 10 of the finalists, which is part of the undertaking the way I see it.  Even so, I do like to review the books I complete – this depends on time.  If I complete all five books in a given month then perhaps short reviews, for example.

Good luck to all of the entrants and thank you so much for taking part – it wouldn’t be such a great event without all of you and I’m really looking forward to reading the entries this year.  We had some really good books last year and I hope the same goes for this year too!  Finally, thanks to Mark Lawrence for organising all of this :D.

Let the festivities commence – may the best book win and in the words (almost) of Tolkien:

“One book to rule them all’

My entrants:

Daniel Potter – Off Leash
Jen Greyson – Lightning Rider
R.A. Meenan – Stolen Guardian
Bobbi Schemerhorn – Mechanical Dragons: Fire & Water
Greg Little – Unwilling Souls
F.T. McKinstry – Outpost
Moses Siregar III – The Ninth Wind
Michael DeAngelo – The Fall
Gwynn White – Rebel’s Honor – to be reviewed 
Kristy Tate – Beyond the Fortuneteller’s Tent
Wilson Geiger – Ash & Flame
Xina Marie Uhl & Janet Loftis – The Ruling Elite and Other Stories
John March – Vergence
Ros Jackson – Melody of Demons
Jaclyn Dolamore – The Vengeful Half
Douglas Milewski – All the Saints are Dead
Joseph J. Bailey – Soul Stealer
Terra Lorin – Avadonya: Rescuing Pavra
Aidan J. Reid – Pathfinders
Jennifer Ealey – Bronze Magic
Jon Kiln – Assassin’s Quest
Will Collins – A Darker Shade of Sorcery
Peter Ravlich – The Fallen Shepherd Saga
Kat Parrish – Bride of the Midnight King
A.G Stewart – Loose Changeling
Robin Lythgoe – As the Crow Flies
Erica Converso – Into the Sky
Ashley Capes – The Amber Isle
Christina Maharaj – The Tarot Cards
Trip Ellington – Evermage