Farewell Authonomy, How I’ll Miss You

Credit image: http://www.theindependentpublishingmagazine.com/

I’m sad to say that Authonomy officially closes today. Last month, I received an email from the site stating that they’re closing it down. To say I was shocked would be an understatement.

I mean, I’ve been a member for three years and seven months. Stuck it through the revamp, made some good friends and read some great stories. Some of which deserved to reach the editor’s desk. While others, no less deserving was so far away from the numbers needed. Because it was a popularity contest. And not completely on the storytelling laurels of the book itself.

Granted the reason of the closure is because the community has gotten smaller. And publishing titles from the site has slowed. Those are their words, not mine. But my two cents say the revamp contributed to the loss of members and dwindling community. Which is too bad. As I said before, I’d met and befriended some nice people (although most of them are now no longer users on the site 😦 ). And read some good books along the way.

So in thanks for a good three years, although I was practically a ghost appearing hear and there the past year or so. I’d like to give a shout out to some amazing writers and work(s). And where you can find them.

As for the friends I’ve made, I’ll be following them through their blogs. As well as Facebook , Google+ or Pinterest. Twitter is not an option as I’ve hit my following limit

Alright, getting back to my shout out, the following titles are from my bookshelf and my watchlist, aka my favorites. And they’re not in order:

An alternate earth(s)? Check. A female teen detective? Check. So, Katty King and The Man From Another Earth by Mike Dwyer, when will you be published, so that other readers can enjoy you as much as I did?

Morgan’s a carpenter-slash-dragon slayer. So why is he traveling with an elf, a wizard and a knight, on the run and dragged into a conspiracy, all just to protect a baby dragon? Can’t wait until, Nobody’s Knight by G. M. Atwater, is published one day so I can read the rest of the story and find out.

Credit image: Authonomy/G.M. Atwater

The Secret Legend by Lyle Ven is a portal fantasy, about a boy who travels to another world. Learns he has powers and might be a descendant of druids. Druids who might’ve originally crossed over from the world he’s transported to.

Credit image: Wattpad/Lyle Ven

The Withering by Joshua Jacobs is a dystopian novel about a girl who is a carrier for a disease. Yet somehow is immune to it. She just might possibly be the cure but she’s in hiding from the Church and anyone else who might be after her.

Credit image: Goodreads

Ever wonder what happened to the humans after the great flood from Noah’s Ark? Well, The Ark of Humanity by Scott Justin Toney, is a dark underwater tale of those descendants. A tale of water dwellers whose current civilization is decimated by by warmongers. And their salvation rests on a young boy who was able to escape to the land above and learned to breathe air.

Credit image: Goodreads

A princess loses her country, her parents and brother but doesn’t know how she can save them. Does she cry? No, instead she joins up with pirates to save them and even fights against a dragon. Valiant by Ali Schanbacher

Forever Halloween by Kelli Billings is a young adult story where the main character is the school freak. But that’s not hard to be when she’s the only human in a school full of vampires, fae, werewolves, etc. Seems to me that there was a sequel, but it never happened.

In Lord Seeks Wife by Emma Barnaby, the bumbling lord in a quaint English town puts an ad in the paper for a wife. Just to get his mother off his back. But it blows up in his face and rocks their quiet, little community, when his younger, handsome brother decides to take over the search. And runs it like a reality TV series sans TV crew.

Soft Comes the Wolf by Tone Martin is a crime and religious thriller worthy of Dan Brown. And told from the point of view of a Vatican Swiss Guard.

Credit image: Pinterest board

This one used to be on Authonomy but was taken down by its author. But if you like fantasy stories a la Conan the Barbarian, then Tribesman is the book for you!

Credit image: Goodreads

The Siren’s Lyric by Phil Pharington is about a mage trying her best to protect the town that distrusts her. The man she loves and herself from the witch in the forest. Who is the source of the evil enchantments and dark magic plaguing the area.

Credit image: authorphilpartington.wordpress.com

The Governess by Ellise C. Weaver, is a historical romance about a governess who falls in love with the children she’s charged to look after. And their father, Lord Huntington.

Credit image: http://elliseweaver.weebly.com/

There are two other novels/authors I’d like to give a shout out to. Unfortunately I don’t remember the titles of their books or the author’s names. But once I’ve read something, I always remember how the story goes. If any of these story lines sound familiar, please let me know:

• An Indian(?) mythology novel co-written by a husband and wife. A man comes to town on an undercover mission, meets and falls for a young woman. He’s of noble and magical birth and she’s not. Her younger brother later becomes traumatized, after witnessing the death of his friends by dark magic. In order to be with her, heal her brother and save the town, he needs a powerful ally. Little do they know they share a great destiny. And a vengeful god is willing to do anything to keep them apart.
• A woman uses her telekinetic powers (mostly sees visions by touch) to aid the FBI in finding criminals/killers. Her latest stint ended up with an ax to her shoulder and ousted in the media. She wants to take a break from it all. But is lured in again when her publisher uses his dinner party as pretense for her to meet a man who desperately needs her help. The man, a travel writer, lost contact with his sister who has gotten herself involved with some dangerous people. The police refuse to help. All but one who believes that something sinister is going on in his city. So the hunt is on, for the psychic, her sister, the travel writer, the cop and his partner, to find the missing sister and stay alive.

Are you an Authonomy member? How do you feel about it’s closure? Are you on any other writing community and critique group sites? Did you like it? Have you ever left one and why?