Burgold Posted April 1, 2017 Author Share Posted April 1, 2017 An hour and a half to go until the book goes live. The interview was fun. It turned out to be a roundtable of sorts with two authors and a host. We talked about our books and writing journey for an hour, plus each gave a reading from the work. Interestingly, there was a small spike in sales for A Halo of Mushrooms after the interview. As I love both books, I'm cool with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted April 1, 2017 Author Share Posted April 1, 2017 The paperback and ebook are live! Thanks to everyone who helped. If you do read it or have read it please let me know what you think... and if you're up for it please add a Goodreads/Amazon review! https://www.amazon.com/Climbing-Stock-Andrew-Hiller-ebook/dp/B01N5US02T/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491023222&sr=8-1&keywords=a+climbing+stock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted April 2, 2017 Author Share Posted April 2, 2017 Hey, one day in and I've already gotten reviews. One of them isn't even from a friend. Five stars! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34076711-a-climbing-stock Brad rated it it was amazing · What a pleasant surprise! I expected a retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk but I didn't expect it to drill down this deep or have quite this much traditional Fantasy adventure including so many dragons and cows and amazingly powerful Corporate Giants getting involved in the whole sordid mess of losing an economic empire.What? Yeah! Economic empire and boardroom situations and fire-breathing battles! Not to mention great wordplay and situational humor. I'll never forget the whole sequence of the Prince and the great artist Buck that depicted the great Kingdom's White House and the portrait of his father George Washington. Seriously. There's a whole lot of Bull in this book. Literally. Or should I say that the golden calf and the religion it has spawned is a true delight? Or how much I love the fact that a Dragon can become a Cow. Don't be a Jack! The corporate world is a real killer! I was caught on the first page and even though the build-up in the novel was slightly slow for me, the situational humor in the Fantasy and the juxtaposition of the whole corporate world ideas kept me fully invested until the action took off and blew me away. I chuckled quite consistently and the ending was extremely satisfying. Even though I consider the author a friend, I need to reiterate that this is a truly unbiased review. Thank you for the great read, Andrew! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted April 3, 2017 Author Share Posted April 3, 2017 New Amazon review! People are reading quickly. 5.0 out of 5 starsSweet, Entertaining, and Thought-Provoking ByAbodesynergypron April 3, 2017 Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase Witty, funny and a nice twist!! What an entertaining and engaging read! This book sucked me in from the very first chapter, and I finished it in one sitting. This is an easy read. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I had a wonderful ride to the very last page! Some part was so funny. LOL... I totally enjoyed this book. I laughed so hard my ribs and head started to hurt and my reaction was still craving for more. The story is wonderful and alluring ... with plenty of humour. The writer does an excellent job of pulling me in from the very beginning. The characters are instantly likeable and relatable. Andrew Hiller is such an amazing author. His writing style is so present, so engaging, you will love the unique warmth he brought to this hilarious novel. I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of this genre. A Climbing Stock is bound for the big screen. But read it first (Laughs).I don’t believe you will be disappointed. I intend to read more from this author in the future.Read it. You’ll love it. I did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted April 4, 2017 Author Share Posted April 4, 2017 One more review. Makes an author feel good. Latest Amazon review for A Climbing Stock! 5.0 out of 5 starsEngaging and delightful - a wonderful premise that ByH. Sienkiewiczon April 4, 2017 Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase Engaging and delightful - a wonderful premise that, as if by magic, manages to both entertain and provoke in an absolutely charming tale - Andrew has a wonderful sense of pacing and narrative coupled with a wicked whimsy - https://www.amazon.com/Climbing-Stock-Andrew-Hiller-ebook/dp/B01N5US02T/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491302527&sr=8-1&keywords=a+climbing+stock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted April 4, 2017 Author Share Posted April 4, 2017 5.0 out of 5 starsThe Charming, Magical Story of BEAN ByG. Hillon April 4, 2017 Format: Kindle Edition What do you get when you combine a childhood classic fairy tale with a Don Quixote style longing for a simpler time before the advances of modern technology and economics? If you have an engaging sense of humor to go with a quick flowing writing style, you might come out A Climbing Stock. The book explores with humor the way our modern economy is almost completely detached from producing things most of us understand. It does so with a protagonist who longs for his old company making ordinary things, but finding it ever harder to make ends meet selling things nobody thinks twice about in today's world. So like in the original fairy tale, he trades the failing source of family income. Only in this story it is for a few thousand shares of BEAN that grow into a huge fortune making who knows what. How happy and secure would you be making a fortune in a way you did not understand? What if doing so changes the lives of people around you like people who used to work for you? Welcome to the modern world. The question I came away with is "how much different is this from the modern stock investments many of us use for retirement being driven by computer models we pay somebody else to understand?" That parallel with today's modern world runs throughout the story, and it is a huge part of its magic charm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbear Posted April 4, 2017 Share Posted April 4, 2017 I like both your books, but this one shows off your humour more. It reads perfectly well as a humour book as a social commentary. Love it and hope this round is even more successful than the first release. I still have to get a few copies for family who will love it...My family missed out when there wasn't a print version last time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinsmarydu Posted April 4, 2017 Share Posted April 4, 2017 Will be doing my normal mail thing, if that's ok...I still have the address, just need to know how much to send you...and yes, I'd like it personalized! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted April 16, 2017 Author Share Posted April 16, 2017 Five reviews in, but only 2 from people I know. We're still Five stars. Next book event will be local and free for us DMVers. Kensington's Day of the Book. It's an outdoor book festival with probably a hundred authors in different genres. Last year, I may have been the only scifi/fantasy guy there. If you're about please say "hi" https://dayofthebook.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSSkinz Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 I didn't see it on Audible, is that an option? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted April 16, 2017 Author Share Posted April 16, 2017 1 hour ago, jschuck12001 said: I didn't see it on Audible, is that an option? Not yet. I should look into it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted April 21, 2017 Author Share Posted April 21, 2017 It may be a wash out, but hopefully the forecasts will be wrong. I'll be at the International Day of the Book Festival in Kensington, MD between 11-4. If you like books or have nothing else to do swing by. It's always cool to meet ESers. There will be about 50 other authors too as well as music and food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted April 23, 2017 Author Share Posted April 23, 2017 Hey, the weather cleared out for us! It should be a beautiful day for an outdoor free book festival. Hope everyone can come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted April 25, 2017 Author Share Posted April 25, 2017 Pretty amazing. I received a call last night from the organizers of a SciFi Con in Virginia. They are trying to raise money for autism, specifically for two facilities: an adult center and one for kids. They wanted me to participate and asked if I would be willing to come in to be their guest of honor. Somehow, they heard about me and my books, or my work in journalism and with the Muppets and thought that I'd be a good fit. I said "yes" though I joked with them that they probably got the wrong number and wanted someone much more impressive, but no, someone who met me at Mars Con, went to my panels, and read A Halo of Mushrooms apparently thought I was a great choice. I'm deeply honored and touched by this. The ex-special ed teacher in me especially has a soft spot for individuals who live within the autism spectrum and their caregivers. I'm going to try to do my best to uphold my end. I already called some friends at Sesame who agreed to send me some stuff to auction off to help their cause. Strangest... The event is in November which means I'm probably not even an emergency replacement. P.S. In more local news, I'm going to be part of a reading at Books with a Past at 4:30 in Glennville, MD. I think that's in Howard County. This will be my first book store reading of A Climbing Stock. Everyone is invited! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted April 28, 2017 Author Share Posted April 28, 2017 Just a reminder in case anyone is looking for a free event on Saturday. Join me at Books with a Past for a reading. If you like used bookstores and fantasy this is a good place to be. Where: 2465 MD-97 #4, Glenwood, MD 21738 When 4:30 - 5:30 pm, Saturday April 29th Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinsmarydu Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 On 4/25/2017 at 9:38 AM, Burgold said: Strangest... The event is in November which means I'm probably not even an emergency replacement. Jeez, that's friggin' awesome! Your life is definitely a big one, you've made quite the impact...and that's what we're supposed to do. Proud to "know" ya! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted May 6, 2017 Author Share Posted May 6, 2017 What an amazing review! I know authors are supposed to be immune to the highs and lows of criticism, but I'm a sap! Read it. Share it! https://quick-book-review.blogspot.com/2017/05/climbing-stock-andrew-hiller.html A Cast with Spunk A Climbing Stock is a solid and successful novel on many fronts, starting with the drastically-varied cast of characters populating its pages. None of them ever feel boring or cookie-cutter, with each distinct personality having some kind of flair and distinction that will more often than not make you laugh out loud. They all have markedly different ways of communicating and perceiving the world, ultimately ingratiating themselves into our care. The way most of them jumble and contrast pronounced flaws with their shining qualities will almost certainly remind you of some people in your own life. The cast feels real, palpable and alive, making you easily forget that you're reading a piece of fiction.I feel the need to draw special attention to the dialogues as they are some of the best I've had the pleasure of reading in recent memory. Without exaggerating, every single word feels one hundred percent natural and befits the character speaking it. The conversations flow with unparalleled ease and smoothness even when the characters themselves lack in expressive abilities... in other words, they feel very realistic and require zero suspension of disbelief. Writing proper dialogue is a much more difficult task than it seems, which is why I believe Hiller deserves a special commendation on this one.As far as the protagonist himself goes, John is often interesting and always easy to follow. He's not an overly complicated character with obsessive philosophical tendencies, but rather just a man with a funny outlook on the world trying his best to navigate the headache of a madness he managed to get himself into. His thoughts and actions seldom feel unnatural or leave us puzzled, and when they do it's all for the sake of a good laugh, which is perfectly acceptable in my book. Andrew Hiller's Fantasy World With this being a fantasy story geared towards adults, you're no doubt expecting to visit some mystifying locales and experience unnatural encounters, and you would certainly be correct to do so. Hiller has an uncanny knack for setting descriptions and atmosphere building, taking us to the dizzying heights of a surrealistic experience that just keeps on upping the ante page after page. Considering the amount of detail he put into building this world and populating it with the beings he chose, I certainly wouldn't mind seeing some addition novels in the same mythos.It is true that many of the concepts and fantasy character archetypes used by Hiller feel somewhat common, but that's only true on the surface. He always tries his best to put a new (and if possible, comedic) spin on all the old tricks we've grown accustomed to, and in my opinion he succeeds quite prominently, offering many surprises on that front. The Final Verdict All things considered, Andrew Hiller's first novel was about as good a debut as any author could ask for. The world and the lore behind it certainly draw our attention, the story is captivating, engaging and takes many surprising directions, thanks in no small part to the fact that it's populated by such a radiant and distinct cast of characters. It's a novel I highly recommend to anyone looking for a fantasy story geared towards adults with some truly inspiring humour to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mournblade Posted May 19, 2017 Share Posted May 19, 2017 If any of you enjoy fantasy, I've just finished Archmage (1st book of a trilogy) by RA Salvatore. Stunning. Game of Thrones good. Maybe even better. Suprises me, because I read RA Salvatore when I was younger and was not impressed -- thought he was a hack / pulp fiction fantasy writer at best. But either he has improved tremendously or he has a team of elite ghostwriters working for him (my money is on the latter). Anyway, give it a shot, it is a tremendous series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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