About Me
I was a bookseller with South Africa’s largest book retail chain, Exclusive Books, I’ve edited a couple of books and anthologies, I’ve found evidence of the paranormal as an investigator with Phoenix Paranormal South Africa, I’m a writer and I taught amazing students English in Thailand.
This blog will be used to share reviews and opinions of the books I read, info I find interesting, and news about my own work. I’m currently not accepting submissions for review – getting my house in order and all that. 🙂
Thanks for visiting!
Dave de Burgh 
HOSS
October 12, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Dave would you check out deadbooks.com and consider mentioning/reviewing it on your blog?
Thanks
Hoss
“Deadbooks hints at a densely packed mythology that draws on The X-Files and Stephen King, with a little David Lynch-style creepiness thrown in for good measure.”
—Hugh Hart, Wired.com/Underwire
Remy Mudingay
October 14, 2008 at 6:38 pm
Hi Dave,
I’m responding to your post proposing a fan based audio book for the Malazan series. I am/would be extremely interested in recording extracts from any of the Malazan books. I am thinking of a similar format or style to librivox.
I also understood that this would be on a voluntary basis. I would therefore be doing it for the hell of it and also to hear the final production.
Drop me a line to let me know how things evolve.
All the best
Remy
amuletts
February 23, 2009 at 5:45 am
Hi, I’m the creator of a new comedic fantasy webcomic called Epic Fail and I’d be thrilled if you’d take a look and maybe write something about it on your blog. I’ll answer any questions you have.
Thankyou!
knowledgetoday
March 24, 2009 at 4:36 pm
I love your site. Keep it up !
Joseph Picard
March 2, 2010 at 6:30 am
Hi! I’m another lowly author trying to self-promote! But I come bearing gifts! Until the end of march, I’m giving away e-book copies of my novels:
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ozero
The freebie coupon codes are:
VD66S for Lifehack
MZ77M for Watching Yute
Lifehack is about a girl dumping her girlfriend and ending up in a nanite-engineered zombie outbreak, then meeting a straight gal, whom she falls in love with instantly.
Watching Yute is a slightly more drama-geared take on a lesbian hero’s problems with nanites, involving a military guarded temple in the desert, love found, and savagely lost.
Anyone curious to read samples, head to ozero.ca…. no wait… screw samples! Read above and get the whole thing! Unless you’re after the kind of book that has this ‘paper’ stuff. THAT would cost ya though.
Dave-Brendon de Burgh
March 18, 2010 at 1:35 pm
Hey Joseph, I’ve taken you up on the offer and have downloaded copies of Lifehack and watching Yute. I’m pressed for books to review at the moment but will definitely have a look when I’ve got time. 🙂
Thanks for visiting the blog!
Grote Griet
March 10, 2012 at 6:45 am
Hey Dave 🙂 I see you started following my food blog. This tumblr blog of mine might be more relevant: http://piecesofsong.tumblr.com. I am a bit lazy with posts. Will probably migrate it to WordPress at some point, but at the moment the Tumblr app is so much more user friendly on both my phone and iPad so I’ll stick with it for now. Happy blogging, and keep up the good work!
Dave-Brendon de Burgh
March 10, 2012 at 12:31 pm
Hehehe I’m one of those guys who can cook a very limited spread (though I make an awesome slice of toast, I’ve been told), so following your food blood might help me. 😉 Will check out your Tumblr blog too, though, thanks for letting me know. 🙂
William
May 5, 2012 at 1:49 am
Hello all!!! Me and a friend are starting a new website dedicated to aspiring authors and artists….if you want first screenshots of what this will be like, please “like” our Facebook site at
https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn
Hope to get some feedback on what aspiring authors think as it would be greatly appreciated!!
Thanks!!
Brian Bigelow
May 16, 2012 at 2:18 am
J Bryden Lloyd has a number of sci fi books out on Amazon, I was
wondering if one of them could be reviewed on your blog. I’m doing a
favor for him by requesting this.
The Zubot Master (Book 1)
http://www.amazon.com/The-Zubot-Master-Book-ebook/dp/B006V4J53C/
The Chronicles Of Jenson Quest – The Rise Of Va’kaar
http://www.amazon.com/The-Chronicles-Jenson-Quest-ebook/dp/B005M5PI5U/
The Chronicles Of Jenson Quest – The Realms Of Jurrii
http://www.amazon.com/The-Chronicles-Jenson-Quest-ebook/dp/B0068THQ3Q/
Jason Foss
June 20, 2012 at 11:46 pm
I’m in the process of writing and promoting a near-future scifi novel (I call it scifi but you could certainly consider it fantasy. Depends on your inclination), and I ran across your site on my tour de self promotion.
I’ve started a KickStarter page for supporting the novel, and I have the first chapter available as a free sample chapter, and then the first 7 chapters available to donors of the KickStarter project.
And to save you the trouble, the sample chapter is available at:
Click to access CH1.pdf
If you have the time, I’d certainly be appreciative if you could give the sample chapter a look. If it inspires you to want to write a review of how much you love or hate it, that would certainly be appreciated as well. Or get involved with the KickStarter, email me advice and/or berate me for my nerve. I’m pretty happy with any kind of feedback at this point. 🙂
Thank you for you time,
The description of the book:
Master of the Forbidden is the first novel in the proposed Gauntlet Saga, set on a near-future earth where children receive a special chip on their 16th birthday that give them one of a number of unique special abilities.
Master of the Forbidden is a tale that follows a young Cyric Anderson, a boy from an abusive household, on a dark journey to see exactly how far he is willing to go to put his life and family back together.
Tom Doganoglu (@TomDoganoglu)
September 7, 2012 at 6:02 pm
A book to review when you get back to reviewing:
Omega Squad:
“When we’re called in we don’t take prisoners, we don’t negotiate, and we never surrender. We don’t save anyone or anything, we kill everyone, we destroy everything.
When we’re called in it’s already over, we’re the end, we’re Omega Squad.”
-Donovan
In the future there are Enders – groups of highly specialized, lethal killing machines whose job is to not only destroy their selected target, but anything and anyone around it.
Omega Squad is the best of the best, but during a routine mission to destroy a science vessel, the team is led astray when one of their members saves the life of a unique alien species.
…What you will find in Omega Squad that separates it from other novels:
Each psychopathic assassin gets their own section within a chapter where the viewpoint is theirs. These subsections start with a quote from the character that clues you into their personality.
http://www.amazon.com/Omega-Squad-ebook/dp/B0096FNO62
James Lyon
September 10, 2012 at 10:44 pm
Dear Dave,
Greetings from Sarajevo.
I am an American ex-pat with a Ph.D. in Balkan History (UCLA, 1995) who has lived and worked in the former Yugoslavia for over 18 years (Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Croatia, etc). In addition to my work as an historian, editor and political analyst, I have recently e-published a novel (“Kiss of the Butterfly” — horror/historical fiction/paranormal) set in the former Yugoslavia during the 1990s. It is based on my research into Balkan folklore and history, as well as my experiences in the region during the wars. Much of the book takes place in Serbia and Bosnia, and yes, there just might be a love triangle or two and assorted Balkan oddities.
If you’re interested in reviewing the book (no rush, if you’re backlogged) I can send you an e-version. A synopsis of the book and links are below, and the first chapter is available for free on Amazon.
I am also available for author interviews/guest blogs.
Best Regards,
James
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kiss-of-the-Butterfly/203838056294407
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008O7AAJM
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008O7AAJM
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15776662-kiss-of-the-butterfly
“Kiss” is now in the #1 slot on Goodreads in the category “Indie Thriller — August New Releases”.
In the year of his death, 1476, the Prince of Wallachia — Vlad III (Dracula) — committed atrocities under the cloak of medieval Bosnia’s forested mountains, culminating in a bloody massacre in the mining town of Srebrenica.
A little over 500 years later, in July 1995, history repeated itself when troops commanded by General Ratko Mladic entered Srebrenica and slaughtered nearly 8,000 people, making it the worst massacre Europe had seen since the Second World War. For most people, the two events seemed unconnected…
Amidst the violent breakup of Yugoslavia, a college student embarks on a journey into its war-torn lands. The narrative transports the reader from medieval Bosnia to enlightenment-era Vienna, from the bright beaches of modern-day Southern California to the exotically dark cityscapes of Budapest, Belgrade and Novi Sad, and ethnic cleansing in Bosnia.
Naively trusting the advice of his enigmatic academic mentor, the student unwittingly descends into a crucible of decay, destruction, passion, death, romance, lust, immorality, genocide, and forbidden knowledge promising immortality. As the journey grows ever more perilous, the protagonist realizes that he is being drawn into something sinister from which there is no turning back. He will be forced to confront an ancient evil that has been once again loosed upon the earth.
Meticulously researched and written, “Kiss of the Butterfly” is set against the backdrop of Yugoslavia’s breakup. It weaves together intricate threads from the 15th, 18th and 20th centuries to create a rich phantasmagorical tapestry of allegory and reality about divided loyalties, friendship and betrayal, virtue and innocence lost, obsession and devotion, desire and denial, lust and rejection. The book blends history and the terrors of the Balkans as it explores dark places of the soul, and is about the thirst for life and the hunger for death, rebirth and salvation.
Shana
April 9, 2013 at 2:53 pm
Hello,
My friend recommended your website to me. I’m Shana Szaszko,
from Hungary. Well, I don’t want to take too much time from
you, so just in a nutshell:
I wrote a screenplay 3 years ago, I tried to pitch it in
Hollywood, and in Vancouver, but I didn’t have enough
connection, so I decided I will write a book from the
screenplay (very unusual XD doing it backwards) XD
I wrote my book, I could manage to publish it, but I don’t have
enough money to translate it to English (unfortunately my
English is not enough for a book, I have high expectations).
So I started a campaign on indiegogo, to make enough money for
the translation.
The script, screenplay is in Enlgish, I will upload it to
indiegogo, so everyone can read it, so everyone can see its
worth it!
Please, check it out yourself, and if you are interested in and
you can see the possibilities in the story, help me to share
it! 🙂
I can answer any questions, and open to anything, let me know
what you think 🙂
Thank you for your time!
http://igg.me/p/380386/x/2897958
Cryst♂n (@Synctor)
May 8, 2013 at 6:01 am
Hi Dave,
I know you’re busy so I’ll keep this short.
‘The Nerdist Novella’ , The world’s first podcast, fiction book
Check it out at imaginationdeflowered.com/the-nerdist-novella/
James Crewe
May 29, 2013 at 9:45 pm
Hi Dave,
I am the editor of Luthando Coeur, the fantasy imprint for Zharmae Publications Press. We would like too post a call for submissions on your blog. Is there a place we can do that? We are accepting queries for book-length manuscripts. They can be sent to: submissions@luthandocoeur.com. Our website is: luthandocoeur.com.
We would also be interested in your novel, by the way!
Best,
James Crewe
Dave-Brendon de Burgh
June 6, 2013 at 10:50 pm
Hi James, thanks for visiting! 🙂 Sure man, send me an email with all thye details you’d like to include, will definitely do a Spotlight Submissions call post for you! 🙂 davebrendon (at) yahoo (dot) com
James Crewe
June 7, 2013 at 5:39 am
Hey Dave,
Thanks a lot! Much appreciated. Also, of course, if you yourself have a MS., please send it along. We’re a little hyped over here!
James
The blurb would be:
Call For Submissions: Book-length Fantasy Manuscripts
Luthando Coeur, the fantasy imprint of Zharmae Publication Press, is seeking submissions of book-length manuscripts. Information about us can be found at: luthandocoeur.com. Manuscripts should be between 75,000-125,000 words long. Please submit a query to: submissions@luthandocoeur.com. Books will be published in both print and e-book format. We are also interested in your graphic novel ideas, and can pair you with an illustrator. We will be publishing several books in the coming months. Your quest to become the next Rowling, Tolkien, or Martin starts with Luthando Coeur!
James Crewe, Imprint Editor
Luthando Coeur
Tabitha Pelly
September 26, 2013 at 8:53 am
Hi Dave – was hoping to send you some further info on Joseph D’Lacey’s re-released bestsellers ‘Meat’ and ‘Garbage Man’ to see if you’d like to review on the blog for Halloween? As you reviewed his last book, Black Feathers, I hoped you might be interested. Where can I send info, if you’re keen? Thanks!
Tabitha P.
Salvatore Ciava
August 22, 2014 at 12:31 pm
Sci-fi film looking for exposure. We are looking for sites that may be interested in helping us spread the word on this project.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/quantum-alterations-stop-motion-sci-fi/x/5448378
“If you grew up loving giant monster movies, science fiction films, the 1980’s, stop motion magic then these are some of the elements you will relive and enjoy in “Quantum Alterations.” This is a non-profit fan film that is made with one purpose only: to entertain you and make you relive that magical feeling of awe and wonder as you see all these old and iconic characters we all know and love together in one film.” – Salvatore Ciava
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/quantum-alterations-stop-motion-sci-fi/x/5448378
TZPP Editorial
August 23, 2014 at 3:50 am
Looks cool, thanks!
Stefan Jackson
September 8, 2014 at 1:35 am
Hi Dave,
Please review. Ebook available now.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N0DVFFI
Peace
S. C. Flynn
December 12, 2014 at 3:41 pm
Dave,
Just to let you know that I have linked your blog to mine and also publicised it in this post:
http://wp.me/p4T72p-b9 More SFF Blogs
Keep up the good work!
SCy-Fy