Nora Black

Biography

I am a constant writer. I say writer because author sounds too grand for me. I say constant because it is the truth, I am either plotting, writing or dreaming about my characters. They are very real, in an imaginary way, to me. Their creation is, of course, the most demanding virtual necessity I have ever known--it is, however, a very pleasurable pursuit.

Smashwords Interview

Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I live in South Africa and adore the country. The landscape is awe inspiring in its beauty and diversity. My third novel, a "whodunit" is set in South Africa.
When did you first start writing?
I cannot remember a time when I didn't write. Obviously there must have been a period 'before', but it's not a memory for me
Read more of this interview.

Where to find Nora Black online

Facebook: Facebook profile

Books

This member has not published any books.

Smashwords book reviews by Nora Black

  • Gun Hill on Oct. 15, 2011

    A short concise thriller. More than worth a read.
  • Sunshine Meadows on Oct. 17, 2011

    brilliant, fast paced, will not let you down to the very end.
  • The Dream Web on Oct. 24, 2011

    excellent idea, this is a very good short story, more please.
  • Death Ray Butterfly on Oct. 30, 2011
    (no rating)
    Brilliant, funny, quirky. I will find all I can by this author and devour it..
  • Death Ray Butterfly on Oct. 30, 2011

    Brilliant, funny, quirky. I laughed so hard, I couldn't stand up straight for the rest of the day.
  • Welcome to Mom's Diner on Oct. 30, 2011

    wonderful, clever.
  • Hollowland (The Hollows #1) on Nov. 03, 2011

    From the first page, straight through to the last, this is pull up your socks and go book, I loved every second of this cracking story. Amanda Has TALENT.
  • Unwritten Rules of Impossible Things on Nov. 03, 2011
    (no rating)
    some people should run countries, others the universe, and some people should write books. Only u in a 1 000 000 should do all 3.
  • Unwritten Rules of Impossible Things on Nov. 03, 2011

    some people should run countries, some should run the universe, some should write fiction. Only u should do all 3.
  • The Sunflower That Roared on Dec. 01, 2011

    Lovely tale to warm your heart
  • Sexy Teenage Vampires on Dec. 07, 2011

    original, wickedly slim. Tom is fast becoming my favourite indie author.
  • Repression on July 22, 2013

    Rob Lowe knows how to tell a grand story, and how to write it immaculately; a rare combination in this day and age. Do yourself a favour and spend and hour of time, and a dollar from pocket on this wonderfully crafted story, which contains all the elements needed to raise it from the ordinary into the extraordinary!
  • A Bride for Tom on Aug. 14, 2013

    Charming old fashioned read. Truly heart-warming. I enjoyed it! Read it in one sitting. Tom and Jessica's story is filled with humor and light-hearted fun. Think Pride and Prejudice entertainment.
  • Second Honeymoon on Aug. 31, 2013

    Bravo! Not only is story very well written, it is also extremely imaginative. Picture a crime repaid in the most punishing manner, and then add a twist of lemon. This story should be at #1. Very, very clever.
  • Murphy's Law on Aug. 31, 2013

    A little noir ... Very well done. The only type of person who might not enjoy this story is someone with a very low IQ. Wickedly twisted and very well written
  • Cupid's Maze on Aug. 31, 2013

    Well written and exceedingly creepy. You have been warned!
  • After The Darkness: Episode One on Sep. 15, 2013

    Calcane City is a harsh, dispirited place; it is also the setting for a tense and interesting start to what looks to be an engaging read. The idea of making a serial out of the story should keep readers coming back for more, I for one, will continue to read it as it kinda grabs you by the shirt tails and drags you along.
  • Dust on Oct. 01, 2013

    Stan Owen is a billionaire risk taker. He is so enamoured of his image as a high-flying larger than life know it all, that he does not find it necessary to carry a cellphone with him during his aerial adventure in a very old, typically elegant, plane. When he lands sans water, navigational equipment or food in a challenging desert-like environment he has to reassess his sense of his own worth and the things he finds important. This is an at times gruesome, at others poetically told story that will have you riveted to your screen until the bitter, horrific finale. Few short stories maintain perfect pace, while spinning a descriptive engaging yarn; THIS IS ONE!
  • Max and the Gatekeeper on Oct. 16, 2013

    A sweeping enchanting story set in a world where the forces of good and evil battle for sway. No, this is not a "read it before", predictable tale, it is a vivid, beautifully woven saga of magic, mayhem and mystery. Adventure abounds, wicked plots and evil questing beasts frighten and entertain. Rarely, if ever, am I faced with a book I'm actually nervous to write a review for, this was one; I was afraid I would not be able to do it justice, it is simply too excellent. Max, pays a reluctant visit to his grandfather for his summer vacation, he is immediately marked and tracked by the creatures of darkness. Max soon discovers, not only that he admires his grandfather, but that the old man is a seasoned traveler to far flung fantasy worlds, courtesy of an intriguing time machine. He befriends Cindy, a beautiful, tomboy, and makes instant enemies with the group of town bullies, who are far more dangerous than first thought. Max and Cindy are charming characters, full of warmth and fun. Their halting, first blush infatuation is a delight to read, both refreshing in its innocence and evocative in its promise. Suspense, and danger force Max and Cindy into a vortex of "other worlds" for which they need to learn enthralling magical arts to survive. From believable, truly scary monsters, to shimmering fairies and stealthy night shades, this book has it all. The ambit and sheer breadth of the authors imagination is staggering and ever awe inspiring. The target market here is probably pre-teen, but for anyone who fears that wonder is merely a glimmer of vaguely remembered majesty on a fading horizon, this book will fix it totally, a fit read for both child, and the child in you. A must do fiction, more heart-stoppingly amazing than anything I've picked up in years: which kid(or adult), after all, does not want to be the hero with hard-won superpowers who is touted to save the world.
  • Scary Mary on Oct. 21, 2013

    Cute, quirky and side-splittingly funny. This is one hell of an entertaining read. Scary Mary is different, she's intelligent, but also more than a tad bit odd-ball. Nevertheless, someone, in the form of Cyrus--the hot new boy at school--finally recognizes her merits and wants to be friends. That is, until she has to tells him that his house is haunted and that the wicked malevolent spirit living in it is intent on having on going conversations with her, and possibly killing him(no wonder no one at school wants to know her, he thinks!). For the sake of good, Mary wants to rid Cy, of his ghost hoping stoically that she won't face the same fate as the only fairy tale female hero she knows of, The Little Mermaid, who for love gave up her legs only to be left to melt into sea foam while her prince marries his princess. Dear, oh dear, if you haven't read this book you've surely missed something and since it's offered at more than one retailer free of charge I can only urge you to stay that delay-- And Rush Forth And Get It TODAY!
  • A Thousand Tears on Oct. 25, 2013

    Excellent short read. Well written. A demonstration in the effects of a hardened heart, a heart made unsure by the vastness of human uncaring.
  • The Outlier #1: Beepers on March 28, 2014

    I'm a great fan of Tom's. I've read and enjoyed a good number of his books and short stories. For me, those 'fictions', as he often refers to them, were all marvelously entertaining and humorous. I do believe that you need to be a particular type of person to enjoy reading his work, but the same can be said of Hemingway. This narration is a fascinating celebration of the ridiculous. It is totally hilarious in the most side-splitting and satisfying way. Well before the final outrageous line I had comedy's tears on my cheeks, and laughter aching the muscles of my jaw. Not only does Tom create the extraordinary from mere dust, he manages to make it wildly interesting. His concepts are always mind-bogglingly vivid and thought provoking, he makes you stop, mid giggle and think about things in terrifying and novel ways. Yes, we are only as big as the eyes that perceive us, and yes, a disturbance of cosmic dust which might cause the dissolution of a planet, is only a swirl of color if viewed from earth. I love your humor, Tom, and I'm so very glad I had the opportunity, once again, (at zero cost) to indulge myself in quality.
  • The Devil's Concubine (The Devil of Ponong series #1) on May 18, 2014

    Fascinating, a totally unique new voice. Qui'Tai, is the 'Devil's Concubine', a position she owes as favor to the devil for giving her vital information when she needed it to take revenge for a horrific family tragedy. Fantastic world building seduces the reader into a magical, wonderfully wrought environment, part Asian, part ancient, part steampunk, part European. The thought and imagination necessary to conjure such magnificence is almost mind-boggling, it is utterly beautiful, original and fan-worthy. Qui'Tai, is a snake-shifter, and lover to the most important, Alpha-Male, werewolf on the island she inhabits. She is also far more intelligent than him, and runs his criminal-drug-distribution-ring with skill and cunning. She is the female lead every would-be-famous movie director has ever visualized. Also, she sees the future with the aid of the Oracle who is the goddess of her people the Ponongese. Culture, protocol and tradition are so carefully structured, that even a greeting, akin to 'How are you", is reproduced.('have you eaten today, auntie?'). Only in our 'economically challenged publisher decade' would we find an author of this calibre, Indie: in any other time she would be touted as the 'New Tolkien', the book as the 'New Narnia'. However, even those books do not do what this one does. Here, we find a truly modern woman, a woman every young girl can, and will want to identify with... A woman who is the master of her own destiny, but can still love, lust and live under a cloud of mixed emotions so 'Today' in their complexity. In addition, we find our dream of who we would like to be in this novel, but that is not its only trump-card. No, there is mystery, suspense, action, terror, deep emotion, and a world-altering-love story at its core. The protagonists, (from Pertof, The Devil, to Kyam, the arrogant, intelligent, off-limits Thampurian), are so sharply layered that you'll find yourself saying 'Oh, yeah, I know someone just like that even if they're not a Sea-Dragon'. Yes, Qui'Tai, the snake, loves a Sea-Dragon, soooo WOW... Qui'Tai, has been betrayed, jilted and led astray. Nevertheless, her intelligence, savvy, and un-utterable style, set her apart from your average bad-ass, ruthless female protagonist, Qui'Tai has a conscience, and she loves and wants to save her enslaved people: The Ponongese are colonized by the Thampurians, creating political intrigue as a backdrop for the steamy, deliciously, slow-burning romance between, Qui'Tai, the lowly Ponongese, and Kyam Zul, the 'high-born' under-cover colonel, Thampurian. The plot develops a spectacular suspense between three nations, all of whom are hell-bent on seizing control-- the Thampurians, Ponongese and the Ravidians. Imagine if your enemy had discovered a weapon as powerful as the A-bomb, and you had only a bow-and-arrow to defend yourself with, then imagine a heroine who can come up with a conquering plan. All this set in a land of lush forests, overlooking azure or emerald seas, balanced under a moody sky which alternately blushes orange, pink, lilac or Monsoon-gray--a breathtaking vista, lusciously constructed by sparkling prose, which is almost poetically perfect. This is so much more than 'average' that you will want to devour the series in one sitting. Bravo! Jill Braden.