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Wednesday, November 13, 2013

One Day Only: Seal of Destiny by Traci Douglass for 99 Cents!

November 13 Seal of Destiny is on sale


Seal Of Destiny
Seven Seals Series Book One
Traci Douglass

Genre: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Crimson Romance

Book Description:

Love conquers all… but can it stop the Apocalypse?

Mira Herald is having the worst life ever.  Not only is she plagued by horrific nightmares starring the Devil himself, she’s now the target of a power-hungry, rogue minion, freshly sprung from Hell and bent on her destruction.  To complicate matters further, she’s acquired a stalker. One who insists he’s a divine warrior sent for her protection because she houses an ancient relic with the power to unleash Armageddon. Last time Mira checked, she wasn’t insane. Still, all this celestial mayhem is enough to drive a girl crazy.

Kagan is a member of the Scion, an elite team of immortal warriors selected by Divinity to aid mankind and save the world. After a century alone, Kagan is summoned for a new mission. He’s eager to begin. Eager until he’s informed his mission consists of protecting a woman with no clue to the power she wields. Plus, his briefing fails to prepare him for his new target’s cosmic-sized attitude problem.  As Divinity’s sworn servant, he’s required to fulfill his duty. His oath, however, does not require him to be enthusiastic about his new assignment or warm-and-fuzzy toward his new compatriot. He plans a wham-bam rescue and a quick return to solitude.

The rogue minion attacks—with the backing of a mysterious organization—and all Hades erupts, putting a fast end to any whirlwind escapes. Accustomed to staunch independence, Mira’s survival now requires full cooperation and an unwavering belief in Kagan. The battle-hardened warrior is also forced to chose: between duty and desire. Amidst the turmoil, Kagan and Mira’s undeniable passion draws them closer to each other and down a path neither expected but both yearn for, more than they ever knew.

Will love save the day? The world’s fate depends on the answer.


About the Author:

Traci is the author of paranormal romance/urban fantasy and contemporary romances featuring a sly, urban edge, including her current Seven Seals series. Her stories feature sizzling alpha-male heroes full of dark humor, quick wits and major attitudes; smart, independent heroines who always give as good as they get; and scrumptiously evil villains who are—more often than not—bent on world destruction. She enjoys weaving ancient curses and mythology, modern science and old religion, and great dialogue together to build red-hot, sizzling chemistry between her main characters.

She is an active member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), Indiana Romance Writers of America (IRWA) and Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal Writers (FF&P) and is pursing a Masters of Fine Arts degree in Writing Popular Fiction through Seton Hill University. Her stories have made the final rounds in several RWA chapter contests, including the 2012 Duel on the Delta, the 2012 Molly Awards, and the 2012 Catherine Awards. An earlier draft of the first book in the Seven Seals Series, Seal of Destiny, won the paranormal category of the 2012 Marlene Awards sponsored by the Washington Romance Writers.

Other current projects include upcoming books in the Seven Seals series, a new contemporary novella series due out in early 2014, and a new futuristic suspense series with hints of the paranormal and plenty of romance.

Website and blog: http://www.tracidouglass.net




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What's Up Wednesday, Plus Book Sales!

What’s Up Wednesday is a weekly meme geared toward readers and writers, allowing us to touch base with blog friends and let them know what’s up. Should you wish to join us, you will find the link widget at the bottom of Jaime’s post. We really hope you will take part!

What I'm Reading:
I finished up The Actuator: Fractured Earth by James Wymore and Aiden James (you can find my review here). I was really impressed. I'm finishing up The Curse of Malenfer Manor by Iain McChesney to review tomorrow on the blog. It's a gothic mystery, which is way outside of my comfort zone as reading material goes. But I do love a good ghost story, and so far this is definitely proving to be one.

What I'm Writing:
I am fifteen chapters into the rewrite of Altar of Reality, and so far, so good. I'm really pleased with how it is turning out. I'm using this rewrite as my NaNoWriMo novel, which is a bit of a pain but worth it. Tracking rewrites vs words already written is a bit tedious at times, but so much of it is fresh and new that it is worth it.  


I'm also working on my short story submission for The Borderlands anthology set in the Actuator universe. It got a bit boring and I hit a rough point, but I think I've figured it out. My main character doesn't have enough snark. In fact, she's kinda devoid of snark, which doesn't work for me. Not every main character has to be Zelene, but I do like them to be a bit fun to work with, and for me that means snark. So I'm going to rework that this week, hopefully in time to get some CPs to look over it and tell me what they think.


What Inspires Me Right Now:
The television show Reign on the CW. Man, is this show awesome. It really makes me want to ditch my dystopian and get back to my fantasy world. Reign isn't overtly fantasy, but it does have hints of the supernatural, which I really appreciate. There's political intrigue, a slow burning love triangle, a "castle ghost" in the form of a girl who wears a sack over her head (probably meaning she is disfigured and in hiding, but she's still a source of interest), and the mysterious Pagans in the woods. I wrote a bit more on how it inspires me and why at the There & Draft Again blog. I can't get enough of this show. It's a nice end of the week treat (it airs Thursday nights, but doesn't show up on Hulu+ until Friday morning).

What Else I'm Up To:
I'm still running behind on pretty much everything. I was extremely ill the entire week of Halloween with a stomach flu, and in my fevered state I missed a lot of stuff I was supposed to do. Our Halloween party was pushed back a week (to this past weekend), but luckily my friends and family were still eager to celebrate Halloween with us a week into November. Their costumes were amazing. I put a few of them up on Facebook. Four people came dressed as characters from the Borderlands game, which I haven't played, but want to now just because they looked so awesome.

I'm 25k into NaNoWriMo, so that's exciting. I'm confident I'll finish on time, but I'm hoping I'll finish the book period. Wattpad is actually holding a contest for NaNoWriMo entrants, and I've tagged Altar of Reality to enter. I also have Heirs of War on sale for 99 cents during the month of November since it's my 30th (egad!) birthday this month. So far, not many bites, but I'm not doing much in the way of promotion. I'm trying not to sink any more money into the book until I actually start getting paid. =) And the best way to promote your writing is to? Say it with me now: WRITE MORE. So that's what I'm doing.

And speaking of sales, be sure to check out my next blog post which tells you all about another 99 cent book for today: Seal of Destiny by Traci Douglass. Until next time!



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Tuesday, November 12, 2013

New Adult Author Spotlight & Giveaway: Ella Col



*Mature Content Advisory* 

Twenty-two year old, Bree Jensen is a survivor who managed to break free from her abuser and start a new life. 

Bree fights to live a normal life. She does not want to be a victim or survivor. Bree just wants to forget.

Falling in love is the last thing on her mind, now that Bree has the chance to start over. 
That is…until she meets her neighbor, Josh. Josh oozes sexual charm. He’s confident, talented, and he adores her. Bree finds everything about Josh hard to resist right down to his decorated body of tattoos, piercings and shag haircut. Don’t forget about those damn green eyes. 
Josh has endured his own personal hell and meeting Bree has triggered emotions he thought were buried deep. 
Can they SAVE each other from their chilling pasts and begin the fairytale both so desperately want?

Ella Col Bio: 
Ella Col lives in New Jersey with her husband and their two boys. She released her debut, NA novel, SAVE, on July 16, 2013.
She is currently working on two novels. The first, BROKEN is a follow up to SAVE. BROKEN tells the story from both Eric and Lena's POV. The story also peeks into their pasts. BROKEN will be released mid to late October 2013. The second, LOCKED is the story of Caydon and Reece. LOCKED will be released spring of 2014.



To enter the giveaway, go to each blog and enter the corresponding code into the Rafflecopter.
This is Blog #5 and the code is ELLAMARA
Blog #1: www.dawnpendleton.com
 
Blog #15: www.jlfynn.com
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Monday, November 11, 2013

Author Interview: Ann Gimpel, Author of Earth's Requiem


Ann Gimpel, author of Earth's Requiem, book one of the Earth Reclaimed series, is stopping by today and has been kind enough to let me interview her. We'll be talking ecological influences, processes, publishing, and everything in between, and then I'll fill you in on the details of her new book. Let's get to know Ann a bit first, shall we?
Ann Gimpel is a clinical psychologist, with a Jungian bent. Avocations include mountaineering, skiing, wilderness photography and, of course, writing. A lifelong aficionado of the unusual, she began writing speculative fiction a few years ago. Since then her short fiction has appeared in a number of webzines and anthologies. Several paranormal romance novellas are available in e-format. Three novels, Psyche’s Prophecy, Psyche’s Search, and Psyche's Promise are small press publications available in e-format and paperback. Look for three more urban fantasy novels coming this summer and fall: To Love a Highland Dragon, Earth’s Requiem and Earth’s Blood.

A husband, grown children, grandchildren and three wolf hybrids round out her family.
           
@AnnGimpel (for Twitter)
MV: You say that your books have an ecological twist. What does that mean, and what else can you tell us about the ecological twists you write?
Ann Gimpel: I’m concerned about the damage we’ve done to Earth, and about climate change, and things like genetically modified foods and their impact on our bodies. It isn’t surprising many of my books have a dystopian, post-apocalyptic feel to them. 
I’ve spent a great deal of my life in the backcountry, both in the U.S. and in other countries. Pollution is truly shocking in some third world countries. For example, the river flowing through La Paz, Bolivia, runs red and nothing grows within about a hundred yard radius of its banks, probably because it’s full of raw sewage. I read an article a few days back about the oceans, titled, The Oceans are Broken. It was chilling, and made me sad reading about overfishing, no more seabirds, and the Pacific being turned into a giant garbage dump that’s so bad the sailor was afraid to turn on his motor, for fear the propeller would tangle in debris.
I guess I’d like to believe if each of us did a little bit, like watching our carbon footprint and making a conscious effort to reduce it, we’d make progress toward saving our home.

MV: What can you tell us about that first 500 page novel you wrote? What are some of the lessons you learned from writing that first book?
AG: Oh my. I learned about writing clean POV, and about building solid characters, and about plot lines and pacing and tension. Just about everything, really. Fortunately, a wonderful copy editor took me under her wing. Jessica will always have a warm spot in my heart.
There are many, many elements that go into writing a novel. It’s impossible to master all of them at the same time. I focused on character development first, probably because it was easier for me than weaving plot lines together. Over time, I’ve worked hard to hone my craft, but I’m still learning. It feels good to pick up something I wrote a year ago and be able to see mistakes in it. That tells me my craft has grown.

MV: As writers learn more about their craft, their process tends to change. How has yours changed since you first picked up a pen?
AG: Funny you should ask. I used to have to go through my manuscripts at least four times before they were ready to submit. I’ve pared that to twice. And I’m much better at reading on the screen. I used to print everything, which was an enormous waste of paper and ink. I’ve learned to keep storyboards to keep my characters straight. I do that on paper, not with one of the computer programs like Scrivener. I’ve also gotten better at seeing how plots weave together, so I think my storylines have become more natural.

MV: You write paranormal romance and contemporary fantasy. What draws you to these types of stories?
AG: I write the same kinds of stories I like to read. I also read some science fiction and high fantasy. I’ve sold a number of short stories in those genres, but the sad truth is there aren’t that many readers in those two genres. One of the reasons I started writing romance, other than that I enjoy reading about hunky alphas and gutsy heroines, is there are lots of romance readers. It’s easy to understand why. HEAs are a huge draw. Reading is an escape and everyone wants to read about something that gives them hope.

MV: Are you more of a pantser or plotter?
AG: I’ve tried to plot. It doesn’t work for me because me characters thumb their noses and tell me they have better ideas than mine. They’re generally correct, so I’ve learned to just sort go with the flow.

MV: The wilderness seems to be your soundtrack. Do you also use music as inspiration to write, or do you prefer the quiet?
AG: I’ve always been one of those people who can’t listen to music and write. I was like that in school doing homework, and I’m still that way. Now I can listen to music and do math. Go figure.

MV: Your website lists several other books and series. What can you tell us about these other works?
AG: They fall into two general camps: urban fantasy and paranormal romance. The urban fantasy novels are full length, so 80-100K+. The paranormal romance books range from 15K to 71K, with an average around 50K. I do have several series, but my personal bent is to stop a series at three books. Beyond that, the characters don’t feel as fresh to me, and the world sort of runs out of oomph. At least that’s been my experience reading other writers and there’s absolutely no reason to believe I could do a better job than them.

MV: What can you tell us about the path you took to getting published?
AG: After that first novel that went nowhere (and its sequel!), my copy editor friend suggested I try my hand at short stories. That was in Sept of 2009. By late December, my first short story, a hard science fiction tale about life in the arctic, was accepted by the Aurora Wolf Literary Journal. I started getting stories accepted fairly regularly after that. Encouraged, I began a new novel as part of a Book-in-a-Week challenge my online critique group hosted. I didn’t finish an entire novel, but I did get 50K words written. I built on them, honed my effort, and the book was accepted as part of a three book deal from a small press. Acceptances started rolling in after that. I’ve pretty much stopped writing short stories for now, but I may pick them up again because they offer opportunity for me to write in different genres.

MV: What advice would you give to other writers who wish to get published?
AG: Write every day. Find a good critique group where they’ll be honest, and develop a thick skin. No one can see the mistakes in their own writing all the time and neophyte writers can hardly see any of them. For two books of mine that released this summer and fall (Fortune’s Scion and Earth’s Requiem), I’d written them quite a while back. Frankly, I was horrified by all the mistakes in the manuscripts and shocked either had been accepted for publication. Of course, all (or most) of the mistakes were fixed prior to publication. Both were always good stories, but my rendition was rough. I like to think it’s improved.

MV: What’s ahead for you as a writer?
AG: Good question. 2013 was nuts. I’m slowing my output considerably to allow myself to have some kind of life away from the keyboard. The plan I instituted last summer was I’d write a book a month, ten months out of the year and take two months off. So far, it’s working. Of course the “off” months aren’t truly “off,” since I have marketing and editing to do, but at least I’m trying to manage my time better. Hubby gets grumpy when I don’t make time for him, and I don’t blame him!

Earth’s Requiem
Earth Reclaimed, Book 1
By Ann Gimpel
Publisher: Musa
Release Date: 10/4/13

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Romance

Resilient, kickass, and determined, Aislinn's walled herself off from anything that might make her feel again. Until a wolf picks her for a bond mate and a Celtic god rises out of legend to claim her for his own.

Aislinn Lenear lost her anthropologist father high in the Bolivian Andes. Her mother, crazy with grief that muted her magic, was marched into a radioactive vortex by alien creatures and killed. Three years later, stripped of every illusion that ever comforted her, twenty-two year old Aislinn is one resilient, kickass woman with a take no prisoners attitude. In a world turned upside down, where virtually nothing familiar is left, she’s conscripted to fight the dark gods responsible for her father’s death. Battling the dark on her own terms, Aislinn walls herself off from anything that might make her feel again.


Fionn MacCumhaill, Celtic god of wisdom, protection, and divination has been laying low since the dark gods stormed Earth. He and his fellow Celts decided to wait them out. After all, three years is nothing compared to their long lives. On a clear winter day, Aislinn walks into his life and suddenly all bets are off. Awed by her courage, he stakes his claim to her and to an Earth he's willing to fight for.

Aislinn’s not so easily convinced. Fionn’s one gorgeous man, but she has a world to save. Emotional entanglements will only get in her way. Letting a wolf into her life was hard. Letting love in may well prove impossible.

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Friday, November 8, 2013

Feature Fridays: Excerpt from Waking Up Dead by Margo Bond Collins

Blurb

When Dallas resident Callie Taylor died young, she expected to go to Heaven, or maybe Hell. Instead, she met her fate early thanks to a creep with a knife and a mommy complex. Now she's witnessed another murder, and she's not about to let this one go. She's determined to help solve it before an innocent man goes to prison. And to answer the biggest question of all: why the hell did she wake up in Alabama?

Book Trailers:
http://youtu.be/KUBg83s4BOU


Add Waking Up Dead to your Goodreads bookshelves: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18428064-waking-up-dead



About the Author

Margo Bond Collins lives in Texas with her husband, their daughter, several spoiled cats, and a ridiculous turtle. She teaches college-level English courses online, though writing fiction is her first love. She enjoys reading urban fantasy and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about vampires, ghosts, zombies, werewolves, and other monsters. Waking Up Dead is her first published novel. Her second novel, Legally Undead, is an urban fantasy, forthcoming in 2014 from World Weaver Press.

Connect with Margo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MargoBondCollin  @MargoBondCollin
Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/vampirarchy


Excerpt: 
“Hey,” I said, hurrying after the woman. “Wait up.”
“I know you’re not talking to me,” she said. She stared straight ahead and pushed her cart down the middle of the aisle toward housewares.
“I am talking to you. Look. I know this is really weird, but I need your help.”
“Well, I’m not talking to you. I don’t know what your problem is, but you can take it somewhere else.”
I wanted to reach out and grab her cart, to make her stop and talk to me, but of course I couldn’t. Which gave me an idea.
I scurried out in front of her, planting myself in her path.
“Move,” she said.
“Not until you hear me out. Please?”
She moved her cart to the left. I stepped out to intercept her. She moved to the right. So did I.
“You got some kind of death wish or something?” she asked.
I laughed and shook my head. “If only you knew.”
“I’ve got no time for this,” she said. And she slammed into me with her shopping cart.
At least, that’s what she planned to do.
The shopping cart, however, slid right through me. When it stopped, the basket had sliced cleanly through my midsection. The bottom rack merged with my ankles. From my perspective, it looked like two perfectly solid objects--me and the shopping cart--had melted together. I don’t know what she saw.
Whatever it was, it wasn’t good.
The woman’s eyes widened, then rolled up into her head as she slumped to the ground in a dead faint.
I bent down to try to wake her up, but no matter how hard I concentrated on making contact, I couldn’t even touch her.
I hate being a ghost.
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Thursday, November 7, 2013

Cover Reveal: Branded by Katie Hamstead

We all know that I'm a big fan of Katie Hamstead's work, and now she is adding yet another book to my To-Be-Read list in the same month (ahem, Kiya: Mother of a King, you're next!). Today she is revealing the cover to her upcoming release, Branded, and I am happy to share it with you guys!


Terrorists have invaded Sydney, and Allison King barely escapes her brother’s wedding reception alive. She and her siblings flee, but their parents are killed by firing squad.

 Now Ali’s on the run and terrified. While searching for other survivors, she is captured by the General who leads the invasion. He’s smitten by Ali, and when she refuses to submit to his whims, he brands her for death. In a wild act of defiance, she snatches the branding rod and sears the mark onto his face. Marking not only him but also sealing her fate. Ali manages to escape and flees into the bush once more where she finds a group in hiding. Even with the scars left by the General, Ali learns to love and falls in love with the young man who found her—Damien Rogers.

But the General is hunting her. When he discovers their location, and finds her with another man—Damien—his wrath is kindled and his obsession is inflamed. Ali must put herself on the line or the General could kill her family, those who help her, and most significantly, the man she loves.

Add it to Goodreads here and then start counting down until the release day with me!
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Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: White Heart of Justice by Jill Archer


White Heart of Justice
Noon Onyx book #3
Jill Archer
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Ace
Date of Publication: May 27, 2014
Cover Artist: Jason Chan



Book description:

Since Lucifer claimed victory at Armageddon, demons, angels, and humans have coexisted in uneasy harmony. Those with waning magic are trained to maintain peace and order. But hostilities are never far from erupting…

After years of denying her abilities, Noon Onyx, the first woman in history to wield waning magic, has embraced her power. She’s won the right to compete in the prestigious Laurel Crown Race—an event that will not only earn her the respect of her peers but also, if she wins, the right to control her future.
                          
However, Noon’s task is nearly impossible: retrieve the White Heart of Justice, a mythical sword that disappeared hundreds of years ago. The sword is rumored to be hidden in a dangerous region of Halja that she is unlikely to return from. But Noon’s life isn’t the only thing hanging in the balance. The sword holds an awesome power that, in the wrong hands, could reboot the apocalypse—and Noon is the only one who can prevent Armageddon from starting again…

Praise for

Fiery Edge of Steel

“Archer delves deeper into the enticing and magical world of Dark Light of Day in this original and clever urban fantasy… Excitement and action leap from the pages as Archer’s skill with description pulls readers fully into her magical world.”—Publishers Weekly

“An astounding adventure tale. Archer’s unique world, where Lucifer’s army triumphed at Armageddon, is filled with adherence to strict laws that keep an uneasy peace between races…A really fresh and fascinating series!”—RT Book Reviews

Dark Light of Day

“There is a fresh new voice in urban fantasy, and she has a unique take on Armageddon…With her unusual heroine, Noon Onyx, Archer has created a brilliant character who struggles against fate to find her place in the world. Set against the backdrop of university life, there is an abundance of adventure, mystery, and passion!”—RT Book Reviews



About the Author:

Jill Archer is the author of the Noon Onyx series, genre-bending fantasy novels about a post-grad magic user and her off-campus adventures. DARK LIGHT OF DAY and FIERY EDGE OF STEEL, the first two books in the series are available now from Penguin/Ace. The third book, WHITE HEART OF JUSTICE, will be released May 27, 2014. Jill lives in Maryland with her husband and two children.

Twitter: @archer_jill




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