Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Moonless Blog Tour


Title: Moonless
Author: Crystal Collier
Series: Maiden of Time #1
Publication: November 13th, 2013
Category: Young Adult (YA)
Genre: Historical Paranormal Romance











Alexia’s nightmares become reality: a dead baron, red-eyed wraiths, and forbidden love with a man hunted by these creatures. After an attack close to home, Alexia realizes she cannot keep one foot in her old life and one in this new world. To protect her family she must either be sold into a loveless marriage, or escape with her beloved and risk becoming one of the Soulless.

Crystal, thanks for stopping by today and bringing Bellezza along with you. Please sit down and enjoy this interview! Bellezza agreed to play nice for a short amount of time, so hurry and read, and then go to the Rafflecopter giveaway at the end.


Bellezza takes a seat, honeydew ringlets spilling loosely over thin shoulders. No more than thirteen, she glares through chocolate eyes that bear as much gravity as a black-hole. Her cheeks twitch upward in a sneer-smile hybrid.

1.      If you had a free day with no responsibilities and your only mission was to enjoy yourself, what would you do?
        *blinks in horror* Die. Maybe I’d have to start plotting my own death from boredom.

2.      What impression do you make on people when they first meet you?
 *grinning maliciously* They are charmed. Aren’t you charmed? *batting eyes* Am I not the very image of a porcelain doll?

3.      What are you most proud of about your life?
 No man or cage can hold me. I am free. Like the wind.

4.      Do you think you’ve turned out the way your parents expected?
 My parents had no expectations for me. Weak things that they were.

5.      You’re saying they’re dead?
 Killed old pappy myself.

6.      Can I ask why?
 *grin fades* Depends. Do you like horror stories? *brows lower* Keep on this line of questioning and your life will be one.

7.      What would you like it to say on your tombstone?
 I will have no tombstone. I will never die.

8.      What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done to someone?
 *cocks her head grinning*  I sent a woman as strong as myself to the Soulless. And may she suffer for eternity.

9.      Why?
 *grimaces* She stabbed me with gold. Do you know what that feels like? Imagine acid—liquid acid beneath your skin. Now times that by one hundred.

10.  What are you most afraid of?
 If you tell anyone this, I will dangle your innards from the nearest flagpole. Understood? *squints, pointing with a threatening finger* I am irredeemable. In the end I will be alone. But I must continue in my mission, for myself, for those who have suffered. I am a product of my circumstances, a tool no loving or respectable person can be. 


Author Bio: Crystal, author of MOONLESS, is a former composer/writer for Black Diamond Productions. She can be found practicing her brother-induced ninja skills while teaching children or madly typing about fantastic and impossible creatures. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, three littles, and “friend” (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese. You can find her on her blog and Facebook, or follow her on Twitter.




Saturday, November 2, 2013

Who is NaNoing?

Every year I argue with myself if I should attempt NaNo or not, and every year I end up going for it it. The thought of writers trying to make their word count with me is somewhat comforting.

I wonder if they are drinking gallons of coffee to stay awake, or are they not using contractions in an attempt to up their word count.

Are they writing a novel, or are they writing poems daily.

Do they have an end goal of getting their novel published, or is it just for fun. My questions are endless.

I like to NaNo as a outline for my stories, and then I can go back and edit like crazy. My book, Deadly Kisses, was a NaNo project a couple of years ago. This year I'll attempt to write the final book in the trilogy, Deadly Escape. Wish me luck, and have fun all you NaNoers out there!

So tell me. Are you doing NaNo, and if so, why?





Monday, October 7, 2013

MOONLESS Cover Reveal

I'm so excited to be a part of the cover reveal blog tour for my very dear blogger friend, Crystal Collier! We've been buddies ever since I started the Choose Your Own Adventure Blog Hops (which I need to start again), and I've been following Crystal's writing journey every step of the way. I jumped up and down, and celebrated with a tray of cheese and crackers when she told me MOONLESS was going to be published. 

It's an honor to help reveal her cover to you. I know you'll love it as much as I do. Enjoy!


Alexia must choose safety and an arranged marriage, or true love and being hunted by the Soulless every moonless night.

Sounds interesting, eh?


 ❀Unleashing the dream world, one book at a time ❀


Thursday, October 3, 2013

Silent Oath Blog Tour

Paul Anthony Shortt, and my fellow WiDo Publishing author, is here today talking about his second book in the Locked Within trilogy, SILENT OATH. I'm really excited to read this book to see what Nathan is up to now. Until I get that book in my hands, let's welcome Paul as he talks about the power of modern myth--what a fun subject!


Hope has returned to New York City. Nathan Shepherd leads a small band of dedicated fighters against the Council of Chains and the city's supernatural masters. But it's not enough. Because from the shadows of Nathan's former lives comes an old enemy, one who knows terrible secrets that Nathan has not yet remembered, secrets that could undo everything he has fought for.

Nathan's only chance to uncover the memories of his previous existence, and to conquer these new forces of evil, lies in Elena DeSantis. A woman he has fought beside in past lifetimes. A woman he has loved.
Together, Nathan and Elena are the only future the city has.





The Power of Modern Myth

Welcome to the second stop on my Silent Oath blog tour!

It can be easy, when you look back at history, to think that the modern age lacks a certain amount of culture and vibrancy. We think back to older civilisations and their fantastic art, beautiful architecture, and compelling mythologies. It’s easy to look at the world and see only the violence, the hardship, the mass media spread of brand names and companies selling their products.

But I think that’s an unfair way to examine our world. Sure, it has its faults, but so has every point in human history. We were never perfect beings, and we probably never will be.

Specifically, many people overlook how myth has changed over time. In the past, myth came about to explain what mankind saw in the world. Thunder and lightning were brought by the gods. Storms meant spirits were angry.

Today, however, myth has become a form of entertainment. You see, we do have mythologies of our own. We just don’t call them that anymore.

Stories have always existed. Humans are social creatures and we have an innate love of storytelling. Where do our mythic heroes now exist? In movies, books, comics and video games. Iconic characters rise from humble beginnings and, over time, become ingrained in society’s consciousness. Superman, Indiana Jones, Lara Croft, Buffy Summers, Harry Potter. These are our mythic heroes now. These are the stories that we look to for guidance, as our ancestors looked to their own heroes.

These stories teach right from wrong. They inspire us to be ourselves, or stand up for what we believe in. They show us the power of friendship and let us know that, in the end, good people are rewarded while the wicked are punished. Does this always apply in real life? Of course not. But that isn’t the point.

The point is that these stories show us a better world than the one we live in. They’re a set of goals; ideals we can aspire to even if we never achieve them. I think it’s a shame when people try to apply too much real-world logic, even cynicism, to stories like these. By complaining about why Batman won’t kill the Joker, or why someone didn’t kill Voldemort with a sniper rifle from a mile away, we blind ourselves to the true importance of the story. We reject the better world, because it’s always easier to do nothing than it is to make a change in our lives.

That’s the power of these stories, to remind us that, even within our own lives, we can make the world a better place for ourselves and the people we love. That’s the kind of message I hope is present in my work. The kind of goal that Nathan Shepherd has in Silent Oath.


About the Author:
A child at heart who turned to writing and role-playing games when there simply weren't enough action figures to play out the stories he wanted, Paul Anthony Shortt has been writing all his life. Growing up surrounded by music, film and theatre gave him a deep love of all forms of storytelling, each teaching him something new he could use. When not playing with the people in his head, he enjoys cooking and regular meet-ups with his gaming group.

Paul lives in Ireland with his wife Jen and their dogs, Pepper and Jasper. Their first child, Conor William Henry Shortt, was born on July 11th, 2011. He passed away three days later, but brought love and joy into their lives and those of their friends. The following year, Jen gave birth to twins, Amy and Erica, and is now expecting their fourth child.
Paul's first novel, Locked Within, was released on November 6th, 2012, by WiDo Publishing. Silent Oath is the second book in this urban fantasy trilogy.



Links:
Twitter: @PAShortt

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Winners!

Thanks to all the wonderful people who hosted me on their blogs this week. You guys totally rock!

There were so many entries for the giveaway it blew my mind. I wish I could give each and every one of you a prize, but unfortunately I would have to win the lottery to be able to do that.

So Rafflecopter has chosen two winners.

Drum roll please...

The winner of a signed Deadly Kisses book, and signed piece of artwork is
Cristina Arpin

The winner of a custom made book trailer from Butch Deluca is
Mirlou

Congrats!
I'll be emailing you with details on claiming your prize.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Deadly Kisses Book Trailer Giveaway Schedule

Enter every day at any of the participating blogs below.

Giveaway #1 A custom made book trailer made by Butch from www.butchdeluca.com (good up to one year).

Giveaway #2 A signed copy of Deadly Kisses and one signed print of artwork of your choice from a scene in the book trailer. CLICK HERE to watch it!

September 7th
Books4Tomorrow
Living in a Bookworld
Rose and Beps Blog
Ruby's Books
The Diary of an Engineer
Simply Infatuated
Read a Book in Time
Rainy Days and Pajamas
Marked by Books
Bettering Me Up
The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl
A Dream Within a Dream
Cover 2 Cover
The Cover Contessa
Mom With a Kindle
Literary Meanderings
Page Flipperz
Penny for Them
Share my Destiny
The Phantom Paragrapher
Hot Off the Shelves
Only God Can Make a Tree
I Love Books
A Diary of a Book Addict
YA Book Addict
YA Reads
Lovely Reads
Everything But the Books
Indy Book Fairy
Once Upon a Moonlit Review
The Book Addict
Diane's Book Blog
All in a Book
Clean Teen Reads
A Soul Unsung
Queekie Girl Reads


September 8th
The Book Shimmy
Mythical Books
Dalene's Book Reviews
So Many Bools, So Little Time
Turner's Antics
Bianca2b
My Home Away From Home
Sun Mountain Reviews
Beauty But a Funny Girl
Books and Needlepoint
Penny for Them
Purpink Roses Books
Must Read Faster

September 9th
Heather Hearts Books
My Seryniti
Michelle's Paranormal Vault of Books
Ice Queen's Bookshelf
Margay Leah Justice
Fae Books
Bookluvrs Haven
Spellbindings
Cover 2 Cover Blog
Nazish Reads

September 10th
Musings of a Blogder
Heather's Book Chatter
My Book Addiction
The Book Tart
Always Joart
Literary, ect
Book Whirlwind
The Kooky Bookworm
Wanted Readers
Literary Love Affair
CK Droid

September 11th
Faerie Tale Books
Book Comet
Literary Nook
A Cup of Coffee and a Book
Deal Sharing Aunt
Books A to Z

September 12th
Write Away Bliss
Sassy Book Lovers
Deb Deb Reviews
Ebook Escapes
Why Can't I Stop Reading
Jodie Pierce's Ink Slinger's Blog
All Things in Cloud Sweet
Escape Into a Book

September 13th
A Literary Mafia
Book Cracker Caroline
Sab the Book Eater
Darlene's Book Nook
Novels They Wrote or Movies They Made
Crawling Over the Pages
Contagious Reads

September 14th
GIVEAWAY ENDS. GOOD LUCK!

September 15th
WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED


Monday, September 2, 2013

Giveaways Starting Sept 7th

I hope everyone had a great labor day. I just wanted to give you a heads up about the prizes that are up for grabs, starting on September 7th on participating blogs (list coming soon) for my book trailer tour.

I'm doing a cross promotion with Butch from www.butchdeluca.com for a chance to win your very own custom book trailer. Yes, you heard me right. YOUR OWN BOOK TRAILER!


But that's not all. Because I think you all rock, I'm having a second giveaway. You could win one signed copy of my book, DEADLY KISSES along with a print of an original drawing that was used in my book trailer signed by the artist. 

Stop jumping before the earth spins into outer space.

Good luck and enter daily for your chance to WIN! I just love giving away free stuff :)

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Grumpy Author

I was going to the bookstore to schedule a signing for Deadly Kisses last week when I got sidetracked by Grumpy Cat, A Grumpy Book. For those of you who don't know Grumpy Cat see the picture below.


Flipping through the book I had a *slams hand to my head* moment as to why I didn't think of a concept like this. I mean, I have funny looking cats. So here I am doing my own version of Grumpy Cat, and it wiped the grumpy author right out of me.


 You think You're having a bad day Grumpy Cat, well even my whiskers frown.

You pick your nose human-servant, so get over it.

A look like this requires a 22 hour nap

I will rule the world and my little friend too. Mawhaha!

Have you ever had a moment where you thought "why didn't I think of that." If so what was it for?




Friday, July 26, 2013

Deadly Kisses Book Trailer Reveal

I have the honor of knowing Butch DeLuca, a local New Hampshire artist, who took on the project of making a book trailer for my book, Deadly Kisses. I trusted him completely with my baby (I mean book) and gave him free reign. (No pressure there, eh Butch?) I was blown away how he "got" my book and the world that I created. He brought Aiden and Bee to life in a way that I had always imagined. I hope you love the video as much as I do.

If you adore Butch's work give him an email at butchdeluca1(at)netzero(dot)com and Soundcloud


Thursday, July 25, 2013

Blogger Book Fair Welcomes Juli Caldwell

Welcome to the Blogger Book Fair. What is the Book Fair? Only 5 days of awesome! Find new books and buy them for a discount or get them free from July 22-26th. Click here to see the full list of participants, and be prepared to get enough books to last you the whole summer.


Please welcome my guest Juli Caldwell. Thanks so much for stopping by today, Juli!

 
Cover Art by Morteque

You can find it on Amazon, Smashwords, and in paperback at CreateSpace

So far, great reviews for Psyched!

"This is one of those books you just can't put down. What I love about Psyched in addition to a great, spooky story is strong characters and narrative voice. Aisi is the most awesome chick, strong-willed, sassy, and deals with some crazy stuff happening with a spunkiness that I loved... Psyched is well-written, riveting, surprising and genre-busting. Teens will love this book, but it definitely has a more wide-ranging appeal."

and...

"Aisi Turay is one awesome girl. She has power to see the dead...as in their souls...This is a great read, filled with suspense. I NEVER knew from one chapter to the next what was happening. It is well written and a very enjoyable...and a bit scary!"

Psyched is part ghost story, part suspense, part demon-hunting thriller, part budding romance.It's the story of a girl named Aisi who's doing her best to keep it together for her wreck of a family. She is smart, sassy, and sarcastic enough to keep things interesting. When she meets Vance on the single worst day of her life, she finds a guy who just might be the first person ever to get her, to believe in her, and to out-random her with bizarre observations at the worst possible moment. There's just something about him that she knows she can trust.

Together, Aisi and Vance wander through the memories of others to unlock the secrets of her past while battling a demon who wants to ensure she never finds what she's looking for. Aisi vanquishes demons all the time, but Malus Indolus is too strong. And he has plans for her...and her family.

Psyched is Juli's second novel, the first as an indie writer, and her first experiment with her true love as a reader: paranormal fiction. Her debut novel Beyond Perfection is also available.

You can find Juli on Twitter, Facebook,  and her blog.

Sounds awesome, right?  Juli was kind enough to share an excerpt with us. Enjoy!

“What was that thing, and how did you get it to go away?” he persisted.
Aisi took a deep breath. She glanced over her shoulder to ensure their mother was still asleep, although she didn’t need to. The woman was still snorting and moaning down the hall. “Before I can answer your question, I need you to pinky swear that you’ll never tell anyone what I say. If you breathe one word of this, I’ll paint your toenails hot pink in your sleep and give you an atomic wedgie every day for the next eighty-five years. And I’ll tell all your friends you play with dolls. Got it?”
Leo’s eyes widened, but he nodded and extended his scrawny pinky toward her. She grabbed it decisively with her own. “Okay. The pinky swear is official. This stuff is legit. You break this and I can sue.” She thought a minute, trying to decide where to start. “Is that the first time you saw that dark shadow, Leo? Or have you seen it before?”
“That’s the night terror,” he said simply, and Aisi closed her eyes with a shake of her head. Her mom had told them for months that night terrors were nothing more than bad dreams. He would grow out of them eventually, she promised. That promise to her kid was just as worthless as everything else she said.
Leo continued, swallowing hard and looking as terrified as he had the night before. He whispered to her, as if speaking about the night terror aloud would call it back to him. “It comes sometimes, and I scream because it won’t stop growling at me and then it goes away when Mom comes in. Sometimes I see other stuff, too. Kind of like people but…” He struggled to find the right words in his limited kindergarten vocabulary. “But kind of foggy, too. They can talk to me. They’re mostly nice, but the night terror growls at me. He laughs when I cry.” Tears filled his big brown eyes, but he rubbed them angrily on his sleeve. “Can you teach me how to make it go away?”
Aisi reached over and affectionately rubbed the tight curls on his mostly buzzed head. “Yeah. I can. First you need to know what they are. The foggy people…those are ghosts. They’re okay, mostly just annoying. They’re sort of lost, but you can help them not be lost anymore.”
She pursed her lips, remembering the whiner in bobby socks who wouldn’t let her sleep last night. A faint horn sounded in the distance as she thought, but she ignored it as she looked out the window and down the long gravel driveway that led from their dilapidated house to the two-lane highway leading to town. “You just have to tell them to look for a light. I never see it, but they always do. Then they go away.” ‘Go toward the light’ was cliché, but effective.
“I want to make the night terror go away,” Leo said.
She sighed. “That one is a little trickier. It takes work. That thing you call a night terror? That’s a demon. They’re pretty hard to get rid of. Once they decide they want to scare you, they keep scaring you. Fear is like…” Her eyes rested on the box of cereal between them. “…Fear is like chocolate frosted sugar bombs to a demon. They like the taste of it, you know? They’d eat it all day if we let them, but we can’t ever let them know we’re scared. That’s where they get their power.”




Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Blog Hop Interview for KitLit/YA Authors

My writer friend, Jadie Jones has invited me to participate in a blog hop interview. After my questions I'll tag three other writers who will get to answer four questions of their choice from a list on their blog next week. It has been fun to go back, and see who answered what questions. Make sure you visit Jadie, and while you're at her blog check out her new book, Moonlit, which I can't wait to read the sequel too!

Here are my answers that I chose from the list I was given.

1. What are you working on right now? I'm still working on the Deadly Kisses series. Book two, Deadly Darkness will be published in late 2014 by WiDo Publishing, so I've been busy writing the final book to the story called Deadly Escape. It will definitely be a bittersweet moment once the series is complete.

2. Why do you write what you do? What better way to relive all your firsts by writing a YA book. That and I think teens are awesome, and an inspiration to me (Maggie S. I'm pointing to you, kid).

3. What is the hardest part about writing? Plotting.

4. How does your writing process work? Don't laugh, but I'm pretty simple. I sit my bum in the chair and just go, go, go.

Tag you're it! Look for these writers answers on their blog the week of the 29th.

Laura Howard, author of The Forgotten Ones

Nancy Cavanaugh, author of Mystic Romance and Amrita

Laura Diamond, author of Shifting Pride, New Pride, and Endure

Wendy and Charles Siefken, author of Kai's Journey


Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Blogger Book Fair Welcomes Misty Moncur

Welcome to the Blogger Book Fair. What is the Book Fair? Only 5 days of awesome! Find new books and buy them for a discount or get them free from July 22-26th. Click here to see the full list of participants, and be prepared to get enough books to last you the whole summer.

Please welcome my guest Misty Moncur. Thanks so much for stopping by today, Misty!


Sometimes, the fiercest battles in life are not fought on the battlefield.

Keturah was not content to stay home while her brothers marched out to battle against the Lamanites. She fought her way into the army, but now she's in Judea building embattlements and fighting boredom. The other soldiers resent her, her brothers are becoming strangers, and Zeke's jealousy is getting worse.

Working to gain the trust of the men in her unit, she completes every order with determination. A spy mission into Antiparah. A secret assassination at Cumeni. A guard detail to Zarahemla. From burying the dead to whiling away hours on guard duty, Keturah will do whatever it takes to protect her religion, her freedom, her peace, and her family. But in a camp of two thousand boys, the most important thing she has to protect is her heart.

Fight For You is the second novel in Misty Moncur's Stripling Warrior series, all of which are available FREE during the Book Blogger Fair. Check them out! And follow Misty's blog for the cover reveal of Fight For You coming up next month!



Misty Moncur wanted to be Indiana Jones when she grew up. Instead, she became an author and has her adventures at home. In her jammies. With her imagination. And pens that she keeps running dry.

Misty lives in a marsh near a very salty lake in Utah with her husband and children, where they sit around of an evening and read their Kindles. Well, she does anyway.

Connect with Misty at the links below.

Visit Misty's blog
Like The Stripling Warrior Series
Connect with Misty on Goodreads
Add Daughter of Helaman to your To Read list
Follow Misty on Twitter
Follow Misty on Wattpad
Follow Misty on Tumblr



Continue the Stripling Warrior series on Wattpad!