Thursday, August 30, 2012

Blog Tour Stop for Shift by Raine Thomas

I am thrilled to be involved in the Blog Tour for the release of Shift by Raine Thomas.



Shift is the second book in the trilogy and is full of all of the elements that make a wonderful read: Adventure, Romance, and Battle.


Having the ability to shapeshift, Sophia is familiar with change. But even she feels the rising tension in her homeland.

A shadowy male and deadly beast reside in their midst. The births of the newest Kynzesti loom. Hostile Mercesti continue to hunt for the Elder Scroll, and a traumatized female is too afraid to use her abilities to stop them.

Topping off Sophia’s stress is Quincy, the male she’s convinced can’t stand her. She rues the loss of their friendship, but can’t figure out how to move past it. She’ll soon learn, however, that mending that rift bears more significance than she ever imagined.

The search for the Elder Scroll takes on unexpected urgency, and Sophia finds herself in a race across the mainland. To stop the Mercesti led by Eirik, she and her companions must get past their differences and unite against them. If they don’t, Eirik will acquire the immense power he seeks, and two of the beings Sophia loves most will die.

You can buy Shift here:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Sunday, August 26, 2012

#SampleSunday #NewAdult WIP

Happy Sunday!

I am going to post another snippet from my current New Adult WIP, tentatively titled Make it Last. To see the first excerpt, follow this link.

I hope you enjoy it, and please, tell me what you think!

Colin sighed loudly.

“What did you come here for, Bree? Go back to your boyfriend and leave me alone.”

“I don’t have a boyfriend.” Briana retorted. “I haven’t had the stomach for one since you left.”

Colin took a step closer. “That Kent guy isn’t your boyfriend?”

“No,” Briana responded. “Look, I came here because I was pissed that you got mad at us. You have no reason to be mad. I don’t get why you are. You're the one who left. You didn’t want me then, so why do you care now?”

With that she whirled towards the door, intent on leaving.

She only made it a couple steps before Colin grabbed her arm and whirled her back. He walked her quickly backwards until she was stopped by the door.

Before she could register what was happening, she was flat against the door and his mouth was on hers.

She didn’t think, she just reacted.

Her hands came up around his neck and his fastened under her bottom and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist to get stabilized, then met his hot, hungry mouth with her own.

They kissed frantically, as if they had been starved for the contact. When his mouth left hers to trail kisses down her throat, her head fell back to allow him better access. As he licked his way back up to her mouth, she groaned loudly, and he paused to look at her.

“Wanting you was never the problem,” He stated, eyes black with need, then dove back in and began to drive her slowly crazy.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Cover Reveal of Uprising (Children of the Gods #2) by Jessica Therrien

Please join me in celebrating the Cover Reveal of Uprising (Children of the Gods #2) by my good friend Jessica Therrien.

Release Date: February 19, 2013
Publisher: ZOVA Books
Paperback & Ebook

Teaser:

We left everything but the weapons. Clothes, food, toothpaste. There wasn’t time for things that weren’t essential to escape. The five of us went on foot in a direction that was meaningless to me. I had never seen what was outside of the edges of the safe haven, not since I’d been here.

When Mac stopped abruptly after our fifteen-minute trek into the woods, we all froze at once, bodies poised and ready to attack, eyes searching for threats.

“We’re here,” Mac announced. “What should we expect Marcus?”

I had never heard Dr. Nickel called by his first name, and it made me realize he wasn’t as untouchable as I had imagined. Just because he was here, didn’t mean we were safe.

“I don’t know,” he answered. “Maybe an army, maybe nothing. Depends on where they are.”

“Everyone best get down on the ground just in case,” Mac decided with a nod. “Weapons ready.”

As I lay belly down in the dirt, I noticed Dr. Nickel pull a gun from his belt, and my stomach gave a heave.

“When I remove the haven walls, there will be a van. Everyone get in back. If anything goes wrong…” Mac paused, uncomfortable at the thought. “It’s been nice knowin’ ya.”


And now... The Cover!




You can add Uprising to your TBR list on goodreads.






Jessica Therrien is the author of the young adult paranormal fiction series Children of the Gods. Book one in the series, Oppression, was published by ZOVA Books in February of 2012 and became a Barnes & Noble best-seller shortly after its release. The second book in the series, Uprising, will be available in February of 2013.


Aside from her Children of the Gods series, Jessica’s work can also be found in a published collection of flash fiction stories called Campaigner Challenges 2011. Out of over 350 submissions her story, The Soulless, won first place for people’s choice and fourth place in the judging round of Rachael Harrie’s Writing Campaign Challenge. Her story, Saved, is also available as part of the anthology.


Jessica spent most of her life in the small town of Chilcoot, California, high up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In this town of nearly 100 residents, with no street lights or grocery stores, there was little to do but find ways to be creative. Her mother, the local English teacher, inspired her to do all things artistic, and ultimately instilled in her a love for language.


In 2003, Jessica attended California State University Long Beach where her passion for language found her studying Chinese, and in 2005 she moved to Taiwan to study abroad. From 2005 to 2006 Jessica was fully immersed in the Chinese language as she attended National Taiwan University, and in 2008 she graduated from San Diego State University magna cum laude.


Jessica currently lives in Chula Vista with her husband and is working on book three in her Children of the Gods series.


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If you haven't read Oppression (Children of the Gods #1) here's what you've been missing:


Elyse knows what it means to keep a secret. She's been keeping secrets her whole life. Two, actually. First, that she ages five times slower than the average person, so that while she looks eighteen years old, she's closer to eighty. Second, that her blood has a mysterious power to heal. For Elyse, these things don't make her special. They make life dangerous. After the death of her parents, she's been careful to keep her secret as closely guarded as possible. Now, only one other person in the world knows about her age and ability. Or so she thinks. Elyse is not the only one keeping secrets. There are others like her all over the world, descendants of the very people the Greeks considered gods. She is one of them, and they have been waiting for her for a long time. Among so many of her kind, she should not be very remarkable--except for the prophecy. Some believe she will put an end to traditions, safeguarded by violence, which have oppressed her people for centuries. Others are determined to keep her from doing just that. But for Elyse, the game is just beginning--and she's not entirely willing to play by their rules.

Cover Reveal of Forged by Greed by Angela Orlowski-Peart

I am excited to be involved with the Cover Reveal for my friend Angela Orlowski-Peart and her upcoming novel:

Forged by Greed


Their choice had been taken away long before they were born.


Synopsis:


Two Seattle 16-year-old Shape Shifters, Jatred and Jasmira, are torn between following their hearts and protecting the order of the world.

The ancient Shape Shifter Races—the Winter wolves and the Summer leopards—exist on Earth, living among humans and perfectly fitting into modern life. Their secret societies are organized, each united by their own laws and traditions.

Two Goddesses, Crystal and Amber command their respective Races. One is on a quest to tilt the scale of power to her side. The other will never let it happen, even if it means sacrificing Jatred and Jasmira’s love.

The Amulet commissioned to bring stability into the world remains hidden and concealed with the help of advanced technology. Jatred is the guardian of the Amulet and key to the Goddesses’ conflict.

The forces of nature are disrupted. Earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions rake the world. The Goddesses go to war and summon all their Shifters to join in the conflict. Jatred and Jasmira fight not only for their star-crossed love but to protect the future of both Races and humankind.



The cover art was designed by Jeannie Ruesch


Bio:

Angela Orlowski-Peart was born and raised in Poland. She describes herself as European born, American by choice. She was just seven-years-old when she decided to learn English to translate her favorite Polish fairytales.

Angela is a Young Adult and Adult fiction writer. She completed her first YA paranormal romance novel, Forged by Greed, which is scheduled for publication on September 20, 2012. This is the first book in The Forged Series. Angela writes in multiple genres, including paranormal, fantasy, urban fiction, sci-fi, and short stories. She is a member of Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Western Washington Chapter (http://www.scbwi.org), and several authors’ and readers’ networking groups on Linkedin and Goodreads.

Angela loves reading good books almost as much as writing them. She can’t decide which is her favorite season—summer or fall. She speaks with Polish accent, but loves listening to the Southern drawl.
She is passionate about watercolor painting, fashion—especially stilettos, rock climbing, environment, and organic food and gardening. She lives in the Seattle area with her husband, two children, and a very independent and chronically curious cat.




Angela can be found on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Linkedin and Goodreads.

website

facebook

twitter

google plus

linkedin


goodreads


Excerpt:


The wolf stood under the trees, several yards from the fence. His eyes were fixed on the stone statues. He growled and took a few slow steps back. Then he sprang forward and ran full speed toward the gate. His upper lip drew back, showing sharp, long canines. He jumped over the spikes of the fence, his belly inches away from the pointed iron finials. The wolf landed on the other side and left large paw prints on the freshly mowed grass. He lost his balance but regained it momentarily.

He heard her footsteps even before he heard her voice.

“Jatred!” From the house Jasmira ran toward him. Her long curly hair billowed behind her. “J, you made it. You made it.”

The wolf whimpered and trotted forward to meet her. Without slowing down, she threw herself onto him. Her hands grabbed his thick fur. His body was massive, and Jasmira looked like a child hugging an uncommonly large dog. The air around them pulsed and shivered. Jatred shifted into his human form and fell onto his back. Jasmira sprawled on top of him. Holding his face in her hands, she kissed him. His face broke into a broad smile.

Forged by Greed will be released on September 20, 2012. The second book in the series (untitled) is scheduled for publication in summer 2013.

Add Forged by Greed to your To-Be-Read list on Goodreads. Check back on September 20th for the buy links and the book blog tours information.


Saturday, August 18, 2012

A Writers Opinion on Writers, Readers, and Bloggers

In the past year, I feel like I have learned a lot from, and became a part of, this wonderful online community of Writers, Readers, and Bloggers.
As a writer, and sometimes I still can’t believe I can call myself that, I know how hard it is to put your work out there for the world to see and critique. As a reader, I know that every person reacts to books differently. It’s subjective.
I have loved to read all of my life, and there have been plenty of books that I did not enjoy that other people loved. I am pretty actively involved online, and I pay attention to what people are reading. Sometimes I pick up a book because bloggers and readers that I connect with recommend it, and other times I just buy something that sounds intriguing.
I will say that there are books that are huge right now, that I have tried to read and either didn’t like, or couldn’t finish. As a writer, it would be naïve of me to think that readers wouldn’t have the same varied reactions to my own books. We are all different. We have different likes and dislikes, and it is our prerogative to share our opinions.
I am not a Book Reviewer or Book Blogger, so it isn’t my job to post my reviews or tell the world my opinion about the books I read. If I don’t like a book, chances are you’ll never know it, but if I love a book, I’m going to shout it from the rooftops.
I consider it my job to support other Writers, to help spread the word when they have books being released, and to let it be known when I have really enjoyed their work. Indie Writers are my Rock Stars, and I really want to see the good ones succeed!
I do want to say to my fellow writers, that although I know how hard it is to read a negative review, that last thing we should be doing is lashing out at the Reviewers and Bloggers who help us survive in this community. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and as I implied earlier, two people reading the same book, can have widely differing views about that book. Once you release your book out to the public, you have to be ready to take the good with the bad.
If you get a bad review, don’t reply in the comment thread… walk away. Call a friend, or email your critique partner. Talk a walk. Whatever you need to do to process it and deal with it in your way, do it, but don’t get angry and spread your anger across the web. We have all been there. We know what it feels like, but you have to realize that a bad review isn’t a personal attack. The reviewer isn’t saying that they don’t like you, or that you are a bad person, they are just sharing their opinion on your work.
I have heard many wonderful writers second guess their craft, they wonder whether they have what it takes to actually be a writer and talk about giving up. Don’t. We all have those feelings, I promise. You just have to work through it with the people who know what you are going through, we are here to help.
Hopefully I haven’t gone on too long, but these are my opinions and I wanted to share them with the people I relate to the most… the Amazing Writers, Readers, and Bloggers in this Kick Ass Community, of which I am so honored and humbled to belong.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Ciao Release Bonanza and Blog Tour


August 15th is the Release Day Bonanza and first day of the blog tour for Ciao, book three in the Stories about Melissa series.

The Release Day Bonanza is being held by Charisma Media.

You can find the information for them here:

http://www.charismamedianetwork.com/2012/07/ciao-by-bethany-lopez-book-tour.html

These are the participating blogs. Please stop by and visit them on the 15th.

Rachel - http://StressedRach.co.uk
Courtney - http://optimisticmommy.com
Liz - http://devotedmommyof3.blogspot.com
Debbie - http://debbie-jean.com
Ruth - http://mydevotionalthoughts.com
Kechell - http://kechell-j.blogspot.com
Susan - http://coziecorner.blogspot.com
Dalene - http://datesbooks.blogspot.com
Pheadra - http://identitydiscovery.net
Stephanie - http://beautybrite.com
Melissa - http://www.thenovicechristian.com
Stephanie - http://fairytalereviews.blogspot.com
Jacinta - http://jacintaz3.blogspot.com
Liz - http://pargasjunkyard.com
Tracey - http://youngadultbookaddict.blogspot.com.au
Susan H - http://soulunsung.blogspot.com

August 15th is also the first day in the blog tour being held by YA Bound. The tour will run through August 22nd.

You can find the information for them here:

http://yabound.blogspot.com/2012/07/ciao-blog-tour-by-bethany-lopez.html

YA Bound will be hosting the Rafflecopter giveaway on their participating blogs.
Here is what is up for grabs:



These are the participating blogs and their dates:

http://www.adiaryofabookaddict.blogspot.com/ – August 15: Review & Promo Post*
http://kissedbyink.com/ - August 15: Review
http://www.alwaysyaatheart.blogspot.com/ – August 15: Review & Promo Post*
http://iheartyabooks.blogspot.com/ - August 15: Review*
http://edandemreviews.blogspot.com/ - August 16: Review
http://stuckinbooks.com – August 16: Review*
http://storybookescape.blogspot.com/ – August 16: Review
http://papercutsya.blogspot.com/ - August 16: Review
http://www.angelafristoe.blogspot.com – August 17: Promo Post*
http://everyfreechancebookreviews.blogspot.com/ - August 17: Review
http://paigebradish1996.blogspot.com/ - August 17: Promo Post
http://adreamwithindream.blogspot.com – August 17: Review*
http://www.autumnreview.com/ – August 17: Review*
http://thebookhookup.com/ - August 17: Review
http://understandingshaestory.blogspot.com/ - August 18: Review
http://justabooklover.blogspot.com – August 18: Review
http://imaginaryreads.blogspot.com – August 18: Review*
http://jessysbookends.blogspot.com - August 20: Review
http://yastands.blogspot.com/ – August 20: Promo Post
http://refugeinbooks.blogspot.com – August 21: Review
http://captivatedreading.com – August 21: Review
http://onemilysbookshelf.com – August 21: Review
http://www.loveydoveybooks.blogspot.com/ – August 22: Review

Finally, some of my fabulous friends have offered to help out with the launch as well. Please stop by their websites and show them some love!

Raine Thomas - http://rainethomas.com/
Erin McGill Beard - http://www.quixoticmagpie.blogspot.com/
Jessica Therrien - http://www.jessicatherrien.com/
Marilyn Almodovar - http://marilynalmodovar.blogspot.com/
Laura Howard - http://www.laurahoward78.blogspot.com/
Corinne O'Flynn - http://www.corinneoflynn.com/
Kate Fuentes - http://siredscribblings.blogspot.com/
Sheri Fink - http://www.facebook.com/SheriFinkFan
J.C. Martin - http://jc-martin.com/fighterwriter

Thanks to everyone participating and making this release an amazing experience!

Sunday, August 12, 2012

#SampleSunday - New Adult WIP

Happy Sunday!

This week I wanted to give a sample of the New Adult WIP that I am currently revising, tentatively titled, Make it Last.

This is from the first draft. Let me know what you think.

“Hey, Bree.”
This was the moment Briana had been dreading, but now that it was there, she found that she knew just how to handle it.
“Hi, Colin,” She replied, and started to walk around him.
“Wait,” Colin exclaimed, putting his hand on her arm to stop her from walking away. “Can’t we talk?”
Briana looked pointedly at his hand and then up at his face, not saying anything until he removed it.
“We don’t have anything to talk about, Colin.” Briana said, hoping her face looked bored, because her nerves were bouncing all over the place. “Besides, I’m working.”
“Looks like you’re on break,” he replied. “C’mon, Bree, just give me a couple minutes.”
Briana was about to tell him to shove it, when she felt someone come up behind her and two strong arms wrapped around her from behind.
“Hey, Babe, I’ve been wondering if Pam was ever gonna give you a break.” Kent whispered in her ear
He said it loud enough for Colin to hear, and Briana notice him stiffen at Kent’s words and his obvious familiarity.
“Yeah, I’ve got a quick one,” Briana turned and gave him a grateful look, before going up on his tip toes to meet him for a kiss.
She thought she heard a grunt or something come from Colin, so she turned to give him a smile and an introduction.
“Oh, sorry,” she said, not the least bit sorry. “Kent, this is Colin, we went to high school together. Colin, this is Kent.”
“What’s up, man?” Kent asked, extending his hand for a shake.
Colin looked at the offered hand, then back at Kent, who may have been an inch shorter than him, and shook it.
“Not much. You must be new around here.” Colin said, knowing he’d never seen him around before. He didn’t like the way his stomach had tightened when the guy had come up behind Briana, and when he’d kissed her, he’d had to refrain from punching him in the face.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

#SampleSunday Nissa: a contemporary fairy tale

Happy Sunday! I want to include another sample from one of my current WIP's, Nissa: a contemporary fairy tale. This is still in draft form, so some things may change, but I hope you enjoy it!



“So, you took the bullies on single handedly, huh?”
I was having a hard time catching my breath, so I just nodded my affirmation.
“That’s really hot.”
He put my hand down and leaned in to me, as if he was going to give me a kiss, but he stopped just before making contact.
I closed my eyes, allowing my other senses to take over, and I focused on the feel of his breath on my lips and the smell of his skin.
Without realizing it, I started to try and urge him closer. I hummed a seductive tune under my breath and felt the passion begin to swirl.
I opened my eyes and saw that his eyes were dilated. I realized what I was doing and shook it off. I wanted Levi to want me for me, not because I enticed him with magic.
His eyes returned to normal and I closed my eyes once more.
He leaned in a bit closer and I shuddered when I felt his tongue sweep across my bottom lip. My lips parted instinctively, and I waited. This time his teeth bit softly down and I whimpered, savoring the tingles that were running through me.
I waited for his next move and licked my lips in anticipation. When I heard the deep growl emit from his chest, my eyes flew open and we both reached for each other.
For the next few minutes we were kissing each other eagerly. Our tongues mingling and our hands roaming over each other.
I felt the taut muscles of his back, his arms, and his shoulders, before I reached for the back of his head with one hand, and pressed the other against his lower back, holding him as close as possible.
His hands wandered where they pleased, causing my breath to come in quick gasps and the fire to spread rapidly through me.
I pulled away to catch my breath and was about to kiss him again when he stopped.
I looked into his sea green eyes and took another deep breath. I smiled brightly licking my lips again.
He followed the stroke of my tongue and his eyes flashed. He closed them briefly and I saw his chest heave.
“You make me feel so many things, Nissa. I don’t know what I’m going to do with you.”
“What do you want to do with me?” I countered.
His eyes flashed and he looked at me intently.
“Sometimes I wonder if you understand what you’re saying, or if you are truly so innocent that you have no guise.”