#YAIndieCarnival: Author in the spotlight - K.C Blake

29.3.13




Author Bio:   K.C. Blake is a ninja on the keyboard.  When she is locked away in her office, pounding out another story, no one dares disturb her.  She probably wouldn’t hear them anyway.  They don’t get it.  They think she’s in her office, but she’s lost in another world.  Sometimes she is fighting vampires or hunting ghosts.  Sometimes she is running with a werewolf pack or falling in love with a misunderstood creature.  Her books appeal to lovers of the paranormal.  Whether you are twelve or fifty, you will fall in love with her stories.



Website: http://kasi-kcblake.blogspot.com
Twitter: @kasiblake
Vampires Rule Fan Page:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vampires-Rule/184193604955442
K.C. Blake Fan Page:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/K-C-Blakes-Author-Page/246146215412824
Goodreads Page:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4809417.K_C_Blake

Interview:

1) What is your all-time favorite book and why?
City of Bones.  I love the way Cassandra Clare writes, so visual that I can see it, and I love her awesome characters.

2) Is there an author you could be compared to or popular fictional characters your book's characters could relate to and why?
I don’t think my characters are like any other characters I’ve read about.  My writing is my own.  I’ve been told I have a unique voice, a unique way of writing.  Some people love it and some of don’t.

3) Can you give us your favorite quote from one of your books and explain it?
This is a hard one. I can’t think of one off the top of my head, so I will use one that people have put on Goodreads as their favorite.  It is from Vampires Rule.

“Stop!” she screamed. “Don’t hurt him.”
“Back off!” Billy shouted.
She yanked harder on Billy’s arm.
“He isn’t a vampire anymore, idiot. Look! Do you see that big, yellow thing up in the sky? That’s called the sun. It’s shining down on him, and he isn’t exploding. His fangs are gone. He’s as human as we are. Case closed.”
Billy stared up at the sky, his jaw slack. “Not possible.”
Jack mumbled, “They don’t call me Jackpot for nothing.”
“What?” Billy blinked at him.
“Private joke.”

I think it’s pretty self-explanatory.  Jack was a vampire and now he’s not, and his brother just found out.

4) What types of things/people/music inspires you and makes you want to keep writing?
There isn’t any certain thing that inspires me.  Once in a while a movie or book will speak to me.  Sometimes a person I know will say something that sends me into a ‘what if’ daydream.  As for music, I love listening to songs while I write.  What I listen to depends on what sort of scene I’m writing.  I need a song that captures the emotions of the scene.  Then I can picture it in my head, and I’ll listen to that song a hundred times if I have to in order to finish what I’m working on.

5) Describe your typical writing day or week.
Within five minutes of waking I am thinking about whatever book I’m working on.  I might listen to music and daydream about it for a while, or I might jot down some notes.  Usually I spend time on-line before pulling my book up on the computer.  I check email, do some research, and play games (lol) before starting to work.  Then I work on and off all day until I get a chapter finished or am too tired to keep going.  I take breaks quite often.  If I don’t, my eyes and head hurt so bad the next day that I can’t work at all.

6) Is there a food or drink do you have to have when you're writing?
No.  Eating and or drinking distracts me from the writing.  If anything, once in a while I will have some chocolate, something I can just pop into my mouth.  I’ll use it as a reward.  I get one after I finish a certain amount of pages.

7) Can you tell us what you're working on right now (& possibly provide an excerpt & cover)?
I am editing a book called Bait, the first in a new series.  Here is the blurb for it:

At sixteen, Bay-Lee Bishop is not your typical girl.  The last thing she wants is to be popular, but flying below the radar isn’t easy when you’re the tallest girl in the eleventh grade.  She works hard to keep a steady C point average, never raises her hand in class, and avoids extra-curricular activity of any kind.  The other students would be stunned to learn she’s living under an alias as she and her uncle move from town to town, just barely staying a step ahead of the monsters hunting her just because she’s Van Helsing’s daughter.

Life is weird.  Then it gets worse.  A reaper uses her closet to cross over with a dire warning the day before she’s whisked away to her new school.  This time it’s the school she was always meant to attend, a school that trains hunters.  

This is what she’s been waiting for her whole life, only it isn’t anything like she imagined. The other students hate her, something evil is killing hunters, and her mentor refuses to give her the slightest bit of help.  Determined to make her father proud, Bay-Lee focuses on her training.  Nothing is going to distract her.  Not border monsters or wraiths or the boy with jungle green eyes.

For Bay-Lee, love is not an option.  But try telling that to her heart.

Excerpt: (keep in mind this book is still being edited)
At some point during the night a stranger crawled into Bay-Lee’s bed while she snored softly, unaware.  The mattress springs squeaked in complaint beneath the additional weight as he reclined on his side and stared down at her face in the moonlight.  It bothered him that she continued to sleep.  After all the stories he’d heard about this girl, exploited rumors verging on myth, he’d expected more from her.  Shouldn’t she be able to sense danger?
This was Van Helsing’s daughter?  She looked insignificant, vulnerable beneath the green sheet.  He could snap her neck so easily—and maybe he should.  The world would continue on, undisturbed, but the dark cloud hanging over his head would finally dissipate.
A fraction of moonlight filtered through partially open curtains, not enough to see clearly, but it didn’t matter because he’d seen pictures of this girl on Van Helsing’s desk.  Her features were burned into his retinas.  Every time he went into the office he tried not to look at the photographs, purposely pointing his gaze elsewhere.
There was something about her, something unsettling which inevitably pulled him back to stare at her reproduced image.  She looked like an average girl at first glance.  A pretty face framed by dark hair that nearly reached her waist, parted in the middle and layered stared back at him.  Of Brazilian descent, her eyes were the darkest of browns, nearly black.  They hid a mountain of secrets.  She had attitude to spare and the camera caught it, recording it for future historians—if the prophecies were correct, they would want to study her.
She possessed a ‘bite me’ expression that must drive vampires crazy.
Fortunately, he was not a vampire.
Her mouth bothered him the most. Full lips haunted his dreams with a secretive smile curving the ends and a bottom lip that begged to be nibbled on. Sometimes, when he wasn’t carefully controlling his thoughts, he wondered what she would taste like.  In his dreams, when he wasn’t fully in control of his mind, he kissed her without ceasing.  He wondered what would happen if he kissed her in real life.  Would it stir something deep in his soul?  Would the prophecy come true?
Something hard lodged in his throat and he swallowed.  It was a near miss, so he swallowed again.  Kissing her shouldn’t even be a blip on the radar. This girl was the reason he didn’t have a home or a family.  It was her fault he’d grown up on the outside looking in, her fault people whispered behind his back, and her fault he was destined to die young.
Bay-Lee stirred in her sleep.  Mumbling, she pushed against his chest with two fingers.  “Go ‘way.”
Cute like a box of kittens, for a second he forgot to hate her.  His heart momentarily softened—not for long.  The unfamiliar sensation was enough to wipe the half-smile from his face.  Delivering a mental kick to his brain, he reminded himself this girl was the last person in the world he could let his guard down around.  She was worse than trouble.  If he wasn’t careful, this seemingly harmless meeting would lead to his total destruction.
Ready to wake her, he leaned in close and whispered her (fake) name.  Like him, she was forced to live under an alias.  Michelle.
Vampires Rule:  FREE

They don't call him Jackpot for nothing.

Jack has always beat the odds... until now. When a werewolf tried to kill him, vampires saved him. When he got tired of life as a vampire, another attack gave him back his mortality. Now Jack just wants to live a normal life, but what's normal about having a hunter for a girlfriend, a brother who wants to stake him to be on the safe side, and a werewolf building an army to rule the world?

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Vampires-Rule-Series-ebook/dp/B004YZB8XU

Smashwords:   https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/54214



Werewolves Rule: $2.99

The second book in the Rule Series

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/83046


Shifters Rule: $2.99

Third book in the Rule Series


Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/246117

Crushed: $2.99

The Noah sisters rule Titan High with their beauty, brains, and magical powers.

Each year they play a secret game: Crushed. The girls pick their targets carefully and blow enchanted dust into the boy’s faces, charming them, but this year Kristen makes a grave mistake. She chooses the wrong boy and almost dies that same day. Coincidence? Maybe.

But something isn’t quite right about Zach Bevian. He doesn’t behave like a boy who’s been Crushed. He goes from hot to cold, from looking at her with contempt to asking her out on a date. She doesn’t know what to think. Does he hate her or is he truly falling for her? Is he trying to kill her, or is he trying to save her?

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Crushed-The-Witch-Game-Books-ebook/dp/B005CJ8H9A/ref=pd_sim_kstore_5

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/73251

Witch Hunt: $2.99

A magical game of Hide n Seek begins.

Find the missing player and win.

The game resets, everyone forgets, and they start to play again.
Starr Hughes hasn’t believed in magic since her mother died. As a reporter for the school paper she’s only interested in cold, hard facts. When she hears rumors that the mysterious It-Squad members are about to play a secret game, she is determined to learn all about it, especially since she’s been in love with one of the members half her life. Hiding under the headmaster’s desk, planting bugs, and breaking into a fellow student’s locker are all on her to-do list.

Starr is about to discover that witches not only exist, but they need her help. Someone is using the game to steal their memories, their powers, and maybe even their lives.

ATTENTION: Although this is the second book in the series, each book has its own set of characters and can be read as a stand-alone book.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Witch-Hunt-Witch-Game-Series-ebook/dp/B007JCNEYQ/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/171249

Bait:  (coming Summer 2013)  FREE

If you don’t think monsters in the closet are real, ask Bay-Lee.

At sixteen, Bay-Lee Bishop is on her way to a new school, a training ground for hunters.  Before she leaves she gets an unexpected visitor, a reaper with a warning: It kills you on your birthday.  For years she’s dreamed of becoming a great hunter so she can avenge her mom… but school is nothing like she imagined.  The students resent her, a border monster is running loose, her mentor refuses to help her, and hunters are dying on their birthdays.  If she’s going to live long enough to reach her goal, she’ll have to solve this mystery before the day of her birth arrives.

The last thing she needs is to fall in love.  No problem.  Bay-Lee is focused and determined.  She barely notices boys.  Then she meets Nick Gallos, a gorgeous boy with jungle green eyes, a reckless heart, and a past darker than her own.

Don't forget to download your FREE copy of my book, Daisy Madigan's Paradise here and your FREE copy of Raven here.

1. Laura A. H. Elliott author of Winnemucca & 13 on Halloween, Book 1 in the Teen Halloween Series
2. Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series
3. Heather Self
4. T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series
5. Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga
6. Cheri Schmidt, author of the Fateful Trilogy
7. Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog
8. K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed
9. Patti Larsen, The Hunted series and The Hayle Coven series
10. Amy Maurer Jones, Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy
11. Fisher Amelie, author of The Understorey
12. Gwenn Wright, author of Filter
13. Melissa Pearl, Author of The Time Spirit Trilogy
14. Heather M. White, author of The Destiny Saga
15. Courtney Cole Writes
16. Liz Long | Just another writer on the loose.
17. Ella James
18. Maureen Murrish
19. Valerie Sloan
20. YA Sci Fi Author's Ramblings
21. Terah Edun, author of Red Madrassa and An Amlah's Diary

Click here for more Indie News:

The Liebster Blog Award

23.3.13


I’ve been nominated by the very lovely Alice Huskinsson, author of The Man in The Haystack.

The purpose of the Liebster Blog Award is to recognise blogs with fewer than 200 followers that deserve a look. I have rather a few more than 200 (luckily) so I'm cheating and choosing a few other bloggers that might have more too. My job is to:

(a) List 11 random facts about me;

(b) Answer 11 questions Alice has set me;

(c) Set 11 questions to ask other authors;

(d) Tag 11 authors (or more... or less!) who should bask in the Liebster glow.

To my nominated author friends – it means doing the same as I am doing here! ie. Post a blog linking back here, with 11 random facts about you, answer my 11 questions and nominate 11 new bloggers to answer 11 new questions you have set them – they can be about anything! If you want to do it but the thought of finding 11 other bloggers to tag and thinking up questions puts you off, just write 11 random facts about yourself, and answer my questions!

11 random facts about me

(1) I am gluten and lactose intolerant (but I do indulge in a little cake on a Saturday and/or Sunday otherwise life wouldn't be worth living)

(2) I love disaster movies

(3) The only time I've ever been on a horse, everybody laughed at me when I got off. I still can't understand how I could have done it so wrong!

(4) The first time I ever put make-up on, my Mum told me to take it off. She said I looked like a China doll. Is that a bad thing?

(5) I sometimes chew my tongue when I'm deep in concentration

(6) I met my husband when I was just 16

(7) I hate gardening and window cleaning.... urgh

(8) I met Kiki Dee on my birthday (Boxing Day) a few years ago. She gave me a signed CD for a birthday present

(9) I once stalked Bonnie Tyler around Faro airport

(10) I recently worked on a movie which starred Lucia Moniz, the famous Portuguese actress from Love Actually

(11) I'm a Goth at heart (it never really left me)

Now, the 11 questions Alice asked me:

(1) I stumbled in to the ‘author world’ when I was encouraged by several people to turn my dating blog in to a novel. How did you arrive in the author world?
I started writing years ago but it wasn't until two years ago that I wrote my first YA book, Raven. Originally, I'd planned to try and get published traditionally but when a friend suggested Amazon KDP, I jumped on the bandwagon. I haven't looked back since!

(2) The ‘onesie’ has become very popular in the fashion world with the help of THE ONLY WAY IS ESSEX stars. I’m from Essex and you will rarely find me lounging about at home without my onesie! Which item of clothing would you sorely miss if it was taken away from you?
LOL, Alice. Do you really have a onesie? Actually, I've seen them in Primark and I have thought about it. I bet they're lovely and warm. I'd be lost without my jeans. You can usually find me in one of my many, many pairs. I just love that you can wear them with anything.

(3) As a youngster I was taught to play the piano. Classical music was my thing and I played it quite well. Did you ever learn to play a musical instrument? If so, which one and do you still play? If you never played one, do you regret it/would you like to?
Like most kids at school back then, I had to play the recorder but I was terrible at it. I used to just try and copy the girl next to me. I must have sounded awful. I do regret not learning to play something though. Given the chance again, I'd say the piano.

(4) Name something on your bucket list and tell me why it’s on there?
I've always wanted to go to Cape Canaveral and visit the Space Centre. Not really sure why. Its just always been on my list.

(5) When I was a child I used to dream about being a photographic model when I grew up. What did you aspire to be, and did you ever achieve it as an adult?
I wanted to be an archaeologist, then a psychologist and there was probably a time I wanted to be actress too. But I know I'd be terrible at all those things.

(6) My favourite track of all time is I’m Not In Love by 10cc, for no other reason than it completely moves me. What is your all time favourite track?
Probably Cry Little Sister by Aiden from The Lost Boys movie soundtrack. I just adore it!

(7) Aside from your spouse/partner, tell me about your best friend.
She's my complete opposite in every way. She's blonde, I'm brunette. She's loud, I'm quiet. She's confident, I'm shy. She's just larger than life and so much fun to be around.
She used to live around the corner from me but she moved back to England a few years ago. We're planning on moving back soon and we're going to settle in the same town. I can't wait to hang out with her again.

(8) On average, how many books do you read a month, and what is your favourite genre?
Lately, I've read more than my average. Probably about 3 or 4.

(9) Paperback or electronic reader?
Both. I buy them both.

(10) Put a link below to a blog that you enjoy reading.
http://melissapearl.blogspot.pt/

(11) If a movie was made of THE MAN IN A HAYSTACK, my leading character Mae would be played by one of three actresses – Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet or Cameron Diaz. Who would you like to play the leading character in a movie of your latest novel?
I have two leading ladies, Emma Jane and Lana Beth Morgan. I'd like a young Vivien Leigh lookalike to play Emma Jane and do you remember that gorgeous girl who appeared in the opening ceremony of the London Olympics Jasmine Breinburg? Someone who looks exactly like her.

Here are the 11 questions I am asking the 11 authors I plan to tag:
1) I always wished I had a middle name but I'm just plain old Suzanne (Suzy) Turner. Do you have a middle name? If so, what is it? 
2) When I write my books, I usually have a rough idea of the general plot but I usually go off on a tangent and change it dramatically halfway through. What about you? Are you a plotter or a pantster?
3) I was always a 'pink' girl until I had all my hair chopped off and then for some reason, I changed my favourite colour to blue. What's your favourite colour and why?
4) I always loved the name Sheharazade. If you were to re-name yourself what would it be? (he he he... no I probably wouldn't be brave enough to go for the aforementioned name!)
5) I used to have the most amazing dreams where I was flying. Is there a recurring dream you remember having as a child?
6) My favourite TV shows at the moment are Castle, Scandal, Bones, Lost Girl, Haven, Call the Midwife, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones. What are some of yours?
7) If my life was ever made into a movie, I'd want Sandra Bullock to play me. Who would play you?
8) In an ideal world, I'd have enough money and resources to spend half the year in England and the rest in Canada or the US. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose?
9) I'd change my feet if I could. If you could change anything about your appearance, what would it be?
10) The Time Spirit series by Melissa Pearl, The Marchwood Vampire series by Shalini Boland, Scarlet Vamporium by Poppet are just a few of my fave indie books. Name two or three of your all time favourite indie books.
11) I can speak Portuguese but it's getting a bit rusty. Can you speak any other languages?

I am tagging the following authors to continue the next chain of the Liebster Blog Award. 

#YAIndieCarnival: Goodreads

22.3.13


If you're an author and you're not on Goodreads, then why are you sitting here reading this? You should be over there, like right NOW creating your author profile page. It's a crucial social networking site for authors and readers alike. Did you get that? I said READERS... yes, that's where a lot of readers will go to to get ideas about their next book. They can easily get recommendations from their peers and other followers with similar reading tastes as them.
When I first joined Goodreads, I wasn't entirely sure about it. But then, let's face it, I wasn't entirely sure about anything related to social networking. And then, when I was invited to do a giveaway I soon found that thousands of people were adding my books to their 'To Read' list. And then the reviews started flowing in too. It was a win/win situation for me and so I was hooked.
I've since linked my blog to my Goodreads profile so that people can see my blog posts right on Goodreads if they want to. I've also added my book trailers. You can add upcoming events and join groups. You can quite easily spend hours on Goodreads!
Find me right here - feel free to add me as a friend. The more, the merrier!

Don't forget to download your FREE copy of my book, Daisy Madigan's Paradise here and your FREE copy of Raven here.

1. Laura A. H. Elliott author of Winnemucca & 13 on Halloween, Book 1 in the Teen Halloween Series
2. Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series
3. Heather Self
4. T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series
5. Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga
6. Cheri Schmidt, author of the Fateful Trilogy
7. Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog
8. K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed
9. Patti Larsen, The Hunted series and The Hayle Coven series
10. Amy Maurer Jones, Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy
11. Fisher Amelie, author of The Understorey
12. Gwenn Wright, author of Filter
13. Melissa Pearl, Author of The Time Spirit Trilogy
14. Heather M. White, author of The Destiny Saga
15. Courtney Cole Writes
16. Liz Long | Just another writer on the loose.
17. Ella James
18. Maureen Murrish
19. Valerie Sloan
20. YA Sci Fi Author's Ramblings
21. Terah Edun, author of Red Madrassa and An Amlah's Diary

Click here for more Indie News:

Kick Butt Characters Giveaway Hop

22.3.13


2nd Annual Kick Butt Characters Hop
& I Am A Reader, Not A Writer
March 23rd - 28th

WIN a copy of The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw, a Morgan Sisters novel which features two awesome kick butt characters called Emma Jane Morgan and her feisty adopted sister Lana Beth.

Adopted sisters Lana Beth and Emma Jane are polar opposites, but when the same strange 'tattoo' suddenly appears and winds its way up their bodies within days of each other, they soon realise there's more to their relationship than they could ever have imagined.
Sent off to London for two weeks of 'work experience', the Morgan Sisters soon find themselves being initiated into the ancient Praxos Foundation, one that protects the innocent while fighting evil, both human and supernatural.
At the same time, Lana Beth and Emma Jane must also investigate why the sweet but sometimes pesky ghost of Josiah Grimshaw just won't leave them alone.

To enter, simply fill in the Rafflecopter form, below:
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Starseed by Liz Gruder

22.3.13

I'm thrilled to be a part of the Starseed Blog Tour. Read on for an excerpt of this other worldly book by Liz Gruder, then scroll all the way down to be in with a chance of winning a $25 gift card...

Kaila’s mind split in panic. Help, she called telepathically. Help me!
She yanked her wrist, trying to free her hand, but Wade restrained her wrist like a manacle.
Instantly, Jordyn appeared by Kaila’s side. “What are you doing?” Jordyn shouted, as he quickly assessed Wade holding up Kaila’s four-fingered hand and everyone laughing. His hazel eyes turned to solid black.
“Oh my God,” someone said, seeing Jordyn’s eyes.
“Shut up!” Jordyn commanded. “All of you. Animals!”
Jordyn’s eyes went wider and blacker. Wade snarled as he pulled back his fist to swing. Before Wade could punch, Jordyn thrust his head forward, slamming an invisible force at Wade who went flying into the air, his back crashing against the wall.
As Wade crumpled to the floor, Jordyn leaned over him, saying, “May you have your worse nightmare.” Jordyn stared at Wade, commanding, “Look at me. Look at me!” Wade couldn’t look away from Jordyn’s entrancing eyes. A moment passed. Then Wade held his ears and screamed. Wade squeezed his eyelids shut, his face twisted in agony. His scream was so shrill, penetrating, and filled with terror that all the students backed away.
The students in the hall stared, unable to process what they’d just witnessed.
Mrs. Bourg pushed through the crowd. “Jordyn,” she said. “Suspend time. Now!” Jordyn’s eyes again went solid black. He peered intently at the students assembled in the hall. Each person froze like a statue. Jordyn didn’t put Kaila under the spell. One girl stood with her mouth open, her eyes wide with fear. Another guy had stopped with his hand over his mouth. Another held his foot in the air, stopped mid-run.
“I am concerned about you, Jordyn,” Mrs. Bourg said, arms akimbo. “Every day I see more emotion.” She motioned to the suspended students in the hall. “This is a terrible mistake. Do you understand?”
“Some of these humans piss me off.”
“I don’t care!” Mrs. Bourg shouted. “We are on their turf and are not to be discovered.” Mrs. Bourg wagged her finger at Jordyn. “You are becoming infected. You do as I say, you understand?”
Kaila held still so as not to draw attention to herself. She held her breath, her heart pounding like a jackhammer.
“Sure, I’ll listen,” Jordyn said. His eyes again transformed from hazel to solid black. As he stared at his mother, Mrs. Bourg’s face went limp. She froze, her finger stuck in the air. “And now,” he said. “You will listen to me. You are a human. You were a carrier of me as an embryo. But that is all. You are not my ruler, and we are sick of taking orders from you. You will have no memory of this. You will remember that you walked through this hall to the office and that is all.”
Jordyn put his hands on his hips on his silver overalls; he walked around the hall, surveying the frozen students. A girl’s eyes bulged, her mouth open, revealing her braces as she was paralyzed mid-scream. “And the rest of you,” Jordyn said, “will only remember that Kaila tripped. Wade caught her, and it was a moment that you will barely recall. It was nothing. In fact,” he added, “you all thought Kaila looked beautiful today and that she is one of the hottest girls in this school. You will tell her so.”

Starseed
by Liz Gruder
ISBN: 978-1937178291
Publisher: WiDo Publishing
Published: February 2013

SUMMARY: Kaila Guidry has always known she is different. When she meets Jordyn Stryker at school, she finds out just how different.
Jordyn was born and raised far from Earth, a starseed, one of six new students sent to Louisiana's Bush High to learn human ways. But Jordyn didn't count on meeting someone like Kaila.
When Kaila is pushed to her limit by high school bullying and cruelty, Jordyn awakens her to a new reality—and to love. But to prove herself, Kaila must look the other way as the real purposes of the starseeds unfold.
As the horrific plan behind the starseed visit to Earth moves inexorably forward, Kaila and Jordan, caught in an impossible love, must determine where their true loyalties lie.

Starseed Praise:
"You know from the opening paragraph that something very strange is going on… We see Kaila try to live the life of a normal teen, and we see her "otherness" pull her back into an increasingly tangled web of questions, deceit, and hidden intentions. Liz really shines as a writer, lining the closets and drawers of everyday life with spine-chilling suspense that springs out at you when you least expect it. Starseed is an entertaining read. I highly recommend."
--Patricia B. Smith. Author “What the Animals Tell Me” and “Fifty Shades of Santa” (clean romance fiction)

"Liz Gruder’s characters come alive through youthful, spunky narrative, and her headstrong heroine, Kaila Guidry, elicits a reader’s encouragement from the first page. Fans of Amanda Hocking will find themselves similarly transported into Gruder’s exploration of the dark sides of faith, love, higher dimensions, and, of course, high school." --Jadie Jones, young-adult fantasy author
Liz Gruder on goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/LizGruder
Liz Gruder on twitter: https://twitter.com/LizGruder
Liz Gruder website: www.lizgruder.com
Liz Gruder blog: http://lizgruder.tumblr.com/
Liz Gruder facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlizgruder
WiDo Publishing: www.widopublishing.com
Amazon link to Starseed: http://www.amazon.com/Starseed-Liz-Gruder/dp/1937178293

Liz Gruder
As a youth, Liz Gruder saw a series of UFOs with her best friend while riding bikes. Ever since, she’s held a fascination for the stars. An avid reader, she used to hide under her covers and read with a flashlight. She has degrees in English and Psychology from Tulane University, a nursing license and a yoga certification. After going through Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Liz realized how short life is and is now slowly fulfilling her bucket list: she’s been to the Egyptian pyramids (totally awesome and thought provoking) and is now teaching yoga and writing speculative fiction. Starseed is her debut novel.
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Betwixt by Melissa Pearl.... it's on sale!!

21.3.13

BETWIXT IS ON SALE!!
Only $1.99 until March 31st.


"Gripping and evocative. A dark tale that strikes close to your heart, rekindling hope and faith." 
T. G. Ayer - Author of The Valkyrie Novels.

* * * * * * * * * * 

For every copy of Betwixt sold, a portion will be donated to a charity organisation - Love146.

These guys are working to prevent child exploitation and trafficking. They also help with rehabilitation and gifting the freed children a chance at a life filled with hope and promise.

Betwixt is a story about being rescued and redeemed. Love146 does an amazing job at restoring those who have been broken.

* * * * * * * * * * 


Beautiful, wild-chid Nicole Tepper is hit by a car and left for dead. But when she wakes the next morning, Nicole finds herself in bed without a scratch. Perhaps she was more intoxicated than usual, as her mother is giving her the silent treatment and her friends are ignoring her as well. 

Things take a turn for the weird when Nicole soon discovers she is actually hovering between life and death. Her body is lying in the forest while her spirit is searching for anyone who can hear her. Unfortunately the only person who can is Dale Finnigan, the guy she publicly humiliated with a sharp-tongued insult that has left him branded.

Desperate, Nicole has no choice but to haunt Dale and convince the freaked-out senior to help her. Will he find her body before it's too late? Or will the guy who tried to kill her with his car, beat him there and finish her off before anyone finds out?



Check out Amazon stores to purchase a copy.

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Know Me Better

20.3.13

This Week's Questions from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer, are:
What was the last thing that made you cry?
It wasn't a full on bawl, just a wet eye moment and it was while watching The Mentalist... I know, I know, I'm the biggest softie!

What chore do you absolutely hate doing?
Anything in the garden and cleaning windows... which is why they've becoming hubby's jobs!

What is your favorite form of exercise?
Cycling with hubby

What is your current desktop picture?
This gorgeous picture of an English house (because I'm in the process of selling my house in Portugal ready to move back home after 27 years away!)

You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?
England! As an author, I find England to be the most beautiful, inspiring country to be. I can't wait to finally move back there.

Click the picture at the top of this page to check out I Am Reader Not a Writer's post.


Opal's Song Cover Reveal

20.3.13

Opal's Song 
Coming 2013 - Release date to be announced 
A horrific accident on a rain slicked mountainside and permanent paralysis from the waist down.
25 year old Lily Wade has to relearn simple, everyday activities just to live a seemingly normal life.
Opal—a precocious child in her rehabilitation group—teaches Lily about living joyfully after surviving an immense tragedy and how to find peace within the pain.
To keep a promise made, Lily must dust off her once beloved cello and connect with the music she’s kept locked inside a velvet lined case for nearly a decade.

A Teaser
The headlights of Darren’s extended cab Chevy swung from left to right as he took the switch back curves much faster than normal. Lines of tension formed beside his mouth, and his usually relaxed hands clutched the black leather steering wheel in a white knuckle death grip. Something about the way he pumped the brakes wasn’t quite right, and the momentum of the truck was picking up instead of slowing down.
Lily wanted to ask if everything was okay, but didn’t dare distract him from what was quickly becoming a dangerous situation. Deep ingrained reflex made her tug on the strap of her seat belt to ensure it would hold if the worst case scenario played itself out.
She’d ventured East with her boyfriend to explore and get away from the stifling rules of her parents. They had come into Western North Carolina via the Blue Ridge Mountains and immediately fallen in love with the place. Eclectic Asheville stole her heart with its combination of forward movement and backwards thinking. Only in that particular valley, surrounded by some of the oldest mountains in the world, could one community find the wherewithal to support so many varied lifestyle modalities. From the redneck–hillbilly descendants of the original Scottish settlers, to the new agers, dirty hippies, and flamboyant gays—Asheville catered to them all.
Lily wanted to share the exuberance of the area with her family, but suddenly feared the chance to do so would come at the cost of a glossy wooden box. Tears filled her eyes as she swallowed past a lump forming in her throat. She didn’t want to die.
“Aww, FUCK!”
Darren’s barely whispered expletive caught Lily’s attention as the tail end of the truck swung around. Suddenly they were facing the way they’d come. On any other day Darren would’ve calmly turned the wheel until the truck righted itself. For some reason the beast didn’t respond to his handling. The vehicle continued to spin until something in the front end snapped, and Lily stared in horror. One of the tires flew away from the truck, and in that instant she realized what people said was true—in the moments before death time slows down as the brain processes everything in minute detail.
Bright headlamps illuminated the surrounding forest as the front end of the truck crashed down onto the road. Heavy metal screeching on asphalt filled Lily’s ears only to be replaced with the sound of trees snapping beneath the force of a full sized pick-up rolling down the side of a mountain.
Up became down, and Lily’s insides threatened to come out as she was jerked about behind the increasingly tighter band of her protective belt. If she’d been sitting next to Darren her head would’ve been spared the repetitive abuse of being tossed against the passenger window. Lily didn’t want to scream out her fear, but found she had no control over her vocal cords—her screeches of distress echoed in the confined space until the imploding windshield drowned her out. Shards from the window flew towards them, cutting her neck and face as they tumbled around inside the cab.
Everything stopped all at once. The crashing roll of the truck, the cutting of the glass shards, even Lily’s screams. The Chevy landed on its side with her hanging by her seat belt, staring down at the unconscious form of her boyfriend. The smell of gasoline filled the air and Lily felt the spike of adrenaline wash through her nervous system.
“Darren! Darren, wake up!” She yelled as loud as her constricted lungs would allow behind the crushing force of the nylon strap. “Darren, we have to get out of this truck!”
Darren remained unconscious, and Lily refused to give into the blind panic threatening to take over. Breathing deep she quickly surveyed her position and the quickest escape route. The windshield had completely shattered, making that the only way out of the wreckage as the door above her wouldn’t budge when she tried pushing it open. Grabbing hold of the oh-shit handle, she pulled the weight of her body off the belt and pushed the release button. Blinding heat zipped through her body as she crashed face first against Darren's side and was knocked out cold by the force of their skulls connecting.
****
Something wet trickled down the side of her face just before an excruciating pain exploded behind her eyes, and Lily knew she was about to have the mother of all migraines. She thought to press the heels of both hands against her throbbing eye sockets, but found her body remained motionless against the command. A soft moan beneath her was worrying, though she couldn’t think why. The muscle of her shoulder flexed involuntarily and a jolt of pain flashed down her spine, stopping abruptly in her hips. A deep breath meant to calm her frantic thoughts brought more pain and then the blessed blackness.
****
“Hang in there little lady. We’ve almost got you out.”
Lily whimpered as a sudden shock of agony rippled through her arms and torso, but the sound of someone talking eased her anxiety. She wasn’t alone—thank god. The voice became a life line she clung to with her mind until sweet oblivion pulled her back into its warm embrace.
****
“They rolled down the side of Mount Pisgah. From what I can gather she was pinned in place by her seat belt, until she managed to undo it and then fell against his side.”
The conversation felt a million miles away. Surely they weren’t talking about her. Before she could give it another thought, the air was filled with excited chatter and frantic movements. She wanted to open her eyes and see what was going on, but her lids were too heavy to lift. Moving the muscles of her body required a strength she didn’t possess and fear flooded her thoughts as she cried out in frustration. The air she pulled through her nose tasted strange on the back of her tongue. Oblivion stretched out its arms and Lily went into them without a fight.
Find out more about Opal's Song and it's release by visiting SJ Byrne or Opal's Song on Facebook
A portion of all proceeds from Opal's Song will be donated to help children with disabilities...more information forthcoming.

About the Author 
Living in the mountains of Western North Carolina SJ Byrne is just trying to make her way through the insanity that comes with creativity. Writing is her passion - life is her muse. Keep an eye out for new books due later this year.
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Interview with Jon Thomason

18.3.13

Hi Jon! Its great to have you here today, as part of your book tour. Congratulations on the release!

Can you tell us a little about your latest book.

I'd love to, thank you! Max Xylander and the Island of Zumuruud is a fantasy action adventure novel starring a thirteen-year-old girl named Max (she hates Maxine) Xylander. Like many thirteen-year-old girls, she has a touch of an anger management problem. One day, she gets really angry at kid at school, and shockingly, her anger erupts in a physical way and nearly kills him. Meanwhile, our hero, or anti-hero, depending on your perspective, Philip, gets his ring returned after a conviction and some years spent magical powerless. Now he's back and ready to make life much more comfortable. Escaping work is what magic should be for, right?

What inspired you to write it?
I am a vivid daydreamer. I have loved to read from quite a young age and always imagined what it would be like to be able to do magic--really do the magic. What would it feel like to make something across the room move? Or what would it be like to play a trick on an unsuspecting classmate? While I love creatively constructed worlds, I'm generally more interested in things happening just next door. The idea of intrigue and conspiracy and hidden things fascinate me. Might there be a shadowy group pulling the strings somewhere? Powerful people behind the scenes? And then one of our children had a form of leukemia as a child, and the powerlessness of this gave way to the idea of good from evil, and of being transformed. I'm also well acquainted with anger management issues of the teen female, and contrite, bland dialogue, just doesn't work. Throw in some cynical sarcasm from our villain, and the story just poured out.

Is it part of a series?
It is part of a planned trilogy. I'm working on the second book now.

If your latest book was made into a movie, who would you like to play the main characters?
Photo: juliooliveiraa via photopin cc
Photo: by Janine via photopin cc
Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter series) would make an excellent Philip. Elle Fanning (though she'd have to go brunette!), Niamh Wilson, or of course, my daughter, the budding actress who is the model for Max on the book cover, would all make a spectacular Max.

What made you want to become an author?
From a very (very!) young age, I have wanted to write a novel. While I write often technically, I don't consider myself a writer, but rather a novelist. The only kind of writing I'm really interested in as an art form is the novel because I love the notion of a self-contained story. I always wanted to be a writer, an engineer, and a fighter pilot. Two of the three came true!

Name one of your all-time favourite book covers?
This is really difficult. One that is definitely a standout favorite is the book cover for The Godfather. It was so good that it was carried into the artwork for the film, and I suspect most people would recognize it. I hesitate to mention it, but I believe the cover for Twilight with the intertwined fingers holding the deeply red apple, which I'm sure many people recognize quickly on sight, had a lot to do with Stephanie Meyer's success with the novel. I think cover art is wildly important to the success of the novel and I'm always looking for feedback on the cover of Max!

Name one book that made you think 'wow'? Why did it have such an effect on you?
Oh my, so many books make me think, 'wow,' starting many years ago. I remember reading Farenheit 451 and 1984 as a child and the kind of impact they had on me then. I remember reading John Christopher's The Tripods series (The White Mountains, and following), one of the earliest dystopian children's series and of thinking about mind control and oppression. But recently, many books have made me go, 'wow.' One of note was Karl Marlante's visceral (and quite graphic) novel of the Vietnam War called Matterhorn, where the young Marine officer is stuck between ridiculously incompetent staff officers and his platoon of jaded Marines. The treatment of race and of the insanity of war--but being able to plausibly see how it becomes so insane, really made me say, 'wow.' I also am 'wow'ed by Hugh Howey and his Wool series, a masterpiece of a fantastic concepts and skillfully leading the reader through a maze by revealing tiny, but scrumptious literary bits of cheese just ahead of us.

Who, or what, inspires you?
My wife inspires me and helps make sure I actually finish what I start and my kids give me all the material I could ever need!

Where is your favourite place to write?
While I love sitting at my workstation and huge monitor, the very best place to write is at 36,000 feet in international business class with no in-flight Internet service. A comfortable seat, people bringing you food, dark lighting, and nothing to distract you equals some of the most productive writing time around!

What is your favourite movie that was based on a book?
Honestly, there are very few of these. I don't know why the medium of a novel is so difficult to make an excellent film out of! The Harry Potter series are probably some of the best made movies from books. Unbelievable casting, effects, sets, and direction.

Who is your favourite author (s) and why?
This is just plain impossible to answer! I love so many different authors, and it depends so much on my mood and genre. As a pure, mass-market novelists, as in guilty pleasure reading, I probably have to go with Lee Childs and his Jack Reacher series. I read those the day they come out (17 novels and counting!). He's a master of the story arc and his characters are suitably interesting. For more intellectual fare, Tom Wolfe is tough to beat. His prose and stories are so rich and thought-provoking. For comedy, the Australian Max Berry is about my favorite. Jennifer Government had me laughing the entire time.

If you could have a dinner party with any authors from any time in history, who would you choose and why?
Isaac Asmiov would surely have to be there, the great, prolific, erudite. The three authors just mentioned, Lee Childs, Tom Wolfe, and Max Berry, would make an interesting combination. Throw in Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte, and of course, Agatha Christie, and maybe to liven things up, Jack Kerouac. Now that would be an interesting dinner.

Tell us a random fact about yourself.
Over time, I've owned four different body styles of the same make and model car. How's that for random?

Tell us something interesting about the area where you live.
People in LA think San Diego is "provincial" and "boring" (once I was asked how I could stand living here by someone from LA!). Fortunately, we in San Diego think this is just fine and are happy they stay to the north. We love our beaches, our crystal clear air, and our (very!) friendly people. Something interesting about San Diego? In reality, it *is* kind of a boring place. Almost always warm and sunny (but not too warm), no bugs to speak of, and no significant natural disasters to worry about. We like boring! We do have a really cute newborn Panda at the zoo named Xiao Liwu...

Oh how adorable, Jon. I think San Diego sounds wonderful, to be honest! Thanks for allowing me to be a part of your tour and I look forward to reading your book!

To be in with a chance to win a $50 Amazon voucher or Paypal cash, as well as a copy of Max Xylander and the Island of Zumuruud, fill in the Rafflecopter at the end of the page. In the meantime, find out more about Jon and his books, here:

Links

Max Xylander and the Island of Zumuruud

Max has anger management issues. But she has a secret, too. She can make things happen. Like magic. She almost killed a loser skate punk and nearly used it on her stuck up older sister. The question is, can she do anything other than blow things up? Can she learn to control it? And is it really possible that an obscure teenage girl is the key to keeping all of humanity safe?

Philip just got his ring back. He got it taken away for messing with his teacher’s mind so he can cheat on a test. Now that he has his ring, he thinks he should be able to use his power to make his life better. A lot better. The problem is that people want him to be responsible. But if you could do magic, wouldn’t you use it to escape work in any way possible?

Aaron wants to be a soldier. He knows there are lots of people who would try to take over, and he’s determined to stop them. The problem is that there’s this new girl. And she might be not be on the right side of things. She’s really talented and pretty, but she might be able to destroy everything he believes in. Whatever the case, he knows he needs to learn to be world class with the magic sword while he figures out what to do.

Brynn never gets out. Her grandfather won’t permit it. Her only access to the outside world are high fashion magazines, so she has an unusual idea what she should wear. She’s dying to get out and travel. And adopt animals. Any kind of animal. Is she a lonely future granny with cats or are her ridiculous clothes actually the next fashion craze? What possible role could she play in the destiny of the world?

Max Xylander and the Island of Zumuruud is a fast-paced fantasy adventure for all ages (10 and up) and is the first of a planned trilogy. Fans of magic, swordplay, secret agents, and conspiracies set in a modern everyday world will not be able to put the book down. Jon Thomason is a debut author and paints a vivid world of magic right under our noses and delivers rapid-fire action that keeps the pages turning.

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