Thursday, November 29, 2012

Book Blast - Julia Crane's Keegan's Chronicles Trilogy

Keegan's Chronicles Trilogy Set
Books 1-3

Coexist:

Sixteen-year-old Keegan is struggling to keep her huge secret from her friends--she's an elf, descended from a long line of elves that live in secrecy alongside humans.

In elfin society, mates are predetermined but not allowed to meet until they are eighteen. Against tradition, Keegan's brother Thaddeus told her Rourk's name because his visions warned him she'd need Rourk's protection, especially since Keegan will play a key role in the coming war between the dark and light elves.

Conflicted:

Keegan, is only alive now due to Black Magic, and her bond with her Chosen is broken. She cannot remember Rourk at all.

For the first time, she feels like a normal teenager. She is dating Donald, her long-time crush, and everything seems perfect. But Rourk still feels their bond, and despairs for the woman he was always meant to love.

Keegan's best friend Anna is determined to find a way to use her powers to return Keegan's bond, no matter what it takes. The question is does Keegan even want it?

Consumed:

Keegan has dealt with a lot over the last two years: Death, black magic and the loss of her bond to her chosen mate. But on her eighteenth birthday, the bond with Rourk returns.

Now, Keegan faces her hardest decision. Tradition requires elves marry at eighteen. If she accepts the path laid out for her, she will be spared a lifetime of physical and emotional pain. But will that life ever really be her own?

Praise:

Really enjoyed this book. The story draws you in, and the characters are engaging, especially Rourk. I've never read a book about elves, so I wasn't sure what to expect. This was really good. Would recommend to anyone interested in a quick, fun, paranormal read.

-- Amazon Reviewer

I am not one for Elves or Fairies but yeah these Elves RULE! What is not to love? You have an age old prophecy, destined loves, a great family and amazing friends. Not to mention .... Rourk *yummy* All that is left is the amazing way it all is put together into this fantastic story.

-- Amazon Reviewer

If you pick up this book, I'm sure it will not disappoint, it had everything, it was cute, yet dark..and well that combo just makes for a perfect book on my shelf, Julia has truly written an amazing read. (:

-- Haley @ Ya-aholic.com

Purchase

Amazon * Nook * iBooks

Author Julia Crane

Julia Crane is the author of the YA paranormal fiction novels: Keegan's Chronicles, Mesmerized, Dark Promise and Eternal Youth. Julia was encouraged by her mother to read and use her imagination, and she's believed in magical creatures since the day her grandmother first told her an Irish tale. Julia has traveled far and wide to all the places her grandmother told her about, gaining inspiration from her journeys to places like Nepal, Cyprus, Sri Lanka, Italy, France and many more. And who knows? Maybe the magical creatures she writes about are people she met along the way.

Julia Crane has a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. Although she's spent most of her life on the US east coast, she currently lives in Dubai with her husband and three children.

Links

Website * Twitter * Facebook

Book Blast Giveaway Deatils (Starts November 29th)

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 12/9/12

*You need not enter your twitter name for each entry. Simply enter it for the first person you follow and leave the others blank.

Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent's permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Show and Tell in a Nutshell

Click to add me to Goodreads!

Have you been told there's a little too much telling in your novel? Want to remedy it? Then this is the book for you!

In Show & Tell in a Nutshell: Demonstrated Transitions from Telling to Showing you will find sixteen real scenes depicting a variety of situations, emotions, and characteristics which clearly demonstrate how to turn telling into showing. Dispersed throughout, and at the back of the book, are blank pages to take notes as you read. A few short writing prompts are also provided.

Not only is this pocket guide an excellent learning tool for aspiring writers, but it is a light, convenient, and easy solution to honing your craft no matter how broad your writing experience. Keep it in the side pocket of your school bag, throw it in your purse, or even carry it around in the pocket of your jeans or jacket, to enhance your skills, keep notes, and jot down story ideas, anywhere, anytime.

If you purchase the e-book, you will be armed with the convenient hyper-linked Contents Page, where you can toggle backward and forward from different scenes with ease. Use your e-reader's highlighting and note-taking tools to keep notes instead.

The author, Jessica Bell, also welcomes questions via email, concerning the content of this book, or about showing vs. telling in general, at showandtellinanutshell@gmail.com

Reviews:

“Jessica Bell addresses one of the most common yet elusive pieces of writing advice—show, don't tell—in a uniquely user-friendly and effective way: by example. By studying the sixteen scenes she converts from “telling” into “showing,” not only will you clearly understand the difference; you will be inspired by her vivid imagery and dialogue to pour through your drafts and do the same.” ~Jenny Baranick, College English Teacher, Author of Missed Periods and Other Grammar Scares

“A practical, no-nonsense resource that will help new and experienced writers alike deal with that dreaded piece of advice: show, don’t tell. I wish Bell’s book had been around when I started writing!” ~Talli Roland, bestselling author

Purchase the paperback:
$4.40 on Amazon US
£3.99 on Amazon UK

Purchase the e-book:
$1.99 on Amazon US
£1.99 on Amazon UK
$1.99 on Kobo

About the Author:
The Australian-native contemporary fiction author and poet, Jessica Bell, also makes a living as an editor and writer for global ELT publishers (English Language Teaching), such as Pearson Education, HarperCollins, Macmillan Education, Education First and Cengage Learning.

She is the Co-Publishing Editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal, and co-hosts the Homeric Writers’ Retreat & Workshop on the Greek Isle of Ithaca, with Chuck Sambuchino of Writer’s Digest.

For more information about Jessica Bell, please visit:
Website
Blog
Twitter
Facebook

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Guest Post - Aubrie Dionne, Author of Colonization, Talks about Aliens

Why I wrote about benevolent aliens instead of crazy/scary/evil ones.

Crazy/scary/evil aliens are so much more fun to write about, aren’t they? They could take over people’s bodies, exterminate entire populations, read their minds, suck their brains….ah all the options….it makes me excited just thinking about it. So, why did I opt for the world peace version in Colonization?

Well, these aliens first appear in Paradise 21, the first book in my new adult space opera series. They’re meant to contrast with humans, who have made Earth unlivable through wars, overpopulation, greed, and over extending their resources. These aliens had created a perfect society of peace, understanding, and living in harmony. They outlasted their own sun, while humans destroyed the Earth long before its time should have been up. That’s the message in Paradise 21, and you finally get a glimpse of who they were in Colonization: Paradise Reclaimed.

Andromeda, the main character, gets to meet one of them. Not alive, of course, because their population has been wiped out by something threatening her own colony, but readers of Paradise 21 will get a further glimpse into the aliens’ world and how they’d interact with humans. The threat on Paradise 21 isn’t crazy/scary/evil aliens, it’s something much more subtle and insidious.

See for yourself in Colonization: Paradise Reclaimed.

“Forbidden love on a paradise planet that’s anything but paradise...Dionne’s Colonization will keep you guessing.” – Cherie Reich, author of Defying Gravity

Blurb:

Finding a new home has never been so dangerous.

Andromeda has spent all seventeen years of her life aboard a deep space transport vessel destined for a paradise planet. Her safe cocoon is about to break open as Paradise 21 looms only one month away, and she must take the aptitude tests to determine her role on the new world and her computer

assigned lifemate. As a great-granddaughter of the Commander of the ship, she wants to live up to her family name. But, her forbidden love for her childhood friend, Sirius, distracts her and she fails the tests. The results place her in a menial role in the new colony and pair her with Corvus, “the oaf”.

But when Andromeda steps foot on Paradise 21, her predestined future is the least of her worries. Alien ghosts from a failed colonization warn her of a deadly threat to her colony. And when Sirius's ship crashes on the far ridge in an attempt to investigate, she journeys to rescue him with Corvus.

Andromeda now must convince the authorities of the imminent danger to protect her new home. What she didn't expect was a battle of her own feelings for Sirius and Corvus.

Can she save the colony and discover her true love?

About the Author:

Aubrie Dionne writes science fiction fantasy with romantic

elements. Her writings have appeared in Mindflights, Niteblade, Silver Blade,

Emerald Tales, Hazard Cat, Moon Drenched Fables, A Fly in Amber, and Aurora

Wolf. Her books are published by Inkspell Publishing, Entangled Publishing,

Lyrical Press, and Gypsy Shadow Publishing. She’s also a professional flutist in

New England.

Please visit her website: http://www.authoraubrie.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2964057.Aubrie_Dionne

Blog: httphttp://authoraubrie.blogspot.com

Twitter: @authoraubrie

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can buy the book at:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Inkspell Publishing

Nicole's Review:

There's not much more you can want from a story than you receive in Colonization. Scifi fans will love this story. Romance fans will love this story. There are so many twists and turns. Colonization is a story to be read and reread.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Favorite Lines from the Darkness Falls trilogy from Author Krystal Wade

Wilde's Meadow favorite line(s). I find this segment so entertaining because Encardia is a world ravaged by literal Darkness. There is no sunshine, and everything is dying. They are at war, and Kate and Arland are discussing The Crossing Caves, a place full of dark, horrible magic:

"Is there anything else I should worry about?" [Kate asks]

"Not unless you are afraid of the dark."

I laugh aloud.

Everyone glances at me as though I'm crazy.

"If I was afraid of the dark, we'd be in big trouble, Arland."

He smiles. "Good, because we cannot use light of any kind in the caves, and I am sorry I did not warn you about the dangers."

Wilde's Army favorite line(s). I like this segment because our heroes are trapped, staring up a cliff face, debating their options, and wondering the fate of the others:

Arland didn’t even question if. He already knows.

“All of them, sir,” Cadman says. “We watched them enter, but I do not believe they saw us.”

All of them. That means there are at least thirty. What does that mean for—”Perth . . . . “ The name escapes my mouth and hangs in the cool, dark air like the threat of death we continue to face.

Wilde's Fire favorite lines(s): I like this segment because Kate's embraced her powers, used them for good, and now she's paying a price: having to be honest with her friend. Honesty can be so difficult:

"He wanted to leave with you. Try the truth. Maybe he will surprise us all and be very accepting of it." [Arland says]

"Well, when you put it that way, casting a spell and sending him home sounds like the perfect plan. The truth is going to hurt him." I rest my head on his chest.

"The truth usually does hurt—and we should wait until he is dressed before talking to him."

Blurb:

Happy endings are hard to find, and even though Katriona is in the middle of a war with someone who’s already stolen more than she can replace, she aches for a positive future with her Draíochtans.

Armed with hope, confidence in her abilities, and a strange new gift from her mother, Kate ventures into the Darkness to defeat a fallen god.

Losses add up, and new obstacles rise to stand in the way. Is the one determined to bring Encardia light strong enough to keep fighting, or will all the sacrifices to stop those who seek domination be for nothing?

About the Author: Krystal Wade can be found in the sluglines outside Washington D.C. every morning, Monday through Friday. With coffee in hand, iPod plugged in, and strangers--who sometimes snore, smell, or have incredibly bad gas--sitting next to her, she zones out and thinks of fantastical worlds for you and me to read. How else can she cope with a fifty mile commute?

Good thing she has her husband and three kids to go home to. They keep her sane.

Links: www.krystal -wade.com

www.facebook.com/author.krystalwade

Monday, November 12, 2012

Cover Reveal - Cherie Reich's The Nightmare Collection

Book Description:

A legend is hungry tonight.

A child monster will get its first taste of blood in Nightmare at the Freak Show. Four friend will enter the forest on December night, but only one can survive in Once Upon a December Nightmare. Almost ten years after Cassie's December nightmare, the monster awakens to hunt again in Nightmare Ever After.

Forthcoming late November 2012

Add to Goodreads

Cover art by Nicemonkey at Dreamstime.com. Cover design by Aubrie Dionne. Bookworm logo for Surrounded by Books Publishing created by Cherie Reich.

Author Bio:

A self-proclaimed bookworm, Cherie Reich is a writer, freelance editor, book blogger, and library assistant living in Virginia. Her short stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies. Her e-books include the horror series Nightmare, a short story collection with authors Aubrie Dionne and Lisa Rusczyk titled The Best of Raven and the Writing Desk, the futuristic space fantasy novelette trilogy Gravity, and The Foxwick Chronicles, a series of fantasy stories. She is a member of Valley Writers and the Virginia Writers Club.

Author Links:

Website: http://cheriereich.webs.com

Blog: http://cheriereich.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bookworm0753

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorcheriereich

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4268457.Cherie_Reich

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Guest Post from Michelle Davidson Argyle - How Fairy Tales Speak to Us

Fairy tales have been around for as long as stories have been in existence. Whether they end happily or tragically isn’t as important as the thread of truth at the heart of each one. I think this is why fairy tales have lasted for so long, and why, like Shakespeare, you can plop a fairy tale story into any setting, and it will most likely work. It isn’t about the characters and setting so much as what we learn from the tale.

One of my husband’s favorite Disney movies is The Princess and the Frog. I love Disney’s version of the tale so much because it is the first Disney fairy tale told in an American setting (New Orleans). Not only is it a different setting than audiences are used to, but it also twists the fairy tale in some exciting, unique ways. At its core, we learn how much appearances aren’t as important as what’s inside (listen to the “Dig a Little Deeper” song, for instance), and that hard work is important only if you take time to smell the roses along the way.

I think, as humans, we cling to storytelling as a way to express the most important elements of who we are. Fairy tales boil down the essence of who we are. We value happiness and reaching goals and wishes. We value learning hard lessons, even if the endings are tragic. Even from an unhappy ending, there is a golden nugget of wisdom to be found—something that can lead to happiness if we will only stop to learn from it. This is why I like unhappy endings. They make me think a lot harder than happy ones!

Fairy tales started out as “little stories” passed down orally from one storyteller to another until the Brother’s Grimm started collecting some German tales in the early 19^th century. Since then, we’ve had tales written down to treasure. We continue to write them down today. I certainly can’t keep myself away from telling stories with a traditional fairy tale feel. What’s your favorite part about fairy tales? Do you prefer them happy or a little more realistic?

BONDED

What happened after Cinderella married her prince? How did the evil sorceress in Sleeping Beauty turn evil in the first place? Discover these stories and a world filled with magic, forbidden love, elves, sprites, dragons, and the most powerful creatures of all— the fairies —in Bonded, a collection of three fairy tale inspired novellas.

CINDERS: A Cinderella sequel. Money can’t buy love, but magic isn’t a sure bet either. Cinderella, now officially a princess, finds royal life is not what she once dreamed. When a mysterious elf from her past stirs up long-suppressed passion, Cinderella begins to wonder if there really is love beneath the spell that captured her husband’s heart. But undoing magic can be harder than casting the initial spell, and the results are even less predictable.

THIRDS: A retelling of the Grimm’s fairy tale, One-Eye, Two-Eyes, Three-Eyes. Issina is surrounded by magic, yet none of it belongs to her. Despised and abused by her mother and sisters, she finds comfort when she meets the beautiful elves living in the nearby woods. The elves want to help her discover her own magic, but it’s not the kind of power she hoped for, and she learns there is more to magic than getting what you want.

SCALES: A Sleeping Beauty prequel. The sun never sets in the realm of the fairies. When the young fairy Serina looks into her sister’s eyes, she sees darkness for the first time. After her mother is murdered, Serina defies fairy law to follow her sister to the human realm. There she discovers the strength of a bond, the weight of a promise, and the darkness in her own heart.

PRAISE FOR BONDED:

Bonded is filled with engrossing, magical storytelling. The only consolation when one story ends is knowing there's another one waiting. ―Elana Johnson, author of Possession

Romantic and enchanting, Bonded is a beautiful, magical read. All three tales are full of love and sacrifice, while each story shows how one bond can save a person or destroy them. Ms. Argyle has a captivating voice and beautiful writing. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next! ―Chantele Sedgwick, author of Not Your Average Fairy Tale