Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Concilium by Michelle Pickett

About Author Michelle Pickett:

Michelle has been an avid reader since a young child.  She began writing for personal enjoyment in college, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in accounting.  Deciding sitting in a cubical all day was her form of cruel and unusual punishment, she decided to do what she really wanted to—share her passion for reading and writing with others.

She wrote her debut novel Concilium in 2010.  It was released July of 2012 by MuseItUp Publishing.  The sequel, Concilium: The Departure will also be published by MuseItUp Publishing with scheduled release date of November 2012.

Her Debut young adult novel, PODs, will be published by Spencer Hill Press and is scheduled for release in paperback June 4th, 2013.  Milayna, a young adult paranormal romance, will be released through Spencer Hill Press March 2014.

Michelle was born and raised in Michigan.  She now resides in a small community outside Houston, Texas with her incredibly supportive husband, four wonderful children, a 125-pound lap dog, a very grumpy cockatiel and a cat that thinks it's queen.

Michelle writes adult and young adult Sci/Fi and urban fantasy romance.


Links and Contact Information:
Email: Michelle@Michelle-Pickett.com

Concilium by Michelle Pickett

A tale of deadly creatures and forbidden romance...

Leslee hit a strange animal with her car. Now she’s marked for death.

It was a simple car accident – the animal didn’t even die – but it drew the attention of the Cruor Imbibo. Driven by their insatiable need to feed, the secret society of Imbibo has devoured the dregs of civilization for centuries. Afraid Leslee will expose them, and put an end to their meal ticket, the Imbibo want her dead.

The Concilium is Leslee's only protection. Guardian of the ancient secret and the protector of humans, the Concilium fights to control the Imbibo and end their feeding frenzy. Miller works for the Concilium. Keeping Leslee alive is his next assignment.

Now Leslee is on the run, and the only thing between her flesh and the snapping jaws of the Imbibo is Miller. He and Leslee quickly form a bond, but will falling in love make Miller’s job more difficult? Because if he fails, Leslee will be next on the Imbibo menu.

The Cruor Imbibo are coming, and they're coming for Leslee.

Buy Links:   

Book Blast Giveaway:
$50 Amazon Gift Code
Ends 10/2/12
Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. 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.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, September 21, 2012

Pitch Contest for YA, Fantasy, or Science Fiction

Have a YA or Fantasy or Science Fiction story that you're ready to pitch? Head on over to Dorothy's blog today or tomorrow and enter for the chance to win a full MS request from agent Rebecca Podos of the Rees Literary Agency. I entered!

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Cover Reveal - Elana Johnson's Abandon

I am so excited to be a part of Elana Johnson's cover reveal! Isn't it a beautiful cover? Can't wait to read Abandon! It's Possession #3 from Elana and Simon Pulse and the expected release is June 2013.
AToMR Tours
Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16032249-abandon


Book description: 

seduced by power,
broken by control,
and consumed by love...

Vi has made her choice between Jag and Zenn, and the Resistance may have suffered for it. But with the Thinkers as strong as ever, the rebels still have a job to do. Vi knows better than anyone that there's more at stake than a few broken hearts. 

But there is a traitor among them...and the choices he makes could lead to the total destruction of everything Vi has fought for.

Vi, Jag, and Zenn must set their problems aside for the Resistance to have any hope of ending the Thinkers' reign. Their success means everything...and their failure means death.

ALSO: Elana is running a Pinterest contest for the cover. She wants to get 500 pins (or repins) over the next two days. If we can get that many, she'll pick someone who pinned the cover to win a $50 Amazon gift card.  It's so easy to do this. All you have to do is click this PIN IT button and select one of your boards to pin the cover to. Elana has done everything else! Don't have a Pinterest board yet? Put it on your Tumblr page. Your Facebook page. Your twitter stream. Elana will count those too! Just be sure to tag her (@ElanaJ on twitter, Possession by Elana Johnson on Facebook).

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Interview with Justine Dell, Author of Recaptured Dreams with G*veaways

Everyone, please welcome the wicked awesome Justine Dell! We have a great interview for you today.

Hiya, Justine! We're all dying to know your latest news so spill.

My second book, All American Girl, was accepted by Ominific and will be published in January 2013!

That's awesome! Congrats! When did you first consider yourself a writer?

You know, it’s funny because I still don’t. I didn’t set out to become a writer. I wrote because it was something I just liked to do. I didn’t do it with the goal of being published…that just happens to be a wonderful perk. Even if I didn’t get one more story published, I would still write because it’s what I love. It’s a hobby. It’s an obsession. J

Well, you are definitely a writer in my book! (Sorry, bad pun, I know.) Anyhow, what inspired you to write Recaptured Dreams?

This particular book came about in a strange way. Harlequin had a contest like three years ago for one of their series lines. I thought I would give entering a try. A co-worker and I were brainstorming and we came up with the idea on the fly one day. Candice (that is her name) actually came up with the character  Xavier and his profession, so that credit goes all to her. I simply wrote the story around this idea of  man she created. A straight, hot, male fashion designer? Heck yeah! 

Now that sounds like fun! Do you have a specific writing style?

Panster. All. The. Way. I’d stop writing if I had to plot. Seriously. Since writing is my passion (and my escape from normal life…lol), plotting would make it un-fun.

Un-fun is never cool. And I'm a panster too. Pansters Unite!

Ah-hem. Sorry. Got a little carried away there. If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

That would be one, Mrs. Sarah Fine. I found her on Nathan Bransford’s forums about three years ago and she’s been my best long-distance friend and writing buddy since. She’s also brilliant and taught me SO much. Without her, I’m CERTAIN I wouldn’t be where I am today. Every writer needs a writer buddy.

Of, definitely. Writer buddies are the best. No one else can understand a writer like a writer buddy. So what are your current projects?

I’m in the processing of finishing up a contemporary romance called Until Next Time. A story about Piper, a Funeral Director, who’s afraid of loving because she’s afraid of death. And a man, Macy Quinn Oliver, who will make her see that love and death are both beautiful.

Oh, that sounds inspiring! How long does it take you to write a book?

That depends on the book. My first book (which will never see print..lol) took three months.  Recaptured Dreams was written in thirty days. And my most recent project has taken six. So really it depends how much spare time I have. The more spare time, the faster the book gets done! Of course, none of these time frames include the dreaded act of editing. Eeek!

I'm the same way. Sometimes I can write a story in a month, sometimes I need a lot longer. And editing always takes me so much longer than writing. What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I need total silence. And no interruptions. Otherwise, I can’t think. Or concentrate. Or focus. I need everything I have to be focused on the pages in front of me. The family has yet to learn this rule. J

I can't listen to music when I write so I know where you're coming from. Now for some less serious questions. What would you do if you didn't have to work?

Write. Then write some more. Oh, and live like a hermit. The only exception to total isolation would be my need for the internet. I could live without  pretty much everything else. (After my daughter goes off to college, of course!)

Of course! What did you want to be when you were ten years old?

A vet. That’s strange, right? But then I realized that I loved animals too much to see them hurt. So I wanted to be an ichthyologist and work on the ocean learning about sharks or seals or something! And, uh, that didn’t work out either. J

LOL I wanted to be a vet for about a minute. I have really bad allergies. Could never last as a vet!

If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would you like to see play the lead role as you?

Tina Fey. Hands down. That woman would get the craziness of my life and the humor. She’d be brilliant as me.

Oh, great choice!

If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?

Ordinary to Extraordinary. *giggle* Assuming one day I have the right to be called extraordinary. *grins*

Justine, you crack me up! That's an awesome title!

Recaptured Dreams Blurb:

Ten years, the Atlantic Ocean, and several rungs in society have kept Xavier Cain from having Sophia Montel. Now twenty-seven, he’s spent his entire adult life building a fashion empire that could finally prove his worth to her family. When fate reunites him with Sophia at London’s premiere fashion show, one problem lodges in Xavier’s path: Sophia doesn’t remember him.

The only obstacle that has kept Sophia from Xavier is a horrific car crash that erased her memory at seventeen. She’s spent the last ten years fighting to reclaim a sliver of her past that her mother refuses to help her remember. When Sophia meets Xavier at the London show, however, all her fantasies come to life in one night of passion. Discovering he is the missing link, she is determined to find all the pieces to their love story and her memory.

Xavier wants forever. Sophia wants her memory. If they take this chance, they’ll have to start over. How far are they willing to go get what they want? And when the past catches up to them, can they handle the truths it has hidden?

Author Bio:
Justine lives in the Midwest, happily catering to her family, which consists of a horse-obsessed teenage daughter and four crazy dogs. She’s never moved from her hometown, but hopes to grow old in a much warmer climate.

During the day she works a normal job with college students who try their best to keep her young. They’ve done a good job thus far.  At night, said teenage daughter and her horse require mounds of love and attention. The weekends belong solely to her and her writing. That’s when she morphs into a sticky bug, unable to leave the confines of her computer chair.

She started writing three years ago after seeing a movie that set off a chain reaction she couldn’t have stopped if she’d wanted. It’s not a hobby for her; it’s an obsession. One she loves and one she loves to share.

Contact Justine by email: dell.justine@gmail.com

Recaptured Dreams on Goodreads.
Recaptured Dreams on Facebook.
Friend me on Facebook
Check out her Blog.
Find her on Twitter.
Find Recaptured Dreams on Goodreads Profile

And don't forget to check out Omnific Publishing. Romance ... without the rules.


Justine's favorite line from the book: Xavier had thought he was in paradise before. He’d been wrong. Sophia was more than paradise. She was the very reason he breathed.

Awesome, awesome line. Can definitely see why it's Justine's favorite!

Giveaway time!

One of you can win a copy of Justine's ebook. Justine will pick a winner at the end of the day using a random number generator. Be sure to enter - just leave a comment (if you could include your email, that would be great!)!

Also Justine will be giving away TWO Recaptured Dreams bookmarks!

And another also, Justine's publisher is giving away two paperback copies of the book through a Goodreads Giveaway: http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/enter_choose_address/31551-recaptured-dreams

And finally, Justine is hosting a huge giveaway on her blog during the entire month of September. Details here: http://justine-dell.blogspot.com/

Monday, September 10, 2012

Sheri Larsen's Bigger than a Shopping Mall G*veaway

Sheri Larsen is awesome. It comes as now surprise that she's now agented or that she's celebrating with an fantastic giveaway!

Sheri, why don't you tell my lovely readers about your news?

Today, I invite you to celebrate with me!! I've signed with Literary Agent Paula Munier of Talcott Notch Literary! And because our literary community is so freaking fabulous and generous, I'm having a Bigger-Than-A-Shopping-Mall GIVEAWAY!! The giveaway consists of:
  •  two separate Rafflecopters with multiple giveaways 
  • and one grand prize Rafflecopter giveaway - to enter for the grand prize, you must enter either giveaway #1, #2, or both. 
There's only one mandatory entry. Everything else is up to you!! I know Rafflecopters can be a pain, but it was the only way to organize such a huge giveaway. The giveaway is open until September 27th. WINNERS will be announced on September 28th. (Entrants may win more than one prize!)

Thank you so much for entering, spreading the word, and celebrating with me!!

Links to Rafflecopters: 
Giveaway #1: a Rafflecopter giveaway
Giveaway #2: a Rafflecopter giveaway
Grand Giveaway: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

God Loves You Chester Blue Book Blast with G*veaway

God Loves You. - Chester Blue by Suzanne Anderson

What if when you most needed help, a blue bear appeared with a note from God? One night, Miss Millie of Blossom, Ohio turns her face to the stars and asks God for help. The next day, a package arrives on her doorstep containing a blue teddy bear and a special note. Over the course of a year, this remarkable blue bear travels across the country, showing up just when he’s needed most. During his journey, Chester Blue helps a young girl trying to impress her big sisters; saves a sailor caught in a terrible storm; reunites two constantly fighting brothers; helps a cowboy become a rodeo clown; and aids a father and daughter in bonding after divorce. If you ever needed a message from God, it's here...




Meet Author Suzanne Anderson

I was born in Fort Lauderdale, attended the University of Michigan on an athletic scholarship for swimming and then worked on Wall Street. I left the bright lights of the big city fifteen years ago and traveled the world. I now live in the mountains of Colorado, where I pursue my dream of writing novels.

LINKS:
Website: http://www.suzanneanderson.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Suzanne-Anderson-Author-Page/201662786512944
Twitter: https://twitter.com/seakiev




http://bookblastpromotions.blogspot.com/
Giveaway Details:
$50 Amazon Gift Card
Ends 9/11/12

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. 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.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, September 3, 2012

Gearing up to get an Agent Blogfest - Introduction post

Deana Barnhart

Gearing up to get an agent blogfest is a wonderful blogfest for authors. Learn more details and sign up here!

Ok, I'm supposed to write a bio. Let's see... I turned 28 yesterday. Had a great birthday with my family--my awesome hubby and three wonderful boys. I'm an author, obviously, and an editor. My life revolves around my family and my writing.

Q&A


-Where do you write?

Usually at home, either early in the morning or late at night. On some Sundays, hubby will watch the boys so after church, I'll go to B&N and write there for a few hours.

-Quick. Go to your writing space, sit down and look to your left. What is the first thing you see?


The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi

-Favorite time to write?


Whenever there aren't any distractions! :P

-Drink of choice while writing?


Water. That's what I drink 99% of the time.

-When writing , do you listen to music or do you need complete silence?


If I needed complete silence, I would never be able to write! I can block out most background sounds. I love music but I get too distracted by it (I start singing along) so I can't listen to music and write.

-What was your inspiration for your latest manuscript and where did you find it?


My EIC mentioned how she was talking to an author about superhero romances and the wheels just started to churn.

-What's your most valuable writing tip?



Just sit down and write. The words will come. Sometimes we focus too much on finding the perfect word or phrases. Just get the first draft down and then tweak. You can't perfect what isn't first written.