Thursday, January 23, 2014

Cover Reveal for Of Sea and Stone by Kate Avery Ellison

Ta da!

Of Sea and Stone by Kate Avery Ellison 
Publication date: February 2014 
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:
All her life, clever Aemi has been a slave in the Village of the Rocks, a place where the sea and sky meet. She’s heard the stories about the fabled People of the Sea, a people who possess unimaginable technology who live below the waves in the dark, secret places of the ocean. But she never dreamed those stories were true.

When a ship emerges from the ocean and men burn her village, Aemi is captured, and enslaved below the waves in Itlantis, a world filled with ancient cities of glass and metal, floating gardens, and wondrous devices that seem to work magic. To make matters worse, her village nemesis, the stuck-up mayor’s son Nol, was captured with her, and they are made servants in the same household beneath the sea.

Desperate to be free, Aemi plots her escape, even going so far as to work with Nol. But the sea holds more secrets than she realizes, and escape might not be as simple as leaving…


----

AUTHOR BIO
I've been making up stories since I was five years old, and now I'm thrilled to be able to do it as a full-time job. I have an obsession with dark fantasy, dystopian futures, and Pride and Prejudice-style love stories full of witty banter and sizzling, unspoken feelings. When I'm not writing, I'm creating digital art, reading funny blogs, or watching my favorite shows (which include TVD and BSG). I live with my geeky husband and our two bad cats in Atlanta, GA.

Author links:

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Indie author resources blog fest



Jordan is hosting an Indie Author Resources Blog Fest, and I am thrilled to be participating. This is such a fantastic idea! There are so many people behind the scenes that help polish an Indie author's books.  

A huge shout out to the people who have and are helping me bring books to life:

Devon Dorrity - my husband not only helps me with plotting, but he does all of my formatting, and creates my book covers. And he does a fantastic job!

Shannon Cooley - her content and copy edits are spot on and make me look good!

Eschler Editing - their fantastic editors have helped me say what I want to say. 

Jen Hendricks - another stellar editor who contributed so much! (I don't know where her website is:( ).

And Aoife Dempsey - an editor in Ireland who checked to make certain that I don't look stupid to those who really know about Celtic mythology and culture. 

And I can't forget the countless people who help me beta read, they vary with each project, but their insight is invaluable. 

Go to Jordan's blog to see all of the awesome resources that the other Indie authors use! 

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Emblem of Eternity by Angela Corbett


So, I haven't read these books, so I can't vouch for them. But Angela is a part of the Dauntless Author's group with me, and I expect great things!



Eternal Starling
Book 1
A love so strong, even eternity can’t separate them.



Evie Starling has lived a relatively uneventful life hanging out with friends, gossiping about boys, and driving her 1966 Mustang. All of that changes when she moves to Gunnison, Colorado, to start college and meets two mysterious men.



For centuries, Alex Night and Emil Stone have yearned for Evie—but they each have their own reasons for wanting to be with her. When both men claim to be her soul mate and tell her about an unbelievable past, Evie learns that she’s not the person she thought she was. Soon, Evie finds herself in the middle of an age-old battle between the Amaranthine Society—the soul protectors, and the Daevos Resistance—the soul destroyers. With a past she doesn’t understand, and a future rife with danger, Evie has to decide who she can trust. But Alex and Emil aren’t the only ones who want Evie, and her soul is about to become the rope in an eternal tug-of-war.






Eternal Echoes
Book 2
She thought she stopped the evil.



She thought she was safe.



Everything she thought was wrong.



Almost four months have passed since Evie Starling learned she was a Tracker and helped defeat a Daevos Clan that was taking others like her—but that wasn’t the end of the abductions. As an unknown evil emerges, Evie vows to help solve the mystery of the missing Trackers, regardless of the risk.



With new powers she doesn’t understand and can’t control, she turns to Alex and Emil, her two soul mates, for help. But her feelings for them both are tearing her apart.



As the world around her is thrown into chaos, Evie is confronted with what could be a destiny-altering truth. Will she accept her history, her memories, and her role in this life, or choose to ignore the echoes of her past?




Eternal
Echoes Excerpt by Angela Corbett
(Emblem
of Eternity trilogy, Book 2)

I took a deep breath as I came
out of the memory. I was getting better at keeping my flashback reaction less
noticeable, but I still steadied myself against the gate. Alex noticed. “Are
you okay?” he asked.
            I nodded,
my breath less ragged. “I’m fine.”
            “Are you
sure?” He came over and stood behind me, a commanding presence. His hands were
a gentle weight on my arms as he turned me toward him. At first, he seemed to
be looking for signs of distress, but as our eyes caught and held, I knew his
thoughts were in other places, and mine were headed there, too. His hand
slipped feather-light over my arms and down until they rested above my hips.
            Like I was
having some sort of out-of-body experience, I watched as my hand went up to his
face, tracing the line of his jaw. “We shouldn’t be doing this,” I said in a
very unconvincing way.
It wasn’t that I didn’t mean
what I said. I did. And I still had enough blood flowing to my brain to
vocalize it. But I was having a hard time convincing my rational side I
shouldn’t be making out with Alex. Especially when my rational side was
practically screaming that I’d kissed Emil last night and to be fair, I should
also make out with Alex. My rational side told me I wouldn’t want a
double-standard. My rational side had lost its mind.
            “Why?” Alex
asked, inching slowly closer, his eyes dark in a way that made my legs feel
like pudding.
            There were
so many possible answers to that question, with reasonable arguments why we
shouldn’t proceed, that I wasn’t sure which to choose. I started with, “What if
the bracelet doesn’t work?”
            Alex
glanced down at my bracelet, giving a very slow smile I could only describe as
predatory before eying me like he was preparing for an attack. Apparently a
couple of centuries of sexual frustration will do that to you.
“It will,” he answered, still
moving toward me.
            “How can
you be sure?”
            Alex’s
mouth curved slightly in a smile part rapacious, part entertained. “I’ve been
waiting a long time for a
relationship with you, Evie. And for everything that comes with it. I wouldn’t
have given you the bracelet if I wasn’t sure it would work. I gave it to you
because I intend to put it to use.”
            Sheesh!
Judging by his dark, focused gaze, I knew he wasn’t kidding.
            “I don’t
think it’s a good idea.” I shook my head, like that would emphasize my argument
and stop his sultry advances. It didn’t.
His arms went around me tight,
pulling me to him. My chest crushed into his, the hard planes of his stomach
obvious even through our clothes. He stared down at me, not loosening his
embrace. My breath was shallow as I stared back, wondering how long it would be
until we both lost all common sense. He moved his lips over my cheeks, the soft
skin brushing wispy strokes over my face. When he got to my ear, he took the
soft pad in his lips and nipped lightly, then whispered one word. “Why?”
Why? Why what? Had there been a
question? I fumbled around in my head for what we’d been talking about. Oh.
That’s right. Bad idea. This is a bad idea. Why is it still a bad idea? What
was my list again? I did more fumbling and found one. “What about Emil?”
I felt Alex tense, his shoulders
becoming taut under his shirt. “He’s not invited to this conversation.”
Geez! Alex had always been
overbearing, but apparently when it came to sex, he was not only overbearing,
but alarmingly primitive. Again, I attributed the aggression to decades of pent
up frustration.
“Don’t you think he’ll be
pissed?”
Alex kept kissing down my neck,
and I moaned. His hands moved around to my stomach, unzipping my coat. He
quickly discarded it on the ground.
“We all agreed to the rules,”
Alex said, his hands moving lightly under my sweater, inching it up ever so
slightly. I’d never been addicted to anything, but imagined this was how
addiction started. A little at a time. Alex pulled my sweater over my head,
then kept kissing back up my neck and along my jawline. “We’re not doing
anything wrong.”
I looked at where our hands
were, and the clothes slowly making their way to the ground. We were about to
be doing things that were wrong in a very good way. “I guess it depends on your
definition. Emil would think this is seriously wrong.”
The muscles at Alex’s jaw
ticked, his eyes glittering with a combination of passion and anger. “I told
you,” he said, moving swiftly, one arm sliding under my thighs, the other
around my back. He lifted me, cradling me in his arms, and walked down the row
of stalls to an empty stall at the end of the barn. Fresh hay was scattered in
large mounds, creating a soft bed on the ground—albeit a scratchy one, but
better than the dirt floor. He laid me down gently in the hay then straddled
me, the years of want and need, written across his face. “We’re not talking
about him.” With that, he was on top of me, the kiss aggressive. I could feel
my soulmark burning, and my bracelet seemed to be giving off heat as well. If
this kept up, I wouldn’t be surprised if the whole barn burst into flames.





Angela Corbett graduated from Westminster College with a double major in communication and sociology. She started working as a reporter when she was sixteen and won awards for feature, news, and editorial writing. She has also done freelance writing. In addition to writing, she works as a director of communications and marketing. She loves classic cars, traveling, cupcakes, and U2. She lives in Utah with her extremely supportive husband and their five-pound Pomeranian, Pippin, whose following of fangirls could rival Justin Bieber's.



She writes YA/NA titles under the name Angela Corbett, and adult titles under the name Destiny Ford.


a Rafflecopter giveaway








Release day for Witch Fall, by Amber Argyle


All things fall.

Even Witches.

Supreme in their dominion over seasons, storms, and sea, the Witches have forgotten the unmatched destructiveness of mankind. And among the weapons men seek are the magical songs of the Witches.

Lilette is one of the few who see the decadence and decay weakening the Witches. As an outsider amid her own kind, can she help them survive the coming war?

 ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ B&N ~ 

My friend Amber is releasing the third book in her Witch Song series today! I am so excited for her! I love this trilogy, and the first book is even in one of my Book Blogger's Cookbooks!

 ~ About the author ~ 


Amber Argyle is the author of Witch Song and Fairy Queen trilogies. She grew up with three brothers on a cattle ranch in the Rocky Mountains. She spent hours riding horses, roaming the mountains, and playing in her family’s creepy barn. This environment fueled her imagination for writing high fantasy. She has worked as a short order cook, janitor, and staff member in a mental institution. All of which has given her great insight into the human condition and has made for some unique characters. She received her bachelor’s degree in English and Physical Education from Utah State University. She currently resides in Utah with her husband and three small children. 
Website ~ Goodreads ~ Facebook ~Twitter ~ 

~ Excerpt ~ 

Han looked at her, his eyes as dark and depthless as the deepest part of the ocean. His gaze shifted to her mouth and she could have sworn she felt the pressure of his gaze on her lips. She moved forward a fraction, until there was nothing between them but sunlight. Then there was nothing between them at all. His lips were on hers, not claiming, not possessing, simply wanting. Needing.

Lilette had never known how full of need he was. How dark and empty the spaces in his soul must be. He drank her in like she was light and hope and he’d been a starving man all his life.

For Lilette, it was like his touch let her shine. Like she’d been shattered into a thousand specks of light and he brought her together—made her whole.

With a shudder that shook to his core, Han pulled away from her. He rested his forehead against hers, his breath ragged and his lips red. “Lilette.”

She closed her eyes as he said her name. Said it like he was cupping a bird in his hands and he’d set it free. She inhaled the breath that had carried her name. “Han.”

“It’s like no matter how hard I try, you’re all I can see.”

She held her hands together to keep them from trembling and betraying her. “Where does that leave us?”

“I don’t know.” Han closed his eyes and breathed her in. “You’re leaving for Haven. I’m going to stay here as an ambassador for Harshen.”

She nodded. “I’m glad.” She trusted no one else with this.
Han hesitated, and then kissed her briefly. “Be well, little dragon.” He turned and walked away.

Lilette watching him, waiting for him to move out of sight before she allowed her legs to go soft. Let herself sink into the loam. She didn’t cry. She just waited for the aching to fade enough to get to her feet and keep moving.


Monday, January 13, 2014

Giveaway Amazon Giftcards from The Dauntless Authors



Join The Dauntless Authors for a giveaway for 2 $25 Amazon Giftcards during the week of January 13. Throughout the week they'll also be giving away TONS of ebooks at their Facebook Party!





Team Dauntless:



Kate Avery Ellison 


Nancy S Thompson

Wendy Knight
Amber Argyle


RaShelle Workman


Elle Strauss
Megg Jensen
Angela Corbett
Cindy Hogan
Christy Dorrity
Rachel Morgan
Shantal Hiatt


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Wednesday, January 1, 2014

When my fear looks like a Clootie monster

Clootie monster (yes, it's in Book Two!)
Photo: DaveAllsop
Fear is something that I face often when it comes to my writing. I don't think it will ever go away, but I can use it to my advantage. In Susan Kaye Quinn's excellent Indie Author Survivor Guide, I connected so deeply with the section where she talks about fears. She says that when a project summoned her fears, it "only told me that I was on to something worth tackling." I can relate to that so well. The times that I am stymied by fear, I am convinced that the adversary wants nothing more than for me to give up, because whatever I am working on will have a profound influence on me, my family, or others whom it may touch.  

So, today I am confronting my fears.

What I’m afraid of:

That I won’t be able to write as well this time around.

That the book won’t resonate with those who loved the first one.

That I’m not a real writer.

The actual work.

That it will take me a long time to write what I want to.

That I will keep going days and weeks without seeing progress and regret the time I could have spent.

That I won’t write what I want to write, or what speaks to me most.

That I have to rely on other people before I can go ahead and write.

That the money and time I've invested won't pay off.


How to speak to that fear:

It’s okay if I don’t write fast.

Come on, I wrote the first one, I can write the second one, and the first draft should be crappy.

I don't need to depend on others for plotting. I'm creative in my own right.

I am a self-published author, which means that any deadlines I choose to enforce on myself are flexible, so I don’t have to stress about timetables.

Stephen King goes back and looks for themes to bring out after the first draft. I can do that too, and work hard to incorporate what speaks to me the most.

I am confident in myself as a writer, and I know that if I work hard, produce quality stories, and get them out in front of readers, that this will be a profitable business venture. But, more importantly, even if I never even earn back what I've put into my stories, I am constantly being paid by the satisfaction of creating something that never even existed, and doing something that is gratifying to me.

And most importantly, why am I worrying about going days without progress? What a waste! I need to forget myself and get to work.

What I plan to write and publish this year, in spite of my fears:

Book Two in The Geis series
Two novellas in The Geis universe, one from Aunt Avril’s POV, and one from McKayla’s.
The 2013 Book Blogger’s Cookbook (I know, it’s 2014, so sue me).
Kiera and the Moonflower (the first in a chapter book series for children)
The Birthday Girleen (a picture book for children)
A Reel Guide to Irish Dancing, with several smaller pamphlet by topics.

Now, off to make a dent in those fears...