I've been making some changes in my published books lately, as well as my approach.
I re-released a heavily edited version of The Superiors in paperback and Kindle editions on Sunday. If you have it on your Kindle, you should be able to get the updated version free. Trust me, it was embarrassing to read back over the one I had on there. I will never stop finding awkward phrases, etc.
If you don't have The Superiors yet, it will be free on Amazon March 13-18. So click on the link over there to the right, and it will take you right to it.
I've taken The Superiors off sale everywhere but Amazon for the time being. The Renegades is also exclusively available on Amazon. It's that link over there to the right, too.
Next project? Rewriting my new YA novel, which I hope to release later this year under a pen name. Also, writing the next book in the series, rewriting Book Four in the Superiors Series, and editing Book Two for re-release.
Guess it's time to get off the internet...
Showing posts with label self-publishing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label self-publishing. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Read an Ebook Week: Review: The Day the World Ended, by Anna O'Hare
The Day the World Ended by Anna O'HareMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
4.5 stars
Okay, confession time. I haven’t read many indies. When I first started publishing, I did a few review swaps, but that made me very uncomfortable. First off, I don’t like to write bad reviews, and since I know how hard it is for indie authors, I’m even more hesitant to add a bad review, even if it is deserving. Secondly, there’s the fear of retribution when you’re trading reviews. So, after trading 3 or 4 reviews, I’d had enough. This came about for two reasons, the main one being I received a book that was riddled with typos and just plain bad—it looked like the author published a first draft. I was left struggling to find something nice to say beyond, “I’m sorry I’m not going to review your book because it should never have been published,” or “Please for the sake of other indie authors, hire an editor or bribe an English teacher, or at least learn to use spell check. You’re making us all look bad.”
However, that’s a silly reason not to read indies (though I will not be trading reviews probably ever). Since I’m an indie author, it seems traitorous not to read other indies. So, after seeing a thread on Goodreads asking for reviews, I discovered this little gem (free on Smashwords, and more than worth your time). I will admit, I was a little hesitant to read something that’s supposed to be ya sci-fi (burned out on the genre), but I lost all reservations as I devoured the first chapters without pause. Because the end of the world here is simply a catalyst. It’s not the focus of the story, but what drives each story.
This book is about three groups of kids who are waiting for the end of the world (which is happening in a few days). What would you do if the world was ending in four days? Would you go find an abandoned house and make it your hideout, so you and your friends could hang out there, eat junk food and watch TV, have food fights, and be together? Would you seek revenge on a group of bullies who killed a classmate? Would you formulate a plan to break in to you rival high school and hang your school’s banner from the roof?
Each story drew me in. At first, I liked the story of the younger kids in the abandoned house the most. I liked how they kept their morals and didn’t succumb to anarchy. They had a food fight, but then they cleaned up the house, because if they were going to hang out there for the next few days, they wanted it nice. I hurried through some of the sections about the other kids so I could get back to this group. (view spoiler) Their story felt the most complete to me.
The second storyline is about a girl, her little brother, and her cousin, who idolizes her, seeking revenge on some bullies. I would have liked if the boy the bullies killed had been Grace’s friend or crush, so that she had a reason for wanting to seek revenge so much. It seemed a bit odd that she just decided to dole out the punishment on behalf of some kid she’d only talked to one time. This storyline ended up feeling a bit weird to me. Still, it drew me in enough that I’d always want to keep reading to find out what revenge she’d dole out to the next boy, as her punishments grow increasingly alarming as the story goes on, until you realize that Grace is a complete psychopath. I kept waiting for her companions to stand up to her and realize she’s lost it and say no, they’re not going to go through with her escalating terror. Because it soon becomes apparent that Grace is a huge bully herself—not only to the boys she’s seeking revenge against, but to her little brother and cousin, too. (view spoiler)
The third story, about the group of poor high school kids, started out as the one that didn’t grab my immediate interest, but ended up being my favorite. I didn’t like it at first because I didn’t like the main character, who is a teenager who is good at everything, has life all figured out, and is completely at peace. Which I don’t believe exists. But, as the story went on and the characters developed, I really enjoyed it. All the schools have closed, since the world is ending, except the poor kids’ school, because they don’t have anywhere else to go (perfect!) I loved their two teachers, and the weird morose kid, the snarky girl, the perfect couple, etc. All the characters came alive and seemed exactly like real people you’d know at a high school. (view spoiler)
For a grammar nazi like me, I can’t read a book without noticing the mistakes, even in traditionally published books. There were a few in here, but the story was so compulsively readable that they were easily overlooked. I’m so used to editing that any mistake tends to jump out at me. There were a few times when I wasn’t sure if something was a mistake or British slang. Overall, the grammar was fine and the mistakes were few.
The storyline was easy to follow and addictive. I was reading this on my phone as I walked at the track every day, and I’d find myself reading it as I walked to my car afterwards, sometimes sitting in my car reading a few more minutes because I was at an exciting part and couldn’t stop reading.
The characters were mostly well-developed, at least the main players. Since the three stories have different characters, and some have dozens, obviously all are not completely rounded, but every character is unique and wonderful. Overall, this was a fast-paced character focused YA that would appeal to readers of sci-fi as well as contemporary YA. And if you hurry, it’s free on Smashwords (if you aren’t familiar, you should be—they format for download to any device), so grab it while you can, because it’s a steal.
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View all my reviews
Monday, March 3, 2014
Read an Ebook Week
For those unaware, this is Read an Ebook Week. In celebration, Smashwords (if you don't know this site and you read ebooks, get acquainted!) has a huge site-wide sale, with tons of books free and discounted this week. Among those that are free, The Superiors and The Vigilantes. The Renegades, just published on Smashwords yesterday, is half off for the week. Tons and tons of other books are free, and it's free to sign up for an account if you don't have one already. You can download any version on the site--mobi, epub, even pdf. So go explore a bit and find some free books. The coupon codes to get the books free or half off are listed under the 'Buy' button on each book's page.
I'll be posting an ebook review on Wednesday in celebration of Read an Ebook Week.
I'll be posting an ebook review on Wednesday in celebration of Read an Ebook Week.
Monday, February 10, 2014
Hearts on Fire Blog Hop
Hello everyone!
Today I'm happy to be participating in the second annual Hearts on Fire blog hop!
Here’s how to hop…
1.) Kym, Eve, and Victoria have supplied the first nine items on the list of Top Ten Favorite Valentines/Romantic movies and Top Ten Favorite “pick up lines”. YOU provide #10. Comment with your answers and email to enter for the site prize. My site prize is a digital copy of one of my three books (links on right). You choose which book!
2.) Then go to the next hop site on the list below and repeat.
3.) Don’t forget to go here to also enter the GRAND PRIZE RAFFLE.
(20 carat lab ruby, signed paperback series of Immortals of New Orleans – Kym Grosso, and signed paperback series of Black Swan - Victoria Danann, plus a fabulous SWAG bag from Eve Langlais.)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
TOP TEN FAV VALENTINES/ROMANTIC MOVIES
1. The Princess Bride – Eve (because I love a giggle with my romantic fairy tales)
2. Pretty Woman – Eve (gotta love a poor girl/rich guy flick)
3. Warm Bodies – Eve (Zombies can be sexy, lol)
4. Sabrina - Kym
5. The Proposal – Kym
6. Forgetting Sarah Marshall – Kym
7. A Walk in the Clouds – Victoria
8. The Notebook – Victoria
9. Made in Heaven – Victoria
10. _______________________ What’s yours?
TOP TEN FAV “PICK UP” LINES
1. Eve’s Corny p/u lines: Did you sit in a puddle of maple syrup? Because you have a swe-e-e-t ass.
2. Eve: Do you live in a corn field? Because I’m stalking you.
3. Eve: Your lips look so lonely. Would they like to meet mine?
Note from Eve: Funny how most pickup lines are from guys to girls, and have to do with sex. lol. Then again, can you imagine a woman going up to a guy and saying “Hey gorgeous, I brought along my ten inch ruler because I’ve got a feeling you’ll measure up.” Hehehe.
4. Kym’s Corny p/u lines from movies: “Do you wash your pants in Windex? Because I can see myself in them.” ~Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery,
5. Kym: “You know, it’s dangerous for you to be here in the frozen food section… Because you could melt all this stuff.” ~My Blue Heaven
6. Kym: “I couldn’t help but notice that you look a lot like my next girlfriend.” ~Hitch
7. Victoria’s fav lines that actually worked on me: (The lifeguard.) “You all might as well go home because this storm isn’t going away. (looks at me) Except you. You stay and we’ll go swimming.”
8. Victoria: “Have you seen Jeff?” “Who’s Jeff?” “Who cares? What’s your name?”
9. Victoria: “You’re my pick for student body president. Run and I’ll make sure you get elected.”
10. ___________________ What’s yours?
Today I'm happy to be participating in the second annual Hearts on Fire blog hop!
Here’s how to hop…
1.) Kym, Eve, and Victoria have supplied the first nine items on the list of Top Ten Favorite Valentines/Romantic movies and Top Ten Favorite “pick up lines”. YOU provide #10. Comment with your answers and email to enter for the site prize. My site prize is a digital copy of one of my three books (links on right). You choose which book!
2.) Then go to the next hop site on the list below and repeat.
3.) Don’t forget to go here to also enter the GRAND PRIZE RAFFLE.
(20 carat lab ruby, signed paperback series of Immortals of New Orleans – Kym Grosso, and signed paperback series of Black Swan - Victoria Danann, plus a fabulous SWAG bag from Eve Langlais.)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
TOP TEN FAV VALENTINES/ROMANTIC MOVIES
1. The Princess Bride – Eve (because I love a giggle with my romantic fairy tales)
2. Pretty Woman – Eve (gotta love a poor girl/rich guy flick)
3. Warm Bodies – Eve (Zombies can be sexy, lol)
4. Sabrina - Kym
5. The Proposal – Kym
6. Forgetting Sarah Marshall – Kym
7. A Walk in the Clouds – Victoria
8. The Notebook – Victoria
9. Made in Heaven – Victoria
10. _______________________ What’s yours?
TOP TEN FAV “PICK UP” LINES
1. Eve’s Corny p/u lines: Did you sit in a puddle of maple syrup? Because you have a swe-e-e-t ass.
2. Eve: Do you live in a corn field? Because I’m stalking you.
3. Eve: Your lips look so lonely. Would they like to meet mine?
Note from Eve: Funny how most pickup lines are from guys to girls, and have to do with sex. lol. Then again, can you imagine a woman going up to a guy and saying “Hey gorgeous, I brought along my ten inch ruler because I’ve got a feeling you’ll measure up.” Hehehe.
4. Kym’s Corny p/u lines from movies: “Do you wash your pants in Windex? Because I can see myself in them.” ~Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery,
5. Kym: “You know, it’s dangerous for you to be here in the frozen food section… Because you could melt all this stuff.” ~My Blue Heaven
6. Kym: “I couldn’t help but notice that you look a lot like my next girlfriend.” ~Hitch
7. Victoria’s fav lines that actually worked on me: (The lifeguard.) “You all might as well go home because this storm isn’t going away. (looks at me) Except you. You stay and we’ll go swimming.”
8. Victoria: “Have you seen Jeff?” “Who’s Jeff?” “Who cares? What’s your name?”
9. Victoria: “You’re my pick for student body president. Run and I’ll make sure you get elected.”
10. ___________________ What’s yours?
Thanks for stopping by. Your next stop on the hop is…
Close Encounters for the complete list.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Cover Reveal: Clarissa Wild's FIERCE
Title: Fierce
Author: Clarissa Wild
Publication Date: January 27th 2014
Genre: New Adult Romance
Fight for your dreams. Fight for your life. Fight for love.
Nerdy girl Autumn Blakewood is the prime example of a goodie two-shoes. She studies every night, is never late for class, and always follows the rules. She has never felt the need to step out of her comfort zone. That is, until she meets Hunter.
Hunter Bane is a cocky, confident bad-boy, who's nothing but trouble. He’s a dangerous distraction to everyone around him. Sexy and strong, Hunter enjoys the swooning effect he has on women. Especially those who aren't used to attention, like Autumn.
Autumn finds it hard not to give into Hunter’s advances, even though it all seems like a game to him. Trying to understand him is impossible, because he shrouds himself in mystery.
What she doesn't know is that Hunter has more baggage than anyone should have to carry. When she discovers he's in an illegal frat club to save the one person that matters to him, Autumn realizes this could mean the end of her undeniable connection to him. Even their lives are at risk.
But it's too late to turn back now ...
When he
comes up the steps, his gaze is already set on that one empty spot beside me.
I’m squeezing my legs together, as he sits next to me. My instinct is to scoot
far away, but I can’t; there’s nowhere to go.
I feel
watched, which isn’t strange, considering his gray eyes are practically trying
to penetrate my skin.
Anger is
seething inside him, I don’t have to look at him to know; I can feel it flow
out of him like a radiator that’s burning up.
God, I want
to die.
He keeps
staring at me, as if he has nothing better to do. My heartbeat is rising, and
I’m starting to feel really sweaty. I don’t know why he’s doing this, but it’s
freaking me out, and I don’t like it one bit.
“Don’t you
have to pay attention?” I say, avoiding his eyes.
“To You?
Yes.”
His words
make my insides broil.
“The
teacher has already started talking.” I point to the front, but Hunter doesn’t
even flinch. His eyes are still on me like a hawk zooming in on his prey.
“I don’t
care.”
I swallow,
gathering the courage to turn my head and look at him. The moment my eyes make
contact with his I’m drowning. Drowning in amazement. Drowning in fear.
Fear of the
unknown.
“But your
grades …” I stammer.
He snorts,
and a smile curls the corners of his mouth while he shakes his head. “Yeah,
right.”
And all I
can do is stare.
If looks
could kill, I would be dead.
He looks so
damn handsome when he smiles. It’s like everything around us fades and all I
ever want to see is that smile. It just makes me feel good.
But when
the smile disappears, so does my mood.
The
darkness falling over his face unsettles me.
In his eyes
I see the hurt, the worries, the insomnia. Sleepless nights have worn down his
face, making him look saggy and dull. But I know there’s so much more inside
there.
Endless
stories and an undiscovered world I’m intrigued by.
I want to
know what’s in there. Inside him. Why he’s so angry and sad at the same time.
A sudden
overwhelming feeling to grab him and hold him tight takes me aback.
He’s having
so much trouble in his life right now, even though I have no idea what’s going
on. I can see it in his eyes that something is so wrong. And I want to help him
get through it.
But I don’t
come any close. I don’t move one muscle.
I’m scared.
Scared of what he can do. Scared of his power, and his temper.
In my mind I
can still see his bloodshot eyes and the hateful look on his face. He was in
that fight yesterday, I’m sure of it. The only question is who was the one
instigating it.
I open my
mouth, but nothing comes out.
I can’t ask
him. I just can’t get the words to come out. I’m really chicken shit.
“Something
wrong?” he says.
I shake my
head.
“Then why
are you looking at me like that?”
Hunter
inches closer. I instinctively draw back, but he scoots even farther to my
side. I’m scared to death he wants to do something to me, and I have no idea
what, which makes it even scarier.
A devious
smile appears on his face, and it’s almost as if he’s enjoying this. Taunting
me seems like his way to pass time in class. I don’t like it one bit, but on
the other hand I’m excited as hell.
He raises
his head, and his nostrils flare. I turn my head, my breath hitching in my
throat. I can’t look when he’s doing this, entering my private space uninvited.
It feels as
though his nose is close to my hair, because there’s hot air flowing close to
my ear. And then he inhales.
Holy shit.
Is he
smelling me?
I’m frozen
in place from sheer panic, my heart beating like crazy.
No guy has
ever come this close to me.
He lets out
a huge breath afterward and chuckles softly. His breath lingers on my ear, and
a shudder runs through me.
“I like
it,” he whispers.
Oh. My.
Fucking. God.
My skin
tingles where his hot breath brushed over me. My groin clenches, and my clit thumps.
Why?
His whisper
does this to me. Just a whisper.
I never
felt like this before. I think just died inside.
Hunter
muffles a laugh. It’s like he can smell my fear.
He takes in
a sharp breath and moves back to his usual spot. As if what he did just now was
the most normal thing in the world.
I’m still
shaken, my body stiff from the encounter. I feel completely naked, and I know
he’s watching me.
The look in
his eyes is like that of a boy who just did something totally against the
rules. And it’s so fucking sexy I can’t stand it.
Clarissa Wild is the erotic romance author of the Blissful Series,
The Billionaire's Bet series, the Doing It Series and the Enflamed
Series. She is an avid reader and writer of sexy stories about hot men
and feisty women. Her other loves include her furry cat friend and
learning about different cultures. In her free time she enjoys watching
all sorts of movies, reading tons of books and cooking her favorite
meals.
Want to get an email when my next book is released?
Sign up here to receive a FREE short story: http://eepurl.com/FdY71
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
New Year's Resolutions
So I posted my New Year's Resolutions last year, but I'm scared to even look at them, because I'm pretty sure I achieved zero out of however many I made. Still, I forge ahead with new goals for this year. Always the optimist!
2014 Goals and Resolutions:
1. Write a book. You know those crazy people who do nanowrimo and write a whole book in a month? I'm not one of them. However, I believe I can write a whole novel in a year. That's optimistic for me.
2. Publish a book. I think that was the one resolution I made in 2013 that I achieved. So I'm going to keep it for this year. I only have about 20 books written that need to be edited and published. I'm sure I can find one that's worthy of publication this year.
3. Blog consistently. I am going to try for 3 blogs a week. Don't know how long it will last, but I'm going to try.
4. Move in with my husband. Every time I tell someone I don't live with my husband, they look at me like I'm crazy. We bought a house at the end of 2013, but it's a huge project. So my goal is to live in it before 2014 is over.
5. Have a garden. I've been itching to do this for a few years now, but I don't have a garden space. At our new place, I will. I'm starting small, but anything is better than nothing.
6. Be more social. Not the kind of social that I've been doing (social media) but hanging out, going to see my friends in person. I'm going to try for at least twice a month, realistically.
7. Stay positive. This is a hard one for me. My mind tends towards the negative. But I've been trying to 'think positive' for a few months now, and it's starting to get easier. Onwards and upwards in 2014!
2014 Goals and Resolutions:
1. Write a book. You know those crazy people who do nanowrimo and write a whole book in a month? I'm not one of them. However, I believe I can write a whole novel in a year. That's optimistic for me.
2. Publish a book. I think that was the one resolution I made in 2013 that I achieved. So I'm going to keep it for this year. I only have about 20 books written that need to be edited and published. I'm sure I can find one that's worthy of publication this year.
3. Blog consistently. I am going to try for 3 blogs a week. Don't know how long it will last, but I'm going to try.
4. Move in with my husband. Every time I tell someone I don't live with my husband, they look at me like I'm crazy. We bought a house at the end of 2013, but it's a huge project. So my goal is to live in it before 2014 is over.
5. Have a garden. I've been itching to do this for a few years now, but I don't have a garden space. At our new place, I will. I'm starting small, but anything is better than nothing.
6. Be more social. Not the kind of social that I've been doing (social media) but hanging out, going to see my friends in person. I'm going to try for at least twice a month, realistically.
7. Stay positive. This is a hard one for me. My mind tends towards the negative. But I've been trying to 'think positive' for a few months now, and it's starting to get easier. Onwards and upwards in 2014!
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
The Renegades 24-hr Launch Party (Book Giveaway)
Hello loyal readers and guests,
You might be a longtime reader who has been reading my blogs since the days of (ahem) Myspace, or you might have stumbled across this post or been lured by free book promises. Whatever your reason for stopping by my book release party, welcome!
The day has come at last...The Renegades Release Day! You can find the ebook for $2.99 on amazon starting TODAY. Or you can participate in one of the challenges posted on the blog all day to win a free copy.
Here is how it works: I will be giving away 24 books today. Winners will be randomly drawn from the participants of each challenge. They can be completed at any time during the day. Just post a comment letting me know which of the challenges you completed. Winners will be announced Wednesday, December 11, so check back to see if you scored some free books.
Up for grabs:
For all participants: ebook copies of
The Renegades
The Superiors
The Vigilantes
Because the Night, by Kristen Strassel
Redemption by Kellie Thacker
Healer by B.N. Toler
The Legacy: Fate by G.G. Atcheson
For US residents only (sorry, I'm a starving artist and postage rates are insane):
(1) Paperback copy of The Superiors (first edition), (1) Paperback ARC of The Vigilantes (proof copy), (1) Paperback ARC of The Renegades (available in January)
Must have at least 10 entries to win these, one of which MUST be Challenge 1.
Without further ado, here is...
Challenge 1:
Post an announcement of The Renegades release on your book blog and leave it for 24 hours. Please leave link in the comments section.
Challenge 2:
Follow my blog (or leave comment, if you already follow, for one entry).
Challenge 3:
Stop by this blog and leave a comment on their promo post of The Renegades.
Challenge 4:
Google+ this blog post.
Challenge 5:
Share a link to this post on Twitter...you can do this once an hour if you like...
Challenge 6:
Follow me on Twitter (use the icon on my blog for quickest link).
Challenge 7:
Share this blog post on Facebook... Again, can enter this challenge multiple times if you want.
Challenge 8:
Like my author page on facebook here.
Challenge 9:
Like The Superiors Series page on Facebook.
Challenge 10:
Share my cover on Instagram with the tags #renegades #booklaunch
Challenge 11-13:
Share a link to any of my books on amazon...one entry for each. Click the links below to visit their amazon page, and share from there...pin, FB, twitter, etc.
The Superiors
The Vigilantes
The Renegades
Challenge 14:
Become a fan on amazon.
Challenge 15:
Become a fan on Goodreads.
Challenge 16-18:
Add The Renegades to your to-read shelf on Goodreads. This links to my author page, where you can scroll down and see all my books, and all all three to your shelf easily.
Add The Superiors to your to-read shelf of Goodreads. (If you already have it on your to-read shelf, or you've read it and it's on your read shelf, let me know in the comments section. That's an entry.
Add The Vigilantes to your to-read shelf (same as above).
Challenge 19-20:
Share The Superiors on Barnes&Noble (they have a button to G+, FB like, or pin, or you can 'add to list' if you have a B&N account).
Share The Vigilantes on Barnes&Noble.
Challenge 21-23
Pin The Renegades to a book board on Pinterest
Pin The Superiors
Pin The Vigilantes
Challenge 24: Free Choice challenge...creatively share my book in some way not mentioned above, and post to let me know what you did.
Please let me know what challenges you participated in by posting a comment!
You might be a longtime reader who has been reading my blogs since the days of (ahem) Myspace, or you might have stumbled across this post or been lured by free book promises. Whatever your reason for stopping by my book release party, welcome!
Here is how it works: I will be giving away 24 books today. Winners will be randomly drawn from the participants of each challenge. They can be completed at any time during the day. Just post a comment letting me know which of the challenges you completed. Winners will be announced Wednesday, December 11, so check back to see if you scored some free books.
Up for grabs:
For all participants: ebook copies of
The Renegades
The Superiors
The Vigilantes
Because the Night, by Kristen Strassel
Redemption by Kellie Thacker
Healer by B.N. Toler
The Legacy: Fate by G.G. Atcheson
For US residents only (sorry, I'm a starving artist and postage rates are insane):
(1) Paperback copy of The Superiors (first edition), (1) Paperback ARC of The Vigilantes (proof copy), (1) Paperback ARC of The Renegades (available in January)
Must have at least 10 entries to win these, one of which MUST be Challenge 1.
Without further ado, here is...
Challenge 1:
Post an announcement of The Renegades release on your book blog and leave it for 24 hours. Please leave link in the comments section.
Challenge 2:
Follow my blog (or leave comment, if you already follow, for one entry).
Challenge 3:
Stop by this blog and leave a comment on their promo post of The Renegades.
Challenge 4:
Google+ this blog post.
Challenge 5:
Share a link to this post on Twitter...you can do this once an hour if you like...
Challenge 6:
Follow me on Twitter (use the icon on my blog for quickest link).
Challenge 7:
Share this blog post on Facebook... Again, can enter this challenge multiple times if you want.
Challenge 8:
Like my author page on facebook here.
Challenge 9:
Like The Superiors Series page on Facebook.
Challenge 10:
Share my cover on Instagram with the tags #renegades #booklaunch
Challenge 11-13:
Share a link to any of my books on amazon...one entry for each. Click the links below to visit their amazon page, and share from there...pin, FB, twitter, etc.
The Superiors
The Vigilantes
The Renegades
Challenge 14:
Become a fan on amazon.
Challenge 15:
Become a fan on Goodreads.
Challenge 16-18:
Add The Renegades to your to-read shelf on Goodreads. This links to my author page, where you can scroll down and see all my books, and all all three to your shelf easily.
Add The Superiors to your to-read shelf of Goodreads. (If you already have it on your to-read shelf, or you've read it and it's on your read shelf, let me know in the comments section. That's an entry.
Add The Vigilantes to your to-read shelf (same as above).
Challenge 19-20:
Share The Superiors on Barnes&Noble (they have a button to G+, FB like, or pin, or you can 'add to list' if you have a B&N account).
Share The Vigilantes on Barnes&Noble.
Challenge 21-23
Pin The Renegades to a book board on Pinterest
Pin The Superiors
Pin The Vigilantes
Challenge 24: Free Choice challenge...creatively share my book in some way not mentioned above, and post to let me know what you did.
Please let me know what challenges you participated in by posting a comment!
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Cover Reveal Wednesday: The Renegades, Book 3 in The Superiors Series
In honor of my favorite holiday (Halloween, of course) here's a bit of shameless self-promotion for my new vamp/horror novel, coming soon. As everyone knows, self-promotion gets old really fast, so I've tried to stay away from that as much as possible. But I'm a writer, so of course I'm going to get excited and want to share my AWESOME NEW BOOK COVER! I just got it back from my cover designer, the brilliant Casey Siegel, and couldn't wait to share it. It still needs a few more tweaks, but here is the preliminary:
I'm super excited about it, and I love it already. The book, The Renegades, is tentatively scheduled for release on December 3.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Writer Wednesday: New book spotlight: Spark, by Karyn Pearson
Title: Spark
Series: The Hellfire Series
Author: Karyn Pearson
Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy
Publisher: The Writing Network
Formats
Available In: Digital
Release
Date: June 23, 2013
Blurb: For centuries, the powers of Heaven and Hell have been at war,
locked in a perpetual stalemate. Fifty years ago, the war spilled out on Earth
and the last modern age of man ended. Humanity now finds itself at the brink of
annihilation, barely surviving in small pockets of civilization scattered
across the globe. But even in the direst of circumstances, the human spirit
lives on.
Now, in this post-apocalypse, humanity has
but one choice: resist or die. In order to combat the forces of Hell, man has
learned to fight, training from their youth to hunt the demons that threaten
their very existence.
Twenty-five years ago, a demon hunter dared
rise against an ancient demon family, the Saligia—the Seven Deadly Sins—and was
cursed for her defiance. The curse appeared in the guise of an innocent: the
huntress’s own daughter, Ardentia, who had been born with a demon soul attached
to her own.
In the present day, Ardentia, now grown,
seeks to free her mother from her curse by hunting down the demons responsible.
But the road ahead will be difficult now that the demon within her has
awakened. Trusting him is dangerous, especially when he can turn on her at a
moment’s notice. Others have warned her that succumbing to the demon will be
her own downfall.
Now Ardentia must decide what she’s willing
to lose: her mother’s freedom or herself.
Excerpt:
The demon snapped his fingers and the
daemonis igni behind Ardentia grew blindingly bright and white-hot, the flames
reaching over forty feet high and surging straight toward her. She froze with
fear, knowing that in a few seconds she was about to die, burned alive in the
fires of Hell.
“Ardentia!” Noxius was shouting. “Run! Run
now!”
She was too scared to move. She could not
even muster up the strength to take that first step. Somehow, even if she did
run away, she knew that the flames or Gula would end up devouring her anyway.
Distantly, she could hear the voices of her
comrades, yelling for her to run, to find higher ground, but still, she could
not move.
Noxius snarled with irritation, muttering a
stream of curses in lingua daemon.
“Idiot girl!” he hissed at her. “I’ve no
other choice. I simply cannot allow us both to die here.”
And then an indescribable force slammed
against the inside of Ardentia’s skull. She saw bright lights pop in front of
her eyes, nearly blinded with pain, and dropped to her knees in a daze. Dimly,
she could feel Noxius seizing control; his power coursed through her, flooding
her with an unimaginable strength and power that she was incapable of using.
Her hand started to reach for the reliquary dangling from her belt, only to
feel an invisible hand within her snatching it away.
“What are you doing?” she asked weakly.
“You’ll thank me in a moment,” Noxius
answered her.
Ardentia’s eyes fell shut and she thought
she could hear the sound of wings being spread then close around her. If she
leant to the side ever so slightly, she swore she could feel the leathery
velvet of the wing brush against her cheek.
An intense heat passed over her; she
realized that it was probably the demonic fire, having reached her at last. She
inhaled sharply, preparing to scream as she burned in the hellish pyre, only to
find that she did not need to. There was only heat but no flames. She was not
burned.
About
Karyn Pearson:
Karyn Pearson is a post-grad university
student with a B.A. in Anthropology, currently living in California with her
two dogs. Over the years, she has created many worlds, characters, and series,
which naturally makes her head a very crowded place to be.
When she’s not writing, she can be found
curled up with a book, playing video games, doing research for her books on the
web, or attempting to not burn the house down with another kitchen experiment,
a hobby otherwise known as cooking.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Book Review & Giveaway: The Concubine's Gift by K. Ford K.
Today's book review is extra special! I'm done reading this fun novel and thought I'd pass it on so someone else could enjoy it, too. Please see details after review for a chance to win a paperback copy of this awesome book. (Only open to US residents. Sorry for any inconvenience!)
When the author of The Concubine’s Gift contacted me asking for a review, I admit I was skeptical. I’m not much of a romance reader. In fact, most romance novels are a huge turn-off for me, because I either despise the arrogant jerk that the heroine inevitably falls in love with, or I find the whole book unbelievably cheesy and trite. However, I hesitantly agreed to read this book when the author sent me a copy, and I’m glad I made an exception from my romance rule for The Concubine’s Gift.
First and foremost, I have to warn readers that this is not your typical romance. In fact, if possible, this is a romance novel but not a love story. I think that’s why I liked it. A lot of romance novels just don’t convince me. I don’t believe the romance. I don’t buy it. There’s too many clichés, too many overused devices (love at first sight? Oh, please. Love triangle? Sigh. A handsome stranger coming to the rescue? Eyeroll). The Concubine’s Gift avoids all these pitfalls and more. If you’re looking for a novel about a beautiful brainless bombshell being swept off her feet by a swarthy swaggering swindler-of-virtue, look elsewhere. Trust me, you’ll find many, many books that are exactly what you’re looking for. They are a dime a dozen. The Concubine’s Gift is something else, something new and refreshing. It’s a sexy novel about, well, sex, as well as self-discovery.
As we watch Bernice come into her own and accept herself, we can cheer for her because she’s just like you and me. She’s not meeting the hottest guy on earth and falling in love with him the moment she lays eyes on him. She’s working and talking to her friends, trying to seduce her reluctant husband and shopping for antiques. It’s one of these antiques that provides the catalyst for the story when Bernice finds a concubine’s magical face powder, which allows her to see the secret to a happy sex life—for those around her.
Some of the sex scenes are glossed over, while others go into minute detail. I never felt frustrated by lack of detail in the former, or overwhelmed with raunchiness in the latter. The author walks the line between sexy and dirty well, never venturing too far into the obscene. Just when you think she might (lesbian threesome? What is this, a frat-guy fantasy?), instead she breezes right through with minimal detail, focusing on the lasting changes resulting from it, and goes on to a more detailed account of another scenario. The sex scenes were creative and varied, some a bit titillating and some matter-of-fact. I found the varying degree of explicitness made for a more interesting, tasteful read and kept it from sinking to the thrusty and porn-like play-by-play of some romances.
The Concubine’s Gift is sexy, straightforward, and sometimes just a bit silly. I don’t know if I would have made it through Bernice’s story if she had been a typical helpless heroine, or even an butt-stomping, wise-cracking badass. No, Bernice is just your ordinary working woman, trying to be proper, worrying about her disapproving mother, estranged brother, ungrateful children, inattentive husband, and sexually free neighbor. And that’s what makes her such an accessible character who we can relate to so well. After all, who hasn’t wondered at some point, when our kids are screaming in the front yard, or we stop ourselves from telling someone what we really think of their kids screaming in the front yard, WHAT WOULD THE NEIGHBORS THINK?!
I enjoyed reading about those neighbors, the town, its founding and history, and the political struggles surrounding the brothel. The townspeople were also entertaining, although most of them are not developed well enough to get a real sense of their personalities. Most of the book has a light tone, which makes it a quick, light read. A few errors in punctuation (frequent missing commas) were scattered throughout, but nothing glaring.
Although I enjoyed the novel, I did find the whole great-sex-will-fix-your-life theme a bit tiresome. I’m not one to discount the importance of sex in a happy marriage, or to say that it’s something we shouldn’t look for in a partner. However, I doubt that having a good sex life is going to make all your problems disappear. It was implied throughout the book, and really pounded home when Bernice sees her teenage daughter taking one of two paths—having adventurous sex with a boy who will break her heart and then leading a happy, fulfilling life afterwards, or missing out on great sex with her high-school sweetheart and going on to lead a stifled life as an uptight, fearful mouse. Although I’m not much for romance novels themselves (I need more going on than two people falling in love), I do believe that romance, like sex, is important in healthy relationships. I think love is important, and that’s one thing missing from this book. Love didn’t seem to factor into most of the stories. They seemed to all suggest that fulfilling your sexual potential will fulfill your life, and love is either unnecessary in the equation or will inevitably follow. And yes, that is the part I didn’t buy. I can swallow the rest, magic makeup included.
Overall, a well-edited and engaging read that I would recommend to romance readers and other adults looking for some fanciful entertainment.
Today, I am pleased to bring to you not only a review, but also a giveaway! I am passing on the copy of The Concubine's Gift that the author was kind enough to provide for review. This is a paperback, the same one I read. It might show a little wear, but it's in great condition. If you want a chance to read the novel, here it is!
Here's how:
Follow my blog (1 entry if you already follow or become a follower), share this on Twitter (+1 entry), Facebook (+1) and Google plus (+1). Blog this or link it to your blog (+2 entries). Any other form of social media sharing adds extra entries. Please leave me a comment letting me know if you've done any of these and I'll drop your name in the hat.
Become a fan of K. Ford K on Goodreads or add this book to your TBR list here! Bonus entry for that, as well.
When the author of The Concubine’s Gift contacted me asking for a review, I admit I was skeptical. I’m not much of a romance reader. In fact, most romance novels are a huge turn-off for me, because I either despise the arrogant jerk that the heroine inevitably falls in love with, or I find the whole book unbelievably cheesy and trite. However, I hesitantly agreed to read this book when the author sent me a copy, and I’m glad I made an exception from my romance rule for The Concubine’s Gift.
First and foremost, I have to warn readers that this is not your typical romance. In fact, if possible, this is a romance novel but not a love story. I think that’s why I liked it. A lot of romance novels just don’t convince me. I don’t believe the romance. I don’t buy it. There’s too many clichés, too many overused devices (love at first sight? Oh, please. Love triangle? Sigh. A handsome stranger coming to the rescue? Eyeroll). The Concubine’s Gift avoids all these pitfalls and more. If you’re looking for a novel about a beautiful brainless bombshell being swept off her feet by a swarthy swaggering swindler-of-virtue, look elsewhere. Trust me, you’ll find many, many books that are exactly what you’re looking for. They are a dime a dozen. The Concubine’s Gift is something else, something new and refreshing. It’s a sexy novel about, well, sex, as well as self-discovery.
As we watch Bernice come into her own and accept herself, we can cheer for her because she’s just like you and me. She’s not meeting the hottest guy on earth and falling in love with him the moment she lays eyes on him. She’s working and talking to her friends, trying to seduce her reluctant husband and shopping for antiques. It’s one of these antiques that provides the catalyst for the story when Bernice finds a concubine’s magical face powder, which allows her to see the secret to a happy sex life—for those around her.
Some of the sex scenes are glossed over, while others go into minute detail. I never felt frustrated by lack of detail in the former, or overwhelmed with raunchiness in the latter. The author walks the line between sexy and dirty well, never venturing too far into the obscene. Just when you think she might (lesbian threesome? What is this, a frat-guy fantasy?), instead she breezes right through with minimal detail, focusing on the lasting changes resulting from it, and goes on to a more detailed account of another scenario. The sex scenes were creative and varied, some a bit titillating and some matter-of-fact. I found the varying degree of explicitness made for a more interesting, tasteful read and kept it from sinking to the thrusty and porn-like play-by-play of some romances.
The Concubine’s Gift is sexy, straightforward, and sometimes just a bit silly. I don’t know if I would have made it through Bernice’s story if she had been a typical helpless heroine, or even an butt-stomping, wise-cracking badass. No, Bernice is just your ordinary working woman, trying to be proper, worrying about her disapproving mother, estranged brother, ungrateful children, inattentive husband, and sexually free neighbor. And that’s what makes her such an accessible character who we can relate to so well. After all, who hasn’t wondered at some point, when our kids are screaming in the front yard, or we stop ourselves from telling someone what we really think of their kids screaming in the front yard, WHAT WOULD THE NEIGHBORS THINK?!
I enjoyed reading about those neighbors, the town, its founding and history, and the political struggles surrounding the brothel. The townspeople were also entertaining, although most of them are not developed well enough to get a real sense of their personalities. Most of the book has a light tone, which makes it a quick, light read. A few errors in punctuation (frequent missing commas) were scattered throughout, but nothing glaring.
Although I enjoyed the novel, I did find the whole great-sex-will-fix-your-life theme a bit tiresome. I’m not one to discount the importance of sex in a happy marriage, or to say that it’s something we shouldn’t look for in a partner. However, I doubt that having a good sex life is going to make all your problems disappear. It was implied throughout the book, and really pounded home when Bernice sees her teenage daughter taking one of two paths—having adventurous sex with a boy who will break her heart and then leading a happy, fulfilling life afterwards, or missing out on great sex with her high-school sweetheart and going on to lead a stifled life as an uptight, fearful mouse. Although I’m not much for romance novels themselves (I need more going on than two people falling in love), I do believe that romance, like sex, is important in healthy relationships. I think love is important, and that’s one thing missing from this book. Love didn’t seem to factor into most of the stories. They seemed to all suggest that fulfilling your sexual potential will fulfill your life, and love is either unnecessary in the equation or will inevitably follow. And yes, that is the part I didn’t buy. I can swallow the rest, magic makeup included.
Overall, a well-edited and engaging read that I would recommend to romance readers and other adults looking for some fanciful entertainment.
Today, I am pleased to bring to you not only a review, but also a giveaway! I am passing on the copy of The Concubine's Gift that the author was kind enough to provide for review. This is a paperback, the same one I read. It might show a little wear, but it's in great condition. If you want a chance to read the novel, here it is!
Here's how:
Follow my blog (1 entry if you already follow or become a follower), share this on Twitter (+1 entry), Facebook (+1) and Google plus (+1). Blog this or link it to your blog (+2 entries). Any other form of social media sharing adds extra entries. Please leave me a comment letting me know if you've done any of these and I'll drop your name in the hat.
Become a fan of K. Ford K on Goodreads or add this book to your TBR list here! Bonus entry for that, as well.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Blogger Awards
Hey fellow readers!
As many of you know, I spend an inordinate amount of time on Goodreads. My blog is now up for an Independent Book Bloggers award. If you have a Goodreads account, please take a moment to click on the 'VOTE' button on the right side of my blog. There are lots of wonderful blogs up for awards, so make sure to check them out if you have time. Thanks so much for your support and for reading my blog!
Have a great day.
As many of you know, I spend an inordinate amount of time on Goodreads. My blog is now up for an Independent Book Bloggers award. If you have a Goodreads account, please take a moment to click on the 'VOTE' button on the right side of my blog. There are lots of wonderful blogs up for awards, so make sure to check them out if you have time. Thanks so much for your support and for reading my blog!
Have a great day.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Read an Ebook Week--Final Day!
It's the final day of Read an e-Book Week!
If you haven't entered to win a free copy of The Vigilantes, this is the last day to do it!
You can earn entries by sharing my books and pages all over the web.
Leave a comment letting me know what you did this week to celebrate. Did you read an ebook? If so, which one? Did you go to smashwords.com to find free books? What did you get?
If you're a writer, did you participate? Did you give stuff away? Join the smashwords promo? Read an ebook yourself?
If you helped me or another author out this week, let me know what you did. Any other ideas to help make indie books more visible? Share that too!
I look forward to hearing from readers, writers, and followers about what you did this week.
Look for the winner of the ARC copy of The Vigilantes coming soon...I still have to tally up entries!
Hope everyone had a great, successful week of e-reading.
If you haven't entered to win a free copy of The Vigilantes, this is the last day to do it!
You can earn entries by sharing my books and pages all over the web.
Leave a comment letting me know what you did this week to celebrate. Did you read an ebook? If so, which one? Did you go to smashwords.com to find free books? What did you get?
If you're a writer, did you participate? Did you give stuff away? Join the smashwords promo? Read an ebook yourself?
If you helped me or another author out this week, let me know what you did. Any other ideas to help make indie books more visible? Share that too!
I look forward to hearing from readers, writers, and followers about what you did this week.
Look for the winner of the ARC copy of The Vigilantes coming soon...I still have to tally up entries!
Hope everyone had a great, successful week of e-reading.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Read an Ebook Week (Day 6)
It's almost over! Congrats to the five winner so far!
If you want to win a free ARC hardcopy of The Vigilantes, make sure you check out all my "Read an Ebook Week" posts to see how you can get extra entries! And don't forget to leave links to what you've done so I can give you credit. To enter to win an ebook copy of The Vigilantes, keep reading.
Today is Friday...Follow Friday! Make sure you've followed my blog, Twitter, and liked my Facebook pages (writer and book).
Here's what you can also do: enlist your friends to follow my blog (+3 entries each) and leave a comment telling me you sent them.
Get your friends to like my FB pages and leave a comment telling me you sent them.
Tweet a #FF post with my name in it: @lenahillbrand....every time you post a #FF tweet with my name, +1 entry. Every time you get someone to retweet it, +1 entry. Every time you get one of your followers to follow me, +2 entries (have them let me know who sent them, of course!) Also, share this post on Twitter, the same retweet rule applies!
Additional ways to enter on this next-to-last day of the contest:
Like, share, or add me as a favorite author on Amazon (+3). If you like The Superiors and The Vigilantes, make sure you let me know on amazon (+2 for each).
Pin one of my books on Pinterest (+3).
Add me as a favorite author on Barnes&Noble. FB like The Vigilantes and The Superiors on Barnes&Noble.
The Superiors is free for 2 more days on Smashwords! Pick it up while you can! Add me as a favorite author on Smashwords. FB like The Vigilantes and The Superiors on Smashwords. Share my books on all the social media sites on the right-hand side of the page a few inches below the FB like button.
If you have a Goodreads account: Follow the link to The Superiors and The Vigilantes. Scroll down to the bottom of the righthand column and you'll see where you can share via FB, Twitter, Pinterest and Google. Do that stuff!
Add me as a favorite author.
(For +10 bonus points, take The Superiors quiz if you've already read the book...you don't even have to get the questions right! Post a comment on the quiz letting me know your score).
As always, bonus entries for sharing this post all over the place! Share buttons below!
If you want to win a free ARC hardcopy of The Vigilantes, make sure you check out all my "Read an Ebook Week" posts to see how you can get extra entries! And don't forget to leave links to what you've done so I can give you credit. To enter to win an ebook copy of The Vigilantes, keep reading.
Today is Friday...Follow Friday! Make sure you've followed my blog, Twitter, and liked my Facebook pages (writer and book).
Here's what you can also do: enlist your friends to follow my blog (+3 entries each) and leave a comment telling me you sent them.
Get your friends to like my FB pages and leave a comment telling me you sent them.
Tweet a #FF post with my name in it: @lenahillbrand....every time you post a #FF tweet with my name, +1 entry. Every time you get someone to retweet it, +1 entry. Every time you get one of your followers to follow me, +2 entries (have them let me know who sent them, of course!) Also, share this post on Twitter, the same retweet rule applies!
Additional ways to enter on this next-to-last day of the contest:
Like, share, or add me as a favorite author on Amazon (+3). If you like The Superiors and The Vigilantes, make sure you let me know on amazon (+2 for each).
Pin one of my books on Pinterest (+3).
Add me as a favorite author on Barnes&Noble. FB like The Vigilantes and The Superiors on Barnes&Noble.
The Superiors is free for 2 more days on Smashwords! Pick it up while you can! Add me as a favorite author on Smashwords. FB like The Vigilantes and The Superiors on Smashwords. Share my books on all the social media sites on the right-hand side of the page a few inches below the FB like button.
If you have a Goodreads account: Follow the link to The Superiors and The Vigilantes. Scroll down to the bottom of the righthand column and you'll see where you can share via FB, Twitter, Pinterest and Google. Do that stuff!
Add me as a favorite author.
(For +10 bonus points, take The Superiors quiz if you've already read the book...you don't even have to get the questions right! Post a comment on the quiz letting me know your score).
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Guest Author/Book Release: Nancy Lauzon
Book Launch Party! In honor of Read an Ebook Week, I have a special guest today. Make sure you check out her contest to try to win a copy of her book as well as mine! Today, you can enter to win a copy of The Vigilantes as well. Just share this post on all your sites and leave links below in the comments section (Twitter, FB, Blog, and Google+1 this post).
A Few Dead Men - a Chick Dick Mystery
March 1 - 8
Drop by anytime during this week to join in the fun! Play games, nosh on virtual goodies (a.k.a. recipes) and win prizes!
Leave a comment on Nancy Lauzon's blog to win a FREE copy of A Few Dead Men.
If you like what you read, post a review on Goodreads, Amazon or the website of your choice anytime to win another FREE copy of any Chick Dick Mystery!
Blurb: A Few Dead Men - a Chick Dick Mystery
Life has dealt part-time mystery novelist Darcy MacDonald a lousy hand. The men she knows are either missing, dead, drunk or demented.
Lying next to the corpse of her boyfriend, the head of Bloodhound Investigations, definitely qualifies as lousy since he’s the man who also issues her paychecks.
The doctor says her boss had a massive heart attack during an orgasm, and it wasn’t Darcy’s fault. But she can’t help feeling guilty, since his orgasms were her responsibility. Or so she believed, until his grieving widow shows up, along with a mysterious, punk rocker chick who weeps inconsolably at the funeral and claims he was murdered.
Nancy Lauzon's Blog Tour Stop #5: Where Do You Find Live Men?
My latest mystery novel, A Few Dead Men, was inspired by my youngest daughter's disastrous dating history. The 'dead men' in the novel are composites of every boyfriend and/or bad date my daughter ever had. Believe me, I had lots of material to choose from. In fact, I didn't have room for all the 'dead men', since I didn't want to go over my word count.
This book raises several questions: Who exactly are dead men, metaphorically speaking? How did they become dead? Are there more dead men than live men? And where do you find live men?
But the book is also about a young woman compelled to solve the mysteries around her, like her favourite amateur sleuth, Nancy Drew. She doesn't go about it in exactly the same way.
Previous stops on the Blog Tour: How Does a Dead Man Become Dead? at http://limebirduk.wordpress.com/ and Are There More Dead Men than Live Men? at http://stacysjensen.blogspot.com/
I'm not sure there are any single Live Men left in the city where I live, or its surrounding areas. Maybe they're hiding.
My daughter has joined various dating sites over the years, with no luck, only some first dates from hell. She's been hooked up through friends and acquaintances, no luck. She spent 5 years in university, no luck. She's worked at various jobs (in a law office, in retail) no luck.
Yes, my daughter's unlucky in love. I already know that. But you'd think by now she'd have come across a few single Live Men along the way and been asked out on one date.I know what you're thinking. She's got a face only a mother could love, she's got no personality, she's got no ambition, she's got no heart.
It is true that she doesn't go out enough. She's a full-time professional, and she's busy. She doesn't like the bar scene, so she doesn't go clubbing. Most clubs are filled with Dead Men, anyway. So she recently joined a mixed Dodge Ball league. They meet every Thursday evening. I have my fingers crossed.
I've also heard it said that you shouldn't go looking for love. It'll find you when you least expect it. But if she stays in every evening, it's not exactly going to knock on her door, is it?
Does anyone out there in the blogosphere know where all the single Live Men are?
Next stops on my Blog Tour:
Saturday, March 10th - http://www.nancydrewsleuth.com
Calling All Sleuths! I'll be blogging at the 2012 Nancy Drew Web Con. What is a Web Con you may be wondering? It's simply a convention on the web! The subject of my blog will be Nancy Drew with a Twist of Lemon.
Tuesday, March 13th - http://theunpredictablemuse.blogspot.com/
I'm over at Ellis Vidler's Unpredictable Muse. Ellis is the author of the brand new novel Cold Comfort, released in December. I'll be doing a Character Interview, featuring Darcy MacDonald, the heroine of A Few Dead Men.
A Few Dead Men - a Chick Dick Mystery is available now at Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/129059
Coming soon to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Chapters/Indigo/Kobo
Author Bio
Nancy Lauzon worked nine years on a hospital ward as a cardiac nurse before the night shifts turned her into a zombie. She got a day job in health promotion and began to write health-related articles for magazines and newsletters.
Life threw out a few curve balls, and to relieve the stress, she began to write fiction part-time. Five years later she sold two different manuscripts to two separate small-press publishers, using a pseudonym. She left nursing in 2003 and began to write full-time.
Nancy lives in Ottawa, Canada.
Visit her website http://chickdickmysteries.com/
Join the Chick Dick Mystery Group on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/groups/127590990661672?ap=1
Follow her on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/#!/@chickdicks
Friend her on Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4840931.Nancy_Lauzon
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Read an Ebook Week Day 3 and 4 Giveaway
Have you picked an ebook to read yet?
If you're looking for free books, check out Smashwords.com and find some free books on promotion this week for free or cheap!
If you want to win a free e-copy of The Vigilantes, I'm giving away one every day. If you haven't won yet, try again. I'm also giving away an ARC hardcopy at the end of this week to the person with most entries for the whole week, so keep trying!
Here are some new ways today: get somoeone to follow my blog (have them leave a comment with your name on this post so I know who sent them) +5 entries.
Go follow me or get someone to follow me on twitter (again, have them send me a tweet with your twitter name) +1.
Like or get someone to like my FB writer page or book page, and get +2 for every like (have them leave a comment so I know who sent them).
Tomorrow I will post a poetry blog as usual. Share it via FB, blog, twitter, Google+1 for additional entries (as always, post a comment letting me know you did those things so I can add your entries to my random drawing).
Monday, March 5, 2012
Read an Ebook Week (#Giveaway) Day 2
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Want to win a free copy of The Vigilantes?
Well, you can. I'm giving away one every day this week. Congrats to yesterday's winner!
You can find the first book in the series for free on Smashwords this week: The Superiors.
ALSO, at the end of the week I will be picking the person with the most entries for the whole week (not random selection like the daily winners) to receive a paperback copy of The Vigilantes. So keep coming back and helping me promote this great event to get people reading Ebooks and independent authors!
Today, to win a copy of The Vigilantes, I've added extra chances to win. Here's how:
Like yesterday, share this post via Twitter, FB, Blog, Google+1. One entry per post, +5 for blogging this. Please leave links in the comments section to your posts. Also, if you ask people to retweet, I will check your twitter post and give you an additional two entries for every person who retweets your post or reposts your FB link!
Additional chances to win if you do these things: Add me as a favorite author on Smashwords (under my picture, it will have a list of people who added me as a favorite author. Below that, there's a link that says "add author as favorite." Also, there's a button on the top left that says the same thing. Click on either one to add me (+2 entries).
While you're on my page, click on, The Vigilantes (or follow these links). On the lefthand side of the book page, there are tons of ways to share that book: Twitter, FB like, Stumbledupon, Reddit, Digg, or bookmark on Delicious. If you have one of these, it's a +1 each time. Tomorrow do the same for my other book, The Superiors. And download it for free while you're there!
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Read an Ebook Week! (#Giveaway)
Hello fellow readers and writers,
In case you didn't know, this week is "Read an Ebook Week." What does that mean?
It means you should read an e-book!
It also means many other exciting things like:
I'm giving away a free ebook of The Vigilantes every day for the rest of the week!
I'll post with new details throughout the week, so check back often and try to win the free copy for that day.
Here's how you can win: Throughout the week, I will post about Read an Ebook Week. When you see those posts, check out what's going on for chances to win. I will add new ways to get extra entries as the week goes on.
Sunday: Go to the bottom of this post and share it on Twitter (+1 entry), Facebook (+1), Google Plus-One (+1), and your blog (+5), or Pin one of my books on Pinterest (+3). Also, if you link my blog to yours (add it to your list of websites) that's +10 entries. Make sure you leave a comment letting me know what you did, with links to your posts & blog. I will message you on Twitter if you win, or you can leave your email address in the comments if you don't have Twitter.
If you don't win a copy, you can still get The Vigilantes for half price on Smashwords.com for the promotion they're having this week. They are having a huge promotion! Tons of books are 25% off, 50% off, 75% off, or FREE. Make sure to go check it out. If you don't have an account, it's free to sign up, and you can download ebooks in any format so they work on whatever digital reader you have.
ANNNNNDDDD...remember how I said a bunch of books are FREE this week? Well....The Superiors is one of them. So, if you win The Vigilantes and you haven't read the first book in the series, you can get it free on Smashwords all week. And if you get The Superiors free and want a great deal on the second book, it's half off.
Check out the site and see what books you can score all week long. Yay for ebooks!
On a personal note, I will finally be finishing an ebook or two that I've been meaning to read for a long time. Look for an ebook review at the end of the week.
In case you didn't know, this week is "Read an Ebook Week." What does that mean?
It means you should read an e-book!
It also means many other exciting things like:
I'm giving away a free ebook of The Vigilantes every day for the rest of the week!
I'll post with new details throughout the week, so check back often and try to win the free copy for that day.
Here's how you can win: Throughout the week, I will post about Read an Ebook Week. When you see those posts, check out what's going on for chances to win. I will add new ways to get extra entries as the week goes on.
Sunday: Go to the bottom of this post and share it on Twitter (+1 entry), Facebook (+1), Google Plus-One (+1), and your blog (+5), or Pin one of my books on Pinterest (+3). Also, if you link my blog to yours (add it to your list of websites) that's +10 entries. Make sure you leave a comment letting me know what you did, with links to your posts & blog. I will message you on Twitter if you win, or you can leave your email address in the comments if you don't have Twitter.
If you don't win a copy, you can still get The Vigilantes for half price on Smashwords.com for the promotion they're having this week. They are having a huge promotion! Tons of books are 25% off, 50% off, 75% off, or FREE. Make sure to go check it out. If you don't have an account, it's free to sign up, and you can download ebooks in any format so they work on whatever digital reader you have.
ANNNNNDDDD...remember how I said a bunch of books are FREE this week? Well....The Superiors is one of them. So, if you win The Vigilantes and you haven't read the first book in the series, you can get it free on Smashwords all week. And if you get The Superiors free and want a great deal on the second book, it's half off.
Check out the site and see what books you can score all week long. Yay for ebooks!
On a personal note, I will finally be finishing an ebook or two that I've been meaning to read for a long time. Look for an ebook review at the end of the week.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Avoiding Cliches: Guest Author Luis Vila
Fighting Fate. Challenging Destiny. Fulfilling the prophecy. The eternal struggle of the cliché.
Before we get started, let’s put all the cards on the table. As writers in this day and age (God bless the Internet), it is quite difficult to come up with a completely original and uninspired idea. No worries my great and good friends. Television and Hollywood are guilty of this too. We’re treated to an annual dose of rehashes and remakes to fill us up well beyond our appetite. Even some of the most original programming you can think of has been “inspired” through other means. For example, the original idea for the Emmy award-winning television series Breaking Bad was “a regular man becomes Scarface”. That is the nature of the beast and it’s sad but true (for you Metallica fans).
As writers, we should not shy away from utilizing borrowed concepts but embrace them. It’s hard enough to avoid being inspired by some great idea. That is, unless you are a complete and utter hermit (in which case that point would be moot because you wouldn’t be reading this anyways). Just ask yourself, why are you here now? Weren’t we all at some point given the great gift of inspiration by somebody else? I know I owe my entire writing career to Stan “The Man” Lee and Hideo Kojima. There style of writing and storytelling abilities spoke to me as a child and continue to do so to this day. I’d be hard pressed to say that they didn’t have any influence in any of my original works. And if that’s a cliché thing to say then hot damn, I’m cliché.
Now let’s get down and dirty. The difference between “inspired” and “cliché” is all in the details. Something we, as writers, have total control over. Let’s say someone wanted to do a story about vampire falling in love. In this market, that might be a little cliché. I haven’t checked but I’m pretty sure the fan-fiction crowd has that particular genre nailed to the wall. Well, let’s take it back a bit. Same story, but this time let’s say that once every generation a woman of the village/town/city is forced to love and marry the vampire unless they wish to incur his wrath. You see? Completely changes the game right before our eyes. It’s not the concept that makes something cliché, it’s the details. Now if were to go back down that same road again and say that the next woman in line to marry the vampire was in love with another person who turned out to be a different type of creature, well, that is treading down some cliché waters.
If there’s anything to take away from this it would be the simple (and borrowed) idea of it’s not what you write, it’s how you write it. Never think that something you’ve come up with won’t be worthy to grace consumer bookshelves because everyone else has done it before. Some of the greatest stories of our time utilized borrowed concepts from classic tales everyone has heard before. You don’t have to kill yourself just to appease your originality crutch. If you take something familiar and make it your own, you will be more respected then those who just shoot for sitting next to the flavor of the month.
In the end, there’s nothing wrong with using something another idea to inspire a whole new one. I know this because I’ve traveled down this canal myself. The original concept for my first novel Agent M: Project Mabus came from a 600 year old prophecy crafted by a very respectable man in his field, Nostradamus. There are hundreds of stories that deal with the end of the world (believe me, I checked), but none of which that traversed the path I followed. And really, that’s all it takes. From one idea to a completely new one. Readers will feel comfortable with something they’ve experienced before and greatly appreciate being taken on an entirely new ride once they’re on board.
Embrace the ideas you’ve come up with and put all your effort into making them the best stories they can be. Put little thought into the claims of “unoriginal” and “boring” concepts. If it’s well written, then they will come.
Now where did I hear that before?
L.M. Vila
Website: http://www.projectmabus.com/
Blog: http://projectmabus.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1221153284
Amazon.com Book Link: http://www.amazon.com/Agent-Project-Mabus-ebook/dp/B006PMR8JI/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
Before we get started, let’s put all the cards on the table. As writers in this day and age (God bless the Internet), it is quite difficult to come up with a completely original and uninspired idea. No worries my great and good friends. Television and Hollywood are guilty of this too. We’re treated to an annual dose of rehashes and remakes to fill us up well beyond our appetite. Even some of the most original programming you can think of has been “inspired” through other means. For example, the original idea for the Emmy award-winning television series Breaking Bad was “a regular man becomes Scarface”. That is the nature of the beast and it’s sad but true (for you Metallica fans).
As writers, we should not shy away from utilizing borrowed concepts but embrace them. It’s hard enough to avoid being inspired by some great idea. That is, unless you are a complete and utter hermit (in which case that point would be moot because you wouldn’t be reading this anyways). Just ask yourself, why are you here now? Weren’t we all at some point given the great gift of inspiration by somebody else? I know I owe my entire writing career to Stan “The Man” Lee and Hideo Kojima. There style of writing and storytelling abilities spoke to me as a child and continue to do so to this day. I’d be hard pressed to say that they didn’t have any influence in any of my original works. And if that’s a cliché thing to say then hot damn, I’m cliché.
Now let’s get down and dirty. The difference between “inspired” and “cliché” is all in the details. Something we, as writers, have total control over. Let’s say someone wanted to do a story about vampire falling in love. In this market, that might be a little cliché. I haven’t checked but I’m pretty sure the fan-fiction crowd has that particular genre nailed to the wall. Well, let’s take it back a bit. Same story, but this time let’s say that once every generation a woman of the village/town/city is forced to love and marry the vampire unless they wish to incur his wrath. You see? Completely changes the game right before our eyes. It’s not the concept that makes something cliché, it’s the details. Now if were to go back down that same road again and say that the next woman in line to marry the vampire was in love with another person who turned out to be a different type of creature, well, that is treading down some cliché waters.
If there’s anything to take away from this it would be the simple (and borrowed) idea of it’s not what you write, it’s how you write it. Never think that something you’ve come up with won’t be worthy to grace consumer bookshelves because everyone else has done it before. Some of the greatest stories of our time utilized borrowed concepts from classic tales everyone has heard before. You don’t have to kill yourself just to appease your originality crutch. If you take something familiar and make it your own, you will be more respected then those who just shoot for sitting next to the flavor of the month.
In the end, there’s nothing wrong with using something another idea to inspire a whole new one. I know this because I’ve traveled down this canal myself. The original concept for my first novel Agent M: Project Mabus came from a 600 year old prophecy crafted by a very respectable man in his field, Nostradamus. There are hundreds of stories that deal with the end of the world (believe me, I checked), but none of which that traversed the path I followed. And really, that’s all it takes. From one idea to a completely new one. Readers will feel comfortable with something they’ve experienced before and greatly appreciate being taken on an entirely new ride once they’re on board.
Embrace the ideas you’ve come up with and put all your effort into making them the best stories they can be. Put little thought into the claims of “unoriginal” and “boring” concepts. If it’s well written, then they will come.
Now where did I hear that before?
L.M. Vila
Website: http://www.projectmabus.com/
Blog: http://projectmabus.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1221153284
Amazon.com Book Link: http://www.amazon.com/Agent-Project-Mabus-ebook/dp/B006PMR8JI/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
Monday, January 9, 2012
New Year, New Book!
Hey guys,
As a lot of you already know, I just released my second novel. YAY! The Vigilantes came out on Kindle, Nook, and at the Smashwords store last week. It should be out in paperback later this week. I'm so excited about it and happy to share my journey with all of you. To learn more about The Vigilantes look for it on amazon.com, smashwords.com, or barnesandnoble.com. Or find it on Goodreads. If you haven't read the first book in the series, The Superiors you can read find it on the righthand side of my blog and also find out all about it by clicking any of the links in my blog tour.
As a lot of you already know, I just released my second novel. YAY! The Vigilantes came out on Kindle, Nook, and at the Smashwords store last week. It should be out in paperback later this week. I'm so excited about it and happy to share my journey with all of you. To learn more about The Vigilantes look for it on amazon.com, smashwords.com, or barnesandnoble.com. Or find it on Goodreads. If you haven't read the first book in the series, The Superiors you can read find it on the righthand side of my blog and also find out all about it by clicking any of the links in my blog tour.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Perseverence
When people talk about what a writer needs, it always seems to go something like this:
1. an idea
2. an ability to string together a sentence (with talent helps, but is certainly not necessary).
3. time to write
4. passion
5. dedication
6....
I'm here to add one thing to the list: perseverence.
Yes, this is certainly mentioned in blogs and topics where the goal is finding an agent and a publisher. But even if you're not querying or looking to get published, a giant dose of perseverence is mandatory.
First of all, you have to stick with the story. Sure, I have a dozen stories I started that are now anywhere from 30 pages to 150 pages. But if I'd stuck with them, they might have been something. Now they never will be. Maybe some of them didn't really need to be written. Some of them were abandoned for another more pressing idea. Some of them just took too long and I ran out of steam. That's bad. I don't want to abandon a story that has potential just because I lose interest in it. But sometimes it happens to me. First drafting is like a fever of creativity--if I don't capture it when it's fresh, it gets stale and sometimes fades. That's why I can do an entire first draft in a week or two, and why it's not uncommon for me. Of course, having a job does tend to get in the way of that. Too often real life obligations crowd out writing time, and the story goes stagnant for me.
And then, if I get the first draft done before the creativity runs dry, I have to go back and edit. Sometimes, I put this off for, oh, a year or so. Because I hate one of the editing steps. I call it my 'passive voice' edit, where I go through the entire novel trying to root out all those was'es and am's. I can put this off for months. I can start a passive voice edit and finish it six months later. I will try any means of procrastination to avoid sitting down and rooting those little buggers out. It's the head-lice case of the writing process. Nit-picking, fine tooth comb, all that stuff. Adding and deleting scenes is a breeze, perfecting the voice of each character, all that is fun stuff. But that dreaded edit makes me want to scream. But if I do it, if I stick it out and plow through, the book is better. It has to be done.
So now I'm going back to editing. I'm going to stop procrastinating. I will persevere.
1. an idea
2. an ability to string together a sentence (with talent helps, but is certainly not necessary).
3. time to write
4. passion
5. dedication
6....
I'm here to add one thing to the list: perseverence.
Yes, this is certainly mentioned in blogs and topics where the goal is finding an agent and a publisher. But even if you're not querying or looking to get published, a giant dose of perseverence is mandatory.
First of all, you have to stick with the story. Sure, I have a dozen stories I started that are now anywhere from 30 pages to 150 pages. But if I'd stuck with them, they might have been something. Now they never will be. Maybe some of them didn't really need to be written. Some of them were abandoned for another more pressing idea. Some of them just took too long and I ran out of steam. That's bad. I don't want to abandon a story that has potential just because I lose interest in it. But sometimes it happens to me. First drafting is like a fever of creativity--if I don't capture it when it's fresh, it gets stale and sometimes fades. That's why I can do an entire first draft in a week or two, and why it's not uncommon for me. Of course, having a job does tend to get in the way of that. Too often real life obligations crowd out writing time, and the story goes stagnant for me.
And then, if I get the first draft done before the creativity runs dry, I have to go back and edit. Sometimes, I put this off for, oh, a year or so. Because I hate one of the editing steps. I call it my 'passive voice' edit, where I go through the entire novel trying to root out all those was'es and am's. I can put this off for months. I can start a passive voice edit and finish it six months later. I will try any means of procrastination to avoid sitting down and rooting those little buggers out. It's the head-lice case of the writing process. Nit-picking, fine tooth comb, all that stuff. Adding and deleting scenes is a breeze, perfecting the voice of each character, all that is fun stuff. But that dreaded edit makes me want to scream. But if I do it, if I stick it out and plow through, the book is better. It has to be done.
So now I'm going back to editing. I'm going to stop procrastinating. I will persevere.
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