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Sunday, March 31, 2013

One day until the A to Z Challenge!

One more day until the A to Z Challenge!
Are you ready?!
I'm ready and bouncing in my chair.

In case any of you missed my A to Z reveal, I'll be posting snippets from another story from the world of the Fearless this year. Last year was so much fun, and I got a great response, but the one complaint was that my posts were too long. Hopefully everyone will enjoy bits of the story as much as they did the full story.

This is also not a sequel to FEARLESS.
I know how loved Tawa is. And Abby and Demetrius.
Yet there are hundreds of Fearless around the world. So many stories to tell.

This April, you'll meet Danielle and her guide Fenn.
You don't need to read the original story to enjoy this one. All you need to remember is that the Fearless battle monsters born of children's imaginations like monster under the bed or in the closet.

Onward, A to Z warriors!
You can do it!

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Winner of Frailties of the Bond giveaway

Thank you to everyone who stopped by and commented on the Frailties of the Bond book blitz! I'm reading the book right now and I'm loving it.

The lucky winner of the giveaway is
Dana at The Daily Dose!
Congratulations to Dana! 

Friday, March 29, 2013

Wish The Awakening review

Blurb:
Most residents of Pine Hill shy away from seventeen-year-old Lelah without knowing why. It’s the Djinn magic surging through her blood. She lives in a world where wishes are really curses, dark power meant to twist and deceive in unimaginable ways.

When a fit of temper exposes Lelah for what she really is, she must flee to a sanctuary only whispered about, before her family is exposed and enslaved by their ancient enemy. What she discovers is a treacherous path filled with power, lies, and betrayal – a path that’s destined to ensnare her and destroy a civilization.

My review:
Lelah may be a Djinni, one of the most powerful beings on Earth, but she only wants to fit in with the humans at her school. She loses control when she sees her best friend about to be attacked and causes a horrible disaster, killing several students. Lelah flees and searches out Sanctuary, a safe place for the Djinn. Yet it is there she discovers something more frightening: her destiny is tied to the survival of her race and humans. She's manipulated and confused, not even sure she can trust her best friend any more. Lelah must find the truth amongst the lies or be used as a tool to eliminate the human race.

The idea of the Djinn hooked me immediately. Laura Eno has created a fascinating mythos, but there's still plenty of mystery surrounding these beings. Their power can destroy civilization, but I love it that wishes are double-edged swords. It's no wonder the Djinn see "wish" as a bad word. Most of the Djinn keep to their own kind and see humans as slaves, but Lelah is different. She grew up around humans. Her big heart might get her in trouble, but it's her compassion that makes her so likable.

The plot is twisty with so few people that Lelah can trust. There's a light touch of romance. It's easy enough to get distracted by a gorgeous smile and a good kisser after all. The immensity of everything else overshadows the romance, though. It's an amazing start to the series. I can't wait to see what Laura Eno has in store for us next.


Author bio: Laura Eno lives in Florida with a very tolerant husband, three skulking cats and two absurdly happy dogs. After spending years immersed in English literature courses, she now writes novels late at night with the help of muses from the underworld.

Find Laura at: Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads 

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Frailties of the Bond book blitz & giveaway

In Frailties of the Bond, it only takes one bite to change a life.

Two teens...
Two lies...

Their paths collide...
When one bite changes a life.


Excerpt:

I parked in front of Geekout, our video game and RPG hang out, then walked the few paces to where Mouse stood. “Tell me you didn’t.” I smiled, knowing full well she’d bought a new outfit for our little venture.

“Perfect timing!” she squealed, dumping her purchases with Matt and yanking me, Charlie, and Shelley back inside.

It was the only place vampires could shop no matter what time of day. No windows. No sun.

I loved looking at the clothes, mostly Old World fashions and fabrics for tailor made outfits, with a few of them on display. Alessandro , the owner, kept a close eye to the “What’s hot, What’s not” section of the PQ. I adored being in the know, but I wasn’t into the trends.

I loved my high top converses and Doc Marten boots. Graphic tees every day of the week. Cargo jeans with ten pockets and “NO” to cute capris. Mom taught me how to walk in heels but I stayed away from them as much as possible.

Before I could whine, Mouse had me in front of the corsets, a red half-piece held aloft for inspection. “You have your mother’s double-decker cleavage but your father’s ripped abs. I would hate you if you weren’t my friend."

I rolled my eyes.

She tsked. “Let’s get Alessandro to measure you.”

I opened my mouth. “I--”

Mouse lifted her finger. Alessandro quickened to us in a blur.

“Miss Chevelianne, how may I assist you again?” He bowed to Mouse.

When he lifted his eyes to me, I noticed a flicker of shadow quickly replaced by sky blue.

“Are the garments I sold you not meeting your needs?” He focused on Mouse. “We can certainly rectify that if -”

“No,” Mouse interrupted, flashing her winning smile. “My friend here needs something.” She didn’t give my name. Not needed. Older fangs knew me as a freak of nature, the blood sucker born from the womb instead of turned like a real vampire. I’d heard the whispers and let them be.

 Purchase links: Amazon * B&N * Kobo

Author bio: Born and raised in Little Rock, AR, Angela now calls Central Texas home.

Reading and writing have been lifelong passions. It was around the time she gave birth to her forever-love, nicknamed Chipmunk, that she really took writing seriously. After all, how could she teach her child to follow her dreams if she hadn't tried herself?

As a YA fantasy/sci-fi reader and author, she favors the magical, mysterious, the darker side of life...even harbors a secret fright for things that go bump in the night.

NEVERLOVE is a special project spawned from a blog-challenge-turned-blog-opera, the Abby and Basil affair. It is the first in the Shadow Jumpers series.

FRAILTIES OF THE BOND is the first in a series of novellas and short stories introducing heroes and heroines of the secret organization, NEO – Network of Extraordinaires and Otherwordlies.

Here's where to find Angela: 
Blog * Goodreads * Twitter * Amazon * Partners in ParanormYA * PIP Facebook

GIVEAWAY!
You can win a digital copy of Frailties of the Bond by commenting on this post. Please be sure to leave your email address and the format you wish the ebook to be in if you win.
The winner will be chosen on the 30th by Random.org.  

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

I survived my interview with Tammy Theriault

Barely.

Don't miss the craziness! Tammy Theriault interviewed me, and look, I didn't jump off the roof of my house! Ignore the limp. The drainpipe didn't hold.

She asked the most intelligent thought-provoking interesting questions. Yes, interesting is a term we can apply to it. I was left wondering how many princesses she has buried in her backyard.

And guess what? YOU could be the next honored interviewee. Tammy still has some slots open for interviews. Pop on over and let her know you'd love to sit down for a chat with such an insane, I mean, lovely woman. Go on. You know you want to!

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Guest post by The K-Pro author M Pepper Langlinais

M Pepper Langlinais is joining me today in celebration the release of her newest contemporary fantasy novel, The K-Pro. You can read my review of it here. Please welcome M as she shares with us some of her wisdom.

Adventures in Self-Publishing

On June 26, 2012, I self-published my first novella. St. Peter in Chains had gotten great feedback from the places I’d submitted it, but its odd length and gay protagonist had landed a lot of rejections. “Love your style, but this piece isn’t right for us. Send something else,” was the sum total of my responses. So finally, out of frustration, I self-published it on Amazon Kindle.

Or rather, my husband did.

Scott is in marketing, so he did some serious research and began strategizing. He found review outlets and planned free promo days in advance to give various sites time to add my work to their lists of free e-books. Worked a charm. By the time I put out my two Sherlock Holmes stories, the machine was running pretty smoothly.

The Sherlock Holmes stories are still my best sellers. I think this is due in large part to the fact that Holmes has a built-in fan base that is ravenous for content. And the stories feed off one another, too; when one is free, sales of the other also spike. As a marketer, Scott keeps telling me I need write some more Holmes. That’s where my bread is buttered, at least thus far.

But St. Peter has done well, too. Well enough that people have asked what happens to Peter and his lover, and so I’m planning a sequel. Well enough that I adapted the novella into a short screenplay and that screenplay won an award and had a professional table read at Sundance Film Festival last January.

In short, here I am nine months after my first self-publishing venture, and I’m closing in on 20k sales and downloads. And what have I learned?

Marry someone in marketing. Or have a friend in marketing, or hire a marketer, or be willing to devote some serious time to doing it yourself. Writers (and I realize this is a generalization) mostly want to write. Especially when time is limited, they’d rather use that little bit of time to write than to do PR. But you gotta do it. Even an hour or two a week. Set it aside, just like a standing appointment, and focus on marketing.

Find reviewers. Real reviewers. You know the guy who writes movie reviews for your local newspaper? You either love him and share his views or you hate him and trust someone else’s opinion more. Well, it’s the same for book reviewers. They have people who love them, people who hate them, but a lot of people read them. And that’s how you get people to hear about your book. You may have a “platform” to shout from, but these reviewers have a pedestal.

And speaking of platform, use that platform wisely. If every tweet and every Facebook status update is about your book, one of two things is going to happen:

You will fatigue your market and/or you will lose followers and friends. And if you’re using Twitter and Facebook, be sure you’re supplying more useful and interesting content than simply posting incessantly about your book. Post links to related books or topics, to other reviews, whatever. Once people know you have real content on your blog, Twitter feed or Facebook site, they’ll be more open to what you have to say when your next words are, “Hey, and I also have a book, in case you’re interested.”

Marketing research shows that people have to come into contact with something seven discreet times before they’ll act on the information. That means, on average, they need to see and hear about your book seven times before they’ll buy it. And those seven times should not all be from you. In fact, studies prove that doesn’t work. Seven tweets about your book get you ignored at best and unfollowed at worst. BUT a tweet from you, then one from someone else, and a mention on a friend’s site, or a review on a blog this person frequents, a book trailer, an ad in a magazine . . . Do you see? After seven instances of hearing about or seeing the book, the person finally says, “Hmm. I heard about this book . . . Maybe I should read it.”

Did you say ‘ad in a magazine?’ I did. Because sometimes you have to spend money to make money. I’m not saying put a full-pager in the New York Times. But look into local papers or other regional magazines (there are numerous Patch papers) and see what ad rates are. Even some reviews blogs will prioritize your book listing for a small donation. Reviewers may or may not agree to review your work, but almost no one says no to a little money. (Note, however, that you should never pay for a [good] review. Advertising or listing? Yes. Review? No.)

On the flip side, since writers (especially the self-published kind) don’t make a ton of money, be sure you’re investing in the right places. It may be cheap to put an ad in the Penny Saver, but no one reading it is looking for book recommendations either. It’s worth the extra to put that ad in (naming one of my local magazines) San Francisco Book Review. Because it all goes back to finding and knowing your audience.

Oh, and by the way, know your audience. This is what will help you find reviewers and readers. Don’t submit your space opera to a reviewer who loves high fantasy but has panned every sci-fi book. Really, know your reviewers, too. Look over their sites thoroughly and follow their submission instructions. Show them you’ve done your research by saying something to them like, “I saw you loved [book they reviewed that is similar in genre or tone to yours] and thought you might also like [name your book].” As someone who has worked as an actual reviewer, I can say: Please don’t just randomly send your book to someone. They have a stack of stuff already, stuff they’ve agreed to read and review, and when something unsolicited arrives in the mail (or as an e-mail attachment or whatever), it gets shoved to the bottom and may never get looked at. Unless their guidelines state “just send it,” always query first.

Cultivate other connections. Hit up a local book club and offer copies of your book to them if they’d just be willing to write a review online. Approach the local paper and suggest your book as a human interest story. Ask your library and/or local bookstores if you can do a reading, or even a signing if you’re doing a printed version of your book.

Figure out what sells. Hence Scott’s continual urging for me to write more Holmes. But even if you aren’t tapping a beloved existing character, you can make your own characters just as compelling so they become just as beloved. Remember that this is what keeps publishers in business: Identifying trends and marketing to those audiences.

But don’t write what you don’t love. Because if your heart isn’t in it, it will show. I could write another Holmes story, sure, but I’m not inspired by that at the moment. So I won’t write another one until I “feel” it. Else I’ll disappoint my readers and myself (and may end up with bad reviews besides).

And keep writing. The way to build a solid audience and regular readers is to keep giving them stuff to read. And always leave them wanting more.

Author bio: M Pepper Langlinais is an award-winning screenwriter, produced playwright, and bestselling author. Her latest novel is the contemporary fantasy The K-Pro in which ancient gods disrupt a modern-day film set.

You can find M online at: Website * Twitter * Her Reviews Site * Amazon
And just for fun: Adventures with Sherlock

Purchase links for The K-Pro: Amazon * B&N

Monday, March 25, 2013

Deadly Kisses blog tour

Blurb:
Aiden Grant is seventeen, has a killer kiss, and a boss who used to be President, back in the old days. You see, Aiden is a grim reaper and his kiss welcomes the newly dead. But Aiden’s pleasant grim reaper lifestyle is in jeopardy. And it’s not only because Honest Abe keeps throwing out history lessons with reaping assignments, just to confuse him. It’s because Aiden’s next assignment is to reap the soul of Bee, the only girl he has ever loved.

When Aiden’s kiss of death fails, intertwining their souls, Bee is still very much alive and they are both in trouble. The ancients want Bee, who has special powers of her own, and they’ll do anything to get her.

Some rules are meant to be broken—even if that means Aiden must bargain with his own soul to save Bee. Who knew the afterlife could get so complicated?


 
Author Bio:
Kerri Cuevas was born and raised in Rhode Island. She moved to New Hampshire with her husband, three kids, cats and a rabbit named Hercules in 2005. When she's not writing, she's chasing chickens on her small farm or searching for the ultimate mac-a-cheese recipe.

Kerri went to college for Early Childhood Education but now writes books for young adults full-time. Her storytelling stems from watching too many horror flicks as a teen, but she no longer needs to sleep with the lights on.
Author Links: Goodreads * Blog * Website
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, March 24, 2013

The winners of The Harbinger blog tour giveaway

The Harbinger tour was fantastic!
Thank you again to all my wonderful hosts and
to you, my awesome readers.

The fifth book in the 13th Floor series will
be released May 13th.
And don't forget that The Marquis is now free!

Now on to the giveaway winners!
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations to the winners!
I've already sent out emails.

Join me this April for another peek into the world of the Fearless with the A to Z Challenge.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

DL Hammons' Blog Blitz

The Blog Blitz is an awesome idea created by DL Hammons.

The purpose is simple:
Every now and then, a blog and a specific date will be selected. You'll receive an email with all the information. Then on that date, everyone will go out of their way and leave an encouraging comment on that blogger's most recent post. We're hoping for over 100 comments in one day!

It's easy, and you'll make the lucky blogger feel like a billion bucks.

Friday, March 22, 2013

Neverlove review & Reviewer Appreciation giveaway

Blurb:
For seventeen-year-old Abigail, one rash decision leads to an unexpected chance for redemption. At V'Salicus Academy, a unique institute where she trains to become an agent of heaven, she struggles with the pain of her past, the changes of the present and accepts a loveless future until her path – and heart – crosses with Basil’s.

Basil's off-chance slip of the tongue binds him to a life of servitude to the Devourer, the master of hell. His existence has no upside until a chance meeting with Abigail brings new perspective.

Keeping the truth of their present lives from each other brings disaster when secrets are brought to light and the life of Abigail’s mentor is put on the line.

Can Abigail and Basil save her mentor and salvage their love amid the chaos? Or will they lose it all, destined forever to NEVERLOVE?


My review:
Abigail's future had never looked more bleak. So when she tries to end her life, she receives one thing she never expected: a chance at a good future. At V'Salicus Academy, she trains to be a servant of Heaven to help escort souls to Judgement. She still must deal with the pain of her past, but she meets a cute boy named Basil in a coffee shop and he makes her feel good again. The secrets keep building, and when everything explodes, Abigail must decide between duty and love.

Angela Brown hooks the reader with a powerful beginning and doesn't disappoint with several shocks at the end. It's a dark and emotional tale that makes your stomach twist and your heart hammer in your chest. Abagail begins at the bottom in the darkest depths of her own nightmares and claws her way back up. She's real, lovable, and admirable. I'm an even bigger fan of Basil. Smart, compassionate, and a bit of a geek. I love he's not the bad boy we typically see in YA books.

The plot takes the reader on several twists and turns. To dark places and sweet moments. The imagery is astounding. I could picture even the most horrific things in my head like a certain throne!

I can't wait to read more in this series and to learn more about the fascinating mythos.

Purchase Neverlove at: Amazon * B&N * Kobo

Author bio:  Born and raised in Little Rock, AR, Angela Brown now calls Central Texas home. She’s a lover of Wild Cherry Pepsi and chocolate/chocolate covered delicious-ness. Steampunk, fantasy and paranormal to contemporary – mostly young adult – fill her growing library of books. Mother to a rambunctious darling girl aptly nicknamed Chipmunk, life stays busy. Her favorite quote keeps her moving: “You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

You can find Angela at her website * Goodreads * Twitter

Angela is holding a Reviewer Appreciation giveaway! Here's what she says:
Readers and reviewers, YOU ARE THE BEST!! To show my appreciation, I'd like to offer a chance for one of you that read and reviewed Neverlove to win a $25 Amazon e-gift card. The giveaway is a month long, so that means if you have Neverlove in your pretty little hands and you'd like to enter, you've got plenty of time to do so. To make this even more enjoyable, let's add a challenge. If the number of reviews at Amazon reaches 35 before the end of the giveaway, I'll add $15 to the gift card. If it reaches 50 reviews, I'll make the gift card $50. You read that right. If we reach 50 reviews for Neverlove, the $25 gift card will double to $50.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

The Big Reveal Bloghop

A big thank you to the wonderful hosts of The Big Reveal Bloghop, Mina Lobo and David Macaulay. What a great opportunity to reveal my theme for the 2013 A to Z Challenge. I also love to peek at other bloggers' themes and see what's coming for next month. This is a bloghop, so please visit the other participants.

Last year's challenge was a fantastic one. I received such a huge response about my story, I self-published it under the title FEARLESS. It's free to download if you haven't read it yet.

I've also gotten a lot of requests to do a sequel. As much fun as it was to write about Abby, Demetrius, and Tawa, I will not be writing any more stories about them at this time.

BUT the world of the Fearless (warriors who battle monsters spawned by children's imaginations) is awesome. There are many Fearless in the world who have their own stories.

This year for the challenge, I will be writing about another warrior. Her name is Danielle, and she's a little wilder than sweet Abby. Her guide Fenn is a straight laced fellow who doesn't tolerate any funny business. Except, being an inanimate object, he can't stop Danielle from doing what she wants. There are children that need to be saved, monsters galore, and a gorgeous single dad.

Last year, I posted the entire story. While readers loved it, I had one complaint: the posts were too long. One thing I greatly appreciated about some of the posts I read last year was that they were short. I could get through several blogs when the posts were 200 words or less. There were blogs that had longer posts that I thoroughly enjoyed, but there were also several clever and entertaining short posts.

I started writing Danielle's story. I meant for it to be shorter than FEARLESS, but it's not going to be. So I had to sit back and make a decision. Do I post the entire story and have posts near 1000 words long, or should I try something different with it?

I'm going to take a chance and go for shorter posts. I'll be posting snippets of 200 to 300 words from the story. I'll be giving you the tale from beginning to end, but just bits. I'm nervous about this decision. I don't want to let anyone down after last year's challenge, but I hope everyone will still love to read it. It will be a challenge in itself to pick out the right snippets to keep readers interested and give the full feeling of the story.

Good luck to everyone participating in this year's A to Z Challenge. I can't wait to see what you come up with!

You have less than one day left to enter The Harbinger blog tour giveaway for your chance to win the first four ebooks of the 13th Floor series!

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Once Upon A December Nightmare is Free!

Blurb:
They were only going out to dinner and a movie.

But their plans go astray, and friends Cassie, Mary, Denise, and James decide to take a detour down a lonely mountain road. A felled tree blocks their passage and forces them to turn around in a clearing containing a disturbing arrangement of four deer carcasses.

Then their truck breaks down, and their cell phones don't work. They must brave the cold December air, nightfall, and a long hike. Yet their troubles are just beginning. Tension runs high between the four young friends ... and they are not alone. Each step brings them closer to safety, but will they make it to the main road alive?


My review:
It was suppose to be a fun winter night touring the back roads with old friends, but a tree blocks the trail and the old truck breaks down. There's no light, warmth, or cell phone reception. Cassie, Mary, Denise, and James decide to walk the few miles back to the main road. The cold and darkness adds friction to an already disgruntled group, and Cassie's scary story doesn't help ease the tension. There's also something stalking them in the woods. Perhaps Cassie's story holds more truth than they want to believe.

Cherie Reich has managed to pack vivid detail and nail-biting suspense in this short horror tale. I can still feel the cold and hear the strange cracks from the woods. It seemed like a normal night for the young folk, but I fast on the edge of my seat, and I couldn't relax even when I reached the end. The most unique part of this story is that the reader is allowed to see through all the characters' eyes. Each of the four characters have their own sections and it's like peeling back layers of an onion. More is revealed about the dynamics of the group and each individual's inner most feelings. Cherie does a marvelous job with characterization. This is the perfect story for a cold, dark night when you're bundled up in bed. You'll need a big blanket when those chilly goose bumps crawl up your arms!

You can download Once Upon a December Nightmare at:
 Amazon US / UK / DE / FR / ES / IT / JP  Smashwords  Nook  Kobo  iTunes

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

Find Cherie at: Website * Blog * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads *

You still have time to enter The Harbinger blog tour giveaway for your chance to win the first four ebooks in the 13th Floor series!

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Ocean of Dust review

Blurb:   
Fourteen-year old Lissa is snatched from her home and finds herself a slave on a trading ship traveling on a waterless ocean of nothing but gray dust. A feisty, curious and intelligent girl, her desire to explore the ship earns her the hatred of the cruel first officer, Farq.

Fascinated by the ocean of dust, Lissa becomes embroiled in its mysteries, sensing things that the crew cannot, while cryptic whispers in her head are leading her toward a destiny linked to the dust itself. Only one man aboard can help her make sense of her new talent, but can she trust him? All is not as it seems, and she must unravel the clues before it’s too late.

When a sinister plot casts her adrift on the barren ocean, her best friend is left in the hands of the treacherous crew. Everything hinges upon her courage, quick wits, and her ability to master her new talent. 

My review:
While running an errand for her mother, Lissa crashes into a snooty merchant's son in an alley. Both of them are taken from their hometown and forced to work as slaves on a trading ship. Lissa is horrified, but she's determined to make the best of a terrible situation. She's always wanted to travel and the ocean of dust captivates her. Someone or somethings whisper to her and she sees strange lights that make her fall to her knees with pain. Yet no one wants to help a slave girl who might be going a little mad. When she uncovers dark dealings on the ship, her worries become bigger than a jealous galley girl and getting beaten by a cruel Deck Master. Lissa must discover how to use her talents or everyone she cares for could end up buried under the dust.

Graeme Ing has created a fascinating fantasy world that drew me in with the wonder of a child. Exotic people and places, strange creatures and plants, and a massive ocean of dust. An amazing original concept. The mystery of the ocean enthralled me as much as it did the protagonist. Graeme gives us enough details to tantalize us, but not too much that the mystery is vanquished.

Another aspect I loved about this book is the ship. Most of the story takes place on this massive vessel. It has so many rooms and secrets. I wanted to explore it all. Lissa is a strong and lovable protagonist. She's a clever girl with a big heart. She's the type of YA characters that I love to see because they make great role models. The whole cast of characters was well written.

If you haven't picked up your copy of Ocean of Dust yet, make sure to get it while it's 99 cents. With excellent world building and characterization, I guarantee readers of all ages will love this book.
Where to Buy:
Amazon Kindle: USA | UK  | France | Germany | Spain | Italy | Japan
B&N Nook | Apple iBook | Kobo | WHSmith | Smashwords
Paperback: USA | UK


Author Bio: Graeme Ing is a writer of fantasy and SF novels, both adult and YA. His first novel, Ocean of Dust is a YA fantasy. Graeme is currently working on his second book, a horror fantasy hybrid, starring a cocky, sarcastic necromancer in a world of vicious undead and political machinations.

Born in England in 1965, Graeme lives in San Diego, California. His career as a software engineer and development manager spans 25 years, including the development of a dozen computer games for consoles, home computers and online. He is also an avid D&D nerd, armchair mountaineer, astronomer, mapmaker, pilot and general geek. He and his wife, Tamara, share their house with six crazy cats.

Find Graeme on his website. He's also a fellow member of Untethered Realms.

Don't forget to enter The Harbinger blog tour giveaway for your chance to win the first four ebooks of the 13th Floor series!

Monday, March 18, 2013

The Oracle & The Vampire cover reveal, W4WS, and Top Ten Movie Blogfest

Title: 1305 & 1306 - The Oracle and The Vampire
(The 13th Floor series, #5)
Genre: paranormal romance
Release date: May 13th, 2013

Blurb:
Having fallen for her gorgeous neighbor might not be so bad if Harriet McKay wasn't in her hideous banshee form every time Kiral saw her. Such is her curse. True, he's a vampire struggling with a drug addiction, but he's a good soul. Yet no one could love a cursed witch, especially one not even her cats respect.

After having a vision of Kiral's death, Harriet makes it her mission to save him. Never before has she attempted to change fate, but so strong is her love.

How can Harriet convince Kiral to see past her vile appearance and return her love? If only she can force him to listen to reason coming from a raving crone, perhaps she can save him from the demons hunting him and from himself.


I hear you shouting. Don't worry. Yes, two tenants in this book. But aren't there only six apartments on the 13th floor? There are. BUT there's a mysterious seventh tenant! You may have noticed her around in the other books. She'll be revealed with her cover on May 18th.

Don't forget to enter the HUGE giveaway for The Harbinger blog tour. You could win the first four ebooks in the 13th Floor series!

Welcome to the March 2013 W4WS event! I'm honored to co-host this event with three talented writers, Mary Pax, C.M. Brown, and Stephen Tremp.  The mission of this group is simple: we have a spotlighted author(s) that we strive to help bring awareness of their book(s) to tens of thousands of new people, increase the sales of their book(s), drive new traffic to their blogs and increase followers, and create verbal and viral buzz.

We've made this simple and fast. It's as easy as a tweet or a RT, and sharing a status on Facebook. Go to the writer's blog and copy a tweet or RT from the posts with the tag #W4WS. The W4WS Facebook page will have all the updates and links for you.

To join the W4WS event, click here for the linky list. It will only take a minute of your time, and you'll have talented writers take a step closer to their dreams. 

This month, we're spotlighting two amazing writers. 

Kyra Lennon at Write Here, Write Now writes incredible romance stories with captivating characters. You can find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Angela Brown writes everything from steampunk to fantasy to contemporary. Her novel Neverlove takes the reader on a dark and twisted journey. You can find her on Twitter, and she's a fellow member of Untethered Realms.

Alex J. Cavanaugh has brought us another fun and simple blogfest. Just list your top ten favorite movies. Woot! This is a blogfest, so please visit the other participants and see what's on their lists.

It's so difficult to name just ten movies. I love different movies at different times for different reasons. Hmm, I'm going to narrow it down for myself. I'm going to name my top ten science-fiction movies. It's a countdown, so we'll start with number ten.

10) Galaxy Quest.
9) The Terminator and The Running Man. Heck, I'm adding Predator too.
8) Blade Runner.
7) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe.
6) Star Trek II - The Wrath of Khan.
5) The original Star Wars trilogy.
4) Starship Troopers.
3) Serenity.
2) The Fifth Element.

AND

1) Alien.  

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Final day of The Harbinger blog tour

It's the final day of the blog tour already!
Thank you so much to all my wonderful hosts and to you, the readers. It's with your support that I've made it this far.

We have a phenomenal last day!
Read another intense excerpt from The Harbinger at
Tyrean Martinson's blog.

I share a list of 13 Greek mythological creatures with TF Walsh.
What's your favorite mythological being?
We're also holding a gigantic giveaway! You can win the first four ebooks of the 13th Floor series and an ARC of the fifth.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Today's tidbit: The Harbinger is the longest book in the series so far. I had to hold myself back from going on and on describing the modern day Olympus and its residents. It was so much fun imagining how the gods and their home evolved over the centuries.

Don't forget to join me tomorrow for the cover reveal of the fifth book in the 13th Floor series. I have a little surprise for you!

Tomorrow is also the third Monday of the month. Time for the March W4WS event. Woot!

Plus, it's Alex J. Cavanaugh's Top Ten Movie blogfest! Big day.
 

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Day four of The Harbinger blog tour

What a fantastic tour so far! I'm having so much fun.
It's best to agree with me lest Hera turn you into a poodle.

Don't forget the first volume in the 13th Floor series, The Marquis is now FREE.
Amazon * Kobo * Smashwords

I have two great stops today.
Join me at Tonja Drecker's for an awesome excerpt from The Harbinger. Get hooked!

I'm chatting with my brilliant beta reader, Clare Dugmore about Greek myths and gods. Come find out what our favorite ones are!

Today's tidbit: There's one scene in the book that came out of nowhere. I had to stop writing and do a bunch of research to make sure I had all the details right. Then even after I wrote it, I wasn't sure I was going to keep it because I felt it was a bit over the top. Yet everyone loved it. I know sometimes I second guess myself and self doubt creeps in. Thankfully I have awesome CPs and beta readers, and they chase away the monsters for me. Or tell me they're perfect right there in the story!

Friday, March 15, 2013

Day three of The Harbinger blog tour

Have you bought your copy of The Harbinger yet?
Amazon * B&N * Kobo * Smashwords

I have two wonderful stops today.
Or rather, I have one appointment and Zeus has the other.

Summer Ross grills me with three important questions.
See what my writing space looks like!

Zeus receives a visit from Apenth who is a god from Cherie Reich's world in her amazing WIP, The Phoenix Prophetess. See what Zeus thinks of the incident with his harpy servant and his hero.

Today's tidbit: The Harbinger reveals a few crucial secrets about the 13th floor. There are a few things that my CPs didn't even catch until the second time around.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Day two of The Harbinger blog tour

Feeling more static electricity lately?
That's because Zeus is excited about this book.
I'm suppose to tell you how handsome and clever he is.

Which brings us to our first tour stop of the day!
I'll be talking about the Greek Gods as the villains (the immortal mafia!) in The Harbinger at Nick Wilford's blog.
Make sure you pick up a copy of the Overcoming Adversity anthology too. It's for a great cause and it's full of incredibly inspiring stories.

My second stop is with Heather Holden where I'll be talking about how I can up with Meira's character. How can you write a harpy that a modern woman can relate to?
Check out Heather's brilliant webcomic Echo Effect.
It's Greek myth inspired too!

Today's tidbit: I originally planned for Dionysus to play more of a role in the story, but Ares pushed his way into the spotlight. He's the aggressive type. Who knew?!

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Day one of The Harbinger blog tour

The next sensational volume in the 13th Floor series is here!
The Harbinger is now available at
Kobo 

I have a fantastic tour lined up. Interviews, guest posts, and a gigantic giveaway on the 17th!

To celebrate the release of my fourth book, the first book in the series The Marquis is now free on Kobo and Smashwords!

My first stop is with Kyra Lennon.
I talk about the romance between Meira and Sam. This couple more than any other in the series has been put through the ringer.

Krista J. McLaughlin sat down with me and asked some thought-provoking questions. Find out a dark secret about me!

Today's tidbit: When I wrote this story, it flowed fast and hard. This is strange considering Meira's story was the one I least gave any thought to until I wrote a tiny scene in The Dragonslayer where she makes an appearance. Then everything became clear after those few hundred words.