Happy Halloween and Friday Five for October 31, 2014

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

1. What sort of scary good fun are you having today? My son is really excited. He'll have a party at school and then go trick-or-treating with his best buddy this evening. (If it isn't raining!)

2. Another good writing week. I'm one-sixth of the way done my third and final D&D novella. This one is from the guy's POV, so I've been pestering my husband with a ton of questions!

3. I did some critiquing and wrote up two short skits about bullying for a friend of mine. It's a bit strange for me to write for an eight-year-old audience. I tend to fall into quirky Harry Potter-like prose when I do. But since this was a serious subject, I had to keep it realistic. A good writing exercise.

4. I'll be absent from the cyberworld next week as my mom is visiting. We'll get our Christmas shopping done early. I still have my IWSG post ready to go for Wednesday along with a fantastic guest post by Carol Kilgore on Monday, and the second week of November is Realms Faire. Huzzah!

5. Thank you to everyone who entered my Creepy Freebies giveaway and to all who helped promote it. Thanks to the participating authors for all the awesome free reads. My Kindle is packed with scary stories. A final big thank you to Milo who organized it. I can't wait to do it again next year!

The winners of my Creepy Freebies giveaway are:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wicked Wednesday - sexy costumes for geeks

I bet when you read the topic for today's post, you immediately thought of Princess Leia in her steel bikini or Captain Mal. While absolutely tantalizing, geeks don't need to see tight clothes on starship captains to find their favorite characters sexy. Someone fully clothed can be just as alluring.

Here are some ideas for costumes that leave everything to the imagination. Just the way we like it!

I see a lot of women dressed as the TARDIS. I understand the desire. I would love to have a TARDIS of my own, but I don't want to dress as one. I'm sure you can think of a few joking comments you'd like to avoid wearing it! So what about other ships? Serenity, the Enterprise, or the Millennium Falcon. Oh, even better, Moya from Farscape. She's a living sentient ship.

Bill Nye the Science Guy. Nothing is sexier than science.

The Bowler from Mystery Men. There's so many guy superheroes out there this year, we need more options for the ladies.

There's nothing as fun as riffing movies. You could be Joel or one of the robots from Mystery Science Theater 3000. I always wondered what a man alone in space with only robots as companions did in the times between he was forced to watch bad films.

And if you really must be Princess Leia in her slave outfit, be LEGO Princess Leia.

What costumes can you suggest that leave everything to the imagination but are just as awesome?

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Have you picked up any Creepy Freebies this week?

All week, participating authors are giving away FREE reads and raffling off books. You can enter to win a signed copy of The 13th Floor Complete Collection. Check out Sunday's post for the details.

CD Coffelt's Mage Revealed - excerpt

Mage Revealed

Book Two of The Magic Withheld series

Struck with enough malevolent Spirit to turn him into a raving beast of a man, Bert Reese fights to remain human. Alone, he walks a slender path between sanity and madness. Then, an unlikely source enters his life to help—one of the now-hated mages.

But Ashleigh is different and calms his butchered senses. Her fierce nature is the only rock that stands between him and the crevasse that is beast. In all ways, she walks beside him toward a new beginning. But at the end of their journey lies the one who used Spirit against him. Questions arise; did Tiarra, head of the Imperium, lose her magic, die, or simply give way to the new order? Or, like a spider, does she wait for a mage to blunder into her web?

Forced on him without a care for his humanity, Bert is the mage who should not exist, born with a different kind of magic.

And the gates of Hell are no match for the magic he wields.

Author C.D. Coffelt’s world of magic started in Wilder Mage with the words “The earthquake wasn’t his fault. Not this time.” It continues in Mage Revealed, the second book of the three-part series. Watch the book trailer on YouTube.

Excerpt from Mage Revealed

Energy slithered around him, encased him and…

Bonded.

All the elements slammed into him at once filling him like a bursting dam, sloshing into a maelstrom of Fire, Earth, Air, Water, and Spirit. Magic filled him, cascaded into every pore of his skin until there was nothing left that was of his essence.

He raised his arms. “I am a wizard,” he said.

His words echoed, like the roll of a bass drum in an empty coliseum.

From his fingertips, fluid lightning forked and shot into the empty sky. A violent whirlwind as tall as he wanted it to be caught up a whirl of leaves. A roar of Fire sprang from the palms of his hands, crowned his head. And Spirit, the silvery element waited for his command, to charge into any foray he so chose.

He turned to the panting women, frozen in the grip of panic and fright.

“I am a wizard,” he said again.

C.D. Coffelt lives outside Skidmore, Missouri with a bemused husband and way too many cats. She is a member of the Missouri Writers Guild. But despite that bit of conventionality, she adores all things fantasy with a special love for urban and epic.

With a passion for good writing and Doritos as companions, locating Middle-Earth on a dusty road in rural Missouri wasn’t difficult. All it took was a little Magic, hours of reading, and an overactive imagination.

She blogs as Huntress on www.spiritcalled.blogspot.com, Facebook, Twitter, and her writer’s critique site, www.unicornbell.blogspot.com.

Find her books at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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Don't forget to grab your Halloween treat this week.

It's Creepy Freebies! And you could win a signed copy of The 13th Floor Complete Collection. See yesterday's post to enter and get a bunch of terrific free reads from other authors.

Creepy Freebies

It's that time of year again.

Time for some spooky treats!

Creepy Freebies is the brilliant idea of Milo James Fowler.

Because what's better than candy or having your brain eaten by zombies?

FREE BOOKS!

Milo will be giving away a couple of his creepy story collections.

But this isn't a one house treat fest.

All these awesome authors are giving away free reads!

Cory Cone

James Garcia, Jr.

Anne E. Johnson

Simon Kewin
Michelle Ann King

Mary Rajotte

Kay Theodoratus
Erin Cole
Rhonda Parrish

 In celebration of my favorite time of year, and the one year anniversary of The 13th Floor Complete Collection, I'll be giving away a bunch of  treats!

One lucky US winner (sorry, shipping costs are huge!) will win a signed print copy of the collection. It's the last one I have on my shelf to give away!

Three international winners will receive a digital copy of the book.

Don't forget that I also have three novellas that are perma-free:

The Marquis

Fearless

L'il Gal Al and the Zombies of Amarillo

Be sure to visit all the authors and collect your treats!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday Five for October 24, 2014

1. I finished the second D&D novella! Woot! It's off with my critique partners now, hopefully making them giggle. Now on to the third one. I had hoped to have them all done by the end of this month, but a broken wrist throws a bone in the wheel of productivity.

2. One short story rejection this week. Two still out there. Submitting short stories is a great way not only to get your name out there, but to build thicker skin.

3. Today I'm assisting at my son's preschool. We made pretzel rod ghosts and grape goblins for a snack. My little guy is super excited about Halloween. I can't wait to see all the kids in their costumes. Are any of you dressing up?

4. I've been watching quite a few new shows this season. And tonight is the premiere of Constantine. I've been oohing and aahing over the commercials. Not that I need to add another show to my schedule, but it looks awesome!

5. Something wicked comes this Sunday. Wicked good! Creepy Freebies is the brilliant idea of Milo James Fowler. Because what's better than candy? Free reads and giveaways! I'll be giving away a signed copy of The 13th Floor Complete Collection. Don't miss out on all the freebies from the participating authors.

Have a great weekend!

Wicked Wednesday - just a little kiss

It's that big moment when a couple shares their first kiss in a story. You're on the edge of your seat, holding your breath, and heated from the tension. What sort of kiss will it be? It has to be perfect, right?

No, it doesn't.

And that's the fun of writing. You can make that first kiss be anything you want it to be.

Sloppy kiss - a little too much saliva and a lot of lip sucking. A bit like a happy bulldog.

Dead fish kiss - one person is completely passive with no mouth action at all except that it's open just a little because, likely, they're a mouth-breather.

Too eager kiss - going in for it so hard and fast that teeth clink, lips bruise, and one or both people look like they're going to eat the other one.

Uncoordinated kiss - both people turn their heads the same way and bonk noses or miss the lips to kiss a nostril instead.

Tongue leading the way kiss - one person has their tongue out like a lance and it leads the way in with no lip contact first.

I know very few people that have had a perfect first kiss. Most often, it's hilarious and/or awkward. It's all the kisses after it that made the romance work for them.

Release of Secret Keepers and The Initiate

Book 3 in The Afterlife series is here!

Blurb:

Secret Keepers:

In Second Death, Indigo and her team of sleuths escape the clutches of underground evil.

In Ghostly Gallows, Indigo and the gang managed to dodge the falling ruins and free those spirits trapped by the evil spell that bound them to Gallowsgate Prison.

Now in Secret Keepers, even though Indigo speaks to ghosties, there is so much about the afterlife she doesn’t understand. Such as…how can spirits be sick? They’re dead, for goodness sake! But once again Indigo is forced to go where she made it a point to never go: the hospital. There, the mystery of the sick and missing spirits explodes into a frenzied battle for souls where dawn may bring life or final death.

Indigo Eady:

Much to her chagrin, Indigo Eady is a celebrity among spirits. She’s the girl who can see and speak with them. She has a proven track record in helping spirits find their murderers, so it’s no surprise when she’s drafted onto the Missing Paranormal Committee. Who better to help them than the experienced teenage ghost whisperer- investigator and her friends?

Amazon * Goodreads * B&N * Googleplay

Find Gwen Gardner here!

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Book 2 of The Rifters!

Blurb:

A junction erupts between the worlds in Settler, Oregon, a rift from which horrors attack our world. The Rifters defend us.

To trust unquestioningly is the first lesson Daelin Long must learn as the newest Initiate of the Rifters. Her first day is a disaster. She stands on a deserted street in a town smaller than a city district, courting killer rocks from another world with her ancestor from the Revolutionary War. Normal no longer exists.

While she struggles, Earl Blacke grapples with atoning for his past ill deeds, running far and fast from Settler, Oregon. The Shaman of the Desert promises him redemption, and an old mine puts the possibility of a gold strike in his grasp. His luck has changed for the better, but he can’t have both.

You're never a hero until you are.

Amazon * B&N * iTunes * Googleplay

Find Mary Pax here!

Friday Five for October 17, 2014

1. It was a good week for writing. I got a good chunk of the first draft of the second D&D novella done. If I push it, I might be able to finish it in a few days. It feels good to be back in the swing of writing things.

2. I had two short story rejections this week. Both were short-listed at pro venues, so I won't complain. I'll just submit them again. Hopefully next year I'll get a little more time to write short stories. The folder I keep all the unpublished ones in is getting thinner.

3. It's only two weeks until Halloween! Are you dressing up this year? My son is going to be Batman. Tomorrow, we're going to a local event called the Trick-or-Treat Trail. It's a very family friendly event where the kids walk along the trail and meet fairy tale and nursery rhyme characters who do a little act and give out treats. A ton of fun!

4. I've been critiquing and writing and scheduling blog posts since November will be a busy month for me. I do love it when I see my blogger posts and there are a month's worth of posts done. It's only these Friday posts that I type up quick the night before!

5. This week, Twisted Earths was released. Woo-hoo! Nine twisted stories from nine twisted worlds. It's an awesome collection from the authors of Untethered Realms. And something wicked is coming the last week of October. Wicked good! Creepy Freebies is returning this year. I'm giving away books including a signed copy of The 13th Floor Complete Collection.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Wicked Wednesday - oh those pretty, pretty covers

Book covers. This is where I like to have complete control. Maybe not do the actual design myself, but to puppet a talented artist to do it just the way I want it. I used to dream I'd have Michael Whelan as my own personal cover artist.

All the books I've self-published, I designed the covers and I'm immensely pleased with them. I bought the images from a host site (Dreamstime), and I manipulated them to suit the stories. I spent as much time on the font as the images themselves. It's tough work making a cover perfect. It takes a long time. Time I'd rather spend writing.

For my Dice & Debauchery books, I have very little input on the covers. I filled out a questionnaire and described my main characters, but that's all the say I get in it. I knew I wouldn't have any control in this when I signed the contract. I weighed it against the benefits of having a publisher for this series. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I at least kind of like the covers when I see them.

Next year, I'm self-publishing an urban fantasy novel. I'm going to hire a cover artist to do it for me. I'll have much more input than I do with my publisher, but not as much as I do if I did it myself. I tried finding images that would work for a cover, but nothing stood out for me. Nothing I wanted for this book. It has to be unique. It has to be made to suit it.

If you're published, did you design your own covers or did someone else? Do you like having control or are you much more easy-going about it than I am?

Twisted Earths is here!

Amazon / Google Play / Smashwords / iTunes / B&N 

Nine twisted stories from nine twisted worlds.

Contributing authors:

Angela Brown

River Fairchild

Gwen Gardner

M. Gerrick

Graeme Ing

M. Pax

Christine Rains

Cherie Reich

Catherine Stine

 

Twisted Earths is a collection of tales from Untethered Realms, a group of speculative fiction authors. The stories are as varied and rich as the types of soil on this and other planets—sandy loam, clay, knotted with roots and vines, dreaded paths through unexplored planets, and in enchanted forests, lit by candlelight and two moons.

M. Pax, author of the series, The Backworlds and The Rifters spins a tale called Patchworker 2.0. Specialists with digital interfaces are the only ones who can distinguish between biological energy and mechanical pulses, and “patch” AIs, which hold the world together. Patchworker Evalyn Shore meets up with an AI with deadly intent.

Cherie Reich, known for her epic fantasy series The Fate Challenges and The Foxwick Chronicles, presents Lady Death. Umbria, a beautiful and powerful swordsmith, is given an impossible task by her brother Leon when he asks, “You are the assassin. Are you scared to destroy Death when you are up to your elbows in it?”

Angela Brown is the author of the paranormal Shadow Jumpers and NEO Chronicles series. In her story, In The Know, Jacob, a loyal family man is struggling to stay out of debt when he’s hired to report on big plans for a future Detroit. He’s given a mysterious manila envelope with instructions to “open it alone” or pay the price. With switchback twists you won’t see coming, a debt of a much steeper cost is what he just might end up paying for his involvement.

Catherine Stine, author of the futuristic thrillers, Fireseed One and Ruby’s Fire, offers The Day of The Flying Dogs, a sinister tale of brilliant, troubled NYC high-school student, Theo. He experiences a day at Coney Island that includes drugs, delusions, a lonely capybara, Nathan’s hotdogs and a mind-bending lesson in our very twisted universe.

Christine Rains, known best for her paranormal series The Thirteenth Floor, gives us The Ole Saint, a story at once sweet, horrific and heartrending. Ezra longs to fit in and have boys stop calling him witch and freak, yet his unique supernatural skill sets him apart, and the last gift from The Ole Saint cinches the deal.

Graeme Ing, known for his young adult fantasy, Ocean of Dust presents The Malachite Mine, a gripping, scream-inducing ride. Whatever was Mary thinking when she accepted her husband’s gift of a most terrifying twenty-first birthday celebration in an abandoned Russian mine?

River Fairchild, author of her Jewels of Chandra series, presents A Grand Purpose. Rosaya and her cousin, Drianna are soon to be married off, but Rosaya is unhappy with her assigned match. She’s much more intoxicated by the older Firrandor, a wizard she hardly knows. When Rosaya is accused of killing an oracle boy, all bets are off, not only for her love, but her freedom.

Gwen Gardner, who pens the cozy paranormal mystery series, Indigo Eady, adds to her collection with Ghostly Guardian. Indigo and her rib-tickling ghost-busters must travel to a dangerous pirate-laden past in order to unearth a curmudgeonly eighteenth century spirit that is plaguing the Blind Badger Pub.

Misha Gerrick, whose War of Six Crowns series is forthcoming, gives us a story called Red Earth and White Light. Emily, a young ghost bride has long haunted a house. She longs to cross over into the afterlife, but she’s trapped in memories of lilies and betrayal.

Cover by: EDHGRAPHICS

Graphic Artist Erin Dameron-Hill

Review for Shadow Warrior

Blurb:
The agony of a failed quest haunts Kanze Zenjiro, but the betrayal by those he trusted has turned his world upside down. With a heart full of hatred and defeat, Zen is desperate to get back to Nihon and demand the truth from his father.

Meanwhile, the Iberian Empire sends their soaring airships and steam-powered giants into The Orient. They threaten to upset the balance of power, hoping to exploit the faraway land in their greed for the resources needed to power their machines. Zen and his companions must fight to keep the world from plunging into total destruction.

And at the center of it all is a nine year old boy with the power of a god.

My review:
Kanze Zenjiro is a young man of honor and power. When he fails on his quest, he wants only to return to Nihon and discover the truth of the betrayal. His father's lies eat away at him, but he finds himself on a different path, learning about his mother's past. The Iberian Empire is set on conquering the Orient, and Zen's father's solution may kill everyone. Zen and his friends must find a way to stop him or end up as casualties themselves.

This incredible book is the second one in the Mechanica Series. This is steampunk with an eastern twist. Shadow Warrior is as well written as the first book. Sharp and clean prose with plenty of action and intrigue.

The characters I loved continue to fight on. Zen is always the honorable and just one, but what he struggles with might overwhelm him finally. The Machine boy, Marcel, is only a child stuck in the middle of a great war, and the strength of his character shines bright. We're also introduced to new characters both good and evil. I loved learning more about the Shadows and getting a peek into the Iberian Empire.

I can't wait for the next book. Cheers for Jay Noel!

Buy it now on: Amazon * B&N * iTunes

Find Jay at his website.

Friday Five for October 10, 2014

1. If you missed it, I gave a call for blog tour hosts for my Dice & Debauchery series in the new year. I received such a terrific response! You guys rock. January is filled, but there are a few dates left in February and March if you'd really like to be a part of it. I would also like to thank those that sent me apologies because they couldn't host me because these are erotica books. I completely understand, and you're all so sweet to say you were sorry about it.

2. This week my son has been on fall break, so I haven't gotten any writing done. We've been having some fun. A picnic and time outside at one of the state parks, and building a space robot at the local children's museum. He's happy that I no longer have my cast and I can drive again!

3. Next week, the Twisted Earths anthology is coming out. My short story, "The Ole Saint" is a perfect creepy tale for this time of year. The Untethered Realms authors did a spectacular job with this collection. Each story is awesome. You still have time to pre-order the anthology and receive an ebook from any of the authors for free! Click HERE.

4. Will I do NaNoWriMo this year? I don't know. I'm waffling back and forth on it. Mm, waffles. I'm behind where I want to be with my writing because of my broken wrist, but it's so hard to resist doing NaNo. Maybe I could apply my revisions to it? I need to change my urban fantasy novel from 3rd person POV to 1st. Maybe I could do that in a month?

5. Finally, the Shelfie Blog Hop winners. This hop was so much fun! I love peeking at other people's bookshelves. A big round of applause to everyone who participated and to my awesome co-hosts: Tara Tyler, Heather Gardner, CD Coffelt, M.J. Fifield, Elizabeth Seckman, Rena Rocford, and Vikki Biram. Now on to the winners!

The winner of The 13th Floor Collection is 

Ellie Garratt

The winners of Wilder Mage and Mage Revealed by C.D. Coffelt are 

Eric Juneau and Tyrean Martinson

The winner of an ebook by Elizabeth Seckman is

Alex J. Cavanaugh
(Alex also receives honorable mention for appearing in the most shelfies!)

The two winners of ebooks by Tara Tyler are 

Chrys Fey and Sarah Foster

The winner of Effigy by M.J. Fifield is

Michelle Wallace

And the winner of an interview by Stormy the Weather Gnome at Heather Gardner's blog is 

Carrie Anne Brownian

And the Grand Prize Winner of $40 is Rebecca Bradley!

 

Congratulations to you all! 

 

Have a marvelous weekend. :)

Call for Blog Hosts for the Dice & Debauchery Tour

Roll for initiative!

I'm seeking fellow geeks to host me on their blogs when my Dice & Debauchery (D&D) series is released on January 9, 2015. Yes, I'm getting an early jump on this, but I want to make sure I have time to prepare everything and get the best dates with my hosts.

I will be hiring a virtual book tour company to help promote the erotica side of the books. I'm familiar with only a few erotica blogs and I wouldn't know where to even start looking around for others. This will also ensure that any naughty stuff I share in excerpts or posts will be on sites meant for adults only.

The other tour I'm personally arranging for D&D will focus on the geeky aspects, romance, and writing. Posts with a PG rating rather than an R! (Of course, if you want to have something about erotica, I have no problems with that!) I have a ton of post ideas for nerdy things. It made me realize how immense of a geek I am!

You can request a guest post on something specific or a topic of my choosing, a nerdy interview, a character post, an excerpt, or a review. (I cannot give out review copies. You will have to email Ellora's Cave to ask for one. And I would greatly appreciate it if you do.)

There will be giveaways. Wait until you see what I have as prizes!

The first book of the series, "Loose Corset" will be released on January 9th. That's a Friday. I won't be doing a release day blitz nor will I be doing a cover reveal before it. (Readers seem tired of those things, but my newsletter subscribers will get to see everything first! Subscribe by entering your email address in that handy dandy little widget on the right hand side.)

It is a great possibility that each of the novellas will be released a month apart. Having learned how difficult it is to handle tours that have several stops in one week, I'm going to stretch out the D&D tour over those three months with only one or two stops a week. I hope this will give me time to be a proper guest on the blogs that host me and will also extend the exposure of D&D thus attracting more readers.

I would like to keep the dates to Mondays and Wednesdays. (Though if you really want me on your blog for a different day, I'm flexible.) If you're interested in hosting me for my D&D tour, please email me at christinerains [dot] writer @ gmail [dot] com. Let me know which date you'd like and what sort of post.

Here are the possible dates:

January 9, 12, 14, 19, 21, 26, 28.

February 2, 4, 9, 11, 16, 18, 23, 25.

March 2, 4, 9, 11, 16, 18, 23, 25.

I will also be self-publishing an urban fantasy novel late winter or early spring. If you're uninterested in D&D or you could not get any dates you wanted, I will be doing a tour for my novel when it's released. It's quite the different creature than D&D, and readers of The 13th Floor will love it. Be on the look out for the call for tour hosts in a few months.

Thank you to everyone in advance. I've always received such a generous outpouring of support and encouragement from this community. You guys are awesome!

Nobody Knows cover reveal

Title: Nobody Knows

Author: Kyra Lennon

Genre: NA Romance

Type: First in Series (Razes Hell Book 1)

Cover Design: Najila Qamber Design

Photographer: Lindee Robinson Photography

Release Date: November 3rd 2014

It's not easy being friends with rising rock stars - especially when you're the glue that holds them together.

Razes Hell has taken off in the charts, and Ellie can't believe her childhood friends, Drew and Jason Brooks, are on TV and drawing crowds after years spent playing in dodgy bars. From obscurity to overnight success, Ellie soon realises life in the public eye isn’t all it’s cracked up to be as dark secrets become headline news and old conflicts are re-ignited. When a fake feud meant to boost the band’s popularity threatens to rip the boys apart for real, Ellie finds herself torn – a position which only gets more uncomfortable when her loyalty to Jason collides with her blossoming relationship with Drew.

Nobody knows how deep their issues run; nobody but Ellie. With friendship, a music career and a new love on the line, can Ellie keep their tangled pasts from ruining their futures?

AmazonUS | AmazonUK

 

 

Kyra is a self-confessed book-a-holic, and has been since she first learned to read. When she's not reading, you'll usually find her hanging out in coffee shops with her trusty laptop and/or her friends, or girling it up at the nearest shopping mall.

Kyra grew up on the South Coast of England and refuses to move away from the seaside which provides massive inspiration for her novels. Her debut novel, Game On (New Adult Contemporary Romance), was released in July 2012, and she scored her first Amazon Top 20 listing with her New Adult novella, If I Let You Go in November.

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Amazon | Goodreads

Image by Cool Text: Free Graphics Generator - Edit Image

Shelfie Blog Hop and two BIG releases!

This is your last chance to share with us your Shelfie and be entered to win one of the fantastic prizes!

When: Ends October 6th, 2014

What: Take a picture of your favorite book(s), your bookshelves, or you with your favorite book(s). We understand if you're shy and don't want to be in the picture, but you get bonus points if you are. Then share it on your blog, Facebook, or Twitter. It's as quick and easy as that!

I'm excited to co-host this blog hop with seven amazing authors: Tara Tyler, Heather Gardner, CD Coffelt, M.J. Fifield, Elizabeth Seckman, Rena Rocford, and Vikki Biram. We'll be offering prizes for various categories. The grand prize winner will win $40! I'll be giving away a digital copy of The 13th Floor Complete Collection for the geekiest Shelfie.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Book 2 in the Indigo Eady Afterlife series is now available!

Ghostly Gallows:

The case of missing paranormals is far from solved.

Hundreds of Sabrina Shores’ spirits are still missing.

In Second Death, Indigo and her friends escape an eternity underground in evil clutches. Back aboveground with a few missing ghosties happily in tow, one truth is painfully clear: the size of their problem is bigger than the village cemetery itself.

Now in Ghostly Gallows, new information leads Indigo and her fellow investigators to the ruins of Gallowsgate Prison, long abandoned by everyone and everything except malevolent spirits. It’s not called Gallowsgate for nothing when the noose swings a little too close to home.

Indigo Eady:

Much to her chagrin, Indigo Eady is a celebrity among spirits. She’s the girl who can see and speak with them. She has a proven track record in helping spirits find their murderers, so it’s no surprise when she’s drafted onto the Missing Paranormal Committee. Who better to help them than the experienced teenage ghost whisperer- investigator and her friends?

Amazon * B&N * Kobo * Smashwords

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Polar Night's Aleksei Nechayev leaves war-torn Russia in 1917 and makes his way to Alaska. Settling in at a railroad camp, Aleksei comes up against an adversary who seems to know the truth about the newly-turned vampire's identity, and who soon gives Aleksei much more than he bargained for at The Turnagain Arm.

Cover design by Michael Di Gesu

Only 99 cents on Amazon Kindle

Book Blurb: 

Locomotive wheels screech to a halt. Potters Creek, Alaska is nothing more than a small camp set up alongside the tracks. A weathered sign dominates the scene.

The Turnagain Arm Saloon 

Est.1917

Only one passenger remains and exits.

The early afternoon full moon peaks through a shimmering snow fall as a shadow casts over each split rail. The wind howls, sweeping the cloak of a hooded figure. He follows   the tracks toward the distant saloon. A hulking man crunches through the snow, attracting his attention.

Calling out to him in a foreign accent, the townsman stops in mid step. The stranger catches up and engages him.

Until...

The man disappears under the stranger’s cloak.

Blood drips from his lips, and he wipes the remaining trickles from his mouth. After disposing of the body, the mysterious figure continues on his journey. He glides through the snow as if on a sleigh, leaving no footprints behind.

*          *          *          *          *

Within a short period, he convinces Vasyl, the owner of the saloon, to hire him. Aleksei charms everyone he meets. But soon mistrust enters every tense line on Vasyl’s face as others disappear, and his wife falls under Aleksei’s spell.

The classic game of cat and mouse continues, but who will win?

Is a mere mortal any match for Aleksei?

A spark ignites within Alexei after yet another of Vasyl’s attempts to disgrace him.

This man knows of me. He must be a witch. Aleksei laughs. You are no match for me or my plan.

About the Author: 

Julie Flanders is a librarian by day and a writer all the rest of the time. Julie is also a television show addict with a particular fondness for Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead and a slightly obsessive sports fan who cheers for the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Cincinnati Reds, and the Cincinnati Bengals. She is a life-long animal lover and an animal rescue advocate and shares her home with her rescued dog and cat.

Julie’s published novels include the paranormal thriller Polar Night and the historical ghost story The Ghosts of Aquinnah. Both are available from Ink Smith Publishing. Polar Day, the sequel to Polar Night, will be published by Ink Smith in January, 2015.

Julie is a proud member of the speculative fiction writing group Untethered Realms. Meet the rest of the group and explore their books at http:// untetheredrealms.blogspot.com/.

Please visit Julie at her website at julieflanders.net or contact her by email at julie@julieflanders.net. She can also be found on Twitter at @JulesFlanders.

Enter to win one of two prize bundles featuring a $15 Amazon.com gift card and an ebook copy of The Turnagain Arm. 

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Friday Five for October 3, 2014

1. I've been going along at a pretty good speed now with my WIP. Several times, I laughed out loud at what I was writing, and a few times, I was like "Yeah! I hit it on the nose!" So, yep. A good writing week.

2. My cast came off on Wednesday. It's a relief to have it gone, but my wrist is very sensitive. It's healing perfectly, though. I have to wear a splint for three weeks, and my arm has been achy with just the little extra movement I can do.

3. I've slowly been putting together marketing plans for my releases next year. Soon I'll be posting a call for blog hosts. This time, I'm not going to do everything in a big packed week. I'm going to spread out the dates. I think it will be easier on me, leaving me more time to write, and it will keep my books out there in the eyes of readers longer.

4. I've been watching the first season of Castle. Yes, I know. How could I not be watching this brilliant show already? I only have so much time set aside for TV. I'm loving all the Nathan Fillion goodness as I watch it.

5. You still have a few days to share your Shelfie with us!

When: From Now until October 6th, 2014

What: Take a picture of your favorite book(s), your bookshelves, or you with your favorite book(s). We understand if you're shy and don't want to be in the picture, but you get bonus points if you are. Then share it on your blog, Facebook, or Twitter. It's as quick and easy as that!

I'm excited to co-host this blog hop with seven amazing authors: Tara Tyler, Heather Gardner, CD Coffelt, M.J. Fifield, Elizabeth Seckman, Rena Rocford, and Vikki Biram. We'll be offering prizes for various categories. The grand prize winner will win $40! I'll be giving away a digital copy of The 13th Floor Complete Collection for the geekiest Shelfie.

Here's my adorable little guy sitting in his room by his bedside bookshelf. This is the same shelf I had when I was a child. As you can see, his shelf is overflowing too. He's got books all over the house!

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White Lady Blog Tour - Guess The True Statement & Win!

GUESS THE TRUE STATEMENT & WIN JESSICA BELL'S THRILLER, WHITE LADY! (Statement #26)

To celebrate the release of Jessica Bell's latest novel, WHITE LADY, she is giving away an e-copy (mobi, ePub, or PDF) to the first person to correctly guess the one true statement in the three statements below. To clarify, two statements are lies, and one is true:

Jessica Bell ...
a. has six toes on her right foot
b. is double-jointed
c. still has a couple of baby teeth

What do you think? Which one is true? Write your guess in the comments, along with your email address. Comments will close in 48 hours. If no-one guesses correctly within in 48 hours, comments will stay open until someone does.

Want more chances to win? You have until October 31 to visit all the blogs where Jessica will share a different set of true and false statements on each one. Remember, each blog is open to comments for 48 hours only from the time of posting.

If you win, you will be notified by email with instructions on how to download the book.

Click HERE to see the list of blogs.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

*This novel contains coarse language, violence, and sexual themes.

Sonia yearns for sharp objects and blood. But now that she's rehabilitating herself as a "normal" mother and mathematics teacher, it's time to stop dreaming about slicing people's throats.

While being the wife of Melbourne's leading drug lord and simultaneously dating his best mate is not ideal, she's determined to make it work.

It does work. Until Mia, her lover's daughter, starts exchanging saliva with her son, Mick. They plan to commit a crime behind Sonia's back. It isn't long before she finds out and gets involved to protect them.

But is protecting the kids really Sonia's motive?

Click HERE to view the book trailer.
Click HERE for purchase links.

Jessica Bell, a thirty-something Australian-native contemporary fiction author, poet and singer/songwriter/guitarist, is the Publishing Editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal and the director of the Homeric Writers' Retreat & Workshop on the Greek island of Ithaca. She makes a living as a writer/editor for English Language Teaching Publishers worldwide, such as Pearson Education, HarperCollins, MacMillan Education, Education First and Cengage Learning.

Connect with Jessica online:

Website | Retreat & workshop | Blog | Vine Leaves Literary Journal |  Facebook | Twitter

IWSG for October 2014

The Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG) is the brilliant idea of Alex J. Cavanaugh. The purpose of the group is to share doubts and insecurities and to encourage one another. Please visit the other participants and share your support. A kind word goes a long way.

The co-hosts for this month's group are: Kristin Smith, Elsie, Suzanne Furness, and Fundy Blue.

Congratulations to the IWSG website on its one year anniversary! It's an awesome site with a great bunch of writers. It has a lot of advice, tips, and encouragement. Cheers to all of you!

In celebration of the anniversary, IWSG is putting together an anthology - The IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond. Everyone can contribute. Entries must be between 200 and 1000 words. If it's less than 300, post it on your blog or FB, and then submit your link to the site HERE. If it's over 300 words, email it directly to the team at TheIWSG@gmail.com. 

The topics can include writing, publishing, and marketing. Give them your best and fresh tips. No recycled posts. The ebook will be out in December.

Here's my contribution about marketing. (250 words)

* * *

 

3 Marketing Tips For Those Who Would Rather Be Writing

I am a writer. I never wanted to be anything else. But as a self-published author, I also have to be my own agent, accountant, and promoter.

Marketing savvy is not something I possess. What's even worse is what works for one author doesn't necessarily work for another. So how do you foster interest in your books and boost sales when you have no clue what you're doing?

Here are three tips that have worked for me and can be done from your writing cave.

1) Know your genre and find your audience. Be honest with yourself and get the opinions of your critique group. Once you have it, you'll be able to brand yourself and promote your books on sites to readers that will love you.

2) Start a blog. This has been one of my most effective tools in reaching fans. Match it to your genre and don't be afraid to show a little of your personal life.

3) Giveaways. People love free stuff. Use big sites like Goodreads to get a lot of exposure. If you create your own giveaway, add something a little different along with your books. Silly trinkets or a cool item from your story. Giving away gift cards also attracts a lot of attention.

Marketing may never get easier, but once you become adept in a few key things, you can spend your time doing what you really want to do: writing.

(IWSG has my permission to use this post in the anthology.)