X has never been sexier

Check out a teaser at Untethered Realms from the third book in the 13th Floor series, The Dragonslayer.

X is one of the most difficult letters to come up with a post for during the A to Z Challenge. Find out what other clever participants are sharing today by clicking here.

Friday Five for February 14th, 2014

1. Happy Valentine's Day! And it's Friday! Yippee! You have a few hours still to enter to win books from 21 authors in this great giveaway. I'm giving away a digital copy of The 13th Floor Complete Collection. Don't miss out on this chance to treat yourself.

2. As another treat, an interview with my handsome dragonslayer, Xan (from 1303 - THE DRAGONSLAYER) was reposted on Cover Girls yesterday. Go on over for a laugh and some eye candy!

3. I managed to get through critiquing 3 short stories this week. I'm getting nitpickier as I grow as a writer. Am I more so with myself? I think so, but I know I'm still biased at times. Thankfully I have such wonderful CPs and betas to help me. I also made the halfway point on my second draft with my #2 WIP. (#1 WIP is with CPs and betas right now.) I might be able to keep on track with my goals and finish the third draft of #2 by the end of the month.

4. I cut up a ton of strawberries for my son's preschool class today. They're having a little Valentine's Day party. He's not quite so excited about today. More often he asks if he's four yet. He knows he turns four in April, and he really wants to be four!

5. I have my local critique group meeting tomorrow. I sent in my first chapter from #2 WIP. I do wonder what they'll think of my superheroes. That's the only plan I have for the weekend. What about you?

The 13th Floor collection tour continues

Do you have your copy of The 13th Floor Complete Collection yet?

Amazon * B&N * Kobo * Smashwords

I'm handing over the keyboard to a talented reporter today. Lois King was the one who revealed to the world that dragons still exist. What? You don't remember that article? Hmm, something suspicious is going on.

Head on over to Jackie Felger's blog to read a little slice from Lois' life with dragonslayer, Xan.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway on Cherie's blog for a chance to win a signed copy of the collection!

More Than Just A Kiss Blogfest continues and Sacrifice HER cover reveal

At the first kiss I felt
Something melt inside me
That hurt in an exquisite way
All my longings, all my dreams and sweet anguish,
All the secrets that slept deep within me came awake,
Everything was transformed and enchanted
And made sense.
~Hermann Hesse

Have you joined the blogfest yet?

All it takes is one kiss.

One scene to be entered to win great prizes.

READ THE RULES AND SIGN UP HERE!

My kiss today comes from 1303 - THE DRAGONSLAYER.

Xan breathed out, forcing his overly tense muscles to relax. This just might work. The odds were stacked against him, but if he could manage to get in without sounding an alarm, he might be able to save the girl.

“Thank you.” He wanted to stuff Lois back in the car. Every bit of him screamed to keep her safe. This was no place to make a scene, though.

Lois grabbed him by the collar of his fireproof black jacket and yanked him to her. Her mouth mashed against his. Supple and hard, hot and desperate. There was a hint of caramel from her coffee on her lips to add a bit of sweetness to a kiss that was anything but. An electric tingling raced from his ears to his toes, and a rush of adrenaline that had nothing to do with the mission ahead.

He didn’t realize he was kissing her back until she pulled away. Lois made a small sound, something between pleasure and frustration.

“Good. Now I’m flushed. I look much more drunk. It’s been four minutes.” She ran her hands through her hair, but it only looked more tussled. She hitched up her skirt a few inches. Her long legs pale and gorgeous in the moonlight. “Good luck.”

Lois winked at him and wobbled down the sidewalk before he could gain enough sense to grab her.

The day has finally come. Time to reveal the cover of Sacrifice HER. Be amazed. 

Title: Sacrifice HER by Sheena-kay Graham
Goodreads: Sacrifice HER
Release Date: December 2013

Summary: When a city is at stake is the life of one sixteen-year old girl worth risking thousands? Deidra Moore goes on the run after escaping from a group of human sacrifices for Bane: God of War. She doesn't believe he exists and sees uncertainty in the scorching desert as a better alternative. But Faux City isn't finished with her and their leader Lord Brinn is ordered by Bane - through one of his maiden worshipers- to bring her back or face dire consequences. In the desert Deidra meets a wanderer named Kane and as feelings spark can they find a safe place to lead a new life before Lord Brinn and his soldiers catch up with them? Yet the question remains. Does Bane really exist and if he does what will happen if either side succeeds or fails? Told in alternating perspectives of both the runaway servant girl and the blonde strong willed leader.

 Author Bio: Sheena-kay Graham was never meant for a traditional job behind a desk. Her childhood career plans included becoming a ballerina, actress or someone who helped people. So naturally she decided to be a writer who writes from her bed. Yes, no desk for this Jamaican book lover. No matter if it’s reading, writing or using the computer....you get the gist. The love of the written word has always been with her leading to stories, novels, poetry and way too much fan fiction. This Christian woman can be found trolling Amazon online, in local book bookstores, watching movies on the big screen, or in her bed, or reading/writing/on the laptop...again in her bed. Mainly writes YA fiction and is ready to unleash her creativity to wow the masses.
 

Links

Website: http://queendsheena.blogspot.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5448863.Sheena_kay_Graham

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SheenakayGrahamAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/queendsheena

Cover Design: 

Image of woman with flowing hair (purchased): © Transfuchsian | Dreamstime.com

Cover Designer:  Langao @ http://fiverr.com/langao

And for a final bit of wow factor. Look at what I got for free without asking.

Winners of The Dragonslayer blog tour giveaway

Thank you to everyone who entered The Dragonslayer blog tour giveaway!

The tour was a big success because of your support.

Here are the lucky winners!

Congratulations! Emails have already been sent out.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Anyone who would like to be part of The Harbinger blog tour March 13th - 17th, please leave a comment with your email address or send me an email.

Final day of The Dragonslayer blog tour

It's been a fantastic five days.

Thank you so much to all my generous hosts

and to everyone who has followed me along the way.

Wait! We've got two more stops to go!

The first chapter of The Dragonslayer is available on M Pepper Langlinais' blog. Read and get hooked! 

Come over to Aubrie Dionne's blog to read about 13 of the most horrible dragon hoards and enter to win your own e-copy of the novella. One lucky winner could win the first three ebooks of the 13th Floor series and an ARC of The Harbinger.

Come back tomorrow for the cover reveal of the fourth book in the series, 1304 - The Harbinger.

Today's tidbit: It was my husband's idea what I should do for the list this tour. Yet he came up with some disgusting ideas of what might be in some hoards! It doesn't help that I Googled weird collections either. Yuck! 

Day 4 of The Dragonslayer blog tour

A great way to spend the weekend is in the company of a good book. Do you have your copy of The Dragonslayer yet?

Amazon * B&N * Smashwords * Kobo

 

Today we have dragons and a dragonslayer.

Media Sharif did a character interview with Xan. Find out how he keeps his body in top shape!

In continuing with my supernatural creatures theme, I'll be talking about dragons on TF Walsh's blog. Fearsome or friendly?

Bonus stop today at YA fantasy author Graeme Ing's.
He asks me about my favorite books and characters. 

Today's tidbit: You'll see a little more about the 13th floor when Lois is stuck in the apartment with Xan. Yet no matter what happens, you can't convince a skeptic like her that anything might be magical.

Day 3 of The Dragonslayer blog tour

It's day three already!

What an amazing response I've already had.

Today I have three blogs on my tour.

The first stop is with one of my fellow Untethered Realms members. Have you checked us out on FB yet?

I'll be discussing marketing tips for indie authors over at Mary Pax's. It's tough promoting yourself when all you want to do is write!

A fellow paranormal romance author Anna Abner interviewed me. I talk about my writing schedule and give a few peeks of what is coming in the series.

My last stop today is with my fabulous beta reader, Clare Dugmore. We chat about our favorite dragons in modern media and what it takes to be a dragonslayer.

Today's tidbit: The business side to being a writer is tough for me. I have enough smarts and common sense to understand what I need to do, but I think it takes a clever mind and guts to really do a good job of it. It's not easy putting yourself and your work out there.

Day 2 of The Dragonslayer blog tour

Day 2 of The Dragonslayer tour!

Yesterday was awesome, and today we have a big treat.

I have four stops on my tour AND a special guest post on romance by Second Sign author Elizabeth Arroyo scheduled on my blog for later this morning. Be sure to check it out!

First stop, Nick Wilford's!

I'll be continuing my villains series and talking about Governor Randall Whittaker. A dragon and a politician. Frightening!

Next I'm visiting with my wonderful friend and CP, Cherie Reich. She's picking my brain about worldbuilding and my experience writing this series.

Pop over to Chris Andrews' site to find out what it's like writing a novel as a pantser.

Last, but certainly not least, I have a guest post on writing romance on Lynda R Young's blog. A little something special for Valentines Day.

Today's tidbit: I write romance, but I don't consider myself a romantic. I love strong women like Lois in The Dragonslayer. My ideal love story is where the two people treat and respect each other as equals.

First day of The Dragonslayer blog tour

1303 - The Dragonslayer is here!
You cannot resist the lure of dragons
or a dragonslayer that hot!
Amazon
B&N
Smashwords
Kobo

I have a fantastic blog tour lined up. It's my biggest one yet for the 13th Floor series. Prepare yourself for five fantastic days of dragons, writing, marketing, romance, and Xan.

I have four lovely hosts to start off the tour.

Nicole Singer interviewed me and asked
some thoughtful questions about my characters' names.

My romance series continues with Kyra Lennon.
Opposites do attract with Xan and Lois.

I have a guest post on what if questions and whys in writing on Damyanti's blog. Do you play with what ifs in your mind to inspire you?

I have an excerpt and five tips on marketing paranormal romance on Gwen Gardner's site. You have to have something extraordinary for these fans.

Today's tidbit: The interaction between Xan and Lois made me laugh out loud in public when I was writing it.

Two days until The Dragonslayer blog tour

It's almost time for the big Dragonslayer blog tour. I'm excited to have several wonderful people host me on their blogs this coming week.

Feb. 13th - Kyra Lennon, Nicole Singer, and Damyanti

  Feb. 14th - Cherie Reich, Nick Wilford, Chris Andrews, and Lynda R. Young

  Feb. 15th - Mary Pax, Clare Dugmore, Anna Abner, and Gwen Gardner

  Feb. 16th - Medeia Sharif and TF Walsh

  Feb. 17th - Aubrie Dionne and M. Pepper Langlinais    

I'll be having a giveaway on Aubrie's blog the final day where you could win digital copies of all the published books in the series so far and an ARC of the fourth book, 1304 - The Harbinger. Be prepared for the cover reveal of that book on the 18th.

The Dragonslayer is already available on all the sites. Grab yourself a copy and enjoy!

Amazon
Smashwords
B&N
Kobo

Friday Five for Feburary 8, 2013

1. What a week! I learned how to format ebooks. It was intimidating at first, but it's really not that horrible. Tedious, yes, but just like uploading your book to purchase sites, once you get a hang of it, it feels a lot easier. Thank you so much for your help, Cherie! (She's brilliant, you know!)

2. I loaded my newly formatted files of The Dragonslayer to the purchase sites. Everything looked beautiful. What a relief! Smashwords and Amazon already have theirs up. It feels good to have those done. I also have everything ready for the big blog tour next week from the 13th - 17th. Lots of fun posts and a big giveaway! Then The Harbinger cover reveal on the 18th.

3. I'm 25% done with the next book in the 13th Floor series. It's very different than the other books. The action is more verbal than physical. I hope to be halfway done by the end of the weekend and then finish the rest next week. Yes, I'm a fast writer, and I'm aiming for 20,000 words, give or take a few thousand.

4. My little guy is sick this week. Poor fellow. He made it through school yesterday, and when I arrived to pick him up, he threw up. Well, at least the teacher didn't have to deal with the ickiness. I'd feel bad if she did.

5. Don't forget the next W4WS event is on the 18th. We'll be featuring Melissa Bradley and Gwen Gardner this month. Sign up on the linky list and help out your fellow writers. It's fast and simple. A tweet, a RT, or share a link on Facebook.

Have a great weekend!

Wicked Wednesday - a few things I picked up

It's been a while since I've done a Wicked Wednesday post. I hope to get back into the regular swing of things. So much has been happening, and I've been very busy with my 13th Floor series. I'm learning a lot about the genre and what's hot. This week I'm going to share a few things with you.

Werewolves are still a hot topic. You read on a lot of sites that the popularity of werewolves and vampires is diminishing. Perhaps agents and publishers are tiring of them, but readers still want more. The Alpha has already sold four times as many copies as The Marquis. People hear werewolf and their ears perk up. A new twist to the alpha trope? Now they're even more interested. I'm curious to see what happens when I get to the vampire's story in my series.

Paranormal romance fans like sarcasm and humor. The posts from my tours that received the most feedback were the funny ones. I think humor attracts people in general, and fans of this genre like a certain edge to their humor. I will never be Joss Whedon, but I'll do my best with this.

Covers matter. With The Marquis, people were seeing more urban fantasy. It wasn't sexy enough. The Alpha got more attention with Stefanie on the cover. Intense and gorgeous. The Dragonslayer has gotten the most attention. Shirtless Xan has caused a lot of people to drool. With paranormal romance, the hotness factor does count.

What have you learned through promoting your books?

1303 - The Dragonslayer cover reveal

Title: 1303 - The Dragonslayer
The 13th Floor series, #3
Genre: paranormal romance
Release date: February 13th, 2013

Blurb:

On the rooftop of neighboring building, dragonslayer Xanthus Ehrensvard fires at his target, Governor Whittaker. How he missed the shot, he doesn't know, but fleeing the scene, he picks up an unwanted passenger. Gorgeous reporter Lois King saw Xan's face, and she believes it's the story to make her career. Except he can't let her walk away knowing what he looks like. Xan has to show her the Governor is a bigger threat to the world than he is.

Xan knows dragons never went extinct. They evolved with human society, taking on mortal forms, and slithered their way into positions of great influence and power, just like the Governor. But it's no easy chore proving to someone that dragons still exist, and even more so, they're disguised as famous people. Xan must convince Lois or find another way to silence her. An option, as he gets to know her, he likes less and less.

After all, dragonslayers are no longer celebrated heroes but outlaws. Just as the dragons wish it. But this outlaw must make a plan to slay the dragon or risk its retribution.

Mark The Dragonslayer "to read" on Goodreads.

I do realize it's not exactly like the previous two covers. The model isn't staring forward, but I saw this picture and I was mesmerized. That is Xan. That's my dragonslayer! The fact he's shirtless is just a bonus. Heh.

Now who wants to be a part of my tour next month?!

I also have a bonus guest post over at Livia Peterson's blog. I'm talking about writing a series. What do you have to think about when planning to write a series?

Don't forget to enter the giveaway on Cherie Reich's blog for your chance to win the first ebooks in the 13th Floor series and an ARC of The Dragonslayer.

The Next Big Thing and other reminders

The talented Cher Green has tagged me in The Next Big Thing.

Thank you, Cher, and here we go with 10 questions about my current work in progress!

1) What's the working title of your book? 1303 - The Dragonslayer.

2) Where did the idea come from for your book? I've had the idea of a modern day dragonslayer in my head for a while now. Taking a traditional epic fantasy character and putting him into an urban fantasy tale. I don't quite remember where I came up with it.

3) What genre does your book fall under? Paranormal romance.

4) What actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? Xan the dragonslayer is easy for me to cast: Alexander Skarsgard. No question in my mind. For Lois, maybe Jennifer Connelly. I'm flexible on this. A spunky brunette just over 30 years of age. And for the villain, the big bad dragon, Gary Oldman.

5) What is the one sentence synopsis for the book? A modern day dragonslayer misses his target and acquires an unwanted companion as he tries to flee the scene.

6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? Self-published.

7) How long did it take to write the first draft of your manuscript? I'm still writing! I'm about halfway done. Maybe. It's a little longer than I expected. I need to cut out some of the chatter when I revise.

8) What other books would you compare this story to in your genre? A bit like Katie MacAlister's dragon series with having dragons in a modern day setting. I'm finding it hard to think of anything else it's like.

9) What else about the book might pique the reader's interest? Dragons! And a hot dragonslayer.

10) Hey, there was only nine questions. Is the tenth suppose to be where I tag other people? I'm not going to tag anyone. If you want to do The Next Big Thing, be my guest. It's a great way to share with readers what you're working on.

If you'd like to participate in the cover reveal for The Dragonslayer on January 18th, please send me an email at christinerains [dot] writer @ gmail [dot] com. Also, if you'd like to host me on The Dragonslayer blog tour during February 13th - 17th, send me a message. Check out the 13th Floor series page for all future tour dates and cover reveals.

Don't forget to enter my 400 Followers Giveaway! You can win the first two ebooks in the 13th Floor series.

The date for the next Writers4Writers Group event is set! Mark Monday, February 18th on your calendars. We'll be featuring two authors this time around. Sign up on the linky list and help your fellow writers.

You may notice a new badge on my sidebar. Untethered Realms is a group of seven authors that write speculative fiction. I'm honored to be a part of this amazing group of writers. Click the badge to "like" us on Facebook. We're just getting organized, but we're getting some great ideas.

Last but not least, tomorrow is the official release of 1302 - The Alpha and the start of my blog tour. Sunday is an odd day, but I have a fantastic interview lined up with Heather Musk. Yesterday she wrote a wonderful review for Fearless. Check it out and hopefully we'll see you tomorrow.

Final Day of The Marquis blog tour

It's the last day of the tour. Wow!

What a fantastic time I've had.

Thank you to all the wonderful hosts and

to all the people who commented.

A big congratulations to Heather Holden
who won a digital copy of The Marquis
from Aubrie Dionne's blog!
Check out Heather's site.
She's an awesome artist.  
 

But wait! The fun isn't over yet.

I have a guest post on choosing the perfect title for your book at Livia Peterson's blog.

This is always difficult for me, but there are some tricks to finding the best name.

On the 13th Floor, there are some noisy and fearsome tenants. But I'm sure you've experienced worse neighbors than them. We want to hear about your experiences.

I've listed 13 types of bad neighbors on

Shannon Lawrence's blog.

There's also one final big giveaway!
Three AWESOME prizes!
International entries are welcome.
1st prize: one digital copy of The Marquis, an ARC of The Alpha, and a signed copy of Fearless
2nd prize: one digital copy of The Marquis and an ARC of The Alpha
3rd prize: one digital copy of The Marquis  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Today's tidbit: When I wrote The Marquis, my favorite parts involved Vetis. He's one of my favorite types of villains. When I wrote The Alpha, I loved writing about the heroine. Strong and feisty woman falling for a geeky guy. Now I'm writing The Dragonslayer, and I'm falling in love with the hero.

Come back tomorrow for The Alpha cover reveal!

Wicked Wednesday - The Dragonslayer

1303 - The Dragonslayer

Dragons never went extinct. They evolved with human society, taking on mortal forms, and slithered their way into positions of great influence and power. The dragonslayers, too, changed into something new. They became men who live in the shadows and carry guns rather than lances. No longer celebrated heroes, they are the outlaws now. Just as the dragons wish it.

Perching on the rooftop of neighboring building, Xanthus Ehrensvard fires and misses his target, Governor Whittaker. How he missed the shot, he doesn't know, but in fleeing the scene, he picks up an unwanted passenger. Gorgeous reporter Lois King saw Xan's face, and she believes it's the story to make her career. Except he can't let her walk away knowing what he looks like. Xan has to show her the Governor is a bigger threat to the world than he is.

It's no easy chore proving to someone that dragons still exist, and even more so, they're disguised as famous people. Xan must convince Lois or find another way to silence her. An option, as he gets to know her, he likes less and less. Even as he battles Lois' tenacity, he must make a plan to slay the dragon or risk its retribution.

(Blurb subject to change!)

The idea of a modern day dragonslayer has long been in my head. What if some of those infamous assassins we know from history were saving the world from something worse?

I also imagine dragonslayers still hold to a rigid code. No more gleaming suits of armor, but they're still paladins nonetheless. Honorable, chivalrous, and dedicated.