W4WS for November 2013

Welcome to the November 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.

Michael Offutt writes speculative fiction books that have science fiction, LGBT, and paranormal elements. His first book, Slipstream has received some critical acclaim and was published by Double Dragon in 2012. You can find Michael on his blog, Twitter, and Facebook.

On A More Somber Note: Nick Wilford at Scattergun Scribblings superstar boy Andrew sadly passed away in his sleep a few days ago. Kyra Lennon is coordinating flowers/donation from authors for Nick and his family. Kyra is one of Nick's crit partners. If you want to donate and/or pass on the info, feel free. You can send money through Paypal to Kyra. Her Paypal address is kyralennon@gmail.com

 

Although it's early days, and we're not sure what Nick's family need right now (not that there's anything that can REALLY help), if anyone would like to donate some money to send them some flowers to let them know we're thinking of them, and any remaining money can be donated to a charity of their choice.

 

You can send money through Paypal - because that's the easiest way for it to be collected and sent on. Any donations are welcome - if you can only afford £1/$1, then great! If you can't afford anything, don't feel bad. What we're doing here is trying to let Nick and his family know that - as a group - us writers are there for him.

The 13th Floor collection blog tour continues and W4WS event for October 2013

Have you ever wondered what the 13th floor looks like?

Today you can take a tour. No one's home. It's safe to poke around. Go on to the lovely Trisha's blog and check it out.

Be one of the first to enter this week's giveaway!

Welcome to the October 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. 

Alex J. Cavanaugh. Ninja Captain. Science-fiction writer extraordinaire. You can find him at his blog and Twitter.

Isis Rushdan is the talented author of KINDRED OF THE FALLEN. You can find her at her site, blog, Twitter, and Facebook.

St. Peter at the Gate guest post and W4WS event for Septemeber 2013

Welcome to the September 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. 

Cherie Reich is a self-proclaimed bookworm, a speculative fiction author, a freelance editor, and a book blogger. Her epic YA fantasy novel, REBORN, will be released May of 2014. Right now, her Nightmare Collection is just 99 cents! You can find Cherie on her blog, site, Facebook, and Twitter.

Helen Ginger is the author of three non-fiction books, a short story anthology, and a contemporary fiction novel, ANGEL SOMETIMES. She maintains an informational and interactive blog for writers and a weekly e-newsletter that has been going out to subscribers around the globe for thirteen years. You can find Helen on her site, blog, and Facebook.

Now on to our guest post by the talented M. Pepper Langlinais!

My award-winning novella St. Peter in Chains is currently free on Amazon (Kindle format only). In it, British spy Peter Stoller falls in love and must deal with the consequences when his lover is accused of espionage. And be sure to read the sequel, St. Peter at the Gate, in preparation for the third installment, St. Peter Ascends, which I hope to have out next year. As a fun little exercise, I’ve written a piece that shows Charles and Peter at Peter’s childhood home in Derbyshire. It is Charles’s first visit; Peter almost never goes home. Unlike the novellas, which focus on Peter’s perspective, this bit is told from Charles’s point of view. I hope you enjoy it!

He found Peter seated on a chair in the garden, a book from the house library open on his lap, the morning sun slanting over him in dappled kisses. For some, the honesty of light makes them appear older, but on Peter it had the opposite effect, making him unaccountably unlined, young and innocent. Charles felt ancient by comparison, though there were not a full five years of difference in their actual ages.

Peter knew he was there; Charles was certain of it. The appearance of youth did not bestow a lack of intelligence, and Peter’s work was as embedded in him as any genetic code. But Peter kept his eyes on his book as Charles walked over to join him.

The garden was enclosed in low hedges and ringed in rose bushes that were only just beginning to bud. A flagstone path led to a similarly paved square that held two chairs and a small table between them. The chairs faced out rather than one another, as if it was not expected that two people might want to look at each other while conversing. This simple arrangement told Charles more about Peter’s home life than anything else he’d yet encountered in the house.

But then, they had not yet seen Peter’s mother.

“You’re up early,” Charles remarked as he eased into the vacant chair. “Couldn’t sleep?”

“Mum only allows breakfast until eight,” said Peter, never looking up from his book. “One has to be up early if one wants to eat.”

Charles’s eyes traveled up the lovely grey stone of the house. Beautiful, but not warm. He suddenly understood why Peter had come out into the garden to read; the chairs were not the most comfortable, but there was warmth here that the plush armchairs of the library could not provide. The house radiated cool, even chill; the garden, with its smell of grass and perfume of roses, offered contentment and unspoken kindness.

“It’s a good thing I’m not hungry, then, I suppose,” Charles said. He hesitated, then asked the question that weighed on him. “Will she like me?”

“No.”

The answer came so quickly, and with such certainty, that Charles started where he sat. He looked hard at Peter, who finally deigned to lift his gaze from the pages. “I’m sorry,” Peter went on, though his tone was matter-of-fact, “but better to know the truth. Then you won’t need to waste any time trying to make a good impression. Ah, God,” he sighed, his eyes turning toward the house, and Charles looked too.

She was coming up the path toward them, her spine erect, her face pinched. But what surprised Charles—though why it should, he didn’t know—was how like Peter she looked. Or rather, he looked like her, Charles supposed. The same aristocratic cheekbones and stubborn mouth. And now the faces wore identical expressions, ones akin to two knights readying for the joust.

Pick up your copy of St. Peter in Chains on Amazon.

And you can find St. Peter at the Gate here!

W4WS event for August 2013

Welcome to the August 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. 

Carrie Butler has a great passion for NA and is co-founder of NA Alley. Check out her fabulous NA paranormal series called The Mark of Nexus. Her first book in the series, STRENGTH, will be available for 99 cents this week! You can find Carrie on her website, Twitter, and Facebook.

C. Lee McKenzie is a YA and MG writer with several wonderful books available including ALLIGATORS OVERHEAD and THE PRINCESS OF LAS PULGAS. She also has immensely helpful advice for writers on her blog. Check Lee out at her website, Twitter, and Facebook.

Day three of The Ghost blog tour, Cloaked in Fur cover reveal, and W4WS Event for July 2013

Is it day three of the tour already?

There's lots of fun to be had, but don't forget to buy your copy of THE GHOST.

Amazon * B&N * Kobo * Smashwords

Also, don't forget to answer the 13th Floor series poll about whose origin story you'd like to see in the collection!

I have two amazing hosts who have been generous enough to lend me their blogs today.

It's the final book of the series. How do I get this one right?

Pick up a few tips on Nutschell's blog.

You love the tenants of the 13th Floor,

but there could have been a different cast of characters.

Find out who didn't make the cut on Heather Holden's blog.

Today's tidbit: I've been really nervous about THE GHOST being the last book of the series. My CPs and beta reader loved it, but I'm anxiously waiting to hear what readers think. Did I give them an ending that emotionally touched them? Was it satisfying?

Now onto T.F. Walsh's awesome cover reveal!

Blurb:
As a moonwulf, Daciana never expected to fall in love with a human. Hell, she never imagined that she’d abandon her pack, endanger everyone around her, and break the worst rule possible. But she did.

A rogue werewolf is killing Daciana’s friends, and she sets on capturing the creature. She’ll do whatever it takes to stop the beast. The police and her boyfriend, Inspector Connell Lonescu, are starting to question her involvement in the murders, which is endangering the pack’s secret existence. But when the pack alpha kidnaps Connell, revealing the awful truth about the creature and its connection to the pack, Daciana must choose between saving the man she loves and saving her pack family from certain death.

Paranormal suspense with strong romance.

Publisher: Crimson Romance

To be released August 5, 2013.

Pre-order it on Amazon.

About the Author
T.F. Walsh emigrated from Romania to Australia at the age of eight and now lives in a regional city south of Sydney with her husband. Growing up hearing dark fairytales, she's always had a passion for reading and writing horror, paranormal romance, urban fantasy and young adult stories. She balances all the dark with light fluffy stuff like baking and traveling.

Author Links

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Pinterest * Goodreads

Welcome to the July 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. 

Catherine Stine writes fiction for kids, teens, and new adults. Her newest book RUBY'S FIRE has a fabulous cover and a great hook. You can find Catherine on her blog, Facebook, and Twitter.

Brinda Berry is the author of YA books, THE WAITING BOOTH and WHISPER OF MEMORY. Be prepared for a wild ride when you pick up one of her books! You can find Brinda on her site, Facebook, and Twitter.

A to Z Challenge 2013 - M is for Monopoly and the April W4WS event

We're halfway there, folks!

This year for the Challenge, I'm posting snippets from a story.

If you'd like to read the whole tale, please start with A.

M IS FOR MONOPOLY

"When I was little, I had a monster in my closet too." Danielle rubbed the girl's back and didn't protest as Libby leaned against her.

Libby wiped at her cheeks, sniffling. "What did you do? Did someone come save you too?"

"Nope, no one. My parents wouldn't believe me. My brothers made fun of me. But the monster was real." Danielle ran her hands through Libby's blond locks, brushing them back from her face. "I would stay up all night with a flashlight pointed at the closet. To stay awake, I'd play Monopoly. I rolled the dice on my blankets so no one could hear them. I was always the dog. My brothers used to fight over the race car, but I loved the dog."

"I've never played that game," Libby said. Her voice was soft, but there were no more tears.

"Kids these days don't play it anymore. You have cool video games." Danielle gave the girl a little smile. "But one night, I fell asleep and the light went out. No one can stay up all night all the time. The monster came out and pinned me down on the game board with one big paw. It was going to eat me. I knew it. Its mouth was huge.

"I started kicking and screaming. I wasn't going to end up in a monster's belly. Then my hands started to glow, and the little dog yelled at me to kill the monster. Well, if my dog said I could do it, I was going to do it." Danielle made a slicing motion with her hand. "I killed it. Just like that."

"But I can't kill the monsters." Libby's lower lip trembled.

"That's all right. You have me to kill them for you." Danielle hugged the child. Tight.

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 fantastically talented writers.

E.J. Wesley is a scribbler of words and author of the Moonsongs series. It's a kick-butt NA paranormal series which I highly recommend. Check him out on his blog, Facebook, and Twitter.

M. Pepper Langlinais is an award-winning screenwriter and bestselling author. Her newest book, The K-Pro, is a contemporary fantasy that's highly original and superbly written. Check her out at her blog, Twitter, and The K-Pro's site.

Writers4Writers Group

Today is the official kickoff of the Writers4Writers Group. Yippee! I've teamed together with three marvelous authors, Mary Pax, C.M. Brown, and Stephen Tremp, to show our support for our fellow writers. We invite you to spare a minute of your time to do the same.

Our featured author this month is Nancy S. Thompson. Her new thriller, The Mistaken is now available on Amazon. Please stop by Nancy's blog and copy and paste her prewritten Tweets onto your Twitter page. Then stop by our W4WS Facebook page and share her link with your friends. That's it! Simple. Fast. Powerful.

The W4WS Group's Mission:

• Help writers bring awareness of their book(s) to tens of thousands of new people

• Help writers reach Amazon Top 100 in at least one category (i.e., suspense, free, whatever)

• Increase sales of their book(s) after the promo is over

• Drive new traffic to their blog and increase following

• Create verbal and viral buzz.

In A Nut Shell: the spotlighted author will choose a social media avenue such as Twitter or Facebook (or both). Each month we will spotlight one, two, or possibly three new authors.

 
Then, the good people of Blogdom will promote the author’s book to their Twitter followers or Facebook friends, and thus to incredibly large new audiences the author could not reach on their own.

Please show your support for your fellow writers and sign up on the linky list below!

Sunday sales peek and what's coming up this week

Only 11 days until the release of the first book in my 13th Floor series, 1301 - The Marquis. It's coming on so quickly. You can see all the wonderful blogs I'll be visiting on my blog tour if you click on the 13th Floor series tab above. I'd like to remind you all if you'd like to be part of one or more of the upcoming blog tours, please email me. The more the merrier!

This week, there's a lot of exciting things happening. I'm hosting Cherie Reich tomorrow for her newest release, The Nightmare Collection. I'll be interviewing a brave young woman by the name of Cassie Richards and talking about her horrific experiences with the monster.

On Wednesday, it's the Insecure Writer's Support Group hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh. I'll be posting on the right day this month!

This Thursday is the very first Writers4Writers Group post. It's a brilliant way for writers to help other writers through social media. It's as fast and simple as a tweet.

I hadn't checked on my sales for about four weeks. November was a busy month. It was also a very bad month for sales. I've noticed a few other writers have mentioned this as well. Maybe everyone was too busy NaNo-ing? Or maybe I just need to promote some more.

Fearless still does pretty well. Hopefully it'll get a boost when The Marquis is released. These are my Fearless total sales since August. (Not including anything that's been downloaded from Kobo as they don't track free downloads.)
Amazon - 3921
Smashwords - 890
B&N - 3

Downloads for L'il Gal Al and the Zombies of Amarillo still mosey along like a tortoise on a desert vacation.
Amazon - 5
Smashwords - 89
B&N - 3