I have moved!

 

Hello everyone! It's been a long time, but I'm getting a fresh start on a new site. Click on the above image to follow me to my lovely new home on Wix.

I hope you're all safe and well.

Keep reading!

Fantasy and PNR Summer Book Fair

Over 100 authors are participating in this awesome promo!

FREE books and book samples from every sub-genre of Fantasy and PNR. This includes my edgy paranormal, The 13th Floor Complete Collection.

Fill up your e-reader and enjoy the last days of summer with wonderful stories!

Click on the image above or here!

Free Romance & Fantasy books!

FREE BOOKS!

Do I need to add anything else?

Other than the fact that my paranormal romance, The 13th Floor Complete Collection is part of the promo!

Just click on the image to take you there.

100 books for 99c!

This fabulous promotion includes the first novel from my pen name, Morena Silver. Love and adventure on the endless seas in Harnessing the Winds!

As an added bonus...

Please consider leaving reviews for these authors. Even though you're getting a book for free or 99c, it doesn't devalue all the hard work they put into these stories.

Word Witch Wednesday - more on marketing

Just when you think you know the general rules of marketing your work, something else comes along. If you're like me and don't have a lot of time to stay on top of every little thing, it helps to have other people give you a head's up. Here are a few new things that have come up this year that authors need to know.

The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Some of you might have heard about this. It may be a European law, but it affects all businesses including writers. These regulations will better protect people's information online. It will help it from being used for purposes other than what they have given permission for.

If you have a newsletter, you will need to have readers resubscribe to give you explicit permission to email them. Yes, this is only for Europeans at the moment, but it is good if you have all readers do so.

Update: If you wish only to have your European readers resubscribe, but you don't know which ones are in that region, Mailerlite will be releasing new tools later this month that will allow you to see what country your subscribers are from. I hope other email marketing sites will do the same thing.

Amazon reviews. Oh, Amazon. Always messing around with rules about reviews. The newest one is that a review will be deleted if it states that person received a free copy of the book in exchange for a review. I've recently posted a few reviews which included that, and my reviews have not been taken down. Yet.

More links for you:

18 exciting book marketing predictions for 2018.

Top Facebook marketing trends for 2018.

8 new graphic design trends for 2018.

12 book marketing mistakes.

Do you have any news on author marketing? Please share with us in the comments below.

Word Witch Wednesday - hooray for Story Genius

I'm starting off the year reading an incredible book on writing from Lisa Cron called Story Genius. I don't think I've ever been this excited about a book on the craft. While other ones have inspired me, Cron has opened my eyes and changed how I write for the better.

It's difficult to find a book on writing for pantsers. Most are for plotters, and many insist that pantsers will never be able to write good stories. This raises my hackles. Comments like that will make me put a book down and never pick it up again. One of my idols, Stephen King, is a pantser. A fact I delightfully discovered only recently.

When I write, I have the protagonist already forming in my mind. I know where the story starts and where I want it to go. How it gets there is always a surprise, but I love it. I write organically. The opening event happens, and it all flows from there. Action, reaction. Consequence, reaction. Action, reaction. Consequence, reaction. The story drives itself for me that way.

So how does Cron's book help me when I just let it flow like that? She bases her book on neuroscience. Of course that interested me in itself, but when she explained stories with science, it clicked with me. It's not beautiful prose or a clever plot that makes for a good story (though those things are the cherries on top), it's how the story connects to the readers emotionally. More particularly, how the protagonist connects to the readers emotionally.

There are no detailed character bios or elaborate plotting to be done in Cron's exercises. She helps bring you to the core of your story with the essential elements that make up your protagonist.

I did this with my current trilogy and totally blew myself away. I discovered what drives my story. It was the core of my story all along! No wonder my protagonist gives me trouble. She was fighting it and I was fighting it. But now I know how to write it so it's a specific internal conflict instead of something I knew was there, but couldn't properly get on the screen.

I want to rattle on and on, but you'll just have to read the book for yourself. I highly recommend it.

Have you read any of Cron's books? Is there a book on writing that has affected you this way?

P.S. I'm so excited that in February, Lisa Cron will be writing a short article for the IWSG newsletter. If you haven't signed up for the newsletter, click here. You don't want to miss it!

And don't forget that next week is the #IWSGPit. Polish up your manuscript pitches! It's a great opportunity and free for all writers. I'll see you then!

Book Holly-Days Promo and Giveaway!

It's the day after Christmas, when all through the house,

There's a big mess of boxes, and too many cookies for a giant mouse.

Settle in with your ereader and under the covers you stay,

Relax and enjoy a happy Book Holly-Day!

Yeah, no one ever said I was a poet.

Fantasy Book Giveaways is hosting this spectacular holiday event. We have 30 fabulous authors participating, and all of their books are free to read on Kindle Unlimited.

Plus there's a big giveaway for books and an Amazon gift card! Just click on the image above to take you to the site.

Many of the authors are having sales on their books too. Like me! All the books in my thrilling TOTEM series are 99 cents now through January 1st.

Indulge yourself.

Happy Christmas! All the books in the TOTEM series are 99c until January 1st!

Merry Christmas from my house to yours!

Enjoy the fun and festive times with your friends and family.

As a big thank you to all my wonderful readers, I have put all the books in my thrilling urban fantasy series, TOTEM, on sale for 99c.

Dark Dawning

Silent Whispers

Cloak of Snow

Shattered Spirit

Ghost Cat

Deep Current

Shadows Fall

Descending Moon

True Shifter

The series is always free to read on Kindle Unlimited.

Word Witch Wednesday - the ever evolving land of book marketing

One of the things that cause me the most stress is marketing. I just want to write! But it's part of an author's job to market their work too. So I do a lot of research. When I think I have a handle on things and make a plan, the world of book marketing changes. And it keeps changing.

1. Newsletters. At the beginning of the year, this was the new big thing. Build your email list! Now people are pulling back from them. There are just too many, and several of them are just vehicles for authors to promote other authors' books. I've unsubscribed from dozens of them, because as a reader, I'm interested in the writer I subscribed to, not ads for other people's books.

Is it still good to have a newsletter? Yes. Remember though, you are sending it out to readers. They want to know about you and your work. I've changed the way I set up my newsletter and send it out only once a month. They're shorter and more personal, like an email to a friend. I've gotten far less unsubscribes this way.

2. Blogs. You can find articles proclaiming blogging is going out of style or has been out for a long time. Yes, some people have left blogging and turned to other social media. Time is precious, and people don't want to spend it reading long articles.

Should you give up blogging? No. If you have the time to invest in it, it can be worthwhile. I use my blog to connect with writers and readers. I love the community of author bloggers I follow. The support and encouragement of fellow writers is invaluable. I've cut back to once a week, but I can't see myself ever closing down my blog.

3. Social Media. We've heard this before: it's like shouting into the void. No one's going to hear you. It doesn't sell books. Many articles counsel stepping back from spending time on social media and just writing instead. Which is good advice. We shouldn't be spending too much time on social media. Writing more stories is the number one priority for an author.

So no more social media? It can help as long as you remember that social media is for being social. It's for interaction, and if that's something you really enjoy, go find where your audience is. Mingle and make connections.

4. Paid Ads. So many seem to fail. Writers aren't rich folks. Spending money on an ad that won't even make you the money back you spent on it is useless. The once popular paid ad sites are no longer attracting readers. Only BookBub gets sales, and very few of us can afford them.

From my research, one thing almost everyone agrees on is that paid ads do work... IF you know where your audience is. It does take a lot of research to find out where best to promote your books. If you're doing a 99 cent sale or offering up a book for free for a limited time, this is when paying for an ad can help.

What have you noticed that has changed in the book marketing world recently?

Word Witch Wednesday - 2017 writing goals

It's a brand new shiny year. Time to start things off with a cheer. This begins by reviewing last year's goals.

2016 GOALS

1. Write the rest of the Totem books and start to publish them. Well, I wrote six of them and started on the seventh. Two things got in the way of this goal: my health and marketing. I'm telling myself to be satisfied that four are out and two are coming, and I haven't set a deadline to stress myself with for the last three.

2. Revise and submit the Sasquatch Susies series to my publisher. Done. They were published. My publisher closed. So I have no idea how the books did.

3. Read and review 100 books. Done! I did include books I read with my son. I believe children's books need love on Goodreads too.

4. Write and submit six short stories. Done. I was short-listed three times for pro markets, but I didn't make it.

5. Blogging. Finding a balance between writing and blogging. I still haven't found it.

2017 GOALS

1. Write the final three Totem novellas and publish them.

2. Write the second two books in the Of Blood and Sorrow trilogy. I'd like to say I'll publish them by the end of the year, but they will be two full sized novels, and I will not publish one until the other is done.

3. Self-publish the books I had with my publisher. I'm allowed to keep the covers at least!

4. Read and review 100 books. I hope to keep this up for the rest of my life!

5. Write and submit six short stories. I can't say I have time to write one every month, but sometimes a great idea for a flash piece hits me, and I have to scribble it down. I'm still aiming at the pro markets.

6. Continue to study and try out different marketing techniques. Slowly but surely, I'm learning. I'm trying to figure out what works for me. And I will definitely share with you what I've learned.

7. Improve my writing speed and focus. Last month, I used writing sprints, and they've been working for me. It silences my inner editor and the words flow. I don't know if I could ever get to 5000 words an hour, but that much a day would be amazing.

What are your goals for the year?

A reminder from your friendly neighborhood polar bear:

Ghost Cat prowls into pre-order!

Bigfoot is rampaging through a small fishing town, and he has friends.

The whispers say a boy is missing. Kinley Dorn can’t ignore them. The last time she did, a giant almost killed her. Her investigation in the boy’s disappearance leads her and her boyfriend, Ransom Averill, to a village on Lake Iliamna. Unfortunately, that boy isn’t the only child missing.

Some folks claim Bigfoot is taking the children, but the gentle creature usually stays away from humans. Kinley believes a totem is making Bigfoot act strangely, but can she and Ransom find it before more kids are abducted?

Coming January 23rd, 2017.

Pre-order it on Amazon. 

 Add it to read on Goodreads.

I hope this cover is as haunting as I feel it to be. I did very little in the creation of it. Sorry! No big story on this one. The model was perfect. Not even any flyaway hairs for me to deal with.

The background is one of my favorites. I use it here on my blog. The fog and snow create the perfect atmosphere.

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Only 20 days until Christmas! Are you all ready for the holidays?

I've been working on a special Holiday Feast (of books!) with other authors, and wow! It's going to be huge. Check out the page for details! I'll be keeping you updated.

Word Witch Wednesday - finicky fonts

I've spent as much time looking at fonts as I have looking for images for my book covers. Fonts say a lot about a story. This includes the type you use inside a book and on the outside of it. They must fit the mood, tone, and voice.

Maybe I put more pressure on myself than I should when it comes to fonts. I am my own worst boss when it comes to these things. But if you look at your favorite book covers and take note of the title, you will see how much of an impact it has on your opinion of the story and the overall effect of the cover.

Here are five things to remember when choosing fonts for your books:

1) Fonts are like images. You can't use all of them without permission. Some you even have to pay to use. If you're on a tight budget, make certain you are using free fonts from sites like 1001 Free Fonts and DaFont.

2) Study book covers in your genre. You will see the majority of them use similar fonts. If you're unsure what types they are, here is an article with several popular fonts for each genre.

3) Experiment with effects. Not just the simple bold and italics. When I use Photoshop, there's a whole bunch of different font effect I can pick. Each one makes the font look so different.

4) Make certain the font is readable. No one will want to read your book if they can't figure out what the title is or if they get a headache reading the fancy script you chose for the story text itself.

5) Use a different font for the title and your name. Contrasting fonts draw the eye. Check out this article for a more in-depth explanation of contrasting fonts.

How do you choose fonts for your books? What types of fonts draw you as a reader?

Word Witch Wednesday - tips for image shopping

What do you think of the new name for my Wednesday feature? I decided to change it, because there are a lot of "Wicked Wednesdays" out there. Originally I intended to talk about paranormal romance on Wednesdays, but it has grown past that. I talk about all aspects of being a writer, or rather, a word witch!

Last month I was gifted a subscription to BigStock. (Thanks, Mom!) I checked around, and they have one of the best deals for images.

Shopping for images is glorious and grueling. I spent hours upon hours looking at pictures. In the end, I was happy with what I found, and I learned a lot along the way.

Whether you're shopping images for book covers, ads, or blogs, here are five tips that can help make your job easier.

1) Know exactly what you want. Don't even go in with a vague idea, because it's easy to get click happy and buy several pretty pictures that you won't use. Use specific words and filter your image search.

2) For that image search, be aware that one word might not bring up what you want. Typing in "blonde" will get you many things along with a blonde woman. Be descriptive. "Serious blonde woman standing." You'll still get brunettes and smiling models, but the number of images will be much smaller.

Bonus tip: if you want a great moody image of a person that isn't smiling, try typing in "vogue shot" with your description.

3) Turn the safe search off. What? How naughty of me? So many images get pegged as unsafe for one reason or another, and it doesn't mean they're risque pictures. (Though, yes, some are!) You can double your search results by not having the safe search on.

4) If the site allows it, click on specific photographers and models. You might find the perfect model for your cover, but the poses that come up in the original search aren't what you want. Click on the photographer or model, and you'll usually discover many more images to choose from.

Bonus tip: I found that I was drawn to a few photographers. Take the time to check out the portfolios of ones you like. It's like finding buried treasure!

5) When you type in your search, the most popular images come up first. I have seen so many overused and familiar images. (At one point, I was certain almost every author and publisher got their images from BigStock!) Dig deep into the site. Click past those super popular images and find something you've never seen before.

Have you ever bought pictures from a stock image site? Do you have any tips to share?

Wicked Wednesday - shouting it out

When I meet someone or run in to a person I haven't seen in a long time, I do not announce that I'm a writer. In fact, I'm shy about telling people I write books, and it has nothing to do with the genres I write either.

I know lots of writers have the same problem. I promised myself that this year I would be more bold. When I fill out forms for the doctor or dentist, I won't put homemaker as my job. I'll put author. When someone asks what I do for a living, I will declare I'm a writer. Well, I might get a little squirmy and blush and mumble, but I'll get it out.

I had my first opportunity last week (not including my dentist appointment last month!). My husband and I were working out at the gym, and we ran into a guy my husband used to work with. He's a friendly, everyday sort of guy.

I was already red and sweaty from being on a machine. So I thought here's my chance. I can do this!

When the guy asked what I've been doing, I told him I was a writer. He perked up, interested in hearing more, and asked what I wrote. I replied, "I write books for adults."

 

I received an odd look. He said, "Oh yeah?"

 

I took a deep breath. "Yeah, I write books for grown-ups." Not any better. Come on, come on. "Urban fantasy and paranormal stories. And erotic romance."

Ha! I said it out loud. Yes!

The guy was very cool about it. He asked if I had a fun pen name and if I had a publisher. He thinks I should have gone with a funny pen name, but at least we were all laughing and talking about it.

If you're a writer, do you proudly declare it to everyone or are you shy about it?

And speaking of books for adults, you can pre-order Big Yearning on Amazon and Kobo. Two more days until the release!

Wicked Wednesday - stuff that stocking!

What does Santa stuff your stocking with?

My mom still buys stockings and stuffs them for my brother and I. My husband is very appreciative of this because that means he doesn't have to do it! Mostly she fills it with toiletries, treats, socks, and notebooks.

If I could choose what Santa put into my stocking, it would be books. (And chocolate!) While I do love paper books, I could get more if I had an electronic stocking to stuff with ebooks. I've read over 100 books this year and the great majority of them were on my Kindle.

Here's your chance to stuff your digital stocking! Mary Pax is hosting the Stuff Your Stocking Event. There are 17 free ebooks from MG to YA to comics and fantasy and sci-fi and paranormal romance. Even a cookbook! Plus there's a giveaway for a $40 gift card. Click on the link and give yourself some gifts.

Included in the event is your chance to get either The 13th Floor Complete Collection or Of Blood and Sorrow. All you have to do is join my newsletter. See that handy dandy little widget on the right of my blog? Just type your email address in and jingle-jingle! You can pick either ebook in whatever format you need.

Tawa also wants me to remind you that Fearless is always free. So many readers have expressed their love for her (and the story!) over the years, I might be posting a new Fearless story on Wattpad next year. Either a prequel to this one or a tale about another Fearless warrior.

Blood, Boobs & Carnage Blogfest

This tons of fun blogfest is hosted by two awesome writers, Alex J. Cavanaugh and Heather Gardner.

The details: On May 18, 2015, post about a movie, television show, book, or all three that falls into the category of Blood, Boobs, and Carnage. (Or just Blood and Carnage or other mixture.) It can be any genre that fits the bill – fantasy, science fiction, action, adventure, western, thriller, etc. Post the badge and visit other participants.

Decisions, decisions. I thought long and hard about this post. Do I post about shows everyone knows like Game of Thrones and True Blood or do I go more obscure like Baise Moi or The Human Centipede? (And beware to anyone who dares look up that last one!)

I'm going middle of the road. This film did get a little notoriety, but many of you might not have heard of it. Yet it's stayed with me after all these years.

High Tension (originally Haute Tension released in 2003) is about two college friends, Marie and Alexa, who are visiting Alexa's parents' country home when a serial killer shatters their quiet getaway.

A stylized slasher film with a stunning twist at the end. You've got tons of blood and carnage, and a nod to the boobs. The two actresses playing the leads are awesome. Highly recommended if you're a fan of this genre.

I can't wait to see what bloody, jiggly, and gory posts you have for us today! 

Wicked Wednesday - holiday reads

It's that wonderful time of year...

     where we all hope to grab some quiet reading time amongst the holiday chaos!

I love snuggling under a blanket with a good book when it's cold and dark outside. With so much going on during December, I don't like to delve into any deep reads. I crave omething light and fun with a happily ever after.

I don't usually go searching for holiday themed books, but when I find a good one, it makes me extra happy. Recently I read Mistletoe & Memories by Matilda Maxwell. This is a perfect example of a festive and fun read.

My little guy is really into The Night Before Christmas and The Great Reindeer Rebellion this year. Children's books really get me in the festive mood too.

What are your favorite holiday reads?

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Here's another holiday read for you.

Fantasy Uprising from Untethered Realms is now available!

A collection of nine fantastic, spine-tingling stories. Magic. Mystery. Murder. Heartbreak and Hope. Defeat and Victory. The incredible and Horrific. Fantasy Uprising delivers a heaping serving of the best in fantasy.

It's now on Smashwords, Amazon, and Google Play.

And you can get this awesome collection for a mere 99 cents!

Friday Five for November 21, 2014

1. I'm so close to finishing my third and final D&D novella. I'll get some extra writing time this evening as my son is at a pajama party at preschool. I'll give it that ol' NaNoWriMo push. I have peanut butter cookies ready to be baked in celebration.

2. I had a few short story rejections recently. I have only one left out there in submission. I really need to write some new short fiction to submit. My first project: a Christmas flash piece for my local critique group meeting next month.

3. I don't know if it's old age, but I have developed a habit where I talk to the books I'm reading. Most of the time, I'm alone. I've never done this before. I surprise myself with it sometimes. I always imagined myself as the crazy old book lady. So I guess talking to books is a good start.

4. I ran out of chocolate this week. With all the writing I've been doing, my appetite has soared. My imagination must be getting a major work-out. I wish it translated into actual loss of calories.

5. My son has next week off school and we'll be visiting my in-laws, so it will be a partial vacation from the interwebs for me. Pop on by for an awesome sci-fi book review on Monday and a few D&D teasers on Wednesday. Have a great weekend!

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

* * * * *

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. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday Five for September 26, 2014

1. Less than one week until I have my cast removed! I will be in a brace or splint, but it will be nice to have it gone. I'm still not feeling energetic, but I'm slowly getting back into the groove.

2. I've been critiquing and catching up on little things this week. There have been lots of things going on with Untethered Realms. October will be a BIG month. Don't forget to preorder our anthology, Twisted Earths, and you can choose one ebook from any of the authors for free.

3. It's the start of the new season of TV shows. I've been watching Doctor Who, The Big Bang Theory, and Modern Family. Gotham is a new one on FOX. It has potential if it doesn't overdo it with the kids. I can't wait for The Walking Dead and Supernatural. And finally there's the new sci-fi series, Ascension. My fingers are crossed it will be good. What are you watching?

4. I've no plans for the weekend, but we're coming up on my favorite month of the year. Autumn leaves, pumpkin patches, apple picking, and Halloween. I can't wait!

5. Have you taken your Shelfie yet?

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 is another one of my bookshelves. A lot of hardcovers here and my old university textbooks. I find it very difficult to part with any sort of book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday Five for September 19, 2014

1. Thank you so much for all your congratulations about my big news. I love this community. Your support and encouragement mean so much to me.

2. My wrist is doing well, but healing still leaves me utterly exhausted. I haven' t done any writing, but I've managed to get some critiquing done. My local critique group meets tomorrow, and I can only hope I don't doze off as I do at that time of day!

3. I've been cleaning out my Kindle. I had a lot of ebooks on it that I didn't get past 10%. I've also had a few that really surprised me with how great they were. Rarely in the past did I ever not finish a book, even if it was horrible, but with my huge TBR list, I have to be picky. It is difficult for me to do because I know how much work authors put into their stories.

4. I received another rejection for my urban fantasy novel earlier this week. I sent it to the publishers I really thought might like it. It's quirky and unusual and tells a powerful story. I will be self-publishing it next year. So be ready for a huge year of releases in 2015 from me!

5. Have you taken your Shelfie yet?

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.

I have several bookshelves in my house. I have too many books to fit in them. This is but one of my overstuffed shelves. Double-stacked, if you can tell!

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