Friday Five for May 8, 2015

1. Great news! I finally have a new editor with Ellora's Cave. She's quick, hilarious, and a geek. We get along wonderfully. She's enthusiastic about the next two books in my Dice & Debauchery series, and we have a release date for the second one called Layers of Lace. May 29th! Yeah, I know. It's not that far away! That date is also my wedding anniversary. So I'll have double the reason to celebrate!

2. Will I be doing a tour for the newest book? No. I'm still exhausted from the previous ones. I'll wait until the final book is released and then find a fun way to promote the whole D&D series.

3. With being sick and doing the revisions, I haven't had a chance to do any new writing or catch up on everything online. Next week should be quieter for me, and then I'll get everything in order before my son is on summer break. Wait. It's almost summer already?!

4. Today I'm helping my son's preschool set up for a big rummage sale. I was happy to purge more than I expected from our house. Funny how getting rid of physical things can make us feel lighter on every level. Do you like to go to rummage sales? Have you ever found a hidden treasure at one?

5. Happy Mother's Day this Sunday to all the wonderful moms and like-moms out there!

Ghost of Death Tour - guest post by Chrys Fey

I'm excited to host the wonderful Chrys Fey. I can't wait to read her newest stories! Love those covers. Take it away, Chrys!

Thank you for letting me borrow you blog for the day, Christine!

Have you ever wondered how to tell whether or a ghost or not? No? I’m the only one? Oh well! I guess as a writer who wrote a short story about a ghost, I can get away with this kind of thinking. So here are 7 signs you’re a ghost:

1. No one can see or hear you.

2. You can’t smell anything. Not even a pile of dog poop at your feet.

3. Your hands pass through objects like mist.

4. You can’t cry. Try as you might.

5. When you try to take a breath, your chest doesn’t rise.

6. You feel nothing, No pain. No sensations. Nothing.

7. You’re standing over your dead body. 

Title: Ghost of Death

Author: Chrys Fey

Genre: Supernatural/Suspense

Format: eBook Only
Page Count: 41 (short story)

Release Date: April 22nd, 2015

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Blurb:

Jolie Montgomery, a twenty-one-year-old woman, wakes up in an alley next to her corpse. She has no memories of her murder or the night she died. She didn’t even see the killer’s face before he or she took her life. Wanting justice, Jolie seeks answers in the only way a ghost can...by stalking the lead detective on the case.

Avrianna Heavenborn is determined to find the person responsible for a young woman’s death. She gets closer to the killer’s identity with every clue she uncovers, and Jolie is with her every step of the way.

But if they don’t solve her murder soon, Jolie will be an earth-bound spirit forever.

Book Links:

Amazon US / Amazon UK / The Wild Rose Press / NOOK / KOBO

Excerpt:

            With the sound of her mom’s grief wafting up to her, Jolie came to terms with her present state. I’m dead and now my mom knows it. She eyed the door in front of her. She hadn’t yet walked through a door, but if her hand could pass through metal then she knew she could move

through wood.

If I have to be a ghost then I’ll be a damn good one. All across the afterlife I’ll be known as the Ghost of Death! And I’m going to start by walking through this damn door!

            She would’ve taken a deep breath to brace herself if she could have, so she mentally pumped herself up instead. You can do it! Easy-peasy. Nothing to it. And she took a step forward. Solid matter slipped around and through her form. On the other side, a familiar site confronted her: a black and white bed, the bright green shag carpet in the middle of the room, and a white desk.

            Stepping up to her desk, Jolie eyed her ancient desktop computer, the one she used before her dad gifted her with a laptop when she announced she was accepted to the local university. Wanting to send out the first ever tweet from the afterlife, she pushed the button to bring the device to life, but her finger poker straight through it. Resigning to her Twitter-less fate, she moved toward the full-length mirror hanging on the wall. She saw nothing. Not even a shimmer in the air hinted at her presence.

            Being a ghost sucks!

Available for PRE-ORDER:

Blurb:

Detective Reid Sanders doesn’t believe in the supernatural, but when he’s faced with a crime scene that defies the laws of nature, he has no other choice but to start believing. And solving a magical murder involves working with a witch.

Liberty Sawyer embodies the look of your classic evil witch, so, it’s no surprise when she uncovers the murderer is a witch that she becomes Reid’s number one suspect. If she can’t convince him otherwise, more people could lose their lives to dark magic, including her.

Book Links:

Amazon US / Amazon UK

BIO:

Chrys Fey is the author of Hurricane Crimes and 30 Seconds. She is currently working on the sequel to Hurricane Crimes that’ll serve as book two in the Disaster Crimes series.

When Fey was six years old, she realized her dream of being a writer by watching her mother pursue publication. At the age of twelve, she started writing her first novel, which flourished into a series she later rewrote at seventeen. Fey lives in Florida where she is waiting for the next hurricane to come her way.

You can connect with her on Facebook and her blog, Write with Fey. She loves to get to know her readers! 

Author Links: 

Facebook / Blog / Website / Goodreads 

Thank you all for visiting and hopefully commenting. ;) 

IWSG for May 2015

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 fantastic co-hosts for this month are: Eva Solar, Melanie Schulz, Lisa-Buie Collard, and Stephen Tremp!

I haven't had any time lately to worry about my insecurities. First there was my son's birthday and my mom's week-long visit. Then my husband got sick, and just as he felt a little better, I got rotten sick. Now our little guy is sick.

With all the activity and illnesses, I haven't had any time to write. But I did get a new editor with Ellora's Cave, and she sent me the edits for books two and three of the Dice & Debauchery series. Yay!

I hope you're all avoiding the spring sicknesses going around. Give me my insecurities over a sick little boy any day. 

Writer Mama #Bloghop

I saw this bloghop and I cheered. What an awesome idea from our wonderful host Sharon Bayliss. Parenting is difficult enough alone, but to be a writer mama/papa? It can be crazy.

Today, writer parents share secrets and support each other. The post can be anything related to writing while juggling the responsibilities of parenting. Sharon has even supplied a list of topics for those of us who have very limited time online. Plus, a random poster will win a Writer Mama Care Package (US) or a $25 Amazon gift card (INTL).

Be sure to visit all the participants for great advice, encouragement, and funny stories.

I have so many things to say on the topic of being a writer mama. I'm going to share the greatest misconception people have of me when I tell them I'm an author.

"You're a writer? I bet your son loves it when you read your stories to him. How many children's books do you have published?"

None. Zero. Zilch. Nada.

Just because I have a small child does not mean I write for children. I write for adults. Bloody, scary, intense, and sometimes naughty tales. It never seems to sink in. Usually the next question I'm asked is if I'll write a children's book. Nope. At this point in my life, I have no interest.

"But... you have a child. Don't you read to him?"

Yes. All the time. He loves it when we read books together. In fact, he just turned five and he's reading at a third grade level. We appreciate and love the authors who give us all these fantastic children's stories, but I am not one of them.

My husband and I nurtured a love for reading in our son, and he has a great imagination. I would love it if he decided to follow in my footsteps, but the main thing I want him to see is that his mama is following her dreams. So if he wants to be a chef, an astronaut, or a superhero, I hope he feels that he can do whatever he wants and follow his own dreams.

Friday Five for May 1, 2015

1. Congratulations to everyone who made it through the A to Z Challenge! We had a lot of fun with it over at the Untethered Realms blog. Take a break this weekend. You deserve it!

2. I had a rough day at my local critique group meeting last Saturday. It's been a while since they really tore into one of my stories. I almost forgot how rough it was to do that in person. I've been revising this week. Slowly trying to patch up the problems and make my story work.

3. I haven't done any writing on my WIP lately. Hopefully next week I'll get a chance to jump back into it. I'm also slowly making some headway with my reading. So many great books, so little time!

4. It's going to be a sunny weekend here. My son starts tee ball tomorrow. We're meeting up with friends and having a barbecue. Lots of fun!

5. May starts off with a couple of great bloghops. On Monday, Sharon Bayliss is hosting the Writer Mama (and papa!) Bloghop and it's IWSG day on Wednesday. I'll see you all then! Have a wonderful weekend.

Zadekiel - Patricia Josephine with An Atheist Among Angels

Blurb:

The path is lost.

With Michael gone, the mantle of leadership falls to Zadekiel. In this time of darkness, with tempers running short, Zade struggles to guide his brothers. Hope comes in the form of a green haired woman with a unique gift. She represents a way back to the path they lost when Michael disappeared.

Zephyr fills books with cryptic poetry, a powerful compulsion, which is more a curse than a blessing. With no control over her ability, she struggles to live a normal life. When she meets Zade, he insists her ability is a gift from God. Reluctantly, she agrees to join the cause–it’s hard to dispute a man with wings.

Now the path is found, but one question remains. Will it lead to further darkness?

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VUBND3E

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25316684-zadekiel

Grab the first book in the series, Michael!

Tweets to share:

Michael left and it’s up to Zade to lead his brothers. Is he strong enough to stop evil? http://www.amazon.com/dp/ B00VUBND3E #PathOfAngels #urbanfantasy #NA

Will Zephyr’s gift lead Zade to salvation or astray? http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VUBND3E #PathOfAngels #urbanfantasy #NALit

An archangel and an atheist. Can this unlikely duo save the world? http://www.amazon.com/dp/ B00VUBND3E #PathOfAngels #NA

About the Author: Patricia Josephine never set out to become a writer. In fact, she never considered it an option during high school and college. She was all about art. On a whim, she wrote down a story bouncing in her head. That was the start of it and she hasn't regretted a moment. She writes young adult under the name Patricia Lynne.

Patricia lives with her husband in Michigan, hopes one day to have what will resemble a small petting zoo, has a fondness for dying her hair the colors of the rainbow, and an obsession with Doctor Who.

Links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/plynne_writes

Website: http://www.patricialynne.com

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/108938106639683446081/posts/p/pub

Wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/user/patricialynne07

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13460894.Patricia_Josephine

An Atheist among Angels

Zephyr is one of my favorite characters in the series. She’s smart, strong, and likes to dye her hair fun colors. But my favorite aspect of her is she’s an atheist. I thought that was an interesting dynamic to throw at Zade. He sees her gift as divine and she thinks it’s annoying. I don’t blame her when it likes to butt in. Kind of like my muse.

The thing I refused to do with Zephyr is have her instantly convert. She knows Zade is an archangel and that shakes what she knows, but she decides she’s not about to blindly roll over and throw all her faith in God. Especially after some of the mess-ups she’s seen. If anything, she’s more skeptic of an all-knowing God and has no qualms questioning Zade’s path.

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.