Friday Five for August 9, 2013

1. This week is the one year anniversary of the release of FEARLESS. I haven't had much time to do anything in the way of a celebration, but I'm happy to report that it still receives wonderful reviews and has had over 12,000 downloads. The biggest critique is it's too short. I'm taking that as the readers want more, and thus it's a compliment! You can get your FREE e-copy of the novella on Amazon and Smashwords.

2. I haven't had a chance to do as much writing this week as I wanted. I think I'm over-thinking my short story. I tend to do that with short pieces. Hopefully I'll have it done by the end of the weekend. Knock on wood.

3. I've decided to push back my release date for the 13th Floor collection. There's no way I can have it ready for September 13th. Plus, my critique partners are immensely busy this month. I don't want to add to their loads. I'm doing the cover reveal on September 13th and the official release on October 13th. Yet I want to make October a 13th Floor month. Lots of guest posts, excerpts, tidbits, and giveaways. I'll do an official announcement next week. It was difficult for me to push the date back, but I feel relieved now that I've finally decided to do it.

4. Next week will be a busy week for me. I have my son's preschool orientation, and my husband will be gone for Gen Con Indy. So I'll be a con widow for three days. My son and I will be going with my husband to the convention on Sunday for Family Day. If anyone out there is going and you want to say hi, please let me know! They have a great four day program for writers called the Writer's Symposium. Most of the seminars are free with the purchase of the badge. I highly recommend it. I've learned a lot from years of attending the Symposium.

5. I took my son for his first pony ride yesterday. He was very excited, but then didn't want to ride the pony. His reason: it wasn't "proper." I couldn't get any definite explanation out of him, but he refused to ride. He talked, pet, fed, hugged, and examined the horses. He wasn't afraid. He almost went under a male horse curious as to what was dangling there! I told him what it was, and he nodded, curiosity sated. I had to explain what it was in front of the lone stablehand. A quite handsome stablehand.

Have a great weekend!

Tara Tyler tagged me!

In case you haven't heard, there's a fantastic new book out called POP TRAVEL. And the wonderful author of that book, Tara Tyler has tagged me. So I must answer four questions. Thank you, Tara!

1. How does your writing process work? 
I have a writing process?! I'm a pantser. I start with the idea of a situation and/or a character. Maybe I'll have a few other aspects of the story in mind, but then I just write. I've tried to plot, but my first draft will take me where it wants to take me. Usually that pure creative stream makes sense, and then it's on to revising and editing.

2. What is the hardest part about writing?

Finding the time to write. It's frustrating on the days I only get a few minutes to myself. But then I remind myself that a few minutes is better than none. Every word you write counts. And if you count the business side as part of writing, marketing is definitely the hardest for me.

3. What would you like to try as a writer that you haven't yet?

I would love to try to write a mystery that stumps everyone and has a brilliant ending. I've written mystery subplots, but it's never been my focus, and I don't think they've been incredibly difficult to figure out. 

4. Who are the authors you most admire?

Stephen King, George R.R. Martin, Karen Marie Moning, J.K. Rowling, and Richelle Mead. These authors created worlds I still return to in my mind and characters that I continue to carry with me. They are master storytellers. 

Now it's my turn to tag four awesome writers:
T.F. Walsh
Ellie M. Garratt
Julie Flanders
Clare Dugmore

Insecure Writer's Support Group for August 2013

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.

No matter how much we like it or not, books are going to be judged by their covers. It's difficult finding that perfect cover for your book too. I know I've spent almost as much time on the 13th Floor covers as I did writing. It's that important. The cover represents the story.

I've been struggling for a while now searching for and designing a cover for the 13th Floor collection. I adore my covers for the individual novellas, and they have been well received, but I want the collection cover to be different. I also want to promote it in print, so it has to be front, spine, and back. No easy task.

I started a design that would include all the tenants, using the covers from the novellas. Yet it wasn't original. It didn't give the readers anything new. Plus, the barcode would've covered Xan's chest, and I didn't want to disappoint his fans with that! If only I could convince the tenants to stand together for a group photo in the hallway of the 13th floor. I need a camera to take pictures from inside my head.

I have a new concept I'm trying now. It's different from the clean portraits with the black backgrounds. Will readers like it? Does it represent the entire series? Does it say dark urban fantasy and paranormal romance? Is it too boring? Too subtle? I don't know! I've lost writing time and sleep to this.

I know all I can do is create the best cover I can and put it out there. I'm getting panicky even as I'm just typing this!

Do you judge a book by its cover?

Teaser Tuesday with Joyland

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

JOYLAND is Stephen King's newest book. I was lucky to nab it off the express book shelf at the library and didn't have to wait for 55 other people to read it first. It's very King-ish. Lots of nostalgia. Not very creepy yet, but the characters are fascinating.

Here's your teaser:
"What's a self-respecting amusement park without a ghost? Maybe you'll see her yourself." (page 29)

Review for Nether Bound

Blurb:
Seventeen year old Ava Walker has everything a girl could ask for. She’s captain of the cheer squad, has tons of friends, and could easily have any guy she wants. Being popular is easy.

Lying about her entire life, on the other hand, isn’t.

Since she was little, Ava has had a connection with the dearly departed. She knows seeing dead people is abnormal, but they never try to communicate, so she does her best to turn a blind eye. The older she gets, the worse her visions become. With more and more ghosts showing up, her secret is on the verge of driving her mad.

The only person Ava ever trusted is her best friend, Devon. Only, she hasn’t really talked to him in years and lately he hasn’t been acting like himself.

To make things worse, her evil stepfather, Mark, is hitting the bottle harder and harder. Ava hates the alcoholic psycho her mother married a few years ago. To him, beating women is a sport. Lately, the beatings are getting worse. Ava fears it won’t be long before her mother is among the ghosts invading her life.

She wishes Mark would just die. When he suddenly does, her life changes forever.

Just when she thinks her family is safe, Mark shows back up.

Not all ghosts are silent, and dear old Daddy wants some serious revenge.

Be careful what you wish for …

My review:
Ava Walker's whole life has been a lie. She might seem like the perky and beautiful captain of the cheer squad, but her home life is a nightmare. Ava's learned to hide the fact she can see dead people, but the shades are starting to multiply. Devon is the only true friend she's ever had, and she snubbed him to become popular. Yet he's still there to help her when her world comes crashing down around her. Her cruel stepfather dies and comes back as something much more terrifying. Will he kill her or will the truth of her past and weight of her future crush her first?

NETHER BOUND is a fast-paced and intense read. A great mythology of demons and angels, and woe be unto the humans caught in the middle. Bonnie Rae captures a strong YA voice. The indecision, the stubbornness, and tremendous emotions. Ava is fiercely loyal to her family and a warrior, but we don't forget she's also a teenage girl. Devon is a sweet guy and a little geeky which I really do like! We have the bad boy in Kaine, and thus the three create an epic love triangle.

This story has set the stage for something even grander in the trilogy. A great debut novel for Bonnie Rae. I can't wait to see where she takes us next!

You can buy NETHER BOUND on Amazon now!

Author bio: Bonnie Rae spent her early childhood in the sunny state of California. At the time, she was an only child with a very large imagination. Thanks to her Grandmother, the love of reading books started at a very young age. Every walk to the grocery store meant an ice cream cone and a new Little Golden Book. Through books, Bonnie learned you could be transported into other worlds. The addiction was instant.

At age eleven, her grandparents gave her E.B. White's Charlotte's Web for her birthday. Even though she was completely grossed out when it came to spiders (and still is), Charlotte's Web fascinated her. A spider that was able to weave words and befriend a pig? Bonnie then realized not only could books provide imaginary worlds, they confirmed anything was possible. She might have only been eleven, but she knew writing was what she wanted to do.

She started her first set of novels at the age of sixteen and has been writing ever since. Bonnie currently lives in California with her wonderful husband and two very spoiled cats.

You can find Bonnie on her website, Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.

Friday Five for August 2, 2013

1. Not a terribly productive week. The boy only took one nap, and we've had some late nights. I started my bonus short story for the 13th Floor collection, but it's still in the beginning scene. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll get some time to write today and on the weekend.

2. I received another rejection to add to my pile. I've been feeling frustrated with myself. I consumed way too many Oreos this week. I even tried my first fired Oreo at the county fair. I prefer them not to be battered and soggy.

3. In just over two weeks, the boy will be heading back to preschool. He's excited about it and so am I. Having three mornings to myself a week will help with my productivity and hopefully my stress levels.

4. I wasted a night last night watching G.I.Joe: Retaliation. Why oh why did I watch the whole thing? It was a bad movie and not in a good way. I was big on the comics and TV show when I was young. That's my only excuse.

5. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I'll leave you with a cute picture of my son playing at the park.

Cloaked in Fur review

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.

My review:

Daciana lives divided by two worlds. She's a moonwulf with a strong pack, and she's in love with a human. Her pack doesn't know about her boyfriend Connell, and Connell doesn't know about her supernatural side. Living with secrets isn't easy, but it's about to get worse. A rogue wolf is killing people, and it's not just any animal, it's a feared dracwulf. Daciana's secrecy is working against her, and the police are starting to suspect her. She's forced to choose between protecting her relationship with Connell and saving her pack from a gruesome death.

This well-written paranormal romance is T.F. Walsh's debut novel. It doesn't play shy either. Right away, we're thrown into the story with intense action and a powerful love that sets the mood for the tale. Daciana is a smart and strong protagonist with a lot to lose. She's in a tough situation, but she isn't the type to give up. Admirable and loyal, I was rooting for her right from the beginning. Connell is the perfect complement to her. Logical, steadfast, and gorgeous. Though I found myself drawn to Daciana's sexy ex, Enre. He's one sizzling hot werewolf!

The great cast of characters is supported by a powerful plot. It kept me riveted on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. It's dark and fast-paced with hold-your-breath suspense. A wonderful urban fantasy world has been created in the city of Brasov, Romania. Walsh paints vivid images with her descriptions and made me feel as if I were really in the Carpathian woods.

CLOAKED IN FUR made a strong impression and left me wanting more. I can't wait to read more from Walsh in the future.

You can buy CLOAKED IN FUR here:

Amazon * Amazon UK * B&N * iTunes * Crimson Romance

Author bio: 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.

You can find Tania here:

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Pinterest * Goodreads * Amazon