Wednesday, March 30, 2016

The Thing That Turned Me coming soon


One moment...
One person...
One place...
One thing...
One idea...

Can change everything.

I'm so excited and honored to be have a story this amazing collection of tales from several talented authors. Cheers to Randi Lee who put it together. There's something here for everyone with science-fiction, fantasy, poetry, and creative non-fiction. This anthology will wow you!

My speculative fiction tale, "George and the Dragon" found the perfect home in this book. It's a twist on the old legend where we're taken to a dark place which makes it even difficult for the brave knight to shine.

Check out the collection's fantastic book trailer!

Monday, March 28, 2016

I Met My Friends Through the #IWSG - guest post by Stephanie Faris

I Met My Friends Through the IWSG
by Stephanie Faris

I’m not even sure how I found the Insecure Writers Support Group (IWSG). I distinctly recall being completely perplexed as to how to get new readers when I first started blogging outside of MySpace. On MySpace, there was a “Top Blogs” section that lists the most popular blogs by category. You simply found your category of interest and started reading. In the general blogosphere, no such ranking exists. 

I believe it started when I started following a few commenters on agent blogs like Janet Reid’s and Nathan Bransford. They were very popular at the time and read by bloggers who were trying to find an agent, as I was. I picked up a few regular readers through doing that, then begin searching their blog comments for great new blogs to read. Somewhere in that process, I stumbled upon the IWSG and its monthly posts. I realized this was the community I was seeking.

What is the IWSG? It’s a group of writers, originally put together by blogger/writer Alex Cavanaugh. On the first Wednesday of each month, we post about our insecurities and give each other a big morale boost. Every April, some members of the same community participate in the A to Z Challenge, where we post every day on a themed topic, starting with the letter A and ending with Z.

The genius of the IWSG is that it gives writers a way to support and inspire each other while also providing a great resource for finding that small community of writers who will support us throughout our careers. We can support them back, as well, which is often even more gratifying.

Today, I’m an active member of the IWSG. I participate in the monthly post, except when it’s A to Z Challenge month, and, like Christine, most the members of my blogging support community are members, as well. I highly recommend it for any author no matter where you are in your career. The support will keep you going when you’re ready to give up and, once you’re published, you’ll find the members of IWSG are some of the best people in the world to help you out with your marketing. If you’re a writer and aren’t a member of IWSG, check it out!


Blurb:

Piper helps some four-legged friends find the perfect home in the third book of the brand-new Piper Morgan series.

Piper is super excited to help out at Bark Street, a local animal shelter in town. Who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by adorable puppies and dogs all day? And when Piper sees Taffy, the cutest dog she has ever seen, Piper is determined to find a way to bring Taffy home. But it won’t be easy—especially when she finds out someone else wants to make Taffy a part of their family, too!


Author Photo (click for full resolution):


Bio:

Stephanie Faris knew she wanted to be an author from a very young age. In fact, her mother often told her to stop reading so much and go outside and play with the other kids. After graduating from Middle Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science in broadcast journalism, she somehow found herself working in information technology. But she never stopped writing.

Stephanie is the Simon & Schuster author of 30 Days of No Gossip and 25 Roses, as well as the upcoming Piper Morgan series. When she isn’t crafting fiction, she writes for a variety of online websites on the topics of business, technology, and her favorite subject of all—fashion. She lives in Nashville with her husband, a sales executive. 

Links:

Friday, March 25, 2016

Friday Five for March 25, 2016


1. One week until the release of Big Longing (Sasquatch Susies #2)! I haven't had much time to prep for this release. But I hope when the whole series is out, I can do a big promo.

2. I finished the first big round of edits for Big Burning (Sasquatch Susies #3). Reading it again made me excited, and I remembered why it was my favorite one in the series. I predict it will likely be released in May.

3. I haven't done much else lately. A little critiquing and no writing. I'm aching for time to write. Not having that outlet is starting to affect my mood. My muse gets grumpy when she doesn't get her time!

4. I've been having lots of fun with my little guy during his two week long spring break. Though I think both of us are ready for school to start up again. He loves going to school, and I love that he loves it. Plus, you know, I love having a quiet house to write!

5. It's almost time for the Easter bunny to visit out house again. Tomorrow we'll be having breakfast with the Bunny at a local firehouse. The firefighters make an awesome breakfast and the kids get to do an egg hunt. Then we'll be munching on chocolate all weekend. Have a Happy Easter!

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Wicked Wednesday - writing yourself into a corner


You're writing a fantastic story. The characters are complex, the setting unique, and the plot intense. You have that incredible feeling of creating something amazing.

Finally comes the big climax. There's a huge battle. Your heroes have been surrounded by a crafty villain and her minions with no way out. You're on the edge of your seat. And it is at this point you realize you have no idea how your heroes are going to get out of this.

Oh crap.

You might want to bash your head on the keyboard or cry that you'll have to start all over. There isn't enough chocolate in the world for that.

But wait! This is the best thing that can happen to you.

I know it's hard to believe, but writing yourself into a corner will bring out the creative best in you. You must think outside the box to help your heroes save themselves. But, you ask, if you have no ideas, how do you do this?

This happened to me just recently, and it has happened to me before. Every time, I have a moment of panic. Yet do you know what saves me? The story itself.

I go back and read it from the beginning. The answer to save the heroes is always there. The story knows even if the author doesn't right away. Yes, it's as simple as that. At least for this pantser!

Have you ever written yourself into a corner? How do you get out of it?

Monday, March 21, 2016

Review for Summons (Fable Ranger #1)

Blurb: Take care of what you wish for. You just might get it.
Twelve-year-old Casey doesn’t think life could get anymore unfair. Plans for her special basketball tournament are tossed aside by her sister’s change in wedding plans. She even has to be a bridesmaid now, with all the lace and silk and - oh the horror! All she wants is an escape, but she never imagined she’d be swept away to a world of Mother Goose rhymes, fairy tales, stories of Arabian Nights, and oh, by the way, all but one fairy godmother is kidnapped.
Casey learns she’s been summoned as the Fable Ranger to lead the search and rescue of the missing wish-makers. She also discovers she isn’t the hero they would accept. In the world of fairy tales, damsels aren't meant to swoop in to save the day.
Now all Casey wants is to go home, a wish easy to grant if the veil between worlds weren’t on lockdown. Taking fate into her own hands, she embarks on an airship flight to find the phoenix tears that can help open her way home. Her journey would’ve gone as smooth as the perfect layup if it weren’t for that pesky bounty the evil Dovetail placed on her head. Casey refuses to fail knowing it would allow the legends of Arabian Nights to disappear forever and leave her trapped in a world unraveling one fairy tale at a time.
My review:
There is nothing more horrifying than being a bridesmaid in your big sister's wedding. But then twelve-year-old Casey has to miss her basketball tournament as well! Yet when Casey is sucked into a world of fairy tales and children's rhymes, she wants nothing more than to return home to her family. An evil villain has messed up the stories and kidnapped all but one of the fair godmothers. The Fable Ranger was called on to rescue them, but they got Casey instead. Can she be the hero this world needs her to be or will all the fairy tales disappear forever?

A marvelously written fantasy story for young readers that will take them on a great adventure. This is the first book in the series and it sets it up with fantastic world-building. We have a world of fairy tales and Mother Goose rhymes, and the characters all mingle. It's a neat twist to see how characters we all know interact with one another like Little Bo Beep and the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe! The plot moves fast and the tension is high.

What stands out the most for me about this book is the characters. Casey is a typical twelve-year-old. Though she has her complaints about her family, she loves them dearly and wants nothing more to be back with them. She's a basketball fanatic and loves fairy tales. What's more is she's kind and brave, even when she's absolutely terrified. Charlie-Boy is her companion on the quest, and I love that though he is a child in a fairy tale world, he has normal problems with family and self doubt. These are two highly relatable figures any reader can sympathize with.

I can't wait for more in the Fable Ranger series!
Buy the book here: Amazon
Find Angela on her blog!

Friday, March 18, 2016

Friday Five for March 18, 2016


1. I have my release date for Big Longing (Sasquatch Susies #2). April 1st. It's no joke! You can add it to read on Goodreads.

2. My little guy's spring break had a rough start but the week went wonderfully. He was sick on Monday, but then we had a lake day, a park day, and a movie day. Zootopia was darn good! Today my husband has off work. Family day!

3. Tomorrow is my monthly local critique group meeting. I need to finish critiquing the two short stories for it. I wrote a flash piece that is either brilliant or badly odd. We'll see what they think.

4. The only one not enjoying spring break is the cat. He does not like the change in routine and is on my lap any time I sit down since I've not been at home much this week. Even as I type this, he's curled up on my lap!

5. When the Wii tells you to wear the wrist strap, wear it. My poor little guy had a scare and a cry when the controller flew out of his hand and smashed our TV. There is an impact mark and fractures all along the bottom of our screen. This weekend, we'll be shopping for a deal on a new TV. Hopefully wearing green yesterday has brought us some luck!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Witch of the Cards Blog Blitz with Giveaway!


Genre: paranormal historical suspense
Publisher: Konjur Road Press
ISBN 13: 978-0-9848282-6-5
ISBN 13: 978-0-9848282-7-2
Number of pages: 265
Cover Artist: Mae I Designs


Book Description:
Fiera was born a sea witch with no inkling of her power. And now it might be too late.
Witch of the Cards is historical, supernatural romantic suspense set in 1932 on the Jersey shore. Twenty-two year-old Fiera has recently left the Brooklyn orphanage where she was raised, and works in Manhattan as a nanny. She gets a lucky break when her boss pays for her short vacation in Asbury Park. One evening, Fiera and her new friend Dulcie wander down the boardwalk and into Peter Dune’s Tarot & Séance, where they attend a card reading.
Fiera has always had an unsettling ability to know things before they happen and sense people’s hidden agendas. She longs to either find out the origin of her powers or else banish them because as is, they make her feel crazy. When, during the reading, her energies somehow bond with Peter Dune’s and form an undeniable ethereal force, a chain of revelations and dangerous events begin to unspool. For one, Fiera finds out she is a witch from a powerful sea clan, but that someone is out to stop her blossoming power forever. And though she is falling in love with Peter, he also has a secret side. He’s no card reader, but a private detective working to expose mediums. Despite this terrible betrayal, Fiera must make the choice to save Peter from a tragic Morro Cruise boat fire, or let him perish with his fellow investigators. Told in alternating viewpoints, we hear Fiera and Peter each struggle against their deep attraction. Secrets, lies, even murder, lace this dark fantasy.

BUY LINKS:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01COACFVU
Amazon UK: http://tinyurl.com/hze9ekh
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/witch-of-the-cards
B&N/Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/witch-of-the-cards-catherine-stine/1123499606?ean=2940152837797
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/Witch-Cards-Catherine-Stine-ebook/dp/B01COACFVU
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/Witch-Cards-Catherine-Stine-ebook/dp/B01COACFVU

Mini Excerpt:
Have you always had a talent for the unseen?” Peter asked me.
Whatever do you mean? It was you who saw things that weren’t there.” I had to right myself because I was swooning and swaying so much I nearly fell into his lap.
But it was you who eked it out of me.”
Little old me?” I giggled.

About the Author:
Catherine Stine’s novels span the range from futuristic to supernatural to contemporary. Her YA sci-fi thrillers Fireseed One and Ruby’s Fire are Amazon bestsellers and indie award winners. Her YA, Dorianna won Best Horror Book in the Kindle Hub Awards. Heart in a Box, her contemporary YA was an Amazon Hot New Release in Teen and Alternative Family for over eight weeks. She also writes romance as Kitsy Clare. Her Art of Love series includes Model Position and Private Internship. Book three, Girl and the Gamer, launches this summer. She suspects her love of dark fantasy came from her father reading Edgar Allen Poe to her as a child, and her love of contemporary fiction comes from being a jubilant realist. To unwind she loves to watch “bad” reality TV and travel to offbeat places.
Catherine’s website: http://catherinestine.com/wp/

Tour giveaway
One $40 gift card, two hand-painted heart-boxes (by Catherine) with secret treasure inside, one signed paperback of Dorianna by Catherine Stine, one signed paperback of Witch of the Cards by Catherine Stine, one brand new collector Tarot deck along with an envelope full of special swag!

a Rafflecopter giveaway