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.

Friday Five for August 16, 2013

1. Big week! I announced a change to the release date of the 13th Floor collection. I'm looking for people to help out with the cover reveal on Friday September 13th. I got an awesome response for hosts for my blog tour in October. Every weekday is filled up now. October is going to be a fantastic month!

2. Don't forget on Monday it's the August W4WS event! This is a great way for writers to help other writers. It's easy to do. As fast and simple as a tweet. This month we're featuring Carrie Butler and C. Lee McKenzie.

3. I have a special guest poster tomorrow. T.F. Walsh is going to be here with her CLOAKED IN FUR blog tour. Stop on by and chat about werewolves with us.

4. Sweet, sizzling, fiery, awkward, mind-blowing. We want to read your kissing scenes. Don't forget to join the MORE THAN JUST A KISS Blogfest! We're offering prizes for the best scenes. It's less than a month away now. Tell your friends! Shout it out to the world!

5. On Wednesday, my son had his preschool orientation. He was ready for me to leave so he could play all morning! His official first day will be Monday. He'll be going three mornings a week this year (M, W, F). His new teacher is very nice and is eager to have my smart little guy in her class. Did I mention he's only 3 1/4 and reading several words? Also, in a surprise move by his school's board (at least a surprise to me), they offered me a position. I'll be taking the open chair this year. It's weirding me out a bit. I never saw myself doing something like this even as a parent. Yet I really do love this preschool, and I'm happy to give my time to them. I agreed to help out some friends too. So on Tuesdays, I'll be picking one child up from her school and watching her for a little while, and on Thursdays, I'll be watching another little guy. They're my son's best girl and boy friends. I'm a bit stunned at how my schedule has filled up for this school year. What happened to the wonderfully quiet hermit life I dreamed of?!

Have a great weekend, folks!

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.

W4WS Event for June 2013 and Taking Time cover reveal

Welcome to the June 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 the fabulous paranormal author Marta Szemik. Check her out on her blog, Twitter, and Facebook. She has an awesome series called the Two Halves series. You can get the first book, MARKED for FREE on Amazon.

And now onto Ellie Garratt's fantastic new cover!

Book Blurb

Science fiction stories of time and space...

The future of humanity must be decided in Next Phase. Winning the Planetary Lottery is not as lucky as it first seems in Schrodinger's Gamble. An apocalypse and its aftermath threaten to tear one couple apart in Daiker's Children. In Life As I Know It a reclusive man finds both his heart and home invaded during an alien harvest. In Taking Time a demon seeking shelter on a distant planet finds himself facing a very different kind of demon, after answering a frontier settlement's plea for help. Stories range from flash fiction to novelette in length.

Publication date: 15th July 2013

About The Author

A life-long addiction to reading science fiction and horror, meant writing was the logical outlet for Ellie Garratt’s passions. She is a reader, writer, blogger, Trekkie, and would happily die to be an extra in The Walking Dead. Her short stories have been published in anthologies and online. Passing Time: Nine Short Tales of the Strange and Macabre was published in March 2013 and contains nine previously published stories. Her first nine-part science fiction serial will start in September 2013.

Author Links: Website | Amazon | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

Friday Five for June 14, 2013

1. My WIP is coming along. Not quite as fast as I need it to, but it's been a busy week. Maybe I can convince my husband to take our boy out for a few hours so I can write. If I get five good days in a row, I can finish it. I'm a fast writer if I have the time and inspiration.

2. I've been catching up on some reading on my Kindle this week too. It's nice the boy is loving his new bigger pool and is happy to splash around while I sit in the shade reading. I've a lot of indie books on the Kindle. Only a few of them have more than a couple of reviews. I make sure to review books after I read them now, but I wonder how to get people motivated to write more reviews. (Oh! I shall write a post about that!)

3. I had a wonderful visit with my family last week in Canada. It was a little rough not sleeping in my own bed and sharing a room with a toddler that talks very loudly in his sleep. We stopped at a hotel with a water park on our way back home thinking the boy would love it, but nope. My husband enjoyed it far more than any of us! My son loves the water. The spouts, slides, and splashing. These hotel water parks are geared more to older kids, though. He doesn't like to get water in his face nor did he like all the noise. If anyone wants to start a business, here's an idea for you: build a hotel for families with toddlers with toddler-friendly attractions. There are only a few places made for the little kids. Sometimes it's difficult to find things to do for a special trip.

4. I took my son to a local event called Touch A Truck on Wednesday. It gives kids a chance to explore all different sorts of trucks like fire engines, ambulances, tow trucks, etc. I like the idea, but there were long lines in near record-breaking heat. We didn't stay too long. My boy's favorite thing was the helicopter. My favorite thing he said was when he walked into the local library's Bookmobile: "This looks like our house!" Yes, we do have a lot of books!

5. Don't forget that Monday is the June W4WS event! Help your fellow writers with just a tweet. It's fast and easy.

Have a great weekend!

W4WS event for May 2013

Welcome to the May 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 help talented writers take a step closer to their dreams. 

Laura Eno is a Speculative Fiction wordsmith. Her secret lies in blending lies with truth with a pinch of snark and a dash of tears. Her newest book THE JEWEL OF SHAYLAR is now available. You can find Laura on her blog, Twitter, and Facebook. 

Marian Allen has been a writer since she could think, and a cook since middle school. THE FALL OF ONAGROS is the first book in her Sage Trilogy. You can find Marian at her website, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Don't forget to enter my BIG giveaway. You could be the first to own the enter 13th Floor series. 

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.

The Oracle & The Vampire cover reveal, W4WS, and Top Ten Movie Blogfest

Title: 1305 & 1306 - The Oracle and The Vampire

(The 13th Floor series, #5)

Genre: paranormal romance

Release date: May 13th, 2013

Blurb:

Having fallen for her gorgeous neighbor might not be so bad if Harriet McKay wasn't in her hideous banshee form every time Kiral saw her. Such is her curse. True, he's a vampire struggling with a drug addiction, but he's a good soul. Yet no one could love a cursed witch, especially one not even her cats respect.

After having a vision of Kiral's death, Harriet makes it her mission to save him. Never before has she attempted to change fate, but so strong is her love.

How can Harriet convince Kiral to see past her vile appearance and return her love? If only she can force him to listen to reason coming from a raving crone, perhaps she can save him from the demons hunting him and from himself.

I hear you shouting. Don't worry. Yes, two tenants in this book. But aren't there only six apartments on the 13th floor? There are. BUT there's a mysterious seventh tenant! You may have noticed her around in the other books. She'll be revealed with her cover on May 18th.

Don't forget to enter the HUGE giveaway for The Harbinger blog tour. You could win the first four ebooks in the 13th Floor series!

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 amazing writers. 

Kyra Lennon at Write Here, Write Now writes incredible romance stories with captivating characters. You can find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Angela Brown writes everything from steampunk to fantasy to contemporary. Her novel Neverlove takes the reader on a dark and twisted journey. You can find her on Twitter, and she's a fellow member of Untethered Realms.

Alex J. Cavanaugh has brought us another fun and simple blogfest. Just list your top ten favorite movies. Woot! This is a blogfest, so please visit the other participants and see what's on their lists.

It's so difficult to name just ten movies. I love different movies at different times for different reasons. Hmm, I'm going to narrow it down for myself. I'm going to name my top ten science-fiction movies. It's a countdown, so we'll start with number ten.

10) Galaxy Quest.
9) The Terminator and The Running Man. Heck, I'm adding Predator too.
8) Blade Runner.
7) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe.
6) Star Trek II - The Wrath of Khan.
5) The original Star Wars trilogy.
4) Starship Troopers.
3) Serenity.
2) The Fifth Element.

AND

1) Alien.  

W4WS Facebook Page Now Open To The Public

W4WS Now Open To The General Public! 

W4WS has been very successful. So much so that many people have asked if they can post links to their books on the W4WS Facebook Page. So we’ve decided to open it up for anyone and everyone the first ten days of March and see what happens. If it works out, then we can repeat this every month moving forward. No sense letting the W4WS FB page lay idle for all but a few days each month. But please, no spamming!

Writers4Writers

Welcome to the February 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 awesome writers.

Melissa Bradley at Melissa's Imaginarium writes romances, thrillers, and suspense with a healthy dose of naughtiness. She has several books out to tantalize you. Check out her Facebook page too.

Gwen Gardner is a YA fiction author and has a fantastic new book out called Givin' Up The Ghost. You can find her on Facebook here. Gwen is also a fellow member of Untethered Realms.

Thank you!

Friday Five for Feburary 8, 2013

1. What a week! I learned how to format ebooks. It was intimidating at first, but it's really not that horrible. Tedious, yes, but just like uploading your book to purchase sites, once you get a hang of it, it feels a lot easier. Thank you so much for your help, Cherie! (She's brilliant, you know!)

2. I loaded my newly formatted files of The Dragonslayer to the purchase sites. Everything looked beautiful. What a relief! Smashwords and Amazon already have theirs up. It feels good to have those done. I also have everything ready for the big blog tour next week from the 13th - 17th. Lots of fun posts and a big giveaway! Then The Harbinger cover reveal on the 18th.

3. I'm 25% done with the next book in the 13th Floor series. It's very different than the other books. The action is more verbal than physical. I hope to be halfway done by the end of the weekend and then finish the rest next week. Yes, I'm a fast writer, and I'm aiming for 20,000 words, give or take a few thousand.

4. My little guy is sick this week. Poor fellow. He made it through school yesterday, and when I arrived to pick him up, he threw up. Well, at least the teacher didn't have to deal with the ickiness. I'd feel bad if she did.

5. Don't forget the next W4WS event is on the 18th. We'll be featuring Melissa Bradley and Gwen Gardner this month. Sign up on the linky list and help out your fellow writers. It's fast and simple. A tweet, a RT, or share a link on Facebook.

Have a great weekend!

The Next Big Thing and other reminders

The talented Cher Green has tagged me in The Next Big Thing.

Thank you, Cher, and here we go with 10 questions about my current work in progress!

1) What's the working title of your book? 1303 - The Dragonslayer.

2) Where did the idea come from for your book? I've had the idea of a modern day dragonslayer in my head for a while now. Taking a traditional epic fantasy character and putting him into an urban fantasy tale. I don't quite remember where I came up with it.

3) What genre does your book fall under? Paranormal romance.

4) What actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? Xan the dragonslayer is easy for me to cast: Alexander Skarsgard. No question in my mind. For Lois, maybe Jennifer Connelly. I'm flexible on this. A spunky brunette just over 30 years of age. And for the villain, the big bad dragon, Gary Oldman.

5) What is the one sentence synopsis for the book? A modern day dragonslayer misses his target and acquires an unwanted companion as he tries to flee the scene.

6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? Self-published.

7) How long did it take to write the first draft of your manuscript? I'm still writing! I'm about halfway done. Maybe. It's a little longer than I expected. I need to cut out some of the chatter when I revise.

8) What other books would you compare this story to in your genre? A bit like Katie MacAlister's dragon series with having dragons in a modern day setting. I'm finding it hard to think of anything else it's like.

9) What else about the book might pique the reader's interest? Dragons! And a hot dragonslayer.

10) Hey, there was only nine questions. Is the tenth suppose to be where I tag other people? I'm not going to tag anyone. If you want to do The Next Big Thing, be my guest. It's a great way to share with readers what you're working on.

If you'd like to participate in the cover reveal for The Dragonslayer on January 18th, please send me an email at christinerains [dot] writer @ gmail [dot] com. Also, if you'd like to host me on The Dragonslayer blog tour during February 13th - 17th, send me a message. Check out the 13th Floor series page for all future tour dates and cover reveals.

Don't forget to enter my 400 Followers Giveaway! You can win the first two ebooks in the 13th Floor series.

The date for the next Writers4Writers Group event is set! Mark Monday, February 18th on your calendars. We'll be featuring two authors this time around. Sign up on the linky list and help your fellow writers.

You may notice a new badge on my sidebar. Untethered Realms is a group of seven authors that write speculative fiction. I'm honored to be a part of this amazing group of writers. Click the badge to "like" us on Facebook. We're just getting organized, but we're getting some great ideas.

Last but not least, tomorrow is the official release of 1302 - The Alpha and the start of my blog tour. Sunday is an odd day, but I have a fantastic interview lined up with Heather Musk. Yesterday she wrote a wonderful review for Fearless. Check it out and hopefully we'll see you tomorrow.

Friday Five for December 7th, 2012

1. I completed one of my big goals for 2012 yesterday. I wrote my 12th short story of the year and submitted my 12th one. It was a tougher goal to keep up with than I originally thought. I've been aiming high with my stories too. I haven't gotten one accepted by a SFWA approved press yet. I'll keep trying, but I won't be doing this again next year. I'd like to say I'll write six and submit six, but I'm not going to set any goals for short stories. Let them come as the inspiration hits me.

2. I had a lovely visit with my mom. It was a bit crazy, but we had fun. We took my son to see Santa and rode in a little mall train. We shopped. A lot. My feet hurt afterward. It was a nice early holiday visit. Now I have a ton to catch up online and prepare for the release of The Marquis next week. Yikes!

3. Yesterday's kickoff for the Writers4Writers Group went wonderfully. Thank you to everyone that participated. If you're interested in joining, just click on the tab above and pop your name into the linky link list. Helping fellow writers is as fast and easy as retweeting.

4. I just finished Cold Days by Jim Butcher. Brilliant! I'm so excited about it and I want to talk to someone, but my husband has only started to read it. It's so hard not to shout out spoilers. And he reads so slow!

5. We put up our Christmas tree on Wednesday. We did it while the boy was taking his nap. When he woke up and finally saw it, he let out this awesome breathy gasp and said, "I love it!" Seeing his gorgeous little face light up made my month.

 

Have a great weekend!