Book Sale - Shadows of the Realm by Dionne Lister

Love book sales! Here's another one. Shadows of the Realm, an epic YA fantasy by Dionne Lister, is on sale for $1.99 through the end of this week, but don’t wait! The buy links are at the end of this blog. I’m not a big fantasy reader, but I loved this book, and I’m currently reading the second one in the series, A Time of Darkness.

Book synopsis:
Bronwyn and Blayke are two strangers being drawn into the same war. Their world is facing invasion from the Third Realm. While they move unknowingly toward each other, they are watched, hunted, and sabotaged. When the Dragon God interferes, it seems their world, Talia, will succumb to the threat. Can they learn enough of the tricks of the Realms before it’s too late, or will everything they love be destroyed?

The young Realmists’ journey pushes them away from all they’ve known, to walk in the shadows towards Vellonia, city of dragons, where an even darker shadow awaits.

Get a copy of Shadows of the Realm on

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

iTunes

Stepping Outside of My Writing Comfort Zone

“Stepping outside of your comfort zone,” I heard that phrase a lot growing up. It what people say to challenge others to try something they wouldn’t normally do in order to learn and grow. For me, applying that to writing involves putting on paper stories my brain comes up with even if I’m not comfortable with them to learn and grow. It’s being honest with myself and putting my stories out there, letting the readers judge for themselves, no matter how uncomfortable I might be.

Now that’s not to say I’m going to publish garbage I don’t like, but stories that stretch my imagination into areas that may be dark, exploring the uglier side of humanity. Recently, I did just that. I wrote something that was completely unlike anything I’ve written before. Basement Games is a serial killer short story that had been rattling around in my head for awhile, but I didn’t want to write it. It was dark and used words I wasn’t comfortable writing. But the characters wouldn’t leave me alone, so I wrote it, intending to keep it to myself because it was dark, ugly and downright creepy.

I told a few trusted friends who offered to read it, but I was hesitant. I finally relented, and they were kind enough to encourage me to publish it, and to let the readers know that it was not my usual HEA romance story.

There is a lot of advice out there to stick to a certain genre or closely related genres, so that readers know what to expect from you. There are a few writers out there who like to mix it up, so I decided to take a chance and publish Basement Games.

Excerpt:

Hiding behind a VPN, he could mask his IP address and no one could find him. It was harder to hide on the Internet these days, but not impossible for someone who knew what he was doing. And John knew what he was doing.

The ding of the microwave pulled his thoughts back to the tiny kitchen. He pulled the steaming tortilla-filled goodness out onto a paper plate, grabbed a cold beer, and headed to his room.

He smiled as he fired up his computer and connected to the VPN. After he knew his IP address could not be traced, he signed on to his favorite dating site where all his little piggies went to market.

You can get a copy of Basement Games on

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Book Sale - Society of Sinners by Charity Parkerson

I’m always happy to have Charity Parkerson on my blog. Her book Society of Sinners is on sale right now for $0.99! I love this series, and this is the first book, so if you enjoy the paranormal genre with hot romance, grab a copy before the price goes back up.

Blurb:

“Evil lives in the dark. We instinctively know this as children.”

Nestled high in the mountains…

The quiet community of Jackson Station is where everyone knows your name and…species?

Vampires have existed since almost the beginning of time, but not in the way we have been led to believe. These were not men cursed by the devil, but warriors blessed by God to have great strength, agility, and eternal life.

Eternal life came at a price, the price of human blood. Some chose to live within their own society; The Society of Sinners.

This is the first in Charity Parkerson’s new sinners series introducing a paranormal world filled with vampires, werewolves, changeling, and God’s greatest warrior.

Teaser:

He was cloaked from head to toe in black, with black leather gloves covering both hands. His odd hair color of black, blonde, and red stood out starkly against the absence of color in his clothing. A pair of dark shades covered his eyes, hiding his true identity, but Mika was no fool; that was a trap she wouldn’t fall for again.

There was a matching chair to one side of his that was separated only by a small round table. She fancied it was something an old married couple would do, kicking back in recliners next to each other at the end of a long day. She threw herself down wearily in the chair next to him.

“Hello, Dimitri, it has been awhile.”

“You do not seem surprised to see me.”

“Well, I heard you were kicking up trouble again.”

“Are they mad about the dog?” he asked, incredulous. “Gabe’s a tough guy; he would’ve survived it.”

“I’m not going to lie. Gabe is pretty pissed, but I think it has more to do with the other shit you’ve done over the years. Now I hear you can change into anything,” she added. “You’re getting better. It used to only be other people.”

“Dimitri shrugged with indifference. “What do the plan?”

Mika shrugged as well. “To trap you and run some tests on your blood. I don’t know what they plan after that. You’ll probably be judged for you crimes.”

A low chuckle sounded from deep within his chest. “How do they intend to trap me?” He thought for a moment, then added, “Perhaps they think to wait until I turn into a bird, and the they’ll put me in a cage. Then I shall turn into a lion just to watch their faces as the cage is destroyed underneath my weight.” He laughed at his on description.

Mika leaned back in her chair, crossing her feet at the ankles, matching Dimitri’s pose.

“I do not know,” she answered tiredly.

He turned his head to watch her, his expression hidden from her behind his dark glasses. They simply stared at one another for a moment before he whispered, “Perhaps they think you will convince me to turn myself in if only you ask.”

“Do you break my heart on purpose?” she asked, a tear slipping from the corner of her eye. “By looking at me with his face and talking to me using his voice?”

He looked away before answering. “Yes,” then after a moment , he whispered, “No.”

He pushed from his chair and moved to stand over her. Using his foot, he kicked her chair closed while pulling her to her feet. He wrapped her in his embrace, and she went willingly, feeling her heart crack open anew at the feel of Dominic’s body against hers, even though mentally she knew it was only an illusion. He lowered his head to hers, giving her the chance to say “no,” but when the words never came, he brushed her lips with his own. Her tears fell unchecked between them, but, undeterred, he deepened the kiss while searching for the hem of her shirt with his fingertips. He pulled away only long enough to tug her shirt over her head, then returned to her mouth. She kissed him back just as fiercely, trying desperately to cling to the dream on Dominic. Her bra fell away beneath his fingers and his hot tongue moved from her lips to her breast. He sucked lightly, drawing her pebbled nipple in between his teeth. A moan escaped from her chest as he moved back up to her neck, and she felt his sharp teeth scratch against her sin. She tugged his hair with both hands, pulling him away. “If there is a shred of love in your heart for me, you will not do this to me while wearing his face.”

Before her eyes, his features transformed back to those of Dimitri’s and he looked at her from his own familiar face. Reaching up, she removed his sunglasses, revealing his light-blue eyes. His dark-red hair was similar to hers in coloration, and a light smattering on freckles across his nose left him with a look of innocence that caused women to flock to him over the ages. He looked like a boy of nineteen instead of a man who had lived for centuries.

“That’s better,” she breathed, drawing him close to her in a kiss so hot he was left panting.

Get your copy of Society of Sinners at:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Smashwords

Kobo

All Romance Ebooks

Dreamwalker (Faerie Dreams: Book One) by M.G. Chester

Love new books, especially when they are written by one of my fave authors. Check out the latest book by M.G. Chester, Dreamwalker (Faerie Dreams: Book One). This was just supposed to be a cover reveal, but I found out that it’s turning into a surprise early release!

If there’s one thing thirteen year old Kate loves, it’s a good book.  Her new favorite series, Quallen’s Quest, follows the Faerie prince in the land of Kallaryn as he goes from one adventure to another.  When Kate awakens in Prince Quallen’s secret cave, she’s sure she’s dreaming.  Events unfold and adventure follows as Quallen promises to help her get back.  Is she really in Kallaryn and if that’s the case, will she ever be able to get back home?

Connect with M.G. Chester on

Facebook

Blog  
Twitter

Get a copy of Dreamwalker

Kobo

Smashwords

Amazon

Goodreads

eFestival of Words Awards - I've Been Nominated!

The other day I was going through my Facebook news feed and saw my friend Dionne Lister’s book, Shadows of the Realm, had been nominated in the YA category of the 2013 eFestival of Words Awards. This is the second annual “Best of the Independent eBook Awards.”  Finalists in each category will be chosen by the volunteer staff and then voting will be open to public. The winners will be announced during their virtual book fair scheduled for August 23-25.

Dionne also mentioned several other people who had been nominated, including me. I was completely surprised. I started going through the long list of nominees and categories, and I didn’t see my books in any of them. I was starting to think she had been mistaken when I ran across the special awards towards the bottom. I found Where Will You Run? had been nominated for The Harvey Award for the Book We Most Want to See Made into a Movie! I could not have picked a better category. I have been told by many readers that the Dion series would make great movies or even a cable television series. And I’m in the same category as I, Zombie by Hugh Howey!  That’s crazy!

It was really great to see some of my other friends being nominated as well. I was going to mention them, but the list kept growing. They are all incredibly talented, and I am honored to be included. I will keep everyone updated when it comes time to vote. It's a great opportunity for readers to get involved and vote for their favorite indie books!

New Cover Reveal - Where Will You Run?

Some of you may know that I have been working on new covers for my Díon books.  I wanted to wait until I had both covers in hand and then do a big reveal for both.

However, I woke up this morning and found out some awesome news! Where Will You Run?, my first Díon book, has been nominated for The Harvey Award for the Book We Most Want to See Made into a Movie on the 2013 eFestival of Words Awards! I will write another blog with the details of this amazing honor soon.

In the meantime, I really want to put my best foot forward for the nominee process, so I am revealing the new cover for Where Will You Run? early. I really appreciate all the support I have received during this process!

Blog Tour: Terra's Wrath by Meaka Kyel

  

I am honored to be a part of Meaka Kyel's blog tour for her latest release, Terra'sWrath. I'm a big fan of Meaka's, and I've been waiting for this book to come out. I mowed through it in two days because I had a hard time putting it down.

Meaka is going to be giving away a signed paperback of Terra's Wrath to a lucky winner here on my blog. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below with your email address or Twitter name, so I can contact you. That's it. I'll pick a winner on the 4/27. The giveaway is international too. For other stops on the tour, check out Meaka's blog here.

"Get on with it!" Max paled.

The shop shook with a sudden burst of lightning and the ensuing thunder.

The man looked up to the ceiling. "Your mother knows I'm talking to you. She's very upset. Max, please. You need to hide."

Freak storms, changing climates...they're all proof that global warming is starting to change our planet. It was only a matter of time before Mother Nature got upset with the damage we were causing. What we never could have anticipated, was how she was planning to get rid of her problem.

I'm happy to say, Lane, from Terra's Wrath, agreed to bend the new "no technology" rule to do an interview with me. It was approved, but if the weather gets too strange. Keep an eye out.

Thanks for taking the time to talk to me, Lane. I know you guys have been busy since the near apocalypse. I love your relationship with Gabby. What is your favorite memory of her before all of this craziness started?

Wow. That's a hard one. Most of my memories involve Gabby. *laughs* Hmmm...I'd have to say the one that comes to mind often now that things have calmed down is the day we got Iggy. We'd just moved into our first apartment, and we went to the pet store because I wanted a cat. She saw Iggy and fell in love. I pretended to argue, but I'll admit now it was just for show. *grins* The look on her face when we put him in his tank at home was priceless. I never regretted not getting a cat.

I've had two iguanas myself, so I don't blame you. Way better than cats. Sorry about Iggy, by the way.

You are surrounded by an amazing group of young people who may not have been able to accomplish what they did in their lives without you and  Gabby. What made you want to work with troubled kids?

Without a doubt, it was because of the lives we had growing up. It was never even something we discussed. It was just a natural step in our lives. I come from a broken home. My dad left when I was young, and my mom did a fantastic job of providing for us until I was old enough to get a job and help her out. Gabby was bounced around from foster home to foster home since she was a baby. We had each other and because of that, we made out okay. Not every kid is that lucky. We just wanted to give that family, that stability, to as many as we could.

Well, I have to say, I'm very impressed. Those kids rallied together like family to help each other. You should be proud.

Now that your lives have changed so drastically, what has been the hardest to adjust to?

No cell phones, no ATMs, no real medical equipment. It's really amazing how we as a human race had come to depend on technology. It's like being stuck in an old western movie. *grins* I have to admit, though, that it's better than being stuck in a zombie movie.

Man, I hear that! Those yellow eyed freaks scared the crap out of me! Can't imagine trying to get along without technology, but I imagine it might not be as bad as we think.

If you could go back before all of this craziness started, would you change anything?

I'd have kissed Gabs on the beach when we were eighteen. It's the only thing I regret.

Yeah...that's what I would have guessed...*sigh*

Now that humans are trying to recover and rebuild, do you think they will make the same mistakes over again?

I sure hope not. The planet is on the mend and as long as we don't do any more damage, Terra has promised to leave us alone. It's actually kind of nice, really. The connection between people has seemed to strengthen even though it's harder to get a hold of people. There's no such thing as a quick text anymore. If we want to talk to Pete and Marie, we saddle up the horses and go for the day. Everyone meets in the city on Saturdays and brings whatever they want to trade. In the evening, it's a huge potluck. To make the same mistakes all over again? Well, I can only hope it never comes to that.

That actually sounds really nice. I think humans would be a lot better off if we turned off the electronic equipment and spent more face to face time.

Now that you aren't running for your life, how do you stay so fit? *shy fan girl smile*

*grins* Chopping wood, fixing fences, hand baling...the usual.

Chopping wood...that would work. Um...I have more questions,,,*awkward paper shuffling* 

*clears throat* What are your plans for the future?

Well, there will be a wedding in a few weeks. We have the cutest flower girl. You should see baby Ashley walk around now. Other than that, it's a day by day operation. :) Enjoy the sun when it's out, Stay indoors and cuddle when it storms. *wink, wink*

That doesn't sound bad at all. *winks back* Congratulations on the wedding! Be sure to tell Meaka all the details, so she can share with us!

I most definitely will. She mentioned something about following up on us in a second novel... Oops. I don't think I was supposed to say anything. That's just between us, right?

Sure. *wink wink* I won't say a word about a second novel that I already can't wait to read!

Here are a few quick questions...Favorite post apocalyptic drink?

Well, water for the most part. LOL Gabby attempted to make some dandelion wine, but, um... yeah.

Dandelion wine...would love to hear that story some time...lol. So what do you miss most?

Tim Horton's double double coffee and bagel in the mornings. *laughs then sombers* And Iggy. I miss Iggy.

Man, I didn't even think about coffee. Sigh... Aw...Iggy *cyber hugs*

Weapon of choice?

Rifle. There's less chance of getting hurt if you're far away.

Good call. Ok, last but not least...If you could have one pre-apocalyptic day, what would you do?

I'd do what I used to love doing the most in those days. I'd sit on the couch and Gabby would lay with her head on my lap and we'd watch a movie. We'd make nachos and drink a beer. But this time, when we said goodnight, I'd make sure to kiss the hell out of her.

Sounds like a perfect evening, Lane. Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to me. Enjoy your wedding day with Gabby and the rest of the crew! I meant what I said about keeping in touch with Meaka. I want to know how you guys are doing. Say hello to Gabby and the rest of the bunch for me!

Thanks for having me, Michelle! It was great. I'll let the crew know you say hey, and if Meaka says anything to me about the new book, I'll be sure to sneak the information over to you. *grins*

I would love that! Thank you! *big fan girl smile*

Connect with Meaka Kyel on

Facebook

Twitter

And on her blog