Teaser Tuesday - Emancipation

Happy Tuesday, everyone! I have the most exciting thing to share with you today! Only a few folks are aware that I've been working on a new novel, and I'm going to share an excerpt and a teaser right here, right now! This is a taste of what's coming. So, sit back, relax, grab a cup of Jo, and let's get going!

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Title: Emancipation
Genre: Thriller
Release date: March 2016

I'm sharing the first letter my inmate (Tobias) receives from the woman he's talking about in the teaser image below. And... GO!

Dear Toby,

I hope it’s okay that I call you that. I think it’s sweet.

My name is Jessica Phang.

I’m going to start this by saying I’m a lawyer, fresh out of school (I’ve been practicing about a year now). I have to be honest; I sought you out specifically. Details surrounding your case have given me a lot to think about over the last few years. You probably find all this confusing, but I hope to sort it out with this letter.

I found your profile on penpalaninmate.com after performing a search for you online; I was drawn immediately to you. Your photo is wonderful. I see such depth in your eyes. There’s no proper way to express how pleased I am that you signed up so I didn’t have to do more research to find your prisoner number. While I knew where you were housed, your link made the process much easier. Besides, I got to see you outside the images in your case file (which are less than flattering, I must admit).

I’m including a picture of myself with this letter. It’s not much, but I wanted you to see me. It seemed unfair that I would be able to look at you anytime I wanted, and you’d be left in the dark.

If you’re interested, I’d like to get to know you better. Your eyes don’t say “killer.” I’m an excellent judge of character, and I see a person who’s deep, caring, and has a lot of love to give if someone were there to accept it. Besides, after looking carefully at the details of your case, I’m convinced you’re innocent.

I’ll tell you a little about myself, since I feel like I know so much about you from your profile (excellent writing, by the way) and your case file. I’m 24 years old, and a criminal defense attorney in the state of Tennessee. I grew up just outside Knoxville, and I graduated from Austin East—you know, that magnet school on the upper-east side—where I studied science. I was then accepted to UT and graduated from Duncan a year ago. I’ve been in private practice as a criminal defense attorney ever since.

While attending Duncan, I ran across your case as part of an assignment. I dove right in and got to know a lot about you, and the particulars, along the way. Yes, I’ve had a number of relationships over the last few years, but I’m ready for something different. Besides, most guys I dated got tired of hearing the name Toby on my lips every five minutes as I examined your case. Not only would I love to interact with you, I think I can get your conviction overturned. I do hope you’ll write me back. My address is on the envelope.

All my love,

Jessica

Join the Facebook party for the release here! We're giving away some Amazon cash.

Now for the teaser image!

What do you think? Gotcha interested yet?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

777 Writer's Game

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Today, I'm playing a game because I was tagged by my friend, and co-conspirator, Kelly Risser, in this post on her blog. She's asking me to post seven lines from a page ending in the number seven from my work in progress. I'm also supposed to tag seven other authors. Well, this couldn't be more perfect if we'd planned it. Why? Because our work in progress is titled "7." Fitting, don't you think?

So, here are seven lines from page seven:

It wasn’t long before he was chuckling along with her. Once their mirth died away, he asked the question that had been on his mind since Elizabeth mentioned it. “Might I ask what became of the thieves caught in my workshop?”

She smiled. It wasn’t warm, and her eyes were two pieces of rock in her face. “I had them hanged. No one steals in my kingdom and is allowed to keep their life.” 

And, as a little teaser, here's the character talking with Queen Elizabeth:

His name is Sir Thomas Russell. Because we haven't revealed the cover! It's coming, so keep your eyes open. I know, I know, we're the worst kind of evil. You'll be seeing this gentleman again soon, too. *grin*

Be sure and read Kelly's post, then come on back here, and tell me what you think we're doing this time around.

Oh, and the swag! Let me tell you, it's special and, like the book, it's unlike anything you've seen before. As a bonus, anyone can get one!

I'm going to tag: +BJ Sheldon , +Amy Evans ,  +Christina Marie Mitchell , +Christina Mercer , +Heather Topham Wood , +L. K. Evans , and +Kelly Martin . Enjoy the fun, ladies!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Teaser Tuesday - From Deities by Mary Ting

Teaser Tuesday

Mason let out a soft chuckle. “Did you just call me Mace? It sounds hot coming out of your mouth. I’ll seal the deal with my love shock.” Positioning his thumb near mine, small illuminating sparks flew out from it. They looked like small, glowing branches, yet moved like long spider legs. Slowly, he moved it closer. It sizzled and crackled first, then it wrapped around my thumb. It was the coolest sight. Where our thumbs were touching glowed. The longer the light touched me, the warmer it got in that area. Then it continued to weave from my hand down to my arm, making my arm shimmer.

Watching in awe, I gave him the biggest smile I could. Suddenly, my body jerked and I dropped my hand. “Ouch.”

Mason captured it and rubbed the area. “Shit! I’m so sorry. Sometimes I can’t control it around you.”

I formed my lips into a wicked, sexy grin. “Sometimes, I don’t want you to.”

Title: From Deities
Author: Mary Ting
Series: Descendant Prophecies #2
Publication: October 13th, 2014

A mysterious stranger enters Skylar’s inner circle, throwing her life out of balance. As secrets are revealed, she learns of the New Olympus; a dwelling for the descendants of the Gods. The Grand family must strive to work together with these descendants to discover the key to their rescue from the clutches of the growing evil vultures of Hades. As the threat increases, Skylar must learn to control her newfound powers before it’s too late.

Purchase:

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Kobo | Google Play

From Gods

(Book #1 in the Descendant Prophecies series)

Read chapters 1-3

Purchase:

 Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Amazon CA

B&N | Kobo | Google Play

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Mary Ting resides in Southern California with her husband and two children. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Writing her first novel, Crossroads Saga, happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and inspired by a dream she once had as a young girl. When she started reading new adult novels, she fell in love with the genre. It was the reason she had to write one-Something Great. Why the pen name, M Clarke? She tours with Magic Johnson Foundation to promote literacy and her children’s chapter book-No Bullies Allowed.

Website † Facebook † GoodReads † Twitter † Instagram † Pinterest 

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Yeah! What do you think? Sound good?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo 

New Title Teaser

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Well, it's the halfway mark for the week, and Friday is just around the corner. I bet you're all looking forward to the Memorial Day weekend, huh? Today, I'm gonna give you a little bit of reading fun. But first, let me tell you where the idea for this particular story came from! Sit back, relax, grab a cup of something, and let's get going.

I love short stories. There are many that grabbed my interest in college and have left me thinking about them long after I read and wrote a report on them. One is The Lottery by Shirley Jackson. There's even a two part YouTube rendition of that one. You can check out part one here. I was left with a story hangover from that one. If you haven't read it, you should. Another one is Desiree's Baby by Kate Chopin. I got so angry when I read it, I wanted to throw the book across the room. This is when I know I've gotten hold of a great short.

I've spent hours thinking about that young woman and her baby, asking myself questions about what could've happened to them, where she came from, and how the story could be expanded upon with a new twist.

I've had the first chapter written for a long while. I know exactly where I want the tale to go, and it's time that will see it come to fruition. So, if you haven't read Desiree's Baby, you need to go check it out. If you have, you'll see where I'm coming from with this story. Not sure yet if it'll be a standalone or a series, but I plan to get it plotted out within the next couple of months. I'm also planning to finish Markaza and M, all three will be out by the end of this year.

Okay, okay, I've led you on you enough. Here's a teaser from my WIP, tentatively titled Desiree's Apocalypse:

I am lost.

When I walked away from everything I knew, I had no idea where I was going. Still don’t. But I’ve been in the woods for days and haven’t eaten anything but a few berries I found on a bush. All I can hope is they aren’t poisonous. As I sit here, shivering in the cold, afraid to use my fire, wearing nothing but my tattered and stained dress, I feel only pain.

My husband cast me aside without asking me questions to first understand the truth. I don’t know where I came from, and I never expected to fall in love with a gentleman like him. I’m clueless about the scar on my neck that’s shaped like an arrow. And I have no idea who the old woman was that showed up on our doorstep that fateful night.

She told him I was evil; the spawn of some demon that came to Earth twenty-two years ago in order to throw chaos at the world. She said, in me, the destruction of the planet could be found. Since I have no recollection of how I ended up wandering the roads before the Scotts picked me up and took me in, I couldn’t refute her claims. After all, I have that damned mark.

I've loved Gregory for a long time. His family farm is adjacent to my family's, and he and I played together in the tree house my father built in the old oak. Its branches spread over the property line so Gregory’s father had to give permission, but we got it done. That tree is a treasure that’s been shared between the two families for nine generations, and when my father asked to build in it, the request caused great distress for everyone. They were concerned for the tree, they said. No one wanted to see it damaged in any way. After my father found a way to make the tree house fully self-supporting, everyone agreed, and no nails were driven into the ancient wood. Gregory and I had enjoyed many days playing there together.

I remember the first time he noticed the mark on my neck. He’d scratched at it and laughed in his quiet style before asking me, “Where’d ya get that from, anyhow?” I felt my cheeks redden, told him I didn’t know, and asked him not to make fun of me. His little face scrunched up, like he was sorry he’d embarrassed me, and he apologized. It amazed me that a ten-year-old boy could have so much empathy, and I began to fall in love with him that day.

My heart is now broken. After all we’d been through together, he threw me away; without even attempting to get to the bottom of the old woman’s story. What was I supposed to do, refuse to leave?

Perhaps.

But I didn’t. I was so injured by his comments, and his ability to think poorly of me, I ran from the house with nothing but the clothes on my back. I can’t return. He told me he’d shoot me if I ever stepped foot on his property again. Our property. I wonder what kind of tale the old lady spun that frightened him so.

It must’ve been horrific.

Yes, strange things have been happening to me lately, but I never thought they’d be related to causing the end of the world. My fingers caught fire without match or spark about three months ago. Added to that, the ground had been rising up to meet me whenever I waved my hand a certain way. A more recent manifestation I discovered while walking through our garden and waving away a bug. It scared me half to death; I thought Mother Earth was rising up to eat me.

~end of teaser

I haven't written a book in first person since Yassa, and I'm looking forward to the insight I can bring to the page by being inside the protagonist. As you can see, this puts a huge spin on the short story by Chopin, but that's where this one comes from.

I hope you all enjoyed that.

What's your favorite short story? What's one that stayed with you long after you finished it?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo