Hell School: Fresh Meat - Blog Tour - Character Spotlight: Wes Johnson

Happy Thursday, everyone! I have an awesome blog tour stop for you all today. Get comfy, get your clicking fingers ready, and let's get going!

Character Spotlight: Wes Johnson

Book: Hell School: Fresh Meat

Age: 18 years old
Wes is the captain of the football team, and every girl’s dream crush, but he just wants to be a regular guy. Despite his popularity, he is a shy guy, but as the oldest child feels the need to step up and fulfill the role expected of him. His popularity makes him uncomfortable, and he likes that Sam doesn’t treat him like an object, but like a regular person.

Who I see playing Wes? I searched and searched for a modern day teen to play Wes, but from the beginning I saw him as Michael Schoeffling and despite my hours of research, I just couldn’t find a better modern actor so since this is just for our entertainment, I stand by my choice!

Now, some information about the book Wes is in:

Author: Heidi Angell
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Length (print): 224 pages
Buy Links: Amazon $4.99  ~   Smashwords $4.99

Blurb:
High school is hard, especially when you're a freshman in a new town, surrounded by people you don't understand and who don't understand you. Sam was overwhelmed just trying to fit in. Then she is singled out with the first letter.

While some girls envy the “romantics” of this unknown admirer, Sam can tell something isn't right. Sam wanted to just blend in, but someone's eye is fixated on her. As the letters and bad poetry continue, so does the nagging in Sam's stomach telling her this is not normal.

When things escalate from strange to creepy, Sam's world becomes a nightmare. Twisted admiration is stalking her around every corner in the high school from hell…

Join the Geek Street Squad to help promote the book!

Heidi Angell is a bibliophile, lexicomaniac and wordsmith! She is the author of The Hunters Series, The Clear Angel Chronicles, and The Hell School Series. She also created Royal Prince Vince, and Creative Exercises to Inspire.

When she is not reading and writing, she can be found spending quality time with her lovely family camping, hiking, swimming, or watching movies. Learn more about her and her books at HeidiAngell.com

Heidi's social media links:
Facebook
@HeidiAngell
Heidi’s Blog
Google +
Pinterest
Linkedin
YouTube

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Hell School: Fresh Meat Tour - Schedule

February 21st- March 31st

February 21st – Heidi Angell’s Blog, tour announcement.
February 22nd – Book review by Amanda Lim on MyBooksOpinion
February 23rd – Character Spotlight for Clint Glover
February 24th – Sample Chapter on figment
February 26th – Poetry on stalking
February 27th – Hell School: Fresh Meat Facebook Party
February 28th – Ama Bemma interview
February 29th – Book review by Justin Schiavone on Jersey Guys Can Read
March 2nd – Top 3 interview with Kai Strand on Strands of Thought
March 3rd – Character Spotlight of Sam Havre and book review by Kala Hammer Reading Like A Fool
March 6th – Guest post on Stalking with Mary Okeke
March 7th – 1st in a four part interview series with Nancy Christie, one on one
March 7th – Guest post on Stalking for Abiola Olatunde’s Biola-epesus
March 8th – Top Ten on Krystal Larson’s Live to Read
March 10th – Wes Johnson Spotlight on Jo Michaels Blog (You're there now)
March 14th – Nancy Christie second interview
March 15th – Character Spotlight for Mike Wells Reviews by Page Turners
March 16th – Character Spotlight for Jill on I Heart Reading
March 18th – Author interview on Jersey Guys Can Read
March 21st – Nancy Christie part 3
March 22nd – Book review by Shelea at That Bookshelf Bitch
March 23rd – Book review on 5 Girls Book reviews
March 24th – Author interview with Courtney Wendleton on Books and More
March 28th – Last of Nancy Christie's 4 part series 

There will be a live panel toward the end of March with several YA authors talking about writing. Stay tuned for more information. 

For information on live events, check in often at Heidi Angell’s website.

What do you think? If you have questions or comments for Heidi, drop them down below. She'll be by to chat you up!

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

Jo

Once Upon an Alpha - $400 a Kindle and 40 Books for Two Lucky Winners

Happy Wednesday! Today, I have a super special giveaway to announce to you all. Get your clicking fingers ready, and let's get going!

Once Upon an Alpha Facebook page is sponsoring a huge, muli-author giveaway.

TWO (yes, that's right, TWO) lucky people will BOTH win $400 Amazon cash, a brand new Kindle Fire, and 40 books.

I know, right?

So, here's the link!

http://bit.ly/21yYbfz

And here are the authors:

What are you waiting for?? Go enter!

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

Jo

From Old Hands to New Mouths - Authors Helping Authors - Publishing Helping Hands

Happy Tuesday, everyone! I had a typesetting job I needed to work on today, and I've been hemming and hawing about how to approach this topic. I'm gonna warn you now, my opinions are strong, and they're about to be vomited all over my blog. If you're not sure you can handle it, I suggest you get on outta here now. However, if you think maybe, just maybe, you'll be interested in hearing what I have to say, grab a cup of Jo, get comfy, and read on.

*rubs hands together*

Here we go!

I was interacting with a few authors a little while back, and one of them said something that made me pause and think.

Here's what was said (no, you don't need to know who said it): "I usually see big time authors only helping other big time authors. It could be because they have been friends since the beginning, who knows. But I rarely see a best selling author promoting someone new."

How true.

My immediate response was anger, and then I thought about it. Now, I'm beyond pissed.

Why?

Well, once upon a time, we were ALL brand new authors. Yeah, we kicked and clawed our way up the ranks, writing and fighting, promoting and extending hands to help those in the same boat we were in. Ergo, people rose up together. When one person got a piece, they shared it with those who've been by their side from the beginning.

Nothing wrong with that.

Until...

Once you get a big name (or even a semi-big name) and you start to crap on the little guys because they're all "nobodys" or you snub new folks at signings because you can't be bothered. Better yet, you're rude or just don't bother to respond when someone approaches you or asks you a question.

Yeah, those folks are all new to this publishing and marketing stuff, and you know what? They could use a friggin hand. Even if you just take five minutes to share your process or give a tiny piece of advice that isn't "keep writing." Everyone knows they have to keep writing. Duh. That's like telling a painter they need to keep painting or a bricklayer to keep building. That's not the advice they're looking for.

What is there to lose, really? An hour or two of your writing time?

Really?

But stopping to give someone advice isn't all there is. Nope. You can share a Facebook post (or two—gasp!), swap backmatter, or even—dare I say it?—read or buy their book. Holy crap! Now there's a new idea! Actually buying the books of your fellow authors. Who would've thought?

Next time you're on Facebook, head over to a book page and like and share a couple of their posts on your page. Even if you don't know the author. No, especially if you don't know the author.

Because, believe it or not, those new authors of today will be where you are tomorrow, and some of them will rocket past you to the top. How silly will you look when they recall your reaction to their query or request for a handshake when you step up to get your copy of their book signed?

Truth be told, you never know who'll make it in this industry, so be kind to everyone while you can. If all the people you know stay on the bottom rungs forever, that's okay, too.

Know why?

Because you've made new friendships that'll be there forever. And those, folks, are worth more than gold.

So, my call to everyone who's up there now: Get a kid sister or brother author. Help them out when you can. Offer to put a snippet of their book in the back of yours. Put out a call. I guarantee someone will answer.

Be kind. 

Lift as you climb.

Be a mentor.

You can't write enough books to fill all the hungry brains out there. These authors aren't your competition, they're your partners.

Think about this:

What if you offered to swap backmatter with a new author and their book takes off, hitting the top twenty? Guess what? Part of your book is in there! What if your book rockets up the charts? Well, that's a win for them, too!

It WILL work if you work together, but a house divided against itself cannot stand (thank you, Abe, for that sage advice).

Tell me in the comments what you plan to do. Then, go out and do it. Come on back and tell me how it went or how it's going.

Help one another, because there isn't another magic formula that'll do it all for you.

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

Jo

Cover Reveal - Damaged Pieces

Happy Monday, everyone! Today, you get a cover reveal from Allie Able! Get your clicking fingers ready, and let's get going!

Cover Reveal

Damaged Pieces (Cape Isle, #2)

by

Allie Able

 

Blurb

“When something is damaged or broken, the pieces can be put back together, but they will never be the same.”   KATIE: When I was left to raise my daughter alone, I decided dating just wasn't worth it. I never wanted my daughter to experience the kind of heartbreak only a man can give you and I didn't have the time, until Nicholas Sinclaire came walking into my life with his charming smile and his mischievous eyes. I just wish I would have known how it was going to end.   NICK: I knew she was it for me the moment I met her, but I had to leave. I had one more tour to do overseas and then I could come home to her for good. Little did we know, I wouldn't come back the same man. I was damaged beyond repair, so I pushed them away and hurt them. It didn't take me long to realize the mistake I had made. Now, I will stop at nothing to get them back in my life, but will Katie want my Damaged Pieces?   *This book can be read as a standalone.*

Book 1 of This Series Scattered Pieces is now available.

Free on Kindle Unlimited until March 11th. Get yours now.

Amazon

Meet the Author

Allie Able is a romance author who tries to juggle her time between being a mother, wife and writer. Allie was raised in a small town in Mississippi and now resides in Georgia. Reading and writing romance has always been her first love. She decided to pursue her dreams of becoming a writer full­time, when the characters dancing around in her head wouldn't stop demanding her attention. Now she can be found sitting at her desk, feeding her coffee addiction, as she creates her love stories, that are sweet with a touch of spice.
 

Author Links:

Website GoodReads Facebook

Amazon Twitter Instagram

 

Hosted by:

What do you think? Nice cover, huh?

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

Jo

UTOPiAcon2016 - Packing and Prepping for Authors

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, we're talking about all the things to help authors get ready to attend Utopia 2016. There will be posts by the other official bloggers to help those of you who are readers get your stuff rocking and ready to go, and posts by the other official author bloggers that'll give different tips than I do below. Since I'm an author, I'm hitting this post from that angle. If you're ready, let's dive in. This will be a longish post.

If you don't have tickets to Utopia yet, get them here. Right now. This isn't a conference you can afford to miss.

You can get your room at the Millennium Maxwell House here. There's a block for the conference, and the discount code is 1606UTOCON. Be sure and mention it if you call.

Transportation to and from the airport is provided by the hotel, but if you want to jaunt around Nashville somewhere the hotel won't take you, you'll want to visit Utopia's partner, Lyft. Use code UTOPIA2016 for a free first ride up to $20!

Now, let's move on to packing essentials.

What to Pack - Clothing

• Enough shirts/jeans for the duration. You may find you want to change midday, so bring at least two more than you think you'll need.
• Socks, underwear, and pajamas. Again, bring a couple more than you think you'll need. *I feel like I'm obligated to explain myself, so here goes. It gets hot. We're in Nashville, TN, in June. You sweat. It's gross. Enough said.* 
• Comfortable shoes. You'll be on your feet all day. Trust me. Heels are cute, but if you can't stand up in them for more than a few minutes, leave them at home.
• A fancy dress or outfit for the awards (don't forget shoes).
• A light sweater or hoodie (it gets cold in the panel rooms).
• Toiletries: Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, hair stuff, deodorant, smelly good stuff, mouthwash, makeup (if you so choose). Good news: If you forget any of these things, the hotel has a sundries shop!
• Bathing suit! Yeah, the hotel has a pool!

What to Pack - Exhibitors

• Your Transient Vendor's License. Get more info here.
• Books. How many should you bring? Well, for any convention of this kind, there's a business formula. I wrote a blog post about it here. Utopia had well over 800 people attending last year, to give you an idea. It's always wise to do a pre-order form, too. The lovely Maria Pease created a walkthrough for you on how to do that. See it here. You can also bring out-of-stock order forms (if you choose).
• Something to put your books on. This can be a stand, a box, or something of that nature, but you want to show them off and make them look pretty.
• Pens. For the love of all that's holy, don't forget your pens! Sharpies, too!
• Swag. If you made it, bring it! The hotel has a rule about homemade food (you can't give it away), so be sure anything is store bought and wrapped properly. There's a contest for best swag, so be sure you kill it!
• Your Author Banner. Yeah...
• Table Decorations. While the hotel will cover the table with a standard cloth, you may want to bring a runner or banner to make it yours/pretty. 1/2 table = 3' and a whole table = 6' There are contests for best UTOPiA2016 REVOLUTION themed table, best solo table, best table decoration, and best shared table, so be sure you discuss with your table mate.
• Your Smile. This might be the most important thing on the list.

Remember to transport your books in a way that prevents them getting banged up or damaged in any way. I usually put mine back in the packing material they came in after I check them over for defects. No problems yet.

If you need to find a roommate or need to ship your books to Nashville ahead of you, here are a couple of resources:
We Are Going to Utopia. This is an unofficial Facebook group for the folks attending the conference. Just post in there that you're looking for a roommate, and you'll get responses. Same for shipping your books ahead. Several folks are willing to accept the shipments and store the books until the conference date arrives.
If you want, the hotel will also hold your books for you until you arrive. There's a fee for this, but you can find out more about it here. It's on the bottom of the page.

Leave bad attitudes at home, please! Ain't nobody got time for drama.

If you'd like to go ahead and plan your schedule out, visit the sched website here. Confused about how it works? That's okay! The bloggers will be discussing it next month.

GET TICKETS TO UTOPIA HERE.

Be sure and pay all the other official bloggers a visit this month! You don't want to miss a thing!

Week 1: Jo Michaels and Maria Pease
Week 2: Shana Benedict and Delphina Miyares
Week 3: Toni Lesatz and Ren Reidy
Week 4: Ashley Bodette and Kathryn Grimes

Sorry this was such a long post, but they're gonna get longer! I hope you're ready.

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

Jo

Blog Tour and Excerpt - Much of Madness

Happy Thursday, everyone! Today, I have a teaser and more information for all you amazing people who loved the cover I did a reveal for a few weeks back! So, strap in and let's get going!

 

Blog Tour

Much Of Madness

by

S. E. Summa

BLURB

Seraphina Pearce doesn’t know what’s more frustrating: her magic’s affinity for death, her best friend’s transformation into an albino Sin Eater, or that simply touching a guy she loves means someone’s headed to the morgue.

After a sin-eating job goes awry, she casts a risky spell and butts heads with a handsome stranger in order to win an infamous grimoire.

Marceau L’Argent is the last person she should confide in because the occult cat burglar has a mysterious past, and he’s made it no secret he also wants the grimoire. He recognizes her dark magic and offers his unique help as a rare curse breaker. If all that weren’t enough, Marceau causes butterflies in her stomach—a feeling she’d long thought dead.

Seraphina was only trying to break her curse—not piss off Death himself.

Excerpt

Marceau smiled as his finger caressed the cursed hourglass. It looked like nothing more than a novelty Halloween decoration with two skeletal hands and yellowed, fraying rope to hold the glass bulbs in place. But he wasn’t fooled. Max wouldn’t have sent them to steal the rustic timepiece unless it was priceless.

Breaking into Thibodeaux’s stately Garden District mansion had been the easy part, despite the modern security system. Vespa was taking care of the final guards while Marceau took the greater risk.

This particular hex was a tricky one, and flickers of fiery crimson upon its cords warned Marceau a wrong move could be fatal. He knew one this complex must have cost Thibodeaux a pretty penny.

The voodoo priestess was crafty when she’d woven the hex into the threads of time itself. The very nature of the hourglass allowed for an unusual bond. Now, that he had identified the source of the curse’s strength, it was only a matter of time before he discovered its weakness. Then he could begin his favorite part, unwinding her careful construction.

Thud! The distinctive sound of a body hitting the floor preceded the creaking of the study door behind him. High heels clicked against the hardwood floor.

Marceau exhaled, then said, “I cannot concentrate with all the racket you’re making, Vespa. Find another guard to play with or better yet, sit down and be quiet.”

Vespa wore her usual black working attire, a tight black cat suit and a thigh-high pair of leather stiletto boots that fit like a second skin.

“I’m fresh out of guards, lover. I bought some time, but you’d better break this one fast. The next scanning spell is due in less than five minutes.”

Lover indeed. The thought made his flesh crawl.

Smudged lipstick framed her dangerous mouth. How many souls had she fed on tonight? Her forked tongue slid along her lower lip. Marceau often lost sleep after Vespa glutted herself during one of their jobs as if he then bore some responsibility for the twisted fate of her victims. Maximilian, his benefactor, and her boss, prized her little gift and used her macabre ability to his advantage.

Marceau said, “All the more reason for you to stop rubbing my arm. Go sit down.”

Vespa sauntered to a chair facing him, sat, and kicked, sending expensive tchotchkes clattering to the floor before propping her boots on a table.

“Oops. You think it was a real Fabergé egg?”

Marceau gave her a look. “You call that quiet?”

Vespa raised a shoulder.

“I’ll just enjoy the view, then,” she purred, looking him up and down. “Oh, do stop rolling those baby blues of yours. What type of curse have we tonight?”

Marceau placed his hands back against the grim hourglass. His eyes closed in concentration as he searched through the hex’s vibrations for a weakness.

“The hex is woven to kill anyone, besides Thibodeaux, who removes the hourglass from the curio with selfish intent.” Marceau froze as he felt a loose thread, a tiny opening into the inner workings of the curse. “Ah, here it is.”

“Four minutes.”

“This part can’t be rushed, Vespa. I’m close.”

Marceau tilted his head and pushed more power into his palms.

“Got it! There’s a loophole. You can remove the particular item for a very short time as long as your intention is not to use it.”

Marceau lifted his hands from the hourglass and scanned the room. Not seeing what he needed, he turned to Vespa. “Where’s the nearest bedroom?”

Vespa’s eyes lit up. “Really, lover? I thought you’d never ask, but we are almost down to three minutes.” One eyebrow rose as her eyes trailed lower. “Better make them count.”

Working with her could be a real pain in the ass.

“Vespa. Focus. I need an item to replace the hourglass in the cabinet. Where is the nearest bedroom?”

“Just when things were getting interesting.” She slumped back in her chair. “Second door on the left. The guard in there won’t be a bother.”

Marceau rushed to the bedroom. The sentry would certainly not be a bother. His corpse lay on the floor. What remained of his flesh was little more than a dry husk covering bones. Marceau stepped over the skeleton, grabbed what he needed from the bedside table, and refused to look at the withered remains on his way out.

Back in the office, Marceau raised his hand to grab the hourglass… and hesitated.

“Two minutes until the next security spell, lover. Do pull the trigger and get us out of here,” Vespa urged.

Marceau took a deep breath. A miscalculation would be more than unpleasant because the priestess was renowned throughout the French Quarter for her savagery.

Grabbing the hourglass, he lifted it a few inches off the shelf. Power from the curse surged up his arm, contracting muscles and sending electric pulses into his chest in warning. Yet he did not release the precious item as the hex demanded; instead, Marceau removed it from the curio and willed the priestess’ hex to take hold. He fought his reflex to drop it and repeated, “I will put you back in the curio. I will put you back…”

Purchase Links

Amazon

About the Author

S.E. Summa lives in Tennessee with her husband and a menagerie of spoiled pets. After her daughter left the nest, she rediscovered her love for writing. Growing up in Nashville, she always felt the city’s unique culture and landmarks would be the perfect setting for monsters to play.

A PRO member of the Romance Writers of America (RWA), Shantele serves as the Volunteer and Membership Coordinator for her local chapter, the Music City Romance Writers (MCRW). She graduated magna cum laude with a BBA from Belmont University.

S. E. started The Debut Collective, a supportive online tribe of authors (both published and aspiring), editors, formatters, and cover designers working together to foster a new generation of stories and authors. The Debut Collective is publishing a series of five anthologies in June 2016.

Author Links

Website Facebook Twitter

Pinterest Instagram GoodReads

MORE OF SIN, The Conexus Chronicles, Book #2 - TBD Four short stories for following The Debut Collective anthologies releasing in June 2016: Act of Bravery, Underdog, Insurrection/Hostile Takeover, and Secret Identity *The Underdog & Secret Identity stories are tie-ins for The Conexus Chronicles and will feature characters from Much of Madness. 
 

Hosted by:

Will you be checking it out?

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

Jo 

An Interview on Author S. F. Benson's Blog

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Wow, yesterday was nuts with the posts, huh? Three in one day? Unheard of. Anywhoooooo, today, I'm highlighting an amazing interview I had the pleasure of doing over on author S. F. Benson's blog. Get your clicking fingers ready, and let's get going!

Mason Cooley said, “Reading gives us some place to go when we have to stay where we are.”

A Center Stage Moment shines a spotlight on writers who give us great places to visit with the characters we love and want to call friends.

Today, I have the pleasure of introducing to you Jo Michaels!


Jo Michaels is…

Hi, I’m Jo. Let’s forget all the “Jo Michaels is blah, blah, blah” stuff and just go with it. I’m a voracious reader (often reading more than one book at a time), a writer, a book reviewer, a mom, a wife, and one of the EICs at INDIE Books Gone Wild. I have an almost photographic memory and tend to make people cringe at the number of details I can recall about them and/or their book(s). My imagination follows me around like a conjoined twin and causes me to space out pretty often or laugh out loud randomly in completely inappropriate situations.

One of my favorite things is hearing from fans! You can find me on social media most any day of the week. Connect! I’d love to hear from you.

Without further ado, here’s her interview.

I love reading the bios of authors. Many of them did not start out as writers. Sometimes people stumble upon the craft. Did you always want to be a writer? I’ve been writing since I can remember, and I’ve always been drawn to the written word. Can I say I always wanted to be a writer? Well, no. There was a time when I wanted to teach literature, and I got my graphic design degree in the hopes of becoming a book cover designer, but I didn’t think back then I could write a whole book (or that anyone would give two nickels worth of a crap to read anything I wrote). When self-publishing started to grow, I looked a little more seriously at my ability to write. I never...

Head on over to author S. F. Benson's blog to read the rest!!

What did you think?

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

Jo