Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Pre-Order Blitz - Spellbound and Enchanted - Two Amazing YA Novella Collections



Part of Your World
Where love is waiting just beyond the edge of what you can see.
When two world collide at the edge of the sea in a measure of desperation, a prince will bow before a commoner and a lost soul will be finally be found. Part of Your World - Where love is waiting just beyond the edge of what you can see.

Glistens
A guardian can’t shine without the song of her ward.
Marian Spritz won’t gain guardian fairy status if she fails her summer school project. But when she hears a call for help—a song felt only by Glistens—she must choose between not letting her schoolwork and teammates suffer and protecting a ward who faces grave danger.

Tethered 
Can love heal all that’s broken? 
Life had been simple for vampire Jayden Blackwell until he met the runaway Emmaline Grey. One taste of her blood revealed that not only is she a fledgling vampire on the cusp of her transition, but she’s also his bondmate and the granddaughter of his family’s biggest enemy. Will family feuding keep them apart or is it Jayden who compromised Emma’s survival? 

Drops of Sunshine
Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth. -Buddha 
Working as lifeguard at a camp for the blind seems like the perfect escape for Nina. But a few perceptive kids can hear her thoughts. Can embracing her truth help her heal and reveal possibilities she never imagined? 

Feathers and Fireflies
Will you follow the fireflies?
Seventeen year old Rory of Vanora Village dreams of capturing the sacred summer solstice ritual of the animal shapeshifters with her trusty charcoal and parchment. But with only legends and tales to guide her, she cannot even convince her childhood friend, Lucas, that the ritual is real. On the night Rory follows the fireflies, she gets far more than she bargained for.















Part of Your World
L.A. Starkey 
Never miss a new release! Join my readers group and grab your free copy of The Beginning: The Prophecy for the Soul Keeper Series! http://eepurl.com/9Nrc1
L.A. Starkey is the author of the Soul Keeper Series, a supernatural young adult series, and The Liarus Detective Series, a supernatural middle grade series. 
She is a fulltime writer, and loves spending time with her family and reading a good book. With more ideas than one person should be allowed, she is blessed to have a muse that doesn't seem to take a vacation and more energy that one might consider healthy.
She writes under the following pen name:
Kate Thomas - NA/Adult Paranormal -- SEE Enchanted


Glistens
Chess Desalls
Chess Desalls is the author of the YA time travel series, The Call to Search Everywhen. She's a longtime reader of fantasy and sci-fi novels, particularly classics and young adult fiction. Her nonfiction writing has led to academic and industry publications. She's also a contributing editor for her local writing club's monthly newsletter. The California Writers Club, South Bay branch, has awarded two of Chess' stories first place for best short fiction. When she's not reading or writing, she enjoys traveling and trying to stay in tune on her flute.


Tethered 
Kelly Hall 
Kelly Hall was born and raised in Southeast Texas, and lives in a small town just a stone's throw from the ghost road where her Light Keeper series is based. 
When she's not busy writing, or spending time with her husband and two sons, this self-proclaimed creative junkie dabbles in many different forms of art, including cake decorating and mixed media. 


Drops of Sunshine
Tricia Copeland
Tricia Copeland grew up in Georgia but now lives outside the mile-high city of Denver, Colorado with her husband, three kids, and multiple four legged and finned friends. An avid runner and paranormal fan, she also enjoys hiking, trivia, and Scrabble. You can connect with Tricia and other readers on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and on her website, www.triciacopeland.com


Feathers and Fireflies
Melanie Rodriguez 
Melanie Rodriguez holds a BA in creative writing from Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vermont. She says she's been compelled to write stories dictated by the voices she's heard inside her head since she was a child, citing the story line of her debut book Child of Blackwen: An Artemis Ravenwing Novel as one of the main reasons she majored in creative writing. It's an epic work of high fantasy narrating the coming-of-age story of a young half-vampire, half-human creature known as a dhampir. A former New Yorker, Rodriguez is an avid reader and sports fan who now lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with her overly excitable shepsky (a shepherd-husky mix), Shadow.


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Uncovering the Truth
When the veil of reality is stripped back, the truth is undeniable, no matter how hard it is to believe. 
With one last trip in mind before joining the working world, Tani and her closest friends spend the a few weeks in her late father's beach out. Between fighting the memories that keep resurfacing from her childhood and fighting the attraction she has for the alpha male down the block, she almost misses the truth tucked away for only her to discover. A truth that will change everything. 


Dark Hearts 
A moment of compassion can change everything. 
Though known for their debauchery, Reapers like Ash Thorne are chosen for their determination to cull without fail. But when he spared Melissa Mason’s life in a moment of compassion, he never dreamed the deed would come back to haunt him. Will Ash live to regret his moment of weakness, or will Melissa prove that forsaken hearts are still capable of true love? 

Tainted Currents 
Beware of what lies beneath the waters; for even time cannot erase what the river remembers.
 A change of scenery is exactly what Ceanna’s friends believe she needs to mend her broken spirit. A hiking trip to Skelton Lake may help to relieve her pain. But whispers of vengeance lie beneath the currents awaiting such a heart to release their rage from the river's depths.
From under its currents lies a whisper of vengeance.
Don’t fall into the water, for what awaits under the currents could kill you.

Bearing Secrets
Should he kill her before she can expose the truth, or can he find a way to love her?
When Nora's final summer in Alaska takes a turn for the worse, she finds herself in the arms of an unlikely hero: a bear shifter who can't let anyone know what he is. Can they come to terms? Or will this chance encounter cost her everything?


 The Banshee's Heart 
Can Cameron melt the Banshee's heart? 
Cameron encounters a Banshee called Christiana, who accidentally curses him with a death mark. As they search for a way to remove it, an old face from the past returns and Christiana must stop him from opening the gates to the Fae realm and unleashing hell on earth. 


K + L
Will they survive the secrets within, or will history repeat itself?
Balancing life left Kurt and Leah little time for romance, so when Kurt receives an email that he won a trip for two during 4th of July week, it was just what they needed. At first, things appear perfect until they begin to experience unusual occurrences in the house, then the two realize neither of them entered a contest. So, who, or what lured them there, and why?












Uncovering the Truth
Kate Thomas
Kate Thomas, is the author of the Equilibrium Series, a five-book supernatural new adult series, and The Resounding Series, an eight-book paranormal series. 
She is a full time writer, a church planter and entrepreneur at heart; however, writing and reading are passions she just can't help but indulge in. With more ideas than one person should be allowed, she is blessed to have a muse that doesn't seem to take a vacation and more energy that one might consider healthy.
She writes under the following pen name:
L.A. Starkey - Young Adult & Middle Grade Paranormal 




Dark Hearts 
Christina Kelly 
Christina Kelly is a pen name used by Kelly Hall, YA author of The Light Keeper Series, who is currently writing her first adult paranormal series for 2016






 Tainted Currents 
 Kathy-Lynn Cross
I have resided, in the heat of Las Vegas, NV for the past thirty years. Forty-three years young, married for twenty years, to my Split-Apart. We have a seventeen-year-old, who thinks he is twenty-six, and an eleven-year-old, who has the mind of a sixteen-year-old. I am currently a member of the Las Vegas Writer's Group and have been seriously writing for the past four years. 
I love the color red and use it in everything, hence the bottle-blonde with red highlights. If my fingers are not busy writing mayhem, you will find me looking up a new cookie recipe. When I need to recharge, you'll find me curled up with a mug of vanilla coffee and another book from my author bucket list.
My goals are simple; my passion is to be a 'Storyweaver' not a teller. I want to weave you (the reader) into my stories, not just to escape but have a sense of belonging. So Shall I Reap, book one of the Unseen Series is just the beginning of Tevin and Alexcia's journey. I hope you will enjoy as each of them share their POV with you. 




Bearing Secrets
Julie Wetzel 
Originally from Ohio, Julie always dreamed of a job in science. Either shooting for the stars or delving into the mysteries of volcanoes. But, life never leads where you expect. In 2007, she moved to Mississippi to be with her significant other. 
Now a mother of a hyperactive red headed boy, what time she's not chasing down dirty socks and unsticking toys from the ceiling is spent crafting worlds readers can get lost it. Julie is a self-proclaimed bibliophile and lover of big words. She likes hiking, frogs, interesting earrings, and a plethora of other fun things.
And with the Kindling Flames series, she is now an Internationally Best-Selling Author.




The Banshee's Heart 
S. K. Gregory 
Samantha Gregory grew up in Lisburn, Northern Ireland. She has been writing since she was a child. She writes primarily in the horror/fantasy genre.
Daemon Persuasion is the first book in the Daemon series, published by Mockingbird Lane Press. The sequel Daemon Madness is due for release soon.
After is the first book in the After zombie series from J. Ellington Ashton Press. The sequel Before will be released this year. 
In her spare time, Samantha enjoys watching horror movies, reading and archery. She also posts reviews on her blog for other writers.




K + L
Amber Hassler
Amber Hassler is a twister of mystery. Discovering a web of twists and turns to make anyone flip the page with enthusiasm, to find out 'Whodunit,' is thrilling for her.
Now living in Sin City she has a little more free time by being a stay at home mom of two to follow her passion... writing! With an imagination overflowing with ideas and her fingers itching, she has created a trilogy of lies, and deception. Look for Perfect Deception, book 1, coming soon.
When she's not writing, Amber takes the time to spend with her children, a date night with her husband, read, clean, or play a few levels of Super Mario on the Wii U.





Tuesday, April 26, 2016

New Release - Demigods and Monsters

Happy Tuesday, everyone! This one is a day late. Sorry! Hope you check it out!


Demigods and Monsters
Raye Wagner

Blurb:
Can Apollo’s curse be broken?

Seventeen-year-old Hope Nicholas is done running. Apollo’s curse has ruled her entire life, limiting her choices and robbing her of the things that matter most. But she refuses to live in fear any longer. In fact, she’s ready to do whatever it takes to break the god’s power over her existence.

When the goddess Artemis instructs Hope to impersonate a demigod and infiltrate a conservatory to get access to the Olympian library, she doesn’t hesitate. As she sees it, there’s nothing left to lose.

But once inside, Hope discovers the only way to get what she needs is to work with her sworn enemies. As the lines between demigod and monster are crossed again and again, Hope has to dig deep for the courage to accept her fate or fight for the freedom to save herself.

US http://amzn.to/1SVmwC
UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01DAY5SWW

This is second in a series
Book one
Curse of the Sphinx

Author Bio
Raye Wagner grew up just outside of Seattle, Washington. As the second of eight children, she was surrounded by chaos, and read heaps of fantasy to escape the mayhem.

One sunny afternoon, the history of Apollo's ancient curse and the myth of the Sphinx dropped into her mind, and stories have haunted her ever since. Raye writes young adult fiction for teens and adults.

Curse of the Sphinx, a YA urban mythology, is her first novel. Demigods and Monsters, the second book in the Sphinx series, will be released April 2016.

Raye loves to hear from readers! You can connect with her via
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Raye-Wagner-173068689524889/?fref=ts
Twitter @rayewagner
Instagram rayewagnerauthor
or her website rayewagner.com

Blitz hosted by




I typeset this book and formatted it for digital. It's beautiful. You must take a look!

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

Jo

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Cover Reveal - Chasing Eternity (Tala Prophecy #4)



Title: Chasing Eternity: Tala Prophecy Book 4
Release Date: May 26, 2016
Cover Designer: Jo Michaels


With

Defeating evil will require Reagan to place her trust in unexpected allies and reconsider the loyalties of her inner circle.

A team is only as strong as its weakest link.

Faith

Trusting in angels and instructions from above will be the cornerstone of her pack’s strategy to put an end to Rafe and his demon army. 

But his connections and powers run deep.

We

Reagan’s pack must come together and be willing to sacrifice everything to save mankind. But along the way, she’ll suffer heartache. 

Anguish for herself and those closest to her.

Fight

Still, nothing can stop what has been foretold. Fate has determined the end game, but divine intervention supports the victor.














 Tia Silverthorne Bach has been married to her college sweetheart for twenty years, has three beautiful girls, and adores living in sunny California. Her daughters were born in Chicago, San Diego, and Baltimore; and she feels fortunate to have called many places home. She believes in fairy tales and happy endings and is an avid reader and rabid grammar hound. 

She is an award-winning, multi-genre author and an Editor for Indie Books Gone Wild. From an early age, she escaped into books and believes they can be the source of healing and strength. If she’s not writing, you can find her on the tennis court, at the movies, reading a good book, or spooning Jiffy peanut butter right out of the jar.




Sign up for her Author Newsletter





Monday, April 18, 2016

Goodreads Demystified

Happy Monday! Today, I'm making a post for all those new authors out there struggling to get a grip on good old Goodreads. There will be some info in here for old hands, too, so give it a skim and pick and choose what you think may help YOU. I'm going to break it down into sections so you can find what you need more easily. Not a long intro today, because this puppy will be LONG. Ready? Let's get going!

CREATING AN ACCOUNT

Go to Goodreads.com:



Fill out the boxes and click "sign up with email" unless your author name is your FB name (if they're the same, click sign in with Facebook--not sure how you'd choose to do that because of all the Amazon/FB "stuff" going on). ANYway:


Leave off connecting any of your social media right now. You can always do it later. Click "skip this step":


Please also skip the reading challenge question (dear me, this is a lot of stuff to add to an account setup):



Because Goodreads is primarily a site for readers, they want you to select your favorite book genres so they can match you with people with similar interests or recommend books to you. Do that and click Continue:



Skip the ratings page by clicking:


Yay! Now we're finally to your profile (sort of)! Click the big green button:



Now, really quickly, go to your email and verify your account.

APPLYING FOR AN AUTHOR PROFILE IF YOU ALREADY HAVE A BOOK LISTED

Now go to the search bar in the top and type in the title of your book (I'm searching for a random title because Jo Michaels is already claimed and can't be claimed again):



Click on it. Then click on the author name:



You'll see this. Click on "let us know":



Fill it out and click "submit application":



All done! Now, you sit back and wait to be approved!

APPLYING FOR AN AUTHOR PROFILE IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A BOOK LISTED

After you have an account for 24 hours, go to the search bar in the top and type in the title of your book (going with something I know isn't published) and hit enter:


If your book isn't listed (and it shouldn't be), click "manually add a book" (for tutorial reasons, I had to go back to my other profile--this one hadn't been active long enough to add a book. You CAN have an established friend go in and add your book):



Fill it out. Goodreads will give you hints and tips on how to fill out the page as you go along. If you don't have an ISBN, go ahead and pop over to CreateSpace, create a new title, and click give me a free ISBN. Use that. Obviously, I won't be adding a non-existent book, but you get the idea. Don't forget to go to the top, right hand side and upload your cover. Once you're done, click "create book":


Wait about 10-15 minutes, then do the steps for applying for an author profile if you already have a book listed as outlined above.

Now, you're ready to rock and roll!

Tomorrow, I'll go through filling out your shiny new author profile that you should have by then, and I'll introduce you to some cool Goodreads features like events, giveaways, and groups.

Any questions?

If you're a SASS member, write your questions down and hang on to them. I'll address your concerns on our call later this week.

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

Jo

Saturday, April 16, 2016

UTOPiAcon 2016 - Sponsors, Awards Nominations, and Alessandra Torre Questions

Happy Monday for a second time, good people of the blogosphere! This go round, we're talking UTOPiAcon 2016. I'm not going to ramble here, I'm just going to dive into the good stuff.


All remaining tickets and exhibitor space are 10% off for the month of April! This is one heck of a deal, so get on it right now!

Tickets are here!

Let's start off with some awesome. Keynote speaker Alessandra Torre has agreed to take questions from attendees! It's a simple process, all you have to do is fill out the form below.



Who is Alessandra Torre?

Alessandra Torre is an award-winning New York Times bestselling author of fourteen novels and one collection of short stories. Her books focus on romance and suspense, all with a strong undercurrent of sexuality. Torre has been featured in such publications as Elle and Elle UK, Dirty Sexy Funny with Jenny McCarthy, as well as guest blogged for the Huffington Post and RT Book Reviews. She is also the Bedroom Blogger for Cosmopolitan.com.

Learn more about Alessandra on her website, on Twitter @ReadAlessandra or her Facebook fanpage.



Before I get to another couple of awesome sponsors for this year, did you know you can keep track of all the goings-on at the conference with one, easy to use app? Check out Sched right now! Get your days all planned out so you aren't lost in June! The bloggers will be explaining how to use that awesome tool next month. Don't miss out!


Now, I'm gonna tell you a little about two more of our awesome sponsors!

Vellum helps you create beautiful eBooks. 
Vellum’s built-in Book Styles incorporate classic touches like custom drop caps and ornamental flourishes, and are automatically applied to your book.

Your eBooks are tailored for each store and adapt to screens large and small. So no matter how they buy or read it, your readers are sure to see a beautiful eBook.

Find them on the web here!

Be sure and check out their blog, too!

Wise Ink - Authors Need More than a Publisher

Wise Ink is a creative publishing agency for game-changers. We love publishing books. We've helped more than four hundred authors bring their ideas from manuscript to print and we learned a few things.

We learned that authors need more. Authors need a strong platform, strategic marketing, top-notch editing, award-winning book design, and a creative team dedicated to helping you succeed beyond the book.
Wise Ink was created to help you: the author with a big picture and the passion to prove it.

Find them on the web here!

And, their blog!

FIFTH Annual UTOPiAcon Awards!

Nominations by the academy are happening now! If you have a book (or books) that's eligible for an award, list them on your blog and share your link below.

ELIGIBLE BOOKS:

Eligible books are those published between April 1, 2015 and April 1, 2016 that fall into the categories set forth by Utopia.

ALL books are eligible. You don't have to be an attendee of the con to be nominated OR to win! Indie, trad pub, all are welcome for nominations!

Don't forget to visit the other awesome bloggers this month!
Week 1: Jo Michaels and Maria Pease
Week 2: Shana Benedict and Delphina Miyares
Week 3: Ren Reidy
Week 4: Ashley Bodette and Kathryn Grimes

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

Jo