Merry Christmas!

 

Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and a wonderful holiday season!

The Next Big Thing

The Next Big Thing is a meme where authors share information about the book they’re currently working on (or one that’s about to be released).

I was tagged for this meme by Laura Kreitzer, the author of the Timeless series and Summer Chronicles. I actually met Laura online through the Twilight fandom in 2008-2009-ish (I can't remember what year) before the thought of writing ever crossed my mind. When Laura published her first book, Shadow of the Sun, it inspired me to put my own ideas on paper. I don't know where my writing would be without her.

So what's The Next Big Thing from me? Have a look:

What is the working title of your next book?

Battle Scars

Where did the idea come from for the book?

Where did it come from, you ask? Well, the idea actually came to me while I was showering. Actually it was more of a fight scene between a guy and a girl. And I don't mean a little argument but more of a full blown fight to the death. And they were surrounded by fire. That little beauty grew rapidly into Elemental Reality. From there I decided I wanted to make Elemental Reality a series and continued my plot. I wanted to give the YA community a different take on Faeries and introduce a new supernatural being who are the counterparts to Faeries. Also known as Conjurers.

What genre does your book fall under?

It's definitely YA Fantasy.

What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

The two main characters are Callie Pierce and Oli Drayke. I picked Tyler Blackburn to play Oli and Amber Heard to play Callie.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

With the help of old and new friends, will Callie build her battle armor up and fight the evil hands of the Demons who threaten to destroy her new homr or will her battle scars leaver her too broken and empty to fight?

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

It'll go through my publisher, Revolution Publishing Inc.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

I'm not going to say because it took me a lot longer than I had anticipated. I was out of writing for five months due to personal matters but things have been back on track since September.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

This is one thing I never thought of. And I'm not sure I can think of any books at the moment.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I'm going to have to say Laura. She believed in this story from the start and I will forever be grateful for her constant motivation.

What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?

Aussie hottness, a new take on Faeries, Demons, and Conjurers, elemental-y goodness.

Now I know I was supposed to tag five authors but I only found three. These three authors are amazing, talented, and all fantastic people. Please take the time to get to the know them. I promise they won't bite.

And now for their introductions:

1) Charlotte Bennardo: I became friends with Charlotte on Facebook before actually meeting her. When we officially met at PAYA she asked me to sign her scrapbook (which was a fantastic idea, by the way!) so she could add it to the other signatures. Needless to say, I was ecstatic because it made me feel like a legit author.

2) Rebecka Vigus: I met Becky online through a writing forum and am proud to say I helped her through the process of her first novel. She is so fantastically talented and has a strong passion for writing.

3) Joseph Eastwood: He is simply fantastic. I only know him through Facebook but I basically stalk his updates . . . I mean, what? Expect amazing things from him and go stalk him too!

Next week, these authors will be posting information on their next WIPs. I’ll be posting links on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus as soon as they go live. Now go forth and stalk these wonderful authors!

Callie's Birthday Giveaway!

Since today is Callie's birthday, I've decided to have a small giveaway for it. You'll see the Rafflecopter below. I have some great prizes. I hope you all enjoy them! Good luck to everyone! The giveaway runs from today until Halloween!

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Metamorphosis Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway

Metamorphosis (The Immortal Archives #2) by Devon Ashley

Published: November 15, 2011

 

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

 

Change is not always a good thing...

Some survived the battle – but not without a price. As one heart starts up again, another dies down. The pure vampires learn their immortality isn't as strong as they'd thought – the status of their hearts determines their vulnerability. And when the truth gets out, a betrayal by one of their own will cost more lives.

 

Review

 

With the way Ordained ended, I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into Metamorphosis. And I have to say, it didn't disappoint! It was non-stop action from the start. Quit a few times this book had me gasping loudly or holding my breath. I may have even yelled at it once or twice because Devon threw in a curve ball I wasn't expecting but it was a perfect play on her part. Everything was planned out so well and tied in nicely to the overall plot of the story. With how this one ended, I'm anxiously awaiting Catacombs!

 

Giveaway

 

Below is a picture of what Devon is graciously giving away followed by a Rafflecopter. The winners receive: GRAND PRIZE-a signed paperback and a $25 gift card to LUSH. 4 RUNNER-UP PRIZES-an ebook. Good luck to everyone!

 

 

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dust Blog Tour: Review

Dust by Devon Ashley
Released today (9/18/2012)

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

4. The number of times my delicate wings have been broken and clamped behind my back.
68. The number inked upon my skin, marking me the sixty-eighth pixie to be stolen.
87. The number of days I’ve been wrongfully imprisoned.
88. The first day the faeries will regret stealing me.
Healthy. Cheery. Vivacious. All traits Rosalie has before becoming enslaved by the faeries to make an endless supply of pixie dust. Now that Rosalie has been traumatized by slave labor, extreme desolate conditions and multiple deaths, this hardened pixie is anything but. When this rebellious teenager attempts an escape, she’s isolated in cramped quarters until she learns her place. Just as she begins to let go of all that hope, she finds an unlikely friend in Jack, the faerie assigned to guard her. Interspecies dating is forbidden in the fae world, so their growing attraction is unacceptable. And even if Jack can find a way to free her, they know the prison is the only place they can truly be together.
Clean YA Fantasy.

Review
So this should have been posted sooner but (1) I'm not a morning person so I refused to wake myself up to post it and (2) RL called me into work.
So what did I think about Dust? FANTASTIC! I felt Rosalie's pain everytime they broke her wings. Felt her longing to go home. Felt her love for Jack. I'm a sap for romance, I really am, and Devon sure knows how to write it well. Dust was absolutely amazing that I seriously read it in about 24 hours. I couldn't even put it down. It was so very descriptive I could picture Rosalie's world and let me tell you, I want to live there in the Hollow. Rosalie is an amazingly badass character and extremely determined to get back home she doesn't let her cockiness shy away from her captors. I loved watching Jack and Rosalie's relationship grow each day she was imprisoned. I won't give away the ending but just know I smiled sooo big but still got heartbroken. I can't wait for the sequel to come out! I want to give Dust like a twenty star rating but since that's not a valid rating, it gets five stars from me!

Dust by Devon Ashley Blog Tour: Excerpt + Giveaway!

I’m still swaying back and forth in a heavenly trance, softly murmuring the song in my head.

No…wait. I’m not the one humming. The sound is deeper, masculine. My eyes flutter, curious to learn the source of the sound. To my disappointment, I’m not swaying in the weeping willow anymore. The sunlight that I thought was peeping through the leaves, sprinkling me with a kaleidoscope effect of lights, is just the flame in the lantern flickering through the wavy glass walls of its prison.

I’m about to moan my opinion of the cruel disillusionment, when I realize my body is still swaying back and forth. But it’s not a willow branch wrapping itself around me, its Jack’s arms, securing me protectively against his body. My cheek is flush against his chest, and my body warm and snug as if cocooned. A heavenly sigh escapes my chest, but neither I nor Jack flinch, and he continues to rock us as he sings,

“When tears and darkness fall
And you can no longer hear my call
Ignore the evil one’s tempting plea
And scurry now to the willowy tree
Wait there you must, until the day
When Mother Nature illuminates your way
I’m afraid it’s the only key
To make the evil tendrils flee
Until then, just swing on the willowy tree”

As he sings, I lift my head to watch the notes vibrate the muscles in his throat. He senses me watching, and his smile is infectious.

“You know that song?” I ask. Duh, Rosalie. Maybe whacking myself in the head wasn’t such a good idea after all – but at least I can blame my stupidity on whatever head trauma I caused.

“Yeah. My mother used to sing it to me as a child. It took me a while to remember the words though. You’ve been singing parts of it in your sleep for awhile now, and it was driving me nuts that I couldn’t remember the words. It was always right on the tip of my tongue. They finally came to me yesterday when you were humming it in your sleep again.”

Lying against his firm chest is so perfect, I can’t help but reach my arms around his body and really snuggle in tight. He doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, his head bends to gently rest atop mine. I gasp quietly inside myself, little sparks of energy popping throughout my abdomen and chest. My heart feels like it’s trying to flip, fighting hard to break its tethers so it can join in the celebration.

We’d been so good to minimize contact since my moan sent him fleeing. But I don’t care anymore. If he’s not going to run from me right now, then I’m going to soak up as much physical contact as he’s willing to give.

I’m suddenly aware that my back is tingling with a numbing sensation. I groan, and elongate my neck to bury my eyes into his neck, too afraid to check the condition of my wings. Timidly, I whisper, “Did they hurt my wings again?”

I already know the answer.

His chest expands beyond normal lung capacity. Once it slowly releases the superfluous air, he quietly replies, “You were unconscious, so Finley didn’t stick around this time. Guess if he can’t watch you scream, he can’t get off on it.” His arms tighten, bringing our abdomens more flush. “Anyway, spriggans aren’t book smart. Most can’t even count. I did the count silently in my head and once I thought they did enough not to question, I told them to stop.” His upper hand sways back and forth, his fingers brushing the skin on my arm in soft, random patterns. “I’m sorry, Rosalie. I wish I could’ve stopped them completely.”

“How many?”

He knows exactly what I mean. “Thirty-two.”

I moan, and not in the pleasurable way that removed his hands in the past. If anything, his body is trying its best to cover as much of my body as possible, as if it could protect me or something. “How long was I out?”

“Four days.”

Now it’s my turn to overfill my chest. Four days? “Seriously, how bad is it?” Jack extends the length of our sway. After several passes, I urge, “Jack?” He continues to ignore my request, and when my head fearfully rotates toward my back, he presses my head firmly into his chest.

“I’m getting you out of here, Rosalie. And soon. Finley’s not getting another chance at your wings. Okay?”

I try to nod, but his grip is immobilizing. And like a fool pixie crushing on an unattainable faerie, I allow myself to be smothered to sleep by his protective grip.

 

 

GIVEAWAY

 

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Work In Progress Blog Hop: The Next Best Thing

Rules:

***Answer the ten questions about your current WIP (Work In Progress) on your blog.

***Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them.

It’s that simple.

Ten Interview Questions for The Next Big Thing:

What is the working title of your book?
Battle Scars (Elemental #2)

Where did the idea come from for the book?
Believe it or not, I was taking a shower (this was during the first book). I was rinsing the shampoo out of my hair and pictured, what is now, the ending of the first book and the rest just stemmed from there.

What genre does your book fall under?
YA Fantasy

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Oh this is an easy one!

Callie Pierce (FMC) would be played by Amber Heard

Lola Pierce (sister) played by Jordan Hinson

Scarlett Pierce (Mom) played by Becki Newton

 

Rory Pierce (Dad) played by David Walton

 

 

 

Oli Drayke (MMC) played by Tyler Blackburn

 

 

 

 

Lucy Drayke (Mom) played by Jaime Ray Newman

 

 

 

Joey Drayke (Dad) played by Charlie Weber

 

 

 

 

Cayden played by Jeremy Sumpter

 

 

 

Ady Meyers (bff #1) played by Julia Voth

 

 

 

 

Emery Jones (bff #2) played by Matt Lanter

 

 

 

 

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Now that Callie and Lola have literally exploded into their powers the war between Demons and Elementals is stronger than ever.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
My series is published through Revolution Publishing Inc.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
A little over a month but then redid the entire second half because I didn't like it. The completed manuscript was done in July 2011.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I'm not even sure. I've never read another book about Faeries or Conjurers with the ability to control the elements.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?
Well, I read a lot and I have a few author friends so I guess both reading and friends inspired me.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Faeries with awesome powers, a hot Aussie Conjurer, a hot Demon, and badass-ness this is for you.

I tag (I only had three authors to tag):
Cyn Balog
Jennifer DeLucy
Melissa Groeling