Thursday, January 31, 2013

#BookBlast : Silver-White by Shawn Underhill #YAlit




Silver-White by Shawn Underhill


“The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
  But I have promises to keep,
  And miles to go before I sleep.”
      
 ~ Robert Frost

*Evie’s family has been holding out on her …

Big time.

On an unexpected visit to her grandparents’ house in New Hampshire’s secluded North Woods, the sixteen-year-old literally runs into the truth of the long-hidden family secrets, and finds herself thrust without warning into the clandestine world of the Great North Pack—a wild and exhilarating world of rugged beauty, heart-pounding adventures, and long nights running under a sea of stars … but as she’s set to discover, a world also fraught with potential dangers lurking in the shadows.


Praise

 "Simply put, this book was amazing. I've read more fantasy novels than than I can count, but this one is certainly one of the best. The heroine isn't some wishy-washy pansy that screams at everything, and the focus of the story isn't on some unbelievably beautiful teenage girl who suddenly becomes the biggest, baddest member of her species falling in love with some big, bad, sexy member of her newfound species. It's about a girl becoming something she never knew existed, finding her place within the pack family she values more than ever before, and an age-old feud that threatens everything she loves." ~Morgan



Purchase ~ just .99 cents






Author Shawn Underhill


Shawn is a part-time writer from New Hampshire, where he spends his free time hiking in the mountains, camping, racing dirt bikes, or anything else that keeps him outdoors. Dogs are his very favorite people. He is also the author of the novel All Things Different.












BookBlast $100 Giveaway

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 2/13/13


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

What's It Like To Sign The 'Big' Contract? #EotS #publishing

Scribbler's Sojourn was originally started as a diary of sorts for my journey to publication in the hopes that I could inspire or help others. I got off course for awhile, but some big stuff has happened in the last 2 months - a big contract, covers, blurbs, and the list goes on. Needless to say, it's time to revamp here a smidge.

My plan is to share one personal post a week about the process of getting that manuscript into printed form.

I hope you'll follow along & share in my journey. Perhaps I can help you along your own sojourn!





The submission and signing

In November I subbed my fantasy Pool of Soul series to J. Taylor Publishing, and I just had to share my fragmented thoughts & actions immediately following their 2-book contract offer.

There's nothing quite like getting that email from the publisher, subject line - 'Re: Submission'. Know what I'm talking about? Ever experience it?

Heart leaps. Palms sweat. I don't know about the rest of you, but my armpits tingled.

I stared until I couldn't stand the anxiety any longer. I clicked on the email.

"We enjoyed ... " blah blah blah

 *skimmed to the good part*

"We are happy to extend to you this offer of publication of Pool of Souls (series) ..."

I saw nothing else as a huge



 escaped my lips. 

Of course, my squeeeee was louder - and longer. 

They then went on to know if I'm interested. 

o_O 

Um ... YES! A few days later, a longer email with attachments galore arrived. 

PRINT!   PRINT!

*Scurried to read. Drew breath. Re-read* 

Initialed pages. Signed. Told myself to breathe again. Squeeeeeed again.

Scanned and emailed back.

Official PR document needed put together - photo, bio, and a few questions about the series and its inspiration. The PR was scheduled for Dec. 17th.

During that time, self-doubt swamped my mind like a muddy bog. Could I write the 2nd book before their deadline? What happened if they hated the series ending? I'm JTP's first fantasy debut author - my story will represent what they want, what they look for in an author. They're taking a huge chance with me. ME!

*Wrung hands, squeeed some more, bit nails*

FINALLY PR day arrived. I squeeeeed to the cyber world and into the phone, announcing that I had signed that big 2-book contract.

JTP's projections are for an October 7th release for the first installment, Eye of the Soul, and so far so good! 

While I still have niggling thoughts here & there, I am totally stoked. I want this manuscript to be the best it CAN be. If I touch a single reader's life, change their outlook, or inspire them to strive onward, I will have succeeded.

*Flying high*

Still am.



Next Wednesday I'm going to share about the cover making process, so be sure to stop back!

Gotten any good news lately? How did you react?

Monday, January 28, 2013

#YA Giveaway Hop : Reaper by L.S. Murphy #paranormal #UF






I'm taking advantage of this YA hop to help promote my fellow J. Taylor Publishing author, L.S. Murphy, and her debut novel, Reaper. My 4 star review can be found HERE 

Let's take a look at the goodies, shall we?


-----------------



Reaper
Click on image to add on Goodreads
Paranormal / Urban Fantasy


There's no way sixteen year old Quincy Amarante will become the fifth grim reaper. None. Not over her shiny blue Mustang. Her Jimmy Choos. Or her dead body.

She’s supposed to enjoy her sophomore year, not learn about some freaky future Destiny says she has no choice but to fulfill.

It doesn’t take long for Quincy to realize the only way out of the game is to play along especially since Death can find her anyway, anywhere, anytime. And does.

Like when she’s reassuring her friends she wants nothing to do with former best friend Ben Moorland, who’s returned from god-knows-where, and fails. Miserably.

Instead of maintaining her coveted popularity status, Quincy’s goes down like the Titanic.

Maybe ... just maybe ... that’s okay.

It seems, perhaps, becoming a grim reaper isn’t just about the dead but more about a much needed shift in Quincy’s priorities—from who she thinks she wants to be to who she really is.

--------------------



Be sure to check out the linky list below for over 200 other chances to win some goodies! 

Best of luck!!



a Rafflecopter giveaway


#Review : Resonance by @JABelfield #HollowayPack #PNR #Wolves



Resonance (Holloway Pack, #2.5)
Click on image to add on Goodreads
Paranormal Romance, Wolves

From Goodreads:

Guilt is a heavy burden for the one carrying it.
Jem Stonehouse is no exception to this rule.
What if she’d acted sooner? What if she’d fully recognised the threat? What if she hadn’t allowed the male pack members to head into the witches’ ambush?
For one, youngest pack member Josh Larsen wouldn’t be trapped in the sleep of the dead.
Now, Jem is convinced it’s her job to bring him back to life no matter what it takes— learning more about her heritage, risking pack exposure, or travelling to places she couldn’t have imagined possible.
Even if the journey endangers her soul.






Seeing as how I just devoured Blue Moon (see my 5 star review HERE), I was THRILLED when J. Taylor Publishing sent me an ARC of the next installment in the Holloway Pack Series.

I knew going in that it was a novella and that it would doubtless be over all too soon, but it was over TOO soon. Not in a bad way – I just wanted more. Can’t get enough of these characters!

Yummies:  As with all the Holloway Pack characters, this book is no different. I *heart* them. Especially Ethan, whose own story releases in August this year. Can’t WAIT!!

Love the relationship dynamics – playful, loving, & devoted like a true wolf pack.

This story is short, but the arc rounded nicely. It’s full of tension with a creepy other plane of existence. Even the hot love scene rocked, but was tastefully written. I couldn’t put my kindle down until the last word.

Speaking of which – there’s a nice little surprise in the last line which I saw a mile off, but oh … so excited it happened! Did I say I couldn’t wait for the next book???

Yuckies:  *snort* As if.

Recommend:  Absolutely.





Other Novels in this series include:
Darkness & Light (#1)
Blue Moon (#2)

In-between release novellas include:
Instinct (#0)
Eternal (#.5)
Resonance (#2.5)




Sunday, January 27, 2013

#BlogTour : Shrapnel by Stephanie Lawton #excerpt #YAlit #paranormal

Super excited to be part of Stephanie Lawton's Shrapnel blog tour!! Feelin' the love.  ;)  Anyhoo, Ms. Lawton is here to share a snippet from her newest novel. But first, let's take a look at the purdy & what it's all about.



Shrapnel
Click on image to add on Goodreads
YA / Paranormal

From Goodreads:

It’s been six years since Dylanie and her family visited a Civil War site and the place came alive with cannon fire. Problem was, no one could hear it but her.

Now she’s sixteen, her dad’s moved out, her mom’s come out of the closet and Dylan’s got a spot on Paranormal Teen, a reality TV show filming at historic Oakleigh Mansion. She’ll spend a weekend with two other psychic teens—Jake and Ashley—learning how to control her abilities.

None of them realized how much their emotional baggage would put them at the mercy of Oakleigh’s resident spirits, or that they’d find themselves pawns in the 150-year-old battle for the South’s legendary Confederate gold. Each must conquer their personal ghosts to face down Jackson, a seductive spirit who will do anything to protect the gold’s current location and avenge a heinous attack that destroyed his family.


Purchase Links:


§  Amazon (Kindle); Amazon (paperback)
§  All Romance ebooks (digital)
§  CreateSpace (paperback)



Today I’m super excited to be on Terri’s blog so I can share with you one of my favorite lines from Shrapnel, a paranormal romance mutt that also contains elements of horror, historical fiction, and a tiny thread of LGBT. More important, though, is that this excerpt is told from Jake’s point of view. He’s a teen with empathic power—he can feel others’ emotions and depending on what they are, they often drain him of energy. Writing from a guy’s POV is so much fun, and below you’ll see why.
Jake has just mastered a skill taught to him by Riley, a mentor psychic, but he retreats to his room to decompress. His peace and quiet doesn’t last long. Ashley and Dylan are the two girls who are also at the psychic retreat with him.
***
I’m feeling pretty good about myself, but I still high-tail it to my room and spend an hour in lotus position, trying to slough off the primordial ooze Ashley and Dylan spewed at me earlier. It coats my brain like a brown layer of mold, the kind that grows in the gym showers at school and threatens to attack and drag freshmen down the drain into a tangle of man-hair and Axe body wash.
Tap, tap.
Because I have my shield down, I know who’s knocking at my door before I open it.
“Hey, Ash. What’s up?”
“Can we talk?”
“Um, sure. Come on in.” I turn my back so I can blow out my shield in secret. It’s like a mental rubber to protect me from her emotional crabs.
“I never got to tell you about the dreams I had last night.” She gives me a pointed look.
“Yeah, sorry about that. Bacon.” I shrug. “So, what were they about?”
“Ethan. He sent them to me.”
“Uh, how do you know?”
“Just listen.”
She tells me about the conversation she overheard in her dream and the splinter in her arm. Then she shows me the mark. She finishes by recounting the second dream, the one near the stable and the shady guy in dark clothes.
“Why do you think Ethan chose you? I mean, he was already in Dylan’s room. It doesn’t make sense.”
 “I don’t know.” Ashley rubs the top of her nose and looks somewhere over my shoulder. “It’s weird.”
“Ash, even if I wasn’t an empath, I’d know you’re lying.”
She shifts her weight from one foot to the other. “I have an idea, but it’s stupid. Look, forget I said anything, okay?”
She turns to leave and I so want to let her go because, let’s be honest, I’ve got enough shit on my plate. But like Riley brought up earlier, empaths are usually peacemakers and I need to stop fighting my nature. God, I’m a douche.
My first instinct is to grab her arm, look her in the eyes and tell her she can trust me. So that’s what I do. Douchy, douchable nature.
“Jake, I did something really bad. Like, really, truly horrible!” The urgency in her voice grabs my attention. “I mean, y’all are gonna find out about it when the show airs, but—” And she’s crying. On my shoulder. And because I’m a douchy, peacemaking empath, I put my arms around her and pat her back while she bawls. She takes a shortcut past girly crying and goes straight to ugly hiccupping, snot-running, make-up-smearing scary crying. Aw, hell. Riley can take his peacemaking nature and go f—
“I killed my little brother.”
“Shut up, you did not.”
“I did. I had a dream that he died, but I didn’t tell anyone about it or do anything to stop it. It’s my fault.”
Well, this explains the rotten cheese smell of her emotions. After a big sigh—one I’d like to use to blow my shield up big enough to shove her out the door—I ask the question that’s expected of me.
“What happened?”



Stephanie Lawton
After collecting a couple English degrees in the Midwest, Stephanie Lawton suddenly awoke in the deepest reaches of the Deep South. Culture shock inspired her to write about Mobile, Alabama, her adopted city, and all the ways Southern culture, history and attitudes seduce the unsuspecting.

A lover of all things gothic, she can often be spotted photographing old cemeteries, historic buildings and, ironically, the beautiful beaches of the Gulf Coast. She also has a tendency to psychoanalyze people, which comes in handy when creating character profiles.

She has a love/hate relationship with Mardi Gras and can sneeze 18 times in a row.



Stalk Ms. Lawton!


I don't know about you, but that excerpt left me hanging!

o_O

Enter to win a copy of Shrapnel on Goodreads HERE. Best of luck, & thanks for stopping by.



Saturday, January 26, 2013

#StackingTheShelves What are you reading this week?

Hosted by Tynga's Reviews

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! Click on the image above for more info & the linky list of other participating authors!





Won:  A steamy little nasty by one of erotica's best authors, Kastil Eavenshade


Sasha's Gift
Click on image to add on Goodreads


Nabbed from the used book hut at the local dump:

Hey ... freebies are freebies, folks! Don't judge my trash-pickin'! This first one is a name I've seen EVERYWHERE, but I've yet to read her stuff. I know it's book #3 in the series, but hey. Freebie!



The Highlander's Touch (Highlander, #3)


And lastly, two authors who never let me down.


A Season Beyond a Kiss   Homeport


What did YOU add to your shelves this week? 

Friday, January 25, 2013

Jack & Jill Vol. One by Jennifer M. Eaton #romance #promo



Jack & Jill, Volume One
Jack and Jill Stories, Volume one


Jill stumbles back into the dating world after twelve years of motherhood.  But things have changed a lot since the last time she dated.  Jack and Jill stories follow the challenges of a woman holding on to traditional values in a world that has evolved without her. Now that she has found the man of her dreams, will Jill be able to hold on to him without compromising what she believes in?

Volume One follows Jack and Jill on their journey from friendship to love over Christmas and New Years in two heartwarming stories.

Connect the Dots:  Jill writes her most intimate Christmas wish to God—and throws it away for its ridiculousness—but Christmas wishes have a way of coming true, even when you don’t know what you’ve wished for.

A Test of Faith:  One day after her Christmas wish comes true, Jill faces a wrenching choice that tests her deepest beliefs.  Will love prevail over conviction, or is happiness nothing more than a fairytale?




Connect the Dots, Excerpt:

The scent of cheap perfumes slapped my face as I pushed open the bathroom door. I resisted the urge to turn and leave. The girl’s club posed and fluffed before the mirrors, primping like prom queens, rather than secretaries and accountants.
“Good morning.” I smiled. Not that they’d notice me, lost inside their gossiping gaggle. I opened a stall door and slipped inside.
I peered through the crack beside the hinges. Monica’s Barbie-doll butt jutted out as she leaned toward the mirror to apply her lipstick. Her tight skirt enunciated all those curves that God forgot to give me and blessed her with in abundance. I sat down to do my business with a sigh.
“So,” Monica said. “I got Steve for Secret Santa. I can’t wait to give him my present.”
My stomach sank and flipped.
“What are you getting him?” Elaine asked.
Monica giggled. “I was thinking of lingerie.”
I cringed. So much for Steve. I couldn’t compete with that.
“So, who got Jack?” Elaine asked. “That’s a pipe I’d like to tap. I saw him at the gym the other day. Damn that boy’s hiding some major pecs under that conservative suit of his.”
“Mmmm,” Monica said. “I wouldn’t mind a piece of that myself. He’s the perfect pop and drop date.”
“Pop and drop?” Surprise touched Elaine’s voice.
“Yeah, you know…great for a good time, but not good enough to marry. He’s cute enough to screw, but I need a little extra padding in the wallet to turn me on for more than a one night stand. You know what I mean?”
Amanda giggled. “You are wicked, girlfriend. I wanna be you when I grow up.”
You are grown up, bimbo. I stood and re-adjusted my slacks.
“Well, you can’t have both Steve and Jack,” Elaine said. “You need to leave a little for the rest of us.”
I leaned up to the crack once more. Monica fluffed her golden locks in the mirror. What I wouldn’t give for her curls, her curves. I mean, really God, couldn’t you have just given me a few ounces of her boobs? Dang…I’d take any part of her over my boring body.
“Well, I’m six for six at getting laid at the Christmas party,” Monica said. “So who should I do this year?”
Did she just say what I think she said?
“Flip a coin. I get the loser,” Amanda said.
“Okay. Heads Jack. Tails Steve.”
I rubbed my face as I heard a coin hit the floor. The gaggle cried out in the same instant and began high-fiving each other. I stretched up and down the crack in the door trying to see the coin, but Amanda picked it up and slipped it in her pocket.
The girls club streamed from the bathroom, leaving Monica smoothing her skirt and checking her butt in the mirror. I squeezed my hands into fists, my nails biting into my flesh.
Monica posed, smiling at her reflection. An innocent expression crossed her face. “Oh, Jack…I’ve wanted you ever since we were partners in science class.”
Oh, no.
Her face changed back to the bitch I knew so well. “He’ll go for it,” she whispered. “They always do.”

Available for purchase:






Jennifer Eaton lives on the East Coast USA with her husband, three boys, and a pepped up poodle.  She hosts an interactive website www.jennifermeaton.com aimed at making all writers the best they can be. 

Her Contemporary Sweet Romance, Jack and Jill Volume One is currently available in both print and ebook.  The Dystopian novelette “Last Winter Red” is available as part of the “Make Believe” Anthology.  Jennifer M. Eaton's Christmas Romance “Connect the Dots” is available as part of the “For the Love of Christmas” Anthology.  Each title is available from Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com and Smashwords.

Jack and Jill Volume One:  Jill stumbles back into the dating world after twelve years of motherhood.  But things have changed a lot since the last time she dated.  Jack and Jill stories follow the challenges of a woman holding on to traditional values in a world that has evolved without her. Now that she has found the man of her dreams, will Jill be able to hold on to him without compromising what she believes in?

Last Winter Red:  In search of a husband, Emily leaves the safety of the city and risks her life stepping into the outside world.  What she finds there will question the foundations of everything she believes in.

Connect the Dots:   Jill has no idea what she wants for Christmas, but when it looks like her best friend Jack is going to get exactly what he asks for, Jill makes a Christmas wish that will change both of their lives forever. 


Where to find Jennifer M. Eaton!



Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Running 2 Blog Tours At The Same Time - What I learned


Yup. You read that right. TWO blog tours at the same time. Craziness. Trust me, I know!




So after both of my blog tours ended, I realized I had learned a LOT. My weekly post last week found HERE explains how I set mine up. This week I'll clue you in to the things I learned or did wrong - and what I know not to do next time.

First - It doesn't hurt to ask book bloggers directly to participate, but do your homework first!! Make sure they are a fit to your book's genre. Don't embarrass yourself.

Second - No matter how organized you are, things WILL fall through the cracks. No matter how many reminders or exchanged emails, some bloggers won't post. No biggie. Brush it off like a grain of salt. It happens.

Third - My biggest regret is that I didn't learn more about Mailchimp BEFORE starting. While Google Docs are awesome, I had to manually add each participant from the sign-up sheet to my Mailchimp list of tour hosts. 

PAIN. 

This is where a few fell through the cracks for me. I learned after the tour that Mailchimp has their own sign-up forms for whatever campaign you're setting up - and those email address go DIRECTLY into your list for the newsletter. 

*slap forehead*

Fourth - I stalked too much. Commenting is great, & replying awesome, but some days I couldn't stop swinging by to my hosts' sites just to see what was happening. This leads to ...

Fifth - Prioritize. I hardly got any writing done all month long because I was so obsessed with checking on my hosting sites. 

Set a time limit. 

Stick to it.

Sixth - Not everyone will love my story. Reviews poured in from the other antho authors' tour stops, and I was a smidge disheartened when a reviewer didn't love my contribution as much as I do.

Again, no biggie. We can't please every reader every time.

Seventh - This one I attribute to my green anxiousness. I planned and started sign-ups too early. Until the reminders went out 4 weeks before the tour, a few bloggers never responded. Chances are they had forgotten they'd agreed two months earlier.

*shame face*

Eighth - Get those guest posts, interviews, and tens lists done WHEN THEY COME IN. Don't procrastinate and suddenly be left with ten things to accomplish in ten days. 

Hmmm. Thinking that might be about it. I'll probably remember another not-so-great moment a day or two after this goes live, but oh well.






What have you learned from your own blog tours? Suggestions to making them easier / better?

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

#GuestPost by Cami Checketts, Dying to Run






Today I'm pleased to have Cami Checketts, author of Dead Running and Dying to Run. She's going to share just a smidge about where her inspiration came from. Be sure to scroll down for some giveaway goodies!

Welcome Cami & take it away!




My books are usually conceived after I have a horrific nightmare (I can't afford therapy so I write). With Dead Running I had a nightmare of the inciting incident where an intruder comes into Cassidy's home and attacks her father with a knife.

The running theme came into play when my conniving sister-in-law (who I love dearly) talked me into running our local 10K and I won an entrance into the St. George Marathon. Unlike Cassidy's experience of winning a marathon entry, I was actually pretty excited about the race, until I had to start the actual training. Dead Running follows the progression of training for a marathon which I've done a couple of times so it was fun to use that as a book format. Thank heavens when I run a marathon, I don't have all the drama and terror that Cassidy endured with her training, though I wouldn't have minded meeting Damon or Dr. Tattoo!



Dead Running

Cassidy Christensen is running.

Running from the mercenaries who killed her parents.

Running from a scheming redhead intent on making her life miserable.

Running from painful memories that sabotage her dreams of happiness.

With two very tempting men competing for her attention, she hopes she'll finally have someone to run to, but can she trust either of them? When secrets from her past threaten her family, Cassidy decides to stop running and fight for her future.





Dying to Run


Cassidy Christensen wants to run.

Captured by the traffickers who killed her mother, her only hope is Dr. Tattoo, a man she loves but nobody trusts. When she finally gets a chance to run, someone else she cares about is taken. Running might be her only chance at survival, but she won’t allow another family member to be killed in her place.

This must-read sequel to Dead Running will have you laughing, biting your nails, and hoping for more.









Purchase



Author Cami Checketts

Cami Checketts is married and the proud mother of four future WWF champions. Sometimes between being a human horse, cleaning up magic potions, and reading Bernstein Bears, she gets the chance to write fiction.

Cami graduated from Utah State University with a degree in Exercise Science. Cami teaches strength training classes at her local rec and shares healthy living tips on her fitness blog: http://fitnessformom.blogspot.com.

Cami and her family live in the beautiful Cache Valley of Northern Utah. During the two months of the year it isn't snowing, she enjoys swimming, biking, running, and water-skiing.



Links














$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash from Author Cami Checketts

3 Sets of iFrogz Earbuds & Armbands








a Rafflecopter giveaway




Ends 1/31/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.