Best in blogs March 15-20, 2015 #amwriting #amreading

Welcome to my list of some of the best blogs I visited this week.

Charlotte's Library
This is a great resource for reviews of kids books
"This week's roundup of middle grade sci fi and fantasy from around the blogs" 

Operation Awesome
Writing tidbits, great contests - worth following or visiting on a regular basis
"Interior Design for Book NerdsI bet you thought this was going to be a post on how to make more bookshelves fit into your home decor, didn't you? No, this post is aimed at those who enjoy the details that go into the design of the interior of the book."

Operation Awesome - again!
Had to hit this one again because... contest awesomness
"Welcome to the lottery for our April Mystery Agent contest! Are your manuscripts polished and your pitches ready to go? Closes March 31, 2015."

Author Stephen Tremp
Like a little science fiction in your writing blog?
"Hey everyone, short post today as I’m getting ready for my “Meet You’re a to Z Co-Host.” So feel free to ask me any question about me. You can ask such questions as: 

* Am I carbon based? 

* Do I have a time travelling wormhole parked in my garage? 

* Do I really have webbed feet? "

Marcy Kennedy
Marcy's an author and writing expert, but today's post is a challenging detour!
"Why I hate the Jedi - by Marcy's husband Chris
For many Star Wars fans, Luke Skywalker is a hero. He’s the hometown boy who discovers himself and goes on to save the galaxy, starting with a two-meter-wide exhaust port on the Death Star I. But what makes Luke Skywalker able to do these things is that he’s a Jedi, maybe one of the greatest ever. In my mind, it’s quite possible that Luke Skywalker—not Darth Vader—was the Chosen One of the Jedi prophesies."

Stacey O'Neale - author
Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop - with a free book!
"CONTEST: WIN a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!!GIVEAWAY: Download THE SHADOW PRINCE for FREE" 

Michelle4Laughs
Looking for an agent? In depth questions with agent Jennifer Azantian
"Here to relieve some of that endless worrying is a new series of posts called Query Questions. I'll ask the questions which prey on every writer's mind, and hopefully take some of the pain out of querying. These are questions that I've seen tossed around on twitter and writing sites like Agent Query Connect. They are the type of questions that you need answers for the real expert--agents!"

Writer Unboxed
Awesome writing craft blog, but I especially enjoy the regular Flogging a Pro feature
"Flog a Pro: would you turn this bestselling author’s first page?
... Brendan didn’t knock on the cabin door, just turned the handle and slipped inside, looking back as he did so to be sure no one had seen him. He didn’t want to have to explain what a young man from cabin class was doing in an elderly peer’s room at that time of night. Not that anyone would have commented"

Author spotlight, interview with Julie Reece and #giveaway #M9BFridayReveals

Check out the interview with Julie Reece and the giveaway, be sure to continue to another great book released today. Yay, double post!

Welcome to this week’s M9B Friday Reveal!

This week, we are spotlighting Julie Reece, author of

The Artisans

presented by Month9Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Get to Know Julie Reece in 10 Questions or Less!

Twitter or Facebook? -Both

Favorite Superhero? –One hero to rule them all: Thor

Favorite TV show? -Sherlock (British)

Sweet or Salty? -Ice cream is a food group.

Coke or Pepsi? -Tea (I’m a rebel)

Any Phobias? –Sharks and, ew, spiders … oh and drowning.

Song you can’t get enough of right now? –Caroline (or anything) by Kill It Kid *dies*

Who is your ultimate Book Boyfriend? ‘Weaver’ from May Webb’s, Precious Bane *swoons*

What are you reading right now or what's on your TBR? -Saving Francesca , by Melina Marchetta

Fall Movie you’re most looking forward to? –OMG! Crimson Peak and Mad Max:Fury Road

Born in Ohio, I lived next to my grandfather’s horse farm until the fourth grade. Summers were about riding, fishing and make-believe, while winter brought sledding and ice-skating on frozen ponds. Most of life was magical, but not all.

I struggled with multiple learning disabilities, did not excel in school. I spent much of my time looking out windows and daydreaming. In the fourth grade (with the help of one very nice teacher) I fought dyslexia for my right to read, like a prince fights a dragon in order to free the princess locked in a tower, and I won.

Afterwards, I read like a fiend. I invented stories where I could be the princess… or a gifted heroine from another world who kicked bad guy butt to win the heart of a charismatic hero. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? Later, I moved to Florida where I continued to fantasize about superpowers and monsters, fabricating stories (my mother called it lying) and sharing them with my friends.

Then I thought I’d write one down…

Hooked, I’ve been writing ever since. I write historical, contemporary, urban fantasy, adventure, and young adult romances. I love strong heroines, sweeping tales of mystery and epic adventure… which must include a really hot guy. My writing is proof you can work hard to overcome any obstacle. Don’t give up. I say, if you write, write on!

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

They say death can be beautiful. But after the death of her mother, seventeen-year-old RAVEN WEATHERSBY gives up her dream of becoming a fashion designer, barely surviving life in the South Carolina lowlands.

To make ends meet, Raven works after school as a seamstress creating stunning works of fashion that often rival the great names of the day.

Instead of making things easier on the high school senior, her stepdad’s drinking leads to a run in with the highly reclusive heir to the Maddox family fortune, Gideon Maddox.

But Raven’s stepdad’s drying out and in no condition to attend the meeting with Maddox. So Raven volunteers to take his place and offers to repay the debt in order to keep the only father she’s ever known out of jail, or worse.

Gideon Maddox agrees, outlining an outrageous demand: Raven must live in his home for a year while she designs for Maddox Industries’ clothing line, signing over her creative rights.

Her handsome young captor is arrogant and infuriating to the nth degree, and Raven can’t imagine working for him, let alone sharing the same space for more than five minutes.

But nothing is ever as it seems. Is Gideon Maddox the monster the world believes him to be? And can he stand to let the young seamstress see him as he really is?

The Artisans is a delectably rich, layered and dark YA Southern Gothic inspired by Jeanne Marie Leprince de Beaumont’s classic Beauty and the Beast.

“The Artisans has all the elements I love – spooky intrigue, strong friendships, and a romantic tension to be savored.” ~ Wendy Higgins, New York Times bestselling author of the Sweet Evil trilogy.

Title: The Artisans
Publication date: May 2015
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Julie Reece

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

The book will be sent upon the titles release.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And thank you all so much for the awesome Blitz Day comments - what a spring surprise!

Release day! Hunted by Liz Long #ya #paranormal

I'm so excited to have you be a part of my release day for HUNTED, Book 3 of the Donovan Circus Series! Sometimes it feels like I just released the first book, GIFTED, a few days ago; other times, it feels like more years than it's actually been! :) Thank you to the amazing bloggers, authors, and readers who have helped make this such an awesome release day. Also a special thanks to my cover designer, Kate at Dwell Design & Press for her amazing cover work! I hope you all find the third adventure as exciting as the first two - and perhaps much darker, as there are many underlying things bubbling to the surface, secrets coming unveiled, and a death that will shake the troupe in a terrible way.


Back Cover Synopsis: Lucy Sullivan finally belongs with the gifted Donovan Circus. Members are finding their rhythm, even the new folks from the Grayson Circus who joined after the last attack. Lucy feels like a trusted leader who can win the gifted battles and prevent humans from discovering their existence. When tragedy strikes camp, a distraught Sheffield sends Lucy and her gifted team to hunt down the enemy – Alex, a Chameleon with a wicked ability for war. He’s out for blood and won’t stop until Lucy and her friends are dead. This time, it won’t be Lucy’s gift that is tested – it will be her morality. To save her circus, the price will be greater than she ever expected. This time, she will lose someone she loves. And it will change everything.

PURCHASE LINKS ___________________________________________________________________

Haven't read the first two in the series? No problem! You can get the first adventure, GIFTED, for only 99 cents on Amazon, B&N, and iBooks!

In Gifted, meet Lucy, a Firestarter who just wants to be normal amongst the freaks. She can control fire, though she’s quick to discover that power doesn’t always bring good things. Her famous father may have created a fiery legacy, but their good name is threatened when Lucy’s framed for murder. Felix Hardy, an old “friend” of the show, offers another side of the Donovan Circus story, one her father never told her. As she struggles to clear her name, Lucy will discover that maybe some things are better left in the past. ___________________________________________________________________ BURNED is just $2.99 on the same platforms. Get it for your e-reader today! Burned picks up right where Gifted left off, in a new city and ready to get back to work. When Lucy is attacked on the grounds, it’s discovered her enemy had friends – big ones. Medved, a Shapeshifter known as “the Bear,” is intent on the gifted world’s exposure to humans. To build his army, he needs Sheffield and Lucy out of his way. Sheffield sends Lucy and her friends to form an alliance with the Grayson Circus members, who have as many quirks as the Donovan group. Not all are who they seem and Lucy must choose who to trust before Medved kills them all. ___________________________________________________________________ About the Author: Liz Long is a ridiculously proud graduate of Longwood University with a BA in English. Her inspiration comes from action and thriller genres and she spends entirely too much time watching superhero movies. Her fabulous day job as a Social Media & PR Strategist includes writing for LeisureMedia360 (Roanoker, bridebook, Blue Ridge Country magazines) in Roanoke, VA. The Donovan Circus series has best been described as "X-Men meets the circus with a murder mystery thrown in." Her second book Witch Hearts, is a story about a serial killer hunting witches for their powers. Her newest title, A Reaper Made, is a fantasy about a Reaper who must work a little magic to save her family's souls from demons. All titles are available for paperback or ebook on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iBooks. To learn more about Liz, visit her website: http://lizclong.com. Author Links: Website: http://lizclong.com Twitter: (Handle: @LizCLong) https://twitter.com/LizCLong Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/lizclongauthor Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/lizlong Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/LizLong

Book tour: Review of The Keeper by Dalia Roddy #supernatural

Welcome to my stop on Dalia Roddy's book review tour. Enjoy my review and then continue on to today's second post which features two great MG books and a giveaway. 

THE KEEPER, by Dalia Roddy 

Genre: Supernatural-Thriller 

Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press

Date of Release­­: December 8, 2014

Cover Artist: Alexandria Thompson at Gothic Fate

Find Online: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Goodreads

Description:

An ancient box is found, and its mysterious occupants released. They seem benign, the small, floating creatures freed from the box… until they begin multiplying. Until Guy, Saul, Emily, and her ten-year old twins find themselves sucked into a whirlpool of terror. For the pretty little floaters have bonded them, and are taking something from them… and giving back something even more dangerous.

What they give back is new to the world. It is something three desperate mercenaries want, and will kill to get. Unable to negotiate with their murderous hunters, Guy, Saul, Emily, and the girls find themselves fleeing for their lives.

Yet, unknown to all, a deeper threat is growing: Without a Keeper, the creatures are making their move…

 My Review:

The Keeper is a fascinating book, certainly unique in concept. It will pull the reader back to continue the journey as the character's basic personality is twisted, changed. Through the entire book, you will want to know what the creatures want, what they're trying to accomplish, if the changes they make with the humans they've bonded to are on purpose. Those changes vary wildly, from useful super powers to nuances in sensory perceptions.

The author goes into great detail showing the world through each character and the imperatives upon their actions caused by the creatures desires. It's an interesting read, nothing like I've ever read before.

I especially enjoyed the relationship of the twins and how their bond allowed them to embrace the "gifts" of the creatures.

While the reader in me enjoyed the unique story, my editor side would have made some changes. In many places, often right as action started, the characters fell into their memories with a bit too much detail. I think the length of the book could easily be cut by 20%, but for those that appreciate more description than I do, you'll love this book even more. I'm also not a fan of omniscient writing, it lends to frequent head-hopping, often within a paragraph, and more telling than showing. But that's one of those things I notice as a writer and editor. My reader self would have read blissfully on a decade ago!

I do recommend the book for its uniqueness and fascinating concept. In fact, it even spawned a story idea for me, which I just might start outlining in the near future! 

About The Author:

Dalia Roddy and her husband live in Nevada. She is the author of A CATCH IN TIME and is currently at work on her third novel.

Find [author] Online:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Curiosity Quills Press (CQ) is a small hybrid publishing company specializing in genre fiction of the highest quality. With 150+ titles in our catalog already and approximately 6 new books coming out each month, there’s never a dull moment at CQ. We work with major retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Audible to ensure that you, the reader, can find whatever you are looking for at your convenience.

Founded in 2011 by Eugene Teplitsky and Lisa Gus, CQ was initially a resource portal for writing and publishing, created in an effort to help writers, like themselves, survive the publishing industry. After rapid success, CQ morphed into publishing press that over time has solidified its share in the market. Now we spend our days searching for the next great escape!

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

#T4T Book Blitz & #Giveaway 2 Gabriel Stone books by Shannon Duffy #mg

Hello and welcome to this week’s Two for Thursday Book Blitz #T4T
presented by Month9books/Tantrum Books!

Today, we will be showcasing two titles that may tickle your fancy,
and we’ll share what readers have to say about these titles!

You just might find your next read!

This week, #T4T presents to you:

Gabriel Stone and the Divinity of Valta (Gabriel Stone #1)
and
Gabriel Stone and the Wrath of the Solarians (Gabriel Stone #2)
by Shannon Duffy

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Gabriel Stone is a twelve-year-old boy still reeling from the unsolved disappearance of his mother. With a dad who’s hard to relate to, and mounting pressures at school, Gabriel lets off steam by hiking in the place where his mother was last seen. There, Gabe and friends find a crystal that proves not only beautiful, but magical beyond their wildest dreams. Only, magic and beauty come with a price: in order to return home, they must save the dying world of Valta.

Available for Purchase:

What Readers are Saying:

“Gabriel Stone and the Divinity of Valta is a fun-filled adventure filled with talking monkeys, flying tigers, magical powers, and three best friends who are smart, funny, loyal, and above all, authentic.” –Rachel Harris, New York Times bestselling author.

“…this is a book that triggers the love for reading books.” – Alexander – Book Reviewer

“A truly magical and entertaining read!” – Lauren Hammond – Author

Gabriel Stone is back from Valta, but the adventure is just beginning! His friend Tahlita is trapped in Willow Creek with no memory of Valta. Gabe, Piper, and Brent are determined to reunite Tahlita with her father. Yet even as they do, Prince Oliver arrives asking for their help. Menacing forces known as the Solarians have kidnapped the Empress and Princess and are threatening the lives of humans everywhere. Along with talking tracker monkey, Finley, the friends battle vampire mermaids and a living, blood-filled lake in their quest to save the Empress and Princess. Even with cool new powers, Gabe discovers their strongest weapon is their friendship as they battle the Solarians and rescue a cursed white witch—who may be the only one who can save Valta.

Available for Purchase:

What Readers are Saying:

“Reading this book brought me back to a time when magic and zero worries filled my life.” – Reviewer from A Leisure Moment

Shannon Duffy grew up on the beautiful east coast of Canada, and now lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and son, Gabriel. She’s mom to one boy, and several pets. Shannon loves writing, reading, working out, soccer, and the sport of champions: shopping.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Complete the Rafflecopter for a chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review of Jodie Renner's Captivate Your Readers #amwriting

Today I'm featuring my review of Jodi Renner's Captivate Your Readers - a great writing resource. 

About Captivate Your Readers - An Editor's Guide to Writing Compelling Fiction:

This third guide to writing compelling fiction by respected editor and award-winning author Jodie Renner provides concrete advice for captivating readers and immersing them in your story world. It’s all about engaging readers through the use of techniques such as deep point of view, showing instead of telling, avoiding author intrusions, writing riveting dialogue, and basically stepping back and letting the characters tell the story.

Today’s readers want to lose themselves in an absorbing story. Renner shows you how to provide the immediacy and emotional involvement readers crave in fiction, the direct, close connection to the characters and their world. And she does it in her usual highly accessible, reader-friendly style, with plenty of subheadings, concrete tips and examples.

This book is available in both e-book form and print, through all Amazon websites, and also in print through Red Tuque Books in Penticton, BC. Available soon in print at many independent bookstores and libraries.

~ Captivate Your Readers – An Editor’s Guide to Writing Compelling Fiction
Amazon.com  Amazon.ca  Amazon.co.uk

My review:

Captivate Your Readers is a great book for both new and experienced writers. So many little things feel natural or we’re subliminally convinced by reading other books that telling is perfectly ok. But there’s just no reason to share sub-par work with CPs or Betas or, worse, agents, when Jodie Renner’s book does such a great job of not only pointing them out, but explaining why they don’t work, and offering suggestions on how to fix.

Using powerful language is just the tip of subjects covered. It doesn’t matter how well you write technically if you don’t have complex, fascinating characters – both protagonist and antagonist, as well as a supporting cast. The POV has to work, provide scintillating information without confusing the readers. And your scenes must feel real, visualized, but not over-described. Ms. Rener’s examples and tips will leave you itching to sparkle up your ms or start a new project.

This book fits great with her others, but functions just fine on its own. And each chapter can be worked as a standalone. The e-books has links to quickly move from one topic to another or just read straight through like I did and take notes or work on your ms while learning. Her chapters are short, each with a single concept along with perfect examples. The book also refers to other great writing books that focus in more details on a certain topic.

And for those of you more experienced, but still fighting show vs tell, you’ll love that chapter. Ms Renner explains that concept better than most I’ve seen.

The book ends with some great checkpoint lists – no ms should make it into an agents inbox without these lists being gone through at least once. Rating - 4.5 stars.

Author Bio:

Jodie Renner is a sought-after freelance editor and award-winning author of writing craft books: Fire up Your Fiction, Writing a Killer Thriller, and Captivate Your Readers, as well as time-saving clickable e-resources, Quick Clicks: Word Usage and Quick Clicks: Spelling List. You can find her at JodieRennerEditing.com, JodieRenner.com, and The Kill Zone Blog. When she’s not editing, reading, or writing, Jodie loves to pursue her two other passions, photography and traveling. In fact, Jodie loves traveling so much, she’s considering changing her tagline from “Let’s work together to enhance and empower your writing” to “Have laptop, will travel.”

Jodie Renner, M.A., editor & author
FIRE UP YOUR FICTION - multi-award-winning.  Amazon: 101 reviews, av.: 4.8/5 stars

WRITING A KILLER THRILLER  - “Finally, someone who understands the thriller!" - Robert Dugoni, NYT bestselling author. Amazon: 79 reviews, av. 4.7/ 5 stars

CAPTIVATE YOUR READERS - out Feb. 28

QUICK CLICKS: WORD USAGE    QUICK CLICKS: SPELLING LIST

Jodie's Author Page   Newsletter
Editing website, Author website, Resources for Writers, The Kill Zone
Facebook, Twitter

Book launch - Fifth Avenue Fidos by Holly Schindler #romance #comedy

Fifth Avenue Fidos

A New Adult Rom-Com with “Bite”

Holly Schindler

When a mutt from Queens meets a purebred New Yorker, it takes man’s—and woman’s—best friend to convince them what they feel is more than puppy love.

Mable Barker, a hilarious, good-natured sweetheart who is always the pal but never the girlfriend, endures nine horrendous months of bouncing between lackluster New York City jobs (and suffering unrequited love) in her unsuccessful attempt to find her one true talent. So when she meets Innis, the ill-tempered Upper East Side Pekingese, she assumes her dog-walking days are numbered, too; soon, she’ll be heading back to Queens brokenhearted, tail tucked between her legs. But Innis belongs to the adorable yet painfully shy young veterinarian, Jason Mead, a man whose awkward ways around women have him dreaming not of finding love for himself but of playing canine matchmaker—breeding Westminster champions.

When Mable and Jason meet, romance is officially unleashed: they find an instant connection and shared goal, as it appears that Mable could very well have what it takes to be a professional handler, soon to be seen holding Innis under a banner labeled, “Best in Show.” As Jason and Mable get closer to putting a new twist on the term “dog lovers,” outside forces—Mable’s overprotective brothers, a successful wedding planner with her eye on Jason, even the theft of purebred pups from Jason’s Fifth Avenue apartment building—all threaten to come between them. Will Mable and Jason simply let their burgeoning love roll over and play dead? Or will they rally to make sure Innis emerges as the leader of the pack?

Brimming with humor and endearing characters, Holly Schindler’s Fifth Avenue Fidos offers a sweet romance and modern-day fairy tale in which dogs, not dragons, rule the land…a story about the loves that help us realize our dreams.

Links:

Amazon | Kobo  

The book will also be available through B&N and iBooks. Links to purchase will be found here: http://hollyschindler.blogspot.com/2015/03/fifth-avenue-fidos-celebration.html

Goodreads

Bio:

Holly Schindler is the author of four traditionally published books; her work has received starred reviews in Booklist and Publishers Weekly, has won silver and gold medals in ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year and the IPPY Awards, respectively, has been featured on Booklist’s Best First Novels for Youth and School Library Journal’s What’s Hot in YA, and has been a PW Pick of the Week. Fifth Avenue Fidos is her first independently published book. She is owned by a Pekingese named Jake and can be found working on her next book in her hometown of Springfield, Missouri. She can also be found at hollyschindler.com.