Write Stuff: July 2015

Thursday, July 30, 2015

TRAVELERS releases in less than a week! With @BookFishBooks

Okay, I've been a little MIA this past week. Sorry about that! Moving has thrown my whole life upside down, and even though I thought I'd managed to prepare for it, I hadn't managed enough. So, it's been a bit crazy around here. But, I have my bookshelves installed and they are very pretty. That's the important part, right? I may even have to share pictures soon :)

The other important thing? TRAVELERS is due out on August 4th! That's in less than a week! (Insert a small Eeep!) So, I realized I haven't shared my trailer here on my blog, so that's what I'm up to today. And if you haven't, check out the book on Goodreads, and be prepared for some book release related fun next week!

Cover Reveal for HOT PINK IN THE CITY by Medeia Sharif

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

I love Medeia's books, and her blog, and she's an incredible at helping spread the word about my book, so it's always a pleasure to share her new books. And this looks like so much fun, and a romp through the 80's! :)

Cover Reveal

HOT PINK IN THE CITY, Prizm Books
Author: Medeia Sharif

Release date: August 19, 2015

Asma Bashir wants two things: a summer fling and her favorite '80s songs. During a trip to New York City to stay with relatives, she messes up in her pursuit of both. She loses track of the hunk she met on her airplane ride, and she does the most terrible thing she could possibly do to her strict uncle…ruin his most prized possession, a rare cassette tape. A wild goose chase around Manhattan and Brooklyn to find a replacement tape yields many adventures—blackmail, theft, a chance to be a TV star, and so much more. Amid all this turmoil, Asma just might be able to find her crush in the busiest, most exciting city in the world.

Find Medeia – YA and MG Author

Blog | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | Amazon

Fictional Setting – The Experience to Make It Up guest post by Kai Strand

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

Today we have an awesome guest post by the lovely Kai Strand! She's here to chat with us all about creating a fictional setting. Be sure to say hello!

Cara Cassidy always envisioned love as Thor, slamming his hammer into the earth, and the vibration resonating within her for a lifetime. She never expected love would be a thousand tiny actions from a normal boy. When international intrigue hits small-town America, more than the car chases will get your blood pumping.

Though the adventure in Finding Thor takes place in my
very real hometown of Bend, Oregon, I needed the main love interest, Nik Rock, to be from somewhere mysterious and exotic. I needed there to be royalty. I needed to make it up!

Just out of high school, I worked for a swanky hotel in Southern California near the Orange County airport. We had a lot of interesting guests, but one of the most memorable was the King of Tonga and his daughter, the princess. They had the entire seventh floor of the hotel rented out. Heavily guarded. I was the night manager, and they were well settled by the time I got to work at 11:00 pm, so I didn’t get a peek at them. However, the next morning before the end of my shift at 7:00 am, several California Highway Patrol officers showed up on their motorcycles, sporting bright blue bow ties, to escort the king and the princess to church.

Security called down to the front desk when the royals left their rooms. I waited and waited…and waited for them to come through the lobby. The anticipation of seeing royalty was enough for me to hang out long after my shift finished. At last several guards preceded the royals into the lobby. They looked just like secret service agents with black suits and earpieces. When the king and princess at last appeared, I admit, I was completely disappointed. They weren’t glamorous or beautiful. Though their clothes were cool. My illusions were completely shattered.

Fast-forward many years to when I needed a mysterious and exotic kingdom for my exceedingly handsome Nik Rock to hail from. I couldn’t get Tonga out of my mind; a Polynesian setting, striking dark skinned people, exotic native attire, and royalty. Yep, that was exactly what I needed to base my fictional island of Renlavia on. With a little research of commerce and history, I was able to fabricate a very believable fictional setting. One I’d love to visit, by the way. But I’d settle for a vacation on the white sandy beaches of Tonga instead.

More about Finding Thor:

Tragedy has left Cara Cassidy broken and the only thing keeping her from giving in completely is her guilt. Until Nik Rock.

Nik stirs up feelings in degrees she has never experienced, and causes her to do things that most assuredly give him the wrong impression – like kiss him before their first date. Somehow, he breaks down the walls around her emotions until she has no choice but to forgive herself and feel again.

But a mysterious, troubled past follows Nik, and Cara may prove to be his weakest link.

When a royal princess shows up looking for Nik, and an international gang arrives looking for missing jewels, Cara lands in mortal danger. Will she be able to save herself? What will happen to her newly repaired psyche if she loses Nik?

Romance, mystery, and high stakes – just another day in high school.

About the author:

When her children were young and the electricity winked out, Kai Strand gathered her family around the fireplace and they told stories, one sentence at a time. Her boys were rather fond of the ending, “And then everybody died. The end.” Now an award winning children’s author, Kai crafts fiction for kids and teens to provide an escape hatch from their reality. With a selection of novels for young adult and middle grade readers and a short story blog, Lightning Quick Reads, Kai entertains children of all ages, and their adults. Learn more about Kai and her books on her website, www.kaistrand.com.

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Monday Mishmash: the "how did it get to be the end of July already?" edition

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

Anyone else wondering where the Hades July has gone? Because I swear it was *just* the 4th! Anyhow, here's a few things that are going on in the craziness that is this summer:

I have my first interview for TRAVELERS up on Cathleen Townsend's blog. Come say hi!
I'm still working on the release day stuff for TRAVELERS. The dates may have to change (sigh, that's a long and weary story), but I'll keep you posted. If you're interested in helping out, click here!
I am praying I get to sign final paperwork on my new place this week. Woot!! I want to move and get settled in my new place. Also, I've sold my old couch, so yeah, I need to move so I can actually have somewhere to sit ;)
There's a new addition to these parts, of the furry variety:

A slightly blurry shot (I was driving, don't tell anyone!) of Kate saying:
"If only I had thumbs, I'd be racing this thing!"

I've been making some very fun images and videos for TRAVELERS. I love doing this kind of thing! I've actually thought about offering a book-trailer service, just because I enjoy it so much, but we'll see. I'll have to share a few here soon. Until then, just a little image:

Speaking of book-trailers, this is the one I made for a friend, Stuart R. West's GHOSTS OF GANNAWAY. I used a bunch of pics from the town the novel's based on, along with a few I hunted down, and it turned out rather awesome:

Other than that, I am just trying to survive the limbo of most of my life in boxes, and a whole lot of personal, well, hell. But it's going. Do tell, what's up with you??

After Reading: SINNER by Maggie Stiefvater

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

found.
Cole St. Clair has come to California for one reason: to get Isabel Culpeper back. She fled from his damaged, drained life, and damaged and drained it even more. He doesn't just want her. He needs her.

lost.
Isabel is trying to build herself a life in Los Angeles. It's not really working. She can play the game as well as all the other fakes...but what's the point? What is there to win?

sinner.Cole and Isabel share a past that never seemed to have a future. They have the power to save each other and the power to tear each other apart. The only thing for certain is that they cannot let go. (Goodreads)

The Wolves of Mercy Falls are such wonderful books. I love falling into that world and enjoy Stiefvater's writing so much. The same goes for Sinner. The writing and emotion behind them always shine through so incredibly well. And Cole and Isabel are such troubled, fascinating characters that it was hard to escape their world, even when I wasn't reading. One thing that stuck out to me, and which always hits me during one of her books, is how well the characters know themselves. They seems to have a solid grasp on their reasoning (even if flawed) and actions. It's what helps make their characters so amazingly real. (It is also rather strange for me to read, as someone who doesn't feel that way about myself whatsoever, but hey, it's interesting!) Other than that, the wolf bit did feel a tad tacked-on in this book, and I found myself viewing it more as a metaphor for drugs, but that didn't detract from the novel overall. The ending was satisfying in a silly-grin sort of way, which was what I was looking for :)

Have you caught any of this series? What did you think about this book?

52 LIKES by Medeia Sharif is on sale!

By: Meradeth Houston on 3:30 AM

Happy Hump Day! A short post today to let you know that one of my favorite authors has a great book on sale!!

Medeia Sharif's 52 LIKES is 99 cents on Amazon for a limited time. This edgy, paranormal YA title has been receiving rave reviews. Important issues such as rape, bullying, and social media abuse are tackled in this novel. You can connect with Medeia through her blog, Twitter account, Goodreads page, and Instagram to learn more about this book and her other titles.

52 LIKES, Evernight Teen, 2015: After a brutal rape and near-murder, Valerie wants to get past feelings of victimhood from both the assault and her history of being bullied. She’s plagued by not knowing the identity of her rapist and by the nasty rumors in school about that night. Valerie follows clues from ghostly entities, past victims of the rapist-murderer, contacting her through a social media site—why do all of their eerie photos have 52 likes under them? Their messages are leading her to the mystery man, although he’ll put up a fight to remain hidden.

After Reading: DIVINE SCREAM by Benjamin Kane Ethridge

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

For Jared Kare, every part of life is terrifying. He relies heavily on his friends and family for everything in his day to day existence. So when he is confronted by a banshee who would soon herald his death, Jared finds a new type of terror.

There are things much worse than dying though.

Jared has been given as a gift to the Assembly, a demonic group who hunger to possess and torture him forever. Will the banshee save him from the assembly, watch him die, or both?

Love can be found in the most unlikely places, but nothing can be accomplished without a great deal of luck, and sacrifice. (Goodreads)

Thanks to the author and LibraryThing for a review copy of this book.

This was one really different read, and even after finishing it a couple of weeks ago, I don't know what to make of it. It was interesting, engaging, and definitely different. The Banshee in the novel was an interesting creature (even with the really horrible moniker of Bansh :). I liked her and how she handled Jared and his insecurities and issues. I don't know how she managed it at some points, because I found myself wanting to reach through the pages and slap Jared up the side of the head with a "hello, don't be such a wuss!" (Not that I'd ever do that in real life, but just to give you an idea of some of his troubles--he does mature throughout the book, which was gratifying.) The world and situation they were in, with some crazy interdimensional struggles and quite terrifying bad guys, was both really original...and sometimes made me wonder if there was any order or reason for why certain things happened. I don't want to get specific for fear of spoilers, but some aspects of the world didn't feel organic, more like they were placed in the world just to make things either problematic/convenient for the characters (okay, one small example--the Banshee couldn't lose connection with the ground, so no riding in cars or getting off of floor level. But what about basements? Or underground tunnels?). So, those kind of made me a little confused. Still, it was an interesting ride of a book and definitely enjoyable.

Have you heard of this one? Caught anything else by Ethridge?

And, if you're feeling up to it, wanna sign up for the release day fun for Travelers? :)

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Cover Reveal for TRAVELERS!! (and a #Giveaway)

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

I am SO excited to share this today! This cover seriously blows my mind :) And I really hope you all like it, too! The release date is coming up quick: August 4th this baby will be available! If you're interested in helping out with the release day blitz, a sign up is below.

Now, before I go ahead, THANK YOU sooooo much to all those who signed up to help me show this off! I can't thank you enough!!

Okay, now, the cover ;)

Sienna Crenshaw knows the rules: 1) no time traveling beyond your natural lifetime, 2) no screwing with death, and 3) no changing the past. Ever. Sienna doesn’t love being stuck in the present, but she’s not the type to to break the rules. That is, she wasn’t the type until her best friend broke every one of those rules to keep Henry, her twin brother and Sienna’s ex-boyfriend, alive.

Suddenly, Sienna is caught in an unfamiliar reality. The upside? Henry is still alive. The downside? Sienna’s old life, including the people in it, has been erased. Now, Sienna and Henry must untangle the giant knot in time, or her parents and all the rest of the Travelers, will be lost forever. One problem: the only way to be successful is for Henry to die.

Add it on Goodreads! And be sure to look out for it available August 4th!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#FlashFiction: The Spirit of the Holiday

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

I hope everyone had an awesome Fourth of July! And a safe one, too :) It's that time of the month where I share a short little piece of fiction on the Lightening Quick Reads website. This month's theme is Freedom, and I guess I was channeling a little American Gods (though I could never presume to do it justice like Gaiman!). Here's a little teaser of that, and be sure to check out the rest on the LQR blog!

***
The Spirit of Independence Day lives on.

***

Source

The last of the smoke cleared from the fireworks that had lit the bay. The booming thunderclaps had scared the last dogs and the crowds gathered their blankets and chairs. The trickle of people headed home were a little quieter, their voices still filled with happiness, but now muted by the night.

“Ready?” He leaned over and bumped my shoulder with his own, a small grin lighting up his features as I looked at him.

I sighed. The end always came too quickly. The light from the show over too soon. I didn’t want to go back. If only there were a way to pause, let the night linger for just a few more hours.

“I guess.” He stood and held out a hand, pulling me to my feet with a little added force that made me run into him.

His arms caught around me, tugging me close as he rocked us around in a slow circle on the lawn. The lawn around us had nearly emptied and the calm of the night, the rush and hiss of the surf past the low wall, marked a perfect moment.

“Another year,” I whispered. His neck felt cool against my forehead as I leaned against him.

“One of many more.”

I didn’t respond. So many ‘ifs’ clung to that word that I didn’t dare think too much about it. We could only hope for many more. Our lives depended on it.

We gathered up our things, folding them away into a bag he slung over his shoulder. He took my hand as we walked up the path toward the city lights. A few other stragglers trickled out onto the busier street, the clog of traffic still creating a long line at the freeway entrance.

We kept walking, no real destination in mind.

These last few hours were the sweetest. The ones I cherished the most, even if the always heralded the end.

“What did you like best about today?” he asked. His hand twined with mine squeezed a little tighter.

I cocked my head to the side, pretending to think it over. While the fireworks were always my favorite, today had more things to celebrate. “The laughter.” There had seemed to be more today. More faces smiling. This city we visited so infrequently had felt happier. It rang out in smiles and the laughter of the faces we watched.

The answer seemed to please him and our arms swung as we walked along the lit sidewalks, passing parties and sparklers and music that spilled out to greet us.

“The peace,” he said, with a shrug, knowing I’d want to know his response.

“You always say that.” I laughed at how obvious an answer it was, coming from him.

“Doesn’t make it less true.” His dark eyes met mine and the night with all its wonders seemed to expand before us, ignoring the end that approached all too fast.

Almost seeming to respond to our good mood, a siren, then two, cut through the air. They slid under my skin and I shivered, drawing closer to him.

The source of need came clear as we walked. ....

***

Want to know what happens next? Check out the rest on the Lightening Quick Reads Blog!

Guest Post by Stuart R. West, Author of GHOSTS OF GANNAWAY

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

Okay, can someone please tell me how it's managed to get to July already? Pause the summer, someone, please! It can't go by this fast! Well, if you happen to be in the mood for a great summer read, look no further. Today we're talking ghost towns with the awesome Stuart R. West, author of GHOSTS OF GANNAWAY.

Ghosts of Gannaway available here!

My wife grew up in Oklahoma, her family still lives there. So we venture across the Midwest often to

visit. When we first passed through Picher, Oklahoma, my jaw nearly hit the floorboards. A shell-shocked town, broken down, uninhabitable. Sad and haunting. I had to know more. Turns out the saga of Picher was more haunting than I’d ever imagined.

All of the buildings were destroyed, windows and walls blown out, some reduced to mere foundations. Evocative graffiti painted the walls, some threats, some scrawlings that raised the hair on my neck. “Beware you who enter…” Yikes.

I got out of the car, took some pictures. Apparently, a few people still lived there but I didn’t stick around too long to make friends. Whenever I see Confederate flags flying, hanging on burned out low income housing, I tend not to want to linger. Lots of rifle racks on display, too.

Picher had been a once prosperous mining town. In the ‘30’s, it was one of the biggest suppliers of lead and zinc in the country, a gold rush of booming activity. But now it was a dead town in more ways than one. The few residents still living there were called “chat rats,” people reduced to the bare minimum of civility, living the ways of the old west with very little laws in existence. The air and water had become contaminated, deadly and polluted. And looming over it all were the mountains of chat piles, the earth’s inner waste brought to the surface to poison the world. A monument to man’s greed and wonton destruction of the earth.

Picher is now the oldest and largest environmental Superfund site in America.

So I researched. I found a story buried in sadness, grief, violence and racism. A story of burgeoning unions and Native-American issues. I learned more about mining than I ever thought I’d know. And the book, Ghosts of Gannaway, was born. Of course I couldn’t leave well enough alone. I added thrills, chills, scares, moving statues, ghosts, murder, bad behavior. Topped it off with a love story that transcends decades and mortality. The book alternates timelines between 1935 and 1969. It’s complicated. And was a bear to write! But I think it paid off. The book still gets under my skin.

I hope it will yours, as well. In the best kind of sense, of course!

Ghost whispers echo through the mines of Gannaway. They have a story to tell. It’s the story of a town torn apart by greed, pollution and vanity, by racial discord between the Native Americans and the invading miners, by the Great Depression, by the violent union strikes of the 1930’s. That’s not all that brought Gannaway to its knees, though. Not by a long shot. Because something—else—lives in the deserted tunnels of the mine, something dark and evil. Something that breathes life into the Ghosts of Gannaway.

Ghost whispers echo through the mines of Gannaway. They have a story to tell. It’s the story of a town torn apart by greed, pollution and vanity, by racial discord between the Native Americans and the invading miners, by the Great Depression, by the violent union strikes of the 1930’s. That’s not all that brought Gannaway to its knees, though. Not by a long shot. Because something—else—lives in the deserted tunnels of the mine, something dark and evil. Something that breathes life into the Ghosts of Gannaway. (Goodreads)

Ghosts of Gannaway takes the reader on a journey they won’t forget. ~ Paranormal Suspense Writer Gail Roughton

Ghosts of Gannaway available here!

My Review:

I am a huge fan of West's work and have to say he's outdone himself with Ghosts of Gannaway. I had a chance to read an early draft and found myself unable to put it down and it haunted me for days after I'd finished it. It is a superb story that interweaves in the best possible way, leaving the reader guessing and completely unable to stop reading. I love how the story unfolds with bits of the past twining with the present, the stories coming together to explain some horrific events, but also a story of humanity. If you enjoy a great story, with a mystery that's sure to leave you a little a haunted, this is definitely a book to not miss!