Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Cover Reveal: THE INFECTED by Michelle K. Pickett
I mentioned that it's a big week for many of my author friends, right? Because I have another awesome cover for today! Check this out:
Publication Date: October 12th
Publisher: Hayes Publications
Preorder at Smashwords
Blurb:
From the author of the award winning Unspeakable, and the best-selling PODs, comes the highly anticipated sequel to PODs. A world where death stalks the unsuspecting, and this time even the PODs might not save them.
A virus nearly wiped out humankind...
Months have passed since a human infection has been reported. Survivors of the deadly pandemic have finally started to build a life in a world left devastated by plague.
Ironically, for nineteen-year-old Eva, life made more sense when she battled the deadly Infected than it does in the serenity of her new home in Rosewood. Separated from fiancé and former POD-mate, David, after an impossible ultimatum, Eva finds her life a little lonely and a lot confusing.
But as troubled as Eva’s life is, it's about to take a turn for the worse as untold dangers watch and wait for the right moment to attack…
The virus refuses to die quietly.
Monday, September 28, 2015
Cover Reveal: THE RIFT by S.D. Wasley
It seems that it's promo week around here--so many people I know are showcasing awesome new covers and books, so I'm jumping in to show some off as well :) Hope you enjoy!
Read More
The Rift by S.D. Wasley
“I longed for normality. Even our own, off-the-wall brand of normality.”
She’s finally got things together. Mimi’s dating a hot guy and has a place in the school’s Gifted Program with her awesome friends. Yes, she still attracts the dead. But there’s only one ghost these days, and he doesn’t seem to have an awful lot to say.
Just when Mimi’s life is looking pretty good for the first time in years, the unthinkable happens ... one of the seven gifted teens is torn from their close-knit group. The unity of their circle shattered, things begin to go terribly wrong. It’s ruining their focus—and with the threat of the Astarion cult growing stronger each day, the gifted seven need all the focus they can muster.
In The Seventh, Mimi found her place in a circle of seven extraordinary teenagers. In The Rift, she must face what happens when the circle of seven is broken.
Release: November 2015
So, how was your weekend? Has fall started where you are? Things here are definitely shaping up for fall, see:
Friday, September 25, 2015
After Reading: THE DREAM THIEVES by Maggie Stiefvater
If you could steal things from dreams, what would you take?Ronan Lynch has secrets. Some he keeps from others. Some he keeps from himself.
One secret: Ronan can bring things out of his dreams.
And sometimes he's not the only one who wants those things.
Ronan is one of the raven boys—a group of friends, practically brothers, searching for a dead king named Glendower, who they think is hidden somewhere in the hills by their elite private school, Aglionby Academy. The path to Glendower has long lived as an undercurrent beneath town. But now, like Ronan's secrets, it is beginning to rise to the surface—changing everything in its wake. (Goodreads)
I'm fairly certain that Maggie Stiefvater could write a phone book (wait, do those even still exist? Maybe a dictionary then) and I'd still read it and find it interesting. She just has a way with words that snags my mind and soul. The Raven Cycle books are no exception, and while the first part of this books lagged a bit, I still couldn't put it down. I loved the boys, their lives, and how easily they leap off the pages and feel so incredibly real. Even when they're dreaming up things and making them physically manifest (which, yeah, cool concept, right?). It was a fascinating to see more into what makes Ronan tick, and see deeper into the relationship between Blue and her family as well as with Gansey. Basically, I deeply loved this book and am looking forward to the next as soon as I can get my hands on it!
Have you had a chance to check out this series?
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Waiting on Wednesday
I have a bunch of books I'm looking forward to:
While Milayna struggles against the Four Brothers, she also has to fight Azazel for her younger brother's soul. Ben is at a crucial point in his life—a time when he is weakest to Azazel and his powers. Milayna has to shield her brother from Azazel until Ben reaches the age of accountability and enters a period of safety from Azazel and his soul-sucking demons.As if having four demon brothers out to end her life and Hell's angel out to steal her brother's soul wasn't enough, Milayna is still reeling from the disappearance of Chay. Can she find him in time to save their relationship? Or will the constant struggle with Hell and all its evil send her seeking comfort in the arms of Xavier? (Goodreads)
AND
Tortured and imprisoned, Nash accepts his fate and offers the First Ones the one thing he has left to give: his life. In a desperate attempt to save the people he loves most, he surrenders himself to the Outlander queen and a destiny darker than he could have ever dreamed possible.
Wil, tormented by the consequences of his choices, realizes he may never be able to uphold his end of the Prophecy. His mistake casts a deep, foreboding shadow over his kingdom and those he loves, while its ripples threaten to shatter both the Prophecy and everything he and his family have sworn to protect.
In this epic conclusion, lives are lost, kingdoms clash, friendships are tested, and love and fate collide. (Goodreads)
Both of these are books by dear writing buddies, and incredibly talent authors. I can't wait to read them!
Monday, September 21, 2015
Repost Love: Top 10 Time Travel Movies
Today, I'm a bit under the weather, so I've decided to post a couple of short things here from my recent Travelers blog tour. There's a small amount of overlap, but not too much :) (At least, I hope!) Anyhow, this was originally posted on the fabulous Heather Van Fleet's blog, so swing by and say hello to her if you're feeling it!
1. The Back to the Future trilogy (I’m just going to lump these together because, while the first one is the best, I still loved the others)
2. Groundhog Day (this is kind of time travel, right?)
3. Primer (even if it freaked me out)
4. Donnie Darko
5. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (for the sheer corniness of it)
6. Looper
7. About Time (oh this one was so sweet! Go see it soon!)
8. The Time Traveler’s Wife (though the book was better)
9. 12 Monkeys
10. Safety Not Guarantied (not totally time travel either, but in a way it is)
There are so many more! And there are a ton of awesome books out there that I love, too. There are so many ways to think about time travel, to think about its ins and outs, that sometime it can really tie you in a knot! Still, I love the concept and how a movie or book can really explore the subject!
What’s your favorite time-travel movie or book?
Read More
***
I wasn’t quite sure what to do a Top 10 post on, but Travelers is about time travel, and there are a few time-travel movies name-checked in the book, so I figured a post on my favorite time-travel movies would work. Here’s my list:1. The Back to the Future trilogy (I’m just going to lump these together because, while the first one is the best, I still loved the others)
2. Groundhog Day (this is kind of time travel, right?)
3. Primer (even if it freaked me out)
4. Donnie Darko
5. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (for the sheer corniness of it)
6. Looper
7. About Time (oh this one was so sweet! Go see it soon!)
8. The Time Traveler’s Wife (though the book was better)
9. 12 Monkeys
10. Safety Not Guarantied (not totally time travel either, but in a way it is)
There are so many more! And there are a ton of awesome books out there that I love, too. There are so many ways to think about time travel, to think about its ins and outs, that sometime it can really tie you in a knot! Still, I love the concept and how a movie or book can really explore the subject!
What’s your favorite time-travel movie or book?
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Wednesday Funnies (because it's hump day)
Okay, so, honestly, I'm still not finding any motivation to say anything today. It happens ;) But I do have some fun images for today, to tickle your funny bone!
Read More
 |
| This guy is my hero. And I think about doing this far too often. Maybe after tenure... |
 |
| I love her! |
Monday, September 14, 2015
Monday Mishmash
- I haven't had the energy or interest in opening a WIP file in several weeks. I know this is because of school starting and a variety of other reasons, but dang, the thought of delving into another book is just too exhausting to deal with. Anyone else get that way?
- Fall is here. The leaves are already turning. Please insert loud sigh here :) I do love pumpkin flavoring, but the impending snow is less than welcome.
- Chipotle opened in Missoula. Finally! This place will eventually feel like civilization!
- This past weekend I had the pleasure of joining in on a panel on world building with several other authors at the Montana Book Festival. We had a bunch of teens and adults around and basically created a fabulous book universe and plot. Lots of fun, lots of laughs! The festival was spectacular all the way around, really, and I loved going to the sessions!
 |
| A few of the teens from the panel, along with authors Janet Fox, Kent Davis, and Jess E. Owen! |
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
After Reading: WITCHES OF EAST END by Melissa de la Cruz
For centuries, all three women have been forced to suppress their abilities. But then Freya, who is about to get married to the wealthy and mysterious Bran Gardiner, finds that her increasingly complicated romantic life makes it more difficult than ever to hide her secret. Soon Ingrid and Joanna confront similar dilemmas, and the Beauchamp women realize they can no longer conceal their true selves. They unearth their wands from the attic, dust off their broomsticks, and begin casting spells on the townspeople. It all seems like a bit of good-natured, innocent magic, but then mysterious, violent attacks begin to plague the town. When a young girl disappears over the Fourth of July weekend, they realize it's time to uncover who and what dark forces are working against them. (Goodreads)
It's not very often that I come across a film or show before a book, but I found the Lifetime seasons of Witches of East End and only later found out that they were based on novels. This excited me to no end! I really quite enjoyed the show (it reminded me of the Charmed I loved when I was younger), and since I generally love the books more, I was eager to see how it worked out. Well, this was a bit of an odd case: I honestly liked the show better. In some odd way, it made more sense to me. Now, I have no idea if this is because I came to the book after the show or not, but some elements of the book felt rushed, poorly explained, and not tied together well. Namely, the ending. But, I still enjoyed the book, even if I spent most of it comparing it to the show and analyzing why they made the changes they did :) It is an interesting series, and while I never much enjoyed the Blue Blood books De La Cruz is known for, this was an interesting romp on the adult side of the reading world with the same general paranormal themes I enjoy.
Has anyone read this one? Or seen the show? Which did you prefer?
Monday, September 7, 2015
Last Day of the TRAVELERS Blog Tour!
http://www.wordsreadandwritten.com/--Interview
http://mrsbbooks2011.blogspot.co.uk--Guest Post
http://thehonestbookclub.blogspot.co.uk/--Review
http://sylmion.blogspot.com--Guest Post
http://stephie5741.blogspot.com--Guest Post
http://jessicahaight.blogspot.com/--Review
Thank you a MILLION times over to everyone who has pitched in to help me out with this release. It's been amazing!
And if you're looking for a bit of reading to gear you up for this school year, check out my Flash Fiction :)
Sunday, September 6, 2015
Weekend Blog Tour Posts!
It's the weekend, and things tend to get a little quiet around here. That's cool. I know you are all up to fun and interesting things :) But I'm hanging out a bit online at a few different places. Come say hello if you get a second:
http://beautybooksandbabble.blogspot.com/--Review
http://verbositybookreviews.wordpress.com/--Review
http://www.kaylasplace.com/--Spotlight
http://www.selenityjadebooks.blogspot.com/--Review
http://dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com/--Guest post on staying motivated while writing
Read More
http://beautybooksandbabble.blogspot.com/--Review
http://verbositybookreviews.wordpress.com/--Review
http://www.kaylasplace.com/--Spotlight
http://www.selenityjadebooks.blogspot.com/--Review
http://dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com/--Guest post on staying motivated while writing
And, just for fun:
Friday, September 4, 2015
#flashfiction: Group Work (on getting schooled!)
It's the beginning of September, so that means it's time for some more flash fiction over at the Lightening Quick Reads blog. This month's theme was Getting Schooled, and well, today's hero does just that :)
Oh, and the Travelers blog tour is going strong! Come catch me here:
http://www.susherevans.com/--Guest post on why sci-fi is the best
http://stuartrwest.blogspot.com/--Guest post on what I'd change if I could time travel
http://www.medeiasharif.com--Spotlight
***
Classes began three days ago. There was already homework. And not just the “read chapters 2-8” in
your textbook kind. Not here. Some of the students seemed excited about this. It wasn’t as if the assignments were boring. Far from it. But it was also difficult. Tedious. And left him feeling drained.
Hah. Drained. He’d have to remember that.
Tonight’s work involved something that made him distinctly uncomfortable. His professor, the older one with nose hair that needed trimming, had squawked about “the eternal need to belong, to integrate.” So tonight, they were supposed to do just that. Find a group, and using what they’d learned over the past two lectures, figure out how best to infiltrate the group.
The girl sitting next to him, the one who took copious notes and who wouldn’t even look at him, even when he dropped a pen—on purpose—under her chair, smiled as she made a large note in her planner. That was probable what got their teacher to keep assigning things like this, decade after decade. Girls like her. Who liked this kind of thing.
Weirdo.
He hadn’t been the only one to wonder about the assignment, listening in on other students as they filtered from the classroom. Quite a few were already bemoaning the assignment. Several were attempting to figure out a way to lie and pretend they’d done the work. Not that they’d succeed. Not here.
He’d heard stories of students who’d tried to cheat. Someone said there was a plaque with their ears stapled to it somewhere in the office. Urban legend, for certain.
But now, with evening darkening the windows and every other possible task for the next two days of class completed, there was no other choice but to figure out how to best complete the assignment.
Grabbing his wallet, and ensuring he wasn’t wearing anything that might give him away, he made his way out of the dormitories. Campus was mostly dark between the ivy-coated buildings (“Oh, it’s so nice! Very collegiate,” his mother had said when they’d toured the campus when he’d been dropped off last week. His dad had given him a half-hearted shrug. It was his fault he was here, anyhow.). The gates opened to the street, and after some time exploring the internet, he’d found several coffee shops nearby.
Chances were that most of those had already been staked out by his classmates.
Staked out. Hah. Another one to remember.
He figured he’d head a little further away. Google said it would take fifteen minutes to get there, but after two wrong turns, it took more like a half hour.
The restaurant/bar had advertised live music tonight, with the promise of no cover and a good time. Hopefully enough people would be present to try out his skills. That was all he had to do, right? Try? Or would his grade be based on how well he managed to Infiltrate? Why hadn’t he thought to ask that before?
The front of the little place lit up the sidewalk and posters plastered the glass. The thrum of music sounded from inside. Outside, enough smokers congregated to ensure there would be people inside.
His lungs constricted in the cloud outside the door and he decided against his first thought to try and work them. Nope, no smokers. He couldn’t imagine asking for a cigarette anyhow—it would be such a poser move.
Okay, so this whole exercise was about being a poser. But still. It was different.
Inside, he looked around, sizing up the sea of faces, the band on the small stage on the back left. They were belting out something that at least had a decent beat. The woman singing, well, he’d heard worse.
Infiltrate. Infiltrate. How was he supposed to do this again? The lectures over the past few days had covered finding common ground with someone. Starting a basic conversation.
It had all seemed so simple in principle. Now the detailes felt hazy and the purpose even more ridiculous.
Then his stomach rumbled. A hand over it, almost by instinct. No, not ridiculous. Necessary.
Want to know what happens next? Check it out here!
Read More
Oh, and the Travelers blog tour is going strong! Come catch me here:
http://www.susherevans.com/--Guest post on why sci-fi is the best
http://stuartrwest.blogspot.com/--Guest post on what I'd change if I could time travel
http://www.medeiasharif.com--Spotlight
***
 |
| Source |
your textbook kind. Not here. Some of the students seemed excited about this. It wasn’t as if the assignments were boring. Far from it. But it was also difficult. Tedious. And left him feeling drained.
Hah. Drained. He’d have to remember that.
Tonight’s work involved something that made him distinctly uncomfortable. His professor, the older one with nose hair that needed trimming, had squawked about “the eternal need to belong, to integrate.” So tonight, they were supposed to do just that. Find a group, and using what they’d learned over the past two lectures, figure out how best to infiltrate the group.
The girl sitting next to him, the one who took copious notes and who wouldn’t even look at him, even when he dropped a pen—on purpose—under her chair, smiled as she made a large note in her planner. That was probable what got their teacher to keep assigning things like this, decade after decade. Girls like her. Who liked this kind of thing.
Weirdo.
He hadn’t been the only one to wonder about the assignment, listening in on other students as they filtered from the classroom. Quite a few were already bemoaning the assignment. Several were attempting to figure out a way to lie and pretend they’d done the work. Not that they’d succeed. Not here.
He’d heard stories of students who’d tried to cheat. Someone said there was a plaque with their ears stapled to it somewhere in the office. Urban legend, for certain.
But now, with evening darkening the windows and every other possible task for the next two days of class completed, there was no other choice but to figure out how to best complete the assignment.
Grabbing his wallet, and ensuring he wasn’t wearing anything that might give him away, he made his way out of the dormitories. Campus was mostly dark between the ivy-coated buildings (“Oh, it’s so nice! Very collegiate,” his mother had said when they’d toured the campus when he’d been dropped off last week. His dad had given him a half-hearted shrug. It was his fault he was here, anyhow.). The gates opened to the street, and after some time exploring the internet, he’d found several coffee shops nearby.
Chances were that most of those had already been staked out by his classmates.
Staked out. Hah. Another one to remember.
He figured he’d head a little further away. Google said it would take fifteen minutes to get there, but after two wrong turns, it took more like a half hour.
The restaurant/bar had advertised live music tonight, with the promise of no cover and a good time. Hopefully enough people would be present to try out his skills. That was all he had to do, right? Try? Or would his grade be based on how well he managed to Infiltrate? Why hadn’t he thought to ask that before?
The front of the little place lit up the sidewalk and posters plastered the glass. The thrum of music sounded from inside. Outside, enough smokers congregated to ensure there would be people inside.
His lungs constricted in the cloud outside the door and he decided against his first thought to try and work them. Nope, no smokers. He couldn’t imagine asking for a cigarette anyhow—it would be such a poser move.
Okay, so this whole exercise was about being a poser. But still. It was different.
Inside, he looked around, sizing up the sea of faces, the band on the small stage on the back left. They were belting out something that at least had a decent beat. The woman singing, well, he’d heard worse.
Infiltrate. Infiltrate. How was he supposed to do this again? The lectures over the past few days had covered finding common ground with someone. Starting a basic conversation.
It had all seemed so simple in principle. Now the detailes felt hazy and the purpose even more ridiculous.
Then his stomach rumbled. A hand over it, almost by instinct. No, not ridiculous. Necessary.
Want to know what happens next? Check it out here!
Thursday, September 3, 2015
Thankful Thursdays
(Random aside: am I the only one who looks at the above word--not it's meaning--and thinks "wow, that's a lot of letters and kind of a mouthful to say"? No? Okay, just pretend you didn't read this.)
I just want to send a giant shout-out to all the awesome people helping me out this week, and during my cover reveal and release day events. You've really helped me out SO much with this book, and I am deeply grateful! I couldn't have done this without you and I can't even tell you how happy it makes me! (And if ever I can help you out in return, don't hesitate to ask!)
And for today, I'm hanging out here:
http://www.melissapetreshock.com/dragon-blog.html--Review
http://t.co/7GHZfQ4r1Y--Spotlight
http://www.thebestbooksever.com/--Interview
http://racheltsoumbakos.wordpress.com--Spotlight
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
After Reading: Impervious (Ascension #1) by Heather Letto
The blog tour continues! Today, come find me here:
http://crystalcollier.blogspot.com/--Can you guess the lie?
http://www.readwritelove28.com--Spotlight
/http://www.freshcoffeeblog.com/--Review
Read More
http://crystalcollier.blogspot.com/--Can you guess the lie?
http://www.readwritelove28.com--Spotlight
/http://www.freshcoffeeblog.com/--Review
The residents of Impervious are the remnant—the survivors of the War of Annihilation. And though the city is chockfull of pleasures to tantalize and entertain, a beast lurks in the corners, haunting the residents with its presence.
The Beast—a mysterious and terminal illness killed off most of Generations One, Two, and Three. And as Gen-Four prepares to take the stage, a provocative, yet questionable, new method to avoid an untimely death incites a cultural rage.
But Fran lives counter-culture, off the grid in true rebel fashion. With a life far from opulent, she scurries through dark tunnels, searching for hot meals with Pete while ditching the holographic security team. To her, it’s a healthy trade-off. Unaccountability means The Council can’t steal her sliver of hope―a belief that she’ll see The Epoch arrive before The Beast can pull her into its fetid embrace.
After losing her mother and then her Rebel mentor, Fran stumbles upon a miraculous discovery that may save the residents of Impervious. That is, if she can outrun The Beast… (Goodreads)
The Beast—a mysterious and terminal illness killed off most of Generations One, Two, and Three. And as Gen-Four prepares to take the stage, a provocative, yet questionable, new method to avoid an untimely death incites a cultural rage.
But Fran lives counter-culture, off the grid in true rebel fashion. With a life far from opulent, she scurries through dark tunnels, searching for hot meals with Pete while ditching the holographic security team. To her, it’s a healthy trade-off. Unaccountability means The Council can’t steal her sliver of hope―a belief that she’ll see The Epoch arrive before The Beast can pull her into its fetid embrace.
After losing her mother and then her Rebel mentor, Fran stumbles upon a miraculous discovery that may save the residents of Impervious. That is, if she can outrun The Beast… (Goodreads)
It was a treat to get to read this, especially after meeting Heather while she was in my out of the way neck of the woods :) She's an awesome lady and her writing reflects that! I'll admit that I don't read much Christian fiction, as it's not my cup 'o tea, but that's the really nice this about Impervious--it's not overbearing, nor is it necessary to view it through that lens. I really appreciated that. And the story itself is interesting. And underground world? Global nuclear annihilation? A maniacal ruler bent on keeping everyone from the truth? It was a lot of twists and turns and fun times! Fran's character was feisty and strong and I appreciated that. Overall, I'm looking forward to the next one!
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Day Two of the TRAVELERS Blog Tour!
Okay, so, today's my first day of classes. Somehow everything managed to get bunched onto Tuesdays and Thursdays this semester (trust me, not complaining, it's pretty nice to have the rest of the week to be in the lab). So, for today, I'm going to be getting a bunch of kids pumped up (haha, I hope) about human biological variation, as well as molecular anthropology. Awww yeah!
And I'll also be hanging out here (which probably is more interesting than the genetics quizzes I'm springing on a bunch of unsuspecting people today :)
Read More
And I'll also be hanging out here (which probably is more interesting than the genetics quizzes I'm springing on a bunch of unsuspecting people today :)
| http://www.teenagebookwormreviewing.blogspot.co.uk/ |
| http://www.valleygirlgonecountry.com/ |
| http://www.thephantomparagrapher.blogspot.com/ |
Come say hello?
Also, the awesome Jessica Therien has a re-release of a book I truly loved today. Check out her fabulous new cover and be sure to grab a copy!
Title: OPPRESSION (Children of the Gods #1)
Publisher: Acorn Publishing
Series Release Dates:
UPRISING (Children of the Gods #2) - October 2, 2015
REDEMPTION (Children of the Gods #3) - November 2, 2015
Series Release Dates:
UPRISING (Children of the Gods #2) - October 2, 2015
REDEMPTION (Children of the Gods #3) - November 2, 2015
Links:
Elyse knows what it means to keep a secret. She's been keeping secrets her whole life. Two, actually. First, that she ages five times slower than average people, so that while she looks eighteen years old, she's well over eighty. Second, that her blood has a mysterious power to heal. For Elyse, these things don't make her special. They make life dangerous. After the death of her parents, she's been careful to keep her secret as closely guarded as possible. Now, only one other person in the world knows about her age and ability. Or so she thinks. Elyse is not the only one keeping secrets. There are others like her all over the world, descendants of the very people the Greeks considered gods. She is one of them, and they have been waiting for her for a long time. Some are waiting for her to put an end to centuries of traditions that have oppressed their people under the guise of safeguarding them. Others are determined to keep her from doing just that. But for Elyse, the game is just beginning-and she's not entirely willing to play by their rules.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)