Wednesday, April 13, 2016

POSSESSED BY A DARK WARRIOR by Felicity Heaton + Giveaway!

Possessed by a Dark Warrior by Felicity Heaton

Possessed by a Dark Warrior, the ninth book in New York Times best-seller Felicity Heaton’s hot paranormal romance series, Eternal Mates, is now available in ebook and paperback. To celebrate the release of Bleu and Taryn’s long romance novel, she’s holding a FANTASTIC GIVEAWAY and sharing sneak peeks of the book.

Enter the Possessed by a Dark Warrior international giveaway (ends April 24th) and be in with a shot of winning a $75, $50 or $25 gift certificate by using the Rafflecopter form at the end of this post or at her website, where you can also download a 4 chapter sample of the novel: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/possessed-by-a-dark-warrior-paranormal-romance-novel.php

Here’s more about Possessed by a Dark Warrior, including an excerpt: 

Possessed by a Dark Warrior
A powerful warrior and commander of the dark elf legions, Bleu is a loyal and devoted male, and one who has never failed in anything—except one thing. Love. When an elusive female dragon shifter surfaces in Hell again, giving him a mission to hurl himself into, he gladly returns to his hunt for her and the deadly blade she stole from his prince seven centuries ago, but as he closes in on his prey, fate reveals she is far more than his enemy?

Having escaped from the black market arena and her life as a slave, Taryn sets her sights back on the task she began seven hundred years ago when her brother stole a precious sword, but in the three centuries she’s been a captive, everything has changed. Corrupted by a craving for power, her brother has become dangerously obsessed with finding the blade and using it to claim the ultimate treasure—the position of King of Hell.

Faced with having to end her beloved twin to stop him from bringing all of Hell to its knees before him, will Taryn be strong enough to use the very blade he seeks against him? And when Bleu finally catches his elusive prey, will he listen to his head as it demands he complete his mission or his heart as it demands he claim his eternal mate?

Excerpt
The valley seemed larger from the floor of it, the mountains taller and more forbidding as they loomed over her. She felt small and vulnerable, her step uneasy as she walked forwards despite the voice in her heart that told her to turn back.
To leave before he realised she was here.
Taryn pulled down a deep breath, wishing it would steady her even though she knew it wouldn’t. The last thirty breaths she had sucked in to calm herself had had no effect, so it was ridiculous to expect the thirty first to succeed where they had failed. There would be no settling of her fears, not until she had faced them.
Her eyes locked on the distant citadel where it rose from the black rock of the mountains at the opposite end of the valley as if they had birthed it, the sheer spires as pointed and cragged as the peaks beyond it, causing it to blend into the range. It sent a chill through her just to look at it, a place fit for a king but also for a killer.
Distant howls of Hell beasts mingled with the thunderous boom of rock splitting open in the valleys beyond the one she traversed, but down in the basin of the Valley of the Dark Edge, it was quiet.
Ominously quiet.
No sign of life stirred in the black land, but the shadows that crawled outwards from the gnarled black trees still made her jittery, causing her to jump at times when a flash of amber light shot up from one of the jagged fault lines she had seen in the other valleys and made them dance across the obsidian earth, reaching towards her like smoky claws.
There was only death in this valley.
It surrounded her, always there wherever her gaze fell.
The evidence that her brother killed anything that roamed into his domain.
Taryn slowed as she passed another set of bones, picked clean and startlingly bright in the dim light that passed for day. This one was the skeleton of a Hell beast, enormous and canine-like, with broken horns that protruded from its broad skull. She had fought enough of its kind to recognise one without its flesh.
She pulled her gaze away from it and continued walking on a direct path to the castle. It was closer now, but she had been walking for hours and had crossed only a tiny fraction of the valley floor.
Another flash of light leaped across the land as lava spewed high in a valley beyond the mountains to her right, and she stopped dead, her heart lodged in her throat and her eyes fixed on the empty pits in the skull just metres ahead of her.
Dragon.
Tears filled her eyes as she walked towards it, shaking her head as her heart ached. Her eyebrows furrowed as she neared it and she reached a hand out. It trembled in the air and her instincts told her to turn away, to not look at the skull of one of her kind, the damning evidence that her brother had truly lost his mind.
He had killed a dragon.
Taryn swallowed hard and laid her shaking hand on the beaked snout. The bone was cool beneath her palm and her senses stretched along it, mapping the shape of the skull, from its enormous teeth to the ridged bone above the eye sockets, to the four horns that flared back from the top of the skull.
Still gold in colour.
She dashed away the tears in her eyes with her free hand as she tried not to picture the dragon as it would have been, a beautiful and majestic gold, its scales shimmering and reflecting what little light pierced the dragon realm.
Tenak had killed it.
He had destroyed its beauty.
Gods, she felt sick.
She covered her mouth and looked beyond the skull, to the shattered bones of its spine and ribs, and the scattered wing bones that lay around it. It had been big. A male. Ancient.
She turned away, screwed her eyes shut and fought for air. Her fingers clasped the leather strap across her chest, the power of the magic humming beneath her fierce grip, drawing her focus to the weapon she carried.
A sword capable of ending her brother with one blow.
She swore to the dragon gods that she would avenge her kin. She would stop her brother.
Taryn marched forwards, pinning her gaze on the citadel again, her steps steadier and stronger than they had been in centuries. She knew her purpose, and she wouldn’t falter. Her brother had gone mad, and she would stop him before he turned that madness on anyone else.
She closed her eyes briefly as she passed the barbed tip of the dragon’s tail and prayed to the gods and her ancestors that she didn’t end up like the poor soul. Her step faltered but she forced herself to keep marching, refused to slow her pace or allow her fear to get the better of her. She had a plan, and she believed in it.
Her brother had lost his mind, and to win his trust, she would act as if she had lost hers.
She lost herself in going over her plan as she walked, her feet growing sore again in her boots as the miles stacked up. The light in the valley began to fade. Night was falling. The dragon realm was so far from the elf kingdom that the light the fae brought into their world from the mortal one was weak when it reached it, barely able to drive the darkness back in the day, and leaving the world pitch black at night.
Her mind filled with images of what that fae kingdom had looked like and her bones warmed with the memory of how the light had felt on her skin. It had been so bright that her eyes had hurt and the land so colourful that it had been like a fantasy. A dream.
Did the mortal world look like the elf kingdom?
Was it lush and green, threaded with blue rivers, spotted with all the colours possible?
Gods, she could imagine that it was, and it made her ache to see it, to fly there as her ancestors had, long ago before they had been banished to Hell.
Her shoulders itched, her wings aching for freedom, the urge to shift rushing through her once more and pushing at her control.
A roar shattered the silence and robbed her of her breath.
Taryn stiffened.
He was coming.
A black shadow loomed above the castle, wrapped around it for a heartbeat before it spread enormous wings and took flight.
Her fingers shook so hard she struggled to tear the leather cuffs off her wrists, her breath trembling across her lips as she tore at the thick material.
“Hurry, hurry, hurry,” she chanted as she ripped at the leather and one finally gave way, falling to the earth at her feet. She began to work on the other, her eyes darting between it and the shadowy dragon racing towards her. She had to get the cuffs off to break the spell. It was her only chance of getting him to recognise her.
Or at least, she hoped he would recognise her.
She ripped the second cuff off just as he landed hard only metres from her, causing the ground to shake and sending a blast of grit at her on a gust of wind that knocked her onto her backside. Pain bolted up her spine from the impact and she ground her teeth.
Out of the gloom, a rich deep violet head emerged, gigantic compared with her in her mortal form.
Bright violet eyes focused on her and the short spines that followed the ridge of bone above them rippled as he snorted, blowing hot air at her and the scent of ash. He growled, a strange disjointed sound that undulated around her, and bared his fangs. They gleamed in the low light, each as long as her arm, as sharp as a blade.
Taryn didn’t dare move.

Possessed by a Dark Warrior is available from Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple iBooks stores and other retailers. Also available in paperback.


Find all the links, a fantastic 4 chapter downloadable sample of the book, and also enter the giveaway and be in with a shot of winning a $75, $50 or $25 gift certificate at her website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/possessed-by-a-dark-warrior-paranormal-romance-novel.php

Books in the Eternal Mates paranormal romance series:
Author Bio
Felicity Heaton
Felicity Heaton is a New York Times and USA Today international best-selling author writing passionate paranormal romance books. In her books, she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons! If you're a fan of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy her books too.
If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, the best-selling Her Angel series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm series or any of her stand-alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try the best-selling Vampire Erotic Theatre series. Or if you prefer huge detailed worlds filled with hot-blooded alpha males in every species, from elves to demons to dragons to shifters and angels, then take a look at the new Eternal Mates series.
If you want to know more about Felicity, or want to get in touch, you can find her at the following places:

ENTER THE AWESOME RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY!


Follow The Tour
April 09
Book Loving Pixies
Daria's Views on Books
Warrior Woman Winmill
I Smell Sheep
Calling All Bookaholics
Mythical Books
April 10
Book Reviews by Lynn
Eskimo Princess Book Reviews
Ashleyz Wonderland
Literary Treasure Chest
April 11
Sizzling Hot Books
Cover Reveals
Nellie C. Lind
Booked & Loaded
April 12
BookSkater
mlsimmons.booklikes
EBookObsessed
Fantasy is More Fun
Taking It One Book at a Time
April 13
The Jeep Diva
Karen McCoy Books
Reading Between the Wines Book Club
The Pen and Muse Book Reviews
April 14
Ever After Book Reviews
Yeya's Ramblings
Sapphyria's Books
Rabid Reads
April 15
Angel's Guilty Pleasures
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
She Hearts Books
The Romance Cover
April 16
Share My Destiny
Nicole's Book Musings
Barbara Book Blog
April 17
Lisa's Loves(Books of Course)
Wicca Witch 4 Book Blog 
The Reading Cafe
April 18
KT Book Reviews
A Fortress of Books
Kristina's Books & More
April 19
The Recipe Fairy
Just Talking Books
Book Briefs
April 20
Valerie Twombly
T&L Book Reviews
Ilovebooksandstuffblog
April 21
Sportochick's Musings
Kimmie Sue's Book Review
Erzabet's Enchantments
Book Lovers 4Ever
April 22
Totally Addicted to Reading
EndlessReading
Diaries of 2 Thick Chicks
Smexy & Fabulous
April 23
Books That Hook
Carpe_Diem
Fantatical Paranormal Romantical
Lushbookreviews
Extreme Bookaholics
April 24
Making it Happen
Book Nook Nuts 
Ali - The Dragon Slayer

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

MEET ME HERE by Bryan Bliss

Last year, I featured No Parking at the End Times by Bryan Bliss, and I'm happy to announce his new book, MEET ME HERE is getting tons of buzz, including a starred review in Booklist.

In a single night—graduation night—Thomas has to decide: Do what everyone has always expected of him? Or forge an entirely new path? Bryan Bliss’s absorbing examination of one boy struggling with expectations and realities will appeal to readers of Sara Zarr and Chris Crutcher.

Thomas is supposed to leave for the army in the morning. His father was Army. His brother, Jake, is Army—is a hero, even, with the medals to prove it. Everyone expects Thomas to follow in that fine tradition. But Jake came back from overseas a completely different person, and that has shaken Thomas’s certainty about his own future. And so when his long-estranged friend Mallory suggests one last night of adventure, Thomas takes her up on the distraction. Over the course of this single night, Thomas will lose, find, resolve, doubt, drive, explore, and leap off a bridge. He’ll also face the truth of his brother’s post-traumatic stress disorder and of his own courage. In Bryan Bliss’s deft hands, graduation night becomes a night to find yourself, find each other, find a path, and know that you always have a place—and people—to come back to.

Since our last interview, you and your family moved to Minnesota. What advice, if any, do you have on re-filling the creative well during life transitions like this one?

Well, I think part of it is actually letting the well be re-filled. I see so much "advice" out there that seems to be written in stone. Write a 1000 words a day, etc. And while I definitely think that can be good practice in certain situations...I'm not sure it's gospel. I think you need to be able to take a break, to write a few good words instead of a thousand forced words. When we moved to Minneapolis, I was suddenly surrounded by a huge community of kid lit writers. It was amazing and inspiring and I constantly felt like I should be writing something. But I was tired. Moving across the country, starting a new job, figuring out schools for my kids. I didn't have anything to say. So I gave myself permission to not write for the summer. Instead, I focused on revising my next book (MEET ME HERE) and trying to really think deeply about what I wanted book #3 to be whenever I got to the actual writing.

Giving yourself permission...definitely a great way to make your own expectations. MEET ME HERE addresses the challenges and choices that come with negotiating expectations against reality. How did Thomas's story develop as you wrote it, and what do you hope teens will glean from his story?

I think we expect teenagers to know exactly what they want when they're 18 years old. That's insane. I'm pretty sure I didn't know what I wanted out of life until just a few years ago. And if I'm being honest, I still have moments when I think, "Maybe I could be a paramedic..." From a parenting perspective, I think it's the fear that you'll stand by and watch as your children waste their lives, whatever that means. But at the end of the day, I firmly believe there aren't many decisions that are irreversible. I guess that's what I'd want teenagers to glean. You can take chances. You don't have to follow the path everybody follows. Of course, that's easy for me to say. But I think I've lived it, too. Even though it's hard, it's almost always been worth it.

As far as Thomas goes, his story has been pretty solid from the beginning. I think the biggest change would be his relationship with his friend Mallory. As I kept working on the book, I realize that--while important--his friendship with Mallory wasn't his ultimate concern. Instead it was his brother, Jake. Once I figured that out, it was fun to explore the depths of family and brotherhood.

Wonderful advice for teens, and adults alike--and something I wish I'd realized as a teen too. In our last interview, you mentioned that MEET ME HERE was in its editorial stages, and you were working on a third book. Can you tell us more about book three, or is it still under wraps?

Book number three is called We'll Fly Away. It's a book I've been wanting to write for five years, but it never felt like the right time. I just couldn't put any words down on it. But I knew I was going to write it, so it kind of lived in the back of my head like a trapped bird. It's the story of Luke and Toby, best friends. The main narrative of the book is their friendship, broken up by letters from Luke to Toby written from death row. So, you know, really upbeat stuff! Like everything I seem to write, it's really focused on family and friendship and the implications of being poor. More specifically it deals with the question of redemption. How do we forgive somebody who has done something unforgivable? What does it mean for the people who love them? It's a heavy topic and I hope I'm able to do it justice.

I'm sure you will! Thank you so much for such thoughtful answers, and I'm so glad your stories are reaching the readers that need them.


Buy:  Amazon.com ~ Barnes & Noble ~  IndieBound




Buy:  Amazon.com ~ Barnes & Noble ~  IndieBound


Wednesday, March 30, 2016

STOPWATCH STORIES by M. Todd Gallowglas

I first met Mr. Gallowglas at an author event, and not only has he been instrumental in motivating my writing, I've learned a great deal from him in a short time. His new flash fiction book, Stopwatch Stories Vol. 1, debuted at the beginning of March, and he will be publishing one a month for the rest of 2016. He also has a few published series that are extremely well-written, and worth checking out.


Brevity is the soul of wit. - Shakespeare

Within this book you will find thirty-one stories written with this quote in mind. For 2016, I decided to challenge myself to create a flash fiction story every day for the whole year. So far I've been on track. You will find these stories brief, and hopefully some of them witty as well. This is a complete collection of the stories I wrote in January. Going forward. I will publish each month's stories as an ebook, and then collect them all in an omnibus edition, available in print and Ebook in early 2017.



You've published multiple series, including books with WordFire Press. What is your method for balancing a wide variety of projects, and how do you decide where to prioritize your focus?

First: What do I have specifically on deadline, because bills have to get paid. After that, really it's whatever I'm having the most fun with. If I'm not having fun writing, the reader probably isn't going to have reading. I know some of my readers would like me to get back to some of the series that I haven't put out in a while, but I think in the long run, they'll be more appreciative of something that's full of the wonder and imagination when I'm having grand time composing.

Retaining the fun is definitely one of the most important things an author can do. In what ways has flash fiction enhanced your craft, and what have you learned from doing it?

Flash fiction forces me to get down to the core of an idea. With a piece that's striving to be a couple hundred words, a thousand at most, I don't have any words to waste. It also allows me to experiment without the commitment of a short story or a novel. It's easier to play around and push my limits and boundaries.

At Silicon Valley Comic Con, you did an excellent job of moderating a writer's panel. What suggestions, if any, do you have for newer authors interested in being on panels?

Contact the event and let them know that you are interested in doing panels. Let them know what subjects you feel qualified to speak on. Don't try to get on any panel that comes up. You do better by speaking well on one panel that you're well acquainted with than you are four panels were you don't have much to say. Remember that at the beginning of your career, you're a small fish in a VERY big pond. Show up. Speak well. Don't try to dominate the conversation. Do that, and you'll gain more notice and pretty soon, events will contact you to come and speak. Putting out quality work helps.

Very useful tips! What are some of your current projects?

Continuing my flash fiction story a day, which I'll be putting out in my Stopwatch Stories collections. Vol. 2 is releasing April 5. I start grad school in April as well. As soon as I finish the rewrite of my first two Tears of Rage books for WordFire press, who picked up the series, I'm going to try and tackle Halloween Jack and the Red Emperor.

Sounds like you have a lot of irons in the fire, and having read the first in the Halloween Jack series, I'm excited for more! Thanks so much for your answers! 

For those interested in some gritty fantasy, Mr. Gallowglas's serialized novel Dead Weight is available on Amazon. Or, feel free to check out some of his other series:

First Chosen Once We Were Like Wolves Arms of the Storm
Tears of Rage (3 books)
by
3.88 avg rating — 377 ratings

Halloween Jack and the Devi... Halloween Jack and the Curs...
Halloween Jack (2 books)
by
4.07 avg rating — 129 ratings



Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Review of CASH KAT by Linda Joy Singleton

A few months back, I featured THE CURIOUS CAT SPY CLUB series by Linda Joy Singleton. She also writes picture books, and I told her I'd be happy to post a review of her latest book, CASH KAT:

Review of CASH KAT:

Kat and Gram Hatter are all set for a day of picking up litter at the park. While there, Kat finds a variety of coins, and Gram helps her measure how much they're worth. Five pennies equal a nickel, five nickels equal a quarter, and so on. The illustrations are very helpful to help children understand the value of money and how it adds up. Kat is also wonderful to watch, especially when she decides what to do with her new-found treasure. Math activities at the end make this book a great choice for libraries, especially those enacting homework programs. The engaging illustrations and digestible text will also appeal to a wide variety of readers. Recommended for ages 6-8.


For more about Linda Joy Singleton and her books, you can visit www.lindajoysingleton.com


Wednesday, March 16, 2016

BOUNDERS by Monica Tesler

When the ARC for BOUNDERS passed my desk, the first thing that drew me in was the cover. That was immediately followed by the story, and I was quick to order copies for the Sacramento Public Library.

Thirteen years ago, Earth Force—a space-military agency—discovered a connection between brain structure and space travel. Now they’ve brought together the first team of cadets, called Bounders, to be trained as high-level astronauts.

Twelve-year-old Jasper is part of this team being sent out into space. After being bullied back on Earth, Jasper is thrilled to have something new and different to do with other kids who are more like him. While learning all about the new technologies and taking classes in mobility—otherwise known as flying with jetpacks—Jasper befriends the four other students in his pod and finally feels like he has found his place in the world.

But then Jasper and his new friends learn that they haven’t been told everything about Earth Force. They weren’t brought to space for astronaut training, but to learn a new, highly classified brain-sync technology that allows them to manipulate matter and quantum bound, or teleport. And it isn’t long before they find out this new technology was actually stolen from an alien society.

When Jasper and his friends discover the truth about why Earth Force needs them, they are faced with a choice: rebel against the academy that brought them together, or fulfill their duty and protect the planet at all costs.

I contacted Monica for an interview to find out more. Here's what she said!

According to your website, you worked as an attorney for more than fifteen years. In what ways, if any, has this influenced your writing, and can you tell us more about your journey toward publication?

Overall, my experience as a practicing attorney has been a great asset in my fiction writing. Legal writing is a core aspect of my job as a lawyer, and I’ve spent years honing my skillset. At this point, the mechanics of writing are very automatic, and that gives me great freedom to relax into a story as I work on a fiction project.

Of course, there were some conventions I had to unlearn when I moved into the realm of fiction writing, like the reluctance to use contractions. The hardest habit for me to break was double spacing after the period at the end of a sentence. For a long time I tried to switch back and forth, employing different writing styles for the two different audiences, but I recently decided to use the fiction writing conventions almost all of the time. I figure I’ve been practicing law long enough that I can get away with a bit of informality.

In terms of my journey to publication, I wrote most of BOUNDERS on the commuter boat, travelling from my suburban coastal community to my job in Boston. In late 2013, I signed with my literary agent, David Dunton of Harvey Klinger, Inc. The book was acquired by Simon and Schuster in 2014.

I love how your creative process involved unlearning and breaking out of boxes. And BOUNDERS has a great premise--I was especially intrigued by aspect of manipulating matter to involve space travel. How did this idea originate, and what do you want readers to take away when they're finished?

I love to read about developments in technology and science. A few years ago I stumbled upon an article about quantum entanglement. The notion of related atoms in two separate locations fascinated me. My imagination stepped in, and I fantasized about quantum entanglement as a basis for space travel, and the idea for the quantum bounding ships took form. As a story started to bloom in my brain, I pushed my imagination even further into the fantastical, wondering what quantum entanglement might look like if mastered by a highly advanced civilization. That’s the origin of the alien biotechnology used by the cadets in BOUNDERS to manipulate matter and bound without a ship.

Speaking of quantum entanglement, I love your website, especially the home page. What recommendations (if any) do you have for authors interested in setting up an online presence? 

Thanks so much! I’m really happy with my website. The vision was mine, but I worked with a very talented designer, Hafsah Faizal of Icey Designs, to bring it together. I’m also on Twitter and Instagram and have an author Facebook page.

My advice to authors interested in setting up or increasing their online presence is to see what the options are and choose what feels comfortable. I’m not extremely active on social media compared to some authors, but I do post and interact on a regular basis. Social media is constantly changing. The platform that’s hot today, may be stale tomorrow. So I’m reminding myself that it’s important to stay flexible and aware of new platforms as they arise.

Having an online presence requires a time commitment, so it’s important not to overextend. For example, when developing my website, I was faced with the question of whether to start a blog. I knew I wouldn’t be able to make the commitment necessary for a successful blog, so I instead included a “News” section. That way, I have the flexibility of posting updates when I want without the pressure of a blog schedule.

Sounds like a great way to maximize your impact. What are some of your current projects? Will BOUNDERS have a sequel, and if so, can you tell us anything about it yet?

BOUNDERS is the first in at least a three book series, so there will be more space adventures to come! The second book, BOUNDERS: THE TUNDRA TRIALS will be released in early 2017. Most of the story is still top secret, but I’ll share one tidbit. A large part of the story takes place on another planet—one not visited by the characters in the first book. Any guesses? You’ll have to read to find out!

I can't wait! Thanks, Monica, for such great answers!

To grab BOUNDERS for yourself (and perhaps unlock some secrets in THE TUNDRA TRIALS), click the links below:





About Monica:

Monica Tesler lives in a coastal community south of Boston with her husband and their two boys. She earned her bachelors and law degree from the University of Michigan, and she has worked as an attorney for more than fifteen years. She writes on the commuter boat, in coffee shops, and at her kitchen table. She tries to meditate every day, but often ends up fantasizing about space, time travel, or strange lands, both real and imagined.
BOUNDERS is the first book in her debut, middle grade science fiction adventure series from Simon & Schuster/Aladdin.



Wednesday, March 9, 2016

REAWAKENED by Colleen Houck

I've been a fan of Colleen Houck ever since Tiger's Curse, and if you haven't read her books yet, they offer wonderful examples of effective world-building. I had the fortune of meeting her at the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association (NCIBA) conference last fall, where I saw her newest book, REAWAKENED:

When seventeen-year-old Lilliana Young enters the Metropolitan Museum of Art one morning during spring break, the last thing she expects to find is a live Egyptian prince with godlike powers, who has been reawakened after a thousand years of mummification.

And she really can't imagine being chosen to aid him in an epic quest that will lead them across the globe to find his brothers and complete a grand ceremony that will save mankind.

But fate has taken hold of Lily, and she, along with her sun prince, Amon, must travel to the Valley of the Kings, raise his brothers, and stop an evil, shape-shifting god named Seth from taking over the world.



Colleen also answered some interview questions!

According to your website, you've lived in a wide variety of places and have varied interests. In what ways, if any, have these fueled your creative journey, and do you have strategies for when your creative well runs dry? 

I pretty much immerse myself in storytelling. Whether that's through books, plays, television, or movies, I'm always studying the art of the story. Because of this I never really get to sit back and just enjoy myself. I'm always analyzing, looking for cool ideas or phrases, or interesting ways to create havoc for my characters. If, for some reason, that isn't enough, I also use Pinterest a lot. I'm a very visual person and Pinterest just inspires me. It's also a great way to connect with fans who are interested in seeing just how the story develops. I use it in talking with artists and editors as well. It's a very helpful tool for an author.

That's what I've heard! What did you find most fascinating about writing REAWAKENED and what do you want readers to take away when they're finished reading it?

I love Egyptian mythology. The whole idea of pyramids and mummies is thrilling! At the heart of all my books though is a love story. While my characters see and do lots of amazing and sometimes frightening things, the take away I hope they remember is that love drives everything.

It certainly does. Speaking of your characters, I love Lily's voice. Did she come to you fully formed or did she develop as you wrote her?

She was a pretty solid character in my mind when she stepped out of the taxi in the opening scene. The mummies were a bit more difficult to flesh out, no pun intended. The way she does her hair, the kind of clothing she wears, and her home life really spoke to me. We aren't anything alike on the surface but she's really spunky and I like her a lot.

That's what I like about her too. The sequel, RECREATED, comes out this August. In what ways does this build on the world you created in REAWAKENED and what advice, if any, do you have for writers in the throes of creating sequels? 

Both Recreated and Reignited (the novella) come out this summer. For the novella, you'll get to see the origin story of the main bad guy in the series. I'm telling everyone that they really won't understand everything if they miss out on that one. In Recreated, Lily comes into her own. She steps into a new role and really becomes a hero. We'll meet some new characters as well that will be very important in the series. My advice for writing sequels is, always keep them guessing. I love throwing a monkey wrench into the works and turning things upside down. For me it's very important to visualize the end. If you write with the end in mind, sequels are easy, they're just continuations of the one big, epic story you're telling.

I can't wait to find the other monkey wrenches you've thrown in! Thanks, Colleen, for taking the time to answer questions.

To grab REAWAKENED for yourself, click the links below:


Buy:  Amazon.com ~ Barnes & Noble ~  IndieBound




Or click below to get a hold of her Tiger Saga series:

TIGER'S CURSE


Buy:  Amazon.com ~ Barnes & Noble ~  IndieBound




TIGER'S QUEST


Buy:  Amazon.com ~ Barnes & Noble ~  IndieBound




TIGER'S VOYAGE


Buy:  Amazon.com ~ Barnes & Noble ~  IndieBound




TIGER'S DESTINY


Buy:  Amazon.com ~ Barnes & Noble ~  IndieBound




Wednesday, March 2, 2016

KILL THE BOY BAND by Goldy Moldavsky

I randomly met Goldy Moldavsky at last year's BEA, in an autograph line for Libba Bray. The more she described KILL THE BOY BAND, the more I couldn't wait to read it, and when I saw an ARC at a Scholastic booth at a conference the following year, I grabbed it immediately. It debuted last week, and already has holds at the Sacramento Public Library.


Okay, so just know from the start that it wasn't supposed to go like this. All we wanted was to get near The Ruperts, our favorite boy band.

We didn't mean to kidnap one of the guys. It kind of, sort of happened that way. But now he's tied up in our hotel room. And the worst part of all, it's Rupert P. All four members of The Ruperts might have the same first name, but they couldn't be more different. And Rupert P. is the biggest flop out of the whole group.

We didn't mean to hold hostage a member of The Ruperts, I swear. At least, I didn't. We are fans. Okay, superfans who spend all of our free time tweeting about the boys and updating our fan tumblrs. But so what, that's what you do when you love a group so much it hurts.

How did it get this far? Who knows. I mean midterms are coming up. I really do not have time to go to hell.

Goldy also answered some interview questions:

Who are your top five favorite authors and in what ways do they ignite your creativity?  

This is a tough question-- there are so many authors that I love. In the YA world I will read anything by Jandy Nelson and Gayle Forman. Nelson writes contemporary but her work still feels like there’s an element of magic to it. When I read her I really feel like the story she’s telling is one that I have never heard before. And I just love what Forman does with the relationships in her novels. I get so attached to her characters. And Libba Bray. I love that she can genre-hop and that her stories always have humor to them. Outside the YA world, I love Junot Diaz and Chuck Palahniuk. I find myself coming back to Palahniuk a lot when I’m trying to think of a new idea. My own work is nothing like his but I love how you can be influenced by someone and still end up doing something totally different. I love how shocking he is and how creative his descriptions are. I can taste his books. But my all-time favorite author is John Irving. Irving made me love books. (That’s six authors for the price of five!)

There's definitely an element of magic of Nelson's fiction--I also heard she wrote I'll Give You the Sun with the curtains drawn. And speaking of great voices, I really admired yours in KILL THE BOY BAND. Did the characters come to you immediately, or did they form while you wrote them? 

Thanks! Characters usually come alive for me as I write. A lot of times the plot informs what the characters will be like, or which characters I’ll need. There were a couple of characters in KTBB that didn’t show up in the novel until a few drafts in just because I thought the book could use a bit more “noise,” and they turned out to be crucial. But I knew from the beginning that I wanted four girls at the center so I started the novel with four girls even though I wasn’t sure what their personalities were at first. They took shape with every new draft.

I love when characters reveal unexpected layers, and yours were so unique I couldn't put them down! Last month, there was a Goodreads giveaway for KILL THE BOY BAND. What other promotional methods have you used, and what have you learned so far from the lead-up toward your book's debut?

I am SO SO fortunate to be with Scholastic, who have been taking such good care of me and KTBB. As a debut author who really doesn’t know what she’s doing at all they’ve really taken me under their wing. We’ve been giving out ARCs and bookplates and I’ve been fortunate enough to end up on some pretty incredible lists with incredible authors. As for what I’ve learned, I guess it’s that it passes really quickly so soak it up, enjoy it, and be open to everything.

Sounds like a plan! What are some of your current projects?

My next book is a comedy but much lighter in tone than KTBB even though it exists in the same universe. It takes place at a summer camp . That’s all I can say!

I'm so glad you're continuing the unique humor from KTBB! Thanks, Goldy, for such great answers!

To grab KILL THE BOY BAND for yourself, click the links below: