Introducing UNFURL

Today I have a guest, Cidney Swanson, the author of the Ripple series. I’m wildly jealous of Cidney because she’s fortunate enough to live in Eugene, which all of you know is my favorite place in the world. In honor of the release of her book Unfurl, Cidney is doing a blog tour. Cidney, welcome to The Tao of Webfoot.

Lisa, I’m so pleased to visit your blog today! I asked Sam Ruiz, the main character in my RIPPLE Trilogy if she’d answer a few questions so that readers could get to know her a bit. She was quite candid, even though at least one question clearly embarrassed her. Enjoy!

Your guilty pleasure: This is so embarrassing. Promise it’s just between us? I have 3rd period free for “study hall.” But what I really like to do is go to Will’s AP History class and, um, listen to the discussions. He always says really cool things. I would take the class if I could, but my grades weren’t good enough, so they wouldn’t let me. That sounds so stalker-ish. I don’t spy on him any other times. Or on anyone else. I just like to hear what he says and I’m sure I learn way more than if I sat in the cafeteria and studied.

What do you alway say ‘Yes’ to?: Invitations to Las Abuelitas Bakery Café! My step-mom’s lasagna. Or her home-made pizza. Or her enchiladas. Or chocolate chip cookies. Um, I think you get the idea . . . And invites to go running. Especially with Will.

Three must-haves on a desert island: Will, obviously. And a magical box. Anytime I opened it, there would be a surprise treat from Las ABC. Polvorones one time, quiche the next, croissants the next, and so on. And a machete. Tom Hanks could seriously have used a machete when he was stuck on that island.

If you could be a male celebrity for a day, who would it be?: Steven Spielberg so I could make awesome movies like Super-8 and War Horse that would make people cry and laugh and say, “Oh, that is so me!” or “I’d never do that!” all in the space of two hours.

*         *          *

UNFURL is the third book in the Ripple series, which started with RIPPLER and continued with CAMELEON. Since many of you are probably new to Cidney’s work, here’s a description of the first book:

Samantha Ruiz has a freak gene that makes her turn invisible, or ripple. She can’t control it, and it’s getting worse. Afraid of becoming a lab-rat, Sam keeps her ability secret, until fellow runner Will Baker sees her vanish into thin air. Will promises secrecy and help, and Sam begins to fall in love.

Together, the two discover there are worse things than being a scientific curiosity. Someone’s been killing people who possess Sam’s gene. A mysterious man from France sends letters that offer hope for safety, but also reveal a sinister connection with Nazi experiments.

The more time Sam spends with Will, the less she can imagine life without him. When Sam uncovers secrets from her past, she must choose between keeping Will in her life or keeping Will safe.

*         *          *

CIDNEY SWANSON is the author of The Ripple Series. She began writing at age seven; her first novel began with “Ouch,” and her characters have been suffering ever since. Cidney lives in Eugene, Oregon with her husband, three kids, two cats, one dog, and entirely too much rain.

Cidney is having a contest for a free Kindle set of her triology, but I can’t get the Blogger version of the Rafflecopter form to work on WordPress, so if you want to enter, click here to go to Cidney’s blog.

• Cidney’s blog:  http://cidneyswanson.blogspot.com/
• Cidney on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cidneyswanson
• Cidney on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/cidneyswanson
• Cidney’s books on Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Cidney-Swanson/e/B005344OTQ/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
• Cidney’s books on B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/cidney-swanson?keyword=cidney+swanson&store=allproducts
• Cidney on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/search?query=cidney+swanson
• Cidney on Librarything: http://www.librarything.com/author/swansoncidney

I Support the SOPA Protest

Do you want to see YouTube go dark? Do you want Facebook to get shut down? That’s what can happen if SOPA passes. What is SOPA? Internet piracy legislation currently up for vote in the House and Senate. Samantha Smith, a Google spokeswoman, said this, “We oppose these bills because there are smart, targeted ways to shut down foreign rogue websites without asking American companies to censor the Internet.” Apparently it’s people outside the US who are doing the damage, but Americans are the ones who will have to suffer when our government starts deciding what we can and can’t see on the Internet the way the Chinese government does.

As an indie author, I understand how piracy can cut into profits. But I also know that censorship is not the way to stop it. In fact, a determined thief will find his way around any preventative measures, which is why I don’t use DRM on my books. All it does is annoy the honest people who want to read on their choice of device.

I didn’t learn about this protest in time to prepare for it (yeah, I know, I’m living in a cave) but I want to show my support. You can read more about it from George Takei (Sulu from Star Trek) here.

There are plug-ins to re-direct you to the SOPA protest site or make your blog go dark, but I’m not sure how to use them. So I’m just going to leave you with this link so you can get more information and sign the petition.

To see a list of people and web sites who are participating (including Google and Wikipedia) go here and scroll down.

I said I would stay off Facebook today in protest, and I know this blog will post to that site, but I hope anyone reading it there will realize I’m using this as an opportunity to educate people on this topic.

The Green

 Karly Kirkpatrick and DarkSide Publishing are excited to announce the release of Kirkpatrick’s third novel, the edgy YA contemporary romance, THE GREEN.

 Book Description:

 How far would you go to save your dream?

 Seventeen-year-old Ariceli Pisa is a senior at the prestigious Cambridge High School and has her sights set on Northwestern University. She’s a cheerleader, a member of the National Honor Society … and a drug dealer. That’s not the only secret she has to keep from her best friend Naomi—she’s also madly in love with Naomi’s ex-boyfriend, James Bartlett. Trying to balance her life at Cambridge High with her new demanding job keeps her teetering on the edge of disaster.

 THE GREEN is available in ebook format at the following retailers for $3.99:

•  Amazon
•  Barnes & Noble

 Also available on Amazon UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.

 For more info about Karly and her books, check out www.karlykirkpatrick.com and www.darksidepublishing.com.

And the Winner is …

The winner of my contest for eBook copies of Running Wide Open and Getting Sideways is:

Vickie Reljin!

Congratulations, Vickie. I’ll be contacting you by email. For everyone else who participated, if you’re interested in reviewing Running Wide Open, let me know and I’ll send you a review copy.

The Indelibles grand prize winner of the Kindle Fire will be announced soon on the Indelibles blog, Twitter feed, and Facebook page. Thank you, everyone, for participating in our launch and blog hop.

Introducing the Indelibles

Welcome to The Indelibles Blog Hop!

In celebration of our official launch, we are giving away a KINDLE FIRE! The contest begins at 12:01 AM Monday, January 9th and ends at 12:01 AM Thursday, January 12th. If you’ve stumbled on this post early, please be aware that all the links might not be working yet, and you’ll have to come back during the official contest to complete the hop.

If you’d like to start at the beginning of the INDELIBLES ON FIRE GIVEAWAY BLOG HOP, then please start here: http://indeliblewriters.blogspot.com/

If you are already mid-hop, then welcome to your next stop! By following the link at the bottom of this post, you can proceed to the next author (and check out the awesome, individual giveaways we are doing along the way!). If you are entering to win the KINDLE FIRE, don’t forget to make a note of the keyword at the end of every blog post – the words spell out a phrase you will need to enter the contest on the last stop.

Who are we? If you’re a fan of YA fiction, you’ve probably heard of the Tenners, the Elevensies, the Apocalypsies, and the Lucky 13s. Now marketing guru Shelli Johannes Wells has teamed up with twenty-four other indie and small press authors to bring you the Indelibles.

“We are indie authors who write middle grade and young adult fiction.

We are dedicated to leaving a permanent mark on the world with our stories and words.

We are The Indelibles.”

Each week, we’ll explore fun, fabulous, and fierce topics for today’s teens, drawing on pop culture and themes from the books we write. Check out our official launch Monday, January 9th for fun giveaways at http://indeliblewriters.blogspot.com/. We’ll also be having a “blogger” chat on January 11th and a writer/author chat on the 18th to answer questions about self and indie pubbing. See our blog for details.

• Follow the Indelibles on Twitter.
• Like the Indelibles on Facebook.

And now with no further ado, I will introduce myself: Lisa Nowak

In addition to being a YA author, I’m a retired amateur stock car racer, an accomplished cat whisperer, and a professional smartass. I write coming-of-age books about kids in hard luck situations who learn to appreciate their own value after finding mentors who love them for who they are. I enjoy dark chocolate and stout beer and constantly work toward employing wei wu wei in my life, all the while realizing that the struggle itself is an oxymoron.

I have no spare time, but if I did I’d use it to tend to my expansive perennial garden, watch medical dramas, take long walks after dark, and teach my cats to play poker. For those of you who might be wondering, I am not, and have never been, a diaper-wearing astronaut. I live in Milwaukie, Oregon, with my husband, four feline companions, and two giant sequoias. If you want to know more about my decision to self publish, you can click here.

You can follow me several ways:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Sign up for my Newsletter

If you click through to “like” my Facebook author page, and you sign up for my newsletter, I’ll enter you in a drawing for my two ebooks.

Here’s the first of my books, which is on sale for 99 cents:

Cody Everett has a temper as hot as the flashpoint of racing fuel, and it’s landed him at his uncle’s trailer, a last-chance home before military school. But how can he take the guy seriously when he calls himself Race, eats Twinkies for breakfast, and pals around with rednecks who drive in circles every Saturday night?

 What Cody doesn’t expect is for the arrangement to work. Or for Race to become the friend and mentor he’s been looking for all his life. But just as Cody begins to settle in and get a handle on his supercharged temper, a crisis sends his life spinning out of control. Everything he’s come to care about is threatened, and he has to choose between falling back on his old, familiar anger or stepping up to prove his loyalty to the only person he’s ever dared to trust.

• Buy it on Amazon
• Buy it at Barnes and Noble
• Buy it at Smashwords

The keyword for this stop on the hop is: Stories

Continue the hop and visit the next Indelibles author HERE.

Indie Book Fair

Did you find a new Kindle, Nook, or iPad under the Christmas tree? Browse the Indie Book Fair and find a new ebook to break in that reader!

These great new books were released Nov 2011-Feb 2012 by Indie authors, priced right so that taking a chance on a new author doesn’t have to break your wallet. (Check out my previous Internet Book Fair for other great Indie finds.)

[Indie = self-published or small-publisher, for the purposes of this post, because no matter how we’re published, we’re all in this together, trying to get the word out about our books]

Note: Links are given for Amazon, but most authors publish across all e-book formats. Click on the author’s name for additional purchasing options, including paper copies.

For Your Browsing Pleasure

Contemporary (Adult)

Build a Man by Talli Roland (Chick Lit) 

Slave to the rich, rude and deluded, cosmetic surgery receptionist Serenity Holland longs for the day she’s a high-flying tabloid reporter. Unfortunately, every pitch she sends out disappears like her clients’ liposuctioned fat, never to be seen again. Then she meets Jeremy Ritchie — the hang-dog man determined to be Britain’s Most Eligible Bachelor by making himself over from head to toe and everything in between — giving Serenity a story no editor could resist. With London’s biggest tabloid on board and her very own column tracking Jeremy’s progress from dud to dude, Serenity is determined to be a success, even going undercover to gain intimate access to Jeremy’s life. But when Jeremy’s surgery goes drastically wrong and Serenity is ordered to cover all the car-crash goriness, she must decide how far she really will go for her dream job. $0.99 on Amazon

The Golden Sky by Elisa Hirsch (Memoir) 

The night I met Cade I never would’ve thought that two years later, after we were homeless street musicians in Hawaii, we would have a little girl and another baby on the way.  Our son was born with the type of birth defects that make televangelists cringe. The “death home” gave him a really nice funeral, the kind I’d never wished to attend. We lost it after that, totally cemented in our grief.  Cade got into drugs, joined a rock and roll band, and I kicked him out of the house. That was how I met: Earl (an old man and unlikely best friend), the “big sag” (a middle aged woman who still flashed folks), Todda (the stripper next door), and Chris (a cowboy who fell in love with me). It wasn’t until I killed a rogue skunk, and my daughter nearly choked on a fry, that I gave my husband another chance.  But could our marriage recover from the death of our son? $2.99 onAmazon

Someone Else’s Fairytale by E.M. Tippetts (Contemporary Romance) 

Jason Vanderholt is the hottest actor under thirty with legions of screaming fans.Chloe Winters is a college student who hasn’t gotten around to watching most of his movies. When they meet by chance, he is smitten, but it just isn’t her fairytale. In fact, it could be her worst nightmare as her past, attracted by the bright lights of the media, comes back to haunt her.$0.99 on Amazon

Historical Romance
(Adult)

The Duke’s Divorce by Anne Gallagher Available late January 2012

A simple trip to the Scottish Highlands finds the Duke of Cantin with a bride he does not want.  With her impeccable beauty and fiery disposition, Fiona takes Society by storm.  As their prearranged divorce proceedings draw near, can Fiona change his mind? Check author’s website.

Literary Fiction

String Bridge by Jessica Bell 

Greek cuisine, smog and domestic drudgery was not the life Australian musician, Melody, was expecting when she married a Greek music promoter and settled in Athens, Greece. Keen to play in her new shoes, though, Melody trades her guitar for a ‘proper’ career and her music for motherhood. That is, until she can bear it no longer and plots a return to the stage—and the person she used to be. However, the obstacles she faces along the way are nothing compared to the tragedy that awaits … $6.99 on Amazon ALSO:  Music Sample!

Mystery

Sherwood Ltd. by Anne R. Allen

Sherwood. The name immediately conjures up images of Richard Greene, Michael Praed and Russell Crowe. Or maybe that sly fox in the Disney version. Only, in Anne R. Allen’s latest rom-com mystery the fox is a coyote and there’s no Robin Hood. Or is there? In her usual inimitable fashion Allen peels back the layers, one hilarious subplot after another, until you just never know what’s real and what’s not. Rather like the Robin Hood legend. When the Manners Doctor, Camilla Randall, flies into Robin Hood airport with a suitcase in one hand and a book contract in the other she thinks she’s leaving all her problems behind and is about to start a
new life. If you look very carefully you may just spot the Sheriff of Nottingham, Maid Marian and even Little John hidden away. But as for Robin Hood himself… You’ll just have to read it and find out.  $2.99 on Amazon

Short Stories and
Anthologies

The Initiate (Cloud Prophet Trilogy) by  Megg Jensen (YA Fantasy)

Over a thousand years ago, the gods left Eloh’s people and took their magic with them. To win back their favor, her people sacrifice ten female initiates every ten years. No has ever survived. There has never been a Chosen One. Forced into becoming an initiate, Eloh will try to find a way to beat the odds, stay with her boyfriend, and survive the fires that threaten to consume her. But will her lack of faith in the gods and her disbelief in their magic doom her to a painful death? $0.99 on Amazon

Eight by Karly Kirkpatrick (YA Paranormal Short Story Collection)

Prepare to be thrilled and chilled by Kirkpatrick’s eight short tales in EIGHT. These eight stories, while short, pack a big punch. There are demon spirits, zombies, and even some human baddies. Each story comes complete with author’s commentary. It also includes the previously unreleased short Grenades. $0.99 on Amazon

{CoverComingSoon} In His Eyes by The Indelibles (YA Anthology) – Available February 14th

Just in time for Valentines Day, The Indelibles bring you a one-of-a-kind young adult anthology! Twenty original short stories, all from the point of view of our favorite male characters – some are old flames from our novels and some were dreamed up especially for this anthology. Let these imminently crushable, swoon-worthy guys show you what romance looks like – in his eyes. Add to Goodreads TBR

The contributors to IN HIS EYES include award winners, frequent “Top 100” placers, and hot 2011 debut authors: S.R. Wells, C.K. Bryant, Elle Strauss, Susan Kaye Quinn, Jessie Harrell, Magan Vernon, Lisa Nowak, Heather McCorkle, RaShelle Workman, Ali Cross, Karen Amanda Hooper, Cory Putman Oakes, Laura Pauling, Stacey Wallace Benefiel, Sarra Cannon, Katie Klein,Cheri Lasota

Transcendent: Tales of the Paranormal by Lani Woodland, Melonie Piper, Rita Webb, Wendy Swore, Melanie Marks, Heather McCubbin and Evan Joseph (YA Anthology)

Discover the secrets of a siren, fly with a hawk girl over the mountains of Montana, and flee supernatural party-crashers as the
décor comes to life in this magical journey through paranormal stories. Along the way, watch for ghosts in a haunted house, or ride through the moonlight with a stranger. Save a comatose boy who has lost his soul, and don’t forget to bring your garlic and wolfsbane—you never know when the shadows will snag you. Transcendent includes eight stories of magic, love, death, and choice by some of the newest names in young adult fiction. $0.99 on Amazon

Young Adult

Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn (Paranormal/Science Fiction) 

When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep. Sixteen-year-old Kira Moore is a zero, someone
who can’t read thoughts or be read by others. Zeros are outcasts who can’t be trusted, leaving her no chance with Raf, a regular mindreader and the best friend she secretly loves. When she accidentally controls Raf’s mind and nearly kills him, Kira tries to hide her frightening new ability from her family and an increasingly suspicious Raf. But lies tangle around her, and she’s dragged deep into a hidden world of mindjackers, where having to mind control everyone she loves is just the beginning of the deadly choices before her. $2.99 on Amazon

Bound by C.K. Bryant (Paranormal Romance) 

When a photo shoot ends in tragedy, Kira discovers her best friend, Lydia,has been keeping a secret. Knowing the truth, and accepting it, will change Kira’s life forever and thrust her into a world of ancient curses, magical objects, and savage enemies. What
happens next will challenge everything Kira knows about her world, herself and the shape-shifting warrior she’s falling in love with. No longer the timid mouse her mother accused her of being, but a woman who finds the mental and physical strength to endure and survive. $3.99 on Amazon

Become by Ali Cross (YA Urban Fantasy)

Sixteen-year old Desolation Black wants nothing more than to stay in Hell where it’s cold and lonely and totally predictable. Instead, she’s sent back to Earth where she Becomes the evil she despises and the good she always feared. When Desi is forced to embrace her inner demon, she assumes her Choice has been made—that she has no hope of being anything other than what her father, Lucifer, has created her to be. What she doesn’t count on, is a reason to want to change—something she’s never had before—a friend. $3.99 on Amazon

Exiled by RaShelle Workman (YA SF Romance)

Worlds divided them. Chance brought them together. Only love will save them.  An alien princess exiled to Earth. An arrogant boy. One week to get back to her planet or she’ll die. And, her only chance for survival? She must help the boy find his soul mate.

Piece of cake! $0.99 on Kindle

The Secret of Spruce
Knoll by Heather McCorkle (Urban Fantasy)

Following the tragic death of her parents, Eren Donovan moves to Spruce Knoll to live with an aunt she’s never met. Little does Eren know the entire town of Spruce Knoll is filled with “channelers”—a magical group of people who immigrated to the small Colorado town when they were driven out of their own lands. Channelers are tied to the fate of the world. As the world slowly dies, so do they—and they alone have the power to stop the destruction of Earth. Soon, Eren learns she not only lives among them, but she is one. When she meets local boy Aiden, his charm convinces her that being a channeler may not be all bad though. $4.99 on Amazon 

Destined by Jessie Harrell (Retelling) 

When Psyche receives a prophecy gone horribly wrong, she learns that even the most beautiful girl in Greece can have a hideous future. Her fate? Fall in love with the one creature even the gods fear. As she feels herself slipping closer into the arms of the prophecy, Psyche must choose between the terrifyingly tender touch she feels almost powerless to resist and the one constant she’s come to expect out of life: you cannot escape what is destined. $0.99 on Amazon

Darkspell by Elizabeth Mueller (Paranormal Romance) 

Winter Sky believes she is everything ordinary . . . until she is kissed by Alex Stormhold. As seer of Stormhold Coven, Alex is sworn to be Winter’s protector against the darkness that hunts her.  Violently thrust into a magickal realm she always thought impossible, she stumbles upon a disturbing secret of her own. Will love prove thicker than magick? $3.99 on Amazon

Untraceable by S. R. Johannes (Thriller) 

Grace has lived in the Smokies all her life, patrolling with her forest ranger father who taught her about wildlife, tracking, and wilderness survival. When her dad goes missing on a routine patrol, Grace refuses to believe he’s dead and fights the town authorities, tribal officials, and nature to find him. One day, while out tracking clues Grace is rescued from danger by Mo, a hot guy with an intoxicating accent and a secret. As her feelings between him and her ex-boyfriend get muddled, Grace travels deep into the wilderness to escape and find her father. Along the way, Grace learns terrible secrets that sever relationships and lives. Soon she’s enmeshed in a web of conspiracy, deception, and murder. And it’s going to take a lot more than a compass and a motorcycle (named Lucifer) for this kick-butting heroine to save everything she loves. $2.99 on Amazon

Rival Demons (Book 5 of the Peachville High Demons Series) by Sarra Cannon (Paranormal Romance) Available January 20th

After narrowly escaping death at the hands of the Order of Shadows, Harper finds herself thrust into the strange and beautiful world of the shadow demons. But crossing through the portal doesn’t mean she is safe. The Order of Shadows is determined to bring her home and transfer the Prima line to the Harris family. They send their most vicious hunters after Harper. Hunters who will not stop until they have found their prey. Determined to keep her safe, Jackson takes her deep into an underground world filled with dangers of its own. Here, Harper will begin a journey that will teach her more about herself and her own path than she ever imagined possible. Add to Goodreads TBR

The Legend of Victor Standish: Under a Voodoo Moon by Roland D. Yeomans (Urban Fantasy/Romance) 

Can love kill? Yes … if you love a ghoul who hungers for your flesh only slightly less than she does your heart.  Yet to the lonely street orphan Victor Standish, who has risked his life for a meal, to find love (even for one magical French Quarter night) is worth dying in the morning. $2.99 on Amazon All profits go to the Salvation Army.

Getting Sideways (Book 2 in the Full Throttle Series) by Lisa Nowak (Contemporary) 

Getting shipped off to live with his uncle Race was the best thing that ever happened to fifteen-year-old Cody. Then a wreck at the speedway nearly ruined everything. Cody’s making every effort to get his life back on track—writing for the school paper, searching for the perfect girlfriend, and counting the days until he gets his drivers’ license—but there’s no escaping the nightmares that haunt him. A chance to build his own car seems like the perfect distraction. Until Cody realizes he’ll have to live up to Race’s legendary status. But that’s the least of his worries, considering he doesn’t have his dad’s permission. All he has to do is the impossible: keep Race from discovering his lie until he can convince his dad that racing’s safe. Yeah, sure. That’ll be easy. $3.99 on Amazon

Tangled Tides by Karen Hooper (Sea Monster Memoirs) 

Yara Jones doesn’t believe in sea monsters—until she becomes one. When a hurricane hits her island home and she wakes up with fins, Yara finds herself tangled up in an underwater world of mysterious merfolk and secretive selkies. Both sides believe Yara can save them by fulfilling a broken promise and opening the sealed gateway to their realm, but they are battling over how it should be done. The selkies want to take her life. The merfolk want something far more precious. Treygan, the stormy-eyed merman who turned Yara mer, will stop at nothing and sacrifice everything to protect his people—until he falls for Yara. The tides turn as Yara fights to save herself, hundreds of sea creatures, and the merman who has her heart. She could lose her soul in the process—or she might open the gateway to a love that’s deeper than the oceans. $4.99 on Amazon

Here by Denise Grover Swank (SF Romance)

Sixteen year old Julia Phillips buries herself in guilt after killing her best friend Monica in a car accident. Julia awoke in the hospital with a broken leg, a new talent for drawing and false memories of the accident, in which she dies and Monica lives. The doctors attribute this to her head injury, but no one can explain how a bracelet engraved with her name ended up at the scene of the accident. A bracelet no one has ever seen before. Classmate Evan Whittaker paid Julia no attention before the accident, let alone after. Now suddenly he’s volunteering to tutor her and offering to drive her home. She can’t ignore that his new obsession started after his two-day disappearance last week and that he wears a pendant she’s been drawing for months. When the police show up one night looking for Evan, he begs Julia to run with him, convincing her that Monica is still alive. Julia agrees to go, never guessing where he’s really from.  $2.99 on Amazon

The Veil by  Cory
Putman Oakes (Paranormal Romance)

Seventeen-year-old Addison Russell is in for a shock when she discovers that she can see the invisible world of the Annorasi.  Suddenly, nothing is as it appears to be—the house she lives in, the woman who raised her, even the most beautiful boy in town all turn out to be more than what they seem.  And when this strange new world forces Addy to answer for a crime that was committed long ago, by parents she has never known, she has no choice but to trust Luc, the mysterious Annorasi who has been sent to protect her.  Or so he says . . . $7.99 on Amazon

Embrace by Cherie Colyer (Paranormal Romance)

Madison is familiar enough with change, and she hates everything about it. Change took her long-term boyfriend away from her. It caused one of her friends to suddenly hate her. It’s responsible for the death of a local along with a host of other mysterious happenings. But when Madison meets a hot new guy, she thinks her luck is about to improve. Madison is instantly drawn to the handsome and intriguing Isaac Addington. She quickly realizes he’s a guy harboring a secret, but she’s willing to risk the unknown to be with him. Her world really spins out of control, however, when her best friend becomes delusional, seeing things that aren’t there and desperately trying to escape their evil. When the doctors can’t find the answers, Madison seeks her own. Nothing can prepare her for what she is about to discover. $6.99 on Amazon

Onyx Talisman by Brenda Pandos (Paranormal Romance)

Unrest stirs deep in Scotts Valley. Filled with uncertainty, Julia anxiously awaits Nicholas’ return. Phil, holds the pieces of Julia’s fragile psyche together, secretly hoping Nicholas stays away forever. But Alora secretly conspires to reclaim her talisman and strip Julia of everything she holds dear. Little do they know, a war is coming and more than one vampire would like to see the Prince of Vampires overthrown. Can Julia bargain with fate? Find out how it all ends in this explosive grand finale of The Talisman Trilogy. $3.99 on Amazon

How to Date an Alien by Magan Vernon (Science Fiction)

High school senior Alex Bianchi’s estranged father gets her an internship at Circe Operations Center to pad her college applications. But Circe isn’t your typical  military base. It’s an alien-run operation center and not all of the aliens are friendly, especially the one that tries to kill Alex on her first day. When Ace, a dark-eyed Caltian, enters and saves the day, she can’t help but be drawn to him. Can these star-crossed lovers survive when they’re on the brink of intergalactic war? $2.99 on Amazon

Fireseed One by  Catherine Stine (Science Fiction/Thriller)

Fireseed One is a journey into a tricked-out near-future earth where 18 year-old Varik has inherited a vast ocean farm, following the suspicious drowning of his Marine biologist father. When Marisa, a beautiful and devious terrorist, destroys the world’s food source, Varik is forced to travel to a lethal hotzone, teeming with dangerous nomads and a strange cult to search for a magical hybrid plant that may not even exist. The catch? He must take Marisa along, the only person who seems to know way, way too much key information.  $2.99 on Amazon

The Missing by M.A. Leslie (Paranormal)

Eight-year-old, Ethan Doyle is just a normal kid whose biggest problem in life was to fight for the attention of his busy parents from his older twin siblings. But, after his aunt and uncle tragically die, his family takes in his teenage cousin, Kelsey, and moves to a spooky old, manor house in a new town. At first, everything seems fine, but when he begins to see and speak to a spirit named Lucas, his biggest problem becomes, just staying alive. Lucas was ten years old when the spirits of the house came to him and asked him for help setting their spirits free. Unfortunately, he never made the deadline and as a result the spirits took him and made him a part of the house as well. As he soon finds out, the only way he can save his own soul is to save the souls of the missing boys in the house. With his own deadline in place, Ethan enlists the help of his cousin Kelsey to solve the twenty-year-old mystery of THE MISSING. $0.99 on Amazon

Princess Kandake by Stephanie Jefferson (Fantasy) Available February 1, 2012

In Nubia a woman can be whatever she chooses. At 14, Kandake knows exactly what she chooses…Prime Warrior of Nubia. But her grandmother has said that she will follow her father on the throne. Refusing to abandon her warrior dreams she continues to train. When her brother is kidnapped, Kandake learns she must be both queen and warrior to win his release! See Author’s Website 

Middle Grade

Blink of a Dragon by Eisley Jacobs (Fantasy)

Discovering she’s connected to dragons is one thing, but when another dragon is caught hanging out in the fifth grade, Meia thinks things couldn’t get any worse. Is she ever wrong! Trouble is brewing in the cosmos and Deglan believes this new dragon holds the answers, but his hopes are crushed when the leader of the exiled dark dragons ambushes them. The fate of the dragons and possibly the whole world falls to Deglan and Meia as they search for the only creature powerful enough to send the dark dragons back into theabyss. What they encounter along the way makes the adventure worth fightingfor. $6.99 Paperback preorder

Observations on Another Year Gone By

As 2011 comes to an end, I’m looking back to figure out how I feel about it. Just a few days ago, I would’ve said it was a totally rotten year, but now that I’ve actually crunched some numbers and considered what I’ve accomplished, I don’t feel that way. I got a book deal and turned it down. I taught myself about indie publishing and put out four books. Sure, my goal was four of my series, and I didn’t manage that, but I’m not going to beat myself up too much over it. Getting Sideways took a lot longer than I expected, as did so many of the things I tackled. But I got the first two Full Throttle books published, as well as Alice Lynn’s Scattered Pieces, and just last week I released a non-fiction reference book. A Simple, Cheap, Illustrated Guide to Converting a Word Doc to Kindle & Nook is pretty much just what it sounds like. I had a really tough time ferreting out this information, and even when I did, the written instructions I put together left me scratching my head at times. So I created screenshots to make it simple. If you’re thinking about self-publishing to Kindle and Nook (whether you’re indie or your traditionally published and want to get your back list out there) check it out on Amazon or Smashwords.

I know you’ve got better things to do on your New Year’s eve than to read a long blog post, so I won’t go on and on, but I will leave you with some observations about being an indie author, now that I’ve been at it for a year.

Observation #1: It’s a TON of work. If you think you’re going to jump on the bandwagon, make a million bucks, and sit back and have time to write, you really need to reconsider things. This is something that you need to examine carefully, taking into account your personality, strengths, and weaknesses.

Observation #2: That said, I’m happy with my decision. I love the fact that I have total control over my content, marketing options, and timeline. I don’t think it would be the right choice for everyone, but for someone who’s been an overly independent self-starter all her life, it’s perfect.

Observation #3: If you have a paranormal romance or a fantasy for girls, this is a great time to go indie. If you’re writing for boys, not so much. Contemporary realistic for older boys is a particularly tough sell. I wrote the books I did because they were the type of story I wanted to read. I don’t regret that. It does make things harder for me than they might otherwise be, though. I can also now see why it was so difficult to sell my books to a Big Six publisher. I happen to think New York created this problem with their marketing and acquisitions practices, but even if that’s so, it doesn’t change things. If you happen to know any boy book authors (particularly small press or indie) who might be interested in joining a group for cross-promotion, please leave a comment with his or her name and book title.

Observation #4: There are a lot of resources out there that indies can make use of. There are also a lot of companies trying to take your money and scam you. One is Writer’s Digest, who has recently started a vanity press. Penguin has also hopped on this bandwagon. Do not give these people your money. Even though they’ve spent years cultivating trust among authors, they’re not looking out for your best interests. There are any number of small businesses that will provide the services these people are offering for a fraction of the cost. And you won’t have to give up any of your royalties. Anyone who is considering indie publishing is welcome to contact me for advice.

And now, for your amusement, I leave you with JibJab’s Year in Review

How to Write a Farcical Holiday Letter

Last year I heard a lot of talk about holiday letters—mostly how tired everyone was of the bragging involved. Devious person that I am, I set out to write one that was so funny and outrageous people would clamor to read it. What my husband and I came up with was a hit, which made me think I should share my thoughts on how to create such a masterpiece. You know, so I could have an excuse to drag ours out again this year in the name of educating the masses.

The following is my basic formula for a hit holiday letter, with examples provided:

1. The achievements depicted should contain enough truth, and enough of an individualized flair, that they’ll make your friends and family groan. (In the letter below, Bob is a mechanic who’s not exactly the epitome of physical fitness, and I’m a cat-lover who’s far too “Type A” to ever achieve enlightenment.)
2. While you should use a personal touch, the ideas and traits should also be universal enough to be funny to a complete stranger. (Hence the men-and-toilet-seats joke and the reference to swimwear for cats.)
3. If you don’t have a lot of people in your family, include your pets. (All four of our cats got billing in our letter.) If you don’t have pets, consider an inanimate object. For example, a car that’s notorious for being a clunker might have achieved immortality by securing a place in Carhenge.
4. Use photos to liven it up. If you can pose or Photoshop them to make them ridiculous, that will add to the laughs.
5. If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas, let the family get involved. (My husband provided a lot of the stuff in our letter.)
6. Make it outrageous enough that no one can possibly mistake it for fact. If you have any doubts about the gullibility of your friends and relations, include a humorous disclaimer.
7. Keep it to one page. Really, you’re not THAT funny.

Dear Friends and Family,

Holiday greetings! We have had a truly wondrous year and would like to share news of our good fortune with you.

This summer, Bob hiked the entire length of the Pacific Crest Trail in his Birkenstocks while carrying three Haitian orphans on his back. In September, he invented a fuel injection system that will allow cars to get 500 miles per gallon. But most impressive of all, after years of intensive training, he finally learned how to put down the toilet seat.

Lisa started the year by designing an entire line of swimwear for cats. In March she achieved enlightenment and went to Tibet to have a beer with the Dalai Lama.  In October, movie studios went into a bidding frenzy for the rights to her best-selling, coming-of-age/mystery/fantasy/thriller tome, “Larry Otter: Prisoner Of The Marshy Mallows.”

Margaret received national recognition for watching every program broadcast by the Hallmark Channel in 2010. In addition, she single-handedly saved Barnes and Noble from financial ruin with her online purchases.

As for the cats, Keelan and Loki achieved fame by e‘rat’icating all the vermin from the state of Oregon and chasing them back to California. A special award will be presented by Governor Kitzhaber in January.

Dakota was called to Washington D.C. to spearhead a campaign entitled, “A Mouse in Every Pot And A Cat On Every Lap.” Despite an embarrassing altercation with the First Dog, she received bipartisan support.

Laptop was a bit less ambitious, but none-the-less discovered a cure for depression. She is currently in negotiations with Pfizer.

In closing, we’d just like to say, if anything in this letter strikes you as the least bit plausible, please go out and stock up on hay. Santa’s bringing you a pony.*

Best wishes,

Bob & Lisa

*(Okay, maybe the part about Laptop was true.)

Cover Reveal for SLEEPERS by Megg Jensen

Introducing the new artwork for Megg Jensen’s bestselling novel SLEEPERS.

To celebrate the re-launch of SLEEPERS in January of 2012, Megg is giving it a new cover with artwork from the incredible PhatPuppy.

Synopsis: An adoptee raised in a foreign land, sixteen-year-old Lianne was content with her life as handmaiden to the queen, until a spell cast on her at birth activated. Now she’s filled with uncontrollable rage and access to magic she thought had been bled from her people years ago. Even her years of secret training in elite hand-to-hand combat and meditation can’t calm the fires raging inside her.

Her heart is torn between two boys, the one she’s always loved and the one who always ignored her. But when the kingdom threatens to tear itself apart due to rumors surrounding the queen’s alleged affair, who will Lianne protect and who will she destroy?

On sale now for only 99 cents!

• Buy it at Amazon
• Buy it at Barnes and Noble
• Buy it at Smashwords

Visit Megg online:

• Megg’s Website
• Megg’s Facebook page
• Megg’s Twitter account

THE SECRET of SPRUCE KNOLL by Heather McCorkle

Today I’m featuring Heather McCorkle. A special edition of her book, The Secret Of Spruce Knoll, is releasing from Compass Press this month and she’s doing a special tour to go along with it. The special part, a percentage of the proceeds from every special edition sold (in every format) between its release date and 12-12-2012, will go toward Heather’s favorite charity that protects endangered species. Her goal is to make at least $10,000 for the charity.

Of course there are prizes during the tour, which goes from December 1st through the 17th. Prizes include a symbolic endangered species adoption of the winner’s choice (a $50 donation by Heather to the charity for the endangered species of the winner’s choice, and cute stuffed animal for the winner!), signed copies of her novels and great swag. For full details, and to enter, go here. http://heathermccorkle.blogspot.com

For the tour Heather has asked each blog host to pick their favorite endangered species and she will tell us a fun or interesting fact about that animal. I picked the prairie dog. Aren’t they cute?

Heather: Prairie dogs live in large communities called towns that can have as many as hundreds of ‘citizens’. Their main threat is eradication by government and land owners because unfortunately, their ‘towns’ tend to put a lot of holes in the land that can be treacherous. It’s a shame we don’t relocate them because I know hundreds of miles of high desert that would be perfect for them…

*******

Following the death of her parents, Eren Donovan moves to Spruce Knoll to live with an aunt she’s never met. Little does Eren know, the entire population are c

hannelers—magical people who immigrated there when they were driven out of their homelands. Channelers are tied to the fate of the world, and as it slowly dies, they are going extinct—and they alone have the power to save the earth. Soon, Eren learns she not only lives among them, but she is one. When she meets local boy Aiden, his charm convinces her that being a channeler may not be all bad though.

As Eren and Aiden’s relationship develops, so too does a mystery in Spruce Knoll. The town holds many secrets—and many dangers. It soon becomes apparent that the untimely death of Eren’s parents was no accident and that her life might be in danger too. Only time will tell if Eren can embrace her unwanted power and protect the only family she has left.

•  Buy it at Amazon
• Buy it at Barnes and Noble