Wednesday, November 26, 2014

It's snowing. *frowny face* & Happy Thanksgiving!

HELLO!

I'm coming to you between shoveling jobs. I haven't measured lately, but I'm sure we have a lot.

Thank you all so much for the birthday wishes for THE BOY. He loved seeing them all in the comments.

Don't forget next week is the Insecure Writer's Support Group post day, 12/3/2014. I'm lucky enough to be co-hosting! I love co-hosting!

I hear there is a special announcement coming on Monday as well!

To those of you who reside in the USA, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

We're having turkey, mashed taters, corn casserole, dressing, gravy, cranberry, and green beans with almonds.

I can feel the nap coming on already.

I won't be posting on Friday. I'll see you all on Monday!

Monday, November 24, 2014

The Oh, How I Miss You Blogfest and stuff.

I can't believe it's Monday already! Where did my weekend go?

Oh, yeah. It was The BOY's birthday weekend. He turned 9 on Saturday.



Crazy. It's hard for me to believe he's so old.

###

I'm still editing. Thanks for your answers last week to my editing question about dialogue. I have serious issues with anyone changing that part of my writing. In my opinion, you can't change what characters say or how they say it.

It's making it difficult for me to breeze through corrections. But, I will get it done.

###

Today is the...






Hosted by Andrew Leon, Alex J. Cavanaugh, and Matthew MacNish

The bloggers you miss and the ones you would miss.
List one to three bloggers you really miss.
List one to three bloggers you would really miss if they stopped blogging.
And then go let them know!



Who do I really miss? 
Well, there is really only one blogger I miss right now. Tina Downey. We lost her much too soon. There are days I just go browse her blog or read her old emails because I know her snarky humor will make me smile or laugh. 

Who would I miss if they stopped blogging?
Jeremy Hawkins. He makes me smile all the time. He's incredibly talented. He makes THE coolest t-shirts around. And, he introduces me to the best music and soundtracks. Who doesn't want a friend like that?

Thanks for stopping in! 

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Just a quick hello!

I miss you guys!

I feel like I haven't spoken to you in days!

Oh, right. Cause I haven't! 

:)

Hope last week wasn't too boring with all those awesome book tour stops and flashy cover reveals!

###

I'm still editing OGC. I might be doing this for the rest of my life. It would help if I didn't fight the edits so hard, but its just in my nature to be stubborn.

###

Here's a quick survey question...

How do you handle your editor changing your dialogue?


###

Reminder. There are two fun blogfests coming up!




Use the links on the right sidebar to get to the fests and sign-up!

Got to go.
Thanks for stopping in!

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Special Saturday Cover Reveal from Lisa Voisin!

Howdy! I know.
You're saying, "Heather, shouldn't you be editing your book?"
And I would reply to you, "I'm trying like hell, but its so slow I might as well be going backwards."
And then you would say, "Suck it up, buttercup."
And I would then have to reply, "Yeah. You're right. I'll be on my way back to the editing cave."

But first, here is one of my new author friends, Lisa Voisin, from InkSpell Publishing and her exciting cover reveal and giveaway!





The Cover Revealed


TheAngelKiller.FINALWeb

Coming January 5, 2015 

 

Description

Now that she’s found him again, all Mia Crawford wants is some downtime with her fallen angel boyfriend, Michael. But the call of duty keeps him away—from school and from her—with more demons to smite than ever.
When Michael is mortally wounded by a cursed sword, Mia must perform an ancient blood ritual to save him. But the spell exacts a price. Haunted by visions of war, torture, and despair, Mia discovers the world is in more danger than she ever imagined. Behind the scenes, an evil adversary pulls all the strings.

After redemption, there’s Hell to pay.

Add it to Goodreads


The Excerpt

Michael leaned against the building’s stucco wall and rested his hands on my hips. Light from the store cast a warm gleam in his crystal blue eyes. He leaned in, and the draw to be close to him was a gravitational force. “Hello,” he said.
“Hello.” I had to get a grip. It’d been so long since we’d talked, I tried to focus on all the things I wanted to tell him. “We went to see Fatima.” His fingers caressed the sides of my waist, sending happy tingles through me. “You know, in her store…” To my own ears, my voice sounded raspy. I trembled.
“Cold?” He drew me closer, his mouth crooking into a grin.
Lost in him, I forgot all about Fatima. “You know damn well that’s not it.” I twined my arms around his back and touched the spot between his shoulder blades where his wings connected. Its warmth thawed my fingers.
He leaned in and brushed his lips along my jaw line. “Thought that was just me,” he whispered, and his breath tickled my neck. “I’ve wanted to do this for three days.”
Our lips met, and I melted into him, not caring that we were on the sidewalk, outside a deli with families shopping inside. Nor did I care that, being an angel, he had to follow very strict rules about contact with humans—especially contact of the relationship variety. Angels had the ability to enthrall humans with their touch, something Michael had to constantly keep in check. But I didn’t have to be enthralled to want to kiss him. That was my own doing. All that mattered right now was that he was here. With me.
He pulled me closer and the buzz of his energy filled me heart and soul, blocking out the rest of the world. My hands sought warmth under his leather jacket and found bare skin. I could feel the shiver from my touch surge through him. His mouth pressing more firmly against mine, he brushed a hand along my cheek and tangled it in my hair.
A dreamlike blur of light and color filled my thoughts. But then the image shifted to blood. His.

 The Giveaway

The reveal includes an awesome giveaway to ONE WINNER for a print copy of THE WATCHER (US/CA/UK) OR a pre-order copy of THE ANGEL KILLER (when available) AND a $10 Amazon Gift Card.
Enter in the Rafflecopter below…
a Rafflecopter giveaway


About The Watcher

Series: The Watcher Saga #1
Release date: March 4, 2013
Publisher: Inkspell Publishing
Pages: 556
Formats: Paperback, eBook

DESCRIPTION

Millennia ago, he fell from heaven for her.
Can he face her without falling again?
Fascinated with ancient civilizations, seventeen-year-old Mia Crawford dreams of becoming an archaeologist. She also dreams of wings—soft and silent like snow—and somebody trying to steal them.
When a horrible creature appears out of thin air and attacks her, she knows Michael Fontaine is involved, though he claims to know nothing about it. Secretive and aloof, Michael evokes feelings in Mia that she doesn’t understand. Images of another time and place haunt her. She recognizes them—but not from any textbook.
In search of the truth, Mia discovers a past life of forbidden love, jealousy and revenge that tore an angel from Heaven and sent her to an early grave. Now that her soul has returned, does she have a chance at loving that angel again? Or will an age-old nemesis destroy them both?
Ancient history is only the beginning.


Friday, November 14, 2014

PK Hrezo's Induction Day Blog Tour is stopping here today!

I told you I had some great stuff this week! I'll even have one more cover reveal tomorrow (11-15)!

Welcome, PK! Best of luck with your new book!



IDT7



Induction DayInduction Day (Butterman {Time} Travel, Inc #2) 
Ages: 16+
Pages: 247
The year 2069 is coming to a close, and eighteen-year-old Bianca Butterman's time-craft license is finally official. She's ready for the Induction Day she’s waited for since she was a kid—the one that will secure her name on the Butterman family tree of time travelers. But ever since the media discovered Bianca is pop superstar Tristan Helms’ latest new honey, everything Bianca does or says becomes a target of criticism. Having her professional credibility topping the gossip sites across social media is an open invitation for the government to step in and regulate Bianca’s Induction. Now she will have to ask herself if saving 1500 people from drowning is worth losing everything she’s ever worked for, including the Butterman family biz.

Welcome to Butterman Travel, Incorporated; a full service agency designed to meet all your exclusive time travel needs. We’re a family owned and operated business with one hundred years of experience. A place where you can rest assured, safety and reliability always come first.

Anxious to attend some special event from the past? Or for a glimpse of what the future holds?

You’ve come to the right place. We’re a fully accredited operation, offering an array of services; including, but not limited to: customized travel plans, professionally piloted operations, and personal trip guides. *Terms and conditions do apply

Use our Web conferencing to contact our frontline reservation specialist, Bianca Butterman, who will handle all your inquiries in a professional and efficient manner, offering a tentative itinerary and free fare quote, so you can make the most of your time trip.

We look forward to serving you at Butterman Travel, Inc., where time is always in your hands.

amazon   goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47  apple

barnes and noble

Goodreads | YouTube

 

 

  Information on Butterman (Time) Travel, Inc 

 
Description: Welcome to Butterman Travel, IncorporatedWe are a full service agency designed to meet all your exclusive time travel needs. Family-owned and operated, we offer clients one hundred years of time travel experience. A place where you can rest assured, safety and reliability always come first.Anxious to attend a special event from the past? Or for a glimpse of what the future holds?You’ve come to the right place. We’re a fully accredited operation, offering an array of services; including, but not limited to: customized travel plans, professionally piloted operations, and personal trip guides. *Terms and conditions do applyConference us directly from our Website. Our frontline reservation specialist, Bianca Butterman, will handle all your inquiries in a professional and efficient manner, offering a tentative itinerary and free fare quote, so you can make the most of your time trip.We look forward to serving you at Butterman Travel, Inc., where time is always in your hands.

 Goodreads |  Amazon Kindle  | B&N  

     

PK HrezoAbout the author:
PK Hrezo is a native Floridian rarely found without her flip flops on. She shares her home with her firefighter husband, their two children, and big dog named Ripley. When not creating characters and their worlds, PK can be found at her other job of rearranging passenger’s itineraries for a major international airline. The only hobbies she loves more than traveling are reading, writing, and music, and when the four are combined she exists in total bliss.

Twitter | Facebook | Website | Blog

 




Giveaway:



To be entered into a special giveaway, copy one of these ready-made posts and share it. Make sure PK’s name is tagged so she can see it and enter your name into a giveaway. The more you share, the more entries you receive. Five winners will receive a time traveler’s book thong:

TWEETS:

Induction Day by @PKHrezo is a #timetravel #mustread. Retweet this to be entered into a special #giveaway. Add it to #AmazonCart here.

FACEBOOK:

Induction Day is here! A taut, fast-paced, engrossing read by PKHrezo. Find it on Amazon here:http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G9ADV2O

Share this post for an entry into a special giveaway.


GOOGLE PLUS
Induction Day by #PKHrezo is a #timetravel #mustread. Retweet this to be entered into a special #giveaway. A taut, fast-paced, engrossing read. Find it on Amazon here:http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G9ADV2O

Share this post for an entry into a special giveaway.




Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Gears of Brass, a Steampunk Anthology Release BLITZ!

FYI: Tomorrow the 2015 Blogging from A to Z April Challenge team will be announced HERE!
***
Some of the nicest people are included in this anthology! Check it out!
 
 
Happy Book Birthday, GEARS OF BRASS
A Young Adult Anthology
 
Authors: Jordan Elizabeth, Lorna MacDonald Czarnota, Christine Baker, W.K. Pomeroy, Eliza Tilton, Heather Talty, Grant Eagar, Natalia Darcy, Clare Weze, S.A. Larsen, J. Million.


Gears of brass giveaway


A world like ours, but filled with gears of brass, where the beating heart is fueled by steam and the simplest creation is a complex clockwork device.

Within this tome, you’ll find steampunk fairy tale re-tellings, as well as original stories that will send your gears turning.

Welcome to the steampunk realm, with eleven authors guiding your path.  

gob

Gears of Brass is a steampunk anthology published through Curiosity Quills. Within the pages, you’ll come across clockwork inventions and steampunk-ified fairy tale retellings. Eleven authors will guide you through worlds filled with airships, top hats, and corsets.  


TEASERS (each teaser is from a different tale in the anthology)

“Stealing a few steps backward, I reached for him and brushed my fingertips along his cheek. Static energy crept across my palm. It glowed blue and pulled like taffy, sticking to my fingertips, then snapping back to his skin. My hand jerked back so hard I hit myself in the chest. My eyes traipsed down his neck, his shoulders, finally stopping at his midsection. It was almost as though I could see inside him.“

“The guards struggled forward, but failed to move even an inch. Everyone was frozen in place, except the uninvited guest. The man floated toward Lord and Lady Miller. “You see, my lord, your wife made a deal with me that cannot be broken. Your daughter is mine.”

“I swiped my hand across my nose, wishing I could smell the green of the trees. Eyes burning, I swallowed hard, feeling the incision in my throat where they’d cut out my sinus enhancer. I would never be able to smell my exotic perfumes again.”

“Anthie watched the lissom liquid slip inside the carrying tube. I could see her inhaling the smell of the lubricating oil. So could Dr. Holmgren. From time to time he looked across at us through his reinforced goggles. They gave him the appearance of a baby owl, which was at odds with his general nastiness. I knew he was taking everything in. And I knew he had a special eye on Anthie.”

“In a hidden room deep inside the base of the great clock there was a click, a whir of gears, a valve opened, and the key chamber was flooded with air. Several minutes later, Bella awoke. The girl coughed, choked then screamed as blood began to once again flow through her veins: the first time in a millennium.”

“Something growled near to her right. The hairs along Redyn’s arms stood up and she held her breath. The sound came again, deep, guttural. Redyn turned her head, her lips parted, her gaze scanning the forest. They’d told her not to wander far from the cottage, but they couldn’t have expected her to play with that hideous excuse for a doll near everyone else.
A wolf crept out of the shadows, his gray fur standing on end like hers.”

“Three years ago, your father ruined my life. He terminated my family’s reputation.”
“Um…” Amethyst wished she could back up further. Wind pushed at her top hat, so she shoved it up higher to straighten it. “I don’t understand.”
“Now, I’ll ruin his life.”



BUY Links: Amazon / B&N / Kobo  

Add to Goodreads here 

Learn more about the authors behind Gears of Brass over at Curiosity Quills Press    

Don’t forget to enter the mega giveaway below!

 a Rafflecopter giveaway   

Monday, November 10, 2014

All aboard the train to Edit-Town, population ONE! And, a cover reveal!

Good morning.

Thankfully, before I went bat-shit crazy, I received more edits yesterday for One Good Catch.

I feel like I've been floating around in limbo, unable to commit to anything else, while I've been waiting for them.

So, that's where I'll be. Edit-ville. The Hamlet of Edit. Destination ... Edit Island. Edit-or-bust!

But, I do have a few things to share with you ALL this week. One cover reveal, one anthology release day blitz, and one book blog tour stop, so be sure to come back and visit!

First up is the cover reveal from one of my new authors friends from InkSpell Publishing.




Displaying poison-tree-ebook.jpg





Poison Tree
By Kacey Vanderkarr

Release date: December 2, 2014


The road to the City of War is dangerous.

With their home in ruins, Callie and Rowan are Eirensae’s last hope of stealing the cauldron back from Fraeburdh. They must travel into the human world where the Fallen hide. The banished fae wait for Callie, desperate to sacrifice her before she comes of age.

If Callie and Rowan survive the journey, something worse looms in Fraeburdh. Rowan is destined for a dark family legacy too horrifying to accept, and his father is anxious to welcome him home. Once the truth is revealed, will Callie ever look at Rowan the same way?

Trapped between feuding cities lost in a centuries’ old war, Callie and Rowan will face their biggest rivals yet, and neither of them will make it out unscathed.



Displaying Kacey Vanderkarr.jpgKACEY VANDERKARR is a young adult author. She dabbles in fantasy, romance, and sci-fi, complete with faeries, alternate realities, and the occasional plasma gun. She’s known to be annoyingly optimistic and listen to music at the highest decibel. Kacey is president of the Flint Area Writers and the Social Media Director for Sucker Literary. When she’s not writing, she coaches winterguard and works as a sonographer. Kacey lives in Michigan, with her husband, son, and crazy cats. In addition to her novels, Antithesis and Reflection Pond, Kacey’s short fiction is featured in Sucker Literary Vol III, Out of the Green: Tales from Fairyland, and will appear in Spark Vol VII and the inaugural issue of Ember: A Journal of Luminous Things. Check out her website: www.kaceyvanderkarr.com




Friday, November 7, 2014

It LIVES!!!! Resurrection Blogfest III - One Good Catch!

RESURRECTION
BLOGFEST
III!
 

For this blogfest, participants will resurrect a blog post that they initially published between November 8, 2013 and November 6, 2014 which they believe merits one more glance before it gives up the ghost for good.


Congratulations Mina Lobo on your third year of blogging and a great blogfest!

In hopes that all my publishing plans actually pan out this time around, I'm resurrecting a blog post from February 28, 2014 where I introduce the two characters from One Good Catch, the second book in my Maguire's Corner series.

This post was part of Rachel Schieffelbein and Kyra Lennon's  WIP: The Movie Bloghop!


Welcome back to Maguire's Corner. Book two in the series stars Doctor Kate Maguire. She's the town gossip, quite snarky and a whole lot to handle.




Meet Rhys 'Mac' MacGrath. Former resident of Maguire's Corner he currently plays professional football in Oklahoma.

 
They haven't seen each other in years. 






Sparks fly between them, but will their feelings for each other bloom and grow or burn too hot and turn to ash?

Soundtrack:
Nickelback: Trying not to love you
Christina Perri: Arms
Skillet: Awake and Alive 

More inspirational pics can be found on my Pinterest board.

One Good Catch: A Maguire's Corner Novel.

Coming soon.

Want to read an excerpt? Go HERE.

There it is! More information for One Good Catch can be found HERE!

Thanks for stopping in! 

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

#IWSG - Don't let facts get in your way.



Alex J. Cavanaugh:
 
The Insecure Writer’s Support Group
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Be sure to visit the Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website and Facebook.

You ever start writing about something and you're not sure if what you're putting on the paper is factual or not.

So, you open up a search page and start doing 'research' only to end up hours later neck deep in .pdf documents and YouTube how-to videos?

No?

So, its just me?

I do this all the time. I'm writing about something cool like the police department or baking a seven layer wedding cake or driving a car and suddenly I have no idea what I'm talking about.

I figure I'll just go for a quick research stroll and find myself drowning in a sea of mis-information and archives on the history of gnomes without beards.

What have I gotten myself into?

I'm in over my head. If I don't know what I'm even talking about how are my readers supposed to believe a word that I say?

And now, I've lost my mojo. I can't write a freakin' thing cause I think I'm full of it and I know everyone else will think that too.






My point is, we should just write on.

We can always get the information we need when we're done. So many times I've freaked myself out for no reason. I should just mark the manuscript where I need more facts and just keep writing.

There will be plenty of time to 'fix' the questionable parts later.

I've also found that reaching out to other humans, in the fields that I'm interested in writing about, has been a positive experience. People like to talk about what they do. Mention that you're writing a book and they get even more interested.

Don't let facts get in your way.

Keep writing.

Monday, November 3, 2014

Huh. Monday's over? Huh.

I have a list of crap I have to get through today. This blog post is on the list. It should've been higher up, apparently. I just realized that the day is almost over!

I promised a picture of The BOY from Halloween.



Is it irony that the two best pictures I got of him in his SWAT COP outfit were while he was eating donuts?

He had a good time, but the husband and I thought it was pretty dead out on the streets this year. And not like zombie-dead, just not a lot of kids out and about.

###

On the writing front...
 
I'm waiting on more edits from the editor for book two.

Book three is not getting as much attention as it should be.

Book one has a new name...in case I forgot to mention it here.

The title, Already Home, won by popular vote. Thanks for the input.

### 

What are you guys doing this month?

Are you NaNoWriMo-ing?

I tried that last year. EPIC FAIL. When I tried to tell myself to write a certain amount each day, I drew a blank. I can't even take instructions from myself!