Admittedly, there’s a lot of romance out there, but none of it comes close to being as witty, smart and hilarious as Claire Gillian‘s.
Today I’m happy to take part in the book trailer reveal for her novella, Purely Relative. It’s a spin-off from her novel, The P.U.R.E. and contains the same banter readers loved in the full-length story.
Here’s the synopsis: Unemployed and living far from home, Gayle Lindley is nevertheless lucky to be alive after narrowly escaping her murderous ex-employer. She’s also thankful to the boyfriend gods for having blessed her with a former co-worker. Jon Cripps is brains, brawn and bedroom-certified, all in one delectable package. Life is finally on the uptick.
…Or so Gayle thinks until Jon pops the big question—no, not marriage, but meeting the rest of his family. What he neglects to mention is his loose familial definition also includes the parents of his ex-fiancée. And too bad Gayle has already met one sibling while engaged in a vigorous mattress inspection with Jon. Everyone will think she’s a man-stealing hussy!
As Gayle tiptoes into the bosom of Jon’s extended family, she is deluged with more secrets than even her curious nature can absorb. But the drama hits hardest when Jon, mysterious as ever, drops a bombshell that threatens to unravel every single stitch of progress she has made with him and his … ‘interesting’ relations.
When I first read the synopsis of Lisa Voisin’s THE WATCHER, I was like, “Hell, yeah!” And then when I saw the cover, I was all, “Double hell yeah!”
So when I got to read an advanced copy, I nearly turned inside out. That was several months ago and now the rest of the world can finally enjoy this book, as well!
Here’s a little of what I had to say in my review:
Lisa Voisin has created an uplifting take of redemption, love and spirituality that proves there’s hope for the human race. Never preachy, THE WATCHER is the perfect answer to critics who claim Young Adult lit is too dark.
There was a small ripple on Twitter last year about an emerging genre featuring post-high school characters that were often in college or just out. It was kind of upper-YA, but went a bit further. The phrase “New Adult” began appearing in my feed.
Just as quickly, agents, editors and other publishing professionals responded with tweets putting down the idea, calling it a fad that was going nowhere. It was unsellable, not a “thing” and to ignore it.
So I went back into my writing cave and did just that.
WANT was released as Upper-YA.
NEED was written.
SHRAPNEL was released as Upper-YA.
It’s a year later, and New Adult is now a recognized, legitimate category championed by indie and self-published authors, some of whom are making six figures in a month and hitting best sellers lists. They’re being chased by agents and editors.
I recently talked to a good publicist friend who said the following:
You know, if WANT were released right now, you’d be on the best seller list. You were ahead of your time.
*Cue head bashing and gnashing of teeth*
I knew when I finished writing WANT that, even though the MC was 17, it stretched the boundaries of Young Adult. The issues and situations are adult and most of the other characters are adults. Sure, the plot hinges on Juli technically being a minor, but the material isn’t suitable for younger teens.
I know these things lost me agents, but that’s how the story had to be written. Though I’m pulling my hair out that I was ahead of the curve, I’m thrilled that stories like mine now have a solid place in the market and readership. It’s a great time in life to write about—spanning the years when we leave the safety of traditional school and home to become adults.
And while I can’t change the past, I can change the present and future. With Inkspell Publishing’s blessing, I’m declaring WANT a New Adult title.
To celebrate, I’m giving away a paperback copy on Goodreads.
The deadline to enter is March 15, the same day the cover for NEED, WANT’s adult follow-up, is revealed.
So please enter to win, add it to your TBR list, tweet it, share it, etc. and because I’m giving away one of my own paperback copies, I’ll be happy to personalize the inscription if you’d like.
Now, because I’ll admit I mostly missed out on the emergence of this category, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Have you read any NA titles? What do you think are the difference between Upper-YA and NA? Is this just a fad or is it here to stay?Who are the leading authors of NA?
It’s that time again! Time for Shrapnelto go on tour for a few weeks with author interviews, character interviews, guest posts, reviews and even a couple podcasts!
Below is the official list of all the stops. Be sure to check back each day for some fun stuff, some scary stuff, and maybe even some smexy shtuff.
Of course, my sincere and heartfelt thanks to everyone for hosting Shrapnel, and to Kelly Simmon at InkSlinger PR for putting together the tour. MUAH!!!
Or, ya know, “Oh, hey, I remembered to get you a card, but it’s still in the car, so look the other way while I sign it and leave it on the counter.”
ANYWAY, parts of Shrapnel–my latest upper-YA release–flash back to the Civil War in Mobile, Alabama, and one of the characters is a spirit whose bloody past won’t let him move on.
If Jackson were to send Dylanie a Valentine from his time period, it might look something like one of these:
Oh yeah, that’s totally human hair! Blech!
As part of today’s blog hop, I’m giving away a digital copy of Shrapnel! Just leave a comment naming your favorite mushy song and I’ll choose a winner at random. Please visit my fellow Evernight Teen authors (click the link below to see the list) to win other prizes, as well.
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I’m two days late to the party (blame a very sick kid and computer issues), but I’m happy to share with you the cover of the next book in the Lily Drake series by fellow Inkspell author T. Michelle Nelson. It’s called ‘Til Death Do Us Part and comes out April 24.
Here’s more about the book:
With a doting husband and a new job training a vampire military, Lily Drake was living up to the prophecies of being the best. Her life was seemingly perfect, until tragedy strikes bringing her a loss she’s not sure she can endure.
The hard-working super mom / vampire slayer Lily Drake has learned problems still exist even after you’ve become immortal.
As everyone knows, even if you find your soul mate, you don’t always get a happily-ever-after. Lily may have found temporary happiness being a newlywed, but the honeymoon is over. When she finds her husband going out for late night bites with another woman, Lily has to fight to try and regain what she wants most, love and a happy family.
If Lily thought being a single mom was hard, she’ll find being married can be a bloody mess.
But wait, there’s more! Enter here to win some fabulous prizes! (Giveaway is open for US, UK, and Canada.)
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More about Michelle:
T. Michelle Nelson
T. Michelle Nelson is a native of Benton, Kentucky and a graduate of Murray State University holding a degree in Education. Currently she resides in picturesque Mount Vernon, Ohio, which is also the setting of her Lily Drake series. The first book in the series, Life and Death of Lily Drake, is available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Kobo, and your other favorite online book stores in paperback as well as e-reader formats. The second book, ‘Til Death Do Us Part, is being released by Inkspell Publishing in April of 2013 and currently, T. is working hard to finish her third book.
When she isn’t writing, you can usually find her singing out of key while playing Rock Band with her husband and son, watching B-Horror movies or wrestling with her two ill-behaved fur babies, Buddy Perro and Bunchie.
Author Lisa Voisin’s THE WATCHER will be releasing exactly one month from today, on March 4, and I’m excited to be able to share a short excerpt from the book and to be a part of the book’s awesome trailer reveal! (And I’m honored to be quoted in it, too! Eeep!)
Lisa asked me to be an early reader and it struck me as perfect for fans of Lauren Kate’s The Fallen series; Becca Fitzpatrick’s Hush, Hush series, and both of Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunter series.
About the Book:
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?
A Canadian-born author, Lisa Voisin spent her childhood daydreaming and making up stories, but it was her love of reading and writing in her teens that drew her to Young Adult fiction.
When she’s not writing, you’ll find her meditating or hiking in the mountains to counter the side effects of drinking too much coffee.
She lives in Vancouver, B.C. with her fiance and their two cats.
Instead of saying more, he brushed his fingertips along my cheek, and his halo glimmered. I could hear the waves slapping the rocks behind us, the wind driving them in. That same wind whipped against my skin, but the touch of his hand on my face was all I could think about. It sent a current through both of us and filled me with longing for something I wasn’t sure I understood.
“I’m sorry.” He stepped back and shoved his hands into his pockets as the light around him faded. “You don’t know what it’s like. Being near you now, remembering those moments we had…” His hair blew into his eyes, but this time he didn’t move. I wanted to brush it back, but I didn’t know how he’d react. Would touching him be bad?
“You want to know who you were?” he asked. “You may look different, but you’re the same. I look into your eyes and see you.” He took in a deep breath, fixing his attention on the horizon. I’d seen and heard so much now that the logical part of my brain had long since given up arguing with me. I could feel what he was saying was true. All of it.
Before the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in December 2012, there was another school shooting that hit close to home for me — literally.
On Feb. 27, 2012, a troubled 17-year-old young man opened fire in the cafeteria of Chardon High School in Chardon, Ohio, not far from where I grew up. Three students died, and two others were injured.
I don’t pretend to know what led the shooter to do what he did, and I can’t imagine (and don’t want to, frankly) the pain of the families and friends of the victims.
Neither do I know what it’s like to be truly bullied, but there’s not a single person who’s made it through childhood unscathed. And sadly, bullying doesn’t end when you turn 18.
While it’s not the central theme in Shrapnel, it definitely shapes one of the characters and skews her view of the world. It affects how she deals with other people her age, and contributes to how she views herself.
Obviously I don’t want to be preachy, but bullying is something I absolutely cannot and will not tolerate. I’ve seen it happen. I’ve seen the look in the victim’s eyes that’s both fear and hate. A number of times, I’ve stepped in and attempted to neutralize the situation, but too many times I was a coward and did nothing.
I think we can all agree that it’s got to stop. Both the bullying and the extreme revenge exacted by some of the victims.
If you see something, report it. If you know someone who could use a friend or a helping hand, be that person. Whether we like it or not, we’re all in this together.
A few months ago I was thrilled to help fellow Inkspell author Stephanie Keyes launch her book, The Star Child.
Now I can show you the cover to its sequel, The Fallen Stars, announce its blog tour and celebrate with a giveaway!
Here’s a little about the book:
When all is lost, he will have to make the ultimate decision.
Kellen St. James was just your average seventeen-year-old prodigy, until he eighty-sixed the Lord of Faerie and proposed to a Celtic goddess. Now everything in Kellen’s life gets turned upside-down when Calienta, Kellen, and friend, Gabriel Stewart, find themselves on the run from a seriously irritated group of faeries. The worst part? They have zero idea why.
Suddenly, Kellen finds himself stuck in the middle of another prophecy that questions everything about him including where his loyalties lie. Plus, Calienta’s more than a bit different; she’s making choices that he doesn’t understand. And Gabe, his best friend? He’s started doing all sorts of freaky things that make Kellen question who he really is.
Kellen and Calienta will fight to stay together and keep the hidden part of the prophecy from becoming reality.
When the ultimate power is within reach, which side will he choose?
And now for the cover reveal. Ta-da!:
I’m loving the purple! It’s comes out April 12. If you’re interested in signing up for the blog tour, you can find all the infohere.
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And now for the giveaway! (Open to US, UK and Canada)
1 wired star bookmark, 3 eBook copies of The Star Child (Book 1); and 5 eBook copies of The Fallen Stars
Stephanie Keyes has been addicted to Fantasy since she discovered T.H. White as a child and started drumming up incredible journeys in her head. Today, she’s still doing the same thing, except now she puts those ideas down on paper.
When she’s not writing Stephanie is also a graphic designer, presenter, teacher, musician, avid reader, and Mom to two little boys who constantly keep her on her toes. In addition, she’s best friend to her incredible husband of eleven years.
Keyes is the author of The Star Child YA Fantasyseries, which currently includes The Star Child and The Fallen Stars. She is currently hard at work on the third book in the trilogy.
Publishing books is a lot like having kids. With the first one, you freak out and obsess, you treat it like the special wittle bundle of perfection it is because OMG isn’t it the cutest, most special snowflake you’ve ever seen???
And then the second one comes along, and you shrug instead of freaking, you laugh instead of crying, and when it enters the world, you’re pleased as punch that you lived through another one and hey, it’s pretty damn cool, too.
While I haven’t gone through quite the frenzy I did when Want hit shelves, I’m proud to bring you Shrapnel. Like Want, it’s dark, sexy and more than a touch disturbing, but it’s riddled with unexpected humor, very strong characters and multiple points of view.
Unlike Juli in Want, Dylanie (Dylan) is a tough-as-nails gothy chick who takes crap from no one. Jake was a blast to write. My critique group has commented more than once that I write freakishly well from a male POV. Jake–like Dave in Want–leaps off the page with his dirty humor and barely contained hormones.
Oakleigh Mansion in Mobile, Alabama, the setting of SHRAPNEL
And OMG Jackson. Mmmm, Jackson. Like Isaac in Want, he’s a villain you love to hate and hate to love. Sure, he’s a horrendous jerk, but he has his reasons. It’s up to you to decide whether they exonerate him.
Add in a touch of horror, a good ghost story, some Civil War history and a tiny thread of LGBT and voila! You’ve got Shrapnel.
Please help me welcome it into the world and show it some love! If you plan to read it, add it to your Goodreads TBR list. If you’ve already read it, please consider leaving a review (good or bad, they all help!).
And did I mention you can win a copy? Yup, right here.
Synopsis:
It’s been six years since Dylanie and her family visited a Civil War site and the place came alive with cannon fire. Problem was, no one could hear it but her.
Now she’s sixteen, her dad’s moved out, her mom’s come out of the closet and Dylan’s got a spot on Paranormal Teen, a reality TV show filming at historic Oakleigh Mansion. She’ll spend a weekend with two other psychic teens—Jake and Ashley—learning how to control her abilities.
None of them realized how much their emotional baggage would put them at the mercy of Oakleigh’s resident spirits, or that they’d find themselves pawns in the 150-year-old battle for the South’s legendary Confederate gold. Each must conquer their personal ghosts to face down Jackson, a seductive spirit who will do anything to protect the gold’s current location and avenge a heinous attack that destroyed his family.
Right now, it’s available here (more locations to come):
