M. Leighton's Blog, page 28

Madly Chapter 13, a Thanks and Jennifer

Let me first start off with an apology for the flaw in the most recent print edition of Madly and Wolfhardt.  It has come to my attention that chapters 12 and 13 are identical.  I'm posting the correct chapter 13 below and I'm fixing the problem today.  This was a limited edition and I've spoken to most of those who have one about rectifying the situation.  Thank you all for being so awesome about it and you know I plan to make it up to you:)  I'd also like to thank everyone who came out to see us Plumes in Florida.  It was a great pleasure to meet you and I hope to hear from each of you sometime soon.  Lastly, I'd like to give a special shout out to Jennifer.  You are the most amazing reader and fan, and I thank you for being so supportive and awesome!  I looked for you before we left on Tuesday night.  I wanted to give you a BOcabulary tee-shirt, but you'd already left.  If you want to e-mail me with your address, I'd be happy to send you one.  It would be an honor for you to wear a Blood Like Poison tee:)
Happy Sunday, y'all!  I'm off to try and catch back up on Gravity.  Wish me luck!!
SPOILER ALERT!!
The following contains a HUGE spoiler!  If you haven't read Madly, STOP NOW!!!
MADLY AND WOLFHARDT
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The click of the switch seemed extraordinarily loud and I flinched when the light blazed brightly into the darkness of the room.  At that moment, I felt like exactly what I was—bait!I moved in front of the window, much as I'd seen Kellina do in the vision the Seers had given me.  I puttered around the room as if I was readying myself for bed.  After a couple minutes, I returned to the lamp, to the window and, with another deep breath, I perched on the side of the bed and turned the light off with an ominous click.And then we waited.  And waited.  And waited.I was listening so closely for sounds in the house that I could hear the crickets outside, even through the thick glass of the closed window.  Other than their song, however, there was nothing to hear but the beat of my heart pounding furiously in my ears.Once again, I heard the rustle of Jensen's pants as he moved across the room toward me."You can try again in a few minutes," Jensen whispered.  "But this time, after you cut the light off, walk quietly over and stand beside the closet door.  That way, when Wolfhardt comes in, I'll be between you and him.""Ok," I breathed, now glad that Wolfhardt hadn't come the first time.  If he'd leapt into the room, he would've had a clear straight line to me where I sat on the bed.  It rankled that Jensen hadn't thought of that a little sooner.  It was blunders like that that made me miss Jackson even more.  He would've been thinking of my safety from every possible angle, start to finish.Jensen moved back over into position.  I heard the hushed tones of him whispering communications to the others and then it was silent once more—just me, my pulse and the crickets.I waited for a few more minutes and then I stood and repeated the entire process again—and got the same result.  When Wolfhardt hadn't shown up after another ten minutes of sitting in the dark, waiting, I felt the first pangs of frustration.  We repeated the process a third time, also with no luck.  The Sentinels, of course, were like robots.  They weren't feeling antsy or annoyed; they could probably wait all night and never say a word.  But not me.  I was quickly reaching my boiling point.My movements were a little sharper, my inner monologue a little more aggravated as I went through the motions for a fourth time.  When I snapped off the lamp, I paused, growling under my breath before creeping over to stand beside the closet door.As they had each time, my ears strained to pick up any extraneous sounds, hoping upon hope that Wolfhardt would take the bait.And this time he did.  My first clue of his approach was the warming of my bracelet against my skin, almost as if it was powering up for the fulfillment of its mission.  My second clue was hearing the monster himself as he neared the room.The soft, quick puffs of sniffing penetrated the silence.  They were followed by one sharp snort and then…nothing.  My heart banged ruthlessly against my sternum as adrenaline flooded my body, making me feel jittery and jumpy, ready to run.  My eyes, having adjusted somewhat to the dark, were trained on the edge of the door, expecting to see Wolfhardt's snout appear at any moment.  What I wasn't expecting to see was movement inside the closet to my left.There was a shift in the shadows, as if something black was filling the already-dark, empty mouth of the closet.  I looked and saw a form lowering itself down from the upper shelf inside the walk-in space.  Panic rose in my throat, threatening to suffocate me, but not before I sucked in a deep breath, preparing to scream my head off.  Something shot out of the closet toward me.  A large hand clamped down hard across my mouth, smothering the scream before I could sound the alarm.  I reached up to grab at the thick wrist attached to the hand when words at my ear sent goose bumps of recognition skittering down my arms."Quiet, Princess." It was Jackson.  He whispered the words so slowly and his voice was so low I could barely hear him.  But I heard enough to know that it was him.  My body filled in the rest of the blanks.My knees felt rubbery with relief and I wanted to turn and throw myself against him.  Luckily, the part of me that was still thinking rationally reminded the rest of me that we were at a critical juncture in the apprehension of our first escaped Lore, so I resisted the urge.Oh-so-quietly, Jackson removed his hand and stepped in front of me, his body completely shielding me from the rest of the room.  Unfortunately, Jensen didn't know that Jackson had arrived, so when he moved in front of me, it startled Jensen.  Reflexively, Jensen turned to attack.Everything that happened next was a blur.  It happened so quickly, it seemed that one minute I was appreciating the heat from Jackson's body pressed tightly to my front and the next I was screaming for them not to hurt Wolfhardt.When Jensen turned on Jackson, it alerted Wolfhardt, who charged through the door—teeth bared, ears back, hackles up—ready to defend himself.  I stood with my back pressed to the wall, paralyzed by fear when I saw the big beast leap into the room.As Jackson and Jensen wrestled, one of them accidentally hit the door and it slammed shut with a loud bang.  That left me trapped between the wall and the wolf with nowhere to go.Wet, quivering lips pulled back even further from long white teeth that glistened in the low light.  The mirrored eyes of the wolf met my terrified ones.  A low growl sounded in the back of his throat and his eyes shifted to Jackson and Jensen where they tussled.  My eyes didn't follow.  I couldn't look away from Wolfhardt.In my peripheral vision, I saw one of the big men get thrown to the ground in short order, the victor rushing quickly to my side.  I was awash with relief when I saw Jackson appear beside me.  He was staring murderously at the wolf.  I saw the wolf's eyes flicker from Jackson to me and back again, and then another growl rumbled in his barrel chest.  As I watched him, I couldn't help but feel that there was something hauntingly familiar about his eyes, something that no longer made me feel threatened.Like the flash of lightning in a midnight sky, recognition struck and the fear inside me abated.  I gasped when I realized where I'd seen those eyes.  Though I didn't understand how it could be, I knew the identity of the descendant Wolfhardt had come to awaken.  And that's why I couldn't let them hurt her.It was Kellina.The bracelet heated in recognition of the Lore, threatening to burn the skin on my wrist.  Stunned by the new development, I paused, and it was that fraction of a second that could've cost us the entire operation and the life of my friend.As if in slow motion, I saw Jackson crouch ever so slightly, preparing to spring forward.  Rashly, I grabbed his arm, screaming one word into the confusion of the night—No!The uncertainty in that moment, the hesitation in that one short heartbeat, was all she needed to escape. And she did.  Turning, Kellina sprinted across the width of the room and leapt through the window.  With the loud crash of breaking glass still ringing in our ears, Jackson and I stood, unmoving, as she dropped out of sight, falling toward the unforgiving hardness of the earth.It was as if life suddenly rushed back into our bodies at the same time.  Simultaneously, Jackson and I both moved—he to the door, I to the window.   I heard him shouting commands to the other Sentinels and, despite his questionable status among them, they obeyed him without question.  As they scrambled about, I leaned through the window to scan the ground for Kellina's broken wolf-like body.  But it wasn't there.  Frantically, I searched the tree line for her, my eyes stopping with relief on a long, fluffy tail as it disappeared into the forest."Jackson, she's headed for the woods," I called as I ran toward him at the door."She?" he asked as we made our way quickly down the stairs."It's Kellina.  She's Wolfhardt.""How?  Are you sure?  How can that be?""I don't know how, but I'm absolutely positive.  We have to get to her."Together, with a small army of Sentinels trailing behind us, we ran across the yard and into the forest in search of Wolfhardt.As the woods widened, spreading out before us to the left and to the right, so did the Sentinels.  They fanned out, two-by-two, to cover more ground as we went.  Jackson and I took off at a run toward the path.  We hadn't gone far when something pale darted through the woods in front of my eyes.  I didn't need to ask if Jackson saw it.Speeding up, he veered slightly left, heading straight for a curve in the path up ahead.  He was trying to get in front of whatever was running parallel to us through the trees.  All of a sudden, I saw Jackson cut sharply right, leaping off the ground and hurling his body through the air just as a shape rounded a huge oak tree.  I heard a grunt as the two bodies tumbled in a tangle of limbs to the ground."It's me," a muffled voice said as Jackson rolled on top and sat up.  "Ahh," it screamed in agony.I recognized that voice."Jackson, let him up.  It's Aidan!" After a split-second pause, Jackson came fluidly to his feet, extending his hand to help Aidan up.  When Aidan was on his feet, Jackson turned to resume his chase through the forest."Come on," he called back to me."Jackson, wait!" Aidan yelled, holding one arm across his stomach as if he was in pain.Jackson stopped and turned around, but didn't come back."Not now, Saint.  Madly, come on.""I can help you find her," Aidan blurted, huffing heavily.  On that note, Jackson did return."How?"Aidan waved Jackson off.  "Just trust me, I can.  I have one condition, though.""No, there's no 'just trust me.'  You tell me how or I'm leaving right now."Aidan sighed, an angry exhalation that bled into a loud cry of agony.  "I'll be able to track her," he said through gritted teeth."How?" Jackson asked again, still skeptical."Because in a few minutes, I'll be a wolf, too."If he'd reached out and slapped me, I couldn't have been more surprised."What?  Aidan, why?  How do you know that?  You can't know that?""Yes, I can, Madly.  I can feel it.  I'm changing right now," he said doubling over with a groan."But you have to have blood to…to…"My heart skipped a beat at the thought of Aidan killing someone to get what was necessary for full transformation."Not when you've been bitten.  Wolfhardt completed the curse when he killed the blacksmith.  Now, anyone exposed to the saliva is cursed as well.""Then, Aidan, you shouldn't be out here.  You need to be somewhere safe, somewhere you can be protected and where you can be monitored."I didn't want to add that he needed to be somewhere that everyone else would be safe from him, too."When I realized that Kellina was the Wolfhardt descendant, I knew I had to help her.  I couldn't let you kill her.""How did you find out?""When the moon rose, something inside me started to react to it, started to change.  It was like all of a sudden I could sense something familiar in her, something I've not sensed before.  As the moon got higher, Kellina's eyes changed, like she wasn't Kellina anymore.  It was like there was someone else in there with her.  I didn't really put two and two together until she left.  She hadn't been gone long when I heard a howl and it called to me.  Like…" Aidan paused, cringing as his muscles bunched and squeezed, his forehead shining wetly in the light of the bright full moon.  "It's hard to explain, but you've got to trust me.  I just knew.""But Aidan, you can't be out here.  Someone could get hurt.  You could get hurt."  "I don't care, Madly.  She's my mate.  She's all I care about.  I love her and I can't live without her.  I don't even want to.  I have to do this.  For her."I understood that.  I felt nothing less than that very same desperate bond to Jackson.  It made no sense and it cared not for the comfort or preferences of the Mer.  It was a supernatural tie, one that selected us, not the other way around.  Of their own accord, my eyes darted to Jackson.  He was looking at me, not at Aidan, his expression indecipherable."Can you run?" I asked Aidan, my eyes still on Jackson.  When Aidan didn't answer, I looked back to him.Aidan's mouth was open in a silent scream, his eyes wide and glassy.  "Aidan!"He bent forward sharply and I heard a nauseating snap that sounded like bone breaking.  Aidan fell onto his knees, pulling in agitation at his shirt as his agony finally made its way into the air in a loud cry of torment.  Jackson and I stood helplessly by as an amazing transformation took place right before our very eyes.  Aidan's spine bubbled and stretched as his ribs flared into a deep barrel shape.  His shoulder blades dropped down and moved forward, his arms lengthening and his elbows popping outward.  With a muffled crack, his hips and pelvis shifted, pulling his legs beneath him in a crouch.  A throaty whine slipped through thinning lips as Aidan's nose thickened and elongated.  Coarse, dark blond hair began to push its way through the fabric of his shirt and shorts until Aidan was covered in fur from his rapidly growing ears to the base of his spine and beyond, where the hair thickened into a bushy tail.When his body finally quieted, Aidan shook, his muscles twitching in succession from his nose to his tail in that uniquely canine fashion.  As he moved, his shiny coat shimmered in the dim light.  I was mesmerized, absorbed by every detail of his appearance.  With one quick jerk of his head, Aidan looked up at me, his eyes the same hazel they'd always been, something in them still eerily familiar.  Unsteadily he rose on his now-hind legs until he towered far above my head.  Then, with a grunt, he let himself drop back onto his front legs.  They still looked somewhat arm-like, only now they ended in long bony digits tipped with sharp claws. With a meaningful look at Jackson, Aidan put his nose to the ground and took off like a shot, leaving us to try and keep up.  Luckily the uneven terrain provided a bit of an equalizer, slowing a newly-wolfen Aidan down a bit, too.Aidan stopped just ahead of us and we slowed in response.  Jackson looked left and right, scanning the forest for signs of Wolfhardt.  The tiniest of movements teased my peripheral vision and I turned my head sharply left.  There, looking at us through two enormous trees, was Kellina.  "Jackson," I whispered.Keeping my eyes on the other wolf, I saw Jackson shift subtly in my direction so he could see around the trees. Kellina didn't move.  It was then that I realized that she wasn't watching us; she was watching Aidan."Aidan," I whispered.Aidan's head snapped up and he thrust his nose into the air.  I knew the instant he caught her scent.  He growled, a low rumble that I felt in my feet as if it vibrated the earth beneath us.  Slowly, Aidan moved around in front of me.  Gradually, I shifted back until I was standing beside Jackson and we were both facing Kellina.Aidan stilled and the forest fell silent around us, not even the creep of creatures to disturb the moment.  I knew instinctively that a wealth of communication was passing between him and Kellina, but it was her distraction, her fascination with Aidan, that proved to be her downfall.  As she watched him, the Sentinels had just enough time to maneuver into a position that made escape for Kellina impossible.  When they struck, descending upon her, she had nowhere to go.She struggled ferociously, prompting two more Sentinels to step into the fray.  It was difficult to see what was going on, but when Kellina yelped, I could only assume that the Sentinels were gaining the upper hand.  At her distress signal, Aidan growled and lunged forward.  But Jackson, ever ready and always a step ahead, quickly grabbed Aidan by his thin midsection and pivoted, throwing him to the ground.  Jackson lay with his thick upper body across Aidan's, his legs pinning Aidan's to the ground, effectively subduing his struggles.  When Aidan continued to growl and snap, Jackson moved slightly to secure his head.  Aidan seized the opportunity, opening his big jaws and biting at Jackson."Ohmigod, Aidan! No!" I cried, rushing forward.  "Jackson don't let him bite you."With lightning fast reflexes, Jackson managed to avoid Aidan's glistening teeth until he was able to secure his head safely.  The entire time, my heart felt as if it was going to batter its way out of my chest like a jackhammer.The Sentinels pressed on until Kellina was contained.  Though she continued to snap and snarl viciously, I saw no other movement.  From the ground, Aidan began to whine, ceasing to struggle beneath Jackson's heavy body.  When the sounds of thrashing and scuffling stopped, a forlorn howl erupted across the forest, drawing all our eyes to Kellina.  The sound was so woeful, it made the hairs on my arms stand up.Within seconds, Aidan chimed in, the two howls dancing through the crisp night air like two secret lovers, seeking comfort in each other's arms.  I looked back to Aidan, my heart breaking for him, and saw that his features were slowly returning to normal.Beneath the cover of Jackson's body, I could see Aidan's arms and legs returning to limbs that looked familiar, the claws shrinking back into closely shorn fingernails.  Within a minute or two, he looked like the boy I'd grown up with, the boy who was supposed to be my prince.Jackson lifted himself off Aidan and helped him up, Aidan closely examining his skin, temporarily bewildered by the sudden change.  "Stay here," Jackson ordered Aidan.  As he walked by me, he murmured, "Be right back."Jackson jogged over to the group that was standing near Kellina and her captors. He spoke quietly to them, gesturing toward Aidan a couple times.  When he was finished, he motioned to me as the Sentinels made their way to Aidan.  Confused, I walked to Jackson, nervously fingering the hot band around my wrist."What do we do now?  How do I get Wolfhardt into the pearl?"There was a long pause before Jackson answered me, a pause where he watched me in such a way that I knew I wasn't going to like what he had to say."Madly, you know I would never hurt someone if I didn't have to, right?"I frowned."Of course I know that.""And you know that I would never recommend any unnecessarily harmful actions unless there was absolutely no other way, right?""Jackson, I know that.  What are you getting at?"He paused again.  "When the Lore were captured in olden times, most of the human bodies they inhabited didn't survive the… the… extraction.""What do you mean?" I asked, still confused."Madly, there is a good chance that we won't be able to save Kellina when we take Wolfhardt.""What?"  I whispered, certain I must've misunderstood his meaning."Kellina might die.  But, Madly, we have to remove Wolfhardt.  We have to," he reiterated."I know that, but…""You know if there was any other way, I would take it.  But there's not.  I'm sorry, Madly," he said, reaching out to brush a wayward strand of hair from my cheek.  "This is the only way.  It's our only chance to regain Atlas." I closed my eyes, covering my quivering lips with my hand.  "Jackson, we can't let that happen.  I can't kill Kellina.  I…I just…""I'll do everything I can to save her.  You know I will, but we may not have a choice."

The Plumes Do Florida

Okay, this Sunday I will be leaving South Carolina to venture down to Orlando to meet up with all the lovely ladies (and gentleman) that comprise the Paranormal Plume Society.  This picture is the original group, but now it will include the likes of the extremely talented Shelly Crane, Addison Moore and Courtney Cole.  YAY!  We'll be attending some functions at several local schools and then doing book signings in the evenings.  In and around all of that, hijinks and fun will ensue:D  What else would a lively bunch such as the Plumes do when we're away for a few days together?  LOL  Needless to say, I'm very excited!!

Until then, I'll be working on finishing up the last 1/3 of GRAVITY.  In light of all the things I have yet to do this week, I'm not sure I'll be able to get it completed before I go, but I'm going to try.  It's my goal to at least get it done and out to my beta readers.  That way, when I get back I can begin editing it, get it published that following week and then resume work on MADLY book 3.  I hope to be so settled, so back into my old routine, so recovered from the holidays that I'll be able to work on two books at once again.  If that's the case, I'll be working on MADLY and the second and final book to WICCAN.  That's the plan anyway, what I'm hoping for *crosses fingers* 

Thank y'all for being so incredibly awesome and patient while I get my mojo back.  I'm feeling almost normal these days and look forward to February being like a sigh of relief as far as being back to the old me.  Yep, can't wait!

Happy reading, y'all, and have an amazing week!

YA Indie Carnival- What Reading Teaches

It's Friday again.  YAY!  I must admit I'm glad to see this one arrive.  Not that I don't like every other Friday, but some are much more of a relief.  And this one certainly is.

So today's topic is:

What Reading Teaches A Writer

Well, the answer to that is simple--pretty much everything.  The basics of language and grammar and communicating via the written word are obviously first obtained in school.  Then, if you're anything like me, the vast majority of it is soon forgotten.  I couldn't tell you what a dangling participle is if my life depended upon it.  What I can tell you is that it's not as gross as it sounds.  *insert weak laughter here*  Okay, so I can do better than that, but maybe it kept you awake amid the talk of school and English classes.  I was afraid you might need a little something  to keep you from nodding off.  Anyway, I think reading is what gives legs to all that you learned in school and then teaches you all sorts of other things.  It teaches a writer how to build a realistic world, even if it's a foreign one, how to form compelling characters, how to construct an exciting plot and how quickly to race toward the climax.  It teaches us how to engage people and excite them, how to tickle their imagination and tease their senses.  I think reading is very important to a writer and I'm not sure there have ever been any successful ones who didn't.  Writing is one of those professions where you don't have to have formal training, but I think what you do have to have is experience, only this experience comes in the form of visiting other people's worlds, meeting their characters, becoming invested in their lives and in the outcome of the story.  That is the most invaluable experience any writer can have, in my opinion.  But, then again, that's just my opinion.

What are your thoughts?

Now, I have a couple of announcements before I send you off to visit the other carnis.  There are two books being offered for FREE on Amazon right now.  Did you get that?  They're FREE!  That's worth spreading the word about, right?  Right.  So I hope you will.  Tell everyone.  Hopefully they'll thank you and run right off to the computer to download their little hearts out.  That's what I'm hoping anyway.  And thank you in advance for telling everyone you see--even if they don't have a Kindle.  LOL 

Blood Like Poison by yours truly is available until midnight on Monday and The Understorey by Fisher Amelie is available until tomorrow night.  Go get 'em and then let us know how you liked them when you finish.  We'd certainly appreciate it:)

Also, Dani over at Refracted Light Reviews will be hosting our own Patti Larsen's Family Magic Tour along with a giveaway so go check it out here

That's it for me.  TGIF and, as always, happy reading!

Dani Snell Refracted Light Reviews
Patti Larsen Author of The Ghost Boy of MacKenzie House, The Hunted Series and the Hayle Coven Novels
Courtney Cole Author of Every Last Kiss, Fated, Princess, and Guardian. Also a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles
Fisher Amelie Author of The Understorey, as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles
Laura Elliott Author of Winnemucca as well as 13 on Halloween, book 1 in the Teen Halloween Series
Amy Jones Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles
Rachel Coles Author of Diary of a Duct Tape Zombie, Whistles, Beergarden, Plagues, Bees of St. John, and Mushrooms
T.R. Graves Author of Warriors of the Cross
PJ Hoover Author of Solstice, The Emerald Tablet, The Navel of the World, The Necropolis
Cheri Schmidt Author of Fateful, Fractured, and Fair Maiden
Lexus Luke Author of Manitou, The Sky People Saga
Suzy Turner Author of December Moon and Raven
K.C. Blake Author of Vampire Rules
Gwenn Wright Author of Filter
Kimberly Kinrade Author of Bits of You & Pieces of Me and Forbidden Mind
Madeline Smoot Author of Missing, Summer Shorts, and The Girls
Cidney Swanson Author of Ripple series
Heather Self Blogger, Reviewer and upcoming Indie Author
Heather M. White, Author of The Destiny Saga
Melissa Pearl, Author The Time Spirit Trilogy
T. G. Ayer
Bryna Butler, Author of Midnight Guardian series

YA Indie Carnival- Books I'm Grateful For

Well, after some seriously crazy holidays, we're back!  Back on the merry-go-round, back to regular life, back to writing, which is something I'm particularly grateful for.  But that's not what I'm here to talk about today.  Today our topic is:
Books I'm grateful for and why
My answer is actually fairly simple, as all my most influential books seems to point to one thing--LOVE.  Love in all its forms--unconditional, self-sacrificing, happy, tearful, painful, perfect, blissful, tumultuous, satisfying.  There aren't enough adjective to describe love and here's where I got my first tastes of it.
My first favorite book for pretty much every reason ever is, of course, the Bible.  It was the first book I ever owned in life--literally. It was a sweet little zippered, illustrated gift from my parents.  I still have it.  Yes, it has my baby scribble in it.  Yes, it has my learning-to-make-my-letters scribble in it.  Yes, it has some fairly intuitive notes as I learned to actually pay attention in church in it.  Most importantly, though, it has all the life lessons I'll ever need to learn in it.  And it taught me about love.  Real love.  The kind that puts other's needs above your own.  The kind that always does the right thing, even when it hurts.  The kind that is as unconditional as we as humans can experience it.  The kind that's as unconditional as God Himself can give it.  That kind of love.
My second favorite book was Cinderella.  Yep, the original Cinderella.  The one with the golden spine.  I had it memorized.  Mom said she could never skip anything because I'd know and I'd make her read it the right way.  Apparently we even got to the point where I would to read it to her--even before I could actually read.  I guess in retrospect that should have been a big clue as to where my life would go.
My third favorite book was, as you've heard me say before, The Wolf and the Dove by Kathleen Woodiwiss.  It was this most amazing historical romance with a fascinatingly fierce leading man, an outrageously strong leading lady and an awe-inspiring epic love story expertly woven between them.  If you've never read it and that sort of thing is your cup of tea, I highly recommend it!  To me, books like that--stories like that--never get old.  
My fourth favorite book, which I wasn't even going to mention, is one that introduced me to the gut-wrenching kind of love that many authors choose to write about.  *cough cough* Nicholas Sparks *cough cough*  It was a little book called The Thorn Birds by  Colleen McCullough.  It's a love story. It's a heartbreaking love story that has haunted me since my first exposure to it.  It's one of those books where no one gets the happy ending.  Everyone does what's right rather than what love demands and they all die miserable.  Well pretty much.  It's fabulous, don't get me wrong.  I'm just not an unhappy ending kind of person.  Or even a bittersweet ending kind of person.  I like the ride-off-into-the-sunset, happily-ever-after kind.  Period.  But I can still appreciate the other kinds.  And they still make an impression.  And this one did.  But I still prefer the rainbows and roses.  I get enough of reality just living life.  I don't need an extra dose of melancholy in my entertainment.  Thanks, but no thanks. 
Okay, so there you have it.  These are just a few of the books I'm most grateful for.  I'm sure you have your own stories, so by all means, leave me a comment and share.  I'm all about hearing your stories, as those of you who chat with me know:)
TGIF y'all!  Hope your Friday the 13th is a little spooky...in a good way.  Happy reading!!!
Go check out my fellow carnis' book choices!!
Dani Snell Refracted Light Reviews
Patti Larsen Author of The Ghost Boy of MacKenzie House, The Hunted Series and the Hayle Coven Novels
Courtney Cole Author of Every Last Kiss, Fated, Princess, and Guardian. Also a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles
Nicole Williams Author of Eternal Eden, and Fallen Eden. She is also a contributing author in the Glassheart Chronicles
Fisher Amelie Author of The Understorey, as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles
Laura Elliott Author of Winnemucca as well as 13 on Halloween, book 1 in the Teen Halloween Series
Amy Jones Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles
Rachel Coles Author of Diary of a Duct Tape Zombie, Whistles, Beergarden, Plagues, Bees of St. John, and Mushrooms
T.R. Graves Author of Warriors of the Cross
PJ Hoover Author of Solstice, The Emerald Tablet, The Navel of the World, The Necropolis
Alicia McCalla Author of the upcoming science-fiction novel Breaking Free
Abbi Glines Author of Breathe, and the upcoming Existence and Vincent Boys
Cheri Schmidt Author of Fateful, Fractured, and Fair Maiden
Lexus Luke Author of Manitou, The Sky People Saga
Suzy Turner Author of December Moon and Raven
K.C. Blake Author of Vampire Rules
Gwenn Wright Author of Filter
Kimberly Kinrade Author of Bits of You & Pieces of Me and Forbidden Mind
Darby Karchut Author of Griffin Rising and the upcoming Griffin's Fire
Madeline Smoot Author of Missing, Summer Shorts, and The Girls
Cidney Swanson Author of Ripple series
Heather Self Blogger, Reviewer and upcoming Indie Author

Too Many Resolutions! Make it Stop!

I don't really do New Year's resolutions per se, I just always have several things that I want to improve upon or begin or quit shortly after Christmas. Like eating pounds and pounds of chocolate for instance:D  LOL  It just so happens that these revelations and epiphanies somewhat coincide with New Years.  This year I'm totally overcome with resolutions, epiphanies and revelations.  Sheesh!  I didn't realize I was such a train wreck last year:D  hehe  Anyway, this year the holidays were particularly hard on my inspiration and creativity.  I've started 4 different books and have not a single title completed and ready to publish, so I'm sure it goes without saying that part of my 2012 resolution is to find my muse, wrestle her to the ground, drag her back by her hair and settle down into my groove.  Some days I think I'm back on solid ground.  Other days, not so much.  I'm still sticking with the plan, though, which is to finish and publish GRAVITY, the new book I'm working on, then finish MADLY book 3 then start on WICCAN's second and final book and then (maybe, probably, hopefully) the second of Cat's NINE LIVES.  That's a pretty ambitious plan, right?  Yeah, I know.  But I published 9 books last year, so I don't think what I'm aiming for by summer is in any way NOT do-able.  I just think I'm gonna have to tighten the time belt a little.  And that goes for the chocolate one, too.  DANG IT!!

I hope y'all had amazing holidays and that 2012 has started off in a most phenomenal way and only gets better with each passing day.  I figure it this way: as long as we have hope that tomorrow will be awesome, we're good to go, right?  Right.  I mean, seriously!  Where would we be without hope? 

Happy 2012 everybody!!

Secret Santa & Grand Prize Winners!

Alright, folks, the day has finally arrived.  The winner for my Secret Santa giveaway as well as the Grand Prize winner have both been randomly drawn and the winners are...

*drumroll please*

*yes, I have a flair for the dramatic- it can't be helped*

Bearrocks101 for my giveaway and Vanessa Eric for the Grand Prize!

CONGRATULATIONS, y'all!  I truly hope you enjoy your books.

Bearrocks101, please contact me at m.leighton.books@gmail.com within 48 hours so that I can get your books to you.  Vanessa, Laura Elliott will be getting in touch with you and then each author will get her book(s) to you individually:)

Christmas is a short two days away and I hope it is the most amazing day of the year for y'all!  Don't forget the reason we celebrate Christmas and by all means enjoy the good food, the great family and all the wonderful blessings we have. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS and, as always, TGIF and happy reading!!

Gravity and an update

Okay, so I know I don't post a lot on my blog about my WIPs other than on my What I'm Writing Now page, but I want to give a general update slash explanation slash plan so that those of you who have never checked my update page will know.

I began Madly book 3 some time ago, but I got to a point where it just wasn't flowing.  Personally, I believe there is no worse work than forced work, so I put her aside to work on something else that was really blossoming in my mind.  I know better than to tangle with the muse.  She can get very ugly when provoked.  LOL  Anyway, the WIP to which I refer now has a name.  It's GRAVITY. 

The story is still growing in my mind so I don't want to post a blurb until I know for sure that it won't change again before completion.  As soon as I have it nailed down, though, I'll give you a nice little teaser as well as the back cover description.  I can tell you right now that it is the story of Trace and Peyton as they learn that their lives and their friends are not who they seem and that their bond with each other is the one thing that ties them to the only reality they've ever known.  When they're apart, everything changes.  And not for the better.   I know that's not a lot to go on, but it's shaping up to be a great story in my head.  Now I just have to get it down on "paper" for you.  It is my sincere intention to have it completed by the end of January and pubbed sometime shortly thereafter.  I have a lot of work ahead of me, but I'm really hoping that things will settle down around here so I can get back into the swing of things.  Down to business.  Nose to the grindstone.  Pedal to the metal.  The holidays are like quicksand for me.  Fun, delicious quicksand, but quicksand nonetheless. 

Anyway, as soon as I complete this book, I plan to finish up Madly's next story and then I'll see where I'm at with...everything else.  THANK Y'ALL so much for being patient.  I put out 9 books in 2011 and I plan to do something similar in 2012.  I guess I just had to have a break:) 

THANK Y'ALL so much, too, for your support and encouragement.  I can't tell you how much it means and how your support really affects my everyday life.  I'll just say it's HUGE and leave it at that:D 

Merry Christmas everybody!  I hope your holidays are full of fun and cheer and blessings and that 2012 promises to be the most awesome year yet.  Our glasses are more than half full and that's a heck of a way to start a year:)

Secret Santa Giveaway

****YA INDIE CARNIVAL SECRET SANTA GIVEAWAY****
Remember when you were in school and someone decorated your locker with wrapping paper and candy canes and big red bows? Today there's a note taped to the outside of your locker. It reads:Enter the Secret Santa Giveaway from Dec. 16 to Dec. 22, 3PM Pacific and on Friday, Dec. 23, Noon Pacific you could find TONS of books inside!
<3 SECRET SANTA
GRAND PRIZE: A Kindle or Nook copy of the books featured on the Grand Prize List! http://yaauthorclub.blogspot.com/
To enter the Secret Santa GRAND PRIZE Giveaway just FOLLOW http://yaauthorclub.blogspot.com/ & comment on a carni's site telling us why you've been naughty or nice this year. Each carni will have individual giveaways too so be sure to visit all the carnis to win as many books as possible! ALL WINNERS ANNOUNCED 12/23/2011, Noon Pacific.
****YA INDIE CARNIVAL SECRET SANTA GIVEAWAY****
Did you get all that?  Should I reiterate, just for the sake of theatricality?  Probably.  Why, you might ask?  Because I have an innate flair for the dramatic and it shows up at the most inopportune times.  Like Christmas, for instance.  Yes, it annoys my family, but whataya do? 

Okay, so here's the deal.  All us carnis are doing book giveaways for Christmas.  Just travel around to each of our blogs and make a comment telling us how you've been naughty or nice this year and you'll be automatically entered to win.  There will be different goodies underneath each tree, so it will be worth your time to make the trip.  Plus, it's Christmas!  You should stop by and have a cup of eggnog anyway.  You know, just to be sociable:)  *hands cup of eggnog*  Aren't I the hospitable one?  hehe

*you sputter* 

*I pat you on the back, concerned* 

Are you alright?  What?  My eggnog sucks?  Well, of course it sucks.  I never said it didn't.  I was just trying to be nice.  I didn't know you'd think my eggnog would actually be good!  You should really avoid making ridiculous assumptions like that.  LOL

Now about the grand prize.  Be sure to visit the YA Author Club Blog to check out that whopper-of-a-prize.  I don't even know what all is in it, but I can tell you it's a HUGE pile of carni books!! 

I know you're all excited now (well, at least you should be), but just hold your horses and let me do first things first.  Check out who's hiding under my tree and enter to win here before you hop on the merry-go-round and go visit the others. 

Alright, y'all, hang on!  Here we go...

By Laura A. H. Elliott
Twelve-year-old Roxie wants to be like Adrianne, the popular girl, the peacock, who gets everything she wants––a trampoline, a flock to prowl around the mall with, and most especially invitations to parties. But everything changes when Roxie invites all the popular kids in the eighth grade to her thirteenth birthday party on Halloween and they all come. And a boy, the boy, actually talks to Roxie. Roxie has the best night of her life until the peacocks decide they want to celebrate her birthday in a way Roxie never expects––in her attic, with a gift that is out of this world, and a pact to never tell a living soul what happens next. BONUS MATERIAL: A Sneak Peek of TRANSFER STUDENT, a YA freaky-Friday story about how a geek, alien boy and a Beverly Hills surfer, fashionista survive each others' lives only to fall in love with each other, a galaxy apart.

By Courtney Cole
Macy Lockhart is a normal girl with an abnormal bird-shaped birthmark on her wrist. She doesn't even think twice about the odd marking until strange things begin happening to her and an anonymous gift is left on her doorstep… a beautiful, blood-red pendant. A bloodstone.
It isn't long before she is surrounded by craziness… ancient high priests, visions and memories that she can't explain. And that's just the beginning.

She quickly comes to the realization that the bloodstone wasn't just given to her… it was returned to her. It has been hers all along, for thousands of years. She has lived hundreds of lives and all of them have been important.

But before she can even come to terms with that craziness, she is forced to return to one of them that was particularly tragic….a previous doomed life where she lived as Cleopatra's handmaiden, Charmian.

Fate, the very thing that she is born to protect, is being threatened in a way that would destroy history as we know it. The fate of the world literally sits on her shoulders. But of course, just handling that small issue would be too easy.

Unless she interferes with destiny, her soul-mate will die. Can she really stand aside and allow the love of her life to die all over again?
By Tiffany King
Krista Miller feels like she has lived her entire life in a glass box with her every emotion on display. She can't help feeling like a defect as her sensitivities have made her socially inept and without any real friends; the one exception being the boy that visits her each night in her dreams.
Krista's emotions are put to the test when a move to California triggers a devastating change to her fantasy world. The nightly comfort that the boy provides has now become a recurring nightmare as he is taken from her by an unseen force.

Struggling to appear normal, Krista enrolls in a new school and finds it to be nothing like she thought. Her new life is sent spiraling out of control from a strange connection with a boy, Mark, who claims to know all her secrets.

As Krista begins to explore the emotions that Mark evokes in her, secrets about their mysterious past and their predestined purpose threatens to separate them just when they have found each other.

By Nichole Chase
Ree will face the darkest form of betrayal before the year is out.
Seventeen year old Ree McKenna has three goals: get through high school, convince her crush she is more than his best friend's little sister, and save money for college. Fate, though, has other plans for her. After the untimely death of her older brother, Ree is haunted by dreadful nightmares and terrifying visions. To make matters worse, Ree has started to suspect that something dangerous is stalking her from the shadows.

A night full of frightening surprises leaves Ree with unsettling news. Gifted by the gods with unusual powers, she must devote herself to a battle that could very well lead to not only her death, but the demise of everyone she knows and loves. After all, Ree is the only mortal standing between the Earth and utter darkness.

TGIF everybody!  Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Feliz Navidad, all that fun stuff and, as always, happy reading:)  Now go say "HI" to the others!
Dani Snell Refracted Light Reviews
Patti Larsen Author of The Ghost Boy of MacKenzie House, The Hunted Series and the Hayle Coven Novels
Courtney Cole Author of Every Last Kiss, Fated, Princess, and Guardian. Also a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles
Nicole Williams Author of Eternal Eden, and Fallen Eden. She is also a contributing author in the Glassheart Chronicles
Fisher Amelie Author of The Understorey, as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles
Laura Elliott Author of Winnemucca as well as 13 on Halloween, book 1 in the Teen Halloween Series
Amy Jones Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles
Rachel Coles Author of Diary of a Duct Tape Zombie, Whistles, Beergarden, Plagues, Bees of St. John, and Mushrooms
T.R. Graves Author of Warriors of the Cross
PJ Hoover Author of Solstice, The Emerald Tablet, The Navel of the World, The Necropolis
Alicia McCalla Author of the upcoming science-fiction novel Breaking Free
Abbi Glines Author of Breathe, and the upcoming Existence and Vincent Boys
Cheri Schmidt Author of Fateful, Fractured, and Fair Maiden
Lexus Luke Author of Manitou, The Sky People Saga
Suzy Turner Author of December Moon and Raven
K.C. Blake Author of Vampire Rules
Gwenn Wright Author of Filter
Kimberly Kinrade Author of Bits of You & Pieces of Me and Forbidden Mind
Darby Karchut Author of Griffin Rising and the upcoming Griffin's Fire
Madeline Smoot Author of Missing, Summer Shorts, and The Girls
Cidney Swanson Author of Ripple series
Heather Self Blogger, Reviewer and upcoming Indie Author

Interview with the amazing Callum & Harper

How rockin' is my blog?  VERY!!  This week I get the privilege of hosting yet another INCREDIBLE talent.  Today, it's author Fisher Amelie.  She has stopped by on her blog tour with the two main characters from her latest book.  Their names are Callum and Harper and the book is title, appropriately enough, Callum & Harper.  First you've got to check out this FAB cover!  It's completely original and I fell in love with it instantly.


Now, I'm gonna start you off with the back cover blurb for the book so you'll know who these awesome peeps are.  Then I'm gonna treat you to Harper's interview of Callum followed by an exclusive excerpt.  Then, at the bottom, stay tuned for links to reach Fisher and the book, as well as giveaway information.

Alright, y'all, here we go!  Meet Callum and Harper.

BACK COVER:

Life sucks for orphans Callum Tate and Harper Bailey.

Kicked out of their foster homes because they suffer the 'eighteen disease' with nothing but a hundred dollar check from the government and a pat on the back, they're forced to rely on a system that failed them miserably.

So they sit. They sit inside Social Services, waiting for their social workers to call their names and offer them the miracle they know will never come but they sit anyway because they have nowhere else to go, no other options on their very literal and figurative empty plates.

But as they sit, they notice the other. Although captivated, they each come to the conclusion that life is complicated enough without throwing in a boiling tension that can't ever be acted upon because they're both too busy thinking about where their next meal will come from but when their names are called and both are placed on a year long waiting list for permanent housing, suddenly relying on each other seems like a very viable plan B.

And, oh, how lovely Plan B's can be.

Well, except for the psycho from Harper's past that haunts her and, oh, yeah, there's the little issue that neither of them knows they're in love with the other.

Needless to say, Callum & Harper's life just got a bit more complicated.

"One day, you and I are gonna' wake up and be alright. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but one day. One day. I promise you." - Callum Tate

HARPER'S INTERVIEW WITH CALLUM:

Harper: Hey! Welcome to the interview, Callum!
Callum: (Nothing)
Harper: Dude, are you listening to me?
Callum: Hmm?
Harper: Are. You. Listening. To. Me.?
Callum: What? Of course.
Harper: Okay, tell me what I just said.
Callum: That, well...you said, "Callum is amazing!"
Harper: Not even close.
Callum: You don't find me amazing?
Harper: Stop taking over my interview!
Callum: You don't like it when I take over your interviews? How does this make you feel?
Harper: You're possibly the most vexing human being I know.
Callum: That must be tough. Tell me a little about why you feel this way?
Harper: That's it! I'm telling! Fisher!
Callum: (Shoves lightly at Harper's shoulder, starts sweating and shifting eyes) No! No! I'll be good. I promise.
Harper: (Huffs) Fine.
Callum: Come, let's start over. (Smiles charmingly)
Harper: (Through gritted teeth) Alright, brat, welcome to the interview.
Callum: Thank you, Harper! It's so nice to be here! Thanks for having me, Miss Leighton.
Harper: (Sighs) Alright! So, Callum! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Callum: Sure, I'm a Sagittarius. I like long walks on the beach, picnics in the park.
Harper: Callum.
Callum: Alright. I'm eighteen. I live in New York City and I'm about to start school at NYU.
Harper: (Five minutes passes in silence) Alright, I officially suck at this.
Callum: Thank you. Can we just talk then?
Harper: Fine. Did you talk to Charlie today?
Callum: Yeah, he's doing well. He'll be back soon.
Harper: Cool.
Callum: Poor, Miss Leighton.
Harper: (Facepalm) I know! I prepared! I have questions lined up but they're lame!
Callum: It's alright. Um, okay, let's 'would you rather'.
Harper: 'Kay, you start.
Callum: Hmm. Would you rather...wake up to find your neck has grown five inches longer or that your rear end has doubled in size?
Harper: Ooooh. That's good. Okay, I'd go with the bum enlargement.
Callum: I never would have guessed that for you. If I had put money on it, I'd have lost. Why?
Harper: Because the neck thing would require surgery. I could just run the butt off.
Callum: Practical.
Harper: Thank you. You're turn. Would you rather...have five bottles stuck on the fingers of one hand for a year or have a bucket stuck on your foot for a year?
Callum: Bucket. Hands down. The hands, need 'em for eating, doing hair, things of that nature.
Harper: Yeah, that's an easy one.
Callum: Okay. (Gulps) Would you rather...live your life in love with your soul mate but your soul mate doesn't know it or marry someone mediocre who can love you back but still know your soul mate is out there?
Harper: This is, uh, this is a hard one. I guess, uh, the soul mate one?
Callum: Really?
Harper: Yeah, um, I mean, is that weird? (Gulps) I don't think I could honestly marry someone else if I knew my soul mate was out there somewhere, ev-even if they don't care the same way for me.
Callum: Huh.
Harper: What about you? Which would you rather?
Callum: The same answer. It's just funny.
Harper: Why?
Callum: You're the only one I know who would have picked the same answer.
Harper: Yeah, that is funny.


AND NOW FOR THE EXCERPT:

Oh dear Lord, we're leaving at the same time. If she hadn't stopped attempting to hide her smile, I would've been forced to reveal my plans to toss the stranger outside against the brick and kiss her face until the sun set. She passed ahead of me and I caught a whiff of her shampoo, involuntarily sending my eyes into the back of my head. This chick was a walking version of the Pixie's "Where Is My Mind?". Sexy. As. Hell. Though, now that I think about it. Is hell sexy? I'm guessing not. I continued to watch. Her hips could have kept time with the damn beat. "Here, let me get that for you," I said, throwing open the door. The sun cascaded down her copper hair and made her eyes feel transparent. "Thank you," she shyly said but offered up a cute lopsided grin as if to say 'good boy'. Thanks for the bone, buttercup.She took the wrought iron steps down to the sidewalk two at a time, which told me she was in a hurry and since it was nearly sunset, I was willing to bet that she and I were heading in the same direction. I scrambled at what to say while her feet scurried along the pavement.Say something! "Where you headed?" Clever.She stopped and turned."Uh," she said, seeming embarrassed. She thought twice for a moment before stiffening her body and raising her chin. "I'm headed to.." Confusion set in. She glanced down at the same piece of paper I, as fate would have it, held in my own hand. "Hope House, on One Hundred and Second," she finished."What a coincidence," I teased with a slight grin."You too?" She asked, one eyebrow raised. Cynical, a product of the system. "Yup, what can I say? Looks like we share the same amount of luck.""Which would be?" She asked."Nil, if you're going to Hope House."She laughed at our dire situations which was pretty much all you could do.        "Want a ride?" I asked. She didn't answer me, obviously not willing to trust me, so I offered, "Listen, by the time you walk there they'll be closed and definitely won't have any spaces open. If you ride with me, at least we have a chance of getting a spot for the night."        She sighed. "A valid point," she said, looking around for my car.        I'm embarrassed by this. "Uh, " I said, scratching the stubble on my chin with the backs of my fingers. "I don't actually own a car." I point to my vintage nineteen-fifty Indian motorcycle. "Come on. It's better than walking, right?" I stuck my hands out in offering.        She smiled slowly in appreciation, her mouth curling up at the sides and her eyes squinting into the sun. Her head bobbed slowly up and down on her neck. A silent yes. "I'd probably pick this over any car on this street." She stood back and admired it. "Solid black," she said. I nodded, intrigued. "Nice," she simply added.        "You think so? I plan on fixing her up when I get the time and, of course, the money. She's been good to me, though," I said, patting the handlebars. "She's pretty much all I have in this world." Harper looked at me as if in pity or maybe it was understanding. I really hoped it was understanding because if a girl that beautiful pitied me, I didn't think I could stand it. "Hop on," I said. She straddled the back of the leather seat and slid her duffel across her chest to sit behind her. "Uh, you might want to, uh," I said awkwardly, struggling with how to ask her to push her hair back so I could fit my helmet on her. Instead, I set the helmet on the seat between her legs and brazenly ran my fingers through her hair. It flowed off her shoulders and settled onto her back. The scent of her shampoo bombarded me one more time and I swayed slightly at the assault but regained my stance. I grabbed the helmet off her lap and fit it onto her head. She giggled at the awkward familiarity of it. "Sorry," I said. "But I wouldn't dream of putting you on the back of my bike without this.""It's alright," she said, but paused. "Why? Are you an unsafe driver?"        "No, uh, my parents died in a car accident when I was four," I said matter-of-factly.        "Oh, I'm so sorry." She had the decency to look sincere. That was pretty refreshing, actually.        "It's alright," I sighed, shrugging my shoulders. "I barely remember them."        "I don't know anything about mine," she said, studying her feet, then realized what she was doing. "Harper Bailey," she said cheerfully, holding out her hand, revealing a dimpled grin.        I  buckled the clasp around her delicate chin, resting my hands on the top of the helmet playfully. "My name is Callum Tate and I'm going to take care of you, Harper Bailey."        Her extended hand dropped into her lap. Her eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open. "Wh...what did you say?"        Shit. Was that was too forward? "I'm sorry," I said, shaking my head. "I'm Callum Tate. It's a pleasure to meet you, Harper Bailey." I grabbed her thin hand and a shot of warmth crept up my veins and shocked my heart into a frenzy.        The smile that had so quickly faded before came back with a vengeance. She squeezed my hand in greeting and whispered, "It's very nice to meet you, Callum."        I climbed on to the front part of the seat and started the engine. Harper settled her hands on the side of my ribs and I couldn't think of anything I wanted more than her arms wound tight against my chest. Suddenly, I couldn't get on the road fast enough.



Y'all!  Seriously, does this not sound like a book that you MUST READ, like, today?  Yep, that's what I thought.  That being the case, I'm giving you all the info you'll need to track down the incredible Fisher Amelie and her books. 






Fisher Amelie resides in the South with her kick ace husband slash soul mate. She earned her first 'mama' patch in 2009. She also lives with her Weim, 'Jonah', and her Beta, 'Whale'. All these living creatures keep the belly of her life full, sometimes to the point of gluttony, but she doesn't mind all that much because life isn't worth living if it isn't entertaining, right?

Fisher grew up writing. She secretly hid notebooks and notebooks of dribble in a large Tupperware storage container in her closet as a kid. She didn't put two and two together until after college where it suddenly dawned on her,

"Hey, I like writing".
She's a bit dense.
"No, I'm not."
"Yes, you are. Put down that Oreo, your butt can't take any more."
"You're rude."
"Yeah, yeah."
Anyway, she likes to write and has finally beaten her self-esteem into submission enough to allow herself to be scrutinized under the 'other readers' microscope. "No! No! Not a cover slip! Last time it gave me a ra...." (mumbling)



LASTLY, HERE'S HOW TO FIND HER AND HER WORK:

Fisher is running a contest for the length of her book tour! To win a signed copy of Callum & Harper just click here

Visit
          Fisher at her website. www.fisheramelie.com
Watch
          her Book Trailers here
Find
          Fisher on Goodreads here
Find
          Fisher on Amazon here
Find
          Fisher on Barnes&Noble here
Find
          Fisher on Facebook here
Find
          Fisher on Twitter here

Feel
          like talking to her in private? We don't blame you, she is
          easily persuaded into doing illegal things. E-mail her at fisher@fisheramelie.com.
          Don't worry, she's put up a firewall that no government agency
          could penetrate.

Author Tiffany King and The Ascended Blog Tour

I'm so excited, y'all!  Today I am featuring the incredible Tiffany King on my blog.  Eeeeep!  For those of you who don't know her, she is the author of the Saving Angels series and she is one amazing talent!  She has just completed the third and final book in the trilogy and is taking the literary world by storm with a 24-day blog tour, replete with all sorts of prizes.  So, once you've read this amazing excerpt, keep going right on down the page.  You'll find all of Tiffany's contact information, details about the prizes and an itinerary for her tour stops.  Soooo, without further ado, here's a sneak peak at her third novel, The Ascended.



The darkness that surrounded me was as oppressive as ever. I could feel it seeping into my every pore, growing heavier and thicker with each passing moment. I was too scared to move, afraid I would run into some kind of obstacle, or worse yet, step off into some unseen void. I clamped my eyes tightly closed and rubbed them with my knuckles, trying to decipher any kind of light or outline, but it was no use. The blackness continued its unforgiving assault on my senses, making me shrink in the vast nothingness. The hair on the back of my arms stood on end as a cold bead of sweat trickled its way from the nape of my neck all the way down my spine. Suddenly, I had the feeling there was someone—or—something in this dark cavern with me. Maybe it was just my own paranoia...this kind of pitch black really screws with your head.            

"Who-o-o's th-there?" I finally stuttered out in a near whisper.            

 I jumped at an abrupt onslaught of noises coming at me from multiple directions. My mouth opened to scream, but no sound escaped as fear tightened its grip around my throat. I was completely disoriented from the darkness and became lightheaded as I spun around trying to protect myself from a possible attack from behind. As I stood in place, trying to regain some kind of control, I suddenly realized that the noise was merely an echo from my own voice.            

Relief flowed through me, as I worked to slow my breathing and calm my heart that was beating like a race horse in my chest.            

Cautiously, I placed my right foot in front of me while I kept the majority of weight on my back leg in case I encountered air instead of solid footing. My relief grew as my foot hit solid ground. I raised my left foot to take another tentative step, using my outstretched hands as a guide. Before I could complete my forward motion, I heard a soft sinister chuckle close to my ear. Pulling back quickly, I stumbled in my haste to distance myself from whoever was lurking in the darkness. My feet tangled together making me land in heap on the hard ground.            

I wrapped my arms around myself, cowering in fear as the single chuckle turned into multiple laughs from every direction. Chocking on my fear, I tried to scoot away from the laughter by sliding across the surface on my bottom. The noise bounced off the unseen walls of the space I was in, closing in on me from every direction. I gasped in terror as a cold dead hand grabbed my arm.

"No-o-o!" 

You can find Tiffany here:

Blog
Twitter
Facebook

And you can find the first two books here:

Meant to Be
Forgotten Souls

Now, here are the details about the prizes and giveaway:

1)   Every three days, Tiffany will compile a list of the names of people who have commented on the blogs for those days.  She will then randomly draw a winner who will receive an eBook of one of The Saving Angels books.
2)   For the grand prize, every person that leaves a comment on one of the blogs will be entered to win a signed poster of one of Tiffany's book covers. She will also be giving away a signed set of all three books.  Soooo, you'll have four chances to win a grand prize. Extra entries will be given for every blog you leave a comment on, so if you visit all 24 blogs you will be entered 24 times into the grand prize drawing.
Here is her itinerary:  December 4th Courtney Cole http://courtneycolewrites.wordpress.com/December 5th M. Leighton http://mleightonbooks.blogspot.com/ December 6th Magical Urban Fantasy Reads http://www.magicalurbanfantasyreads.com/December 7th Nichole Chase http://nicholechase.blogspot.com/December 8th Two Chicks on Books http://twochicksonbooks1.blogspot.com/December 9th The Autumn Review http://www.autumnreview.com/December 10th Shelly Crane http://shellycrane.blogspot.com/December 11th Jamie Corrigan http://thiswritersworldplotbunnies.blogspot.com/December 12th Jennifer Snyder http://jennifersnydersblog.blogspot.com/December 13th Devyn Dawson http://www.devyndawson.com/December 14th Laura Elliot http://www.authorlaura.com/December 15th fiktshun http://www.fiktshun.com/fiktshun/December 16th Bookish Babes http://www.thebookishbabes.blogspot.com/December 17th Tess Watson http://tessmw.blogspot.com/December 18th Megan Duncan http://meganduncan.blogspot.com/December 19th Hey it's Fishy http://omgitsfishy.blogspot.com/December 20th Abbi Glines http://www.abbiglines.com/December 21st C.A Kunz http://www.cakunz.blogspot.com/December 22nd Teenage Reader http://teenagereader.com/December 23rd Secret Lives of Fiction Lovers http://secretlivesoffictionlovers.wordpress.com/December 24th Michelle Muto http://michellemuto.wordpress.com/December 25th Christmas DayDecember 26th Amy Jones http://amyjonesyaff.blogspot.com/December 27th Fisher Amelie http://www.fisheramelie.com/December 28th John Harden http://incessantdroningofaboredwriter.wordpress.com/December 29th Sean Hayden http://www.seanhayden.org/Okie dokie, be sure to leave your comment and follow the rest of her blog appearances.  You will fall in love with her and her work if you haven't already:)

Happy reading, y'all!!