M. Leighton's Blog, page 29

YA Indie Carnival- Fiction Pie

Why does this picture always make me think of the movie Young Guns?  It's very strange, but I want to put on a cowboy hat and spurs, mount up like the Regulators and go shoot at empty pop cans.  Does anyone else feel that way?  *crickets chirp*  No?  Just me, huh?  *awkward silence* Okie dokie.

Ahem.  So, moving right along... :)

Today our topic is:

FICTION PIE: The recipe for a plot

Well, let me first say that if you're looking for a recipe on practically anything, you've come to the wrong place.  I'm no gourmet chef, I don't do very well following recipes, I never write anything down, and I never make something the same way twice.  Unfortunately, most of that terrible culinary skill carries over to my writing.  Luckily, with writing, all of those things aren't necessary to craft a story.  I know there are many people out there who have very methodical ways that they create.  They plot and outline and write the first line of each chapter so they can stay on track.  Not me.  I soooooo wish I was that kind of writer, but alas *sigh* I'm not. 

My books happen to me.  Literally.  More often than not, a plot idea comes to me in the shower.  As I'm washing and rinsing my hair in fact.  Maybe there's something in my shampoo.  Hmmm...  Anyway, as I'm finishing up my ridiculously long shower, I'll think on that tiny seed and let it germinate.  Maybe the water of the shower helps.  I don't know, but at some point it will grow into enough of an idea that I am forced to hop out dripping wet, risking life and limb to I slide precariously across the wet floor to get my paper and pen (which, yes, I keep in the bathroom-hehe).  After that, sometimes it's over.  Sometimes that was it, that one short burst of something cool, but nothing of substance ever shows up to attach it to.  But then there are times when it is the beginning of...something.  Sometimes the idea just won't let go and I'll keep thinking on it until I have to get my brainstorming book out and flesh out the plot a little bit more.  At that point, I make a bunch of mostly unintelligible notes about where the idea is taking me in my head and I try to refine it a bit more as I write. 

Now, if that turned into a book, that would be pretty frickin' cool and easy, right?  Right.  Well, it doesn't.  At least not for me.  Y'all, I can have the whole thing planned out in my head and, as soon as I start writing, the characters will change it.  They'll do something unexpected or go somewhere and get hurt or say something that changes everything.  It happens with every single book I've ever written.  They refuse, absolutely refuse to stick to the plan!  They are what really make a story for me--my characters.  Once I add them to the mix, the tale really comes to life.  In fact, it comes to life in such a way that THEY are telling ME the story and I'm merely transcribing the whole thing.  Point in case:  the new book that I'm working on right now, the one that my muse would not let me have any peace until I started on, it began in a COMPLETELY different way.  But then my characters showed up.  Once they arrived and introduced themselves, the story blossomed into something totally unrecognizable and 100% organic.  They started telling me about their lives and their future, about their struggles and their dreams.  They started telling me about love and sacrifice, and I just started writing it all down.  Now, I show up each morning to listen intently as they speak, and I'll listen until they are silent, until they've told me their story.  That's when I'll have my next book--when they've finished telling me all that they wanted to say.  After almost a year, I've learned that the best thing I can do when writing is just shut up and listen. 

I'm sure that if you came looking for a step-by-step process for coming up with a plot for a work of fiction, my shower story helped you NOT AT ALL, but what I hope you'll take away from this is that the creative process is different for everyone.  That's part of what makes all our stories so unique.  We are all individuals with something to say.  We just go about it in totally different ways.  And this is my way.  Like it or not, flowery and methodical or NOT, this is my recipe for Fiction Pie.  Sometimes it's delicious.  Sometimes...not so much.  For me, the end result is up to the characters.  But that's okay, because in my opinion, they're what make the meal great anyway.

Okay, y'all, that's it!  Now hop on the merry-go-round and go visit my partners in crime.  I'm sure they'll have something interesting to say.  They're all fabulously talented and likely much better with recipes than I am.  In fact, a Labradoodle is probably better with recipes than I am, but I digress.  LOL 

TGIF y'all 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
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

My muse brings me something new

Well, despite my best laid plans for getting all my sequels out, my obstinate muse has been harassing me about a wonderful new story.  And guess what?  Today, after wrestling with her for weeks, I gave in and decided to type just a few opening words, in hopes that getting it out would allow me the peace to finish Madly.  Not so.  I was immediately absorbed!  I typed 1000 words in just under an hour and I'm so excited about this book I can barely stand myself.  I even wrote a bit of a blurb about it, which I will wait to share, as my books seem to change dramatically from beginning to end no matter how much I think I have it all laid out in my mind.  I'll keep you posted as to my progress on my What I'm Writing Now page.  In all seriousness, y'all, this might be my favorite project of all time.  I'm already in love with the characters and the story is blossoming in front of me like a rose in spring.  This is why I love to write.  In times like these, it's almost better than breathing.  Almost:)

For those of you who are counting on reading more about Madly and Mercy (Wiccan), the two sequels I've been working on, please hang in there!  I WILL get them done, it just might be after the first of the year.  I hope that the work I bring you in the meantime will be worth having to wait a little longer to read more about the characters you already like.  Maybe you'll fall as deeply in love with them as I have--from page 1.

I know I've said it before, but it bears repeating on a daily basis.  I love each and every one of y'all who read and love my work, allowing me and inspiring me to continue writing.  I strive to bring you fresh new stories and better work with each book I write.  I hope and pray that it comes across to you, the ones for whom I create, in just that way.  Consider it a labor of love, 'cause that's exactly what it is:)

YA Indie Carnival- THANKSgiving

I think the "carnival" theme is particularly appropriate around the holidays, don't you?  If your house is anything like mine, it sure feels like a carnival!  But it's a fun carnival, full of laughter and food and the best kind of chaos. The last few years, I've been unable to spend the actual day of Thanksgiving and Christmas with my family, which has really made me appreciate that particular brand of chaos all the more.  But, rather than mourn the quiet that envelopes my house, I am going to tell you about last Thanksgiving.

THANKSGIVING, 2010

In November of last year, about a week and a half before Thanksgiving, my husband and I made the decision that I would quit my job and focus solely on writing.  We had no guarantees that anything would work out, that I'd sell even a single book or that I wouldn't have to go on a job hunt as of March of the following year, but we both agreed to take that step of faith.  If you've ever made such a drastic life decision, you know how scary and exciting something like that can be.  Making it so near the holiday season only added to the anxiety of the situation.  Since that day, it hasn't always been easy.  It hasn't always been roses and bubble gum.  It hasn't always felt like I did the right thing.  I can't say that I haven't had my moments of doubt.  But now, just over a year later, I can say that, scary or not, it was the best decision I've ever made.  Despite the uncertainty of it all, I've had more job satisfaction in 2011 than I've had in virtually any other year of my life, since I started working that is.  Childhood was the best job ever, but I'm pretty sure that doesn't count:)  Anyway, even though I've still seen many struggles with the path I chose, I can still say with absolute conviction that I honestly wish that everyone could have such a miraculous experience. 

I've seen God's provision like never before, His blessings and His comfort.  I've met some of the most amazing people I could ever hope to meet.  I've grown in ways I never thought possible.  I've been challenged in areas I never thought to be challenged.  I've prevailed in some ways, failed in others.  I've been anxious, ecstatic, devastated, satisfied, and perplexed.  I've never been more uncertain of tomorrow.  But I've also never been more optimistic, so curious to see what's around the bend. 

In short, today, Thanksgiving Day 2011, it occurs to me that I have more to be thankful for than ever before.  I've seen another year of good health for me and my family, I've seen dreams come true and miracles happen (even small ones that I've really had to look for) and I've seen what the possibilities of tomorrow look like through the realities of today.  My biggest wish is that everyone who reads this can say the same thing.  Whatever your dreams, your struggles, your failures, your losses, I hope you can look at your glass and see that it truly is half full.  Perception is reality, right?  Well then perceive the good.  Perceive the positive, the inspiring, the gratifying, the beautiful.  There's always hope and, if nothing else, we always have that to be thankful for.  After all, where would we be without it??

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!

Since I'm putting my post up early, you'll have to wait until tomorrow to visit all the other carnis, but please do so.  You won't be disappointed:)

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

YA Indie Carnival- 11

Welcome to the 11-11-11 edition of the YA Indie Carnival! 

The cool thing about everyone's blog today is that we're just using the number 11, in whatever way seems like a good idea.  Me?  I'm going to tell you, in no particular order,

11 Reasons Why I Love to Write

1.  Readers.  That's the first thing that comes to mind when I think of the reasons I love to write.  Although there are many more, you all have turned out to be the very best thing about my job.  I feel like I might've told you this once or twice before (hehe), but y'all never cease to amaze, inspire and encourage me.  I love to create a world and characters for you to fall in love with, for you to escape into.  It really does give me some serious writing mojo most days!  Really.

2.  I get to call my pajamas my "work clothes" and because they're my "work clothes," I get to buy some seriously nice pajamas:)  SCORE!

3.  I have complete control of the world!  Muwahahahahaha!  Well, at least the world that I create.  This one, the one that we live in?  Eh, not so much.  *sigh*  Maybe some day...

4.  There's always a happy ending.  At least in my books.  If you know anything about me AT ALL, you know good and well that I would have to be completely overtaken--body, soul, and spirit--to write a sad or otherwise unhappy ending.  I don't think I have it in me.  As long as it's REALLY me, mind you.  *eyes crowd suspiciously*

5.  The guys are hot!  Y'all, as much as I try to write about an ugly leading man, I just can't seem to let them stay that way.  They may be flawed, as everyone is, or they may be challenged, as everyone is in some way or another, but some how they still end up hot.  Then again, I'm looking at them through the eyes of the girls that love them.  Love goggles:)

6.  Somebody has a cool power or ability.  In my books, try as I might to make people ordinary, some sort of exceptional ability always turns up.  I guess in an ideal world, we'd all have a super power.  How cool would that be?  Michelle for President, 2016?  ROFL  Yeah, right;)

7.  I get to give the characters in my head a voice.  Finally!  After running around in my imagination for days, weeks, sometimes even months or years, they finally get to have their say.  Can you imagine being muzzled for months?  If someone wouldn't let me speak for even a day, I think I might die.  Literally.  Just sayin'.

8.  I get to take unlimited coffee breaks.  Y'all, I never realized how big a deal that was until I could do it.  It's pretty.  Frickin'.  Sweet.

9.  I stay caught up on laundry.  Is that a weird business perk?  Because it feels pretty important to me.  LOL

10.  For the first time in my life, I get to let my imagination run wild, have free reign, go wherever it wants to go, and y'all, my imagination is pretty dang wild!  Just be glad that I don't write everything that comes into my head!  "Fasten your seatbelt" wouldn't even touch it!!

11.  I get to have the best job in the world!  Thank God!  He finally let me find my sweet spot!  Whew!  It was a long time coming, but it was totally worth the wait:)

Alright y'all, as always TGIF and happy reading!  Go check out the other carnis before you jump head first into Friday.

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

YA Indie Carnival--Blast from the Past

Step right up, peeps!  Glad you came back for some more carnival fun!  Today's post ought to be interesting.  Well, it was to me.  Our topic is:
Blast from the Past
This is supposed to be a post where we dig up some old work, some ancient writing that we did from way back when.  Well, unfortunately, my "way back when" began only two short years ago.  I wrote my first non-school related piece of work in June of 2009.  Now, granted, that feels like a lifetime ago in author years, but it really wasn't.  Not at all! 
Many of you have probably already heard the story of my first novel, and many more of you have asked me if I'd one day publish that story.  The answer is: probably.  But I'll need to do some serious clean up on it, as I discovered when I went back and pulled out an excerpt for the purposes of this blog post.  Hopefully, all of you have read my more recent works and will agree that I've come a long way as a writer since this first book.  For those of you who haven't, though, please don't judge me based on this!!  I've learned so much about myself, my craft, my strengths and my weaknesses since this book and tomorrow I hope to be able to draw even better illustrations for you than I can today.  That's what I want more than anything--to grow as an author, to continue to put out better and better work until...well, forever!
So without further ado, I'll let you read an excerpt of my first novel, an adult paranormal romance featuring, of course, vampires.  Y'all, meet Alex and Michaela:


"No!"  Alex said vehemently.  "No doctors.  I just need to cool off.  I need to get into a cool bath and I'll be fine."  Seeing that she was hardly convinced, Alex continued reassuringly, "Trust me.  I know what I need." 
Reluctantly, Michaela let Alex steer her toward his bedroom.  Despite his determination, he stumbled and staggered the whole way.   When they got to his room, Alex wasted no time heading for the bathroom and the big tub.  He had but one thought in mind: cold.  He would need blood once he got his body temperature under control--need it badly--but he'd have plenty of time to worry about that later.  He had to get the situation under control before he lost his head and did or said something stupid. 
Alex sat on the edge of the tub to turn on the cold water spigot when a wave of dizziness washed over him, causing him to nearly fall into the empty tub.  Michaela reached out to steady him. 
"Let me help you," Michaela offered gently, turning on the tap.
"Ice.  Get some ice," Alex breathed weakly.
As much as she hated to leave him even for a second, Michaela did as Alex asked and went to the kitchen for ice.  She all but ran, lifting the entire receptacle out of the freezer then flying back the way she'd come, prepared to dump the whole thing into the water, even the bucket. 
God, please let him be okay, please let him be okay, Michaela chanted silently as she ran.  By the time she made it back to the bathroom, Michaela found that Alex had climbed into the tub, clothes and all. 
At least he took off his shoes, Michaela thought, spying them where they'd landed on the other side of the room. 
If she hadn't been so worried about him, she'd have laughed, but the sight of him so weak caused her stomach to twist into a knot of fear.  Michaela refused to entertain the notion that something might happen to him.  Hurriedly, she dumped the ice into the tub.
Alex opened his eyes when the cubes splashed against the placid surface of the water.  Michaela noted that his eyes were dull with fever.  Kneeling by his head, she dipped her hand into the water and pressed her cool fingertips to his forehead.  His skin was still burning hot.
"Where are your washcloths?"  Michaela asked, looking toward what she assumed was a linen cabinet. 
Alex weakly lifted a finger to point in the direction she had supposed.   Michaela got a cloth from the cabinet and returned to her position by the tub.  Dipping the cloth into the water, she wrapped the wet material around an ice cube and began dragging it across Alex's feverish brow. 
If Michaela hadn't been there, Alex would've submerged his entire body, head and all.  Vampires could hold their breath for a very long time, but Michaela would freak out when he didn't come up for air so that was not an option.  Besides, considering her current ministrations, he might not need to anyway. 
As the frigid water lapped around his pyretic body, Alex felt the swirling in his head diminish as his core temperature dropped.  Closing his eyes and concentrating on the tender loving care of his life mate, Alex calmed and let his vampire body begin its accelerated healing. 
Michaela watched Alex closely.  The ice in the tub was gone, but it had obviously done the trick.  She could tell he was feeling better.  His color was healthier, his breathing had slowed to a more normal rate, his eyes had remained calmly closed for several minutes--all signs that he was no longer in such acute distress.  She thought his skin was even starting to feel much cooler, but she couldn't be sure.  Her hands were painfully cold, making it difficult to judge temperature.  Dragging her fingers lazily through the water, Michaela let her eyes roam his beautiful physique as she circulated the water over his smooth skin. 
Even in sickness, Alex was powerful in form.  He looked massive lying in the tub, and it was a big tub.  His wet jeans clung to every long muscle in his legs.  They also clung elsewhere, revealing a thick bulge that sent a thrill racing through Michaela. 
Michaela forced her eyes up, afraid if they lingered she might be tempted to take unfair advantage of the sick Alex.  Unfortunately, raising her eyes didn't help much.  The wet cotton of Alex's shirt clung to the ridges of his abdomen and to his wide, thickly muscled chest.  Through the pale cotton, she could see the dark hair that spread across his chest and narrowed into a sharp V as it descended down his belly and disappeared under the waistband of his jeans. 
Looking at all the cloth that covered his skin, Michaela thought maybe he would feel even better  and would cool more quickly if she lifted his shirt and let the water rush beneath it and move across his skin.  Gently, she grabbed the fabric of Alex's shirt and tugged, freeing it from his waistband.  She pulled straight up on the material and a wave of water gushed beneath it, traveling under the material to emerge at the neckline with a blurp as it broke the water's surface.  
The current of the water pushed Alex's necklace out from under the collar of his shirt.  Michaela heard the metallic clink of something hitting the floor of the tub.  Without thought, she reached down to retrieve the item. 
A charm dangled from the necklace, a charm Alex must've been keeping hidden inside his shirt. 
But why? Michaela wondered, letting the drop of gold fall into her palm so she could more closely examine it. 
With a sharp gasp, Michaela's eyes flew to Alex's face.  His eyes were open and trained on hers, unblinking.  A thousand irrational thoughts swirled inside her head as her gaze darted between Alex's steady stare and the charm.  Michaela didn't know how it could be or what it could mean, but the charm that lay against the cool skin of her palm was familiar to her.  In fact, it was intimately familiar to her.  The charm she held was an exact replica of the one she wore, an exact replica of the one personal item she'd been clutching the night she woke up with no memory of her life.

Now I feel like giggling.  It seems like a thousand years ago, and yet it was only a matter of months.  Boy, how things change!  Crazy, right?  Yeah, I think so, too. 
Alright, y'all, as always, TGIF and happy reading!  Before you go, say hello to the other carnival folk that you'll find listed below:
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

THE RECKONING

The second and final book in the Fahllen series is complete and will be available via Amazon and Barnes & Noble on Monday, October 31st.  I'll update this page with the links as soon as the book is uploaded. 

So, *drum roll please*  here it is, y'all!  The Reckoning--the cover, the description and a brand new excerpt.  I hope you all get it, read it and love it!  See you Monday!!



Carson Porter thought she'd had one of her most challenging years to date when she began her transformation into a reaper, but little did she know her battle had only just begun.
Faced with changes in her boyfriend, Derek, the fear of her sister being able to steal her powers through mirrors and having to fight her every step of the way to rescue even one soul, Carson is ready to throw in the towel.  Only she can't.  During a visit from an angel, Carson learns that her destiny is far more important than even she realized—and far more deadly.  Can she dig deep within herself for the strength and the perseverance that she'll need to carry out her mission?  And will she have to do so without Derek or can she recover the man she'd once loved so desperately?  Find out in the exciting conclusion of the Fahllen series, The Reckoning.
Excerpt:
This time, it was my heart that I heard thudding in the quiet of the room.  It felt as though it might leap from my chest and burst into a million pieces.  I could feel the surge of…something, something foreign and electric, something powerful and white.
Just then the same buzz that filled my head during a call started up again, louder than ever and spreading.  I could see it behind my eyes.  I could feel it beneath my skin.  It vibrated inside my bones and made my teeth chatter.  My hair felt like it was on fire and my fingers burned like ten tiny flames.  I dropped Amy's hand and held mine up to my face.  I could see small arcs of electricity jumping between my digits, sparkling and snapping as if from the ends of loose wires.
Beyond my fingertips, I saw Amy's body begin to buck and seize and the murky form that floated just above it sank back into place.  Without any thought to the phenomenon that was going on inside my own body, my movements based on instinct alone, I reached for her, placing my hands in the center of her chest to hold her still as she thrashed about.
Amy stiffened immediately, every muscle in her body tense with the current that was passing from me to her.  I could see the tendons in her neck straining and her jaw was clenched so tight I could hear her teeth grinding.  Inside her sandals, her toes were as pointed and as rigid as a ballerina's.
I jerked my hands back in horror.  Instantly, Amy's body relaxed back onto the tile floor, her head lolling lifelessly to one side. 
Dear Lord, what have I done? 

YA Indie Carnival-- My Favorite Halloween

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It's that time again, everybody!  Step right up and get your weekly dose of...us:)

This week's topic is:

My favorite Halloween

Like most people, and especially like the little wild child I was growing up, I have tons of tales of Halloween scares, snafus and scenarios that I could easily regale you with.  But the one I choose to talk about has yet to happen.  That's right, I think that my favorite Halloween just might be the one coming up in a little over a week.  Well, the actual day of Halloween might not be so legendary, but the weekend before I think just might. 

Many of my dearest friends and fellow authors are getting together with fans and bloggers alike in Savannah next weekend for a few fun-filled days.  Thanks to my lovely friend Fisher Amelie, we're calling it the Paranormal Plume Society and HERE is where you can check out the super awesome web site and even look at the details if you'd like to come join us.  And we wish you would!  Really.  Really really:) 

I might just have to do a follow up post so that I can give y'all the final verdict, maybe post some pictures of what true Halloween awesomeness looks like.  I think it's going to be amazing.  And spooktacular.  And scaralicious.  And hauntabulous.  I could go on with all sorts of cheesy non words, but I won't bore you. 

So, before you go, be sure and go check out what the other carnies have to say about Halloween.  That's where I'm going now.  And then I'm gonna go get my foil-wrapped candy on...early;)

As always, TGIF and happy reading y'all!!

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

YA Indie Carnival- Fan Art

Well, it's that time of the week again, folks.  Come and get your funnel cakes and circus dogs!  Oh, wait...we're out of both those today.  What we do have, however, is a collection of art from the fabulous Amy Jacobs and a journal entry from BO about RIDLEY that is featured on Dani's blog.  So, come on, y'all.  Let's get started!
This week we are featuring fan art and I happen to have made a very recent post pertaining to this very thing.  You may have seen a delicious picture of Sam and Dean Winchester on my sidebar, with a note above it about the amazing Amy J.  Well, the is also the one who did the alternate cover for The Reaping and the cover for my upcoming release, The Reckoning.  I am more grateful than I can express for every single piece of fan mail, fan art, and every fan gift.  I hope you know how much I adore each and every one of them and you.  But on this post, I'm going to show you a few of Amy's contributions since she's cover artist for my book.  Deal?
This is the first thing Amy ever sent me.  She knew of my love for those yummy Supernatural boys and I loved her tag so much, I had to include it in my blog permanently, as you can see over there -------->
[image error]  This is another one she did of just Dean.  So.  Hot.



There are many, many more, but in  the interest of conserving space, I'm going to move along to the book covers for those of you who haven't already seen them.
This is the alternate cover for The Reaping.
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And then, finally, the AMAZING cover she did for The Reckoning.  If possible, I think she truly outdid herself with this one.  I'm still in awe over it.  AWESOME!


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With that, I'd like to thank Amy Jacobs one more time for being one of the most super cool chics I know and for being an incredible artist and blogger.  She was the very first person to read and review The Reaping and I feel very honored that she would do these covers for me.  I think she'll always hold a special place in my heart:)  *raises glass*  Here's to you, Amy!  As for y'all, you can find her here.

I'd also like to give a special thanks to Dani over at Refracted Light Reviews for being so amazingly generous in posting a journal entry from Bo about Ridley.  The post looks INCREDIBLE and I really hope you'll go check it out and give her some love.  Thank you:)

Now for a few carni announcements:

Courtney Cole released her Bloodstone Saga finale, My Tattered Bonds.

Check out The Paranormal Plumes Haunted Book Tour in Savannah Halloween Weekend! http://www.theplumessociety.com/

30% of the royalties of Lexus Luke's Manitou The Sky People Saga go to the ASPCA.

The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines will release on Oct 21. Here is the book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=aAp6chU-d6o

For a limited time, Kimberly Kinrade is selling signed copies of her YA paranormal thriller/romance Forbidden Mind. As an All Hallow's Read bonus, she is also including some awesome gifts with each purchase... including a very special bonus to the first 5 lucky people who place an order. Get a copy for yourself and buy one for a friend in celebration of All Hallow's Read. For more details, visit http://bit.ly/qGMQkz

Filter Giveaway on Gwenn Wright's blog! http://hereventuality.blogspot.com/2011/10/von-strassenbergs-giving-it-away.html. When she reaches 100 followers she will give away a signed copy of Filter AND one of her fancy new mugs!

Now before you go about your busy Friday business, you should really go check out what the other carnies had to say today.  Here they are:


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

TGIF y'all, and, as always, happy reading:)

Cover Reveal--THE RECKONING

Alright, y'all, I am so excited to do this reveal!  I feel like I've been waiting forEVER!  First, I want to tell you a little bit about how this AMAZING cover came to be.  One of the most incredible bloggers I've ever met, Amy Jacobs over at My Overstuffed Bookshelf, did a piece of fan art for The Reaping in the form of an alternate cover.  I absolutely adored it.  I'm posting it at the end of this reveal because this is all about The Reckoning.  Anyway, she did one for the sequel to The Reaping and it is by far my most fabulous cover ever!  I am so grateful to her for her kindness, her good humor, her talent and her sheer awesomeness.  I'm humbled to call her my friend.  Without further ado, I'm so proud to present to y'all the cover for THE RECKONING (available via Amazon and Barnes & Noble October 31, 2011)


Well??  What do you think?  Is that not the BEST COVER EVER??  I love, love, LOVE it!!  Can you tell?  hehe

THANK YOU SO, SO MUCH, Amy, for this amazing piece of art and for providing me with my most compelling cover yet. 

You can also see another of Amy's delicious gifts on my sidebar in the form of Sam and Dean Winchester.  RAWR!  You all should totally go check out her blog and following this marvelous blogger, artist and person:)

Here's the one she did for The Reaping.  If I had seen this first, I would TOTALLY have used it!

YA Indie Carnival Post- My Favorite Character

It's that time of the week again, folks!  Open up because it's time for your much-needed dose of Carni fun again.  Strange how that happens on a regular basis, isn't it?  Hmm.  Just remember that our particular brand of delicious fun costs you nothing, is fat free AND calorie free, and it won't embarrass you in front of your friends.
Today's topic is :
Who is my favorite character to write about?
Well, of course I like writing about most of my characters, even the bad ones.  It's fun to slip into the mind of a villain sometimes--to deviously plot revenge, to be the one to throw a monkey wrench in the works and, most importantly, they always get the good evil laugh.  That can be amusing at times, especially if used appropriately.  But overall, if I had to pick one character that I enjoyed writing about the most (and I'm only including completed works, not WIPs or planned works) I would have to say...Bo. 
Bo is the male lead from my vampire series, Blood Like Poison.  I know he is most of my readers' favorite character and I think one of the reasons for that is how easily I can slip inside his head and write what he's feeling and how he would react to something.  I know how much he loves Ridley.  I know the lengths he would happily go to for her.  I know that he can't live without her.  I know that she makes him laugh and ache and grit his teeth and sigh. 
As I was thinking about Bo, I knew I wanted him to be a bit tortured, a bit conflicted and a lot in love.  I wanted him to be able to give Ridley that unconditional, whole-hearted love that we all dream about and that Ridley so desperately lacked yet needed.  I wanted her to know that he would walk through fire for her, that he would swim the oceans and search the world for her, that he would fight lions and vampires and zombies for her, and all because he loves her far more than he loves himself.  I wanted him to be incredibly selfless without being a martyr.  I wanted him to be intensely emotional without being a pansy.  I wanted him to be a warrior without being ruthless.  I wanted him to be all man, but all about love, too.  All about Ridley.  And I think, for the most part, he nailed it.  
To me, Bo is the ultimate guy--he's always the gentleman, the consummate lover, the fierce protector, the sweet comforter and the knight in shining armor.  Bo is like the most delicious dessert ever made.  And the cherry on top of it all?  He's HOT!  Like, so-hot-it-hurts hot:)  But why would he not be?  I mean, if I'm going to write about the perfect man, he might as well be perfect, right?  Right! 
If you've never met Bo, you really should.  And in the course of getting to know him, you can meet Lucius, the soon-to-be hero of my next book in that series.  He's shaping up to be just as fascinating as Bo, but in a totally different way.  He's a charmer and I think if I have to do a post again a year from now, he might be the character I would pick.  We'll see;)
Now for some announcements:
Rachel Cole has a new anthology called Beyond The Veil: A Ghost Story Anthology that will be available today on Amazon and Smashwords.
Darby Karchut's book, Griffin Rising, is a nominee for the 2011 Cybils Awards (YA fantasy).
Our own Laura Elliott will be on tour with The Rain Boots Required Young Adult Authors talking about "The magic of magical realism."  She'll also be at Wordstock Oct 8-9.
Before you go, take a spin on the merry-go-round and check out some of my fellow carnies:
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
Heather Cashman Author of Perception
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

TGIF and, as always, happy reading:)