C.M. McCoy's Blog, page 12
September 29, 2016
Giveaway – $25 Amazon Gift Card – The EERIE Blog’s A Year in Review
Well, it’s been a whirlwind year with EERIE — and I’m so grateful to all of you for your support and enthusiasm! So let’s celebrate with a giveaway! Scroll to the bottom for the Rafflecopter, but don’t miss these awesome memories
This year, we interviewed with PEOPLE Magazine, and it was a lot of fun!
We kissed hot sauce at the RT Booklovers Convention in Vegas
And then we hugged EL James (author of 50 Shades of Gray)
We got EERIE onto the Barnes and Noble shelves!
We drove down the Alcan and met up with a few forever-friends
We danced at the Dayton Celtic Festival
We sold out at Barnes and Noble in Pittsburgh in under 30 minutes
And then we drove back up the Alcan. :-)Whereupon I published another book! (This one is Author Promo 101 for my fellow authors):
We created TONS of fun Eerie Alaska swag, like t-shirts and Mooseltoe:
Oh! And we made an EERIE Crossword Puzzle and Discussion Sheet
We made teaser graphics galore and helped a lot of other authors promote their awesome books.
We helped pre-published authors by mentoring in contests like #FicFest, #QueryKombat and #NoQS (Nightmare on Query Street), which is gearing up for the 2016 contest now!
Finally, we spent some time reflecting on our time together, on how much fun we’ve had, and on our friends and family and how much we love them. For those who went to our wedding in 2010, you’ll remember we’d made a fun slideshow that captured our engagement expedition down the remote Beaver Creek in Alaska’s interior wilderness, a short intro to each of us, Billy O’s space flight, and a montage of fun photos of our friends and family. In case you wanted to see it again and reminisce with us, I’ve put this online for a little while here. (It’s a huge file)
I can’t do a giveaway post without including a little about EERIE:
Summary from the Back Cover of EERIE
“Eerie is a deliciously dark, surprisingly funny teen novel, full of quirky characters and jaw-dropping surprises.” – Goodreads review
Hailey Hartley has just enrolled in the world’s premier supernatural university. It’s a school she’s never heard of, located in a town called The Middle of Nowhere, and run by a creature that’s not supposed to exist. But at least she got a scholarship…
Hailey’s dreams have always been, well…vivid. As in monsters from her nightmares follow her into her waking life vivid.
When her big sister goes missing, eighteen-year-old Hailey finds the only thing keeping her safe from a murderous 3,000-year old beast is an equally terrifying creature who’s fallen “madly” in love with her. Competing to win her affection, the Dream Creature, Asher, lures her to the one place that offers safety—a ParaScience university in Alaska he calls home. There, she must learn to live with a roommate from Hell, survive her ParaScience classes, and hope the only creature who can save her from an evil immortal doesn’t decide to kill her himself.
Watch the awesome book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPx4FELVxH4
Buy Links:
Amazon│Barnes & Noble│iTunes│Kobo│Amazon UK
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September 26, 2016
(Review + Giveaway) WILLING TARGET by Kathleen Mix
Willing Target
by Kathleen Mix
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: 26 Sep 2016
Entangled Select Suspense
Summary from Goodreads:
The last thing covert operative Mitch Weaver wants is to be partnered with a gorgeous, reckless newbie. Still reeling from the death of his former partner, Mitch doesn’t need the responsibility of keeping anyone else alive, especially when they volunteer to be a killer’s target. Not to mention, his attraction to the too-perky blonde is the kind of distraction that could get them both killed in their line of work.
Andrea Carnegie’s first assignment isn’t going quite as she planned. Her partner might be sexy but he’s completely frustrating with his determination to keep her out of danger. Masquerading as a billionaire’s sister to bait a possible killer is her chance to shine. But if she wants to catch the person threatening their client, she’ll have to find a way to work together with Mitch while still keeping her distance. Even as the air between them sizzles, Andrea knows the worst possible thing she could do is fall for her partner.
Buy Links:
Review:
I read this in one sitting.
Andrea’s an operative in training, but when a billionaire’s sister gets a credible death threat, Andrea, who’s the spitting image of the socialite, gets shoved into duty. Now she’s undercover as a pampered girl. The plan is simple: the assassins will go for Andrea instead of the rich girl, and the other operatives will arrest the bad guys before they kill her. Andrea SHOULD be focused on her mission, but that partner of hers is…well…sexy as hell. He’s also damaged goods and no matter how attracted he is to Andrea, he won’t go for her. He has to protect her, and that’s his only focus. (His last partner was killed in the line of duty, and there’s no way he’ll let that happen again)
Told in dual POV, this was a delightful story, and I really loved the Miss Congeniality thing that Andrea had going on. I’ll admit, the romantic climax left me misty-eyed and with a lump in my throat. That doesn’t happen very often as I usually find genre romance too predictable. There was something about Andrea’s character that really got under my skin, though. Maybe it was because she’s a small female trying to prove herself in a male-dominated career (I can relate). Whatever the reason, I absolutely loved her.
I think readers who liked SOMETHING ABOUT YOU (FBI/US Attorney #1) by Julie James will like the dynamic in WILING TARGET, which also features two agents who don’t really want to work together, yet sparks fly when they do. 
September 10, 2016
{Giveaway} Harry Potter’s Pen
Win Harry Potter’s pen, which I suspect will–once liberated–spring to attention and write your thoughts for you.
This is a ReTweet to win Giveaway on Twitter.
Simply go to this link, and retweet it: https://twitter.com/eerie_o/status/772083241129881603
Ends 13 Sep, so hurry! 
September 8, 2016
Giveaway $10 Gift Card + Signed Paperback
It’s giveaway time!
I’ve got a signed paperback of Eerie, a $10 gift card, and some book swag
August 30, 2016
Want to win a signed Eerie?
(I'm @eerie_o)
To celebrate my finally figuring out Instagram, I posted a giveaway for a signed copy of EERIE (teen paranormal romance featured in PEOPLE Magazine) plus the winner’s choice of one book from my current YA book haul.
It looks like this:
What’s a “book haul”?
This is an international giveaway, but if shipping to the winner’s country is astronomical, I’ll substitute a gift card
Being the savvy Instagrammer I’m not, this giveaway also auto-posted to Facebook. lol! No problem! I’ve decided I’ll give away one signed EERIE + book of choice on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10209406790340063&set=a.10209406790220060.1073741829.1033715258&type=3)
And the same thing on Instagram!
So, if you’re on Facebook AND Instagram, make sure you enter both
August 1, 2016
Cover Reveal: Raining Down Redemption (Contemp Romance) by BK Rivers
Jordan…he can’t do both.”
★★★COVER REVEAL★★★
RAINING DOWN REDEMPTION by BK Rivers
Cover Designer: TOJ Publishing Services
Releasing August 2nd from Limitless Publishing!
PRE-ORDER LINK
http://www.amzn.com/B01IODFY96
★★★SYNOPSIS★★★
Jordan Capshaw gave up the carefree rock star lifestyle of sex, drugs, and alcohol six hundred and sixty days, five hours, and ten minutes ago…but who’s counting?
Jordan’s reckless choices were killing him day by day. That is until he met a woman who helped him see the kind of life he really wanted to live—too bad she chose another man. Almost two years later, he’s clean and sober and back in Phoenix working with his band on a new album.
Regina Velasco’s past is about to catch up with her and turn her world upside down…
Reggie works two jobs and shares an apartment with her best friend just to make ends meet. She’s loved Jordan since they were teenagers,but broke up with him after high school graduation so he could pursue his music career. Her focus has been raising her son, not giving in to distractions like old high school flames.
Jordan isn’t used to to denying himself anything. If he really wants something he goes after it, no matter the consequences…
When he runs into Reggie, his buried feelings resurface and he can’t help himself. He asks her out on a whim, but when she blatantly refuses, it reignites a desire he thought faded long ago. Jordan knows Reggie is more than a trip down memory lane, and he wants it all this time around.
With his band’s album nearly finished, and another tour on the horizon, is Jordan finally ready to let the rock star lifestyle go for good and prove to Reggie he’s changed?
After all, redemption won’t come without sacrifice…
★★★ BK Rivers★★★
BK Rivers grew up riding through rolling fields of grain on horseback, driving hay trucks and catching frogs in a silver creek.She traded country life for the big city when she married the love of her life, but the heart always returns to the country.
BK, her husband and three children live in the Phoenix suburbs on their own mini farm surrounded by crowing roosters and the low nicker of horses.When she’s not writing, she can be found baking anything sweet, in fact it’s been said her
brownies are so good they save marriages.
The inspiration for her novels comes in many forms, but mostly from her Gotye channel on Pandora.She writes young adult and new adult novels to the beat of Gotye, Snow Patrol and many others.
July 25, 2016
$0.99 Sale + Giveaway – OPERATION: One Night Stand (RomCom) by Christine Hughes, ages 18+
My note about this awesome book:
This was
the first Romantic Comedy I ever read, and I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, but MAN! This author is HYSTERICAL! Seriously, if you enjoy great humor that’s a little on the dirty dirty side, check this book out, especially since it’s on sale for $0.99 today!
Don’t miss the rafflecopter giveaway at the bottom of this post.
Also, and I’m not sure if I’ll get in trouble for this…. This awesome book is getting a new awesome cover, which may not be uploaded to Amazon in time for this sale. CHECK THIS NEW COVER OUT! I love this new cover so much more than the original. The original made the book seem like straight erotic romance, which, it’s NOT. It’s such a great story about a gal and her friends with a TON of laugh-out-loud naughty humor.
Buy Links:
Amazon│Barnes & Noble│iTunes│Kobo│Google Play
Here’s my review from the release back in June 2015: http://www.cmmccoy.com/blog/operation-one-night-stand-release-party/
Operation One Night Stand
by Christine Hughes
Ages 18+ Romantic Comedy
Release Date: 2 June 2015
Publisher: Forever Yours
ON SALE for $0.99 on 25 Jul! One day only!
Summary from Goodreads:
IT’S TIME TO CHANGE HER SEXUAL KARMA
Caroline Frost had it all-until her boyfriend banged the superskank intern, and poof! Caroline’s happy little bubble disappeared. Now it’s been six weeks of weeping, a mountain of ice cream, and a permanent buttprint on the couch. Enough is enough. She and her ladybits need an intervention-now.
Enter Operation: One Night Stand: Find a man who is hotness personified and have some much-needed sexy time. The only problem is that Caroline is torn between a flirtatious, well-built guy and the ridiculously hot bartender serving her shots. This was supposed to be all fun and no games, but like the perfect scotch on the rocks, no good fling finishes without a twist . . .
Buy Links:
Amazon│Barnes & Noble│iTunes│Kobo│Google Play
Excerpt:
“So, need something to drink?” he asked Melody. I noticed she noticed him. I frowned a bit at the thought of her thoughts infringing upon the perverted scenes that ran through my head but I had to remind myself, yet again, that Brian wasn’t the target.
“Sure. What do you recommend?” Melody leaned in and purred the question like she always did. I swear to God that girl was sex in heels.“Body shots.”
“Say what?” I, again, attempted to sit up and once again, Bartender Brian placed his hand on my shoulder and Melody clapped.
“Let me demonstrate.”
I felt like my eyes were going to roll into the back of head as I watched him pour a shot of tequila. With a shot in one hand and a saltshaker in the other, he leaned down and licked my neck. As he did, my eyes fluttered closed and I moaned.
Yes.
Moaned.
I heard him chuckle quietly.
I wanted nothing more than the floor to swallow me.
Before I knew it he shook the salt onto my neck and leaned back down. Instead of merely licking the salt off, he added lips and teeth and oh my God.
I gasped so hard for air I swore I was drowning. Then he placed a lemon wedge on my lips.
This shit doesn’t happen to me. Ever.
I didn’t see him take the shot but I heard the shot glass hit the bar top.
I held my breath and waited as he raked his fingers through my hair, then he bit around the lemon wedge, scraping his teeth on my lips. He must’ve bit the lemon because drops of juice and tequila fell onto my mouth. He used his lips and tongue to clean it up.
“That was fucking hot!” Melody clapped her hands.
“Thanks. I not only serve the drinks, I use them as entertainment.” With one hand in front of him and one behind, he bowed. Fucking bowed. I was a lick away from orgasm and he’s accepting applause.
Fuck.
“A little help here.” I was not able to sit upright. Melody grabbed my hands and pulled me up.
I whipped my head around. Bartender Brian was across the way chatting up a group of guys who were with my target. A few people sitting next to me at the bar clapped as I came to my senses. A loud chorus of cheers had me ducking my head to avoid the attention.
“What the hell was that?” Sarah asked, laughing.
“What?”
“Look at you making out with the bartender! Looks like someone jumped off the celibate carousel.”
“I did not! I was not making out with the bartender. He was just, he was just—” I looked to Melody for an answer.
“Don’t look at me. Bartender Boy is hot! I say you focus on him!”
I grabbed my purse and hopped off the barstool.
“No. I made a deal and I picked my target. You’ll see. I’m going to win this bet!”
“Caroline!”
Turning around, Bartender Brian smiled as he slid another drink my way. “Pink Panty Dropper.”
“What!” How did he know what color my underwear was?
About the Author
I’ve always wanted to write. Ever since I was little, I would craft stories and poems but the idea to actually do it “for real” never really crossed my mind until last year. After sitting on three paragraphs of what would eventually become my first novel, I decided to expand upon what I had. At the time I had no real idea of where the story would go, I just knew I had the time to do something with it.
I hadn’t researched market trends, I had no idea about query letters or the evil synopsis, and I was green on the idea of agents and editors and all that is publishing, really. I just wanted to write something I enjoyed. I didn’t plot, outline, or character build, I just wrote. And then an author friend mentioned that I should take my writing to a conference.
So with the confidence that my novel would surely be welcomed by all who read it, I signed up for as many seminars and critiques as I could. I knew someone would love it. In those two days, I found out I had a lot to learn.
Funny, but as a former English teacher, you’d think I’d have figured out the importance of editing and revision and revising again. You’d think I’d have known that the first draft is just that, a draft. And when the critiques started coming in, I thought I was done for. Not that the premise wasn’t good (I was told it was), not that the characters weren’t believable (I was told they were), but I used too much passive voice, I tense shifted and there were some holes in the plotline.
A few agents really liked it, but the market trend couldn’t support it. Some were not fond of the way I told the story. I queried and queried my way to 57 flat out rejections and a number of partial and full requests that didn’t pan out. But along the way I got some great criticism and pointers and I made the story better. Then, on a whim, I trolled the SavvyAuthors website and signed up for a three line pitch to editor Lauri Wellington and I did a happy dance when she requested my full manuscript.
A month later, she responded that she loved the story and the concept but it moved too slowly but I could resubmit if I revised. I informed her I sent her a revision that was based on the opinions of agents, authors and peers but I had the original (cleaned up, of course) and I was sending it in to see if it was more of what she was looking for. And guess what? It was! One caveat, I had to revise the manuscript into past tense. Easy peasy, right? Wrong.
Revising into past tense from present is line editing your entire novel. And it kinda stinks. By the end, I thought my eyes were gonna start bleeding and pop out onto my keyboard. But you know what? That little “exercise” tightened up what was loose, filled in any plot holes that might’ve still been there and forced me to realize I could be a better writer.
The road to publication can be long. It can be a hop, skip and a jump from your first query. Nothing in publication is set in stone. The market is always changing. And the biggest thing I learned is that it’s all subjective. Agents A-Y may pass but all you need is Agent or Editor Z to believe in you as much as you believe in yourself. And I believe in my first novel. And I am happy that Black Opal Books does too. I hope you do, as well.
Author Links:
Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook
GIVEAWAY:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Link to giveaway: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/240fc93737/?
Blog Tour Organized by:
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July 1, 2016
New Book + Giveaway: Welcome to Sortilege Falls by Libby Heily
Welcome to Sortilege Falls
by Libby Heily
Genre: Teen Magical Mystery
Release Date: 12 June 2016
Published by: Fire & Ice Young Adult Books
Summary from Goodreads:
Sixteen-year-old Grape Merriweather has just moved to Sortilege Falls and already she knows something isn’t right. A small pack of teenage models, too beautiful for words, holds the town in their sway. The models have no plans on making Grape’s life easy. But no matter how cruel they are to Grape and the other “Normals”, no one can stay angry with them for long.
Grape’s life changes for the better, or so she thinks, when Mandy, the only “nice” model, befriends her. But that’s when the trouble truly begins. Mandy’s friendship places Grape smack in the middle of a medical mystery that has the entire town on edge. One by one, the models fall ill from an incurable disease. Grape quickly realizes that the models’ parents are hiding a secret, even as they watch their children die. To save her only friend, Grape will have to find the truth–and that means putting her life in danger.
Buy Links:
Amazon│Barnes & Noble│iTunes│Kobo│Smashwords
Excerpt:
Scene intro: Grape is in her backyard at night. Her brother, Brad, has just gone off into the woods to collect plants–Brad is a huge botany nut. Grape is staring into the distance, trying to see into the woods when she hears something behind her:
“Fancy meeting you here.”
Grape screamed.
“Calm down,” the vamp kid from school said, his hands raised in the air like a victim. He had switched his purple shirt for a black one and slicked his curly hair back as well. “It’s cool. It’s just me,” he said and reached out to grab her shoulder.
Grape pushed him hard in the chest, making him stumble backward. “Don’t touch me. What are you doing here?”
He regained his balance and rubbed his chest where she’d shoved him. “I wanted to see where you lived. That really hurt.”
She slit her eyes at him. “I’m glad it hurt. It was supposed to.”
“That’s not very nice.”
Grape grabbed the lawn chair and held it above her head. “Are you a stalker?”
“No.”
“You’re sneaking around my house at night wearing all black.” She readied herself to swing the lawn chair. It was pretty light and wouldn’t do much damage so she decided to aim for a vulnerable spot—his face.
“No. I just thought… I don’t know. I thought you looked nice.”
“Do I look nice now?” She gave the chair a swing, missing his nose by inches. She hopped back a little and held the chair up high again. He got one warning shot, that was it. The next swing would break his nose.
“I’m sorry. I thought this would be romantic.” He reached into his baggy pants pocket and pulled out an iPod with a little set of speakers attached. “I was going to play a song for you.”
“Totally creepy!”
“No. Really, listen.”
He pressed play and an unholy mix of instruments blasted out in a tinny blare. He shut it off quickly. “Wrong song. One second.”
“Leave.”
He looked up at her with heartbreak in his eyes. “I just need one second.”
“Shoo! Go! Off with you!” She shoved the chair at his chest, driving him backward.
He gave her one last dejected look and walked around the corner of the house toward the street.
About the Author
I was born during a blizzard. I’m told it was pretty cool, but I have no memory of that time. I grew up in two tiny towns in Virginia and spent most of my twenties moving around the US. I’ve lived in Virginia, Florida, Missouri, and Washington. I’ve settled down, for now, in Raleigh, North Carolina.
I’m a writer and improviser. I studied acting in college but spent more time rewriting lines than memorizing them. My first play, Fourth Wall, was produced my junior year. Since then, I’ve written several full length plays, one acts, and screenplays. I started writing fiction in my late twenties. Now, I focus mainly on novels but still dabble in theater.
Fun facts about me: There are none. I’m sorry to disappoint you so soon. But, I do love to read, write, and run. My hubby is my favorite person on earth. Dogs are my second favorite. All dogs. Know that. I love orange juice, especially when it’s mixed with club soda. Carbonation is better than alcohol. Jaws is my favorite movie. Everything I’ve said so far is true.
Author Links:
Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook
GIVEAWAY:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Blog Tour Organized by:
June 29, 2016
Great Alaska Purse Giveaway!
Enter to win this snazzy Alaska purse STUFFED and overflowing with goodies!
This giveaway is OPEN INTERNATIONALLY, but if shipping to the winner’s country is stupidly expensive, I’ll substitute a $20 gift card 
June 12, 2016
Bear Towne University TShirts!
Hi guys!
If you read EERIE and leave your thoughts on Goodreads or Amazon or B&N or a blog or any book site, let me know, and I’ll enter you into my ongoing Bear Towne University TShirt drawing
