D.M. Guay's Blog, page 25
November 15, 2017
Who’s the patron saint of butt in seat, hands on keyboard?
Well, do you know who it is? Cuz I could really use some divine intervention right now. I need to concentrate on revising book three in the Guardians of Salt Creek series. Like seriously. The gracious and generous ladies on my book review team are all like "OhmiGod, I have to know how it ends, … Continue reading Who’s the patron saint of butt in seat, hands on keyboard?
November 12, 2017
Book 2 is LIVE! Sale starts NOW!
The day is FINALLY here! Book 2 in the Guardians of Salt Creek series is LIVE! To celebrate, I'm put the Kindle versions of both books on sale for 99 cents until Nov. 19. Sale starts tonight, so don't wait! Get your copies now! Click here to get your Kindle ebooks now! If you're like … Continue reading Book 2 is LIVE! Sale starts NOW!
November 7, 2017
Read a FREE preview of Jess, Resurrected!
Be cool. It's here, y'all. You can read a free preview, which includes the first five chapters, of my new book Jess, Resurrected: Guardians of Salt Creek Book Two. Click here for your choice of FREE EPUB, MOBI, and PDF files! Spoiler alert! If you haven't yet read Jess, Rising: Guardians of Salt Creek Book … Continue reading Read a FREE preview of Jess, Resurrected!
October 24, 2017
Seven days of ebook giveaways starts now!
[image error]In celebration of my soon to be released book Jess, Resurrected: Guardians of Salt Creek Book Two,
I’m hosting seven straight days of ebook giveaways! That’s right. You heard me. Seven days, seven authors, fourteen great prizes!
Oh yeah. Giveaway season has started, and I’m not gonna stop until Christmas!
Check back right here every day because I’ll be posting the giveaway links below.
To enter, just click the link to go to the Amazon giveaway page, where you can enter for a chance to win free ebooks! Each giveaway only lasts for seven days, so don’t wait!
The Day 1 giveaway is live! Bella Forrest’s The Gender Game # 1.
Day 2 giveaway is live! Sherry Soule’s Lost in Starlight, Starlight Saga Book 1
Day 3 giveaway: Elisa S. Amore’s Touched: The Caress of Fate, a dark romantic fantasy
Day 4 giveaway: Jane Washington’s Charcoal Tears (Seraph Black Book 1)
Day 5 giveaway: Michelle Madow’s Elementals: The Prophecy of Shadows
Day 6 giveaway: Jessica Therrian’s Children of the Gods Box Set
Day 7 giveaway: Desni Dantone’s Ignited
October 23, 2017
Please welcome Sherry Soule, author of the Starlight Saga!
Ten Random Facts about the Starlight Saga ~ #StarlightSaga
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Today author Sherry Soule is visiting with us to talk about her popular paranormal romance series, the Starlight Saga. She writes in a totally different hot steamy corner of the YA paranormal romance world than I do, and it is totally a corner worth peaking into!
She has been gracious enough to do this fun guest post to share the book love with fellow readers. Be warned, these books have scorching-hot romance !
So here you go, folks! Sherry Soule presents her top ten random facts about the Starlight Saga!
1.) I believe in the paranormal genre that aliens and science fiction type stories are going to be the next big thing. Add a little romance…even better. Vampires had their time, werewolves are overworked, and even though zombies are still going strong, I think extraterrestrials need some love now, too.
2.) In my novel, LOST IN STARLIGHT, the storyline revolves around the two main characters trying to overcome major obstacles to be together. It’s like an intergalactic version of Romeo and Juliet, with steamy character chemistry right from the beginning. Hayden and Sloane share a strong attraction and become best friends, which make the best kind of love stories in my humble opinion.
3.) From the very first draft, I wanted to add something unique and special to Sloane’s quirky character. Thus, FRIGHT NIGHT BABBLE, her online newspaper column was born. I think the short, humorous posts every few chapters adds a fun element to the narrative.
4.) The island that the characters live on is actually a real place within the San Francisco Bay Area. Although the name Grimm Haven is fictional, the actual island is called Alameda, and it’s a lovely city to visit. I would love to live there! The island is adjacent to Oakland in the East Bay.
5.) LOST IN STARLIGHT is the fastest book that I’ve ever written. It took me only about four months to write and do revisions. I had the idea in the back of my mind for about a year, but it wasn’t until a short-lived TV show called “Star-Crossed” convinced me that alien love stories would be fun to write about.
6.) The Starlight Saga is a trilogy; unless of course, readers clamor for more Sloane and Hayden adventures. Then I’ll happily keep writing more novels featuring this quirky and lovable cast of characters.
7.) Sloane is by far my favorite character. She is snarky and quirky. Most authors admit that a little bit of themselves goes into each protagonist, but Sloane is near and dear to my heart. If a headstrong, gutsy, and imperfect heroine with an eccentric fashion sense appeals to you, then I think you’ll love Sloane, too.
8.) In LOST IN STARLIGHT, there isn’t the insta-love or love triangle that is so popular in YA books nowadays. This is the real deal. The book is meant for older YA readers and does contain some mild language.
9.) The names of the two main characters came to me instantly. They just seemed to fit perfectly. Some of the secondary characters had a few name changes during rewrites, but Sloane and Hayden’s never varied.
10.) One day, I was browsing images on a stock photo site and as soon as I saw the image of that boy on the cover, I just knew that I’d found my “Hayden.” The photo also inspired me to make Sloane different than most YA heroines.
So there you have it, folks. Ten random facts about the Starlight Saga. Here’s the cover (Hayden’s a total babe, right?) and below, a short excerpt.
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High school is tough. Crushing on a gorgeous, social outcast? Even tougher.
School reporter Sloane Masterson knows she has one helluva story when she witnesses hottie Hayden Lancaster bending forks with his mind.
Like any good journalist, Sloane sets out to uncover the truth, even if it includes a little stalking. When the superhuman feats start to pile up and Hayden’s intergalactic enemies come for unexpected visit, he has no choice but to reveal his darkest secrets.
Yet even at Hayden’s insistence that dating each other is “off limits” and dangerous, their fiery attraction threatens to go supernova. But if they follow their hearts, there will be deadly consequences, and Sloane’s memories could be permanently erased.
Now Sloane must make a choice to either protect herself…or forget the boy she loves forever.
EXCERPT
“Do you believe in destiny, Hayden?” I ask.
“I do now…but before I met you, I didn’t think there was any such thing as love-at-first-sight, or one person for everyone, or a soulmate. But when I’m near you, I think…I might be wrong.” His expression softens, and he runs his thumb across my bottom lip, causing the blood to sear in my veins. “You know what I believe now? That the universe has no conscious will, only inevitabilities, and it was inevitable that we should be together. It was fated—written in the stars—that no matter what, I’ll never stop trying to make you happy or wanting to keep you safe. I am lost in you, with no desire to escape.”
Thank you to the lovely Sherry Soule for sharing bits of her steamy novel with us. If you’d like to learn more about the book and about Sherry, you are in luck! All the links and information you need is right here. Thank you, dear readers, for stopping by and have a lovely day.
STARLIGHT SAGA LINKS
Starlight Saga books: https://www.amazon.com/Starlight-Saga-2-Book-Series/dp/B01IVV4VS6/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/series/129295-starlight-saga
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Places you can cyberstalk Sherry Soule:
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Sherry-Soule/e/B0104Y33KK
Official Author Blog: http://sherrysoule.blogspot.com/
Twitter – @SherrySoule: http://twitter.com/sherrysoule
Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/author/show/4925996.Sherry_Soule
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSherrySoule
October 20, 2017
Stay tuned for next week’s paranormal romance blog tour!
[image error]Oh. My. Gosh. I’m so excited! Next week, I’ll be participating in a blog tour for fans of paranormal romance. Each day, we’ll be featuring one book and one author, so that you can find sweet (scary? Sexy? Awesome?) new reads!
I’ll be reviewing Immortal Eclipse by Sherry Soule right here folks. Stay tuned!
Click here or on the sweet banner up there for more information and to see all of the other good stuff that’s on the tour. We’ll also be giving away a $25 Amazon gift card to one lucky reader.
October 19, 2017
Jess, Resurrected: Guardians of Salt Creek Book Two
[image error]High school doesn’t get any easier after you come back from the dead.
Seventeen-year-old Jess Flowers has come back to life after being brutally murdered. She’s saved her friends and her one true love from a vengeful killer. She’s ready to start over, move on and leave the horror behind her. But happily ever after? Not even close.
The viper-tongued prom queen is hell-bent on making Jess pay for every life Salt Creek has lost. The freaky new kid seeks sweet revenge. The bloody, violent murder of innocent people hasn’t stopped. Another killer is stalking Salt Creek, and it’s up to Jess to solve the mystery. She sees clues, in dreams and visions, that others don’t. Jess is a theikos, a race of people who have been endowed with extraordinary powers. She’s also the guardian, sworn by fate and oath to protect the town—if she can survive senior year.
Jess, Resurrected will be available in paperback via Barnes & Noble and Amazon Nov. 1. The ebook edition will be released exclusively on Amazon on Nov. 13.
Jess, Rising: Guardians of Salt Creek Book One
[image error]Magic. Loves. Lies. Betrayal. High school is murder.
Seventeen-year-old Jess Flowers has changed into something dark, something powerful, something more than human since moving to rural nowhere Salt Creek. She isn’t alone. It’s a town with a dangerous secret. In Salt Creek, people aren’t what they seem.
Gorgeous outcast Billy Combs is the only one willing to help her, but his troubled past may be darker than he’s let on.
A super-charged killer stalks the town, zeroing in on Jess. Can she tame the mysterious powers surging within her and identify the killer before it’s her turn to die?
Murder, lies, betrayal and supernatural powers collide in this dark love story for fans of Beautiful Creatures, X-Men, Twilight, and Vampire Diaries.
Winner, 2016 Romance Writers of America Joyce Henderson Contest for Young Adult romance. (Under its working title, Girl with the Sun on her Heart.)
Originally published as Salt Creek Rising.
Available now in paperback on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. And in ebook exclusively through Amazon. Read for free in Kindle Unlimited!
It’s always cool to see your book cover for the first time!
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So there it is folks. ^^^^ The print cover for Jess, Resurrected. Woot!
There are few things more satisfying than this. It means that story floating around in your head is finally a real thing. Your ideas have been made into a real book you can hold in your hands.
It also means release day is right around the corner. Here’s how it’s going down, folks: The paperback book always goes on sale a couple of weeks before the ebook, ergo Jess, Resurrected will be available in print at Barnes & Noble and on Amazon on Nov. 1.
The ebook launches Nov.13, exclusively on Amazon. You can buy it or it’ll be free to read for a limited time in the Kindle Unlimited program. *secret* The new book will be on sale for 99 cents for the first week it’s on Amazon! Sign up for my mailing list if you want a reminder!
Ah! So, let’s all kick back with some champagne shall we?
Oh wait. How could I forget? Here’s a little teaser blurb for the new book!
High school doesn’t get any easier after you come back from the dead.
Seventeen-year-old Jess Flowers has come back to life after being brutally murdered. She’s saved her friends and her one true love from a vengeful killer. She’s ready to start over, move on and leave the horror behind her. But happily ever after? Not even close.
The viper-tongued prom queen is hell-bent on making Jess pay for every life Salt Creek has lost. The freaky new kid seeks sweet revenge. The bloody, violent murder of innocent people hasn’t stopped. Another killer is stalking Salt Creek, and it’s up to Jess to solve the mystery. She sees clues, in dreams and visions, that others don’t.
Jess is a theikos, a race of people who have been endowed with extraordinary powers. She’s also the guardian, sworn by fate and oath to protect the town—if she can survive senior year.
Tata for now!
Ms Denise
As always, thanks for spending a few minutes with me. Want to keep in touch?
You can join my mailing list for updates, cool news and deals on PNR and UF books, sign up here. Or chat with me in my new facebook fan page. Or, follow my Amazon author page for updates on new releases, or my Goodreads page!
October 10, 2017
Top six reasons I can’t be trusted to shop in October
Finally.
The moment I’ve been waiting for all year long: October. The best month on planet earth. The best month in Ohio! The best month IN THE UNIVERSE. Oh yes. Don’t even try to fight me on this. You can’t argue with October.
It’s the month of the best most awesome holiday: Halloween. It’s the month the trees turn all pretty red, yellow, and orange. It’s the season of Trick or Treat, when I get to hand out full-size candies to the kids who are brave enough to come down our forgotten side street. It’s also the season for the last and best county fair in the state of Ohio: The Fairfield County Fair, home to funnel cakes and a farm combine demolition derby. Let that sink in. Not just a car derby, a combine derby. Oh. Yeah. You heard that right.
Just look at the pile of giant farm-picked pumpkins on my front porch. The Halloween decorations joyfully strewn about the house. The smell of pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin waffles, pumpkin burgers.
Have I mentioned that I love October? Oh, yes. I do.
But, if I’ve learned anything reading and writing fiction, it’s that all bright shining wonderful things come with an equally menacing dark side.
Cue needle scratching across a record. Here’s the dark side of October: I absolutely cannot under any circumstances be trusted in any virtual or real-world retail environment. Oh no. Not me. Something happens. Some sort of October Halloween Voodoo. It takes over. I get dizzy. Time is lost. When I come to, I have $100 worth of Halloween swag in the trunk of my car and I don’t even know how it happened.
Something happens. Some sort of October Halloween Voodoo. It takes over. I get dizzy. Time is lost. When I come to, I have $100 worth of Halloween swag in the trunk of my car and I don’t even know how it happened.
Exhibit A: My weekly trip to the grocery store. I do this fifty plus times a year. No incidents. No problems. But as soon as the pumpkins arrive in the produce department and the seasonal section is stocked with witches, spiders, and candy I lose control. Budget? What budget? Food? Who needs that? I MUST BUY ALL of the bendable tinsel spiders and Starbucks Halloween mugs!
All of this is INSANE, considering I don’t really enjoy shopping and don’t like owning stuff. Until it’s Halloween stuff. Then I want ALL the stuff. GIVE ME ALL OF THE STUFF PLEASE OR I WILL DIE!
Seriously. Don’t believe me? Here are the top six reasons I can’t be trusted shopping in October.
[image error]Reason 6. I went to Target yesterday to buy a birthday card and walked out with this. Meet Bob, my new sponge holder. And yes, he will be out all year. Oh, and this is just the start. I love the tchotchkes. Vanilla hand soap in a black cat dispenser? Check. Every. Starbucks. Halloween. Mug. Check. Last week, I walked out of Trader Joe’s with a skull-shaped planter. I MUST HAVE THEM ALL.
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Reason 5. Yeah. I just bought not one, but a wheelbarrow full of ridiculous gourds at a farm stand in Stoutsville, and they, along with pumpkins bigger and heavier than elementary school children are now decorating my front porch. Seriously. They’re so ridiculous looking they’re cute. And it’s fall, the time of year we all must admit belongs to the squash. Let me be the first to welcome our gourd overlords. Hail Cucurbits!
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Reason 4. All the Halloween movies are on sale. This year’s indulgence? Elvira: Mistress of the Dark. If you haven’t seen this movie, you must. (caveat: If boob jokes offend you, seriously, it’s not for you!) Elvira and October are inextricably linked forever for me, maybe because I grew up in the 1980s. Every October in the 1980s, Coors put life-size cardboard cut outs of Elvira in the every beer aisle in America. Seriously.
So yeah. now I own this movie. Because I can’t be trusted. Gah! Last year’s haul? Saturday the 14th. YThat was my favorite movie when I was a kid. I watched it on a loop. Past purchases? Mad Monster Party, Beetlejuice, Sean of the Dead, The Worst Witch, Teen Witch. Need I go on? Ugh. Why do I love them soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much?
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Reason 3: I must own all the inflatables. Seriously. I MUST OWN ALL THE INFLATABLES!!! The taller, the bigger, the more awesome, the better. Seriously. This guy is as tall as my house and he is only the start. I have four more I haven’t put up yet. I have some that go in the backyard for the haunted trick or treat trail. I have some I haven’t gotten out of the box once because I don’t know where to put them. Serious problem people. As in, true friends don’t let me near the clearance aisle on Nov. 1, and my partner has placed a limit of one new inflatable per year.
And those lights that project images of dancing skeletons and ghosts onto your house and garage? Yeah. I’ll take ten.
[image error]Reason 2: I must eat all the cereals. Boo Berry? Frankenberry? Count Chocula? NomNomNomNom. MUST.HAVE.ALL.OF.THEM. I don’t even eat cereal the rest of the year. Like never! But this cereal. Must eat. It transports me right back to 1983 with every (kinda? Maybe?) delicious bite. And oh, don’t think I’m dissing Count Chocula because he’s not in this picture. Oh, he was here, but we polished that cereal off first!
And that brings me to my final reason…
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Reason 1. THE CREATURE IS EVERYWHERE AND I LOOOOOOOOOVE HIM! Seriously. Look at me. I’m in my dining room wearing a brand new Creature from the Black Lagoon rubber mask that I picked up when I was supposed to be grocery shopping. Yeah. Refer back to Exhibit A. An innocent trip to buy milk and veggies shouldn’t lead me down the slippery slope of Universal Monster temptation. It’s not even a good Creature mask, but it landed in the cart, and I danced a jig of joy as I forked over the $20 for it. $20! A bargain! So…here I am. Wait…Why am I light-headed? Ohmigod, I’m nearly dying in this thing. What’s that smell, rubber? Are there any air holes? WHERE ARE THE AIR HOLES? Woah boy. I better take this off and get back to work on Jess, Resurrected!
As always, thanks for spending a few minutes with me. Want to keep in touch?
You can join my mailing list for updates, cool news and deals on PNR and UF books, sign up here.
Or chat with me in my new facebook fan page.
Or, follow my Amazon author page for updates on new releases, or my Goodreads page!
