Nicki Elson's Blog, page 26

It's heeeeere! Good #zombie lovin' only 99 cents.

Welcome to Release Day ofHans & Greta: a Zombie/Fairy Tale!22,000-word novella by Moi
It's available on Kindle and through Halloween will be only 99 cents. You can find the blurb at Amazon, so right here, right now, I'll simply give you a few S words that describe it:
Sassy, sexy, scary, snappy, suspenseful, silly, sensuous, supernatural, sarcastic, sprightly, shocking, steamy, spooky, spirited, aaand so-what-are-you-waiting-for? 
Clicketty Click!
You can read an EXCERPT at Fabulosity Reads.

IWSG: October Edition

Today I want to tell you about how last month's Insecure Writer's Support Group directly impacted me---as in, next week I'll be embarking on something that I never ever would've expected pre-last-month's-IWSG. In case anyone out there doesn't know, IWSG was invented and is managed by the one and only (he claims, though many of us suspect clones) Alex J. Cavanaugh, 
First, I read Steven Symes' September IWSG post--- it was about facing our fears, only not just facing them, purposely putting ourselves into fear-inducing situations to make ourselves stronger. 
Then, I read M. Pax's post about some very interesting things she did to rev up her book sales. She's always been very forthright and open about sharing her self-publishing experiences. I realized after reading her post that I was anxious to scratch my self-publishing itch, something that had always scared me before, but Steven's post was still whispering in my ear to just face it already, so guess what...
I'm facing it with a quirky novella (pictured above) that's been sitting on my hard drive---except for a wicked fun outing at the last season of fellow IWSGer D.L. Hammons' WRiTE Club (penname Sissy Grimm). Lots of you saw the cover reveal at the blog of yet another IWSGer, Michael Di Gesu, or perhaps saw tweets about it from Jennifer Lane, Cherie Colyer or other wonderful IWSGers. You guys do not just talk the talk---and it's knowing y'all would have my back that gave me the courage to do this. So THANK YOU, all of you, for your encouraging words every single month---they have made a positive difference in this writer's life.  



I'm giving away 5 copies of the novella on opening day next Tuesday and you can enter to win one below: 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Let the sassy, sexy Smackdown begin! #OmniBookBF

A couple weeks ago I told you that the authors of Omnific Publishing had their panties all twisty over an impending competition between our men. Well, the competition begins TODAY. The guys from our books will step off the pages to go head-to-head (-to-head in some cases) and YOU get to vote on which one makes you most giggly inside. 
Love Between the Sheets is managing the whole shebang, but you can go directly to see (and vote for *ahem*) my boys as follows:
DavidWant to see what this dreamy college co-ed looks like (sans shirt) and hear about his ideal woman and what's on his playlist...er, mix tape? You can find him at the fabulous Obsession is a Book blog. [Or you can vote direct here.] 
EvanGot a thing for good boys? No one's better than this unwittingly delicious angel. You can meet him and learn what he likes least about himself and what his favorite curse words are at the marvelous Reading Past My Bedtime blog. [Or you can vote direct here.]
If you only have time for one character interview question, I highly recommend you read each of the guys' answers to the final question: Where is the most interesting place you've ever made love? I'm particularly proud of what the fellas came up with for this one. And if you'd be a peach (I like that word, Kittie), please come back and let me know whether you liked David's or Evan's answer best. Thanks!


Also this week--- Divine Temptation is on tour!You can find a schedule of reviews, excerpts and guest posts at the Divine Temptation page at AToMR Tours.  

Guardians, Cephalopods & Zombies, oh my

I have three awesome tidbits for you today, plus a chance of prizes.
Happy Birthday to The Guardian's Wildchild by Feather Stone
To celebrate, Pure Jonel Book Reviews is reviewing the book and hosting a giveaway in which you can win signed print copies, ebooks, bookmarks, a crystal, and a special surprise gift. You can meet Feather Stone at her blog, where she always has something interesting and entertaining to say. Also, digital versions of the book are only $2.99 until September 30.

This book will carry us over to theCephalopod Coffeehousewhere I'm breaking the rules, just a little bit.
I got sidetracked this month with preparing a novella for my very first venture into self-publishing (more on that in a bit), thus my reading time was crunched, so I hope you'll forgive that I'm going to go back to a different September 27th, exactly two years ago when I reviewed The Guardian's Wildchild.  Here's my Goodreads review of this story that still resonates with me. Click here to either join the coffeehouse or read about more great books.

I know this is going to sound totally cheesy, but truly, reading this book was a journey. Stone has a remarkable ability to draw readers into this world she's created. It's our world projected into a future that's lost the most beautiful part of being human. Really, what the protagonists are fighting for throughout the story is to bring this beauty back. 

It's hard for me to say whether this story was more character driven or plot driven - both are so strong. And the setting - most of it on a Navy ship out to sea - is fantastic. But I can say that my favorite part of the story was Sidney. She's a supernatural wild child, making her own set of rules but in the end wanting to do what's right. She's the classic heroine and yet unlike any main character I've ever read before. 

Okay, I have two favorite parts. My other favorite part was something I'm not sure I can quite describe, but I'll give it a shot. It was the author's ability to pull me right into the middle of a scene and feel the emotions. There are very few stories that have ever brought me to literal tears, and this is one of them. It wasn't even a climactic moment of the story, but I'd been so pulled into the scene, feeling what each of the characters were feeling and...yeah, I lost it. Twice. 


But that's not all!
If you have an extra few minutes, please pop over to Michael Di Gesu's blog for the reveal of the cover---designed by the fabulous Carol Oates at Custom Book Cover Designs---for my exciting and very mysterious new novella, which will be released on October 8 as a tricksy treat for Kindles everywhere.  And guess what? More chances of prizes because between now and the release day, I'm giving away 5 copies of my Zombie Fairy Tale, Hans & Greta. You can enter to win right here:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Meet Me at Michael's on Friday

COVER REVEAL TOMORROWI'm rarely the first person to jump on any new trend. I like to let others test it, work out the kinks, and then if it not only sticks around but thrives, I figure there must be something to it and that's when I generally step on board.

Well, self-publishing has just surpassed the Nicki threshold and I am in!  Er, I will be officially in on October 8th when I release a brand new novella through the Kindle Select program. I only made this decision a few weeks ago, but the theme of my story is peeerfect for Halloween reading, so I just dove right in without giving myself time to chicken out. Thus far, Amazon has provided great guidance for getting the publication formatted, so once I was comfortable that I could handle that part of the deal...

I enlisted the services of Carol Oates of Custom Book Cover Designs---she's the one who designed the divine Divine Temptation gif on my sidebar, which many of you had such nice things to say about during last month's IWSG. I am positively gaga over the cover she put together for this new story.

Next I went to Michael Di Gesu, who as many of you know does truly unique and imaginative cover reveals, and he graciously agreed to put  a little somethin' together for this story---the big reveal is TOMORROW!

The story is called Hans & Greta, which tells you it's a retelling of a fairy tale...with a little zombie on the side. Those of you who tuned in last season to D.L. Hammons' Write Club have already read the first 500 words, which I submitted under the penname Sissy Grimm...and if you're really, really curious you can read the full blurb when you add it to your To-Read list at Goodreads *wink* *wink*

See ya Friday at Michaels. ;)
The giveaway below will open when the cover is revealed:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

On Best Behavior in Chicago with @JenLanebooks

Congratulations to Jennifer Lane on the publication of the third book in her Conduct trilogy! On Best Behavior is now available in paperback, Kindle, and Nook.  If you haven't started on this Romantic Suspense series yet, I have fantastic news for you---the first book in the series, With Good Behavior is now on sale for only 99 cents!
These books are a great mix of romance, suspense, humor and emotion, and it's all written by someone who understands the human mind very well---Jennifer is also a practicing psychologist. The series takes place in Chicago, a city near and dear to my heart, so to celebrate the completion of the series, I asked Jennifer about her Chicago favorites.

Jennifer Lane's Chicago Favorites 
Museum: Shedd Aquarium
Pizza: Giordano's deep dish pizza, of course! 
Place for lunch: Big Bowl (I love Asian food) 
Piece of architecture: the Bean (Cloud Gate) 
Coffee shop: Starbucks is my favorite in ANY city
Outdoor spot to sit and chillax:Ohio Street Beach in the summer, Michigan Ave. around Christmastime
Bar/Pub:Howl at the Moon (dueling piano bar) was a blast for my sister's bachelorette party
Place to get an aerial view of the city:This is extravagant, but my brother-in-law is a pilot who owns an old-fashioned red bi-plane. One time he flew me in his plane over Lake Michigan with an open-air cockpit view of the stunning skyline. Unforgettable!

Place to swim:(Jennifer swam competitively in college, btw)Lake Michigan in August, when the water's warm enough to swim 1-2 miles without a wetsuit.

Sports team:I loved the Bulls when Michael Jordan played, but now I say the Blackhawks since we met some of them at a bar after their Stanley Cup win.


I definitely need to hang with Jennifer in Chicago more often---private planes, brushing elbows with Blackhawks?! Fuggedabouddit.

Happy Release Day @AlexJCavanaugh!

Today is the release of CassaStorm, the third and final installment of Alex J. Cavanaugh's best selling Sci-Fi series.  Congratulations, Alex! This week Alex is taking the world by storm and answering a unique question at each of the participting blogs. Here's mine:

Me: What one song best captures the essence of the final book in the Cassa trilogy and why?

Alex: Daft Punk’s Recognizer from the Tron: Legacy soundtrack. I normally don’t listen to instrumental soundtracks, but my wife likes this one, and occasionally it would be playing in the background when I wrote. Recognizer is very ominous in tone and it builds tension with its pacing. It fits the darker tones of CassaStorm.

Me: To show how much I like and respect Alex, I will give you a link to the song  even though I've held a slight grudge against Tron: Legacy ever since it kicked Harry Potter out of IMAX before I could see it there. *hmph* But, um, I have to admit---it's a pretty cool tune. Darker tones...interesting.

Comment on Alex’s blog this week for a chance to win a Cassa mug, mousepad, magnet, and swag!



CassaStormBy Alex J Cavanaugh
From the Amazon Best Selling Series!
A storm gathers across the galaxy…
Commanding the Cassan base on Tgren, Byron thought he’d put the days of battle behind him. As a galaxy-wide war encroaches upon the desert planet, Byron’s ideal life is threatened and he’s caught between the Tgrens and the Cassans.
After enemy ships attack the desert planet, Byron discovers another battle within his own family. The declaration of war between all ten races triggers nightmares in his son, threatening to destroy the boy’s mind.
Meanwhile the ancient alien ship is transmitting a code that might signal the end of all life in the galaxy. And the mysterious probe that almost destroyed Tgren twenty years ago could return. As his world begins to crumble, Byron suspects a connection. The storm is about to break, and Byron is caught in the middle…
“CassaStorm is a touching and mesmerizing space opera full of action and emotion with strong characters and a cosmic mystery.”  – Edi’s Book Lighhouse
“Cavanaugh has created wonderfully moving moments of great poignancy… CassaStorm could have been a dark story full of hardship and angst, but instead it's a cleverly balanced story about hope and triumph.”  
- Lynda R. Young, author of Make Believe
$16.95 USA, 6x9 Trade paperback, 268 pages, Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C.Science fiction/adventure and science fiction/space operaPrint ISBN 9781939844002 eBook ISBN 9781939844019$4.99 EBook available in all formats
Find CassaStorm: Barnes and Noble; Amazon; Amazon Kindle; Goodreads 


Alex J. Cavanaugh has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and works in web design and graphics. He is experienced in technical editing and worked with an adult literacy program for several years. A fan of all things science fiction, his interests range from books and movies to music and games. Online he is the Ninja Captain and founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. The author of the Amazon bestsellers, CassaStar and CassaFire, he lives in the Carolinas with his wife.
Website * Twitter * Goodreads 

Testosterone...it makes women Kah-raaaazy! #OmniBookBF

As many of you know, I'm with a small publisher, and one of the very best benefits of that, at least at Omnific Publishing, is the camaraderie among the authors and our willingness to jump in and support one another. Since Omnific is a romance publisher, most of the authors are women, and up until a few days ago, I thought they were just about the nicest group of women I could ever meet. And then something happened...

Men happened.

They'd been there all along, of course, but we'd always confined them to between the pages of our novels. Sure, lots of the guys made their way onto book covers and into the trailers, a few even set up their own Twitter accounts, but they were contained within their own universes and never interfered with the relationships between the women who'd invented them. Until...

Lisa Sanchez and Jennifer DeLucy dreamed up a group event in which we'd let our boys out to playay in a friendly little competition in which each guy is matched up against another guy to go head-to-head in a character-off. Readers will decide the winner. Dina at Love Between the Sheets blook blog stepped in to help sort it, and the matches are set to begin on September 30. Thus far the boys have been very well behaved and seem to be getting along quite swimmingly, as you can see in this drool-worthy promo video:


But the women...well, let's just say the smack talk has started flying, and these nurturing, gentle souls have turned into something quite other as they defend the relative manliness of their men. And it's not just them...

This testosterone-induced frenzy seems to have infected my brain as well, and I find myself doing that thing with my neck, like a cock (of the doodle-do sort) sizing up another male threatening to invade its hen house. And I'm rhyming words that just don't---like Bring it on and Alison. Beckett and Suck it. Those don't rhyme!!  Yet I'm convinced that they do! And so I guess there is only one thing to be done for it...

Meet me in the ring on September 30 and help David and Evan smash my lovely sister-authoresses' men to the mat. I'll be back with links when they're available.

The gloves are ON!

Happy 2 Year Anniversary, IWSG!

Wow. I can't believe the Insecure Writer's Support Group has already been going for two years! Not that I didn't expect it to last, I just can't believe that much time has passed since Alex J. Cavannaugh was asking if we thought it was a good idea. I hope you've seen by now, Ninja Master, that yes, it was a very good idea. Thanks for organizing it and keeping it lively. Can't wait to see what you've got in store for us for the future.

On this monumental occasion, I have a most unmonumental insecurity, regarding which I would appreciate your unbridled honestly. If you look to your left, beneath the IWSG icon you'll see a moving gif that I happen to love. It was created for me by a friend because I asked her to make it. But here's what I want to know---honesty, remember---is it obnoxious? Do you find it annoying to have it blinking in your peripheral while you're reading this or any other post?

Because if I'm being honest, if it wasn't blinking about my book, I kind of think I'd be annoyed by it. But that's me. What say you? Do you recommend I replace it with a stationary book cover?

Thank you!  And please click on the IWSG icon for links to other members of the group.

Cephalopod Coffeehouse - Unmade by @CarolOates

I've joined a new blog group that I'm very, very excited about: The Cephalopod Coffeehouse, brainchild of The Armchair Squid.  In Squidward's own words, the idea is that "each month, participating book enthusiasts shall post about a favorite book from the previous month's reading.  Bloghop meetings are held the last Friday of the month." If this sounds fun to you too, you can join the club in the linky below.

I'm going to warn you all from the get-go that I'm a slow reader. Marry that with me being knee deep in writing a new manuscript, an editing assignment on the verge of being dropped into my lap, and all the other things I call "my life" and I don't see my book-reading rate increasing any time soon. So, there will be many months in which I only read one book, and sometimes I won't like that book, but still, I hope that sharing my thoughts even on books that I don't enjoy will make for interesting discussion within the group.

For my first contribution, I very happily get to report on a story that I loved: Unmade, a novella by Carol Oates. With limited reading time, novellas and short stories have become my new best friend. It's wonderful to be able to experience a whole arc within a short time, and this is one story that's still living large in my head even though it was only 51 pages.

I share my thoughts about everything I read at Goodreads, and these are my copied and pasted thoughts on Unmade:

Great, great story. A classic. From the very first words, Unmade has an eerie tone that gets steadily darker as you--- wait, no, I don't want to give away any spoilers. Just know that this is a beautifully-written story that had me riveted throughout, wanting to know where it was going, and where it went was highly satisfying. For a short novella, it brought up a lot of interesting themes that have kept me thinking. I'd classify it as dark NA with explicit scenes that are wonderfully and tastefully handled. 

One of the very subtle themes in the story that particularly struck me was regarding a specific dynamic of relationships---at what point does being a "good influence" become controlling behavior that discounts your friend/mate's ability to think and choose for him/herself?

I think that what I love most about this book is that it follows through on all the ominous prospects promised by its opening. I hate having my expectations built up at the beginning of a story only to have the ending fall completely flat---this story does NOT do that.  If you're hankering for a bit of soft-core horror, I highly recommend this short novella.

And now I get to hop around and see what the other CC members have been reading. Here are links to the other Coffeehousers if you'd like to join me. New members are being accepted if you'd like to add your link.