Kristie Cook's Blog, page 29

Release Prep - Calling All Bloggers

I know the blog has been extremely quiet lately...though, with all the holiday chaos, I'm sure you haven't noticed. But it's true and it's mostly because I'm trying to wrap up as much as possible with Devotion so I can take a few days off for Christmas. And then - and THEN! - maybe start on a Shiny New Idea for 2012.

I still have lots to do for Devotion, though. I seriously can't wait for its release! You get all the characters you love plus some new ones and a wickedly awesome story. Yeah, I just said that about my own book. I can't help it. There's a lot to love about this one.

If you review books on your blog, Facebook page, Amazon, B&N, iBooks and/or Goodreads and want to be part of Devotion's release bash, please let me know. You could win a Kindle Fire just for doing what you do - read and write reviews.

A KINDLE FIRE you guys!

Email me at kristie (at) kristiecook (dot) com for details. Now. Do it. And please let your blogger friends know about it, too. Thanks in advance! You're the bestest!

Congrats to Bestie Author Friend Brenda Pandos

The Onyx Talisman, the final installment of The Talisman Trilogy by bestselling author (and my bestest author friend) Brenda Pandos, releases today! This is Brenda's best book yet, definitely a grand slam for the series. If you haven't read this series, you have no excuse. The first book, The Emerald Talisman is still FREE on Kindle !


About The Onyx Talisman:

"Alora looked back and the corner of her lip turned up. "It's always darkest before the dawn, Julia. Good luck."  Her words sent chills up my spine as she vanished."
Unrest stirs deep in Scotts Valley. Filled with uncertainty, Julia anxiously awaits Nicholas' return. Phil, hurt and unsure of his place as a sober vampire, holds the pieces of Julia's fragile psyche together, secretly hoping Nicholas stays away forever. Scarlett bides her time, plotting for the perfect moment to prove herself and earn redemption. But somewhere in L.A., Alora conspires to reclaim her talisman and strip Julia of everything she holds dear.

Little do they know, a war is coming and more than one vampire would like to see the Prince of Vampires overthrown. As more and more vampires show up from nowhere, addicted to her scent, Julia must pick her allies carefully before it's too late. Can Julia bargain with fate? When the time comes, will she even have a choice? Find out how it all ends in this explosive grand finale of The Talisman Trilogy.

Where to Buy:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Coming soon elsewhere!

Other info:
Publisher: Obsidian Mountain Publishing
Goodreads for Onyx: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10233236-the-onyx-talisman
Website: brendapandos.com
Blog: brendapandos.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brenda-Pandos-Author/147707291958883

FREEBIES!

I'm still working diligently on Devotion, hoping to get it wrapped up for the last round of critiques and the copy editor before Christmas so I can enjoy some time with the family. BUT, I wanted to share a couple of FREEBIE ebooks, including Promise!

That's right - Promise is FREE in ALL ebook formats!
iBooks (go through your iTunes account)KindleNookSony All Others (on Smashwords) And if you haven't read The Talisman Series by the awesome Brenda Pandos, get started now with The Emerald Talisman, which is also FREE! I just finished beta-reading The Onyx Talisman, the final book in the trilogy that releases this Friday, and it ROCKS! An excellent finale.
KindleAll Others (on Smashwords)If you've read these but know someone looking for something good to read, please pass on the news. With everyone getting new ereaders, lots of peeps you know might be looking for some free and cheap ebooks.

And since I'm here running a shameless self-promotion, I just wanted to remind you that there are some great gifts plus PRE-ORDERS of Devotion at www.ReadOurWrites.com.

Foodie Friday

Christmas is the time for traditions and this includes traditions in the kitchen. Anyone who cooks (and even many who don't) have at least one recipe they make every year that has been handed down the generations. Whether it's for a pie, cookie, salad or entree, it's a family favorite and it just doesn't feel like Christmas without it.

My family honors its Portuguese heritage with a soup recipe that I make every year around this time. Kale is one of the primary ingredients and it begins showing up in the stores around Thanksgiving. My version of the soup is very hearty with roast beef, Italian sausage, chorizo and potatoes, along with the kale. Everyone who has ever tried it loves it. I've never heard one person say they didn't like it or even "it's okay."

So at Thanksgiving, my mom, my aunt and I were sitting at the table after dinner and Mom asked if either of us had made this soup yet this year. Then we got to talking about how she had been to Massachusetts once and was talking about the recipe with a cousin. When they delved into details, though, they realized they had two very different ways of making the same soup. And another cousin had even a different way. The recipe had come from the Azores from the same woman, but as it was passed down, each person apparently made their own tweaks.

My hearty recipe is similar to my mother's, I think - it's been so long since I've had hers and I may have made my own adjustments. But I know ours isn't quite like what my grandmother used to make - hers had less meat and didn't use chorizo, but linguica, a Portuguese sausage. Our cousins' versions had very little meat, but white beans. I remembered watching Emeril Lagasse make it once on TV and his was also different than ours, but more like our cousins'. Now, though, I see he has one similar to our recipe .

And what's even funnier, we've always called it "coivis" but I can't find that term anywhere on the Internet, spelled any kind of logical way. I know that's what Emeril called it, too, because that's what caught my attention at the time of the show, but now all his recipes simply say "kale soup." So even the name is being lost in the modern world.

How funny that everything, even our favorite hand-me-down recipes, change over time. Then again, you can have the situation I remember reading about one time:

A young woman was making a beef roast in the oven and she cut the ends off the roast before placing it in the pan. Her new husband asked why she did that because his mom never did. She said it was part of the recipe her mother gave her and that's how her mom "always did it." Curious, though, she asked her mother the reason for cutting off the ends and Mom said it was part of the recipe her mother gave her and that's just how her mom "always did it." So the young woman called Grandma and asked why she cut the ends off the roast. "Oh, well, honey, we had very small ovens back in my day. I had to cut off the ends so the roast would fit!"

So, even as some recipes may change drastically, others stay the same even when they don't have to because "that's how we've always done it."

Do you have any family favorites that have been handed down? Do you know if it's still the same as the original or has it been changed? Do you tweak recipes, even old family favorites, to give it your own touch?

Writer Wednesday - Jessica Bell

Sorry I've been a little lame here and haven't posted much but it's all for a good reason - Devotion! I'm trying to get it all wrapped up nice and pretty for you for the beginning of February. In other words, it's sucking up all of my creativity, focus and time like a literary vampire. I'll bless haunt you with my presence more often soon enough and I'll even be able to bring back Teaser Tuesdays with some clips from Devotion. In the meantime...

Today we have a special guest post from the fabulously talented Jessica Bell, whose debut String Bridge just released last month. Jessica has been a great online writer friend who has helped me with some sticky spots during Genesis and Devotion. I'm so excited for her new release and can't wait until I have some downtime to read it.

About Jessica:
Jessica Bell is a literary women's fiction author, poet and singer/songwriter/guitarist. Her debut novel, String Bridge, is slated for publication by Lucky Press, LLC, November, 2011.

She grew up in Melbourne, Australia, to two gothic rock musicians who had successful independent careers during the '80s and early '90s. She spent much of her childhood travelling to and from Australia to Europe, experiencing two entirely different worlds, yet feeling equally at home in both environments. She currently lives in Athens, Greece and works as a freelance writer/editor for Hellenic American Union, Cengage Learning, Pearson Education, Education First and Signature Manuscripts. Jessica Bell's poetry and short stories have been published in various anthologies and Literary Magazines. A full list can be found on her website. Additionally, she has written various English textbook materials and is also a singer/songwriter/guitarist. Ms. Bell's experience as an Australian living in Greece has greatly influenced her writing.

Jessica Bell has a Bachelor of Arts from Latrobe University, where she studied subjects such as modern English literature, fiction writing, nonfiction writing, screenplay writing, editing and publishing children's literature, myth and ideology, and 18th-century romanticism. 

About String Bridge:
Greek cuisine, smog and domestic drudgery was not the life Australian musician, Melody, was expecting when she married a Greek music promoter and settled in Athens, Greece. Keen to play in her new shoes, though, Melody trades her guitar for a 'proper' career and her music for motherhood. That is, until she can bear it no longer and plots a return to the stage--and the person she used to be. However, the obstacles she faces along the way are nothing compared to the tragedy that awaits.

Jessica's guest post:


One thing I've noticed since my debut, String Bridge , was released (and iscertainly hard to ignore) is the fact that readers often assume the book isabout me (or, in a few instances, accuseme of it being autobiographical). And you know what my reaction is on theoutside? "Of course it's not." And I politely explain why. But my reaction onthe inside is, "F%#@! This is ridiculous!"
So, in response to this epic "accusation," and thefrustration I'm feeling, I'm going to set a few things straight. Let's startwith this:
String Bridge is not about me.
So where do I start? Do I start explaining why thereare so many circumstantial similarities between me and Melody, my maincharacter? Yes, I will start with that. The truth of the matter is, it was myfirst novel and I was lazy. I wanted to avoid the mist of research; to write myfirst novel with the knowledge I already possessed. The answer, really, issimple …
I gave Melody my job … because I know my job inside out and have 7 years experience of it.I gave Melody the aspiration to be a musician … because I'm a musician also, and can thoroughly describe how music makes one feel.I gave Melody my location, Athens, Greece … because I know it like the back of my own hand. (Not to mention that it's a really interesting city to set a story in!)I gave Melody's parents a home on a Greek island … because mine live on a Greek island and I also know that like the back of my own hand.I gave Melody's husband the same job as my partner … because I know what that kind of work entails from an outsider's perspective.
Okay … what do you notice about these similarities?They have nothing to do with thestory. They are just surface elements of character and setting.
Isn't it interesting that readers think that because ofthese aspects, the novel is autobiographical? Because I can't imagine the samereaction if I were living in New York, USA, and the book was set in New York,USA. It becomes pretty far-fetched when you think about it like that, doesn'tit?
Having said that, I think every writer puts themselvesinto every character, but the similarities come through in waves which dependon various factors, such as mood, while writing. For example, I'm as emotional and passionate asMelody is. I'm as cheeky as Tessa is. Depending on the circumstances, I can getas cold and aggressive as Betty and Alex, and as passive and timid and obedientas James. I can sometimes be as boisterous as Heather and as caring andgenerous as Serena. I can even be quite selfish at times, which I think eachand every character in String Bridgeis as some point or another, and so is each and every person on this planet atsome point in their lives. There is alwaysgoing to be a piece of the author in every single book they write. But this isa good thing. If it didn't happen like that, then the books we read wouldn't soundvery realistic, would they?
What do you think? Do you think it's reasonableto assume someone's debut novel is autobiographical? Why/Why not? Have thereever been any books that made you wonder if they were about the authorsthemselves? How would you feel if someone thought this about your work?

Toread more about String Bridge and its accompanyingall-original soundtrack, Melody Hill: On the OtherSide, writtenand performed by the author, please visit: http://www.stringbridge.com/  

How you can find Jessica:
Website: http://www.jessicacbell.com/
String Bridge (a novel): http://www.stringbridge.com/
Retreat & workshop site: http://hwrw.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://thealliterativeallomorph.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/author.jessica.bell
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MsBessieBell

Foodie Friday

I love to cook, but I'm not much of a baker. I make birthday cakes throughout the year, but that's pretty much it. And those start with a box mix. BUT, Christmas time is a different story. It's the one time of year I love to bake. Which is good, because I make so many scrumptious cookies and treats, we'd all be 20 pounds heavier if I did this more often.

I have some old standbys that I make every year, many of which my late sister-in-law, who passed at the young age of 34, used to make for the whole family. So they're a tribute to Sheree.

Last year, though, I kind of hit a wall of boredom. And I realized it's because almost every single thing I made consisted of chocolate and peanut butter. Now, don't get me wrong. What better combination is there, right? Chocolate and peanut butter wins in my household every.single.time.

Lately, though, I've noticed a lot of turtle-type treats. For years, everyone in my house, including a nephew for the last two years, asks for a turtle cake for their birthday. I have two boxes of turtle brownie mix in the cupboard this very moment. When we buy refrigerated cookie dough, it's almost always the turtle variety. (Oh, yeah, I guess I do that kind of "baking" a few times throughout the year, but that doesn't really count.)

So this year I'm on the lookout for new recipes that aren't just chocolate and peanut butter. Apparently, caramel is also a fave in my house, so here are a couple yummies I think I'll give a go this year, although I'll start out with my own dough so I don't feel like I'm cheating. That's what the rest of the year is for.

Salted Caramel-Stuffed Chocolate Truffle Cookies
Salted Caramel Cookie Cups
Hmm...still sticking with that chocolate and peanut butter trend, just adding in caramel, too. I'll be making these (and will let you know how they are), but I'm still on the lookout for new ideas.

What are your favorite cookies and treats you make at Christmas? Any trends in your family? Care to share any recipes? Is your mouth watering just looking at those? Mine is! *Hands out napkins for the drool*

Writer Wednesday - Jamie Magee

Today we have Jamie Magee, author of the Insight series that includes Insight, Embody and Image, as well as a new series coming 2012.
[image error] About Jamie:Jamie Magee has always believed that each of us have a defining gift that sets us apart from the rest of the world, she has always envied those who have known from their first breath what their gift was. Not knowing hers, she began a career in the fast paced world of business. Raising a young family, and competing to rise higher in that field would drive some to the point of insanity, but she always found a moment of escape in a passing daydream. Her imagination would take her to places she'd never been, introduce her to people she's never known. Insight, her debuting novel, is a result of that powerful imagination. Today, she is grateful that not knowing what defined her, led her on a path of discovery that would always be a part of her. 
About Insight (from Goodreads):Some say that dreams are the doorway to the soul. Willow Haywood is no stranger to that doorway. Each night she shares a blissful, silent dream with a stunning blue-eyed boy. With each new moon she is haunted by a painful nightmare shared with a different boy, who's always hidden by the shadows.

In her waking hours she must battle her sixth sense. The one that allows her to feel others emotions as if they were her own. This insight is exhausting and frustrating causing her to draw inward, only trusting her family and few close friends. Oddly, this sense also attracts ghostly images that seem to appear out of nowhere. With a touch, they take her to wherever they may be, allowing her to change their emotion. This alone would cause most to go insane, but Willow filters her aggression by painting, capturing the emotion she changed.
One August night a nightmare came days after the new moon. In this dream the shadowed boy marked her wrist with star, leaving her father no choice but to share a family secret that would tie all of the odd attributes of Willow's life together. Now, she has no choice but to outrun the fate that is closing in around her.

In an attempt to lure her, the shadowed figure captures her closest friends. In order to save them, she must weave through broken myths, half truths, and the undeniable power of the Zodiac. With each step she takes Willow comes to realize that she has lived before, her path is one that she chose, and this trial is simply the beginning.
On to the interview!
Tell us about you in 10 words.Classic Scorpio, obsessed with my daydreams, lover ofalternative music!
So you had a birthday not too long ago. Happy Belated Birthday! If you tweeted about your latest release, what would it say(140 characters or less)?They thought he was dead - defeated. They were wrong. The questionnow is who will be the ultimate sacrifice in the trail of Venus.~ Image
Oooh, sounds interesting. Nothing like someone you thought was dead to come along unexpectedly. And a sacrifice? Yikes! If you could spend the day with any of your characters, whowould it be and what would you do?I'm going to choose a new character that my readers willmeet when my next series comes out in the spring of 2012 – 'See'. The characteris Draven Michaels, an addictively gorgeous nineteen year old that not only hasdivine talent within the realm of music, but a talent that allows him to see everythingwithin a soul, both living and dead. We would sit in his studio that is on the topfloor of his home, a modern day castle. I would stare into is tantalizing emeraldgreen eyes that are laced in black and listen to his hypnotic voice as heexplains to me the pains his soul has witnessed. When words become useless, hewill pick up his guitar and let the emotion that is tormenting his soul echoaround us through the strings of a haunting guitar.
I have a feeling you're going to have an awesome playlist for this one. I hope you'll share. :) So, what's your favorite part of being a writer?Daydreaming. I love to slip away into a world that has yetto be discovered, to watch a story unfold before my very eyes. To listen to thewhispers of my characters as they come to life.
Oh, yes. I totally relate. And, what's the hardest part of being a writer?Sharing my work, for me at least. I still find myselfbattling butterflies when someone mentions my debut, Insight.  I know no matter what anyone says about mynovels, it will not change the way I feel about my story or my characters, butit still feels like you're in high school waiting to know if you made the finalcut for a team – waiting to see if others see a talent in you.
I get this, too. I don't think it ever goes away, but it makes us better writers. What do you wish you would have known before you became awriter?Everything I do and do not know today. I know that is broad,but I doubt that I could have ever been fully prepared for this career.  Every day I not only meet amazing new people,but learn a new aspect to this art.
Yep, we must constantly be learning. Especially when we're indie, since there's all the publishing side to learn, too. What made you decide to go indie?Honestly, I had no idea I had made that decision. You see, Ihad a different career, a different set of dreams I was chasing when I began towrite. Writing was my escape from that fast-paced, stressful career choice.When Insight was completed, I found myself printing my MS out and placing it inthree-ring notebook binders to pass it around to friends and friends offriends. When I sought out ways to present Insight in book or ebook form, I wasn'tconsidering  myself published, I was justtrying to find an easier way to share the story with anyone who asked.
I'm sure I was the last one that discovered I had thosebeautiful people writers call readers. Once I saw that people I didn't know,people that were not even in my country were reading the story I wrote in myfree time on my couch, I took every step I could to understand the literaryworld.  Once I began to grasp it, Iunderstood I was an indie, that I made a choice without knowing it. I have noregrets. I know that the path I stumbled on has not only a purpose but it willlead me to where I'm meant to be.
I did the three-ring binder thing, too. I still have those early copies, packed away somewhere. What do you like most about being indie?I adore the personal connection I have with my readers. Ilove having my hands touch and approve every aspect of my book.  My novels are a part of me. If I ever soughtthe help of an agent I would have to be sure that they loved my story as muchas I did – I would have to be sure that I could trust them with my life.
A lot of people say "control," but it's not always meant in a control-freak kind of way. Like you say, sometimes it's just about touching it, feeling a part of those aspects non-indies never get to be involved in, like cover design. I like how you put it. If a writer came to you asking advice about going indie,what's the most important thing you would tell them?Writing may look like a solitary field from the outside, butthat idea could not be further from the truth. You need friends. Not just anyfriends. You need friends that share the same passion you do. You need to watchother indies, the ones that bring respect and honor to the title. Watch howthey reach out to their readers, seek their advice, and thank them for theslightest insight. When you follow those simple steps, it doesn't matter if yourbook sells or not, you're already successful because you have brought peopleinto your life that will constantly inspire you to push harder.
Other writers are truly inspiring, aren't they? Sometimes, it's just reading a status update that so-and-so is working on such-and-such book that motivates us to open our own file and get to work. Okay, let's talk about your reading life now. What's the last book you read and what's next?I polished off the Hunger Games series in two days - stillhaving nightmares. I think I may wait a while for my next read and fall into myown work for awhile…
One of my favorite series ever. Can't wait for the movie!!! Eek! Oops, sorry. Got distracted for a minute while I watched the trailer again. *wipes eyes* Where were we? Oh, yeah. What book or author can you read over and over again?The Notebook – I love that story.
Ebooks or Dead Tree Books? Why?Ebooks – I can carry way more books with me and my phone isnever far away, so my kindle app is always there when I have a free moment.
Where can we connect with you?Oh how I love the social networks! You can find me at any ofthese places I love to meet new people.
Here is my Facebook fan page http://www.facebook.com/Insight.Jamie.MageeTwitter http://twitter.com/#!/insight117Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4200019.Jamie_MageeMy website http://www.insightjamiemagee.com/
Thank you so much Kristie for having me hear today!

Holiday Shopping & Devotion Pre-Orders

I am proud to say I let another Black Friday go by unobserved. Well, at least by me. Older teens tend to think it's exciting to go out shopping in the middle of the night, even when they have no money to buy anything, so a couple members of The Herd did go out Thursday night/Friday morning. Whatever. I spent the day catching up on sleep, reading and going to see Breaking Dawn Part 1 (of which I'll keep my comments to myself).

My small publishing company did observe Small Business Saturday, though, and, truthfully, the whole weekend for holiday specials. In fact, today we're still celebrating Cyber Monday. I'll get to that in a minute.

First, I'm going to hop on a soap box and do a little preaching. Because here's the deal - we've allowed corporate America/corporate World to go a little too far. Corporations have way too much power and they're playing a huge role in controlling our economy. Our governments are bailing them out with our money (we pay the government after all!) only for them to turn around and ask for more. More, more, more. All they want are hand-outs. Want to talk about entitlements? Okay, neither do I. I don't want to get political on this blog. I specifically avoid politics for a reason.

But I do want to say this: Shopping local and/or small businesses this holiday season can make a huge difference in our local, national and global economies. It's time to take things small again. When you shop in big box stores, your money goes to another state and likely another country. When you shop locally and with small businesses, most of that money stays in your local economy. You're giving your friends jobs or allowing family members to keep the ones they have. You're keeping your neighbors from having to close their family businesses.

In times like these, we need to ban together as people. We need to reduce how much we spend on material "stuff" made, distributed and sold by the big corporations and think about the everyday things we need that we can get from our own friends and neighbors.

For example, instead of buying a new TV or computer for someone at the big box store, think about buying them a gift certificate for a weekend at a bed-and-breakfast, a day at the spa or a year's worth of housecleaning or car-washing services. Instead of video and computer games, think about gift certificates for a day out at the local zoo that includes lunch at a local restaurant and a trip to the ice cream shop. Everyone needs hair cuts throughout the year, pets need groomed, teeth need cleaned and whitened. Local gyms and personal trainers offer gift certificates. And don't forget that some of the "chains" are actually locally owned franchises - just find out which ones are owned by real people in your community and support them.

I'm still making my Christmas list (yeah, that means I haven't even started shopping yet), but I intend to make it a locally and/or small business shopped holiday season as much as possible this year. I'm making it a challenge for myself to see if I can do it. Wanna join me?

Now back to my small (as in teeny-tiny) business publishing company and holiday deals. Small Business Saturday is over, but on this Cyber Monday, I hope you'll consider checking out Ang'dora Productions' holiday specials . Through tonight, we're offering an extra 15% off all orders, including those already discounted, in addition to free shipping offers AND including pre-orders of Devotion. Just go here and use coupon code "happyholidays".

Did you catch that? We're taking pre-orders of Devotion! And through December 25, you can get it for $2 off the expected list price of $16.99. Buy it before midnight tonight and get an additional 15% discount. These are paperbacks personalized and signed by yours truly (um, that would be the author).

While you're there, check out the awesome packages we have for Soul Savers fans. Wouldn't a collection of signed books be a fabulous gift to give?

Well, even if we don't have anything for anyone on your list, I do hope you'll consider the challenge of shopping locally and/or small this year. Happy shopping!

Thankful Thursday

Happy Thanksgiving!!!
I hope you are having a wonderful day with family, friends and delicious food. Besides wishing you a happy holiday, I just want to quickly say that today I am thankful for my life. I'm healthy and I have healthy kids. We live comfortably. We can go to work and school without struggles, we can learn and grow and improve. We have been blessed. I wouldn't want any other life.

Thank you, too, to our soldiers who protect us and give us the freedom to say what we want where and when we want without being imprisoned or even executed. Because of you, we have today. And tomorrow and the next day. Thank you, soldiers and your families, for everything you sacrifice for the rest of us.

God Bless!

Writer Wednesday

Today I introduce to you Elizabeth Mueller and her debut novel, Darkspell. And after you meet Elizabeth, be sure to check out her blog , where I'm visiting her! Cool how that works, right?

One of the extra-awesome things about Elizabeth's book is that it contains drawings...by Elizabeth! Want to see a sample of her work? She drew me a Lykora , my own make-believe creature where Tristan got his nickname for Alexis. Yes, she's unbelievably talented.


About Elizabeth (from her blog):

I'm a mother of four wonderful kidlets who, more often than not, drive me nuts. I'm very grateful that I can be home at the crossroads for my children and have been blessed with that privilege. I've been writing for as long as I can remember.

I've finished 8 novels, and 3 children's books and have tons more stories waiting to be told. I believe with all of my heart that it takes a lot of guts to be a writer--especially an aspiring author. There are so many rules to be learned, mountains to conquer, and many layers of skins to grow (yet, be teachable at the same time).

I have done most of my growing the past few years. I don't know what my Father in Heaven has planned for me, but I have no doubt that I am destined for great things. It is my desire to be a mentor to those who dream to reach beyond themselves.

If you ever need cheering, a friend, or anything at all--you can always count on me! ;)

About Darkspell (from Goodreads):

Winter Sky believes she is everything ordinary . . . until she is kissed by Alex Stormhold.

As seer of Stormhold Coven, Alex is sworn to be Winter's protector against the darkness that hunts her. Violently thrust into a magickal realm she always thought impossible, she stumbles upon a disturbing secret of her own.

Will love prove thicker than magick?

Now I bring you Elizabeth herself with a guest post:

So, which came first? My children, or my writing?

I'm a stay-at-home mom with four lively kids. There's never a boring second. The house unravels the time they awaken—it's nonstop fighting, whining, and messing. Aside from the headaches, I've learned so much from them. Patience, joy, love, and lots of humility.

So, what about my writing?

It has always been a part of my life. It was easy enough before kids, but when they started pouring in, I had to create time. I wrote right after I tucked them in, and pushed late into the mornings. I've actually completed 8 books of squeezing time!

Just 4 years ago, I decided to take my writing a step further. Publishing! I attended writers conferences, learned the rules, joined critique groups, critiqued for others, query writing and submitting. Needless to say, I've felt the sting of rejections. Ouch!

Guess what? It was not until late March of this year that I decided to take another chance and submit one of my novels.

Darkspell was accepted by TreasureLine Books! I was SO not expecting my book to be picked up. After 20 years of writing, I've finally reached my aspirations! So much to the point that I didn't know what to do, like the car-chasing dog that has finally caught one.

What is your writing journey like?


Thank you, Elizabeth, for joining us today! Best wishes on your new release! Peeps, don't forget to visit her blog and leave us a comment over there, too.