Michelle McLean's Blog, page 7

Announcing the Scandalous One Day Sale!!

All of our Scandalous books are on sale TODAY ONLY (October 22) for just $0.99 each. That means you can grab all of these great stories for less than $23!!
To celebrate, our fabulous Scandalous Authors have put together a scavenger hunt with a Kindle Fire as the prize. Hop on over to the event page to join in the fun!!

Scandalous historical doesn’t mean antiquated! Passion and romance are exciting in any era. And torrid love affairs are even more illicit when social mores forbid the entanglement. These stories are bold, sexy, and heartfelt, and can be funny, action-packed, mysterious, dramatic, but above all…scandalous. Visit the Entangled Historical page or Amazon to see all the fabulous books on sale today!

If you have been wanting to read any of these books, TODAY is the day to go buy them! You really can't beat this deal! :)

All Entangled Eve! An Entangled Halloween Blog Hop

Entangled Publishing is hosting a massive blog hop. With over 50 authors participating, this is your chance to win a ton of fantastic prizes from your favorite authors!

The hop runs from October 18th-31st. Make sure to visit all these authors’ blogs during the hop! Comment on the various posts, and/or enter for the giveaways based on the author’s instructions. Discover new-to-you authors. Discover the awesome giveaways. They’re spooky. They’re funky. You really don’t want to miss it!

Click HERE for the full list of participating authors!

For my little corner of Spookyville, I thought I'd talk a bit about what scares the pants off of me. Honestly....just about everything :D

See, I have this insanely overactive imagination. Which can be great, being a writer and all. What makes it not so great is that I can freak myself out really REALLY easily. To help avoid this, I take a few precautions.

1. I do not watch scary movies. Like, at all. This includes movies like Ghostbusters and Scary Movie, which I will watch but only during the day....and usually only if I'm not alone in the house :D I won't even watch the commercials for scary movies. My darling stepson and husband have a great time trying to trick me into watching them and get a real kick out of me screaming like a little howling monkey when I catch a glimpse. Remember that imagination I mentioned? Well, it holds onto scary images and exaggerates them, busting them out at inopportune moments for years to come. Case in point, I watched The Sixth Sense back when it first came out on VHS (for those of you who don't know what VHS is, google it ;) ). Anyhow, I STILL, to this day, have to stop myself from repeating the "I see dead people" in a creepy voice as I go up the stairs - oh, and when I shut the lights of to go upstairs at night I go up those stairs very VERY quickly and never look behind me :D

2. I do not read scary books. This rule I bend on depending on the degree of scariness. Stephen King....no. Never. Not the scary ones anyway. I read The Forest of Hands and Teeth (but seriously had nightmares for a week afterwards so that one had to be relegated to daylight only hours as well).

3. Don't laugh....but I sleep with a nightlight :D Have ever since I was 16 and had a nightmare about a shadowy figure with glowing red eyes staring at me in my bedroom. My husband does not appreciate this particular quirk....we are working on it. Right now the nightlight currently resides in the hallway so I fall asleep facing the door (never with my back to the door....yes, I'm THAT neurotic lol)

4. I only write scary scenes during the day. Whenever possible at least. Sometimes a looming deadline will force me to write a zombie chase scene in the middle of the night, but I try to avoid that when possible :D

I know I must seem completely off  my rocker, but here's the thing. I'm pretty adept at conjuring frightening images and freaking myself out and that type of stuff seems to linger in my brain for far longer than anything else. So I figure, why help things along? I can scare the living daylights out of myself just fine with no help from outside sources :)

SO! Now for the fun stuff. My giveaway for this fun little blog hop! :D Anyone want a $20 gift card? :D Fill out the form below!

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Quiet Kids and Christine Fonseca

I am thrilled to be hosting the fabulous Christine Fonseca, both here and on Operation Awesome today. I love all of Christine's books, but this one is especially of interest to me because my sweet son is an introvert (as is my husband....and as am I lol). This book not only gave me some great insights into my son but into myself and my hubs as well.

If you know (or are) an introvert, you definitely need to get this book! And now, I'll let Christine have the floor :)

~~~~~

I am so happy to announce the official release of my book, Quiet Kids. This book, in addition to being the book I wish I had read as a child, speaks to introversion in children, pulling on the latest research in the area and providing parents and educators strategies to help support introverted children. As most of you know, my writing career started with my books related to gifted children, and while not all gifted children are introverted, a quiet temperament does dominate that particular subgroup of children.

Quiet Kids looks at what it means to be introverted in today's noisy world. 


Here is the description of the book:


Being an introverted child is difficult, especially in an ever-increasingly noisy world. Often viewed as aloof, unmotivated or conceited, introverted children are deeply misunderstood by parents, educators and even their peers. That's where Quiet Kids: Helping Your Introverted Child Succeed in an Extroverted World comes in. Designed to provide parents with a blueprint for not only understanding the nature of introversion, Quiet Kids provides specific strategies to teach their children how to thrive in a world that may not understand them. Presented in an easy-to-read, conversational style, the book uses real-world examples and stories from introverts and parents to show parents and educators how to help children develop resiliency and enhance the positive qualities of being an introvert. With specific strategies to address academic performance, bullying, and resiliency, Quiet Kids is a must read for anyone wishing to enhance the lives of introverted children.


Publisher's Weekly was kind enough to call the book "Extremely useful for educators and parents, this thoughtful text emphasizes the many gifts of quiet kids.”


Quiet Kids can be found in Barnes and Noble stores across the United States, as well as online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Walmart and other retailers world wide. 


As part of the launch of Quiet Kids, I developed a little quiz to help you know if you may have an introvert in the house:


My child prefers to spend time alone or reading after school? T/FMy child is generally quiet? T/FTeachers often characterize my child as shy? T/FI often worry that my child has very few friends? T/FMy children struggles when things are not part of a routine or predictable? T/FA yes answer to most of these questions may indicate that your child has an introverted temperament.

I also have a special giveaway to celebrate the launch:


a Rafflecopter giveaway




THANK YOU for the support of this important book. Be sure to check out the events page on my website to see what other fun things I have planned.

Wish Upon a Star Blog Tour!!!

Wish Upon a Star is having it's blog tour blast today! 11 blogs in one day! 


Follow the Tour!
A Dream Within A DreamBooklover SueThe Creatively Green Write at Home MomFang-tastic BooksManga Maniac CaféMimmi’s Musings Paranormal Book ClubRoxanne’s RealmSaph’s Book ReviewsThe Speculative SalonWicca Witch 4 Book Blog
Be sure to enter the giveaway! You could win a $20 gift card AND this amazingly awesome Wish necklace!
CLICK HERE TO ENTER or visit any of the blogs above!

Entangled Ever After Blog Tour of Spooky Awesomeness!

To celebrate all the spooktacular releases this month, including my own Wish Upon a Star (squeee!!!) Ever After is doing a joint tour. And there are a TON of awesome prizes to be had :D

Today launches the tour and each day from tomorrow through Oct 8th will spotlight a different book in the line up. My book, Wish Upon a Star, will be spotlighted on Monday Oct 7th.

But for now, check out all the awesome books that just released and scroll down to start entering those giveaways!!

Visit Entangled's blog HERE for tour stops. I'll be giving away a $20 gift card and the seriously fabulous Wish Upon a Star necklace created by my dear and very talented friend Bonny Anderson (see below). Good luck with the giveaways and be sure to check out all these amazing books!



Find Your Ever After in Under An Hour

Ruby Hill by Sarah Ballance

From her earliest memories, Ashley Pearce has been drawn to Ruby Hill Lunatic Asylum, and she's not the only one. Decades after the abandoned hospital ended its institutional reign of torture and neglect, something lurks in the shadows. Since she’s a paranormal investigator, it's Ashley's job to find out what.

Crime scene expert Corbin Malone doesn't believe in ghosts. A born skeptic, he has no interest in entertaining the hype surrounding the mysterious deaths at Ruby Hill, but he won't turn his back while more women die. He agrees to an overnight investigation, never expecting his first encounter would be with the woman he pushed away a year ago. But when he discovers Ashley is a target, he learns his greatest fear isn't living with his own demons, but losing her for good.

Amazon      Barnes and Noble

One Thousand and One Nights by Ruth Browne

Sheri spends her days fighting zombies and her nights chained to a wall, earning her every breath by telling stories to her captor Aleksy—stories that make them both forget the ruined world. Sheri could put up with the conditions—at least she knows her sister is safe in the community Aleksy leads—until she realizes she’s falling for him...even though he wants her dead.

When Aleksy allowed Sheri and her sister into his compound, he didn’t know about the zombie bite on her back. It's only a matter of time before she turns into one of the rising dead and threatens their existence, but Aleksy has a secret need for Sheri and her stories. For everyone’s safety, he chains her to his bedroom wall, hoping for just one more day. But how long will the community allow Aleksy to ignore his own rule: always kill the infected. Always.

Amazon      Barnes and Noble

Mercy by Jan Coffey
Julia Klein’s life has begun to unravel—her daughter Amy has been suspended from school, Julia is about to lose her job, and her boyfriend Garrett is being transferred thousands of miles away. Overwhelmed, she and Amy leave for a weekend at a rambling old colonial inn. Julia never suspects that Garrett, desperate to find a way to keep Julia in his life, has decided to surprise her by joining them. Nor does she expect her daughter to befriend a mischievous ghost...or that she herself would be possessed by the malevolent spirit of a long-dead mother.

As a dark secret emerges, Julia, Amy, and Garrett find themselves pitted in a fight for survival against a savage presence that intends to resurrect/repeat/relive a horrible crime committed two centuries ago. And this time, Amy and Julia will be the victims.

Amazon      Barnes and Noble

Haunted Chemisty by Lindsey Loucks

When bookish college co-ed Alexis heads to the laundry room in her new apartment, she runs into Ian Reese, the chem lab partner she crushed on all last semester. And the guy who stood her up on their first date. But she’s down for an awkward reunion, and no better place than her creepy laundry room.

Ian has every intention of making amends, but just when Alexis begins to trust him again, a new threat calls more than their future together into question. A ghost from the apartment’s past is hellbent on revenge, and if he wants to get his girl, he’ll have to get the ghost first.

Amazon      Barnes and Noble

Wish Upon a Star by Michelle McLean

Ceri McKinley never stopped wishing that her ex-fiancé Jason Crickett would come back into her life. But when he finally does, he comes with a request that puts them both—and all of humanity—into jeopardy.

Jason only wants two things: to bury his brother properly and to convince Ceri to trust him again after he jilted her. But when Ceri agrees to help him get his brother back, they end up fighting for their lives as a zombie uprising threatens them all.

Amazon      Barnes and Noble

Northern Light by E.J. Russell

Nothing gives art fraud investigator Luke Morganstern a bigger rush than busting forgers, the low-life criminals who dare victimize true artists. But when his latest job sends him to a remote cabin in the Oregon Coast Range, he’s stunned to discover the alleged forger is his former lover, Stefan Cobbe, the most gifted painter Luke has ever known.

Stefan, left homeless and destitute after the death of his wealthy partner, doesn’t exactly deny the forgery -- he claims he doesn’t remember, an excuse Luke can’t accept.

But Luke’s elderly client suggests Stefan may be telling the truth and presents another possibility – a dark presence in the woods, a supernatural fury simmering for decades. Luke must face down his fear of the uncanny – and admit his feelings for Stefan – if either of them is to survive.

Amazon      Barnes and Noble

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Release Day for Wish Upon a Star!!

Wish Upon a Star is here!! I'm thrilled to celebrate the release of my first non-historical book. This one is not only set in Las Vegas, it has zombies! And a cyborg zombie to boot - tons of fun :D

Here are all the deets :)




Ceri McKinley never stopped wishing that her ex-fiancé Jason Crickett would come back into her life. But when he finally does, he comes with a request that puts them both--and all of humanity--into jeopardy.

Jason only wants two things: to bury his brother properly and to convince Ceri to trust him again after he jilted her. But when Ceri agrees to help him get his brother back, they end up fighting for their lives as the second zombie uprising threatens them all.

Check out the tab above for buy links :) And I'm part of an awesome group blog tour this week. Lots of fun stuff going on and lots of fun stuff we are giving away!!! Stay tuned for more details on that :)

Indiana Jones Birthday Party

My son hit double digits today :(  He's getting way too big too fast! He wanted to do an Indiana Jones birthday party so I got busy googling and found a ton of awesome things to do :) I promised my family a blog post so they could see how it went :D Unfortunately, I didn't get many pictures lol It's hard to play photographer with a bunch of 10 year olds running around! But I did get a few and got some prep shot pics.

I found a lot of great blogs with awesome ideas, but the one we followed the most was HERE (I believe the blog is called Four Little Monkeys...I can't see the blog heading for some reason). So, here's what we did for our party :)
The Invitations:
I found a pic of an old map, downloaded the Indiana Jones fonts, and printed these out. Then I burned the edges a little, rolled them up, and tied them with twine. They turned out really cute!



Upon Arrival:
I made a CD of Indiana Jones music and had it playing and each child who came got their archaeologist on ;)
I made these easy Indy satchels out of brown felt and printed out a paper label (I found a blog that shows you how to print on fabric but I didn't get that fancy. I just sewed the paper right to the bag). 

And each child got an Indy fedora. I found these at Oriental Trading Company. They are New Year's Gangster hats - but I just pulled the New Year's band off and spray painted them brown. They worked great!


The Games:
Our group of archaeologists had seven missions to complete (pared down from nine - the party could have easily lasted another hour with all the fun stuff I found to do, but we stuck to the seven missions) :)
Each mission was preceded by watching a clip from the movies. I created a DVD that had an intro highlighting a skill an archaeologist must have followed by the clip followed by their Mission Assignment. The kids LOVED this :)
#1: An archaeologist must know where he's goingClip - the scene when Indy is flying and it shows the plane flying with the red line traveling along the mapMission - Discover where Indy is going
I did have a very nice world map but I put it someplace safe, so had to make this one at the last minute :D

I found an image of an old plane, printed it out, glued it onto some cereal box cardboard to make it stronger, and these were our Pin the Plane on the Map markers. 


The kids had to get it closest to the big red X over Egypt that marked where Indy was going to find the treasure.
#2: An archaeologist must be quick on his feetClip - The famous scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark with Indy replacing the golden idol and then running from the boulder.Mission - Grab the idol before the boulder gets you!
This was our idol (thanks to Target's Halloween decorations and a cheap bottle of gold spray paint) :D


We placed this on the stairs and the kids had to replace it with a bag of rice before the "boulder" (my exercise ball, manned by my husband) bounced down the stairs and hit them. The kids had a blast with this one - I think some of them purposely went slow to get hit lol
#3: An archaeologist has to be handy with a bullwhipClip - I found a great montage on youtube of a ton of Indy with his whip scenes set to the song "Whip It". Mission - Take down the bad guys with your bullwhip!
So, I found out how to make bullwhips out of duct tape and they are AWESOME. However....I decided a bunch of 10 year olds hopped up on sugar running around with working whips might not be a good thing :) So, we used the one my son got for his Halloween costume and they took turns.


I lined up some action figures on a table outside and they had 10 seconds to knock them all down. They did surprisingly well!
#4: An archaeologist has to learn to use the weapons of the natives to defend himselfClip -  Natives shooting at Indy with blow dartsMission - Perfect your blow dart aim!
We gave the kids blow darts (big straws) and had them shoot spit wads at a target outside :D Tons of fun!
(I don't have a picture of this one, but I'm checking with the moms who were there and will update if anyone has one)
#5: An archaeologist should know how to fly (and land) a planeClip - Indy and his dad in the plane when his dad shoots out their tail endMission - Get your plane on the landing strip without crashing!
I made a simple "landing strip" out of cardboard and duct tape and found these great foam planes at the dollar store (each child got to keep their plane). Whoever made it closest to the X won :)


The kids were thirsty at this point so they came in and got a drink. I'd planned on doing the "you've been poisoned" bit and having them search through balloons to find the antidote but cut due to time. We did a modified version later on though :)
#6: To find the clues, an archaeologist must conquer his fears!Clip - Indy with the snake in the plane and again finding the Well of Souls and seeing the snakes. We had the scene from Temple of Doom with all the bugs but decided to cut it due to time. We actually ended up cutting this entire game because the treasure was found a little early lolMission - Get past the creepy crawlies to find your clues!#7 (we ended up skipping 6 and going to half way through 7): An archaeologist needs to know how to read a mapClip - Indy in the map room with the Staff that showed where the ark was buriedMission - Assemble your map to find your treasure!
We had planned on having them search through some slimy stuff (spaghetti and fake bugs and snakes) to find pieces of a map that they'd have to piece together to find the treasure, but as the treasure was spied a bit early, we skipped this.
The blog we found these ideas on built a model of their house out of Legos and rigged up a laser pointer staff that shown into the room where the treasure was hidden. I really wanted to do this but ran out of prep time.
So, I showed them a clip of what they were looking for - the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark when the open the ark (minus the sort of gory parts, just the shots of the arc) and then sent them into the yard to get it (they'd already found it earlier).
This was their treasure:



It was much more gold-looking in the sunlight. Just a cardboard box with vague angel shapes and paper towel rolls for the  handles spray painted gold and packed with candy :)


Then they came back for a final clip:
Message - Well done archaeologists! You've found your treasure! You must be hungry! An archaeologist has to eat strange foods when he is in other countries.Clip - the "snake surprise" scene from Temple of DoomFollowed by the message - Enjoy Your Treat!!
But wait!! (Clip - Indy being told by Lao Che that he'd been poisoned, and he holds up the blue antidote) You've been poisoned! Quick, find the antidote!!
They all ran to the kitchen and grabbed their antidote bottles and had some cake :)
(Food table)


The Cake:



I found this AMAZING cake online HERE. Mine didn't turn out as well, but it was pretty dang cool :) The boys loved it. And, following the Snake Surprise clip, I hid a few gummy snakes and spiders inside the cake :D
Each boy went home with his satchel, hat, a ton of pinata candy, his plane, and a goody bag with gummy mummies, gummy spiders, eyeball gumballs, gold chocolate coins, plastic snakes, spiders, and scorpions, and a glow in the dark "crystal" skull. (All purchased very cheaply - definite perks to having a party like this around Halloween time) :)
The party was a blast! I just wish I'd been able to snap more pics :)

My Poor Neglected Blog

So, it's been a crazy, crazy year and a few things have fallen through the cracks as I've been buried under deadlines. This blog was unfortunately one of them. BUT :D my schedule has eased up a bit so I will endeavor to post more often.

At the moment, I am deep into party prep for my son's 10th birthday party. It's Indiana Jones themed and, if I do say so myself, it's going to be AWESOME :) I'll do a post on it and post next week so you guys can see what we did. My son is so excited for it.

We've got a bunch of "missions" each introduced by a clip from the movies and I'm making a snake cake that (if it turns out even half as good as the one I found online) will be freakishly realistic. Getting started on that tomorrow. For today, finishing prep for the games and doing some final shopping. Thursday and Friday will be cake making days :D

I've also been researching for my new book and slowly getting started on it. It's due in Dec so as soon as this party is out of the way I'm diving headfirst into writing.

Ooo and I have a new book releasing on Monday! It's up for pre-order now - check out the deets :D


WISH UPON A STAR (Entangled Ever After Sept 30, 2013)

Ceri McKinley never stopped wishing that her ex-fiancé Jason Crickett would come back into her life. But when he finally does, he comes with a request that puts them both—and all of humanity—into jeopardy.

Jason only wants two things: to bury his brother properly and to convince Ceri to trust him again after he jilted her. But when Ceri agrees to help him get his brother back, they end up fighting for their lives as the second zombie uprising threatens them all.

(Pre-order links are in the tab above!) :)



So what has everyone out there been up to?

Cover Reveal!! East of Ecstasy by Laura Kaye!

About East of Ecstasy:

Annalise Fallston made peace with postponing her big-city dreams to care for her ill father, but lately she’s been filled with a restlessness not even her beloved painting dispels. Worse, the colors don’t speak to her as they always have, and all her efforts produce dark, foreboding images of a dangerous man and a terrifying future.

Devlin Eston, black-souled son of the evil Anemoi Eurus, is the only one who can thwart his father’s plan to overthrow the Supreme God of Wind and Storms. But first, Dev must master the unstable powers he’s been given. Distrusted and shunned by his own divine family, he never expected to find kindness and passion in the arms of a mortal.

But Devlin’s love puts Annalise in the path of a catastrophic storm, and in the final Armageddon showdown between the Anemoi and Eurus, sacrifices will be made, hearts broken, and lives changed forever…or lost.

Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Books in Series:

North of Need
West of Want
South of Surrender

About Laura Kaye:

[image error] Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen books in paranormal and contemporary romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

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Songstone by Lena Goldfinch - Spotlight and GIVEAWAY!

SPOTLIGHT!!

My fellow Scene 13er, Lena Goldfinch, has a new book out! Here are all the deets:


About the Book

Kita can meld song into stone. In a world with no written word, storytelling—the ability to meld (or magically impress) song into stone—is greatly honored. The village honors her master as their medicine man, but Kita knows he's secretly a sorcerer who practices black magic using drops of her blood. She fears he’ll use her beautiful gift for a killing spell, so she conceals it from him. Each day, his magic tightens around her neck like a rope. His spells blind the villagers, so they can’t see him for what he really is.

Not that anyone would want to help her. She was found in the forest as a baby and would have died if a village girl hadn't brought her home. But the villagers saw Kita's unusual coloring and decided she belonged to the mysterious tribe who lives in the forests of the volcano, a people feared for their mystical powers. So they fear her too. Now seventeen, she can barely admit her deepest longing: to know who she really is and where she belongs.

Then Pono, a young journeyman, arrives from the other side of the island. He's come to fulfill a pact between their villages: to escort a storyteller back to his village—a storyteller who'll be chosen at the great assembly. Finally, in Pono, Kita sees her one slim chance at freedom and she'll risk her life to take it.

A dark, twisty tale of sorcery, tummy-tingling romance, and adventure, inspired by the folklore of New Zealand's Māori people.

About the Author

Lena lives in a scenic small town in Massachusetts with her husband, two kids, and a very spoiled Black Lab. She writes fiction for young adults, mostly light fantasy with a healthy dose of "sigh-worthy" romance. You can visit her online at www.lenagoldfinch.blogspot.com.

Author’s Links

Website
Twitter
Pinterest
Goodreads


You can find Songstone on:

~ Amazon (Kindle)
~ Barnes & Noble (Nook)
~ Kobo
~ Smashwords

GIVEAWAY!!!

Lena is giving away several fabulous prizes, including a copy of the book, a gift card, and this gorgeous necklace! Just fill out the rafflecopter to enter!


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