Ash Krafton's Blog, page 14

Demimonde Casting Call: Sebastian Stan for Rodrian Thurzo

In the past, I've shared my thoughts about who'd make the perfect cast for a movie based on the Demimonde series. Zooey Deschanel would nail our Sophie Galen, while Peter Steele would have been an ideal Mark Thurzo. (That dream is dead, sadly. God rest you, Pete.)

But Rodrian's pick was just a guy I'd seen in a Perry Ellis ad. Truth was, I hadn't found our Rodrian yet. Who was fit to wear the cufflinks?

Well, Team Rode, that's all about to change. I found my ideal casting for the role of Mark's smexy younger brother, Rodrian Thurzo.

Rode has been described as a college pin-up, as well as an Armani ad with a Calvin Klein ad waiting underneath. He's flirty, sultry, and full of the heat that makes his hazel demivamp eyes glow like molten copper. He's the body behind the Blood Rush and he is definitely forbidden fruit.

And the man to play him should be none other than Sebastian Stan.

Stan's even got the proper blood to do it... Romanian-born Stan is a Rodrian Thurzo waiting to happen.

My daughter and I had the chance to meet Stan at the Philadelphia Comic Con this past weekend and I can tell you, in the words of my daughter, he's absolutely precious. When Jess asked him if he'd hold her up bridal-style for the picture, he shrugged with a grin and said "Sure".

My daughter has not been the same since and probably won't walk on the earth for a few more days--not because she was in the arms of the Winter Soldier himself, but because this picture has rocketed her to Tumblr fame (she's got her priorities, you know.)

While Rodrian's been known to say "chicks are nicer to hold", I don't mind sharing that Stan's not so bad to hold, either. :) I bet he's a cuddler...just like Rode. I'd hire him in a heartbeat.


Being totally professional, of course. *waves to husband*

Enjoy the candy, girls, and keep your fingers crossed that the Demimonde film options get picked up before Stan retires from the stage!


The Wolf's Bane release tour continues this week with a bunch of great blogs...
June 23 SpotlightBooks Directhttp://booksdirectonline.blogspot.com.au/(Bewitching Tour Stop)
June 24 SpotlightBooklover Sue http://bookloversue.blogspot.com/(Bewitching Tour Stop)
June 25 Guest blogParanormal Romance Fans for Lifewww.paranormalromancefanforlife.blogspot.com(Bewitching Tour Stop)
June 26 SpotlightShare My Destinyhttp://sharemydestiny.blogspot.com(Bewitching Tour Stop)
June 27 Character InterviewCBY Book Clubhttp://cbybookclub.blogspot.co.uk/(Bewitching Tour Stop)
June 27 reviewSapphyria's Book Reviews http://saphsbookblog.blogspot.com/(Bewitching Tour Stop)
June 28 spotlightHousewife Blues and Chihuahua Storieshttp://jacaburintexas.blogspot.com/  And on June 30, I'll post another story on Wattpad.com...this one is a companion to Blood Rush. Read it AFTER you read Blood Rush because it's full of spoilers :)  Have a great week... I know we will!If your email address changes, please follow these instructions:
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Want some WOLF'S BANE? Poison's never been prettier...#urbanfantasy

You can win an autographed copy of WOLF'S BANE (Demimonde #3) by entering a Goodreads giveaway! Sink your teeth into the final book of the Demimonde trilogy...
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Goodreads Book Giveaway Wolf's Bane by Ash Krafton Giveaway ends July 14, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win
Good luck to everyone to enters... and don't forget to visit the next stop of the WOLF'S BANE release tour! Today we are at ...
 Butterfly-o-Meter Books http://butterfly-o-meter.com/  Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock www.pratr.wordpress.com
andPlace of Reads http://placeofreeds.blogspot.com If your email address changes, please follow these instructions:
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Release Day! WOLF'S BANE (Demimonde #3)

Happy Release Day, Wolf's Bane!
 Let the countdown to full moon begin...
 
Join us for a month-long blog tour and don't forget to enter the giveaways.
Lots of excerpts, guest posts, and reviews!
Howl with me...

Click here to go to THE WOLF'S BANE TOUR PAGE


Haven't joined the Demimonde yet?
Now's your chance to pick up the first in the series--BLEEDING HEARTS--at a great price!
Amazon   Barnes & Noble

 

Don't miss this post about Demimonde Companion stories on Wattpad...
Team Marek will want to head right over!



 If your email address changes, please follow these instructions:
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Demimonde Book Extras on Wattpad.com

As part of the release soirée for WOLF'S BANE, I'll be putting up some Demimonde book extras on Wattpad.com. You can follow me on Wattpad and never miss a post.



You can read one of these today... The Scent of Hope is a must-read for anyone who is Team Marek. Get a unique perspective from this brooding demivamp and see what draws him to our sassy heroine Sophie.

The next release will be The Blood Countess Chronicle, a perfect follow-up to BLOOD RUSH (Demimonde #2).

After that, you can read The Horus Bird, which is a deleted scene from WOLF'S BANE (Demimonde #3).

Watch Facebook and Twitter for announcements when the next stories go up.

In the meantime, help me countdown the final hours...the WOLF'S BANE blog tour starts tomorrow!If your email address changes, please follow these instructions:
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Full moon approaches...and, with it, WOLF'S BANE

A full moon... on Friday the 13th? Such propitious alignment can only mean one thing... some terrifying cosmic event is readying to manifest itself.

Or, it could be that WOLF'S BANE--the third book in the Demimonde series--will celebrate its official release on Sunday.

To spread the word about the conclusion to this urban fantasy trilogy, we'll be embarking on a month-long tour until July 15.

Just as Sophie is compelled to count each day until the full moon in this latest Book of the Demimonde...so shall we.

Question is: when July's full moon arrives, which of us will Turn?
Join us Sunday as we kick off the release of WOLF'S BANE (Demimonde #3). Don't forget to watch Facebook and Twitter for flash giveaways, too. (I'm heavily influenced by the push and pull of the moon, so who knows what lunacy that might occur.) So, sit back, breathe deeply, and once we're safely through Friday's full moon, we'll journey onto the next one together. Just remember... The sky turns, the wheel turns, and eventually, we turn with it.    If your email address changes, please follow these instructions:
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New release...NO RETURN by Zoe Cannon (YA)

Hey, YA/NA fans! Infinite Inkling Zoe Cannon has released the third and final book in her Internal Defense series. NO RETURN is now available. You can read about it at the AJ Krafton blog... just follow the link on through and enjoy.

From A.J. Krafton, New Adult Author: New Release: No Return by Zoe Cannon: At last-- the newest Internal Defense novel from YA author Zoe Cannon! No Return The conclusion to the Internal Defense series!





READ MORE!If your email address changes, please follow these instructions:
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Fractured Truth Tour with Rachel McClellan

 Fractured Truth
(Fractured Light #3)
Llona is determined to end the fight with the Vykens once and for all. All she needs is to find and destroy the Shadow–the ultimate source of dark power. But when she makes a startling discovery about someone she loves, Llona has to fight the toughest battle yet in this exciting conclusion to the Fractured Light series.Add Fractured Truth to your Goodreads list!
_________________________About Fractured Light (Book #1)
Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After the Vykens killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too. She can’t take any chances. But when she starts to make friends for the first time in her life, she gets careless and lets her guard down. Big mistake.
As an Aura, Llona can manipulate light and harness its energy. But if she wants to survive, Llona will have to defy the Auran Council and learn to use her power as a weapon against the Vyken whose sole desire is to take her light. Now she’s caught in something even bigger than she can understand, with a power she can’t wield, and no one she can trust, except, just maybe, a mysterious stranger.Amazon – Barnes & Noble
About Fractured Soul (Book #2)Llona will do whatever it takes to protect her new found friends and home, but the dark plot threatening Lucent Academy, a school that’s supposed to be a safe place for Auras, may be too powerful for even Llona to defeat.
This fast-paced tale of love, loyalty, and overcoming the darkness will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page!Amazon – Barnes & Noble 



 
Rachel McClellanRachel McClellan was born and raised in Idaho, a place secretly known for its supernatural creatures. When she’s not in her writing lair, she’s partying with her husband and four crazy, yet lovable, children. Rachel’s love for storytelling began as a child when the moon first possessed the night. For when the lights went out, her imagination painted a whole new world. And what a scary world it was…Website – BlogTwitter – Facebook – GoodreadsThanks for stopping by my stop on the tour for Fractured Truth, the conclusion to the Fractured Light Trilogy by Rachel McClellan! The tour is running from April 21st to May 30th, 2014. There will be reviews, interviews, guest posts and excerpts + a special International giveaway!
  GRAND PRIZE: $25 Amazon Gift Card and a printed copy of Fractured Truth
Runner-up 1: Printed copy of Fractured Truth
Runner-up 2: Ebook copy of Fractured Truth   a Rafflecopter giveaway




Guest Post from Rachel McClellan...


I Gave Up Trying to be a Perfect Mom


My first child graced this world urinating, an action I worried about. Did he have a bladder problem? Would he always be a spastic pee-er? These were the kind of frivolous things I worried about with my first child.


He might've been a good baby, but I was a new mom so I pretty much screwed up any chance for him to be a normal infant. I was too busy reading book after book, trying to figure out why he's crying, why he's not sleeping, why his pooping schedule was different from my neighbor's baby.


I let the "experts" tell me when to make him sleep, what to let him eat, when to take him outside, and when to start making him walk and communicate. The poor kid probably felt like a puppet. But I did all this because I wanted to be the perfect mom.


It wasn't until I nearly killed myself with stress and lack of sleep that I realized, in a dazed stupor, what the crap? Babies have been around since like forever and somehow they make it to adults. And most are pretty normal so I've got a good chance of not screwing mine up.


This thought freed me. I no longer worried about nap times. If my kid was tired, I let him sleep. If I had to go somewhere I'd wake him up. If his pacifier fell on the floor, I didn't sterilize it. The hair on it wouldn't hurt him. If he wanted to smear food on his face, I'd help him.


Basically I just gave up trying to be a perfect mom. I let instincts kick in and together we figured it out. My oldest is now eleven and I think he's a pretty good kid. And it turns out there's nothing wrong with his bladder...he just likes to pee.


What were some common first parent mistakes you made?
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Great Giveaway from the Fae Books Blog!

PROUD TO HOST The Fae Books Blog Giveaway!

  Hi everyone!

Sarah Fae (Graham) here. We're celebrating over at FaeBooks.co.uk! We've reached over 8000 Likes on Facebook and over 9000 Followers on Twitter. Yay!

Thank you to everyone who has helped us reach this goal. Thank you to all of you for supporting my ventures, and the authors and writers I rant and rave about. Your support is greatly appreciated.You can add me on Facebook HERE, Like my page on Facebook HERE, and Follow on Twitter HERE.
  Giveaway Details: Sponsors: Sarah Fae - FaeBooks.co.uk Fiona SkyeA.R. VonDemelza CarltonMelanie Karsak Margo Bond CollinsElisabeth Wheatley Yunnuen GonzalezTricia Drammeh Brandy L RiversCelyse Graystone Carrie Book FairyClaudia Y. Burgoa Ashlynne LaynneLisa Beth Darling Angie Skelhorn The Writer's NookNancy Pennick author EDC JohnsonJulia Mills Lekeisha ThomasAuthor Clarissa Wild EllieSewSweetAsh Krafton, author Alex JamesBookwormBridgette Aurora ZahniMitchel Grace BK Walker

Visit the links above to get to know the sponsors behind this giveaway!

Dates: End: June 10th 2014

T&Cs: Several winners and prizes. Only those legally allowed to may enter. Any found cheating on their entries will be placed on the BANNED list and thus be banned from winning any Fae Books giveaways. Giveaway organised by FaeBooks.co.uk. Prizes come from their respective donators. Fae Books is not in control of issuing the prizes.

Location: This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL. All prizes available internationally.*~~**~~**~~*

The Giveaway: Enter the giveaway below - GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway- See more at: http://www.faebooks.co.uk/2014/04/8KH... If your email address changes, please follow these instructions:
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Wynne Channing: Indie Author Budgeting & New Release

 I Am ForeverSo when 17-year-old Axelia falls into a sacred well filled with blood and emerges a vampire, the immortal empire believes she is this legendary destroyer. Hunted by soldiers and mercenaries, Axelia and her reluctant ally, the vampire bladesmith Lucas, must battle to survive.An ancient prophecy warns of a girl destined to cause the extinction of the vampire race.(What Kills Me #2)
Axelia fought an army of vampires and survived. Once fated as the destroyer of the vampire race, she is now welcomed into the immortal empire and revered as a god.But instead of relishing her victory, she faces a dangerous new world and an empire at war. Axelia is thrust into the position of supreme vampire and caught in the crossfire of battle. To make matters worse, her role alienates Lucas, the one vampire that she trusts.Her power spawns evil enemies. And they know how to get to her — by hurting those whom she loves most.Amazon US – Amazon UK – Kobo – SmashwordsAdd I Am Forever to your Goodreads list!_________________________About What Kills Me (Book #1)How will she convince the empire that she is just an innocent teenager-turned bloodsucker and not a creature of destruction? And if she cannot, can a vampire who is afraid of bugs summon the courage to fight a nation of immortals?Amazon US – Amazon UK – Barnes & Noble – Kobo – iTunes 
Wynne ChanningWynne Channing is a national newspaper reporter and award-winning young adult novelist. Wynne loves telling stories and as a journalist, she has interviewed everyone from Daniel Radcliffe and Hugh Jackman to the president of the Maldives and Duchess Sarah Ferguson. The closest she has come to interviewing a vampire is sitting down with True Blood‘s Alexander Skarsgard (he didn’t bite). She briefly considered calling her debut novel “Well” so then everyone would say: “Well written by Wynne Channing.”Website – Blog – Twitter – Facebook – GoodreadsGoogle+ – Pinterest – Youtube – Amazon Author Page GRAND PRIZE: A stunning ballpoint pen filled with more than 100 pink crystals, a black leather note book by Canadian designer Jessica Jensen, an ecopy of I Am Forever (Book Two in the What Kills Me series) and a signed What Kills Me bookmark.a Rafflecopter giveaway   I Am Forever Tour schedule:March 17th | Vaempires (Review, Author Interview)
March 18th | Proserpine Craving Books (Review, Excerpt)
March 19th | Emma’s Ramblings on Supernatural Fiction (Review)
March 20th | Sapphyria’s Book Reviews (Excerpt)
March 21st | Nicky Peacock Author (Author Interview)
March 24th | Unputdownable Books (Excerpt)
March 25th | Happy Tails and Tales (Review, Guest Post, Excerpt)
March 26th | The Bawdy Book Blog (Guest Post, Excerpt)
March 27th | What the Cat Read (Excerpt)
March 28th | Justified Lunacy (Guest Post)
March 31st | Mind Reader (Review, Guest Post)
April 1st | Nomi’s Paranormal Palace (Review)April 2nd | What’s Beyond Forks? (Guest Post, Excerpt)
April 3rd | The Avid Reader (Author Interview, Excerpt)April 4th | Lusty Penguin Reviews (Guest Post, Excerpt)April 7th | Darkest Sins (Review, Excerpt)April 8th | Ash Krafton’s Demimonde (Guest Post)April 9th | Shah Wharton’s WordsinSync (Review, Guest Post)
April 10th | Tana Rae Reads (Guest Post, Excerpt)April 11th | Mean Who You Are (Review, Guest Post) And now, a special guest post from the author herself...Indie Author Budgeting 101

It is entirely possible to publish your book at no cost.
But if you are going to treat this venture as a business — which you should — it might require some initial investment.
Where to start?
You need a budget. Ugh. I know, the 'B' word. And you’re a writer, not an accountant (unless you are, in which case high five). Personally, I under-budgeted for my debut novel, What Kills Me because I didn’t anticipate a lot of extra costs; then I over-budgeted for its sequel I Am Forever.
Begin by making a list of expenses that you might need, ie:- copy editing
- proofreading
- cover design
- webpage, web hosting
- promotion/marketing
- book trailer
- giveaways, postage

Now you can pay a lot or a little for each of these things. It's up to you. There are ways to save, however.
Copyediting Most editors charge by the hour and rates vary according to the editor's experience. There are at least three stages of editing: substantive editing (big picture stuff like plot and tone), copyediting (sentence structure, grammar, spelling, etc.) and proofreading (the final stage). Rates range from $30 to $50 an hour, according to the Editors’ Association of Canada. Estimates to edit my book (62,000+ words) ranged from 15 to 50 hours, depending on the stage of editing.

Ask several editors for quotes. Send them a portion of your manuscript, length of your project and ask for an estimate. My editor worked on my first page to make sure her edits were in line with what I wanted to pay for.
Now negotiate. Since my editor works by the hour, she gave me a list of common copyediting errors for me to fix before she began.
She estimated that a 73,000+ word manuscript might take her 45 hours at a cost of $1,800.
Cover design I contacted a few artists via Deviantart and got quotes from them regarding covers. The average quote was $275-$300. Make sure you negotiate revisions into the deal.
Webpage If you don't want to pay someone to design and build you a webpage, consider buying your domain name ($25 for one year via GoDaddy) and having it forwarded to your blog. (Set up your free blog via Wordpress or Blogspot.)
Marketing You can spend an infinite amount on marketing which is what truly drives sales of your book. You want to appear everywhere. Advertisers have this rule of how many times a consumer has to see an ad before buying.
Social media is a great free tool. Get on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest. Give books away for review on Goodreads and LibraryThing where readers are. Approach your favourite book blogs and offer yourself up for a Q&A. Create your own press release.
I spent $15 on a book trailer (via Fiverr.com). I gave UK-based Dark World Books $375 to organize a month-long online book tour for me where I’d appear on a different blog every day.
Formatting Many guides exist on how to convert your document into an appropriate file for Kindle, etc. If you’re not a techno twit like me, you can figure it out. I gladly gave Michael Mandarano, a copy editor and e-book formatter, $150 to rescue me and format What Kills Me. It cost me $172 for Stacey at Self Publishing Editing Service to format I Am Forever with gorgeous chapter separators, images, etc. in several file types, including a print version.
Trying to recoup your costs: This part is tough and sales are hard to predict. You can try to be strategic about pricing your books for maximum profit: Amazon gives you 35% royalties on anything under $2.99 and 70% for anything over. But part of the benefit of going indie, is that you can the adjust the price anytime you like to test different costs.
Once you’ve figured out how much you think you’ll need, start saving. I have an automatic savings plan that withdraws money every month into an account that goes to pay for “book expenses.” Now, all of my profits goes into this same account to be put back into the business. Good luck and if you ever want to talk the business of books, email me!
--by Wynne Channing If your email address changes, please follow these instructions:
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Cover Reveal: Secret Of the Souls by Terri Rochenski

I'm thrilled to host friend and fellow author Terri Rochenski on her lateness Cover Reveal. Introducing POOL OF SOULS #2: SECRET OF THE SOULS! (See EYE OF THE SOUL, book 1, HERE) Secret of the Souls  Pool of Soulsby Terri RochenskiRelease Date: October 6, 2014Target Reader: AdultKeywords: Fantasy  Back of the Book
Thrust out of their homes by a human High Priest on a vengeful mission, the Natives of Derlund no longer have a place to call their own. One escaped capture, however, and now she, Hyla, is the only one who can save her people. For, Hyla, though, saving her nation isn’t her ultimate goal—returning to the Pool of Souls is. Becoming its Guardian and preserving their faith is her heart’s desire. The perils of her current journey, though, could leave her unable to fulfill that dream. To find her way back to the Pool, Hyla must live among dangerous, powerful humans willing to defend the Natives, and must submit herself—her Talents—to them. While her protection is paramount, plots to end Hyla’s life will push her to her physical and emotional limits. On the edge of sanity, her courage tested, and convictions nearly broken, Hyla’s final test of loyalty to her faith comes with the death of one she could have loved.If your email address changes, please follow these instructions:
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