Ash Krafton's Blog, page 6
October 13, 2016
#OctoberFrights: The Scariest Thing an Author Will Do
Welcome to Day Four of the the annual October Frights Blog Hop, organized by Clarissa Johal.Each year, all styles of dark writers get together to rattle their cages and talk about what makes them howl. It's October, after all. This is the time of year we can get away with it...
It's a chance to talk about the scary things. So far on this tour, I've visited many of the other blogs and found witches, zombies, lurchers (sounds scary but dang it, if they ain't loveable!) and every dark chunk of human nature you can imagine.
I adore monsters. They don't scare me. They make me grin and say things like, "Aw, that's sweet. Look at those fangs!" It's not my fault. It's probably a psychological defense mechanism.
In fact, if anything scare me, it's psychological horror. The idea that something very real and very scary exists. It worms its way into my head and digs and digs and digs--
Oooh. That was an actual shiver.
I did something very scary today, something that any author no matter their genre would agree is the scariest part of our life. I hit the "publish" button.
Doesn't sound like a big deal to a lot of people, I know. But it's the build up to the button that makes it a breath-holding moment.
It all started with an email...
Earlier this year, I completed the contract on the third book in one of my trilogies and I asked for my rights back on my series. That was a little scary in itself--this was my first publisher, my first contract. I've been with this press longer than anyone else, and they've been wonderful. However, my ideas and plans for this trilogy were far more complex than a backlist status could muster. I decided to take the reins. Big, scary moment.
The Publishing FeelsThe last three months were full of cover designs, formatting for print and ebooks, and the edits--lots of tension when Photoshop or Word decided not to cooperate. As the closer I got to the circled date on my calendar, the more tense and scary things got.
I think I tweaked those files more times in the last 48 hours than I have in 48 days. And when I woke up this morning, and saw that I had no more days to X off on my calendar...
I could almost hear the shrieking violins and the dun-it-dun-it-dun-it and that "Publish Now" button just seemed to pulse under my hovering finger.
What if I made a mistake? What if Kindle doofs up my files and my reviews don't transfer? What if the new covers aren't as great as people assured me they were (and I asked everyone. Even complete strangers. A/B testing should never be reserved for only the nearest and dearest.)
WHAT IF? WHAT IF? WHAT IF?
I ask that question all the time. I'm a spec fic writer so it's kind of an occupational hazard. So, I did the logical thing. I put myself out of misery. I hit the LAUNCH button.
Hmm. That wasn't so bad, I thought, and went to pour a fresh cup of tea, waiting for my pulse to return to normal...
But it's only until the next scene in this psychological thriller...The Reviewers! *shrieking violins*
Tell me, folks...what is the scariest real life thing you do, the thing that leaves you clutching your chest, gasping for breath, amazed you survived?Leave a comment and one of you will win something grand.
But for now, it's time to get back to work on my Amazon files. I've got book listings to write! Wish us both luck...
If this is your first time joining us, catch up with this list of the links for the week...
Day One: Intro
Day Two: Author Spotlight and Review, AF Stewart
Day Three: Putting the Ick in Magick
Enter my October Frights giveaway here: a Rafflecopter giveaway
See who else is playing in the dark... click on the link below to get hopping!
An InLinkz Link-up
And don't miss the other giveaways you'll find when you click on the October Giveaways tab up above or click here for a handy shortcut :)
If your email address changes, please follow these instructions:
1. Scroll down to the bottom of an email from Ash Krafton's blog and click UNSUBSCRIBE to remove your old email addy from the database. Then
2. Go to http://ash-krafton.blogspot.com/ and SUBSCRIBE (on the right-hand side, in the sidebar) with your new address!
3. Continue getting all the news about Ash Krafton and stay happy :)
October 12, 2016
#OctoberFrights in #CharmCity: Putting the Ick in Magick
Happy October Frights Blog Hopping!
Today I'll be sharing an excerpt from my latest urban fantasy, CHARM CITY: The Demon Whisperer #1 .
Simon Alliant is a mage exorcist who's doing his share to clean up the streets of Baltimore. Only thing is, it's a mess not too many people get to see...
Demons. Demonic possessions. The darkness, rising.
He's got the Light on his side: Mack, an Angelic Watcher, has become his handler, more or less. But when it comes down to pushing up his sleeves and digging into the actual work, he's on his own.
Until he meets Chiara...
EXCERPT from
CHARM CITY: The Demon Whisperer #1
Chiara pushed her drink away. "Look, it’s been a long day. My correction may have looked like a bunch of simple whispering but I’m drained. Thanks for the drinks."
"I insist. Look, if I have to bind you here…" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a fistful of charms, picking through them.
She narrowed her eyes.
"If I have to try to bind you…" he amended, feeling a bit sheepish.
She exhaled through stiff lips as if she were trying to push away a strong impulse. "Fine. Just—put those away before someone gets hurt."
He grinned and put his gear away, hands up to show his surrender. "Better?"
"A little. But I'm going to ask the first question. What business to you have with that angel?"
Eh. Of course, she'd go right for the million dollar question. He scratched his head and felt his way around an answer.
A child of the Light has one foot in the darkness. Mack's words echoed through his memory, a replay of a previous heraldic message. Vague enough, but he couldn't tell it to her. Not that he wouldn't, but honestly couldn't.
When he tried, a sudden alien force gripped his voice, restraining the words. The ward was a condition of the message. Kind of a divine need-to-know. And as far as Simon knew, he was the only one who needed to know.
Finally, he got something to come out of his mouth.
"It's complicated," he said.
"That much is universally understood. No? Don't want to 'talk' so much, huh?"
"It's not that. Dealing with angels can be…tricky. I don't talk to people much, either. Sometimes I forget what I can or can't say."
"A ward?" She glanced at him and nodded. "Makes sense. No worries. I know the rules. But it's not just that angel lolloping about that concerns me. It's his lolloping about a man like you."
A man like him? Comments like that were always a bit double-sided. He was more or less programed to see the dark side of things. He frowned, immediately on the defense.
But then the wall crashed in.
Literally.
His reply was lost in the barrage of glass and stone and wood that flew in all directions. He spread open his jacket, shielding Chiara and pushed her down, behind him, before scanning the scene.
The front end of a blue Ford F-150 had bellied up to the bar.
The bartended, Bobby, had taken the impact hard, knocked backward onto the center counter, dazed but alive. The dislodged cash register hit the floor with a clatter that was dwarfed in the shower of brick and debris pouring from the gaping hole in the wall.
A bearded man slumped out of the driver's side window, his neck bent at an ugly angle. Black smoke leaked out of his gaping mouth, his bloodied ears, and snaked its way over toward Bobby, who lay helplessly sprawled over the counter.
"No. No, no. Bobby!" Simon reached into his inside pocket, feeling for a soul-lock charm. Not there. It must have fallen out.
He boosted himself up and rolled over the bar, digging through the upset garnish tubs. Lime. Cocktail onions. Perfect for protection spells. All gone, lost in the mess of ice and glass and splintered bar.
"Simon!" Chiara was on her feet. "Get out of there before you get tagged!"
He ducked out of the way of the black vapors, stepping a wide berth around them.
The smoke curled into Bobby's nose and mouth and the man rolled his head, rousing. His eyes blinked open. His pupils glowed a sullen red that spread and quickly engulfed the entire eye.
The voice that came out of Bobby's mouth was not Bobby's.
ALLIANT. The voice was like a screech of metal under the roar of a massive waterfall. I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU.
Read more of CHARM CITY...FREE on Kindle Unlimited!The first in a new Urban Fantasy series...Find it onAmazon | Goodreads
Ash Krafton is a speculative fiction writer from the coal region of Pennsylvania. She's the author of numerous urban fantasy and paranormal romance novels, as well as collections of poetry and short fiction. Must be something magic in the water there in PA...after all, those folks can actually *set rocks on fire*. If that ain't magic, we don't know what is. Visit her at www.AshKrafton.com to see what laws of reality she'll be bending next.
Find Ash KraftonBlog | Twitter | FacebookGoodreads | Pinterest | InstagramWebsite
Enter my October Frights giveaway here: a Rafflecopter giveaway
See who else is playing in the dark... click on the link below to get hopping!
An InLinkz Link-up
And don't miss the other giveaways you'll find when you click on the October Giveaways tab up above or click here for a handy shortcut :)
If your email address changes, please follow these instructions:
1. Scroll down to the bottom of an email from Ash Krafton's blog and click UNSUBSCRIBE to remove your old email addy from the database. Then
2. Go to http://ash-krafton.blogspot.com/ and SUBSCRIBE (on the right-hand side, in the sidebar) with your new address!
3. Continue getting all the news about Ash Krafton and stay happy :)
Today I'll be sharing an excerpt from my latest urban fantasy, CHARM CITY: The Demon Whisperer #1 .
Simon Alliant is a mage exorcist who's doing his share to clean up the streets of Baltimore. Only thing is, it's a mess not too many people get to see...
Demons. Demonic possessions. The darkness, rising.
He's got the Light on his side: Mack, an Angelic Watcher, has become his handler, more or less. But when it comes down to pushing up his sleeves and digging into the actual work, he's on his own.
Until he meets Chiara...
EXCERPT from
CHARM CITY: The Demon Whisperer #1
Chiara pushed her drink away. "Look, it’s been a long day. My correction may have looked like a bunch of simple whispering but I’m drained. Thanks for the drinks."
"I insist. Look, if I have to bind you here…" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a fistful of charms, picking through them.
She narrowed her eyes.
"If I have to try to bind you…" he amended, feeling a bit sheepish.
She exhaled through stiff lips as if she were trying to push away a strong impulse. "Fine. Just—put those away before someone gets hurt."
He grinned and put his gear away, hands up to show his surrender. "Better?"
"A little. But I'm going to ask the first question. What business to you have with that angel?"
Eh. Of course, she'd go right for the million dollar question. He scratched his head and felt his way around an answer.
A child of the Light has one foot in the darkness. Mack's words echoed through his memory, a replay of a previous heraldic message. Vague enough, but he couldn't tell it to her. Not that he wouldn't, but honestly couldn't.
When he tried, a sudden alien force gripped his voice, restraining the words. The ward was a condition of the message. Kind of a divine need-to-know. And as far as Simon knew, he was the only one who needed to know.
Finally, he got something to come out of his mouth.
"It's complicated," he said.
"That much is universally understood. No? Don't want to 'talk' so much, huh?"
"It's not that. Dealing with angels can be…tricky. I don't talk to people much, either. Sometimes I forget what I can or can't say."
"A ward?" She glanced at him and nodded. "Makes sense. No worries. I know the rules. But it's not just that angel lolloping about that concerns me. It's his lolloping about a man like you."
A man like him? Comments like that were always a bit double-sided. He was more or less programed to see the dark side of things. He frowned, immediately on the defense.
But then the wall crashed in.
Literally.
His reply was lost in the barrage of glass and stone and wood that flew in all directions. He spread open his jacket, shielding Chiara and pushed her down, behind him, before scanning the scene.
The front end of a blue Ford F-150 had bellied up to the bar.
The bartended, Bobby, had taken the impact hard, knocked backward onto the center counter, dazed but alive. The dislodged cash register hit the floor with a clatter that was dwarfed in the shower of brick and debris pouring from the gaping hole in the wall.
A bearded man slumped out of the driver's side window, his neck bent at an ugly angle. Black smoke leaked out of his gaping mouth, his bloodied ears, and snaked its way over toward Bobby, who lay helplessly sprawled over the counter.
"No. No, no. Bobby!" Simon reached into his inside pocket, feeling for a soul-lock charm. Not there. It must have fallen out.
He boosted himself up and rolled over the bar, digging through the upset garnish tubs. Lime. Cocktail onions. Perfect for protection spells. All gone, lost in the mess of ice and glass and splintered bar.
"Simon!" Chiara was on her feet. "Get out of there before you get tagged!"
He ducked out of the way of the black vapors, stepping a wide berth around them.
The smoke curled into Bobby's nose and mouth and the man rolled his head, rousing. His eyes blinked open. His pupils glowed a sullen red that spread and quickly engulfed the entire eye.
The voice that came out of Bobby's mouth was not Bobby's.
ALLIANT. The voice was like a screech of metal under the roar of a massive waterfall. I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU.
Read more of CHARM CITY...FREE on Kindle Unlimited!The first in a new Urban Fantasy series...Find it onAmazon | Goodreads
Ash Krafton is a speculative fiction writer from the coal region of Pennsylvania. She's the author of numerous urban fantasy and paranormal romance novels, as well as collections of poetry and short fiction. Must be something magic in the water there in PA...after all, those folks can actually *set rocks on fire*. If that ain't magic, we don't know what is. Visit her at www.AshKrafton.com to see what laws of reality she'll be bending next.Find Ash KraftonBlog | Twitter | FacebookGoodreads | Pinterest | InstagramWebsite
Enter my October Frights giveaway here: a Rafflecopter giveaway
See who else is playing in the dark... click on the link below to get hopping!
An InLinkz Link-up
And don't miss the other giveaways you'll find when you click on the October Giveaways tab up above or click here for a handy shortcut :)
If your email address changes, please follow these instructions:
1. Scroll down to the bottom of an email from Ash Krafton's blog and click UNSUBSCRIBE to remove your old email addy from the database. Then
2. Go to http://ash-krafton.blogspot.com/ and SUBSCRIBE (on the right-hand side, in the sidebar) with your new address!
3. Continue getting all the news about Ash Krafton and stay happy :)
October 11, 2016
Spotlight and #Review: AF Stewart "Horror #Haiku and Other Poems" #OctoberFrights #speculativepoetry
Welcome to another stop on the October Frights blog hop! Hope you are having a horrifying time :)
Today I'll be talking about dark poetry. Before we dig in, I just want to let you know what today's giveaway is...
Post a comment below to enter to win
Two winners will be randomly chosen to receive book prizes...be sure to remember to enter!
Ok, into the darkness we go...
I enjoy reading and writing form poetry. Over the years, I've researched and tried my hand at several different types: villanelle, sestina, sonnet, ghazal, and haiku. I think I most enjoy seeing what happens to my initial poetic thought after writing it in more than one form. Something about the structure dictating the final outcome means the resulting poem may very well be a surprise, even to me. (I'm okay with that, though—as a novelist, my characters often hijack my plot and do things I didn't intend for them and the story takes on a life of its own.)
Haiku is a beautiful short form that holds an entire poetic thought in its brief wording. The original form demanded much from its language, with requirements of a "cutting word" and reference to nature. Most of us are familiar with the three-line, 5-7-5 syllable pattern. Haiku have evolved over time, slipping free of the mandated reference to nature and finding a welcome space in the world of speculative poetry.
My latest poetic obsession is scifaiku—science fiction/fantasy poetry in haiku form. I penned a few 'ku that I collectively called "Shakespeare in Space". Some appeared in Grievous Angel and Star*Line magazines. I'm sure William Shakespeare would have been horrified. (Them's the breaks, Willie.)
I haven't tried to write horror haiku, but I do know someone who does, and does it with the chilling panache we've come to expect from her work.
AF Stewart is a poet and author from Nova Scotia. Over the years, I've gotten quite familiar with her and her work, so it's no wonder that when I hear the words "dark poetry" she immediately comes to mind. Stewart uses verse to paint in the colors of blood and blade and shadow, and her latest collection "Horror Haiku and Other Poems" is a spectacular canvas, indeed.
True to the spirit of haiku, her poems each have a reference to nature—the moonlit night, the cold depth of ocean, the dampness of earth and stone. Others offer a glimpse of a deeper, perhaps hidden (perhaps not-so-hidden) nature—the nature of man, of beast, of evil.
And cutting words! In some pieces they are quite literal (and so creepy they make me smile). In others, they are subtle but impactful. You feel the cut most sharply after you read it, absorb it, and process it.
My favorite poem of the collection is a great example of this:
See the twist, the moment everything changes? That's what makes it haiku. The dread that seeps under your skin once you read it...that's what makes it horror.
The poems are accompanied by hauntingly beautiful photography and artwork, which add another layer to the splendor of the book. You can also find links to sites online that showcase Stewart's verses and accompanying artwork. I especially enjoyed learning about #HorrorHaikuesday and may have to start looking into that, myself!
Stewart's poetry has always taken me to dark, dark places. This collection does so with the swiftness of an unseen attack, the drop of a knife, the swipe of a claw. Powerful imagery entwined in haiku brevity, all wrapped up with deeply dark pretties. If you're looking for fine examples of horror haiku or are simply in the mood for a snippet of horror to get you through your day, I recommend you read this collection.
HORROR HAIKU AND OTHER POEMS by AF STEWART is available today!
Smashwords
Amazon
Goodreads
From the murky recesses of social media (otherwise known as Twitter) and the blood-dripping delights of #HorrorHaikuesday, comes the inspiration for Horror Haiku and Other Poems. Thirty-eight haiku style poems and eighteen longer form poems grace the black innards of this book, screaming terror and shivering in dread.
AF Stewart A steadfast and proud sci-fi and fantasy geek, A. F. Stewart was born and raised in Nova Scotia, Canada and still calls it home. The youngest in a family of seven children, she always had an overly creative mind and an active imagination. She favours the dark and deadly when writing—her genres of choice being dark fantasy and horror—but she has been known to venture into the light on occasion. As an indie author she’s published novellas and story collections, with a few side trips into poetry and non-fiction.
Website: https://afallonblog.wordpress.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/scribe77Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afstewartauthor/Blog: http://afstewartblog.blogspot.ca/
Thanks for joining me. Hope you take a moment to check out Stewart's new book. Happy reading, everyone.
Enter my October Frights giveaway here: a Rafflecopter giveaway
See who else is playing in the dark... click on the link below to get hopping!
An InLinkz Link-up
And don't miss the other giveaways you'll find when you click on the October Giveaways tab up above or click here for a handy shortcut :)
If your email address changes, please follow these instructions:
1. Scroll down to the bottom of an email from Ash Krafton's blog and click UNSUBSCRIBE to remove your old email addy from the database. Then
2. Go to http://ash-krafton.blogspot.com/ and SUBSCRIBE (on the right-hand side, in the sidebar) with your new address!
3. Continue getting all the news about Ash Krafton and stay happy :)
Today I'll be talking about dark poetry. Before we dig in, I just want to let you know what today's giveaway is...
Post a comment below to enter to win
Two winners will be randomly chosen to receive book prizes...be sure to remember to enter!
Ok, into the darkness we go...I enjoy reading and writing form poetry. Over the years, I've researched and tried my hand at several different types: villanelle, sestina, sonnet, ghazal, and haiku. I think I most enjoy seeing what happens to my initial poetic thought after writing it in more than one form. Something about the structure dictating the final outcome means the resulting poem may very well be a surprise, even to me. (I'm okay with that, though—as a novelist, my characters often hijack my plot and do things I didn't intend for them and the story takes on a life of its own.)
Haiku is a beautiful short form that holds an entire poetic thought in its brief wording. The original form demanded much from its language, with requirements of a "cutting word" and reference to nature. Most of us are familiar with the three-line, 5-7-5 syllable pattern. Haiku have evolved over time, slipping free of the mandated reference to nature and finding a welcome space in the world of speculative poetry.
My latest poetic obsession is scifaiku—science fiction/fantasy poetry in haiku form. I penned a few 'ku that I collectively called "Shakespeare in Space". Some appeared in Grievous Angel and Star*Line magazines. I'm sure William Shakespeare would have been horrified. (Them's the breaks, Willie.)
I haven't tried to write horror haiku, but I do know someone who does, and does it with the chilling panache we've come to expect from her work.
AF Stewart is a poet and author from Nova Scotia. Over the years, I've gotten quite familiar with her and her work, so it's no wonder that when I hear the words "dark poetry" she immediately comes to mind. Stewart uses verse to paint in the colors of blood and blade and shadow, and her latest collection "Horror Haiku and Other Poems" is a spectacular canvas, indeed.
True to the spirit of haiku, her poems each have a reference to nature—the moonlit night, the cold depth of ocean, the dampness of earth and stone. Others offer a glimpse of a deeper, perhaps hidden (perhaps not-so-hidden) nature—the nature of man, of beast, of evil.
And cutting words! In some pieces they are quite literal (and so creepy they make me smile). In others, they are subtle but impactful. You feel the cut most sharply after you read it, absorb it, and process it.
My favorite poem of the collection is a great example of this:
Darkest deep, unvoiced
beneath cracked civility
until the blood spills
by AF Stewart, "Horror Haiku and Other Poems"
See the twist, the moment everything changes? That's what makes it haiku. The dread that seeps under your skin once you read it...that's what makes it horror.
The poems are accompanied by hauntingly beautiful photography and artwork, which add another layer to the splendor of the book. You can also find links to sites online that showcase Stewart's verses and accompanying artwork. I especially enjoyed learning about #HorrorHaikuesday and may have to start looking into that, myself!
Stewart's poetry has always taken me to dark, dark places. This collection does so with the swiftness of an unseen attack, the drop of a knife, the swipe of a claw. Powerful imagery entwined in haiku brevity, all wrapped up with deeply dark pretties. If you're looking for fine examples of horror haiku or are simply in the mood for a snippet of horror to get you through your day, I recommend you read this collection.
HORROR HAIKU AND OTHER POEMS by AF STEWART is available today!Smashwords
Amazon
Goodreads
From the murky recesses of social media (otherwise known as Twitter) and the blood-dripping delights of #HorrorHaikuesday, comes the inspiration for Horror Haiku and Other Poems. Thirty-eight haiku style poems and eighteen longer form poems grace the black innards of this book, screaming terror and shivering in dread.
AF Stewart A steadfast and proud sci-fi and fantasy geek, A. F. Stewart was born and raised in Nova Scotia, Canada and still calls it home. The youngest in a family of seven children, she always had an overly creative mind and an active imagination. She favours the dark and deadly when writing—her genres of choice being dark fantasy and horror—but she has been known to venture into the light on occasion. As an indie author she’s published novellas and story collections, with a few side trips into poetry and non-fiction.Website: https://afallonblog.wordpress.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/scribe77Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afstewartauthor/Blog: http://afstewartblog.blogspot.ca/
Thanks for joining me. Hope you take a moment to check out Stewart's new book. Happy reading, everyone.
Enter my October Frights giveaway here: a Rafflecopter giveaway
See who else is playing in the dark... click on the link below to get hopping!
An InLinkz Link-up
And don't miss the other giveaways you'll find when you click on the October Giveaways tab up above or click here for a handy shortcut :)
If your email address changes, please follow these instructions:
1. Scroll down to the bottom of an email from Ash Krafton's blog and click UNSUBSCRIBE to remove your old email addy from the database. Then
2. Go to http://ash-krafton.blogspot.com/ and SUBSCRIBE (on the right-hand side, in the sidebar) with your new address!
3. Continue getting all the news about Ash Krafton and stay happy :)
October 10, 2016
#OctoberFrights Blog Hop October 10-15, 2016!
This week kicks off the annual October Frights Blog Hop, organized by Clarissa Johal.Two dozen authors will be bringing you deadly delights...
For my part, I'll be sharing AF Stewart's new book of poetry when she celebrates her launch tomorrow. Be sure to visit me on October 11 for a review and special giveaway.
I'll also be breaking big news this month and would love to share it with you. If you love urban fantasy books that are cover-to-cover-full of vampires, werewolves, witches, oracles, and long-past deities, then you won't want to miss it. All you have to do is sign up for my mailing list and you'll get the news fresh (as well as get access to special subscriber offers).
Sound good to you? Awesome! And here's a bonus: sign up by entering this Rafflecopter giveaway and I'll pick three of you to get a blog-hopping goodie. There's extra chances to win...just click away!
Enter my October Frights giveaway here: a Rafflecopter giveaway
See who else is playing in the dark... click on the link below to get hopping!
An InLinkz Link-up
And don't miss the other giveaways you'll find when you click on the October Giveaways tab up above or click here for a handy shortcut :)
If your email address changes, please follow these instructions:
1. Scroll down to the bottom of an email from Ash Krafton's blog and click UNSUBSCRIBE to remove your old email addy from the database. Then
2. Go to http://ash-krafton.blogspot.com/ and SUBSCRIBE (on the right-hand side, in the sidebar) with your new address!
3. Continue getting all the news about Ash Krafton and stay happy :)
October 3, 2016
Falling for Romance Giveaway!
Octobers are busy months for me...so many great giveaway and blog hops going on.
I'm participating in quite a few over the next few weeks, so I'll be sharing them with you. Lots of chances to win Amazon Gift Cards, fabulous books, Halloween swag...can't even name them all.
Let's get started with one for ROMANCE lovers. (And this one is super easy...one simple entry, loads of prizes!) How long has it been since you fell in love with a new story? Now's your chance to meet a group of new authors and see what kind of romance they're brewing.
Good luck, everyone...hope you find a new book to fall in love with when you meet these wonderful authors!
Fall has arrived! Enter to win $1100 in Amazon Gift Cards!One simple entry will subscribe you to 58 Romance Author Newsletters. Unsubscribe any time, but please don't label us as spam. Better still, stick around and get to know us. Participating Authors:Abbie Roads | Alexa Brookes | Alexis Noelle | Allie Cooke | Amy L Gale | Amy Lamont | Anne Stone | Asa Marie Bradley | Ash Krafton | Brandy Dorsch | C.E. Wilson | Christa Cervone | Christine Ardigo | Demelza Carlton | Eden Ashe | Elianne Adams | Em Petrova | Emma Nichols | Erin Cawood | Heather C. Myers | JB Duvane | Jennifer L. Allen | Jessica Linden | Joanna Mazurkiewicz | Joanne Dannon | Jordan Ford | Kellie Mc Allen | Kelly Moore | KN Lee | Laxmi Hariharan | Lena Bourne | Lena Mae Hill | Linda Joyce | Lindsay Cross | Liz Gavin | Lola Jamieson | Mary Abshire | Mary Jane | Melissa Pearl | Melissa Storm | Monica Corwin | N.W. Moors | Noelle Greene | Piper Rayne | Robyn Roze | Seven Steps | Skye Jordan | Susanne Bellamy | Sydney Aaliyah Michelle | Talina Perkins | Teagan Kade | Tiffani Lynn | Tina Moss | Tracey Pedersen | Tracy A. Ball | Tracy Ellen | Victoria Pinder
Enter to win here: http://lovekissedbooks.com/2016/10/01/enter-to-win-the-falling-for-romance-giveaway/ If your email address changes, please follow these instructions:
1. Scroll down to the bottom of an email from Ash Krafton's blog and click UNSUBSCRIBE to remove your old email addy from the database. Then
2. Go to http://ash-krafton.blogspot.com/ and SUBSCRIBE (on the right-hand side, in the sidebar) with your new address!
3. Continue getting all the news about Ash Krafton and stay happy :)
I'm participating in quite a few over the next few weeks, so I'll be sharing them with you. Lots of chances to win Amazon Gift Cards, fabulous books, Halloween swag...can't even name them all.
Let's get started with one for ROMANCE lovers. (And this one is super easy...one simple entry, loads of prizes!) How long has it been since you fell in love with a new story? Now's your chance to meet a group of new authors and see what kind of romance they're brewing.
Good luck, everyone...hope you find a new book to fall in love with when you meet these wonderful authors!
Fall has arrived! Enter to win $1100 in Amazon Gift Cards!One simple entry will subscribe you to 58 Romance Author Newsletters. Unsubscribe any time, but please don't label us as spam. Better still, stick around and get to know us. Participating Authors:Abbie Roads | Alexa Brookes | Alexis Noelle | Allie Cooke | Amy L Gale | Amy Lamont | Anne Stone | Asa Marie Bradley | Ash Krafton | Brandy Dorsch | C.E. Wilson | Christa Cervone | Christine Ardigo | Demelza Carlton | Eden Ashe | Elianne Adams | Em Petrova | Emma Nichols | Erin Cawood | Heather C. Myers | JB Duvane | Jennifer L. Allen | Jessica Linden | Joanna Mazurkiewicz | Joanne Dannon | Jordan Ford | Kellie Mc Allen | Kelly Moore | KN Lee | Laxmi Hariharan | Lena Bourne | Lena Mae Hill | Linda Joyce | Lindsay Cross | Liz Gavin | Lola Jamieson | Mary Abshire | Mary Jane | Melissa Pearl | Melissa Storm | Monica Corwin | N.W. Moors | Noelle Greene | Piper Rayne | Robyn Roze | Seven Steps | Skye Jordan | Susanne Bellamy | Sydney Aaliyah Michelle | Talina Perkins | Teagan Kade | Tiffani Lynn | Tina Moss | Tracey Pedersen | Tracy A. Ball | Tracy Ellen | Victoria Pinder
Enter to win here: http://lovekissedbooks.com/2016/10/01/enter-to-win-the-falling-for-romance-giveaway/ If your email address changes, please follow these instructions:
1. Scroll down to the bottom of an email from Ash Krafton's blog and click UNSUBSCRIBE to remove your old email addy from the database. Then
2. Go to http://ash-krafton.blogspot.com/ and SUBSCRIBE (on the right-hand side, in the sidebar) with your new address!
3. Continue getting all the news about Ash Krafton and stay happy :)
August 23, 2016
CHARM CITY: Get hooked on a new #urbanfantasy series!
CHARM CITY Kindle release day!
There are demons all around us, legions of the dark that break loose from Hell's restraints to prowl the mortal plane. Most people can't see them and will never suffer their torments. They are the lucky ones.
Guess that makes Simon Alliant the unluckiest man alive.
He's learned that the only luck a man has is the luck he makes for himself. Call him exorcist. Call him master of the dark arts. Call him dime-store magician. Most names don't matter, not when Hell knows yours.
Armed with his spells and his amulets and his desperate drive toward redemption, he fights the rising darkness and sends those demons screaming back into Hell, one minion at a time.
But not all demons can be exorcised. Some dwell too deep inside a man's bones to be so easily banished. Simon is smart--or, at least, cynical--enough to know which battles are worth fighting.
It takes more than a fistful of charms to stay alive in his line of work. And staying alive is the only way to avoid giving the Devil his due...
Welcome to the world of The Demon Whisperer. It kicks off today with the Kindle release of the first book in the series: CHARM CITY.
Now available on Kindle!CHARM CITY (The Demon Whisperer #1)
The darkness is rising and one man stands against it: the exorcist mage Simon Alliant. But in Baltimore, he finally meets his match...a part-mortal divinity with the power to whisper away demons.
Simon Alliant is an exorcist who battles demons, whether he wants to or not. Sometimes it's not so bad...he gets to play with magic, after all. But for Simon, magic represents a demon of another kind. He's addicted to magic and it takes more than a handful of charms to keep that particular demon at bay.
Chiara is part Light, part Dark, and stubbornly mortal. The woman has a way with words: she literally talks demons into abandoning their human hosts. Simon thinks that's not the only trick she has up her sleeve-and that's pretty high praise coming from a mage like him.
As intriguing as that may be, Simon has too many reasons to distrust her...one of them being his more-or-less partner, an angelic Watcher. Amidst all the celestial warnings of the rising dark comes a new prophesy that makes him wonder: is Chiara a threat to him and all of mankind?
Or will she be his salvation?
Join the legions and pick your side: Light or Dark. Just know this...decisions like this are never easy, because there's no black and white when it comes to good and evil.
Grab your lucky charm. You might need it.
If your email address changes, please follow these instructions:
1. Scroll down to the bottom of an email from Ash Krafton's blog and click UNSUBSCRIBE to remove your old email addy from the database. Then
2. Go to http://ash-krafton.blogspot.com/ and SUBSCRIBE (on the right-hand side, in the sidebar) with your new address!
3. Continue getting all the news about Ash Krafton and stay happy :)
August 19, 2016
Author Spotlight & New Release: The Last Bucelarii (Book 2): Lament of the Fallen by Andy Peloquin
Hey, all! Today I'm thrilled to share something from my friend, Andy Peloquin...ten things you NEED to know about him (although I don't know about number four...I mean, hello? Vertigo!).
Oh, yeah, and he's got a new book out, too. *wink* Let's get to it!
A faceless, nameless assassin. A forgotten past. The Hunter of Voramis--a killer devoid of morals, or something else altogether?
Andy Peloquin returns with the second book in his dark fantasy series...
The Last Bucelarii (Book 2): Lament of the Fallen
The Hunter of Voramis is no more.
Alone with the bloodthirsty voices in his head, fleeing the pain of loss, he has one objective: travel north to find Her, the mystery woman who plagues his dreams and haunts his memories.
When he stumbles upon a bandit attack, something within urges him to help. His actions set him at odds with the warrior priests commanded to hunt down the Bucelarii.
Left for dead, the Hunter must travel to Malandria to recover his stolen birthright. There, he is inexorably drawn into direct conflict with the Order of Midas, the faceless, nameless group of magicians that holds the city in a grip of terror. All while struggling to silence the ever-louder voice in his mind that drives him to kill.
From feared assassin to wretched outcast, the Hunter's journey leads him to truths about his forgotten past and the Abiarazi he has pledged to hunt. His discoveries will shed light on who he really is…what he really is.
Fans of Joe Abercrombie, Brandon Sanderson, and Brent Weeks will love the Hunter…
Find it now:
Amazon Kindle
Amazon PaperbackGoodreads
Andy Peloquin--a third culture kid to the core--has loved to read since before he could remember. Sherlock Holmes, the Phantom of the Opera, and Father Brown are just a few of the books that ensnared his imagination as a child.
When he discovered science fiction and fantasy through the pages of writers like Edgar Rice Burroughs, J.R.R Tolkien, and Orson Scott Card, he was immediately hooked and hasn't looked back since.
Reading—and now writing—is his favorite escape, and it provides him an outlet for his innate creativity. He is an artist; words are his palette.
His website (http://www.andypeloquin.com) is a second home for him, a place where he can post his thoughts and feelings--along with reviews of books he finds laying around the internet.
He can also be found on his social media pages, such as:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndyPeloquin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andyqpeloquin
www.linkedin.com/in/andypeloquin/
https://plus.google.com/1008859946389...
https://www.amazon.com/author/andypel...
https://www.facebook.com/andrew.peloq...
And now, a word from Andy (even if #4 is a bit misguided. He's easy to forgive*.)
10 Things You Need to Know About Meby Andy Peloquin
1. Hot wings, ALWAYS!
2. I never forget a face, but rarely remember a name.
3. I'm a head taller than the average person (I'm 6' 6")
4. Marvel > DC
5. I was born in Japan, and lived there until the age of 14.
6. Selena Gomez, Skrillex, Simon & Garfunkel, Celine Dion, and Five Finger Death Punch are all in my writing playlist.
7. Aliens are real, but it's self-centered of us to believe that they would come to visit Earth.
8. Watching sports: suck. Playing sports: EPIC!
9. I earned a purple belt in Karate/Hapkido/Taekwondo.
10. I dislike most Christmas music, aside from Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
Get to know Andy Peloquin better at his book launch event on Facebook!
Best wishes for a great release, Andy!
* because of numbers 3 and 9. I know when I'm outmatched :^)
If your email address changes, please follow these instructions:
1. Scroll down to the bottom of an email from Ash Krafton's blog and click UNSUBSCRIBE to remove your old email addy from the database. Then
2. Go to http://ash-krafton.blogspot.com/ and SUBSCRIBE (on the right-hand side, in the sidebar) with your new address!
3. Continue getting all the news about Ash Krafton and stay happy :)
Oh, yeah, and he's got a new book out, too. *wink* Let's get to it!
A faceless, nameless assassin. A forgotten past. The Hunter of Voramis--a killer devoid of morals, or something else altogether?
Andy Peloquin returns with the second book in his dark fantasy series...
The Last Bucelarii (Book 2): Lament of the Fallen
The Hunter of Voramis is no more.
Alone with the bloodthirsty voices in his head, fleeing the pain of loss, he has one objective: travel north to find Her, the mystery woman who plagues his dreams and haunts his memories.
When he stumbles upon a bandit attack, something within urges him to help. His actions set him at odds with the warrior priests commanded to hunt down the Bucelarii.
Left for dead, the Hunter must travel to Malandria to recover his stolen birthright. There, he is inexorably drawn into direct conflict with the Order of Midas, the faceless, nameless group of magicians that holds the city in a grip of terror. All while struggling to silence the ever-louder voice in his mind that drives him to kill.
From feared assassin to wretched outcast, the Hunter's journey leads him to truths about his forgotten past and the Abiarazi he has pledged to hunt. His discoveries will shed light on who he really is…what he really is.
Fans of Joe Abercrombie, Brandon Sanderson, and Brent Weeks will love the Hunter…
Find it now:
Amazon Kindle
Amazon PaperbackGoodreads
Andy Peloquin--a third culture kid to the core--has loved to read since before he could remember. Sherlock Holmes, the Phantom of the Opera, and Father Brown are just a few of the books that ensnared his imagination as a child.When he discovered science fiction and fantasy through the pages of writers like Edgar Rice Burroughs, J.R.R Tolkien, and Orson Scott Card, he was immediately hooked and hasn't looked back since.
Reading—and now writing—is his favorite escape, and it provides him an outlet for his innate creativity. He is an artist; words are his palette.
His website (http://www.andypeloquin.com) is a second home for him, a place where he can post his thoughts and feelings--along with reviews of books he finds laying around the internet.
He can also be found on his social media pages, such as:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndyPeloquin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andyqpeloquin
www.linkedin.com/in/andypeloquin/
https://plus.google.com/1008859946389...
https://www.amazon.com/author/andypel...
https://www.facebook.com/andrew.peloq...
And now, a word from Andy (even if #4 is a bit misguided. He's easy to forgive*.)
10 Things You Need to Know About Meby Andy Peloquin
1. Hot wings, ALWAYS!
2. I never forget a face, but rarely remember a name.
3. I'm a head taller than the average person (I'm 6' 6")
4. Marvel > DC
5. I was born in Japan, and lived there until the age of 14.
6. Selena Gomez, Skrillex, Simon & Garfunkel, Celine Dion, and Five Finger Death Punch are all in my writing playlist.
7. Aliens are real, but it's self-centered of us to believe that they would come to visit Earth.
8. Watching sports: suck. Playing sports: EPIC!
9. I earned a purple belt in Karate/Hapkido/Taekwondo.
10. I dislike most Christmas music, aside from Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
Get to know Andy Peloquin better at his book launch event on Facebook!
Best wishes for a great release, Andy!
* because of numbers 3 and 9. I know when I'm outmatched :^)
If your email address changes, please follow these instructions:
1. Scroll down to the bottom of an email from Ash Krafton's blog and click UNSUBSCRIBE to remove your old email addy from the database. Then
2. Go to http://ash-krafton.blogspot.com/ and SUBSCRIBE (on the right-hand side, in the sidebar) with your new address!
3. Continue getting all the news about Ash Krafton and stay happy :)
July 27, 2016
Ash Krafton's new Review Zoo: For readers that are wild about books
When it comes to publishing, every indie author will agree that it's a total zoo out there.
In an age where millions of new books are published every year, an indie author has to work harder than ever to get noticed. We don't have massive publishing houses behind us, or sprawling PR teams, or worldwide celebrity.
Can you rattle another reader's cage?That doesn't mean an indie author stands alone. We have a very special team standing with us—our readers. Our readers inspire us to hang tough when the going gets rough. Our readers encourage us to keep writing new tales. Our readers make homes within their hearts for our books. Writing may be a solitary effort, but our readers help make writing a community event.
After all, to ruin a quote by the Bard: What books are books if readers be not by?
The Review Zoo
Reviews are so important to a writer's success. Here's why:
· Reviews provide a book with "social proof". They show prospective readers that other readers read the book and were engaged enough to share their thoughts.
· Reviews allow authors to promote their work through certain ads and email services, which often require a certain number of reviews. A book with few reviews is pretty much an unknown book and those promo companies won't take a chance on sharing it.
· Reviews let an author know what they are doing right—or wrong.
Over the years, I have been blessed by the special support many readers have shown for my work by leaving a review. Some have been so eloquently written that I was truly, deeply moved by the words. Some have been quick, short, sweet, and perfect in their brevity. Some have let me know that a book missed the mark for them. But they all made such a difference in what I write today.
That's why I'm recruiting for the Review Zoo. Readers who put effort into leaving reviews deserve special treatment because of the tremendous service they provide. I'd love a way to be able to make it easy to get books to readers like these.
So if you're a reader who loves to talk about books and is willing to leave reviews for them, I want you to join my Zoo.
· If you join my Review Zoo, you'll get a free digital copy (Kindle or PDF) of each new release.
· You must post your review to Amazon within one week of the release, but readers who post their review to Amazon within twenty-four hours of release will be pooled into a drawing for a 100$ gift card.
· Older books need love and reviews, too. If you post a new review for any book on my backlist, you'll be eligible to win a gift card in one of my regularly-scheduled Catch-Up Contests.
· The Zoo will always get first crack at the swag. (If you've been with me a while, you know I love the swag…remember the Turn of the Wheel concert shirts I did for WOLF'S BANE?)
Are you with us? Simply fill out this form https://goo.gl/forms/QTUSTktM59GtiwfD3with your contact info and answer a few easy questions. You'll also be asked to provide the link to a review you've already left on Amazon, so pick your favorite.
If you are unable to fill out the form, then email me at ashkrafton (at) Hotmail (dot) comwith the following: Name, address, digital format preference, and a link to one of your previous reviews.
Don't forget to tell me which of my books you've read and which one you're still dying to read.
I'm looking forward to hearing from you. Let's rattle some cages and talk some books!
If your email address changes, please follow these instructions:
1. Scroll down to the bottom of an email from Ash Krafton's blog and click UNSUBSCRIBE to remove your old email addy from the database. Then
2. Go to http://ash-krafton.blogspot.com/ and SUBSCRIBE (on the right-hand side, in the sidebar) with your new address!
3. Continue getting all the news about Ash Krafton and stay happy :)
July 26, 2016
Feels good to be raisin' hell again...#amwriting
Aw, man. I can't believe how fast the summer is flying by...
Maybe it seems that way because my day-job schedule changed drastically over the last three months. I didn't think going from thirty to forty hours a week could have made such a difference but it has really chewed the edges off my free time. And I LOVE my free time, because my free time is my writing time.
It took a few weeks, but I eventually stepped up my time management skills and figured out how to make the most of each of those non-day-job hours. (Which means I'm totally in Ghost Hunters rerun withdrawal. Trigger to the chin.)
At least I have lots to show for it :) Oh, the news...
First chunk of big news...CHARM CITY (The Demon Whisperer #1) is available for Kindle pre-order!I uploaded the files today (after rocking out some sweet chapter header graphics last night). This book is doing amazingly well on Wattpad.com, where it's been read nearly 20,000 times! *jaw drop* All that's left to do is work out the kinks and get some starter reviews. I'm so psyched to get this series out there!
Second chunk...The sequel, MURDER THE LIGHT (The Demon Whisperer #2) is nearing completion! I've been using Scrivener for this project and it's really shown its superiority over Word as far as reorganization goes. Scrivener is a huge part of my time management success, especially because of the corkboard view. Although I don't have a release date yet, I know it's within reach now.
Third chunk...let's call it a triple chunk!The Demimonde trilogy is getting a facelift! New covers are on the way for my first urban fantasy trilogy. I'm thinking...maybe a big release event this fall. Sneak peeks will come soon through my newsletter.
Speaking of newsletter, are you signed up? If any of these happy, happy things make you happy, too, then join up (link to join the mailing list is over on the sidebar.) As we get closer, superfans will get to see everything first, as well as have the chance to grab up review copies.
Anyways, I guess after laying it out like this, it should be no surprise that the summer is just melting away. I was actually pretty productive...and my mage exorcist, Simon Alliant, has been raising all sorts of hell.
That's my boy... *grins*
Maybe I do deserve a bit of a Ghost Hunters break today...If your email address changes, please follow these instructions:
1. Scroll down to the bottom of an email from Ash Krafton's blog and click UNSUBSCRIBE to remove your old email addy from the database. Then
2. Go to http://ash-krafton.blogspot.com/ and SUBSCRIBE (on the right-hand side, in the sidebar) with your new address!
3. Continue getting all the news about Ash Krafton and stay happy :)
Maybe it seems that way because my day-job schedule changed drastically over the last three months. I didn't think going from thirty to forty hours a week could have made such a difference but it has really chewed the edges off my free time. And I LOVE my free time, because my free time is my writing time.
It took a few weeks, but I eventually stepped up my time management skills and figured out how to make the most of each of those non-day-job hours. (Which means I'm totally in Ghost Hunters rerun withdrawal. Trigger to the chin.)
At least I have lots to show for it :) Oh, the news...
First chunk of big news...CHARM CITY (The Demon Whisperer #1) is available for Kindle pre-order!I uploaded the files today (after rocking out some sweet chapter header graphics last night). This book is doing amazingly well on Wattpad.com, where it's been read nearly 20,000 times! *jaw drop* All that's left to do is work out the kinks and get some starter reviews. I'm so psyched to get this series out there!
Second chunk...The sequel, MURDER THE LIGHT (The Demon Whisperer #2) is nearing completion! I've been using Scrivener for this project and it's really shown its superiority over Word as far as reorganization goes. Scrivener is a huge part of my time management success, especially because of the corkboard view. Although I don't have a release date yet, I know it's within reach now.
Third chunk...let's call it a triple chunk!The Demimonde trilogy is getting a facelift! New covers are on the way for my first urban fantasy trilogy. I'm thinking...maybe a big release event this fall. Sneak peeks will come soon through my newsletter.
Speaking of newsletter, are you signed up? If any of these happy, happy things make you happy, too, then join up (link to join the mailing list is over on the sidebar.) As we get closer, superfans will get to see everything first, as well as have the chance to grab up review copies.Anyways, I guess after laying it out like this, it should be no surprise that the summer is just melting away. I was actually pretty productive...and my mage exorcist, Simon Alliant, has been raising all sorts of hell.
That's my boy... *grins*
Maybe I do deserve a bit of a Ghost Hunters break today...If your email address changes, please follow these instructions:
1. Scroll down to the bottom of an email from Ash Krafton's blog and click UNSUBSCRIBE to remove your old email addy from the database. Then
2. Go to http://ash-krafton.blogspot.com/ and SUBSCRIBE (on the right-hand side, in the sidebar) with your new address!
3. Continue getting all the news about Ash Krafton and stay happy :)
July 5, 2016
Happy Release Day, Katie French! #infiniteinkauthors #TheBreeders
Congratulations to Katie French on her newest release! At long last, we have it: the fifth book in The Breeders series…THE BARRIERS!
Book Five in the best-selling young adult dystopian series, The BreedersTHE BARRIERS
Riley hasn't seen her boyfriend Clay or her nine-year-old brother Ethan for two months. Between violent road gangs and ongoing clashes between the Breeders and the Free Colonies, are they even still alive? But Riley will never stop looking. Her search takes her to Kirtland Air Force Base, where she finds the remains of a battle and one glimmer of hope: rumors of the boys heading toward the Free Colonies and a man who can help her get there. The only catch? He nearly murders Riley the first time they meet.
Meanwhile, Clay, Ethan, and Betsy struggle to steer clear of bandits, thieves, and slavers. Their water is gone, along with Clay’s memory and Ethan's patience for Betsy, who only makes things worse by trying to convince Clay they're in love. With Clay's mind muddy, it’s up to Ethan to keep them alive long enough for Riley to find them.
The route back together is paved with trials—and how many more have to pay for their freedom with their lives?
THE BARRIER joins a wildly popular YA Dystopian series that, to date, has sold over 50,000 copies and has received more than 400 four and five star reviews! It’s also a firm placement in the Top Ten in Free Kindle Teen & Young Adult Science Fiction Dystopian Romance.
Need more convincing? Here’s a taste of the opening pages…
THE BARRIERS: The Breeders #5 by Katie French
Beetle drove up the cracked road as fast as the depleted solar car would go. Subject Seven was gaining on him.
He’d seen flashes of Seven in the rearview, racing along the roadside behind him, ducking in and out of debris, cactus, and brush. He’d stunned it, that much he knew for sure. Zapped it good from six feet away with his Taser, a killer shot by anyone’s standards, but it had recovered so quickly. It was then Beetle realized he never should have come alone, or this late in the day. Now, with no sun to charge the solar car and no juice in the batteries, he was a few minutes away from having to run.
And that would be a problem.
He’d tracked the damn thing all afternoon. The crumbled city was a veritable labyrinth of places for it to hide. Every collapsed building hid dark basements and closets. Each alleyway had piles of bricks and trash, perfect hiding spots for a being as disgusting and ruthless as the one he was tracking. Then he’d found the lair. Both terrified and excited, Beetle had waded through nests of shredded fabrics, dirty sweaters, blue jeans, and kids’ blankets, all culled from the abandoned storefronts and dragged into the basement of one of the collapsed buildings on Main Street. But Subject Seven wasn’t in the nest. Satellite technology wasn’t what it used to be. That could explain the error in Dr. Washington’s calculations, but as he climbed through chunks of the abandoned town the thing called home, he had a feeling Seven was setting him up.
The damn thing knew he was coming and had laid a false trail. One he followed until it nearly took his head off.
It was smarter than they thought. And more brutal.
They’d jumped him in an alley, Subjects Seven and Eight working in tandem. He hadn’t even considered Eight could be a threat. He’d nearly had his head separated from his body before he was able to get the Taser in his hands and zap them both. Once they were on their backs, he’d given Seven a swift kick, not that he would tell anyone. Then he’d grabbed Eight and ran.
Now he glanced in the backseat at the mound beneath the blanket. Eight—unconscious and safe. If he brought Subject Eight back, he’d receive a hero’s welcome. Dr. Washington could continue her experiments and “set the world straight again.” And if he failed? He didn’t know who he was more afraid of—the other doctors or Subject Seven.
His foot pressed the acceleration pedal to the floor, but the car continued to creep along, lurching like a drunk toward home. Only minutes left until the juice ran out. Until he was stranded.
“Come on, you bastard,” he said through gritted teeth. He pressed his foot down until it hurt, but the car continued to slow.
“Oh God,” he breathed, his fingers trembling as he glanced into the rearview. Where was Seven?
The solar car meant safety, a solid steel-alloy frame with giant all-terrain tires. What would he do when it finally died? How in the hell did he think he’d get away on foot carrying the nearly seventy-pound cargo? He couldn’t leave Eight behind. Dr. Washington would banish him to the desert.
The Taser should’ve laid Subject Seven out longer. Beetle thought a zap that powerful might’ve killed the thing. That one error might mean the end of his life.
The car slammed to a stop. Beetle’s chest rammed into the steering wheel, shooting pain up his sternum. Eight rolled off the seat and banged into him from behind. He hoped it was okay. He pressed the accelerator once more, but nothing happened. His wheels were stuck, and the car’s battery was almost dead.
“Sonofabitch!” he screamed, pounding the steering wheel until it hurt. Why wasn’t he paying attention to the road? Goddamn it, he was not going to die. He was not!
Glancing out the windows and seeing nothing but buttes and scraggly cactus, Beetle swung open the door and stepped out. The concrete in front of him had fallen away, tumbling into a broken pile on the bottom of a three-foot crevice that cut jaggedly across the road. It had probably been created by those earthquakes they’d felt a few months ago. His front wheel had gotten lodged in the crack. If he had seen it, he probably could’ve dodged it, but he was preoccupied with looking in the rearview. He leaned down and considered his predicament. The tire dangled into the open space, and the car was resting on its frame. If the batteries weren’t on their last legs, he could gun it in reverse and probably get free, but the car had given up the ghost.
“Shit! Shit, shit, shit!” he yelled, and then regretted it, swinging around to look for Seven. So far, nothing. Dear Christman Jesus, he had to hurry.
God, how far was he from the base? In the distance, he could see the dip in the road that led home. Why had Dr. Washington sent him alone? Why wasn’t the team watching on the satellite and sending help? Maybe they were watching and didn’t care. This could all be part of Washington’s plan. To see what Subject Seven would do when provoked. As sweat poured down Beetle’s face, he decided to hell with Subject Eight. To hell with Dr. Washington. He didn’t want to be torn to pieces and left on the pavement for birds to pick at his guts.
He heard heavy breathing behind him. The hairs stood up on the back of his neck.
From his periphery, he saw the huge shape just before it clobbered him.
He fell hard. His head jarred against the pavement with a smack that radiated through his body.
Blackness.
When he came to, everything was blurry, fuzzy shapes in brown, yellow, and green. He couldn’t remember… Subject Seven. When he turned, pain shot up into his head sharp enough for his consciousness to fade. He blinked his eyes into focus.
Subject Seven was tearing the solar car apart in a frenzy. Beetle heard the creak of complaining metal as the door was bent back.
“Ssstop,” Beetle slurred. Where was the Taser? His trembling hands crept down his sides, searching for pockets that seemed miles away. The pulsing pain at the back of his skull threatened to end him, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Dr. Washington’s greatest achievement. And her worst.
“Don’t take it,” he managed.
Subject Seven turned and pounced.
Beetle’s breath chuffed away as Seven slammed both hands into his chest. He gulped for oxygen, but there was none to be found. His eyes opened to see Seven’s face above his, evaluating, calculating.
There was no mercy in that gaze.
The last thing he felt was the blow to his skull.
Need more? Grab your free copy of Book One and stop don’t stop reading when you hit THE BARRIERS.
About Katie French
Katie French is an Amazon best-selling author in Young Adult dystopian romance. Her book, The Breeders, has had nearly 50,000 downloads and counting and was a semi-finalist in the 2014 Kindle Book Awards. It's currently free on Amazon. She also has a kids’ series starting with Portia Parrott and the Great Kitten Rescue for ages 5-9.
She works as a high school English teacher, a job that she loves even when it exhausts her. In her free time she writes manically, reads great books, and takes care of her two beautiful and crazy children. She aspires to spend as much time in yoga pants as possible. You can join her mailing list at www.katiefrenchbooks.com and receive two free full-length novels. Contact her at katie@katiefrenchbooks.com.If your email address changes, please follow these instructions:
1. Scroll down to the bottom of an email from Ash Krafton's blog and click UNSUBSCRIBE to remove your old email addy from the database. Then
2. Go to http://ash-krafton.blogspot.com/ and SUBSCRIBE (on the right-hand side, in the sidebar) with your new address!
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Book Five in the best-selling young adult dystopian series, The BreedersTHE BARRIERS
Riley hasn't seen her boyfriend Clay or her nine-year-old brother Ethan for two months. Between violent road gangs and ongoing clashes between the Breeders and the Free Colonies, are they even still alive? But Riley will never stop looking. Her search takes her to Kirtland Air Force Base, where she finds the remains of a battle and one glimmer of hope: rumors of the boys heading toward the Free Colonies and a man who can help her get there. The only catch? He nearly murders Riley the first time they meet.
Meanwhile, Clay, Ethan, and Betsy struggle to steer clear of bandits, thieves, and slavers. Their water is gone, along with Clay’s memory and Ethan's patience for Betsy, who only makes things worse by trying to convince Clay they're in love. With Clay's mind muddy, it’s up to Ethan to keep them alive long enough for Riley to find them.
The route back together is paved with trials—and how many more have to pay for their freedom with their lives?
THE BARRIER joins a wildly popular YA Dystopian series that, to date, has sold over 50,000 copies and has received more than 400 four and five star reviews! It’s also a firm placement in the Top Ten in Free Kindle Teen & Young Adult Science Fiction Dystopian Romance.
Need more convincing? Here’s a taste of the opening pages…
THE BARRIERS: The Breeders #5 by Katie French
Beetle drove up the cracked road as fast as the depleted solar car would go. Subject Seven was gaining on him.
He’d seen flashes of Seven in the rearview, racing along the roadside behind him, ducking in and out of debris, cactus, and brush. He’d stunned it, that much he knew for sure. Zapped it good from six feet away with his Taser, a killer shot by anyone’s standards, but it had recovered so quickly. It was then Beetle realized he never should have come alone, or this late in the day. Now, with no sun to charge the solar car and no juice in the batteries, he was a few minutes away from having to run.
And that would be a problem.
He’d tracked the damn thing all afternoon. The crumbled city was a veritable labyrinth of places for it to hide. Every collapsed building hid dark basements and closets. Each alleyway had piles of bricks and trash, perfect hiding spots for a being as disgusting and ruthless as the one he was tracking. Then he’d found the lair. Both terrified and excited, Beetle had waded through nests of shredded fabrics, dirty sweaters, blue jeans, and kids’ blankets, all culled from the abandoned storefronts and dragged into the basement of one of the collapsed buildings on Main Street. But Subject Seven wasn’t in the nest. Satellite technology wasn’t what it used to be. That could explain the error in Dr. Washington’s calculations, but as he climbed through chunks of the abandoned town the thing called home, he had a feeling Seven was setting him up.
The damn thing knew he was coming and had laid a false trail. One he followed until it nearly took his head off.
It was smarter than they thought. And more brutal.
They’d jumped him in an alley, Subjects Seven and Eight working in tandem. He hadn’t even considered Eight could be a threat. He’d nearly had his head separated from his body before he was able to get the Taser in his hands and zap them both. Once they were on their backs, he’d given Seven a swift kick, not that he would tell anyone. Then he’d grabbed Eight and ran.
Now he glanced in the backseat at the mound beneath the blanket. Eight—unconscious and safe. If he brought Subject Eight back, he’d receive a hero’s welcome. Dr. Washington could continue her experiments and “set the world straight again.” And if he failed? He didn’t know who he was more afraid of—the other doctors or Subject Seven.
His foot pressed the acceleration pedal to the floor, but the car continued to creep along, lurching like a drunk toward home. Only minutes left until the juice ran out. Until he was stranded.
“Come on, you bastard,” he said through gritted teeth. He pressed his foot down until it hurt, but the car continued to slow.
“Oh God,” he breathed, his fingers trembling as he glanced into the rearview. Where was Seven?
The solar car meant safety, a solid steel-alloy frame with giant all-terrain tires. What would he do when it finally died? How in the hell did he think he’d get away on foot carrying the nearly seventy-pound cargo? He couldn’t leave Eight behind. Dr. Washington would banish him to the desert.
The Taser should’ve laid Subject Seven out longer. Beetle thought a zap that powerful might’ve killed the thing. That one error might mean the end of his life.
The car slammed to a stop. Beetle’s chest rammed into the steering wheel, shooting pain up his sternum. Eight rolled off the seat and banged into him from behind. He hoped it was okay. He pressed the accelerator once more, but nothing happened. His wheels were stuck, and the car’s battery was almost dead.
“Sonofabitch!” he screamed, pounding the steering wheel until it hurt. Why wasn’t he paying attention to the road? Goddamn it, he was not going to die. He was not!
Glancing out the windows and seeing nothing but buttes and scraggly cactus, Beetle swung open the door and stepped out. The concrete in front of him had fallen away, tumbling into a broken pile on the bottom of a three-foot crevice that cut jaggedly across the road. It had probably been created by those earthquakes they’d felt a few months ago. His front wheel had gotten lodged in the crack. If he had seen it, he probably could’ve dodged it, but he was preoccupied with looking in the rearview. He leaned down and considered his predicament. The tire dangled into the open space, and the car was resting on its frame. If the batteries weren’t on their last legs, he could gun it in reverse and probably get free, but the car had given up the ghost.
“Shit! Shit, shit, shit!” he yelled, and then regretted it, swinging around to look for Seven. So far, nothing. Dear Christman Jesus, he had to hurry.
God, how far was he from the base? In the distance, he could see the dip in the road that led home. Why had Dr. Washington sent him alone? Why wasn’t the team watching on the satellite and sending help? Maybe they were watching and didn’t care. This could all be part of Washington’s plan. To see what Subject Seven would do when provoked. As sweat poured down Beetle’s face, he decided to hell with Subject Eight. To hell with Dr. Washington. He didn’t want to be torn to pieces and left on the pavement for birds to pick at his guts.
He heard heavy breathing behind him. The hairs stood up on the back of his neck.
From his periphery, he saw the huge shape just before it clobbered him.
He fell hard. His head jarred against the pavement with a smack that radiated through his body.
Blackness.
When he came to, everything was blurry, fuzzy shapes in brown, yellow, and green. He couldn’t remember… Subject Seven. When he turned, pain shot up into his head sharp enough for his consciousness to fade. He blinked his eyes into focus.
Subject Seven was tearing the solar car apart in a frenzy. Beetle heard the creak of complaining metal as the door was bent back.
“Ssstop,” Beetle slurred. Where was the Taser? His trembling hands crept down his sides, searching for pockets that seemed miles away. The pulsing pain at the back of his skull threatened to end him, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Dr. Washington’s greatest achievement. And her worst.
“Don’t take it,” he managed.
Subject Seven turned and pounced.
Beetle’s breath chuffed away as Seven slammed both hands into his chest. He gulped for oxygen, but there was none to be found. His eyes opened to see Seven’s face above his, evaluating, calculating.
There was no mercy in that gaze.
The last thing he felt was the blow to his skull.
Need more? Grab your free copy of Book One and stop don’t stop reading when you hit THE BARRIERS.
About Katie French Katie French is an Amazon best-selling author in Young Adult dystopian romance. Her book, The Breeders, has had nearly 50,000 downloads and counting and was a semi-finalist in the 2014 Kindle Book Awards. It's currently free on Amazon. She also has a kids’ series starting with Portia Parrott and the Great Kitten Rescue for ages 5-9.
She works as a high school English teacher, a job that she loves even when it exhausts her. In her free time she writes manically, reads great books, and takes care of her two beautiful and crazy children. She aspires to spend as much time in yoga pants as possible. You can join her mailing list at www.katiefrenchbooks.com and receive two free full-length novels. Contact her at katie@katiefrenchbooks.com.If your email address changes, please follow these instructions:
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