Kelly Hashway's Blog, page 72

Friday Feature: Enlighten Me

Sometimes carefully constructed lies can become the truth…
When seventeen-year-old Amanda reawakens, she is faced with the life Chloe lived for 17 years. The adjustment isn’t easy. But as she attempts to acclimate to a life that’s foreign to her, old friends become new enemies and bad habits are hard to stop. When she begins to doubt the story she’s been given to explain her travels through the multiverse, she knows she must find the answers before everyone else. Because if her weird dreams and visions are an indication of who she really was everyone might just be in danger, but not from the enemy they think.
From her.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/DawnBrazil/e/B00JBWGE08/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/dawnbrazilBlog: DawnBrazil.blogspot.comTwitter: @DawnBrazilFacebook Page: Author Dawn BrazilPinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/brazildawn/

I’m certain I hadn’t.

The room was bathed in darkness. I could scarcely make out my silhouette against the wall. Still, I slipped my feet softly to the carpeted floor. My family was sleeping, and I didn’t want to risk waking them. On tiptoes, I crept to the open window overlooking our yard. The cool whip of the March wind sliced through my skin. A shiver tore through me as the chill of the New York night tucked me inside my own personal blizzard.

I reached for the lift rail to slam the window closed when a shadow crept into view just below my second story landing. I blinked but held my eyes on the shadow. It didn’t move. But it did watch me. Partially clothed in darkness, the shadow dissolved before my eyes into a haze of gas.

I squared my jaw and took a deep breath. My mind cascaded over the many possibilities for what I’d saw. It could have just been the wind. Or someone was up downstairs and cast a long shadow from the back porch. My contemplation on the shadow was futile. It was gone, so it didn’t matter.

My life was screwed up anyway. Fighting an enemy everyone told me wanted to kill me and everyone else. But that same enemy telling me that wasn’t true and proved it by not killing me on the many occasions he could have. Traveling through multiple universes trying to find and kill said enemy because of his supposed threat. Then having a vision I killed everyone and not said enemy. But even more confusing, I knew said enemy was a threat, but I just didn’t know why.

What difference did a ghost make in the scheme of things?
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Writer Wednesday: Writer Rebel's Creed and Goals for 2015

I'm taking part in the Writer Rebel's Creed again this year, hosted/originated by Sheri Larsen. As part of the group, this is what I'm pledging to this year: If you'd like to join, check out Sheri's blog and sign up.
In addition to the Rebel's Creed, here are my goals for 2015:Secret goal I can't reveal yet. Sorry! I know what it is though, and I'll share as soon as I can.Promote The Darkness Within (Sequel to The Monster Within). The book releases in June and I'm ready to show everyone why they should love Sam and Ethan.Write another Campus Crush book. Ashelyn Drake fans have asked for another story featuring Mike (from Nothing to Tell) so he can get his HEA. I want to give him just that. :)Write the final book in the Curse of the Granville Fortune Series. This goal is self-explanatory. ;)Build my street team (Kelly's Coven) by spoiling my fans with lots of great exclusive stuff. I'm talking about bonus content, exclusive giveaways, changes to be characters in my books, review copies, SWAG, one-on-one discussions with me, and lots more.Okay, so goals are great, but wish lists are a lot of fun, too. I'm putting these separately because they aren't things I have total control over. Here is my wish list of things I'd LOVE to happen in 2015:Get one or two more book deals. That would be really nice. :)Make the USA and/or NYT best seller list. My ultimate dream!Going to BEA or another big convention. Spencer Hill Press won't be attending BEA this year, so I need a miracle to happen in order to go.A drama-free year. It's no secret 2014 was rough for me. I want no drama in 2015. Can someone please make that happen for me?What are your goals and/or wishes for 2015?

Monday Mishmash 1/5/15

Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.
Here's what's on my mind today:Editing:  I'm booked for the month of January, which is great. Now I just need more time in my day to work on my own writing projects. ;)Construction:  We are getting so close! Unfortunately, this weekend set us back a bit when a few things had to be redone. *sigh* But we are making forward process again now.Secret Projects in the Works:  I have a few things in the works that I can't share just yet. I'm hoping to be able to reveal them by the end of the month.My Office:  My office is about 99% complete, but it's missing the most important things of all—framed posters of my books. Once I get those up, I'll share pictures with you."Best" Lists of 2014:  I'm excited to say that The Monster Within, Campus Crush (Ashelyn Drake title), and Into the Fire (Ashelyn Drake title) all made several "Best of 2014" lists! That makes me so happy!Kelly's Coven:  I'm putting out an invite to my street team, Kelly's Coven. We have a FB page where we interact, and this month I have a mega giveaway going on. If you'd like to help me promote my books and get exclusive access to content, first peeks at covers and news, and exclusive giveaways, you can join here. (Or let me know you'd like to join and I can give you access to the group.) I'd love to have you. :)Cover Reveal for 52 Likes by Medeia Sharif  Evernight Teen, January 16, 2015

After a brutal rape and near-murder, Valerie wants to get past feelings of victimhood from both the assault and her history of being bullied. She’s plagued by not knowing the identity of her rapist and by the nasty rumors in school about that night. Valerie follows clues from ghostly entities, past victims of the rapist-murderer, contacting her through a social media site—why do all of their eerie photos have 52 likes under them? Their messages are leading her to the mystery man, although he’ll put up a fight to remain hidden.

Find Medeia – YA and MG Author

Blog   |   Twitter   |   Goodreads   |   Instagram   |   Amazon

Cover Reveal for The Milayna Series by Michelle Pickett  You've seen the cover for Milayna, book one in the Milayna Trilogy, and now the remaining covers in The Milayna Series are revealed! Book one, Milayna, is scheduled to release March 17, 2015. Book two, Milayna's Angel, and book three, The Innocent, are both scheduled for release in 2015. And for a limited time, you can pre-order Milayna (Book #1) for $2 off the purchase price! It's available for pre-order at only $2.99, but only for a limited time.That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Friday Feature: Star of the Team

A girl.A dream.An accident.A dream shattered. Eleven-year-old Kate Taylor dreams of being the star of her basketball team, Angels. When Kate’s tooth is knocked out at one of the games and her mother, who is also her coach, says she can’t play until the tooth the dentist replants heals, Kate’s dreams are in jeopardy. Add Emily, the new girl at school who claims she’s the best, and Kate faces a challenge to prove that she is the star. Will Kate succeed? Or will Emily ruin Kate’s plans? 
Amazon:  http://tinyurl.com/k5y1mky Barnes and Noble: http://tinyurl.com/18r6ox4 Bev’s Bio: Most of the time, you’ll find Beverly in front of her computer, writing the stories little voices whisper in her ear. When she’s not writing, she takes long walks and snaps pictures of clouds, wild flowers, birds and deer. To some of her friends, she is affectionately known as the “Bug Lady” because she rescues butterflies, moths, walking sticks, and praying mantis from her cats.For twenty-two years Beverly taught children in grades two through five how to read and write. They taught her patience. Now, she teaches a women’s Sunday school class at her church. To relax she plays the piano. Her cats don’t appreciate good music and run and hide when she tickles the ivories. http://beverlystowemcclure.blogspot.comhttp://beverlystowemcclure.wordpress.com
Want your YA, NA, or MG book featured on my blog? Contact me here and we'll set it up.

Writer Wednesday: Writing Space

Right now I'm in the process of cleaning out a room in my house that will become my office. Yes, I'm going to finally have an office. The renovations on my house are just about complete. We're still waiting on a few things, but we are moving my daughter's toys out of one room and moving my desk, bookshelf, and other office supplies in.
I don't have pictures yet since things are a mess at the moment. You know how whenever you do a project it looks like a bomb went off before you get everything settled? Well, that's pretty much my current state. But I'm enjoying the process because I'm going through my things and deciding where everything should go. This is going to be my space. The only downside is that my treadmill will share the room with me since we have no other place to put it, but it is mine, so I guess it's fair. Maybe jogging will inspire me when I need a little motivation, too. ;) And I'll finally get to frame the posters of my book covers my husband had made for me. Yay!
So while I figure out what my office will look like, I want to know what you're ideal writing space would be (or is, if you're lucky enough to have it already). Tell me in the comments.

Monday Mishmash 12/29/14

Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.
Here's what's on my mind today:Editing  I'm editing for clients again this week. The book I'm editing now is seriously hot. I may have blushed a few times. ;)Goals for 2015  I'm thinking about my goals for next year and how to make sure it will be a better year for me.House Construction  We are almost finished. I mean really close! The bedrooms are being carpeted today, and then we can start moving furniture upstairs. We are still waiting on the railing for the stairs, but we need to get the furniture upstairs first.Holidays  We had a great Christmas. My daughter got the Monster High Catacombs from Santa, which was the top item on her wish list so she's a happy camper. I'm not thrilled that it's 4 feet tall, but she loves it. :)Changes to FB  As you've probably heard, FB is no longer allowing promotional posts. That means I can't share all my book info with you on my FB page anymore. So if you want to stay up-to-date on my book releases, sales, etc., here are some ways you can:Sign up for my street team, Kelly's Coven, and get sneak peeks at my covers, sales, etc. before everyone else. You can also help me promote my books by sharing my info on your social media sites and/or blogs. Join the FB group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/310954715719850/ and/or sign up to receive the Kelly's Coven Newsletters here:https://docs.google.com/…/1eWR35EwiDdjqf_vWhZdjXM…/viewform…Follow or friend me on Tsu. https://www.tsu.co/kellyhashwaySign up for my monthly newsletter: http://kellyhashway.us2.list-manage1.com/subscribe…
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Friday Feature: 25 Roses by Stephanie Faris

Mia moves from the shadows to the spotlight when her matchmaking plans go awry in this contemporary M!X novel from the author of 30 Days of No Gossip.

Mia is used to feeling overlooked: her perfect older sister gets all the attention at home, and the popular clique at school are basically experts at ignoring her. So when it’s time for the annual Student Council chocolate rose sale, Mia is prepared to feel even worse. Because even though anyone can buy and send roses to their crushes and friends, the same (popular) people always end up with roses while everyone else gets left out.

Except a twist of fate puts Mia in charge of selling the roses this year—and that means things are going to change. With a little creativity, Mia makes sure the kids who usually leave empty-handed suddenly find themselves the object of someone’s affection. But her scheme starts to unravel when she realizes that being a secret matchmaker isn’t easy—and neither is being in the spotlight.

My thoughts:
First, I love this cover. Just adore it. It's the kind of cover that makes you want to open the book, so I was excited to read this. And I wasn't disappointed at all.

Mia gets a really brilliant idea to buy roses for the kids in her class who don't ever get roses. All she wants is to make people feel good because she knows what it's like to feel left out or not quite as good as someone else, including her older sister. I loved Mia immediately for this.

But there's a problem with Mia's plan. Everyone wants to know who sent the roses, and since Mia is the one who sold them, everyone interrogates her. Mia tries to dodge their questions and pretends she doesn't know who sent them. But sending the roses leads to Mia playing Cupid. Kids are asking her for help talking to their crushes and getting made over. Mia's not sure how everyone came to think she knows about matchmaking and she's not exactly happy about it. Especially since Mia can't even admit to herself that she has a crush of her own.

Things begin to get out of control for Mia and she's not sure if she can fix it. What started out as a nice gesture becomes a heap of trouble for Mia.

I really loved Mia. I think she had great intentions, so when things started going wrong for her, I felt awful for her. The poor girl was only trying to be nice. But let's face it. Middle school is tough! There's plenty of drama to go around.

I couldn't put this book down, and as soon as I finished it, my daughter claimed it for herself. This is a great middle grade read that I highly recommend.
Want your YA, NA, or MG book featured on my blog? Contact me here and we'll set it up.

Writer Wednesday: Happy Holidays and Free & Low-Priced Books!

This isn't your typical Writer Wednesday post because tomorrow is Christmas! To celebrate the holiday season I want to help you fill up that new ereader you asked for or that you purchased for someone else. We all know that can get expensive, so here are my books that are either FREE or very low in price. Enjoy!

FREE Books:

Kiss of Death: Young Adult Paranormal Prequel Novella to the Touch of Death Series. This book is told from Alex's POV.


The only life Alex Montgomery knows is raising the dead and having zombie servants, normal stuff for an Ophi. Alex is a necromancer descended from Medusa—or at least he will be once he comes into his powers. So far his life is training to use abilities he doesn't yet possess, which gets him beaten up by zombies on more than one occasion. And his parents Victoria and Troy won't tolerate anything less than perfection from Alex. He has a lot to live up to, and they remind him of it every day. So when an innocent birthday kiss turns deadly, Alex has to work twice as hard to master his Ophi abilities. He isn't the Chosen One, but he's still a Montgomery, which means he's expected to run the Ophi school one day. With a new group of students coming to the school, Alex needs to learn fast because he's about to be sent on the biggest mission of his life.
Want to know Alex's story and what he was like before he met Jodi? Now you can. Download it FREE here.

Curse of Death: Young Adult Paranormal Prequel Short Story to the Touch of Death Series.

When Medusa is caught between the god she serves and the god she loves, there can only be one outcome.
Download it FREE here.











The Imaginary Friend: Lower Middle Grade Two-Part Short Story

Samantha and Tracy have been best friends since kindergarten, but now that Tracy has gotten over her shyness and made new friends, Samantha is feeling left out. This is nothing compared to how she feels when a strange girl named Jessica tells Samantha that she’s actually an imaginary friend. Tracy has outgrown Samantha, and it’s time for Samantha to help another child who needs her. But will Samantha be able to move on and fulfill her duty as an imaginary friend?
Download it FREE on Amazon or B&N.

Campus Crush: New Adult Contemporary Romance Novel consisting of four novellas (written under my pen name Ashelyn Drake). 
Follow four couples as they try to find love in the Campus Crush Series boxset, including Nothing to Tell, Romancing the R.A., Behind Closed Doors, and Rushing Into Love. 

When you're looking for love, you have to be willing to break the rules. 
This novel includes all four novellas in the Campus Crush series: Nothing To TellRomancing the R.A.Behind Closed DoorsRushing Into Love
Download it for FREE on Amazon or B&N.
LOW-PRICED Books:
Touch of Death (Touch of Death series #1): YA paranormal Jodi Marshall isn’t sure how she went from normal teenager to walking disaster. One minute she’s in her junior year of high school, spending time with her amazing boyfriend and her best friend. The next she’s being stalked by some guy no one seems to know. 

After the stranger, Alex, reveals himself, Jodi learns he’s not a normal teenager and neither is she. With a kiss that kills and a touch that brings the dead back to life, Jodi discovers she’s part of a branch of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac, Ophiuchus. A branch of necromancers that are descendents of Medusa. A branch of necromancers with poisoned blood writhing in their veins. 
Jodi’s deadly to the living and even more deadly to the deceased. She has to leave her old, normal life behind before she hurts the people she loves. As if that isn’t difficult enough, Jodi discovers she’s the chosen one who has to save the rest of her kind from perishing at the hands of Hades. If she can’t figure out how to control her power, history will repeat itself, and her race will become extinct.
Only $1.99 on Amazon or B&N.

The Monster Within: YA paranormal The moment seventeen-year-old Samantha Thompson crawls out of her grave, her second chance at life begins. She died of cancer with her long-time boyfriend, Ethan, by her side—a completely unfair shot at life. But Ethan found a way to bring her back, like he promised he would. Only Sam came back wrong.
She's now a monster that drains others' lives to survive. And after she kills, she’s tortured by visions—glimpses into her victims would-have-been futures had she not killed them. Barely able to live with herself and trying to make things right, Sam ends up a pawn in a vicious game of payback within the local coven of witches.
But when the game reveals what Ethan had to do to save Sam, she must make a choice that will change all their lives forever.
Only $3.99 on Amazon or B&N.

Perfect For You: YA contemporary romance written as Ashelyn Drake Seventeen-year-old Meg Flannigan isn’t very self-confident, but what girl would be after her sophomore-year boyfriend dumped her by making out with another girl in front of her locker? 
Now a senior, Meg catches the eye of not one, but two gorgeous guys at school. Sounds good, right? What girl wouldn't want to be in Meg's shoes? One cute boy happens to be her boyfriend, and the other? Well, he wants to be. And Meg? She's torn between Ash, the boy she's been with for nearly five months, and Noah who is pretty irresistible. 
But Meg is playing with fire. Pitting two boys against one another, even if she doesn't intend to, could end badly if she isn't careful. 
Only $2.99 on Amazon or B&N.

Into the Fire: YA paranormal romance written as Ashelyn Drake Seventeen-year-old Cara Tillman’s life is a perfectly normal one until Logan Schmidt moves to Ashlan Falls. Cara is inexplicably drawn to him, but she’s not exactly complaining. Logan’s like no boy she’s ever met, and he brings out a side of Cara that she isn’t used to. As the two get closer, everything is nearly perfect, and Cara looks forward to the future.

But Cara isn’t a normal girl. She’s a member of a small group of people descended from the mythical phoenix bird, and her time is running out. Rebirth is nearing, which means she’ll forget her life up to this point—she’ll forget Logan and everything they mean to one another.. But that may be the least of Cara’s problems.

A phoenix hunter is on the loose, and he’s determined to put an end to the lives of people like Cara and her family, once and for all.
Only $3.49 on Amazon or B&N.

Happy Holidays!

Monday Mishmash 12/22/14

Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.
Here's what's on my mind today:Blog Post Fail  Okay, so it's 6:57am when I'm typing this because I forgot to schedule my post. Yup. I'm crazy busy and I just forgot. But look, the world didn't end. ;)Editing  I'm editing The Darkness Within right now, along with a book for a client. Great way to end the year if you ask me.Christmas  We are almost ready to have a houseful on Christmas. Things are coming together, yet every project seems to cause another, so we'll see. Reviewing  I read and reviewed some really great books lately, including Medeia Sharif's Vitamins and Death (highly recommended) and Icy Pretty Love by L.A. Rose.Hoping for a better 2015  Between having my entire house gutted this year (hello expensive!), having some publishing issues, and some other personal stuff, 2014 was not a good year for me. I'm already looking forward to ringing in the new year.That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Friday Feature: The Regenerates by Maansi Pandya

Title: The Regenerates
Series: The Regenerates, Book 1
Author: Maansi Pandya
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publisher: Radiance Publishing
Blurb: Abolition Day has arrived again, the day when any of Cor’s citizens arrested for opposing the regime are publicly executed in a special ‘cleansing’ ceremony. Sixteen-year-old Ven is an aristocrat. He lives in a palace, goes to lavish parties and wears buttons made of pure gold. To him, Abolition Day is nothing more than an unpleasant holiday that comes and goes. All of that changes when his best friend, Coralie, makes the execution list. In order to save her life, Ven teams up with a mysterious criminal who warns him that his city is in terrible danger. He offers Ven a deal: steal something from the palace for him, and he’ll save Coralie’s life. Not about to watch his best friend die, Ven makes the deal and slowly uncovers the truth behind the criminal’s warning – something out there is desperate to see Cor burn to the ground, and it makes Ven question everything he’s believed in.

Order Paperback/E-book at:  http://www.amazon.com/The-Regenerates-Maansi-Pandya/dp/0993884008/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414240665&sr=8-1&keywords=the+regenerates  

Author Bio: Maansi Pandya is a YA Author who loves Fantasy, especially adventure stories! She currently lives in Vancouver, Canada and studied Creative Writing and Political Science at the University of East Anglia.
Author Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/fancymaansi
Blog: wearetheregenerates.tumblr.com
Want your YA, NA, or MG book featured on my blog? Contact me here and we'll set it up.