Lizzy Ford's Blog, page 53

"Rhyn's Redemption" – Excerpt 1

Just a little teaser. I'll post another one next week. (Warning: contains profanity and hasn't been edited yet.)

Rhyn went straight to the castle's basement, where the body of his father had been kept.  He pushed off his hood as he entered what had been the most sacred chamber of the immortals.

The coffin was gone, but the mutilated body of his demoness mother remained on display on the far wall.  He stood before it, just as he had less than a week before.  This time, he felt something towards the decapitated creature: hatred.  She'd made him what he was, a disaster no one could fix except for a dead human.

"The preferred fate for any demon," a woman's voice said.

Rhyn tensed, guessing who it was without turning.  He felt Death's cool presence, the same coolness that preceded Gabriel's visits.

"And half-demon," Death added.

"I welcome it," Rhyn replied, facing the small woman with flowing white hair and gown. "What the fuck do you want?"

"I came to see what was worthy of the attention of my best assassin," Death said and looked him over. "I see nothing but Gabriel's human weakness for a creature he should've let die-dead."

"Funny – he was right about you. You're the cold bitch he said you were."

She frowned, a ripple of something else crossing her pale features.

"Don't like that, do you," Rhyn said. "I'll ask you again. What do you want?"

"I came to warn you. You cannot destroy this place before four days have passed."

"Why not?"

"You simply cannot."

"I don't give a shit about your agenda.  Tell me why it matters to me."

"I can make you dead-dead right now," she reminded him.

"I won't fight you," Rhyn replied and flung open his arms, giving her his whole body as a target. "Kill me.  Do me, you, and everyone else a favor!"

She stared at him.

"I got nothing to lose."

"There's Toby," she said.

"He means more to you than me."

"Gabe."

"You mean the assassin you sent to kill my mate?" he asked with a snort. "Not sure we can be friends after that."

"Katie."

"Already dead. And you can have my brothers right now.  I'll give you the order I prefer you to kill them in," Rhyn said.

"There are factors at play I cannot share with you," Death said. "You would risk destroying this world and every human in it?"

Rhyn smiled.

"Of course. You're a half-demon. It is not in your nature to care for anything beyond you," she said, frown deepening.

"You took everything I cared about," he growled. "If I can destroy everything to spite you, I will."

"I am not your enemy!"

"I don't care." His anger growing at the petite woman who'd taken Andre, Katie and Gabe from him, Rhyn stalked towards the door.

"Then I will grant you a favor."

He stopped at her words, surprised.

"One favor from a deity of unimaginable power," she said. "In exchange for four days."

"Katie," he said instantly.

"Done," she replied just as fast.

Rhyn turned to face her. "Alive, not her body or pieces of her or anything twisted."

"She will be as she was before she walked into the ocean."

Speechless, Rhyn's heart flip-flopped at the prospect of seeing his mate again.

"Do we have a deal?" Death asked.

"Yes," he forced himself to say. "But if you trick me, if the fourth day comes and Katie isn't alive, I'll wipe out everything and hunt you down."

"Agreed."

"Prophecy of the Flame" raises money for the homeless

This book won't be for everyone, but the cause is very, very noble!  Lynn is raising money for the homeless via a Kickstarter project – and giving away a Kindle!

In a blinding flash of light, five nondescript strangers are yanked from this world and thrust into a land of sorcery. Transformed into the characters they were pretending to be; Archmage Reba, Jamison the healer, Jerik the dwarf, Charles the prince charming, and Allinon the druid elf blend twentieth century technology with the supernatural powers of this new world.

This band of wannabe heroes soon discovers that having the powers you have always dreamed of, does not make life a dream come true. The Crusaders of the Light struggle to form a cohesive band as they fight to liberate the kingdom of Cuthburan from the evil horde threatening humanity.

Battle is also waged within Reba, an ordinary housewife who has become the most powerful mage on the planet, as she struggles to remain true to her wedding vows. Drawn against her will to the arms of Prince Alexandros, Reba must choose between the prophesied marriage to a handsome prince in a magical world or returning to the husband she left behind.

This book is being made into a MOVIE!! Hollywood Helps Charity! Proceeds from book sales and the movie will go to help the Homeless.

Buy the Prophecy of the Flame on Kindle, and Paperback

Remember you are helping Charity too!

Give to KickStarter Hollywood Helps Homeless Families Event (& get the book!!)

Lynn Hardy is teaming up with Promotional Book Tours to give away a Kindle ($79 Amazon Giftcode)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway.Follow the tour and check out the Guest post to follow the Treasure hunt

for an audio version of Prophecy of the Flame and a signed Movie Poster!

Book Feature: "Ember" by Madison Daniel

Please welcome Madison Daniel to Lizzyland! Madison has recently released his debut novel, Ember, a dark paranormal romance. It's available at Amazon and Amazon UK.

~Book One in the Ember Series~

A touch of fire.

A soul lost to darkness.

A longing to change the past.

Max Valentine is 18, alone and has the power of a thousand suns at his fingertips. The crush of love will haunt him. The promise of normalcy will elude him. With a song in his heart and a guitar in his hand he will discover the painful truth…

…love never dies but it can kill.

Check out the trailer here!

Purchase from: Amazon or Amazon UK!

About Madison

Music is LIFE and the written word is our SOUL. Music and writing have been my true ambition since I was a child. I have used music in every form possible; writing it, performing it, healing with it, etc. I call it my "life's soundtrack." I have always written in some form, from comic books to screenplays to short stories and now the new series "Ember." I have spent my writing life inspired by all the music of the universe, 80′s movies and eye candy. When not writing I enjoy dreaming out loud, challenging the real world and inspiring the ones I love. I have found a true passion for my stories and characters and am eager to share them with the world. See you on the next book tour…M.D.

Contact Madison via his blog, Facebook, Goodreads or Twitter.

Giveaway winners from last week

Ok, this post is super late. I'm finally almost caught up, I think!  Below are the ebook giveaway winners for last week!

Ever Shade Goody Bag

Mallory Anne-Marie Forbes

"The Case of the Missing Blahnik" and "Dead is the New Black" ebooks

Julia Crane

Rob Zimmerman

Laura Lee

Maegan Wright

Lia Mulraine

Maegan and Laura, please send me an email. Everyone else should've received an email from me already.  If not, email me!  LizzyFord2010@gmail.com

Thank you all for participating!

 

 

Lizzy's imaginary world tour

Ok, let's pretend I'm going on a US tour and a world tour.  Where do all you live? What kind of cool stuff is around you?  Anything I should see when I drop by on my imaginary tour?

One day, I hope to visit everyone, so I'm starting to plan now with my imaginary tours!

Guest post: "Top Ten Tips for Writing YA" by Jeanne Bannon

Please welcome Young Adult author Jeanne Bannon to Lizzyland! Jeanne's just released her latest book, "Invisible" and has been kind enough to provide us with her top ten pieces of advice for writing YA. Here's Jeanne!

Top Ten Tips for Writing YA

 1. Don't worry about guidelines for word count. The rule of thumb for YA novels is to write at least 50,000 words, but my advice is to write until the story is done. Don't get too stuck on word count. You'll know instinctively when your story is complete.

2. Be authentic. Teens will recognize a phoney narrative or character right away. Don't hold back on language either. If a character is the kind who swears, then write them that way. 

3. Don't be preachy. If there is a message in your novel, sprinkle it in and don't be too in-your-face. Watch for author intrusion. You don't want your teenage audience knowing a 40-year-old is writing the story, lol

4. Try to remember what it was like to be a teen. Put yourself in their shoes. If you have teens in your life, talk to them and listen to them. It will help with authenticity. 

5. Let someone in your target audience read your novel and take their advice to heart.

6. Read, read, read. Read other YA novels. 

7. Join a writing critique group for input. I find this to be extremely helpful. Having other sets of eyes on your work will help you find things you've missed.

8. Don't make too many of your characters sulky and complaining. Be sure to make your main character likeable. He or she can, and should, still have their flaws, but on the whole you want your readers to like and identify with him or her. 

9. Leave your chapters off on a cliff hanger when possible. Make your readers want to turn the page.

10. Enjoy the process. Have fun. And leave your readers wanting a sequel.

Invisible

Lola's not pretty. Lola's not popular. Lola wishes she could disappear … and then one day she does just that… For seventeen-year-old Lola Savullo, life is a struggle. Born to funky parents who are more in than she could ever be, Lola's dream of becoming a writer makes her an outsider even in her own home. Bullied and despised, Lola still has the support of her best pal Charlie and Grandma Rose. Not only is she freakishly tall, Lola's a big girl and when forced to wear a bathing suit at her summer job as a camp counsellor, Lola's only escape from deep embarrassment seems to be to literally vanish. Soon after, she discovers the roots of her new "ability". Slowly, with Charlie's help, Lola learns to control the new super power. The possibilities are endless. Yet power can be abused, too… Then, when tragedy strikes, Lola must summon her inner strength, both at home and at school. She has to stand up for herself, despite the temptations and possibilities of her newfound super power. A coming-of-age story that will warm the heart.

Purchase from: Amazon or Amazon UK.

About Jeanne

I've worked in the publishing industry for over twenty years. I started my career as a freelance journalist, then worked as an in-house editor for LexisNexis Canada and currently work as a freelance editor and writer.

I've had several short stories published and won first place in the Writes of Caledon Short Story Contest. My novels, The Barely Boy and Dark Angel were finalists in the 2010 and 2011 Strongest Start Contests. One of my short stories "Thom's Journey" is part of an Anthology entitled A Visitor to Sandahl and is available at Amazon.com.

Invisible, my debut novel, is about a teenage girl who isn't happy with herself and wishes she could disappear. And one day she does. Invisible is available on Amazon, Smashwords, and the Solstice Publishing website.

When not reading or writing, I enjoy being with my daughters, Nina and Sara and my husband, David. I'm also the proud mother of two fur babies, a sweet Miniature Schnauzer named Emily and Spencer, a rambunctious tabby, who can be a very bad boy.

Contact Jeanne via her website, facebook, Goordreads or Twitter!

Book feature and giveaway: "The Case of the Missing Blahnik" by Christine DeMaio-Rice

Please welcome Christine back to Lizzyland! For those who remember, Christine created the awesome Damian's Oracle book trailer, so she'll always be welcome to Lizzyland!  I'm offering up both Christine's novelette, The Case of the Missing Blahnik, and her associated novel, Dead is the New Black, to several lucky people! (Must have Kindle or Kindle App for this one!)

To enter the giveaway: obey the Rafflecopter! This giveaway opportunity will be open for two days (as opposed to one day, which is what I normally do!)

After a crazy night of club-hopping and who-knows-what-else, Laura's sister Ruby shows up Sunday morning with one Manolo Blahnik—a disappointing turn of events, considering her boss loaned her a full pair that she expects back first thing Monday. The right shoe has to be somewhere! The hipster bar? The smelly restaurant? The club that doesn't exist?

There is only one way to find out: spend Sunday backtracking up and down Manhattan, reliving an evening of high drama to find Ruby's missing Blahnik stiletto.

Available from: Amazon and Amazon UK.

About Christine

Christine has been in the fashion industry for 20 years, and has been writing for 15. Which says more about Christine's ADD than it does about either fashion or publishing. She lives in Los Angeles with her two children and her long-suffering husband, who moved with her from Brooklyn to LA so she could pursue a career in film. You see how well that worked out.

Finally, the two sides of her life meet with Fashion Avenue Mysteries. She figures she has enough material to continue the series for another 15 years, if you all have the patience to keep reading.

Contact Christine via her website, Twitter, or Facebook!

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway.

Enter to win $100 Amazon card + goodies in Sarah Ross's "Awaken" book tour (2/20-3/31)

Awaken

(The Patronus)

Lucy Donovan was supposed to have a weekend of fun in the sun, celebrating

her upcoming graduation from college. In a split second, everything

changed. A drunk driver ended Lucy's mortal life.

Lucy opens her eyes to a world she never imagined possible and a new

destiny: as a Patronus, a guardian of spirits. Adjusting to her new role

and abilities while negotiating this confusing realm will test her limits

and push her further than she ever dreamed she would go. From wayward

spirits who don't want her help to soul stealing vampires, and even a

stuck-up British royal, Lucy must brave them all to save one spirit she

can't bear to lose.

Further complicating her confusing life is an inexplicable yet growing

connection she feels to a member of her team, Max, whose mysterious

behavior leaves her both confused and intrigued.

Waking up dead was just the beginning of her problems. Lucy's death is

about to become the greatest adventure of her life.

Buy it – Amazon, Amazon UK, Paperback, Nook, and Smashwords

Author Sarah M Ross is working with Promotional Book Tours to bring

you an incredible Prize pack. She is offering up

For 25 entries in the contest, sign up for her newsletter to learn about new books coming out and contests.

Go HERE to sign up for the newsletter

Fill out the form to enter to win

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You need javascript enabled
to see this giveaway.

Book Feature and Goodies Giveaway: "Ever Shade" by Alexia Purdy

This is paranormal fantasy author Alexia's first visit to Lizzyland.  Welcome!  She's offering up a goody bag of promo material for her book, Ever Shade (A Dark Faerie Tale), which will be released February 29th!

To enter the giveaway: obey the Rafflecopter.

A dark twist on faeries. For Shade, a chance  meeting with a powerful Teleen faery warrior who wields electrical currents  and blue fires along his skin- has her , joining him on a treacherous mission  for the good Seelie Faerie Court across the land of Faerie. Magic and malice  abound and nothing is what it really seems to be.

The evil Unseelie Queen and her treacherous allies are round every corner…  as Shade makes her way across the breathtaking landscapes of the world of  Faerie, which exists alongside the mundane human world. Shade discovers her  own uncharted magic and meets some of the most powerful warriors in Faerie  while battling evil dryads, conniving Teleen guards and challenges on her  life with every step in a world where nothing can be taken for granted.

About Alexia

Alexia currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada- Sin City! She loves to spend every free moment writing, or playing with her four rambunctious kids. Writing has always been her dream and she has been writing ever since she can remember. She love's creating paranormal fantasy and poetry and loves to read and devour books daily. Alexia also enjoys watching movies, dancing, singing loudly in the car and …Italian food.

Currently working on launching her debut dark paranormal fantasy series starting with "Every Shade: A Dark Faerie Tale" with Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing. Launches in Feb 29th 2012. Her new post-apocalyptic vampire hunter series "Reign of Blood" releases via amazon.com March 31st 2012. "Whispers of Dreams (A Poetic Collection)" will release on amazon.com in late February 2012.

Contact Alexia via her website, Facebook, Goodreads or Twitter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway. 

Guest Post: "Can Women Enjoy Zombies, Too?" by Danielle Blanchard

Welcome back to Lizzyland, Danielle! Danielle writes paranormal romance - and now zombie books!  She's just released her first zombie book, "Beginnings."

Can Women Enjoy Zombies Too?
 by Danielle Blanchard

I first started writing Beginnings: Book I from The Plague series because my main goal was to write a book about zombies women could enjoy and read with pleasure. This was after I had explored the world of zombies on my own—first through Jack Wallen's amazing zombie series (I Zombie I, My Zombie My, Die Zombie Die) and Jessica Meigs' The Becoming series. Both were trilogies and although both offered kick ass characters, twisty plots and great dialogue, I couldn't help but think there was room in this genre for a gentler, kinder zombie book.

Nope, I am not speaking of the Hollowlands series by Amanda Hocking. Although it was written for the YA crowd, I wanted to write a novel women would be able to enjoy yet not have to be in their late teens and early twenties to do so. So, I started off with a basic plot and it all went from there. I suppose you could call my book a romance novel with aspects of military fiction, dark urban fantasy, mystery and suspense along with a touch of horror and science fiction.

I didn't have big plans for this novel, I merely wanted to get it out and then I thought I would hash out the rest of the plot for the subsequent novels a bit later.

Wrong.

I finished Better Off Dead: Book II from The Vamp Saga, and this muse does not want to let go. I thought for sure I would be able to write a romance novel afterwards but the zombie world calls so that is where I am going.

The great part about Beginnings: Book I is it is appropriate for almost everyone over the age of seventeen (I say this because there is a lot of explicit language, a few sexual situations and some gore but I have kept the violence to a minimum as it isn't really my area of expertise). There are strong female characters who are not only beautiful, smart and talented but kick ass as well.

If anything, I hope more women will realize that although zombies are a male-dominated industry in the book business, I hope more women discover the genre through my work and find out how great they are because sometimes, a girl just wants to be scared a bit!

 About Danielle

Danielle Blanchard Benson is a world traveler and currently earning her degree in Creative Writing with a Minor in Specialized Languages (French).

Ms. Blanchard Benson is the author of Beginnings: Book I (The Plague), Death Wish: Book I (The Vamp Saga), The Catalyst: Book One (The Pop Stars) and The Beautiful People series. She is currently working on Better Off Dead: Book II (The Vamp Series), the re-release of The Beautiful People Part One & Part Two (revised and re-edited by Spring of 2012), No and Apocalypse 2012: Book II (The Plague).

Ms. Blanchard Benson has lived abroad in Stockholm (Sweden), Manchester (England), Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and Portland. She currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. Contact Danielle via her website, Facebook or Twitter!

 Beginnings: Book I (The Plague) is available in ebook format from the following stores: Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords.  Available in Paperback from Amazon and Createspace.

 Death Wish: Book I (The Vamp Saga) is available exclusively in ebook format from  Amazon and Amazon UK and in paperback format from Amazon and Createspace.