T.R. Graves's Blog: T. R. Graves, Author, page 22

YA Indie Carnival - New Year's Resolutions

This week's YA Indie Carnival topic is New Year's Resolution. 2011 has been a great year for The Warrior Series.  My hope for 2012 is that The Warrior Series and my new series, Underwater City, will become bestsellers.  In my efforts geared toward that goal, I've formulated my New Year's Resolutions.╰☆╮ I plan to finish writing Enemies of the Cross (The Warrior Series #3).  In it, Allison La Crosse's world is in a tailspin. After learning she has the power to cure the dying with her touch (a lethal curse when wielded), she is viciously attacked. More unsettling than the violence is the identity of her assailant. Devin turns out to be the first person she ever saved and her mother's killer. When her soul met Devin's an unbreakable bond was formed. Now, Allison must save Devin - again - from his twin brother's control or kill them both. If she fails, she'll lose those closest to her...including the love of her life, Brody, and her best friend forever, Clark. 
╰☆╮ I will begin and finish writing Worth Living For (Underwater City #1).  This is the first of the two books described in Guardians of the Cross written by James Joya.  This book will detail how James and Julia fell in love.  Be prepared for an underwater world unlike any other for this series.
╰☆╮ I will begin writing Worth Dying For (Underwater City #2). This is the second of the two books described in Guardians of the Cross written by James Joya.  It will be the continuation of Worth Living For and will reveal the lengths James will go to save Julia.
╰☆╮ I will not worry about doing the right thing by my characters. Let me clarify. I'm not going to feel guilty about the minimal number of curse words embedded within the series (when the situation absolutely calls for it), AND I will not break out into hives when I think about others reading the passion-filled moments between Allison and Brody. The story is ultimately a romance; they are bound by forces greater than them; and the scenes are required in order to make the story and their craving for each other believable.

1.Laura A. H. Elliott author of Winnemucca & 13 on Halloween, Book 1 in the Teen Halloween Series2.Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series3.Heather Self4.T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series5.Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga6.Darby Karchut, author of GRIFFIN RISING7.Lexus Luke8.Cheri Schmidt, author of the Fateful Trilogy9.Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog 10.K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed11.Patti Larsen, The Hunted series and The Hayle Coven series12.Amy Maurer Jones, Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy13.Dani Snell's Refracted Light Reviews 14.Fisher Amelie, author of The Understorey15.M. Leighton, Blood Like Poison Series, Madly, The Reaping 16.Abbi Glines, author of Breathe and The Vincent Boys17.Kimberly Kinrade, Bits of You & Pieces of Me, Forbidden Mind18.Madeline Smoot, Missing, Summer Shorts, and The Girls19.Cidney Swanson, author of Rippler20.Gwenn Wright, author of Filter21.TG Ayer22.Melissa Pearl, author of Golden Blood23.Heather M. White, author of The Destiny Saga

Guardians of the Cross - Now Available

TODAY'S THE DAY!  Like every author ever, I hope and pray my nonstop plotting, planning, writing, editing, and formatting will lead my book,   Guardians of the Cross , straight to every bestseller list known to man.  A book loved by all.  The fact that the day of release has finally come is somewhat surreal.  I'm sure there will be tweaks made over the next few weeks, but for the most part, it's done.  It's ready for public consumption and the inevitable opinions, reviews, and ratings.  For me, everything loved about Warriors of the Cross becomes deeper embedded and more fully developed within every action-packed page, making  Guardians of the Cross an exciting continuation. 
Moving to the next level, relationships evolve...suspense builds...and characters 1) reveal themselves for who they are, 2) love each other unconditionally, and 3) protect their leaders with their lives.

The only thing I can say about Allison and Brody (Allison and Clark) is it gets BETTER & HOTTER so be prepared!

One thing is for sure... Guardians of the Cross is not for the faint of heart. The end will leave you crying right before you beg for Enemies of the Cross to become immediately available. To that I say, 'It won't be ready until mid-to-late 2012'.

ENJOY!

Click below to buy Guardians of the Cross ebook:✥ Amazon ✥ Barnes and Noble ✥ Smashwords
Click below to buy Guardians of the Cross  paperback: ✥ Amazon

T. R. Graves

YA Indie Carnival - Secret Santa Winners

This week the YA Indie Carnival are announcing the winners of our Secret Santa & Naughty or Nice Giveaways.  Before I go any further, I want to say thanks to all who participated and congratulations to these lucky, lucky winners!

The Grandprize Winner is: Vanessa Eric *Books included in the Grand Prize Package are listed below.  
In addition to the GRAND PRIZE, I had my own THE NAUGHTY OR NICE PRIZE PACKAGE for the person leaving a naughty or nice post on this website.  The WINNER of three great books (Into the Ruins, Vampires Rule, & Soul Quest) is Kelly Fox.

Finally, the WINNER of the FAN/FOLLOW GIVEAWAY for an ebook of Guardians of the Cross (due to be officially released tomorrow) & Warriors of the Cross is Demetra Giote.

GRAND PRIZE PACKAGE:
   
 1.Laura A. H. Elliott author of Winnemucca & 13 on Halloween, Book 1 in the Teen Halloween Series2.Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series3.Heather Self4.T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series5.Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga6.Darby Karchut, author of GRIFFIN RISING7.Lexus Luke8.Cheri Schmidt, author of the Fateful Trilogy9.Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog 10.K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed11.Patti Larsen, The Hunted series and The Hayle Coven series12.Amy Maurer Jones, Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy13.Dani Snell's Refracted Light Reviews 14.Fisher Amelie, author of The Understorey15.M. Leighton, Blood Like Poison Series, Madly, The Reaping 16.Abbi Glines, author of Breathe and The Vincent Boys17.Kimberly Kinrade, Bits of You & Pieces of Me, Forbidden Mind18.Madeline Smoot, Missing, Summer Shorts, and The Girls19.Cidney Swanson, author of Rippler20.Gwenn Wright, author of Filter21.TG Ayer22.Melissa Pearl, author of Golden Blood 

YA Indie Carnival - Secret Santa Giveaway

Remember when you were in school and someone decorated your locker with wrapping paper and candy canes and big red bows? Today there's a note taped to the outside of your locker. It reads:
 
Enter the Secret Santa Giveaway from Dec. 16 to Dec. 22, 3PM Pacific and on Friday, Dec. 23, Noon Pacific you could find TONS of books inside!
<3 SECRET SANTA

GRAND PRIZE: A Kindle or Nook copy of the books featured on the Grand Prize List!
To enter the Secret Santa GRAND PRIZE Giveaway just FOLLOW http://yaauthorclub.blogspot.com & comment on a carni's site telling us why you've been naughty or nice this year. Each carni will have individual giveaways too so be sure to visit all the carnis to win as many books as possible!

ALL WINNERS ANNOUNCED 12/23/2011, Noon Pacific.
Below you will find the three wonderful books by phenomenal authors/people that I will be giving away to anyone POSTING a tale on this site about bring NAUGHTY or NICE this year (don't forget to leave an email address).
In addition to the GRAND PRIZE  & THE NAUGHTY OR NICE PRIZES, one person will be entered to win a copy Guardians of the Cross (due to be released December 24th) and Warriors of the Cross  if he/she becomes a T. R. Graves FAN on Goodreads ( CLICK HERE ) & he/she LIKE's the T. R. Graves Facebook Fan Page ( CLICK HERE ).
✥✥✥✥✥✥✥✥✥ Author: Rachel Coles Author's Bio: Rachel Coles lives and works in Denver, Colorado with her husband Adam, and young daughter Rosa. An anthropologist by training, Rachel pursued her love of diverse cultures and passion for mythology into writing. She is from an Ashkenazi Jewish family, and grew up with a rich background in Semitic and Middle Eastern folklore. Together with her husband and daughter, she enjoys martial arts, science fiction, fantasy, and horror, in all their forms. They are, in fact, the proud parents of one of the youngest Trekkies in the state.Rachel Coles' other stories include the story Orphans of Lethe in the new anthology What Fears Become from Imajin Books, and Into The Ruins anthology available on Kindle.


Stay tuned for her debut novel, Pazuzu's Girl in the spring!


Visit Rachel Coles at www.rachelcoles.wordpress.com, Rachel Bernstein Coles on Facebook, rcoles66 on Twitter, or zhadum6@yahoo.com Into The Ruins Description Why do zombies come back, if it's not a virus or a curse? Is there an organism that could really take over the world with a single bite? What were the plagues of Egypt really like? Could artificial intelligence crop up in places we don't think about? Many humans love the taste of good beer, and love its other effects. What about other animals, and how might it affect their behavior? Into The Ruins is an anthology about world-changing events, small or large, subtle or wide-ranging.



Excerpt from Into The Ruins: An Anthology of New Beginnings:
Thefirst thing I remember after the pain in my chest from the heart attackeveryone had been warning me I'd have, was the dark stink of my own coffin. AsI screamed and shoved at the lid, weighted down by pounds and pounds of dirt, Iwished I'd worked out more, thanked God I hadn't eaten beans, and prayed Iwouldn't have another heart attack. Someone heard me and came to my rescue. Itwas a landscaper. After he frantically dug me out, I spent the next twentyminutes chasing him, trying to explain that I wouldn't eat him and that Iwasn't from Hell.

"DiosMio!" He launched into a litany of prayers in Spanish, all while runningfor the cemetery entrance.
"Wait!Buddy, the only thing I want to attack is a Big Mac! Besides I don't believe inHell!" I yelled, trying to keep up and failing."See,'dis what happen to you!" He shot back over his shoulder as he ran.

"Ok,if I agree to say some Hail Mary's will you stop running and just listen?"


Hepaused and turned around, keeping a safe distance. "I don't think it helpyou now, amigo. But maybe God'll take a late payment and deport you back to thegrave."


I juststood there, hands on my knees. "I…" I raised a finger to ask him towait and panted some more. I gotta stopsmoking, I thought. Never again! I'moff the cigarettes! I gasped, "Ok, you think God buried me alive becauseI don't believe in Hell? The pack-a-day and fried Snickers bars probably didmore than God. By the way, thanks for getting me out!"He juststared at me for a second. "Uh, amigo. You not alive."


"I'mtalking to you, aren't I?""Sí, butyou're dead." He pointed to my hands.


I looked down. My fingersand palms were torn in deep furrows. I felt nothing, and there was no blood. Iopened my shirt to bloodless sutures tracking my chest. I realized that while Iwas feeling panic, I wasn't experiencing any of the bodily signs of panic,racing heart, dizziness, constricted throat. In fact, the fatigue I'd thought Ifelt melted away. But not the horror, and it just sat there in my mind with nowhereto go. I sat down hard. "Can you help me?"✥✥✥✥✥✥✥✥✥ Author: K. C. BlakeAn Urban Fantasy, YA author. I write about ghosts, vampires, witches, monsters, and more. Title: Vampires Rule

Blurb: Lonely for human companionship, Jack returns home every year. He checks on his brother, walks through his childhood home, but he can't let anyone see him because Jack is a vampire.  Now, ten years after being turned Jack's wish comes true. He's mortal again. Now he can live a normal life. Or so he thinks. Destiny has other plans for him. The head
werewolf is teaching English at the high school, the girl Jack is crushing on is a hunter, and his brother can't make up his mind if he should welcome Jack home or stake him through the heart to be on the safe side.

Genre: YA Urban Fantasy✦  Amazon ✦  Smashwords ✦  Author website 
(click above to access)✥✥✥✥✥✥✥✥✥
Author: Amy Maurer Jones
Title: Soul Quest (The Soul Quest Trilogy Book One)
Blurb: Do you remember how horrified you were about the idea of attending high school? I remember ticking off those last miserable days of my summer vacation following my eighth grade year. Maybe you don't, maybe you were one of those people. You know who I'm talking about, people like Melissa Small, the distinguished District Attorney, Larry Small's daughter, popular, gorgeous and absolutely terrifying to someone like me, Liv Glyn. No, I am far from measuring up to the standards required to make Melissa's crowd. I'm not even close. I'm just a simple man's daughter, mostly tolerated by my peers with average looks. If this isn't depressing enough for you, stay tuned, it gets worse.

I was commanded with Spirit at birth by the Great Spirit, Hala. I know, it sounds crazy but it's true. If you think it's difficult being a teenager, try being a teenager who was born destined to save the world from soul sucking Daevas and their mutant progeny Aengels.

There are four of us. My companions of Spirit are Laith, Brayan and Meena. Melissa Small is Laith's step sister and she is always meddling where she doesn't belong, further complicating our lives. To make matters even worse, my best friend Jedd is apparently aware of things that are typically undetectable to ordinary humans. So, I have to lie to Jedd, the boy who has been my constant standby since the third grade, to shield him from the horrible and very dangerous truth. Did I mention that I think I'm falling in love with him? The term awkward doesn't even begin to cover it, trust me.

Welcome to the mess that is my life.

✦  Amazon
✦  BN.com 
✦  Other   ✦  Author website 
(click above to link) Reviews for Soul Quest:
✦Soul Quest is rich with re-imagined folklore and has a great teen narrative voice... This is one complex world cool enough to lose yourself in.
- Aubrie Dionne, author of Nebula's Music✦I love the way Ms. Jones captures not only the full high school experience, but masters the young adult voice so perfectly... I highly recommend this author and I cannot wait to read the next in the series!
- Addison Moore, author of the Celestra series✦This was a fun read and when Amy pulled me into the plot and action, the story moved fast for me...
I really liked the concept of Daevas and Aengels as the villains!
- Cheri Schmidt, author of the Fateful series✦The descriptions in Soul Quest are quite beautiful. I especially like the description of Arcadia (and that she chose to call it that). Her interpretations of demonic infection, guardian angels, and soul mirrors are clever and serve the story well.
- Amy Strickland, author of the Olympia Heights series
1.Laura A. H. Elliott author of Winnemucca & 13 on Halloween, Book 1 in the Teen Halloween Series2.Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series3.Heather Self4.T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series5.Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga6.Darby Karchut, author of GRIFFIN RISING7.Lexus Luke8.Cheri Schmidt, author of the Fateful Trilogy9.Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog 10.K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed11.Patti Larsen, The Hunted series and The Hayle Coven series12.Amy Maurer Jones, Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy13.Dani Snell's Refracted Light Reviews 14.Fisher Amelie, author of The Understorey15.M. Leighton, Blood Like Poison Series, Madly, The Reaping 16.Abbi Glines, author of Breathe and The Vincent Boys17.Kimberly Kinrade, Bits of You & Pieces of Me, Forbidden Mind18.Madeline Smoot, Missing, Summer Shorts, and The Girls19.Cidney Swanson, author of Rippler20.Gwenn Wright, author of Filter21.TG Ayer22.Melissa Pearl, author of Golden Blood

YA Indie Carnival - Designs & Designers

Coming December 16! You let us know why you've been naughty or nice and enter to win books at each carni's booth all week, from 12/16 to 12/23. On Dec. 23, find out what books you've won.  Good luck! ✥✥✥✥✥✥Click  HERE to discover exciting announcements related to our YA Indie Carnival Authors' books, etc.✥✥✥✥✥✥This week's YA Indie Carnival topic is Designs & designers. Early on in my indie author career, the cover was one of the most intimidating aspects of publishing the book myself.  I had no idea how I was going to create the make-or-break, first impression, front for any of my books.  As soon as I began researching my options, I hit pay dirt.                                                                                                       For the rest of my life, I will be grateful for the stars which aligned and led me to Claudia Bartoli-McKinney with Phatpuppy Creations.  She is an awesome partner and a talented artist.  The best-of-the-best.  I'm not sure Claudia knows how many of her book covers have made it to the bestseller lists, but she has 29 listed on her site.  While I suspect there are more, Claudia has 54 jackets showcased. Above, I've included two very admirable works of her art.  They exemplify her ability to create an entire story through stunning designs.  Sometimes, I want to write stories befitting her art just so I can use them.  Months ago, she created a collage.  To the right, I'm including it as a sample of some of her early book covers. ENJOY!✥✥✥✥✥✥
1.Laura A. H. Elliott author of Winnemucca & 13 on Halloween, Book 1 in the Teen Halloween Series2.Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series3.Heather Self4.T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series5.Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga6.Darby Karchut, author of GRIFFIN RISING7.Lexus Luke8.PJ Hoover, Author of SOLSTICE, Blogging at ROOTS IN MYTH9.Cheri Schmidt, author of the Fateful Trilogy10.Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog 11.K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed12.Patti Larsen, The Hunted series and The Hayle Coven series13.Courtney Cole, author of The Bloodstone Saga 14.Amy Maurer Jones, Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy15.Dani Snell's Refracted Light Reviews 16.Fisher Amelie, author of The Understorey17.M. Leighton, Blood Like Poison Series, Madly, The Reaping 18.Abbi Glines, author of Breathe and The Vincent Boys19.Kimberly Kinrade, Bits of You & Pieces of Me, Forbidden Mind20.Madeline Smoot, Missing, Summer Shorts, and The Girls21.Cidney Swanson, author of Rippler22.Gwenn Wright, author of Filter23.TG Ayer24.Melissa Pearl, author of Golden Blood

Breaking Dawn & Real Life Emergencies

My daughter and I took advantage of the Thanksgivingholiday to see BreakingDawn.While there, something happened to make me pause and acknowledge The Warrior Series hits closer to home than I previously realized.
We were sitting in the middle of the pitch-black andcompletely packed theatre and watching Renesmee's birth, an especially bloodyscene.  Suddenly, a voice overpowered theaction holding our attention.  The words utteredwere those you never want to hear…ones that instantaneously pump adrenalinethrough your veins.  "SOMEBODY CALL911!"  Without delay, I popped up, lookedback, and saw several people standing. Before I could move, my daughter said, "Go help, Mom!"It's been years since I've performed hands-on patientcare, but jumping into action was second nature for me because of the time Ispent in ICUs.  I rushed to the top ofthe theatre, squeezing past people still sitting in their chairs like the moviewas more important.  "I'm a nurse, pleaseexcuse me," I said passing each movie-goer. Realizing the critical nature of what was happening, they finally began risingand clearing the area.  At the end of the row and against the wall, I found a twenty-four-year-oldman who was no larger than a very young teenage boy.  He was pale, clammy, and sinking down intohis seat and toward the floor.  I grabbedhis wrist and – frightening me more thananything – found his pulse so weak and thready it was almost nonexistent. 

Worried about what I had just blindly encountered and mentallypreparing for the worst, I heard a woman behind me say, "I'm apediatrician.  Let's get his legselevated."  I immediately followed her instructions.  We lifted the arms on several of the movieseats and spread him out.  I knelt on achair and held his legs as high as possible. All around, I heard people making the 911 calls, askingquestions of the man's mother, and conveying the information back to theoperators.  She told the messengers herson had been known to pass out when the doctor's office drew his blood.  Everyone instantly assumed the bloody scene had elicited this man's reaction, one eerily similar to Bella's in Twilight  when she was exposed to bloody finger pricks. 

While waiting for the ambulance, I rubbed the young man'slegs, wordlessly assuring him he would be fine.   After a few minutes, the pediatricianconfirmed the boy's pulse was getting stronger, and he began looking better. BeforeEMS arrived, my newest friend (one whose name I'll never know, but a man I'llnever forget), said, "I think I've ruined vampire movies for myself."  Everyone's anxiety was quickly relieved withhis ability to make a joke and poke fun at himself at a time when an entiretheatre of people was standing over him and staring him down.Afterwards, my daughter – joking – looked at me and said, "I'm never going anywhere with youagain.  This happens every time."  I stared at her trying to understand what shemeant.  Then, it occurred to me she was notliterally right, but she was correct that I had been involved in similiar situations on numerous occasions…andshe was present for a few of them.

Last Christmas, she and I were shopping when a woman collapsedto the ground right in front of us.  Assoon as she fell, a door slammed onto her ankle.  Checking on her and trying to decide whatneeded to be done, I found that she was a diabetic who had not eaten after injectingher insulin.  Aftershe was stable, I offered to drive her to the emergency room.  She refused, but we did not leave her sideuntil we knew she had someone to make sure she was safe.A few months before that, I was driving home from work.  I was on the feeder road – in the middle of Houston – talking to myhusband on the phone and letting him know I was on my way. From the corner ofmy eye I saw something in an abandoned parking lot that wassurreal.  A grown man had a small boy onthe ground beating him with a belt.  Protectinghimself from the very violent lashes, the boy curled in a ball.  When he did, the man began kicking him. 

My instincts took control. I stopped in the middle of the road, laid down on the horn, rolled thewindow down, and began screaming for the man to stop beating the boy.  Fortunately, he stopped.  I waited where I was (unable to make it to the parking lot from my location), hung up with my husband, and called 911. The man made some threats geared toward hurting me, picked the boy up,threw him in the car, and dared me to follow him.  I provided the license plate number to thepolice, but they called back later and told me they had not located the car, man,or boy.While I have been involved in many other unexpected emergencies involving coaches,friends, and co-workers, the most memorable incident happened while myfamily and I were out having dinner.  Ahysterical woman rushed into our dining room, "DOES ANYONE KNOW CPR?"  As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Ijumped up, handed my son over, and followed her to the next room.  There, I found her husband in cardiac arrest. One of the restaurant's workers joinedme in performing CPR while the wife knelt by us and begged us not to give up…forus save him.  After several minutes, wewere successful in getting his heart beating again.  EMS took over when they arrived, and I wasescorted back to my dining room. 

I may never know the exact outcome of most of thesesituations, but I'll forever be grateful God embedded a passion in my heart tostep up and help those who can't help themselves.  While I'm in no way glad that theseemergencies happened, I realize now that every action, reaction, and emotionencountered during these crisis have become critical parts of my books. I've come to learn, writing about them allows me to process the incidentand sort through the powerful emotions which are stirred up afterwards.  Despite my formal training and experience.  Feel free to share with me some of your own heroic experiences.  Also, let me know if you would mind if I change your version up a bit in order to use it in a future Warrior Series book (if ever a scene arrives where it would fit perfectly).

YA Indie Carnival - Recipe for Plotting

This week's YAIndie Carnival topic is Recipesfor Plotting Stories. To this I say…nothing I do is customary.  I learned early on that there was an expectation forme to write a book following the 'perfection' of traditional formulas.  Instead, I created a series unlike any beforeit. It's one that could only be writtenand published by an indie author.My recipe is simple:·        1 Distinct Ideao  A physician with the ability to heal thedying  ·        1 Story Filled With Enough Realism To Makethe Paranormal Believableo  The real-life hospital emergencies act as theperfect balance to the main character's miraculous abilities.·        3 Great Main Characters (and lots of great supporting characters)o  Allison La Crosse (beautiful resident)o  Brody Kennedy (gorgeous chief resident)o  Clark Ardent (amazing friend, land lord, andattorney)·        MoreThan a Dash of Romance…Drama…Actiono  Allison& Brody  OR  Allison and Clark o  SuriChan's (who has a stalker-like crush on Brody)o  Goodvs. Evil ·        18Chapters (432 pages) To Tell The StoryChapter 1   – ABridge to the Other SideChapter 2   – Satan'sSectChapter 3   – TheCatalystChapter 4   – Rosesare RedChapter 5   – TheSalvadareChapter 6   –ObservationChapter 7   – GoodLuck CharmsChapter 8   –Stranger AnxietyChapter 9   –BetrayedChapter 10 – It Is What It IsChapter 11 – Breaking and EnteringChapter 12 – LightheartedChapter 13 – God Grant Me the SerenityChapter 14 – Deadly SinsChapter 15 – WarriorsChapter 16 – DisciplesChapter 17 – ViolatedChapter 18 – Miracles Do Happen
Aftercombining the above ingredient, you will read and re-read.  With each pass, you will build on everydetail, fine-tune each aspect of the story, and edit, edit, edit.  When you think that you are completelyfinished and the book is perfect, put it aside for a few weeks.  Then, got back and read, build, fine-tune,and edit for as many times as it takes for you to feel comfortable.  After you've vetted the story and its editingthrough someone who is completely objective, and they've given you the thumbsup, you can publish your book.

YA Indie Carnival - A Thanksgiving Story

This week's YA Indie Carnival topicis A Thanksgiving Story.Since I don't have any Thanksgiving passages in my books, I thought I wouldshare an excerpt from Guardians of the Cross . The scene is one immediately following a horrific attack on AllisonLa Crosse. In the center of this meal – and Allison's speech – is love, family,and God.  This is as close toThanksgiving as I could get.✥✥✥✥✥Chapter 12Control
When we made it to the beachhouse, The Sisters ran from the deck to welcomeus.  While awkward, I found it waspossible for three people to hug one person at the exact same time.  As soon as I was cocooned within theirembrace, they broke out into prayers filled with pleas of mercy and love.  "God.  Thank you for the miracle you've allowed usto witness….for delivering Allie, Brody, James, Clark, Trevor, and Mallory backto us.  Give those who lack faith in youthe ability to understand the magnitude of your power and your love.  Please keep your almighty hands on your Warriors, your Disciples, and your Judiciariesand bring them safely back to those who are unable to follow them into theirbattles.  In you all things arepossible.  Amen."    Amazingly, their loving andspiritual words were spoken in unison as if they'd recited the same phrases a thousandother times.  I kissed them for all theprayers I knew they had uttered while I endured my newest attack.Afterwards, they ushered us tothe deck where they'd prepared a meal fit for the army we were fast becoming.  I hadn't eaten for days so the food spreadbefore me made my stomach rumble.  BeforeI could make a plate, Lita had one prepared and was shoving it toward me.  The scent of the garlicky tomatoes coveringthe noodles and meatballs was every bit as appetizing as Daddy's homemade gumbohad been when we were in Louisiana.  The instant I sat down, a basketfilled to the brim with warm buttered bread made its way to me.  I quickly grabbed two pieces and passed the wickercontainer to Clark, who was next to me.  Inoticed him seize a piece of the bread and take a bite before he'd even passedthe basket along to the next person.  It occurredto me that he'd been as unable to eat while I was held hostage as Gillian hadbeen.  I reached over and took hishand, secretly apologizing for everything I was putting him through.  He kept his hand squeezed around mine.  Watchingmy family and friends, I saw them celebrating the win of our battle.  I was thankful and happy, but I could not fullyenjoy the moment because I knew there was still a war to be won.✥✥✥✥✥To all my friends, family, followers, and fans: Here's to hoping you've lived well, laughed often, and loved much over the last year. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
1.Laura A. H. Elliott author of Winnemucca & 13 on Halloween, Book 1 in the Teen Halloween Series2.Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series3.Heather Self4.T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series5.Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga6.Darby Karchut, author of GRIFFIN RISING7.Lexus Luke8.PJ Hoover, Author of SOLSTICE, Blogging at ROOTS IN MYTH9.Cheri Schmidt, author of the Fateful Trilogy10.Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog 11.K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed12.Patti Larsen, The Hunted series and The Hayle Coven series13.Courtney Cole, author of The Bloodstone Saga 14.Amy Maurer Jones, Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy15.Dani Snell's Refracted Light Reviews 16.Fisher Amelie, author of The Understorey17.M. Leighton, Blood Like Poison Series, Madly, The Reaping 18.Abbi Glines, author of Breathe and The Vincent Boys19.Kimberly Kinrade, Bits of You & Pieces of Me, Forbidden Mind20.Madeline Smoot, Missing, Summer Shorts, and The Girls21.Cidney Swanson, author of Rippler22.Nicole Williams, author of Eternal Eden, Falling Eden 23.Gwenn Wright, author of Filter24.TG Ayer25.Melissa Pearl, author of Golden Blood26.YA Fantasy

YA Indie Carnival - The Rise of YA Fantasy

This week's YA Indie Carnivaltopic is The Rise of YAFantasy. The fact that I just finished reading (okay...listening to) Destined(House of Night #9) by P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast makesthe timing of this subject perfect.
My most favorite YAbooks/series ( House of Night isdefinitely one of them) reminds me of the time in my life when I was naïveenough to think good always prevails…love was all it took…and anything waspossible.   
House of Night follows a heroine, Zoey Redbird, and her 'circle' of friends who have thepower, motive, and desire to make a world-changing difference.  In addition to the beautiful writing and theendearing characters, this series is written by a mother/daughter team.  That detail is the reason I read the firstbook, Marked (House of Night #1).  While I'm unbelievably impressed with everyaspect of the storyline, I'm also reminded that I began writing Warriors of the Cross in order to get closer to my teenaged daughter.  I've often wondered if the House of Night series had the same positive impact on P.C. & Kristen's relationship that I've experienced with my daughter. 
Like most YAFantasies, House of Night's heroine saves the world while finding and fallingin love.  Keeping House of Night interesting, Zoey Redbird is constantly being torn between lots of SUPER HOT Vampyres,Trackers, Consorts, Guardians, and Immortals.  As with anygreat book, family and friends are great supporting characters in Destined.  I can honestly say I shed more than a few tearswhile Grandma Redbird mourns for her daughter, Zoey's mother.  The death was treated like it was animportant part of the story without making the book or its charactersdepressing.   
The final aspectof Destined (and most other YA Fantasies) is the battle between good and evil.  As with the rest of the books in the series, the battles are minor and ongoing.  I can honestly say that I'm living to find out the outcome of this particularwar! 
If you read one orall of the nine of the House of Night books, you will not be disappointed. 
1.Laura A. H. Elliott author of Winnemucca & 13 on Halloween, Book 1 in the Teen Halloween Series2.Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series3.Heather Self4.T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series5.Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga6.Darby Karchut, author of GRIFFIN RISING7.Lexus Luke8.PJ Hoover, Author of SOLSTICE, Blogging at ROOTS IN MYTH9.Cheri Schmidt, author of the Fateful Trilogy10.Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog 11.K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed12.Patti Larsen, The Hunted series and The Hayle Coven series13.Courtney Cole, author of The Bloodstone Saga 14.Amy Maurer Jones, Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy15.Dani Snell's Refracted Light Reviews 16.Fisher Amelie, author of The Understorey17.M. Leighton, Blood Like Poison Series, Madly, The Reaping 18.Abbi Glines, author of Breathe and The Vincent Boys19.Kimberly Kinrade, Bits of You & Pieces of Me, Forbidden Mind20.Madeline Smoot, Missing, Summer Shorts, and The Girls21.Cidney Swanson, author of Rippler22.Nicole Williams, author of Eternal Eden, Falling Eden 23.Gwenn Wright, author of Filter24.TG Ayer25.Melissa Pearl, author of Golden Blood26.YA Fantasy

Crossed (Matched, #2) by Ally Condie

✯✯✯✯✯ 5 StarsHow can such a benign thing as a book of white pages filled with black words – ones that mean nothing when uttered separately – become so powerful? DO NOT GO GENTLE… DO NOT GO GENTLE… DO NOT GO GENTLE. The words resonate in my mind, reminding me to stand up for all that is right…for all that have been wronged…for what I believe.

For me, the best books are those which leave thoughts in your mind and a passion in your heart. Yes, the characters are great; the story-line is fresh; and the descriptions are such that you can envision the blues, greens, and reds being described. But, it is the underlying morals and ethics and messages of love taking this book (series) to the level of timeless.

The way Ally Condie describes her character's longing for lost works of art makes me want to go back and 1) read every great book ever written in order to appreciate the gift of words that author has given to us; 2) look at every masterpiece and admire the thousands of strokes it took for the artist to complete the work; and 3) most importantly, to thank every soldier who has died protecting the freedoms we enjoy. Because of them, we have the ability to choose our mates/our hometowns/our jobs, to freely read any genre we like, to enjoy uncensored art, and to travel anywhere our feet will take use. Only a great author could make us mourn that which we have as if it had been stolen from us when it was stripped from the book's characters.