Heather Marie Adkins's Blog, page 6

Dreaming of Books!

 3rd Annual Dreaming of Books
Giveaway Hop!

Co-hosted by Reviews by Martha’s Bookshelf

I usually do a Rafflecopter, but I did a couple of hops recently where I posted a question. It was so much fun to see everyone’s answers! I sleep during the day, so I didn’t get to reply to everyone, but now I’m off work this weekend and would love to talk to you guys.

So tell me… What book do you dream of living in? If you could replace the main character in any book, which book would it be?

My choice would be “A Salty Piece of Land” by Jimmy Buffett. Yes – that Jimmy Buffett. Not only is he a long-time, award-winning songwriter and singer, but the man can seriously write some great books. “A Salty Piece of Land” is one of my all-time favorite books, and I’d take Tully’s place any day.

For answering my silly question, you’ll be entered to win an ecopy of my entire collection of published novels:

The Temple (Book One, Vale Avari Novels) PR

Abigail (Book One, Witch Faery Trilogy) PR/Fantasy

The House PR


Heaven Below YA PR


Constant State of Disaster NA

Cause & Effect (Contemporary fiction)
Eternal Youth YA PR

I’ll choose a winner using Random.org when the hop ends.  If you want to read about the books, please feel free to hop through the links to Goodreads and even add them To-read if you so choose

And don’t forget to check out all the other great blogs on this hop!

 

Indie Writers Unite New Year’s Blog Hop

Welcome to the New Year’s Blog Hop!

This hop runs January 11-14. Check out the main prize – a Kindle Fire, a $100 Amazon gift card, and a collection of ebooks/print books – on the main page at nyhop.blogspot.com

New year equals new goals. It’s so easy to forget to put yourself first, especially when you have lots of responsibilities–if you’re a parent, or an employee, or you run a business, all of those things often take more from you than you want them to. A new year is a good reason to decide to put yourself first more often

There’s your thought for the day!

I have six published novels.  To win your choice of one or more of my ebooks, name FOUR of the protagonists from those novels

Hint: The books are The Temple, Eternal Youth, Heaven Below, The House, Cause & Effect, and Constant State of Disaster.  All protagonists are listed in the blurbs…

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

Young Adult Faeries & Fantasy Giveaway Hop

This hop runs from January 8th to 14th

Hosted by I’m a reader, not a writer, co-hosted by Gabrielle from The Mod Podge Bookshelf

I was so excited when I saw this was an upcoming hop AND had to join in.  The end of this hop will coincide with the RE-RELEASE of the first book in my Witch Faery Trilogy — “Abigail”. I have worked crazy hard on massive edits to this book. The original publication was in July 2011 and was half the size of the book today. I’m so excited to see it published again.

To celebrate the re-release, I’ll be giving away FIVE ebook copies, and one signed print copy

Thank you so much for hopping!

After the murder of Abigail’s immortal faery mother, her all-too-human father sells her into slavery. Purchased by a wealthy landowner named William to care for his baby sister, Abigail is taken to a Grecian island — a mysterious place ruled by a Faery King, that holds a deadly secret linked to Abigail’s past.

On the remote island, William’s family is endangered by the king’s thirst for vengeance, and Abigail and William’s budding romance is threatened by her intimate, unwanted connection with the island’s Prince.

To save the people she has come to love, Abigail must embrace the legacy she has long sought to deny.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don’t forget to check out the other great blogs on this hop!

Clear Your Shelf Hop

Clear Your Shelf!

 

Hosted by I’m A Reader Not A Writer

 

I loved the idea of this hop.  This has nothing to do with my published books whatsoever – I get to give away books of my shelves that I no longer need!

I have five books I’m going to be giving away.  Instead of setting up a Rafflecopter for each, I’ll just choose winners from the same widget, and then in order offer them by email their choice from the list. I’m a little behind tonight on getting my post up, so I don’t have the list of titles with me, but I will update this post with them as soon as possible

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to check out the other great blogs participating in this hop!

New Year’s Blog Hop!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

It’s that time again. New Year’s Resolutions. Champagne. Dresses. Limos. (Does anyone actually celebrate the new year that way? My butt’s in sweats eating buffalo dip with my family LOL).

Ultimately, we all strive for the next year to be better than the last.  Every new year renews our sense of hope and wonder, regardless of where we are in our lives.  As a friend just told me in an email, “2013 has to be better than 2012, right?”

So tonight while I watch that glittery crystal ball drop on the television while my family plays bad card games and wears lampshades on their heads (don’t ask), I raise a toast to all you readers, bloggers, and authors out there — here’s to a brand-spanking-new year!

Sign up below in the rafflecopter to win a signed print copy of my contemporary fiction, “Cause & Effect”.

Martin’s existence has centered on his wife, Sophie, for thirteen years.  Their tumultuous, explosive relationship ends in adultery and her abrupt death, leaving Martin to pick up the pieces of the life she built for them – and a daughter he barely knows.  With the touching insights of his little girl and memories of Sophie to keep him going, Martin navigates the year after her death in a series of lists, finding that happiness is something to create, not expect.

Add this book to your to-read list at Goodreads!

Please feel free to leave a comment below!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Don’t forget to check out the other awesome blogs participating in the New Year’s Hop!

Holiday Book Sale!

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to be involved in quite a few promotions with my books…

The Holiday Book Sale at Indie Book Festival features some of today’s hottest indie authors offering their bestselling books for just 99 cents!  Some of these books are marked down from 2.99, 3.99, even up to 4.99, so now’s the time to snatch em while they’re hot

My “Constant State of Disaster” is featured in this sale, alongside books from friends Lizzy Ford, Julia Crane, PJ Jones, Jolea M Harrison, Tara West, and RG Porter.  You can also enter for a chance to win a $100 Amazon Gift card!

Check us out! indiebookfestival.com

Hey, Look! A Blog Post!

Hey, Look!  I’m getting my life together!!

I’ve just today finished my VERY LAST formatting job of 2012.  I now have the entire month of December for just MY books.  Which means… Edits and then publishing on “The House”.  Finishing edits and re-uploading the second edition of “Abigail”.  Finish writing “Mother of All” (and me and my editor are doing edits as I go, so hopefully it will be out quicker).  Finish a handful of novelettes and publish.  And get back to working on the sequel to Temple, “The Trickster”.  I’m gonna be pushing hard to accomplish my own desires this month.

In other news, I’m buying a house.  We’re going to see a whirlwind tour of five tomorrow.  I love the pics of all, and we may even just choose our new home tomorrow.

AND… the new Eclective Collection!  My story, “Cleavers”, dips into mythology for the reason of the Apocalypse.

Available only at Amazon (for now)

It’s the end of the world as we know it, and the Eclective feels fine.

The Shifting Sands by Tara West: When a jealous goddess threatens to destroy all of humanity, a young woman and her family must overcome impossible odds to survive.

Light by Emma Jameson: In the zombie apocalypse, the hope for humanity’s survival is pinned on Daniel. Unfortunately, Daniel is an android. And humanity may be past all hope…

Alien Butt Plugs by PJ Jones: The aliens are coming! And Jeb’s first line of defense may be worse than the anal probe he fears.

Seeds by M. Edward McNally: For Meats and his fellow Guns, life was simple. Keep your respirator clear, your weapon ready, and an eye on your neighbors. Until one day Meats found some seeds, and everything got complicated.

Cleavers by Heather Marie Adkins: Creatures such as the Cleavers should never exist. But in Tora’s world, they’re real, and death is more likely than survival.

The Last Christmas by Alan Nayes: On the verge of the Apocalypse, a young couple wish to spend one last Christmas together.

Combustion by RG Porter: Kate wakes to find her world scorched and survivors in short supply. She needs to unravel the cause before time runs out.

The Next Big Thing – Week 16

The Next Big Thing is a chance for authors around the world to tell you about what they’re up to. I get tagged and I then tag other authors and so on and so forth.

I don’t have anybody to tag, because I’ve been so absorbed in edits and formatting jobs that I haven’t had a chance to ask anyone if they’d be interested in doing it… SO.  I’m just answering the questions because, hey, it’s fodder for my usually ignored blog.

Since I have A MILLION works in progress, I’m going to focus on just one.  Mother of All, the first in my Hedgewitch Mystery series.  It’s going to the editor in November, so will hopefully see the light of day in January.

What is the working title of your book? Mother of All, Book One in the Hedgewitch Mysteries

Where did the idea come from for the book? I wanted to write a mystery series, and I wanted to write a character who was basically the person I wished I could be.  That’s how Mena McGinty came into being.  The book pulls together a lot of my favorite lifestyles–living off the grid, living close to nature, devoting more time to witchcraft.

What genre does your book fall under? Mystery. I wish I could say it’s cozy mystery, but I think the murder scenes are too graphic for it to be considered cozy.  I don’t write things halfway

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? I really don’t like this question.  That’s a hard thing to figure out. These are just the main characters:

Mena – Anne Hathaway

Sarah – Reese Witherspoon

Larsen – Aaron Eckhart

Tierney – Kevin Ryan

Aaron – Josh Dallas

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? Pregnant mothers are being murdered, and modern-day witch Mena McGinty needs to find the killer before her best friend becomes the next victim.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? Self-published

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? A MILLION FREAKING YEARS (okay, exaggerating). A year.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? This is hard.  I don’t really compare myself to other authors.  I feel like that’s arrogant, and I’m definitely not arrogant.  I read a lot of Victoria Laurie, Juliet Blackwell, and similar mystery series while writing it, so they likely influenced me.

Who or What inspired you to write this book? Nothing in particular beyond a desire to write a pagan character and a mystery series.

FREE for 10/5 and 10/6!

FREE TODAY AND TOMORROW ON KINDLE!!!

Empty Vessel by M. Edward McNally: Captain Wil has command of his own ship, the respect of his crew, and his wife is expecting their first child. But at sea, the winds always become calm just before the storm breaks.

The Smell of Death by Tara West: Maggie’s unusual powers bring new threats to her already troubled childhood.

Safe by Emma Jameson: In Victorian London, a grave robber makes a nice living off the dead, until he opens the wrong crypt.

Soulfully Sweet by Shéa MacLeod: As if helping the living isn’t enough of a pain in her divine hindquarters, Branwen (former goddess of love and beauty) is stuck helping the dead on All Hallow’s Eve.

May I Go Play? by Heather Marie Adkins: Micah inherits a southern mansion where ancestors long dead relive their violent deaths. And now, they want company…

Blehdward, the Vampire who Couldn’t Sparkle by Pj Jones: Blehdward desperately wants to fit in with the cool vamps. If only he could learn how to sparkle.

Franscesca by Alan Nayes: Break a promise to a feiticeira and you will live to regret it.

Soul Eaters by R.G. Porter: Kaitlyn never believed in the existence of other worlds. Now she’s in the middle of one where humans aren’t the hunters but the hunted.

The Eclective is a group of authors dedicated to the premise that The Story is The Thing, and classifications of genre are mostly a matter for bookshelves. While the following stories share a “Haunting” theme, they might variously be filed as Horror, Paranormal, Fantasy, YA, etc., or anything else. Our idea is that the story itself is more important than whatever label somebody feels like giving it, and by bringing our work together in collections like this one, we hope readers may find a story they might like. Even if it is not in “their” genre.

* * *

This is the Eclective’s FIFTH collection in just one year!  I can hardly believe it.  I’m so honored to be a member of such a fun, varied, and talented group.

Labor Day Sale!

 

For Labor Day weekend, a group of authors have come together to offer our books for sale at only 99 cents.  For some of us, that’s $2 in savings, while for others it’s even $4!  There are all genres represented, so there is something for everyone.  Check out the page below to find your next great read!

Labor Day Sale Website

My paranormal romance, The Temple, is my featured book.  Pick it up for 99 cents at Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

Vale Avari has a mysterious past and a laundry list of super-powers, but that’s nothing compared to what she finds upon moving from small town U.S.A to jolly-good England.

A chance dart throw lands her in Quicksilver, an off-the-map place with a big problem – people are dying, and word is, it’s supernatural.

At her new place of employment, a temple dedicated to the ancient Mother Goddess, Vale learns something even more shocking – women guards are disappearing at an alarmingly patterned rate; women who possess special gifts like her own.

Supernatural powers aside, Vale isn’t ready to believe in the Wild Hunt as the culprit, and she’s determined to prove the deaths are acts of human violence.

Plagued by a brute with a history of domestic violence and lusting after a dark-eyed man with a secret, Vale has a limited amount of time to discover the killer before he strikes again. In the process, she’ll learn things aren’t always what they seem and the supernatural might not be so extraordinary after all.

The Hunt could ride for her.