Kelli McCracken's Blog, page 9

Guest post by Author Shaunda Kennedy Wenger (+ HUGE giveaway event!)

The Internet: Uniting Readers with Today’s Indie Authors

Gone are the days when editors held the golden keys to The Magical Land of Story. Gone are the dayswhen their own tastes denied the reader of a heart-pounding, page-turning book (Harry Potter wasrejected several times before it finally was given a chance). (Say, what?) Or a publisher’s inclination tostay within their comfort zone bypasses a step-out-of-the-box title from an emerging author for anothertried-and-true book in the Magic Tree...

Theme Song Thursday: Where It All Started

One big question a lot of people ask authors is what inspired the story? I know it's a questions I normally ask on ParaYourNormal's Blog Talk Radio show.

So what inspired the story line behind What the Heart Wants? That's easy. A song. #imagine that.

Music has always inspired me. Even as a child. It was nothing for me to grab a tape recorder (yeah, I'm showing my age) and sing into it for hours. #seriously.

Music is a big part of who I am. It touches my soul on a level that nothing else...

Theme Song Thursday: FREE eBooks! It's a Par-Tay!

Grab your Kindle, your smart phone, tablet, hell even your computer, and meet me over at Amazon from Thursday, February 2nd thru Saturday February 4th because there's a party going on. A FREE eBook par-tay! That's right, I said FREE, #woot!

Welcome to Free Par-Tay!

The Indie Book Collective is giving readers a chance to climb the Amazon slush pile of free books. We've gathered some the best eBooks on the market and daisy chained them in an event some people are calling the BEST eBook event of 2...

Soulmate Series Saturday: It's Been a While

Wow! It's been a while since I posted on the blog. A thousand apologies to you all. I thought once the book came out I would have more time. I'm not sure what alternate universe I was living in, but boy was I wrong.

First off, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, to each and every one of you who have expressed your love for What the Heart Wants. One of an author's biggest fears is sharing their book with the world. People can be cruel, but if you ever want to share your stories with others, you have to grow thick skin, take a deep breath, and make the plunge.

And I did.

I have some good news and bad news to share. The good news:  I began developing the plot line for Book 2. The bad news: My computer died on Wednesday. Always, ALWAYS back up your data. Make it a habit to do this at least once a week. I plan to do it daily.

But there is a light at the end of this dark tunnel. It's looking like I will be able to recover all my files, including the plot line for book 2!

I'm currently finishing up a piece I'm writing for the IBC romance anthology coming out very soon. I also have a project I am working on with a good friend and fellow author, Amber Scott. As soon as these two projects are finished, my main focus will be on book 2.

Never fear! I am jotting notes and will continue working on the storyline. I'm hoping to have book 2 out this summer. Will keep you updated here as well as on my other social media websites.

For more timely updates, please check out the series' fan page over on Facebook. I've also created a special group for those who enjoy the book. If you friend me on my Facebook account and post on my wall or send me a message that you'd like to be included in this group, I will get you added.

That's it for me today. Off to work on my other big project. Our new house Will be back again soon!

Blog Tour de Troops

Hi everyone! Welcome to the next stop on Blog Tour de Troops. Hopefully you just scored a copy of  John Zunski's Cemetery Street over on his blog.

When you're finished here, be sure to hop on over to Taylor Lee's site so you can scoop up a copy of Struck by Thunder.

Isn't this an amazing tour?

Speaking of amazing, I'll tell you what really blows my mind. The sacrifices our veterans have made for our country. Even those who are still serving.

They give up the luxuries of a soft bed and big screens, family and friends, home cooked meals, hot showers, even their safety. They miss the birth of their children and leave their little ones behind. They put their lives on the line so we can go to sleep at night without worry.

I have much respect for these men and woman. They are my heroes, every single one of them, especially my husband. He is an army veteran who served in Afghanistan. I love to hear him tell stories about his military experiences.

My husband chose to go to Afghanistan, even after he'd injured his back parachuting from a plane during a field exercise. He was cleared to stay behind, but after 9/11, he felt it was his duty to be a part of protecting our country. I love him for the sacrifice he made. He'll always be my hero.

To celebrate the valiant members of the Armed Forces, I'm giving away a copy of my debut  paranormal romance  novel, What the Heart Wants. Do dreams foretell the future? Are there soul connections that go deeper than love? Dylan can sense her emotions. Heaven can't resist his gravitational pull. But who are they to each other?

Not only will your comment get you a pdf ARC of What the Heart Wants, you'll also be entered into a Kindle drawing at the end of this tour. All proceeds raised during the tour go toward the purchase of Kindles for troops.

If you'd like to donate money toward those Kindles, simply use Paypal and ibcprograms@gmail.com as the address.

Did you know that books are the number one requested care package item? Yeppers.

Please leave a comment below with your email address and answer one question. Who is your hero?

Many thanks to our veterans, armed forces, and to you. I'm honored to be a part of Blog Tour de Troops.

 

 

Theme Song Thursday: Get Your Freak On

For my little freaks…

We've all got a bit of freak in us, whether we want to admit it or not. Some a little more than others.

Yes… definitely a little more…

Okay, before I have some of you scratching your head thinking WTF, or maybe turning some of you on #lovethelittlefreaksintheworld, I better get on with my post.

This song has been out for a while, but someone recently turned me on to it. #nopun. I love it. Not because I'm into S&M, and if you are, no offense. I'm all about people doing what makes them happy. Go get your freak on, baby. So long as you're not hurting anyone.The reason I like this song so much is because it's all about empowered women. Women not taking shit.

I don't take shit. Just ask my husband… #poorguy

This song reminds me a little of Faith, Heaven's sister in What the Heart Wants. Little vixen. No, she's not into bondage. But she is a force to be reckoned with. I've had a blast writing Faith. Can't wait until the rest of the world meets her.

Soon…very soon.

I also like the song because it empowers me…to write. What song empowers you?

Enjoy the music

 

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Theme Song Thursday

So it's official. I am a published author. Woohoo!

Okay, it's not What the Heart Wants, but The Evil Within features one of my stories in this creepy horror anthology. And it's just in time for Halloween. It can't get any better than that, right? #right

There are 9, that's right, 9 chilling tales in this book. I've read them and let me tell you, you'll want to leave the lights on. Joining me in this book is Cristyn West, Amber Scott, Elena Gray, Rachel Thompson, Patricia Callum, and Matt Posner.

Did you know that you can get The Evil Within for only 99 cents? Yep. As a current promotion with the Bestseller for a Day program, sponsored by The Indie Book Collective, you can puchase Evil as a bonus buy with Cristyn West's bestseller for a day, All Hallow's Eve.

It gets even better. Besides scoring these two books for 99 cents, you can also puchase three other books for such an amazing low price. And if you visit the Bestseller for a Day website and sign up for the newsletter, you can get entries into the kindle giveaway that the wonderful Cristyn West is giving away.

5 books at 99 cents, a chance to win a free kindle, and Halloween thrills? What are you waiting for. Go load up.

And to celebrate this happy occasion, and Halloween on Monday, let me give you my Theme Song Thursday pick this week. One of my favorite songs, though it is an oldie, it is still a goodie. #justlikeme. Enjoy!

 

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Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Theme Song Thursday

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Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Let's talk a little about beta males. Some are more supportive than a jock strap. Some are there to help the alpha along his journey. To teach him important lessons. Some betas even become the heroes. Then there are betas who just love to make life impossible for anyone who crosses their path.

Sounds a little villainous, doesn't it? Depends on how you look at it. Some of these betas have good intentions, but you know what they say about good intentions, right?

The latter version describes Layne, my beta male in What the Heart Wants. The guy can't help but be a pig sometimes. He's good looking, a rock star, and quite the lady's man. Not that rock stars are pigs. No way. Dylan is, too, and he is the complete opposite of Layne.

Hard to believe their best friends. But they are.

Even though Layne's had women falling for him all his life, he can't help but envy Dylan. Especially later in the story. Sorry, I can't reveal too much. You've got to read the book. If it ever makes it out of edits.

Hey, I'm working on it!

Layne may be every feminists' nightmare, but the guy has a soft side, too. He just refuses to show it to people. He wants what every other person wants. Love. But the poor guy just confuses love with sex. He gets plenty of that.

Want to get inside Layne's mind? You can get to know him a little better by listening to the song below. Consider it Layne's theme song. Yeah, my beta's a nempho. He meets his match in What the Heart Wants.

But someone else steals his heart.

 

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Click here to view the video on YouTube.