Meradeth Houston's Blog, page 25
November 23, 2015
Guest Post: Kay LaLone, author of FAMILY SECRET
Today I have a lovely author here to talk about her most recent release, Family Secret. Give it up for Kay LaLone!
Sixteen-year-old Thomas Patrick Henry is thrown into a web of secrets and demons after his mother’s murder.
On the road to solving his mother’s murder, sixteen-year-old Thomas Patrick Henry discovers a secret his father has kept from him for years. Tom thought Dad’s secret put him in danger, Mom’s secret is far worse. Magic. Witches. Ancient Book of Spells. Magical Amulet. Ghosts. Demons. Tom never thought these things existed until he is face to face with them. There is nothing else to do but destroy the demons before someone else Tom love dies. He already lost his mom and a close friend because this secret was kept from him. No one else will die. No one else will be possessed. Tom faces his demons. A mother’s love gives Tom the strength to slay his demons.
Character Interview Questions For Family Secret
What is your name?
Thomas Patrick Henry. Most people call me Tom. My mom was the only one to call me by my full name.
How do you envision your future?
Hopefully, demon free, but I’ve got a feeling that won’t happen. I plan to reopen my mom’s antique shop the Cat’s Meow. Work there for a while.
Do you believe in magic? Why? Or why not?
When my mom first gave me the amulet and told me it might have magical powers, I thought she was crazy. I didn’t believe in magic. Magic was something for little kids to believe in. But I was proven wrong when I came face to face with a demon. Now I’m a firm believer in magic.
What is your favorite sport?
Baseball. There is no doubt baseball is my favorite. Go Cubs. When I was young I used to play little league. And one summer I went to baseball camp which was lots of fun.
Do you have any hobbies?
I like to read and collect comic books. Also I have a pretty good bobble head collection. Mostly baseball and basketball players.
What in your past would you like to forget?
My mother’s murder. That is something that will haunt me the rest of my life because she was killed by demons.
Are you lucky?
Yes. I have good friends and a family that loves me.
What makes you sad?
Death. It leaves a hole in your heart. You know their spirit is still with you watching over you, but you miss their physical presence.
What is your pet peeve?
Being called a kid, especially by adults. I feel when they call me kid they are looking down on me like I don’t know anything because I’m young.
Do you have a girlfriend?
Yes. Her name is Sarah. Her, Rob, and I have been summer best friends for a long time. And then suddenly the magic of love happened.
About Kay:
I’m Kay LaLone author of Ghostly Clues, my first MG novel. Family Secret is my first YA novel.
Both published by MuseItUp. I live in Michigan with my husband and teenage son (two older sons and a daughter-in-law and my first grandbaby live nearby) and two dogs. I love to get up every morning and write about ghosts, the paranormal, and things that go bump in the night. I write PB, MG and YA novels. No matter the books I write, I want my readers to feel like they have met a new friend. I’m an avid reader of just about any type of book (mystery, paranormal, and ghost stories are my favorites). I do reviews and post them on my website and blog. I love to collect old books, antiques, and collectibles. You can find many of my antiques and collectibles selling on ebay and at fleamarkets.
MuseItUp: Amazon: Barnes & Noble: blog: Website: Facebook: Twitter: good reads
Sixteen-year-old Thomas Patrick Henry is thrown into a web of secrets and demons after his mother’s murder.
On the road to solving his mother’s murder, sixteen-year-old Thomas Patrick Henry discovers a secret his father has kept from him for years. Tom thought Dad’s secret put him in danger, Mom’s secret is far worse. Magic. Witches. Ancient Book of Spells. Magical Amulet. Ghosts. Demons. Tom never thought these things existed until he is face to face with them. There is nothing else to do but destroy the demons before someone else Tom love dies. He already lost his mom and a close friend because this secret was kept from him. No one else will die. No one else will be possessed. Tom faces his demons. A mother’s love gives Tom the strength to slay his demons.Character Interview Questions For Family Secret
What is your name?
Thomas Patrick Henry. Most people call me Tom. My mom was the only one to call me by my full name.
How do you envision your future?
Hopefully, demon free, but I’ve got a feeling that won’t happen. I plan to reopen my mom’s antique shop the Cat’s Meow. Work there for a while.
Do you believe in magic? Why? Or why not?
When my mom first gave me the amulet and told me it might have magical powers, I thought she was crazy. I didn’t believe in magic. Magic was something for little kids to believe in. But I was proven wrong when I came face to face with a demon. Now I’m a firm believer in magic.
What is your favorite sport?
Baseball. There is no doubt baseball is my favorite. Go Cubs. When I was young I used to play little league. And one summer I went to baseball camp which was lots of fun.
Do you have any hobbies?
I like to read and collect comic books. Also I have a pretty good bobble head collection. Mostly baseball and basketball players.
What in your past would you like to forget?
My mother’s murder. That is something that will haunt me the rest of my life because she was killed by demons.
Are you lucky?
Yes. I have good friends and a family that loves me.
What makes you sad?
Death. It leaves a hole in your heart. You know their spirit is still with you watching over you, but you miss their physical presence.
What is your pet peeve?
Being called a kid, especially by adults. I feel when they call me kid they are looking down on me like I don’t know anything because I’m young.
Do you have a girlfriend?
Yes. Her name is Sarah. Her, Rob, and I have been summer best friends for a long time. And then suddenly the magic of love happened.
About Kay:
I’m Kay LaLone author of Ghostly Clues, my first MG novel. Family Secret is my first YA novel.
Both published by MuseItUp. I live in Michigan with my husband and teenage son (two older sons and a daughter-in-law and my first grandbaby live nearby) and two dogs. I love to get up every morning and write about ghosts, the paranormal, and things that go bump in the night. I write PB, MG and YA novels. No matter the books I write, I want my readers to feel like they have met a new friend. I’m an avid reader of just about any type of book (mystery, paranormal, and ghost stories are my favorites). I do reviews and post them on my website and blog. I love to collect old books, antiques, and collectibles. You can find many of my antiques and collectibles selling on ebay and at fleamarkets.MuseItUp: Amazon: Barnes & Noble: blog: Website: Facebook: Twitter: good reads
November 21, 2015
Cover Reveal: BIRTH OF AN AMERICAN GIGOLO by Deek Rhew
I have a fun cover to share with you all today! Be sure to say hello to Deek!
Birth of An American Gigolo
An old party girl turned domestic diva, infuriated by her husband's cheating--and his holier-than-thou, tree-hugging, no-tits and no-hips girlfriend--inflicts her wrath by training a local boy in the fine art of seduction. She and her new boy toy turned love god, start a gigolo business as a distraction for the neglected and mistreated housewives of Alabaster Cove.
About Deek Rhew
Deek lives in a rainy pocket in the Pacific Northwest with his stunning YA author bride, Erin Rhew, and their writing assistant, a fat tabby named Trinity. They enjoy lingering in the mornings, and often late into the night, caught up Erin’s fantastic fantasy worlds of noble princes and knights and entwined in Deek’s dark underworld of the FBI and drug lords. His first full-lengthed novel 122 Rules releases with Pandamoon Publishing in 2016.
Deek and Erin enjoy spending time with friends, running, boxing, lifting weights, eating popcorn, drinking Coke Zero, and living life to the fullest.
You can find Deek online:
TwitterFacebookGoogle +GoodreadsDeek's Rhewminations (his blog)
And Now...The Big Reveal
Anita Carroll at Race-Point designed this amazing cover!
Birth of an American Gigolo will be available on Amazon and other eRetailers early 2016! Be sure to add it to your Goodreads TBR list!
Birth of An American Gigolo
An old party girl turned domestic diva, infuriated by her husband's cheating--and his holier-than-thou, tree-hugging, no-tits and no-hips girlfriend--inflicts her wrath by training a local boy in the fine art of seduction. She and her new boy toy turned love god, start a gigolo business as a distraction for the neglected and mistreated housewives of Alabaster Cove.
About Deek Rhew
Deek lives in a rainy pocket in the Pacific Northwest with his stunning YA author bride, Erin Rhew, and their writing assistant, a fat tabby named Trinity. They enjoy lingering in the mornings, and often late into the night, caught up Erin’s fantastic fantasy worlds of noble princes and knights and entwined in Deek’s dark underworld of the FBI and drug lords. His first full-lengthed novel 122 Rules releases with Pandamoon Publishing in 2016. Deek and Erin enjoy spending time with friends, running, boxing, lifting weights, eating popcorn, drinking Coke Zero, and living life to the fullest.
You can find Deek online:
TwitterFacebookGoogle +GoodreadsDeek's Rhewminations (his blog)
And Now...The Big Reveal
Anita Carroll at Race-Point designed this amazing cover!
Birth of an American Gigolo will be available on Amazon and other eRetailers early 2016! Be sure to add it to your Goodreads TBR list!
November 19, 2015
Guest Post: Michelle K. Picket, author of THE INNOCENT
It's such a treat to get to share a great book, and an awesome author here today! Take it away, Michelle!
I’m an author. And I love my job. I love books. I love reading them, holding them, how they smell, how they look lined up on my bookshelves all nice and pretty. The worlds they transport me to, the characters I meet… everything.
I’m a wife and a mother. I love my family. I love how they love me. I love hugging them, kissing on them, talking to them… everything. There is nothing—NOTHING—I love more than my family.
Being a good wife and mother is hard work.
Being an author is hard work, too.I’m very, very blessed to have my family. They love and support my writing. They try to understand the deadlines I work with, and that sometimes writing will encroach on family time, no matter how hard I try to keep it from doing so. They are patient when I need to ask questions: does this sound okay? Should I kill this person or the other? Should I use this ending? What do you think I should…? You get the idea. They dutifully answer all my questions, giving me input when I ask.
When I was in the early stages of writing the Milayna Series I wasn’t sure which direction to take the third book. I’d almost given up and decided to make it a duology rather than a trilogy. Enter: my husband, Larry. He listened to my babbling, making all the right comments he should’ve. When the conversation ended, I left to run errands. When I returned home, Larry handed me a steno notebook. Inside he had jotted two pages, front and back, of notes. Ideas he had for the book.
“I think you should do something like the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,” he told me. Then, he showed me his notes. The names he’d found and what each meant. And that’s all I needed. With his notes and general ideas, the plot started to piece itself together in my brain. And The Innocent was born. Thanks to my husband. Although he’d say it was all me, but he’d be wrong. The idea started with him.
But my husband hasn’t been the only family member I’ve been blessed to work with. My son, Evan, has given me pages of ideas, beginning with my first book Concilium. He is a great source for all things monster or weapon related. But more than that, he’s given me two ideas for future books.
While he doesn’t quite understand that it isn’t as simple as sitting down and pounding out a book—I have to let the ideas and plot grown organically. It isn’t until they’ve taken root in my mind that I can write the book—Evan knows that his ideas are in the queue, so to speak. We have a notebook that we write ideas in, I keep a folder of pictures he’s drawn me of weapons and monsters. And one day, hopefully soon, we’ll work on the books together.
Working on projects with my family gives me the rare opportunity to combine my two biggest loves: my family and my writing. And I’m fully aware that I am very fortunate to have a family like mine. Many authors don’t.
I don’t think I’ll ever look at the Milayna Series and not remember how instrumental my husband was in my finishing the trilogy like I’d planned. He gave me a gift, probably not even realizing how much it meant to me.
And he does laundry.
Sorry ladies, he’s mine.
Title: The InnocentSeries: The Milayna Series, Book 3Author: Michelle K. PickettPublished: November 3rd, 2015 Publisher: Clean Teen PublishingGenre: YAm Paranormal RomanceContent Warning: Violence and LanguageRecommended Age: 16+
A year ago, eighteen year-old Milayna fought Azazel, Hell’s angel, for her soul. She thought she’d seen the last of him, but he’s back, and he’s brought his friends with him. The Four Brothers want Milayna’s life, and they have wicked powers to use to take it.
While Milayna struggles against the Four Brothers, she also has to fight Azazel for her younger brother’s soul. Ben is at a crucial point in his life—a time when he is weakest to Azazel and his powers. Milayna has to shield her brother from Azazel until Ben reaches the age of accountability and enters a period of safety from Azazel and his soul-sucking demons.
As if having four demon brothers out to end her life and Hell’s angel out to steal her brother’s soul wasn’t enough, Milayna is still reeling from the disappearance of Chay. Can she find him in time to save their relationship? Or will the constant struggle with Hell and all its evil send her seeking comfort in the arms of Xavier?
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | GoodReadsGrab your copy of book 1, Milayna, for FREE on Amazon!
About the Author: Michelle is the bestselling author of the young adult novel “PODs.” She was born and raised in Flint, Michigan, but now lives in a sleepy suburb outside Houston with her extremely supportive husband, three school-aged children, a 125 pound “lap dog,” and a very snooty cat. Red Bull or Monster Khaos are her coffee of choice, and she can’t write without peanut butter M&Ms and a hoodie. A hopeful romantic; she loves a swoon-worthy ending that will give her butterflies for days. She writes across genres in the young adult and new adult age groups. She loves to hear from her readers.
Michelle signed her new young adult contemporary novel— Unspeakable, with Clean Teen Publishing in 2014.Amazon Author Page | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Blog
Clean Teen Publishing Links:Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter
Giveaway Details: There is a tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:If US, the winner will receive a mystery box from Clean Teen PublishingIf International, the winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card.Ends November 22nd at Midnight (EST)a Rafflecopter giveaway 
November 17, 2015
Cover Reveal: CRIMSON EARTH by Anna Soliveres
Anna Soliveres is one of those awesome authors who I love to get to show off their upcoming titles. The first book in this series, Violet Storm, was really amazing, and I can't wait for this sequel! Plus, check out this incredible cover:
CRIMSON EARTH:
Aeva Storm finally has the answers she’s been looking for since the night she was struck by lightning. She knows who she is—and more importantly, what she is. But her secret isn’t hers alone to keep, and some of those who know the truth will do anything to control her.
In the sequel to the acclaimed Violet Storm, Aeva must decide how far she’ll go to protect her identity and to find her missing sister in a world she hardly recognizes. She must embrace her new life—and her strange new body—if she hopes to save the only place she and her family have left to call home.
Filled with action, mystery, and heartbreak, Crimson Earth finds Aeva, Ruven, and Karth on opposing sides as the war between The False Alliance and the Monarchy draws near.
Can they band together to fight against the evil threatening the City? Or will they destroy each other before the war has even begun?
Add it to Goodreads here, and sign up for the newsletter to get the first 3 chapters free: http://www.annasoliveres.com. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!
About the author:
Anna Soliveres has always been a storyteller but it wasn't until her early twenties when she began writing novel length works. The result was an enthusiasm to get better at the craft until her work could be shared with the world. Released in March 2014, VIOLET STORM is her debut novel. Anna is currently working on another young adult fantasy series, titled SNOW DOLLS. To learn more, please visit her at www.annasoliveres.com.
What do you think about the new cover? Did you get a chance to read Violet Storm?
November 16, 2015
Thoughts on Peace
I'm sitting here attempting to process in some meaningful way what's happened overseas over the past week. So many lives (over 150k) have been lost to forces both natural (earthquakes and hurricanes in Japan and Mexico), and man made (Paris, Beirut, Libya, Bagdad, and too many more). I spent a good portion of my weekend reading about these attacks and can't wrap my mind around them any more today than I did when I was sitting at my desk on Friday and first head about Paris. It's terrifying and painful and frightening. Which is exactly what the groups propagating the violence want: for us to be scared. To hate Muslims. I even read a few pieces where the terrorists wish to bring about the end of the world. I don't understand it.But the reality is, I only have one thing truly in my control: how I respond. I will not be scared. I will continue to love my Muslim friends and family. I will not let this influence my views of those fleeing the violence in their own countries (often by these very same terrorists). I will not let them make me afraid. I sincerely hope there doesn't come a day when the danger of being able to go out (whether it be to travel or just to a concert) isn't too dangerous, because then these groups who spread hate and fear will have won.
Be friendly. Be kind. Keep you eyes open for things that don't seem right. Listen to your gut. This does NOT mean to target certain groups (don't even get me started on this--the next terrorist is just as likely to look like anyone else), but it does mean to speak up if something doesn't seem right. I sincerely believe the forces of friendship and love will overcome the darkness around us.How have the recent attacks affected you? What are your thoughts?
November 11, 2015
Realms Faire, Revisions, and Other Bookish Fun
I'm hanging out over on Mary Wiebel's blog today to take part in The Realm's Faire Stockade Brigade. Apparently I have been accused of a more heinous crime, time travel, and am trying to garner a little sympathy for my unlawful acts. Won't you come and vote for me? Pretty please? There might be something in it for you (well, other than a trip through time ;). Now if only I could remember where I left my blue police box...
I'll be rather busy over at Mary's today, so please come say hello to me there. And while I'm not there, or busy with my day-job, I have revisions to work on. Which means a lot of this:
Accompanied by a lot of coffee and a small dog who pretty much only sits still if she has perched herself between me and my laptop screen. Granted, I love this novel to a ridiculous degree, even when I come across cringe-worthy bits even after a million rounds of revisions, so it's all good. And hey, doing so knowing I have an agent to represent it? Somehow makes the whole process fall under a different light :)
Come say hi to me at Mary's!
I'll be rather busy over at Mary's today, so please come say hello to me there. And while I'm not there, or busy with my day-job, I have revisions to work on. Which means a lot of this:
Accompanied by a lot of coffee and a small dog who pretty much only sits still if she has perched herself between me and my laptop screen. Granted, I love this novel to a ridiculous degree, even when I come across cringe-worthy bits even after a million rounds of revisions, so it's all good. And hey, doing so knowing I have an agent to represent it? Somehow makes the whole process fall under a different light :)Come say hi to me at Mary's!
November 9, 2015
Blog Tour: REDEMPTION by Jessica Therrien
I have a treat today! Jessica Therrien is here to chat with us all about this question:
Which one of your characters would you like to meet in real life, and why?
Hi Meradeth fans! Thanks for letting me steal the spotlight for a minute :)
For me, good writing means strong characters. I don’t care what happens to someone in a book unless I actually care about the character.
One of the characters in my books who has had a real impact on readers is a girl named Kara. She’s a grunge-punk badass with a dark past and a good heart, but it’s her snarky attitude that wins most people over. Here’s my dream actor visual:
It would definitely love to meet Kara. Most of my characters are based on real people (obviously they morph into their own as I write), but Kara was different. She sort of just pushed herself into my brain and forced her way into the series. If I’m being honest, I’m nothing like her. She’s tough, I’m not. She’s witty, I’m goofy. She’s hard around the edges, I’m an open book. Maybe she’s my other half…
I’ve actually thought of writing a spin off about Kara. Throughout the entire series she has been a very loud voice in my head. It would probably be an easy book to write. She has always sort of driven the scenes she’s in. I’d sit down planning to write something, and end up writing another story entirely…completely out of the blue. I honestly wonder what causes certain characters to come to life the way they do.
You know, it kind of makes me sad that some characters are fictional. A lot of times when I’m reading I find myself wishing we could be friends. I dream about hanging out with them and wake up feeling all excited. That’s why movies are awesome. Meeting Daniel Ratcliff would almostbe like meeting Harry Potter, haha!!
Which character(s) in any book have made you wish they were real?
Lead Council member, Christoph, is dead by Elyse’s hand, and Descendants have begun to emerge, exposing their secret to the world. Some see this as the prophecy come to fruition, but the prophecy caries a heavy consequence. It was never meant to be as peaceful as most had hoped.
Humans and Descendants struggle to live together in a world that isn’t ready for such a change. America is divided. Those who glorify the supernatural race believe Descendants truly are the gods they claim relation to. Others see them as a threat.
When Elyse gives birth to the next generation oracle, she sees one final vision—war. The destruction of the country’s major cities, and the end of America as we know it.
After her daughter is born, Elyse finds herself without the ability she needs to predict the future. Desperate to save the world from such conflict, she puts her faith in the hope that Descendants are the key to survival. After all, they have the power to supply a broken society with the means to survive.
Only from the ashes can a new world be born.
GOODREADS | AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLEElyse’s Story…
OPPRESSION (Book #1)UPRISING (Book #2)REDEMPTION (Book #3)
The Children of the Gods Series
The Descendants have waited long enough for freedom…
About The Author
JESSICA THERRIEN spent most of her life in the small town of Chilcoot, California, high up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In this town of nearly 100 residents, with no streetlights or grocery stores, there was little to do but find ways to be creative. Her mother, the local English teacher, inspired her to do all things artistic, and ultimately instilled in her a love for language. Jessica currently lives in Southern California with her husband and their two children.
You can visit her online atwww.jessicatherrien.com
AVAILABLE NOW WIDGET:
Which one of your characters would you like to meet in real life, and why?
Hi Meradeth fans! Thanks for letting me steal the spotlight for a minute :)
For me, good writing means strong characters. I don’t care what happens to someone in a book unless I actually care about the character.
One of the characters in my books who has had a real impact on readers is a girl named Kara. She’s a grunge-punk badass with a dark past and a good heart, but it’s her snarky attitude that wins most people over. Here’s my dream actor visual:
It would definitely love to meet Kara. Most of my characters are based on real people (obviously they morph into their own as I write), but Kara was different. She sort of just pushed herself into my brain and forced her way into the series. If I’m being honest, I’m nothing like her. She’s tough, I’m not. She’s witty, I’m goofy. She’s hard around the edges, I’m an open book. Maybe she’s my other half…
I’ve actually thought of writing a spin off about Kara. Throughout the entire series she has been a very loud voice in my head. It would probably be an easy book to write. She has always sort of driven the scenes she’s in. I’d sit down planning to write something, and end up writing another story entirely…completely out of the blue. I honestly wonder what causes certain characters to come to life the way they do.
You know, it kind of makes me sad that some characters are fictional. A lot of times when I’m reading I find myself wishing we could be friends. I dream about hanging out with them and wake up feeling all excited. That’s why movies are awesome. Meeting Daniel Ratcliff would almostbe like meeting Harry Potter, haha!!
Which character(s) in any book have made you wish they were real?
Lead Council member, Christoph, is dead by Elyse’s hand, and Descendants have begun to emerge, exposing their secret to the world. Some see this as the prophecy come to fruition, but the prophecy caries a heavy consequence. It was never meant to be as peaceful as most had hoped.Humans and Descendants struggle to live together in a world that isn’t ready for such a change. America is divided. Those who glorify the supernatural race believe Descendants truly are the gods they claim relation to. Others see them as a threat.
When Elyse gives birth to the next generation oracle, she sees one final vision—war. The destruction of the country’s major cities, and the end of America as we know it.
After her daughter is born, Elyse finds herself without the ability she needs to predict the future. Desperate to save the world from such conflict, she puts her faith in the hope that Descendants are the key to survival. After all, they have the power to supply a broken society with the means to survive.
Only from the ashes can a new world be born.
GOODREADS | AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLEElyse’s Story…
OPPRESSION (Book #1)UPRISING (Book #2)REDEMPTION (Book #3)
The Children of the Gods Series
The Descendants have waited long enough for freedom…
About The Author
JESSICA THERRIEN spent most of her life in the small town of Chilcoot, California, high up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In this town of nearly 100 residents, with no streetlights or grocery stores, there was little to do but find ways to be creative. Her mother, the local English teacher, inspired her to do all things artistic, and ultimately instilled in her a love for language. Jessica currently lives in Southern California with her husband and their two children.You can visit her online atwww.jessicatherrien.com
AVAILABLE NOW WIDGET:
November 6, 2015
Book Blitz: THE INNOCENT by Michelle K. Pickett
Title: The InnocentSeries: The Milayna Series, Book 3Author: Michelle K. PickettPublished: November 3, 2015 Publisher: Clean Teen PublishingGenre: YAm Paranormal RomanceContent Warning: Violence and LanguageRecommended Age: 16+
A year ago, eighteen year-old Milayna fought Azazel, Hell’s angel, for her soul. She thought she’d seen the last of him, but he’s back, and he’s brought his friends with him. The Four Brothers want Milayna’s life, and they have wicked powers to use to take it.
While Milayna struggles against the Four Brothers, she also has to fight Azazel for her younger brother’s soul. Ben is at a crucial point in his life—a time when he is weakest to Azazel and his powers. Milayna has to shield her brother from Azazel until Ben reaches the age of accountability and enters a period of safety from Azazel and his soul-sucking demons.
As if having four demon brothers out to end her life and Hell’s angel out to steal her brother’s soul wasn’t enough, Milayna is still reeling from the disappearance of Chay. Can she find him in time to save their relationship? Or will the constant struggle with Hell and all its evil send her seeking comfort in the arms of Xavier?
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | GoodReadsGrab your copy of book 1, Milayna, for FREE on Amazon!
About the Author:Michelle is the bestselling author of the young adult novel “PODs.” She was born and raised in Flint, Michigan, but now lives in a sleepy suburb outside Houston with her extremely supportive husband, three school-aged children, a 125 pound “lap dog,” and a very snooty cat.Red Bull or Monster Khaos are her coffee of choice, and she can’t write without peanut butter M&Ms and a hoodie. A hopeful romantic; she loves a swoon-worthy ending that will give her butterflies for days. She writes across genres in the young adult and new adult age groups. She loves to hear from her readers.Michelle signed her new young adult contemporary novel— Unspeakable, with Clean Teen Publishing in 2014.Amazon Author Page | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Blog
Clean Teen Publishing Links:Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter
Giveaway Details: There is a tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:If US, the winner will receive a mystery box from Clean Teen PublishingIf International, the winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card.Ends November 9th at Midnight (EST)a Rafflecopter giveaway
November 4, 2015
#FlashFiction for November: Drawer Full of Memories
Okay, it's that time of the month again! A little Flash Fiction is over on the Lightening Quick Reads blog from yours truly. This month's topic was thankfulness, which gave me a lot of pause when writing. The story that came out was, well, a little more autobiographical than I really wanted it to be. But I honestly can say that I needed to write it. I've always processed things through writing. But it doesn't make for an easy piece to read, nor is it very story-like. Still, some of you might take something from it, so here's a little teaser:
Drawer Full of Memories
SourceTime seemed to shudder to a stop, rocking her back on my heels, as soon as the drawer slid open. The mad scrambled search for scissors forgotten in a heartbeat. Inside the drawer was a scatter of memories, each their own small world of wonder.
Each something she’d tried to forget.
Almost by some outside force, she reached inside. Folded papers that echoed words she’d loved. She’d believed them, too, and their professions of love and apology, faith and trust. Some part of her heart still burned with the embers of what they’d meant, a part she wished she could douse with water. Reading them pooled tears in her eyes, long forgotten memories flaring to life once more. The cinch of pain around her heart tightened down, sure and steady in a way she’d learned to live with over the past year.
The other objects conjured a myriad of other thoughts. The photos were the hardest. Smiling faces and far away places. Echoes from a time when things had been so much easier. But still, it was hard to ignore the pain that each smile covered in the images. The knowledge of what led up to those posed scenes on rooftops in other countries. The harsh words. Those photos hid all of that to the outside world, but today, they rushed back, impossible to mask.
Did she want to mask them? Sometimes it was so much easier to remember the better parts. Pretend the photos captured the truth, and not just the careful façade. But the truth, it always leaked through.
The rest can be found here!
Drawer Full of Memories
SourceTime seemed to shudder to a stop, rocking her back on my heels, as soon as the drawer slid open. The mad scrambled search for scissors forgotten in a heartbeat. Inside the drawer was a scatter of memories, each their own small world of wonder.Each something she’d tried to forget.
Almost by some outside force, she reached inside. Folded papers that echoed words she’d loved. She’d believed them, too, and their professions of love and apology, faith and trust. Some part of her heart still burned with the embers of what they’d meant, a part she wished she could douse with water. Reading them pooled tears in her eyes, long forgotten memories flaring to life once more. The cinch of pain around her heart tightened down, sure and steady in a way she’d learned to live with over the past year.
The other objects conjured a myriad of other thoughts. The photos were the hardest. Smiling faces and far away places. Echoes from a time when things had been so much easier. But still, it was hard to ignore the pain that each smile covered in the images. The knowledge of what led up to those posed scenes on rooftops in other countries. The harsh words. Those photos hid all of that to the outside world, but today, they rushed back, impossible to mask.
Did she want to mask them? Sometimes it was so much easier to remember the better parts. Pretend the photos captured the truth, and not just the careful façade. But the truth, it always leaked through.
The rest can be found here!
November 2, 2015
Release Day for REDEMPTION with #giveaway and review!
Redemption (Children of the Gods #3)
Nobody promised freedom would be peaceful…
AVAILABLE TODAY!
Lead Council member, Christoph, is dead by Elyse’s hand, and Descendants have begun to emerge, exposing their secret to the world. Some see this as the prophecy come to fruition, but the prophecy caries a heavy consequence. It was never meant to be as peaceful as most had hoped.
Humans and Descendants struggle to live together in a world that isn’t ready for such a change. America is divided. Those who glorify the supernatural race believe Descendants truly are the gods they claim relation to. Others see them as a threat.
When Elyse gives birth to the next generation oracle, she sees one final vision—war. The destruction of the country’s major cities, and the end of America as we know it.
After her daughter is born, Elyse finds herself without the ability she needs to predict the future. Desperate to save the world from such conflict, she puts her faith in the hope that Descendants are the key to survival. After all, they have the power to supply a broken society with the means to survive.
Only from the ashes can a new world be born.
GOODREADS | AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE
Elyse’s Story…
OPPRESSION (Book #1) – ON SALE $0.99UPRISING (Book #2) – ON SALE $0.99REDEMPTION (Book #3) – AVAILABLE NOW $2.99
The Children of the Gods Series
The Descendants have waited long enough for freedom…
About The Author
JESSICA THERRIEN spent most of her life in the small town of Chilcoot, California, high up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In this town of nearly 100 residents, with no streetlights or grocery stores, there was little to do but find ways to be creative. Her mother, the local English teacher, inspired her to do all things artistic, and ultimately instilled in her a love for language. Jessica currently lives in Southern California with her husband and their two children.
You can visit her online atwww.jessicatherrien.com
a Rafflecopter giveaway
My Review:I have read a lot of series where I love the first book, but after that, the series doesn't hold my attention. The Children of the Gods series is absolutely the exact opposite of that. I've loved following Elyse and her friends as they'e grown and fought, loved and lost. This last book brought the series to a wonderful close, after some seriously heartrending moments and totally craziness (in a good way!). I was glued to the pages, knuckles white over what was going on (often to some of my favorite places on the planet...San Francisco *sniff*--I promise that is the most minor spoiler I'll give!), but having to know what happened next. In terms of what would happen in the world should the events leading up to Redemption happened (as in, a bunch of people came out and revealed that they had some seriously amazing gifts and potentially could be dangerous), I didn't see any of the fallout as over the top. Frightening? Totally. Heartbreaking? No doubt. Realistic? Freakish so. Basically, if you enjoy an interesting spin on the Greek Gods in modern day, definitely check these books out!
Nobody promised freedom would be peaceful…
AVAILABLE TODAY!
Lead Council member, Christoph, is dead by Elyse’s hand, and Descendants have begun to emerge, exposing their secret to the world. Some see this as the prophecy come to fruition, but the prophecy caries a heavy consequence. It was never meant to be as peaceful as most had hoped.Humans and Descendants struggle to live together in a world that isn’t ready for such a change. America is divided. Those who glorify the supernatural race believe Descendants truly are the gods they claim relation to. Others see them as a threat.
When Elyse gives birth to the next generation oracle, she sees one final vision—war. The destruction of the country’s major cities, and the end of America as we know it.
After her daughter is born, Elyse finds herself without the ability she needs to predict the future. Desperate to save the world from such conflict, she puts her faith in the hope that Descendants are the key to survival. After all, they have the power to supply a broken society with the means to survive.
Only from the ashes can a new world be born.
GOODREADS | AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE
Elyse’s Story…
OPPRESSION (Book #1) – ON SALE $0.99UPRISING (Book #2) – ON SALE $0.99REDEMPTION (Book #3) – AVAILABLE NOW $2.99
The Children of the Gods Series
The Descendants have waited long enough for freedom…
About The Author
JESSICA THERRIEN spent most of her life in the small town of Chilcoot, California, high up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In this town of nearly 100 residents, with no streetlights or grocery stores, there was little to do but find ways to be creative. Her mother, the local English teacher, inspired her to do all things artistic, and ultimately instilled in her a love for language. Jessica currently lives in Southern California with her husband and their two children.You can visit her online atwww.jessicatherrien.com
a Rafflecopter giveaway
My Review:I have read a lot of series where I love the first book, but after that, the series doesn't hold my attention. The Children of the Gods series is absolutely the exact opposite of that. I've loved following Elyse and her friends as they'e grown and fought, loved and lost. This last book brought the series to a wonderful close, after some seriously heartrending moments and totally craziness (in a good way!). I was glued to the pages, knuckles white over what was going on (often to some of my favorite places on the planet...San Francisco *sniff*--I promise that is the most minor spoiler I'll give!), but having to know what happened next. In terms of what would happen in the world should the events leading up to Redemption happened (as in, a bunch of people came out and revealed that they had some seriously amazing gifts and potentially could be dangerous), I didn't see any of the fallout as over the top. Frightening? Totally. Heartbreaking? No doubt. Realistic? Freakish so. Basically, if you enjoy an interesting spin on the Greek Gods in modern day, definitely check these books out!
