Meradeth Houston's Blog, page 33
April 15, 2015
Blog Tour: THE EXTRACTION LIST by Renee N. Meland
I have a fun book to showcase today! Be sure to say hello to Renee :)
The Extraction List
GENRE: Young Adult Dystopian
When fifteen-year-old Riley Crane finds out her best friend Olivia is being abused at home, she knows just who to turn to: her mother Claire, writer and spokesperson for President Gray's Parental Morality Law. Under this law, Task Force Officers remove children from their homes if their parents do not meet certain guidelines, taking them to government-run boarding schools. Once they arrive, supervisors rehabilitate them, turning them into productive members of society. Or at least that was how it was supposed to work...
Now, after a government official threatens to make Riley the law's latest victim, Riley and Claire must rely on Cain Foley, a gifted killer with a tongue as sharp as the knives he carries, to get them out of America alive. Though he slices through men's necks as if they are warm butter, Riley can't seem to keep her cheeks from flushing every time he speaks. But when they stumble upon a deserted boarding school, Riley sees that escaping the country is only part of their problem. Together, Riley and Cain figure out that a killer can save a life, and a mother can damn a nation.
RELEASE DATE: April 7th, 2015
Website: Twitter: Goodreads: Facebook
Renee N. Meland lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two dogs. Her favorite obsessions are Rome, learning new recipes, and exploring the world around her. She is an avid reader of speculative fiction, and believes that telling stories is the best job in the world.
EXCERPT:
Sometimes a killer can save a life. In this case that life happened to be mine. I wish I had met him before the whole mess started. Maybe he could have saved more of us.
Maybe he could have saved us all.
I met the man who saved my life exactly one month after he killed his twentieth person. Of course he didn’t call it “murder,” he called it surviving, though sometimes I thought he should try to explain the difference to the people buried in the ground. To me, one label didn’t necessarily cancel out the other.
***One of my teachers used to say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Trust me, I knew all about it; I called that road “mother.” That teacher never mentioned what the road back was made with. I figured it was because nobody’d ever found one. Hell sort of struck me as a one-way-ticket kind of thing.
The night the Taskforce showed up on our doorstep, my mom screamed. After my brother Aidan’s death, then Dad leaving, hearing her carrying on like a crazy person wasn’t exactly new and different. I didn’t even flinch at first. I figured maybe she was missing my dad all the way to the bottom of a tequila bottle—again.
After a couple minutes though I slammed my copy of Crime and Punishment shut and left my room. I took my sweet time going downstairs to see her, hoping to hold on to the little bit of normal I’d had just seconds earlier. I stopped by the bathroom and grabbed a giant bottle of aspirin. Just in case.
Then I decided I was kidding myself. I knew better. There was no way she wouldn’t need aspirin.
“Riley! Get your stuff! We have to leave right now!” I ducked as Mom greeted me with a scene full of flying paper, jackets, and a few photo albums. They seemed to spin like a paper and plastic tornado, twirling through the air and landing unevenly in a giant duffel bag spread open at her feet. Even in the chaos I paused for a second to wonder how Mom’s hair managed to stay fastened perfectly in place. The image in front of me looked almost ordinary, a beautiful blonde woman in a fitted black skirt, white blouse, and hair pinned back in a bun, with a briefcase resting just inside the door.
Except this woman had thrown half our living room into orbit.
“Mom, what’s going on? What happened?”
Mom grabbed me by the shoulders and stared right into my eyes. “We need to leave right now, okay? I need you to not ask questions and just go pack a bag. You need to just trust me and do what I tell you, okay? And do NOT come downstairs until I say so.” Mom didn’t blink. I remembered the last time she didn’t blink during a whole conversation: When she told me that she and Dad needed to “work on their communication.” I found out later that was Mom-speak for “Dad’s about to abandon us and slam the door for the last time.”
I suddenly wished for the empty tequila bottle.
“You are my life.” Mom kissed my forehead, and I ran up the stairs. I didn’t come down again until I heard the gunshots. At fifteen, I was all too familiar with the sound. A person was never too young to know the snap of a gun anymore. But it was different coming from our house, like a firecracker going off inside my brain.
When I got to the entryway, a pool of blood belonging to a man in a gray suit tried to hold my shoes to the floor. The sticky mess grabbed the soles of my sneakers and smelled like raw steak fresh out of the plastic wrap. I winced as I stepped through it toward my mom. A pink piece of paper rested on top of the pool, slowly flooding with the dark red liquid. Bo, my mom’s best friend, had appeared too. Pistol smoke swirled gently from the tip of his weapon.
It wasn’t the blood, but the paper that made me scream. I felt the color drain from my cheeks, and I wondered if I looked as white as the dead man lying on our floor. “What the hell is going on? Is that pink paper what I think it is?”
Mom ignored my question. I hated being ignored more than anything, especially by her. But since there was a dead body involved, I figured I’d make an exception.
“Oh my GOD—you KILLED him!” Mom screamed, and in all her stick-thin glory started flailing her arms, hitting Bo with the strength of a flightless bird. Her bony fists bounced off his body as if his chest were made of rubber. If it hadn’t been a murder scene, it would have been kind of funny.
“Are you SURE? I saw him push you and I panicked. Maybe he’s just wounded.”
Thank God Bo didn’t panic more often.
Mom took a deep breath and stepped through the blood. She gently picked up the man’s hand and placed two fingers on his wrist. When she released it, her fingertips were stained red. “Yes. He’s dead.” She made a grand gesture, starting at his head and finishing toward his feet. “That’s what dead people look like. What are we going to do?”
My hands shook, partially from fright and partially because no one would tell me why there was a dead guy in the entryway.
Or why he had the pink slip of paper.
Bo grabbed Mom by the shoulders and held her still. “Claire, we’re going to grab Riley and we’re going to get out of here before more people come looking for this guy. I’ll tell you the plan on the way.”
Mom scoffed at him with wide eyes. “Plan? I don’t need your plan. I’m going to go straight to President Gray about this and he’s going to fix it. He has to.”
A twinge of hope rose inside me, working its way up from the tips of my toes to the top of my head. Maybe we wouldn’t have to leave our home after all. Maybe our little visit was just a really complicated, really messy misunderstanding. “Yeah, Mom’s right. I’m sure he’ll fix this. I can’t actually be on the Extraction List, right, Mom?”
“Of course not. There’s no way.”
Mom started toward the door, but Bo stepped in front of her.
“Claire, you saw the paperwork with your own eyes. Gray knows all about this. His signature is there.” He pointed to the guy on the floor. “This guy was going to grab your daughter. We need to go right now.” Bo took Mom by the hand and dragged her out the door.
I hesitated, frozen in the growing pool of red. Sweat broke out on my forehead, and it wasn’t because of the crippling D.C. heat. If I was on the Extraction List, I was supposed to end up like all those other people from my class, the ones who the Taskforce grabbed right from their desks. Those were the ones who disappeared. Since Mom had written the law that the Taskforce was responsible for enforcing, I never thought that I would ever be a target. Politics was all about protecting its stars, and there was no bigger star than my mother.
But that little pink piece of paper could only mean one thing. I forced myself to look down at it. I searched the document, eyes falling on the bottom right corner. It was faded, stretched by the blood into an unnatural shape, but it was there—the President of the United States’ signature.
I grabbed the bag Mom had been trying to pack and zipped it shut. I swung my own bag over my shoulder and followed Mom and Bo out of our house, hoping that I would someday be able to come back. But deep down, I knew we were about to drive away forever.
The Extraction List
GENRE: Young Adult Dystopian
When fifteen-year-old Riley Crane finds out her best friend Olivia is being abused at home, she knows just who to turn to: her mother Claire, writer and spokesperson for President Gray's Parental Morality Law. Under this law, Task Force Officers remove children from their homes if their parents do not meet certain guidelines, taking them to government-run boarding schools. Once they arrive, supervisors rehabilitate them, turning them into productive members of society. Or at least that was how it was supposed to work...
Now, after a government official threatens to make Riley the law's latest victim, Riley and Claire must rely on Cain Foley, a gifted killer with a tongue as sharp as the knives he carries, to get them out of America alive. Though he slices through men's necks as if they are warm butter, Riley can't seem to keep her cheeks from flushing every time he speaks. But when they stumble upon a deserted boarding school, Riley sees that escaping the country is only part of their problem. Together, Riley and Cain figure out that a killer can save a life, and a mother can damn a nation.
RELEASE DATE: April 7th, 2015
Website: Twitter: Goodreads: Facebook
Renee N. Meland lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two dogs. Her favorite obsessions are Rome, learning new recipes, and exploring the world around her. She is an avid reader of speculative fiction, and believes that telling stories is the best job in the world.
EXCERPT:
Sometimes a killer can save a life. In this case that life happened to be mine. I wish I had met him before the whole mess started. Maybe he could have saved more of us.
Maybe he could have saved us all.
I met the man who saved my life exactly one month after he killed his twentieth person. Of course he didn’t call it “murder,” he called it surviving, though sometimes I thought he should try to explain the difference to the people buried in the ground. To me, one label didn’t necessarily cancel out the other.
***One of my teachers used to say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Trust me, I knew all about it; I called that road “mother.” That teacher never mentioned what the road back was made with. I figured it was because nobody’d ever found one. Hell sort of struck me as a one-way-ticket kind of thing.
The night the Taskforce showed up on our doorstep, my mom screamed. After my brother Aidan’s death, then Dad leaving, hearing her carrying on like a crazy person wasn’t exactly new and different. I didn’t even flinch at first. I figured maybe she was missing my dad all the way to the bottom of a tequila bottle—again.
After a couple minutes though I slammed my copy of Crime and Punishment shut and left my room. I took my sweet time going downstairs to see her, hoping to hold on to the little bit of normal I’d had just seconds earlier. I stopped by the bathroom and grabbed a giant bottle of aspirin. Just in case.
Then I decided I was kidding myself. I knew better. There was no way she wouldn’t need aspirin.
“Riley! Get your stuff! We have to leave right now!” I ducked as Mom greeted me with a scene full of flying paper, jackets, and a few photo albums. They seemed to spin like a paper and plastic tornado, twirling through the air and landing unevenly in a giant duffel bag spread open at her feet. Even in the chaos I paused for a second to wonder how Mom’s hair managed to stay fastened perfectly in place. The image in front of me looked almost ordinary, a beautiful blonde woman in a fitted black skirt, white blouse, and hair pinned back in a bun, with a briefcase resting just inside the door.
Except this woman had thrown half our living room into orbit.
“Mom, what’s going on? What happened?”
Mom grabbed me by the shoulders and stared right into my eyes. “We need to leave right now, okay? I need you to not ask questions and just go pack a bag. You need to just trust me and do what I tell you, okay? And do NOT come downstairs until I say so.” Mom didn’t blink. I remembered the last time she didn’t blink during a whole conversation: When she told me that she and Dad needed to “work on their communication.” I found out later that was Mom-speak for “Dad’s about to abandon us and slam the door for the last time.”
I suddenly wished for the empty tequila bottle.
“You are my life.” Mom kissed my forehead, and I ran up the stairs. I didn’t come down again until I heard the gunshots. At fifteen, I was all too familiar with the sound. A person was never too young to know the snap of a gun anymore. But it was different coming from our house, like a firecracker going off inside my brain.
When I got to the entryway, a pool of blood belonging to a man in a gray suit tried to hold my shoes to the floor. The sticky mess grabbed the soles of my sneakers and smelled like raw steak fresh out of the plastic wrap. I winced as I stepped through it toward my mom. A pink piece of paper rested on top of the pool, slowly flooding with the dark red liquid. Bo, my mom’s best friend, had appeared too. Pistol smoke swirled gently from the tip of his weapon.
It wasn’t the blood, but the paper that made me scream. I felt the color drain from my cheeks, and I wondered if I looked as white as the dead man lying on our floor. “What the hell is going on? Is that pink paper what I think it is?”
Mom ignored my question. I hated being ignored more than anything, especially by her. But since there was a dead body involved, I figured I’d make an exception.
“Oh my GOD—you KILLED him!” Mom screamed, and in all her stick-thin glory started flailing her arms, hitting Bo with the strength of a flightless bird. Her bony fists bounced off his body as if his chest were made of rubber. If it hadn’t been a murder scene, it would have been kind of funny.
“Are you SURE? I saw him push you and I panicked. Maybe he’s just wounded.”
Thank God Bo didn’t panic more often.
Mom took a deep breath and stepped through the blood. She gently picked up the man’s hand and placed two fingers on his wrist. When she released it, her fingertips were stained red. “Yes. He’s dead.” She made a grand gesture, starting at his head and finishing toward his feet. “That’s what dead people look like. What are we going to do?”
My hands shook, partially from fright and partially because no one would tell me why there was a dead guy in the entryway.
Or why he had the pink slip of paper.
Bo grabbed Mom by the shoulders and held her still. “Claire, we’re going to grab Riley and we’re going to get out of here before more people come looking for this guy. I’ll tell you the plan on the way.”
Mom scoffed at him with wide eyes. “Plan? I don’t need your plan. I’m going to go straight to President Gray about this and he’s going to fix it. He has to.”
A twinge of hope rose inside me, working its way up from the tips of my toes to the top of my head. Maybe we wouldn’t have to leave our home after all. Maybe our little visit was just a really complicated, really messy misunderstanding. “Yeah, Mom’s right. I’m sure he’ll fix this. I can’t actually be on the Extraction List, right, Mom?”
“Of course not. There’s no way.”
Mom started toward the door, but Bo stepped in front of her.
“Claire, you saw the paperwork with your own eyes. Gray knows all about this. His signature is there.” He pointed to the guy on the floor. “This guy was going to grab your daughter. We need to go right now.” Bo took Mom by the hand and dragged her out the door.
I hesitated, frozen in the growing pool of red. Sweat broke out on my forehead, and it wasn’t because of the crippling D.C. heat. If I was on the Extraction List, I was supposed to end up like all those other people from my class, the ones who the Taskforce grabbed right from their desks. Those were the ones who disappeared. Since Mom had written the law that the Taskforce was responsible for enforcing, I never thought that I would ever be a target. Politics was all about protecting its stars, and there was no bigger star than my mother.
But that little pink piece of paper could only mean one thing. I forced myself to look down at it. I searched the document, eyes falling on the bottom right corner. It was faded, stretched by the blood into an unnatural shape, but it was there—the President of the United States’ signature.
I grabbed the bag Mom had been trying to pack and zipped it shut. I swung my own bag over my shoulder and followed Mom and Bo out of our house, hoping that I would someday be able to come back. But deep down, I knew we were about to drive away forever.
April 13, 2015
After Reading: 25 ROSES by Stephanie Faris
Mia moves from the shadows to the spotlight when her matchmaking plans go awry in this contemporary M!X novel from the author of 30 Days of No Gossip.Mia is used to feeling overlooked: her perfect older sister gets all the attention at home, and the popular clique at school are basically experts at ignoring her. So when it’s time for the annual Student Council chocolate rose sale, Mia is prepared to feel even worse. Because even though anyone can buy and send roses to their crushes and friends, the same (popular) people always end up with roses while everyone else gets left out.
Except a twist of fate puts Mia in charge of selling the roses this year—and that means things are going to change. With a little creativity, Mia makes sure the kids who usually leave empty-handed suddenly find themselves the object of someone’s affection. But her scheme starts to unravel when she realizes that being a secret matchmaker isn’t easy—and neither is being in the spotlight. (Goodreads)
Stephanie is an awesome blogger and I was so excited to win a copy of this! I haven't read a tween novel is way, way too long and loved the sweetness of it. Mia is incredibly identifiable, especially in how she thinks about sending roses to those who don't normally get them. I could completely understand her motivation, and panic at getting in over her head. And after being one of those people who never got a rose/carnation/candy or whatever else they sold in middle and high school, it made total sense to me what she did. It am also so grateful to no longer be in middle school and dealing with that kind of drama ;) The cast of characters were great and felt incredibly authentic, and the little bit of romance was just adorable. I also enjoyed Mia's family and older sister--I liked that they were normal and even if her sister was popular, she wasn't mean to Mia. Bratty older sibs is something that I see a little too often and a healthy sibling relationship was refreshing. Overall, this was a quick and very fun read and I loved it!
April 10, 2015
SURRENDER THE SKY is on sale for #99cents & a #Giveaway!
Happy Friday!! One more week down, and just a little over a month until summer break (not that I'm counting or anything ;). Okay, so I'm taking part in the 99 Cent Book Blast, which is actually friggin' amazing. There's a ton of amazing books that have special pricing this weekend, and SURRENDER THE SKY is one of them. You can check out the rest of the titles here!Want to grab a copy? Trust me, this is the lowest price it will ever go, and it'll be going back up again shortly :) (I know, blatant sale's pitch...I can't help it!) Here's the link: Surrender the Sky (Sary Society)
If you're feeling up to it, I would also love some help spreading the word :) And I'll make it worth your while: sharing on twitter or facebook and pasting the link to your post below (and tagging me with either my facebook page name, or twitter handle--@meradethhouston), will enter you into a giant swag pack giveaway. I'll even include one of these, with the word and design of your choice:
Other shares elsewhere will also be incredibly helpful, and please paste links in the comments so I can count them up. I'll run this through Friday the 17th of April. International entrants can also participate, but the prize will be one of my backlist books--any two of your choice. Questions? Let me know!
Some potential tweets:
Gabby lives by 2 rules: don’t expose her kind & don’t fall in love.SURRENDER THE SKY by @meradethhouston #YA #99cents http://amzn.to/1tg1aZp
SURRENDER THE SKY by @meradethhouston is on #sale for #99cents! amzn.to/1tg1aZp #amreading #amwriting #YA #amreadingfantasy #ebook
Or a few images :)
Thank you!!!
April 8, 2015
After Reading: DOUBLE LIFE by S. Usher Evans
Piracy is a game. How much are you worth?Since she was a little girl, everyone - from her father to the Great Creator himself - told Lyssa Peate the same thing: she's worthless. But when she becomes the pirate bounty hunter Razia, she can see the price tag on her own head. Employed by one of the four pirate syndicates, she uses bank transactions and her considerable wits to capture rival members. At least, she would be if Razia's boss ever gave her a chance. It's a man’s world, and all she’s allowed to hunt are purse snatchers while she languishes on probation.
To pay the bills, she's stuck in her old life as Lyssa, discovering and analyzing distant planets and selling them for cash. She's doing just enough to stay out of trouble, pretending to be continuing her father's mysterious research while away for long periods of time. Her slimy boss is always asking questions and even assigns one of her younger brothers, Vel, to intern with her. Already struggling to keep the balance between her double lives, she tries everything to rid herself of the kid...
...until the universal police mistake Lyssa’s intern for Razia's hostage. (Goodreads)
Have you ever seen the show Cowboy Bebop? It's a really amazing anime that I'll admit to watching many times (and seeing as how I don't watch much anime at all, that's saying something :). Anyhow, Double Life really reminded me of this great show in all the best ways. I love a good piracy game, and in space just makes it more fun. Add in some characters who are wonderfully complex (though at times make you want to scream at them, *ahem* Razia...), this was a really fun read. I did find myself thinking that the world building could have been a bit more creative in places, but I was invested in what happened to Lyssa and needed to know how she'd fare to overlook that. While the ending was a touch on the predictable side, I did enjoy it, and definitely can't wait to read more of this series!
Have you had a chance to check out this series?
April 6, 2015
Monday Mishmash
After a week of traveling and other assorted fun, I figured today this is the easiest way to blog :)
Did you catch my Flash Fiction this weekend? Go check it out here--it's a fun, suspenseful story, promise! :)My birthday was great! I was even bumped up to first class while flying home from Calgary, which was amazing. Though considering that will probably never happen again, it certainly makes coach look a whole lot less fun ;)I also got a FitBit for my birthday, which has been a lot of fun. I haven't managed to get the networking thing figured out, but if you'd like to friend me, you can find me here. (I think!) I explored a ghost town for my birthday outing and took about a million photos. I'll share a few below, and you can always catch more over on Instagram (which is seriously my favorite addiction of the moment--love all the awesome photos!).I have a little over a week to get a giant presentation put together for a conference. Have I started it? Nope. Am I good working under pressure? Not at all. *gulp* Should be a fun week, lol!
I hope you all have a great week!
April 4, 2015
#FlashFiction Piece up on Lightening Quick Reads: The Promise of Hope
Hi everyone! It's that time again: another of my little flash fiction pieces is up over on Lightening Quick Reads :) You can check out some awesome posts this month on the theme New Growth, including mine!
(Source)Her cigarette landed with a hiss in the snow, right next to the tender green shoots of the first signs of spring. She didn’t even look down to use the heel of her boots to grind out the bud, taking out the plants in the process. Better to put such things out of their misery. Hadn’t they heard that winter wasn’t going anywhere? The warnings had been airing for years. Newspapers. Conferences. Screaming scientists. No one cared. No one listened. And so things changed. The weather, to start with. The predictability of the past was just that—the past. Spring marked on the calendar no longer meant anything. Of course there were plenty of other things tied to the weather. Including billions of human lives, not to mention trillions of other occupants on the planet. Better to spare those poor old bulbs the torture of a slow death. The same couldn’t be said for the man she watched through her eyepiece. She’d enjoy the plans she had for him. Until he begged. Cried, too, with any luck. And then? She’d kill him. It was a small price to pay for his role in mucking up the planet. For sending so many people to watery, or scorching graves. And if no one else was going to take a stand, she had to do it. Movement. The curtains, fourth window from the left. His room. The compound was guarded well. It had to be, what with the milling Hungry, eager to take down anyone or anything they might fill their bellies with. Once, she’d had a roommate with a penchant for old films from before. They used to watch them, casting them onto their ceiling. The water stains made for an interesting backdrop, but it worked. The films she remembered best were the zombie ones. There were so damn many of them. Drooling, shuffling, damaged people, milling around like mindless fools. A little like the Hungry hoard. A comparison that struck a little too close. Again, another movement. This time she was certain. Ducking low, she slid down the embankment to the electric fence. Taking a tool from her belt, she located the repeater that she’d spotted before. A quick shot, and the fence was nothing more than something to hop over. It took exactly three minutes to get inside. Another two to reach the second floor. Laughter filtered through the posh interior from hidden recesses of the house, where people who didn’t worry about filling their bellies lived. They’d have more than enough concerns by nightfall. Her boots didn’t make a sound with the deep carpet. Carpet. Who had that kind of thing anymore? They must have salvaged it from somewhere—no one made the stuff any more. Counting doors with crown molding and ornate knobs, she found the fourth room down. The one with the lace curtains.At the door, she forced herself to stop. Listen. To get her heart rate low enough that she’d hear anything amiss. And more importantly, so she’d remember what was coming.She’d pinned a small camera to her shirt to capture it all, but nothing would compare to her memories. To the smell and feel and sound of it all. A deep breath out through her mouth and she knew she was ready. There was no lock on the door. Who would need one in such a well-armed estate? The only locks were on the outside gates and on the evacuation rooms.The heavy door opened without a sound. She stepped inside, the glare of the electric lights taking an extra heartbeat to adjust to.“So, you’ve finally decided to come for me.”
Want to know what happens next?? Come swing by the blog!
(Source)Her cigarette landed with a hiss in the snow, right next to the tender green shoots of the first signs of spring. She didn’t even look down to use the heel of her boots to grind out the bud, taking out the plants in the process. Better to put such things out of their misery. Hadn’t they heard that winter wasn’t going anywhere? The warnings had been airing for years. Newspapers. Conferences. Screaming scientists. No one cared. No one listened. And so things changed. The weather, to start with. The predictability of the past was just that—the past. Spring marked on the calendar no longer meant anything. Of course there were plenty of other things tied to the weather. Including billions of human lives, not to mention trillions of other occupants on the planet. Better to spare those poor old bulbs the torture of a slow death. The same couldn’t be said for the man she watched through her eyepiece. She’d enjoy the plans she had for him. Until he begged. Cried, too, with any luck. And then? She’d kill him. It was a small price to pay for his role in mucking up the planet. For sending so many people to watery, or scorching graves. And if no one else was going to take a stand, she had to do it. Movement. The curtains, fourth window from the left. His room. The compound was guarded well. It had to be, what with the milling Hungry, eager to take down anyone or anything they might fill their bellies with. Once, she’d had a roommate with a penchant for old films from before. They used to watch them, casting them onto their ceiling. The water stains made for an interesting backdrop, but it worked. The films she remembered best were the zombie ones. There were so damn many of them. Drooling, shuffling, damaged people, milling around like mindless fools. A little like the Hungry hoard. A comparison that struck a little too close. Again, another movement. This time she was certain. Ducking low, she slid down the embankment to the electric fence. Taking a tool from her belt, she located the repeater that she’d spotted before. A quick shot, and the fence was nothing more than something to hop over. It took exactly three minutes to get inside. Another two to reach the second floor. Laughter filtered through the posh interior from hidden recesses of the house, where people who didn’t worry about filling their bellies lived. They’d have more than enough concerns by nightfall. Her boots didn’t make a sound with the deep carpet. Carpet. Who had that kind of thing anymore? They must have salvaged it from somewhere—no one made the stuff any more. Counting doors with crown molding and ornate knobs, she found the fourth room down. The one with the lace curtains.At the door, she forced herself to stop. Listen. To get her heart rate low enough that she’d hear anything amiss. And more importantly, so she’d remember what was coming.She’d pinned a small camera to her shirt to capture it all, but nothing would compare to her memories. To the smell and feel and sound of it all. A deep breath out through her mouth and she knew she was ready. There was no lock on the door. Who would need one in such a well-armed estate? The only locks were on the outside gates and on the evacuation rooms.The heavy door opened without a sound. She stepped inside, the glare of the electric lights taking an extra heartbeat to adjust to.“So, you’ve finally decided to come for me.” Want to know what happens next?? Come swing by the blog!
April 1, 2015
After Reading: MILAYNA by Michelle K. Pickett
Happy April Fool's Day! I hope you haven't been caught the fool :) I don't know what it says about me, but this is one of my favorite days of the year. I love coming up with the perfect little prank!
It’s hard being good all the time. Everyone needs to be bad once in a while. But for seventeen-year-old Milayna, being good isn’t a choice. It’s a job requirement. And it’s a job she can’t quit. Born a demi-angel, Milayna steps in when danger and demons threaten the people around her, but being half angel isn’t all halos and happiness. Azazel, Hell’s demon, wants Milayna’s power and he’ll do anything to get it. But he only has until her eighteenth birthday, after which she becomes untouchable.
With the help of other demi-angels, Milayna thwarts the trouble Azazel sends her way. Fighting by her side is Chay. He’s a demi-angel who's sinfully gorgeous, and Milayna falls hard. But is Chay her true love… or her nemesis in disguise?
When she learns of a traitor in her group, there’s no one she can trust… not even the one she loves. (Goodreads)
I've been looking forward to this one for ages because I love Michelle's work! This was a seriously fun read, and I loved the world and characters that populate it. Milyana is hilarious and strong willed, and I loved her for those things. She goes through some serious craziness throughout the book, but handles it well. And then there's Chay. Michelle has a way of creating book boyfriends that you really, really wish would walk out of the pages (and maybe be a decade or so older.... ;). But, yeah, he's swoon-worthy for sure. His and Milayna's relationship was just so sweet--it's nice to see a good, healthy relationship in YA, ya know? Something that I wouldn't be horrified to have a child of mine experiencing (or, for myself, because let's be honest here!). Anyhow, I can't wait for the next two books in the series and definitely recommend this one to those who enjoy some butt-kicking female leads, great chemistry, and all kinds of fun!
It’s hard being good all the time. Everyone needs to be bad once in a while. But for seventeen-year-old Milayna, being good isn’t a choice. It’s a job requirement. And it’s a job she can’t quit. Born a demi-angel, Milayna steps in when danger and demons threaten the people around her, but being half angel isn’t all halos and happiness. Azazel, Hell’s demon, wants Milayna’s power and he’ll do anything to get it. But he only has until her eighteenth birthday, after which she becomes untouchable.With the help of other demi-angels, Milayna thwarts the trouble Azazel sends her way. Fighting by her side is Chay. He’s a demi-angel who's sinfully gorgeous, and Milayna falls hard. But is Chay her true love… or her nemesis in disguise?
When she learns of a traitor in her group, there’s no one she can trust… not even the one she loves. (Goodreads)
I've been looking forward to this one for ages because I love Michelle's work! This was a seriously fun read, and I loved the world and characters that populate it. Milyana is hilarious and strong willed, and I loved her for those things. She goes through some serious craziness throughout the book, but handles it well. And then there's Chay. Michelle has a way of creating book boyfriends that you really, really wish would walk out of the pages (and maybe be a decade or so older.... ;). But, yeah, he's swoon-worthy for sure. His and Milayna's relationship was just so sweet--it's nice to see a good, healthy relationship in YA, ya know? Something that I wouldn't be horrified to have a child of mine experiencing (or, for myself, because let's be honest here!). Anyhow, I can't wait for the next two books in the series and definitely recommend this one to those who enjoy some butt-kicking female leads, great chemistry, and all kinds of fun!
March 30, 2015
When the self-doubt strikes home and other writerly ramblings
People, it is SPRING BREAK!! *runs around tossing flowers and sunshine* This makes me happier than I can say :) This has been the loooooongest semester ever and I desperately need a few days off (sadly, mostly just so I can work and get caught up). Also, I'll be doing some travel to talk with collaborators (yay!), as well as celebrating my birthday (eep!). So, yeah, lots of win!
Okay, so, I've mentioned a few rejection letters I've received lately on twitter or here on the blog. They've hurt. I mean, how can they not? I have a pretty thick skin, but that doesn't mean that stuff like that doesn't still hurt, ya know? It's the getting back up and into the ring that has been taking its toll on me. I have felt myself seriously wondering what it's all for. I know I post about this from time to time, but sometimes there is solace in sharing how I feel. Plus, I like writing here about what's going on in my writerly life--my readers are much more understanding than other people I deal with in real life :)
Anyhow, as I drag myself to my feet and dust myself off again I have had to really fight to
maintain my sense of hope. That there really is light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel. Because I'm kind of sick of getting hit by the train :) I know I have been seriously blessed with the houses I've worked with thus far, and especially with the amazing people I've met along the way. I count myself lucky every single day. It's just that I have goals I'd like to reach, and sometimes fighting my way to that next level in my writing life is just exhausting. After three hours by myself in the car the other day, I really had to ask myself the question of whether it's worth it. There are certainly arguments to be made for either side.
(I also have a post I'd like to write about querying and some of the thing that irk me about rude people, but I'll spare you all. Though if anyone wants to chat, catch me on facebook :)
So, yeah, that doubt is real right now. And so is my frustration. So, when the self-doubt strikes home, I find myself doing some serious introspection. And listening to a whole lot of Taylor Swift :) Maybe I just need a break from querying until I don't find myself so annoyed by it all. Or just some sleep. Doesn't that cure everything?
What do you do if/when self-doubt creeps in?
Okay, so, I've mentioned a few rejection letters I've received lately on twitter or here on the blog. They've hurt. I mean, how can they not? I have a pretty thick skin, but that doesn't mean that stuff like that doesn't still hurt, ya know? It's the getting back up and into the ring that has been taking its toll on me. I have felt myself seriously wondering what it's all for. I know I post about this from time to time, but sometimes there is solace in sharing how I feel. Plus, I like writing here about what's going on in my writerly life--my readers are much more understanding than other people I deal with in real life :)
Anyhow, as I drag myself to my feet and dust myself off again I have had to really fight to maintain my sense of hope. That there really is light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel. Because I'm kind of sick of getting hit by the train :) I know I have been seriously blessed with the houses I've worked with thus far, and especially with the amazing people I've met along the way. I count myself lucky every single day. It's just that I have goals I'd like to reach, and sometimes fighting my way to that next level in my writing life is just exhausting. After three hours by myself in the car the other day, I really had to ask myself the question of whether it's worth it. There are certainly arguments to be made for either side.
(I also have a post I'd like to write about querying and some of the thing that irk me about rude people, but I'll spare you all. Though if anyone wants to chat, catch me on facebook :)
So, yeah, that doubt is real right now. And so is my frustration. So, when the self-doubt strikes home, I find myself doing some serious introspection. And listening to a whole lot of Taylor Swift :) Maybe I just need a break from querying until I don't find myself so annoyed by it all. Or just some sleep. Doesn't that cure everything?
What do you do if/when self-doubt creeps in?
March 27, 2015
Release Day for STIFFLED by Rainy Kaye
Quick note: sign ups have been posted for the blog tour I'm doing for AN ABSENCE OF LIGHT in June with Xpresso Tours. You can check it out here! I'd love to see some familiar faces on the blog :)
Today we're celebrating the release of STIFLED, book two in the SUMMONED series by USA Today Bestselling author, Rainy Kaye. A dark twist on genie folklore, SUMMONED follows a reluctant criminal as he unravels the mystery of the paranormal bond controlling him. In STIFLED, Dimitri trails an elusive jinn and finds himself in the middle of a community keeping dark secrets. The SUMMONED series is represented by Rossano Trentin of TZLA.
Scroll down to pick up your copy of STIFLED, get SUMMONED for free for a limited time, and enter to win a $10 Amazon gift card.
Dimitri would like nothing more than to live a low-key life in Naples, Italy. His girlfriend, Syd, has other plans. After three months of researching, she is positive she has found a jinn on a killing spree in San Diego, California. Since Syd gave Dimitri the one thing he thought was out of reach, he feels obligated to use his ill-gained talents for her cause. A few hours back in the US proves that Dimitri and Syd didn't quite make the clean escape they had thought. As they trail the elusive jinn, someone else trails them. What should have been a simple trip to confirm once and for all if the jinn are living among humans, instead reveals a community keeping dark secrets. Unfortunately for Dim, the only way out is in. Get your copy here! Haven't read book one yet? No problem! It's currently FREE on Amazon.
Twenty-three year old Dimitri has to do what he is told—literally. Controlled by a paranormal bond, he is forced to use his wits to fulfill unlimited deadly wishes made by multimillionaire Karl Walker. Dimitri has no idea how his family line became trapped in the genie bond. He just knows resisting has never ended well. When he meets Syd—assertive, sexy, intelligent Syd—he becomes determined to make her his own. Except Karl has ensured Dimitri can’t tell anyone about the bond, and Syd isn’t the type to tolerate secrets. Then Karl starts sending him away on back-to-back wishes. Unable to balance love and lies, Dimitri sets out to uncover Karl’s ultimate plan and put it to an end. But doing so forces him to confront the one wish he never saw coming—the wish that will destroy him.
Rainy Kaye is an aspiring overlord. In the mean time, she blogs at RainyoftheDark and writes paranormal novels from her lair somewhere in Phoenix, Arizona. She is represented by Rossano Trentin of TZLA. Someone told her she's a USA Today Bestselling author. She thought there would be cake.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Today we're celebrating the release of STIFLED, book two in the SUMMONED series by USA Today Bestselling author, Rainy Kaye. A dark twist on genie folklore, SUMMONED follows a reluctant criminal as he unravels the mystery of the paranormal bond controlling him. In STIFLED, Dimitri trails an elusive jinn and finds himself in the middle of a community keeping dark secrets. The SUMMONED series is represented by Rossano Trentin of TZLA. Scroll down to pick up your copy of STIFLED, get SUMMONED for free for a limited time, and enter to win a $10 Amazon gift card.
Dimitri would like nothing more than to live a low-key life in Naples, Italy. His girlfriend, Syd, has other plans. After three months of researching, she is positive she has found a jinn on a killing spree in San Diego, California. Since Syd gave Dimitri the one thing he thought was out of reach, he feels obligated to use his ill-gained talents for her cause. A few hours back in the US proves that Dimitri and Syd didn't quite make the clean escape they had thought. As they trail the elusive jinn, someone else trails them. What should have been a simple trip to confirm once and for all if the jinn are living among humans, instead reveals a community keeping dark secrets. Unfortunately for Dim, the only way out is in. Get your copy here! Haven't read book one yet? No problem! It's currently FREE on Amazon.
Twenty-three year old Dimitri has to do what he is told—literally. Controlled by a paranormal bond, he is forced to use his wits to fulfill unlimited deadly wishes made by multimillionaire Karl Walker. Dimitri has no idea how his family line became trapped in the genie bond. He just knows resisting has never ended well. When he meets Syd—assertive, sexy, intelligent Syd—he becomes determined to make her his own. Except Karl has ensured Dimitri can’t tell anyone about the bond, and Syd isn’t the type to tolerate secrets. Then Karl starts sending him away on back-to-back wishes. Unable to balance love and lies, Dimitri sets out to uncover Karl’s ultimate plan and put it to an end. But doing so forces him to confront the one wish he never saw coming—the wish that will destroy him.
Rainy Kaye is an aspiring overlord. In the mean time, she blogs at RainyoftheDark and writes paranormal novels from her lair somewhere in Phoenix, Arizona. She is represented by Rossano Trentin of TZLA. Someone told her she's a USA Today Bestselling author. She thought there would be cake. a Rafflecopter giveaway
March 25, 2015
How To Get That Chemistry! (and a cover reveal for A CHANGE OF MIND)
Quick note: Thanks to Mary Waibel for the great blog-swap last week! I've chosen a winner from the commenters on her post and Elizabeth Varadan is the lucky chosen! Did you win anything? Might want to check out Mary's blog :)
I've been tinkering around with my WIP lately (tinkering is much too fun), and after a rejection that called attention to the chemistry between my leads, I've been pondering ways to ramp that up. Which is why you all are getting a post on it today :) You can thank the agent for it if you really want.
So, here's the thing: I was kind of floored at this comment on my manuscript. Because my leads full of chemistry for one another in my head. But sometimes that doesn't transfer completely to the page. But how does one make chemistry happen for two characters, or at least intensify it? I mean, it's not something I can cook up in a lab. (Okay, really, you didn't think I was going to *not* make a science joke, did you?)
I have started thinking about things that convey attraction between characters. This doesn't always have to be romantic of course, but I'm sticking with that end of the spectrum. One of the things that I see in a lot of books is the "tingly touch" syndrome. A casual touch ripples through the whole person. IMHO, this one's been used to death, but it can be done well.
The other thing I often see used is the "eye lock" issue. Now, we've all had this happen, but who though to use the word "lock" in there? Seems a bit painful. Still, catching sight of one another and sharing a private look? That's does have some chemistry, even if it's also been used a lot.
Okay, another might be the private joke that only the two of the share. This is one I love. Who doesn't like two characters that can laugh at something only the two of them get? It shows that they have a similar sense of humor and some common ground.
The last one that that's coming to mind is the "we're going to die so you have to love me" chemistry. I think the name says it all. While this works in action movies and some books, I always walk away knowing that something built on the terror of a horrible situation is bound to fail.
Now that I've shared some of the silly and serious ways that character chemistry gets used, it's your turn. Tell me, what's your favorite chemistry-filled moment? It can be a scene, characters, an action, whatever! I'm just definitely curious :)
***
One more super fun thing for today!
Title: A Change of Mind and Other StoriesAuthor: Nick WilfordGenre: Contemporary speculative fictionCover Design: Rebekah RomaniRelease Date: May 25th 2015
A Change of Mind and Other Stories consists of a novella, four short stories and one flash fiction piece. This collection puts the extremes of human behaviour under the microscope with the help of lashings of dark humour, and includes four pieces previously published in Writer’s Muse magazine.
In A Change of Mind, Reuben is an office worker so meek and mild he puts up with daily bullying from his boorish male colleagues as if it’s just a normal part of his day. But when a stranger points him in the direction of a surgeon offering a revolutionary new procedure, he can’t pass up the chance to turn his life around.
But this isn’t your average surgeon. For a start, he operates alone in a small room above a mechanic’s. And he promises to alter his patients’ personality so they can be anything they want to be…
In Marissa, a man who is determined to find evidence of his girlfriend’s infidelity ends up wondering if he should have left well alone.
The Dog God finds a chink in the armour of a man with a megalomaniacal desire to take over the world.
In The Insomniac, a man who leads an obsessively regimented lifestyle on one hour’s sleep a night finds a disruption to his routine doesn’t work for him.
Hole In One sees a dedicated golfer achieving a lifelong ambition.
The Loner ends the collection on a note of hope as two family members try to rebuild their lives after they are torn apart by jealousy.
Bio
Nick Wilford is a writer and stay-at-home dad. Once a journalist, he now makes use of those rare times when the house is quiet to explore the realms of fiction, with a little freelance editing and formatting thrown in. When not working, he can usually be found spending time with his family or cleaning something. Nick is also the editor of Overcoming Adversity: An Anthology for Andrew. You can find him hanging out on his blog or on Goodreads or Twitter.
Preorder Links: Amazon US, Amazon UKAdd it on Goodreads
I've been tinkering around with my WIP lately (tinkering is much too fun), and after a rejection that called attention to the chemistry between my leads, I've been pondering ways to ramp that up. Which is why you all are getting a post on it today :) You can thank the agent for it if you really want.
So, here's the thing: I was kind of floored at this comment on my manuscript. Because my leads full of chemistry for one another in my head. But sometimes that doesn't transfer completely to the page. But how does one make chemistry happen for two characters, or at least intensify it? I mean, it's not something I can cook up in a lab. (Okay, really, you didn't think I was going to *not* make a science joke, did you?)I have started thinking about things that convey attraction between characters. This doesn't always have to be romantic of course, but I'm sticking with that end of the spectrum. One of the things that I see in a lot of books is the "tingly touch" syndrome. A casual touch ripples through the whole person. IMHO, this one's been used to death, but it can be done well.
The other thing I often see used is the "eye lock" issue. Now, we've all had this happen, but who though to use the word "lock" in there? Seems a bit painful. Still, catching sight of one another and sharing a private look? That's does have some chemistry, even if it's also been used a lot.
Okay, another might be the private joke that only the two of the share. This is one I love. Who doesn't like two characters that can laugh at something only the two of them get? It shows that they have a similar sense of humor and some common ground.
The last one that that's coming to mind is the "we're going to die so you have to love me" chemistry. I think the name says it all. While this works in action movies and some books, I always walk away knowing that something built on the terror of a horrible situation is bound to fail.
Now that I've shared some of the silly and serious ways that character chemistry gets used, it's your turn. Tell me, what's your favorite chemistry-filled moment? It can be a scene, characters, an action, whatever! I'm just definitely curious :)
***
One more super fun thing for today!
Title: A Change of Mind and Other StoriesAuthor: Nick WilfordGenre: Contemporary speculative fictionCover Design: Rebekah RomaniRelease Date: May 25th 2015
A Change of Mind and Other Stories consists of a novella, four short stories and one flash fiction piece. This collection puts the extremes of human behaviour under the microscope with the help of lashings of dark humour, and includes four pieces previously published in Writer’s Muse magazine.
In A Change of Mind, Reuben is an office worker so meek and mild he puts up with daily bullying from his boorish male colleagues as if it’s just a normal part of his day. But when a stranger points him in the direction of a surgeon offering a revolutionary new procedure, he can’t pass up the chance to turn his life around.
But this isn’t your average surgeon. For a start, he operates alone in a small room above a mechanic’s. And he promises to alter his patients’ personality so they can be anything they want to be…
In Marissa, a man who is determined to find evidence of his girlfriend’s infidelity ends up wondering if he should have left well alone.
The Dog God finds a chink in the armour of a man with a megalomaniacal desire to take over the world.
In The Insomniac, a man who leads an obsessively regimented lifestyle on one hour’s sleep a night finds a disruption to his routine doesn’t work for him.
Hole In One sees a dedicated golfer achieving a lifelong ambition.
The Loner ends the collection on a note of hope as two family members try to rebuild their lives after they are torn apart by jealousy.
Bio
Nick Wilford is a writer and stay-at-home dad. Once a journalist, he now makes use of those rare times when the house is quiet to explore the realms of fiction, with a little freelance editing and formatting thrown in. When not working, he can usually be found spending time with his family or cleaning something. Nick is also the editor of Overcoming Adversity: An Anthology for Andrew. You can find him hanging out on his blog or on Goodreads or Twitter.
Preorder Links: Amazon US, Amazon UKAdd it on Goodreads
