Cege Smith's Blog, page 4

Three Fun Facts About Heiress of Lies

By now, you might have heard that Trials of Truth (Bloodtruth #3) is going to be released on March 31st. (In case you’re wondering how you hear about stuff like that, check out either my Facebook page, or consider joining the Cege Smith Fan Club.)

What’s kind of fun for me is that when I sit down to write the next installment in one of my series (I have 4 of them!) I go back and do fact checking in the previous books to make sure I can keep people, places, and things straight. That means that I get to do a little reminiscing about those books too and I always remember some interesting nuggets about them. Today, I thought I’d share three little known facts about the story that turned into Heiress of Lies (Bloodtruth #1).

Heiress of Lies wasn’t the original title. When I wrote the manuscript, I called it ‘Angeline’s Quest‘. It was Angeline’s Quest all through the editing process right up to the point where I was formatting it for publication. At the last minute, I changed my mind because my working title didn’t quite capture the story the way that I thought it should. A huge theme that drives the entire series is the thread of deceit and betrayal within the royal Robart family that spans centuries. Viola! Angeline’s Quest became Heiress of Lies .
In the original version of the story, Connor wasn’t the one who kidnapped Angeline. Readers of the series know that Connor’s kidnapping of Angeline is a pivotal event that forever changes Angeline’s life. When I first wrote the opening scenes of what was then ‘Angeline’s Quest’, Angeline was traveling alone to a secret meeting in the middle of nowhere to meet with someone whose support she needed as she took the throne. The meeting was a trap, and a band of rogues waited to kidnap her. Angeline was mortally wounded in the ensuing battle. (We all know that a Robart doesn’t go down without a fight!) That’s when Connor stumbled upon her and helped her…in the worst way possible.
The original version of the story was lost forever, so I had to start over. This fact still pains me three years later. I had written about a third of the story of the original version, and then my computer was stolen. I lost that version completely. It took me awhile to get over that and be in a good place to begin the story again. When I did, it reshaped itself into the story that you can read today.

I can’t wait to share the next part of Angeline’s story with you with the release of Trials of Truth, but while we all wait, look for another post from me in a few days sharing some behind the scenes dirt on The Queen’s Betrayal (Bloodtruth #2).

Don’t forget! Heiress of Lies is only $0.99 through March 31st. Get your copy and begin sharing in Angeline’s adventure today!

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So Far, So Good! Trials of Truth (Bloodtruth #3) Is On The Way

One of my favorite things is hearing from readers that they have fallen in love with my characters the way that I have. That seems to be especially true for readers of the Bloodtruth series.

I have been on the journey with Angeline and Connor for well over a year now. Their story flew from my fingers onto the keyboard for NanoWrimo 2011 and was the basis for Heiress of Lies (Bloodtruth #1). I visited them again last summer when I wrote The Queen’s Betrayal (Bloodtruth #2).

I heard loud and clear that the ending of The Queen’s Betrayal literally left people hanging- some even screaming “NOOOO!”.  I write until the logical end in my mind, and sometimes that means that we’re all left in a place of discomfort for a little while.

I am delighted to share that things are well underway for Trials of Truth (Bloodtruth #3) and I expect to be able to share the release date of that book shortly. One thing that I’ve added to this book is that we get to hear directly from Malin about what’s going on in his world. I felt like that was important to share in this book because Angeline’s kingdom is in a great deal of peril, and unfortunately, she’s got her own stuff to deal with before she can deal with that. Since somebody had to stay at home and man the fort, that means that Malin gets a lot more stage time.

Is he good or he is bad? I’m going to let the readers decide. But one thing is for certain- in Altera, nothing is that black and white.

 

To whet your appetite, here’s my working blurb for Trials of Truth:

Queen Angeline Robart left her kingdom and her people in the hands of her betrayer to embark on a mission to find her cure. But each passing hour that the wraith remains part of her seems to make it even more difficult to banish. The mysterious and elusive Clan seem to have the answers, but Angeline can’t help but question their motives, and the price she will be required to pay for her freedom.

Connor is forced to make a decision between his fate and his love for Angeline. While his hope has always been that those two things would coincide, it seems that their ability to be together isn’t meant to be, at least if the Clan has anything to say about it.

Meanwhile, back in the capital city of Brebackerin, Malin finds that the enemies who have been lying in wait want revenge for Connor’s betrayal. He must find a way to hold them off, and keep the kingdom in one piece, until Angeline’s return.

Sound off in the comments below. Which character do you love? Which one do you hate?
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Time To Do It Again!

2012. Wow.

I really don’t have much more to say about that. In case you were wondering where I thought I’d be at this time last year, you can check out my 2012 resolution post. Yea- there were some changes made in timing and titles, but ultimately I said that I would publish six books last year.

And I did.

That made me think that I need to up my game in 2013. So I sat down last week and put together my production schedule for the year. My knees are still shaking just a little bit. To say that it is ambitious may be an understatement. But I’m a big believer in the saying “Go Big or Go Home.” I set a BHG (Big Hairy Goal) for 2013, and I think I’m going to have a ball going after it.

I am hoping that you will join me for the ride as well. That will multiple the fun factor for me by about a thousand!

So I know you are about ready for me to stop babbling now and just tell you what’s going on and when you are going to hear next from Angeline and Connor, Cameron, Samuel, and Malcolm, and maybe even Violet and Jeremiah. Well, here it is (please note that I say this is tentative and subject to change!):

Cege’s *TENTATIVE* 2013 Production Schedule

January 2013: The Shadows Trilogy omnibus

February 2013: Twisted Souls #3

March 2013: Bloodtruth #3

May 2013: Step To My Bones

August 2013: Twisted Souls #4

September 2013: Bloodtruth #4

November 2013: Immortal End

I am planning to release a paranormal thriller serial starting in April, and those episodes will be interspersed with my novel releases. Each of those will be 10K-20K words each, so that’s a lot of writing for those as well.

I’m also launching a new pen name that will serve up stories in the contemporary romance genre. It’s a completely new endeavor for me, and one I’m really excited about. There were be several short story/novel releases under that name as well.

Whew- I’m exhausted already.  And nervous. But really psyched about what I’ve got spinning for this year. By the way, I can’t stress enough that I love to hear from readers of my series, and if there is a big push from fans, I may consider moving some things up to accommodate.

In the meantime, you’ll find me in my favorite writing chair.

Happy New Year!!

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Christmas Comes Early: Veiled Shadows (Shadows #3) Available Now!

Well, my friends, this has been an epic journey for me. Today, I am thrilled to be able to finally share with you the last installment in the Shadows trilogy: Veiled Shadows. All the mysteries and all the secrets from the first two books are finally revealed, and the ultimate question “Will Ellie and David get their happily-ever-after?” is answered.

Here’s the blurb for the book:

In the stunning conclusion of the Shadows trilogy, Ellie and David risk everything to uncover the truth about their pasts…

Ellie Coulter is sick of being the victim of the shadows surrounding her new life. She’s ready to find out what her parents kept from her, and what that means for her future, even if it means partnering with the one man that she thought she’d never see again.

David Mitchell is grappling with the sobering truth that his life has been nothing but a sham since the day he was born. Although he loves Ellie, he knows that being near him puts her life in danger.

Fates intertwine, and all is revealed as Ellie and David find out if they were truly meant to be together or if the darkness will swallow them whole.

You will find Veiled Shadows on Amazon now, and it will be available through B&N, Kobo, and Smashwords shortly.

Also, don’t forget to check out the Winter Escapes promotion! There are over 35+ YA novels available for FREE and CHEAP through 12/14 (including my very own Heiress of Lies which is on sale for $0.99 during the promotion).

We’re also giving away some free stuff and it’s easy to win! Check out the giveaway prizes and how to enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I hope you enjoy Veiled Shadows, and look for what’s coming in 2013 soon!

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Contest Winner: Elena’s Vervain Necklace from The Vampire Diaries

Thank you to everyone who took a few minutes and joined the Cege Smith Fan Club! As a special treat for everyone who joined the club during my birthday weekend, they were entered into a random drawing for a chance to Elena’s vervain necklace, featured in The Vampire Diaries.

CONGRATULATIONS CHARITY FRENCH!!!

Things in the fan club are really ramping up, so be sure to join now and so that you are always in the know FIRST for things going on in the Cege Smith universe.

Thank you again for all of the wonderful birthday wishes both here and on Facebook. You guys are the best.

See you soon!!

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Cover Reveal: Veiled Shadows (Shadows #3)

I can’t keep this one under my hat any longer. Yep- this is the cover for the final book in the Shadows series: Veiled Shadows (Shadows #3). It was designed by the very talented Dafeenah over at Indie Designz.

I suppose you are looking for a little tidbit or two on what’s to come in this installment? I’m happy to oblige.

**SPOILERS AHOY**

Well, Ellie’s finally going to find out everything she wanted to know about her parents and their tie to the Afterlife. The thing about knowing the full story? Sometimes you realize that you didn’t really want to know.

David’s on his own journey of self-discovery, but he hasn’t given up on a future with Ellie. He’s going to have help from some unexpected places, and that’s a good thing- he needs all the help he can get.

And we haven’t see the last of Mikel or Lillian. Oh, and if you thought they were bad, then trust me, you haven’t seen anything yet.

Hopefully those little morsels give you something to look forward to. My opinion? I think this will be the best book of the trilogy.

What do you think of the new cover?

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Happy Birthday to Me…With a Gift For You!

It’s that time of year again! Hard to believe that I hit the “Publish” button on Edge of Shadows just over a year ago on November 12th, 2011, and celebrated my birthday with the paperback version in hand (yes, for you sharp observers out there, that was the old cover). That was a pretty awesome day.

This writing journey over the last 12 months has been fantastic. I’ve learned a lot and I know my writing is getting better all the time because of the great feedback that I hear from my readers. That’s why, even though today is my birthday, I want to do something for you.

FREE COPY OF EDGE OF SHADOWS

In my mind, Edge of Shadows will forever be linked with my birthday. So from now through 11:59pm CST on Sunday, November 18th, either comment on this blog post or shoot me an email at cege@cegesmith.com, and I’ll give you a coupon code to download a copy of EOS for free from Smashwords.com (and if you write a review afterwards, good or bad, I’ll love you forever.)

JOIN THE CEGE SMITH FAN CLUB AND BE ENTERED TO WIN…

Everyone knows I am an HUGE, obsessed fan of The Vampire Diaries. It’s an addiction, I know, but I can’t stop. (Team Delena all the way!! Lol).

So here’s the deal. There’s a little box right off the right of this post about mid-way down the sidebar. It’s a sign-up box for joining my fan club. Enter your email address and join before 11:59pm CST on Sunday, November 18th, and you’ll be entered into a drawing to win Elena’s vervain pendent ($50 USD value) shown below. (Fans of the show know it well.)

I don’t spam or anything like that- it’s just a way for you to hear about upcoming releases first, and I will occasionally share other awesome news from the Cege Smith universe.

So that’s it!  You pick your gift for my birthday- and you can absolutely do both. Thank you for being there and helping me celebrate! It’s because of you that these stories come to life.

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Cover Reveal: Immortal End (the Ageless sequel)

I am swooning yet again over my newest cover from LFD Designs. I will be completely honest here: I wasn’t sure if I was going to write a sequel to Ageless. I left the story where the arc of the book was clearly over, but there was a nice thread left open that could be continued if I wanted to do it.

Until this past week, I was leaning toward leaving it alone. Then I found this cover, and suddenly I saw Violet there clear as day. And so Immortal End will become a reality sooner rather than later. (Hooray! More Jeremiah and Jonah *wink*.)

I am feverishly working on Veiled Shadows right now, but Immortal End will be coming in Q1 2013 (if not sooner).  When really all depends on 3 things:

How long Veiled Shadows takes me to get done
How long the 3rd Bloodtruth book takes to get done (Angeline fans everywhere- rejoice!)
If I have a push from Twisted Souls fans to get the 3rd book in that series first

If you have an opinion, I’d love to hear from you in the comments or by dropping me a line (cege@cegesmith.com).  Series fans really do have a voice in my production schedule because at the end of the day, I’m writing for you.

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The Bradford Mansion: Virtual Haunted House Tour Stop #11

Happy Halloween!!

Halloween is my favorite holiday of the year, and I’m offering up a treat for all of my readers today: a behind-the-scenes peek at the Bradford mansion, which as anyone who has read Edge of Shadows or Shadows Deep knows, is a very important location in the Shadows series.

It’s come through loud and clear that readers are fascinated by the Bradford mansion and its dark history. I put the house on the shoreline of the Lake of the Isles in Uptown, MN. The house itself is fictional, but I built it as a composite of two different Lake of the Isles homes- the Charles C. Gates mansion, which was torn down in the 1930s, and a house that currently sits on East Lake of the Isles Parkway (you can see that house in the short little video below).

This on-location video also gives you a first hand view of what the characters in Edge of Shadows see when they look out the front windows of the mansion.

A Dark History

For those of you who haven’t had an opportunity to dive into the Shadows series yet, here’s the backstory on the house:

The property was purchased by Joseph Bradford in 1906. There was a small, existing house already there, but Joseph tore it down to build his dream home.  Joseph was “new money” and built the home to coerce his wife, Lillian, to join him in Minnesota and forget about her comfortable Southern roots.

Construction took well over a year, and there were “accidents” along the way. Finally, the Bradfords settled into their home and began to enjoy their new social life, which included frequent entertaining in the home.

Unfortuantely, the Bradfords happy facade began to crumble over Joseph’s financial stability and their inability to have children. The colorful parties turned dark as the Bradfords become involved in darker activities that included psychics and seances. Then one day the Bradfords were gone, never to be heard from again and the house was empty.

The house went through several owners over the years, but no one stayed in the home longer than a few months, at least until Edge of Shadows begins, and we find Linda Jordan purchasing the home.

Is It Haunted?

I am not disclosing any spoilers when I tell you that unequivocally, YES, the Bradford mansion is haunted. But if you want to know by who and why, you’ll have to read the book to find out.

 
The Virtual Haunted House Tour Comes to a Close

I want to say a big “THANK YOU” to everyone who has joined me on the virtual haunted house tour this year. If you enjoyed the tour, and would like to see this type of event next year, be sure to leave me a comment below. (I’m thinking “haunted hospitals” for next year’s tour.)

(Halloween photo credit: Muffet)

(Charles Gates mansion photo credit: 1889 Victorian House Restoration)

 
Finally, don’t forget that today is the last day of the Monster Fest sale! Three of my monster-ish tales are on sale for $0.99 through the end of the day today. Click the book cover to snag your copy now!

  

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Magnolia Plantation: Virtual Haunted House Tour Stop #10

When my family decided to vacation this past summer in Charleston, my very first thought was “Yippee!! Plantations!!”.  (I may have mentioned my love of plantations in the very first tour stop at Latta Plantation.)

I grew up watching Gone with the Wind, so in my mind, every Southern plantation house must look just like Tara, right? Alas, it is not so. However, there are definitely still some lovely plantation homes to be visited, like the one I’m featuring today: Magnolia Plantation in Charleston, S.C. They just aren’t as big or grand as the way that Hollywood portrayed plantation homes.

There are a few very cool things about this location:

It’s been in the Drayton family for 300 years.
This is the 3rd house to stand on the property. Naturally, after 300 years, things happen (like the Civil War) and the house has evolved with the family and the times.
The gardens are stunning. The late Reverend John Drayton worked in the gardens not only for the health benefits (he suffered from tuberculosis), but also to give his wife a beautiful place to live that would make her forget her former life in Philadelphia.

Now, a place that is as old as Magnolia plantation is almost expected to have its share of ghostly visitors, especially Drayton family members who have passed on. For example, Rev. Drayton’s older brother, Thomas Drayton, died of a gunshot wound (a hunting related accident) on the plantation home’s steps. It seems plausible that he may still be in residence on Magnolia Plantation.

A recent paranormal investigation by the Ghost Hunters turned up strange noises including music, a young girl’s voice, coughing, and an EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) of a voice who asked “What are you doing?” (Read a full account of the investigation here.)

None of these unexplained things seem overtly threatening, but at the same time, no one wants to be there after dark.

Tomorrow is the last stop on the virtual haunted house tour. I’m in Uptown, MN visiting the location of the fictional haunted Bradford mansion from my Shadows series. If you are enjoying the virtual haunted house tour, please share it with your friends! See you again soon!

Don’t forget that there is a Monster of a Sale going on. Just in time for Halloween, three of my monster-ish tales are on sale for $0.99 through October 31st. Click the book cover to snag your copy now!

  

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