Tawdra Kandle's Blog, page 71
October 1, 2012
New Cover Reveal!
Can you judge a book by it’s cover? Apparently so!
This month, my first three books, FEARLESS, BREATHLESS and RESTLESS will be re-released by Hayson Publishing. As a celebration of this change, the first two books will have new covers.
And folks, these are some gorgeous book covers. I can’t wait for you to see them!
So come back here on Thursday. . .for the big reveal, which will also feature a giveaway.
Spend October in King!
September 30, 2012
WINTER’S MAGIC Tour and Giveaway!
Winter’s Magic is coming out Nov. 1. Celebrate with us starting October 1 and lasting all month long culminating to a release day party November 2! Winners will be picked and announced at the party. (emailed too) RSVP to the Facebook Party HERE
Owner of La Bella Vita, a five-star day spa nestled in the affluent suburbs of Nashville, Tennessee, Beth Sergeant knows her elite clientele first hand. She attended their private schools. She was even engaged, although briefly, to one of their most recognized bachelors. But she never fit in to their social-elite world.
After losing his parents to a car accident at a young age, Nick Chester was raised by his grandfather, the wealthiest man in Nashville. When he chooses to socialize, he has a never-ending list of exclusive events and beautiful women vying for his attention. Yet he never lets himself forget that everyone has an agenda.
Beth can’t resist Nick’s charm and accepts an invitation to dinner, despite her deep-seated insecurities. She proves she’s nothing like other women Nick’s dated and learns to trust him in return. But just as the last of their resistance crumbles and true love is within reach, challenges from Nick’s past threaten to destroy everything and force Beth to reveal her most guarded secret.
Visit Cynthia Gail’s Blog for Extra Entries for Fun Prizes HERE
Follow Cynthia Gail on Facebook
Enter to win Open INT for ebooks and GCs, US/ Can for swag
a Rafflecopter giveaway
September 29, 2012
Olde City, New Blood Mini-Con Giveaway!
Dearly Beloved,
We are gathered here today, to join two awesome things in a state of increased awesomeness.
Today, we’re bringing together an author/reader mini-con, and the chance to
WIN YOUR WAY IN FOR FREE!
That’s right, ladies and gentlemen… starting today, you will all have 7 days to hop around from author to author, blogger to blogger, and enter at every stop to win one of 3 FREE REGISTRATIONS to Olde City, New Blood, the upcoming urban fantasy/paranormal romance mini-con in St. Augustine, FL next February.
You can check out the official website for the complete list of Featured Authors (I’ll give you a hint… one of them is ME!!) and Featured Bloggers. There’s also a main contest post with all the participating authors, bloggers, and dates for the contest. It’s super easy. Visit each of the spotlight blog posts and author websites listed, fill out the Rafflecopter link on each one (one entry PER POST, not per day… and yes, they will be checking), and POOF, multiple entries to WIN!!
The prize is one of 3 FREE REGISTRATIONS to see me and about 49 other authors on the sunny beaches of St. Augustine, Florida, from Feb 8th-10, 2013. We’re going to be doing panels, readings, meet & greets, and just generally having a fun weekend with our incredible fans!! Please keep in mind, if you win, you’ll have to cover your own travel and hotel expenses, but your ticket into the party will be on Olde City, New Blood!!!
The contest runs from September 30th – October 6th, and the 3 winners will be announced on September 7th. Don’t forget to click the Rafflecopter link below before you hop off to check out the rest of the contest posts!! Good Luck, everyone!! I hope to see you ALL in Florida this February!!
September 26, 2012
Welcome to THE NEXT BIG THING #blogtour
Welcome to THE NEXT BIG THING!
This is part of an authors’ blog tour. Each author who is tagged has the privilege of answering 10 questions about their current work-in-progress. I am honored to have been tagged by Olivia Hardin. You can see the link to Olivia’s blog at the end of this post. I’ve tagged four authors, who will post their blogs on October 3, 2012. (Their blog links are also at the end of this post.) After reading about MY “Next Big Thing” be sure to check out the other authors to see what their NEXT BIG THING is!
What is the working title of your book?
ENDLESS, Book 4 of The King Series
Where did the idea come from for the book?
The idea for the series came from a variety places, mostly from asking authors’ favorite question: What if? What if you had a baby and she could hear what you thought? What would that do to your family? How would it affect her life? That led me to ponder the idea of gifts, including the difference between those actively sought and those that may not be wanted.
The initial story then segued into the history of the town where Tasmyn found love as well as a way to accept her own powers. We’ve seen a little bit of King’s secrets in the first three books, FEARLESS, BREATHLESS and RESTLESS.
In this, the final installment of Tasmyn and Michael’s story, we move away from King itself, but they won’t escape its influence. ENDLESS is about consequences. In RESTLESS, Tasmyn made some bad decisions, and in the last book, we see how those affect the rest of her life.
What genre does your book fall under?
Young adult, urban fantasy, paranormal, contemporary fantasy
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
I don’t know many young actors! But I’ll give it a shot. . .
Tasmyn: Troian Bellisario
Michael:Brock Kelly, who plays the young Dean Winchester in Supernatural!
Cathryn: Jennifer Lawrence when she’s VERY blonde. That is at the suggestion of my son, who says Jennifer will be my daughter in law one day, so I might as well give her a job.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Every gift has consequences.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
It will be independently published by Hayson Publishing House.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
My first book took about four months. I wrote the second in about the same amount of time, but the third took a little longer because my life had taken a new turn during that time. I began ENDLESS when I finished RESTLESS, but in the interim, I’ve released three books, so it is taking much longer.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I really don’t know. Most the recent YA I’ve read has been post-apocalyptic. . .
Who or What inspired you to write this book?
I’ve always been a writer, but I will admit that it was the success of Stephenie Nelson and some other aspiring author friends I made through an interest in Twilight that convinced me I could complete a book, and then a series.
What else about your book might pique the readers’ interest?
ENDLESS is different from the rest of THE KING SERIES in that there is more intrigue, new characters and a ramping up of the love story between Tas and Michael.
Find Tawdra’s books at Amazon!
Thanks to Oliva Hardin for tagging me!
Tagged: Mandie Stevens
Tagged: Elizabeth Sharp
Tagged: C.G. Powell
Tagged: Desmond Hall
September 25, 2012
THE ACCIDENTAL SIREN Tour and Giveaway!
The Accidental SirenMara Lynn is the most beautiful girl in the world. James Parker is the ordinary boy who discovers her power.
The year is 1994. James, a pudgy twelve-year-old, responds to an ad for a used camcorder at a mysterious suburban home. Before he can knock on the door, he notices boys–a dozen at least–frozen amongst the trees behind the house. Their faces are blank. One boy presses “record” on a walkman and holds it above his head… and then James hears it, the voice of a little girl. Sweet; high like a songbird without the shrill. It was a church song. It came from inside the house.
James doesn’t know it yet, but the girl he’s about to meet is a modern-day siren.
The Accidental Siren depicts the joys and consequences of young love as Mara and James meet, shoot a movie, fend off bullies, and explore the potential of infinite beauty.
Follow Jake Vaner Ark
Official Site and Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads
BUY THE ACCIDENTAL SIREN:
Paperback -
eBook
Kindle /iBookstore /Nook /EPUB from Lulu / Smashwords (Free until October 16th)
About Jake VanderArk
“What I really want to do is direct.”
Yeah, I was that kid.
I spent my high-school career as the ghost of the art room, passionately constructing a portfolio that would provide the first step toward a creative occupation. Luckily, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago didn’t consider GPA when selecting applicants, so I was immediately accepted into one of the most prestigious art programs in the country.
Unfortunately, the only thing I learned in art school was how much I hated art.
But I found myself! And that’s important, right?
I graduated with a BFA in 2006 and moved to Los Angeles to harness my dream of becoming the next Ingmar Bergman (thanks a lot, art school).
In LA, I began writing screenplays as a means to direct. I found a job reading screenplays for the same reason. I read a lot of crap. I wrote a lot of crap. But little did I know… I was learning.
In the three-year process of creating short films and pursuing funding for features, I learned that directing came naturally to me, but producing did not.
I wasn’t able to get a project off the ground. When my father was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2009, I moved back to my hometown of Grand Haven,
Michigan with nothing to show but three screenplays.
One day, while working as a stage manager for a national dance competition, I had an epiphany that only a repressed, depressed, living-with-his-parents artist could have: what if I wrote books? Unlike screenplays, a book is finished when it’s finished. When the final draft is complete, a book becomes a marketable product. If I work my butt off, maybe I could actually make money doing what I love!
I’m not a millionaire yet… but I did write four novels in three years and I’m proud of the accomplishment. Currently, I’m engaged to my soul-mate,
self-publishing all four books, and developing a sequel to The Accidental Siren.
Dreams, here I come.
The Accidental Siren is FREE until October 16th on Smashwords HERE Download and Leave a review on Amazon for EXTRA points
*The Accidental Siren* is one of four books in the “Blank Canvas Series.” They’re all very different books, but all related thematically. The other books are *Lighthouse Nights*, *The Brandywine Prophet*, and *The Day I Wore Purple*. The first three are all available on Smashwords and Amazon.
Tour starts September 25 The author is having a contest -
2* custom designed v-neck t-shirts from Bare Tree Apparel (
http://www.thebaretree.com/)
2* pairs of Mara Lynn's purple earrings from jewelry designer Allison
Perkins
2* signed and numbered paperbacks of The Accidental Siren
1 Skype date with the author. One-on-one video, audio, or text chat with
Jake
4 paperbacks of The Accidental Siren
All above winners will also receive an mp3 CD with music that inspired all four of Jake VanderArk's books, as well as the music he listens to as he writes.
2 ebooks of Lighthouse Nights (
http://jakevanderark.com/novels/lighthouse-nights/)
2 ebooks of The Brandywine Prophet (
http://jakevanderark.com/novels/the-brandywine-prophet/)
Fill the form out below to enter for a chance to win
Follow the Tour
September 17, 2012
CONSEQUENCES Promo Blast!
Consequences by Liz SchulteIn the final installment of the Guardian Trilogy, hope is born, alliances change, and the fate of a world is held in the hands of two people.
Forced to face the wrath of either Heaven or Hell, Olivia and Holden must choose a side before a war begins and tears their lives apart forever. They always felt an unseen force brought them together, but was it to prevent the end of their world or to ensure it?
Their Secrets threatened to destroy them. Their Choices lead them to this moment. The Consequences cannot be avoided.
This book is available for purchase on Amazon.
Follow Liz Schulte
Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Newsletter
Come celebrate the release on September 18th for a fun EVENT on Facebook. There will be prizes! HERE 1pm – 4pm
Twitter Party Thursday, September 20th 8:00 – 9:00pm EST RSVP HERE Prizes!
The author is giving way 3 autographed book swag packs! Everyone promoting will get an entry in the rafflecopter. Contest starts Sept 18th Open to US/Can or INT for ebooks
Fall Into Books Hop!!
Welcome to the Fall Into Books Giveaway Hop hosted by Literary Addicts. This event takes place September 17-30 and each blog is hosting their own book themed giveaway worth at least $10 in value.
Join us September 21st from 1pm – 7pm EST for a HUGE author EVENT. There will be Fun prizes and Find new books! Literary Addicts is the Sponsor.
Thanks for participating!
September 16, 2012
BRIDE OF FAE
Bride of Fae (Tethers, Book 2)
A love more powerful than magic or time.
Beverly Bratton has a safe, mundane life. No drama. No magic. Since her parents died, she’s cared for her little sister Marion and worked at the Tragic Fall Inn. When a fairy’s charm sends Beverly a hundred years into the past-and into the path of a banished fairy prince-nothing will ever be mundane or safe again.
The regent of the Dumnos fae is turning the court from light to dark, and there’s nothing the rightful king, Prince Dandelion, can do about it. The mystical coronation cup which he needs to become king has fallen into human hands. When he meets a human woman with access to the cup, everything changes. Beverly is fascinating as well as useful-but of course Dandelion doesn’t love her.
Love for a fairy is rare. Love with a human, impossible. But when Beverly and Dandelion are thrown together in a battle against both wyrd and fae, they learn that in Dumnos the impossible happens every day
Follow the Tour
Sept 17 – Promotional Blast
Sept 18 – http://mommreadstoomuch.com
Sept 19 http://amandablogs.com
Sept 20 : http://booktester.blogspot.com/
Sept 21 http://readingitall.blogspot.com
http://spellcheckedbycgpowell.blogspot.com/
http://www.delphinareadstoomuch.com
Sept 24 http://www.samthebookaholic.wordpress.com
http://reviewinginchaos.blogspot.com
Sept 25 Jen http://www.craftylife.net
http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com
Sept 26 http://momzunas.blogspot.com/
Sept 27 http://www.ginaslibrary.info
http://nikita-mattes.blogspot.com
Sept 28 http;//takingtimeformommy.com
The author is having a contest for 2 $25 Amazon Giftcards. Open Internationally. Fill out the form below to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
September 14, 2012
FALL INTO READING Book Event!
From the Release Day Diva -
We have a ton of amazing authors involved in this one you guys!!
Join us September 21st from 10-4 pst. We’ll have lots of fun games and prizes!
Hope to see you all there!
Olivia Hardin!
Jessica Gibson!
Nichole Chase!
Mandie Stevens!
Tawdra Kandle!
MG Ainsworth!
Noah Mullette-Gillman!
Stephanie Nelson!
LK Rigel!
C.G. Powell
Lola James!
Tiffany A. White!
Andrea DiGiglio
Brought to you by the Release Day Diva
September 10, 2012
My Author Journey–Part 2
Let’s recap, quickly: after years of moving hither and yon, my family and I moved to a small town in New Jersey where our lives changed dramatically. It was there and during that time that I began making up stories, enjoying the characters and plot lines in my head.
I made it through elementary school. . .barely. I loved the academics, but I hated the social aspects. A particularly nasty few months (picture Mean Girls, the younger years) destroyed what little confidence I’d developed, and I went into middle school very unhappy. But I still had my books, and I still had notebooks with my stories.
On the first day of middle school, I met the brand-new librarian, who, as it turned out, would be my best friend during those three years. She had terrific ideas about a reading club and a library club, and I joined them both (big surprise!).
I also kept writing, and as much as I hated middle school, it was where I realized that I enjoyed and could do something that other kids my age didn’t like at all. It became a point of pride to earn the top grades on essays and reports. (Don’t ask about math and science; those were totally different stories.) I entered the poetry festivals and won first prize all three years.
And then in October of seventh grade, the library sponsored a scary story contest. I wrote a story that was based on something my mother had once told me, about a beautiful old house that used to stand on the hill behind the Catholic church in our town. The hill still stood empty, and I had to walk past in my way home every day. In my story, the house re-appeared every October 31st. . .for one spooky evening only. . .
My story, “The Mystery of Bennett House”, won first prize, and unbeknownst to me, my librarian friend submitted it to a magazine called “A Child’s Life” (now defunct). Imagine my shock when she told me that my story would be published!
It was my first experience with seeing my own words in print. It was pretty exciting. My parents had a copy of the magazine framed. (Yes, I still have it!)
That was the high point of my youthful writing life. Two years later, having survived middle school, I began high school, where writing took on a whole new meaning. Research papers, long reports and test essays edged out any time for creative work. I was the editor of the school newspaper, but even there, it was almost completely non-fiction writing.
In spite of that, I credit my high school experience with having a huge influence on my work. I had three of the best English teachers who held us to impossibly high standards. Incomplete or run-on sentences earned a zero for any assignment. We were not permitted to use the word ‘get’ in formal writing; Mrs. McConnell told me that it was a non-word that could be replaced by something more descriptive in any case. She was right; I’ve yet to find any instance wherein ‘get’ can’t be replaced with something better.
These two women and one man introduced me to Shakespeare, encouraged what they called my ‘eclectic reading taste’ and made me passionate about proofreading and editing. Any time I write a decent sentence, it can be directly attributed back to Mr. Eck, Mrs. Barrett and Mrs. McConnell.
I was a senior when I began dating the man who would later become my husband. My college years were consumed with more non-creative writing and then I was married. . .an Army wife and mother. Who had time to write?
Maybe not me, but the stories continued to play out in my mind. Sooner or later, they had to find an outlet.
