Jessica Therrien's Blog, page 9

MY PUBLISHING JOURNEY: Author Christa Yelich-Koth

Have you ever wondered how authors get their start?
How do they get agents?
How do they get published?
Is it luck? Talent? Drive?


This segment is an attempt to satisfy my immense curiosity...to answer the one question I'm dying to ask every author out there: 

How did your book become a book?

Enjoy.

Christa Yelich-Koth Author of ILLUSION


AGENTS
Do you have an agent?No. I did, but after 6 months, she took a different job in marketing and had to dismiss all her clients.
How many queries did you send?Oh boy... probably around 80?
If you don’t have an agent, is it by choice? It is by choice now. Mostly because of the responses I received from publishing companies.
If represented, how long did it take to get your agent?When I did have an agent, the entire process took about 7 months for her to send me a contract.
If you have an agent, can you copy and paste your successful query letter for others to reference?I met my previous agent at a conference—she had sample pages of my novel, not a query letter.

PUBLISHING
Are you traditionally published or self-published?Self-published.
What made you decide to self pub?I choose to self-publish because many of the people I worked with (both agents and publishing companies), really loved my work, but didn’t want to take it on because it isn’t easily marketed, especially my novels. For example, ILLUSION is labeled Science Fantasy, but the book itself contains conspiracies, psychological traumas, memory loss, and metaphysical experiences. It’s more adult than Young Adult, but is written more broadly, so teenagers would enjoy the book as well. Makes it difficult for an agent/publisher to determine who is the target audience.
Did you do everything yourself (such as cover design, formatting, etc.) or did you hire out?I do everything myself except I do have others edit and I don’t create the cover, just design it. I hired an illustrator, Conrad Teves, to put together the cover.
Which platform (such as Createspace) do you self-publish through?I publish through Buzz & Roar Publishing, which is my own (co-founded) company. We printed our first run of books through Bookmobile Printing. We sell books directly through our website or through Amazon in paperback or ebook.
Have you researched or considered getting a hardcover printed of your book? What about audio?I have researched hardcover. I would only choose that option when I offer both books (ILLUSINO and IDENTITY) as a box set. And those will be limited. I plan to eventually do an audiobook as I have recording equipment. I have not decided if I will do it myself or hire someone else.
What do you like about self-publishing?I like that I can control my own sales, be responsible for the financials, and create my own cover design. I also like that I can determine my own release date.
What do you dislike about self-publishing?Marketing is really tough. Also bookstores seem very uninterested if you are self-published or not selling your books through Ingram.
Looking back would you do anything differently?Probably not. My path may have winded a lot, but I learned so much through the experience. I’m very proud of my company and am looking forward to bringing my own, and other’s books to readers.

ADVICE
What lessons have you learned? Any advice for those about to go down your path?I learned to befriend other writers. Friends and family are great, but if they aren’t writers, there are just things they won’t understand. I learned that most writers are actually really friendly and are willing to answer your questions. I learned that you HAVE to show people your writing before you think about publishing—self-editing is not enough. And I learned that writing conventions/conference are a wonderful resource and tool to make yourself a better writer and meet others in the writing world.

:Christa Yelich-Koth
www.christayelichkoth.com

Publisher: Buzz & Roar Publishing.  

buzzandroarpublishing@gmail.com 

www.buzzandroarpublishing.com

Monday Morning Sneak Peek: KINGSTON COURT by Holly Kammier

Did a weekend of reading leave you wanting more? 
Sneaking peeks of your newest novel from under
your desk at work? 

For the eternal reader...here is your 
Monday Morning Sneak Peek!

Enjoy.


KINGSTON COURT by Holly Kammier


What happens when you take middle-aged, stay-home-moms, and throw them back into the workforce and dating? A modern twist between Desperate Housewives and Sex and the City, Kingston Court follows the love, lies, and friendships of two wealthy Southern California women.

Samantha and Natalie are at a crossroads. Gorgeous, over-the-top Samantha, hangs her status and her happiness on her “perfect” husband. That is until she learns his secret.

But she’s not the only mother on the block struggling. Natalie, nurturing and careful, is thrust back into the workforce after her husband barely survives a horrifying car crash. However, it isn’t just her new job co-hosting a national morning news show that keeps her busy. Alik, the hot young production assistant, does everything in his power to seduce the woman he loves.

Death and misfortune in the span of a single year force these two women to rediscover their inner strength and make life-changing choices. Kingston Court is full of scandal, temptation, and all of life’s juicy little secrets.


www.hkammier.com AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | GOODREADS

CHAPTER ONE
Natalie: May 22, 2014

I loved the Gaslamp Quarter at night. Here I got to wear heels instead of New Balance, trade my sweats for a little black dress and red lips. The city made me sexy.It was a tranquil Thursday in late spring and I should have been hanging out with my mommy friends on Kingston Court. Once a week, without fail, we met up in the cul-de-sac with our kiddos in the evening to drink wine and catch up on all the neighborhood gossip. Tonight was special though. I had a date with my favorite man. My husband Mark shifted the gears of our BMW as I peered up at the passing lights and giant fashion ads painted on the brick walls of San Diego’s classic building facades. Victorian era architecture mixed with modern skyscrapers. The din of traffic and dingy smell of the streets made me forget to worry over ladies’ night or our two children at home. At least for this moment, we were young again.Mark slid a hand against my bare thigh as we slowed at a light. “Wanna ditch dinner and find a dark alley?”The subtle streaks of his greying hair were hidden in the dimly lit sports sedan, turning him into a darker, more mysterious, version of himself. I laughed and leaned toward him, kissing the freckle below his ear. “Tempting. Very tempting. If I wasn’t so hungry I might take you up on that.”I breathed in his citrus scented after-shave, as I wrapped my hand around his bicep. Mark flexed his arm and narrowed his green eyes at me. “You sure?” he teased in a low voice, almost like a growl. “I get all crazy when you dress like that.”“Shoot.” My eyebrows sank as I glanced down at my open purse. A small green toothbrush sat on top of my wallet.“What?”“I have Ben’s toothbrush.”My husband and I looked at each other in resignation.“Jamie is watching him. Maybe it’ll be fine,” I said, though we both knew it wouldn’t. Our five-year-old son could be difficult. His most recent obsession was brushing his teeth after every meal. I could think of worse things for him to be insistent upon, but going to bed without his toothbrush of choice wasn’t an option. It was only a matter of time before my best friend would call telling us to come home.Mark’s tired face turned stoic without the charm of his smile. He pulled into the next u-turn lane to head back for the freeway.“Are you mad?” I asked, reaching for his knee.“Eh, we’ll just drop it off and swing by that Thai place you like.” He shrugged and took my hand, reverting back to the role of comforting husband.I scrunched up my nose and removed the barrette holding back my shoulder length brown hair. We were celebrating my thirty-eighth birthday and there was nothing romantic about the Taste of Thai at our neighborhood strip mall.The light in front of us turned green, and I brushed my hand against the back of his neck, hoping to be absolved of my guilt. “Maybe we can still—”He turned to look at me. His eyes, focused only on mine, carried none of the fear I suddenly felt wash over me. In that single moment life froze. I needed to speak, to take the wheel, something. Instead, I watched the set of headlights outside Mark’s window get closer.An intake of breath. A downpour of shattered glass. The sound of my scream as if it belonged to someone else.
The car lifted then tumbled. A dizzy Ferris wheel of lights …

Beta Readers/Writing Partners Anyone?

Well, I'm slowly climbing out of the holiday fog...5 kids and 8 adults under one roof felt like some Home Alone Christmas awesome. Here's a little peek into the madness:



Now that I'm trying to get back into the writing/blogging world, I wanted to introduce an idea. I've been getting asked the same question a lot lately: How do you go about getting beta readers for your novel?

Aside from friends and family, who often have a biased opinion, it's important to get some external feedback. But who can you trust with your manuscript? One author proposed asking GoodReads reviewers, but that sounded too risky to me, plus GoodReads reviewers tend to be way too harsh...

For me, the best beta readers have been other authors, because they happen to be readers, too!

Of course we all have writing partners, but sometimes our writing partners also fall into that "friend" category and/or they have read your manuscript too many times.

So here's my idea.

If any of you authors out there are interested in doing a manuscript swap (not with me in particular because I don't actually have a completed manuscript right now) I can pair you up or introduce you with someone else who is interested. If you would like to take part, here is a little form to fill out :)

Also, if you would just like to beta read even though you don't have a manuscript, that's fine too!!


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R&R Challenge December Winner!

The goal of the Read & Review Challenge is to read 5 or more books from the R&R Library by March 31st. All books in the library are free! Each month there will be a giveaway for those who review the books they've read.
For details on how to take part in the challenge click here. To add your novel to the R&R Challenge Library click here.Contact me @ therrien.jessica@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.

This month's winner is...
Jade Klinger

Jade reviewed SHRILUGH by Myndi Shafer.

Nothing can explain to Aydan Fulbert how she survived the savage attack in the woods. Why her left eye, instead of being blinded by the injuries she’d sustained, had simply turned a shocking shade of silver. And nothing can explain the fact that she can hear the Stranger speaking in her mind - or that she can answer him back without using her mouth.

Nothing can explain it - unless he’s telling the truth.

Nothing can explain the things the Stranger knows about her - things that she, until just a few hours ago, hadn’t known herself: that she’d healed faster from her injuries than was humanly possible. That the cruel family she’d been raised by isn’t biologically hers. That her stepfather is now hell-bent on bringing her to his own form of justice for a crime she didn’t commit.

Nothing can explain it - unless he’s telling the truth.

Nothing can explain why she so easily agreed to go with the Stranger. Why she didn’t find the notion of another world ludicrous and impossible. Why she didn’t cut and run the minute he explained where he wanted to take her.

Nothing can explain it - unless she believes he’s telling the truth.

Aydan knows she’s being intentionally naive. She knows her decision to follow the stranger is at best, reckless. At worst, deadly.

...unless he’s telling the truth.

GOODREADS | AMAZON

The review was posted on GOODREADS.

Jade Klinger's Reviews > Shrilugh Want to ReadRate this book1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 starsShrilugh (The Shrilugh Saga, #1) 
by Myndi Shafer (Goodreads Author) 
Jade Klinger's review Dec 21, 15
really liked itRecommended for: EVERYONERead from December 14 to 15, 2015 — I own a copy, read count: 1


Brig Cooper lives his young twenty-one year old life working for the Fulbert's. Brig enjoys working on the farm. But the one things he enjoys much more than working on the farm is hanging out with his best friend Aydan Fulbert. Brig has all of his goals set out and ready for him, but he can't seem to continue them without Aydan.

Aydan can't wait to get out of her hell hole that she's currently living in. Being able to graduate has been a complete relief for Aydan. All she has to do is hold out for a couple more months, then she is finally free. For most of her life all she could think about was Brig, she immediately dropped her fantasy of being with Brig after coming to terms with herself that Brig was more of a bother than anything else. But when she finally realizes that there's more to hers and Brig's relationship, everything stops her in her tracks.
Everything seems to be falling perfectly in place. All when it comes to both Brig and Aydan's attention that it's not going to be as easy as they thought it would.
Aydan's father is completely against her dating anyone, especially when she's still under his roof. So knowing that her father will try in every way to separate her and Brig.
Brig and her both end up deciding on keeping their relationship a secret.
But we all know secrets don't last.


The writing style this book, has a very fluid motion about it that just keeps you wanting to read until the very end. I found that the perspective changes between Brig and Aydan were done extremely well. Both characters perspectives were evenly done throughout the novel. I ended up reading quickly though this, and finished it within a day. What I found I didn't entirely enjoy, was that I felt that the ending was a tad bit abrupt when it came to a conclusion.It felt as though someone ripped out all of the last pages in the book, and the words were there was the conclusion. Another thing I found around the end of the novel, was that it was hard to discern the "fantasy" aspect of the novel. There wasn't enough information about what was going on with Aydan and knowing what she was. Which made it confusing and interesting at the same time. And I feel that if the novel would've just held out a little longer it would've made more sense.

Both Brig and Aydan as characters in the novel are great! I absolutely love the relationship between Brig and Aydan. And I'm also super addicted to how mysterious Aydan is. I mean we know how she acts and the way she is.. but we don't know what she quite is. Also the tension between Aydan's dad, Brig, Shannon, and Aydan herself can be super overwhelming, but in a great way because of that fact that we don't know what lengths Aydan's dad will take to crush Aydan and everyone she knows around her. From the tension happening with the characters it gives the novel a huge thriller aspect!

Other than that I really love the Shrilugh Saga. I think that it's unique, in a way of drawing you into a normal life that has it's limits, to a life that's full of dares and maybe a hint of magic. When reading Shrilugh I had to spread it out for the entire day because of how fast paced and addicting it was.
Super happy to have ran into another amazing author, and to get the chance to see what happens next.

ADIOS Release Day!

~ RELEASE DAY ~Title: AdiosSeries: Stories about Melissa, book 6Author: Bethany LopezGenre: Contemporary Young AdultCover Design: Makeready DesignsPhoto: K Keeton Designs Junior year is halfway over and Melissa is thrilled to be going with Jess, Jimmy, and Brian to Cabo San Lucas for Spring Break. Things at home haven't been great, and she could use the break that the sun and sand of Mexico is sure to bring. But things don't go as planned and the perfect vacation changes things for Melissa and her friends. Will the damage done be permanent and will life at home ever get back to the way it used to be?GoodreadsSpecial Release Week Price - $.99Amazon iBooks Nook Kobo Smashwords  Excerpt:
Unable to keep it to myself any longer, I’d told Megan, hoping she’d talk it out with me and maybe keep an eye on things with them while I was gone.Boy, was I wrong.“That’s nice,” she’d replied when I told her. She didn’t even look away from her Kindle to acknowledge that I’d spoken.“Yeah, Megan, I hope so. This is our parents I’m talking about. Can you at least look at me?”I stood over her bed, looking down as I waited for her response, and … nothing. She just kept on reading.“You’re turning into a real jerk, you know that?”“Takes one to know one,” was her witty response.“You know what, I’m not going to let you do it. You aren’t making me mad so that I jump on top of you and start a fight … Nuh uh, I’m not messing up this trip for anything. So you can go ahead and sit there, with your greasy head, stuck in your stupid book, and forget I said anything. And make sure you don’t touch any of my stuff while I’m gone.”With all of that said, I’d whirled around and stomped down the stairs.When I heard her yell out, “Whatever,” I bit back the scream of frustration in my throat. a Rafflecopter giveaway If you haven't read the other books in this YA series, now's the perfect time to get caught up!~ SERIES SALE ~ LAST CHANCE ~ ENDS TODAY~ The Stories about Melissa series is a coming of age series that follows Melissa, her family, and her friends. Similar to Sweet Valley High, each book is novella length. There will be eight books in the series.
Stories about Melissa reading order:
Ta Ta for Now! (Book 1, FREE) Amazon Barnes & Noble iBooks Smashwords Kobo  xoxoxo (Book 2, 99cents) Amazon Barnes & Noble iBooksSmashwordsKobo 

Ciao (Book 3, 99cents)
Amazon Barnes & Noble iBooks Smashwords Kobo 
TTYL (Book 4, 99cents)
Amazon Barnes & Noble iBooks Smashwords Kobo 
With Love (Book 5, 99cents)
AmazoniBooksBarnes & NobleKoboSmashwords

Monday Morning Sneak Peek - CHAMPION'S DESTINY by Tyrean Martinson

Did a weekend of reading leave you wanting more? 
Sneaking peeks of your newest novel from under
your desk at work? 

For the eternal reader...here is your 
Monday Morning Sneak Peek!

Enjoy.


CHAMPION'S DESTINY by Tyrean Martinson


The Battle

May Be Lost 

Because of a Family Secret.

With distracting attention from a prince and her mentors both in harm's way, will Clara be able 

to trust her team with her family secret as they race to fight the Dark Sisterhood on their terms? 

Champion's Destiny is the third book in The Champion Trilogy, a Christian Fantasy series with a 

strong female heroine and an epic cast of allies and villains.

Clara’s destiny is more complicated than she imagined.


http://tyreanswritingspot.blogspot.com/ AMAZON

CHAPTER 1 (CLARA)
Light pierced the darkness. The shaft brightened and the dark receded to a high tower of ebony stone standing tall above an ebony fortress surrounded by sea and a desert wasteland. Clara found herself drawn to the tower until she was standing at the top balcony, looking over a giant battlefield on one side and a sea battle on the other side. It was a scene of devastation and she was alone, completely alone.Clara woke with a start with her hand on the hilt of her sword, which glowed faintly in the dusky darkness before dawn. An owl hooted nearby in a throaty, satisfied series of sounds. She wasn’t alone. The desert held many creatures despite its barren appearance. Owls, rodents, snakes, and lizards all seemed most active in the space between night and true dawn, and between day and true night. Clara remembered her early childhood in the Desert Hall of Septily; she would wake early with her father’s prayers and watch her mother go out to scout the edge of the Desert Hall lands. She held onto the memory of her father’s voice, her mother’s hug – hard from her armor and yet soft as she kissed Clara’s cheek. She had to hold onto the memory of them. Tears slipped from her eyes, and she wiped them away.She thought of her dream. She hoped it wasn’t a vision of the future. She couldn’t stand to be more alone than she already was; she couldn’t lose anyone else. “Please Lord,” she murmured, praying through the tangle of emotions that she couldn’t quite put into words. “Please.” A sense of peace passed over her, and she took a deep breath. The Lord seemed to understand her cry for help, even if she didn’t have the right words to say.Still wrapped in her cloak with her head pillowed by her extra clothes bag, Clara listened to the sounds of the encampment and turned slowly to face the fire pit. Someone had piled some fresh wood on the fire to prepare for breakfast. Across the new flames flickering up the wood, she could see Liam’s handsome features as he inspected his hands. He held the right one up in front of him, and turned it back and forth, as if amazed by it. He had regained his right arm after the Lord had lifted his curse and healed him. Clara had been a part of that, but she didn’t really feel responsible for it. The Lord worked through her, when He chose to do so. It wasn’t her power. However, she didn’t quite know what to do with Liam’s obvious interest in her. At first, she thought he had some lingering admiration for her as a healer, or as the Champion of Aramatir. Other people had reacted that way in the past. But, it wasn’t that, or it wasn’t just that. Every time she glanced at him, he seemed to be looking at her. If she had been a normal girl in a normal place and not the Champion about to embark on an attack on the Dark Sisterhood’s fortress, she might have felt . . . something she couldn’t feel right now. She couldn’t allow herself to form that kind of attachment. She turned her gaze away from him.Stelia sat to the side of the camp, her figure outlined by the swift-approaching dawn. Sharpening one of her knife blades with her whetstone, she looked fierce and sorrowful all at once. Her graying light brown hair was pulled back in severe braids and it seemed that she even slept in her armor, for Clara hadn’t seen her without it since they had lost Dantor to the forces of the Dark Sisterhood and the Drinaii. Clara was worried about her, and she was worried about Dantor. What must he be enduring at the hands of his captors? And, was he still even alive? They had found no trace of him despite tracking down several groups of the Sisterhood and the Drinaii after the battle at the Healing Caves in the Canyonlands. And now, the trail was cold from three months of waiting through the Allied Council’s deliberations and politics.The Allied Council had finally routed out the Trader’s Guild spies and sent most of the Trader’s back to Mochant. New traders had stepped forward to take supplies from one country and one place to another, and every trade ship and caravan was supplied with a member of the Triune Halls to “guide them” in the ways of the Triune Halls and ensure the legality of their trading.Clara took a moment and prayed for Salene and William. They had endured a great deal of nastiness form the Trader’s Guild and had dealt with them fairly. Salene had proven herself as Lady-Protector and William had proven himself as King of Septily. She hoped they would stay back away from the fighting in the coming battle with the Sisterhood, but she knew they wouldn’t. They just weren’t that sort of royalty.A padded but distinct footfall broke Clara away from her musings. Klyan, her griffin friend and Wing Partner, had returned from his morning hunt looking satisfied.Clara rolled out her cloak and stood to greet him, resting her head on his feathered shoulder. He raised his wing and ruffled her hair.“Did you have a good hunt?”“We did. Zoreth and I brought down a few of those scarce desert deer. All of the griffins have had their fill and we will be able to go without food for at least a day or two since we only have a short flight today to get into position.”Clara nodded. She let go of him and started putting on her armor. “I’m glad we get to fly today.”“Any day we fly is a good day.” Klyan stretched his wings out and then wrapped them in close to his body. “I must take my early morning nap with the others, but I wanted to greet you before Stelia got her claws in you.”“Thank you,” Clara said. “You have become like family to me, Klyan.”“And you to me, Clara, as it should be between Wing Partners.” He ducked his head slightly and rubbed the top of her hair gently with his beak.Clara smiled, and rubbed his cheek. The best part of waiting for three months to put her plan of attack into action had been the Wing Partner Ceremony in Aerland. It had been hard, meeting Adrian’s parents, who had been gracious to her, and his brother, who had been extremely quiet around her, but the rest of the Ruling Seat of Aerland had given her a warm welcome. Klyan’s Wing Partnership had been assured and now they knew they could fly together as long as the Lord willed it. “Have a good rest, my feathery-brother.” She gave him one last hug and then grabbed her helmet.Walking over to Stelia, she avoided Liam by the fire. “Forms, then sparring practice?”“Of course.” Stelia sheathed her knife, and gestured to the small practice ground they had cleared yesterday.Clara swung her sword through the forms, enjoying the bright swoop of light from her sword as it cut through the air. Faster and faster, she went through the formal forms of Septilian Sword Masters, then switched to the Drinaii forms taught to her by Stelia, and then into street-fighting stances. She loved the balanced feel of the leather-wrapped pommel in her hands, the whoosh of the blade as it swept through the air, and the smell of her own sweat rising on her skin. She smiled to herself a she came to her finally parry position, on guard for any opponent. Not many girls, she supposed, really liked the smell of their own sweat, but Clara loved every element of her sword form and fighting practice.“Nicely done,” said Stelia form her right. “I think we’re both warmed up enough to spar, and the others will join us shortly.”Clara sheathed her sword of power and picked up a half-staff as a practice sword. It wouldn’t be the same as a practice sword, but it was lightweight, strong, and fit alongside a pack for long journeys. Plus, Captain Ivailo from Aerland and Perren, the Rrysorrian falconer, had been teaching her how to use two half-staffs as battle weapons. Stelia and Clara bowed to each other and then tested each other with short circling steps and small jabs. Stelia gave Clara an opening, but Clara didn’t take it, knowing that it was a feint designed to draw her in too close. Finally, Clara took a step to the side and one forward, making a cut with her half-staff towards Stelia’s arm. Stelia parried and riposted in nearly one motion, beating Clara’s practice weapon to the side and down. Clara jumped back to avoid Stelia’s jab, and parried with a riposte to Stelia’s elbow. Stelia grimaced and started to swap weapon hands. Even off-handed, Stelia could out-fight most of the other Sword Masters of the Triune Halls, but in the moment that she switched, Clara changed the pattern of her steps, and came in for another strike. Stelia parried, but the tip of Clara’s staff slid across Stelia’s breastplate. Stelia used her staff to press against Clara’s blade and came in for a hard strike on Clara’s forearm. Clara winced involuntarily, and Stelia waved her back. “Enough. I don’t want us to seriously injure each other the day before the real battle. It’s enough to warm up and remind us of our working muscles. Tonight, we will only do forms.”A tight chuckle behind Clara made her spin on her heel to see Perren, the Rrysorrian ambassador and falconer. He stood just a few feet behind her, resting lightly on the balls of his feet with his hands draped over his hips. He looked relaxed, from the top of his slightly grizzled gray head to the soles of his leather boots, but she didn’t underestimate him. In the last three months, she had seen how he could stalk prey with or without his hawks and fight with a variety of distance weapons, different staff lengths, and even with two long hunting knives. She sometimes wondered at his past, but he didn’t talk of himself much.“It’s about time you started showing some sense, blade master,” he simply said now, directing his words to Stelia.“Master Stelia is one of the finest Sword Masters in all of Aramatir,” Clara stated firmly. “She always shows sense with weapons.”Perren cocked his head at her slightly, as if he were one of his own hawks, measuring her with his eyes. “I meant no insult, Champion. I don’t think it’s wise to spar with weapons the day before a battle, even if you’re the Champion and she’s the finest weapon master of all the known world.”“He has a point, Clara.” Stelia joined their conversation. She nodded to Perren. “I saw you out of the corner of my eye when we were sparring, frowning at us in that way you have before you start spouting the wisdom of the ages.”Perren’s lips quirked. “The word of the wise brings healing, Sword Master.”Stelia shook her head, “But even the fool looks wise when he keeps silent.”Clara rolled her eyes. “I know you’re both teachers, but I would think that you would both know that the Lord fights our battles, if we would but keep silent.”Perren nodded. “It is good that the Lord has gifted you both with knowledge and wisdom, as well as strength. I could not follow you into the coming battle if it was otherwise, and I certainly would not let my Prince do so, either.”Liam walked up and put his arm around Perren’s broad shoulders. “Master Perren, I am the thirteenth prince of a kingdom laid to waste by the Dark Sisterhood and the Drinaii. I hold more consequence as your apprentice and as a member of the Champion’s battle party than I do at home, or as an ambassador to any land.”“Your family cares for you, and you know it, Prince Liam.”Clara realized the depth of worry the falconer had for his charge, considering she had only heard him call him ‘Prince’ Liam a handful of times in the last three months. “If staying back and signaling the allied ships and legions is better for you both, than I think you should . . .”“No,” Liam stepped in between her and Perren, staring down at her with hazel brown eyes. “I won’t leave your side, Cla . . . Champion. You saved me and the Lord called me.” He held out his staff to her, the one infused by crystal that had appeared in the Healing Caves for him. “I will wield this to protect you in the coming battle, and you and my Master Perren cannot stop it from happening. It is my destiny.”Clara felt like he had punched her in the gut with his words. Adrian had sacrificed himself for her, believing it was his destiny. She had only known him for a day and had loved him in that time. Now, Liam, whom she had been trying to ignore for months now, wanted to die for her, too? She couldn’t let it happen. It couldn’t be his destiny. She wouldn’t let it be. What kind of Champion would she be if young men kept doing her job for her? “We will see about your destiny when it comes,” she whispered, and then she turned away to walk to where she hoped Klyan lay sleeping. Her eyes were tight with anger and sorrow, and she didn’t want Liam thinking he needed to protect her.

Funniest Writer Blog Ever.

Need a laugh?
https://brokewriter2015.wordpress.com/
You're Welcome.

Monday Morning Sneak Peek - THE LIGHT YOU CANNOT TOUCH by Erin York

Did a weekend of reading leave you wanting more? 
Sneaking peeks of your newest novel from under
your desk at work? 

For the eternal reader...here is your 
Monday Morning Sneak Peek!

Enjoy.


THE LIGHT YOU CANNOT TOUCH by Erin York


THE LIGHT YOU CANNOT TOUCH explores the many kinds of love through expressive poetry in the voice of award-winning LGBTQ author, Erin York. 

In the words of others: "THE LIGHT YOU CANNOT TOUCH is raw, wild, surprising, unafraid, and spry with flares of unforgettable brilliance." 
--Savannah Thorne, executive director of Balkan Press and managing editor of Conclave: A Journal of Character. 

"Erin York leaves no doubt that she's a writer of heart and vitality in these moving poems. She's one to watch, one to listen for when you need poetry to take you to places only the heart knows." 
--Allison Joseph, My Father's Kites: Poems and editor-in-chief of Crab Orchard Review 

"Erin York takes her reader from innocence to experience, through loss and gain, through the tangled bodies of love in unexpected ways." 
--Maryfrances Wagner, Red Silk, winner of the Thorpe Menn Book Award and co-editor of the I-70 Review.


www.erinyorkauthor.blogspot.com AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | GOODREADS


  Not Famous.But Forever.first published in Glass: A Journal of Poetry–2013
This spring replaced a dozing winter—one where the sky opened its blue eyes to snowonly twice—For Emerson Babylon, this spring rose from orchid budswhose hard-shelled heads unwound for the sun,whose parasitic feet wove beneath leftover leaves.But because his eyebrows turned to hanging icicles—their black scuff marks now faded to the winter—he left his Pacific lodging and marched East.
Even after all these seasons,he still searched for something right.
Maybe he went mad from all the walking, buthe kicked up fairy dust and flower petalson his way to the end of the world.Or Oklahoma.He took root in red dirt and waitedfor the apocalypse. The Second Coming.Oh, and he ate ice cream.Alone.For days.
Another spring:Emerson dropped his Albuquerque satchelinside a too-small café. Papers became birds in flight.
One, he saw, nested inher lap.
That woman. He’d snuck candy glimpses of her sun-washed hair.Now, he had a new perspective—Her eyes.Beneath her brow’s penumbra,they were two fountain pensthat inked a blue life spring.A brand-new, silver-coated, chocolate-centered beginning.One not raised from the apocalypse or a tragic end.Like zombies.
He asked her to dinner.She said yes.
In another season, when all the world was falling,he learned she understood stonework.Before they married, she told him, “We’ll build together——Our home and ourselves.”So they mixed clay with the blood from their calluses untilthe bricks that sheathed their house became their body.And they could not leave it.
One night, when each orchid outside died,and winter returned in waves like blankets,she drew him into their bed,folded covers into paper hats,and laid a naked self before him.They had been two, he realized,as he unwound her and wove in his roots.Now, they were one.
And he could not leave her.And that was right.

A Sideline to Deathfirst published in Puff Puff Prose Poetry and a Play–2013
He says—
You spend your days dyingand log the time it takes,while I discover my ulcer.
You tell me only two more weeks.
Two weeks until doctorsinvade like the rapist doesand tug free the jump ropeand pink kickball, thosewomen parts whose namesI could never bring myself to say.
You tell me to leave flowers,the fake kind, on your bedsidebecause they are the only onesthat last.
Okay, we have two weeksuntil writing checks and wills and letters,two weeks until signing them all,as though they mean the same thing.
Well, go on then.I’ll chew Tums in the waiting roomand remember the spring morningwhen we had our whole livesahead of us.
What an age that was.
The stars were cracks in Heaven’s floor.And God was an astronaut,tethered, in a white suit,to a place of safety.

The Light You Cannot Touchfirst published in The Screech Owl–2014
Can you tell me the age where lifeturns its roaring corner,and the places you seeon the side of the road take speed?
For poetry’s sake, let’s saythe perfect age is thirteen.
Your world will bebrightest that year.You’ll fall for the first timewith a girl or a boy.
Your nerve endingswill stretch through your pores,and when your skin is electric,you’ll try to forget you’re soft.
Don’t.
Let your world stay glazedfor a moment longer.Let your youth shinelike light through dandelion seeds.
Take time to smell the dirt.Catch rain as it falls through the trees.Hold your kitten closeand your first dog as he dies.
You don’t know it yet,but after your thirteenth year,they’ll drug you with money, with speed,with things that aren’t living.
Then you’ll remember all your pain.Those memories, you could painton all the bills you’ll payon all the walls of all your empty rooms.
Your life will become a blur.But I hope there will be moments,like when you first see God,that cause you to take pause, 
that will show you the lightyou cannot touch.

R&R Challenge November Winner!

The goal of the Read & Review Challenge is to read 5 or more books from the R&R Library by March 31st. All books in the library are free! Each month there will be a giveaway for those who review the books they've read.
For details on how to take part in the challenge click here. To add your novel to the R&R Challenge Library click here.Contact me @ therrien.jessica@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.

This month's winner is...
Marcy Hatch

Marcy reviewed HOT FLASHES AND COLD LEMONADE by Susan Flett Swiderski.

Living the perfect life has always been easy peasy for Pearl Bryzinski, because she’s practically a pro at ignoring the negative and putting a positive spin on the facts, but it’s impossible for her to find anything positive about Daddy skipping town with that blue-haired floozy in a flashy brown Pinto. No matter how hard she tries, she can’t ignore the fact that he’s gone… or the fact that she’s becoming a drama queen who can sweat like a sumo wrestler doing push-ups in a sauna. It’s almost enough to suck the blush out of her rose-colored glasses. Whether she likes it or not, she’s gonna have to turn some of her wishbone into backbone. Layer by layer, assumptions and misconceptions peel away, as Pearl learns to buck up in the face of reality, and to laugh at her imperfect… but not so bad… life. Supported by a down-to-earth husband who loves her with every blue-collar bone in his body, a mother who isn’t the self-centered witch Pearl imagined her to be, three terrific grown kids… okay, make that two terrific kids, and a Golden Boy who’s a far cry from 24-carat… and a bunch of wonderful wacky gal pals, Pearl comes to realize that her mixed bag of family and friends makes her life damned near perfect. Pearl being Pearl, she’ll never give up her rosy specs entirely, but learning to handle reality also means learning to deal with death.

GOODREADS | AMAZON

The review was posted on Amazon.

 There’s a lot to like about this story... November 4, 2015By M. S. HatchThis review is from: Hot Flashes & Cold Lemonade (Paperback)There’s a lot to like about this story and if you like slice of real life stories, you might well give this five stars. I’m not a huge fan (I tend to like more adventure, intrigue, magic maybe, a ghost or two…) but like I said, there’s a lot to like.

Pearl for starters. She was an interesting character and I could relate to her blindness when it came to her ‘golden boy’ son. We all want to think the best of our kids, help them out when we can. It took a lot for Pearl to see how he was using her, manipulating her. I wanted a little more come-uppance for him. I loved all Pearl’s friends - especially Candy - and Pearl's family, and how she assumed something was going on because she couldn’t imagine anything else. And I loved how Pearl changed, not drastically, but just enough so she could be a better person for herself AND her family.

My only real complaint (and it’s entirely subjective) is that there was a lot of description, most of which I loved. Susan has a great way of describing things, like this: “Leggy petunias still loitered in her garden, slouched beside the chrysanthemums like a gang of long-limbed teenagers with no place to go.” Can’t you just picture that? The problem was it slowed down the pacing at times and it just felt like too much at times.

Aside from that, this book was well-formatted and error free as far as I could tell and if you do like slice of life stories, you would probably love this.

ADIOS Cover Reveal

~ COVER REVEAL ~Title: AdiosSeries: Stories about Melissa, book 6Author: Bethany LopezGenre: Contemporary Young AdultCover Design: Makeready DesignsRelease Date: Dec 16, 2015 Junior year is halfway over and Melissa is thrilled to be going with Jess, Jimmy, and Brian to Cabo San Lucas for Spring Break. Things at home haven't been great, and she could use the break that the sun and sand of Mexico is sure to bring. But things don't go as planned and the perfect vacation changes things for Melissa and her friends. Will the damage done be permanent and will life at home ever get back to the way it used to be?GoodreadsSpecial Pre-order Price - $.99Amazon iBooks Nook Kobo Smashwords  If you haven't read the other books in this YA series, now's the perfect time to get caught up!~ SERIES SALE ~ The Stories about Melissa series is a coming of age series that follows Melissa, her family, and her friends. Similar to Sweet Valley High, each book is novella length. There will be eight books in the series.
Stories about Melissa reading order:
Ta Ta for Now! (Book 1, FREE) Amazon Barnes & Noble iBooks Smashwords Kobo  xoxoxo (Book 2, 99cents) Amazon Barnes & Noble iBooksSmashwordsKobo 
Ciao (Book 3, 99cents)
Amazon Barnes & Noble iBooks Smashwords Kobo  TTYL (Book 4, 99cents)
Amazon Barnes & Noble iBooks Smashwords Kobo  With Love (Book 5, 99cents)
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