Chelsea M. Cameron's Blog, page 15

In which I share the blurb for Nightmare...

So I figured I should probably write a blurb for Nightmare. You know, because I'm releasing it in less than a week. I've been fiddling with it, and this is still subject to change, but right now I'm happy with it. Let me know what you think!


Ava-Claire Sullivan still doesn't follow the rules. She shouldn't have let Peter Claim her, turning her into his own personal blood bank. She shouldn't have told Tex Peter was immortal because now her best friend won't shut up about hooking up with Peter's equally immortal brother, Viktor. And she shouldn't have fallen in love with Peter. 

Too late. 

Sometimes, love kills. One promise Peter made nearly a hundred years ago could do it. A kiss, a touch could be the end of him. So all she has to do is not let him fall in love with her. Easier said than done. 

But Ava's going to find a way for him to be free, even if it kills her. Or makes her immortal. There's no way she's losing Peter in addition to her mother. No freaking way. 

What would you do when the one you love would die if they loved you back?

G is for Gratitude...

I'm going to deviate from the plan again today because I just have to say it. Today is brought to you by the letter G, and G stands for Gratitude. In the spirit gratitude, I have to say...

THANK YOU!!!!!!

Thank you to everyone who has ever visited this blog, even if you stumbled upon it by accident. Thank you for all your comments. They seriously make my day. Thanks to all my followers (all 45 of you, at last count). I will try to be worthy of your follows :)

Thank you to everyone who has liked me on Facebook, followed me on Twitter (225, at last count). I love interacting with you every day.

Thank you to everyone who has bought my book. I wish I knew who you were so I could send you thank you cards. Seriously.

Thank you to all the bloggers who have interviewed me, or expressed interest in Nocturnal. You guys rock beyond words. I wish I could hug each and every one of you. And I'm not really a hugger.

Thank you to all the other indie authors who have welcomed me into the group with open arms. In particular: Shelly Crane, Addison Moore, Ali Cross, Shelli Johannes, Michelle Leighton, Raine Thomas, Michelle Muto and Brina Courtney.

When I started out, I didn't think anyone would want to read what I had written. I didn't really have an online presence. And it wasn't like I was writing something new and groundbreaking. No, I wanted to write about immortals who drank blood. So I did. I wrote the book I wanted to read, and I crossed my fingers and wished and hoped that someone else would want to read it too.

Apparently, someone does. Several someones.

So, to sum up....

THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!!!!!!!!

F is for FIREWORKS!!!

Today is brought to you by the letter F! And today F is for FIREWORKS! 
Books should have quiet moments, but they also need those big moments too. Just like a fireworks show. They start out with a bang, then bring it down, then another bang, bring it down until the finale where they give it everything they have. Books should be like this too. 
More often than not, the reason someone puts down a book is because it gets boring. The fire goes out.As an author, it's my job to keep igniting the story to keep the reader interested. Throw something else in there they didn't expect. Put two people together and see what happens. 
Ooooohhhhh....
Ahhhhhh......

Don't forget about the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop. Stop by for a chance to win one of two ebook copies of Nocturnal!

E is for hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza giveaway hop!

Today is brought to you by the letter E!I'm deviating from my plan today because it's time for the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Yara from Once Upon a Twilight!
What's up for grabs? TWO ebook copies of Nocturnal! How cool is that? All you have to do is follow this blog and you can gain extra points by tweeting and liking me on Facebook. Just enter using the Rafflecopter below.
Oh! And comment below and tell me what your favorite word that begins with E is for another entry. Mine is effervescent. It just sounds good when you say it.
Be sure to scroll all the way down to the linky list and check out some of the other amazing prizes!

D is for Disaster...

Today is going to be short and sweet and is brought to you by the letter D!

D is for Disaster. Otherwise known as CONFLICT. You cannot have any kind of story without conflict. Here's how it goes: Main character wants something. Main character spends entire book trying to get what they want. End of book is getting what they want, or deciding they want something else.


Take the story of Cinderella. Okay, so we have this girl whose life sucks. She wants to not have to clean up after those mean sisters and get her house back. Solution to her problem? Going to the ball and marrying the handsome prince. Obstacle? Her evil stepmother. Without the evil stepmother, you wouldn't have a story. The evil stepmother throws disaster in the way of Cinderella. Locking her in the room, ruining her dress, etc. So Cinderella has to modify her plan. Then, when things seem totally hopeless, fairy godmother shows up. But still, Cinderella does not get her happy ending. Enter Ultimate Disaster. Getting locked in her room and not being able to prove she was the mystery girl the prince danced with. But then the mice come and save the day and all is well.

I went with the Disney version of the story, if you couldn't tell :)

The Queen of putting her characters in the Disaster Zone is Suzanne Collins in The Hunger Games. Hands down. She puts her characters through hell. Because that's what makes a good story.

I put Ava, from Nocturnal through a lot in the first book. She finds out her mother has terminal cancer and then she has to deal with a pesky immortal that she can't stay away from. The deeper she gets involved with him, the more disaster. Because what Ava wants (even though she's not aware of it) is an escape. She doesn't want to deal with the fact that her mother is going to die, so she seeks out another life. Albeit a dangerous one, but she doesn't care.

In Nightmare (book 2), she deals with a hell of a lot more. I'm not going to spoil it for you, but I'll just say that she has to deal with a whole new set of problems. Minus the fairy godmother.

I swear, I don't like to torture my characters. But I get a sick pleasure out of putting them in a box and then watching them find their way out of it. Does that make me a control freak? Or someone with a God complex?

What are some of your favorite books filled with Disaster?

C is for Covers...

Today is brought to you by the letter C! I love the letter C for several reasons. First, C is for Cookie. That's good enough for me. Also, my initials are CMC, so I'm partial :) But you know what is is also for? COVERS!
Today I have some of my favorite YA covers to share with you. But that's not all. Oh no, it's not. Because I will also be revealing the cover for Nightmare, Book Two in the Noctalis Chronicles! It's not coming out until April 14, but I wanted to give you a sneak peek. So scroll down to the end of this post for that. You can also add Nightmare to your Goodreads to-read list here. And now on to the Cover Love!

Jenny Pox by J.L. Bryan. This cover is swoonworthy. I love how she's trying to hide. It's the perfect representation of Jenny with her killer touch. The colors are soft and gorgeous. I would class this book as horror, but the cover gives it more of a feminine feel. It was done by the fabulous Claudia at Phatpuppyart. She's also done Amanda Hocking's and Sam Young's covers. She's brilliant. But this is my favorite of hers. 









Across the Universe by Beth Revis. Looks like I've got a purplish theme going on. I did not plan that. But honestly, how could you not want to read a book with a cover like that. It's beyond the beyond. The sparkles and the closeness of the faces. I could just go on and on about it. This cover also reminds me of the Spiderman kiss-in-the-rain scene...What? Oh, yeah. Sorry. I got distracted by the pretty cover. On to another...








Heaven by Alexandra Adornetto. Uh, can you say WOW? I didn't notice that their hands were forming a heart until I had stared at it for a few hours minutes. The first book was meh for me, and I haven't read the second, but I might have to just because of the cover.
What do you think?










And now on to the cover reveal for Nightmare! 
*drum roll*


TADA!
The book will be out on April 14 on Amazon and Barnes and Noble! The first book in the series, Nocturnal is available now at Amazon and Barnes and Noble as an ebook.

B is for Boys... (sexy ones)

So I think my theme for this whole A to Z thing will be Things that should be in every YA book. The essentials that make a good story.

Today is being brought to you by the letter B!

For me, one thing that every YA should have is a hot boy. And I don't just mean a good-looking one, although those don't hurt ;) I mean someone I can crush on. Someone swoonworthy. Want some examples?


Daemon Black, from Jennifer Armentrout's Obisdian. He's hot. He's also a total jerk. He gets off on making his lady Katy mad. But the thing about Daemon is you know that deep down, he is so totally into her, he can barely stand it. He also loves his family and would do anything to protect them. That was why he was mean to Katy in the first place. Well, that and because he likes getting a rise out of her. If you haven't read Obsidian, you are sooooo missing out.










Callum from Fisher Amelie's Callum & Harper. Oh what can I say about Callum? The best thing about Callum is how much he loves his family. Harper and Cherry and Charlie. Even though life has kicked him down so many times, he still finds a way to be happy, to be kind. He doesn't give in to the bad influences that could have dragged him down into a world of drugs or crime. No, he's going to college. He doesn't know how, but he's going. A love like Callum's is fierce. It would be overwhelming to be loved like that. I hope someday I can find my Callum :)








Bram Griswold from Lia Habel's Dearly, Departed. First off, he's a zombie. Gross, right? I mean, who thinks a zombie's sexy? Uh, me. Because Bram is more human than many humans I know. He loves to sing, and babbles when he gets nervous. Luckily, he gets injections to make sure he doesn't dry out. Which is gross. But somehow his personality overcomes the gross factor. He's funny and smart and kind of awkward. He's not perfect. Obviously, because he's a zombie. But when 12/21/12 rolls around, I'll be looking for my own personal zombie Bram.





So there you go! And I don't want to discriminate by only talking about boys. The key to a character the reader crushes on is to make them real. Not so perfect that they couldn't exist. I think that's why people have such a problem with Edward Cullen, aside from the sparkling aspect. Edward is perfect. He needed flaws. Flaws are sexy. You can make a character visually beautiful, but they have to have a little twist that makes them human. Even if they're an alien. Or a zombie.

A is for Angst...

This month I've joined a gigantic blog challenge called Blogging from A to Z where we will post all our topics beginning with a letter of the alphabet, and today is being brought to you by the letter A!

And what does A stand for? ANGST.
That's right, angst.

I'm a YA writer. Angst is just as much a part of YA as kissing and fighting with your parents about that mysterious boy you want to date, and they don't understand.. Well, you get the idea.
Adolescence is full of angst. Not only do you have hormones raging through your body like a stampede of unicorns, but you have to deal with high school and driving and kissing and whether or not to have sex and choosing the right college. And if you want to write YA, you gotta have angst.

Angst can be fun. Like that moment when you meet eyes with that cute boy you've had a crush on forever. Your palms sweat and you imagine what you'd say to him if he talked to you, and what if you smell and what if he's not interested, and you really should have curled your hair this morning... it goes on.

You have to include some of this if you want to write YA. Because that angst is what makes a book, for me. It's the good stuff.

Also kissing. That's pretty good too.

I wish I had three sets of eyeballs...

Apart from the fact that having three sets of eyeballs would come in really handy for the upcoming zombie apocalypse, I would be able to read more than one book at a time. There are sooooooo many books out that I want to read right now. Here are a few of them:

Defiance by Shelly Crane. Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

In the third installment of the Significance series, we begin with Maggie and Caleb in the clutches of a new enemy; the Virtuoso council. Not only do they have to deal with the consequences of taking the lives of the Watsons and the council attempting to take Maggie away to keep their precious Visionary safe, but they must deal with Marla as well. All are determined to undermine, control and use Caleb and Maggie's rare gifts for their own uses, some wish to destroy them entirely. Then Maggie's father and Bish are threatened but the council forbids the presense of humans. Peter and the family fight and stand beside them every step of the way to save Maggie's father, to keep Caleb and Maggie together when the corrupted council is so set on keeping them apart and to stop Marla and whatever she has up her sleeve. Then Maggie has the shock of her life when she discovers something about her real father. It may change everything for everyone. Stay tuned as the story continues.


I proudly describe myself as a Craniac. I love, love, love Shelly's books. They're so sweet and romantic and you know there will be a happy ending. And what's better than that? Defiance is the third book in the Significance series. The fourth book, Independance will be out soon. (insert squee)




Wishing For Someday Soon by Tiffany King. Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:


Seventeen year old Katelyn Richards is a stronger person than anyone will ever know, and that is just the way she wants it. Behind her normal facade lies the reality of a broken home life. Thanks to her abusive mother, a string of deadbeat stepfathers, and an unsympathetic system, Katelyn has learned that the only one she can count on is herself. Her life's mission has become to shield her nine year old brother, Kevin, and to give him the future that they both wish for. A life with no more abuse, no worries about where their next meal will come from, and no more wondering if they will have a roof over their heads. 
When her mother moves them again, this time to a small town in Montana, Katelyn's resolve is shaken when she meets Max, a cute boy from her new school, who gets a glimpse into her real world. Max slowly manages to break through Katelyn's wall of distrust, stirring up feelings she never saw coming. Now with her world more complicated than she ever intended, Katelyn struggles with the decision to follow her heart into the arms of the first boy she has ever loved. A decision that could risk the promise she made to protect Kevin, and to give them the 'someday soon' that is so close within their grasp.


Doesn't that sound good? I've been looking for a really good contemporary because I don't read them that much and I know I should. After Callum & Harper, I've been searching for my next contemp. fix. And now that I'm writing my own, I need to see what else is out there. Also, Tiffany King is one of the sweetest, most genuine people in this world. For real. I think if I ever met her, I'd give her a huge squeezy hug. And I'm not a hugger.


Divergent by Veronica Roth. Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:


In a future Chicago, 16-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.


Everyone is talking about this book. Seriously, I can't go on Twitter without someone talking about how amazing it is. The reason I haven't gotten to it is that I'm kind of dystopian-ed out. Something has got to be really, really original for me to get sucked into it. The synopsis doesn't drag me in. But the constant raving by book lovers that I trust is going to bully me into reading this. And I'm sure I'll be kicking myself for being late to the party. Stay tuned...








So many books, too little time to read. I'm plugging away at edits for Nightmare. A recent comment from a blogger prompted a massive cut, and I think I'm going to end up taking out two entire chapters that don't really need to be there. As much as I love it, it takes up too much space. But I'm considering doing special editions of each of the books where I add the deleted chapters and other fun stuff. Yes, I think these things should happen.


I was also interviewed over at 1001 First Lines by Scarlett Rugers about my favorite first lines, how I write them and how important they are. I also shared one of my favorite and worst first lines. So go on over and check it out :) 

In which I explode and spew glitter everywhere...

That's a lovely image, isn't it? Not so much. But it's true. I'm so bursting with Happy Things that I'm about to bust. That's where the glitter comes in. Here are the Happy Things:

Tiffany Mahaffy is hosting #yabookchat tonight with me and author of Meant To Be and Wishing For Someday Soon (which I am reeeallllyyy looking forward to)! You should come. It's in, like, less than two hours. At 9 EST. There are also chances to win Nocturnal. So you should get on that. Right now.

Tiffany also wrote an absolutely lovely review on Goodreads. Someday Nocturnal will have a lot more reviews, but right now each one is precious and a gift.

I'm looking at a release date for Nightmare, Book Two in the Noctalis Chronicles of April 14. Yes, that is the day the Titanic sank. Not a very auspicious day, but it has meaning for someone in Nocturnal. *wink, wink* THIS DATE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE IF I DECIDE THE BOOK IS NOT READY. BUT I WILL LET YOU KNOW AHEAD OF TIME. Sorry. I'm not yelling. I'm just stressed and worried and freaked out that I won't be able to put out a good quality book. I'm still doing changes, but they're getting smaller. I'm going to have to cut an entire chapter with some fun stuff in it, but it doesn't move the story forward and is taking up space at this point. I'm thinking about doing Special Edition copies of each of the books with deleted scenes and playlists and such. This will be down the road. For now, I am hoping to have Nightmare out on April 14.

Ummmmm, I think that's it. Oh! I had a SHINY NEW IDEA the other day. It's the first contemporary that I've really been excited about. I tried one before, and it failed. It's been paranormal and dystopian for me ever since. But this idea grabbed at me. I didn't have names for any of the characters, but I knew where it started and where it should go. I'll figure out the middle stuff as I write. For now, I'll say it's a story about Lo and Beckan. He's a minister's son and she's the girl who's always in detention. They're both broken and dealing with it in different ways. Which is why the working title of this book is Broken Pieces. I'll have more updates on it later, but for now I've written 2,000 words. I'm planning for this to be shorter than my other books, maybe around 60,000 words. We'll see.....