Heather Self's Blog, page 12

Lucky 7 Meme

I got tagged! Today’s post is the Lucky 7 post; I was tagged by Liz Long, author of Gifted. I thought the meme idea was pretty clever so figured why not?

Here’s how it works:

Go to page 7 or 77 in your current manuscript
Go to line 7
Copy down the next seven lines/sentences exactly as they are
Tag 7 other authors

I'm not far enough into either of my new projects to have a page 7 so will share from the One which released ten days ago.



“However, you neglected to mention how spectacular she is, so if my thoughts get away from me…” He shrugged. “Just make sure you’re staying out of them.”

I snorted, “Yeah, that’s a bit of a problem for him.” Chase flung back his head and laughed, revealing two deep indentations in each cheek. My heart fluttered, and I stifled a groan. I was doomed. I was a complete sucker for a guy with dimples.

And that's it! Whether or not the authors I tag participate in the Lucky 7, they're all pretty rockin!

Chelsea Cameron

M Leighton

Nichole Chase

Chelsea Fine

Jodi Meadows

Addison Moore

Colleen Hoover

New Release: the One

It's finally here and the link on Amazon is live!  I'll post the Barnes and Noble one as soon as it's up too. In case you forgot what it looks like and what it's about here's the deets!

Stranded on Earth two thousand years they’ve waited for the arrival of the One: some to save her, others to kill her. With her birth, the ancient prophecy could at last be fulfilled and the doorway between the worlds would open. Those who know the prophecy believe this event occurred almost eighteen years ago, and now, they’ll stop at nothing to find her.

Seventeen-year-old Eveline has lived her entire life on the move and she hates it. She knows her parents believe she’s the One, and they’ve done whatever it takes to stay one step ahead of those who want her dead. But Eveline isn’t fully convinced that her parents’ beliefs match her own. What she does believe is that Leadville, Colorado may be the chance she’s been waiting for. The chance to be somewhere safe. The chance for her to make friends and have fun. The chance to finally date a guy. The chance to be a normal girl, at least as normal as possible for someone not human.

Home Again/the One

Hey all! I'm home from the super funtastic time at the daemon invasion and will be posting pics and stuff soon. Right now I'm in the final stretch of formatting/last minute edits (do you EVER find them all???) for upload of the One and it's release tomorrow!! I'm super excited and can't wait for y'all to get your hands on it.

Daemon Invasion/All My Bags Are Packed

WOO HOO!! Today i head to Florida for the Daemon Invasion to meet Jennifer Armentrout, Pepe, and Stella. I ALSO get to hang with Autumn from The Autumn Review and meet Tiffany King! Y'all. I don't know what I'm most excited about. Seriously. I'll be doing a MAJOR tweet fest from the event tomorrow so if you don't follow me on twitter you may want to. If you DO follow me on twitter and don't care about books--not sure why you'd be following me if that was the case--but if you DON'T care you may want to unfollow me for a few hours tomorrow afternoon.
That's it for now! the One releases FRIDAY and I'm super excited to get it out into the wild! Autumn has a tease over on her blog today so go check it out!

Entangled Publishing Launching New Line!

Hello party peeps! If you've been following this blog for a bit you guys know how much I love Entangled. I've heard nothing but good things about them from their authors and their covers are always SUPER cool (as you may know from the--ahem--few cover reveals I have done for them.

This month they're launching a new line and you can check out the deets below:






More about DEAD SEXY’s Launch Titles Her Forgotten Betrayal, by Anna DeStefano Remembering will save her life. But will the truth destroy their love forever? When the CEO of a global technology empire retreats to her ancestral mountain home to heal from a brutal shooting, she discovers the danger has just begun. The FBI suspects her of selling top-secret government research, and has sent an undercover agent to find evidence of her treason. Still suffering from amnesia, she is at the mercy of nightmares that soon morph into something much more terrifying—a determined enemy, plotting to make sure she never regains her fragile memory. When a handsome stranger sweeps in from the cold, claiming to be her protector—and her former lover—she suspects he’s not telling her the whole truth about his sudden appearance on the mountain. As their unwilling attraction blossoms to sizzling passion, she begins to trust him…unaware that he is about to repeat the most painful betrayal of her past—a past she doesn’t remember…a past that just may kill her. No Hero, by Mallory KaneA darkly handsome New Orleans detective who insists he’s no hero is blindsided by his one-time lover, a sexy investigative TV reporter, who exposes his secret troubled past to the whole world…and nearly costs him his job. When the at-risk teens he mentors start turning up dead, his vow to protect the other kids hits a major snag…his only clue to finding the determined killer is held by the one woman he never wants to see again. Compelled to work together to solve the vicious murders before another child dies, their passion reluctantly reignites, and their mutual mistrust slowly turns to respect as she realizes there’s much more to being a hero than outward appearances, and his deeply wounded heart gradually opens to the possibility of love. Sacrifice of Passion, by Melissa Bourbon RamirezA tall, dark, single-dad Texas rancher finds himself facing more than his stubbornly silent son when the chupacabra, a supposedly mythical blood-sucking beast, starts killing his livestock—and stalking the town’s newly returned veterinary assistant, the sensual woman who ran from the altar and broke his heart twelve years earlier. Determined to purge his sizzling memories of her from his all-too-vivid imagination, he seeks her help to get to the bottom of the disturbing animal mutilations, only to have her break through to his sullen son…and rekindle the love he’d thought was lost forever. But her refusal to share a terrible secret sends her running straight into the lair of the chupacabra, plunging her back into her worst nightmare, and forcing them both to confront the wrongs of the past—in order to stay alive for the future they desperately want. Deadly Secrets, Loving Lies, by Cynthia Cooke Family secrets must be kept, and painful wounds must be ignored. After an all-out assault by a vicious terrorist bent on destroying her entire family, a former government agent must break the strict rules she has always lived by when she emerges from hiding to reluctantly accept the help of her all-too-sexy ex-lover. Running a deadly race against time, they rush to rescue her kidnapped sister, find her missing father, and bring the notorious villain to justice. But nothing ever goes as planned. Bullets fly, danger abounds, and their passion reignites even faster than the lies are flowing. But their stubbornly held secrets just might spell the end of their rekindled love and hopes for the future…as well as their very lives.

YA Indie Carnival: Round Robin

Welcome back to the Carnival folks and what a ride we have for you today! Over the last month many of the carnies have been participating in a round robin. You look confused. S'ok. Here's what it is:

Take the first paragraph of your WIP (or other work) Send to the next carnie on your list so they can add a bit When it gets back to you, finish it out (if needed) Post on Round Robin daySo check out the one below (italics are my starting paragraph) than hop around and see what other fun collaborations too place!

I inhaled a large breath, and released it slowly, my eyes narrowing on the group in deep conversation. I inhaled once more and moved to step out of the shadows when a deep voice growled behind me.
"Have you lost your mind? They will banish you if you challenge them, especially publicly with the others here."
I stared out across the coliseum where the leaders of my pantheon held court for the visiting dignitaries, then turned to face the imposing figure behind me. I reached up to cup his cheek gently and he placed his hand over mine. Concern was written in the lines of his face as he read the determination on mine.
"They've left me no other choice, Brother. It must be done."

          "Well, if you insist on being foolish, take this with you. The water sprite is the most dangerous to you, at least guard yourself against that." The hulking warrior held out a rain slicker to protect me from the deluge my uncle Dagon was likely to hurl at me, knowing it would weaken my fire-power before I was bound, gagged and dragged into the wastes for my insolence.
           I took the slicker gratefully, vaguely wishing there were fisherman's boots to go with it. Fire genies, even half-genies are not known for our acuity in thinking ahead. I donned my protection at least against my mercurial uncle, and advanced to confront them about the council ruling, knowing this would be one of those moments that I realized was not as good an idea as it felt like at the time.

When I saw Ashdod, the man who I'd swore my undying love to just yesterday, at Uncle Dagon's side, betrayal surged through me.  My eyes narrowed in Ash's direction, and it was all I could do to prevent them from pooling with tears.  If it were not here and now...if I were not about to be banished, I would walk up to him and slap him across his face.  Unable to inflict violence of any sort, I knew hurting him would not make me feel better because his pain would be mine, but the image of doing just that made me feel the tiniest bit better.

           I instantly regretted my thoughts - my assumption that he of all people would betray me - when his stare met mine.  His jaws were clenched and his eyes blazed red with fury, and I knew something was holding him hostage.  There was an unseen force preventing him from coming to me and standing at my side.  The action my uncle was taking against Ash angered me unlike anything he'd done before.
           My gaze reluctantly shifted to my uncle as I tried to read what it was he had planned. His cold expression revealed nothing, and my teeth sank into my bottom lip as my fingernails bit into the palms of my hands. What was he doing to manipulate things now?

   I did my best to hide my growing anger and anxiety, knowing the slightest sign of weakness would be my downfall. I even managed a gracious smile for Dagon and was pleased to see my attitude irked him.

   "Well come, Daughter Fire." Dagon's rumbling voice made the very ground beneath my feet tremble. He was up to his old intimidation tricks, but I'd learned a thing or two since I'd last faced him and wasn't all that impressed. Ash's eyes flickered away from me, but not before I caught the amusement in them as I tilted my head to one side and managed to look bored.

   He was not deterred. "Earlier this very day, this child dared to challenge the authority of the pantheon. Champions, will you stand for this impertinence?"

  A resounding "No!" sounded from Dagon's assembled fighters, but I ignored them. My eyes were locked on Ash and the tiny, blue flame forming at his fingertips.

Dagon prepared to hurl the deluge at me, but I stood my ground.

A sudden bolt of blue light flew from Ash's fingertips.  The force of light hit Dagon in the face.  A surprised cry burst past his lips as he staggered backwards.  Before I could do more than gasp, Ash grabbed my hand.  He dragged me with him until I figured out we were headed for the nearest exit. Ash hadn't betrayed me.  He was saving my life.  Pride welled up in my heart.

Ash stumbled and went down hard in front of me.

I was face-to-face with the line of champions, wielding all manner of weapons. The mace just grazed my cheek. I put a hand up to the wound and winced. I back flipped to get a better defensive advantage and implored the powers of the five families, the true ruling families, to give me strength and the courage to die well. To die like a Neremoth. I stood tall when a ball of fire shot over my head and fell upon my enemies. The blue orange fireball burned the champions alive. Their flesh melted away like the hot wax of a candle. And their screams. I will never forget the way they made me recoil as if I’d been caught in the Great Winds of the East World. The sound was not of this world. Justice had a bitterness that had never infiltrated my hopes and dreams before. But now, as they were starting to come true I had a strange sense that I’d done something horribly wrong.
I knelt beside Ash and brushed back his hair. He tried to mask his pain with a smile, but I didn't miss his soft groan as I rolled him over. The wound at his side was deep and I could only pray it didn't kill him before we could get aid. I tore at his shirt and used it stanch the bleeding. Tears burned my eyes."Don't cry, Blaze." I would never tire of his pet name for me. I grinned and brushed away a tear. "You did it. They are gone and we will be free."I looked at the smoldering ash around us and shook my head. "We will never be free. Ash, I think I just started a war."

30 Days of Daemon Tour: Obsidian Review/Hey Kitten

 Starting over sucks.When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.And then he opened his mouth.Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens.The hot alien living next door marks me. You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.If I don’t kill him first, that is.

Rating: 5

So by now if you haven’t heard about Katy and Daemon you’ve probably been under a rock. Like all Jennifer Armentrout books, I loved this one too. As a matter of fact (after Onyx) it’s my favorite of hers.

I like how Katy goes from being this relatively shy girl to lioness. I like that her shyness doesn’t stop her from sticking up for herself when Daemon is a complete and total punk. Which he is. That boy has a mouth on him that will not close and he doesn’t really (appear) to care who he hurts in the process.

But there’s more to him than his appearance—which is good y’all—and we get to see glimpses of it when he’s not being a jerk to Katy. As pretty much THE most powerful Luxen on the planet he has a heavy burden of responsibility. One he already feels he’s failed because of his brother Dawson.

By the time Katy meets him he’s kind of broken and one more loss, that of his sister Dee, from human involvement just might shatter him so he does whatever he can to keep Katy away from Dee—who would totally be my BFF. Dee brings much needed lightness to the story, while the sarcastic banter between Katy and Daemon brings the funny.

All in all one of my fav books.



As part of the tour I was tasked with pulling out some of my fav Daemon-isms. And there were many. As part of the Daemon Invasion street teams we were tasked with creating some "Hey Kitten" memes (with Daemon quotes!) and thought those would be more fun to share. So here are a few of my favs from Daemon lovers all over--but mostly from Dani over at Refracted Light Reviews ;)

 
 

Check out the full schedule of the 30 Days of Daemon Tour by clicking on the banner and go check out the Dear Daemon post at Hooked to Books! They've been REALLY funny.

YA Indie Carnival: Listopia Lists

This week at the Carnival we're talking Listopia lists. As I have absolutely no idea WHAT these are I figured some of you delightful readers could educate me. What is it? What's it used for? Do you like it? Let me know in the comments! Also fellow Carni  Amy Jones JUST released her new book and is running a contest on her blog. Go check it out and you can use the link below to find out what's new with all the other carnies.

Cover Reveal: The Collector by Victoria Scott

Time for another Entangled Publishing cover reveal! The people and authors over at Entangled are complete awesome and I love doing reveals for them. Check out the latest and let me know what you think!

About The Collector
Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple, weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.
Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal opportunity collector and doesn’t want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:
Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within 10 days.
Dante doesn’t know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky, Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect—he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector, and uncover emotions deeply buried.

www.DanteWalker.com Meet Victoria Scott!Victoria Scott is a YA writer with a die-hard affection for dark and humorous books. Her work is represented by the fabulous Laurie McLean of Larsen-Pomada literary agency. She has a master’s degree in marketing, and is a member of the Writers’ League of Texas and Teen Shiver.

Her first YA book, THE COLLECTOR, will be published by Entangled Teen in 2013. And her short story, FOUR HOUSES, is available now through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

She currently lives in Dallas with her husband, Ryan.
 Connect with Victoria:
Website     l     Twitter     l     Facebook
Add The Collector to your TBR pile on Goodreads!

Review: Madly and the Jackal by M Leighton

How deep does love run? Deeper than the ocean? Deeper than memory? Deeper than magic?

Following their plan to save Atlas, Madly and Jackson return the spirit of Wolfhardt to his prison beneath the sea. But even the best laid plans couldn’t account for the surprises they find. This time, Lore aren’t their only challenges.

Madly is special in ways no one could have guessed and dark forces seek to control her. They want her power, but first they must weaken her. They need her beaten. Vulnerable. Near death. And alone. But that task isn’t an easy one with Jackson at her side. The strongest of their kind, the only way to separate Jackson from Madly is to destroy his love for her, to erase it from his mind. And his heart.

Is it possible to steal Jackson’s love from Madly? Or is their love the only truly unbreakable thing?


Rating: 5 (possible spoilers if you haven't read Madly & Wolfhardt)
Jackson and Madly are BACK!! Did I mention Jackson was back?! If you follow me on twitter or read this blog regularly you know how much I love Michelle, especially the Madly series. Madly and Wolfhardt was my first review (I some how had a Madly/Madly&Wolfhardt combo) and I LOVED it. That was the book that made me completely obsessed with Jackson. 
So, where to start? Jackal picks up right where Wolfhardt left off with Madly and Jackson on their way to returning the caught Lore to his prison in Atlas. While in Atlas, life seems to be carrying on as normal--with the exception that no royals are around. Madly is focused on getting to her parents and discovering what's happened to Truly, her sister. Without giving too much away, plans to rescue Truly are thwarted and Madly is forced to return to Slumber. Jersey, Aiden, and Kellina all reappear in the story when back in Slumber which made me VERY happy! The problems encountered undersea, though not forgotten, are pushed to the side as Madly has to focus on capturing the Jackal. There's LOTS that happens in Atlas (several squee worthy moments) and once they get back on land (several OMG this can't be happening moments!). I won't go into details with any of it so you can be shocked, happy, and heart broken all on your own.
This will come as no surprise but I loved, LOVED Jackson in this. We get to see a fun, light-hearted side of Jackson that was all but non-existent (except a rare moment with Jersey) in the first books. He is kind, and attentive and of COURSE protective and he brings the schmexy with him in this book. HOLY MOLY y'all. There are some intense scenes between J and Madly and there are also some super sweet moments between them. I so love the two of them together, they are an amazing team. 
Madly goes through some ca-razy changes in this book. Some good, some not so good. Through a horribly difficult situation she learns to trust in herself more. She has more individual strength than she realized and uses it to track down the Jackal and his partner Hyde. Can you guess which "fairy tale" is the basis for this Lore? Speaking of the Lore, it's absolutely brilliant how Michelle takes fairy tales we're all familiar with and turns them into the reality of the Lore. This is one of the coolest aspects of this series and I always find the twists she puts into the tales fascinating.
I also have to mention Jersey. As usual she provides the comic relief, and our favorite bell makes an appearance or two. Jersey is also integral in helping Madly and Jackson discover how to spot the Jackal. The end left me a little stunned, and a bit nervous for what is to come. Let me know if you have the same reaction! I have conspiracy theories going around my brain like MAD.
Some fav quotes:To Aiden:"How'd you know it was us?" Jersey asked. "Did you see us coming? 'Cause I thought that was the eye of the tiger. Shouldn't you be, like, sniffing butts or howling at the moon?" 
Madly about Jackson:I hadn't really taken the time to examine him. We'd been in one-on-one combat all night.
Jackson to Madly:"There are two things I was born to do. One is to protect Atlas," Jackson began. He paused, tracing a fingertip from my temple to my jaw. "The other is to love you. If you don't believe in anything else, believe in that. Trust me. Trust in me."
So good, right?! Madly and the Jackal releases tomorrow, May 29th, and the fabulous Valerie over at Stuck in Books will have a hot excerpt on her blog tomorrow as well as a pic of Jackson *swoon* so be sure you go check it out! Seriously, it's a GOOD one and he looks wow!

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