Heather Self's Blog, page 6

Cover Reveal: Faking It by Cora Carmack

Y'all know how much I love this girl so it should come as no surprise that I'm participating in the  cover reveal for the first companion novel to Losing It. It's Cade's story too so that makes me extra happy since poor dude got stomped on a bit in Losing It. Blurb first, then you can scroll down to the pretty.

Mackenzie "Max" Miller has a problem. Her parents have arrived in town for a surprise visit, and if they see her dyed hair, tattoos, and piercings, they just might disown her. Even worse, they're expecting to meet a nice, wholesome boyfriend, not a guy named Mace who has a neck tattoo and plays in a band. All her lies are about to come crashing down around her, but then she meets Cade.

Cade moved to Philadelphia to act and to leave his problems behind in Texas. So far though, he's kept the problems and had very little opportunity to take the stage. When Max approaches him in a coffee shop with a crazy request to pretend to be her boyfriend, he agrees to play the part. But when Cade plays the role a little too well, they're forced to keep the ruse going. And the more they fake the relationship, the more real it begins to feel.




Whatcha think? I love how it mirrors the Losing It cover which will be available in paperback February 26th! Yay!

Final Giveaway for Human Trafficking Awareness Month

Hey y'all here is the FINAL giveaway  for Human Trafficking Awareness month--you can find the others here. Once again it's the book Come Alive by Elora Ramirez.

I want thank HUGELY everyone who has stopped by and learned something about Human Trafficking. It's crazy to think that slavery, in any form, still exists in our modern society and I truly believe awareness is the first step in ending these horrifying practices. Thanks also, to everyone who has spread the word about the giveaways and the #KissSlaveryGoodbye Campaign by Radiant Cosmetics. Keep spreading the word!!

Stephanie believes in stories. But even though she puts pen to paper daily and creates stories of change and hope, she fails to see the possibilities within her own life. Abused, alone and invisible to those around her, she struggles with self-worth and believing in another world - one of love and safety and healing. There are those in her life who believe in redemption and new beginnings, but can Stephanie trust them when all she's ever known is betrayal? She wants to - her heart says it's safe - but she struggles with believing the lies thrown at her day after day by others who should be protecting her. This is her story - all of it - the chaos and beauty caused by the wrecking ball of her family and the fight for rescue. All she needs is someone to listen. Will you be one who hears? It just may change your world.

About the Author:
http://www.eloranicole.com/
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Extra Scene from the Key and Giveaway

This is an extra scene I wrote for Human Trafficking Awareness Month and the Radiant Cosmetics #KissSlaveryGoodbye campaign. You will not see this scene as is in the Key. Don't forget about the other two giveaways going on and be sure to enter the one after the excerpt.


KissSlaveryGoodbye by hcself


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway #2-Human Trafficking Awareness Month

Hey y'all so here is giveaway number two for Human Trafficking Awareness month--first one can be found here . This time it's a book by my lovely friend Elora Ramirez. While this book is a fictional account of a girl stuck in a trafficking ring, it is by no means impossible. Here are some quick facts about the trafficking industry (source: http://www.nomas.org/node/242).


Human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world, second only to the drug trade.130 countries are origin, transit or destination countries for human trafficking.One victim is trafficked across international borders every minute.Over 300,000 children are trafficked within the U.S. every year and forced into child prostitution, child pornography, child sex tourism or forced servitude.The average age of girls trafficked is 12 years of age, and the average age of boys is 11 years of age.  Around the world, more than one million children are subjected to human trafficking for sex or porn.Every year over 2,000,000 men, women and children are taken, trafficked and thrown into this cruel world of slavery.Human trafficking is a $32 billion dollar yearly business – a $100 million business annually in the D.C. Metropolitan area alone.There are more slaves today – 27 million – than ever in all 400 years of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade combined. It's by no means an "easy" read, but it is definitely hopeful and I highly recommend.

Stephanie believes in stories. But even though she puts pen to paper daily and creates stories of change and hope, she fails to see the possibilities within her own life. Abused, alone and invisible to those around her, she struggles with self-worth and believing in another world - one of love and safety and healing. There are those in her life who believe in redemption and new beginnings, but can Stephanie trust them when all she's ever known is betrayal? She wants to - her heart says it's safe - but she struggles with believing the lies thrown at her day after day by others who should be protecting her. This is her story - all of it - the chaos and beauty caused by the wrecking ball of her family and the fight for rescue. All she needs is someone to listen. Will you be one who hears? It just may change your world.

About the Author:
http://www.eloranicole.com/
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Weekly Update!

Howdy all! It's been QUITE awhile since my last update so my apologies for that. I'm just now getting back into the swing of things after the Christmas holidays and release of the Dark. I took a bit of a hiatus after the crazy push to get that novella out. I love when a story comes together, but in would be nice if it came together a month or two before pub date, ha!
So, what's new? I'll start posting teasers next week from the Key. I'm having to go through rewrites already since I'm adding Chase's POV to the story. I think this will make for a little bit fuller picture for this novel, and it's a ton of fun to be in his head. 
In order to promote Human Trafficking awareness month I'm doing some giveaways. By the end of next week I'll have FOUR going at the same time (current one is here). I'll be posting a fun little scene between Evy and Jenna talking about Radiant Cosmetics before the big Valentine's dance that you (probably) won't see in the Key so be sure you stop back by and check it out.
Oh! I'll be going to a writer's retreat at the beginning of next month and I know Tiffany King has something super cool planned for you readers, so stay tuned to FB or twitter for that. And no, I'm not telling you what it is. :)
One last thing, if you've read the One or the Dark, would you be so kind as to post a review on Amazon/B&N/Kobo? It helps a ton! Thanks, y'all!
peace!hcs

January is...

...Human trafficking awareness month. And to help get the word out, and educate people about human trafficking I'll be having four giveaways over the next couple weeks. I don't normally use this blog to champion causes--I have another blog for that ;)--but because I am a YA writer, and so many of the girls affected by human trafficking are in the young adult age group, I chose to do this here. The items I'll be giving away are TWO lipsticks from Radiant Cosmetics and TWO signed & personalized copies of Come Alive by Elora Ramirez. Come Alive is a fictional account about an American teenager stuck in a trafficking ring run by her father. You can read about it after the rafflecopter widget.

So for the first giveaway I'm doing this:




Radiant is a cosmetics company here in Austin, that helps promote awareness for human trafficking by raising funds through the purchase of cosmetics. And let's be honest, ladies, we can spend some bank on cosmetics.

To get in on the giveaway, go to the Radiant website. Learn about them, what they do, and some facts about human trafficking, then come back here and fill out the rafflecopter! Check back on the blog later this week for another giveaway and NEXT week I'll have a cut scene from the Key in which Jenna talks to Evy about Radiant.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Stephanie believes in stories. But even though she puts pen to paper daily and creates stories of change and hope, she fails to see the possibilities within her own life. Abused, alone and invisible to those around her, she struggles with self-worth and believing in another world - one of love and safety and healing. There are those in her life who believe in redemption and new beginnings, but can Stephanie trust them when all she's ever known is betrayal? She wants to - her heart says it's safe - but she struggles with believing the lies thrown at her day after day by others who should be protecting her. This is her story - all of it - the chaos and beauty caused by the wrecking ball of her family and the fight for rescue. All she needs is someone to listen. Will you be one who hears? It just may change your world.

Cover Reveal: The Cryptid Tales by Brina Courtney

This is a TRIPLE reveal to shoe off the fabulous new covers for Brina Courtney's Cryptid series AND the first book is FREE. Go look at the pretties then, at least, grab the first book!

Shay could be the key to ending a war that humans don't know exist. Of a race of beings that aren't real, or are they?
 Shay Tafford's childhood has been fatherless, filled instead with memories of speaking to the dead. She is forced to hide her unique ability from those living around her. That's why it's been comforting to have Jeremy, a child ghost, as her confidante. But recently he's been absent, perhaps lost as her father is. When Shay meets Hugh, the guy she's had a crush on for weeks, and finds he can speak to ghosts too she's just starting to find a normalcy in her life.
But as Hugh reveals the truth to Shay, about who she really is and about what it is she can do, he erases all chances she had at a normal existence. Turns out talking to ghosts is just scratching the surface of her genetically engineered gifts. Shay learns she may be part of an age old prophecy that could save the entire race of cryptids. But can she?

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13065962-revealAmazon: http://www.amazon.com/Reveal-SciFi-Romance-Cryptid-ebook/dp/B006MOTN42/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1357758016&sr=8-3Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reveal-brina-courtney/1108006049?ean=2940045032919iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/reveal-cryptid-tales/id575979255?mt=11


Capture (Cryptid Tales #2) eBook only $2.99!

One this is for sure, Shay is in for the fight of her life.
 Shay is finally learning who she is, and who it is she will become. But for now escaping the clutches of the evil Malsumis will have to be enough. Or is it?
In Capture Shay embraces other cryptids in order to defeat their common enemy.
She is willing to die trying to save her father and the love of her life, Hugh.
But can Hugh, her cryptid mate, protect her from the evil Malsumis? Or will she fall victim to his horrible plans?

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13484455-captureAmazon: http://www.amazon.com/Capture-SciFi-Romance-Cryptid-ebook/dp/B007TF9FCI/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/capture-brina-courtney/1110184967?ean=2940014515719


Settle (Cryptid Tales #3) Release Date Late January/Early February

Betrayal leaves nasty scars. A soul departs. Love must conquer all, or be lost forever.
 Shay's life has once again fallen into mystery as she discovers her father's whereabouts. On a mission to locate him and bring him home she learns more about who to trust than she thought possible. Her group of cryptids will be forced to rise again and defeat their common enemy, but they will also discover another hidden threat. As thier queen, Shay's discoveries in Settle, the final installment of the Cryptid Tales series, will shake the cryptid world forever.

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17213687-settle

About Brina:

 Brina Courtney is a young adult author obsessed with chocolate, crime shows, and fantasy movies. She's spent the last few years as an elementary teacher and a high school cheering coach. She lives in a small town in Pennsylvania with her husband and two very loud, small dogs.

Website: http://www.brinacourtney.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brina-Courtney/270546116309774Twitter: http://twitter.com/brinacourtneyGoodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5295520.Brina_Courtney

Happy Release Day....

...and almost birthday to me! In case you missed (which you probably did and that's totes ok) Kieran's companion novella--the Dark--releases TODAY. Yay throw confetti! To celebrate its birthday, and mine, there are some shenanigans afoot! But I'm pretty lazy so I'll be making it easy.

For my birthday, I'm give away FIVE sets of the ecopies of the Kin Series written to date. So you get this:

For 4000 years they’ve been waiting for the birth of the One; some to save her, others to kill her.  Nearly eighteen year old Eveline knows her parents believe she’s the One.  They have lived their lives constantly on the move, trying to stay one step ahead of those who want to see her dead.  Eveline doesn’t share her parents’ beliefs and Leadville, Colorado may finally be her chance.  Her chance to make friends, have fun, fall in love, and not die in the process.  A chance at a normal life.  Well as normal as possible for someone who’s pretending to be human.

AND you get this:

Mary Anne Moore doesn’t know what she is. She can’t explain why she has lived so long.Or why she never gets sick.
Or why the dreams she has come true.
She has hidden herself as a lowly servant to the households of Dublin's English elite for decades, until the night that changes her life. Now her sole purpose is the child she never expected to have. She will do anything in her power to keep the black-eyed monsters from discovering him and turning him into one of them.For Kieran Moore the dark is an ever-present parasite, waiting to devour his humanity. His mother’s love and the girl in his dreams has kept it at bay for years, but the more time that passes—the longer he has to wait for her—the  more it grows. When tragedy strikes, it is all he can do to keep from being consumed by the darkness that infects him. He must continue to hold on to the hope of peace her presence will bring him, because it’s not just his fate on the line, but that of the entire world.

AND I'm going to keep the One at it's sale price through my birthday. TO WIN your set of ebooks, tell me in the comment below you favorite, or worst, or desperately wanted birthday present. You have until midnight January 2, 2013 11:59 central (the end of my bday) to comment.
Don't forget to leave your email, winner will be randomly drawn from the comments on this BLOG only.

Supa Christmas Sale--that's right SALE

To celebrate the upcoming release of  the Dark, for the first time ever I'm putting the One ON SALE. Participating with a bunch of other Indie authors, this SUPA awesome sale will go on for ONLY 1 week! So fill up all those new readers and check out all the awesome titles below!



Supa Christmas Sale!!
With the stress of the holidays nearly over, now is a great time to sit back, curl up in your favorite reading chair, and get lost in fabulous new worlds. To help you do just that, some authors have banded together and put all their titles on sale, right NOW!! Some of this season’s most popular e-books have been discounted to just $0.99!!! Don’t miss out!
For all of you who got new Kindles for Christmas, this is the perfect opportunity to start your new library!! Please spread the word and share this post with all your friends – they’ll thank you for it!Heather Hildenbrand ::Across The Galaxy::Amazon Link B&N LinkRaShelle Workman::Blood and Snow Volumes 1-4::Amazon LinkMichelle Muto::Don’t Fear The Reaper::Amazon LinkB&N LinkStacey Wallace Benefiel::Zellie Wells Trilogy::Amazon LinkB&N LinkChristie Rich::Five - Elmental Book 1(FREE)::::Dark Matter Book2::Amazon LinkB&N LinkLaura A.H. Elliot::Transfer Student::Amazon LinkB&N LinkKaren Amanda Hooper::Grasping At Eternity::Amazon LinkB&N LinkDavid James::Light Of The Moon (Legend of the Dreamer, Book 1)::Amazon LinkB&N LinkLeigh Talbert Moore::Rouge::Amazon LinkHelen Boswell::Mythology::Amazon LinkV.J. Chambers::Breathless (FREE)::::Trembling (Jason & Azazel #2)::Amazon LinkV.J. Chambers::Tortured (Jason & Azazel #3)::Amazon LinkElizabeth Sharp::Natural Selection::Amazon LinkB&N LinkLeigh Talbert Moore::The Truth About Faking::Amazon LinkB&N LinkTaryn Browning::Dark Seeker (Seeker Book 1)::Amazon LinkB&N LinkHeather Self::The One::Amazon LinkB&N Link
KoboL.P. Dover::Forever Fae::Amazon Link Nancy Straight::Blood Debt (Touched Book 1)::Amazon LinkNancy Straight::Meeting Destiny::FreeAmazon LinkB&N LinkChelsea Fine::Anew (Archers of Avalon, Book 1)::Amazon LinkB&N LinkRaine Thomas::Becoming::Amazon LinkB&N LinkAlyssa Rose Ivy::Flight (The Crescent Chronicles, #1)::Amazon LinkB&N LinkMagan Vernon::How To Date An Alien::Amazon LinkB&N LinkJanine Caldwell::Rematch::Amazon LinkB&N LinkCourtney Cole::Soul Kissed::Amazon LinkB&N LinkKarli Rush::Crescent Bound (Book 1)::Amazon LinkJennifer Snyder::Marked (Marked Duology 1)::Amazon LinkB&N LinkShelly Crane::Significance::Amazon LinkB&N LinkBethany Lopez::xoxoxo (Stories About Melissa, Book 2)Amazon Link B&N LinkJill Cooper::The Dream Slayer (Book 1)::Amazon LinkJill Cooper::Demon Royale (The Dream Slayer Book 2)::Amazon LinkA.M. Hargrove::Determinant (The Guardians of Vesturon #3)::Amazon LinkB&N LinkBonnie R. Paulson::Barely Alive (Barely Alive #1)::Amazon LinkB&N LinkBonnie R. Paulson::Falling Apart (Barely Alive #2)::Amazon LinkB&N LinkBonnie R. Paulson::Mostly Dead (Barely Alive #3)Amazon LinkB&N LinkAddison Moore::Ephemeral (The Countenance #1)Amazon LinkB&N LinkC.A. Kunz::The Modified::Amazon LinkB&N LinkAddison Moore::Ethereal (Celestra Series #1)::Amazon LinkB&N LinkAddison Moore::Tremble (Celestra Series #2)Amazon LinkB&N LinkSarah M Ross::Echo Of An Earth Angel::Amazon LinkB&N LinkSarah M Ross::Awaken::Amazon Link B&N LinkAmy Maurer Jones::Soul Quest (Soul Quest Trilogy #1)::Amazon LinkB&N LinkAmy Maurer Jones::Wildflower (Wildflower Series #1)::Amazon LinkB&N LinkThomas Amo::Forever ME::Amazon LinkAmy Harmon::Slow Dance In Purgatory::Amazon LinkCheri Lasota::Artemis Rising::Amazon LinkB&N LinkG.P. Ching::The Soulkeepers::Amazon LinkB&N LinkG.P. Ching::Grounded::Amazon LinkB&N LinkMina J. Moore::A Vampire’s Touch (Prequel to The Red Velvet Trilogy)::Amazon LinkLK Gardner-Griffie::Misfit McCabe (Book 1)::Amazon LinkM.R. Polish::Wolf Spell::Amazon LinkB&N Link

Weekly Update!

Howdy folks! Ok. Super quick update then I must get back to it! I have a novella to finish up! In case you missed it yesterday, cover, title, blurb reveal all went live for the novella. the Dark will release on December 31 come hell or highwater! You can scroll down to yesterday's post to check it out if you'd like. Since I didn't post a teaser yesterday here's a quick one for ya'. This is Anne Moore to her newly met neighbor, Alex Covington.
"...I’m not so arrogant as to think I know everything of the spiritual realm, Mr. Covington. How delightful it must be to have all the answers,” Anne quipped teasingly.
Confused? Don't worry it'll make sense soon enough! I'll be post another tease next week and the update both on Tuesday since next Wed is Christmas. Also, in case you hadn't noticed there are a TON of new releases popping up from some fab Indies like K.A. Tucker, David James, Sarah Ross, Colleen Hoover, Shelly Crane. Feel free to link more in the comments if you know of some fantastic new release!
Peace,~h