Wynne Channing's Blog, page 4

Pay It Forward: Beck Sherman toasts “Superwoman” Kayla Curry

I couldn’t agree more with author Beck Sherman’s choice for her “Pay It Forward” pick. Author, organizer of the on-going  Blogger Book Fair and all-round great person, Kayla Curry.

(Don’t forget! Feel free to “pay it forward” to another author in the comment section and let them know so they can name someone else and so on, and so on.)

“Kayla Curry is Superwoman. No, she really is. How she balances being a mother of two young children, turning out so many amazing books and short stories, and organizing what is fast becoming the online “place to be” twice a year if you’re an author, blogger, or reader, I can’t even fathom. And the cherry on top is that she’s a good person. A while back I expressed my sadness over receiving a negative review and Kayla said something along the lines of this: “There are people in the world who don’t like chocolate.” My doubts lifted, sure to return another day, but gone for now, thanks to Kayla. 

So I’d like to ask all BBF authors and bloggers to raise your heavily caffeinated beverage of choice and toast: To Kayla! Without whom we’d maybe have been a little more rested this past weekend, but our publishing endeavors would be a lot less fun.”

* * *

Beck Sherman’s cover reveal is happening now over at DyingToWrite. The second book Goodbye Nothing is a chilling New Adult Horror Thriller in the same vein as Dexter and American Psycho and will be out September 3rd.

Blog – Amazon – Facebook – Twitter – Goodreads

Pay It Forward: Peter Dawes dedicates her next book to Jesse Fortunato

The Blogger Book Fair continues today with more shout-outs. I’m offering my blog as a platform for scribes to share the love for other scribes. That’s right. It’s a lovefest all week! (Feel free to “pay it forward” to another author in the comment section and let them know so they can name someone else and so on, and so on.)

Today, I have the pleasure of hosting Peter Dawes on the blog (who got some love on the blog yesterday via Noree Cosper).

Jess Fortunato, author of The Sin Collector

“As an indie author, I have the pleasure of knowing several very talented (and extremely underappreciated) wordsmiths. But if there was a writer who deserved a Pay It Forward feature the most, it would be my good friend Jessica Fortunato. Many of us have the pleasure of knowing enthusiastic fans, and brothers in arms who are gracious enough to bring others up into the limelight with them. Jess, however, has been both for me.

When she first got ahold of my Vampire Flynn books, her enthusiasm for the series made me smile inside; that sort of smile you get when you fulfill your purpose in this world as a creator. She provided two of the most honest and yet, passionate reviews I’ve ever received and was the first person to openly pay homage to elements of the stories I worked hard to convey. What’s more, her review of Rebirth of the Seer gave me an idea for a novella that my partner and I have started working on, centered on a minor character named Julian. I already have it planned to dedicate the book to her.

But it isn’t just my work she gets passionate about. I’ve seen her highlights of other authors and you can tell how much she enjoys that simple art of reading. It’s been stated time and time again that we have the obligation to read as much as we write and while some of us have that down to a science, it’s been a lot more difficult for me. To see how much she simply relishes each story she’s reviewed has inspired a few book purchases and connected me with other friends. And subsequently inspired me to pick up her book, The Sin Collector.

You might think, after the glowing reviews offered, my opinion of her book would be biased, but it’s not. She managed to capture me right from the start, and that love she has for reading translates into a beautiful experience in her own work. I can see her love for wounded creatures and that belief that the broken can find love wrapped soundly around an engaging plot. The wonder she continues to hold for the supernatural reminds me so much of someone who hasn’t let go of the childlike wonder we all, as wordsmiths, should struggle to hold onto. I can’t wait until she finishes with the sequel novel, because it will quickly jump to the top of my reading pile once it’s released.

She also has a Sin Collector novella named Thomas and a short story titled “Steam”. I had the pleasure of being in a short story anthology with her, titled Nocturnal Embers and her story “Banished” has been especially praised by the people who reviewed it. She deserves a larger audience, if just for her amazing spirit, but her grasp of the medium makes her all the more worthy of higher recognition.

So, Jess, I’m paying it forward to you. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook and pick up her books on Amazon. I promise you won’t regret it.

Jess’s Website: http://thesincollector.weebly.com/

Jessica Fortunato on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessFortunato

The Sin Collector on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSinCollectorSeries

Jess’s author page on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Jessica-Fortunato/e/B0076IVLZ2/

***

Peter Dawes is the author of The Vampire Flynn Series, published by the micro-press Crimson Melodies. His serial story, “A Maker and His Child” appears on the BloodTideZine website and short “Lost Highway” has been featured in the Nocturnal Embers anthology, also by Crimson Melodies. While primarily a novelist, he has also written stories for the anthology Red Phone Box, featuring the work of fellow authors Warren Ellis, Dan Wickline, and more. Always working on something new, Peter leaves it up to the reader to decide if it’s by sunlight or candlelight.

Pay It Forward: Noree Cosper sends her love to Peter Dawes

I’m so pumped for Day One of the Blogger Book Fair which consists of 200 bloggers and authors, sharing their love for the written word!

Authors are generous, kind, humble folk. So I’m offering my blog as a platform for scribes to share the love for other scribes. That’s right. It’s a lovefest all week! (Feel free to “pay it forward” to another author in the comment section and let them know so they can name someone else and so on, and so on.)

Today’s Pay It Forward begins with fantasy and horror writer Noree Cosper!

“I first met Peter Dawes on Twitter. We were involved in a discussion about whether vampires had outworn their welcome in fiction. We both agreed they hadn’t but missed the times when vampires weren’t such pansies (ok maybe neither of us said that exact word, but it was implied!) If vampires had to be humane, we wanted to see a struggle for that humanity. Dawes stated that The Vampire Flynn was one such creature. So, I picked up the series. I was amazed at the world I entered.

I became good friends with Peter. Recently, Peter came out with her true name. The author, Jules admitted she’s been writing under her character’s name for some time. Though, some of us thought that she was still a he. I admire her bravery for revealing the truth. So, my Pay It Forward is to Peter Dares/Jules. You make one hell of a team. You can find more about Jules at The Man Behind the Curtain.

Here are my reviews of The Vampire Flynn series:

Eyes of the Seer by Peter Dawes

The Good:

The Vampires: If you have read my blog about vampires you know I am wanted to see vampires as monsters depicted in novels again. Or if they want to hold onto their humanity, I want to see a struggle. This book gives me both is spades. Though the vampire mythos is standard, because they are depicted as monsters makes it even better.

Voice/Writing Style:  One word comes to mind: elegant. It flows so easily that my eyes devour the next sentence and the next. I can never call my style elegant, but I truly admire those that can achieve this.

Characters: This was defiantly a character focused story and not plot focused. Every character is well defined, even the tertiary characters. I could see their own motivations and. even though the story was in first person, I felt that each character acted like they were the hero in their own story. Peter takes me down to the pit of depravity and then brings the light with his quest for redemption. Monica was sassy and smart and I loved Robin.

Point of View: The story is really a psychological journey of Peter, so I like that it is written in first person. It takes you so deep into Peter that we can feel his struggle. Though, I’m a big fan of First Person anyway.

Themes: This book really explores humanity, and the struggle of one’s self. Peter struggles reconciling the man and the monster throughout most of the book. Also, on a more subtle level is the question of freedom. Are you responsible for the deeds you have done if you were manipulated? The author presents both of these theme beautifully.

Action: Vampires fighting vampires. Let me just say that this is not a book you should let your kids read. It is dark and it is violent. I love it.

The Bad: I really don’t have much to say about this. Yes, the beginning started off a little slow, but it built up to the end, which was well worth it. When I got to the last few pages I wanted more.

Overall: You should buy this book! Seriously, this is a hidden jewel that needs more light.

Buy Yours Now:

Amazon (US)

Rebirth of the Seer

Mr. Dawes has done it again.

The continuation of Eyes of the Seer was well worth the wait. The last book delved deep into the mind of a sociopathic killer, and we watched his struggle and rise from his murdering ways. This book is more story focused. We still get to see Peter’s struggle but we also got to see more of the antagonists, from narrow minded sorcerers to bloodthirsty vampires.

This story explores other characters as well. You learn more about Monica here (Love Monica!) and meet a few new players. Mr. Dawes style is still very elegant.

Once again, This is my kind of vampire book. If you haven’t read it yet, pick up this series.

Buy Yours Now:

Amazon (US)

About Noree Cosper

Noree Cosper loves writing about magic in the modern world. While growing up in Texas she constantly searched for mystical elements in the mundane. She buried her nose in both fiction and books about Wicca, Religion, and Mythology. Everyday became an adventure as she joined a group of role-players, acting out her fantasies of vampires, demons, and monsters living in the world.

She embraced her nerdom wholeheartedly.

Noree grew, but never left her love for fantasy and horror. Her dreams pushed her and her hand itched to write the visions she saw. So, with her fingers on the keys, she did what her heart had been telling her to do since childhood. She wrote.

Connect with Noree

Website | Blog

Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads

A Prescription for Delirium

Ninety years ago, Gabriella di Luca promised to protect the family of her dying lover. She failed to keep that promise.  She was too far away to stop the devil that murdered the eldest Van Helsing son. Years later, Gabby learns the devil has resurfaced. She arrives in Hampton, TX, determined to stop the devil before it can lay a bloody hand on the remaining three brothers.

However, madness is spreading through Hampton. She suspects the devil is using this madness to test a drug which has a side effect of demonic possession.  Gabby rushes to end the source of the madness only to fall victim to it. For a woman cursed with eternal life, dying is no threat. However, Gabby must stop the devil’s plot or risk losing her most precious possession: her mind.

A Prescription for Delirium is free during the Blogger Book Fair, July 22 nd -26 th !

Get Yours Now:

Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK)

What dreams are made of: Christie Rich’s Dreamscape is out!

Dreamscape is the first book in the Netherworld series by Christie Rich.

Read the blurb:

Every night before Amelia falls asleep she makes a wish to dream of him – the man who calls her to their beautiful private oasis, her sanctuary where she is free of her greedy landlord’s threats. But tonight, he will not call Amelia to him. Tonight, another man will step into her world to claim her. Tonight, Amelia’s shattering reality will crumble – and disappear into the Dreamscape…along with her freedom.

When Amelia dreams tonight, her nightmare becomes her new world where Seth is her captor and anything is possible…except escape. Seth needs Amelia to break the curse that binds him to the Dreamscape. He must convince her that she was made to free him, that she was made to join him.

For if he fails, he will never escape his prison, and he will lose Earth to the Netherworld where the evil Erobos wait to consume the human realm and everything in it. If he fails, Seth will lose the one thing that matters to him: Amelia.

Visit Christie’s blog for an excerpt and to see the book trailer!

A message from Christie: I’d like to take a moment to thank all of the wonderful readers who have given my books a chance, and that means a GIVEAWAY, lol! How about $10 from the e-retailer of your choice? Enter here: a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

I grew up daydreaming about fairytales, and my love for discovering new worlds has never died. I am not one of those writers who always knew I would write. I thought that was what other people did until one day a few years ago, I took a challenge from a friend and

typed my first words. My journey has been wonderful, and I cannot imagine a day where I would ever give up writing. My love for reading is what fuelled my imagination in the first place and still does. When I am not writing or reading, I am enjoying family time with my husband and two children. My family

and I live in a quiet community in Northern Utah, and I am so thankful for the rich life I have been blessed with.

Get bitten now: ARC for Nikki Jefford’s Northern Bites

I had the pleasure of beta reading Nikki Jefford’s Northern Bites novel. (Loved the heroine’s voice.) Now you can read an early copy as well — ARCs are now available in pdf. This is volume 2 of Nikki Jefford’s Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter series with a sci-fi twist set in Alaska.

Sign-up for an ARC of Northern Bites on Nikki’s website.

It is not necessary to read Vol. 1 to understand what’s happening in Vol. 2, but you are welcome to request a review copy of the first book, Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter, Transfusion, at the end of the form.

The book will be published July 30th.

Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter Vol. 2

Love bites.
Probation sucks.
Thanks to Dante’s recklessness, Aurora is now partners with

Valerie: the redheaded, backstabbing vixen.
Dante is in full flirt mode. Fane’s tactics are far more ruthless.

Something carnal has awakened in Aurora and neither boy is helping tame her

cravings.
When a member of the unit’s team is found dead, Aurora and

Valerie are sent after a vampire in Sitka, but Aurora suspects the killer’s much

closer to home.


Northern Bites Theme Song: Kill of the Night
listen at YouTube






Sign-up for an ARC on Nikki’s website!

Add it at Goodreads.

Where is I AM FOREVER? Blame my agent

Uber exciting news!!! My agent, Haskell Nussbaum at The Rights Factory is shopping the What Kills Me series around to major publishers. This would get Zee’s story into the hands of more readers which would be awesome. 

However… this is the part where I would ask that no one please punch me in the face… this means that the release of I Am Forever will be delayed until later this year.

I really, really appreciate everyone’s patience. I also love receiving your letters, asking me, ‘Hey lady, where the heck is Book 2?!?’ because it gives me mad joy to know that you guys are eagerly awaiting the next instalment. Nothing encourages an author more.

Please stay tuned. I’ll be revealing the cover for I Am Forever at the end of this month. It’s beautiful. Possibly better than the first. But I’ll let you be the judge.

Following that, I’ll be releasing excerpts of the first few chapters to everyone signed up for updates. It’s looking like a Winter release, likely November. Just in time for a (bloody) Christmas.

Thanks again for all of your support. (I put up my new Facebook banner as a teaser.)

• Email: wynne@wynnechanning.com | Twitter: wynnechanning

The witch who wields red magic; Jen McConnel’s new trilogy is coming

Nothing is more terrifying than the witch who wields red magic.

Love this cover. Really happy to be revealing the face of Jen McConnel’s next novel!

About the book: Witches must choose the path they will follow, and Darlena Agara is no exception. She’s been putting it off long enough, and in her case, ignoring it has not made it go away. In a moment of frustration, Darlena chooses to follow Red Magic, figuring she had outsmarted the powers that be, since there’s no such thing as Red Magic. But alas, Darlena’s wrong (again) and she becomes a newly declared Red Witch.

Her friends are shocked and her parents horrified by the choice Darlena has made. As a Red Witch, she now governs one third of the world’s chaos. She is the walking personification of pandemonium, turmoil, and bedlam, just as the patrons of Red Magic would have it to be.

But Darlena believes there must be more to Red Magic than chaos and destruction, and she sets out on a journey to achieve balance. Only doing so puts her at odds with the dark goddess Hecate, who simply will not allow Darlena to quit. She encourages Darlena to embrace who and what she is and to leave good magic to the good witches. If only Darlena could, life would be simple, and she would not be the Daughter of Chaos.

DAUGHTER OF CHAOS is the first in a YA paranormal trilogy. Coming March 2014 from Month9Books.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jen McConnel first began writing poetry as a child. Since then, her words have appeared in a variety of magazines and journals, including Sagewoman, PanGaia, and The Storyteller (where she won the people’s choice 3rd place award for her poem, “Luna”).

She is also a former reviewer for Voices of Youth Advocates (VOYA), and proud member of SCBWI, NCWN, and SCWW.

A Michigander by birth, she now lives and writes in the beautiful state of North Carolina. When she isn’t crafting worlds of fiction, she teaches writing composition at a community college. Once upon a time, she was a middle school teacher, a librarian, and a bookseller, but those are stories for another time.

Add DAUGHTER OF CHAOS on Goodreads!

Follow Jen McConnel on Twitter

Connect with her on Facebook.

Visit her website.

Check out this Rafflecopter giveaway!

Huzzah! Cover Reveal for S. M. Boyce’s Illusion (the finale to the best-selling Grimoire Saga)

My friend S. M. Boyce has been designing and outlining her Amazon bestselling series, The Grimoire Saga, since 2006, and the final book is nearly here! The cover for Illusion (Grimoire Saga #4) was formally released by Caffeinated Books Publishing. I am so excited for her and for us readers! Here’s a sneak peak:

Available Fall 2014

In 2014, the Grimoire Saga ends with Illusion. Blood is spilled. Love is tested. Loyalty fades. Peace will come at a hefty cost. And in the final moments of the war, both Braeden and Kara must make a heartbreaking sacrifice to win. (Set to release in Fall 2014.)

Gorgeous, right? Want to get an advance review copy (ARC) of Illusion? Sign up for email notifications of when all Boyce’s ARCs become available.

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About S. M. Boyce

International Amazon Bestseller. Fantasy Author. Twitter addict. Book Blogger. Geek. Sarcastic. Gooey. Odd. Author of the action-packed Grimoire Saga.

S.M. Boyce is a novelist who loves ghosts, magic, and spooky things. She prefers loose-leaf tea, reads far too many books, and is always cold. She’s married to her soul mate and couldn’t be happier. Her B.A. in Creative Writing qualifies her to serve you french fries.

Boyce likes to update her blog a few times each week so that you have something to wake you up in the morning.

For those of you new to the series, here’s the first book, Lichgates. Make sure you get your free copy (links are below).

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Lichgates

“The writing is flawless. The kingdoms and surrounding landscapes breathtaking. The Grimoire is a piece of imaginative genius that bedazzles from the moment Kara falls into the land of Ourea.

–Nikki Jefford, author of the Spellbound Trilogy

Spring 2013 Rankings

#6 Kindle Store | #1 Science Fiction & Fantasy | #1 Epic Fantasy | #1 Sword & Sorcery | #1 Teens

Fans of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and Eragon will enjoy this contemporary remix of the classic epic fantasy genre.

—————-

Kara Magari is about to discover a beautiful world full of terrifying things—Ourea.

Kara, a college student still reeling from her mother’s recent death, has no idea the hidden world of Ourea even exists until a freak storm traps her in a sunken library. With nothing to do, she opens an ancient book of magic called the Grimoire and unwittingly becomes its master, which means Kara now wields the cursed book’s untamed power. Discovered by Ourea’s royalty, she becomes an unwilling pawn in a generations-old conflict—a war intensified by her arrival. In this world of chilling creatures and betrayal, Kara shouldn’t trust anyone… but she’s being hunted and can’t survive on her own. She drops her guard when Braeden, a native soldier with a dark secret, vows to keep her safe. And though she doesn’t know it, her growing attraction to him may just be her undoing.

For twelve years, Braeden Drakonin has lived a lie. The Grimoire is his one chance at redemption, and it lands in his lap when Kara Magari comes into his life. Though he begins to care for this human girl, there is something he wants more. He wants the Grimoire.

Welcome to Ourea, where only the cunning survive.

—————-

Note: All eBook copies of Lichgates are free

Amazon: USA | UK | Germany | France | Spain | Italy | Buy the Paperback

Kobo | Apple | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

Add to Goodreads | Watch the Trailer | VIP List

Learn More (free chapters and excerpts)

I AM FOREVER — the sequel to What Kills Me — coming soon

Naming your baby is hard. For inspiration, you may flip through baby name books and test every moniker, from every origin, with every meaning.

When I was searching for a title for the sequel to What Kills Me, I perused book stores and looked at other titles. I did word association. I made a list, then scratched them all out. What Kills Me, Just Joking Still Here. What Kills Me, Oh That Butthead Paolo.

A month or two ago, artist Liliana Sanches was already working on the book cover for Book Two and I was under pressure to produce a title. I was lying in bed, afflicted by insomnia, and three words popped into my head.

Done.

I am proud to announce that I Am Forever continues Zee and Lucas’s adventure with the Monarchy. The fight for survival has new meaning now since everyone’s lives depend on her. Zee has a tenuous relationship with the Empress and the Monarchy; she has ever reason not to trust them — she’s been bit before. Will they lock her up for all eternity?

Can’t wait to hear what you think of the title. I Am Forever will be available later this year. Stay tuned. I’ll keep everyone apprised of the book’s progress.

If you haven’t yet read the best-selling, top-rated book, What Kills Me, here’s where you can find it:

Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | Kobo | iTunes | Goodreads

A synopsis to catch you up: An ancient prophecy warns of a girl destined to cause the extinction of the vampire race.

So when 17-year-old Axelia falls into a sacred well filled with blood and emerges a vampire, the immortal empire believes she is this legendary destroyer. Hunted by soldiers and mercenaries, Axelia and her reluctant ally, the vampire bladesmith Lucas, must battle to survive.

How will she convince the empire that she is just an innocent teenager-turned bloodsucker and not a creature of destruction? And if she cannot, can a vampire who is afraid of bugs summon the courage to fight a nation of immortals?

Delusion and deception: Year of the Snake Blog Hop!

According to fortune tellers, this year of the snake will bring change and tumult. As part of the Year of the Snake Blog Hop organized by the marvellous Wendy S. Russo, participants must find a passage in their work that embodies the spirit of the snake: a symbol of wisdom and cunning, but also delusion and deception.

In What Kills Me, the society of vampires is all about deceit. Zee trusts all the wrong people. And it always ends in death:

“You’re a sweet girl,” he whispered.

He brushed a strand of hair from my face, his finger tips tracing a soft line across my forehand and down my cheek. I became shy and showed him the top of my head. He lifted my chin so that we met eyes, our faces inches apart.

I had stopped breathing. I felt like at any moment, I would melt into the floor. As he leaned in, I fixated on his parted lips and I felt his hand slip around my waist. I thought he was going to kiss my forehead. Instead, he rested the side of his mouth against my temple and whispered in my ear.

“Zee?”

“Yes,” I said, breathlessly.

“Now that I have you here all alone, what do you think I’m going to do to you?”

His voice was low, his breath cool. I swallowed. “What?”

“I’m going to kill you.”

Buy What Kills Me

Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | Kobo | iTunes | Goodreads

Here’s a list of all of the participating authors in the Year of the Snake blog hop! Check them out!

Katie O’Sullivan

Raven Bower

Cindy Young-Turner

Rebecca Trogner

Lindsey Loucks

Sue Ann Bowling

SM Boyce

Constance Phillips

Stephan E. Train

Stevie Carroll

Kelly Seguin

Wynne Channing

Rebecca Hamilton

Sherry Soule

Renee Reardon

Wendy S. Russo