Leigh Talbert Moore's Blog, page 13

Happy Mother's Day... Character edition!

First, Happy Mother's Day to my own mother!

She said I'd write books when I was just a little kid. I argued she was wrong for about 30 years and finally gave in and started writing. I haven't looked back. Love you, Mom.

So what's this about Characters?

Well, literary agent Mary Kole back in (I think) 2010 first noted the high mortality rate of parents in young adult literature.

I kind of scratched my head (and worried) at the time, because all my characters had parents. Some were more present than others, but they were there.

Whether it's the idealistic, leader-parents of The Truth About Faking , whose ideals manage to get them in hot water and embarrass their daughter, main character Harley, to no end.

Or the kind but somewhat oblivious parents of Anna in the Dragonfly  series, who (justifiably) trust their daughter, but have no clue all the drama she's juggling.

Today, I'm highlighting my favorite mother-daughter relationship--that of Ashley and her mom Gretchen in The Truth About Letting Go .

They both tragically lose a man they love and idealize before the story opens, and they deal with it in very different ways. Ashley fights; Gretchen withdraws.

Ashley, despite her anger and fighting, finds Jordan, her promise of a future love. Gretchen doesn't have that promise--although I threw in the potential in the figure of charming, understanding Eric (never Rick) James.

So here's the picture excerpt taken from Letting Go. I hope you enjoy it, and consider picking up a copy of the book and letting me know what you think!


Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | KoboPrint copies on Createspace | Amazon
Have a wonderful day, reader- and writer-friends~ <3

Teaser Tuesday & Exciting News!

First the Exciting News!

One of my very first writer-friends is now a multi-published author! Whoop Whoop!!!

*throws confetti*
Hart Johnson (a.k.a., Alyse Carlson; a.k.a., "The Watery Tart") releases her second Garden Society Mystery today, The Begonia Bribe .

And just LOOK at this cover...

Get Me! Roanoke, Virginia, is home to some of the country’s most exquisite gardens, and it’s Camellia Harris’s job to promote them. But when a pint-sized beauty contest comes to town, someone decides to deliver a final judgment …

A beauty pageant for little girls—the Little Miss Begonia Pageant—has decided to hold their event in a Roanoke park. Camellia is called in to help deal with the botanical details, the cute contestants, and their catty mothers. She soon realizes that the drama onstage is nothing compared to the judges row. There’s jealousy, betrayal, and a love triangle involving local newsman—and known lothario—Telly Stevens. And a mysterious saboteur is trying to stop the pageant from happening at all.

But the drama turns deadly when Stevens is found dead, poisoned by some sort of plant. With a full flowerbed of potential suspects, Cam needs to dig through the evidence to uproot a killer with a deadly green thumb.

I had the privilege of reading an ARC of Hart's first book in this series The Azalea Assault , and I LOVED it. It's hilarious, super-fun, and totally kept me guessing to the end. And I'm SURE Begonia Bribe is going to be equally awesome!

Grab your copy today:   Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

* * *
MORE exciting news: eARCs of Dragonfly are now available on NetGalley for book reviewers, librarians, media types, etc...
(*flails a little bit* *hides under desk*)

If you're a book-reviewer-friend or have a NetGalley account, hop over and request a copy!  
The Book Tour is running through InkSlinger PR on June 6-20. I've done my best to reach out to reviewers I've worked with in the past. Please touch base with KP Simmon if I missed you somehow! 
I'm super-excited about releasing this series, but it's keeping me incredibly busy with the tight schedule.
Remember Undertow (Book 2) will be out in July~
* * *
And now for the exclusive Dragonfly TEASER TUESDAY!
I've been playing around with pictures more, so please excuse my lack of design skillz. See what you think~

I know, the text is hard to read. Here's what it says:
I took a limping step, and he stopped. "Does it hurt to walk?"My leg was throbbing. I looked down, and before I realized what was happening, he lifted me in his arms."Julian, wait," I held his shoulders. "I'm too heavy!""It's okay," he said, walking on. I sighed and leaned my head against his shoulder. I didn't feel like fighting. Gentle pressure against my temple, and he'd kissed me. "You'll get over this," I heard him say under his breath.-- Dragonfly , coming June 6
Add Dragonfly on GoodReads today (link)!
You can also read a longer, earlier excerpt Here (link).
THANK YOU for all the support and encouragement, reader- and writer-friends! Have a super week~ <3

The (awful) Good Ole Days & #New Books!

I would never want a fellow writer or writer-friend to suffer.

But looking back, I'm almost a tiny bit glad I suffered through the experience of Query Purg(-atory). And I almost wish all writers did.

What is wrong with me, and why would I ever say such a thing?

Well, let me break it down for those who might not know (or remember)...

Query Purg used to be the only way to get published. It was a long slog of sending a query letter to a literary agent and then having to wait, in horrible radio-silence for six weeks (or more!) ...

To see if you made it to the next round: A request for more or all of your manuscript! (Yay!!!)

And then it started all over again. Waiting... as much as another two months--sometimes longer.

The bad news I learned was once you did land an agent, it just started all over again. The agent sends it to editors, and another round of waiting begins.

It's possible the query process is the most sophisticated method of torture ever invented.

BUT! if it weren't for Query Purg, I would never have ventured online to find support. I would never have found Janet Reid, I would never have started this blog, we would never have found each other!

Or maybe we would've? Now I'm thinking of that Sliding Doors post I did a while back.

Anyway, my whole point is that while I'm so happy the self-publishing revolution has (almost) made Query Purgatory a mere (horrible) memory, I feel sorry for these new writer-friends who'll never have that great bonding experience that brought so many of us together.

Hmm... or maybe I'm just looking for the bright side of life. Who knows? All I know is I'm glad to know you guys, and I'm glad something wonderful came out of a super-difficult time in my life.

Now for the new books!

First is a new Craft book by an experienced Editor and one of my first writer-friends, Jessica Bell. Jessica is the co-publishing editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal, and the director of the Homeric Writers’ Retreat & Workshop on the Greek island of Ithaca.

She's SUPER qualified--here's the scoop: Too many adverbs and clichés in your writing? I've got just the fix for you.

On Amazon Writers constantly have rules thrown at them left, right, and center. Show, don’t tell! Stop using so many dialogue tags! More sensory detail! More tension! Speed up the pace!

I used to feel overwhelmed by it all too. In fact, I still do sometimes. It’s hard enough to get the words on the page, let alone consider how to put them there.

My name’s Jessica Bell , and my own struggles with feeling overwhelmed inspired me to write the Writing in a Nutshell Series of pocket-sized writing guides. So you can learn to hone your craft in bite-sized, manageable pieces.

In the first book of the series, I focused on demonstrating how to transition “telling” into “showing.”

In Adverbs & Clichés in a Nutshell: Demonstrated Subversions of Adverbs & Clichés into Gourmet Imagery , you will find thirty-four examples of prose which clearly demonstrate how to turn those pesky adverbs and clichés into vivid and unique imagery.

LTM: This book is fantastic, and Jessica's a SUPER teacher. Get it today, and get writing!

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon Ca | Kobo

* * *
Next up, super-sweet and talented writer-friend Cassie Mae has a contemporary New Adult novel coming out this July, and I'm participating in the gorgeous Cover Reveal!

Drum Roll please.....

Get me Is that gorgeous or what? Here's the blurb...

In the wealthy town of Sundale, Kelli Pinkins has hatched the perfect plan to capitalize on her sweet reputation. For a generous fee, she will be every trust-fund baby’s dream: a Friday-night alibi, the “girlfriend” or “BFF” parents dream about. 

With college approaching in the fall, Kelli’s services are in demand more than ever, which means that her social life is nonexistent. But Kelli is A-okay with that. She’s raking in cash for school. Besides, relationships are tricky, and sometimes very messy. She’d rather be at home on Xbox LIVE, anyway. 

Then the unexpected happens: She meets college stud Chase Maroney.

Chase isn’t like the preppy, privileged guys Kelli usually meets in Sundale. For starters, he’s twentysomething, always wears black, and he shoots back one-liners as fast as she can dish them out. But Kelli’s attempts to drive Chase away falter when she realizes that he treats her like he really knows her, like he cares about knowing her. 

When Kelli finally gives in to the delicious kiss she’s been fighting for so long, she faces a tough decision: make Chase a real-life boyfriend and risk her heart . . . or keep her clients and lose her first true love.

LTM: Squee!!! I absolutely loved Cassie's first book Reasons I Fell for the Funny Fat Friend (link), and this one promises to be just as great!

It's available for pre-order today--CLICK HERE!
* * *
Last, but in no way least, fellow Indelibles sister GP Ching has released the latest in her SoulKeepers series!
I love the sound of this installment as well as the cover, and as your reward for hanging to the end here, enter to #WIN a $100 Amazon Gift Card (link)!
On Amazon Dane Michaels has been to Hell and back and isn't interested in repeating the experience. 

But as a human caught up in the Soulkeeper's world, his life isn't exactly his own. No one can explain why Dane was allowed through the gates of Eden, but it has changed everything. Now, the only one who can make him feel safe is Ethan, the telekinetic Soulkeeper with a dark past and a heart of gold.

When Malini asks Dane to be part of a mission to find the last Soulkeeper, Cheveyo, more than one team member thinks she's tempting Fate. 

But Malini suspects Fate has had a hand in Dane's life for some time and that he could be the key to unraveling Lucifer's latest plan of attack.



Amazon |  iTunes | Nook | Kobo | Smashwords
* * *
That's it for me, reader- and writer-friends! I'm out of the cave, Dragonfly is on GoodReads (click here to add it!) and starting tomorrow, I'll be sharing excerpts and teasers leading up to the June 6 release date! SO exciting.
Have a super week~ <3

Future Noir, & A Chance to #WIN a Loaded Kindle

First, a quick SALE Update:

The Truth About Letting Go is only 99 cents until 5/5--so if you haven't gotten it yet, go here~

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo | AllRomance
The Truth About Faking  is also just 99 cents, so it's major spring SALE day! whee~

* * *
Now for the awesomeness that is Debt Collector. (I'm having the privilege of beta-reading this serial, and I'm telling you, it just gets better and better. )

Great writer-friend Susan Quinn  is here to explain what Future Noir is, tell how she uses it in her FAB new serial, and give you a chance to #WIN a Kindle loaded with the first three Debt Collector books!

(P.S. I'M the Looper critter in this piece... squee !!!)

~ ~ ~
Future-Noir or Why Retro Science Fiction is Awesome
by Susan Kaye Quinn author of the future-noir serial Debt Collector

Apparently, I write strange science fiction.

This comes up whenever I try to classify my stories to readers, bloggers, the lady at the checkout stand, my mother, or Amazon (who insists that I need a "category" in which to place my books; I insist I need about five). Apparently I write novels that mash together all kinds of genres in an indiscriminate cross-pollenation that would have Isaac Asimov turning in his grave... if he hadn't done the same sort of thing himself as a young man (winking at you, Isaac!).

Seriously, if you want to see a good bar brawl among literary types, just ask them what's the genre of Hunger Games or Time Traveler's Wife or any Nicolas Sparks novel, and watch the rhetoric fly! I personally have a very laizzez-faire approach toward genre definitions, which is sure to infuriate genre-disciplinarians. (I don't mention my east-indian-influenced steampunk fantasy romance to genre-afficianados. I don't want them to rupture something.)

I figure the story comes first; people can decide what genre it is after it's written. So no one was more surprised than me when I ended up writing a future-noir.

On a long car ride, just me and my Muse...

Muse: The Debt Collector.

Me: Er, what? Who are you?

Muse: When people's debts exceed their future potential contributions to society, he
cashes them out.

Me: Whoa. Tell me more.

Muse: He extracts their life energy and transfers it to a "high potential" - someone who
can use it to make greater contributions to the world.

Me: Holy... that's a great idea.

Muse: He's a good man with bad power. And it's future-noir.

Me: Future-noir! Cool! Uh, what is that exactly?

[image error]
Muse: Dark. Gritty. Futuristic but retro at the same time.

Me: Oh... like Blade Runner... Holy cats, this is awesome.

Muse: You're welcome.

I ran (well, okay, drove) home and wrote the first episode. It was dark, gritty. Lots of low light,
shady characters, set in a futuristic LA where the smog pooled at the impoverished feet of the city and the wealthy high-potentials lived above it all in the clean, clear air, taking their life-energy-hits courtesy of the titular Debt Collectors. The fashion was retro-sexy. The feel was future-dystopian. Did I mention it's gritty? And dark?

I send it off to my critique partner... (this is me--*squee*!!!)

[image error]
My Crit Partner (LTM): Hey, your new Debt Collector story reminds me of Looper!

Me: Well, it is future noir. *acts like I know what I'm talking about*

LTM: Seriously. I totally see Lirium as a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt! And it totally reads like noir. You know, like Double Indemnity!?

Me: Double what? That's not one of those old black-n-white films, is it?

LTM: All those noir films were black-n-white.

[image error] yessss....  ;o)Me: Right! I knew that. (Sure.) Anyway, I think of Lirium more as James McAvoy in a trenchcoat.

LTM: I can work with that. (Oh, yesss... I can. ;o)

*we both drool on the picture*

Wait, what was I saying?




Right. Future-noir. Gritty retro feel -- where the men wear trenchcoats and slick suits and the women wear bright red lipstick and carry a mini-revolver under their skirts - only it's a futuristic story with time-travel (Looper) or berzerker androids (Blade Runner) or life-energy transfers (Debt Collector) that change the landscape. It's raw. It's sexy. It's awesome.

[image error]
It looks something like this.

Nice Blogger Lady: What genre is that?

Me: Future-noir.

NBL: What's future-noir?

Me: It's a science fictiony, mystery type of story. Sort of a mix between urban fantasy and noir,
with a thriller twist. There could be romance in there too. Like Blade Runner. Or Looper!

NBL: I'll just call it science fiction.

Me: Works for me. :)

[image error]

Susan Kaye Quinn is the author of the bestselling YA SF Mindjack series. Her new Debt Collector serial is her more grown-up SF that she likes to call future-noir. Her steampunk fantasy romance is temporarily
on hold while she madly writes episodes to keep Lirium (the titular Debt Collector) happy. Plus she needs to leave time to play on Facebook.

Susan has a lot of degrees in engineering, which come in handy when dreaming up dangerous mind powers, future dystopias, and slightly plausible steampunk inventions. Mostly she sits around in her pajamas in awe that she gets make stuff up full-time. You can find her at www.susankayequinn.com

What's your life worth on the open market? A debt collector can tell you precisely.

Delirium (Debt Collector 1) is now available on Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo |  iTunes | Smashwords.

See the Debt Collector website to check all the latest episode releases and goings on in the Debt Collector
world.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Indieversary & #FOUND

Today I'm helping celebrate great writer-friend Stacey Wallace Benefiel 's third year as an independent author!

whoop whoop!!! *throws confetti* 
Her new book Found is the start of an awesome-sounding New Adult trilogy, and it's only 99 cents through Saturday! So run get it!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble
[image error]
From Stacey Wallace Benefiel, author of the Zellie Wells trilogy, comes a new NA trilogy set in the Society world.

Penny Black hasn’t had it easy. Just about everything you’d expect to happen to a harassed foster-kid turned junkie has happened to Penny. Add in the mysterious power to rewind time, conducting events around her, and it’s a wonder she held up on the streets for so many years. 

Now, at seventeen, the New Society has found her. Finally, Penny is where she belongs. But that doesn’t stop the visions, or the need to protect the victims shown to her.

Wyatt Adams is excited and intrigued when his sister Melody assigns him to be Penny’s Lookout. Being the youngest, and hopelessly ordinary in the family that created the New Society, has left Wyatt feeling like he has a lot to prove -- and Penny is a big deal. She’s got abilities that surpass any he’s seen before…and pretty much every quality he looks for in a girlfriend, but no one needs to know about that, especially Penny.

*The Penny Black trilogy is a companion to the Zellie Wells trilogy and not a continuation of the series. (PBT is set 18 years in the future with a new cast of characters.)

*Due to language and sexuality, FOUND is recommended for older teens (Most of the characters are out of high school and preparing for college.)

Also available at: Kobo | Smashwords | iTunes

Haven't read the Zellie Wells trilogy yet? Pick up all three novels together for $6.99 at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, and iTunes. Or get the first novel, Glimpse, for FREE at all e-book retailers.

* * *Geaux, Stacey, and Happy Indieversary! 

And have a super week and weekend, reader- and writer-friends~

Tuesday Teaser & A New Release!

As promised, I've got another snippet from Dragonfly , Book #1 of my brand new series coming June 6!

It's a journal entry that sort of sets the stage, and I'm considering it (possibly) being the start of the book blurb. So I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Here you geaux~

The first time I saw the Gulf of Mexico, I didn’t believe it was real.

The colors were so vivid—turquoise and deep marine blue splashing on sparkling-white grains of sand—it was as if the whole place glowed in the sunlight. It was beautiful. Magical. I had no idea it would change my life.

That my parents’ decision to move our family almost a thousand miles south, to their tiny hometown just off the coast, would drop me into the middle of a decades-old impasse.

A separation mandated by a long-forgotten crime.

A secret I would accidentally uncover.

* * *
And now for the New Release!

Great writer-friend Bethany Lopez has a new book out today!

It's a contemporary fairytale, and if it's anything like her other books, it's going to be awesome. The cover is gorgeous .

On Amazon
At 900 years old, Nissa is finally ready to follow her mother's path and become the best Fairy Godmother she can. She’s not thrilled when her first assignment turns out to be a teenage human girl with self-esteem issues, but she knows she has to start somewhere. Her assignment has dealt with bullies since her freshman year and they haven’t let up. If Nissa can’t help her regain her self-confidence her future is bleak.
To complicate matters Nissa experiences all the signs that she's met the being fated for her. This impossibility distracts her from her purpose. After all, fairies and humans aren't meant for each other. How can her heart believe otherwise? Can Nissa successfully complete her first assignment as a Fairy Godmother? Will the fates allow Nissa and Levi to be together? And even if they do, will Levi believe Nissa once she reveals the truth?

Get it today! On Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords 


Bethany Lopez was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in Michigan and San Antonio, Texas. She went to High School at Dearborn High, in Dearborn, Michigan, which is where she has set her Young Adult series. 

She is married and has a blended family with five children. She is currently serving in the United States Air Force as a Recruiter in Los Angeles, California. 

She has always loved to read and write and has seen her dream realized by independently publishing her novels through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

* * *

Yay for Bethany! Here's wishing her all the best of success.

Quick Question: My Google Reader has disappeared .. I thought we had until July for this. Anyway, what are you guys using to replace Google Reader? Suggestions welcome!

And have a super week, reader- and writer-friends~ <3

Dragonfly First Teaser! And #WIN Books!

Popping out from the cave, I promised Dragonfly teasers, and I've got the first one ready for you below!

Before we get to that, I wanted to share TWO chances to #WIN copies of my books.
#WIN me! #1- The Truth About Faking is up for grabs over on Christine Fonesca's blog (link).
Christine is releasing a new nonfiction book called The Girl Guide , and it looks fantastic--a must read for parents and girls in the middle school years.
This is your LAST DAY, so check it out, and enter to #WIN!
#2-Jessica at Hoplessly Devoted Bibliophile is celebrating her Blogoversary with chances to #WIN fun prizes, including a copy of Rouge (link) .
Rouge made it to the Quarter Finals Round of the 2013 ABNA. It's a new adult romantic suspense set in a cabaret in New Orleans.  #WIN me!
So if you're looking for something different in the New Adult genre, hop over and enter to #WIN!
And now, the moment you've been waiting for! 
Exclusive Teaser #1 from Dragonfly, Coming June 6:
A half-step, I was in his arms. A glint of blue and his mouth covered mine. I trembled as his hands traveled up the sides of my dress to my shoulders, then lightly cupped my cheeks.
His lips moved to the corner of my mouth, then my jaw, and a tiny noise slipped from my throat. I was tense and electric, and all I could think were his soft lips touching me, my fingers exploring his hard stomach through the thin cotton shirt he wore. 
His mouth traveled to my ear, where he kissed me lightly before whispering. “Let’s sit.” 
Taking my hand, he sat in the sand and pulled me onto his lap, and I watched as he unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his lined chest. Then he took my hands and placed my palms flat on his warm skin. Gorgeous.
“Now you,” he said, and his arms circled to my back. I was breathing fast as he slid my zipper down and my straps fell to the sides. I was sitting in my bra facing him in the silver moonlight, my hands still on his chest. 
My head was so light, I could barely breathe. This was all new to me, and there was no way I was stopping it. My shoulders shook, and I looked down. 
“Are you afraid?” he whispered. 
I shook my head no, lying. He cupped my chin, tilting my face up, and looked into my eyes. The breeze blew his golden hair around his cheeks, and I was convinced this was what an angel looked like.
Dragonfly is Book #1 of the as-yet unnamed series, coming June 6; another Teaser posts Tuesday!
Have a lovely weekend, reader- and writer-friends~ <3

Volition, #WIN $200, & a #Sale Update

Another new release from great writer-friend Elle/Lee Strauss! I read the first book in this series ( Perception ), and it was SO GOOD! Can't wait to grab my copy of the next installment.

Here's the scoop:

Volition, the exciting continuation of Noah and Zoe's story from Perception , is LIVE!


On Amazon What doesn't kill you ...

Zoe Vanderveen is on the run with her captor turned rescuer, Noah Brody. They're in love. Or at least that’s what he tells her. 

Her memories have returned but her feelings are dreamlike—thin and fleeting. Her heart can’t be trusted. Just look at what happened with Taylor Blake.
Senator Vanderveen’s new team of cyborg agents are in hot pursuit, and a reward for their capture is broadcast nationwide. Record breaking cold and snow hinder their escape. Someone dies helping them.

And their fight for survival has only begun.
Amazon | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Smashwords
Haven't read PERCEPTION yet? It's FREE for a few more days!

On Amazon Eternal Life is To Die For

For seventeen year old Zoe Vanderveen is a GAP—a genetically altered person. She lives in the security of a walled city on prime water-front property along side other equally beautiful people with extended life spans.

Her brother Liam is missing.

Noah Brody is a natural who lives on the outside. He leads protests against the GAPs and detests the widening chasm they’ve created between those who have and those who don’t. He doesn’t like girls like Zoe and he has good reason not to like her specifically.

Zoe’s carefree life takes a traumatic turn. She’s in trouble and it turns out that Noah, the last guy on earth she should trust, is the only one who can help her.

It's FREE on Kobo | iTunes | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Amazon

To celebrate the arrival of Volition, Lee Strauss is giving away a $200 Amazon, Nook, or iTunes gift card! Contest ends tonight!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Lee StraussLee Strauss writes historical and science fiction/romance for mature YA and adult readers. She also writes light and fun stuff under the name Elle Strauss.

To find out more about Lee and her books check out her Facebook page. You can also follow her on Twitter @elle_strauss and on Pinterest. To find out about new releases sign up for her newsletter at www.ellestraussbooks.com.
Geaux, Elle! Can't wait to read this one~

* * *
Mini-sale alert & An Update!

On Amazon  Tax man take a bite? I've got a sale for that:

The Truth About Letting Go  is only $1.99 for a limited time on

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes
If you haven't already, grab your copy today, and please spread the word~ 
And if you like(d) it, please remember to leave a short, happy review. Thanks!
Update: Revisions/rewrites of  Dragonfly , Book 1 in my brand-new contemporary romance series, are coming to a close, so I should have teaser quotes for you soon! SO excited.
Happy playing, good luck, and have a super week, reader- and writer-friends~ 

The Only Exception #WIN & A Tax Day #SALE!

I had the privilege to beta read this book by great writer-friend and new mama Magan Vernon. It. Is. AWESOME! Check it out~
The Only Exception is LIVE! 
And you need to pick up your copy because American Flags are pretty sexy. 
On Amazon
So where can you pick up this lovely book today?
Amazon | Kobo | Barnes&Noble | iTunes | All Romance Ebooks
But wait, you want MORE?

How about a Release Blitz Giveaway for a $50 Amazon, Barnes, and Noble, OR iTunes gift card?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Still want MORE?

The  blog tour is going on and Magan is giving away signed New Adult books, book marks, and ecopies of ANY Magan Vernon book.

Giveaway here

And Rock On, Magan! Seriously, The Only Exception is a super-fun read~

* * *
Mini-sale alert & An Update!

On Amazon  Tax man take a bite? I've got a sale for that:

The Truth About Letting Go is only $1.99 for a limited time on

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes
If you haven't already, grab your copy today, and please spread the word~ 
And if you like(d) it, please remember to leave a short, happy review. Thanks!
Update: Revisions/rewrites of Dragonfly , Book 1 in my brand-new contemporary romance series, are coming to a close, so I should have teaser quotes for you soon! SO excited.
Happy playing, good luck, and have a super week, reader- and writer-friends~ <3

Get Serious! Spring Fever Teaser #2

On Tuesday I posted a fun, kissey teaser from my new book The Truth About Letting Go.  (If you missed it, here's the link .)

It was a toss-up between that one and a more serious teaser, showing the debate keeping our H&h apart.

Since some of you wanted that one, too (funnies!), and since I'm a softie, here's a BONUS Spring Fever Teaser! Enjoy~

On Amazon Jordan pulls a blade of grass and is quiet for a moment. Then he speaks slowly, as if picking out the words. “I don’t think of it as giving up my life. I think life is more than keeping rules versus doing whatever you want. I think it’s about leaving things better than how you found them.”

“So volunteer. Work at a shelter on the weekends. You can still do good without giving up everything.”

“Everything? Ashley, there’s so much more going on in the world than sex.”

“Not when you kiss me.” 

He looks down, and I notice his ears turn slightly pink. I can’t believe I just said that out loud. 

“I mean, well, that’s how it feels.”

He simply nods, and I know he feels it, too.

“All this church stuff is just a way of controlling us, Jordan. Not only that, it’s a way of controlling us from ancient times when everything was different.”

“Things weren’t so different.”

“Walking on water, healing sick people, bringing people back from the dead. None of that happens—if it ever did. How can you believe any of it?”

“I don’t know. But I do. And I want to find out how things like that make sense today.”

“And what if you find out they don’t? Or just… what if you don’t like what you find out?”

He exhales and watches the memo pad blowing in the breeze. “I’m not looking for a particular answer. Or to control what I find.”

I pull my knees into my chest and hug them. “Jordan. Why?”

His blue eyes flick to mine. “Okay. Remember how Dr. Andrews said you can’t keep God in a box and then pull him out when you need him to fix a problem and then stick him back in so he doesn’t mess with your life? I think it’s like that.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I think God is dynamic and unpredictable. Good stuff happens, but so does bad stuff. And it all happens to challenge us. To make us grow and change.”

“Things like my dad dying?”

Jordan rubs his forehead. “I don’t know. But, well… he’s not suffering now. He’s in a better place, right?”

Anger tightens my stomach. “How about he never got sick to start with?”

The Truth About Letting Go  is only $2.99 at

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | AllRomance | OmniLit
Print copies on  Createspace  and  Amazon !

Have a great weekend, reader- and writer-friends~ <3