Gwen Gardner's Blog, page 14
October 20, 2014
Some Secrets of Secret Keepers
First, I'm over at the awesome Shah Wharton's place today talking about the Problems with Paranormalcy. Please stop by! And now... RELEASE DAY SECRETS! It's release day for Secret Keepers, the final novella in the Afterlife series. Not only is it release day, but it's the official "cover reveal." And by "cover reveal" I mean the little secret within the cover revealed... First, check out the cover. It contains some of the items that appear in the book. There's the bowl with the special sachets used in a spell to cast out demons. Hazel's collection of wands that she doesn't know how to use yet. A painting of Penny, Hazel's "special" cat. Then there's
the jar
. The jar contains smooth, black stones with names on them. These stones are charmed with a spell that allows the user to see ghosts and basically exist in their world. All you have to do is choose the stone etched with your name, kiss it and tuck it into your pocket. And voilà! You're a ghost whisperer, just like Indigo Eady. You can see that names are written on the stones, but the names are too small to read...
Cover designed and illustrated by Corona Zschusschen But, when the jar section is blown up like this...
...you can see that not only do the stones have character names engraved (Simon, Badger and Hazel), but some of them contain the names of my own family members (Allan, Amber, John, Donna and Alyssa), along with my illustrator Corona, and me, of course! I love knowing about the secret hidden within my Secret Keepers cover!
Are there any secrets in your covers?
Bonus Excerpt Here's a little excerpt. To set up the scene, Indigo and Badger are making their way through the dilapidated ghost hospital. Using the stones allows Badger to go through the hospital without seeing all the cracks in the floors and the possibilities of falling five floors to his death. But did I mention that the stones only last for a couple of hours? This is what happens when the spell wears off the stones...
I shrugged my pack on and helped him with his. Once again we climbed upward. We were slowed to one step at a time, me using my shoulder to leverage under Badger’s armpit to push him up to the next step. What seemed like an hour later, we made it to the top. The fifth floor. Our last stand. The final frontier and all that.
When we stepped out into the corridor, Badger yelled, “No!” He pulled me back, but clung to the doorjamb, as if we might fall into a pit of vipers.
My brief glimpse of the corridor hadn’t revealed anything untoward. “What is it? What did you see?”
“Th-the floor,” he stuttered. “There are gaping holes. It isn’t safe.” He ran the fingers of his free hand through his hair. “I don’t know what we’re going to do. We can’t go out there.”
The corridor on the fifth floor was dark and dilapidated, true. But it was no worse than the other floors.
And then it dawned on me as I looked closer. “Badger, where are your stones?”
He eyed me strangely. “Seriously? You’re going to question my masculinity right now?”
I rolled my eyes. “The charmed stones, you dork. The ones Hazel gave you.” Seriously.
“Oh. Yeah. In my pocket.” He reached in and pulled one out, our eyes meeting as he did so. The fire-engine red blush was adorable. Kissing the stone, he rechecked the situation in the corridor, then released a held breath. “Bloody hell,” he muttered.
“Better?” I asked.
He nodded. “Although it’d be even better if I didn’t know what lie underneath. What the bloody hell is holding us up?”
“Don’t think about it.” I wrapped his arm around my neck again. “When you kiss the stone, you are no longer in our dimension. You’re in theirs. Just go with it.”
“Go with it, she says,” he muttered under his breath. “Don’t think about falling through the gaping holes to your death, she says.”
I smirked.
He cracked a smile. “Oh shut up.”
About Secret Keepers:
In Second Death, Indigo and her team of sleuths escape the clutches of underground evil.
In Ghostly Gallows, Indigo and the gang managed to dodge the falling ruins and free those spirits trapped by the evil spell that bound them to Gallowsgate Prison.
Now in Secret Keepers, even though Indigo speaks to ghosties, there is so much about the afterlife she doesn’t understand. Such as…how can spirits be sick? They’re dead, for goodness sake! But once again Indigo is forced to go where she made it a point to never go: the hospital. There, the mystery of the sick and missing spirits explodes into a frenzied battle for souls where dawn may bring life or final death.
About Indigo Eady:
Much to her chagrin, Indigo Eady is a celebrity among spirits. She’s the girl who can see and speak with them. She has a proven track record in helping spirits find their murderers, so it’s no surprise when she’s drafted onto the Missing Paranormal Committee. Who better to help them than the experienced teenage ghost whisperer- investigator and her friends?
Tweets if you feel like tweeting:
“When you kiss the stone, you are no longer in our dimension. You’re in theirs. Just go with it.” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NUKXL9Y @UnRealms
"... correct me if I’m wrong, but… spirits are dead people." Secret Keepers. #Afterlife #Supernatural https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NUKXL9Y@UnRealms
"I have to admit, having friends who could float through walls came in handy." Secret Keepers. #afterlife https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NUKXL9Y@UnRealms
Secret Keepers available now!
Amazon / B&N / Google Play / iTunes
Cover designed and illustrated by Corona Zschusschen But, when the jar section is blown up like this...
...you can see that not only do the stones have character names engraved (Simon, Badger and Hazel), but some of them contain the names of my own family members (Allan, Amber, John, Donna and Alyssa), along with my illustrator Corona, and me, of course! I love knowing about the secret hidden within my Secret Keepers cover!
Are there any secrets in your covers?
Bonus Excerpt Here's a little excerpt. To set up the scene, Indigo and Badger are making their way through the dilapidated ghost hospital. Using the stones allows Badger to go through the hospital without seeing all the cracks in the floors and the possibilities of falling five floors to his death. But did I mention that the stones only last for a couple of hours? This is what happens when the spell wears off the stones...I shrugged my pack on and helped him with his. Once again we climbed upward. We were slowed to one step at a time, me using my shoulder to leverage under Badger’s armpit to push him up to the next step. What seemed like an hour later, we made it to the top. The fifth floor. Our last stand. The final frontier and all that.
When we stepped out into the corridor, Badger yelled, “No!” He pulled me back, but clung to the doorjamb, as if we might fall into a pit of vipers.
My brief glimpse of the corridor hadn’t revealed anything untoward. “What is it? What did you see?”
“Th-the floor,” he stuttered. “There are gaping holes. It isn’t safe.” He ran the fingers of his free hand through his hair. “I don’t know what we’re going to do. We can’t go out there.”
The corridor on the fifth floor was dark and dilapidated, true. But it was no worse than the other floors.
And then it dawned on me as I looked closer. “Badger, where are your stones?”
He eyed me strangely. “Seriously? You’re going to question my masculinity right now?”
I rolled my eyes. “The charmed stones, you dork. The ones Hazel gave you.” Seriously.
“Oh. Yeah. In my pocket.” He reached in and pulled one out, our eyes meeting as he did so. The fire-engine red blush was adorable. Kissing the stone, he rechecked the situation in the corridor, then released a held breath. “Bloody hell,” he muttered.
“Better?” I asked.
He nodded. “Although it’d be even better if I didn’t know what lie underneath. What the bloody hell is holding us up?”
“Don’t think about it.” I wrapped his arm around my neck again. “When you kiss the stone, you are no longer in our dimension. You’re in theirs. Just go with it.”
“Go with it, she says,” he muttered under his breath. “Don’t think about falling through the gaping holes to your death, she says.”
I smirked.
He cracked a smile. “Oh shut up.”
About Secret Keepers:
In Second Death, Indigo and her team of sleuths escape the clutches of underground evil.
In Ghostly Gallows, Indigo and the gang managed to dodge the falling ruins and free those spirits trapped by the evil spell that bound them to Gallowsgate Prison.
Now in Secret Keepers, even though Indigo speaks to ghosties, there is so much about the afterlife she doesn’t understand. Such as…how can spirits be sick? They’re dead, for goodness sake! But once again Indigo is forced to go where she made it a point to never go: the hospital. There, the mystery of the sick and missing spirits explodes into a frenzied battle for souls where dawn may bring life or final death.
About Indigo Eady:
Much to her chagrin, Indigo Eady is a celebrity among spirits. She’s the girl who can see and speak with them. She has a proven track record in helping spirits find their murderers, so it’s no surprise when she’s drafted onto the Missing Paranormal Committee. Who better to help them than the experienced teenage ghost whisperer- investigator and her friends?
Tweets if you feel like tweeting:
“When you kiss the stone, you are no longer in our dimension. You’re in theirs. Just go with it.” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NUKXL9Y @UnRealms
"... correct me if I’m wrong, but… spirits are dead people." Secret Keepers. #Afterlife #Supernatural https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NUKXL9Y@UnRealms
"I have to admit, having friends who could float through walls came in handy." Secret Keepers. #afterlife https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NUKXL9Y@UnRealms
Secret Keepers available now!
Amazon / B&N / Google Play / iTunes
October 13, 2014
Jules Flanders and The Turnagain Arms
I know you've been seeing Julie Flanders' lovely cover all over the internet for the past week. I have, and I couldn't wait to share it.
The cover is awesome.
The blurb is awesome.
But wait!
Guess who begged an excerpt from the author? Yep, I got an excerpt that you haven't seen unless you've read the novella. And, I'm happy to share it here.
But first, let's learn a little bit about it...
The Turnagain Arms, prequel to Polar Night:
Polar Night's Aleksei Nechayev leaves war-torn Russia in 1917 and makes his way to Alaska. Settling in at a railroad camp, Aleksei comes up against an adversary who seems to know the truth about the newly-turned vampire's identity, and who soon gives Aleksei much more than he bargained for at The Turnagain Arm.
Cover design by Michael Di GesuOnly 99 cents on Amazon Kindle
Book Blurb: Locomotive wheels screech to a halt. Potters Creek, Alaska is nothing more than a small camp set up alongside the tracks. A weathered sign dominates the scene.
The Turnagain Arm Saloon Est.1917
Only one passenger remains and exits.The early afternoon full moon peaks through a shimmering snow fall as a shadow casts over each split rail. The wind howls, sweeping the cloak of a hooded figure. He follows the tracks toward the distant saloon. A hulking man crunches through the snow, attracting his attention.Calling out to him in a foreign accent, the townsman stops in mid step. The stranger catches up and engages him.
Until…
The man disappears under the stranger’s cloak.Blood drips from his lips, and he wipes the remaining trickles from his mouth. After disposing of the body, the mysterious figure continues on his journey. He glides through the snow as if on a sleigh, leaving no footprints behind.
* * * * *
Within a short period, he convinces Vasyl, the owner of the saloon, to hire him. Aleksei charms everyone he meets. But soon mistrust enters every tense line on Vasyl’s face as others disappear, and his wife falls under Aleksei’s spell.
The classic game of cat and mouse continues, but who will win?Is a mere mortal any match for Aleksei?
A spark ignites within Alexei after yet another of Vasyl’s attempts to disgrace him.
This man knows of me. He must be a witch. Aleksei laughs. You are no match for me or my plan.
The Turnagain Arm Excerpt: “Folks are disappearing around here, Mr. Dzubenko. Everybody’s noticed it.”
“Disappearing, huh?” Vasyl said to the young man across the bar from him. He had long forgotten the boy’s name, in spite of the fact that he arrived each morning for breakfast like clockwork. “You know we’ve been losing men ever since the United States entered the war back in April, right? Men are leaving left and right.”
The man shook his head. “That ain’t it.”
“What are you talking about, James?” Lara asked as she slid a plate of pancakes towards the man.
Vasyl glanced at his wife. Of course, she’d remember the name. James. She never forgot a name. Or anything else, for that matter.
“Just what I said, ma’am. Guys are going missing. They’re here when we head back to the barracks for the night and they’re nowhere to be found come morning.” James took a bite of pancakes. “Just like what happened to your man here. Kenneth.”
“Maybe they’ve just gone to work at one of the other camps,” Vasyl said, although he winced at the mention of Kenneth MacNeil.
“In the middle of the night?” James asked. “And without telling another soul? Who’d do that?”
“It does seem very odd,” Lara said. “And troubling, Vasyl.”
Vasyl shook his head. The last thing he wanted was his wife to be upset about anything. “Don’t you let it bother you, Lara. I’m sure there’s an explanation.”
“There ain’t no explanation ‘cept that something bad’s going on around here,” James said. “Somebody’s up to no good.”
“Shut your mouth, you idiot,” Vasyl snapped. “There could be plenty of explanations. You forget we live in the wilderness here? You’ve heard of bears, yes? Perhaps there are some hungry grizzlies around and some of these drunken fools wandered too close to their dens.”
“Right, I’m sure that’s it,” James said, rolling his eyes as he continued to stuff pancakes in his mouth. “You know it ain’t just the guys disappearing? Rebecca’s gone too. She ain’t been seen in weeks. Last time anybody saw her was here at your place.” He pointed towards a table in the corner of the saloon. “She was sitting right there when Aleksei closed the bar for the night, I saw her myself. Ain’t nobody seen her again.”
“Are you trying to suggest that Nechayev has something to do with this?”
“Huh? How was I suggesting that? Aleksei takes good care of me in here. No offense, Mr. Dzubenko but he pours a better scotch than you do.”
Vasyl bristled. “You’re the one who brought him up, idiot.”
“Only cuz Rebecca was here the night she disappeared. Doesn’t mean Aleksei had anything to do with it. Hell, that’s crazy talk right there. Everybody likes Aleksei.”
“Oh, of course, of course they do. I know everyone likes him.” Vasyl slammed a coffee mug onto the bar. “Богоматір Пресвята Діва!”
James stared at Vasyl. “I’m sorry. What was that?”
Vasyl felt his wife’s hand on his arm. “I believe he said ‘Mother of God the blessed Virgin,’ Lara said. “I’ve learned that one over the years.”
“That Russian? Like Aleksei speaks?”
“It’s Ukrainian, you horse’s ass!” Vasyl bellowed. “I am not Russian.”
James put down his fork and took a step back from the bar. “God almighty, Mr. Dzubenko, no need to get yourself all wound up. How am I ‘sposed to know what language you’re speaking?”
“You’ve finished your breakfast, yes? Get out of here then. Go to work, why don’t you?”
“I surely will take my leave. Thank you for the delicious pancakes, Mrs. Dzubenko.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed them, James. Good day to you.”
About the Author:
Julie Flanders is a librarian by day and a writer all the rest of the time. Julie is also a television show addict with a particular fondness for Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead and a slightly obsessive sports fan who cheers for the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Cincinnati Reds, and the Cincinnati Bengals. She is a life-long animal lover and an animal rescue advocate and shares her home with her rescued dog and cat.Julie’s published novels include the paranormal thriller Polar Night and the historical ghost story The Ghosts of Aquinnah. Both are available from Ink Smith Publishing. Polar Day, the sequel to Polar Night, will be published by Ink Smith in January, 2015.
Julie is a proud member of the speculative fiction writing group Untethered Realms. Meet the rest of the group and explore their books at http://untetheredrealms.blogspot.com/.Please visit Julie at her website at julieflanders.net or contact her by email at julie@julieflanders.net. She can also be found on Twitter at @JulesFlanders.
Enter to win one of two prize bundles featuring a $15 Amazon.com gift card and an ebook copy of The Turnagain Arm. a Rafflecopter giveaway
The cover is awesome.
The blurb is awesome.
But wait!
Guess who begged an excerpt from the author? Yep, I got an excerpt that you haven't seen unless you've read the novella. And, I'm happy to share it here.
But first, let's learn a little bit about it...
The Turnagain Arms, prequel to Polar Night:
Polar Night's Aleksei Nechayev leaves war-torn Russia in 1917 and makes his way to Alaska. Settling in at a railroad camp, Aleksei comes up against an adversary who seems to know the truth about the newly-turned vampire's identity, and who soon gives Aleksei much more than he bargained for at The Turnagain Arm.
Cover design by Michael Di GesuOnly 99 cents on Amazon KindleBook Blurb: Locomotive wheels screech to a halt. Potters Creek, Alaska is nothing more than a small camp set up alongside the tracks. A weathered sign dominates the scene.
The Turnagain Arm Saloon Est.1917
Only one passenger remains and exits.The early afternoon full moon peaks through a shimmering snow fall as a shadow casts over each split rail. The wind howls, sweeping the cloak of a hooded figure. He follows the tracks toward the distant saloon. A hulking man crunches through the snow, attracting his attention.Calling out to him in a foreign accent, the townsman stops in mid step. The stranger catches up and engages him.
Until…
The man disappears under the stranger’s cloak.Blood drips from his lips, and he wipes the remaining trickles from his mouth. After disposing of the body, the mysterious figure continues on his journey. He glides through the snow as if on a sleigh, leaving no footprints behind.
* * * * *
Within a short period, he convinces Vasyl, the owner of the saloon, to hire him. Aleksei charms everyone he meets. But soon mistrust enters every tense line on Vasyl’s face as others disappear, and his wife falls under Aleksei’s spell.
The classic game of cat and mouse continues, but who will win?Is a mere mortal any match for Aleksei?
A spark ignites within Alexei after yet another of Vasyl’s attempts to disgrace him.
This man knows of me. He must be a witch. Aleksei laughs. You are no match for me or my plan.
The Turnagain Arm Excerpt: “Folks are disappearing around here, Mr. Dzubenko. Everybody’s noticed it.”
“Disappearing, huh?” Vasyl said to the young man across the bar from him. He had long forgotten the boy’s name, in spite of the fact that he arrived each morning for breakfast like clockwork. “You know we’ve been losing men ever since the United States entered the war back in April, right? Men are leaving left and right.”
The man shook his head. “That ain’t it.”
“What are you talking about, James?” Lara asked as she slid a plate of pancakes towards the man.
Vasyl glanced at his wife. Of course, she’d remember the name. James. She never forgot a name. Or anything else, for that matter.
“Just what I said, ma’am. Guys are going missing. They’re here when we head back to the barracks for the night and they’re nowhere to be found come morning.” James took a bite of pancakes. “Just like what happened to your man here. Kenneth.”
“Maybe they’ve just gone to work at one of the other camps,” Vasyl said, although he winced at the mention of Kenneth MacNeil.
“In the middle of the night?” James asked. “And without telling another soul? Who’d do that?”
“It does seem very odd,” Lara said. “And troubling, Vasyl.”
Vasyl shook his head. The last thing he wanted was his wife to be upset about anything. “Don’t you let it bother you, Lara. I’m sure there’s an explanation.”
“There ain’t no explanation ‘cept that something bad’s going on around here,” James said. “Somebody’s up to no good.”
“Shut your mouth, you idiot,” Vasyl snapped. “There could be plenty of explanations. You forget we live in the wilderness here? You’ve heard of bears, yes? Perhaps there are some hungry grizzlies around and some of these drunken fools wandered too close to their dens.”
“Right, I’m sure that’s it,” James said, rolling his eyes as he continued to stuff pancakes in his mouth. “You know it ain’t just the guys disappearing? Rebecca’s gone too. She ain’t been seen in weeks. Last time anybody saw her was here at your place.” He pointed towards a table in the corner of the saloon. “She was sitting right there when Aleksei closed the bar for the night, I saw her myself. Ain’t nobody seen her again.”
“Are you trying to suggest that Nechayev has something to do with this?”
“Huh? How was I suggesting that? Aleksei takes good care of me in here. No offense, Mr. Dzubenko but he pours a better scotch than you do.”
Vasyl bristled. “You’re the one who brought him up, idiot.”
“Only cuz Rebecca was here the night she disappeared. Doesn’t mean Aleksei had anything to do with it. Hell, that’s crazy talk right there. Everybody likes Aleksei.”
“Oh, of course, of course they do. I know everyone likes him.” Vasyl slammed a coffee mug onto the bar. “Богоматір Пресвята Діва!”
James stared at Vasyl. “I’m sorry. What was that?”
Vasyl felt his wife’s hand on his arm. “I believe he said ‘Mother of God the blessed Virgin,’ Lara said. “I’ve learned that one over the years.”
“That Russian? Like Aleksei speaks?”
“It’s Ukrainian, you horse’s ass!” Vasyl bellowed. “I am not Russian.”
James put down his fork and took a step back from the bar. “God almighty, Mr. Dzubenko, no need to get yourself all wound up. How am I ‘sposed to know what language you’re speaking?”
“You’ve finished your breakfast, yes? Get out of here then. Go to work, why don’t you?”
“I surely will take my leave. Thank you for the delicious pancakes, Mrs. Dzubenko.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed them, James. Good day to you.”
About the Author:
Julie Flanders is a librarian by day and a writer all the rest of the time. Julie is also a television show addict with a particular fondness for Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead and a slightly obsessive sports fan who cheers for the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Cincinnati Reds, and the Cincinnati Bengals. She is a life-long animal lover and an animal rescue advocate and shares her home with her rescued dog and cat.Julie’s published novels include the paranormal thriller Polar Night and the historical ghost story The Ghosts of Aquinnah. Both are available from Ink Smith Publishing. Polar Day, the sequel to Polar Night, will be published by Ink Smith in January, 2015.Julie is a proud member of the speculative fiction writing group Untethered Realms. Meet the rest of the group and explore their books at http://untetheredrealms.blogspot.com/.Please visit Julie at her website at julieflanders.net or contact her by email at julie@julieflanders.net. She can also be found on Twitter at @JulesFlanders.
Enter to win one of two prize bundles featuring a $15 Amazon.com gift card and an ebook copy of The Turnagain Arm. a Rafflecopter giveaway
October 6, 2014
Ghostly Gallows: Come Hang With Me
Launch Day!
Ghostly Gallows(Book II - Afterlife Series)
Cover by Corona Zschusschen Ghostly Gallows:
The case of missing paranormals is far from solved. Hundreds of Sabrina Shores’ spirits are still missing.In Second Death, Indigo and her friends escape an eternity underground in evil clutches. Back aboveground with a few missing ghosties happily in tow, one truth is painfully clear: the size of their problem is bigger than the village cemetery itself.
Now in Ghostly Gallows, new information leads Indigo and her fellow investigators to the ruins of Gallowsgate Prison, long abandoned by everyone and everything except malevolent spirits. It’s not called Gallowsgate for nothing when the noose swings a little too close to home. Indigo Eady:
Much to her chagrin, Indigo Eady is a celebrity among spirits. She’s the girl who can see and speak with them. She has a proven track record in helping spirits find their murderers, so it’s no surprise when she’s drafted onto the Missing Paranormal Committee. Who better to help them than the experienced teenage ghost whisperer- investigator and her friends? Blog Tour Schedule:
(Come hang with me here!)Monday October 6th - Double-Edged Spark - Susan GourleyMonday October 6th - Indigo Children, the New Evolution - Susan OloierTuesday October 7th - Author Interview - Catherine Stine
Tuesday October 7th - Untethered RealmsWednesday October 8th - Sabrina Shores Fictional Setting - M. PaxFriday October 10th - Danger and Romance - Elizabeth Seckman
Tweet if the fancy takes you:
Ghostly Gallows, where #Afterlife takes on a whole new meaning. #supernatural #paranormal #ebook http://tinyurl.com/kedsdp9@UnRealms
#We’re surrounded by spirit energy,” I whispered, as if the spirits couldn’t hear me. Ghostly Gallows http://tinyurl.com/kedsdp9 @UnRealms
Giveaways! Everyone who comments here or at any of the stops during my Afterlife Blog Tour will be put into a drawing for FREE ebooks of Second Death, Ghostly Gallows and Secret Keepers. Five copies will be given away during the two week release period of each book. Everyone who leaves a review of any book in the Afterlife series by October 31, 2014 will be put in a drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card. Everyone who purchases the complete ebook set or boxed ebook collection set by the end of the Afterlife blog tour (by October 31, 2014) will be put in a drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card (boxed ebook set available October).A print book giveaway of the series will also be up for grabs - stay tuned for more details!Send your purchase links with the heading "AFTERLIFE" in the subject line to GwenMGardner@cox.net to be entered into the drawings.
Available Here:
Amazon / B&N / Google Play / iTunes
Connect with me here: Blog / Twitter / Facebook / Pinterest / Amazon / B&N
Ghostly Gallows(Book II - Afterlife Series)
Cover by Corona Zschusschen Ghostly Gallows:The case of missing paranormals is far from solved. Hundreds of Sabrina Shores’ spirits are still missing.In Second Death, Indigo and her friends escape an eternity underground in evil clutches. Back aboveground with a few missing ghosties happily in tow, one truth is painfully clear: the size of their problem is bigger than the village cemetery itself.
Now in Ghostly Gallows, new information leads Indigo and her fellow investigators to the ruins of Gallowsgate Prison, long abandoned by everyone and everything except malevolent spirits. It’s not called Gallowsgate for nothing when the noose swings a little too close to home. Indigo Eady:
Much to her chagrin, Indigo Eady is a celebrity among spirits. She’s the girl who can see and speak with them. She has a proven track record in helping spirits find their murderers, so it’s no surprise when she’s drafted onto the Missing Paranormal Committee. Who better to help them than the experienced teenage ghost whisperer- investigator and her friends? Blog Tour Schedule:
(Come hang with me here!)Monday October 6th - Double-Edged Spark - Susan GourleyMonday October 6th - Indigo Children, the New Evolution - Susan OloierTuesday October 7th - Author Interview - Catherine Stine
Tuesday October 7th - Untethered RealmsWednesday October 8th - Sabrina Shores Fictional Setting - M. PaxFriday October 10th - Danger and Romance - Elizabeth Seckman
Tweet if the fancy takes you:
Ghostly Gallows, where #Afterlife takes on a whole new meaning. #supernatural #paranormal #ebook http://tinyurl.com/kedsdp9@UnRealms
#We’re surrounded by spirit energy,” I whispered, as if the spirits couldn’t hear me. Ghostly Gallows http://tinyurl.com/kedsdp9 @UnRealms
Giveaways! Everyone who comments here or at any of the stops during my Afterlife Blog Tour will be put into a drawing for FREE ebooks of Second Death, Ghostly Gallows and Secret Keepers. Five copies will be given away during the two week release period of each book. Everyone who leaves a review of any book in the Afterlife series by October 31, 2014 will be put in a drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card. Everyone who purchases the complete ebook set or boxed ebook collection set by the end of the Afterlife blog tour (by October 31, 2014) will be put in a drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card (boxed ebook set available October).A print book giveaway of the series will also be up for grabs - stay tuned for more details!Send your purchase links with the heading "AFTERLIFE" in the subject line to GwenMGardner@cox.net to be entered into the drawings.
Available Here:
Amazon / B&N / Google Play / iTunes
Connect with me here: Blog / Twitter / Facebook / Pinterest / Amazon / B&N
October 1, 2014
IWSG: Marketing and the Blog Tour
Today we're posting our advice for the entry into the IWSG anthology. Should they deem my post helpful, they have my permission to use it. Many thanks to Alex Cavanaugh and his co-hosts this month, KristinSmith, Elsie, SuzanneFurness, and Fundy Blue . Marketing and the Blog Tour by Gwen Gardner.
I’ve been told on many occasions that my debut blog tour was amazing. I toured with Angela Brown, also a debut author at the time. Both authors of YA, it worked out well for both of us.
Whether you’re an indie author or with a small press, here are some tips to organizing your own successful tour.
1. Research. Research the process and learn from others who have already been through the experience.
2. Blog. Blog about your publishing plans. When other writers found out we were self-publishing, most wanted to help, whether for cover reveal, hosting or advice on editing and formatting. Ask what kind of posts they want to see. FYI, for our blog tour, most wanted short, quirky, fun, and character based posts. Based on the above research, we generated interest by bringing our characters to life in our posts, using short character sketches, character dialogues and character interviews.
3. Finding Hosts. For the most part, we didn’t approach people directly. We posted a comment linkyon each of our blogs asking for volunteers for our cover releases and tour hosts. The response was overwhelming. The blogging community is so generous and willing to help.
We did approach at least two high-traffic blogs separately, though. They tend to fill their guest spots quickly, and you’ll want to reserve a spot at least two to three months in advance.
4. Pre-plan. Organizing a blog tour takes time and you will need certain items before the tour begins. It’s a good idea to allow three to four months to have a cover made, interior formatting for print/ebook and signing up tour hosts.
Book outside services early, especially if you’re going with popular designers. All of my covers are illustrated rather than photographic and it takes at least two months for my designer to complete one from start to finish--that’s if she’s immediately available.
Pre-write your tour posts well in advance (they can be modified later to cater to the host) so you’re not bogged down at the last minute. Find out what kind of post your host wants and provide it at least a week in advance (two weeks if possible). With several venues now offering pre-ordering for independent authors, it’s now easier to provide the buy links in advance. 5. Media Package. Put together a file with all your links. Social media links (Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, GoodReads), buy links (Amazon, B&N, iTunes, Google Play) and author bio. Include any giveaway information and linkys. Pre-made tweets are a nice touch as well. It’s easy to copy and paste the document into your tour post or attach it separately when emailing it to your host, along with your cover and author photo.
6. Final Advice. Start early and do your research. Use social media to engender interest, but don’t risk alienating your friends and writing buddies by bombarding them with pleas to buy your book. The recommended ratio is 80/20, i.e., 80% of your Facebook posts should be about something other than your book.
And always, always, be considerate of yours hosts. Be reliable. Deliver when you say you will, or advise them if you’ve hit a snag. They’ll understand and a good reputation in the blogging community is always a plus.
I'm Gwen Gardner, young adult author of the Indigo Eady paranormal series, including two paranormal novels and three novellas, and I blog at Gwen Gardner, YA Author http://gwengardner.blogspot.com. Permission granted to use this post in the IWSG Anthology.
September 29, 2014
A Rare Journalistic Find In Settler, Oregon
There's nothing like a road trip through small town Oregon in the summertime. And Settler was just the place to scrounge through a trunk in an antique shop full of all kinds of cool stuff. Guess what I found?! A leather-bound journal from the 19th century. I had to laugh at its contents, but it was good fun. Because it was full of craziness. But check it out. Here's an excerpt from a journal by someone named Cordelia Swit:
I'd been riding the stagecoach from Bend, Oregon, on my way to visit my cousin, Patrick Swit, in Settler. I saw the Gold and Swit Peaks in the distance and the Cascades beyond, and knew we were getting close. Mid May, it rained for most of the five hours we'd been on the rutted muddy trail.
I stared out at the high desert scrub, my head aching horribly from the constant bouncing and jostling. The danged Whip seemed to make no attempt at avoiding the potholes. You can bet I'd be making a complaint to the Stageline. I'd barely had time at the swing-station to relieve myself and grab a Johnny Cake from the station keeper.
While waiting for my cake to be wrapped, I peeked through the wall slats at the coachmen. They were definitely up to something. A battered trunk went in the boot and a strange looking box stowed under the Whip's seat. New men with shotguns positioned themselves atop the coach. Even more strange, they wore glowing green aviator goggles around their necks and tin foil hats. Then when being handed back into the coach, a young scoundrel opened my reticule and tucked something inside. Didn't he know that pickpockets took things, not gave them, for heaven's sake?
Once our journey recommenced, I opened my reticule and pulled out my 'gift.' A wad of paper contained something wrapped inside. I peeled the paper back to reveal a green crystal rock and leather-bound journal. My name, Cordelia Swit, was etched into the cover in fluorescent green. Strange, because I didn't keep a journal.
I must admit, the rock was breathtaking. I smoothed the paper it was wrapped in, a waybill I had seen inside but paid no mind to. I laughed when I read it. Dinosaurs and other such creatures on the loose. I ask you, who believed in that kind of ridiculous malarkey? Balderdash! And the journal was fast stuck together and wouldn't open. Curiouser and curiouser.
In all the dictionaries, I wasn't prepared for what came next. Creatures erupted from the wayside, in all the colors of the rainbow. Purple, red, and blue. Some with yellow eyes, others with pink. The hangers-on up topside began to shoot. The Whip sped up, cracking his reins for the horses to go faster. We raced through the turnpike and took the corner too fast. Next thing I knew, we rolled, over and over. When I came to, dust clouds still enshrouded the coach, and I lay on what was the ceiling. Creatures leaned in to search the interior. I was the only passenger to occupy the coach, yet they didn't seem to see me. I lay still, hardly daring to breathe, until they left.
I sat up gingerly, surprised to find I had no limbs or body. The shock sent me scrambling through the door and falling out onto the ground. The green rock once grasped in my palm fell onto the dirt. And then my limbs were back. I retrieved the rock and my body was gone once again. A magic rock of some sort that allowed me to disappear like a ghost. Did the young lad earlier know that I would need this?
The creatures were gone. The Whip and the riders once topside lie in death heaps. Well, I'd not scoff at the lad's gifts again. I retrieved my reticule, leather-bound journal and ghost rock and made my way toward the town. I stayed for the rest of my days. Became the town librarian. And joined The Rifters.
And look at this! I'm pretty sure this is the remains of the wagon that Cordelia left behind that day.
Photo by M. Pax And then we saw something that made me think that maybe, just maybe... there was some truth to Cordelia's crazy journal story...
Sculpture & photo by Kirk Chapman
Sculpture & photo by Kirk Chapman
(NOTE: This post is in participation of M. Pax's release of The Rifters and the fictional town Settler where it takes place. The Rifters is available for free. The second book in the series, The Initiate, will be available October 20, 2014. It’s up for preorder for a special price at iTunes, Amazon, and Nook. Check HERE for links. Giveaways and events are ongoing through October 31, 2014. Check HERE for details.)
The Gold Rush trickles to a fool’s quest and a string of stagecoach heists. In 1888, Earl Blacke decides to make a new start and become a better man. He escapes into the mountains, heading north. In the wilds of Oregon, a rift inside an ancient volcano opens and sends him into the future, into the present day. It also shaves forty years off his age, forty years to live over again and atone for what he’s done.Starting over is hard to do. In current day New York, Daelin Long’s dream job at a publishing house goes the way of the dinosaurs her sister chases. With no money and nowhere else to go, Daelin accepts the librarian position in her sister’s dinky town in the middle of Oregon. Nestled inside ancient volcanic peaks, the town of Settler holds onto many secrets. Residents roam the streets with weirdly fashioned devices, and odd lights pulse in the night skies. People whisper of a phantom outlaw and start dying, murdered and missing their heads. On top of it all, Daelin’s sister is missing, and Daelin doesn’t know who to trust.
Earl knows more than he’s saying. He shares a notorious history with the phantom, one he’ll see remains buried. Keeping Daelin’s sister’s secrets is his only chance at redemption, and the only way to keep this world safe.
(This post is in participation of M. Pax's release of The Rifters and the fictional town Settler where it takes place. The Rifters is available for free. The second book in the series, The Initiate, will be available October 20, 2014. It’s up for preorder for a special price at iTunes, Amazon, and Nook. Check HERE for links. Giveaways and events are ongoing through October 31, 2014. Check HERE for details.)
Links: Amazon / AmazonUK / Nook / Smashwords /Google Play / iTunes / Other Outlets
M. Pax is author of the space adventure series The Backworlds, plus other novels and short stories. Fantasy, science fiction, and the weird beckons to her, and she blames Oregon, a source of endless inspiration. She docents at Pine Mountain Observatory in the summers as a star guide, has a cat with a crush on Mr. Spock, and is slightly obsessed with Jane Austen. Learn more at mpaxauthor.com.
An Excerpt from The Rifters:
Earl’s vigil ended. His girl came home. It had to be her. He stood, ready to run down into the clearing and embrace her, but the angle of the head gave him pause. Silhouetted by the blue energy, the arrival had a long beak. Yes, a beak. Definitely not Charming.
“No.” Earl slumped to the ground and scrambled behind a boulder. Once concealed from the visitor below, he raised his binoculars.
The figure came into focus illuminated by the moon and the rift. It wore a mask with goggles over its beak. Green mist poured out of it in a breathing rhythm, and it had the tail of an eel. The thing stood like a human with two arms and two legs in the usual places. It set down a gyroscope, a metal orb of rings, some full rings, some partial, before the gateway. The gyroscope spun, siphoning energy from the pillars, energy reaching for a crystal in its center. It spun faster, faster, faster until the crystal began to glow. A disturbing shade of green.
The beaked thing from the rift shrieked, which came out as a bubbly burp, an odd sound to go with an odd sight. It kept burping, stopping periodically to sniff at the wind. It continued with its strange behavior until the moon started to set, which deepened the shadows of night, stretching them to distorted patches.
September 22, 2014
Second Death: Is It Possible?
Today is Launch Day!
Discover the phenomenon of a second death. How is it possible you ask? Read to find out. Second Death Book I
The Afterlife Novella Series
Cover by Corona Zschusschen
Tweetable Character Quotes “When faced with the strangeness of afterlife, a morbid sense of humor is a must...” Badger, Second Death. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N6TYPOE @UnRealms “What do you mean by under the weather? He’s dead, how can he be sick?” Indigo, Second Death. #YA #PNR http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N6TYPOE @UnRealms “If looks could kill…if he wasn’t already dead, I mean.” ~Sarah Scroggins, Second Death
#Afterlife series http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N6TYPOE @UnRealms Blurb: Second Death:The Sabrina Shores spirit community is in crisis. Ghosties are mysteriously disappearing at an alarming rate. They’re simply…gone. A second death. The clues are limited, but it’s clear that the one common factor is Gertrude’s Garden, the nightclub social center of the spirit community which just happens to adjoin the Sabrina Shores cemetery: the one place Indigo makes a point of not going. Ever. She has her reasons. Indigo Eady:Much to her chagrin, Indigo Eady is a celebrity among spirits. She’s the girl who can see and speak with them. She has a proven track record in helping spirits find their murderers, so it’s no surprise when she’s drafted onto the Missing Paranormal Committee. Who better to help them than the experienced teenage ghost whisperer- investigator and her friends? ***
Blog Tour Stops:(Book I)(Yeah, I rub elbows with some awesome peeps!) Monday 9/22/14 - Julie Flanders Tuesday 9/22/14 - Untethered Realms Tuesday 9/23/14 - Christine Rains Tuesday 9/23/14 - Miranda Hardy Wednesday 9/24/14 - Angela Brown Wednesday 9/24/14 - Jamie Ayres Friday 9/26/14 - Ellie Garratt Check back in two weeks for book II release of Ghostly Gallows and tour schedule beginning October 6th! Then, two more weeks on October 20th is the release of book III, Secret Keepers - still need hosts for book III! Giveaways! Everyone who comments here or at any of the stops during my Afterlife Blog Tour will be put into a drawing for FREE ebooks of Second Death, Ghostly Gallows and Secret Keepers. Five copies will be given away during the two week release period of each book. Everyone who leaves a review of any book in the Afterlife series by October 31, 2014 will be put in a drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card. Everyone who purchases the complete ebook set or boxed ebook collection set by the end of the Afterlife blog tour (by October 31, 2014) will be put in a drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card (boxed ebook set available October).A print book giveaway of the series will also be up for grabs - stay tuned for more details!Send your purchase links with the heading "AFTERLIFE" in the subject line to GwenMGardner@cox.net to be entered into the drawings.
IF you feel like buying now:
Amazon/ B&N/ iTunes / Google Play
Connect with me here: Blog / Twitter / Facebook / Pinterest / Amazon / B&N
Discover the phenomenon of a second death. How is it possible you ask? Read to find out. Second Death Book I
The Afterlife Novella Series
Cover by Corona ZschusschenTweetable Character Quotes “When faced with the strangeness of afterlife, a morbid sense of humor is a must...” Badger, Second Death. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N6TYPOE @UnRealms “What do you mean by under the weather? He’s dead, how can he be sick?” Indigo, Second Death. #YA #PNR http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N6TYPOE @UnRealms “If looks could kill…if he wasn’t already dead, I mean.” ~Sarah Scroggins, Second Death
#Afterlife series http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N6TYPOE @UnRealms Blurb: Second Death:The Sabrina Shores spirit community is in crisis. Ghosties are mysteriously disappearing at an alarming rate. They’re simply…gone. A second death. The clues are limited, but it’s clear that the one common factor is Gertrude’s Garden, the nightclub social center of the spirit community which just happens to adjoin the Sabrina Shores cemetery: the one place Indigo makes a point of not going. Ever. She has her reasons. Indigo Eady:Much to her chagrin, Indigo Eady is a celebrity among spirits. She’s the girl who can see and speak with them. She has a proven track record in helping spirits find their murderers, so it’s no surprise when she’s drafted onto the Missing Paranormal Committee. Who better to help them than the experienced teenage ghost whisperer- investigator and her friends? ***
Blog Tour Stops:(Book I)(Yeah, I rub elbows with some awesome peeps!) Monday 9/22/14 - Julie Flanders Tuesday 9/22/14 - Untethered Realms Tuesday 9/23/14 - Christine Rains Tuesday 9/23/14 - Miranda Hardy Wednesday 9/24/14 - Angela Brown Wednesday 9/24/14 - Jamie Ayres Friday 9/26/14 - Ellie Garratt Check back in two weeks for book II release of Ghostly Gallows and tour schedule beginning October 6th! Then, two more weeks on October 20th is the release of book III, Secret Keepers - still need hosts for book III! Giveaways! Everyone who comments here or at any of the stops during my Afterlife Blog Tour will be put into a drawing for FREE ebooks of Second Death, Ghostly Gallows and Secret Keepers. Five copies will be given away during the two week release period of each book. Everyone who leaves a review of any book in the Afterlife series by October 31, 2014 will be put in a drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card. Everyone who purchases the complete ebook set or boxed ebook collection set by the end of the Afterlife blog tour (by October 31, 2014) will be put in a drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card (boxed ebook set available October).A print book giveaway of the series will also be up for grabs - stay tuned for more details!Send your purchase links with the heading "AFTERLIFE" in the subject line to GwenMGardner@cox.net to be entered into the drawings.
IF you feel like buying now:
Amazon/ B&N/ iTunes / Google Play
Connect with me here: Blog / Twitter / Facebook / Pinterest / Amazon / B&N
September 15, 2014
Ghost Head Hunter of The Rifters
I'm so happy to have M. Pax as my guest today. Mary has two new books coming from a new series, but today she's talking about The Rifters - and ghosties! And you know how I love my ghosties! SQUEEEE! *clamps hand over mouth* Oops, sorry. That just slipped out. But you're going to love this.
And hereeeeee's Mary!
George “Haw Shot” Hawley
Strange creatures, the stranger the better, fascinate me. I loved Relic for that reason and I loved the interesting creatures Cheri Reich dreamed up for Reborn. Beasts can make a world come alive for me, i.e., Dragon Riders of Pern.
Gwen writes about great ghosts with pasts getting them stuck in the present... well, in haunting the present.
George “Haw Shot” Hawley is a ghost with a twist. I based him slightly on fact and slightly on fiction. One of the main characters in The Rifters was a real outlaw. So I did a lot of research and ran across this guy: C.B. Hawley (18??-1882) - An outlaw, Hawley confessed to stage robbery in 1882 near Globe, Arizona and was lynched. Index of American Outlaws
Hanging was a common sentence in the old days, whether by proper sentence or mob. It also wasn’t uncommon for the head to come off during hanging. “Black Jack” Tom Ketchum was the last man to hang in America in 1901, because hangings often went wrong. Tom ended up in three pieces. more info
Sounds like a reason to be a ghost with a thirst for vengeance to me. The C in CB stood for Charles. I already had a Charles old west outlaw, so I renamed him George and moved him to Nevada.
George uses my other outlaw to murder townspeople and steal their heads. The heads give him more powers, because he’s not a normal ghost. He’s possessed by another creature from the rift using him for its nefarious purposes.
Rifters blurb:
The Gold Rush trickles to a fool’s quest and a string of stagecoach heists. In 1888, Earl Blacke decides to make a new start and become a better man. He escapes into the mountains, heading north. In the wilds of Oregon, a rift inside an ancient volcano opens and sends him into the future, into the present day. It also shaves forty years off his age, forty years to live over again and atone for what he’s done.
Starting over is hard to do. In current day New York, Daelin Long’s dream job at a publishing house goes the way of the dinosaurs her sister chases. With no money and nowhere else to go, Daelin accepts the librarian position in her sister’s dinky town in the middle of Oregon. Nestled inside ancient volcanic peaks, the town of Settler holds onto many secrets. Residents roam the streets with weirdly fashioned devices, and odd lights pulse in the night skies. People whisper of a phantom outlaw and start dying, murdered and missing their heads. On top of it all, Daelin’s sister is missing, and Daelin doesn’t know who to trust.
Earl knows more than he’s saying. He shares a notorious history with the phantom, one he’ll see remains buried. Keeping Daelin’s sister’s secrets is his only chance at redemption, and the only way to keep this world safe.
Try Rifters for free!
Download from: Amazon / AmazonUK / B&N/ Smashwords /Googleplay / iTunes / Other
Take advantage of the preorder special on book 2, The Initiate. Only 99 cents via preorder from Amazon, iTunes, B&N, and Googleplay. Preorder
Author Bio:
Fantasy, science fiction, and the weird beckons to her, and she blames Oregon, a source of endless inspiration. She docents at Pine Mountain Observatory in the summers, and one of her cats has a crush on Mr. Spock. You can find out more by visiting her website: mpaxauthor.com
And hereeeeee's Mary!
George “Haw Shot” Hawley
Strange creatures, the stranger the better, fascinate me. I loved Relic for that reason and I loved the interesting creatures Cheri Reich dreamed up for Reborn. Beasts can make a world come alive for me, i.e., Dragon Riders of Pern.
Gwen writes about great ghosts with pasts getting them stuck in the present... well, in haunting the present.
George “Haw Shot” Hawley is a ghost with a twist. I based him slightly on fact and slightly on fiction. One of the main characters in The Rifters was a real outlaw. So I did a lot of research and ran across this guy: C.B. Hawley (18??-1882) - An outlaw, Hawley confessed to stage robbery in 1882 near Globe, Arizona and was lynched. Index of American Outlaws
Hanging was a common sentence in the old days, whether by proper sentence or mob. It also wasn’t uncommon for the head to come off during hanging. “Black Jack” Tom Ketchum was the last man to hang in America in 1901, because hangings often went wrong. Tom ended up in three pieces. more info
Sounds like a reason to be a ghost with a thirst for vengeance to me. The C in CB stood for Charles. I already had a Charles old west outlaw, so I renamed him George and moved him to Nevada.
George uses my other outlaw to murder townspeople and steal their heads. The heads give him more powers, because he’s not a normal ghost. He’s possessed by another creature from the rift using him for its nefarious purposes.
Rifters blurb:The Gold Rush trickles to a fool’s quest and a string of stagecoach heists. In 1888, Earl Blacke decides to make a new start and become a better man. He escapes into the mountains, heading north. In the wilds of Oregon, a rift inside an ancient volcano opens and sends him into the future, into the present day. It also shaves forty years off his age, forty years to live over again and atone for what he’s done.
Starting over is hard to do. In current day New York, Daelin Long’s dream job at a publishing house goes the way of the dinosaurs her sister chases. With no money and nowhere else to go, Daelin accepts the librarian position in her sister’s dinky town in the middle of Oregon. Nestled inside ancient volcanic peaks, the town of Settler holds onto many secrets. Residents roam the streets with weirdly fashioned devices, and odd lights pulse in the night skies. People whisper of a phantom outlaw and start dying, murdered and missing their heads. On top of it all, Daelin’s sister is missing, and Daelin doesn’t know who to trust.
Earl knows more than he’s saying. He shares a notorious history with the phantom, one he’ll see remains buried. Keeping Daelin’s sister’s secrets is his only chance at redemption, and the only way to keep this world safe.
Try Rifters for free!
Download from: Amazon / AmazonUK / B&N/ Smashwords /Googleplay / iTunes / Other
Take advantage of the preorder special on book 2, The Initiate. Only 99 cents via preorder from Amazon, iTunes, B&N, and Googleplay. Preorder
Author Bio:
Fantasy, science fiction, and the weird beckons to her, and she blames Oregon, a source of endless inspiration. She docents at Pine Mountain Observatory in the summers, and one of her cats has a crush on Mr. Spock. You can find out more by visiting her website: mpaxauthor.com
September 8, 2014
Life is Good: Tiny Downey Tribute
Today's post is in honor of Tina Downey who went to be with the Lord before I had a chance to know her very well. To read what others are saying, go to the A - Z Blog HERE.
Tina was active in the blogging community and supportive of her fellow writers. We were friends on facebook. What I remember is her witty sense of humor and that everything had a positive side, even getting soaked in the rain! One thing everyone knew about Tina is that she loved sunflowers! This is for you, Tina... Sunflowers!
My daughter Amber with Sunflowers at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo 
My 2014 sunflowers
My garden 2014Tina believed that... #LifeIsGood
logo on my backpack In fact, Tina's blog was called Life is Good! Such a lovely lady with a lovely way of looking at the world. You are loved and missed, Tina. Godspeed! A tweet to share: Remembering Tina Downey over at the A - Z today. Bring a sunflower! #lifeisgood http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/2014/08/sunflowers-for-tina-september-8-2014.html
Did you know Tina?
What do you remember most about her?
September 3, 2014
ISWG: Touring and Tanking
Today is Insecure Writers Support Group day. The first Wednesday of every month is when we post about our insecurities and concerns as writers, receive and offer support. If you want to join, click HERE. Thanks so much to Alex Cavanaugh and his helpers who manage this event every month. I'm releasing my Afterlife series. The first novella, Second Death, will be released on September 22nd, then the other two in October. All three are written, edited and formatted. I'm waiting on one more cover to be completed. I'm on top of it. Second Death is even up for pre-order.
What's my insecurity?
It's the blog tour. I've toned it down because I don't want to stress myself out since the day job that pays the bills really takes a lot out of me. I've barely asked for any hosts (asking for help has always been a problem for me), since I know I can rely on my buddies in my Untethered Realms group to host me. That's the good part.
The insecure part is writing posts for the blog tour. I tend to go with character-based posts, fun and quirky (according to me) rather than the serious. What if the posts are dumb? What if people (hosts) think they're too silly. And *gasp!* what if readers (bloggers) find them boring? What if I tank? What if people don't comment because...all of the above?
Still... I have spots open if, you know...
That's my current insecurity. What's yours?
September 1, 2014
Kitsy Clare, Untethered Realms, Other News
On Personal Stuff
I have a four day weekend! WooHoo! I'm so excited. It's like having two weekends in a row (because that's how my crazy mind breaks things down. LOL! ).
Also, the hubs and I are talking seriously about a vacation. It's been about seven years since we've had a real vacation. The last time was three weeks in Europe - England, France, Italy. This time, we're talking about maybe ten days in England (on a shoestring budget and frequent flyer mileage) - London and Yorkshire and the Cotswolds. Probably in November, because we're those crazy people who really love winter. Fog and drizzle and a cozy English pub? Yes, please!
Plus, hehe, I'm thinking of setting my next series in London ;)
On Pre-Ordering
I downloaded Second Death (novella #1) for pre-order on Amazon. It's a new feature that indie authors/publishers now have access to. A lot of people are wondering how it works. It was simple and painless. Just a matter of clicking a button saying it's a pre-order, clicking another button advising it's not the final version (if your manuscript isn't completely ready yet - mine's in proofing), then entering in the release date.
You do have to click the box acknowledging that if the final version isn't downloaded ten days prior to release that you're banned from doing pre-orders for a year. Don't know what that's about...
So once a reader clicks the pre-order button at Amazon, they receive an email informing them that the book will be automatically sent to their Kindle on release day. You're not charged until the ebook is delivered. Easy Peasy.
If you want to pre-order Second Death on Amazon click HERE.
Available September 22nd!
AND!
The Untethered Realms Anthology is also available for pre-order.
Available October 14th!
Amazon / Google Play
On Publishing
I'm plugging along getting my Afterlife novella series ready for publishing. Did a little change up. Since there are three novellas I decided not to make a big production out of the cover reveal process. That'd just be a lot of space-hogging on people's blogs to do separate cover reveals and then releases so close together. Also, less work and less stress for me.
Kudos to Corona Zschusschen for the excellent illustrating and cover work. I highly recommend her!
AND NOW.... HERE IT IS!
Second Death:
The Sabrina Shores spirit community is in crisis.
Ghosties are mysteriously disappearing at an alarming rate. They’re simply…gone. A second death.
The clues are limited, but it’s clear that the one common factor is Gertrude’s Garden, the nightclub social center of the spirit community which just happens to adjoin the Sabrina Shores cemetery: the one place Indigo makes a point of not going. Ever. She has her reasons.
Indigo Eady: Much to her chagrin, Indigo Eady is a celebrity among spirits. She’s the girl who can see and speak with them. She has a proven track record in helping spirits find their murderers, so it’s no surprise when she’s drafted onto the Missing Paranormal Committee. Who better to help them than the experienced teenage ghost whisperer- investigator and her friends?
So, here's the new schedule:
9/22/14 Second Death release10/6/14 Ghostly Gallows release 10/20/14 Secret Keepers
Now this is much tidier!
Let me know if you'd be interested in hosting me and what sort of post you're interested in. I'm starting to work on tour posts now.
On Reviews
If you want to review my novellas, let me know and I'll send you ARCs. Even though each is a standalone of about 20K, you should probably read them in order.
On Untethered Realms
The authors over at Untethered Realms are cranking out the books! This is just September. Wait until you see our scheduled book releases for October!
M. Pax will be releasing Rifters on 9/8/14. She'll be here on my blog on 9/15/14.
Gwen Gardner (yeah, it's me!) is releasing Second Death on 9/22/14.
Kitsy Clare, aka our own Catherine Stine has a book coming out on 9/29.
Check it out...
The Private Internship
An Art of Love novel by Kitsy Clare
New adult romance, book 2
(Not necessary to read the first in the series to understand book 2)
Sugar’s not so sweet and secrets can be deadly … especially with matters of the heart
Sienna’s bestie, Harper warned her not to intern for famous bad boy artist, Casper Mason. After all, he just fired Harper who helped Sienna get the interview. But the moment Sienna sees Casper—or Caz—sweaty and practically shirtless and swinging from chains while he works on his sculpture, she’s hooked. He’s the richest, hottest artist in New York, and he lives in the fabulous Williamsburg Sugar Factory. But he’s also an incorrigible game-player, who seems to relish testing Sienna’s loyalty with a string of unsettling tests.
She knows she should get away fast. But by the time Sienna sneaks into his locked storage room and begins to unearth his dark and terrifying secret, she’s fallen way too hard for the handsome, charismatic Caz.
Book reviewers are saying:
"Beautiful. Amazing. A fantastic read that left me wanting more." -XoXo Book Blog
"A juicy read full of passion and magnetic chemistry that will have you hooked from beginning to end." -From the Purple Matter Book Blog
Author Bio:
Kitsy Clare hails from Philadelphia and lives in New York. A romantic at heart, she loves to write about the sexy intrigue of the city, and particularly of the art world. She knows it well, having shown her paintings here before turning to writing. Model Position, her new adult novella is about artist Sienna and her friends. Living in a Bookworld says: “Beautifully written! We get to learn things about art & painting, which is refreshing. A colorful story from a promising new adult author.” The next in her series, Private Internship launches on September 29 with Inkspell.
Kitsy loves to travel, draw, read romance, spec fiction and teach writing workshops. She also writes YA as Catherine Stine. Her futuristic thriller, Ruby’s Fire was a YA finalist in the Next Generation Indie book awards. Fireseed One, its companion novel, was a finalist in YA and Sci-Fi in the USA News International Book Awards, and an Indie Reader notable. Her YA horror, Dorianna, launches fall 2014 with Evernight Teen.
Social Media links: Put Private Internship on your Goodreads TBRlist Kitsy Clare onFacebook Subscribe toKitsy’s newsletter
Twitter / Pinterest / Blog / Website
What have you been working on this week? What'd you do on summer vacation?
I have a four day weekend! WooHoo! I'm so excited. It's like having two weekends in a row (because that's how my crazy mind breaks things down. LOL! ).
Also, the hubs and I are talking seriously about a vacation. It's been about seven years since we've had a real vacation. The last time was three weeks in Europe - England, France, Italy. This time, we're talking about maybe ten days in England (on a shoestring budget and frequent flyer mileage) - London and Yorkshire and the Cotswolds. Probably in November, because we're those crazy people who really love winter. Fog and drizzle and a cozy English pub? Yes, please!
Plus, hehe, I'm thinking of setting my next series in London ;)
On Pre-Ordering
I downloaded Second Death (novella #1) for pre-order on Amazon. It's a new feature that indie authors/publishers now have access to. A lot of people are wondering how it works. It was simple and painless. Just a matter of clicking a button saying it's a pre-order, clicking another button advising it's not the final version (if your manuscript isn't completely ready yet - mine's in proofing), then entering in the release date.
You do have to click the box acknowledging that if the final version isn't downloaded ten days prior to release that you're banned from doing pre-orders for a year. Don't know what that's about...
So once a reader clicks the pre-order button at Amazon, they receive an email informing them that the book will be automatically sent to their Kindle on release day. You're not charged until the ebook is delivered. Easy Peasy.
If you want to pre-order Second Death on Amazon click HERE.
Available September 22nd!
AND!
The Untethered Realms Anthology is also available for pre-order.
Available October 14th!
Amazon / Google PlayOn Publishing
I'm plugging along getting my Afterlife novella series ready for publishing. Did a little change up. Since there are three novellas I decided not to make a big production out of the cover reveal process. That'd just be a lot of space-hogging on people's blogs to do separate cover reveals and then releases so close together. Also, less work and less stress for me.
Kudos to Corona Zschusschen for the excellent illustrating and cover work. I highly recommend her!
AND NOW.... HERE IT IS!
Second Death:The Sabrina Shores spirit community is in crisis.
Ghosties are mysteriously disappearing at an alarming rate. They’re simply…gone. A second death.
The clues are limited, but it’s clear that the one common factor is Gertrude’s Garden, the nightclub social center of the spirit community which just happens to adjoin the Sabrina Shores cemetery: the one place Indigo makes a point of not going. Ever. She has her reasons.
Indigo Eady: Much to her chagrin, Indigo Eady is a celebrity among spirits. She’s the girl who can see and speak with them. She has a proven track record in helping spirits find their murderers, so it’s no surprise when she’s drafted onto the Missing Paranormal Committee. Who better to help them than the experienced teenage ghost whisperer- investigator and her friends?
So, here's the new schedule:
9/22/14 Second Death release10/6/14 Ghostly Gallows release 10/20/14 Secret Keepers
Now this is much tidier!
Let me know if you'd be interested in hosting me and what sort of post you're interested in. I'm starting to work on tour posts now.
On Reviews
If you want to review my novellas, let me know and I'll send you ARCs. Even though each is a standalone of about 20K, you should probably read them in order.
On Untethered Realms
The authors over at Untethered Realms are cranking out the books! This is just September. Wait until you see our scheduled book releases for October!
M. Pax will be releasing Rifters on 9/8/14. She'll be here on my blog on 9/15/14.
Gwen Gardner (yeah, it's me!) is releasing Second Death on 9/22/14.
Kitsy Clare, aka our own Catherine Stine has a book coming out on 9/29.
Check it out...
The Private InternshipAn Art of Love novel by Kitsy Clare
New adult romance, book 2
(Not necessary to read the first in the series to understand book 2)
Sugar’s not so sweet and secrets can be deadly … especially with matters of the heart
Sienna’s bestie, Harper warned her not to intern for famous bad boy artist, Casper Mason. After all, he just fired Harper who helped Sienna get the interview. But the moment Sienna sees Casper—or Caz—sweaty and practically shirtless and swinging from chains while he works on his sculpture, she’s hooked. He’s the richest, hottest artist in New York, and he lives in the fabulous Williamsburg Sugar Factory. But he’s also an incorrigible game-player, who seems to relish testing Sienna’s loyalty with a string of unsettling tests.
She knows she should get away fast. But by the time Sienna sneaks into his locked storage room and begins to unearth his dark and terrifying secret, she’s fallen way too hard for the handsome, charismatic Caz.
Book reviewers are saying:
"Beautiful. Amazing. A fantastic read that left me wanting more." -XoXo Book Blog
"A juicy read full of passion and magnetic chemistry that will have you hooked from beginning to end." -From the Purple Matter Book Blog
Author Bio:
Kitsy Clare hails from Philadelphia and lives in New York. A romantic at heart, she loves to write about the sexy intrigue of the city, and particularly of the art world. She knows it well, having shown her paintings here before turning to writing. Model Position, her new adult novella is about artist Sienna and her friends. Living in a Bookworld says: “Beautifully written! We get to learn things about art & painting, which is refreshing. A colorful story from a promising new adult author.” The next in her series, Private Internship launches on September 29 with Inkspell.
Kitsy loves to travel, draw, read romance, spec fiction and teach writing workshops. She also writes YA as Catherine Stine. Her futuristic thriller, Ruby’s Fire was a YA finalist in the Next Generation Indie book awards. Fireseed One, its companion novel, was a finalist in YA and Sci-Fi in the USA News International Book Awards, and an Indie Reader notable. Her YA horror, Dorianna, launches fall 2014 with Evernight Teen.
Social Media links: Put Private Internship on your Goodreads TBRlist Kitsy Clare onFacebook Subscribe toKitsy’s newsletter
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What have you been working on this week? What'd you do on summer vacation?
