April Aasheim's Blog, page 2

March 18, 2016

Boxed Set #Edge #YoungAdult #NewAdult

Caught in the Glow coverThe bestselling Edge young adult box set introduces Caught in the Glow, a novel by Eva Chase. This is just one of 20 page-turning, full length novels for only $.99! Order your copy today!

When she was a child, Avery Harmen watched her father die at the hands of a Glower—a breed of demon that feeds on dreams of fame and glory. Now she secretly protects the rising stars of Los Angeles from the demons that prey on them, determined to make sure her clients never suffer the same fate.

Then Avery finds herself assigned to Colin Ryder, a young indie rocker who just landed a major label deal. Colin is cocky, rebellious, a brilliant musician, and already in the Glowers' sights. He's also far too hot for Avery to ignore the chemistry between them—especially when she gets to know the tender side behind his celebrity facade.

Though Avery knows she's falling too fast, she's willing to risk heartbreak if fanning the flames of attraction distracts Colin from his Glower-tempting antics. But Colin is keeping a secret of his own, one so big it will put both her heart and his soul on the line.

The first book in The Glower Chronicles, a steamy New Adult paranormal series.

Author bio

Eva Chase lives in Canada with her family. She loves stories both swoony and supernatural, and strong women and the men who appreciate them.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr

Excerpt

He dropped his gaze, swiped his fingers through his shaggy hair, and then looked at me again. “It’s just the job,” he said. “That’s why you care.”

There was something needy in his eyes, a plea I didn’t totally understand. But it pulled a little ache into my gut. I opened my mouth and hesitated, and Colin shrugged.

“Of course,” he said flatly. “Well, don’t worry. I can ‘look after’ this just fine on my own.”

The words slammed down, cutting me off, crushing any progress I’d made with him in the last ten days. They knocked the breath out of me. So it wasn’t that hard to honestly say, “No. Colin, I’d care—even if they took me off duty right now, I’d want to know you were okay. Just because it’s a job doesn’t mean you’re not a person to me too.”

He took a step toward me, closing that distance again, and this time there was no ignoring the solid presence of him, that piney aftershave mingling with the smoke still clinging to his clothes.

“Yeah?” he said softly.

“Yeah,” I said. “I mean, at times a highly irritating person, but frequently one I actually enjoy being around.”

A sliver of a smile touched his lips. “You’re never going to cut me a break, are you?”

“Do you want me to?”

He paused. “No. I want...” The sentence hung unfinished in the air between us. Then, without warning, he caught me by the waist, spun me to the side, and sat me on the edge of the table.

I barely had time to let out a stutter of a laugh and a “What—” before his lips captured mine.

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Edge cover

EDGE: A Young Adult / New Adult Paranormal Collection



Twenty of today's favorite YA & NA authors have come together to bring you a collection packed with full-length, spellbinding reads sure to keep you keep you on the edge of your seat and up way past your bedtime!

READER BEWARE: These novels take everything to the edge--and not just the edge of your seat. With authors who aren't afraid to push the boundaries, you get stories that take everything to limit, creating whimsical reads that teens can actually relate to and that adults can enjoy, too.

Amazon / Apple / Kobo / Nook
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Published on March 18, 2016 09:02

March 14, 2016

March 13, 2016

The Popularity Problem #Kids #Integrity

My 8 year old stepdaughter is obsessed by being and remaining popular. This includes wearing all the right clothes, seeing the right movies, hanging with the right crowds, etc. When did third grade become so competitive?

She mentioned she has to take lots of dance to become a cheerleader when she gets in Jr High and High School, as that will ensure her continued popularity. I'm at a loss here. I want her to be popular, as in 'liked'. I told her its important that other kids like her and that she value how others feel. But I told her its even more important for her to like herself.

"Why?"

"Because at the end of the day, you're alone with yourself. You cant rely on others to validate who you are. You have to find that inside."

"Oh." She pursed her cute lips together and thought about it. I think she gets it. I just cant believe how much pressure is on kids today at such a young age.

I know this is just the beginning. Soon, she'll be on FB and Instagram and Twitter and everything else. Her world view will enlarge. Will she be looking to get 'more likes' or will she be looking to expand her mind?

I guess only time will tell.

Someday, when she's older, I'll talk to her about integrity, about having the inside match the outside. I don't want her to 'package' herself. I want her to shine with her own unique identity and light.

But thats a conversation for another day. Perhaps another year.

The worlds a complicated place and no one has all the right answers. We're all just feeling our way through it.
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Published on March 13, 2016 15:24

I've just recently noticed that my dance fitness instruct...

I've just recently noticed that my dance fitness instructor looks a lot like I imagine Maggie Maddock. Shes tall and slim with wild auburn hair. She's a bit friendlier than Maggie and probably savier. She's also got sisters who she is very close to. She doesnt seem the type to believe in witchery, but you never know. I may have to do some more people watching for research.
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Published on March 13, 2016 09:39

March 10, 2016

Another Fabulous #Edge Book. #PNR #UF

MVS Hidden Cover copy

The bestselling Edge young adult box set introduces Hidden, a novel by Shalini Boland. This is just one of 20 page-turning, full length novels for only $.99! Order your copy today!

In this spellbinding vampire adventure, Madison and Alexandre discover terrifying secrets that draw them into the past -- toward their destruction. The legend of the vampire has never been so gripping... Falling in love has never been so dangerous...

HIDDEN is a spellbinding paranormal adventure that spans the centuries from modern London to 19th century Paris and ancient Cappadocia.

Sixteen-year-old Madison Greene is in foster care until one day she inherits a fortune, she inherits a house, she inherits a cellar full of danger.

Eighteen-year-old Alexandre lives in 19th century Paris. On an archaeological expedition he discovers a lost underground city where his life changes forever.

For each of them, life is finally starting. Little do they know it is closer to ending. Something lies buried which should have been forgotten. A Pandora's Box that was meant to stay shut. But Madison and Alexandre have never been any good at following the rules. They are about to find everything they've ever desired and everything that could destroy them.

Falling in love has never been so dangerous.

Praise for Hidden :

It's one of the best YA books I have read in a long time and I am eagerly awaiting the next instalment.' --Samantha Towle, New York Times bestselling author of The Mighty Storm

Author Bio

Shalini Boland lives in Dorset, England with her husband and two noisy boys. Before kids, she was signed to Universal Music Publishing as a singer/songwriter, but now she spends her days writing dark adventures (in between doing the school run and hanging out endless baskets of laundry).

Website / Newsletter / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Cindy Thomas on Amazon

Edge coverEDGE: A Young Adult / New Adult Paranormal Collection



Twenty of today's favorite YA & NA authors have come together to bring you a collection packed with full-length, spellbinding reads sure to keep you keep you on the edge of your seat and up way past your bedtime!

READER BEWARE: These novels take everything to the edge--and not just the edge of your seat. With authors who aren't afraid to push the boundaries, you get stories that take everything to limit, creating whimsical reads that teens can actually relate to and that adults can enjoy, too.

Amazon / Apple / Kobo / Nook
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Published on March 10, 2016 17:31

March 8, 2016

The Married Diaries

Husband: What did you want to eat for dinner?
Me: I just spent 20 minutes telling you what I was making for dinner and what you could do to help.
Husband: You did? (scratches his head)
Me: Yes. You never listen to me.
Husband: That's not true. I picked up the baby oil and Fireball you sent me out for.
Me: (sighing). I sent you out for baby spinach and coconut water.
Husband: Ah, yeah, now I remember. But we can still put the oil and liquor to use, right?
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Published on March 08, 2016 08:03

March 7, 2016

I live in a unique city. A mile away a marijuana dispensa...

I live in a unique city. A mile away a marijuana dispensary opened. Next to that a strip club. And next to that a bikini coffee stand, a pawn shop, and a liquor store.
Yet, I can walk past all of it and still feel safe. That is not considered the seedy section of town.
I'm still not sure I'll ever get used to Portland's eclectic style.

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Published on March 07, 2016 21:37

The Edge! #NewAdult #YoungAdult #99CentBoxedSet

Mary Hades coverThe bestselling Edge young adult box set introduces Changeling, a novel by Debbie Herbert. This is just one of 20 page-turning, full length novels for only $.99!
Amazon / Apple / Kobo / Nook

She thought she was a witch...she's more

Skye’s a young witch who sucks at spells and works at a metaphysical store, The Green Fairy. Strange things are happening there at night: black specks of movement out of the corner of her eye, mysterious buzzing noises, unidentified dragonfly-like carcasses in the basement, and a hidden cache of absinthe (aka fairy crack).

Kheelan is a human changeling. Raised with the fairies, he’s viewed as an inferior species whose only use is to serve his kidnappers. He’s been totally screwed by the Fae and his only goal in life is freedom. When he meets Skye, he sees an opportunity to escape. The last thing he needs is to be distracted by feelings for this quirky witch.

As Samhain, the witch’s Halloween, draws near she must make a bold move to claim her heritage and power, restore order in the fairy realm, and try to win Kheelan’s freedom and love. Absinthe, autism and augury meld into a paranormal cauldron where fairies are sly tricksters waiting to trap you in their Realm.

Endorsement:
As usual, Debbie Herbert created a stellar story that will stay with me for a long, long time. Skye is the young lady most of us were in our late teens; a confused, still-searching-for-herself adolescent who doesn’t give herself enough credit. I loved how well I could relate to her character. Kheenan was complex and multi-dimensional, demonstrating the effects of a lifetime of abuse and neglect while still allowing the story to stay light. The magic and world-building was astoundingly vivid and colorful, while the storyline flowed perfectly with sprinklings of real-life social issues throughout (the slavery of the human race by fairies for one). The amount of research that went into every detail was obvious. Debbie made sure she knew her stones and her fae mythology inside and out. Of course, I expected nothing less. Debbie has once again displayed a bounty of talent for the creative writing process, officially making her my favorite author of 2015! -- Amazon Customer Review

Awards for CHANGELING:
2013 Maggie runner-up for Best YA Book, Georgia Chapter,Romance Writers Writers of America

2014 Top 3 finalist for Rosemary Award in the New Adult Category - YA-Romance Writers of America

Author bio

Debbie Herbert writes paranormal romance novels reflecting her belief that love, like magic, casts its own spell of enchantment. She is traditionally published through Harlequin, as well as Indie published. Married and living in Alabama, she roots for the Crimson Tide football team (Roll Tide!). Debbie enjoys recumbent bicycling with her husband. She has two grown sons and the oldest has autism. Characters with autism frequently land in her works, even when she doesn't plan on it!
Connect with DebbieTwitter: https://twitter.com/debherbertwrit
Facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Debbie-Herbert-Author/151793451695632
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/alabamagirl3536/boards/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6092607.Debbie_Herbert
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/debbieherbert http://goo.gl/SYSeUq
Web page: http://www.debbieherbert.com/

Excerpt

The blood moon of October cast shimmering beams, tingeing the treetops with crimson. By Halloween, it would reach fullness, and the balance of good and evil in the Fae kingdom would be in peril as the veil between human and spirit worlds would be at its thinnest. An in-between, middling time. A dangerous time.

But Kheelan was used to being in two worlds at once, yet belonging to neither.

What was wrong with him? You’d think he’d never seen a beautiful girl. Besides, even the prettiest human couldn’t compare to the enchantment of any run-of-the-mill fairy. And he should know. The daoine-sith Fae rewarded him with a fairy lover whenever he completed a dangerous mission, as if rewarding an obedient dog with a bone.

Kheelan smoldered at the humiliation. His skin burned from it, his mouth scorched from the angry words he must never say aloud. They had stolen him from his human family. He’d no doubt been sleeping unaware the night those cradle robbers came and forced him into a lifetime of servitude and danger.

He got nothing in return. No love, no acceptance, and no hope of a future. Indeed, they despised him.
Changeling. How he hated the word, been taunted with it, as if it was some kind of deformity on his part. A mere changeling, only tolerated for what he could do in their petty wars or their unending, menial labors. He summoned his enormous will and pushed the bitter thoughts away.

Edge cover

EDGE: A Young Adult / New Adult Paranormal Collection



Twenty of today's favorite YA & NA authors have come together to bring you a collection packed with full-length, spellbinding reads sure to keep you keep you on the edge of your seat and up way past your bedtime!

READER BEWARE: These novels take everything to the edge--and not just the edge of your seat. With authors who aren't afraid to push the boundaries, you get stories that take everything to limit, creating whimsical reads that teens can actually relate to and that adults can enjoy, too.

Amazon / Apple / Kobo / Nook
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Published on March 07, 2016 19:25

The Daughters of Dark Root Series

http://amzn.com/B00D6OUDDG
Books 1-3 are out in the Daughters of Dark Root series, and 4 will be released soon and is available for preorder now.

The premise of this saga began when I was revisiting my own childhood. I had 3 sisters, just like Maggie Maddock. One of those sisters went to live with her biological father (just like Maggie Maddock), and I never knew who my real father was (Just like Maggie).

The sisters grow up, leave their coven-leader mother behind, and head out into the world to start new lives. But in their 20s they are called home. Their mother is ill, and their enchanted town has lost its magic.

The series continues with twists and turns, mysteries, magick, and unanswered questions. Its been a true labor of love to write and these characters have become my family. I even love and feel sympathy for the antagonists. Everyone has a backstory and if we learn what it is, we usually arent as quick to judge.

As book 4 nears completion I cant help but feel nervous. My readership has grown and I dont want to disappoint anyone. This book will be a culmination of the others and I hope I can do it justice.

Book One Link.
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Published on March 07, 2016 07:57

Truth Over Fiction: 1

When I was 8 my whole family got into a car accident - except for me. I was spending the night at my cousin's house and I remember driving by the crushed white van with the light post slung across its midsection and laughing. "Look at that funny car," I told my aunt, not knowing my mom and siblings were involved.

My mom was thrown from the van and a light post landed on her leg. She was 7 months pregnant at the time and trapped. They were all rescued and sent to the hospital. My step dad and sisters were out in a couple of days but my mom stayed in nearly two weeks. Her leg was broken and they had to put a pin in. She'd also crushed her ribs and there were some organs they worried over. But the baby at least was safe.

I'd already become the 'responsible kid'. My older sister had moved out and I was next in line. During my moms hospital stay and after she came home, I learned to cook egg sandwiches, grilled cheese, canned soup, etc. I also learned to clean house, wash dishes, and do other household chairs as my mom wasn't able to stand and my stepfather was always working.

But the thing I remember most wadi  the shopping and the laundry.

My younger sister Niki and I were put in charge of both.

The shopping required us to get 50 dollars a week from my mom. My step father was a waiter at the time and the 50 bucks was tough to part with. Niki and I would take the money and then Las Vegas intersection to the grocery store. We had our list (which we helped write) and we picked out our food. We learned to comparison shop (50 dollars didn't get you much) and look for sales. We always ended in the cereal section where Niki and I would debate for many minutes on which one to get for the week. Sugar was important. Prizes, more so. Deciding who would get the prize would be determined later. We wheeled the full grocery cart back home and kept the cart there, because that next day we would fill it (with laundry) and used it again.

We didn't have laundry baskets in my house. My mother denoted an entire close to the care of dirty laundry. With five in the household (six after my brother was born) the clothes accumulated quickly and once or twice a month Niki and I would spend a Saturday morning sorting them out between colors and whites, bundle them up in garbage bags, and wheel them to the laundromat across that same busy intersection. We'd then spend the rest of our day tending laundry (buying soap, washing, drying, fighting others over machines, folding). Niki sang songs around the laundromat, twirling and dancing, while I usually sat there with a notebook in hand writing stories or doing homework, or sometimes reading.

When the ordeal was over we'd cart the entire thing back home to begin the cycle anew.

Sometimes our laundry closet pile grew half as tall as I was and required two carts. Once, it was so large, that I left a runaway note, then hid in the laundry for 4 hours while they looked for me.

I bring all this up because I'm in bed now, staring at the pile of dirty clothes next to me, nowhere near my hamper. I wonder how many quirks and neurosis I've carried over. I hate to do laundry, even though we have a great machine in our garage. And, unlike a lot of women I know, I hate to go grocery shopping, even though my husband helps and we have more than a 50 dollar budget that is not divided between 5 people.




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Published on March 07, 2016 07:47