Katie Hamstead's Blog, page 97

Funny Video Day

I am a mother, so yes, I watch kids shows. But kids shows can have some great humor for adults, too!


P.S The first installment for my Wattpad serial went up today! Find it here and leave me some sugar. xoxo

Cover Reveal for my Wattpad serial An Exchange

This is a serial I am posting exclusively on Wattpad. I don't want to publish it traditionally because it's got more of a TV series feel about it. Follow me on Wattpad. The first installment goes up on Wed 27th. So here's the cover designed by my good friend and critique partner, Leigh Statham.

Sunday Inspirational video

I won't give up, I won't break down.

Cover Reveal: Forget Me Not by Stacey Nash

I'm excited to share this with you today. Stacey is one of my critique partners and I can say that the Collective series is fantastic! Add this to your TBR list and keep an eye out for it's release early next year. I love Stacey, so I've gone crazy with this post and included all the snippets instead of just one hahaha! Enjoy!

Blurb: Since her mother vanished nine years ago, Anamae and her father have shared a quiet life. But when Anamae discovers a brooch identical to her mother's favorite pendant, she unknowingly invites a slew of trouble into their world. When the brooch and the pendant are worn together they're no longer pretty pieces of jewelry -- they're part of a highly developed technology capable of cloaking the human form. Triggering the jewelry's power attracts the attention of a secret society determined to confiscate the device -- and silence everyone who is aware of its existence. Anamae knows too much, and now she's Enemy Number One.

She's forced to leave her father behind when she's taken in by a group determined to keep her safe. Here Anamae searches for answers about this hidden world. With her father kidnapped and her own life on the line, Anamae must decide if saving her dad is worth risking her new friends’ lives. No matter what she does, somebody is going to get hurt.


Add it on Goodreads
Review Snippets:“Nash brings a secret world to life with these amazing characters.”


“I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys action, intrigue and romance.”


“It's an incredible story with great action, a swoon worthy romance, and twists you won't see coming!”

Giveaway Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author:
Stacey grew up in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales. It is an area nestled between mountains and vineyards. Full of history and culture, it provides wonderful writing inspiration. After dabbling with poetry during her teen years, Stacey stopped writing until after university when she was married with young children. Now she loves nothing more than spending her days with her children and writing when inspiration strikes.
Social Media Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads

Yodelling

Again, I give you Jimmy Fallon. Yes, I'm pretty much in love with his stuff at the moment. Enjoy his yodeling with his guest yodeler!

Release Day: The Devil's Flower by Lisa Collicutt

In a town called Nowhere, angels and demons battle for salvation—who will win—and what will be the cost?

 Killing isn’t exactly on Rosalie
Lockwood’s list of things to do when she runs away from home. But despite her
search for peace; guns and motorcycles become her latest fashion accessories as
Divine interference leads her to Steele, co-leader of the Fallen Paladins
motorcycle club.

Leathered and tattooed, Steele’s
presence scares off most people he comes in contact with — but not Rosalie.
She’s immediately drawn into the dangers of his biker world—and into his heart.

But Steele guards a secret that if
Rosalie knew, could shatter their new love — along with destroy the human race.
And the truth comes at a price.

Will Rosalie risks her soul to prove
her loyalty to Steele?

The Dark and Light Realms collide as
Rosalie chooses between life, death, and the ever-after to become that which she is fated to
destroy.


Teaser - Chapter One - Divine Union:

Darkness descended over the freeway. Rosalie turned the key in the ignition a final time. Nothing. A string of unladylike words flew from her mouth as she bashed the side of her fist on the steering wheel. Her only result was pain. Two states from home, her car had run out of gas, her cell phone was dead, and she had to pee so badly she could taste it.



Lisa likes to write dark and twisted tales of magic and
romance. She has a passion for Young Adult and New Adult Paranormal
When
she's not conjuring tales about witches, demons, and other magical beings, she
can be found leathered, and bound to the back of her husband's Harley, touring
her homeland of Nova Scotia, Canada.

Enter
Lisa's imagination where light ends and fantasy begins. But heed these warnings
. . . it's dark, it's magical, you may experience tingles.


Get The Devil's Flower at Amazon US Amazon UK Barnes & Noble Kobo

 Add The Devil's Flower to your Goodreads list.Like Lisa's Facebook page.Follow Lisa on Twitter.
Coming 2014 - Books two and three of The Eternal Beings Trinity - The Demon's Wrath & The Angel's Retribution.
Rafflecopter giveaway:
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Blog Tour: A Late Thaw by Ana Blaze

Publisher: Entranced Publishing

Length: 57 pages (novella)

Blurb:

The town’s too small for Kiley St. Claire’s reappearance to be a surprise, still seeing her hits Cole Thomas like a punch to the gut. She

ripped his heart apart when she turned to ice and ran away all those years ago. Now that she’s back, Cole’s going to say his piece and

move on.

Even if she does look damn good in that uniform.

Kiley St. Claire is back in the small town of Barrett, Vermont, for one reason and one reason only: to earn some cash so she can survive

her final semester of grad school. She’s not there for the sexy Christmas tree farmers.

Even the one who once held her heart.

Buy links: Amazon | B&N
Add to Goodreads
Giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway


About the author:

Ana lives just outside Washington DC with her very supportive husband and three rather demanding cats. She loves the ocean, Indian

food, Ikea, and cooking. Ana admits to watching too much television and she swears that someday she’s going to learn how to play the

guitar resting on the bookshelf in her office.

Connect with Ana:

Blog Twitter Facebook Pinterest

And check out Ana’s inspiration board for A Late Thaw: http://www.pinterest.com/anablaze/a-l...
Excerpt:

COLE THOMAS HAD BEEN a late bloomer. One of the smallest boys in their middle school,

he’d disappeared to his uncle’s ranch in Wyoming the summer before high school and had

come back six inches taller, wearing a cowboy hat. Kiley St. Claire doubted the woman he was

currently flirting with remembered that. It was practically ancient history.

She squinted as she tried to remember the woman’s name. Cole’s fangirl looked vaguely

familiar under her over-processed blond hair and cheap but abundant makeup. She was

probably one of Cole and Kiley’s former classmates. Amber maybe, or one of the Ashleys.

She was pretty—whatever her name was—and she had a fantastic rack. More importantly,

she wasn’t wearing a cheap Bavarian Miss costume and pigtails like Kiley was. If they were

competing, the babe with the penchant for bleach and blue eye shadow would win. They

weren’t, of course. Kiley was done crushing on Cole. It was obvious—had been for years—that

he’d never see her as more than a friend.

She straightened the red bodice that made even her own modest chest look full, pulled the

notepad from her already sticky apron, and marched over to their table. Her heels clicked along

the scuffed and murky wood floor. No doubt it had originally been a beautiful walnut. Now it was

covered with a layer of scum as old as she was and fit right in with the rest of the decor.

The entire bar was filled with heavy, dark wood tables and stools covered in faded maroon vinyl.

Kept clean and under the right lighting it had probably once been genuinely attractive. Probably.

If that had ever been the case it had stopped the day Kiley’s boss, the infamous Buddy, bought

the building and started filling it with kitschy, vaguely German-themed knick-knacks and neon

beer signs. Cole and the blonde were sitting near a display of Hummel knock-offs, one of which

appeared to be mooning the patrons.

A table full of afternoon-drunk Frat guys signaled to Kiley. She held up a single finger in

acknowledgement. They could use a couple minutes before their next round, and she had to do

this, face Cole, before she lost her nerve. “Are you guys ready to order, or do you need another

minute with the menus?”

“Kiley?” Cole’s dark eyes widened for a second before he started laughing. His shoulders

shook, and he slapped the worn wooden tabletop. “This is…” He gestured toward her.

“This…oh, you gotta give a turn.” He circled a finger in the air.

“Do you want a beer or not?” She refused to be embarrassed. Yes, she was dressed like the

St. Pauli girl, but it obviously hadn’t been her idea. She didn’t even like wearing costumes on

Halloween.

“I heard you were coming back for the summer, but this…damn.”

“School’s expensive, Cole, and there aren’t a lot of summer jobs in this town.” Barrett, Vermont

was a pretty little town, not a thriving metropolis. If there had been other options, any other

options, she wouldn’t be dressed like slutty Gretel serving beer and waffles in a Bavarian-
themed restaurant owned by a man who’d never traveled farther than Montreal.

Cole looked her up and down with a big grin on his too-handsome face. Kiley pretended not to

notice that his thick, brown hair was a touch longer than the last time she’d seen him, or that it

curled appealingly against the collar of his blue-green plaid shirt. She tried not to check the scar

on his left arm—a thin jagged line that was only really noticeable when the skin around it tanned

a shade or two darker. Her heart melted a little when she saw it.

Cole had only recently turned eight the night they went searching for Kiley’s runaway dog. He

got tangled in a bit of barbed wire fence hidden amongst the leaves in the woods behind her

neighbor’s house. The dog came home on his own later that night, but Cole ended up needing

stitches in four places. And a tetanus shot. He made her promise not to tell anyone he’d cried,

and she drew a cross over her heart and wished for untold tortures if she broke her word.

She still hadn’t.

“So why’d you come then?”

Kiley shrugged. Way to make a girl feel welcome, Cole. “It’s home.”

“Wasn’t enough to bring you home last Christmas, or the one before.”

Yup. She was a horrible daughter, and her mom let the whole town know it. Mother dearest

undoubtedly left out that Kiley couldn’t afford to pay for a rental car sturdy enough to make the

several-hour trip in wintry weather.

Before she had a chance to respond, the blonde sitting with Cole tilted her head to the side and

frowned at her. “I remember you.” She smiled then, broadly, as though remembering anything

was an accomplishment worthy of her pride.

Kiley tried to smile at the woman, but her lips were too tight. “Go Bobcats,” she said weakly.

“Yeah, you were in my gym class. Didn’t you get hit in the face with a tennis ball one time?”

Kiley had long ago accepted that, despite the lack of any reasonable scientific explanation, her

face clearly attracted sporting equipment. She’d absolutely gotten hit with a tennis ball, as well

as a volleyball, a softball, and a Frisbee. Once she’d even managed to get wacked in the nose

with a broom while they’d attempted to play a grounded version of Quidditch. “Yup, that was

me.”

The other woman nodded. “I knew it. I’ve always been good with faces.”

“Wow. Catching up is super fun, but I have a bunch of tables. So…”

“Were you even going to give me a call?” Cole looked hurt, and Kiley wished she didn’t care.

“Sure. Once I got settled and all, I—”

“Right.” He scowled. “Why don’t you bring us a couple of drafts. Whatever’s on special is fine.”

His cool tone sliced through her resolve and made her stomach churn. Why couldn’t she just

move on? Being Cole’s friend, watching him date every other girl in town, hurt too much. She’d

promised herself she wouldn’t fall back into his well-meaning but clueless clutches this summer.

Kiley had come home to work and to save up enough money to live on for the final semester

of classes she needed to earn her Master’s in Meteorology. That’s it. She already had job

prospects for after graduation in January. This would be her last summer at home.

She nodded. “I’ll be right back with your drinks.”

He’d already turned back to the blonde.

Release Day Blitz: A Message of Flowers by Rachel Walter

White Carnations - pure love, sweet and lovely.Daisy - Innocence, beauty, simplicity.
To florist, Georgina Nickols, every flower has a meaning and a purpose. Flowers are something she knows, lives, and breathes. But when they start mysteriously showing up on her porch, she’s unsure of their meaning, and of who is leaving them.What do these flowers mean to the messenger?
An old friend from high school, Corbin Waylay, moves back to town. When he shows up, he stirs up all kinds of trouble for Georgina. Her life-long friend, Sid Trail, hates him and makes that fact clear to Georgina. But despite the warnings from her friend, she just can’t help the feelings that resurface. The feelings she hasn’t felt for anyone since high school graduation, the feelings that only Corbin can induce.
As Corbin moves closer into her life, it causes a rift between her and Sid. The mystery flowers continue to appear and begin to add to the stresses of life.Love, secrets, pain, and lies surround Georgina, putting her trust to the test.When the messenger is finally revealed, will the meaning of the flowers be enough to repair the damage of those hidden secrets?
Forget Me Nots - Remember me forever, good memories, hope.Single Red Rose - I love you.

Purchase Links

Smashwords Lulu Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon CA



Excerpt “Who’s that for?” A smooth male voice pulls me from my work.I place the last white flower into the vase, and spin it, checking appearance at all angles. “This is actually for no one in particular, Sid.” I shrug to my best friend and employee.“Come on, G,” he coaxes, using my nickname for effect.I sigh. “I’m just puttin’ it together. They’re my flowers, so who cares why I arrange them?”“Yes, I’m well aware who my boss is,” he deadpans. “I’ve seen you at work, and I’ve seen you work. There’s a difference.”I glance up to him. His eyebrow is arched, daring me to deny what he’s said. His blue eyes are drilling into mine, knowing that I’m hiding something. If I hadn’t known him since grade school, I’d ignore him and tell him to mind his own business. But this is Sid, one of my best friends, who will eventually pull out my mystery flower messenger anyway. Quickly, I remind myself why I’ve hired him to begin with. I can trust him, and he’s known me for so long he knows how to help me and not be a distraction.I blow out a slow breath of resignation as I side step him, placing the vase on the wide windowsill. “When I left my house this morning, there were four white carnations on my porch. There was no note either, so I just brought them here. And I can’t sell them - they’re not mine.”His usually smiling mouth opens and closes like a fish sucking for air. “So you just bring stoop flowers in here?” While his eyes usually seem hooded, giving him that lazy surfer look, now his eyelids widen as his eyebrows disappear under the baseball cap that’s hiding his shaggy blonde hair, making his pastel blue eyes pop wide. The more he sputters, the more his nostrils flare. “Go wash up! There could’ve been poison on them!”I burst out laughing. “Sid, calm your conspiracies. Who would poison carnations?” Ever since middle school, he’s always had crazy conspiracies. The teachers had a hidden agenda with pop quizzes and homework. Parents having evil plans by giving us chores, and then there was the driver’s license hoax. Thankfully we’re interrupted by the bell chimes above the door.I work to calm my rolling hysterics, taking a deep breath, and trying to think about anything other than poisoned carnations or Sid as I walk to the front of my store. “Welcome to G-Quets. I’m Georgina, can I help you?” I ask to the back of someone’s head.The man spins around so fast he’s a blur and wraps his arms around me, pulling me into a huge bear hug. “G-G! Is this your store?”That voice, the familiar husky scratch.
Author Bio Rachel lives in Central Pennsylvania, is a stay at home mom, and has a wonderful husband, total of 4 kids, 3 of which are step kids. She’s a true Pittsburgh Penguins and Steelers fan. She’s an insomniac that loves coffee, Johnny Depp movies and bonfires, dislikes driving on the interstate, bugs of any kind, and a too quiet house. When she’s not playing with the people inside her head, making her family think she belongs in the loony bin or writing, she enjoys spending time with her family, finding new music, new books, helping someone or plotting something equally crazy with her Critique Partners. Be sure to check out her debut YA Paranormal True Connection.
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Sunday Inspiration

We all need to be reminded at times what matters most.

Are you a plotter or a panster?

This is a post I did over at Aussie Owned and Read a few months back, and since my blog is quiet at the moment, I thought I'd repost for your enjoyment.Are you a plotter or a panster?I put this question out to my fellow Aussie Owneder's and found out what they were.Our Plotters: Lauren, EmilyPansters: Me, K.A Last, SharonA bit of both: Cass, Stacey, SusanSince I am a great big panster, I needed to find out how plotters work. So I talk to the lovely ladies and also took it to the AZ Typelings because I knew there was at least one plotter there who could tell me about her process. So, now I can talk about both! Ah ha!So basically a plotter is someone who plans out their WiP before sitting down and writing it out. A panster, on the other hand, gets an idea in their head and goes with it.A plotter can do their planning in several ways. Some write out scenes in points, some write out a few sentences about each chapter, some structure it with, to quote little Emily, "introduction, theme stated, set-up, catalyst, main question of the protagonist, B story, fun stuff, midpoint, TERRIBLE DISASTER, finale." Either way, they have a fair idea what's going to happen and approximately how long the manuscript will be when it is completed. They can see the story as a whole before they start drafting.As a panster, I can say that when I think up a story, I usually only know each scene as they come. I'll start with a concept and roll with it. As I write I think up how it will end, and with that in mind, I let the characters and plot take me from point A to point Z, and yes, sometimes things happen and I'm completely blindsided by them!There are pro's and con's to each. I know I've tried plotting and grew bored of the story before I even finished it, so scrapped it because it felt too predictable for me. But, a plotter can see everything before it happens, they can know what to expect word count wise and so forth, whereas I write out a first draft and have to go back and tie up lose ends in a second draft, and sometimes cut chunks out because the story is just too long.Honestly, neither works better than the other. But one will work better for YOU. Don't let anyone tell you what to do, or that you should try what you're not comfortable with, because you're the one writing it, you're the one creating the world and characters, so only you can know what's going to work for you.So what are you? A plotter or a panster? How do you construct your story?