Donna Augustine's Blog, page 11

Travis Fimmel, Vikingly Delicious!

I started watching Vikings on the History Channel because…well, come on now, it was about Vikings! How could you not watch? I thought I’d be immersed into a time with a mystical flair. I had no idea I’d be swept into lust!

This show came as such a surprise to me. Ragnar, played by Travis Fimmel, isn’t just

fantastically hot, he’s talented as well. Every week, I became more engrossed

into the drama and the charisma of his character. Another benefit of the show is his

wife, played by Katheryn Winnick, reminds me of a urban fantasy heroine right

from the pages of some of my favorite series. By halfway through the first season, this show had replaced Game of Thrones for my top TV spot.

If you get the chance, I highly recommend checking out this series!

On to the goodies!

I’m giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card and an ebook copy of The Keepers in either epub or mobi format.

Two days ago, Jo Davids was a waitress by night and a college kid by day, with the unnerving problem of objects floating around her.

One Day ago, Jo’s sexy boss, Cormac, noticed her for all the wrong reasons when she witnessed a man transform into a monster in the basement of his casino.

Today, Cormac ordered her shot.

If he’s real lucky, she won’t die. Because if she does, all hope is lost.

Don’t feel like waiting? Buy The Keepers on Amazon now for $.99

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Grand Prize

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don’t stop now! There are oodles of more wonderful giveaways to be had by clicking the links below!

 

 

Signed Giveaways!

Just wanted to let everyone know that www.ismellsheep.com will be hosting signed giveaways of The Keepers and Keepers and Killers on August 29th. Cormac will also be featured in their Alpha Diner. This is a continuing feature on their site and a great place to read excerpts of urban fantasy and paranormal romance books.

Rosanna Leo, author of The Orkney Selkie Series, has also generously offered to let me do a guest post on her blog August 16th. You can find Rosanna Leo's blog at http://rosannaleo.blogspot.com/?zx=ca....

Thank You!
Donna Augustine

Keepers and Killers is on sale now!

Thanks to everyone that has shown interest in The Alchemy Series! The second book in the series is now available for the Nook and Kindle.

Also, the estimated page length is showing as 187 pages. The paperback version, which will be available by next week, is actually closer to 250 pages.

Thank you for all your support!

Donna Augustine

Amazon Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Keepers-Killers...

Barnes and Noble Link:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/keepe...

Why Ebooks Are Better Than Cookies

I didn't used to like ebooks. I couldn't hold them in my hand, and there was no where to get them signed. I missed the atmosphere of an old book shop or quiet peaceful library, but now I've seen the light.

I still love a bookstore, but now there is no closing time. When I peruse the shelves, I have an almost endless choice of books instead of whatever shelf space is available. When I discover a new author I love, it has become so much easier to find their past works.

There is also the indie author. The works that I might not have gotten to enjoy before the ebook revolution started, because the gate keepers of traditional publishing thought they weren't marketable. Books like Wool come to mind. Would I have ever gotten to enjoy them without ebooks?

Some say the market is becoming flooded. I say the more the merrier. Can there ever really be too many books?

Grow Up Already!

When I started this series, the one thing I wanted, more than anything else, was to grow with my main protagonist. In life, bad things happen all the time, and they change who we are. I'm not the same person I was a few years ago. I'm definitely a different person than I was ten years ago. When I think back on some of the choices that I made in my younger years, I cringe and want to crawl under the nearest rock. So when me and my protagonist started our journey together, and she decided to make bad choices, I let her. She's young and stupid right now, but if you give her a chance, she's going to grow up like I did. It just might take a few books to happen.

Why Happily Ever After?

I've read a lot of great books that end in tragedy. Books I loved, that were extremely well written, but for me, it's not over until it is happily over. The way I see it, real life can be tough enough. All you have to do is look around to see someone suffering, but at heart, I'm an optimist. I like to believe everything works out in the end, and I don't want to leave people on a down note. In my world, the evil villain will get what is coming to them. The guy will come to his senses and swear undying love. There won't be sickness or money issues as they move into the house with the white picket fence.

It's my way of holding onto the hope that no matter how bad it gets, if you dig deep and keep going, it will work out. Maybe it's unrealistic, but until I'm dead and buried, I'll be waiting for my own happily ever after.

To Plot or Not?

When I started writing Obsidian Souls, I began with a plot. Then I realized fairly quickly that my characters didn't like to be confined. This might sound odd, since they are made up in my head, but you would be amazed how they take on their own personalities. I would tell them to turn left, and they would turn right. If you've ever driven with someone that refuses to listen to the navigator, it's kind of similar to that.
I eventually adjusted. As they would make a different turn than planned, I would just redraw the map.
As I started my second novel, I thought that I just needed to be more detailed in my plot. That would keep those pesky characters in line. Didn't work. I would tell them straight and they would pull a u-turn.
Strangely, the destination never changed. They still end up where they are supposed to be. I'm still rerouting with every wrong turn, so that I don't end up completely off the map, but I've learned to loosen up a little and let them have their say. After all, it is their story.