Crystal Collier's Blog, page 14

Goldie Locks and the True Dream

Once upon a time there was a little girl who sat down with a paper, a pencil and a vision. She spilled her dreams and fascinations onto the page, watching as they took shape and thrived into moving lines. Each creation or image led to a new one, another story behind the picture, another tale that needed to be told.


Her visions gained more clarity, her lines greater definition until one day they took shape into a work she could share with the world.


We all have dreams, don't we? So what is it that's keeping us from going after them?

     
Follow the blog tour to:
Meet the Cast of SOULLESS: Men of Lies, with DeAnna at Two Mom’s Reading
Villains and Outcasts with Dawn Brazil at Brilliant Babble About Books
And be sure to enter the Rafflecopterfor your chance to win some amazing prizes!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Bounce along now and see what these awesome people have going on. Find your happy gait, just like the happy pony. 

What dreams are you clinging to for "one day?" What are you doing today to make those dreams come true?

Top Five 80's Ghost Stories

(See Below)



Do you love ghost stories? I totally flip over them, always have. I remember in 5th grade I read a book about the ghost of a slave kid who became best friends with a boy. Somehow he managed dragged his friend from the present into the past to try and prevent his tragic death. I remember wanting the story to be true with all my heart because it was so amazing! 


Then there were creepy stories like Behind the Attic Wall where the kids went into the past through a magic doll house and met the people who lived on an ancient English estate right before each of their tragic deaths. LOVED IT.



Then there was the Blossom Culp Series. (Thank you Richard Peck.)







And who didn't love the scaries stories series? I still dwell on these from time to time.








Last, (although this is kind of an exception to ghosts, but it is
Halloweeny...)







Ready to guess the lie and win a book? 
Last week, Lyndsay Johnson shared FIRE OF THE SEA with us, along with two truths and one lie. Those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing for the chance to win her  eBook.  

Lyndsay's game: 


1. Lyndsay was in training to be on the US Olympic Equestrian team, but was thrown from a horse and broke her wrist before the qualifying rounds.
2. She once spray-painted the concrete wall behind her house with what she envisioned to be a gorgeous mural. Turns out fluorescent orange isn’t the best color for a budding graffiti artist… Also, who knew you could buy spray paint remover?
3. She used to drive a 1986 Volvo Station wagon. Teal with tan interior. She hated it, but now wishes she’d kept it.  And the lie is:

#1. Lyndsay actually rode horses for ten years and competed in lots of show jumping. While she never broke a bone or even came close to being an Olympian, she was overheard saying, “I don’t have time for the Olympics…I have to go to COLLEGE!” 
Way to guess those of you who got it right! And the winner is:
...DRUM ROLL...
Carol Kilgore!
Congrats Carol!

And now to today's feature: Who knew a knock at the door could tear your world apart? They don’t demand money or possessions…they want much more than that, they want your life. 

Maverick is preparing for senior year: he’s no longer stuck in the “friend-zone” with the girl of his dreams, he’s looking forward to choosing the right college and being on his own, and he plans to have a blast along the way.

But a knock on the door changes all of that forever. 

Maverick begins a mind-altering, life-changing journey to discover the truth—a truth that certain individuals will do anything to keep hidden.

Get your copy HERE. Miranda Hardy writes children’s literature to keep the voices in her head appeased. When she’s not in her fantasy world, she’s canoeing in alligator infested waters, or rescuing homeless animals. She goes to coffee shops to do most of her writing while drinking tea. Unable to reveal too much, she has the most boring superpower ever (hint: you have to be a close relative for it to work). She resides in south Florida with her two wonderful children, and too many animals to mention. 

Miranda's favorite cheese: Mozzarella. She loves it in lasagna or eating it in by itself, usually when no ones around to watch her. She's a closet cheese eater. 
Jay Noel was born on an uncharted island somewhere in the pacific and raised by elves and fairies. Okay, maybe not, but Jay was always known to be one for daydreaming. Jay was actually born in New York, but currently lives in St. Louis with his family. He had a pretty normal childhood, except for that one incident where he gave Jeff Glass a bloody nose and lip in the second grade. But the jerk deserved it! He also attended Southeast Missouri State University where he played NCAA Division I tennis and graduated Magna Cum Laude. Jay has a degree in English and Education.
Jay's favorite cheese: Colby, and he eats it in his sunroom. 

They gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out the lie will go into my magic hat for the chance to win an eBook of DEATH KNOCKS just in time for Halloween! How awesome is that?

You have until Tuesday, October 28, at 1 p.m. EDT to guess--and be sure to come back for the answer on October 29.
TRUTH OR LIE
1. They scrapped an entire manuscript and started over. 
2. They both exploited their children in the making of this book. 
3. One of them had a BEK experience while the other is a total non-believer. 
     
The blog tour is making some awesome stops today:
Julie Musil asks me about sequels, and there may even be chainsaw juggling involved
M.J. Littlefield at My Pet Blog shares a super awesome excerpt
Kimber Leigh Wheaton at Once Upon a YA Book gives her review of SOULLESS
Sher A Hart: Ask no Questions, Tell no Lies
Patricia Lynne shares the cast of Soulless: Villains and Outcasts
And be sure to enter the Rafflecopterfor your chance to win some amazing prizes!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Now trot along and enjoy the awesomeness of the tour. 

Which is the lie? Do you have a favorite ghost book from your childhood? Of all time? What are you reading for Halloween? 

15 AMAZING Villain Quotes

15. "You have to win every week, He-man, I only have to win once!" = Skeletor
14. Sherlock: People have died.Moriarty: That's what people DO.
13. "Falling is just like flying except it has a more permanent destination." - Moriarty
12. "You sly dog! You caught me monologuing!" -Syndrome
11. "Ah, how shall I do it? Oh, I know. I'll turn him into a flea, a harmless, little flea, and then I'll put that flea in a box, and then I'll put that box inside of another box, and then I'll mail that box to myself, and when it arrives... ...I'll smash it with a hammer! It's brilliant, brilliant, brilliant, I tell you! Genius, I say!" - Yzma from the Emperor's New Groove
10. "The world is a mess and I just need to rule it." - Dr. Horrible
9. "I'm not going to live there. There's no place for me there... any more than there is for you. Malcolm... I'm a monster.What I do is evil. I have no illusions about it, but it must be done." --The Operative from Serenity. (BEST MOVIE EVER.)
8. "Loxley! I'm gonna cut your heart out with a SPOON!" --Sheriff of Nottingham, Robinhood Prince of Thieves
7. "And every last inch of me's covered in hair." --Gaston, Beauty and the Beast
6. "Is he from heaven or from hell?And does he knowBy granting me my life todayThis man has killed me even so." -Javert, Les Miserables
5. "You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous is never to get involved in a land war in Asia, and only slightly less well known is this: never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line!" -Vizzini, The Princess Bride
4. "So, Lone Star, now you see that evil will always triumph ... because good is dumb." --Spaceballs
3. "If I had a nickel for every time I've been doomed by a puppet, I would have two nickels. That's not a lot, but it's funny that it happened twice." -- Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz
2. "Remember when the platform was sliding into the fire pit, and I was like 'GOODBYE' and you were like 'NO WAYYY' and then I was all 'We pretended we were going to murder you.' That was great."--GLaDOS, Portal
1. And a personal favorite:


     
Today's fabulous stops:
Suzy Turner with Canterbury Tales, musicals, and ignorance
Lyndsay Johnson shares an excerpt I label as Temptation and Danger
And be sure to enter the Rafflecopterfor your chance to win some amazing prizes!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Eternal optimism below! And guess where he gets it from? That's right! Following the blog tour. Get in on that action and access some of this amazing happiness. (Or wallow in your own misery. It's your choice.)

Do you have a favorite villain or quote? How do you feel about live readings of books? 

Free Book, Bucket List, Cheese

Have you been reading anything excellent lately? 
IT'S REVIEW MONDAY (ahem, that's totally just something I made up for today)!!! But first...

This blog hop is being hosted by Sherry Ellis at Mama Diaries and Susanne Drazic at Putting Words Down on Paper. (Thanks, ladies!)
What's a bucket list? Simply put, it's a list of things you want to see or do before you die or "kick the bucket". 
So, here's my bucket list: 
See the world. (Yes, you read right, world.)
An Alaskan cruise.
Go hang gliding.
Get my musical on Broadway.
Wow. That was long, right? Perhaps slightly ambitious too...but you only live once. We have to make the best of it. 
What's on your bucket list?
     
Follow the blog tour for a slew of amazing reviews:
Katharina @ Independent Bookworm: A Review of SOULLESS
T. Drecker @ Bookworm for Kids: And yet, another stupendous Review of SOULLESS
And be sure to enter the Rafflecopterfor your chance to win some amazing prizes!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Also, MOONLESS is free today only. (Monday.) Get your copy now!

Now follow the happy pony off to the next stops in the blog tour. You know you want to...and not just because I'm pointing a gun at you. Kidding, kidding. (Not really...but I better not tell you it's loaded with cheese bullets.)

What's on your bucket list? More importantly, which thing on your bucket list are you working to accomplish today? 

In Your Dreams...

Have you ever just wanted it to do this?
SOURCE
I have. 
     
A quick shout out today for my buddy Loni Townsend who is raining cheese down on the reading world by offering her fabulous book for $0.99 right now! 

                         
Follow the SOULLESS blog tour for some SUPER FUN reading/listening:
Artista Donna shares a video of ME reading the first chapter of SOULLESS
Bookwryming Thoughts: Meet the Cast--Women of Power
Elizabeth Seckman: Meet the Cast--Villains and Outcasts
And be sure to enter the Rafflecopterfor your chance to win some amazing prizes!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The pony is happy. It will lead you to happiness--just follow it to the amazing links of AWESOMENESS (aka the SOULLESS Blog Tour).

If it was going to rain your a food of choice, what would you pick? 

5 Snacks for Reading

Well technically since you're not burning that many calories, I suggest saving the snacking for exercise, but here are my top five would-eat-if-I-didn't-have-to-get-up-and-stop-reading foods.
5. Carrot sticks. There's something about carrot sticks that goes so well with paper. Erm, but don't eat the paper. "What?!" you say? Why be so healthy? Well I tried pretzels, but I had to get up every couple minutes to get another cup of water, then to use the restroom, then to get more pretzels. Very distracting.4. Fine, we'll jump off the health wagon. DOUGHNUTS. Especially doughnut holes. Yummy! (Keep wet wipes on hand--unless you're on an eBook and have mastered the art of elbow swiping.)
3. Dried apples. So delicious and zany without pushing you over the sugar threshold. 
2. Licorice. 'Nuf said.
1. And I bet you'll never guess what I'm going to say for the top snack? Now gather up your snacks and pick up something truly worthy of reading...like the Maiden of Time books. 

Get your copies NOW.
     
Follow the blog tour for some amazing reviews and a juicy snippet:
Kristine @ Hall Ways for another totally unique excerpt.
Kurt D. Springs is at Melissamfrye.com with his review of SOULLESS
Barb Taub posts her 40 cents on SOULLESS
And be sure to enter the Rafflecopterfor your chance to win some amazing prizes!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
See that waggly tail? Yup. The pony is on the move, running off to check out what our tour friendlies are saying about SOULLESS. You should join them. Unless you don't like ponies. Or being happy. ;)

What are your favorite reading foods? Do you crave it when you read about food? 

Horrors (and Myths) of the Sea

(See below!)
I don't know about you, but I've always been fascinated with faery folk. They're so mischievous, alluring, and bizarre. Especially the ones who dwell in or near water.
Everyone has heard of a Banshee. Did you know I have a character whose gifts are based on one of those? (Shh. It's a secret.) They're associated with water, and were often seen as women weeping near a body of water. If you heard one, either you or someone close to you was going to die very shortly.
Nymphs. Who hasn't heard of these? Usually they're associated with trees, but there are also water nymphs AKA Naiads, Oceanids, Nereids, and Undine. Their close cousins are Water Sprites. These spirits could take on corporeal form, but were believe to be the embodiment or spirit of a body of water. Cross them, and you could look forward to a nice drowning.
And finally, there are mermaids, which brings me to our Writerly Wednesday feature for the day.
Ready to guess the lie and win a book? 
Last week, Patricia Lynne shared BEING HUMAN with us, along with two truths and one lie. Those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing for the chance to win her eBook.  

Patricia's game: 

1. In high school, Patricia enjoyed doing the high jump in track and field.
2. She can't crochet to save her life. She can make a biiiiiiiig, loooooong chain and that's it.
3. A hobby she recently got back into was jigsaw puzzles. She can do a 500 hundred piece jigsaw puzzle in a few hours.
And the lie is:

#1. Patricia was in track, but she liked doing hurdles, even though she wasn't really good at them. She got second place once but it was her and one other person. She quit because the meets took time out of biology and she didn't want to dissect animals by herself the next day.
Way to guess those of you who got it right! And the winners are:
...DRUM ROLL...
Liz A
Kristin Smith
Congrats, ladies! 

And now to today's feature:
Sharp, sleek, and golden. Like the dagger she has worn since childhood, eighteen-year-old Aeva is all three of these things. But there is something else that this mermaid and her prized weapon share – they are both hunted. 

Hidden within the caves off Iceland’s dark shore, Aeva waits to take her place as the next ruler of the Mermaids. But when Aeva uses her potent and alluring song to save a drowning human, she disrupts a delicate balance. Realizing she has unexpectedly bound herself to Gunnar, Aeva is torn between duty and love. 

Aeva severs one life to begin another, and soon finds herself not only rejected by the sea, but also stalked by an old enemy. As the worlds of myth and man intertwine, Aeva will challenge fate to protect her own sacred relic and the man she loves. 

But legend and lies cast an intricate net. With time and safety quickly unraveling for Aeva and Gunnar, there is only one clear course: Find and defeat Delphine before she can shift again. 

Get your copy HERE. Lyndsay Johnson grew up in the wide expanses of Texas, where the only thing stronger than the accents was the state pride. An over-active imagination, tale-telling father, and an encouraging librarian mother lead to her love of all things creative.

When it comes to books on her bedside table, young adult lit has always been a favorite (Blue Balliett, Libba Bray, and JK Rowling, to name a few). But it was actually an old, yellowing copy of Scandinavian Folk and Fairy Tales that planted a particularly relentless seed. Shapeshifters and sea nymphs began forming an idea that would eventually grow into Lyndsay’s debut novel, Fire of the Sea.

When she is not writing, you can find Lyndsay spending time with her family in the Rocky Mountains of Utah. She enjoys dark ¬theaters, gluten-free recipes, low-lying clouds, and secret naps.

Regarding cheese... Lyndsay can no longer eat cheese due to a long and tragic story, which involves Greece and about ten new food intolerances. But she used to LOVE cheese. Quesadillas with Monterey Jack, Smoked Gouda and apples, Brie on olive-oil-grilled sourdough with chocolate and basil (it’s amazing). Quel fromage…she meant dommage. (*The cheese names have been capitalized out of respect to this superior food group.)
Lyndsay gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out the lie will go into my magic hat for a chance to win an eBook of FIRE OF THE SEA! 

You have until Tuesday, October 21, at 1 p.m. EDT to guess--and be sure to come back for the answer on October 22.
TRUTH OR LIE
1. Lyndsay was in training to be on the US Olympic Equestrian team, but was thrown from a horse and broke her wrist before the qualifying rounds.
2. She once spray-painted the concrete wall behind her house with what she envisioned to be a gorgeous mural. Turns out fluorescent orange isn’t the best color for a budding graffiti artist… Also, who knew you could buy spray paint remover?
3. She used to drive a 1986 Volvo Station wagon. Teal with tan interior. She hated it, but now wishes she’d kept it.        
Now follow the SOULLESS blog tour for a slew of amazing features:
Krystal Jane at The Narcissistic Rose learns how I reacted to holding MOONLESS for the first time. (You maybe shocked.)
Kristin Smith at Swords and Stilettoes shares an amazing excerpt
M. Pax is also sharing an EVEN DIFFERENT excerpt
DL Hammons asks me stuff, and I actually reply! You'll love it.
Sarah Foster at The Faux Fountain Pen shares a DIFFERENT, but equally awesome excerpt
And be sure to enter the Rafflecopterfor your chance to win some amazing prizes!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Now see the pony? He's so stinkin happy because he decided to follow the blog tour. You can be happy too. Just follow after him!

Which is the lie? (Guess for your chance to win.) Do you love water myths? What is your favorite mythical creature? 

Beware the SOULLESS

What are the Soulless? 
No, that's not just some reference to a state of debauchery. It refers to a type of being who comes out to feast on Moonless nights. Feast on what, you ask? Why, anything humanoid. These immortal creatures are locked in their slowly decaying corpses, unable to die and driven by a primal need to feed when their brains merge as one under the new moon. 
Alexia Dumont is staying one step ahead of them, barely. The war waging between these monsters and her Passionate friends threatens to destroy the one thing that kept her going when she discovered her entire life was a lie: Kiren. Determined to no longer be his weakness, Alexia is learning the true meaning of power, and the obligations that come with being the Maiden of Time. 
Get your copy NOW.
     
Follow the blog tour for some epic fun:
Elizabeth Arundel @ Unicorn Bell makes me tell the truth behind being published (with a touch of Doctor Who).
C.M. Brown is sharing a new excerpt (and it's delicious...erm, awesome).
Susan Oloier is sharing a totally different but equally amazing excerpt.
Sherlyn @ Mermaid with a Book shares her review of SOULLESS
And be sure to enter the Rafflecopterfor your chance to win some amazing prizes!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Follow the pretty pony to the stops on the tour! (Isn't he/she happy? You can be too if you visit everyone. Seriously. Key to happiness in your hands. What are you going to do?)

Have you stumbled across any unique and freaky creatures lately? --And if so, where? A book? A movie? TV show?

The SOULLESS are HERE

It's that time!!!
SOULLESS IS OUT!!!

Eighteen-year old Alexia manipulated time to save the man of her dreams, and lost her best friend to red-eyed wraiths. Still grieving, she struggles to reconcile her loss with what was gained: her impending marriage. But when her wedding is destroyed by the Soulless—who then steal the only protection her people have—she’s forced to unleash her true power.
And risk losing everything.
Get your copy NOW.
I'm breaking out my party cheese--and here, have some, eh? 
     


Follow the blog tour for some epic fun:
C. Lee Mckenzie presents a Halloween vlogpost
Stephanie Faris gets the skinny on the process behind SOULLESS
Medeia Sharif is sharing an amazing excerpt
and be sure to enter the Rafflecopterfor your chance to win some amazing prizes!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
What are you waiting for? Follow the pretty pony and go hit these amazing bloggers! (Well not literally. That wouldn't be nice.)

Lastly, get your free copy of book 1, MOONLESS, today.

What's your favorite type of cheese, and what are you celebrating today? 

And You Thought Stopping Time was Impossible...

You know when you want to be witty and fun and snarky and amazing...but all you have left is...well, a headache? That's kind of me today. Call it a sick kid, call it a pregnancy, but sometimes we really just have to take it easy if we want to keep going. I've been working hard toward my book release ON MONDAY!!! *gulp* And if allergies and exhaustion don't get me down, everything will even be done on time. So, since we're talking about time, how about some funnies?
Source Source
And join with me in celebrating, because on Monday...  Source (Book release, FREEBIES, and giveaways.)

Ready to guess the lie and win a book? 
Last week, Nicole Zoltack shared THE TEST OF TIME with us, along with two truths and one lie. Those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing for the chance to win her eBook of MASKED LOVE.  

Nicole's game: 
1. Nicole is a better shot than her husband.2. She likes to collect dragon, unicorn and horse figurines...and swords too.3. She just tested for her yellow belt in Karate.
And the lie is:

#3. Nicole wishes. She would love to take karate, but actually, her oldest son just received his yellow belt. He can't wait to be able to try and break boards! He talks all the time about wanting to be the highest degree black belt there is.

Way to guess those of you who got it right! And the winner is:
...DRUM ROLL...
Lori L. Maclaughlin
Congrats Lori! 

And now to today's feature:
Love, love, LOVE this cover!For Tommy, there is only one thing he needs to do: survive. 

Only surviving isn't that easy. The hunt for blood can be tricky when humans know to fear the night. Desire sits on the edge of his mind, urging him to become the monster humans think he is. Vampire Forces, a special branch of police, is determined to turn every vampire to ash. Tommy included. 

The only human Tommy can trust is his twin brother. A bond connects them, and with Danny's help, Tommy starts to understand the human world he struggles to survive in. He'll learn what friendships means and feel the sting of betrayal, find that sometimes the worst monsters are very human, and come to understand that family means more than blood. 

Tommy just wants to survive and he knows what he needs to do. But with the number of humans that mean more to him than a meal growing, Tommy learns there's more to life than simple survival. He'll discover being human doesn't mean being a human.

Get your copy HERE.
Patricia Lynne never set out to become a writer, and in fact, she never considered it an option during high school and college. She was all about art. On a whim, she wrote down a story bouncing in her head. That was the start of it and she hasn't regretted a moment. Patricia lives with her husband in Michigan, hopes one day to have what will resemble a small petting zoo and has a fondness for dying her hair the colors of the rainbow.

Her favorite cheese is Mozzarella. It goes good on anything! Or alone. Although, she hasn't eaten many cheeses, so her palate is very limited.
Patricia gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out the lie will go into my magic hat, and TWO people will win an eBook of BEING HUMAN--Just in time for HALLOWEEN! 

You have until Tuesday, October 14, at 1 p.m. EDT to guess--and be sure to come back for the answer on October 15.
TRUTH OR LIE
1. In high school, Patricia enjoyed doing the high jump in track and field.
2. She can't crochet to save her life. She can make a biiiiiiiig, loooooong chain and that's it.
3. A hobby she recently got back into was jigsaw puzzles. She can do a 500 hundred piece jigsaw puzzle in a few hours.
Which is the lie? Which time travel device would you take? Are you picking up any vampire reads for October? What are you wishing you had more time for?