Crystal Collier's Blog, page 5

November 14, 2016

Suicide Cheese, Huntress Found, and Golfing


It's day 14 of the book release blog tour. *jiggle dance*
But first... The FABULOUS Alexia Chamberlynn's new book is out! If you haven't read this woman, you're missing out. Humor, awesome stories, wonderful characters, amazing backdrops... So what are you waiting for? Go pick up your 99 cent book!
Title: Huntress FoundSeries: The Timekeeper’s War, Book OneAuthor: A.A. ChamberlynnRelease Day: 11/11/16Category: New AdultGenre: Contemporary Fantasy, Mythology Mashup with Sci-Fi and Steampunk Price: 99 cents!!
About the Book:
From the author of the bestselling Zyan Star fantasy series comes a new world of magic...

Evryn’s got mad skills at playing hide and seek. She can find lost children, hack the most secure databases, pretty much anything. Except for the one thing she desires most: the knowledge of who her parents are, why they abandoned her, and what her special talent means about who and what she really is.

So, when a guy named Seeker appears quite literally out of nowhere, claiming to know about her past and offering her a job, Evryn can’t say yes fast enough. Even if it does mean following him to another realm. As in, mind-blowingly, not Earth. Apparently she’s part of an elite clan of Hunters descending from Artemis who can find just about anything in all of time and space. As the last of Artemis’ direct lineage, Evryn is her clan’s best shot at finding a lost city before rival clans do.

Not just any city, but the flying, realm-hopping city of Skye. Aboard Skye is the Artifex, a magical device with the power to create or destroy worlds. Everyone wants the device, and with Evryn’s super-powered lineage, it means everyone wants her, too. It’s hard to decide who she can trust, even within her own clan. After she discovers a strange, alluring connection to the Artifex, she’s not even sure she can trust herself. Worse yet, the only person who may be able to help her is the Timekeeper, the sadistic ancient being who created the Artifex. An interdimensional war is brewing, and Evryn is right at the epicenter of it all.

Let the hunt begin.

Snag a Copy!
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo 
About the Author:
Alexia lives in Florida with her son, two cats, and a bearded dragon. When she's not writing or reading, she can be found playing with horses, drinking wine, traveling to the next place on her global wish list, or maybe doing yoga. Dr. Who, unicorns and katanas make her very happy. She is represented by Sandy Lu of the L. Perkins Agency.  Connect with her at www.alexiachamberlynn.com.
$50 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway


And back to our regular schedule...
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I hope you don't have epilepsy. Quick, look away! Death by cheese is the theme of the day. 
This is your last chance to guess Joylene Nowell Butler's lie in her Truth or Lie game!
And now to kill you with AWESOMENESS...
The Maiden of Time Series:
The romance of Jane Eyre meets Supernatural.
In a world where people can heal with a touch, kill with a scream, and rob a person of their memories, Alexia is struggling to find her place and learn her gifts--before the Soulless come for her.

BUYon Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or get signed print copies from yours truly!
Tour stops 
November 14
Play off the Page: Why Fantasy & Review

Tamara Narayan: Clean Medieval Funnies & Review
Mama Diaries: Favorite Cheese
H.R. Sinclair: To Improve Editing for Non-techies
November 15

Dianne Salerni: When Characters Take Off the Mask
Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams: Medieval Pass-Times (Your Daily LOL)
The Dabbler: How to Create Epic Blog Tours & Book Review
Hall Ways: Book Review

(Email address is required for awarding prizes.)
Have you ever experienced death by cheese? What do you think that would look like? Did you get your copy of Alexia's book? And if not, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!


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Follow the cheese golfer to the next stop on the tour. Seriously. I promise there will be epicness!
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Published on November 14, 2016 03:00

November 11, 2016

How Fast Are You? Time Manipulation and a Blog Tour


It's day 11 of the book release blog tour. Yippee!
A quick shout to all the Veterans out there on this Veterans day. WE LOVE YOU!!! Thank you isn't enough to express our gratitude and awe. You are the best.
Moving on...
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See the disappearing cheese? I'm eating it just that fast and it's replenishing. That, or I'm altering time just to mess with you. Speaking of time manipulation
The Maiden of Time Series:
The romance of Jane Eyre meets Supernatural.
In a world where people can heal with a touch, kill with a scream, and rob a person of their memories, Alexia is struggling to find her place and learn her gifts--before the Soulless come for her.

BUYon Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or get signed print copies from yours truly!
Tour stops 
November 11
Elizabeth Seckman, Author: Quiz Your Way into A Book & Book Review 
gotalovebooks: Book Review & a Kick-Trash Action excerpt
Bookworm for Kids: An Otherworldly excerpt
November 12
Kurt's Frontier: Review & Something Sinister

(Email address is required for awarding prizes.)

How fast can you eat cheese? Have you ever dreamed of time manipulation? Are you celebrating any Vets?


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Happiness is just a tour stop away, or three, or four. Go check this awesomeness out!
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Published on November 11, 2016 03:00

November 9, 2016

Glitter Cheese and a Murder Mystery Giveaway


It's day 9 of the book release blog tour. Yippee!
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Isn't that pretty? You know what else is pretty?
The Maiden of Time Series:
The romance of Jane Eyre meets Supernatural.
In a world where people can heal with a touch, kill with a scream, and rob a person of their memories, Alexia is struggling to find her place and learn her gifts--before the Soulless come for her.

BUYon Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or get signed print copies from yours truly!
Tour stops
November 9:
The Warrior Muse: Who is Shannon's MoT Doppelganger?
Sandra Ulbrich Almazan: Speculative Fiction Author: Medieval Funnies
Bittersweet Enchantment: Book Excerpt: A Kick Trash Time Traveler
Erica and Christy: Pick Your Cheese, Pick Your Alter Ego
November 10
What the Cat Read: Little Known Facts: Age and Immortality
Celticlady's Reviews: Book Excerpt: Fear in the Fire
Diane Burton - Adventure and Romance: Medieval Food is Funny?
Fida Islaih: Book Review and Excerpt: From the Stars

(Email address is required for awarding prizes.)


Last week, Lynda R. Young shared CLING TO GOD along with two truths and one lie. Anyone who guessed the lie correctly was entered to an eBook.

The game:

1. I met the fourth Doctor from Dr Who, Tom Baker, and offered him a jelly bean.
2. In my travels, I have visited over a hundred and twenty cities of the world but haven't traveled around my own country.
3. I have grown rich through my writing.
The lie: #2. 

From Lynda: 1. Dr Who, Tom Baker, came to Australia when I was super young and eager for an autograph, and I stood in line for an age and a half. I brought along a bag of jelly beans specifically to ask him if he would like one. And he did take one. The highlight of my youth.
2. While I have visited all those cities around the world, I also made a point to see as much of Australia as I could. Glad I did. Australia is a remarkable place, especially the central areas.
3. It depends how you define rich. Writing makes me richer culturally through the research I've had to do, mentally through expressing my creative self, and personally through connections and friendships I would never have made if I hadn't been a writer.

Way to guess everyone! And the winner is:
...DRUM ROLL...

Krystal Jane!

Congrats, Krystal!
And now, how about a wonderful book giveaway?


When Canada's retired Minister of National Defense, Leland Warner, is murdered in his home, the case is handed to Corporal Danny Killian, an aboriginal man tortured by his wife's unsolved murder.

The suspect, 60-year-old Sally Warner, still grieves for the loss of her two sons, dead in a suicide/murder eighteen months earlier. Confused and damaged, she sees in Corporal Killian a friend sympathetic to her grief and suffering and wants more than anything to trust him.

Danny finds himself with a difficult choice—indict his prime suspect, the dead minister's horribly abused wife or find a way to protect her and risk demotion. Or worse, transfer away from the scene of his wife’s murder and the guilt that haunts him...
Get Your Copy HERE.
Ready to meet the author?
When Joylene's father died in 1983, she wrote her first full–length manuscript to channel her grief. The seven-year process left her hooked and she began Dead Witness within a few weeks of finishing Always Father's Child. Today Joylene is the author of three suspense novels: Dead Witness, Broken But Not Dead, and the steam-punk collaboration Break Time. While she'll admit being published didn't fix all the wrongs in her life, she wishes her parents had lived to see her success. Dead Witness was a finalist in the 2012 Global eBook Awards. Broken But Not Dead won the 2012 IPPY Silver Medal, and its sequel Mâtowak Woman Who Cries is due for release November 1, 2016.

Joylene lives with her husband and their two cats Marbles and Shasta on beautiful Cluculz Lake in central British Columbia. They spend their winters in Bucerias, Nayarit, Mexico.

You might find Joylene eating Balderdash Cheese (aged 5 years) in a hot tub overlooking Cluculz Lake. But watch out for bears. For more on Joylene and her writing, visit her website.
She gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out either lie will go into my magic hat for the chance to win an eBook (open internationally):

You have until Tuesday, November 15 at 2 p.m. EDT to guess. Be sure to come back for the answer (and some FUN trivia) on November 16, 8 a.m. EDT.TRUTH OR LIE
1.  Joylene trained a wild tomcat by attaching a hair-brush to the end of a yard stick so she could brush his coat at a distance of three feet without having her legs torn to shreds. 
2. Robert Goulet, singer, actor, best known for The Naked Gun 2 & 1/2, and for being portrayed by Will Ferrell in Saturday Night Live is Joylene’s cousin. 
3. Joylene once won 10 bags of jujubes by eating 15 jujubes in one-minute while being blindfolded and having to pick up the candy one at a time with a toothpick.

So sleuths, which is the lie? Have you met Joylene? Love murder mysteries? Do you love cheese? And if so, what are you still doing here? Guess the lie and scoot! On to the next tour stop!


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Published on November 09, 2016 03:00

November 7, 2016

Number One Reason to Cry:


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I don't know if these are tears of joy, or tears of sadness. I guess you'll get to decide because you'll be doing this if you miss out on the posts today. I promise!
And although you're too late to get MOONLESS for free, you can still guess in Lynda R. King's Truth or Lie game.
The Maiden of Time Series:
The romance of Jane Eyre meets Supernatural.
In a world where people can heal with a touch, kill with a scream, and rob a person of their memories, Alexia is struggling to find her place and learn her gifts--before the Soulless come for her.

BUYon Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or get signed print copies from yours truly!
Today I'm inviting you to join me on tour for fun, prizes, epic cheese.
Tour stops:
November 7
The Story of a Writer: How to Become a Beta Reading Pro
Scattergun Scribblings: Review & Where the Maiden of Time Series Came From
Just Jemi: Little Known Facts: Secrets Behind the Book Cover
Alex J. Cavanaugh: Good, Clean Fun, AKA Medieval Funnies
November 8
Kimber Leigh Writes: Who is Your "Maiden of Time" Doppelganger
Kristin Smith: Kristin's Doppelganger is...

(Email address is required for awarding prizes.)

Are you a taco fan? Have you met your Maiden of Time doppelganger?
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See the cheese lover there? He's following the ball onto the next stop. You should too.
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Published on November 07, 2016 03:00

November 4, 2016

Tour Day #4: MOONLESS FREE for YOU, Funnies, Reviews and MORE


[image error] Yeah, it's pretty much like that.
The Maiden of Time Series:
The romance of Jane Eyre meets Supernatural.
In a world where people can heal with a touch, kill with a scream, and rob a person of their memories, Alexia is struggling to find her place and learn her gifts--before the Soulless come for her.

BUYon Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or get signed print copies from yours truly!
Today I'm inviting you to join me on tour for fun, prizes, epic cheese.
THIS IS THE LAST DAY TO GETMOONLESSfree on Amazon.
Tour stops:
November 4
The Write Path: Advice for Aspiring Authors & Review
Write with Fey: Little Known Facts: The Man Behind the Curtain & Review
Strands of Thought: Kai Interviews Alexia Dumont, Maiden of Time
Barb Tuab: Why I DON'T Want You To Read TIMELESS
November 5
Thoughts in Progress: 4 Tools for Gauging Your Book's Pace
Bish Denham: Medieval Funnies: Hobbies

(Email address is required for awarding prizes.)

Do you like cheese on vegetables? What topping gives you a "wow" reaction?
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Now follow the ball and jump to the tour stops. I promise you'll find more cheese along the way.
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Published on November 04, 2016 03:00

November 2, 2016

Dancing Cheese, Zombies, IWSG, and Giving Away Inspiration from Lynda R. Young


What do you do that you love?
Me? I love playing with my kids. I love walking in nature. I love meeting new people and reading good books. I love writing. The IWSG question this month is:
What is your favorite aspect of being a writer?
(I noticed they didn't say "a published writer," but that's how I'm going to answer. ;)
So here it is. When I was young, I told my stories to siblings and friends. There was nothing better than watching them react, and that final, happy silence that followed the conclusion of a tale. We had experienced a journey together with the same emotions, hopes, and fears. We had bonded closer because of our shared adventure. I live for those moments.
Being published and having my books out in the world is like that feeling times ten. Now, not only can I share the adventures playing out in my mind, but I get to make new friends and connect with people I never could have known otherwise. I get to introduce them to the people living in my head, and discover that I'm not the only one who loves them.
And that's it. Writing for me is about connecting with other people.
Do you write? And what do you most appreciate about it?
It's day 2 of the book release blog tour. Yippee!
[image error] Tell me that doesn't just make you happy?
MOONLESS is free on Amazonuntil Friday to celebrate.
The Maiden of Time Series:
The romance of Jane Eyre meets Supernatural.
In a world where people can heal with a touch, kill with a scream, and rob a person of their memories, Alexia is struggling to find her place and learn her gifts--before the Soulless come for her.

BUYon Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or get signed print copies from yours truly!
Tour stops
November 2:
The Narcissistic Rose: Medieval Funnies--Food Fascination

I Think: Therefore I Yam: Excerpt--What's Beyond the Stars

Write Stuff: Medieval Funnies--What's Up With Armor?

Whip It: Writing Tips--Character Arcs
November 3:
Barb Taub--Writing and Coffee. Especially Coffee: Plotter or Pantser
I Am A Reader: Meet Your Maiden of Time Doppelganger
The Far Edge of Normal: Excerpt--Meet the Knight Templar

(Email address is required for awarding prizes.)


Last week, David P King shared THE UNDEAD ROAD along with two truths and one lie. Anyone who guessed the lie correctly was entered to an eBook.

The game:

1. I target practiced with every weapon mentioned in The Undead Road.
2. I have witnessed paranormal activity.
3. I have eaten insects.
The lie: #1. 

From David: I have witnessed paranormal activity. (True ... cool movie!)
I have eaten insects. (True ... and if you have ever eaten the food dye Carmine, so have you!)
I target practiced with every weapon mentioned in The Undead Road (False ... I have never used a pink camou bow, but I totally should!)

Way to guess everyone! And the winner is:
...DRUM ROLL...

Bish Denham!

Congrats, Bish!
And now, in celebration of All Hallows day, an inspirational offering:


Cling to God in the chaos of life…

Cling to God is a book of devotionals for every day of the year. The aim is to encourage Christians in their faith, to help them think about their beliefs and learn more about God. The devotions are short and inspirational so that people with busy lifestyles will still be able to spend time with the Lord each day. It will appeal to a wide Christian audience, to those new in their faith as well as those matured beyond milk and honey.
Get Your Copy HERE.
Ready to meet the awe-inspiring author?
Lynda R. Young writes devotionals, articles, and speculative short stories. In her spare time she is also an editor, game developer, artist, and dabbles in photography and all things creative. She lives in Australia with her sweetheart of a husband.

You might run across Lynda on picnic at a national park, with a plate of Brie and a glass of chilled Sauvignon Blanck.
Lynda gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out either lie will go into my magic hat for the chance to win an eBook (open internationally):

You have until Tuesday, November 8 at 2 p.m. EDT to guess. Be sure to come back for the answer (and some FUN trivia) on November 9, 8 a.m. EDT.TRUTH OR LIE
1. I met the fourth Doctor from Dr Who, Tom Baker, and offered him a jelly bean.
2. In my travels, I have visited over a hundred and twenty cities of the world but haven't traveled around my own country.
3. I have grown rich through my writing.

So sleuths, which is the lie? Have you met Lynda? (If not, you must. She's wonderful.) Have you ever done the cheese dance? Any why are you still staring at that golfer? Comment and hit the rest of the tour. It's ALL epic, I promise.


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Published on November 02, 2016 03:00

November 1, 2016

TIMELESS Release Day

Today is pretty much like this for me:
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All to bring magic to readers like you.

That's right, TIMELESS is out today! The series is complete.
Wow.

The Maiden of Time Series:
The romance of Jane Eyre meets Supernatural.
In a world where people can heal with a touch, kill with a scream, and rob a person of their memories, Alexia is struggling to find her place and learn her gifts--before the Soulless come for her.

BUYon Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or get signed print copies from yours truly!
Today I'm inviting you to join me on tour for fun, prizes, epic cheese.
Oh, and I should mention thatMOONLESS is free on Amazontoday through the 5th to celebrate.
Tour stops:
Bookworm Brandee: Meet Your Doppelganger Quiz
Shooting Stars Reviews: A Super Awesome Book Excerpt
TF Walsh: Editing tips: How to Rescue Your Sagging Middle 

(Email address is required for awarding prizes.)

So what are you waiting for? Go round up some cheese.
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Are you celebrating anything AMAZING today?
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Published on November 01, 2016 03:00

October 26, 2016

Two Free Halloween Stories, For You

AND a little bit more.
Happy Halloween to you!
Below is a free story, but I'm over at the IWSG Parallels blog today with 5 Tips for Creating Scary StoriesBe sure to stop in.
AND you can enter below to win some AWESOME cash in the Rafflecopter giveaway (for a newsletter subscription to yours truly. You think the giveaways are abundant on the blog. You should see what awesome freebies newsletter subscribers receive). 

Emily’s Ghost
I know what a bomb sounds like right before it explodes. So does Emily. It was only a question of time before mine went off.
I was nine when I saw my first bodiless. It flitted down the hall of the old estate Mother and Pap moved me to. A “family” house. We sat at the dining table, and my parents didn’t flinch when the essence curled through them, the specter’s eyes flaring with each touch.
“Alice, look away,” a whisper filled my ear.
I turned and came face to face with a girl—a year or two older than me—whom I’d never seen before. She had bouncing brown hair and eyes no color I could define. Gray, but green, but also blue, then nothing. Her presence faded and I was left looking at the wood-slated wall.
Mother called me back to the meal, unaware of my visitor, and I ate, bewildered by the experience.
That night, I woke to an awareness of being watched. The girl sat on top of my chest, weighing nothing, scowling down at me.
I pushed away and tumbled from bed. She floated down, crouching next to me.
“I am Emily.” The words whispered like a summer breeze through drapes.
“You’re a…a ghost?”
She shrugged a shoulder. “I am, and so too will you be if you do not heed me. We have so little time, Alice. Less than I had.”
I rose, rubbing my bruised elbow. Emily lifted a few inches off the floor and waved me forward. I followed her into the hall, up creaky stairs, and into an attic. Draped furniture filled my periphery, but straight ahead stood a wardrobe with a gleaming lock.
Emily offered a key, a solid, chrome thing. It was cold in my palm. Heavy.
“You are the keeper now.” A wistfulness crinkled her eyes as she halted next to the cabinet. “Whatever you require to fight them will be inside.”
“Them?”
She shivered. “The bodiless. They are spirits of the departed who have power in the mortal realm. Already they are drawn to you, but they will come in droves once you open the door, and they will keep coming.”
“To me? Why?”
“Because you can stop them.”
“Stop them from what?”
She blinked and floated to the corner. Then back. “I never found out. They got the upper hand before I could discover.” Her jaw clenched. “But I will stay with you, Alice. I will guide you until you no longer need me. You will be better than I ever was.”

“At what?”
“Killing the wraiths.”
***
Four days elapsed. I didn’t catch another glimpse of Emily, but the bodiless had become a permanent guest. At first it was harmless. Then it started bumping into picture frames and knocking them down. It overturned vases and jars. I watched, knowing I could stop it, but broken things could be replaced. I could never unopen that door. Emily’s warning filled me with dread.
The entity began throwing things at my family—first weakly, a cup flicked off the counter, a pen skittering across the floor. Then stronger. A ball hurled down the stairs. A frying pan flung directly at my head, breaking a window.
My parents saw nothing. I was blamed.
The angry inner clock beat a rhythm: protect, defend, defeat. The wraith was winning and only I could stop it by unlocking my destiny.
I climbed to the attic and held out the key, aimed for the strange wardrobe. Emily materialized at my elbow.
“What will I find in there?”
“One can never know.” Her voice trembled.
I glanced at her, startled.

She motioned me forward, and I pressed the key into the lock. Light shot out around the metal. I shielded my eyes and twisted the key, a click thudding in my ears.
It was done. The thing that could never be taken back. The decision that would forever tie me to this ghost girl and the coming horrors.
The light dimmed to an otherworldly glow—like dawn, but thinner. A light that had substance.
I pulled back the door, ready to jump. A wooden, toy bear sat on the shelf. It was missing one painted eye and chipped in several places.
Emily perked up from behind my shoulder. “That was not nearly so terrifying as I had anticipated.”
“What things did you find in the cabinet?”
A crash sounded below. Mother screamed.
We both whirled. Emily threw herself in front of me, blocking my path, pointing to the pathetic bear. I grabbed it and hurtled down the stairs, into the living room. Mother lay on her side. A coffee table overturned near her head. The wraith hovered over her, energy swirling between its claw-like fingers.
“Get away from my mother!” I jumped at the specter. My body passed right through it. We both shivered.
The thing fixed on the bear in my hands, its mouth falling open in horror. It threw energy at me. I dodged. The wall behind me splintered. The wraith launched another wave. I dove. Stuffing blew out of the sofa like blizzard snows.
The bodiless flew straight at me, dragging power with it. My heart ticked like a bomb, one that would explode on impact. This was survival or death. Like Emily.
I lifted the bear and the thing slammed into it. The entity spun away, shook itself, and glared.
Its fists unballed. It fixed on Mother. The wraith shot me a smirk.
My heart stopped.
Not mother.
And then, like a dark curtain had been dropped from my mind, I knew what I was, and what I had to do.
I was a poltergeist hunter.
Holding the bear at arm’s length, I marched toward the entity. Its eyes shot wide. It turned and jerked, like a grappling hook had been thrust through it and yanked taut.
“Enter and stay. Enter and hold forever. Enter and never escape your cage.” The words were in my blood. They were my blood. Not English or any kind of civilized tongue, but they pulsed with power.
The thing’s mouth gaped in a silent shriek. I lifted the bear higher.
The wraith melted toward me, seeping into the bear, its final essence lapping outward in a desperate attempt to flee.
“Enter forever,” I repeated.
The bodiless slammed into the bear. I rocked back and fell, the toy toppling from my hands. It landed across the floor, its painted eye gleaming briefly, and then all was quiet.
I hurried to Mother’s side.
My mother was fine. She insisted she’d tripped and knocked her head. I didn’t even receive blame for the rest of the damage, which made me think she’d seen something. At least she wouldn’t be attacked again by that bodiless.
That was the last I saw of Emily for a long time. I returned to the attic, but the wardrobe was gone. The only evidence of the encounter was the key weighing my pocket, and the weird bear I kept on my nightstand as a reminder. It would be the first of many trophies.

I am not Emily. Some days I wish I could be, for she was truly great. Hers was a great burden. Now it’s mine.
READ OTHER STORIES IN THIS HOP(Starting 10/27)
AND
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Last week, Bish Denham shared THE BOWL AND THE STONE along with two truths and one lie. Anyone who guessed the lie correctly was entered to an eBook.

The game:


1. In the early 1970s, Bish lived in Hollywood and went to a transvestite ball.
2. Bish was at Woodstock and is surprised by how much she remembers!
3. A warlock once tried to recruit her to become a witch.
The lie: #2. Bish wanted to go to Woodstock. She knew people who were going, but didn’t have the money. And the logistics of getting from the Virgin Islands to Woodstock, New York by herself was just a *wee* bit overwhelming. She didn’t have the personality to just go and let things happen. She needed a little planning, she needed to know where she was going to stay and how she was going to get there. Flying to New York City wasn’t a problem, but getting up to the farm would have been a nightmare. Coming from a tiny island and plopping herself down in the middle of millions of people--and trying to find her way--was unrealistic. That, and she was a scaredy cat.

Way to guess everyone! And the winner is:
...DRUM ROLL...

Shannon Lawrence!

Congrats, Shannon!
And now, it's time for some HALLOWEEN FUN!


Nothing brings the family together like a zombie apocalypse … 

Fifteen-year-old Jeremy Barnes would rather watch a zombie movie than shoot a real one, but he has no choice if his family wants to survive the end of the world. Their plan? Drive across the infected United States to a cabin in the Colorado Rockies without a scratch, but their trip takes a complicated detour in the middle of Nebraska when they find Kaylynn, a girl who can handle a baseball bat better than Jeremy can hold a .45 Beretta. And when they stumble into a sanctuary, Jeremy soon learns that Kaylynn is stronger than she looks—a deadly secret lies inside her. 

After the radio picks up a distress call from Kansas City about a possible cure, Jeremy’s parents go with a team to investigate. They never return. The only way to find their parents is for Jeremy and his sister Jewel to rely on a dangerous girl who might just turn on them at any moment.
Get Your Copy HERE.
Ready to meet the gun-slinging author?
David was born in beautiful downtown Burbank, California where his love for film inspired him to become a writer. His debut novel WOVEN is now an international bestseller.  An avid fan of science fiction and fantasy, David also has a soft spot for zombies and the paranormal. He now lives in the mountain West with his wife and three children.

Every now and then you might run across David munching on a few crackers and slices of Colby Jack.
David gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out either lie will go into my magic hat for the chance to win an eBook (open internationally):

You have until Tuesday, November 1 at 2 p.m. EDT to guess. Be sure to come back for the answer (and some FUN trivia) on November 2, 8 a.m. EDT.TRUTH OR LIE
1. I target practiced with every weapon mentioned in The Undead Road.
2. I have witnessed paranormal activity.
3. I have eaten insects.

So sleuths, which is the lie? Have you met David? (If not, you must. He's kind and amazing.) Do you like ghost stories? Zombies? Candy corn?
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Published on October 26, 2016 05:00

October 19, 2016

DIY: Become a Mobster and WIN Books

A heads up, I'm guest posting about BLING this whole week (M/W/F) at The REALLY REAL HOUSEWIVES. Check it out and leave me a shout, eh?
Also, today I'm giving away an AWESOME Island mystery novel. Be sure to guess Bish's lie to be entered. 
But I'm also playing along for the

(Couldn't resist.)
The Life of a Fairytale Mobster
My Mobster Name: La-mina Monoyra (La-meen-ah Mon-oye-rah)
My Rank: Bow to me now or have your soul eaten.
Crime Zone: The green bounty of earth.
My Look/Disguise:

Weapon of Choice: Confusion, and sometimes toothpicks.
Mobster Vehicle: Wings.
What I’m Known For: Killing men with desire. Or toothpicks. Whichever is handier.
My Catch Phrase: Weakness is a weakness. Live to have none.



30 SECONDS BEFORE BLURB:
Blake Herro is a cop in the Cleveland Police Force. Ever since he was a child he wanted to do right by the city he loved by cleaning up the streets and protecting its citizens. Red, a notorious mobster, has other plans.
On a bitter December night, ten police officers are drawninto a trap and killed by Red’s followers. Blake wants to bring down the Mob to avenge his fallen brothers and to prevent other cops from being murdered. Except the only way he can do that is by infiltrating the Mob.
Every minute he’s with these mobsters he’s in danger.Around every corner lies the threat of coming face to face with a gun. Will he make it out of the Mob alive or will he be their next victim?
Buy on Amazon
To celebrate, 30 Seconds, the follow up story, is on sale for 99 cents! (Sale Oct. 21st – Nov. 4th)



Head to Chrys's place to find a list of the other participants! (Or grab the post info, sign up on her linky and play along on Oct 21!)

Chrys Fey is the author of the Disaster Crimes Series (Hurricane Crimes and Seismic Crimes), as well as these releases from The Wild Rose Press: 30 Seconds, Ghost of Death, and Witch of Death.



Last week, Roland Yeomans shared THE NOT SO INNOCENTS AT LARGE along with two truths and one lie. Anyone who guessed the lie correctly was entered to an audio book of either HUNTER'S MOON or TALES TO BE TOLD AT MIDNIGHT.

The game:

1. Two years in a row, I and the rest of my city, were mandatorily evacuated from our homes because of hurricanes.
2. As a six year old, I spent six weeks alone on the roughest street in Detroit with only a street person and her little dog for company.
3. I learned Cajun French from being surrounded by only french speaking neighbors my first summer in Lafayette after moving there from Detroit.
The lie: #3 (That was tough!)

Fun fact #1 (from Roland): My step-father was gone due to work. It was so hot in Lafayette that my mother wore shorts and a halter top. Because of that, our conservative, elderly neighbors thought Mother was a "Loose Woman" and wouldn't talk to her...or me! As soon as the weather cooled and Mother started wearing slacks and a blouse, they invited both of us to all their homes for coffee.

Fun Fact #2: When Mother had to be hospitalized while my step-father was off in the Gulf, Mrs. Hilton took me in. She started me on my writing career by typing my Green Lantern story I dictated to her one afternoon. She was one of the most loving, wise, and intelligent ladies I've ever known.

Way to guess everyone! And the winner is:
...DRUM ROLL...

L. Diane Wolfe!

Congrats, Diane!
And now, it's time for some island fun!


Pirates. Explorers. And spooky ghost hunters.
It’s 1962. Sam and her best friend, Nick, have the whole island of St. John, in the U. S. Virgin Islands, as their playground. They’ve got 240 year-old sugar plantation ruins to explore, beaches to swim, and trails to hike.
But when a man disappears like a vapor right in front of them, they must confront a scary new reality. They’re being haunted. By whom? And why? He’s even creeping into Nick’s dreams.
They need help, but the one who might be able to give it is Trumps, a reclusive hunchback who doesn’t like people, especially kids. Are Sam and Nick brave enough to face him? And if they do, will he listen to them? 
As carefree summer games turn into eerie hauntings, Sam and Nick learn more about themselves and life than they could ever have imagined.
Get Your Copy HERE.

(I personally can't wait to read this one!)
Ready to meet the AMAZING author?
Bish Denham , whose mother’s side of the family has been in the Caribbean for over one hundred years, was raised in the U. S. Virgin Islands. She still has lots of family living there whom she visits regularly.

She says, “Growing up in the islands was like living inside a history book. Columbus named the islands, Sir Francis Drake sailed through the area, and Alexander Hamilton was raised on St. Croix. The ruins of hundreds of sugar plantations, built with the sweat and blood of slave labor, litter the islands. Then there were the pirates who plied the waters. It is within this atmosphere of wonder and mystery, that I grew up. Life for me was magical, and through my writing I hope to pass on some of that magic.”

You might run across Bish anywhere, munching sharp cheddar on a saltine cracker with a thin sliver of guava paste--sweet and delicious! 
Bish gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out either lie will go into my magic hat for the chance to win an eBook (open internationally):

You have until Tuesday, October 25 at 2 p.m. EDT to guess. Be sure to come back for the answer (and some FUN trivia) on October 26, 8 a.m. EDT.TRUTH OR LIE
1. In the early 1970s, Bish lived in Hollywood and went to a transvestite ball.
2. Bish was at Woodstock and is surprised by how much she remembers!
3. A warlock once tried to recruit her to become a witch.So sleuths, which is the lie? Have you met Bish? (If not, you must. She's wonderful.) What would your mobster name be? Have you visited the Virgin Islands?
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Published on October 19, 2016 05:00

October 12, 2016

Not So Innocent Halloween Funnies, and a Roland Yeomans Giveaway

Erm, I should amend that. We're not giving away Roland Yeomans...well, I suppose we kind of are--or at least, a part of his SOUL. (Aka, his writing.) As part of his DON'T BUY MY BOOK blog tour, you've got the chance to win some pretty epic prizes. But first...

Are you ready for Halloween? This is seriously my favorite time of the year. It's when I started dating my hubby. It's when my first child was born. It's my birth month. AND Halloween!! How do you get more epic than that?

So in the spirit of all things spooky and awesome, have a laugh:

Because  everyone wants to look their best.
[image error] Except for maybe this guy.
Beware killer pumpkins this year.
[image error] And ghosts. Or should they beware you?
Nope. Killer pumpkins for sure.
And maybe killer wolves. 
[image error] But definitely frying pans.

Last week, I shared two truths and one lie. Anyone who guessed the lie correctly was entered to win the entire Maiden of Time series in eBook.

The game:

1. My first draft of Timeless was 42,000 words long. (150 pages.) Of those original 42,000, only about 10,000 survived to the final draft (85,000 words). (How's that for insight into the process?)
2. One of the main characters in my Maiden of Time series, Kiren, has been with me since 1994. That makes him his approximate physical age in the series (22).
3. I hate cheese.
The lie: ... If you don't know this, I OBVIOUSLY haven't been doing my job. It's true, only a fraction of my original words ended up in TIMELESS, and Kiren really has been living in my head for 22 years. In comparison, his romantic interest, Alexia, has been around for almost 15 years.

Way to guess everyone! And the winner is:
...DRUM ROLL...

Mark Murata!
Congrats, Mark!
And now, it's time to offer up Roland's soul...I mean books. He has JUST released


History turned upside down.
This is a blend of vampires, airships, and dragons that will keep you riveted and laughing. Prepare to experience 1867 in a way history says never existed: Sherman’s bloody march through Georgia didn't happen. Lincoln wasn't assassinated. The great Sioux nation still exists.
Enter a rollicking other-dimension, a tale containing so many human truths and quotable aphorisms right from the mouths of a cast of colorful characters--from Mark Twain to a vampire Benjamin Franklin.
Get Your Copy HERE.
Ready to meet the soul you're about to consume, er, I mean read?
Roland Yeomans was born in Detroit, Michigan. But his last memories of that city are hub-caps and kneecaps since, at the age of seven, he followed the free food when his parents moved to Lafayette, Louisiana. The hitch-hiking after their speeding car from state to state was a real adventure. Once in Louisiana, Roland learned strange new ways of pronouncing David and Richard when they were last names.  And it was not a pleasant sight when he pronounced Comeaux for the first time.
He has a Bachelor’s degree in English Education and a Master’s degree in Psychology. He has been a teacher, counselor, book store owner, and even a pirate since he once worked at a tax preparation firm.

So far he has written thirty-four books. You can find Roland at his web page: www.rolandyeomans.blogspot.com or at his private table in Meilori’s. The web page is safer to visit. But if you insist on visiting Meilori’s, bring a friend who runs slower than you.
Roland gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out either lie will go into my magic hat for the chance to win ONE OF TWO audiobooks (open internationally):




You have until Tuesday, October 18 at 2 p.m. EDT to guess. Be sure to come back for the answer (and some FUN trivia) on October 19, 8 a.m. EDT.TRUTH OR LIE
1. Two years in a row, I and the rest of my city, were mandatorily evacuated from our homes because of hurricanes.
2. As a six year old, I spent six weeks alone on the roughest street in Detroit with only a street person and her little dog for company.
3. I learned Cajun French from being surrounded by only french speaking neighbors my first summer in Lafayette after moving there from Detroit.So sleuths, which is the lie? Have you met Roland? (If not, jump over to his place. He's wildly entertaining.) And DON'T buy his new book. That's right. I told you not to. *taps fingers* *waits for rebellion to incite*
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Published on October 12, 2016 05:00