Vicki L. Weavil's Blog, page 2
June 15, 2017
Hot as Fire Summer Giveaway from Waiting On Books!
Waiting on Books, a group of several authors, is offering a fabulous rafflecopter contest where you can win a “hot as fire” prize bundle!
Prize: All-New Fire HD 8 Tablet with Alexa, 8″ HD Display, 32 GB plus a $50 Amazon gift card and lots of books to one lucky winner!
The books and authors:
BREAKING CHARACTER — Cameron Grey
SAY NO TO THE BRO — Kat Helgeson
GENA/FINN — Kat Helgeson and Hannah Moskowitz
CROWN OF ICE — Vicki L. Weavil
SCEPTER OF FIRE — Vicki L. Weavil
FORGET TOMORROW — Pintip Dunn
OBSCURA BURNING — Suzanne van Rooyen
REACH FOR YOU — Pat Esden
Atlas Link Series (GYRE, DRIFTWOOD, LANDLOCKED) — Jessica Gunn
Hunter Circles (HUNTER and HUNTED) — Jessica Gunn
BALLAD OF THE BEANSTALK — Amy McNulty
FALL FAR FROM THE TREE — Amy McNulty
ENTANGLED SOULS — Dorothy Dreyer
NOBODY’s GODDESS — Amy McNulty
SOULMATED — Shaila Patel
THE TRAITOR’S KISS — Erin Beaty
MOTLEY EDUCATION — S.A. Larsen
THE WISHING HEART – J.C. Welker
ONE SUMMER WITH AUTUMN — Julie Reece
MAGNETIC SHIFT (Paperback ) — Lucy D. Briand
OF THE TREES – E.M. Fitch
CHAMELEON (The Domino Project #1) — K.T. Hanna
THIEF’S CUNNING — Sarah Ahiers
THE WISHING HEART — J. C. Welker
Contest is open June 15th through July 1st. Open to U.S. residents only.
Enter here:
June 14, 2017
SHAPE SHIFTER CHRONICLES by Lauren Jankowski — 4 Book Cover Reveal!
Today I’m excited to reveal not one, but four covers, for the series reboot of The Shape Shifter Chronicles by Lauren Jankowski! Brand-new, revised editions of the four original books of this action-packed New Adult Urban Fantasy are releasing simultaneously on October 31, 2017, from Snowy Wings Publishing.
Covers designed by Najla Qamber Designs
Title: Sere From the Green: Book One of the Shape Shifter Chronicles
Author: Lauren Jankowski
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: October 31, 2017
Publisher: Snowy Wings Publishing
Add to your Goodreads list here!
Title: Through Storm and Night: Book Two of the Shape Shifter Chronicles
Author: Lauren Jankowski
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: October 31, 2017
Publisher: Snowy Wings Publishing
Add to your Goodreads list here!
Title: From the Ashes: Book Three of the Shape Shifter Chronicles
Author: Lauren Jankowski
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: October 31, 2017
Publisher: Snowy Wings Publishing
Add to your Goodreads list here!
Title: Haunted by the Keres: Book Four of the Shape Shifter Chronicles
Author: Lauren Jankowski
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: October 31, 2017
Publisher: Snowy Wings Publishing
Add to your Goodreads list here!
In Lauren Jankowski’s Shape Shifter Chronicles, recent college grad Isis lives a normal life in a normal world, working as a photojournalist in a small city where practically nothing happens. One night, she photographs the scene of a gruesome murder. A woman is found dead in an abandoned factory. On the wall there is a strange symbol painted in blood. Isis photographs the scene. The next day, all evidence of the crime has vanished from her pictures and no one seems to have heard of any murder taking place.
As Isis proceeds to investigate, she’s drawn into the world of shape shifters and guardians. Secrets and mysteries are commonplace in this strange world. And as Isis finds answers about her own mysterious past, she also finds more questions. What is happening to the people that vanish without a trace? Who is watching her from the shadows? And what exactly is the key that everyone seems willing to kill for?
June 11, 2017
I Have Failed — And That’s Okay
I am a failed author.
Okay, let me be more specific — I have failed at one aspect of being an author. That is, self-publishing.
Now, how failed, you may ask? Well, I have released four self-published books this spring and I have sold… very few.
I am still proud of the books themselves. I do not feel that they are failed BOOKS. I believe they are written well, and I know they have good covers (great covers in the case of two of them), solid editing and formatting, and all those other things that make for a quality product.
But for whatever reason, they do not sell. This may be because they are not the stories that readers who love these genres like to read. Quite possible, as I know I have quirky tastes and don’t tend to like things that are “mainstream.” So maybe it is the stories not resonating with readers.
BUT… I actually think it is probably because I am not good at promotion, and — as I have come to learn — promotion is EVERYTHING.
I have tried. I’ve spent money on ads. I’ve attempted various social media promotions, and so on. But… I have not, perhaps, done enough. Or done it well enough. Or whatever. (I do accept that this is my fault if so!)
Part of the problem is that I dislike marketing. Not that I think there is anything fundamentally wrong with it, but… Personally, I have always shied away from selling ANYTHING. I just hate asking (aka “begging” in my mind) people to buy something they are not already inclined to purchase. This is my problem, not a fault in the system or anything else. But is part of me, and I don’t know that I can change such a fundamental aspect of my personality. Not at this late date.
I struggle with all of this because I’m a person who likes to “fix” things. I always want to keep trying — to find some way to make something work. I hate to give up. I hate to admit that I have failed at anything.
But sometimes, the continual “trying” is just so painful and wearying that it holds me back from moving onto better things. Now I feel that I must let go. New opportunities need my focus and energy. I cannot fix everything. It just isn’t always possible.
So I must accept my failure in this arena and move on. I have other writing projects that don’t involve self-publishing, and I think I need to just focus on those.
I need to accept my failure, learn from it, and keep going (but in a better direction).
What about you? Have you ever failed at something and had a hard time letting go? How do you deal positively with failure?
June 9, 2017
ILAVANI by Kaelan Rhywiol — Cover Reveal!
Today is #CoverReveal day for ILAVANI, the first book in a new science fantasy series.
Here’s the cover! Also check below for info. on the book, the author, and how to preorder!
About ILAVANI
The first installment in a long-running, science fantasy series based in a queer, pagan, polyamorous, universe.
3800 years in the future.
Maëlcolm is a skilled BDSM trainer, a spy, and unfortunately, a prince.
Cameron is Maël’s older brother, titular heir to their father’s kingdom and in love with his enby bodyguard, Li.
Kat is a slave. A genetically modified being created for one purpose, and one alone. To please her masters in bed.
Los is a gifted Companion, the only thing that makes him happier than practicing his calling is loving Maël, the one man Los can’t have an official relationship with.
If Maël doesn’t give up his calling and do as the Ard Righ demands, his family loses everything.
If Cam doesn’t do what he needs to do to become worthy of the throne by the Ard Righ’s stringent standards, their family may be executed.
If Kat, autistic, touch-averse, and afraid, chooses to fight her fate, she’ll die.
When an artificial intelligence named ‘the high king’ is at the helm, the cost to human hearts may be impossible to bear.
Amazon Preorder Digital $1.51
Amazon Preorder — click here!
ASIN: B071FWRR29 EBook
Amazon Preorder Print $6.00
Amazon Preorder PRINT — click here
ISBN: 9781521431429 Print
Epub available directly from the author for $1.00 US emailed to paypal/skrill Kaelan.rhywiol@gmail.com
About the Author:
Kaelan was born and raised in upstate NY, in the Adirondack mountains.
Xie started writing when xie turned 11 and hasn’t ever stopped as evidenced by the massive amount of notebooks and digital files of xyr writing xie has hanging around. (We just moved, so trust me, it was a shock to see how much of it there really is.)
Kaelan holds a B.A in bioanthropology/forensic chemistry and an MST in education/world history. Xie loved University, so holds minors in English, Creative Writing, Linguistics, Graphic Design, and Modern Dance.
Xyr hobbies include reading, spinning wool with a spinning wheel, cooking, knitting, sewing and making jewelry.
Xie currently lives in Southern Ontario, Canada with xyr husband of 19 years, their two kids, a foot fetishist of a cat, two crazy kittens, and a grumpy chinchilla.
The best place to connect with Kaelan is on twitter, where xie spends way too much time.
Where can you connect with Kaelan:
Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Kaelan-Rhywiol/e/B01MSXDG2A
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KaelanRhy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaelanrhy/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
June 7, 2017
STARSWEPT by Mary Fan — Cover Reveal!
Title: Starswept
Author: Mary Fan
Release Date: August 29, 2017
Publisher: Snowy Wings Publishing
Some melodies reach across the stars.
In 2157, the Adryil—an advanced race of telepathic humanoids—contacted Earth. A century later, 15-year-old violist Iris Lei considers herself lucky to attend Papilio, a prestigious performing arts school powered by their technology. Born penniless, Iris’s one shot at a better life is to attract an Adryil patron. But only the best get hired, and competition is fierce.
A sudden encounter with an Adryil boy upends her world. Iris longs to learn about him and his faraway realm, but after the authorities arrest him for trespassing, the only evidence she has of his existence is the mysterious alien device he slipped to her.
When she starts hearing his voice in her head, she wonders if her world of backstabbing artists and pressure for perfection is driving her insane. Then, she discovers that her visions of him are real—by way of telepathy—and soon finds herself lost in the kind of impossible love she depicts in her music.
But even as their bond deepens, Iris realizes that he’s hiding something from her—and it’s dangerous. Her quest for answers leads her past her sheltered world to a strange planet lightyears away, where she uncovers secrets about Earth’s alien allies that shatter everything she knows.
Preorder the hardback on Amazon
Preorder the e-book on Amazon (Kindle), Barnes & Noble (Nook), Kobo, or iBooks
Add it on Goodreads
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mary Fan is a hopeless dreamer, whose mind insists on spinning tales of “what if.” As a music major in college, she told those stories through compositions. Now, she tells them through books. She is the author of the Jane Colt space opera trilogy, the Firedragon YA dystopia/fantasy novellas, and the Fated Stars YA high fantasy novellas. She’s also the co-editor of the Brave New Girls YA sci-fi anthologies, which are dedicated to encouraging girls to enter STEM careers and raising money for the Society of Women Engineers scholarship fund.
Find her online at www.MaryFan.com.
Facebook: facebook.com/mfanwriter
Twitter: @astralcolt
Instagram: @astralcolt
May 23, 2017
SCEPTER OF FIRE Release Day!
Today — Tuesday, May 23rd — SCEPTER OF FIRE releases under the Snowy Wings Publishing imprint.
Right now, the eBook is available to download for free if you can access Kindle Unlimited — only $2.99 otherwise. The paperback is $10.99.
Buy your copy here: Amazon
She’s the ugly duckling in a family of swans. But Varna Lund is determined to live a life that matters.
Ridiculed by the young men of her village, Varna vows she’ll become the finest healer in the land. The skills she’s learned from her ancient mentor prove vital when she encounters Erik Stahl, a young soldier who deserted the battlefield to carry an injured friend to safety. Aided by her sister Gerda, she cares for the soldiers in secret.
When betrayal catapults the four young people into life on the run, Varna encounters her former mentor—now revealed as the sorcerer, Sten Rask. Seeking an enchanted mirror that offers unlimited power, Rask appears determined to seduce Varna to his side.
To protect their country, Varna and her companions form an alliance with a former Snow Queen, a scholar, and an enchantress. But when Rask tempts her with beauty and power, Varna’s heart becomes a battlefield. Caught between loyalty to her companions and a man whose kisses ignite a fire on her lips, Varna must choose—embrace her own desires, or fight for a society that’s always spurned her.
May 17, 2017
Cover Reveal for #MarkedBeauty by S.A. Larsen
It’s here — the #coverreveal for #MarkedBeauty!
Title: Marked Beauty Author: S.A. Larsen
Publisher: Ellysian Press Release Date: October 2017
Uncovering hidden secrets can sometimes kill you . . . or worse, steal your soul.
Anastasia Tate has a secret. She can feel the emotions of others through their life energy auras. Not a welcome gift for a teenager. Especially when a sinister presence begins stalking her.
Viktor Castle also has a secret. He’s tasked with protecting humanity yet cursed by an ancient evil to destroy it.
After Viktor saves Ana’s life, her abilities grow stronger. Drawn together, she senses Viktor has answers to lifelong questions. Only he shuns her at every turn, knowing he has saved her only to put her in more danger.
As Ana struggles with her attraction to Viktor, he tries everything to bury his unexpected feelings for her. But they must find a middle ground. For only together can they combat the dark forces threatening both their lives . . . and their souls.
About the Author
S.A. LARSEN is the author of the award-winning novel Motley Education, the first book in a fantasy-adventure series for middle grade readers. Her work has appeared in numerous local publications and young adult anthologies Gears of Brass and Under A Brass Moon by Curiosity Quills Press. Marked Beauty is her debut young adult novel. Find her in the land of snowy winters and the occasional Eh’ya with her husband of over twenty-five years, four children, a playful pooch, and three kittens. Visit her cyber home anytime at www.salarsenbooks.com.
Connect with her on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Blog | Goodreads
Giveaway
This is a #hashtag giveaway, where two lucky winners will receive a FREE eBook of Marked Beauty upon its release.
To participate:
Share one of the premade images via Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Or write up a blog post using one of the images.
Include #MarkedBeauty in your description.
Optional for extra entry: include Add to Goodreads (with link) in your description.
***Posts MUST contain the hashtag #MarkedBeauty for entry into the giveaway or we won’t be able to find you.
Images:
T witter or FB
Kindle Cover
Pre-made tweets (you add the image, select from above)
“A lust 4 life energy. An ancient curse. One soul’s journey thru death 2 find the cure.” #MarkedBeauty #CoverReveal http://bit.ly/2qdE0q0
“Uncovering some secrets can kill you, or worse … steal your soul.” #MarkedBeauty #CoverReveal http://bit.ly/2qdE0q0 #YAlit
An ancient race. A timid girl. And a journey to the in-between. #MarkedBeauty #CoverReveal http://bit.ly/2qdE0q0 #YAlit
The giveaway begins May 17th and will be open until May 23rd. Winners will be announced May 24th via social media.
May 9, 2017
CROWN OF ICE Release Day!
Today — Tuesday, May 9th — the second edition of CROWN OF ICE comes out, now published by Snowy Wings Publishing!
There’s not only a gorgeous new cover and formatting, but also some revised content.
Right now, the eBook is available to download for free if you can access Kindle Unlimited — only $2.99 otherwise. The paperback is $8.99.
Buy your copy here: Amazon
Snow Queen Thyra Winther is immortal, but if she can’t reassemble a shattered enchanted mirror by her eighteenth birthday she’s doomed to spend eternity as a wraith.
Armed with magic granted by a ruthless wizard, Thyra schemes to survive with her mind and body intact. She kidnaps local boy Kai Thorsen, whose mathematical skills rival her own. Two logical minds, Thyra calculates, are better than one. With time melting away she needs all the help she can steal.
A cruel lie ensnares Kai in her plan, but three missing mirror shards and Kai’s childhood friend, Gerda, present more formidable obstacles.
Thyra’s willing to do anything – venture into uncharted lands, outwit sorcerers, or battle enchanted beasts — to reconstruct the mirror, yet her most dangerous adversary lies within. Touched by the warmth of a wolf pup’s devotion and the fire of a young man’s love, the thawing of Thyra’s frozen heart could prove her ultimate undoing.
Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen,” CROWN OF ICE is set in a nineteenth-century Scandinavia where magic is as real, as dangerous, and as powerful, as war and love.
April 26, 2017
CoverReveal for JADED by K. M. Robinson
I am very happy to participate in the reveal for this great cover — please enjoy!
Her father failed in his mission to take control from the Commander, a defeat that has cost Jade her life. She will die as punishment. Now she belongs to the Commander’s son—as his wife. Knowing his intent is to quietly kill her in revenge, Jade’s every move is calculated to survive—until she learns her death ensures the safety of her father and her entire town.
Roan doesn’t want to kill Jade, but once his family isolates her from her father and community, his only choice is to go through with the plan. Jade doesn’t make it easy as she tries to sway him into falling for her. Each misstep makes him question his cause. Each moment makes every decision harder, but the Commander won’t allow him to fail.
One chooses life. One chooses death. In the midst of the chaos, only one will succeed.
Author Bio:
K.M. Robinson is a storyteller who creates new worlds both in her writing and in her fine arts conceptual photography. She is a marketing, branding and social media strategy educator who is recognized at first sight by her very long hair. She is a creative who focuses on photography, videography, couture dress making, and writing to express the stories she needs to tell. She almost always has a camera within reach.
Social Media Links:
www.kmrobinsonbooks.com
www.facebook.com/kmrobinsonbooks
www.instagram.com/kmrobinsonbooks
www.twitter.com/kmrobinsonbooks
www.snowywingspublishing.com
www.facebook.com/snowywingspub
www.instagram.com/snowywingspub
www.twitter.com/snowywingspub
Goodreads link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34092062-jaded?from_search=true
April 17, 2017
FREE #SciFi Books — 4/17/17 – 4/21/17
From Monday, April 17th through Friday, April 21st you can get the eBook versions of THE LIGHT FROM OTHER SUNS and THE DARK OF OTHER SKIES absolutely FREE!
Just click on the links!
LIGHT: https://www.amazon.com/Light-Other-Suns-Others-Book-ebook/dp/B01MS43WTH/
DARK: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Other-Skies-Others-Book-ebook/dp/B01N5MLCX8/
