Skye Callahan's Blog, page 40

Fractured Legacy Book Blitz

Hi all,

I thought I’d share with you all of the lovely blogs who are posting for the Fractured Legacy Book Blitz this week.

The dates are estimated, so plans may have changed for a couple of blogs, but I encourage you to stop by, check out the posts, and enter the giveaways!

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Published on September 16, 2013 09:09

Fractured Legacy Book Blitz, Week 1

Hi all,

I thought I’d share with you all of the lovely blogs who are posting for the Fractured Legacy Book Blitz this week.

The dates are estimated, so plans may have changed for a couple of blogs, but I encourage you to stop by, check out the posts, and enter the giveaways!

A Cup of Coffee and a Book
http://nercupofcoffeeandbook.wordpress.com/
9/16/2013

sarah elizabeth’s bookshelf
http://sarahelizabethsbookshelf.blogspot.co.uk/
9/16/2013

I love books
http://ilove-books.blogspot.com/
9/16/2013

Ladybug Literature
http://www.ladybugliterature.blogspot.com
9/16/2013

Living in a Bookworld
http://livinginabookworld.blogspot.gr
9/16/2013

Hot Off the Shelves
http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com
9/16/2013

Krystal’s Enchanting Reads
http://enchantingreads7.blogspot.com/
9/16/2013

Laurie’s Thoughts and Reviews
http://lauriethoughts-reviews.blogspot.com
9/16/2013

alwaysjoart
http://alwaysjoart.blogspot.com/
9/16/2013

The Cover Contessa
www.thecovercontessa.com
9/16/2013

Share My Destiny
http://sharemydestiny.blogspot.com
9/16/2013

Crawling Over The Pages
http://couchpotatoism.blogspot.com/
9/16/2013

Fae Books
www.FaeBooks.co.uk
9/16/2013

Paperback Princess
http://princess-paperback.blogspot.com.au
9/16/2013

Inside BJ’s Head
insidebjshead.blogspot.com
9/16/2013

Margay Leah Justice
http://margayleahjustice.blogspot.com
9/16/2013

Bookmarks, Spoilers and Happily Ever After
http://bookmarksspoilersandhappilyeverafter.blogspot.com/
9/16/2013

A Diary Of A Book Addict
http://adiaryofabookaddict.blogspot.com/
9/16/2013

Rude Mom
http://rudemom.com/
9/16/2013

Once Upon a YA Book
http://onceuponayabook.blogspot.com
9/17/2013

Escape Into A Book
http://eatsleepread88.blogspot.com/
9/17/2013

Mom With A Kindle
http://momwithakindle.blogspot.com
9/17/2013

My Neurotic Book Affair
http://myneuroticbookaffair.blogspot.com
9/17/2013

Emma Michaels’ Blog
www.EmmaMichaels.com
9/17/2013

Books and Needlepoint
http://booksandneedlepoint.blogspot.com
9/17/2013

Just Julie Blogging Books
http://www.juliedarley.com
9/17/2013

Write Away Bliss
http://writeawaybliss.com
9/18/2013

Booky Ramblings of a Neurotic Mom
http://beanieboo78.wordpress.com/
9/18/2013

Haloangel Reads
haloangelreads.blogspot.com
9/18/2013

deal sharing aunt
www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com
9/18/2013

The Diary of an Engineer
www.thediaryofanengineer.blogspot.com
9/18/2013

Once Upon a Moonlight Review…
http://onceuponamoonlightreview.blogspot.co.uk/
9/18/2013

Fabulosity Reads
http://fabulosityreads.blogspot.com/
9/19/2013

Ice Queen’s Bookshelf
http://icequeensbookshelf.blogspot.nl/
9/19/2013

Gin’s Book Notes
http://ginsbooknotes.com
9/19/2013

All in a Book
http://allinabook.blogspot.com/
9/19/2013

The Book Addict
http://jbthebookadict.blogspot.in/
9/19/2013

Such A Novel Idea
http://suchanovelidea.com
9/20/2013

From the Writer’s Nest
http://throughthegateway.blogspot.co.uk/
9/20/2013

The Book Town
http://thebooktown.blogspot.ro/
9/20/2013

Helena’s Book Obsession
http://helenasbookobsession.blogspot.com/
9/20/2013

The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl
http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/
9/21/2013

Rumpled Sheets Blog
http://rumpledsheetsblog.wordpress.com/
9/21/2013

Green Eyed Girl’s OCD’s
greeneyedgirlsocds.blogspot.com
9/21/2013

Books A to Z
http://booksaz.wordpress.com/
9/22/2013

Mythical Books
http://mythicalbooks.blogspot.ro/
9/22/2013

Buried Under Books
http://cncbooksblog.wordpress.com/
9/22/2013

Thanks to Xpresso Book Tours for arranging this Book Blitz!

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Published on September 16, 2013 09:09

Skye’s Street Team Sign-ups!

You’re probably here because you are awesome!

And because you’d like to help an author spread the word about her hard work.

So, what do you have to do?

Join the Group on Facebook (or if you’re not on Facebook, you can fill in the form below in case I need to send any updates).
Complete the assigned tasks and earn entries into the Rafflecopter Giveaway (the giveaway can only be accessed via the Facebook group or if you sign up below, I’ll email you the link).

What do you get?

The first rafflecopter drawing will be at the end of October and you could win a signed copy of Fractured Legacy and some extra swag.
Access to the above mentioned Facebook Group–you can ask questions, get insider information, and sneak peeks.

In addition to the tasks in the rafflecopter, you can:

Join in the conversations on my blog
Chat with me on Facebook and Twitter
Ask your library to order my book
Share promo materials

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Published on September 13, 2013 20:56

An Interview with Stephanie Fleshman

Please enjoy this interview with Stephanie Fleshman, author of the enticing Paranormal YA, Render. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including a Kindle Fire, $550 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of the book.

An Interview with Stephanie Fleshman
Author of YA Paranormal Novel, Render

1. How do your experiences traveling and growing up in a rural town help you to write?

Traveling has always stimulated the passion I have for learning other cultures. Render definitely depicts that, since I bring so many other cultures into the story.

2. You are among many new authors who went to a post-secondary school for something completely different from writing. How does your degree in psychology play a role in your writing?

Psychology is the study of human behavior, so that has definitely helped to create multi-dimensional characters.

3. Do you have any advice for others who have stuck to a career path, but find that writing is their true calling?

I don’t believe you have to choose. Experience and knowledge of different fields can benefit a writing career, depending on what you want to write.

4. Who are two of your favorite authors, and why do those authors speak to you?

Cormac McCarthy. I think he is a literary genius.

J.K. Rowling. She is a true storyteller, which I believe is different than telling a story.

5. You use some really unique names in Render like Koldan, Raya Whitney and “The Russian.” Where did you get the inspiration for the names? Secondly, when in the writing process do you name characters?

I start with names, but those names have a tendency to change throughout the story. For Render, most of the names had to do with origin.

6. “Koldan Holdt knows what he wants.” He knows, but his fate has been determined since before his birth. Can you discuss how people find their way around the obstacles of life as well as any suggestions you might have?

Recognizing there is no such thing as complete control–the control you do have is determined by different variables, one being the choices you make.

As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, Render, the debut YA Paranormal novel by Stephanie Fleshman, is on sale for just 99 cents! What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes.

The prizes include a Kindle Fire, $550 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of the book.

All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment–easy to enter; easy to win!

To win the prizes:

Get Render at its discounted price of 99 cents
Enter the Rafflecopter contest below
Visit the featured social media events
Leave a comment on my blog for a chance at a $100 prize.

About Render: A betrayal born of blood. A curse for a gift. A love worth saving… Seventeen-year-old Raya Whitney thought she knew Koldan–until a sudden turn of events threatens both their lives. Get it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or iTunes.

Stephanie Fleshman graduated with a degree in psychology and has family throughout the United States as well as in Thessaloniki and Athens, Greece. Visit Stephanie on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.

View more on Skye Callahan's website »

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Published on September 13, 2013 07:13

The 5 Guys You’ll Meet in YA Fiction by Stephanie Fleshman

Please enjoy this guest post by Stephanie Fleshman, author of the enticing Paranormal YA, Render. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including a Kindle Fire, $550 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of the book.

The 5 Guys You’ll Meet in YA Fiction:
A Guest Post by Stephanie Fleshman

According to GalleyCat, YA eBook revenues increased 120.9% last year. The great news is whatever YA male character types keep you reading, it’s unlikely you’ll run out of books anytime soon. After a while contemplating my favorite YA reads, I noticed a pattern when it came to the male heroes in these stories. Without further ado, here’s a run-down of the 5 guys you’re likely to meet when reading a Young Adult novel…

Guy #1: The Broken and Vulnerable

When I think of broken, I think of Josh from Barry Lyga’s Boy Toy. The sad thing about Josh is that he knows he’s broken but blames himself instead of the person at fault.

When I think of vulnerable, two characters come to mind: Sam from Maggie Stiefvater’s Wolves of Mercy Falls series and Cabel from Lisa McMann’s Wake series. Cabel is doused with gasoline, then set on fire by his alcoholic father. He wants to be loved, yet is scared. What makes him strong in a not-in-your-face kind of way is that he wants to love. His lack of resentment and hate is what makes him attractive.

Guy #2: The Abusive

In Jennifer Brown’s Bitter End, Cole is the product of “like father, like son.” In Swati Avasthi’s YA novel Split, however, Jace is the product of being victimized by his own abuser. Unlike Cole, Jace is capable of remorse and guilt. He not only owns up to his actions, but he wants to pay for them. By comparison, Jace makes Cole look like a sociopath.

Guy #3: The Obsessive

It’s no secret that Edward from Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Saga is borderline stalker when it comes to Bella. She is his world entirely. In his mind, though, he is only being protective. So, is Edward protective, overprotective, or obsessive? You decide:

Protective: Capable of or intended to protect someone or something.
Overprotective: Having a tendency to protect someone, esp. a child, excessively.
Obsessive: Of, relating to, characteristic of, or causing an obsession; Excessive in degree or nature.

Guy #4: The Dominant

A good example of this type of YA male lead character is Patch from Becca Fitzpatrick’s Hush, Hush series. Patch is 100% boy. He’s self-confident, strong, and stands his ground against Nora. Though he is dominating, I don’t believe it’s in a harmful or abusive manner.

In the second book, you get to see more into his heart as he begins to really care for Nora’s well-being.

By the third book, he’s thinking of Nora’s safety and how he can stay with her. He sacrifices what he wants in order to protect her and their relationship, which seems non-existent to Nora by this stage. Not everything is what it seems, though.

Other good examples are Alex from Simone Elkeles’s Perfect Chemistry and Avi from the same author’s How to Ruin series.

Guy #5: The Lovable

I’m going to start with Koldan from my own YA novel, Render. Koldan is firm but not so dominating that he feels the need to control. He’s confident and strong, but recognizes his weaknesses. He’s romantic in the sense that he will do whatever it takes to keep Raya safe, even if it means risking his own life. And he’s not afraid to show his feelings for Raya.

Now, I cannot move forward without mentioning Holder from Hopeless by Colleen Hoover. Thirteen years! Thirteen!!! That’s all I’m going to say. Those of you who have read Hopeless know exactly what I’m talking about. For those of you who haven’t, there’s nothing about this guy not to love.

Now I’ve got a question for you: What’s your favorite YA male character type?

As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, Render, the debut YA Paranormal novel by Stephanie Fleshman, is on sale for just 99 cents! What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes.

The prizes include a Kindle Fire, $550 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of the book.

All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment–easy to enter; easy to win!

To win the prizes:

Get Render at its discounted price of 99 cents
Enter the Rafflecopter contest below
Visit the featured social media events
Leave a comment on my blog for a chance at a $100 prize.

About Render: A betrayal born of blood. A curse for a gift. A love worth saving… Seventeen-year-old Raya Whitney thought she knew Koldan–until a sudden turn of events threatens both their lives. Get it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or iTunes.

Stephanie Fleshman graduated with a degree in psychology and has family throughout the United States as well as in Thessaloniki and Athens, Greece. Visit Stephanie on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.

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Published on September 11, 2013 07:12

Render by Stephanie Fleshman: An Excerpt

Please enjoy this fun, playful excerpt from Render by Stephanie Fleshman. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including a Kindle Fire, $550 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of the book.

Render: An Excerpt

I spin around and pull her to me, sighing as her arms lock around my neck. I lower my face to her hair, turning it into the curve of her neck to breathe her in.

Her body molds to mine, lithe and boneless, and my arms swallow her as I tighten my hold. It softens all the hard points, the tension I’d been holding onto, smoothing the muscles in my shoulders and back.

“You have great problem-solving skills, by the way,” I tell her softly in her ear.

Keeping her arms around me, she leans back against the wall to look at me, a baffled expression on her face, whether in relation to the compliment or the unexpected direction in conversation, I don’t know.

“Do I?” Her voice lifts in a flirtatious pitch.

“Mmm. It’s why I asked you out,” I tease. “You solved most of my problems just by agreeing.” Looking back, I realize just how true this is, though I doubt she’ll take me seriously.

Her lips curl in an obliging smile, and her eyes say it all, disbelieving in their beauty, corroborating what I already knew. But she’s still smiling, and I alone am responsible for that.

She curls her hand around the side of my neck, and I feel her thumb glide over the scar behind my earlobe, one I incurred at fourteen, when Lukas slammed my head into the bathroom mirror. Then I broke his collarbone. Both of us ended up in the emergency room that morning, an incident that resulted in our father leaving for work a half hour later. It’s always quieter when our father is home.

“How are you doing?” she asks, looking up to search my eyes.

I slide my hands from the small of her back to her waist, as my gaze sweeps from shoulder to shoulder. I can already feel the ground of normalcy beneath me, her presence holding the pieces of my life together, when it seems everything can come apart at any moment. “Good now that you’re here.”

This seems to make her both happy and sad. A look of gloom passes over her face even as a small smile touches her lips. Then her eyes trail down the front of my body, taking in my suit jacket and pants. “You look like a lawyer,” she comments. “Straight from the courtroom.”

I can’t remember a time when she’s ever seen me in a suit. The closest is the tux I wore to her senior prom two months ago, which is not much different than what I wear now.

“It suits you.”

I raise my eyebrows in doubt. “What? Looking like a lawyer?”

“Not just a lawyer. You look…professional.” Then, with a full smile, she adds, “I like it.”

“Ah,” I say, mirroring her smile as I grasp her meaning. “I like that you’re my biggest fan.”

Her teeth shine bright against her tan skin. She drops her arms to her sides, and I lace my fingers through hers. She smells of honeysuckle, vanilla, and lavender all at once, with soft underlying notes I can’t name, a scent that swirls inside me, tantalizing every cell in my body.

I lean forward, canting my head slightly to fit my lips to hers. I have to fight to keep the rhythm slow, to savor every second. But when her mouth opens, urgency builds within me, and I press farther. Too soon, though, she’s pulling away, leaving my blood pumping in a hot stream and my heart pounding against my chest. I place a hand on the wall behind her and lean forward, closing the narrow space she’s put between us.

“I wasn’t finished,” I say.

I’m already tilting my head to kiss her again when she stops me with one word. “Wait.”

“Wait?” I mutter against her lips.

I feel her palms on my chest, easing me back. It’s hard to concentrate on anything but touching her, but I slowly resign myself to the conversation that is apparently inevitable, when my only instinct is to kiss her. I straighten and meet her eyes, which does nothing to tame my thoughts.

“I got your note,” she says.

When I started mowing Mrs. Whitney’s lawn, Elizabeth gave me a key, so I could let myself in when they weren’t home. In the beginning, I would leave Raya notes on her dresser, not knowing at the time that she’d actually keep them. When she showed me every note I’d ever written her, my first instinct was to laugh, because it seemed senseless. But then I saw how impressed she was and felt empowered that I could make her so happy. She probably has a shoebox full of notes by now.

I back her against the wall until we’re touching from hips to shoulders. Her eyes, as warm and green as summer leaves, meet mine. She’s looking at me as if I did something amazing, but just in case, I ask, “Is that all? Or is there something else you want to add, because I’d really like to kiss you right now?”

Her eyes dip momentarily to my mouth. “I was going to thank you for the note, but you distracted me.”

“You don’t need words for that.”

As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, Render, the debut YA Paranormal novel by Stephanie Fleshman, is on sale for just 99 cents! What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes.

The prizes include a Kindle Fire, $550 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of the book.

All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment–easy to enter; easy to win!

To win the prizes:

Get Render at its discounted price of 99 cents
Enter the Rafflecopter contest below
Visit the featured social media events
Leave a comment on my blog for a chance at a $100 prize.

About Render: A betrayal born of blood. A curse for a gift. A love worth saving… Seventeen-year-old Raya Whitney thought she knew Koldan–until a sudden turn of events threatens both their lives. Get it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or iTunes.

Stephanie Fleshman graduated with a degree in psychology and has family throughout the United States as well as in Thessaloniki and Athens, Greece. Visit Stephanie on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.

View more on Skye Callahan's website »

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Published on September 09, 2013 07:00

Fractured Legacy: Snippet Sunday, Sept 8

Hi everyone, here’s another snippet from Fractured Legacy. I give you Jonah and Kaylyn, because I love writing them.

—

“How many times have you blacked out?”

Her body went numb as her brain spent all of its power trying to come up with an answer that wouldn’t get her into more trouble. He’d see through a lie—even if she had it in her to lie with conviction. “Three,” she whispered.

Since he’d only asked how many, she didn’t feel the need to elaborate further, but she avoided his gaze just in case.

“So, last night, at the hotel, and….”

She waited for him to ask another question, to which she could smugly respond that she’d only agreed to one, but he continued—

“At the historical society when we were looking for the medallion.”

—

The book is now on Goodreads if you’d like to add it to your TBR pile, and you can sign up for an ARC.

Find more excerpts at:

Snippet Sunday

Read the first (unedited) bit of Fractured Legacy

Fractured Legacy: Ch1, Pt1 (skyecallahan.wordpress.com)
Fractured Legacy: Ch1, Pt 2 (skyecallahan.wordpress.com)
Fractured Legacy: Ch2, Pt 1 (skyecallahan.wordpress.com)

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Published on September 08, 2013 10:03

News! Fractured Legacy ARCs, Giveaways & Blitz Info

It’s been a while since I’ve done a general update, so here’s the rundown.

Fractured Legacy is about to go off to an editor and as soon as I get it back and implement changes ARCs will go out. If you’d like an arc, make sure you request one soon!

You can join the party on Facebook to follow the Book Blitz organized by Xpresso Book Tours and the Release Party on October 4. If you’d like to host a stop on the book blitz tour, you can still sign up.

Giveaways

Goodreads–a signed proof (US)
Comment on the picture at the top of the event page and you could win a replica of Jonah’s necklace.
Rafflecopter–a signed paperback (US, when available), a replica of Jonah’s necklace, or a bookmark with a mini-book charm.

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Published on September 06, 2013 15:18

IWSG: What? It’s Wednesday?

Click to see the sign up list and instructions.

This is my first time participating in the Insecure Writer’s Support Group and I nearly forgot what day it was. I’ll blame the short week created by holiday Monday and get on with it.

My insecurity is getting this rewrite done and off to the editor while managing not to get a divorce. My husband is unbelievably supportive most of the time, but recently the stress has been getting to us both and we’ve been blowing up at each other for no apparent reason.

And that only serves to stress me out more.

Anyone else have this problem? Advice for getting my debut book out without going insane?

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Published on September 04, 2013 09:11

Fractured Legacy: Snippet Sunday, Sept 1

Hi everyone!

It has been a while, but here is a new snippet from Fractured Legacy. Today we have Jonah’s POV.

—

Jonah took a deep breath, swallowed, and blew it out slowly. Being ordered around like an incompetent brought out his need to push back—argue for the opportunity to do things his way, to make his own decision on the matter. He was the youngest person to be appointed head of an office and he suspected it had little to do with his performance. For reasons he hadn’t yet figured out, the Council wanted someone here they could control, and probably believed that Jonah’s youth gave them an advantage—do as we say or end your career.

“I believe it is within my prevue to take the council’s concern into advisement and make what I believe to be the best decisions for the future of the office and everyone in it, including Kaylyn.”

Emerson’s smug smile grew as he sat forward to interrupt, but Jonah wasn’t going to let him.

“I shouldn’t have let Kaylyn investigate the hotel, but since Carlisle’s files were deemed to be inaccurate and he was the only one in a situation to know what was going on here, I was well within my right to feel out the situation rather than end someone’s career based on unsubstantiated hearsay.”

“And what is your assessment of the situation, Mr. Troyer?”

—

The book is now on Goodreads if you’d like to add it to your TBR pile, and you can sign up for an ARC.

Find more excerpts at:

Snippet Sunday

Read the first (unedited) bit of Fractured Legacy

Fractured Legacy: Ch1, Pt1 (skyecallahan.wordpress.com)
Fractured Legacy: Ch1, Pt 2 (skyecallahan.wordpress.com)
Fractured Legacy: Ch2, Pt 1 (skyecallahan.wordpress.com)