Tera Shanley's Blog, page 8

...Lego Gregory Interviews the Author...

Lego Gregory: Hello and welcome to Lego Gregory Interviews the Author. I’m here today to pick Tera Shanley’s brain about her newly released Dystopian Romance,Love in the Time of the Dead. Come on in and have a seat, Tera. Right next to me on the couch is fine. We could also hold hands if you’d like. Why are you looking at me like that?
Tera: Why are you dressed like that?
Lego Gregory: Like what?


(crickets chirping)
Lego Gregory: Admission: since its Halloween-time, I assumed you would be in costume too.
Tera: No. So a zombie, huh?
Lego Gregory: I was also under the assumption you had a thing for zombies.
Tera: You do know that Love in the Time of the Dead is a human/human love story set during the zombie apocalypse, right? No zombie love in it. It’s really hard to make a decaying man sexy, you know.
Lego Gregory: Huh. Well, this is awkward. *clears throat* Let’s get started, shall we? I have some questions about your new release that’ll maybe shed some light on your process. For my readers of course.
Tera: Of course. Fire away.
Lego Gregory: I think the most important question my readers want to know is what is your ideal first date? Fancy dinner? Candles on the beach?
Tera: Gregory.
Lego Gregory: Right. *scribbles on notepad*


Where did the inspiration for this novel come from?
Tera: I’ve always been fascinated with the love stories in the horror and paranormal genres. And when The Walking Dead came out, I couldn’t get enough of the dynamic of survivors in relationships. I mean, how could a relationship weather the apocalypse? The dynamic is so fun, having characters in this grungy dystopia, and seeing if love really can conquer all. I was at a chaotic place in my life and the story of Laney and her team and their struggle not only to survive, but to actually live and find beauty in the chaos was the perfect escape. My characters have a way of becoming my friends and they were lovely sounding boards. Plus, how bad could my problems really be? Laney hasn’t had a hot shower in three years and fights the living dead as a profession.
Lego Gregory: Cool, cool, you like hot showers. What are Laney’s top five survival items to pack in her bug-out bag?
Tera: Full canteen of purified water, a sturdy tree harness, high protein food that doesn’t ruin easily and that she can eat on the go, her blue customized Mini-14, and tracer ammo. The last isn’t necessary, but tracer ammunition is the way to Laney’s heart.
Silence.


Tera: Gregory?


Lego Gregory: Oh! Whaaaat super powers do the zombies in your book wield?
Tera: None really. They aren’t faster or stronger than a run-of-the-mill human. They are terrible climbers due to the decay of muscle tissue. They do, however, have very few kill zones and don’t feel pain so putting them down before being bitten can be tricky.
Lego Gregory: Does Laney have any super powers?
Tera: No super powers, but she was gifted with some pretty unique talents when she and her team discovered she was immune to Dead bites. She can smell Deads at a distance and can act as an early warning system for her team. That skill has gotten them out of more than a few jams.
Lego Gregory: Who makes up Laney’s team of fighters and how did they all meet?
Tera: Jarren is the boss-man, and also Laney’s older brother. Mitchell and Guist are Jarren’s childhood friends, and they picked up Monroe around Albuquerque the first year of the outbreak. The men have military training and Laney learned everything she knows about survival from Jarren. They are quite the force to be reckoned with.
Lego Gregory: Do your parents approve of you writing a character who is small in stature into your book?
Tera: *frowns* You mean Adrianna? I guess she’s small in stature, but she’s just a child. My parents like children, so yes. They approve of her character.
Lego Gregory: *furiously scribbling*


Tera: Adrianna is Sean’s young daughter and she gives Laney a peek into what domestic life would’ve been like if Deads didn’t rule the world.
Lego Gregory: Great, I think I have all I need – ehr hem – I have all my readers need. Now comes the part of our interview where I pop open ze bubbly and offer you fine chocolates.


Tera: All right, it’s been a lovely interview, Gregory. *escapes to the door*
Lego Gregory: Wait! You forgot your complimentary dollar movie tickets for two! And a coupon for free popcorn! Tracer Ammo!
Tera: Bye, Gregory.

Lego Gregory: I’ll call you! Okay readers, this has been another edition of Lego Gregory Interview’s the Author. Check out Love in the Time of the Dead by Tera Shanley, available now. I’m just going to take ze bubbly back to the fridge. Okay, one, two, three lift.


A little help here?



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Love in the Time of the Dead - New ReleaseAvailable Now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or ask your local bookstore.
Kindle Nook Paperback

Ten Fun Facts about Laney Landry - Heroine of Love in the Time of the Dead

In celebration of the newly released Dystopian Romance, Love in the Time of the Dead, I’m sharing a special insight into Laney Landry, heroine and champion of the story. Her Dead Slayer title has kept her alive and well, but there’s so much more to her than weapons, tree harnesses, and bug-out bags.
Ten Fun Facts About Laney Landry
1.      She was a ballerina before turning Dead hunter. Dancing was her main area of study in college, and just as the outbreak happened in her city, her days of pirouettes and pliés were cut short for more useful occupations during the Dead outbreak. Like weapons training.2.      Laney was gifted her infamous, blue custom painted, not-so-legally modified Mini-14 as a joke. In reaction to coming home from a tour in the army and finding his sister entranced in ballet, her brother Jarren surprised her with the weapon to get an eye-roll out of her. It ended up coming in handy when the Deads took over the world.3.      She’s a freak. Jarren used to taunt her with the word when they were children but her immunity to Dead bites says she’s not your normal, run-of-the meal zombie snack.4.      She had a huge crush on Mitchell when she was in high school. Mitchell was Jarren’s best friend, older, and was well-ogled by the girls in school. And dripping with confidence, with his dark tousled hair, crooked smile, and whiskey colored eyes, it was impossible for her not to notice him. She never once, however, admitted to those pre-outbreak feelings. Mitchell was too dangerous a man to trust with her heart.5.      A hot shower is all she needs to feel human again after long stints between colonies.6.      She has historically bad taste in men. It makes her decision for choosing a partner during the apocalypse slow and well thought out.7.      She has a softer side. For as battle hardened as the last three years of the Dead outbreak have made her, Laney’s going through big changes and in private moments gives in to the sensitivities that go along with becoming the woman she wants to be.8.      She has a wicked sense of humor.9.      Her knife throwing abilities aren’t awesome.10.  Tracer ammo is her treaty of choice. Her teammate, Guist, is a professional at packing their bug-out bags just right and he knows not to gift her lip gloss or chocolate. If he can get his hands on tracer ammo, it’s the fastest way to put a smile on her face.

Blurb Laney Landry has been fighting Deads alongside her brother and friends for three years. But she has a secret. She's immune to Dead bites and has to find the right people to trust with the information. Her team rallies around her to find a doctor who can extract a vaccine from Laney which could fight the virus that ended the world.
Sean Daniels leads a colony that provides her team with much needed shelter and supplies. He is obviously interested in Laney. The question is whether he's only intrigued by her as a source for the possible vaccine, or for something more. Tests for the cure might push her body beyond what it can endure, and just as she faces a ghost from her past, her longtime teammate Derek Mitchell hints at an interest in more than just her Dead slaying abilities.

Two honorable and alluring men - one colossal decision to make. Despite historically bad taste in men, can she rise above the chaos of the apocalypse and choose the one who deserves her heart? The right choice could mean the difference between surviving...and living.
Buy The Book
Kindle Nook Paperback

...Real Life Ghost Stories - Episode 1...

My parents house is haunted.

Not just, 'oh, things go bump in the night,' but full on, the ghost is present, haunted.

We named our ghost Chandler years ago because it seemed like the least intimidating, scary name, and it stuck. My mom swears Chandler isn't a ghost and is, in fact, just weird, unexplained electric currents that turn on random boxes of 20 year old toys and radios. Maybe, but that doesn't explain this:


In 2006, I was living with my parents to save up for my wedding. I was taking twenty-one hours of classes trying to graduate and working two jobs, and of course, planning the upcoming nuptials. One night, after a long shift of waiting tables and nearly dead on my feet, I ambled into the dark two story and set my purse on the stairs. I narrowed my eyes at the double lock and debated. My fiance would be home any minute from his shift at the same job so I'd leave it open for him because he didn't have a key. Someone was walking around upstairs, so I turned on the light and called my brother's name.

No answer.

Meh, he was probably in the bathroom or had his door shut or whatever. I walked into the kitchen and flipped the light switch before making a sandwich to the soundtrack of someone walking around just above me.

Mayo, turkey, cheese, on wheat - my favorite post work snack after serving tables straight through dinner. The walking noises continued, so I went to the bottom of the stairs and yelled my brother's name again. The walking stopped but why the hell was he so active in complete darkness? I clenched my hands and frowned at the kitchen, listening. Silence. Huh.

I checked the unlocked door again and silently wished for my fiance to come home so he could run up there and see what my crazy brother was up to. I didn't want to do anything other than satisfy my empty stomach at the moment.

As soon as I got back into the kitchen the walking started up again and sent chills up my spine when it turned to stomping. Okay, someone was in the danged house, and it wasn't my brother. I grabbed the the cordless and a long knife I'd used to cut my sandwich in half and in true horror movie fashion, walked slowly up the stairs to the open door of my parents dark room. Go for the neck, I thought. If you go for the chest, you could hit the rib-cage and the knife will be useless.

The stairs creaked as I approached the room and when I set one tentative foot inside the doorway, such a feeling of fear and dread struck me I was frozen for a moment. I wasn't alone. I could feel it down to my bones that I wasn't alone in that black room and the footsteps started running toward me. I bolted down the stairs, just flew over each step and sprinted for the door, screaming. Any second the thing would be on me but the door was now locked, both deadbolts. I didn't do it. I specifically remember leaving it unlocked for my fiance. I fumbled with the locks and threw it open to run outside. Shaking and crying, i dialed my fiance's number and he picked up right away.

I was standing maybe 10 feet away from the opened front door. No car keys, no streetlights, all alone and unsure where to go to feel safe.

"There's someone or something in the house," I sobbed into the phone.

At that moment, the door slammed with such force i could feel the wind of it. I could see through both windows and no one was there. And then the banging started. Something was banging against the inside of the door wish such anger and then it shifted outside of the house to the other side of our fence and trailed off. I was screaming and crying as my fiance yelled not to go back into the house. He'd heard it all.

Ten terror filled minutes later, my fiance and my dad showed up at the house. They checked every square inch of that house but nothing was amiss and no one was there. I'd been alone the whole time.

When I think about it, it's so clear in my head what happened. Burned into my memory. I can still feel my terror when I realized something had locked the door on me and the fear of turning around to see what was coming down those stairs after me.

My siblings and I are convinced whatever that was wasn't Chandler. Our ghost has always been relatively quiet, nice almost, setting off favorite forgotten toys, or picking wedding songs, standing in corners of rooms like he is just a curious observer. Two weeks ago, he appeared as I was doing laundry late at night, but disappeared as soon as my three dogs went ballistic at the place he'd been standing. He's not malicious, he's just there, like a sometimes present, quiet, one of the family almost.

That night was something different.

It may sound like just another ghost story, but it's all true.

Hope you enjoyed this real life ghost story. Happy Halloween!


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Looking for the perfect All Hallows Read? Love in the Time of the Dead has the perfect combination of romance, spooky-fabulousness, and zombies just in time for Halloween.
Available now.
Kindle Nook Paperback

...Release Day Jitters...

I don't know how it is for all authors, but for me, the time building up to the release of my debut novel has been tremendously exciting. I mean, wiggling in my seat like i'm tinkle dancing, short of breath, can't sleep because i'm smiling at the ceiling, body humming, bladder squishing, red-bull level excitement. Every first feels like a mountainous big deal. Like seeing the ARC for the first time, or getting the update from Goodreads that someone across the country is actually reading your book right at that moment. Like the first reviews that trickle in, and that glorious countdown until the day you can officially say, I'm a published author.

In two tiny days, I'll debut my debut and finally share Laney's love story with you. She's a tough girl who has been through a lot and by golly, she's earned what comes her way! The book just finished up it's review only tour through A Life Bound By Books and racked up 4 and 5 star reviews. The wind for this book has been building and building and by Tuesday it'll be a tornado of chaos and excitement. I have lots of fun interviews coming up this week, and at the end of next week, an awesomely fun tour with Literati Author Services will be starting.

This morning I woke before dawn with the strangest feeling that I should check Amazon. I don't check it often so I have no idea what possessed me to roll out of bed before the sun, but I searched and found Love in the Time of the Dead right away! Two days early, the paperback page for it is up and running. I spent the day setting up my Author Page on Amazon, which was a really surreal moment. Without a book to claim, I haven't been able to set it up until now, so I'm feeling extra legit tonight :)

Like the quiet before a big game, I'm sitting here in the wee hours of the morning unable to sleep as the nerves seep in. I know Love in the Time of the Dead is sitting well with readers because the reviewers have been so kind with their excitement over it, but still. As an author, you want your characters to have their moment and to reach the hands of the readers who will love them and appreciate their experiences.

I have given away no hints, and reviewers are saying the secrets in this book are the best part, but in just a couple of days you can decide for yourself. Team Sean or Team Mitchell. I can't wait for you to meet Laney and my boys.


Here's the link to the Amazon page for you lovely paperback readers :)
Love in the Time of the Dead

...Love in the Time of the Dead - Review Only Tour...

Hello hello! As I type this, Love in the Time of the Dead is on it's very first tour (aww my baby is out in the big, bright world!;). It's a Review Only Tour set up through A Life Bound By Books.

For anyone curious about what the first reviewers have to say about LTD, here is the tour schedule :)

I Read Indie - October 14th

A Life Bound By Books - October 17

What the Cat Read - October 18

Curling Up With A Good Book - October 18

Smexy Bookaholics - October 19

Love YA Fiction - October 20

Book Briefs - October 20


It's been crazy busy in Shanleyland as of late because LTD officially releases in 4 days!! Tuesday, I will officially debut my debut!! I can't wait to share this book with you guys :)

...Only Scandal Will Do by Jenna Jaxon...

Only Scandal Will DoBy: Jenna JaxonGenre: Historical Romance
He has the woman of his dreams, but what price will he have to pay to win her heart?
Kidnapped and sold at auction in a London brothel, Lady Katarina Fitzwilliam squelches an undeniable attraction to the masked stranger who purchased her, pits her wits against him, and escapes him and the scandal that would ruin her life.
Unable to resist temptation in a London brothel, Duncan Ferrers, Marquess of Dalbury, purchases a fiery beauty. She claims she's a lady, but how can she be? No lady of his acquaintance in polite society is anything like her. Then he discovers she is who she says, and that this latest romp has compromised her reputation. He knows how that is. One more scandal and he'll be cast out of London society, but he needs a wife who'll provide an heir to carry on his illustrious family's name. He seeks out Katarina, intending only to scotch the scandal, but instead finds his heart ensnared. He's betting their future he'll capture her heart, but does he have what it takes to win the wager?
WARNING: A blade-wielding heroine who crosses swords with a master of sensuality.

Praise for Only Scandal Will Do
“Jenna Jaxon proves that she was born to write decadent historicals in this hot-to-hold book, Only Scandal Will Do.  Lady Katarina is kidnapped and forced into a slave auction of the erotic kind.  She is made to play out the scene that she really is involved in.  You almost feel sorry for the man who purchases her…almost. This book brings the heat with its steamy sex scenes and smoking sword fights in less than appropriate dress!”  - Nikki McCarver, BTS Magazine
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Excerpt
“Lady Katarina,” the marquess said, taking her limp, cold hand. “I have been looking forward to this moment ever since I heard you were in London.”That voice sent shivers down her spine. She remembered well the arrogance in it when he’d declared himself her master. Soft and silky now, his mouth poised over her hand, and the words sent searing heat that penetrated her long kidskin gloves. Only sheer determination kept her from snatching it out of his grasp, and fear at what might be said if she acted in any way as though she had met this man before. No one must know.She made herself look at his face, into the dark brown eyes that gleamed with…apprehension? Amusement? Katarina twitched her mouth into what hopefully passed for a smile and said, “I am delighted to make your acquaintance as well, Lord Dalbury. Although I must confess that until just now I had not heard your name.” Although pleased to hear how strong her voice sounded, she feared she might choke on the lies she spouted. Kat slipped her hand from his and a measure of calm returned.Jack was deep in his conversation with Lord Braeton, completely unconcerned about her. She tried to refrain from looking at the marquess, but he demanded her attention by addressing her again.“I almost missed the pleasure of making your acquaintance, Lady Katarina. I left the ball just before midnight, but one of my carriage horses came up lame and I returned to ask Braeton for the loan of a replacement. Lady Luck surely smiled on me tonight.” His wide smile seemed genuine, his voice tinged with a hint of relief.She sighed. Her last night in England and Lady Luck had to favor this fellow.He continued on, disregarding her silence. “I understand from Lord Braeton that you and your brother only arrived from the colonies three months ago, Lady Katarina.”She found it hard to keep her tone civil. “Yes, my lord. We came to England in early February.” As she had told him before! It helped not to look at his eyes. Instead she fastened her gaze on his cheek. He would likely carry those scars the rest of his life. She hoped it hurt his vanity every time he looked in the mirror.He apparently saw where her gaze lay, for he ran his finger down the center mark. “Ah, I see you are curious about my wounds.” He shifted his weight slightly, drawing her a little away from the others.“Is it a war wound, my lord?” she asked, feeling the return of her confidence.“It is a badge of honor I wear, given to me by a worthy opponent who I underestimated in many ways. I now regret the chance encounter, Lady Katarina.” He lowered his voice. “She did not deserve the treatment she had at my hands. I make my most sincere apology for doubting her words to me.”Kat stiffened at this offering. How could he stand there and try to apologize so cavalierly in a crowded ballroom? “Whoever she is, then, Lord Dalbury,” she said sweetly, “I hope your opponent is more forgiving than I would be.”
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About the Author
Jenna Jaxon is a multi-published author of historical and contemporary romance.  Her historical romance, Only Scandal Will Do, the first in a series of five interconnecting novels, was released in July 2012. Her contemporary works include Hog Wild, Almost Perfect, and 7 Days of Seduction.  She is a PAN member of Romance Writers of America as well as a member of Chesapeake Romance Writers. Her medieval romance, Time Enough to Love, is being published this year as a series of three novellas.  The first book, Betrothal, released on April 19th.
Jenna has been reading and writing historical romance since she was a teenager.  A romantic herself, she has always loved a dark side to the genre, a twist, suspense, a surprise.  She tries to incorporate all of these elements into her own stories. She lives in Virginia with her family and a small menagerie of pets.  When not reading or writing, she indulges her passion for the theatre, working with local theatres as a director.  She often feels she is directing her characters on their own private stage. She has equated her writing to an addiction to chocolate because once she starts she just can’t stop.


Goodreads Giveaway!
Jenna has 10 signed copies of Only Scandal Will Do up on Goodreads. If you'd like to enter for your chance at a copy, CLICK HERE .
Connect with Jenna: Blog Facebook Twitter

Buy Only Scandal Will Do:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
ARe
iTunes

...Book Trailer Reveal...

We are now two weeks out from the release of my debut novel, Love in the Time of the Dead, and to celebrate, I have a special treat for you, my sexy survivalists. Without further ado, here is the official book trailer!




Thanks for stopping by for a peek. Team Sean or Team Mitchell...What'd you think?

...Review Blog Tour Sign-up...

Sign-ups have been posted for a Review Only Tour of Love in the Time of the Dead. If you're searching for a Dystopian Romance read right in time for Halloween, this is your book! Sign-ups close October 7th, so sign up, grab your ARC, and snuggle in for the love story that overshadowed the zompocalypse.

To sign up for the Review Only Tour, CLICK HERE .

Happy reading!

...Teaser for Slip the Skin...

Lyrical Press is putting together an anthology of short stories from some of your favorite Lyrical authors. First Frost will be offered to you lovely e-book readers for FREE at the beginning of November. In celebration of a tentative release date of November 11 and of my final round of edits being sent in to my lovely editor for Slip the Skin, I'm sharing a teaser with you guys today!

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Graham Hayes had destroyed the human mold and slid right into demigod territory. His dark brown hair was cropped short and his chiseled jaw housed two perfect dimples under radiant sky blue eyes. Even the slight lines etched into his perfectly masculine face said he smiled a lot, and the way his muscles worked against his suit revealed he was every bit as fit as his V-shaped jacket suggested. And he was tall. Not lanky but built like an unwavering redwood. Though he’d been self-deprecating about his occupation, she’d watched The Bodyguard so many times, she’d finally given in and bought the danged movie a few years back. He was exactly her type.If she weren’t dying.

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Join me and many other Lyrical authors for First Frost and enjoy autumn stories that range from steamy to sweet. It'll the the perfect time of year to snuggle up with a blanket and get lost in a romantic read.

...Cover Reveal...

At the beginning of September, I was sent a mock-up of the cover of Love in the Time of the Dead. Knowing the cover reveal wasn't scheduled until September 26th, i waited at the edge of my seat to see what the final cover would look like. See, I'd been blown away with the mock-up. Omnific Publishing allowed me to be much more involved in the cover than I'd ever expected and after hours (and hours and hours) of searching images for inspiration, I came across this haunting picture of a woman with her back turned. It was one of those, there she is moments and I emailed my awesome publicist right away, bubbling with excitement. Love in the Time of the Dead is a love story first, and a zombie apocalypse story second, and I didn't want gore across the front cover. Subtlety would encompass the book's personality better.

In the end, the image was chosen out of several, much to my amazement and absolute delight! I can't say enough good stuff about how Omnific treats their authors, and about how the other fellow writers for Omnific support each other.
So a few days ago I got that magical email I'd been waiting for. The one titled Cover. It was everything the mock-up promised and so much more! What is the best part about it to me, as the author? The churning sky. No, the glowing moon. No! ZOMBIE LEGS!!! I can't decide, I adore it all. I got to see the entire spread, cover, back, and spine all at once and I was just stunned. I can't wait to see it in print :)
September 26th was one of the coolest days. As a debut author, I was intimidated, thinking maybe one or two blogs would pick up my cover reveal. But when the day came, eighteen blogs revealed it and oh man, I was on cloud nine. I've said it before and I'll say it again - the writing community is made up of the most supportive people in the world.
So, without further ado, here is the cover for Love in the Time of the Dead, releasing October 22nd through Omnific Publishing :)

Now that the cover is in, bookmarks and cards are ordered, artwork is updated, and it is newly splashed across my websites. I'm so proud of this book! :D