Heather Day Gilbert's Blog, page 12

Trial by Twelve Available for Kindle Pre-Order!

Trial by Twelve on Kindle Pre-Order for $2.99!

So thrilled to share that this time around, I did a Kindle pre-order option for Trial by Twelve. May 30th is the projected release date on this mystery. If you pre-order it, it will automatically be delivered to your Kindle on May 30th or earlier, if it releases earlier (good chance it might!).

I would love if you could share with others and pin it, etc. You can find it here on Amazon.

SPEAKING of pinning…I like running a pinnable quotes series before my books release. Today I want to share the first pinnable with you! Hope you enjoy and pin it! :) Thank you!

Interview and Giveaway with Wendy Paine Miller, Author of The Delicate Nature of Love

The Delicate Nature of Love on Amazon

 

I am so thrilled to introduce you to one of my favorite writers today, Wendy Paine Miller. She is one of the few authors whose every book I will read. She is a women’s fiction author, and her books always make me think about and look at the world in a fresh new way.

Today, we’re linking up to a women’s fiction giveaway here that includes Wendy’s latest, The Delicate Nature of Love, as well as many other women’s fiction novels (I see Waking up Joy in there, which was one I loved by Tina Forkner!). Here’s my review for The Delicate Nature of Love:

“The Delicate Nature of Love is sensitive, expertly-written women’s fiction at its finest. With its intriguing layered characters, a plot that won’t let go until the very end, and the poignancy of the overlapping stories, I couldn’t put this story down. Once again, Wendy Paine Miller reaches into our hearts and touches us in ways we didn’t expect. Like all Wendy’s books, this one is a must-read.”

Author Wendy Paine Miller

 

 

Wendy Paine Miller is an author, a nature lover, and a book club enthusiast. When she’s not reading or writing, you’ll likely find Wendy refurbishing a piece of neglected furniture or trying to keep tabs on her insatiably curious puppy. A native New Englander, Wendy lives with her husband and their three girls in a home bursting with imagination and hilarity.

 

 

 

 

 

Interview with Author Wendy Paine Miller

HG:  I know you’ve been writing for a while, since I followed your beautiful blog back when I was starting out (find that interview here). Tell us a little about your experiences and how you decided to indie publish. I especially want to know how many books you’ve written, because I know you are very prolific! :)

WM: Well, let’s see. I believe I’m working on my twelfth novel but I’m beginning to lose count. I’ve been at this novel writing business for eight years. After getting strong responses from houses and vague reasons for rejection, my agent at the time suggested I try the indie route. I couldn’t be happier that I decided to dip my feet in the waters. I haven’t been able to get out of the indie ocean since. It’s addictive.

Also, I’m thrilled to have an agent working for me on the traditional front and can’t wait to see what comes of that.

HG:  Your writing style (prose) is so liquid and deep. I’d love to know how you have developed that writing skill…but maybe you were born with it! Are you in a critique group? Or do you just have excellent beta readers/critique partner, etc?

WM: Thanks, Heather. I think my voice has developed from taking risks and being true to what I feel prompted to put on the page, regardless of whether it feels a little too raw or makes me feel extra vulnerable. That’s part of it. Writing into the vulnerable places.

I’m blessed with brilliant critique partners. And I’ve hired a rockin’ editor for my published books. Looking into that beta thing. Seems to go right along with swimming in the ocean.

HG: I love that in your books, you don’t shy away from complex family or love relationships. You also tackle heavier topics, like miscarriage and, in The Delicate Nature of Love, suicidal thoughts and alcoholism. And yet your books never feel oppressive to me, which I think reflects your Christian worldview, even though they are not categorized as Christian fiction. This is the kind of women’s fiction I migrate to (and you know I’m a fan of all your books!). What inspired the themes in The Delicate Nature of Love?

WM: Okay, here goes. I have this crazy sense of empathy I’ve never known quite what to do with. After Robin Williams committed suicide I knew I had to write something to experience my way through the loss. I also have an older sister who is seriously mentally ill and has attempted suicide more times than I could begin to count. Both of these were powerful inspirations for The Delicate Nature of Love.

But my latest published work also grew from this sense that I’ve always felt like what Pharrell Williams calls “other.” Especially as a kid I felt this way. I wanted to channel some of that sense of otherness into one of my main characters, eleven-year-old Zoey Chambers. I saw her as exuding this bright burst of energy, while also struggling deeply on the inside. She’s near and dear to my heart because in many ways she’s me.

HG: Oh! I love Zoey! And I think it’s wonderful you wrote this book as a sort of tribute. You always tap into unique topics…in The Disappearing Key, there was an unusual medical element…in The Flower Girls, you wove in the condition of face blindness and a twin relationship. In The Delicate Nature of Love, one of your main male characters was a psychologist. Do you have to do loads of research for your books?

WM: I love the research part. I tend to read a lot so it doesn’t intimidate me to spend hours reading about prosopagnosia or synesthesia, etc. I view it as part of the process and often research in tandem with working on a book.

HG:  Finally, can you tell us what you’re working on now?

WM: Secret, secret, I’ve got a secret. No, only kidding. Right now I’m all caught up in another work I’m seriously considering putting out this fall (told you I’m addicted). Genre-wise it’s sort of a cross between The Disappearing Key and The Flower Girls. A sweet spot. It’s captivating much of my attention.

HG:  And I know it’ll captivate all your readers, too! Looking forward to it! Thanks so much for visiting today, Wendy!

Forty-four-year-old Emma Gates hasn’t cared about much in life since becoming a widow two years ago. But then she meets the inquisitive and mercurial Zoey Chambers, her next door neighbor.

Who happens to be eleven.

Soon after, Emma is introduced to Colby Havelock, a psychology professor who reaches Emma in ways she didn’t think were possible again after Max died. Emma considers the possibility of a new life with Colby. But Colby knows something about Zoey he cannot share. Could the eleven-year-old spark who helped Emma heal also be the fire that drives Colby and Emma apart?

 

 

***Find Wendy’s Novel in the Spring Women’s Fiction #Giveaway here! Giveaway ends April 20th!***

Releasing in May: Trial by Twelve, A Murder in the Mountains Book #2

Soo…if you get the newsletter or follow my Facebook author page, you’ve already seen the cover for Trial by Twelve, the soon-to-release second mystery in the Murder in the Mountains series. It’s actually over in my sidebar on the right———>>>.

You can now add this book on Goodreads here if you enjoyed Miranda Warning! Planning on a May, 2015 release for this one.

Here’s a larger picture of the cover and the blurb:

Tess Spencer loves her low-key job at the Crystal Mountain Spa, which allows her plenty of down-time with her one-year old daughter and lawyer husband, Thomas. But when a pool installation turns up eight skeletons in the spa’s back yard, Tess becomes entangled in a sleuthing job destined to go awry.

As the investigation gets underway, someone dumps a fresh body near the excavated burial site, confirming unspeakable fears. A serial killer has returned to Buckneck, West Virginia…a skilled hunter with a unique taste in prey.

When Tess agrees to help the cunning Detective Tucker gather clues from the inside, she discovers the posh spa hides more than dead bodies. Even as she sifts through layers of deceit, Tess realizes too late that the killer’s sights have zeroed in on her.

Unpredictable psychological mystery replete with memorable characters, Trial by Twelve is Book Two in A Murder in the Mountains series.

Very excited about this!!!

***AND the winners of last week’s giveaway of two e-copies of The Land Uncharted and Uncharted Redemption by Keely Brooke Keith are…

LAURA PARENT and DEE STEVENS. I will get your email to Keely so you can claim the first two e-books in The Uncharted Series!***

Interview & Giveaway with Keely Brooke Keith, Author of The Uncharted Series

I recently got to answer some fun questions on author quirks with author Keely Brooke Keith. Our interview will be up here on her blog this Wednesday, March 25th. In the meantime, I was curious about Keely’s books and writing career, having noticed her great cover art and blurbs. You’ll find our interview below.

The Land Uncharted, first in the Uncharted series by Keely Brooke Keith

***Keely is also graciously offering TWO winners TWO of her books in e-book format–her first novel, The Land Uncharted, and her second, Uncharted Redemption. Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway at the bottom of this post for a chance to win!***

And now, a bit more about Keely:

Author Keely Brooke Keith

Born in St. Joseph, Missouri, Keely was a tree-climbing, baseball-loving ‘80s kid. She grew up in a family who frequently relocated. By graduation, Keely lived in 8 states and attended 14 schools. Keely’s many adventures include: being an exchange student, recording with a former Beatles producer, being chased through the New Mexico desert by a rattlesnake, jumping out of an airplane at 14,500 feet, and sleeping under the open sky in the Australian outback. 

Keely is a bass guitarist and plays on worship teams and for solo artists. She is married to singer/songwriter John Martin Keith, and they frequently perform and tour together. When she isn’t writing stories or playing bass, Keely enjoys dancing, having coffee with friends, and sifting through vintage books at antique stores.

Keely resides on a hilltop south of Nashville with her husband and their daughter, Rachel.

Keely loves to connect with readers!

Twitter: @keely_keith

Facebook: Keely Brooke Keith

Goodreads: Keely Brooke Keith

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Interview with Keely Brooke Keith, Author of the Uncharted Series

 

HG: Tell us about your Uncharted series…they are adult fiction, but also coming-of-age stories. They are sci-fi and yet feel like historicals. They have romance, to boot. I love genre-benders of all kinds, so please fill us in on this world you write about!

KBK: A group of antebellum families sailed away from America in December of 1860. Their ship was blown off course and ran aground on an uncharted land in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean. They called the uninhabited place, simply, the Land. They founded a society there and seven generations later it’s flourishing, but antiquated compared to the outside world. This is where our story begins. The people of the Land have no contact with the warring 2025 world and no idea their land is undetectable until Unified States Naval Aviator Connor Bradshaw is ejected from his aircraft and his parachute carries him to the shore of the Land.

HG: Sounds intriguing! Could you share some of your journey to publication? I know many authors are becoming increasingly diverse in the way they’re getting their out-of-the-box stories out there.

KBK: When I decided to try to get The Land Uncharted published, I received a lot of great feedback from literary agents. I was repeatedly advised that The Land Uncharted was an independent press project due to the difficulty in marketing a unique genre blend. So I submitted directly to a few small presses and immediately had offers. This book’s small press history is a novel unto itself, but suffice it to say The Land Uncharted was released by Edenbrooke Press in October 2014. Uncharted Redemption was released in February and the third book, Uncharted Inheritance, will be released May 5, 2015. Audio versions of all three books are currently in production.

HG: I’ve heard that “difficult-to-market” response before myself so I totally relate. As this is a series, did you have all the books written before going to publication? Or are you writing as you go along?

KBK: I had the first two books complete before I started submitting The Land Uncharted and I was working on the third. My goal was to have the whole series written before I had a contract, because I was afraid any kind of deadline would stunt my creativity. It was both fortunate and freaky that I had my first offer just weeks after I started querying. Before long, I found myself getting ready for my first book launch and editing a book and writing another book all at the same time. It was overwhelming, but I had so much support from my husband and family and friends.

HG: You’re working on audiobooks for all three books. I know what a thrill it is to hear your book read aloud for the first time. How is this experience going for you? And you have different narrators for each?

KBK: When I had to approve the first portion of the first audiobook I was so nervous and didn’t want to hear it. I’m not sure why. I’d heard the narrator’s audition and loved it. Still, I had that same feeling you get as a kid right before you have to get a shot. Finally, I listened to it and once I heard it, I was in love with the process. Now when one of the narrators has completed another chapter for me to listen to, I feel like it’s Christmas morning!

And yes, I have different narrators for each book. I know some authors want one narrator for an entire series, which works when each book is based on one main character. But even though these three books have one series arc, each book focuses on a different member of the Colburn family. So with three different and complete stories, I wanted a different voice for each book. All three narrators are terrific. They love the stories. That comes across in a narrator’s voice.

HG: That is such a blessing to find unique narrators for each book! Could you share some of your best marketing strategies with us, as well as something that didn’t pan out the way you’d hoped? I know I could make a list of things I’ve tried that didn’t work! LOL.

KBK: Let’s see… don’t get a tattoo of your book cover. I’m totally kidding. I’ve done so much marketing in the past few months and it’s ongoing. I wish I had a “best strategy” but I’m new at all this. I’m still throwing things at the wall, hoping something sticks. I’m told the best marketing is simply writing more books and I’m doing that–not because of marketing though, but because I love writing. I am considering hiring a skywriter for the launch of Uncharted Inheritance. I was thinking he could draw a QR code in the sky over Manhattan and it would link to the series’ page on my website. There couldn’t be a breeze at all though or the skywriting would just be an expensive cloud. Again, kidding. See, you don’t want me in a marketing meeting.

HG: Call me gullible because I was falling for that tattoo and skywriting thing… Finally, you have two books out in the Uncharted series now…when is the final release? And what are you working on after that, if you can share?

KBK: Yes, The Land Uncharted and Uncharted Redemption are out now and Uncharted Inheritance comes out May 5, 2015. That’s the final book with this particular series arc, meaning all the questions up to that point are answered. I do have tons of ideas for future stories. I’ve created a whole world and plenty could happen there.

I’m currently writing the story of the founders–the group that ran aground on the Land in 1861. It’s a lot of fun to write and also a ton of research. I had to learn more about sailing and schooners than I ever wanted to know!

HG: Sounds very well-researched! Thanks for visiting today, Keely, and all the best with your series and all your books. Readers, please read on for a chance to win the first two in this series!

 

The Land Uncharted on Amazon

Lydia Colburn is a young physician dedicated to serving her village in the Land. When injured fighter pilot Connor Bradshaw’s parachute carries him from the war engulfing the 2025 world to her hidden land, his presence threatens her plans, her family, and the survival of her preindustrial society. As Connor searches for a way to return to his squadron, his fascination with life in the Land makes him protective of Lydia and her peaceful homeland, and Lydia’s attraction to Connor stirs desires she never anticipated. Written like a historical, set like a scifi, and filled with romance, The Land Uncharted weaves adventure and love in this suspenseful story of a hidden land.

 

 

 

 

 

Uncharted Redemption on Amazon

From the author of The Land Uncharted comes the second book in the Uncharted series, Uncharted Redemption. Written like a historical, set like a scifi, and filled with romance, Uncharted Redemption continues this suspenseful story of life in a hidden land. 

Levi Colburn, resentful of his father, haunted by his mother’s tragic death, and pained by his love for the unattainable Mandy Foster, breaks from the Land’s tradition and begins to build a life of his own. When rebels tear through the village of Good Springs, Levi vows to deliver justice and restore the woman he loves. As tradition stands in the way of redemption and threats from the outside world begin to appear, Levi must learn his greatest battles cannot be fought with his fists. Romantic, suspenseful, and filled with adventure, Uncharted Redemption weaves dramatic new layers into life in the Land.

 

 

 

 

***Readers, be sure to follow the link below to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for e-book copies of The Land Uncharted and Uncharted Redemption.***

***a Rafflecopter giveaway***

That Time I Stayed up Too Late and Waxed Poetic about Flowers

So here it is, early in the morn, day after the time change. Obviously I haven’t adjusted. I thought I’d check in with you all and share some pictures of flowers. I know you’re asking yourself, Why would she do this? It’s so random. 

I actually really enjoy flower gardening, believe it or not. I’ve spent many a happy hour digging in dirt and throwing around mulch with my sister-in-law (are you reading this, K!?) and family. Let me tell you, there is nothing like the smell of some rich mulch. Anyway, as this winter finally seems to be winding to a close (snow is still melting around here, but the weather is warmer), I wanted to share some pictures of some of my favorite flowers over the years. These are flowers I’ve grown, often bulbs I’ve been given. Perennials are the gift that keeps giving. And today I just wanted to share some of that bright-colored joy with you!

Bleeding Heart I loved watching come out every spring at our old house in VA

 

Peony from my Mother-in-law we transplanted

 

 

Tulip bed at our old house

 

Close up Tulip

 

Irises we thought were dead when we planted them, but they came up beautifully

 

Sunflowers we grew this past summer–oops not a perennial but still fun!

 

 

One of my fave flowers…my husband’s and my feet, standing by a hydrangea that was in our wedding. This would’ve been around our 15th anniversary. Can’t believe it has stayed alive so long.

Here’s hoping spring comes before long! How about you…what is your favorite flower? Do you like flower gardening?

Interview & Giveaway with Michelle Griep, Author of Writer Off The Leash

Writer off the Leash on Amazon

Today, I couldn’t be more pleased to introduce one of my close author friends to you: Michelle Griep. Michelle is a multi-talented author who’s penned several published novels (one of which is a VIKING NOVEL my friends! Link below). But today we’re highlighting her latest release: Writer off the Leash: Growing in the Writing Craft: a book just for writers. Let me tell you, I was blessed to be an early reader for this one and this little Padawan had a lot to learn from the Jedi writing master! :) And today Michelle is generously offering a copy (winner’s choice of e-book or softcover) of her Writer off the Leash book to one lucky commenter! (Click to tweet!)

Here’s a little more about Michelle:

Author Michelle Griep

 

 

Michelle Griep’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. Follow her adventures and find out about upcoming new releases at her blog, Writer Off the Leash , or stop by her website . You can also find her at the usual haunts of Facebook , Twitter , or Pinterest .

 

 

 

 

 

Interview with Author Michelle Griep

HG: Michelle, you are a friend after my own heart because you love VIKINGS!!! And you write about them, too (check out Michelle’s time-traveling Viking novel, Undercurrent). You have had several books published…can you tell me briefly about those experiences (highs and lows) before I ask some nosy questions about your just-released indie book?

MG: Highs:

Brutal honesty . . . it’s gratifying to have a traditional publisher want your writing. It validates. It soothes. And it’s a complete and total lie. But it still feels dang good.

Lows:

Sales numbers for time travel are dismal. Apparently hanging out with big beefy Vikings or medieval knights doesn’t draw as many readers as sweet Amish let’s-ride-in-a-buggy-with-our-bonnets-on books.

HG:  Thank you for your honesty! No matter how we publish, for sure there will be highs and lows. I’ve followed your Writer off the Leash blog for years now and it never fails to make me smile. What gave you the inspiration to write a book about writing?

MG: My blog readers. I never would have thought of compiling all my blather about writing into one easy-to-read format, but then again, I never thought of reading the directions on a can of acetone before I poured it on top of a painted surface. Yep. I’m that kind of idiot. Thankfully, though, my readers are not.

HG: LOL! Okay, tell me more about your decision to go indie with this book. What caused you to decide to jump in and how did the publication process go?

MG: Peer pressure. No, really. I have this buddy who year after year nagged me to self-publish. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore, so I shot back, “Only if you help me.” And he did. In the process, he discovered exactly why I’d shied away from self-pubbing . . . it’s a fat lot of work. For the most part, though, it ran pretty smoothly, leastwise for me.

I wrote the manuscript, found an editor, and picked all the nits out of the copy. Then I found a designer who came up with the cover. Wow. I had no idea the bajillion decisions I’d have to make. Color. Type-size and style. Feel and mood. Cover copy content, yada, yada. I also hunted down endorsers and sent them out ARC’s.

My buddy did all the grunt work: ISBN’s, Library of Congress, formatting for paperback and eBooks, putting it up on Amazon, finding a printer, yada, yada.

HG:  I’ve read your Writer off the Leash book and really enjoyed it. You had all kinds of insights on the writer life and thought processes…what would be your best word of wisdom for today’s writer? I know when I got into the biz, the advice was “Blog, blog, blog! Every day of the week!” Glad that’s over with. LOL.

MG: I agree. Blogging is definitely not for everyone. But if I hadn’t felt forced into it, I probably wouldn’t have done it, and then look at all the fun I’d have missed out on.

My best piece of advice is going to sound like a cop out but it’s the one thing that sets apart the wannabes from the real deals. What is it? Write. (Click to Tweet!) Yep, that simple. Don’t talk about writing. Don’t even read about writing unless you’re actually spending some serious butt-in-chair time doing the deed. Push past the dry times and write even when you don’t feel like it.

HG: Brentwood’s Ward is your latest novel. Is this a series? Tell us more about it. Also, tell us what’s coming down the publication pike next for you!

Brentwood’s Ward on Amazon

 

MG: I always intend my books to be series. Getting the publishers to agree with me is quite another thing. Even so, I am halfway finished with a sequel to Brentwood’s Ward featuring a fellow officer in the Bow Street Runners . . . which is what Brentwood’s Ward is about. Here’s a blurb:

Place an unpolished lawman named Nicholas Brentwood as guardian over a spoiled, pompous beauty named Emily Payne and what do you get? More trouble than Brentwood bargains for. She is determined to find a husband this season. He just wants the large fee her father will pay him to help his ailing sister. After a series of dire mishaps, both their desires are thwarted, but each discovers that no matter what, God is in charge.

HG: Sounds so interesting, Michelle! Thanks so much for visiting today and thank you for sharing your years of writing wisdom in Writer off the Leash: Growing in the Writing Craft!

***Readers, please comment below for a chance to win your choice of an e-book or softcover of Writer off the Leash: Growing in the Writing Craft! (Click to Tweet!) Here’s my endorsement of it:

“Chock-full of down-to-earth advice for authors of all levels, WRITER OFF THE LEASH: Growing in the Writing Craft connects with writers where we live. Griep’s enthusiasm for the writing craft bubbles through the page as she offers solid tips on breaking through writer’s block, managing writing time, agent-hunting, and structuring novels. Lists and worksheets add to the takeaway value. A steal of a book that you will refer to time and time again.”

Please comment and share! I will choose a winner next Monday!***

 

$1.99 SALE of Miranda Warning, Today Through February 14!

Wanted to let you all know that Miranda Warning, my psychological Appalachian mystery, is on sale for $1.99/Kindle, today through 2/14/15! Hope you can spread the news, especially if you read and enjoyed it! Thanks! I’ll post a couple of tweets below and feel free to pin the image above.

Looking for a #psychological #mystery? Miranda Warning is on sale for $1.99/Kindle, 2/8-2/14! http://amzn.to/1izVC1M

ON SALE for $1.99/Kindle, 2/8-2/14–Miranda Warning, #WV #Mystery: http://amzn.to/1izVC1M #Christfic

 

 

Interview with Bethany Macmanus, Author of NERVE, & Excerpt

It’s been a couple years since I’ve had the privilege of interviewing one of my close author friends, Bethany Macmanus. You can find our previous interview here.

Here’s a little bio on Bethany:

Author Bethany Macmanus

 

BETHANY MACMANUS lives in Houston with her husband, daughter, and son. After practicing as an RN for five years, Bethany left the nursing field to pursue a writing passion the Lord planted in her heart when she was a child. Nancy Drew mysteries were her guilty pleasure during those early years, so she naturally gravitates her pen toward the things that go bump in the night, and most of her plots have a psychological spin.

She’s allergic to cheese, Sulfa drugs, and people who stop in the middle of intersections while driving.

 

INTERVIEW WITH BETHANY MACMANUS, AUTHOR OF NERVE

Nerve on Goodreads

 

HG:  Bethany, I always love having you at my blog. You visited years ago and we had such a great conversation! Now on to some questions!

BM: WHOOT! I love being on here! Feel like I can let down my hair!!

HG: How long have you been indie publishing? I know your beautiful cover on Six Solitude Road impressed me so much, as well as the story, when I was thinking of going indie. Tell me some highs and lows of the process.

BG: I released SSR in January of 2013, ahead of several of my friends. This sounds daring, but in truth I think it was more like naïve. I didn’t know to take some of the marketing risks that were out there, so my book didn’t launch in the way of many indie offerings you see breaking out today. I am having a slow journey gathering readers, but they are coming along!

I think one of the highs of all this is finding out one of my readers told a friend about my book. Ripples in the water, baby!

HG: Yes! Readers who share about your book are such a blessing!   Y our Romantic Suspense novel, Nerve , won the prestigious Daphne award in the Unpublished Inspirational Mystery/Suspense category. Was that a fun experience for you?

BM: It was! Casey Miller Facebook messaged me the morning I finaled to congratulate me. I was like, “what? Are you serious?!” His wife, author Robin Caroll, had as well, but in the published category.

Then, reading the announcement I’d won first place completely blew me out of the water. I’d never done that before!!

HG: I’d love to know more about the concept of Nerve. The cover is so intriguing and pulls me right in.

BM: Thanks! The cover portrays a scene near the end of the book, when Lauren (my heroine) is at her deceased father’s island house, trying to sell it, and getting into a LOT of trouble. I don’t want to reveal any more, because you’ll have to read it to know why she’s holding the hem of her dress up like that…

HG: Verrrry interesting! What inspired you to write Nerve? Is this the first in series or a standalone?

BM: On February 16, 2012, my husband was hospitalized with burning and tingling and pricking feelings in his arms that had literally driven him crazy. Crazy enough to try to end his own life. Doctors had given him a variety of false diagnoses, from carpal tunnel syndrome to multiple sclerosis. He was at his wit’s end. I won’t tell you what the actual cause was, because Lauren has the same problem and I don’t want to give a spoiler. Anyway, releasing this book on February 14, three years later, is rather cathartic for me. I think it will help make Valentine’s time of year a lot better for us,  with new memories!

Unless two of my characters tell me otherwise, Nerve will be a standalone. I already have two more series books to get out, so if those two characters will just behave, until I’m finished with Seven Sentinel’s Gate and Murdered Above Volcanoes, we’ll all be okay!

HG: Oh, wow. Not the kind of thing anyone wants to experience, yet I’m so glad you were able to use that for good. Finally, how to you balance writing and being a mom…and a MODEL! I’m so impressed with that! What would be your best advice for authors trying to get that perfect head shot?

BM: The reason I can balance being a mom with writing is because I have a SUPER supportive husband who believes in my dream and helps out all the time. Though I have to admit, before I got my part-time modeling job it was a little more difficult to get his support because I wasn’t making any money.

As far as getting the perfect head shot, quantity leads to quality. Knowing what side of your face photographs best, and what your best features are, helps a lot. I take many selfies (that I don’t post, of course!), so I’m more confident in front of the camera. I think natural light photographers take great shots. Sunlight at 4 PM is the best for these type of portraits. I am lucky to have a sister who does natural light photography full time.

HG:  Excellent tips! I need to update my author shots (once I simultaneously have a good haircut and color, which may never happen), and these tips will definitely help!

Nerve releases Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14th, 2015. In the meantime, Bethany has graciously shared an excerpt with us today! Thanks, Bethany!

EXCERPT from Nerve:

Wren crossed her arms below her chest. “He may have made a few mistakes, but he remained a wonderful father, even after the divorce. He took me to plays, called me regularly, we even played Bingo.”

“That’s what you always say,” said Mama, lifting a rippling arm and resting it on the pillow behind her head. “You’re more like a dove than a wren, cooin’ and cooin’ about how Doctor Noah Masterson hung the flippin’ moon.”

Was I the one who made you bitter? Wren moved her gaze over the clutter on Mama’s shelves, and out the picture window at the Everglades. Did she have the nerve to say what she needed to say to Mama? An egret flapped high in the air, the sun upon its back, reminding her of a magazine photo she’d shot the week before Daddy died.

“Mark you well, Lauren Masterson, not one of his million–” and she brought her hand back from her pillow to make air quotes–“friends is gonna miss the dirtbag. I guess if you’d had a better man for a father, you would’ve known the wheat from the chaff. Maybe you’d stop going out with losers and start payin’ more attention to the Good Eggs.”

Wren tried to stifle an amused smile. She let her head loll to one side and tightened her arms to the point of feeling her ribcage. “And just who are the ‘Good Eggs,’ Mama?”

“Well, that handsome redhaired cop is one. Why you never dated him is beyond me.”

Lieutenant Justin Breck. His name alone sent a wave of heat up her spine. Mama’s endorsement was hardly a point in his favor.

~copyright Bethany Macmanus, 2015~

 

It was created to save lives.

Now someone is using it to take them.

When Lauren “Wren” Masterson discovers her deceased father’s medical invention has been stolen from her childhood home in Florida, she never expects the officer assigned to the case will be Justin Breck, who asked her out two years ago.

He’s changed since then, seems like he’s hiding something. What happened to his openness, his no-holds-barred, carefree attitude? She wonders how this new Justin could possibly accept her imperfections, namely the persistent nerve disorder her father’s missing invention might cure.

Justin is learning the darker side of Doctor Masterson’s past life. The hard part? Proving it to Doc’s adoring daughter, while attempting to win her heart. He might have some history with her, but Doc’s lawyer, Connor Radcliffe, has more.

As bodies begin to drop around them, will Justin and Lauren find the invention before the thief uses it to kill Lauren?

Winter Author Update

Just wanted to check in with a little vlog and show you the new cover for Miranda Warning, as well as give an update on what I’m working on now!

 

Anne Elisabeth Stengl’s Draven’s Light Cover Reveal!

There’s nothing as fun as a cover reveal, and today I’m happy to participate in the online cover reveal party for Anne Elisabeth Stengl‘s upcoming release, Draven’s Light!

Draven’s Light–Softcover Available for Pre-Order on Amazon

In the Darkness of the Pit

The Light Shines Brightest

Drums summon the chieftain’s powerful son to slay a man in cold blood and thereby earn his place among the warriors. But instead of glory, he earns the name Draven, “Coward.” When the men of his tribe march off to war, Draven remains behind with the women and his shame. Only fearless but crippled Ita values her brother’s honor.

The warriors return from battle victorious yet trailing a curse in their wake. One by one the strong and the weak of the tribe fall prey to an illness of supernatural power. The secret source of this evil can be found and destroyed by only the bravest heart.

But when the curse attacks the one Draven loves most, can this coward find the courage he needs to face the darkness?

Coming May 25, 2015

 

Enter a Rafflecopter #giveaway for an advanced reader copy of Draven’s Light! 

RAFFLECOPTER LINK:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/MGNkNTI0NzYyMGZiNjAwZjNmMTRhNTUxOTQ2MTQyOjQy/?

 

EXCERPT:

Link:  Read an excerpt from Draven’s Light!

 

Author Anne Elisabeth Stengl

ANNE ELISABETH STENGL makes her home in North Carolina, where she lives with her husband, Rohan, a kindle of kitties, and one long-suffering dog. When she’s not writing, she enjoys Shakespeare, opera, and tea, and practices piano, painting, and pastry baking. She is the author of the critically-acclaimed Tales of Goldstone Wood. Her novel Starflower was awarded the 2013 Clive Staples Award, and her novels Heartless, Veiled Rose, and Dragonwitch have each been honored with a Christy Award.

To learn more about Anne Elisabeth Stengl and her books visit: www.AnneElisabethStengl.blogspot.com