Margo Bond Collins's Blog, page 141

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Published on February 11, 2014 00:01

February 10, 2014

Excerpt: Ocean’s Gift by Demelza Carlton

logo1 “To the lucky deckie!” Skipper roared. All the beer glasses went up with a ragged cheer, before tipping to empty their contents down the throats of their owners.

My glass came down empty. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and stood up. I started to weave through people to the sink out the back. It was near closing time and there was an unspoken rule – it was always the deckies’ turn to wash up.

Skipper stood in front of me, so I had to stop. “Not your turn tonight. You head back to camp.” He winked. “Maybe find some other way to celebrate tonight.”

Bloody bastard was reading my mind. I faked a yawn. “Yeah, like sleep before you get me up at the crack of dawn tomorrow.”

I stumbled out of the club into the dark.

Someone made a ribald comment behind me that I didn’t hear, but the laughter in response was unmistakeable.

It took me a minute to find my torch in my pocket and switch it on, before I went down the rock-strewn track to the dinghy.

I pushed it out into the water and got in. The engine caught on the second pull and I steered her around, headed back to Rat Island and camp. Good thing I knew this stretch of water so well – beer and driving a boat in the pitch black was bloody difficult.

I figured I had maybe half an hour before the other guys would be back. If we had the lights out by then, maybe they wouldn’t bother us. Was that enough time for a couple of drinks with her? A drink or two and one thing might lead to another….SHIT!

I felt the wave drench me from behind and saw it half fill the boat with water, knocking the torch out of my hand. The engine sputtered and died, drowned, and I found a few more four-letter words to describe the motor. I pulled on it, over and over, pounded it till my hand hurt, but the bitch didn’t catch. Dead in the water, with a boat full of water, I groped for the paddle I know had been there before the wave hit. My hand grasped the handle and I pulled it free.

Look at the bloody lucky deckie now, I fumed. Paddling his bloody dinghy back to Rat Island in the dark.

I paddled till my arms ached, but the distant lights on Rat only seemed to get further away. I saw the other guys get in their dinghies and head back to Rat Island in a convoy. I shouted and waved, but they never heard me. The wind was blowing the wrong way, carrying my voice out to sea. It had picked up a fair bit, too.

I stopped paddling to rest for a few minutes, letting the boat drift with the waves. Maybe it’ll ground on a sandbank or a rock and I can just sit here and wait till morning.

I hadn’t prayed about it, but the unsaid prayer was answered anyway. The bottom of the boat scraped across a rock. I tipped the useless motor up, in an effort to save it from further damage, as the tinnie wedged up against part of the rock just under the surface. I breathed a sigh of relief.

Now I just sit here and have wet dreams while I’m soaked through in a dinghy full of water on a rock, until someone comes looking for me in daylight. Just the thought of Vanessa with her clothes off would keep any red-blooded male warm for a night…

I drifted between sleep and daydreams, waking every time a wave jolted the boat. Another wave sloshed over the side of the boat, soaking me again, and forcing me awake. The boat was almost full of water now, I realised in panic, as I groped for a bucket to start baling with. Throwing bucket after bucket overboard, I couldn’t tell if I was making any difference to the water level in the boat.

One moment I was holding the bucket, about to scoop up more water, the next I was flying through the air, full of spray and water and no sign of the tinny. Suddenly immersed in cold, black water, I couldn’t see the surface. I struggled, kicking in the direction I thought was up, and hit a rock. I jerked back reflexively and my head cleared the water. I gulped a huge lungful of air and grabbed for the rock. I had to hold on till daylight. Surely, that couldn’t be too far away.

Another big wave broke and I tried to keep a hold of the slimy rock, but I was pushed out of reach, drifting in the current. I tried to kick my legs, but I wasn’t sure if I did. I couldn’t feel my feet and the numbness was creeping up my legs. Vanessa won’t be able to help me here, I thought. I could feel my body shake with laughter. I drifted.

I could hear the breakers on the outer reef, louder than they were from shore. I could feel the spray on my face. A wave washed over me and I was under the water again.

I thought I heard dolphins, but it sounded deeper and closer with my head submerged. Dolphins or whales? I thought I could feel them beside me, rolling me over so my face was at the surface, pulling my body through the water.

Arms lifted me into a boat, laying me down across the length of it. Dolphins with arms? No, that’s not right.

I could feel the boat moving through the water, but I couldn’t hear the engine. Maybe it was the rushing in my ears, drowning it out. All I could hear was an unearthly singing, high and sad, like some kind of suicidal dolphin. I could say I blacked out, but everything was already so fucking black I wouldn’t have noticed the difference.

I checked out of Hotel Consciousness. At least I got to dream of Vanessa naked.

About Demelza Carlton

Demelza Carlton has always loved the ocean, but on her first snorkelling trip she found she was afraid of fish.

She has since swum with sea lions, sharks and sea cucumbers and stood on spray-drenched cliffs over a seething sea as a seven-metre cyclonic swell surged in, shattering a shipwreck below.

Sensationalist spin? No – Demelza tends to take a camera with her so she can capture and share the moment later; shipwrecks, sharks and all.

Demelza now lives in Perth, Western Australia, the shark attack capital of the world.

The Ocean’s Gift series was her first foray into fiction, followed by the Nightmares trilogy.

Purchase links:

Amazon: http://viewBook.at/B00AFEO80O

Apple: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/oceans-gift/id658386033?mt=11

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/oceans-gift-demelza-carlton/1114691067?ean=9781479399062

Diesel: http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/item/SW00000320806/Carlton-Demelza-Ocean-s-Gift/1.html

Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Oceans-Gift/book-P-nk85-VIkqkPAiTt7FriQ/page1.html?s=T9Ro7sIJYkaSx24D-tQKqQ&r=4

Sony: http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/demelza-carlton/ocean-s-gift/_/R-400000000000001058270

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/32080

Demelza’s website: http://www.demelzacarlton. com

Contact links:

Website: http://www.demelzacarlton.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DemelzaCarltonAuthor

Twitter: http://twitter.com/DemelzaCarlton

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/DemelzaCarlton

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/DemelzaCarlton?feature=watch

Amazon: http://viewauthor.at/DemelzaCarlton

About the Book

Sirens don’t fall in love with humans. For centuries it has been so…

But Sirena is different. She lost her first love to sharks and a storm, cursing the islands that stole him from her.

Times have changed and she must swim ashore once more, to the islands she once cursed.

Gone are the boats powered by sail and steam – jet boats with GPS are now the order of the day.

Enter Joe, the deckhand on the Dolphin. A handy man to have around when the lights go out. He’ll fix your generator and have the lights back on in no time, no worries.

But can he seduce a siren?

Or will she swim away before he can uncover her secret?

A book about lobsters, beer and boobs, on some cursed islands off the coast of Western Australia. At least, that’s how Joe tells it.

For Sirena, it’s a very different story.

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Published on February 10, 2014 23:12

Spotlight: Something Wonderful, by M. Clarke

HAPPY RELEASE DAY!!

SOMETHING WONDERFUL IS OUT TODAY!

Jeanella’s confidence and trust in Max continues to grow, and life seems to be on track. Then Crystal decides to pursue a sexual harassment lawsuit, and Jeanella’s world turns upside down. Once again, she wonders if she will ever be enough for Max. Jeanella is forced to make a decision; stay and fight for her man or leave him for good.

Becky’s unexpected friendship with Matthew continues to blossom, as they try to define the boundaries of their relationship; but a one-night stand threatens to ruin it all. As Matthew’s feelings for Becky grow, he’s torn between guilt and heartache over his deceased fiancée. Can Becky break through his wall and help him heal?

Praise for SOMETHING WONDERFUL…

“Something Wonderful is truly something wonderful. M. Clarke/Mary Ting captures love, romance and forgiveness beautifully. One of 2014′s MUST READS!” - Sammie’s Book Club, for Book Lovers

“Something Wonderful heats up the series with its undeniable need, want, passion, incredible characters and intense heated plot. New Adult at its BEST!” - Michele, Insane About Books.

“If you are looking for love, heartache, hot steamy sex and brothers that will rock your world this is the read for you!” - Bella, Paranormal Book Club

GoodReads ≥ http://bit.ly/1f9v3O9

Amazon ≥ http://amzn.to/1aNHbZe

Barnes & Noble ≥ http://bit.ly/MDbbfh

Join the Facebook release party where Mary will be hosting giveaways all day!

≥≥≥ https://www.facebook.com/events/461039670671783/?fref=ts

http://ginger-read.blogspot.com

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Published on February 10, 2014 11:21

Sneak Peek: Legally Undead (V-Day Bites Blog Hop: Vampires)

Welcome to my stop in the Vampires section of the V-Day Bites Blog Hop. I am particularly delighted by this hop because I’m pretty sure that Valentine’s Day brings out the monster in everyone, at some point. Also, my next novel, Legally Undead, is due out in May from World Weaver Press, and it’s all about vampires! So check out the short excerpt below, enter to win a slew of prizes, then HOP to the rest of the blogs!

(This is also part of a slightly longer excerpt appearing in the next issue of The Journal of Monsters and the Monstrous)

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Excerpt

It would be easy to be charmed by this setting, by all the elegance that surrounded me.

Of course, all the vampires that surrounded me weren’t quite so charming. They were terrifying.

And in a room full of people, I discovered that it was easy to tell which ones were vampires and which ones weren’t. Some of the humans were easy to spot–the ones who were eating food were easy to pick out as humans, of course, and many of them had bandages or fresh wounds on various parts of their bodies. The parts where the veins ran close to the surface: the neck, the crook of the elbow, the wrist.

There were other humans there, too, though, humans who weren’t eating and who didn’t have any visible blood-donation marks. But they were clearly human, just as some of the other people moving around the room were clearly vampires. The vampires tended toward pallor, of course. And occasionally one flashed a fang here or there, particularly when they laughed–an effect that I found chilling. They were mostly extraordinarily beautiful, but then, so were the humans. Deirdre seemed to like surrounding herself with beauty.

It had something to do with the energy the vampires projected, I guess. They seemed strangely brittle, yet almost vibrating with a nervous vitality. I’ve seen a similar thing with people who were on the verge of an emotional breakdown but attempting to hide it. I’ve also seen it in people with bipolar disorder. It’s a sort of forced, manic gaiety verging on hysteria.

But that energy was combined with an indolence of movement. They swayed through the room slowly, languorously, all the while virtually quivering with some suppressed power.

All in all, it was just about the creepiest thing I’d ever seen–toward the top of the list, anyway, right after “Seeing My Beloved Eaten.”

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ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

Rafflecopter Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ba4d4b34/

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About the Author

Margo Bond Collins lives in Texas with her husband, their daughter, several spoiled cats, and a ridiculous turtle. She teaches college-level English courses online, though writing fiction is her first love. She enjoys reading urban fantasy and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about vampires, ghosts, zombies, werewolves, and other monsters. Waking Up Dead is her first published novel. Her second novel, Legally Undead, is an urban fantasy forthcoming in 2014 from World Weaver Press.

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Other Books by Margo Bond Collins

Waking Up Dead

When Dallas resident Callie Taylor died young, she expected to go to Heaven, or maybe Hell. Instead, when she met her fate early thanks to a creep with a knife and a mommy complex, she went to Alabama. Now she’s witnessed another murder, and she’s not about to let this one go. She’s determined to help solve it before an innocent man goes to prison. And to answer the biggest question of all: why the hell did she wake up dead in Alabama?

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Fairy, Texas

Fairy, Texas. A small town like any other.

Laney Harris didn’t want to live there. When her mother remarried and moved them to a town where a date meant hanging out at the Sonic, Laney figured that “boring” would have a whole new meaning. A new stepsister who despised her and a high school where she was the only topic of gossip were bad enough. But when she met the school counselor (and his terminal bad breath), she grew suspicious. Especially since he had wings that only she could see. And then there were Josh and Mason, two gorgeous glimmering-eyed classmates whose interest in her might not be for the reasons she hoped. Not to mention that dead guy she nearly tripped over in gym class.

She was right. Boring took on an entirely new dimension in Fairy, Texas.

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Buy Fairy, Texas

Amazon (Kindle): http://www.amazon.com/Fairy-Texas-Margo-Bond-Collins-ebook/dp/B00I7BTMJ4/

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Buy Waking Up Dead

Kindle from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Waking-Dead-Margo-Bond-Collins-ebook/dp/B00HKQQRJA/

Paperback from these booksellers:

Amazon:

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/waking-up-dead-margo-bond-collins/1117526839?ean=9781493750467

Books A Million: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Waking-Up-Dead/Margo-Bond-Collins/9781493750467?id=5868658257083

Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/Waking-Up-Dead-Margo-Bond-Collins/9781493750467

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Connect with Margo

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/margobondcollins

Email: MargoBondCollins@gmail.com

Website: http://www.MargoBondCollins.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MargoBondCollin @MargoBondCollin

Google+: https://plus.google.com/116484555448104519902

Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/vampirarchy

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/MargoBondCollins

Facebook Novel Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Waking-Up-Dead/502076076537575

Newsletter: http://margobondcollins.com/newsletter/

Tumblr: http://vampirarchybooks.tumblr.com/

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mbondcollins/

Manic Readers: http://www.manicreaders.com/MargoBondCollins/

Add Waking Up Dead to your Goodreads bookshelves: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18428064-waking-up-dead

Add Fairy, Texas to your Goodreads bookshelves: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19502285-fairy-texas

Add Legally Undead to your Goodreads bookshelves: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18366353-legally-undead

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The Tour

February 10 – Undying Love (Vampires)

http://www.bookishthingsandmore.com

http://www.libraryattheendofuniverse.com/

http://girlwithapenandadream.blogspot.com/

http://www.cgiovanniauthor.com

http://fabulousandfun.com

http://www.twistedbookjunkie.blogspot.com

http://margobondcollins.com

February 11 – Changing Love (Shifters)

http://2bibliophiles.blogspot.com

http://www.bookishthingsandmore.com

http://twimom101bookblog.blogspot.com/

http://girlwithapenandadream.blogspot.com/

http://fabulousandfun.com

February 12 – Rotten Love (Zombies)

http://ginger-read.blogspot.com

http://cabingoddess.com

http://www.anniewalls.com

http://2bibliophiles.blogspot.com

http://www.bookishthingsandmore.com

http://twimom101bookblog.blogspot.com/

http://elfwitchlovesbooks.blogspot.com

http://www.cgiovanniauthor.com

http://mybookaddiction.com

http://melaniekarsak.blogspot.com

http://www.fictionalcandy.com

http://margobondcollins.com

http://psmartinez.blogspot.com/

February 13 – Haunting Love (Ghosts)

http://2bibliophiles.blogspot.com

http://twimom101bookblog.blogspot.com/

http://www.helenboswell.com/the-blog.html

http://margobondcollins.com

February 14 – Love Gone Wrong/Dark Love/Erotica

http://ginger-read.blogspot.com

http://www.fictionalcandy.com

http://www.anniewalls.com

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Published on February 10, 2014 01:00

February 9, 2014

The Boyfriend List

The Boyfriend List follows twenty-year-old Reagan in her quest for the perfect relationship after a somewhat tragic spring break breakup leaves her disillusioned about love… again.

Reagan had always prided herself on making levelheaded, practical, analytical decisions about everything. Everything, that is, except where guys are concerned. Which was proven to her, once again, when her “boyfriend” opts to take another girl on their oh-so-romantic trip to his lake house. In order to prevent future heartbreak, she creates a checklist of all the qualities she wants in a man, and vows not to give her heart away again until she can determine if they fit every last criteria.

After scouring campus with her two best friends in her tricky journey, her detective work returns a pile of unworthy rejects, and it seems as though her choices are narrowed down to only two options: the hot stranger who’s inspired her new project, and her best guy friend Ian, who she’s always kept at bay due to his perceived playboy reputation.

Reagan gets more than she bargained for with her new set of rules, however, and is surprised to find that love, and the perfect boyfriend, may have been within reach the entire time. But will Ian’s reputation ruin his chances to prove his worth? And can Reagan let go of her insecurities long enough to even give him a chance?

The Boyfriend List is a light, New Adult romance about friendship, trust, and learning to let go in order to embrace what real love can offer.

The boyfriend list

renee novelle

goodreads

excerpt

Maybe she needed to get some fresh air, she decided. Go for a walk, clear her head. Anything to distract her focus from her thoughts and reset her mind back on her paper.

Decision made. She shut down her computer, set aside her books and wrapped her long hair into a somewhat sloppy bun on the top of her head. Reagan had contemplated a light sweatshirt to ward off the last cold brisk of winter that clung to the night air in stubborn resignation, then decided against it. But before she’d even left her bedroom, she turned back and yanked it off her bed after all. Apparently she was having a hard time making up her mind about everything that night.

Zipping it halfway up her torso, just below her breasts, she crept quietly out the front door and turned to lock it behind her. A quick breeze whipped its way around the corner and down the corridor, and as a shiver worked its way up her spine, she was thankful she’d listened to her intuition. Maybe she should do that more often.

But just as Reagan turned to go down the stairs and head out on her walk, she was met – nearly head on – by an unexpected sight. Ian stood before her, mildly drunk but mostly sober, looking as surprised to see her as she was to see him. It was clear he’d been out for a night of fun, though she’d seen him far worse on more occasions than she could count on both hands. But it was also just as clear that, once again, he’d come home alone. She couldn’t help the little smirk of satisfaction that turned up at the corners of her mouth on that discovery, though internally she chastised herself at the thought.

“And just where do you think you’re going?” His voice danced over the words with dramatic flair, an indicative side effect of his inebriated condition.

It took her a minute to find her voice. “I need a break.” She finally explained, “This essay’s killing me and I want to clear my head.”

“Nice jacket.” He flicked the toggle of her zipper, and Reagan felt it flutter in her core. “Want some company?”

The flutter was moving faster at the suggestion. His eyes had grown dark, almost as dark as the night sky, and she thought she saw something in them that begged her to say yes. Suddenly, she wasn’t so sure she needed her sweatshirt any longer, since the temperature seemed to have risen up all around her, working a pink tint into her cheeks. She was glad it was so dark out, hopefully he couldn’t tell this time. “Aren’t you just getting in though? You’re probably tired…right?”

Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes… she chanted in her head. The truth was she very much would’ve loved his company, maybe a little too much, but she wasn’t certain she trusted herself around him yet…alone…in the middle of the night. There were too many possibilities, too many temptations that her imagination could come up with. If she acted on any one of them, and was wrong in her assumption, well the let down could be brutal at best.

“Tired? Me?” He shook his head and made a face at the suggestion. “The party was just getting boring. Too many of the same people, not worth the time.” Was he implying that she was worth his time then? Reagan certainly hoped so, considering how long they’d been friends. But she couldn’t help wondering if there was something more behind the words. “So what do you say? Can I walk with you?” And as he tilted his head in that subtle way that only Ian could, a dimple working it’s way into the corner of his cheek, she felt her breath rush out of her lungs.

He’d put the ball back in her court again. Damn him! There’d be no getting around it this time, she’d have to give him a definitive answer. And quickly.Reagan knew she should say no. There was something inside, warning her that it wasn’t a good idea. As though accepting his innocent invitation would somehow change things. Alter their relationship and shift their energies toward one another in a way that could never be put back again. But, when she really thought about it, hadn’t they kind of done that already?

And yet everything inside of her wanted to scream yes, and keep the momentum of what they’d started earlier in the day moving forward. It wanted to let him take her hand in his, entwine her fingers around his, as though it was the most natural thing in the world for them to be doing. All she could manage though was a simple nod, stiffened by the breath she held tightly in her chest. It was almost as though she was afraid to acknowledge what she wholeheartedly wanted, even to herself, because doing so would only leave her open and vulnerable to a future of regrets and failures.

purchase links

amazon us | amazon uk | amazon ca |smashwords | Barnes & noble

teasers

about renee

Formerly a freelance journalist, Novelle has found placement of her pieces in both online and print publications since 2008. Additionally, she has written multiple screenplays, and contributed her writing to many non-profit and for profit organizations. She has launched several blogs over the years, which garnered international attention.

In 2013, Novelle returned to her first love – fiction. Writing under the names Renee Novelle and R.S. Novelle, she has a publication schedule that includes Psychological Thrillers, Suspense, Paranormal Fiction, Contemporary Women’s fiction, Chick Lit, and New Adult.

Though she received her Bachelor’s of Science in Communication, summa cum laude, she considers herself a constant student of the written word. She’s an avid reader, an enthusiastic quote poster, and rarely takes “no” as a final answer. She has an unhealthy obsession for theater, dance, music and art, and strongly believes that wine is simultaneously the beginning of, and resolution to, all of life’s problems. She believes in following dreams, and that in the end, you always end up where you’re meant to be.

You can find out more about her books and connect with her here

Website: www.RSNovelle.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/RSNovelle

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReneeNovelle

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RS_Novelle

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Published on February 09, 2014 23:00

Fairy, Texas Theme Music

Last week, I asked my guests at the Fairy, Texas release party to help me come up with theme songs for my new novel. I had piles of great entries and have compiled a Spotify list of my favorites! I’m also including my original Fairy, Texas playlist below. Enjoy the music!

Direct link to Spotify list: Fairy, Texas Theme Songs https://play.spotify.com/user/12121922418/playlist/6Ps6WDXZV11eiozjfs7ByH

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All of the songs in the next playlist represent some element of the characters, setting, or plot of Fairy, Texas—and they’re also the songs I listened to when I was writing the book!

Direct Link: https://play.spotify.com/user/12121922418/playlist/5VyHbQMjdpLvapUJ4F1YFy

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Fairy, Texas Blurb:

Fairy, Texas. A small town like any other.

She was right. Boring took on an entirely new dimension in Fairy, Texas.

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Buy Fairy, Texas

Amazon (Kindle): http://www.amazon.com/Fairy-Texas-Margo-Bond-Collins-ebook/dp/B00I7BTMJ4/

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Excerpt 1:

Fairy High could have fit into one wing of my old school. The three-story, red brick building looked like it had been around for at least a century—it actually had carvings over two of the doorways that read “Men’s Entrance” and “Women’s Entrance.” I was glad to see that none of the kids paid any attention to those instructions.

“Counselor’s office,” I muttered to myself. At least I wasn’t starting in the middle of a term—though given the fact that there were fewer than 500 students in the entire high school, I didn’t think I was going to be able to go unnoticed, even in the general bustle of the first day back from summer vacation.

I walked through the door marked “Men’s Entrance,” just be contrary, and faced a long hallway lined with heavy wooden doors. The spaces in between the doors were filled with lockers and marble staircases with ornate hand-rails flanked each end of the long hallway. Students poured in behind me, calling out greetings to each other and jostling me off to the side while I tried to get my bearings. None of the doors obviously led to a main office; I was going to have to walk the entire length of the hallway. And people were already starting to stare and whisper.

God. I hated being the new kid.

I took a deep breath and stepped forward. I made it halfway down the hall without seeing anything informative—all the doors had numbers over them and many of them had name plaques, but neither of those things did me any good since I didn’t know the name or office number for the counselor. I was almost getting desperate enough to ask Kayla, but of course she was nowhere to be seen.

I turned back from scanning the halls for her and caught sight of the first adult I’d seen—and almost screamed. As it was, I gasped loudly enough for a guy walking past me to do a double take. The man standing in the open doorway was tall, over six feet, and way skinny—so emaciated that it looked like you ought to be able to see his ribs through his shirt, if his shirt didn’t hang so loosely on him. He had white hair that stuck out in tufts, thin lips, a sharp nose, and pale blue eyes that narrowed as he watched the kids walk past—and all the kids gave him a wide berth without even seeming to notice that they did so. He stood in an empty circle while students streamed around him in the crowded hallway.

But none of that was what made me almost scream.

For a moment, just as I’d turned toward him, I could have sworn that I’d seen the shadow of two huge, black, leathery wings stretched out behind him.

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About the Author

Margo Bond Collins is the author of a number of novels, including Waking Up Dead, Fairy, Texas, and Legally Undead (forthcoming in 2014). She lives in Texas with her husband, their daughter, and several spoiled pets. She teaches college-level English courses online, though writing fiction is her first love. She enjoys reading urban fantasy and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about vampires, ghosts, zombies, werewolves, and other monsters.

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Connect with Margo

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/margobondcollins

Email: MargoBondCollins@gmail.com

Website: http://www.MargoBondCollins.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MargoBondCollin @MargoBondCollin

Google+: https://plus.google.com/116484555448104519902

Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/vampirarchy

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/MargoBondCollins

Facebook Novel Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Waking-Up-Dead/502076076537575

Tumblr: http://vampirarchybooks.tumblr.com/

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mbondcollins/

Manic Readers: http://www.manicreaders.com/MargoBondCollins/

Be sure to add Fairy, Texas to your Goodreads bookshelves: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19502285-fairy-texas

http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/

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Published on February 09, 2014 14:11

February 8, 2014

How to Create Your Own Book Trailer

Hi, all! I have recently had several requests for this, so I thought I’d post it here again.

How to Create Your Own Book Trailer

Indie authors know that it’s often important to minimize costs surrounding advertising. And while it’s possible to spend hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars on a book trailer, with a little time and effort, it’s possible for an author to produce his or her own book trailer.

1. Write your script. Knowing what words you are going to be using over the images can make a world of difference once you start looking for appropriate images. Think in terms of text that is about the same length and style as the back cover of a novel.

2. Break the script into small chunks. You won’t want to over-load your screen with text. But make sure that the chunks make enough sense by themselves to be left alone on the screen for a few moments.

3. Once you have your script ready, take a look at it and decide on the tone of the piece. Romantic? Eerie? Terrifying? Regal? Comic? Check your script to make sure it can be adapted to that tone.

4. Begin gathering images to use. I cannot stress this next bit strongly enough: make sure the images you use are not only free to use, but also (unless you want to clutter up your trailer with attributions) do not require you to acknowledge their source. I suggest gathering 3-4 images per phrase (and maybe a couple extra); you might not use all of them, but I always prefer to have a strong image base and not have to search for new images in the middle of the program. http://www.Morguefile.com is my favorite, but there are others.

5. Once you have your wording and your images, find music that will help set the tone. Again, find music that is not only royalty-free, but also licensed for free commercial use. I like http://dig.ccmixter.org/, but there are other sites, as well.

6. Put it all together. Many computers come with Movie Maker already installed. To use it, you should put the pictures in order, copy the script blocks onto individual images, and add music. Finally, you can choose a movie effect—“Pan and Zoom” to create the illusion of motion, for example, or “Cinematic” for a filmic look.

7. Start cutting. If you’re anything like me, you will have gathered up tons of images and will have long stretches without any words –or will leave the words on the screen too long. Be ruthless in your editing!

Additional things I have learned along the way:

• Don’t try to do a long trailer; people have short attention spans! It’s best to keep it under 2 minutes; even better to keep it under 90 seconds.

• Don’t be afraid to cut out images you thought you wanted—don’t let the image stay on the screen for too long, or you might lose your viewers.

• Be sure to include a title slide and an ending slide with the information about the book, including where to buy it.

• Make sure your movie doesn’t cut off too abruptly; let it fade to black

• And finally: have fun! Be creative! The more you practice, the better your trailers will be.

I’m including my first attempt at a book trailer below. It’s not perfect; there are things about it I would change now, but I think it makes a great example because of its flaws. Overall, though, it conveyed what I wanted it to convey, and doing it taught me a lot about how to create an inexpensive book trailer video!

_______________________

And this is a re-post of D.M. Sears‘ guest blog on using Animoto to create a book trailer:

Hi everyone! I am relatively new to the author scene so I have been trying to find ways to promote my upcoming release efficiently and cheap. I am always searching author websites for book trailers, and I have found there are just not that many out there. People underestimate the effectiveness of a book trailer. I know I have purchased several books just off of a good trailer.

It can be a little scary at first trying to create one for yourself. Not to fear! I found a great website that can help you make as many as you want for…free! Yup, free, no cost to you. Now, they have other options to make longer videos, which unfortunately do cost, but doesn’t everything at some point? If you can keep your trailer in the 30 second mark, it is no cost.

First , you need to come up with some photos to use. Make sure they are royalty free! There are a lot of cool sites out there. Here are a few I use:

http://www.istockphoto.com

http://www.Shutterstock.com

http://www.gettyimages.com

Next, you will want to organize your photos and decide what kind of story you want to tell. I like tell small things about my characters to bring interests and connection to them.

Now you can go to http://www.animoto.com to begin creating your book trailer. It will have you create an account, do not worry, they don’t spam. Then it will bring you to a page where you will see a lot of video backgrounds. You can choose whichever you want and click “Create a free video”. You will then be sent to a page where you can upload all your images to the video.

Now comes the fun part. You can add text to the images directly, add pages of only text, etc. Once you have figured out the order for your photos and what you want to say, you are now able to add music. They have music already in their system that is free to use set up in genres. I prefer to upload my own music. I use a cool site that has royalty free music free to use:

You can search by feeling or tempo. Download any that tickles your fancy and you are ready to upload to your video.

At the top of your video screen, you can click on the song they have already assigned and upload your new music. Once that is complete, you can preview your video and edit some more. When you are happy with your trailer, you can publish it! They have a social bar so you can share the finished product to twitter, Facebook, and even load to youtube!

It is a great site for beginners! The best part about it, it has a tutorial to show you how to use it! Have fun!

Now, check out D.M. Sears’ own book trailer for Eden’s Mark:

http://animoto.com/play/vAsD5zF4BQ92DaYa8Lr6bw

For more trailers, see D.M. Sears’ website: http://myrissaeden1.wix.com/ellethnyseries#

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Published on February 08, 2014 15:49

Spotlight: Resurrection by Laury Falter

Title: Resurrection

Author: Laury Falter

Series: The Apocalypse Chronicles

Genre: Teen Dystopian

Publisher: Audeamus LLC

Release Date: January 16 2014

Editions/Formats Available In: eBook

Blurb/Synopsis:

The second and final installment in the two-book series, Apocalypse Chronicles…

a dystopian romance about five high school seniors who set out to cure an apocalyptic world of a contagious infection.

Bestselling author Laury Falter finishes off this two-part series–a dystopian romance filled with an electrifying plot, a powerful romance, and unexpected twists.

Laury Falter is a bestselling author of young adult romantic

suspense and urban fantasy. She has three series out: the Guardian Trilogy, the

Residue Series, and the Apocalypse Chronicles.

Places to find Laury

Facebook

Goodreads

Twitter

Website

Places to find Resurrection

Amazon

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Published on February 08, 2014 00:38

February 7, 2014

Interview: Clara Kensie, Author of Run to You

Interview with Clara Kensie (by her daughter, lovingly known as Kidlet)

My thirteen-year-old daughter interviewed me for this guest post:

Hi, Mom.

Hey there, Kidlet.

Ready to answer some questions?

Ask me anything you want.

Okay. First question. Are any characters in RUN TO YOU based off of people in real life? Are any of your characters based on me?

No character is based completely on someone I know in real life, but most characters have bits and pieces of people I know. Tessa, the heroine, likes to paint because I like to paint. Tristan, the hero, plays tennis because your dad plays tennis. Tessa’s brother Logan is quiet and contemplative, just like your brother. Tessa’s sister Jillian is bold and charismatic, like you are. Book Two of RUN TO YOU (Parts Four, Five, and Six) has another character who is similar to you in some ways.

Next question. When you were younger, did you ever dream about having superpowers?

Yes, I did. I was pretty fascinated with the idea of psychics and superpowers. I’ve always loved the idea of being able to move things without touching them, or being able to see the future, or reading people’s minds. I dressed up as a fortune teller for Halloween in fifth grade, and I had a psychic at my Sweet Sixteen party.

How were you influenced to write RUN TO YOU?

I love to read, and sometimes I love a book so much that I never want it to end. But each book only lasts a few hours. I realized that if I wanted to spend a very long time with a book, I would have to write it myself. So I made a list of everything I wanted to include: romance, thrills, mystery, psychic characters, plot twists. I also wanted a teenage hero and heroine because most of my favorite books are, and always have been, YA. I incorporated all of those elements into RUN TO YOU.

Do you care that my friends and I always borrow your YA books?

I love it when you and your friends borrow my YA books. You’re always welcome to help yourselves.

Okay, last one. As a mother, how do you find time to write?

Balancing family and writing is my biggest challenge. I try to get as much done as I can while you’re at school, but it’s never enough time, especially because I work two or three days a week too. You’ve seen me in the car, writing on my laptop, while you’re at soccer practice. Sometimes I have to go upstairs to write while you, your brother, and your dad are downstairs watching a movie. That always makes me feel so guilty. But I’m also glad that you’re witnessing me as I follow my passion. I hope that when you grow up, you’ll follow your passion too.