Chrystal Vaughan's Blog, page 3

Goodreads Giveaway for Conspiracy of Ravens

I've offered Tarot card readings via email for anyone interested, in exchange for a review of the book on Amazon and Goodreads. Go to my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/chrystalwrites for more information or to private message me.


Check it out, a nice convenient way to enter the giveaway. Good luck!




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Goodreads Book Giveaway
    Conspiracy of Ravens by Chrystal Vaughan Giveaway ends September 03, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win

Let the Reviewing Begin!

Though only a few days old, Conspiracy of Ravens already has a few great reviews on Goodreads. Here is a taste of what to expect for readers of this paranormal story in the tradition of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Thomas Harris:


Five Stars!
"Although Conspiracy of Ravens is a blend of genres, I’d call it an occult mystery. It has one of those cozy mystery plots where a reporter is sent out to interview a serial killer and through that interview we discover the nature of the killer’s crimes. Think: The Silence of the Lambs. Except this one’s unique, in that the killer seems to have some type of supernatural powers.

At the center of Conspiracy of Ravens is a strong female protagonist who is smart and sarcastic, yet internally conflicted, haunted by a tragic childhood. This protagonist, Sophia, narrates her encounter with the Raven Witch Killer, her polar opposite. There’s a real yin and yang with these two, a real black and white, good vs. evil." (Read more on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1008752688?book_show_action=false&page=1)




Another Five Star Review:
“Judgment comes on deadly wings.” "It certainly does. I’m not into tarot cards or witches. I did have my moments when I was younger when I looked into different occults. This is the first book I downloaded to read on my Kindle. It took me three sittings to finish and if I could have stayed up all night I would have finished it in two. The first night brought back fearful memories of an experience I had with the Ouija board. I have Sophie to thank for that. In the beginning I thought she was going to be bad, but she turned out good. I felt sorry for her because she had a lot of issues to work through and as the story progressed I was eager to flip the next card. I actually tried to turn pages, as if I were reading a book, on the Kindle (takes a bit to get used to using a button and not actually flipping a page)

Catherine, the serial killer witch, is shackled and chained in a prison cell. It kind of reminded me of the scenes of Clarice and Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs. It had that same feel to it. Sophie is doing research for a column, not by choice, for the Philly Herald where she works. Her boss is kind of a dick in the beginning, but as the story goes you find out why and see that he’s really okay. Catherine explains to Sophie, in full detail of 17 sacrifices her ‘Dark Lord’ asked of her. One even includes a small child, (which would have been okay if it were a screaming brat that needed to be slapped upside the head–just kidding). Definitely not for the weak at heart." (Read the entire review at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22597466-conspiracy-of-ravens)


Another reader gave it Five Stars as well, and wrote "Wonderfully dark and depraved ! I liked it very much and can't wait for more from this author."


Pick up your own copy! There will be a giveaway on Goodreads in just a couple of days. Check out the Goodreads page for Conspiracy of Ravens at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22597466-conspiracy-of-ravens to stay abreast of all reviews, tidbits, and giveaway information.




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RELEASE DAY!

I'm super excited to announce that Conspiracy of Ravens is available now for purchase! Here are some buy links for anyone interested in purchasing, and I know all of you are!


Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Conspiracy-Ravens-Chrystal-Vaughan-ebook/dp/B00MAOD5N8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1406887390&sr=1-1&keywords=chrystal+vaughan

Bookgoodies: http://bookgoodies.com/a/B00MAOD5N8

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/conspiracy-of-ravens-chrystal-vaughan/1120034164?ean=2940149640485

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/460742
Createspace (for print copies): https://www.createspace.com/4919063
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"Judgment comes on deadly wings..."
Indeed.

Author Blog Host: Marilyn Peake

My new friend and fellow author, Marilyn Peake, has a fantastic YA novel called SHADE that is on sale from July 26th through July 30th. Don't miss it! Here is some information about the book, and my interview with Marilyn.


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Excerpt from SHADE:
The next day, I remembered just how truly lucky I was.  My mom drove me to school in her rusty old van.  She was wearing some kind of hippie dress that reached down to her ankles.  It was, honest to God, made out of bright yellow cloth covered in purple tulips with neon-green leaves, and she had painted her lips fire engine red and rubbed purple eye shadow all over her eyelids.
Kids stared as we drove up.  My mom insisted on walking me inside and introducing me to the principal.  I thought the principal might act snooty and superior toward her, like most of my other principals had, but I swear this one, Principal Lafferty, kind of flirted with her.  Gross.  But then he was sort of old—gray hair around a bald spot and hair poking out of his ears.  So maybe his eyesight wasn’t so good, or he was an ex-hippie himself or something, I have no idea.
When I finally got through all that, I had to make my way through the halls and find my first class which was English Literature.
And then there was roll call.
“Galactic Shade Griffin.”
“Here.”  As I raised my hand, I could hear the giggles, feel the stares.  I just pretended to ignore everyone, as though I was totally unaware of the reactions to my name.
Once class started, I only got called on once, to answer a question about why Romeo and Juliet had pretended to die.  That was easy.  We had discussed Romeo and Juliet a little bit the previous year at my old school ... and, well, duh, because the adults in their lives wouldn’t let them be who they really were and date who they really loved, and they had to let everyone think they were dead so that they could sneak away, be themselves, follow their hearts’ desires and have no one look for them.
The teacher said, “Very good.”  I was off the hook for the rest of the class.  The teacher was mousy, kind of soft-spoken, but she seemed energetic and really into Shakespeare.
My next class was Chemistry.  It had potential.  It involved a laboratory and the mixing together of chemicals.
My Interview with Marilyn Peake:
Please tell us about your latest book.
 
My latest book is SHADE, a Young Adult Mystery novel with Paranormal elements.  Tagline: “Shade: Girl on a hero’s journey, going from smart-ass to badass.”
 
Here’s the Book Summary for SHADE:
 
Thanks to her offbeat mother, Shade’s full name is Galactic Shade Griffin.  Having a name like that while being the new girl in school is pretty much catnip for bullies.  The summer before Shade’s junior year of high school, her mother breaks up with yet another boyfriend and moves them once again to a new town.
 
This time, they move into a dilapidated old house where Shade has an entire attic bedroom to herself—at least until she discovers it’s haunted by the ghost of a teenaged boy named Brandon Yates.  When Shade’s best friend goes missing, her life becomes even more complicated.  With the help of Brandon who’s struggling with his own issues in the world beyond, Shade faces the question of whether or not she has what it takes to become a true hero.
 
Although this novel deals with a number of serious issues—drug and alcohol abuse, cutting, and disturbing world events—it's primarily a novel about a teenaged girl finding out who she really is and that she's capable of so much more than she ever thought possible.
 
How much of your personality and life experiences are in your writing?
 
That’s hard to say.  I’m too close to the writing.  I think I probably have the same combination of sarcastic wit and belief in helping others that the teenaged girl Shade, the main character in SHADE, has.  She also started writing in high school, so I was able to use my experience as a writer there.  What I’m most conscious of when I write fiction, though, are social injustices in the news that upset me so deeply, I end up weaving similar themes into many of my stories.  In fact, there’s an ongoing story on the news that I’ve been following with such sadness and anger, it gave me the idea for my next book in the SHADE series.  Tonight, I experienced that Aha! moment in which I suddenly knew the mystery that SHADE would solve in the next book, and then my mind started flooding with ideas for the novel.  This preoccupation with crafting a fictional story actually helps me deal with difficult news stories.
 
When did you first think about writing and what prompted you to submit your first manuscript?
 
I wanted to be a writer as far back as elementary school.  I started writing in high school.  I wrote short stories and poems, and I wrote articles for some local newspapers and had my own column and some poetry published in one.  Later on, when I wrote my Masters Thesis, I loved doing both the research and the writing so much, it ended up being over 100 typed pages.  Years later, I decided to try my hand at writing novels.  I wrote three not-so-great “practice” novels.  By then, I was hooked on the process.  I wrote five more novels and lots of short stories, some published by small press and some self-published.
 
Generally, how long does it take you to write a book?
 
Six months to a year unless my life’s too busy to fit in enough writing hours in that kind of time frame.
 
Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?
 
It’s really a combination of both.  To fit in everything I want to do in my life and not be a completely miserable human being, I kind of go with the flow.  Once I get on a roll with writing a book, however, I try to schedule regular writing hours and stick with them.  I love when the writing just seems to flow—on those kinds of days, hours go by quickly.  On other days: well, not so much—it feels more like watching paint dry or cheering on a tortoise in a marathon.
 
What about your family, do they know not to bother you when you are writing - or are there constant interruptions?
 
When my children were growing up, there were constant interruptions, including one three-year period of not writing at all when they were very little.  I didn’t mind it, though.  It’s true that children seem to grow up in the blink of an eye and you can never have that time back.  My husband’s really great about my writing time, so now that my children are grown, I don’t have many interruptions in my scheduled writing time.
 
What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries?
 
Outdoor activities!  I love hiking and swimming.  I especially love hiking interesting beaches and listening to the sound of the waves.  I find that totally rejuvenating.  I’m also an amateur photographer.  I love doing travel photography.  I posted some of my travel photographs—from Ireland, Alaska, Niagara Falls and Roswell, New Mexico—on my Blog:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/6593696-gsrg-genre-specific-review-groups-blog-hop
 
Where do your ideas come from?
 
That’s a great question.  News stories, definitely.  Also, observing the outdoors gives me ideas for details from nature that I might add to my fictional settings.  I love creating a mood by the ways in which I describe the moon or the wind.  For example, in the first chapter of SHADE, I use the moon, the wind, and the darkness of night to create a mood that reflects Shade’s mood:
****
We arrived close to midnight.  The sky was pitch-black.  The moon was a slice of light that disappeared behind clouds as Mom parked our van next to a broken curb.  A shimmering planet stared at us and a few stars winked, but mostly the night had been plunged into darkness.  As I opened my door, a strong wind gusted, blowing the sheets of paper on which I had been drawing and writing across the front yard.  I ran after them.  The wind grabbed the shutters and slammed them against the house, causing me to scream without thinking.
 
The house hated us.  I hated this house.  I swore I would never forgive my mother.
 
I gathered up the papers, one by one.  My mother laughed.  “What a night, huh, Shade?”
 
“Yeah, what a night.”
 
I waited for her to unlock the front door.  The lightbulb next to the door sputtered and gave out.  My mother fumbled in her purse for her cell phone.  Using its small patch of light to see, she inserted the key into the lock, then turned it just as her phone went dark to conserve energy.  Once inside, she felt for the wall switch and flipped it on.
 
The place was filthy.  How could she have agreed to rent this place?  How could she have let the landlord get away without cleaning it?
 
“Where’s my room?” I asked.
 
“Top of the stairs.  Are you going to bed already?”
 
“Yeah, I’m tired.”
 
I climbed the wooden stairs that creaked with every step I took.  I found my room and slammed the door, as though answering the shutters.
 
The wind picked up.  The shutters answered back.
 
“Screw you, house!”
****
 
What kind of research do you do?
 
It depends on the story.  I always research every facet of a story with which I’m not familiar beforehand.  When I wrote my short story, COYOTE CROSSING, I did quite a bit of research.  COYOTE CROSSING has a Dark Fantasy twist; but it’s about the struggles and horror encountered by children illegally crossing the border from Mexico into the United States, led by guides called coyotes and worked by employers in the United States who want cheap labor.
 
There’s a lot of hard science in my science fiction novel, GODS IN THE MACHINE, including time travel and space elevators.  For that, I read books and did a great deal of research.
 
For THE FISHERMAN’S SON Trilogy, my series of middle grade children’s novels, I also did quite a bit of research into ocean fish and ancient cities.
 
Please tell us about yourself (family, hobbies, education, etc.)
 
I’m married and have two grown sons whom I love dearly.  I have a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology.  I worked for years as a Social Worker and Staff Psychologist before staying at home to raise my children.  I now write full-time and travel when I can, exploring the great outdoors and taking travel photographs.
 
Fill in the blank favorites –
Dessert:  Anything chocolate!
City:  New York City
Season:  Summer
Type of hero:   Smart, witty
Type of heroine:  Also smart, witty
 
 
What are some of your favorite things to do?
 
Getting together with family and friends, watching good movies and TV shows, reading, photography, traveling, and exploring the outdoors.
 
Do you have a favorite author? Favorite book?
 
There are so many great authors, it’s really hard to choose.  THE POISONWOOD BIBLE by Barbara Kingsolver is definitely one of my favorite books.  Every character’s so well developed, their voices are completely distinct from one another, and Kingsolver does an excellent job of putting a human face on real-world social injustice through a fictional story.
 
Who are some of your other favorite authors to read? Do you have a recommendation for those who are interested in reading your books?
 
I love reading most genres of books, including: Young Adult, Mystery, Paranormal, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Literary, and Magical Realism.  Some of my favorite authors are: Hugh Howey, Aimee Bender, Brunonia Barry, Isabel Allende, John Steinbeck, and Barbara Kingsolver—that’s just a few, off the top of my head.  If you mean which books by other authors that someone interested in my own books might also like to read…that’s a tough question because different readers will probably like my books for different reasons…But I’m guessing a reader interested in my novel, SHADE, might also enjoy reading THE PARTICULAR SADNESS OF LEMON CAKE by Aimee Bender.
 
Among your own books, have you a favorite book? Favorite hero or heroine?
 
Among my own books, THE FISHERMAN’S SON Trilogy and SHADE are my favorites.
 
I wrote THE FISHERMAN’S SON Trilogy, a series of middle grade children’s novels, when my own sons were little.  I have wonderful memories of sharing those books with them.  Other children also enjoyed reading this series.  I was delighted when I received emails from parents, telling me that THE FISHERMAN’S SON was their child’s favorite book and they had written a book report about it, or from librarians, telling me that their library was interested in the trilogy.  Wiley O’Mara, the main character and hero of THE FISHERMAN’S SON Trilogy, is one of my favorite heroes.  And the setting is magical.  Wiley’s main mentor is a magical dolphin with whom Wiley is able to travel under the sea.
 
SHADE is another one of my favorite books that I’ve written.  Shade, the main character, is spunky, smart, loyal, and has a sarcastic wit.  I definitely like her a lot.  I’m very happy with the way this book turned out and I’m delighted with the reviews!
 
What book for you has been the easiest to write? The hardest? The most fun?
 
THE FISHERMAN’S SON Trilogy was probably the easiest and most fun for me to write.  For some reason, the words just flowed with those books.  I’d sit down to write and the words would just get written without any pause or hesitation.  I enjoyed creating the world of those books because their setting is very magical, the story taking place on a Celtic island and under the sea.  And research for those books was fascinating.  I researched ocean fish, and ancient Greeceand Rome to create an ancient city under the sea.
 
Emotionally, the hardest book for me to write was SHADE.  I allowed myself to experience Shade’s intensely painful teenaged emotions as I wrote and she was dealing with some extremely difficult life events.  Writing that book really put me through the wringer!  There were days when I felt emotionally spent by the time I had finished a writing session.  Writing Shade’s very funny wit really saved the day for me.
 
Intellectually, the hardest book for me to write was GODS IN THE MACHINE.  For that, I read nonfiction books by physicists on how time travel might someday be possible and articles on ways in which space elevators might be constructed.  Readingabout the technical aspects of space-time in time travel theories requires thinking about concepts in four dimensions (length, width, height, and time).  At times (no pun intended) it was a bit challenging to wrap my brain around how we might actually be able to travel through time by using four dimensions.  I hope to rewrite GODS IN THE MACHINE someday.  Now that I have a handle on the technical aspects, a basic story and characters, I think I want GODS IN THE MACHINE to have a more streamlined and adventurous plot.
 
Which comes first, the story, the characters or the setting?
 
The characters and setting usually pop into my mind around the same time.  Maybe a character comes into my mind first, but then I very quickly figure out their setting.  After that, the story begins to unfold.
 
What are the elements of a great romance for you?
 
In real life or fiction?  LOL.  I guess passion…in both real life and fiction.
 
 
What is the hardest part of writing/the easiest for you?
 
Hardest: Sitting for hours, days, weeks, months, pounding out words on a keyboard.  Easiest: Writing when exhilarated by the story as it’s unfolding.
 
Have you experienced writer's block---> If so, how did you work through it?
 
Yes.  Right before starting to write SHADE, actually.  It turned out I was exhausted.  I walked away from my computer.  Started a rigorous exercise routine.  Went on some outdoor photography excursions that involved lots of hiking and exploring.  That did the trick!  Now I make sure to mix up days of writing with days of doing something outdoors.
 
What is the most rewarding thing about being a writer?
 
Three things for me: the exhilaration of the creative process, bringing a brand new story into the world, and interacting with readers who enjoy my writing.  Three of the best things in the entire world!
 
If you weren't writing, what would you be doing?
 
If I could afford it and wasn’t writing, I’d travel the world doing travel photography.
 
Are there any words of encouragement for unpublished writers?
 
Just keep writing.  Don’t give up.  Find ways to tap into your creativity.
 
What can we expect from you in the future? How many books have you written, how many have been published?
 
I’ve published five novels and lots of short stories.  I’m now writing two more stories that I’m really excited about.
 
With Hugh Howey’s blessing to write and publish it, I’m writing a short story set in his WOOL universe.  My story introduces Evangeline Hubbard, a hoarder in the silo of the first WOOL novel.  I’m now about three-quarters of the way through writing it.  I’ve contacted Mike Tabor, the artist who’s designed other spectacular book covers for the WOOL universe, to design a cover for this story, and I’m looking forward to working with him.
 
Also, tonight, I had a real breakthrough, suddenly coming up with lots of ideas for how to write the second novel in the SHADE series.  I’m planning to write five more SHADE novels, one novel taking place during Shade’s senior year of high school and four more novels for her four years of college.  I’m really excited about the ideas I have for the next novel and can’t wait to write it!
 
Five things readers want to know about you:

I can be funny.  I’m addicted to Twitter.  I’m a news junkie.  I’m learning how to play computer games and love them!  I don’t think I could ever write without coffee.
 
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My Website:
http://www.marilynpeake.com
 
Goodreads Author Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/387792.Marilyn_Peake
 
Goodreads Page for SHADE:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21941910-shade
 
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/marilynpeake
 
Buy links for books:
 
SHADE has received many great reviews.  From 7/26/2014 through 7/30/2014, SHADE will be reduced in price through a Kindle Countdown Deal from $3.99 to $0.99!
 
SHADE:
http://www.amazon.com/Shade-Marilyn-Peake-ebook/dp/B00JC15NSC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1404991103&sr=1-1&keywords=shade
 
THE FISHERMAN’S SON:
http://www.amazon.com/Fishermans-Son-Marilyn-Peake-ebook/dp/B004TAW24Y/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1404991128&sr=1-2
 
THE CITY OF THE GOLDEN SUN (Book 2 in THE FISHERMAN’S SON Trilogy):
http://www.amazon.com/The-City-Golden-Fishermans-Book-ebook/dp/B004U2AGIU/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=14SKHJ452Q4JDQ8CJ74C
 
RETURN OF THE GOLDEN AGE (Book 3 in THE FISHERMAN’S SON Trilogy):
http://www.amazon.com/Return-Golden-Age-Fishermans-Book-ebook/dp/B004YQCNLK/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1GMZGM37ABZ6P4C9G9NW
 
 Last but not least, here is my review of SHADE from Goodreads (also on Amazon):
Chrystal Vaughan rated it 5 of 5 stars  The Power of Friendship

I loved this story. Galactic Shade Griffin is a teen girl who deals with some serious issues, from bullying at various schools she's attended, to having a drug and alcohol addicted mom, to cutting herself to break through the numbness in her heart. just when she starts to feel normal and make what seems to be lasting and healthy friendships (even though one friend is a ghost!) her best friend disappears. 

Shade has to find Annie and enlists the help of her two journalist friends from the high school newspaper. more girls are stolen and soon it looks like they have an even more evil plot afoot than they feared. With the help of a psychic and some otherworldly advice, maybe the budding journalist s can crack the. case. Or can they? Will Shade be a victim, or a hero?

This awesome book touched on several topics that teen girls face in today's society. The author does an excellent job of drawing the reader in and making the trials of her heroine real and relatable. I'll definitely recommend this story to other, and will be reading other books by this author for sure!

"Conspiracy of Ravens" Release Date and Giveaway

It's here! The release date for "Conspiracy of Ravens" is (drumroll please)....August 1st, 2014!


To celebrate, I'm running a giveaway via Rafflecopter. You can enter to win one of three e-book copies, which can be read on a Nook, Kindle, iPad or other tablet as well as a computer and heck, probably a cell phone in a pinch. Here is the Rafflecopter giveaway:


a Rafflecopter giveaway



In case you missed it, here is the YouTube trailer:








"Judgment comes on deadly wings..."

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Blogging for Books: A Review of "The Opposite of Maybe" by Maddie Dawson

     Before we begin this review, you should know I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, via Blogging for Books. If you are a reader, have a blog, and are interested, go over and check out how you, too, can become a book reviewer. Click here to get started!


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Here is me (well, my hand), holding my copy of this charming book


      This book starts out a little slow; a strange thing to say about a book that begins with an intimate scene, I know, but bear with me. While we are getting to know the characters, Jonathan and Rosie, you feel that they are a little slow, as in stuck in a rut, lives going nowhere. Then Rosie's grandmother, Soapie, steps in and livens things up a bit. The book picks up the pace even further when Jonathan proposes to Rosie (after fifteen years of presumably unwedded bliss) and then wishes to whisk her away to California so that he can open a teacup museum. I'm not kidding. A. Teacup. Museum. Jonathan is the character I dislike the most in this book, and there are a couple of others that could audition for that role. He's arrogant, rude, selfish, and controlling.
     Then there's Rosie. I really did not like her for a while, until she got a backbone. She says "No" to California at the last hour and goes to stay with her grandmother, and you'd think that would be the last of Jonathan and the teacups, but unfortunately it isn't. There are some painful revelations while Rosie is there at her grandmother's (how much did Soapie enjoy being saddled with a kid after her daughter died? Not so much). And then there's also Tony, the handsome Italian guy her grandmother allowed to move in to the house to take care of her and pick her up off the ground when she falls. After all, Soapie is pretty old and falls frequently. At first, Rosie is unhappy with Tony being there, and wants to hire a stuffy British lady to take care of her grandmother, but Soapie holds out and Tony stays. His situation is strange; he's a guy who does anything to get five minutes with his son Milo because his wife and her new girlfriend feel that his presence in the boy's life is confusing. I know, right?
     Then Soapie's significant other arrives on the scene; George is a guy whose wife is institutionalized due to Alzheimer's but it's clear he and Soapie have been an item for quite some time. Somehow, this works and doesn't make the reader dislike George. You'll have to read it to understand. So there they are: Soapie, George, Tony, and Rosie...a sort of dysfunctional family but you take them where you can get them.
     There are three major events in this book that change the lives of the characters. I won't tell you what they are, but I will tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Some character driven books can drag too much, and while that may have been an issue in this book in a couple of areas, the writing is charming and the characters are flawed and human, making it easy to engage as a reader. I found myself unable to put the book down once I cracked it open, and I'd give it 4.7 out of 5 stars. A must read!

Enjoy reading? Become a book blogger today!
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Books Aren't Just For Reading: Laina Turner Author Host

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Title:  Books Aren’t Just For Reading
Author: Laina Turner
Genre: Cozy mystery/chick lit
Release Date: January 12, 2014
 
Release Blitz: July 16th
 
 
 
 
Blurb:
 
Trixie and her friends, Berklie and Sophie, are excited about the opening of Read/Wine their new business venture of a bookstore/wine bar. All is going well until they happen to find a dead body in the shop and that wasn’t part of the business plan. All signs pointed to Berklie since it was her ex-husbands lover who was murdered. Trixie knew Berklie hadn’t murdered Sylvia so who did?
 
 
 
 
Author’s Bio:
 
As a child Laina thought she would either be a truck driver (thanks to Jerry Reed in Smokey and the Bandit) or work at Taco Bell (her favorite restaurant as a child). As she grew older she realized her talents lay in academics and business and for the last several years has been a business consultant and college professor where she uses the analytical side of her brain and not the side that makes up stories.
 
Through all her career choices she has continued to have a passion for writing. This stemmed from childhood whereas an only child she developed a vivid imagination spending most of her time making things up and thinking the Incredible Hulk lived in her closet.
 
Proud of her vast experiences in life from barrel racing to being on the dance team for a semi pro basketball team to being a mom of 2 amazing kids, she tells her family and friends that no one is safe from their escapades slipping in to her books.
 
Taking the plunge to write books that she actually lets people read in 2010, she has worked her way up to having 5 fans (maybe 6 now). Her blog, The Art Of Living Fabulously, was launched to share the daily fun in the life of a Real Housewife of the Midwest along with the musing of other fabulous ladies.
 
Author's Website: www.lainaturner.com
http://www.lainaturner.com/books/books-arent-just-for-reading/
https://twitter.com/laina_turner
https://www.facebook.com/LainaTurner
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Title: Books Aren’t Just For ReadingAuthor:Laina Turner
Genre:Cozy mystery/chick lit
Release Date:January 12, 2014


Release Blitz: July 16th








Blurb:


Trixie and her friends, Berklie and Sophie, are excited about the opening of Read/Wine their new business venture of a bookstore/wine bar. All is going well until they happen to find a dead body in the shop and that wasn’t part of the business plan. All signs pointed to Berklie since it was her ex-husbands lover who was murdered. Trixie knew Berklie hadn’t murdered Sylvia so who did?








Author’s Bio:


As a child Laina thought she would either be a truck driver (thanks to Jerry Reed in Smokey and the Bandit) or work at Taco Bell (her favorite restaurant as a child). As she grew older she realized her talents lay in academics and business and for the last several years has been a business consultant and college professor where she uses the analytical side of her brain and not the side that makes up stories.


Through all her career choices she has continued to have a passion for writing. This stemmed from childhood whereas an only child she developed a vivid imagination spending most of her time making things up and thinking the Incredible Hulk lived in her closet.


Proud of her vast experiences in life from barrel racing to being on the dance team for a semi pro basketball team to being a mom of 2 amazing kids, she tells her family and friends that no one is safe from their escapades slipping in to her books.


Taking the plunge to write books that she actually lets people read in 2010, she has worked her way up to having 5 fans (maybe 6 now). Her blog, The Art Of Living Fabulously, was launched to share the daily fun in the life of a Real Housewife of the Midwest along with the musing of other fabulous ladies.


Author's Website: www.lainaturner.com
http://www.lainaturner.com/books/books-arent-just-for-reading/
https://twitter.com/laina_turner
https://www.facebook.com/LainaTurner
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+LainaTurner/posts
http://www.pinterest.com/lainaturner/

Author Blog Host: Dynamic Duo Jessica Walsh and Briana Lawrence

[image error]Seeking the StorytellerBy Jessica Walsh & Briana Lawrence I know of the Storyteller, it whispers into the man’s ear, I’ve met him. If you promise not to kill me, I’ll take you to him. 

Alix Andre DeBenit and Randall Fagan are Hunters, part of a hidden network of humans who track and kill the monsters lurking in our world so everyone else can pretend they don’t exist. But when a living shadow mentions someone called the Storyteller, Alix hesitantly decides to learn more. 

They say the Storyteller lives in a massive library full of books that tell every being’s life story. He can read these books, rewrite them and change anything he wants, even if it’s already happened. That’s the power Alix wants, the power to bring his murdered family back and he’s determined to make the Storyteller do it. 

He just has to decide if working with the very creatures he’s supposed to kill is worth it. Purchase Links:Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Seeking-Storyteller-Jessica-Walsh-ebook/dp/B00HCJP0PM/Solstice Publishing: http://solsticepublishing.com/seeking-the-storyteller/Etsy (signed copy with bonus): http://www.etsy.com/listing/186904208/seeking-the-storyteller-a-hunters-novelAlso available on Barnes & Noble and other online sites!Excerpt: Haven covered his ears as he heard the scream again, this time sounding even more desperate. He didn’t know what the humans were hearing, but to him it sounded like the girl was in physical pain, as if actually being attacked. Did they really hate demons so much as to let something like that continue? “Can’t you just let him calm her down so she stops screaming?”  Idiot. Don’t draw attention to yourself. His dragon’s voice echoed in his mind as the blond Hunter turned a look of disgust in his direction.  “You don’t need to be concerned about them. But you can tell us what happened to Xaver.”  “She’s screaming over there and you’re going to waste time interrogating him?!” Dox’s own voice was nearing the point of hysteria. Haven could see the shadows on the edge of his cell straining, struggling to do something for him, but whatever he was trying they weren’t responding, not able to help.  Haven. Don’t.  “This is stupid. I’m not going to sit here and answer questions while she’s screaming.” Haven muttered, closing his hands into loose fists. He could feel the cold sliding down through his arms, swirling in the small space between his fingers as it spun and gained speed.  Haven! Don’t be so rash!  “Shut up.”  Alix frowned, “Who are you talking to?”  Haven!  The metal around his wrists was the first to go, cracking from the cold and sliding off his skin like thin sheets of paper. In seconds Haven was moving forward and shoving his hands hard against the two bars in front of him. At the same moment, the gathering balls of ice broke apart, the cold surging up the metal and freezing it to the core in a matter of seconds. The now weakened metal shattered like glass that danced across the floor in sparks and shards. The two Hunters were stunned and Haven used that split second to run across the floor and duck around the one with the gun. Guns took slightly longer than swords to aim and that difference was a blessing to Haven as Alix tried to recover and aim. Haven made it across the room and used a second ball of ice against the lock on the metal door, shattering it in the same way at the bars of his cell. Haven kicked it open and ducked inside as the bullets whizzed past his head, just narrowly missing.  He found the girl in the cell, curled up in the corner shaking as if she were having a seizure. Her hands were clenched around her head and she had pulled her body into the tightest ball she could make, still screaming and shaking her head back and forth, pleading with whatever she was seeing and hearing to STOP STOP STOP PLEASE STOP.  Haven stepped toward her and knelt down, forcing his hand to not be so cold as he lightly touched her shoulder, trying to wake her up.  You stupid boy, look out!  She moved at the touch, lashing out in his direction. Her eyes never opened but her body reacted, incorporating his touch into her dream as something she didn’t want. A hand and a kick flew in his direction and Haven jumped back out of reach, watching her with wide eyes. He knew the Hunters were probably at the door watching him, aiming their weapons, ready to fire. He knew he was being stupid and would probably get himself killed, but he couldn’t believe that someone would just let her scream like this.  To think that humans claimed that his kind were the vicious ones.  Stepping forward again he grabbed Cyn and wrapped his arms around her. There was something wrong with her skin. It felt too dry, almost scaly, and Haven suddenly remembered what Dox had said earlier. The girl had a demon inside of her, one that she could lose control of if she got too worked up. As if responding to his thoughts Cyn began thrashing in his arms, her screams turning louder, the fear shifting into anger. Her voice had a rougher edge to it, an animalistic growl that sounded deadlier with each yell. Haven could feel the ground shifting through the concrete, a soft hint of a rumble brushing against the walls.  In her dreams she was calling to the roots, begging for them to rescue her from this perceived threat. Haven did the only thing he could think of. He let the cold slide through his body and into hers as he restrained her arms.  The screaming stopped and the ground stopped shaking.  For a moment Haven had the horrible thought that he’d killed her, freezing her to death with a single careless thought in an effort to stop whatever she was seeing. However, a quick look at her chest as he loosened his grip revealed her shallow breathing. She was alive, at least, but Haven had given her enough cold for her teeth to start chattering and her lips to turn a tint of blue. He’d given her too much.   [image error]Briana Lawrence (left) & Jessica Walsh (right) Briana Lawrence – At the age of nine, like most kids, Briana Lawrence had a dream. She wanted to be the best “WRITTER” in the whole wide world. Her fourth grade class laughed and wondered how one hoped to become a “writer” if they couldn’t even spell the word. Back then her stories were created with crayons and construction paper. As she grew older they progressed into notebooks and colored ink pens of pink, blue, and purple. When she lost her older brother, Glenn Berry, in a car accident, she stopped writing.

Dreams, however, have a funny way of coming back. 

Before she realized it she was grabbing her notebook and pens again. She would write stories that ranged from high school romance to her imagination running wild with the likes of Goku, Vegeta, and the other characters of Dragonball Z. This continued throughout college where she would always end up writing about the space exploits of the pilots of Gundam Wing and other works of fan fiction. Soon she realized that she wanted to do more than that. Her head was full of ideas, full of original characters and worlds that she wanted to share with others.

Thus, she stepped into an English Major with some Women’s Studies on the side.

She graduated Iowa State University in 2006 and moved to Minneapolis with her partner. Here, she tried to get into graduate school, but things didn’t pan out the way she wanted. She ended up working retail, her dream becoming buried by Black Fridays and other busy times of year. Once again, however, that dream returned. She went from immersing herself in geeky fan fiction to actually writing about the geeky things she loved for several anime and video game review sites. However, it was her discovery of National Novel Writing Month that made her go back to creating her own characters and plots. 

Now, here she is, an author in the writing world. Jessica Walsh –My life is a flurry of writing, art and creativity. You can usually find me reading a book, scribbling notes in a notebook for future creations, typing on a laptop with music blaring in my ears or buried in my basement watching documentaries and sitting behind a sewing machine. I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember and have boxes of old notebooks in horrible handwriting to prove it. Only recently have I stumbled back into writing and finishing my ideas.Blogs:  Jessica: http://snowtigra.blogspot.com/Briana:  http://brichibirants.wordpress.com/ Author Websites: Jessica: http://snowtigra.wix.com/jessicawalshBriana:  http://brichibi.wix.com/whisperedwords
Facebook:Jessica: https://www.facebook.com/storytellerhuntersseriesBriana:  https://www.facebook.com/BrianaLawrencesPenAndPaper
Your Goodreads author page?Jessica: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7579547.Jessica_WalshBriana:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7055998.Briana_Lawrence
Your Twitter details?Briana:  https://twitter.com/BrichibiTweets
And any other information you wish to supply?Our main page for books, art, cosplay, and everything:  http://www.sewntogetherreflections.com/ 
I was fortunate to have the opportunity to ask these two lovely ladies some questions about their writing process, what they like to read, and more. Check it out!  

1. The two of you have a book you have written together, Seeking the Storyteller, as well as books you have written seperately. Tell me a little about why you decided to write books together, and what are some pros and cons to co-writing.   Jessica: We met through writing fanfiction online and writing together has just kind of always been our thing.  We read each other’s work and bounce ideas off of each other, so working together to get things published only seemed natural.  Even on our ‘solo’ works we read each other’s stuff and assist with editing.  What makes Seeking the Storyteller different is that we came up with the plot together, created the characters together and wrote it together, so it’s a very conscious dual effort.   Briana:  I don’t think we’ve really run into any cons that I can think of.  When we hit a point where we don’t agree on something we discuss it, and we make sure to talk about the overall series and not just a single book.  Something that happens in book two can certainly affect what happens in book three, or four, and so on and so on.  So we make sure to discuss everything and map everything out, which I think is a huge pro.  We also have an advantage of working together to get our work out there.  For instance, when we’re at a convention, we divide up our table: half crafts, half books, and we each focus on a section.  Even with getting reviews I tackled Goodreads and Jessica tackled other places and worked on getting interviews.     It probably helps that this has been a project we’ve been passionate about for years.  This is how we communicated when we were long distance for 5 years, so it’s been building up ever since then.  We’ve been together for 12 years, so we’ve been nurturing this idea for so long that we’re eager to get it out there.   2. What is your inspiration for your books? Do you have different writing styles? Do your writing styles complement one another or are there ever disagreements over plot, etc.?   Jessica: For inspiration, everything.  Honestly everything around me in life and what I watch is inspiration for stories.  The thing I go back to the most, however, is my strange and odd dreams.  If there’s something odd or creepy in my stories, it usually spawned in some way from a vivid image in my dreams.  As for writing styles I tend to prefer to write in first person the best.  For Storyteller, we compromised and decided that second person would fit us best, especially with the amount of characters and how it can’t just be told from one person’s point of view.     Briana:  I think we do have different writing styles, but I think it helps.  Jessica writes the first draft, then I go in and add the “meat and potatoes,” as she says.  I’ll add a bit more details to flesh out a scene.  Meanwhile, she’s really good and structuring the plot and coming up with great ideas that take the story in a new direction.  I think it’s a good way to work off of one another, even when we’re writing solo projects.  For instance, my two books “Treat Me Kindly” and “Double Hue,” Jessica helped with the ending in BOTH books.  I had them done and she read through it, then came up with something much, much better, I think, something I never even thought of.     As for inspiration, like Jessica said, everything.  There’s so many things around you to look at and take in, its hard for me not to be inspired by something.  A song.  A hairstyle.  The cats running around chasing each other.  Anything is fair game to inspiration.   3. Would you say that your books are plot driven, or character driven?   Jessica: Hmm, I would say character driven.  While the plot is important, I’d like to think that we’ve created a story about these characters growing and changing in our world.  Characters aren’t static, so we didn’t make them static here.  For example, Alix is one person in Seeking the Storyteller.  By the end of the series (about 7 books later, or so) he’s going to be a very different person, and the reader gets to go along for the ride.   Briana:  I agree.  People change.  They grow and develop overtime, which is exactly what’s going to happen to our characters.  They aren’t going to be the same people they were in the beginning, and some may make changes that end up being bad.  It’s all about learning and growing.  The plot is there, but it’s there to set the stage for what these characters are going to face and how they deal with it.  I feel like characters are what make a story memorable.  Do we remember the plot for Harry Potter?  Sure.  But what do we talk about the most?  Harry Potter himself and the people around him.  That’s what makes the stories so memorable, why there’s a fanbase who still, even with the series being over, gush about it today.  That’s what we want our books to do.     4. Tell us a bit about your writing process. I know that sounds cliché, but...do you have a specific process or do you write as the mood takes you? Is there a requirement for your writing, such as a quiet location, a certain area of your home or office...? Do you follow an established writing routine?   Jessica: I need a very specific environment to write, or I get distracted and really only end up editing or jotting down ideas.  I either need music with no words that drown out all other distractions in headphones, or a restaurant with a lot of ambient noise that is just enough in the background that I’m not paying attention.  So, as a result, I tend to only write during my breaks at work, or during our writing dates at local restaurants.   Briana:  I can’t write in silence.  I need some sort of noise, but it needs to be noise on my terms, if you will.  Music, or restaurants that aren’t too hectic (writing dates tend to be in the middle of the week instead of the weekend) or even a friend’s house where we get together, write, eat, and talk to one another about what we’re working on.  I usually write in the living room, at least until the office is finished.  I tend to work on writing things during Price is Right, oddly enough.  Ten in the morning and its time for coffee, the Showcase Showdown, and my Chromebook.   5. How long would you say it typically takes you to write a book?   Jessica: Oh man it varies.  Seeking the Storyteller - the first draft - was written in a month, during NaNoWriMo.  But we planned that story for years and all of the editing… I lost track of how long it took.  So maybe two years?  Something like that?   Briana:  It’s because we edit it so much before we decide that it’s ready to try and get published, and we usually let other people read it who don’t have a problem with making suggestions and, well, possibly hurting our feelings.  Editing isn’t for giving your story to that person in your life who flails over everything you do, its time to be brutally honest and point out things that need to be fixed.  We do that with each other, then we let someone else do it, too, not just to get another opinion but because after so much editing you may miss things.   6. How much of your own knowledge and experience is infused into your characters?   Jessica:  A lot, actually.  In my free time I watch a lot of documentaries about other cultures and crime shows and just… everything.  All of that information gets filed in the back of my head and helps me make the characters sound more real, or at least helps me pretend that I know what I’m talking/typing about.   Briana:  Meanwhile I sit here like, “Giggle lets have Zach mention a video game or something,” because I’m such a geek like that.  Though honestly I think all of the characters carry part of our personalities, whether we meant for it to be like that or not.  I think it happens while you write, you know?  You put so much of yourself into creating your works that eventually the characters start to resemble you.  This is especially true with us because we used to roleplay with these characters, so we each had a handful of characters we would be.     7. Talk a bit about your family and friends. What do they think about your writing? Do you ever use them as models for characters, and if so, do they recognize themselves?   Jessica: Not specifically in Seeking the Storyteller.  I do have a new story I’m in the process of writing right now where all of the characters are ‘inspired’ by real people I grew up with.  I say ‘inspired’ because the characters are wildly different now and it’d be really hard to tell who was who.  But the core is based on that person, so I recognize it.  I’m letting the people I based it on read it, but I’m pretty sure they won’t recognize too much about the characters because they’ve changed so much now.   Briana:  Sometimes small things make it into my books that relate to my friends and family.  In my book, “Treat Me Kindly,” one of the characters has a pretty nice movie collection, and that’s inspired by my friend, Nate, who also helped me with a short story I have published (he gave me a line I ended up using).  So it’s things like that, really.  My friends also buy my work and ask for autographs and everything, it’s pretty great.   As far as their opinions on my writing, my family and friends are pretty supportive.  My mother especially is a huge, huge fan of my work.  She’s read everything I’ve ever written, she even purchased my books as they come out and keeps one in her purse to show off.  She also helped me with my first book “Treat Me Kindly” by giving me some really good tips that I ended up using (Jessica did as well).   My dad isn’t much of a reader, but he really talks up my work and buys it, too.  Jessica’s parents also support our work, her mom actually proofread “Seeking the Storyteller” for us.   8. If you could choose one famous author to learn from (living or dead), to pick their brain and get great writing advice from, who would that be? Would you let them read your books and give you feedback?   Jessica:  Hmmm, that’s a hard one.  I would have to say Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman because I would love to pick their brains on how they created the many and distinct worlds of the Death Gate cycle.  I still remember reading those books and being amazed that two people came up with so many real sounding world and cultures and I try and emulate that in my own books.  I would love to let them read my stuff, but I think I would be very intimidated to hear their thoughts.   Briana:  I feel like I don’t read as much urban supernatural as Jessica does, so I actually end up picking her brain about the stuff she reads.  However, I do remember in college that I got to read a lot of Toni Morrison for one of my classes.  Her stories were so interesting and so unique, I still have the books in my collection.  I wouldn’t even know where to start in the brain picking, but she would be more than welcome to read one of my books.  Granted, I may pass out in fangirl excitement, but she can still read it.   9. What do you like to read? Any authors or books you want to recommend for fans of your work?   Jessica: I love to read urban fantasy, novels where it’s our world but just a little bit different.  I also love authors who take old fantasy ideas and spin them in a new light. My current favorites are Kim Harrison and Jenna Black.   Briana:  Like I said before, Jessica definitely does more reading than I do.  I tend to read manga and comics (Jessica does too but I think I read more manga than she does, I know my collection was much bigger when we moved in together).   10. What will be next for you? What are you working on now?   Jessica:  Currently I’m editing the sequel to Seeking the Storyteller and then it’ll be Briana’s turn to edit it.  I’m also working on my own series centering on characters and stories my friends and I came up with in high school.
Briana:  On top of that I have a holiday gay romance story to edit shortly through Dreamspinner press that should be released in time for Christmas.  I also have a horror short story I want to do and a possible sequel to my first book “Treat Me Kindly.”  The outline is written out already.  

Author Press Release: 38 Day Education by John Guzzardo

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John E. Guzzardo Release Day Event
A 38 Day Education
June 2 – June 7, 2014


 
Book Title: A 38 Day Education
 


For one student, college is about to become the education of a lifetime.


Blurb:
When Jay Ferragamo becomes Editor of The Scope, South Central College’s campus newspaper, he quickly learns the financial disaster he’s been handed.  Rather than giving up, Jay embarks on a mission to secure the needed funds to review the newspaper, and receives a lesson in both campus and small-town politics.  Complicating matters, Jay learns the source of The Scope’s financial travails; thievery by a former staffer who belongs to one of the college’s most generous families.  Calling this person to account will mean not only exposing one of the most notorious scandals in the city’s history, but could also destroy Jay’s college career.
 
Book Trailer:


 
YouTube Book Trailer:







Link: http://youtu.be/GKSIyP87HXY

 

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Author Bio:

John E. Guzzardo has been writing, in one form or another, for over 20 years.  His writing career began in high school, continuing to college as Editor of his campus newspaper from 1994 through 1996, and again in 2011.  John has been featured on Examiner.com, Yahoo and published a webcomic, Love & Marriage, from 2005 through 2007.  His first full-length novel, A 38 Day Education, was contracted for publication with Solstice Publishing in February one day following the second major snowstorm to strike Atlanta.  History, politics and art are some of John's favorite subjects, and he is an avid highway and cat enthusiast, as well as a fan of baseball's Tampa Bay Rays.  Personal causes include the fight against Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), diabetes awareness and constitutional law. Among the writers John counts as his inspiration for pursuing his dream of being a published author are Peter David, Dave Barry and George R.R. Martin.  He currently resides in the Atlanta area with his wife, son, and, yes, cats.

 



Author Links:



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

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/getinjohnshead

Blog: http://getinjohnshead.wordpress.com

Website: www.getinjohnshead.com

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

Examiner: http://www.examiner.com/elections-in-...

Blogging for Books: Review of "A Curious Man" by Neal Thompson

To begin with, I'd like to start off this review by mentioning that I received a complimentary copy of "A Curious Man" by Neal Thompson in exchange for my honest review. So here we go! First, the cover of the book is very enticing. Here is an image of it:


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Several things struck me about this book from the moment I opened the cover and began reading it. Foremost is that this book is about the life of LeRoy Robert Ripley, not necessarily the oddities that were the hallmark of his career. The next thing that captured my attention about the book is the many facts about Robert Ripley that I was unaware of. I grew up with the television show, and Robert Stack's imposing voice exhorting me to "Believe It, or Not!" but I never gave much thought to what went on behind the scenes, what led to that show I loved so much.
One thing I almost never do while I'm reading is to take notes, but this book nearly demanded that I do so. Among my notes for this book are the fact that Bob Ripley nearly had a professional baseball career. Another was his near miss in the newspaper business upon several occasions. Ripley was a very shy young man, and had a nearly disfiguring dental condition which caused his foremost teeth to protrude from his mouth in a very unsightly manner. He continuously attempted to hide these teeth with his lips and mouth but in many of the photographs inside the book, they are prominently displayed in spite of his better efforts. This revelation made me feel sorry for the shy cartoonist, and piqued my interest in his adventures. How could someone with his disfigurement, shy mannerisms, and awkward social skills have created the "Believe It or Not!" empire?
I won't give away the meat of the book, the many adventures which took Ripley to far away lands and which led to the famous quote, preceded by incredible facts of daring and mystery. One thing I will mention, to further endorse this book, is that it is interactive. There are interesting photos in the center section of the book, and within the chapters there are small blurbs which give an interesting fact that pertains to the material covered in the chapter. Not only are there photos inside the book, but you can download an app for your phone which scans some of the pages. Once scanned, you can unlock more content, such as never before seen videos and photographs, and some of Ripley's radio show recordings as well. The videos were amazing, to me; they showed an era which I have always been interested in and further supported the incredible journey of this shy man from lowly cartoonist to entertainer extraordinaire.
Did I like this book? Yes and no. I loved learning about Ripley and how the "Believe It, or Not!" phenomenon began. It did read somewhat like a text book in some areas, and there were parts of it I was simply not interested in. Overall, if I were to allot this book a star rating (with five being the greatest praise, and one being the lowest praise) I would give it four out of five stars. Believe it, or not, it was just that good.



Interested in Blogging for Books? Check it out here...[image error]