Michelle Irwin's Blog: Write On Shell, page 3
December 8, 2015
Back Lot Beauties Blog Hop
Romancing the paranormal
I write a genre which tends to have a little bit of stigma attached to it. That genre is romance. More specifically, paranormal romance. Fairly or not, those two words together tend to conjure up a certain image in critic’s minds.
What makes the genre exciting for me isn’t what has been done, but what can be done. There is a whole world of paranormal creatures out there to explore and use. Are all of them fodder for romantic attachment? I guess handled right, there is the possibility to romanticize any creature. But paranormal romance doesn’t necessarily have to be about having a romantic involvement\attachment with a paranormal creature. It can just be about finding love in a world where such creatures exist. This is probably where the line between paranormal romance and urban fantasy blur and smudge a little.
What makes paranormal romance interesting to me is that even with these fantastical creatures, so much of the wonder in the stories is driven by the very things that make the real world turn. Human nature drives us to find companionship. I don’t believe it would not be out of the question for people to search for love even in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. Yes, there is the daily struggle for life and the inherent danger of creating vulnerabilities by finding a significant other, but love also gives people a reason to live. It gives them a greater purpose, something which lets them focus on the positives that life offers and not drown in the depression of constant death.
So it is for me, in Through the Fire, and the whole Daughter of Fire series. Evie's days are filled with fleeing for her life, but still she clings to hope for something more. She desires love and companionship, and something bigger than herself. Freedom from prejudice.
~ 0 ~
Through the Fire (Daughter of Fire #1) by Michelle Irwin
Life could have been different for Evie Meyers. If only she wasn’t a freak.
She wouldn’t be hiding from the Rain, a secret organization intent on destroying all supernatural creatures. Neither would she have run from Clay, the object of her desire.
Her hope for love and a normal life shattered when Clay stumbled onto her biggest secret and revealed one of his own in the process—he’s a soldier for the Rain. Learning that Clay was a threat to her survival, Evie had no choice but to flee.
Now Clay’s back—battle-scarred and mysterious—and the attraction between them is undeniable. Stuck on opposite sides in the war between humans and the supernatural, there seems little hope for a happily ever after. Caught between what her heart wants and what her head knows, something has to give. What will she choose? And what price will she have to pay?
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1xzwJuWBuy Links:UK: http://amzn.to/1KjRFebUS: http://amzn.to/1KQ4ymFAU: http://bit.ly/1idrXl5BDP: http://www.bottomdrawerpublications.net/#!through-the-fire/ce0qSmashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/485952Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/through-the-fire-5All Romance Books: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-throughthefire-1653923-344.htmliTunes: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/through-the-fire/id934672487Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/through-the-fire-26Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/through-the-fire-michelle-irwin/1120628860
Connect with Michelle: https://www.facebook.com/MichelleIrwinAuthor
Excerpt:
Closing my eyes, I tried to retrace the steps back out of the warehouse and cement the escape route in my mind. When I opened them again, I was looking at three backs: Clay and two other men who had entered the room. Clay’s head immediately turned, and his gaze sought me out.He ripped his hand from his pocket, lifted his shirt to reveal a holster and gun. In the next instant, he had it drawn and pointed at his father.“Now, Evie! Run!”I didn’t think twice. I turned, and I raced from the room—rushing through the doorway and into the darkened corridor. Before I’d even broken free of the warehouse, I heard the sound of fighting erupt behind me. After a rash of thuds and bumps, Clay’s voice shouted indecipherable words, and then the sound of a gunshot sliced the air. My heart beat rapidly as I skidded to a stop. A pained cry filled the corridors, and I started to turn back around.Another loud crash sounded, and one of the men was right behind me.“What the hell?” the older voice, Clay’s Dad, shouted from inside the room. Angered cursing replaced his uttered statement and filled the space around me, vibrating off the walls and drowning out all other sounds.At least until Clay saw me standing still with his brother fast approaching.“What are you waiting for, Evie? Run!” Clay shouted as he crash-tackled his brother into the wall. “Run and don’t look back. I’ll find you!”A loud, wet thud sounded as Ethan fought back against Clay’s hold.Bursting out into sunshine, I didn’t even stop for the air I desperately needed before I climbed into the truck and gunned the engine. My eyes were trained on the warehouse as I reversed out onto the road, so I barely even noticed the Hummer that was parked in my way until I almost hit it. I spun the wheel at the last second to avoid collision and ripped out part of the fence on my way to freedom.I drove like a madman until I was halfway home and then the adrenaline left my system in a rush, leaving me with tear-filled eyes and shaking hands. It was in that instant that I realized what was different about Clay’s kiss. With the extra time to assess it in my mind, I understood what he was trying to tell me. He didn’t think he was coming with Dad and me anymore. With his kiss, he’d said goodbye. After that gutting discovery, I couldn’t move the car another inch, even if I wanted to. A chorus of beeping sounded around me as a reminder that I wasn’t alone on the road, and yet even that wasn’t enough to force me to drive.Pressing my forehead against the top of the steering wheel, tears that I couldn’t fight began to fall in cascades. I could almost feel the ghost of his kiss, and in hindsight his “I’m sorry” and “Goodbye”echoed through every motion of his mouth.By the time I’d finally been able to compose myself enough to drive, I didn’t know where to go. I worried that taking the truck home would flag a warning in some database. Did they already know where we lived? Dad would kill me if I dumped his truck, but he’d be more devastated if it was a link that led to us being discovered. I had no way of contacting Dad to discuss the best course of action. After hearing Clay’s admission of how he’d found me, I had no doubt Dad’s reasons for not getting cell phones was valid. I would have to make the choice unaided and live with the consequences.I put the truck into drive and forced myself to head down the tree-lined road toward home. Just as I drove past Renaissance Park, the black Hummer that had been at the warehouse tore through the streets behind me and slammed into the rear of my truck, jolting it roughly. I was thrown forward, and my head smashed against the steering wheel. For a moment all I could see were stars, but I fought to remain conscious.When my vision finally cleared, my heart slid into my stomach as I looked beyond the hood to see a young man who could almost have been Clay sitting behind the wheel. I hadn’t had the chance to look at him in my rush to flee the warehouse, but now I couldn’t look away. He was clearly a few years older, his exposed arms were bulkier, but otherwise the likeness was obvious. After hearing his statement before Clay had left to greet him, I was certain he knew the truck was mine and that I was the one driving it. Cringing at the violent look on his face, I held tightly onto the steering wheel and forced my foot flat against the accelerator pedal.
With the Hummer on my trail, there was no way I could go home. It would be leading him straight to my father and my best chance of long-term survival. At the next intersection I turned right instead of going straight ahead. I knew enough about the area to know it would lead me away from the city and could only hope it offered the opportunity to shake Ethan before too long.
GIVEAWAY: a Rafflecopter giveaway
Check out the other hop links here:
http://hennesseeandrews.blogspot.com....
I write a genre which tends to have a little bit of stigma attached to it. That genre is romance. More specifically, paranormal romance. Fairly or not, those two words together tend to conjure up a certain image in critic’s minds.
What makes the genre exciting for me isn’t what has been done, but what can be done. There is a whole world of paranormal creatures out there to explore and use. Are all of them fodder for romantic attachment? I guess handled right, there is the possibility to romanticize any creature. But paranormal romance doesn’t necessarily have to be about having a romantic involvement\attachment with a paranormal creature. It can just be about finding love in a world where such creatures exist. This is probably where the line between paranormal romance and urban fantasy blur and smudge a little.
What makes paranormal romance interesting to me is that even with these fantastical creatures, so much of the wonder in the stories is driven by the very things that make the real world turn. Human nature drives us to find companionship. I don’t believe it would not be out of the question for people to search for love even in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. Yes, there is the daily struggle for life and the inherent danger of creating vulnerabilities by finding a significant other, but love also gives people a reason to live. It gives them a greater purpose, something which lets them focus on the positives that life offers and not drown in the depression of constant death.
So it is for me, in Through the Fire, and the whole Daughter of Fire series. Evie's days are filled with fleeing for her life, but still she clings to hope for something more. She desires love and companionship, and something bigger than herself. Freedom from prejudice.
~ 0 ~
Through the Fire (Daughter of Fire #1) by Michelle Irwin
Life could have been different for Evie Meyers. If only she wasn’t a freak.
She wouldn’t be hiding from the Rain, a secret organization intent on destroying all supernatural creatures. Neither would she have run from Clay, the object of her desire.
Her hope for love and a normal life shattered when Clay stumbled onto her biggest secret and revealed one of his own in the process—he’s a soldier for the Rain. Learning that Clay was a threat to her survival, Evie had no choice but to flee.
Now Clay’s back—battle-scarred and mysterious—and the attraction between them is undeniable. Stuck on opposite sides in the war between humans and the supernatural, there seems little hope for a happily ever after. Caught between what her heart wants and what her head knows, something has to give. What will she choose? And what price will she have to pay?
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1xzwJuWBuy Links:UK: http://amzn.to/1KjRFebUS: http://amzn.to/1KQ4ymFAU: http://bit.ly/1idrXl5BDP: http://www.bottomdrawerpublications.net/#!through-the-fire/ce0qSmashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/485952Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/through-the-fire-5All Romance Books: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-throughthefire-1653923-344.htmliTunes: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/through-the-fire/id934672487Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/through-the-fire-26Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/through-the-fire-michelle-irwin/1120628860
Connect with Michelle: https://www.facebook.com/MichelleIrwinAuthor
Excerpt:
Closing my eyes, I tried to retrace the steps back out of the warehouse and cement the escape route in my mind. When I opened them again, I was looking at three backs: Clay and two other men who had entered the room. Clay’s head immediately turned, and his gaze sought me out.He ripped his hand from his pocket, lifted his shirt to reveal a holster and gun. In the next instant, he had it drawn and pointed at his father.“Now, Evie! Run!”I didn’t think twice. I turned, and I raced from the room—rushing through the doorway and into the darkened corridor. Before I’d even broken free of the warehouse, I heard the sound of fighting erupt behind me. After a rash of thuds and bumps, Clay’s voice shouted indecipherable words, and then the sound of a gunshot sliced the air. My heart beat rapidly as I skidded to a stop. A pained cry filled the corridors, and I started to turn back around.Another loud crash sounded, and one of the men was right behind me.“What the hell?” the older voice, Clay’s Dad, shouted from inside the room. Angered cursing replaced his uttered statement and filled the space around me, vibrating off the walls and drowning out all other sounds.At least until Clay saw me standing still with his brother fast approaching.“What are you waiting for, Evie? Run!” Clay shouted as he crash-tackled his brother into the wall. “Run and don’t look back. I’ll find you!”A loud, wet thud sounded as Ethan fought back against Clay’s hold.Bursting out into sunshine, I didn’t even stop for the air I desperately needed before I climbed into the truck and gunned the engine. My eyes were trained on the warehouse as I reversed out onto the road, so I barely even noticed the Hummer that was parked in my way until I almost hit it. I spun the wheel at the last second to avoid collision and ripped out part of the fence on my way to freedom.I drove like a madman until I was halfway home and then the adrenaline left my system in a rush, leaving me with tear-filled eyes and shaking hands. It was in that instant that I realized what was different about Clay’s kiss. With the extra time to assess it in my mind, I understood what he was trying to tell me. He didn’t think he was coming with Dad and me anymore. With his kiss, he’d said goodbye. After that gutting discovery, I couldn’t move the car another inch, even if I wanted to. A chorus of beeping sounded around me as a reminder that I wasn’t alone on the road, and yet even that wasn’t enough to force me to drive.Pressing my forehead against the top of the steering wheel, tears that I couldn’t fight began to fall in cascades. I could almost feel the ghost of his kiss, and in hindsight his “I’m sorry” and “Goodbye”echoed through every motion of his mouth.By the time I’d finally been able to compose myself enough to drive, I didn’t know where to go. I worried that taking the truck home would flag a warning in some database. Did they already know where we lived? Dad would kill me if I dumped his truck, but he’d be more devastated if it was a link that led to us being discovered. I had no way of contacting Dad to discuss the best course of action. After hearing Clay’s admission of how he’d found me, I had no doubt Dad’s reasons for not getting cell phones was valid. I would have to make the choice unaided and live with the consequences.I put the truck into drive and forced myself to head down the tree-lined road toward home. Just as I drove past Renaissance Park, the black Hummer that had been at the warehouse tore through the streets behind me and slammed into the rear of my truck, jolting it roughly. I was thrown forward, and my head smashed against the steering wheel. For a moment all I could see were stars, but I fought to remain conscious.When my vision finally cleared, my heart slid into my stomach as I looked beyond the hood to see a young man who could almost have been Clay sitting behind the wheel. I hadn’t had the chance to look at him in my rush to flee the warehouse, but now I couldn’t look away. He was clearly a few years older, his exposed arms were bulkier, but otherwise the likeness was obvious. After hearing his statement before Clay had left to greet him, I was certain he knew the truck was mine and that I was the one driving it. Cringing at the violent look on his face, I held tightly onto the steering wheel and forced my foot flat against the accelerator pedal.
With the Hummer on my trail, there was no way I could go home. It would be leading him straight to my father and my best chance of long-term survival. At the next intersection I turned right instead of going straight ahead. I knew enough about the area to know it would lead me away from the city and could only hope it offered the opportunity to shake Ethan before too long.
GIVEAWAY: a Rafflecopter giveaway
Check out the other hop links here:
http://hennesseeandrews.blogspot.com....
November 26, 2015
Staying alive!
*Peeks out between fingers* Still with me?
All I can say is I'm sorry. I've been slack, I know. I actually have a series of blog posts all planned and plotted. If it all goes according to plan, they'll be witty and informative and keep you glued from start to end. There's just one thing I'm missing to do it. Time. It's the big killer isn't it? Obviously, I've had a crazy, hectic publishing schedule and it got that little more crazy hectic when my man Declan decided that he wasn't happy with just three novels in addition to his novella. Noooo, he had to have an extra one. One in the middle of two that were written in fact, just to make things extra interesting. Especially when it meant that the book needed to be ready in time for an editing date that's already booked in--and the book wasn't even half written yet with the additions he demanded.
So that's why for the last five or so weeks, I've been spending every spare word I've had working on this middle book for Declan. Thankfully, the first draft is done. Writing to such a tight deadline doesn't work wonders for creative brain, but it did prove to me that I can do it when push comes to shove, and it meant that I was actually creating brand spanking new words for a while rather than juts running over endless rounds of edits. What this means though is there will now be two more Declan Reede books rather than one. Decipher will be released in March 2016, and Declare will be sometime in either April/May. Yay, more Declan. He's a butt, but a lovable one.
Leading up to December, I have a fair bit of writing, editing, and planning to do, so the blog may be a little quiet--although hopefully a little less quite than it has been--but in the new year that should all change.
So what has been happening? There's a few sales and stuff going on at the moment.
Decide (Declan Reede: The Untold Story) book 0.5 is free
Strap in, get ready to start your engines and see where it all began.
From an early age, Declan Reede’s only goal was to race in the ProV8 Championship Series. One thing he couldn’t anticipate was that a blistering kiss shared with his best friend, Alyssa Dawson, might derail his plans.
While he knows things between them will never be the same, it’s impossible to predict just where the road will take them, or how rocky it might get.
Will he decide to fight for love or follow his dreams?Buy Links:
UK: http://amzn.to/1M8D4GbUS: http://amzn.to/1NACW5tAU: http://bit.ly/1NACZORiTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1022895410Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/decide-michelle-irwin/1122387292Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/decide-3Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/589125
And there's currently a giveaway for a copy over on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/164187-decide
Decline (Declan Reede: The Untold Story #1) is currently on sale for just 99c
Hold on tight, stick to the racing line, and watch for the corners.
Four years after making the decision to leave his home town behind, all of Declan Reede's dreams have come true. Unapologetically foul-mouthed and well known for his off-track antics, his success seems unstoppable. At least until Queensland Raceway and a chance sighting of the girl who once held his heart. Now, getting around the track seems an impossible battle as he struggles to return to his previous form. With his career racing downhill faster than his V8 on Mount Panorama, there's more than just his reputation on the line.
What will it take to put the brakes on his decline?
**Due to strong language and sexual content not intended for anyone under age of 18**
Buy Links:US: http://amzn.to/1FclstlUK: http://amzn.to/1VZOrVxAU: http://bit.ly/1QCl5cKB&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940152255270iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1033068230Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/decline-1Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/589127
If you haven't already got your copy, you can get Through the Fire (Daughter of Fire #1) FREE by signing up to my VIP mailing list so you don't miss sales or new releases: eepurl.com/6CtJD
And lastly on the sales, Besieged by Rain (Son of Rain #1) is on sale for just 99c
Clay Jacobs harbors a dangerous secret. Evie, the object of his teenage obsession, isn’t human. But instead of destroying the supernatural threat, as he’s been instructed by the Rain—the organization he belongs to—he let her escape.
The memory of the one who got away not only haunts him but holds him captive and assaults him nightly. Unable to escape the visions, and the guilt, he races across the country to locate her and correct his mistake. Instead of the monster he expects, he finds a woman who ensnares him with her charms. In her embrace, Clay dares to imagine a different life. One free of the constant need to kill.
His family—and the oaths he made to them—is not so easy to escape though. When the past catches up to him, it won’t only be his happiness but also the life of his lover at risk. What will it take to free himself from the grip of the Rain?
Add it to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/18fI4KrBuy Links:UK: http://amzn.to/1OTxlEGUS: http://amzn.to/1KntUq7AU: http://bit.ly/1KQ4O5pKobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/besieged-by-rainAll Romance: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-besiegedbyrain-1753966-344.htmlBottom Drawer Publications: http://www.bottomdrawerpublications.net/#!besieged-by-rain/c17ikSmashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/523326Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/besieged-by-rainiTunes: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/besieged-by-rain/id972673890Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/besieged-by-rainNook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/besieged-by-rain-michelle-irwin/1121332088
All I can say is I'm sorry. I've been slack, I know. I actually have a series of blog posts all planned and plotted. If it all goes according to plan, they'll be witty and informative and keep you glued from start to end. There's just one thing I'm missing to do it. Time. It's the big killer isn't it? Obviously, I've had a crazy, hectic publishing schedule and it got that little more crazy hectic when my man Declan decided that he wasn't happy with just three novels in addition to his novella. Noooo, he had to have an extra one. One in the middle of two that were written in fact, just to make things extra interesting. Especially when it meant that the book needed to be ready in time for an editing date that's already booked in--and the book wasn't even half written yet with the additions he demanded.
So that's why for the last five or so weeks, I've been spending every spare word I've had working on this middle book for Declan. Thankfully, the first draft is done. Writing to such a tight deadline doesn't work wonders for creative brain, but it did prove to me that I can do it when push comes to shove, and it meant that I was actually creating brand spanking new words for a while rather than juts running over endless rounds of edits. What this means though is there will now be two more Declan Reede books rather than one. Decipher will be released in March 2016, and Declare will be sometime in either April/May. Yay, more Declan. He's a butt, but a lovable one.
Leading up to December, I have a fair bit of writing, editing, and planning to do, so the blog may be a little quiet--although hopefully a little less quite than it has been--but in the new year that should all change.
So what has been happening? There's a few sales and stuff going on at the moment.
Decide (Declan Reede: The Untold Story) book 0.5 is freeStrap in, get ready to start your engines and see where it all began.
From an early age, Declan Reede’s only goal was to race in the ProV8 Championship Series. One thing he couldn’t anticipate was that a blistering kiss shared with his best friend, Alyssa Dawson, might derail his plans.
While he knows things between them will never be the same, it’s impossible to predict just where the road will take them, or how rocky it might get.
Will he decide to fight for love or follow his dreams?Buy Links:
UK: http://amzn.to/1M8D4GbUS: http://amzn.to/1NACW5tAU: http://bit.ly/1NACZORiTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1022895410Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/decide-michelle-irwin/1122387292Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/decide-3Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/589125
And there's currently a giveaway for a copy over on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/164187-decide
Decline (Declan Reede: The Untold Story #1) is currently on sale for just 99c
Hold on tight, stick to the racing line, and watch for the corners.
Four years after making the decision to leave his home town behind, all of Declan Reede's dreams have come true. Unapologetically foul-mouthed and well known for his off-track antics, his success seems unstoppable. At least until Queensland Raceway and a chance sighting of the girl who once held his heart. Now, getting around the track seems an impossible battle as he struggles to return to his previous form. With his career racing downhill faster than his V8 on Mount Panorama, there's more than just his reputation on the line.
What will it take to put the brakes on his decline?
**Due to strong language and sexual content not intended for anyone under age of 18**
Buy Links:US: http://amzn.to/1FclstlUK: http://amzn.to/1VZOrVxAU: http://bit.ly/1QCl5cKB&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940152255270iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1033068230Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/decline-1Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/589127
If you haven't already got your copy, you can get Through the Fire (Daughter of Fire #1) FREE by signing up to my VIP mailing list so you don't miss sales or new releases: eepurl.com/6CtJD
And lastly on the sales, Besieged by Rain (Son of Rain #1) is on sale for just 99c
Clay Jacobs harbors a dangerous secret. Evie, the object of his teenage obsession, isn’t human. But instead of destroying the supernatural threat, as he’s been instructed by the Rain—the organization he belongs to—he let her escape.
The memory of the one who got away not only haunts him but holds him captive and assaults him nightly. Unable to escape the visions, and the guilt, he races across the country to locate her and correct his mistake. Instead of the monster he expects, he finds a woman who ensnares him with her charms. In her embrace, Clay dares to imagine a different life. One free of the constant need to kill.
His family—and the oaths he made to them—is not so easy to escape though. When the past catches up to him, it won’t only be his happiness but also the life of his lover at risk. What will it take to free himself from the grip of the Rain?
Add it to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/18fI4KrBuy Links:UK: http://amzn.to/1OTxlEGUS: http://amzn.to/1KntUq7AU: http://bit.ly/1KQ4O5pKobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/besieged-by-rainAll Romance: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-besiegedbyrain-1753966-344.htmlBottom Drawer Publications: http://www.bottomdrawerpublications.net/#!besieged-by-rain/c17ikSmashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/523326Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/besieged-by-rainiTunes: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/besieged-by-rain/id972673890Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/besieged-by-rainNook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/besieged-by-rain-michelle-irwin/1121332088
October 30, 2015
Among the Debris is LIVE!
Among the Debris(Book Two – Son of Rain series)Michelle Irwin
**RELEASE DAY**
"Romeo and Juliet meets Supernatural"
Michelle Irwin, in her creation of the Fire and Rain complimentary series of books, has blended the timeless idea of two lovers from different backgrounds torn apart by circumstance within an urban fantasy playground.
Book Details: NovelGenre: New Adult Paranormal Romance 89,000 words
BLURB
Clay Jacobs and Evie Meyers are on the run. Together. Being hunted is almost worth it, so long as that remains true. It’s too much to hope that it can last.
Only weeks after their reunion in Salem, his family strikes, and Clay is torn from his lover’s arms once again. Alone, his certainty in their love falters. Everything he thought was true is called into question. Could his family be right? Could he have been caught in Evie’s spell?
Clay’s obsession with finding the truth leads him on a hunt across the globe. The answer will either bring him closer to freedom or destroy the remnants of his shattered heart. His quest may prove more difficult than he imagines when some people will go to any lengths to keep the truth hidden.
EXCERPT
“Clay?”
I spun around when I heard my name called. Seeing a familiar short, stocky redhead walking toward me sent my stomach plummeting. Fuck.
“Clay Jacobs, you son of a bitch, it is you!” The guy clapped me on the shoulder.
“Max,” I said as I took in the grinning operative in front of me.
“It’s been ages, hasn’t it? ’Bout a year right? Not since that, God, what was it? Lizard man?”
“Yeah,” I said, somewhat dismissively as I looked around, hoping that Evie wouldn’t choose that moment to return to my side.
A frown tugged at Max’s brow as I met his green-eyed gaze again.
“It, uh, it was a wild weekend, that’s for sure,” I added. From what I recalled, Max’s partner had gotten so drunk while we were waiting for the lizard man, he’d almost become a midnight snack. If my twin-sister, Louise, and I hadn’t all but tripped over his legs poking out of the swamp, he wouldn’t have lasted the night.
“So, where’s the family?” Max asked. He raised his hand to scratch his cheek, showing me the M-shaped Rain symbol tattooed on the back of his hand, just below his thumb.
Every second I continued to speak to him was one second closer to the time Evie would join me at my side. Max wasn’t the sharpest tool in the Rain shed, but he was well enough trained to spot Evie for what she was in a second. Especially with the increased chatter about the existence of such creatures in recent years. There was also a risk my family would have put out a notice to all Rain headquarters to pay special attention to women matching Evie’s description. Either way, it was likely Max would mark her as a phoenix on sight and then expect me to join him on a hunt.
Breathing through my nose, I tried to force the anxiety clawing at my throat and racing through my heart from my features. “Solo hunt,” I said. I tried for a smile, but only managed a brief upward twitch.
“Hunt? Haven’t heard of anything that might interest you Elite around here.”
Shit. I should have said some R&R or something, anything, else. I clenched my fists. “It’s nothing really, just a lead . . . on Lou’s case,” I added as the idea occurred to me. Almost every Rain operative we’d worked with, and many that we hadn’t, knew the story of Lou’s kidnapping by the fae when we were babies and my family’s quest for revenge ever since. “Dad and Eth asked me to come down and see what I could find. On the quiet, you know. No point getting Lou’s hopes up.”
He nodded but the suspicion that pinched the corners of his eyes didn’t shift. “So, I heard the funniest story this mornin’ when gettin’ my assignments,” he said. “’Bout an operative gone rogue.”
My gaze flicked straight to his face, searching for any signs of mistrust. “Yeah?”
“Way I hear it, ’stead of destroyin’ the creature he’s huntin’, he runs off with it. Could be anywhere in the country they say.”
The thundering sound of my pulse in my ears made it hard to focus on the actual words. It was clear he knew everything, or at least enough to indict me. I didn’t know why he was talking to me instead of just attacking, but it was possible he was stalling until backup arrived. With the new insight that we’d been caught, I did another scan of the area and saw what I’d missed the first time. A CCTV camera hidden near a light fitting on the depot’s roof.
Fuck.
I cursed ever helping with the damned facial recognition software. It had helped me find Evie before, but now it might have damned her too. We’d been trying so hard to be careful, to keep our heads ducked and avoid cameras. Obviously, not well enough.
Even though Max had made me, and we both knew it, I had to pretend not to understand what he’d just revealed if I wanted to have any chance of getting Evie out.
“That’s terrible,” I said, moving my hand to my gun. My motions were slow, cautious, and fluid, so as not to draw his attention. “What else do you know? Maybe I can keep my ear to the ground for some extra information?”
“Oh, I’m sure you know all ’bout it,” he said. Even as he said the words, his hand reached for his holster, but he was too late.
Before he even had a chance to get near his gun, I reached for him, pulling him against me so that my gun pressed hard against his side. With my lips at his ear, I whispered, “How many are coming?”
BUY LINKS
BDP Online Shop: http://ow.ly/TYwuZ
Amazon: http://ow.ly/TYwx5
iTunes: http://ow.ly/TYwVE
Nook: http://ow.ly/TYx3K
Kobo: http://ow.ly/TYwYj
All Romance: http://ow.ly/U3ZPo
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a Rafflecopter giveaway
FOR MORE INFORMATION
On Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
On Booklikes
http://booklikes.com/among-the-debris-michelle-irwin/book,13533328
www.bottomdrawerpublications.net
info@bottomdrawerpublications.net
** ON SALE 99c**
Book 1 - Son of Rain Series
(Limited time only)
1 click: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U2HCG08
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michelle Irwin
Michelle Irwin has been many things in her life: a hobbit taking a precious item to a fiery mountain; a young child stepping through the back of a wardrobe into another land; the last human stranded not-quite-alone in space three million years in the future; a young girl willing to fight for the love of a vampire; and a time-travelling madman in a box. She achieved all of these feats and many more through her voracious reading habit. Eventually, so much reading had to have an effect and the cast of characters inside her mind took over and spilled out onto the page.
Michelle lives in sunny Queensland in the land down under with her surprisingly patient husband and ever-intriguing daughter, carving out precious moments of writing and reading time around her accounts-based day job. A lover of love and overcoming the odds, she primarily writes paranormal and fantasy romance.
Find Michelle at:Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Michelle-Irwin/e/B00NUE8SIE/Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8076291.Michelle_IrwinFB Author page: https://www.facebook.com/MichelleIrwinAuthorTwitter: https://twitter.com/WriteOnShellInstagram: https://instagram.com/shell.irwinPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/writeonshell/Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/writeonshell
Blog: http://blog.michelle-irwin.com
**RELEASE DAY**
"Romeo and Juliet meets Supernatural"
Michelle Irwin, in her creation of the Fire and Rain complimentary series of books, has blended the timeless idea of two lovers from different backgrounds torn apart by circumstance within an urban fantasy playground.
Book Details: NovelGenre: New Adult Paranormal Romance 89,000 words
BLURB
Clay Jacobs and Evie Meyers are on the run. Together. Being hunted is almost worth it, so long as that remains true. It’s too much to hope that it can last.
Only weeks after their reunion in Salem, his family strikes, and Clay is torn from his lover’s arms once again. Alone, his certainty in their love falters. Everything he thought was true is called into question. Could his family be right? Could he have been caught in Evie’s spell?
Clay’s obsession with finding the truth leads him on a hunt across the globe. The answer will either bring him closer to freedom or destroy the remnants of his shattered heart. His quest may prove more difficult than he imagines when some people will go to any lengths to keep the truth hidden.
EXCERPT
“Clay?”
I spun around when I heard my name called. Seeing a familiar short, stocky redhead walking toward me sent my stomach plummeting. Fuck.
“Clay Jacobs, you son of a bitch, it is you!” The guy clapped me on the shoulder.
“Max,” I said as I took in the grinning operative in front of me.
“It’s been ages, hasn’t it? ’Bout a year right? Not since that, God, what was it? Lizard man?”
“Yeah,” I said, somewhat dismissively as I looked around, hoping that Evie wouldn’t choose that moment to return to my side.
A frown tugged at Max’s brow as I met his green-eyed gaze again.
“It, uh, it was a wild weekend, that’s for sure,” I added. From what I recalled, Max’s partner had gotten so drunk while we were waiting for the lizard man, he’d almost become a midnight snack. If my twin-sister, Louise, and I hadn’t all but tripped over his legs poking out of the swamp, he wouldn’t have lasted the night.
“So, where’s the family?” Max asked. He raised his hand to scratch his cheek, showing me the M-shaped Rain symbol tattooed on the back of his hand, just below his thumb.
Every second I continued to speak to him was one second closer to the time Evie would join me at my side. Max wasn’t the sharpest tool in the Rain shed, but he was well enough trained to spot Evie for what she was in a second. Especially with the increased chatter about the existence of such creatures in recent years. There was also a risk my family would have put out a notice to all Rain headquarters to pay special attention to women matching Evie’s description. Either way, it was likely Max would mark her as a phoenix on sight and then expect me to join him on a hunt.
Breathing through my nose, I tried to force the anxiety clawing at my throat and racing through my heart from my features. “Solo hunt,” I said. I tried for a smile, but only managed a brief upward twitch.
“Hunt? Haven’t heard of anything that might interest you Elite around here.”
Shit. I should have said some R&R or something, anything, else. I clenched my fists. “It’s nothing really, just a lead . . . on Lou’s case,” I added as the idea occurred to me. Almost every Rain operative we’d worked with, and many that we hadn’t, knew the story of Lou’s kidnapping by the fae when we were babies and my family’s quest for revenge ever since. “Dad and Eth asked me to come down and see what I could find. On the quiet, you know. No point getting Lou’s hopes up.”
He nodded but the suspicion that pinched the corners of his eyes didn’t shift. “So, I heard the funniest story this mornin’ when gettin’ my assignments,” he said. “’Bout an operative gone rogue.”
My gaze flicked straight to his face, searching for any signs of mistrust. “Yeah?”
“Way I hear it, ’stead of destroyin’ the creature he’s huntin’, he runs off with it. Could be anywhere in the country they say.”
The thundering sound of my pulse in my ears made it hard to focus on the actual words. It was clear he knew everything, or at least enough to indict me. I didn’t know why he was talking to me instead of just attacking, but it was possible he was stalling until backup arrived. With the new insight that we’d been caught, I did another scan of the area and saw what I’d missed the first time. A CCTV camera hidden near a light fitting on the depot’s roof.
Fuck.
I cursed ever helping with the damned facial recognition software. It had helped me find Evie before, but now it might have damned her too. We’d been trying so hard to be careful, to keep our heads ducked and avoid cameras. Obviously, not well enough.
Even though Max had made me, and we both knew it, I had to pretend not to understand what he’d just revealed if I wanted to have any chance of getting Evie out.
“That’s terrible,” I said, moving my hand to my gun. My motions were slow, cautious, and fluid, so as not to draw his attention. “What else do you know? Maybe I can keep my ear to the ground for some extra information?”
“Oh, I’m sure you know all ’bout it,” he said. Even as he said the words, his hand reached for his holster, but he was too late.
Before he even had a chance to get near his gun, I reached for him, pulling him against me so that my gun pressed hard against his side. With my lips at his ear, I whispered, “How many are coming?”
BUY LINKS
BDP Online Shop: http://ow.ly/TYwuZ
Amazon: http://ow.ly/TYwx5
iTunes: http://ow.ly/TYwVE
Nook: http://ow.ly/TYx3K
Kobo: http://ow.ly/TYwYj
All Romance: http://ow.ly/U3ZPo
GIVEAWAY
Enter the draw and be in the running to win paperbacks, shop vouchers, and e-books.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
FOR MORE INFORMATION
On Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
On Booklikes
http://booklikes.com/among-the-debris-michelle-irwin/book,13533328
www.bottomdrawerpublications.net
info@bottomdrawerpublications.net
** ON SALE 99c**
Book 1 - Son of Rain Series
(Limited time only)
1 click: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U2HCG08
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michelle Irwin
Michelle Irwin has been many things in her life: a hobbit taking a precious item to a fiery mountain; a young child stepping through the back of a wardrobe into another land; the last human stranded not-quite-alone in space three million years in the future; a young girl willing to fight for the love of a vampire; and a time-travelling madman in a box. She achieved all of these feats and many more through her voracious reading habit. Eventually, so much reading had to have an effect and the cast of characters inside her mind took over and spilled out onto the page.
Michelle lives in sunny Queensland in the land down under with her surprisingly patient husband and ever-intriguing daughter, carving out precious moments of writing and reading time around her accounts-based day job. A lover of love and overcoming the odds, she primarily writes paranormal and fantasy romance.
Find Michelle at:Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Michelle-Irwin/e/B00NUE8SIE/Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8076291.Michelle_IrwinFB Author page: https://www.facebook.com/MichelleIrwinAuthorTwitter: https://twitter.com/WriteOnShellInstagram: https://instagram.com/shell.irwinPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/writeonshell/Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/writeonshell
Blog: http://blog.michelle-irwin.com
October 23, 2015
Among the Debris (Son of Rain #2) Excerpt
EXCERPT:
I passed through three rooms without finding a single window that didn’t have bars on the outside and that wasn’t filthy and grime-coated. The other three metal doors I came across were all locked. I had wasted close to half an hour trying to find an escape. Sirens blared outside as three emergency vehicles rushed past the building and a tug at my chest told me that I needed to get out.I need to be at Evie’s side. Now!Racing farther into the building, I tried to find a rear exit—anything to help me get out. I couldn’t explain the ache I felt, but I knew I needed to find Evie. I would feel better when she was in my arms and had proven my panic was unwarranted.It had been close to two hours since I’d held her, and my heart screamed at me to return to her. After another ten minutes of searching, I finally found a single window in the back of the building with no bars to block my exit. After checking around me for any sign of the fae bastard, I holstered my gun and climbed carefully through the window. It was a tight squeeze, but I made it through.The instant I was free from the building, my feet pounded the pavement in the direction of home. Every ounce of my strength and determination carried me back to her. It took less than ten minutes to run what had taken more than twenty to walk. By the time I was a block away, my instincts were on high alert.My feet moved faster as I saw the horrid sight in front of me. Dense plumes of black smoke poured out of our building. Something was wrong.“I have to get through!” I shouted madly at the people milling around, trying to get a peek at the day’s entertainment. I pushed and shoved, using my elbows, shoulders, knees—anything I had to—in order to barge my way through the intermittent throngs of bystanders.I reached the containment line set by the police and firemen just in time to see a gurney being loaded into the back of an ambulance. At first, my blood was like ice. Fire was a bad sign if Evie was involved. Then the sight of the blonde hair on the girl on the stretcher gave me an instant burst of relief. I would have felt guilty about my elation over it being someone else, but I was too happy to see that it wasn’t Evie being taken from the building.Moments later, as I glanced at the gurney once more, my relief sank into desperation. The sickening pull in my stomach that had been drawing me to this spot had nothing to do with the fae, possibly little to do with Evie even, and everything to do with my twin sister, Louise.What’s she doing here?
BLURB:
Clay Jacobs and Evie Meyers are on the run. Together. Being hunted is almost worth it, so long as that remains true. It’s too much to hope that it can last.
Only weeks after their reunion in Salem, his family strikes, and Clay is torn from his lover’s arms once again. Alone, his certainty in their love falters. Everything he thought was true is called into question. Could his family be right? Could he have been caught in Evie’s spell?
Clay’s obsession with finding the truth leads him on a hunt across the globe. The answer will either bring him closer to freedom or destroy the remnants of his shattered heart. His quest may prove more difficult than he imagines when some people will go to any lengths to keep the truth hidden.
LINKS:
Add it to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1KnulR5Preorder Links:UK: http://amzn.to/1LvSiCdUS: http://amzn.to/1NtPnyzAU: http://bit.ly/1EZSYmJ
September 23, 2015
Decline is live
DECLINE
Declan Reede: The Untold StoryHold on tight, stick to the racing line, and watch for the corners.
Four years after making the decision to leave his home town behind, all of Declan Reede's dreams have come true. Unapologetically foul-mouthed and well known for his off-track antics, his success seems unstoppable. At least until Queensland Raceway and a chance sighting of the girl who once held his heart. Now, getting around the track seems an impossible battle as he struggles to return to his previous form. With his career racing downhill faster than his V8 on Mount Panorama, there's more than just his reputation on the line.
What will it take to put the brakes on his decline?
**Due to strong language and sexual content not intended for anyone under age of 18**
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Release Date: 24th September 2015
Cover Artist: Soxsationalcoverart
Principal photography by: NSP Studios
Cover models: Ashleigh Johnson and Jarah Armstrong.
Available now
Just 99c until 27th September. AmazonAmazon UKAmazon AUBarnes and NobleiTunesKobo
Add to your Goodreads want to read list here:
TEASERS
EXCERPTEden had been right about the track. By the ninth lap of my second stint, the bitumen was bone dry and the teams that had gambled on the rain staying were scrambling to the pits to change back onto slicks. I used the time to push even further ahead. Eden’s voice squawked over the radio, telling me that I had just achieved the fastest lap time of the day. If I didn’t have to keep both hands on the wheel, I would have given a fist pump in celebration. Things were finally going my way. I was celebrating the small victories when I came across the top of the mountain again, across Skyline. The glare from the sun reflected in the top corner of my windscreen and I was blinded. Not by the light, but by the vision which the sun called to mind. Alyssa. My heart stopped and my eyes slammed closed. Smiles and laughs; the sun glinting off her watch as we kept an eye on the time. I could almost hear her voice bouncing around the car, laughing over some ridiculous shit we’d done during the day. We’d been so happy. So innocent. So fucking naive and stupid. The memory was from one of the days we’d ditched school to hide out in our park. With a gasp, I swallowed oxygen down into protesting lungs. My hands shook and tremors raced through my fingers and into the wheel. My stomach clenched as I remembered just how beautiful she’d been. She didn’t have supermodel looks, she had something better. An honest to goodness girl-next-door quality that shone through from within and made her ten times sexier than any over glossed supermodel could ever be. The truth was, as bad as the visions of Alyssa’s red-rimmed eyes were, the happy ones were worse. They became tangible reminders of how much she’d once meant to me, and I almost didn’t want to suppress them.With two more gulping breaths, I forced my eyes open and pushed the thought away. My grip tightened on the steering wheel, but it was already too late. Though it’d been mere seconds, I’d been in my own world—my past—for too long and hadn’t prepared to take the turn before falling into the Esses. I had no time to do anything but adjust the angle of my car as it smashed into the concrete barrier with a teeth-rattling bang. I prepared myself in the only way I could for a second crash as the car ricocheted off the wall, spun across the track, and then smashed into the side of a passing car. The sound of crunching metal and squealing rubber filled the space around me, but I could do nothing but hold on and hope for the best. My car lurched sickeningly toward the wall again, shunting hard into the concrete and rocking me into the hard surface of the door. By the time I came to a rest, I was angled nose into the wall in a stationary car. Unable to move, I panted as I struggled to comprehend just what had happened, aside from the fact that I’d crashed—that part I got loud and fucking clear. Closing my eyes, I mentally ran through my body to ensure I wasn’t too badly injured. I wiggled my fingers and my toes and was relieved when everything did what it was supposed to. Except for my heart racing at a million miles a minute, and the fact that I couldn’t breathe down nearly enough air to stay in control, I was okay.
My eyes snapped to the rear-view mirror when I heard the sound of protesting tyres.
RELEASE PARTY
Join in the release party for some fun and awesome authors 5pm EST 25th September https://www.facebook.com/events/10185...
AUTHOR BIO
Michelle Irwin has been many things in her life: a hobbit taking a precious item to a fiery mountain; a young child stepping through the back of a wardrobe into another land; the last human stranded not-quite-alone in space three million years in the future; a young girl willing to fight for the love of a vampire; and a time-travelling madman in a box. She achieved all of these feats and many more through her voracious reading habit. Eventually, so much reading had to have an effect and the cast of characters inside her mind took over and spilled out onto the page.
Michelle lives in sunny Queensland in the land down under with her surprisingly patient husband and ever-intriguing daughter, carving out precious moments of writing and reading time around her accounts-based day job. A lover of love and overcoming the odds, she primarily writes paranormal and fantasy romance.
You can find Michelle here:
Declan Reede: The Untold StoryHold on tight, stick to the racing line, and watch for the corners.Four years after making the decision to leave his home town behind, all of Declan Reede's dreams have come true. Unapologetically foul-mouthed and well known for his off-track antics, his success seems unstoppable. At least until Queensland Raceway and a chance sighting of the girl who once held his heart. Now, getting around the track seems an impossible battle as he struggles to return to his previous form. With his career racing downhill faster than his V8 on Mount Panorama, there's more than just his reputation on the line.
What will it take to put the brakes on his decline?
**Due to strong language and sexual content not intended for anyone under age of 18**
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Release Date: 24th September 2015
Cover Artist: Soxsationalcoverart
Principal photography by: NSP Studios
Cover models: Ashleigh Johnson and Jarah Armstrong.
Available now
Just 99c until 27th September. AmazonAmazon UKAmazon AUBarnes and NobleiTunesKobo
Add to your Goodreads want to read list here:
TEASERS
EXCERPTEden had been right about the track. By the ninth lap of my second stint, the bitumen was bone dry and the teams that had gambled on the rain staying were scrambling to the pits to change back onto slicks. I used the time to push even further ahead. Eden’s voice squawked over the radio, telling me that I had just achieved the fastest lap time of the day. If I didn’t have to keep both hands on the wheel, I would have given a fist pump in celebration. Things were finally going my way. I was celebrating the small victories when I came across the top of the mountain again, across Skyline. The glare from the sun reflected in the top corner of my windscreen and I was blinded. Not by the light, but by the vision which the sun called to mind. Alyssa. My heart stopped and my eyes slammed closed. Smiles and laughs; the sun glinting off her watch as we kept an eye on the time. I could almost hear her voice bouncing around the car, laughing over some ridiculous shit we’d done during the day. We’d been so happy. So innocent. So fucking naive and stupid. The memory was from one of the days we’d ditched school to hide out in our park. With a gasp, I swallowed oxygen down into protesting lungs. My hands shook and tremors raced through my fingers and into the wheel. My stomach clenched as I remembered just how beautiful she’d been. She didn’t have supermodel looks, she had something better. An honest to goodness girl-next-door quality that shone through from within and made her ten times sexier than any over glossed supermodel could ever be. The truth was, as bad as the visions of Alyssa’s red-rimmed eyes were, the happy ones were worse. They became tangible reminders of how much she’d once meant to me, and I almost didn’t want to suppress them.With two more gulping breaths, I forced my eyes open and pushed the thought away. My grip tightened on the steering wheel, but it was already too late. Though it’d been mere seconds, I’d been in my own world—my past—for too long and hadn’t prepared to take the turn before falling into the Esses. I had no time to do anything but adjust the angle of my car as it smashed into the concrete barrier with a teeth-rattling bang. I prepared myself in the only way I could for a second crash as the car ricocheted off the wall, spun across the track, and then smashed into the side of a passing car. The sound of crunching metal and squealing rubber filled the space around me, but I could do nothing but hold on and hope for the best. My car lurched sickeningly toward the wall again, shunting hard into the concrete and rocking me into the hard surface of the door. By the time I came to a rest, I was angled nose into the wall in a stationary car. Unable to move, I panted as I struggled to comprehend just what had happened, aside from the fact that I’d crashed—that part I got loud and fucking clear. Closing my eyes, I mentally ran through my body to ensure I wasn’t too badly injured. I wiggled my fingers and my toes and was relieved when everything did what it was supposed to. Except for my heart racing at a million miles a minute, and the fact that I couldn’t breathe down nearly enough air to stay in control, I was okay.
My eyes snapped to the rear-view mirror when I heard the sound of protesting tyres.
RELEASE PARTY
Join in the release party for some fun and awesome authors 5pm EST 25th September https://www.facebook.com/events/10185...
AUTHOR BIO
Michelle Irwin has been many things in her life: a hobbit taking a precious item to a fiery mountain; a young child stepping through the back of a wardrobe into another land; the last human stranded not-quite-alone in space three million years in the future; a young girl willing to fight for the love of a vampire; and a time-travelling madman in a box. She achieved all of these feats and many more through her voracious reading habit. Eventually, so much reading had to have an effect and the cast of characters inside her mind took over and spilled out onto the page.Michelle lives in sunny Queensland in the land down under with her surprisingly patient husband and ever-intriguing daughter, carving out precious moments of writing and reading time around her accounts-based day job. A lover of love and overcoming the odds, she primarily writes paranormal and fantasy romance.
You can find Michelle here:
September 1, 2015
A love letter to myself
Anyone who has followed this blog for a while will know I have a history of sometimes not liking myself very much. That blog post was written eighteen months ago. Since then, I've found fans who've become friends, I've found other authors I can connect with who provide so much valuable information that I will never be able to thank them enough for taking me under their wing. Despite my 1 year publishing anniversary closing in, I am still very much learning in this whole process. In some ways, I'm still crawling and making my way up to taking the bigger steps. Sometimes, there is something in my way. Me.
I don't suffer from clinically diagnosed depression. There are times when I wonder whether perhaps this is just because I've never sought out a diagnosis. Regardless, I do have depressive days. It's tied to hormones, to sleep, to work, family, and everything else. Perversely, the days I should be happiest (anniversaries, book releases, birthdays etc) is usually when these feelings are strongest. The last few days have been a down-cycle for me.
What I've decided to do though, rather than focus on that negative, is write myself a love letter. I think in this day and age, there is so much anti-ego press, so many messages constantly about how loving your self is vain and wrong. But I think there is a difference between loving yourself and being egotistical. I need to give myself more permission to find joy in myself. To find the things I like about myself and focus on those. So if you'll excuse the egotistical moment: this is my love letter to myself--things I would say if I was my own best friend.
Self,
You have a passion for words that people respond to. This shows through in the readers who love your work. Even though you still have more to learn that passion shows in the output. You never stop trying to learn though. You know that the moment you think you know everything about writing and publishing will be the day to pack it away because you've lost your passion.
You make mistakes, but you try to be gracious enough to fix them.
You are there for your friends whenever you can be. And even when you're seeming to ignore them because you're immersed in your own private worlds, they are always in your head. One phone call or DM and you'd have their back in any way you can. You have people all around the world you can rely on.
You have a family who can make you laugh. A husband who is still able to make you happy even after so many years. A daughter who is a free spirit and knows as one of her core values that oddness isn't wrong--that being unique isn't a crime. Even though you struggle with the timetable and wish you had more time to dedicate to that crazy little chick, she and you share a bond that is unbreakable. She'll always be your little girl and she loves you more than you'll probably ever fully understand--except that you love her the same way.
Your extended family and friends support you. They believe in this crazy idea that you could be an author as much, and maybe even more than, you do.
You don't always have to be happy. You can celebrate the sad. You can embrace the sorrow. But then you need to come back and read these words and pick yourself up.
And the most important thing that I need to say in this letter: Self, you are good enough.
I think maybe we all need to start telling ourselves that more often, and enjoying the freedom to love ourselves without people judging that love.
In the words of the Skyhooks: Ego, it's not a dirty word.
I don't suffer from clinically diagnosed depression. There are times when I wonder whether perhaps this is just because I've never sought out a diagnosis. Regardless, I do have depressive days. It's tied to hormones, to sleep, to work, family, and everything else. Perversely, the days I should be happiest (anniversaries, book releases, birthdays etc) is usually when these feelings are strongest. The last few days have been a down-cycle for me.
What I've decided to do though, rather than focus on that negative, is write myself a love letter. I think in this day and age, there is so much anti-ego press, so many messages constantly about how loving your self is vain and wrong. But I think there is a difference between loving yourself and being egotistical. I need to give myself more permission to find joy in myself. To find the things I like about myself and focus on those. So if you'll excuse the egotistical moment: this is my love letter to myself--things I would say if I was my own best friend.
Self,
You have a passion for words that people respond to. This shows through in the readers who love your work. Even though you still have more to learn that passion shows in the output. You never stop trying to learn though. You know that the moment you think you know everything about writing and publishing will be the day to pack it away because you've lost your passion.
You make mistakes, but you try to be gracious enough to fix them.
You are there for your friends whenever you can be. And even when you're seeming to ignore them because you're immersed in your own private worlds, they are always in your head. One phone call or DM and you'd have their back in any way you can. You have people all around the world you can rely on.
You have a family who can make you laugh. A husband who is still able to make you happy even after so many years. A daughter who is a free spirit and knows as one of her core values that oddness isn't wrong--that being unique isn't a crime. Even though you struggle with the timetable and wish you had more time to dedicate to that crazy little chick, she and you share a bond that is unbreakable. She'll always be your little girl and she loves you more than you'll probably ever fully understand--except that you love her the same way.
Your extended family and friends support you. They believe in this crazy idea that you could be an author as much, and maybe even more than, you do.
You don't always have to be happy. You can celebrate the sad. You can embrace the sorrow. But then you need to come back and read these words and pick yourself up.
And the most important thing that I need to say in this letter: Self, you are good enough.
I think maybe we all need to start telling ourselves that more often, and enjoying the freedom to love ourselves without people judging that love.
In the words of the Skyhooks: Ego, it's not a dirty word.
August 29, 2015
Who the f**k cares about f**cking swears?
Recently a friend shared with me a criticism of my work. Now, I'm not really going to go into all the details, but basically another author took offence to one of my Declan teasers and declared the book to be unworthy and not well written because the main character has a bit of a potty mouth. My first reaction to this was to laugh. How anyone can judge the quality of writing in a 100,000 word book based on a ten word teaser just because three of those ten words are swear words is beyond me, but people are able to form whatever judgments they like and I'm happy to respect them. I was going to leave it at that, and move on with my life because my value isn't defined by what one other person thinks.
However, as I've been editing the next book in the series though, the criticism has played in my head, not because I agree with it, nor because I value one person's opinion about the worth of my words over my own character's personality. No, it's the assumption that one word is less worthy of being included in a story than another that bugs me. Because that's the thing, these are my character's words, not mine.
In the Daughter of Fire series, Evie barely says a "bad" word. When she does, it's because things are going so wrong that she has little other choice. Even still, for her words like freak hold more power and pain than the words fuck or shit.
In Son of Rain, Clay has a little bit more of a potty mouth because he was raised by a single father in a man's word doing work that requires stronger words than "Oh dear" or "Fiddlesticks."
Declan is by far the worst of any of my characters. There are whole sentences which are comprised almost entirely of swear words. Like this one: “Fucking shitter of a fucking bastard of a fucking car!”
Does he say it to shock and awe the reader? No, he says it because it's who he is. He's an Aussie male, raised in a lower/middle class family, and it's ingrained in him to swear. It's part of who he is, it's part of what makes him tick, just as much as Evie's phoenix qualities and heat make her who she is. And I won't ever apologize for that. More than that, his swearing is an extension of his psyche. When things are working for him, his swearing lessens. Not through any conscious decision he makes (except under certain circumstances which make sense when you read the books), but because the happier he is, the less frustrated he is and frustration (and sorrow) are what make him swear. The particular teaser in question is taken from a time when he has just found out the worst of the worst possible information. Some people would beg for ignorance when it came to facing the levels of pain he's dealing with, but he welcomes in the pain because he knows that the truth will lead him to the things he wants.
That said, maybe the word fuck offends you. If so, that's your prerogative and you have every right to your opinion and also to stay away from books that use the word. What you don't have a right to do is lessen someone else's value by saying that the inclusion of the words fuck, shit, dick, pussy, or even cunt (and I dislike that word so it's probably one of the few times you'll ever see me type it) makes their novel somehow irrelevant and unworthy because they use a word you don't personally agree with. Who doesn't like shouting a hearty FUCK! when they stub their little toe against a door jam (because seriously, that shit bloody hurts!)?
That probably came out a little more guns blazing in defense of Declan than I intended it to. It was meant to be a defense of all words. Words are power after all. Anyone who claims a superiority in writing should know that better than anyone. I say get offended by words that are offensive. Words that are used to hurt groups of people, not the words that you personally don't like.
More than that, don't use your words, your power, to belittle other authors or their readers. Because that's the thing that annoyed me the most about the insinuation that swear words somehow lessen the intelligence of a work of fiction. It isn't the fact that it's insulting me and my characters, but that it's insulting my readers.
And you know what, that's an insult I just won't bear.
Finally, just because I really do like the versatility of the word, let's have a grammar lesson, shall we?
However, as I've been editing the next book in the series though, the criticism has played in my head, not because I agree with it, nor because I value one person's opinion about the worth of my words over my own character's personality. No, it's the assumption that one word is less worthy of being included in a story than another that bugs me. Because that's the thing, these are my character's words, not mine.
In the Daughter of Fire series, Evie barely says a "bad" word. When she does, it's because things are going so wrong that she has little other choice. Even still, for her words like freak hold more power and pain than the words fuck or shit.
In Son of Rain, Clay has a little bit more of a potty mouth because he was raised by a single father in a man's word doing work that requires stronger words than "Oh dear" or "Fiddlesticks."
Declan is by far the worst of any of my characters. There are whole sentences which are comprised almost entirely of swear words. Like this one: “Fucking shitter of a fucking bastard of a fucking car!”
Does he say it to shock and awe the reader? No, he says it because it's who he is. He's an Aussie male, raised in a lower/middle class family, and it's ingrained in him to swear. It's part of who he is, it's part of what makes him tick, just as much as Evie's phoenix qualities and heat make her who she is. And I won't ever apologize for that. More than that, his swearing is an extension of his psyche. When things are working for him, his swearing lessens. Not through any conscious decision he makes (except under certain circumstances which make sense when you read the books), but because the happier he is, the less frustrated he is and frustration (and sorrow) are what make him swear. The particular teaser in question is taken from a time when he has just found out the worst of the worst possible information. Some people would beg for ignorance when it came to facing the levels of pain he's dealing with, but he welcomes in the pain because he knows that the truth will lead him to the things he wants.
That said, maybe the word fuck offends you. If so, that's your prerogative and you have every right to your opinion and also to stay away from books that use the word. What you don't have a right to do is lessen someone else's value by saying that the inclusion of the words fuck, shit, dick, pussy, or even cunt (and I dislike that word so it's probably one of the few times you'll ever see me type it) makes their novel somehow irrelevant and unworthy because they use a word you don't personally agree with. Who doesn't like shouting a hearty FUCK! when they stub their little toe against a door jam (because seriously, that shit bloody hurts!)?
That probably came out a little more guns blazing in defense of Declan than I intended it to. It was meant to be a defense of all words. Words are power after all. Anyone who claims a superiority in writing should know that better than anyone. I say get offended by words that are offensive. Words that are used to hurt groups of people, not the words that you personally don't like.
More than that, don't use your words, your power, to belittle other authors or their readers. Because that's the thing that annoyed me the most about the insinuation that swear words somehow lessen the intelligence of a work of fiction. It isn't the fact that it's insulting me and my characters, but that it's insulting my readers.
And you know what, that's an insult I just won't bear.
Finally, just because I really do like the versatility of the word, let's have a grammar lesson, shall we?
August 27, 2015
Decide is LIVE
DECIDE
Declan Reede: The Untold Story
Strap in, get ready to start your engines and see where it all began.
From an early age, Declan Reede’s only goal was to race in the ProV8 Championship Series. One thing he couldn’t anticipate was that a blistering kiss shared with his best friend, Alyssa Dawson, might derail his plans.
While he knows things between them will never be the same, it’s impossible to predict just where the road will take them, or how rocky it might get.
Will he decide to fight for love or follow his dreams?
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Release Date: 27th August 2015
Cover Artist: Soxsationalcoverart
Principal photography by: NSP Studios
Cover models: Ashleigh Johnson and Jarah Armstrong.
Pre-order the introduction novella now for the special price of 99c
Just 99c until 31st August. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0121AKHZY/h...
Add to your Goodreads want to read list here:
TEASERS
EXCERPTOnce we were alone on our way to school, she glanced down at our joined hands and then back up at me. Her wide smile and bright eyes told me she was feeling the same warm feelings I was. “Hey, boyfriend,” she said as she gave my hand a squeeze. The shit-eating grin lifted my cheeks again. “Hi yourself, girlfriend.” “We probably shouldn’t play hooky today, should we?” Without releasing my hand, she sped up a little before turning to walk backwards so that she could meet my eyes. I thought about the day we could have if we did and ached to say yes. “We probably shouldn’t. It’s probably a better idea to prove we’re going to be responsible even if we’re a couple.”“Hmm, couple. I like the sound of it.” She turned around again, resting her head against my arm as we walked.I dropped her hand and wrapped my arm around her shoulders. “Maybe we can still be responsible if we’re a little late though?” she asked. “Maybe. Why? What do you have in mind?” She dragged me in the direction of the park where we’d played cards the day before—the park which had been “ours” for as long as I could remember and where everything had changed. “Well, our first date was cut a little short, don’t you think?” The ghost of her lips tracing over mine filled my mind, together with the memory of her tongue tangling with my own. “Definitely,” I said, unable to keep the lust and desire from my voice. We walked in silence until we arrived at our park. Without any verbal agreement, we made our way toward the table we’d claimed as our spot years earlier. Alyssa sat on the bench and I took my usual place perched behind her on the table. I placed my legs on either side of her body and leaned my chin on the top of her head. It was a position we’d sat in hundreds of times before as we chatted about anything and everything. Only, this time it was different. Neither of us spoke, which had never really happened before. The silence around us was almost maddening; the only sound, our matching breaths. “So—” we both said at the same time, before stopping at the same time. “You go—” Again our voices were almost perfectly in sync. I chuckled as she turned around and knelt on the bench to look at me. I helped her up onto the table beside me and just looked at her for a moment. Her lips called to me, and I wanted to kiss her, longed to with every part of me, but I didn’t know if I should. I didn’t want kissing to be the only thing we had. There was so much more that I liked about her and none of those things had changed. Yet it was still different. Everything was different. “Don’t hate me for asking, but is this weird as hell for you too?” she asked.My relief that I wasn’t the only one who was feeling the new, odd atmosphere surrounding us escaped in a quiet laugh. “Soweird.” “It shouldn’t be though, should it?” “No. I mean, we’re still us, right?” She practically leapt in place. “Right!” “We’re still friends,” I added. “We always will be.” “Exactly. We’re just friends that kiss now.” As she said the words, my gaze was drawn to her bright pink lip gloss. I licked my lips. “Friends that kiss a lot?” “If you’re lucky.” I trailed my hands into her hair, drawing her face slowly closer to mine. “Am I?”“I don’t know,” she whispered. Her lips were so close to mine that I could feel her breath on my skin. “I’m starting to think that maybe I’m the lucky one.”
GIVEAWAY AND PARTY
a Rafflecopter giveaway
AUTHOR BIO
Michelle Irwin has been many things in her life: a hobbit taking a precious item to a fiery mountain; a young child stepping through the back of a wardrobe into another land; the last human stranded not-quite-alone in space three million years in the future; a young girl willing to fight for the love of a vampire; and a time-travelling madman in a box. She achieved all of these feats and many more through her voracious reading habit. Eventually, so much reading had to have an effect and the cast of characters inside her mind took over and spilled out onto the page.
Michelle lives in sunny Queensland in the land down under with her surprisingly patient husband and ever-intriguing daughter, carving out precious moments of writing and reading time around her accounts-based day job. A lover of love and overcoming the odds, she primarily writes paranormal and fantasy romance.
You can find Michelle here:
Declan Reede: The Untold StoryStrap in, get ready to start your engines and see where it all began.
From an early age, Declan Reede’s only goal was to race in the ProV8 Championship Series. One thing he couldn’t anticipate was that a blistering kiss shared with his best friend, Alyssa Dawson, might derail his plans.
While he knows things between them will never be the same, it’s impossible to predict just where the road will take them, or how rocky it might get.
Will he decide to fight for love or follow his dreams?
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Release Date: 27th August 2015
Cover Artist: Soxsationalcoverart
Principal photography by: NSP Studios
Cover models: Ashleigh Johnson and Jarah Armstrong.
Pre-order the introduction novella now for the special price of 99c
Just 99c until 31st August. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0121AKHZY/h...
Add to your Goodreads want to read list here:
TEASERS
EXCERPTOnce we were alone on our way to school, she glanced down at our joined hands and then back up at me. Her wide smile and bright eyes told me she was feeling the same warm feelings I was. “Hey, boyfriend,” she said as she gave my hand a squeeze. The shit-eating grin lifted my cheeks again. “Hi yourself, girlfriend.” “We probably shouldn’t play hooky today, should we?” Without releasing my hand, she sped up a little before turning to walk backwards so that she could meet my eyes. I thought about the day we could have if we did and ached to say yes. “We probably shouldn’t. It’s probably a better idea to prove we’re going to be responsible even if we’re a couple.”“Hmm, couple. I like the sound of it.” She turned around again, resting her head against my arm as we walked.I dropped her hand and wrapped my arm around her shoulders. “Maybe we can still be responsible if we’re a little late though?” she asked. “Maybe. Why? What do you have in mind?” She dragged me in the direction of the park where we’d played cards the day before—the park which had been “ours” for as long as I could remember and where everything had changed. “Well, our first date was cut a little short, don’t you think?” The ghost of her lips tracing over mine filled my mind, together with the memory of her tongue tangling with my own. “Definitely,” I said, unable to keep the lust and desire from my voice. We walked in silence until we arrived at our park. Without any verbal agreement, we made our way toward the table we’d claimed as our spot years earlier. Alyssa sat on the bench and I took my usual place perched behind her on the table. I placed my legs on either side of her body and leaned my chin on the top of her head. It was a position we’d sat in hundreds of times before as we chatted about anything and everything. Only, this time it was different. Neither of us spoke, which had never really happened before. The silence around us was almost maddening; the only sound, our matching breaths. “So—” we both said at the same time, before stopping at the same time. “You go—” Again our voices were almost perfectly in sync. I chuckled as she turned around and knelt on the bench to look at me. I helped her up onto the table beside me and just looked at her for a moment. Her lips called to me, and I wanted to kiss her, longed to with every part of me, but I didn’t know if I should. I didn’t want kissing to be the only thing we had. There was so much more that I liked about her and none of those things had changed. Yet it was still different. Everything was different. “Don’t hate me for asking, but is this weird as hell for you too?” she asked.My relief that I wasn’t the only one who was feeling the new, odd atmosphere surrounding us escaped in a quiet laugh. “Soweird.” “It shouldn’t be though, should it?” “No. I mean, we’re still us, right?” She practically leapt in place. “Right!” “We’re still friends,” I added. “We always will be.” “Exactly. We’re just friends that kiss now.” As she said the words, my gaze was drawn to her bright pink lip gloss. I licked my lips. “Friends that kiss a lot?” “If you’re lucky.” I trailed my hands into her hair, drawing her face slowly closer to mine. “Am I?”“I don’t know,” she whispered. Her lips were so close to mine that I could feel her breath on my skin. “I’m starting to think that maybe I’m the lucky one.”
GIVEAWAY AND PARTY
a Rafflecopter giveaway
AUTHOR BIO
Michelle Irwin has been many things in her life: a hobbit taking a precious item to a fiery mountain; a young child stepping through the back of a wardrobe into another land; the last human stranded not-quite-alone in space three million years in the future; a young girl willing to fight for the love of a vampire; and a time-travelling madman in a box. She achieved all of these feats and many more through her voracious reading habit. Eventually, so much reading had to have an effect and the cast of characters inside her mind took over and spilled out onto the page.Michelle lives in sunny Queensland in the land down under with her surprisingly patient husband and ever-intriguing daughter, carving out precious moments of writing and reading time around her accounts-based day job. A lover of love and overcoming the odds, she primarily writes paranormal and fantasy romance.
You can find Michelle here:
August 15, 2015
Decide Teasers and Excerpt
CHAPTER 1:
OUR KISS WAS soft and slow. It was warm and welcoming. Alyssa tasted absolutely divine as our lips dragged across one another’s in a perfect melding. The scent of the crushed grass around us provided the backdrop to our surprise first kiss in the hot December sun. I knew if I opened my eyes, I would see the unbelievable image of her body pinned beneath me while I kissed her until we were both breathless. No doubt her hair would be fanned out behind her, rich deep brown against the green ground. I didn’t want to open my eyes though, because it would only ruin the moment. She hummed against me as one of my hands found its way to the base of her neck, twisting gently into her hair. She cupped my face before fisting her fingers into my hair and tugged slightly, pulling me closer to her. I opened my mouth in response, granting her tongue access to explore. Every swirl of her tongue or shift of her fingers was done in a way that I was certain was designed to drive me mad. Each touch drew a new sound from me, one I’d never made before, or had even known I could make. The kiss was passionate and fuelled by desire. It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. In the instant it had started, I knew I’d never really kissed anyone before. Not properly. Not like this. I’d wanted to. Just three days earlier, I’d been half mad with desire for Darcy Kinsley. I’d been obsessed in the way only a fifteen-year-old boy could be. I’d imagined having my tongue in her mouth and her boobs in my palms. All thoughts of her had been completely obliterated by one kiss. The fact that I was sharing it with Alyssa was more than I could have ever imagined. She’d been my best friend for years, but maybe not anymore. I pulled away a fraction and met her honey-gold eyes. Her breath brushed across my mouth, and my tongue trailed forward to slick my lips in response. My gaze refused to move from hers despite the call of her lips. A quiver ran through my body and my heart pounded against my ribs. My voice held almost no volume, was just a breathless whisper as I uttered the only word running through my head. “Wow.”“Yeah,” she breathed back. Closing my eyes, I tipped forward and touched my lips to hers again. The instant we reconnected, a throaty groan escaped from her and she opened her lips for me once more. The action made my stomach clench and sent chain reactions echoing down my body. I was so completely lost in her—in us—that I didn’t hear anyone approaching. “Declan? Alyssa!” I jolted at the sound of my name. Alyssa chuckled against my lips. The feel of her shifting beneath me sent a surge of whatever new emotion I was feeling through me. My heart clenched, my stomach fluttered, and my lips burned with the need to touch hers again. Unable to resist, I renewed my attack on her mouth. “Seriously?” A tone of disgust rang in Josh’s voice. Although I was tempted to ignore Alyssa’s older brother and just keep kissing her, she seemed less than comfortable with continuing our PDA in front of him. She placed her hands on my shoulders and gently pushed me away. Despite the movement, a dreamy smile lit her face and I could see she had no regrets—even after being caught in the act. After pulling myself up into a seated position, I offered my hand to help her up too. We sat cross-legged, facing each other. My hands played with her long locks, twisting the dark ends around my fingers as I studied her gaze, looking for any signs of what might happen next. I refused to relinquish my hold on her completely though, or break the moment so soon, because I wasn’t sure I’d get the chance to do it ever again.“What the hell are you two doing?” Josh asked. I risked a quick glance at him, and then around the park we were in. Scattered around us was half a deck of cards. The other half had been blown across the park by the wind while we’d been otherwise occupied. Totally worth it, I thought to myself as Alyssa’s tongue stroked her lip before she offered me a small, shy smile. The kiss was obviously playing through her mind again, just like it looped through mine. “Strike that,” Josh said. “I really don’t want to know.”In the moments before the kiss, we’d been playing snap with that deck of cards. I’d accused her of cheating, mostly because she always did. About four months earlier, she’d found ways to use her boobs to distract me when she had a match. My accusation had led to a tickle fight—as it usually did. Which had somehow led to that kiss—which had never happened before. Although I’d had growing desires for something similar for a while.When I met Alyssa’s gaze again, the realisation that with one little kiss everything had changed struck with more ferocity. From that moment on, everything would be different. It had to be. There would always be the time before we’d kissed and the time after. I had no clue what that might mean for our friendship though. If things went badly, it could end nine years of being there for each other. Nine years of sharing everything with each other. Homework, dreams, desires. Everything. There wasn’t a single detail of our lives we’d kept hidden from each other. Well, aside from my growing affection for her. I’d kept that secret because I’d thought that any relationship between us was off-limits. Still, she’d told me all about her first kiss with Blake. “Disgusting and slobbery,” were the words she’d used to describe it. I only hoped I’d done a better job than he had.In return, she knew about the many times I’d been rebuffed by Darcy Kinsley. Only days before, I’d spent half an hour whining to Alyssa about my continuing heartache over Darcy, and the fact that the blonde bombshell still didn’t know I existed. Even then, I’d cared less about Darcy than I let on. Instead, it was the desire that had been growing second-by-second for my best friend which had overtaken my mind.
~ 0 ~
Pre-order Decide now for only 99c http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0121AKHZY/h...
Add to your Goodreads want to read list here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
~ 0 ~
OUR KISS WAS soft and slow. It was warm and welcoming. Alyssa tasted absolutely divine as our lips dragged across one another’s in a perfect melding. The scent of the crushed grass around us provided the backdrop to our surprise first kiss in the hot December sun. I knew if I opened my eyes, I would see the unbelievable image of her body pinned beneath me while I kissed her until we were both breathless. No doubt her hair would be fanned out behind her, rich deep brown against the green ground. I didn’t want to open my eyes though, because it would only ruin the moment. She hummed against me as one of my hands found its way to the base of her neck, twisting gently into her hair. She cupped my face before fisting her fingers into my hair and tugged slightly, pulling me closer to her. I opened my mouth in response, granting her tongue access to explore. Every swirl of her tongue or shift of her fingers was done in a way that I was certain was designed to drive me mad. Each touch drew a new sound from me, one I’d never made before, or had even known I could make. The kiss was passionate and fuelled by desire. It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. In the instant it had started, I knew I’d never really kissed anyone before. Not properly. Not like this. I’d wanted to. Just three days earlier, I’d been half mad with desire for Darcy Kinsley. I’d been obsessed in the way only a fifteen-year-old boy could be. I’d imagined having my tongue in her mouth and her boobs in my palms. All thoughts of her had been completely obliterated by one kiss. The fact that I was sharing it with Alyssa was more than I could have ever imagined. She’d been my best friend for years, but maybe not anymore. I pulled away a fraction and met her honey-gold eyes. Her breath brushed across my mouth, and my tongue trailed forward to slick my lips in response. My gaze refused to move from hers despite the call of her lips. A quiver ran through my body and my heart pounded against my ribs. My voice held almost no volume, was just a breathless whisper as I uttered the only word running through my head. “Wow.”“Yeah,” she breathed back. Closing my eyes, I tipped forward and touched my lips to hers again. The instant we reconnected, a throaty groan escaped from her and she opened her lips for me once more. The action made my stomach clench and sent chain reactions echoing down my body. I was so completely lost in her—in us—that I didn’t hear anyone approaching. “Declan? Alyssa!” I jolted at the sound of my name. Alyssa chuckled against my lips. The feel of her shifting beneath me sent a surge of whatever new emotion I was feeling through me. My heart clenched, my stomach fluttered, and my lips burned with the need to touch hers again. Unable to resist, I renewed my attack on her mouth. “Seriously?” A tone of disgust rang in Josh’s voice. Although I was tempted to ignore Alyssa’s older brother and just keep kissing her, she seemed less than comfortable with continuing our PDA in front of him. She placed her hands on my shoulders and gently pushed me away. Despite the movement, a dreamy smile lit her face and I could see she had no regrets—even after being caught in the act. After pulling myself up into a seated position, I offered my hand to help her up too. We sat cross-legged, facing each other. My hands played with her long locks, twisting the dark ends around my fingers as I studied her gaze, looking for any signs of what might happen next. I refused to relinquish my hold on her completely though, or break the moment so soon, because I wasn’t sure I’d get the chance to do it ever again.“What the hell are you two doing?” Josh asked. I risked a quick glance at him, and then around the park we were in. Scattered around us was half a deck of cards. The other half had been blown across the park by the wind while we’d been otherwise occupied. Totally worth it, I thought to myself as Alyssa’s tongue stroked her lip before she offered me a small, shy smile. The kiss was obviously playing through her mind again, just like it looped through mine. “Strike that,” Josh said. “I really don’t want to know.”In the moments before the kiss, we’d been playing snap with that deck of cards. I’d accused her of cheating, mostly because she always did. About four months earlier, she’d found ways to use her boobs to distract me when she had a match. My accusation had led to a tickle fight—as it usually did. Which had somehow led to that kiss—which had never happened before. Although I’d had growing desires for something similar for a while.When I met Alyssa’s gaze again, the realisation that with one little kiss everything had changed struck with more ferocity. From that moment on, everything would be different. It had to be. There would always be the time before we’d kissed and the time after. I had no clue what that might mean for our friendship though. If things went badly, it could end nine years of being there for each other. Nine years of sharing everything with each other. Homework, dreams, desires. Everything. There wasn’t a single detail of our lives we’d kept hidden from each other. Well, aside from my growing affection for her. I’d kept that secret because I’d thought that any relationship between us was off-limits. Still, she’d told me all about her first kiss with Blake. “Disgusting and slobbery,” were the words she’d used to describe it. I only hoped I’d done a better job than he had.In return, she knew about the many times I’d been rebuffed by Darcy Kinsley. Only days before, I’d spent half an hour whining to Alyssa about my continuing heartache over Darcy, and the fact that the blonde bombshell still didn’t know I existed. Even then, I’d cared less about Darcy than I let on. Instead, it was the desire that had been growing second-by-second for my best friend which had overtaken my mind.
~ 0 ~
Pre-order Decide now for only 99c http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0121AKHZY/h...
Add to your Goodreads want to read list here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
~ 0 ~
What's in a name?
So yesterday, I threw out a little fun request for some inspiration for names for some characters in a newly conceived book idea. On that post, a self-confessed character-creation expert popped in to give some ideas on what needs to be done to come up with character names. His suggestions were mostly part of the process I use (albeit mostly intuitively) to land on a final name. While I didn't specifically need the things he was suggesting at that point, his statements were mostly valid (at least on the methods of settling on a name - but I'll get onto the rest in a minute). Long story short, the thread went on a little longer than I was initially involved in and one of my fans stepped in to basically tell him to back off. This all happened while I was sleeping. This morning, I woke up, saw what had happened and drafted up a reply. When I went to post, the thread was gone. However, reading back over my reply, I decided there were points that I wanted to make that might be interesting to people. Points about how I name characters and why I put the request out with deliberately very little information.
I want to add quickly before I go on, that I'm not coming down on the side of either party. On one hand, the advice given might have been very helpful to a new author. On the other, it was possible to read it as being condescending, especially with the same information stated in different ways, and it could be read as implying I don't care about my characters. That doesn't mean that's how it was intended to be read or that it wasn't intended to be completely helpful. If something can be read in a negative way though, it's not unreasonable for a liker on an author fan page to say something. That's the fun and frustrating thing about the internet, emails, and text messages, they can all be easily misinterpreted. Take away context, tone, and unspoken language cues and you're left with bare words open for misinterpretation. Always remember:
So naming characters, and why I put the request out with little information.
The thing is, I have a number of books already released. The release of Decide in a few weeks will mark my 6th stand alone piece, plus I have two pieces in anthologies. On top of that, and a large part of the reason I can publish so quickly, is that I have a stack more waiting in the wings to be edited. Specifically, I have six completed novels, waiting in the queue, plus five partial wips which range from 1/4 to 3/4 complete. That's on top of the myriad of ideas I've got jotted down all over the place for new stories. Some of these ideas have named characters, some don't.
Of those books that are either completed or significantly completed, every name of every main character has been researched and selected with care. Not only to ensure that it sound right to me (and the character agrees), but usually it has a textured hidden meaning or two. Note: there might be some slight spoilers below, but nothing that will give away the overall plot of any books.
Depending on where you go to look, Declan means troubled or full of goodness. That pretty much sums Declan up. Plus, it sounds like a cool enough name for a race car driver. Plus it has Irish callbacks that mimic the characters heritage. Morgan, one of the driver's Declan works with, is a bit of a surfer-looking Aussie dude, and Morgan means bright sea. Alyssa, Declan's heroine, means not-insane. That comes into play within the books.
Evie and Clay are a play on Adam and Eve, the first couple and the original sin, as well as a significance to their names separate from that. Evie's full name is Evelyn, which means wished-for child, which has significance to her father because although he didn't expect to have a daughter, she held him together during the hardest months of his life. Evie's nickname means Life. Pretty apt name for a phoenix. Evie's mother's name, Emily, means striving. She tried for a better life for herself and her husband. David, Evie's father's name, means beloved. He was Emily's beloved. Plus his character is based off David Tennant, so double plus there LOL.
Aiden has a name with Celtic roots because the fairy courts he lives in are based on Celtic legends of fae/fair folk. Kieran means black and has Irish roots. Even though he is only a minor character, that name has a deeper meaning in context of what he is and what he does.
That's just a fraction of my characters.
The reason I put the post out, is that the pool of names I've already used is quite substantial. At this point, I'm left with sitting in front of a random name generator, which I might do if nothing leaps out at me in the list on the post or ask for the help of my likers. I know which one I'd prefer. Plus, there's a thrill knowing that you helped name a character.
But that doesn't mean I don't use techniques similar to what was listed in the thread. I consider the name, the age, the background (e.g. US versuses Aussie are going to have different names).
Now as for the reason I deliberately put it out with little information (besides that it's a New Adult novel, therefore people ages 18-25). The are actually a couple. First, for some readers, they just want to suggest a name. They don't necessarily want to lift the curtain and find out how the process works.
If you do want the curtain lifted more than it already has been, sorry to say but there isn't always one hard and fast way that always works lol. One thing I learned a long time ago is that characters will do what they will. Some will come with a name and description fully in place. Others are a sketch, a particular catch-phrase or saying. The best way I can describe it is a jigsaw puzzle. Sometimes, it's easiest to start with the pieces on the outside and work inwards. Other times, there is a certain part of the picture that is easiest to put together and then the rest in filled in around that. And yet other times again, it's a combination of the two.
One thing is a fact though. To me, my characters are never merely a product of their background facts. They are living, breathing...complaining people in my head who each have their own chosen way to let me know their name.
Now to the one part of the conversation that I didn't agree with. In the comments, it was suggested that it was a naming competition. It's not, not really. To me, competition implies that there *must* be a winner, which is definitely not the case here. If I don't find a name that 'speaks' to me in the list, I'll keep searching for one that does. I've simply said in my post that if someone is to suggest the winning name, I'll gift them an ebook. Which I don't think is an unreasonable way of saying thank you for someone's assistance. I'm sorry if that disappoints anyone.
I want to add quickly before I go on, that I'm not coming down on the side of either party. On one hand, the advice given might have been very helpful to a new author. On the other, it was possible to read it as being condescending, especially with the same information stated in different ways, and it could be read as implying I don't care about my characters. That doesn't mean that's how it was intended to be read or that it wasn't intended to be completely helpful. If something can be read in a negative way though, it's not unreasonable for a liker on an author fan page to say something. That's the fun and frustrating thing about the internet, emails, and text messages, they can all be easily misinterpreted. Take away context, tone, and unspoken language cues and you're left with bare words open for misinterpretation. Always remember:
So naming characters, and why I put the request out with little information.
The thing is, I have a number of books already released. The release of Decide in a few weeks will mark my 6th stand alone piece, plus I have two pieces in anthologies. On top of that, and a large part of the reason I can publish so quickly, is that I have a stack more waiting in the wings to be edited. Specifically, I have six completed novels, waiting in the queue, plus five partial wips which range from 1/4 to 3/4 complete. That's on top of the myriad of ideas I've got jotted down all over the place for new stories. Some of these ideas have named characters, some don't.
Of those books that are either completed or significantly completed, every name of every main character has been researched and selected with care. Not only to ensure that it sound right to me (and the character agrees), but usually it has a textured hidden meaning or two. Note: there might be some slight spoilers below, but nothing that will give away the overall plot of any books.
Depending on where you go to look, Declan means troubled or full of goodness. That pretty much sums Declan up. Plus, it sounds like a cool enough name for a race car driver. Plus it has Irish callbacks that mimic the characters heritage. Morgan, one of the driver's Declan works with, is a bit of a surfer-looking Aussie dude, and Morgan means bright sea. Alyssa, Declan's heroine, means not-insane. That comes into play within the books.
Evie and Clay are a play on Adam and Eve, the first couple and the original sin, as well as a significance to their names separate from that. Evie's full name is Evelyn, which means wished-for child, which has significance to her father because although he didn't expect to have a daughter, she held him together during the hardest months of his life. Evie's nickname means Life. Pretty apt name for a phoenix. Evie's mother's name, Emily, means striving. She tried for a better life for herself and her husband. David, Evie's father's name, means beloved. He was Emily's beloved. Plus his character is based off David Tennant, so double plus there LOL.
Aiden has a name with Celtic roots because the fairy courts he lives in are based on Celtic legends of fae/fair folk. Kieran means black and has Irish roots. Even though he is only a minor character, that name has a deeper meaning in context of what he is and what he does.
That's just a fraction of my characters.
The reason I put the post out, is that the pool of names I've already used is quite substantial. At this point, I'm left with sitting in front of a random name generator, which I might do if nothing leaps out at me in the list on the post or ask for the help of my likers. I know which one I'd prefer. Plus, there's a thrill knowing that you helped name a character.
But that doesn't mean I don't use techniques similar to what was listed in the thread. I consider the name, the age, the background (e.g. US versuses Aussie are going to have different names).
Now as for the reason I deliberately put it out with little information (besides that it's a New Adult novel, therefore people ages 18-25). The are actually a couple. First, for some readers, they just want to suggest a name. They don't necessarily want to lift the curtain and find out how the process works.
If you do want the curtain lifted more than it already has been, sorry to say but there isn't always one hard and fast way that always works lol. One thing I learned a long time ago is that characters will do what they will. Some will come with a name and description fully in place. Others are a sketch, a particular catch-phrase or saying. The best way I can describe it is a jigsaw puzzle. Sometimes, it's easiest to start with the pieces on the outside and work inwards. Other times, there is a certain part of the picture that is easiest to put together and then the rest in filled in around that. And yet other times again, it's a combination of the two.
One thing is a fact though. To me, my characters are never merely a product of their background facts. They are living, breathing...complaining people in my head who each have their own chosen way to let me know their name.
Now to the one part of the conversation that I didn't agree with. In the comments, it was suggested that it was a naming competition. It's not, not really. To me, competition implies that there *must* be a winner, which is definitely not the case here. If I don't find a name that 'speaks' to me in the list, I'll keep searching for one that does. I've simply said in my post that if someone is to suggest the winning name, I'll gift them an ebook. Which I don't think is an unreasonable way of saying thank you for someone's assistance. I'm sorry if that disappoints anyone.
Write On Shell
My random thoughts as I take the first tentative steps into the world of a published author.
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