Michelle Irwin's Blog: Write On Shell, page 4

Liberated by Laura Miller Cover Reveal

Cover Design Cover by Charlene Raddon of Cover-Ops http://cover-ops.blogspot.com
BLURB:  This book is a biography of a woman I have loved and admired for the whole of my life. In December 1944 a German family of seven were captured and convicted of war crimes for harbouring Jews. I have known this story for most of my life. In the twilight of her years, this lady has decided that it is time for her story to be told, so it will be recorded for future generations. The woman and her sister were interned in Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp until Liberation on 13 April 1945. This is a true account of her experience.
EXCERPT:Hanover, Lower Saxony GERMANY 1939 The house looked the same as every other dwelling in the street. Two story, attached, weathered stone. There were three bedrooms and a bathroom with indoor plumbing upstairs. An attic, where family treasures were hidden, could only be accessed through a removable panel in the ceiling of the main bedroom closet. Downstairs was a small but adequate dine in kitchen, a sitting room and a storeroom. Inside the storeroom was a staircase which led down to a basement. The house sat opposite the banks of the Leine River. It was home to Inga Albine and her family. She had one older sister, two older brothers and one younger brother. They loved summer when they could swim and play in the water. Inga’s father, Adaulfo, was a well-known and successful Banker. An unusual occupation for an Aryan as most Bankers were Jewish. Inga’s mother, Alisz, was a talented seamstress but with her husband being more than capable of providing for the family, sewing was a hobby rather than a chore. Although sewing gave her a great deal of joy, her first love was her family. She adored being with her children. Being only children, both Alisz and Adaulfo had always dreamed of having a large family. Their dream had come true. They had five healthy children, blonde haired, blue eyed. Perfect Aryans in Adolf Hitler’s eyes. Klaus, 18, Manfred 17, Elke 15, Inga 13 and Oskar 8. The girls and Oskar attended private school while the two older boys studied Engineering. They all played the violin and with the exception of Oskar, they played very well. Neighbours often praised Adaulfo and Alisz on how polite and well-mannered all five children were. The family were prominent in the local community. They never hesitated to help people who were less fortunate than themselves. That was to be their downfall….. GENRE: Non-Fiction, Historical, True Life

TEASERS


BIO:Laura is a middle aged lady who was born in England. She has a compassionate nature, a great sense of humor and is a loyal friend. She also has an insatiable love of history. Growing up, Laura would spend hours with a member of her family who she loved dearly. Over the years she was told the story of how this amazing lady had suffered at the hands of the Gestapo and German SS. Laura had always had a strong desire to write. She felt a responsibility to record the story as a part of her family history. Links: Author Page: TBA Pre Order Links: Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon AU Amazon CA Email: millerlaura1955@gmail.com Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010043828277 Twitter: https://twitter.com/Laura1955Miller

MORE Trilogy Boxed Set!

For the first time, T.M. Franklin's action-packed MORE Trilogy is available as ONE combined volume. And for a limited time, you can grab ALL THREE books for only $.99!
Ava Michaels used to think she was special.As a child, she fantasized about having magical powers . . . making things happen. But Ava grew up and eventually accepted the fact that her childish dreams were just that, and maybe a normal life wasn't so bad after all.Now a young college student, Ava meets Caleb Foster, a brilliant and mysterious man who's supposed to help her pass physics, but in reality has another mission in mind. What he shows Ava challenges her view of the world, shaking it to its very core.Because Caleb isn't quite what he seems. In fact, he's not entirely human, and he's not the only one.Together, the duo faces a threat from an ancient race bound to protect humans, but only after protecting their own secrets--secrets they fear Ava may expose. Fighting to survive, Ava soon learns she's not actually normal . . . she's not even just special.She's a little bit more.

The Complete Young Adult Fantasy Adventure - For One Low Price! Available in all eBook formats and paperback. Note: Sale is not on all platforms - check prices before you order! Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon Canada | Amazon Australia | TWCS | Kobo | iTunes | Barnes & Noble As Featured on USA Today
Enter now for the chance to win a signed paperback copy of the trilogy, a $10 Amazon gift card, and other fun prizes!a Rafflecopter giveaway
T.M. Franklin writes stories of adventure, romance, & a little magic. A former TV news producer, she decided making stuff up was more fun than reporting the facts. Her first published novel, MORE, was born during National Novel Writing month, a challenge to write a novel in thirty days. MORE was well-received, being selected as a finalist in the 2013 Kindle Book Review Best Indie Book Awards, as well as winning the Suspense/Thriller division of the Blogger Book Fair Reader's Choice Awards. She's since written three additional novels and several best-selling short stories...and there's always more on the way.Connect with T.M. Franklin
Web Site | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Amazon | Google+ | Goodreads

Decide Cover Reveal

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 

Add to your Goodreads want to read list here: 



TEASERS

  


PAPERBACK



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: 

Give Us Your Best Paranormal Excerpt

So, I stumbled across this concept a little while ago and thought it was an excellent idea and didn't even think twice before signing up. This is a blog-hop with a very specific theme. Each of the blogs are posting an excerpt of a paranormal romance piece. Some are works in progress, some are published books. Me, I decided to share an excerpt of Through the Fire to celebrate the current 99c sale and the release of the second book in the series, Rise from Ash .

If you want to check out the rest of the excerpts, you can check out the list here:


Without further ado, I give you my excerpt of Through the Fire:

~ 0 ~ 
I was partly expecting the cab to pull up in front of a dilapidated warehouse like the one he’d stayed in while we were in Charlotte, but instead we stopped in front of a beautiful Sheraton. The lobby was housed in a separate colonial style building with massive arched windows that faced the road. A warm yellow light flooded out through the wide openings, casting a glow over the perfectly manicured gardens.“Wow!” I exclaimed quietly.The rest of the hotel rose from behind the front building, but it mostly blended into the inky night sky.“You like it?” Clay asked.“Like it? It’s beautiful.” I didn’t even bother to ask how much a room cost per night, because it was likely to be more than I could afford—especially after wasting precious funds on the other expensive room that would no longer see any use. I had no idea where Clay got the money for it, but then again when he’d left me in Charlotte, he’d left a few thousand with me as if it meant nothing.“Then let’s head inside,” Clay said before throwing some money at the driver. By the time we were safely ensconced in the hotel elevator, my feet were aching and my body was tense from excess energy. I rested against the mirrored wall and closed my eyes to try to recover from the massive shift that had occurred in my life over the last twenty-four hours. When I opened my eyes, he was watching me carefully.“I have something to admit,” he said when he realized I was looking at him.“What’s that?”“It’s silly, but I booked this room with the hope that you’d be with me tonight.”“Why’s that silly?”“I hoped I could make good on a promise I made to you a long time ago.” His mouth broke into a wicked grin, but he refused to say anything more.The elevator opened before I had a chance to coerce anything more out of him.Once he’d led me to our room, I slipped off my shoes as I surreptitiously watched Clay’s movement.“Home sweet home,” he said.The words caused a grin to spread over my lips. I still couldn’t believe I was back with him again. It seemed surreal that against all odds I’d found him and, more miraculously, that he still cared for me. It was enough to make me deliriously happy. Although I did have some pressing concerns.“Why are we waiting here anyway?” I asked. We’d only traveled as far as Wakefield—far too close to the action for my liking.He stretched his neck from side to side before sliding off his jacket and hanging it over the back of a chair. As he moved, his white business shirt pulled taut across the sinuous muscles that ran across his back. Each of them rippled when he rolled his shoulders and neck. It was clear in the way he moved that he had as much tension roiling through his body as I felt twisting around mine.I was ready to push all the questions and concerns out of my mind and run my fingertips over each of the tiny muscles on his neck. Or maybe my tongue.Clay stopped the progression of my thoughts into actions when he answered my question. “As soon as they discover I’ve gone, they’ll go through the security tapes. It won’t take them long to realize you’re not as dead as they thought. When they work that out, they’ll expect us to run,” he said.His reached his arm behind him; the flex of his biceps made me clench my thighs together. I longed to have his arms around me again, to have him pull me close and hold me tightly with his new strength.“By the time they’ve figured out that we didn’t leave tonight,” he continued. “We’ll be long gone in the opposite direction. It will give us a better head start.”It was only when I realized what he was reaching for that my focus shifted to the handgun, tucked into a holster, that rested low on his back. The sight both terrified and comforted me. Between the muscles that now formed his hardened body and the piece he carried, I was certain he was more than strong enough to protect me. He pulled the gun from the holster, an action that would have terrified me if anyone else had done it, but I felt inextricably safe with Clay.As he set the gun on the table, I wondered how often he’d had to use it. I decided against asking—I wasn’t sure that I actually wanted to know. I was certain the number was higher than I could fathom. I tried to ignore the thought. I trusted Clay with my safety.He turned back toward me, catching my gaze and offering me a quizzical expression in response to something he saw.“You’re certain about that?” I asked, wanting to confirm that we were safe before turning myself over to the other needs that his actions had inadvertently sparked.Reluctantly, I turned away from him, knowing that if I didn’t we’d never finish our conversation. I pulled off the wig he’d given me to wear. Releasing my hair from its ponytail, I tousled it with my fingers to make me feel a little more like myself again.“I’m sure. Besides, we’ll be safe tonight. They’ll be too busy with the gathering to worry about us.”A feeling of dread filled the pit of my stomach, wiping away all the desire that had built a second earlier. I was somewhat relieved that Clay couldn’t see my expression because I was certain he’d find it offensive. “What will they do to them?”“They’ll do what the Rain always does—cleanse the world.”Even though his answer had been what I’d expected, a violent shudder ripped through me, and I wished I’d done more to tell the girls in the bathroom to run. I spun back toward him as the dread twisted to something stronger. I jutted my chin out. “But that’s murder.”“Witches aren’t people, Evie,” he said, stepping closer to me with a sad little smile.Even though I knew he didn’t intend them for me, I bristled at his words. According to the Rain, I fell into that category too. Was I “not people” to Clay as well? 

Author Spotlight - Rachel M Raithby

  Born
and raised in N.E.England before moving to New Zealand in 2008. Rachel
now lives in Queensland, Australia with her Husband, three Children and
Golden Labrador.She is the Paranormal Romance Author of The Deadwood
Hunter Series and YA Paranormal Author of Winter Wolf (A New Dawn Novel)

She hopes you love her characters as much as she does.



So whats been happening?  A lot! I've been busy. In May I was approached
by Skyscape publishing, the children's arm of Amazon publishing about
republishing WINTER WOLF, after negotiations I signed, and WINTER WOLF
will be republished in October. I can't wait to see it on bookshelves
and look forward to seeing where this new adventure takes me :-)

I've been writing a few books; WOLF DANCER (NICO & OLIVIA's  STORY) is
now finished and will be published after WINTER WOLF'S republish. I'm
also working on book 2 WOLF SIGHT (Cage's story)

My next release is a novella, (Release date: November 15th 2015)
which is part of a group author series called WOODLAND CREEK. I'm quite
excited about this project, the main characters Becca, and Aster, are
strong willed, and smart mouthed. Aster is a Minotaur, it's been
exciting working on a shifter, far grittier than my Wolves. This love
story is sure to be explosive, and full of red, hot, passion. Below is a
sneak peak. Enjoy!

[image error]  Release Date : November 15th 2015

website New Dawn Novels True love is powerful, but some people will go to any lengths to destroy it.Book 1 - Winter Wolf#BestSellingParanormal #YoungAdult

Goodreads 

Amazon US   | Amazon UK     |  Amazon AU   |  Amazon CA  |  Amazon FR  |  Amazon DERELEASE DATE TBA

Due to Winter Wolf being picked up by Skyskape Publishing Rachel has had to postpone the release of Wolf Dancer. THE DEADWOOD HUNTER SERIES #BestSellingParanormal #Adult

War is inevitable, the question is who will survive?

Lexia #Book1:

Lexia #Book1 Goodreads   eBook #FREE - Amazon US - UK - AU - CA - FR - DE |iBooks |  Kobo  | Barnes & Noble

Whispers of Darkness #Book2 Goodreads  Amazon US - UK - AU - CA  -FR - DE -

Barnes & Noble

Holocaust #Book3 Goodreads  Amazon US - UK - AU - CA  - FR - DE

Keep up to date with Rachel  Join Rachels Street Team



Twitter: @Rach1986UK | Facebook | FacebookPage

Goodreads | Amazon | Website

Google+ | Blog

Rise from Ash Release

  Rise from Ash(Book Two – Daughter of Fire series)Michelle Irwin
RELEASE BLITZ

Bottom Drawer Publications is proud to present Rise from Ash, book two in the New Adult Urban Fantasy series Daughter of Fire,
by Michelle Irwin



Book Details:
NovelGenre: New Adult Urban
Fantasy Romance224 pages – 92,300
words
Blurb
Love has cost Evie Meyers everything. Wounded and alone, she has no choice but to learn how to survive without becoming the monster she is thought to be by the man she loves.
When she discovers a cryptic message from that very man, Clay Jacobs, her mind is thrown into turmoil. It’s second nature for Evie to run, but there is no escaping the memories of their time together. While she is certain it’s a trap, she longs to discover the true meaning of his words. With
heart battling mind, her choices send her on a collision course with what was once lost, leaving her life hanging in the balance.

Can Evie rise from the ashes of her charred dreams, or will she burn in the attempt?.

Buy Links
BDP
Amazon
Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway

On Goodreads
On BookLikes





For
more information:
www.bottomdrawerpublications.net
info@bottomdrawerpublications.net

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:http://blog.michelle-irwin.com/

Rise from Ash Excerpt

I have a sneaky peek excerpt for you. Obviously there are spoilers for Through the Fire ahead, so if you still haven't read that one and don't want to be spoilered, don't read on.

Otherwise, have at it and enjoy! I hope it whets your appetite for things to come.

~ 0 ~ 

~ 0 ~
I shook myself awake with a scream, twisting in place as I struggled to reach Clay, even though he was somewhere hundreds of miles away—at least I hoped he was.Rolling onto my back, I sighed and stared up at the makeshift shelter surrounding me while I waited for my racing heart to slow. Despite the danger I was in, I couldn’t find the urgency I needed to pull myself out of my hideaway to check the area to ensure I was safe. Or that I was alone. With my tired body and aching head, all I could do was pray that the huge oak trees and red cedars that surrounded the hollowed out log I’d claimed for the night would keep me hidden from casual observers. Before I’d gone to sleep, I’d positioned branches over the open side of the log as well, which I hoped would keep me hidden for a while even if someone was searching for me. A quick check to the side confirmed they were in place and mostly undisturbed.For a moment, I closed my eyes again and allowed myself a few moments to relive my dream of Clay—at least the beginning of it.“You know what my dream is?”Tears rolled down my cheeks as the memory of his voice floated through my mind.“My dream is to spend more than a few hours in a bed with you—preferably not sleeping.”They were words he’d spoken as we considered stopping in Detroit—the city where his family had caught up to us before his sister died. Before I killed her.What might have happened if he hadn't convinced me to stop?The thought was enough to force me to stop wallowing. The fact was we had stopped moving, we had tried for a life together, his family had caught us, and I’d destroyed everything we’d shared in one dreadful moment. Just because of what I was.A fire-starter.A monster.A phoenix.
A freak.
~0 ~
Pre-order your copy now: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X51B0RI/h...

Fire Sale!

99c Sale - Get it while it's hot! 
Ever since Clay, a soldier for an organization tasked with ridding the world of non-humans, stumbled upon the secret of her birth, Evie's been on the run. Now he's back, and she's unprepared as he forces his way into her heart.

If you've been putting off starting Through the Fire until the 2nd book is released, you're in luck! With just days to go until Rise from Ash is released, Bottom Drawer Publications have put Through the Fire on sale everywhere. And, if you buy Besieged by Rain on their website, you can get Through the Fire for free. 

★★★Buy Links★★★
US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OOTXGSQ
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00OOTXGSQ
AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00OOTXGSQ
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/485952
Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/through-the-fire-5
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/through-the-fire-michelle-irwin/1120628860
All Romance Books: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-throughthefire-1653923-344.html

Pain, Perseverance, and Persistence.

First of all, let me say if what I'm about to say makes little sense, I'll blame it on the fact that I've just come off three long days of a cheerleading competition with my daughter and her cheer team. I'm a little punch-drunk, ready for bed, and yet so incredibly proud of not only my daughter but of every single cheerleader who stepped out onto the floor and of the support networks. The effort they all went to was mammoth. Not only was there routines to learn, stunts to master, hair and make-up to do--multiple times in some cases, there were costume changes, supporting other teammates, and just the general stress of competing. Added to that, there were some of the competitors who also coached teams. Some of them were sporting injuries which would make people with less grit pack up and go home, and yet they hit the floor with a smile at the ready and a spring in their step. It was, in a word, inspirational. The biggest lesson from the day is that pain, perseverance and persistence pay off. It might not happen immediately, or even in a big way, but it happens.

My daughters team consists largely of girls new to the world of competitive cheerleading (my daughter included). This weekend is only the second competition many of them have been in and the first was just a week ago. Despite this, they did really well. Maybe they didn't trophies in every event they competed in, but that's not what matters. What matters is the three P's. And in that respect, all of the teams who competed did well. Why? Because they did what so many others don't. They were there. They stuck it out. They gave it their all. I have no doubt many of the guys and girls were nervous, but they got out on to the floor and did what they could. If they were injured and in pain, they put on their brave faces and did what they had to do to the best of their ability.

What's this got to do with writing and publishing you ask? I'm glad you asked because it let's me get to my point. Writing and publishing a novel may not be as athletic as cheerleading (okay, so there's no maybe about it - it's definitely not as athletic), but it comes down to the same important P's that are the title of this post.

Pain: 
“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” ― Ernest Hemingway
This quote is one I love about writing because it's so evocative. But there's a better one for explaining the pain of crafting a book:
“This is how you do it: you sit down at the keyboard and you put one word after another until its done. It's that easy, and that hard.” ― Neil GaimanBecause it's so right. For a writer there will never be anything easier than writing a book, and there'll never be anything harder. The pain is different for each writer. It might be the crippling agony of self-doubt, the dull ache of writer's block, or the stabbing, heart-wrenching agony of the words themselves. Whatever it is, there will be things that make the writer want to stop to call it a day and run away. But the best ones, the ones who find success, don't run. They grit their teeth and smile at the judges through the pain. Perseverance: Writing a book isn't enough. Not if you truly want the best work you can have out in the world. Editing is hard. Good editing is even harder. Re-reading the same words for the fifteenth time trying to work out whether you can squeeze in a little more emotion, or strangle out the passive voice. Agonizing over every choice of word, is there a stronger one or a simpler one that can be used to make the story clearer/better/cleaner? It takes time to do it right. It takes growth to really do it right. I was once a newbie author who hated the idea of reading my words over and over. The story was out, why did it need to be read a hundred times more. I look back at myself then and laugh. As I said in this post I am an editing convert now. The red pen brings me an odd sense of twisted joy. Beta concerns and questions give me joy. Every one is a plot hole, a misused word, a spelling mistake, or a simple error less that will be in the book. Each one is a stronger story, a better book. Now, I probably edit too much. If I could go back and go through my debut novel again now, I'd probably change something in every paragraph. Not because it's bad, but because I now know how to do it better. Just like the cheerleaders getting better with each performance, learning with each lesson, I have grown. I've evolved and will hopefully continue to improve for as long as I write. I don't want to reach a place where I feel like I have nothing more left to learn. I will persevere where others might stumble and falter. 
Persistence: If at first you don't succeed, try and try again. Persistence is the key to cheerleaders sticking routines. Doing it once is not enough to gain perfection. Doing it over and over is how you refine skills and get better. It's what drives success. It's the same in the author world. If one book isn't a huge success, write the next one, and the one after that. Keep writing, keep polishing and keep publishing. One day, if the product is good and you persist enough, success will come. Even though I'm still waiting on the other side of the door, I believe in this more than I believe in anything else. A good product will eventually find a place. It might not be huge, it might not launch into the stratosphere but it will find it's place.   
What's the take-away from this? In cheerleading comps, just like in publishing and life in general, not everyone can get first but that's okay. So long as you've put on the smile, gone out onto the mat, and brought absolutely everything you can, you've succeeded. Win, lose, or draw, there is nothing more the world can ask of you. That's what I've taken from the competition and the one thing I hope my daughter will understand and carry through her life.  
Selfie with my little cheerleader (in the literal and figurative sense)

Set to Start Cover Reveal

˙‘°ºø•❤•.¸✿¸.•❤•.❀•.Cover Reveal.˙‘°ºø•❤•.¸✿¸.•❤•.❀•.

Author: Sam DestinyFacebook PageSeries: Morningstars 1.5Warnings: Mature Audiences only due to sexual content and adult languageEditor: Bree VanderlandRelease Date: July 16th, 2015Cover designer: Airicka Phoenix of Airicka's Mystical Creations Facebook Page ˙‘°ºø•❤•.¸✿¸.•❤•.❀•.Blurb.˙‘°ºø•❤•.¸✿¸.•❤•.❀•. Before every queen there is story to be told... Kaden, a Morningstar warrior and vampire, has kept his heart locked away because he knew one day there'd the that girl for him. When Cia comes around though, he can't help but follow his heart's desire. Ciarda is head over heels in love with a guy she only sees at night, and then not even regularly. After an accident changed her life forever, she is all set on making life the way she always wanted: a husband, a house, a secure job. For Kaden though Cia is ready to throw it all away and live in the spur of the moment. What they don't know is that fate has other plans. For one this relationship soon will be a faint memory, while the other has to live with the knowledge of simply not being 'The One'.
˙‘°ºø•❤•.¸✿¸.•❤•.❀•.Pre-order Links˙‘°ºø•❤•.¸✿¸.•❤•.❀•.Amazon: USUKDEAU ˙‘°ºø•❤•.¸✿¸.•❤•.❀•.Start the Series now with Set In Flames˙‘°ºø•❤•.¸✿¸.•❤•.❀•.Amazon: USUKDE

AU