Leslie Deaton

Hi Leslie! Thanks for the friendship.

One day left for the free giveaway!!

We're giving away 20 signed copies of A History Renewed on 30 August!!

I'm hosting a give away of A History Renewed, the sequel to A Marked Past. Read some sample chapters here on GRs and sign up to win!!!

A History Renewed

A Marked Past

Leslie Deaton

I'm hosting a give away of A History Renewed, the sequel to A Marked Past. Read some sample chapters here on GRs and sign up to win!!!

A History Renewed

A Marked Past

Leslie Deaton

Smiling today! A Marked Past got a write up in Voice of Youth Advocates, or (VOYA), magazine and was compared to The House of Night Series by author P. C. Cast and her daughter Kristin Cast.

“ It felt like reading the House of Night series by the Cast ladies, only with witches instead of vampires... [T]eens that are drawn to the vampire/witch genre that will appreciate these novels. The sequel, A History Renewed, will be released in 2012.”—Jonatha Basye.

Nothing like being compared to the Cast ladies and their series of work to make me smile!

The book blurb for A History Renewed (Book 2 in the Mercer Legacy Series) is up!!


Enjoy!

Thanks Tt!! I'm so glad you're enjoying it! The next book in the series, A History Renewed, will be out in June 2012. I'll post updates along the way, and will be hosting a give away here on GR in the Spring.

Watch for a link to the new website, the new book trailer, and of course a giveaway all coming in just a few months. :)

Tt wrote: "Hi Leslie! I dont know if I thanked you before for the friend invite but thanks! I am reading A Marked Past right now and I am so glad I signed up to read because I love it! Awesome start to the se..."

Hi Leslie! I dont know if I thanked you before for the friend invite but thanks! I am reading A Marked Past right now and I am so glad I signed up to read because I love it! Awesome start to the series! I cant believe this is your first book (no pun intended lol). I love the characters and the writing style and I dont want it to end. And of course my next questions is when can I get the second? lol

Hi Leslie! Thanks for friending :)

So, I bought A Marked Past a few days ago! I plan on reading it pretty soon. It's just finding the time that's killing me!

Emily

Thanks for the add Leslie! Can't wait to read your book :)<3

~Raihana

Thanks for the friendship. You sound like an interesting author who I look forward to checking out. Please visit my author page, too!

Cheers,

Linda

hey Leslie, thanks for the add :) A Marked Past sounds awesome, can't wait to get my hands on it! :D

A Marked Past is on sale for half price!! Check it out:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...

Hey Leslie, Thanks for the add. Nice to meet you. :)

Hi, Leslie! Thanks so much for friending me! Congratulations on your book:) I'll have to add it to my TBR list for sure!! Have an amazing Thursday and I really look forward to talking shop with you:D

Hi there Leslie!

Thanks so much for friending me! =D

Thanks so much for the friendship Leslie! :)

Hi Tatiana!
I'm spilting my time between reading A Marked Past (again, can't believe it's finally in print!) and The Son of Neptune (great so far!)

Thanks so much for the friendship Leslie! :)

I just planned my first book signing!

When you read A Marked Past I'd love to hear from you!

Leslie, thanks so much for the friendship. I can't believe you grew up in a haunted farm house! You must have some great stories to use in your writing! Btw, your book, A Marked Past, sounds magnificent!

Hi, Leslie! Just wanted to let you know I returned your message =)

Hi, thanks for adding me!:D

Hi, Leslie! Nice to meet you. =)

Hello Leslie, it is a pleasure to meet you.

Thanks so much for the friendship, Leslie~! =D

Thank you for adding me! :D

Thanks for the add =)

The A Marked Past Website is live!!

Today is one of those days when all the pieces of this publishing journey are coming together.
The A Marked Past website is officially live and contains a sneak peek of the book just for you. Take a look, mark it as a favorite, share it with your friends, and most importantly, keep checking back.

The A Marked Past book trailer is in the making and will be released next month! Also, keep watching for a free giveaway, and information on pre order sales!

Come check it all out at www.amarkedpast.com

hi Leslie,
thanks for the add!!!

Thanks for the friend request, Leslie. It's great to see that you're a young adult fantasy writer as well!

Posted a new blurb, a count down clock, and come more marketing details for A Marked Past at www.lesliedeaton.blogspot.com

Thanks for the add!

Hi thank you for the friend request! :)

Hi Leslie! thanks for the friend request :)

Thanks for the friend request, Leslie! :)

THANK YOU Canada, Giora !!

I really appreciate your advice. I made updates as soon as I read your suggestion!

Marketing A Marked Past

For the full story see my blog Leslie Deaton BloG


This week I exchanged messages with the owner and partner of a local witch shop Esoterica. I’m sharing this because I frequented this shop while I was writing A Marked Past. I made excuse after excuse, to go into the heart of town and gaze in the windows of the little shop. I’d peer past the purple drapery wondering what could lie behind that glass, imagining the magic that lived in the large jars and little brown vials. After about 2 weeks of imagining I finally got up enough courage to go inside and wander around. The store was old, but it smelled just right, like incense and musty boxes. The fabrics in the far corner shimmered in the dimly lit lighting, catching my eyes, entrancing me, creating a perfect place for secrets.
Running my finger over the glass case that held the old jewelry I felt a chill crawl over my skin, like these stone had a history all their own. This place was eerie and quiet except for the chatter of the women in it, a tattered sign for fortune teller caught my eye and I felt a smile spread across my face. This was the coolest place ever, and it needed to be part of my story. As I moved through the aisles of herbs, my eyes roamed over tags like dragon’s blood, and dandelion root. And when no one was looking, I lifted the lids and sniffed the strange clippings, considered buying something to take home but didn’t commit.
I’m sharing this because these amazing ladies have invited me to host a book signing at their shop after A Marked Past comes out and of course I said YES!!! Thanks so much to you amazing, magical ladies. I’m looking forward to bringing you some calling cards and a poster to display very soon and to taking in the magic in your shop once again.

Thanks for the add! Your book sounds interesting, so I will definitely check it out. Best of luck to you with everything!

Some news!


I took two weeks off for vacation and finally made some progress toward my upcoming release date for A Marked Past. Over the past few weeks I have been both blissfully unconnected from the web and quietly driving forward, developing my cover art and marketing materials for A Marked Past.
I am very excited to share that Erin Enderle (amazing photographer that she is) has agreed to let me use one of her photos for my cover. It’s dark and moody just like the setting and I hope you love it as much as I do. After getting permission to use the photo I met with Ed Deaton, my art director (and brother) who is now cranking away on a concept for my book trailer and a layout for the cover. We’ll meet later today to talk through the work he’s been doing for me and I hope to have the cover posted in the next week or so.

While in Kentucky I hoped to learn a bit more about different types of magic but instead I learned more about my ability to nearly forget that I had a life outside of that boat and the deep lake water around me. I missed writing but I feel rested, more whole somehow.

I sat in the evening air and listened to my parents’ voices carry through the cabin and remembered where I had come and who fueled my creativity in the first place. It was a week of family, good friends, and a much needed break.

Location, destination, expectation

For those of you who have only known me in a world of consulting, and business suits with college degrees and a fabulous wardrobe, it surprise to you to know, that I come from a vastly different world. It’s smaller in some ways, but better in others; it’s quiet at times, serene to the point of longing for an afternoon nap, but warm and nurturing when you feel the heat of the sun on your neck or the breeze at your shoulder. It’s one of blue collar roots that run deep and keep me grounded, even in the midst of traffic on K Street, or sitting on the beltway after a long morning meeting. Those roots stay with me and feed me inspiration.

In literature, as in life, we are shaped by our experiences, and our characters reflect those moments. They live out the fantasy of the situation, good, bad, or fatal, while we simply watch from afar, remembering or imagining the outcome. When I was writing about Salem it didn’t become authentic until I went there. The feel, the smell, the experience was missing from my words. I’ve always heard write what you know, but I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to write what I wanted to know, to change who I was, in order to create something amazing on the page. I wanted to feel the chill of the Salem swirling around me as I stood outside the old Town Hall, so I went there and stood in the cold air.

This weekend is no different. Right now I’m interested in learning about root working, and the people who to it for my second book. I want to understand their tie to the ground, the vegetation, and the power that comes from the earth. So, I’ve done my research and this time tomorrow I will be on a boat in Kentucky, floating across a lake toward Cumberland River. And as the peacefulness of the bluegrass state calls to me I’ll be taking in the beauty of the world around me. Deep in the lush green, watching the sway of the tree, I’ll be channeling my inner Mark Twain, and dreaming up my own Huckleberry Finn. Signing off for a week from the internet...

"We said there warn't no home like a raft, after all. Other places do seem so cramped up and smothery, but a raft don't. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft."
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain.

www.lesliedeaton.blogspot.com