RIVEN Official Blog Tour Kick-Off!

Are you ready for two weeks of sneak peeks, prizes, interviews, and more? Well, you should be! The madness of the RIVEN tour has officially begun!

Over the next two weeks, I'll be popping by each stop on the list below, answering questions, offering pieces of RIVEN that might drive you borderline insane, and a rafflecopter giveaway filled with all kinds of signed goodies (signed? yeah, you read that right) ranging from bookplates for your copies, bookmarks, and who knows what else I may toss in at the last minute.

Tour list and links!

NOVEMBER 26TH - Book Excerpt via Reading A Little Bit Of Everything

NOVEMBER 27TH - Guest Post via Reading Away The Days!

NOVEMBER 28TH - Guest Post on being an Indie Author via Stan Brookshire AND Interview via We Do Write

NOVEMBER 29TH - Character Interview via Reading Under the Stars

NOVEMBER 30TH - Post via BelleBooks

DECEMBER 1ST - Book Reviews via Book Briefs

DECEMBER 2ND - Review of ILLUMINE via Roland Capablo

DECEMBER 3RD - Review of either ILLUMINE or OBUMBRATE via Just Me, Myself and I 

DECEMBER 4TH - Character Casting, Possible Review of ILLUMINE and OBUMBRATE via Michelle's Paranormal Vault Of Books

DECEMBER 5TH - Character Interviews with Essallie & Kayden via Hopelessly Devoted Bilbliophile AND Guest Post via Frankie Rose, Author of SOVEREIGN HOPE

DECEMBER 6TH - Post via Mademoiselle Le Sphinx

DECEMBER 7TH - RIVEN Release Day Party via Facebook + Twitter 

DECEMBER 8TH - Post via Uniquely Moi Books

DECEMBER 9TH - Guest Post on Writing Process + Reviews of ILLUMINE and OBUMBRATE via My Guilty Obsession

Speaking of last minute, I'll let you in on an early secret. You're really, truly, DEFINITELY going to want to join the RIVEN Release Day Party Page on Facebook. Why? Well, not only will you get a daily post of where in the tour I'll be each day, but when RIVEN releases on December 7th, I'll be giving away a KINDLE. (Yes, your eyes are reading that right, I promise!) It's only being given away on that page on December 7th, so if you're looking for that glorious e-reader, this is your chance. (hint hint, wink nudge.)

But if a Kindle isn't your fancy, and you're really looking for those other goodies, then you'll want to be eyeballing the rafflecopter below. But really, who isn't into Kindles at this point? 

And with that, I say, let the tour BEGIN! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ETERNAL HOPE Blog Tour Stop + Excerpt!

Hey all!

Guess who's the next tour stop for Frankie Rose's ETERNAL HOPE tour? (Cough hint, me!) Frankie and I met through Facebook a little while ago, but I had been creeping on her debut novel, SOVEREIGN HOPE, long before I had the guts to talk to her. That cover was gorgeous, the reviews have glowed for her, and she's done it again with her sequel, ETERNAL HOPE. I'm itching to get my hands on both (hint hint Mom, Christmas list wish!) but for now, I've made due with waiting for December 25th, and this ridiculously awesome teaser for ETERNAL HOPE below.

Don't forget to hit the rest of the stops on the tour!

Excerpt from ETERNAL HOPE, the sequel to SOVEREIGN HOPE.

Grab the full book here!

Unbelievable. Totally unbelievable. He was a nightmare. Farley charged over to the view of the city below, surging and throbbing to a rhythm that could only be heard on the other side of the glass. The metropolis, like any other night, was a living, breathing, ugly, beautiful thing. “Coward,” she whispered.

Daniel’s reflection approached her quietly from behind, his face serious and sharp. He wound his arms around her waist and rested his chin gently on her shoulder. “I am a coward. But only when it comes to you.”

“Well, don’t be. The thought of you with someone else makes me feel physically sick but I’m not a child. I’m not stupid. You’re ancient. Of course there have been people before me, Cassie included.” Farley re-focused her eyes, not wanting to look at the intense expression on his face; instead, she concentrated on the dark outlines of the high rises, lit sporadically against the darkness. Daniel’s arms fell slack from around her, and his hands came to rest on her hips.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he murmured, pressing his face into her hair. He hooked his thumbs under her shirt and rubbed them in slow circles over the base of her spine. She shivered, fighting with herself. It was hard to be angry when he was so close, when the smell of him flooded her senses.

“Then tell me,” she demanded, placing her hands behind her over his. His thumbs stopped working over her skin.

“There was someone. Once,” he whispered.

Farley narrowed her eyes, intending to zero in on the Daniel in the glass again. Before she could see what his face was doing, though- whether he looked awkward or uncomfortable- she caught sight of her own reflection. Backlit from the room behind, she looked pallid and washed out. Her clenched jaw made her look tired and hard. Suddenly she wished she hadn’t pushed it. There was no way she wanted to hear about this. “Stop. Don’t. It…it doesn’t matter.”

“No.” He shook his head, softly brushing her hair back over her shoulder to expose her bare neck. “It doesn’t matter. This matters.” He leaned forward and slowly lowered his lips to her skin, his eyes still locked on hers in the glass. The heat from his kiss was explosive, wracking through her body. She twisted in his arms, turning to face him. He rolled with it, slouching down to continue kissing her neck, gently grazing his teeth across her skin in a way that made her legs go weak. It felt like he was holding her up, his hands rough against her back, her hips, her thighs. He shoved her against the glass, hard, and she slapped her palms against the cold surface, momentarily scared. The whole world was at her back. It felt like with one heady heartbeat they would topple back into it, lost in the dizzying sensation of the fall and the kiss and the way everything felt like it had stopped moving.

Daniel brought his hands up to cradle her face, kissing her like didn’t need oxygen to breathe, couldn’t bear the space between them. A low crackle ripped through the air, and Farley felt the sweet burn of his light biting at the skin on her neck. Her whole body tremored involuntarily. She gasped, low and shocked. Daniel sucked in a deep breath and jumped back, clenching his fists by his sides. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

Farley slid down the glass as her knees buckled. Her breathing matched his, ragged and uneven. “What?”

He raked his hands back through his hair in a motion that gave away his frustration, and shot her a pained look. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t do that. It’s… it’s kinda weird.”

She looked up at him in a daze, feeling slightly flushed and embarrassed. There was no way her cheeks weren’t fuchsia right now. “It’s not kinda weird,” she said in a breathy voice that barely sounded like her own. “It’s kinda hot.”

THE FORGOTTEN PRINCESS Cover Reveal!

Guess who's got another wickedly awesome cover to show off for another wicked author? 

Hint; ME. 

Ready for the synopsis for THE FORGOTTEN PRINCESS? 

Synopsis: 

Amaya is a seventeen-year-old girl, who is anything but normal. Her father abandoned her as an infant, leaving her to be raised by a verbally abusive mother, who--by the way is never sober. Leaving her to defend herself, Causing Amaya to become a social outcast. One night while walking home from a party, Amaya was struck by a car while crossing the street, leaving her in a coma. When she wakes in the hospital a few days later, she is visited by a very strange-but-handsome man. When left alone he starts telling Amaya her life is more than what it seems. There is a Prophecy telling of a forgotten princess who will save his clan, the Suisuni Indians. Eli, the strange yet very sexy man, is suppose to be Amaya's soul mate; the one who she is to marry. With nothing else to lose Amaya sets out on a journey with Eli, a journey of unanswered questions; a journey to find her absent father. Along the way Eli teachs Amaya who she is, and introduces her to a world of magic and myths. Will Amaya be able to handle all the pressure everyone set on her shoulders? Will she be able to forgive the father who left her? Most importantly will she be able to live up to the prophecy of the forgotten princess? The Prophecy: On a day in September, our world will be gone forever, Unless we can find, The one person lost in time, A Princess who he shall bear, With traits from her mother; fair, A moment lost in time, That we must diligently find, born to another, A warrior like no other, He shall be the lost princesses fate, Side by side they fight, True soul mates, Trained to love and protect, Her warrior is the key to her merriment, Love is the truth, Death is the way, Together they fight, Together they slay, Two souls one destiny, Together and only together, Will they bring peace and harmony. And now, the cover!  I love it, love love love. It's so soft, and gentle to look at compared to all the hardcore black-on-black, damn-or-be-damned books you see as of late. Love!  About the Author:  Stina is the mother of three energetic boys (Daniel Jr. age 8, Zion age 6, Ezra age 1) they are her everything, the Princes' of her heart. She has been with her husband Daniel for 11 yrs., and still going strong. The only other thing in her life she loves with a passion is writing, well and reading. She started writing poems and short stories, her short stories geting negative attention from teachers, thinking Stina was demented. Writing has always came easy to Stina because her imagination always runs wild. This is going to be Stina Second book she has wrote, but The Forgotten Princess is going to be the first one released.

#NaNoWriMo Wrap-Up, Week #2

It's that time! Let's run head-first into the wrap up on NaNoWriMo, Week #2!

I'm so sorry this post is late! I've had this sucker all planned out and ready to post, but my back somehow managed to spontaneously go all mashed potatoes on me (I don't know how) and basically left me on the couch immobile for the last two days, save for food and aspirin. Hopefully you are all having better luck with bodily issues, and writing.

Alright, let's rock!

My Progress:

NaNo has always been one of those things that was slow for me. I'm not a fast writer, not unless a deadline is staring me so hard in the face that I snap and go full on pantser mode. But that doesn't mean I haven't been writing, or rather plotting and scribbling on random pieces of paper. Black Crowns is still doing well, I can feel it developing slowly, like carving a heart into a tree; it doesn't happen overnight, as much as I wish it would. 

Still, my word count is in the toilet. 

Once more, I have it all updated on my user here, and you can add me to your buddy lists, or ask me to do vise versa, etc. So long as I keep the heating pads and aspirin rolling in, I can semi-type. 

So currently, for today's total based on the NaNo chart, par is 23,333 words. I'm clocked in at 4,034. To make par as of today, I'd need to crush my keyboard, grab the Dragon program, and talk out 19,300 words. As for my grand total, here's my bar!

8.07%

4034 / 50000 words

Let's just say, it's been a rough week.
Wrap-Up Posts & Articles!:

Since we're into the second week, the articles for NaNo carry the same, generalized message: get over the hump, shake your plot for new ends, hit that middle and DON'T STOP. This is the time where many of us run out of steam; we hit that 5-10k block and cry out, "I'm all out of juice!" or worse, we hit that glorious halfway mark and hate ALL OF IT, and want to start over. For the love of coffee and tea, DON'T. Just keep going. You can cut all you want later, just keep going for two more weeks. 14 days. 

Impatient Optimists has a post on why you should be in NaNo, and how some can influence droves of not only people, but kids, to write. 

James Scott Bell sports a post on five tips to give you a jolt on your NaNo Novel. (Obviously, I need this.)

Chelsea Mueller talks on setting up fights in writing, and what hits your character might be willing to take in the name of winning.

And lastly, Chloe Neill, New York Times Bestseller of the CHICAGOLAND VAMPIRES has a post on NaNo essentials! Small, cute goodies like pens and colorful notebooks really can rock your brain on and into something you didn't originally think about writing. 

(Example? I picked up a notebook from Claire's on sale, it was one of those SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN notebooks with a felt heart on the front and gorgeous swirls. That sucker has opened my brain somedays easier than my Word documents do.) 


And now, for the wrap-up, my favorite NaNoWriMo related tweet for the week! No joke, I saw this tweet a little bit ago, and my jaw dropped. Finish those novels, NaNoers! 

DECEIVING DESTINY Cover Reveal!

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't SUPER EXCITED to be in the KICK-ASS cover reveal of author NADÈGE RICHARDS sophomore novel, DECEIVING DESTINY! If you haven't read her debut novel, BURNING BRIDGES, I'd hop to it! I absolutely loved it, and definitely recommend it for fans of THE HUNGER GAMES, DIVERGENT, and MATCHED. 

Aw heck, just read my review if I haven't nabbed you yet on this book. It's a friggin' must read! 

Synopsis:

When your destiny lies in the hands of your enemy, there’s only one thing you won’t do to save the ones you love...

Now free from the walls that confine New Haven, the place she had once believed to be her home, Echo must find a way to put an end to a war only she has the power to stop. She has yet to discover her true abilities as a hybrid leader, but what happens when the dreams that plague her become something more? Someone more? In the midst of exploring her love for Ayden and venturing through forbidden lands for a key that will explain everything, Echo finds Kahl—the boy that haunts her in her sleep, yet has the hidden answers she seeks. And Echo will do just about anything to get them.

In the second installment of The Bleeding Heart Trilogy, relationships are put to the test, dreams become desires, and ultimately one girl will discover her purpose in a promised legend written in stone.

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15701976-deceiving-destiny

Website: http://www.nadegerichards.com

And now, cover time! 

Well, what you do think? Can I get a WOOT WOOT or what? The green is SO beautiful, an awesome difference to the first cover with the yellow and orange. 

#NaNoWriMo Wrap-Up, Week #1

It's that time! Let's run head-first into the wrap up on NaNoWriMo, Week #1!

Since I've never done this type of collection of posts, I'm going to try and put it all together in a sort of organized format. I'll tap on my progress and thoughts on the first week, then provide some links on some articles I've read over the last few days that match perfectly with the wicked rush of Week #1.

Alright, let's rock!

My Progress:

I know I originally said I was going into NaNo with the idea of using it for a variety of projects (editing/writing Riven, per example) but well, let's just say yesterday my brain hijacked all sense of time and responsibility. I posted online about how my brother had been playing one of these awkward, barely-makes sense rap songs (sorry rap fans) that I thought was titled Black Clouds. When I checked his iPod to see it was actually called Black Crowns, that was the spark that lit up my brain the rest of the day. By the time I got home, I was stewing with a synopsis for a very different type of novel I typically don't enjoy, much less write. As soon as my siblings vanished to bed for the night, I tackled my laptop, punched out a little over 3k, and officially had myself a NaNoWriMo novel.

Good gravy, I keep juggling story ideas in my brain.

Anyway, I have it all updated on my user here, and you can add me, too! Friends make this so much more doable; I'm one of those people who needs to see others doing it to keep going. Very monkey see, monkey do type.

So currently, for today's total based on the NaNo chart, par is 8,333 words. I'm clocked in at 3,053. To make par as of today, I'd need to wail on my keyboard and type a little under 5,300. As for my grand total, here's my bar!

6.11%

3053 / 50000 words

Wrap-Up Posts & Articles!:

Most of the articles circulating online about NaNo carry the same, generalized message: write, keep writing, finish what you started last year, start something new, JUST START. If the blog posts aren't talking about prepping for your novel-writing journey, they're talking about how to keep going, not to fall to self-defeat, stuff like that. For someone like me, reading even a few of these can push me forward.

World Weaver Press has a guest article by Amalia Dillin, on the wild drive she gets during NaNoWriMo- and how she's pretty much forgotten about Halloween instead to prep for her midnight writing madness.

Lindsay Cummings, author of THE MURDER COMPLEX details a post on Manu-Suck Syndrome, followed by a slew of quotes from authors all across the board saying the same thing, "DON'T GIVE UP!"

(By the way, Lindsay, I didn't think they had something called Manu-Suck! Maybe that's what I was suffering from writing Riven. Hrmmmm.)

Publishing Talk shares a Boot-Camp punch for Week #1, and gives you some ideas to toss into your manuscript as you write along. (I kind of like Day 7's prompt. Who IS knocking at that door?)

And lastly, Word For Teens has a post by Siobhan Vivian, author of THE LIST, on writing a strong female character. We all know our females could use a bump up on strength. (Yes, I'm looking at you Isabella Swan.)


Oh, and for a giggle, I figured I'd include my favorite screen shot Twitter post to round off the Wrap-Up.