Sunday, March 23, 2014

Never Give Up. Never Surrender.

Looking back at my blog posts, I realized something. It has been almost exactly a month since I posted anything that wasn't a book review or a cover reveal. Now, don't get me wrong. I love doing those posts. I love promoting my friends work. However, in most cases, they aren't posts that are from me. With cover reveals, 90% of the text is provided. It doesn't take much time or effort on my part.

Another thing I noticed was that it has been a while since I've done any consistent writing. Now, I have been writing, just not consistently. Instead I've been flopping around, reading, playing Darkout, and doing Grad School stuff. All of these things are important, but I really need to finish Hate Jacket. It's that Damacles sword hanging over my head. Reminding me that if I don't finish, I'll fail.

And then there's the fear. The fear of not necessarily failing, but of writing the story that NEEDS to be written. Hate Jacket is THAT story. It's not pretty. It's scary and not in a horror movie way. It's the kind of horror that only real life creates. It's not some hollywood monster grabbing at us when we walk alone, at night, with a faulty flashlight in the monster infested forest. No, this is the horror that comes from people making horrible decisions.

I'm allowing myself to write that story and it scares me.

This is not a bad thing. It's just a scary thing.

There is a difference. Unfortunately, when I get scared, I hide. I hide from the words. I hide from life. I disappear into books and games and try to ignore the words slamming around inside my brain.

A couple days ago, I forced myself to open my netbook and start working on revisions. It's still slow, but I'm getting there.

My #writemotivation goals for March are pretty shot at this point. I've done some reading and done a little revisions. I've posted a few motivational tweets for my friends. Been in a few DM conversations with some people who needed to vent.

That being said, I won't call this month a failure. I didn't accomplish my goals, but that doesn't make me a failure. It just means I have to work harder. Besides, there's still a week left to redeem myself. Right? Maybe? I think?

So here's some motivation from one of my favorite movies, Galaxy Quest. I think the mullet says it all.
'Till Next Time.

p.s. On an awesome note, it looks like another short of mine will appear in Veux Magazine. I'll give more details when I know more.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Cover Reveal: Timespell : Perilous Waters by Diana Paz

Once again, I have the distinct pleasure of having another cover reveal for the wonderful Diana Paz.



AUTHOR BIO
Diana Paz writes books about magic, adventure, and romance. She was born in Costa Rica, grew up on Miami Beach, moved to Los Angeles in high school, and went to college in San Diego. Basically, she’s a beach bum. Diana graduated from California State University, San Marcos with a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts. She loves old movies, epic fantasy, all kinds of music, and heading to the beach with a good book. Preferably sipping a highly sweetened iced coffee

Author links:
http://www.dianapaz.com/
https://twitter.com/dianapazwrites
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6578457.Diana_Paz




And now for the gorgeous cover...









Seriously...








No really...







Timespell: Perilous Waters by Diana Paz
(Timespell #2)
Publication date: May 15th 2014
Genres: Science Fiction, Time-Travel, Young Adult

Synopsis:
After nearly losing their lives defeating the creatures of Mythos in Revolutionary France, Julia and Kaitlyn finally understand what Angie has known all along… being a Daughter of Fate isn’t so fun when one mistake can mean their deaths. Haunted by visions and horror-filled memories, the girls have spent the summer honing their newly discovered magical abilities, determined to grow in power and prepare for the uncertain time when the Fates summon them to their next mission.

But their protector Ethan, still embittered by Julia’s betrayal, refuses to engage in the girls’ magical research or power-enhancing spell practice. That is, until his brother’s loyalty to Julia causes him to unwittingly uncover ancient magic greater and more binding than any force the girls have encountered so far. Before the girls or Ethan grasp the full extent of what his brother has done, the girls are jettisoned through time into the madness of the Caribbean during the golden age of piracy.

Only by working together can the girls harness the full power of their magic and secure the world timeline, but with the lives of those close to Angie and Julia at risk, and Kaitlyn designing a dark agenda of her own, all three girls harbor secrets that threaten to drive their fledgling trinity apart. Small treacheries, mounting fear, and the use of dark magic have not gone unnoticed by those trapped within the Nether… those who would stop at nothing to unleash their destruction upon the world once more.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20911839-timespell



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Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Cover Reveal: Pieces of Olivia by Melissa West

Today, we’re revealing the cover for Melissa West’s upcoming NA contemporary romance, Pieces of Olivia!!



TITLE: Pieces of Olivia
AUTHOR: Melissa West
PUBLISHER: Penguin/InterMix
RELEASE DATE: July 15, 2014

Olivia Warren used to be a normal girl with a bright future. But on one fated night, everything changed.

Hiding the scars of her past up her sleeves, Olivia transfers her enrollment from Columbia University to The College of Charleston, determined to pursue her own dreams for the first time in her life.

She intends to allow herself a bit of alone time to heal... that is, until she meets Preston.

Preston is best friends with her roommate, completely hot, and off-limits.  But the chemistry between them is instantaneous—and as the pair begins to spend more time with one another, their feelings for each other build into something undeniable, something powerful enough to heal Olivia’s deepest scars.

Olivia tries to put her own past behind her and trust Preston, but she discovers that his past might be more present than she ever bargained for…


About the Author:
Melissa West writes young adult and new adult novels for Entangled Teen and Embrace and Penguin/InterMix. She lives outside of Atlanta, GA with her husband and two daughters and spends most of her time writing, reading, or fueling her coffee addiction.

She holds a B.A. in Communication Studies and a M.S. in Graphic Communication, both from Clemson University. Yeah, her blood runs orange.

Connect with Melissa at www.melissawestauthor.com or on Twitter @MB_West.

Pretty Excerpt time!
His eyes swept over my face, and I knew what was about to happen. I could see the resolve in his face. Feel the swift change in the air as the charge between us sparked. He leaned toward me, his eyes never leaving mine.
“I’m not going to kiss you,” I whispered.
“I didn’t ask.”
“Preston, we…”
He tucked my hair behind my ear and moved still closer. “I can’t promise anything. I have nothing in me to promise, but that doesn’t mean I won’t try.”
I swallowed, feeling the walls around me crumbling down.
“Let me be what you need.”
My breath caught, the fight in me diminishing with each spoken word. What was I so afraid of? I reached out, gliding my fingertips over his face and into his hair. Briefly, I thought of how often I’d dreamt of touching his hair, and then his mouth was on mine, and all thought was gone, except him and us and this moment. His lips took control, first soft and careful, and then full of urgency and need. Every unspoken word, every missed opportunity, was pushed into that single kiss.
Preston laid me back on the sofa, his body warm and inviting. My fingers gripped his hair, pulling him closer, and he left my lips, kissing a trail down my chin to my neck. A soft moan of pleasure escaped my lips, and he thrust his hips against mine in answer to my ache. Our bodies moved together, our clothes the only thing keeping us from taking this further.
I tugged his chin up so his lips were back on mine, the kiss growing to a frenzy of passion. His hand slid under the edge of my shirt, gliding over my stomach, before finding my breast. He groaned with pleasure, and I reached down to take his shirt off, eager to touch his impeccably toned chest and stomach. Preston slipped his shirt off and gripped mine, his intentions clear, when reality yanked me from pleasure and threw me into a sea of painful thoughts. I remembered my scars, Preston’s expression when he’d gotten a glimpse of them through my shirt at the pier. I shook my head, feeling myself tumbling deeper into sadness and farther from the moment.
Preston glanced down at me. “We can stop.”
“No.”
“Olivia, you don’t have to—”
I bit my lip, forcing myself to push away the fear and sadness and guilt that riddled my mind and peered back at him. “I don’t want to take my shirt off.”
“Okay,” he whispered.
“And I don’t want you judging that I don’t want to take my shirt off.”
“Okay,” he repeated. I felt his heart beat against my chest, fast and sure and strong. A part of me wanted to disappear, embarrassed and ashamed that I’d yet again shown Preston Riggs just how crazy I was deep inside. But another part, a greater part, felt a surge of happiness that he’d stayed. He knew that I was broken and scarred and more than a little crazy, yet still, he didn’t run. He stayed.

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Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Cover Reveal: Harvester by Rachel Russel

Today is the cover reveal for Harvester by Rachel Russell!

Harvester by Rachel Russell
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: March 17th 2014



Blurb:
Sixteen-year-old Catalina has never seen the sky. As a mage, it’s illegal for her to leave the underground city she lives in. The sun and moon are only fantastical stories of a land far away. So when Catalina stumbles upon a tunnel leading to the surface, she can’t resist the temptation to see the surface world.

But instead of enjoying a night beneath the stars for the first time, Catalina emerges upon the scene of a savage murderer harvesting faery body parts. She's nearly his next victim, but is rescued by a grim boy named Will who has a troubling connection to the killer.

Even more disquieting is Catalina’s criminal status upon returning home. Someone with political clout has framed her for the vicious slayings. Now on the run from the law, Catalina must uncover Will’s tie to the serial killing of faeries, as well as stop a bloodthirsty murderer to prove her innocence, or face a death sentence.

You can add Retribution to your to-read list on Goodreads


Excerpt:
The last person caught smuggling medicine had disappeared, never to be heard from again, after Marshals whisked him away for interrogation. It wasn’t a reassuring thought to have as Catalina stood in line and gnawed on the inside of her cheek. With each step she took toward the Arch, the glass vial hidden within the inside pocket of her vest grew heavier. She’d trafficked medicine into the city before, but it always felt like the first time. She supposed there were just some things you never got used to. Knowing the Arch wasn’t designed to detect her precious cargo didn’t stop her palms from sweating or her stomach from flip-flopping.

“Next.” A scowling guard dressed in a black trench coat with a stiff, upturned collar waved her through with an exaggerated wave of his arm, as if she’d been dawdling.

Catalina sucked in a breath and stepped beneath the Arch. It wailed, shrill and loud, like a cat in pain. She startled, her eyes widening.

“Hands in the air!”

Oh no. No, no, no, Catalina thought. She held up shaking hands. My luck cannot be this crappy. She’d passed through the Arch dozens of times with the medicine on her and the alarm had never gone off before. Maybe it was a malfunction.

Another guard stepped over and passed a plain, black rod over her, starting at her head and traveling down. It glowed white when it neared her vest pocket.

Catalina’s stomach bottomed out. They’d updated their equipment. For once, the law was a step ahead of her.
The guard flipped open her vest and reached into the inside pocket, plucking out the vial. He held it up before his face, arching an eyebrow. Within the glass vial swirled clear liquid filled with glittering particles. The guard pulled out the stopper and sniffed.

Catalina caught a faint waft of honeysuckle flowers.

“It’s faery elixir, all right.” The guard put the stopper back on. “Take her to the interrogation room. The Marshal will want to speak with her.”

The other guard stepped behind Catalina and twisted her arms behind her back. She needed to get out of there. If she could buck her head back hard enough to break the guard’s nose, maybe—

Then metal pinched the tender skin of her wrists. She tried to wriggle her fingers. Her knuckles hit cool iron. He’d encased her hands in mitten handcuffs, the only sure way to keep a mage from weaving a spell. Catalina sighed. Now it really was too late.

“Come on.” The guard grabbed Catalina by the elbow and led her through a blue door off to the right.

Their booted steps echoed down a hallway with overhead lights so bright they whitewashed the walls and floor. Catalina squinted beneath the harsh glare. The guard led her to the end of the hallway and stopped in front of a dull door with black paint curling at the edges. Again, she was struck with the near-overpowering drive to bolt. She’d heard horror stories of Marshals using magic to strangle hearts near to bursting point till they got what information they wanted.
The hinges on the door whined as the guard opened it. An empty room with a table and two chairs lay beyond. A cold chill rushed down Catalina’s spine. Odd how such a sparse room could feel so menacing.

The guard shoved her into the room. “A Marshal will be with you shortly.”

Catalina stumbled into the room and whirled to face the guard, only to be met by the door slamming shut. A click came from the other side of the door as he locked it.

She turned and strode to the table. “Great. What the hell am I supposed to do now?”


About the Author:
Rachel is a YA author who likes dirty martinis and pickles on her pizza. Her stories tend to be either horror or fantasy, or a strange amalgamation of both genres. She works at Month9Books, LLC as both the Submissions Coordinator and an Editorial Assistant. When not reading or writing, Rachel is marathoning anime, becoming one with Twitter (@RachelxRussell), or playing make-believe with her two daughters.

You can find and contact Rachel here:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Goodreads