Attack of the November!

Whoa boy, this month is gonna be interesting. I'm gonna need more coffee. And maybe a bigger boat...

First of all, congratulations to Bryony Curtis for winning my quote scramble game on the Read 'Em & Reap Blog Hop! The game prize was a cameo in my 5th Lana Harvey, Reapers Inc. novel, DEATH WISH. 

The following blog tours are happening right now, and both have a $25 Amazon gift card up for grabs, plus other goodies. There are some fun interviews, guest posts, and reviews that make my heart squee! Check them out, and don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win!

Well, I better get back to work. It also happens to be NaNoWriMo time! 

xoxo

Read 'Em & Reap Blog Hog

I've been terrible about blogging lately. Sorry y'all. I'm hoping to make up for it today with an explosion of awesome! I met the lovely Lisa Medley at the RT convention in New Orleans last May, and it was inevitable that we would hit it off, because A) she also writes reapers, and B) she too is from Missouri. So when she asked me if I wanted to be part of a kick-ass blog hop featuring a dozen reaper writers, I was all the YES. That it would be taking place the week of Halloween was just a bonus.

So from now until the big day, come play with us, and you could win books and swag and even a $100 Amazon Gift Card! It's as easy as share/like/following the grim writers listed in the Rafflecopter below.

As for games... the first reaper reader to unscramble the following quote and post its author in the comments will have a character named after them in Death Wish, book 5 of my Lana Harvey, Reapers Inc. series. The character will be harvested by Lana and the gang at some point in the book. I promise to make it an interesting death. ; )

The scrambled quote: he never may is going he that know to can himself To immortal. but know that is He everyone is die, he dead.

Hint: Punctuation marks go with the words they follow, and the capitalized words are meant to be. Good luck!


If you're new to my Lana series, you can grab book 1, Graveyard Shift, for FREE on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, & Smashwords.

The Inferno has Evolved… 

Lana Harvey is a reaper, and a lousy one at that. She resides in Limbo City, the modern capital of the collective afterlives, where she likes to stick it to the man (the legendary Grim Reaper himself) by harvesting the bare minimum of souls required of her. She’d much rather be hanging out with Gabriel, her favorite archangel, at Purgatory Lounge. But when a shocking promotion falls in her lap, Lana learns something that could unravel the very fabric of Eternity. If the job isn’t completed, there could be some real hell to pay.

For more grim entertainment, check out the following authors and blogs!

An InLinkz Link-up

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RT14 NOLA Round Up

We got back from New Orleans on Sunday, and we're still recovering...

The RT Booklovers Convention was a blast! Hands down, best week ever! I hardly know where to begin, so I'll just take it from the top...

Monday (May 11th), was a blur. I packed and unpacked half a dozen times before I finally decided that yes, I did need all eight pairs of shoes I'd picked out. Good thing we weren't flying. After my parents picked up our minion, Paul and I cranked up the music and popped open a bottle of wine as we finished organizing everything and going over our OCD checklists for the nth time. I swear, I need to find a little kitchen sink key-chain thingamabob, just so I can say I didn't forget it. 

After we played Jenga with our luggage Tuesday morning, we were off! I'll spare you all the exhilarating details of our 14 hour car ride. When we got to the hotel around 9pm, the plan was to go to bed early so we'd be nice and refreshed in the morning. Hahahaha That didn't happen. I think we saw 2:30am. There were just too many people to meet! Seriously. We made a lot of new friends last week. From all over the world. Also, we had our books shipped to the hotel for the book fair, and they were waiting for us. 

Backwoods Armageddon!

Paul's first book (my fifth), and this is the first time he got to hold a physical copy in his hands. I had to capture the moment. ♥

More squee-worthy photos...

 Charlaine Harris!!!! Ahhhh!!! I adore her. She was so very sweet and funny. 

I'm glad I got a picture with her, because I didn't have time to track her down later and get books signed. The lines were super cray this year.

With E. L. James at 3:30am. Yeah, not even my camera was sober at that hour. Shay, a lovely blogger with very soft hands (I'm a hand holder when I'm tanked, FYI) spotted James in the lounge and let me tag along to meet her. She was so nice! It must be something about RT. I didn't meet one unpleasant person all week.

Darynda Jones (2nd from the right--next to Chloe Neil!) was also another author I was really excited to meet in person. Her Charley Davidson series is fantastic! It's about reapers. How could it not be awesome? ; )

Kim Harrison!!! (on the left) I adore her too. Also, crazy lines at her tables. I did wait in one to get some books signed, but I skipped getting a picture taken with her, because I didn't want to get mauled by fans. I nabbed this picture at the humor panel she was on, moderated by Trent Hart (on the right). Really great info! Glad I took notes. Trent did a lot for RT this year, and we ran into each other in the elevator at one point. We had emailed a few times, but I didn't recognize him right off. He said my name, and I'm sure the look I gave him was of pure panic. I'm usually pretty good with names and faces. Convention tip: Look at the name badge! That's Tiffany Reisz under the center arrow. She writes steamy erotica, and I got to hang out with her in the lounge later that night, after visiting with Lucienne Diver, agent/author extraordinaire. If you're a fan of my Lana series and love mythology, you have to check out Lucienne's Latter-Day Olympians series! So much fun! 

Rachel busted out a deck of Cards Against Humanity, which is my new favorite game. It's so wrong and yet so right! This was my first time playing, and I won! We decided the grand prize would be the mystery box of cheesecake we found in our booth. lol

Next to Lucienne is Tristan Smith, a cover model who works with Jenn LeBlanc, to his left. In addition to being a great model, Tristan is an all around nice guy. He's raising money for a friend of his who was badly injured in an automobile accident. Find out how you can help HERE. 

I met Jenn LeBlanc last year at RT13 in Kansas City. She creates amazing covers, and she writes too! She moderated a fun cover design panel this year with Tristan.

 Speaking of cover models....

I went to the "Jade Lee Lampoons the Writing Life", where this guy (I believe they were calling him Scotty McHottie) posed as a were-dolphin for a mock cover shoot. I ♥ Jade Lee. She's so much fun! Pretty sure my husband still blames her for getting me hooked on Plants vs. Zombies though. lol

Alcoholic keepsakes. Remember: Write drunk. Edit sober. 

The book fair was cray. Over 700 authors. It was Paul's first official signing, so that was exciting too!

I sat next to a very charming man in a bow-tie, Joshua Roots. His work has been compared to Jim Butcher's. I just downloaded the first in his series today! 

Here are some balloon animals. The clown said I was special, so I got two! Not creepy at all...

Partay!!!

 Mardis Gras World!

The marketing panel I moderated was a huge success! Lisa Kessler talked about Facebook parties. Sierra Dean talked about the right ways to use Twitter. Paul Ross covered one-on-one sales, and I discussed putting together a charity/launch party on a budget. If you missed the panel and didn't get one of the goody bags with a handout, you can download it here:

I'm already putting together a panel proposal for next year. The ladies in charge get the ball rolling early. It's a huge event, so they really have to. 

There were so many more wonderful people! I know I'm missing some names I should be giving a shout-out to.... J. Hali Steel, Alexis Flemming, Bobbie Cole, Jenna Jacob... Mia Marshall, Gretchen Stull, Lisa Medley. Really, it was a blast getting to visit with you all!

I'll catch you lovelies in Dallas next year! In the meantime... Keep Calm and Read On! 

xoxo

Broken Bargain pre-release tour: Interview with Clare Davidson

It's here! It's here! Right HERE!!! Unless you're on Clare's side of the big pond in the UK, and then it's HERE!!! 

That's right! Broken Bargain, book 2 in Clare Davidson's Hidden series, is officially available! And here's my official review:

“Broken Bargain” picks up almost a year after the events in book 1, “Reaper’s Rhythm”. Kim is starting a new year at school. Though she is clearly still affected by the death of her sister, her own near death experience, and the startling knowledge that Shamari and Baneem, or angels and demons, are real. She also knows that magic is real, but that’s not something she can tell anyone, ever. Most of her classmates think she’s crazy anyway, after her meltdown when her sister Charley died. The only person who doesn’t think she’s crazy is her best friend, Sophie. And maybe the mysterious new boy, AJ. 

Kim does her best to forget the secrets she cannot share and the trauma of the previous year. She has a full schedule of classes and a cute boy to distract her, but it’s hard not to look over her shoulder for signs of the dangerous world she knows is hidden beneath the surface. When Sophie’s grandmother suddenly falls ill and the details don’t add up, Kim begins to suspect magic. Especially when Matthew, the Shamari who came to her rescue when Charley died, appears to warn her away from investigating for herself. Not that she listens to him. How can she, when her best friend’s family is suffering? 

This was such a great read! I could really feel Kim’s inner turmoil as she worked through some very serious issues she was left with after “Reaper’s Rhythm”. The details and emotion were fantastic! There were some really delightful and unexpected twists. The editing was top notch too, as was the cover design! This novel is 5 stars all the way around. I can’t wait for the next one in the Hidden series!!! 

 

Clare Davidson

Hi Clare! Welcome to my blog, and congratulations on your new novel. It was a great read! 

I’m glad you enjoyed it and thank you for having me over to celebrate Broken Bargain’s official release day. 

This is the second novel in your Hidden series. Would you recommend that readers start with the first, “Reaper’s Rhythm”? Would they be lost if they picked up “Broken Bargain” first, or would they still be able to follow along? 

I would recommend they start with Reaper’s Rhythm, as it’s an introduction to the central characters and the paranormal aspects of the setting. However, I think it’s possible to read and enjoy Broken Bargain if you haven’t read Reaper’s Rhythm, as the plot stands on its own. You just won’t know as much about the world set up. 

Do you have more novels planned for this series? If so, how many? 

There will be four in total. I’m editing book 3 at the moment. 

What made you decide to write YA? 

Advice from an editor! I didn’t start out consciously writing for a teen audience. However when I was getting feedback on Trinity, I was advised to make it shorter so it would appeal more to a teen audience. The reason? The central character, Kiana, was sixteen. I did as I was advised (it’s a better book for it) and from that point on decided I’d write books pitched at teens but with a strong crossover appeal. A lot of my readers are adults. 

Does your daughter read your books? If so, is she a good critic? 

She’s four and three-quarters (that three-quarters is very important!), so she’s only just learning to read. She recognises my books though and proudly proclaims: “that’s my mummy’s book”, whenever she sees one when we’re in public. I’d love to be able to write a short story that she could read, but writing an engaging story using the phonics system is a completely different skill and challenge to writing for teens. Maybe when she’s a little older I’ll write a book she can read.

From the pictures you've posted, it looks like she's the perfect mascot, displaying your author swag. lol So adorable! : ) You do a lot of really great online events. Do you also do live events, like store signings or school readings?

Over the summer, I did a short book tour, which my good friend Louise helped me organise. I sold and signed books in three shopping centers and I also did a book signing at Waterstone’s in Lancaster. Each stop on the tour was very successful, but very nerve-wracking. I’ve also done author workshops at a local high school, which was a lot of fun. I’ll be looking to do more now I’ve settled after our big house move. 

Have you ever met an author you admired in person? 

Does the Internet count? No, probably not! I haven’t met many authors in the flesh, to be honest. I have met Fred Nath and fellow indie author David Rashleigh. I’m going to WorldCon in London in August, so I’m hoping to meet up with more of the authors I’ve made friends with via social media there. 

Thanks for stopping by my blog, and thanks for allowing me the chance to review your new book early! : ) 

You’re welcome. Thank you again for having me and for the fun interview. 

You can find Clare all across the interwebs…. 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | YouTube | Mailing List

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Broken Bargain pre-release tour: Interview with Kat Ellis

First of all, congratulations to Cynthia, Sally, & Tiffany, who won ebook copies of "Crazy Ex-Ghoulfriend" by entering the tour giveaway yesterday. Thanks for entering & happy reading!

BROKEN BARGAIN, the amazing Clare Davidson's new book, will be available tomorrow! Woot! And this lucky lady got to read it early. Perks of the author gig. : ) I'll have the full review up tomorrow, along with an interview featuring Clare herself! There are two days left in the tour giveaway, and some awesome goods up for grabs! Today's featured author is Kat Ellis, whose debut novel BLACKFIN SKY will be released by Firefly Press (UK) & Running Press Kids (US) in May. Enter the giveaway after Kat's interview for a chance to win some awesome swag!

KAT ELLIS

Congratulations on your debut novel BLACKFIN SKY being released this May. It looks like an exciting read! Can you tell us a little about it? 

Thanks, Angela! BLACKFIN SKY is about a girl called Skylar who falls from Blackfin Pier on her sixteenth birthday and drowns. The whole town goes into mourning – until Sky shows up three months later like nothing happened. 

Unravelling the mystery of those missing months takes Sky to the burned-out circus in the woods, where whispers of murder and kidnapping begin to reveal the town’s secrets. But Sky’s not the only one digging up the past – the old mime from the circus knows what happened to her, and he has more than one reason for keeping quiet about it. 

Mysterious, no?? ;) 

Very mysterious! Can’t wait to check it out! You’re fairly new to the publishing scene. Can you tell us a little about yourself? 

I’ve lived in North Wales my whole life (except for a few years when I hopped over the border to England) and work sort of in IT. I say sort of because I’m a bit like Jen from The IT Crowd, who thinks The Internet lives inside a black shoebox - because who really needs to know what it is, as long as it works? 

Apart from writing and fudging my way through HTML code, I’m also a keen photographer, and I love adventuring through ruined castles and abbeys and cemeteries (of which North Wales has A LOT) to take photos. I post them online on Tumblr, and use the images as inspiration when I’m writing. 

That sounds like a really great way to stimulate your imagination! What’s next for you? Are you considering other genres, or sticking to YA? 

I’m a YA girl at heart, although I like to dabble a bit with genres within the YA category. The first MS I wrote was science fiction, then I worked on fantasy for a while, and now I’m writing a contemporary thriller. 

I try to challenge myself to change things up every time I work on a new project – writing from different points of view, switching from first-person narrative (my home ground) to third-person, setting the story somewhere really unique – stuff like that. I want every story I write to be different and exciting, and the way I make that happen is to make sure I’m excited about what I’m writing. 

Who are some of your favorite YA authors and books? 

I try to read a wide range of genres, and there are a lot of authors I could mention here…so I will! 

One of my all-time favourites is Lisa McMann, who wrote the Wake trilogy and now has a new series about psychic visions. Yangsze Choo’s The Ghost Bride is a beautiful historical fantasy set in colonial Malaya, and I can’t recommend it highly enough! 

Michael Grant is another longstanding favourite, in particular his Gone series about kids trapped in an invisible dome who start to develop strange abilities. And there’s A. G. Howard’s Splintered series, based on Alice in Wonderland with a fantastically dark contemporary twist. 

In the contemporary genre I have to mention Erin Fletcher, whose debut Where You’ll Find Me came out this month, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Also Laura Jarratt and Lucy Christopher, whose novels are way up there on my favourites list. I think I need to stop now, or this list will grow tentacles and take over the world! 

When I’m not wearing my writer hat, I’m a graphic designer, so I’m always curious…. your cover design is beautiful! Who was the artist? And how much input did you have in the creation? 

I am so jealous of anyone with artistic skills like yourself – I’m challenged by drawing stick figures! 

The cover that’s ‘out there’ at the moment is the UK cover for BLACKFIN SKY, and the artwork is by the amazing Shane Rebenschied (blot.com is his website – he had loads of fantastic examples in his gallery). I actually asked Firefly, my UK publisher, to approach Shane – not thinking I’d get him in a million years, so I was thrilled when I found out it was happening. I love his vision and how he has translated my story into such a gorgeous cover. 

I will also have a US cover for BLACKFIN SKY, and the drafts I’ve seen of that one are so different, but really fantastic too – I’m so lucky that I love them both! The US one should be revealed sooooon. 

That’s so awesome! I can’t wait to see your US cover too. Thanks for visiting my blog, Kat! Good luck with your future projects, and I can’t wait to read BLACKFIN SKY! 

Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog, Angela! This interview was great fun :D 

Find Kat Ellis all across the interwebs… 

Twitter | Goodreads | Blog | Tumblr | Amazon UK | Amazon US

 

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Happy New Year FREEBIE & News

Hey! Happy New Year! .... a couple weeks late. Yeah, so you can see how well my resolution to blog more is going. lol

I intended for this to be a vlog (Is that word even used anymore?), but now that my kiddo can vault over his playpen, he pretty much has full run of the house, although he prefers hanging from my head and limbs like Curious George. Plus, the tech guy is here to switch us from Dish to DirectTV. Fingers crossed that all goes well, because BITTEN premiers tonight on Syfy!!! 10pm EST, but I'm CST, so that's 9pm for me. Woot!




I'm a big fan of Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series, so I'm giddy right now! I got to meet Ms. Armstrong at the RT Booklover's Convention back in May of last year, and she was super nice. She was moderating a panel for Teen Day. To be honest, I'm not a huge reader of YA, but I've been getting into it lately. So last night, I picked up The Summoning, the first book in Armstrong's Darkest Powers YA series. I meant to read for 30 minutes, and then write for 2 hours before bed.... instead I read for 4 hours, until I finished the book at 1am. Then I had to go grab the second book out of my office and read the first few chapters... so no writing for me last night. I'll play catch up today... and reward myself with more reading tomorrow. hehehe

In other news, Graveyard Shift, the first novel of my Lana Harvey, Reapers Inc. series, is FREE on Kindle and Smashwords (for all other formats) through the month of January. If you're suffering from the post holiday spending blues and haven't already checked out the Lanaverse, enjoy the freebie! 

 
I've already started preparing for the next RT convention this May in New Orleans! I'm moderating a marketing panel with my husband and coauthor, Paul Ross, as well as authors Lisa Kessler and Sierra Dean. Should be oodles of fun, and I can't wait! I'll have a few crafty videos to share in the near future, since there are some fabulous costume parties, and I have some fancy things to design for them. Plus, there's lots of fun giveaways coming up for the New Year, and that resolution to blog more, so check back soon! 

xoxo