#TuesdayBookBlog Random Musings & Word of the Day #caffbition #AmReading

I realize I don't blog regularly. I manage to post book reviews and spotlights for friends, and occasionally I'll have a cover reveal or event update/followup. Posting more consistently has been on my caffbition list for some time now.

I think being a novelist can make blogging a challenge. I'm used to several rounds of editing before sending my words off into the world. Also, I prefer a resting phase where I let words ferment and then revisit them to make sure they still sound as good as they did when I first wrote them. By then, anything dealing with current events is not longer relevant... which usually prompts me to discard rather than post outdated content, even if it does survive editing and self-scrutiny. This practice does not make for successful blogging.

So here I am today, long after the coffee has worn off, blogging without editing or clicking "save for later". I'm not saying that this will become a regular thing, but I gotta start somewhere. Okay. That's enough random musing. Let's move on to the bookish part of the blog this fine Tuesday...

This weekend, I'll be at Planet Comicon in Kansas City, MO. Squeee!!! It's my first time, which seems odd, since it's in my home state and full of awesomeness. I've traveled to New Orleans and Dallas and Denver for conventions, and this is somehow the first one I've attended close to home. If it's half as much fun as I expect it will be, it may become a regular event we attend every year. *fingers crossed and gas card clutched close to my heart* If you're attending, be sure to stop by my table on Artist Alley and say hello! And if you're a writer (or aspiring writer) come check out the Writing with Momentum panel I'm moderating on Saturday at 5:30pm.

I'm really psyched to meet everyone attending! And even though I mostly read ebooks these days, I do have a copy of Point of Divergence (Star Trek Seekers book 2) that I'm hoping to get signed by Dayton and Kevin. : ) I'm also stupid excited about the Kevin Smith Q&A Friday night, and the fact that my friend Alice is going too! I'm bringing my set of Cards Against Humanity, which I recently updated with all the latest expansions, so I'm planning for massive fun in the off-hours of the convention as well. ; )

I have a mountain of books to read when we return next week, and I'm determined to write blog reviews for them all. I might even record a BookTube video or two. After the amazing Bookish Babe did a video review for my first Lana novel, I've been inspired to give it a try! (That could just be the caffbition talking again...also, I hate myself on film. Totes awkward.)

Here are the reads I'll be devouring in the weeks to come...

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black
(I adored Black's Modern Faerie Tale series and the Spiderwick Chronicles, and I'm actually 70 pages into this book already and enjoying it immensely. I checked this one out from the library when I was there for a signing last month, but I've been caught up with the release of Ghost Market and reading novels for my critique group, the Four Horsemen of the Bookocalypse.)



 

Descended from Dragons by Tricia Owens
(Tricia is a fellow indie author. She sent me a review copy of her new book, but it's only 99¢ on Amazon--and FREE through Kindle Unlimited. I intended to have my review ready in time for release day, but I'm behind as usual. T-T )






Okay. I guess I better get back to the writing and editing and packing and--oh, did I mention that I'm completely recoding my website? Yeah, that too. I haven't updated it in some time, and now that everyone prefers to surf the web on their phone, I find that my site isn't as mobile friendly as it ought to be. : /  Just one more task to add to the caffbition list.

xoxo

#MondayBlogs "Magic and Mayhem" #boxset Only 99¢ Featuring @Jasmine_writes

 
Title: Magic and Mayhem

Number of Novels: 21

Price: $0.99

Release: August 2, 2016

Synopsis: Get ready to be swept off into lands filled with magic, mystery, action, adventure and romance with these 21 full-length fantasy novels! 22 NY Times, USA Today, and International Bestselling authors have banded together to bring you this amazing boxed set, but like all good things, it’s only available for a limited time! Grab this collection today before it’s gone for good!  

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What makes this boxed set so special?

You might be asking yourself what makes this boxed set so special, and I'm more than happy to tell you. See, there's nothing like this out there. Usually when you go looking for collections of books, one of two things happens, you either find the same novels you've seen everywhere else, most of which you can get for free, or you find a collection chock full of books filled with half-naked alphas and domineering vampires. Now, both of those things are cool, but that's not what this collection entails. No, the guys and girls in these novels are way more likely to punch a vampire in the face than make out with one. Hey, there's nothing wrong with being saved, but sometimes a girl has got to take things into her own hands, like you know, a stake. You will also find that each novel in this set is actually for sale on one or more venders for far more than the sticker price of this set. This isn't a set filled with freebies designed to entice you into purchasing something you could find for free. No, this collection of over one million words retails for over fifty dollars, and it's all your for a buck. If that isn't a steal, I don't know what else. Some of the books within the set have sold thousands of copies by themselves, and almost all of them enjoy several four and five star reviews. Chances are you'll find at least one of your new favorite series within, and likely more, all for only a buck. That's a deal that's hard to beat.

So who wouldn't like this set?

There's always someone who doesn't like something, and if you're on the fence about this set, I'll try to warn you off right now.

• If you don't like kick ass men and women who stake vampires, pummel werewolves, and shoot zombies all while maintaining their snarky senses of humor, this boxed set isn't for you.
• If you don't like books who will bring you into a world full of fantasy, magic, and mayhem, this boxed set isn't for you.
• If you don't like books with hundreds of four and five star reviews, this boxed set isn't for you.
• If you don't like paying $0.99 for 21 full-length novels, this boxed set isn't for you.
• If you are expecting hot, steamy romance full of bare-chested werewolves getting it on, this boxed set isn't for you.
• If you don't want to read books that will pull you in and not let you go until you've read all their sequels, this boxed set isn't for you.

Okay, you keep saying 21 novels, but what exactly does that mean?

I thought you'd never ask. Here's a list of what's included in this set:

Burned by Magic - Jasmine Walt

Come, the Dark - Rebecca Hamilton

The Sorcery Code - Dima Zales & Anna Zaires

Unbound - Emily Goodwin

Legally Undead - Margo Bond Collins

Wardbreaker - J.A. Cipriano

Quartz - Rabia Gale

Chased by Fire - D.K. Holmberg

Waterwitch - Thea Atkinson

Adamant - Emma L. Adams

The Sunken - S.C. Green

Heart of the Kraken - A.W. Exley

The Atomic Sea - Jack Conner

Rebel's Honor - Gwynn White

Echo in Time - Lindsey Fairleigh

The Hunt for Snow - S.E. Rabin

They're So Vein - Susan Stec

Chameleon - K. De Long

Brooding City - Tom Shutt

Death is But a Dream - Erin Hayes

Power Shift - Calinda B.

Trust me, with 21 novels from twenty-two New York Times, USA Today, and International bestselling authors, you're getting more than enough bang for your buck. Just don't start this set late at night if you value your sleep, because I guarantee you'll be up WAY past your bedtime! This incredible boxed set is only going to be around at $0.99 for a limited time, so make sure you grab your copy today!

Reaper Squee!!! Parties, Pictures, and a #FREE book!

So the Season's Reapings Facebook parties (there was a second one for UK readers, since the timezone difference put the first one at midnight across the pond.) were a total blast! I had so much fun, and from what I can tell, everyone else did too. : )  All prizes and Christmas cards are in the mail. Woot! Goods for US readers should hopefully arrive in time for Christmas (though the postal service makes no promises this time of year). I have no idea how long it will take for goods heading to Canada and the UK, but it's all on the way!



If you haven't grabbed a copy of Season's Reapings yet, it's now available for your reading pleasure (and for only 99¢) at all these magical places/on these magical devices:

Kindle | Smashwords | Nook | iBooks | Kobo

After the parties, reader Sarah Perry sent me a message about how her Halloween decor this year was inspired by Lana and Reapers Inc., and she sent pictures! They're so fantastic, and I'm stoked that she gave me permission to share them with you guys. Check it out!

This totally blew me away. ♥ Thanks again, Sarah! : D

One last reaper squee, and then I better get back to work!

If you love reapers as much as I do, then you probably know about my friend Lisa Medley's awesome reaper series. If you don't, then you're in luck, because book 1 in her series in now FREE!!!  This book is so much fun!  It's funny and sexy and spooky--trust me, you're going to love it! Grab your free copy here:

Kindle | Smashwords | Nook | Kobo

Okay, I'm off to see a wizard! xoxo

So You Want to be an Author... #WriterWednesday #IndieAuthors

When I first became an “official” author, I really didn’t know what the hell to do with myself. The only other authors I’d met were big time best sellers, after standing in line for hours at a B&N, often after driving 3-5 hours to get there in the first place. Totally worth it. ♥

 #FangirlScrapbooking101

Back before I even knew that I should be requesting reviews from fellow authors, I happened to find myself at a signing for one of these amazeball best sellers, MaryJanice Davidson (she’s the one on the right in the center picture, and the only one who doesn’t make me look freakishly tall). After waiting in line to have my copy of Fish Out of Water signed, I reached MJ’s table and timidly mentioned that I’d just finished writing my first novel. She then blew me away by offering to read and blurb it. O.O I’m pale as death, so I’m sure I turned fifty shades of red at this point. Of course, then she added on, “You know, as long as it doesn’t suck.” 

No pressure, right?

Well, apparently, it didn't suck. At least not to MaryJanice. She wrote a super sweet blurb, and it gave me the courage to ask other authors and reviewers to take a look at my work too. It also encouraged me to man the fuck up and start treating my writing as a career rather than a hobby. This is what I wanted to do for a living—not just in my spare time. I couldn’t afford to let my introverted awkwardness stand as an obstacle in my path. I needed to network.

I soon found myself on a quest to seek out online forums and social media platforms, signing venues and bookish conventions. It’s been an exciting and often nerve-wracking journey. Especially as an indie author without an agent or publicist. It took 5 years before I earned enough in royalties to be able to quit my day job. And now I have a really nice circle of fellow indie author pals—a few of which are even close enough to manage a lunch date on occasion. Most are still scattered across the globe, but every now and then our paths cross at conventions, and it’s magical!

I’m not on the NYT or USA Today best sellers lists… yet. But I am happy to say that my latest book, Death Wish, has been hanging out on Amazon’s Dark Fantasy best sellers since its release last week. Woot! 

(Pardon me, while I go eat all the Halloween candy in the kitchen to celebrate... )

I am frequently asked how I got where I am, often by people under the impression that it happened overnight. There are a lot, and I mean A LOT, of great books on writing, and publishing, and marketing out there. I’ve read quite a few of them. There are quite a few more on my TBR list. Still, I’ve been considering tossing my two cents into the well.

What do you say, aspiring authors? What elements of the writing/publishing/marketing process befuddle you the most? Where does the map fail you with a shaded area marked no-man’s-land? I'd sincerely like to help. ♥

Interview with Lisa Medley: Reapers of Missouri Unite!

The RT Booklovers Convention is over for this year, but I’m still basking in the afterglow of its awesomeness! And I’m doing my best to stay in touch with the incredible writers I met while in New Orleans. One of these writers is Lisa Medley, who not only lives just a few hours away from me in Missouri, but she also writes reaper fiction! How have we not met before? How do we not have an exclusive Missouri reapers club with a secret handshake? We’ll get to that eventually, I’m sure. For now, I’m just excited to be interviewing Lisa on my blog. Enjoy!

Hi Lisa! Thanks for visiting my blog! Reapers are the best! Can you tell us your take on them in your series?

Thanks for having me here, Angela! The reapers in my series are responsible for collecting human souls on Earth. They don’t hasten any departures but collect those who pass in their respective territories. The hero of Reap & Repent is 200+ years old and burned out. He’s going through the motions and running his death circuits when he runs into a human woman with no aura. Reapers don’t have auras either. In fact, that’s how they know when someone is about to pass by.  The aura is gone or turns white.  Intrigued, Deacon tracks her down and nothing will ever be the same for him again.

I know you’ve got a soft spot for beasts. Are any featured in your series?

The only beasts in book one are imps, which are demon spies and look like black cats to humans. In book two, we get a hellhound named Bocephus. Bo eats demons for breakfast, lunch and dinner and drools like a river.

How many books do you have planned for your series? And when is the next one coming out?

I have three finished in the series. Book two, Reap & Redeem, comes out in October and three, Reap & Reveal, publishes in January.  I have at least six more characters who need stories and to find their love. I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen to them!

Now for a few random wildcard questions…


What’s your favorite word?

Ever since the old television show The Greatest American Hero, my favorite word has been ‘scenario’. Robert Culp’s character used it all the dang time and it stuck with me!

If you were in a fictional fantasy world, what would be your profession? Demon hunter? Psychic gumshoe? Dragon tamer? 

I think it would be extremely satisfying to kill me some demons. In my head, I’ve got all the moves. In a fictional world I could totally rock Demon Hunter.

Zombie apocalypse. What are your top 3 essentials?

Listen, I think about this an unhealthy amount of time.  I’m just waiting to pull my ninja skills out for the zombie apocalypse. I travel a lot for my day job, and I figure I’ll get caught far away from home.  I WILL get home. I have a complete zombie bug-out bag in my trunk with a roll of Duct tape, food, and a machete. Just. In. Case.

What’s a random question you’ve always wanted to be asked, but no one ever asks?

How about…What is your secret superhero power?
Thanks for asking. Apparently, my secret superhero power is the ability to see cat yak because no one else in my family seems to see it to clean it up. Figures. Flying would be so much cooler.

Okay. Back to business…Who or what do you read for inspiration?

I started this paranormal romance rollercoaster with J.R. Ward, and I buy her new release on PRE-ORDER, then count down the days until release. Seriously.  I’m a little obsessed with her. I love me some Black Dagger Brothers. I also love Charlaine Harris and Patricia Briggs and, and, and… My TBR bookshelf is embarrassing. We aren’t going to talk about my decreasing Kindle storage.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I started writing sad and angsty, pre-teen poetry and look where I am now.  In HS and through the years, I wrote some newspaper columns and in the back of my mind, writer was somewhere around plan M. I always thought writing a novel was something I probably COULD do, but hadn’t really tried. Finally after reading more than a hundred paranormal romance and urban fantasy novels, I decided it was time to put up or shut up. The first three novels of The Reaper Series will publish this year. 

Any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

Keep swimming. It’s going to seem impossible but if you just keep swimming, you’ll reach the shore before you know it. I had no idea if my book would sell or ever be published. By the time it did contract, I already had book two completed so they bought it as well as book three which I hadn’t even started yet! I’ll have a backlist by the end of the year. The more you write the more you’ll publish. Keep swimming and keep writing!

I’m really looking forward to checking out your reapers! Thanks for stopping by, Lisa. : )

Lisa has always enjoyed reading about monsters in love and now she writes about them. Reapers. The grim kind. 

She adores beasties of all sorts, fictional as well as real, and has a farm full of them in her Southwest Missouri home, including: one child, one husband, two dogs, two cats, a dozen hens, thousands of Italian bees, and a guinea pig. 

She may or may not keep a complete zombie apocalypse bug-out bag in her trunk at all times, including a machete. Just. In. Case. 

Website | Facebook  | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads | Google+ | Amazon Author Page

They see death. Can they share a life? Ruth Scott can read the energy of every person she meets. Then she meets Deacon Walker. She can see his ice-blue eyes, his black hair, and his gorgeous face. But this beautiful stranger has no aura. 

Deacon is just as unsettled by Ruth—and, having spent more than two hundred years ushering souls to Purgatory, Deacon is seldom shocked by anything. As he helps Ruth to understand her true nature, she awakens desires that he decided long ago a Reaper can’t afford. 

A demon invasion forces Deacon to confront the darkness in his own past even as he fights to save the human souls he’s charged to protect. When he’s taken captive, his first concern is for Ruth. But Ruth just might be able to save herself—and the Reaper she can’t live without—if she can learn to wield her newfound power. 

 AMAZON | B&N  | KOBO

He’s a reaper who has given up on saving souls. Will a dying woman be his salvation? 

After a century of enslavement to pure evil, Kylen Larson is finally free. But he’s long past caring. The only woman he ever loved is dead, and he’s tormented by memories of the horrors his demon parasite forced him to commit. Now, he lives for nothing more than hunting down the infernal creatures invading Meridian, Arkansas, and destroying them. 

Olivia Evans is in the final stages of cancer when Kylen accidentally saves her from demonic possession. When he rescues this innocent soul, Kylen rediscovers his mission—and his heart. All he wants is to help Alivia stay alive. He’ll just have to fight off an invasion from Hell first… 

AMAZON