Showing posts with label Off the Beaten Path. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Off the Beaten Path. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

OTBP Blog Tour & Giveaway | Winners Announcement!

The Off the Beaten Path Blog Tour & Giveaway has concluded, and the winners are....



Grand Prize winner of bound book & $10 Amazon card:


Felicia T. 



Triple winners of 2 $5 Amazon cards &“Off the Beaten Path” ebook:


Tanya J.


Amy H.



Double winner of $5 Amazon card & “Off the Beaten Path” ebook:


Teresa E.



Winners of “Off the Beaten Path” ebook:


Tiffany M.


Seth C.


Kristy E.


Tiffany K.



Winners of $5 Amazon card:


Clare T.


Jackie B.


Rose W.


Congratulations to you all! Thanks for entering, and we hope you enjoy our collection of paranormal short stories. : )

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

OTBP Blog Tour & Giveaway | Author Interview: Jason Graves

It's the last day of the Off the Beaten Path Blog Tour & Giveaway! So be sure to enter for a chance to win books and Amazon cash! It's super easy, and if you like following authors on Facebook and Twitter, there are tons of ways to earn more entries!

Today, I'd like to introduce the man who put together our haunting collection of short stories. He's been a blast to work with! : )


Jason T. Graves lives in North Carolina with his family and a menagerie of small, domestic animals. He takes his coffee black, and, when he is not conducting mysterious, mad-scientist experiments with his students, he writes mysterious and beautiful fiction. Many years ago, he was punched, only once and very lightly, by Muhammad Ali.  Jason is the author of the Noctivagas Chronicles and the novella On the Bridge.





Q. Vampires? Werewolves? Ghosts? What's your favorite flavor of supernatural and why? 

A. Vampires and Fey seem to have carried the day for the moment, what with The Noctivagas Chronicle (Blood Roses and Morning Stars) and On the Bridge. However, I enjoy other paranormal and supernatural critters and characters, such as angels and demons, ghosts and spectres, and Nephilim. I can't abide with lycanthropes though, because shape shifting would be a biological nightmare of epic proportions... and besides, that much hair is kinda gross. I enjoy writing about vampires because the whole phenomenon of pale, elegant, blood suckers is fascinating from a scientific
scientific stand point: how could biologically tenable vampires exist? That's a question that drove the story development in The Noctivagas Chronicle. Of course, no scientific treatment of the undead would be complete without some magic and mysticism thrown in for good measure, so I did that too. I'm not really keen on the whole ghoul-like vampires or zombies -- I swore I'd never write a zombie story -- although I have three ideas for stories that directly relate to zombies. Go figure! Oh, and never say never... it'll come back and bite you on the butt. 

Q. Do you dabble in other genres besides paranormal? What kind of stories come to you most naturally when writing? 

A. I mostly write about people and how they relate to each other and react to life-altering circumstances. As such, I can write across genres, and I do. I have written science fiction stories, and I have story ideas for Chick Lit and New Adult stories, and a dark, urban fantasy. I even have a couple of ideas for children's and elementary-grade books. I never want to be genre typed. 

Q. Are you an outliner or an organic writer? 

A. I am definitely an organic writer. I let my characters (aka, my subconscious) write much of the story, then come in and organize stuff with the conscious mind. I generally write the outline near the end, just to keep everything straight -- especially as my novels comprise a series, which requires more diligence. My subconscious mind is very clever, and I often don't find out just how much until months after I have written some things. It's fun to have those, "Ah, ha!" moments when I discover just how clever I am, haha! 

Q. Where do you do your writing? Do you have an office, or do you frequent a favorite coffee shop? 

A. I do the bulk of my writing at home, in my office. If I tried writing in a coffee shop, I'd be fat from all the lattes and pastries. I do write, on occasion, in my favorite book store. It adds symmetry to my life, and makes me feel like Harlan Ellison. 

Q. What are you currently working on? 

A. Um... I have about six irons in the fire at any given moment, but I've been spending most of my limited time on Mars Rising, the sequel to Morning Stars. I have also started working on the novel to follow On the Bridge, my novella about a possibly insane young black woman (Gretchen Thyrd) and the Fey who love and hate her. On the Bridge is a bit of an awesome story that I fear is being woefully under read. 

Q. What question do you wish someone would just ask you already?

A. I wish someone would ask me what my favorite flavor of ice cream is already. If you ever meet me at a convention or a book signing, just come up and ask me! I will tell you! Only, you need to be prepared to buy me some ice cream afterwards :) 

Thanks for visiting my blog today, Jason! And thank you for bringing us all together for the awesomeness that is Off the Beaten Path

Find Jason all across the interwebs...


 

Sunday, October 6, 2013

OTBP Blog Tour & Giveaway | Author Interview: Sharon Sant

The Off the Beaten Path Blog Tour & Giveaway is almost over, but there's still time to enter for a chance to win one of the many prizes available! Check out the details below!

Today, I' like to share a little about author Sharon Sant with you. Sharon is the author of the Sky Song trilogy, Runners, The Jackie Chan Fan Club, and, most recently, The Memory Game. I actually got the chance to read The Memory Game over the weekend, and it was wonderful! I'm really digging the cover too.


David is an average fifteen-year-old. He has a mom and step-dad, friends at school, and he delivers newspapers. One evening, while on his paper route, he is hit by a car and dies. He suddenly finds himself stuck without a body, left to wander around his hometown where no one can see or hear him... except Bethany, the most hated girl in school, who David wasn't all that nice to when he was alive. Together, David and Bethany try to discover why David didn't go on to wherever people are supposed to go when they die.


This was such a sweet, fun read. There were lots of laughs and tears! Beautifully written. Sharon is also the author of "Soul Trading", a short story featured in Off the Beaten Path



Sharon Sant was born in Dorset but now lives in Stoke-on-Trent. Agedeightshe wrote a poem about ET, which received the ultimate praise of being pinned onto the classroom wall, and from that moment on she knew she'd never stop writing. She graduated from Staffordshire University in 2009 with a degree in English and creative writing. She currently works part time as a freelance editor and continues to write her own stories. An avid reader with eclectic tastes across many genres, when not busy trying in vain to be a domestic goddess, she can often be found lurking in local coffee shops with her head in a book. Sometimes she pretends to be clever but really loves nothing more than watching geeky TV and eating Pringles. Young adult novels Sky Song, The Young Moon and Not of Our (the Sky Song trilogy) and Runners were all released in 2013 to glowing reviews. The Memory Game, a YA paranormal novella, was released in August 2013.

Find Sharon all over the interwebs...

Friday, October 4, 2013

OTBP Blog Tour & Giveaway | Author Interview: D. R. Johnson

It's day #4 of the Off the Beaten Path blog tour & giveaway, and today I'd like to share some more about author Debra Johnson with you! Debra writes under the name D. R. Johnson, and she was also part of the big indie book giveaway that I participated in earlier this year. She is the author of The Pheonix Curse Saga, and her short story To Darkness I Fall was featured in Off the Beaten Path.

Debra resides in Texas, one of my favorite places to visit! So I'm hopeful that we'll meet in person one day... and maybe do a book signing together! : )


Q: Vampires? Werewolves? Ghosts? What's your favorite flavor of supernatural and why? 

A: I love them all and sometimes my favorite can sway, but right now I love anything to do with angels. I don’t know if that’s QUITE considered supernatural, but I love a good story of the tug of war in heaven and the whole mythology behind it. Besides, what girl can resist a good ‘fallen angel’ story? Angels are totally the new vampires.

Q: Do you dabble in other genres besides paranormal? What kind of stories come to you most naturally when writing? 

A: I will dabble anywhere my mind takes me, but about 50% of my writing is dystopian/apocalyptic stuff. The other 50% is split between paranormal, chick-lit and fantasy.


Q: Are you an outliner or an organic writer? 

A: Well, not going to lie, but I had to look that up. So you know what that means? I’m organic, baby. I let myself drift in the story and see where it takes me. There is no outlining. The story does what it needs to do while I’m just the tool typing. Then I’ll rein it in during the editing process. I love writing. I hate editing.

Q: Where do you do your writing? Do you have an office, or do you frequent a favorite coffee shop? 

A: Unfortunately, I do not have a retreat I can escape too. My desk is in the middle of the living room (AKA; Grand Central Station) and there’s always something going on during the waking hours. So, I wait till everyone else is asleep and then take advantage of all the quiet time. Although I wish I could, I know I could never write in a coffee house. I tend to talk to myself, act out motions and, occasional, yank on my hair. I just don’t see that going over well.

Q: What are you currently working on?

A: I am just about to release my second installment in The Phoenix Curse series. I actually pushed back the release a couple weeks so I could focus some attention on the release of OTBP. The Phoenix Curse has been pretty time consuming and I don’t see myself working on another big project until I get everything wrapped up, and that might take a few years. 

Thanks for visiting with me, and good luck with your next book! Can't wait to read it! : )



Find Debra across the interwebs...


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Thursday, October 3, 2013

OTBP Blog Tour & Giveaway | Author Interview: Monica La Porta

It's day #3 of the Off the Beaten Path blog tour & giveaway, and today I'd like to share some more about author Monica La Porta with you! I "met" Monica earlier this year, when we were both part of a big indie book giveaway. She is the author of The Ginecean Chronicles and the fairytale The Prince's Day Out. Her short story Home Wet Home was featured in Off the Beaten Path




Q. Vampires? Werewolves? Ghosts? What's your favorite flavor of supernatural
and why? 

A. I like vampires because they are the most elegant creatures among the paranormal pantheon, but I also love a good ghost story once in a while. 

Q. Do you dabble in other genres besides paranormal? What kind of stories come to you most naturally when writing? 

A. I mainly write love stories in the dystopian/science fiction and fantasy variety. The paranormal short I wrote for the anthology Off the Beaten Path is a first for me. I enjoyed the experience greatly and I feel I’ll be writing more paranormal stories soon. 

Q. Are you an outliner or an organic writer? 

A. Very organic. Although, I’d like to be an outliner. My production would increase tenfold. As it is now, my writing modus operandi resembles the walking path of a beagle. Never straight and with lots of breaks

Q. Where do you do your writing? Do you have an office, or do you frequent a favorite coffee shop? I have an awesome setup in my kids’ recreation/media room. They are grownup and don’t need it as much anymore. Only problem with the arrangement is during weekends, when they and their friends are home. Although, I shouldn’t be working during weekends and holidays… 

Q. What are you currently working on? 

A. I am writing Notturno, a fantasy novel set in a world where people are divided between nocturnals and diurnals. At the same time, I am also working with my two editors on three different projects. Two are companion books about the story of Gaia & Elios, a girl and an alien thrown together by fate and Etruscan findings. The third is Marie’s Journey, the final installment in The Ginecean Chronicles. 

Thanks for visiting with me, Monica! And good luck with all of your exciting projects!

Thank you for having me, Angela. 


Find Monica across the interwebs...


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Wednesday, October 2, 2013

OTBP Blog Tour & Giveaway | Author Interview: Chip Putnam

Kicking off day #2 of the Off the Beaten Path blog tour & giveaway, and I thought it might be nice to learn some more about my fellow indie authors whose short stories are also featured in the anthology. A lot of times, these projects are organized and collaborated on between authors who span the globe. We send dozens of group emails helping each other with editing and marketing plans. Many of us do not get the chance to meet in person, and many of our correspondences are book related, so it's really nice, once the work is finished, to get to know each other on a more personal level.

Today, I'd like to introduce Chip Putnam. Chip actually has two short stories in Off the Beaten Path: The Reason Why Grandmothers Should Not Be Allowed To Read Vampire Novels and Prairie Zombies. He has also won several contests with other short stories, and he managed to accomplish all of this with a full teaching schedule as a high school science teacher in North Carolina.

Chip was able to find a few moments to visit with me, and here are some fun facts I found out about him.

Q: Vampires? Werewolves? Ghosts? What's your favorite flavor of supernatural and why? 

A: I would have to say the zombie hordes are my favorite.  Vampires get all of the PR, ghosts are too transparent, and werewolves are just plain schizophrenic.  It shouldn’t be too difficult to pick a species, but werewolves have to try to be both humans and wolves.  It’s no wonder they don’t really fit in with anyone.  For my favorite undead, I have to go with the underdog, the oft maligned, zombies.  They lurch, they moan, and eat the occasional brain.   What’s not to love?

Q: Do you dabble in other genres besides paranormal? What kind of stories come to you most naturally when writing? 

A: I’m possibly the most eclectic author I know.  My passion is fantasy, but I’m good with a quip or two.  So I find it easy to write contemporary humor.  Since all of my adult life has been spent in a high school classroom, I tend to gravitate toward school stories that bear a more than passing resemblance to events I have witnessed over the past twenty years.  In a demonstration of eclectic nature, my most recent manuscript was a romantic comedy.  When asked about my favorite genre, my response is, “The one I haven’t explored yet.”  

Q: Are you an outliner or an organic writer? 

A: I tend to start a story with both a beginning and an ending in mind.  The steps in between are usually a hazy blur, with half-glimpsed scenes.  It’s an adventure writing a novel, and several characters have assumed personalities that I had not predicted at the start of the project.

Q: Where do you do your writing? Do you have an office, or do you frequent a favorite coffee shop? 

A: If you remember the old Western TV show, “Have Gun - Will Travel,” then you have an idea of where I write.  My theme is “Have Laptop – Will Travel.”  With two active daughters, I can be seen sitting in bleachers watching gymnastic practice while slaughtering entire villages in a story.  Waiting for the end of dance class one night, I mapped out the entire ending of a love story where boy meets girl only to loose her to the allure of the stage.  At this point I can’t decide if her love for him is strong enough to pull her away from the limelight, or if zombies destroy the theater.  All thoughts of travel aside, my favorite place to write is draped over our overstuffed chair in the living room with Pink Floyd playing in the background.

Q: What are you currently working on?

A: I am currently finishing a fictional account of a school year, which bears an overwhelming resemblance to the real world events I experienced in my own classroom last year.  I am hoping to have it on the market by the end of the October.  I am also polishing up a fantasy manuscript in what I call “High Fantasy” in the Tolkien style.  After watching her dear, old dad write, my youngest daughter wants to collaborate on a story she is developing.  Aside from the benefits of spending time with my daughter, it’s a darn good story line.  I’ve enjoyed my foray into the realm of the paranormal with Off the Beaten Path.  When I finished the “The Reason Why Grandmother’s Should Never Be Allowed to Read About Vampires,” a small embryo of an idea took root in my mind of a way to merge the drama of high school with the fun of the paranormal, without anybody sparkling.  When you think carefully upon the subject, high school and the paranormal really aren’t that different.  

Thanks for visiting with me, and good luck with your future works. They sound exciting! : )


Find Chip across the interwebs...


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Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Off the Beaten Path Blog Tour & Giveaway Begins Today!


Happy October everyone!


This is my very favorite time of year, and even more so this year. Off the Beaten Path, an anthology featuring a short Lana Harvey story, is now available on Kindle and Amazon! This collection of eight paranormal tales is a perfect read for the season. It also features some of my favorite indie authors from a lively bunch I had the pleasure of doing an awesome giveaway with earlier this year.

To celebrate the release of our haunting collection of short stories, we're giving away all kinds of bookish goods during our blog tour, which starts today! See below for all the easy ways to enter for a chance to win!

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