Out This Week!

Awaken (Abandon Trilogy 3) by Meg Cabot

Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD

The Night Itself (The Name of the Blade 1) by Zoe Marriott

Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD

Book Tour: Zombie, Incorporated by Jill Elaine Hughes (Excerpt)

Zombie, Incorporated
Author: Jill Elaine Hughes
Publication: March 25th 2013
Genre: New Adult Zombie Adventure Fantasy
Buy: Amazon ♥ B&N

Overview

Twilight. With zombies.

Eighteen-year-old Katie Allred is socially awkward and unpopular at school. The only child of parents who had her right out of high school, Katie is herself about to leave the nest, even though she hardly feels ready.

Katie’s new after-school job at the Zimble Box Corporation draws her into the complex social strata of high school cliques and backstabbing friends in ways she never imagined. Katie soon discovers there’s something very strange about the “in” crowd at school---and about her employer, too. Shortly after starting her new job, the Contagion breaks out, plunging her town and the entire nation into chaos as zombie shadow forces come out into the open, ravaging the streets. Katie goes into hiding and her parents disappear, along with almost everyone else she knows.

But Katie soon discovers she has special powers that help her survive. She’s a Beacon, someone with the innate ability to help zombies produce children. It’s a power her employer — and what little remains of the U.S. government — both want to exploit for their own ends. Not only that, it runs in her family---which has a secret past Katie never knew about until now.

Enter Agent Morehouse of the FBI Special Zombie Control Unit. A reformed zombie working undercover, he suppresses his urge to eat human flesh in order to serve and save humanity. But Agent Morehouse can’t help but be attracted to a Beacon like Katie, and she to him. Even as they fight zombies the world over, they must fight their intense attraction to each other, hoping to keep Katie from suffering Agent Morehouse’s terrible zombie fate.

Excerpt

I guess if I really thought hard about it, Mom was right. The zombie apocalypse was my fault. Everything was my fault. I’d ruined her life, and now she wanted me out of it. All the mean underhanded comments over the years, all the passive-aggressive decisions to spend money on herself instead of me, their decision not to plan for my future, all the not-so-subtle hints to get the hell out of her house and become somebody else’s problem----it all made perfect sense now.

I could take a hint. I knew where I wasn’t wanted. And somehow I figured I’d have a better chance of surviving the coming onslaught of the Undead if I was on my own. Conventional wisdom says there’s safety in numbers, but I’d watched enough horror movies to know that sometimes it’s best to fly solo.

I went to the bookcase and dragged over a milk crate to stand on so I could reach the top shelf. I reached behind the main part of the bookcase to the secret compartment I knew was behind it, the same secret compartment where I’d hidden candy and comic books as part of a treasure hunt game I’d used to play alone as a little girl. My fingertips felt around until they touched the smooth, cold gunmetal. I wrapped my fingers around the pistol, pulled it out, inspected it. It was a lot heavier than I’d expected, yet it still seemed small, too small to be something that could explode and kill someone----or something----in less than a second. The lines of Dad’s semiautomatic Glock were sleek, almost animal-like in their curvature. I didn’t know what I was doing, but on sheer instinct my finger pressed a tiny switch on the spine of the weapon and the chamber popped open, revealing a bullet. I popped the chamber closed, pressed another switch and the clip fell out into my hand. I inspected that, studied it, worked out in my head how its various components connected with various components inside the gun which, when the trigger was pulled, would result in a projectile issuing forth, then with a flick of my wrist pushed the clip back inside its slot, heard it click.

I knew next to nothing about guns or weaponry or ballistics, other than that I knew my father stored guns in the basement and I had always been forbidden to touch them. But despite that lifetime of ignorance it seemed as if merely holding the weapon in my hand transferred all the knowledge I needed about how or why to use it directly to my brain. As if I had a natural (maybe even a supernatural) talent for it, or a gift as my grandmother would have said. I could see all the moving parts in my mind’s eye as if they’d been there all along.

I reached back into the secret compartment and felt around again until my fingertips touched dusty cardboard. I grabbed and pulled and came out with a heavy box of magazine clips. Three magazines, sixteen shells to a clip. I couldn’t do the arithmetic in my head, but I knew it was a lot of bullets. A lot, but probably not enough. I reached and grabbed and pulled once again, and retrieved two more boxes of magazines. Lots and lots of bullets now. I hoped I’d never have to use them, but just to hold them in my hand felt like a good life insurance policy.

I stood and turned my newfound possessions over and over in my hands, studying the switches and gears, memorizing where the safety was and mentally practicing how to disengage and re-engage it. I read the instructions and warnings on the sides of the magazine boxes, noted how they said that semiautomatic-loading weapons were illegal in many states, and the manufacturer had no liability for any physical or legal consequences for any injury or death resulting from improper (or proper? Since guns were for shooting, after all) use of its commercial products. I knew I was holding deadly force within the palm of my hands, and knew that should have scared me at least a little bit.

But it didn’t. It did the opposite.

Mom watched me do all of this without comment. I made a point not to meet her eyes for a while, instead keeping my gaze on the gun and the shell magazines. The basement air thickened between us. The ticking sound of the air conditioner as the blower switched on automatically on the other side of the wall seemed way too loud. We both waited for the other to speak, or at least meet a gaze. But neither of us did, and for far too long a time.

Finally, Mom broke the silence. “It’s been way more than ten minutes, and your father isn’t back yet. What do you want to do?”

“I don’t know.”

“I think you should go up there after him, Katie. Take the gun with you.”

I forced myself to meet Mom’s eyes. I saw a lifetime of disappointment behind her tinted glasses and blue-black mascara.

“You’re in a real hurry to get rid of me, aren’t you Mom?” I asked. My tone was cold, deadpan. I was through with all the bullshit. I just wanted my mom to tell the truth about me for once.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Admit it. You’ve been trying to get rid of me for years. Makes me wonder why you didn’t just get rid of me before I was born and saved yourself the trouble.”

All the color drained from Mom’s face. “How dare you speak like that to me!”

“How dare you say straight to my face that you didn’t want me, that you never wanted me, and that I basically ruined your and Dad’s lives!” I shrieked. “Because that’s basically what you just said.”

Mom took off her glasses, pressed her palms flat against her eye sockets and choked down a sob. “Katie, you’re reading way too much into this. Your father and I----we made a lot of sacrifices for you. Most people who became parents as young as we did would never have done even a tenth of what we’ve done for you. You should be grateful. And I think it’s high time your father and I had some time to ourselves now that we gave up so much to raise you. Except----“

“Except now you can’t. Because of the stupid zombies. Which I suppose are all my fault too, just like everything else is.”

Mom slumped down onto a stack of milk crates. “I never said that.”

“You didn’t have to.”

We stared each other down for a minute or two, Mom always keeping a nervous eye on the gun. For a split second I actually considered shooting her with it, but dismissed the idea as insane. Plenty of teens my age think they hate their mothers, but they really don’t. It’s just a phase all young women go through. The more I thought about it though, I didn’t hate my mother. I honestly didn’t feel anything for her. I was as indifferent to her now as I was to a lump of coal. And that was far worse that hate. After all, in order to hate someone, you have to love them first. I wasn’t sure I ever loved Mom, and in that moment I doubted my mom ever loved me either. Sending me off to face the zombies and my almost-certain death just proved my theory.

“So now you want me to save you from the zombies at the risk of my own life, huh?” I said, fingering the barrel of the gun in my hand. “Sort of kills two birds with one stone, doesn’t it?”

Mom’s face crumpled in horror. “I want you to go find your father!”

“Find him yourself.”

I turned on my heel and dashed up the creaky stairs, skipping the rotten ones at the bottom. I was still missing one shoe.

I headed up to my room and packed a knapsack with one hand. Clothes, shoes, and random toiletries landed in the bag at random as I kept the gun, cocked and ready to fire, out at an angle and sweeping the air, ready for whoever and whatever might appear.

I'm an independent author of New Adult (mature YA, 18-26) fiction as well as a full-time freelance journalist based in Chicago. I've contributed to the Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, Chicago Reader and many magazines as a journalist over the past 15 years. And like most New Adult fiction authors these days, I've gone the self-publishing route for my work since most publishers haven't caught up to the readership trends in this emerging shelf category. My writing is usually laced with humor and also often has sexual and/or dystopian elements.

Author Links:
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Book Tour: All In by Marta Brown (Excerpt)

All In 
Author: Marta Brown
Publication: May 28th 2013
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Buy: Kindle ♥ Nook

Overview

On the picturesque island of Martha's Vineyard, there are two kinds of residents. Locals and Stays.

Local boy, Lane McCarthy, plans on spending his summer working at the country club to save money for college in the fall, while summer stay, Ashley Whitmore, and her elite group of friends are only there to play.

As the summer heat goes up on the island, so does the ante, when both Lane and Ashley must decide what they’re willing to wager in order to follow their dreams… and their hearts.

With stakes as high as the surf, and hopes as high as the midday sun, will they risk everything and go all in?

Long Excerpt

 

 

Ashley

“Good afternoon and welcome to the Field House Grille. May I start you two off with drinks or an appetizer today?” The waiter’s voice startles me out of my conspiracy theories, and I resume perusing my menu.

“Yes, I’ll have a long island ice tea and a white wine spritzer for the lady.” Gregory orders with confidence. He’s only a year shy of the legal drinking age so he may pass as old enough to get served, but it’s obvious I’m not old enough to drink yet. “And then we’ll have an order of the calamari to start and for our entrees she’ll have the sea bass, and I’ll have the filet.” He shuts his menu and hands it back to the waiter with bravado.

“I’ll actually have a bottle of San Pellegrino please,” I say, staring at my menu, trying to avoid the embarrassment of being carded and then denied, or worse, my parents finding out I tried to order an alcoholic drink, at the club no less. “And what salad would you recommend?” I start to ask, but the words get caught in my throat when I finally look up and see the waiter.

Whoa.

He. Is. Gorgeous.

“Well…our house mixed salad is very popular. It’s locally grown organic and is fresh picked daily. It comes with a light raspberry vinaigrette dressing that can be tossed on or left on the side,” he says, holding my gaze.

“Oh. Yes. That sounds… yummy.” The words come out all breathy, and I’m immediately humiliated at the way I must have sounded.

Yummy. Breathy. Seriously, Ashley?

“Then on the side, miss?” the waiter asks, a faint smile playing on his lips.

“Yes, thank you,” I say, feeling my face flush with warmth.

Apparently Gregory Chase isn’t the only boy in town who can make a girl blush, and by the daggers Gregory’s shooting the poor guy with his eyes, he knows it too.

Gregory clears his throat and pulls the attention of the waiter back on him. “Fine. We’ll have one house salad with dressing on the side and an order of calamari to start.” Then with a dismissive flick of his hand, “Now, go fetch our drinks.”

Go fetch our drinks? Is he serious? How can he think it’s okay to speak to someone that way? But before I can say anything the cute waiter lets out an amused laugh that surprises me.

“I’m sorry sir, but I’m gonna have to see an ID first.” The waiter looks not at all sorry to ask, which makes me have to hide a smile.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Gregory starts. “I left it in the men’s locker room,” he explains, but his confidence is shaken. No one ever challenges Gregory.

“I’m sorry sir, but without a valid ID I’m not gonna be able to serve you, but I’ll be happy to wait here while you go and get it.” The waiter gives Greg a fake smile and then me a real one. He clearly is enjoying himself.

It’s evident Greg’s not going to get his way, so he finally concedes, but without an ounce of grace. “How about you take your eyes off my date, and go do your job.” He levels the waiter with his eyes. “And just bring me a damn coke while you’re at it.”

“Will do, sir,” the waiter says with artificial politeness, giving Gregory an almost imperceptible bow before turning around and leaving.

This time, I’m the one who gets caught watching one of the waitstaff walk away.

Lane

“Dude, I just busted some richie-rich for trying to order drinks underage, and he had the nerve to yell at me for looking at his date. Too bad for him, she was looking right back,” I say with a cocky laugh before giving Mario a high five. “Man, it’s the jerks like that, that always get everything in life—the money, the power, the girl. Probably has some big fat trust fund to pay for college too.”

“Sorry, man, but try not to let him get under your skin, amigo.”

I know Mario’s right, I should just let it go, but I’m sick and tired of Stays treating us locals like we’re nothing. And who the hell tells someone to ‘go fetch’? What am I? A dog? What an ass.

I drum my fingers against the metal counter at the pass until Mario rings the service bell with a grin and hands me their starters.

“Here, orders up and good luck.”

I give him a nod then try to shove my jealousy and anger down when I enter the dining room again, but I feel it hovering right on the surface. I take a deep breath before setting the calamari in the center of the table and the salad in front of the girl.

“Is there anything else I can get you right now?” I ask, and it’s hard to keep my eyes off of her long dark hair, her light green eyes and her legs that go on for miles. Maybe that douche had a point.

“No, I’m fine. Thank you,” she says politely, and I wonder why she’s on a date with such an ass-hat. Either way, girls like her don’t date boys like me. Unless they’re trying to piss off their parents, which is fine by me, but she doesn’t look like the rebellious type.

I turn to face him, lifting my eyebrows. “And you?” I ask because it’s my job.

“Yes, there is something you can do for me, how about you explain why my silverware is off of the floor.” He holds up his dinner fork, but I don’t understand what he’s talking about. Off the floor?

“Excuse me?” I reach for the fork to examine it. I personally set this table less than an hour ago, and the silverware hadn’t touched the ground. Why would it? But right before I’m able to take the fork from him for a closer look he opens his thumb and pointer finger letting the fork fall to the hardwood floor with a loud ping that echoes through the dining room.

“See.” He looks me right in the eyes, a smirk plastered across his smug face, challenging me.

You have got to be kidding me. This guy picked the wrong day.

I calmly pick the fork up off the ground, bring it to my mouth and spit on the tongs before lifting my apron and polishing it until it’s dry and shining. So much for not letting him get under my skin.

“My apologies, sir.” I place the fork back on the table in front of him like I’d accidentally brought out the wrong appetizer instead of spitting all over the dude’s silverware. “If there’s anything else I can do for you please let me know, otherwise your entrees will be out shortly.”

I watch his eyes go wide with shock before walking away looking cool, calm, and collected, even though on the inside I’m totally freaking out. This is not going to end well.

Marta Brown grew up in the Pacific Northwest and was a teenager when Doc Martens, Pearl Jam and flannel were the norm and Dylan loved Kelly forever (Beverly Hills, 90210 shout out).
She still lives just outside Seattle, now with her husband and cat, and loves the rain.
When she’s not writing about cute boys, first kisses and the magic and wonder of being seventeen, she’s watching The CW. And she sleeps in. Late.

Author Links:
Website / Goodreads / Twitter

Review: The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

The Indigo Spell
(Bloodlines 3)
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill, 2013
Genre: YA Paranormal
Buy: Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD

Overview

 In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.

Waiting on Wednesday (99)

Hosted at Breaking the Spine.

 

Untold

(The Lynburn Legacy 2)

Sarah Rees Brennan

Aug 29 2013

Goodreads: 

It’s time to choose sides… On the surface, Sorry-in-the-Vale is a sleepy English town. But Kami Glass knows the truth. Sorry-in-the-Vale is full of magic. In the old days, the Lynburn family ruled with fear, terrifying the people into submission in order to kill for blood and power. Now the Lynburns are back, and Rob Lynburn is gathering sorcerers so that the town can return to the old ways.

But Rob and his followers aren’t the only sorcerers in town. A decision must be made: pay the blood sacrifice, or fight. For Kami, this means more than just choosing between good and evil. With her link to Jared Lynburn severed, she’s now free to love anyone she chooses. But who should that be?

Why am I waiting for it?

I've been waiting for this sequel for FOREVER. A re-read of the first is in order.

I love the new covers too!

Teaser Tuesday (93)

Hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. 

The Indigo Spell
by Richelle Mead

~His primal instinct~

Adrian glanced over at me. A smile started to form—and then instantly dried up. “What happened to your face?”
“Oh.” I lightly touched the swollen spot. It still smarted but wasn’t as painful as it had been earlier. I spoke my next words without thinking. “Marcus hit me.”
I’d never seen Adrian move so fast. Marcus had no chance to react, probably because he was exhausted from our earlier encounter. Adrian shoved Marcus against the wall and—to my complete and utter astonishment—punched Marcus. Adrian had once joked that he never dirtied his hands, so this was something I never could have prepared myself for. In fact, if Adrian was going to attack someone, I would’ve expected something magical and spirit-driven. Yet…as I watched him, I could see that anything as thoughtful as magic was far from Adrian’s mind. He had kicked in to primal mode. See a threat. Go after it. It was yet another surprising—yet fascinating—side of the enigma that was Adrian Ivashkov.

It's Monday! What are you reading? (82)

 

Hosted by Book Journey

Just Finished Reading:

Obsession (Aurum 1/Lux Spinoff) by J.L. Armentrout
(It started off as delicious and sexy...then I sort of lost interest.
I'll try to figure out why in the review.)

Currently Reading:

Ink (Paper Gods 1) by Amanda Sun
(OMG...this is like the perfect blend of book and kdrama...only its japanese drama, but with all the gorgeous boys with spectacular hairs and deep meaningful looks ♥)

Planning To Read:
I'm getting ready for the June Writing Popular Fiction residency.

Out This Week!

The Lost Sun (The United States of Asgard 1) by Tessa Gratton
Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD

Ashes on the Waves by Mary Lindsey
Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD

Ink (Paper Gods 1) by Amanda Sun 

Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD

Saturday Spotlight - Todd Moody

Spotlighting my fellow writers at SHU and their works in progress.

    

Hello, Todd! Welcome to Amy's Book Den!

Todd Moody
Blog
Pilot and author, father and husband. I like to tinker with web stuff, read, draw in pencil and pastel chalk, listen to music, play poker and design stuff in photoshop. I also like to write. When I'm not writing, I am probably checking my twitterfeed or facebook or listening to music or reading a blog. I also love to read SF or paranormal romance and have been spending my evenings doing the P90x workout to fight off old age. It doesn't appear to be working, but at least I feel better about it.

Did you always know you wanted to be a professional writer? 
No, I finally figured out what I wanted to be when I grew up when I was about 43, five years ago.

Who or what has influenced your writing? 
Star Wars sparked my interest in Science Fiction and opened up a whole new world. It's why I'm a pilot now. CJ Cherryh is the author that inspired the type of fiction I wanted to write with her Union/Alliance stories, but it was Stephanie Meyer that actually made me decide it was something I could do. I felt like I could write at least as well as she could and it got my off my hiney and writing with a purpose to publish.

A pilot because of Star Wars. Now that is inspiration!

What is your favorite part about writing?
I love it when characters do things that surprise me. Sometimes in the course of writing, in the moment, the scene comes out of nowhere and you realize that it wasn't what you originally had in mind. Sometimes it's great and generates an entirely new thread. Sometimes it's not so great, and it takes you way off course and you end up having to backtrack. But even when that happens it feels like real magic. I think it's one of the reasons people believe in a muse.

Is there anything you must have when you sit down and write? Coffee, Music, Cookies? 
There aren't any must haves, but I like a calm mind, a block of time and music. Science Fiction soundtracks work great, like Tron, or something unobtrusive, like Radiohead or Muse.

Soundtracks are awesome. My music library probably has more soundtracks than anything else!

Tell us a bit about your Thesis Novel? 
In 2052 lifelogging is the law. Marin Cappelle is the right hand of the CEO for the company that manufactures the wetware chips that make lifelogging such a ubiquitous fact of life. When Marin wakes up one cold February morning, with her cloud memory and lifelog offline, the fidelity of her world is blown apart. People are dying by the dozen with millions more lives at stake, as Marin struggles to solve the enigma and get her life back in the process.

Describe QUINTESSENCE in five words or less. 
1984 meets facebook on steroids.

What sparked the idea for QUINTESSENCE? 
A blog post by Sci Fi writer Charles Stross about lifelogging. People are actually starting to do it now.

Treat us to a snippet of a favorite scene you've written so far. 

“I need you to take off your glasses though. I don’t want where we’re going to be recorded.”
I looked back at her. “Are you serious? That’s against the law.”
Both of Kasia’s eyebrows rose. “Seriously? Well, we don’t have to go there then. I don’t want what we do there compromised.”
“Then why are you taking me there?”
She laughed at me again. “To be honest with you, I think you would be a great addition to our cause.”
“Your cause? I thought you helped people that were disenfranchised or something,” I said.
“We do help those people, but I’m not saying any more until you turn off your lifelog.”
I pulled the glasses off and stuffed them into the little case that came with them and put them in my jacket pocket. “My lifelog's still offline anyway.” Why did I tell her that? Maybe it was her cavalier attitude.
“You’re full of surprises. I didn’t expect that, but it makes things a lot easier,” Kasia said.
“What kinds of things?”
“Things and stuff,” she said whimsically and then snickered.
That wasn't an answer, but I was coming to expect nothing more from her. “What does CAD stand for anyway?”
“It’s a leftover from a bygone era. My Grandmother started it as a halfway house about forty years ago. She named it Control –Alt –Delete. I guess that meant something back then, having to do with restarting. She thought it was funny, but the name stuck and we shortened it to CAD when people didn’t get her joke anymore.”

After reading about lifelogging and then reading this snippet, I'm so hoping to get to read Quintesscense one day!

Share with us one tip or advice about writing that has helped you a lot.
For each scene the POV character should have something at stake. If they don’t have anything at stake for that scene then someone else should be the POV. If nobody has anything at stake you might want to rethink keeping that scene.

That is some great advice! I didn't learn that until my second term lol

Thanks for stopping by!

Book Tour: Alyx Rayer Chronicles by S.J. Pierce (Guest Post)

Alyx Rayer Chronicles

Author: S.J. Pierce

Genre:  Adult Paranormal Romance

Book 1:  Kindle

Overview

Alyx Rayer’s existence in Atlanta, the eternally bustling capital of Georgia, is one of routine and blending in among the worker bees. But her ‘normal’ life is actually a façade for a higher calling; she's a three hundred year old soul, encased in a human vessel and sent from the darkness between heaven and Earth to capture her Marked when summoned by her superiors.

During the initial, routine stake-out of her Marked, a dream prophet named Isaac Walsh, Alyx is thrown for an emotional loop when his allure captivates her heart from two rooftops away. The event marks the very instance when her sense of what’s right and what’s wrong is brutally challenged as her contact with him is strictly forbidden.

While already trapped between honor and desire, her emotional struggles are further challenged by a man in a black suit who continually pops up when she least expects it, his presence evoking a strange response from the scar she was branded with at birth. The scar tingles like a warning beacon, alerting her that something is amiss. Because her superiors never told her what this would mean, or much of anything except what to do when they summon, she can only conclude to try and keep her sanity, and her life, from completely shattering to pieces. 

Top Five Things to Know when Writing a Trilogy

 

First of all, thank you for having me on your blog today! :) My tips on this subject are fresh on my mind and dear to my heart. The Alyx Rayer Chronicles is the first series I’ve written, so I have a few helpful tips to share. Here is the short and sweet of it:

One: Keep your characters consistent. Yes, characters evolve; it would be unnatural and awkward if their circumstances didn’t shape who they are. And while you don’t want them to be cardboard cutouts that just move along though the story unaffected by anything, you also don’t want to lose the essence of who they are – their personality traits, mannerisms, their core beliefs that determine what decisions they make. I’ve read series before where by the second book I wondered if it was even the same character. In book one they would make mature, rational decisions and the next thing you know, they’re acting like they have the maturity level of a three year old.

Two: Before you decide to make it a trilogy, make sure you have the material to support a trilogy. It may be that you could write it all in one book. You don’t want to stop right in the middle of the storyline just so you can sell three books and make more money. Some readers will get pissed off for feeling cheated, rightfully so, and never pick up another of your books again. My books in the Alyx Rayer series aren’t necessarily stand-alones, but there have smaller storyline arcs in each one, and some of the more immediate questions are answered by the end.

Three: Try not to repeat the same patterns/ formulas in each book. Nobody wants to pay for a book they felt like they’ve already read. Each of my books are so different from the others in regard to setting and cast of characters (minus the main thread of characters, of course) and I did that for a reason – it would bore me as the writer, and I also didn’t want to bore my readers. I need to note, though, that not every writer has to go to that extreme; my storyline also called for the different changes in setting/ characters. But you don’t want to get sucked into a carousel of monotonous storylines, either.

Four: Weave in subtle reminders of the previous book. If a reader doesn’t pick up the next book for weeks or even months, you don’t want them to be completely lost. You don’t want to “info dump” the important reminders and stifle the story’s progress, so try and remind them in gentle ways through dialogue, internal thoughts, or brief mentions in the narration.

Five: This is the most important one! Make the end of the series a good payoff for your readers. Speaking of pissing readers off – let them invest in your characters through the span of three books and completely botch the ending. Stay true to the storyline, but also give readers a satisfactory resolution. Make sure things come full circle. No matter how much they loved everything up until the last page, if the end leaves them with a bitter taste, that’s all they’ll remember.

Susan James Pierce has a degree in Marketing Management, works for a Fortune 500 company in Atlanta, Georgia, and devotes her precious, spare time to writing Fantasy and Sci-fi novels. 

Even though her full-time career has nothing to do with books at all, she has always enjoyed complex storytelling with fascinating characters, and has had a penchant for the written word since grade school. As a matter of fact, her first publishing credit was a poem she wrote at the age of twelve. Why her love for writing never translated into a career, she can only attribute to 'life happens', but her wish is that she can redirect her career path into something that satisfies her creative inner-self.

Author Links:
Blog / Facebook /  Goodreads / Google+

Evernight Teen Summer Kick-Off Blog Hop

Welcome to Evernight Teen’s 

Summer Kick-off Blog Hop!  

It’s a great opportunity to get to know Evernight Teen: Gritty Fiction for Today’s Young Adult. Our stories include fresh teen fiction that’s raw, gritty and real.

My spotlight is on...

X5
Author: Diana Stager

Overview

Being a socially awkward geek with anger management issues has made Travis Armstrong an outcast, but on top of that, he has visions of the future. Not that he can tell anyone that, except in an anonymous online forum. When he takes a chance and meets with another group member, he winds up at The Bunker, where everyone has these abilities, and where, finally, he feels like he belongs.
Tara Gage has been at The Bunker since she was thirteen years old. Even among the residents there, she’s unique, and her special talents lead her to discover that The Bunker is not the safe haven it seems to be. She’s desperate to escape and get back to her family.
When they each have visions of the other’s death, Travis and Tara know they have to run. With their captors desperate to get them back, they must rely on each other to get away before their visions become reality.

Exclusive excerpt (unedited)

~Tara~

They released me from the infirmary just before dinner, after I’d talked to a counselor about my feelings. When she had smiled reassuringly and told me that it’s always hard when a friend has to leave, I had to resist the urge tell her where to shove her psycho-babble bullshit. Instead, I cried a bit and told her how much I would miss him and how it had just been so sudden. She patted my hand and congratulated me on my mature attitude, while inside I was imagining all the things I’d like to do to the people in charge around here. My vision showed Travis going crazy, but I knew he wouldn’t be the only one.

In the cafeteria, I sat with my friends while they expressed their disappointment with Mike leaving, but seemed convinced that he must have done something to be expelled. Expelled. Right. More like exterminated. When tears threatened again, I stood and excused myself before I screamed that they were all idiots and should wake up and see what was really going on around them. Just before I left the table, Travis caught my eye and made a movement like he wanted to get up and come with me. I glared at him and he eventually looked away, making no more moves to follow me. 

I went into the lounge and curled up on a comfortable chair in a corner veiled with shadows. And I stared at nothing in particular while replaying scenes in my head. My first day here. Realizing I was trapped. Coercing information out of anyone I could. Mike and I spending time together alone. I thought about that for a long time, remembering how he had kissed me, held me, and comforted me when I needed it. The memory of his attempts to take our relationship further made me smile, but the memory was bittersweet, because I felt tremendous guilt over not giving in to him. Not because he would die a virgin or anything so melodramatic, but because he had truly loved me, and it was a feeling I couldn’t reciprocate.

That was when Travis’s face pushed its way into my consciousness and my insides began to rearrange themselves, a sensation which was strange, but definitely not unpleasant. No! Forget about him and worry about how you’re going to get out of here! I didn’t want to think about Travis, didn’t want to be around Travis, and definitely didn’t want to be having such a strong physical reaction to him.

Flustered, I jumped to my feet and began to pace the room, mentally reviewing everything I knew about the Bunker, from the exit locations, to the staffing schedule, to the stash of supplies I had in my room. There had to be an answer to the problem of getting out of here, but I was missing it. My pacing came to an abrupt halt when I saw Travis enter the room, and I was catapulted into another vision. 

In my vision, Travis was being dragged down a hallway by two security officers, and he wasn’t going quietly. He struggled and twisted, finally managing to break free and take off down the hall. Another security officer stepped in front of him and pointed a gun directly at Travis’s chest, yelling for him to stop. But Travis didn’t slow down or alter his course, and he would have crashed into the guard if the armed man hadn’t fired his gun. Travis tumbled backward and lay on the ground, blood pooling around him as his lifeless eyes stared upward. 

A scream brought me rushing back to reality just as the floor rushed up to greet me. As I fell I realized that the scream was coming from me.

X5 is coming soon to Evernight Teen!

What’s up for grabs? 
• One lucky hopper will win a KINDLE PAPERWHITE eREADER sponsored by Evernight Teen.
• Every book blogger/reviewer site is giving away one free eBook from Evernight Teen (winner’s choice of any eBook from Evernight Teen’s website).
• Plus, each author offers their own unique prize! So visit each blog hop stop for a host of fabulous prizes to win.

How to enter? Answer this:

Who was dragging Travis down the hall? 

Be sure to leave your answer and your email address in the comments below to be eligible to win a prize.

Continue hopping to the next stop!

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Review: Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

Through the Ever Night
(Under the Never Sky 2)
Author: Veronica Rossi
Publisher: Harper Collins, 2013
Genre: YA Dystopia
Buy: Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD

Overview

It's been months since Aria last saw Perry. Months since Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria was charged with an impossible mission. Now, finally, they are about to be reunited. But their reunion is far from perfect. The Tides don't take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller. And with the worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe's precarious existence, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both.

Threatened by false friends, hidden enemies, and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night?

Waiting on Wednesday (98)

Hosted at Breaking the Spine.

 

Crown of Midnight

(Throne of Glass 2)

Sarah J Maas

August 27 2013

Goodreads: 

After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.

Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice. 

Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for? 

Why am I waiting for it?

I've missed Celaena's attitude, Chaols sexy gruffness, and Dorian's charm!

I do hate they changed the US cover...

Teaser Tuesday (92)

Hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. 

Through the Ever Night
by Veronica Rossi

~Love~
He told Perry that love was like the waves in the sea, gentle and good sometimes, rough and terrible at others, but that it was endless and stronger than the sky and the earth and everything in between .

It's Monday! What are you reading? (81)

 

Hosted by Book Journey

Just Finished Reading:

Nothing *GASP*

Currently Reading:

Obsession (Aurum 1/Lux Spinoff) by J.L. Armentrout
(Two words. Delicious and Sexy!)
 Of Triton (Of Poseidon 2) by Anna Banks
(Have only read two pages, but I am so excited for this)

SideNote:
I would SO not mind having these two covers as posters! ♥!

Planning To Read:
Nothing also...
I'm getting ready for some vacation time and the June Writing Popular Fiction residency.

Out This Week!

Star Cursed (The Cahill Witch Chronicles 2) by Jessica Spotswood
Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD

Book Tour: Eversea by Natasha Boyd (Sexy Teaser)

Eversea
Author: Natasha Boyd
Publication: June 10th 2013
Genre: New Adult
Buy: Amazon ♥ B&N

Overview

An orphaned, small-town, southern girl, held hostage by responsibility and self-doubt.

A Hollywood A-list mega-star, on the run from his latest scandal and with everything to lose.

A chance encounter that leads to an unlikely arrangement and epic love affair that will change them both forever.

When his co-star and real-life girlfriend is caught cheating on him with her married and much older director, A-list hottie, Jack Eversea, finds himself in sleepy Butler Cove, South Carolina. Jack hopes the sultry southern heat in this tiny coastal Lowcountry town will hide him not only from the tabloids and his cheating girlfriend, but his increasingly vapid life and the people who run it. He doesn’t count on meeting Keri Ann Butler.

Keri Ann has relied on herself so long, dealing with her family’s death and the responsibilities of keeping up her family's historic mansion, that boys and certainly the meager offering of eligible boys in Butler Cove, have never figured into her equation. But fate has other plans. Suddenly face to face with the man who played the movie role of her favorite fictional character, Jack has Keri Ann yearning for everything she has previously avoided ... and Jack must decide whether this funny, sassy girl is worth changing his life for, before his mistakes catch up to him.

Sexy Teaser

Jack’s lips were warm and soft next to the rough skin of his chin, and I drew closer to him like a magnet, needing to press my body, my skin, against his. But there were two layers of fabric between us, and I became aware of the cool press of his wet t-shirt.

“You need to take this off,” I managed. My voice sounded raspy to my own ears as I made to lift the fabric.

He let go of me and reached behind his neck. Gathering a handful of shirt, he peeled it forward over his head.

My breath left me as I came face to chest with his perfectly sculpted body. The firelight played across his skin and his flexed abdominal muscles as he leaned back on his haunches slightly to lay the shirt out by the fire.

Without thinking, I brought the flat of my hand up to the center of his chest below his collarbone. His skin was cool to the touch and smooth.

He stilled where he was, leaning slightly away from me on his knees and brought his eyes to mine.

I very slowly ran my palm down over the ridges and planes of his chest, pausing for a moment when I noticed the hard beat of his heart. His eyes got darker and broodier as my hand continued it’s slow journey downward. His breathing changed, as did my own in response. My eyes dropped to follow my hand as it reached the belt buckle of his black jeans.

“You should take these off, too.” My words came out as a whisper.

Natasha Boyd is a writer with a background in marketing and public relations. She lives in the coastal Carolina Lowcountry, complete with Spanish moss, alligators and mosquitoes the size of tiny birds. She has a husband, two sons and a cat named Tuna. Eversea is her first full-length novel.


Author Links:
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Review: The Pirate's Wish by Cassandra Rose Clarke

The Pirate’s Wish 
(The Assassin’s Curse 2)
Author: Cassandra Rose Clarke
Publisher: Strange Chemistry, 2013
Genre: YA Fantasy
Buy: Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ TBD

Overview

After setting out to break the curse that binds them together, the pirate Ananna and the assassin Naji find themselves stranded on an enchanted island in the north with nothing but a sword, their wits, and the secret to breaking the curse: complete three impossible tasks. With the help of their friend Marjani and a rather unusual ally, Ananna and Naji make their way south again, seeking what seems to be beyond their reach.

Unfortunately, Naji has enemies from the shadowy world known as the Mists, and Ananna must still face the repercussions of going up against the Pirate Confederation. Together, Naji and Ananna must break the curse, escape their enemies — and come to terms with their growing romantic attraction.

Review: Crossing the Line by Katie McGarry

Crossing the Line
(Pushing the Limits 1.5)
Author: Katie McGarry
Publisher: Harlequin Teen, 2013
Genre: YA Contemporary
Buy: Amazon ♥ B&N

Overview

Lila McCormick, Echo's best friend from Pushing the Limits, first met Lincoln Turner when tragedy struck both their lives. But she never expected their surprise encounter would lead to two years of exchanging letters—or that she’d fall for the boy she’s only seen once. Their relationship is a secret, but Lila feels closer to Lincoln than anyone else. Until she finds out that he lied to her about the one thing she depended on him for the most.

Hurting Lila is the last thing Lincoln wanted. For two years, her letters have been the only thing getting him through the day. Admitting his feelings would cross a line he’s never dared breach before. But Lincoln will do whatever it takes to fix his mistakes, earn Lila’s forgiveness—and finally win a chance to be with the girl he loves.