BOOK BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: IT’S DAWN OF THE VIE’S RELEASE DAY!!!!

Dawn of the Vie
Laura Diamond
(Immortal Aliens, #1)
Published by: Curiosity Quills Press
Publication date: October 3rd 2016
Genres: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Young Adult

Since their Arrival less than 30 years ago, immortal Vie rule the planet like the super-predators they are. Enslaved humans are their servants…their entertainment…and their food. Anemies—humans with various types of anemia—are simply exterminated. Their nutritionally deficient blood is useless to the Vie.

Or so it’s thought…

_________

Alex, an Elite Vie, is a bit of a Renaissance Alien. Part scientist, part Raid Specialist, part drug addict, he knows Anemie blood is valuable. Rather than blindly carrying out his boss’s kill order, he convinces some colleagues to spare a few Anemies, not only for study, but also to reserve a secret stock.

The more Anemie blood Alex drinks, the more he slips into delusion, and the more his double life threatens to crumble. But quitting Anemie blood is not an option. Every Anemie has their own personal flavor. Each gives a unique high.

When Alex takes a hit of Justin’s blood, his hallucinations bleed into reality…

_________

Anemie Justin knows his little sister, Sammie, and he are living past their expiration dates. It becomes a guarantee when they’re bitten by a Vie named Alex during a raid. (The bite is fatal, thanks to a toxin carried in Vie saliva.) Alex adds insult to injury by promising Justin a second chance—an antidote in exchange for agreeing to be a lab rat.

And a mule…of his own blood.

When Justin says no, Alex takes off with Sammie.

All Justin has to do is find them, beat Alex, and cure himself and Sammie. All he has is a stake and serious lack of self-preservation.

No problem.

_________

Alex wants Justin’s blood.

Justin wants his sister back.

GAME ON.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

I hated afternoons the most. Soon after came darkness—the time when a raiding squad could snatch you out of bed and drain all the blood from your body. It was amazing that any Anemies survived with the extermination campaign ridding the world of us red blood cell-deficient freaks.

I gently squeezed my sister’s hand to make sure she kept up. Dirt caked under her fingernails like it caked under mine. The cuff of her torn sleeve had stains like mine. Her pant cuffs were rolled up six times… also like mine. A younger version of me—mouthiness and all—in girl form. Unlike me, Sammie tended to dawdle, and since we held onto the last rung of the society ladder by the tips of our fingers, giving in to distraction could get us hurt—or killed.

My gaze jumped to the pale, indifferent sky then jittered to the partially constructed biodome edge as I walked. Large, clear panels filled the metal framework in a beehive of hexagons. Eventually, the damn thing would cover the entire city, including the river surrounding the island and part of the ocean capping the south side. The project had been progressing since before I was born.

Once the construction workers completed the biodome, Vie wouldn’t have to fear the destructive UV rays of our sun and could wander freely during the day. We’d have no safe period whatsoever. Vie could get us any time.


Author Bio:

Laura Diamond is a board certified psychiatrist currently specializing in emergency psychiatry. She is also an author of all things young adult—both contemporary and paranormal. An avid fan of sci-fi, fantasy, and anything magical, she thrives on quirk, her lucid dreams, and coffee. When she’s not working or writing, she can be found sniffing books and drinking a latte at the bookstore or at home pondering renovations on her 225 year old fixer upper, all while obeying her feline overlords, of course.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter


GIVEAWAY!
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Month of Love

I’m super stoked to be a part of author Brinda Berry’s Month of Love giveaway. I’m over at her blog today talking about pick up lines and romantic music. Hop on over and enter to win a prize!

BRINDA’S BLOG

I’ve also restarted my Pinterest page. Take a look at my boards and follow along for info and updates about my books. (There’s some cool stuff about ZODIAC COLLECTOR (coming July 2014) and LORE a folklore retelling anthology coming March 2014.) * wink *

SHIFTING PRIDE Blog Tour Day 11, End of the World Book Blast, and The Hobbit Blogfest!

Today Tanya at Speedy Readers–All Things Books is interviewing me. Click the link to check it out!

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Did you guys know pub sista Theresa McClinton is hosting an “End of the World” giveaway blast for her novel, The Stone Guardian? It starts TODAY and runs through 12/20–yep, you guessed it, ONE day before the world ends…erm, if the Mayans were right, LOL!

I particularly love this book bash because Theresa’s book includes FAB folklore about Mayans–apropros, right???

Anyway, I’ll stop gabbing and get to it.

Here’s the cover:

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Pretty girl, hot guy–what more could you ask for???

Click here to see a list of all the bloggers who are participating!

Theresa’s bio:

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A long time enthusiast of things that go bump in the night, Theresa started her writing career as a journalism intern—possibly the least creative writing field out there. After her first semester at a local newspaper, she washed her hands of press releases and features articles to delve into the whimsical world of young adult paranormal romance.

Since then, Theresa has gotten married, had three terrific kids, moved to central Ohio, and was repeatedly guilt tripped into adopting a menagerie of animals that are now members of the family. But don’t be fooled by her domesticated appearance. Her greatest love is travel. Having stepped foot on the soil of over a dozen countries, traveled to sixteen U.S. states—including an extended seven-year stay in Kodiak, Alaska—she is anything but settled down. But wherever life brings her, she will continue to weave tales of adventure and love with the hope her stories will bring joy and inspiration to her readers.

CONGRATS, THERESA!!!!

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M. Pax, author of The Backworlds, and Tyrean Martinson have teamed up to bring us The Hobbit Blogfest! 

I also couldn’t resist participating in this blogfest. I’m a HUGE LoTR fan and CAN’T WAIT to see The Hobbit!

What is your favorite hobbit characteristic/or the one that you think closely resembles you . . .?

FOOD!!!!! LOL!

Also, I may be a direct descendent of a hobbit. Seriously, my great aunt Edith looks like one, God bless her! She’s shorter than most (less than 5 feet), has a mop brown, curly hair, and giggles at every opportunity—DEFINITELY a hobbit!

If you could choose between a scrumptious second breakfast and a perilous unexpected journey – which would you prefer?

Second breakfast, please! I’m not an adventurous hobbit…though I do like to write about adventures!

Have you ever left behind something on a journey (expected or unexpected) and wished you could have it over and over again? (a pocket handkerchief?)

I’ve never left anything behind, but I’ve certainly returned with a valuable possession to two!

What is your Favorite part or quote from the book that you hope will be in the movie?

I absolutely adore the scene where Bilbo makes a deal with Gollum. I wish I could be so good at riddles!

Do you enjoy Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit? What do you think of The Hobbit being made into a TRILOGY???

Indie-Giving Blogfest

November is a time of reflection and giving thanks to our blessings and fortunes. The Indelibles have decided to highlight that tradition by hosting a blogfest to celebrate thanks.

Right now, I’m thankful for being a published author, LOL! Time and again, I hear that while writing is a solitary endeavor, publishing is NOT. It takes a metropolitan-sized group of people to 1) identify your work as something worthy of being pubbed, 2) actually offering to publish it, 3) scrub and polish it into a glorific version of itself, 4) develop cover art, blurbs, etc, 5) help spread the word via the social networks, 6) post reviews, and 7) purchase it!

Each step has its own hurdles and learning curves and without the help of EVERY SINGLE PERSON I’ve met on the blogosphere, writing forums, social networking sites, etc, I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish ANYTHING.

For that, I am THANKFUL.

To spread the Thanksgiving cheer, I will GIVE AWAY to TWO lucky commenters, an EBOOK of YOUR CHOICE! All you have to do is comment here about what makes you thankful.

YAY!

Be sure to come back on WEDNESDAY wherein I take part in the cover reveal for Jennifer L. Armentrout’s OPAL and on FRIDAY, wherein I help with a cover reveal for another fellow author. Then, next TUESDAY, November 27, I host Colin F. Barnes. He’ll be sharing info about his novel, The Techxorcist. Colin also developed Anachron Press, where several short story anthologies–ranging from horror to cyberpunk–call their home. A new Pulp Line is actively taking submissions–check it out!

Thanksgiving Mega Giveaway!!!

Hey gang! Author Krista Walsh is hosting me on her blog, The Raven’s Quill, today. I talk about how NEW PRIDE and SHIFTING PRIDE came to be and I offer a deep thought. 😉
Krista and I have short stories in the Day of Demons anthology by Anachron Press–her story is my FAV!
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Author of SOUL SISTERS, Janiera Eldridge, coordinated a Thanksgiving Mega Giveaway blowout that’ll knock your ereader right out of your hands–that’s how FAB it is!
Check out SOUL SISTERS here. I’ve read it and I like the TOTALLY UNIQUE TAKE ON VAMPS. Seriously people, I wish I’d come up with this one myself, LOL!
Here’s Janiera’s blog, Beauty and Books–lots of great info here, folks!
Ok, take it away, Janiera!!!

Welcome to the Thanksgiving Mega Giveaway!! This giveaway was put together solely to say thank goodness for books and to celebrate them!

It was also put together to give back to readers and try to give as many people as possible some reading material for the holidays! There tons of ways to enter so everyone has a good chance of winning something. 🙂

A huge thank you to the authors who donated their awesome books  & swag and to the bloggers who also hosted and donated material!

Here are some simple rules to remember when entering.

  • paperback and swag will be mailed to the U.S. only
  • ecopies are international
  •  You get to pick your prize if you’re one of the winners of the contest!! You will only have 24 hours to pick your prize and return your choice in an email or another winner will be chosen.
Good luck to everyone and enjoy the holidays!

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Just click on the Rafflecopter links above and enter for whichever prize you’d like–NEW PRIDE is in there, SQUEE! Seriously, though, there are LOTS of FAB prizes–you don’t want to miss out on this, so get clicking!

Superhero Social Disorders ~and~ Violet Midnight Blog Blitz

SO excited to have Patrick here today. He’s guesting on my blog, sharing his insights on Superhero Social Disorders. 

Welcome Patrick!

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First of all, thanks to Laura for having me on her blog today!

Have you ever noticed superheroes are never normal, well-adjusted people?  They’re always outsiders whether it’s because they’re aliens, nerds, or just loners.  Most have at least one skeleton in the closet, whether it’s the death of their parents, child abuse, a drinking problem, or something else that helps explain why most of these people adopt a secret identity.  I’m sure Dr. Diamond could spend a long time analyzing the likes of Superman, Batman, Wolverine, or Spider-Man.  There’s just something about putting on a cape and tights and beating up criminals that appeals to people who are not very well-adjusted.

The protagonist of my novel A Hero’s Journey is no different.  When she was just eight years old, Emma Earl’s parents died violently at the hands of a couple of criminals.  Even before then it was no picnic for Emma as her off-the-charts IQ made it difficult to fit in with her classmates.

After Emma’s parents died, she turned inward and focused on her education and her only remaining dream of someday becoming a scientist.  Between her natural intelligence and a lot of determination born out of adversity, Emma earned her doctorate at nineteen and landed her dream job at the Plaine Museum of Natural History.

When she moves back home to share an apartment with her childhood friend Becky, Emma hopes to make a fresh start.  Of course things almost immediately begin to go wrong.  People start to die and the museum is nearly blown to smithereens.  Any hope of a “normal” life goes out the window when Emma finds a suit of magic plate armor that turns her into the superhero known as the Scarlet Knight.

Like any superhero, Emma’s got plenty of problems.  She struggles to cope with the death of her parents.  Her aunt has severe dementia that forces her to stay in a nursing home.  And she has to go out every night and risk being killed, which also doesn’t leave much time for beauty sleep.  That’s only the first book!  As a little spoiler, in the rest of the series the weight keeps piling on Emma’s shoulders.

There are times when even I think, “Can’t I give the poor girl a break?”  But the thing is, we readers don’t really want the pressure to ease up on our heroes.  We want them to have to deal with crisis after crisis, whether it’s an external threat like a villain or an internal threat like a traumatic past.  The way any superhero series continues for years or even decades is to keep the pressure up on the hero.  If you think about it, how boring would it be if these people were normal and well-adjusted?

A lot of it is probably catharsis in that we want our superheroes to have inner demons so we can feel better about our own little problems.  I mean sure Superman can fly and he has heat vision and all that stuff, but he still can’t keep Lois Lane.  Take that!  I think part of why these characters have endured so long is that they can continue to grow and change as writers throw new problems at them.

What I enjoyed most in writing my series is growing Emma from the shy teenager she is in A Hero’s Journey to the mature young woman she eventually becomes.  It is a long and bumpy road, but that’s why it’s a hero’s journey, right?

If you’re ready to take that journey, you can buy my book from Solstice Publishing here.  The book is also available from other retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  To find out more about A Hero’s Journey including character bios, deleted scenes, and a visitor’s guide to Rampart City visit my blog at http://www.ptdilloway.com

Thanks again to Laura for allowing me to take up space on her blog!

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Can’t wait to read about Emma’s journey!

Patrick is offering a PDF copy of the book to one lucky commenter! Sa-weet! 

Part Two of this exiting post features Lynn Rush and VIOLET MIDNIGHT…

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It’s a Blog Blitz Release Event!

Lynn Rush, author of the Wasteland series, has a new New Adult Paranormal Romance series launching and she’s celebrating by hosting a SUPER AWESOME GIVEAWAY! If you enter, you could win a Kindle Fire!

To quote Penny from The Big Bang Theory: Holy crap on a cracker!

VIOLET MIDNIGHT BLURB:

Let the Hunt begin…

Blending in with her college co-eds proves difficult for vampire Hunter, Emma Martin, considering the mystical tattoo on her wrist glows whenever Vamps are near. And after three months of silence, the glow is back with a vengeance.

Jake Cunningham witnesses Emma, a violet-eyed beauty, using unimaginable powers to fight off a fanged creature. Finally, after two years of searching, he may have found out what he’s become—a Hunter, like Emma.

Thankful for an ally in the fight against the Vamps, Emma finds hope and comfort in Jake’s arms. As she learns more about her new love’s family and its dark heritage, she may be forced not only to hunt them but to sacrifice her life to save Jake’s soul.


READY TO BUY? GO HERE:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Violet-Midnight-Lynn-Rush/dp/193725481X

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/violet-midnight-lynn-rush/1112747880

 

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LYNN RUSH? GO HERE:

Catch the Rush™: www.LynnRush.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LynnRushWrites

Twitter: www.twitter.com/LynnRush

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13548020-violet-midnight

 

TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ONLINE LAUNCH PARTY, GO HERE:

https://www.facebook.com/LynnRushWrites.

I’ve never been to a Facebook party before, but I’m totally going to this one! It’s  7-9pm EDT. There will be tons of prizes and lots of authors participating. You don’t want to miss it!

 

WANT TO SIGN UP FOR THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY, GO HERE:

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CONGRATS, LYNN!!!!!

 

Genre Favorites Blogfest

Alex J. Cavanaugh is hosting his SEVENTH blog fest today and it’s all about–you guessed it–genre favs!

Participating bloggers are asked to share their favorite genres for movies, books, and music.

Gotta say, my tastes are pretty simple.

My favorite movies are action blockbusters (usually with a sci fi, fantasy, paranormal, or magical twist)

THE LORD OF THE RINGS Trilogy and the HARRY POTTER series are my ALL TIME favs!

My favorite book genres include paranormal and scifi–either YA or adult. I also enjoy urban fantasy.

My favorite music includes alternative rock (a la Bush, Five Finger Death Punch, Alice in Chains, Breaking Benjamin, Pearl Jam, etc), classical, and I LOVE movie soundtracks (LoTR, Harry Potter, Batman (a la Dark Knight), etc).

How about you? What are your fav genres?

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Need a character “shrink-wrapped?” Ask me! I’ll feature your question on Mental Health Monday! 🙂

INDIEpendence Day Is Coming Up!

The Indelibles are hosting an INDIEpendence Day blog hop (July 2-5) celebrating Indie authors. Lots of bloggers have signed up, so be sure to see who they’re highlighting as their favorite indie author.

I’ve got THREE indie authors that I look up to…mainly because of their great writing AND their perseverence to keep going NO MATTER WHAT!

Kendall Gray

She is the author of the JUST BREATHE series. It’s FAB!!!!!! The characters are hot, the scenes are hot, the action is…well, it’s hot. Seriously though, Kendall weaves together an intricate plot flawlessly while developing unique, fallible, and breathtaking characters. (Pun INtended.)

February Grace

She is the author of GODSPEED, a steampunk romance. I love the tone of Bru’s writing. It really creates an irresistible “mood.” I could totally picture myself being THERE with the characters. Actually, I’d kind of like to hang out with them sometime.

Christine Fonseca

She is the author of the Requiem series. I “met” Christine a while back and she’s helped me improve my writing by leaps and bounds. I love the TENSION Christine creates in her writing. She just doesn’t LET IT GO! Makes me literally feel what the characters feel.

NICE JOB, LADIES!!!!!!!

Who’s your favorite indie author?

Poetry Pact Blog Hop Continues

Hey gang! Remember today continues the Poetry Pact Blog Hop. If you haven’t seen everyone’s posts about secret clubs they’ve been in, be sure to check ’em out today. HERE’s the linky link.

The proceeds to purchasing the anthology goes to Direct Relief International, a non-profit organization committed to helping those suffering from poverty, civil unrest, and disasters. The paperback is available at Amazon for $4.50 and the Kindle version for $2.99.

SO, do you guys write poetry? What do you like or dislike about it?

Source

Have a great weekend, everyone! 🙂

Poetry Pact Blog Hop

Today starts the Poetry Pact Bloghop where participants share a story or anecdote of a secret pact they participated in.

You can read posts today and Friday, June 29th. Blog hop participants HERE.

Be sure to check out the Poetry Pact collection of poems by several members of the Poetry Pact. Remember, the proceeds to purchasing the anthology goes to Direct Relief International, a non-profit organization committed to helping those suffering from poverty, civil unrest, and disasters. The paperback is available at Amazon for $4.50 and the Kindle version for $2.99. (Thanks, Lydia, for this info!)

I don’t have any exciting secret memberships to share, so I’m going to let Nickie, the MC of my YA shapeshifter novel, SHIFTING PRIDE, share her secret.

Hi gang!

Laura asked me to help her out today by sharing a secret. It’s kind of strange to put this out there, because I’ve had to keep it quiet for so long, but here goes.

*deep breath*

Okay, my secret:

I can transform into a panther. Yup. Freaky, right? I know. The crappy thing is, I didn’t find out I could shapeshift until I was 16. As if figuring out school, and boys, and studying lines for Drama Club wasn’t hard enough. Geez.

Anyway, there it is. My secret.

How about you? What kind of secret clubs have you been in?