New Pride and Shifting Pride are ON SALE!

Hey gang! My publisher (for New Pride and Shifting Pride) have listed the pride series ebooks at a lower price. Act fast, because I’m not sure how long this will last!

NEW PRIDE

Now 99 cents! ($2 savings)

 

 

 

Description:

New town, new love, new terror…

Kicked out by his alpha father for nearly exposing their secret, seventeen-year-old Richard Leone is a shape-shifter without a pride. Alone, homeless, and hungry, he forms a tenuous friendship with Derek, a power-hungry shifter from an unstable rogue pride. It’s either that, or starve. Until they encounter a gorgeous brunette, Molly, partying with friends around a campfire. Richard immediately feels a connection with her, and something about her calls to him. Almost as if she was supposed to be his mate.

But when Molly is kidnapped, Richard must take on the entire rogue pride to save her and keep his human town safe from harm. Derek offers him a deal: he’ll help Richard take on the pride to rescue Molly, but only to secure his place as alpha. And once that happens, the humans could be in even more danger…

 

SHIFTING PRIDE

Now $3.99! ($2 savings)

 

 

Description:

Curiosity brings out the Kitty… 

Sixteen-year-old Nickie Leone has proof her father is still alive. His watch arrives in the mail, with a note telling her to “keep it hidden,” and her curiosity is piqued. She obeys the request, even keeping it hidden from her mother. But when an email from her father disappears before her very eyes, she begins to question her own sanity.

And things get even more complicated when she meets Xavian Katz, the blue-eyed, blonde hottie whose contagious smile and ridiculous sense of humor make her want to tell him all her secrets. But there’s a current beneath his charm that she can’t quite read. He’s hiding something.

When Nickie grows pointed ears and whiskers…and then a tail!…Xavian (who always seems to knows the right time to be around) seems unsurprised. He’s a shapeshifter too, a coincidence that Nickie can’t deny or ignore. She needs his help to master her new abilities, because her father’s rival, Derek, wants her to join his tribe. The last thing she wants is to be under his rule, but Derek’s got something to do with her dad’s disappearance—she knows it. And maybe letting herself be captured is the best way to find out…

 

 

Please share this post, spread the word, and if you’ve read the books, please leave an honest review. It just takes a few minutes, but it really means a lot. Thanks for your support! 🙂

Author Chat

Hey gang!

Last week, Natasha Hanova shared her review of my YA paranormal romance, SHIFTING PRIDE and she hosted me for an interview where I discussed my characters and upcoming projects.

Since it’s the holidays, she’s been gracious enough to host a giveaway as well–hop on over to her blog to enter for a chance to win a book of your choice penned my moi! (Deadline is THIS FRIDAY, December 20.)

Link to Rafflecopter giveaway

And be sure to check out Natasha’s FAB book, EDGE OF TRUTH! (It’s on sale for 0.99 December 18-20!!!)

Mental Health Monday–Periodic Reassessment

Anachron Press is hosting a pre-order special to the first 50 folks who pre-order the URBAN OCCULT anthology. Pre-order now and get a copy of Day of Demons for FREE! My story, City of Lights and Stone is in the Day of Demons anthology. 😉

Here are the deets:

Urban Occult Limited Pre-Order

Limited to 50.

Behind urban life, weird and horrific things fester. 

The whispers and chills of things long gone… the promise of power from the darkness… the seduction of those that lie in the shadows… the occult is all around us: in town houses, in mansions, and in your very own street.

Editor Colin F. Barnes collected together fifteen stories by a cast of critically acclaimed authors from around the globe who look into the stygian gloom, explore the dark corners of our houses, and peer into the abyss of human temptation.

Featuring stories by: Gary McMahon, Ren Warom, Gary Fry, Mark West, K.T. Davies, Nerine Dorman, Alan Baxter, Adam Millard, Julie Travis, Jason Andrew, James Brogden, A.A Garrison, Jennifer Williams, Sarah Anne Langton, and Chris Barnham.

Special Pre-Order Edition Limited to 50.

This pre-order edition means you will get the book at least a week to two weeks ahead of general release and:

A FREE ebook version (for any eReader)

and A FREE ebook of Day of Demons. (eBooks will be emailed to you on the 4th of March).

Just £9.99 (+£2.99 shipping anywhere in the world).

Pre-Order here: http://www.anachronpress.com/product/anthologies/urban-occult-limited-pre-order/

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Time is money and us spread-too-thin multi-taskers have to spend it wisely.

For me, I spend around 50 hours a week doing day job stuff, and sometimes work weekends (those 12 day stretches really exhaust me!).

That leaves nights and weekends for writerly stuff. Encompassed in that time is blogging, visiting blogs, social media-ing, marketing, reading, reviewing, critting, writing, and editing. I tend to reserve reading and critting for weeknight stuff and writing and blogging for weekends, when I’m fresher.

Note the placement of each item.

It’s quite scary that writing and editing are last.

I’m a writer who writes after everything else is done. Shouldn’t that be the other way around?

Gosh, admitting this makes me sad.

When I first started writing, that’s where most of my time went. Sure, I’d spend some time on forums (like QueryTracker), but for the most part, my brain was hyperfocused on writing and that’s what I did.

With time came critting.

Then I started this blog.

Then I joined Facebook and Twitter.

Marketing came after New Pride and Shifting Pride were published.

With each added item, writing got shoved further down the list.

I’ve been feeling the pain about this for a while, but now it’s time to admit I need to do something.

I need to reassess where I’m at.

My goal is to incorporate more writing and editing into my routine. I will continue blogging, but may do only two posts a week. There will be the odd week with the same M-W-F routine, based on previously scheduled posts. 😉

I’m getting back to basics.

What about you guys? Do you engage in periodic reassessment? What have you learned by checking in with your routine every so often?

Flake-out Friday–StoryFinds.com

I’ve learned over the years that authors need a strong presence in the Interwebz. Visibility is KEY in getting the word out for your books. And there’s a TON of ways to do it.

I strongly favor my blog, website, Facebook, and Twitter. I’m having fun with YouTube book trailers.

Today, I’d like to share StoryFinds.com with you. Started up by a fellow Etopia Press YA author, Renee D. Field, StoryFinds highlights authors and their books. There’s a $20 fee to be featured on the blog, Facebook page, and Twitter.

This week, StoryFinds has featured YA paranormal books, including me (SHIFTING PRIDE) and fellow Etopia Press YA authors Sara Hubbard (BLOOD, SHE READ) & Theresa McClinton (THE STONE GUARDIAN).

StoryFinds on Facebook

StoryFinds on Twitter

Here is the direct link to Themed Week:
http://storyfinds.com/section/themed_week

Take a gander!

What sites have you found good for visibility?

Happy writing!!!

* * * * * * * * * *

As I mentioned on Monday, I entered the cover art for NEW PRIDE and SHIFTING PRIDE in the Houston Bay Area Romance Writers Association’s Judge A Book By Its Cover Contest. JABBIC is a fun way to share cover art and have readers vote on what attracts them to buy a book.

Click HERE to go to the JABBIC website. Click START JUDGING, then select YOUNG ADULT, and rate each book on a scale of 5 to 1, 5 means you’d buy the book based on the cover and 1 means you don’t have interest in the book.

I’d totally appreciate your votes, if you’re so inclined! THANK YOU! 😉

Voting ends on February 10th.

Judge A Book By Its Cover

Shifting Pride is up for Sizzling Read of the Month at Sizzling Hot Books. Please vote!

http://sizzlinghotbooks.com/poll-sizzling-read-of-the-month/

* * * * *

As I mentioned on Monday, I entered the cover art for NEW PRIDE and SHIFTING PRIDE in the Houston Bay Area Romance Writers Association’s Judge A Book By Its Cover Contest. JABBIC is a fun way to share cover art and have readers vote on what attracts them to buy a book.

Click HERE to go to the JABBIC website. Click START JUDGING, then select YOUNG ADULT, and rate each book on a scale of 5 to 1, 5 means you’d buy the book based on the cover and 1 means you don’t have interest in the book.

I’d totally appreciate your votes, if you’re so inclined! THANK YOU! 😉

This is a great topic, judging books by their covers.

Humans are fundamentally visual and anybody in the biz knows that there’s some inherent connection between the quality of cover art to the quality of story inside.

Which is why I’m totally IN LOVE with Etopia Press and the cover art Annie Melton developed for NEW PRIDE and SHIFTING PRIDE. The covers fit the stories PERFECTLY. The colors are unified. The font is rugged in a primal, feline way, capturing the werecat/shifter aspect. They also compliment one another–a MUST in a series, IMHO.

Erm, am I tooting my own horn? Sorry. My intention is to share how I see the covers from my perspective. These are things I notice when looking at covers.

How about you guys?

What draws you into a cover? What about covers makes you pick up a book or scroll down to read a book description on Amazon?

Mental Health Monday–Unintended Consequences

For those of you who missed yesterday’s Ephemera post as part of Kendall Grey’s JUST BREATHE WORLD TOUR, click HERE to check out my reviews of her short story series and who I’d cast for the main characters in the JUST BREATHE series. 😉

* * * * * * * * * *
Shifting Pride is up for Sizzling Read of the Month! Please vote!

http://sizzlinghotbooks.com/poll-sizzling-read-of-the-month/

* * * * * * * * * *

A few weeks back, I entered the cover art for NEW PRIDE and SHIFTING PRIDE in the Houston Bay Area Romance Writers Association’s Judge A Book By Its Cover Contest. JABBIC is a fun way to share cover art and have readers vote on what attracts them to buy a book.

I’d totally appreciate some votes, if you’re so inclined!

Click HERE to go to the JABBIC website. Click START JUDGING, then select YOUNG ADULT, and rate each book based on if you’d buy it based on the cover (5) or if you don’t have interest in the cover (1). (There’s choices between too. 😉 )

* * * * * * * * * *

Now, to get to unintended consequences. I think about this concept often, particularly when I see outcomes that are in direct opposition to what was planned.

The biggest example that comes to mind is the flurry of gun control laws spreading across the United States. New York prides itself in having the strictest of all of them.

I’m certain the intention of these laws is to limit the access of firearms (particularly assault-type rifles) to “The Bad Guys.”

A good idea, yes?

BUT, as a result, more guns than ever are being purchased and more ammo than ever is flying off the shelves. Many gun retailers are getting cleaned out–they’re literally selling ALL of their stock and going on back order for guns and bullets.

I’d call this an unintended consequence.

I’ve personally seen several people (who have NEVER before wanted a gun or even thought about having a gun) become OBSESSED with owning a gun.

JUST BECAUSE THEY THINK IT’S NECESSARY TO KEEP THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILY SAFE.

Another unintended consequence, I’d say.

YIKES.

Lemme repeat that:

YIKES.

Taking this post in a different direction (because this forum is for writing purposes only)…

Unintended consequences can have HUGE impacts.

What if we applied this concept to our writing?

How thrilling would it be to have a character do something that they think will work out for the good of others and then twist it, focusing on the unintended consequences. Wouldn’t that cause some conflict and tension? Maybe even a disaster?

It would be totally mean.

And PERFECT.

In NEW PRIDE, Richard joins up with a rogue pride. On the one hand, he needs a group of shifters for safety. On the other, the danger of allying with them quickly becomes obvious and potentially impacts everyone Richard cares about.

Have you guys seen unintended consequences in books that you’ve read?

2012 Wrap Up! News and Looking Ahead

Whee, 2012 is almost over! Dear friends, what have you in store for 2013?

• I plan to write the sequel to Shifting Pride, tentatively titled, FRACTURED PRIDE. I’m about 10,000 words into it, so, YAY! LOL!
• I am editing TSAVO PRIDE, a short story spin off to Shifting Pride. It’s going to be a self-pubbed FREEBIE, so STAY TUNED! 😉
• I’ll be editing ZODIAC COLLECTOR in the coming months so it’s ready for publication next winter.
• I’ll be editing various other projects to shop ’em ’round.

I’d like to give a BIG THANKS to all the blog tour participants for both New Pride and Shifting Pride. I’m honored and thrilled that you’ve dedicated your time and efforts to help me spread the word about my debut series!

Because of you guys, Shifting Pride almost broke 10,000 on the Amazon sales ranking (at 13,620). Woot!!!

I’m also totes stoked about Shifting Pride hitting #6 and New Pride hitting #24 on the Goodreads Best Unknown YA Books listopia! Thanks for your votes–and keep ’em coming! 😉

Before I go, I have a question/request.

Would any pubbed author–self, small press, traditional, etc–be interested in a review swap? I’m game to swap novellas or novels with you in an exchange for a review on Amazon, Goodreads, B&N, and/or blog!

EDIT: PS–Sizzling Hot Books reviewed New Pride, the prequel novelette. Check it out! 😀

Flake-out Friday–NEW PRIDE Excerpt, Part Two

Today is the last day to enter a Rafflecopter giveaway of BLOOD, SHE READ by Sara Hubbard and NEW PRIDE, by *me*. Click HERE to enter. Good luck and THANKS!!

Last week, Sara Hubbard hosted me and we got a first glimpse at a NEW PRIDE excerpt. Today, I’d like to share another excerpt.

Hope you like it!

I heard the falls long before we arrived at its base.

The air was moist and the scent of succulent plant life mixed with damp earth to tickle my nose. Metallic undertones settled on my tongue. The water was fresh and clean. Too bad Molly and I weren’t alone. It would be awesome to come back during the day and go skinny-dipping, then lay on the mossy rocks to dry in the sun. Kind of like when she had sunbathed when I first saw her.

Apparently, the guys had the same idea as me, but didn’t care that they weren’t alone. They kicked off their shoes and whipped off their shirts and jeans. The only other girl with us, Nina, joined them without reservation.

One after the other, they ran into the natural pool, screeching and yipping at the shock of cold water against their skin protected only by underwear.

Molly peeled herself away from me. “You coming?” She gave me a coy smile and tugged the straps of her dress down her arms.

My heart quickened. I licked my lips. “Er…”

“You’re not afraid of the water, are you?” She arched her right brow, already unfastening the buttons on the front of her sundress. Her white bra all but glowed in the moonlight.

I stepped closer to her, lightly covering her hands with mine. She stared up at me, brown eyes wide with…anticipation. A slow smile worked at my mouth. I unbuttoned the remaining buttons, stopping at her waist. Molly shifted her shoulders and her dress fell to the ground. My gaze traced down her belly, to her legs, and finally to her feet.

And back up again.

Molly bit her bottom lip. Her cheeks darkened and she folded her arms across her chest.

I took her hands in mine and kissed her knuckles. “You’re beautiful.”

She ducked her head and looked up at me through her bangs.

My belly tingled, igniting a fire deep inside. Unable to stop myself, I ran my fingers through her curly hair, letting them come to rest on the nape of her neck.

She stood on her tiptoes so our mouths were millimeters apart. “And you’re handsome,” she whispered.

I held my breath. I wanted to kiss her so bad, but I didn’t want to ruin the moment if she didn’t feel the same way.