YA Indie Author Interview Spotlight With N.R. Wick...

Hey everybody! This weeks YA Indie Author Interview Spotlight post is with N.R. Wick, author of Land of No Angels!

Summery: The Ascension marked a demon apocalypse that decimated the human race and forced survivors into hiding. Sixteen year old Rebecca Ashford and her younger sister, Errol, have spent the last year sequestered in their family's tornado bunker. When the sound of a screaming baby wakes them in the middle of the night, Errol attempts to save the infant and is poisoned by a demon.

    Now Rebecca must trust a mysterious tracker named Fox to take them to a survivor colony where they will learn how to save Errol's life. During the course of her quest, Rebecca gains the ability to use magic--specifically, the power to find lost or concealed items. Unless she can defeat frightening monsters and learn to use her power to locate the ingredients needed to cure her sister, Errol will die.

The first sentence of novel: Rebecca pressed her body against the ground and willed herself to blend in.

Land of No Angels can be purchased on Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and Smashwords.

1)What is your writing process like? Well, I normally start with an idea, which I take notes on and work it out in my head and by talking to my husband about it. Then, I'll write up an outline. I'm really a scene outliner rather than writing up super detailed outlines and character information, or just diving right into the writing. Once the outline is finished, I start the writing. Usually, I'll glance at the outline before each chapter if  I need a refresher, but I mostly just wing it once I start writing.

    Also, I write by hand first, then type it up and edit it a bit to  make the writing better. Yeah, it's a bit old school, but the story  flows better and my hands/wrists hurt less when I write by hand. I  get more written, so it's more efficient to do it this way. That  first typed draft is what I consider my "first draft".

2)Is there a genre you might like to try to write in someday?  One of my upcoming projects leans a little more towards young adult paranormal romance, which isn't something I often write since I'm a    horror/dark fantasy kind of girl. I'm looking forward to it, though, because it will still be dark but with more focus on the relationship of the two main characters.

3)What were the last five books you read?

 Starting with most recent to oldest:
-Darkness Creeping by Neal Shusterman
-Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
-The Righteous by Michael Wallace
-Switched by Amanda Hocking
-And a variety of full novels I've been critiquing or beta reading.

Author Bio: N.R. Wick writes horror and dark fantasy for young adults. She loves all things horrifying, magical, and supernatural. Her debut novel, Land of No Angels, is available now in both ebook and print formatting. N.R. Wick currently lives in Southern California where she completed her Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing.

You can learn more about  N.R. Wick by checking out her website, following her on Twitter, or Facebook.

Happy reading people! ;)

New Cover For Touch...

Here is the lovely new cover for my novella Touch...

Touch Novella Price Change...

Just a little note. My novella Touch will be priced from $2.99 to $0.99 for a limited time! So, if you were on the fence about it before now is your chance to purchase it, because $0.99 isn't too much to pay for entertainment!

Check out my Touch page for direct links for purchase!

YA Indie Author Interview Spotlight With Talia Jager...

Hey everyone! It's Friday again and that means...time for another YA Indie Author Interview Spotlight! Todays is with Talia Jager, author of The Ultimate Sacrifice (Book One in The Gifted Teens Series)!

Summery: Kassia is a 16-year-old girl just trying to have a normal life. This is somewhat difficult because she has the ability to inflict pain on others with her mind, which is why she was sent to aspecial institute for kids with various gifts. It is here Kassia met her bestfriend Mira.

Their lives will change forever after Mira is attacked and Kassia finds out her talent is much more powerful when she saves her. Little did she know that this act would attract the attention of demons.

Suddenly she is on the run from them with her boyfriend, Mira, and a few of their close friends. Realizing she can’t out run the demons, she seeks the guidance of a shaman. The shaman tells her the heart breaking news that the only way to protect her friends and the institute is through her own death.

Join Kassia on her journey of friendship, love, and the conflicts she must face to protect those around her.

*Bonus* You can view the trailer HERE!

The first sentence of the novel: Jana stood in front of me, her hands waving wildly in my face.

The Ultimate Sacrifice (Book One in The Gifted Teens Series) can be purchased on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and iBooks.

1)What inspired you to write this story? A thought popped into my mind one day. "What would happen if looks could kill?" From there, this story was born.

2)Are you a morning,mid day,or night writer?  I write whenever the kids are quiet :) Usually that's nap time and bed time. Many times you can find me writing into the wee hours of the morning.

3) What are you currently working on? I am currently editing Lost and Found, an edgy YA drama, which I hope to release in October 2011 and have started writing Roots and Wings (Book Two in The Gifted Teens Series), which I'm still hoping for a December 2011 release.

4)Do you have any advise you'd like to give aspiring authors? Write as much as you can as often as you can. Write for yourself, not anybody else. Believe in yourself and never give up.

5)What were the last five books you read?

 Unearthly by Cynthia Hand, Madly by M Leighton, Inferno (Destroyers) by Holly Hook, City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare, and Airel (The Airel Saga, Book 1) by Chris White & Aaron Patterson.

You can learn more about Talia Jager on her Blog, her facebook page, and follow her on Twitter!

Happy Friday everyone! =)

Grammar Tip Regaurding Confusing Pairs...

It has been a while since I last blogged about anything grammar related. While I don't claim to be a Grammar Master by any means, nor is it a secret that I have hired editors to correct grammar, syntax, and punctuation for my novels. I've also said many times how Spell Check is my best friend...this is not a lie, I have no clue how I would survive without it. The point is, spell check is not always very friendly. I say this only because, the word may be spelled correctly, but it may not be the word you intended to place there. Here is a list of a few to watch for:

Their- There
Seam- Seem
Fowl- Foul
Desert- Dessert
Diner- Dinner
Later- Latter
Too- To
Two- Too

The BIG one's to watch out for (at least for me anyways):

Breath- Breathe
Through- Though

The best way I've found to help catch those typos? Download my novel onto my Kindle and have it read it back to me. I've just learned this recently and I'd like to give credit where credit is due for the idea...so, thank you Kimberly Spencer author of Shimmerspell! Now I have a much cleaner version of Shattered Soul out there as of Sept. 7th.

Here's the thing...we are all simply human. I'm not going to name name's to bash the editor I chose for Shattered Soul because it wasn't her fault she is only human, but I will say that when I decided to have my kindle read me Shattered Soul I found TWELVE typos that jumped out at me. I about had heart failure and was, if I'm to be perfectly honest, highly embarrassed to see them. Mainly because they were so obvious.

My advise to you? Read your novel twice after getting it back from your editor, but don't stop there like I did, find a program (if you don't have a kindle) that will read it back to you. You will thank me later for this critical step, I promise you!

Happy writing people!

YA Indie Author Interview Spotlight With Karen Kiefer...

Morning everyone! Today I've got yet another YA Indie Author Interview Spotlight, it's with Karen Kiefer author of Aurora Abroad!

Summary: Who hasn’t heard the story of the princess with an unfortunate tendency for coma-inducing finger pricks? And who could forget about the evil witch who wants to kill her by any means necessary, be it spindle or poisonous apple? Who hasn’t rolled his eyes at the thought of Prince
Charming and his affinity for tights, tunics and baseless serenades?

But the princess we know was never whisked away to a world of magic lamps and genies, and she most certainly didn’t go on a quest with the naked emperor from the Emperor’s New Clothes… until now. Big bad wolves, trolls, frog princes and pirates (among other things) come together in a madcap marriage of classic fairy tales. Hans Christian Andersen wouldn’t be proud!

The following tales have been thoroughly fractured in this young adult novel: Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast, The Emperor's New Clothes, The Princess and the Pea, Aladdin... and many more!


The first sentence of the novel: As Prince Charmaine gazed at his reflection in the mirror, he found it hard to concentrate on anything but himself.

Aurora Abroad can be purchased on Amazon andBarnes and Noble.


1)When writing do you prefer silence or music? Both, depending on my mood. Sometimes I'll listen to classical music or new age stuff, anything from Chopin to Libera to Lisa Gerard. Lately I'm really into Mt. Eden Dubstep. Of course, silence is also golden!


2)What does your family think of your writing? I think they're very excited for me! I'm pretty tickled that my oldest sister is finally reading my novels for the first time!


3)What is your writing process? I scribble notes on a page, so illegible that they can only be deciphered by me! (Sometimes I can't even read my own handwriting!) Then I just sit down and get cracking! Lately I'm forcing myself to write a chapter each day. It's been very productive and fun!


4)What is your guilty pleasure? Regency romances, Game of Thrones, video games, British actors. I have many guilty pleasures!


5)What were the last five books you read? The Hunger Games, "Trouble in Paradise" by Lynn Byer, and "The Rake's Reward" by Mary Kingsley. Those are the only ones I can think of right now!


Author Bio: I would say I officially became a writer in the 4th grade. I wrote a short story that made everyone cry, and I liked it. Call me heartless, but I liked making people cry!

In 6th grade, I decided to turn my favorite teacher into a serial killer. That is, I wrote a series about her. I don't think she ever knew.

In junior high and high school, I was the nerd with the notebook in the back of the room, scribbling silly words in my spare time. Some of my stuff was funny. Some of it was unintentionally funny. Yikes.

Now I write anything and everything. To this day, I'm still writing to make people cry. Or laugh. In fact, if I'm not making you laugh or cry then I haven't done my job!


You can learn more about Karen Kiefer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Giveaway Time...

Yes, I'm feeling giving again! I'd like to do another giveaway, this time for my lastest release Touch!

Seventeen-year-old Rowan Harper knows her life is forever changed the moment her schizophrenic mother commits suicide. What Rowan doesn’t realize is how much her mother’s choice altered her own fate. It’s not until after meeting Jet, a sapphire-eyed dead boy, Rowan begins to learn of her new destiny as becoming her mother’s replacement for something she never knew existed. Touch is an approx. 18,115 word novella.

Three winners will receive a coupon code for smashwords to redeem a FREE copy of Touch! Want to enter? Leave a comment below along with your email address so I can contact you! Giveaway ends on Sunday, Sept. 18.

                                        ********GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED*********

*Winner has been announced and sent an email. =)

YA Indie Author Interview Spotlight With Selina Fenech...

Good morning people! Today we have Selina Fenech, author of Memory's Wake, for our YA Indie Author Interview Spotlight!

Summery: In a culture of cravats and corsets, a troubled sixteen-year-old stands out in her t-shirt and torn jeans. She takes the name “Memory” because hers are stolen, and she’ll do anything to get them back. Lost in a world not her own, where magic and monstrous fairies are real, Memory has enough to handle just trying to stay alive.

Chased by wizard hunters and their dragon, stalked by a strange, handsome savage, and wanted by the king himself – everyone is after Memory, and she suspects it’s not just for her eye-catching outfit. Her forgotten past holds dangerous secrets that will change everything.

Memory will fight to get back to a family and home she can’t remember but desperately desires, even at the cost of new friendships and romances. On the run with no name and no memories, she thinks she has nothing left to lose. She couldn’t be more mistaken.


The first sentence of the novel: I’m falling, she thought.

Memory's Wake can be purchased on Amazon and you can also get yourself a SIGNED copy HERE.



1)What inspired you to write this story? I’ve worked on this story on and off for almost ten years, and it’s changed a lot during that time. It started as a more generic sword and sorcery fantasy. I had always been in love with the idea of travelling and adventuring a fantasy land with a tight group of friends (who were also kick-ass warriors, wizards and thieves!). I think that’s where the concept first began, but then I started to learn more about what actually made a good story, like having a beginning, middle and end, and characters who were actually real people with goals, not just cookie cutter fantasy personas. Before that everything I wrote was all middle! I took some time to really think about my characters and what they wanted, and what I wanted the world to be like, and a greatly improved story with real characters emerged from that.


2)Do you resemble your main character? If so, how much? Not much at all. If anything we share a little wry humour, but my main character has had a hard life while my own has been fortunately good. Because of her rough background, Memory can be a bit wild and selfish, liable to think the worst of others and look out for her own self preservation first. Luckily she makes some good friends who help her grow and learn how to trust. Also, Memory has way better hair than I do ;)


3)What is your writing process? I’m definitely a plotter. I like to know exactly where a story is going, in detail, before I get stuck into writing. My Memory’s Wake trilogy has some complex twists and plots, and I really needed a firm plan of where it was heading so I could fill in every little plot hole and make the story work. I find that even with thorough planning, you still have some great inspiration while doing the actual writing as well, so you get benefits both ways.


4)Is there a genre you'd like to write in someday? When I’m finished with my fantasy trilogy, I’ve got a great idea for a paranormal romance pushing more towards the horror genre (think Lovecraftian style).


5)What were the last five books you read?
The Overtaking by Victorine Lieske
The Uglies trilogy by Scott Westerfeld (three books, but we’ll count them as one)
Solstice by PJ Hoover
Hush Money by Susan Bischoff
Virtue by Amanda Hocking

Author Bio: Born in 1981 to Australian and Maltese parents, Selina lives in Australia with her husband, an unnamed cat, and a lorikeet who’s far too clever. During her life Selina has found ancient Roman treasure, survived cancer, had knights joust at her wedding, been mugged for doughnuts and eaten every bizarre and wonderful food put in front of her. And now, she’s also written and published a novel.

You can learn more about Selina Fenech and Memory's Wake on her WEBSITE.

Happy Friday everyone and have a great weekend! =)

Childhood Memories...

Those of us who write generally also read. Some of us fell in love with the written word early on and some later than others. Either way most of us have a childhood favorite author. Maybe it's Dr. Suess, Rholad Dahl, or Shel Silverstein...


                     source

Those names listed above were my all time favorites and not in any particular order...but over this long weekened I stummbled upon two childhood favorite books of poems by Shel Silverstein that niether my husband nor myself had seen in FOREVER! They were the best poem books I'd ever read. A Light in the Attic and Where the Sidewalk Ends.

I sat over the weekend, reading these silly little poems to my children who laughed so hard at some of them I had loved as a small child and gained a new appresheation for his words in a whole new way. Some of these poems even seemed thought provoking to me as I read them with adult eyes. Here are a few of my favorites.

Taken from Where the Sidewalk Ends:

INVITATION

If you are a dreamer, come in,

If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,

A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer...

If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire

For we have some flax-golden tales to spin.

Come in!

Come in!

COLORS

My skin is kind of sort of brownish

Pinkish yellowish white.

My eyes are greyish blueish green,

But i'm told they look orange in the night.

My hair is reddish blondish brown,

But it's silver when it's wet.

All the colors I am inside

Have not been invinted yet.

LISTEN TO THE MUSTN'TS

Listen to the MUSTN'TS, child,

Listen to the DON'TS

Listen to the SHOULDN'TS

The IMPOSSIBLES, the WON'TS

Listen to the NEVER HAVES

Then listen close to me--

Anything can happen, child,

ANYTHING can be.

A Light in the Attic:

REFLECTION

Each time I see the Upside-Down Man

Standing in the water,

I look at him and start to laugh,

Although I shouldn't oughtter.

For maybe in another world

Another time

Another town,

Maybe HE is right side up

And I am upside down.

Amazing! I have to say that LISTEN TO THE MUSTN'TS is my favorite by far! Who was your favorite childhood author?

YA Indie Author Interview Spotlight With Leslie DuBois...

Happy Friday everyone! Todays YA Indie Author Interview is with Leslie DuBois, author of The Queen Bee Of Bridgeton!

Summary: When fifteen-year-old Sonya Garrison is accepted into the prestigious Bridgeton Academy, she soon discovers that rich girls are just as dangerous as the thugs in her home of Venton Heights. Maybe more so. After catching the eye of the star, white basketball player and unwittingly becoming the most popular girl in school, she earns the hatred of the three most ruthless and vindictive girls at Bridgeton. Can she defeat the reigning high school royalty? Or will they succeed in ruining her lifelong dream of becoming a world class dancer?

The first sentence of the novel: "Every student who has faced this honor council has been foundguilty and expelled," Headmaster Collins said from behind the judge'sbench of Dardem Hall.

The Queen Bee Of Bridgeton can be purchesed on Nook, Kindle, and Smashwords.

1)Do you write mostly in the morning,mid day,or at night? I get most of my writing down after my kids go to bed and before I fall asleep.

2) Do you resemble your main character? If so, how much? I am a lot like Sonya. We both love dance and we both came from very poor backgrounds. We also both have a strong desire to better our situation in life.

3)Is there a specific genre you'd like to try writing in someday? I'd love to write an epic fantasy one day.

4)What are you currently working on now? I'm currently working on Priscilla the Great 5 and a historical YA fiction called Shadows of St. Louis about the 1917 race riots.


5) What were the last five books you read?The Help by Kathryn Stockett
A Dead Man's Debt by Grace Elliot
I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
Beastly by Alex Flinn
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

Author Bio: Leslie DuBois lives in Charleston, SC with her husband and two children. She is currently earning her Ph.D. in Biostatistics from the Medical University of South Carolina and has completed ten Young Adult and Middle Grade novels.She also writes under the name Sybil Nelson.

You can learn more about Leslie DuBois on her website. And also, check her out website under the name Sybil Nelson here.

Number Crunchers...Auguest

It's that time again, another month has passed us by and it's time to show my sale numbers! If you remember, July was my best month yet and so the question of the day is...was August any better? The answer is...nope, not by a long shot. But, that's okay. Seriously. Like I've said before, I'm in this to fulfill a dream of mine to write a story that moves, touches, and leaves a reader with a feeling and I've already done that based on some of your WONDERFUL reviews. And now let me add (because I know you're all thinking it) yes, I was slightly disappointed at first. But then I got over it. Could be because I released another book and I'm still sorta giddy about it.

Either way, on to my August sale numbers...

Kindle Books Sold- 2

Nook Books Sold- 0

Smashwords Books Sold- 0

Createspace Books Sold- 0

Total = 2 Books

And there you have it! :)