It's Monday... And It's Halloween...

No big news here, other than it's only one of my FAVORITE holidays EVER! Yes, this year the Snyder Family will be rockin' down the main candy street in town. The hubs and I already dressed ourselves up over the weekend for a friends party. We transformed ourselves into an awesome old school Gangster (in a pinstripe suite) and a beautiful succubus. The kidos get their turn tonight as a Ghost and Bat girl.

Here are some silly little Halloween Jokes to start your day:

Q. What happened to the guy who couldn't keep up payments to his exorcist?
A. He was repossessed.

Q. What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire?
A. Frostbite.

Q. Why do ghosts have so much trouble dating?
A. Women can see right through them.

Q. Why aren't there any famous skeletons?
A. They're a bunch of no bodies.

Hope everyone has a spooky (but safe) Halloween!

YA Indie Author Interview Spotlight With Mike Lewis...

Hey peeps! Time for another YA Indie Author Interview Spotlight! Today's is with Mike Lewis author of Changers' Summer!

Summery: One hundred years ago a group of mysterious scientists took charge of the Earth's weather in order to control climate change. Their experiments damaged the planet and in the ensuing chaos they disappeared.

Tom is a twelve year old boy living on a farming commune in a world of constant cloud and acid rain. When one of the "Changers" appears in the grain barn out of thin air, Tom is forced into an adventure along with his voice-enhanced dog Bess, a traveling entertainer Alison and two of the Changers. 

The Changers are back, but are they everything they seem?  Tom and Alison have to decide between family and friends, and helping the Changers repair their world.

Changers' Summer is a Young Adult/Children's dystopian science fiction novel about the consequences of science.

The first sentence of the novel: It was raining the day it started.



Changers' Summer can be purchased on Amazon and Smashwords.

1)What do you hope people take away from your stories? I hope that people enjoy the stories and are entertained but also that they will think about them afterwards.  I would like my fiction to affect people rather than be completely throw-away.

2)How long have you been writing? I've been writing SOMETHING most of my life from stories when I was 6 to comic scripts and computer game articles when I was doing my degree.  I've been selling fiction professionally almost since I started writing with the intent of selling it in 1997 as I sold my first two pieces very quickly.

3)What are you working on now? I am currently working on The Rat King, the sequel to Changers' Summer and also a military SF novel which is the first in a series about a gentleman thief conscripted into the army.

4)What is your guilty pleasure? In terms of books it is J D Robb novels which are unlike anything else I read as I never read Romance novels.

5)What were the last five books you read?

The Truth by Terry Pratchett

Miles, Mutants and Microbes by Lois McMaster Bujold

Moon Dance (Vampire for hire #1) by J R Rain

The Spy who haunted me by Simon R Green

A Clubbable Woman by Reginald Hill.

Author Bio: Mike Lewis is a writer from Woking in England; the place that the Martians first landed in H G Wells' War of the Worlds.

This might explain why he writes science fiction and fantasy.

He has written computer games, comic scripts and SF and Fantasy short stories professionally as well as worked as a computer professional and made toy soldiers for a living.

Changers' Summer is his first Young Adult SF novel.

You can learn more about Mike Lewis on his website and also follow him on Twitter as mikelewisauthor.

Happy reading!

Last Five Books I've Read...

I'm always asking Indie Authors what the last five books they've read were. My reason? Because I find it interesting (almost as interesting as learning their writing process).

Typically we tend to write in the genre that we read. I guess this is true, for the most part, with me also. I read a lot of paranormal romance and supernatural books for young adults. Shattered Soul was my exception. I'd never read anything contemporary, and especially not edgy, before writing that novel. Since then I've read a handful and have wondered why I never gave them a chance before.

Here's my list of the last five books I've read:

Turned At Dark - C.C. Hunter

Fury - Anya Bast

Reckless Magic - Rachel Higginson

Meant To Be - Tiffany King

Anathema - Megg Jensen

Now, none of those are Edgy Contemporary, but like I've said...I read a lot of paranormal/supernatural induced romance stuff. All of those are young adult except for Fury.

I'm currently reading Beautiful Chaos by Kami Grcia and  Margaret Stohl.

What have you read? Or what are you currently reading?

YA Indie Author Interview Spotlight With Debi Faulkner...

It's Friday again people, let's get another YA Indie Author Interview Spotlight cranked out! Today's is with Debi Faulkner author of Summoning!

Summery: Summoning is based on a “true” Irish witch story in which an evil vicar sells not only his soul but also that of his young servant girl, Meredith, to the devil. After learning the dark craft herself, Meredith finds herself trapped in the demon's shadow when she is accused of witchcraft. It is up to her to find the light and save herself – and those she loves – from the deal.

The first sentence of the novel: The smooth iron band felt cold – nothing like the heat it would summon.

Summoning can be purchased on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

1)When writing do you prefer music or silence? I prefer silence, or at least somewhere mostly quiet. Of course, since I'm the mother of three kids and my husband's work is connected to our house, quiet is a fleeting thing.When things get too loud, I plug in the earphones and listen to the same song over and over again until it becomes more like white noise.That's my own version of “quiet.”

2)Do you resemble your main character any? If so, how much? Meredith is a “ginger” – she has light red hair. Growing up, I had bright orange hair. That's probably as close as I get to resembling her physically. As for personality .. . hmm . . . I think Meredith has more courage than I do. I doubt I would have taken some of the chances she takes! But then, that would make for a pretty dull main character. ;-)

3)What advise would you give to aspiring authors? Don't give up. Read everything you can, no matter what genre, and keep writing. When you get stuck on one thing, it's okay to take a short break. Maybe working on a different story (for a day or two) will help. Just don't give up. 

 4)What are you working on now? I have a new mid-grade (ages 9-13) book that was just published in August, Year of the WereCurse:WereWhat? about a 12-year-old boy whose family inherits not only the ancestral mansion, but also the curse that comes with it. Right now, I'm writing the sequel to that story.


5)What were the last five books you read? As you can see from the list below, I've taken my own advice about reading everything and every genre I can:


Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs
Solstice, by PJ Hoover
Pride & Prejudice and Zombies ,by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
Broken: A Paranormal Romance, by David H. Burton
The Odd Job Squad, by Karl Fields


Author Bio: A native Detroiter by birth, I left the Motor City in 2001 for theNetherlands with my husband (a chiropractor) and my small children. In December of 2003, we moved again, this time to Ireland. While there, I took part in a mentorship program with the Irish author, LiaMills, who helped me in making the transition from poetry to prose and from writing verses in poems to writing chapters in novels.

In August 2006, we relocated yet again to the Netherlands. Now, if only I was fluent in Dutch . . .

The upside of this nomadic lifestyle is that I have much more time than I would have had in the states to spend with my writing.


You can learn more about Debi Faulkner on her Blog.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

GIMP Tutorial Sites...

I've been making up potential covers for my latest WIP for the last week and a half. I have no clue why I feel like it's so important at the moment, especially when I'm not even finished with the first draft yet, this is just how I work. I guess it's because it still makes me feel productive somehow... I know I should be writing another chapter today but, I've gotten another step closer to the cover I'll use. Makes my lack of word count for the day sound justified. At least to me.

Anyways, I use a free program called GIMP to make my covers. I had absolutely no knowledge of any thing regarding photo manipulation. Not saying that I'm amazing now, but I now know how to do more than my husband and that thought makes me smile!

Here are a few cool links that I've found for learning how to do things with GIMP. I will state now, I am still learning myself how to do even cooler things, so if you know of an awesome tutorial site please share.

Deviantart.com -This place is LOADED with amazing artists and tons of GIMP Tutorials.

gimp-tutorials.net - Another place FILLED with info.

Honestly, those are the only two places I've checked out recently. They are so crammed full of useful information on cool tips and tricks for manipulating photos, I really haven't ventured out to find other places similar. If you have, let me know.

YA Indie Author Interview Spotlight With Amanda Leigh Cowley...

Happy Friday People! Today we have the lovely Amanda Leigh Cowley, author of Soul Protector !

Summery:

Soul Protector is a fast-paced fantasy romance, with twists and turns to leave you wanting more.

Gracie doesn't know she's a Soul Protector. After being dragged on a night out to celebrate a friend’s birthday, she discovers she can switch into other people’s bodies.  Within minutes she manages to switch back, but doubting her sanity, decides to keep it to herself until she can work out why it happened.

On a second switch, unaware she has a visible aura, she gets abducted by a monitor, Dan.  It’s his job to hunt down corrupt Soul Protectors who steal bodies for their own benefit.  Once he establishes Gracie is innocent, he helps her switch back and looks after her during recovery.

Dan explains to Gracie how Soul Protectors are bound by a code to only switch for the benefit of vulnerable people.  Gracie falls in love with Dan, but finds he has hang-ups of his own.

Finally understanding the rules, Gracie switches for a third time to help someone in need.  During this switch her past catches up with her, and a chain of events unfold which shock her to the core.

The first sentence of the novel: The invitation was pretty; metallic swirls on crimson paper, spritzed with exotic perfume.

Soul Protector can be purchased on Amazon and Smashwords.

Curious to know, I asked Ms. Amanda Leigh Cowley what her writing process was like and here is her answer:

I keep thinking I need an official writing process.  I watched an interview with a famous British author the other day, and he said he wrote from 6-8am, then took a break, carried on from 10-12noon, took another break, wrote from 2-4pm, took another break, (can you see a pattern emerging), and then finally wrote from 6-8pm.  I admire that.

My routine is more like this:- 6am – hit the snooze button maximum amount of times before it turns off.  7-8.30am - run around getting kids organised, clean up after geriatric incontinent dog and sort lunchboxes.  9am - Exercise (very proud of that!)  10-12am - try to write, but get distracted by emptying washing machine, unloading dishwasher, reading author blogs and twitter, and chat on kindleboards, kindle user forum and facebook.  Around noonish – have lunch.  After noonish – do admin work for hubbie’s business.  2-3.30pm – think about writing again – end up polishing first paragraph, but fail to make headway on any further sentences.  3.30pm – pick youngest up from school.  4-6pm – catch up with kids, help with homework, more housework, cook amazing *coughs* dinner.  7ish – clear up after dinner, catch up with hubbie, do any admin work/emails/pay invoices that he needs doing ‘now.’  8.30pm – bring laptop into living room in order to write while I watch tv with hubbie.  9.00pm – get absorbed in TV drama, and endeavour to try harder tomorrow! 

Author Bio:

Amanda Leigh Cowley lives in the UK with her husband, two sons and a shaggy dog. In addition to helping her husband with the admin side of his business, ferrying the kids between football matches, and writing articles online, she has managed to fulfil a burning ambition to write a book. Soul Protector is her debut novel.

Book 2 in the Soul Protector series, (title pending), is in progress, and will be made available in paperback and kindle format in the near future.

You can learn more about Amanda Leigh Cowley on her Website.

Thanks for stopping by everyone! Hope you all have a spectacular weekend!

5 of 5 Star Review For TOUCH...

Yay! I was VERY excited to see this review yesterday! Without further ado.... here it is:


                                 5 of 5 Stars, given by Michelle @ Goodreads


This novella went straight to my heart. It's stories like 'Touch' by Jennifer Snyder that make me fall in love with young-adult paranormal reads and keep that 'in love' feeling days after I have read the last words. It was gorgeously written, haunting and gothicaly eerie. The first thing that caught my attention when opening this e-book was the breath takingly beautiful cover. I literally couldn't stop staring at it for a minute or two before moving on to the delicious parts: The story itself. The first few pages that opened with an accident made me wonder if it would be another one of 'those' very predictable reads. Boy was I wrong! It left me wondering what and who Rowan was and who the handsome boy Jet would turn out to be. With Rowan learning about her strange surcumstance I also learned that she is quite a cool headed calm 17 year old who isn't one bit flighty or whiny. She took all the information about what and who she is very gracefully, I wanted to applaude the girl! Seeing as she was also going through the turmoil of losing her mother only a few short months earlier and the uncertain relationship with her father. I just loved Rowan, which very seldom happens when I read young adult novels because I always find something wrong with the main female character. I dug deep, but couldn't find one single thing wrong with her. As I said, great main female character. Jet, our very sexy kind of cocky lead male character left me feeling that I couldn't and wouldn't have chosen anyone better for Rowan. There was a few time I felt a little sharp sadness for Jet, specifically when I learned what had happened to him before becoming what he is. But that just made me like him more. I would have liked to read about what happened to the other characters that got left behind in the end a little more, but it hadn't influenced my overall outlook on this novella. The only tragedy would be if I didn't say how thankful I was that the writer painted such a vivid picture of the surroundings. I read the novella while sitting in my bed and I could literally feel the snowy winter wonderland that Rowan found herself in everyday. The milieu descriptions add a big part to the flow of the story, and give that something that sparked my imagination to just the right place.

I really hope that meet up with Rowan and Jet again one day. Positively one of the best novellas I have read thus far.

A story of death, has never been so sweet to me.  


I love it! And I must say, I agree with this reviewer 100%... but it could be because I'm a tad bit biased. ;)   

An Awesome Review For Touch...

This is not the highest star rating for Touch, but I loved it and just had to post it up here! It literally made my day when I saw it. And yes, it is an honest review... I can appreciate that. =]


                                 3 of 5 stars - Ananda, Goodreads

First off, I would like to thank the author and R2R for giving me a copy of this book.
Rowan Harper is experiencing the worst time of her life. Her mom just died, actually committed a suicide, leaving Rowan and her dad in a slight depression. Ever since she was 8, she could see her mother acting strangely, depending on pills and doctors. Could there be something in their genes?
Will history repeat itself?
One car accident...one strange looking boy in black clothes..and her life will never be the same again.

She's a Link. Someone who can see the dead.
He's a Reaper. Someone who's after those that are alive.
What will happen when they meet?



I loved the beginning of this book! It was full of mystery and had me totally sucked into the story. Story of ghosts, crows, Gothic elements,hell, purgatory, heaven. This could have been a really really good read.

BUT!!!

I must say I expected more romance and more details about Rowan and Jets relationship. I also think the author could've work more on the character development instead of on irrelevant plot details. However, I would love to read the sequel, if something like that will happen in the future.

YA Indie Author Interview Spotlight With Annette Lyon...

It's Friday! Hope everyone has had a great week! Today's Indie Author Interview is with  Annette Lyon, author of The Golden Cup of Kardak!

Summary: Ever since their father went to fight in Midian’s War two years earlier, fourteen-year old Torin and twelve-year-old Merinne have been forced to fend for themselves, hoping one day their family will be reunited. But when a short woman with odd clothing finds Torin in the wood and tells him their father is a prisoner scheduled to be executed in fourteen days, his hopes for ever being a family again are dashed. Then a tiny green dragon shows up at their cottage, wounded and near death but lugging a legendary golden goblet behind him. He brings word of a prophecy that the siblings are to not only rescue their father but save the kingdom. With the help of Markanus, a wounded solider, they set out on a quest to free their father. In their search for the secret prison, the small group faces near-capture by the ruthless enemy army, a maze of terrifying underground caverns, kidnapping by giant hairy creatures that will kill them to keep the goblet, capture by outlaws, and attacks by snake-tongued flying beasts with razor-sharp talons. To succeed they must find help to deliver the goblet to their father and somehow muster the courage it will take to stay alive.

The first sentence of the novel: Torin whistled as he headed down the forest path.

The Golden Cup of Kardak can be purchased on Amazon and Smashwords.


1)What inspired you to write this story? Short answer: A really cool painting.
Longer answer: Way back in high school, I was part of a special book club that the principal and one of the English teachers led. You had to apply to get in. One month, instead of reading a book, we were paired up and had to come up with story ideas from paintings they gave us. My partner and I got "The Timpanogos Storyteller," by James Christensen. We came up with a cool story idea. I went home and wrote it down, and, many years later, found the note, still loved the idea, and decided to make it into a whole book.

2)Do you resemble your main character? If so, how much? In some ways, yes. Merinne is loyal to family and stubborn (in a good way!). She doesn't give up easily. I wasn't like that at her age, but I do tend to be hyper-loyal and stubborn--not always in a good way, but both traits have helped me find success as a writer and find solid writer friends who support me.


3)What are you currently working on? I've got several pots in the fire. I'm working on a sequel to a traditionally published novel that won an award this year. I have plans to revise a murder mystery. And I have a couple more youth books I'd love to put in the Kindle. (The trick, of course, is finding more hours in my day to do it all!)

4)Do you have a favorite social network? I spend a lot of time blogging and on Facebook, but lately Twitter has become a favorite hangout.

5)What were the last five books you read?
-The Scorch Trials, by James Dasher (NY Times Bestseller--and a friend of mine. The opening chapters of The Maze Runner were read around my kitchen table in critique group.)
-Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You, by Sam Gosling (A great book for coming up with fun character traits.)
-Feedback, by Robison Wells (Not published yet. It'll be out Fall of 2012. It's the sequel to Variant, out Fall 2011. These are the perks to having writer friends!)
-Pentecost, by Joanna Penn (An adult thriller by a great indie e-book writer)
-Taken by Storm, by Angela Morrison (A different kind of YA than I'm used to reading)

Author Bio: Annette Lyon enjoys reading, chocolate, and knitting, not necessarily in that order. As the child of a linguist and a bibliophile, she inevitably turned into a writer and what her friends affectionately refer to as a “word nerd” (which is better than calling her nuts, which might be as accurate). She's written and published lots of novels, a chocolate cookbook, a grammar guide, and oodles of articles, but her favorite kind of writing will always be fiction. She lives in the Rocky Mountains with her husband and four gorgeous, brilliant children (not that she's biased or anything).

You can learn more about Annette Lyon on her Blog. Also, you can follow her on Twitter as @AnnetteLyon.

Happy reading people and enjoy your weekend!

Number Crunchers...September

Another month came and went. What were my numbers this month you may be asking yourself? Were they any better than the astounding 2 novels sold last month? And the answer...

Kindle- 5 copies sold

Shattered Soul = 4
Touch = 1


Nook- 0 copies sold


Smashwords- 0 copies sold

Creatspace- 0 copies sold

And there you have it people, a total of 5 copies sold! So I did sell more than last month! Hope all the other indies out there had a great month as well! Hopefully my favorite month of the year (October) will be better to me.

I have given Touch a new cover and lowered the price since it is a only a novella with approx. 18, 115 words. My hope is this will help it sell. I'll let y'all know next month if any of this worked. ;)