Recaptured Dreams

Today, I am highlighting my good author friend Justine Dell's new book Recaptured Dreams. It is being published today and I'm so happy for her.

The Blurb:

Ten years, the Atlantic Ocean, and several rungs in society have kept Xavier Cain from having Sophia Montel. Now twenty-seven, he’s spent his entire adult life building a fashion empire that could finally prove his worth to her family. When fate reunites him with Sophia at London’s premiere fashion show, one problem lodges in Xavier’s path: Sophia doesn’t remember him.

The only obstacle that has kept Sophia from Xavier is a horrific car crash that erased her memory at seventeen. She’s spent the last ten years fighting to reclaim a sliver of her past that her mother refuses to help her remember. When Sophia meets Xavier at the London show, however, all her fantasies come to life in one night of passion. Discovering he is the missing link, she is determined to find all the pieces to their love story and her memory.

Xavier wants forever. Sophia wants her memory. If they take this chance, they’ll have to start over. How far are they willing to go get what they want? And when the past catches up to them, can they handle the truths it has hidden?

There is a Goodreads book giveaway.

Author Bio:

Justine lives in the Midwest, happily catering to her family, which consists of a horse-obsessed teenage daughter and four crazy dogs. She’s never moved from her hometown, but hopes to grow old in a much warmer climate.

During the day she works a normal job with college students who try their best to keep her young. They’ve done a good job thus far. At night, said teenage daughter and her horse require mounds of love and attention. The weekends belong solely to her and her writing. That’s when she morphs into a sticky bug, unable to leave the confines of her computer chair.

She started writing three years ago after seeing a movie that set off a chain reaction she couldn’t have stopped if she’d wanted. It’s not a hobby for her; it’s an obsession. One she loves and one she loves to share.

Contact Justine by email: dell.justine@gmail.com
Recaptured Dreams on Goodreads.
Recaptured Dreams on Facebook.
Friend her on Facebook
Check out her Blog.
Find her on Twitter.
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And don't forget to check out Omnific Publishing. Romance ... without the rules.

Isen: A Chilling New Breed of Evil

This is a guest post by author S. M. Boyce. She wanted to introduce an evil creature from her debut series, the Grimoire Trilogy.

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What would you do if your soul was trapped in another’s body—and they could use the skills and knowledge you’ve built thus far in your life? What if they could don your appearance at any time, live your life if they wanted, and you could only watch?

That’s exactly what isen—soul stealers from the world of the Grimoire Trilogy—do every day. Each soul makes an isen more powerful, but comes at a price: the souls rattle around in the isen’s head, driving them slowly insane. To remain immortal, the isen has to keep stealing...if they don't, they grow old and eventually die.

Seeing the barb in an isen’s palm reaching out to steal your soul is the surest sign you’ll be trapped as their slave until they die. Want to learn about them anyway? Check out Lichgates (Grimoire Trilogy #1) to get hooked.

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Find Out More Online
Lichgates’ Goodreads Page | Book Trailer | The Grimoire Trilogy Website
Read the 1st Chapter FREE

Grab Your Copy of Lichgates
Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK) | B&N
Author Bio & Contact
S.M. Boyce is a fantasy and paranormal fiction novelist who also dabbles in contemporary fiction and comedy. She’s a sarcastic twit, but her friends seem to like her anyway. She updates her blog (http://blog.smboyce.com) a few times each week so that you have something to wake you up in the morning (who still uses coffee?). Her B.A. in Creative Writing qualifies her to serve you french fries.

Blog | Website | Facebook | Twitter
Goodreads Page | Amazon Author Page

Guest Post by Author Nikki Jefford

A Writer’s Habitat
Photo essay by Nikki Jefford.

For the past year and a half we’ve resided in a rather funky dwelling in Friday Harbor, WA (San Juan Island).

1. Can’t see a single neighbor from any window on the three acre property. An introvert’s idea of paradise.

2. Jungle cat montage in the entry. The previous owner was a tile maker.

3. 3 in a tree

4. The Beware Chair. Cover in moss below a circle of chains hanging from a tree in the back of the property. A little creepy.

5. Would make a great filming spot for the Blair Witch Project.

6. I’m still finding things hidden in…

7. ...and under trees

8.Did the Wicked Witch of the West leave behind a shoe?

Alas, we must leave this funky place. Our landlady put it on the market at the beginning of the year and just reduced the price. I’ve enjoyed the human quiet here on Point Caution Drive and the sounds of birds, hooting owls, and bats flying overhead when I walk my dog down the road at night. It’s also been a place of great productivity in writing. Every author needs a retreat.

Nikki Jefford is the author of the Spellbound fantasy series. Entangled (book one) is a semifinalist in The Kindle Book Review’s Best Indie Books of 2012 YA category. Nikki is a third generation Alaskan who found paradise in the not-so-tropical San Juan Islands where she is, once more, neighbors with Canada. She resides with a Frenchman named Sebastien and a Westie named Cosmo.

The biggest online book raffle is happening now through Wednesday, August 8th. (No purchase necessary.) Signed paperbacks, posters, bookmarks and eBooks by 10 authors, including New York Times and USA Today Bestseller, Slyvain Reynard.

This event was organized by ocean and animal loving author Rachael Wade (Resistance Trilogy) and includes Entangled author Nikki Jefford, recent YA semifinalist in the Kindle Book Reviews Best Indie Books of 2012.

Check out the charities these authors support and enter to win the mother load!

Last Day of Book Fair!

Wendy Russo, author of the upcoming novel January Black, hosts Crescent Moon Press authors Christine Ashworth (Demon Hunt), Cindy Young-Turner (Thief of Hope), Constance Phillips (Fairyproof), Diane M. Haynes (Rift Healer), Louann Carroll (A Shadow of Time, Gemini Rising), Lynn Rush (Awaited, Wasteland, Prelude to Darkness), Renee Reardon (Moonlight Bleu, Crimson Sunrise) and Sasha Summers (Hollywood Ever After, Medusa; A Love Story). This is the place to be for paranormal, romance, and fantasy lovers!

Check out the Young Adult Paranormal novel What Kills Me and get the novel for free by following Wynne Channing on Twitter or by liking her Facebook Page! Send her a private FB message or Tweet: “I’m dying to read What Kills Me by @WynneChanning!” and she will reply with a Smashwords coupon code! Codes will expire July 30th!

Paranormal Thrillers Vigilare and Vigilare: Hell Hound are available for a great deal here. Brooklyn James also showcases her YA Women’s Fiction novel The Boots My Mother Gave Me, which features a soundtrack to go along with it. The soundtrack has original songs written/co-written and performed by the author! Very unique and interesting so check out the multi-talented Brooklyn James!

Cindy Young-Turner, author of Thief of Hope, hosts an eclectic selection of novels on her blog. R. J. Burroughs, author of The Boys of ’58, and Sam Bennett, author of Memoirs of a Trumpet Teacher, have books that will make you laugh. Alan Zendell, author of The Portal, Wednesday's Child, and Critical Focus, touches on dystopian futures, time travel twists, and political intrigue. Cindy Young-Turner’s fantasy novel will take you to a new world and introduce you to a heroine with a fighting spirit.

Here you can find out about Louann Carroll’s novels, A Shadow of Time and Gemini Rising. A Shadow of Time is a Paranormal Romance and Gemini Rising is the first book in her Science Fiction Romance series. You can enter her giveaway for a chance to win a free copy!

And that's a wrap for the Book Fair! I hope you all have a chance to go visit the sites that are hosting the fair so you can learn about all of these indie books!

Book Fair, Day Three!

Since books don't really grow on trees (no matter how nice that would be, and so efficient), we must venture out into the world and find them elsewhere. We are now in day three of our Book Fair! Here's some more sites I would like to share with you.

Want to know more about Melissa Douthit’s fantasy series, the Legend of the Raie’Chaelia Trilogy? Here is the place to get the first four books for FREE! That’s right! The Raie’Chaelia, The Firelight of Maalda, and the two prequel novellas The Vanishing and The Journey Begins will all be free. You can also get more info about The Return which comes out in November! Also featured on her blog is Rebecca Hamilton (The Forever Girl, Her Sweetest Downfall), Ashley Andrews (The Heaven I Found in Hell), and Christie Rich (Five, Dark Matter, Genesis).

Meet Nathan Squiers, the Literary Dark Prince, and find out about his Crimson Shadow Series. The series is a Horror/Occult/Paranormal Thriller set that includes the first novel Crimson Shadow: Noir and a series of shorts including Wicked Paints, Magic Murderer, and Just Another Night. You can win all of them by entering his giveaway!

Meet another great group of authors! Rebecca Hamilton, author of The Forever Girl and Her Sweetest Downfall hosts Wynne Channing (What Kills Me), Riley J. Ford (Into You), Christie Rich (Five, Dark Matter, Genesis), yours truly (Four in the Morning), Beck Sherman (Revamp) Alan Zendell (Critical Focus, The Portal, Wednesday's Child) and S. M. Boyce (The Grimoire Trilogy: Litchgates and Treason) on her blog. Giveaways and discounts along with a heaping dose of the paranormal!

The great Robert Zimmermann hosts authors Michael Cargill (Underneath, Shades of Grey: Short Story Collection), and Sandra Perez Gluschankoff (The Last Fernandez) on his blog. Here you can enter to win one of ten copies of each of Michael Cargill’s books and sign up to be notified when Sandra Perez Gluschankoff’s Historical Fiction is released! While you are there, check out Robert Zimmermann’s poetry!

Plenty of authors are represented here! S. M. Boyce (The Grimoire Trilogy: Litchgates and the upcoming second book Treason) hosts authors Melissa Douthit (The Legend of the Raie’Chaelia Trilogy), Rebecca Hamilton (The Forever Girl and Her Sweetest Downfall), Alan Zendell (Critical Focus, The Portal, Wednesday’s Child), Cindy Young-Turner (Thief of Hope), yours truly (Four in the Morning), Barry Nove and D. H. Aire (Flights of Fantasy and Highmage’s Plight) and Kayla Curry (Obsidian). There will be fun, deals, and giveaways!

Thomas Winship, author of Vaempires: Revolution and Vaempires: White Christmas will be featuring all Fantasy on July 26th, all Paranormal Romance on July 27th, all Horror/Sci-Fi on July 28th and all Vampire books on the 29th! Make sure you stop in and see what he has for each category!

Believe it or not, that's not all. I have several more things to tell you about, but I'll do that in tomorrow's. I hope everyone's having a fabulous Saturday!

Book Fair, Day Two!

So, it's time for a mountain of books to come falling your way!

At our fourth blogger booth, you'll find the author of Diary of an Accidental Dad, Alex Goetchius. His novel is a humorous parenting book. Those who buy Diary of an Accidental Dad from Amazon.com and leave a comment will also receive an e-book of When I Was a Kid. More details on his site!

Over on Ashley Andrews' blog you’ll find out more about her book, The Heaven I Found in Hell, a YA Romance with some laughs! You can enter to win an e-copy of her book for free! See her blog for more!

Here is the place you want to be if you are looking for a great horror read! Brandon R. Luffman hosts Beck Sherman, author of Revamp and Steven Katriel, author of The Portrait of Alatiel Salazar. You can also sign up to be notified when Brandon R. Luffman’s Frostwalker is released and enter giveaways!

Tons of authors are featured on this blog! Christie Rich is the author of the Elemental Enmity Series which includes, Five, Dark Matter, and Genesis. She is also hosting Wynne Channing, author of What Kills Me; Rebecca Hamilton, author of The Forever Girl and Her Sweetest Downfall; S. M. Boyce, author of Litchgates and the next installment of the Grimoire Trilogy—Treason; Melissa Douthit author of the Legend of the Raie’Chaelia Trilogy; Riley J. Ford, author of Into You; and Kayla Curry, author of Obsidian, the first book of the Mystic Stones Series. There will be giveaways and discounts at this blog booth, so don’t miss it!

The authors D. H. Aire and Barry Nove will be showcasing D. H. Aire’s Highmage’s Plight and their anthology of short stories Flights of Fantasy: Volume One. If you like fantasy, check in with them each day of the fair for a blog article and learn more about the promotion for Highmage’s Plight. The first 100 interested buyers will get free membership to the online evolving book and it’s sequels that are serialized on writing.com! See the blog for more details!

Here is the perfect place to explore the Science Fiction works of David J. Kirk, author of Particular Stones and Kathleen Papajohn, author of Maligned. Both authors are doing a giveaway, and a signed copy of Particular Stones is up for grabs, so stop in and find out how to enter both giveaways!

Hang out with the girls! Featuring authors Jennifer M. Barry (Side Effects, The Kingdom), Kathleen Papajohn (Maligned), Robin Boren (Suburban Hustler) and Christie Rich (Five, Dark Matter, Genesis) this blog has a lot to offer from giveaways to girl talk!

Visit Wild Point Island! This is the setting and the title for Kate Lutter’s Paranormal Romance novel. Here you can enter her contest to win one of three awesome prizes: First Prize-$20 Amazon Gift Card, Second Prize-$10 Amazon Gift Card, and Third Prize: Free copy of Wild Point Island. All you have to do is tell her the title of your favorite book in 25 words or less! More details on her site!

There's a whole heap of books still to come on future posts.

Blogger Book Fair Day One!

The Blogger Book Fair starts today! We have many authors participating in this Book Fair, and there's tons of prizes and books to hear about.

At A.E. Howard's blogs A.E. Howard Writes and Wayfaring Artisst Find out about A. E. Howard’s YA Fantasy Flight of Blue! The novel is part one of the Keeper of the Keys Chronicles. She’ll have giveaways and a 15% discount on the paperback version of her book. Go to her blogs to see more details!

Alana Rock hosts three authors on her blog Dark Obsession Chronicles; John Corwin, author of Sweet Blood of Mine and Dark Light of Mine, P. A. Lupton author of Bound by Blood and Derrolyn Anderson, author of the Marina’s Tales Series. You can get book one of the Marina’s Tales Series, Between the Land and the Sea, for free by visiting Alana’s Blog and while you are there, sign up for the giveaways of Corwin’s Sweet Blood of Mine and Anderson’s Bound By Blood!

Okay, that's the first three booths! There's tons more, but I don't want to weigh you down with a huge post, so I'm breaking it down into several posts during the next three days. The Book Fair ends July 29th, so do some clicking, people! Free stuff awaits you. Click on the Book Fair button on the top right of my blog if you're too impatient to find out who the rest of the authors are. :-)

Blog Book Tours and Book Fairs

So, I still can't figure out this new Blogger layout because I'm deficient, so hopefully this doesn't look like total crapola when I'm done. The summer has been a busy one, so much so that my online time has been far too whittled down for me to function properly at such an important time in my life. However, there are a couple of things going on right now with my book. One is A blog book tour. The details are all on this posting HERE. Also, there is a book fair that is for many authors that I am going to be a part of. Click on the BOOK FAIR link on the right for the blog hosting it. There's going to be free stuff. You should check both places out, people. We all love free stuff, right? I feel so accomplished right now, having finally blogged about something. I deserve a pat on the head.

Twitter Release Party

Today is my Twitter Release Party, so if anyone wants to come by and chat on Twitter, the details are in the tab above or just click HERE. Sounds enticing, right? I fail at pimping myself, I always have. Anyhoo, I'll be around all day so if the mood strikes, pop on in and say howdy.

Vic Caswell is Epic

For those who don't know (and I just spotted this myself), my friend, aspiring-x over at Hairnets and Hopes, is starting an illustration business so be fabulous and go check it out! Here's the link: Vic Caswell

Small Update

I'm still trying to adjust to this new Blogger layout. It reformats my paragraphs into one giant paragraph. Anybody out there able to tell me how to make it stop? Anyway, if I keep it short, then maybe it won't look so awful. I was interviewed by the lovely Law Reigns at her website. Also, my ebook is no longer at the introductory $0.99 rate, so my apologies to those who didn't get a chance to snag it at that price (were any of you interested). It was that price for the month of May, but unfortunately I was unable to announce that before the other day due to my mysterious circumstances. Well, I'm going to keep this short since--again--not liking this new layout that squashes my paragraphs. Happy Monday, y'all.

A Bit of News

Is Christi even alive? That's what y'all have been wondering, right? Well, due to factors I will not relay in a public setting, I have been unable to be a social butterfly at all. Feel free to speculate amongst yourselves. This was most problematic considering my book came out during my absence. I'm nothing if not cursed, life has proven again and again. Anyhoo, the book seems to be doing okay. The people who have read it seem to enjoy it, and that's all I ever wanted, really. As I've said before, I'm a storyteller. Just spinning my imagination and entertaining people gives me the most joy over anything else. Well... aside from chocolate. Oh, and whipped cream on TOP of chocolate. Winning combo, right there. So, my book is available in print and e-format. The Kindle Edition is on an introductory special right now of $0.99. That's practically free, right? Here's my Kindleboards page: Kindle And my Amazon page: Amazon .....and what is up with Blogger? My formatting is totally whacked. I don't like this new look at all.

I'm Elsewhere Today

My super-good friend Mia Hayson is interviewing me over on her super-awesome blog today. Pop over and take a look, if you're interested.

Reading the Hapless Character

Few things bother me more than reading a story only to find that little time has passed before I think the character is a moron. While I enjoy amusing stories and even really weird ones that might make almost no sense, I am not amused by a character who is unable to make good decisions - the 'bumbling idiot' character, I suppose. I know a lot of people like this sort of thing, and no offense intended towards those who do, but it's just not my thing.

But I did grow up a little bit recently while contemplating the mistakes characters make -those mistakes that make me want to toss the book and write the character off as an idiot who can only be saved by some kind of divine intervention. While I might be able to see the right decision, that doesn't mean I should expect the character to. If my life was a book and I was the main character (a book no one would read, but work with me here) and I made one of my awesome mistakes, someone reading my story would think I was a complete moron.

So, my two cents is this: keep reading, even when a character might appear to be rather thick or maybe even hopeless. We're on the journey with them, and hopefully they'll learn from their mistakes. After all, the journey is the story, and it's up to us writers to make sure that our characters make mistakes worth learning from.

A Stroll Down Memory Lane

I was reading through some old blog posts from when I first started out on this little journey of mine two years ago and also reading the comments posted by those of you who have been with me the longest. It might seem crazy to say this, but I miss that part of my journey. I miss posting about query letters sent or what I read at some agent's blog or having meltdowns that you guys talk me down from. Weird, huh?

I also found this little story I shared, and I giggled all over again. I thought I'd post it again for those who never saw it or those who might enjoy reading it again.

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Have you ever felt like you were not explaining yourself well enough, so took that extra, over-the-top bit of oomph to really get your point across --only to then wish you had kept your big mouth shut? I learned at a very young age to stop myself from doing this. Let me explain:

My father had a best friend since childhood who had two daughters appx the same age as my sister and me. They traveled from Kansas to Colorado (where I lived at the time) one summer to visit when I was nine. My sister was ten, the other two girls were nine and eleven.

My sister and the eldest of the two usually picked on me and the other nine year old. They would taunt us and say things that weren't very nice --or just beat us up. One night, while in my room, the four of us got into a VERY heated discussion that attracted the attention of the adults who then called us into the living room.

The four of us dutifully answered the call, and I was the one volunteered to explain what all the commotion was about.

"Chelle and Julie are saying that Kris and I are girlfriends."

**Crickets**

**Step-mother arches brow inquiringly**

"They said that we sleep together."

**Again the parents say nothing, but look sort of amused**

At that point, I was sure that all four adults were complete idiots. How could they not understand how totally violated I was to have my sexuality questioned at the tender age of nine?

So, in effort to make them fully understand the depth of my horror, I puffed out my chest and said, "They said that we... you know... F**K."

I did not see the other three girls behind me back away, but my dad often likens it to the parting of the Red Sea. My step-mother looked furious. My father and his best friend burst out laughing. His best friend's wife told us all to go back to our bedrooms and leave each other alone.

So, in short, I did not get my ass whooped, but I can tell you that is the memory that always pops into my head whenever I think someone is not getting my point. Now, instead of continuing on, I just assume they are an idiot and keep my mouth shut so I don't sound like one.

Also, no offense intended to those of alternative lifestyle in the telling of this story. I was nine and had no idea what homosexuality really was. Now I have many friends of the persuasion who make sure I understand fully. :-)

Regrets

I try not to have them. I know that each mistake I've made has led me to where I am, so I don't spend a lot of time thinking about the whatifs and ifonlys (ifonlies?) of what might have been. Going to a different school or taking a different job or moving to a different town at any point would have changed the journey that I've been on to find myself. Maybe some roads could have been easier, but would I still be the person I am today if I hadn't totally messed up a bajillion times?

But there are things I regret that remind me that I'm still growing as a person. My biggest regret is the way I lose contact with people. We all do it, right? That friend in high school who goes to another college. Time passes, phone numbers get lost, addresses get misplaces, people move... and after a while you decide, 'hey, if we've not talked in a few months, what's a couple more?' Eventually, it's been so long, you start to think, 'hey, maybe we're not actually friends anymore.' It's not because you liked them any less or grew angry. It's because you just didn't take the time, and part of you resented the fact that they didn't take the time, either.

I regret that I did this with one of my friends. I've been thinking a lot about them lately, and now that we've not spoken in six years, I can't find the courage to give them a call. Kind of sad, isn't it? Do you have a friend like that? A person who pops into your head when you glance at the phone and make excuses to yourself, calling them 'reasons' not to call?

Guilty Pleasures

We all have them, right? I have the kind of personality that compels me to completely immerse myself into something I find that catches my imagination. I can become so focused on something that I hardly turn my mind to anything else. It can be that way with writing or reading, and it usually is, but lately I've rediscovered my love of cartoons.

Okay, okay, to be honest, I've always loved cartoons. I'm really just a big kid. But my daughter loves anime, a thing which I have always avoided and disliked since the early Pokemon years (gods, that show drove me nuts). BUT, I will now admit, I have found a FEW anime series that I really enjoy, so I have spent far too much free-time catching up with series on Netflix.

Much like what I choose to read or write, I am very specific in what I want in this form of entertainment, and I am only interested in Victorian Era style anime that has no ninjas or tiny-outfitted girls who have been 'blessed' shall we say in the chest department. There is murder and conspiracies and complicated plots, all of which are right up my alley. The few anime I enjoy are based on the manga series of their namesakes, so I have had to learn how to read manga. It... takes some getting used to, reading backwards.

How about you guys? What are your guilty pleasures?

So, a bit of news...

I'm being published. Yes, yes, it took me ages to work up the nerve to announce it. I was offered back in September and since then it's been a hectic life of editing two books (two were signed) and getting all my ducks in a row, and I pretty much abandoned EVERYBODY because I am the suck. The holiday season didn't help, either.

Procrastination might have also been a contributing factor.

So anyway, book coming out. Huzzah! It's the third book I wrote, initially called "Meantime Elsewhere" but it is now called "Four in the Morning."


This is the e-book cover.

Below that is the printed cover.

The synopsis is on this page, and the first pages of the book are on this page.

I've posted my trailer on my youtube account.

So... I guess that's everything on me. What about you guys? Up to anything new this year? Tell me all about it. I'm going to be making my blog rounds again since I know I've been a serious slacker in that regard.