Friday, November 29, 2013

Bloodrose by Lisa Casian, Celebrate & Blog-Hop

BLOODROSE
By Lisa Casian
Dark Fantasy
Publisher: Breathless Press
Release Date: November 29, 2013

Isabeau's life is haunted by nightmares her brother insists are a lie. Bowen's looking to revenge himself against his father while helping his friend. When they meet, all hell breaks loose against Isabeau. Can Bowen protect her? Is love ever the safe choice?

Newly convinced by a mentor to value human life, Bowen, a Shade Hunter, has withdrawn from aristocratic society in pursuit of the creature that made him into the evil that consumes him—his father. Bowen's plans are thwarted when he assists a wealthy earl in finding his missing fiancĂ©. He's drawn to the man's beautiful sister, Isabeau. Bowen soon realizes that their fates are intertwined and she's aroused a passion in him he'd never thought possible. 

Isabeau Harington has always lived in fear. Surviving an attack that killed her parents, she always believed the monsters would return for her. When she meets Bowen, a mysterious, charismatic stranger who drives away those fears, she learns that the very man she's falling in love with may be in league with the monsters hunting her. As a pawn in an Immortal's scheme, Isabeau must make the ultimate decision—love or safety?

ISBN: 978-1-77101-181-5
Heat Rating: 3
Word Count: 73165
Release Date: November 29, 2013

Order from Breathless Press
http://www.breathlesspress.com/index.php?main_page=product_free_shipping_info&cPath=25&products_id=509


About the Author

Lisa Casian has always had a fascination with the darker side of characters. When not writing, she enjoys learning about tactical fighting, zombie warfare, and various weapons of mass destruction through the gamers in her household. She has five of them. Bloodrose is her debut adult novel.

You can find Lisa online at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlisacasian
Blog: http://lisacasian.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LisaCasian

Congratulations to my friend Lisa
on her book release!


Celebrate the Small Things

This week I'm celebrating: 
1)  Lisa Casian's release of Bloodrose.
2)  One of my awesome CPs just got the cover to her forthcoming book,  An Unstill Life, and I'll be revealing it on Sunday!  Yay!  I'm so excited for her!
2This week I managed to catch up on my entire to-do list for the first time in 2 months!  Well, my thrilling sense of accomplishment lasted for about a day before new requests for critiques came in.  Plus, I realized my own writing and revising are so neglected I've forgotten what my WIP is about. Oh, wait, I actually have TWO completely ignored WIPs.  *facepalm*  
3)  Meanwhile, I'm doing my best to write good interviews and guest posts for other blogs, but they scare the crap out of me!  If you're a "writer" you're supposed to be able to do this stuff, right?  But apparently, I was absent the day the Writing Gods explained how to write clever, insightful non-fiction.  
4)  And finally, after several spectacular cooking fiascos this week (for instance I oversalted the mashed potatoes and then tried to "fix" it by adding garlic, cumin, and lemon. Um...not my best idea),  I've been looking everywhere in my house and I can't find my brain.  If someone sees it, please persuade it to come home.  Either that or it'll be off-to-see-the-Wizard to ask for a new one.  *cue music*  "If I only had a brain..."

Anyone ever felt that their brain moved away and didn't leave a forwarding address?



This post is part of VikLit's blog hop, Celebrate the Small Things. To be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is follow the link and put your name on the Mr.Linky list, and then be sure to post every Friday about something you're grateful  for that week.  It can be about writing or family or school or general life.  This is the funnest and easiest blog hop ever! 


Friday, November 22, 2013

Celebrate & Change


Sometimes, we think our image could use a change, whether hairstyle or hair color or simply clothes.  But who hasn't made a bad decision or two in that department?













Yes, change can be downright scary.


As you may have noticed, my blog looks different.  When I changed to include 2 sidebars, I just couldn't get the "Purple Eye Vortex" to fit.  I'm sure some will mourn its passing ... or not!  (I know my agent won't. lol)  

But change is necessary -- especially for writers -- otherwise how will we grow and improve?  This week I'm celebrating the courage to change.



Have you ever made a hairstyle mistake?  Have you considered re-designing your blog?  And is my animation in the new header taking too long to load? 




This post is part of VikLit's blog hop, Celebrate the Small Things. To be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is follow the link and put your name on the Mr.Linky list, and then be sure to post every Friday about something you're grateful  for that week.  It can be about writing or family or school or general life.  This is the funnest and easiest blog hop ever! 


Friday, November 15, 2013

Celebrate & I Have Treasure!

The donated prizes Julie and I have received for our Dream Destination Blog-Hop Dec 5-8 are so COLOSSAL that my entire blog is splitting at the seams!  Yup, I couldn't fit everything in here and had to add another sidebar. 

Blog-Hop Rafflecopter Prize List

First up are 2 prizes from my Super Agent -- Michelle Johnson

Michelle L. Johnson is a literary agent, the founder of Inklings Literary Agency and has a business administration background in addition to a lifetime of working with books (sales, editing, and writing) and authors (marketing, promoting, event planning). She is also a script/story consultant for an independent film under production in Halifax, NS.

A 5-page Critique from Michelle Johnson

A Query Critique from Michelle Johnson 
 



A 5-page Critique from stellar author -- C. Lee McKenzie





A Book Bundle from Julie's publisher -- Ink Smith Publishing
(assorted titles and authors)




Champion in the Darkness (ebook) -- Tyrean Martinson






The 13th Floor Complete Collection (ebook) -- Christine Rains





Drowned Sorrow (ebook) -- Vanessa Morgan





One ebook from author Mary Pax (winner's choice)





Bestest. Ramadan. Ever. (ebook) -- Medeia Sharif





Winner's Choice of either Three Daves, Divine Temptation, or Hans & Greta -- Nicki Elson




The People We Used To Be (ebook) -- Madeline Mora-Summonte






Marionette (ebook) -- T.B. Markinson






One Set of both ebooks -- Memories of Murder and Murder, Madness, and Love -- Yolanda Renee




One Set of both ebooks -- Murder, Madness, and Love and Memories of Murder -- Yolanda Renee
(Not a typo. Yolanda donated TWO SETS of her books! WOW!)



 Dangled Carat (ebook) -- Hilary Grossman




AlmaMia Cienfuegos and Other Stories (ebook) -- Magaly Guerrero




And last but certainly not least:




The Ghosts of Aquinnah (ebook) -- Julie Flanders









Soul Cutter (ebook) -- Lexa Cain








*Special prize for the Best Picture*
The blogger with the best 
Dream Destination picture will receive both 
Soul Cutter and The Ghosts of Aquinnah

(For RULES and INFORMATION click --> Dream Destination Blog-Hop Dec 5-8)




Celebrate The Small Things

This week I'm celebrating:

1)  People's donations floored me. Wow. WOW. WOW!  Seriously, I teared up and got all sniffly.  I'm so delighted, honored, and grateful for the generous spirits in our writing community. <3 <3 <3

2)  To promote Soul Cutter,  I'm finding pictures and adding matching quotes from the book.  I swear there are nice things---really nice things---that I don't even remember writing.  I'm like, "I wrote that? Really? ME? Dang, that's some nice stuff ... Are you sure I wrote that?"

Have any of you ever run across your own writing and been surprised---and proud---that it was yours?



This post is part of VikLit's blog hop, Celebrate the Small Things. To be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is follow the link and put your name on the Mr.Linky list, and then be sure to post every Friday about something you're grateful  for that week.  It can be about writing or family or school or general life.  This is the funnest and easiest blog hop ever! 

Friday, November 8, 2013

Celebrate & Blog-Hop Giveaway

To celebrate the launch of their books
Soul Cutter and The Ghosts of Aquinnah
Lexa and Julie invite you to a
Blog-hop and Giveaway!


If you could travel anywhere in the world, 

where would you go?
Beaches of Hawaii? Slopes of Vail? Cancun, Paris, or Rome?
Where is your Dream Destination?

 
On Dec 5 or 6, post about your Dream Destination
(with blog-hop badge and links to Lexa and Julie's blogs)
Go to Lexa and Julie’s blog to enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway
and use the Linky tool to visit the other bloggers
to see the wonderful places they want to visit!


*Lexa & Julie will give a special prize for the Best Picture*
Rafflecopter Prizes to be announced next week.
-- Anyone who’d like to donate a prize, please contact us at --
Lexa: laura.6eg(at)gmail.com  or  Julie: juliflan(at)yahoo.com




Celebrate the Small Things


This week I'm celebrating:
1) The ability to keep functioning on 4 hours sleep a night as I work on release/review/blog-hop things.  It's like being back in college and studying for finals.  I can still run with the young 'uns.  Ha!
2) Awesome people like Julie Flanders who are generous of spirit and warm of heart -- and know how to make Mr. Linky's and Rafflecopters, since I'm clueless.
3)  Patient people like my CPs and the winners of my critique giveaway who forgive me for lagging behind. (Sorry, guys! I'm getting there, I promise...)
4) All the members of IWSG whose posts this week have entertained me, touched my heart, cheered me up, and kept me awake when I was nodding off...  I feel proud to be one of you.  ((((Hugs))))



This post is part of VikLit's blog hop, Celebrate the Small Things. To be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is follow the link and put your name on the Mr.Linky list, and then be sure to post every Friday about something you're grateful  for that week.  It can be about writing or family or school or general life.  This is the funnest and easiest blog hop ever! 

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

IWSG - Finding Book Blogs



You're a writer.  You swim around the ocean of blogs, searching for tips on craft, commiserating with other writers, and  getting support when you need it.  Why should you cross the great divide and visit book review blogs?  I mean, they criticize books.  They aren't sympathetic to your struggles.  They probably don't even know how HARD it is to write a book! 

Here are four very good reasons to hunt up book review blogs:
1) They offer good advice on the best books to buy so you don't waste your money.
2) They get lots of ARCs (Advance Reader Copies) from authors and big publishing houses, and they sometimes offer them free in special giveaways.
3) They participate in authors' blog-tours, which often offer a chance to win the new book in a giveaway.
Let me repeat that:
THEY PARTICIPATE IN AUTHORS' BLOG TOURS
Oh, hello -- You're an AUTHOR!

4) Yes, they can support you on your tour and review your novel...  Or not...

When you release a book, you'll feel like a door-to-door salesman, trudging around, hoping to make connections and sales -- and getting doors slammed in your face.  OUCH!!  Book bloggers are far more likely to help with a tour or review if you've made an effort to follow them, read their posts, and commented.  Also, your request letter should be as professional and polished as a query to an agent -- because believe me, just as agents are picky who they represent, book reviewers are picky about what they spend their valuable time reading.  (Especially when they're getting best-selling novels direct from Big Publishers.)

So start looking around for book bloggers who like the same style of books you do.  Google "book review blog YA" or "book review blog science fiction," or whatever you love.

There are awesome, warm, and funny book bloggers out there who can give your great advice, free books, and help you when you need it.  Find them and give them some bloggy love. You'll be glad you did! 



* Don't forget book blogger Lexi is hosting a giveaway with a ton of books, including Soul Cutter --> Book Bliss 2000 Likes Giveaway(The rafflecopter link is at the bottom of the post. The giveaway ends on Nov 9.)




This is a post for the Insecure Writer's Support Group, the brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh. It exists so the community of blogging writers can share and support each other, blog-hopping to cheerlead and commiserate. To find out more, visit: Insecure Writer's Support Group. Plus, check out the IWSG Website for lots of helpful info and links.


Monday, November 4, 2013

Huge Giveaway on Book Bliss


One of my favorite book blogs is having a huge giveaway:  Lexi of Book Bliss is so excited about receiving over 2000 "Likes" on Facebook that she's having a celebration and giving away bunches of books -- including SOUL CUTTER!   

Go to:
 click the rafflecopter link at the bottom of the post.
It's over on November 9th, so you'd better hurry!

I've added a space on my sidebar to let people know
whenever my book is entered in a giveaway because
FREEBIES - R - AWESOME!


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