Hi, everyone! I'm so happy to be on Angela's blog today to show off the cover and synopsis for my YA fantasy book, Promising Hope. I could talk for a long time, but let's just get to it, shall we?
The curse is broken, but the war isn't over. Grace is under the spell of a love potion, torn between her obsessive love for the prince and her calling to protect Dar and the shape changers. Though Dar wants nothing more than her freedom, he's being held as a prisoner in the palace and watched at every turn. Miles away, Sierra is the reluctant savior of the shape changers as she tries to keep Evan alive in his lust for blood.
Grace and Dar struggle to make the political alliances needed to bring the shape changers back home while dealing with new doses of the love potion. But the king sides with the Protectors, who are willing to do anything to keep the magic away, even controlling the kingdom. When the man who cursed the shape changers ten years ago reappears at the castle, the Avialies abandon their attempts at peace in order to keep their family's future secure. The consequences of their actions catapult a sequence of events that threatens Grace, Sierra, and the Avialies in ways they could have never prepared for.
In this sequel to Promising Light, the war is just beginning, and no war is without casualties.
Promising Light is the first in the series: Grace, a young noble, must decide whether to help a shape changer family break a curse set on their family by the powerful Protectors. If you haven't read it, here is a chance to win an ebook copy!
Maybe you've already read Promising Light. If you watch my blog, I will also have ARCs of Promising Hope up for grabs in a couple weeks! Sign up for my newsletter to stay up to date on that.
Now don't get me wrong, I LOVED my original covers for How to Date an Alien and How to Break up with an Alien, but to some people it was giving off the impression that it was a cutesy MG book.
If you still loved my original covers, the beautiful designs by CA Marshall will still grace my paperbacks. To up the stakes and grace my covers with a hot alien boy, I enlisted the help of the awesome Steven Novak who has designed covers for Rashelle Workman, Megg Jensen, and Angela Carlie.
He understood my vision and my NEED for Ace to have guyliner on the covers. These new covers will be uploaded to Amazon ASAP so hopefully the rest of the world can understand the hotness of aliens.
What do you think of the new covers?
Have you hopped over to Amazon yet and picked up How to Date an Alien for FREE?
You may have read RaShelle Workman's first novel in the Immortal Essence series entitled "Exiled." If not, check it out, it's free on amazon.
If you have read it, and are anxiously awaiting book 2, "Beguiled,"or haven't read it, that's okay. She has a new series out. Blood and Snow. Here's what a few reviewers have said about the series so far:
"...A fun, smart, and sexy read!" "This book will definitely suck you in (no pun intended) instantly.""Best books that I have read!"
The Blood and Snow series Summary:
"Lips red as rubies, hair dark as night. Drink your true love's blood, become the Vampire, Snow White."Every thousand years the Vampire Queen selects a new body, always the fairest in the land, and this time she's chosen Snow White.*******
Each volume is novelette length. Book 1 is "Blood and Snow," book 2 is "Revenant in Training," and book 3 is entitled "The Vampire Christopher." All three are now available.
Revenant in Training (book 2), is FREE from July 11th through the 13th. Pick it up by clicking HERE.
And, The Vampire Christopher (book 3), click HERE.
Twitter: @RaShelleWorkman
Facebook: RaShelle Workman Author
Website: http://www.rashelleworkman.com
About the author:Lover of books, baking, and toffee-making. The author of Aligned: An Immortal Essence Short Story, Exiled, Sleeping Roses, and the series, Blood and Snow. Honorary nerd with attitude.
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A teen swim athlete discovers a merfolk world that threatens to keep her out of the ocean forever.
Dori Seward can’t wait to get out of Eastcove, a sleepy fishing village on the border of New Brunswick and Maine. She bides her time by hanging out with friends, attending swim club, and holding her biggest competition, Colby–who wants more than just friendship, at arm’s length.
Then Tor Riley comes to town and he has everything Dori dreams of in a boyfriend–looks, athleticism and mystery.
But Tor also has a tantalizing secret and Dori is determined to find out what it is. The truth is crazier than her wildest imaginations and more dangerous, too.
Dori has new fantastical enemies , and they will do anything to get to her.
Her life, her dreams and her love for Tor are all weighing in the balance. Will Dori risk it all in order to have it all?
SEAWEED is FREE for a limited time on Amazon!
It's also free on itunes and smashwords.
Elle Strauss writes time travel and merfolk chic-lit, light SF and historical YA fiction. To ward off writer's butt she does a bit of hiking, biking and yoga. Elle is married with four children and divides her time between British Columbia, Canada, and Germany.
Dream Smashers celebrated her first birthday all alone in March. I'm a horrible book parent and didn't even throw her a party. To make up for it, I gave her a facelift. I hope she likes it. And I hope her readers like it, too.
Take a look. Isn't she pretty?
Dream Smashers has needed a new cover for a while now. It's an important story, but often gets overlooked. The original cover, which I love, wasn't sitting well with the readers. It even was nominated for a most ugly cover list over on Goodreads. The second cover was an experiment, something I whipped up myself, and not very professional. I believe this new cover captures the emotion of the story, but also has appeal for the readers. I adore it!
About Dream Smashers:
Letting go is hard to do, but sometimes, it's all you can do.
Sixteen-year-old Autumn is a human heartache. Everywhere she turns people are stomping on her hopes and dreams. Her mom's a tweaker. She's lived with her chain-smoking grandmother for as long as she can remember. Even her best friend has issues. Autumn seems to be the only responsible person she knows and she's sick of putting up with it all.
When she meets Evan, a hot guy without a worry in the world, she can only wonder if he's for real or just another Dream Smasher.
A girl who no longer wants to care and a boy who cares enough for the both of them. Dream Smashers is a love story, but most of all, it's about letting go.
Thanks to my good friend, Megg Jensen, for inspiring me to get 'er done, and Rashelle Workman who referred Megg who then referred me to the cover artisan Steven Novak. Go check him out. He's awesome.
Dream Smashers is available on Amazon Kindle and wherever else eBooks are sold. It may take a day or two for the new version to be available.
Thrilled to pop by to chat a bit about "Ole Arty." Many of you may not
be too familiar with my work as compared to some of the other
Indelibles, who have been incredibly prolific with series and multiple
books. I have no idea if I'm prolific or not, really. My first novel, a
YA historical fantasy, took me a decade to write and it's my only book
on offer right now. I'm currently in the middle of ironing out the rough
draft of my second novel, another YA.
Artemis Rising,
is an intense love story, one based on mythology but even I was
surprised at the twists and turns the novel takes on its journey. This
story is both a reflection of my past and a hope for my future. It is my
magnum opus and for many years was the bane of my existence--ten years
is a long time! =) I poured a large part of my soul and time into it,
and my greatest hope is that it will touch the lives of others, just as
it has touched mine.
For just a few days--June 27-29--Artemis Rising will be free to all on Amazon! To check it out now, just click here.
xoxo,
~Cheri
A bit about the story
On
the voyage home to the Azores Islands, Eva accepts the pagan name of
Arethusa but learns too late that her life will mirror the Greek nymph’s
tragic end. Her mother reveals that her destiny lies with Diogo, the
shipowner’s volatile son. But Eva has a vision of another…
When
the ship founders in a storm off the coast, Tristan, a local boy, saves
her life and steals her heart. Destined to be with Diogo yet aching for
Tristan’s forbidden love, Eva must somehow choose between them, or
fate will choose for her.
Cheri talks to Dr. Veronica Esagui about Artemis Rising
AUTHOR Q&A
Want to know a little more about me or my writing? Here's a Q&A I did a while back with my publisher, Spirehouse Books.
Q: HOW DID YOU CONCEIVE OF ARTEMIS RISING?
A: This is a difficult question. How
does anyone come up with a creative idea? I generally don’t understand
the mechanism which allows me to breathe life into characters and weave
plots and develop universal themes within the context of a historical
setting. I am truly only grateful that I’m paying attention long enough
to write it all down. Some days it comes easily, some days I think and
think and nothing comes to me. But Artemis Rising?
Wow, it is a mish-mash of all my longings and fears. It is an amalgam
of all my hopes for the future and my memories in the pleasures of the
past. It is a laundry list of my most treasured interests and passions.
It is also complete and utter fiction. Does that answer your question?
Okay,
something a bit more specific. I used to live in the Azores Islands, a
profound privilege that went by far too quickly. But the place and its
people have stayed with me some fifteen years later, and I knew that no
matter what my book would eventually be about, I would set it on
Terceira Island, one of the great loves of my life. The setting being
carved in stone, I wondered what to write about for the plot. No answer
forthcoming, I played on the Internet (what else is a writer to do?). I
remember looking up the meaning of my favorite name in all the world,
Tristan. That’s when I stumbled upon the Arthurian legend of Tristan and
Isolde. Ooh, did I revel in this delicious story! Mad love and longing,
knights and ladies, treachery and tragedy—what’s not to love? And then
another day, perhaps months later, I was researching mythology. Can’t
recall why. I came across the story of Alpheus and Arethusa and noticed
strange similarities to the Tristan and Isolde myth. Something just
clicked in my mind. I thought, what would happen if I squished those two
myths together? What if they became the subtext to my own story. . .?
And my mind went racing on with the possibilities.
Q: HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO WRITE ARTEMIS RISING?
A: I think I ought to be embarrassed
to answer this question. In some ways I am, because for many years, I
was actually terrified of writing. I would start a bit, confuse myself
with the complex plot elements, and then give up, slinking away into the
dark of night (or rather, into the TV room, where all my favorite
already-written stories played out beautifully on screen). My goal was
to take a universally well-loved story and turn it on its head, using
multiple layers and characters who played not one role but three. This
sounded all very well in my head, but it was another thing altogether to
coax it out of my over-confident imagination and have it make sense on
the page. It was like one of those giant puzzles of some scenic place
with tiny, confusing pieces that rather frustrate you before you bother
to finish it. I knew the pieces would fit, I just knew it. But how? And
what would it all mean once I got the puzzle together? I began the
research for Artemis Rising in
earnest when I was 22 years old. I am now 31, and am only just now
feeling confident in the puzzle. It was, I confess, the most difficult
endeavor I’ve ever undertaken. But I wouldn’t give it up for the world.
Q: WHAT’S YOUR WRITING REGIMEN?
A:
I suppose some writers have a daily regimen. Er, does it actually work
like that? Ha! Okay, I confess: I’m a cheater. I generally kick-start
another round of editing or writing every November for National Novel
Writing Month. Yes, I know. I’m supposed to be starting a brand new
novel for NaNoWriMo, but I can’t help it. I find that sitting down with
my friends in cozy coffeeshops during the bitter cold days of November
to be one of the most inspiring literary endeavorings (yes, I just made
up that word) I can think of doing. And if I really need to get a WIP
finished, then why not?
So
I’m one of those writers who is an occasional obsessive. If I’m on a
deadline–self-imposed or otherwise–I work like mad until it is done, and
every other thing in my life takes a backseat. Is this healthy? I have
no idea. But it certainly works for me. But there are two things I
cannot live without as I write: coffeeshops and film scores. Nigh
impossible to concentrate in my apartment with my laundry, Xbox (oh,
yes, I’m a HUGE fan of gaming–bet you didn’t guess that, huh?), and vast
movie collection to distract me.
And film scores . . . *sigh* I NEVER write better prose than when I’m swept along to the soundtracks of Mansfield Park, Lord of the Rings, and Atonement.
Absolute silence makes me slightly insane, so I always have to have
some noise in the background. But I can’t listen to Top 40 radio,
because then I’ll just sing along. You see the dilemma . . . But being
obsessed with movies since I was in the womb and subsequently majoring
in film at university, I have a special little space in my heart for
film–and most especially for scores and soundtracks. And since now, I’ve
gotten into scoring piano music for local indie films, including my
book trailer, I’m just that much more interested in the topic. I would
go so far as to say I can’t write without a score in my ear.
Q: WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTER?
A: A simple question and a simple
answer: Tristan. Must I elaborate? He is my ideal, you see. Flawed, yes,
but his intentions are honest. He has a good soul, and I treasure him
for that. And Eva needs kindness, given what she’s been through. He is
her perfect match.
Q: HOW DID YOU APPROACH YOUR RESEARCH?
A: With trepidation . . .? There is
so little research available about the Azores Islands in the 1890s.
Education had been abolished by the freemasons for decades, so much of
what daily life was like has been lost to oral histories only. I did my
utmost to create a world as authentic as possible while remaining true
to my vision of the story. A great resource I must mention: James H.
Guill’s A History of the Azores Islands.
Want to connect with me? You can find me on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter. Or you can pop by my website to explore the novel even more or contact me directly. Want me to guest post on your blog? Shoot me a message. I'd be glad to!
Writing. It's one of the most difficult jobs I've ever had. It doesn't come easy to me like it does so many other writers. You know, the awesome authors who can put out several books a year. Difficulty is one reason I love it so much. It's a challenge. Sometimes a downright battle, but it's so worth it. The satisfaction of creating a story that touches a heart or makes someone think or entertains for a short while makes all that hard work seem like no big deal.
That said, I'd like to introduce you to my new work in progress. I'm giving you the title, the lead characters, the blurb, and the cover (created by my favorite cover artist, Robin Ludwig Design). You'll have to wait until late summer / early fall for the book.
Say hello to Amethea and Cerus.
Dark Horse - A Lords of Shifters Novel
by Angela Carlie
Amethea thought she was the last of her kind, a creature from mythical stories, from light, peace, and magic. But, Amethea isn't a myth, and she doesn't hold any peace in her heart. She watched as her family was murdered for the magic of their horns. She'd give anything to avenge their deaths. She just hasn't figured out how yet.
When she meets another, Cerus, everything changes.
Together, they harness more power than Amethea ever dreamed. But is it enough to take down the Lords of Shifters?
FALL, 2012
And now, Amethea has a few words before I let you go...
I am Amethea--the last of the unicorns. The only living daughter of Grane and Epona. My family was slaughtered before my eyes for their magic. Xifan saved me and raised me in the dark underworld of Hornbrood where I learned to use some of my magic in ways to inflict harm on those who must suffer for their sins. I made a vow to avenge my family, and I will keep my promise. No matter the cost. Even if it kills me.
