Joining the Baton Blog Hop~

The lovely, talented authoress of The Wicked Series CJ Burright invited me to join the Baton Blog Hop this week.  The first book in the series is coming soon! I hope I'll be a stop on your book tour, CJ. :)

The blog hop sounded like fun, so I jumped right in. I just blog about the four questions listed here and then pass the "baton" to three more writers. :)

 

What am I working on?
 Oh boy! I decided to tackle a story in a steampunk setting. I've never written steampunk before, but I've done plenty of fantasy. I'm always looking for something new to me, so it's only natural. I like branching out and this time I'm having a ball. It's still in the plotting/planning stage, but it's such a fun mix of Agatha Christie-style mystery and Indiana Jones treasure hunting. I'm loving it. Check back on the blog for updates! This is definitely going to be finished this year.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

Hmm, not exactly sure, but I do think it will be unique. I don't want to give too much away though. It's about a young woman and a devious plot and an archaeological adventure and change. How's that for mysterious?? Oh, and there's pirates!

Why do I write what I do?

That's a tough question. I normally write stories that I find fun. Writing is my escape and I have no interest in escaping into worlds without fun. That said, I do sometimes write about heavier subjects because I love exploring themes. Sometimes tragedy is the best way to do that. I guess I just write about things I have something to say about.

How does my writing process work?

I've learned that I work best with a well developed outline. If I have a solid idea where I'm going when I start, I can always finish. The ending may not be what I originally planned and that doesn't bother me. It's just that I need a clear idea to begin with. After that, I'll go where ever it takes me. Any brave reader is welcome along!  Be sure to visit www.lisatcresswell.com to see where I've been. :)

 

*gingerly passes the baton*

Be sure to check out these lovely lady bloggers next week on May 5~ I wasn't able to tag three writers, but I did get a pair of twins!

Twinja Book Bloggers

 

Freaky Friday Cover Reveal ~ Shadows Fall Away By Kit Forbes

Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

Shadows Fall Away by Kit Forbes

presented by Month9Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Mark Stewart is one incident away from becoming a juvenile delinquent, and his parents have had enough. They ship Mark off to London England to stay with his eccentric aunt Agatha who is obsessed with all things Jack the Ripper. After a strange twist of luck, Mark is struck by lightning, and he wakes to find himself in 1888 Victorian London.

His interest in a string of murders Scotland Yard has yet to solve make him a likely suspect. After all, why would a young boy like Mark know so much about the murders? Could he be the ripper they've been searching for? Convinced the only way to get back home is to solve the murders, Mark dives headfirst into uncovering the truth.

Mark's only distraction comes in the form of the beautiful Genie Trembly, a girl who is totally out of his league and who may have already caught the attention of the infamous ripper. To save her, he'll endanger both their lives, and risk being trapped in the past forever.

Title: SHADOWS FALL AWAY
Publication date: September 23, 2014
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Kit Forbes

Kit Forbes has been a lover of books, history, and all things paranormal for as long as she can remember. She lives in Western Pennsylvania with her youngest daughter and an assortment of cats who give new meaning to the world bizarre.

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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My Teen Wish~

The well accepted cliché is that teens ignore everything their parents and other adults say, right? Nothing could be further from the truth.

Teens are like big sponges, soaking up everything around them. It may not look like it to the untrained eye, but everything is taken in, filed away, and locked deep down inside until it gets expressed later. Teens don't truly ignore anything, although sometimes I wish they would.

Every "we can't afford it", every "you look like a beached whale", and every "you'll never succeed with that idea because you're too lazy/dumb/poor/insert your own awful word - all of those words are held onto, whether they're worth keeping or not.

I wish every one of us was born with our own personal "garbage detector", but we aren't. We have to learn what's crap or fact the hard way, that the lies some people told us are just that - lies.

So here's what I wish for teens~

Be deaf to anyone who tells you that you shouldn't aspire to be something greater. Be deaf to "can't" and "won't" and "shouldn't". Refuse to hear "poor" or "lazy" or "stupid" when someone uses it on you and never let it hold you back from your dreams.

Interview with Jessica Arnold~ author of The Looking Glass

Hey peeps! I've got a guest today. Say Hello to Jessica Arnold~ 

It’s so nice to have you visit my blog, Jessica. Can you tell me a little about your writing journey? How you got to this point?

 Great to be here! The first word that I can think of to describe my writing journey is loooonnnnggggg. Writing, querying, revising, submitting, and editing (and editing and editing) The Looking Glass has taken several years! I was fortunate enough to sign with a great agent, Carrie Pestritto, who has believed in this book from the beginning and worked tirelessly to help make it happen. Getting to this point has required persistence, patience (read: “gritting my teeth and waiting despite my impatience”), and a touch of insanity. But it’s been an amazing journey and well worth all the effort.

  The Looking Glass looks awesome. Can you give me an idea what it’s about?

The Looking Glass is about Alice, a fourteen-year-old girl who is visiting a “haunted” hotel with her family. After hitting her head on the bottom of the pool, Alice wakes up in the hotel lobby with no clue how she got there. And, when she happens to glance into a mirror, she sees her body being rushed to the hospital. Trapped, alone, and only able to see the real hotel through the mirrors, Alice realizes that the place she’s in is nothing more than a copy, and she herself is no better. The real Alice is in a coma.

 As Alice explores her prison, she realizes that the hotel she’s stuck in isn’t an exact copy of the modern one. Everything here is older, and everywhere there are portraits of the same woman—an actress named Elizabeth Blackwell. When Alice discovers Elizabeth’s bloodstained diary, she finds herself delving into the hotel’s horrifying history, a never explained murder, and a curse from the 1800s that might still be intact. And if Alice can’t find a way to break the curse before it’s too late, her real body, still comatose in the hospital, will die.

The book has such a beautiful cover. How did it come to be and what it does it represent?
The cover IS amazing. Thankfully I didn’t have much to do with the actual design. My publisher asked me how I imagined my cover, and I came up with something about mirrors and glass and … probably not the most illustrative ideas. When I received a mock-up of this design, I was over the moon in love with it. I think of the cover as the starting scene of the book—Alice unconscious in the pool, just fallen under the curse that puts her life in jeopardy.

Do you have any particular themes in your writing that you love?

In The Looking Glass, I worked in particular with the theme of reflection. Mirrors are major players in the story—and play a huge part in deciding the fate of both Elizabeth and Alice. Beyond just mirrors, the accuracies and distortions in the way we perceive ourselves is one of my favourite concepts to explore. What “flaws” do we endlessly obsess over? And what aspects of ourselves do we try to ignore?

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know about you or The Looking Glass?

 My website is www.iamjessicaarnold.com and I tweet @jess_s_arnold. I love digital friends, so feel free to say hi!

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog, Jessica. Good luck with the tour!

Thanks for having me! It’s a pleasure!



~~~

Find the diary, break the curse, step through The Looking Glass!

Fifteen-year-old Alice Montgomery wakes up in the lobby of the B&B where she has been vacationing with her family to a startling discovery: no one can see or hear her. The cheap desk lights have been replaced with gas lamps and the linoleum floor with hardwood and rich Oriental carpeting. Someone has replaced the artwork with eerie paintings of Elizabeth Blackwell, the insane actress and rumored witch who killed herself at the hotel in the 1880s. Alice watches from behind the looking glass where she is haunted by Elizabeth Blackwell. Trapped in the 19th-century version of the hotel, Alice must figure out a way to break Elizabeth’s curse—with the help of Elizabeth's old diary and Tony, the son of a ghost hunter who is investigating the haunted B&B— before she becomes the inn's next victim.

ABOUT JESSICA ARNOLD:


Jessica Arnold writes YA, codes ebooks, and is currently a graduate student in publishing at Emerson College in Boston. She spends most of her time in class or work or slogging through the homework swamp. If she has a spare moment, she’s always up for a round of Boggle. Given the opportunity, Jessica will pontificate at length on the virtues of the serial comma, when and where to use an en dash, and why the semicolon is the best punctuation mark pretty much ever.



Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

 

Giveaway Information: (OPEN INT.) – Winner will be drawn May 9, 2014

· Four (4) winners will receive an ebook copy of The Looking Glass by Jessica Arnold (INT)

· One (1) winner will receive an ebook copy of The Looking Glass by Jessica Arnold AND a $10 Amazon Gift Card or B&N Gift Card – Winner’s Choice (INT)

 

 

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Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

The Night House by Rachel Tafoya

presented by Month9Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Bianca St. Germain works at a Night House, a place where vampires like the aristocratic Jeremiah Archer, pay to feed on humans, and she doesn’t much care what others think of her. The money is good, and at least there, she’s safe. Bianca also doesn’t care that the Night House is killing her. All she cares about is: nauth, the highly addictive poison in vampire bites that brings a euphoria like no drug ever could.

But when Bianca meets James, a reclusive empath who feels everything she does, for the first time, she considers a life outside of the Night House and a someone worth living for. But Jeremiah has decided to keep Bianca for himself; he won’t allow her to walk away.

As she allows her feelings for James to grow, she struggles to contain nauth's strong hold on her life. If they are to have a future, James must make her see what she's worth, what she means to him, before Jeremiah and nauth claim her for good.

Title: THE NIGHT HOUSE
Publication date: December 9, 2014
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Rachel Tafoya

Rachel Tafoya studied creative writing while at Solebury School and was published in their student run literary magazine, SLAM. She attended a writing program for teens at both Susquehanna University and Denison University, and the Experimental Writing for Teens class and Novels for Young Writers program, both run by NY Times bestselling author, Jonathan Maberry. Rachel is the daughter crime author Dennis Tafoya.

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Please Welcome @Month9Books author Shannon Duffy~

 

 

Gabriel Stone is back from Valta, but the adventure is just beginning! His friend Tahlita is trapped in Willow Creek with no memory of Valta. Gabe, Piper, and Brent are determined to reunite Tahlita with her father. Yet even as they do, Prince Oliver arrives asking for their help. Menacing forces known as the Solarians have kidnapped the Empress and Princess and are threatening the lives of humans everywhere. Along with talking tracker monkey, Finley, the friends battle vampire mermaids and a living, blood-filled lake in their quest to save the Empress and Princess. Even with cool new powers, Gabe discovers their strongest weapon is their friendship as they battle the Solarians and rescue a cursed white witch—who may be the only one who can save Valta.
 

ABOUT SHANNON DUFFY

 

Shannon Duffy grew up on the beautiful east coast of Canada, and now lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and son, Gabriel. She’s mom to one boy, and several pets. Shannon loves writing, reading, working out, soccer, and the sport of champions: shopping.

 

Author Links:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

 

 

Purchase Links:    Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | The Book Depository | IndieBound

Giveaway Information: (OPEN INT.) – Winner will be drawn May 9, 2014

 

**Four (4) winners will receive an ebook copy of Gabriel Stone and the Wrath of the Solarians by Shannon Duffy (INT)

**One (1) winner will receive an ebook copy of Gabriel Stone and the Wrath of the Solarians by Shannon Duffy AND a $10 Amazon Gift Card or B&N Gift Card – Winner’s Choice (INT)

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About the Book

Title: Billy and The Monster Who Ate All The Easter Eggs | Author: David Chuka | Publication Date: March 23, 2013 | Publisher: Pen-n-a-Pad Publishing | Pages: 32 | Recommended Ages: 3 to 8 Summary: Join Billy and Monster in this third episode of the series titled Billy and the Monster who Ate All the Easter Eggs. Billy and Monster love all the holidays as they get to spend quality time together. However, their best holiday is Easter as they get to eat their favorite food...CHOCOLATE! This year, they're spending Easter with Grandma Chocalicious who loves Chocolate even more than Billy. She's an expert at making chocolate cake, chocolate waffles and even chocolate pasta. This year Grandma Chocalicious has made a pyramid of Easter eggs for her party on Easter Sunday. Billy and Monster want one of the Easter eggs but Grandma says they have to wait till Easter Sunday. What happens when Billy and Monster tip toe downstairs and the pyramid of Easter eggs comes falling down? Get your copy of this funny book for kids of all ages that is not only full of laughs but also has a lesson weaved in that you'll love sharing with your loved ones.  

Book Trailer

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* Print copy includes FREE coloring book inside *

Amazon (Print) | Amazon (Kindle)

 

The Buzz

"Experience is the best teacher as Billy and his "purple shadow" learn a sweet lesson in Billy and the Monster Who Ate All the Easter Eggs. Beautifully illustrated, nicely formatted, this quick, easy story will be read over and over again." ~ 5 Star Review, Julia B., Amazon

"My daughter has really been enjoying David Chuka's Billy and Monster books. This is another fun addition to the "family." As always, the story has a lovely moral (this time teaching the value of moderation - definitely the biggest word in the book)! It's based on the very realistic theme of overindulging in chocolate/sweets, which virtually anyone can relate to and which kids find a lot of fun. And, awesome pictures as always. Definitely recommend it." ~ 5 Star Review, Renee B., Amazon

"I really like the little monster in this book and how they get into trouble together. What child hasn't snuck into the cache of candies that their parents have hidden? Cute story with a lesson for the little ones in your family!" ~ 5 Star Review, Patricia T., Amazon

"This is a cute story about a little boy Billy and his funny friend Monster. They love chocolate so much that they forget about obeying to older. At night, they sneaked to the chocolate egg pyramid, started eating the chocolate eggs and made a big mess. On the morning, they not only got in a big trouble, but they also got a bad stomach pain. They both had to learn a lessons about MODERATION. Nice illustrations, book well written." ~ 5 Star Review, OPV, Amazon

"Billy and his monster friend enjoy lots of fun in this book, filled with great pictures and a cute story. It shares a lot about celebrating holidays, and intertwines humor and family love throughout the story. Hidden in the story is a nice message about eating in moderation, a well needed lesson in our culture of over-eating. Billy ends up being proud of himself and makes good decisions by the end of the book, while all the while sharing some adventures with his cute monster friend. Great read to share with your children or grandchildren year round, not just for the Easter holiday." ~ 5 Star Review, Katie W., Amazon

 

About the Author: David Chuka

David Chuka lives in London with his lovely wife and two adorable children. His family are usually the first people to hear his funny and quirky tales. He was inspired to write his first book, 'If You See a Doctor' after he struggled to find a book for his daughter who was a beginner reader.

He's gone on to write more books including the popular 'Billy and Monster' series, a funny set of books about a little boy and his Monster who get into all sorts of funny situations and learn about moderation, friendship, self control, bravery etc. Young children can relate to Billy and you'll love sharing his adventures with your children, grandchildren and loved ones. As a father himself, he has parents at heart when he writes. He recognizes that bedtime has to be one of the best parts of the day for parents and grandparents as it gives them the opportunity to bond with their little ones. He believes you'll enjoy sharing his stories with your loved ones at bedtime. In David Chuka's books, you can stay rest assured that quality and captivating images will always complement the story to ensure your loved ones are spell-bound as you read to them. Beginner readers will also enjoy discovering new words as they read his books. He has so many stories to tell and can't wait to share them with you and your loved ones.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Want to win a copy of Billy and the Monster Who Ate All the Easter Eggs?

Enter for your chance to win 1 of 2 print copies of Billy and the Monster Who Ate All the Easter Eggs by David Chuka in a Goodreads giveaway (Open U.S., Canada, Great Britain, Australia; Ends April 17, 2014).

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Billy and the Monster Who Ate All the Easter Eggs

by David Chuka

Giveaway ends April 17, 2014. See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

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Prize: One winner will receive a $50 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice) Contest ends: May 13, 11:59 pm, 2014 Open: Internationally How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, David Chuka and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

Call Me Grim by Elizabeth Holloway

presented by Month9Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

The truck should have turned Libbi Piper into a Libbi Pancake -- and it would have, too, if Aaron hadn't shown up and saved her life. The problem? Aaron's the local Grim Reaper... and he only saved Libbi's life because he needs someone to take over his job. Now, Libbi has two days to choose between dying like she was supposed to, or living a lonely life as Death Incarnate. Talk about a rock and a hard place.

And the choice goes from hard to sucktastic when her best friend shows up marked: condemned as a future murderer. Libbi could have an extra week to stop the murder and fix the mark... but only if she accepts Aaron's job as Reaper, trapping herself in her crappy town forever, invisible and inaudible to everyone except the newly dead. But, if she refuses? Her best friend is headed straight for Hell.

Title: CALL ME GRIM
Publication date: November 11, 2014
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Elizabeth Holloway

Elizabeth Holloway is a registered nurse living in Southern Pennsylvania with her two teen children, Bam-bam the dog, and Tinkerbell the cat. CALL ME GRIM is her first novel.

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Grandma's Garden

I'm always outside trying to "garden" this time of year. It's April in Idaho again, which could mean sun, wind, rain, or snow. Today was blowing like a biscuit-eating basketball player! and I was planting gladiolus blubs. I bought them on a whim at the store because glads always remind me of my grandmother. 

Years ago, she had a huge flower bed in front of her house filled with roses and glads. Of course, she lived in North Carolina, so all she had to do was throw them in the ground.

I glanced at the package when I got ready to plant and I noticed hardiness is "Zone 8-10". Now, I'm lucky if I'm sitting in Zone 5 here. I'm probably closer to Zone 4, but I just don't care. I want glads so I planted them. Maybe they'll bloom this summer? Maybe a few will even make it through the winter.

They always say to plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.  In Idaho, to plant a garden is to believe in miracles~

@Month9Books Friday Cover Reveal~

Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

Crown of Ice by Vicki L. Weavil

presented by Month9Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Thyra Winther's seventeen, the Snow Queen, and immortal, but if she can't reassemble a shattered enchanted mirror by her eighteenth birthday she's doomed to spend eternity as a wraith.

Armed with magic granted by a ruthless wizard, Thyra schemes to survive with her mind and body intact. Unencumbered by kindness, she kidnaps local boy Kai Thorsen, whose mathematical skills rival her own. Two logical minds, Thyra calculates, are better than one. With time rapidly melting away she needs all the help she can steal.

A cruel lie ensnares Kai in her plan, but three missing mirror shards and Kai's childhood friend, Gerda, present more formidable obstacles. Thyra's willing to do anything – venture into uncharted lands, outwit sorcerers, or battle enchanted beasts -- to reconstruct the mirror, yet her most dangerous adversary lies within her breast. Touched by the warmth of a wolf pup's devotion and the fire of a young man's desire, the thawing of Thyra's frozen heart could be her ultimate undoing.

CROWN OF ICE is a YA Fantasy that reinvents Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen" from the perspective of a young woman who discovers that the greatest threat to her survival may be her own humanity.

Crown of Ice by Vicki L. Weavil
Publication Date: December 16, 2014
Publisher: Month9Books

Vicki Lemp Weavil was raised in a farming community in Virginia, where her life was shaped by a wonderful family, the culture of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and an obsession with reading. Since obtaining her undergraduate degree in Theatre from the University of Virginia, she's gone on to acquire two masters degrees, living in places as diverse as New York City and rural North Carolina. She's currently the library director for a performing an visual arts university. Vicki loves good writing in any genre, and has been known to read seven books in as many days. She enjoys travel, gardening, and the arts. Vicki lives in North Carolina with her husband, son, and some very spoiled cats.

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Tumbler

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