Category Archives: Writers
CROSSING – a new NA Contemporary Romance
I swear I wasn’t going to jump on the New Adult Contemporary Romance bandwagon. I SWEAR. I love my sci-fi/paranormal/fantasy characters.
But, I’ve had this idea for a book in my head forever, like twenty years forever, and I was reading Hopeless and The Plot Whisperer at the same time trying to both get psyched to write Frayed and also take a break from the whole sci-fi/paranormal/fantasy thing and I LITERALLY woke up in the middle of the night with an entire book in my head. Later that morning while I was making my daughter a “round egg” (sunnyside up) I texted myself the plot. By the end of that day, I had a six page outline.
That was a week ago and I’ll have the first draft of CROSSING done by Wednesday.
What’s my deal? Why is this book so much easier to write than say, FOUND, which took me for-evah?
*I’m not creating a world. CROSSING happens now at the university I went to, in a town that I lived in for five years.
*The main character, Dani Walker, is an English/Theatre double major just like I was, taking all the classes that I took.
*Every setting is a place I’ve actually been. I don’t have to work to describe what my room looked like, because I just describe what it looked like!
*The characters are all based on real people.
*The twist really happened to me.
*I get to rewrite my history through characters that are better looking, wittier, sexier, and all around more screwed up than me and my real life people were and I get to give myself the Happily Ever After For Now that I deserved back then. (Don’t worry, I finally got closure Halloween of 1999 when my ex and I went out for drinks and he apologized for being an epic douche. We’re Facebook friends now. 
)
So, in a word, CROSSING is happening and it’s happening soon. Look, I already have a killer cover by Steven Novak and a vague blurb.
He stole her lipstick…and her heart.
Twenty-year-old Dani Walker can’t believe her luck when she’s paired up with the gorgeous Liam Garrett as her Acting I scene partner – or when he asks her out. Being a Plain Jane with a mouth on her hasn’t exactly served Dani well in the guy department. In fact, she’s never been on a second date. Still, she lets go of her insecurities and falls for Liam, despite feeling like he’s holding something back from her.
When Liam finally musters the courage to reveal his secret to Dani, she learns the true meaning of accepting the ones we love for who they are.
Add it on Goodreads here for cryin’ out loud!
Oh, and while you’re at it, pick up a copy of FOUND. It’s, like, the best book I ever wrote that no one read. You don’t have to have read the Zellie books to enjoy it!
FOUND (Penny Black #1) is live!
From Stacey Wallace Benefiel, the author of the Zellie Wells trilogy, comes a New Adult trilogy set in the Society world.
Penny Black hasn’t had it easy. Just about everything you’d expect to happen to a harassed foster-kid turned junkie has happened to Penny. Add in the mysterious power to rewind time, conducting events around her, and it’s a wonder she held up on the streets for so many years. Now, at seventeen, the New Society has found her. Finally, Penny is where she belongs. But that doesn’t stop the visions, or the need to protect the victims shown to her.
*The Penny Black trilogy is a companion to the Zellie Wells trilogy and not a continuation of the series. (It’s set 18 years in the future with a new cast of characters.)
*Due to language and sexuality, FOUND is recommended for older teens. (Most of the characters are out of high school and preparing for college.)
Purchase links:
Coming soon to the Apple iBook store and in paperback!
Haven’t read the Zellie Wells trilogy yet? Pick up all three novels together for $6.99 at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, and iTunes. Or get the first novel, Glimpse, for FREE at all ebook retailers.
INDIEkissing
Happy Valentine’s Day!
This year, the Indelibles are sponsoring INDIEkissing – we’re posting kissing scenes from our books!
My scene is from FOUND (Penny Black #1) which will be out March, 1st. Don’t forget to check out the contest to win an E-ARC of FOUND after the hot kissing scene. <3
“Focus, Penny. You can do it. Think about…next week. Any day next week,” Christopher coos and takes my hand.
My eyelids drop closed and I’m watching myself.
I lean into some guy’s firm chest. He’s standing with his back against a green door — number thirty-six. And this tall, wiry, not-quite-grown man with wavy brown hair and caramel colored eyes… I want him. His, thick, dark eyelashes are so long. I want those eyelashes tickling against mine, his full lips brushing across my lips. I go up on my tiptoes and his big warm hands cup my face. He looks at my mouth, his gaze a mixture of desire and apology. I grab onto his hips and draw him nearer, closing the distance between his mouth and mine. I kiss him gently and then he reciprocates, the pressure deepening.
I open my eyes.
“Awesome,” Ben says, nodding his head like Ah, Yeeeeeeeeah. “At least you know the future will be hot.”
I glare at him, even though the needle on my trust-o-meter has swung back over into the positive. If I truly did see what was going to happen to me next week and hadn’t felt anything bad toward this guy, then this crazyass adventure I was embarking on couldn’t be a wrong choice. But why did I want to kiss him?
Darren’s face blooms in my brain and I instantly feel like I’ve cheated on him, which is ridiculous because we haven’t been together in the year since I ditched him to get clean. “Who’s the, uh, dream guy?”
Ben grins widely, dropping at least a decade off of his looks. “Your Lookout, Wyatt Adams.”
Want to read more kissing scenes?
Indelibles Samplers for Your Reading Pleasure!
Love a good love story?
Want to get lost in a great fantasy read or historical romp?
Enjoy mindbending futuristic tales?
We have a sampler for you…
Four amazing samplers! FREE!
Best-selling books. Best-selling authors.
Contemporary – Science-fiction – Historical – Fantasy
But this isn’t all about us.
This is about you, the reader, finding books you love to read.
Just click on the pictures for your free download!
To celebrate the release of the samplers,
we’re giving away free books!
Four winners will win the ebook of their choice from any sampler.
1. Download your FREE samplers today and enjoy the experience.
2. Fill out the rafflecopter form for a chance to win!
3. If the book is already free, you’ll receive the second book in the series!
Enter now!!!
Thanks! And enjoy!
Free Souls by Susan Kaye Quinn
Free Souls by Susan Kaye Quinn
(Book Three of the Mindjack Trilogy) Now Available!
When your mind is a weapon, freedom comes at a price.
Four months have passed since Kira left home to join Julian’s Jacker Freedom Alliance, but the hole in her heart still whistles empty where her boyfriend Raf used to be. She fills it with weapons training, JFA patrols, and an obsessive hunt for FBI agent Kestrel, ignoring Julian’s worries about her safety and repeated attempts to recruit her for his revolutionary chat-casts. When anti-jacker politician Vellus surrounds Jackertown with the National Guard, Kira discovers there’s more to Julian’s concerns than she knew, but she’s forced to take on a mission that neither want and that might be her last: assassinating Senator Vellus before he can snuff out Julian’s revolution and the jackers she’s come to love.
All Mindjack stories available on Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, and iTunes
(Note Free Souls is not yet available on iTunes)
Early Praise for Free Souls
“Quinn paints a picture of a not-too-distant America where politicians inflame the hatred of one section of the populace for another—all for their own gain—and you worry that her world is not so far off from our own.”
— Dianne Salerni, author of We Hear the Dead, The Caged Graves, and the forthcoming The Eighth Day
“Free Souls starts with a bang and doesn’t let up. Like a mash-up of all your favorite science-fiction adventures from Star Wars to The Legend of Korra, it blends nonstop action, nail-biting escapes, and great romance. I absolutely loved it! A great series conclusion—a must-read.”
— Leigh Talbert Moore, author of Rouge and The Truth About Faking
“Susan did it again. Free Souls was WOW! I expected Kira to step up to her role as heroine but not like this. Surprises kept coming until the very end which tied up more loose ends than I knew existed. Warning: Don’t start reading until you have time to finish. I didn’t want to put Free Souls down for a second. It’s that kind of book.”
— Sher A. Hart, Goodreads Review
Interview
Susan’s over at Amy Saunder’s blog today (12.14.12), answering questions about how she came up with the mages’ abilities, what kind of mage she would be, and all about her future works.
Digital Box Set
Since Free Souls is out, there is now a Digital Box Set of the Mindjack Trilogy for those of you who want the whole series!
Available on Amazon, Barnes&Noble
Mindjack Origins Collection
Want more Julian? Wondering how Sasha’s ability really works? Looking for EXCLUSIVE DELETED SCENES from Free Souls? This collection of novellas, scenes, and other goodies is for those craving a bit more of the characters and drama of the Mindjack series.
Includes:
Mindjack Novellas
Mind Games (Raf’s story)
The Handler (Julian’s story)
The Scribe (Sasha’s story)
TWO EXCLUSIVE DELETED SCENES from Free Souls (published nowhere else!)
PLUS Mindjack flash fiction, an (imaginary) conversation between Raf and Julian, and other goodies for readers who want just a little bit more of Kira, Julian, Raf, and the Mindjack crew.
Available on Amazon, Barnes&Noble
ENTER TO WIN
one of FIVE ecopies of the Mindjack Origins Collection
INDIE RECON
Hi guys!
Do I have a surprise for you!
A small group of indie writers has pulled together and is hosting a FREE online conference on everything INDIE in Feb 2013!
Welcome to the first INDIE ReCon – Make Indie Publishing a Mission Possible
Are you curious about Indie publishing, but don’t know where to start? Or, are you already a published Indie author looking to boost your sales or expand your reach? Then you’ll want to attend a new exciting online conference happening in 2013 – INDIE Revolution Conference. Or as we like to call it, INDIE ReCon.
INDIE ReCon is happening online from February 12-14, 2013.
INDIE ReCon is a FREE, ONLINE conference that is modeled after the awesome annual WriteOnCon. It is designed to help any writer or author who is curious about the ins and outs of Indie publishing.
However any author or writer can attend because we cover topics all of you may want to know more about (marketing etc)
Everything from the pros and cons of Indie publishing, essential aspects in creating a high-quality book, successful online marketing, and expanding into International markets.
We will feature over 30 guests that include industry experts as well as some of the bestselling adult and young adult authors in the publishing industry today including: Bob Mayer, Hugh Howey, M. Leighton, and Samantha Young (just to name a few).
For three days, INDIE ReCon will highlight new topics every hour (sometimes every half hour) for 8 hours a day which will include interviews, blog posts, vlogs, and live online chats. You’ll receive advice from authors, bloggers, marketing partners, cover designers, editors, and more. You can check out our line up of topics and guests on our website.
Did we mention it’s FREE and ONLINE? Well, there’s more. Tons of Giveaways! There will be awesome giveaways from each and every speaker and partner. This will include books as well as services like free book designs, free editing, book development services, marketing prizes, and more.
So mark your calendars for Feb 12-14th!
But, more importantly, sign up now with your email and we’ll be sure to send you updates, news, and reminders as the conference gets closer so you won’t forget.
You won’t find this much information (or excitement) about Indie publishing anywhere else. The hosts, partners, and presenters are all giving their time and knowledge for free for one simple reason: they’re excited about being Indie and they want to help you decide if it’s right for you too.
You can already sign up on the home page to receive updates and news.
We hope you join us at INDIE ReCon – where we’ll help you make Indie publishing a mission possible!
See you there!
Founders/Hosts:
Special thanks to our partners:
Happy INDIEgiving!
Yay! It’s INDIEgiving week!
I have so much to be THANKFUL for this year. My dad recently had a massive heart attack and a quadruple bypass – so scary, especially considering that we don’t have a history of heart attacks in our family and never expected it to happen.
He’s doing great now! He’s at a rehab facility and will get to come home in time for Thanksgiving. Like I told Nikki Jefford, it’s the stuff Lifetime Holiday Movies are made of.
Despite what happened to my dad, this year has been pretty great. One of the best things about 2012 and being an indie author in general, is that I get to meet and become friends with so many awesome writers.
I was going to compile a big list of writers who you should be reading, but I don’t want to leave anyone out accidentally. So, here’s the deal: In the comments tell me about a writer that you are thankful for and why I should read them. I’ll randomly pick three winners from the comments when INDIEgiving is over and gift them any indie e-book of their choice from Amazon, BN, or Smashwords.
Happy holidays!
For more INDIEgiving posts, click here.
Get Your Spook On!
Welcome to Get your Spook On, where you’ll find over a dozen spine-chilling stories of the supernatural to put you in the Halloween mood.
Hop through all ten blogs to read the spooky questions our authors have answered. Answer the questions yourself to be entered to win a $50 gift certificate to Amazon and one of four chapter critiques offered by a few of our amazing authors. Each question you answer will be worth one entry, so you can earn a total of ten chances by answering every question. To get additional entries, tweet the following or paste it to your Facebook status (and comment below to let us know you’ve done so):
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Get your spook on! Ten authors share their scary stories and give out #Halloween treats. http://bit.ly/S3UE13
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The deadline to enter is 6:00 PM EDT on October 31st. Check back here on November 2nd to see a list of winners.
Now for my creep-a-riffic question:
Question: Have you ever seen a ghost?
Lisa Nowak: Not yet. Unless you count the cat spirit that jumped up on my bed. But it was dark, so I only felt his weight, I didn’t see him. I think if I ever did see a ghost, it would be sad, rather than scary, like it is for Alex in Dead Heat.
Lisa Ard: No, but I’ve always thought that if I did see one, it would be a relative I recognized and therefore, not a scary encounter.
Marla Bowie LePley: Nope, but I would love to.
Magan Vernon: I believe in the presence of spirits, but actually seen one? Not technically. I went on a ghost tour in New Orleans and I could see the orbs in all my pictures, and something felt ‘off’ but never actually saw one.
Stacey Wallace Benefiel: I have horrible night vision and I think I see ghosts all the time – especially in the hallway along all the bedrooms in my house. There was a Victorian lady that I used to see a lot when I was up with my first baby in the middle of the night. That is, until my husband pointed out that our house was built in the Sixties. Okay…so maybe it was a lady in an old timey high collar nightgown? I bet.
Laura Elliot: No, but I’ve smelled one 
Ali Cross: I have. I’ve seen good ghosts and bad ghosts and the bad ones have scared the crap out of me!
Laura Marshall: I have never actually seen a ghost but I have felt presences.
Cindy Hogan: The only ghosts I’ve ever seen have been the ones on Halloween, toddling along the neighborhood. So cute.
Don’t forget to answer this question in the comments below for an additional chance to win.
And now, here are our spooktacular books!
AFTER by Marla Bowie LePley (YA dystopian)
Ger, Laney, and Jenny, three teens who have never met, live a terrifying existence after all the adults suddenly die. Rioting, starvation and fear become a way of life. When psychotic teenager, Roc, takes over a secluded mountain town, they must come together and find a way to end his reign of terror.
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Created (book 3 of the Watched series) by Cindy Hogan (YA suspense)
Ari and her friends find themselves in an independent spy school in Belgium, Bresen Academy. Test scores reveal her true abilities and the director wants to send her onto to more advanced training school immediately. She is given a two week reprieve to explore the school’s training program and hopefully make amends with both Reese and Marybeth. Despite her lack of advanced training, the director convinces Ari she would be the best fit for a mission that surfaces in Prague with a group calling themselves Division 57. Uncertain, but wanting to please, she agrees. She quickly discovers there is nothing easy about being a spy and finds her very life on the line.
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Dead Heat by Lisa Nowak (YA paranormal/urban fantasy)
Alex is a machine whisperer. He can tell what’s wrong with a broken-down car with a touch. But his gift can’t save him from the brutality of his meth-addict father. For two years, Alex experienced kindness through Cole, his mentor. Now Cole’s dead, and the violence in Alex’s life is escalating.
When Cole reappears as a ghost, Alex clings to the tenuous link. Then he learns Cole might’ve sacrificed his chance to cross over. Jade, the first girl to look beyond Alex’s past, assures him Cole can reach the Other Side-if Alex escapes from his dad. But a previous terrifying attempt has convinced Alex it’s impossible. Unless he can find the courage to try, his friend may be earthbound forever.
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Inky the Icky Black Spider by Laura Marshall (Children’s short story)
Inky, the icky black spider is on a mission this Halloween night. His mission: to gain entrance to the impenetrable Victorian Manson to procure the mouthwatering candy that is stashed away inside. He’ll use all his spider skills to obtain access to the candy holding facility. But will all his training be enough?
This Flash Fiction Halloween treat for the senses is sure to delight children of all ages.
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Saving Halloween by Lisa Ard (middle grade/ tween paranormal)
When book-smart Anne Parson meets Halloween Spavento, she sees exactly what she wants to see — a friend. Halloween waves away trouble, magically silences school bullies and offers Anne unfailing friendship. But, when the Spavento family’s enchanting exploits are exposed, will Anne face her fears and save Halloween? A spellbinding tale of outcasts who find acceptance, a girl who discovers the true meaning of family, and characters who are not always what they seem. 2012 Kay Snow Award Winner.
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Shadow Slayer (book 2 of the Shadow series) by Laura Elliott (middle grade/ tween paranormal)
Shadows will do anything to become human. You see their influence everyday. You say things you don’t mean or do things that aren’t like you. You look, different. Friends you’ve known forever suddenly never call.
As a freshman, Roxie just wants to fit in which is impossible because she barely runs into her friends at her huge high school. Adrianne’s disappearance and Hayden’s attention rock Roxie’s world. But nothing rocks it like the most gorgeous guy at school, Drew. And nothing is more important to Roxie than astral projecting back to Planet Popular to solve the mystery of the map. But that changes when Drew invites Roxie to homecoming. Hayden warns her that something’s wrong. Why would a guy like Drew like Roxie anyway? Drew must want something. Hayden’s right. Drew is…different. Planet Popular was just the beginning. Part of a bigger world, the Shadow World. There’s a war brewing between the world of humans and the world of shadows. When the shadow invasion begins at Roxie’s high school, she’ll not only fight for her life but the lives of her family and friends, when she discovers she’s the Shadow Slayer, the one human who can save Earth from the shadow onslaught. But, Roxie can’t even kill a spider. Oh yeah, there’s an evil English teacher, an enchanted play, a sword of Sandonian steel, a homecoming of horrors, and seven magic words too.
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Day of Sacrifice Omnibus by Stacey Wallace Benefiel (New Adult/Adult Urban Fantasy)
Born to die, a group of Sacrifices and their Guardian Angels band together to kill the Gods and free the world.
The Day of Sacrifice Omnibus is intended for adults due to language and sexual situations.
All six Day of Sacrifice stories together in one volume!
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Desolate (book 2 of the Desolation series) by Ali Cross (YA paranormal romance)
Where darkness lives, all will become desolate.
It’s been two months since sixteen-year-old Desolation Black chose Earth over Hell and her friend Miri over her eternal love, Michael.
Desi goes through the motions of life: school, training, remaining vigilant against the forces of darkness, but her dreams are full of the choices she wishes she could change. When she’s injured by a strange demon, old temptations arise, and the lines between good and evil blur. Desi discovers those choices aren’t so final after all.
And this time, the power of love-for a friend, for a lover-may not be enough to save her from the darkness that lurks within.
Amazon Barnes and Noble (Get book 1 here)
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How to Date an Alien by Magan Vernon (YA science fiction)
High school senior Alex Bianchi’s estranged father gets her an internship at Circe Operations Center to pad her college applications. But Circe isn’t your typical military base. It’s an alien-run operation center and not all of the aliens are friendly, especially the one that tries to kill Alex on her first day. When Ace, a dark-eyed Caltian, enters and saves the day, she can’t help but be drawn to him. Can these star-crossed lovers survive when they’re on the brink of intergalactic war?
Thank you for participating in the Get Your Spook On blog hop! The winners will be announced on the Indelibles and Pac NW YA websites on November 2nd.
If you started the hop somewhere other than the Indelibles or Pac NW YA blogs, go here to hop from the beginning!
Rise of a Rector Tour
The final novel in Heather McCorkle’s channeler series, Rise of a Rector, has released! To celebrate, and in the spirit of October, Caitlin from the channeler series is here to tell us about a scary moment in her life. Take it away Caitlin!
Caitlin: I was with my Society, half asleep in the back of some stranger’s Land Rover on our way to see a man in Costa Rica when I heard my best friend Eren suck in a breath, the kind that make you sit up and pay attention. Her aura went all dark and foreboding. She was looking out the window. We were rolling slowly through the dirt streets of a decrepit village that looked like it was right out of one of those commercials that try to get you to donate to starving children. There were bodies lying on the sidewalks, in the openings of doors, even a few in the streets. It was as though everyone in the entire village had just dropped dead.
Check out Heather’s blog for a new tour stop each day until November 2nd. To thank her fans, and future fans, Heather’s historical fantasy novel (a standalone novel that ties into the channeler series) will be free Friday November 2nd and Saturday November 3rd on Amazon. And if Heather gets over 1000 downloads of To Ride A Puca in those two days she’ll give away a $10 Amazon or B&N gift card! So spread the word, get ready to download To Ride A Puca, tell all your friends to download it, and drop by Heather’s blog now to enter to win the gift certificate.
You can find all three novels in the channeler series (The Secret of Spruce Knoll, Channeler’s Choice, and Rise of a Rector) on Amazon and B&N, as well as other retail sites. The channeler novella~and prequel to The Secret of Spruce Knoll~Born of Fire is currently free on Amazon and B&N and you can find a short story about Fane from the series in the FREE anthology, In His eyes. You can add Rise of a Rector to your Goodreads lists at this link.
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