6.28.2013

Mangled Hearts Cover Reveal

*Francesca and Cade*
Can two loves find their way back to each other despite an addiction and a hardened heart? Will their love overcome it all?
Francesca Taymon is young, successful, and broken. A tragic accident years ago haunts her to this day, and she blames only one person--the one that holds her heart. When she finally gets her first case, will she be able to handle seeing him again? Can she do her job and keep her heart intact?
Cade Kelling doesn’t take life seriously. He’s reckless and irresponsible, drinking all his problems away. When his parents bail him out for the last time, will he be able to handle seeing Francesca after all of these years? Will he be able to tell her what really happened that night 5 years ago or will he lose her forever?
And the most important question….
Can these mangled hearts be mended?



Cover by Samantha Bagood at Cover Pub 
Release Date: July 12, 2013


Felicia Tatum was born and raised in Tennessee. She always loved reading, and at the age of twelve began writing. Her passion for creating stories grew and in May 2012, she finally wrote her first novel, The White Aura.


She still lives in Tennessee with her daughter and her kitty. She loves cooking and books. Animals are some of her best friends. She watches a lot of Disney channel and often dreams up new book ideas. She's currently writing the second book in series, as well as a romance novel. Her dream is to write as many books as possible while entertaining as many people as possible.



6.26.2013

UtopYA Day 25

reEmergent by A.M. Hargrove
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Xarrid Yarrister is barely surviving...he’s living a life in hell.
The love of his life, Saylan, has vanished into thin air, and his telepathic powers can’t connect with her mind.

Saylan, a Guardian of Vesturon, doesn’t know herself anymore. Kidnapped by the Xanthians, she’s had a robotic chip implanted in her brain and is now a prisoner in her own body, lacking free will, at the beck and call of her cruel masters. 

For over a year Xarrid has been on the hunt. The Guardians have searched everywhere for her, but when they finally bring her home, Xarrid discovers her memory is gone. He’s determined to restore his love’s mind back to its healthy state. Removing the chip can cost Saylan her life, but doing nothing will cause irreparable brain damage. What choice will Xarrid make and how steep of a price will Saylan have to pay?

Review of reEmergent


*if you haven't read Survival, Ressurection, or Determinant, this review will be a spoiler!*

I can't believe this series is over!  When you follow a series from beginning to end there is almost this sadness when you read the final 'the end'.  Thankfully it was a great end that did not disappoint whatsoever.  I'm sad to see The Guardians of Vesturon series come to a close, but I got to say I was completely satisfied.

Poor Xarrid.  You can't help feel bad for him.  His mate was kidnapped in Determinant and they can't find her.  Luckily it didn't take to long to locate her, but once they did she didn't remember anything.  Xarrid and Saylan have to work really hard to get back what they once had, and her trauma from being kidnapped threatens them ever having that relationship back.

It was great getting a glimpse into the characters lives that I had fallen for in the previous books in the series.  Rykerion and January have a cute little toddler and Rykerion is still giving Jurek the death stare.  Rayn and Maddie get a nice little surprise.  Maddie is still as strong as ever when she insists to join the mission on Earth.

When I started the book I was like but A.M. what about Sharra?  She still doesn't have a mate and thats just wrong.  Little did I know she definitely did not forget about the only girl of the royal family.  Sharra and Zander have a great bond.  I love that the series has soulmates and Sharra finally ran into hers.  They are both powerful Guardians and a great match.

I love Jurek in this book.  Man I did not like him in Determinant he was a jerk most of the time and then I warmed up to him when I read the Dark Waltz.  In reEmergent he plays such a big role in helping the Yarristers.  I love that we get to see this soft side to him even though he still holds up his authority and domineering side too.  You get to see that his hardened heart still cares for others!  <3 Jurek.

The ending ends with many happily ever afters but does leave some room.  I can't wait to see where Hargrove goes with the Praestani Series (starting with Dark Waltz).  I still think Tesslar should end up with me!  I mean how perfect would it be?  Tess <3 Tesslar ;)

*5 Stars*
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6.25.2013

UtopYA Countdown: 2 Days Left!

TWO DAYS LEFT!!! I can't believe it! *runs around like a chicken with its head cut off*

Today is exciting for me because Charlotte Abel has some awesome stuff to giveaway! EVERYONE is a winner so make sure you read the info below!  




If you've been following The Channie Series by Charlotte Abel, you know that Channie is missing. Following is a short quiz that will lead you to Channie...sorta. Well, it'll lead you to some Channie prizes. Every person to complete the five questions will receive a copy of "The Gathering" a short story ebook prequel to Enchantment. One name will also be selected to win a full set of "Channie" ebooks. 



And, of those participating that will be at the UtopYA event in Nashville TOMORROW, one lucky winner will receive a custom "Indie Authors Rock" tote bag with some Channie swag. Just find Charlotte wandering the show and she'll happily hand of your loot.





Isn't that such a SUPER awesome giveaway!  Well charlotte also donated to the the rafflecopter as well so don't forget to get your entries for it today!!!


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6.24.2013

UtopYA Countdown Day 23


Only 3 Days LEFT!!! AHHH I can't even express how excited I am!


Today on the blog we have one of the lovely editors that will be attending UtopYA Con.  She wrote a Guest Post about common errors she find in manuscripts!  I  totally learned something and maybe you will too :)



But what if you can't afford an editor?

I have the pleasure of speaking to authors every day about their various works and I often come across brand new authors that have finally completed their manuscript and want to self-publish but don't have any funds for the final touches. Whether those final touches are a professional designed cover or a paid copy edit, it's very hard to explain the importance of those things to someone with a publishing budget of zero. 

So, for those brand newbies that can't spare even a few dollars for professionals, here are a few tips that might help you avoid some of the most common writing mistakes. Of course, this is a very short list that in no way replaces the value of an actual editor, but it will get you a little bit closer. ;-)


1. Had is not always necessary in past tense writing.
The word that I delete HUNDREDS of times from most manuscripts is had. Although it does serve a role, it can almost always be removed from a past tense sentence. 
Ex.
  • Bill had asked me to visit over the holidays.
  • Bill asked me to visit over the holidays.
Both sentences mean exactly the same thing but the second flows better. Do a search on the word had in your manuscript and look at places where it can be removed without changing the intent of the sentence. You'll be surprised at how many can come out. 

2. Comma vs period in dialogue.
When writing dialogue, if there is a dialogue tag before or after the quote, use a comma and a lower case for the tag. If the words following the quote are not directly indicating who spoke, use a period and a capital.
Ex.
  • "I don't wanna wear that," she said, stomping her feet.
  • "I don't wanna wear that." She stomped her feet and stormed out of the room.
Dialogue tags include 'spoken' words like: whispered, screamed, yelled, and  mumbled.
Some 'non-spoken' response that are not considered a dialogue tag include: laughed, cringed, and shuddered.

3. Avoid 'trendy' phrases that are recognizable from other books. 
This is hard to do but your readers will appreciate not reading 'the same thing' in your book as they've read in the last ten. But, if you absolutely need to use a common phrase, try to do it sparingly. 
Ex.
  • she let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding
  • my own personal brand of xxx
  • if I was/am being honest with myself

4. There is such a thing as too much description. 
There are some times when a very elaborate description of a room or building is necessary to paint a picture in the reader's mind. There are other times when it's not necessary to list the color of every surface and every knickknack in a place that is not integral to the story. Sometimes just a high level description can keep the reader engaged in the story without their mind drifting to the new drapes they want for their family room. 

5. Words to search/replace or just eliminate.
Like 'had' there are many words that you should get in the habit of searching for to see if you're overusing them. In many cases, you can remove them or slightly rewrite the sentence to avoid these pesky crutches.
  • started to (as in "he started to walk to the car." That can probably be shortened to "he walked to the car")
  • almost as if
  • that (in many cases, it can be removed without impacting the sentence)
  • then
  • and (can the sentence be broken up into two separate sentences for more impact?)
If you have any editing questions or would like a quote for your manuscript, please visitwww.final-edits.com or contact me at mypromarketers@gmail.com

And anyone that is at the UtopYa Con this week and stops me to say hi will receive a red "Final-Edits" pen for your own editing. See ya there!!!


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UtopYA Countdown with Chelsea Fine

Today I'm SUPER excited to have one of my favorite authors EVER, Chelsea Fine, on the Countdown to UtopYA.

We got to meet last year, and I was a TOTAL fan-girl.  I just can't tell you enough that if you haven't read her books you really need to!

Anyway today's post she did a VLOG!  I'm so excited and I hope you are TOO!

Check it out!

Four Lessons I Learned At UtopYA Con Last Year


Rule #1: Don't wear a strapless maxi dress to the airport
Rule #2: Don't wear ridiculously high heels on the first day
Rule #3: Double check which country's flag is on your T-shirt
Rule #4: Don't chew gum when on a panel


Want More Crazy? Check out my blog! 


Wasn't that awesome! Uh YES! Be sure to leave comments and enter the SUPER AWESOME GIVEAWAY!


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Cover Reveal: The Fab Life




It’s the life I was born to live: billionaire’s daughters, living amongst the rich & famous. But my mom kept me a secret from my dad. Until now.

I am so out of my league. Fancy parties, expensive cars, and a private school for the elite… It sounds like a dream. But everything is not as perfect as it seems on the outside. Here, the secrets are dirty, and the lies comes easy.

Welcome to my fab life.

Author Bio
 I am a YA/ NA author, with an addiction to NOS & Red Bull energy drinks. My guilty pleasure is the TV series The Lying Game and The Vampire Diaries. I'm 23 years old. I currently live in St Louis, with my husband of 2 years.

Stalk Links



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6.19.2013

Different Roads Blog Tour



Titles: Different Roads

Author: Lori L. Clark

Release date: January 24, 2013

Age Group: New Adult

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Tour organized by: AToMR Tours






Book Description:

It's been said that when we look back over our lives, we are able to recognize the pivotal moments that in some way, shape, or form have led us to where we are today.

When Jacqueline Carter is fifteen, she crosses paths for the first time with Seth Thomas, a young man who unwittingly alters the direction of her life forever.

Jaq plans to break-up with her boyfriend on her sixteenth birthday. Instead, she is date-raped, and left emotionally broken. She builds a wall around her heart and begins spiraling downward on a road filled with drinking, drugs and physical abuse.
 
When Seth re-enters her life a few years later, the walls around her heart slowly come down and the two of them fall in love.

Unfortunately sometimes, fate has other ideas, and we're forced down a different road from which we initially set out.


Review
         I enjoyed this book and the characters. The author created a world for this characters that pulls you in but its not an easy world. Jaq has her own demons she is working with and needs help. This book is good but it does bring out a lot of emotions. I recommend this book but it is hard to handle at times.










Shattered Into Beautiful Review


Shattered Into Beautiful by Mel Ballew
Amazon | Barnes&Noble
Her Magick is destined but true love forbidden.

 After beautiful Sylver Kyllienne Brady meets death at the hands of her boyfriend, Roland Parks, she transcends into Summerland. There, she reunites with her mother and finds her soulmate, Zander. Pulled back to the earthly plane, she must embark on a journey of discovery. She uncovers a truth. She is the descendent of a long lineage of powerful Witches. She must learn to control her power, protect the family’s Amulet and Book of Shadows. Sylver has no idea what awaits her. And, this is only part of her discovery.

Lives unravel as secrets are discovered and mysteries unfold.

Everything changes when she meets Zander Emmett –a vampire. Zander is gorgeous, exotic, sexy and unbelievably wealthy. He is also the one person a witch, such as Sylver, must avoid. Their love is forbidden but their souls draw them together like a magnet. Their bodies ignite, passion soars and their souls are left discovering, not only each other, but their destiny. His life holds secrets and enticing mysteries of his own that propel the parallels of their worlds to climaxing heights.

Will their colliding worlds separate them? Will Sylver embrace her destiny? Will realizing what is expected of her and falling soul-fully in love with Zander - the vampire she is forbidden to love, just leave her breathless?

 Or, will she forever be Shattered Into Beautiful?

Author Bio:

Mel Ballew resides in rural Pennsylvania with her husband and daughter, along with their two adorable cats. 
An avid reader, she has always had an equal passion for writing and has written her entire life, to date. Her mother initially birthed, inspired, and encouraged these loves. The two often discussed writing together but unfortunately, that dream never came to fruition.
Years later, this happened, that happened—life happened. 
She stepped away from writing to place more focus on being wife and a full-time mom. Today, she would not have changed a thing. The day her daughter was born became the first day she realized a significant rhythm to her heart was also born. Her daughter, now preparing to go off to college, has grown into a beautiful and responsible young adult.
A twisted turn of events in September 2009 left Mel unable to work outside of the home. Forced to consider other options, and while embracing a therapeutic approach of transcribing all of the challenges facing her, post-accident, she returned to journaling. Once again, the writer within her has been re-birthed—awakened from slumber.
Mel is a hopeless romantic. Blessed, she has her very own soul mate, which she calls husband, best friend, and lover. 
She is a simple country gal, with a profound love of true simplicity. She is just as hopeless in her love of nature and regards many of her writing aspirations to appreciating its beauty, although every single story is birthed from her dreams. Sometimes, in life, simply enjoying a chilled glass of sangria on a warm summer’s eve or indulging in her love of chocolate and peanut butter is an expression of enjoying such simplicity. For her, these moments are truly divine.



Excerpt: 
I am his Light.

He is my Dark.

Together, as one, we are an equal balance. Positive and negative energies collide. A
beautiful equilibrium created by the Universe.

One witch.

One vampire.

We are a swinging pendulum, two souls made whole —as one, amalgamating our worlds.

No longer afraid, I straighten. I walk over to Zander and take his hand in mine. I glance at him. With fingers entwined, our souls rendezvous, and part of the mystery between us is unveiled. My eyes shift to the figure standing among the trees. I glare. I look at Zander; he looks at me. Together, we look at him.

 Emeralds and sapphires lock with fire-red rubies. Seconds are too long to decipher
clearly the amount of time before he vanishes. Less than one split second, then he evaporated into the night, swallowed by the Dark governing him.

Magick unfurls in a moonlit night.

 
 
 
 

Review:
 I really enjoyed this novel. It had a wonderful story line to it. It had just enough action and romance that it was not overwhelming. I was hooked from the beginning; I had to know what was going to happen next. Ballew has a great read with his novel.
 
I enjoyed relationship between Zander and Sylver. They are so cute. What better couple than a vampire and witch? Unfortunately, it isn't that easy. Sylver is special and has a interesting secrets that will run her life. She has to figure out who she is meant to be.
 
Overall, I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to everyone.
 
 
 
 
 



6.18.2013

UtopYA Countdown: M.R. Polish and Ashley Lavering

\


With a death starts a new beginning...

Eighteen-year-old Esmerelda thinks she’s just a normal girl, but all of that changes the day of her mom’s funeral, when a warlock, intent on using her special powers, kidnaps her. Powers she didn’t know existed. Thrown in the middle of a magical battle, Es struggles to learn her magic while fleeing both vampires and warlocks, at the same time, hunting for the witches that can help defeat her adversary. The only problem is that they are dead.

Thankfully, she has the help of Jarak—her Guardian—who quickly captures her heart, but she wonders if she can win his? Just when she thinks Jarak is the one for her, Ian appears with daggers drawn to save Es from a vampire attack. Ian is cocky and rude, but there is something magnetic about him—something that attracts her to him. With her heart torn between two men, she faces the foes that are out for her blood. Can Es do the unthinkable and awaken them from their graves before time runs out?
A dark shadow stalks the night, watching her—waiting to claim what is his.

Seventeen-year-old Tayla Jonas longs for a simple life, but after a traumatizing family loss, she is forced to be both mother and sister to her cousins while caring for her mentally unstable aunt. Moving to her grandma’s quiet town of Cody, Wyoming, Tayla finds some normalcy with her quirky green activist friend, Chel, who spends no time converting her to vegetarianism. 

A few weeks into her new school, Tayla catches the eye of Kyle Harrington—the high school quarterback and resident millionaire—who can seduce any girl with his charismatic charm, including Tayla. But Kyle is anything but what he seems.

Walking through City Park, Tayla is unaware that an ancient curse has her in its crosshairs. The silver moonlight illuminates the path to her van, sprinkling shadows like evil twinkling eyes. Tayla’s skin prickles, and she turns. Something—or someone—is watching her.

A powerful werewolf steps from the shadows. An iridescent blue cord shoots from him and slams into her stomach, dissolving instantly. Pain wracks her body, and she tries to scramble to safety, but his silver eyes freeze her in place as the curse binds them together. The cord settles deep inside her body, coiling with dread around her heart. 

Dismayed by the prospect of a werewolf for a shadow, Tayla fears for the safety of her friends and family. How will she keep the werewolf’s insatiable hunger in check? Her plans for a vegetarian lifestyle quickly dwindle away, and Tayla wrestles to fit her frazzled life back together—piece by piece. But what she didn’t expect was her attraction to the werewolf or the power of the full moon. 

Will Tayla be strong enough to survive the Curse of the Beast? Or will it consume her like so many before? Find out in the first installment of this unique retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
Guest Post

Ashley and M.R. have an awesome Guest Post!  It is a conversation between the Beast from Ashley's Curse of the Beast and Ian from Wolf Spell!
Check it out!
MCCA – Otherwise known as, Misfortunate Characters Conflict Anonymous Group

Beast walks into a nearly empty room, and sits across from another guy. “Hey, my name’s Jameson.”

The man looks up with a calculating eye. Beast keeps talking, “Or you can call me Beast. Most people do.”

This gets a smirk out of the guy. “Beast, huh. I guess I can see why, no offence or anything.”
Beast leans back in his chair. “With a face like this,” he points to his hairy face, deformed nose and mouth, “it isn’t hard to see why the girls run.”
The other man finally relaxes. “Name’s Ian. So beside the obvious, what’s your misfortune?”
“Cursed. Not very original I’ll admit, but sucks just the same. The best thing to come out of it, is being bound to his amazing and feisty girl. If only Tayla wasn’t set on braking the curse and running as far away from me as possible, it would be near perfect. What about you?”
Ian chuckles. “Well, I can say that I’m not cursed, well not at least directly. I am however, in love with someone who is, and now I’m supposed to save her. Her name is Esmerelda, but most people call her Es. I can’t imagine my life without her. I’ve waited for her for so many years, then when I finally see her, my brother knowingly tried to make her his, even though he’s cursed to some witch and can’t even commit.” Ian takes a deep breath. “Sorry man, just been holding that in for a while.”
“That’s rough.” Beast rubs his chin. “At least this girl, Es, sounds like a keeper.”
Ian’s eyes brighten at her name. “Yeah, she is. I would fight everyday for her. What about you? Do you need to watch your back with a brother intent on stealing your girl?”
“No, don’t’ have to worry about Tayla falling for my brother. I guess I got lucky there. She doesn’t really go for the ninty-year-old grandpa look.” Beast chuckles and Ian joins in.
Ian looks around the room, rubbing the palm of his hands on his jeans. “So, this is fun. How long have you been curse?”
“Sixty-seven long years,” Beast answered glumly.
“Wow, that’s been awhile then that you’ve, uh, looked liked that.” Ian twitched his mouth to the side.
“My face is just the start. You have no idea how far my curse runs through my veins. I am a Beast.” Beast stares at Ian for a moment before smirking at some humorous thought. “At least I have hope that I won’t be stuck this way forever. You on the other hand will have to live with that ugly mug the rest of your life.”
“Hardy-har-har. Very funny.” Dregan, Ian’s wolf appears next to his chair as soon as Ian’s anxiety spiked.
“Woa, nice looking wolf, but did you really need backup? I really thought we were hitting it off.”
Ian nods. “So this is a little awkward.”
They both burst out laughing. Beast slapped his knee. “I’m glad I met you, maybe next meeting we can hang out after and do something fun.”
Ian grinned. “Yeah, I’d like that. It’s been kinda nice talking to someone who understands what it’s like to be cursed, in one way or another. I’ll definitely be here for the next meeting.”
A woman walks in the room and both men look at her and then each other. “Is she yours?” Ian whispers raising a brow.
Beast runs his hands over his face and lets out a growl. “Ashley, how’d you find me here?”
“I have my ways.” Ashley shrugs before getting back to business. “Come on, we need to get you back to your story. Tayla’s driving me nuts without you there.”
“Guess I better go.” Beast stood. “See you next time, Ian.”
Ian let out a snort. “Aw come on, you aren’t just going to do what she says are you?”
Ashley shot Ian a pointed look. “Watch it or I’ll send Misty for you. Or better yet, maybe I’ll send Es.”
Ian folded his arms, sitting there with pressed lips as he watched Beast and Ashley leave.
To Be Continued…




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