Day 26 of 31 books in 31 days- Jeff Strand book giveaway & qualify to win a kindle

Welcome to the 26th day of 31 books in 31 days, where you win prizes for reading.

Recap of Rules

Everyday that you participate in the giveaway of the day, you are eligible to win a brand new kindle.

How to participate
  a) Subscribe via email, so you can get the author & prize of the day sent directly to your email.
  b) Like the author of the day on facebook
  c) Follow the author on Twitter
  d) Read any of the author's books
  e) Answer the occasional quiz on author's interview
  f) Scroll to the bottom of each interview and enter the raffle (you'll have to unlock the raffle with your email first)

That's it- then enter the kindle giveaway!

All giveaways will be sent out by the 7th day in April. Good Luck.

Today's featured author is Jeff Strand. He is the author of way to many books to mention, but if you are looking for a funny author with innovative plot lines, you have found him. His stories will keep you laughing well into the night. Check out his featured book, Wolf Hunt today.

Featured Book
Meet George and Lou, thugs for hire. The kind of intimidating-yet-friendly guys who will break your thumbs, but be nice about it. Their latest assignment is to drive across Florida to deliver some precious cargo to a crime lord. The cargo: a man in a cage. Though Ivan seems perfectly human, they're warned that he is, in fact, a bloodthirsty werewolf. George and Lou don't believe in the supernatural, but even if they did, it's daytime and tonight isn't the full moon. It's just a simple transport job, albeit one that carries severe consequences if they screw it up. Their instructions are straightforward: Do not open the cage. Do not reach into the cage. Do not throw anything into the cage. And they don't. Unfortunately, Ivan doesn't play by the usual werewolf rules, and the thugs find themselves suddenly responsible for a vicious escaped beast. One who can transform at will. One who enjoys killing in human form as much as he enjoys killing as a monster. If George and Lou want to save their careers, dozens of people, and their own lives, they need to recapture him. Because Ivan the werewolf is in the mood for a murder spree...

                                                     Interview with Jeff Strand

Hello Jeff, 

What was your favorite book to read as a child?

My favorite book changed constantly, and was often just the last one I'd read. I probably re-read Beverly 

Cleary's Ramona series more than anything else...but your question asked about a book, not a series. If 

I'm going to truly narrow it down to one book, I'll go with Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy 

Blume. I read that book literally (using the new, not-improved definition of "literally") eight million 

times.

What do you enjoy about reading?

These days, I've moved away a bit from the "Just tell me a story!" attitude and I spend more time 

appreciating the craft of other writers. So it's mostly the small things; a clever turn of phrase, or a 

perfect character detail. I don't really read for escape. That's what cute animal videos are for.

You write a genre I like to call humor-horror. What motivated you to write in this genre? What authors inspired you?

The humor/horror combination that I became known for was really more of an accident, so I don't think 

anybody really inspired it. I was a guy who wanted to write humor but liked to read horror. My writing 

inspirations were very much on the humor side, people like Douglas Adams and Dave Barry. I think you 

can still see both of their influences in my work. Also R.L. Stine, but not because of his horror stuff (I pre-

date Goosebumps and Fear Street) but because of a humor magazine he did called Bananas.

If you could be any YA hero or heroine who would it be?

I'd be the hero in one of my own books, after all of the bad stuff has happened. Because then I could 

write a sequel where they get to hang out on a private island sipping delicious carbonated beverages 

with an unlimited library and a full Netflix queue. It would be a terrible book, but I wouldn't care.

What is the best thing to happen to you as an author?

Jeez, that's a tough one. There really haven't been any "Hooray! This changes everything!" moments in 

my career. It has been a long, slow, steady stream of baby steps that, over fifteen years, built into 

something pretty cool. So I'm going to have to give the obvious answer and go with my very first short 

story acceptance, "The Private Diary of Leonard Parr," by Twisted Magazine. I think the e-mail was 

basically just, "Thanks, we want to publish this," but it was probably the most concentrated burst of joy 

I've felt in my writing life.

Tell us about Wolf Hunt. What inspired this series and how does it differ from other books in its 

genre?

The inspiration was really as simple as, "Okay, Leisure wants another horror novel from me. Do I want to 

do vampires? Mummies? Werewolves? Werewolves sound good. What can I do with werewolves? 

Maybe combine it with a crime novel? That works. Now, what's my story...?" There have been other 

werewolf novels, obviously, and there have been other werewolf novels combined with crime novels, 

but have there been other werewolf novels combined with crime novels combined with comedies? 

Maybe. I'm not sure. If so, Wolf Hunt is still different from them, somehow.

Thank you so much for participating.

Thank you! Should I admit to your readers that it took me until the very last minute to send you these 

answers? Probably not. Forget I said anything.


Other Books by Jeff Strand
 
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Day 24 of 31 books in 31 days- Chloe Jacobs and kindle giveaway

Welcome to the 24th day of 31 books in 31 days, where you win prizes for reading.

Recap of Rules

Everyday that you participate in the giveaway of the day, you are eligible to win a brand new kindle.

How to participate
  a) Subscribe via email, so you can get the author & prize of the day sent directly to your email.
  b) Like the author of the day on facebook
  c) Follow the author on Twitter
  d) Read any of the author's books
  e) Answer the occasional quiz on author's interview
  f) Scroll to the bottom of each interview and enter the raffle (you'll have to unlock the raffle with your email first)

That's it- then enter the kindle giveaway!

All giveaways will be sent out by the 7th day in April. Good Luck.

Today's featured author is Chloe Jacobs. She is the author of the Greta and the Goblin series. Her series about a human bounty hunter will keep you riveted. If you haven't read our featured book of the day yet, you should and enter to write a review.



Interview with Chloe Jacobs

Hello Chloe, 

Thank you for joining us.

What role does reading play in your life? How often do you read?

Hi everyone! I love to read. I learned to read really early in life and was reading way above my age level.

Like, if everyone else was reading Curious George, I was on to Nancy Drew, and when they got to Nancy

Drew, I’d moved on to Stephen King LOL

These days my reading time has been limited, but no matter how busy I get or what’s going on in my life,

I always take time to read before I turn out the light, so that those fantastic new worlds are what follow

me to sleep instead of whatever hard moments I experienced earlier in the day.

What is the last book you read that impacted your life? How did it impact you and why?

The last book I read that really made me look at life differently was The Fault in Our Stars. The message

was so pure and positive, despite the harsh reality of the story. It challenges you to be just as brave

when things get tough, to start making YOUR mark on the world as soon as you can with positivity,

friendship, and heart.

What makes a book you’ve read standout in your mind?

A really great book needs to make me feel deeply on all levels of the spectrum. That’s what will make

me remember it for a long time, and go back to it when I need to tap into those feelings again. I recently

finished the first three Throne of Glass books by Sarah J. Maas and they made me feel like that.

 They were deep and dark and magical, and full of characters whose struggle felt so real that it made

me laugh and cry and imagine myself right there with them.

If you could be any YA character, which character would you be?

That’s a really tough question, because I’ve read so many characters in hundreds (thousands) of books,

and they all have something great, from the shy ones who struggle to show the world their strength, to

the larger-than-life ones that need to reach deep inside for moments of quiet reflection.

I think if I had to choose, I still couldn’t pick just one character, but the ones who have more to lose and

more to learn always resonate the hardest with me.

In another interview you mentioned Tinderbox was your favorite obscure fairy tale. What about the 

Tinderbox did you enjoy?

LOL it’s not the most succinctly told fairy tale, but I liked it because it’s Hans Christian Andersen’s

first, and it isn’t one you hear very often. Another one I really liked (and it happened to be published

together with The Tinderbox) was The Princess and the Pea. The reason I like them is because I can

easily see what changes I would make to them and how I would twist them up if I decided to write a

version of my own.

Tell us about your latest release. What makes it different from other books in its genre?

Greta and the Glass Kingdom (and by extension, Greta and the Goblin King) are different from other

young adult books because they combine the magic of a fairy tale re-telling with the curiosity of

exploring a fantasy world, with the excitement of a true adventure tale. It’s dark without being

devastating, and it’s hopeful without being presumptuous. Maybe that’s why I love writing them so

much!

Thank you so much for joining us.

No, thank YOU! I am honored and grateful to be a part of your day! I’d love to answer questions anyone

might have in the future so feel free to email me at any time.

Chloe

www.chloejacobs.com


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13th day of 31 books in 31 days- Sara Ney book giveaway & qualify to win a kindle

Welcome to the 13th day of 31 books in 31 days, where you win prizes for reading.

Recap of Rules

Everyday that you participate in the giveaway of the day, you are eligible to win a brand new kindle.

How to participate
  a) Subscribe via email, so you can get the author & prize of the day sent directly to your email.
  b) Like the author of the day on facebook
  c) Follow the author on Twitter
  d) Read any of the author's books
  e) Answer the occasional quiz on author's interview
  f) Scroll to the bottom of each interview and enter the raffle (you'll have to unlock the raffle with your email first)

That's it- then enter the kindle giveaway!

All giveaways will be sent out by the 7th day in April. Good Luck.

                                           Author of the Day- Sara Ney

                                            

Today's author of the day is Sara Ney. She is the author of our featured book, Kissing in Cars, and He Kissed Me First (Kiss & Make Up Book 2). Her story isn't the typical YA romance of love and angst, but an edgy story filled with light-hearted humor that will keep you enthralled well in to the night. If you haven't already read this featured book,which has over 50  four and five star reviews, pick it up today. don't forget to write a review for your chance to win a kindle.


,

                                             Interview with Sara Ney

                                              

 Hello Sara, thanks for joining us,


 What role does reading play in your life?

 I have loved to read my entire life. I know most (if not all) writers say that, but for me - I can vividly remember spending most of my time as a youth with my nose in a book. Sitting with a book and dangling my feet in the edge of the pool but never getting in it because I was reading... Building a shoddily crafted tree fort (or accurately - wooden board in a tree with carpet nailed to it) and hiding with a book when I should have been doing my chores.... This was all "back in the day." Back when there was no such thing as a Kindle or eReader. Can you imagine?! Shelling out 4 or 5 dollars for a paperback was a big deal, so you treasured them. You didn't get rid of your books, you kept them. Anytime I would lend them to a friend, it gave me a small heart attack, because - what if they never gave me the book back?!?! Horror of horrors.... I'm pretty sure I once made my friend Vanessa "check" a book out like I was the public library (sorry Vanessa). To sum it up --- I didn't get grounded; my mom took my book away.

 Who is your favorite YA author and why?

 Ugh, this is a horrible question. There are so many fantastic YA authors out there. A few that come to mind are Elle Kennedy (the Deal) and Cindy Miles (Stupid Girl/Stupid Boy). In my opinion, they both nail the young adult perspective in a believable way. For me, I have to feel like the author "gets it" or I begin to tune out. So anyone that can tie in current slang, current events, and YA "speak" is someone I look up to as a writer - and Kennedy and Miles both NAIL it. "The Deal" a phenomenal example - The male point of view and internal thoughts are SPOT. ON. This is truly how guys talk to each other and behind closed doors. This is truly how guys think --- I can always tell when an author is "out of touch" with todays generation, and it's one of my biggest pet peeves as a reader.

 If you could escape into any book, what book would it be? 

A YA book I've read and re-read time and time again would be Stupid Girl. I reference the author (Cindy Miles) above. The book is great - and by great, I mean amazing. What draws me in every single time I crack it open is the main male lead - he has a thick Boston accent, isn't too cocky or troubled, and did I mention his Boston accent? Shoot, I did? The story is clever, the details well woven but not overdone. It's simply a wonderful book. Not everyone will agree with me, but it's one of my favorites. Another go-to for me is Kyland by Mia Sheridan, but I'll touch on that in the question below. As for other book escapes - I won't even mention titles of the others I re-read, because then we'd all be embarrassed....(I'll give you a hint because now I feel obligated to: one is called Lord of Scoundrels)

 Who is your favorite YA book hero or heroine? What makes him or her amazing?

 Hands down - Kyland. The book is called Kyland, and is by Mia Sheridan, one of my new favorites. Actually, both the characters in this book are impactful, richly developed, and believable. Despite the circumstances in this book - I believed every word of every second of it. The male hero Kyland is, well, a babe. Living in an impoverished mining town, all he wants to do is graduate, ditch town, and never look back. Nothing and NO ONE is going to keep him there... he's smart, witty, and aloof. And a babe. Our heroine, Tenleigh is just as fantastic and has the same goals. This book pulled every one of my heart strings, and I'm a tough nut to crack. These are classic characters, with your usual issues, but they're crafted so well your heart will want to burst out of your chest - in good ways, and in bad. Your heart will break for them. I love hero/heroine pairs that make good decisions - not cliché decisions - and this romantic pair nails it.

 Why do you write YA books? 

I feel connected to todays YA generation. As a sorority chapter advisor, I'm surrounded by college students on a regular basis. I'm on college campuses and interact regularly with todays young men and woman - who are always looking for "the right one," so I feel that the YA niche is very relevant for me. Call it lots of "field study" if you will... The courting rituals (if you could call them that), the failed pick-up lines, the lack of finesse.... I get it. I see it. I hear about it from my female students. And so I set out to weave Happily Ever After's in a society where young people are only reading about them. I've always wanted to write/publish a book - I just didn't know what it was going to be about and the YA genre (at least for now) is a great niche for me.

 Tell us about your book(s) and what makes it standout from other books in its genre?

 There are 2 in the series - the first is Kissing in Cars, and the second is He Kissed Me First. Without getting too detailed, they both feature what I feel are realistic characters: guys that are rude - and crude - and sometimes cringe worthy.... as many young men are today (Sorry guys, no offense). Both my heroines are witty, snarky, and don't put up with much crap-ola, which of course is where all the fun begins... I know I'm being biased, but I genuinely feel my characters are the essence of today's young people, and I truly work hard to make them real. And, since I'm such a sucker for a HEA, dark, angsty plots are not "my thing." Not. At. All. I prefer to keep my stories fun and light hearted; and I think I've managed that in both books.

Other Books by Sara Ney




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Day 7 of 31 books in 31 days- Book Giveaway by Lois Lowry and Kindle Giveaway

Welcome to the 7th day of 31 books in 31 days, where you win prizes for reading.

Recap of Rules

Everyday that you participate in the giveaway of the day, you are eligible to win a brand new kindle.

How to participate
  a) Like the author of the day on facebook
  b) Follow the author on Twitter
  c) Read any of the author's books
  d) Answer the occasional quiz on author's interview
  e) Scroll to the bottom of each interview and enter the raffle (you'll have to unlock the raffle with your email first)

That's it- then enter the kindle giveaway!

Today's author of the day is the amazing Lois Lowry, Author of our featured book The Giver (Giver Quartet, Book 1). Additionally, Lois Lowry has 30 children's books to her credit. The giver alone has over 4000 5 star reviews. If you haven't already read this sensational work of fiction, read it today and enter the giveaway for an autographed copy of a different book by this sensational author.


Jonas' world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the community. When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pleasure and pain of life.Now it is time for Jonas to learn the truth. There is no turning back.

                                                      Lois Lowry Interview
                                             

Hello Lois,

Thanks for volunteering your time to answer some questions.

1) What do you love about reading? What is the last book you read?

I love that one can enter another world, become another person, through the reading of fiction. (I suppose it is true of non-fiction as well, come to think of it!) and can weigh your own decisions against decisions made by book characters... what would I do in these circumstances? and perhaps even mold your own behavior through reading.

The last book I read was "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins, a British mystery.

2) Why do you write children’s books? What interests you about the genre?

I have become aware that some young people are profoundly affected by what they read. They are changed by what they take away from books. that is less true of adults. To be someone who affects kids in that way is not something I take lightly. It's an enormous responsibility. 

3) I read your FAQ’s on your site and one of your favorite authors as a child was Lois Lenski, what about her books interested you? How do you think reading has impacted your writing over the years?

I was attracted to her books, oddly, because of her name, which was my name as well. And the book of hers I liked the best... Indian Captive... had a protagonist who was my age and who even (I could tell from the illustrations) LOOKED like me.

4) I know you wanted to write since you were a young child. Did any one book or event inspire you 

to be an author? If so, what was it and why?

The book that most inspired me when I was young (about 9) was the Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. The book that seemed the most real, and dealt with tough even heart-breaking issues.

5)  I have read other interviews and biographies about you online. You have experienced quite a
few trials in your life. What were the ones that impacted your writing the most and how?

The loss of people I loved... a sister, and later a son... probably had more impact on me than anything else, making me aware of the impermanence of things, and the importance of our relationships.

6) Which one of your books is your favorite? Why?

"Autumn Street"... because it is about real people. People I loved, most of whom are now gone.

7) If you could be any fictional character from a book that you have written who would it be? Why
does that character resonate with you?

I actually WAS the character Meg in "A Summer to Die" and Elizabeth in "Autumn Street." These were both autobiographical novels.

8) Is there any book by another author that you wish you had written? If so, why does this book standout for you?

No. There are many books and authors whom I admire but I would not presume to wish to have written their books.

9) You mention that it is hard to make a living as a writer, but is it worth it?
Thank you so much for participating.

For me it is worth it, to be able to do what I love, to have the solitude and independence I treasure.



.

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Kickoff for 31 books in 31 days

Hello,

Tomorrow is the start of 31 books in 31 days.

Please remember you do not have to read 31 books, all you have to do is read. 

Prizes range from gift cards to kindle fires to autographed books by New York Times Bestselling authors.

The more you read the more you win.

What is 31 books in 31 days exactly?

Each day for the month of  March an author is featured on this blog.

The author is interviewed and provides an autographed book to be raffled off.

In addition to the book, there are prizes that will be raffled off as well.

No one will know if or what the additional prize of the day is, but it could range all the way up to a kindle.

The only exception is the first day, where a 50$ visa gift card is being raffled off to kickoff 31 books in 31 days.

Each day you earn points toward winning the days raffle by reading the selected book, reading a book by the selected author, following the featured author, or reading any book.

How do I win?

Everyday log on and follow the author of the day.

Try to read the book of the day (and write a 3 sentence review on amazon) and enter the points in a raffle by noon on the following day.

         If you don't finish, you can enter the book into a future raffle.

Its really very simple.

The more you play the more you win. 

 

31 books in 31 days

So for those of you paying attention, national reading month is coming up in March. I mentioned in my last post that I wanted to promote my love of reading in an attempt to change the world so here it is:

                                         31 books in 31 days

31 amazing authors will donate their autographed book and their time ( a brief interview)

Their book will be the book of the day (almost like a book club on steroids)

                    - Readers have until the next day to tweet, follow, and engage with that author, but most importantly to read and review the 1st book in the author's series.
                    - Then the autographed copy of the second book will be raffled off.
                    -  People who have participated can enter for the larger raffle at the end of the month.


I don't logically expect people to read 31 books, but we can all try.

The closer you get to reading all 31 books, the more you can win.

As the days progress, I'll keep you all updated. I've already reached out to my favorite authors and have had some great responses.

Stay tuned.


Loving Ya

Folami Morris






 

Review?

I was hoping to have read and reviewed a book today, but the book I'm reading is so... meh. I can't seem to get into it. I have been making excuses to avoid it. You know how it is when there is just something you don't want to do. You take out the trash, clean the house, wash the dog, count your eyelashes.... I unfortunately can't make any more excuses. I just can't finish the book. I know there are tons of people who loved the book, but its just not for me. So I am moving on.

I just read a review about A Thousand Pieces of You , (I think that's the name) anyway, it looks interesting so I'm going t read that next. If it is a good book I'll post a review, if the book puts me to sleep we'll never speak of this again and I'll pretend I have amnesia if it is ever bought up.

Speaking of reviews, The Exemeus received a fairly good one on Red City Review. We're fairly excited.

Go check it out at red city reviews.


Last but not least, I promised more of The Azemeon so it is included below.But before I let you go, what would you guys like to see more of? what topics, posts, or even giveaways would make you happy? Post it in the comments below.

Dephon was back in his own body gasping for air. He didn’t know if it was the rush of feeling his mother’s emotions or the fear of her killer being so close, but he felt stifled, like there wasn’t enough oxygen.

Jacqueline stood at the foot of the bed, watching him intently. “Welcome back. Are you alright?”

“What happened,” Dephon asked, trying to shake off his confusion.

“Had you waited, which you must always do when presented with a magical artifact, you would have realized that an azemeon helps you to walk in someone else’s shoes. Literally. It was created to help people see things in a different way. It can be a bit disorienting the first time.  I hoped it would draw you closer to Hyalee—so you wouldn’t feel so disjointed from your mother. You don’t look like you’re feeling all warm and fuzzy though.”`

“Something has changed. Today my mom was supposed to meet my dad, but instead she met her murderer. I will kill him if he touches her,” Dephon said, jumping up from the bed. He opened his backpack of clothes and began to grab a change of clothes.

“That is horrible, but not as horrible as you charging off without a plan. What do you intend to do?”

Dephon paused for a moment, looking at her. “I don’t know, but I read a thousand-page book in ten days, I saw my best friend and my dad face down the Treptonian army by themselves—I doubt they survived, and every night for the past 13 years I’ve had to relive my mother’s death. I will not let her die again. This is my chance to make it right, and I refuse to just sit around here while that creep hits on my mom.”

“What have you done?”

“What?”

“The past isn’t changing on its own. You’re doing something. What is it?”

“I don’t know! I just got here. I was followed by Valentina, got maced by Virginia and then I ended up here with you. That’s it.”

“Ok, but the past will follow the same course, unless something changes it.”

“Well, I don’t know what it could be—“

Dephon’s tirade was interrupted by a knock on the door. Without an invitation Valentina strolled in, but with her light steps it looked more like she was gliding.

“I felt like you needed me.”

“Well I don’t!” Dephon yelled. He glanced at her suspiciously, “what have you been doing all day?”

“She stayed up half the night tossing and turning. She didn’t get out of bed until noon, just like you,” Jacqueline said gently.

Dephon shrugged, unconvinced, as he headed into the bathroom. Changing his clothes, he could still hear them talking outside. He tried to focus on a plan, but his thoughts were all jumbled. He doubted he could get the words out even when he did find his mother. He needed someone who could convince her that Dubleton was trouble. He needed his dad.

Fully dressed, Dephon sprinted past Jacqueline and Valentina. He had no way of tracking his father, but he did know where he would be right now.  At the Lowell High football field.  

It took him 20 minutes to get a cab and make it to Lowell high. He dashed through the corridors making it to the field by the time the players were streaming out of the locker room. Dephon eyed everyone walking out. No one looked familiar.

Then a silhouette appeared in the shadows.

Singleton Johnson emerged from the locker room, water still glistening off his hair. He languidly headed to his next class, a small smile playing on his lips. To Dephon he looked so different, not just because of his age, but because of his way of being. He looked … happy.

“Johnson,” a guy called, jogging up the pathway. “Wait up.”

Singleton turned around and smiled: A full-fledged grin, displaying his dimples. Dephon stood in awe, watching the man who would one day become his father.  He would have stared forever if his father didn’t turn in his direction. Singleton’s smile faltered a bit, but he still managed to give Dephon an uneasy nod.

 Dephon turned away until Singleton and his friend entered the main building. He didn’t need to get pepper sprayed twice in a 24 hour period. He waited a few minutes, before trailing after them into the building. By the time he reached inside his father was standing at his locker alone.

“Hi, Singleton,” Dephon said with more confidence than he felt. He didn’t know what he was going to say, but if Jacqueline could believe him, surely his dad would too.

Singleton gave him another one of those uneasy glances, before returning his attention back to his locker. “Hey,” his dad said, sticking his pencil in his mouth, to free up his hands. Dephon realized it had the added benefit of preventing further conversation. Singleton began loading his backpack with books for his next class.

Dephon summoned all of his courage, before beginning to speak. “This is going to sound weird, but I need you to hear me out.”

His father glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, suspicion written all over his face.

“In the future you marry a girl you haven’t even met yet. Her name is Hyalee Smith, But your brother wants her too and he wants to take over the world. He kills your mother and everyone you care about, including your wife. All that you have left is your son, Dephon-that’s me.” Singleton’s eyebrows shot up to the ceiling. Dephon continued, “Your brother ends up ruling the world and you end up with nothing, but a lot of hatred and a son you neglect.

“I know it sounds weird, but you also meet a woman name Jacqueline, who helps you develop your powers. Your mother hasn’t told you yet, but you are descended from a long line of magical royalty. This woman, Jacqueline, has sent me into the past to help you and mom change everything, but things have already started to go wrong, because you were supposed to meet her today, but you’re brother met her instead. We’ve got to do something, dad.”

By this point, Singleton’s expression had changed from uneasy to downright paranoid. His pencil had dropped on the floor, because his jaw was hanging wide open. He kept casting furtive glances around, like he was looking for backup in case Dephon became hostile.

“I know this is hard to believe-“

“Wait a second let me get this straight,” Singleton said holding up his palm like he was directing traffic. “My seventeen year old brother kills my mother, my wife, and takes over the planet? How does he do this exactly? With his calculus text book?”

“He has magical powers too.”

“Magical powers. Right. Look kid, I don’t know if this is a game or if your off some medication, but I can’t help you. If my brother put you up to this tell him he needs to visit a specialist, ‘cause this one was over the top—even for him.” Singleton slammed his locker and hefted his backpack over his back, before briskly walking away.

Dephon ran to catch up. “O.k I’ll make you a deal. Call your mother and tell her ‘it’s o.k., you found out about the family history and you’re not upset’. If she doesn’t backup my story, then I’ll admit I’m crazy and leave you alone.”

“No, you’re going to leave me alone, because I said so. I don’t know what game you’re pulling--,”

The bell rang signaling the end of fifth period. Ignoring Dephon, Singleton rushed down the hall, putting distance between them.

Hyalee emerged out into the hallway. Dephon stared at her in surprise. So did Singleton.

Her face lit up with surprise when she saw Singleton striding toward her. She opened her mouth to speak and then her eyes landed on Dephon. A worried expression crossed her face. Dephon was about to reassure her, but something was wrong. He was overwhelmed by such an unbearable heat that it had to be combustible.

They were getting too close, he needed to warn them. But his father was drawn to her like a moth to a flame. Singleton took the last couple of strides toward her, and it was too late. A cosmic ball of light exploded between the two of them. Dephon was hurled backwards as flames engulfed the hallway. His head slammed against a locker and he slid, barley conscious, to the floor.

Dephon was clearly changing the past, but definitely not for the better.

The last sound Dephon heard before slipping into unconsciousness, were the screams of Lowell high students and the roar of fire as the building burned to the ground.

That's it for today.

Loving YA!

Editing Purgatory & More of The Azemeon

People are under the delusion that all writer's should have perfect grammar. Well the truth is that no matter how many times a writer reads his or her own work, there will still be mistakes. Errant letters will skitter across the page, words will be mispelled, vocabulary will be used inappropriately and that is after multiple revisions.

I, however, am even worse than the average writer. I can correct my students' grammar all day, but when it comes to my own writing I miss everything. Subject verb agreement goes out the window, proper use of possessives goes running out the door, and don't even get me started on my own spelling.I will mess up or mix up the simplest words when left to my own devices.

That being said, that is why I hire a slew of editor's to make sure the final project is superb. Why am I telling you this? Beecause I wanted to give more of the first chapter of The Azemeon, but not much of it is edited. So, I've decided to let you read the rough, rough draft. Tell me what you think--but ignore the need for editing.




Chapter 1

Dephon wove his way through the crowded streets, his fear propelling him forward. Out of place in this new time, Dephon wasn’t sure of much, but he was sure of one thing.

He was being followed.

In the sewers of Trepton, the first thing you learned was how to tell when you weren’t alone.  There were no second chances in Dephon’s homeland, but at least there, he knew who his enemies were. Here he had no idea. And that was much worst. He stopped and hid behind a building at the corner of Kezar Drive, peering cautiously down the street in the hopes of catching his stalker unaware. The streets were brimming with so many people that he couldn’t see anything. Or rather he saw too much. A dark-haired man to the left of him looked suspicious, and a masculine-looking woman was staring at him a little too intently for comfort.  Was she evil, or was she just staring because Dephon just looked crazy, peaking at people around the side of buildings?

Dephon tried to clear his head, but everyone was starting to look suspicious. He could have sworn that he saw the girl in the flowery white and pink dress with long, swinging black hair three streets ago.  And there was a man in a blue suit pushing a stroller who looked familiar, too. Dephon wasn’t sure who was following him, but he was smart enough to never doubt his instincts.

Lightning rippled through the gradually darkening sky. Hesitantly he took his eyes off the street and looked up at the clouds.  Droplets of water began to fall from the sky, pounding the concrete.  Pedestrians scattered liked roaches. This was just the distraction Dephon needed. He sprinted down Kezar street; casting furtive glances over his shoulder. He rounded the corner quickly onto the street that he recognized so well from The Exemeus- his mother’s street.

When he reached the corner he saw two figures dashing through the rain. One with long dark-brown hair and the other’s was blonde with tattered ends sticking out of her ponytail. Dephon stood, frozen. He had gotten accustomed to seeing the 3D image of his mother from the book, but now here she was, in the flesh. He tried to shake off his feelings of awe, of shock, but they weren’t going anywhere. His mother was alive and, if it took his last breath, he was going to keep her that way.  

He stood in the rain, long after she had disappeared; simply enjoying that she was alive. It wasn’t until he was drenched that he remembered it wasn’t supposed to rain today. The past was changing.

                                                             ***

            Dephon squatted behind the women’s apparel rack in Macys. He had followed his mom and Virginia to the mall. He was definitely not the best spy on the planet. In fact, if he was honest with himself, he might be the worst. Virginia had spotted him at least twice on their walk over. He’d tried to play it cool, but she’d still looked at him suspiciously.

            Dephon felt a tap on his shoulder. He whirled around. “Jacqueline,” he cried out in surprise. It took all he had not to launch into her, but the puzzled expression on her face made him pause.

“You’re scaring them. Virginia is debating whether or not to call the police.” As Jacqueline spoke, she stared at him with great interest. Finally, she reached out and poked his chest.

“What are you doing and why are you staring at me like that?”

“How do you know my name?”

“What do you mean? Can’t you read my mind?”

“How do you know I read minds?”

            Dephon sighed, exasperated. “We’re going in circles. What happened to your mind reading and future reading skills?” He glanced around quickly, an idea dawning on him. “Is a scalper around?”

            “You seem well versed in magic for someone so young. But if there was a scalper I wouldn’t be able to read anyone’s future—not just yours. So, who are you and why are you skulking around the juniors section of the ladies department?”

            Dephon sighed, “This would be so much easier if you could read my mind, ‘cause you’re not going to believe me.”

            “I can be quite gullible. Try me.”

            “I’m from the future,” Dephon said slowly, trying to gauge her reaction. Jacqueline’s eyes widened, but she remained silent.  Dephon continued steadily, “It was all part of your master plan, that you didn’t tell anyone about. My mom is Hyalee. She was supposed to save the planet, not me, but she failed. So here I am trying to figure out what you,” her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “I mean, future you, wants me to do.”

            Jacqueline nodded, her expression, as impossible as it was, managed to be a mixture of confusion and understanding. “So that’s why I can’t read your future: You don’t have one. Where did you get an Exemeus from and The Dzitar of Duplicity?” She asked, curiously.

            “Well, I….” Dephon’s voice trailed off as his eyes scanned the store. “Where’s my mom?” he cried out in alarm.

“She just walked out the door,” Jacqueline said, gesturing with her chin.

Dephon hurtled through the maze of clothes, ignoring Jacqueline calling after him. He dashed out the door, searching for his mother’s disheveled ponytail. In the parking lot he noticed two lone figures turning the corner. Running at top speed, he hurried to catch up with them. As he rounded the corner he almost ran smack dab into Virginia, who stood with her arm outstretched, a silver canister clasped between her fingers.

There was no time for him to process what was happening. She released a steady stream of spray directly into his eyes. His vision went blurry; and all he could do was scream. He toppled backwards, landing on his butt with a thud. He clawed at his eyes wishing the pain would subside. He didn’t know how long he sat there writhing in agony, before a comforting arm rested on his shoulder. Calmness settled over him as his brain disassociated from his body, and the world was swept away.

Audiobook- Daughter of Smoke and Bone

So recently my amazing coworker took me into the audio room and helped me to figure out the setup for constructing my audio book. The room is just awesome- and scary. I'm afraid that I am going to touch something and cause a blackout throughout city.

Anyway, I'm starting recording for The Exemeus soon and I'll be providing recording for the Azemeon as soon as all of the editing is done. In order to prepare for this daunting task I am listening to audio books that have received glowing praise. First on my list is this book I've always wanted to read, The Daughter of Smoke and Bone. I know I'm late on that one, but better late than never. The summary sounds amazing and the character has blue hair-- just like my character. What could be better? This is my first audio book purchase ever, which makes me sound both old and lame, but I'm  a bit stoked all the same.

Now where am I going to listen to it? That just might be a problem.

Stay tuned, our Saturday morning post announces our first giveaway and says what you'll need to do to cash in on the action. Feel free to leave us comments, share with your friends, or join our blog.

Loving Ya

Folami

The hottest males in YA

Everyone is always asking me why I love YA. I answer the question all the time, but today I thought I would zoom in on the males in YA.

 I love the fact that female heroines are popular, because we get to see the men through their eyes. We get to see the things that they love about their guy and hate about their guy. But most importantly, it keeps us guessing. Does he like her? Does he hate her? Why is he acting like that? It all adds to the suspense. And then theirs the moment we realize that she really does like him, it made (hopefully) all of those pages of angst worthwhile.

But not every YA man is created equal. What I like in a YA hero is different than what you would like. I love my men strong, loyal, and highly sarcastic. I love a sensuality that eases off the pages. So my male crushes would have to be:


1) Ayden from Demons at Deadnight. He is protective. He's hot-- both literally and figuratively.  He's got a sense of humor and he's got a cute way of dealing with Aurora. I love their interactions and how he treats her family. And he's got a body to die for. What more could a ya reader want.

2) Dmitri. Hopefully everyone knows who I'm talking about, from Vampire Academy. Once I got over the slightly pedophilish nature of their relationship, I really loved him. He struggled to do the right thing, like a dieting kid at a pizza party. But even as he waited for her to turn 18, he was protective, he was loyal, and he had his own little sense of humor. Did I mention his Godlike physique?  His body was to die for, I had to keep myself from drooling on the pages. Even when he didn't feel the same about Rose anymore-- at least, so he said-- he was willing to take on an army for her. Swoon.

3) Aiden. I must have a thing for Aidens, because I love the Aiden of Jennifer L Armentrout's half-blood series. I love his loyalty to her and to his beliefs. He is such acharacter of substance, because morals and values are important to him. What I love the most about him is that he is willing to break with the morals and values that he has adhered to all of his life just to keep Alex safe. I love how he looks at her and loves her even when she is "acting up". He is a well written character that I wish I could bring into real life.

Those are my main three for now. I'll be posting my new loves of YA again at the end of March to kick off the promotion of The Azemeon. Whoever posts their favorite ya heros or heroines will be entered to win a prize. Stay tuned.



Loving YA

Feel free to Comment or subscribe to this blog if you love The Exemeus and want to be made aware of all the updates.

Giveaways

Very excited! We are deep into the process of editing and marketing our upcoming book, The Azemeon. We're trying to figure out the best way to reach out to you guys and to make your time on our site as enjoyable as possible. We appreciate how you all have waited patiently for the long awaited sequel. So to reward our faithful followers and fellow Exemeus lovers, we'll be holding giveaways up until the day of our release, with extra prizes for those who pre-order the book.

The giveaways will begin at the beginning of November and continue until the end of the 1st week of  book sales, April 17. We'll be giving away giftcards, cash, an ipad and more. There will be a lot going on here over the next few months, so stay tuned, refer your friends and be ready for an awesome sequel.


Loving YA

Audiobook Fears

As a self-published author, creating and publicizing your ya book is not easy.  There are many hats that an author has to wear as a publicist as well as a publisher. It's hard to keep everything straight and make sure that you are focusing on what is most important and not what is the most present.

However, as I focus on the launch of my new book a new avenue has just opened up for me- audiobooks. Apparently there are a religious following of audiobook zealots. These people only "read" audiobooks, but most publishers overlook this market, because, frankly, its quite costly. 

I, however, have been offered this amazing opportunity to use a professional sound studio and self create my audio book for free. Its very exciting- and scary. I have done everything I can to create a professional quality book. I always want my name to be synonymous with the perfection that you expect from a top notch publishing company. I have spent years educating myself on how to create a first quality book, but how does one create an audio book? Do I need to create voices?  Can I even keep the voices straight if I did? I am pretty sure that I am paralyzed with fear, but hopefully through research and perseverance I will be able to create a quality product. 

So hopefully you guys can tell me what you want in an audio book. What makes an audio book great? What is the ultimate turnoff in audio books? Let me know.

loving Ya

Feel free to post a comment, join this blog, or pass the word on to others. As the year looms on we'll be having a ton of giveaways that you don't want to miss out on.  See you soon.

Why is The Exemeus different-Sequel updates

We wrote The Exemeus before the dystopian craze: before every book on the shelf talked about what plague, revolution, or natural disaster had wiped out man kind. We wanted our book to be different. So we gave it two eyes- two perspectives: one of the world the way it was and one of the world the  way it is. In books, and in life, we rarely ever see what in society led up to the moment. What led up to the revolution? What is so important that the character you love, must fear, must fight, must die for the truths of a world that we may or may not believe is possible.

The Exemeus is different. It is the story of how the revolution failed. It is a story of struggle and hope, with a mixture of magic. 

The Azemeon is far better than The Exemeus was, luckily. And it deserves far more publicity than the Exemeus received. So we're delaying our release date. In the meantime we'll be conducting giveaways to build up to the big day. 

Thanks for being awesome

Feel free to join our blog or shoot us a comment. 

Love YA

Folami

The beginning of The Azemeon

In light of my impending birthday, I thought we would release a little of the Azemeon. We hope you like it. Feel free to join our blog, post a comment, suscribe to us on facebook and twitter or buy our book at  . Whatever you can to support the Exemeus. Hope you guys love it.

            
Chapter 1

Dephon wove his way through the crowded streets, his fear propelling him forward. Out of place in this new time, Dephon wasn’t sure of much, but he was sure of one thing:he was being followed.

In the sewers of Trepton, the first thing you learned was how to tell when you weren't alone.  There were no second chances in Trepton, but at least there, he knew who his enemies were. Here he had no idea. And that was much worst. He stopped and hid behind a building at the corner of Kezar Drive, peering cautiously down the street in the hopes of catching his stalker unaware. The streets were brimming with so many people that he couldn’t see anything. Or rather he saw too much. A dark-haired man to the left of him looked suspicious, and a masculine-looking woman was staring at him a little too intently for comfort.  Was she evil, or was she just staring because Dephon just looked crazy, peeking at people around the side of buildings?

Dephon tried to clear his head, but everyone was starting to look suspicious. He could have sworn that he saw the girl in the flowery white and pink dress with long, swinging black hair three streets ago.  And there was a man in a blue suit pushing a stroller who looked familiar, too. Dephon wasn’t sure who was following him, but he was smart enough to never doubt his instincts.

Dating chronicles

Sometimes I am the coolest person on the planet and then there are moment when I'm so socially akward you would think that I had just turned 13.  In these moment of verbal clumsiness the only ways to redeem myself is with one of my many dating stories. People have told me that I should write a book about my dating chronicles, because some of the things that have happened to me have been just so weird they seem like fiction.  Oh, how I wish they were.

A lot of them are a little inappropriate for this audience, but I'm sure I can find a few that can appeal to all audiences, so I thought every now and again I'll share. 

I had recently been avoiding dating like the plague. Not just because no one interested me-- although they didn't-- but because the horrors of the last 3 men (frogs) still left a foul taste in my mouth. More on them later. So the only thing that could make me date again was shear necessity. 

My last date, if you can even call it that, happened because I had to take my car in for an oil change. And in a rare stroke of anti-luck, everyone I knew who could drive, including my father, was out of town. So I decided to go out with a guy who I had met at the food max in hopes of hitching a ride to my car. To avoid being a total user I indicated that we could go to the movies and I would meet him there. 

 I texted to say that I was running late, literally, since I was on foot . He said no problem and that he was already there. I arrived and proceeded to look for him. I couldn't find him anywhere. I stood out front. I walked the parking lot. Finally, I took out my dying phone and called him. No answer. I texted and finally he responded with " where are you?"

A little annoyed I texted that I was in front of Deer valley. I assumed he had gone to the wrong movie theater. Deer Valley is the name of  the movie theater by my house. What I should have remembered was it was also the name of the high school.

Ten minutes later, I get a call. "Where are you?" he asks.  

More than a bit irritated, I remind him "I am still at the movie theater."

He apologizes saying "I thought you meant the high school."

Does that make any sense? Why would I, a 30 year old woman, be at the high shool on a Sunday?

Ten minutes later he shows up with his shirt un-buttoned, showing his protruding beer belly and no undershirt. 

I am leery of getting in the car. 

I ponder my options: getting in or walking the 7 miles to Firestone to get my car. 

Although the second option was wiser, I thought of Layla, my Infiniti, waiting patiently for me at the Firestone.

With a sigh I get in. 

The man, who we will call Gabe, began to talk excitedly. He seemed-- and smelled differently-- it took me a second to place the smell. 

"Have you been drinking?" I asked incredulously.

"Yeah, but not too much. Just a beer and a little weed. I take care of my body and I know my limits."

Before I could comment he leaned out the window and yelled at a man leaving Chase bank, "Hey man, you gonna split that with me?"

The man laughed and shook his head.

"Do you know him?" I asked.

"No, I just like messing with people."

Uh huh.

"Where's your car?" He asked me.

"Over at the Firestone on Somersville."

"That far," he asked.

"Yeah?" I was truly confused because Antioch was a small city. If you blink you will miss it. And Firestone was just one exit over. It was close enough that walking had been an option.

I glanced over at him. He was looking at his gas tank. The gas tank light was on. We were lucky the car was even moving. 

I realized something more was wrong then just the inconvenience of stopping for gas. 

"Do you need money?" I supplied.

"I don't need for anything, but the car does."

I was confused did that mean he needed money or he didn't?

We entered a gas station and he started yelling out the window to some guy.

Another stranger he was messing with? 

"How's it going?" Gabe yelled

"Good, I got a job. But I got to take a drug test."

" What are you on?" 

"Weed and a little methoxy."

Gabe went on to chastise the man for using meth and how weed was fine, but not meth.

I found the hypocrisy to be irritating. 

We pulled up to the pump and Gabe fiddled around for a while. I realized he definitely needed gas money. I pulled out a twenty. 

"I don't need that much. I'll bring you back a ten. I'm not that type of guy. You'll see who you're dealing with."  He said taking the twenty from me.

I really wasn't sure the type of man he was trying to distinguish himself from, but I don't think he was successful. 

When he came out of the gas station. He ran into yet another friend. this man followed him back to the car, discussing the virtues of Gabe's intellect. Apparently, no one had ever broken things down to him in the way Gabe had. He droned on about how he would always go with them on Sundays. He spoke to Gabe like he was  a God, I looked over Gabe's shoulder to see if the man was possibly talking about someone behind Gabe. 

He wasn't.

Gabe got back into the car. "He's homeless," he explained to me. "Every time I see him, I pick him up and will take him to In Shape for a shower or something. Today I took him to the marina. On Sundays preachers preach outside so we can hear the word, smoke a little weed and just get uplifted.

Hmmm. I wasn't sure how to take that. 

Review of Shadows

Most people know how much I love Angelfall. However, most other angel books have not compared. I can pass on most of the angel series, so I was reluctant to read Shadows by Paula Weston, but the name kept popping up. I'm a believer in fate and destiny (on a good day anyway) so I ordered the book and started reading. In the neginning, I was far from interested. I wasn't exactly bored, but there was very little reason to keep reading. And then in stepped Rafa. the book quickly became interesting-seizing my attention. Everything took off from there.

I'm normally farily good at reading the signs. Most authors put enough writing on the wall so that there are no surprises. Not the case here. There were so many times that I was just shocked. The secondary characters all had their own motives and they kept derailing the story -- in a good way. No one was what they seemed. The main character even kept you off your toes, but she was always loyal, funny and true to herself- whoever herself managed to be. You want a funny story that keeps you on your toes? This is the story for you.

Eradicated

Newest addition to our story line:

In 2223 A.D. humanity realized they were not alone. An alien group from the planet Gliese 581-d came to Earth to escape the destruction of their home planet. Earth's leaders allowed it because the aliens were peaceful, they were beautiful, and something about them was utterly irresistible.

400 years later humanity has all but been eradicated. Most humans have been absorbed into the alien population. Maya Richardson is one of the few thousand remaining humans. She lives in a fledgling where she had lived with both of her parents, until they each disappeared, abandoning her to for the glittering allure of the Gliesian society.

Unfortunately, she is branded a traitor when her best friend vanishes with the commune’s money. Maya has to prove her innocence to take her rightful place in the commune hierarchy.

But Maya has a secret. Actually, she has two secrets: one that can save the commune and the other that can save humanity. Unfortunately, exposing one of her secrets will get her kicked out of the commune. If she exposes the other, she'll find out that the aliens aren’t so peaceful after all.

It has been forever

It has been forever since I blogged.

I have definitely missed it, but I have every intention of remaining consistent. Soon the launch of my new novella series, Eradicated, will hit the stores. The sequel to the Exemeus is almost done, which means promotions and giveaways for my loyal readers.

I also have a million YA books to review, so they should be coming your way-- coupled with the giveaway of some of the best books of the year.

Feel free to send in lists of your favorite books, especially if you read ya, fantasy, romance with a touch of humor.

I'll be posting soon.