Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Destiny 99 Cent Sale and Giveaway

I'm running a giveaway over on my Facebook author page. I'm offering a signed copy of Synchrony. All you have to do is share the sale on social media and comment on the post where you shared it and how many times.   You can also help out by supporting my headtalker campaign. It's easy and only takes a couple of clicks.   this-summer-1

When Destiny Clark is cast alongside her long-time crush Isaac Robinson in their school’s production of Les Misérables, Destiny is horrified to find that she has to be publicly humiliated by acting out her true feelings of rejection onstage. As their rehearsals begin, Destiny realizes the unimaginable: Isaac has developed deep feelings for her despite their vastly different backgrounds and belief systems.

But can they find the true message of love in a world full of judgement and fear?

Weaving around Destiny and Isaac’s alternating viewpoints, this modern-day retelling of Romeo and Juliet is the first book in a series inspired by the characters of Les Misérables and explores heartbreak, self-discovery, intolerance, and love.
 

Monday, October 3, 2016

Book Blitz: The Requiem Red by Brynn Chapman

On Tour with Prism Book Tours.

We're celebrating the hardcover release of
The Requiem Red
By Brynn Chapman


Historically, no matter the area, when an unexplainable phenomenon occurred, people were either jailed, incarcerated, accused of witchcraft or hung. No burning of witches, at least not in Salem. That was Europe’s deal, lol.

So….Jane is brilliant, misunderstood and incomprehensibly lonely. Until a new orderly arrives...to change her life forever.

Please, walk alongside her...down frozen corridors, and through horrible treatments--flee from the Soothing Hills Monster, and root for her to win.

Win the orderly’s heart, win back her mind, and her freedom.

Chapter One

1894, SOOTHING HILLS SANATORIUM
PHILADELPHIA, COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA

“Jane! Jane, where are you? There has been an accident!”

Nurse Sally’s tremulous voice echoes down the sanatorium’s hallway, ricocheting off the walls like mad bats in flight. I close my eyes, press my lips tight, and keep silent.

“Patient Twenty-Nine!”

I flinch at the use of my patient number and slide from the hidden window seat, snapping my book closed to bound down the corridor. The nurse’s cry came from the direction of my room.

“Twenty-niiiine … ” a male, sing-song voice calls out through the bars. I swerve and dart out of his way, narrowly missing those yellowed, grasping fingernails. My heartbeat doubles as I spin and run faster.

What has she done now?

My roommate Lily is truly disturbed. I spend most of my time out of the room, out of her way, because of her howling, because of her—

I round the corner and skid to a halt, instantaneously shaking.

Lily’s long blond hair spreads out on her cot like a coquette’s fan. Her eyes are closed. Her chest appears … still.

“Nurse?”

“Jane, go for help. Now. Run to Ward 4 and fetch Dr. Grayjoy!”

I stand staring, blood frozen in my veins, feet frozen to the floor. Lily’s head gives a violent jerk, and I gasp.

“For the love of heaven, now, you imbecile!”

I run. But not before I see the wall. Not before I see the message scrawled above her bed.

Help me. I know not what I do.


Welcome, to Requiem Red.

— Brynn

The Requiem Red
The Requiem Red
by Brynn Chapman
YA Historical Urban Fantasy
Hardcover, Paperback & ebook, 300 Pages
April 5th 2016 by Month9Books

Patient Twenty-nine.

A monster roams the halls of Soothing Hills Asylum. Three girls dead. 29 is endowed with the curse…or gift of perception. She hears messages in music, sees lyrics in paintings. And the corn. A lifetime asylum resident, the orchestral corn music is the only constant in her life.

Mason, a new, kind orderly, sees 29 as a woman, not a lunatic. And as his belief in her grows, so does her self- confidence. That perhaps she might escape, might see the outside world.

But the monster has other plans. The missing girl's share one common thread...each was twenty-nine's cell mate.

Will she be next?


Born and raised in western Pennsylvania, Brynn Chapman is the daughter of two teachers. Her writing reflects her passions: science, history and love—not necessarily in that order. In real life, the geek gene runs strong in her family, as does the Asperger’s syndrome. Her writing reflects her experience as a pediatric therapist and her interactions with society’s downtrodden. In fiction, she’s a strong believer in underdogs and happily-ever-afters. She also writes non-fiction and lectures on the subjects of autism and sensory integration and is a medical contributor to online journal The Age of Autism.

Other Books by the Author

 
  

Blitz Giveaway

Hardcover of THE REQUIEM RED & $10 Amazon Gift Card
US only
Ends October 7th

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Sunday, October 2, 2016

Exciting News and Author Interview + Giveaway with Kelly Oram

Exciting CINDER & ELLA news + Giveaway! Exactly two years ago, a little book titled Cinder & Ella made its way onto Amazon. And then it exploded, making it's way to # 1 on Amazon in all of its categories and even hitting the top 20 on all of Amazon. (Way to go Cinder & Ella!) And nearly every day of the two years since its release, author Kelly Oram has received requests for an epilogue or a short story or something--anything--that would give readers more of their beloved Brian (aka Cinder) & Ella. It may have taken 2 years, but Kelly has finally decided to grant all of those requests, which means:

Cinder & Ella is getting a SEQUEL!!

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That's right people, there's a whole second book coming! But that's not all. Not only has the book been announced, it's less than 5 months away, and today we're revealing the cover and blurb! Along with this cover reveal the first book, Cinder & Ella, is also getting a new look. They've redesigned the cover to match the sequel.

THIS: CINDER_ELLA_cover_FINAL

           

IS NOW THIS:

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Title: Cinder & Ella
Author: Kelly Oram
Publisher: Bluefields
Pages: 312
Buy Links: AMAZON & KINDLE UNLIMITED  

Written by the inestimable Kelly Oram, Cinder & Ella is a contemporary Cinderella re-telling set in present day Hollywood. 4.8 out of 5 stars with over 1,500 reviews on Amazon!    

Summary:

What would you do if your anonymous Internet best friend turned out to be Hollywood’s hottest celebrity?
Cinder458: Your blogaversary is coming up, right? 
EllaTheRealHero: Do all those Hollywood friends of yours know you use words like blogaversary? Cinder458: Of course not. I need your address. Got you a blogaversary present.
Cinder got me a gift? My heart flipped. Not that I was in love with my Internet best friend or anything. That would be utterly ridiculous. The boy was cocky and stubborn and argued with everything I said just to be infuriating. He also had lots of money, dated models—which meant he had to be hot—and was a closet book nerd. Funny, rich, hot, confident, book lover. Definitely not my type. Nope. Not at all.
 It’s been almost a year since eighteen-year-old Ella Rodriguez was in a car accident that left her crippled, scarred, and without a mother. After a very difficult recovery, she’s been uprooted across the country and forced into the custody of a father that abandoned her when she was a young child. If Ella wants to escape her father’s home and her awful new stepfamily, she must convince her doctors that she’s capable, both physically and emotionally, of living on her own. The problem is, she’s not ready yet. The only way she can think of to start healing is by reconnecting with the one person left in the world who’s ever meant anything to her—her anonymous Internet best friend, Cinder.

***
Hollywood sensation Brian Oliver has a reputation for being trouble. There’s major buzz around his performance in his upcoming film The Druid Prince, but his management team says he won’t make the transition from teen heartthrob to serious A-list actor unless he can prove he’s left his wild days behind and become a mature adult. In order to douse the flames on Brian’s bad-boy reputation, his management stages a fake engagement for him to his co-star Kaylee. Brian isn’t thrilled with the arrangement—or his fake fiancée—but decides he’ll suffer through it if it means he’ll get an Oscar nomination. Then a surprise email from an old Internet friend changes everything. With a heartwarming online celebrity romance reminiscent of Jennifer E. Smith’s This Is What Happy Looks Like, bestselling young adult author Kelly Oram has struck gold with her new adult contemporary retelling of the timeless fairytale classic Cinderella.

"A story that has it all: tears, laughs, sparks and a drop-dead swoonworthy hero. Give it a while and DreamWorks will pick up this story for a movie adaption, no doubt." Anna Katmore, Author of Play With Me & Neverland 

"Both funny and heart-wrenching, Cinder and Ella will give you all the feels. It’s the best twist on the Cinderella tale I have come across. I am not just a fan of Kelly Oram. I am an addict." Cassie Mae, author of Switched & How To Hook A Bookworm 

"Cinder & Ella is a beautiful modern-day fairytale with a great cast of characters that made me laugh and swoon. It had me staying up late at night to read just one more chapter, and at the end, I was left with a big grin on my face." Cindi Madsen, USA Today Bestselling Author of Falling For Her Fiancé & Cinderella Screwed Me Over

 If this hasn't convinced you to check this book out, you can preview the prologue and first chapter by reading along with Kelly Oram.

And now for the moment you're all really waiting for...

 

Are you ready...?

 

Okay...here it is!!!

  hea_cover

Title: Happily Ever After
Series: Cinder & Ella #2
Author: Kelly Oram
Publisher: Bluefields
Release Date: February 14, 2017
Buy Links: Signup to Kelly Oram's NEWSLETTER to be notified upon release.

Summary: The end of one story is often the beginning of another. Hollywood heartthrob Brian Oliver and his Cinderella princess Ellamara Rodriguez have finally found love outside the digital world. But leaving their anonymity behind creates a whole new set of obstacles for the nation's new favorite sweethearts. With the stress of Brian's fame and the pressures of a new relationship weighing down on them, the It Couple quickly begins to wonder if they can hold on to their newfound joy, or if maybe happily ever after is only a fairy tale.

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***Sign up for Kelly's newsletter to be notified when Happily Ever After releases!***




Author Info & Links:


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Kelly Oram wrote her first novel at age fifteen—a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which her family and friends still tease her. She's obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and likes to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, four children, and her cat, Mr. Darcy. Don't miss the latest news from Kelly Oram! Sign up for her newsletter to receive e-mail notifications for all of her new releases, events, sales, & giveaways. This is a monthly newsletter often with exclusive giveaways and freebies from some of her favorite authors.


Author Interview:

Tell us a little bit about you.

I love to read and I'm a ginger. I wrote my first novel at age fifteen–a fan fiction about my favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which my family and friends still tease me. I’m obsessed with reading, talk way too much, and like to eat frosting by the spoonful. I live outside of Phoenix, Arizona with my husband, four children, and my cat, Mr. Darcy. And we named his litter box Pemberly because it’s where he makes ten thousand (poops) a year!

The Fun Stuff:


1. I love to sing and went to college as a voice performance major.

2. I once competed in the Miss Michigan Teen USA pageant. (I did not win LOL.)

3. I’m a baseball fanatic. (Go D-backs!)

4. I broke my head as a kid and had to wear a hockey helmet to school as my cast.

5. I own my own 10-sided dice for role-playing that no one but me is allowed to roll.

6. I’m left handed.

7. I am credited as associate producer for the independent film Amber Alert.

8. I live for road trips. Best vacation I ever took was a three-week coast-to-coast-and-back drive with my father.

9. The Backstreet Boys were my 1D in high school, and I was a total fangirl. I still have a whole collection of fan paraphernalia.

10. I took both golf and bowling classes in college to fulfill my PE credits. (I still suck at both.)



Where did you grow up? Tell us a little of your childhood. 

I grew up with two amazing, loving parents and a bunch of siblings that I only realized were amazing after I grew up and moved away from them. We moved around quite a bit, but I spent the majority of my life in Colorado, Michigan, and California. My childhood was crazy and chaotic at times but fun and full of love. I have no complaints.

What was it like living in Los Angeles right out of college? 

LA is crazy, and the film industry is rough. It was overwhelming for my husband and I to go there when we were so young, had never been there, and had no family within hundreds of miles. But it was an adventure. We learned a lot, grew up a lot, and have a lot of great memories of our time there.

Share with us one thing most people do not know about you? 

Umm… like I mentioned about in the fun facts, I modeled a little bit as a teenager and once competed in the Miss Michigan Teen USA pageant. Neither modeling, nor the pageant circuit was really my thing and I quit both pretty quickly. But it was an experience I’m glad I had. I got to do something that not many get the chance to do. I also learned that I belong behind the spotlight, not in it. LOL.

If you could pick one, which one of your books would you make a movie based on? 

Hmm. I think it would be a toss up between Serial Hottie and Cinder & Ella. Serial Hottie is just fun and I can totally picture it being done similarly to The Burbs, or Suburbia. A fun quirky murder mystery romance. I’d love it. But I’m also a HUGE sucker for anything Cinderella, and it’s always done so well in the movies. Seeing Brian and Ella on the big screen would be so awesome.

Do your family and friends read your books? 

Some of them. The ones who enjoy reading do. I never expect people I know to read my work, and I only encourage them if I think they will genuinely enjoy my stories. As a writer, I know not everyone is going to love my work, but my friends and family don’t always believe me when I say it’s okay if they don’t like my books. I’ve had friends read my books because they were curious but who don’t normally read the YA romance genre and then they felt really bad when they didn’t like it. It’s really okay. But it’s also fun when someone I know comes up to me and says, “OMG I finally read one of your books and I loved it!”

If you couldn’t be an author, what would your ideal career be? 

Uh… are there other options? Kidding. Well before this I was a stay home mom and it worked well for me. I’d also love to give musical theater a shot. Broadway would be fun!

 What inspired you to write Cinder & Ella?

I didn’t need to be inspired for this one. I have ALWAYS wanted to write my own Cinderella story. It’s my favorite fairy tale. I will watch and read every single Cinderella adaptation I can find. And I will read or watch them over and over and over again. So ever since I started writing, I knew that one day I would write a Cinderella retelling of my own. I simply had to wait for the right idea. I actually had the idea of the celebrity and the “normal” girl knowing each other from an online roleplaying game and meeting up at a fantasy or gaming convention sitting in my “idea” folder. And one day when I was between projects I was looking over my list of ideas and I thought that would be the perfect idea for a Cinderella story and voila … Cinder & Ella was born.

What scene was your favorite to write?

My favorite scene to write was probably the scene where Brian and Ella finally meet face to face. That’s not necessarily my favorite scene in the book, but it was a lot of fun to write. To think up the moments and conversation that would make Brian recognize Ella, and getting to have them banter as strangers was a lot of fun! Seriously, not to be egotistical or anything, but when Brian told Ella to say car for him… I almost died laughing. Kinda thought I was a genius for a while. (Of course, then I went back and read the first draft when it was done and realized that genius was a bit of a stretch! LOL) But anyway, yeah, the face-to-face was a lot of fun.

Who is your favorite—Brian or Ella? 

Pshhh. That totally depends on which one of them I’m dealing with and how they are treating me at the time. Kind of like my kids, it’s hard to play favorites, but well behaved characters are usually higher on my list than the difficult ones.

Connect with Kelly: 


Website * Newsletter * Facebook * Instagram * Amazon * Goodreads * Google+ * Reader Squad/Street Team * GR fan group

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Saturday, October 1, 2016

Cover Reveal, Giveaway, and Author Interview: Cursed by the Fountain of Youth by Holly Kelly

Don't Miss the Rafflecopter Giveaway at the End of the Post for a chance to win a Signed Paperback copy of any of Holly Kelly's other books, a $25.00 Gift Card, Ebooks, and Many Other Prizes!



Blurb:


For centuries, countless adventurers have searched for the Fountain of Youth. Those who found it thought they would gain eternal life. Instead, they find themselves murdered by its guardians. There was, however, one, lone survivor—Fae Miller. As an infant, she not only survived the Fountain, she took its power.

Twenty-two years later, Fae is hiding in plain sight at a local college. She’s is determined to leave the past behind her and live a normal life. But for one dying man, the search for the Fountain of Youth continues, and he is leaving a trail of blood and mutilated bodies in his wake. Unfortunately, that trail leads directly to Fae. Her only hope is a young, new college professor, also known as Special Agent Nick Chase of the FBI. Nick is determined to do two things: keep Fae alive, and keep his relationship with his student professional. Both of these jobs prove difficult—especially when love and magic get involved.

Excerpt:


They ate their dinner in silence. Fae realized in those quiet moments that she had a major problem.
She’d not only kissed her professor, she desperately wanted to kiss him again. No. Desperate was not a strong enough word. It took supreme effort not to jump out of her seat and throw her arms around him.
“Um,” she said and cleared her throat, “that probably shouldn’t happen again.”
Nick didn’t answer. A scowl settled on his face.
“I mean,” Fae continued, “This could complicate things. I don’t want you to feel you need to give me a good grade, just because you might…”
“Might what?” he asked when she didn’t’ continue.
“I don’t want to put words in your mouth,” she said.
“Right,” he said. He seemed want to say something, but paused to consider his words. “How about I tell you how I feel? That way you won’t be putting words into my mouth.”
“Okay.”
He looked her directly in the eyes. “I think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. So it goes without saying that I’m attracted to you. And I’ve had enough experience with women to know you’ve had little experience with men. Rules aside, I’d still move slowly with you.”
Fae swallowed and gave a shaky nod.
“But the truth is I am your professor. So this relationship cannot move further than what it is now. That is until the end of the term. And no, I won’t be giving you any grade you don’t deserve.”
“But, once the term ends,” he continued, “all bets are off. I intend to pursue a relationship with you. I expect keeping my hands off you will be difficult in the meantime. I think we are both reasonable adults and have enough self-control to keep things at a professional level. Right?”
Fae nodded, feeling a bit relieved. “I do have one question,” she said.
“Yes?”
“You said our relationship couldn’t go farther than it is.”
“Right,” he said.
“And we’ve already kissed.”
A frown settled on his face. It looked like he could guess what she was about to say. Warmth flooded her cheeks. She asked in a small voice, “So, can I kiss you again?”
He closed his eyes and shook his head as he groaned and gave a weak chuckle. “You’re going to make things difficult, aren’t you?” When he opened his eyes, he stood up, pulled her out of her seat, and wrapped his arms around her. Her eyes widened and heart pounded as her body melded against his. He looked down and gave her a smoldering look as the scent of his cologne teased her senses and made her mouth water.
 “I can’t think of any alternate reality where I would ever say no when you ask me that question.” With that said, he leaned forward and kissed her so thoroughly, she could scarcely remember her own name.


Author Interview


How long have you been writing?I’ve been writing regularly for about eight years. Eight years ago, I decided to try my hand at writing a novel. I finished it and soon realized I had a lot to learn, but I loved writing so much, I couldn’t seem to stop. Five years later, I got my first novel, Rising, published (though it was the fourth novel I’d written).

What genre do you read the most and who are your favorite authors from that genre?I read all kinds of genres, but I prefer a book with a bit of romance. My absolute favorite author is Amy Harmon. She writes mostly contemporary, but also some paranormal. She has such emotion packed into her books. I also really enjoy Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fey series, Tamara Grantham’s Fairy World MD’s series, and A.G. Howard’s Splintered series.

What made you decide to switch to self publishing? That’s a simple answer. It’s so I could have more control what happens with my books. It’s not that I don’t love my publisher, they’ve been amazing to work with and I have plans to publish more through them. But for this series, I’d like to spread my wings and take charge. I will still have an editor, but the cover design and formatting will be all me and my husband (who knows more about Photoshop and Illustrator than I do). I look forward to new horizons.

What does a typical writing day look like for you?
I’ve got a lot going on in my life—with six kids and being a small business owner during the day—it makes it difficult to find time to write. So I don’t find time, I make time. For me, writing starts somewhere between 4 and 6 o’clock in the morning. I’m able to write until my kids need a ride to school at 8:00. Then I come back and often write some more—until about 9. That’s my writing time.

What's your process for writing? Do you outline first or are you more of a write-by-the-seat of-your-pants author?I’ve tried outlining on several occasion, but it simply doesn’t work for me. Most of my best ideas come as I’m writing. So I’m a 100% write by the seat of my pants author.

Do you have a street team or Facebook group that you run or can recommend?I do have a few things I manage on Facebook. I have a group called All Things Paranormal, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, and Awesome; I have an author page http://facebook.com/authorhollykelly; I have bookstore page called Clean Paranormal http://facebook.com/cleanparanormal (The bookstore can be found at CleanParanormal.com); and then for those who are aspiring writers, there’s the Author’s Think Tank on Facebook (it’s a place where authors come together to help one another). Any of these places are great!

What inspires you to write a new book/series?I get inspired by all kinds of things. Most of my stories come from my mind thinking, “what if?” Like what if a mermaid were born on land, but she didn’t know she was a mermaid. Instead she thought she were horribly deformed? (The premise for my first published book—Rising.) Or, what if the Fountain of Youth wasn’t really a fountain, but a person? And people could gain youth from her blood? (Cursed by the Fountain of Youth.) Or the next book in the series—what if the reason the headless horseman could still ride around and cause trouble, was because his head is still alive, talking, and breathing (for the body)—due to a witch’s curse. And then, what if a beautiful, young woman stumbled on it—and not knowing what to do with a live, severed head—kept it around, talked with it, scolded it, and ended up falling in love. What a crazy beauty and the beast story that would be! I actually have more story ideas than time to write them.

Do you have any writing advice or tips that you'd like to leave with us?


This one’s easy. There are two things you need to do if you want to be a writer: 1) Read (a lot!) 2) Write (consistently). That’s it. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt to read books on writing (especially written by authors who are successful).

About the Author:

Holly Kelly is a mom who writes books in her spare time: translation--she hides in the bathroom with her laptop and locks the door while the kids destroy the house and smear peanut butter on the walls. She was born in Utah but moved around a bit, living in Kansas, Texas, and Hawaii where she studied marine biology. She's now back in Utah--"happy valley". She's married to a wonderful husband, James, and they are currently raising 6 rambunctious children. Her interests are reading, writing (or course), martial arts, visual arts, creating Halloween props, and spending time with family.

https://www.amazon.com/Rising-Book-1-Holly-Kelly-ebook/dp/B00EZRNT5W/

Find Holly at: AuthorHollyKelly.com

 

Pick Up the First Book in Holly Kelly's Best-Selling Rising Series for FREE Now!







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