Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Thunderous Blog Tour - My Turn!!



When author J.M. Schroder put out the call for participants in the Thunderous Blog Tour, I jumped at the chance to learn a little more about her book, Thunderstorm. The dangerously dark cover and even darker premise intrigued me right away. This is going to the top of my to-be-read list!

Check out the awesome cover and learn a little bit about the first book in the Daughters of Eden series.

Summary: What you thought about the BIBLE ....is about to CHANGE. What if you found out you were the granddaughter of the first woman, no not Eve, but Lilith? After 150 years Dika Edens, the oldest of 4 girls each destined to live forever, finds out that very thing and that she must break the curse that was put in place when Eve sinned.  But first she must find her Aunt and Grandmother.

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Recommended Age Group: 18 years and above
Length: 295 Pages
Publisher: Schroder & Associates
Average Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

 

 
 

Learn more about Thunderstorm (Schroder & Associates, 2012)

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Thunderstorm-Daughters-of-Eden-ebook/dp/B00APRACCE/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1356754765&sr=1-3&keywords=J.+M.+Schroder
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Learn more about the author: J.M. Schroder
 
Jennie Schroder lives with her husband and three amazing and energetic children in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She studies Court Reporting at Sumner College in Portland, Oregon. Her love of writing took off in her junior high school years in Mrs. Eckert’s Creative Writing Class. Now she is sharing the stories in her head with everyone because there are way too many to keep to herself. If not writing, seeking out readers, interacting and thanking her amazing supporters, or daydreaming about her next story or being a very exhausted mother to 2 young boys and a teenage daughter, Jennie loves most to be playing with her family – indoors and out and reading.


Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Cover, summary, and release date reveal for my debut novel!

When the managing editor emailed me the cover (and surprise title) of my book, she asked me if I was sitting down. I thought maybe she liked to add a little flare of theatrics for first time authors. So I grinned at her enthusiasm, and opened the attachment right where I stood. I was coaching at a big horse show, but I couldn't help myself. I'd been waiting months to see what my cover would look like, and the idea of waiting a few more hours seemed impossible.

I was standing when I opened it. I don't know how it happened, but while I took in the spectacular, thrilling image of my cover, I somehow backed a good fifteen feet to the nearest set of bleachers and plopped down on it, horse show vanishing into thin air. My cover. MY cover. Beautiful and spectacular and like nothing I could've imagined. And the title "Moonlit" - perfect and intriguing. I've been cherishing them since Saturday, basking in the glow of the homestretch. And now, I'm ready to send them into the world. You're the reason I did this anyhow :)

First, the release date.... April 23rd, 2013. (Suddenly April feels very, very close.)
Title, once again, because I love it... Moonlit

And, the cover. It might be the most gorgeous cover I've ever seen on a book. I know I'm partial, but the cover artists at WiDo publishing did a fantastic job. What do you think?



Gorgeous, right?? So what's this cover all about, anyway? Here's the summary:
 
Eighteen-year-old Tanzy Hightower knows horses, has grown up with them on Wildwood Farm. She also knows not to venture beyond the trees that line the pasture. Things happen out there that can’t be explained. Or undone. Worse, no one but she and the horses can see what lurks in the shadows of the woods.

When a moonlit ride turns into a terrifying chase, Tanzy is left to question everything, from the freak accident that killed her father to the very blood in her veins. Broken and confused, she turns to Lucas, a scarred, beautiful stranger, and Vanessa, a charming new friend who has everything Tanzy doesn’t.

But why do they seem to know more about her than she knows herself?

I am so excited to share this story with all of you. Thank you so much for being a part of this journey. I'm honored to have an amazing network of writers who want to support this book of mine, and are participating in a cover reveal blog tour. I will provide a full schedule of tour dates as soon as they are finalized. The tour will run through the month of February. A follow-up tour with interviews and giveaways will begin April 1st.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Release day celebration and author interview with Aviva Orr

First and foremost, I want to extend a *huge* congratulations, good luck, and SQUEE!! to my fellow WiDo Publishing author, Aviva Orr, on today's release of her novel, "The Mist on Bronte Moor." (Side note, Aviva might be one of the coolest names I have ever heard. But I digress...)

The concept of Aviva's book is also sublimely original. Here's the blurb (provided by www.widopublishing.com:) When fifteen-year-old Heather Jane Bell is diagnosed with alopecia and her hair starts falling out in clumps, she wants nothing more than to escape her home in London and disappear off the face of the earth. Heather gets her wish when her concerned parents send her to stay with a great-aunt in West Yorkshire. But shortly after she arrives, Heather becomes lost on the moors and is swept through the mist back to the year 1833. There she encounters fifteen-year-old Emily Bronte and is given refuge in the Bronte Parsonage. Unaware of her host family’s genius and future fame, Heather struggles to cope with alopecia amongst strangers in a world foreign to her. While Heather finds comfort and strength in her growing friendship with Emily and in the embrace of the close-knit Bronte family, her emotions are stretched to the limit when she falls for Emily’s brilliant but troubled brother, Branwell. Will Heather find her way back to the comforts and conveniences of the twenty-first century? Or will destiny keep her in the harsh world of nineteenth-century Haworth?

The cover: (LOVE. I see something new every time I look at it.)

The Mist on Bronte Moor

I had to know how Aviva came up with this enchanting idea, so it was the first question I asked her when she agreed to an interview.

How did you come up with the idea for The Mist on Brontë Moor?
I visited the Brontë Parsonage Museum several years ago and came up with the idea shortly afterwards. It’s not hard to imagine the Brontës at home in the parsonage when visiting Haworth, as I’m sure many tourists have done. After my visit, I started reading biographies about the Brontës, and the more I read, the more interested I became in their lives. The idea grew from there.

What made you decide to give Heather alopecia?
My niece suffers from alopecia. Her hair started falling out at age fifteen—the same age as Heather. I had never heard of alopecia before my niece developed it, but I quickly became aware of how much distress it can cause a person, especially a teenager.

Heather’s alopecia also gave me the opportunity to relay some important messages. I have a teenage daughter, and I am constantly surprised at how heavily teens are influenced by their peers, ranging from what they wear to how they feel about themselves. Heather is extra vulnerable because of her condition. At the beginning of the novel, Heather is tormented by her peers and focuses heavily on her alopecia. When she goes back in time, she is gradually able to relax because the Brontë family is non-judgmental. Branwell is somewhat curious about her hair, but he finds her beautiful regardless. Basically, I’m illustrating that if you accept others as they are without fixating on their differences, they will, in turn, be more accepting of themselves.

Did your characters have any surprises in store for you as the writer?
The Mist on Brontë Moor started as a mid-grade book, so all the characters were initially much younger. I loved watching them mature into young adults. It really helped with the character development because I got to know them so well. Branwell was a mischievous kid and he played some nasty tricks on his sisters and Heather, so I was pleased by how his charm and sensitivity shone through as a young man, despite all his troubled moments. As for Heather, she handled her problems much better as a teen. She turned out to be quite strong, and I am delighted with that. 

I love your cover. Are there any little plot secrets in the design?
The cover sets the tone for the novel. I wanted the graveyard and a lot of mist with the parsonage in the background.  The subplot also comes into play, so the cover reflects much of what the novel has to offer.

When you think of your book, is there one line that stands out to you?
The last line in the book is my favorite; it is derived from a line in one of Emily’s poems, which is quoted at the beginning of the last chapter. Of course, I can’t quote the line here or it will give away too much! 

How will you celebrate on the day of your release?
There will be an international giveaway on Goodreads, starting January 8, to celebrate the release of the book’s print edition. The winner will receive a signed paperback copy of The Mist on Brontë Moor. 

What's next for you?
I’m working on another young-adult novel. This one is contemporary with a literary theme as well. 

Thank you so much for your time, Aviva. And I hope you have an incredible release day. I have to admit that I've been stalking this book of yours online. A couple of days ago, a review for The Mist on Bronte Moor hit Goodreads, and prompted me to click over to Wido Publishing's website and pre-order a print copy of the book immediately. Click here to see the review that made me jump to action.

I am eagerly awaiting my pre-ordered copy of The Mist on Bronte Moor, and will read and review it as soon as possible!

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Cover Reveal and Author Interview: Deadly Kisses by Kerri Cuevas

I am *super* excited to be a part of the cover reveal blog tour for my fellow WiDo author, Kerri Cuevas. Kerri and I have recently started beta-reading for each other's sequels. Having scored a sneak-peek of the sequel, I am dying to read the first installment, "Deadly Kisses," which will be released March 5th, 2013 (squee!!)

The situation: Aiden Grant is seventeen, has a killer kiss and a boss who used to be President, back in the old days. You see, Aiden is a grim reaper and his kiss welcomes the newly dead. But Aiden’s pleasant grim reaper lifestyle is in jeopardy. And it’s not only because Honest Abe keeps throwing out history lessons with reaping assignments, just to confuse him. It’s because Aiden’s next assignment is to reap the soul of Bee, the only girl he has ever loved. When Aiden’s kiss of death fails, intertwining their souls, Bee is still very much alive and they are both in trouble. The ancients want Bee, who has special powers of her own, and they’ll do anything to get her. Some rules are meant to be broken, even if that means Aiden must bargain with his own soul to save Bee. Who knew the afterlife could get so complicated?

And, of course, the cover! I am in love with the color choice for the background. This book will definitely jump off the shelf. I also really like the font they used for the title and the color/font they used for the author name. All around a very well-done cover. I can't decide if it makes me feel warm and welcomed, or too close to a flame...


Kerri was kind enough to drop by for a few questions about "Deadly Kisses." Thank you so much for coming, Kerri!

Where did you come up with the idea for "Deadly Kisses?" I love reading and writing paranormal romances, and I wanted to write something different than vampires, werewolves, or fairies. The idea to write about a Grim Reaper came along while preparing for Halloween, which is a major holiday in my house. I ended up writing, Deadly Kisses, the next month as my NaNoWriMo project.

Tell us a little about your main character. What/who inspired your main character? Nothing in particular inspired my main character. They just have a way of inventing themselves, and bugging me until I tell their story. Shortly after I knew I wanted to write about a Grim Reaper, a boy named Aiden popped into my head. He had curly blonde hair, played the guitar, and hated history class. He’s a tortured soul.

What do you think makes this story stand out? I really wanted to go to extremes with my characters and the difficult decisions they had to make, and what bigger decision to make to be a Grim Reaper and take the life of someone you love.
 
Put it to music: think of one of your favorite scenes in the book and tell us what song would play in that moment. Oooo, I love this question, Jadie! My main character, Aiden, plays a guitar, so yeah, just love music! Aiden has Sunday, Bloody Sunday as his phone ringtone. The song was originally done by U2, but Paramore did a retake on it. I also use music to set a theme. The book was inspired by the song If I die Young by The Band Perry. Ok, but your question was a scene. So in the first chapter Aiden sends a soul that he reaps to Heaven, and I imagine as that soul is leaving him, Boulevard of Broken Dreams is playing by Green Day.
 
A picture is worth a thousand words: any little secrets you want to reveal about your cover? It was really fun, picking the excerpts that the cover artist could use to feel the tone of the book. I hope everyone likes the cover as much as I do. It was really hard determining if a male or female should be on the cover because the story is told in Aiden’s point of view. In the end I thought a girl should be on the cover because although the story is told by Aiden, it is about Beatrice.
 
How will you celebrate the release of "Deadly Kisses?" Jump up and down, screaming with party hats on…oh um, yeah I’m hoping to have a launch party at my favorite bookstore. I guess I should start planning that, and everyone is invited!
 
Thanks so much for having me here today, Jadie.
 
 
Links:


 
Secure your copy early with the pre-release special: www.widopublishing.com/deadly-kisses-by-kerri-cuevas/
 
Learn more about Kerri Cuevas: www.kerricuevas.blogspot.com