Fragments of Darkness Cover Reveal

It's been a while. A long while. The second half of last year was rough, career-wise. But 2017 is a whole new animal. To prove it I can finally share something bookishly exciting, the cover for Fragments of Darkness, an anthology of thrilling stories. I'm beyond thrilled to be working with nine amazingly talented authors. 

Ready?

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Fragments of Darkness

An Anthology of Thrilling Stories

release date: September 13, 2017

From between the cracks of imagination, among the splinters of the unknown, and upon the winds of mystery, lurk the Fragments of Darkness.

With legends of killer mermaids to tales of Civil War era ghosts, ten passionate story-tellers come together to bring you yarns of fantasy, paranormal, and chills and thrills that will entertain, intrigue, and enchant young adult and new adult readers.

Lisa M. Basso -- Heart and Bone

C.L. Campbell -- Reckoner

Dorothy Dreyer -- Under the Surface 

Pat Esden -- Black as a Dark Moon, Scarlet as Sumac 

E.M. Fitch -- Between Shadows

R.A. Gates -- The Collector

Jessica Gunn -- The Ghost

Debra Jess -- Blood & Armor

Melanie McFarlane -- The Transgressions of Faithe Eileen 

Daphne René -- Story of the Unknown Soldier

Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34103708-fragments-of-darkness           

Beautiful, right? 

Next, the full jacket. 

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 You guys, I just can't even right now. 

*deep breaths*

Preorders for this deliciously creepy book will be available in the summer, for both ebook and print! We will be doing Goodreads giveaways in future as well, so add the book to your to-read shelf and keep an eye out.

Feel free to share the spooktacular cover and blurb anywhere you wish along with the hashtag #FODAnthology

Thanks so much for stopping by. I'll be posting again soon with more information on my contribution to the anthology, Heart and Bone.

Why a Book Boyfriend is so Important

Hello lovelies!

In the last two weeks I wrote about writing, plotting, and the like, so I figured today would be about fun. And what's more fun than falling in love?

The heart palpataions, the nervous sweat, the trying-to-be-sexy that sometimes looks to most of the world like you're having a slow moment, and the pitter-patter of tiny bird wings as they hold up a string of roses in the shape of a heart around the face you've fallen for. There's nothing better than love, I tell ya!

Whether they lift you up or bring you down (temporarily, or course, I'm only promoting HEALTHY relationships here--even in fiction, healthy relationships are key) these boys are necessary. In real life, if your single, in a relationship, married, it doesn't matter. What happens in fiction stays in fiction. Plus, book boys are almost always better than real ones.

Here's a short list of some of my favorite book boyfriends.

-Sam (from The Wolves of Mercy Falls series). The good boy. He's sweet, yet oh-so tortured. And loyal. Don't forget loyal. This boy would never leave you...unless it got really cold. Even then, totally not his fault.



-Noah (from Pushing the Limits). I've made no secret for my love of Noah since reading Pushing the Limits. He's the quintessential tamed bad boy. But his story is about so much more than himself. He has a goal other than landing Echo. He has a huge heart and two adorable little brothers he would do anything for.

-Cassel Sharpe (from The Curse Workers series). Cassel is never what you expect. His actions surprised me around every turn. He's my wildcard. I've only recently finished this series (for some reason I tend to let the final books in trilogies sit around for a while before I read them. I must have trouble saying goodbye.) and Cassel is still fresh in my mind. Holly Black, if you're out there, Cassel is one of the most twisted, unique, enigmas out there in YA fiction and I love him. If you're tired of the cookie-cutter hero, Cassel Sharpe is for you. Bonus: he's hot. Double bonus: if you listen to the audiobooks, Jesse Eisenberg does a fantastic (read: swoony) job that will never leave you bored or tired of his spectacular voice.

And now I have a problem. I'm out of book boyfriends!

Here is where you readers can do me a solid. Give me a list of your favorite book boyfriends! Don't worry, I don't mind sharing. ;)

Who would you love to be stranded on a desert island with, or face your greatest fear beside? I can't wait to hear who you swoon for.

Just Doing

The last month or so I've been adrift in my writing, completely listless. I jumped from project to project in my head while getting very little done. I plotted a new book, sure, but that isn't the book I can write right this moment.

I've been in a slump and have been reading a lot to try and pull myself out of the depths. Which is an ironic term for reasons I can't (yet) share. Reading has been helping though, catching up on books that have been sitting in my TBR pile for way too long. But it wasn't until yesterday during a dinner conversation with The Best Boyfriend Fiance That Ever Lived when I realized it was time to push aside the angst. Stop thinking (that's me, always in my head) and simply start doing.

That's what I'm up to today. I'm done being unfocused and trying to think my way out of the tangled little maze that holds up residence in my brain. Today, I'm a doer. I'm setting a goal of exercising five days a week (just finished my third workout of the week), and writing everyday (even if I can only squeeze in an hour, something on the page is so much better than letting it slide by).

It's not going to be easy, but I'm up for the challenge. Are you? If you're interested in joining me (in exercising, writing, reading, crafting, knitting, whatever floats your boat that you would love to find time to do more of) I can set up weekly or monthly posts here where we can all update our stats and show each other support. You set your own goals and timeline. Just leave a comment on this post if you're interested in participating. If we get enough people to join, I can set aside one day of the week where we all share.

Falling for Fall

It's here. October. Fall. My favorite season. Leaves are turning, temperatures are changing, rains are falling.


Now you may disagree with me here, but keep in mind I live on the Northern California coast. Smack dab in the middle of the state. Our summers consist of the possibility of seventy degree weather, maybe for a week or two in September. Sure, we can take a trip north, south, or east for an hour and find temperatures at least ten degrees higher, but that's not possible every day.


Still curious about San Francisco summers? Yes, I could have taken this photo less than a month ago. This is the norm for us, people. And I'm not complaining, not one bit. It is beautiful.

However.

There is something different about fog versus rain clouds. Yes, they both look similar. But, for me, nothing beats the pat-pat-pat sound of rain on the windows, the vroom from my ancient heater kicking up to pump warm air (with Kitty A always in front of the living room vent) into the house. There is nothing more motivating for snuggling up with a great book, typing away at the keys on a shiny first draft, or hacking and slashing a manuscript you can almost no longer stand to look at.

And so far, fall has been good to me.

Now I'm curious about my loyal followers. Does fall really get you moving or slow you down? Why? If fall isn't your favorite season, what is?

News, Books, and the Latest

While I haven't been around blogger lately, I have been keeping busy. After a long and thorough set of edits, GD, my YA Paranormal (one I'm so in love with), is finally off to the world's most amazing crit partners. YAY! And now instead of twiddling my thumbs I just have to decide what to work on while I wait for more revisions to roll in. So I haven't exactly decided yet, but I have several options. I'm leaning toward firing up my mostly-plotted YA sci-fi (codename: W) and writing until my fingers bleed.

Also, I've finally finished my A-Z reading challenge. What a whirlwind. And now that I've read all my required reading, I'm enjoying some great reads I've been looking forward to. Shift (Shade #2) by Jeri Smith-Ready. I'm almost halfway through it. This is how you write an emotional read, people. Uh-mazing! And, by the way, The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade was also a great read. Fun and surprisingly deep. Now all I need is the sequel, Queen of the Dead.

Now I'm sure I don't have to tell you so many great books have come out over the summer and release soon. While my book addiction is...uh, let's call it problematic, there are so many books on my wishlist right now. Seriously. In case you're interested, I've got a wishlist tab on my goodreads.

An amazing bit of news that I almost forgot to mention, my critique partner just signed a contract with Entangled Publishing for her Sci-Fi Romance, Queen of Swords. I'm beyond thrilled for her. And trust me, you will want to get your hands on this one when it releases.

Great news all around! And I'll be seeing you all around a lot more lately.

A-Z Reading Challenge March Update

As you may (or may not) know I'm participating in an alphabet reading challenge hosted by Steph @ Thoughts of a Book Junkie.


A - Assassin Study by Maria V. Snyder
B - Blood Feud by Alyxandra Harvey
C - Chime by Franny Billingsley
D - The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
E - The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller
F - Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder
G - Going All In by Jess Dee
H - Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey 
I - The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney
J - Jonas (Beautiful Dead #1) by Eden Maguire
K - Kiss Me Deadly by Michele Hauf
L - Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
M - Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder
N - Nevermore by Kelly Creagh
O - Once Dead, Twice Shy by Kim Harrison
P - Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
Q - Queen of Shadows by Dianne Sylvan
R - A Rush of Wings by Adrian Phoenix
S - Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready
T - This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
U - Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane
V - Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
W - Wither by Lauren DeStefano
X - XVI by Julia Karr
Y - (Still searching)
Z - Zombie Nights by Tom Lichtenberg

Read in March:
T - This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
M - Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder
J - Jonas (Beautiful Dead #1) by Eden Maguire
D - The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
and
Z - Zombie Nights by Tom Lichtenberg

14 down, 12 to go. My favorite this month? It was a big surprise, but Jonas (Beautiful Dead #1). The idea, the fast-paced writing style, and the characters really got to me.


So, my question for you guys is, what are you reading? Or what have you read recently that's blown you away? And I'm still searching for a Y pick. Any ideas?

A-Z Reading Challenge February Update

As you may (or may not) know I'm participating in an alphabet reading challenge hosted by Steph @ Thoughts of a Book Junkie. And I wanted to share my progress.

This is my first reading challenge, and even though I'm not a book blogger, I am a writer. And as a writer, I read. In fact, I've always loved to read. So this challenge seemed right for me. And so much fun!

A - Assassin Study by Maria V. Snyder
B - (Either: The Body Finder by Kimberly Dertling, Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris, or Blood Feud by Alyxandra Harvey)
C - City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
D - (Either: Devoured by Amanda Marrone and The Dead Girl's Dance by Rachel Caine, or Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning)
E - The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller
F - Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder
G - Going All In by Jess Dee
H - Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey 
I - The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney
J - Jonas (Beautiful Dead #1) by Eden Maguire
K - Kiss Me Deadly by Michele Hauf
L - Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
M - Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder
N - Nevermore by Kelly Creagh
O - Once Dead, Twice Shy by Kim Harrison
P - Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
Q - Queen of Shadows by Dianne Sylvan
R - A Rush of Wings by Adrian Phoenix
S - Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready
T - This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
U - Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane
V - Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
W - Wither by Lauren DeStefano
X - XVI by Julia Karr
Y - (Still searching)
Z - (Still searching)

Read in February:
K - Kiss Me Deadly by Michele Hauf
H - Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey
I - The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney
and
R - A Rush of Wings by Adrian Phoenix

9 down, 17 to go. My favorite this month? It was a tie between Hearts at Stake and A Rush of Wings. Can't wait to see what both series will offer in the future.

Currently Reading:
M - Magic Study
and
T - This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

So, my question for you guys is, what are you reading? Or what have you read recently that's blown you away?