Review – Blood, She Read by Sara Hubbard

 

Blood, She Read

First I would like to say that I love the cover art. The colors and design are beautiful. This novel grabbed my attention the first moment I saw it and I had to buy it.

Then I started reading Blood, She Read and I was immediately hooked into the story and the character’s plight. Petra is a blood witch with amazing powers that she doesn’t quite have a grip on, and she doesn’t want to either. She is also a teenager with a screwed up family. The relationship between the main character, Petra Maras, and her mother was quite different and really entertaining to read. Petra’s mother is immature and quite abusive, but I got a sense right away that there was a lot of depth of emotions and history between these two. Petra’s father is even worse, which is why Petra and her mom live by themselves in a big Victorian house far far away on the coast of Nova Scotia. From the first few chapters I was wondering and hoping Petra and her mother would resolve their conflicts and the author doesn’t disappoint. This plot point in the novel was touching, believable, and not cheesy.

The other characters were really well written – the paranormal creatures (I won’t give away anymore than that), the cop, the best friend, and the enemies. I was amused by all of them. Petra’s crush, Finn, is definitely my favorite.  He’s sexy cool and sort of aloof but isn’t afraid to lay it all out there when it comes to telling Petra how he feels. He’s most definitely swoon worthy.

Ms. Hubbard has crafted a stellar YA paranormal romance packed with mystery, action, and plenty of entertaining magic.

*5 magical stars for Blood, She Read*

Blurb:

Keeping secrets from a psychic can be murder.

Petra Maras lives a charmed life, but only in the magical sense. Her absentee father is a criminal, her mother is emotionally dead, and everyone at her new school knows she comes from a family of witches. All she wants is to be normal, but that’s impossible, given her family. And given that she’s psychic. When the police request help with a murder investigation, Petra reluctantly agrees. Which isn’t such a good idea since the prime suspect wants to date her, and she really wants to say yes. Her gut says he’s innocent, but since she can’t get a read on him, she can’t know for sure. And when she discovers he’s been keeping secrets, she wonders if maybe she’s been following her heart instead of her head…

About the Author:

Sara Hubbard is the author of young adult books. Her debut novel BLOOD, SHE READ Sara Hubbardreleases fall 2012 and is a NEORWA Cleveland Rocks winner and a RCRW Duel on the Delta finalist. Sara lives in Nova Scotia, Canada with her two children (four if you count her husband and her needy labradoodle) and works as a registered nurse with the military.

Book & Author information from Goodreads

On Amazon

 

RomCon 2013 Update

I know, I know. RomCon was last weekend and it is already Friday again. How does almost an entire week go by before updating my blog? Good question. It could be the never ending family obligations, or the T-ball games, or my many other work related i_love_romcon_badgeinterruptions, but really it is all of the above.

So, RomCon was absolutely spectacular. There were so many amazing authors there. My head is still swimming with fan girl giddiness and the many names of authors and new friends.

Some of you may know that I had to sit on a panel about New Adult and Young Adult novels and that I was more nervous than I have been – probably ever. Well, my stress was for nothing. The chat went smoothly and I had the great honor to sit with some truly great authors.  Want to know who? I wish all of you could have been there, but since there wasn’t room for a few thousand people, I talked NA/YA with Gena Showalter, Alexis Alexander, Molly McAdams, Rachel Van Dyken, JM Kline, and my fellow CMP author, Courtney Farrell. It was a new experience and really not that bad. I guess my feeling of needing to vomit in the bathroom from nerves wasn’t necessary after all. I also sat through a Speed Date an Author – which was fun – and signed books in the book signing, which was awesome!

My only other news to report is the Breast Cancer Research raffle raised $2,045!!! Thanks again to the lovely authors who donated items to the basket I put together!  And thanks to the coordinators and volunteers who make RomCon happen every year. I hope I can attend next year.

RomCon is Here at Last

After waiting for eight months, RomCon is finally here. Yes, I did sign up early even i_love_romcon_badgethough I knew nothing about the reader’s conference. I heard about the conference from some writer friends and decided, why not? The conference is in Colorado Springs this year and I have a new release to share with the world. RomCon is for romance readers of every genre. Many amazing authors will be attending as well. For three days, readers, fans, and authors will be celebrating books, books, and more books. There are events all day long and late into the night.

This year I will be meeting a lot of new people and hopefully a few fans. If you are attending, I will be at the Speed Date a New Author on Friday from 1:00 – 1:55 pm. And, on Saturday I will be having a discussion about Young Adult & New Adult novels and authors from 11:20 – 12:10.

The book signings during RomCon are open to the public. So even if you are not attending all weekend, you can drop in and have your book signed by a favorite author.

Here are the times:  Friday, 21st  4:30 – 5:45

I’ll be signing on     Saturday, 22nd  3:50 – 5:20

Here are a few of the activities at this year’s RomCon

Contemporary– Chat Panels, Swoonworthy Cocktail Hour,  What’s My Story?, First Kisses…and more.

Romantic Suspense– Chat Panels, Covert Ops 101, Super-Clue Game…and more. Historical– Chat Panels, High Noon at the Cowboy Corral, Historical Hijinks…and more.

Paranormal– Chat Panels, Slayers Inc…and more.

Erotic Romance– Chat Panels, BDSM 101, Dane/Hart Discuss Live, A Very Virginal Bachelorette Party…and more.

All Genres– Speed Date A New Author, Birds Of A Feather, Author Signing, Lunchtime Bingo…and more.

RomCon® 2013 will be June 21-23, 2013 in Colorado Springs, CO. It will be at the beautiful Hotel Elegante, formally known as the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Here is a picture of a basket I am donating to the breast cancer fundraiser & raffle. 006Many thanks to the wonderful authors who donated swag items to the raffle basket!

I hope to see you this weekend and if not, wish me luck! I’m equally nervous and excited.

For more details: Here is a link to RomCon

Book Review – Son of a Mermaid by Katie O’Sullivan

I had the great pleasure of reading Son of a Mermaid by Katie O’Sullivan. It is a really fun and exceptional novel. It is also a new release from Crescent Moon Press. This book filled me with daydreams about lying on sunny beaches and swimming in the cool Atlantic waters. SonofaMermaid_FrontCover

The mysteries and intrigue start from the very beginning as tragedy strikes fifteen year old Shea MacNamara and takes his father, and only parent, away from him. Shea leaves Oklahoma to move in with his Grandmother in Cape Cod. Shortly after Shae’s move he meets Kae, a peculiar and somewhat different “girl” early one morning on the beach. Their attraction to each other is instant and very sweet. The relationship is engaging, cute, and perfect for a YA novel. The story switches between these two characters so the reader is above water at times and below at others.

Kae is a servant to Princess Brynn. The reader gets to know all the Royal family members and Kae’s family as well. The Mermaid history and hierarchy is explained clearly and was fascinating to read. There is much strife and dissension among the Royalty living underwater. If you like family secrets, treachery, and ferocious bad guys, you won’t be disappointed by Son of a Mermaid.

This novel really resonated with me. I loved the ocean and beach scenes. Maybe it’s because I’m a Pisces and have always loved the water, or maybe it is because the author paints vivid and realistic scenes. I could easily imagine every detail about the ocean, the undersea mermaid world, and envision the neighborhood in Cape Cop with perfect clarity – thank you Ms. O’Sullivan!

This was a fantastic beach tale filled with depth, wonderful characters, mystery, betrayal, and tender first love. Katie O’Sullivan writes great descriptions with attention to detail where it matters. Every page was enjoyable, sparked my imagination, and had just the right amount of tension. Although this novel is considered young adult, I think it is a great book for any age!  I highly recommend this story and I would read anything written by Katie O’Sullivan.

*** Fun, Imaginative, Excellent Writing, Five Stars ***

If you would like to buy a copy or find out more, here is a link to amazon

SON OF A MERMAID, by Katie O’Sullivan, published May 2013 by Crescent Moon Press, YA fantasy romance, and is on tour! Enter to win an E-book, a “transmutare” necklace, or a cool swag pack below.

Book Blurb:                                         SofM5_tourbadge

Shea MacNamara’s life just got complicated.

After a freak tornado devastates his Oklahoma farm, the fifteen-year-old orphan moves to Cape Cod to live with a grandmother he’s never met. Struggling to make sense of his new surroundings, he meets a girl along the shore who changes his life forever.

Kae belongs to an undersea world hidden from drylanders. The daughter of royal servants, she knows the planned marriage of her Princess to the foreign King should put an end to the war between the clans. Two things stand in the way of lasting peace: an ambitious Regent and rumors of a half-human child who will save the oceans.

Sparks fly when she meets Shea, but could the cute drylander really be the Son of a Mermaid?

About the Author:

Katie O’Sullivan lives with her family and big dogs next to the ocean on Cape Cod, drinking way too much coffee and inventing new excuses not to dust. She writes YA and romantic suspense novels, and works as an editor making other people’s words sparkle. For the last four years, she’s been the Editor of CapeWomenOnline.com magazine and writes a column entitled “The Write Way.”

She hopes her debut YA novel, SON OF A MERMAID, will make a big splash this summer, engaging young readers with a Cape Cod tale of a boy who discovers both his roots and his destiny far below the waters of Nantucket Sound.

Find Katie online:

Follow her Blog – http://katieosullivan.blogspot.com

Like her on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/AuthorKatieOSullivan

Find her on Twitter – https://twitter.com/OkatieO

Check out her website at http://www.katie-osullivan.com

Add Son of a Mermaid on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17184560-son-of-a-mermaid
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Interview with author Katie O’Sullivan

Today I am excited to have as a guest  the very talented author – Katie O’Sullivan – Author of Son of a mermaid, new release from Crescent Moon Press.

Will you tell us about Son of a Mermaid? How it came to be, or where you found SonofaMermaid_FrontCoveryour inspiration? 

Mermaids have always fascinated me. We spent summers on the Jersey Shore when I was younger, and my friends and I would make up stories about the mermaids who lived in Barnegate Bay.

Now my family lives on the shores of Cape Cod, and when my daughter was little we started telling stories about the mermaids who live here, in Nantucket Sound.

Is this novel part of a series? If so, how many books do you have planned? Can you share a little teaser about the 2nd book?

I’ve already signed the contract for a second book, also with Crescent Moon Press. *yea* The next book starts a few weeks after the first one ends, and the current blurb reads like this:

At fifteen, Shea McNamara discovered his mother’s a mermaid and he’s heir to an undersea kingdom. And even more important, he fell in love…with a mermaid. Big life changers for a former farmboy from Oklahoma.

Seventeen-year-old Zan commands powerful magick, and owes his allegiance to Prince Demyan. Kidnapping the heir’s girlfriend is just another step in Demyan’s twisted plans for world domination. But Zan has never met anyone like the beautiful mermaid Kae. She makes him feel things that he never thought he deserved, and he makes promises that put both their lives at risk.

Kae is torn between two mermen battling not only for her affections, but also for the future of the undersea world they inhabit. In the clashes between good and evil, the lines are not always clearly drawn. Especially when love is involved.

Ooh, that sounds great! I can’t wait. Do you write any other genres? Or, Is there a genre you would like to try writing? If so, what?

I’ve written two previous novels, both romantic suspense. And I have a contemporary romance out on submission. But I’ve found that I really like writing YA fantasy and would love to write more!

Will you share a favorite author or book with us?

I’m a voracious reader and enjoy lots of different genres and authors. I’m eagerly awaiting the next installment in George RR Martin’s Fire and Ice series, as well as the new movie based on Cassandra Clare’s City of Bones.

I’ve been reading a lot of books by my fellow Crescent Moon Press authors and have to say I’ve been pretty impressed. I loved your book, Jody! I hope there’s a sequel coming soon!

Thanks Katie. That is really sweet of you.

How about a guilty pleasure?

A lot of the time, reading feels like a guilty pleasure, lol. Especially when I get caught up in a book and stay up all night or am sitting right next to the stove with my nose in a book as dinner burns to a crisp… My favorite part of any vacation time is planning what books I’m going to bring!

Do you have a favorite hobby or pastime that doesn’t involve writing or reading?

I love walking on the beach with my dogs, especially first thing in the morning when no one else is around and they can totally romp. I let them chase gulls while I collect sea glass, those broken cloudy shards that get pummeled by the waves and smoothed by the sand. I have jars of the stuff decorating our house!

That sounds wonderful. I agree, sea glass is beautiful.

Ok, here’s a plane ticket. Where would you like to go?

Hmmm. Tough choice. There are so many places I’d like to see! Right now, I’d probably choose to fly to Oregon to visit friends who left Boston a few years ago. I’ve never been to the Northwest so it would accomplish a few goals – seeing old friends and checking out new places!

Ahh, Northwest coast – great choice! Who would you like to meet?

You mean as in fan girl kind of thing? I’d love to meet Cassandra Clare or Suzanne Collins. Both of those women write in such a compelling way, I’d love a chance to sit down and talk with them about how they do it, and do it so well.

Those are some very cool authors. Thank you, Ms. Sullivan for visiting with us and good luck with Son of a Mermaid! Although I don’t think you need it – your novel is fantastic!

I am thrilled to hear that the 2nd book in this series is under contract. But, for right now, here is some information about Son of a Mermaid. If you get a chance check it out, I don’t think you will be dissapointed. More info – On amazon here.

In celebration of this new release, SON OF A MERMAID, by Katie O’Sullivan. Published May 2013 by Crescent Moon Press, a YA fantasy romance is on tour. Enter the rafflecopter below to win some fun prizes!  SofM5_tourbadge

Book Blurb:

Shea MacNamara’s life just got complicated.

After a freak tornado devastates his Oklahoma farm, the fifteen-year-old orphan moves to Cape Cod to live with a grandmother he’s never met. Struggling to make sense of his new surroundings, he meets a girl along the shore who changes his life forever.

Kae belongs to an undersea world hidden from drylanders. The daughter of royal servants, she knows the planned marriage of her Princess to the foreign King should put an end to the war between the clans. Two things stand in the way of lasting peace: an ambitious Regent and rumors of a half-human child who will save the oceans.

Sparks fly when she meets Shea, but could the cute drylander really be the Son of a Mermaid?

About the Author:

Katie O’Sullivan lives with her family and big dogs next to the ocean on Cape Cod, drinking way too much coffee and inventing new excuses not to dust. She writes YA and romantic suspense novels, and works as an editor making other people’s words sparkle. For the last four years, she’s been the Editor of CapeWomenOnline.com magazine and writes a column entitled “The Write Way.”

She hopes her debut YA novel, SON OF A MERMAID, will make a big splash this summer, engaging young readers with a Cape Cod tale of a boy who discovers both his roots and his destiny far below the waters of Nantucket Sound.

Find Katie online:

Follow her Blog – http://katieosullivan.blogspot.com

Like her on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/AuthorKatieOSullivan

Find her on Twitter – https://twitter.com/OkatieO

Check out her website at http://www.katie-osullivan.com

Add Son of a Mermaid on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17184560-son-of-a-mermaid

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Summer Lovin’ Blog Hop Mountain Style

Welcome! The mountains of Colorado have so much to offer when it comes to outdoor recreation. Make sure to comment and enter the rafflecopter for a chance to win a Kindle Paperwhite, $25 amazon gift card, and an awesome swag pack.

cmpbloghopToday I have a special guest visiting and sharing what she likes the best about Colorado summers.

Welcome Juliana Crowson. Tell us a little about how your summer is going so far.

Thanks for wanting to chat with me. I don’t think you would believe me if I told you everything that has been happening to me this summer. Truthfully, I’m not sure I believe it yet. It’s been kinda freaky actually. So can I skip this question for right now and come back to it later?

Sure. That’s not a problem.

So, other than the “freaky” parts, what is your favorite thing about summer in the mountains?

Summer at 7100 feet is beautiful! We have a really long winters here, which is great, especially if you like the snow, but summer is amazing. The long days of sunshine are perfect for taking off into the mountains for an all day hike or jumping in the car and red-rockscruising across state to see an outdoor concert. There are a few great places for outdoor shows, but Red Rocks is definitely the best. It is an amazing natural amphitheater surrounded by huge red rock walls. The acoustics are unbelievable. It’ll blow your mind. I promise you.

Other than hiking and going to concerts, what other activities do you like to do in the Colorado summer?

Rock climbing is notable. When I can get my brother, Jared, to put his guitar down for a few hours, we have so much fun scaling rock walls. Other than that, I love wildcrafting for herbs and camping. Floating down the river on inner tubes is definitely at the top of my list of summer fun. And, last but not least, going to The Great Sand Dunes National Park. If you haven’t been there, it is really cool. You can camp, sled on the dunes, and play in the river. A lot of my favorite activities in one place. The mountains near to the Sand Dunes are great for wildcrafting Sand Dunestoo.

Tell me about wildcrafting. I’m not familiar with that term. What is it and why do you do it?

Wildcrafting is simply finding and harvesting medicinal and edible plants in their natural or “wild” habitat. I do it because I love it. I’ve been working in my grandmother’s herb shop since I was 10 years old and she has taught me so much about herbs and medicinal plants.  It’s like finding treasure. Then I take the herbs to the shop and dry them out or make them into a tincture, salve, or encapsulate them. It’s been a fascinating and useful hobby.

You get to go out into the wild and harvest plants. That doesn’t sound too terrible. Tell me, do you have a favorite summer wildflower?

They’re all my favorite. I guess if I had to choose, I really like the Forget-me-not’s, penstemons, delphiniums, and gentians. Can you tell I like purples and blues? ThePulsatilla– which has a lot of names like Pasqueflower and Prairie Crocus – should get a mention here as well because once these little purple flowers bloom, it means that winter is over and that always makes me happy.

How about a medicinal plant?

You’re making this interview so hard for me – not really – I’m only kidding. There are many that I couldn’t live without. Wild roses, Skullcap (Scutellaria), and mullein are top the list. I adore all the different types of mint. I also love wood betony for its sedative and nervine properties. Medicinal plants are magical; you just have to know how to use their magic.

Thank you, Juliana for putting up with my questions. You’ve really made me want to spend a lot more time in the mountains.

Now that we’re a little familiar with each other, can I ask what have you been up to that has you so “freaked” out?

It’s not as if I wanted any of these things to happen to me. The shock and disappointment about Jared was enough to ruin my summer, but all the other stuff just royally sucks.

Care to elaborate?

I’m not very good at lying so I may as well tell you the truth. I saw place memories at a haunted castle. They look like ghosts but they are more like an imprint from the past because they don’t respond to anything or anyone in the present. Then after the place memory encounter, I started seeing ghosts and spirits for real. It scares the #@*&! out of me. They talk to me and this one fiendish ghost even tried to attack me. I met this incredibly good looking and thoughtful guy and it turns out he isn’t alive either. So yeah, this summer is turning out to be the most memorable one of my life. I keep hoping I can get back to hiking and playing with herbs before I have to return to college, but it isn’t looking promising.

Juliana Crowson lives with her brother and mom in Colorado. She is the main DLBU covercharacter in Death Lies Between Us, a New Adult Paranormal Romance written by  Jody A. Kessler.  

Comment on this blog to WIN an E-Copy of Death Lies Between US, a book charm key chain, and a signed trading card. (This giveaway is separate from the rafflecopter) Good luck!

On Amazon

On Barnes & Noble

More about the book

Death Lies Between Us is the 1st book in the, An Angel Falls series. Book 2, Angel Dreams, is due for release in early 2014.

Stop by all the other contributing authors and bloggers and find out what summer fun everyone is up to:

                                     Shawna Romkey                    Jean Murray

                                     Loni Lynne                              Cindy Young-Turner

                                    Shannon Eckrich                     Katie O’Sullivan

                                    Kary Rader                               Louann Carroll

                                    Avery Olive                               Michelle Clay

                                    Lindsey R. Loucks                  Sasha Summers

                                   Maer Wilson                              Hildie McQueen

                                   Wendy S. Russo                       Christy Trujillo

                                   Constance Phillips                   Kate Evangelista

                                   Jody A Kessler (You’re here)   Danielle DeVor

kindle-paperwhite028

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kristine R. You Won an E-Copy of Death Lies Between Us, a book charm keychain and a signed trading card! Congratulations.

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CMP’s Summer Lovin’ Blog Hop

Want to win a Kindle Paperwhite? How about a $25 amazon gift card or some awesome book swag?

Crescent Moon Press authors are ready for summer! We’ll be blogging about our summer loves, our romances, and how much we love summer! Have you ever had a summer fling? Do you have a favorite book about summer? What’s on your summer reading list? What are some great beach reads? We’re blogging about all of it!

cmpbloghop

Visit our blogs below and enter to win some great prizes between June 14 -17.

Grand Prize: A Kindle Paperwhite & some of our eBooks to read on it! kindle-paperwhite

1st Prize: A $25 Amazon gift card, and a Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, more eBooks, bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, and more!

Drop by our blogs between June 14 – 17th and enter the rafflecopter!

Good luck & hope to see you there!

Participating authors:  Shawna Romkey                    Jean Murray

                                     Loni Lynne                              Cindy Young-Turner

                                    Shannon Eckrich                     Katie O’Sullivan

                                    Kary Rader                               Louann Carroll

                                    Avery Olive                               Michelle Clay

                                    Lindsey R. Loucks                  Sasha Summers

                                   Maer Wilson                              Hildie McQueen

                                   Wendy S. Russo                       Christy Trujillo

                                   Constance Phillips                   Kate Evangelista

                                   Jody A Kessler                         Danielle DeVor

Rafflecopter coming soon!

__________________________________________________________________________

DLBU coverJody A Kessler is the author of  Death Lies Between Us, Book One of the series, An Angel Falls.

Book two, Angel Dreams, coming early 2014

Saving the life of someone you love should not be the worst thing you have ever done, unless you are an Angel of Death.

Disgruntled with his position in the afterlife and conflicted by his feelings toward his new client, Nathaniel Evans forgoes the rules and saves nineteen year old Juliana Crowson from being hopelessly stuck in Forge Creek. This alters Juliana’s destiny and she finds herself in a series of near death accidents.

In the mountains of Colorado, Nathaniel comforts Juliana as she struggles to understand her paranormal abilities while coping with her brother’s drug addiction. When an ill-tempered Native American Shaman teaches her the difference between ghosts and place memories, she decides she wants nothing to do with the supernatural world. Too bad she doesn’t know that Nathaniel is part of it.

Will fate bring these two together, or has Nathaniel made the biggest mistake of his afterlife?

On Amazon

On Barnes & Noble
 

Review of The Grave Winner by Lindsey R. Loucks

The Grave Winner by Lindsey R. Loucks  New Release from Crescent Moon Press

I was thoroughly entertained by The Grave Winner from start to finish. Ms. Loucks is a Single tree in field during winter 2talented author and I appreciate her sense of humor and unique style. Although The Grave Winner is a dark story about teenaged, Leigh, losing her mother, and then becoming afraid she will rise from her grave, I found myself laughing out loud many times. I was totally amused by Leigh’s interpretation of the world and how she handles it — sometimes with her fist.  There were other moments of heartbreaking anguish as Leigh tries to cope with the enormous changes to her family that left me feeling empathetic for her loss.

So, Leigh Baxton’s world gets turned upside down when the dead begin rising from their graves and undead sorceresses attempt to kidnap her and make her their number 3. And, as if that weren’t enough, an unbelievably hot mystery guy keeps showing up every time she visits her mother’s grave at the cemetery.

Leigh’s relationship with her little sister was sweet, well written, and believable. I really liked Leigh’s best friend, Jo. They do everything together from talking about guys to challenging the undead. I also enjoyed reading about Jo’s older brother, Callum. The beginnings of a love triangle starting between Leigh, the mystery guy, and Callum had me intrigued and curiously turning pages as fast as I could.

Overall, the book is a great mix of paranormal, young love, and zombies that come together for a thrill ride in “Krapper, Kansas”. The Grave Winner is a bit twisted, dark, and delightful. I highly recommend it. Five stars.

I have to throw in that I love the cover art too!!!!

You can buy a copy here Amazon

Back Cover Blurb:

Leigh Baxton is terrified her mom will come back from the dead — just like the prom queen did.

While the town goes beehive over the news, Leigh bikes to the local cemetery and buries some of her mom’s things in her grave to keep her there. When the hot and mysterious caretaker warns her not to give gifts to the dead, Leigh cranks up her punk music and keeps digging.

She should have listened.

Two dead sorceresses evicted the prom queen from her grave to bury someone who offered certain gifts. Bury them alive, that is, then resurrect them to create a trio of undead powerful enough to free the darkest sorceress ever from her prison inside the earth.

With help from the caretaker and the dead prom queen, Leigh must find out what’s so special about the gifts she gave, and why the sorceresses are stalking her and her little sister. If she doesn’t, she’ll either lose another loved one or have to give the ultimate gift to the dead – herself.

About the author

Lindsey R. Loucks works as a school librarian in rural Kansas. When she’s not authorphotodiscussing books with anyone who will listen, she’s dreaming up her own stories. Eventually her brain gives out, and she’ll play hide and seek with her cat, put herself in a chocolate induced coma, or watch scary movies alone in the dark to reenergize.

She’s been with her significant other for almost two decades.

Where to find Lindsey and her books:

Add The Grave Winner to Goodreads.

Check out Lindsey’s website.

Follow Lindsey on Facebook.

Follow Lindsey on Twitter.

 

Blogger Book Fair

Check in to the Blogger Book Fair,

and book your trip to far away places!

July 22-26, 2013

Authors and Book Bloggers,

Sign ups for the July 2013 Blogger Book Fair will close on June 15 at midnight central time, so get your registrations in to participate!

As of 5/31/2013, we have:

Authors: 89

Books: 233

Bloggers: 14

If you haven’t yet registered, you can find all of the information on the Blogger Book Fair page.

  1. Check out the Code of Conduct
  2. Fill out either the Author Sign Up form or the Blogger Sign Up form (Deadline June 15)
  3. Kayla will match everyone with hosts and send out this information to you after sign-ups close
  4. Check out the events–all authors are eligible to participate in the events, and if you have an event you’d like to host, just fill out the simple Event Sign Up Form–all of this information can be found on the Events! page (Deadline July 8).
  5. If you’re interested in hosting a giveaway to drive traffic to your site, sign up via the Giveaway Sign Up form (Deadline July 15).
  6. And if your book will be FREE or $0.99 for the duration of the Fair, you can sign up on the Free and $.99 Book Sign Up Forms (Deadline July 15).

Events:

as of 5/31/2013

Art Fiction Gala hosted by Lucie Smoker

Does your fiction promote the visual arts–through featuring an artist, painting, sculpture, performance art, etc? Then, consider entering Lucie’s Art Fiction Gala.

The Art Fiction Gala is a virtual celebration of fiction that highlights the visual arts. Dress up in your

finest, pick up some friends–a bottle of wine–and sample mind-blowing fiction that crosses the line between literary and visual art. Plus a gallery of art featuring reading.

More information & entry instructions

Three Wishes hosted by Kirstin Pulioff

Introduce your characters to the world.

Kirstin Pulioff invites you to ask your main character, “If you found a magic genie lamp, what would be your three choices?

More information & entry instructions

Flash Fiction Challenge II hosted by Thomas Winship

Get ready to exercise your flash fiction muscles.

For the Flash Fiction Challenge II, Thomas Winship will provide an opening line.

From there, entrants will craft a flash fiction piece of approx 500 words. Entries will be displayed on Thomas’ blog Vaempires during the BBF, spread out evenly across the five days, in order of receipt.

More information & entry instructions

Snapshot Synopsis Contest hosted by Fel at The Peasants Revolt

Challenge: chisel your synopsis down to 50 words or less.

Voting will be open throughout the fair for visitors to vote on their favorite Snapshot Synopsis.

More information & entry instructions

Reader’s Choice Awards hosted by Sherri at Shut Up & Read

All books registered for the Blogger Book Fair are automatically entered into the running for the Reader’s Choice Awards. Voting will be open from July 22 to July 25.

More information

Indie Soap Box Files hosted by Shah Wharton

Take a turn on the Soap Box.

Shah invites speculative fiction writers to write a guest post about being an indie (or hybrid) writer.

More information & entry instructions

Restrictions: Speculative fiction writers only

Monster Menagerie hosted by Noree at Trip the Eclipse

What’s your favorite monster or supernatural creature?

Feature your creature in a flash fiction piece (500-800) words to be featured on Trip the Eclipse. Visitors will vote on their favorite piece.

More information & entry instructions

Ways to Help:

Blogger Book FairDonate to the Blogger Book Fair via the BBF Donation Fund. To help get the word out about BBF, we would like to place ads on Facebook, Goodreads and other places, but to do, so we need a little help. We’d also like to have some BBF sponsored giveaways, so money donated would also go toward prizes. NO MONEY WILL BE KEPT BY ANY ORGANIZER OR PARTICIPANT.

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