The Peculiar Lives of Circus Freaks is LIVE

It's alive!!

Come one, come all to the Kipling Carnival,

where you'll meet beasts and beauties and everything in between.

Inside the Big Top you'll find daring adventures from:

Tia Silverthorne Bach ~The Animal Tamer trying to deny her own animal instincts.

Amy Evans ~ The Mermaid Prince who’s determined to stand on his own two feet.

Allyson Gottlieb ~ The Magician running from the sins of his past.

Liz Long ~ The Ringmaster, whose last wish is to be in the center ring.

Kelly Martin ~ The Cursed Performer free for one day only.

Misty Provencher ~ The Fortune Teller who takes more than just your breath away.

Mindy Ruiz ~ The Bearded Lady trying to break an ancient curse.

BJ Sheldon takes us behind the circus curtain with her Roadie.

Unveil the mysteries of The Peculiar Lives of Circus Freaks.

Where things are never what they seem.

Buy Links:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2lF2E1X
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2n7Hkzg
iBooks: http://apple.co/2mmPuoV
Nook: http://bit.ly/2n0bmbl

My story, Shifter Sideshow, is features Karlee who works with the animal trainers with the big cats, but she soon finds out some animals should never be caged.

And I'm announcing for the first time here that Shifter Sideshow will jumpstart a new paranormal series for me, so don't miss our chance to to get a sneak peek while also reading stories from seven other authors.

If you'd like to follow the shenanigans of our author group, join The Peculiars on Facebook. 

Meet Some #UtopYA2014 Lovelies (Unofficial): Allyson Gottlieb

Another day and another lovely from UtopYA 2014!

I first met Allyson online, and she invited me to come and speak on a panel at her high school with several other authors. Yes, I said high school. Allyson is the girl I wanted to be when I was a teenager—she’s already published with several manuscripts in the pipeline, and she just started her freshman year of college at Emerson in August.

Then, I got to see her again at UtopYA. Yay, me! Now, please join me in welcoming Allyson Gottlieb to my blog.

So, how’s college life so far?

Allyson: It’s going great! I’m so in love with Boston, though it hasn’t started snowing yet, so I may be singing a different tune when it does, hehe. My dorm is surprisingly big and beautiful, my suitemates are super nice, classes aren’t overwhelming, and the best part of all, I’m surrounded by all kinds of amazing creative people. Such a welcome change from high school.

Yes, let's definitely chat again after the first snow; nothing beats California winters. We must get together next time you’re back here! I’m sure you get asked this all the time, but when did you know you wanted to be an author?

Allyson: Well, I was seven years old when I wrote my first story. It was a dream that I didn’t want to forget, so I asked my dad to set me up a word document so I could write it down. From there, I just kept going. So I can’t pinpoint a specific moment in time when I knew this was what I wanted to do with my life, but it’s kind of always been there, and as I got old enough to think about career choices and stuff I just gradually realized there wasn’t anything else I could see myself doing. (That’s not to say I’m planning on trying to support myself with my writing straight out of college—it’s a nice fantasy, but I know the odds of that are slim, haha.)

You never know. Never give up on the dream. You are off to an amazing start. Speaking of your writing, tell us about your Mortal Sin series. But, first, I have to share the covers... 

Allyson: The Mortal Sin saga is a serial, with approximately 20k words to an installment and designed to be released one a month. (We’ll see if I can continue churning them out at that rate, LOL!) The basic plotline is that seven young adults (ages 16-20) have been infected with demon energy representing the seven deadly sins. It deals with a lot of complex moral issues—one of the big questions the characters face is “what does it mean that this demon chose me? Am I a bad person?” And all of them approach that in very different ways. I do touch on the religion angle a bit, because you can’t really do the seven deadly sins without it, but it’s definitely not a “religious book.” And of course, there are some fun romantic subplots and complications that go along with that. 

Sounds intriguing. What’s up after the Mortal Sin saga?

Allyson: It’s interesting that you ask, because I have a couple of different things I’m working on right now and I’m still not sure what’s coming out first. There’s the first book of my NA dystopian series, which I’ve been tinkering with for several months now and had planned to release in the spring of 2015. But I recently bought a cover from a flash sale—because I just couldn’t resist—for an NA paranormal romance that’s been kicking around in my head for a bit, so you may see that from me before anything else. (NOTE: I write “clean NA”, aka no explicit sexy-times. My characters do occasionally steam up some windows, but they get to have a bit of privacy if and when they do the deed.) No matter what, I plan to have a couple different things out in paperback before UtopYA 2015. The Mortal Sin saga also has a spin-off full-length novel (I can’t say anything more until the serial is complete, because spoilers), so that will be written at some point, though the way things are going, it likely won’t be ready for a while.

Finally, what was your favorite part of UtopYA2014?

Kassandra Kush, Jesse Daniels
& Allyson

Allyson: God, this is such an impossible question! I loved everything—meeting the incredible people I’d talked to online for so long (including my author BFF Kassandra Kush, who I’d never met in person until that weekend), forging new and amazing connections, collecting awesome swag, learning so much from the panels, drooling over cover models, getting a pep talk from the fantabulous Janet Wallace...

For a girl who spent most of high school feeling like an outsider, UtopYA was everything I could’ve possibly hoped for and more. It was finding that community I’d always wanted, that group of people who believed in me. It was exactly what I needed to remind me that my dreams are worthwhile.

Quick Questions…

Favorite Punctuation Mark: Semicolon

Ocean or Mountains? Ocean

Favorite Dessert: Cheesecake

Shower or bath?  Long, hot shower

Sweet or Sour? Sweet

I hope I’ll see you at next year’s UtopYA and the next time you are in Cali.

Allyson: Absolutely! I’ll be home for a month around Christmas, we should definitely get coffee or something. I miss all my UtopYA Lovelies. J

More about Allyson

Growing up, Allyson was always the girl with a big imagination and even bigger dreams. A California girl by birth, she currently lives in Boston while attending Emerson College. She has a slight addiction to Starbucks, eyeliner, and chocolate—and, of course, books.

Website: http://www.allysongottlieb.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AllysonGottliebAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GottliebAllyson

Tumblr: http://allysongottlieb.tumblr.com

Please come back for more #UtopYA2014 Lovelies (Unofficial), and check out the announcement post to see the schedule.

Meet Some #UtopYA2014 Lovelies (Unofficial): Casey L Bond

Please welcome the lovely, and full of spunk and energy, Casey L Bond. Before Nashville, I knew Casey as the person who was first in line to show support on social media and share a smile or virtual hug. I wondered if she was as bright a light in person as online. No fear! She exudes joy and friendship. Love her!

Today, I am fortunate to have her hanging out with me on the blog. Join me in getting to know her a little better.

First, I loved Reap, Resist, and Shady Bay. You sure know how to write feisty characters who steal the reader’s heart. Any insight as to why these characters speak to you?

Read my review of Reap here, Resist here, and Shady Bay here.

Casey: Thank you so much for having me on your blog, Tia! Let’s dive in head first.

I write characters that I would love to read. If they aren’t fun and feisty, as you so-aptly put it, I lose interest quick and so do readers. Give me a strong female lead and a complex male and I’m in reader heaven!

And certainly, I hope that readers do fall in love with the characters in my books. The feeling that someone loves your characters as much as you do is overwhelming, humbling, exciting and awesome all rolled up together!

So true! Plus you're all kinds of fun and feisty yourself. Since I loved Resist so much (and the main character, Abby), I’m sharing the synopsis and cover here. Could you share a favorite line from it?

About Resist

Abby Kelley returns home from the Greater city of Olympus to find that things in Orchard Village are bad, very bad. The Olympian Guard has taken over village affairs.  The Lessers are being worked to the bone in the coldest winter Orchard has seen.  Villagers are being dragged away for the slightest indication of what they call “resistance.” She needs to keep her head down and her mouth shut. But, it’s so hard to do when everything within you screams rebellion.

Kyan is coming on strong, trying to convince her to take a chance on him. Shocking news of Crew’s activities in Olympus sweeps through the Villages. When Abby is taken away by the Olympian guard, Kyan sends word to Vesuvius for help. But, no one could have predicted their idea of help or what they might expect in return.

Who will be left to pick up the pieces of Abby’s heart?

Casey: 

**Snippet from Abby’s point of view**

“What do you think is going to happen?” I asked.

“I don’t know, Abs, but whatever it is, I hope I’m standing beside you.” His orange eyes burned into mine.

“I hope so, too.”

**And another snippet from Abby…***

Gray didn’t let me go. He pulled me closer. “He’ll cool off.”

“Why is he so mad?”

“Because he thinks he’s losing you. He doesn’t realize you were never his to lose.”

Love! This was such an emotional book for me, and it brought tears to my eyes at least twice. I also love the cover, which you designed. What do you think makes an amazing cover?

Casey: Two of my covers, Pariah and Devil Creek, were made by Stephanie Nelson of Once Upon a Time Covers. They are amazing. I am finding out that I love graphic artwork and that it’s something that helps me connect with my story even more.

Allyson contacted me because she liked my covers for The Harvest Saga and Sin. I offered to make the covers for her new serial series, the Mortal Sin saga, warning her that I wasn’t as skilled as most graphic artists. She was so fun to work with and I enjoyed making her covers! Not all have been released yet, so I’ll just share the first of her covers…

A cover needs to be eye-catching. Some of the best-selling novels have very simple covers. A perfect example is the cover of “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green. It’s simple but fitting. I like a pretty cover. When I flip through books on my Kindle, the cover is the first thing that draws me in—like a moth to a flame. The synopsis has to then hook me in order for me to purchase the book. That’s why a cover is so important.

The first thing that a reader judges is the book’s cover, despite the old saying. J

I agree. A cover draws you in. Now, tell us about your Sin Series. What do you think readers love about serials?

Casey: I like stretching my boundaries and Sin certainly does that. It is fast-paced, fun and very sexy. Yep. (Look away, Mom). Serials are so fun. They’re similar to episodes in a television show. They release very quickly in succession and each segment picks up where the previous one left off. Serials aren’t a new phenomenon. Even “The Green Mile” by Stephen King was released as a serial!

People are busy. Some readers like to read just a little at the end of a long day. A serial completely fulfills that need. Each part of Sin will consist of 15-25,000 words or about 30-35 pages. Easy reading! Fast and fun!

In a time-crunched world, I couldn't agree with you more. What do you love most about writing?

Casey:  I love to create something new and different. My books are unique, I think. I try to make the characters very three-dimensional and relatable. World-building is one of my favorite things. For instance, The Harvest Saga is a dystopian novel that takes place in the near future. I’m amazed and thrilled that Reap won the Indie Authors and Book Blogs 2014 award for “Most Creative World-Building!”

But, writing itself is cathartic and something that I truly enjoy spending time doing. It isn’t something that I dread, but look forward to. It isn’t something I have to make time for, it’s something I want to make time to do. I love it and hope that with each book or piece of work I produce, that I get better and further develop my craft.

When you have that kind of passion for something, it shows in the work. Last question... UtopYA gathers an amazing group of people into one space. I came away with a lightness in my step and a determination to be the best writer I can. What do you think makes this conference so powerful and special?

Casey: Girl! After Winter Shadows was published, I entered the world of social networking. As I found more Young Adult authors, they pointed me in one direction: Nashville, Tennessee and UtopYA! So, I bought a ticket, applied for a table and in June set off to the south west!

It was amazing seeing so many authors, your awesome self included, that I had connected with online and had become friends with via social network sites. I was fangirling all over the place and some people probably thought I was a little crazy. (It’s true. J)

But, UtopYA was like a breath of fresh air for me and one that was desperately needed. I cannot tell you how much I learned about marketing and writing. Meeting the readers and bloggers was so amazing.

I left with a feeling of confidence that I hadn’t felt until that weekend. And it has made a difference in my focus as well. UtopYA is never going to get rid of me now that I’ve had such an amazing experience. You will be seeing me there for years to come!

Quick Questions…

Favorite Punctuation Mark: Exclamation Point!!!

Ocean or Mountains? I live in the mountains, but love the ocean so much. I would have to pick ocean.

Favorite Alcoholic Beverage: I rarely drink. If I do have anything at all, it’s a glass of Cabernet. My drink of choice is Diet Sunkist! YUMMY!

Favorite Dessert: Apple crisp.

Shower or bath? Bath.

Sweet or Sour? Sweet!

Casey L. Bond resides in Milton, West Virginia with her husband Elton and their two beautiful daughters, Juliet and Eris. When she’s not busy being a domestic goddess and chasing her baby girls, she loves to write young adult and new adult fiction.

Bond graduated from Hurricane High School in 1999. In 2003, she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Marshall University in the field of Criminal Justice.

You can find more information about Bond’s books via the following links:

Website

Facebook 

Twitter

Goodreads

Tumblr

Pinterest

Thanks for joining me today, sweet lady! I can’t wait to see you again in 2015. I’m going to tackle hug you!

Not if I tackle hug you first, Tia! LOL! J

Please come back for more #UtopYA2014 Lovelies (Unofficial), and check out the announcement post to see the schedule.