The 2017 Pages of Fear Blog Hop

Join me and 27 other authors for a paranormal 3-Day Blog Hop on October 19!

Meet writers of paranormal and horror fiction and enter for a chance to win 

a SIGNED PAPERBACK from all of us!

TO ENTER:

Start the hop with Lily Luchesi’s website on October 19: lilyluchesibooks.wix.com/lilyluchesi

Look for the Secret Word on the blog post for the hop. Each author has been given a word and it’s in BOLD on their site. Make note of each Secret Word. Each one fills in the blanks for a flash fiction story. You’ll turn in your entry to Author SF Benson. 

ONE winner will be chosen via Random.org and will receive SIGNED paperbacks from all participating authors. (Contest is restricted to winners in the U.S. and Canada.)

Stay tuned for more information.

Ten Things I Love About You: 90s novella Cover Reveal

I am so thrilled to be part of this amazing set of stories and to have had the chance to work with this rock star authors as well as Janet Wallace and Regina Wamba of WaWa Productions.

First, the gorgeous cover by Regina Wamba...

And now a little something about the collection:

The 90s: The decade of AOL, Grunge music, the Gulf War, OJ Simpson trial, Friends, Seinfeld, Britney and Christina, tattoos and belly button piercings, Monica Lewinsky, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Tarantino movies. It was a decade of polarities and hilarity.

Those who reached adulthood in the Nineties were branded Generation X, and were labeled apathetic slackers and cynics. But, ultimately, this generation was called on to bridge the gap between old ideals and new technologies and ways of living.

These new adults had to find jobs, find themselves, and find love amidst rapidly changing landscapes online and off.

TEN THINGS I LOVE ABOUT YOU is a collection of ten contemporary romance, new adult, stand-alone stories set in the 1990s.

The title of each love story will be a hit song from the year that the novella represents, and are written, respectively, by award-winning and bestselling authors.

1990: "Nothing Compares 2 U" -- Michele G Miller + Mindy Hayes
1991: "More Than Words" -- Christina Benjamin
1992: "Jump" -- Micalea Smeltzer
1993: “Can't Help Falling in Love” -- L.A. Fiore
1994: “The Sign” -- Carey Heywood Author
1995: “Who Will Save Your Soul” -- Skye Warren
1996: “Always Be My Baby” -- Mary Ting
1997: “Lovefool” -- Katie M John
1998: "My Heart Will Go On" -- Tia Silverthorne Bach
1999: "Genie in a Bottle" -- Elise Kova

** Pre-Order price is 50% off! ONLY $4.99 **

AMAZON US: http://bit.ly/US10Things

SMASHWORDS: http://bit.ly/90sSmash

***

And here's a little something about my story, My Heart Will Go On...

A car accident ripped her heart in two, and Kerry is still picking up the pieces. During the day, she focuses on Lucy’s, the coffee shop and café she inherited from her parents. But she relishes the night, when she can live via dreams of the love she lost.

Then, Jase walks into her life, and she finds herself more drawn to reality. But tragedy and loss define her, and she’s not sure she can move on.

Can her heart mend so she can love again?

***

What is your favorite memory from the 90s?

Book of Spells Release Day!

It's finally here! 

Book of Spells includes 7 original novellas from 7 authors: 

Christina Benjamin

Katie M John

Patti Larsen

Carlyle Labuschagne

Caroline Gill

Susan Burdorf

and me!

A bit about it:

A magical assortment of 7 stories of witchcraft from 7 Award-Winning authors.

In this anthology of seven novellas exclusively written for this enchanting Book of Spells project, you will discover seven unique voices with seven innovative responses to the challenge of writing a novella based on the theme of spell casting. From the wickedly humorous, to the dark and tragic, each unique story promises to take you on a spell binding journey through time and space.

Comprised of works from authors who have won multiple awards, and topped multiple best-seller charts throughout their writing career, Book of Spells is a wonderful collection of stories aimed at introducing you to their works and writing.

Reader Notes: 
These stories were written for an Upper YA / Adult audience. They are suitable for audiences 15 years + Please be aware that the novella Bittersweet Vengeance by Tia Silverthorne Bach contains a scene of sexual assault that some readers may find distressing.

Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0758DBJNW

A little about my novella, Bittersweet Vengeance.... Sometimes love is cruel, and Natalia knows that all too well. One fateful night, her world comes crashing down at the hands of pure evil. Feeling lost, she seeks answers, which lead her to assume awesome power. But it comes with strings and the realization that revenge is bittersweet.

Add it to your spooky reads for October!

Keep checking back this month for more exciting announcements. Plus, I'll be sharing an excerpt from Bittersweet Vengeance on October 12.

Organic by Jadah McCoy New Release

Jadah McCoy’s ORGANIC, pitched as Bladerunner meets Pitch Black, in which 18-year-old Syl has barely survived the genetic splicing that plagued her human body. After discovering the androids’ plot to wipe out human and Cull alike, Syl must return to Elite to warn the other survivors. However, with the realization that her group of survivors isn’t the only one, also comes the realization that some humans are just as bad as androids. Bastion and Syl grow closer, however, their relationship suffers under the weight of her past ghosts and a growing threat that endangers human and android alike. 

Excerpt

CHAPTER ONE

Syl

Breathing is a habit. The oxygen filters into my system, fizzles through my circuits then dissipates to nothingness. This new body is alien; it feels like my own, but I know it’s not. My eyes fall on the hole in front of me―the giant chunk of concrete ripped from the ground where the entrance to the Sanctuary used to be.

The music in my ear stutters to a stop, and the gun in my hand hangs limp.

We’re too late.

Bastion kneels beside me, leaning against his weapon as he studies the torn roots and claw marks that score the earth. His coattails catch in the dry dirt beneath him. He looks up, blue eyes lit with mechanical brightness. “I take it this isn’t the work of the Cull you’re used to?”

I step closer, peering into the hole. It’s probably fifteen feet in diameter. Gashes scar the walls all the way down until the tunnel opens up at the sewers. No sound comes from within―no sign that anyone inside might still be alive.

A frown pulls my lips down. “No.”

“Syl.” Bastion stands, prepared to stop me.

Ignoring him, I step off the uneven ledge. My body falls through the air, landing with a small splash in the sewers below. A fall at that height would have broken my human body’s legs, but the metal frame absorbs the impact and then some. I take off, running full speed in the direction of the Sanctuary. These muscles, they never grow weak, or tired, or burn with exhaustion. Bastion catches up quickly, his footsteps shadowing mine. Darkness isn’t an obstacle for us; we can see through it as if it were daylight.

The metal bars, the same ones I slipped through so long ago to escape this place, are bent open. I step over one that now lies placidly in the mildewed water. The others look like an old man’s teeth―jagged, uneven, broken.

But beyond the destroyed entrance…

I freeze, my body refusing to move any farther. Chicken feathers litter the area, dingy and bloodstained. Beneath them lie the bodies of people I grew up with. People I know. People I care about. Static fills my ears like a thick layer of cotton.

Symbols hover over a corpse, simulated by my brain―cortex―whatever it is. They shimmer and flicker before translating into letters: deceased. The word populates again and again, a dozen times, once for each body, and I choke.

Amazon buy link

Goodreads link

Join her today, June 13th, for her Release party on Facebook.

About Jadah McCoy

Jadah McCoy currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee where she works as a paralegal. In her spare time she can be found traveling the world, reading, or (surprise, surprise) writing. 

The last book in the Kepler Chronicles trilogy is due for publication in 2018.

Author links: Facebook, Twitter

Ghost Code by Sarah Negovetich New Release

The wait is over! From the bestselling author of the Acceptance series, comes an all new YA-standalone that's sure to be the first summer smash-hit! Sarah Negovetich delivers and you won't want to miss out. Grab your copy today!

Title: Ghost Code
Author: Sarah Negovetich
Genre: Young Adult/Sci-Fi
Release Date: May 15, 2017

"Ghost Code is a fast paced thrill ride that will take you to the very edge--of life and of love--and leave you begging for just one more page." 

-Bestselling Author Sherry D. Ficklin (The Hacker Series)

"Without dreams, what's the point of being awake?"

After a lifetime of fighting cancer, eighteen-year-old Viv Quiroga is dying. But she’s determined to go out on her own terms. Instead of wasting away in a hospital watching her mom worry over their mounting debt, she volunteers for a private research program.

For thirty days she’ll live in a coma as a human lab rat. When her time is up, they turn off the machines and pay off all her medical bills.

It’s supposed to be a one way trip.

Until Viv wakes up and learns what it really means to live.

     

Sarah Negovetich

Sarah Negovetich knows you don't know how to pronounce her name and she's okay with that.

Her first love is Young Adult novels, because at seventeen the world is your oyster. Only oysters are slimy and more than a little salty; it's accurate if not exactly motivational. We should come up with a better cliché.

Sarah divides her time between writing YA books that her husband won’t read and performing on stage at BE Theatre. Her goal in life is to never grow up.

FIND SARAH NEGOVETICH

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS | WEBSITE

Happy Release Day Sarah and Ghost Code! Join us in wishing Sarah all the best with her new release by reaching out to her via Facebook or Twitter at the links above you will not regret it!

Grab your copy today!

Z = Zazu #AtoZChallenge

April 30. Sunday. The last day in April and the last day of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. I had such fun with it this year, and I hope you all have enjoyed reading the posts.

Today, I am wrapping up my exploration into what fairy tale characters can teach us today with...

Z = Zazu

I adore The Lion King. I've seen it on Broadway, at Disney World's Wild Animal Park (several times), and a smaller production in San Jose, California, and of course I've watched the movie a gazillion times. My oldest daughter loved it so much that she wore out the VHS tape. Yep, VHS tape. She is 16, almost 17, after all.

What can we learn from Zazu today?

Love your job. If you have a job, find a way to enjoy it. Or, get a new one. Zazu certainly faced challenges with watching out for a willful, young Simba. But Zazu wanted to do his best for the future king. 

A sense of humor can get you through a lot. I truly believe laughter can be the best medicine. Zazu taught us this several times, but my favorite is the scene with Scar when Zazu is singing  It's A Small World.

Thanks for spending the month of April with me. I hope you'll take a look back at posts you have missed. 

Y = Yzma #AtoZChallenge

It's the weekend. I hope you have some awesome stuff planned. Believe it or not, we got a dump of snow last night here in Colorado. Good thing it's supposed to be in the 70s by early in the week.

Only two days left in April... time to wrap up the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. And I'm left with Y and Z. As you can guess, not the easiest letters. 

So, I'm pretty happy that I found...

Y = Yzma

Yes, the evil lady from The Emporer's New Groove. I'm sure you are wondering how I'll tie Yzma into my theme of what we can learn from fairy tale characters today.

Ah, but I can. In all honesty, we can learn something from anyone, no matter how evil they might be.

If you want something, go for it. Don't let others dissuade you if you truly believe in a goal. Yzma didn't. And let's be fair, initially Kuzco was a real jerk, so maybe he should have been replaced. Just saying.

Oh, and don't be a selfish villain in your own tale. They rarely get the prize.

How'd I do?