Guest Post - Meredith Towbin

Hey Everyone,

I would love for you to check out this Guest Post by Meredith Towbin.
If you would like to help her out, that would be awesome :)
I just recently reviewed her books and thought it was pretty good.

Eighteen-year-old Anna has lived her whole life in shame, losing herself in books to cope with crippling panic attacks triggered by her abusive parents. Forced into a psychiatric hospital, she can’t imagine a future that’s anything but bleak—until she meets Caleb, a gifted, 19-year-old artist who insists he’s an angel.
He swears his mission is to help Anna break free from her parents’ control and fulfill a destiny that she can only dream of. The doctors, however, are convinced that Caleb is delusional.
Anna doesn’t want to be that girl who’s in love with the crazy guy, but when she sees his stunning portraits of her and the way he risks everything to keep her safe, she can’t help but imagine a new future for both of them, filled with hope. But just when it seems they’ve created heaven on earth, Caleb’s past emerges full force, threatening to destroy their tiny, blissful world. And Anna has to decide if she should follow her heart, or if Caleb’s really as troubled as his doctors say…

Guest Post

STRAIGHTJACKET makes the cut in Walmart’s Get on the Shelf Contest

Meredith Towbin

Last month I entered my young adult novel STRAIGHTJACKET into Walmart’s Get on the Shelf Contest. The contest allows people to compete for a chance to get their products sold in Walmart and on Walmart.com.

I learned yesterday that my video entry made the cut and is now in the audition round! Which is amazing since my video entry is not actually a book trailer but a ridiculous infomercial!

Blog Tour: Uprising by Jessica Therrien - Guest Post

Uprising 
(Children of the Gods #2)
by Jessica Therrien
Released |May 28, 2013 by ZOVA Books|
Genre |Paranormal Romance|
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Jessica Therrien follows up her bestselling novel OPPRESSION with UPRISING, the second book in the Children of the Gods series.
OPPRESSION, translated and sold around the world, was one of the best selling YA novels of 2012. UPRISING continues the story of Elyse, William and the Descendants.
Elyse has been in hiding for most of her life. Only now she’s hiding with William, and she knows who she’s hiding from. The Council wants a child Elyse and William have yet to conceive, a child who will be the next oracle, and who will provide the final piece to a plan Christoph has been organizing for years. Charged with leading the rebellion against Christoph and his Council, Elyse feels well out of her depth. But she has good friends and strong allies who are willing to fight with her to the end, regardless of how far they have to go, and how many lives will be lost in the process. They have one goal: to live freely and openly with the rest of humanity, out from under The Council’s oppressive rule. The stakes could not be higher for Elyse and the Descendants longing for freedom. They'll have to learn to fight if they want to stand up against The Council, and to find allies in a world ruled by their enemies. The hardest part of waging a war is knowing who to trust. Elyse knows their uprising will change the world. She doesn’t realize it will change her, too.

Author Bio

Jessica Therrien is the author of the young adult paranormal fiction series Children of the Gods. Book one in the series, Oppression, was published by ZOVA Books in February of 2012 and became a Barnes & Noble best-seller shortly after its release. The second book in the series, Uprising, will be available in May of 2013.

Aside from her Children of the Gods series, Jessica’s work can also be found in a published collection of flash fiction stories called Campaigner Challenges 2011. Out of over 350 submissions her story, The Soulless, won first place for people’s choice and fourth place in the judging round of Rachael Harrie’s Writing Campaign Challenge. Her story, Saved, is also available as part of the anthology.

Jessica currently lives in Chula Vista with her husband and is working on book three in her Children of the Gods series.

Author Links:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Links to Oppression (Children of the Gods #1):

Amazon | B&N | GoodReads | Facebook

Links to Uprising (Children of the Gods #2):

Amazon | B&N | GoodReads | Facebook

Guest Post

Hey Janina fans! Thanks for stopping by for my blog tour! I’m Jessica Therrien, author of the Children of the Gods series. Janina was wondering how I came up with the names of my books.

I’m not sure how it goes for most authors, but I had a hard time with the name of my first book. It went through a ton of changes before we settled on what it is today. Originally, my main character was named Ruth, and so was the book. I never intended for it to be the title, but it was always how I saved the file.

When I was done writing, I settled on The Descendants. I was really happy with that and didn’t think I needed a title for the series. I pitched it that way, and to this day my publishing contract is for a book called The Descendants. I’m sad I didn’t get to keep it.

As my release date approached I heard news of a George Clooney movie coming out titled….of course…The Descendants. My publisher worried it would diminish my marketing efforts as anything Googled or seared on Amazon, etc. would show results for the movie and not my book.

I sat down with Matt Pizzo, CEO of ZOVA books, and we hashed it out. We went through what felt like a thousand different titles. Nothing sounded right. Even Oppression didn’t work for me…until Matt added the series title, Children of the Gods. Together it seemed like the perfect fit.

The title for Uprising was suggested by my publisher.

I’m very thankful to be able to work with ZOVA books so closely on everything. A lot of authors don’t have the option of being involved in decision-making.

Thanks for having me, Janina!

Book One

Flicker & Burn by T.M. Goeglein - Review and Guest Post

Flicker & Burn
(Cold Fury, #2)
by T.M. Goeglein
Released |August 20th 2013 by Putnam Juvenile|
Edition |Physical ARC|
Source |Author/Publisher|
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Sara Jane Rispoli is still searching for her missing family, but instead of fighting off a turncoat uncle and crooked cops, this time she finds herself on the run from creepy beings with red, pulsing eyes and pale white skin chasing her through the streets in ice cream trucks; they can only be described as Ice Cream Creatures. They're terrifying and hell bent on killing her, but they're also a link to her family, a clue to where they might be and who has them. While she battles these new pursuers, she's also discovering more about her own cold fury and more about the Chicago Outfit, how the past misdeeds--old murders and vendettas--might just be connected to her present and the disappearance of her family. But connecting the dots is tough and time-consuming and may finally be the undoing of her relationship with the handsome Max--who's now her boyfriend. But for his own safety, Sara Jane may have to end this relationship before it even really starts. Her pursuers who've shown her her mother's amputated finger and the head of the Chicago Outfit who's just whistled her in for a sit-down make a romance unthinkable. The only thing that matters is finding her family and keeping everyone she loves alive.

Man. Oh. Man! Like, where to start? Flicker and Burn was ACTION PACKED and I loved every single moment of all that extremeness! I could not wait to dive back into the mystery of Sara Jane's missing family, to the creepy ice cream creatures, and finally to the mysterious book of all the old Outfit's secrets. So many amazing things, good and bad, happened within within this installment that has me really anxious to see how everything will end in the final book! If you enjoyed the first book, then I really suggest you give the sequel a try :) It was awesome! And if you haven't started this series and like a good action packed mystery, then I would definitely recommend starting the series!

Guest Post & Excerpt - Enchantment by Nikki Jefford + Giveaway (Int)

Enchantment 
(Spellbound, #3)
by Nikki Jefford 
Released |April 6th 2013 by Nikki Jefford|
Add to Goodreads

Barcelona. Summer escape. Or so Graylee Perez thought until her old adversary, Adrian Montez, brings his magic show to Spain.
Gray seeks out a Spanish wizard to help banish Adrian from her life once and for all. Instead, she tumbles headfirst into a love spell with the arrogant warlock.
After Gray follows Adrian to Paris, she must face her true feelings and decide if Adrian’s worth fighting for.

Guest Post

Staying True to Character

Sometimes I want to make my characters say or do things that are out of character for them. For the most part it’s a synchronized effort, but once in a while the character fights the direction I try to take them.
This happened with Adrian Montez on his flight from Barcelona to Paris. I felt like he should be sulking on the ride home after having his heart crushed yet again by Graylee Perez. I wanted him to wallow the whole way back. Thing is, Adrian doesn’t sulk. Oh no, he hits on the stewardess.
He was so insistent; I had no choice but to go with it.

Adrian rattled the ice in his glass and polished off the last of the drink. When the cart came around he ordered another. He smiled at the stewardess as she prepared the drink from the aisle. She wore her hair down. He liked that. Adrian’s eyes traveled up her lean nylon-clad legs, from her black pumps to the edge of the itchy-looking navy skirt. She looked like the sort of chick who’d wear a garter underneath.

The stewardess was all woman, not a mere girl. Much better suited to Adrian . . . at least for one night.

Blog Tour: Honora by Cynthia Woolf - Guest Post

The Swords of Gregara - Honora 
by Cynthia Woolf

Released |December 22, 2012|
​Genre |Romance, Sci Fi​|
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They stole her love, her life and want to steal the secrets secured in her mind. Secrets that could topple world governments and decimate quadrant security forever. Now she’s on an epic quest to find out why and make those responsible pay.
Honora Reyestat gave up everything to become a member of the esteemed Gregarian Guard. No family, no friends, no connections--nothing that can ever be used against her. Captured and enslaved, she's become a prized gladiator for her master. Given the task of training a new slave, she recognizes a fellow Zolthor and the son of a tribal leader at that. Her mission changes from discovery of the enemy's tactics and secrets to returning Joridan to his people.
Drawn to this fierce woman as no other, Joridan Dolana tries to explain she is wrong. He's not Zolthor, he's Centauri. He was raised on Centauri with his sister. Faced with proof of a father's ultimate betrayal, he must choose between revenge and the protection of this woman who has sworn to never return his love.

Guest Post 

How do I come up with the titles of my books?

That is not easy to answer.   I usually change the title several times before it actually goes to print.  Tame A Wild Heart was one that my critique group came up with.  The original title was Mountain Splendor.

Then, with a series, once I have the title of the first one, it’s easier to do the second and third.  With the Tame series I knew that they would all have the word Tame in them.  Tame A Wild Wind was called that because they raised thoroughbreds who run like the “wind”.  Tame A Wild Bride was about a mail order bride.

The Swords of Gregara series is a little different.  Each of the books starts on the planet Gregara.  The first and second books stay there and the third book ends up on the planet Thrakus.  The difference in the titled comes from the heroine’s in each of the books.  The first, Jenala, uses a sword to protect herself and because her father was a master swordsman and taught her.  

Riza, the second book, the heroine is a doctor.  Doctors wield swords of a different nature in their scalpels.

Honora, the third heroine, is a gladiator at the start of the book and uses a sword to fight with.  She uses the sword or she dies.

The process of naming each series is different and depends a lot on what is going on in the book.  I try to tell a little bit about the book in the title but it’s hard to do in such a short amount of time.

I haven’t even thought about the title of my next scifi series.  It’s going to be about male members of the elite group called the Swords of Gregara, that you are introduced to in Honora.  They will come to Earth on the heels of escaped villains.   Maybe I should have my fans give me ideas for the title.  Hmm.  Something to keep in mind.

About the Author

​Cynthia Woolf was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in the mountains west of Golden. She spent her early years running wild around the mountain side with her friends.
​
She worked her way through college and went to work full time straight after graduation and there was little time to write. Then in 1990 she and two friends started a round robin writing a story about pirates. She found that she missed the writing and kept on with other stories. In 1992 she joined Colorado Romance Writers and Romance Writers of America.
​
Unfortunately, the loss of her job demanded she not renew her memberships and her writing stagnated for many years.
In 2001, she saw an ad in the paper for a writer’s conference being put on by CRW and decided she'd attend. One of her favorite authors, Catherine Coulter, was the keynote speaker. Cynthia was lucky enough to have a seat at Ms. Coulter's table at the luncheon and after talking with her, decided she needed to get back to her writing. She rejoined both CRW and RWA that day and hasn't looked back.
​
Learn more about the author at: www.cynthiawoolf.com

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Blog Tour: Fractured Soul by Rachel McClellan - Guest Post

Fractured Soul
(Fractured Light, #2)
by Rachel McClellan
Released |February 12th 2013 by Cedar Fort|
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Llona will do whatever it takes to protect her new found friends and home, but the dark plot that is threatening Lucent Academy, a school that’s supposed to be a safe place for Auras, may be too powerful for even Llona to defeat. This fast-paced tale of love, loyalty, and overcoming the darkness will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page!

Purchase links:
Fractured Soul-Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Fractured-Soul-Rachel-McClellan/dp/1462111807/ref=la_B005RFFM9M_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361366390&sr=1-1
Fractured Light-Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Fractured-Light-Rachel-McClellan/dp/1599559420/ref=la_B005RFFM9M_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1361366390&sr=1-2
Fractured Light-Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fractured-light-rachel-mcclellan/1105707326?ean=9781462101962
Fractured Soul-BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fractured-soul-rachel-mcclellan/1113317222?ean=9781462111800

Author Bio

Rachel McClellan was born and raised in Idaho, a place secretly known for its supernatural creatures. When she's not in her writing lair, she's partying with her husband and four crazy, yet lovable, children. Rachel's love for storytelling began as a child when the moon first possessed the night. For when the lights went out, her imagination painted a whole new world. And what a scary world it was...
http://www.facebook.com/AuthorRachelMcClellan
www.RachelMcClellan.com
Twitter: @RachelMcClellan
http://blackbirdinmywindow.blogspot.com

Guest Post

The Paranormal in Fractured Soul

Write about the paranormal aspect in Fractured Soul. This may include the type of paranormal in the book, the research you may have done, any changes you may have made or added to suit the plot and how you wanted the paranormal aspect to fit, why you chose to add a paranormal aspect, etc. Length shouldn’t be longer than 4 paragraphs.

My main character, Llona Reese, is an Aura, which gives her the ability to control and manipulate light. This is called Photokinesis. Some times this will also involve the ability to see other’s auras. There are several people who claim to have this gift, specifically psychics and mediums.

Blog Tour: Gilded Wings by Amy Lignor - Guest Post, Except, Giveaway

The Beloved Angel-Warrior Team from Until Next Time Returns!
When Matt and Emily are sent on their second mission they have no idea how truly dark human nature can become...
Emily never wanted to face humans again. With the heartache that went on down below, she’s still trying to figure out how to save souls that don’t deserve saving. The only one she wants to see again is Jason - the young man she fell in love with who became the soulmate she simply can’t forget...
Matt was trained to protect and defend the souls down below. Longing to feel the heartfelt emotions that come from being human, Matt wants nothing more than to have just one life - one chance - to live and love the girl of his dreams...
The powerful team find themselves in a brand new century, living in the Gilded Age of New York City. Emily takes over the body of Anya, a young Russian girl who arrives on Ellis Island after a hideous tragedy. There she meets up with a strangely familiar young man by the name of Drew Parrish, who helps Anya survive in an unknown world of luxury, snobbery and…obsession.
What Anya’s inner angel doesn’t know is that the soul she loves is also back. This time around Jason goes by the name of Max Carrow. Once a quiet and kind boy, he’s now part of the ‘Four Hundred Club,’ and wants nothing more than to be among the most admired as he climbs the shaky ladder of society’s elite.
As two worlds merge, Emily and Matt struggle under the weight of their “Gilded Wings.” Not only will they have to figure out who they should fight to save, but they must also face a romantic choice that could destroy them both. 

Author Bio

Amy Lignor began her career at Grey House Publishing in northwest Connecticut where she was the Editor-in-Chief of numerous educational and business directories.

Now she is a published author of several works of fiction. The Billy the Kid historical The Heart of a Legend; the thriller, Mind Made; and the adventure novel, Tallent & Lowery 13.

She is also the owner of The Write Companion, a company that offers help and support to writers through a full range of editorial services from proofreading and copyediting to ghostwriting and research. As the daughter of a research librarian, she is also an active book reviewer.

Currently, she lives with her daughter, mother and a rambunctious German Shepherd named Reuben, in the beautiful state of New Mexico. 

Blog Tour - Owlet by Emma Michaels (Guest Post + Giveaway + Excerpt)

Somewhere between falling and flying… there is a girl.
Iris has a secret. She lost her memory eight years ago and never told a living soul. After an asthma attack one night she finds out that her dreams of a strange house on a snowy island may be a memory resurfacing but the more she learns about the past the more she realizes the life she has been living is a lie. As the façade her father has built starts to crumble around her she will have to decide which means more to her; the truth or her life.

Author Bio

Emma Michaels is the author of the ‘A Sense of Truth’ and ‘Society of Feathers’ series. Her goal with her latest YA novel 'Owlet' is to give others what she did not have growing up; a strong female protagonist with asthma.  While her previous aspiration was to be a lady knight she realized that not being able to run more than a few feet might become a hindrance so turned to writing instead. Her day jobs include being a cover artist, marketing consultant and silk screen designer. 

As the founder of The Writers Voice blog (http://OurBooksOurVoice.Blogspot.com) she loves to connect authors and readers. As a book blogger turned author, she was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, until she moved at eighteen to Washington State. Suddenly, the world was a new place filled with tall green trees that reached further for the sky with every moment, making her want to do the same. Ever since, she has tried to make her life something new and different from what it was before, pursuing her future career, setting high goals and reaching for them. With the support of her fiancé, Chihuahua, and her amazing blog followers and fellow bloggers, she wants to prove to the world that anything is possible and help inspire fellow literary lovers to reach for their dreams.