Cynthia Kocialski - Average Kid, Big Dreams, Now What? + Contest

Enter to win A Print copy of Out of the Classroom Lessons in Success!

***
Average Kid, Big Dreams, Now What?
By Cynthia Kocialski

Every year, every child is asked by a multitude of people, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” As children grow, what they wanted to be in preschool is completely different from what they want to be in high school. But one thing doesn’t change.

No one ever follows this question by asking how they are going to make this dream a reality. If probed, the answer given will simply be that of continuing one’s studies and this isn’t adequate. If your child wants to be a renowned veterinarian, then studies aren’t enough. Every veterinarian receives the same training, yet some thrive in the profession while others don’t. It’s not the training that makes the difference. It’s something else.

Regardless of your child’s dream, whether it is lofty or down to earth, each and every child wants the same thing. They want their dream to become a reality.

When children are born, parents have no idea what lies ahead for them in the future. As parents we hope, but we don’t know. If a parent is asked about what they want for their children, the usually vague response is health and happiness. But how does anyone achieve happiness, it’s by fulfilling their dreams.

There you have it. Children don’t want their dreams to stay just dreams, and parents want their children to become their dreams so they’ll be happy. But how? A dream is nothing more than a goal. People aren’t suddenly surprised one day and find that they are living their dream. It takes concerted effort to become successful.

Most parents realize that only a rare few have an extreme talent for anything. Somewhere we embraced the notion that those superstars and those most successful are those that are the most talented in the world at something. Is this true? Is there no hope for those who are just average?

Of course not, there is always hope and in fact, the odds of success are actually in their favor. Over my career, what I’ve learned is success in life doesn’t hinge upon having an extreme ability or getting the top grades. There are lots of average people who are highly successful. If talent alone were the determining factor, we wouldn’t see drop outs being billionaires. The biggest corporations would be headed by the alumni of the top universities, and that’s not true either. Scientific breakthroughs would be discovered only by those with the highest IQ’s, and studies have disproved this as well. It seems contradictory. Why is this?

To achieve, it all begins with a change in our mindset as to what is truly required. It starts by accepting that an extreme talent isn’t necessary. It begins by dispelling some of those concepts we learned in school, notions meant to help us learn knowledge, but don’t necessarily hold true for reaching our dreams. In the first chapter, Out of the Classroom Lessons in Success opens with why straight A grades are not required for success. Too many people equate academic success with future professional success, and this book begs to differ. Why average works for success is because it’s not one single talent that matters as much as the combination of qualities. So any one talent simply needs to be ‘good enough’.

There’s a big difference between buying an item and giving it to someone as a gift, and buying it, wrapping it up, putting a bow on it, and presenting it to the recipient in a unique manner – the later just has that WOW factor even if the actual gift is just ordinary. Talent is the same. Package up the average and it becomes successful. Don’t package up the extraordinary and it will get a lackluster reception.

The book further discusses some of those misconceptions and half-truths, which when taken for literal or face value will hinder success. Every school child has heard it, “Good things come to those that wait”. Is this really wise advice if you want to reach your dreams? Shouldn’t it be “Good things come to those that wait, better things come to those that ask, and the best things come to those who go out and get what they want.” Now imagine what would happen in a classroom if children knew more than the opening, could a teacher keep control? Probably not. The classroom would become chaos. However, if you hope to reach your dream, then just sitting quietly and waiting for your dream to be presented to you isn’t a viable strategy. Yet, this is what many people do because this is what they were taught.

If there is any big secret to success, it’s that extreme talent isn’t necessarily required. If there is one big misstep, it’s believing that success hinges upon perfecting a specific talent, to focus and hone that one skill and neglect every other. It’s the combination of talents and skills that make people a success. Wow, that’s a huge shift in thinking, because it means it is possible for just about anyone to be successful.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cynthia Kocialski is the founder of three tech start-ups companies. In the past 15 years, she has been involved in dozens of start-ups. Cynthia writes the Start-up Entrepreneurs’ Blog www.cynthiakocialski.com. Cynthia has written the book, “Out of the Classroom Lessons in Success: How to Prosper Without Being at the Top of the Class.” The book serves up tips, insight, and wisdom to enable young adults and parents of kids to know what it will take to forge a successful career, no matter what their academic achievement.

ENTER THE CONTEST

Just comment on the post below and leave the first bit of your email address. You do need to be a NOR Newsletter / Fan Club subscriber to enter. USA Postage Only on shipped items. Ends - 2/24

Monica M. Brinkman - Why Not Karma? + Contest

Enter to win an eBook copy of The Turn of the Karmic Wheel!

***

Why Not Karma?
by Monica M. Brinkman

I pondered what to write when invited to be a guest blogger on Farrahs’ site. After deliberation it became apparent the logical answer...why not Karma?

So what is Karma? We seem to use the word as a fear tactic insuring our goodwill toward others.

Karma simply means - action.

The definition in Hinduism/Buddhism: action, seen as bringing upon oneself inevitable results, good or bad, either in this life or reincarnation.

Many will argue the case of karma occurring exclusively in a next life while others adamantly endorse the idea we will feel karma’s full force as a payback in the same life. What they all have in common is the belief we are accountable for our deeds and actions.

Yet we see greed, self-satisfaction, lust, murder, rape, and mayhem all around us and many of the individuals who carry out these acts seem to get by just fine in life, without retribution in any form. While others, the kind, caring, giving souls, grow poorer, hungrier and more desperate in their quest for survival.

Life may not seem fair but you may rest assured, karma seeks truth.

The millionaire who layed off his entire labor force and shipped it off to China may look to the outward world as if he is showered with riches, yet hidden from view is the cheating wife, the daughter who committed suicide or the lack of any real friendships.

Do I believe in Karma? Absolutely! I’ve experienced it within my lifetime and if you are honest with yourself, you will agree that you also have felt the force of karma. How many have judged another, stating they would never ever do such a thing only to find, under the same circumstances, they reacted the exact way years later?

To me, karma is the ultimate judge and it takes care of the world and universe just fine, thank you. There is no need for me to condemn someone and I am free to be responsible for my actions alone. It is up to each individual to take responsibility for his or her life, never blaming someone else.

In my mind, karma sets you free to be the person you are without apology. I’d fear it if I chose the wrong path in life and embrace it if living through kindness, compassion and care.

Monica M. Brinkman is the author of the newly released novel, ‘The Turn of the Karmic Wheel’, a mixed genre of suspense, horror, the paranormal and spirituality.

EXCERPT from Chapter One, ‘The Turn of the Karmic Wheel’

Harry went to the window and watched his friend walk down the street. He wondered if he should be concerned. For some reason, he felt a bit of uneasiness; just couldn’t put his finger on the why or wherefore. Aw, hell, he reasoned, it ain't none of my business. Yet there was something eating at his mind, a voice telling him to go no further with this transaction. It was a gut feeling he couldn’t shake, a feeling that his friend and neighbor of over 30 years was not ‘quite right’. There was definitely something ‘off the scale’ about Euclid today. A vivid image entered his mind. A vision so unfathomable he had to let it go. Harry shivered as he moved to slowly close the store’s door, continuing to watch the retreating figure kicking stones along the road, unable to shake his feelings of dread.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ms Brinkman, along with Oana host an exciting blogtalkradio show called ‘Two Unsynchronized Souls, that airs every Thursday , 8 PM CST. You may join the live show by calling 213/769-0952. For the schedule shows, click on the below referenced link.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/monicabrinkmanandoana

Visit Monica’s personal web and blogsite, Meaningful Writings and A Touch of Karma to view articles, short stories, videos, books and inspirations

ENTER THE CONTEST

Just comment on the post below and leave the first bit of your email address. You do need to be a NOR Newsletter / Fan Club subscriber to enter. USA Postage Only on shipped items. Ends - 2/10/2011

Michelle Franklin - Khantara + Contest

Enter to win a PDF copy of Khantara!

***

Khantara
by Michelle Franklin

The first standalone novel in the critically-acclaimed Haanta Series:

Khantara is a Haanta conqueror, meant to wage war and rule over the enemy nation of Thellis, but after vanquishing Thellis and occupying a construction of a Haanta outpost, he meets Anelta, a woman enslaved by her own people, bearing a brand of servitude on her neck. Khantara contrives to save her from a cruel home and bring her to the refuge his people can provide, but how can he do so successfully when the eyes of Thellis are upon him?

PURCHASE THIS BOOK / ADD TO WISH LIST / DOWNLOAD A SAMPLE

EXCERPTS

From Chapter 4

The instant Khantara began to walk the short path to the barracks he was attacked by swarms of wrens and sparrows from the nearby willows, all of them in a flutter to have their turn to speak to the gentle mountain. The owls and nighthawks had taken his evening and now it was only fair that they should have his morning to themselves. He must hear of their new nests and warbling chicks and horrid neighbors, and they were going to claims their perches on his head and shoulders and tell him whether he wished to listen or to ignore them accordingly. He would listen, however; the quick and nervous conversation of the sparrows was often one-sided and he was therefore required to do nothing but allow them to nest in his hair and continue walking. The wrens, however, were lest content to permit him to be indifferent: they would have him hear of every rude caterpillar and impudent butterfly flitting around trees they knew to be theirs. Theirs was a talk of territory, and they would have Khantara understand their plight. It was wrong of the caterpillars to climb their trees and enter theirnests, and it was so devious of them not to be edible though their bright colours and squirming movements were so enticing. How horrendous it was that the bustle and brilliancy of the butterflies’ wings should be so fascinating. They could hardly capture the creatures to feed to their chicks with such a violent display of beauty. Would only Khantara tell the caterpillars to taste more agreeable, the obnoxious moths to make their cocoons somewhere else, and the owls to leave the worms alone when there was mice enough for them. Khantara, however, would say nothing to the purpose. He only smiled and shook his head at the wrens, and their loud and intricate trills conveyed their indefatigable displeasure toward the giant’s infuriating civilities. He would let nature go its own way, and the birds could do little to convince him otherwise. The wrens threatened to claim strands of the giant’s long molded locks for their nests if he did not comply, but he would not regard their threats as any so troublesome. He simpered at their attempts and silently declared that they could not break his draping tendrils no matter how hard they should try when the giant suddenly found himself at the barracks.

From Chapter 8
Original lineart by Twisk

"She hoped, and did not hope, that what he wished to show her were in a more precarious place, but she realized that in welcoming the giant to her home, she would have to brook watching him remove his cloak. She had a slender idea of what she should discover there; she had felt his form when she fell against him and hardly found what she felt to be disagreeable. He waswarrior, unlike the Thellisian guardsmen she had learned to fear and avoid, and with a companion so colossal and foreboding, she could only conjecture as to what her husband might say upon seeing such a creature in his household. She had some apprehensions on the side of inviting him in; though she lived in the home, it did not belong to her, nor was any possession within its walls hers, but he had been so obliging and forthcoming with her, she could not very well allow him to remain outside the boundaries of the small disheveled gate. As they came to the path that led to the house, she regarded the giant’s features- his scarred skin, his yellow and black eyes, his broad and rounded shoulders- and confessed that she found everything to admire in his aspect. He may not have been absolutely handsome to some, but to her, he was striking. His manner, too, was to handsome and his air so prepossessing and kind- she checked before she could step closer to him due to some unconscious conjuration, but before she had hindered her deliberation, there was a momentary notion of her being hismate. She knew it was little more than a most impossible aspiration, for she was already bound to one, but yet she was beginning to prefer another: one who had openly professed himself her keeper and one who had sworn to remain at her side until the mate more errant should return home. She chided herself for wanting the one she so feared to remain in town for a few days more that she and the giant might spend as much time as was possible under one another’s auspices before the dreaded husband should revisit and all her hopes of flight and salvation diminish with his arrival."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I am a small woman of moderate consequence who writes many, many epic fantasy books involving giants, romance, and chocolate. I'm a rather boring woman in life, but that only gives me permission to be more interesting on the page. I'm meant to be read and not seen anyway. I am also excessively sarcastic, but never serious, and I do my utmost to be as quiet and polite as possible when being forced to leave the commons. I adore people, but am not fond of the public. Such is an author's burden: to be a hermit and a crone, blessed with all the joys of unquietness.

AUTHOR WEBSITE


ENTER THE CONTEST

Just comment on the post below and leave the first bit of your email address. You do need to be a NOR Newsletter / Fan Club subscriber to enter. USA Postage Only on shipped items. Ends - 02/10/2012

E Van Lowe - The Year The Romance Died + Contest

Enter to win an ebook set of Boyfriend form Hell and Earth Angel!

***
The Year The Romance Died
by E Van Lowe

I am declaring 2011 as the year romance died. Seriously. Those of us writing about romance should take a hard look at what we are doing. It is obvious America has had its fill of romance and is moving on to the next thing—whatever that is.

First, Kim Kardashian expresses her undying love in the wedding of the ages to NBA star Kris Humphries, and then seventy-two days later she files for divorce. Don’t get me wrong. I realize every marriage isn’t made in heaven, but seventy-two days? I had a heat rash that lasted longer than seventy-two days. Honestly, there were times on my honeymoon when I thought “If I admit my mistake now I can put us both out of our misery.” And then I thought: “I’ll give it a year.” I’m glad I did. Seventy-two days may be a great testing period for deciding if you want to continue dating someone, but I don’t believe any normal human being (“Normal” being the operative word here)should bail on a marriage in that short period of time.

Then just as I was just getting over the Kim and Kris debacle, I got the devastating news about Katy Perry and Russell Brand. How could that be? I swore when Katy was belting out the lyrics to Firework--Cause baby you’re a firework, come on show em what you’re worth. Make em go Oh! Oh! Oh!—she was singing praises to the love of her life. And then a year later, the firework fizzled.

So as I began this year, 2012, I was having serious doubts about the future of romance. Isn’t romance supposed to lead to Happily Ever After? Isn’t that what every girl dreams of? It was then I remembered the wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton. The entire world got up at an ungodly hour to watch it on TV. I know I did. We were all watching, oohing and ahhing because it was so lavish, yet classy, but mostly it was romantic.

I realized then that happily ever after is a lot like winning the lottery. Everyone wants it, but most of us accept it as just a beautiful dream, a dream we want to believe can happen (“Can” being the operative word here). As a writer of fiction, it is my job to keep the dream alive.

I got up extra early on May 26th 2011 to watch the royal wedding because it made me feel good. When I finish a book by Nicholas Sparks I get that same warm and comfy feeling. When I wrote my novel, Earth Angel (White Whisker Books), about what a mortal girl would do to save the life of her earth bound angel, I was conjuring up that feeling, not just for myself, but hopefully for you, my readers. The Kim Kardashians of the world are always going to throw cold water on our dreams. It is our job as writers to keep the dream of happily ever after alive. I LOVE my job. I am up for the challenge.

2011 may be the year romance died, yet on January 1st 2012 it rose again, like the Phoenix, pumping its wings toward a glorious sun.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

E Van Lowe was born in the Bronx a long time ago, back in the days when children were supposed to be seen and not heard. Fortunately for E, his parents allowed him to speak freely. Unfortunately for his parents and older brother, E had a lot to say. He was speaking quite freely until one day, while his mother was trying to watch her “stories” (which is code for soap operas), she suggested that instead of speaking freely, he write all his important thoughts down. E wrote down many important thoughts, such as: crayons melt when you leave them on the radiator, or toy soldiers melt when you drop them in the muffin batter before mom puts it in the oven. His brother thought he was weird, but E was only ten years old at the time. What did he expect, Shakespeare? E liked writing things down so much, he decided that when he grew up, he was going to become a professional writer.

E has gone on to write for many award winning TV shows including: The Cosby Show, and Even Stevens. He also co-wrote the Academy Award nominated short film, Cadillac Dreams. Never Slow Dance With A Zombie was his first teen novel. Boyfriend From Hell is the first in the Falling Angels Saga. The second novel in the saga, Earth Angel, will be coming out soon. It seems E still has lots of important, and weird, thoughts to share with readers.

http://evanlowe.com

ENTER THE CONTEST

Just comment on the post below and leave the first bit of your email address. You do need to be a NOR Newsletter / Fan Club subscriber to enter. USA Postage Only on shipped items. Ends - 2/10/2012

Alexia E. Fraser - Memories of MOM + Contest

Enter to win a paperback copy of Memories of Mom!

***
Beautiful Inside and Out  - A look Inside My Character’s Life
By Alexia E. Fraser - Author of the Memoir Memories of Mom

Because my book is a memoir, it provided the perfect vehicle to look inside my character’s life. The main character in my book “Memories of Mom” is my wonderful, loving mother. There were no unnecessary complications in her life. She was just pure and simple in every way. As a little girl I watched her every move and I loved what I saw. She was beautiful inside and out.

The excerpt below epitomizes the kindness that permeated my character’s life. An amazing woman! Who wouldn’t want to write about her?

“As a little girl growing up, I can recall that my mom hired a gardener to take care of our lawn. His name was Alan. Alan kept busy doing the landscaping, and whatever odds and ends he had to do outside.

Mom, who was a very good cook, was busy making lunch for us in the kitchen. She asked me to set the table and said that I should include Alan. This came as a surprise to me. I turned to my mom and I asked, "Is Alan sitting at the table with us?" “Yes!” she replied.

I never saw a gardener dine with a family before. They would sit outside or someplace else. My mom continued by saying, “Alan will be joining us at the table. We are all equal. He has a mother, too. He is someone’s child and I would like my children to be treated the same way.” Mom truly had an egalitarian spirit within her.

Lunch was ready, and Mom called out to Alan and told him to take a break and have some lunch with us. Alan stopped what he was doing, washed up and came inside to join us. Mom told him to have a seat. He was in awe. He then turned to Mom and said, “Ms. Spence, no one has ever been this kind to me. Thank you.”

Mom replied, “You’re welcome.” We all had an enjoyable lunch at the table with Alan. That was one of my most memorable moments, one that will always stay with me. It was certainly a good lesson to learn. Since then I have tried to live my life with a sense of equal treatment to others.”

Daphne Monica Spence is the embodiment of the type of characters I love writing about.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alexia Elizabeth Smart-Fraser was born in the beautiful island of Jamaica. After marrying her high school sweetheart Edward, she migrated to the United States. She is the proud and loving mother of two children, son Sean and daughter Paige. She now resides with her family in New York City.

Alexia Fraser studied acting at H.B. Studio. She worked as an extra on the set of “Cosby Mysteries” with Bill Cosby, “New York Undercover” with Malik Yubo, “Central Park West” with Lauren Hutton, and the series “Prince Street” with Mariska Hargitay.

As well, Alexia Fraser has written and produced three original non-fiction one act plays both off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway. “The Ryans,” “Dope the Endeavor” and “Blind Trust.” Her fourth play “Our God is Awesome” is not yet produced, but will be in the near future. Alexia is the original founder and partner of her production company, Paige Unlimited, LLC (www.paigeunlimitedllc.com) of which she is the Creative Arts VP.

“Memories of Mom” is Alexia Fraser’s first published book. She was driven to share her story after seeing her mom suffered unacceptable nursing home and hospital care. Her second book is already partially scripted. “Write what you know” is what she believes.


ENTER THE CONTEST

Just comment on the post below and leave the first bit of your email address. You do need to be a NOR Newsletter / Fan Club subscriber to enter. USA Postage Only on shipped items. Ends - 1/27/2012

Anarchy Books free book promotion

***** PRESS RELEASE *****

Anarchy Books: FREE BOOK PROMOTION – from 12.29.11 – 02.01.12


That’s right, Anarchy Books have a very special New Year gift for all you lucky shiny new Kindle owners.

During the next 4/5 days over the New Year period, a selection of Anarchy Books titles will be offered completely FREE! So if you fancy any of the following novels, get yo ass over to Amazon and stock up your Kindle with Anarchy for the New Year....

Participating titles:

GIG (Mik and Kim) by James Lovegrove
Monstrocity by Jeffrey Thomas
New York Nights by Eric Brown
Rain Dogs by Gary McMahon
SIM by Andy Remic
Serial Killers Incorporated by Andy Remic
The Black Seas of Infinity by Dan Henk
The Office of Lost and Found by Vincent Holland-Keen

All free!

Have a HAPPY ANARCHY NEW YEAR!!

www.anarchy-books.com

Kasonndra Leigh - Urban Fantasy with a Dystopian Twist + Contest

Enter to win an ebook copy of When Copper Suns Fall!

***
Urban Fantasy with a Dystopian Twist – A Venture into the Written Realm
By KaSonndra Leigh Author of the YA Dark Fantasy When Copper Suns Fall

I promise you that the title of this article is not a typo.

Sometimes it’s almost as if I can hear the unspoken comments from the hesitant reader who is considering a purchase of my book. This person is saying things like: “There’s that author again, the one with the little angel statue on her book’s cover. She’s popping up all over the place talking about her dystopian fantasy novel.” Then they pause…thoughts racing, I’m sure…and say, “Hey, maybe it’s not so taboo, that crossing genres thing. Maybe I’ll check her sample out.”

And then something amazing happens…the hesitant reader buys the full copy and becomes a fan.

I get emails from people all over the world. They tell me how much they love the unique plot line and about how brave I am for taking a chance on blending two completely different genres. Sometimes I hear from people who just don’t get it; but the intrigue of a fantastical plot set within a dystopian society intrigues them. So they come back for more.

Newsflash#1: I’m not the first author who has ever crossed into this realm.

Cross-genre novels are coming out of the closet. Books with mixed- genre elements are all over the place. I won’t go into naming them here, but readers are responding in a positive way. Why is this? Beats the crap out of me. But I can tell you some of the comments I’ve gotten. Mainly the readers say things like: this book is different, angels in a dystopian society is bombin’ (learning new slang everyday) and your heroine is kick a**. What do you see in all of these? You see a reader who enjoys fantastical heroes and heroines (urban fantasy). This same reader can also appreciate fresh characters and settings (half-angels in a society controlled by a government). The secret to making it all work was similar to tackling a new stew. I had to grab a strong voice, a unique heroine, a fallen hero, a society reformed after a great war, add a touch of tribalism without alienating my urban fantasy fans. Phew! Right?

Newsflash#2: The previous recipe was done by a trained dreamer. Do not attempt this on your own.

When I sat down and began writing When Copper Suns Fall, the story was standard in your face, super-high fantasy. Complete with blue creatures, unicorns, princes, and all that. Chela’s name was Cara and Faris had a name that has been overused lately. I wasn’t trying to be fad girl or the Lady Gaga of the writing world. But rather, I was trying to write the story I always wanted to read. One that came to life when my oldest son asked me: “what if angels that looked like people lived in a dystopian society?” The seeds were planted, the lights in my muse’s apartment lit up. The challenge was on. How do I stick to an urban setting with fantastical elements, but bring my love of dystopia into play?

Newsflash #3: There is no greater teacher of good Young Adult than a young adult himself. Repeat please.

So if one or two young adults is asking you about a story they’d love to read, then feel lucky, feel blessed, whatever you choose. Feel something and then go write it all down. You’ve just won a prize similar to the lottery (okay, so maybe I’m exaggerating a bit, but…)

Final Newsflash: Urban fantasy with a dystopian twist is not a four-letter word. Re-Tweet please.

An interview I recently took part in asked about the motivation for my novel. Was there a purpose? A message? At first, I said no. Literary novelists are sort of like plague carriers these days. But then, I had to fess up. Of course there’s a message, a theme, all of the above. When Copper Suns Fall is a story of possibilities. It’s a story of all people, all races, and our choices. From its crossed genres all the way down to the cover, it’s a story of what if…? And to find the answer you’ll have to read it, of course! :-D

My lovely grandmother (R.I.P.) always told me that if I listened to the flowers then they’d tell me a few stories. The flowers are the carriers of the angel’s songs. So one day I did as she said (don’t be laughing at me, now). I listened, wrote down the words, rolled a story around my head for a long time. What’s the purpose behind all of this? Stay true to yourself, your story, the message if you have one. And the readers will see who you truly are. That’s the secret behind any successful story, cross-genre or not. You must stay true to the craft and not the trends. What do you think about the future of cross-genre novels?

BLURB

In fifteen-year-old Chela Prizeon’s city, alchemy is forbidden and angels hide among the mortal. With a deadly virus ravaging the globe, Chela’s nightmarish memories compels her to experience a past riddled with gloom, and now her brother is infected.

Chela’s only hope is the Caduceans, slayers sworn to protect the last seven Light Keepers and the ancient memories they share. A group led by the sometimes elusive, sometimes infuriating boy who intrigues Chela. But can she trust this boy with the mysterious past, someone who can influence her memories?

With the Caduceans aid, Chela races to defeat her rivals, to unearth dark family secrets, desperate to find a cure…only to discover the glutovirus is far more than a simple disease.

In this haunting debut, KaSonndra Leigh offers an escape into a world as intriguing as The Mortal Instruments and a story as chilling as Enclave. Full of celestial creatures, fascinating villainy, high-stake choices, and a secret romance, When Copper Suns Fall, is a fresh and original urban fantasy—with a dystopian twist—that will take readers on an unforgettable adventure.

BUY ON KINDLE

EXCERPT

Forcing my eyes to open, I found myself outside the Cradlehack. I was standing in Faris’s arms, my head against his chest, my fingers entwined in his black vest. It was a smooth fabric that felt like silk. A cloth no one had worn outside of ceremonies since before the Tidal Years. This boy was no common citizen. His earthy-sweet smell made me feel hypnotically safe, as we stood among the crowd fleeing down the hillside. He lifted my chin, stared in my eyes. But this wasn’t some dumb player’s move.

No, a mysterious thing stirred behind his silvery-gray eyes.

“Feel better, Chela?” he asked. I nodded.

“Thanks for helping me,” I said, still fighting a light head. Still afraid the dreaded black blobs lingered somewhere around us. Somewhat ashamed I’d spoken so horribly to him moments ago.

“You probably shouldn’t do that,” he said.

“Do what?”

“Thank me.”

“Why? Because I caught you using alchemy? That’s what your kind does. Make magic in the shadows, right?” I said.

His left eye ticked. The girl in the hoodie had called him a Caducean. Could it be possible? Father told me Caduceans were a mythical group—demon slayers from a time long gone. Yet, here I stood with a boy who didn’t deny my claim.

Around us, fewer people were leaving the Shack. They paid no attention to the two idiots standing and staring at each other. Did Jalen and Lexa make it out safely? They were taking forever to reach me.

Did I really want them to find me?

“They’ll call me, now, and make me a witness against you. I’m sorry, but I already have too many problems. So I—I have to tell the truth,” I said.

“That won’t be a problem.” Faris smiled, a catchy one that lit his face up. I couldn’t decide whether it was angelic or downright wicked. Just like I couldn’t remember where I’d ever heard an accent like his. What kind was it? Old southern? Old English? Irish? It sounded like a mix of all three, but with a deep timbre, making him sound god like. “In a few minutes, you won’t remember me or any of this.”

“Really? How do you figure that?” I asked, heart racing.

“Because my gift to you…” He moved his face closer to mine, pulling me into whatever was happening in his head. “My gift is to remove memories that cause you pain.”

“Okay, um, right.” Had I lost my mind? It probably wouldn’t have hurt to scream.

He held my gaze, locking me into something I couldn’t explain. A tear puckered up in his left eye, and slid down his cheek where it stopped on his top lip. Then he blinked, snapping us out of whatever place he’d taken us to, and glanced behind my head. “Here comes your dark knight,” he said, easing his arms away from me.

He strolled off into the last group of stragglers hanging around the Shack. How did he know my nickname for Jalen?

I wiped away a tear rolling down my right cheek.

“Chela, there you are. You scared me, girl.” Jalen’s voice cut into the moment. He spun me around to face him. I blinked, clearing my eyes. “What’s wrong? Did you get hurt?”

I glanced around us. The boy was gone. A dull headache joined the fuzziness in my head. Lost inside a clouded mind, I forgot what I wanted to say. The entire night’s events were hazy.

I fumbled with my thoughts.

What happened to me in there?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

KaSonndra Leigh lives in the City of Alchemy and Medicine, North Carolina. She likes to write about teens doing fantastical things in magical worlds. Her two sons have made her promise to write a boy book next.

She holds the MFA in creative writing, and loves to play CLUE, Monopoly (the Indiana Jones version), and Pandora’s Box (good writer’s block therapy). She lives in an L-shaped house with a garden dedicated to her grandmother. It has a secret library complete with fairies, Venetian plastered walls, and a desk made out of clear blue glass. When Copper Suns Fall is her debut novel.

www.kasonndraleigh.com

ENTER THE CONTEST

Just comment on the post below and leave the first bit of your email address. You do need to be a NOR Newsletter / Fan Club subscriber to enter. Ends - 1/13

SOURCEBOOKS eBOOK DEALS! It All Started When… First in “Series” for $1.99

Sourcebooks announces its most extensive eBook promotion to date! For a limited time, purchase the first book from a Sourcebooks author for only $1.99—books that are the first in a series, or the first book that Sourcebooks published by that author (and a few extra for good measure). More than 65 exceptional books ranging from young adult to adult fiction, romance, and non-fiction. For complete details, please visit our landing page devoted to this promotion: http://www.sourcebooks.com/it-all-started-when.html. The complete list of titles is listed below—Discover a great new author!

As always, please be patient if our online retail partners don’t have every single title uploaded to their discounted price points, but the promotions are set to begin on the start dates listed below. These deals are available with all major e-Book retailers!

Feel free to share this info with your blog readers, on Facebook and Twitter, and however else you’d like to spread the word.

You can always receive the latest information about our eBook deals by checking out our eBook page: http://www.sourcebooks.com/readers/browse-our-lists/ebook-specials.html.

Enjoy, and Happy Holidays!

Danielle

DANIELLE L. JACKSON | Publicist
Sourcebooks, Inc.

Dates: 12/21/11 - 1/8/12

Complete Details: http://www.sourcebooks.com/it-all-started-when.html

Non-Fiction

1. Battle 100 by Michael Lee Lanning

2. Best Little Stories from the Civil War by C. Bryan Kelly

3. History Buff’s Guide to the Civil War by Thomas R. Flagel

4. It Was Over When... by Robert K. Elder

5. Killer Book of True Crime by Tom Philbin and Michael Philbin

Young Adult

6. Beautiful Dead Book 1: Jonas by Eden Maguire

7. Merlin’s Harp by Anne Eliot Crompton

8. Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach

Fiction

9. Child of the Northern Spring by Persia Woolley

10. The Darcys & the Bingleys by Marsha Altman

11. God is an Englishman by R.F. Delderfield

12. The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick

13. Hawk of May by Gillian Bradshaw

14. The Highest Stakes by Emery Lee

15. The Immigrants by Howard Fast

16. The Kingmaking by Helen Hollick

17. Millie’s Fling by Jill Mansell

18. Miranda's Big Mistake by Jill Mansell

19. Mr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One by Sharon Lathan

20. Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife by Linda Berdoll

21. An Offer You Can’t Refuse by Jill Mansell

22. The Pemberley Chronicles by Rebecca Ann Collins

23. Perfect Timing by Jill Mansell

24. Plain Fear: Forsaken by Leanna Ellis

25. Rumor Has It by Jill Mansell

26. A Secret in Salem by Sheri Anderson

27. Skipped Parts by Tim Sandlin

28. Staying at Daisy’s by Jill Mansell

29. Take a Chance on Me by Jill Mansell

30. To Conquer Mr. Darcy by Abigail Reynolds

31. A Weekend with Mr. Darcy by Victoria Connelly

32. When Harry Hit the Hamptons by Mara Goodman-Davies

33. The World from Rough Stones by Malcolm Macdonald

Romance

34. 50 Ways to Hex Your Lover by Linda Wisdom

35. Awaken the Highland Warrior by Anita Clenney

36. Call of the Highland Moon by Kendra Leigh Castle

37. A Certain Wolfish Charm by Lydia Dare

38. Cover Me by Catherine Mann

39. Cowboy Fever by Joanne Kennedy

40. Cowboy Trouble by Joanne Kennedy

41. Demons Prefer Blondes by Sidney Ayers

42. A Duke to Die For by Amelia Grey

43. The Fire Lord’s Lover by Kathryne Kennedy

44. The Goblin King by Shona Husk

45. Heart of the Highland Wolf by Terry Spear

46. Heart of the Wolf by Terry Spear

47. The Heir by Grace Burrowes

48. The Highlander’s Sword by Amanda Forester

49. I Dream of Genies by Judi Fennell

50. In Over Her Head by Judi Fennell

51. It Happened One Bite by Lydia Dare

52. Kiss at Your Own Risk by Stephanie Rowe

53. The Legend of Michael by Lisa Renee Jones

54. Love Drunk Cowboy by Carolyn Brown

55. The Making of a Duchess by Shana Galen

56. Making Waves by Tawna Fenske

57. Merely Magic by Patricia Rice

58. The Mistress’ House by Leigh Michaels

59. One Fine Cowboy by Joanne Kennedy

60. The Return of Black Douglas by Elaine Coffman

61. Romeo, Romeo by Robin Kaye

62. SEALed with a Kiss by Mary Margret Daughtridge

63. Slave by Cheryl Brooks

64. Strange Neighbors by Ashlyn Chase

65. Taste Me by Tamara Hogan

66. Tyler by C.H. Admirand

67. What a Goddess Wants by Stephanie Julian

68. Wickedly Charming by Kristine Grayson

The Penguin Holiday eSampler

This holiday season, Penguin's making it easy for you to choose what book to read next. The Penguin Holiday eSampler includes over forty excerpts from some of our biggest bestsellers, perennial favorites, and award-winners.

To paraphrase Charles Dickens and to push this holiday theme to the limit, we've divided the sampler into "books past, present, and future."

In the Past section, you'll find both classic and recent books that have become reader favorites. You may have read some of these already, and you've probably heard about most of them, but this is the section to find that great book you may have missed or have been meaning to read for some time.

The Present section includes bestselling and award-winning novels and nonfiction from 2011. From bestselling authors you'll recognize immediately to authors you may not know yet (but should!), this section provides a wide-range of books to choose from.

And finally, the Future section is for books coming out in late December or early 2012. If you like the excerpts, make sure you preorder, so you can start reading as soon as it's available.

Happy holidays and happy reading from your friends at Penguin!

Price: Free

Buy from: ▪ Amazon ▪ B&N ▪ iBooks ▪ Kobo ▪ Sony

ISBN 9781101573167 | eSpecial

• Past
• City of Thieves by David Benioff
• Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
• Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
• Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan
• Fall of Giants by Ken Follett
• Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
• The Magicians by Lev Grossman
• At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon
• The Reason for God by Tim Keller
• On the Road by Jack Kerouac
• The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
• Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok
• Drive by Daniel Pink
• The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett
• This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper

• Present
• The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown
• Washington by Ron Chernow
• The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua
• Locked On by Tom Clancy
• Shelter by Harlan Coben
• Matched by Ally Condie
• Red Mist by Patricia Cornwell
• Prince of Ravenscar by Catherine Coulter
• Devil's Gate by Clive Cussler
• The Ideal Man by Julie Garwood
• V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton
• Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham
• A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
• The New New Rules by Bill Maher
• Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
• The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker
• The Next Always by Nora Roberts
• Shock Wave by John Sandford
• Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
• The Quest by Daniel Yergin

• Future
• Lunatics by Dave Barry and Alan Zweibel
• More Room in a Broken Heart by Stephen Davis
• Believing the Lie by Elizabeth George
• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
• Down the Darkest Road by Tami Hoag
• Breakdown by Sara Paretsky

Chuck Waldron - Ambushed by Anger + Contest

Enter to win an autographed copy of Served Cold!

***
Ambushed by Anger
By Chuck Waldron

My latest novel Served Cold is a story about revenge. The central character is Sean, a young man who will eventually have to come to terms with a growing feeling, a need for a settling of scores.

Revenge is a fascinating emotion to me. Revenge has been the cause for wars, tribal feuds and has the capacity to turn petty wrongs into major acts of retaliation.

The urge for revenge is an emotion we’ve all encountered. It comes in many disguises. Some might call it getting even. Others might talk about settling the score. There are stories of revenge allowed to grow full bloom, with deadly results.

A small slight might urge us to respond with a simple tit-for-tat remark. What’s the harm in that? Some take revenge with a witty retort many find amusing. Where’s the harm in that?

At the other end of the ‘getting even’ scale are feuds that started with someone feeling wronged and their need for payback turns into a full-blown call for for vengeance. Many novels and films have stories beginning with a character being wronged and the subsequent quest for revenge. There are stories of revenge in the classics. In modern literature, Puzo’s The Godfather ends with Michael Corleone orchestrating revenge in brilliant counterpoint to an infant’s baptism.

I took the title to my novel from the Sicilian saying that revenge is a dish best served cold. The story that stirs young Sean’s revenge is indeed cold with roots that go back over twenty years.

He hears a story of two families. For years an uneasy balance of power between two powerful patriarchs erupts into events for which nothing less than hot-blooded vengeance will do. He hears the story of what happens when revenge is dished out in full. He learns about the rage and fury that feud robbed him of a family history.

Confucius said before one embarks on a journey of revenge to first dig two graves. Will Sean demand vengeance or can he heed the advice of Confucius and turn away? U.S. born, Canadian novelist Chuck Waldron is currently working on his fourth novel, a thriller about an investigative blogger who uncovers more than he ever imagines…and has no idea what to do with his discovery.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

His first novel, Tears in the Dust, is a mystery set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War in 1937. When Alestair Ferguson volunteers to fight in the International Brigade he doesn’t realize the true price he will have to pay. Chuck’s second novel, Remington and the Mysterious Fedora, is a quirky fantasy, a story about what happens when a young man sits at the keyboard of a manual typewriter and puts on an old fedora. When the fedora and its mysterious power begins to whisper a story to him, the young man has a strange adventure indeed. His third novel, Served Cold, spans decades and stretches from the countryside of rural Ontario to a quiet artists’ studio in Tucson, Arizona. With lots of murder and mayhem in between, the story is what happens when a long-standing feud erupts into hot-blooded vengeance.

Chuck wrote over thirty short stories before setting out to write novels that are affordable and entertaining. He has attended writing workshops in Iowa, Florida, Georgia and Ontario, Canada.

“I grew up,” Chuck said, “listening to my grandfather, an Ozark Mountain story teller, spinning tales of the caves on his farm, describing them as hiding places once used by the Jesse & Frank James’ gang. It didn’t matter if the stories were true or not. Those legends set fire to my imagination, creating images that emerged slowly over the years, finally igniting as my short stories and novels.”

Now, thirty-plus short stories and three novels later, ideas keep coming, with more novels under development. Do they share anything in common? Each has its own unique voice and tale to tell, yet, at their heart, his stories tell about the human condition – the good, the bad and the ugly.

Chuck adds, “stored images that echo in my writing include train whistles in the night, Norman Rockwell childhood scenes, U.S. Army memories, blue collar jobs, university, a professonal career, and finally retirement. Many of my images are drawn from this pool of memories: places visited, sights seen, and people met. The rest I filled in with my imagination: dreams of places yet to be visited, sights yet to be seen, and people yet to be met.”

His literary roots were planted in the American Midwest and thrived when transplanted – over thirty-nine years ago – to the rich, cultural soil of Ontario. He and his wife, Suzanne, spend their summers in Kitchener, Ontario and are warmed by a winter sun in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

You can visit Chuck at http://www.writebyme.ca and at www.chuckwaldron.com. Visit him at Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/writebyme and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/wordstir.

ENTER THE CONTEST

Just comment on the post below and leave the first bit of your email address. You do need to be a NOR Newsletter / Fan Club subscriber to enter. USA Postage Only on shipped items. Ends - 12/30/2011

Charles Rosenberg - Hanging a Flag on It + Contest

Enter to win a paperback copy of Death on a High Floor!

***

Hanging a Flag on It
by Charles Rosenberg

Writing my legal thriller, Death on a High Floor, confronted me with this question: Am I going to practice what I preach? That question presented itself because, for more than twenty years, I had been the credited legal script consultant to four TV legal dramas—Paperchase, LA Law, The Practice and Boston Legal. In that role, I was the high priest of accuracy, working with writers and producers to help them bring legal accuracy to the scripts without killing off the drama.

That was always a difficult balancing act because reality, depicted with verisimilitude, is too complicated, too long-winded, and too filled with boring moments to make great drama. Most writers would agree, though, that you can’t just shove reality totally under the rug. Audiences are not stupid, and if you do that, they will quickly desert you. Indeed, making the characters in the drama confront reality in some form, albeit stripped of its boring length and detail, will always make the drama better.

Sometimes, though, drama and verisimilitude just won’t mix at all. Here’s an example from my experience with TV: In a courtroom drama, it can create a dramatic high point if a lawyer and the opposing client meet one-on-one (preferably in a small room), and go at it. Verbal fireworks ensue, and the emotional conflict at the heart of the drama is made manifest. The problem with that? Well, in litigation it’s flatly unethical for a lawyer to meet with the other lawyer’s client without the other lawyer’s consent, and what lawyer in her right mind is going to consent? One solution, of course, would be to include the second lawyer in the scene. But that changes everything. The second lawyer, now intruded into the scene, can’t just stand there and say nothing. So the inevitable result would be to water down the one-on-one confrontation that the writer was originally seeking.

In that situation, of course, reality always bent to the needs of drama (this was TV after all), and the opposing lawyer never made it into the scene. But there was a fix of sorts. We could “hang a flag on it,” as we used to say. The scene might be rewritten with something like the following exchange:

Client
 (Speaking to the opposing lawyer)

I want to talk to you. Right now.

Opposing Lawyer

That would be unethical. You’re represented by counsel. So no can do.

Client

I just fired my lawyer.

With that exchange, the writers get to set up the one-one-one scene they really want, but the audience is made aware that what they are watching is not quite business as usual, along with a mini-lesson in real world legal ethics.

I occasionally confronted similar problems in writing Death on a High Floor. For example, at one point in the novel, someone is charged with the murder with which the novel opens (I won’t say who, since it would spoil the plot). In the normal course, the person, once charged, would be arraigned before a judge and have to plead guilty or not guilty. But for reasons of pacing and tone, and perhaps a bit of writerly sloth on my part, I didn’t want to drag the defendant down to the courthouse to be arraigned. It would have been a lengthy scene, with multiple characters appearing (including the judge, whom I preferred to introduce more dramatically in a later scene). A solution popped into my head: “Maybe it can be done from the defendant’s home, via video. That would be a much easier, quicker scene to write.” But when I researched that idea, I ran into a dead end. The judge, for historical and practical reasons, needs to see the body of the defendant in court. It couldn’t be done via video from the defendant’s home.

The solution? Do it the way I wanted to do it, but hang a flag on it for the audience, just as I had learned to do in TV. Here’s how it ended up, with a few words changed so as not to spoil the plot. It’s spoken in the voice of the defendant:

The only break in my routine occurred one day when some very official looking people brought a video camera setup into my living room. Someone told me it was to be my arraignment, hi-tech style. I put on a set of headphones and listened to a judge ask how I wished to plead. I looked into the camera and pleaded “not guilty.” Then I listened to the judge say a bunch of mumbo jumbo and set a date for the preliminary hearing.

My lawyer later told me it was a first. That no one else had ever been arraigned remotely at home. That, in fact, it couldn’t legally be done that way. But somehow . . . it had been arranged with the judge. . . .

So, in essence, I did it “wrong” but hung a flag on it for the reader. Twenty years of television consulting had taught me a trick or two.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Charles B. (”Chuck”) Rosenberg has been the credited legal script consultant to three prime time television shows: L.A. Law, The Practice and Boston Legal, as well as The Paper Chase (Showtime). During the O .J. Simpson criminal trial, he was one of two on-air legal analysts for E! Entertainment Television’s live coverage of the trial. He also provided commentary for E!’s coverage of the Simpson civil trial. He is also the author of the book The Trial of O.J. Simpson: How to Watch the Trial and Understand What’s Really Going On (Publishing Partners 1994) and is a contributing author to the book Lawyers in Your Living Room! Law on Television (ABA Publishing 2009).

He has taught extensively as an adjunct law professor, including at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, the Loyola Law School International LLM Program in Bologna, Italy, the UCLA School of Law, the Pepperdine School of Law, and the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA.

A graduate of the Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review, Chuck currently practices in the Los Angeles area. He has been a partner in several law firms, including a large international firm. Currently, he is a partner in a three-lawyer firm. Chuck and his wife have lived in Los Angeles since the early 1970s. He is at work on a second novel.

His latest novel is Death on a High Floor.

Visit his blog at http://charlesrosenberg.wordpress.com. Connect with him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=820177073.

ENTER THE CONTEST

Just comment on the post below and leave the first bit of your email address. You do need to be a NOR Newsletter / Fan Club subscriber to enter. USA Postage Only on shipped items. Ends - 12/30/2011

Deborah Cooke - Spinning into the Dragon Diaries + Contest

Enter to win one of two PRINT copies of Winging It!

***
Spinning into the Dragon Diaries
by Deborah Cooke / The Dragon Diaries Site

As many of you know, I write the Dragonfire series of paranormal romances. These books feature a group of dragon shape shifter heroes, called the Pyr, and each book tells the story of one Pyr hero meeting his destined mate. These dragon shape shifters experience one firestorm in all their long lives. The firestorm is the mark of a dragon shifter meeting the woman who can bear his son. Sparks literally fly between the dragon dude and the human woman, which can be complicated to explain. The firestorm burns until their relationship is consummated, but the desire it ignites is impossible to ignore.

Although the firestorm is about pure biology, negotiating it is seldom so simple. Most the Pyr, no matter how solitary and single they would prefer to be, find that there is something special about the woman who sparks the firestorm. There's not been a one of them yet in this series who could walk away from the woman who lit his fire. Lorenzo, the most rebellious and solitary of them all, also succumbs to the power of the firestorm in Dragonfire #7, FLASHFIRE, coming in January. You can read more about FLASHFIRE and the other Dragonfire novels at http://www.deborahcooke.com

The Dragon Diaries is a paranormal YA trilogy which is a spin-off from Dragonfire - the second book in that trilogy WINGING IT is being released this month. Because it's a spin-off series, it takes place in the same Dragonfire world, albeit in 2024. My YA series developed organically from Dragonfire and here's how.

Virtually all of the Pyr are male. There is, in fact, only one female dragon shape shifter in my Dragonfire world at any given time, and she is called the Wyvern. The Wyvern has special powers, but is pretty elusive. Here's a little spoiler alert! In Dragonfire #3, KISS OF FATE, the current Wyvern fell in love, broke the rules and decided to sacrifice herself for the greater good of the Pyr. You'll have to read the book to learn the details, but she died. And the child conceived in that book, the child of Erik and Eileen, was a girl instead of a boy. It's obvious to Erik that his daughter will be the next Wyvern, and he's anxious to see her develop her powers. Add to that the fact that the guys who are dragon shape shifters come into their powers at puberty and we have the ingredients for a spin-off series.

The Dragon Diaries trilogy tells the coming-of-age story of Zoë, the one female dragon shape shifter who should be the Wyvern. At the beginning of book #1, FLYING BLIND, Zoë's problem is that all of her dragon shifting powers are AWOL, never mind what she calls the Wyvern Bonus Pack. All of that changes when Zoë's best friend is bullied in school and suddenly she's on the fast track - and heading to Pyr boot camp - to conquer her inner dragon. She and the next generation of dragon shifters discover a new threat to the Pyr, one that the dads dismiss, and have to prove themselves by saving the day. Along the way, Zoë has her first kiss, has a lot of new secrets to keep from her best friend Meagan, and meets Jared, who just may be the most elusive and hot guy on the planet.

In WINGING IT, Zoë has gotten a grip on most of her dragon shifting powers. Things are not good with Meagan, though, who has a best friend's sense of when she's not being told everything. Plus there's a new girl in school who has befriended Meagan, and Jared has disappeared, and Zoë has been invited to the popular kids' Halloween party - which she knows is a trap set up by the Mages. It seems that her sixteenth birthday will be the worst birthday ever, and that's before Meagan gets targeted by the Mages. You can read more about all three books in the Dragon Diaries trilogy, right here: The Dragon Diaries Site

So, now I have a question for you! Do you like reading about the same world from different perspectives? I thought it was fun to explore the world of Dragonfire from the perspective of a teenage girl, particularly as I'm used to considering it from the view of adults snared in the firestorm. Do you like to read linked series like this or not? Why or why not?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Deborah Cooke has always been fascinated with dragons, although she has never understood why they have to be the bad guys. She has an honours degree in history, with a focus on medieval studies. She is an avid reader of medieval vernacular literature, fairy tales and fantasy novels, and has written over forty romance novels and novellas.

She has also been published under the names Claire Cross and Claire Delacroix.

Deborah makes her home in Canada with her husband. When she isn't writing, she can be found knitting, sewing or hunting for vintage patterns.

In October and November 2009, Deborah was the writer in residence for the Toronto Public Library, the first time that the library has hosted a residency focussed on the romance genre.

ENTER THE CONTEST

Just comment on the post below and leave the first bit of your email address. You do need to be a NOR Newsletter / Fan Club subscriber to enter. USA Postage Only on shipped items. Ends - 12/30/2011

Kelley York - The Right Writing Process + Contest

Enter to win one of 3 eBook copies of Hushed!


***
The Right Writing Process
by Kelley York

I attribute a lot of my writing growth to lurking about the forums of Absolute Write. I’ve never been a heavy poster there, but I’ve spent several years reading and reading...and reading some more. The most commonly asked questions I’ve seen crop up are things like: Should I outline? Should I edit as I go? Should I do this, should I do that...

There is no right answer. When it comes to writing...there is no right or wrong way. I know authors who are very fast first-drafters. Authors who have a lot of revision to go back and do when they’re done. Authors who finish a first draft and consider it ‘done’ because they’ve edited every step of the way. I know authors who write their ending first, then go back and start from the beginning. I know those who outline every book before they get a word down and I know those who don’t ever plot a single thing out. I even know authors who don’t write in order!

I’m not a plotter at all. About halfway through my book, I can create a rough outline (usually in my head works better), but getting organized with index cards, multiple files of character data, plot threads, etc, simply does not work for me. For the longest time, I thought I was doing something wrong. That, somehow, my books wouldn’t be as good because I didn’t outline stuff. I even tried outlining thoroughly (with stickies on my wall!) for my third book, but it hindered me more than it helped.

And, yet, I’m someone who edits a lot as I go. Despite my lack of outlining, I’m fortunate I usually have clean first drafts that don’t require huge revision. Everyone’s writing process is different. Whether you’re a rough first drafter or a clean one, whether you write from beginning to end or puzzle-piece it together, or whether you outline or not. Don’t feel like you’re doing something wrong, and don’t try copying other authors because you think their way is the ‘right’ way. Find what works for you, and own it.

PRAISE

'Kelley York delivers in this impressive debut. I was at the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next! Bottom line, this was unputdownable!!!' --- YA Fantasy Guide ---

'How exciting that we live in a time when gay teen protagonists can be just as screwed up as straight ones -- and their stories just as creepy!' --- Brent Hartinger, award-winning author of Geography Club and Shadow Walkers ---

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kelley was born and raised in central California, where she still resides with her lovely wife, daughter, and an abundance of pets. (Although she does fantasize about moving across the globe to Ireland.) She has a fascination with bells, adores all things furry - be them squeaky, barky or meow-y - is a lover of video games, manga and anime, and likes to pretend she's a decent photographer. Her life goal is to find a real unicorn. Or maybe a mermaid.

Within young adult, she enjoys writing and reading a variety of genres from contemporary with a unique twist, psychological thrillers, paranormal/urban fantasy and horror. She loves stories where character development takes center stage.

Kelley's website

HUSHED SYNOPSIS

He's saved her. He's loved her. He's killed for her.

Eighteen-year-old Archer couldn't protect his best friend, Vivian, from what happened when they were kids, so he's never stopped trying to protect her from everything else. It doesn't matter that Vivian only uses him when hopping from one toxic relationship to another - Archer is always there, waiting to be noticed.

Then along comes Evan, the only person who's ever cared about Archer without a single string attached. The harder he falls for Evan, the more Archer sees Vivian for the manipulative hot-mess she really is.

But Viv has her hooks in deep, and when she finds out about the murders Archer's committed and his relationship with Evan, she threatens to turn him in if she doesn't get what she wants...And what she wants is Evan's death, and for Archer to forfeit his last chance at redemption.

PURCHASE THE BOOK

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

ENTER THE CONTEST

Just comment on the post below and leave the first bit of your email address. You do need to be a NOR Newsletter / Fan Club subscriber to enter. Ends - 12/16/2011