My First Writing Retreat

I'm about to leave on my first writing retreat. Six YA writers from British Columbia are meeting up at a coastal retreat on Vancouver Island and I'm so excited. I've been to writing conferences before but never to an author retreat.

something like this

This is part of my Spring Break blog/internet break, but I wanted to let you know what I was up to and that there will be pictures!

PROTECTED Blog Tour!!

The exciting sequel to Watched by Cindy M. Hogan is here! Welcome to the PROTECTED tour!!

They found her.
Now she must run and leave behind everything she knows,
including herself.


She has the guy. The terrorists have been taken care of and she has a shot at becoming popular.
Life is great!
Until they find her.
Now she must run and leave behind everything she knows,
including herself.

Protected links:  
Facebook page 


Goodreads  

Goodreads author page 

Amazon      


Praise for Protected
"From bullies to terrorists, Christy faces challenge after challenge in this stunning sequel that raises the stakes, both for her safety, and her love-life. A fantastic addition to a series that is sure to catch the hearts of readers." ~Heather McCorkle, author of the Channeler series 

 "PROTECTED is a thrilling follow-up that left me sitting on the edge of my seat and begging for more."- Magan Vernon author of How to Date an Alien  

"A suspenseful, romantic, and intriguing novel. Protected is a riveting novel that I couldn’t put down until the very last word." Miriam Barton, author 

 "Protected, is unique and so elegantly written that it did no less than amaze me with the brilliance of this author. In a world where danger is real and there are bad people just waiting to hurt you at every turn, Cindy M. Hogan still manages to weave in the hope that is found in believing in a higher power. 

This is one of the very best YA series I have ever read and it's definitely worth picking up. I think I love this series most because of the real-life drama and situations these teens are put in. The situations are indicative of what could truly happen in today's world and that's what makes it so exciting and thrilling. Packed with a combination of heart-wrenching teen angst and heart-stopping action with the threat of some really bad people, this is one you don't want to miss!"

~Kitty Bullard GMTA reviews

 "This anticipated sequel sizzles with equal parts thriller, suspense and romance. A spine tingling story I could not put down." ~C.K.Bryant, author of BOUND

"Protected has equal parts romance and thriller. This fast paced novel has a little something for everyone!"  -Lani Woodland, author of Intrinsical 

Check out Angela Carlie's blog on Tuesday for the next step of the tour.

Spring Break (without the Spring)

I don't know about where you live, but the weather here has been Wacky! Yesterday was Spring--sit in the sun and tan your face warm, and today it's winter again--snow falling like it's mid December instead of mid March.

Despite the weather it's Spring break, and my body/soul/mind is telling me I need to take one. So Spring-like temperatures or not, I'm taking a blog break. You'll probably still find me peeking into Twitter and Facebook here and there, but for the most part I need to sign out until the end of the month.

Hopefully by then Spring will have stuck its stubborn heels in, and waved winter a final good-bye.

holding out for this

Tuesday Teasers

I've started putting teasers up on my Facebook Author page, but I thought I might as well post them here too.

Enjoy!

CLOCKWISE

 Casey is dress shopping with Lucinda when she spot Nate and his girlfriend, Jessica.

Just as we approached the exit I spotted Nate. What was he doing here? Seeing him outside of the context of school was weird, though any context seemed to have the same effect on me. Dry throat, butterflies in my stomach, the urge to squeal.

 I tried to make a smooth manoeuvre out of his line of vision, but instead ran directly into a rack of blouses, almost knocking it over. He saw me. Of course he saw me! The whole store stopped to observe. His eyes didn’t flick away. Okay, I’m a train wreck, you don’t have to stare.

 He finally looked back at what he was watching before—Jessica presenting a pretty ivory dress. At first, she seemed startled to see me but then she grinned her evil grin. What? Did she think she was getting married to him? It looked like a dumb wedding dress. I really hoped she didn’t pick that one.

 A wave of dizziness smacked me as I tried to stand. Then a flash of bright light.

CLOCKWISER

Tim meets Josephine Watson in 1862

It looked like the wide-opened back door led to the kitchen, if I could go by the long wooden table I spotted inside. Just as we were about to enter, we ran into girl about my age. She also wore a long dress, but she filled it out in a way that made her look hot. She resembled Sara but had long dark hair that hung in waves around her face. She gasped slightly when she saw me, but then her eyes smiled.

“Josephine, you remember Cassandra?” Sara said. She motioned to me. “And this is another one of her brothers, Timothy.”

“Hello,” she said shyly. My heart skipped a beat. I flashed her a lopsided grin, aware that my purple eye just added to my bad boy appeal. She smiled in return, her eyes sparkling in the way that confirmed a mutual interest.

Things had suddenly taken an interesting turn here in the past. I thought I just might like hanging out at the Watsons’ after all.

LIKE CLOCKWORK

Adeline’s Howard Walker spotting.

I peeked through a window that looked out at a side yard. An old truck drove in, rattling and puttering, and came to a stop. The driver’s door opened and my jaw almost fell off of my face. Out popped the most beautiful man I’d ever seen! He wore jeans rolled up near the ankles and a tight white t-shirt accentuating a well built body. His hair was slicked back off his face, which was a fine chiseled specimen. He was definitely channeling his inner James Dean. This was 1955, maybe he was James Dean! When did JD die, again? I’d have to look that up as soon as I got home.

Faye said her brother sometimes dropped in for supper.

“Faye,” I called over my shoulder. “What does your brother look like?”

Betty chipped in, “James Dean.”

Yes!

“Why,” Faye said. “Is he here?”

I nodded, glassy-eyed. Faye caught my look. “Oh, no, Adeline. He’s too old for someone like you. Besides, Howard ain’t nothing but trouble. Y’best stay away from him.”

Spider Wars by Angela Carlie

The second book in the Lords of Shifters series, Spider Wars, is now available!

 

What happens when a species is tired of being stomped on?


Jess' life has never been ordinary. After all, life on the road with an immortal family of gypsies is hardly predictable. Living in the small town of White Salmon, Washington has brought some normality to her life. But when her cheating, sometimes boyfriend, Nicu, gets involved with a group of arachneshifters, life gets a little sticky. Will she be able to save him from the web he's spun? More importantly, how much is she willing to risk to get him back?

This novel is meant for mature readers.

Available now on Amazon and Smashwords.

For a limited time, you can get the first book in the series, Loramendi's Story for FREE on Amazon.

CLOCKWISE HAS A NEW COVER! And why I changed it.

Clockwise has a new cover and I'm super stoked about it!

Isn't it perty?

I released it yesterday on my Facebook author page (if you haven't visited me there, please do. :)

It's not yet up on Amazon but should be by the end of the weekend and will gradually replace the old cover in all the different media spots.

Why did I change the cover?

It wasn't because I didn't like the first one. I did. A lot. 

However, one thing I learned in this school called DIY publishing is that covers are really important (duh) and that certain covers are more reflective of certain genres.

What I got right with the first cover is the concepts of light and fun, whimsical and otherworldy.

What I got wrong was it didn't look YA enough. Illustrated covers are found widely in the middle grade section (a fact that hadn't occurred to me).

That, plus I just wasn't getting the kind of initial response I wanted from enough people -- the "love it" factor.

When you're doing everything yourself and for the first time, it's easy to miss the mark on some things. The great thing is, it's easy to do it over. 

I'm super excited about this new cover. And wait until you see book two!!

Read Clockwise? Want to review Clockwiser, book #2?

Have you read Clockwise? Would you like to review for the book 2- Clockwiser tour?

I'm excited to launch this book into the world--and the series has new covers!! Big reveal to come soon.

Here's the blurb:

The last year has been smooth sailing for Casey Donovan. She and her boyfriend Nate are doing better than ever, and things at home are good, too. Everything’s been so calm, she hasn’t  “tripped” back to the nineteenth century in ages.

Then the unthinkable happens and she accidentally takes her rebellious brother Tim back in time. It’s 1862 with the Civil War brewing, and for Tim this spells adventure and excitement. Finding himself stuck in the past, he enlists in the Union army, but it doesn’t take long before he discovers real life war is no fun and games.

Casey and Nate race against the clock to find Tim, but the strain wears on their relationship. It doesn’t help that the intriguing new boy next door has his sights on Casey, and isn’t shy to let her know it.

Can Nate and Casey find Tim in time to save him? And is it too late to save their love?

Featuring Michelle Muto and Don't Fear the Reaper

I'm pleased to feature author Michelle Muto today and her book DON'T FEAR THE REAPER.

Read on for a sample teaser, and links to get your copy!

Synopsis:

Description: Grief-stricken by the murder of her twin, Keely Morrison is convinced suicide is her ticket to eternal peace and a chance to reunite with her sister. When Keely succeeds in taking her own life, she discovers death isn’t at all what she expected. Instead, she’s trapped in a netherworld on Earth and her only hope for reconnecting with her sister and navigating the afterlife is a bounty-hunting reaper and a sardonic, possibly unscrupulous, demon. But when the demon offers Keely her greatest temptation—revenge on her sister's murderer—she must uncover his motives and determine who she can trust. Because, as Keely soon learns, both reaper and demon are keeping secrets and she fears the worst is true—that her every decision will change how, and with whom, she spends eternity.

First Chapter Teaser:

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for they are with me. 

I repeated my version of the psalm as I watched the ribbon of blood drift from my wrist. I’d hoped it would be a distraction—something to stop me from wondering what my sister’s dying thoughts had been. Exhaling slowly, I let the emptiness consume me. 

Jordan had kept my secrets and I had kept hers. In the end, it came down to just one secret between us that took her life. Now, it would take mine. I should have said something, but nothing I said or did now could bring her back or make anyone understand what she meant to me.

Are you here, Jordan? Are you with me? Tell me about heaven...

I told myself Jordan was gone, never coming back, but her memories continued to haunt me. I had no idea if there even was an afterlife. If God existed, I was convinced he had given up on me. Not once did I sense he’d heard a single one of my prayers. I wasn’t asking for the world—I only wanted to know if my sister was safe and at peace. What was so hard about that? 

She should still be here. It wasn’t fair. 

I’d been the difficult one—much more than Jordan. For a while, I’d even gotten into drugs. Mom and Dad had worried I’d get Jordan into drugs, too. But I wouldn’t. Not ever. Besides, that part of my life had been over long before Jordan’s death. A small gargoyle tattoo on my left shoulder was all that remained of my previous lifestyle.

Mom and Dad started treating me differently after Jordan’s funeral two months ago. She and I were twins, so I understood how hard it was for them to look at me and not see her. Sometimes, they wouldn’t look at me at all. Mom went to the psychiatrist, but no one asked if I needed to talk to someone about what happened. No one asked if I needed sleeping pills or antidepressants. Yeah, sure. Don’t give the former addict pills of any sort. 

Not one person saw the all-consuming suffering that gnawed at my soul. Why couldn’t anyone see? Jordan had been more than my sister—she’d been my Samson, my strength. I would have done anything for her, and yet, I’d failed her. I wasn’t the one who’d killed her, but I might as well have been. How could I ever live with that? My heart had a stillness to it since her death. 

I shall fear no evil.

I couldn’t very well recite the first part of Psalm 23 because it said I shall not want, and I did want. I wanted to go back in time. I wanted my sister back. Clearly, goodness and mercy were never going to be part of my life ever again. In my mind, I saw myself walking through the iron gates of hell with demons cackling gleefully all around.

I didn’t want to die. Not really. I was just tired and didn’t know of another way to stop the pain. Doctors removed a bad appendix. Dentists pulled rotten teeth. What was I supposed to do when my very essence hurt, when the cancer I’d come to call depression made every decent memory agonizingly unbearable? 

Before I’d gotten down to cutting my wrist (I managed to only cut one), I’d taken a few swigs of Dad’s tequila—the good kind he kept in the basement freezer. I’d used another swig or two to chase down the remainder of Mom’s sleeping pills in the event I failed to hit an artery or vein. Then I’d set the bottle on the ledge of the tub in case I needed further liquid encouragement. Instead of using a knife or a razor, I attached a cutting blade to my Dad’s Dremel. The Dremel was faster, I reasoned. More efficient. 

It would have been easier to OD, I suppose. But I felt closer to my sister this way, to suffer as she’d suffered.

I recited the line from Psalms 23 again. It had become my personal mantra. 

The words resonated in my parents’ oversized bathroom. I’d chosen theirs because the Jacuzzi tub was larger than the tub in the hall bathroom. Jordan and I used to take bubble baths together in this same tub when we were little.

Innocence felt like a lifetime ago. I searched the bathroom for bubble bath but came up short. Soap might have made the laceration hurt more so it was probably just as well. Besides, the crimson streaming from my wrist like watercolor on silk was oddly mesmerizing. 

The loneliness inside proved unrelenting, and the line from the psalms made me feel better. I prayed for the agony inside me to stop. I argued with God. Pleaded. But after all was said and done, I just wanted the darkness to call me home.

I tried not to think of who would find my body or who’d read the note I’d left. I blamed myself not only for failing Jordan, but for failing my parents, too. 

My lifeline to this existence continued to bleed out into the warm water. Killing myself had been harder than I’d imagined. I hadn’t anticipated the searing fire racing through my veins. I reached for the tequila with my good arm but couldn’t quite manage. Tears welled in my eyes. 

Part of me foolishly felt Jordan was here. The other part feared she wasn’t.

Give me a sign, Sis. Just one.

I imagined seeing my parents at my funeral—their gaunt faces, red-eyed and sleepless. How could I do this to them? Wasn’t the devastation of losing one child enough? 

No. Stop. A voice in my head screamed. Don’t do this. Don’t. Please...

I shifted my body, attempted to get my uncooperative legs under me. I could see the phone on my parents’ nightstand. I could make it that far. Had to. The voice was right. I didn’t want to do this. I felt disorientated, dizzy. Darkness crept along the edges of my vision. Focusing became difficult. A sweeping shadow of black caught my attention. Someone stood in the bathroom—not my sister. A man. Had I managed to call 911? I couldn’t remember getting out of the tub. And why’d I get back in? Did I use a towel? 

Mom is going to be pissed when she sees the blood I’ve tracked all over the bedroom carpet. 

“I’m sorry,” I told the man in black. 

“It’s okay, Keely. Don’t be afraid.” Not my father’s voice. It was softer, with a hint of sorrow. Distant. Fleeting. Later, I’d feel embarrassed about this, but for now I was safe from the nothing I’d almost become. My teeth clattered from the chill. My eyelids fluttered in time with my breaths. The tub water had turned the color of port wine. The ribbons, the pretty, red watercolor ribbons were gone.

Dull gray clouded my sight.

A voice whispered to me, and my consciousness floated to the surface again. 

“—okay, Keely.”

Cold. So cold.

“I’m right here.”

There was no fear in me as the man bent forward, his face inches from mine. He was my father’s age, and yet strangely older. His eyes were so...blue, almost iridescent. The irises were rimmed in a fine line of black, and the creases etched at the corners reminded me of sunbeams as he gave me a weak smile. The oddly. Dressed. Paramedic. A warm hand reached into the water and cradled mine. My fingers clutched his. I sighed, feeling myself floating, drifting. Light—high and intense exploded before me. No! Too much. Too much! I shuddered and labored to catch my breath, but it wouldn’t come. 

Finally, the comfort of darkness rose to greet me.

Where to buy/download sample chapters:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

iTunes

Smashwords

Createspace

Connect with Michelle:

Blog

FB

Twitter

Friday Four or Five

1. I've been pinned! Yes, I joined Pinterest and after a little effort, figured out how to pin images on my boards. I definitely see the attraction and I've only just begun, bwahahaha. You can follow me and my crazy boards.


2. CLOCKWISE is getting a makeover--a new cover will be revealed SOON.

3. If you missed my last post, Kirkus Reviews got their hands on Clockwise. 

4. Love this post by James Scott Bell at the Kill Zone: You Don't Have to Be a Star. This is one of the great things about the new indie revolution--you can make a living without being a household name. You don't have to be a NYT bestselling author. You just need a few good books and a cult following. I'm not there myself yet, but I know people who are there and it's working for them. G.P Ching author of the Soulkeepers Series, Sarra Cannon, author of the Demons of Peachville High Series, and Addison Moore, author of the Celestra Series. These are just a few of the successful indie authors I'm aware of.

How about you? Do you know of an indie author who's not "a star" but doing well? If so, please share in the comments!

KIRKUS and CLOCKWISE sitting in a tree...

Clockwise was reviewed by Kirkus Reviews- "The World's Toughest Book Critics."

If that claim to fame isn't enough to make you quake in your writerly boots then you are made of tougher stuff than I am.

But, whoot--Kirkus liked Clockwise!

CLOCKWISE 

In Strauss’ debut novel, Casey Donovan must deal with all the average problems of the average, modern teenage girl: body image issues, mean girls at school, an impossible crush—and spontaneous time travel.

Within the opening paragraphs of this YA romance, the reader learns about Casey’s time-traveling woes. Casey tells the reader herself, in fact, using the same sarcastic, witty first-person voice consistently maintained throughout the book. First-person perspective done right makes a protagonist seem more accessible, and Strauss certainly does it right with Casey. Aside from her secret time-traveling troubles, Casey must also deal with all the relatable drama that often defines one’s teenage years.

But if she thought that balancing her two separate lives proved difficult before, it only gets harder after her two worlds collide; she accidentally takes her crush—school heartthrob and star athlete Nate Mackenzie—back in time with her, and the whole situation leaves him feeling more than a little unnerved. All things considered, though, he adapts remarkably well to this strange set of circumstances and the unusual girl responsible for them—which is fortunate, considering the fact that Casey accidentally drags him back to the 1860s nearly every time they touch. The two of them must determine the nature of their unexpected relationship while navigating turbulent times together.

Strauss successfully addresses the societal differences between then and now, providing enough detail to make the characters’ actions seem plausible without overwhelming the reader with too much historical information. The author addresses the difficult topic of time travel in a similarly balanced manner, leaving the phenomenon just vague enough to prevent too many sticky questions from popping up. The lack of detail in some portions of the novel make a few scenes seem rushed, however, and may leave readers wishing they had more to mull over.

Readers who “trip” back in time with Casey will wish they could stay longer in her strangely relatable place.

Thanks, Kirkus!!

Announcing CHANNELER'S CHOICE by Heather McCorkle!

Releasing (officially) February 27th in hardback and eBook, Channeler's Choice, the sequel to Heather McCorkle's earth-conscious urban fantasy, The Secret Of Spruce Knoll. To celebrate she's doing a blog tour from February 27th through March 15th along with a giveaway. Here are the prizes:

Releasing (officially) February 27th in hardback and eBook, Channeler's Choice, the sequel to Heather McCorkle's earth-conscious urban fantasy, The Secret Of Spruce Knoll. To celebrate she's doing a blog tour from February 27^th through March 15^th along with a giveaway.

Here are the prizes:

Winner #1:

An eBook of Tangled Tides by Karen Amanda Hooper

An eBook of Running Wide Open by Lisa Nowak

An eBook of The Secret Of Spruce Knoll (if you don’thave a copy yet)

A paperback of Born Of Fire & Dies Irae

(novella combination by Heather McCorkle and Christine Fonseca released through Compass Press)

And of course, Channeler’s Choice swag (bookmarks, postcards, etc.)

Winner #2

An eBook of Beautiful Demons & Inner Demons by Sarra Cannon

An eBook of Bound by C.K. Bryant

An eBook of The Secret Of Spruce Knoll (if you don’t have a copy yet)

A paperback of Born Of Fire & Dies Irae (novella combination by Heather McCorkle and Christine Fonseca released through Compass Press)

And of course, Channeler’s Choice swag (bookmarks, postcards, etc.)

If you don’t have an eReader then you’ll definitely want to stay tuned on Heather’s blog for a HUGE giveaway taking place at the end of the Channeler’s Choice tour.

To enter stop by her blog for official details.   

Channeler's Choice is available here: Amazon

Barnes and Noble
 The Book Depository

Here is a bit about Channeler's Choice:

With her parents’ murderer’s dead, Eren can finally concentrate on fitting in at Spruce Knoll High, not to mention figuring out what it means to be a channeler. If only it were that easy. It turns out she isn’t normal even among channelers - she may be a legendary warrior meant to protect the earth in a last great battle.

But Mayan prophecies are the least of her worries as she involuntarily starts to gather her own Society, another girl moves in on Aiden, her powers rage out of control, and worst of all, someone is stalking her. To top it all off, Eren discovers she doesn’t have to be a channeler after all - she has a choice.

As an old threat closes in and she risks ending up like her parents, she is forced to decide. Be a normal teenager and leave the legendary warrior stuff to someone else, or embrace a dark destiny?