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New Feature! WonHundred Word Wednesday
I am really excited about a new feature I’m going to participate in. Some author friends and I are going to do “WonHundred Word Wednesdays.”
Each week we will be given a prompt. We will write a 100 word story based on that prompt and post it. Then we will link to the other blogs doing it too so that everyone can see what kind of range can happen — even in a small group — based on one simple idea.
The jostling was normal on the crowded platform and Kimi ignored it, except to brace her feet and angle her elbows out.
Next time, I’ll make sure to catch the earlier train.
The subway arrived and the crowd surged forward. As she moved with the herd, Kimi glanced to the right. She saw a face she knew as well as her own. Her breath caught in her throat. Shoved toward the car, she craned her neck to still see him. His eyes met hers and widened in recognition. She choked back a sob.
It can’t be him. He’s dead!
On to the others!–
Wendy Knight, Author: www.wendyknightauthor.blogspot.com
Kelly Martin, Author: www.kellymartinbooks.blogspot.com
Jessica Winn, the distracted writer:http://thedistractedwriter.com/
R.K. Grow: http://www.rkgtheauthor.com/
Stephanie Worlton’s Kreating Krazy blog: http://stephanieworlton.blogspot.com/
Leah Sanders, inklings: http://inklings-leahsanders.blogspot.com/
Laura D. Bastian: http://www.lauradbastian.com/
Jaclyn Weist: http://jaclynweist.blogspot.com
Amryn Scott: http://wildscottkids.wordpress.com/
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Author interview: Krista Wayment, TRUSTED (middle grade fantasy)
We have another fun author interview today: Krista Wayment is here. Her new book, TRUSTED, (Middle Grade Fantasy) comes out this week! (March 27th)
There is also a Rafflecopter contest entry at the end (for a 10$ Amazon Gift certificate)
First, here is the cover and a blurb about the book:
Renick, the fifth son of a dragon breeder, crashes into an unexpected adventure that challenges everything he thought he knew about dragons, history, and himself.
Stranded in the massive Helath forest, Renick meets two other passengers: Thane, a noble training to be a dragon knight, and Lainey, the orphaned niece of a healer. Together they survive an attack by vicious wolves, rescue a baby dragon with a broken wing, and escape from a band of dragon hunters as they make a perilous climb into the mountains. What they discover there will change everything.
Here is Krista Wayment:
Krista Wayment has been making up stories since she learned to talk. Writing naturally grew out of that. Krista is an avid Fantasy and Science Fiction fan, and a total nerd. She is also a software engineer and loves playing video games. Although, curling up with a good book is still one of her favorite past times.
Author Website: www.kristawayment.com
Book Website: dragonstrust.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Krista-Wayment-Author/223311651035091?ref=hl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KristaWayment
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5764548-krista-wayment
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20803900-trusted
And our interview, based on the title of the book:
TRUSTED
T is for Trusted: What can you tell us (without huge spoilers)about the significance of your title?
Hmm, let me see. I can tell you in the world of Dragons’ Trust that dragons, especially young ones have the ability to see to the core of a person. They often give a person a name that identifies they greatest strength. Plyth, the baby dragon gives Renick the name, “Trusted.” There are more layers to the title but they are all spoilers 🙂
R is for reading: What is your favorite genre to read?
Fantasy. I also really love Science Fiction. But my main love is fantasy. Magic, dragons, castles, knights. I love it all.
U is for Unique: What is something that you feel is unique about your characters?
I think that the most unique thing about my character has to do with how they interact with each other and the world around them. Renick is very quiet and strong. He connects with people really easily and feels things very deeply.
Lainey is bright and spunky but has experienced a lot of pain in her life. She has a hard time letting people in but is very loyal.
Thane is brave. And more than just the monster fighting/hero saves the day kind of brave. He could face anything and conquer it, though he doesn’t know that yet. Thane is a protector and will come to the rescue of those he cares for no matter what the danger to himself.
S is for share: Would you share your plans for future books?
Yes. Book 2 of the Dragons’ Trust series is in the works right now. I don’t want to give too much away but it involves a rogue dragon and Thane gets the chance to be a hero. I’m also working on a humorous science fiction series that will probably be released after the Dragons’ Trust series is complete.
T is for trials: What are a few things your characters learn through the trials they encounter and what do you think you learned from their growth?
Renick learns a lot about leadership and trust. He kind of gets thrown into being the leader because he is the one the others trust the most. He also learns to be confident in himself. Renick’s growth taught me that even though we may not want to utilize one of our talents—we are not really our true selves until we do.
Lainey is terrified of dark enclosed places. At one point she is faced with a choice, over come her fear and save a life—or let her fear stop her. She taught me that fear, no matter how strong, is not stronger then we are. Who we are always manages to shine through even the darkest of trials.
Thane learns a lot about companionship and what it is like to care for people who care for you in return (something he hasn’t had a lot of experience with). He also learns about friendship. Thane taught me that sometimes we have to set our pride aside before we can really let anyone in.
E is for exciting: What kinds of things are exciting to you? What are your favorite things to do?
Reading and writing, but that’s a given, right?
I LOVE getting packages in the mail. And I’m kind of a tracking junky. If I order something and it has a tracking number I check the website like 50 times a day. At any given time you can ask me where in the country my package is and I will know 🙂
The thrill of solving a puzzle or accomplishing something that I have been working on for a while also excites me. I notice this a lot when I play video or board games (I’m a gamer.)
Learning is another thing that I enjoy doing. Mastering a new concept is really exciting to me.
D is for Dragons: (Because DRAGONS 🙂 ) What draws you to dragons, what is your favorite thing about them?
I’ve thought a lot about this lately. When I think of dragons, I think of wise old beings who have lived a lot time and gained knowledge from their experience. They are also beautiful and graceful. I think it is the ability to imagine what a real dragon would be like that draws me to them. Plus, you know they fly and breathe fire which is totally cool!
Finally: The contest entry! (click the link)
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Thrift Store Romance
What is a romantic gesture to you?
Let me tell you a story:
When I was in my early twenties, I had a favorite shirt. It was long-sleeved, heavy cotton, and a fabulous green.
(secret: I would much rather wear a long-sleeved t-shirt and jeans than anything else) It was from a local brewery pub that has great food. And while I don’t drink a drop, I loved the pun on the front: “Good for what Ales you.”
Hysterical! (secret #2: I have always been a sucker for a good pun. Totally my dad’s fault.)
Well, I had a friend that “borrowed” that shirt. And while I’m sure that friend returned it. . . eventually, it ended up disappearing. (sad face)
So now, jump ahead X amount of years.
I came home from work, really late at night. Everything was dark and silent. (not so secret: it is never silent here) I tiptoed through the house as to not wake the kidlings. My husband sleepily whispered hello and said that he had gotten me something. I was puzzled and went out to our living room to look in the plastic bag he told me about.
In that bag was the very shirt I had lost all those years ago. He had seen it at the thrift store and bought it for me. (Fine. Probably not the same EXACT one, but close enough. It was the same shirt- sheesh.)
I was honestly surprised by the tears that I was immediately blinking away.
Such a romantic gesture.
It wasn’t extravagant or expensive (5 bucks actually).
It wasn’t something that I had been hinting about wanting for a long time. (although those are nice too. . .)
It was something that my best friend saw, remembered me telling him a LONG time ago that it had been my favorite, and brought me ‘just because.’
That, is romance to me. Knowing what would make the other person happy and surprising them with it.
So, a question for you: How do you define a romantic gesture? Or what is romance to you?
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New Cover Reveal for the Blood Inheritance series by Adrienne Monson!
You have to see this beautiful new cover!
Defiance Blurb
Leisha and Samantha barely survived the vampires and immortals six months ago. Now, an explosive battle between the vampires and immortals seems imminent.
It’s more important than ever before that the prophecy child is found, but there’s a problem—Leisha has lost her powers. She seems like nothing more than a human. Her newfound humanity is further complicated when Tafari, her old lover, appears with a desire for reconciliation.
Can Leisha lock up the past to save those she loves? Or will fate tear everything from her once again?
Author Bio
Monson’s debut novel, Dissension, book one of the Blood Inheritance trilogy, came out in 2013.
Defiance (book 2) is slated for release February 24, 2015.
She lives in Utah with her husband and two kids. When she’s not writing, she enjoys Zumba, kickboxing, reading, and trying new recipes.
Web site: http://www.adriennemonson.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/adriennemonson
Twitter: https://twitter.com/adriennemonson
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6584385.Adrienne_Monson
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/adriennemonson
If you like your vampires compelling, bloody and sexy, this is the series for you. While it will be really hard to wait a year for this to come out- you should go read the first one!
Thanks, Adrienne, for sharing your incredible cover with us today!
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Twist of Luck Scavenger Hunt
Twist of Luck Blog Tour
Every day a different blog will post a question. When you find the answer, send an email to Jaclyn at: jaclynweist@gmail.com
She will draw a winner each day from those that got it correct. You can find the answers on Wikipedia.
The answers will also be posted the next day on the next post in the tour, along with the next trivia question. Some questions deal with colors of the rainbow. Other questions deal with leprechauns.
And, of course, at the end of the rainbow, there’s a pot of gold. In that pot of gold will be an Amazon gift card! Those that answer questions by sending her an email will be entered to win the gift card on the last day.
And don’t forget to purchase a copy of book one, Stolen Luck. The great news is that it’s $.99 right now! That link is here.
Good luck!!
Yesterday’s Answer:
Ireland’s flag is green, white and ORANGE.
Today’s Question:
Along with leprechauns, imps play a big part in this book. What is one thing they crave, and how do they try to get it? The prize:
Find the answer and tomorrow’s question at:
http://www.jamesduckett.com
Along with the scavenger hunt, we also have a fun interview based on the title of the book! With the first book in the series, we interviewed Jaclyn, the author. This time, we have Megan and Jared, two of the main characters, answering the questions.
So, Jared and Megan, I have a few questions for you two. I spoke with Jaclyn last time, so now it is your turn to shine:
Twist of Luck
T is for “terror”: In this installment, you take on some pretty frightening things. What is it that you are really afraid of?
Megan: The imp. I hated having it follow me everywhere
Jared: I’m not scared of anything.
Megan: Yeah, right.
Jared (Laughs): Okay, fine. I think it wasn’t the creatures I was scared of. It was more watching Megan doing all these things she shouldn’t have been doing.
Megan (grinning): And this is why I like this guy.
W is for “wishes”: What are the dangers of wishes? Would you advise someone to make wishes or avoid them?
Megan: You have to be really careful with what you wish for. Leprechauns can twist anything you say.
Jared: Yes, watch out for the loopholes. Megan had to word her wishes carefully to get her luck back. It helps to have another leprechaun backing you up, though. We have Henry to thank for that.
I is for “Inspiration”: What inspires each of you to keep going when things are tough?
Megan: My family. We are really close, and while my parents aren’t thrilled with me running around saving the day, I know they have my back. Jared and Beth are pretty awesome to keep me going. When things were the toughest, they were right there to pick me back up.
Jared: I have good friends that push me, and my family is awesome. I’ve been taught my whole life to work hard and do my best. I don’t like seeing Beth or Megan get hurt, so that means I have to step and fight harder.
S is for “secret world”: You guys encounter others who have had interactions with this secret world of Leprechauns and such. Why do you think they do (or don’t) keep it a secret?
Megan (laughs) Would you believe anyone if they told you about leprechauns? I’m actually amazed at how many people know about this world and don’t say anything.
Jared: I know I didn’t believe Megan when she said something. Part of it is being afraid to be believed, but I also think it’s to protect other people. All this trouble was caused when we got stuck in the middle of the magical world.
Megan: Yeah, sorry about that.
Jared: Hey, you know me. I live for adventure.
T is for “twist”: There are some really cool twists in this story of your experiences. What helps you to handle things when they don’t go your way?
Megan: Having my luck stolen in the first book kind of prepared me for most of it. It’s frustrating but I know I have help — even if I sometimes run into the middle of trouble on my own.
Jared: Sometimes? I think it’s more like all the time. There’s a reason you have fairies following you.
Megan: Hey, I do pretty well before you guys get there. And I think the fairies are part of the problem.
Jared: Good point. I think the biggest thing we have going for us is that we all have different skills that feed off each other. When something is too much for one person, we have two other people that can step up and take over.
Luck: If you could give a huge pile of luck to someone else, to whom would you give it and for what reason?
Megan: I think I’d give it to my parents. They could use some after everything I’ve put them through.
Thanks for stopping by today, you guys. Good ‘Luck’!
About Twist of Luck:
Megan finally has her luck back and hopes that life will return to normal. Unfortunately, the magical world has other plans. Suddenly, she find she has fairies following her to provide security, dragons become a constant threat, and an imp tracks her every move. As if that wasn’t enough, her luck begins to manifest itself in ways she could never imagine.
About Jaclyn:
Jaclyn is an Idaho farm girl who grew up loving to read. She developed a love for writing as a senior in high school, when her dad jokingly said she was the next Dr. Seuss (not even close but very sweet). She met her husband, Steve at BYU and they have six happy, crazy children that encourage her writing. After owning a bookstore and running away to have adventures in Australia, they settled back down in their home in Utah. Jaclyn now spends her days herding her kids to various activities and trying to remember what she was supposed to do next.
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Books read in February
The Rogue Knight by Marcia Lynn McClure
Masquerade by Janette Rallison
Indexing by Seanan McGuire
Dissension by Adrienne Monson
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
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Author Interview: Laura Bastian, EYE ON ORION
Author interview time again! Today we have Laura Bastian with us. Her wonderful new book (YA light sci fi) “Eye On Orion” just came out.
First: the cover and the back blurb:
Falling in love with your gorgeous new neighbor isn’t a bad thing, but when he turns out to be the bodyguard of a princess from a planet nine billion light-years away, life gets complicated.
Seventeen-year-old stargazer Holly Adams never imagined she’d find herself trying to prevent the overthrow of an alien government. When Jai and his sister Amira move into the house down the street, Holly is immediately drawn to them. Jai acts suspicious of her from the start, making Holly more curious about their oddities. When Holly learns they are from a different planet, she does what she can to help protect Amira from Shander, a man who wants to marry her by force in order to take over the kingdom her father rules.
Mistaken identity, a botched kidnapping, and a first kiss that bonds Holly and Jai for life are hard enough, but when Shander believes Holly to be the princess, things get even more dangerous.
Next: an excerpt from the book:
“Do you think there could be life out there somewhere on other planets?” he asked quietly.
“I do.” I rolled onto my side, and propped myself up with my elbow to see him better.
“Intelligent?”
“Yes.”
“Green?” he asked.
“No.” I smiled.
“Really? What makes you think there are others out there?”
“Why not?” I shrugged with one shoulder. “Why would God stop here? Why not make more? What about you? Do you think there is life out there on other planets?”
“I do.”
“Green?” I asked.
“No. And I am sure they are intelligent,” he said with a small smile.
“And what makes you think so?” I asked, returning the smile.
He rolled onto his back and looked at the sky. “Because with so much space, there has to be something else like Earth somewhere. It is just so far away you would never find it unless you knew where to look.”
“I wish I knew where to look.” I lowered myself onto my side, resting my head on my arm extended straight on the blanket. “The discovery of other worlds out there would be fantastic.”
He turned to face me again. “It would be.”
Then: The author herself and the interview –
Eye On Orion
Eye: They say “the eyes are the window to the soul”. If we could look into your main characters’ eyes, what do you think it would say about them?
Jai’s eyes would show he’s brave with a hint of nerves hiding behind it. He’s rough, with tenderness peeking through when he looks at those he cares for. He’s willing to fight for what he believes in and will hold tight to the promises he’s made.
Holly’s eyes would show she’s confident but only when she reminds herself to be. She’s not afraid of looking or being different from those around her. Her eyes would show she believes in the unbelievable, and she’s willing to look past the surface to see the truth.
On is for “On film”- If you had to pick a movie cast for your main characters, who are your top choices?
Oh, man. I never know how to answer this question. I know who would play the bad guy, Shander: Simon Baker who plays Patrick Jane on the CBS show The Mentalist. (http://www.imdb.com/media/rm209510144/nm0048932?ref_=nmmd_md_pv#) The rest would be up to someone else to pick.
O is for “Origins” – What is the story behind this story? How did you come up with the idea for this book?
Two things came together to blend into this story. I had a dream once upon a time where some teens from another planet came to Earth and had some adventures. Then a little while later, I was given an assignment for an online writing class I was taking to help me renew my teaching license I’d let expire while I stayed home to raise my family. The assignment was to look at 3 pictures, pick one and then write a five page story about that picture. I took the one that had two teens at a bus stop looking lost and confused. I wrote the five pages, then continued on because the story didn’t feel done. Ended up with over two hundred pages. Funny thing is, on revisions, that scene with them at the bus stop was taken out and rewritten to something else. But that’s where it started.
R is for “Reader”: What are your favorite genres to read?
I love Young Adult fiction. Fantasy and sci-fi are my favorites. I read a lot of them. Lots of times it’s to learn my craft, but I think those are my favorites. I also love epic fantasy and anything with magic is my first pick. I do enjoy a good clean romance, and have found those are now the only books I can read for pure enjoyment because I’m not dissecting everything about them to learn how to make my own writing better.
I is for “Inspiration”: Your main character finds inspiration in the stars. What kinds of things inspire your writing?
Life. There is so much magic and surprise and joy and heartache and redemption in everything around us. The man who is struggling to overcome an addiction. The woman fighting to keep her kids fed. The teens enduring then overcoming bullying. A child fighting cancer or some other debilitating illness. You see something on the news, or online that sparks and idea. You see how people overcome the real life hardships and you just want to incorporate that magic into your own writing.
O is for “Obstacles”: What kinds of obstacles (without spoilers) do your characters overcome and what do you feel like you learned from their growth?
Personal self-worth. Realizing each person is a wonderful creation in a universe full of unexplained wonders.
Standing up for yourself and Doing hard things. There’s a scene where Holly is mistaken for the princess and kidnapped in her place. She has to figure out how to save herself and what to do with the results of her actions.
I learned that even though we may or may not chose something in our own lives, there are always consequences that follow. And the way we deal with things dropped on our laps, or something that slaps us across the face determines how the world sees us as well as how we see ourselves.
N is for “New”: Your main character runs into a lot of ‘new’ things in this story, from things she didn’t know existed to new relationships. What kinds of ‘new’ things have you encountered in your life that you think have changed you?
Being a new mom. Five times over and seeing that each one of my kids is an individual, and what worked with one may not work with another. Being a new teacher even though that’s what I had wanted to be since I was in 4th grade. Being a new writer and learning all the ins and outs of writing a story that works. Being new in a town and neighborhood after finally feeling like I felt welcome in my old neighborhood. Being a new published author and seeing my book baby take its first steps out into a big world.
We all have to try new things. Some are harder than others. Some are fun and exciting, and some make us want to cry. But I really think the reason we are on this Earth and not somewhere else completely is to try new things and see what we do with that experience. Learn from it or fight it.
Thanks so much for letting me visit your blog.
Laura
Thanks to Laura for coming to visit!
Finally: Here is where to find Laura:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLauraDBastian
Website: http://www.lauradbastian.com/
And to find her book:
Amazon:
Barnes &Noble:
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Books Read in January:
Cinderella by Jenni James
The Grendel Affair by Lisa Shearin
Glimmer of Hope by Sarah M. Eden
Feudlings in Sight by Wendy Knight
Feudlings in Flames by Wendy Knight
Beta Read #1
Pieces of Jade by Lani Woodland and Melonie Piper
Beta Read #2
Nameless: The Darkness Comes by Mercedes M. Yardley
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Your own Brave (with a capital ‘B’)
I have been thinking about this a lot lately.
About what it means to be brave.
Sometimes it may be something very different for you than it is for someone else. There can be times in life that basic things — that may have been easy at one point — now require bravery.
Like getting out of bed in the morning.
Other times, you may be able to fly higher than you ever have because you can take that one brave step.
I’m in the first case scenario right now and working to get so I can move to the second scenario. It isn’t easy. I’m sure it will be worth it. But it is a long climb looking up from the bottom.
I love Sara Bareilles’s song, “Brave”. I have a hard time not tearing up every time it comes on the radio. It is one that really speaks straight to my soul. I also love a cappella music. So I have two versions of the song for you to enjoy. The first is an a cappella rendition that I love. The second is, of course, the original. There are different things I love in both of these videos. (LOVE the dancers in the original video). Enjoy and be brave!
What is your big Brave?
There's Magic in Story, 