The #RiteToReign Boxed Set is hoppin'! #ScavengerHunt

Welcome to the Halloween Scavenger Hunt brought to you by the authors of Rite to Reign!

Each day you will find a variety of witchy prizes. Click here to find the complete map of participating authors.

It wouldn't be October if I didn't participate in a blog hop. It's kind of my thing :)

For those who don't already know me, my name is Ash. My contribution to the Rite to Reign boxed set is STRAITJACKETS AND HOLY WATER, the prequel to The Demon Whisperer series.

Inspired by my obsession with all things Hellblazer, the series follows the exorcist mage Simon Alliant, who has a few demons of his own. The one that he can't banish? His addiction to magic.

You can read about the series on this page here!

Today I'm giving away a Spellbook Prize Pack, full of witchy goodness! Crystals, jewelry, maybe a sexy little something :) Plus, a signed copy of CHARM CITY, the first book in The Demon Whisperer Series.

Spell box full of Witchy Delights!

How to Enter: It's super easy. Just earn entries through the Rafflecopter below and you'll be entered to win. You'll also be able to follow me for news on upcoming releases, great giveaways, and review copy calls.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This Scavenger Hunt is offering new prizes every day/ here are new prizes every day. Click here to find tomorrow's host author.

And if you haven't done so already, don't forget to preorder your copy of Rite to Reign. Stack your TBR pile for less than a buck...and check out the "free spellbook with purchase" offer on www.ritetoreign.com

Thanks for hopping! Click here to find a complete list of participating authors as well as the rules and regulations.

HEROINES & HELLIONS: Author SJ Davis

Imagine a world that is fueled by girl power. Strong women. Unbreakable heroines. Fierce femininity.

Now, imagine 22 worlds, just like that. That's what you'll see in the HEROINES & HELLIONS urban fantasy boxed set.

To kick off the prelaunch of HEROINES & HELLIONS, we wanted to show you the badass writers behind the set. Over the next few weeks, we will be introducing each of the HEROINES authors and asking them: Who is the biggest badass woman you know?

So...kick back and kick it with us. Hello, SJ Davis!


Victoria Woodhull, American stockbroker. Alongside her sister Tennessee, she set up Wall Street’s first female-owned brokerage company in 1870 and made a fortune on the New York Stock Exchange. She was also the first woman to run for US president; I don’t need to tell you how that race worked out, for her or any other woman who’s attempted it since.

---

USA Today Bestselling Author. CEO CHBB Publishing and Producer with Lovebites Films. Favorite Things: Twizzlers, Flipflops, Earl Grey, and the Oxford Comma. Find out more about her at www.chbbpublishing.com.
Facebook | Newsletter

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Ink

“It’s a good day to die.” My mother holds my arm fiercely. “But as you grieve for me, listen for the voices. Then, you must get the ink.”

Sparrow stumbles between two worlds, light and dark, love and hate, what is real and what is in her mind.

When her mother dies on the Reservation, Sparrow’s world is shadowed with anger and narrowed by pain. The voices arrive, but are they real? And how can a tattoo make her stronger?

---

Ink is EXCLUSIVE to...

NO DAMSELS ALLOWED!

22 Kickass Heroines.

22 Exclusive, Full-length Urban Fantasy Novels.

And 0 Damsels in Distress.

Do you like your leading ladies to save the day… or raze it?

No matter which you prefer, this set is brimming with 20 magical stories (many BRAND NEW) told by some of the leading voices of urban fantasy in the industry, including several New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors!

If you want strong female leads who strike back against the captivating worlds of vampires, elementals, fiends, and paranormal monsters, then you’re ready to charge into the adventures of HEROINES & HELLIONS, a pure Urban Fantasy collection!

Grab your stake, silver bullets, and your limited edition copy of HEROINES & HELLIONS today!

…but remember: no damsels allowed!

This killer line up includes:

New York Times bestselling authors Margo Bond Collins & Erin Hayes
New York Times bestselling author Monica Corwin
New York Times bestselling author Melanie Karsak
Award-Winning author Bec McMaster
USA Today bestselling author Heather Marie Adkins
USA Today bestselling author Jade Kerrion
USA Today bestselling author SJ Davis
Award-Winning author Rene Folsom
USA Today bestselling author Michelle Hercules
LJ Andrews
Louisa Klein
USA Today Bestselling Author Melle Amade
Award-Winning author Ashley C. Harris
Award-Winning author Kim Cleary
Maria Monroe
Christina Walker
USA Today bestselling author Alex Owens
Award-Winning author D.D. Miers
Gina A. Watson
USA Today bestselling author Ash Krafton
Elise Marion
Award-Winning author Carly Fall

Preorder Heroines & Hellions today before it's gone forever!

    

HEROINES & HELLIONS: Author Alex Owens!

Imagine a world that is fueled by girl power. Strong women. Unbreakable heroines. Fierce femininity.

Now, imagine 22 worlds, just like that. That's what you'll see in the HEROINES & HELLIONS urban fantasy boxed set.

To kick off the prelaunch of HEROINES & HELLIONS, we wanted to show you the badass writers behind the set. Over the next few weeks, we will be introducing each of the HEROINES authors and asking them: Who is the biggest badass woman you know?

So...kick back and kick it with us. Hello, Alex Owens!




I think in some form or fashion, ALL women have the capacity bad-asses. We get up every day and show up, looking that fickle witch called Life straight in the eyes, unblinking. We wear our hearts on our sleeves, even after it's been shattered time and time again. But that doesn't stop us - we love and nurture and wear everyone else's hurts and sorrows upon our own souls like a cloak.

We're fiercely loyal, to a fault, not caring about the toll on ourselves. We'll give and give every part of ourselves, often pouring from an empty cup. And we won't stop. Ever. No matter what.

We relinquish control over our own bodies for nine months to an alien invader, then enjoy the feeling of a tiny T-rex rip outwards to freedom. A few hours later, we'd do it all again. Why? Because we are tough, we are brave, we are resilient. We're all bad-asses, don't you see?

---

USA Today bestselling author Alex Owens lives in coastal Virginia with her family, a cranky horse, seven cats and a bull-headed chocolate Lab. She exists solely on caffeine, books and cuss words-- but not always in that order. Find out more at authoralexowens.com.
Facebook | Amazon | Newsletter

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Trick of Shadows

When I was eleven, I killed my nanny with one blast of magic to the chest. I'd been trying to save her, not that it matters. She's still dead and I still did it.

That guilt drives me to eliminate wicked wizards, track werewolves through snowstorms (while freezing my coconuts off) and stomping through graveyards, blessed sword in one hand and a fifth of Fireball in the other, doing my own version of zombie whack-a-mole. It's why I'll hunt the monsters and why they'll fear the hell out of me, because I've got nothing to lose and everything to atone for.

But a girl's got to start somewhere and my first job isn't exactly off to a blazing start. I've already lost the thing I was sent to retrieve, there's a nerdy-hot guy who's all up in my business, and my fanged employer is threatening to call my vampire Mother if I don't get my act together and finish the job. Atonement sucks harder than my Mom.

---

Trick of Shadows is EXCLUSIVE to...

NO DAMSELS ALLOWED!

22 Kickass Heroines.

22 Exclusive, Full-length Urban Fantasy Novels.

And 0 Damsels in Distress.

Do you like your leading ladies to save the dayÖ or raze it?

No matter which you prefer, this set is brimming with 22 magical stories (many BRAND NEW) told by some of the leading voices of urban fantasy in the industry, including several New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors!

If you want strong female leads who strike back against the captivating worlds of vampires, elementals, fiends, and paranormal monsters, then youíre ready to charge into the adventures of HEROINES & HELLIONS, a pure Urban Fantasy collection!

Grab your stake, silver bullets, and your limited edition copy of HEROINES & HELLIONS today!

Öbut remember: no damsels allowed!

This killer line up includes:

New York Times bestselling authors Margo Bond Collins & Erin Hayes
New York Times bestselling author Monica Corwin
New York Times bestselling author Melanie Karsak
Award-Winning author Bec McMaster
USA Today bestselling author Heather Marie Adkins
USA Today bestselling author Jade Kerrion
USA Today bestselling author SJ Davis
Award-Winning author Rene Folsom
USA Today bestselling author Michelle Hercules
LJ Andrews
Louisa Klein
USA Today Bestselling Author Melle Amade
Award-Winning author Ashley C. Harris
Award-Winning author Kim Cleary
Maria Monroe
Christina Walker
USA Today bestselling author Alex Owens
Award-Winning author D.D. Miers
Gina A. Watson
USA Today bestselling author Ash Krafton
Elise Marion
Award-Winning author Carly Fall

    

Part 2: If Jane Austen Married Edgar Allan Poe...

Back in December, I had posted about my upcoming novel, THE HEARTBEAT THIEF, a New Adult dark fantasy that will be released under the name AJ Krafton. I also encouraged readers to "ship" Jane Austen and Edgar Allan Poe. See the original post HERE.

Well, I also promised to give away Advanced Reader Copies of The Heartbeat Thief to a few lucky people who played along. An announcement was promised, so *DRUMROLL*

First of all, the nickname chosen for our match made in heaven is Scary Jane. (Makes me giggle just typing it.)

Second of all, everyone who played along and provided an email address will get an ARC of the book.

So, yays!

ARCs will begin going out in the next few weeks, along with some tips on how you can help launch this book when it releases.

Which leads me to a third announcement... the release date!

The Heartbeat Thief

By AJ Krafton

~*~*~

Worldwide Release

September 18, 2015
(Kindle-only release June 12, 2015)

 

 

I'm really excited about this book... and I hope you are, too.

 

If you are on Goodreads, please stop by and add it to your "Want To Read" shelf.

 

Also watch for a print giveaway in the near future-- The Heartbeat Thief will initially only release in ebook format but I plan to create a few print proofs specifically for Goodreads giveaways. Talk about uber-limited edition!

 

 

Lastly, I thought I'd share the back cover... since print books need one. Otherwise they're left feeling like they're wearing an open-backed hospital gown.

 

 

Whatcha all think?



If Jane Austen married Edgar Allan Poe...

I can't believe it's December already.

I totally get that as I get older, time seems to pass faster and faster. Maybe it's because I'm busy. Maybe it's because there are so many wonderful things in my life that I don't have enough time to appreciate them all. Maybe it's because the space-time continuum has been altered and instead of a leisurely stroll along we're now tumbling down a steep slope, plummeting toward a singularity of everything and nothing and all in between.

Nah... it's probably just holiday stress. :)

Looking back over 2014, I can see why the year passed so fast. WOLF'S BANE (Demimonde #3) came out this summer...WORDS THAT BIND was released in October... and TALES OF THE DEMIMONDE came out last month. There were so many tours and giveaways that I honestly lost count. What a busy year... and I loved every fleeting moment of it!

I should be taking some time off to decorate the house and maybe even relax a little (ha ha, a little mom humor there. Moms don't relax). But I can't stay away from my computer because there is a novel in there that wants to be edited.

THE HEARTBEAT THIEF is undergoing content edits right now. This is my New Adult Victorian paranormal... think Jane Austen marries Edgar Allan Poe. (I think about that all the time... and have shipped them in a myriad of ways.)

It’s a little bit Jane Austen, a little bit Edgar Allan Poe, and a whole lot of stealing heartbeats in order to stay young and beautiful forever. From the posh London season to the back alleys of Whitechapel, across the Channel and across the Pond…How far will Senza Fyne go to avoid Death?

You know what? Let's have a poll. Vote for Most Appropriate Jane Austen/ Edgar Allan Poe ship and leave your vote in the comments. I'll award an ARC of The Heartbeat Thief to a random commenter... in fact, I'll award one ARC for every ten entrants. Invite your friends, share this post, and increase your chance of winning by increasing the number of ARC prizes!

ARCs will be available once edits are complete.

SO...THE POLL

Most Appropriate Jane Austen/ Edgar Allan Poe ship
A) Joe
B) J. Edgar
C) Scary Jane
D) write in your own suggestion



Be sure to include your email and your choice in the comments to enter.

Have fun with this one... I'm off to relax and edit my heart away.

#FIFG14 Fall Into Fantasy Giveaway #paranormal #fantasy #adult #YA

Welcome to the Fall Into Fantasy Giveaway, hosted by (yours, truly!) urban fantasy & paranormal romance author Ash Krafton…

Just like last year, more than FIFTY AUTHORS of fantasy and paranormal books are giving away books and swag. Hope you’re ready to start clicking and start winning because the Rafflecopters await!

This year, I am offering signed paperbacks of Bleeding Hearts (Demimonde #1) and Words That Bind, my brand-new paranormal romance. Two books, two winners, twice the love.

 

Bleeding Hearts

(Demimonde #1)

A shy advice columnist-turned-oracle must find a way to save her dangerous demivampire lover from the fate that threatens each of his race: evolution and the destruction of his soul.

When advice columnist Sophie meets dark and alluring Marek, she learns life-changing secrets about them both—he’s a demivampire struggling to avoid evolution and she’s an empathic oracle destined to save him. Sophie possesses the rare ability to reduce the spiritual damage that causes a demivamp to Fall, making her the only thing that stands between a DV and evolution. However, as Marek's dangerous past propels him toward his desperate fate, his enemies make darker plans for him: once vampire, powerful Marek would be second only to the Master himself. The vamps want to cause Marek's Fall and they intend to use Sophie to do it.

And for those who like a little love with their magic...

Words that Bind
 

Social worker Tam Kerish can’t keep her cool professionalism when steamy client Mr. Burns kindles a desire for more than a client-therapist relationship—so she drops him. However, they discover she’s the talisman to which Burns, an immortal djinn, has been bound since the days of King Solomon…and that makes it difficult.

Ethical guidelines are unequivocal when it comes to personal relationships with clients. However, the djinn has a thawing effect on the usually non-emotive Tam, who begins to feel true emotion whenever he is near. Tam has to make a difficult choice: to stay on the outside, forever looking in…or to turn her back on her entire world, just for the chance to finally experience what it means to fall in love.



In order to ensure you get a book you will love, we have divided our prizes into two groups—adult books and YA books. Feel free to enter either giveaway or both. 

Giveaway runs until October 31st...plenty of time to get all your entries in...

The authors:
Tricia Schneider, Nicole Zoltack, Marsha A. Moore, Mimi Sebastian, Terri Rochenski, Julie Reece, Lori J. Fitzgerald, Debbie Christiana, Georgia Lyn Hunter, M. Pax, Sharon Saracino, Shah Wharton, H. L. Burke, Angela Myron, Jocelyn Adams, James Garcia Jr, Tina Moss, Danielle DeVor, Sharon Buchbinder, April Aasheim, CL Bledsoe, Mara Valderran, Angela Yseult, Kallysten, Juli D. Revezzo, Aldrea Alien, Loralie Hall, Allyson Lindt, Sotia Lazu, Angela Castillo, Valerie Twombly, R.M. James, Shanyn Hosier,Ronesa Aveela, Sofia Grey, Konstanz Silverbow, Jamie Marchant, Brandy L Rivers, JC Andrijeski, Stacey Nash, Scarlett Dawn, Jami Gray, Erica Crouch, Janna Jennings, Tonya Macalino, Christine E. Schulze, Selah Janel, and Ash Krafton.












a Rafflecopter giveaway






a Rafflecopter giveaway

Make some new author friends and see what they’ve been up to…they may have written your next favorite book. 

Good luck to everyone and thanks for entering!

BLOOD RUSH (Demimonde #2) Release Day!

 

BLOOD RUSH (Demimonde #2) is HERE!

 

The wait is over...it's time to get back to our demivampires.

Sophie doesn't believe in happily ever after. These days, she'd settle for alive after sunrise.

Advice columnist and newly-appointed oracle to the demivampire, Sophie Galen has more issues than a Cosmo collection: a new mentor with a mean streak, a werewolf stalker she can't shake, and a relationship with her ex's family that redefines the term complicated. And then there's her ex himself, who is more interested in playing leader of the vampire pack than in his own salvation.

Becoming a better oracle is tough enough, but when Sophie encounters a deadly enemy - one she never dreamed of facing - it will take everything she's ever learned in order to survive...

 

Time to tour...

I've got two tours going this time around. There will be a Release Day Blitz today then, starting May 17, I'll be on a four week tour with reviews, guest spots, and interviews. Lots of blogs to visit. :)

 

That means...It's time again for my favorite contest...the Comment Contest!

All you have to do to enter is to stop by the participating blogs and show your support for BLOOD RUSH by commenting I BELONG TO THE DEMIMONDE!

 

Each time you comment, you earn an entry in a special raffle...someone is going to win a gift card. The Comment Contest will run until the end of the four week tour...winner will be announced on June 23.

 

And so...the BLOOD RUSH (Demimonde #2) tour begins!

 

Today you'll be seeing a lot of BLOOD RUSH...thanks to the hosts from Bewitching Book Tours. Please stop by and leave a comment to let them know you JOINED THE DEMIMONDE!

Fang-tastic Books

www.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com

Roxanne’s Realm

www.roxannesrealm.blogspot.com

The Creatively Green Write at Home Mom

www.creativelygreen.blogspot.com

From the Writer's Nest 

http://throughthegateway.blogspot.co.uk/

Sapphyria's Book Review

http://saphsbookblog.blogspot.com

Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews

http://lauriethoughts-reviews.blogspot.com

Darker Passions

http://darkerpassions.net/

Share My Destiny

http://sharemydestiny.blogspot.com

3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too!

http://3partnersinshopping.blogspot.com

Books, Books the Magical Fruit

http://booksbooksthemagicalfruit.blogspot.com

 

There is also another giveaway that will run until the end of the BLOOD RUSH tour...and here's the Rafflecopter that might make you a WINNER...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to enter and watch for the start of the BLOOD RUSH tour, beginning May 17. There will be more blogs to visit and more opportunities for you to earn entries for the Comment Contest.

I'm really looking forward to this month...and I hope you'll join the Demimonde. My demivamps would love to meet you...

FIND BLOOD RUSH (DEMIMONDE #2) and other titles at Amazon.com 

Pre-Launch Event…Bleeding Hearts G!veaway

If you like paranormal love stories or beautiful porcelain jewelry, then this is a giveaway you don't want to miss.

I'm getting ready to review the ARC for BLOOD RUSH--the second book in my Demimonde series. It's scheduled to release in May and I am getting the pre-release jitters already. With the sequel release so close at hand, I thought it would be fun to put this nervous energy to good use and have a little giveaway--open INT, of course.

Shiny things have always captured my attention…and the Franz porcelain bleeding hearts are no exception. I've been stalking them online for some time now. Today, I took the plunge and bought them--and I'm going to share them with YOU if we can reach 500 adds on Goodreads for my upcoming release, Blood Rush (Demimonde #2).

What I have to give you:

• A signed copy of BLEEDING HEARTS (Demimonde #1)

• A Franz porcelain bleeding heart pendant, eerily reminiscent of the cover art.

I bought a pair of Franz earrings with the intention to remove the hooks and convert them into pendants. I also have a mind to replace the hanging pearl with a red Swarovski tear drop crystal. All the better to wear my book, right? J

And one of you can, too. I will give away one of the pendants to a lucky reader. The winner may choose the original pearl drop or the red crystal alteration.

• Demimonde swag: magnets, bookmarks--who knows what I'll find in my swag basket?

BONUS: If we hit 1000 adds for Blood Rush by May 6, I'll add a $50 Amazon GC to the pot!

 

What you can do to enter:

• Add Bleeding Hearts (Demimonde #1) and Blood Rush (Demimonde #2) to your Goodreads shelf
• Like/tag Bleeding Hearts on Amazon

You can also:

• Follow me on Facebook (because I am a good time)
• Follow me on Twitter (because I love to promote other writers and bloggers)

• Tweet about the giveaway (because sharing the love is a nice thing to do)

• Join the Demimonde (by following my blog)

 Of course, I made it all so much easier by making a Rafflecopter form :)

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


This event will run until Monday, May 6…a week before the big BLOOD RUSH release!

(And then it's time for an entirely new set of giveaways….but you gotta get in them to win them.)

I hope you'll enter the giveaway and lend your support to my books. If you haven't had a chance to read Bleeding Hearts (Demimonde #1) yet, stop by the Goodreads page to read some of the reviews before visiting the Amazon page.

And be sure to share this event with your friends...look for the Facebook event and invite your social media masses. This is totally a case of bigger equals better, because the prizes get better the bigger we get!

Meet my demivampires…you'll like them as much as they would like you.

Cover Reveal...Feel the BLOOD RUSH!

Add BLOOD RUSH to your Goodreads shelf!

Here is the face of my upcoming urban fantasy release BLOOD RUSH: BOOK TWO OF THE DEMIMONDE. Isn't it amazing?

Special thanks to artist Duncan Eagleson and my publisher Pink Narcissus Press for honoring me with this astounding cover. *lips-heart salute* 

BLOOD RUSH will be released in May 2013.

Want a blurb? I can do that...

Blood Rush (Demimonde #2)

 

Sophie doesn’t believe in happily ever after. These days, she’d settle for alive after sunrise.

 

Advice columnist and newly-appointed oracle to the demivampire, Sophie Galen has more issues than a Cosmo collection: a new mentor with a mean streak, a werewolf stalker she can’t shake, and a relationship with her ex’s family that redefines the term complicated. And then there’s her ex himself, who is more interested in playing leader of the vampire pack than in his own salvation.

 

Becoming a better oracle is tough enough, but when Sophie encounters a deadly enemy – one she never dreamed of facing – it will take everything she’s ever learned in order to survive.

 





And if you need a teaser...let's just say the girls on Team Rode are going to be very happy. ;)

 

Please visit the blogs that have graciously offered to host my cover reveal. If you leave a comment with the words I BELONG TO THE DEMIMONDE I'll send you a Blood Rush magnet--just leave your email in the comment and I'll contact you.

 

 

 

Blood Rush Cover Reveal Hosts’ list:

A Coven of Witchy Reviewers
Adriana Ryan
 All The Fun Starts After Dark
Chapter by Chapter
  Darkest Sins
Happy Tails and Tales
Housewife Blues and Chihuahua Stories
Mind Reader
Miz. Reader
Much Loved Books
My Seryniti
Naomi’s Paranormal Palace
Proserpine Craving Books
Rabid Reads
 Sapphyria’s Book Reviews
Scribbler’s Sojourn
Shadows Of Romance
TanaRae Reads
The Jeep Diva
The Writing World
TToria 
 White Sky Project

 

THANK YOU to DARK WORLD BOOKS for organizing my cover reveal tour. They are a great bunch of ladies and I really enjoy working with them. If you are an author looking for personalized promo services, you should definitely check them out.

 

And THANK YOU to each of you. Your support is a big part of my inspiration and I am so grateful to each and every single reader.

 

If this is your first time visiting the Demimonde, be sure to visit the Bleeding Hearts (Demimonde #1) page for information on the series debut.

 

Have a great day, everyone. Happy reading!

Upcoming BLOOD RUSH Cover Reveal Tour

 

 

 

Join us December 5, 2012 when Dark World Books hosts my cover reveal for BLOOD RUSH: Book Two of the Demimonde!

 

BLOOD RUSH (Demimonde #2) is forthcoming with Pink Narcissus Press May 14, 2013.

 

Dark World Books offers customized boutique services for independent and published authors of Urban/Dark Fantasy, Dystopian, Steampunk, YA Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Historical Romance and Dark Erotica genres.

 

 

Blood Rush Cover Reveal Hosts’ list:

Adriana Ryan | All The Fun Starts After Dark
Chapter by Chapter | Darkest Sins | Happy Tails and Tales
Housewife Blues and Chihuahua Stories
Mind Reader | Miz. Reader | Much Loved Books
My Seryniti | Naomi’s Paranormal Palace
 Rabid Reads| Proserpine Craving Books
Sapphyria’s Book Reviews | Scribbler’s Sojourn
Shadows Of Romance
TanaRae Reads | The Jeep Diva | The Writing World
TToria | White Sky Project

 

 

New to the Demimonde? Click HERE to see what readers are saying about BLEEDING HEARTS: Book One of the Demimonde.

 





QueryTracker Blog: Author Melissa Landers

QueryTracker Blog: Interview with Author Melissa Landers


Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with author Melissa Landers. (Her Query Tracker success story can be found here.)

She writes contemporary romance as Macy Beckett and is celebrating the release of her debut SULTRY WITH A TWIST. (Ms. Landers is also looking forward to the release of ALIENATED, a YA sci-fi novel forthcoming with Disney Hyperion.)

Ms. Landers shares the secrets of her success and offers valuable advice for aspiring authors. Spoiler alert: she makes it sound amazingly easy!

Read more on the Query Tracker blog to learn how Melissa turned writing as a creative outlet into the brilliant start of a double-genre writing career.

Ready to check out Macy Beckett's SULTRY WITH A TWIST?

Find Sultry with a Twist (Sultry Springs)on Amazon

Barnes & Noble

and

Indie Bound

My So-Called Summer Vacation With Red Tash

Today I am guest posting at Red Tash Books.

She asked me what I did this summer. The real question should have been: What did I NOT do?

Back in May, I had my entire summer plotted out. I compiled a beautiful to-do list that had me on track to have my novel-in-progress at "first draft complete" status by end of July while deftly managing Boy Scout camp, Girl Scout camp, band camp. Gojo-ryu classes, a trip to Niagara Falls, crits on a friend's WIP, blog hopping in three events, laying a cement sidewalk, remembering to Frontline the dog, and keep the house free of dirty laundry. Oh, and go to work at the day job.

That list itself was a slap in the face to my so-called summer vacation. Where are the beach umbrellas, the lazy sounds of lapping waves? Not anywhere close to here.

Thankfully, the majority of the list went off without a hitch. It was the main track that failed.

Oh, well. Good to know that my distractions were all family-related. My family is enjoying their summer vacation, completely unaware of the nervous sweats I endure whenever I think about where I am on my novel WIP.

So, this morning I had some wonderful writing time to myself. Perfect chance to redeem myself, right?

Nah. I'm fooling around with Red Tash.

Enjoy my delinquency and see the post here.

Visit http://redtashbooks.com for more info on this saucy broad and for links to her YouTube sensational hit "In Bed With Red".

Check out the ebook The Wizard Takes A Holiday, now infestooned with tales by Ash Krafton and Claudia Lefeve.

DOORWAYS on Smashwords--Have a Free Read!

Recently, I embarked on a new side quest in my writing adventure: I published a short story collection on Smashwords.

I admit,  it was totally a result of peer pressure. I have a lot of successful indie writer friends and, after hanging out with them so much, I wanted to start bringing my own toys to our play dates. After looking through my fiction catalog, I selected my three favorite shorts and sat my happy behind down to create an ebook out of them.

Ever put together an ebook before? Not me. I hadn't the slightest idea how to even start. (Well, that's not true...I started by opening a Word document and c/p three stories into it.But that's when I said WHAT NEXT?)

Lucky for a noob like me, Mark Coker has a wonderful guide on Smashwords on how to turn a manuscript into an ebook for Smashwords publishing. I pulled up the style guide on my phone and went to work.

My three stories were joined by a linked table of contents...then by two bonus excerpts...and then a fancy cover. (Love that picture, by the way. It's my new wallpaper.) I have to say I'm pretty pleased with my first forray into the wild unknowns of epublishing.

Best of all, my file was 100% formating error-free, according to Smashwords. Thank you, Style Guide, for making me look like I know what I'm doing!

And now I want to share it with everyone here...it's too neat to keep to myself.

You can download my ebook FREE at Smashwords

using this coupon: YL69Z

Like it? Let me know with a comment or brief review.

Happy reading,

Ash

Tash, Lefeve, & Krafton: Fiction Fantasy Tag Team

Red Tash has a lot of people living in her head. Lucky for us, she's lets them out to play...and writes down everything they do.

The result is her growing catalog of fiction: This Brilliant Darkness, Troll or Derby, and the fun shorts involving her wizard.

Recently, Tash revamped her version of The Wizard Takes a Holiday by added a couple of surprises: shorts by Claudia Lefeve (author of the TRAVELERS SERIES) and--woots!--myself!

This is my first time working with Lefeve. In case you've never been to her website,  here is Claudia Lefeve's Official Bio:
                             
Claudia Lefeve was born and raised in the Gulf Coast border town of Brownsville, Texas; a curious place where folks see curanderas in lieu of shrinks, tortillas are served at every meal, and even gringos speak Spanish. PARALLEL, the first book in The Travelers series, is her debut YA speculative novel. She currently resides in Northern Virginia with her husband and two pugs.

And...her unofficial bio: "I'm a complete TV junkie...some of my favorite shows are Buffy, Fringe, Big Bang Theory, American Horror Story, and Bones. When I'm not writing or watching the tube, I teach criminal justice at the local community college. Oh, and I love skulls."

No wonder Tash wants Lefeve and I to get to know each other...we watch tv together! Here's a present for you, Claudia...a shot of the vodka I brought home from Canada. 

Isn't it CUTE!!!

Get to know Red Tash a little better, too, by finding her at http://redtash.com or by looking for her on YouTube...she does this set of In Bed With Red vlogs that I love watching. She makes fun of me sometimes. I kinda like it. It makes me write stories in revenge. :P

Just kidding, Red. There are some people I don't dare let out of my head.

Be sure to check out The Wizard Takes A Holiday, fortified by a sprinkle of Lefeve and a dash of Ash Krafton. Awesomeness has never tasted so good.

Night Owl Reviews Summer Fun Web Hunt

Welcome to my Night Owl Reviews Summer Web Hunt post...glad you stopped by!

I'm thrilled to be a part of this awesome event--so many great prizes that are up for grabs. Books, gift cards, swag--talk about booty! I've won books in NOR's web hunts before so I personally know how much fun this is. I also found so many great new authors and books so it was a huge win all around...

I know you're here to find a special answer and I'm going to totally make it worth your time….'cause I got a BONUS WIN in this post!

The clue lies within the pages of the Demimonde…

BLEEDING HEARTS is the first book in my Demimonde series. Sophie Galen is an advice columnist who has a little secret…one she doesn't even know. Yet.

When she meets Marek, he seems to draw her secrets to the surface. His redemption depends on her. Unfortunately, he's got secrets of his own—dark secrets, terrible truths that are hard to share. He is Demivampire, in danger of losing his treacherous soul.

Sophie is drawn into his world, step by step, tempted by his seduction, enticed by his need, and lured by the promise of a love for which she searched half her life. What is her secret—and is she strong enough to accept her own truths?

Bleeding Hearts was released this March through Pink Narcissus Press. The follow-up, Blood Rush, is on the editor's desk (if her laptop is on her desk, I suppose) and is expected March 2013. I'm going deeper into the Demimonde…and I hope you'll join me.

I've got an extra giveaway for you all. In addition to providing Marek's hint for the Night Owl Summer Fun Web Hunt, I have an extra surprise for followers of the Demimonde. Use the Rafflecopter form below to follow me and the Demimonde and you can win a print copy of Bleeding Hearts and a ten dollar gift card to Barnes & Noble! Earn bonus entries by Tweeting about the giveaway...the more, the merrier, I say!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for visiting my Demimonde…I'm thrilled to share my world with you. Be sure to stop back some time to check out the review links on the side bar to see why Bleeding Hearts is getting great reviews. Readers love Sophie and Marek and the world of the Demivampire. Will you?

I have a great idea for a Bonus Bonus Win! Since I'm trying to spread the word about Bleeding Hearts and the Books of the Demimonde, I can really use your help.

Anyone who puts my Rafflecopter widget on their page to promote my book will be entered in a private raffle…for a $25 dollar Amazon Gift Card! Just leave your name and a link to your page in a comment on this post so that I can verify your entry. You can find the link to the widget here...  So far, I've verified three pages (hugs and cheers, ladies!) If you're the next one to help me promote my book, you'd have a one in four chance of snagging that gift card. Damn good odds, I'd say! What do you say?

My thanks for your help in getting the word out about Bleeding Hearts and the Books of the Demimonde. Without enthusiastic readers and helpful friends, our books would remain our secrets…and books are secrets we should never keep from our friends. <3

 Hugs and thanks for joining the Demimonde!

Get back to the main WEB HUNT page here. Best of luck, web hunters!

BLOOD RUSH: Book Two of the Demimonde

The second installment to my series is complete and safely in the hands of the editor.

Second books are like middle children. Of course we want them; we are so much in love with our first-borns that we are eager to spawn another creation of wonder. But, like middle children, second books have a personality of their own. They have different moods, different ideas about their destinies. We find out quickly enough that they are not clones of their older siblings—they are unique individuals.

My first book--Bleeding Hearts--was born in a moment of passion, an urge to write, to create, to express. My second book was planned, a calculated decision to continue the story and round out the protagonist’s world. Of course, I didn’t expect the story to take on a mind of its own.

It’s a pleasant surprise, actually. While writing the first book, I developed as a writer. There are so many fantastic resources out there for writers and one day I’ll have to make a list of the library I’ve amassed; not only books, but blogs and websites, communities, and on-line workshops. But it was passion that drove the writing.

Coming up on the sequel, I had a clearer idea of plot set-up, structure, character development—in short, the technical aspects of the novel. I labored over the first chapter, the inciting incident, the three-act story arc, the first page, the first ten lines. And slowly it dawned on me—while I was ensuring myself no major revisions would be necessary, passion wasn’t first and foremost my driving force. This book was officially (gasp!) work.

Middle children shouldn’t be labeled as laborious. When I was doing final edits last month, I needed to understand my novel for the individual story it is, not for the expectations I’d placed upon it. So with this in mind, I returned to my first job as a writer—which is a reader—and read it straight through without stopping to edit. (Difficult task indeed.)

By stepping back and looking through the eyes of a reader, I saw the story for what it truly was—saw the themes, the messages, the journey of the characters and the conflicts that filled their lives. I reacquainted myself with them, remembered who they were and why I wanted to bring them to life. And during the reading, the spark of passion ignited, unfurled, and reminded me how much fun it is to be a writer.

It renewed me.

I ran the draft through a bit of a test—pulled out the Writer’s Digest Yearbook edition of Novel Writing and “workshopped” a few of the articles, making notes and comparisons. I opened Donald Maass' Writing the Breakthrough Novel Workbook and read through several exercises. I combined my eagerness to write with the skills I've learned and hope to continue creating stories that will captivate readers.

Coupled with my rediscovered passion, I am ready to jump back in and continue the series with the same eagerness that I felt while writing the first book. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have a little incentive—now that I finished the second, I can finally, guiltlessly, write the third.

Let’s just take life one WIP at a time.

Goodreads G!ve@way Time!

It's that time again! Let's have a Goodreads giveaway!

I'm amping up for my first appearance at the end of the month... Balticon, here I come. I gots my wicked cool stilettos, my killer tee shirts, a gameplan for big awesome hair...and maybe presents for my editors, whom I shall meet in the flesh for the very first time. I get to hang out with my publisher! WOOTS.

The Maryland Regional Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention

Memorial Day Weekend     

May 25-28, 2012

But...Balticon is a sci-fi/fantasy con. Do I really want to be sitting behind a table when there will be so much other geekfood around? I suppose we'll have to wait and see.

Going to Balticon? Look for me at the Pink Narcissus Press table, where I'll be promoting Bleeding Hearts: Book One of the Demimonde along with my Pink Narc sib, Lyle Blake Smythers. He's getting ready to release his novel Feasting with Panthers. We'll be kissing hands and shaking...wait, no. That's not it. Breaking hands and kissing babies? Eh, whatevs. We'll be there doing that thing that we do.


Or just watch for a huge pile of reddish-blonde hair walking around very slowly. :) Those shoes are going to be killer.

I'm holding a Goodreads Giveaway that will run to the end of the month. Wanna copy? Get your karma in...

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Bleeding Hearts

by Ash Krafton

Giveaway ends May 31, 2012.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

If you're like me and never win a damned thing, there's a second-chance thingie you can consider...Book bloggers can get out my Request a Review Copy page (tab is up on the top) in order to get a review copy of Bleeding Hearts. All you have to do is ask! I don't bite (<--a lie. I really do bite. Bad Habit. Sorry.)

Thanks for entering...and hope to see you in Baltimore!