Spirits in the Water, Elements anthology #4 is OUT! Plus Elements book #1 goes FREE.

Spirits in the Water is a new anthology of eleven magical tales by Untethered Realms, masters of fantasy & sci-fi. Take a haunted journey on a riverboat, meet water sprites borne of pennies, preternatural creatures, ancient serpents, and the Lady of the Lake who lurks in dark waters. Experience raging storms and magical rainbow fountains. Water is beautiful but treacherous. To celebrate the launch, Spirits in the Water is only 99 cents & book 1, Twisted Earths goes FREE!

Get Spirits in the Water (bk. 4): Amazon, UK, AU, CA, Apple, Kobo, B&N, Google Play, Smashwords

Get Twisted Earths (bk. 1) : Amazon, UK, CA, AU, Apple, Kobo, B&N, Google Play, Smashwords

Gwen Gardner gives us Shake, Rattle and Row. Harlow Grayson has the chance to rid herself of a pesky ghost but she must first brave a haunted riverboat and recover a family heirloom. What she finds might be more than she can handle.

Jeff Chapman offers The Water Wight. When a drowned girl changes her mind about suicide, Merliss and associates face a fearsome, preternatural creature.

M. Pax presents The Wallows. Evernee Weems wants to escape this world in the worst way. Her daughter needs everything, the rent is being raised, Evernee’s job barely pays minimum wage, and she has little hope for better. Inside a puddle is a different reality. She jumps in, happy to trade her problems for a life in which worries don’t exist. Or do they?

Angela Brown gives us Extraordinary. Puberty hits Angelique like a gut punch and brings about a change, forcing an unexpected revelation about her past. All seems well until a vicious storm tears through her Texas community, and Angelique learns there are worse things than a little change.

River Fairchild presents You Can’t Go Home Again. A young woman, filled with regret about the past, goes on a journey and discovers more than she bargained for.

Simon Kewin offers The Waters, Dividing the Land. Hyrn the horned god of the woodlands is learning the meaning of fear. Death magic blights the land, threatening everyone and everything. To save what he can from spreading corruption, he turns to the ancient river serpents, but they’ve grown old and distant and may not hear his call.

Christine Rains gives us Frozen. A necromancer is on the frozen moon of Saturn where the dead do scream.

Meradeth Houston presents The Flood. Sometimes a flooded kitchen isn’t the unluckiest thing to happen to you.

Catherine Stine offers Maizy of Bellagio. April still searches for her mother who vanished nineteen years ago from the fountain at Hotel Bellagio in Vegas. Can Maizy, a water sprite who works the fountain’s pink colors, help the three generations of eccentric women tortured by this tragedy?

M. Gerrick gives us The One Who Would Wield the Sword. Nikka is supposed to be dragon bait so a real dragon hunter can do his job, but the Lady in the Lake has other plans for her.

Cherie Reich presents The Folding Point. Aimee’s fight against those who banned paper magics has begun.

The Spirits in the Water tour with Silver Dagger Tours has started! Check the stops here. Enter the Rafflecopter with amazing prizes below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Back from a Hiatus! The Lowdown & Plans

Hi dear blogging, reading, author community!

I've missed you all. I kind of fell off the face of the earth toward the end of June. Well, maybe a bit before that. The highs and lows:
A high * I got super-busy trying to get ready for a bunch of amazing book conventions.
A high * I splurged for my first professional author photo (this one).
A low * I got bedbugs at one of the conventions!!! So did the unlucky photographer. Luckily, my exterminator had me well trained and I took care of business the second I hit home. NO bugs survived my war to the death. But my bites and resulting scars lingered for months. Yuck!
A high * I hit the USA Today bestseller list with a boxed set I'm in!!!
A high * I went to a writing retreat in Cape Cod and wrote every day, all day. Except for our sailboat ride and long dinners. Oh, and watching the Olympic Women's Volleyball teams kick some serious you-know-what!
A high * Attended a different book con in Saint Louis, sold lots, made new friends and had a blast! Penned Con to be exact, which gives all of their profits to Action for Autism. Mad respect to founders, Amy and Rick Miles.

***

I've had a long time to think about the blog. About how often I want to post, and more importantly, WHAT I want to post. I will post a bit less, but I will post. And yes, I will post about amazing books, and my own books... because I do love books and I do write. Just not 24/7.

The new Fireseed series covers

Ghosts of Fire anthology,
Untethered Realms Elements book 3

Shades of Prey, book 2

 So, happy fall, and wow, the Halloween season! And, I do have book stuff. A re-release with new covers and sales/freebies for my future shocker Fireseed series, including a new sequel novella called Blue House Magic. Untethered Realms has new story anthology out, Ghosts of Fire, book 3 of the Elements series. My story in this is Rollerskate Boys. Put the anthology on your Goodreads TBR list if you like. And I'll be doing a bunch of Facebook parties like Haunted Halloween Spooktacular on OCT 20 from 4 to 5 (EST) and A Magickal Samhain on Sunday, OCT 30 from 12 to 1:30 pm (EST) - all to help spread word of Ghosts of Fire and other spooktastic boxed sets I'm in, like Shades of Prey, Mystical Magic. Join the parties to chat with lots of authors and play games for giveaways if you like!!!

I'm happy to be back, and blogging. I will be checking into my fave old blogging haunts, and new ones, too.   xo Catherine

You've gotta see this cover! Plus great books for November

I met Katie John at Utopia in Nashville last summer and I've since become a fan of her novels after reading the second book in her Meadowsweet Chronicles about a witch clan. She's launching book three in March 2016. Want to see the cover right now? Sure you do!

The Devilry Blurb:

Something wicked has arrived in the sleepy village of Heargton, and the effects of its arrival have unleashed terrible paranormal entities long believed myth.
Forces of darkness are gathering, and the Meadowsweet sisters, (who are still scattered across the globe) are preparing for a terrible and fearsome battle.

The Ravenhearts, having made an enemy of The Southern Territories, have fled Mexico to Haiti in order to unlock the ancient secret of returning the dead. With a war about begin, the restoration of their trinity is crucial to their play for power and their bid to control the portal of The Ancient Ones.

For the broken hearted Jeremiah Chase, life at Coldstone House is a seemingly endless stream of dark family revelations. His discovery of a diary recording the activities of 'The Devil Dance Club' leads him into a corridor of evil that leads directly to his own ancestors.

Intrigued? Get book one and start catching up for the release of book three in March! Book One is available on Amazon worldwide in eBook and paperback 

USA LINK, UK link
Book One is currently FREE on iBOOKS

There's a giveaway, too! Enter the Rafflecopter to win this fabulous Mexican Day of The Dead key ring and Meadowsweet Chronicles goodie bag. 

ABOUT KATIE
Katie lives in London UK, with two cheeky Mud-puddle fairies, and a handsome giant. She is author of the best-selling YA Contemporary Arthurian series, ‘The Knight Trilogy’ and the Upper YA series, ‘The Meadowsweet Chronicles.’ She writes dark fairy tales, horror and contemporary YA Romance.
Katie is now a full time author after having taught English in a London Comprehensive for over fifteen years. She is founder of Chapter.Con. London, a YA and NA conference for Readers, Bloggers and Authors. She is also founder of Little Bird Publishing, an ethical, indie press house. 

More about Katie: Amazon author page, website and blog.

*****

And now another cool read!

Would you enjoy following the journey of a feisty, utterly charming young couple - Bean the musician and Zak the whimsical sketch artist? How about time traveling back to the 1970s with an infusion of the music, fashion and general carny vibes, including a vicarious trip to the Fillmore to see a Grateful Dead concert? If so, Check out Christine Potter's beauty of a book Time Runs Away with Her. 

Get it at Amazon, B&N

Here's my review of this book on Goodreads.

*****

Mayhem in the Air is available everywhere! 

Get it at: Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, Kobo, Nook, Smashie

From Amazon bestselling and popular science fiction and fantasy authors comes Mayhem in the Air, a supernatural anthology of ten thrilling tales. Meet hot robots, hungry winds and the goddess of chaos. Explore alien planets, purgatorial realms, and a shocking place where people bury the living with their dead. Mayhem in the Air is the second, long-awaited story collection from the dynamic and inventive Untethered Realms group. 

*****

News flash:

My YA contemporary novel, Heart in a Box launches on December 5th!!! Keep an eye out for the upcoming cover reveal in November and giant Facebook launch party on Tuesday, December 8th. 

More fun Heart in a Box surprises soon...

What do you have brewing this November?

What's Doing for OCT Spooky Season? Mayhem in the Air - Cover reveal!

Untethered Realms, the speculative fiction author group I'm in has been cooking up a spooky new story anthology set to release around Halloween! My story is called A Strange Penitence. Here's a peek at the gorgeous cover! Even better, you can now put it on your Goodreads To-Be-Read list.

From Amazon bestselling and popular science fiction and fantasy authors comes Mayhem in the Air, a supernatural anthology of ten thrilling tales. Meet hot robots, hungry winds and the goddess of chaos. Explore alien planets, purgatorial realms, and a shocking place where people bury the living with their dead. Mayhem in the Air is the second, long-awaited story collection from the dynamic and inventive Untethered Realms group. 

A Strange Penitence by Catherine Stine - A young artist pays a supernatural price when a drawing trip to North Carolina turns deadly.

Mass Transit by Graeme Ing - For Emily, mind over matter is not just a saying, but the gateway to her career among the largest starships built by man.

A Tangled Weave by River Fairchild - A TimePulse rips through the Great Tapestry of Life, leaving Earth’s history in a jumble, and Death and Chronos in a race to save the world yet again.

Corrosive by M. Pax - In a world ruined by pollutants, Bex sets off to establish a new homestead with her dreamy robotic man. Already farming her plot of land is another dreamy man with radical ideas, presenting new challenges as corrosive as the air.

Saving Scrooge: A Short Story Prequel to the Saving Marley Series by Gwen Gardner - Marley is sent from purgatory to save the soul of his old friend. Can he save his own in the bargain?

The Silent Wind by Christine Rains - A team of specialists must dispel a mysterious storm on an alien planet to prepare it for colonization. One by one the crew disappears until only a seasoned soldier remains. How can he battle a hungry wind that makes no noise?

Paper Lanterns by Cherie Reich: In order to keep his promise to his daughter, Mayor Alfred Merry must betray the woman he loves.

Chaos. Hope. Love. by Misha Gerrick - Although Eris is the goddess of chaos, her life has fallen into a nice and comfortable routine. Until someone from her past shows up in her bookstore.

Cardinal Sin by Julie Flanders: Beleaguered hospital workers bury the living with the dead in the midst of a tuberculosis epidemic and a seething spirit vows vengeance from the skies.

The Ark by Cathrina Constantine -Plagued with memory flashes of fiery explosions and running for her life, Fallon emerges from a drugged stupor to find herself in an airborne Ark, and the earth below is a drowning wasteland.

More Amazing New Reads of all Kinds!

Wow, there are so many great books launching this spring! Here are some I can totally vouch for:

DRAWN by Christopher Ledbetter

YA dark fantasy

Caught between the sweltering fall landscape of Wilmington, NC beaches and southern illusions and expectations, all 16 year-old Cameron Shade thinks about is art. That, and for Farrah to view him as more than just a friend. Cameron hopes he can win her heart through art.  After several warm interactions with Farrah, including painting together at the beach, Cameron discovers just how complex Farrah’s life is.  To impress her, Cameron sketches her portrait into a mysterious notebook. He nearly jumps from his skin when the drawing moves and communicates with him. Farrah's now in grave danger because the sketch he drew of her sucked her real-life’s soul into the sketchbook. Cameron now has 28 days to extract Farrah. To save her, he must draw himself into the book. If he fails… they both die.

                                      Pre-Order DRAWN at Amazon

Once Upon a Nightmare by Cherie Reich

This fantastic collection of dark fantasy includes the novelette Once upon a December Nightmare, the novella Nightmare Ever After, and the short story "Good Nightmare, Scary Monster.

Get the Once Upon a Nightmare ebook at Amazon 

Dragon of the Stars by Alex J. Cavanaugh

Space Opera (novel) 

The future is set for Lt. Commander Aden Pendar, son of a Hyrathian Duke. Poised to secure his own command and marriage to the queen’s daughter, he’ll stop at nothing to achieve his goals. But when the Alliance denies Hyrath’s claim on the planet of Kavil and declares war on their world, Aden finds his plans in disarray. Entrenched in battle and told he won’t make captain, Aden’s world begins to collapse. How will he salvage his career and future during Hyrath’s darkest hour? One chance remains–the Dragon. Lost many years prior, the legendary ship’s unique weapon is Hyrath’s only hope. Can Aden find the Dragon, save his people, and prove he’s capable of commanding his own ship?

Get Dragon of the Stars at Amazon, B&N, Smashie 

Amazed & Elated: Depressed and Deflated by Aron Lee Bowe

a graphic novel about the joys & horrors of growing up

***highly recommended by yours truly*** see my review on Amazon

Aron Lee Bowe’s mother says, “If Aron is such a good artist, why in the hell does she paint the crap that she does?” Not daunted, Bowe turns her wonderfully wretched life into a gut-tickling romp. Bowe won the Charles Schultz award for digital cartoons and the first place Humor prize from the National League of American Pen Women. She is artistically committed to telling stories of great significance through the eyes of a goofball. To goof off too, visit her website.

Get the Amazed & Elated paperback

Rice Cooker Revenge - About a vengeful rice cooker (!) by S.J. Pajonas

speculative fiction, short story

It sits there on the counter, quiet and contemplative. Who knew rice cookers could be so vengeful? Ryu must decide whether to stay or leave The Chef’s kitchen, so he turns to an unlikely ally for help. 

Shhh… Listen To The Gods. 

The Japanese believe the gods live in all things. Trees, appliances, animals, buildings — they all have a spirit living within them. Maybe, if you listen carefully, you can hear them too. 

Get Rice Cooker Revenge at Amazon ebook

To check out all of S.J. Pajonas' books click here.

Full Moon by Kristy Centano 

A Secrets of the Moon book—dark fantasy

Hidden lies…hidden demons…hidden battles…All leading to the ultimate sacrifice… She knows what really brought me here. She knows the motives that lead to our friendship. She doubts what’s in my heart. What she doesn’t know…all I’m willing to sacrifice in order to ensure eternity for her.

Get Full Moon at Amazon ebook, B&N

 See Kristy Centano's novels here.

The Biggun a story by LX Cain
zombie horror, short story

A desperate woman hides in a fortified farmhouse. Outside, her former neighbors and friends prowl the night. Dead. And hungry. Her only ally in the coming battle — Biggun. If there’s blasting to be done, Biggun is ready for it.

Get it at Smashie





What new reads have you discovered this spring? 

TSU? Ello? Tumblr? Instagram? Facebook loyalist? Which are you? Plus some fab launches!

There's talk about changes over at Facebook that will take place in 2015 regarding promo and book launch posts. This includes rumors about Facebook charging a base rate for a biz subscription. And there's also buzz about a new social media alternative called Tsu, and how FB folks should set up new profiles over there. Here's a NY Times article about it. Your thoughts on TSU?

And now, for the array of great launches!
Fantasy Uprising, the Untethered Realms boxed set is out, and just in time for the upcoming holidays! Isn't it spectacular? It contains novels from fantasy to dark magic to sci-fi.
Only $0.99 and available at Amazon, Nook, Smashwords, Googleplay, iTunes

Stephanie Keyes, creator of the popular Star Child series has a new novella, The Last Protector.

Here's a summary:
Gabriel Stewart helped his best friend Kellen St. James save the world from The Scourge in the Battle of Dublin. But before that? Gabe was just an ordinary guy who kept having dreams about a little boy with black hair and green eyes—a boy he hadn’t even met yet.

And even weirder? Gabe’s mind kept replaying these images on loop of things he’d never seen. He heard voices in his head when no one was around. And he actually blew off hot Valerie Gibbons to chase after the black-haired kid in the park. What was up with that?
As Gabe searches for the truth, fate continually puts him in Kellen’s path, but will he be able to stop the Children of Danu from stealing Kellen before the battle begins? What will it take for Gabe to become The Last Protector?
*The Last Protector is a companion novella--intended to be read after the other books in the series.

See all of Stephanie's novels on Amazon & B&N

C Lee McKenzie has a new YA novel out, Sudden Secrets.

A summary:
One Secret 
Cleo has struggled to heal after her baby sister’s death, but the flashbacks to the accident won’t go away. With the move, she vows to keep her tragedy a secret and avoid pitying looks. 
One Mystery 
Something’s strange about the abandoned house across the street—flashes of light late at night and small flickers of movement that only someone looking for them would see. 
Everyone says the house is deserted, but Cleo is sure it isn’t, and she’s sure whoever is inside is watching her. 
Another Secret 
In one night, Belleza’s life changes forever. So famous, her only choice is to hide her secret from the world so she can silence small town bigotry. 
Then Cleo happens.

Sudden Secrets is available at Amazon & Evernight Teen

My own YA thriller Ruby's Fire is on sale $0.99 at Amazon!

And my new dark YA Dorianna is getting nice reviews, which I'm grateful for.

Here's the newest reader review:
WOW .... SERIOUSLY WOW!!! I honestly wasn't sure what to expect from this book as Dorian Grey was ... well, Dorian Grey. Someone who wants to adapt this to more modern times could really go either way, really bad or really good. This was FANTASTIC!!! Although personally, I do prefer the bad and want a Wilson of my own it was so very well written! The fact that it tackles the current fad of "followers" and current internet insanity was just brilliantly written and well executed! I really really loved it and will definitely be recommending it to others. An excellent read for sure!!!

Medeia Sharif's brand new YA novel Vitamins and Death is out.
A summary: 

Deidra Battle wants nothing more than to be invisible. After her mother, a public school teacher, engages in an embarrassing teacher-student affair at Lincoln High, they relocate to a different neighborhood and school. Being her mother's briefcase, Deidra joins her mother at her new workplace, Hodge High. Since her mother has reverted to her maiden name and changed her appearance, she thinks no one will figure out they're the Battles from recent news and that they're safe. Neither of them is. Hodge brings a fresh set of bullies who discover details about the scandal that changed Deidra's life. Feeling trapped at home with an emotionally abusive, pill-addicted mother and at school with hostile classmates who attempt to assault and blackmail her, Deidra yearns for freedom, even if she has to act out of character and hurt others in the process. Freedom comes at a price.
Available at Amazon

Cherie Reich's newest, People of Foxwick is out too. What a gorgeous cover! See all of Cherie's Foxwick's books: Amazon & B&N  The blurb:

The kingdom hangs in the balance. War threatens Foxwick on all sides.

The dreaded Shadowlands gains more souls. From the shrouded trees in Greymist Forest to the arid Blackden Barrens, monsters roam in search of their next victim. Sirens lure ships beneath Merrilea Sea. In cold and snowy Wintermill, royals plot to claim Foxwick as their own, even if they must use dragons and sorcery. Marriage between Foxwick's king and Lochhollow's princess creates a perilous alliance. Although brave Valdale will come to Foxwick's aid, the cost may be more than a true friend can stomach. Set over a hundred years, these seventeen fantasy short stories explore the people, creatures, and lands in and around the Kingdom of Foxwick.

Short stories in the collection: Common Love, Blind Scribe, Lady Bard, Siren's Call, Tribal Abandonment, Dragon's Sacrifice, Dragon Spy, Dragon Seer, Sword Master, Lady Death, Mage Game, Courting Magic, Monster Hunger, Mourner's Lament, Magic Seeker, Prince's Price, and Love's Challenge

The best present one can give to an indie author is the gift of buying, reading and reviewing their books. Agree?

So what are your thoughts on Tsu, Ello, Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook's new policies, any of the above? Which are your fave social media hangouts? For personal posts? For promo?

Amazing new reads, live author event and an edgy guest post!

Idea City has tons of treats: a book launch for Gears of Brass, a cover reveal for our Fantasy Uprising Untethered Realms holiday Boxed Set, and a heads up for my NYC reading event at KGB hosted by Paragraph on Friday, NOV 14. If you're in the NYC area, stop by KGB!
Plus my Dorianna tour continues with a post over at Vivacious Hobo that gives a few scary glimpses into the dark changes in Dorianna as she's overcome by her beastly side. I'm also on Share My Destiny.
Get the Dorianna ebook, the paperback. Scroll down to enter the Dorianna Rafflecopter.

First, let's give a shout out for Gears of Brass, a steampunk anthology edited by Curiosity Quills!

It's a world like ours, but filled with gears of brass, where the beating heart is fueled by steam and the simplest creation is a complex clockwork device. You’ll find steampunk fairy tale re-tellings, and original stories to get your gears turning. Eleven authors guide you through worlds filled with airships, top hats and corsets.
BUY it on Amazon or Add it to Goodreads TBR list!
Learn about the authors behind Gears of Brass at Curiosity Quills

***Don’t forget to enter the mega giveaway below!***

TEASERS (each one is from a different tale in the anthology)   “Stealing a few steps backward, I reached for him and brushed my fingertips along his cheek. Static energy crept across my palm. It glowed blue and pulled like taffy, sticking to my fingertips, then snapping back to his skin. My hand jerked back so hard I hit myself in the chest. My eyes traipsed down his neck, his shoulders, finally stopping at his midsection. It was almost as though I could see inside him."    “The guards struggled forward, but failed to move even an inch. Everyone was frozen in place, except the uninvited guest. The man floated toward Lord and Lady Miller. “You see, my lord, your wife made a deal with me that cannot be broken. Your daughter is mine.”    
 “I swiped my hand across my nose, wishing I could smell the green of the trees. Eyes burning, I swallowed hard, feeling the incision in my throat where they’d cut out my sinus enhancer. I would never be able to smell my exotic perfumes again.”    “Anthie watched the lissom liquid slip inside the carrying tube. I could see her inhaling the smell of the lubricating oil. So could Dr. Holmgren. From time to time he looked across at us through his reinforced goggles. They gave him the appearance of a baby owl, at odds with his general nastiness. I knew he was taking everything in. And I knew he had a special eye on Anthie.”    
“In a hidden room deep inside the base of the great clock there was a click, a whir of gears, a valve opened, and the key chamber was flooded with air. Several minutes later, Bella awoke. The girl coughed, choked then screamed as blood began to once again flow through her veins: the first time in a millennium.”   
“Something growled near to her right. The hairs along Redyn’s arms stood up and she held her breath. The sound came again, deep, guttural. Redyn turned her head, her lips parted, her gaze scanning the forest. They’d told her not to wander far from the cottage, but they couldn’t have expected her to play with that hideous excuse for a doll near everyone else. A wolf crept out of the shadows, his gray fur standing on end like hers.”   
 “Three years ago, your father ruined my life. He terminated my family’s reputation.”  “Um…” Amethyst wished she could back up further. Wind pushed at her top hat, so she shoved it up higher to straighten it. “I don’t understand.” “Now, I’ll ruin his life.”   

And now... drum roll, here's the shiny cover reveal for Fantasy Uprising, a boxed set packed with sci-fi, fantasy and magical reads all by Untethered Realms speculative fiction authors. Can I hear a YAY! Read more deets about each novel in the set here. Launching in December!

Gears of Brass Rafflecopter:
 a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Enter the Dorianna Rafflecopter for a huge array of great dark fantasy!
 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Launch of Julie Flander's Turnagain Arm & Brinda Berry's Tempting Fate

Today, Idea City presents two new reads from talented authors, Julia Flander's The Turnagain Arm, a prequel to her novel Polar Night, and Brinda Berry's NA romance Tempting Fate. Coincidentally, both are in the suspense wheelhouse. Make sure to scroll down and enter both Rafflecopters for some amazing swag and books!

First up, Julia Flanders. Polar Night's Aleksei Nechayev leaves war-torn Russia in 1917 and makes his way to Alaska. Settling at a railroad camp, Aleksei comes up against an adversary who seems to know the truth about the newly-turned vampire's identity, and who gives Aleksei much more than he bargained for at The Turnagain Arm.

Cover design by Michael Di Gesu

Only 99 cents on Amazon Kindle

Book Blurb: 

Locomotive wheels screech to a halt. Potters Creek, Alaska is nothing more than a small camp set up alongside the tracks. A weathered sign dominates the scene. The Turnagain Arm Saloon, Est.1917

Only one passenger remains and exits.
The early afternoon full moon peaks through a shimmering snow fall as a shadow casts over each split rail. The wind howls, sweeping the cloak of a hooded figure. He follows   the tracks toward the distant saloon. A hulking man crunches through the snow, attracting his attention. Calling out to him in a foreign accent, the townsman stops in mid step. The stranger catches up and engages him. Until…

The man disappears under the stranger’s cloak.
Blood drips from his lips, and he wipes the remaining trickles from his mouth. After disposing of the body, the mysterious figure continues on his journey. He glides through the snow as if on a sleigh, leaving no footprints behind. Within a short period, he convinces Vasyl, the owner of the saloon, to hire him. Aleksei charms everyone he meets. But soon mistrust enters every tense line on Vasyl’s face as others disappear, and his wife falls under Aleksei’s spell.
The classic game of cat and mouse continues, but who will win? Is a mere mortal any match for Aleksei? A spark ignites within Alexei after yet another of Vasyl’s attempts to disgrace him. This man knows of me. He must be a witch. Aleksei laughs. You are no match for me or my plan.

Julie Flanders is a librarian by day and a writer the rest of the time. She's also a television addict with a particular fondness for Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead, and a slightly obsessive sports fan who cheers for the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Cincinnati Reds, and the Cincinnati Bengals. A life-long animal lover and animal rescue advocate, she shares her home with her rescued dog and cat.
Published novels include the paranormal thriller Polar Night and the historical ghost story The Ghosts of Aquinnah. Both are available from Ink Smith Publishing. Polar Day, the sequel to Polar Night, will be published by Ink Smith in January, 2015.

Julie is a proud member of the speculative fiction writing group Untethered Realms. Meet the rest of the group and explore their books at http://untetheredrealms.blogspot.com/. Please visit Julie at her website at julieflanders.net or contact her at julie@julieflanders.net. She can also be found on Twitter at @JulesFlanders.

Enter to win one of two prize bundles featuring a $15 Amazon.com gift card and an ebook copy of The Turnagain Arm. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***Next up, Brinda Berry and Tempting Fate!

Tempting Fate (a Serendipity novel)
by Brinda Berry

New Adult Romantic Suspense

Available October 1

When two worlds collide, it can only be fate. 

Collin knows trouble when he sees it. A beautiful girl crashing into his car? She should be flashing a neon DANGER sign. He knows better than to get involved with a fresh-faced babe who could break his already-tattered heart. After graduating from college, he's on track to start over in a new place. He's discovering what he wants from life, away from the shadow of his overbearing father and the betrayal of his cheating ex-fiancé. 

Veronica's home life morphs from trailer park to homeless after a bloody fight between her brother and her ex. She's on the run from a situation that promises to be deadly. Without a home, money, or friends, she's at Collin's mercy. 

Fate brought them together. Will a secret from her past tear them apart?

Amazon   /    iBooks   

Tempting Fate Book Trailer:


Enter for a chance to win some awesome prizes!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Indie Life, Reaching your Readers! Plus the Launch of Fairchild's Diamonds & Dust

Today is Indie Life, a feature devised by the lovely Indelible authors. It takes place the second Wednesday of each month, where they invite fellow authors to chat about the indie writing life.

In prepping for the February launch of my new adult romance novella, Model Position, I've been thinking about effective ways to get the word out to readers. Methods of the day change so fast it's dizzying. Reminds me of how Apple and other digital companies are always launching upgrades. But one must keep up; it's an industry essential, indie or not. I think a blog tour is still advisable, or at least a cover reveal and book blitz. Reviews matter, and it's smart to get arcs out to people who are eager to read and review. I've done Netgalley with good results. Another reader site is Wattpad.  I have yet to do a Facebook event, which I will do for Model Position. I have yet to put together a street team--intimidating without a zillion hours a day to devote to it. I'm thinking of hiring an intern... maybe in the new year? Those who have done street teams, how has it gone? I know two authors who hired publicists. I'd have to barter the cost because it's expensive! Though one colleague got TV interviews and the other landed an interview in the Atlantic. Not too shabby! I'll be exploring Yahoo chats and similar venues for my new novella, trying to reach the readers of my genre. What have you all found most effective to get the word out?

Book 1 of the
Jewels of Chandra series

Another creative indie move is to join up with a group of like-minded authors to cross promote. That's how the Indelibles formed. I joined Untethered Realms, an author group who writes speculative fiction. On that note, I'd like to mention the launch of Untethered Realmer, River Fairchild's new novel, Diamonds and Dust!

Magic is real. So is betrayal.

Two heirs. A Kingdom of dust on a troubled world. One might resurrect it. One might destroy it all. Archaeologist David Alexander investigates the cave where his father disappeared and hurtles into another world, one filled with magic and bizarre creatures. The mad ravings in his father's journals of icemen and dragons may not be fantasies after all. 

Convinced his father may still be alive, David begins a treacherous journey to find him and discover a way home. Along the way, he encounters a few unlikely friends. A Dreean warrior, a beautiful thief and a satyr join him as he searches. David's arrival into this new world sets off an explosive chain reaction of events. Faced with powerful adversaries and few clues, he may not get the chance to rescue his father before disaster strikes, condemning both of them to death. Or worse.

AmazonUS, AmazonUK, AmazonDE, Kobo, Barnes & Noble

Apple, SmashWords, Paperback

River Fairchild brandishes a dry sense of humor, and is owned by several cats. Lives in a fantasy world. A fabricator of magic. Makes stuff up and spins tales about it. Believes in Faerie crossings and never stays in one place for very long. Speculative Fiction wordsmith. The secret to her stories? Spread lies, blend in truths, add a pinch of snark and a dash of tears. Escape into her world. She left the porch light on so you can find your way down the rabbit hole.        
Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Amazon /

The Realms Faire Begins! Play games all week and win big prizes.

Idea City announces the start of the Realms Faire, a weeklong event with super-fun games and big prizes! It's the brainchild of M Pax, and is now a part of the Untethered Realms author group's repertoire. Everyone is welcome to play! Play at least two of the games and you're eligible for the big Rafflecopter prizes: a Kindle or a big, fat bundle of UR author books, including dark fantasy, sci-fi, space opera, and ghost tales.
Click these links to play. And don't forget to enter the Rafflecopter below!
Joust
Drench a Wench/Soak a Bloke
Stockade Brigade
Dueling Bards
Phasers
Masquerade Parade
Collective Performance
Castle Jumble
Dragon Hunt

Follow the Untethered Realms blog for the schedule.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Two awesome excerpts from M Pax's new sequel, Beyond the Edge!

I can't say enough great things about M Pax's space opera series, The Backworlds. Having read two in the series, I can say that her characters, especially Craze, are vivid and amusing. Her plotting is creative and the voices are original. M Pax's mind just keeps cooking up wilder and wilder sagas. I'm a total fan! With the release of book 4, Beyond the Edge, she's sharing a rare treat: two mini-excerpts! But first, a book 4 blurb:
Some truths are better left unfound.
For two years Craze’s dear friend, Lepsi, has been missing. The murmurings of a haunted spaceship might be a message and may mean his old pal isn’t dead. The possibility spurs Craze and Captain Talos to travel to uncharted worlds, searching. Out there, in an unfamiliar region of the galaxy beyond the Backworlds, they stumble upon a terrible truth.
Meanwhile, Rainly remains on Pardeep Station as acting planetlord, dealing with the discovery of her lover’s dark and brutal past. Alone and questioning her judgment, her introspection unlocks more than heartache. Latent protocols in her cybernetics activate, forcing her to face a sinister secret of her own.
In the far future, humanity settles the stars, bioengineering its descendents to survive in a harsh universe. This is the fourth book in the science fiction series, The Backworlds. A space opera adventure.

And now for the excerpts:
1.    His father stiffened, the knot on his brow tightening. “You talk so damn much, I don’t follow the half of it. Nobody does, which is why you’ll always be slime on the bottom of my shoe.”
    Craze didn’t blink, circling his pa. “You not wearin’ shoes.”
    Snarling, Bast huffed out a fierce growl. “The point is I’m pretty sure I heard an insult, ‘n I’ll chance a stay in jail to knock my brand of justice into your head..” Backing up, he wiped his feet in the dust, then started forward like an all-terrainer tricked out with a ship’s engine, howling, waving the club so that it whistled.

2.    “We’ll be with him lickety-split. This being a tree makes everything easier.” Pauder grinned, adjusting his guns and bandoliers.
    Inching his way out the door and onto the ramp, Craze tested the ground with a toe, tapping under the clouds for solidity. He found firm footing and joined the insane expedition, staring at Pauder’s unwavering arrogant expression for reassurance. He cleared his throat, unable to resist asking, “How does it make anythin’ easier?”
    “Trees is less dangerous ta climb than cliffs. Bark forgives, rock doesn’t.” Pauder floated through the thick fog, his legs hidden. His movements appeared effortless and poetic, not the motions of one on a hunting excursion with every intent of killing whatever stood in his way.
    “That makes no sense. Both land you on your ass, ‘n I’ve yet to see forgivin’ ground. Which is a worry since we still can’t see shit.” One wrong step and there was no telling how far Craze would fall.

Buy her books! Amazon, Amazon UK, Smashwords, Nook, Kobo

Inspiring the words she writes, M Pax spends her summers as a star guide at Pine Mountain Observatory in stunning Central Oregon where she lives with the Husband Unit and two demanding cats. She writes science fiction and fantasy mostly. Visit her at:
Website / FB / Twitter / Goodreads / Pinterest / Wattpad

Indie Life: Going Collective!

Today is the second Wednesday of the month. That means it's Indie Life Day, a monthly feature on everything indie, started by the fabulous author group, the Indelibles.

Which brings me to my theme: the author collective, and why it's good to create a group. I've spoken to various Indelible members over the years, and it's given me a growing urge to be a part of a group, in a similar way to my longstanding, trusty writers' workshop. Why?

For fellowship, marketing, advice, swapping early drafts, editing and for group publicity efforts such as blogfests and giveaways. But-GAH!- I didn't want to RUN the thing myself, and I wasn't sure where I wanted my work to fit in. I was a bit more sci-fi oriented than some of the Indelibles, and less paranormal than another early collective I liked, Darkside. I wanted a variety of speculative and hybrid authors; meaning that I thought it would be cool to have some authors who published traditionally, at least part of the time, and others who indie-pubbed. Mix it up. That was always my preference as an artist too (my first serious career)-blending abstract and realistic imagery. Spicy that way.

I waited, and watched and... you get the picture. Presto, the joining process became an organic thing that I floated into, with authors I could really relate to. I joined Untethered Realms, and I'm so glad I did! We are running a Realms Faire in November, which will be big fun, with a Dragon Hunt, Joust, Masquerade Ball and the works. And I'm helping organize an Untethered Realms anthology for next spring. Publicity is necessary but it doesn't have to suck! And one doesn't have to go it alone (Unless you prefer it that way). I recommend forming a group and experimenting with the ways it can enhance your indie experience.
To follow Untethered Realms and play the Realms Faire click here.
Check us out on Twitter too.
What have you devised to make your indie journey easier? More lucrative, fun? Do you like the idea of a collective, or prefer to do your own thing?

New novels, new Covers! Hear, hear!

As a proud member of the speculative group Untethered Realms I'm thrilled to brag about UR authors' new works. 

Misha Gerricke's novel, The Vanished Knight from Etopia Press is out! Isn't the cover gorgeous?!
The Black Knight, Nordaine’s crown prince, has no legitimate blood heirs, meaning someone must be appointed to succeed him. With two of the candidates’ families willing to kill for the appointment and the third candidate being seen as a threat to all, peace is balanced on a sword’s edge. But then the Black Knight vanishes.
Darrion and Gawain, two of his possible heirs, set out to find him, but after they rescue an earth-girl from Merithian soldiers, they discover she has possible ties to Nordaine. Not only that, but Callan Blair could be an Elvish princess. And war looms on the horizon…
Where to find it! Amazon & Amazon UK

Where to find Misha: her blog, Twitter

The Ghosts of Aquinnah, Julie Flander's new novel will be released by Ink Smith Publishing on December 5! Today, I'm revealing her beautiful cover and a teaser blurb:

A brilliant flash of light transcends through time. Another freezes a cloaked figure within a frame of salty mist as waves crash against a rocky shore. Her harrowing expression shadows the beacon to a pinprick. By the next blaze, she is gone. Only the lighthouse remains.

Hannah’s eyes blink in step with each heartbeat. Images of her deceased parents and Martha’s Vineyard explode like firecrackers inside her mind. She shakes her head. For weeks this eerie woman dressed in nineteenth century garb has been haunting my webcam, but tonight she stared into my soul. Why? ...  Who is she? ...

Casting aside months of research on historic lighthouses, Hannah drives to the coast and boards a ferry. What is the strange connection she has to this mysterious woman suspended in time? Hannah finds out. But, it’s not what she expects. Hannah unravels a century old murder.

Julie Flanders is a novelist and freelance writer in Cincinnati, Ohio. She's had a long love affair with the ocean and has spent many summer vacations on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. When not writing, Julie can be found reading, cheering on her favorite sports teams, and watching too much television. She is an animal lover and shares her home with her dog and cat.

Julie's Website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads

The Realms Faire, created by M Pax and sponsored by Untethered Realms is fast-approaching! There will be fun games, and mega-prizes, including a brand new KINDLE! Stay tuned... And stay tuned for my own exciting new news... coming soon!