New May Reads!

Idea City has fresh new books to load onto your eReaders.

From Inkspell's Bridie Hall comes On the Slopes, a sweet sports romance.
A summary:
Snowboarding means everything to Charlise, but she hasn’t met Sam Miller yet.
Charlise is a snowboarder with a promising career ahead of her. Despite the fact that her father hates her risking her life on the slopes that had taken the life of Charlise’s mother she is determined not to give up her career the way her mother did when she fell pregnant. Charlise wants to win medals, lots of them.
The last distraction Charlise needs is the American freestyle champion, Sam Miller, who utterly enthrals her with his wit and friendliness. Refusing to risk her career for a relationship, Charlise returns home for Christmas, determined to sort things out with her father. But the holidays culminate in an epic fight, and with a repeat of the painful breakup with Sam. However, new discoveries from her family’s past might change Charlise’s mind about Sam.

Get it at Amazon, iBook, Kobo, B&N, All Romance eBooks

About the author:
Bridie Hall writes YA and NA contemporary stories. She sold her first story at fourteen. Since then, she's written dozens more, translated books, studied writing, and started writing novels. Her days revolve around stories and words, her sleepless nights involve plotting and inventing fascinating new characters. Visit her: Website & Facebook

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Next up is Christine Rain's steamy romance series Sasquatch Susies from Ellora's Cave. Zowie!

Pictures tell a thousand words, do they not? To learn more and nab your copies, head to Christine's special erotica page.

***

Next we'll switch gears to present a sci-fi anthology with a story from fellow Untethered Realms author, Cherie Reich and other talented speculative fiction folks. The collection is called Parallels and here's a summary:
Enter the realm of parallel universes!

What if the government tried to create the perfect utopia? Could a society linked to a supercomputer survive on its own? Do our reflections control secret lives on the other side of the mirror? Can one moment split a person’s world forever?

Exploring the fantastic, ten authors offer incredible visions and captivating tales of diverse reality. Featuring the talents of L. G. Keltner, Crystal Collier, Hart Johnson, Cherie Reich, Sandra Cox, Yolanda Renee, Melanie Schulz, Sylvia Ney, Michael Abayomi, and Tamara Narayan.

Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these ten tales will expand your imagination and twist the tropes of science fiction. Step through the portal and enter another dimension!
Get your copy at: Amazon, iBooks, Kobo. See it at Goodreads

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And finally, a spectacular boxed set of space fiction called Galactic Empires, with a novel from an Untethered Realms author, M. Pax.
Summary:
The Backworlds by M. Pax - A man struggles to survive in the harsh world of humanity’s outer settlements and prove his father wrong.
Ambassador 1: Seeing Red by Patty Jansen - To look an alien superior in the eye is a deadly offense. To accuse him of a political murder…
Alien Hunters by Daniel Arenson - A scruffy alien pest controller faces an alien threat the likes of which the universe has never seen.
Hard Duty by Mark E. Cooper - Hostile aliens nearly eradicated humanity. Will the next encounter finish the job?
Bypass Gemini by Joseph Lallo - A disgraced racer pilot gets mixed up with a mega-corporation. Now he has to stop them.
Sky Hunter by Chris Reher - Sent to a human outpost to investigate sabotage, a pilot finds more trouble than she bargained for.
The Galapagos Incident by Felix Savage - A genocidal AI attacks the solar system, and a Space Corps agent has one chance of saving a bunch of asteroid squatters she was sent to evict.
First Conquest by David VanDyke - To find a home and keep humanity safe from hostile aliens, Task Force Conquest must fight to seize a new star system.

For more details and ALL buy links, head here.

Wow! Lots of great reading for spring. Happy May.

Witch of the Cards Tour & Mega Giveaway Commences! March 28 - April 11

Witch of the Cards is on tour, hosted by Bewitching Books (How perfect for a witchy book). Also, a bunch of my fellow authors and bloggers are joining in the fun. A giant thanks to all! As always, tour stops go live on the day of, so make sure to pop back in to read new posts. There are guest posts about the Tarot, about why I love to set my novels in dilapidated, eerie locations, about my inspirations behind the story, and a really fun playlist, mashing up contemporary music (about witches and magic) with songs of the 1930s. A tour would not be complete without a great giveaway. So, make sure to enter the Rafflecopter below. Want to know what the prizes are? Here you go:

An earlier box - bewitching ones to come!

 One $40 gift card, two hand-painted heart-boxes (by me) with secret treasure inside, one signed paperback of Dorianna, one signed paperback of Witch of the Cards, one brand new collector Tarot deck along with an envelope full of special greeting cards (with envelopes) designed by me!

TOUR March 28 - April 11

March 28 - Guest Post - The Allure of Creepy Beach Towns as Settings
Addicted 2 Heroines

March 28 - Feature & Guest Post
In Pursuit of Publishness

March 30 - Playlist!
Dawn Brazil’s Brilliant Babbles About Books

March 29 - Feature & Excerpt
Leigh Anderson Romance

March 30 - Spotlight & Excerpt
Kristy Centeno

March 31 - Spotlight, Teasers
Ramblings of a Book Nerd

March 31 - Spotlight, Teasers
fuonlyknew

April 1 - What's in a Penname?
Mythical Books

April 1 - Spotlight
Extreme Bookaholic's Blog

April 1 - Inspirations Behind the Story!
Fresh Pot of Tea

April 4 - Guest Post - Magical Taffy & Other Weirdness
Hart’s Romance

April 4 - Feature & Why I Love Creepy Beach Towns
Christine Rains, Writer

April 4 - Feature
Ellie Garratt

April 5 - Interview - My Publishing Journey
Fang-tastic Books

April 5 - Guest Post on Settings
Julie Flanders

April 6 - Guest Post & all kinds of creepy!
Mary Pax Dimensions in Fiction

April 7 - Guest Blog - TAROT!
Juli D Revezzo
http://julidrevezzo.com/blog/

April 7 - Guest Post
Write Stuff

April 7 - Mini-excerpts!
Cherie Reich

April 7 - Spotlight
Roxanne’s Realm

April 7 - Feature
Liz Long - Your Doorway to Escape

April 8 - PLAYLIST!
Sapphyria's Book Reviews

April 8 - Review
Queen of All She Reads
http:queenofallshereads.blogspot.com

April 11 - Guest Blog & Review
Books Direct

April 11 - Feature (review TK!)
I Smell Sheep

April 11 - Feature
Bibliogal

Get it at: Amazon US, Amazon UK, iBooks, Kobo, B&N/Nook, Inktera, Amazon CA, Amazon AU, Amazon IN, Amazon DE

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Witch of the Cards is OUT! Plus blitz week prizes

I am thrilled to say that my historical fantasy Witch of the Cards is live! To celebrate its launch I am running a blitz week Rafflecopter with lots of fun prizes. A special thanks to all of you who are helping to spread word. I am more than happy to return the favor on your next launch!

The idea for this book came years ago when I had a strange dream the night before we went to Asbury Park, then a dilapidated, spooky beach town. Of course, being a writer who loves odd settings, this place attracted my curiosity! In the dream (nightmare?) I was wandering down an abandoned boardwalk when I came to the only open shop - a saltwater taffy store.
In it, was an ancient witch, selling magical taffy. Boom!

Get it at: Amazon US, Amazon UK, iBooks, Kobo, B&N/Nook, Inktera, Amazon CA, Amazon AU, Amazon IN, Amazon DE

Witch of the Cards blurb:

Fiera was born a sea witch with no inkling of her power. And now it might be too late. 

Witch of the Cards is historical, supernatural romantic suspense set in 1932 on the Jersey shore. Twenty-two year-old Fiera has recently left the Brooklyn orphanage where she was raised, and works in Manhattan as a nanny. She gets a lucky break when her boss pays for her short vacation in Asbury Park. One evening, Fiera and her new friend Dulcie wander down the boardwalk and into Peter Dune’s Tarot & Séance, where they attend a card reading. 

Fiera has always had an unsettling ability to know things before they happen and sense people’s hidden agendas. She longs to either find out the origin of her powers or else banish them because as is, they make her feel crazy. When, during the reading, her energies somehow bond with Peter Dune’s and form an undeniable ethereal force, a chain of revelations and dangerous events begin to unspool. For one, Fiera finds out she is a witch from a powerful sea clan, but that someone is out to stop her blossoming power forever. And though she is falling in love with Peter, he also has a secret side. He’s no card reader, but a private detective working to expose mediums. Despite this terrible betrayal, Fiera must make the choice to save Peter from a tragic Morro Cruise boat fire, or let him perish with his fellow investigators. Told in alternating viewpoints, we hear Fiera and Peter each struggle against their deep attraction. Secrets, lies, even murder, lace this dark fantasy.

Writers and most book-lovers know that the best present an author can get on her book's birthday are people buying the book! For us indies, it helps get the book higher on the lists so more people know about it. If you like witch tales, suspense, historical fiction, Tarot, epic supernatural battles, and ocean settings, please consider reading Witch of the Cards.
Available at: Amazon US, Amazon UK, iBooks, Kobo, B&N/Nook, Inktera, Amazon CA, Amazon AU, Amazon IN, Amazon DE

I'm also grateful for tweets. Here are easy pre-written ones:

It's OUT! #witch #historical #fantasy #suspense #pnr #occult http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01COACFVU UK: http://tinyurl.com/hze9ekh

#Badass #witches #historical #fantasy #spells #pnr #magic http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01COACFVU UK: http://tinyurl.com/hze9ekh

#witch #battles #historical #fantasy #suspense #pnr #occult http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01COACFVU UK: http://tinyurl.com/hze9ekh

And here's my gift to you! A mega-fun bunch of prizes. Enter the Rafflecopter to be eligible. 

Prizes include:

One $30 gift card, one signed paperback of Dorianna (or eBook for international), one signed paperback of Witch of the Cards (or eBook for international.), one super-swag pack of Catherine’s personally designed greeting cards.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

New releases & reveals by the bunch!

With the first stirrings of the season change, come bunches of fresh new books! These are truly a mix - from books for young readers to 18+ so read the fine print. LOL.

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Big Yearning by Christine Rains
Adult romance from Ellora's Cave
***for the 18+ crowd only

Suzetta Hughes has it bad for gorgeous forest guide Rayce Webb, but her best friend already called dibs on him. He hasn’t shown interest in anyone other than Suzetta, though. Clearly that means the claim is canceled, right? But after Suzetta shares more than a kiss with him by the river, everything goes wrong. Suzetta flees into the woods alone, leaving behind both her pissed friend and a hot guy who’s actually attracted to her. And exploring a potential Sasquatch hideout only makes things worse—and more dangerous.       ***Reader Advisory: This story has graphic sexual language and scenes—no closed bedroom doors (or other rooms) here!

Get it at Amazon & Kobo, See ALL of Christine Rain's sizzling romance from Ellora's Cave right here!

***

Now, a cover reveal for a sexy new crime series from Bailey Quinn, the pen-name of award winning YA sci-fi writer Carlyle Labuschange.

"The most challenging book I've ever written. It nearly defeated me." ~ Carlyle

Infallible by Bailey Quinn

published by Fire Quill Books

THE MOMENT DETECTIVE SCARLET ANNE MARTINS stepped into that prison, her resolve began to wane, a struggle she had long forgotten between heart and head. Unable to deny it any longer, the feelings she had for Alaric were strong—and her desperation to save him, would ultimately be what would killed them both.

For a super cop, her judgment in men truly failed her. But while her life, and anyone’s who tried to stop her was in mortal danger, she had to forget every single detail about Special Agent Blade. Her primary focus was getting through the next twenty-four hours without killing anyone.

Thereafter, her purpose would be to find a way to put behind bars those who were framing her for murder, and the bombing in New York City. It would prove to be an almost impossible task, since she had become a fugitive in a foreign country.

This time, her drop-dead gorgeous looks and South African accent would work against her in every way—she would be recognized in a heartbeat on the streets. With nowhere to run, she made the decision to face the peril head on and ensnare the evil that was coming for her, and the only way to do that was by giving them what they wanted.

Follow the author for details on the exact date of Infallible's release!

facebook. twitter. website 

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Here's a new YA romance by Wende Dikec. Pre-orders open!

Starr Valentine by Wende Dikec
from Inkspell Publishing

What happens when the beautiful swan becomes the ugly duckling? 

Starr Valentine has a perfect life in Middleton, Ohio. She was named captain of the cheer squad, her mother finally allowed her to get highlights, and the cutest boy in school asked her to homecoming. But everything comes crashing down when she finds out her parents are actually monarchs in exile from a mysterious planet called Vega. Starr doesn’t want to leave, but loves the idea of being a princess, and decides moving to an alien world might not be so bad. When she gets there, however, she discovers that something is terribly wrong. 

Starr has always been the winner of the family, but now everyone is fawning over her chubby older sister, Astra. And everyone, even a handsome and annoying young duke named Julian, seems to hate her. That is when she realizes the awful truth. Astra is now the pretty one. Astra has all the friends. Astra gets all of the attention. And Starr Valentine, voted Miss Perfect, is now the ugly duckling. Her biggest fear is…will she be able to turn back into a swan, or is she doomed to be a loser forever?

Pre-order it from Amazon

***

And here's a fun adventure for your nine to twelve year-old. Hey, they need books too!

Fable Rangers: Summons by A.L. Brown

Take care of what you wish for. You just might get it.

Twelve-year-old Casey doesn’t think life could get anymore unfair. Plans for her special basketball tournament are tossed aside by her sister’s change in wedding plans. She even has to be a bridesmaid now, with all the lace and silk and - oh the horror! All she wants is an escape, but she never imagined she’d be swept away to a world of Mother Goose rhymes, fairy tales, stories of Arabian Nights, and oh, by the way, all but one fairy godmother is kidnapped.

Casey learns she’s been summoned as the Fable Ranger to lead the search and rescue of the missing wish-makers. She also discovers she isn’t the hero they would accept. In the world of fairy tales, damsels aren't meant to swoop in to save the day.

Now all Casey wants is to go home, a wish easy to grant if the veil between worlds weren’t on lockdown. Taking fate into her own hands, she embarks on an airship flight to find the phoenix tears that can help open her way home. Her journey would’ve gone as smooth as the perfect layup if it weren’t for that pesky bounty the evil Dovetail placed on her head. Casey refuses to fail knowing it would allow the legends of Arabian Nights to disappear forever and leave her trapped in a world unraveling one fairy tale at a time.

Get it at Amazon

Heart in a Box on Tour, plus the story behind the story

Heart in a Box is on Tour with Chapter by Chapter! Below are all of the stops. There are guest posts, playlists, interviews and other fun things, including a giant Rafflecopter full of prizes! As always, the links will go live as the blogs post. I'm proud and grateful to say that Heart in a Box has been on the Amazon top 100 in Teen and Alternative Family for four + weeks and is also an Amazon "Hot New Release." FYI, buy links are on the right side of this blog.

A bit about Heart in a Box's journey...

One main theme is that the girl, Joss has a pot-addled mom who owns a bong shop. I first took this to an editor in 2005. She swiftly rejected it, saying, "Who would want to read about a mom who smokes weed all of the time?" Well, apparently MANY teens want to read about alcoholic parents, and families in crisis, right? This is simply a new permutation. Perhaps its time has come, what with the legalization of pot in so many states. Of course, many folks do need medical marijuana and I'm not morally against it at all. I'm a believer in freedom to live how you see fit. But I worry about what this will unleash for certain vulnerable people. So, this aspect of the story is really about how one negotiates with a tormented family member and still tries to stay close.

Heart in a Box is also about identity, art, and all of the inherent beauty in New York City and Brooklyn's diverse cultural scene. It's hopeful and peppery and also has a sweet romance. If you decide to take a chance on it, I hope you love it as much as I did when I created it--and Joss Olstad.

Enter the Rafflecopter below. The prizes include: 
A $40 gift card, 2 hand-painted heart-boxes with secret treasure inside, a signed paperback of Dorianna by Catherine Stine, a signed paperback of Heart in a Box by Catherine Stine, a great YA ebook pack of novels: Tiger Lily by Wende Dikec, When Sorrows Come by Katie M John, and Time Runs Away with Her by Christine Potter.

Week One

January 18            Cover2Cover – Interview
January 18            Njkinny's Review of Books & Stuff – Review
January 18            Illuminite Caliginosus – Dream cast
January 18         Susan Heim on Writing – Spotlight/Promo
January 19            The Avid Book Collector – Ten writing lessons learned!
January 19            Painted Words Reviews – Review         
January 20            Hidden Worlds Books – mini-excerpts & feature
January 20            M Pax Dimensions in Fiction- Heart Excerpt plus M Pax's critter love
January 20            Driftless – Spotlight/Promo
January 21            Diana’s Book Reviews – Guest post on Why Readers Rule!
January 21            Cassandra M’s Place – Spotlight/Promo
January 21            5 Girls Book Reviews – Review
January 21            Reader Girls – Spotlight/Excerpt       
January 21            Ogitchida Kwe’s Book Blog – Spotlight/Promo/Excerpts
January 22            WS Momma Readers Nook – Joss Olstad character spotlight
January 22            Go Read A Book – Review

Week Two
January 25            A Dream Within A Dream – Spotlight/Excerpt
January 25           Books and Ladders – Guest Post - Why I Write
January 25            The Page Unbound – Spotlight
January 26            Book-Keeping – Review
January 26            Chapter by Chapter - Interview
January 27            Wishful Endings – Spotlight/Excerpt
January 27            Ellie Garratt – Guest Post
January 27            BooksChatter – Interview
January 28            Booklovercircumspect4 – Guest Post - 5 Influential Books
January 29            Star Crossed Reviews – New Excerpts!
January 29            Lisa T. Cresswell – Guest Post on personal themes & inspirations
January 29            Becca’s Book Affair – Review
January 29            Books Direct – Review

RAFFLECOPTER:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Heart in a Box blitz, Giveaway prize pack & FREE story collection download!

This week is the book blitz for Heart in a Box and the big Facebook party is tomorrow. There's still time to join the party. I will be giving away my handmade heart boxes with messages in them like my character Joss writes, and there's a lineup of great guest authors. Thanks SOOO much to everyone who is posting about Heart this week!!! I am very humbled by the response. I want to invite you all to enter the blitz Rafflecopter below. Prizes include a $40 gift card, signed paperback of Heart in a Box, signed paperback of Dorianna, ebooks of my Amazon bestselling YA futuristic thrillers Fireseed One and Ruby’s Fire, and a super-pack of very cool YA eBooks: The Danaan Trilogy by Howard, Changeling by Herbert and Drawn by Ledbetter.

Heart took a long while to brew and polish and it contains elements very close to my own heart: addicted family members, identity issues, a close, yet complicated mom - daughter relationship, creativity, healing through art, and of course, a sweet romance. Here is a mini-excerpt to get a taste of what I'm talking about.

Thoughts on school veer off when I spot the box on my mother’s night table. The box. I know its black, lacquered form by heart. It’s the size of a large jewelry box. My father painted it with Bengali pink roses and a tangle of red cardinal vines. He must’ve used the tiniest brush, as if the objects inside were treasures—emeralds from Mumbai or silk doll clothes from Kancheepuram.
      The box sits next to Mom’s organic remedies: tea-tree oil, Saint John’s Wort, aromatherapy ampules, zinc, monster-dose wheat grass capsules. She thinks these keep her functional. But I see how one accelerates her and the next slows her down, adding up to zero. The box is close enough she doesn’t even have to get out of bed in the morning. She can reach, with trembling fingers, light up and space out even before her first cup of black tea.
      I crack open the box. Pre-rolled blunts sit like tainted royalty on a plush, purple pillow. Their sharp floral resin makes me sneeze.
      Once when I was twelve, Mom offered me a doob after closing the store for the night. She claimed to be worried about how uptight I was getting. It was around the time when I was sprouting zits, boobs, hips and my period. Who wouldn’t be down in the dumps? Mom claimed that if I got stoned I might relax. “Cave women probably used it for cramps, before all these greedy pharmacists crawled on the earth, trying to sell Midol and Tylenol and—”
      “Gee, thanks,” I snapped. “Are you serious? You want me to be a stoner too?”
      “Darling, I want you to be less anxious, that’s all. I want you to be whoever you want to be,” Mom answered cryptically. “Look, weed is superior to all those anti-depressants shrinks prescribe to kids these days. It won’t poison your liver like Prozac. It’s organic.”
      “Arsenic’s organic too,” I argued. Plus, some kids at my school would bounce off the walls without their so-called evil-shrink pills. But maybe I was too stiff.
      Soon after, I opened the box, took one and lit up. After only two inhales, I felt trapped inside a thick glass room. Then, when I ventured down to the street for a soda, people seemed in a galaxy eons away. It scared me. I vowed not to try it again. How could my mother stand to feel so cut off? Or was it different for her?

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Here are the buy links. Books make great Christmas presents! LOL.
Amazon, iTunes, Amazon UK, B&N, Kobo, All Romance eBooks

As a token of my appreciation for the indie book community, nab a FREE download of Beyond Secret Worlds, a fun, fantasy-filled short story collection that includes my brand new story Blue House Magic! Blue House Magic is the lead-in to the forthcoming book three of my Fireseed series! Find out what Ruby and Blane are up to in Vegas-by-the-Sea.
Get it FREE at: Amazon, iTunes, Kobo
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Stop by these fabulous bloggers, spreading word about Heart in a Box and other great book deals (more added as I get them): MS Kaye, Alyse Miller, River Fairchild, Elodie's blog, Heather Gardner, Lucy Leroux, Christine Rains, Raine Thomas, SF Benson, Bridie Hall, Tricia Zoeller, Rachel McClellan,

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Huge Romance book event July 22, Free & Open to the public, plus other summer news!

Do you live in or near New York City metro area? If so, join us tomorrow, Wednesday, July 22 from 5:30 to 7:30  for a huge romance book event! Free and open to the public! Over 400 authors in attendance.  All proceeds go to local Literacy Programs. I will be signing Art of Love & Ruby's Fire novels Also, I'm giving out great swag with each purchase Find me at the KITSY CLARE booth I would love to meet you Location: Marriott Marquis Hotel 46th & Broadway Westside Ballroom ***NOTE: while the event takes place in the Westside Ballroom, the queue will be in the Broadway Ballroom on the 6th floor For more deets, click here. For location map click here. On other fronts... The Secret Worlds boxed set is still on sale at 99 cents! It's been on the Amazon Bestseller list for almost four weeks, #1 in NA, myth and fairytale! Twenty-one great books from paranormal and fantasy authors. Get it at Amazon, Amazon UK, B&N, Kobo, iBooks More news... In August, I will be in a different, but equally as amazing boxed set of 12 Sci-Fi summer reads so stay tuned! Launching mid-August.  Stay cool! Hope you're having a fun summer so far.

Secret Worlds Box set - 21 amazing fantasy reads by 21 popular paranormal authors!!! Plus a huge party to celebrate with 70+ prizes!

Announcing an exciting new box set that I am a part of!
From twenty-one USA Today and Amazon bestselling authors
Secret Worlds - A Steamy paranormal romance box set
Only 99 cents!
Limited Edition. Sale ends soon.
(Complete full-length books, no frustrating cliffhangers)

SECRET WORLDS
is a best-selling box set of spicy paranormal reads brought to you by USA Today and Amazon Bestselling authors! With twenty-one stories and over a million enchanting words of fiction, this box set will keep you spellbound! Dive through Secret Worlds and into the arms of heroes who will steal your heart and leave you hot.

Whether you love paranormal romance that warms you up or sets you on fire, this box set will have something to entice your preternatural sensibilities. Supernaturally thrilling and engaging, this set has it all: ghosts, vamps, mind-readers, shape-shifters, demons, faeries, beautiful hybrid creatures and more. 

For a limited time you can enjoy all of these stories, including ones slated for the big screen!!! When purchased separately, these books would cost over $50! But they are yours for less than $1. Get yours before this limited time deal ends!

Pre-order Secret Worlds at Amazon, B&N, Kobo, iBooks

Summary of Ruby's Fire, my award-winning novel in Secret Worlds:

“Eighteen year-old Ruby and her little brother Thorn, have only known a life blighted by the extremist Fireseed Cult. The night Ruby is set to be claimed by one of its cruelest and oldest leaders, she makes a bid for freedom. With Thorn in tow, she stumbles into the world beyond, and finds an opportunity for a fresh start in Skull’s Wrath under the guidance of Nevada Pilgrim, a woman who may not be all she seems. Ruby's new life could bring her friendship, love, even fortune, but nothing comes without a price. Is Ruby's talent for elixirs keeping the roof over their heads, or do some of her associates have a more sinister and lucrative interest in them? Life outside a strange cult isn't without its dangers, and the experience leaves Ruby transformed and communing with the Fireseed more closely than she ever would have imagined. Stine delivers a thrilling adventure led by an exciting cast of characters, and the romance is really well handled.” - YA’s The Word  

***Ruby’s Fire was a finalist in the Next Generation Indie Awards*** 

Praise for Ruby's Fire:

“Romance, betrayal, secrets, great world-building!” - Seeing Night Reviews

“Full of creativity, imagination & original concepts” - Fluttereal Flight

“Ruby kicked butt as the resident healer, plus good love triangle!” - Amazon reader

“You know when you get a book and it's much better than you thought it was going to be? Ruby's Fire was definitely one of those books! I absolutely loved it. What an amazing plot! Also, there's a fantastic twist I didn't see coming.” - (Mis) Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year-Old Girl

“I can't even begin to tell you how smoothly the writing flows. It's perfect. No joke. I went into this book not knowing what to expect and what I got was an amazing storyline.” - Words Create Scenes

Giveaway announcement!

We have 70+ prizes up for grabs at our Secret Worlds Facebook party, including multiple gift cards ranging from $5 to $100, plus a Kindle Fire!!! And the prizes just keep coming. Be sure to join the party for your chance to win these prizes and more coming down the pipeline! The party is on June 29 but the giveaways have already begun.

70+ Prizes! 

Pre-order our Limited Edition Box set for only 99 cents!

Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iBooks

Interview with Angela Brown for BEACON plus a Be-Witch-ing holiday giveaway

Today, Idea City interviews the fabulous Angela Brown about her new novel, Beacon and all about the writing life. Beacon, a dystopian interracial romance from Evernight Teen launches this week! Make sure to scroll down to enter the Evernight Giveaway.

Also, Roxanne from Bewitching Books has a Be-Witching Books Hot Holiday giveaway fest. My novel, Private Internship is in it. Scroll down to see her amazing array of books and enter.

Here's a summary of Beacon:

Tsunamis reduced the USA into a shell of itself, called The Fold. Surviving humans and vampires joined forces to form The Colony, where registered citizens do as their told.

They donate blood quarterly and dream of being chosen as Attendees for the Jubilee celebrations, that is, everyone except Macie Breen. With high school graduation near, she’s anxious to ditch the rules in hopes of starting a new life with Thane, an unregistered and also her best friend.

Her hopes fizzle when Macie is selected as an Attendee, forever registered. Any future with Thane…impossible. Being chosen comes with another unexpected price.

Truths about The Colony blaze into ashes and lies when she discovers the vampires haven't kept their part of the bargain. Worst still, Macie’s life unravels as her stint in the city of Bliss forces her to face daunting truths about who, and what, she really is.

And now, take it away, Angela!

Tell us a little about your main characters

Macie Breen is seventeen-years-old and knows she is the odd-girl-out. Her parents’ disappearance eight years ago, along with her uncanny healing ability, have helped shape the person she’s become, which is a bit of a rebel with a cause, always questioning things when others so easily went with the flow. Thane is Macie’s unregistered best friend, the only person, other than the township’s mayor, who was there for her when her parents vanished, quite possibly the only person Macie didn’t question… and she should have. He has a few secrets of his own.

What is their biggest challenge or quest?

They started believing their biggest challenge was helping Macie survive her last year of high school so she could properly revoke her citizenship and go unregistered, like Thane. But once Macie is chosen as a Jubilee Attendee, their biggest challenge becomes surviving the explosive consequences born from her selection.

Give us your favorite line from your protagonist

This is from when Macie is getting ready to give her blood donation:

Part of me wanted to resist, just because. Another part wanted to belt out a good ‘moo’ for the cattle I’d become.

From an antagonist

This is from when the antagonist is sharing thoughts about how things turned out after the Jubilee parade. The ‘we’ referenced is Macie and her friends:

We all nodded––though I highly doubted any of us could really understand her position. “As you agree with that, I’m sure you can understand I would do anything I needed to care for my kind.”

An emblematic, teaser paragraph

“We’re not kids anymore, Macie. You’ve learned what little The Colony had to say about the vampeer, wights and devil spawn. There’s something else they’ve hidden from you. From all registered citizens. I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time why we met. Just how special you really are. But you won’t want to be my friend anymore once you know the truth. Losing you would be…”

Words trickled from my mouth unfiltered. “I, what do you mean I wouldn’t…”

He turned to me, chewing his bottom lip. The last time he did that was the day I broke first blood.

What keeps you going when your inspiration flags?

I wish I could say my inspiration doesn’t flag, but that would be such a terrible lie. So truthfully, when I find myself feeling stuck, the inspiration spinning its wheels, I turn to another project. That forces me to abandon that rut I’m in, opens the creative juices and winds up bringing different ideas to mind. Ideas that I could use in the new project, but it also acts as a springboard of inspiration for the other project I put on pause.

What truly inspires you and fires up your vision?

Knowing that what I’m writing will be something I’ll grab to read one day, sit down wrapped in a snug blanket, and fall in love with the story all over again. That’s one of the reasons I write, to create something that intrigues the reader in me.

Best words of advice you ever received?

Read. Read. And then read some more.

Worst?

I can think of advice that may not have been well thought out, but had good intentions. It was to “publish as quickly as possible and know readers will forgive a few mistakes.” As a reader, I want to know what I’m reading is something that was well worked through, not tossed together for the sake of getting a lot of publications out quickly.  I approach my writing projects with that same mentality, knowing I want to produce the best product I can for my readers. 

Where’s your favorite place to write?

My favorite place only exists in my imagination: a corner of a wraparound porch, relaxing in a porch swing. Until then, my bed will have to do.

Can you offer some writing advice to new-ish authors?

Read everything you can. Writing craft is something that spans across genres. Whether you’re writing historical romance, a mystery or a military thriller, the basics can be found in a good book, things like tension build up, intriguing dialog, active forward progression of the story, and character development.

Which do you enjoy writing most: action, romance, setting, dialog?

Dialog. There’s something wonderful about character vocalization. It’s a great way to get character voice across as well.

A hint of what you’re working on next?

I’m working on Beacon’s sequel, tentatively titled BEYOND. What Macie endures and in Beacon is only the beginning. More secrets await discovery.

Shop for Beacon at Amazon, Evernight Teen, All Romance Ebooks

Born and raised in Little Rock, AR, Angela Brown now calls Central Texas home. She's a lover of Wild Cherry Pepsi and chocolate and chocolate covered delicious-ness. Steampunk, fantasy and paranormal to contemporary - mostly YA - fill her growing library.

Mother to a rambunctious darling girl aptly nicknamed Chipmunk, life stays busy. Her favorite quote keeps her moving:  "You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result." ~ Mahatma Gandhi. She's released Neverlove and They All Fall Down of the Shadow Jumpers series, Frailties of the Bond and Atone of the NEO Chronicles, and BEACON, a YA urban fantasy dystopian published by Evernight Teen publishing.

Find Angela on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, her blog.

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