FREE prequel story, Magna's Plea by Cherie Reich! Read to be in-the-know when her epic fantasy releases.

You all like great FREE reads, yes? Well, you're in luck. Cherie Reich's prequel short story teaser Magna's Plea, to her forthcoming epic fantasy series The Fate Challenges is OUT! Princess Magna is a beautiful, brave character in a world at war, and her plight is sure to intrigue your thirst for a further glimpse into this world. To nab your own copy, go to Amazon, Nook, iTunes, Smashwords, Kobo, Goodreads and Wattpad.

A princess will rise and challenge Fate.
While her father, brothers, and people fight against the Kingdom of Apentha, tenacious eighteen-year-old Princess Magna can only watch the destruction of Amora, her besieged city and kingdom. Her mother, Queen Vyvian, has refused to allow her heir to join the fray. But Magna won't take no for an answer. She seeks out an end of the war from Prince Cyrun of Apentha, their prisoner. If she can't persuade him toward peace, then Amora may fall.

This story (5500-words) prequel includes a sneak peek of Reborn, Book One of The Fate Challenges, forthcoming May 2014.

A self-proclaimed bookworm, Cherie Reich is a speculative fiction writer, freelance editor, book blogger, and library assistant living in Virginia. Her short stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies, and her books include the horror series Nightmare, a space fantasy novella trilogy titled Gravity, and the fantasy series The Foxwick Chronicles. She is Vice President of Valley Writers and a member of the Virginia Writers Club and Untethered Realms. She can be found at her blog, on Twitter, and at her author pages on Facebook and Goodreads.

On other fronts, there is still time (5 more days) to win a free signed paperback or ebook of Ruby's Fire, my futuristic thriller over at The NerdHerd Reads. Also, stay tuned for The Realms Faire, starting November 11.

And my big news will be the next post-promise!

What's your latest news? 

Cover Reveal for PK Hrezo's Butterman (Time) Travel, Inc! Where would YOU book your time travel trip to?

Today Idea City is featuring the cover and teaser for PK Hrezo's forthcoming novel Butterman (Time) Travel Inc, which releases on 11/12/13!!! Gorgeous cover, eh? Kudos to the cover designer, and congrats, PK!

If I could travel back in time? So many choices! I love the Roaring Twenties. But I'd also like to have met Chekhov, hung out in the czar's Russia, to have taken part in the new experimental Moscow theater and appeared in one of his plays. 

About the book:
Welcome to Butterman Travel, Incorporated
We are a full service agency designed to meet all your exclusive time travel needs. Family-owned and operated, we offer clients one hundred years of time travel experience. A place where you can rest assured, safety and reliability always come first.
Anxious to attend a special event from the past? Or for a glimpse of what the future holds?
You’ve come to the right place. We’re a fully accredited operation, offering an array of services; including, but not limited to: customized travel plans, professionally piloted operations, and personal trip guides. *Terms and conditions do apply
Conference us directly from our Website. Our frontline reservation specialist, Bianca Butterman, will handle all your inquiries in a professional and efficient manner, offering a tentative itinerary and free fare quote, so you can make the most of your time trip.
We look forward to serving you at Butterman Travel, Inc., where time is always in your hands.

About PK Hrezo
PK Hrezo is a native Floridian whose life could easily be a Jimmy Buffet song. She shares her home with her firefighter husband and their two children. When not creating characters and their worlds, PK can be found at her other job of rearranging passenger’s itineraries for a major international airline. The only hobbies she loves more than traveling, are reading, writing, and music, and when the four are combined she exists in total bliss.
She blogs regularly at PK HREZO: Fearless Fiction. You can also find her on Twitter, Facebook and on her website.

Now to make this really fun, in the comments, tell us where YOUR dream destination would be, if you could book your trip back, or forward in time; and why?

Oh, and The Nerd Herd Reads is running a giveaway of my YA thriller, Ruby's Fire. Still time to enter to win an ebook or signed paperback! Click here.

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!

On Stephen King, HORROR & cool creative artists

I've been thinking about the horror genre lately, as I'm polishing my psychological contemporary YA horror novel. Recently I've read a few good posts on the topic, including this one in The Guardian with Stephen King, talking about his new book Doctor Sleep (Sequel to The Shining), and his revelations about his alcoholism and former drinking days. King says that it's still not exactly the second golden age of horror, though some authors think we're headed there.

Here are more posts on horror that I found on Kristen Lamb's informative blog. They're written by horror author, Kevin Lucia, and are quite fun and helpful to anyone writing horror, or a blend thereof.
Why is Horror Important-Part 1
Why is Horror Important-Part 2
Why Writing Horror is-SHOULD BE-Hard, Part 1
Why Writing Horror is--SHOULD BE-Hard, Part 2

TC Steele, oil on canvas

TC Steele, oil on canvas

TC Steele's porch, the set
for some of his paintings

I find that I'm inspired by not only authors who are writing in my genre, but many types of creative thinkers. I just got back from a trip to Indiana, where we visited the TC Steele Museum, and saw his former studio and home. He was a prominent painter of landscape in the late 1800's and he inspired other artists of the time to travel to Nashville, Indiana and set up a thriving artist colony. It is a

TC Steele, studio table

gorgeous setting--up in the forested hills, surrounded by cornfields and other crops. I was struck by his easel setup that still had his oils in cigar boxes, and even had the cigars he smoked while painting!

Gustave Baumann, woodcut

Gustave Baumann, woodcut

Gustave Baumann, one of the artists in the colony, was my favorite. He did detailed woodcuts that are like jewels. He eventually moved to Santa Fe, which, as most people know, became another popular artist colony. Anyone who lives and breathes the creative life, day by day, I find terrifically inspiring, don't you? Who are your most inspiring mentors? Artists? Authors? Musicians?

One final thing, I've gotten some great reviews for Ruby's Fire, and this blog, Eating Kids' Media, is worth checking out. Also, here's my guest post on creating worlds for The Artist Unleashed!

An exclusive Excerpt of Alex Cavanaugh's CassaStorm!

News about Alex Cavanaugh's newest book in his Amazon bestselling Cassa space trilogy is all over the Net. But Idea City has a brand new CassaStorm excerpt to whet your appetite. First, a synopsis:
A storm gathers across the galaxy…
Commanding the Cassan base on Tgren, Byron thought he’d put the days of battle behind him. As a galaxy-wide war encroaches upon the desert planet, Byron’s ideal life is threatened and he’s caught between the Tgrens and the Cassans.

After enemy ships attack the desert planet, Byron discovers another battle within his own family. The declaration of war between all ten races triggers nightmares in his son, threatening to destroy the boy’s mind.

Meanwhile the ancient alien ship is transmitting a code that might signal the end of all life in the galaxy. And the mysterious probe that almost destroyed Tgren twenty years ago could return. As his world begins to crumble, Byron suspects a connection. The storm is about to break, and Byron is caught in the middle…

And now... drum roll... the excerpt!

They had reached the outer doors and Byron paused. Lips pressed together, he nodded at her. Remain here and see what you can accomplish. Impart on Ubarce and the others the gravity of the situation. It’s in their best interests to formally side with our alliance.

    Athee grasped his arm, her thin fingers pressing hard on his muscles. Would they really remove everyone from the base?

    It’s a possibility.

    Even after all these years of working together?

    If the situation grows desperate, that won’t matter to High Command.

    Her hand dropped from his arm and Athee stared at him. The indignation in her thoughts matched the scowl on her face. His patience strained from the council meeting, Byron was in no mood to pacify his mate.

    Athee! Nine of the ten races have declared war. Never in our history have the races aligned so decisively into two sides. With Tgren uncommitted, it sends the wrong message to High Command.

    And what message is that? she thought, chin raised in defiance.

    If we’re not for you then we must be against you.

Praise for CassaStorm:

“With a talent for worldbuilding and a compelling cast of characters, Alex J. Cavanaugh combines high powered space battles and the challenges of family dynamics to provide readers a space opera with heart.” - Elizabeth S. Craig, author of the Southern Quilting and Myrtle Clover mysteries

“I thought the revelation was going to be one thing and I was completely wrong … CassaStorm pushes the limits…” - Tyson Mauermann, Speculative Reviews

“…mesmerizing story of survival, personal sacrifice, tolerance, and compassion. It’s a rare jewel that successfully utilizes both character and plot to tell a story of such immense scope and intimate passion…” - Nancy S. Thompson, author of The Mistaken

$16.95 USA, 6x9 Trade paperbk., 268 pp, Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C.

Science fiction/adventure and science fiction/space opera

Print ISBN 9781939844002 eBook ISBN 9781939844019

$4.99 EBook available in all formats

Find CassaStorm: Barnes & Noble, Amazon paperback, Kindle, Goodreads, Trailer on YouTube! 

Alex J. Cavanaugh has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and works in web design and graphics. He is experienced in technical editing and worked with an adult literacy program for several years. A fan of all things science fiction, his interests range from books and movies to music and games. Online he is the Ninja Captain and founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. The author of the Amazon bestsellers, CassaStar and CassaFire, he lives in the Carolinas with his wife.

Find Alex: Twitter, Goodreads and on his website

Help Celebrate Christine Rain's 13th Floor novella collection-What a Cover!

Christine Rain's collection of all 13th Floor stories launches October 13 (Of course; on lucky 13!) To help celebrate, I'm previewing the fabulous collection cover. Stunning, eh?

The Collection cover!!!

Six supernatural tenants

Living in a haunted apartment building

On a floor that doesn't exist.

Six novellas telling their tales...

A retired demon acquires a price on his head. 

A werewolf is hunted by her pack.

A modern day dragonslayer misses his target.

A harpy challenges Zeus for the soul of the man she loves.

A vampire is obsessed with a young woman he can't find. 

A banshee falls in love with someone who's death she has seen in a vision.

And a sweet ghost must battle a primal monster to save them all. 

All stories take place at the same time, intertwining lives together on the 13th Floor.

You know you want this for Halloween! Or for that perfect gift to get your paranormal romance on! Mark your calendars for OCT 13.  

Her books on Amazon

Christine Rains is a writer, blogger, and geek mom. She has four degrees, which help nothing with motherhood, but make her a great Jeopardy player. When she's not writing or reading, she's having adventures with her son or watching cheesy movies on Syfy Channel. She's a member of Untethered Realms and S.C.I.F.I. The 13th Floor series is her first self-published series. She has eight novellas and twenty-one short stories published.

Find Christine: website, blog, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter

The covers together, lookin' good!