Cover Reveal: Wreckless by Bria Quinlan

Yay! I am super excited to be participating in the cover reveal for Bria's debut, WRECKLESS!

First, the blurb:

Wreckless…Where obsession and rebellion collide.

Bridget Larson's never met a rule she didn’t like. Drawing inside the lines isn’t just a way of life – it’s the only way she can make it through the day. And through it all her BFF Leah has stood inside those lines and weathered the unspeakable with her. Then Bridget catches her boyfriend with Leah--and the last thing on her mind is staying safe. 

Salvation… A bad boy and his jacked up pickup.

Jake Moore was everything she needed and nothing he claimed to be. With one night of freedom and a spontaneously scribbled Rebellion List, Jake leads Bridget down every path she thought was forbidden... And into the one place she'd thought was lost to her forever.

Find out more at:

WEBSITE: http://caitiequinn.com/books-by-bria/wreckless/

GOODREADS: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17937537-wreckless

And now, here it is....

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Tell Bria what you think in the comments! 

11 Random Things: The Leibster Award

The lovely Crystal Collier has given me the Liebster Award! Thanks Crystal! *waves*

I have to post 11 random facts, and answer 11 questions, and then pass it on, so here goes!

11 random things about me. Eesh! This is hard!

1. Before I became a handbell choir director, I hadn't touched a handbell in my life.

2. I attended 5 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and one high school.

3. I have lived in five states: SD, IA, MN, WI, and FL.

4. I have three kids, but I don't really like babies. (LOVE toddlers and preschoolers, though.)

5. I kind of want to steal my son's pet bird, Nibbles.

6. My Facebook feed is mostly funny things my kids say and me sharing funny/interesting pictures or articles.

7. Most of the time, I will choose a fruity dessert over a chocolatey one.

8. I just quit my day job (one of them, anyway).

9. I hate to cook.

10. My husband would make a better house-spouse than me. Too bad he's the breadwinner. LOL.

11. I love watching shows like Criminal Minds and CSI and movies like Seven and The Bone Collector, but I can't handle stuff like Paranormal Activity or The Ring.

And 11 Questions from Crystal:

1. What is the best book you've ever read? Magic's Pawn by Mercedes Lackey

2. What is your sport of choice? To play or watch? Um, can I say none? LOL. Not athletic over here. At all. I can handle watching football or basketball or tennis, but I wouldn't CHOOSE to do so, most of the time.

3. What's the coolest place you've ever visited? My family's farm in Western South Dakota. I love it there.

4. Favorite song or artists? Have to go with artists here. I love music! Maroon 5, Avril Lavigne, Evanescence, P!nk, and The Rise of Defiance are probably my top 5 artists.

5. What's your biggest pet peeve? Closed-mindedness (the main reason I left my day job)

6. What is your brand of geek? (Or obsession?)  I'm a bit of a grammar nerd (one of those who see typos/misuse everywhere).

7. What movie do you have memorized, word for word? Used to be Clue or Monty Python and the Holy Grail. But since having kids, probably Finding Nemo or How To Train Your Dragon. LOL

8. If you could choose one myth to be true, which would it be: Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, or the Tooth Fairy? Santa Claus, for sure! YAY PRESENTS!

9. What food is your nemesis? Anything with gluten--I'm intolerant.

10. Which army would you choose to defend your home? Ninjas, or Cowboys? Ooh. Tough one. It kinda depends on what they're defending it from, IMO. But I'll go with Ninjas, I think.

11. What is your favorite or most embarrassing nick name? Ugh. My family called me Rissa growing up, and I hated it. It doesn't bother me so bad now, but I really do prefer my full name (I think it's pretty).

Okay, I'm passing this award on to the following people:
Tara Gallina
Christina Farley
Vivi Barnes
Amy Parker
Krystalyn Fowler
Sheri Larsen
Theresa Milstein

And here are my 11 questions for them to answer:

1. If you could write anywhere in the world, where would you go?

2. How many drawer novels do you have?

3. How many unfinished novels do you have?

4. What's your drink of choice?

5. What are you afraid of?

6. What's you favorite T.V. show?

7. Name a book you've read recently that blew you away.

8. What's something you've never done, but want to do someday?

9. What's the silliest thing you've ever done?

10. What's your favorite animal?

11. What's your favorite dessert?

And, hey, choose one of these questions to answer in the comments, too! :)
 

Burning questions for SCBWI FL Mid-Year Workshop

I'm SO EXCITED!

This weekend is the SCBWI FL Mid-Year Workshop. I happen to ADORE attending conferences, and this one is particularly fun because it's local to me, so I get to help out a bit by picking up people at the airport and stuff like that. PLUS, it's held at Disney World, so, FUN TIMES! And my family gets a little staycation at the resort while I have my writer-time. YAY!

As usual, I will be getting a couple of books signed by presenters to give away here on my blog after the conference, so stay tuned for that.

However, I thought it might be cool to see if anyone has any burning questions for any of the faculty at this conference. Have you always wondered something about Flux books? Because Brian Farrey-Latz will be there. Do you want to know how Alex Flinn comes up with her fairy tale twists, or how she went from edgy isue books to fairytale reimaginings? Because Alex Flinn will be there.

So, check out the faculty list, and post a question in the comments! I will do my best to collect all the answers, and post them next week along with my conference wrap-up and the giveaway. Anyone who posts a question here (before Friday, June 7) will get an extra entry into the giveaway.

Review: Adverbs & Clichés in a Nutshell

I'm excited to be part of the blog tour for the second book in Jessica Bell's Writing in a Nutshell series!


Have you been told you use too many adverbs and clichés in your writing? Want to remedy it? Then this is the book for you!

In Adverbs & Clichés in a Nutshell: Demonstrated Subversions of Adverbs & Clichés into Gourmet Imagery, you will find thirty-four examples of prose which clearly demonstrate how to turn those pesky adverbs and clichés into vivid and unique imagery. Extra writing prompts are also provided at the end of the book.

Not only is this pocket guide an excellent learning tool for aspiring writers, but it is a user-friendly and simple solution to honing your craft no matter how broad your writing experience. With the convenient hyper-linked Contents Page and Indexes you can toggle backward and forward from different examples with ease. Use your e-reader's highlighting and note-taking tools to keep notes as you read, and/or record your story ideas, anywhere, anytime.

Click one of the following links to purchase:

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon Ca | Kobo

This book is a wonderful resource for beginning writers and writers who are told they have too many adverbs and/or clichés in their writing. The opening essay is interesting and informative, and the examples throughout the book are clear and easy to read.

About the Author:

The Australian-native contemporary fiction author and poet, Jessica Bell, also makes a living as an editor and writer for global ELT publishers (English Language Teaching), such as Pearson Education, HarperCollins, Macmillan Education, Education First and Cengage Learning.

She is the co-publishing editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal, and the director of the Homeric Writers’ Retreat & Workshop on the Greek island of Ithaca.

For more information about Jessica please visit:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Cover Reveal: Once Upon a Darkness by Aria Kane

I'm so excited to share the cover of my friend Aria Kane's debut!

Once Upon a Darkness by Aria Kane will be available from Entranced Publishing June 17!

Gretchen and her twin brother, Hank, were abandoned to a zombie horde when they were five years old. Intended to be a sacrifice by their zealot parents, they were instead rescued by The Company. Raised to become soldiers in the war against zombies, they now provide safe passage through danger zones, one contract at a time.

Clint's only skill is war, but he's weary of killing other men. When his contract with the Marines runs out, he takes a job on Gretchen's team, hoping that the search-and-rescue life will suit him better.

On Clint's second day, their four-man team is attacked, drugged, and taken to a prison full of frightened civilians. The only way in or out is by helicopter and, here, their enemies are human. One by one, the captives are culled from the holding area.  Rumors say the facility director uses the prisoners as experimental subjects for the testing of a zombie cure.

When Hank is taken, Clint and Gretchen must put aside their personal feelings and find a way out of the prison, surrounded by thousands of starving zombies, before Hank becomes just one more disposable guinea pig in the hands of a twisted mad woman.

Add Once Upon a Darkness on Goodreads!

About the Author

Aria Kane is a recovering mechanical engineer and romance writer. She lives in sunny Florida with a 60 lb mutt who thinks he's a Chihuahua. You can learn more about her at ariakane.com or on Twitter @aria_kane.

Giveaway

To celebrate the Once Upon a Darkness cover reveal, Aria is giving away a $20 giftcard and an ecopy of an Entranced book of the winner’s choice.

a Rafflecopter giveaway