Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Moving is an adventure ...

So, we're finally in the new house. It's kind of a miracle that it's happened so quickly. It truly is. I have to say that we have some amazing friends. Without them, we'd still be hauling stuff and wouldn't have furniture for another week or so.

We've already had to send in a repair list to the realtor that represents the landlord. Unfortunately, we just keep having to add to it. These things are pretty normal. I've never moved anywhere that was perfect. Some things you won't notice don't work correctly unless you live there and use them. I just wish said list didn't stress me out as much as it actually does. Perhaps my exhaustion is finally showing. I have noticed I'm a bit moodier than usual ...

Part of that might also have to do with the bad weather in the state today. Here, we saw high winds and heavy rains. Some places around here were pretty flooded. Unfortunately, others weren't so lucky. There are others who lost homes. They will be in my prayers tonight, for sure.

On a happier(ish) note, new house means new stray babies. I seem to attract them everywhere we move. All the stray kittehs love me, for whatever reason. This one, I refer to as McGonagall. Super sweet and loving cat. I keep hearing it mew outside my front door, begging me to let it back inside. Unfortunately, the husband says no.


Monday, January 21, 2013

Echo by JK Accinni


So last week, I told you about Baby by J.K. Accinni being free! THIS week, Echo is free! Make sure to pick it up!

Don't forget! There are games on J.K. Accinni's Facebook page! The link is below!

Echo by J.K. Accinni 


FREE TO DOWNLOAD ON JAN 22nd & JAN 23rd 

Netty’s influence transcends a full century as the United States evolves to a point of politically driven economic collapse. The year is 2033 as a young mother, abused by her shiftless husband, heroically decides to remove her two sickly children, Scotty and Abby, from the mean streets of their government subsidized tenement town of Short Hills, New Jersey to the hills and old farmland of Sussex County. There they unite with a Latino family that adopted Jose, a young boy from Costa Rica, traumatized at the age of seven by the brutal murder of his parents and the kidnapping of his infant sister.

The two families unite to pool finances, creating the love and bonds that will enable them to survive the psychotic attention of Armoni, a soul damaged beyond redemption, discovery of Baby’s miraculous offspring, Echo; and their subsequent body changes. Through the efforts of Echo who develops an unexplained passion for the curly haired dog, Barney, they flee the clutches of Armoni after the murder of Armoni’s sidekicks by Echo, to Sarasota, Florida, one of the last remaining enclaves of wealth in the U.S.

Scotty learns to utilize Echo as a co-conspirator in his intrigue to thwart the efforts of heinous people that prey on the lives of creatures in their environmentally rich new home, where the insidious miscreant, Armoni, tracks them; dragging along Ginger Mae, a New York City prostitute looking for opportunity with her mute child, Daisy; bringing brutality and violence to all.

Having fallen in love, the young Abby and Jose draw close, only to be separated by the transcendental Netty, who tries to use Abby as a conduit in her plan to rescue as much wildlife as they can before despicable political events bring on the specter of Armageddon.



About the Author 

J. K. Accinni was born and raised in Sussex County before moving to Randolph, New Jersey, where she lived with her husband, five dogs and eight rabbits, all rescued and currently resides in Sarasota, Florida. Mrs. Accinni’s passion for wildlife conservation has led her all over the world, including three trips to Africa, where ten years ago she and her husband fell in love with a baby elephant named Wendi, that had been rescued by a wildlife group. That baby is the inspiration for the character Tobi, the elephant featured in her fourth book titled Hive.

The character of Caesar is inspired by a real life iconic tiger from Big Cat Habitat and Gulf Coast Sanctuary in Sarasota. A portion of the proceeds from her third book, Armageddon Cometh, will be donated to the sanctuary in support of the enormous expense required to house and feed the displaced wildlife in their care. Mrs. Accinni invites her readers to visit bigcathabitat.org to view the astounding facility and plan a visit with your family.

Links:

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Amazon

Thursday, January 17, 2013

MOVING WEEK!

So, it's one of the most dreaded moments in adulthood. Yep. You guessed it. Moving week. I think we found somewhere amazing to go, but there is still that whole packing and moving boxes and furniture thing ... That part is kind of a bummer ...

But anyways, I wanted to let you all know so you wouldn't wonder where in the world I went. I might be pretty scarce over the next couple of weeks. I will reply to any messages on my Facebook page as soon as I possibly can. It might be easier for me to respond to emails. That information is in the contact tab up at the top of this blog. Any orders for signed books will still be sent out immediately.

If you haven't ordered one and want one, there's a button ... Well ...

<--- OVER THERE

Of course, the hardest thing for me to pack is my extensive book collection. I really do have TONS of them. This time around, I have a lot of indie books that I will sob uncontrollably if I lose. Fortunately, my amazing friend and author, Jason Ellis, is helping me out with that! All the way from overseas!

What? What do you mean you don't believe me?

Well, see for yourself!


What's that? You thought I meant that he would be flying his happy self from the UK all the way to the middle of the US to carry them for me? Man, I wish! US Book Tour, Jason! THIS MUST HAPPEN!

Monday, January 14, 2013

Baby by JK Accinni

I want to introduce you all to J.K. Accinni! If you haven't heard of her, I have been told about a fantastic way for you to become familiar with her work! She will be offering two of her books FREE! The first goes up for free tomorrow! The next will be next week! Don't worry! I'll make sure to remind you!

Also, there will be giveaways on Facebook! All of her links are at the bottom of this post! Make sure to check them all out!

Baby by J.K. Accinni


FREE TO DOWNLOAD ON JAN 15TH & JAN 16TH
DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY HERE

Have you ever wondered why God does not punish the evil and depraved of our planet? Why does He tolerate the destructive bloodthirsty nature of Homo sapiens allowing them to rule over all creatures, abusing and exploiting according to their whims? Why has science been unable to solve the vexing mystery of our ancestor, the Missing Link? How could one planet evolve such complex and divergent examples of biodiversity? Can you imagine God ever saying, “To Hell with this mess that is Earth?”

The series “Species Intervention #6609” spans two hundred years, encompassing tender love between divergent species, political downfalls and violence of unspeakable order. It is an unfortunate tale of Armageddon and the remote possibility of redemption.

In Baby, Netty is a naive teenage farm girl given in marriage to an older brutal opportunist disguised as a successful citizen during the years of Prohibition in Sussex County, New Jersey. After years of enslavement, Netty flees into the night from her rapist husband, traveling back to the farm worked by her parents, where she rescues an unfamiliar damaged creature she finds in a cave in the woods of her childhood, falling in love with the enigmatic creature she names Baby. Together they find happiness and fulfillment despite the changes to Netty’s body wrought by the proximity of the unusual creature.

When a handsome Italian stranger comes into Netty’s life, complications ensue as she falls in love while trying to hide the bizarre and wondrous changes to her farm and her body. Netty, Baby and Wil strive to conquer obstacles thrown in their path by life, succeeding wildly until the heart-rending and astonishingly brutal climax to their story.



About the Author 

J. K. Accinni was born and raised in Sussex County before moving to Randolph, New Jersey, where she lived with her husband, five dogs and eight rabbits, all rescued and currently resides in Sarasota, Florida. Mrs. Accinni’s passion for wildlife conservation has led her all over the world, including three trips to Africa, where ten years ago she and her husband fell in love with a baby elephant named Wendi, that had been rescued by a wildlife group. That baby is the inspiration for the character Tobi, the elephant featured in her fourth book titled Hive.

The character of Caesar is inspired by a real life iconic tiger from Big Cat Habitat and Gulf Coast Sanctuary in Sarasota. A portion of the proceeds from her third book, Armageddon Cometh, will be donated to the sanctuary in support of the enormous expense required to house and feed the displaced wildlife in their care. Mrs. Accinni invites her readers to visit bigcathabitat.org to view the astounding facility and plan a visit with your family.

Links:

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Amazon

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Post-Holiday Rush (and DARIAN EXISTS)

So my family and I just finished all our Christmas gatherings. A few family members were out of town, so we did one late Christmas. So now that that's over ... now what?

Well, for starters, I'm participating in a lot of things for other authors. I think it's extremely important. My observation of the indie world is that we are all in this together. I've made a lot of amazing friends in the indie world this year, and I'm excited to be able to help them with whatever I can. So for starters, you'll notice a lot of blog events and cover reveals on here in the near future. As I said, they're extremely important to me. These people are like my family. That's what the indie community is to each other. It's also why I LOVE being a part of it. :-)

For even more promotions for myself and other authors, I've also created a Tumblr. Please check it out and take a look at some of the books I post up there. I refuse to put anything up there that I haven't read and/or wouldn't recommend.

So what's going on with me, specifically? Well, Blood of Eirny is currently sitting with my beta readers. I've already gotten some amazing feedback from them, and have some edits ahead of me. The cover is being created, as we speak. I trust my cover artist completely and know she'll come up with something amazing.

Also, I'm trying to make that sound like I'm cool and calm, but inside I'm really squealing with glee! I'm kind of the anti-cool ... And I suppose that's alright.

Once Blood of Eirny is finished, I'll be continuing a third book I'm working on. It's from the same universe as Eirny and its residents, but a different time and different characters. Also, it doesn't take place on Eirny. However, the characters from this story and the characters from Chronicles of Eirny will eventually meet.

I'm still contemplating the vlog concept. But what would I say? Hmm. I think I'll have to think on that a bit more. If you all have any ideas, send them my way!

In other (barely) news, I nearly had a heart attack scanning through my Facebook feed today! I was scrolling down, minding my own business, and BAM!


Look at him! Seriously! For those of you who have read The Rapture of Avery Maye, does he look familiar? Because the first thing that popped in my head was, "HOLY CRAP! IT'S DARIAN! HE LIVES OUTSIDE MY BRAIN!" I mean really! Long brown hair! Green eyes! Face so beautiful he could be elven! That's him!

Friday, January 11, 2013

Imposter by Cat Miller Cover Reveal


Born for the sole purpose of advancing her parents’ social and political standing in The Vampire Nation through an arranged marriage, Tyra Reed is set adrift when the betrothal falls through.

The eldest son of a prominent warrior Clan, Weston Sloane is irate when his parents attempt to force him into an arranged marriage in an effort to breed more warriors for their quickly dwindling ranks.

When a debutante with nothing to lose butts heads with a warrior on a mission, unwelcome passion burns down the barriers between them but the secrets they keep could destroy them both.

AVAILABLE THIS SPRING!

Cat Miller
Facebook / Blog


Cover Art by Mae I Design and Photography:
Website / Facebook

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Love & War by Jennifer Malone Wright



Today, I finished Love & War by Jennifer Malone Wright. Love & War is the first book in the Arcadia Falls Chronicles begins a bit after The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter leaves off.

Chloe, Luke, Drew, Alice, and Oscar had been visited by Sostrate near the end of The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter, and she warned them of an oncoming war between the hunters and the vampires. Chloe is itching to prepare, while the council doesn’t even believe Sostrate ever came. She tries to convince Drew and the others that they need to strike now, before the vampires seek them out, but they’re all a bit hesitant to initiate the war.

They soon find that a mysterious man has been helping victims of vampire attacks, and go in search of him. Who is this guy and where did he come from?

I loved that we got a slightly bigger picture of who Alice and Oscar are as characters. I love watching Alice slowly heal from her life with Trevor and learn a bit about who she is and what she can do. I really can’t wait to see how much she accomplishes in the future.

Naturally there’s still a bit of a love triangle, and I’m curious to see how that works out, as well. Drew is Chloe’s current boyfriend, but Gavin still just hasn’t given up. However, Gavin left to go work on some mysterious assignment. I’m curious to know where he went and what that means for Chloe’s confusion about him. I could see it working out either way.

One of the things the author does really well is personalities. Especially Chloe’s. Sure, Chloe has all these new powers and can do all these awesome things. However, the author never lets us forget that she is still just a teenager. She has typical teenage thoughts. She has typical teenage wishes. She has typical teenage impulses.

Monday, January 7, 2013

IMPORTANT Step for Authors

This is something VERY important for ANYONE who has plans to write and release ANY book. Brought to you by the amazing Stacey Rourke, author of the Gryphon Series.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

What is the working title/title of your book?
The Rapture of Avery Maye is the first in the Chronicles of Eirny. It’s already out. I’m currently working on Blood of Eirny, which is the second in the same series. I’m also working on another untitled book in the same universe, but not the same series.

Where did the idea come from for the book?
I'm known to have some seriously crazy and vivid dreams. I had a dream that I woke up with a whole bunch of people that I didn’t know in my house. I told them to leave, but they said they lived there. As it turned out, it was a duplicate house on a completely different world. After that night, I kept dreaming about different parts of this same place, so I decided to just write it all down. Once I started writing down these dreams, characters came to me. Then, events started coming to me as well. The rest is history.

What genre does your book fall under?
It’s a young adult sci-fantasy.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Hmm. This is a tough one.

Avery – Avery is generally calmer and more rational than the others. That doesn’t mean that she’s completely collected and perfect, however. She’s patient and loving, but she will defend her friends and family until death. She’s very accepting of those around her, and she tries to give people a chance, even when everyone else believes they don’t deserve it. She believes there’s good in everyone, and she wants everyone to have that chance to prove it. Physically, she has long brown and red-streaked hair and green eyes. She’s very slim and petite. I’d kinda like to see Emily Blunt in her role.

Alec – Alec is very loving and protective of those he cares about, but he can also be quite hot-headed and a royal pain in the rear. He has good intentions, but sometimes he can come off as kind of a jerk. He’s strong and capable, but he has obvious soft spots. He’s a bit confused, and he’s trying to figure out what he wants out of life. Physically he’s strong and muscular. He’s has blue-black hair and blue eyes. All the outdoor work has also given him a pretty nice tan. Christ Hemsworth could be fun in this role. He’d have to break out the hair dye, though.

Darian – Darian is the ultimate protector. He is powerful both physically and magically, and he will use that power in any way he can to keep those he loves safe, sometimes even when they don’t want him to. He’s a bit of a loner, as he’s spent thousands of years by himself, but he’s trying hard to change that. He can sometimes act impulsively when those he cares about are threatened, but he can be rational and strategic if the situation calls for it. Though he might need to be reminded that rationality is required in some circumstances. Physically, he’s very tall. He has shoulder-length brown hair and green eyes. I really would like to see James McAvoy in this one, even if the height doesn’t quite match up. If not, Alexander Skarsgard can get hair dye and contacts, yes?

Krystle – I know I said Alec, is hot-headed earlier, but Krystle really makes him look tame. She’s very cautious and suspicious of new people. Once she gets to know you, however, she is one of the best friends you could ever ask for. She’s very intelligent and extremely handy. She spends most of her time inventing and building things. I’ll be honest; I don’t think any actress would measure up to the full awesome-ness that is Krystle. She would have to be played by my friend Krystle, the person she was written after.

Jackie – Jackie is the healer of the group. She is a fantastic friend. She’s very patient and very observant. I really wish we could have visited her more in the first book, but I hope to see more of her in the following books. Just like with Krystle, I really don’t see anyone else playing her part. She would have to be played by my friend Jackie.

Darcie – Oh, my. Where to start? Darcie is very complicated. She’s still learning who she is and what type of person she wants to be. She can be very devious and manipulative, but she can also be very observant and helpful … when she wants to be. She simply wants to make a better life for herself and her brother, Josh. She would do absolutely anything she can to make sure that happens, even if it hurts others. She’s very misguided. I think that would be the best way to put it. Darcie is stunningly beautiful and has long, straight, black hair and black eyes. Ashley Greene would make a fun Darcie.

Josh – Josh is extremely manipulative of everyone around him, including his sister, Darcie. He doesn’t have the patience to think things through, but that almost never stops him from trying anyways. He is constantly coming up with schemes to make his life better. But, he’s very stubborn and can’t be talked out of plans once he has decided on them. Like Darcie, he has black hair and black eyes. Ian Somerhalder would be fun to watch in this part.

Arzamael – Arzamael isn’t mentioned much in the first book, but he’s a very important person in Avery’s world. He plays a much larger role in the second. He’s extremely determined to make sure that Avery reaches her full potential. He’s also her greatest protector. He’s very strategic and level-headed. Arzamael is slim and appears more delicate than Alec and Darian, but he is toned and strong. He has longer silvery-blonde hair that reaches his cheekbones. Avery compares him to a Roman statue. I know he’s not an actor, but I see Alex Band from his Calling days in Arzamael’s part. If Alex isn’t available, Jamie Campbell Bower, if you can talk him out of over-acting.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
One sentence? Oh, gee ...

Avery was granted a second chance at life after she was taken from her home and brought to a whole new world, where she discovers that paradise isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
The Rapture of Avery Maye is self-published and available ebook and print. The other two will probably be self-published as well.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
It took me 8 months to go from start to finish with the Rapture of Avery Maye. Blood of Eirny, I started three months ago, and it’s almost done. The currently untitled one I started a month ago.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I’m not really sure. I’m not sure it could compare.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?
I really just thought the idea would be cool to put on paper. I’d had months of dreams about this world, and really wanted to share it.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
I think it’s a fascinating balance. It holds truths that I believe are important, be it issues or lessons, but it holds enough fantasy to help you escape for a while.

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Cat Miller

Next week's blogs:

Ruthi Kight
Jason Ellis
Eric Benoit