Happy Holidays!

It's almost Christmas, so for the next couple of weeks I don't think I'll be able to post much of anything.  I thought I would post a bit more of Glenbrook, and in the new year will come Astral Bodies!

“How far is the…castle?” I asked, still feeling awkward about that.  We were heading into vampire territory according to Eyre, and it was to see the Lord of Vampires.  It sounded ridiculous, even after all I’d seen.  

“Not far,” Arick told me.  “Once we’re out of the forest we only need to cross the moat, and we’ll be there.”

Of course there would be a moat.  I didn’t reply, and it made him look back at me.  He repeated, “Once we’re out of the forest we only need to cross the moat!”

“She heard you,” Eyre growled, swatting Arick on the back of the head.  

Arick was baffled.  “But she didn’t say anything.”

“Because she did not want to,” Azazel replied.  “Liv Burnett does not speak often.”

I didn’t like this conversation much.

We continued to walk through the trees, the dirt path kicking up dust as we moved over it.  It was a little pink, similar to the smoke that I’d seen on the airplane.  It made me miss Luke even more.

Liv?

I stopped and turned towards the woods, wondering if I’d actually heard that.  I could have sworn he called my name, in the real world and not just in my head.

When he called again I realized it was just in my head.

Liv, how are you here? Luke asked.  It isn’t safe.  Someone is—

I grunted and fell to my knees, holding my temples in hopes of stopping the pain.  It had never hurt so much before to communicate with Luke—why did it now?  I thought it might have to do with being in Shadeland, but that didn’t make complete sense to me.

“What’s wrong?” Arick asked, instantly in front of me.  He kneeled down to my level and helped me up.  It was hard to stand.

“Nothing,” I said, “just a headache.”

I glanced at Azazel and he nodded, as if knowing the truth.  Eyre only pursed her lips; maybe she knew as well.  How either of them could know I wasn’t so sure.

The pain began to subside, and I was able to stand up straight.  I brushed off Arick’s hands, despite how determined he seemed to be.  When I nodded again he took a step back.

“Is someone—”

“She isn’t a case,” Eyre said, “not anymore at least.”

“You don’t know for sure,” Arick sniped.  “How do you—”

“She.  Isn’t.  A.  Case,” Eyre said, her voice low.  “Now let’s get to the castle so that I don’t have to bother with you or him anymore!”  She crossed her arms, and Arick did the same.  Their backs were to each other, and neither of them moved.

I stared, baffled.  Siblings? I thought.  They shared the same eyes and nose, hair colour too.  I was a little surprised Agent Eyre had a brother, and by the looks of things a younger brother.  I decided it isn’t something I’m going to ask about.

Reminders: 

1. Glenbrook is still in progress and does not have a release date yet.

2. My novella With Cross & Charm comes out in a month!  You can preorder on Smashwords, Apple iBooks, B&N, and Kobo!

3. Astral Bodies will be out around March, with some parts available for free :)

Cover Reveal - Astral Bodies

Astral Bodies

There’s been a murder in Arrowood with only one witness, and she can’t come forward with any information because she technically wasn’t there.

Twenty-year-old Tess has the ability to astral project, and while going for a midnight walk in the woods she stumbles across a ritual murder.  Not only that, the killer was actually able to see her when nobody else could.

After leaving an anonymous tip with the police, Tess thinks her life can return to normal, until Jonas Adler contacts her and offers her a job she just can’t refuse.  He wants her to become his apprentice and work with the FBI using her unique ability to find the killer.

Tess is soon thrust into a world that both terrifies and excites her, and into a job she never knew she wanted.

*Astral Bodies is a serial novel, with new parts out every month.  To keep the price of the total eBook under $3.99, some parts will be free!  Estimated release date of part one is March 1*

New Murder Mystery!

Today I'm announcing a new murder mystery series, which I think the fans of The Ethereal Crossings will enjoy :)

It will start in the new year, and be published as a serial novel.  For those that aren't familiar with what a serial novel is, basically it's parts of the story published over time (say, one part a month).   So if the novel ends up being 70,000 words long, and each part is 10,000 words, it will finish in about seven months.

So, here's a small introduction to the novel...

Astral Bodies

There’s been a murder in Arrowood with only one witness, and she can’t come forward with any information because she technically wasn’t there.

Twenty-year-old Tess has the ability to astral project, and while going for a midnight walk in the woods she stumbles across a ritual murder.  Not only that, the killer was actually able to see her when nobody else could.

After leaving an anonymous tip with the police, Tess thinks her life can return to normal, until Jonas Adler contacts her and offers her a job she just can’t refuse.  He wants her to become his apprentice and work with the FBI using her unique ability to find the killer.

Tess is soon thrust into a world that both terrifies and excites her, and into a job she never knew she wanted.

Cover reveal coming soon!

Importance of Covers

I can't remember if I've blogged specifically about how the new covers for The Ethereal Crossings has helped sales or now, so I'll just do it now!  When you publish books yourself, one of the first tips you'll get from any experienced writer is to make sure your book is properly edited, then next is getting a damn good cover.
Because the cover is what people see first.

Since I changed my covers for The Ethereal Crossings, sales have been better--I've gotten twice as many downloads for Shadeland specifically, and for Christmas I'm expecting Fenridge and Northcliffe to really pick up.

They went ...

See the difference?

While I quite liked my original cover, I didn't think it said "I'm a mystery, PICK ME UP NOW".  I think Shadeland is now much better off, along with Fenridge and Northcliffe :)

As for more specific sales numbers, normally I would get around 400-500 downloads a month for Shadeland, and with the new covers it is now well over 900 for the month between various retailers.  So if you're going to publish your book, I suggest you get a professional to do it (it's worth the price) especially if you're getting print copies done through Createspace.

My other covers were...

And...

*New covers designed by www.bookcoversale.com*

That was all, just thought I would share how changing the covers has increased downloads/sales :)

NaNoWriMo Ends for 2013

I didn't make my goal (although I guess I still technically have the day to make up? 30K words...possible in a day?!).  But I got a lot more outlining done than I thought I would, and have everything set up to (hopefully) make the writing go smoothly.
I will continue to post excerpts from Glenbrook, although they'll probably get shorter for now :)  Don't want to give too much away!

With that said, I am planning a giveaway for Shadeland in the new year through Goodreads, and my giveaway for The Warden in the Gates is still on.  And hey, don't forget that With Cross & Charm is still out there!

Anyway, here's a very early blurb on Glenbrook!

Luke is trapped in Shadeland, and there’s supposedly no way to get him out.  Everyone is keeping their mouth shut, since something’s happening within the Eidolon world that they don’t want the humans knowing.Liv is determined to find out, even if it means going against all warnings, and travelling to Shadeland herself.

Even more Glenbrook...

I feel like I haven't been blogging a lot lately, but that's mostly because when I have time to sit down and write, I want it to be on my books.  Glenbrook is still going, and I'm nowhere near the 50K word goal, but I'm getting a solid start on everything.

Before I get to the excerpt, here's a reminder that there is a Goodreads giveaway for The Warden in the Gates, with the new cover!  Currently it's only open to Canada and the US.

And now here's some more Glenbrook!

“Calm down,” Keiji said.  “I’ll get you out of here.”

We started to waltz as the music changed, and Keiji easily took the lead.  I wasn’t one to judge, but he was a pretty good dancer, even with me fumbling to keep up.  Soon I found my pace, and we swirled across the floor.  It wasn’t long until more Fenridge began to join.

It’s not me I’m worried about, I thought.  I felt frantic as I searched for Jared, still no sign of him.

Keiji was doing the same, but his eyes were more calculating.  He was just looking for Jared or Azazel.

“What’s happening?” I asked.

“I think Merelda might have left out a couple of details on the phone,” Keiji admitted.

“What kind of details?”

“The forced marriage between you and her eldest son,” he said quickly.

I held back a hiss.  “What?”

“If it makes you feel better, he doesn’t seem to want to marry you now that he knows you aren’t a pureblood.”  Keiji shrugged.

“Splendid,” I muttered.  “Anything else?”

“Just that you’ll have to start running soon,” he whispered.  “I’ll take care of Jared, but you need to go.”

The zipper to the kitchen opened and Keiji shoved me through.  On the other side I found a few confused dragons, and Azazel sitting by the far door.  Keiji shouted, “Don’t worry about him; I’ve got a plan!  Be sure to pick Azazel up before you leave; trust me!”

I didn’t trust his plan, but I didn’t have a choice.  While none of the cooks were trying to stop me, I could already hear voices on the other side.

Merelda shouted, “Do not let her go!  She is your next Queen!”

I did not like the sound of that.  Taking my chance to dash by the stunned cooks, I ran forward and scooped Azazel into my arms before slamming the door open.  A cold wind smashed into me, almost blowing me back into the tent, when my feet touched down on dirt.

Keiji shouted one last warning, “Don’t forget to breathe!”

More Glenbrook!

I've been at work on Glenbrook and haven't really had much time to update my blog...so here's another part of Glenbrook!

Liv? a voice asked.  Liv, I’m sorry.

“Luke?” I whispered.  I could feel him in my mind, just like when I’d talked to him outside the police station.  He was putting his thoughts in my head, but I wasn’t sure how.  Wasn’t he in Shadeland?

I’m in trouble, he said, bringing another onslaught of pain.  I fell to my knees, gripping the counter but failing to hold myself up.  There’s nobody else again.

“Where are you?” I asked through another groan.

Shadeland, he replied.  They need—help—it’s not—

He cut out, along with the pain.  I blinked my eyes a few times, unsure if the pain was really gone or I was just dying.  I stood on shaky legs, feeling my hands sizzling with the residual connection to Luke, to Shadeland.  A fine pink mist drifted from me and dissipated into the air.  I watched it a few moments until it stopped and I knew it was safe to return outside.

If only my hands would stop shaking.

I didn’t understand much of Luke’s message, only that he was in trouble.  The more I thought about what he said, the more I couldn’t figure out.  If he was in trouble, why would they need help?  Who was “they” exactly?

I shook my head and dried off with paper towels.  They were smooth against my skin where I imagined they would have felt scratchy.  I sighed, another reminder of my not-so-human half.

“Mom,” I whispered, “what’s going on?”

NaNo Updates

NaNoWriMo is going fairly well so far, but I can feel it starting to slow just a bit.  That second week really is a killer!  I miss the good old days when I only worked part time and even when I was working I was able to read a book (not because I didn't do my job, but because it was just THAT bad at the place I worked).  Good times.

Anyway, I'm up to about 14K words for my NaNo WIP Glenbrook (The Ethereal Crossings, #4).  Some things I've found while getting back into Liv's head is that A) I missed it, and B) I needed a break.  Taking a few months off to work on other things really helped, I think!
Although during my absence from The Ethereal Crossings I forgot many side character names :/ LOTS of rereading to do lol.

With that said, here is an excerpt from Glenbrook (a rough first draft!).

***CAUTION: SPOILERS AHEAD IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE FIRST THREE BOOKS***

Azazel was no longer in my arms, as he decided to start walking on his own.  I thought it might be a power thing, him trying to show the Eidolon that he still is in control despite his cat form.  By the way Carson and Taia treat him it was clear he still holds some authority in the Shade, but Sera didn’t seem to even notice him.  I wonder what it will be like if I ever get to the other side.

I knocked on Emerson’s door, hoping she would be the one to answer.  I didn’t want some other faerie to talk to me first, and I certainly didn’t want it to be her brother, Harker to either.   He would never let her do it, I was sure.

But my knocking was met by silence.  I listened closely, trying to find the small puffs of breath on the other side of the door to tell me someone was inside, but there was nothing.  I knocked again, and this time feet shuffled.

It wasn’t Harker or Emerson that greeted me, although I didn’t count his look of disgust as a greeting.  It was Breccan, the tall bleach blond faerie that had attempted to negotiate with the wolves.  The way his fingertips barely touched the door reminded me that he hated just about everything human.  I resisted rolling my eyes.

“What is it?” he asked.

“I need to speak with Emerson,” I told him, careful to control my tone.  It was getting harder and harder to keep my temper at bay, knowing that everyone was able to help me but wouldn’t.  Why was it the only people willing to help were the ones that could do nothing?  People like Jared and Azazel were determined to get Luke back, yet Sera and Dr. Wineman weren’t?

It wasn’t right.

“She’s resting,” he said, “come back later, or better yet, not at all.”  His hand flicked and the door almost shut.  I slammed my hand flat against it, pushing it open wide.

“I need to get to Shadeland,” I said.  My voice wasn’t desperate as I thought it would be, but rather furious.  Threatening.  Thankfully I couldn’t feel my eyes changing to their scaled counterparts, not yet anyway.  It was there, just below the surface.

I took a step inside, but Breccan didn’t budge.  He stood his ground, but I could see the sweat beginning to form at his temples.  If anything he was nervous.  After all, my kind was supposed to be extinct—he probably had no idea what I was, much like the rest of the Eidolon.

“Let her in,” called Emerson.  She was in a room to my right, the room that belonged to Charlie, the first owner of this apartment, and the room that used to be Kat’s.  I looked towards the half shut door, memories swirling.  I shook them off, along with any guilt.

Now was not the time.

Azazel and I marched into Emerson’s room to find her laying in bed, covered with about a dozen blankets.  She was shivering, her skin a strange pale blue.

“She’s sick,” Breccan explained.  “She cannot take you.”

“Why—Why do you want to go to Shadeland?” Emerson asked, sitting up.  It looked like she was struggling.

“Luke is trapped,” I said.

Her eyes widened.  “Is he…?”  She looked to Breccan, as if to convey a message I couldn’t understand.

I shifted my eyes between them as Azazel jumped onto the bed.  He was doing the same thing he had done with Taia and Carson; he simply wagged his tail back and forth, and stared them down.  “What is it?” I asked the faeries.

“It’s time for you to go,” replied Breccan.  “Emerson needs to rest.”

I looked at him.

He glared back at me.  “If you want to get to Shadeland so badly, why don’t we bargain?  I’ll gladly take you there; I just won’t guarantee you come back.”

I thought of Harmony’s warning about faeries.  She said they liked to take first borns, or lifespans.  What would he want?  I wondered.

I looked back to Emerson but she had passed out.  Azazel stepped down from the bed, clearly not worried I might bargain anything away with Breccan.  Maybe that meant it wouldn’t be so bad.

I asked, “What kind of bargain?”

I’d seen in the past just how bad a witch’s deal could go, and imagined a faeries wouldn’t be much different.  But this was for Luke…

Breccan shrugged at me.  “What have you got?”

Not much, I thought, and probably not enough.  Azazel circled at my feet, showing an unusual restlessness.  Breccan watched him with mild curiosity, not the respect others showed.

I never gave Breccan and answer, and instead waited for him to come up with something.  After a moment of silence he rolled his eyes and said, “Ten years.  I’ll make it easy, since you’re trying to help a friend.  And if you die in the Shade, I’ll get whatever you would have had left.”

Ten years of my life?  I thought about what I might miss, or even how old I was going to be when I died, and thought ten years didn’t sound so bad.  Not if it meant I could have Luke for another fifty.  I asked, “Ten years of my life taken away, or in servitude to you?”

He cocked an eyebrow.  “Nobody has ever asked that.  Clever.  But it will be the former.”

He was certain I was going to take the bargain, maybe even more certain than I was.  I told him, “Let me make a call.”

Breccan held his hands up.  “Of course.”

New Covers - The Ethereal Crossings

In my attempt to get better covers for my books, I had The Ethereal Crossings redone by www.bookcoversale.com.  I've been wanting to get them done for a while now, because as much as I liked having the flowers and stuff on them, and everyone seemed to really like them, I thought they needed more of a mystery feel.  The books are technically a mystery after all!  Hope you like the new covers as much as I do :)

So here are the new covers for Shadeland, Fenridge, and Northcliffe!

Glenbrook - Prologue

As you may know, Glenbrook: Book Four of The Ethereal Crossings is my WIP for NaNoWriMo.  So here's a peek at it!

Luke stood in the shaky haze of violet and pink that always came with a transition from Ellengale to Shadeland.  It was blurry, and anything further than ten feet from him was a mess of shapes and colour, but that didn’t matter.  What his eyes focused on was the body at his feet.

A man no older than himself, with wide brown eyes and throat slashed, it stared at Luke with growing questions.  Luke shivered in the cold of the Shade, finally able to rip his eyes from the body to peer around him.  He was completely alone.

His own clothes were coated in blood but he couldn’t remember where it had come from.  A frail hand touched his shirt, and came away wet with red.  He tried to focus on feeling pain, but he felt fine; no injuries.

He looked back at the man at his feet when he suddenly felt the weight of a dagger in his hand.  He dropped it, letting it clink against the concrete at his feet as he stumbled backwards and fell to the ground.

It had always been hard for him to remember what happened during the first few minutes of his transitions, but his memories weren’t coming back anymore.  He waited, heart beating hard against his ribs as he tried to crawl backwards. Head swimming, he squeezed his eyes shut to block out the blood and haze of the Shade.

What had he done?


In other news, I've set up a preorder for With Cross & Charm, with the scheduled release date at the end of January 2014.  You can download a sample from Smashwords (and soon other retailers), or check it out on Wattpad.  

New Release: Igniting (The Dark Origins)

Today marks the release of the second instalment of The Dark Origins trilogy, Igniting!  Still available for a short time at the discounted price of $0.99 until the new price is distributed!

Grace has finally escaped her past of foster homes and mall-cop jail cells. What she hasn’t escaped is her deadly temper, if she loses control black flames lash from her at high velocity, causing fires that can’t be put out by anything but time. When a boy named Noah drags her through a magic portal after getting attacked she realizes she isn’t the only one out there with bizarre powers. But can she really trust someone with her biggest secret? 

Now available at: Smashwords   |   Kobo   |  Apple iBooks   |   B&N   |  Amazon

Cover reveal: With Cross and Charm

The WIP I was working on, Ithinara, finished a little while ago, and I've since decided to change it's name, and give it a new cover.  So, introducing With Cross & Charm, a YA paranormal suspense!

Willa Queen had gotten used to her life in Hollow’s Point, where she’d go to school, volunteer at the animal shelter, and play volleyball for the Wayward Tigers.  She thinks her life is pretty normal, considering she’s been possessed by a demon for fourteen years.

Ithinara has never made as big a deal out of anyone as she has the Steele family.  She wants Willa to stay away from them, claiming they’re dangerous.  Willa believes Ithinara, because this wouldn’t be the first time the demon has protected her.

But Willa becomes torn between the life she’s used to and the life she could have.  Getting close to Bray and the Steele’s might be what finally lets Ithinara take over for good, or it could be exactly what sets Willa free.
(Rated PG 13, for some violence).

READ THE FIRST DRAFT BEGINNING HERE

Anticipated release is for January 2014.

NaNoWriMo 2013

NaNoWriMo is approaching fast, don't you think?  Personally I'm not sure where October went >.>  But I'm looking forward to it!  Last year I managed to write Shimmering within the month, so here's hoping to another good year!  Especially because I didn't reach my Camp NaNo goals (ah, well.).

This year I'm going to be working on Glenbrook: Book Four of The Ethereal Crossings.  I've technically already started the story, but it's been a little slower than I want, so maybe NaNo is the kick I need to really get going!

So, since I'm working on Glenbrook for NaNoWriMo, you know what that means?

EXCERPTS AND SNIPPETS.

November first I'll post the prologue!

And remember that it is all first draft :)  So what you read may change.

The Warden in the Gates Cover Redone!

I recently had the cover for The Warden in the Gates redone by www.bookcoversale.com.
So, here it is!

Currently it is still getting sent out to various retailers, so it might be a couple of days before you see the changes.

Des Grayson is the descendent of druids, along with everyone else in the Eclipse Gated community. And when they turn sixteen, they must go through a sacred ritual called a Placement Ceremony. When placed, they receive a gift from their ancestors, making them Wardens and giving them the ability to control the elements and more. But after Des goes to her ceremony, her gift is like no other, and she begins to hear whispers about a war. A war that she is destined to start. She’s told to just allow it to happen, that she must accept her fate but instead she runs away with the new boy in town, Rayne. He claims he can help her, she just has to trust him. But can she really trust a boy that she knows has lied to her about everything in his life? Can she trust the boy that teases her, and makes her heart jump into her throat? She doesn’t know, but she’s determined to find a way to defeat her “destiny”, and Rayne might be her only chance.

Writing Updates

As I said in a previous post, I put Shimmering for free until the end of October.  And guess what?  It's reached number nine in the iBooks teen chart!

I'm very excited about this, so thanks to all those that have been downloading it! :D  

In other news, Ithinara is up to chapter eight on Wattpad, and I've actually managed to keep my attention on it lately.  Miracles do happen.  As for how many more chapters are going to be posted, I'm not sure; for now I'm sticking with the chapter a week thing.

There's also only a couple more weeks until Igniting is out!  You can read the first couple of chapters on Wattpad as well, and preorder it at Apple, B&N, Smashwords, and Kobo.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Shimmering is going FREE!

With less than a month until Igniting it out, I thought I would do a one-month giveaway of Shimmering, setting it's price at free!  (Keep in mind it will take a few days to get to every retailer).

Currently it is free on Smashwords, and soon other retailers!


PS: Chapter five of Ithinara is now on Wattpad.

Some news for the week...

• Ithinara is up to chapter four on Wattpad!

Willa Queen had gotten used to her life in Hollow’s Point, where she’d go to school, volunteer at the animal shelter, and play volleyball for the Wayward Tigers.  She thinks her life is pretty normal, considering she’s been possessed by a demon for fourteen years. Ithinara has never made as big a deal out of anyone as she has the Steele family.  She wants Willa to stay away from them, claiming they’re dangerous.  Willa believes Ithinara, because this wouldn’t be the first time the demon has protected her. But Willa becomes torn between the life she’s used to and the life she could have.  Getting close to Cain and the Steele’s might be what finally lets Ithinara take over for good, or it could be exactly what sets Willa free.

• The pre-order for Igniting is available at a reduced price until it's release on October 29.  It's currently available on Smashwords, Kobo, and B&N.  Soon it will also be on Apple iBooks!  You can read the beginning here.

Grace has finally escaped her past of foster homes and mall-cop jail cells.  What she hasn’t escaped is her deadly temper, if she loses control black flames lash from her at high velocity, causing fires that can’t be put out by anything but time.When a boy named Noah drags her through a magic portal after getting attacked she realizes she isn’t the only one out there with bizarre powers.  But can she really trust someone with her biggest secret?

• The Dark Origins: Shimmering, is also available at a reduced price until October 29!  You can start reading for free as well on Wattpad, where EIGHT chapters are already posted.

Ember Reed is a fifteen-year-old shape-shifter, a creature with the ability to transform into any animal, despite it’s shape or size. At least, she should be able to; Ember can’t quite change her entire form, only bits and pieces. This has earned her the nickname “sucky spook” at the Sagefall Recreation Center, a place where supernatural beings go for training.
Living the life of an outcast, Ember pretends to be content with only having her cousin Jayd as a friend and keeping her nose buried in fictional stories. But when she goes to the bookstore downtown and finds a girl going through her first Shift, Ember realizes that she might have the chance to make a friend.
Ember also realizes that this girl may be in trouble, because the most powerful people of her community have been starting to disappear. After she witnesses the kidnapping of her classmate she decides to do whatever she can to save her new friend. But while trying to keep this girl off the kidnappers radar she seems to have fallen right onto it when her new power is discovered. 

The WIP Page

I've added a new WIP page onto my website.  There you can find all of the stories I'm currently working on.  It might seem like a lot, but I tend to work on multiple things at once, and rotate between them.
Not all of them are serious works though.  Some of them might go unfinished, or I'll stop working on them for months at a time (books that are in a series, for example The Ethereal Crossings, are not the same however!).

Click here to check out the new page!

Igniting Pre-Order

The pre-order is officially set up for Igniting (The Dark Origins)!  Currently available on Smashwords, and soon to be available in B&N, Apple, and Kobo. :)

There is a special pre-order pricing of $0.99 too!  After the release date on October 29 the book will go up to $2.99.

Also, until the 29 of October, Shimmering is also on sale for $0.99, and you can start reading both books for free on Wattpad.

Ithinara - Chapter One

The first chapter of Ithinara is now posted on Wattpad :)

Enjoy!

Cover Reveal: Igniting

Along with the cover reveal for Igniting (The Dark Origins), I'm also putting the first few chapters up on Wattpad over the coming weeks, so be sure to check them out.  (The first one will be up before noon today).

Cover design by www.bookcoversale.com

Gracehas finally escaped her past of foster homes and mall-cop jail cells.  What she hasn’t escaped is her deadly temper, if she loses control black flames lash from her at high velocity, causing fires that can’t be put out by anything but time.When a boy named Noah drags her through a magic portal after getting attacked she realizes she isn’t the only one out there with bizarre powers.  But can she really trust someone with her biggest secret?

I'm still deciding the exact day to release Igniting, but I know it will be sometime in October.  For the latest news on The Dark Origins just visit my website www.dlmilesbooks.com, and you can also find out when the sales are ;)

Discover: Shimmering

The cover reveal for Igniting isn't too far away, and the release date will really sneak up on me, I'm sure.  So to celebrate, I'm going to be posting chapters of Shimmering, the sister novel to Igniting, on Wattpad!  Every Wednesday I'll add another chapter to the five that are already on there.

Cover design by www.bookcoversale.com

For those that missed it, that means that every week there will be chapters added to two different stories that are free!  Shimmering will be update Wednesdays, and every Sunday you can read another instalment of my YA horror WIP, Ithinara.

Ithinara

Whenever I work on something I'm not sure about, I don't talk about it a lot.  I might mention it in passing as a "current WIP" or whatever, but I don't go into detail because I'm just not sure if I'll finish it.  Or if it's even a good idea, etc.  Since I've put my stuff on Wattpad, I thought I would try putting up unfinished work there, maybe doing a chapter a week or something.  So I'll test it out with Ithinara, my current YA horror (that's a temporary category, because I'm not sure if it'll stay in that section).

Photo copyright Shutterstock.com/Maksim Shmeljov

Ithinara
Willa Queen had gotten used to her life in Hollow’s Point, where she’d go to school, volunteer at the animal shelter, and play volleyball for the Wayward Tigers.  She thinks her life is pretty normal, considering she’s been possessed by a demon for fourteen years. Ithinara has never made as big a deal out of anyone as she has the Steele family.  She wants Willa to stay away from them, claiming they’re dangerous.  Willa believes Ithinara, because this wouldn’t be the first time the demon has protected her. But Willa becomes torn between the life she’s used to and the life she could have.  Getting close to Cain and the Steele’s might be what finally lets Ithinara take over for good, or it could be exactly what sets Willa free.

I'll be posting chapters on it weekly over the next few weeks, so check it out!

Ithinara was my first attempt at writing in present tense, and I found I really liked it.  I was hesitant because I don't like to read in present tense, so I thought I might not like it.  It was hard to get used to at first, but the further I got in the story the more I enjoyed it!  A nice little reminder that as a writer you should always try moving out of your comfort zone.

PS: On August 31 I'll post the cover reveal for Igniting!

Scrivener

After I got my new computer I decided to break down and buy Scrivener, a writing software that I'd been reading about on a few author blogs and seeing it supported Camp NaNoWriMo this year.  The words "revolutionary" and "awesome" seemed to be thrown around quite a bit.  And I have to admit, so far it seems to have earned that hype!

I'm really loving the layout of it all, and being able to export a document into whatever format I want?  Very, very awesome.  I'm still new at it, and trying to find all of it's little features and abilities (going from ten notebooks to just the computer is hard, okay?), but I would say it was money well spent :)

I look forward to figuring out how to use it properly, but it's made editing Igniting way easier than if I just used a word document.  Like, WAY easier to edit.


On a personal note, I realized the other day that I haven't been to a bookstore in almost TWO MONTHS.  That is how busy I've been!  I think I need to make a trip today.

Shimmering is on sale!

July and August have been rather busy months for me, but I've managed to build myself a website and finish Igniting along with getting new covers for The Dark Origins trilogy!  In my last post I showed the new cover for Shimmering, which is now half off until I release Igniting later this year.

My pen name Kayley Stark's work is also available at various retailers for $0.99 and was released August 15.  It might take a few more days before it's at every retailer, but if you preordered it I hope you enjoy! ;)

In other news, the cover for Igniting will be revealed at the end of this month, so be on the look out for that!

The Dark Origins

I guess now is as good a time as any to début how Shimmering is going to be part of a trilogy. I'm adding a new page for the series, which is called The Dark Origins.
The sister novels are Igniting and Phasing.
And here is the series line...

Read the stories of three girls as they discover who they are, where they come from, and where they're going.  Each book is the tale of one girl, their life, and how different events lead them to the same place at the same time.
Though it is a series of novels, they can be read in any order.

I recently had the covers made up, so here's the new cover for Shimmering!

And soon the cover for Igniting will also be revealed :)