Friday, November 20, 2015

Cover Reveal: ALTERNATE by Marilyn Almodovar





Blurb:

When a portal leaves Baxter trapped and powerless in an alternate world, she finds herself on the run and fighting for her life. The world’s Council wants to hand her over to Declan, and her only source of support is a broken Alternate Jack who blames her for all he’s lost. Baxter soon realizes that if she’s going to defeat Declan and get back to her world, she’ll have to reclaim her abilities and be stronger than she ever imagined.

Declan and the Absorbers’ Initiative wage war on everyone who opposes them in their hunt for Baxter. Their actions reveal what her future will be like if she doesn’t make some drastic decisions. She knows that one misstep on her part will lead to the destruction of not just this world, but her own.

In a race against Time and bitter enemies, Baxter will discover how much is at stake and just what she’ll have to sacrifice to save those she loves. Can she learn from the fate of an alternate world how to become the Time Bender she’s meant to be?








Interred, Book 1



 Amazon US  http://bit.ly/Interred
Barnes and Noble  http://bit.ly/Interred_Nook



Fissure, Book 2



Barnes and Noble  http://bit.ly/FissureNook


Connect with Marilyn
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Marilyn-Almod%C3%B3var-142589622496531/?fref=ts
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/LynAlmodovar
Blog: http://writingonthesunny.blogspot.com

Monday, November 9, 2015

LUMIERE by Jacqueline Garlick - Tour + Review + Giveaway + Awesomeness


 BUY NOW!
(LOOK AT THE COVER GORGEOUSNESS #OMG!)


Lumière by Jacqueline Garlick
(The Illumination Paradox #1)
Publication date: December 12th 2013
Genres: Steampunk, Young Adult

Synopsis:
Even in a land of eternal twilight, secrets can’t stay hidden forever.
Seventeen-year-old Eyelet Elsworth is no stranger to living in the dark. She’s hidden her secret affliction all of her life—a life that would be in danger if superstitious townspeople ever guessed the truth. After her mother is accused and executed for a crime that she didn’t commit, the now-orphaned Eyelet has no choice but to track down the machine—her last hope for a cure. But Eyelet’s late father’s most prized invention, the Illuminator, has been missing since the day of the mysterious flash—a day that saw the sun wiped out over Brethren forever.
Alone and on the run, she finds the Illuminator—only to witness a young man hauling it away. Determined to follow the thief and recover the machine, she ventures into the deepest, darkest, most dangerous part of her twisted world.


***

Here's my Review:

Whoa! What a ride!! This book pretty much had me on the edge of my seat for the entire story. It's a break-neck pace through most of the book. The characters are well-crafted and three-dimensional. I really got a good feel for all of them. Eyelet and Urlick are adorable. You will pull for them through every twist and turn. 

I don't read steampunk but I LOVED the world that the author created and the gadgets were sooo cool. The worldbuilding is nothing short of phenomenal, and fully comes alive. Garlick's writing immerses you into this dangerous realm, in which you simultaneously are afraid of it and also want to visit it. I can't wait to see where the author takes this story next.

Purchase:


AUTHOR BIO:
I'm Jacqueline Garlick, author of young adult and new adult fiction. I love strong heroines, despise whiny sidekicks, and adore a good story about a triumphant underdog. (Don't you?)
I love to read, write, paint (walls and paper). I have a love/hate relationship with chocolate, grammar, and technology and would rather hang out with a dog, than a cat. I prefer creating things to cleaning things, and believe laughter is a one-stop-shop solution to all that ails you. You will always find a purple wall (or two) in my house (currently in my writing room), and there may or may not be a hidden passageway that leads to a mystery room. (Okay, so you won't find a hidden passageway, but a girl can dream, can't she?) Oh, and tea. There will always be tea.

My writing style has been described as edgy and rule-breaking, and by some--a touch Tim Burton-esque. Because of this, I am often referred to as the Quentin Tarantino of YA among writing friends.

In my former life, I was a teacher (both grade school and college-don't ask), but more recently I've been a graduate of Ellen Hopkin's Nevada Mentor Program and a student of James Scott Bell, Christopher Vogler and Don Maass. An excerpt from Lumière earned me the 2012 Don Maass Break Out Novel Intensive Scholarship.

Lumière--A Romantic Steampunk Fantasy--my debut novel, is the recipient of an indieBRAG Medallion!!! B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree October 15, 2014) I am so proud! (LUMIERE by Jacqueline E. Garlick is a B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree. This tells a reader that this book is well worth their time and money!) Book II of the ILLUMINATION PARADOX SERIES, is out January 26th, now on pre-order.

Also, check out my young adult contemporary romantic/mystery serial, IF ONLY, where reluctant telepathic sleuth Kyla Cooper must embrace her powers and risks all to solve the mystery of what happened to her boyfriend Denver Munro, becoming his voice of truth, before he has no voice at all...

I love hearing from READERS! Please contact me, either at my website: www.jacquelinegarlick.com, or catch up with me on twitter @garlick books, or on facebook: http://bit.ly/jegarlickfb

I'm open to reviews and interview, requests for skype visits, guest blogs, pod casts and book club meetings! I LOVE TO HEAR FROM READERS!

You can also find me here:
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/jackiegp/lumiere-by-jacqueline-garlick/
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/jgarlickgr
Blog: http://garlickbooks.blogspot.ca


Giveaway:

Tour-wide giveaway (US/CAN)

  • A special PPP up hand cut flying balloon card, signed copy of Lumiere and some bling (image attached)

Paste this code in your post's HTML to share the grand prize giveaway - ends Nov 19th:

a Rafflecopter giveaway Or grab the code here: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/ZDA0MjUxMjM1OGRlZWRmZWM1YmUyMmFkYTM3OWE5Ojk1Ng==/?


Friday, October 2, 2015

Evernight Celebrates 5 Years of Publishing! + MEGA Giveaway!


Evernight Celebrates 5 Years of Publishing!



Thanks to readers like you, Evernight Publishing has grown by leaps and bounds in five years so they’re pulling out all the stops and throwing an extreme BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION BLOG HOP in your honor!
That’s right! It’s Evernight’s birthday but YOU get the presents…
Prizes include:
Apple Watch Sport
NEW Kindle Paperwhite
Fitbit Flex
Evernight, Amazon, and ARe Gift Certificates
Plus, each author on the hop will offer his/her own special prize!
I’m honored to celebrate this momentous occasion with Evernight (Teen).  Here’s a look at my first Evernight title:
(Cover by Jay Aheer)

Summary:
Caught between the sweltering fall landscape of Wilmington, NC beaches and southern illusions and expectations, all sixteen year-old Cameron Shade thinks about is art. That, and for Farrah Spangled to view him as more than just a friend. Cameron longs to win her heart through art.

After several warm interactions with Farrah, including painting together at the beach, Cameron discovers just how complex Farrah’s life is with her boyfriend and her family. Following a tense run-in with Farrah’s father, she forbids Cameron to ever speak to her again, but Cameron’s convinced there’s more behind the request.

To impress Farrah with a last-ditch effort, Cameron sketches her portrait. But the sketchbook he uses hides a dark secret. Farrah’s now in grave danger because the sketch he drew of her siphons her real-life’s soul into the sketchbook. Cameron now has twenty days to extract Farrah. To save her, he must draw himself into the book.

If he fails… they both die.


"Ledbetter successfully makes his fantastic premise very believable... Farrah is a good foil for Cameron, and Ledbetter does a fine job developing their friendship and romantic connection... Because this is not a graphic novel, descriptions are important, and Ledbetter’s finely detailed descriptions serve as effective illustrations for Cameron’s journey.
Inventive, fast-paced fantasy with imaginative settings and engaging characters." ~ Kirkus Reviews

LINKS:
It’s a great time for an Evernight shopping spree because ALL Evernight titles are 25% off through October 9th at AllRomance eBooks!


Here on my blog... I am offering a prize of One (1) Signed First Edition Copy of DRAWN. I would love for you to Add DRAWN to your TBR list on GOODREADS (see link above) and share this post with your friends on Facebook and Twitter and such!
To enter to win my Prize of signed copy of DRAWN, simply leave a comment below!
To win the BIG prizes from EVERNIGHT... Enter to win the Grand Prizes using Rafflecopter:




a Rafflecopter giveaway Hop to the next stop here:

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Sasha Hibbs' BLACK APOCALYPSE Blog Tour + Giveaway + Mythology + HOTT Excerpt


I have the distinct honor of hosting Sasha Hibbs' Blog Tour for her latest MEGA HIT! 3... 2... 1...

Black Apocalypse
The Vulcan Legacies, 4
Sasha Hibbs
  51,000 words
YA Paranormal Romance
Evernight Teen Publishing


Resurrected from the dead, Michael Blackwell is enraged and heartbroken to find Ally—the girl he loved—in the arms of the very man that killed him as a human. In Michael’s eyes, Ally’s betrayal is absolute. But there is more than meets the eye when it comes to the man who killed Michael, and even more with the girl he thought he knew. 

Black Apocalypse is a journey full of heartache and redemption where the past weaves an uncertain future. Can Michael forgive Ally for her betrayal? Can Ally finally embrace who she is destined to become to save them both? 

Who is the elusive Seraph, Laurel? Who was the Devourer before his colossal fall from grace? What decisions did they make together that altered the course of history? Shocking revelations, prophecies fulfilled, a war where not everyone will make it out alive...the final installment in the Vulcan Legacies will leave you breathless. 
14+ due to adult situations

Buy Links:   Evernight Teen    Amazon   
Follow along with the tour HERE



VULCAN LEGACIES and MYTHOLOGY

Since Sasha's series is called the Vulcan Legacies, I had a small suspicion that her series may have been inspired or influenced by mythology. Here is what she had to say.

Hi and thanks so much for having me!

The Vulcan Legacies series boasts of a nice helping of mythology—some from Roman mythology and the other part from my mind.

Vulcan is the Roman god of fire. Among his multitude of talents is the ability to create fire and with that, weaponry.

My own husband being a blacksmith clued me in on the superstition surrounding blacksmiths. While an important part to early cultures, the villages were afraid of blacksmiths because they worked the ‘black metal’ from the ground. They believed this was somehow working directly with the devil.

So spooked by a blacksmiths work, the villagers forced them to reside outside the village. Blacksmiths themselves were even afraid of their craft and at the end of each working day they would strike their anvil three times to keep the devil chained until the next day.
With an interest in mythology and intrigued by my own husbands history, I felt sure I could tell a story weaving from both sides.

Vulcan, in my series, is a fallen Seraph, cursed and thrown out to live as a blacksmith among men where the very people he desired a friendship with turned their backs on him. It’s when this happens, that things get pretty tragic. Let’s say that Vulcan didn’t take it too kindly that he gave up everything to be with these humans only for them to shun him.

Vulcan felt like a lonely soul to me and I had to write his story. Book 1, Black Amaranth, begins with his direct descendant, Ally Watson. We meet her in present day and unfortunately it’s up to her to undo the curse Vulcan invoked.

As the series progresses, the reader will learn more about Vulcan and in salute to him, the series ends with his story. 

If you’d like to read more about Vulcan and the mythology surrounding him, here is a link to find out more!


***

Sasha, thank you so much for that. Now let's read a little excerpt from this highly anticipated series ender!

Excerpt:
He glanced at her silhouette. She stood beside him quietly, a tear streaking her pale face, one silver line visible against the cold wintery night.

“Will you dance with me?” Abaddon said, turning her back to face him.

Ally spoke with her body. She shivered as she turned to him, reaching out and lacing her fingers through his.

Abaddon responded by pulling her close against him, removing his hands from hers so he could wrap them around her, holding her tight and praying for the courage to see his task through.

The Seraph told him, told him what he must do. In his broken mind, the pieces lay jagged and strewn, but he was putting them together, regaining the memories he’d lost through the blinding rage of his illusion.

But Ally was real. He was holding her in his arms, and she came to him with trust, with patience, while he tried to regain the memories from his human life, ones that would guide him on the path he was supposed to be on now.

But as he held her in his arms, she felt so fragile, so breakable. He could hear the soft thrumming of her heart. The beat was uneven, a rhythm that reminded him of the last remnants of life.

Ally was dying. She was his soulmate and the beat of her heart gave him all the courage he needed. He wasn’t going to kill her. He was going to save her.

Abaddon slowly broke away from her, keeping her at arm’s length. Her light was dimming, but there was the faintest glimmer in her eyes that held hope for him. She would be strong enough to endure what he was getting ready to do to her. She had to be.
  
Abaddon brought his wrist up to his mouth, extended his canines and pierced his flesh. As blood rushed up to the surface, he gazed into her eyes.

He parted his lips, ready to speak, to tell her it would be okay, but was silenced by Ally resting a single finger against his lips.

“Shh,” Ally whispered.

Her gaze told him that she knew what was happening. She wouldn’t fight him. He could see that she would trust him, blindly put all her faith in him, was truly ready to walk down an unknown path with him.

He watched in awe as she circled her cold fingers around his wrist and brought it up to her lips. She locked gazes with him and he could feel her taking his essence into him. She ended by gently kissing his wrist where the wound was. She swept her hair to one side, exposing her neck up at him.

Abaddon felt a warm tear run down his cheek.

“It’s okay, Michael,” Ally said, her voice so little. “I’m ready.”

He unfurled his wings, pulled her against him tightly, lowered his lips to hers, and in his mind he whispered the words from a song, a song from a long time ago that meant so much to him then and even more to him now.

“I've waited such a long time for you,” he said. He softly caressed her lips with his, savoring the feel of her against him, the kiss he’d waited a lifetime and beyond for.

He raised his gaze back to hers, brushing a wisp of hair away from her eyes, cupping her face. “A lifetime,” he said, as he brushed soft kisses along her temple, her cheek, her jawline, back to her trembling lips. Thinking back to that night long ago, he lived the words of that song, held nothing back for what he felt for her.

Abaddon could see the tears standing in her eyes. He kissed them away, their salt lingering on his lips. He drew her closer into him so that he could feel she was real, she was in his arms, her life in his hands.

And through her tears, he could see the relief, he could see the hope, he could see her love staring back at him. His heart hammered in his chest, that muscle giving way to a new life, a life that only love could give.

He brushed his lips against hers again and again, whispering those lyrics so appropriate for them, for their life, their death, their love against a world that, like her essence, was fading fast. “You’ll always be mine.”

With shaky hands, Abaddon pulled her down to the ground with him. Cradling her in his lap, he grazed his canines against her throat. “I need you,” Abaddon whispered, as Ally laced her fingers through his hair, pulling him down to her vein. She arched her back, pressed up against him, encouraged him to drink from her, to take her to where he’d been.
Abaddon exhaled against her skin. With one hand holding her head and the other pressed firmly into the small of her back, he pierced her, sunk his teeth into the soft flesh at her neck. He took her into him, her blood coursing through him, sating a hunger for far more than sustenance. In her blood was the story of their life, the answers he sought, the lyrics to their own song.

Abaddon could feel the life slowly fade from her, could hear her heartbeat slow. Removing his canines, he drew back from her. Her head lolled to the side, her pupils beginning to fix. He brought her lips back to his, kissed her gently.

As Ally’s last breath escaped her body, Abaddon clutched her tightly to his chest, a crimson tear falling against her, he whispered into her ear, “Hurry back to me.”

***

PHEW!!! *fans self* That was HOTT!!

Here's a little bit about the author of Black Apocalypse and the Vulcan Series!

About the Author:
By age 5, Sasha Hibbs' favorite movie was Gone With the Wind. By age 12, she completed her 7th grade book report on the sequel, Scarlett. By 18, she met and married her very own Mr. Rhett Butler and as it turns out, she never had to worry about going back to Tara to win the love of her life back. Fortunately, he stuck with her.  
With a love of all things paranormal, the ambiance of the South with its gigantic antebellum mansions and canopies of Spanish moss, and a love for her husband’s rich storytelling of blacksmiths and the mythology surrounding their origins, it wasn’t long until the world of her debut novel, Black Amaranth, was born.
When not working her day job as a nurse, you can find Sasha dreaming of her next beach trip, reading the latest YA novel, and drinking more white chocolate mocha than she should.  
Sasha lives in mountainous West Virginia with her husband, Tim, and their two daughters, Aeliza and Ava. She is currently hard at work on her next novel.
 
BLOG     WEBSITE
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$25 Evernight Teen Gift Card

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Monday, September 28, 2015

Cover Reveal: THE RIFT by S.D. Wasley

Bugles blare the majestic fanfare as the curtains are pulled...

(Cover design by Jay Aheer)

Blurb:

The Rift by S.D. Wasley

“I longed for normality. Even our own, off-the-wall brand of normality.”

She’s finally got things together. Mimi’s dating a hot guy and has a place in the school’s Gifted Program with her awesome friends. Yes, she still attracts the dead. But there’s only one ghost these days, and he doesn’t seem to have an awful lot to say.

Just when Mimi’s life is looking pretty good for the first time in years, the unthinkable happens ... one of the seven gifted teens is torn from their close-knit group. The unity of their circle shattered, things begin to go terribly wrong. It’s ruining their focus—and with the threat of the Astarion cult growing stronger each day, the gifted seven need all the focus they can muster.

In The Seventh, Mimi found her place in a circle of seven extraordinary teenagers. In The Rift, she must face what happens when the circle of seven is broken.

Release: November 2015


Monday, September 14, 2015

DRAWN Made It To The Nomination Round- The Romance Reviews



My novel DRAWN has made it to the nomination round for an award in Young Adult category for
The Romance Reviews Awards!

Lend me your finger... cast a vote to nominate me
http://www.theromancereviews.com/bookvote.php

Friday, August 28, 2015

SUMMER CRUSH ~ YA Anthology by Evernight Teen



Summer Crush

A Multi-author YA anthology

Sasha Hibbs  *  S.D. Wasley  *  Melissa Frost  *  Diana Stager  *  Deanna Dee  *  Bridie Hall






Summer Crush: A wonderfully romantic boxed set of Upper YA short stories by today's hottest authors.

Summer is the time for lazy days at the beach, sun-kissed hair, flip-flops, and sizzling nights with a new crush.  Those stolen glances and first kisses can quickly spark a flame. However, the road to love isn’t always a smooth ride.

Every Summer has a story, whether it’s a second chance on love, seeing a friend in a different light, or taking a step in a new direction with someone special. Love and long days create endless possibilities, but can a summer crush really last?


Buy Links:    Amazon     Evernight Teen
Follow the tour HERE

About the Stories: 
Sutton Summer by Sasha Hibbs After breaking Dylan’s heart last year, McKenzie returns to Sutton Lake for another summer. McKenzie realizes love was in front of her the entire time, but is it too late for Dylan to forgive her?


Exquisite Torture by S. D. Wasley Stuck at his Gran’s house in a deadbeat town for the entire summer, things suddenly don’t seem so bad when 16 year old Ryan meets gorgeous Connie. But why is she so cagey about where she lives? Is there something more to Connie than he first thought?


Forbidden by Melissa Frost The new guy in town has a bad reputation and a bad boy demeanor to go with it. Even so, Olivia can’t help feeling drawn to Gavin. Can she convince her mother he’s not the delinquent everyone believes, or will his past tear them apart?


Borderline Love by Deanna Dee Nearly drowning wasn’t part of Dalya’s vacation plans. Neither was being rescued by a guy with a perfect six pack and a haunted look in his eyes. Mason reminds Dalya too much of her over- protective older brother, but when he offers to teach her to surf, she can’t say no. Can Dalya get past her frustration with her brother to realize how much Mason means to her?


An Ocean of Their Own by Bridie Hall Lola spends her days trawling the sand dunes in search of the perfect subject for her art. She finds it in a solitary, beautiful girl. Sarah doesn’t just fill the pages in her sketchbook, she enchants Lola’s heart too. But how can Lola tell her family about Sarah?


About the Authors
Sasha Hibbs is a nurse living in mountainous West Virginia with her husband, two daughters, and lives in her own imaginary world where she’s plotting her next story. 

Diana Stager is a teacher who writes in her spare time and lives with her husband and kids in Ontario, Canada. 

Deanna Dee is a full-time writer living in sunny North Carolina, where she takes full advantage of the beach whenever she can. 

S.D. Wasley is an author, copywriter and daydreamer living in Western Australia where she wrangles chickens, cats, dogs and children on a daily basis. 

Melissa Frost is a young adult author who lives near Pittsburgh PA with her husband, their son Marshall, and their soon to be daughter Adalynn.

Bridie Hall is a translator and editor who spends every free minute writing and reading.



Want to learn more the authors? 
Here are they are in their own words...

Sasha Hibbs:
If you’ve ever had writer's block, how do you deal with it?
Writer’s block is a real thing. I believe all authors suffer from it, me included. The only way I can deal with it is as I do all other things in life that are negative: wait for it to blow over. In time, all things will pass. J

Is it easier to write action scene or a romantic scene?
For me it’s easier to write a romantic scene. Action is something I’d like to get better at.

Do you have to mine deep emotional reservoirs when you write romances?
Not so much. The romance part of things is the easiest for me to write. I usually have those scenes worked out way ahead of time.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
In Sutton Summer, my hope was to create a character—so much like many of us—that was in the middle of dealing with loss and handling grief. It feels like the world has stopped spinning, but you eventually realize it’s just your world that has stopped spinning. I wanted to portray someone going through these motions and coming away with some hope. Taking a negative and turning it into a positive.

Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
I wish that were the case. In Sutton Summer, the lake—which was a main focus—is only ½ an hour drive from where I live. For my other novels, I’ve been fortunate enough to travel across several state lines to see the places I was writing about.


Diana Stager:

If you’ve ever had writer's block, how do you deal with it?
Unfortunately, writer’s block and I are quite well-acquainted. I find that when I’m stressed it gets worse, but life is stress right? Sometimes I just skip to the next thing I know will happen and fill in the blanks later. Sometimes I take a break to just write nonsense. The hardest part is getting rid of that inner editor who makes me agonize over word choice and sentence construction. I wish there was a way to send her to Tahiti to chill out.

Is it easier to write action scene or a romantic scene?
For me, the romantic scenes are easier. I have trouble picturing how an action scene is supposed to go down and I worry that I may sound like I don’t know what I’m talking about. (Because I don’t!)

Do you have to mine deep emotional reservoirs when you write romances?
Absolutely. If writing it makes me bawl then I know I’m getting it right. It’s those deep emotions that draw the reader into your character’s point of view.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
I guess the main message is not to judge someone until you’ve walked in their shoes. There is always so much more to people than what shows on the surface.

Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
Not yet, but hopefully someday!


Deanna Dee:

If you’ve ever had writer's block, how do you deal with it?
Punch it.
Seriously, I do one of two things. I either work on something else or (if I can) take a day or two off from writing. Sometimes, the brain just needs to reload.

Is it easier to write action scene or a romantic scene?
Initially, romantic scenes. I don’t know why, but my rough draft action scenes are terrible. Lol. That said, I do enjoy action scenes.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
When I started writing Boarderline Love, I wanted a female lead who would do some serious changing. Dalya starts the story as a self-centered, party-going brat who quickly realizes there’s more to life than looking hot and flaunting her stuff. I think I want this story to help teens realize that there’s more to life. They don’t have to do all the things their older role models are doing. You’re only young once. Take your time and enjoy it. Soon there will be taxes and grad school and full-time jobs. Be carefree and innocent, at least for a little while.


S.D. Wasley:


Is it easier to write an action scene or a romantic scene?
Romantic. Action always requires loads of editing for me, because I find myself rattling off everything that happens like a shopping list. I can see it all in my head so I write it all down, but afterwards I need to go back and make sure there’s some variety of sentences. I also need to cut out some of the irrelevant things, such as “I climbed into the car and did up my seatbelt as we drove off at high speed.” I’d probably go back and edit that to “I scrambled into the car and we hit the road.” Sometimes describing what you see in your head can get a bit detailed and granular, and ruin the excitement of an action scene. Romance is slower and more emotive so there’s time to explore feelings and thoughts.

Do you have to mine deep emotional reservoirs when you write romances?
Nope! I’m a feeler. If I’m not in the mood for writing romance, I just dust off my Youtube favourites and listen to some powerful feeling songs, and the romance pours from my fingertips! ;-)

Is there a message in your story that you want readers to grasp?
Definitely. It’s about understanding that ‘instant satisfaction’ stuff like the internet and money ultimately aren’t that important. We all meet a person at some point who makes us understand what it really means to care about someone other than ourselves.

Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
Not as yet, but I have done a trip out to a country area to speak at a high school. It was a great experience, and the visit to those small towns full of sheep farmers sparked a few short stories and gave me some great photos for setting inspiration. I’m hoping to attend an event or two next year, probably in the eastern states (Queensland, Victoria or New South Wales). One day I hope to be able to travel to places all over the world to meet readers of my books!


Melissa Frost:

If you’ve ever had writer's block, how do you deal with it?
When I get writer’s block, I set myself up with a schedule. When I wrote by hand in a notebook, I told myself to write two pages a day. If I was struggling with a scene, it helped me push my way through, and many times, just having that goal in mind got my thoughts flowing and I would break through my writer’s block.

Is it easier to write action scene or a romantic scene?
A romance scene definitely! I love action scenes. They are so much fun to write, but they can be tricky. When writing an action scene, sometimes I think I know what I’m writing and I think I’m getting the visual across, but it can be confusing to a reader who doesn’t already have the mental picture I do. I usually got over action scenes with my husband a few times until he tells me I have it right. A romance scene I can fly through without hardly any edits.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
In my story (Forbidden) featured in the Summer Crush Anthology, the overwhelming message is not to judge someone by appearances. Olivia’s love interest has a bad reputation, but it isn’t all warranted. She gets to know him and learns he is so much deeper than the rest of the town is giving him credit for. Had she judged him by the opinions of others, she never would have fallen for her summer crush.

Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
I travel to book signings periodically. I’ve driven over an hour for certain appearances. I’ve also given speeches at book clubs. There is always a certain amount of travel with these things, but it is well worth it. The support I’ve gotten at some of the events have been awe-inspiring.  It’s what keeps me writing.


Bridie Hall: 

If you’ve ever had writer's block, how do you deal with it?
I usually work on several projects at the same time so when I get stuck with one novel or story, I simply work on something else until I get inspired to return to the first one.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
I suppose the message of An Ocean of Their Own would be that sometimes we need other people to help us realize the deepest truths about ourselves.

Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
I wish I had to, but I don’t and can’t afford it either. Most often, I use Google Maps. It’s the cheapest way of travelling. ;-)



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