A Chat With Debut Author Heather Van Fleet

Time for a little author chat? I think so, too. Heather Van Fleet is my guest today. Her debut novel released just this week and it looks amazeballs. If I don't cover anything in our chat that you'd like to know about Heather and her book, please leave a question for her in the comments. But first, how about some cover love!

Moving on after a tragedy can be impossible – especially when you’ve been dealing with those tragedies for over two years. But it’s her senior year, and Harley Anderson is more than ready to do just that, even though the skeletons in her closet can’t exactly be hidden.

Enter Mason Daniel, the egotistical, sexy, surfer boy from California – a boy with his own hidden demons, and even bigger secret agenda.

Mason isn’t right for Harley. He knows this better than anyone. He’s the epitome of a runner–a guy who takes what he can get, only to split a short while later. But he can’t deny the emotions that Harley brings out of him, so he’s going to break his rules for once.

He should have known what it would lead to… Two kindred souls – both lost and then found. Will they fail, once again, in their search for contentment and happiness, or will they finally find true love, when it’s least expected?

Amazon  |  B& N

Welcome, Heather! Tell us a little bit about yourself and how and when you decided to start writing your first novel.

First off, I just have to say thanks to Sara for inviting me on her blog! It’s such a fantastic honor to be on an author’s page that I really, really admire and love. 

Aww. You're so sweet, Heather. I'm excited to have you.

There’s not much to tell about me really, I’m a little bit boring. I’m a mother of three girls and have been married to my high school sweetheart for ten and a half years. I’m an obsessive reader, who now and then likes to dabble in the world of writing. I started writing a little over two years ago when my youngest was one. I was addicted to all things young adult books, and decided “why not – if they can write, why can’t I?” I also wanted to show my daughters that even old mommies can follow their dreams too.
What is your novel about and what inspired you to write it?

When It’s Least Expected is about a seventeen year old girl named Harley who went through a lot of losses and tragedies in her life. But during her senior year she meets a boy who had his own skeletons, and through each other they learn about life, love, and self-discovery, as well as recovery and healing. It sounds like a typical YA, I know, but I dealt with a lot of heavy subject matters in this book that I related to as a teenager, and even now as an adult. Some people may not like my heaviness, but I wrote it the way I wanted to write it.

You've just made me want to read it even more, Heather. I'm a big fan of angsty mature YA, and I also love that you've drawn from your own experiences. I'm sure it shows in your book.

Can you describe a typical day in your life.

My life is chaotic at times, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I ship my older two daughters off to school during the day, while I hang out with my three year old daughter Belly, and my eighteen month old niece during the day. Then there are meal times, homework time, after school activities, just typical stay at home mom stuff that take up the rest of my moments. I also do online book PR work and help run a few online blogs as well.

Oh, and if I’m really lucky, my hubby will let me go to Starbucks at night to write. 

Can you tell us something about yourself that not many people know.

I am a fairly open book I’d say, but the two things that might stick out the most are, for one, I’ve never been to the beach, and two, I ran through my parent’s garage with my car only a few weeks after turning sixteen. Pointless facts – I told you I was boring, lol
That doesn't sound boring to me at all and we need to get you to the beach!

What is one thing you can’t live without?

Just one thing, huh? Lol, that’s tough, but I’d probably have to say coffee and caffeine – oh, and yes... my family too!
Who is your favorite character in your novel and why?

I think Harley (my heroine) is my favorite character. Mainly because she’s so real and sort of me in a way too during my high school years. She’s a little awkward, she can be shy on occasion, but she also has a sassy streak in her when you make her mad.
If your book were to be made into a movie who would you cast?

I honestly haven’t thought about that. I don’t see any actors or actresses out there as any of my characters to tell you the truth. Nobody fits their personas.

If you could be a character in any book, who would you be and why?

Nobody, because I’d take all the coolness out of all my favorite books. 
What is your favorite line in your book? 

It’s from my hero Mason’s POV
She owned that grimace – worked it like it was her sex slave.
 What are you working on now?

Right now I am working on book two in my YA paranormal romance series that is set to have the first book in the series published in June.
I’m also working on getting book two in this series (A Long Time Coming) cleaned up and ready to be sent off to the publisher. That book is my heroine’s twin brother’s story.
I look forward to them, Heather! Thanks again for stopping by! Make sure to come back for your next releases.

Thanks so much for having me on, Sara! 

About Heather: 

Heather Van Fleet currently resides in northern Illinois, with her three daughters, Kelsey, Emma, and Isabella, and her fabulous hubby (and high school sweetheart) Chris, with whom she’s been blissfully married to now for ten plus years. She’s a stay at home mom by day, and an avid and completely obsessive writer and reader by night.

To find out more about Heather, follow the links below:

Website   |   Facebook    |    Twitter

Print Copies Available for Purchase

I'm so excited to announce Blood, She Read is now available for order on Amazon! 

Here's the link! 

Also, you can find another giveaway for this book on Goodreads. The contest runs until June 22nd. I'm going out of province for a military course and won't be back until just before then, otherwise I would have ended this contest sooner. So... I may be MIA from mid May to close to the end of June, depending on whether or not I have internet access. 

Thanks again for your continued support! 

Print Copies of Blood, She Read

Picture by Tonya Rupell @Stone Soup Designs

Print! Print! Print! I am so happy to announce Blood, She Read should be available to order from Amazon as early as this week. To help promote its print release, I am giving away a free signed copy to one lucky reader. Unfortunately, this giveaway is open to CA, US, and UK entrants only. 

In addition, I am also giving away a lovely book cover pendant (one of the three pendants at the top of the image) made by Stone Soup Designs. Tonya does amazing work so make sure to check out her other designs as well. All you have to do to enter this giveaway is to follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter below. Thanks so much for entering! I appreciate all of your support!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

An Interview with Author Shawna Romkey

I'm really excited to welcome Shawna Romkey to my blog today. Shawna and I are both members of Romance Writers of Atlantic Canada and we, coincidently, signed our first book deal on the very same day. Shawna has kindly agreed to answer some questions today about herself and her first book! 

Thanks for stopping by, Shawna! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how and when you decided to start writing your first novel.
I’m a transplanted American living in Nova Scotia. I have two dogs and two boys and a husband of 10 years. I’m a member of the Romance Writers of Atlantic Canada and teach marketing at a community college.

I started writing when I was 5 after my first trip to the elementary school library.

What is your novel about and what inspired you to write it?
Speak of the Devil is about a high school girl who loses two friends in a car accident, runs away and falls into depression. She then meets a strange group of students at her new school her are oddly interested in her and her life, and they are falling in ways themselves.

I was inspired to write it based on something that happened in my life. Three of my friends were killed in a car accident in high school. At a time in your life where nothing is definite and emotions are intense, something like that is unfathomable and I remember I wasn’t equipped to cope with it.

Describe a typical day in your life.
I work part time, so on the days I’m off, I get up, get the kids and husband off to school and work, then I start laundry, feed the mutts and go back to bed to write. Afterwards I try to tidy up and exercise before going to get the kids after school. On days I work, I get up and go. I have early classes. I run errands after, come home and crash. In the evenings hubby, and I curl up on the couch and watch our shows and read.

Plotter or pantser? What is your writing process?
Plantster. :P I outline a story, but it changes as I go and the characters tell me secrets I didn’t know about which makes it better than I’d first pictured it. Plus after about a gazillion revisions, the story is quite different from how it started.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.
If they don’t know it, it’s probably because it’s either too boring to mention or I didn’t want them to know it in the first place. :P

Who is your favorite character in your novel and why?
Luc and Lily. They’re both pretty complex and going through a lot of different struggles and emotions. He’s strong and trying to keep the team together, but is having trouble keeping his own faith. Lily’s world has crashed around her, leaving her not knowing whoshe is and what to believe anymore.

Describe you main character’s idea of a perfect date?
She’d just like to go for a walk in the woods with Luc, maybe just hang out in the theatre rafter with him having pizza or something. If he’s her date, the rest doesn’t really matter.

If you could be a character in any book, who would you be and why?
This is the hardest question ever. Most characters have been through or will go through hell. Maybe Daenarys in Game of Thrones, but any character in George RR Martin is bound to suffer greatly. Having three dragons would be cool though.

What is your favorite line in your book?
Luc on explaining guardians to Lily. “Sometimes the child is the guardian.” I don’t want to explain it too much because it may spoil it.

What are you working on now?
I’m finishing up the second book in the series. It’s called The Devil Made Me Do It and takes Lily to a very dark place. It’s the middle book in the series, so it’s the Empire strikes back of the books…. The demons strike back! 

You can read more about Shawna's book below. Happy reading!

What happens when falling in love and falling from grace collide?

High school junior Lily Tyler dies along with her two best friends in a car accident, but miraculously she comes back to life several minutes later. Unable to deal with her loss and her survivor’s guilt, she moves to her dad’s. While there trying to heal from this tragedy and come to terms with the event, she meets some people at her new school who are all too eager to help her. Struggling to fight her feelings for two of these strange new acquaintances, Luc and Mo, she finds out their true identities.

Lily must move on from the past, reconcile her feelings for Luc, and find a way to stop a divine war with the fallen angels, all while trying to pass the eleventh grade.

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  All Romance eBooks

Fire Within Book Promo & Giveaway

Guest post by Ally Shields

Thanks so much for inviting me to your blog, Sara! I'm thrilled to reveal my brand new release, Fire Within, book two in the Guardian Witch urban fantasy series.

I love these characters and am sooo eager to share this second adventure!

Book Blurb:

A hidden evil stalks the city...

Fire witch cop Ari Calin refuses to believe her human friend Eddie murdered a vampire—in spite of his confession. When a second vampire dies, Andreas, the sexy, charismatic vampire she dated and split from eight months ago, joins her in the hunt for the real killer.

But Riverdale may have a special kind of serial killer who's looking for the next vampire victim. The roles of hunter and hunted become murky. And while unterHunAri might feel like killing Andreas at times, she doesn't want anyone else to do it...

Quick Peek Excerpt:

(The morning after the vampire murder, Ari is questioning patrons at the bar near the spot where the victim died, looking for other possible suspects.)

“I must be confused,” said the young man seated next to her. “Why are you asking about other enemies? I thought Eddie confessed.”

“It’s routine. We’re still looking for answers. For instance, the missing gun. If you remember or hear anything that could help us find it, please give me a call.” Ari handed out her business cards.

The young man pocketed the card with a frown. “Still don’t get it. You act like Eddie might be innocent. Why would he admit to the shooting, if he wasn’t guilty?”

Ari raised her eyebrows. “That’s the question, isn’t it?”

Buy links:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | ARe

Author Bio:

Ally Shields was born and raised in the Midwest, along the Mississippi River, the setting for her urban fantasy series. After  a career in law and juvenile justice, she turned to full-time writing in 2009, and Awakening the Fire, the debut novel in her Guardian Witch series, was released in September 2012.  Ally still lives close to the Mighty Mississippi with her Miniature Pinscher, Ranger. When not writing or reading, she loves to travel in the US and abroad. Way too often she can be found on Twitter.

Contact links:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook 

Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

Now for the Giveaway, which is so easy. Since I really recommend reading the Guardian Witch series in order, leave a comment within the next 24 hours (with your email, so I can reach you with your prize), and tell me which ebook you want: book 1 or book 2. A random commenter will be selected. Good luck!

New Adult--What is it anyway?

Guest post by Jody A. Kessler

When I first started writing I knew my characters were out of high school, but they were still young and dealing with issues that come up in the late teens and early twenties: partying, drugs, alcohol, separation from their parents, figuring out where their life is headed, or maybe having that first deep connection with a new love. Not high school flirty or sneaking out of the house, a real relationship with real emotions and real problems — only less life experience. It’s a time of making mistakes, but still being young enough to recover gracefully. I didn’t realize that my novel was going to fall into a genre that is unfamiliar to many people.

New Adult bridges a gap between Young Adult and Adult. Readers are looking for a great narrative but also want the emotional intensity of teens, and maybe a bit steamier than YA as well. So, the main characters in New Adult are usually between 18 and 25 years old. It’s a step up from YA and let’s face it, for many of us, early adulthood was the best — or the worst — and the most thrilling times of our lives. A lot of younger adults are still riddled with teen angst, impulse control, and are experimenting with what the world has to offer. There’s less fear and no holding back when life presents a new challenge. Or, for some, the opposite is true: extreme uncertainty about taking that giant leap forward and beginning their independence. Whether they are fresh out of high school or maybe in college, they are beginning their adult lives. It’s a huge transitional time for many people and offers a lot of fuel for crafting a great story.

The New Adult genre is becoming more and more popular. Publishers, including Harper Collins and Crescent Moon Press are signing New Adult authors and the genre is growing, especially in online markets. I hope the trend continues and we will see some talented authors come into the limelight.

About Jody...

Jody A. Kessler enjoys writing paranormal novels and is a member of Pikes Peak Writers. She is a yoga instructor, Reiki Master, and a graduate from the Colorado Institute of Massage Therapy. When she took an extended leave from her massage practice to stay at home with her newborn she returned to her first true passion —writing. She spends most of her time being a mother, writing, and teaching yoga, but also likes going to concerts, hiking, practicing herbal medicine, and reading anything that catches her interest. Jody lives in the mountains of Colorado with her family. She welcomes visitors to her website, where she is hosting a giveaway for a $50 Amazon Gift card giveaway from March 1 -7 and a Mini Kobo ereader Giveaway from March 12-19. Or you can connect with her here:

Facebook / Goodreads / Twitter / Pinterest

Her latest release:

Disgruntled with his position in the afterlife and conflicted by his feelings toward his new client, Nathaniel Evans forgoes the rules and saves nineteen year old Juliana Crowson from being hopelessly stuck in Forge Creek. This alters Juliana’s destiny and she finds herself in a series of near death accidents.

In the mountains of Colorado, Nathaniel comforts Juliana as she struggles to understand her paranormal abilities while coping with her brother’s drug addiction. When an ill-tempered Native American Shaman teaches her the difference between ghosts and place memories, she decides she wants nothing to do with the supernatural world. Too bad she doesn’t know that Nathaniel is part of it.

Will fate bring these two together, or has Nathaniel made the biggest mistake of his afterlife?

Check out her book on Amazon.

Karen Y. Bynum: Spread the love...17 authors giving it up for FREE...

karen Y. bynum: Spread the love...17 authors giving it up for FREE...: Hello my darlings! As a THANK YOU to all you lovely readers, I have teamed up with SIXTEEN phenomenal authors to give our books away to ...

Heartbreaker Blog Hop

Welcome to a stop on the Heartbreaker hop. Yes. I did just say that. There are lots of cool prizes for this hop and I'm hosting a prize of my own which you'll find toward the end of this post. But first, let's talk heartbreakers... 

Heartbreakers. Sigh. What makes a guy a heartbreaker? I suppose this differs for everyone, but I'll share my thoughts on the topic and you can tell me if you feel the same. 

There is just something about a heartbreaker that I can't put in words. He's handsome (of course) but not necessarily in the traditional sense. When he walks into the room, all eyes are on him. He has a presence. You know what I'm talking about. The moment you see him your breath catches and you just know you want to move closer to him...to know him...to lick him. Whoops. Getting a little carried away here. Ahem. 

Now, I like the damaged emotionally unavailable heartbreakers. I know, I know. They're no good for you in real life, but I'll take 'em in a book. I love guys who just don't give a sh%t EXCEPT when it comes to the right girl and then all of a sudden they'll do anything to be with her, to make her happy. And he must, MUST be muscled. Not necessarily ripped up on steroids and unable to have children, but firm and lean (still talking about muscles here ;-0 ). I want my hero to be able to save me when I get myself into trouble, because let's face it, I'm a walking disaster and I WANT to be saved. 

And tats. Don't get me started. My husband doesn't have a single tat and I love him dearly. But...since we're talking fantasy and heartbreakers here, my hero will have tats. Because I find them so sexy on a brooding, emotionally unavailable man. I want a bad boy, and he has to look the part. Prime example: Chon in the movie/book Savages by Don Winslow. 

I just want to eat him!!! Yes, that's right. Eat him. Sorry. I'm having another moment here. If you read the book or saw the movie you will know what I'm talking about. (But it's not for young adults, no siree. It's totally graphic and seriously messed up.) Chon is exactly the kind of guy I fall for in a book. In real life, he'd wreck me, but I can manage emotional turmoil for a few hours if he's in a book or on screen. 

Now, who else is my idea of a heartbreaker? *Gasp* Have you read my book, Blood, She Read? If you have, you'll be familiar with Sebastian. Oh, Sebastian. You lovely demon you. You may not be the hero of my book, but I am seriously considering giving you a starring role in another one because you're just that yummy. You're cold and aloof, but charming and caring--when it comes to Petra. You would do anything for her, maybe even go back to hell for her. I love you. Here is how I picture Sebastian. Shiloh Fernandez. Yum. Hello. 

So let's face it. I could talk heartbreakers forever, but there are over 300 bloggers participating in this hop with lots of great prizes so I'll shut up for now because I think I've effectively told you about who I consider a heartbreaker. 

I'm personally giving away an eBook copy of Easy by Tammara Webber for this hop because Lucas is my most recent book boyfriend/heartbreaker and I LOVE him. All you have to do is leave a comment with your email address to enter. 

But wait! There are more prizes for this blog hop! We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 300 times!

Now what are those prizes?

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet

2nd Grand Prize: A $100 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!

Guest Post by Author Karen Bynum: On Publishing WITCH WAY TO TURN

Hi Sara! Thanks so much for inviting me! *smiles and waves*

Witch Way to Turn all began in July 2010 after the Romance Writers of America (RWA) conference in Orlando, FL. I couldn’t get this chick’s voice out of my head. I knew her name immediately (Breena), even though her last name went through several different versions before I was compelled (vampire humor) to use Cross. She wouldn’t stop telling me about these two guys who were vying for her attention and the love she had for her precious foster sister.

Breena and I share several things… One, our love of food, especially gravy biscuits. Two, we both grew up in small towns, Breena’s hometown being only ten minutes from my own real one in North Carolina. And three, the desire to have something that was so close but yet so far away. Breena’s desire was custody of her seven-year-old foster sister. Mine was to have Breena’s story published. I wanted with ever fiber of my being for her story to be read. Yes, Breena has her flaws. Who doesn’t? But she strived to better herself by cleaning up her foul language, attending college and controlling the darkness inside of her.

Witch Way to Turn has been a labor of love. When I got home from the RWA conference, I immediately started writing Breena’s story. I couldn’t stop. I thought about her day and night. I wrote day and night. While working my full-time job, I completed Witch Way to Turn in only three months. I actually wrote the end on Breena’s birthday, October 30th. Now, the end wasn’t really the end…actually, that’s when the real work began. I’d written Witch Way to Turn in the first person point-of-view as a young adult novel. Well, that just wasn’t working. I’d gotten many requests for it, which ended in just as many rejections. I couldn’t understand why. Agents and editors alike enjoyed my voice, but something didn’t click. The issues that I’d written about in this story dealt heavily with sex and abuse, which didn’t go over well in the young adult genre. At one point, an editor asked me if I’d read very many young adult novels and at the time, sadly, I hadn’t. One of my readers said it was like watching a train wreck, she just couldn’t look away. I was grateful for her comments, and I knew something big had to change.

So I rewrote Witch Way to Turn as an adult novel and upped Breena’s age from eighteen to twenty-one but kept it in the first person point-of-view. Still requests came in and so did the rejections. I became seriously frustrated. What was I doing wrong? No one could tell me and obviously, I couldn’t see it. How could I grasp so many straws only to have them slip through my fingers? It wasn’t until a lovely author friend read Witch Way to Turn and gave me her brutally honest opinion. Her feedback was invaluable. I knew how to fix my story.

So I took a break from querying in order to do a third complete rewrite. I changed Witch Way to Turn back into a young adult novel and switched it to third person point-of-view. This made all the difference. By telling Breena’s story in the third person, I was able to add in the points of view for the two heroes. It was long overdue. Myles and Orin both had been talking to me too. They wanted to be heard. Needed to be heard. I can’t wait for you to meet them. Both boys are unique and wonderfully flawed, but they each meet specific needs in Breena’s life. Too bad she can’t have them both!

Now that Witch Way to Turn was as polished as I could get it and all the voices in my head were on the page, I began querying again. I’d heard great things about Lyrical Press, but I knew they didn’t publish the young adult genre. Even so, Breena was eighteen and I thought, what would it hurt to ask if they might be interested. I emailed to see if they would accept a submission for a work with an eighteen-year-old heroine. They said, yes, as long as it fell into one of their current genres they published. It did. I got my manuscript and synopsis ready and queried.

Even though I’d finished writing Witch Way to Turn in October of 2010, it wasn’t until December 19th of 2011 that I received the most exciting news. I could hardly believe it. When I saw a contract from Lyrical Press waiting for me in my inbox, I thought it was a mistake. I immediately sent it to my husband to review. I was bouncing up and down waiting for him to finish reading it. When he did and said it was for real, I ran through the house screaming. Yes, true story. I was so excited. Breena would finally have her story told.

So what’s next for me? Well, glad you asked. :) I just finished writing something that was completely different for me, and I am so proud of it! The title of this one is Becoming. It’s a cursed dragon shifter story that pushes the envelope. Big time. I haven’t seen or heard about anything like it before, and I am so excited to start querying it to agents. Currently, it’s with my editor, who loved it! Squee! I plan to pitch it at RT Booklovers convention in April and then at RWA in July.

As I wait for the edits to come back on Becoming, I’m working hard on revisions for the second book in the Witch Way series. Also, I have a demon-slaying unicorn manuscript (Running From Shadows) out on submission to an agent and a publishing house. *fingers crossed* And just this week, I’ve been kidnapped! Yes, that’s right, you read correctly…kidnapped…by the gremlin-slayer herself. Liza O’Connor. If you’d like to check it out, this is the link.

Thanks so much for hosting me on your site, Sara!! Blood, She Read is definitely on my Goodreads TBR list!!

And now…

Where to stalk—uh—find me! *winks*

Website   Blog   Publisher   Twitter   Facebook   Goodreads   Pinterest   

Can you give one guy your heart and another your soul? The last thing eighteen-year-old Breena Cross needs in her life is more complications. It's all she can do to balance studying, working, trying to keep her foster-sister safe and drooling over the new guy at work. But things go from complicated to crazy when a fit of rage ignites the dark magic inside her and she finds herself fending off the supernatural underworld. Myles, Breena's drool-worthy coworker and vampire convict, is carrying a load of secrets--one of which is that he's fang-over-lip in love with Breena and in danger of violating the terms of his sentence. Orin is a soul-hungry assassin sent to kill Breena. However, he takes one look into her eyes and sees his own lost humanity. For once thinking of someone other than himself, he chooses not to end her life, even though it means risking his own. Despite a convict and an assassin fighting over her, all Breena wants is custody of her sister. But to do this, she will need help from both Myles and Orin. And if Breena doesn't learn to control the darkness within, she could lose her sister...forever. WARNING: Contains strong language and some graphic content.

Cover Reveal: Speak of the Devil by Shawna Romkey

Yay! Cover reveal time. I love books and I especially love book covers. I am ashamed to admit I often choose books just because of their covers, without ever reading what they're about. This doesn't always turn out well, but hey, I have pretty books, right? 

Today, I'm pleased to share the very first cover for the very first book by Shawna Romkey. Shawna is a Romance Writers of Atlantic Canada chapter-mate of mine. She is also a friend. Her book, Speak of the Devil, releases March 15, 2013. I was fortunate enough to read this book in its infancy so I am dead curious to see the final result, and her cover just makes me want to read it even more. What do you think? 

Coming March 15, 2013

from Crescent Moon Press

What happens when falling in love and falling from grace collide?

After dying in a car accident with her two best friends, Lily miraculously awakens to grief and guilt. She escapes to her dad’s to come to terms with the event and meets some people at her new school who seem all too eager to help her heal. Sliding deeper into sorrow and trying to fight her feelings for two of them, she finds out who…what they really are and that they are falling too.

Can she find the strength to move on from the past, reconcile her feelings for Luc, find a way to stop a divine war with fallen angels, and still pass the eleventh grade?

Find out more about Shawna on her website or check her out on Goodreads!