Asteria's Blog: Indie Author Giveaway!

Asteria's Blog: Indie Author Giveaway!: My absolute favorite giveaway of the year deserves one of my favorite books! When tragedy strikes, 17 year-old Ashton Blake sets...

Chirenjenzie: Indie Author Giveaway!

Chirenjenzie: Indie Author Giveaway!: Here at Chirenjenzie we'd be happy to see a giveaway like this more often! The popularity of Indie books is growing, and we love it! He...

Wordsmith Wednesday: Teaser #4

The objective:
Show us a scene from your current project. It can be creepy, adventurous, romantic, etc. Just a snippet to let readers see what they're in for!


The guidelines:
 * Must be from a current work-in-progress (WIP). Nothing already published.
 * You may choose from any section of the manuscript, but be mindful not to include spoilers.
 * Keep it clean and YA audience friendly, please. No erotica.
 * Stay under 300 words or about one page. It can be as little as a few lines if you prefer. We just want to give readers a chance to see everyone's selection.
 * Link back to Chirenjenzie to enjoy others' work as well!

Another clip from The Willows: Thorn, book two in The Willows series! In this scene, Ashton is meeting a new character ... and one who really doesn't care for Ash's presence. I hope you enjoy this brief intro :)

A wave of mint smacked me in the face. At the same time, a curvy figure clad in white form-fitting satin slinked into view. Silky blonde hair cascaded around her shoulders, framing her oval face and high cheekbones. Icy blue pierced through me, raising goose bumps on my skin. Gabe shifted ever so slightly closer to me, his focus on the angel now standing an arm's length away. The woman’s pouty mouth turned up in a seductive smile as she drank him in. I had no idea if it was friendly or predatory, but possessiveness rolled off me in waves.

“Ruarc,” she drawled, using Gabe's birth name. “It's wonderful to see you again.”

He drew a tense breath. "Good evening, Linley."

"Lucan always believed you would return though I didn’t agree." She leaned forward and dropped a kiss on either side of Gabe's cheek, her hand lingering a little too long on his chest. "I’m happy to see for once I was mistaken." She peered up at him through long fluttering lashes.

I felt Gabe's posture stiffen at the same time as mine, and his hand wrapped around my wrist. I wanted to believe it was meant to be reassuring rather than what it actually was … him holding me back.

Wordsmith Wednesday: Teaser #3

The objective:
Show us a scene from your current project. It can be creepy, adventurous, romantic, etc. Just a snippet to let readers see what they're in for!


The guidelines:
 * Must be from a current work-in-progress (WIP). Nothing already published.
 * You may choose from any section of the manuscript, but be mindful not to include spoilers.
 * Keep it clean and YA audience friendly, please. No erotica.
 * Stay under 300 words or about one page. It can be as little as a few lines if you prefer. We just want to give readers a chance to see everyone's selection.
 * Link back to Chirenjenzie to enjoy others' work as well!



***Spoiler alert***

If you haven't read book one, there is a spoiler in this. Be forewarned!

Here's a clip from my upcoming project, The Willows: Thorn. It's book two in The Willows series.

Strange glowing torches lit the path on either side. I stared curiously at the green and blue flames that licked the insides of the glass orbs, intrigued by the color. Veins of water snaked around the outer edges of the pathway, slicing through the land in shallow ribbons. This place was as different from The Valley as the Dryads were from the Naiads themselves. Both were beautiful, but this forest somehow felt like home. I liked the wet mossy smell of everything and the way the moisture clung in the air like a blanket of water wrapped around me. It almost felt like swimming.  

A wide structure came into view through the line of trees ahead of us. The front glowed softly as hanging lanterns flickered and swayed in a gentle breeze, and the scent of lilac mingled with damp bark. Gray stone peered from behind a mantle of emerald ivy, the center point jutting out farther than the outer walls. A dark gate stood guard, baring its iron teeth at anything close enough to be a threat.

Let's hear your clip! Join the fun at Chirenjenzie :D

Happy writing!

 

A Shirt by Any Other Color: Lend Me Your Eyes...

***WINNER update***
Using Random.org, entrant #5 is the winner of the t-shirt. Thanks so much for participating and lending your thoughts, everyone! It's very much appreciated! Congrats, Carla! We'll be in touch!!!

 
Okay, so the title is a little weird. It got you here, and that was the point. Thanks for stopping by! Now that I've got you here, want to win something? If you said yes, please continue reading. If you said no, well, you're odder than I am ;)

For the longest time, I've wanted to have fun merchandise available. The vast majority of you guys like the idea of t-shirts. Truly, you're homo-sapiens after my own heart. I'm a t-shirt junkie, just ask my husband.

So, I've been working on a few designs, and I need your guys' input. In return, I'm thinking I'll give one lucky commenter a choice of his or her shirt for FREE :)

What I'd like from you:
* Leave me a comment with your favorite shirt option.


Rules and junk:
* Due to shipping, I have to limit winners to the US. Please feel free to chime in, but I can't ship internationally. So sorry :p
* This is open to *everyone*, so don't skip it because you're a friend or family member! 
* Shirts will be ordered early May. The winner will choose from the shirt(s) with the most votes. You MUST choose from the selection being ordered.

Winner will be chosen May 5th!

YOU ARE ALL AWESOME.


Here are the options!

OPTION A

OPTION B

OPTION C

OPTION D

OPTION E

Wordsmith Wednesday: Teaser #2

The objective:
Show us a scene from your current project. It can be creepy, adventurous, romantic, etc. Just a snippet to let readers see what they're in for!


The guidelines:
 * Must be from a current work-in-progress (WIP). Nothing already published.
 * You may choose from any section of the manuscript, but be mindful not to include spoilers.
 * Keep it clean and YA audience friendly, please. No erotica.
 * Stay under 300 words or about one page. It can be as little as a few lines if you prefer. We just want to give readers a chance to see everyone's selection.
 * Link back to Chirenjenzie to enjoy others' work as well!

This is the opening scene in one of my many WIPs. The title is still up in the air. Hope you enjoy :)

The hot summer sun beat against my fair skin, blistering along the part in my hair. Three imposing pyramids stood in front of me as dry desert air whipped my hair around my face.

“Memphis?” A voice said. I ignored it and concentrated on the sandy colored stone of the oversized triangles.

“Memphis!” The voice called again.

The briny scent of salt water filled my lungs. I sucked what air I could manage through the humidity and sighed. Again. Opening my eyes, I left Egypt and spied coastal South Carolina. A deep scowl etched in my expression as I slid my sunglasses on.

“Memphis, please.” Mom rolled up to a stoplight. “I thought we agreed that you were going to have a good attitude about this?”

“No, Mom.” I crossed my arms and propped my feet against the dashboard. “You agreed that I was going to have a good attitude. I never said anything like that. I don’t see why I have to be here. Why can’t I come with you and Dad? I barely know these people anymore.”

Mom sighed and rolled her warm brown eyes. “We’ve been over this, Em. The university won’t allow you to go, and you know everyone here just fine. Gram’s been so excited since she heard you were coming.”

“It’s not Gram. It’s everyone else,” I hinted, not wanting to think about the boy that made my visits a constant torture. “They drive me crazy!”

“Honey, I know Ian’s been tiresome in the past,” Mom soothed. “But it’s been almost five years since you last saw him. I’m sure he isn’t the same obnoxious twelve year-old he used to be.”

“I’m sure he is.” I scoffed. “Some boys never grow up.”

“If that’s true, I give you permission to slug him.” Mom winked.

“Yeah, right. You grounded me for a week the last time that happened.”

What are you working on this week? 

Happy reading. 

Wordsmith Wednesday: Teaser #1

Earlier today, I was looking for fun memes for writers, but I couldn't find exactly what I wanted. There are a number of things available, but I was looking for a fun, everyone participate, current WIP meme. No such luck. Hence, the newly born the Wordsmith Wednesday meme from Chirenjenzie :D

The objective: 

Show us a scene from your current project. It can be creepy, adventurous, romantic, etc. Just a snippet to let readers see what they're in for!


The guidelines:

 * Must be from a current work-in-progress (WIP). Nothing already published.
 * You may choose from any section of the manuscript, but be mindful not to include spoilers.
 * Keep it clean and YA audience friendly, please. No erotica.
 * Stay under 300 words or about one page. It can be as little as a few lines if you prefer. We just want to give readers a chance to see everyone's selection. 
 * Link back to Chirenjenzie to enjoy others' work as well!

Here is an excerpt from one of my more recent WIPs titled Tinheart.

I stared through the window as raindrops trailed in rivulets down the glass. A peal of thunder echoed across the sky, masking the professor's monotone voice. I sighed again, wishing I were anywhere else but physics class.

"Miss Harper?" Professor Whipple questioned, her tone rising. "Miss Harper!"

I straightened in my seat, my leg numb and tingling viciously against the soft leather. "Yes, ma'am?"

"Where is the steam sphere in relation to the energy orb?" she demanded.

I pursed my lips in thought and frantically searched my subconscious for the answer Whipple wanted. What was she droning on about today? Trajectory? Magnetism? Defeat settling in my stomach, I swallowed hard and offered up an answer. "Tw-twice the distance?"

Half the class snickered; the other half just shook their heads.

Heat prickle beneath the rigid laced collar of my uniform. Whipple stood, spindly hands on her hips, and stared back with unusually bright eyes. A coil chip flashed where there should've been pupils. I bit down on my tongue, knowing every second of my humiliation was being documented for all the committee to see. Stupid droids and their inconvenient technology. Why couldn't the school go back to using humans to teach?

"Miss Walker?" Whipple turned her head directly and focused on the leggy redhead sitting just to my left. "Can you tell me where the steam sphere in relation to the energy orb since Lawren clearly doesn't know?"

I scoffed. How was it a pile of rusty parts could use sarcasm?

 What's a scene from your current project? 

Happy writing.