Posts By Lindsey Loucks
The Year of the Snake
Today marks the beginning of the Chinese new year. According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2013 is the Year of the Snake. Some of the things that the snake represents are deception, delusion, and opportunism. Dun, dun, dun!
Wendy Russo came up with the brilliant idea to help celebrate the new year and those cunning snakes by posting a scene from our writings that has to do with deception, delusion, and/or opportunism.
Here’s my scene from The Grave Winner:
The [news] woman turned towards me. Her eyes grew brighter as she click-clacked her ruby red high heels faster than I’d ever seen anyone go. Before I could run or react, she took my elbow and dug her sharp red fingernails into my arm.
“What do you think is causing the dead to return to life?” She shoved her furry microphone at me.
I glared at her over-excited, makeup-plastered face. “I… try not to think about it. But people like you make that impossible.”
Something flickered across her eyes, and she gasped. Was she shocked that I wasn’t eager to participate in this news circus? She stared at me a beat past uncomfortable, smoothed an eyebrow, then smiled into the camera. “Perhaps it’s the result of too much processed food. We’ll have more at ten on this developing story.”
“And we got it.” The cameraman lifted the bulk off his shoulder and pressed several buttons.
“What do you think you’re doing?” a female voice hollered. Mrs. Rios, the Spanish teacher, dodged reporters and trotted up to the woman. “There’s no way you had enough time to contact this student’s parents for permission to put her face on TV. You just got here.”
The news lady removed her grip from my arm. “Relax.” She turned and glared at me. I was getting a lot of that today. “We’ll cut her attitude and just use a shot of her lunch tray.” She gave Mrs. Rios a chilly smile. “No harm done.”
Yep, it’s short and non-spoilery, and it’s deceptive and opportunistic in more ways than one. My evil laugh goes here.
If you’d like to read more slithery Year of the Snake inspired scenes from other authors’ works, here is a list of participants. You should definitely check these out!
Happy Anniversary to #AStiffKiss by @AveryOlive
Avery Olive is here today to kick off the anniversary celebration for her YA book A Stiff Kiss. Take it away, Avery!
Welcome… Welcome! Please stick around and read today’s post ‘cause it’s a Winner! Hehe. Okay, so I thought about trying something a little different for this next contest.
My goal is to try and get everyone involved more, while spreading the word about A Stiff Kiss. I know many of you might prefer the simple enter your email Rafflecopter, or leave a comment on a post… but I think, if people get involved, this will be a huge hit!
As an A Stiff Kiss Anniversary Participant, your goal is to get as many points as possible so that you can win the massive prize package I’ll be giving away.
But wait, I’m all about a pat on the back for participation, so I will be giving two smaller prize packages away to two random entrants, and… And… for everyone else, you’ll get a little something something too. So, if this works, everyone has the potential to receive some kind of goodie!!
Grand Prize includes:
1 signed and personalized paper copy of A Stiff Kiss (with a special note to the winner)
1 ASK Canvas Tote Bag
1 ASK T-Shirt
1 ASK Coffee Mug and set of coasters
1 ASK Mousepad
Signed Bookmark, postcard and mini poster
2 Participation Prizes include:
1 ASK Coffee Mug filled with Hersey’s Kisses
1 Set of ASK Coasters
1 ASK Mousepad
Signed Bookmark, postcard and mini poster
To see a picture of the prizes being offered, click HERE
Alright, let’s get to the fun stuff. I’ve created a list of activities, given each of them a point value and tried to come up with simple, easy to do and like I said, most importantly, fun things for you to accomplish. You will need to copy and paste this form, and fill it out in order to be entered. All forms must be sent to averyolive1@gmail.com no later than February 28th!
1. Tweet about A Stiff Kiss. I’ve created a few tweets that you can copy and paste, or create your own.
Tweet 1: Who knew kissing a corpse would change everything? #AStiffKiss out now! http://www.amazon.com/Stiff-Kiss-Avery-Olive/dp/193725433X/
Tweet 2: Have you checked out @AveryOlive #AstiffKiss ?Happy one year book anniversary! http://www.amazon.com/Stiff-Kiss-Avery-Olive/dp/193725433X/
Remember to use @averyolive or the hashtag #AStiffKiss so that I can track your tweets! International readers may tweet in their own language, so don’t worry!
1 Point per Tweet and no more than 2 Tweets per day! Enter how many tweets you did here…
Number of Tweets:
2. Post to your blog or other social media (Website, Tumblr and Facebook)
You’re goal is to share something about A Stiff Kiss. It can be posting a review, doing a simple cover and blurb spotlight, it can be asking me to do an interview (send an email to averyolive1@gmail.com if you’d like my help) You can re-use an old review, post or interview, however it must be imbedded into a NEW POST. You’re imagination should be put at use here, being extra creative is awesome!) Can be posted in your language of choice.
5 Points per Post. You can post a maximum of 3 times, at least one week apart but each post must be different. One post review, one post cover and blurb, one post something random like sharing with me your personal favourite cemetery…
Please include links to your post!
1.
2.
3.
3. Spread the love by sharing your A Stiff Kiss Review. Most people forget that there are dozens of places to share reviews. Posting one in a new place can help spread the word. Find a new place (like Goodreads, Barnes & Nobel, Librarything.com, YaCentral) and post your review!
5 Points for each new location you post your review! Please include links to your reviews J
Enter Links Here:
4. Candid Camera! Take a photo of you (and others if possible) holding a copy of A Stiff Kiss, your e-reader with the cover (or opening page). If you see A Stiff Kiss in your bookstore, library, or own a copy, get as many people as you can into a picture!
Don’t have a copy or ebook of A Stiff Kiss? That’s Okay! If you’ve been lucky enough to receive ASK Swag in the past, take a photo with that or print out this handy 8 ½ X 11 POSTER (colour or black and white) and use that for your picture!
10 Points for each photo, plus 5 points for each additional person within the photo! Follow me on Instagram—tag me in your photo—post it on Facebook, post it to my wall, share it on twitter with @AveryOlive or #AStiffKiss or send me links.
5. Poster, poster, read all about! Print out this handy dandy 8 ½ X 11 POSTER (colour or black and white) and post it all around your town. Tape it up anywhere you are allowed to—libraries, school bulletin boards, telephone poles, get creative!
10 Points for each poster you put up (with photo proof, see activity 5 guidelines on how to make sure your photo is seen if you are not sending me links)
6 . Get your Library to get in on the fun! Many library websites have a “request a book form” so, fill it out and request to have them purchase a copy of A Stiff Kiss for their shelves or go directly into the library and fill out a form or talk to your librarian!
10 Points for each request (take a screen shot of your screen when making the request (screen shot how to info HERE)
7 . Stage a spooky photo! Since A Stiff Kiss’ main character is all about cemeteries, I want you to go out and stage a photo next to a tombstone. I know, it’s a little morbid, but Xylia will love it. Use your book, ereader, poster or swag and capture it along with a tombstone, creepy statue—anything you can find at your local cemetery!
15 Points for each spooky photo (with photo proof)
8. Buy a Copy today! Don’t own A Stiff Kiss? Buy a copy (print or ebook) today for yourself, your friends, to donate to your library or giveaway as a gift. I recommend BookDepository.com. Take a screen shot of your order confirmation or a picture of your receipt.
25 Points for each book (or ebook) purchased—don’t forget that photo proof.
9. Write an article! This is a big one, it might be nearly impossible to accomplish, but I have faith in you! Write an article about A Stiff Kiss (or me, Avery Olive) and have it printed in your school or local newspaper. The article can be a review, an interview, whatever you can come up with!
30 Points for each article printed. Send me links or get photo proof!
The Wild Card! This is for you wild ones out there. Show me what you’ve got! This is activity is strictly for you to think outside the box! If you can come up with a fun, creative way to spread the word about A Stiff Kiss, show it to me!
50 Points I’ll need photo proof, links—anything you can throw me!
Just a little extra.
Can I personally use your pictures and post them on the internet? Yes or No
Can I include your name when announcing prizes or thank you’s? Yes or No
Don’t forget to include your full name and mailing address because in my eyes, everyone is a winner!
Name:
Address:
Send completed form to averyolive1@gmail.com
That’s it, that’s all. I know, some are easier than others, but I think with a little planning and a little motivation, anyone out there can rack up the points!
Remember, for the ones that require proof, I need links provided or to be tagged on Facebook or Instagram, it posted on my wall or use @averyolive or #AStiffKiss so that I can see all your hard work!
For full contest details, rules and regulations, please visit HERE otherwise, get to work and spread the love for A Stiff Kiss!
Avery Olive’s Blog : Facebook: A Stiff Kiss Facebook Fan Page: Twitter: Instagram: Goodreads:
: Amazon: Barnes & Noble: The Book Depository:
#Petthecover : Speak of the Devil by @sromkey
Oh, the pretty! And the sexy because check out those holy mega biceps.
Speak of the Devil was written by Shawna Romkey, and it releases March 15th from Crescent Moon Press!
Here’s the blurb:
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?
Awesome, right! You can read more about Shawna at her website: http://www.shawnaromkey.com
The Last Keeper’s Daughter by @RTrogner
February 15th, people! That’s when The Last Keeper’s Daughter by my Crescent Moon Press sister, Rebecca Trogner, releases.
Here’s the lovely cover:
And the blurb:
Born into old money, Lily Ayres lives at Waverly, her family’s estate situated at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Paris, Virginia. She is a strange, small, almost mute, young woman who has no idea that her father has given her to the Vampire King Krieger. Walter Ayres is the King’s Keeper and part of a secret society of historians who unearth, preserve, and attempt to understand relics of long forgotten civilizations.
Lily has never felt comfortable in the human world, but after she suspiciously falls down a flight of stone steps, and is healed and claimed by Krieger, she realizes there is another world. In this Other Realm she feels a sense of belonging, and begins to untwine the mysterious event which left her mentally and psychologically damaged. When Walter disappears in England, Lily works with human and supernatural beings to uncover his whereabouts. With each new discovery, she is pulled deeper into the vortex of magic, intrigue, and dark desires that permeates the supernatural world. The revelations revealed unfold a story of deception and betrayal that threaten to tear the thin veil between the supernatural and human world asunder.
It sounds awesome!
About the Author:
Rebecca Trogner lives in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia, and frequently crosses the Blue Ridge Mountains that were the inspiration for Krieger’s home. She always dreamed of being a writer, but got sidetracked by the day-to-day adventures of life. With the encouragement of her family, she has finished her first novel and is currently writing the next book in The Last Keeper’s Daughter series. Rebecca lives with her husband and son, and a rescue dog named Giblet. To find out more about the author visit http://www.rebeccatrogner.com
You can add The Last Keeper’s Daughter to your Goodreads here: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17252265-the-last-keeper-s-daughter
The Forever Girl Character Tour
Welcome to The Forever Girl Character Tour! I’m helping to celebrate The Forever Girl’s one year anniversary—that means it’s been one year since The Forever Girl was released! Copies are still available at the same low price of $2.99 for ebook and $10.95 for print. But fear not, this tour is not without some really cool prizes for you to win, whether you already own a copy of The Forever Girl or never plan to read it. Each stop on the tour will feature one of the main characters from the book, and you can easily enter to win some of their favorite things! For a full list of stops on this tour, visit the author’s blog at www.beccahamiltonbooks.com.
MEET IVORY
Ivory is one of Sophia’s best friends, but as much as she loves Sophia, she often puts her own desires first, even if that means putting Sophia in danger. Can their friendship survive Ivory’s selfishness? How will Ivory’s heartbreak and lost loved one affect the special bond she has with her best friend? Will Ivory’s feelings about Charles stand between him and Sophia’s future together?
Here’s the top five fast “fun facts” about Ivory.
1) Favorite Color: Black.
2) Favorite Drink: None of your business.
3) What she’s afraid of: Losing Sophia.
4) Likes: Sophia. Club Flesh.
5) Dislikes: Men. Anyone who tries to tell her what to do.
Today’s character giveaway features some of Ivory’s favorite things: NARS Red Lip Gloss, SMASHBOX Eye Shadow Kit, and Red Magnetic Effect Nail Polish.
If you want to snag Ivory’s favorite items for yourself (or as a gift for a friend or loved one!) simply enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below!
Thanks for stopping by! If you want to connect with Rebecca, she can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and her Blog as well.
Learn more about Rebecca’s books and where to purchase them HERE.
BLURB
“Whatever you do, fight.”
Sophia’s family has skeletons, but they aren’t in their graves.
At twenty-two, practicing Wiccan Sophia Parsons is scratching out a living waiting tables in her Rocky Mountain hometown, a pariah after a string of unsolved murders with only one thing in common: her.
Sophia can imagine lots of ways to improve her life, but she’d settle for just getting rid of the buzzing noise in her head. When the spell she casts goes wrong, the static turns into voices. Her personal demons get company, and the newcomers are dangerous.
One of them is a man named Charles, who Sophia falls for despite her better judgment. He has connections that might help her unveil the mystery surrounding her ancestor’s hanging, but she gets more than she bargains for when she finally decides to trust him.
Survival in his world, she learns, means not asking questions and staying out of the immortal council’s way. It’s a line she crossed long ago. If Sophia wants to survive the council and save the people she loves, she must accept who she is, perform dark magic, and fight to the death for her freedom.
The Forever Girl is a full-length Paranormal Fantasy novel that will appeal to lovers of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, witches, vampire fiction, ghost stories, paranormal mystery, and paranormal horror.
Leap Frog Follow H^p Week 2
It’s that time again! This week’s question is:
If you could read only one book over and over again, what would it be and why?
Oh, man. That’s a toughy. I’m going to throw something completely random out there and say Swan Song by Robert R. McCammon. I loved this book when I was a kid, though it’s definitely not for kids. It completely blew my mind since I’d never read anything like it before. It kind of explains my love for The Hunger Games since they both have similar themes. When I finished Swan Song, I was depressed for days. I cried. I moped. That’s a sign of a great book.
How about you? What book would you read over and over again?
Happy Book Birthday to January Black
Actually it’s a belated birthday, but it still counts! My fellow Crescent Moon Press sister, Wendy S. Russo, has just released her debut YA book called January Black.
Here’s the cover:
Pet it. Love it. It’s so pretty!
Here’s the blurb:
As the son of The Hill’s commandant, sixteen-year-old Matty Ducayn is expected to conform to a strict, unspoken code of conduct. Small acts of defiance over years—such as walking on the grass—have earned him a reputation for being unruly. When sarcastic test answers finally get Matty expelled from school, King Hadrian offers him a diploma if he can answer a deceptively simple question.
What was January Black?
The challenge takes Matty, and his girlfriend Iris, beyond The Hill’s walls and tightly controlled media into a gritty world kept in check by riot police. There, the young couple follows a path through old books and clandestine news pages that becomes a collision course with a deadly royal degree.
As he realizes he’s been set up to fail, Matty must make a choice: walk away from the challenge with Iris and his life. Or call the king’s bluff.
It’s available at Amazon in both Kindle and paperback versions, and it’s available at Barnes and Noble. You should totally go read it!
Leap Frog Follow H^p
I’m new to memes, but I signed up for this one because it sounded like fun. Basically you hop around to other blogs to see answers to the weekly question.
This week’s question is: If you could be best friends with any character from any book, who would it be and why?
Easy-peasy. Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series. She’s smart, she knows the value of a library, she’s snarky, and she’s the most loyal friend ever (besides Ron, of course). Hermione and I could totally hang out.
Pet the Covers: #coverreveal For Immortal Ink
Immortal Ink Publishing has some stunning covers for their books, so when they asked if I would like to help in the cover reveal, I said absolutely!
The first is called Lesser Evils by Christ Goddard. She also wrote Four in the Morning. If you haven’t read it, you should go do it.
Here’s the blurb:
When young Jakorus is hurled twenty years into his future, he’s confronted with a horrifying truth—the world has changed for the worse, and it’s his fault.
Now in the twenty-first century, the hidden island of Cybraxas teeters at the brink of civil war. Paranormals of all races have secretly coexisted with humans for centuries, but the illusion of peace crumbles when a rebellious faction fights to overturn their primary law: humans are not food. They assert the human herd needs thinning if the planet is to endure.
In his youth, an angry and embittered Jakorus believed in the rebellion’s rhetoric and joined its ranks. Repentant of his sins when he is older, a young Jakorus sent from the past seemed the perfect solution to fix his mistakes. But each Jakorus trapped in this time loop only makes things more perilous. In order to restore the original timeline, the newest Jakorus learns he must murder innocents, betray friends, and repeat the same immoral choices the original Jakorus made. If he fails, the rebellion will blossom into civil war.
But through it all, Jakorus has his own problem—both he and his future self are in love with the same girl.
This book is set for release in March. If you would like to be notified when this book becomes available, you can sign up here:
Cover reveal number two is for Carole Lanham’s The Reading Lessons.
Here’s the blurb:
Mississippi 1920: Nine year old servant, Hadley Crump, finds himself drawn into a secret world when he is invited to join wealthy Lucinda Browning’s dirty book club. No one suspects that the bi-racial son of the cook is anything more to Lucinda than a charitable obligation, but behind closed doors, O! she doth teach the torches to burn bright. What begins as a breathless investigation into the more juicy parts of literature quickly becomes a consuming and life-long habit for two people who would not otherwise be left alone together. As lynchings erupt across the South and the serving staff is slowly cut to make way for new mechanical household conveniences, Hadley begins to understand how dangerous and precarious his situation is.
The Reading Lessons follows the lives of two people born into a world that is unforgiving as a Hangman’s knot. Divided by skin color and joined by books, Hadley and Lucinda are forced to come together in the only place that will allow it, a land of printed words and dark secrets.
This book is set for release in May. If you would like to be notified when this book becomes available, you can sign up here:
I give you permission to pet these covers! You know you want to!
My Knickers Aren’t in a Twist Over Word Count – Are Yours?
From openclipart.org
So NaNoWriMo is over, and while I didn’t participate, I did try to write a little every day on A Boy and Her Scratch. I didn’t succeed, and I didn’t even come close to 50,000 words. But I’m okay with that.
The story and characters have solidified in the 10,338 words I’ve written on it, which is always a plus. I keep fighting the urge to go back and “fix” things because the first draft is supposed to look like word vomit, and it does, so yay! I’ve decided to keep writing this story until December 31st, and then at midnight, instead of turning into a pumpkin, I’ll start writing like a mad woman on What Gifts She Carried.
From January onward, I won’t be staying the night at work (something I did do in November), I won’t have as many loooong work days, and I won’t be going out of town. It gets too cold in Kansas to do anything but stay home in my pajamas and write anyway!
My point to all this rambling is that I’m trying this new thing where I don’t stress about writing. I let it happen, word by word. It’s slow going, but I’ll get there.
Does word count stress you out? Does getting the book finished twist your knickers?