And the Hoppy Easter Winners Are . . .

So sorry for the delay. We had a death in the family that took us out of town. Thanks to everyone who stopped by! Here are the two winners!

SHAYLA WITHERWOOD goes to . . . Timmi

and

LACRIMOSA goes to . . . Persephone!

Exciting News from Christine Fonseca!!!

I am honored to be the blog that gets to share this info with the world first. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are as excited about this news as I am. Be sure to stop by Christine's blog and my reviews of DIES IRAE and LACRIMOSA. And today is the last day to enter for a chance to win your very own copy of LACRIMOSA, here. Now for the huge announcement. :)




*Drum Roll*




I am so excited to officially share this news with the world. Some of you may have seen a sneak peak of the latest Requiem short on the YASH tour, but in case you didn't...



I am releasing a very special short story that bridges LACRIMOSA and book two, LIBERA ME. The story will release June (2 months EARLIER than originally planned) and focuses on one of the characters in LACRIMOSA, Zanethios.

Everything has a price; and the cost of Nesy's life may be higher than anyone expected.




Nesy's wounds should have been fatal. Fortunately, Mikayel knows something the rest of the Council doesn't - how to counteract Azza's attack. But Zane is the only one that can carry out the task. Will he have the strength to confront something even more frightening that Azza in order to save Nesy? 




And will he be able to shoulder the cost?




MEA CULPA follows one angels quest to save his best friend.



EEP!!! Exciting, yes???

Book Buzzin'--Tres Leches Cupcakes

This is pretty cool. The next mystery from Josi S Kilpack.

Josi S. Kilpack first introduced the world to her culinary mysteries and Sadie Hoffmiller, a cooking aficionado turned amateur detective, inLemon Tart, and Josi has since captivated audiences and inspired edible masterpieces with recipes . . . er, novels, like Devil's Food Cake,Blackberry Crumble, and, most recently, Pumpkin Roll. 

Seven books into the series, Josi had a mystery of her own—what should the title recipe be for her next book? She went to her readers for help and, voila, Book 8 had a title. Set amid the world-famous hot air balloon festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Tres Leches Cupcakes is sure to have all the thrills, chills, and quirky grins of the other books in the series. 

After reviewing more than 100 entries, Josi is proud to announce her choice. Congratulations to Lois Blackburn of Bountiful, Utah, for submitting the winning recipe for Tres Leches Cupcakes. Not only did she help title the book, but she'll be written in as a character as well! Thanks to all who participated!

Self Publishing

By Bonnie Harris

I had so many great ideas for this post, but the minute I opened up the new post . . . they all flew away. So here's something that caught my attention on Facebook. Kelly Sonnack, literary agent for Andrea Brown Literary Agency (she also came to the ANWA conference in 2011), posted this link from the New York Times, with the comment that basically said, something to think about. I clicked on the article and boy is it something to think about. I haven't decided how I feel about it yet, since this is a debate every author, I'm sure, is having. What's your opinion?

Young Writers Dazzle Publisher (Mom and Dad)

Sara Jorde for The New York Times

Ben Heckmann, 14, wrote two books about a fictional band.

By ELISSA GOOTMAN

Published: March 31, 2012

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The television news feature about Ben Heckmann, an eighth grader from Farmington, Minn., was breathless in its praise. “At 14 years old, he has accomplished something many adults can’t achieve,” the reporter said. “Ben is a twice-published author.”

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Sara Jorde for The New York Times

Ben reading from one of his books at his school in Farmington, Minn.

As the camera rolled, Ben described how “the first time I held my own book, it was just this amazing feeling.” Then he shared a lesson for others his age, saying, “You can basically do anything if you put your mind to it.”

But his two “Velvet Black” books, depicting the antics of a fictional rock band, were not plucked from a pile of manuscripts by an eagle-eyed publisher. They were self-published, at a cost to Ben’s parents of $400 — money they have more than made up by selling 700 copies.

Over the past five years, print-on-demand technology and a growing number of self-publishing companies whose books can be sold online have inspired writers of all ages to bypass the traditional gatekeeping system for determining who can call himself a “published author.”

They include hundreds of children and teenagers who are self-publishing books each year — a growing corner of the book world that raises as many questions about parenting as it does about publishing.

The mothers and fathers who foot the bill say they are simply trying to encourage their children, in the same way that other parents buy gear for a promising lacrosse player or ship a Broadway aspirant off to theater camp.

But others see the blurring of the line between publishing and self-publishing as a lost opportunity to teach children about adversity and perseverance.

The young authors themselves, raised in an era of blogging and equal-opportunity Twitter feeds, take the notion of self-publishing in stride.

“The world is changing — it’s possible for people to do almost anything they set their minds to,” said Elizabeth Hines (pen name: E. S. Hines), a high school junior from Annapolis, Md., whose debut novel, “The Last Dove,” was recently released by the self-publishing imprint Xlibris.

She has other projects going, too. “The Black Panther,” Part 2 of what she is calling the Trilogy of Aeir, will be published soon (at a cost to her parents of $2,700 per title). She has also written the first two books in a separate fictional quintet and begun a work of historical fiction set in 1500s Scotland.

Elizabeth’s parents debated the merits of self-publishing, said her mother, Jacqueline. Would her writing be criticized? Would she “get a little too much of a sense of self?” They finally decided that “self-esteem usually is not a bad thing for kids this age,” Mrs. Hines said.

Camille Mancuso, 12, of Columbus, Ohio, composed “Through the Eyes of Eak,” about the 72-year-old Delphi from the world of Phea, during breaks from playing Jane Banks in the touring production of Mary Poppins (by the time her book was published, Camille was on Broadway). Drew Beasley, 10, an Upper West Sider with an array of acting and voiceover credits to his name, published “Growing Up ... With Jack” last year to inspire children to be kind to special-needs kids.

Mac Bowers, 15, self-published the 112-page “Running Scared” through iUniverse in February. The hardcover sells for $11.63 on Amazon, where it is described as a tale in which “two teenagers embroiled in a dangerous, international web of intrigue have just one goal — to make it out alive.”

Mac’s father, Timothy, a Pennsylvania schools superintendent, said that publishing his daughter’s work seemed a natural way to reward her months of effort.

“What do you do with something you’re proud of?” he said. “You want people to see it.”

Critics say it is wonderful to start writing at a young age, but worry that self-publishing sends the wrong message.

“What’s next?” asked the novelist Tom Robbins. “Kiddie architects, juvenile dentists, 11-year-old rocket scientists? Any parent who thinks that the crafting of engrossing, meaningful, publishable fiction requires less talent and experience than designing a house, extracting a wisdom tooth, or supervising a lunar probe is, frankly, delusional.”

“There are no prodigies in literature,” Mr. Robbins said. “Literature requires experience, in a way that mathematics and music do not.”

Garth Stein, author of the best seller “The Art of Racing in the Rain,” said he saw how publishing could be great fun for children, but cautioned that “part of writing is living and exploring the world and interacting with the world.”

Alan Rinzler, a publishing industry veteran who now works with writers as an editorial consultant, suggested that parents hire a professional editor like him to work with their child to tear a manuscript apart and help make it better.  “That sort of puts a reality check on it,” he said.

Ben Heckmann’s father, Ken, said Ben’s aspirations “weren’t to knock Harry Potter off the list,” but “to get that good feeling inside that you’ve done something.”

“He can play basketball at home, or he can join a team; here he kind of joined a team,” Mr. Heckmann said. “This is Ben’s basketball.”

Ben’s mother, Julie, noted that while Ben has sold hundreds of books, the family could have simply ended up with a stack of Christmas gifts. “You can put your book out there, but it doesn’t mean people are going to like it,” she said.

Ben’s publisher, KidPub Press, which began publishing books by children in 2008, said most sales were made by the families, who buy the books wholesale. The founder and publisher, Perry Donham, said it was “pretty unusual” for a KidPub author to sell more than 50 copies on Amazon.

Some self-publishing companies charge upfront fees, ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars, for services that include printing, editing, jacket design and distribution. Others, like Lulu, offer to publish books free — though that does not include even a copy for the author’s shelf.

KidPub, which published 140 books last year, charges $250; that includes light copy editing, five printed copies and the promise of distribution on Amazon. “When the kids get the box of books with their name on it and they see their name on Amazon.com, they’re like little rock stars,” Mr. Donham said.

Kevin Weiss, president and chief executive of Author Solutions, which owns or manages 13 self-publishing imprints, said the company expected to publish more than 400 works by authors under age 18 this year.

“Today, a 14-year-old author has as good a chance of creating a following as a 50-year-old author,” Mr. Weiss said. “And maybe a better chance because they understand the nuances of social media.”

Often, they do not need social media to spread the word.

Ajla Dizdarevic, 12, of Waterloo, Iowa, who has self-published two books of poetry, has been on television and in local newspapers. Being a published author, she said, “was always a dream of mine.” Her new dream: three books by age 15.

LACROMISA Book Review

LACROMISA by Christine Fonseca. I didn't enjoy this one as much as I did DIES IRAE, but I couldn't put it down. Christine really knows how to weave a story. I really liked how LACROMISA and DIES IRAE intertwined and the ending left a smile on my face. The characters were so much fun and I can recommend this to just about everyone. Be sure to stop by my giveaway for LACROMISA and stay tuned for an exciting announcement by Christine on April 12th. And when I say exciting, I mean really exciting!

:):):)

It’s been three thousand years since the fall of Azzaziel and the rebirth of evil; three thousand years since the Sentinal Order, an elite group of warrior angels, returned to Celestium. Their job—rid Earth of the dark creatures, the UnHoly. And with luck, end Azza’s rule.

As if casting out demons isn’t hard enough, five-hundred-year-old Nesy has to masquerade as a teenage girl to do it. Nesy is the best of the Sentinals. She never makes mistakes, never hesitates, never gets emotionally involved. Until she meets Aydan.  

He is evil incarnate; a fallen angel that feeds off the souls of others. Everything Nesy is supposed to hate.  But she can’t, because he’s also the love of her former life as a human girl—a life that ended too soon, tying her to emotions she was never supposed to feel.

Now Nesy must choose between doing her duty—damning Aydan to the fiery depths of hell—or saving him, and condemning herself. And her choice may cost her, and Celestium, far more than anyone realizes.

How much will she sacrifice for love?

Hoppy Easter Blog Hop! Int (2 winners)

Welcome to this stop on the Hoppy Easter Blog Hop, hosted by I Am A Reader Not A Writer and Once Upon A Twilight for co-hosting. I am having TWO winners (int) on my blog, thanks to Cedar Fort Books and Christine Fonseca. So here's what you can win . . . an ecopy of one of these books.

SHAYLA WITHERWOOD

A brief moment of disappointment washed over me as I approached Jace’s lifeless body. Here I was, about to kiss a boy on the lips for the very first time, and he was completely comatose—possibly paralyzed—and would never even know or remember the experience. This was not how I’d envisioned my first kiss—me invisible, him unconscious.

Shayla Witherwood is not exactly normal. First of all, she’s spent her entire life being homeschooled, traveling in an RV around the country with her grandparents. And second, there’s the kind of inescapable fact that her mom was a genuine faerie.

But now that she’s starting a real life in a regular high school, Shayla desperately needs to stay out of trouble in both worlds because even her faerie powers might not be enough to protect her from what’s coming.

In her latest novel, Tamra Torero spins a magical tale filled with laugh-out-loud sarcasm, surprising twists, and spell-binding romance. Perfect for fairytale fans of all ages, this is one story you won’t want to miss!

LACRIMOSA

It’s been three thousand years since the fall of Azzaziel and the rebirth of evil; three thousand years since the Sentinal Order, an elite group of warrior angels, returned to Celestium. Their job—rid Earth of the dark creatures, the UnHoly. And with luck, end Azza’s rule.

As if casting out demons isn’t hard enough, five-hundred-year-old Nesy has to masquerade as a teenage girl to do it. Nesy is the best of the Sentinals. She never makes mistakes, never hesitates, never gets emotionally involved. Until she meets Aydan.  

He is evil incarnate; a fallen angel that feeds off the souls of others. Everything Nesy is supposed to hate.  But she can’t, because he’s also the love of her former life as a human girl—a life that ended too soon, tying her to emotions she was never supposed to feel.

Now Nesy must choose between doing her duty—damning Aydan to the fiery depths of hell—or saving him, and condemning herself. And her choice may cost her, and Celestium, far more than anyone realizes.

How much will she sacrifice for love?

How do you enter? Good question.


Mandatory:

• Follow me via GFC and/or Networked Blogs. Leave a comment telling me which with an email to contact you if you win.

Optional:

• Like Cedar Fort Books, here. Leave a comment with an email when complete.
• Follow Christine, here. Leave a comment with an email when complete.
• Follow me on Twitter, here. Leave a comment with an email when complete.

It is in your best interest to leave seperate comments for each entry. Random.org will choose the winner next week. Please have your enteries posted by midnight on April 12. Thanks for stopping by! Make sure to check out the other participating blogs. :)

Shayla Witherwood: A Half-Faerie Tale Blog Tour & Book Review

SHAYLA WITHERWOOD: A HALF-FAERIE TALE by Tamra Torero. Welcome to this stop on the blog tour hosted by Cedar Fort Books. The book blurb actually really drew me into this book. I was excited to read it. The characters were easy to love, but found that the action really didn't pick up until the middle of the book. Once things got rolling, I loved it, and for me it ended too soon. There could have been so many more wonderful details given once the ball got going. I'm curious if there will be more stories to come about Shalya. Stay tuned for a giveaway on April 6th.

:):):)

A brief moment of disappointment washed over me as I approached Jace’s lifeless body. Here I was, about to kiss a boy on the lips for the very first time, and he was completely comatose—possibly paralyzed—and would never even know or remember the experience. This was not how I’d envisioned my first kiss—me invisible, him unconscious. 

Shayla Witherwood is not exactly normal. First of all, she’s spent her entire life being homeschooled, traveling in an RV around the country with her grandparents. And second, there’s the kind of inescapable fact that her mom was a genuine faerie. 

But now that she’s starting a real life in a regular high school, Shayla desperately needs to stay out of trouble in both worlds because even her faerie powers might not be enough to protect her from what’s coming. 

In her latest novel, Tamra Torero spins a magical tale filled with laugh-out-loud sarcasm, surprising twists, and spell-binding romance. Perfect for fairytale fans of all ages, this is one story you won’t want to miss!