Friday, November 30, 2012

Cover Reveal!

No, not for me...  Adriana Ryan, good writer pal and fellow Spellbound Scribe, is announcing the release of her new dystopian novel ! They say you can't judge a book by it's cover, but if the story is half as good as the cover designed by James Helps, we're in for a real treat!


World of Shell and Bone
Coming December 7th, 2012


In a world ravaged by a nuclear holocaust, Vika Cannon knows there are no guarantees: no guarantees of safety, no guarantees that your neighbor is not actually a spy for the government, and no guarantees you’ll be allowed to emigrate to a new life in Asia.

New Amana is dying. Food and water are scarce, and people suffering from radiation-caused mutations—the Nukeheads—are the new class of homeless. 

Vika has just one purpose: to produce healthy progeny using a Husband assigned by the Match Clinic. Unhealthy children are carted away to Asylums to be experimented on, just as Vika’s little sister Ceres was, eight years ago. Parents incapable of producing healthy progeny are put to death in gas chambers.
When she’s assigned a Husband shortly after her twentieth birthday, Vika expects him to be complacent and obedient. But Shale Underwood has a secret. He is a member of the Radicals, the terrorist group intent on overthrowing the government. And Shale has information about Ceres.

As she learns more about the Rads’s plan, Vika finds herself drawn to Shale in ways she’d never imagined. When freedom calls in the way of a healthy pregnancy, will she betray her government and risk death for Shale and Ceres? 

*****

Adriana Ryan lives and writes in Charleston, SC. She is currently at work on a dystopian and an urban fantasy series. A huge fan of spooky stuff and shoes, she enjoys alternately hitting up the outlet malls and historic graveyards.

Adriana Ryan is a member of the Romance Writer’s Association (RWA).

www.twitter.com/adrianaryansc

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Tree CPR, Free Stories, and Stocking Stuffers!

With Thanksgiving behind us, I still have so much to be thankful for. If you read my holiday post over at Spellbound Scribes last week, you'll know my heartache over the loss of some of my precious ornaments during the "great flood" in our basement this summer. I also thought my tree had perished in the flood, but after a close inspection last night, I was able to bring it back to life. 

Just call me Martha Stewart. While my tree survived, the plastic tree stand did not, so I fashioned a new stand with a bucket of sand! And my lack of ornaments? Well, there's a reason I save wine corks! 

Another thing to be thankful for is being in such great company this holiday season. Let it Snow! Seasons Readings for a Super Cool Yule is FREE on Amazon today (11/25) and tomorrow (11/26)! My short in this collection is from the Travelers Series... Chase and Jenny's first date and how they celebrate the Mayan 12/20 doomsday prophecy. 



Ten authors band together for a little holiday cheer:

A Laurents County Landfill Christmas, by Red Tash
Silent Night, by Jack Wallen
Crazed in Christmas City, by Jessica McHugh
A Manlove & Kickerdick Xmess, by Axel Howerton
The Snow Wolf's Gift, by Tim Tash
A Serial Killer Christmas, by Mercedes Yardley
Old Mexia Christmas Brew, by Claudia Lefeve
The Pratty Who Saved Chrissmuss, by Marian Allen
Believe, by Connie Roberts-Huth
Hau'oli Hanukkah, by T. Lee Harris

An in honor of this collection going FREE, Red Tash is doing a Trivia Stocking Stuffer Giveaway! If you know anything about me and my YA books, you're ahead of the game!  

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Silos and Shelters

I like to think of myself as a "prepper." If there were ever an environmental, nuclear, or heaven forbid, a zombie apocalypse, the hubby and I would be prepared...but you can never research enough. Perhaps this is why I'm partial to post-apocalyptic stories! 

Here's what I've read this week:



Second Shift: Order by Hugh Howey. If you haven't read the bestselling WOOL series, you have missed out and you should go buy it now. For those that have and have been waiting for Second Shift, it's already out! I think I may love the Shift books (prequels) more than Wool! I just love the how's and the why's of it all. I talk about these books so much, my husband has no idea why I keep talking about silos and whether or not we'd be able to take our pug with us should we be forced to go into one. 




And this week, one of my readers recommended the Project ELE series by Rebecca Gober and Courtney Nuckels. I read the first book in the series, Project ELE, and immediately downloaded and read the second book, Finding ELE, the same night! You can't beat a post-apocaliptic story that includes love, powers, and FEMA. And the best part is, Project ELE (book 1) is currently FREE! 

So that's my reading "already read" pile for this past week! I hope you'll take a chance (if you haven't already) on some of these great reads! Remember, you can't ever be too prepared for the future! 

I doubt I'll be posting anything until after the holiday this week, so with that, have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING


Friday, November 16, 2012

What Happens Next?

For those of you who picked up PARADIGM and want to know what's next, well, you'll be pleased to know I have already started writing book 4 in the series, PARAMETER. This book will mark the second volume in the Travelers Series. Set primarily in the dystopian future commandeered by Thornberry (if you haven't read the series, he's the bad guy), I hope to steer this series towards a new adventure (Etta can only go back and forth between realities so many times, ya know?). 

I am also working on a short story set in the Travelers universe. This will be a story about Etta and Cooper...at their wedding, and of course, you will be cordially invited to attend! I really hope to have this out by the end of the month, but don't hold me to it! At the very latest, I'll have it done by January. 

And if you haven't picked it up yet, Let it Snow! Seasons Readings for a Super-Cool Yule, is available for free on iTunes right now (but for a limited time as this anthology has now been enrolled in Amazon Select). There will be FREE days on Amazon and I will keep you posted on those days. My short story featured in this collection, Old Mexia Christmas Brew, is also set in the Travelers universe and chronicles Chase and Jenny's first date (remember when they went missing for awhile in PARADIGM? Well, now you'll know what they were up to)! 

As soon as I get more updates, y'all will be the first to know! 

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Let's Celebrate!

It's been a little over a week since my last post. Just what have I been up to? Well, I am still riding the high since releasing PARADIGM, which is currently ranked on Amazon:


#56 in Children's Sci-Fi
#62 in Romance/Time Travel
#6 in Hot New Releases in Children's Sci-Fi 

YAY! 

I have also spent the last week working on a project for Write by the Rails, the local writers group that I'm a member of. An anthology has been put together and as part of the editorial team, I am tasked with formatting the book for print! It's a bit of a struggle, as I'm not used to formatting essays, poetry, etc. I am finishing it up today and I am thrilled to be part of this project! 


And speaking of anthologies, Let it Snow! Season's Readings for a Super-Cool Yule is now available! My short story, part of the Travelers universe (Jenny and Chase go on a super fun first date), is included in this collection of shorts from some of the most entertaining indie writers around. It is currently FREE on iTunes and Smashwords. If you'd like to see it FREE on Amazon, don't forget to report the lower price!! 



Lastly, when I'm not writing or teaching (which reminds me, I have mid-terms to grade later today), I also volunteer my time serving as one of the advisors to my sorority at James Madison University. Since the campus is over 100 miles away, I spend a lot of time out of town during the weekends. I LOVE our girls and I have a blast spending time with them! This past Friday, I helped out at one of their events (Mallard Ball, which is the biggest and most anticipated event for us). 

I love my camo bibs (overalls) and I'd wear them everyday if I could! You can't tell in the pic, but I also crafted an awesome blaze orange bow that I learned how to make from Pinterest! 


Now it's Sunday and as I've already mentioned before, there is a lot to celebrate today! My beloved Aggies just beat #1 ranked Bama last night, my hubby's birthday is today (so I need to start planning his birthday dinner), and it's Veterans Day!...so THANK YOU to all the veterans who served and continue to serve our great country! 

Friday, November 2, 2012

Thanks Amazon!

So today, I was minding my own business, when I get an email from the wonderful Tiffany A White who forwarded me an email from Amazon:


I've been waiting for months to get a forward from someone telling me that Amazon has recommended my books!! Yay! I couldn't get a whole shot of the email, but it had all three Travelers books! 

And speaking of Tiffany A White, please check out the interview I did with her over at her site today!!

....back to the Amazon love...

So then, I decide to check my ranking on Amazon and Paradigm is #6 on their Hot New Release list for Children's Sci-Fi! 


Really, though, it should be #5, as James Patterson's Daniel X, is ranked both #1 & #3 (ebook and hardcover).  


Winners!!

Thank ya'll for stopping by during Coffin Hop! And for those who are wondering just who the hell won the Grand Prize?? 

Aniko! The Happy Horror Writer! 

YAY!! 

Aniko will be receiving:


A signed copy of unDead Dixie Debs
An ebook copy of Coffin Hop Anthology: 2012 Collector EP Edition
Signed bookmarks
Zombie bumper stickers
Mini Zombie Doll
And Super cool buttons!! 

And the 8 lucky winners of an ebook copy of unDead Dixie Debs are:

Tradgedy6996
Gina 
Kim Koning
Milo Fowler
Jolie de Pre
thefishingwidow
Rachael Tu
Jason Darrick

Please send me an email with your preferred ebook file type!!