Wednesday, April 29, 2015

STOLEN ART - YA SCI-FI ROMANCE by Ruth Silver

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Title: Stolen Art
Author: Ruth Silver
Publisher: Lazy Day Publishing
Release Date: April 28, 2015
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi Romance
  Stolen Art 


 Sixteen-year-old Madeline has been living on the streets, biding her time until she's eighteen. With little to no money, she takes on a heist in hopes of making ends meet. What could possibly go wrong? Everything. Getting caught is just the beginning of Madeline's adventure as she meets Weston and discovers the secret of where she came from.   Fans of Orphan Black, The X-Files, and Fringe will fall head over heels for STOLEN ART. Recommended: 15+

Excerpt

I rush back up the dark stairwell, shoving the key into the doorknob. It takes a minute for the lock to click and I push myself inside the apartment, securing every lock and deadbolt. I can’t stay here in Hutchinson, Kansas any longer. Pulling my phone from my purse, I text Weston. Tatiana is here. It’s not safe for me. I grab the few belongings that have any value to me, sentimental or otherwise, and shove it into my shoulder bag, including the stolen silver necklace. It has value and if I’m forced on the run, I’ll need money to survive. I know. What did Weston mean he knew Tatiana is at the bar? Had he seen her? Is he there? What do you mean, you know? I type into the phone. If he saw her, why didn’t he warn me? I can’t go down out the front door and it’s only a matter of time until she finds me just a few feet away. I grow restless waiting for an answer. The phone buzzes and displays an incoming call from Weston. "Wes, tell me you’re here." The only thing to do is hop in his car and drive into the night, far from Kansas. A female’s voice bubbles with laughter. "Oh he’s coming darling, but you should know he won’t get here in time. Amazing how easy it is to clone a phone number and steal his service. The advancements Stem Tech has made is encouraging." teaser stolen art2    


About the Author

Ruth Silver is the best-selling author of the Aberrant trilogy. With a passion for writing and a love of story-telling, Ruth is actively writing multiple series under her name as well as the pen name Ravyn Rayne. Her interests include traveling, reading, and photography. Her favorite vacation destination is Australia. Ruth currently resides in Plainfield, Illinois. Follow Ruth here Blog- http://writeawaybliss.com Facebook- http://facebook.com/writeawaybliss Twitter- http://twitter.com/writeawaybliss Looking for a steamier read? Check her out here Blog- http://ravynrayne.com Facebook- http://facebook.com/ravynraynereads Twitter- http://twitter.com/blushingravyn book series  







Monday, April 27, 2015

FIFTH AVENUE FIDOS - New Adult Rom Com with 'BITE"




Fifth Avenue Fidos
A New Adult Rom-Com with “Bite”
by Holly Schindler

“Once upon a time, in a magical metropolitan kingdom…” OR: When a mutt from Queens meets a purebred Upper East Side New Yorker, it takes man’s—and woman’s—best friend to convince them what they feel is more than puppy love.

When Mable Barker snags a job walking a snarly Fifth Avenue Pekingese belonging to the shy veterinarian, Jason Mead, she expects to spend her days dealing with yet another creature’s crap—figuratively and literally…Only to find that love is unleashed, as she and Jason fall for the Peke and for each other. But can three imperfect beings create utter perfection at the Westminster Dog Show?

Fifth Avenue Fidos offers a smart, sweet romantic comedy, using the conventions of fairy tales to explore what “happily ever after” means. A heartwarming story of love and dreams in dog-eat-dog NYC.

Links: 
Amazon | Kobo | More Purchase Links | GoodReads 

Q&A with Holly Schindler


Based on your website, it looks like you've been writing all of your life - that's so awesome! What would you say is the most wonderful thing about writing? 

I’ve always gravitated toward writing and books. I had to have a new Little Golden Book every time Mom and I went to the supermarket, and I was writing—and illustrating—my own books at my child-sized rolltop desk when I was six or seven.

I was a really shy kid, too. In part, writing may very well have been a way to have a “voice” early on. But it’s more than that, too. There’s something about storytelling that’s always been the right fit. I can’t imagine a life not writing.

You've said that you wrote lots of "margin notes" when you were growing up. What was the importance of these notes? 

I’ve always got a little notebook or piece of scratch paper when I leave the house—never do know when inspiration will strike! But I also got in the habit really early on of revising—scratching out passages, rewording, reorganizing, etc. Authors are often REWRITERS as much as they’re WRITERS.

How many books have you published, total? Which is your favorite? 

I’ve released four traditionally: A BLUE SO DARK (Contemporary YA, 2010) PLAYING HURT (YA Romance, 2011), THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY (Contemporary MG, 2014), and FERAL (YA Psychological Thriller, 2014). FIFTH AVENUE FIDOS is my first indie release. My traditional releases have earned starred reviews in PW and Booklist, and have won several awards (including a silver and gold medal in ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year and the IPPY Awards, respectively).

It’s hard to pick a favorite—I love them all for different reasons. BLUE will always have a special place in my heart, because it was my first-ever release, but FIDOS will also have a special place because it’s my first indie. FIDOS is also a book I originally drafted ten years ago. After multiple rewrites, I’m thrilled to have released this labor of love.

What inspires you to write? 

I’m constantly finding inspiration all around me. I started writing FIDOS shortly after my own Pekjingese, Jake, came into my life. In fact, some of Innis’s character is based on Jake. It was also a joy to write a book that included so much humor. All of my books have some humor—even when the subject matter is slightly darker. But this time, I just let the funny fly…which was easy to do since the book features a dog. (Really—what’s funnier than a dog?)

Any new projects that you're working on? 


Right now, I’m revising my next YA for HarperCollins, due out in ’16. I’m also writing PLAY IT AGAIN, the sequel to PLAYING HURT. You can follow along with my progress, get sneak peeks, first glimpses at covers, etc. of all my books by subscribing to my newsletter: tinyletter.com/hollyschindler.


About the Author
Holly Schindler is the author of four traditionally published books; her work has received starred reviews in Booklist and Publishers Weekly, has won silver and gold medals in ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year and the IPPY Awards, respectively, has been featured on Booklist’s Best First Novels for Youth and School Library Journal’s What’s Hot in YA, and has been a PW Pick of the Week. Fifth Avenue Fidos is her first independently published book. She is owned by a Pekingese named Jake and can be found working on her next book in her hometown of Springfield, Missouri. She can also be found at hollyschindler.com.











Thursday, April 23, 2015

SENTIENT, YA SCI-FI THRILL RIDE - LANDS ATLANTIC PUBLISHING


Title: Sentient 
Author: Wendy L. Koenig 
Publisher: Lands Atlantic Publishing 
Release Date: August 11th, 2015 

Synopsis:

When seventeen-year-old Pala de la Croix and her escort team are deployed to a newly discovered planet, their routine exploration quickly changes to a survival mission. After being targeted by their own weaponry and an unknown virus, the rangers and scientists attempt to make their way back to base camp safely.

While Pala tries to unravel the motivation behind the attack, she also has to come to terms with  the possible betrayal of her boyfriend and fellow Cadet Marshal, Cabot Isberg. In her search for the source of the deception, she’ll discover that not only is intelligent life present on Colossus, but the planet itself may be more valuable than she was led to believe.

In this defining journey, Pala learns how little value is placed on the loss of life. And fighting to protect one planet may cost her refuge on the other.

Add to your shelf on GoodReads!
Visit Lands Atlantic Pubishing for more great titles and information on submissions for authors!

About the Author
Wendy has been writing since her early childhood.  Her first published piece was a children’s short story titled, Jet’s Stormy Adventure. It was serialized in The Illinois Horse Network. She attended the University of Iowa,  honing her craft in their famed summer workshops and writing programs. Since that time, she has published and co-authored numerous books. Several of her novels and short stories have won international awards and have appeared in multiple venues. Visit her online at http://wendylkoenig.com/

(Author Photo and Information provided by LandsAtlantic.com)





Monday, April 20, 2015

The Tethering: Actress Megan O'Russell Writes YA Fantasy

Megan O'Russel is the author of the Young Adult fantasy novels The Tethering and The Siren's Realm. Megan hails from the glamorous city of New York City (or at least it seems glamorous to a small town country girl like me...!), spending her time traveling the country as an actress. I was curious as to how she began writing, so I asked her a few questions.

Author Q&A

Let's talk fantasy. How many books have you published total, and what are they about? 
I have one book out right now. It’s a young adult fantasy novel entitled The Tethering. The sequel to The Tethering, The Siren’s Realm, will be released as an eBook on April 29th and as a paperback on June 1st.
[The following is the synopsis]
All sixteen-year-old Jacob Evans wants is to win the heart of Emilia Gray, but with order in the magical world crumbling, war threatening, and Emilia’s boyfriend living across the hall, he may never have the chance.

Jacob Evans loses everything he has ever known and is tossed into a world of magic. The Dragons, a group of rebel wizards, are threatening to expose the existence of magic to humans. Jacob is determined to find a way to fit into Emilia’s family, but as his powers grow, so does the danger. With the death toll mounting, Jacob is accused of acts of rebel terrorism and must fight to stay in a world he’s only just beginning to discover.
When Emilia’s life is threatened, Jacob must risk everything to save her. Does he have the power to rescue her in time? And what could their survival cost?

What got you started on writing fantasy? By extension, why YA and not Adult? 

The Tethering came from the idea of a little boy waiting in a window for his best friend to come back. Figuring out who that boy was and why his best friend had disappeared led to the story of The Tethering. I didn’t decide to sit down and write a fantasy novel. It just fit with the story. And as for choosing YA versus NA or adult, I love the level of exploration that can be used in YA fiction. With that age group, the characters are old enough to really explore the world around them but young enough to still have a lot of self exploration left to do as well.

Do you think people underrate Young Adult novels? 
I really do. I am a huge fan of classics and real high-brow literature, but just because you’re not writing like the Bronte sisters doesn’t mean your work isn’t valuable. Writing YA books not only engages teen readers at an age where keeping them interested in books becomes more difficult. It also allows adults to re-explore a simpler version of ourselves. There is something very exciting about the thrill of a first kiss even if the reader's first kiss was a decade ago. 

What is your "writing method," so to speak? 
I write the scene that is in my mind that day. If there is a conversation running through my head that my characters need to have, I’ll work on that dialogue for the day. When I have all those scenes down and a beginning, middle, and end, I go back through, building the bridges and smoothing the surface. Then I do a huge continuity check. Writing that way adds a lot of time to edits and revision, but it keeps me really enthusiastic about writing everyday and gives the actions of the characters more urgency.

If you could be become any of the characters in your novels, who would it be? 
I would have to be Claire Wren from The Tethering Series. I love her. She is the best of my humor and snark, and she can do magic.

Any upcoming projects? 
The Siren’s Realm will be out at the end of the month! I also have a short story about Claire Wren in Athena’s Daughters II. And I have a few more projects that I am prepping for submission.


Where can people connect with you online? 
TSU: https://www.tsu.co/MeganORussell

Goodreads:



Thanks so much for stopping by!

Pre-Order The Siren's Realm HERE!



About the Author 
Megan is a native of Upstate New York who spends her time traveling the country as a professional actor. For the novels in the Tethering series, Megan has teamed up with Silence in the Library Publishing, a small press dedicated to artistry and equity in publishing. The next novel in the series, The Siren's Realm, is slated for release in the second quarter of 2015.