I am absolutely delighted to have won the first award for my blog! After receiving the Liebster Award, Science Fiction, Transmedia & Fandom passed it onto me! This award is normally given to bloggers by other bloggers, and I am honored to be part of this tradition. To learn more about the Liebster Award, check out this detailed WordPress post by Lorraine Reguly.

The Rules
1. Post the award on your blog.
2. Thank the blogger who presented this award and link back to their blog.
3. Share 11 random facts about yourself.
4. Answer 10 Liebster questions given by the person who nominated you.
5. Nominate 5-10 bloggers who you feel deserve this award
6. Ask your nominees 10 questions.
7. Notify your nominees by commenting on their blogs and/or emailing them.

11 Random Facts About Me
1. I’m a sci-fi television junkie.
2. I have a 3-year-old daughter whose favorite activity is telling stories, and I think that’s just about the coolest thing ever.
3. I’m a seventh-generation Texan.
4. I have a Ph.D. in eighteenth-century literature, but when I was an undergraduate, I sold all my eighteenth-century books back because I hated them!
5. I teach college English online.
6. I grew up in a town with a college that has a rodeo major.
7. I have lived in New York City, L.A., New Orleans, and near Atlanta.
8. I love the color pink.
9. Summer is by far my favorite season.
10. I spend as much time in swimming pools as I possibly can.
11. I could eat enchiladas for every meal for the rest of my life and be perfectly happy.

My Answers to Science Fiction, Transmedia & Fandom’s 10 Questions

1. Who is your favorite author?

I hate “favorite” questions! I like too many different kinds of books to choose favorites. I tend to have lists of favorite authors according to genre and to time period. But at the moment, here are a few: I love books by Neil Gaiman, Lois McMaster Bujold, Faith Hunter, Stephen Graham Jones, Ilona Andrews, Carrie Vaughn, Richelle Mead, Rachel Vincent, Holly Black, Janny Wurts, Jennifer Estep, Rachel Caine, Patricia Briggs, Janet Evanovich . . . and those are just the ones who come to mind immediately!

2. Which books/movies/TV shows have inspired you most?

When I was in kindergarten, The Hobbit was my nightly bedtime story. By the time I was in the fourth grade, I had read all of The Lord of the Rings. I also read the entire Trixie Belden series in the fourth grade. These two series pretty much set my love of fantasy and mystery in stone!

3. What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

This year, it’s having two novels accepted by different publishers in the same week!

4. If you could have a conversation with one fictional character, who would it be?

Bob Howard, the narrator of Charles Stross’s The Laundry Files series. I would love to have a sit-down with the computational demonologist who protects England (and the world!) from Lovecraftian nightmare monsters.

5. What prompted you to create your blog/website?

Initially, I started my blog to promote my first novel, Waking Up Dead. But I quickly decided that I wanted to promote other writers, too, and to write about all things word-related.

6. Which non-fiction book(s) would you recommend?

Most of the non-fiction I read is academic—recently, I’ve been reading a lot of books analyzing popular culture. I’m currently reading a couple of books with articles of mine: Nadine Farghaly’s Examining Lois Lane: The Scoop on Superman’s Sweetheart and Deborah Christie and Sarah Lauro’s Better Off Dead: The Evolution of the Zombie as Post-Human. I’m looking forward to reading Sherry Ginn’s The Worlds of Farscape and her forthcoming edited collection of essays on Dollhouse.

7. What is your favorite music genre to listen to?

I have eclectic tastes. I listen to everything from classical to country to alternative to rock to rap.

8. What is the best piece of advice you ever received?

Use active voice.

9. Which advice would you give an aspiring writer?

Keep writing new things. Always have a work in progress. Finish writing a piece, do a quick edit, and submit it somewhere for publication. Then move on to the next project. Don’t wait to hear back—that way lies madness! If it’s rejected (and often it will be; that’s the nature of writing for publication), don’t let it get you down. Just send it out again and go back to your work in progress.

10. What was the most recent TV show and/or movie you liked?

I’m currently obsessed with The Big Bang Theory. I discovered it two weeks ago and have watched all seven seasons. But I rarely watch sitcoms; I’m much more likely to watch supernatural dramas like Supernatural, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Vampire Diaries, Walking Dead, Teen Wolf . . .

Nominate 10 Bloggers
1. Melanie Karsak: http://melaniekarsak.blogspot.com/
2. Fabulosity Reads: http://fabulosityreads.blogspot.com/
3. Tashara Talks: http://tasharatalks.com/
4. Deborah Melanie: http://deborahmelanie.blogspot.com/
5. Refreshingly Riki: Miss Riki’s Musings: http://missriki.com/
6. KateMarie Collins: http://katemariecollins.wordpress.com/
7. Marie Lavender: http://marielavenderbooks.blogspot.com/
8. Diaries of 2 Thick Chicks: http://diariesof2thickchicks.blogspot.com/
9. Reading Until I Fall Asleep, by Bebe Knight: http://www.readinguntilifallasleep.com/
10. Nancy Wood: http://nancywood-books.com/blog.html

My 10 Questions For The Nominees
1. What prompted you to start blogging?
2. How do you decide which guests to invite to participate in your blog?
3. How do you determine which topics to write about on your blog?
4. What do you consider your most interesting trait?
5. What do you find inspirational?
6. Who are a few authors you look up to?
7. What book are you reading now?
8. What books have most influenced your life most?
9. What is the most frightening thing you have ever done?
10. What is something on your “bucket list” and why do you want to do it someday?

This last week has been absolutely fabulous, and I wanted to share it with everyone!

The first amazing thing to happen was that Waking Up Dead hit several genre bestseller charts in the UK; in itself, that would have been wonderful, but check out the company it was keeping when it hit #2 in Ghost Suspense in the UK:

At #6 in Horror in the UK, it was all Stephen King . . . and me!

And it also hit #1 in Paranormal Suspense in the UK!

By Thanksgiving day here in the U.S., Waking Up Dead was on bestselling genre charts in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, and Germany.

If that weren’t enough, I found out that Waking Up Dead was chosen as the alternate read by the Vaginal Fantasy Book Club, hosted by Felicia Day, Veronica Belmont, Bonnie Burton and Kiala Kazebee.

I discovered this when I got a Goodreads notification that Felicia Day had posted about my book.

I had to check to make sure it was really THAT Felicia Day.

It was.

I got a little dizzy.

And their main choice for December is Laurell K. Hamilton’s first Anita Blake novel, Guilty Pleasures–more exciting company for Waking Up Dead to be keeping!

On Thanksgiving Day, I discovered I had been awarded the Liebster Award for Blogging (check back here soon for more information on the award!).

In a week of thanksgiving for all the great things in my life–family, friends, a life I love–I have been even more thankful than usual for all the readers who are reading Waking Up Dead and sharing it, and for those who follow and read this blog; you all rock! Because of you, this week has been just about perfect.

THANKS!

EARTH’S MAGICK ~EARTH~ Book 1

Coming Soon from Solstice Publishing

Life in Trinity Hills, Texas goes from normal to deadly for Mela Malone. Whenever Mela falls asleep, a mysterious Hag creature tries to kill her. What begins as dabbling in protective spells from an ancient Grimoire, leads to her initiation into an ancient order of warrior witches known as the Elementai.

Mela learns war is coming with The Darkness and the Hag is only one of the evil creatures in its service. As an Elementai, Mela learns it’s her duty to find four part-human sisters who can help defeat the evil that threatens to return to the world. With every new discovery, Mela uncovers ancient secrets that complicate her quest further.

As war approaches, everyone must make a choice – fight with the Elementai for all life on Earth, or fight for The Darkness…

Author Bio:

Mel Massey studied Cultural Anthropology and History of Religion. Her husband serves in the United States Army and she is the mother of two adorable monsters. Mel spends most of her time talking to her imaginary friends.

Sophie Bloom’s junior year has been a bit of a train wreck. After the world’s greatest kiss re-awakened Sophie’s true identity as Persephone (Goddess of Spring and Savior of Humanity), she fought her dragon-lady guidance counselor to the death, navigated mean girl Bethany’s bitchy troublemaking, and dealt with the betrayal of her backstabbing ex, Kai (sexy Prince of Darkness). You’d think a girl could catch a break.

Yeah, right.

With Zeus stepping things up, it’s vital that Sophie retrieve Persephone’s memories and discover the location of the ritual to stop Zeus and Hades. So when Aphrodite strikes a deal that can unlock Sophie’s pre-mortal past, what choice does the teen goddess have but to accept?

The mission: stop media mogul Hermes from turning Bethany into a global mega-celebrity. The catch? Aphrodite partners Sophie and Kai to work together … and treat this suicide mission as a date. Which could work out for Sophie’s plan to force Kai to admit his feelings for her–if she doesn’t kill him first.

Add to that the fact that BFF Theo’s love life and other BFF Hannah’s actual life are in Sophie’s hands, and suddenly being a teenager—even a godlike one—seems a bit like … well, hell. Whatever happened to dinner and a movie?

The YA romantic comedy/Greek mythology fireworks continue to fly in My Date From Hell. Love meets comedy with a whole lot of sass in book two of this teen fantasy romance series. Breaking up is easy; dating is deadly.

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A Vampire’s Christmas Carol (Novella)
by
Cynthia Eden

Blurb: 

This holiday season has bite.

Ben Prescott hates Christmas—he’s a vampire, and to him, there’s certainly nothing jolly about the holiday season. While the humans are running around being merry, he’s hunting in the shadows. Ben plans to spend the holidays his way…by stalking deadly prey.

But fate has other plans for Ben.

Three visitors are coming Ben’s way…A demon who will force Ben to face his past, a ghost who will show Ben the present he could have, and a shifter who will reveal the darkness that waits in Ben’s future. Unless Ben can change his ways, he may just turn into a real monster, one who can’t be saved by anyone or anything.

‘Tis the season…to be undead.

Ben’s redemption rests in the hands of the one woman he loved and lost—Simone Laurent. If Ben is going to have a chance at being more than just the beast in the darkness, he has to prove himself to the lovely Simone. A very hard task, considering that, once upon a Christmas Eve, Simone died in Ben’s arms…

Warning:
This book features one very tortured vampire, a sexy ghost from his past, and hot scenes designed to melt the winter snow. Plenty of action, adult situations, and steamy times are ahead. Happy holidays! 

Available for purchase at 

Excerpt

Lust clawed through him. The need, the red-hot desire, seemed to
burn Ben from the inside.  He grabbed
Simone, yanked her flush against him. His mouth locked on hers. He’d always
tried to be so careful with her in the past. Played the gentleman because she mattered.

He wasn’t
a gentleman any longer. Ben wasn’t even sure what he was. He just knew he
needed Simone naked, and he had to be in her.

He carried her back to his
bedroom. He ignored the glittering New York skyline. She was the only thing he
could see. Desire pounded through him. His cock was so swollen that he hurt
and—

His teeth were extending.
Stretching in his mouth.

Ben dropped Simone on the bed
and stepped back, horrified.

“Ben?”  Simone sat up on the bed and pushed back the
blonde hair that had tumbled forward. “What’s wrong?”
            She was so gorgeous and
sexy staring up at him.  Looking at him
with those wide, dark eyes.

I’m going to hurt her. He grabbed for the control that he’d always
held so easily in the past. Only that control was broken. Shattered. “You need
to leave.”

About the Author

USA Today Best-selling author Cynthia Eden has written over twenty-five novels and novellas. She was named as a 2013 RITA^® finalist for her paranormal romance, ANGEL IN CHAINS, and, in 2011, Cynthia Eden was a RITA finalist for her romantic suspense, DEADLY FEAR.

Cynthia is a southern girl who loves horror movies, chocolate, and happy endings.  She has always wanted to write (don’t most authors say that?), and particularly enjoys creating stories about monsters–vampires, werewolves, and even the real-life monsters that populate her romantic suspense stories.

Cynthia’s foreign sales for her books include translations to Japan, Germany, Thailand, Greece, and Brazil.

(Back in the day…) Cynthia graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Alabama where she studied Sociology (because people interest her) and Communication (because she likes to write about said people).  Cynthia has worked as a college admissions counselor, a teacher, and as an editor. But now, Cynthia is thrilled to be spending her days making up stories.

          

Giveaway

A $100 Gift Card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble

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Presented By

Welcome today to Rebekkah Ford, author of the Paranormal YA Beyond the Eyes trilogy. She has graciously agreed to answer a few questions for us today! Keep reading for more information about the trilogy!

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1. What do you write about? Tell us a little about your previously published works.

Right now, I write paranormal stories. My Beyond the Eyes trilogy is about a heartsick teenage girl (Paige Reed) who has been receiving premonitions for years from a ghostly voice. One day she receives a haunting one about herself, which changes her life forever. She goes from being an emotional teen to a kickass girl who is destined to protect humanity against the dark spirits dwelling inside soulless humans.

2. How do you handle bad reviews?

I try to get something positive out of it, and I read some of the good reviews I’ve received. I also remind myself that every author has had a bad review. It’s part of the business. You can’t please everybody.

3. Tell us a little about your work in progress.

In The Devil’s Third a witch tells Nathan to relay a message to Paige. Her guide Moradin will be taking her on a journey through the heavenly realms. It’s been decided by her council. So right now I’m writing the novella of Moradin showing Paige things we can only imagine, but has been ingrained on our very soul.

4. Any advice for aspiring writers?

Write what you love. Don’t go by what’s popular now because it might not be by the time your book gets published. You need to read a lot as well. Believe in yourself, even if others don’t believe in you. And remember, the more you write, the better you become. It’s an ongoing journey that never ends.

5. What is your personal writing process?

I think of a story, flesh out ideas, write out the characters and a loose outline, then I start writing. I don’t stop to edit. I just write and take notes on the side when needed.

6. Who are a few authors you look up to?

JK Rowling, Anne Rice, George Orwell, and Ralph Waldo Emerson.

7. What book are you reading now?

Devlin’s Descendent by Felicia Tatum

8. What inspired you to write your first book?

My passion for telling stories.

9. If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

In my Beyond the Eyes trilogy I wouldn’t have made it appear so dark. I honestly think it sends out the wrong message, like it’s a horror story, and it’s not really.

10. What do you find particularly challenging about writing?

I work a full-time job, so finding the time to write and get in that “zone”is challenging at times.

11. If there was one message you could send to everybody who reads your books, what would it be?

Thank you for reading my books. I appreciate it and hope you enjoy them. Your support means a lot to me.

12. What inspires you to write?

Reading other stories or watching a TV show or movie.

13. Where can readers find you and your work?

Blog: http://themusingwriter.blogspot,com

Facebook Author Page: http://www.Facebook.com/RebekkahFord2012

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RebekkahFord

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Beyond the Eyes -298 pages
Published -June 2012

“A thrilling, wholly satisfying first book to a new young adult series. It will keep you wanting more.” –Valentina Cano, Carabosse’s Library

“Beyond the Eyes is haunting yet passionate. This breakout novel is quick and hip, a saucy must- read.”–Charles Land, Judas Pistol

Blurb:

Paige knows evil exists in this world, but she never imagined it would want something from her.

In the small town of Astoria, Oregon, surrounded by deep forest and endless mountains, another world thrives . . . a menacing one where dark spirits dwell in soulless humans. Seventeen-year- old Paige Reed lives in this lush, picturesque setting. She’s not your average teen, though she appears to be. Not only is she heartsick, but she’s been receiving cryptic premonitions from a ghostly voice since the age of four. After she hears a haunting message about herself, supernatural occurrences begin to confuse her.

Nathan Caswell seems to peer into Paige’s soul, evoking a magnetic energy between them they cannot deny. They’re connected. But he’s no ordinary guy. He tracks dark spirits and becomes alarmed when they set their sights on Paige.

When two power-hungry malevolent beings make demands on her, she realizes then the fate of mankind rest in her hands. Her world quickly turns inside out where the impossible becomes possible, and in the end she’s faced with a life changing decision that will not only alter her existence but the world as she knows it.

Can a deeply troubled teen overcome her own demons in order to fight those lurking about? With the past and present colliding, Paige must make the ultimate mortal choice. Will it be the right one?

Dark Spirits – 321 pages
Published – February 2013
Blurb:

Now immortal, Paige is emotionally and physically stronger than ever. She must find the location of the ancient incantations to prevent mass genocide. But the war against good and evil is spawning another war–a battle between the dark spirits themselves. Paige is saddled in the center of both growing revolutions and is ready to take on the dark forces. But Nathan’s overprotectiveness prevents her from taking action, and he’s hiding things.

Paige’s personal life gets more complicated when Brayden arrives back in town and offers the equal partnership she desperately craves from Nathan. Then there’s Carrie and Tree, her two best friends and only family she has left. Unfortunate circumstances thrust them into Paige’s dark world, giving her no choice but to allow Nathan to arm them with combat techniques in hope they’ll be able to protect themselves.

Meanwhile, Paige is having visions and discovering abilities she was unaware of. When Anwar comes to visit, his weird behavior alarms her. Could he be turning to the dark side?

Time is running out. Paige not only needs to find the incantations but also to untangle the bands around her heart and make a decision that could leave her with a life worse than death–a life of betrayal from the ones she trusted most.

“Even more thrilling than the first. This is a captivating series you won’t put down and will leave you hungry for more.”–Felicia Tatum, author of The White Aura
“Paige is a strong courageous character and Dark Spirits will make your heart pound with the emotion and action!”–Julie Huss author of the I Am Just Junco series

The Exciting Continuation Of The Beyond the Eyes Trilogy: Released November 2013.

Blurb:

If you could have the power to control evil, would you want it?

In a rainy, misty town filled with moss-covered trees and dwarfed by wooded mountains, Astoria, Oregon, holds many secrets and eighteen-year-old Paige Reed is one of them. She’s immortal, has magical abilities she’s discovering, and harbors King Solomon’s power inside her. With his incantations, she can control the dark spirits who lurk among societies in soulless humans.

But her problems are mounting.

Her best friend slips into a coma, and Paige must tap into her newfound powers—powers she’s unsure of—to save her.

Through this ordeal, Bael who once commanded a legion of black souls, forces Paige to make a pact with him, causing her to abandon the ones she loves. When she finds out where Solomon’s spells are and tells Bael, she begins to have second thoughts about her agreement with him.

Will she risk everything to claim the spells that hold the power to control the dark spirits so she can enslave him? Or will her one true love find her before she makes a horrible mistake that could damage her for life?

And most importantly, what does the Devil’s third mean and what is Bael really up to?

_____________________

Where to connect with Rebekkah Ford:

Blog: http://themusingwriter.blogspot.com
Facebook Author Page: http://www.Facebook.com/RebekkahFord2012
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RebekkahFord
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/rebekkahford/boards/

_____________________

Rebekkah’s Bio:

Rebekkah Ford grew up in a family that dealt with the paranormal. Her parents’ Charles and Geri Wilhelm were the directors of the UFO Investigator’s League in Fairfield, Ohio, back in the 1970s. They also investigated ghost hauntings and Bigfoot sightings in addition to UFO’s. Growing up in this type of environment and having the passion for writing is what drove Rebekkah at an early age to write stories dealing with the paranormal. Her fascination with the unknown is what led her to write the Beyond the Eyes trilogy.

Title: Luminous

Author: Jasmine Angell

Series: The Psyne Series (#1)

Genre: YA Fantasy

Publisher: Saga Ventures, LLC

Release Date: Aug 12 2013

Editions/Formats Available In: eBook

Blurb/Synopsis:

What would you do if the world you loved was taken from you forever?

…and what would you sacrifice to get it back?

Magical, Mythical, Mesmerizing…

A powerful race of beings lives and works among us and we don’t even know it. To us, they are known as mermaids, sirens and water nymphs, but they call themselves the Psyne. They have lived on Earth since ancient times, wield powerful magic and have only one weakness—love.

When Psyne suddenly start disappearing around the globe, the remaining aquatars are evacuated to their home world and a ban is placed on Earth. Ilauria, a devoted servant to the Psyne Council, can’t abide abandoning the missing eight, and with the help of her long-time friend, Shivan, and a subversive member of the Venvian Psyne named Adante, she embarks on a harrowing rescue mission to uncover who or what is powerful enough to subdue her kind.

What Ilauria discovers will cause her to question her loyalties, re-examine her dual nature, and will shake the very foundations of the truths her society holds dear.

__________________

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__________________

Book Links

Amazon

Goodreads

__________________

About the Author

Jasmine was born in Tucson, Arizona, the oldest of two children. She spent her teen years living in Phoenix, Arizona and then attended the University of Arizona in Tucson where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative Writing. She married and moved to Salt Lake City, Utah where her husband attended graduate school at the University of Utah. There she adopted a love for the changing seasons, snowboarding and the beauty of the mountains.

She spent several years working on a literary novel but found her heart wasn’t in it. Finally she quit her day job to write full time and embraced her life-long love of fantasy fiction. She wrote Luminous, the first novel in the Psyne series (pronounced “sign”) and followed it up with the sequel, Prism, due out the summer of 2014. With a third series novel in the works and no end in sight, Jasmine will be spending a great deal of time in the Psyne Universe over the next several years. When she’s not writing or spending time with her family, she loves to horseback ride, dance, make elaborate costumes just for the fun of it, and is always planning her next decadent tea party.

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Author Links

Blog

Facebook

Goodreads

LinkedIn

Twitter

Website

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Excerpt: THE ANNOUNCEMENT

Ilauria proceeded down a short set of iridescent stairs and breached the invisible membrane holding the ocean back. She dove into the water gracefully and her dress rippled away as she shifted into her Psyne form. Her legs gave way to an opulent fish tail that shimmered blue, green and purple depending on how the light hit it.

Shivan dove in after her, shape shifting with ease.

Like the quintessential mermaid, Shivan’s tail propelled her through the saltwater. The delicate scales of her tail were the same light green color of her eyes and narrowed from her hips only to fan out into resplendent flukes. Gold bands encircled her arms above the elbows and ribbons of light green fin hung from them as a faint glow emanated from the pale skin of her face and arms.

Ilauria paused suddenly, eyeing the two immense statues that flanked the entrance to Aquatarius. They were Psyne, like Ilauria and Shivan, and seemed to stare down at them, their eyes gleaming defiantly with their abundant hair spread out behind them. They were pinnacles of strength, a tribute to the ancient Psyne who had sacrificed so much in order for their descendants to live in peace, without fear of the Fury, their mortal enemies.

Then as quick as Ilauria had paused, she was off again with a flick of her peacock-colored tail, as graceful as a seal.

Shivan pushed against the water and followed her.

The silence of the water enveloped them, with the exception of far off whale song and it was a welcome sanctuary from the babbling voices of Aquatarius.

But it didn’t last long.

As easily as hearing verbal speech, the telepathic announcement from the Council went out to all Psyne:

As of this moment, all aquatars are being recalled from Earth and travel to that planet is hence forth banned.

Psyne as far as the eye could see halted in mid-swim and took in the news. Hearing the Council’s decree again cemented the raw feeling in Shivan’s throat as they swam onward without missing a beat.

As they rounded the edge of a swaying kelp forest, Shivan looked back at Aquatarius looming behind them. The walls of the aquatar headquarters shimmered with mother-of-pearl and were bathed in the blue light of the zenethen energy spheres hanging suspended in the water above it. Shaped like a sea star, the monolithic structure possessed five towers, one between each arm, the intricate spires swirling up towards the ocean surface.

Shivan set off after Ilauria, thrusting her tail to keep up with the furious pace Ilauria had set through the ocean. Their pale skin glowed in the dark water until the sea floor of opalescent sand began to slope ever steeper and the water began to lighten with the shifting bands of sunlight filtering through the waves above.

They swam past a gamboling herd of giant seahorses tossing their heads as Shivan studied Ilauria’s calm demeanor, knowing it wasn’t like her friend to be so stoic.

Ilauria, are you okay?

Shivan felt her telepathy gently blocked by her friend and she didn’t persist but her worry grew more intense. Perhaps she was going to need time to adjust to this new reality where the Council would abandon their sisters.