C. Lee McKenzie

Young Adult and Middle Grade Author

Monday Miscellany With A Special Guest, Angela Brown

By

In today’s Monday Miscellany I get to show off Angela Brown’s fabulous cover. 

Add this to your TBR list on Goodreads 

Here’s the short of it! 

Two teens…
Two lies…
Their paths collide when…
One bite changes a life.

Here’s the long of it! A series called . . .

NEO – Network of Extraordinaires and Otherworldlies:
Those who answer the call from NEO play their part in maintaining balance in our ever-changing times. With power-hungry malcontents, jealous gods, and even those with misguided good intentions, the fate of our world has oft been held in the hands of unsung heroes such as those that are members of NEO.

But before NEO, these heroes and heroines had lives, loves, issues and interests that didn’t involve saving mankind.

In Frailties of the Bond, it only takes one bite to change a life…

After a hiking trip gone wrong, sixteen-year-old Luca should have been dead. Since then, he’s drifted from one school day to the next, annoyed by the looks of suspicion. When a vampire attack claimed his mother and forced his first shift into animal form, Luca set out for Texas, vengeance bound, only to discover so much more when Aimee crossed his path.

Flesh-born of vampire parents sixteen years ago, Aimee shouldn’t exist. Magic, though, made dreams come true for an undead couple desperate for a child all their own. But this magic came with a price, a cost Aimee discovered after one forbidden bite.
Must read? Here’s your AMAZON link.
____________

Join & Support Your Favorite Writer
This week: Angela Brown and Kyra Lennon

Some Miscellaneous Tid Bits Gleaned from Penny Sansevieri, Marketing Expert

  • Put your most important information in the top left corner of your website. Surfers look there first. After that their eyes will scan the center of your posts.
  • While Content is King, White Space is Queen. Give your readers eyes a break by breaking up your prose.
  • Myspace members don’t buy books as often as FB members.
  • Goodreads is the place to be if you’re an author.
______________

My quote for Monday.  “Writing is like sausage-making; you’ll all be happier in the end if you just eat the final product without knowing what’s gone into it.” Anonymous.

Monday Miscellany

By

Cover Reveal Ta Da!
LisaGailGreen.com

Tricked into slavery by the man she loved, the Djinni Leela has an eternity to regret her choices.
Awakened in the prison of her adolescent body, she finds a new master in possession of the opal that binds her. But seventeen-year-old Jered is unlike any she’s seen. His kindness makes Leela yearn to trust again, to allow herself a glimmer of hope.
Could Jered be strong enough to free her from the curse of the Binding Stone?

Want send a quick TWEET of support? Now’s your chance.
Want to add this to your TBR list on GOODREADS? Here’s the link.

__________
After that eye-catching cover all the rest of this blog is blah by comparison; however, I had to share a few authorly quotes for your entertainment and inspiration.
“I never had any doubts about my abilities. I knew I could write. I just had to figure out how to eat while doing it.” Cormac McCarthy
“Some books are undeservedly forgotten; none are undeservedly remembered.” W. H. Auden
“Some Writers enjoy writing, I am told. Not me. I enjoy having written.” George R. R. Martin
___________
I love to read banned books. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Yummm). The Grapes of Wrath (Read this twice. Loved it both times. Will never forget it.) The Color Purple, The Golden Compass and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. 
Ban. Ban. Ban! I say. Those are the books that go to the top of my TBR pile.
So now you have The Binding Stone to read, you have some pity quotes by notable writers to consider and you have some books to write that are ban-worthy. Get going!

Thundering Luv? Cover Reveal & Partay! Her Grammarness Goes On & On

By

New Books & Book Event

We have to have some LOVE on Valentine’s Day, so LM Preston has provided us with her latest book and it’s all about that subject.

Cover Reveal Ta da!

Here’s the next book in the Luv series by LM Preston. This is a stand alone story, but if you want at taste of this series before you get your copy of Thundering Luv, just pick up a copy of Summer of Luv for $.99 at all ebook retailers.

Thundering Luv-a Short Story-YA Romance: Jewel has always been able to get the guy she wanted. The starting jock on the football team, the team captain on the basketball team, and the lead swimmer on the swim team. Problem is, she didn’t find them the least bit exciting. Was she cold or a she-wolf for guys? Colin thought so, and he’d do anything to bring her down a peg or two. When these two collide on the sandy beach during their mixed up summer vacation,  sparks fly, making this a summer neither will forget.
Does this cover look hot, or what?

Release Date: June 1st, 2013
Format: Ebook Only Release, but will be part of a print book in 2014 that includes 3 short YA Summer Romances by LM Preston to include (Flutter Of Luv, Thundering Luv, and Double Trouble Luv)

FREE BOOK1 in the ‘Summer Luv’ series of short stories by LM Preston. Flutter Of Luv, to each person who:

  • comments within 2 days of the cover reveal
  • adds this book to their TBR list over at goodreads OR “like” Flutter of Luv at Amazon. (leave your like# in your comment here.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/bc05448/


You’re invited to join in the fun at the  Facebook Release Party: May, 18th, 2013 combined party with LM Preston’s 2013 releases.

__________________________

Her Grammarness

The Continuing Saga of The Amateur Writer: We all have to be amateurs at the start, but we don’t have to stay that way, do we? However, if amateur status is your goal, here are some things (semantic as well as grammatical) to include in your stories
Body parts that take on a life of their own:
  • Her hand flew to her mouth. (This is an interesting image. Wonder if she ducked?)
  • His eyes shot toward her. (Yikes! Incoming.)
  • The girl’s head dropped onto the table. (That would ruin any meal.)
Which: use liberally and be sure it never connects with its noun:
  • I didn’t write the story, which was very tragic. (Tragic that you didn’t write the story or did you mean that the story was tragic? Oh dear, we’ll never know.)
  • The aardvark ate the gorilla, which was truly amazing. (An amazing act, indeed for anything, especially the aardvark; however, just what is “truly amazing”-the eating of the gorilla or the gorilla itself?) 

Have you read any of these in WIP’s? I have. I think I even found a few in some early writing at the back of my bookshelf. Incinerated now!


Monday Miscellany: Super Cover Reveal Plus A Bit of Epub News About The Princess of Las Pulgas

By

Cover Reveal for The Dragon Empire by Heather McCorkle
February 2013
Compass Press






Cover Design by CP Design



On Yacrana, dragons stand at the top of the evolutionary ladder instead of humans. Such an advanced species is not without its issues though.

There’s trouble in the Dragon Empire, the kind that could start a war between dragons and the races of people. Hidden factions of dragons believe they should rule the lesser races, not simply stand aside and allow them to develop as they will. Having lived so long in peace, the Emperors turn a blind eye, many oblivious that such attitudes even exist.

Despite being only an architect class, emerald dragon, Grendar is willing to risk banishment and death to stop that which his rulers refuse to see. The hope of peace lies not within the scaled breast of a dragon however, but within the hands of a group of people. But if the hidden factions have their way, these people won’t live to fulfill such a destiny. With a reluctant seer at his side, Grendar must leave his precious Empire for the outside world to save those that will one day save his kind. 

AUTHOR BIO
Heather McCorkle
I am an author of fantasy, in all its many sub-genres. Living green, saving endangered species, helping other writers, and supporting fabulous authors are a few of my passions. I am also a volunteer for the IS Foundation which works to make the world a greener place. When I’m not volunteering, writing, or surfing my social networking sites, I can be found on the slopes, the hiking trails, or on horseback. As a native Oregonian, I enjoy the outdoors almost as much as the worlds I create on the pages. No need to travel to the Great Northwest though, you can find me here, on my blog, and Monday night’s on Twitter where I co-moderate the #WritersRoad chat.
Author Links:
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4957267.Heather_McCorkle

My News: After going at it for two years, I’ve gotten my rights back from the publisher that went out of business and **DRUM ROLL HERE** The Princess of Las Pulgas is now an ebook. You can’t see me, but imagine the jumping up and down. WAIT. Here’s a picture.

Since The Princess has been in hiding for so long, I’m giving away five ebooks to the people who Tweet, Like, Tag, mention . . . whatever on fb, Amazon, Tweeter or blogs.

This can’t be truly Monday Miscellany if I only talk about books, can it? So here’s two of my favorite quotes for the week.

“Meetings are indispensible when you don’t want to do anything.” John K. Galbraith

“A desk is a dangerous place from which to watch the world.” John le Carré

Now I’m out of here. I’m tired of this “dangerous desk place,” so it’s time for a hike and maybe a few more jumps while I’m outside. What do you do to celebrate a victory, or reaching a goal? What do you think of Heather’s cover for her Epic Fantasy Novel?

Cover Reveal

By

Griffin’s Storm 

(Book Three: Water)

For centuries, there have been rumors about a lowly caste of supernatural beings known as the Terrae Angeli. Armed with the power to control Earth, Fire, Wind and Water, these warriors and their apprentices clandestinely serve as guardians for humans in danger.
An old enemy returns. A new alliance is formed. And Griffin finds himself in the eye of the storm when an ancient racial hatred is set loose, jeopardizing the very existence of the Terrae Angeli.
Once again, the teen guardian angel is forced to battle his worst nightmare. But this time, Griffin comes back swinging. With a vengeance.
After all, an eye for an eye…
About the Author:
Darby Karchut is an award-winning author, teacher, and a compulsive dawn greeter. She lives in Colorado with her husband and owns more backpacks than purses. As she should. Her YA books include Griffin Rising (2011 Sharp Writ YA Book of the Year) and Griffin’s Fire. Her debut Middle Grade novel, Finn Finnegan (Spencer Hill Press) will be released March 2013. The next book in the Finnegan series, Gideon’s Spear (Spencer Hill Press) will be released February 2014.
Be sure to visit Darby’s WEBSITE and say hi to her on her blog BLOG.
Her CONTACT.
Title: Griffin’s Storm (Book Three: Water)
Series: Griffin series #3
Author: Darby Karchut
Publisher: Copper Square Studios, LLC
ISBN: 978-0-9741145-5-2
Release date: December 2012
Format: Paper, e-book

Cover Reveal for Kismet by Beth Fred

By

Beth Fred is here to day to tell us why she chose to become an Indie Author and to introduce her book KISMET! When you’ve finished reading what she has to say about her important decision  come over and say hi to me at SHER A. HART’s.

Why I Decided to Self Publish
Lee, thanks for having me today.
For me, deciding to self publish was a bit of a process. It’s something I always wanted to do, but never had the confidence for. 
Then I wrote a really cute “sweet romance.” It got full requests and revision requests from multiple small presses. I vented about the revision requests as they came in, took a week to think, made the revisions and responded. But then I started getting round 2 requests for revisions, and at this point was un-changing things. 
True, it’s because each editor is looking for something different, so something one editor had me change another liked, but still, it was maddening. And in addition to un-changing things, there were new changes that I didn’t agree with. 
Royalties have always been higher in self publishing. Big publishers don’t buy short stories, and marketing budgets are about the same for a self published author and an author with a small press. And it allowed me greater control. I did un-change things, because I wanted to. I changed something no one told me to. And I didn’t change anything else. I wrote a beautiful story that could have perpetually changed or stayed dormant on my hard drive. Instead, I’m sharing it with the world, still intact. I hope people enjoy Kismet. 
About Kismet
When twenty-four-year-old Tiffany escapes her sister Kammy’s too wild Cancun bachelorette party, she finds herself in a bar with the unwanted attention of a gorgeous local named Luke.
Luke may be charming but Tiffany is leaving in two days and doesn’t need any complications. But complications are exactly what she gets when the cops show up to raid Kammy’s party. After Kammy is arrested, Tiffany agrees to have dinner with Luke, so he’ll help her get Kammy out of jail. Kammy’s arrest forces her to spend an extra day in Cancun, meaning she’ll miss a crucial meeting, and as an accountant in tax season, she is already drowning in work. Not to mention, every second she spends with Luke makes it harder to leave. With Luke, Tiffany can forget about work.
But will the airport be their final goodbye?


And for a limited time it includes an excerpt from best selling author Lizzy Ford!
Beth Fred lives in Wisconsin with her husband and their little ELF (Emily Lace Fred). She spends her time bringing her day dreams to life on paper, and blogging about bringing day dreams to life. 

Cover Reveal for Strength by Carrie Butler

By

While I’m off researching my next post on what I’ve learned about self-publishing, other people are actually out there publishing. Like look at what Carrie Butler has just come out with. Take it away, Carrie!





Strength
Series: Mark of Nexus – Book 1
 Sapphire Star Publishing   

New Adult (NA) Paranormal Romance (PNR)
Release Date: March 07, 2013
Want a sneak peek at what’s behind that cover?

When college student Rena Collins finds herself nose-to-chest with the campus outcast, her rumor-laced notions are shattered. Handsome, considerate, and seemingly sane, Wallace Blake doesn’t look like he spends his nights alone, screaming and banging on the walls of his dorm room. Hell, he doesn’t look like he spends his nights alone, period.

Too curious for her own good, Rena vows to uncover the truth behind Wallace’s madman reputation—and how two seconds of contact had left her with bruises. Of course, there are a few minor setbacks along the way: guilt, admiration, feelings of the warm and fuzzy variety…

Not to mention the unwanted attention of Wallace’s powerful, supernaturally-gifted family.

They’re a bloodline divided by opposing ideals, two soon-to-be warring factions that live in secret among us. When Rena ends up caught in their crossfire, Wallace has no choice but to save her by using his powers. Now they’re reallyin trouble. With war on the horizon and Rena’s life in the balance, he needs to put some distance between them. But Rena won’t let go. If fighting is what it takes to prove her own strength and keep Wallace in her life, then that’s what she’ll do—even if it means risking a whole lot more than her heart.

Now you know you have to read this, right?

Where to find Carrie:
WEBSITE  |  BLOG  |  SSP  |  TWITTER  |  FACEBOOK  |  GOODREADS  |  GOOGLE+ 
Where to find Strength:
BOOK PAGE  |  GOODREADS  |  FACEBOOK (New!)

Cover

By

I’m rounding the next bend and almost have a cover. I’m really happy about the choices they are giving me, and I love the art. That means I can exhale now. I was truly worried I’d see something I didn’t like. Whew!!!