Spooktacular Giveaway Hop! OCTOBER 15th-31st

For this giveaway hop, you get a chance to win a PAPERBACK set of all 3 books in The Elements Trilogy!

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Check out the other stops HERE!

Countdown to Christmas Giveaway!!

I can't believe it is already October! It's time for the next Countdown to Christmas Giveaway!

Like I said in September, I have some really cool things planned for December that I am excited about. To celebrate this, I've decided to do some Countdown to Christmas Giveaways. There are a bunch of cool eBooks to win this month! Discover some new authors and books while helping me celebrate the fact that Christmas is less than 3 months away! Whoopeee!!!

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So Many Things To Tell You!

I have so many things coming up over the next few weeks and I can't wait to tell you about them!

I am so excited for the release of BEYOND on October 17th! So look out for that one coming soon.

I am happy to announce that I will be attending the SuzhouSingapore International School for Book Week! The annual SSIS Book Week will be held from Monday, 21 to Friday, 25 October. It's such a fun event and I feel privileged to be part of it.

To help celebrate the new covers for The Elements Trilogy, I have put UNKNOWN FREE until November 7th. Now's the time to grab your copy!

I also have a blog tour being organised for December. This will be highlighting the Betwixt Series. 
BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE

On a writing note, I am halfway through editing the first book of my new series - The Masks Series. It will soon be in the hands of critique readers and all going to plan, will be released in December. I'm pretty excited about this project as it is being published by Evatopia Press. This is my first time working with another company and I'm really excited. It's fun to have others onboard and I value their help and support immensely.

If you'd like to stay up-to-date with my news, please sign up for my newsletter. I send it out about once a month and include any sales and giveaways I have going on, plus my latest news.
SUBSCRIBE HERE.

Cover Reveal: Valkyrie Series (Book 1-3) By: T.G. Ayer

Dead Radiance, Dead Embers, Dead Chaos  

 By T.G. Ayer 

(Valkyrie #1-3) 

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Valkyrie Bryn Halbrook is broken and damaged...

Struggling to accept the loss of her wings, Bryn's not sure if she can be a real Valkyrie anymore. But when a mysterious prophecy claims she will be the reason the All-Father dies, she is determined to ensure the prediction will not come to pass.

A visit to the three fates who live beneath the great Tree of life, sends Bryn racing against time to find the missing Heimdall and his horn. As Odin's life hangs in the balance and Ragnarok draws ever closer, Bryn has to find a way to save Heimdall and Odin before she can discover the truth about who she really is.

In the thrilling conclusion of the Valkyrie series Bryn must battle not only the formidable frost giants and the hated God Loki, but she must also find a balance between what she will lose and what she will gain.

Goodreads

Cover Reveal Time!

Dead Radiance

 Dead Embers

Dead Chaos

AUTHOR BIO:

I have been a writer from the time I was old enough to recognize that reading was a doorway into my imagination. Poetry was my first foray into the art of the written word. Books were my best friends, my escape, my haven. I am essentially a recluse but this part of my personality is impossible to practice given I have two teenage daughters, who are actually my friends, my tea-makers, my confidantes... I am blessed with a husband who has left me for golf. It's a fair trade as I have left him for writing. We are both passionate supporters of each others loves - it works wonderfully...

My heart is currently broken in two. One half resides in South Africa where my old roots still remain, and my heart still longs for the endless beaches and the smell of moist soil after a summer downpour. My love for Ma Afrika will never fade. The other half of me has been transplanted to the Land of the Long White Cloud. The land of the Taniwha, beautiful Maraes, and volcanoes. The land of green, pure beauty that truly inspires. And because I am so torn between these two lands - I shall forever remain crosseyed.

Author links:
Goodreads /  Website / Facebook / Twitter

Indie Life - It's All About The Editing

I'm very excited to be part of The Indelibles Indie Life series. These posts run on the second Wednesday of every month and include ideas and articles from a wide variety of indie authors. Check out the links below to learn more about INDIE LIFE.

When people say editing, I know many writers who groan. I used to be one of them, but the more projects I work on...the more books I write, I realize that I actually love editing. It's now become my favourite phase.

Maybe it's because I've learned to refine the process, to figure out a way that works well for me. I thought I'd share the way I work in the hopes of helping some and maybe getting tips and advice from others.

Okay - so I suffer from First Draft Blues Syndrome. When I'm writing my first draft, it sucks. My book is crap. No one will like it. However, once it's done, once I can step back and take a breath, I start to see that there is potential in my work.

A few months ago, I read a really excellent book written by Rachel Aaron.
2k to 10k: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love. The reason I loved it so much is because she works in a very similar way to me. We both thoroughly plan, then write, then edit. Our processes are efficient. One tip I picked up from her that I found so spectacular was the idea of Story Mapping.

Once my first draft is down, I go through the manuscript - just skimming - and jot down what's happening in each chapter. Just bullet points. I then add any notes. For example in Ch 1 of my current project, I've noted down that I need to make the mother's reaction stronger to the situation she finds her daughter in. Chapter 2, I've made the comment that the guy the MC has a crush on drives a Jeep not a car and that I need to ask my California friends for a specific location to set the next scene in. Further down in the story I need to add a scene and I've also figured out that shifting one scene from Ch 13 down to Ch 17 will have a bigger impact and show my character's growth in a more realistic way.

Tomorrow I am going to start going through each chapter and following through on my notes. Once that's done, I will do a full read through to check on flow before sending it off to my 5 critique readers who will tell me what works and what doesn't. 

Once I get their feedback, I go through with my rewrites and changes then start the tweaking edits. You know the read through where you refine your writing, changing little words here and there for greater impact. One thing I'm planning on doing this time as well, is reading through Self-Editing For Fiction Writers by Browne and King. I've read it a couple of times already. I have a paperback copy that is looking well loved. It's so brilliant and I want to have it fresh in my brain before I tackle my book for the tweaking round. 

Once I've finished that, I will then send it on to my copy editor. A professional who will hopefully find very little wrong with the manuscript :D

So what's your editing process like? 

How do you go about making your manuscript worthy of reading?

Introducing: The Society of YA Storytellers! Check out the new site and the Founders #Giveaway!

I am proud to be a member of The Society of YA Storytellers!

The Society of YA Storytellers is a talented group of novelists who write for and are fans of the Young Adult genre.

Check out the website and discover all the cool stuff we have going on. Fun Fridays, Princess Smackdown, an online book club and of course giveaways!

Check us out!

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Enter the awesome Founders Giveaway!

"The Elements Trilogy" by: Melissa Pearl 1 - Day Sale!

Embark on a treacherous journey into the unknown with two characters who must face their ultimate fears and desires in order to save their world from the impending darkness. This epic fantasy series is set in a medieval world and incorporates elements of magic, prophecy and forbidden love. 

***** 

A light can shine in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it. 

***** 

UNKNOWN 

Darkness is covering the land. As the city of Mezrah grows with power and greed, the rest of the world can only stand by and wait for their inevitable destruction. The only hope against this growing power is an ancient prophecy that people have stopped believing in. 

Then a star begins to fall. 

Princess Kyla of Taramon stopped believing in the power of light the day her father died. Trapped in a city she does not care for, under the watchful glare of her mother, the queen, she struggles to accept her fate. 

Then a star begins to fall. 

Jethro has loved Kyla for as long as he can remember. Learning that she was to marry his cousin drove a wedge between him and the feisty princess. Watching her from a distance is a torture he is unable to free himself from. 

Then a star begins to fall, sparking an ember of hope and sending two seekers on a treacherous journey into the unknown.

PURCHASE LINK:

Amazon Kindle

*****

UNSEEN 

Dark forces prepare to descend upon the heroes of prophecy as they continue to seek the remaining elements and ressurect the God of Light. And now they have one more power they must over come...their forbidden love for each other. 

Meanwhile in Taramon, Athra faces his own demons as he frets over the safety of his fiancée while trying to counter a dark evil that is brought to his doorstep. Treachery lurks in the shadows, forcing the future king into an action that could destroy his beloved city.

PURCHASE LINK:

Amazon Kindle

*****

UNLEASHED 

The light has been found, two sparks have been ignited and very soon a furious light will be unleashed. Kyla's faith is brought to the ultimate test. As she comes face to face with the insidous darkness, she must decide if she can once again trust in the God of Light to save her.

PURCHASE LINK:

Amazon Kindle