Remember the book fair I participated in earlier this year? BROKEN THINGS won the Reader’s Choice Award for Science Fiction.
BTW, BROKEN THINGS is on sale for the entire month of September, for the bargain price of $.99!!! If you’ve been waiting to read it, this is a great time to grab it. It’s available at that price through AMAZON US, UK, CA; Barnes & Noble; Kobo; Sony; itunes; and Smashwords.
Every day this week, I am featuring a different author on my blog as part of the Blogger Book Fair.
Hello and thank you to everyone for reading my Guest Blog today. I’d like to extend a special thank you to G.S. for allowing me to post on his blog. My name is Mindy Killgrove and I’m a contemporary fiction, romance, and humor novelist. I have a great time popping from one genre to the next, but most of the time, I focus on creating fiction that my readers find realistic. On my own blog, I enjoy writing top eight lists. (Eight is my lucky number.) For today, I’d like to share with you:
The Top Eight Things You Might Like to Know About Me:
8. I just moved to Perrysburg, OH with my family. I’ve lived in Ohio for the majority of my life, but I spent two years living near Charlotte, NC.
7. I love media! In my own blogspace, I devote my blogs to writing about media-related items that move me. Movies, Books, Television, Music, Video Games: You name it and I cover it.
6. I have two little boys at home. My obsession for media spread to them, as both were named after famous people.
5. In my books, I aim to write storylines that feel relatable to the readers. I use my own experiences as a jumping off point for my tales. When you read my stories they may feel real, because they are (in some cases).
4. The first book in the Missy Lawrence Series, Meet Me at the Pond, was dedicated to my sorority: The Philalethean Society of Heidelberg University. They are a local group, and I’m proud to call myself a member of this fine organization.
3. Meet Me at Fountain Park, the second book in the Missy Lawrence series, is dedicated to the Fit Chicks of Ravenna, OH. I was a member of this group for a number of years and I was supremely moved by their caring and encouraging ways. The Fit Chicks promote healthy living that will not only benefit your body, but your mind and your soul as well.
2. Every chapter in the Missy Lawrence series is based around answering a question. In that way, you can read a chapter, just like you would watch an episode of a TV show, and then come back to the book later—if necessary. (Or, you could read through the whole book in one afternoon, if that suits.)
1. I love reading–I love sitting on my back porch and reading a book. This can be done in the sunshine or the shade, but either way, I enjoy kicking back and devouring a new novel. My own novels are what I would describe as the perfect books to throw in your beach bag and take down by the water. Whether you’re downloading the ebook or taking the paperback along with you, Meet Me at the Pond and Meet Me at Fountain Park are pure fun. They’ll help you relax and enjoy your vacation.
I created the Missy Lawrence Trilogy a few years ago. Currently, Meet Me at the Pond and Meet Me at Fountain Park are available in paperback and ebook editions. The third and final book in the series Meet Me at Rock Creek will be published before the end of the year. If you’ve ever been in love, or if you’re still searching for the right one, let Missy Lawrence and her gang of girlfriends entertain you (and commiserate, perhaps).
Pen name: Mindy Killgrove
Website: http://www.mindykillgrove.com
Featured title: Meet Me at Fountain Park
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Meet-Me-at-Fountain-Park/dp/1612962262/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373456383&sr=8-1&keywords=meet+me+at+fountain+park
Barnes & Noble buy link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/meet-me-at-fountain-park-mindy-killgrove/1115785856?ean=9781612962269
Smashwords buy link: http://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=meet+me+at+fountain+park
Book video link (YouTube preferred): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqS9PKkWGps
I’ll be conducting a giveaway during the Blogger Book Fair. I’ll be giving away three copies of each book.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/YmU5M2JlMTlmNjBjY2VmNWU4NTgwYWQwNGFlOTAwOjA=/
Every day this week, I am featuring a different author on my blog as part of the Blogger Book Fair. Check back tomorrow for another author.
If you’ve read my paranormal romance Second Sight series, you’re likely to be surprised over what a huge departure The Disappearing Girl is from it. I would consider my series a light read where I often use humor and romance to diffuse a lot of the tension from the more suspenseful parts. The Disappearing Girl is far from funny or light.
Tackling a tough subject is a daunting task. Many people read to escape and may not want to explore subjects that make them uncomfortable. Although my book has a love story, Kayla’s bulimia and anorexia is central to the story. A girl starving herself and binging and purging can’t be romanticized.
My goal with The Disappearing Girl is to make people think about their words. Kayla’s mom is very obsessed with beauty and her harsh comments are one of the reasons Kayla’s eating habits spiral out of control. As Kayla remarks in the book, she was far from innocent though, she had sat around with her friends and judged other girls on their weight fluctuations.
I didn’t want to come off as preachy in my novel and I think that is important with any book dealing with a tough topic. Instead, I thought it was important to explore the emotions of someone who develops an eating disorder because she believes it will fix everything wrong in her life. The reason I wrote the book in first person was because I wanted readers to see inside Kayla’s head. They may get upset with her and wish she would snap out of it but I hope they gain an understanding of why she can’t stop her extreme dieting.
When writing about a tough topic, research is key. Although I’m familiar with the feelings of taking extreme steps to lose weight, I wanted to use other stories and experiences. I read A LOT in order to see what others have gone through and also to learn about the treatments used for eating disorder patients.
Finally, I think the most important thing to remember when writing about a tough subject is to make the characters and plot believable. If you’re including things like rape, suicide and abuse, only for shock value, it is going to leave readers with a bad taste in their mouth. Explore the topic in a meaningful and respectful way to make it work well for your book.
***
Heather Topham Wood’s obsession with novels began in childhood while growing up in a shore town in New Jersey. Writing since her teens, she recently returned to penning novels after a successful career as a freelance writer. She’s the author of the paranormal romance Second Sight series and the standalone The Disappearing Girl.
Heather graduated from the College of New Jersey in 2005 and holds a bachelor’s degree in English. Her freelance work has appeared in publications such as USA Today,Livestrong.com, Outlook by the Bay and Step in Style magazine. She resides in Trenton, New Jersey with her husband and two sons. Besides writing, Heather is a pop culture fanatic and has an obsession with supernatural novels and TV shows.
Twitter: Heather’s Twitter Account
Blog: Heather’s Book Chatter
Facebook: Heather Topham Wood’s Author Page
Every day this week, I am featuring a different author on my blog as part of the Blogger Book Fair. Check back tomorrow for another author.
My Romantic Sci Fi Thriller Foreign Identity is FREE this week at most online retailers. Check out this character interview with Jax, then find the links below and be sure to get your free download while you can! (Free promo ends July 26th.)
As the author, I have the advantage of being able to materialize in and out of my story at will. This gave me the unique opportunity to speak with two of my characters and find out how they felt about their dire circumstances.
Deep in the heart of a cold building runs a labyrinth of corridors. It was in one of these halls that I stumbled upon two people, known to each other only as “Jax” and “Kel.” They were wandering, seemingly lost, but I managed to snag a few minutes with Jax to find out a little more about what is going on in this strange place.
BC: So you just made it out of a prison of sorts. What was your reaction to waking up trapped like that?
Jax (runs hands through his hair): Waking up in chains was a shock, that’s for sure. But once I came to, I pushed aside my confusion and focused on the problem. It seemed to be a puzzle, sorta like everything else in this place. After that, it was just putting the pieces together.
BC: Your problem-solving skills must be excellent. How does it feel to have escaped that room?
Jax: At first I was relieved we’d found a way out. But now I’m not so sure. Maybe that was all part of the plan… I keep wondering if maybe we were safer in that cell.
BC: That’s quite a statement. What do you make of this place? You’ve found what appear to be other puzzles as well. What do you think the significance might be?
Jax: No idea yet. But I’ll tell you one thing. The more rooms we find, the more sure I am there’s something going on here. And it can’t be good. I’m guessing we were meant for more than to be prisoners—but what? And where’s our captor? There’s definitely something strange behind this place. It creeps me out.
BC: What can you tell me about Kel, the woman you were imprisoned with?
Jax: (Eyes shift over to where she’s standing out of hearing range.) I don’t totally get her yet. She seems nice and all, but I can tell she’s holding something back. I guess we both are. It’s hard to know what to make of our situation and how to act around each other.
BC: It seems a bit odd that you both have amnesia. You can’t remember your past, but have you seen any clues about yourself since you woke up here? Any guesses about what sort of life you might have had before you lost your memory?
Jax (shrugs): I guess I’m pretty logical. Figuring out the puzzle with our chains. So maybe some profession involving math—or construction. I sorta have a photographic memory—I can memorize floorplans in my head.
BC: It must be nice to have a gift like that.
Jax: I guess. It’s just…weird. I mean, it feels totally normal to me, but it seemed to freak Kel out a little when she found out.
BC: Kel is the only one in your entire world right now. What’s it like to have no memories of anyone else?
Jax (Takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly.): Well, it’s kinda trippy. I feel like I should know other people, I even remember what kids are, though I can’t remember a specific person. I guess if I have to be here with anyone, I’m glad it’s Kel. She’s pretty good company. (He glances at her again and then his voice lowers.) You want to know the weirdest part of it? I feel this strange connection to her. I don’t know… Just like there’s a reason we’re here together.
BC: Is there any…physical attraction between you?
Jax: (Reddens slightly.) Maybe. I’m a guy, I notice women—that’s normal, right? Can’t really help but be aware of each other, what with us both being prisoners and all. (Clears his throat.) I mean, she’s not bad to look at, either.
BC: You’ve been searching the corridors. What’s your plan from here on out?
Jax: Getting out of here. Getting home—wherever that is. Hopefully we can both figure out who we are in the process, maybe find a way to get our memories back. If we can’t…well, we’ll deal with that when the time comes. First step is finding a way out. If it’s possible, I’ll find it. I’m not quitting until I have the answer.
BC: Thanks for taking time to chat and good luck!
Jax didn’t seem too happy at my abrupt and somewhat flippant exit, but I’m sure he’ll be able to figure out the mysteries behind the place–I just hope it’s sooner rather than later.
Want to see what Jax and Kel look like in my head? Check out my Pinterest board dedicated to Foreign Identity.
Cold. Confusion. Fear. This is how it all begins.
Waking up without your memory in a cell and bound by chains is terrifying.
Two nameless strangers, a man and a woman, find themselves imprisoned together. With no memories of their own identities, let alone their captor and tormentor, escape is the only option. The pair faces a bizarre labyrinth of rooms and clues that confuse more than they explain. Every discovery only brings more questions.
Who captured them? Why were they taken? What does their captor want from them? What can the riddles mean?
Who are they?
Lacking allies and options, the duo must learn to trust one another. Mazes, puzzles, and even strange, lurking creatures force them to rely on their wits–and each other–for survival. But survival isn’t enough. They need answers.
Will the answers be enough? Will the truth bring them closer together, or drive them forever apart? Will discovering their identities finally bring them home?
Becca J. Campbell is the author of the New Adult Romantic Science Fiction novels Foreign Identity and Gateway to Reality, and Sub-Normal, a series of short stories.
An avid lover of stories that tiptoe the line between fantasy and reality (even when they plunge off one side or the other), Becca looks for new angles on bridging the gap between the two. She holds a special place in her heart for any story that involves superpowers or time travel. Her passion is defying the limits of her own creativity. You can find her on her Author Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, and Amazon.
Every day this week, I am featuring a different author on my blog as part of the Blogger Book Fair. Check back tomorrow for another author.
Every day this week, I am featuring a different author on my blog as part of the Blogger Book Fair. To start things off, I’d like to introduce you to Penelope Reece and her novel, Phantasma (check out the end of this review for how to get this book for $.99!!!).
Phantasma is a Young Adult Fantasy Romance set in our modern world. It follows the story of Alphie, a young girl suffering from Narcolepsy. This condition causes her plenty of misery in school and her social life, and leads to two specific girls bullying her. The book starts with Alphie and her sister holding a yard sale, where Alphie discovers a mysterious amulet. The amulet is the catalyst for Alphie discovering that there is more to her world than she ever suspected, and that it also holds clues to her past, one that she cannot remember.
While Alphie is just trying to fit in at school and keep her head down, but her problems are exacerbated when the amulet summons a spirit from Limbo. Noer needs to possess a body to remain in our world, and he knows things about Alphie that she can’t remember. Worse, she identifies him as a leech, stealing her energy for his own strength.
Phantasma has many of the elements that you expect from a paranormal romance – a girl uncomfortable in her own skin, unable to fit in, meeting a boy she’s crazy about – all while the paranormal world seeds its way into her life. What makes this book stand out, at least for me, were the ties to dreams and out-of-body experiences. Both Lucid Dreaming and OBE’s are subjects that I find very interesting, and I enjoyed seeing how well the author tied them into the story. Astral travel is an important part of what makes this story work.
All in all, I very much enjoyed Phantasma. It is well written with believable characters that are outside of the norm for other books in this genre, with a nice twist to the main character. I highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys Young Adult fiction. There is nothing inappropriate in this book that would turn away readers of any age.
As part of the Blogger Book Fair, Penelope Reece has graciously made her book available through Smashwords for $.99, and it is well worth it. You can get it at this price until July 28th, 2013. Smashwords lets you download digital books in the format of every type of ereader out there (kindle, nook, sony, kobo, pdf, etc.), if you aren’t familiar with them.
Get the book here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/319112
…with this coupon: WT44L
Penelope’s blog:
G.S. Wright 