Showing posts with label Alex Cavanaugh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alex Cavanaugh. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

IWSG and Mother's Day

Click here to find out more and to see a list of other IWSG blogs.
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

I'm flying high right now with a new book out Monday and another book coming out next month. I love this bit of wisdom that's been floating around Facebook.


With Mother's Day just around the corner:

To help decide which books might best suit those you gift on Mother's Day, all week during the Book Bash,we're going to be posting tidbits about these books--excerpts, deleted scenes, etc.--on our Facebook event page here.

A Change of Plans by Donna K. Weaver
Sale Price: $.99, regularly $3.99 (If you get the Kindle book, you can add the audiobook for another $1.99) Amazon  
Genre: Clean New Adult Adventure Romance

When Lyn sets off on her supposedly uncomplicated and unromantic cruise, she never dreams it will include pirates. All the 25-year-old Colorado high school teacher wants is to forget that her dead fiancĂ© was a cheating scumbag. What she plans is a vacation diversion; what fate provides is Braedon, an intriguing surgeon. She finds herself drawn to him: his gentle humor, his love of music, and even his willingness to let her take him down during morning karate practices. Against the backdrop of the ship’s make-believe world and its temporary friendships, her emotions come alive.

However, fear is an emotion, too. Unaware of the sensitive waters he navigates, Braedon moves to take their relationship beyond friendship—on the very anniversary Lyn came on the cruise to forget. But Lyn’s painful memories are too powerful, and she runs off in a panic.

Things are bad enough when the pair finds themselves on one of the cruise’s snorkeling excursions in American Samoa. However, paradise turns to piracy when their party is kidnapped. Lyn’s fear of a fairytale turns grim. Now she must fight alongside the man she rejected, first for their freedom and then against storms, sharks, and shipwreck.


Adrenaline Rush by Cindy Hogan
Sale Price: 1.99, regularly 3.99   Amazon
Genre: YA romantic suspense

A madman with a mission is kidnapping groups of thrill-seeking high school seniors across the country, and it’s up to Christy to stop him. To do so, she must take on a fearless alter ego and infiltrate a group of adrenaline junkies bent on pushing life to the limit. Death-defying stunts are only the beginning: two groups fit the profile, and Christy must discover the real target before it’s too late. 

If she chooses the wrong group, more people will disappear. But choosing right puts her as the prime target—with no guarantee that she’ll get out alive.



All the Finer Things by Stephanie Connelley Worlton
Sale Price: $.99, regularly $2.99   Amazon
Genre: Romance

Married to one of the most lucrative and sought after plastic surgeons in SoCal, Megan Hamilton has it all. Her posh life, designer clothes, and stunning penthouse leave her wanting for nothing… or do they? Controlled by his obsessive pursuit of perfection, Doctor Matthew Hamilton will stop nothing short of breaking his young, spirited bride into a subservient trophy wife. But when parenthood enters their picture, the entire game changes. How far will Megan have to go to escape Matt's obsessive control and abuse? And how much will she have to lose before she gets there?



Arms Wide Open, a novella by Juli Caldwell
Price: $.99   Amazon
Genre: Romance

Lauren Brooks is in a rut, and her roomie is determined to yank her out of it by convincing her to participate in a local coffee shop's 5-in-5 speed dating event. Once she agrees, it takes her about 30 seconds to realize if there's an oddball out there looking for love, he'll find her. And creep her out. She confronts one weirdo after another until someone she used to know winds up in the same place, and she has to decide what she wants more: to make a break for it, or embrace the possibilities of another chance.





Chimeria Omnibus Edition – Blood Will Tell and Blood is Thicker by Meredith Mansfield
Sale Price: $.99, regularly $4.75   Amazon
Genre: Portal Fantasy

Blood Will Tell
A half-werewolf and a dragon in disguise join forces to rescue an innocent woman from an unknown attacker. Without knowing who or why, each tries to solve the mystery in their own way. But a decades-old crime and the dragon's true identity may destroy their collaboration--and their growing attraction to one another--just when their enemy has found their hide out.

Blood Is Thicker
Rolf and Valeriah are back. Even while Valeriah struggles to adapt to her new life, a new crisis arises. If they can't figure out why the dragons' hatching grounds are suddenly going cold, a generation of dragons may never hatch--including their own eggs.


Eye on Orion by Laura Bastian
Sale Price: $.99, regularly $3.99  Amazon
Genre: YA Fantasy

Falling in love with your gorgeous new neighbor isn't a bad thing, but when he turns out to be the bodyguard of a princess from a planet nine billion light-years away, life gets complicated.

Seventeen-year-old stargazer Holly Adams never imagined she’d find herself trying to prevent the overthrow of an alien government. When Jai and his sister Amira move into the house down the street, Holly is immediately drawn to them. Jai acts suspicious of her from the start, making Holly more curious about their oddities. When Holly learns they are from a different planet, she does what she can to help protect Amira from Shander, a man who wants to marry her by force in order to take over the kingdom her father rules.

Mistaken identity, a botched kidnapping, and a first kiss that bonds Holly and Jai for life are hard enough, but when Shander believes Holly to be the princess, things get even more dangerous.


How to Have Peace When You’re Fall to Pieces by Rebecca Rode
Sale Price: $.99, regularly $4.61   Amazon
Genre: Nonfiction

You haven't seen your kids' bedroom floor in weeks, your schedule is overflowing, and the drive-thru lady knows you by name. But even when life feels chaotic, peace is possible. Packed with poems, quotes, and inspirational stories, this book gives a fresh perspective on a mother's work and helps restore calm to a hectic world--starting at home.

"Charming . . . full of wit, humor, and great ideas." ~Sandra Covey



Not So Easy by Sherry Gammon
Sale Price: $2.99, regularly $4.25   Amazon
Genre: YA Fantasy

Senior Max Sanchez has it all. 

He’s the star pitcher for Port Fare High’s baseball team. He’s dating the head cheerleader, Emma McKay, and he has a great group of friends. 

Junior JD Miller’s life is Not So Easy. 

Unlike Max, JD struggles with making friends. He’s a social misfit, and he’s being bullied at every turn. He’s also barely surviving. 

A tragedy forces these two together. Now Max must face the hardest challenge of his life as he works to help JD. A tragic accident changes everything, merging their lives together, and Max soon learns that life is not so easy for everyone. Max works to the point of exhaustion trying to help JD survive the chaos that is his life, and his eyes are opened to a world he had no idea even existed. 
Not so Easy is a story about hope, surviving, and never giving up. Download a free sample and start reading now!


Rising Book 1: Resistance by Laura Josephsen
Sale Price: $.99, regularly $3.99   Amazon
Genre: Science Fiction

All Alphonse wants is a quiet summer at home before his final months at university. What he gets is a half-dead stranger on his doorstep and the task of delivering a package to the leader of his home country. Not long after he boards a train toward the capital, he's attacked by knights, elite soldiers of the neighboring king. 

Alphonse is temporarily rescued by Mairwyn, a mechanic with a haunted past and a deep hatred of knights. Together, they attempt to carry out Alphonse's urgent errand, only to learn that if they fail, countless people will die. 

And even if they succeed, they may not be able to prevent the war that lurks on the horizon. (Book 1 of 2)

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

CassaFirE Launch Day and Blog Party

Today is the Catch Fire Blog Party, celebrating the release of CassaFire by Alex J. Cavanaugh! The goal is to help CassaFire “catch fire” on the best seller charts and achieve the success of the first book, CassaStar. There’s also a special package of prizes being given away at the author’s blog (copies of CassaFire, CassaStar, tote bag, mug, and bookmarks) as well as book giveaways during his two-week blog tour. 
CassaFire is the sequel to Cavanaugh’s first book, CassaStar, an Amazon Top Ten Best Seller:
“…calls to mind the youthful focus of Robert Heinlein’s early military sf, as well as the excitement of space opera epitomized by the many Star Wars novels. Fast-paced military action and a youthful protagonist make this a good choice for both young adult and adult fans of space wars.” - Library Journal
CassaFire
by Alex J. Cavanaugh

CassaStar was just the beginning…

The Vindicarn War is a distant memory and Byron’s days of piloting Cosbolt fighters are over. He has kept the promise he made to his fallen mentor and friend - to probe space on an exploration vessel. Shuttle work is dull, but it’s a free and solitary existence. The senior officer is content with his life aboard the Rennather.

The detection of alien ruins sends the exploration ship to the distant planet of Tgren. If their scientists can decipher the language, they can unlock the secrets of this device. Is it a key to the Tgren’s civilization or a weapon of unimaginable power? Tensions mount as their new allies are suspicious of the Cassan’s technology and strange mental abilities. 

To complicate matters, the Tgrens are showing signs of mental powers themselves; the strongest of which belongs to a pilot named Athee, a woman whose skills rival Byron’s unique abilities. Forced to train her mind and further develop her flying aptitude, he finds his patience strained. Add a reluctant friendship with a young scientist, and he feels invaded on every level. All Byron wanted was his privacy…


I got CassaStaR for hubby for Christmas, and we read it together--and enjoyed it. We can't wait to read CassaFirE.

So head on over to Alex's place. Besides being one of the nicest guys on the blogosphere, he writes a fun book!

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Should I or Shouldn't I?

Don't forget you can sign up painlessly to participate in the Give Books Blog Hop and get a book for Christmas (or other applicable gift-giving celebration this time of year). The Hop runs through December 15th, and I'll be getting the book out on the 16th. Click here for details and check out the others books you could win by visiting the following blogs.

Give Books for Christmas Giveaway Hop
1. Inksplasher (US)  7. Maria Hoagland (US)  13. K.C. Grant Writer's Corner (US)  
2. Jennifer Hurst (INT)  8. The Last Word (US)  14. Jennifer K. Clark (US)  
3. FALL (INT)  9. Weaving a Tale or Two (US)  15. Publish Novels or Bust (US)  
4. Geek Girl (INT)  10. Tristi Pinkston  16. Heidi Murphy (US)  
5. Heart on a Chain (INT)  11. LDS Publisher (INT)  

6. Immortal Mine (INT)  12. Carolyn Frank (INT)  

 
*sigh*

Yes, that's a really big sigh.

My goal this month is to finish the edit for WIP #1 and send the first fifty pages off to an editor. AND I need to finish my query. Well, it's finished. The dang thing's just not right yet. ETA for clarification: This query has been critiqued by both my online and in-person critique groups. It's been critiqued by some other writerly friends and in its essential form given a thumbs up from the author I won the query critique from. But everyone--and I mean every who hasn't read the book--thinks a critical thing referenced in the query (and which is the hook) is a major plot-line. But it's really just a catalyst and sets into motion what happens in the rest of the book.

I've thought of submitting to Matt over at The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experiment, and he said he'd be willing to look at it. Alex and Nancy have both said I should.

I just have this little problem about bearing myself in public, so to speak, and subjecting myself to ridicule. I'm good at my day job, and I work very hard to make sure I'm knowledgeable and up to date with my skills. I have to be because if I screw up I can get sued. Don't even mess with someone's bid to public office, believe me.

But I think the thing that really turns me into a quivering mess is the genre bias I talked about in this post. I'm not worried about Matt's comments. He a consummate professional and tactful besides. When I had one of my sons who's got a bright, creative mind (I love to bounce ideas off him) read an earlier version, his tone dripped with sarcastic cheese.

So, my adventure romance book's query could be said to have a melodramatic tone. If you read it the way my son did. Writing is so subjective I'm sure people will pick up on the cheese factor. And I'm so not into this:


Please note that my son made fun of the version approved by the author I won a query critique from.

It could just be him. Or it could be that the tone is there but fits the genre. The bottom line is that I'm at my wit's end over this thing. So I'm going to let you folks help me decide. On the right sidebar is a poll. Please comment here and tell me why you voted the way you did.

In the meantime, I'm going to be doing this:

Friday, October 14, 2011

Pay It Forward Blogfest

Click here or here for more information.
Short and sweet today. It's the Pay It Forward Blogfest, hosted by the freaktastic Matt and Alex (click the here links in the picture above if you don't know who they are). The idea is to introduce everyone to everyone else, kind of speed dating for bloggers.

Following are three blogs that I enjoy reading and encourage you to check out:

Donna Hosie at Musings of a Penniless Writer (I've known Donna for several years now--a little boy who lived brought us together at the Leaky Lounge, and she's been a great inspiration and mentor to me)

Susie F at My Not So Secret Writing Life (Susie is another HP fan and former staff at the Lounge, though we didn't meet until I got involved with a Bloghop Donna was in)

Laura Josephsen at Everything you didn't want to know about writing (I think we met on a bloghop a year or so ago. I love her fun posts and hilarious books)


This is a Blog Hop!

82.
170.



We went to see Thriller by Odyssey Dance Theater. So much fun and some great dancing.





What are you up to this weekend?
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