In Other News

So, it's officially October. How did that happen? *sighs* At least it is now pumpkin-everything season, which makes it my favorite time of the year. But, I 'm sure you don't really care about that.

Some things you might care about: October 15 is the deadline to submit your totally awesome short stories for the new Spencer Hill Press anthology.

My COVER REVEAL for Blood Bound will be closer to the end of this month.

In the spirit of Halloween, Lisa over at Ghost Talk is looking for a few brave souls willing to share their true ghost stories.

And finally, in case you missed the earlier announcement, I've joined Twitter. @KeshiaSwaim.

And if anyone wants to bring me a pumpkin pie, well, I'll love you forever.  :)

Cover Reveal: Whisper Falls, Elizabeth Langston

Whisper Falls
While training for a mountain bike race, high-school senior Mark Lewis spots a mysterious girl dressed in odd clothing, standing behind a waterfall in the woods near his North Carolina home. When she comments on the strange machine that he rides, he suspects something isn't right. When Susanna claims to be an indentured servant from 1796, he wonders if she's crazy. Yet he feels compelled to find out more.

Mark enters a 'long-distance' relationship with Susanna through the shimmering--and temperamental--barrier of Whisper Falls. Curious about her world, Mark combs through history to learn about the brutal life she's trapped in. But knowledge can be dangerous. Soon he must choose between the risk of changing history or dooming the girl he can't stop thinking about to a lifetime of misery.


Title: Whisper Falls (Whisper Falls #1)

Author: Elizabeth Langston

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press (www.spencerhillpress.com)

ISBN: 978-1-937053-42-0
Release Date: November 19, 2013

Formats: Paper, e-book

It Happened...

Well, it finally happened. I joined Twitter. I've decided that there is just way too much awesomeness going on for me to just use two sites to tell you about it. So if you want to follow me, search @KeshiaSwaim. Or just use the nifty button in my sidebar.  :)

Rejections, Edits, and Other Facts of Life

For those of you who may not know, being an author is a thrilling, maddening, exciting, depressing, rewarding, crazy job that only someone slightly mentally unstable would want.

Writing is the only thing I've ever really wanted to do. But it was a dream, a time consuming hobby, at best. And then I had my first short story published. I about died of happiness. What happened next? My mom asked me to write a chapter for a book she was working on, and her publisher loved it. Now, my actual words are sitting on a local B&N shelf! *pauses to do happy dance* And then my awesome husband got a promotion that allowed me to stay home with Stitch and write during nap time! Almost immediately, I got an offer on Blood Bound, which I'd been working on forever. I decided then and there I was going to die a happy woman.

But then I got a rejection letter on a story I'd worked really hard on. Sure, I've been rejected before. But...but...but... now I was published. I thought those days were behind me.

And then I received the first round of edits on my beloved Blood Bound. My editor went out of her way to remind me that they chose my work, and I had a lot of potential. But not only did her edits amount to a complete re-write of the first half of my book, I also have to rewrite my entire planned sequel (which I was quite proud of myself for finishing so quickly). And my brilliant idea for a book cover turned out...well...like crap.

I wanted to curl up and cry. For ever and ever and ever. Who thought writing was such a good idea anyway?

But now, with my first round of edits basically done, Blood Bound is way more awesome before, and I can't wait to dive in and redo the sequel with my new, improved plot. And my cover (which I can't show you yet) is so stinking cool. I'm back to short story writing as well. I may have been rejected, but it made me a better author. I'm trying new and different writing styles, and I have ideas for an epic fantasy novel!

In conclusion, if this sounds insane to you, DO NOT WRITE. But, if it sounds fun, exciting, or like a normal life, then by all means pick up a pen and join me in the loony bin!

I'm still here!

I just wanted to apologize for my recent lack of posts. I've been writing and editing like a crazy (crazier than usual) woman. But I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. AND I may have something to share with you soon. So stay tuned!

Cover Reveal: Fireblood, Trisha Wolfe

Fireblood


To save a kingdom, Zara must choose between a prince who could be the answer and a rising rebellion that threatens to take control.

When Zara Dane is chosen to marry Prince Sebastian Hart, son of the man who ordered her father's capture, Zara knows she must fight to save everything she loves from ruin.

Being betrothed to the prince means a life trapped behind the towering stone walls of the Camelot-forged realm. Under the watchful eye of the prince's first knight, Sir Devlan Capra, changing her future becomes difficult.

When an unlikely rebel reveals the truth about the deadly secrets that fuel King Hart's twisted world, Zara's path to rescue her father becomes clouded by deception. The Rebels clear her path by forcing Zara's hand with an ultimatum: sway Prince Sebastian to join the Rebels, convincing him of his father's evil nature, or they will take him out.

But Zara is uncertain about a future under the Rebels' command and where the prince's heart truly lies. She must decide who to trust, what to believe, and what she's truly fighting for before the king destroys all of Karm, including her heart .





Title: Fireblood

Author: Trisha Wolfe

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press (www.spencerhillpress.com.)

ISBN: 978-1-937053-59-8
Release Date: October 8, 2013

Formats: Paper, e-book

Cover Reveal: Stalked by Death

                    

Title: Stalked by Death
Series Touch of Death (#2)
Author: Kelly Hashway
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
ISBN: 978-1-937053-56-7
Release Date: July 23, 2013

Formats: Paper, e-book

Jodi knows that any slip-ups made by the Ophi--a special group of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac--will fall on her shoulders... and that Hades is just waiting for them to screw up so he can wipe out the Ophi line.

When the only Ophi Jodi can convince to come to the school and train with her is a gorgeous guy named Chase, it spells more than trouble for Jodi and Alex. Her mixed emotions for both guys send her powers surging out of control, and she begins raising the dead without even meaning to. Jodi doesn't want to lose Alex, but Chase is offering her something Alex can't. His very touch enhances her powers, making her stronger than any Ophi ever has been--maybe even powerful enough to stop Hades from threatening them all. But Chase's offering comes with a huge price. One that may cost Jodi everything she has.



Jodi needs to figure things out fast--because death is stalking her at every turn.

My Child is Doomed

I've come to the realization that I might be (slightly) warping my child. Stitch is only a year old, but I've already managed to instill in him a love for books. We read all the usual shapes, farm animals, counting books, but I also read aloud from my fantasy novels, and discuss my own writing projects with him. When his grandmother (also a writer) is babysitting, I've learned she does the same thing.

And then there is the small matter that I've gotten Stitch hooked on my childhood favorite cartoon: Pinky & the Brain. He dances to the theme song and watches Brain's plots for world domination very seriously. Then my husband had to step in and teach him to zombie-walk while growling "braaiiins."

So, when my sweet little Stitch is in his room being suspiciously quiet, I'm positive he's either communing with the fair folk, pondering ways to overthrow his parents, or simply dreaming about snacking on our heads. Is this normal?  :)  Happy Wednesday.

Review: Underworld (Abandon #2) Meg Cabot

Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera isn’t dead.

Not this time.

But she is being held against her will in the dim, twilit world between heaven and hell, where the spirits of the deceased wait before embarking upon their final journey.

Her captor, John Hayden, claims it’s for her own safety. Because not all the departed are dear. Some are so unhappy with where they ended up after leaving the Underworld, they’ve come back as Furies, intent on vengeance…on the one who sent them there and on the one whom he loves.

But while Pierce might be safe from the Furies in the Underworld, far worse dangers could be lurking for her there…and they might have more to do with its ruler than with his enemies.

And unless Pierce is careful, this time there’ll be no escape. Goodreads

I'm honestly not sure what to say about this second installment in the Abandon trilogy, so I'll just jump in. Meg Cabot's writing style is flawless, and the plot is highly imaginative, with several little twists.

For the most part, I like Pierce's character much better this time. She finally seems to care about people other than herself, and even though she doesn't have a real plan, she at least wants to help.

I'm especially interested to see what becomes of the "powers" she and John seem to share. She is obviously more than a hapless teenage girl, but we'll have to wait until book three to find out how much more.

Unfortunately, Pierce's relationship with John is my biggest complaint. I don't blame her for being attracted to the sexy, strong, fiercely protective type, but she just overlooks too much. In Abandon, she goes from being terrified of John's violent actions to "in love" without any real reason. Then the book ends with his kidnapping her.

Now, he lies to her repeatedly, tells her if he's honest about his past she'll hate him, and she still follows him no matter what. She seems to think her parents will be better off without her, and when she has a chance to let them know she's safe, she decides not to. I have a really hard time understanding how anyone can follow anyone that blindly, (even if he really may be a good guy deep down) that isn't love, it's stupidity. 

I'm interested enough to read book three, and withhold judgement on the series until then, but Underworld definitely could have been better.

Rating 3/5 stars

YA notes: language, sexual references.