Donna Weaver Blog Tour and my reivew

A Change of Plans Blog Tour Information

Hosted by Lady Reader’s Blog Tours

My thoughts: When I agreed to do this tour, I didn't have time to read/review the novel, so I only commented to a media blitz post. But after hearing great things about it, I decided I could give up sleep for a good romance read. I was not disappointed. Lyn and Braedon are the main character in this story and might I say both are enjoyable. No whiney girl or overly macho man to distract from the story. It was sweet and fun with it's Johnny Depp references and tender sweet romantic scenes. And exciting...being trapped on a deserted island!? Love it. I always dreamed of being stranded on a deserted island as a girl...now of course I thank the good Lord above that never happen, LOL! This is a great read!

P.S. LOVE THIS COVER!!!                                          

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Change of Plans Book Information:

When twenty-five-year-old Lyn sets off on her cruise vacation, all she wants is to forget that her dead fiancé was a cheating scumbag. What she plans is a diversion uncomplicated by romance. What she gets is Braedon, an intriguing young surgeon. He's everything her fiancé wasn't, and against the backdrop of the ship's make-believe world, her emotions come alive.

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. Lyn's painful memories are too powerful, and she runs off in a panic.

But it's hard to get away from someone when you're stuck on the same ship. Things are bad enough when the pair finds themselves on one of the cruise's snorkeling excursions. Then paradise turns to piracy when their party is kidnapped, and Lyn's fear of a fairy tale turns grim.

Title: A Change of Plans

Author: Donna K. Weaver

Release Date: June 1, 2013

Pages: 327

Find it: Amazon | B&N | Goodreads | Rhemalda Store

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

About Donna K. Weaver:

Donna K. Weaver is a Navy brat who joined the Army and has lived in Asia and Europe.

Because she sailed the Pacific three times as a child, she loves cruising and wishes she could accrue enough vacation time to do more of it with her husband.

Donna and her husband have six children and eight grandchildren who live all over the world.
At fifty, Donna decided to study karate and earned her black belt in Shorei Kempo.

After recording city council minutes for twenty years, Donna decided to write something a little longer and with a lot more emotion--and kissing.

Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Website

What people are saying about A CHANGE OF PLANS...

"A Change of Plans will keep readers up way too late in this fast-paced tale of love lost and found again." ~Melanie Jacobson, author of The List, Not My Type, Twitterpated, and Smart Move

"A Change of Plans is lots of romance sprinkled with pirates, shipwreck and adventure. Donna Weaver spins a tale that you will fall in love with, think about for days afterward, and then go back and read again. I laughed, I cried, and I couldn't put it down." ~Betsy Love author of Identity and Soulfire

"A captivating tale of love, grief, and hope that will tug at your heartstrings until the very end." ~Laura Josephson, author of the Rising series and Confessions from the Realm of the Underworld

"When someone says pirates and novel in the same sentence, I usually say, "Thanks, but no." Not in this case. Ms. Weaver brings a warm humor to her story of romance, travel and overcoming skeletons in one's past with her vivid characters and delightful scenes." ~Shaunna Gonzales, author of Dark Days of Promise

Waiting Fate By W.B. Kinnette

Check out this new novel by W.B. Kinnette!!

 As he walked her to her door, she slid her small fingers into his, and he ran his thumb across the back of her hand. The night was cool. At the door she turned, smiling up at him. “Thank you Archer. It was… fun.” 

He couldn’t see clearly, but he could swear she was smirking. Yeah, you blew your chance. Way to go. So he hugged her, wrapping his arms around her waist, like he’d done a hundred other times before. They were a huggy group. 

He was surprised when she rose on her toes and slid her arms around his neck, holding tight like he was a lifeline. He pulled back, just a bit, hoping but afraid to hope as he searched her eyes. They sparkled, just a bit, and then she leaned forward, closing the gap between them and brushing her lips against his. 

Time stopped. The world stopped and he froze in shock. It took him several seconds to realize what was happening, and then he kissed her back, holding her tight against him. He could feel her heart racing, matching his. When she relinquished his lips, he sucked in a breath, struggling to breathe. “I’ve wanted to do that since high school,” he muttered, almost without realizing it.

Bio:

W.B. Kinnette was born and raised in Utah, the baby of the family and spoiled rotten. She lived briefly in Texas and Alaska before coming back to raise her family only a few miles from her childhood home. She’s loved writing since she was small, because daydreams demand to be written down. She believes that dreams must be chased, if only so she can tell her children honestly that dreams do come true if you work hard enough – and never give up! 

BACK COVER BLURB: 

Sometimes Fate hides in plain sight while you stumble through darkness.

Ivy escapes from an abusive husband, finding peace with her daughter in her childhood home. She’s determined to keep her past a secret to protect those she loves.

Archer has been in love with the same girl since seventh grade. When Ivy comes back into his life—bruised, broken, and haunted by secrets—he knows he can’t lose her again.

But Ivy made a promise to her daughter. No one would hurt them again. She’s afraid to trust, afraid to be wrong again, and afraid that the one man she’s loved forever will break her heart.

Fate might take its time, but it won’t wait forever. 

Links: https://www.facebook.com/WbKinnette

Twitter: @wbkinnette

Website: www.wbkinnette.wordpress.com

Buy Link: 

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Waiting-Fate-ebook/dp/B00CY4A5IM/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1369290043&sr=1-1&keywords=Waiting+Fate

From the author:

First I have to say thank you so much, Sherry, for having me on your blog! I’m so excited to talk about the release of my novel, Waiting Fate. This story is dear to my heart because it’s based on the true story between my husband and I, and I kind of like him.

When my publisher had an open call for submissions for true love stories, I thought, “Oh! How fun will that be? I can totally do that!” Turns out, writing about real life is not as easy as making stuff up. My initial thought that it was all plotted out for me so it would be simple was way off. Having it all plotted out for me left me little room for creativity, and my brain, apparently, doesn’t like being told what to do.

Second, it was hard, because there were some memories that I didn’t really want to relive, and writing about them brought them right up to the surface to deal with all over again. And now that it’s published, it’s a little like leaving my journal out for everyone to read!

BUT. I still love this story, and I love sharing with the world how amazing my husband is. There’s that saying I see everywhere… “All love stories are beautiful, but I like ours the best.” 

Born in Sin Camelia Miron Skiba

BORN IN SIN

DACIAN LEGENDS, # 2

BLURB:

Loathing the thought of his beloved Oriana in the arms of another man, fearless Zyraxes delivers death upon the Roman enemy. With only the rugged land as his bed and the sky as his blanket, trouble finds him often.

Summoned to aid Oriana’s father in the war against two powerful enemies—one of them Oriana's savage husband—Zyraxes proves himself worthy of more than just noble titles and coin. But he wants none of it. What he wants is her.

When Zyraxes discovers a broken and nearly dead Oriana, though forbidden, he disregards her father's orders to leave her to her death, and instead chooses to protect and conceal her. Will saving her be enough to win her heart? Will his part royal lineage make him worthy of her love?

BORN IN SIN

DACIAN LEGENDS, # 2

EXCERPT:

Who am I? Before Bastisza spoke to me I knew. Now … not anymore. I was the son of Polpium per Flavius, mender for King Decebalus. My mother the beautiful Medina of who people spoke as if she were a goddess. We lived a simple life in King Decebalus’ fortress with Father helping the ill, Mother embroidering for the king’s family, and me playing with Ilias, Galtys, and Ursus, daydreaming of the warriors we were meant to become. Mother taught me how to sing. Father shared his knowledge of herbs and medicinal remedies. I lived a sheltered life and had no siblings. Or so I thought.

Until one ill-fated night when everything changed.

I think of all the beds I’ve shared, women without a name or place where I shan’t return. Never more than a fleeting night spent in their arms, never so much as a wandering thought. They desired someone to warm their beds and who was I to deny their pleasures? Compared to Oriana their memories wither as darkness yielding to a new day.

My thoughts: Born in Sin is a fascinating short story. It is captivating from the first page. I loved the Alpha male Zyraxes. He is a strong and determined man, bent on saving his people and set on his love for Oriana. He risks it all for her. The man is a swoon-worthy character. This story is action packed and a must read for anyone who loves historical romances. Author Skiba never disappoints!

  

 Camelia Miron Skiba—official bio

~~Who I am is not important but what I leave behind is~~ © 2013 Camelia Miron Skiba

I’m a dreamer
I’m a sinner
I love my books
I conjure hooks
And heroes with good looks
Romance is my guilty pleasure
Taking me to places with new decor
Come join me if you dare
I promise not to bore
If you like to read my stories
Pray my husband continues snorin’
For he’s the one who keeps me up at night
When I give my heroes wings and flight.



WEBSITE:      LOVE. WTHOUT YOU          http://authorcameliamironskiba.com/
GOODREADS: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4864495.Camelia_Miron_Skiba
TWITTER: @CamiSkiba
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE:  Camelia Miron Skiba
http://www.amazon.com/Camelia-Miron-Skiba/e/B007C79L1S/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

The Covenant by Paul Yoder

Check out this new YA book by Paul Yoder. It looks pretty amazing! It was just released and is going straight to my Must Read list on Goodreads!

“The Covenant” by Paul Yoder

Book Description (YA fiction)

Dr. Carver, who is the head of the English department at Stanford University, would not be the most likely of men to embark on a mission to save a group of kidnapped kids from devil-worshiping zealots in an underground facility, but after trailing a suspected colleague, and witnessing a kidnapping first hand, his pursuit quickly lands him in an underground bomb shelter, renovated as a secret monastery for a cult that calls themselves "The Bracken Covenant."

Dr. Carver and the group of kidnapped kids struggle to survive the horrors of the elaborate underground cultist den. Outnumbered and vulnerable, with the kids being easy targets for not just the demonic zealots, but the wretched, feral animal experiments that the zealots keep underground, Dr. Carver has to lead the kids through trial after trial of both man and beast to escape before the covenant can cave in the underground passages, trapping them inside a den of evil—doomed to share the same fate as the hundreds of tortured spirits that reside there.

Genre: occult/suspense fiction

On Amazon for $2.99

URL to the sales page:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Covenant-Bracken-ebook/dp/B00CW17GMA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1369173533&sr=1-1&keywords=the+covenant+paul+yoder

Where the idea for the story came from

The idea for the story came from a dream I had, as with most of my books. I actually wrote a short story from this dream (the foundation story for what would later become “Tome of Victims”) for a grad school application. The program only accepted 10 students per year, and I didn’t get in, so I had this pretty good short story on my hands. I worked it into a novella length story and saw potential in perhaps making it the beginnings of a series. After publishing “Tome of Victims” earlier this year, I made a goal to publish the first novel-length book in the series before the year was through. I wrote it in half that time (a little less than three months to be exact). I really got taken up with the story I guess.

 

About the author, Paul Yoder

As a teenager, I knew what I wanted to be: a writer. I was dissuaded a bit by adults who told me that writing wouldn’t get me anywhere in life though, and it took me quite a few years to really start writing seriously. I’m finally getting some books out into the world, and though it’s been tough, financially, emotionally, testing my dedication and ego, I’m slowly building up a penned library of books, from “City of Town” to “Tome of Victims” to “The Covenant,” and I already have another book done (unpublished currently) in a new series that I’ll be writing.

I hope to reach a lot of people out there with my writing. Growing up, reading shaped who I am today. It helped me to become a better person: more understanding, patient, and thoughtful. What precious gifts books can bestow us with. If I can provide that to others, my goal will have been achieved.

Visit him on Facebook 

Paul Toy Yoder - Writer

The Trouble with Toads

  The Trouble with Toads Once upon a time a young girl wanted revenge. But first, she wanted to be beautiful. Twelve-year-old Bettony has read enough stories that begin with ‘Once upon a time’ to know what happens to the ugly stepsisters at the end, and she’s determined to escape that fate by any means necessary—even by magic. Unfortunately, when it comes to magic, there is no place for regret, refunds, or exchanges. Even if you accidentally turn your older sister into a toad. If Bettony wants her Happily Ever After to end well, she’s going to have to find a way to turn her sister back into a person before their mother finds out she’s been dabbling with magic and grounds her for life. Tracking down the family magic turns out to be surprisingly easy. Now, if only it came with directions . . . THE TROUBLE WITH TOADS (45,000 words) is the first book in a new upper MG series The Secret Stepsister Society. The second book will be released Summer 2013.

Amazon

  Author Danyelle Leafty Danyelle Leafty writes upper MG and YA fantasy, and is the author of THE FAIRY GODMOTHER DILEMMA series. Danyelle has always loved fairy tales, and prefers stories where someone gets eaten, or at the very least, transmogrified. Much of her inspiration has come from fairy tales, because as G.K. Chesterton so aptly states, "Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten." In her spare time, she collects dragons, talking frogs, and fairy godmothers. She also collects books, and one day hopes to make a house out of them. She enjoys learning languages, fiddling with her harp, and perfecting the fine art of mothering. (It's a lot like trying to herd chickens during a lightning storm while a goat stampede is going on.) One of her heroes is Albert Einstein, particularly for the following quote: "Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The most important thing is not to stop questioning."

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Blog

Book Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 6/10/13

a Rafflecopter giveaway   Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Prize value $50 US.

Mikey Brooks The Dream Keeper review and guest post

SYNOPSIS:

Loser—the most frightening word to ever be uttered in junior high school. Even the coolest kids are afraid of being associated with it. 14-year-old Parker Bennett is no exception. He can’t even be himself around his friends for fear they might not accept who he really is. When circumstances force him to team up with Kaelyn Clarke, the biggest loser in the ninth grade, Parker has to decide what is more important; protecting his social status or saving the world. Nightmare named Fyren has taken over the gateway to the realm of Dreams, with the intention of controlling mortals, and it falls on Parker, Kaelyn, and Gladamyr – the Dream Keeper – to stop him. They learn being called a loser is no longer a fear, when compared to the terror of real nightmares.

My Thoughts:

Humans Parker and Kaelynn join Gladamyr, the Dream Keeper,  on an adventure to save the real world and the dream world. Gladamyr is a kind-hearted ex-Mare, so unlike his evil counterpart Fyren who wants to fill the world with nightmares. Peter and Kaelynn discover  what they are capable of as the fight this evil villain. Both have wonderful character arcs, and I enjoyed Gladamyr's journey also.

I loved this story as did my 14 year old son. It was well written, clever, and held both of our interest. For me it had the charm of the earlier Harry Potter books (though it is a completely different story).

I recommend this to anyone liking mystery, fantasy…and if you are suffering with nightmares. Great Job, Mikey Brooks!

P.S. Awesome cover!

Five happy faces!

Check out this Great villain interview from Mikey's book!

BIO:

Mikey Brooks is a small child masquerading as adult. On occasion you’ll find him dancing the funky chicken, singing like a banshee, and pretending to have never grown up. He is the author/illustrator of several books including BEAN’S DRAGONS, the ABC ADVENTURES series, and author of the middle-grade fantasy-adventure novel, THE DREAM KEEPER. He spends most of his time playing with his daughters and working as a freelance illustrator. Mikey has a BS degree in Creative Writing from Utah State University. He is also one of the hosts of the Authors’ Think Tank Podcast.

EMAIL:

insidemikeysworld@gmail.com

AUTHOR LINKS:

Website: http://www.insidemikeysworld.com/

Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Mikey-Brooks/e/B00B8ICZ4W

Blog: http://writtenbymikey.blogspot.com/

Podcast: http://www.foreverwriters.com/category/podcast/

Goodreads at: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17727253-the-dream-keeper  

Facebook at: http://facebook.com/writtenbymikeybrooks

Twitter as: @writtenbymikey

WattPad: http://wattpad.com/MikeyBrooks

BOOK LINKS:

Hardback: http://www.amazon.com/Dream-Keeper-Mikey-Brooks/dp/1939993016

Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1939993032

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/The-Dream-Keeper-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00CPE0PT0

Paperback Create Space: https://www.createspace.com/4260677

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17727253-the-dream-keeper

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1115262781?ean=9781939993014

SYNOPSIS:

Loser—the most frightening word to ever be uttered in junior high school. Even the coolest kids are afraid of being associated with it. 14-year-old Parker Bennett is no exception. He can’t even be himself around his friends for fear they might not accept who he really is. When circumstances force him to team up with Kaelyn Clarke, the biggest loser in the ninth grade, Parker has to decide what is more important; protecting his social status or saving the world. Nightmare named Fyren has taken over the gateway to the realm of Dreams, with the intention of controlling mortals, and it falls on Parker, Kaelyn, and Gladamyr – the Dream Keeper – to stop him. They learn being called a loser is no longer a fear, when compared to the terror of real nightmares.

 Guest Post!!

A Step Forward

By: Mikey Brooks

Often stories of triumph begin with someone chasing a dream. Why should mine be any different? I grew up in the southern part of Missouri in a rural town where our nearest neighbor was a mile down the dirt road. My grandparents had a farm that was surrounded by dense woods that for me became my playground. I remember one day stumbling across the remains of an old house. The stone steps and foundation was all the tornado had left behind. It wasn’t hard for me to believe that Dorothy visited Oz because I had seen her house. I had stood on those steps wishing I could step through the invisible doorway and find myself in a world of magic. I never did.

I began chasing my dream as most writers do—by wishing. Life happened and it wasn’t long until I found myself in my late twenties, married with a baby on the way. I hadn’t caught my dream, I wasn’t even close. Sure I’d written but those books were hidden away in the hard drive of my computer. Like Tracy Hickman had said, “a book doesn’t exist unless its read.” Self doubt and discouragement has a sneaky way of creeping in and taking over. It wasn’t long before I began to doubt that my chance would ever come. Part of me began to give up, to except what I’d become and live with it. The other part of me remembered that boy in the woods of Missouri.

I never went to a magical world because I’ll I did was stand on the threshold. I didn’t take the step forward. Who knows what would have happened if I had. Maybe I would have twinkled off into the Land of Oz or Narnia, or maybe I would have just stepped into the remains of a vanished house. The point is I’ll never know, because I did not step forward.

Triumph doesn’t necessarily come when the dream is achieved, mine didn’t. It came when I decided that I was no longer going to wish for my dream to happen—I was going to make it happen. In late February last year I declared to my wife that “I am a writer and I’m going to make my dream come true.” I stopped wishing and I started planning. I had passed the threshold of that stone foundation and entered another world.

What is the step you need to take in achieving your dream? Are you standing on the threshold to a new world? When you write your story of triumph remember that it’s not only the dream at the end that counts—it’s the journey in getting there. I’m no longer chasing, I’m no longer wishing—I’m making it happen. I took the step. Good luck on your journey and catch your dream!

I am excited to announce the release of my middle-grade fantasy THE DREAM KEEPER. It is an action-packed adventure with a toe in both the real world and the fantastic. When an evil shifter takes over the gateway to the realm of Dreams, it falls to 14-year-olds Parker and Kaelyn to stop him. Their only hope lies with Gladamyr, the Dream Keeper, but can they trust a Nightmare to save their world?

“Dreams: Dorothy called it Oz, Alice called it Wonderland, but Nightmares ca

Love in Bloom

Hello! I am giving away an ecopy of  the first two books in my Port Fare series: Unlovable and Unbelievable.

Unlovable is currently being made into a movie!! Here is an synopsis:

UNLOVABLE

Seventeen year-old Maggie Brown is truly the poster child for Heroin Chic, complete with jutting bones and dark-ringed eyes. But drugs are not Maggie's problem... her mother is.
Maggie’s struggling with her growing feelings for the new guy at school, Seth Prescott, and fears he is just another person who will let her down, like everyone in her life has done thus far.
Seth Prescott is an undercover cop assigned to Port Fare High, and despite his job, he’s developed strong feelings for Maggie.
Seth’s working tirelessly to flush out the sadistic drug peddlers that have invaded the town of Port Fare, New York, while Maggie fights to stay alive as the search turns deadly. Seth and Maggie’s romantic journey is one of humor, heartbreak and self-discovery as their world is about to change forever.

Unlovable was Sherry's debut novel and quickly rose to many top seller lists on Amazon. She is pleased to announce that Unlovable is currently being made into a movie. She has added two more novels to her body of work. Souls in Peril, the poignant story of Max Sanchez who is on a journey to help the struggling JD Miller survive high school, and Pete & Tink, a fun, light-hearted novella of a manga-loving geek and and five-and-a-half inch fairy.

Sherry and her husband, along with their children and a couple of crazy dogs, call Upstate New York home. It is where she spends her nights writing instead of sleeping.

Trailer:

Unbelievable is the second book in the series and has just been released. Here is the synopsis:

Unbelievable

Book
2 of the Port Fare SeriesDeliah
Lopez Dreser's in town to take care of family business. They say the apple
doesn't fall far from the tree, but there's more to Lilah than meets the eye.
Cole's in danger of losing his heart when this firestorm throws sparks his way.

• Is she simply playing him for the fool in order to exact revenge for her brother's
  murders? 
• Will Maggie and Seth's reaction when the truth is revealed push friendship to the limit? 
• Does Booker believe Lilah?

This time around it won't be a Dreser causing an uproar in Port Fare:It will
be Booker. But does he have it all wrong? Usually not!

Here is the trailer: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Looking for a great mother's day gift??

Looking for a great mother's day gift??  I HIGHLY recommend Confessions of a Cereal Mother! ~Sorry, I don't know a thing about the other 2 books:(

Rachel McClellen's book it wonderful.

  Read my review here:   

  Purchase here:

The Forgotten Ones

The Forgotten Ones

The Danaan Trilogy

Book One

is now available exclusively on Amazon!

Allison O'Malley's plan is to go to grad school so she can get a good job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She has carefully closed herself off from everything else, including a relationship with Ethan, who she's been in love with for as long as she can remember.

What is definitely not part of the plan is the return of her long-lost father, who claims he can bring Allison's mother back from the dark place her mind has gone. Allison doesn't trust her father, so why would she believe his stories about a long forgotten Irish people, the Tuatha de Danaan? But truths have a way of revealing themselves. Secrets will eventually surface. And Allison must learn to set aside her plan and work with her father if there is even a small chance it could restore her mother's sanity.

About Laura Howard


Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known. The Forgotten Ones is her first published novel.

Connect with Laura:

Blog | Twitter | Facebook |

Book & Author Details:

Debt Collector by Susan Kaye Quinn
Series: Debt Collector, Serial 1-3
Publication date: 2013
Genre: NA Future-Noir

Synopsis:

EPISODES 1-3 (Delirium, Agony, Ecstasy) of the Debt Collector serial. Contains mature content and themes. For young-adult-appropriate thrills, see Susan's bestselling Mindjack series.

What's your life worth on the open market?
A debt collector can tell you precisely.

Lirium plays the part of the grim reaper well, with his dark trenchcoat, jackboots, and the black marks on his soul that every debt collector carries. He's just in it for his cut, the ten percent of the life energy he collects before he transfers it on to the high potentials, the people who will make the world a better place with their brains, their work, and their lives. That hit of life energy, a bottle of vodka, and a visit from one of Madam Anastazja's sex workers keep him alive, stable, and mostly sane... until he collects again. But when his recovery ritual is disrupted by a sex worker who isn't what she seems, he has to choose between doing an illegal hit for a girl whose story has more holes than his soul or facing the bottle alone--a dark pit he's not sure he'll be able to climb out of again.

The first three episodes of the Debt Collector serial are collectively the length of a short novel, or 152 pages. These are the first three of nine episodes in the first season of The Debt Collector serial. This dark and gritty future-noir is about a world where your life-worth is tabulated on the open market and going into debt risks a lot more than your credit rating. Episode 4, Broken, releases 4/17/13. For more about the Debt Collector serial, see DebtCollectorSeries.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/series/100549-debt-collector

Purchase:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00C4Y3Y6W?ie=UTF8&tag=httpwwwgoodco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00C4Y3Y6W&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/debt-collector-susan-kaye-quinn/1114975603?ean=2940016484457

---

AUTHOR BIO

Susan Kaye Quinn grew up in California, where she wrote snippets of stories and passed them to her friends during class. Her teachers pretended not to notice and only confiscated her stories a couple times.

Susan left writing behind to pursue a bunch of engineering degrees, but she was drawn back to writing by an irresistible urge to share her stories with her niece, her kids, and all the wonderful friends she’s met along the way.

She doesn’t have to sneak her notes anymore, which is too bad.

Susan writes from the Chicago suburbs with her three boys, two cats, and one husband. Which, it turns out, is exactly as a much as she can handle.

Author Links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

What's a Serial and Why Would I Read One?  by Susan Kaye Quinn, author of a new future-noir serial called The Debt Collector

Covers for Debt Collector, Episodes 1, 2, and 3

A serial is a series of episodes - or short stories - that are connected to tell a larger story. Must Read TV Serials are actually a lot like a TV series, which themselves vary a lot in type. Series like Law&Order and House are more self-contained, with only a few character storylines carrying over from episode to episode. Series like Lost or Heroes would be difficult to watch out of order because the storylines carry more strongly, sometimes with cliffhangers, sometimes not. Some readers like the week-by-week suspense of Must Watch TV; others would rather wait until the season is done and get it from netflix so they can watch it back-to-back. Likewise, some readers enjoy the suspense of reading a serial episode-by-episode as they're released. Others would rather wait until the entire serial is complete and read it all at once. Either is fine!

Is a Serial a New Idea? Ebook serials are a new thing, because ebooks are a new thing - but serials have been around since Charles Dickens wrote and released Great Expectations (self-published through his own literary magazine!) in 6,000 word "installments" every week for nine months. Readers today aren't accustomed to reading in serial format because publishing serials was restricted to magazines, which didn't have wide circulation. Now with ebooks, the cost of transmission is low and the distribution is wide. Ebooks have revived the short story form! But for readers raised on novels, who crave longer works and more in-depth stories, serials are the next natural step. Is a Serial a Novel Cut Into Pieces? No. A serial is not a chopped up novel, just like a TV episode is not a chopped up movie. It's a different way of telling stories. In a way, it's more demanding to write than novels - you need to immediately draw the reader in, you have to reach some kind of reader-satisfaction-level by the end of the episode (even if you have a cliff-hanger), and you have to maintain that pace and storytelling arc over multiple episodes. But all that hard work on the part of the author makes it (potentially) more enjoyable for the reader. Can You Name Some Successful Serials? Yes! Hugh Howey's Wool RaShelle Workman's Blood and Snow Platt &Wright's Yesterday's Gone These are all recent bestselling serials that drew audiences in and helped revitalize the serial form. Why Would I Read a Serial? Readers tell me that they're enjoying the short episodes - they can read them quickly over lunch or in an evening and get a full "story" worth of entertainment. The fast pacing means there's a lot of story packed into a short number of words. Readers also say they enjoy the anticipation of finding out "what will happen next" much like a TV series where you get invested in the characters. Think about how a favorite TV series will sometimes focus one episode on one character or another, diving into their backstory. As a writer, I like that I can go in-depth a little more in each "episode" than I could in a novel, giving a richness to the story and characters that might be more difficult to do in a novel format. All serials eventually come to an end, just like a "season" of your favorite TV series. Whether you enjoy reading serials as they release, or want to wait until the complete season is out so you can read the episodes back-to-back, serials are a fast-paced, exciting way to enjoy a story. As a writer, I find serials are the hardest writing I've ever loved.

Susan Kaye Quinn is the author of the bestselling YA SF Mindjack series. Her new Debt Collector serial is her more grown-up SF. Her steampunk fantasy romance is temporarily on hold while she madly writes episodes to keep Lirium (the titular Debt Collector) happy. Plus she needs to leave time to play on Facebook. Susan has a lot of degrees in engineering, which come in handy when dreaming up dangerous mind powers, future dystopias, and slightly plausible steampunk inventions. Mostly she sits around in her pajamas in awe that she gets make stuff up full-time. You can find her at www.susankayequinn.com What's your life worth on the open market? A debt collector can tell you precisely. Delirium (Debt Collector 1) is now available on Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Kobo, iTunes, Smashwords. See the Debt Collector website to check all the latest episode releases and goings on in the Debt Collector world.

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"Why My Life Sucks" Book Review

Seventeen-year-old super tech geek Gilbert Garfinkle knew the future was going to be perfect, because he was going to invent it himself. He had it all planned. But a funny thing happened on the way to the future... 

Amber is the most beautiful girl he's ever met, way out of his league. He can't understand why she asks to go home with him, asks him to sit next to her on his vintage Star Wars sheets, and starts kissing him. 

Now once bitten and twice terrified out of his brilliant mind, Gilbert lies alone in his room in the dark, paralyzed, and pondering life's ultimate question: "Why me?" 

WHY MY LOVE LIFE SUCKS—book one of THE LEGEND OF GILBERT THE FIXER—is the humorous science-fiction novel that proves it takes the ultimate geek to be the ultimate hero.

About the Author:I don't know how old I was when I first became a storyteller, but I do know I was quite young.

I remember telling my youngest cousins and my older cousins' children stories when I was about ten. I loved the excited look on their faces, how my stories drew them in and captured their imaginations and their hearts. I also remember telling stories to the younger children on the van ride to school. I particularly remember one little girl who would ask over and over, "What happened next?"

It was such a delightful question to answer.

As I was growing up, I read anything and everything I could get my hands on. I read encyclopedias and science magazines, because I was very curious and couldn't read enough about this world. I also read a ton of comic books, particular collections of Peanuts strips. My favorite books were funny, fantasy or science fiction. I loved the works of Peter S. Beagle, Ursula Le Guin, Anne McCaffrey, J.R.R. Tolkien, Gene Wolfe, Harlan Ellison, Douglas Adams, Isaac Asimov, Orson Scott Card, John Barth, Thomas Pynchon, and so many others.

But while I enjoyed these books, I kept looking for one about a girl like me, a girl who loved stories and loved telling them. I knew stories were magical, perhaps even the most magical thing we can experience. I couldn't possibly be the only one who felt like this, could I? And who better to write about this particular magic than a storyteller? But the more I looked, the more I realized the book I so desperately wanted to read did not exist.  

You can find Why my love life sucks here

 My Thoughts:


Excerpt: So I sat beside her on my bed. She took off my glasses, leaned in, and started to kiss me. I thought, This is not happening. I’m Gilbert Garfinkle, for God’s sake. Pretty girls don’t sit on my bed and kiss me, except in my dreams. Then another part of my brain said, Shut up, Gilbert, you think too much. So I stopped thinking and kissed her back. Yeah, it’s always a mistake when you stop thinking. I should have realized that before it was too late.

This sets the perfect tone for this novel. The story is funny, well told, and an all-around good story. I picked this book because of the title: I was not disappointed. I loved the vampire side of this novel along with the teen angst. Though a fantasy novel, the struggles were real and heart-felt. This is a great read!
The novel also offers an important message. If you're geek and a hot girls wants to make-out with you despite the fact that your bed is covered in Star Wars sheets...run!

Grand prize giveaway

One signed copy of the book (US only)

One 25$ Gift Card at Thinkgeek (INTL)

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