Sunday, October 30, 2011

The Paranormal Plumes greet fans in Savannah, GA for a spooky Halloween weekend!



The Paranormal Plumes Society Haunted Savannah Book Tour was a big hit!


A few authors (Nichole Chase, Laura Elliott) arrived as early as Thursday for a spot on a local TV station (see previous post) while the rest of us (Tiffany King, Carol and Adam Kunz, Michelle Muto, Fisher Amelie, M. Leighton, Abbi Glines and yours truly) trickled in at various hours on Friday.

Friday evening we all met at the famously spooky Pirate's House restaurant for dinner with family, friends and fans in tow for a fantastically fun evening of conversation, laughter and wonderful food. Try the fried green tomotoes, they're to die for! After dinner we were entertained by 'Anne Bonnie,' a spooky pirate gal. She gave us a very in depth historical tour of the old landmark in a hilariously animated and entertaining way. In addition to being comical she had extreme patience and tolerance for our rambunctious crew.

Saturday morning we met at the South West Chatham Library for a group discussion and signing/swag fest. We were greeted with some of the same faces from our dinner date the previous evening as well as some local Savannah book lovers. This was my first book tour so it proved to be a very exciting and informative experience for me. I had the priviledge to meet one of my fans in person for the first time. It was such a pleasure to meet Tess and her mother in person and speak to them one on one. I had a wonderful time and look forward to more opportunities to connect face to face with fans, book enthusiasts and other indie writers in the future.




Thanks to Nichole's husband for carving this lovely and festive pumpkin!


Here's the whole roudy crew!

Saturday evening was a real treat... or was it a trick? Maybe both... We took a ghostly tour of the Sorrel Weed House in the historic district of downtown Savannah. A few of us got a little spooked but for the most part we felt like we had conquered an adrenaline inducing adventure.




This room was especially creepy. Reports of guests and guides seeing ghostly faces in the windows, lights turning off by themselves! Very eery!




The last two pictures were taken in the basement of the house where several bodies were alleged to have been found. It is believed that the deceased died at the hands of a very disturbed man who practiced voodoo and made live sacrifices in the basement of his own home.

I'd like to take a moment to say thank you again to the fans, family and friends who joined us in Savannah this weekend. It was awesome and I had so much fun with everyone. It was nice to finally meet everyone in person and get to know you better!

The event was such a success and enjoyed so well by all participating that we've decided to keep the Paranormal Plumes Society in tact for future tours. If you are a fan or writer of indie young adult paranormal stories please get in touch with us so we can keep you informed of our plans and include you in our group. The more the merrier!

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Thursday, October 20, 2011

YA Indie Carnival!



Welcome to The Shootin' Gallery and the fifteenth post in the YA Indie Carnival. The carnival is designed for authors, readers and reviewers of YA Indie books. Each Friday this team of YA Indies will post on a common theme.

This week’s post theme is, the good, the bad and the ugly of social marketing for authors.

Wow! This is a fantasticly broad theme with much to consider. OK, well here it goes...

Before I can dive into this topic matter I feel the need to let you know where I am coming from. I am a public high school Dance and Theater Arts teacher with a love of reading and writing. My college degree/certification lies in the field of education. I have not the advantage/education background in Literature that I assume most writers/authors possess. Because of this, when I finished my first book - Soul Quest, I had absolutely no idea what to do with it.

I began my research online searching for 'how to' websites or articles that might point me in the right direction. I stumbled across articles and references to writing query letters and finding an agent or publisher. So, I wrote query letters and sent a dozen of them out to Literary Agencies. Some wrote back and said, thanks but no thanks while others never responded at all.

But... in the meantime I was stumbling across these really cool blogs. The blogs were designed by book bloggers. I was sneaking around on their pages trying to learn the names of the more popular or prominant agencies when I came across something entirely unexpected, indie authors. There were interviews and book tours and guest posts and contests and giveaways (Oh my!) AND all of these indies had ebooks.

Ebooks? Nah, hardly anybody reads those things! (OK, you can stop laughing at me now...)

...but seriously folks, this was an entirely new revelation to me. My hubby confirmed that this was the way to go. He had mentioned it a few times (actually, a few hundred times) but of course being the independent, self - sufficient (stubborn, pain in the ass) modern woman that I am I repeatedly ignored him until I figured it out for my self...

So, that's the 'Amy Saga' of independent publishing.

THE GOOD

Advertisement...

As I mentioned before, the book bloggers were helping the indie writers to promote their books (hello, FREE advertising!). When I looked more closely I realized that the indie authors were blogging too AND they had websites (holy smokes!) promoting their own books.

Finally, it hit me (like brick on brick to my thick skull). I could do everything online that traditional authors do on a regular basis from the comfort of my own home with little to no cost. I could interview, promote, tour, hold contests and giveaways, write articles... you name it. It was an awesome realization!

Making friends...


Once I got my blog started everything went nuts! I began chatting with bloggers and indies. I received feedback about my book, advice about blogging and writing, book promotion and social networking.

The social componant of the equation (to me) is really where the difference is. I can get (almost) immediate feedback online. If I have a concern or need advice I just simply email one of my trusty and much appreciated indie pals and before I know it I've got some great, sound advice. What's particularly awesome about this is that I know the advice is genuine. They aren't motivated by some marketing bottom line. They simply share their honest opinion (a friend and collegue helping another friend and collegue).

Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads...

If you're going indie as an author you MUST network on these social networks. If it wasn't for these wonderful virtual locales I would still be sitting in my living room staring down upon my (unread) novel, twiddling my thumbs (Jeapardy music playing in the background) waiting for an agent (who may never write) to respond to a query letter. I'm not really into thumb twiddling...

THE BAD

Time...

Anything worth doing takes time and social marketing is no exception. If you wish to get results you must spend a significant amount of time online. Chat with people and form relationships. Respond to posts, emails, reviews, etc... Host other authors/bloggers on your blog and guest post on other blogs. Put yourself out there. I would venture to say I spend at least 3 to 5 hours per week on social networking/marketing and believe my participation level to be conservative. If you're only going to tweet or post once a month you aren't going to see much traffic on your blog/website or allow yourself the opportunity to get to know others indies and bloggers.

THE UGLY

Honestly, I can't really say there is anything ugly about social marketing except...

Reviews - Go ahead and prepare yourself for the fact that someone will NOT love your book. They may not even like it. They may even say horrible things about it. This is a reality and you should not let it discourage you. It's all subjective. We all have different likes and dislikes. Just remember, one person's opinion does not define the worth of your writing.

Book Covers - OK, I'm not trying to be mean but... Don't let your 6 year old design your book cover. If you're an artist or you can afford to hire one, great! If not, do not despair. There are many affordable websites with stock photos of everything imaginable. Covers hold a lot of power. You may have written the best novel in the universe but if you promote it with an unappealing cover it just won't sell.

Well, that is my take on things.

Here is a lovely article by novelist, Sara Sheridan on the subject of social media in the writer's world. I found it very informative and supportive for indie writers.

Before you head off to the next booth in the carnival please don't forget about...

Soulless; The Story of Shayan is out and available for FREE (ebook) at Smashwords and Goodreads! For now it is available for $0.99 at Amazon.com but I hope to list it FREE soon.

The Guardians of Souls, Book Two in The Soul Quest Trilogy. It is available on Amazon NOW!

Gwenn Wright's The Von Strassenberg Saga. Our very own Dani Snell just released and designed the official cover for BlueStocking Girl! Here's a link to Gwenn's awesome video:

Laura A. H. Elliott's 13 on Halloween new release! Check out her awesome book trailer and an excerpt.


Courtney Cole's novel, My Tattered Bonds, the finale of the Bloodstone Saga, has been released early. You can find it on Amazon here. Congrats to Courtney's debut on Amazon’s mythology bestseller’s list!

At the end of the month, a group of our own carnies (including yours truly) will be in Savannah, GA for a book signing. You can find the details here.

Lexus Luke is donating 30% of the proceeds from Manitou The Sky People Saga to the ASPCA. You can enjoy a great read AND support a wonderful organization!

The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines will release on October 21. You can see its trailer here.

For a limited time, Kimberly Konrade is selling signed copies of her thriller, Forbidden Mind along with some other really cool stuff! Details here.

And don't miss the giveaway on Gwen Wright’s blog. When she reaches 100 followers, she will give away a signed copy of Filter and cool coffee mugs.


Carnival of fun!

The Ferris Wheel

Dani Snell: An awesome reviewer.
http://www.refractedlightreviews.com

The Rockin' Roller Coaster

Patti Larsen: Author of The Ghost Boy of MacKenzie House, and The Diamond City Trilogy.
http://pattilarsen.blogspot.com/


The Kissing Booth

Courtney Cole: Author of Every Last Kiss, Fated, Princess, and Guardian. Also a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.

http://courtneycolewrites.wordpress.com/

Cotton Candy Corner

Wren Emerson: Author of I Wish and a contributing author in the upcoming anthology that I am participating in (The Glassheart Chronicles).
http://wrenemerson.wordpress.com/

The Fun House

Nicole Williams: An indie author of paranormal fiction. Her titles include: Eternal Eden and Fallen Eden. She is also participating in the Glassheart Chronicles. Here is the link to my review on Goodreads.
http://nicoleawilliams.blogspot.com/

The Dunking Booth

Fisher Amelie: Author of The Understorey, as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://fisheramelie.com/blog/

The Carousel
Laura Elliott: Author of the recently released Winnemucca!
http://www.laurasmagicday.wordpress.com

The Haunted Castle

Rachel Coles: Author of Diary of a Duct Tape Zombie, Whistles, Beergarden, Plagues, Bees of St. John, and Mushrooms.
http://rachelcoles.wordpress.com/

Hayrides!

T.R. Graves: Author of Warriors of the Cross.
http://thewarriorseries.blogspot.com/

The Face Painting Booth

Cydni Tefft: Author of Between
http://ctefft.blogspot.com/

The Fortune Teller
P.J. Hoover: Author of Solstice
http://pjhoover.blogspot.com
Congrats to P. J. for her recent
book trailer award for Solstice!

Popcorn and Caramel Apples!
Alicia McCalla: Author of Breaking
http://www.aliciamccalla.com/

Pony Rides!
Heather Cashman: Author of Perception
http://heathercashman.com/better_off_read/

The Petting Zoo!
Cheri Schmidt: Author of Fateful and Fractured
http://cherischmidt.blogspot.com


Fire Breather!
Suzy Turner
Author of December Moon and Raven
http://www.suzyturner.com/

Clown Sherif!
K. C. Blake Author of Vampire Rules
http://kasi-kcblake.blogspot.com/

Elephant Trainer!
Gwenn Wright
Author of Filter
http://hereventuality.blogspot.com/

Ring-Leader!
Kimberly Kinrade
Author of Bits of You, Pieces of Me and Forbidden Mind
http://kimberlykinrade.com/

The Giant!
J.L. Bryan
Author of Paranormals series- Jenny Pox. Tommy Nightmare & Alexander Death
http://jlbryanbooks.blogspot.com/

Lizard Woman!
Darby Karchut Author of Griffin Rising and the upcoming Griffin's Fire

http://darbykarchut.blogspot.com

Octo - lady!
Madeline Smoot Author of Missing, Summer Shorts, and The Girls

http://www.madelinesmoot.com/category/ya/

The Fire Breathing Lady!
M. Leighton Author of Blood Like Poison Series, Wiccan, Caterpillar, Madly and Wolfhardt and The Reaping
http://mleightonbooks.blogspot.com/

Don't forget to make a comment and join my followers! I love hearing from my old friends as much as I love making new friends!

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Indie Spotlight with Laura Elliott!

Today I would like to welcome Laura Elliott to the blog. Laura, who is the author of Winnemucca and the recently released 13 on Halloween, is a dear indie friend and collegue.

























Welcome Laura, and thank you so much for gracing us with your lovely presence here at Amy Jones Young Adult Fantasy Fiction!

Hey there Amy, thanks so much for hosting my interview for 13 on Halloween. As I type I am sitting in our home/hotel room at The Holiday Inn at the Portland Airport. My hubby and I move around a lot because of his work. I’m listening to Journey and thinking about home in California.

Your life sounds very exciting and busy. I'm an east coast girl myself, originally raised in the north but now happily transplanted in the south with my hubby and two terrific kids.

OK, so lets get straight to the fascinating details that sum of who Laura Elliott really is, shall we?

Where in the world is your favorite place to write and why?

I love to write on the road. I love being in coffee shops and on trains and in airports, knee-deep in the busy world. But I also love it when I am home, which is rare, and can write at sunset in my favorite chair. It’s a huge chair. Every time we’ve had to move over the past few years it cracks us up how big the chair is. It’s over-stuffed with a huge ottoman and upholstered with a super-soft, small leopard-print fabric. After living in Big Sur, CA for a few years on a cliff perched a few hundred yards above the Pacific Ocean I had a year of sunsets. I stopped everything to watch them. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to live anywhere where I can’t see the sunset every night.

Your cliff sounds absolutely divine. Living within a few miles of the Atlantic Ocean myself I can completely relate to your feelings about your enchanting sunsets. OK, now we're going to switch gears a bit. If you could choose any film or television world to live in what would it be?

I’m drawn to the romance of war. Idealism vs. reality. How regular people have to step outside of themselves and find a way to survive. And because of this, I love war stories, the world of Dr. Zhivago in particular, which is set during The Russian Revolution. I love that the home Zhivago and Lara took refuge in was covered entirely with ice on the inside except for a small room. I love the magic of finding that room with the home in such a state. The solace and respite from war Zhivago and Lara found there. I guess I wouldn’t like to live there, but it is a place I’d definitely love to visit. I kind of like my one-foot in reality, like my stories.

History really is fascinating and frightening simultaneously which is why it makes such terrific inspirational material for writing. Speaking of all things frightening, what are you afraid of?

Waking up a stranger in my own life. I’m so afraid of it that I wrote my debut novel, Winnmeucca, to explore just such a circumstance. Ginny begins an enchanted road trip when she discovers she’s let herself become a stranger in her own life.

Do you remember the exact moment you decided you wanted to be a writer?

Yes! It involved three non-walking casts. I thought my husband had died in a bicycling accident and ran to see if the cyclist was my husband. I ended up finding out that my husband was safe & sound [though, sadly, another man had died] and that I had broken an extra bone in one of my feet. I am a mutant! In addition to painting my laundry room during my lengthy recovery, I began to write short stories. I couldn’t commute to my job at E! Entertainment Television because I had a stick-shift car. The only other way to pass the time was to watch television and I could only take so much of Martha Stewart and daytime TV. So my stories were a way to pass the time.

Whoa!!! Girlfriend, you should write a story about that experience! It would make for an excellent thriller! I know what you mean as well about Martha Stewart and day time TV. I watch very little TV myself these days. The same old reality idiots and hum - drum steriotypes over and over again bore me. I have been encouraged by the fact that some really terrific books are being made into movies and TV series, especially those of the paranormal variety. On that note, if you could be a superhero, who would you be and what would your power do?

I would LOVE to be a Superhero with dead reckoning, but I don’t think one exists. I even get lost with GPS. I’m horrible. If someone dumped me in a forest and gave me a compass I probably couldn’t find my way out. So maybe COMPASSGIRL or DEADRECKONING WOMAN! Yes. That would be lovely. LOL!

Girl, I could get lost in a one - street town. It's so sad, it's funny! What makes you laugh?

My total lack of ability to find my way around new places and yet my desire to still try to figure it all out. That, and putting my characters in situations where their dreams come true in hilariously, scary ways. In Roxie’s case, this means that she’ll visit a shadow world. And she’ll have to choose between what she’s always wanted and what she has.

I also love when people say things in funny ways. This was the original idea behind Roxie. My friends told me I should write a character who speaks like I do. I mean, how serious could a book that uses animals as verbs be? And yet, while I hope readers get a good laugh at Roxie’s unique perspective on the world, I hope they might also get a lump in their throat from time to time as they discover powerful insights along with Roxie, the twelve-turning-thirteen-on-Halloween main character.


Animal verbs... hmmm? Very interesting... LOL! If you couldn't be a writer, what would you be?


I would love to be a stand-up comedian. I used to live in Los Angeles and was a big fan of going to The Comedy Store and The Improv and The Laugh Factory. I was just talking about this with an old high school friend of mine who actually took comedy classes. I love to laugh. I would love to be able to make other people laugh too. I hope that 13 on Halloween puts a smile on readers’ faces.

I can totally imagine you as a comedian because you are naturally such a funny gal and keep me in stitches often. OK, so it's almost Halloween and I have been intentionally saving your new book to celebrate the spirit of the occasion. Can you share with us what inspired you to write 13 on Halloween? Can you tell us a little bit about the book or share with us a little taste/sneak preview?

Awww. That’s sweet! Thanks, Amy. Well, it really was my friends that made me do it! They always laugh at me when I say “I hamster,” or, “I gopher.” They said I should write the way I talk. I sort of rolled my eyes. But then it dawned on me, teenagers have their own languages too. So I decided to explore a character who uses animals as verbs, as I do, and looks at the world through a Wild Kingdom prism in order to understand her changing world and her role in it. I wanted the book to be funny. I was also living in Pacific Grove at the time. It is a beautiful place with loads of literary history. John Steinbeck and Joseph Campbell lived there once upon a time. I used to take long walks in the fog when I was writing 13 on Halloween.

Here’s a little excerpt:

Anyway, here’s the dodo fact I googled––in the year 1598 AD, Portuguese sailors landing on the shores of the island of Mauritius discovered a previously unknown species of bird, the dodo. Having been isolated by its island location from contact with humanity, the dodo greeted the new visitors with a child-like innocence. The sailors mistook the gentle spirit of the dodo, and its lack of fear of the new predators, as stupidity. They dubbed the bird “dodo” [meaning something like a simpleton, in Portuguese]. Many dodo were killed by the human visitors, and those that survived man had to face dogs and pigs which went wild in the Mauritian eco-system. By 1681, the last dodo died.


So, all you need to do to understand The Life of Roxie, is switch it up a little and you have the definition of what it’s like to be me at Oakdale Middle School. Roxanne O’Grady landed on the shores of Oakdale Middle School in sixth grade but had been going to school with most of the kids since kindergarten. The new kids from the rich neighborhoods discovered a girl previously unknown to them. Having been isolated to the ways of popularity by her family’s hard working, studious nature, the rich kids mistook Roxie’s gentle spirit and her lack of fear of the new predators as stupidity. They dubbed Roxie, Toxy––as in toxic. If you aren’t in, you are out. And I won’t lie to you, some days I felt as extinct as the dodo, invisible. But while the death of the last dodo was the death of a breed, I knew my breed would always live on––the not-quite-good-enough girl of eighth grade.

You can read more here.

If you will be in the Pacific Northwest, I’m on The Rain Boots Required Young Adult Book Tour Please join us! Or, if you are in Savannah, GA for Halloween Weekend, I’d love to celebrate with you and some other amazing YA authors here.

Thanks so much for this interview Amy! I loved the questions and had a lot of fun answering them. Happy Halloween!


You are so very welcome Laura! It has been a thrill to be your host. FYI, I will be in Savannah, GA with Laura and several other fabulous YA Indies Halloween Weekend! Here is a link to my post about the event.


Check out Laura's book trailer for 13 on Halloween!


Friday, October 14, 2011

YA Indie Carnival!



Welcome to The Shootin' Gallery and the fourteenth post in the YA Indie Carnival. The carnival is designed for authors, readers and reviewers of YA Indie books. Each Friday this team of YA Indies will post on a common theme.

This week’s post theme is to share our best fan experience. Sadly, as I am still fairly new to the indie writing arena I don't really have any fans, at least that I know of. Sooooo, if you are a fan I invite you proclaim you obsession with The Soul Quest Trilogy here today.



I have received some terrific reviews from my readers and I always post them on my website but I have yet to receive any personal emails. I also receive numerous and supportive shout outs and flattery on twitter (mostly from bloggers and fellow indie writers) which I truly appreciate but it would warm my heart to hear from my fans in a more personal way. So, if you're out there, I invite you to join The Soul Quest Trilogy Fan Club. It's free to join (tee hee) and everyone will think you're super cool!

Before you head off to the next booth in the carnival please don't forget about...

Soulless is a novella and will be available for free download @ Amazon.com on October 31, 2011!

The Guardians of Souls, Book Two in The Soul Quest Trilogy. It is available on Amazon NOW!

Gwenn Wright's The Von Strassenberg Saga. Our very own Dani Snell just released and designed the official cover for BlueStocking Girl! Here's a link to Gwenn's awesome video:

Laura A. H. Elliott's 13 on Halloween new release! Check out her awesome book trailer and an excerpt.


Courtney Cole's novel, My Tattered Bonds, the finale of the Bloodstone Saga, has been released early. You can find it on Amazon here. Congrats to Courtney's debut on Amazon’s mythology bestseller’s list!

At the end of the month, a group of our own carnies (including yours truly) will be in Savannah, GA for a book signing. You can find the details here.

Lexus Luke is donating 30% of the proceeds from Manitou The Sky People Saga to the ASPCA. You can enjoy a great read AND support a wonderful organization!

The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines will release on October 21. You can see its trailer here.

For a limited time, Kimberly Konrade is selling signed copies of her thriller, Forbidden Mind along with some other really cool stuff! Details here.

And don't miss the giveaway on Gwen Wright’s blog. When she reaches 100 followers, she will give away a signed copy of Filter and cool coffee mugs.


Carnival of fun!

The Ferris Wheel

Dani Snell: An awesome reviewer.
http://www.refractedlightreviews.com

The Rockin' Roller Coaster

Patti Larsen: Author of The Ghost Boy of MacKenzie House, and The Diamond City Trilogy.
http://pattilarsen.blogspot.com/


The Kissing Booth

Courtney Cole: Author of Every Last Kiss, Fated, Princess, and Guardian. Also a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.

http://courtneycolewrites.wordpress.com/

Cotton Candy Corner

Wren Emerson: Author of I Wish and a contributing author in the upcoming anthology that I am participating in (The Glassheart Chronicles).
http://wrenemerson.wordpress.com/

The Fun House

Nicole Williams: An indie author of paranormal fiction. Her titles include: Eternal Eden and Fallen Eden. She is also participating in the Glassheart Chronicles. Here is the link to my review on Goodreads.
http://nicoleawilliams.blogspot.com/

The Dunking Booth

Fisher Amelie: Author of The Understorey, as well as a contributing author in The Glassheart Chronicles.
http://fisheramelie.com/blog/

The Carousel
Laura Elliott: Author of the recently released Winnemucca!
http://www.laurasmagicday.wordpress.com

The Haunted Castle

Rachel Coles: Author of Diary of a Duct Tape Zombie, Whistles, Beergarden, Plagues, Bees of St. John, and Mushrooms.
http://rachelcoles.wordpress.com/

Hayrides!

T.R. Graves: Author of Warriors of the Cross.
http://thewarriorseries.blogspot.com/

The Face Painting Booth

Cydni Tefft: Author of Between
http://ctefft.blogspot.com/

The Fortune Teller
P.J. Hoover: Author of Solstice
http://pjhoover.blogspot.com
Congrats to P. J. for her recent
book trailer award for Solstice!

Popcorn and Caramel Apples!
Alicia McCalla: Author of Breaking
http://www.aliciamccalla.com/

Pony Rides!
Heather Cashman: Author of Perception
http://heathercashman.com/better_off_read/

The Petting Zoo!
Cheri Schmidt: Author of Fateful and Fractured
http://cherischmidt.blogspot.com


Fire Breather!
Suzy Turner
Author of December Moon and Raven
http://www.suzyturner.com/

Clown Sherif!
K. C. Blake Author of Vampire Rules
http://kasi-kcblake.blogspot.com/

Elephant Trainer!
Gwenn Wright
Author of Filter
http://hereventuality.blogspot.com/

Ring-Leader!
Kimberly Kinrade
Author of Bits of You, Pieces of Me and Forbidden Mind
http://kimberlykinrade.com/

The Giant!
J.L. Bryan
Author of Paranormals series- Jenny Pox. Tommy Nightmare & Alexander Death
http://jlbryanbooks.blogspot.com/

Lizard Woman!
Darby Karchut Author of Griffin Rising and the upcoming Griffin's Fire

http://darbykarchut.blogspot.com

Octo - lady!
Madeline Smoot Author of Missing, Summer Shorts, and The Girls

http://www.madelinesmoot.com/category/ya/

The Fire Breathing Lady!
M. Leighton Author of Blood Like Poison Series, Wiccan, Caterpillar, Madly and Wolfhardt and The Reaping
http://mleightonbooks.blogspot.com/

Don't forget to make a comment and join my followers! I love hearing from my old friends as much as I love making new friends!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Soulless: The Story of Shayan



The new release from The Soul Quest Trilogy is finally here!!!

Guess what everybody? It's almost Liv, Laith, Brayan and Meena's birthday and that means that it's time for the release of Soulless; The Story of Shayan (the prequel to Soul Quest). That's right, Soulless is now available for free at Smashwords, Goodreads and hopefully Amazon.com very soon, in ebook format just in time for Halloween! Yay!

Here's a little teaser to tempt you.

Chapter One
Hala
Year: 2015
Place: Arcadia

The Oracle of Humanity


“All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”

~ Martin Luther King, Jr.


“Hello, my dear children. Please gather around and find a resting spot on this splendor of crisp and colorful fallen leaves. My name is Hala and I am the Great Spirit. Today is All Hallows Eve and I have called you here on this beautiful and festive Arcadian day to tell you a story. The story I’m about to tell is not a reflection of this lovely autumn day, it is a warning. It is a warning about the tragedy that can consume us if we fail to remember and honor the dead.”
I paused in my speech to gaze upon the young faces that stared wide eyed and guarded in reaction to my serious words. The new class of Guardian Spirits has just completed their training. Before the weeks end they will be assigned their human charges. I feel that it is imperative that they learn the sad and tragic story of Arcadia’s former Oracle of Humanity before they begin their quest of inductions and wanderings into the minds of human newborns.
As we stood safely in the shade of the woodlands that scattered themselves through out Paradise Mountain, home to the Oracles of Arcadia, I realized how safe and sheltered the lives of our young Guardian Spirits typically are.
“Look around you my children. Gaze upon the easy beauty and peacefulness of your home, Lavender Valley. Take in the serenity and safety of the Land of the Shadowless. Follow the bustling yet impervious streets of our shining Silver City. Finally, behold the magic of the Light as it emanates from the Maze of Mirrors to reach every nook and cranny of our divine realm, Arcadia, the Spirit World. Your human charges do not live in such safety. They are born into a world that threatens the wholeness of their souls. It will be your job to guide, watch, seek and plan the path they travel today so that they may safely reach the Land of the Shadowless in their next life.”
The young Guardian’s eyes scanned over the vast and awesome landscape that is their home with love and respect. I allowed them a moment of silence for self reflection and thoughtful thinking. When their inquisitive eyes returned to me with anticipation I knelt before them into a blanket of October leaves and began the story of Shayan.

Chapter Two
Hala
Year: 2015
Place: Arcadia

Resentment


“I tried to manipulate and control people, and I harbored resentment. I wanted to be forgiven, but I wouldn't forgive others.”

~ Lauryn Hill


“Several hundred years ago there lived an Oracle by the name of Shayan. He was the Oracle of Humanity and it was his job to watch over and protect human kind from their inner darkness. Because humans possess their own will they may sometimes make poor choices in life. They become obsessed with power, greed, money, lust and any number of other mortal temptations. These excessive indulgences threaten the purity of their souls causing them to abuse, steal, cheat, deceive and even kill their mortal brethren. Time and temptation repeated takes its toll on these troubled souls and eventually they become lost all together. It was Shayan’s job as the Oracle of Humanity to intervene and prevent this from happening.”
“Lord Hala, did Shayan try to protect them?” asked Tracy, a young Guardian Seeker.
“No, I’m afraid not my child. Instead, Shayan became tempted himself. You see, Shayan became very jealous of mankind’s free will. I can still remember the day he came to see me with great clarity.”

“Lord Hala, may I have a moment of your time? I have something very important I wish to discuss with you.” Shayan said respectfully.
“Of course, Shayan. What can I do for you?” I had wondered.
“I’m afraid that I am not happy, my Lord. It is frustrating to watch human kind stumble over what would appear to be such an easy path to follow day in and day out.” he began.
“I’m afraid I don’t understand Shayan. Perhaps you could be a bit more specific.” I encouraged.
“They have everything, don’t you see? They can do anything, be anything… and they waste this gift.” Shayan pleaded with me now. His eyes begged me for understanding.
“This is why you must show them a better way, an easier path.” I started.
“They won’t listen. I have tried time and time again. They simply do not care. How can this be?” His former frustration was morphing to anger.
“Shayan, you must be patient and persistent. You can not give up. You must continue to try.” I persisted.
Shayan’s head hung heavy and his eyes shifted away from my gaze. “I do not think that I can do this Hala.” He barely whispered.
“You can and you must.” I said firmly. “It is your commandment as the Oracle of Humanity.”
Shayan fell silent for a moment. He was contemplating his next words. I was flabbergasted when he finally delivered them.
“Then I no longer wish to be the Oracle of Humanity… I wish to be human.” Shayan looked me in the eye.
I did not understand his logic. “What good can this achieve? Humans can not influence one another the way Oracles or even Guardian Spirits are capable.” I explained.
“No humans can influence one another better than Oracles and Guardian Spirits are capable. I have witnessed it, Hala. They can’t see spirits. Therefore, they do not see or hear me on any level.” Shayan ranted in resentment. “I wish to become one of them. I wish to possess the free will they take for granted. I want to be human and partake in the gift they care nothing about.”
“Shayan!” I yelled. “I will not listen to another second of this blasphemy. You are the Oracle of Humanity, a noble commandment. You will submit to your duties and help the mortal world find their path in life and you will find personal solace in doing so.” I demanded.
Shayan bowed his head in shame. “I am sorry, my Lord. I have grown weak. I will go to the Wishing Well and pray for the souls of human kind. I will repent my temporary lack of duty toward them in the Maze of Mirrors. I will gaze into the power of the Light in hope that it may heal and strengthen my weary soul.”

“That’s awful, but he said he was sorry. Did the Light cleanse his soul, Lord Hala?” little Tracy beckoned again.
“It did for a time, my dear.” I attempted to sooth her.
I remember watching Shayan in the weeks passing our conversation. To give him his credit’s due, he had tried very hard to make amends for his weakness.

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Monday, October 10, 2011

The Paranormal Plumes Society!




What is The Paranormal Plumes Society, you wonder?

Once upon a time there was a group of savy, paranormal romance, YA indie writers who set out on a dark journey to the ghostly town of Savannah, Georgia. The day of their journey is drawing near and you can join in the adventure of their haunted mission if you dare...

Whooooo... whoooo... whooo... (was that an owl?) Who will be there?

Trisha Wolfe, author of Destiny's Fire
Laura Elliott, author of 13 on Halloween
Debbie Wentlein, YA blogger (I Heart YA Books)
Wren Emerson, author of I Wish
Fisher Amelie, author of The Understory
M. Leighton, author of Blood Like Poison
C. A. Kunz, author of The Childe
Nichole Chase, author of Mortal Obligation
Abbi Glines, author of Existence
Tiffany King, author of Forgotten Souls
and yours truly (I will be featuring Soul Quest)

Whoot! Whoot! (That was just me... hee, hee.) We have another addition to the fantabulous Paranormal Plumes Society! Drum roll please...

Michello Muto, author of The Book of Lost Souls

Hooooooowwwwl... What mischief is planned?

Dinner, discussion, book signing and frighteningly fabulous company. Click here for more details.

AAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHH! (Psst! Calm down Michelle and Fisher... you'll scare them away!) Uh, uhm they're uhm, just... dancing, yeah, that's it!

Join us in Savannah, Georgia Halloween weekend for a ghoulish time!