Release Day Blitz - Stolen Art

Title: Stolen Art

Author: Ruth Silver

Publisher: Lazy Day Publishing

Release Date: April 28, 2015

Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi Romance

Sixteen-year-old Madeline has been living on the streets, biding her time until she's eighteen. With little to no money, she takes on a heist in hopes of making ends meet. What could possibly go wrong?

Everything.

Getting caught is just the beginning of Madeline's adventure as she meets Weston and discovers the secret of where she came from.



Fans of Orphan Black, The X-Files, and Fringe will fall head over heels for STOLEN ART.

Recommended: 15+

Add to Goodreads

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Excerpt

I rush back up the dark stairwell, shoving the key into the doorknob. It takes a minute for the lock to click and I push myself inside the apartment, securing every lock and deadbolt. I can’t stay here in Hutchinson, Kansas any longer. Pulling my phone from my purse, I text Weston.

Tatiana is here. It’s not safe for me.

I grab the few belongings that have any value to me, sentimental or otherwise, and shove it into my shoulder bag, including the stolen silver necklace. It has value and if I’m forced on the run, I’ll need money to survive.

I know.

What did Weston mean he knew Tatiana is at the bar? Had he seen her? Is he there?

What do you mean, you know? I type into the phone. If he saw her, why didn’t he warn me? I can’t go down out the front door and it’s only a matter of time until she finds me just a few feet away. I grow restless waiting for an answer.

The phone buzzes and displays an incoming call from Weston. "Wes, tell me you’re here." The only thing to do is hop in his car and drive into the night, far from Kansas.

A female’s voice bubbles with laughter. "Oh he’s coming darling, but you should know he won’t get here in time. Amazing how easy it is to clone a phone number and steal his service. The advancements Stem Tech has made is encouraging."

About the Author

Ruth Silver is the best-selling author of the Aberrant trilogy. With a passion for writing and a love of story-telling, Ruth is actively writing multiple series under her name as well as the pen name Ravyn Rayne. Her interests include traveling, reading, and photography. Her favorite vacation destination is Australia. Ruth currently resides in Plainfield, Illinois.

Follow Ruth here

Blog- http://writeawaybliss.com

Facebook- http://facebook.com/writeawaybliss

Twitter- http://twitter.com/writeawaybliss

Looking for a steamier read? Check her out here

Blog- http://ravynrayne.com

Facebook- http://facebook.com/ravynraynereads

Twitter- http://twitter.com/blushingravyn

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Release Day Blitz - Forget Me Knot

Forget Me Knot (Royal Reaper 2)

by Ruth Silver

Publisher: Booktrope

Published: June 23, 2015

Don’t mess with death.

When Wynter explores his newly developed dark angel powers, regret soon fills his heart and mind. Saving a soul isn’t what he imagined it to be, and it puts the grim reaper he loves in grave danger.

Obligated to take the throne as Queen, Mara must face the truth and unravel secrets she may not be ready to accept.

The second book in the Royal Reaper saga takes you on a paranormal fantasy adventure into a world of grim reapers, dark angels, and undead trucidators.

Add to Goodreads

Amazon

Also available on Barnes & Noble and iBooks

Excerpt

Death crept into the castle. Mara could feel its darkness pressing her down. As she walked to her father's bedchamber, the thought of marrying a man she did not love weighed heavily on her. All the invitations had been sent out months ago. Just as her life was beginning to almost feel normal, her father, King Philip, had fallen ill along with the court of Casmerelda and much of the kingdom. The second wave of the plague violently spread, leaving a trail of death and burning corpses for the living to clean up.

Her father had been bedridden for three days. His fever spiked and his skin glistened. He grew delirious, falling in and out of consciousness. As much as she despised him for what he’d done to her sister’s boyfriend, he was still her father. She didn’t want to be left alone.

“You must marry Astin at once.”

Mara cringed. “I can’t.” Her lips hidden as she wore a piece of ivory cloth against her nose and mouth, the slightest bit of protection from the disease that had taken over the kingdom. “I don’t love him. Please don’t do this to me.”

“Don’t be selfish.” The words struggled to reach his lips. He coughed and heaved, his chest rising and falling quickly as his pulse raced. “I’ll be with your mother soon…”

“You’ll be dead.”

Taking in several deep breaths, he opened his mouth, his words coming out as a whisper. “You will be reigning queen. Mara, you must act the part. Marry Astin and forge an alliance with the country of Morro, for the sake of Casmerelda. Your people need you.”

“I need you,” Mara said, gripping her father’s hand. She frowned, studying the tips of his fingers, a blackened hue lacing his skin.

“You shouldn’t touch me.” He tried to pull away, unsuccessfully. Her grip remained tight, but more significantly, he’d grown weak from the disease ravaging his body.

“I haven’t been infected, and I’ve been at your bedside every night.” Mara ordered the servants to bring more water and rags. It had done little good to break his fever or alleviate the discomfort he must have been experiencing, but it was all she could think of to help.

“Marry Astin.” His words were rough slipping past his lips. He wheezed, trying to speak, but Mara rested a hand upon his chest.

“Don’t.” She didn’t want to have this conversation again.

“For the sake of the kingdom,” he said, pleading with her.

Mara refused to answer. Marrying Astin wasn’t what she wanted. “I have no desire to be queen so young. You will pull through, do you hear me?”

He’d fallen into a deep slumber, unable to answer her.

About the Author

Ruth Silver is the best-selling author of the Aberrant trilogy. With a passion for writing and a love of story-telling, Ruth is actively writing two series: Royal Reaper and Orenda. She also writes The Federal Agent Chronicles and Palace Secrets, both of which are adult romance under the name Ravyn Rayne for Blushing Books. Her interests include traveling, reading, and photography. Her favorite vacation destination is Australia. Ruth currently resides in Plainfield, Illinois.

Follow Ruth here:

Blog- http://writeawaybliss.com

Facebook- http://facebook.com/writeawaybliss

Twitter- http://twitter.com/writeawaybliss

Looking for a steamier read? Check her out here:

Blog- http://ravynrayne.com

Facebook- http://facebook.com/ravynraynereads

Twitter- http://twitter.com/blushingravyn

Book Promo - Sophomore Year is Greek To Me

Meet Zona Lowell. She’s fifteen. She lives in New York City. And just like that... her life is being turned upside-down.

What would YOU do?
 

High school sophomore Zona Lowell has lived in NYC her whole life, happily hanging out with her two best friends and planning to follow in the footsteps
of her renowned-journalist father, David. But when he announces
they’re moving to Athens for the remainder of the school year so
he can work on an important new story, she’s devastated— he must have an ulterior motive. See, when Zona’s mother married an American, her huge Greek family cut off contact. But Zona never knew her mom, and now she’s supposed to uproot her entire life and meet possibly hostile relatives on their turf? Thanks... but no thanks.
Author Meredith Zeitlin is ecstatic to announce the upcoming release of her second young adult novel,
SOPHOMORE YEAR IS GREEK TO ME,
a follow-up to 2012’s Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disasters. Coming April 2015 and published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons, SOPHOMORE YEAR follows a girl on an adventure she doesn’t want to take... that ends up changing her life in ways she never imagined.
You can watch the glorious book trailer for SOPHOMORE YEAR IS GREEK TO ME here: https://vimeo.com/118188167.
There’s also a shiny new website with oodles of info: www.mzwrites.com.


 

SOPHOMORE YEAR Links:
Book Website: http://www.mzwrites.com/

Book Trailer: https://vimeo.com/118188167
 Amazon Listing: http://mzwrit.es/1789mlj 

Barnes and Noble Listing: http://mzwrit.es/1BpHB0J
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MZeitlinAuthor Twitter: @zeitlingeist

Book Review - Gone Girl

Title: Gone Girl
Author: Gillian Flynn
Publisher: W&N
Release Date: 3 Jan. 2013
ISBN-13: 978-0753827666 
Audio CD 
Publisher: Orion (25 Sept. 2014) 
ISBN-13: 978-1409158493
Read by Julia Whelan and Kirby Heyborne

Synopsis
Who are you?
What have we done to each other?

These are the questions Nick Dunne finds himself asking on the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary, when his wife Amy suddenly disappears. The police suspect Nick. Amy's friends reveal that she was afraid of him, that she kept secrets from him. He swears it isn't true. A police examination of his computer shows strange searches. He says they weren't made by him. And then there are the persistent calls on his mobile phone.

So what did happen to Nick's beautiful wife?

My Review
I had heard so many good things about this book and one of my colleagues has been nagging me to read it for years, I've had the book in my locker for many months and just never got around to picking it up. Then the Spoken word CD was returned to the library I work in and I thought I might as well give it a go. I always have a book on CD in my car and this seemed like a great opportunity. I have to say that the readers did an amazing job, they brought the characters to life and really gave them a voice you could believe in.
THe rest of my review will be on the story itself not the audio recording. 
The book starts of right in the action and pulls up a number of questions and mysteries that you want answers to, for the first part of teh story I was hooked, I wanted to know what had happened to Amy, whether Nick was involved and just how and why Amy disappeared.
I couldn't have been more invested in the story and I could see why so many people hyped it up, but then we moved on to part 2 and immediately I was like 'What!?', but I was willing to go with it, I didn't like the new development of characters but I kept going. After a while I started to get into the story again and found myself enjoying the storyline once more. There were still things I just had to know and there were some things that really piqued my interest. 
And then part 3 started and I couldn't believe where the author was going with the story, I didn't like the direction it took and I found myself just wishing the story would end. I began to get bored, in fact at one point I turned the CD off and listened to the radio again just to get away from it. But I still had that bit of interest and I had to know how it would end. I kept hoping Flynn would flip the storyline again and come up with a really fulfilling and satisfying ending. She didn't!
This book actually made me really angry, I was gobsmacked by that ending, it was the most disappointing ending I have ever read and i couldn't believe that it would finish that way. I literally threw the CD box across my car seat (not so it would damage it, but enough to make me feel better) I can't even describe how much this ending really bothered me. I just expected and wanted so much more, and there seemed to be quite a few plot holes that were totally overlooked, details that I'm sure would have solved the truth behind the 'crime' easily that no one picks up just because Amy says differently. 
So this book is amazing for the first part, really good story and build up and suspense and then it all goes downhill. 
I know my colleague at work felt differently, she quite liked the ending, but she could see why it annoyed me. It's one of those things you will have to decide for yourself, but I have to say I wouldn't recommend it.

My Rating

 
   

Book Review - Dance of Shadows

Title: Dance of Shadows
Author: Yelena Black
Series: Dance of Shadows (Book 1)
Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens
Release Date: 12 Feb. 2013
ISBN-13: 978-1408829974

Synopsis
Vanessa doesn’t believe that her sister is a runaway. She wouldn’t leave her family behind without saying a word. The only way Vanessa can discover the truth behind her mysterious disappearance is to follow in Margaret’s footsteps, but to do so she risks her sanity and maybe even her life . . .

Vanessa Adler is one of the talented few to get a place at the acclaimed New York Ballet Academy. Between backbreaking rehearsals for the school’s production of The Firebird she desperately tries to find out what happened to her sister before she vanished. There are rumors that the pressure of performing the lead role, the same role Vanessa is now rehearsing for, drove her mad. Other girls have gone missing too. Can the role be cursed? Vanessa’s new relationship with leading-man Zep only seems to complicate things further. What is he hiding from her and can she really trust him?

My Review
This book has caught my eye a number of times over the years but I never fully picked it up, but last week I was out on the mobile library and when we stopped for lunch in the middle of the countryside I realised I had forgotten my book so I searched the shelves and this was there. I decided to pull it down and give it a go. I've always rather liked dance themed books, for some reason ballet especially appeals (I have never done ballet but i like to read about it), So I settled down with my sandwich and this book and decided to give it a go.
Within the first five or six pages I was intrigued and interested in knowing more and that feeling only grew the more I read. In that 1 hour break I managed to read almost 100 pages, and I couldn't wait to read more. I brought it home with me and finished it that evening and the next morning (neglecting coursework I probably should have been doing, hehe)
I just could not put this book down I had to know what was going on, where Vanessa's sister was and who was really on her side. I kept changing my mind and just couldn't decide. However I did figure out who would betray her before it was revealed so my intuition is still working right. 
All the way through this book has the feel of a paranormal mystery without actually involving monsters or demons etc. I really like that with a book, those that can feel abnormal and create that atmosphere without having to shove it down your throat. It just adds to the feel of the book. But then it's like someone flipped a switch and in the last 70 or so pages the book goes totally paranormal, like off the chart crazy. We have legends of a dance that can summon demons and then suddenly we have students being possessed, teachers summoning spirits, and all at once everything is about the idea of the 'necrodancers', which whilst a slightly cool idea seemed a little bit forced and I didn't really agree with it. The ending just felt a little rushed and mixed up. 
Overall though the book was very good and I am intrigued enough to read the next book (in fact I've already ordered it at the library, asking them to by a copy for their stock) and I want to find out if Vanessa can finally find her sister and what will happen to them all next, but it wasn't the ending I was expecting.
Overall a very addictive read with some very good moments that will just keep you flicking the pages, but it wasn't quite what I was expecting.

My Rating

      

New book by C.C Hunter - Cover Reveal

Everybody stop what you are doing! There is a new book by C.C Hunter coming out. Back in the world of "Shadow Falls" but this time we get to read from Miranda's point of view.

I love Miranda, she's so ditzy yet strong. In a way she reminds me of myself.
I cannot wait for this book to come out, it is due for release on 30th June - I shall be counting down!

But the cover has been released and I am sharing it with you today:

Looks so cool.
Here's what C.C says about it:

In Spellbinder you’ll learn:

      1.      When you play with fire, you might find things getting hotter for other reasons.

      2.      It’s possible for a girl to be kissed like she’d never been kissed and not even know who kissed her.    

      3.      Magic moms are ten times worse than soccer moms.

      4.      The only thing better than going to Paris, is going to Paris with your two best friends.  Well, it would be if someone wasn’t trying to kill you.

      5.      Sometimes the people you think you know the best, aren’t at all who you thought they were.

      6 .     Some things are harder to forgive than others.

      7.      Family can work together and overpower dark magic.

      8.      If someone needs help and you ignore them, you may never forgive yourself.

      9.      While a hug doesn’t fix everything, it can be exactly what you need at the moment.

    10.   Some people are willing to kill to win.


ooooohhhh! 
If you haven't read the other Shadow Falls books, then I strongly recommend you do.
I am so excited right now!

Guest Post - J.A Buckle

I am please to welcome the author of 'Half my Facebook Friends are Ferrets' and 'My Smoky Bacon Crisp Obsession' to my blog today.
J.A. Buckle has written an awesome Guest Post giving you an insight into some of her characters. As a fan of the books I found this to be very interesting and I must agree, we do all seem to have a quirk of our own.






-->

My Smoky Bacon Crisp Obsession’s cast of characters

Andrea Reece from Books for Keeps recently described the people in My Smoky Bacon Crisp Obsession as “a wonderful cast of slightly eccentric but recognisable characters” This got me thinking that we are probably all a bit eccentric in our own way (I know I am!). But then again, that’s what makes life interesting J

Below I’ve listed the main characters in the book, some of their traits and what I think makes them all that bit different.

Josh

Pros: Sarcastic and funny. Good friend, brother and son. Deep down he’s a hopeless softie.

Cons: Occasionally tactless. Tendency to get obsessed with things. Can be a bit of a jerk.

Actor to play him in up coming film* My daughter’s ex-boyfriend. Failing that Kit Harington (Jon Snow) from Game of Thrones would probably be just about acceptable ;-)

Maddie

Pros: Doesn’t take any nonsense from anyone. Knows how to have fun and loves clubbing – thankfully not clubbing baby seals or that would be in the cons!

Cons: Tends to objectify males. Can be a bit naggy.  Leaves her stilettos in dangerous places.

Actress:  Anyone from TOWIE

Davey

Pros: Really, really nice

Cons: Lacking in self-esteem. Zero fashion sense (wears padded, bright orange cagoule). Bit bumbling. Too nice?

Actor: A young Boris Johnson!

Peter

Pros: Sensitive, ambitious, confident, strong sense of style.

Cons: Infuriatingly optimistic about life.

Actor: My best friend’s son – he’d be great at it.

Ollie

Pros: Always up for a laugh. More laid back than a collapsed deck chair.

Cons: Can be extremely tactless (downright rude). Highly intelligent but occasionally really, really stupid. Complete dosser.

Actor: Jack O’Connell (Skins), or anyone known for playing a cheeky bad boy with a good heart!

Lloyd

Pros: Musically gifted. Smart. Friendly. Very religious.

Cons: Bad taste in girlfriends. Very religious.

Actor: Jaden Smith

Becky

Pros: Kind. Conscientious. Thoughtful.

Cons: Inwardly confused.

Actress: Ramona Marquez from Outnumbered. Not sure why, just think she’d be good. Also, happen to know she likes hamsters and guinea pigs so an instant connection with Becky there.

Ned

Pros: Aging glam rocker and all round helpful, nice guy.

Cons: Owns an extremely aggressive Yorkie.

Actor:  NOT Jeremy Clarkson. Maybe Richard Hammond, as he is quite nice/cute.

Wentworth

Pros: Umm...

Cons: Too many to list but the main one is probably that he can be extremely nasty and mean .

Actor: Anyone known for playing really mean, nasty people.

Ozzy

Pros: Friendly, furry, fun. Excellent taste in music (metal)

Cons: Tendency to wee on important items like Biology projects and Children of Bodom CDs. Issues with body odour. Tendency to press claws sharply into things (Josh’s shoulders) and  to sleep in inappropriate places, (Josh’s face).

Actor: Himself. If Ozzy was not available due to other engagements we could use the Otter from Tarka the Otter with a little bit of face makeup

*There isn’t an up and coming film but I am ever hopeful!


About the Author 

Jackie Buckle has been writing for years, since reading The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler, the book she says, that made her want to write. Half my Facebook Friends are Ferrets was discovered in the slush pile by a Curious Fox editor who immediately recognised its irresistible mix of humour, music and the digital world, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Jackie writes around her day job, as the website manager for a leading drug charity, and her voluntary work as a befriender for an eating disorders charity. She is passionate about animals, playing the acoustic guitar and walking her Finnish lapphund. She has two teenage daughters and lives in Reigate, Surrey.

Blog Tour - Between Now & Forever

 

Blog Tour Schedule

Between Now and Never by Laura Johnston

Buh boom, buh boom.

My heart thrusts with a force that takes me by surprise. Telling me something I don’t understand. A splitting pain, a longing to slip back under. They tell me I was in a hit-and-run, but I can’t remember what happened that night. All I know is that I woke up with pictures in my pocket, a card from one of those photo booths in the mall. And I’m in the pictures. Cody Rush. Me and…

Julianna.

Her brother was there that night, and my dad, the FBI agent, was the one who put her mom behind bars. What’s the connection? And why won’t Julianna talk to me now? Somehow, she holds the key to it all, and getting close–real close—to her for the answers I need will be no hardship at all…

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo

Praise for Between Now & Never
“A romance that will keep teens turning pages.” ~ Janette Rallison

"This was a lot different than I was expecting and I was honestly surprised with how much I enjoyed it. The cover led me to believe this would be a cute, love story but it was a suspenseful and gripping read." ~ Review from Goodreads

“Best book I read all year! On the edge of your seat suspense, heartwarming romance, and characters to cheer for—Between Now and Never is one you won’t want to miss.” ~Kelly Nelson, author of The Keeper’s Saga

"I had the privilege to read BETWEEN NOW AND NEVER when it was in manuscript form. I loved loved loved it from page one! Laura Johnson is such a talented author -- really looking forward to reading more of her work!" ~Kay Lynn Mangum, author of The Secret Journal of Brett Colton



Author Laura Johnston

Laura Johnston lives in Utah with her husband and two children. Growing up with five siblings, a few horses, peach trees, beehives and gardens, she developed an active imagination and always loved a good story. She fell in love with the young adult genre both through her experience in high school as well as her job later as a high school teacher. Laura enjoys running, playing tennis, sewing, traveling, writing, and above all, spending time with her husband and kids.

Website * Twitter * Facebook

Blog Tour Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 4/26/15

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 and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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Excerpt —Photo Booth

JULIANNA

We listen to the monotone voice reel off instructions. Four pictures. A light will flash before each picture is taken. Etcetera. How I ended up in this position I’m not sure. We both sit, staring at our reflections on the dark plastic and, no doubt, both stuck on the same thought that crosses everyone’s mind when they’re on this seat.

“Quick,” I say, “what should we do?”

A flash of light. Picture one down. Both of our mouths were hanging open, blank stares straight ahead.

We burst into laughter and can’t stop. A second flash. Picture number two: both of us laughing.

Our gazes meet and we pull ourselves together, his eyes never veering from mine. He leans toward me, coming halfway before pausing, his eyes seeking permission. I regard him with equal parts terror and anticipation, the intimacy of the situation whispering a thrill. He closes the distance between us and glides his nose through my hair. My heart rattles around as though this is the first boy I’ve ever been close to.

“Now smile,” he whispers into my ear. Even if I should be creeped out, forget it. My cheeks burn despite myself and I feel the corners of my lips tugging upward. A flash of light signals the third picture and I am totally seduced.

Book Promo - Bound by Spells

Thank you for joining us in the promotional event
for Bound by Spells by Stormy Smith, hosted by Wordsmith Publicity. We have
excerpts, teasers, a giveaway and more! Thanks for stopping by.

BOUND BY SPELLS (Bound 2) by Stormy Smith

Mature YA Paranormal Romance

Release: March 19, 2015

Goodreads

Aidan Montgomery hadn’t been prepared for Amelia Bradbury to walk in and then out of his life. He also hadn’t expected to find the powerful magic hidden deep within him for the last nineteen years, but he’s embracing it — finding more control and more answers every day. Now, with the help of Amelia’s best friend, Bethany, Aidan is on a quest to understand his destiny and find Amelia.

Amelia decided to stand by her duty, which meant walking away from her first chance at love. Trapped in Cresthaven at the Queen’s mercy, she spends her days with Micah — an ally she still holds at arm’s length — struggling to manage her heartbreak while keeping her mind focused on the task at hand. As she continues to unlock the secrets of the Keeper power, Queen Julia’s true motives reveal themselves, forcing Amelia to decide, yet again, how much she’s willing tosacrifice.

Will Aidan get to Amelia before it's too late, or will the very power that sustains them keep them apart?

"Featuring a cast of mages and shapeshifters with unique magical abilities, one destiny-shaping prophecy, a genocidal megalomaniac, and a budding, heated romance (or two!), this book is paranormal gold! Read the first book in the series first, of course, but once you finish this one you're sure to be salivating for the next release in this not-to-be-missed romantic paranormal series." ~Serena Chase, USA Today's Happy Ever After blog, author of The Ryn

Purchase
Bound by Spells

Amazon

Bound
by Spells - Book Trailer

Book One, Bound by Duty

GoodReads  |  Amazon  |  B&N
 |
iBooks   |  Audible

Giveaway

$50
Amazon gift card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Stormy Smith

Stormy Smith calls Iowa's capital home now, but was raised in a tiny town in the Southeast corner of the state. She grew to love books honestly, having a mom that read voraciously and instilled that same love in her. She knew quickly that stories of fantasy were her favorite, and even as an adult gravitates toward paranormal stories in any form.

Writing a book had never been an aspiration, but suddenly the story was there and couldn't be stopped. When she isn't working on, or thinking about, her books, Stormy's favorite places include bar patios, live music shows, her yoga mat or anywhere she can relax with her husband or girlfriends.

Connect with Stormy

On her website  |  Facebook  |  Tumblr  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Amazon  |  GoodReads


Guest Post!

Fun Facts about Bound by Spell

1)    Queen Julia was initially King Julian. That’s technically a Bound by Duty fact but one not many people actually know. It wasn’t until the fourth draft that he became a she, and it’s one of the best decisions I made.

2)    I don’t plan out a lot of my secondary characters and as I was writing one scene in particular, a little ten-year-old with scruffy red hair and a penchant for formality came to life. Dillon turned into one of my favorite characters in Spells.

3)    Cresthaven, the Queen’s home in Washington, was actually named by one of my readers, Maggie. I was struggling to come up with a great name for an old Versailles-like mansion and went to my amazing Facebook community for help. I loved Maggie’s idea and ran with it!

4)    One of the critical plot surprises in Spells (can’t share – spoiler alert) was something that I inadvertently set up in Bound by Duty. I was jumping for joy when I did my Duty reread and realized that I had set myself up perfectly for where the story really needed to go.

5)    I have a really bad relationship with outlines. I try to do them but I’m someone who doesn’t get to write every day and when I do write, I’m in for the long haul. When I’m heads down like that and the words start flowing, crazy stuff happens and my characters just do what they need to do. I can think of a handful of scenes and ideas that came in my fugue states and those are hands down my favorite parts of the book.

6)    Writing in a guy’s perspective was not as hard as I thought it would be. I’ve been either dating or married to my husband for fourteen years in total and I consider myself a fairly observant person, so watching him and the interactions between he and his friends provided me all the material I could hope for.

7)    Aidan’s mom, Kayla, was named after a reader of mine in Des Moines, Ia. The real Kayla is a local librarian, was a huge supporter of Bound by Duty and won a contest I held at my launch party. She is forever immortalized in Aidan’s story.