Thursday 31 October 2013

Cover Reveal: The Undertakers: Secret of the Corpse Eater, by Ty Drago


That being said, I am excited to have a Halloween Double Header. We start with a cover reveal for our Month9Books brother, Ty Drago's novel THE UNDERTAKERS: SECRET OF THE CORPSE EATER (and it's quite a cover!). Then, don't forget to scroll down for an interview with Trisha Haddad. But, first things first...

Title: THE UNDERTAKERS: SECRET OF THE CORPSE EATER
Publication date: March 25, 2014
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Ty Drago

The Corpses are up to something.

U.S. Senator Lindsay Micha had been kidnapped and replaced with a “dead” ringer, the sister to Lilith Cavanaugh, the Queen of the Dead. Now Will Ritter must go undercover in our nation’s capital to ferret out the truth and try to stop this ambitious deader. But his mission becomes even more dangerous when he learns of a mysterious ten-legged monster that prowls the halls of the Capitol Building — a lethal monster with a taste for Corpse flesh.

Can such an alien “enemy of his enemy” truly become Will’s friend?

Sounds great, right? And now, the fabulous cover!





ABOUT TY DRAGO:

In addition to the first two books in UNDERTAKERS series, RISE OF THE CORSPES and QUEEN OF
THE DEAD, Ty Drago is the author of PHOBOS, a Science Fiction whodunit and THE FRANKLIN AFFAIR, an historical/mystery about Benjamin Franklin. His short fiction has appeared in numerous venues, including the 2009 anthology YESTERDAY, I WILL ..., and he has written articles for WRITERS DIGEST. His first UNDERTAKERS novelette, NIGHT OF MONSTERS, is currently available for FREE on Smashwords.com and barnesandnoble.com.


Connect with the Author:  Website Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads










Follow on Bloglovin

Interview with Trisha Haddad

It's Halloween! And what could be more fun than to celebrate with an interview? Trisha Haddad, author of DEEP GREEN--a YA adventure novel of survival, is here to share a bit about her newest release and her writing process.   


Trisha Haddad is a writer in her twenties living in San Diego.

She began a career in the publishing industry directly out of college, first at a literary agency and currently in academic publishing. Her passions include writing, reading, travel and spending time with her husband and best friend, Derek. Her life as a writer has been inspired from childhood by her grandmother, Helen Haddad, a mystery writer.



Welcome to We Do Write, Trisha. How long have you been writing?

For just about my entire life!  In fifth grade, however, I had a wonderful teacher (Mrs. Ball at Sugar Hill Elementary in Moreno Valley), who had a weekly creative writing hour during which I really learned the basics of story-telling.  I finished my first full novel in 10th grade, and have tried to write one every year or two after that.  Deep Green is my third published novel, but my first YA!

Welcome to the YA side of things. It's a great place to be. Tell us about DEEP GREEN. What’s the story about?
Like me and you, my main character prefers the adventure and romance of books.  But during a cruise with her parents, a terrorist attack leaves her adrift in a sparse lifeboat with four strangers.  What follows is one danger after another as the group must find a way to survive.  Leah also struggles with the growing attention of the men she's stranded with, and her own mixed emotions. But there are secrets that the survivors hold deep, and the truth might blow apart any semblance of civility and test Leah's preconceived notions of just how far dedication can go before it crosses over into fanaticism.

Great concept! I love stories of survival. Lost, The Life of Pi, Castaway. I cried when Tom Hanks lost Wilson. I really did. Anyway ... How did the idea of the story come to you?

Well, first of all I really love survival stories. They make great fodder for daydreaming!  And daydreaming ("what would I do if I were in such a situation?") make for deliciously fun writing!

That, they do. Do you have a critique group/partner or beta readers, or do you self-edit?

Self-edit, I'm afraid.  I do have a few people who usually read my manuscripts early on, but I do have a goal of joining a more formalized critique group.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

A mix.  I write by the seat of my pants in intense bursts for days or weeks (on my free time, late at night), but when I hit a wall, I start plotting out the next stages of the story.  Then when I get creative again, I can write that segment. 

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

The writing is more fun than it is hard, and even carving out time is not overly painful (when I'm on a roll, I can find time to write).  The hardest part is actually what comes after: revising, edits, and then getting the word out when the book comes out.

What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

This is going to sound so boring.  Just a big cup of water and a pack of gum.  Not as classic as a bottle of whiskey or as romantic as a glass of wine or something like that, but oh well...

Not boring at all. Whiskey and Wine are overrated. And yes, that is a picture of a glass of water with sticks of gum leaning against it, proof that you can find just about anything on the internet.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?

Healing powers, even with all the ethical obligations and dilemmas that would come with.

I agree. That would be an incredible super power to have. What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

"How to cook snake on a fire," for Deep Green.

Mmmm ... barbecued snake ... A perfect Halloween meal. Quick writing test! Use the following words in a sentence: green, hope, oar.

I pulled the oars through the deep green waves, my endurance fueled more by hope than by physical prowess.

Finish this sentence: If I'm not writing, I'm probably ...

Playing with my little kiddos, reading, or zoning out and daydreaming!

Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Let's hear your shout outs.

My parents and my husband are eternally supportive of my writing, and are my biggest cheerleaders.  Thank you a thousand times!

And finally, where can people find you and your books online?

You can find me online at www.TrishaHaddad.com (the site has links to me on Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, and all that good stuff).  I love getting messages from my readers, and I'll always write back-- so contact me!  You can buy the e-book for Deep Green at the publisher's website (www.eternalpress.biz), and the paperback in bookstores and online.


Thanks for having me, Elizabeth, and happy Halloween!  I'm off the raid the candy dish...

Me too! Yum!








Follow on Bloglovin

Wednesday 30 October 2013

Book Blitz and Excerpt: Shadow Born by Nicole Camp PLUS Giveaway


Today I'm happy to host a fellow writer and friend: Nicole Camp, author of Shadow Born. Check out her book and learn more about her.

SHADOW BORN Book blurb/synopsis:

Eighteen-year-old Raffin has been in hiding on Earth since before he was born, but he’s more comfortable in the shadows anyway. He’s part of one of the most hated races in the universe. It’s a secret he’s forced to keep from everyone he meets.
On his first day at a new high school, Arianna Val crashes into his world, literally. One tumble on the track field and suddenly she’s acting like they’re best friends. Worse, Raffin doesn’t mind her invading his shadows — and that’s before he realizes she knows his secret. But, she’s not quite human, herself and her very life force is what Raffin needs to survive.

Can he trust her to keep his secret? Can he trust himself with Ari when his body yearns to drain her soul? Assailed by memories of death and destruction that aren’t his own, Raffin has to come to terms with the truth. He is shadow born.

Excerpt:

I stared out over my new high school’s football field. Fursey Balfrey High, what a name. I snorted, shaking my head when the school scoreboard flashed “Go Fur Balls!” in giant yellow letters. Nice.
As the coach at this new school blew his whistle, I calmly walked over to join the rest of the class. The guy on my left lost his balance stretching and bumped into me. He gave me a look – like it was my fault or something.
“Dude,” I said, shooting him a glare. I shook my head, taking my place at the back of the class to stretch. I’d heard the guy’s thoughts through the brief skin contact. He thought I looked average — like he could take me down since I was a little pale, even for a kid from Ohio. I snorted. At least that meant that my human guise was still intact. My flesh toned skin, brown eyes, and dark wavy hair were still as they should be. There was nothing really unusual about my appearance, and hopefully there wouldn’t be while I was here.
“Tool,” I murmured under my breath, smirking as the guy straightened up and turned toward me.
“David, save it for warm-up laps!” the coach muttered from behind his clipboard. David Turk, the klutz who’d bumped into me, turned back around with a groan and started stretching some more.
I’d just had a close call with a classic jerk in my first class, on day one, at a new school. Great. David Turk was the stereotypical jock — too tan and muscle-bound. My thoughts shifted back to my own appearance and a small sigh escaped my lips.
I looked far too Raffulan to pass here on Earth, which totally sucked. My only option was taking guise pills. I thought about the little red tablets that allowed me to blend in with another species. They worked perfectly for my dad, a pureblooded Raffulan, but my mom was human, making me a “half-child.” The chemical camouflage worked to hide my Raffulan traits, but, because of my mixed blood, each dose was painful. I loathed the fact that I’d have to take some more in another forty minutes or so.
The girls’ class joined us on the track. As we ran, I heard David Turk bothering the girl behind me, talking about how her hair smelled really nice, and other things that were far less flattering. I heard her smack his hand away, at which he bellowed a laugh and made another comment.
I slowed down, glancing back at them, about to say something to him. Just then, the girl picked up her pace, trying to get away. She collided with me, and her feet got tangled with mine. I caught her arms, and as soon as our skin touched, her thoughts invaded my mind. She was thinking how much of an ass David Turk was; there was adrenaline and fear — all of it fled into me in the split second we crashed into one another.
I had no time to dwell on any of it. We went careening toward the ground, asphalt rushing up to meet us. I moved faster than I should have, throwing my weight to the side to try to redirect our fall. It worked — kind of. We hit the grass at the edge of the field in front of the fence, but it wasn’t really a ‘soft’ landing. Something stung my leg as Coach blew the whistle and called to ask if we were okay.
“Fine!” I called back, but then I tried to stand. I winced. I’d cut my knee on one of the hurdles stacked against the chain-link fence we’d rolled into. “Crap,” I muttered, knowing I could heal it, but not here. Not now. I glanced over at the girl, who was dusting herself off and getting to her feet.
“That’s a nasty cut,” she said, looking at my knee, as her fingers reached up and touched her own cheek. She came away with a little blood from the gash there.
The lady coach reached us then, frowning.
“I’ll write you two a pass to the nurse’s office. Come back to class when you’re done.” She pulled a pad and pen from her pocket and scribbled something down. She handed a pass to each of us and told the girl to help me. I replied that I was fine, and then tried not to think about the twinge of pain when I put weight on my knee.
“You should watch where you’re going,” I told the girl as we neared the school buildings, irritated that our little accident had drawn so much attention.
Her hair briefly fell across her face, but she quickly brushed it away. It was blonde with striking red highlights — kind of a punk rock look. She blinked, blue eyes wide, her gaze almost level with mine since we were close in height.
“I’m sorry. Look, Turk was…oh never mind,” she grumbled, shaking her head.
I already knew all about David Turk, thanks to the telepathic touch.
“It could have been worse. At least we landed in the grass,” she added and I grinned. “I’m Ari by the way.” After a pause, she prompted, “and you are?”
“New here.” I chuckled at her frown. Of course she knew that. Everybody knew that. I was the talk of this small school, maybe even the whole tiny town. “I’m Raffin,” I mumbled.
“Interesting name,” she commented, seeming curious, waiting for me to say more. I thought about pretending to bump into her just to know what she was thinking, but at that moment we reached the nurse’s office.
A few Band-Aids, some gauze, and an abundant amount of medical tape later, we were walking back out the building’s double doors. Ari kept reaching up to touch her face, the Band-Aid pulling at her cheek. Meanwhile my knee had already healed under the dressing. I’d let my symbiotes go to work as soon as the gauze pad was securely in place. No sense limping around campus all day. We hadn’t taken five steps toward the field when the bell rang. Class was over.
“I guess I’ll see ya,” I said, not meaning it.

“I sit under the big elm at lunch, if you wanna join me,” she replied. I assumed she was trying to be nice, friendly to the new kid. Before I could reply she had vanished around the corner, headed for the girls’ locker room. I chuckled in spite of myself, shaking my head as I walked back to the boys’ side. If she knew the real me, she’d reconsider that lunch date.

Author Bio:
Author Nicole Camp has written three books to be published by Entranced Publishing.
Her first book, "Shadow Born" will release Oct. 14th, 2013; followed by "Shadow Throne" and the first book in a separate series "The Lady of Ispa : Magic & Meru" sometime in 2014.

Nicole is an ice cream lover, who lives in Arizona with her family and two pets. She is always working on her next writing project. When not writing, she likes to explore the world through photography, snapping pictures of her surroundings.

Social media links:

SHADOW BORN website: https://sites.google.com/site/shadowbled/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NicolShadowbled

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7032173.Nicole_Camp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicole.camp.shadowbled

SHADOW BORN buy links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Smashwords

ENTRANCED’s buy-link: http://www.entrancedpublishing.com/imprints/rush/shadow-born/

Giveaway:
International
winner#1: 
1 $10 Amazon gift card
winner#2:
1 $10 Amazon gift card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Shadow SWAG (USA only)
1 black baseball cap
Shadow Born pin board
Shadow Born lanyard
Shadow Born tote bag
2 signed Shadow Born bookmarks
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Shadow Girl Glam(USA only)
winner #1:
1 large star bubble purse
1 pair star sunglasses
1 silver tone star braclet
1 pair star earrings
1 sparkle nail polish
3 signed Shadow Born bookmarks

winner#2:
1 small black/star purse
1 silver tone bracelet
1 pair star earrings
1 star necklace
1 sparkle nail polish
3 signed Shadow Born bookmarks
a Rafflecopter giveaway



Follow on Bloglovin

Cover Reveal: Wasteland by Lindsay Leggett

We Do Write is proud to take part in the cover reveal of author Lindsay Leggett's novel WASTELAND. Check it out!

Wasteland by Lindsay Leggett
(Flight #2)
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Synopsis:
Wasteland, the next book in the FLIGHT trilogy, takes place a few months after the ending of book one.

Trapped in a cell and experimented on, Piper Madden’s only hope is remembering Asher. Then, Elder Corp President Rupert Elder gives her new orders: to be a leader in a war against the Harpies. Without a choice, Piper must obey Rupert’s commands or suffer from paralyzing and painful Nanomachines. But the war is just beginning, and Asher has gone missing. The resistance is slowly building, and the upcoming war will be larger and bloodier than anything seen since the Devastation that ruined the earth. Throughout all of this, Piper remembers the time before she ran to Ichton, when David was alive and her hope in Elder Corp was still strong.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18682949-wasteland



AUTHOR BIO:
Nearly every writer struggles to put together information about themselves, perhaps because we’re so used to detailing the lives and ways of others. For the most part I am a writer, editor, photographer, and all-around artist living in the wilds north of Toronto, Ontario. I thrive on the juxtaposition of beauty and grit, enjoy urban crawls, indie everything, and time well-spent in the woods.

Author Links:
Website / Goodreads / Twitter



Follow on Bloglovin

Tuesday 29 October 2013

Book Blast: Very Superstitious by Month9Books

Tour Schedule

We're happy to take part in the VERY SUPERSTITIOUS blog tour!


VERY SUPERSTITIOUS: MYTHS, LEGENDS AND TALES OF SUPERSTITION (Anthology):

Publication date: October 15, 2013

Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.

ISBN-13: 978-0-9883409-4-7

ISBN eBook: 978-1-939765-75-8

Author: Delany, Jackie Morse Kessler, Stephanie Kuehnert, Jennifer Knight, Marianne Mancusi, Michelle E. Reed, Dianne Salerni, and Pab Sungenis



The stories are based on urban legends, myths, tribal tales and superstitions from around the world. A charity anthology to benefit SPCA International with stories by Shannon Delany, Jackie Morse Kessler, Stephanie Kuehnert, Jennifer Knight, Marianne Mancusi, Michelle E. Reed, Dianne Salerni and Pab Sungenis.



About the Very Superstitious Authors:


Shannon Delany



Shannon Delany's newest novel, WEATHER WITCH (St. Martin's Press) is already available for pre-order (which both stuns and delights Delany)!

Shannon Delany has written stories since she was a child. She began writing in earnest when her grandmother fell unexpectedly ill during a family vacation. In 2008 her greatly abbreviated version of 13 to Life (written in just five weeks) won the grand prize in the first-ever cell phone novel contest in the western world through Textnovel.com .

Shannon was thrilled when St. Martin’s Press offered her a contract for a series about her 13 to Life characters. She expanded on the cell phone novel version, adding the subplots and characters she didn’t have time to during the contest. As paranormal as werewolves seem, the grief Shannon used to build Jess’s character is something she personally experienced with the loss of her own mother. Focusing on Jess and Pietr’s story of loss, love and dramatic and dangerous changes, Shannon came to better grips with her own struggle. The resulting novel has earned her blurbs from authors she respects most.

The first novel in Shannon’s YA paranormal series, 13 to Life, debuted June 22, 2010, and was followed by Secrets and Shadows, Bargains and Betrayals, Destiny and Deception, and the Rivals and Retribution (August 2012).

Shannon has also debuted with interactive science fiction in her short story ("To Hel and Back") for Spirited: 13 to Haunting Tales (Leap Books) and will make her high fantasy debut with Month 9 Books' charity anthology titled Two and Twenty Dark Tales (October 2012, "Pieces of Eight" with musician Max Scialdone). 

Shannon's new series (a steampunk trilogy titled WEATHER WITCH, also with St. Martin's Press) will launch June 25, 2013.

Previously a teacher and now a farmer raising heritage livestock, Shannon lives and writes in Upstate New York and enjoys traveling to talk to people about most anything.


Connect:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads


Pab Sungenis



Born in the swamps of Southern New Jersey, Pab Sungenis developed a childhood fascination with cartooning and drew a daily strip for his own amusement for two years before realizing he couldn’t draw. He wound up in broadcasting, worked for numerous stations including WSBU, WOND, WMGM, WSKR, WBNJ, WWBZ, and WKTU. He describes his drawing ability as like that of “a mentally challenged rhinoceros on a Ny-Quil bender”, but thanks to the wonders of photo-manipulation and computer image editing, on February 8, 2006 he found himself creating The New Adventures of Queen Victoria, which has appeared ever since, first on Comicssherpa.com., and now in online syndication with gocomics.com. Pab Sungenis is available for quotes, signings, video or podcast appearances, and all opportunities relative to SIDEKICK: THE MISADVENTURES OF THE NEW SCARLET KNIGHT.


Connect:  Website | Twitter | Facebook



Stephanie Kuehnert



STEPHANIE KUEHNERT got her start writing bad poetry about unrequited love and razor blades in eighth grade. In high school, she discovered punk rock and produced several D.I.Y. feminist 'zines. After short stints in Ohio and Wisconsin, Stephanie ultimately returned home and received her MFA in creative writing from Columbia College Chicago. She currently resides in Forest Park, IL.



Connect:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads



Jennifer Knight


Hi. I’m Jen. I am twenty-two years old and live in Miami, Florida with my family. I’m a lifelong lover of books, romance and anything even vaguely supernatural. Except zombies. Zombies scare me.

I started writing in college after trying and failing to find a major. It was all I really knew how to do and since school was going nowhere, I threw myself into it. I wrote my first book in a matter of months and watched it go up in flames.

Smoldering, but still determined to make this writing thing work, I moved on to something completely different. Werewolves! Love them. Who doesn’t? I wrote the first draft of Blood on the Moon in about two months, during which I locked myself in my room and thought about teeth and moons and kissing.

I must have done something right, because Running Press bought my book and now you’re here reading this. I guess that means you liked the book. Yay! If I had a cookie, I’d totally give it to you. You deserve it.

Anyway, now that Blood on the Moon is done, I’m writing the sequel. And also some other stuff that hopefully you’ll see one day.




Connect:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads


Mari Mancusi



Mari Mancusi used to wish she could become a vampire back in high school. But she ended up in another blood sucking profession --journalism -- instead. Today she works as a freelance TV producer and author of books for teens and adults. 

When not writing about creatures of the night, Mari enjoys traveling, cooking, goth clubbing, watching cheesy horror movies, and her favorite guilty pleasure--videogames. A graduate of Boston University and a two time Emmy Award winner, she lives in Austin , Texas with her husband Jacob, daughter Avalon and their dog Mesquite. You can find Mari online at 
www.marimancusi.com orwww.bloodcovenvampires.com.



Connect:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads



Michelle E. Reed




Michelle was born in a small Midwestern town, to which she has returned to raise her own family. Her imagination and love of literature were fueled by a childhood of late nights, hidden under the covers and reading by flashlight. She is a passionate adoption advocate who lives in Wisconsin with her husband, son, and their yellow lab, Sully.



Connect:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads



Jackie Morse Kessler




Jackie Morse Kessler grew up in Brooklyn, NY, with a cranky cat and overflowing shelves filled with dolls and books. Now she’s in Upstate NY with another cranky cat, a loving husband, two sons, and overflowing shelves filled with dragons and books (except when her sons steal her dragons). She has a bachelor’s degree in English and American Literature, and yet she’s never read any Jane Austen (with or without zombies). She also has a master’s degree in media ecology. (The living study of technology and culture. Which is cool, but she still can’t figure out how to use Tweetdeck.)

Jackie spends a lot of time writing, reading, and getting distracted by bright and shiny new ideas. (She just came up with a new idea right now.) She has a weakness for chocolate and a tendency to let her cat take over her office chair. 


Connect:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Dianne Salerni
DIANNE K. SALERNI is a fifth grade teacher by day and a writer by night. She's the author of YA historical novels, We Hear the Dead (Sourcebooks) and The Caged Graves (Clarion/HMH), and a forthcoming MG fantasy series, The Eighth Day (HarperCollins 2014). 

The Caged Graves is a Junior Library Guild Selection, and We Hear the Dead was the inspiration for a 10 minute short film, The Spirit Game, which premiered at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.
http://vimeo.com/64738099

In her spare time, Dianne is prone to hanging around creepy cemeteries and climbing 2000 year-old pyramids in the name of book research.


Connect:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Giveaway
· An ebook of each authors' work (INT)
· One (1) physical copy of the Very Superstitious Anthology (US Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway





Follow on Bloglovin