Week of Awesome #1 JENNY PLAGUE-BRINGER by JLBryan

It's not everyday that I review a book here. As a matter of fact it's been months and months since I have done one and there are some very good reasons for that. The first reasons is, I am an author not a book reviewer. I do read books, rarely do I stop; however, I don't like giving bad reviews because writing is an art form. I could look at a priceless Picasso and think, what a load of absolute crap.

And that helps no one.

Another, more pressing reasons is-- people won't stop asking me to do book reviews. I get an obscure number of people reuqesting on twitter, Goodreads, and even via comments on my blog to accept a FREE copy of their book and write them a review. I never know these people, nor have I heard of them; and if I even took up half their offers I'd never have time to write anything of my own. But I do sometimes write book reviews on Amazon and Goodreads without being asked.

It's not that I don't want to help you, it's just that we should maybe get to know each other first.

Now that I have said all that, are you ready for:

All book reviews, of all awesome books. Well at least three of them.

Today I am reviewing Jenny Plague--Bringer by JLBryan. I bought the book myself here. As soon as I could get my pretty little Skeleton hands on it. I breezed through it in less than 24 hours with 5 kids, and looming deadlines. It wasn't that I couldn't put it down, because I had to; it was that it drove me insane until I picked it back up again.

It's an odd thing, living through two worlds in the same book. There is unraveling nonstop. Even though the book opens with what seems to be a happy ending, Jenny feels as though it is impossible for her to really have one. Dozens of other lifetimes with with horrible ends threaten to consume her, even as her beautiful love story continues on.

Then Jenny finds out she is pregnant, and things go from looming disaster to all out panic.

I love Seth, Jenny's opposite and baby daddy in this book. He is a rock that refuses to crumble as their life together cracks like glass that should have bever been tread on below their feet.

As much as I wish it wasn't the last, JPB was an amazing and artful end to the series I have grown to love. It's hard to believe how long it's been since I first heard of JL from Amanda Hocking. Jenny Pox, the first book in the series, is free on Amazon. I suggest you pick it up and start this amazing paranormal adventure for yourself.

Stalk JL (Jeffery) on Twitter: here
See his blog here: www.jlbryanbooks.com/

W.I.P. Hop

Jamie B. tagged me in this W.I.P. Hop, and I figured it was best to play along because she has a manuscript of mine and I kind of wanted it to be edited, not eaten.

Just kidding! I love the chance to talk about the things I am working on because I am excited about them and it's a great way to build buzz for future releases.

Here is what has to be done:

Answer the ten questions about your current WIP (Work In Progress) on your blog.
Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them.

Onwards!

What is the working title of your book? Bone Deep (A Skeleton Lake Novella for Alex & Lena)

Where did the idea come from for the book? These days I am living in the Skeleton Lake universe a lot. Getting the first book ready for re-release, and the first novella (The Skeleton Song) ready to go with it. I am also editing the next book in the series (Dust of the Dead Sea) and writing, when the mood is miserable, the rest of the series. Sadly we lose track of some of my favorite Skeletons; Alex and Lena in the second book and that made me sad. There is a whole host of new characters to keep you entertained in DotDS but their absence had been bothering me since the books completion. This novella Bone Deep will be released between Dust of the Dead Sea and The Desert of Ash & Waves

so we can catch up with Alex and Lena before we catch up with them. w i n k   w  i n  k

What genre does your book fall under? Dark paranormal romance.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? She is a bit old but I'd have Jayne Wisener as lovely Lena (she played Joanna in Sweeney Todd) She is exactly what I think Lena looks like. For Alex I'd pick Logan Lerman. (Percy Jackson) He has the look, even if that movie book rendition was IMO awful lol.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? I just finished it this weekend so I haven't really thought about it. Let's go with. Love can live lifetimes, bone deep.
 

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? Why are those the only two options? ;)

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? 2.5 fever induced days. Don't ask.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? Would it be cheating to compare it to the other books in the series? I guess so. The series tends, as a whole, to be darker and moodier than most other paranormal romance books out there. It is not a horror book--but if you were to say, let Tim Burton do-over Twilight then perhaps The Hollows Series would be as dark and as whimsical as that. With less scrabooking herpes encrusted vamps and more Corpse Bride.
 

Who or What inspired you to write this book? You know, there was one person who reviewed Skeleton Lake--and I am sorry I don't recall who off the top of my head; who said they were TEAM ALEX and I got thinking. I am pretty team Alex too.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest? Sometimes it's nice to read about love when it's not so complicated. This is a book where even though the world is a mess the characters make love look easy.

My people:
Clare Marshall
Larry Kollar
S.M. Reine
Heather Jacob
Patricia Lynne

The Worst Time of Year to be a Military Kid

You might not know this about me, but I am a military wife. My husband is in the USAF, and that can make life hard for the whole family. Sometimes daddy misses Holidays or birthdays, and we have always had to live away from home--home where the grandparents are; and not home where ever the Air Force sends us.

Sometimes we drive through four states to make it home for Christmas. Sometimes we brave the TSA and fly in for Fireworks in the 4th of July. Sometimes all we have is each other, and that is OK too. Being together is enough.

Except for this one time of year.

It's not Thanksgiving, or even trick or treating with out daddy for the third year in a row.

It's school fundraiser time.

I know that sounds completely petty and absurd, but I am writing this blog because it is breaking my heart and I can't fix it.

The school has let the fundraiser people come in, and drill into all the kids heads that they aren't doing their part unless they sell ten items each. My only two school aged kids got their packets Friday and have asked about it constantly since then. I feel so bad for them, they are so excited. With each order form and catalogue they also passed out a PRIZE sheet. You get prizes for selling things and the kids are practically salivating at the idea. Only I don't know who they are going to sell to. My oldest daughter, Clover who is 7; keeps suggesting people we can ask. She lists off the parents of all her friends, and unfortunately they all have kids that go to our school too.

Did I mention our school is on an Air Force base? The one we live on? The one my husband works on? So all our of neighbors and most of my husbands coworkers have kids at the school. The ones who don't... well lets just say, everyone knows who they are and are looking for them Monday morning. Add no family any closer to Nevada than Texas and you don't exactly have a recipe for fundraising success.

I tell them that, while I don't want to discourage them, we face unique challenges. I can't afford to buy 20 rolls of wrapping paper with out it coming out of the kids Holiday gift budget. So sweet little Violet who is 6 in just a couple of short weeks suggested I ask all my friends on the Internet. At first I shrugged her off, because I didn't think it would work. But earlier this evening when I was telling my friends on facebook why fundraiser time on an Air Force base is the pits, Clover's voice popped into my head saying we should at least try. Which is what she says every time she brings up the fundraiser. Which is at least twenty times since Friday. So I said, I am going to BLOG about this. I can't promise anyone will buy anything--but if just on person does that will help.

So if you can spare a few bucks in the bad economy to help the Kulig kids school and self esteem, we'd really appreciate it. I know it's asking for a lot, and I don't expect a huge success from this but since they have finally caught on to the fact that it's hard for military schools--this fundraiser has a website people can buy things. Each kiddo has their own link which is attached to their picture
below.

Clover likes:
Butterflies, math, science, art and staying out too late riding her bike.

When she grows up, she wants to fight fires and sell books. Hopefully not at the same time.

Violet likes:
Writing her own books, anything her sister has, and the color violet.

When she grows up, she hopes to be on youtube.
Lord, save me now.

Thanks for reading this far guys. It means a lot to me. More reading, writing, and bookish things will resume later in the week. Hopefully when I am done biting my nails over this ridiculous little bump in the road to happiness.

*Cover Reveal* JUST FOR NOW (Sea Breeze, #4) by Abbi Glines via AToMR Tours

Oh Abbi Glines, you guys know how I love her! So of course I signed up to do the cover reveal for Just for Now, the 4th book in the Sea Breeze series. It is due out around 11/26. Check the deets below, and if you haven't ready Abbi's current releases go, just go and get them ASAP! She never fails to impress me.

Oogle the Cover by Stephanie Mooney of Mooney Designs

Book description:

The day Preston Drake figured out that wealthy women paid well for a set of tight abs and a pretty face his life turned around.

The run down rat-infested trailer he had shared with his alcoholic mother and three younger siblings was now only a place he visited to pay the bills and stock the pantry with food.

He no longer worried about his family starving or living without electricity. The money he made entertaining rich older women more than covered his family’s needs and his own. He had it all figured out. Except…

There was this girl.

She was as innocent as he was tainted.

Amanda Hardy wished her knees didn’t get weak when Preston walked into a room. She hated the fact her heart raced when he flashed his smile in her direction. He had a different girl in his bed every night. He was the kind of boy a smart girl ran from. So, why was she coming up with ways to get close to him? Even when it was obvious he wanted to keep her at a distance.

Maybe her heart knew something the world didn’t. Maybe Preston Drake was more than just a pretty face.

Now check out the sweet book trailer by Hellion Works:

 

 

If you're here, that means you aren't a rock dweller; and chances are you already follow Abbi Glines halfway around the internets--but just in case, here is the linkage:
Abbi Glines                                                     Facebook                                                Twitter

See the book trailer PALOOZA, then get GREEN WITH ENVY

Pay no attention to this logo... it means secret things to special people and if you don't know I'm not supposed to tell you yet.

Just kidding! My friends and I have been working on it behind the scenes for a while now. GEP is what I think is probably the first ever publishing cooperative. It's a long story and there are many, many inside jokes involved but there will be a lot more details on this soon! I just realized it was on there so I thought I should probably bring it up.



The Skeleton Song now has it's own official book trailer! Look for the release annoucement soon!


To fit in with the incrowd, Skeleton Lake now has a new book trailer:

Angela Kulig Confesses to Terrible Things

I admit it, I was the one who ate the last pack of Oreos--even if I let my husband think the kids did it! And it's true, I did want to bite my brother in law's head off when he underhandedly suggested I didn't know how to keep my email from being hacked.


But Alas, that's not the point of Patty's confession blog hop.
So I am supposed to talk about confessions in writing, reading, that sort of thing--easy as my life revolves around it; here we go.

I want to give up, all the time. That is why I am always in a hurry, that is why I never stop, because I worry if I do it will be the end of Angela Kulig--the author, and that is who I have wanted to be since I was twelve years old. It's something like almost dying every single day.

The thought of failure burns, like a new cut on an old scar and it's all I can think about. If I could have a do over of last year I'd take it. I'd never have signed with a publisher at all, I'd have a hired an editor (or three) for Skeleton Lake and not have been so trusting.

No one is perfect, and I am jealous of all of them.

Actually, that last one is a lie. I used to have serious jealousy issues with other writers that I somehow overcame. OK--it has something to do with those thousands of people who downloaded my book. thank you. You made it to where even if I died today I would have done better than 90% of the authors out there. You made me realize that I do have potential. That my life as a writer is not over. That maybe those endless stories in my head are worth writing, are worth reading.

I have written over forty books, and I am terrified of people reading them. But I am getting over it.

I read Amish fiction--don't judge me! Sometimes I need something as wholesome as a bowl of Quaker oats with no paranormal beasties or bleakness.

Sometimes I fantasize about becoming someone else and starting over.

And sometimes I ramble on in my blog posts as some kind of therapy that usually makes me feel better.

But not always.

The 3 Day Novel Contest aka My Natural Habitat

I've been a pretty lazy blogger as of late, and there are some very good reasons for that. First I have a nine week old--then I wrote a book, finished another book (almost), and have been re-editing two others AND gearing up for my FAVORITE time of year. It used to be Halloween, then Christmas--now it's Labor Day weekend and the 3 Day Novel contest. It is my third year, and I am hoping that makes it lucky! So far I love my story and have managed to avoid any accidental plot pitfalls. WIN!

There is another reason I really love 3 Day Novel, and it is because it always gets me back on track. I am sure lots of people finish the contest and need some serious time to recover--but for me I always end up wishing I could write all my novels in 3 days. Lately it's been hard for me to finish anything and everything, and this always feels like recharging my battery. It's really what I need to move forward with the release of more of my books. So many are just sitting around so close, they just need a little more love and after this I am sure I will be able to give them the time they need. I really need 3DNC to be a bi-annual event. Maybe I will come up with my own thing for spring ;)