It's Writerly Wednesday! Yay! (AND MY BOOK's RELEASE DAY!!!) --So the, um, giveaway is going to be a little different. (Just a skosh.)
Ahem.
And now, it's time to announce the winner of last week's game. Melanie Schulz shared two truths and one lie about herself and those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing to win an eBook of the Bashan Agenda.
The options were:
1. Today (last Wednesday, Nov. 6th) is Melanie's birthday.
2. She's developed a field training game people can play to live out her books.
3. She is a vegetarian.
And the lie is:
#3. She actually very much enjoys meat.
To celebrate the release of MOONLESS, today we're mixing things up a bit with the...
Ahem.
And now, it's time to announce the winner of last week's game. Melanie Schulz shared two truths and one lie about herself and those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing to win an eBook of the Bashan Agenda.
The options were:
1. Today (last Wednesday, Nov. 6th) is Melanie's birthday.
2. She's developed a field training game people can play to live out her books.
3. She is a vegetarian.
And the lie is:
#3. She actually very much enjoys meat.
Way to guess those of you who got it right! You are officially human lie detectors. And the winner is:
...DRUM ROLL...
To celebrate the release of MOONLESS, today we're mixing things up a bit with the...
Mystery Sentence Game:
Unravel the mystery of the Moonless night! Hidden in each of the 8 blog tour excerpts is a single word. Gather all 8 and figure out the sentence to win a free copy of Moonless. (Click on the EVENTS page to see the full listing of excerpts.) Send your mystery sentence to crystal (AT) crystal-collier.com with the subject MYSTERY SENTENCE before December 10, 2013, and you will be entered to win one of 10 copies of MOONLESS—just in time for Christmas.
Are you ready for an excerpt of MOONLESS?
*rubbing hands excitedly*
*rubbing hands excitedly*
 |
| Image courtesy of Tim Sheerman-Chase |
“Is
someone there?” she breathed, little more than a whisper.
Wheezing gurgles met her ears. She spun.
Nothing.
What kind of creature made noise like that? Had she
imagined it as well?
She swallowed. The swift thump of her heart echoed into her
ears. “Hello?”
A snicker rippled in a circle about her. She twisted to
follow it, catching snatches of something—something moving, fast.
A growl.
She dashed headlong the way she’d
come.
Movement erupted behind her.
Her skirts caught on the underbrush. They snagged and tore,
twigs scratching her legs. She ran harder, one arm before her face to fend off
the branches. They raked across her sleeve. She gasped as they cut into her
flesh.
Alexia’s feet thudded the ground in rhythm, echoed by
another distant set—faster ones.
Chest heaving, she sucked in air, but could not draw
enough. Invisible fingers squeezed at her airways. Her lungs pulsed like
she was being dragged under a great watery swell. The whoosh of leaves turned
her head as an upright silhouette crashed through her periphery. Blackness
blinked at the corners of her vision. Her muscles burned.
She would faint before she could outrun her pursuer!
She gulped in air. Perspiration chilled her skin. The rasp
of her own breathing filled her ears.
“Help!” she screeched. Father would find her. He’d track
her. “Father! Anyone!” But she’d gone miles. Even if he’d begun looking, she’d
wandered too far.
A bough slapped her across the face. White light flashed.
She blinked it away, uncertain whether her legs were still under her.
She couldn’t outrun this thing. No one would hear her, but
she screamed anyway. “Help me!”
It was an empty plea.
Weight pummeled into her back. She flew forward as the
ground rushed up.
Is your heart pounding? It doesn't matter how many times I read this bit, I still get tense. *shiver*
And now for the rest of today's tour...
Join S.A. Larsen at the Writers Ally as she interviews both Alexia and Kiren IN THE SAME ROOM. Oooh!
Kai Strand's Three Times a Charm. What do cucumbers, cheese and dreams have in common?
Go behind the scenes of the auditioning process at Livia Peterson's place.
THE BLOG RING OF POWER with Terri Bruce: What do Critique Partners add to the writing process?
Go check the awesomeness out! Yes, I'm serious. GO!
Did I get your heart pumping? What do you think is going to happen next? Have you ever been in a scary forest after dark?
Oh, and enter for the win, eh? (That's right, this is your chances for a free book AND prizes this week.)
Oh, and enter for the win, eh? (That's right, this is your chances for a free book AND prizes this week.)
It certainly picked up the pace! I remember being in the bush late at night and seeing beady yellow eyes staring at us in the dark, we legged it but they were just emus ;)
ReplyDeleteEek! I worked in Yellowstone for a summer, and we carried firecrackers to scare off the wildlife at night, but if you saw wolf eyes, you got out of there--fast.
DeleteCongratulations on your release day! I'm eating some cheese in honor of you. :) Fantastic excerpt.
ReplyDeleteAw, thanks Christine. *raises a wedge of muenster*
DeleteJust got the e-mail on your release day! I'm tweeting your book out! Good luck!!!!
ReplyDeleteAlso just downloaded the book. =)
DeleteAw, yay! Thank you so much, Petre!
DeleteAwesome! Love this excerpt.
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty worthy, eh?
DeleteMy heart started pounding with "wheezing gurgles." Yikes!! Fantastic excerpt.
ReplyDeleteHappy Release Day!! Yay!!
Thank you, Julie.
DeleteCongrats on your release. This calls for a Reese's Cup!!!
ReplyDeleteI'll second that. Mmm.
DeleteHappy book birthday, Crystal! :)
ReplyDeleteYay! Thank you, David.
DeleteSquee! Happy release day!
ReplyDeleteYay! Thank you. =D
DeleteCongrats on the release! Always exciting :D And yay for games!
ReplyDeleteThey definitely make it fun, eh? ;)
DeleteMan, I had to sign up for the newsletter 3 times!
ReplyDeleteDo I get 30 points for that? :P
Um....no. But thanks for playing. ;)
DeleteHappy Release Day!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Robin!
DeleteHappy release day, Ms Cheese, and it was fun to read your breathless/tense excerpt!
ReplyDeleteYay! Thank you, Carol.
DeleteWow, that excerpt is so intense and eerie. Love it! :D
ReplyDeleteYay! Eerie, intense, these are music to my ears!
DeleteThanks for the visit and congrats on your release! I look forward to reading your blog!
ReplyDeleteYay! Thank you, Shaharoh. It's great to make new friends.
DeleteYAY! for Melissa! Hey, I hadn't realized that I was posting on your book birthday. WOOT! So excited for you, Crystal. And that excerpt.... <3
ReplyDeleteAw, thanks, Sherry.
DeleteSo very glad to be connected now, Crystal! I can't believe I wasn't following you either--I feel like I know you after seeing your gorgeous face everywhere. So excited for you and your ventures... such an accomplishment. Your work looks ah-mazing. <3
ReplyDeleteThank you, Morgan. It was fun to run along side you through the blogosphere today. =)
DeleteWhat a cool idea for a blog tour! Congrats, Crystal, on your new release. :D
ReplyDeleteThank you, Stina. You're gathering ideas, right? ;)
DeleteAwesome excerpt! Really did get my heart going a little, wow!
ReplyDelete*diabolical laugh* All the power of words...!
DeleteCongrats, Crystal! I've got Moonless revved up on my Kindle.
ReplyDeleteYay! I hope you love it, River.
DeleteCongrats to Melissa and to your Crystal!
ReplyDeleteI belong to Melissa now? ;) LOL. Great to hear from you, Eve. It's been too long.
DeleteI'll have to check this out later. Congrats on the book launch.
ReplyDeleteAfter you find some knitters, eh? ;)
DeleteCongrats on the release, Crystal! :-) I wish you a huge success! :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Theresa.
DeleteI have been wanting to read Moonless since I first heard of it. Love the cover! It sounds SO good. :) Congrats on the release, Crystal!
ReplyDelete~Jess
Aw, thanks, Jess. *warm fuzzies*
DeleteCongratulations! I just downloaded your book.
ReplyDeleteWahoo! Thank you, Medeia.
DeleteCongrats, Crystal. I'll tweet for you. Wishing much success.
ReplyDeleteWow. That was REALLY good.
ReplyDeleteI've been in the woods after dark, but not in a long time. Not since I saw "The Blair Witch Project," anyway. I was THIS CLOSE to being able to go for a moonlight walk on the nature trail and then I read this.
*sigh*. Another 10 years. Hopefully nature is still there when I'm ready to go back.
Briane, that's terrible! Tell you what, come for a visit and I'll keep you safe while walking through the woods at night. ;) (I grew up with the woods in my back yard. They're not terrifying, I promise.)
Delete