Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Gratitude as Big as 80's Hair & IWSG


Anyone worried about confidence? Let me straighten you out, because you're not rocking any of these looks:

Big Hair
There have been some TRULY awful fashion trends through the ages, but I think the 80's trump them all (especially for men). Seriously. What were we thinking?

Rats Tails
High Top
The Mullet
The Mohawk
I PITY THE FOOL...

Ahem.

So there you go. If you've avoided these...um...blunders, you're on the right path.

So speaking of gratitude...
I just want to say a HUGE thanks to Cathrina Constantine and Nana Prah for their amazing reviews of MOONLESS. It was a total surprise, and you should check out these fabulous ladies if you haven't before. (And then you should TOTALLY read Moonless if you haven't. Because you're missing out.)

So, since we skipped a week, who is ready for a book giveaway?



Today's Feature...

We didn't know how much we had to gain by being infected with magic. We found a purpose, we found a destiny, and we found each other.

But California isn’t the new start we were promised. Dr. Child may be gone, but now we must face a military school, dangerous secrets, and a prophecy that has half the country wanting us dead. When the line between enemies and allies blurs, Sam, Juliette, Ana and I need to choose between love and sanity, between magic and survival.

Paradise has a cost. When the authorities are suddenly giving you whatever you want, they’re going to demand everything in return. And that’s a price not all of us are strong enough to pay.

Freedom feels like safety, but it’s not. There are no walls here. No place they won’t be coming for us.

No place we won’t destroy.

PROPHECY OF THE SIX is a sequel to ALCHEMY.

We didn’t know how much we had to lose until we were infected with magic. Sam was in love, Juliette was the main caretaker for her siblings, and Ana and her dad planned the best parties in New York. But we lost it all when we were shipped to Chebeague, an exclusive school for newly infected mages.  

Everyone knows about the mages, those who survive the infection and end up with magical abilities. We’ve seen the power of magic, the high-paying jobs, and the world fame. But we never saw the cost. We didn’t know we’d be forced to give up everything: sanity, family, even the right to talk on the phone. 

We didn’t know mage was just another word for prisoner.


Buy Alchemy

Buy Prophesy of Six

Ready to meet the authors? 

Sheena Boekweg, Melanie Crouse, and Sabrina West met online, (which isn't as weird as it used to be) and blog together at theprosers.blogspot.com. Their first collaborative project, Alchemy (Prophecy Breakers #1), was voted one of the top fifty self published novels worth reading by Indie Authorland. 




Sheena Boekweg is the author of Funny Tragic Crazy Magic, and The Waxling (forthcoming). She is a mom of three from Utah and is prepared to survive a zombie apocalypse. 




As a mom of four, Melanie Crouse thinks that parenthood is exactly like a zombie apocalypse. Melanie Crouse is the author of excuse notes, thank you cards, and the novel Hidden Magic. 





Sabrina West is a writer and wildlife biologist living in San Diego, California. Her short fiction has appeared in markets such as Cover of Darkness; Strange, Weird and Wonderful Magazine; and Kayelle Press’s Night Terrors Anthology.





These ladies gave me three truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out the lie will go into my magic hat for the chance to win an eBook of ALCHEMY and PROPHECY OF SIX!!!

You have until Tuesday, February 10 at 1 p.m. EDT to guess. Be sure to come back for the answer on February 11.

TRUTH OR LIE

1. They all got to go to lunch together for the first time this last summer.
2. For a long time, Sheena didn't know which girl (if any) Sam would eventually end up with.
3. Melanie chose Carlsbad, CA as the location for book 2 without knowing that Sabrina's day job is based in Carlsbad.
4. Nothing cheers Sabrina up quite like a random animal riding a rumba. Except maybe baby owls.
So which is the lie? What are your thoughts on 80's fashion? Have you come across any outrageous hairstyles that make you question humanity's viability? Did you check out Cathrina & Nana? (And if not, what's wrong with you? Get steppin', eh?)

81 comments:

  1. 80s fashion, looking back, is a tad cringe-worthy lol. I had the faded jeans, braces, and a mullet.I'm surprised I wasn't voted Time Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive.

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  2. My goodness the 80's were scary with the neon clothing, leg warmers and teased mall hair... scariest thing is I did most of these... lol... I know some of it is coming back in style but at least it is more updated and modern ♡

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  3. Loving the 80s hair. Lol. No doubt there are popular looks now that we will look back on and cringe. :)

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  4. Oh, 80s hair. I literally lol-ed several times at those pictures. Luckily I was way too young in the 80s to be victim to any of its trends.

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  5. LOL at the pictures... the problem though is that the blunders we do in writing aren't that... um, obvious ... ;-)

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  6. AAAH! The hair! *LOL* Wow. That's bad hair. I used to pump up my bangs, but not that bad. My guess for the lie is #1.

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  7. And we actually thought we were so cool and fashionable. I guess we were during the 80s. Blunders in our writing will probably not scream at you like the neon hair, so that's why it's good to have a crit partner to point them out.

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  8. Well you gave me a good chuckle for the day! Luckily I avoided the 80's style.

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  9. Oh, the 80's. I did reference a mullet in my finished WIP. We should all post our high school pics next ISWG! I think the lie is #1. The series sounds interesting!

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  10. Hehe, I see pictures of my cousins with the 80's big hair. I was born in the 80's so I had less of the hair styles going on. :)

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  11. Oh, my gosh...those hairstyles--ha ha ha! Best IWSG post ever!!! And my goodness me, you know, I'm reminded that I read Moonless ages ago and never did leave a review of it. Suppose I'm off to Amazon to do just that :-) *Spoiler alert:* I loved it, so I'll certainly be saying as much :)

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  12. Hahahaaa....I just saw a guy with a mohawk the other day. What's he thinking?! Crystal, Thanks for the plug. Moonless is a wonderful book!!

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  13. I enjoy 80s hair as a retrospective. Then again, I didn't have to live through most of it and what I did live through - I was unaware of.

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  14. I don't mind the mohawk; strangely enough, I think it has a timeless alternate-subculture appeal, where as the mullet and huge hair is far more of a dead trend (though on a plane last November I sat behind a guy with a severe mullet and it was not worn ironically). It might fit with the big hair, but I recall the "waterfall" bangs of the late 80s-early90s. Thankfully my hair was too thin to sustain that 'do so it never really worked for me.

    I've seen a lot of what I wore in the mid 90s as a teen coming back in style. Not for me though. Save those recycled trends for the tweens!

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  15. I rocked a mullet back in the 80s, but I ditched it pretty quick. In the middle/late 90s, I did grow my hair long and do the ponytail thing, but only because I wanted to do it while I still had all that hair.

    I still see kids with long tails, but that's usually out in the rural areas. Walmart seems to be a haven for all the 80s hair fashions. Half the guys still have mullets, and half the ladies have feathered hair. It's awesome.

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  16. Trend-setting is a tricky business. And sometimes it fails as evident by those hair styles. :)

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  17. I remember when my brother had a rat tail. HAHA!

    People are sure missing out if they haven't read Moonless!

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  18. ROFL got kick out that hair. Great post.
    Juneta at Writer's Gambit

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  19. ROFL got kick out that hair. Great post.
    Juneta at Writer's Gambit

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  20. I'm feeling kind of anxious now, so glad I'm not going to my job interview today with one of those hairdos.

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  21. I guess #3.

    I rocked big 80's hair. I might laugh when I see a picture, but I'm not embarrassed. The style was the style and I was young enough to care to be in style. Yeah...those days are gone ;)

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  22. Congrats on that wonderful review and yeah, wouldn't be caught dead with some of those hairstyles. Love the cover on the Prophecy of the Six. I'm guessing the lie is #2

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  23. Haha! Gotta love the '80's hair! I think my personal fav's are the mullet and the rat's tail. Ugh. So glad those aren't around anymore! :)

    Congrats on the great reviews!

    I love that the trio's new book is out! Such a cool cover. As for the lie, I think I'll have to guess #4.

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  24. Oh my gosh those hairs! Well, they sure make me feel more confident LOL
    I'm going for . . . #1 as the lie. ;)

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  25. I love the Eighties, though there were some unfortunate fashion choices in that decade.

    I'll guess the lie is #4.

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  26. Oh the hair! The hair. My elder son went through high school in the later half of the 80's. I love him too much to admit how many and which of these he tried.

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  27. How did that first woman get her hair to look like that? She must've stuck her finger in an outlet! I'm guessing 4 is the lie.

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  28. How did that first woman get her hair to look like that? She must've stuck her finger in an outlet! I'm guessing 4 is the lie.

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  29. Unfortunately, I no longer have enough hair to make those kinds of mistakes.

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  30. The mullet was the worst. What were we thinking? Thanks for the encouragement at my blog today :)

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  31. In the 80's we thought we were H-O-T!! lol These days I avoid anything that was fashionable when I was in high school or college.

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  32. Yes! 80s hair!! Let's bring Mohawks back with the white tee under the tank top look. ;) Congrats on the super sparkly reviews, Crystal! You deserve them. ^_^

    I'm going with #2 for the lie. It's so normal. :) Plus, baby owls are the best.

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  33. Where we're going, who needs hair?

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  34. Ack! We crossed in cyberspace.

    There is nothing quite like the 80s (except the early 90s--same) for horrific hair and terrible clothing. Really. It was bad. Thanks for the laugh. :-)

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  35. I have to agree with you about the 80s hair. The worst part for me is that I have naturally curly hair and I tried to "feather" it. Really! Not sure about the lie--maybe #4?

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  36. Those are some scary hairstyles. But do you know what? I still have people in my town who rock those hairstyles, especially the mullet :)

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  37. OMG Mullets. Whoever thought that was a good idea is nuts. I still see them too. WHYYYYYYYY?

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  38. Oh, my 80s hair. Someday I'll share a picture on my blog...I don't think I've done that yet. But yes, I've survived the perm and the hairspray and emerged with the straightest hair you'll ever see. Yay me! Hehe.

    Mmmm...let's go with #1 as the lie.

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  39. The hair pictures crack me up and make me wonder what styles we'll be laughing at thirty years from now! Dreads? Multicolored strands? Or have we finally figured out how to achieve perpetual coolness?
    Congrats on the great reviews! I'm sure they are well-deserved. :)

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  40. I remember the strange styles. Thank goodness I had my own children later.

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  41. LOL The 80s were truly a thing of beauty... (figure of speech) I'm glad I was only a child 'cause I would've rocked 'em all!

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  42. Wow, um... number two!
    I had a mullet.
    And I remember a ton of the metal hair bands had hair like that girl in the first picture.
    Yeah, good thing the 80's are over.

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  43. I'm guessing number three is the lie. And those hair styles are awful!

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  44. Oh wow is that some fun hair! Not that I'd ever try them, but still amusing to see :) I'm going to guess #1 is the lie, just for fun!

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  45. Aw, 80s hair was awesome! I had naturally frizzy hair when it was long and that was perfect in the 80s. Perfect, I tell you! The one time in my life my hair matched the fashions!

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  46. OMG - that hair brings back memories. I have definitely worn my share of BIG hair!

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  47. Wow, those pictures of BIG hair are hysterical. Congratulations ladies on your success!

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  48. For the record, I've had a flattop, *and* a rat tail, though thankfully not at the same time. And my hair is thick enough I can get the full 80s effect just by hanging my head upside down and brushing it up from the roots. :P

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  49. LOL! I had that big, poofy hair. I should post a picture of it.

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  50. Congratulations on your baby and writing yesterday. LOL, I once had a rat's tail, but it was braided and kind of on the side. I've had dreadlocks 3 times, too, but that was more of a 90's misadventure. I need to get reading some of these books.

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  51. Egads!!! Although I've had my fair share of bad haircuts I've never sported one of these hideous haircuts from Hell. The horror! The horror!

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  52. We really thought we looked so cool back then! It's very cringe-worthy now, but at least we can laugh about it, or at other people back then, lol. I cringe at my own 80's photos, but it's great to laugh at others'. I can remember how we all thought we looked stupid back in the 70's at the time and just didn't realize how hypocritical we were being with our ratty, big hair and neon lipstick, lol.

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  53. bahaha 80s hair! I love it. I rocked some pretty horrific bangs in the 80s, my mom sometimes cut them! yikes.

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  54. Every memory I have from the 80's is tinged by the scent of hairspray. Teased hair and lighting streams of Aquanet on fire - both equally bad.

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  55. What was I thinking? I remember feeling beautiful with a huge mane of it too. :-)

    Anna from Shout with Emaginette

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  56. My daughter went to a dance last week with an 80's theme. I kept teasing her hair to make it bigger and bigger. She looked adorable but wow, that was a lot of work, lol.

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  57. I rocked a pretty cool mullet myself... Yeah, that's what I'm going to continue telling myself, anyway :-)

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  58. Crystal, your "eh" reminds me of our vacation to Costa Rica. We made friends with some Canadians there and by the end of the week, I found myself saying "eh." Just a quick side note=)
    Your post reminds me I have to read Moonless, asap! I have it in my Kindle but have been swamped trying to finish the edits for two picture books. And I started another one yesterday.
    My mom gave me a tail growing up. Looking back, I continuously ask her, "Why did you do this to me?"

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  59. You still see a "good" mullet now and then. I think it's the hockey player look. Even if some of us fell into the bad hair trap, we recovered. We learned from our mistakes, and we gained a new identity. Best wishes!
    Play off the Page

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  60. LOL I'm an 80s girl to the core but it's so true, what were we thinking??? When I see pics of my mom's teenage years in the 40s she looks classy. Then I see my own teenage pics and I cringe. At least we all came to our senses eventually.

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  61. Wow, those haircuts are awful! Glad those styles aren't in fashion anymore.

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  62. I had some 80s hair, but it wasn't as bad as any of those. I've got some friends who used some serious hairspray though. :)

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  63. Although my 80's look may now look a little dated, I did manage to avoid major hair disasters. So someday when future generations look at our photos they won't run screaming from the room. :)

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  64. Hey hey, don't knock the Mohawk. Mock the fohawk, sure, but the Mohawk isn't from the 80- at least not the 80s you're referencing. That was stolen from a Native American culture, and then redone in some very strange ways by people who had no idea what the hairstyle meant.

    OMG I love how the Moonless cover image is changing colors. Hypnotic! I actually was able to dig in to the first 6% of the book on my Kindle while in a doctor's waiting room this week. Loving it so far!

    Prophecy of the Six has a really eye-catching cover.

    I'll pick #2 as the lie.

    Hope you're having a great February.

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  65. God how horrible! and funny too Lol! the last two are back in style again, most football players do it these days (why humans why? don't you ever learn?)

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  66. LOL, love those 80s hairstyles!
    Some guys can rock a mullet. Really.

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  67. I was only eight when the eighties ended, but I do remember that I had a bad perm back then; I hated it because it made my head look a lot bigger than it was. I also remember that a lot of people wore pastel colors and leg warmers back then. I'm thinking #3 is the lie, but I'm not sure?

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  68. Lie...#3...

    I never actually saw anyone live, in person with a mohawk in the '80s. Later, however...

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  69. I think the styles of the 70s were much uglier. The 80s just had bad hair and shoulder pads. In the 70s, everything was bad: from shag carpets and men with big mustaches and sideburns to tie-dyed shirts over bell-bottom jeans. Yikes!

    I'm glad for your good review, Crystal. Prophecy of the Six and Alchemy look very unique and fascinating. I think the lie is #3 since it doesn't sound like a lie. lol

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  70. Definitely bad hair styles, although mohawks work on a few people.

    Hmm, I think the lie is #3.

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  71. I was too busy working my tail off in the '80s to notice hair. As for the lie, #4.

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  72. I think #2 is the lie. I had some big hair in the 80s- but not as big as the hair in the pictures. :) Sometimes looking back at fashion (my own especially) is hilarious.

    This sounds like a fascinating series!
    ~Jess

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  73. Strangely, rat tails seem to have made a comeback among Scottish schoolboys, or maybe it's just my town? What are the parents thinking! I must defend the mohawk though. My stepson Andrew rocked a mohawk at my wedding and looked great!

    I was only born in 1980, so I stayed pretty conservative for the decade. I do quite miss the bouncy, golden curls I had for the first half of the 80s though, before it turned dark! Although it's turning grey now, so it is getting lighter again...

    Congrats to the ladies, a 3 author book sounds interesting. I think #4 is the lie because it's... random!

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  74. LOL, I didn't even exist until the tail-end of the 80s, so I can safely say I've never fallen prey to any of those trends. I must admit, though, that I am fond of drawing random background characters with mohawks sometimes... XD

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  75. I'm guessing #4.

    Yay for awesome reviews.

    I rocked a banana clip throughout most of the mid and late 80's.

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  76. Whew! Glad I only had a side ponytail. ;)

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  77. Crystal! How on earth did you dig up that old picture of me?!?!

    The books sound great! And I loved the authors' bios. I'm going to say they never had lunch together.

    Have a great week!

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  78. i'll say #4, and wowzers, I LOVED the hair pics! memories...

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  79. The 80s! I so remember those days! I say #4 is the lie.

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  80. I used to have a rat tail. I loved my rat tail.

    ...I should bring the rat tail back! ;)

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Hit me with your cheese!