Happy New Year! (ISWG and Other EPIC Things)

I hope you're having the most epic year of your life so far...all 6 days of it. If not, what are you doing about it? One of my favorite quotes comes from Marianne Williamson:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?"

And yet so often we talk ourselves out of taking the plunge and trying something new, even if we might fail miserably. We might also succeed, but one thing is certain: without trying, we CAN'T succeed.

Take a chance this year. Try something that terrifies you. Get out and live to your fullest potential.

And speaking of IWSG, guess what?!? I made it into the contest anthology. I'm so stoked! A huge thank you to my EPIC beta readers Stewart West, Misha Gericke, Tammy Theriault, Annalisa Crawford, and Eric Price (featured below), the wonderful IWSG team who pulled the publishing opportunity together, and all the judges for the hours they dedicated. Hop around and meet today's superstar hosts for IWSG: L.G. Keltner, Denise Covey, Sheri Larsen, J.Q. Rose, Chemist Ken, and Michelle Wallace! 

Oh, and I have my LAST free story from LQR for you today.

Read the rest HERE.

 

Now how about a giveaway?

Last month Jessica Haight and Stephanie Robinson shared with us a THE SECRET FILES OF FAIRDAY MORROW, along with two truths and a lie each. Those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing for the chance to win a signed hardcover.

The Game:

Jess:

1. I do not have a cell phone, nor do I want one. 
2. I love the feel of flannel, and I like to have flannel sheets even in the summer. 
3. I am a fan of graphic novels, and someday I plan to write one of my own.

The lie: #2. Jess actually HATES the feel of flannel and would NEVER use flannel sheets in the summer­--it would be torture.

Stephanie:

1. I’ve never eaten a Big Mac or Whopper.
2. I love hot dogs with baked beans and coleslaw. The perfect easy meal and delicious too!

3. Sardines with or without crackers are a delectable treat that I can’t resist.

The lie: #2. From Stephanie: Every Saturday when my father was home from traveling we’d have hot dogs, baked beans, and coleslaw. All of which I detest. I’d have to sit at the table for a long time, because I wouldn’t touch the food. Eventually I learned to eat as fast as possible while it was still hot, and to this day I still don’t like any part of this meal. 

Way to guess everyone! And the winner is:

...DRUM ROLL...

J.H. Moncrieff!

Congrats, J.H.! 

And now for this week's feature... 

CLC’s Best First Novel 2014!

As the only son to King Kendrick, Owen despises the idea of being king one day. Magician may be the only career he’d like less. He has dreaded the days leading up to his fifteenth birthday, when his father will certainly declare Owen heir to the throne. But at the birthday celebration, his father falls ill. The only person in the kingdom that may be able to save him is a magician–the very same magician Owen holds responsible for the death of his mother. 

Owen and his companions will have to travel the continent of Wittatun in search of the cure for King Kendrick. On the journey, they will battle strange beasts and harsh climates, befriend extraordinary magicians, and meet a dragon before returning to Innes Castle–where much has happened in the days since they departed.

Get your copy HERE.

And also up for grabs today, the sequel!

After the adventure to save King Kendrick, Yara's everyday life has grown monotonous. The dull work of learning her father’s blacksmithing trade and the pressure from her parents to decide what she plans on doing with her life has her nerves too stressed. 

Lucky for her, a surprise messenger from the castle brings the king’s request. She's to join a collaborative mission between the Central and Western Domains of Wittatun to stop a recently discovered slave operation in a land to the west. 

It's imperative she keep secret not only her magical abilities from any possible traitors, but also her gender. The people of the Western Domain have a superstition prohibiting girls from sailing. But a chill wind carries the distinct odor of sabotage. Can one girl survive to destroy an evil rooted much deeper than mere slavery?

Ready to meet the author?

Eric Price lives with his wife and two sons in northwest Iowa. He began publishing in 2008 when he started writing a quarterly column for a local newspaper. Later that same year he published his first work of fiction, a spooky children’s story called Ghost Bed and Ghoul Breakfast. Since then, he has written stories for children, young adults, and adults. Three of his science fiction stories have won honorable mention from the CrossTime Annual Science Fiction Contest. His first YA fantasy novel, Unveiling the Wizards’ Shroud, received the Children’s Literary Classics Seal of Approval and the Literary Classics Award for Best First Novel. Unveiling the Wizards' Shroud is now available in paperback and eBook. His second novel, The Squire and the Slave Master, came out in November. It continues the Saga of the Wizards. He is a member of SCBWI. Find him online at authorericprice.com.

Eric gave me two 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 a print book of UNVEILING THE WIZARDS' SHROUD, and an eBook of THE SQUIRE AND THE SLAVE MASTER. (Open Internationally: print book available only in the US and Canada, eBooks of both for international winners.)

You have until Tuesday, January 12 at 1 p.m. EDT to guess. Be sure to come back for the answers on January 13.

TRUTH OR LIE

1. I know some guys in a local St. Louis band called Earl. Back stage at one of their shows at the Pageant, they asked me to go out after the break and play bass, which I did.
2. I've met Rob Zombie. In a strange sort of creepy, quazi-ironic way, I met him on Easter Sunday.
3. I have a tendency to win front row seats to concerts. I've seen Billy Joel, Elton John, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers all from the front row.

So sleuths, which is the lie? How are you ringing in the new year? What are your goals for 2016? Do you like epic fantasy novels?