EXCLUSIVE Timeless NEWS! (IWSG and a Bottled Genie)

AND it's that magical time. What am I talking about?

First I brought you this:

Then this:

Now it's time for this:

What's it about?

Time is the enemy.

In 1771, Alexia had everything: the man of her dreams, reconciliation with her father, even a child on the way. But she was never meant to stay. It broke her heart, but Alexia heeded destiny and traveled five hundred years back to stop the Soulless from becoming.

In the thirteenth century, the Holy Roman Church has ordered the Knights Templar to exterminate the Passionate, her bloodline. As Alexia fights this new threat—along with an unfathomable evil, and her own heart—the Soulless genesis nears. But none of her hard-won battles may matter if she dies in childbirth before completing her mission.

Can Alexia escape her own clock?

You know you want to get a first glimpse and help share this awesomeness with the world.

The reveal is happening September 12-14, 16-17, and 19, 2016.

Sign up to help HERE.

Cover Reveal

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THE COVER: This cover reveal will not only feature a chance to win an Advanced Review Copy. *gasp* Anyone who signs up to help will be entered into a separate contest for an Amazon gift card. You can participate via blogging, Twitter, Facebook, Tumbler, Pinterest, Goodreads, or any other social media.

And now for the monthly hop topic...

What was your very first piece of writing as an aspiring writer? Where is it now? Collecting dust or has it been published?

My very first piece was a picture book I wrote in 2nd grade, but on a professional level, my first FULL novel (not novella because there were a few of those), was NEITHERLANDS: AWAKENING. The book is currently under contract and revisions are being made as we speak...read...whatever. You have no idea how excited I am to share it with the world. *dances like a loon*

Now enough about me. Let's talk about you, eh? And the awesome book YOU could win this week.

Two weeks ago, Annalisa Crawford shared two truths and one lie with us. The winners were entered to win a print book of YOU. I. US.

The game:

1. I sink when I try to swim, but float away when I'm upright.
2. Due to repeats in the UK, I have watched the complete series of Star Trek: TNG, Castle, Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother multiple times.
3. It took me 6 attempts to pass my driving test.

The lie: #3. In fact, she never passed her test. She was so bad at driving, she gave up way before the instructor even mentioned putting her in for the test!

Way to guess everyone! And the winner is:

...DRUM ROLL...

Sharorah!

Congrats, Sharorah!

And now for today's giveaway: 

At seventeen, Adeelah Naji is transformed into a genie and imprisoned in a bottle. For a thousand years, she fulfills the wishes of greedy masters—building their palaces, lining their pockets with gold, and granting them every earthly pleasure. All that sustains her is the hope of finding Karim, the boy she fell in love with as a human. When at last she finds a note from her beloved, she confirms he has access to the elixir of life and that he still searches for her. 

But someone else also hunts her. Faruq—the man who plots to use her powers to murder and seize the life forces of others—is just one step behind her. With the help of a kind master named Nathan, Adeelah continues to search for Karim while trying to evade Faruq. To complicate matters, she begins to experience growing fatigue and pain after conjuring, and finds herself struggling against an undeniable attraction to Nathan.

As Faruq closes in, Adeelah must decide just how much she’ll risk to protect Nathan and be with Karim forever. How much power does she really have to change her future, and what is she willing to sacrifice for an eternity of love? If she makes the wrong choice, the deaths of many will be on her hands.

Get Your Copy HERE.

Ready to meet the author?

Carol Riggs is an author of YA fiction who lives in the beautiful green state of Oregon, USA. Her debut novel, THE BODY INSTITUTE, released Sept 2015 from Entangled Teen, exploring body image and identity. Her fantasy YA, BOTTLED, released from Clean Reads on July 7, 2016, and her sci-fi YA, SAFE ZONE, will release from Entangled Teen in October 2016. She enjoys reading, drawing and painting, writing conferences, walking with her husband, and enjoying music and dance of all kinds. You will usually find her in her writing cave, surrounded by her dragon collection and the characters in her head.

Connect with Carol:   Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Blog

Carol 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 an eBook copy of BOTTLED. (Open internationally.)

You have until Tuesday, August 23 at 2 p.m. EDT to guess. Be sure to come back for the answers on August 24, 8 a.m. EDT.

TRUTH OR LIE

1. Carol loves to swim; it’s one of her favorite things to do in the summer.
2. Carol has been married three times; her current husband is her third.
3. Carol has never gone skiing before, downhill or cross-country.

So sleuths, which is the lie? What does TIMELESS mean to you? Have you signed up to help with the reveal? Do you like genie books?

In Which You Win Book Cash and Women Kick Trash

Say hello to our special guest today, Stephen Tremp (and his fabulous Halloweeny read + GIVEAWAY)! Take it away, Stephen.

“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them” ~ William Shakespeare 

Thank you Crystal for hosting me on my Salem’s Daughters Blog Tour! I love the action, adventure, fantasy and thrillers genres. In these stories not all heroes are heroes; some are heroines who demonstrate greatness in a variety of ways such as courage, inner-strength, or pressing on to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. 

Not all leading and supporting female characters are tough girls like Wonder Woman (most famous and hottest heroine of all time), Daenerys Targaryen (Game of Thrones), Buffy (Vampire Slayer), Hermione Granger (Harry Potter) or Xena (Warrior Princess). These women were born with innate powers or they achieved advanced abilities through discipline, practice, sacrifice and a support group. Then there are the women who are not born into nor do they achieve greatness. Rather, they have greatness thrust upon them, often against their will. 

There are three such women in Salem’s Daughters, one born with greatness, another who achieved greatness, and a third who had greatness thrust upon her. 

Emily Livingston: The antagonist is born with greatness. Emily is the leader of her early 17th century coven and possesses each individual power of her followers, as long as they are alive. Together they terrorize the bed and breakfast. 

Erma Dempsey: Debbie’s meddling Irish whiskey drinking, dark witted, sharp tongue spitfire of a grandmother who co-signed on the three-and-a-half million dollar loan to build Murcat Manor achieved greatness through seven decades of working hard and fighting for everything. Born into poverty, she and her husband Ross never gave up on anything and had to scratch and claw to become successful. These traits help set the stage for a showdown between Erma and the thirteen cats. 

Debbie Stevens: The protagonist has great power thrust upon her against her will. She only wants to start a family, but instead has to give up her dreams to fight the evil threat killing her guests at Murcat Manor. 

These three bad-ass ladies were fun to develop using each of the three forms of greatness Shakespeare mentioned in Twelfth Night, or What You Will. 

Question: Do you have a favorite bad-ass female character in books or movies? 

Short Blurb: A four hundred year old evil is unleashed when the daughters of those killed during the Salem Witch Trials find a new generation of people to murder at a popular modern-day bed and breakfast. 

Stephen Tremp writes Speculative Fiction and embraces science and the supernatural to help explain the universe, our place in it, and write one of a kind thrillers. You can read a full synopsis and download Salem’s Daughters by Clicking Here. 

Stephen Tremp posts weekly blogs at his website Breakthrough Blogs. 

Next Stop: Friday October 16th Lexa Cain.

 

And now how about some giveaway action?

Last week Carol Riggs shared with us THE BODY INSTITUTE, along with two truths and a lie. Those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing for the chance to win a signed print book with bookmark!

Carol's Game:

1. Carol once met singer Harry Chapin, got his autograph, and kissed him on the lips.
2. Carol’s family owned a Mexican restaurant when she was 13, in which she washed dishes and reluctantly played waitress. 
3. Carol lived on an island once, in Sitka, Alaska.

THE LIE: #2. Carol’s family owned a PIZZA restaurant, which was awesome because a)she got to eat pizza all the time, and b)it involved lots of CHEEEEESE. 

Way to guess everyone! And the winner is:

...DRUM ROLL...

Julie Flanders!!!

Congrats, Julie! 

And now how about our giveaway for the day?

Stephen 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 $25 GIFT CARD TO AMAZON. 

You have until Tuesday, October 20 at 1 p.m. EDT to guess. Be sure to come back for the answers on October 21. 

TRUTH OR LIE

1.    Stephen once met Los Angeles Laker basketball player Kobe Bryant.
2.    He does not like meatloaf.
3.    He still likes to color with crayons.

Oh, and one quick note from me. Chrys Fey interviewed me for my birthday. How cool is that? Check it out HERE. (And drop us some cheese in the comments, eh?)

So sleuths, which is the lie?  Do you have a favorite bad-ass female character in books or movies? 

IWSG, Ghost Buying, and Body Snatching

Do you hate or love birthdays?

They're a huge deal in my house. Growing up there were 8 kids, so your b-day was YOUR day to shine. Everyone was extra nice, you got decorations and a boatload of gifts, Grandpa and Grandma would come visit, and let's not forget being sung to over a cake in both English and Portuguese. It was epic.

These days we take a family holiday when someone has a birthday, meaning no work, no school, just play and spoiling for that one day. Everyone stops and recognizes that person as the star. While that's lovely and all, I'd like to stop aging. I used to keep all my story files in my head. Believe it or not, they even stayed where I put them and could be retrieved on demand. Four kids later, not so much. Heck, I can't even keep track of all the appointments, errands, and demands of a single day. (Thank you calendar. I'd be dead without you!) For the first time, I find myself forgetting or missing commitments. What's with that?

I guess what this boils down to is that I like birthdays. I really do. But aging? Not so much. Here's hoping someone can give me a brain upgrade in about 5 years, because this one might be down to steam and gears.

How do you feel about birthdays?

IWSG is a monthly hop for writers seeking support and an awesome community. Join our hosts this month: TB Markinson,   
Tamara Narayan, Eva E. Solar, Shannon Lawrence, and     
Stephanie Faris.      

 

Speaking of birthdays, I missed a book birthday, but it's not too late to celebrate, right?

Last week Sandra Cox shared with us GHOST FOR SALE, along with two truths and a lie. Those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing for the chance to win her eBook, THE CRYSTAL (in honor of guess who?)!

Sandra's Game:

1. I got the idea for Ghost For Sale when I heard on the news a ghost was up for sale on eBay.
2. I was born in Ky, my husband in IL, my daughter in OH and my son in WI.
3. I broke a leg trying to climb Mt. Everest.

THE LIE: #3. Yeah, we saw that one coming, right? 

Way to guess everyone! And the winner is:

...DRUM ROLL...

Mary Pax!!!

Congrats, Mary! 

And now for this week's feature (which I've been SOOOOO exited to about FOR YEARS)... 

Meet Morgan Dey, one of the top teen Reducers at The Body Institute.

Thanks to cutting-edge technology, Morgan can temporarily take over another girl’s body, get her in shape, and then return to her own body—leaving her client slimmer, more toned, and feeling great. Only there are a few catches…

For one, Morgan won’t remember what happens in her “Loaner” body. Once she’s done, she won’t recall walks with her new friend Matt, conversations with the super-cute Reducer she’s been text-flirting with, or the uneasy feeling she has that the director of The Body Institute is hiding something. Still, it’s all worth it in the name of science. Until the glitches start…

Suddenly, residual memories from her Loaner are cropping up in Morgan’s mind. She’s feeling less like herself and more like someone else. And when protests from an anti–Body Institute organization threaten her safety, she’ll have to decide if being a Reducer is worth the cost of her body and soul…

Get your copy HERE.

Ready to meet the author?

Carol Riggs is a YA author who lives in the beautiful green state of Oregon, USA. She enjoys reading, drawing and painting, writing conferences, walking with her husband, and enjoying music and dance of all kinds. You will usually find her in her writing cave, surrounded by her dragon collection and the characters in her head.

She adores swiss cheese on Reuben sandwiches. Yum!

Carol 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 an SIGNED PAPERBACK with a BOOKMARK (US only). 

You have until Tuesday, October 13 at 1 p.m. EDT to guess. Be sure to come back for the answers on October 14. 

TRUTH OR LIE

1. Carol once met singer Harry Chapin, got his autograph, and kissed him on the lips.
2. Carol’s family owned a Mexican restaurant when she was 13, in which she washed dishes and reluctantly played waitress. 
3. Carol lived on an island once, in Sitka, Alaska. 

So sleuths, which is the lie?  How do you feel about birthdays? Do anything special for them? What do you think of that concept for Carol's book? (Epic, right?)