Goals, Gatling Guns, and IWSG

Happy New Year!!!

Are you having the most fabulous 2015 so far?

Quick intro for any new friends here... I'm a total book nerd who dabbles with writing for theater, novels, poetry, short stories, flash fiction, lyrics and orchestral compositions. I LIVE on cheese, home school 3 kids (shortly to be 4) and answer to the title of "Chicken" with pride. Two of my book babies are out in the world, and I've contributed to several story compilations (see the Books section). Today I'm ravishing an orange, counting baby kicks, and desperately trying to remember what it was I wanted to say. (Ah, pregnancy brain...)

Really, it was something like this:

The beginning of the year is such a fabulous time--a time to look at our lives, reevaluate what is working and what isn't. As I've reflected, I've been missing how I used to run this blog: 3 posts a week, deep thoughts on Monday, Writerly stuff on Wednesdays, Funnies on Friday. I've also missed how I used to spend a minimum of 2 hours a day writing. Alas, life doesn't stand still for blogging. (Or maybe I should say the 3 kids and 1 on the way.)

With limited energy/time I'm finding I can't handle the precision of one of these:

I need the precision of one of these:

Now a sniper rifle requires patience, setting up exactly the right shot, breathing correctly and pulling the trigger with a steady hand. Much of what goes on is in silence, behind closed doors, whereas the Gatling allows for all out warfare, spur of the moment.

Do you see what I'm saying?

My goal this year is to welcome a new life into the world and follow a very precise calendar of specific deadlines to make sure my next novel makes its debut on time. (Hah!) Wish me luck. My other goal is to form a deep and positive mental dialog about everything--and I do mean everything. You get a TON further on positive mental vibes.

What are your new goals this year?

Now, on to the fun and games!

Last month Suzy shared LOOKING FOR LUCY JO with us, along with two lies and one truth. Those who guessed the truth correctly were entered into a random drawing for the chance to win an eBook.  

Suzy's game: 

1. Suzy once sat next to Robert Pattinson on a train ride from London to Bath. He was super cool and chatted for a while before he was distracted by a much younger lady with bright blue hair and a tattoo on her wrist that read Stamus Contra Malum.
2. She celebrated her birthday one year with Kiki Dee - you might remember her from the 60's? She was particularly famous for singing Don't Go Breaking My Heart with Elton John.
3. She has a belly button piercing. (Yes, it hurt!)

And the lie is:

#1. Suzy didn't meet Robert Pattinson, but wouldn't that make for a fun story if she actually had?

And the winner is:

...DRUM ROLL...

Susan Gourley/Kelley!

Congrats Susan! 

And now to today's feature...

Sugar’s not so sweet and secrets can be deadly …

especially with matters of the heart

Sienna’s bestie, Harper warned her not to intern for famous bad boy artist, Casper Mason. After all, he just fired Harper who helped Sienna get the interview. But the moment Sienna sees Casper—or Caz—sweaty and practically shirtless and swinging from chains while he works on his sculpture, she’s hooked. He’s the richest, hottest artist in New York, and he lives in the fabulous Williamsburg Sugar Factory. But he’s also an incorrigible game-player, who seems to relish testing Sienna’s loyalty with a string of unsettling tests.

She knows she should get away fast. But by the time Sienna sneaks into his locked storage room and begins to unearth his dark and terrifying secret, she’s fallen way too hard for the handsome, charismatic Caz.

Bloggers and readers are saying:

“A must read!” -Amazeball’s Book Addicts
“Sexy, smart, compelling!” -Booklover 
“Moving, even heartbreaking” - 5-stars from The Phantom Paragrapher
“Believable characters who show emotional growth” -Summer’s Book Blog
“Killer analysis of the NYC art scene” -reader review

Get your copy HERE.

Kitsy Clare lives in Manhattan. A romantic at heart, she loves writing about the sexy intrigue of the city and of the art world. She knows it well, having shown her paintings here before turning to writing. Her new adult Art of Love series - Model Position and Private Internship - is all about artist Sienna and her friends. Living in a Bookworld says: “Beautifully written! We learn things about art & painting. Colorful stories from a promising NA author.” The books can be read in any order.

She also writes award-winning YA as Catherine Stine. Novels include futuristic thrillers, Ruby’s Fire and Fireseed One. Her YA horror, Dorianna, a twist on Dorian Gray for the Internet age, just won Best Horror Novel in the 2014 Kindle Hub Book awards.

Kitsy (aka Catherine) 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 of PRIVATE INTERNSHIP. How awesome is that?

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

TRUTH OR LIE

1. She had a lively discussion with Blues musician Buddy Guy, where he talked about getting musical inspiration from listening to rain on his tin roof.

2. She hung out with Marilyn Manson at one of his after-parties and munched on black marshmallows. 
3. She met all of the 2014 top ten Idol singers and took selfies backstage after the concert. 

So which is the lie? What are you prioritizing for this new year? Have you build a plan with deadlines? What did you do to celebrate the holidays?

MOONLESS: The Mystery Sentence Game...and Giveaway

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.

Way to guess those of you who got it right! You are officially human lie detectors. And the winner is: 

...DRUM ROLL...

Melissa Maygrove!

Congrats, Melissa!

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*

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?  

Why does Alexia dread looking in the mirror? Catherine Stine explores the reasons.

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.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be a Winner: Let Me Promote your Book

Image courtesy of  Jen Chan

We have a winner!!!

I LOVE bragging about friends books. Writerly Wednesdays here are dedicated to writers and readers. If you've published anything for Young Adults with a fantastic twist (fantasy in all varieties, paranormal, specultative ficiton, horror, sci-fi, dystopian, cheese, etc.), shoot me an email (crystal AT crystal-collier DOT com). I'll be shouting about an awesome books, sharing new covers, or participating in book releases every week--and I'd love to share yours. Spots are filling up quick, so schedule date now. 

Readers, pop back in for the chance to win stuff and learn about awesome reads.

This last Wednesday we played the truth or lie game about Catherine Stine, author of Ruby's Fire. (Check the book out--it's awesome!) Catherine told us two truths and one lie about herself, and those who guess correctly were entered into a random drawing for a free copy of her book. The options were:

1. Catherine sat next to Tom Petty on a first class plane ride to LA.

2. Her son's band played All Along the Watchtower with Eddie Vedder.

3. Buddy Guy invited her to a private bash.

We had some amazing guesses, and people who tore apart the facts, analyzing them. (We love you deep thinkers!) I wish we could smother all of you in cheese for participating, and we (both Catherine and I) had so much fun with this. 

So, the answer is: 

....DRUM ROLL...

#1. Catherine did not actually sit next to Tom Petty on a first class plane ride to LA. 

Way to go those of you who guessed right! You are officially human lie detectors. And the winner is: 

....DRUM ROLL...

Marcy! 

Congrats! Friends, I look forward to chatting at you all after my road trip. Writerly Wednesdays will continue on July 24th. Be sure to stop in then for another AWESOME book and chance to win. 

And now, out of curiosity, what is your favorite, secondary, and tertiary reading genres? 

Book Release and Giveaway

Hey friends, how would you like to play a game today?

As part of my writerly Wednesdays, we're going to get to know a little bit more about some of the AWESOME books recently released, and some little known facts about their authors. But more than that, giveaways and chances to win free stuff await--because who doesn't love the chance to win, eh?

Monday, Catherine Stine released her sequel to Fireseed One, Ruby's Fire. She has received much praise for her other works, and I, for one, am excited to pick up this series and get started.

Seventeen year-old Ruby and her little brother Thorn, have only known a life blighted by the extremist Fireseed Cult. The night Ruby is set to be claimed by one of its cruelest and oldest leaders, she makes a bid for freedom. With Thorn in tow, she stumbles into the world beyond, and finds an opportunity for a fresh start in Skull’s Wrath under the guidance of Nevada Pilgrim, a woman who may not be all she seems. Ruby's new life could bring her friendship, love, even fortune, but nothing comes without a price. Is Ruby's talent for elixirs keeping the roof over their heads, or do some of her associates have a more sinister and lucrative interest in them? Life outside a strange cult isn't without its dangers, and the experience leaves Ruby transformed and communing with the Fireseed more closely than she ever would have imagined. Stine delivers a thrilling adventure led by an exciting cast of characters, and the romance is really well handled.

Now shall we meet the author?

Catherine Stine writes YA, New Adult and middle grade fiction. Her YA futuristic thriller, Fireseed One, illustrated by the author won finalist spots in both YA and Science Fiction in the 2013 USA Book News International Book Awards. It was also granted a 2013 Bronze Wishing Shelf Book Award and a 2013 Indie Reader Approved notable stamp. Her YA Refugees, earned a New York Public Library Best Book. Middle grade novels include A Girl’s Best Friend.

More and more, Catherine enjoys writing speculative tales where her imagination has wild and free reign. She has taught creative writing workshops at the Philadelphia Writing Conference, Missouri University Summer Abroad, The New School and in her own ongoing NYC writing workshop. She loves her readers, and enjoys blogging.

Sign up for her newsletter to learn about freebies and future giveaways.

Here's your chance to win a copy: a Rafflecopter giveaway

And now for some fun! *rubbing hands*

I asked Catherine to share a couple unique facts about herself. She gave me two truths, and one lie. Can you figure out the lie? The person who does will win either a signed paperback (US only) or ebook of Ruby's Fire. If there's more than one, their names will go into my magic hat. You have until next Wednesday to guess--and be sure to come back for the answer on July 3rd!

TRUTH OR LIE

1. Catherine sat next to Tom Petty on a first class plane ride to LA.

2. Her son's band played All Along the Watchtower with Eddie Vedder.

3. Buddy Guy invited her to a private bash.

Okay human lie detectors, which is it?