FINAL day of Timeless Book Tour + Win cool Books

It's final day of the book release blog tour. Yippee!

First of all, don't forget to guess Rachel's lie to win Don't Fall, a contemporary retelling of Rapunzel. 

Tis the season to be grateful. I feel like I've been drowning in cheese with all this awesomeness, and I have you to thank for reading, supporting, and being incredible you. So thank you for participating, playing, and commenting. It means the world to me. As you look around at life this week, I hope you'll take a moment to ponder what makes it rich, and the abundance of blessings you experience, even in the darkest times. (Especially in the darkest times.)

The Maiden of Time Series:

The romance of Jane Eyre meets Supernatural.

In a world where people can heal with a touch, kill with a scream, and rob a person of their memories, Alexia is struggling to find her place and learn her gifts--before the Soulless come for her.

BUY

on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or get signed print copies from yours truly!

Tour stops

November 21

Ellie Garratt: Meet Your Doppelganger Quiz

books are love: Action Excerpt

Christine Rains - Writer: 3 Approaches for Developing Characters
(For Different Types of learners)

lilicasplace: Writing Tips: Does Your Middle Sag? (And how to fix it.)

Sandra Cox: Spotlight time!

November 23

Tonja Drecker: 5 Tools for Creating DEEP Characters

(Email address is required for awarding prizes.)

After today is over, I'm taking a cheese holiday. I'll be back on November 30 with a final post and giveaway for the year.

Where would you go on your cheese holiday? What are you grateful for this week? Do you celebrate Thanksgiving--and if so, how?

VALENTINES WINNERS

You're a winner. It's true. Know how I know? Because you're here, smiling at this post. (And if you're not smiling, fix that right now, buddy--and here's some cheese to help.) 

Today I'm going to introduce you to a few other (TONZ of) winners--including our Valentines Day raffle winners...below, but first, I'm over at 

Tara Tyler's place today talking about Newsletters. Check it out!

AND I'm super stoked today to introduce my buddy, Jessie Anderson and her STUNNING short story, Lemons.

Hi, everyone! Thanks for stopping by to check out the cover. I’d like to thank Crystal for having me.  I’m really excited to share my new cover with you, but first, let me tell you a bit about Lemons, which released yesterday, FEBRUARY 13, 2014. Be sure to check it out on Amazon.

LEMONS BLURB:

They say when life throws you lemons to make lemonade, but when Ally finds herself in the biggest pickle of her life—stranded on an island in the middle of a lake—fruit and veggies are the least of her worries. Now she’ll have to face the harsh realities of her selfish choices, which means dealing with what happened between her parents a few years ago.

Wanna see the cover now? Well, here it is:

If you’d like to know a little more about me and my writing, read on.

My first book, At What Cost was published in 2012. I’ve been writing and writing since then and have nearly completed a dystopian series, which is being sent to publishers. In the meantime, I wrote a short story. Not sure exactly where it came from. I don’t consider myself a short story writer, but hey, when it comes to you, you have to get it out.

Find out more about my writing here:

www.readbetweenthelinesbookclub.blogspot.com (Author blog)

_______________________________________________________

BOOK REVIEW

I was given the wonderful opportunity to review an advanced copy My Bloody Valentine, a story collection by Tiffinie Helmer, Alex Bledsoe, V.R. Barkowski, Erica Hayes, Lizbeth Lipperman, Charlie N. Holmberg, Coreene Callahan, and S.G. Redling. So are you ready for this?

First of all, this is not a young adult collection. So okay, I occasionally read outside my genre (all the time), but typically I stay away from the adult romance stuff...because I'm sensitive and like my innocent perspective on the world. This book was filled with hard decisions, bitter-sweet outcomes, and I would have liked a language filter. Alas... If you're like me, you'll skip quite a few pages in this anthology, but you can read all of Charlie's SALT AND WATER without worry.

Her story in one word: Awesome.

The premise: A slave to a war-torn society for eighteen months, Chellis has been tortured for one purpose: to make her cry, for the healing properties of her tears can mend any soldier’s wound. 

I SO loved Chellis and her keeper, Ahad. The world they occupy is brutal. They should be enemies, but having grown up somewhat sheltered, Ahad is not your typical slaver. The themes of compassion and love stretch well beyond romance, and I wanted the story to keep going. I wanted a whole novel. (Please?) Yes, the story was that great.

Many of the others were well written, but again, read with your adult filter on.

_______________________________________________________

VALENTINES WINNERS

And now for the winners... 

Sun & Moon = Holly Letson

Maguire's Corner = Sarah Chafin

Model Position = Diana Steele Nelson

Three Daves = Trisha Farnan

Masked Love = Samantha Geary Jones

Colors like Memories = Julia Cosgrove

Chasing Anya = Sheri Larsen

Fate Intended = Shelly Hammond

Beyond the Binding and Composers for Relief CD = Mary K. Hill

MOONLESS signed = Elizabeth Seckman

Congrats, winners!

Lastly, because it's Valentines Day, here's a sweet little something for your reading pleasure:

The Kiss of Death

What are you doing with this weekend? Anything romantic? Anti-romantic? Read anything thematically appropriate recently you'd like to recommend? 

Cheesiest Post of 2014

You love cheese, right?

My posting schedule has changed. I'm only posting Wednesdays (with minor exceptions) until further notice, so my Motivational Mondays and Funny Fridays are going to appear every other week at the head of these posts. That said, who's ready to laugh?

You've probably seen this floating about, but I must have created it in my sleep. That, or my spiritual twin accessed her/his prowess and channeled our collective genius into a single statement.

Yup. Epic, right? Want some more?

Source

If your cheese meter hasn't been filled yet, how about a giveaway?

Writerly Wednesdays here are for readers and writers. Get to know authors, test your human lie detector skills, and WIN books. 

Last week, Julie Flanders shared two truths and one lie about herself and those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing to win The Ghosts of Aquinnah.

The options were:

1. While work as a psychiatric social worker, helping with assessments for the county jail, she was nearly strangled by an inmate who was having a psychotic episode.

2. She was in drama club as a teen and loved performing in plays and musicals.  

3. Julie desperately hates pie and can’t understand why anyone would choose it for dessert.

And the lie is: 

#2. Yeah, no drama club for Julie. Sorry, folks. As much as you don't want it to be true, Julie is a pie hater.  

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

...DRUM ROLL...

Alex J. Cavanaugh!

Congrats, Alex!

Today I'm super stoked because I get to unveil Cathrina Constantine's NEW book cover. Say hello to Tallas!

In a decimated world, setting foot outside the protected village of Tallas is certain death—or so they say. Mutations caused by those in the wilderness have plagued Tallas’s citizens—or so they say…

For Doogan and Keeyla their belief in a Free Tallas has lost its glimmer. And when their young son, Fabal, is given a very dangerous assignment, they risk everything to protect him. Fleeing Tallas, they head for the wilderness. But when they are ambushed by cruel Mediators, Doogan is recaptured, and while Keeyla and Fabal escape, she is severely injured.

Can the two of them survive in the wilderness? Will Doogan getaway from the clutches of the Mediators? And are the terrible legends about the monsters beyond the walls of Tallas true?

Mark your calendars folks, because this one will be up on Amazon February 1st!!! 

Super cool, right? I love the color scheme, and the blurb? *drooling* And now, let me introduce you to the wonderful author: 

Cathrina Constantine, the author of Wickedly They Come and Tallas, resides in Upstate New York with her husband, five children, two Labrador Retrievers and two cats. Constantine is represented by The Belcastro Literary Agency. When not with her family, baking, crafting, reading, or stationed at the computer writing, you will find her walking in the backwoods with her dogs, conjuring up a new tale. 

Her favorite cheese if Yancey's Horseradish. (It's kinda spicy hot and sweet rolled into one.) You might stumble across her eating it while watching a good movie.

Cathrina gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Can you figure out the lie? Those who do will go into my magic hat for a chance to win Tallas in eBook. Eek! How cool is that? You have until Tuesday, January 21, at 1 p.m. EDT to guess--and be sure to come back for the answer on January 22nd.

TRUTH OR LIE

1. Cathrina danced on a Vegas stage.

2. A horse fell on top of her when she was 16.

3. When an icy snowball hit her mouth, she needed 3 stitches.

And now, enter to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Remember to join my SUPER FUN blogfest and celebrate something wonderful with my cohosts and I. Details HERE.

Okay, what is the lie? What's the best cheese joke you've ever heard? Did you get enough cheese?

WINNERS!!!

The blog tour is over, the games are done, and now there's only one things left to do.

Eat cheese.

Okay, maybe I should announce the winners too. Got your wedge of cheddar out? Here we go!

Rafflecopter Winners

Cohlina Mae: Butterman Time Travel Inc. signed copy

Elizabeth Barbarick: $25 Gift Card

Tammy Theriault: $25 Cheese

Leslie Rodriguez: Moonless

Kim Hong: Moonless

Steph Payton: Moonless

Truth or Lie

Kimberly Afe
Suzanne Furness
Angela Brown

Mystery Sentence Game

Winners will be contacted individually via email.

Writerly Wednesday

Last week Sharon Johnston shared two truths and one lie about herself and those who guessed the lie correctly were entered into a random drawing to win a copy of her awesome book, Sleeper. 

The options were:

1. When she was young, Sharon was convinced she was adopted because she looked so different from the rest of her family.
2. She herded an echidna across the road.
3. She played a nun in The Sound of Music for her school play. 

And the lie is:

#3. She actually played Leisel, not a nun. Ooh, tricky, tricky! 

The winner is...

Julie Flanders!!!

Congrats winners! And now, I'm off on a writing retreat. I'll be back next Monday after my brain has been sufficiently drained of all writerly awesomeness to bestow awards and pretend at being human.

If you could go anywhere to just relax and create, where would you go? 

Chocolate VS Cheese

SOMEONE (who will remain unnamed) argued with me last month that chocolate is the solution to all our problems, not cheese. I completely disagree, but anonymous friend, this one goes out to you: 

Okay, bear with me here.

Chocolate is the "salad" of the food world. Yay, chocolate. *spinning a finger in a circle*

But the moon is made of cheese, and the moon is round, like a filet mignon. Therefore, where chocolate is salad, cheese is steak.

And I like steak a TON more than salad. ; )

April A-Z Theme Reveal

Yes, I'm always ranting about cheese. Laugh if you will, call me crazy, scratch your head and shrug, but ah, did you know there's a psychology behind the cheese?

*gasp*

See, cheese is a symbol. What's the last thing that photographer says before snapping a shot? *cupping ear* That's right. "Cheese." So what is he asking you to do? 

Now, to deepen the meaning. Cheese was my special needs brother's favorite food in the world, and you'd never have met a happier person. You get it now? If I'm offering you cheese, I'm offering you a ray of sunshine and a wish for your happiness. (Plus one of the best darn foods on the planet!) 

So, to introduce my A-Z Blogging Challenge theme....

*drum roll*

How to Find Happiness: from A-Z

Yup. It's all about the cheese.

Awesome, right? I hope you'll join me throughout April and add your amazing insights about the power of happiness and how to find it. 

Where do you find happiness?

Laurel Garver's Professional Poetry

A quick welcome to my guest today, Laurel Garver! I recently had the opportunity to read her collection of poetry that's releasing NOW. 

One word: awesome. 

And so, I invited her here to find a little more about her writing. Who doesn't love getting to the core of what motivates a writer, eh? A quick bio:

Laurel Garver is a magazine editor, poet, and writer of faith-based fiction.  She enjoys quirky independent films, British TV, and geeking out about Harry Potter and Dr. Who. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and daughter.

Welcome, Laurel! Have some cheese, eh? First off, how did you get started writing poetry? 

In my angst-filled teen years, poetry was a way of channeling negative feelings. But once I began to really study poetry in AP English, I was struck by how it can succinctly communicate the most moving and profound ideas. Poems are too powerful to waste on wallowing—that’s what a journal is for. 

I completely agree. Poetry is awesome! So, where do you find inspiration? 

I’m drawn to the weird and off-kilter—things not usually thought of as poetry fodder, like derelict factories, evil chickens, Goth girls, leash-trained gerbils, pica. There is a certain beauty in weirdness, and it has the power to break through our ordinary ways of thinking and being. I also like to explore those small, pivotal moments when we have glimpses of grace or divine presence acting behind the scenes.

LOL! In high school my friends and I considered "weird" a compliment. ;) So, along those lines, can you tell us the back story behind one of the pieces in your collection?

“Sixth Story” is a piece jam-packed with the beauty of the weird. It’s about an actual suicide attempt on a Christian college campus where I was a student. An attendee had a psychotic episode and was threatening throw herself out an upper floor window to escape snakes she saw pouring out of the walls, bidden forth by demons that resided in the hallway. One group after another tried to talk her down, to no avail. Her rescuer, a sort of Christ-figure in the story, played along with her delusion, saying he’d locked up the snakes in handcuffs and she was now safe. The incident epitomized for me how religious communities often deal poorly with mental illness when what’s most needed is simple loving compassion—a core value religion is supposed to embody.

Now that's a story. And now, every writer is influenced by someone else. Who has had the strongest influence on your writing?

Madeleine L’Engle’s work has been the most influential in helping me discover and trust my own voice, and to boldly keep my faith at the center of what I create.

She is amazing. For fun, you’re stranded on a deserted island. What 3 things would you take?

A Swiss Army knife, a water filter and a Bible. I’m sure I could figure out how to write on palm fronds if I weren’t starving and dehydrated (thus the first two tools). And if forced to be a hermit, I’d want to be equipped to get the most spiritual benefit from the experience.

That's entirely too practical. I'd be taking a magical cheese producing machine. (The scientists in my basement are hard at work on that one.) And speaking of cheese, if you could only have one type of cheese for the rest of your life, which one would it be?

It’d be content with an extra-sharp English-made cheddar (though I’d pine for Cotswold).

Mm... Now I'm hungry. Thanks for joining us today, Laurel, and here's wishing you all the success in the world with your wonderful poetry!

About Muddy-Fingered Midnights: 

This thirty-poem collection is an eclectic mix of light and dark, playful and spiritual, lyric and narrative free verse. In an intricate dance of sound play, it explores how our perceptions shape our interactions with the world. Here child heroes emerge on playgrounds and in chicken coops, teens grapple with grief and taste first love, adults waver between isolation and engaged connection. It is a book about creative life, our capacity to wound and heal, and the unlikely places we find love, beauty, and grace.

Check out her book here. 

And how about you? What cheese would you choose if you could ONLY have one for the rest of your life?

Death, a Book Release and Giveaway

Kerri Cuevas's DEADLY KISSES is out TODAY! Awesome, right? But, there's always an interesting story behind the story, so Kerri kindly agreed to answer a few questions for us. 

First of all, thanks for being here Kerri.

Thanks Crystal! I hope everyone enjoys reading Deadly Kisses as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it for you all. 

(She's a little enthused. I blame it on the cheese basket sitting in her lap.)

So Kerri, what inspired you to write Deadly Kisses?

Halloween!

The best holiday ever! (Says this sugar addict.) I wonder if we can talk someone into creating a holiday like Halloween, but where people have to give you free cheese...

(Kerri's smiling like I might be a lunatic...)

Ahem! I ADORE your main character, Aiden. Where did he come from? 

After I had the idea to write about Grim Reapers, Aiden kind of just appeared out of the blue. He insisted on being in this story, and I really didn’t want to be on his bad side, seeing he has a sharp scythe.

Pointy instruments are always a good motivator. So, um, because I'm seriously in love with this boy (don't tell my hubby), I'm wondering who you would cast to play Aiden?  

Evan Peters from American Horror Story.

My mental version of Aiden is cuter. ; ) But back to the story, what was your favorite chapter or scene to write? 

My answer changes all the time on this question. Right now, the last chapter. I anxiously await what readers think of the ending.

Well I, for one, loved it. And lest I should start gushing and give something away, let's move on, shall we? 

Who has had the most influence on your writing? 

Carrie Ryan, Cassandra Clare, and Stephen King.

Are you a panster or plotter?

Total panster! Yup, no denying it.

Yeah, I think that's why we hit it off. Birds of a feather... When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? 

In third grade. I still have all my stories. They should be published—crayon drawings and all. LOL!

Hee hee. We should collaborate and I'll toss in some of my 2nd and 3rd grade atrocities. 

How long does it take you to write a book? 

It depends on the story, and plotline. Deadly Kisses took me a month to write, but book 2 of the Deadly Kisses series took me a year. I blame it on my panster ways.

What writing advice would you give other writers out there? 

Follow your dreams, and don’t give up.

Chase the pretty unicorns until you catch them, eh? LOL.

If you could only have one cheese for the rest of your life, what would it be?

As a person who makes their own cheese with milk straight from the cow or goat, I find this a very evil question.

(I'm laughing wickedly.)

Alas, I guess it would have to be Monterey Jack. But I’m sneaky, and I’ll say my favorite brand is Cabot and Grafton Village Cheese.

Well, yeah, it's a cheat, but maybe we'll let it slide--just this once because it's a special day. So that's pretty much it. Anything you'd like to add, Kerri?

Thanks, Crystal. You guys rock! Feel free to ask me any questions, and I’d be glad to answer them for you.

Thank you, Kerri.

You hear her, folks. Ask away! --And while you're at it, enter to win some free stuff below! (Because nothing's better than FREE.)

Aiden Grant is seventeen, has a killer kiss, and a boss who used to be President, back in the old days. You see, Aiden is a grim reaper and his kiss welcomes the newly dead. But Aiden’s pleasant grim reaper lifestyle is in jeopardy. And it’s not only because Honest Abe keeps throwing out history lessons with reaping assignments, just to confuse him. It’s because Aiden’s next assignment is to reap the soul of Bee, the only girl he has ever loved.

When Aiden’s kiss of death fails, intertwining their souls, Bee is still very much alive and they are both in trouble. The ancients want Bee, who has special powers of her own, and they’ll do anything to get her.

Some rules are meant to be broken—even if that means Aiden must bargain with his own soul to save Bee. Who knew the afterlife could get so complicated?

Author Kerri Cuevas was born and raised in Rhode Island. She moved to New Hampshire with her husband, three kids, cats and a rabbit named Hercules in 2005. When she's not writing, she's chasing chickens on her small farm or searching for the ultimate mac-a-cheese recipe.

Kerri went to college for Early Childhood Education but now writes books for young adults full-time. Her storytelling stems from watching too many horror flicks as a teen, but she no longer needs to sleep with the lights on.

You can find Kerri at: http://www.kerricuevasbooks.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I'm Thankful for my Readers Bloghop

Today I'm joining Tara Tyler and Vikki for the I'm Thankful for my Readers bloghop.

Behind the curtain of any creative mind
Lies the secrets, the friends, the power
For creativity thrives best in the hands of many
While it often flounders in the grasp of the one.

A quick shout to my most awesomest critique pals who keep me writing and are kind enough to knock me over the head when I say, er, write something awful:

Cindy

Mom

Rachel Hert

Tammy Mckee

Fiona Claire 

To my amazing support groups on facebook -- WS4U and Write on to Build on, you inspire me!

To a couple favorite blogging buddies who are truly the crem della crem, thank you for consistently popping back in, even when I go off the rails for months on end.

Kerri Cuevas

Ian

To my amazing family who supports my whacked-out need to write and disappear into the electronic page for weeks--thank you Matt, Quin, Kaily and Random.

And finally to all you wonderful peeps on the blog-o-sphere, for reading, laughing, crying, and commenting along on this crazy journey we call life.

Here's some cyber cheese for all of you!

Who supports you in your dreams?

Things that Make You Go "Halloween"

Are you ready for a Halloween goody? As an artist you're always trying to get your work noticed. Today I'm going to pull back the curtain to reveal where I get images for blog posts free, a site that promotes other artists. Enjoy this little treat!

Deviantart.com

Things that make you go Halloween:

Jack O' Lanterns

Cauldrons and Witches

Haunted Houses

Black Cats

Skeletons (& Tim Burton)

Ghosts and Graveyards

Vampires

AND for me, a little bit of cheese:

What has you Halloween-ing, and where do you go for awesome web images?

Mystery Guest

He/she's coming. We're still working out the fine print, but I'm most anxious to introduce you to my future mystery blogging guest. This individual will be making regular appearances to share his/her profound knowledge with the rest of us earthlings--just as soon as I get can him/her to sign on the dotted line...

And in other news, it's official. The perpetual chicken has finally taken the leap. That's right, I actually sent out my manuscript and several queries. I feel like that bird who's just jumped out of the nest, begging her flexed wings to catch the wind and fighting to ignore the rushing pavement below.

It's a matter of faith. Faith=confidence in something or someone else. For the bird, it's faith in those flimsy wings--because she's seen her mother take flight a hundred times and believes she too can accomplish something great. From the safety of these leafy branches I've watched several friends, several of you, take flight, and it's miraculous. But the real reason I've taken the leap is because of the many wonderful and supportive people who have literally kicked me out of the nest. (You know who you are.) I've received encouragement, ultimatums, even received threats! (For which I will profoundly thank you, as soon as I stop plummeting to my proverbial death.) To those who have pushed and aided me forward, you rock.

And back to the mystery guest... I promise a free cheese wheel of your choice to anyone who can guess the identity of my future cohort.

Off Topic: Curious, what blog posts in the last 6 months have been the most meaningful/memorable for you? What were they about? Why did they stand out?