Silly Saturday: Wrapped up for the weekend?

Have you ever considered home schooling--for yourself, a friend, your kids?

I do home school my kids. Unfortunately my mom didn't hop on that band wagon until I was graduated, but I got to see the benefits first hand with my younger siblings. So when I say "Wrap up," this is where my brain goes:

But it could also mean this:

Image courtesy of Jim Whimpey

Or this:

Image courtesy of Miriella

This:

Image courtesy of Redstamp

Or possibly even these:

Images courtesy of Andres Por and Ben Raynal

But what it really means is this:

Jane Eyre meets Supernatural.

Alexia’s nightmares become reality: a dead baron, red-eyed wraiths, and forbidden love with a man hunted by these creatures. After an attack close to home, Alexia realizes she cannot keep one foot in her old life and one in this new world. To protect her family she must either be sold into a loveless marriage, or escape with her beloved and risk becoming one of the Soulless. 

Goodreads | Buy Now

Mystery Sentence Game: Unravel the mystery of the Moonless night! Gather all 8 hidden words from the excerpts and figure out the sentence to win a free copy of Moonless. 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. Happy hunting!

Truth or Lie Game: It's Writerly Wednesday on STERIODS! (Minus the Wednesdays...and the steroids.) You have 6 chances to guess the lie and win a copy of MOONLESS. Each post has different truths and lies, so here's a chance to really test your human lie detector skills. Winners will be announced here December 11th. Are you a human lie detector?

SATURDAY:

The Mystery Sentence Game continues with Jessie Harrell and Excerpt #6. Are you playing the game?

Hart Johnson takes us to the heart of the matter with The Naked Cheese. 

SUNDAY:

Not convinced you should read Moonless yet? T.C. Mckee shares her review titled, "A Darker Mister Darcy."

E.J Wesley with Five Things to be Grateful For--Debut Author Edition.

Or check out all the fun you've missed HERE.

What's the first thing you think of when you hear the words, "wrap up?" And honestly, what are you feelings on home schooling?

Oh, and now sign yourself up for freebies. (You know you want to!)

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The AWESOMENESS Continues...

Is there such a thing as too much of a good thing? I'm an advocate of moderation in all things, except for the overwhelming awesomeness of this tour! Huge thanks again go out to all the wonderful people helping. 

What is that? You haven't heard of MOONLESS?

MOONLESS is Jane Eyre meets Supernatural.

"MOONLESS is powerful, compelling, and packed with soul." --Bethany Kaczmarek, editor at A Little Red, Inc. 

"I fell head over heels for the characters." --TC Mckee, BookFish Books 

"Power-packed action, heart stopping mystery, unpredictable twists and turns..." --I Am a Reader Not a Writer

Buy MOONLESS HERE or add it on Goodreads.

Special Events: 

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. 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. Happy hunting!

Truth or Lie Game: It's Writerly Wednesday on STERIODS! (Minus the Wednesdays...and the steroids.) You'll have 6 chances to guess the lie and win a copy of MOONLESS. Each post has different truths and lies, so here's a chance to really test your human lie detector skills. Winners will be announced here December 11th. Are you a human lie detector?

TODAY:

Cathrina Constantine shares Excerpt #4 in the Mystery Sentence Game.

D.L. Hammons unearths the story of how MOONLESS came to be.

A short "get to know you" and Excerpt #3 in the Mystery Sentence Game with Libby Heily.

The BLOG RING OF POWER with T.W. Fendley. How do you brand a book that doesn't fit beautifully in a shiny prefabricated genre package?

Are you playing the Mystery Sentence Game? What is one thing you could never get enough of?

Oh, and enter my giveaway, eh?

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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

The Moonless Book Tour Day TOO

Intentional typos are awesome, don't you think? But you're not here for those. You're here for...

FUN!!!

So let me introduce you to the party.

Special Events: 

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. 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. Happy hunting!

Truth or Lie Game: It's Writerly Wednesday on STERIODS! (Minus the Wednesdays...and the steroids.) You'll have 6 chances to guess the lie and win a copy of MOONLESS. Each post has different truths and lies, so here's a chance to really test your human lie detector skills. Winners will be announced here December 11th. Are you a human lie detector?

On to the main Event!!!

Alexia’s nightmares become reality: a dead baron, red-eyed wraiths, and forbidden love with a man hunted by these creatures. After an attack close to home, Alexia realizes she cannot keep one foot in her old life and one in this new world. To protect her family she must either be sold into a loveless marriage, or escape with her beloved and risk becoming one of the Soulless.

MOONLESS is Jane Eyre meets Supernatural.

"MOONLESS is powerful, compelling, and packed with soul." --Bethany Kaczmarek, editor at A Little Red, Inc. 

"I fell head over heels for the characters." --TC Mckee, BookFish Books 

"Power-packed action, heart stopping mystery, unpredictable twists and turns..." --I Am a Reader Not a Writer

Buy MOONLESS HERE or add it on Goodreads.

TODAY

Kerri Cuevas risks her life by interviewing Bellezza.

What are the Soulless? Come find out with Beverly Fox.

Do you love cheese? Join us cheese lovers at Tammy Theriault's place for the CHEESIEST INTERVIEW EVER!!!

Be one of ten winners by playing the Mystery Sentence Game. Excerpt #1 is at Heather McCorkle's place. 

THE BLOG RING OF POWER with Vicki Lemp Wevil. Crystal, Crystal, known as the pistol, how does your writing grow? Learn the recipe here.

The awesomeness continues tomorrow! 

But seriously, what are your feelings on intentional typos/misspellings? 

Oh, and enter my giveaway, eh?

a Rafflecopter giveaway