There is NO New Year Here (IWSG Edition)

Friends!!!!

I'm back. Did you miss me? I missed you. And I'm kind of in denial about this new year thing. So no, it is not 2017. And no, it's not time for making crazy, stupid resolutions that we'll all break in three weeks or less. And no, it's not time to get back into a productive schedule.

But if it was, I'd celebrate like this:

So maybe I'm not as much in denial as I'd like to be. In fact, I'm starting the year with this:

Goodreads Book Giveaway

     

Timeless

by Crystal Collier

Giveaway ends January 09, 2017.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

And I'm dropping back to a twice a month posting schedule, but I've got an amazing lineup of book giveaways headed your way.

It's going to be a beautiful new year, and I'm wishing you the best 2017!

And now...

The new year is about trying new things, right? Well, I finally took the plunge and signed up as a co-host for the IWSG bloghop. See what it's all about and join the ninja king, Alex J. Cavanaugh (who may or may not have stolen my cloning device), and his minions. Meet my fellow cohosts: Eva @ Lillicasplace, Sheena-kay Graham, Chemist Ken, LG Keltner, & Heather Gardner.

Oh, and heads up, they're announcing the winners of the second IWSG Anthology contest TODAY.

The big hop question is: What writing rule do you wish you’d never heard?

I can't answer that because there isn't a single writing rule I regret learning. *shrugs* Call me a conformist. Ignorance in the publishing industry is the same as hari kari, and maybe just as messy. Young writers, LEARN ALL YOU CAN. Readers have expectations. Those expectations have been set by centuries of patterning, and deviating too far will alienate those most loyal to the written word. There's still room for creativity--within a safe framework. Writing is ALL about your audience.

Last year (ha! I make it sound so long ago!), Kristin Smith shared CATALYST along with two truths and one lie. Anyone who guessed the lie correctly was entered to an eBook.

The game:

1. I'm the mother of five boys, and when I was pregnant with my oldest son, we were told by the ultrasound tech that she was 99.9% sure we were having a girl. Surprise! We ended up with a bouncing baby boy.
2. By the time I was 18, I'd traveled from the east coast to the west coast 3 times, but the first time I ever rode in an airplane was when I left home for college.
3. I once chatted for five minutes with Woody Harrelson outside of a bathroom in a casino in Las Vegas and didn't realize who he was until after he walked away.

The lie: #3.  

From Kristin: I did see Woody Harrelson outside of a bathroom in a casino in Las Vegas, but I DID NOT talk to him. And yes, I knew immediately who he was!

Way to guess everyone! And the winner is:

...DRUM ROLL...

Christine Rains!

Congrats, Christine!

And now, I have a special treat for you:

A mighty flame follows a tiny spark.

Cora Sandoval’s mother disappeared when she was five and they were living in Ireland. Since then, her dad has been more than overprotective and Cora is beginning to chafe under his confines. But even more troubling is the colorful light she suddenly sees around people. Everyone, that is, except herself—instead, she glows a brilliant, sparkling silver.

As she realizes the danger associated with these strange auras, Cora is inexplicably drawn to Finn, a gorgeous Irish exchange student who makes her feel safe. Their attraction is instant, magnetic, and primal—but her father disapproves, and Finn’s mother orders him home to Ireland upon hearing he’s fallen in love. After a fight with her father, Cora flees to Ireland, both to follow Finn and to look for her missing mother.

There she meets another silver-haloed person and discovers the meaning of her newfound powers and their role in a conspiracy spanning centuries—one that could change mankind forever…and end her life.

Get Your Copy HERE (for only 99 cents! You know you want to).

Ready to meet the author?

Tracy Clark is an award-winning author who grew up a “Valley Girl” in Southern California but now lives in her home state of Nevada. She has two teenagers who are a continuous source of great dialogue. Her published books include: a young-adult paranormal series, The Light Key Trilogy (SCINTILLATE, DEVIATE, ILLUMINATE,) and her latest novel, MIRAGE, an eerie YA thriller. Tracy’s a proud mom, a private pilot, a post-skydiving daredevil, a spicy-chocolate connoisseur, and an irredeemable dreamer. www.tracyclark.org

You might find Tracy munching Humbolt Fog goat cheese with amazing spicy jam (from Trader Joe's)...although she probably won't notice you while engaged in such deliciousness (about as close to food-heaven as she gets).

Tracy gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Those who figure out either lie will go into my magic hat for the chance to win an eBook (open internationally):

You have until Tuesday, January 24 at 2 p.m. EDT to guess. Be sure to come back for the answer (and FUN) on January 25, 8 a.m. EDT.

TRUTH OR LIE

1. I eat all sandwiches and burgers in a circle, around and around until I get to the middle.

2. I was once crowned Miss Burbank, CA. 

3. I was an extra in the condom commercial in Lethal Weapon 2.

So sleuths, which is the lie? Have you met Tracy? Love urban fantasy stories? What is your new years resolution? Are you in denial about the new year? Have you met the IWSG community?

The Shadow King's Pet

Hello! I'm briefly breaking my normal schedule for a good cause. 

Today I'm sharing a story that will be part of a charitable anthology to benefit an animal shelter. (Permission granted.) This wonderful compilation is brought to you by Kyra Lennon, and several other wonderful authors will be contributing. Check out Kyra's place to learn more. Happy reading!

The Shadow King's Pet

Source

“The Shadow King is always looking for a new heir,” Grandfather said, his white hairs twitching in a breeze from the air conditioning. “One filled with light to replace the child who fled from him ages ago.”

“The rebellious prince,” Katia finished for him, grinning. She’d heard this story a dozen times while camped around the family living room, but it never lost its appeal. The rebellious prince was cursed for his betrayal, banished solely to the light where he had eventually married a mortal. He was protected by his truest friend, a terrible beast. Katia loved the story unconditionally—until she learned it was grandfather’s delusional invention to help them both cope with Grandma’s death. A fiction to distract them both. Mom and Dad couldn’t get him to stop telling the story like it had happened to him, and with Katia’s 16^th birthday only hours away, she’d grown to see through his coping mechanism.  

She picked a crumb off her plate on the coffee table, what was left from her slice of early celebration birthday cake. Grandfather would be in dialysis tomorrow and unable to visit, although she wondered why he’d scheduled the procedure for tomorrow. “Grandfather, it’s just a story.”

His dark eyes turned on hers, the wrinkles around his eyes falling smooth as his smile faded to nothing. “No, Katia, it is not a story. Your father didn’t inherit the light, but you are special and you had best stay away from the King of Shadows.” His fists were clenched white. “He would like nothing more than my granddaughter.”

Katia shivered at the sobriety behind grandfather’s words. She had always assumed the fairytale was one to keep her from sneaking out of bed when she was younger, but the pain glistening in Grandfather’s eyes was more than just a bedtime story. Darn him, she was too old to fear the dark!

Weight landed in her lap. Katia jumped. Pepkin, her butterscotch tabby, curled up and rubbed his furry cheek against the back of her hand. She ran her fingers through his mane, giving him a grateful rub for the distraction. His purr soothed her, as did his presence.

“I have nothing to fear so long as Pepkin is around.” She lifted the cat’s face and rubbed her nose against his pink one. “You’ll keep me safe, won’t you Pepkin?”

His purring increased. Grandfather snatched his cane and lifted one leg over the side of the flowered couch, his brows furrowed low. He steadied on his feet and tapped his cane twice. “You will be sixteen soon, and he will come for you. Stay out of the shadows.” He aimed for the door. “Remember the light within.”

“Yes, Grandfather,” she whispered.

***

Katia slipped down the stairs, aimed for the fridge. At midnight it would be her birthday, and she wanted a slice of cake to enjoy when the clock changed. Was it pitiful that she was celebrating only with family—that her friends were all away on summer vacation, leaving her to suss out this life-altering transition alone?

Fur brushed her bare leg. She reached down and caught the offender’s tail, giving it a playful tug. “You’re not trying to trip me down the stairs, are you Pepkin?”

The cat didn’t reply.

Source

She flipped on the kitchen light with five minutes to spare and quickly dished herself up some raspberry-lemon cake. She sat on the counter. Pepkin jumped up next to her, his tail batting comfortingly across her arm.

11:59…

Midnight.

“Yay! Happy sweet-sixteen to me!” She pumped a fist and glanced around the kitchen.

The bay window around the breakfast nook sucked her in. It was too dark—like a black hole, like all the light had been drained out of that corner, and what remained was tangible blackness. A shiver rattled through her.

Katia couldn’t pull her eyes from the pitch. It had swallowed the light, and now it wanted to swallow her. There was something on the other side of that darkness. She wanted to open the doorway and see what waited beyond.

“Crazy,” she muttered, but she didn’t sound convinced. Stay away from the shadows. She’d seen Grandfather serious many times, but never quite so sober as he’d been tonight—not a single lame pun in their entire conversation.

Source

Pepkin growled.

She twisted toward the cat, startled she stood in the middle of the kitchen, half way to the summoning corner. How had that happened?

The cat leapt down from the counter and circled around her feet, cutting her off from her intended trajectory. His hackles rose, back arching.

A low chuckle bounced off the tile. Katia whirled to the darkness. Her heart thundered through her ears, breath coming in short gasps. She could just make out the outline of a man swathed in the shadows of the alcove.

Get your copy of the anthology today to learn what happens to Katia and read other sweet cat adventures:

Buy on Amazon