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Book Feature: IXEOS: Rebellion by Jennings Wright

YAPC would like to welcome Jennings Wright to the blog! She will be sharing with us an excerpt and some info about the second book of the IXEOS Trilogy IXEOS: Rebellion. If you would like to pick up the second book use the links!

Synopsis

Ixeos Rebellion With rebel leader Darian free at last, the humans and outsiders on Ixeos must find a way to join forces and defeat the Firsts. The problem? All slaves are tracked with GPS, the Firsts are the only ones with power, and roving gangs hate the rebels just as much as they hate the aliens. As Darian and the outsiders from Earth travel the globe through the mysterious tunnels in Paris, they learn that the Firsts are preparing to launch another wave of biological warfare. With a transporter that will allow the aliens to target any city, anywhere on the planet, the rebels know they must stop them at all costs.

As things get more dangerous on Ixeos, the outsiders find that they’re pushed to their limit. Will they fight for freedom, no matter the price?

Excerpt

Hannah leaned forward, squinting at a screen. “Is this a foreign language?” Neahle stepped behind her and saw lines of tiny numbers and letters scrolling down the monitor.

“Code,” she said.

“I didn’t take any computer classes in school,” Hannah said, leaning back. “I just wanted to be able to use word processing to write my papers and send emails to my friends.”

“We can do a lot more than that,” Marty said, coming into the room. His hair, way overdue for a cut, was sticking up in the back. Neahle smiled and hugged him, surreptitiously smoothing down the errant hairs.

“Apparently we can take down a satellite,” she teased.

Marty scrubbed his face, trying to wake up. “I don’t know, maybe. If they can get us some books, we might be able to figure it out. I do have one thing to show you though.” He sat down at his station and started typing on the keyboard. “Simon Lockwell has started using email.”

“Not through that scientist he was using before?” Hannah said. “What was her name?”

“Verestyuk. Alex.”

“Right. So now he’s suddenly sending out his own stuff? Doesn’t that seem weird?”

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out. I don’t think they know that anyone else has power, or that we have the computer capabilities that we have, although they did beef up their firewalls…” He shook his head to clear the cobwebs in his brain. “It took years of laying cables in the dead of night. It’s possible it’s a trap. One thing makes me wonder, though…” Marty pointed to his screen. Everyone leaned in.

“It’s gibberish,” Neahle said.

“It’s encrypted. I was able to find the encryption program.” He typed some more, and the letters changed to form words. “Look.”

The subject line of the email was “Transportation of first crop – opinions?”

Scanning the email quickly, Neahle gasped and pointed. “The first crop. It’s children!”

*********

Buy the Book

Kindle * Paperback

About the Author: Born and raised in Florida, Jennings spent her early Jennings Wright years reading anything she could get her hands on, when she wasn’t spending time in and on the water. She won a prize in the 6th grade for her science fiction stories.

Jennings attended the University of Tampa, graduating with a B.A. in Political Science, and almost enough credits for B.A.s in both English and History. She attended graduate school at the University of West Florida, studying Psychology. She spent time over the years doing various kinds of business writing, editing, and teaching writing, but mostly having and raising her family, homeschooling her children, owning and running a business with her husband, and starting a non-profit.

Thanks to a crazy idea called NaNoWriMo, Jennings got back into creative writing in 2011 and hasn’t stopped since. She currently lives in North Carolina with her husband, also a writer and two children, and travels extensively with her family, and her non-profit in Uganda and Andros.

Find Jennings:

Facebook * Twitter * Website * Blog

Posted in YA Scifi | 4 Comments

Book Feature: IXEOS by Jennings Wright

YAPC would like to welcome Jennings Wright to the blog! She will be sharing some info and an excerpt of her new book IXEOS. She will be returning on June 8 to share an excerpt for the sequel IXEOS: Rebellion so stay tuned! If you think this is a book you would enjoy, please use the links to grab a copy!

Synopsis

Ixeos The McClellands are enjoying a lazy summer vacation at the beach when they are lured from our world into Ixeos, an alternate Earth. Finding themselves lost in a maze of tunnels under Paris and surrounded by strangers, they discover that they have been brought to Ixeos for one purpose: to take the planet back from humanoid aliens who have claimed it. With the aid of the tunnels and a mysterious man named Landon, the teens travel the world seeking the key that will allow them to free Darian, the long-imprisoned rebel leader. The aliens aren’t the only problem on Ixeos — the McClellands have to deal with brutal gangs, desperate junkies, and a world without power, where all the technology is owned by the aliens, and where most of the population has been killed or enslaved.

The worst part? There’s no way home.

Excerpt

Marty chewed his crusty bread thoughtfully. “They’ve got a pretty amazing set up down here,” he observed. “Fresh food, the air is okay, there’s apparently water for drinking and washing and bathing. Dorms, a library… It’s pretty sweet!”

“Sweet?” Clay asked in amazement. “We’re two hundred feet underground, apparently recruited to fight some kind of alien serial killers, and we can’t get home! How is that sweet?”

Neahle laid a hand on his wrist just above his tattoo. Her thumb rubbed the spot. “We’ll be okay, Clay,” she said quietly. “We just need to get our bearings. You know. Figure out what we’re supposed to do.”

Clay put his hand over hers for a minute, then pulled his arm away. “How do we know that what these people are saying is true? It’s nuts! And this Landon — who’s he supposed to be? How come he can leave here, and we can’t?”

“We’ll find more out tomorrow,” Marty said. “But we were chosen, dude. There’s something we can do here to make a difference in this rebellion thing, and that makes us special. I mean, Landon chose us for a reason, right?”

“Because we were the only ones stupid enough to follow the ducks…” Clay muttered, taking a large swallow of water from his mug.

*******

Buy the Book

Kindle * Paperback

About the Author: Born and raised in Florida, Jennings spent her early Jennings Wright years reading anything she could get her hands on, when she wasn’t spending time in and on the water. She won a prize in the 6th grade for her science fiction stories.

Jennings attended the University of Tampa, graduating with a B.A. in Political Science, and almost enough credits for B.A.s in both English and History. She attended graduate school at the University of West Florida, studying Psychology. She spent time over the years doing various kinds of business writing, editing, and teaching writing, but mostly having and raising her family, homeschooling her children, owning and running a business with her husband, and starting a non-profit.

Thanks to a crazy idea called NaNoWriMo, Jennings got back into creative writing in 2011 and hasn’t stopped since. She currently lives in North Carolina with her husband, also a writer and two children, and travels extensively with her family, and her non-profit in Uganda and Andros.

Find Jennings:

Facebook * Twitter * Website * Blog

Posted in book promotion, Uncategorized, YA Scifi | 6 Comments

Book Blogger Friday with Goldie from My Book Musings

YA Promo Central is happy to welcome Goldie from My Book Musings to the blog today! As you know, every Friday is what we call Book Blogger Friday. This is the day when we post an introduction to a book blogger. We hope that you learn some information about a book blogger who might help you promote your book. This isn’t, however, an invitation to swamp Goldie with review requests. Drop by Goldie’s blog, say hi and make a new bloggy friend!

YAPC – Introduce yourself and your blog /em>

Goldie – My name is Goldie and I’m the blogger behind My Book Musings. I’m a 20-something Filipina, and I’m a copy editor. My Book Musings is where I post my thoughts about the books I’ve read, or share exciting news about upcoming books that I’m excited about. My aim is to read more books from my country and to spread the word about them. I’ve read great Filipino books, written in English, and I want to share that with the international community.

At My Book Musings, I have some feature posts like if I read a book that’s 200 words or less, I will post them on a Tuesday for Quickstop Tuesdays. I also have my 8 Qs, my interview feature, for authors who want to be interviewed. I also have my own meme, That One Line, where I post a quote that I read before and which I liked so much I just had to share it!

YAPC – Do you see yourself as a voracious reader?

Goldie – Yes, I do! I love to read almost everyday. I spend thousands on books, and when there are special occasions, my boyfriend would give me a box or bag full of books. They thrill me!

YAPC – How long have you been blogging?

Goldie – I started My Book Musings in December 2010, but I only started blogging more seriously in 2012. So that means I’ve been blogging for almost three years now, but I only started interacting with the community late last year. It’s actually been pretty interesting and fun

YAPC – What made you decide to start book blogging?

Goldie – I used to have an online bookstore, Mad About Books, and I wanted to market the books by talking about them, so I decided to write reviews. But even when I closed shop, I continued blogging because I realized I enjoyed it and I enjoyed having a community who is as enthusiastic about books as I am.

YAPC – What genre(s) does your blog focus on?

Goldie – I don’t focus on one particular genre. The books I review, however, depend on what genre I’m hooked on at the moment. For the past year, I’ve talked about a lot of historical romance books because I’m addicted to them right now, but I have also talked about chick lit, mystery/thriller books, young adult books, and books/graphic novels written by Filipino authors.

YAPC – Has your reading tastes changed since you started your blog?

Goldie – Not so much, I think. I’ve always been a wide reader. I read historical romance, romance, chick lit, young adult, mysteries, thrillers, suspense, contemporary fiction, classics, humor, etc. However, I think what did change was my openness to read books by authors I have not heard about before.

YAPC – Do you post reviews on your blog?

Goldie – Yes, my posts are primarily book reviews, mixed with one or two meme posts every week. I rate books with 1, 2, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, or 5 stars.

YAPC – How many review requests do you get each month on average?

Goldie – I only started getting review requests this year, and so far I get two to three requests a month. I don’t accept every request, though, to be fair to myself, the writer, and the readers of my blog.

YAPC – Do you have a Review Policy or something similar?

Goldie – Yes, I have a Review Policy! It’s at http://mybookmusings.blogspot.com/p/reviewrating-policy.html. Outlined there are my rules for authors or publishers, for author interviews, and the listing of the genres I accept and do not accept for review. I also posted a disclaimer, and the explanation of what the stars mean.

YAPC – Do you review Indie or Small Pub books?

Goldie – Yes, I do! I’ve met incredibly nice authors like Jen Minkman (of Shadow of Time). I have also met authors from other countries who just had their books translated to English like Inger Wolf (Evil Water).

YAPC – Do you host guest posts or interviews?

Goldie – So far I have had one interview with Persistence of Vision writer, Liesel K. Hill. But I am welcome to more interviews (as outlined in my Policies), and to hosting guest posts, and guest reviews by other bloggers, as long as your book is under the genres I accept for reviews and your post is originally written for my blog.

YAPC – What information do you require when an author approaches you?

Goldie – I would like to actually be mentioned in the email, a Hi Goldie would be a nice start And then to state what you would like (a review, an interview, etc), if you have a specific date you would like your post published, the synopsis of your book, the genre, and a brief intro about you. Also, the first chapter of your book would be nice. I usually ask for the first chapter to be sure I would actually want to read the book. I think it’s also fair to the writer so I won’t raise false hopes or make them wait if I end up not finishing the book.

It would also be nice if you could actually go through my blog first and read up on my policies. I have had people email me review requests for books that I do not review. I get a little turned off if the author/publisher looks like s/he hasn’t read my blog in the first place!

YAPC – How can we stalk you?

Goldie – Oh! You can “stalk” me through various ways. I’m on:

twitter (@mybookmusings),

Pinterest (pinterest.com/mybookmusings),

RSS (http://feeds.feedburner.com/mybookmusings),

G+ (https://plus.google.com/u/0/113846938128334628209),

Bloglovin’ (http://www.bloglovin.com/el/blog/2190592/books-and-musings), and

Goodreads (http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/10257054-goldie).

Posted in Book Blogger, interview | 3 Comments

Selling Yourself Short by Toni Rakestraw of Rakestraw Book Design

YA Promo Central is happy to welcome Toni Rakestraw to the blog! She is here to talk about Editing! I hope that you enjoy the information that has to share. Drop by Toni’s site, follow her on Twitter or Facebook and say hi!

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Selling Yourself Short by Toni Rakestraw

The other day, I got into a discussion with someone about why authors might skip the editing process before publishing. Now, I didn’t know this guy, and I’m sure he’s a perfectly great guy. I don’t hold anything against him. We had a lively debate on the topic.

In my own experience, I’ve picked up a few ebooks on free days that I’ve put down just as quickly when I discovered that they were filled with basic errors. I’ll be honest… I edit for a living. That means I spend my life reading unedited writing, so I’m extremely choosy about what I read during my limited time for leisure reading. The occasional editorial flub is no big deal, it happens in every book, even those put out by the Big Six publishers. But I can tell the difference between the occasional editorial flub and an unedited manuscript. Remember Elaine from Seinfeld testing her dates to see if they were sponge-worthy? Well, unedited books are not time-worthy.

Anyway, back to my discussion. My worthy opponent brought up cost. He said editing costs a minimum of $1500. I know writers are notoriously poor. I’m an editor and I’m notoriously poor. I get it. Money can be hard to come by. There’s a reason they say it doesn’t grow on trees, because if it did, we’d all be horticulturalists. As I told him, not all of us editors charge an arm and a leg. Some of us softies even offer payment plans and bend over backwards to work within budgets. Why? Because we all have families to support. You gotta feed your kids, I gotta feed mine (and boy, it seems they eat more every year, doesn’t it?). I can’t speak for every editor out there, but this is why I work with several clients at one time… to keep my prices as low as I can. My rent won’t get any lower, but hey, I can spread my costs out to make it easier on my clients, right? So, authors… you may think we charge a lot at first glance, but we’re also having to use our fees to not only run our business, but to pay all those pesky bills that you have to pay at your house. It seems as soon as one month starts, it’s over and the cycle begins all over again. I’m sure you feel the same way. So, I do what I can to keep it reasonable, including a big discount for payment in full upfront. If you can afford it, you don’t have to worry about making payments, I don’t have to worry about sending reminders, you save money, it’s all good.

He suggested that most people don’t press the quality issue when I suggested that you can’t redo a first impression, and maybe that’s true. But they won’t buy book two, either. Putting out a second poorly done book won’t help you sell more books. While some may ask the seller for a refund, others won’t. When authors are signing petitions to convince Amazon not to refund ebooks after seven days (and part of me doesn’t blame them… you can read any ebook in seven days and return it, quality or not) the issue over quality becomes clouded. Was the book returned because the final quality was not up to par or because the reader knew they could get their money back, no questions asked?

Now, Amazon does have certain standards in place, but many of them don’t kick in unless complaints are made by readers. How many readers know how to make these complaints? How many readers actually write reviews? There’s the rub. Without the extra layer of an editor, how do these errors get expunged from the book?

To take it a step further, how do you know you have a competent editor? If you don’t know other authors who can recommend one for you, how do you know you don’t have one who isn’t an author just like yourself who decided they’d hang out an editorial shingle to earn a few bucks?

These are good questions. First, ask your author friends. They may have worked with an editor they liked. Second, (blatant self-promotion) you could hire me. Third, you can go to an editorial association like the Editorial Freelancers Association and peruse their members. If you go that route, make sure and look for editors who work on fiction. Fiction and non-fiction are two different animals, and not every editor is familiar with both. Not every good editor is a member of associations like this (not all of us can afford it yet), but you can bet that you can avoid the bad ones by going there.

If you’re not sure about an editor, look at their client testimonials. Ask them if they’re willing to edit a few pages for free as a sample of their work. When you send a sample, pick a few of your worst pages so you can make a fair assessment. If you’re testing more than one editor, send them the same pages so you can compare. Cheaper isn’t always the best choice, just like the most expensive isn’t always the best choice.

So, don’t sell yourself short. Put out the best book you can. Don’t skimp on the editing. You want a book as close to error-free as you can make it. You want your story as tight as it can be. You want it to be a pleasure to read, not something someone puts down after a few paragraphs.

Bio:

Toni Rakestraw is a freelance fiction editor. You can find her at http://rakestrawbookdesign.com. She co-wrote Titanic Deception with her husband, John, and is the author of several short stories.

Toni can be found:

Twitter * Facebook * Facebook * Google+

Titanic Deception is available at Amazon

Posted in Editing, Guest post | 5 Comments

Book Feature – The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard

YA Promo Central is happy to welcome Laura Howard to the blog!! She’s the author of The Forgotten One and is here to share some information about her book. If this sounds like the type of book that you would enjoy reading please find some buy links at the bottom of the post and pick up a copy!

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About The Forgotten Ones

Allison O’Malley’s plan is to go to grad school so she can get a good job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She has carefully closed herself off from everything else, including a relationship with Ethan, who she’s been in love with for as long as she can remember.

What is definitely not part of the plan is the return of her long-lost father, who claims he can bring Allison’s mother back from the dark place her mind has gone. Allison doesn’t trust her father, so why would she believe his stories about a long forgotten Irish people, the Tuatha de Danaan? But truths have a way of revealing themselves. Secrets will eventually surface. And Allison must learn to set aside her plan and work with her father if there is even a small chance it could restore her mother’s sanity.

* * *

“What time do you get off work?” he asked.

I turned and narrowed my eyes at him. “I close at six. Then I have to balance the register, so around six thirty.”

Ethan looked down at his hands for a second, then glanced up at me through his thick lashes. “You want to get something to eat when you’re done?”

I licked my lips, his dark brown eyes pulling me in. I tore my gaze away and tried to focus on the computer screen. He didn’t say anything for a few moments, and I fidgeted, knowing he was watching me. When I turned toward him, his expression was so intense that my stomach somersaulted.

“Just one time,” he said quietly.

“What?”

“Say yes, just one time.” Ethan slowly moved behind the counter, his eyes never leaving mine.

“If you don’t have a good time, fine. But, I’ve been trying to get you to give me a chance for years. Don’t act like you didn’t know.”

I shook my head slightly as he approached, wanting him closer but afraid of what it would mean.

He stopped, his brow creasing. “I won’t hurt you,” he whispered.

His expression was so earnest my mind went blank for a moment.

“Ethan,” I began, my thoughts scrambled. “You know I’d like to—”

“So say yes.”

I looked up at the ceiling. I was tired of always pushing him away. If I went out with him once, maybe then I could convince him too that this was a bad idea. I covered my face with my hands. “All right,” I mumbled through my fingers.

“What was that?” I felt the warmth of Ethan’s hands as he pulled my own away from my face.

“I said all right,” I repeated, my insides fluttering.

He gathered my hands and pulled them close to his chest. His scent, clean and fresh like sun-warmed denim, made my knees go weak.

With his head tilted back, he exclaimed in a mock reverent tone, “Yes! Thank you! Six-thirty on the dot. Be ready. I’m picking you up!”

About the author

Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known. The Forgotten Ones is her first published novel.

Connect with Laura:

Blog | Twitter | Facebook |

The Forgotten One is available from:

Amazon

Posted in book promotion, YA Fantasy | 5 Comments

Interview with Maureen Miller Author of Beyond

YAPC would like to welcome Maureen A. Miller to the blog! She will be interviewing with us and sharing some info about her book Beyond. Go get some copies if this looks like something you would enjoy!

Beyond is on sale for 99 cents in celebration of the release for Book #2 Beyond: Two Suns!

YAPC: Try to describe your book in one sentence.

Maureen: Aimee Patterson walked into the woods on the other side of the pond and returned five years later with a tale she could never share.

YAPC: How would my friends describe me in 20 words or less?

Maureen: A lunatic. A bit eccentric. A terrible singer, but that doesn’t stop her from singing. Loyal.

YAPC: Where would you live if you could live anywhere in the world?

Maureen: At least you clarified the world. That narrows it down some. Considering that the BEYOND Series is set mostly in space, there’s thousands of worlds to choose from. But, if I was to be more practical, I would love to live somewhere where I had to take a horse to get down the driveway to my mailbox.

YAPC: If you wouldn’t be a writer, what you would be?

Maureen: Sad.

And considering that I can’t sing…I guess that career is out. Alas, I’d be an IT geek.

YAPC: How long have you been writing?

Maureen: I started out in the sixth grade with my mega blockbuster, SUPER WATERMELON MAN. It took many years until my first Romantic Suspense, WIDOW’S TALE was nominated for a Golden Heart award with the Romance Writers of America. After that, I never looked back.

YAPC: Who is your favorite character in your new release?

Maureen: It is a computer named JOH. He’s extremely literal, and pleasantly naïve. He can’t sing either.

YAPC: Which character do you most relate to – or like the most?

Maureen: Aimee Patterson is the lead character. When she starts out in BEYOND, she is just graduating high school and about to embark on an engineering degree in college. She played clarinet in the marching band, and though she is shy at school, she has a very inquisitive nature. There is one scene in BEYOND that is a true story grabbed from my past. Of course, please don’t tell my parents!

YAPC: What inspired you to write, you took any ideas from other books, movies etc?

Maureen: When I was a little girl, I used to watch the original BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, and I had such a crush on Starbuck. (He was a guy back then). I used to dream that he would come in his spaceship and take me from my backyard on a romantic adventure in the stars. The dream stuck with me…so why couldn’t I make it real? Thus BEYOND was born.

YAPC: Which genres do you prefer to read?

Maureen: With the BEYOND Series being primarily YA/New Adult Science Fiction, you’d find it surprising to hear that my favorite genre is Romantic Suspense. Although, Romantic Suspense can take place anywhere…including outer space.

YAPC: Where can your fans find you?

Maureen: www.Beyond-Book.com for the BEYOND Series, or www.MaureenAMiller.com for anything else!

YAPC: Morning person or night owl?

Maureen: Most definitely a morning person. I could solve world peace between 6-8am!

YAPC: How many more books can we expect in this series?

Maureen: I will probably leave that up to the readers. There isn’t a cliffhanger at the end of BEYOND: TWO SUNS, but if people want to learn more the outline is complete for Book Three.

Thank you all for stopping by today and taking the time to learn a little about me. You were fortunate I didn’t sing for you!

Beyond Synopsis

Beyond by Maureen A Miller

It is the day after Aimee Patterson’s high school graduation. College beckons, as does her dream of becoming an engineer. On an early evening walk, her cocker spaniel charges into the woods on the other side of the pond. Aimee trails after him, and in the stillness of that forest the unthinkable happens. She becomes paralyzed and watches in horror as her hands vanish before her eyes.

Waking to the sound of voices, Aimee realizes that she has been kidnapped. Little does she know how far away from home she is, though. In an attempt to flee her captors, she launches from their confines only to freeze at the view outside the window. The sky is black and filled with stars, and in the distance is a familiar blue globe. The planet Earth.

A group of humans forced to flee their planet after an epidemic destroyed their civilization now travel the galaxies in search of an antidote. Retrieving samples of plant life from every solar system, on this occasion Aimee was accidentally seized instead.

Aimee must learn to avoid the advances of an awkward young scientist who seems intent on dissecting her, as her own fascination turns to the exotic young warrior, Zak. Having fallen in love with Zak, she is now torn with the decision to return to Earth or live beyond the stars.

“Brilliantly done. A lovely debut to the young adult genre.” – Romancing The Book Reviews

Buy The Book

Beyond Website * Amazon * B&N

About The Author: In a job that required extensive travel, Maureen spent Maureen A Miller her airport layovers doodling up plots as an escape from the chaos around her. Somehow it was easier to accept being stuck in a snowstorm in Detroit while writing a suspense scene on the shores of Oahu.

When she is not writing, Maureen is a lifelong fan of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Sometimes she questions which is more difficult, writing or being patient with the Bucs.

Maureen is grateful for all the friends she has made along the way–all the readers and writers filled with such gracious support.

Find Maureen

Website * Beyond Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

Posted in interview, Uncategorized, YA Romance, YA Scifi | 8 Comments

Book Feature: The Salt Krasnals by Richard Monte

YAPC would like to welcome Richard Monte to the blog! He will be sharing some information about his children’s/MG book (ages 8-12) The Salt Krasnals. If you know a child that would enjoy this story please use the links to get a copy!

From the author of the Dragon of Krakow and the Mermaid of Warsaw, comes an exciting new story inspired by the myths and legends of central Europe and set in the forests and mines of southern Poland:

When three plucky krasnals discover their sister has been captured by an evil witch, they set out on a hazardous journey to the White Forest to rescue her. But if their mission is to succeed they must take a strange salt globe to the queen in Krakow, for without it their quest will fail and the malignant crone will capture them all…

Excerpt

“It is a realm of silence and darkness where the evil witch Baba Jaga lives and rules in her gingerbread cottage deep in the larch trees.
The whole place has been suffocated by the icy breath of winter. They say icicles hang like long bony fingers from the branches of the topmost boughs, poisoning all who dare to walk beneath them.”

The Salt Krasnals

*~*~ Buy the Book: *~*~

Amazon

Praise for Richard Monte’s collections of Polish folk tales:

The Mermaid of Warsaw
“Full of wonder, this is a stunning collection of enchanting folk stories with a timeless and universal appeal. Richard Monte captures the optimistic spirit of Poland in stories which delight on account of their magic and surprise.” ~Lovereading

The Dragon of Krakow
“Interesting, well-written, imaginatively illustrated and designed book… there are rich rewards for those who enter the fascinating stories inside.” ~Ibby Link

About the Author: Richard Monte’s latest book is The Salt Krasnals (Kindle Edition, 2013),the story of three dwarves who set out on a perilous journey to rescue their sister from the White Forest. He is also the author of two collections of Polish folk tales, The Mermaid of Warsaw (Frances Lincoln, 2011) and The Dragon of Krakow (Frances Lincoln, 2008). His first children’s book was The Flood Tales, an environmental fable based on the Noah’s Ark Story. Richard is a regular reviewer for Carousel Magazine and has also contributed articles on Poland to the BBC History Magazine and History Today. He has travelled all over Poland, to the three major cities, Warsaw, Krakow and Gdansk, and stayed on the Baltic Coast and in the Tatra Mountains.

Find Richard:

Website * Goodreads

Posted in Children's, MG, Uncategorized, YA Fantasy | 6 Comments

Book Blogger Friday with Kriss Morton from Cabin Goddess

YA Promo Central is happy to welcome Kriss Morton from Cabin Goddess to the Book Blogger Friday! Fridays are the day when we take the opportunity to introduce a book blogger to you and encourage you to drop by and make a bloggy friend! I hope you enjoy learning about Kriss and drop by her blog and say hi.

YAPC – Introduce yourself and your blog

Kriss – Hello! My name is Kriss Morton and I am the owner, operator, prolific writer, insane rambling blogging crazy reviewer over at Cabin Goddess! I review, write recipes, host authors, tours, have special author spotlights on Fridays and short story spotlights on Sunday’s and all manner of festivities whenever it strikes me! If it is Alaskan I write about it, if I feel like posting images, I post them, if my cat insists on a hostile takeover, she does! Oh and occasionally my partner posts his opinions too. I have been predominately reviewed indie books but I read and review any that strike my fancy. I also am a publicist and host numerous radio shows so you can find those links on the blog too!

YAPC – Do you see yourself as a voracious reader?

Kriss – Oh gosh YES! I review at least twice a week and because I host Bewitching Tours radio show at least three times a month I also read those books for show prep so I read at least three a week if not more! I am reading at least six at a time. I read 10% and move to the next one. When I get to the sixth one, I start back on the first till I am done!

YAPC – How long have you been blogging?

Kriss – Since Before Livejournal went public. I was working with AOL and a children’s chat room monitor for a now defunct site in Seattle called Freerange media and I maintained a Blog during 1997. I have blogged since then and had various blogs since then. My current blog started off on TwistedSistah.com when I was pregnant with my fifth child in 1999 and I have continued strong since! Cabin Goddess used to be Cabin Bitch and I posted my first book review Fall of 2011 on a Werewolf called DOGWORLD and the next week my first recipe to go along with a book featuring bacon and my bacon persona of THE BACAON WALKER was born. It has never been the same sense.

YAPC – What made you decide to start book blogging?

Kriss – I did not decide, it was decided for me! I was taking a break from school and academia because of some health problems. I had just finished reading my 206th book for fun (not any of my school books) and my friend said, “Are you reviewing them at all?” I said I was rating them on Goodreads and doing the challenge but I had no clue how to review. I was scared to death. I was getting my degree in English Literature and felt I was to analytical and many of my first reviews shows this. Even today they are prolific. Some authors appreciate it but readers want to laugh or read a review telling them why they should pay four bucks or even ten to buy a book and read it and they want to understand why they should fork the money over. I tend to talk over folks heads. Now days I let the wild woman out of the bag and have a blast! But no, I did not decide. Coral Russell of The Indie Exchange dragged me kicking and screaming down the rabbit whole and I have not been the same sense, and I could not be happier most days!

YAPC – What genre(s) does your blog focus on?

Kriss – Literary fiction, horror, zombie, post apocalypse, psychological horror and this year mystery and crime fiction. I love urban fantasy and paranormal fantasy too. I do not focus on any genre except what I fancy at the time. What I DON’T focus on is straight romance. Though I am reading a bit more of it because of my marketing clients now, I still do not fancy it much. I love horror and love a good dark humor read. OH and if you write snark well throw your book my way!

YAPC – Has your reading tastes changed since you started your blog?

Kriss – I think I let things through I never would have read in the first place. I am not as picky as I used to be. I think it is not a good thing honestly. Indie is great but unfortunately it has tended to water down things and so many fabulous authors get lost in the fray. I read till I find the great ones! It is an adventure!

YAPC – Do you post reviews on your blog?

Kriss – I post them on my blog FIRST, and then if I want, I post them on Goodreads and Amazon. But I do not post all of them on Amazon.

YAPC – How many review requests do you get each month on average?

Kriss – Since closing reviews they have trickled down to 30.

YAPC – Do you have a Review Policy or something similar?

Kriss – Yes I do, and it is a mess and I left it like that to deter requests, it has not. I thought about making it easier. I did clean it up and my requests doubled and I decided to go back to the old one and it went down a bit. So I left it that. I hate saying now to people. My crack are tours. I cannot say no to tours.

YAPC – Do you review Indie or Small Pub books?

Kriss – Both. But I also get a lot of review requests from three of the six Trade houses too thanks to one of the places I tour from. I am really honored because of it. I am one of the the reviewers to four mid-level presses too.

YAPC – Do you host guest posts or interviews?

Kriss – I do special Interviews (http://cabingoddess.com/2013/03/southern-witchcraft-beer-butt-chicken-interview-review-recipes-with-jenharlowbooks/) and a Recipe, it is really cool, and they create recipes that are themed to their books. Both drinks and food! I don’t like Guest posts, but my Fourth-Wall Friday (http://cabingoddess.com/category/guest-posts/fourth-wall-friday/) posts are the closest thing to guest posts which would be considered a guest post and it is more like a author spotlight post.

YAPC – What information do you require when an author approaches you?

Kriss – Link to their book, genre, personally addressing me in an email. Honestly they need to go through my review policy page! Even if it is a nightmare! *evil smile* All the info is there!

YAPC – How can we stalk you?

Kriss – TWITTER
FACEBOOK PROFILE (I love friends)
FACEBOOK PAGE
FACEBOOK PUBLICIST PAGE
G+ PAGE
CABIN GODDESS FEED
PINTEREST
GOODREADS

Posted in Book Blogger, interview | 5 Comments

Selling Yourself Short by Toni Rakestraw

YA Promo Central is happy to welcome Toni Rakestraw to the blog! She’s a writer and an editor and she’s here to share some thoughts on editing.