BIG NEWS!

I'm giving everyone the chance to read my zombie book for FREE!

Yeah that's right, I said it, FREE! Now that the juggernaut that is Apple has finally released it (which only took forever and ever), The Day Zombies Ruined My Perfectly Boring Life is available to Amazon Prime members to loan from the lending library at no cost. And even better - you don't even have to own a kindle! You can download the kindle app for your Mac, PC, iPad, phone, or just about any other digital device here.

Finding an excuse to use my favorite comedian jumping for joy totally just made my day.

So pick up this amusing adventure here, and then review it here. I thank you, dear readers, for all your support and hope that you'll give this fun book a chance. Happy reading!

Writer Wednesday: London Cole

So this week I felt compelled to introduce all of you to one of my favorite Twitter friends. He's witty, charming and a big fan of rum. Plus he's really good at telling paranormal stories that involve ghosts, sexual tension and a dystopian world unlike any other. His book Whisper Walker just underwent a major redo, getting a new title (Splinter), cover (see below) and some scene rewrites.

In honor of London's new release, he's giving away one digital copy (ePub or Mobi) of Splinter! Enter on Rafflecopter giveaway below. Winner will be announced on January 30th.

Tell us about your new release, Splinter.

Ahh, straight to the point. I like that. Ok, that’s not entirely true, I don’t mind a little beating around the bush on occasion. Splinter is a New Adult Post-Apocalyptic novel with elements of romance and paranormal set around eighty years after WWIII. It's a story told from two points of view of two best friends, Kelsie and Drake, as they stumble onto a paranormal mystery and threat that will impact their entire existence.

What's your favorite scene in this book?

That’s a hard one. That’s like asking a Star Wars fanatic to pick their favorite Han Solo action figure. I’d have to say (even though it’s a few scenes) that the second chapter is my favorite. It’s the introduction to Kelsie and some of her dirty little secrets.

Were any aspects of the story brought on by either personal experience or inspiration?

Whoa. The answer to this question is quite extensive. I’ll try to keep it brief. I grew up on a large island in Washington State. Every inch of that island was fodder for how my imagination works. There are many haunted locations on the island, including two seriously creepy and awesome old concrete forts left over from the World Wars, as well as some heavy woods where some completely inexplicable things have happened to me over the years. The very first scene is quite similar to something that happened to me while I was playing night games with some friends in high school at one of the forts. I fell into a pit at the bottom of an ammunitions lift without a flashlight and scene one was more or less born. There are many more scenes inspired by actual locations on Whidbey Island, but I don’t want to spoil the book.

What are some of your personal favorite books?

The whole Harry Potter series. The Iron Druid Chronicles, The King Killer Chronicles, Poison Study, The Emperor’s Edge series, dude, I could keep going. I love reading.

What music do you listen to while writing?

I normally opt for silence or a really loud room full of people, such as a pub. But sometimes I listen to A Day to Remember or Four Year Strong when I’m writing action scenes. Yellowcard is a good all around one for me, too.

What's the most satisfying thing about writing?

Having a reader come up to you and shake your hand, saying how much they loved your book, how much they could relate to one of your characters. It’s surreal.

Hardest thing?

Editing and revisions. Revisions always make my head get turned inside out! If I could write the first two drafts and then let someone else do all the intensive revisions, I would totally do that.

What are you working on next?

I’m working feverishly hard on another NA book that’s paranormal. I also have the outline for the coolest Santa Claus book ever.

What’s your favorite scary movie?

Cabin in the Woods was pretty awesome. Other than that, I’m not really into scary movies. I have been to the house that’s in The Ring though, which was totally cool.

If you could shake the hand of anyone you wanted, who would that be?

That’s tough. Maybe J.K. Rowling. She has done so much to help bring the younger generations into reading and I have the utmost respect for her.

Ways to follow London: Twitter, Goodreads, Facebook, his website

Where to find his books: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

London Cole is the author of Paranormal Young-Adult novels and novellas. He resides in the large and highly over-heated state of Texas, though he's not originally from there. He was born in the Pacific Northwest, growing up on an Island very near Canada. That means that he slips up and occasionally uses words like “ehh” and pronounces “about” like “abooot”. He's also told that he unknowingly slips into a light accent on occasion and says “dude” in an odd fashion.

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Book Review: Dizzy

When I started a blog, it was never my intention to become an actual book reviewer. But I'm always reading something and I've been asked so many times by fellow authors to swap books in exchange for my honest opinion that I figure I may as well start! For the most part I'm interested in reading YA (young adult) or NA (new adult) paranormal and romance, but occasionally I meet someone who writes outside of my preferred genre, so you may see a mix of that as well.

A word of warning before I begin: I am not a philosophical kind of person. I prefer more of a straight up, no nonsense kind of approach. So my reviews will not be in depth, nor will they tear apart anything that didn't sit well with me. As a writer, I know how much a bad review can really tear you up inside. If either I wasn't able to finish a book or couldn't find anything nice to say about it, just as momma said, I won't say anything at all.

And with that caveat, I give you my first official review of Dizzy, a young adult romance by the talented Jolene Perry and Nyrae Dawn. 

Sometimes I get a little too heavy into the paranormal and just need an easy to read, lighthearted book. I discovered Jolene Perry a few months ago through Twitter. Not only is her kindness and enthusiasm contagious, but the girl knows how to write and it would seem she can pump out new books like a PEZ dispenser. Of the four books I've read that she had involvement with, all of them involved a smart girl with a strong spirit and a pretty good head on her shoulders. And all four are something I will let my 13-year-old daughter read.

This story starts out with an egotistical guy named Dylan who is throwing a party at his house. The story then flips over to a girl named Ziah who finds herself at the party, surrounded by the type of people she normally doesn't hang around with. They both make a big impression on each other, only to find out later that their siblings are marrying each other. Neither of them is overly excited about the wedding, and the playful banter that ensues is quiet entertaining. Without rehashing the entire story, which I hate to do anyway because I'm very cautious of spoilers, I can tell you that this is a fun story that you won't be able to put down. The story is well told, making the reader feel as if you're hanging out with these two characters. Overall, I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars, only because it was a fun read and I can't find anything bad to say about it. Pick up your copy on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

*I purchased this book and was not asked to review it by the authors.*

Amazon's Top 10 Children's eBooks for 2012

I wanted to share this list I came across today of the best selling ebooks in 2012. I didn't post the top ten adult as I write for young adults, plus I couldn't stomach seeing 50 Shades of Grey twice in one list. Of these ten I have only read Insurgent and The Fault in Our Stars (which was mind-blowingly amazing). Have you read any? What do you think will be on the best selling list of 2013?

Insurgent (Divergent) by Veronica Roth  (952) Kindle Price: $7.29 The Mark of Athena (The Heroes of Olympus, Book Three) by Rick Riordan  (1,418) Kindle Price: $8.00 The Serpent's Shadow (The Kane Chronicles, Book Three) by Rick Riordan  (343) Kindle Price: $9.99 The Fault in Our Stars by John Green  (1,552) Kindle Price: $10.99 While It Lasts by Abbi Glines  (369) City of Lost Souls (Mortal Instruments) by Cassandra Clare  (346) Kindle Price: $8.89 CRASH by Nicole Williams  (243) Because of Low (Sea Breeze) by Abbi Glines  (193)

Writer Wednesday: Danielle Sibarium

Welcome to the second installment of Writer Wednesday, where I introduce you to a new indie author and ask them 10 questions to get to know more about them.

Today we meet with Danielle Sibarium, who just released her second young adult romance book, Heart Waves. As with almost all of my writer friends, I first met Danielle on Twitter a couple of months ago. I really enjoyed her first book, For Always, and look forward to reading more from this talented YA author!

Tell us about your new release, Heart Waves.

Heart Waves is the first book in Heart Waves trilogy. It centers around Jenna Kingsley who picks up information from energy left on jewelry or objects. The night she meets Reece Walton she predicts like Romeo and Juliet, you’re going to break my heart. As much as she tries to fight her attraction to Reece, she falls helplessly in love with him. Heart Waves is about first love, and all the feelings and insecurities that go along with it.

What was your favorite scene to write?

I had a lot of fun with any scene Reece was in, but my favorite scenes are by the pool in Jenna’s backyard and one at night on the boardwalk. These were the scenes that made me laugh while writing them.

Were any aspects of the story brought on either by personal experience or a certain inspiration?

I actually got the inspiration for Heart Waves a long time ago when I started writing For Always. I thought it was really Heart Waves I wanted to write, but as it turns out they were two very different stories.

What are some of your favorite books and/or authors?

Of course the Harry Potter and Twilight series’ are among the favorites, as well as Bram Stoker’s Dracula. As a young adult sneaking her mother’s books, I fell in love with John Saul. That probably explains the dark edge in my writing.

When did you first realize you wanted to become an author?

I’ve always loved books and words! Always. Sixth grade is when I knew I had to make sure writing was a part of my future.

What music do you listen to while writing?

It depends on the book. For Heart Waves, I listened to a lot of upbeat, fun music. The first part of Breaking Waves (the sequel to Heart Waves) I listened to very solemn, depressing music. VERY depressing music. The second half of Breaking Waves I stopped listening to music altogether while writing.

What's the most satisfying thing about writing?

For me there are two incredibly satisfying aspects of writing, the first holding a completed novel in my hands. Seeing the whole work as an actual book gives me a sense of pride unlike anything else I’ve ever done. The second is hearing from readers that the enjoyed my books or connected with a character or characters.

Hardest thing?

The hardest thing is waking up the characters and getting them to talk to you when they decide to take a break or go on vacation. That and actually finding time to write.

What's your current work in progress about?

Breaking Waves, which will be available later this month, is the sequel to Heart Waves. From the moment they met, Jenna knew Reece would break her heart, but she never dreamed it would happen like this. Jenna is left shattered and broken. When life becomes too painful to deal with and she feels completely alone, there’s only one person to help her pick up the pieces and move on - the one person she doesn’t want to turn to. The one person she promised to stay away from - Tyler.

Can Jenna put aside everything she knows about him and let Tyler help heal her broken heart?

If you could shake the hand of any person in the world, who would that be?

Since I already got to meet some impressive people; a presidential candidate (Rudy Giuliani) and a sports hero (Derek Jeter) I’d want to shake hands with a true hero - Captain Sully who landed the Miracle on the Hudson. He showed bravery and true leadership with his calm, clear thinking under strenuous circumstances and in doing so saved many lives. He is a true hero!

Ways to follow Daneille: Twitter, Goodreads, Facebook, her website

Where to find her books: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Danielle Sibarium grew up as an only child of divorced parents in Brooklyn, New York. Books were the gateway between her play world and reality. On any given summer afternoon she became Snow White sweeping and cooking for the dwarves, or Cinderella waiting for the prince. Danielle graduated from Farleigh Dickinson University with honors, and currently lives in New Jersey with her husband and three children.