Cover Reveal for BLUEWING!

Today I am thrilled to be able to reveal the cover for the newest book in The Frost Chronicles, BLUEWING! Scroll down to see the cover...

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Keep scrolling!!

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Annnnnnnnnnnnd here it is!

Here's the summary again:

Lia Weaver is a fugitive. Her family's farm has been confiscated by Farther soldiers, her sister has been reassigned to a new family in the village, and her official status is "missing." Now, she and a band of fugitive followers must make their home in the harsh wilderness of the Frost. Food is scarce, and hope is scarcer still as Lia tries to find information about the whereabouts of her missing friends. She is determined to rescue them, but when a surprising ally steps forth with an offer that will both return her friends and expel the Farthers from the Frost in exchange for something very precious, Lia must make a choice.

Hopefully BLUEWING will be releasing in just a few weeks! Stay tuned for more details. :)

Weavers is Available in Print!

Hello, everyone!

Weavers is now available in paperback, so if you wanted to purchase that format of the book, you can do so now!

WEAVERS is available for Kindle and Nook!

Hi everyone!

Great news--Weavers is now available for purchase on the Kindle and on the Nook!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!

Click here for the Kindle version!

Click here for the Nook version!

The print version and Smashwords version will be available soon, so stay tuned.

Hope everyone enjoys it!

Weavers Publication Updates

Hi everybody!

Today I've been doing lots of last minute things...like checking formatting and uploading files! Weavers should be available for purchase in all the usual places--Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords--in just a few days. I will let you know via this blog as well as through the new releases newsletter, so be sure to check back here or sign up for that newsletter if you're eager to get your hands on a copy.

Thank you to everyone who has messaged, emailed, or tweeted me about your excitement for Weavers. You guys mean so much to me. Seriously. You are all the best. I really hope you love the book, and I can't wait for you all to read it.

Weavers Teaser #2

Today we have another excerpt from Weavers, the newest and third book in The Frost Chronicles!

(Weavers releases reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally soon! If you want to be sure to get a copy as soon as it hits stores, sign up for my new releases newsletter here.)



Excerpt:

The boards of the Mayor’s house gleamed the color of bleached bone in the pale sunlight, and dagger-like icicles glittered along the roof. Even the footprints left by soldiers’ boots looked like ugly scars. Everything about the house felt dangerous now.

I held my breath as I climbed the back steps and rapped three times on the door.

A servant opened it. She regarded me with a frown. “Yes?”

The password. Ann would recognize it and know I needed to see her. “I—I need to show Ann Mayor some yarn,” I said. “I’m Lia Weaver.”

The girl shook her head. “I’m sorry, but she cannot see you now. You’ll have to come back.”

Then she shut the door in my face.

I knocked again, and this time, when the girl opened the door I pushed against it.

“Hey!” She threw up an arm to block me.

“I have something to tell Ann Mayor. She will be angry when she finds out that you wouldn’t—”

“Let the girl in,” a voice purred, and I froze.

Korr.

 

There you go...another short little teaser! I'm going to have more news about the release date very soon, and good news--it's going to be earlier than I expected! So stay tuned!

Weavers Teaser #1

Today we have an excerpt from the newest and third book in The Frost Chronicles, WEAVERS!

(Weavers releases at the end of January. If you want to be sure to get a copy as soon as it hits stores, sign up for my new releases newsletter here.)

As promised, an excerpt:

It was too dark to make out the wagon tracks that crisscrossed the frozen dirt like scars on a mangled cheek, but I knew they were there because the sight of them was branded in my memory forever. Soldiers carted prisoners along this road all year long. From one such wagon, Gabe had escaped across the river and into the Frost. The wind blew against my cheeks, teasing water from my eyes.

Adam’s hand brushed my shoulder—a single, light touch. A question. Was I ready? The moonlight glinted off his eyes. In response to his unspoken words, I stepped forward into the field toward the road.
I was ready.

We reached the river. Here the sky loomed over us, steel gray and too big, and I shivered. I couldn’t feel safe under such a large sky after a life beneath the trees. The water glittered like ink as it glided past, smooth and unstoppable. Once this river had formed the boundary between the Frost and Aeralis, the place the Farthers would not cross. But no longer. Now they had spilled over into our land, bringing with them their oiled weapons, their crude mechanical technology, their glove-clad cruelty.

Adam crouched beside the water and dug another small hole. He filled it with supplies and marked the place by drawing the Thorns symbol on the trunk of a sapling above it.

I stared across the river at the road as he worked. The sense of danger I felt looking at it mingled with a sudden, intense need to stand in the place where so many others had made their escape. I turned and scanned the bank of the river.

There—a fallen tree stretched across a shallow point like a bridge. I jogged down the bank and scrambled up the roots. My heart galloped. My mouth was dry. I grasped the rough bark of the tree and hauled myself up.

Adam followed at my back like a shadow. I expected him to grab my arm, hiss in my ear to stop, to tell me to wait for him while he crossed alone. But he didn’t.

The tree trembled as I crossed it, but it bore my weight easily. I reached the other side and jumped down. The Frost was at my back. Aeralis’ border was before me. A shiver spread over my skin. I tingled from my scalp to my fingertips. I’d never been on this side of the river.

Adam landed beside me. I caught the flash of his quick smile in the blackness.

“I just wanted—” I began.

His voice was just a tickle in my ear. “You’ve never been across the river, have you?”

The warmth of his breath against my skin made me flush. I nodded and moved away an inch. There was a tension between us now, a dance of avoided topics and guarded looks. Perhaps the unlikely attraction had always been there, lurking just beneath the surface. But since I’d almost kissed him in the barn a few weeks ago, the feelings had grown into a thrumming heat that filled every word, every look, every interaction. I didn’t know how to deal with it. He’d become woven into the fabric of my existence, mingled with the air I breathed. If I reached out, he was there. If I spoke, he answered.

Yet we were separated by a gulf of unspoken feeling that neither of us would express.

Well there you have it, folks. A short little bit of a scene between Adam and Lia. Hope you enjoyed :) And before to look for Weavers in stores at the end of January!

Cover Reveal for WEAVERS (Frost #3)

Ladies and Gentlemen... some more news regarding the next book in The Frost Chronicles!

We have a COVER REVEAL for my next book!

Weavers, the third book the The Frost Chronicles series, releases in just a few weeks. I'm super excited about it, and I hope you guys are, too.

So without further ado, here is the cover!

* drumroll *

I really liked the way this one turned out, and I'm rather proud of it. Like all my covers, I designed it myself, which is my favorite part of the entire independent author process.

And here's the book summary again...

Every day, life in the Frost grows increasingly perilous for its inhabitants. The Farther occupation continues, and food is becoming scarce. And Lia Weaver’s family is facing increasing perils, too—Jonn pushes his health to the brink as he works to uncover the secrets of Echlos, and Ivy risks everything to get food for the family. And for the second time, the Weaver family is harboring a fugitive, but Lia doesn’t trust her.

Lia has personally braved many struggles—a Farther occupation, family secrets, a heart torn between two men, and Watcher attacks—as she struggles to keep her family safe. But now she will face her greatest challenge and uncover the Frost’s deepest secrets as she completes her most dangerous mission yet for the Thorns.


It's pretty short, because I don't want to give ANYTHING away. Lots of really awesome stuff happens in this one, folks. :) :) I'm so excited for you guys to read it!

Finally, some NEWS about Frost #3

Hey everybody!

Guess what? I've been hard at work in my writer's cave for months now, and I am so happy to announce that Frost #3, WEAVERS, goes to my editor for final line edits tomorrow.

YAY!!

* tosses confetti, eats ice cream cake, picks bits of confetti out of ice cream *

Seriously, though. I am soooooooooo glad to be (mostly) done with it and I'm so excited for all of you to get to read it. This week I'll reveal the cover and synopsis and maybe release a few short teases leading up to the release itself. The book will be available in stores sometime in mid to late January. I'm not sure on the exact date right now, so if you want to be sure to grab a copy the day it's available, sign up for my new releases newsletter here.

Happy New Year!

All Digital THORNS versions available!

Hey guys!

Good news. All digital version of THORNS are now available! So if you read on a Nook or if you prefer to buy your ebooks from Smashwords, you can now snag a copy of the Frost sequel.

Here are the all links again:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

 And again, if you are a book blogger who reviewed FROST for me, and you're interested in reviewing the sequel as well, shoot me an email at kellisonwrites(at)gmail(dot)com.

Also, Thorns has two covers! I decided to make an alternate, simpler cover just for kicks. (Lots of books get multiple covers with various edition and such.) So this is the Smashwords edition cover, which is a bit simpler and more streamlined:

Frost now has a new cover on Smashwords too, so be sure to head over and check it out.

Cover Reveal: Dazzle by Amber Garza

Today I have something really special to share with you...the cover reveal for Dazzle, a new paranormal romance by Amber Garza coming Oct 2012!

 So, without further ado...

* drum roll *

 

DAZZLE by Amber Garza

 

 

Isn't it pretty?? I think it's really simple but really evocative. And I love the little squiggle on the E.

 

Here's the deets:

 

Dazzle: Book One in the Delaney's Gift Series is a new YA paranormal romance by Amber Garza, set for release October 2012!

 

Sixteen-year-old Delaney Scott possesses a special gift. Ever since she was a child she has known about her calling and the duty she’s expected to fulfill.

However, all Delaney wants is to be normal. That’s why she is drawn to Sam. He can offer her the life she’s always desired. Only Sam has secrets of his own.

Secrets that are deadly. Secrets that can change everything.

 

You can find out more at:

 

Amber's Blog: http://www.ambergarza.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amber-Garza-author

 

 

Coming Soon!

Coming in just a few weeks!!

Lia Weaver went against everything she’d ever known when she risked her life to help a Farther fugitive named Gabe escape from the Aeralian soldiers, and her life changed forever. And the Frost changed, too—the Farthers have taken over her village, a new group of vigilantes calling themselves the Blackcoats are making plans to overthrow the Farther occupiers, and the Thorns are seeking for her to join them.

Lia seeks to fight back against the evil and injustice that has swallowed up her home, but danger lurks at every turn. The monsters that dwell in the deepest regions of the Frost are growing bolder and more dangerous every day, a Farther noble takes up residence in the village on a mysterious mission, and Lia discovers even more secrets embedded in her past.

Be sure to sign up for the newsletter so you are notified as soon as Thorns is available in stores!

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ELEMENTAL Release Day + Interview With Emily White!!

Emily White

Hi guys! Today I am featuring my friend Emily White!! She's here to talk a bit about her brand-new release, ELEMENTAL, available today for purchase!!

I first met Emily here on Blogger, and her cheerfulness and friendly spirit immediately made me feel at ease. She reviewed my first book, The Curse Girl, and she hosted me on her blog for an interview. Later, we both became members of the same critique group. And now her debut novel is here!!!

So I asked her some questions about Elemental...

*clears throat, acts professional*

Here is the "scrawled" version of Emily.

1.    Welcome, Emily! Tell us a little bit about Elemental. I’ve read the teaser description, but can you summarize the story in a few of your own words? What kind of readers will like this book?

Elemental is sci-fi (specifically, space opera) with big explosions, danger at every turn, war, a little bit of kissing, bad choices, and fairies. That's right. Fairies.

I think people who love sci-fi, or anyone who's looking for something a little different from most YA books coming out these days, will like Elemental.

2.    Sounds really unique! I love the idea of mixing fantasy and sci fi. In fact, I've been working on a "science fantasy" story myself, so this is really cool. And I love the title of the book, too! It’s very simple and yet very evocative and distinct. What was part of your thought process when choosing it?

Most of my thinking gets done in the shower (and during those times, that's when I usually put body wash in my hair instead of shampoo, but I digress! :P). This was no exception (to both points). I'd been struggling with renaming my book AND the MC. Both were just too complicated and not very memorable. Suddenly, I thought to myself, "Hey! What if everyone in the MC's family line has a name that starts with "El." (I'd already had at least one character from her family that had this). And that's when I came up with Ella. Well, it took only moments for me to then think, "Ella...is crazy...Ella mental. Elemental!!" It also worked perfectly because Ella is (obviously, since she can control an element) an elemental. So yay! There's the story, and you got to see a little deeper into my mind. It's a very scary place. ;)

3.    Tell me a little about the journey you had when writing Elemental—how long did it take you to write it? Did any of your original plans or ideas for the book drastically change in the course of drafting and revising the story?

It took about 2 years to have it all completed. It went through some MAJOR changes during those 2 years, though. I started off trying to write Adult Sci-fi in the Omniscient POV. It was going okay, but it was never more than "eh." Unfortunately, at the time I had no idea I was naturally suited to writing YA. I just didn't understand why I couldn't get the story to work.  Then I read my first YA and everything changed. I completely rewrote the story into first person and let Ella's voice really shine through.

4.    I love that. The YA style really works for me, too, so I totally understand. Now, who is your favorite character in Elemental (excluding the main character)?

That is such a tough choice! It's either Meir or Cailen. Meir is so wonderful and selfless. He makes the ultimate father figure. But Cailen IS gorgeous (hehehehe!). Actually, there's a lot more to Cailen than that. He THINKS he's being helpful and selfless, so I sympathize with him. Also, he's gorgeous. :P

5.    Your good friend Vic (and my friend, too!) designed the beautiful cover. Can you tell us a little more about that?

Oh but of course! :) Back when I was going to self-publish this baby (before SHP approached me with an offer), I realized I knew three absolutely wonderful people who could help me with the cover! The first was Kelly of Glimpses of You Photography, the second was a family member who I knew would work perfectly as Ella, and the third was Miss Victoria (my brilliant artist friend)!  Kelly very graciously offered to do the photos of my family member  and once I had a few poses I liked, I sent the pictures over to Vic to come up with my beautiful cover!

 It was a pretty long process because I change my mind a LOT. But Vic was patient and eventually I said, "Hey! What about a nebula in the background??" Well, it may sound easy after that, but it's not! This very talented Miss Victoria took my abstract thinking and put all the lovely pieces together to make a perfectly seamless cover. And, AND! She created that beautiful font. She really is a genius.

6.    What a great story. It makes the cover that much more special when it's designed by a friend! I understand you’ve been working on the sequel, Fae. How is that coming along? Is this going to be a series or trilogy?

This will be a trilogy. Yay! Right now I'm working on revisions of Fae for my editor. They are going very well, but they are taking a LOT of time to do. I'm one of those annoying authors who writes very light for the first and second draft. So right now, I'm working on filling in the details, strengthening motivations and characterization, and basically getting this baby up to standard YA novel size.

7.    What is your favorite piece of writing advice?

Kill your darlings. I always think of that Seinfeld episode when the gang goes to their friends' house to see the baby. Well, the baby ain't so pretty and Kramer does his standard falling against the wall or onto the floor when he sees the ugly little thing. But the parents just couldn't see the hideousness these four friends very obviously detected.

I think that's very often true of writers. We get attached to our WIPs and actually see them as our babies. When a group of beta readers (or an editor) says, "Eek! Hideous! I don't like this one part at all. It doesn't flow with the rest of your story," we tend to get defensive and tell ourselves they're all wrong. Well, the thing is, they're probably right. We just can't see it because we're looking at our WIPs with rose colored glasses, marveling at the simple (or way too complex) beauty of our babies.

8.    Very true. What is your least-favorite part of writing a book?

Writing the first chapter. Out of everything, I feel like this is the part that should start out perfect. It's the foundation for the whole book! But boy does it change. A lot. And that frustrates me more than anything.

9.    Yeah...first chapters are tough. There's a lot of pressure in those initial pages! 

Tell me a bit about yourself...what is one interesting fact about you that most people wouldn’t know?

Hmmm...interesting...I am an AMAZING cook. 'tis true. I don't normally toot my own horn, but I do have to say, I know how to make delicious food. And I love cooking from scratch. I've even been known to make my own butter. :)

10.    Okay, now I'm hungry! :D

Can you tell us where we can find out more about you, and where we can go to order our copies of Elemental!

You can visit me at my blog, facebook,
fanpage, goodreads, twitter, and pinterest!

AND!

You can order Elemental at Amazon and B&N.

11.    Awesome! One final question. Do you have any other books in the works besides Elemental and its sequels?

I'm always working on other things. In fact, if anyone wants to see my other projects, they should check out my pinterest account. I have a several boards dedicated to the crazy ideas brewing in my mind. :)

Thanks, Katie!!!