Authors Around the World K!ndle F!re Bl0g H0p

Hi. I am happy to be hosting the Authors Around the World Kindle Fire Blog Hop with J.L. Campbell. There are so many great authors, books and locations to discover, as well as prizes to be won, so hop around. If you collect all the various locations featured, you can enter them into the rafflecopter for an extra 25 entry points to win your very own Kindle Fire. And there are only 16 blogs, so it shouldn't be too overwhelming. I am also giving away 3 Kings & Queens eBooks and one $10 giftcard to the store of your choice. Enter to win!

For this Hop, I am happy to be highlighting, young adult author, Linda Ullesit. I've been eying her book for a while now because I love horses, and what's not to love about flying horses? That's even better! And I'm not sure what happened to Suzanne. She hasn't been on her blog, FB page or Twitter since the 25th or responded to my emails, so I'm going to post J.L. Campbell's interview too. I hope she's okay and just on vacation or something.

Anyway, without further ado, here's Linda.

What title are you highlighting in this blog hop?

On a Wing and a Dare

Synopsis:

When tradition and parental disapproval threaten the very existence of the flying horses of medieval Wales, three teenage friends must fight to discover a way to save the mystical creatures and break free of their parents’ reins. Sixteen-year-old Emma longs to become the rider of a winged colt born in the barn of her father’s biggest rival. She also dreams of the rival’s sons, not sure which she loves: Evan, the exciting but insensitive one, or Davyd, the dependable one. Risking public humiliation and his family’s disappointment, Davyd must accept his fear of heights and plan an alternate future that does not include becoming a rider. When the horses begin to die, Evan discovers a way to save them, but his position as a junior rider hinders acceptance of his idea. The teenagers must put aside their self-doubts and work together to execute Evan’s plan before all the winged horses in the world are gone forever.

Who are your main characters?
Emma, 16, and brothers Davyd, 16, and Evan, 18

Who is your favorite character and why?
I actually like all three characters for different reasons. My favorite, though, is Davyd. He goes through the most inner turmoil before learning who he is and finding the courage to act on it.

Share one quirky trait in one of your characters.
Davyd has a habit of running his hand through his curly hair when he's worried or stressed out.

What was your biggest challenge writing this book?
The hardest part was keeping track of all the themes and threads I was weaving and making sure that everything came together at the end.

Spill a secret, mystery or hidden thing in your book:
One theme of the book is that you need to balance your dreams, your responsibilities, your outside influences. Flowers symbolize the earth, or the practical. In the beginning of the book, Emma doesn't even notice as she walks over the flowers. Emma is all about the air, her dreams. In the middle, Davyd the practical one teaches Emma the names of some of the flowers. At the end, during a special event, Emma wears a wreath of flowers and can name all of them and appreciate their beauty.

Where do you live?

I live in San Jose, California

What's a cool, unknown spot?

Near my house is a neighborhood shopping center with an independent coffe shop called Evergreen Coffee Company. I can sit on its patio year round and see the center's fountain and palm trees. Behind that are the rolling hills that border San Jose to the east. They are grassy, green in the spring and brown in the summer, and dotted with oak trees. A beautiful spot to visit with friends, read, or write.

Tell us a little about an interesting landmark in your country.
You'll probably have a lot of people from the United States, so I'll focus on the west coast. I live about an hour south of San Francisco, and the Golden Gate Bridge is one of its most amazing landmarks. It's a beautiful suspension bridge, quite an engineering marvel when it opened in 1937. Workers are continually painting the bridge bright orange, officially called International Orange.

What's a little known fact about where you live?

The original location of Evergreen Elementary School, where both my sons went to school and where I taught for ten years, opened in 1860. Walt Whitman taught there for a year while he attended San Jose State University.

Name two famous people who’ve been sighted in your corner of the world.

My son was a lifeguard at Raging Waters a few years ago when actor David Spade visited the park. His bodyguard climbed the steps with him, but only David went down the water slides. We have a country club nearby where some of the players for the Forty Niners live. Ex-Niner Bubba Paris has been active coming to schools for assemblies to raise money for programs.

What is the one thing tourists must do?

Tourists to San Jose should see the Winchester Mystery House, built by Sara Winchester, heir to the rifle fortune. They should also visit Raging Waters.

What's your favorite restaurant and what type of food do they serve?

There's a Pasta Pomodoro located near my house where my husband and I eat almost every Friday night. They serve tasty Italian food.

What are you giving away on your blog?

I'm giving away a button with my flying horse logo.

Who is the author you are highlighting on your blog?
Patricia Lynne

Where can readers connect with you?

I'm on Facebook as Flying Horse Books.

I'm on Twitter and Goodreads and Shelfari.

My book review blog is: http://ulleseit.wordpress.com

My novel site is: http://flyinghorsebooks.wordpress.com

Thanks, Linda.

And here are some words from J.L. Campbell, author of Distraction.

Author:

J.L. Campbell

What title are you highlighting in this blog hop?

Distraction

Synopsis:

Three Jamaican women walk a tightrope of decisions when their lives are derailed by blackmail, deceit and infidelity. JUSTINE CHARLES, sensible and self-contained, battles an addiction which could destroy her marriage, reputation, and relationship with her daughter. DIONNE JONES, an aggressive go-getter, takes risks that cut a trail of devastation through her family and business. KYRA MILLS, struggling single mother, is crippled by debt, bad judgment and destructive choices. Can two of the long-time friends survive startling revelations involving their partners? And will the other push her obsession to the point of danger?

Who is your favorite character and why?

That would be Justine, because she is the most conflicted. She keeps doing the wrong thing, but like many of us, can’t help the road she’s travelling.

What was your biggest challenge writing this book?

At the outset, I didn’t realize how tricky it would be to write a book from the perspective of three women. Personalities, hobbies, likes and dislikes had to be distinct, however, the most demanding part was getting the timelines absolutely correct. I also had to ensure that the story flowed properly since Justine’s plotline goes back and forth in time.

Where do you live? Jamaica

Tell us a little about an interesting landmark in your country.

Redemption Song is located in the Emancipation Park in Kingston. It’s an 11 foot high bronze statue that attracts a lot of attention. It comprises two nude statues (male and female) gazing skyward and is supposed to represent freedom from slavery. There’s a fountain at the base of the statues.

What’s amazing is the magnitude of work that went into creating the statues. A model was created in a month and then five months were spent carving the models from styofoam—69 pieces in all. The pieces were then cast in bronze and rejoined. Though hollow, male and female weigh 2,000 and 1,300 pounds respectively. The artist, Laura Facey, has said she was inspired by words from both Marcus Garvey and Bob Marley.

What’s the most well known city in your country and why?

Montego Bay, because it’s the tourism capital of the island.

What's a little known fact about where you live?

Jamaica has been through many name changes since the time Christopher Columbus ‘discovered’ the Tainos (Indians). The island was referred to as Jamaica as early as 1511, as well as being called Jamica, Jamaiqua, Jamaiaua, Jamaqua, Jamaicha, Xamaica. The name has also been written as Gemecoe and Gemego, Jamico, Jammaca, Jamajaco and Jamecah.

What are you giving away on your blog?

A ten dollar Amazon gift card for anyone who stops by and comments while the hop is on.

Who is the author you are highlighting on your blog?

Jordyn Meryl

Where can readers connect with you?

Website

J.L. Campbell on Facebook

J.L. Campbell on Twitter

J.L. Campbell on Amazon

Photo source is here http://www.emancipationpark.org.jm

J.L. Campbell is a proud Jamaican and the author of Contraband, Distraction, Dissolution, Don’t Get Mad…Get Even, and Hardware (pen name Jayda McTyson). Campbell is always on the lookout for story making material, loves company and can usually be found lollygagging on her blog at http://thecharacterdepot. blogspot.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Authors Around the World Blog Hop Signup

J.L. Campbell and I are organizing a Kindle Fire Giveaway blog hop for authors only to run during the Olympics. Each stop will highlight a book and the locale where each author lives. Author interviews will be swapped with another blogging author who shares the same audience: MG, YA, women, men, adult, Christian, etc. We will be collecting money from each participant for a Grand Prize Kindle Fire Giveaway, and hopefully some other smaller giftcards and eBooks. If you want to donate your eBook, let me know.

In addition to the main giveaway, each blogging author should also give away something small on their blog: bookmarks, eBooks, Books, swag, giftcard or whatever you wish.

If you have a Wordpress.com blog, it doesn't read javascript, so the Linky List and Rafflecopter will not work directly on your blog, and that's okay. Instead, you can simply add the link to the blog after yours at the end of the guest interview post and use your comment section for your own giveaway. Please use your name rather than you blog name in the Linky List so everything will be uniform. If you are interested, in addition to adding on to the Linky List, please email me at luvfisk at yahoo dot com, to let me know your author name, title, audience, blog and email address and send back your interview. I must have your interview by Thursday, July 26th, 10 AM and the guest post you receive must be live by Saturday, July 28th, 10 AM.

Here are the questions: You do not have to answer all of these if you don't want to. Basically give some fun facts about your book and where you live.

What title are you highlighting in this blog hop?

Synopsis:

What gave you the idea for the book?

Who are your main characters?

Who is your favorite character and why?

Share one quirky trait in one of your characters.

What was your biggest challenge writing this book?

Spill a secret, mystery or hidden thing in your book:

Where do you live?

What's a cool, unknown spot?

Tell us a little about an interesting landmark in your country.

What’s the most well known city in your country and why?

What's a little known fact about where you live?

Name two famous people who’ve been sighted in your corner of the world.

What is the one thing tourists must do?

What's your favorite thing to do?

What's your favorite restaurant and what type of food do they serve?

What are you giving away on your blog?

Who is the author you are highlighting on your blog? (I will b swapping the posts and will fill this in, once I get everyone's info)

Where can readers connect with you?

Author Interview: Apryl Baker of The Promise (The Coven)

Hi. I'm happy to have Apryl Baker on my blog today for an interview. She is the author of The Promise ( The Coven) and a new book, The Awakening. Today we're going to be talking her debut novel, The Promise.

SYNOPSIS

Cassie Jayne Bishop grew up in the sleepy town of New Salem, NC, the only non-believer in the tradition and power of the town Coven. When a stranger comes to New Salem, everything she thought was normal about her life unravels around her. Ethan makes her question everything, even her sister’s death in a car crash years ago. As Cassie discovers the full truth about her heritage, and the clues start to pile up, she becomes determined to find out if the Coven was actually involved in her sister's death. What she uncovers terrifies her.

Her fate lies at the very heart of the secret the Coven protects. It’s the reason she was born. Now, betrayed on every side, can she find a way to survive or will she be the catalyst that triggers a centuries old act of vengeance.

What inspired you to write The Promise, where did the idea come from?

I was driving home from work late one fall afternoon and listening to Theory of A Dead Man’s Not Meant To Be. I passed a little community called New Salem and as the name registered with me, I got this flash of a girl sitting beside a grave. She was all alone and very sad. I kept thinking to myself, why is she there? What is she doing? I couldn’t shake the image so when I got home, I wrote it down on a Post-It Note and stuck it to the wall beside my computer. Over the next few days, I kept getting ideas and before I knew it, I had the rough outline of a story on a wall of pink, orange and yellow stickies. I call it my Post-It Note idea.

Tell me about your main character? What is she like at the core?

Cassie Jayne Bishop is my main character. She grew up in town full of witches as the only non-believer. She is spunky, full of life, and not one of those heroines who sit around and wait to be saved. She saves herself. She is shoe-a-holic and loyal to her very core to the people she loves.

What is the best and worst thing about her?

The best thing about Cassie is her loyalty, her willingness to help her friends and family. The worst thing about her is that she is loyal. So much so that she was blinded by the people who are supposed to love her.

What’s your creative process like? Outliner or pantser? How and why does it work for you?

I get crazy insane ideas and just go from there. I typically don’t outline anything. I have an idea and I go with it for the most part. The Promise was an exception to my non-outlining theory. It was just a bunch of ideas that seemed to form an outline. I firmly believe in just sitting down and start writing. You’d be amazed at what you can do. I have chronic insomnia and I do most of my writing between 3 and 5 am. I do my best writing at that time of night. I’m not really sure why it works for me honestly. I just wake up with some sort of idea and just start writing.

Do you have any go-to releases when you’re suffering from writer’s block or a sticky/muddy plot?

I read. I pick something that is so far off kilter from what I’m writing it’s a complete 360. I get lost in someone else’s hard work for a little while and doing that seems to help more than anything else. I listen to a lot of music too. It always gets me thinking of plot lines.

Where do you prefer to write?

In my bed propped up on my pillows with the laptop in my lap.

Do you like to share your work as your writing it or do you hold it to your chest until it's finished and edited at least once over?

I share. I use an online writing group, The Next Big Writer. I would be nowhere today if not for the people on that site. They took a mediocre idea and whipped into something that I am proud of. Those folks on that site are my best advocates and my worst nightmares sometimes.

What has worked in your marketing plan and what has flopped?

Twitter and Goodreads are HUGE assets to me. Don’t underestimate the power of a blog tour either. They are instrumental in getting word out about your books. Advertising in newspapers flopped. Unless you know someone and they can get you a spotlight, it’s a waste of time and money.

What genres do you enjoy reading?

I read just about anything I can get my hands on, but my favorite genre are the old noir mysteries and paranormal romances. I am a HUGE fan of anything paranormal and straight up horror novels. I couldn’t get by without Stephen King, Jim Butcher, Lynsay Sands, Kim Harrison, and Johanna Lyndsay.

What totally kills a story in your mind as a reader?

Wordiness. I tend to skim if the author lapses into long drawn out nonsense. Stephen King does this sometimes, but I grew up with his books, so I tend to look over it in his case.

What do you like to do for fun or during your spare time?

What spare time? LOL! I typically cook. I love, love, love to cook. The kitchen was the room in our house growing up where everyone congregated and everything that happened, happened while learning to cook with my Mom and my Granny. When I cook, I think of them.

Do you have any idiosyncrasies, super powers or other talents?

I can sniff out a sale if that counts….lol.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

Not calling me back if I leave you a message and ask you to call me back. I don’t do it unless it's important as I am NOT a phone person.

Do you geek out or go wild for anything? And if so, what?

Um…I am Treky. I love Star Trek! Yes, I’ve even been to the conventions and worn a costume.

Do you have any guilty pleasures, especially juicy ones that make you bow your head in shame?

Please see above….

Got any other books in the pipeline?

I am working on two more series. The first is Bloodlines and the second is called The Ghost Files. The Awakening, book one of Bloodlines, I just self-published and it is available now, and I think that the first book in The Ghost Files series is one I am going to seek an agent for.

What's your plan for your upcoming titles?

I am currently working on Book 2 of The Coven Series, The Oath. I should have it done and hopefully will start to market it about 3 months before it releases.

Thanks for stopping by, Apryl.

BUY THE PROMISE NOW!

You can connect with her at:

Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Blog - My Crazy Corner

~ Signing off and sending out cyber hugs.

Kindle INDIEpendence Highlight: Rita Morse and the Sinister Shadow by Holly Hook

Book title: Rita Morse and the Sinister Shadow
Author: Holly Hook

Short Blurb: Fourteen year-old Rita Morse is the kind of girl that the teen-hating Shadow Regime hates. She won't put up with crap that isn’t fair. Like the ban on teens her own cousin, Jerry, put up at his video game store. After she toilet-papers the place to get back at him, the Regime, an army of immortals working to oppress teens all over the world, adds her to their list of threats.

That’s not good. Turns out that banning kids from stores is the least of their evil.

Because the Regime’s enemies always disappear.

Now Rita’s in the biggest trouble of her life. She’s being stalked by shadow people. Threatened. Even nearly kidnapped. The Regime's not the only danger: they control countless humans around the world--including her cousin. There’s nowhere to turn.

Rita must learn the Shadow Regime’s reason for their war on teens—and her—or she won't make it through her first week of high school. Buy it now!

When did you know you wanted to be an author?

Since I was about four years old.

Why do you Indie publish?

Because I want to have control of my books, and I don't want to spend decades waiting for someone else to decide to publish it.

What inspired you to write your book?

This book is inspired by some stories I wrote in high school to entertain my friends.

What advice do you have for parents to encourage their kids to read more?

Take them to the library to start. That's how I got into reading. Summer reading programs are good, too.

Thanks, Holly.

~ Signing off and sending out cyber hugs.

Kindle INDIEpendence Highlight: Pointe of No Return by Amanda Brice

Book title: Pointe of No Return

Author: Amanda Brice

Blurb: Aspiring ballerina Dani Spevak’s visions of sugar plums are dashed when she’s assigned to understudy her nemesis, Hadley Taylor, in the Nutcracker. Pretty, popular, and rich, that girl has all the luck. Or so she thought.

When Hadley mysteriously disappears with opening night just around the corner, Dani can’t sit idly by, even if it means losing the part. Now she’s running all over Phoenix in a race against the clock. From reality TV trophy wives to sleazy real estate developers to a possible drug ring, the cast of suspects begins to add up. Will she find Hadley before the curtain rises? Buy it Now!

When did you know you wanted to be an author?

I had a little littlebook and purple pen that I carried around with me everywhere the summer I was 7. I was writing an epic about orphans living on the prairie. It took all summer. It was all of about 30 pages. 30 teeny-tiny pages.

Why do you Indie publish?

Despite wonderful editorial feedback when my old agent shopped the first book in my series (Codename: Dancer), nobody knew were to place it. It was too old for middle grade, but a bit on the sweet side for YA. And that was entirely intentional on my part. So I decided to take the plunge and am very glad I did.

What inspired you to write your book?

I danced competitively and on the pre-professional level as a teenager and in college, and always wished there were books about dancers written for teens. (There were tons for little girls.) And I love cozy mysteries, so a series about dance students who solve mysteries seemed like a natural fit.

What are three things you want people to know about you?

1. I'm a total Olympics junkie, and actually worked for the International Olympics Committee during the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. Best.Summer.Job.Ever.
2. I once swing danced with then-Vice President Al Gore.
3. I come off all organized, but it's a total sham. Don't look in my closets or under my bed at home.

What advice do you have for parents to encourage their kids to read more?

Introduce them to a wide variety of books. If the subject matter interests them, they'll find it fun.

Thanks, Amanda!

~ Signing off and sending out cyber hugs.

Yay! Kings & Queens Wins the Indie Book of the Day Award

I just wanted to share the good news that my novel, Kings & Queens, has won the Indie Book of the Day Award and is the featured book today on the IBD site. It's still 99 cents on Amazon, so pick it up while it's at this low price.



~ Signing off and sending out cyber hugs.

Indiependence Day Blog Fest

This year, I am a part of the Indiependence Day Blog Fest to bring attention to an indie book that could use some more love. Recently I read a YA novel called The Annihilation of Foreverland by Tony Bertauski and I really loved this book. It reminded me of John Saul's work, which I've been a huge fan of for a long time. And this book also got a new cover and so, I love it even more.

SYNOPSIS:

When kids awake on an island, they’re told there was an accident. Before they can go home, they will visit Foreverland, an alternate reality that will heal their minds. Reed dreams of a girl that tells him to resist Foreverland. He doesn’t remember her name, but knows he once loved her. He’ll have to endure great suffering and trust his dream. And trust he’s not insane. Danny Boy, the new arrival, meets Reed’s dream girl inside Foreverland. She’s stuck in the fantasy land that no kid can resist. Where every heart’s desire is satisfied. Why should anyone care how Foreverland works? Together, they discover what it’s really doing to them.

MY REVIEW:

The Annihilation of Foreverland is about a creepy island where troubled kids can't recall much of their past because they're memories have been removed. They can enter a virtual world through a needle that's driven into their foreheads to get a blend of new and old memories. I loved this book. It is full of surprises, highly imaginative, well thought out and gripping. If you're looking for different YA, along the lines of John Saul, definitely check this out. I thought the characters could've had more development, but I was engrossed, so I kept my RATING at:

So, to celebrate INDIEpendent authors, I will be gifting, The Annihilation of Foreverland from the store of your choice and sending you two more YA eBooks for your reading pleasure.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


~ Signing off and sending out cyber hugs.