The Halloween Unicorn & a gift for you…

 

This year I’m going to be a unicorn for Halloween. I’ve never gone to a Halloween party as a mythical animal before and I thought the time was right

Are you dressing up tonight? What are you going to be?

I thought I’d give you a treat instead of a trick this Halloween. So, for today only you can go to Smashwords and use this coupon NE68Y to download a free copy of TRANSFER STUDENT, an intergalactic tale of beauty & the geek. I hope you enjoy Rhoe & Ashley’s story. What would you do, if a boy geek alien’s science fair experiment went horribly wrong and he swapped lives with you, a popular Beverly Hills surfer girl?

Here’s a big HALLOWEEN hug for my good friends that I met just a year ago, and now they’re all such good friends. Nothing like a haunted tour of Savannah, Ga! Here’s some more info on the Paranormal Plumes tour last Halloween.

The Plumes head out on the town for a scare at The Sorrel-Weed House

Terrifying Halloween Teaser

Here’s this week’s terrifying teaser. I’m thrilled to highlight another Central California Coast author, Linda Covella. Here’s a little bit from her  very sweet story, A Jack O’ Lantern for Pop-Pop:

Eddy studied his Jack O’Lantern. Something wasn’t right. Something was missing.

He searched the house and found Pop-Pop lying on the living room recliner—upside down. “It’s good for the circulation,” Pop-Pop said.

His chin looked like his forehead. His mouth looked like a Cyclops’ eyeball. His eyes and eyebrows looked like two mouths with bristly beards. Poking out of each ear was a wiry tuft of hair.

That was it! That was what Eddy’s Jack O’Lantern needed.

Read the rest here!

Have you carved your pumpkin yet?

Happy Halloween! Get your spook on blog hop

Welcome to Get your Spook On, where you’ll find over a dozen spine-chilling stories of the supernatural to put you in the Halloween mood.

Hop through all ten blogs to read the spooky questions our authors have answered. Answer the questions yourself to be entered to win a $50 gift certificate to Amazon and one of four chapter critiques offered by a few of our amazing authors. Each question you answer will be worth one entry, so you can earn a total of ten chances by answering every question. To get additional entries, tweet the following or paste it to your Facebook status (and comment below to let us know you’ve done so):

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Get your spook on! Ten authors share their scary stories and give out #Halloween treats. http://bit.ly/S3UE13

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The deadline to enter is 6:00 PM EDT on October 31st. Check back here on November 2nd to see a list of winners.p>

Now for my creep-a-riffic question:

Question: What demons, real or imagined, does your character have to face?

Lisa Nowak: Alex’s biggest demon is that he’s afraid he’s worthless, like his father says, or even worse, that he’s just as violent as his dad.

Heather McCorkle:The demons of self-loathing, mistrust, and prejudice.

Lisa Ard: My main character, Anne Parson, must find the courage to seek what she needs – a family.

Marla Bowie LePley: In my published book, my MCs have to face how crazy people become when faced with their own mortality and when presented with life suddenly devoid of any rules. In my WIP, my MC has to face the ghost of her deceased mother, life long rejection and addiction.

Magan Vernon: In the first book, Alex has to face racism like she never thought possible. The anti human kind. In book 2, Alex has to decide if she wants a future without Ace, in New York, or continue on with their relationship. In book 3…well…marriage equality is a big issue

Stacey Wallace Benefiel: Flora has to face her past in order to become a hero in the present. Going from drunken party girl to leader of a rebellion takes some guts. Literally, her enemies are no less than the Gods of the entire planet.

Laura Elliot’s character, Drew: The hardest thing I’ve had to do in five hundred years is to be honest with Roxie and tell her about the shadows––our alter egos who want nothing more that to become human. Shadows are the kinds of demons that make us say things we don’t mean or do things that aren’t like us, things we can’t explain. We do things and don’t even know the reason why. We look different and become inexplicable, at times. The second demon I faced was the look in Roxie’s eyes when she realized she’s the only one who can save the world from the shadow onslaught. It was the demon of loss. Soon I’d lose her to the shadows.

Ali Cross: Well, Desi is a Demon, so if it’s bad, she’s probably faced it. She’s probably had dinner with it.

Laura Marshall: Clara’s demon is wondering if the man she loves actually has feeling for her as well or if they’re just travel companions.

Cindy Hogan: Her own self-doubt. Being labeled and bullied her whole life makes it hard to become amazing.

Don’t forget to answer this question in the comments below for an additional chance to win.

And now, here are our spooktacular books!

AFTER by Marla Bowie LePley (YA dystopian)

Ger, Laney, and Jenny, three teens who have never met, live a terrifying existence after all the adults suddenly die. Each have their own story. Psychotic teenager, Roc, takes over a secluded mountain town and nurses a cruel fixation for Jenny. She may be the town’s only hope and must choose between saving herself, or saving everyone else. Ger, having already experienced tragedy, doesn’t know how to cope and is all too ready to give up. Laney, lonely and lost before the disaster, discovers unexpected love. But will it last? As Roc’s evil begins to grow, the three of them must come together and find a way to end his reign of terror.

Amazon

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Created (book 3 of the Watched series) by Cindy Hogan (YA suspense)

Ari and her friends find themselves in an independent spy school in Belgium, Bresen Academy. Test scores reveal her true abilities and the director wants to send her onto to more advanced training school immediately. She is given a two week reprieve to explore the school’s training program and hopefully make amends with both Reese and Marybeth. Despite her lack of advanced training, the director convinces Ari she would be the best fit for a mission that surfaces in Prague with a group calling themselves Division 57. Uncertain, but wanting to please, she agrees. She quickly discovers there is nothing easy about being a spy and finds her very life on the line.

Amazon ( Get book 1 here)

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Dead Heat by Lisa Nowak (YA paranormal/urban fantasy)

Alex is a machine whisperer. He can tell what’s wrong with a broken-down car with a touch. But his gift can’t save him from the brutality of his meth-addict father. For two years, Alex experienced kindness through Cole, his mentor. Now Cole’s dead, and the violence in Alex’s life is escalating.

When Cole reappears as a ghost, Alex clings to the tenuous link. Then he learns Cole might’ve sacrificed his chance to cross over. Jade, the first girl to look beyond Alex’s past, assures him Cole can reach the Other Side-if Alex escapes from his dad. But a previous terrifying attempt has convinced Alex it’s impossible. Unless he can find the courage to try, his friend may be earthbound forever.

Amazon Barnes and Noble

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Inky the Icky Black Spider by Laura Marshall (Children’s short story)

Inky, the icky black spider is on a mission this Halloween night. His mission: to gain entrance to the impenetrable Victorian Manson to procure the mouthwatering candy that is stashed away inside. He’ll use all his spider skills to obtain access to the candy holding facility. But will all his training be enough?

This Flash Fiction Halloween treat for the senses is sure to delight children of all ages.

Amazon

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Saving Halloween by Lisa Ard (middle grade/ tween paranormal)

When book-smart Anne Parson meets Halloween Spavento, she sees exactly what she wants to see — a friend. Halloween waves away trouble, magically silences school bullies and offers Anne unfailing friendship. But, when the Spavento family’s enchanting exploits are exposed, will Anne face her fears and save Halloween? A spellbinding tale of outcasts who find acceptance, a girl who discovers the true meaning of family, and characters who are not always what they seem. 2012 Kay Snow Award Winner.

Amazon

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Shadow Slayer (book 2 of the Shadow series) by Laura Elliott (middle grade/ tween paranormal)

Shadows will do anything to become human. You see their influence everyday. You say things you don’t mean or do things that aren’t like you. You look, different. Friends you’ve known forever suddenly never call.

As a freshman, Roxie just wants to fit in which is impossible because she barely runs into her friends at her huge high school. Adrianne’s disappearance and Hayden’s attention rock Roxie’s world. But nothing rocks it like the most gorgeous guy at school, Drew. And nothing is more important to Roxie than astral projecting back to Planet Popular to solve the mystery of the map. But that changes when Drew invites Roxie to homecoming. Hayden warns her that something’s wrong. Why would a guy like Drew like Roxie anyway? Drew must want something. Hayden’s right. Drew is…different. Planet Popular was just the beginning. Part of a bigger world, the Shadow World. There’s a war brewing between the world of humans and the world of shadows. When the shadow invasion begins at Roxie’s high school, she’ll not only fight for her life but the lives of her family and friends, when she discovers she’s the Shadow Slayer, the one human who can save Earth from the shadow onslaught. But, Roxie can’t even kill a spider. Oh yeah, there’s an evil English teacher, an enchanted play, a sword of Sandonian steel, a homecoming of horrors, and seven magic words too.

Amazon (Get book 1 here)

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Day of Sacrifice Omnibus by Stacey Wallace Benefiel (New Adult/Adult Urban Fantasy)

Born to die, a group of Sacrifices and their Guardian Angels band together to kill the Gods and free the world.

The Day of Sacrifice Omnibus is intended for adults due to language and sexual situations.

All six Day of Sacrifice stories together in one volume!

Amazon Barnes and Noble

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Desolate (book 2 of the Desolation series) by Ali Cross (YA paranormal romance)

Where darkness lives, all will become desolate.

It’s been two months since sixteen-year-old Desolation Black chose Earth over Hell and her friend Miri over her eternal love, Michael.

Desi goes through the motions of life: school, training, remaining vigilant against the forces of darkness, but her dreams are full of the choices she wishes she could change. When she’s injured by a strange demon, old temptations arise, and the lines between good and evil blur. Desi discovers those choices aren’t so final after all.

And this time, the power of love-for a friend, for a lover-may not be enough to save her from the darkness that lurks within.

Amazon Barnes and Noble (Get book 1 here)

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How to Date an Alien by Magan Vernon (YA science fiction)

High school senior Alex Bianchi’s estranged father gets her an internship at Circe Operations Center to pad her college applications. But Circe isn’t your typical military base. It’s an alien-run operation center and not all of the aliens are friendly, especially the one that tries to kill Alex on her first day. When Ace, a dark-eyed Caltian, enters and saves the day, she can’t help but be drawn to him. Can these star-crossed lovers survive when they’re on the brink of intergalactic war?

Amazon Barnes and Noble

Click here to go to the next stop in the Get Your Spook on blog hop.

YA Indie Carnival––Happy Halloween: Spooky, Scary, Eerie Excerpts

This week at the carnival all the carnis are sharing their spooky, scary, eerie excerpts! Soooo…join in on the fun and share some of your spine-tingling stories too. Did you break into a cemetery as a kid and SWEAR you heard moans and groans when no one else was around? Comment with your scariest memories, and I promise I’ll make your heart race even faster if you listen to 13 ON HALLOWEEN, available now at Audible.com ($1.99 for a limited time). In 13 ON HALLOWEEN (Shadow Series #1), Roxie is afraid of her attic. With good reason. In SHADOW SLAYER (Shadow Series #2) Roxie has a lot more to be afraid of. Here’s a blood-curdling Zombie excerpt:

I turn another corner in the labyrinth. Every leaf, every twig, and even the grass changes colors. Unnatural colors. I startle at a huge rustle beside me and bite my nails.

Two disembodied arms stick out of the bush next to me. My heart beats hard against my chest. I try to wriggle out of his grip but whoeveritis clamps down on my arms making it hard for me to get any leverage.

“AAAAAHhhhhh!” I scream, writhing back and forth. I fight to free my arms but he’s already wrestled them to my sides. I can’t move. He lifts me a few inches off the ground. I kick and stare at my useless hands and spot the long nails with black nail polish that begin to dig into my skin. There’s a tattoo on each finger. All the same. Stars, I think.

“I want to suck your blood!” he says laughing, lowering me to the ground. As soon as my feet get a little traction I kick and try to run away.

“Ouch! Drew, control your woman!” One of the guys says, a familiar voice. A football player steps out of the bushes. He loosens his grip and places an arm, the size of my thigh, over my shoulders. He marches us out of the labyrinth. I twist around, searching the maze. There’s no sign of the sword, my sword.

Drew doubles over, laughing and the prankster takes my hand and places it in Drew’s. My gaze falls on the spot of fabric where Drew’s boutonniere isn’t. We’re surrounded by a bunch of homecoming zombies. Sixteen-year-old zombies. Their tuxedo coats all ripped and fake-aged with chalk or something. The black make-up around their eyes smudge into their white make up, their faces so pale they kind of glow in the moonlight.

“Zombies don’t suck blood!” Drew says between laughs.

“I know it just sounds so much better than I’d like to eat your brains,” the guy says. “Who’s this tasty morsel?”

“Roxie, this is everyone,” Drew says. In the middle of a circle of homecoming zombies, I immediately breathe easier. “Everyone, this is Roxie,” Drew gives my hand a little squeeze. I sink into his hug, floating my fingers over the spot where his boutonniere should be.

“Finally. Hey, I’m Franklin.” A large guy, the guy who had me in his grip and the size of a line backer, exactly the size of a line backer, pulls me away from Drew and buries me in a bear hug.

“That’s enough,” Drew says, taking a hand to Franklin’s shoulder, separating us.

“This is the one, huh?” another guy, smaller than the rest, says. “I’m CeCe.” He kind of scowls as he puts his hands in his pockets and rubs his chin with his shoulder. A little of his undead makeup rubs off on his brown suit coat.

“Hey,” I say. “What’s with the whole Halloween homecoming get up?” It’s all I can manage. I get super shy when I’m around people I don’t know, let alone football players who are years older than me who I barely know. Guys who just tricked me.

“She totally fell for it guys!” Another of the guys says.

“This is Randy,” Drew says, using his whole arm to point him out.

Randy makes like he’s going to run into me and dodges me at the last minute. “May I have this dance?” he says in a made-up English accent. He doesn’t wait for an answer and twirls me around then dips me and says, “I am you know… randy….” with a mischievous smile.

I turn to face Drew. “So what? All that was a joke?”

Drew gazes at the ground before he walks over and wraps me in his arms. His lips meet mine in a forceful kiss. “All of that,” he says. It’s like the best date ever, aside from the fact he made me believe I’m a Shadow Slayer and have to save the world. 

For another excerpt and for the Shadow Series playlist, dream cast and more click here.

Shadow Slayer (Shadow Series #2) is available at Amazon. 13 on Halloween (Shadow Series #1) is free at Amazon.

I dare you to check out the other spooky scary & erie excerpts from my fellow carnis! Click here for more!

 

13 on Halloween Audiobook winner & look what came in the mail!

I’m doing a giveaway this week–1 signed copy of Shadow Slayer [open to US readers]. At the beginning of Shadow Slayer, Roxie is trying to fit in as a freshman in high school but she feels like all her middle school friends are abandoning her. All you need to do to enter to win is comment here with one of your freshman high school stories about fitting in. Maybe it’s about the first time you felt like you fit in, maybe it’s about the first new high school friend you made, or maybe it’s about that place at school where you’d go to get away from it all.

Good luck!

And the winner of a the 13 on Halloween audiobook is…..Wonder Woman Terri! Congrats Terri, I hope you enjoy listening to the beginnings of the Shadow Series! Thanks for your tweets and photos, you’ve inspired me when I needed it most! <3

Freaky Friday! Win a free copy of 13 on Halloween (shadow series #1) audiobook :D

One of my favorite things to do is to sit around the campfire and tell scary stories, really scary stories! Audiobooks remind me of that.

So, I’ve decided to have some fun this weekend. I need this. Here’s my problem. I have no clue what to be this Halloween.

This year, I’ve been having trouble getting into the spirit for this, one of my favorite holidays. So help me out, and enter to win a copy of 13 on Halloween audiobook! 

 

HOW TO ENTER:

1. Tweet: Trick-or-Treat! Enter to win a 13 on #Halloween #audiobook by @Laurawriting. Enter today! http://wp.me/1J9jx #ya

2. Comment on this post with a link to a photo of either you dressed up on Halloween or a very cool costume that you found online.

Every comment is an entry. Every Tweet is an entry.

On Monday, October 15th I’ll pick a random winner! Because Mondays can epically suck & how fun would it be to find out you’ve won an audiobook?

I’ll go first:

Hubby and I as hippie vampires at a friend’s party in LA

Hope you have a fabulous October 13th tomorrow:D

If you want to join in the TOMORROW ONLY FUN on Facebook, like my author page and join us if you dare!

Read more about the Shadow Series here.

Even death can’t break a father & son’s bond….Dead Heat the latest by Lisa Nowak

I’m really excited for Lisa’s latest. I saw her cover and SQUEEEEED! Lisa and I are a part of The Pacific Northwest YA Authors group and met last year at Wordstock in Portland, OR. I’ve already got my copy of Dead Heat. Hurry up and get yours!

A man who longs for a son and a boy who can’t escape his father’s violence. Even death can’t break their bond.

Alex is a machine whisperer. He can tell what’s wrong with a broken-down car with a touch. But his gift can’t save him from the brutality of his meth-addict father. For two years, Alex experienced kindness through Cole, his mentor. Now Cole’s dead, and the violence in Alex’s life is escalating.

When Cole reappears as a ghost, Alex clings to the tenuous link. Then he learns Cole might’ve sacrificed his chance to cross over. Jade, the first girl to look beyond Alex’s past, assures him Cole can reach the Other Side-if Alex escapes from his dad. But a previous terrifying attempt has convinced Alex it’s impossible. Unless he can find the courage to try, his friend may be earthbound forever.

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“Dead Heat blew me away. It’s a gritty ghost story interwoven with all-too-real subject matter that will make you cry for Alex, ache for Cole, and thank God for Jade. I was invested in these characters’ lives and you will be too.”

~ Stacey Wallace Benefiel, author of the Zellie Wells trilogy

• Buy it on Amazon
• Buy it on Barnes and Noble
• Buy it on Smashwords

In addition to being a YA author, Lisa is a retired amateur stock car racer, an accomplished cat whisperer, and a professional smartass. She writes coming-of-age books about kids in hard luck situations who learn to appreciate their own value after finding mentors who love them for who they are.

• Blog: http://lisanowak.wordpress.com/
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/Lisa_Nowak
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LisaNowakAuthor
• Newsletter: http://bit.ly/LisaNowakNewsletter

Terrifying Teaser: Midnight Surrender –– Shadow Slayer Lost Excerpt

I’m really excited that one of my stories will be featured in a spooky anthology called Midnight Surrender. It releases on Oct. 11, here’s a teaser from the lost excerpt of Shadow Slayer (Shadow Series #2), the short story The Seven Cities of Gold: (For Cassie Hoffman’s  4-star review of Shadow Slayer click here!)

Drew and I snuck onto the football field ten minutes ago. It’s pretty epic scaling the stadium gates. I’m afraid of heights, but Drew and I climbed the chain link side by side. I feel like I can do anything when he’s with me. He’s the kind of guy a girl would break into school with and not care about what punishment might come down after. I love laying here in the empty stadium with Drew, like this. Like everything’s normal. Like we’re normal. 

“It’s easy, Roxie,” Drew says, laying beside me, inches away.

“What is?” I shift a little in the grass and turn to face him.

“Killing the moon.” It’s the night before the big game against LT, but Drew’s a million miles away.

“If you say so.” I shiver and stare at the huge goal post above us, ghostly against the night sky. He knows how badly I’ve wanted to kill the moon. How important it is. I’ve been hounding him non-stop about it since homecoming––the night my life changed––when he spoke of it at the bonfire.

We are said to kill the moon because its phases are meaningless to us. Time doesn’t matter to us.

I’m not sure I’m ready. I mean, not now. Not this second. Not on a Thursday night. Such a normal night. I like normal. Moon Killing seems more of a Saturday night thing, I guess. Saturday nights are meant for the extraordinary. I stroke my arm and feel the rough edges of my massive scar. There’s not enough Mederma in the world to completely heal my first battle wound.

“Come on!” Drew says, standing over me in just the right spot so that the goal posts stick out of his head like huge horns. I laugh. But he gets all jumpy, searching the bleachers as if he expects to be surrounded. Just like he did at homecoming before he took me to the enchanted labyrinth. When he told me what I was. I love the way he’s looking at me now––desperate and dire.

Drew holds out his hand and I grab a hold of it. He reaches down and grabs my other hand, tugging on my arms. I lift off the grass, out of the end zone and into his arms. He pulls me in close like his shadow had when we danced.

Shadows want to be human more than anything.

I hug Drew, exploring his perfect body. I never want us to be separated again. But we will. I’ll see all I love die.

“Shadows are at play,” Drew says staring at the moon.

“Even more important for me to know how to kill the moon then, right?”

He gives my hand a History Channel kiss.

“Tell me about The Seven Cities of Gold,” I say.

He holds my hand in his and we walk off the field and onto the track.

“First, you need to know…the truth.”

“About what?”

“About me.” Drew glances at the moon again. “Stand here.” He wraps his arms around my waist and gently walks me over by the bleachers. We stop only a few feet away from them. He lets go of me and stands a few feet away, staring at the all- weather track. “Ready?”

I swallow hard. “Sure.”

He smiles and takes guarded steps, one and then another, inching his way toward me. Never taking his eyes off the track. I watch our shadows blend into one. When I feel his hand on my lower back a flash of silver light surrounds us. I jump into his arms, trembling, and search his golden eyes, more gorgeous than ever. He holds tight to me, and whispers, “Close your eyes.”

So I do. His voice is different, deeper, with an accent I can’t place. A chill ripples from my head to my feet.

“Now…open them again.”

I open my eyes to the gentle crash of waves on an enormous beach. The warm evening air heavy on my skin.

“You only know me as Drew, the boy I’ve had to become. But I want you to know the real me. My name is Andrés Carrera De Portolo.”

“Andrés?” I whisper, liking the way his real name leaves my lips––mysterious, foreign and dangerous. Even though Drew doesn’t sound like the Drew I know, his accent makes him hotter than ever. I bend down and run my fingers over the sand, letting it sift through my fingers. This is real.

Stay tuned for the cover reveal next week! Thanks for stopping by.

Shadow Slayer (Shadow Series #2) is available on Amazon.

 

The Audiobook: Does your prose go to 11?

Romance, Snoopy & Sonoma Valley

I had a wonderful time at the Sonoma County Book Festival last Saturday. I’ve got lots of stories to share from the festival and will be posting little snapshots of the festival this week. Today I want to share a few of the fabulous surprises that met me there:

 

Isn’t he adorable? I had no idea that Charles Schultz was a Santa Rosa native. This Snoopy was in the lobby of our hotel and we were told they are all over the town too. I wish I had time to visit The Charles Schultz Museum there. The festival went all day long. But next year I’m definitely going to go a bit early to check it out!

The day was full of romance….novels of course. It’s so fun when someone walks over to my booth and picks up Winnemuca, a small-town fairy tale, and says…oh, I’ve got to tell you about what happened to me in Winnemucca. I love hearing about readers’ personal connection to the town. When they ask what the story is about, I say the story is about a girl awakening to her intuition for the first time on an enchanted road trip to Winnemucca, NV––the Emerald City of the novel. I usually get some raised eye brows followed by the question have you ever been to Winnemucca? When I say I have, they usually laugh and say this one time in Winnemucca…Here are a few of the tales people shared with me on Saturday.

This one time, in Winnemucca…..

“her clothes flew off the top of our car and we pulled over and picked underwear out of the tumbleweeds….”

“Dad moved to Winnnemucca to escape our government’s collapse, I believe it was 1992….”

“We grew up just outside of Winnemucca and my cousin was jumped in the bathroom at our high school, and some guys rubbed Tiger Balm on his balls…”

“I was on a road trip and stayed there overnight and I saw the milky way clearer than I ever have in my entire life!”

Thanks so much to everyone for sharing their Winnemucca stories. I’m thinking about starting a page on the blog so I can post them. To read more about Winnemucca, a small-town fairy tale click here.

I look forward to sharing some more stories from the festival this week! I want to give a BIG shout out to my hubby for being the best booth buddy ever