Meet the Characters of Stain...

Stain's characters have been called kaleidoscopic, unique, spiritually deep, and elaborately drawn by reviewers. If you've yet to read my fairytale / fantasy hybrid, here's an insider's look at the seven most important players in my gritty and Gothic retelling inspired by The Princess and the Pea, with quotes from the book to pique your interest:

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RoseBlood Cover Reveal and Giveaway is LIVE!

The RoseBlood cover is in the spotlight over at YABC!

To see it in living color, and for a chance to win an ARC or poster, check out the post here!

The Post-Ensnared novella has a name and a face!

North Texas Teen Book Festival 2015 was a huge success! Fifty-three authors and several thousand readers/volunteers/librarians were in attendance. WOW. 

I had a great day meeting Splintered fans and being on panels with some amazing authors! Here I am on a horror panel with the incomparable Leigh Bardugo, Carrie Ryan, Nova Ren Suma, and April Genevieve Tucholke:

Picture Attribution: Chara Sullivan

We talked scary movies and books, then discussed our upcoming horror anthology, Slasher Girls & Monster Boys. 

I've read a few of the stories inside, and you're going to want to pick up this little gem. It's filled with all kinds of tantalizing creeptitude.

Anyway, the most exciting time I had all day (other than meeting the fabulous fans--that's always the best part) was revealing the novella's title and cover! My good pal, Jenny Mlodzik, snapped some pictures of the event, so here it is in still shots:

And the title is UNTAMED! Yay! (I know, I was putting on a silly show ... but it was fun ... that's all that matters, right?)

Here's a nice big image, so you can see all the loveliness up close and personal:

Here's a quick rundown of Q&A about the book/cover:

Q: Is it going to be available in hardback or just ebook?
A: Both!

Q: When is it being released?
A: December 2015

Q: Will The Moth in the Mirror be included in this collection?
A: Yes!

Q: Will there be ARCs or gallies?
A: No, I'm sorry. My publisher isn't printing advanced reader copies since it's a companion novel. 

Q: Are Alyssa's eyes two different colors?
A: Yes. To find out why, you'll have to read the stories. ;)

Q: Is it posted on GoodReads yet?
A: Yes! Untamed is on GoodReads now, so add, add, add!

Q: What is the book about?
A: Follow this link for more information on the content. 

Q: Can I preorder it?
A: There are preordering buttons provided here. I'll update as more preorder locations become available.

If you have other questions, you may leave them below and I'll try to answer in a few days. Just please make sure your comments/questions aren't spoilery or I'll have to delete them. Not everyone has read Ensnared yet. ;)

I'm still under a crazy deadline, but I'll get a breather later this week (either Thursday or Friday) and will finally have that giveaway I've been promising. And yes, some of the prizes will be Untamed goodies! 

So, keep a weather eye on the horizon! And happy Monday. :)

Ensnared ARC up for grabs! (INTL giveaways)

There are five INTL giveaways going on right now (through December 19th) to celebrate Ensnared, the final book of the Splintered Trilogy. 

There are also TEN Ensnared Hardbacks being offered at each stop (Domestic only)

To see a list of all the posts / prizes, and some teasers from the book, 

follow this link.

To go directly to the post that is offering up this gorgeous ARC set of the trilogy (INTL), click on the picture below.

Splintered Trilogy -- Signed Set of all 3 ARCs 

<THIS ARC GIVEAWAY LASTS THROUGH DEC 19th>

Good luck to everyone!

Ensnared Virtual Book Tour Schedule

During December, there are some frabjous Ensnared giveaways that will last through December 19th.

Here's a list of the teasers and what's up for grabs:

Fiktshun -- Winter Wonderland song presented by Morpheus and Chessie (+ chance to win a coffee table book, INTL)

Two Chicks on Books -- Cover chat with Jeb and Jenara (+ chance to win a Harlequin zipper bag, INTL)

All the Write Notes -- Official Ensnared Playlist teaser featuring songs from Alyssa, Morpheus, and Jeb (+ giveaway for 10 Ensnared hardbacks, domestic only)

Adventures of a Book Junkie -- Deleted scenes from original Splintered, pre-publication. (+ chance to win a gothic faerie print, INTL)

Dark Faerie Tales -- Entire first chapter of Ensnared, revealed! (+ chance to win a set of ARCs from the series, INTL)

And here's a look at some of the great prizes 

(others aren't pictured here):

Ensnared Book Trailer Reveal Giveaway!

Yay! The ARCs are finally here, and just in time for the October Ensnared teaser reveal!

Aren't they pretteh?

I've been hugging them for hours, so they're broken in and ready to go to good homes... 

Well, three of them anyway. ;) 

But first, here is October's reveal:

Hope you liked it, and are even more excited for book three's launch in January! 

But for now, I promised a giveaway to help tide you over, so here's what's up for grabs (and yes, it's INTL):

3 Signed Ensnared ARCs

1 Vintage Queen of Hearts Print

2 Key Necklace/Book Marks

1 Pair of Alice Key Earrings (from "With Love, From Home")

1 Set of 5 Alice Card Suit Magnets

(Styles will vary)

2 Personalized/signed Splintered Series Swag packs 

That's 10 chances to win a prize! 

Use the rafflecopter below to enter, and I'll see you again in November to announce the winners and the next Ensnared teaser reveal.

Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ensnared Sample Chapters on Net Galley

For anyone who's been wanting a peek, the first three chapters of Ensnared are now available on NetGalley!

Happy Reading. :)

Update on Netgalley Ensnared ARCs

Today I got to see a mockup of the ARC cover and it's BEAUTIFUL beyond belief. <3 Here's a peek:

Also, when I posted my original ARC update here, I'd been told "we aren’t doing the Google signup but will have it available on NetGalley," and I thought that meant the eARC would be available in its entirety.

I was mistaken. I just got clarification today that Ensnared will be available as a "Sampler" on NetGalley which will encompass a few chapters, meant to whet reader's appetites. 

Sorry! I wasn't trying to mislead anyone and hate to disappoint you. It was an honest miscommunication on both ends. 

But take heart! As promised, I will be giving some of my printed author copies away once they get here. More info on that will be forthcoming. 

Until then, I hope everyone has a fun and safe Labor Day weekend!

Ensnared ARC update

148 days and counting until 

book 3 hits the shelves!

I'm so excited about sharing the "final" installment of the Splintered Trilogy with everyone!

A lot of you have been asking if ARCs will be available. With UNHINGED, I had a Google Doc on my website where people could submit to try to get an ARC, but the official word from my publisher on ENSNARED ARCs is that they aren't printing as many. So they'll be more like collector's items.

This means I don't get to have a Google signup and will be playing no part in who gets ARCs. The e-ARC will be available on NetGalley (no official date yet), although my pub told me they plan to be very selective about who gets a copy.

***UPDATE: 8-28-14***

The Ensnared egalleys (available on NetGalley sometime this fall) will only be sample chapters of the book, not the entire ARC. Sorry! I just found this out today.

On the upside, I will be getting a few author copies which I'll share with you via giveaways! Stay tuned here or on my FB page or twitter and I'll keep you apprised with deets when the giveaways go live. 

Hope to see you at Ama-Con 2014!

Ensnared Excerpt and Happy Fourth of July!

Things have been quiet on my blog because I've been working hard on my Ensnared line edits. I was asked to knock 10,000 words off the original manuscript because my pub hadn't budgeted for a book quite as big as the one I wrote. *sighs*

That's what happens when you're long winded like me. ;)

But, I managed to do it without losing any story or scenes and I'm very happy with the finished product. I sent it off to my editor yesterday and am hoping she loves it as much as me.

To celebrate, I wanted to share an excerpt:

(click to enlarge)

Also, I have a pinterest board dedicated to Ensnared teaser pictures here. So hop over if you'd like more insights into book 3!

Now, I'm going to take a week off of social media to spend time with my poor neglected family. I hope everyone has a safe and fun Fourth of July!

See you soon. (◕‿-)

Meet me at BEA!

For anyone who lives in NY, or anyone who's attending BEA 2014 (Book Expo of America), I'll be there and would love to meet you and chat books!

Here's my schedule:

Day 4 of the ENSNARED cover reveal EVENT!

(Sorry we're late; there was some scheduling confusion today, so we moved the event over here.)

Hope you had a great weekend and are ready to continue our unveiling of the official Ensnared book cover! 

Take a gander at Puzzle Piece #4...

The spotlight character on book 3’s cover has gone through some *changes* (putting it mildly) since the last time we saw them. Not sure what you’re seeing in the sample? The clue is in the prize pack: A set of garnet-red press-on face gems… 

 

And I’m throwing in some personalized Splintered Series swag + a corded necklace, too (FYI, the crown and heart are hugely symbolic in bk3):

Good luck on the giveaway! Also, just one more post left until you get to see it ALL. Join us again tomorrow at Tales of a Ravenous Reader where I’ll share the last puzzle piece and some of the symbolism behind Ensnared’s cover. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Official Ensnared Cover Reveal is here!!!

*** Set your clocks and don't be late! ***

THE ENSNARED COVER REVEAL EVENT 

begins this week!!!

And I am beyond excited to share the beautiful cover art with you!

There will be prize packs at each puzzle post, including Alice in Wonderland goodies. For the final huge giveaway I'll be offering signed books/ARCs and more goodies (including a Splintered paperback, a limited edition Splintered / Unhinged flip ARC, Splintered Series swag, a sekrit TBA prize, and a death head moth necklace). 

And yes, all giveaways are INTL. ❤(◕‿-)❤

It all begins this Wednesday (May 21st). 

Here's the official schedule for your convenience:

• May 21st, Puzzle Piece 1 + teaser / small giveaway - Fiktshun
• May 22nd, Puzzle Piece 2 + excerpt / small giveaway - Adventures of a Book Junkie
• May 23rd, Puzzle Piece 3 + teaser / small giveaway - Dark Faerie Tales
• May 26th, Puzzle Piece 4 + teaser / small giveaway -  right here at my place.
• May 27th, Puzzle Piece 5 + teaser and glimpse of spotlight character / small giveaway -  Tales of a Ravenous Reader
• May 28th, COMPLETE FINAL COVER + HUMONGOUS FRABJOUS giveaway -  Two Chicks on Books

Hope to see you there!

Ensnared Cover News!

****GIVEAWAY ENDED!****

Have you seen this cover???

It would probably be in color, clearer, and would not be blotted or crossed out with a big red X. ;)

Somehow, accidentally, the earliest mock-up of the Ensnared cover is floating around the internet. It even got posted on GoodReads for a little while. And who knows? It might end up there again.

In fact, I'm starting to suspect Wonderlandian antics are afoot due to this suspicious set of tweets from a certain Rabid White...

Naughty little netherlings. 

This is awesome on the one hand, because you get to share in the evolution of the making of a cover. But, on the other hand, it's the wrong version. 

So, if you see it posted ANYWHERE online, know this: We chose not to go with this cover. It didn't properly portray the character it was supposed to represent (not saying *who* that is, although some of you have already figured it out, smarties!). SO, we chose another. THAT I LOOOOOVE. *swoonie-swoon-swoon*

BUT, you won't get to see it until the the OFFICIAL cover reveal which will go live via a 5-day extravaganza of excerpts, teasers, and FRABJOUS giveaways **coming your way soon!!!**. 

Stay tuned. I'll be back to post the exact date shortly. But for now, keep your eyes peeled, because an impostor is on the loose, as are the netherlings.

Also, I'd love help spreading the word, so if any of you have twitters, facebooks, or tumblrs and want to get on board, I'll throw in three personalized swag packs (INTL) if you help me get the word out. 

1-Splintered/Unhinged bookmark, 1-AiW gift tag, 1-personalized signed bookplate

Put a link in the comment section below to any post you make sharing this blog post (or simply RT my tumblr post), and I'll randomly choose three winners by May 9th (this Friday). 

I look forward to sharing the REAL cover with you very soon. And I promise, it will be worth the wait. :)

Unhinged Sweepstakes and a peek into Ensnared!

This giveaway has ended.

Congrats to the following winners:

3- Signed Hardbacks:
Candy Hamilton
Genesis Munoz
(Still waiting to hear  back from the final hardback winner)


AiW Pocketwatch: Skye (Skye Writes Novels)
AiW Print: Catherine Mitchell
Splintered/Unhinged Swag: Emily Miller

Thanks everyone who participated!
More giveaways to come in the future, so stay tuned.

Splintered's second installment, Unhinged, is almost here!!! And to celebrate, my publisher is giving away 3 signed Unhinged hardbacks (US only). But never fear INTL followers! I haven't forgotten you. I'm throwing in some frabjous Alice in Wonderland goodies & Splintered Swag that anyone can win, regardless of your address. :)
 
BUT, before we get to the giveaway deets, I wanted to share the blurb for Ensnared, book 3, from Publishers Marketplace, for those who haven't seen it yet.
 

Ensnared:
 
In the last installment of the Splintered Trilogy, Alyssa journeys into a parallel dimension of Wonderland where netherling outcasts are exiled, to challenge Queen Red to a final battle of magic and wiles for the greater good of her friends, family, Wonderland, and the human realm.

I'm having such a blast writing it! So many creepy cool creatures and scenes...not to mention some hot kisses...
 
 
NOW,  onto the giveaways!

First up:

 3 signed Unhinged hardbacks,

 Courtesy of my fabulous publisher, Amulet Books.

Again, this part of the giveaway is US only. If you qualify, here's that rafflecopter:

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

Next up for grabs, these three lovely prize packs, INTL,

Courtesy of me. ;) 

Use the rafflecopter at the end of the post to enter.

 

 1- Copper AiW pocket watch w/24 inch chain

 

1- "Have I Gone Mad?" 5x7 Print

1- Personalized Splintered/Unhinged swag pack

 

 

Both of these giveaways end soon, so you'll have to hurry! And thank you everyone for helping us ring in Unhinged's birthday. Happy 2014!

 

  



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Unhinged Hardbacks have arrived!

 

Yay! At long last, the hardbacks are here! For me, this means lots of drooling and petting and wasting hours staring longingly at the cover and design. 

 

For YOU this means a giveaway is forthcoming! Within the next few weeks I'll wrangle one up, and yes, it will be INTL.

 

Stay tuned!

30 Unhinged ARCs up for grabs!

Thanks to all of you, Splintered and I have made it into the final round for GoodReads Choice Debut Author! To show their appreciation, my publisher is giving away 30 Unhinged ARCs on GoodReads. (Domestic only)

 

If you still haven't voted and would like to, here's that link.

But, you don't need to vote for a chance to win an Unhinged ARC. Entering is easy-peasy; just go here!

For those of you who aren't domestic, stay tuned. I'll be having an INTL giveaway for a couple of Unhinged ARCs very soon...

E is for Exciting!

And it's also for . . . E-novella.

 

I wrote one!

Add it on GoodReads

 

An original 40-page story from the points of view of fan-favorite characters: Morpheus and Jebediah. Morpheus wants to know more about his rival for Alyssa’s affections, so he digs into Jeb’s memories of his time in Wonderland. But he may be surprised by what he finds.

 

This brand-new story and perspective from A.G. Howard’s dark, magical world stands alone, but also provides a tantalizing glimpse of what’s to come in Unhinged, the sequel to Splintered.

  

It comes out on October 22, but is available now for preorder. Check out this link for details.

 

Also, Unhinged's E-ARC is now available on NetGalley!

Here's the linky.

 

Hope you get a chance to check these out,

and thanks for stopping by!