Exclusive Excerpt Reveal with USA Today!

Today, there's an exclusive peek at RoseBlood on USA Today's HEA! Here's a sneak peek. To read the entire excerpt, follow this link.

Glowing Kirkus Review For RoseBlood!

Okay, anyone who reads this blog knows I don't ever post reviews, but the fact that I received such a positive review from Kirkus, who weren't too fond of any of my Splintered books, deserves to be recorded here for posterity. 

Here's the review (click on image to enlarge):

I'm so happy my story resonated with them! If you'd like to see the review on the Kirkus website, follow this link. 

Also, heads up, the RoseBlood virtual tour is coming in October, with lots of sneak peeks, reveals, and giveaways. Stay tuned for deets!

My personal RoseBlood ARCs are going out next week!

Today I’m personalizing my RoseBlood ARC packs with Phantastical cards and musical note necklace/bookmarks so they'll be ready to mail next week. Can’t wait to send these beauties off to their new owners! 💕

Please note: All of my author copy arcs are already spoken for and my publisher is not taking any more requests at this time. My publicist will be mailing review copies to her chosen bloggers sometime in September. 

Don't worry if you haven't received an email from her. It doesn't necessarily mean you're not getting one. She's not letting anyone know ahead of time. She's simply mailing them off, so those readers will get a happy surprise!

The Preciousssss - part two...

Yesterday, in part one of this post, I shared my author copy for The Architect of Song. Today, I wanted to showcase my beautiful RoseBlood arcs, and share a sneak peek into how the hardback's interior will be different. 

I'm so thrilled with the dramatic effect of the vivid covers juxtaposed against the stark B&W interior! And the thorny, brambly vines? Eerie perfection. Check it out:

Now, should you be one of the lucky recipients who ends up with an arc, be sure to get yourself a hardback, too. Because not only is there colored ink in the HB, but there's also a completely different design for the end papers. Here's an example:

So stunning! <3 Of course, the color might not be exactly this shade (computer monitors may vary), but it's close.

I'm getting so excited to send off the arcs! Any bloggers who put their bid in for one via my publisher should be getting theirs within the next few weeks (if you were chosen). My publicist informed me that she didn't send anyone emails if they were going to get one, she's simply going to put them in the mail. So be watching your mailbox to find out if you scored one! And as for the past winners of my arc giveaways, I'll be sending those off sometime within the next few weeks, too. 

One last thing, if anyone would like to plaster this little animated beauty on your blog's sidebar, or share it via twitter, FB, tumblr, pinterest, etc... to get the word out about RoseBlood, I'd appreciate it so much! Just follow this link for HTML or other posting options. 

Have a great weekend, and I'll see you again soon with more bookish updates!

RoseBlood Artwork and Excerpt Reveal!

****GIVEAWAY ENDED****

Winners have been announced here.

Back in March, we had the official RoseBlood cover reveal. If you saw that post, you know there was a story behind the artwork. For those who missed it, here's a recap:

RoseBlood’s cover had an interesting journey. At first, I had my heart set on a panoramic view of my heroine, Rune, singing in front of the stage. There’s a scene in the book when she first embraces her voice without pain that is so powerful, it gives the reader that feeling of being swept away upon swells of living music. That’s what I had hoped to capture. So Nathalia Suellen worked up an amazing, evocative, and dark rendition of said scene, and I fell in love.

However, the panoramic view was harder to spot from a distance . . . not as eye-catching. And eye-catching is one of the first rules of a good cover. Also, it was a busier cover, which can be distracting, especially in thumbnail images. And, were we instead to go with a close-up image, similar in ways to the Splintered books, readers would automatically know it was written by the same author, just from one quick glance.

So, the panoramic was pushed aside, and a close-up cover took center stage for marketing reasons.

BUT, I didn’t want to say goodbye to that first mockup. So I bought the original image from Nathalia to use in posters and postcards. This way, you all get to share in the cover journey and have a visual of that pivotal scene from the book.

Without further adieu, here is the panoramic image, and the excerpt it represents -- the first time Rune manages to sing without pain with the help of her masked "maestro":

Excerpt:

The finale stretches, silken and luxurious, before falling in an audible drizzle that coats every wall, rafter, and seat with tremulous emotion.

The room stops spinning, and I’m left standing—strong, powerful … victorious. For the first time in ten years, I conquered the music. I did it.

“I did it!” I shout, spinning in place on the stage, my wet dress opening like a parasol and sprinkling water everywhere. I haven’t felt like this for so long … elated, like when Dad would accompany me, when together we carried the songs.

The unanswered guilt at his absence flutters through my heart again, but can’t find a place to perch. My chest is too full of happiness; it feels effulgent, as if it’s glowing from within. I look down to find it is, and can’t help but wonder if somewhere above me, the Phantom’s chest is glowing, too.

I glance up at the box seats and project my voice, smiling. “Thank you...”

The soft wail of that familiar violin answers, not in my mind, not from the balcony, but from the orchestra pit. One murmuring, sensual note that winds around me like a caress. 

My cheeks tingle and I press my palms to them, only to realize the black glove is gone from my hand, as if he took it back during our fantasy dance. As if he really held me in his arms…

*****

Yes, those thorny, black vines actually play a part in the story, but not in this particular scene. And yes, they're every bit as creepy and dangerous as they appear. ;)

Now, onto the giveaway!

(1) One personalized and signed RoseBlood ARC.

(2) One signed poster of the panoramic image revealed today. 

(3) Three panoramic postcards + RoseBlood swag packs:

 

 

 That's 5 chances to win something, INTL! Enter the rafflecopter below, and good luck to everyone.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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!

Finished Writing RoseBlood!

At long last, I finally finished writing my Phantom of the Opera spinoff, RoseBlood, due to come out Jan 2017!

Here's the manuscript, printed off in all it's glory -- all 118,000 words of it. @.@

By clicking on the image, you might be able to make out the first few paragraphs, although it's pretty blurry. My cell takes terrible pictures. ;)

If you'd like to know more about the story, follow this link for some RoseBlood FAQs. 

And now come the edits... *coughs*