A Peak Inside Stain's Pages...

In less than 6 weeks, Stain hits bookstores, which means it’s reveal time! My high fantasy/ fairy tale hybrid inspired by The Princess and the Pea has 32 chaps divided into three parts, with titles that highlight each scene’s essence and the Gothic fairy tale atmosphere. Check out the image for a sneak peek! 

Click to view high res image

And don't forget, if you preorder, you're eligible for a print copy of Morpheus's prequel origin story from my Splintered series (pictured below)! Follow this link for details.

RoseBlood & The Architect of Song GIVEAWAY BASH

***The giveaway portion of this post has ended. Winners were announced here.***

Sorry I've been quiet online for a few weeks -- one of the downsides to having 2 books coming out within months of each other. Juggling duel sets of edits and pass pages at the same time leads to long days and nights in the writing cave. 

But, there's also a huge upside that I get to share with all of you! Two books coming out means twice the giveaways, and today I decided to double up and have a RoseBlood reveal and two Architect of Song announcements, along with prizes tied to each book. 

First, the reveal -- RoseBlood's official trailer:

Here's hoping that left you even hungrier for the haunting story behind the mask. ;) I'm so looking forward to January when this baby hits the shelves!

And The Architect of Song announcements:

The official tour, sponsored by RockStar Book Tours, is on the horizon:

Mark your calendars because there will be early reviews, insider peeks, and prizes galore. 

Also, the kindle version is now up for preorder! Here are two beautiful pictures taken by some talented bloggers as proof: 

(picture attribution: Ravenous Reader)

(picture attribution: My Friends are Fiction)

Click here or on either image above to go to Amazon for more info. 

Several readers have asked if there will be a printed version of this book, and yes, there is (I'm giving one away today). However, the preorder option is only available for the e-version. The paperback will be available to buy on the release date: August 15th, 2016. 

Now, to the giveaway (yes, it's INTL)! 

Up for grabs today:

One signed RoseBlood ARC

One signed The Architect of Song paperback

One signed RoseBlood panoramic poster

One signed The Architect of Song poster

One musical sheet necklace (18 inch chain)

One set of signed RoseBlood swag

One set of signed The Architect of Song swag

Enter the rafflecopter below for your chance to win one of these seven fabulous prizes (INTL)! Good luck to all, and I hope to see you later this month for The Architect of Song's blog tour. Have a happy and safe 4th of July, everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

RoseBlood & The Architect of Song GIVEAWAY BASH

Sorry I've been quiet online for a few weeks -- one of the downsides to having 2 books coming out within months of each other. Juggling duel sets of edits and pass pages at the same time leads to long days and nights in the writing cave. 

But, there's also a huge upside that I get to share with all of you! Two books coming out means twice the giveaways, and today I decided to double up and have a RoseBlood reveal and two Architect of Song announcements, along with prizes tied to each book. 

First, the reveal -- RoseBlood's official trailer:

Here's hoping that left you even hungrier for the haunting story behind the mask. ;) I'm so looking forward to January when this baby hits the shelves!

And The Architect of Song announcements:

The official tour, sponsored by RockStar Book Tours, is on the horizon:

Mark your calendars because there will be early reviews, insider peeks, and prizes galore. 

Also, the kindle version is now up for preorder! Here are two beautiful pictures taken by some talented bloggers as proof: 

(picture attribution: Ravenous Reader)

(picture attribution: My Friends are Fiction)

Click here or on either image above to go to Amazon for more info. 

Several readers have asked if there will be a printed version of this book, and yes, there is (I'm giving one away today). However, the preorder option is only available for the e-version. The paperback will be available to buy on the release date: August 15th, 2016. 

Now, to the giveaway (yes, it's INTL)! 

Up for grabs today:

One signed RoseBlood ARC

One signed The Architect of Song paperback

One signed RoseBlood panoramic poster

One signed The Architect of Song poster

One musical sheet necklace (18 inch chain)

One set of signed RoseBlood swag

One set of signed The Architect of Song swag

Enter the rafflecopter below for your chance to win one of these seven fabulous prizes (INTL)! Good luck to all, and I hope to see you later this month for The Architect of Song's blog tour. Have a happy and safe 4th of July, everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Welcome to NewASH -- Featuring Kat Ross from the Red Team!

 Welcome to New Adult Scavenger Hunt! This bi-annual event was inspired as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors…and a chance to win some awesome prizes! At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize–one lucky winner will receive one book from each author on the hunt in my team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online until May 1st! Go to the New Adult Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are THREE contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I'm a part of TEAM RED – but there are also purple and blue teams for chances to win two other sets of books!

If you get lost, or would like to find your favorite author, there are links to all the authors participating here.

***THE SCAVENGER HUNT***

Directions: At the bottom of this post, you’ll notice that I’ve listed my lucky book number. Collect the lucky book numbers of all the authors on TEAM RED, and then add them up (don’t worry, you can use a calculator!).

Entry Form: Once you’ve added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.

Rules: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian’s permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by May 1st, at noon Eastern Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

LET THE HUNTING BEGIN!

***MEET KAT ROSS***

Kat Ross worked as a journalist at the United Nations for ten years before happily falling back into what she likes best: making stuff up. She lives in Westchester with her kid and a few sleepy cats. Kat is also the author of the dystopian thriller Some Fine Day (Skyscape, 2014), about a world where the sea levels have risen sixty meters. She loves magic, monsters and doomsday scenarios. Preferably with mutants.

***CHECK OUT KAT'S BOOK***

They are the light against the darkness. 

The steel against the necromancy of the Druj. 

And they use demons to hunt demons…. 

Nazafareen lives for revenge. A girl of the isolated Four-Legs Clan, all she knows about the King's elite Water Dogs is that they bind wicked creatures called daevas to protect the empire from the Undead. But when scouts arrive to recruit young people with the gift, she leaps at the chance to join their ranks. To hunt the monsters that killed her sister. 

Scarred by grief, she's willing to pay any price, even if it requires linking with a daeva named Darius. Human in body, he's possessed of a terrifying power, one that Nazafareen controls. But the golden cuffs that join them have an unwanted side effect. Each experiences the other's emotions, and human and daeva start to grow dangerously close. 

As they pursue a deadly foe across the arid waste of the Great Salt Plain to the glittering capital of Persepolae, unearthing the secrets of Darius's past along the way, Nazafareen is forced to question his slavery—and her own loyalty to the empire. But with an ancient evil stirring in the north, and a young conqueror sweeping in from the west, the fate of an entire civilization may be at stake… "

***KAT'S EXCLUSIVE BONUS CONTENT: An excerpt from THE MIDNIGHT SEA***

My eyes flew open at the crack of dawn. I groaned and rubbed my forehead. My scalp tingled, an icy, unpleasant sensation. I knew right away where Darius was and what he was doing. It was another side effect of the bond, I'd discovered. I could feel his heart beating. I knew that one of his boots was too tight. I could shut my eyes and tell you exactly where he was, even if he was hundreds of leagues away.Why had no one told me what it would be like? I supposed Tijah did, but this was much worse than I'd expected. Much, much worse.

I threw on my new scarlet tunic and marched down to the river. Tendrils of mist swirled through the dead reeds at the edge. It was late autumn and the air had a dank chill that promised snow.

My daēva stood there, stripped to the waist, pouring water over his head with his right hand. He wore a gold faravahar on a chain around his neck, its eagle wings spread wide. His left arm lay at his side, grey and dead. I stared at his shoulder, at the juncture where smooth skin met rough. His Druj curse.

It slowed me for a moment, seeing that pathetic arm, but I wasn't yet ready to forgive him for waking me. That was my excuse, anyway. Of course, what really angered me was the terrible realization that I was burdened with a sorrow not my own, but that bled me nonetheless. What really angered me was him—everything about him.

He was calmer this morning, but I wasn't. I stopped about twenty feet away. He didn’t turn around although he knew I was there.

"It's nice that you're so pious," I said. "But don't you think it's a little early to be down here performing the morning rites?"

He paused, then dumped the last of the water from the bowl. I felt the cold trickle down my spine and my lips tightened.

"I was taught by the magi to come at first light," Darius said. "Did you expect to sleep in? I'm afraid that's not the way it works for Water Dogs." He smiled, and we both knew it was fake. "I'm sorry if I've offended you in some way."

I stared at him, at the dark hair plastered across his forehead, his stubborn mouth. He looked so human. And yet there was something in the way Darius held himself, perfectly at ease in his own skin. Still but coiled, like the wolves I'd seen in the mountains.

"You haven't offended me in the least," I said. "I suppose you need the blessing more than I do."

I spun on my heel and walked away, knowing I had wounded him. A small stab to my own heart. And I felt slightly ashamed. But that wasn't the end of it. Then I felt his satisfaction at my shame. And my own anger that he knew and was glad. 

And then his amusement at my anger!

I stalked off, determined to think nothing, to feel nothing, ever again. If only it were that easy.

Awesome excerpt! This is going on my GoodReads to read shelf! If you'd like to add it to yours, go here.  Or to buy the book, here's a link. And be sure to check out what other books Kat has cooking up on her website.

Also, don’t forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of books by me, Kat Ross, and many more authors!

TO ENTER, YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT MY LUCKY BOOK NUMBER IS 6.

Add up all the lucky numbers of the authors on TEAM RED, and you’ll have the secret code to enter for the grand prize!

***CONTINUE THE HUNT***

To keep going on your quest for the hunt and to check out my own personal cover /trailer reveal and INTL giveaway, you'll need to check out the next stop at Kim Briggs's place. GOOD LUCK!

Untamed Ink Color & Table of Contents Reveal + GIVEAWAY TIME

******THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW ENDED******

Here are the winners:

Audio set of Splintered, Unhinged, and Ensnared: 

Kris Dickinson

Author-Signed Untamed Galley Title Page:

Dyanna J. Craig

"Cheshire Clock"  8X10 print:

Lauren Michelle Romas

Alternative Alice in Wonderland 8x10 inch print:

Shelby Scott

  

Follow the white rabbit 5X7 inch print:

Melissa Marshall

Gothic Alice Digital Print Trading Card (2.5" x 3.5"):

Ina M. 

Set of three Vintage Alice in Wonderland gift tags:

Vivien (deadtossedwaves)

Signed Untamed swag pack:

Luis Gonzalez

Kristy Lorenz

Virginia Ann Spencer

All winners have been notified via email. Everyone else, thank you for playing along, and I'll have another giveaway soon, hopefully with an Untamed hardcover up for grabs!

                                               ******

Okay, so exciting news, I'm finally done with all of the Untamed edits, and even got to see the gorgeous PDF that will very shortly become a book. 

I've also been given permission to share a sneak peek at the color ink my publisher (Abrams / Amulet Books) is using this time, as well as a look at the table of contents so you can see the order in which the stories will be presented.

So without further adieu, here's a glimpse of the upcoming book:

Click on image for high res viewing

I can't tell you how excited I am! Blue is my favorite color. ;) Although there's no guarantee it will be this exact shade, since such things vary between jpgs and actual printed images/ text, we do know it's going to be a shade of blue (on the purplish side). 

For a more in-depth description of the short stories, go here.

Now, in celebration of finally being D-O-N-E, and as a tribute to the gorgeous artwork behind the Splintered Series (by artist Nathalia Suellen), I'm going to give away a full set of my books, and some fun Alice related art prints in all shapes and sizes. 

And yes, the giveaway is INTL! 

Here are the prizes:

Audio set of Splintered, Unhinged, and Ensnared 

Author-Signed Untamed Galley Title Page (8.5 X 11")

"Cheshire Clock"  8X10 print (signed on back by artist Jasmine Becket-Griffith) 

Alternative Alice in Wonderland 8x10 inch print

  

Follow the white rabbit 5X7 inch print
Frame not included

Gothic Alice Digital Print Trading Card (2.5" x 3.5")
Display easel not included

Set of three Vintage Alice in Wonderland gift tags

3 sets of signed Untamed swag packs

That's a total of ten winners. Check out the rafflecopter below for how to get entered! 

Oh, and if you'd like FIVE extra entries, you can get them simply by putting my Untamed countdown widget (located at the top of my sidebar) on your blog to help me get the word out. 

Just copy and paste the following into an HTML widget on your blog: <style> #cntdwn{background:url(http://i1116.photobucket.com/albums/k579/aghoward6970/Untamed%20final%20cover2%20countdown_zpsa9dg9owg.jpg) no-repeat 0 0; color:#000000 !important; display:block;

 font-family: Palatino Linotype, Book Antiqua, Palatino, serif !important; font-weight:bold; height:140px; padding:0px 20px 200px;width:177px; text-align:center;  } </style><script language="JavaScript">TargetDate = "12/15/2015 12:01 AM"; BackColor = "transparent"; ForeColor = "#000000 !important"; CountActive = true; CountStepper = -1; LeadingZero = true; DisplayFormat = "%%D%% Days, %%H%% Hours, %%M%% Minutes, %%S%% Seconds.";

FinishMessage = "Available Now"; </script> <script language="JavaScript" src="http://scripts.hashemian.com/js/countdown.js"></script>

Then leave me your blog's link in the window provided on the rafflecopter to prove you've done it, and you'll get those entries. 

Good luck everyone! Can't wait to share more Untamed excerpts / giveaways / and surprises over the next few months as we get ever closer to the December 2015 launch!

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