The Hummingbird Heart Six-Weeks-Away Giveaway!

August 15th is right around the corner, which means we're close to six weeks away from the release of book two in my Haunted Hearts Legacy series! 

To celebrate, I'm having an international giveaway with lots of prizes, including a chance for a few readers to read The Hummingbird Heart early.

Before we get to the deets, here's a quick intro to my new adult series for anyone who hasn't started it yet. 

The Haunted Hearts Legacy is a set of sensual, gothic historical romances with paranormal elements. Being a generational / familial series, each story is tied to the main characters from book one. You get glimpses of the original couple throughout the series, and find out how they're faring over time, all while being taken on new ghostly journeys by their grown children.

So, if you haven't read book one, it's a bit spoilery to jump into the second, but each story can still stand alone. If I did my job right, reading book two will make you curious enough to go back and read how everything played out in the first one. ;)

Here's a peek at the first book in the series, The Architect of Song: 

Click to enlarge and read description

To read a sample, follow this link. Also, check out the visual and musical inspirations for the book on my pinterest board:

Click to visit pinterest board

The Architect of Song is available for purchase now. Follow this link for ordering options. Also, the kindle version is available for a limited time at the discounted price of $2.99 to help ring in book two's imminent arrival. Follow this link for deets. 

Here's a look at book two, The Hummingbird Heart:

Click to enlarge and read description

If you'd like to read a sample, follow this link. And, you can check out my visual inspirations and a few samples from my playlist on the pinterest board:

Click to visit board

The Hummingbird Heart is now available for kindle preorder at a discounted price of $5.95 (regular kindle price post-launch will be $7.95). Follow this link for deets. 

Nook, book depository, iBook, and print versions will be available on the official launch date, August 15, 2017. 

******

Now, lets get down to business. Here are the prizes up for grabs (each one has significance to the story line):

3 - Grand Prize winners will receive an e-ARC for early reading!

Medusa Masquerade Mask

8x11 - "Not all those who wander are lost" Nautical Print

8x11 - Circus Nightmare Print

Hummingbird/Ladybug Jeweled Bookmark

Faux Antique Watch Pin

Set of 3: Hummingbird Magnets

Set of 5 - Nautical Magnets

Hummingbird Temporary Tattoo

 And two special bonus grand prizes:

2 - The Architect of Song paperbacks, signed and personalized

That's thirteen winners! The giveaway ends in two weeks. To enter, follow the rafflecopter instructions below, and good luck to everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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!

The Architect of Song 20-stop Blog Tour + Prizes Galore!

Today, The Architect of Song blog tour begins! Here's a quick look at the (INTL) prizes:

2 - signed The Architect of Song paperbacks

3 - The Architect of Song e-books

1 - heart locket necklace

1 - Architect of Song poster

1 - faux leather journal

1 - 5X7 musical print

3 - The Architect of Song swag packs

1 - LitCube surprise box 

Below is the blog schedule. My guest posts, reveals, and excerpts are highlighted in purple. Just follow the links to learn more about the book and enter the rafflecopter for the giveaways. Hope you'll join us for exclusive first looks and insiders info, along with opinions from early readers!

Tour Schedule

Week One:

7/25/2016- Dark Faerie Tales– Guest Post-Hybrid Author

7/25/2016- a GREAT read– Review

7/26/2016- Lisa Loves Literature– Review

7/26/2016- Bookfever– Review

7/27/2016- Fiktshun– Character Interview

7/28/2016- The Reading Café– Review

7/28/2016- Adventures of a Book Junkie– Review

7/29/2016- Please Feed the Bookworm– Review

7/29/2016- 21st Century Once Upon A Times– Review



Week Two:

8/1/2016- Once Upon a Twilight – Exclusive Excerpt

8/1/2016- Ramblings of a Daydreamer– Review

8/2/2016- My Friends Are Fiction– Guest Post- Fashion

8/2/2016- Sarcasm & Lemons– Review

8/3/2016- Cornerfolds– Review

8/3/2016- BookHounds YA– Review

8/4/2016- Bookiemoji– Exclusive Excerpt

8/4/2016- Owl Always Be Reading– Review

8/5/2016- The Cover Contessa– Review

8/5/2016- Mundie Moms– Review

8/5/2016- Two Chicks on Books– Guest Post- Playlist

The Architect of Song blog tour is on the horizon. If you're a blogger and would like to sign up as a possible host for one of the stops, here's a link to more info:

http://www.rockstarbooktours.com/…/tour-announcement-archit…

Everyone else, there will be INTL giveaways and book reveals during the tour, so stay tuned! More deets coming your way soon.

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

Trailer Thursday

First, an announcement: I heard from my editor at Amulet yesterday, and Splintered's release date has been moved up by six months. YAY! This means, instead of coming out in Spring 2013, it will be published Fall of 2012. Which also means I'm about to receive my edits and will be VERY busy VERY soon.

Busy = good. Hee.

Okay, for my first official post for the blog hop, I'd like to share my newest book trailer. The Architect of Song (a gothic/literary romance set in Victorian England with a unique love triangle—sort of “Jane Eyre” meets “A Certain Slant of Light”, but with a deaf heroine).

 

This is the MS about to go out on sub under the masterful guidance of my agent. (Just for the record, I'm every bit as nervous as I was when Splintered made the rounds. Maybe even more, because this is the book of my heart. Eeps.)

If you know of a trailer that's dark, melancholy, creepy, or atmospheric, or if you have one you would like me to consider posting, please leave a link in the comment section.  (I prefer videos that don't exceed 3 minutes.)

Thanks for visiting today, and don't forget: I have a special QT guest for tomorrow's interview. She's a bit of a legend, having gone from the slush piles to a major deal in a matter of weeks. So be sure and stop by to hear her amazing story!