Heaven and Hell in one place

It's been a little while since I blogged, and I promise, I haven't forgotten about my readers. In fact, I talk about my personal life these days more on Facebook and mostly via my newsletter. So if you aren't getting those emails, you're missing it. But I wanted to drop something here and say hi. Let you know I'm thinking of you if you're thinking of me.

For the past few months, I've been splitting my time writing as myself: Heather Hidenbrand, AND writing as a make-believe person named Holly Eastman. Having a pen name was a really fun secret but also I am really bad at keeping secrets apparently because back in October, I finally "came out" as Holly. If you missed it: My name is Holly Eastman and I write naughty shifter romance.

Obviously my "Heather" backlist is not so naughty. Young adult is readable by everyone but Holly's books are... grown up. :) MOM, STOP READING THIS! If you're into that sort of thing, check it all out on Holly's website. OR keep scrolling. I have a new release surprise for you.

Mostly, it's a surprise because even I didn't know it was coming until 3 days ago. It all happened very fast but now Wilde Bear, my first "Holly" book is included in this amazing boxed set that has some very steamy and very good urban fantasy/romance reads. And it's only available for a limited time so grab it while it's here...

And if you're over 18 and can say the word SEX out loud without blushing (not my mother, of course) then check out all my Holly titles. Happy reading, love bird!

~Heather

10 Full Length Novels featuring strong, powerful women and the men that love them from TEN Best Selling Authors!
Available for a very LIMITED TIME!

$0.99 or FREE in Kindle Unlimited

Stories include:
BURNING DESTINY- Wendy Owens
When Tynder Crown discovers her grandfather was murdered she learns he was keeping an entire other life secret from her. Now, if she wants justice for the man who raised her, she will have to jump head first into a world full of magical creatures to figure out just how deep the conspiracy goes.

GIFTED THIEF- Helen Harper
A skilled thief with a terrible sense of humour, Integrity Taylor despises her Sidhe heritage and the magical Scottish Clans who lord it over the rest of the Highlands. However, when her old mentor runs into trouble, she's got no choice but to get involved with them again, regardless of the consequences.

ANCIENT MAGIC- Linsey Hall
Cass Clereaux is good at two things: hunting magical artifacts and hiding her forbidden magic. When a past enemy threatens everything she loves, she must learn to use her magic. Or die trying.

BROKEN COMPASS- Jaymin Eve, USA Today and Amazon Bestselling Author
Within the five supernatural races there is one golden rule: true mates are never mixed between the races. But vampire Maximus Compass, and wolf shifter Mischa Lebron, will set out to prove that rules are made to be broken.

INFERNAL MAGIC- C.N. Crawford, Amazon Bestselling Author
She's forgotten her past. Too bad her past won't return the favor.

DARE- Ally Summers, Amazon Bestselling Author
Choices should come easily to a queen, but sometimes the choices we make are the ones we least expect.

DARKNESS OF LIGHT- Stacey Marie Brown, Amazon Bestselling Author
Strange things have always happened to 18 year old Ember Brycin, but when the latest school explosion lands her in a facility for troubled teens, she discovers a secret that changes not only her life, but what and who she is. Love, lies, deceit, and betrayal lead her down a path to the Otherworld, into another realm where she will probably not survive.

CAGED-Amber Lynn Natusch, Amazon Bestselling Author
A young woman with a curious past gets caught up in a supernatural war between ancient foes. But is she the prize, or a weapon that could utterly destroy both factions...

MAGIC BORN-Caethes Faron, Amazon Bestselling Author
A college student discovers she's the daughter of a powerful mage when a panther shifter delivers the news of her mother's murder...and now the killer is after her.

WILDE BEAR- Holly Eastman and Terra Wolf, Amazon Bestselling Authors
In their line of work, mistakes can cost people their lives. So how can they trust each other to keep everyone they care about safe when they're both hiding their own secrets?

$0.99 or FREE in Kindle Unlimited

 

GIVEAWAY!
Do you want a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card?
Go over to Facebook and follow the instructions!

Bitterroot: Part 1 is available now!

There is nothing quite like a new release--I get so excited and nervous and silly every single time. This one is no different. Except that it is.... Werewolves AND vampires!??! 

If you know me or have read any interviews I've given on the subject, then you know that vampires have always scared me. I've been too afraid to write them and get them wrong somehow. So, I've refrained. and finally--I've done it. Owen is delicious and moody and slippery and mysterious--and deadly. I hope you like him!!! I want to hear from you guys! Please let me know your thoughts after reading! Then again, being a werewolf girl myself, Carter holds a special place in my heart too. Who is your favorite?? I can't wait to hear!

BITTERROOT Part 1

by Heather Hildenbrand & SM Reine

Seventeen year-old Regan Vuk has lived her whole life under the shadow of her future: the pack alpha. She is fast, smart, and determined. According to her own pack members, she is a shoo-in. But Regan’s dad has a secret.

Seventeen year-old Charlie spent her adolescence drifting from place to place with a mother desperate to hide her illegitimate daughter from the unforgiving reality of werewolf pack dynamics. All Charlie has ever wanted is to know her father--and the family that's been kept from her all these years. But most of all, she wants a place to belong in the world. Where she doesn’t have to pretend she can’t sprout fur and paws at will. Being kidnapped on her way home from prom was not she Charlie had in mind.

When Charlie finds out the only way to fit in with her new family is to defeat her long-lost sister for the role of alpha, she refuses. That is until she learns that the strange and alluring vampire she's befriended, Owen, is the same vampire prince that's been promised the winner.

Regan has no doubt that, although she loathes the vampires, it will be her who "wins" Owen.

Only problem: Charlie's already fallen for him.

Bitterroot is a Young Adult Paranormal with a dose of sibling rivalry... Who will you root for?

Just .99 for a limited time! 
Get it for: Kindle / Nook / iBooks

Contest! Help spread the word about Bitterroot!

Share the following message on Twitter, FB, or IG OR follow me on any of these platforms and get entered to win a signed swag pack including a paperback of Seasons of the Moon by SM Reine & Dirty Blood by ME! Contest ends 9/26!*

2 sisters. 1 vampires prince. Can family survive forbidden love? #Bitterroot for .99. http://bit.ly/Bitterroot1

*Contest not affiliated with FB, IG, Twitter, or any other outside entity. Must be 13 years or older. Void where prohibited.

Happy reading!

Where you'll find me in 2015

My husband called me a globetrotter last time I flew home from Guam.

I gotta admit, my personal life, travel schedule, and living arrangements are pretty damn exciting these days. I mean, most friends start out the conversation with "and where exactly are you now? What continent, I mean."

I do not take any of this for granted. I get to live a lifestyle I once only dreamed of. I live in 2 places at once. I travel for pleasure multiple times a year. I ride motorcycles. And that was just 2014. I'm always going someplace new. I agree, makes it hard to find me.

But in 2015, it might get even harder.

Facebook used to be my krytoponite. If I was supposed to be writing, I was on Facebook. If I was in Guam or on an airplane or in my living room in PJs, chances are, I was on Facebook.

But now Facebook isn't being so friendly to all the time I've invested into our little relationship. They're changing the rules and our partnership feels a little one-sided, I gotta say. All these changes are a bummer because since publishing in 2011, I have connected with the majority of my fans through social media, namely the BookFace.

And I hate the thought of reaching less and less of you and talking with or reading about what's going on or where I can find YOU in 2015. As a result of that (not to mention a pretty hectic writing schedule for 2015), I am changing it up. And I'm giving you all a HEFTY reason to remember that where you'll find me going forward is probably changing.

For those of you that want to hear more about my REAL LIFE travels, my characters' travels, new releases, and generally what makes True Love More Than Just a Fantasy for moi, you really should sign up for my Love Birds inbox list. Like, really.

You'll get stuff  like FIRST LOOKS at new covers and releases, special promotions ONLY for Love Birds, and all the goings-on of a Where's Waldo sort of I SPY game that has become my life.

Another reason I want to address this and tell you where to find me:

I recently read some stuff on FB that authors aren't as "interactive as they used to be" with their fans, bloggers, etc. According to this chic, we used to goof off and shoot the breeze with readers more often than we do now. But here's the thing, I think that's wrong. I think we're more than willing to hang with you--we just aren't SEEING YOU around anymore. Not your fault. Not ours. The reach and landscape of social media is altered and you're feeling the consequences. We are more and more invisible.

This fact really bums me out because READERS are WHY I do what I do. Hence the "social" in the media!

2015 is shaping up to look very exciting, but also very NEW. I won't be in any of the old haunts or at least not as often. So please don't lost touch! I still want to hang with you, I'm just finding new ways to do it.

For where I AM hanging out, here's a cheat sheet:

1. My newsletter. THIS is the #1 way you can hear what's up & stay connected. This is where I run giveaways. This is where I tell you FIRST what's new. And you can REPLY and we can chat! woohoo! Emails are numero uno.

2. Instagram. I kind of love posting pictures. I'm trying to post more bookish stuff but mostly it's my personal travel whereabouts and real life adventures.

3. Twitter  I'm there, I swear. Much more than I used to be. Find me: @HeatherHildenbr and say what's up. I will definitely reply and we will chat about any random thing you want. Matt Lanter's eye color, Damon's favorite brand of ketchup. Whatever.


And because this is important: a giveaway!!!

Here's the deal, sign up for my newsletter here OR fill in your info on the top right of this site and on Jan 15 I will pick 3 winners (newsletter subscribers) to receive a signed copy of Dirty Blood!

Good luck and share the contest. The more the merrier when it comes to Heather's Love Birds!

My Top 10 Favorite Villains Ever AND a teaser!

So, Fun Friday is a monthly blog shenanigan I do with my YA author buds over at The Society of YA Storytellers and since I was ALSO in on this blog hop on 10/11 for Seven Eleven, I decided to combine them.

Which makes me a day late (but NOT a dollar short) on my Fun Friday post AND it means you're getting two bits of magic in one shot. You're welcome.

First, my TOP 10 LIST (of which we could choose any topic) is below. I did my Top 10 Best Villains Evaaaa. Even though I don't like scary  movies. So, this is definitely the wussy list of best villains. Deal with it. Here we go.

1. Regina from Once Upon A Time. Hands down, she's the best. We hate her. We love her. Then we hated to love her. And now... I love her so much that I don't even care who gets in the way of her happy ending right now! You made me FEEL FOR the villain even more than the mc/hero??? You're a genius, ABC. Genius. #TeamReginaForever

2. The Beast from the Sandlot. Best villain because he wasn't really #spoiler and because he also became the hero in the end. That's pretty epic. And I have so much love for this movie. I can't let it slip by without pointing out how "scary" the Beast was for all involved. Until he wasn't.

3. Ursula from the Little Mermaid. When I was a kid, she was ultimate. I mean, her tentacles and her hairdo were both equally creepy. One couldn't have won out over the other in a creep-contest, for real. And then she stole Ariel's voice??? (another spoiler, sorry!) Genius. I need my villains smart and she is definitely a lady who thinks on her feet. arms? tentacles? whatever.

4. Megatron from Transformers. I'm probably only picking him because I love the Transformers movies so much but really, if it comes down to pounds per inch, he's going to kick your tiny human tail. And he just KEEPS COMING BACK. (Crap, another spoiler.)

5. Jafar from Aladdin. MUSTACHE twirler!!!! HELLooooo. That was your first clue he is BaaaaaD.

6. The Nothing from the Neverending Story. Nothing is pretty scary. I mean really, really scary. For me. Nothing sounds like the worst.

7. The Wicked Witch of the EAST. Okay, well both witches are pretty villainous. Or maybe it depends on which version of the movies you've seen BUT I saw Oz and the East Witch was realllly nefarious. The West witch was just sensitive and got her heart broken. SPPOILLLLERRR!

8. The Joker from Batman. Mostly Heath Ledger's version. He was scary and I don't even have a fear of clowns but there was something very convincingly disturbing about his brand of crazy. 

9.  Darth Vader. That mouth-breathing is cree-py. Plus the fact that he's willing to sacrifice his body and his kids for his cause. That's true villainous commitment right there.

10. Lokiiiiii!!! 

'nuff said.

I mean, if you don't know who that is, we can't be friends.

I would looove to know what you think! Who is your favorite villain? Especially for those of you who don't like truly scary movies. Hit me in the comments. 

And now the TEASER I promised. I'm doing Blood Rule, book 4 in my Dirty Blood series which is available now and if you aren't caught up on the whole series, you can get the Boxed Set books 1-4 for just 2.99 until 10/15!

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0097U4DQG/

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/dirty-blood-series-box-set

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/dirty-blood-box-set-books-1-4/id925857452?mt=11

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dirty-blood-box-set-books-1-4-heather-hildenbrand/1120481727?ean=2940046212419

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/479856

Steppe’s voice brought me back. Hands roamed over me, looking for purchase, and then I was half lifted, half dragged onto some sort of flat surface. There was some jostling as I was lifted into the air and then I steadied as they carried me in the opposite direction as the door I’d seen Wes leave through.

I craned my neck, trying to catch a glimpse through the crowd, some opening or hint of rescue. It couldn’t end like this. Wes arrested. Steppe winning.

    I tried searching for Emma or even George, but there was nothing. My mind was empty of any awareness except the pain.

****

And right now, I'm offering a signed paperback set of the entire series! AND get on an exclusive Q&A phone chat with ME on Nov 5!!! 

You can enter here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out these other blog hoppers and their awesome excerpts!

Kasi Blake

Bethany Lopez OH!! and be sure to enter her giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Justine Winter

Kayla Smith

Amanda Aksel

Authors, if you want IN on this monthly bloggy hop of teasers, send me a note!

How Alloy Entertainment and I became buds.

I don't know if you really want to sit and read the entiiiirre story that is my friendship tale between myself and Alloy but I've been holding all this in for a WHILE now. Besides that, this is my blog, not yours, which puts you at my mercy. But then, the human attention span is only 7 seconds, which I've already exceeded depending on how fast or slow you read. So. I will try to compromise and tell you the high points--in all their embarrassing glory.

It's like this:
Back in March, I got an email from a publisher that was interested in purchasing the rights to Imitation (and the series). They said a ton of nice things about my ability to string words together and the story I'd created and my brain as a whole. I was obviously mucho flattered, like any author would be. But I also had never heard of them which, in my mind, made them small potatoes. Not that I wasn't the same size potato doing this on my own, but from a business standpoint, small potatoes is not enough to make me sign on a dotted line. Or a dashed line. Or any sort of signature line that you can really picture here.

SO I sort of told them no.

Yeah. I'm an idiot.

Luckily, they're persistent.

Whew. Can you imagine being the girl who told the freaking CW "No?" I would never live that one down. Anyway, on email round 2, I finally got my shit together and Googled them. And yeah. Now we ALLLLL know (Including Heather) that Alloy = CW = WfreakingB. Like, Les Morgenstein signed my contract. Holy shizz.

Once I figured out the WHO--and sufficiently happy danced--I went back to the metaphorical table and got to know everyone and said "hell yeah, let's do this" a lot of times in a row. Whatever THIS is. (seriously, for the business-savvy indies reading this, I put much more thought into it than I'm letting on here. It was a killer deal and I couldn't say no, trust. but this way is more fun to read about. Calm down, yo.)

My 2 fabulous editors got me on the phone long enough to repeat all the nice things to me, only with voices instead of typed words, and I fell hard. They're telling me I'm brilliant and a story-weaving goddess. I mean, you'd fall too. No question.

So, the deal was outlined. Terms were named. Stuff happened. Paperwork got signed. The rest, as they say, is history. I'm vaguing it up right now because honestly, the terms aren't important here. Not to you, the reader. What's important is this:

The story is essentially the same.
(I define the word "Essentially" like this: the characters, plot, and ending are the same. Most of the middle is tweaked to be awesome and different and re-readable, trust me. Linc is more Linc. Daniel is more ... Daniel. Ven has more muchness--to put it like the Mad Hatter. Go read it. Again, even.)
Oh, the cover is tweaked too, which makes it more hellaciously awesome. Check it:

Yay! Click to go see it on Amazon!

Don't worry. I fought for this cover to remain--because you guys would have my head if I didn't. I pretty much told them they were putting their own lives at stake if they changed the cover. So, you're welcome.

And Deviation. here's the deets about that: It's not "essentially" changing. It's COMPLETELY changing. That's on me. I had some problems (if we're being honest) with the first version and I kind of told my editors (because I'm just this side of insane when it's due yesterday) that I am throwing the whole thing out and starting over. Some other things needed to happen inside this story that just didn't, so this deal, for Deviation and it's readers, is the best thing that could've happened since sliced clones. (ew, right!)

Aaaaannnd there's a new and UH-mazing cover for that one as well!!!!

So awesome, I want to lick it.

Or something else equally creepy. It's brilliant.
And available for PRE-ORDER. GO now, sillies! I'll wait!

Anywho.
I couldn't tell you all any of this because of the 3rd party that's sort of silently involved in all this. (again, not important for the readers because it doesn't change the story, etc but I owe you an explanation.) This whole thing with Alloy is a partnership that is called "Powered by Amazon." Which means they have both hands and at least 3 feet in the pot as well. Decisions weren't really singular here. They were made as a group and as such, the group was informed of the decision to KEEP QUIET on EVERYTHING about this until D-Day. Or P-Day (publishing day?? get it??) or whatever.

AND FINALLY I get to talk about it!!! Yayyy! and party and celebrate and converse and revel and throw confetti and dance in the metaphorical streets in my virtual underwear (or whatever happens with the wine cork popped)...

In short, I am fracking over the moon about this whole thing!
And not only that, I've been so lucky to be able to share this experience with two other incredible authors. Tracy Banghart and Aimee Salter also have books available today under the new Alloy/Powered by Amazon label. If you enjoyed Imitation, you will love both of these. You definitely want to check them out.

Every Ugly Word by Aimee Salter

Click here to check it out on Amazon!
Aimee's blog has some powerful words formulated into an inspiring message. Check it out.

Rebel Wing by Tracy Banghart

Check it out on Amazon!
and check out Tracy's blog for a chance to win something.

And last but never least, a love letter to all of my dedicated readers: THANK YOU guys for sticking with me and being patient while I basically went "radio silent" these last few months. I hated not being able to share the details of my current wip with you. But now, all the things! Let's talk about all the things! To answer any more questions, I'm taking part in a Twitter party on Thurs, August 7 from 8-10p eastern.

#YAauthorparty will be for YOU GUYS, the fans, to ask anything you want about the books, the publishing deal, or the process we went through to re-release these amazing stories to you all. See you there!! And thanks for hanging in! Mwah!

(P.S. if you want to tweet a question early or at all, be sure to use the hashtag #YAauthorparty so I can find you and tell you what you want to know!)

And if you want to read the official press release via the New York Times because you're into that sort of newsy thing, the link for that is here.

And--if you want to stay updated on future stuff like Deviation's re-release or anything else, make sure to sign up for my Love Birds newsletter so you can get all the info as it comes in. (see top right corner of the blog.)

xoxo