Seven 11 Blog Hop: teaser & a giveaway

Every month, I offer a 7-line teaser from a WIP on the 11th of the month. This month, there are prizes involved! It's also special because it's the last month on this blog. I'm working on a new site and I can't wait to show you guys, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, here are 7 lines from Generation, coming this Tuesday 10/13! This is book 3 (the final book) in the IMitation series. I am so excited to share this one with you guys--thank you for sticking with Ven and the gang. In the comments, tell me whose wrap-up/ending you're most looking forward to!

The pause stretches into a millennium of memories.

Linc standing in the foyer that first day, leather jacket in hand, a cold smirk on his lips. My first motorcycle ride, viciously cold and addictive in its thrill. Obadiah and his vintage blue car. Ida and Lonnie. Daniel. Melanie. Raven. Becoming friends with the ones I thought were the enemy. All to beat the monster before me.

Please be happy.

I hope they understand I did this all for them.

~~~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Other authors/giveaways to check out:

Felicia Tatum giving away 5 ebooks of Scornful Sadie!
SC Ellington giving away a $25 GC!
Bethany Lopez giving away e-copy of 3 Seconds
Justine Winter giving away ebook of Sapphire's Divinity
Amanda Aksel giving ebook of The Man Test
Kayla Smith giving ebook of Return to Pandora

Seven 11 Hop: A teaser from my upcoming release and a clean glass of water

It's that time again. The monthly Seven 11 Blog Hop is a teaser event where some awesome author peeps get together and tease you ... (with their fiction-writing, DUH!)

This month is a special one because it's also one of my BFF's and author friends, Amanda Aksel's birthday! (you can check out her books and Seven 11 teaser here.)


Also, she's kind of freaking out about being the dirty thirty. So, Amanda, this is for you:

And in honor of her freak-out, she's asked you NOT give presents. Take your money and give it all to CharityWater, instead, a charity committed to providing clean water to countries and people without. You can donate here to offer up someone thirsty a clean glass of water. https://my.charitywater.org/amandas-30th-birthday


And now, my teaser! And because I couldn't help myself, it's a little longer than 7 lines. I am really bad at following directions...

“Dad, what’s going on?” Regan asked.

“We’re getting ready for a wedding,” he said, the words so matter-of-fact, I was surprised Regan didn’t already know. It felt like everyone knew what was going on but me.

“It looks like a pretty big deal,” I said. “Who’s going to be married?”

“You are,” he said. And then, turning to Regan, added, “Or maybe it will be you.”

I felt all the blood rush out of my head. The world spun around me, and I had to grab one of the benches to stay standing. “Excuse me? I’m … You’re joking. This is a joke, right?”

Regan was pale and deathly silent beside me.

“Not a joke,” he corrected. “Rather a pledge. Tonight, we are hosting an engagement party for the impending marriage of the next alpha. Whichever of my daughters that turns out to be.”

My half-sister stiffened behind him. Her eyes went round and her nostrils flared.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” I protested.

“It makes too much sense, and there’s the logic in it that can’t be overlooked, unfortunately. No matter our...feelings,” he said with a pointed look at Regan that sent a ripple of dread through me.

“Dad, what did you do?” Regan asked.

“It’s time for both of you to learn about the treaty,” Dad said. “Sit down.”

I did what he told me to, but not because I wanted to be obedient. I just didn’t have any other choice. My legs wouldn’t hold me up anymore. Regan didn’t budge, but she was breathing hard, and I guessed she hadn’t known any more about the marriage thing than I did.

Marriage? Was he crazy? Had living out here in isolation amongst only werewolves rotted his brain? 

(Bitteroot, a YA PNR novella series coming this Fall)

And before you go, show Amanda some birthday lurve and enter to win an ebook copy of her book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(slightly more than) Seven 11 Blog Hop & a giveaway

It's time for another Seven 11 Blog hop. Which means you get a random seven lines from my current draft!... Only, this month, it seems I forgot how to count :) I'm giving you the first SNEAK PEEK of a new project I'm working on with SM Reine due out this Fall. It's called Bitterroot. A YA paranormal with (drum roll...) werewolves vs. vampires!

Read on and then click the links at the end for a sweet giveaway and more authors who have posted teasers. And if you want more info on Bitterroot (teasers, release date, cover reveal, etc) make sure you get signed up for my Love Birds newsletter and be the first to know!

I bounded down the steps and darted in among the parked cars, heading straight for the treeline at the edge of the blacktop. I glanced around as I ran, making sure no one witnessed my strange exit--you never knew who’d stepped out the back door to sneak a cigarette--but it looked like the coast was clear.

I sniffed. Yep. I was alone.

My body relaxed when I stepped off the pavement and onto the soft ground of the woods. A collective exhale.

The change was fast and easy these days, but it wasn’t always that way. It was kind of embarrassing as a kid. Lots of torn clothes and nudity. But there was a trick to it, and my mom and I had practiced enough that everything went much smoother these days. Now, I knew how to shift at will--and still have my clothes on when I shifted back.

I held my breath and focused on keeping everything together as I shifted into my wolf form. Skin and muscles rippled. The air around me shivered. I fell onto all fours, and it was paws that hit the ground instead of fingers.

Starting out with an easy run, I increased my speed until the depressions of my prints were so slight, they barely left a mark. I’d been denying myself this all week. It was too difficult to give in often here, among so many humans. But tonight, with the rain to mask my scent, and all of the nocturnal creatures hiding from the deluge, I could run. I gave in to my stolen minutes of guilty freedom and let everything fall away but my wolf.

The run home was entirely too short, but at least I made curfew. I shifted at the edge of the woods, bracing against the chill of the night air on my bare skin as my fur fell away. My dress remained intact, though a little muddy around the hem (which would annoy my mom to no end). The shoes weren’t so lucky. I must have left them behind.

“Stupid heels,” I muttered. For whatever reason, they were so much harder to hang on to than sneakers.

I stomped toward the house, bare feet sucking in and out of the mud. Halfway up the back steps, voices drifted over. I halted mid-step and looked around for the source.

“I’m telling you, I just scented someone, and it wasn’t Anita. I think she’s almost here,” said a voice. The speaker sounded young, close to my age maybe.

“Must be on foot, then,” said another. This one was deeply male. Older.

Their conversation caught my attention. They smelled me? A human couldn’t have…

No way. It couldn’t be.

*****************************************

I was kind of uncertain about posting this or putting it out. Some people say paranormal romance is dead right now. I think they're crazy. In the comments, let me know what you think! 

When you're finished, click the links below to read more great teasers from some authors I love....

Bethany Lopez

Felicia Tatum

Justine Winter

SC Ellington

Kayla Smith

From now until June 17, I'm giving away one of my favorite planners: The Passion Planner! The best way to keep focused and balanced as it prompts you to remember things like self-care and introspection along with your daily life and work.

To get entered, share about the Connective Collective, a monthly conference call for authors, and use the rafflecopter to record your entry.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Seven 11 blog hop: Broken Blood is available now with chances to win!

So excited it's finally here!!! 

Amazon US   /   Amazon UK   /   Apple      /      B&N

 Lots of chances for goodies, too. First, this one is ONLY available if you're on my Love Birds newsletter list. Click on the top right of my site to sign up and then complete the instructions below to get entered!

SECOND chance to win...

Purchase and leave a review, email me the link, and get FREE swag in the mail!

And last, Ash over at Morning Books and Coffee is sponsoring a Grand Prize: KINDLE PAPERWHITE giveaway in honor of Broken Blood!! Second prize is a wolf's tooth necklace and a signed swag pack.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And, because this is also the monthly 7-11 blog hop....

From Broken Blood: a 7-line teaser

A thousand words passed between us in a single fleeting stare. Alex looked away first, scuffing his toe and making a big deal out of inspecting my room. “It’s not bad,” he said finally. I wasn’t sure who he was trying so hard to convince.

I looked down at the comb I’d dropped at my feet and wished like hell its teeth were of the flesh-eating variety instead.

“You’re one of them,” I said, and the eerie calm I felt at hearing myself speak the words scared me more than realizing their truth.

***

Visit these other fantastic authors for more 7-line teasers:

YA-friendly:

Felicia Tatum

Bethany Lopez

Adult:

Amanda Aksel

SC Ellington

Justine Winter

Steph Nuss

Teaser Time: Seven 11 Blog hop is back!

It's time for the monthly Seven 11 blog hop!
If you don't already know what the Seven 11 blog hop is, it's this:

A monthly hop (on the 11th of every month, silly) where i share 7 lines to tease you from a wip or whatever I basically feel like. You're welcome. 

This month, it's Deviation (released Dec 30, 2014). 

Some of you may be experiencing de ja vu right now. It's cool, me too. Deviation was originally released by yours truly as a self-published title in March of 2014 but then right around that same moment in time, I signed the series to Alloy Entertainment (CW anyone?) and now it has a new home and therefore IS A NEW CREATURE!

I rewrote this entire story from beginning to end. So if you think you know about Deviation during March-July 2014 (these are the months the old version was available), you probably aren't correct. TO jog your memory (or introduce you), here are the 7 opening lines to the story.

I have always been two people at once. Today is no different.

I am Raven Rogen and, especially when they’re not watching, I’m also Ven. Sometimes, my identities separate into two sets of habits, two sets of desires, two sets of miseries. But then, on days like today, they collide and I am both at once.

In this moment, though, I am mostly apprehension. My palms are clammy but I don’t wipe them, fearing the three guards standing sentinel will notice my discomfort. The walls in the room are gray concrete slabs lit by a single incandescent bulb. 

To further jog your memory, for my Love Birds that have been around for a while. This is the previous cover, circa March 2014:

And THIS is the new cover:

Alloy's art design dept is kind of badass.

You can 1-click your copy of Deviation here

And if you haven't read book 1 (Imitation), you should 1-click that one first since it's on sale now through Jan 25.

Now, on to the goodies!!

GIVEAWAY time! 

A few days ago, I posted an annoucement about social media changes coming in 2015. Here it is in case you missed it:

It's become increasingly hard to reach and interact with new readers and friends here on FB and other social media outlets. Because of that, I'm making some changes to where I hang out in 2015.

The bottom line is that the EASIEST and most effective way for me to reach you is through my Love Birds newsletter. I don't want any more missing posts or not staying connected and I want you all to get the most from seeing new projects I have coming. As an incentive for you (& a THANK YOU), I am running a contest for subscribers to win signed books!

If you're signed up for already, you're entered! If not, sign up before Jan 15 (***NOW EXTENDED TO JAN 20) and I will pick 3 newsletter subscribers to win a signed paperback of Dirty Blood!

Basically, the bottom line is that you really oughtta be a Love Bird (<-- my newsletter groupies) and get me in your inbox. You can sign up here. I'll pick a winner later this month.

And finally, the HOP. This is a hop, remember? Which means there are a slew of other word-ninjas that you need to check out when you leave this page. And they are:

Felicia Tatum - Young Adult

S.M. Boyce - YA Fantasy

Steph Nuss - contemp romance, 18+ 

Bethany Lopez - NA Romance, 18+

Justine Winter - NA Romance, 18+

Kayla Smith - Young Adult

Alicia Sheehy - YA Romance

SC Ellington - Romance, 18+

Amanda Aksel - Women's Fic/Romance

Now, go discover your next favorite author!

Teaser Time! 7 lines from a secret YA project

Every month, I do a teaser of 7 lines from one of my books--released or not--called the Seven 11 Blog hop. You get to read words from me from whatever I'm working on AND I can link to some other awesome authors for you to check out in the meantime!

Be sure to scroll through for some giveaway goodies!

This month, I'm doing seven lines from a secret upper YA project I can't actually tell you about yet. But I'm so excited for it, I need to share! Here we go...

The only great thing about getting up at four a.m.—Well, there’s really nothing great about getting up at four am. Linda says it’s nice because we beat the traffic. I sometimes don’t mind rush hour if it means I get to doze in the backseat for a few extra minutes.

Not today, it seems. We’re on a tight schedule. Not a rush job. I’ve done those. They suck. Barely enough time to get the makeup in place before they’re shoving you onto a plane with nothing more than a sticky note of the important pieces and major players. No escape route, no briefing on emergency protocol. No ear comm. Just a burner phone and a hope and a prayer.

*****

That's it for now but I'd love to hear your feedback! Leave your comments below and keep scrolling for more awesome lines AND chances to win goodies. Happy Seven 11!

Other awesome authors to scope out:

Shawn McGuire. Young Adult
Kayla Smith. YA Paranormal.
Bethany Lopez, New Adult Romance.
Justine Winter. New Adult Paranormal 
Amanda Aksel. Chick Lit

And goodies!

Click here to enter Justine Winter's Goodreads giveaway: a signed paperback of Nature's Destiny.

Click here to see Shawn McGuire's newest cover for her Wish Makers series!

And for me, click here to get the BEST deal all Christmas season:

***NEW RELEASE***

The XOXO New Adult Boxed Set features 16 full length contemporary romances! Only $0.99 for a limited time! From authors: Heidi McLaughlin, Raine Thomas, Bethany Lopez,Amanda Lance, Anna Cruise, Wendy Allen Owens, Author Angela O Peart, Amanda Askel, Kimberly Knight, Heather Hildenbrand, AJ Bennett, Dani Hart Author, Alexia Purdy,Brina Courtney, and Morgan Black!!!!

Amazon: http://bit.ly/xoxoamazon
Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/xoxobandn
Itunes: http://bit.ly/xoxoibooks
Kobo: http://bit.ly/xoxokobo

Seven 11 Blog Hop: Imitation deleted scene teaser

It's time!
The monthly Seven 11 Blog Hop!
Where I share seven lines from a wip or new release to tease ya AND you get a link to a bunch of other awesome authors to check out.


This month, I'm sharing seven lines from Imitation, from a scene that got cut from the newly published version which re-released July 29 from Alloy Entertainment. 

If you didn't read that story, you should click here. It's a fun one!

Okay, on to the deleted stuff. Here goes:


Raven Rogen is the shallowest Authentic I’ve ever seen. 

She graduated from an elite private school months ago and is taking a gap year before college to do “charity work,” which mostly consists of buying tickets to fashion shows and galas for good causes. She doesn’t seem to be making her way in the world so much as following a golden path someone—her father?—has laid out for her. Josephine has never shown me Raven’s family, but I know her father is well-off, involved in politics and nonprofits, and he expects her to be the face of the family.
She’s never mentioned a mother.

***

And, if you haven't heard, book 2 will be out Dec 30 but you can pre-order yours now right here.

And don't forget to check out some other awesome authors worth reading, here's your list!

Young Adult:

SM Boyce 

Kayla Smith

Amanda Aksel

New Adult:

Bethany Lopez

Justine Winter

Steph Nuss

Happy Teaser-Reading!

xoxo

Seven 11: Teaser from The Talisman

It's that time again!

Every month on the 11th, me and some other awesome author buds post teasers. Seven lines ONLY of whatever story we choose. This month, I'm giving you guys 7 lines from The Talisman, my NA Urban Fantasy short story that just came out in Perception: A New Adult anthology from Elephantine Publishing.

Here's your teaser:



Avery glanced behind her and picked up her pace. 

She knew they were out there. Hiding. Waiting. She wouldn’t let her guard down. She’d promised her father she would be vigilant and even though death would put her one step closer to him, she wouldn’t go without a fight.

The streets were dark in this part of town. Not even a streetlamp to cheer up the shadows that seemed to close in around you so tight … until you could barely breathe. Her paranoia, though warranted, made it worse. She struggled to keep her breaths even and quiet and hurried forward.

The world will never look the same… 

There comes a defining moment in every young person's life that irrevocably shifts their point of view. 

Missing by award-winning author Mary Laufer--For a new teacher who still compares herself to her students, the shift in reality comes in the form a missing girl and a false accusation that could cost her more than her career. 

The Outlaw by debut author Scott C. Davis--For a young man who settles into a rut that not even his broken marriage can pull him out of, it’s a drifter’s gun to his head. 

Drive by author & screenplay writer Nealy Gihan--For an idealistic college student, the point of view shift comes in the form of her parents’ divorce pulling back the curtain on who they really are, shattering everything she thought she knew about love. 

My Boyfriend is a Senator by award-winning author Linda Davis--For a recovering addict who's not ready to change, it might just be an unhappy ending to her illicit affair. 

The Talisman by bestselling YA & NA author Heather Hildenbrand—For an orphan on the run from monsters, a shift in perception might be discovering the power of prayer as a saving grace against the likes of which no human being has ever seen. If we’re lucky. 

In Perception, discover five captivating stories that explore what it means to be a new adult. 

Get it on Amazon, B&N, or iTunes for just .99!

Check out what these other author peeps are teasing you with!

Amanda Aksel
Justine Winter
S.M. Boyce
Kasi Blake
Alicia Sheehy
Steph Nuss
Kayla Smith

and now--awesome giveaway time:



From Justine Winter:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

And 2 tickets to UtopYA 2015!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Seven 11 blog hop: Whisper teaser!

Every month, on the 11th of the month, I post a teaser from one of my upcoming releases/wip's or whatever strikes me that I think you should read. Some other fantastic authors participate by also posting teasers of their stuff, so you can read some never-before-seen-words by some of the best authors around. The other rockstars you can check out this month are:

Amanda Aksel

Steph Nuss

Bethany Lopez

Shawn McGuire

Alicia Sheehy

SM Boyce

Kayla Smith

Heather Brewer

Justine Winter

AND ENTER TO WIN COOL STUFF, Yo!

Steph Nuss' signed paperback copy of her new book on Goodreads

SM Boyce is giving away a Stacey Marie Brown swag bag

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And now, here are my seven lines from Whisper, a New Adult Paranormal Romance coming on Wed!

(ch 25)

...modesty when he looked at me that way. His gaze consumed me even before he’d touched me. My eyes flickered over the angles and cut of his body.

“So are you,” I said, breathless from meaning it.

Without a word, he shifted sideways and pulled his pants off. There was nothing left underneath them. The firelight flickered over his exposed body, turning his tanned skin different shades of glowing yellow and orange. My breath caught at the sheer beauty of my warrior. Of the love I held for him, centuries-old. Of the thought of our bodies pressed together.

***

What do you think?

Seven 11 Blog Hop: Dirty Blood Teaser

TGIF people! 
This week, we are kicking off a monthly event called the Seven 11 Blog hop. Each month on the 11th, I will post a teaser of SEVEN lines from one of my books -- some published, some not -- for you guys to get a sneak peek at. This month, I gave you 7 lines from Dirty Blood. For those that haven't read it or want to re-read the series before book 5 comes out, here's a reminder of the George-Wes tension.

George shot a glance at Wes again and then stepped over and planted a very deliberate kiss on my cheek. “I’ll see you, Tay,” he said and headed to his car. I watched him go, wondering whose benefit the kiss had been for: mine or Wes’s.

I waited until George had driven off before whirling at Wes. “What was that?” I hissed.

His eyes were sparkling. “What was what?”

“You were baiting him.”

He shrugged. “I don’t like him very much.”

This month, we are offering a giveaway of The Man Test by Amanda Aksel (Sex & the City meets Hitch!). Enter to win and click through to read seven great lines from seven other authors!

Bethany Lopez
Nikki Jefford
Justine Winter
Alicia Sheehy
SM Boyce
Shawn McGuire
Amanda Aksel And be sure to wish Amanda a very Happy Birthday and Thanks for putting this event together!

Giveaway code: a Rafflecopter giveaway