The Tale of a Story

Tags

acceptance, anthology, creepy, Faithless, horror short story, never give up, new anthology, publishing, publishing journey, rejections, Short story, thoughts, Twilight Madhouse Vol. 4, weird, writing

Today, a book is released into the wild. An anthology.

And my story Faithless is in it!

I wrote this story a couple years ago for an anthology looking for asylum stories. I read it in my writers’ group, and had mixed reactions. Some people liked it and one or two wanted something else. Something more…asylum residents getting out and killing. But I didn’t want it to be the usual asylum story. So I cleaned it up and submitted it.

It was rejected.

But, I liked this story. I liked that it was different. So I let it sit until I found another place to send it.

One. Two. Three rejections…and I would not give up. Faithless would find a home…somewhere.

And it has.

Not where I thought it would, not in the publication I wrote it for. That’s how it goes.

Publishing. An interesting world of you-never-know-so-never-ever-give-up. What are the editors looking for when they put together a line up of stories for an anthology or magazine? Only they know.

My story was rejected. More than once. I did wonder if the writing smelled like dog poop, or the story left the reader with a whole bunch of confusion.

But I believed in it.

Sure, rejections happen because a story isn’t well-written or doesn’t make sense. But they can mean that the words don’t fit, the story isn’t quite what they were looking for. And with all sorts of people submitting, the choices can be great and choosing can be difficult.

Here’s Schreyer Ink’s blog with submission facts about this book…for the curious.

So many submissions. Mine just a drop in the bucket. But it was chosen.

If you like the weird and creepy…go buy a copy of Twilight Madhouse Vol. 4 on amazon!

Enjoy Faithless, my story exploring faith versus religion in a future where praying can get you a room in the Asylum for the Religiously Afflicted and a visit from Tech MT.

And when you’re submitting, remember…rejections are not always a reflection of your writing talent.

And never ever give up.

Release Day…WITH YOU ALWAYS by Rena Olsen

Tags

Adult book, release day, Rena Olsen, The Girl Before, Thriller, With You Always

Happy book birthday, Rena!!!

One of my bestest writing friends, one of the Shenanigals, a fantastic writer, Rena sets more of her words free today!

I am so proud of Rena, so grateful that I have been on this writing journey with her. She deserves all the good things and all the Gummy Bears. If you liked her first book, you will like this one.

Let’s celebrate MORE BOOKS!

In the wake of a painful breakup and struggling to prove herself at work, Julia feels adrift. When Bryce blows into her life, he seems like the perfect anchor. Handsome, charming, secure, and confident, Bryce brings out the best in Julia, sweeping her off her feet with attention and affection while grounding her with his certainty and faith. Together they embark on a path guided by the principles of his family and their church, each step a paving stone leading to happily ever after.

But this is no fairy tale.

Step by step, one small concession leading to another, Julia is slowly isolated from her job, her friends, and her family, until she comes to find that her dream come true is a cage. Then one day everything changes…and Julia is faced with no choice but to find a way out.

 

Want a copy? Of course you do! Go here!

 

Haven’t read her first book THE GIRL BEFORE? Read it. I cried. I cringed. In the end, I smiled. Go find it here!

Connect with Rena on Twitter, she loves new friends.

 

 

Release Day…Running Away by Julie Hutchings

Tags

Adult, book birthday, Book release, dark fantasy, Julie Hutchings, Paranormal romance, Running Away, vampires

Today, we celebrate a book birthday! Today we celebrate the great Julie Hutchings (my Gorky!) as she releases her precious into the world! Lover of all things dark and delicious, Julie adds her words, her story to the shadows of the world. Always here for this fabulous person, I want to tell everyone about her new book!

Eliza Morgan is desperate to leave the horrors of her mortal life and understand why death follows her, leaving only one man—Nicholas French—in its wake. He’s the one she loves, the one she resents, and the one fated to make her legendary among the Shinigami—an ancient order of vampires with a “heroic” duty to their victims.

Nicholas is also decaying before her eyes, and it’s her fault.

On the ghostlike mountaintop in Japan, Eliza will be guided by the all-powerful Master for her transition to Shinigami death god. When Eliza discovers that sacrificing her destiny will save Nicholas, she’s not afraid to defy fate to make it so. Both Nicholas and his beloved Master fight her on veering from the path to immortality, but Eliza won’t be talked out of her plan, even if it drives a deeper wedge between her and Nicholas. Not even when Nicholas’s salvation tortures her with puzzle-piece visions, begging her to solve them.

Allying with the fiery rebel, Kieran, who does what he wants and encourages her to do the same, and a mysterious deity that only she can see, Eliza must forge her own path through a maze of primal traditions and rivalries, shameful secrets and dark betrayals, to take back the choices denied her and the Shinigami who see her as their savior. And she’ll start a war to save the loved ones that fate threatens to claim.

Want to find it? I’ll make it easy!

Book Name: Running Away (The Shinigami Vampires series, #2)
Book Genre: Adult Dark Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Book release date: 08/07/18

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Running-Away-Shinigami-Vampires-Book-ebook/dp/B07FN6QFDH

Running Away (book #2) on Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23263587-running-away

Running Home (book #1) on Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17977192-running-home

 

 

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Julie’s a mythology-twisting, pizza-hoarding karate-kicker who left her ten-year panty peddling career to devote all her time to writing. She is the author of Running Home,Running Away,TheWind Between Worlds, and forthcoming The Harpy. Julie revels in all things Buffy, Marvel, robots, and drinks more coffee than Juan Valdez and his donkey combined, if that donkey is allowed to drink coffee. Julie lives in Plymouth, MA, constantly awaiting thunderstorms with her wildly supportive husband, two magnificent boys, and a reptile army.

And that is why she’s awesome.

 

 

 

Because you WANT to connect with her. YOU DO!

HOW TO CONNECT WITH JULIE HUTCHINGS:

Twitter:@hutchingsjulie|Facebook| Website:https://juliehutchings.net/

Julieon Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7104966.Julie_Hutchings

Email:juleshutch@outlook.com or fill out my contact form.

Sign up for my newsletter and never miss a thing!

 

MORE BOOKS BY JULIE

Running Home

The Wind Between Worlds

Standing Still (free through Instafreebie)

 

SHORT STORIES / ANTHOLOGY PUBLICATIONS

Dark Carnival: An Anthology of Horror

Halloween Night: Trick or Treat

Summer’s Edge

 

FOR MORE OF JULIE’S SHORT STORIES

Visit her blog

 

Don’t forget to join in on the book buzz using hashtag#ShinigamiSeries

There you are! Another book out in the world. Sound good to you? GO READ IT!

Release Day: SACHAEL DISCOVERY

Tags

Book release, fantasy, Melody Winter, Mine Series, New Adult Romance, release day, romance, Sachael Desires, Sachael Discovery, Sachael Dreams

Book three of the Mine Series is here! It’s been a long wait, but we made it. I love the world of Saicean! Wonderful and fantastical! The mystery of Estelle unfolds, the only female in a race of men. Orontes returns! YES! His kind of evil intrigues me. The romance might not be my thing, but the world and the characters keep me going back.

Let me introduce you to the newest book in the series!

Sachael Discovery

War has come to Saicean. With Orontes as King of the Oceanids, the threat to Saicean and its inhabitants has never been greater. The Oceanid army has laid siege to the underwater paradise, and Estelle Bailey once again finds herself trapped by Orontes’s hand. This time, within the walls of what should have been a safe place.

Tensions mount as supplies run short, and being the only female Sachael in a world dominated by desperate men leaves Estelle feeling vulnerable. Tired of having to live like a prisoner, even a well-treated one, Estelle decides to act. They need a weapon. And she can think of only one person who still has the means to kill Orontes and end the war—Michael.

With Azariah and Chanon in tow, Estelle flees their world, heading to the remote islands of the Faroes. But their mission to find Michael yields so much more than they expected. Faced with information that could change not only the war, but the course of all Sachael existence, the trio must make a choice: return to Saicean with Michael, or follow a lead that could change everything and pray they make it back in time to save their home.

 

 

Book Three of the Mine Series, Sachael Discovery layers new intrigues and betrayals into Estelle’s journey, escalating the stakes to levels as sweeping as the backdrop of beautiful locales.

 

 

 

 

 

MELODY WINTER

Growing up, Melody Winter showed a natural ability in art, a head for maths, and a tendency to write far too long English essays. Difficult to place in the world when she graduated, she pursued a career in teaching, but eventually ended up working in finance. Melody is convinced that the methodical time she spends working with numbers fuels her desire to drift into dream worlds and write about the illusory characters in her head.

Melody lives in North Yorkshire, England, with her husband and two teenage sons. When not dealing with football, rugby, and a whole plethora of ‘boy’ activities, she will be found scribbling notes for her stories, or listening to 80’s music on her IPod.

Melody has a tendency to fall head-over-heels in love with her main characters, even when they frustrate her and refuse to act the way she wants them to. She is a romance writer at heart and loves reading and writing about anything mythological or magical, as well as exploring the gritty side of love affairs and the complexities of being in love.

 

SACHAEL DREAMS was her debut novel, (REUTS Publications, USA) and the first in the New Adult Romantic Fantasy series—the ‘Mine Series’. The second book in the series, SACHAEL DESIRES’, was released in November 2015, and the third book, SACHAEL DISCOVERY, is due to be released on the 19^thJune 2018. SACHAEL DESTINY is due to be released in 2019.

Melody has also self-published three books, INIQUITY, the first book in a Dark New Adult Romantic Fantasy series— ‘The Ascent’. (The second book in the series, ADVERSITY, is due for release 2018.) STARSHINE, and PROMISE, both contemporary romance, were released last year.

Website: www.melodywinter.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MelodyWinter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Melody-Winter-Author

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/Melody_Winter

Amazon page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Melody-Winter

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/melodywinter

YEA! Congrats, Melody! Now we wait for book four…

 

Release Day… A Pizza My Heart

Tags

A Pizza My Heart, anthology, Pizza, pizza stories, release day, short stories

Today is a great day for those who love pizza.

Today this is now mine. This is on my phone and hot and ready to eat…I mean read.

What a fabulous idea the wonderful Jolene Haley had…a book full of stories celebrating pizza!

I know so many of the talented writers who were chosen that I couldn’t wait to own it! TO READ ALL THE STORIES CENTERED AROUND MY FAVORITE FOOD! *smells the cover*

You can buy it now for only $.99 here! THAT’S RIGHT $.99!!!!!

Should be a super fun read with stories in all genres! I can’t wait to take a bite.

Happy release day to Jolene and all the authors!

You can’t hear, but he is obviously screaming “PIZZAAAAAAAAA”!

 

 

 

INIQUITY Release Day!!!!!

Tags

Book release, dark fantasy, Iniquity, Melody Winter, New Adult, release day, romance

Release Day!!!!! INIQUITY (The Ascent, Book One) by Melody Winter

Publication date: October 25th, 2016

Genre: New Adult, Dark Romantic Fantasy

 

To celebrate the release of INIQUITY, the first book in The Ascent series trilogy, Melody is giving away a signed paperback of Iniquity and a handmade Iniquity bangle.

All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is sign up to her newsletter.

Click here: newsletter sign up

If you’re already signed up then send melody a quick email telling her you’d like to be entered into the giveaway for the release day prize. Email: melodywinterbooks@gmail.com

Melody will pick a winner on the 31^st October 2016.

 

If you haven’t grabbed your kindle version of Iniquity, grab it today—the last day before the price goes up. (Please double check price before purchase.)

Amazon.com: Link to Iniquity on amazon US  

Amazon.co.uk: Link to Iniquity on amazon UK

 

Athena Harrow is about to turn twenty-one, but there will be no celebration. What is there to celebrate when the world is ruled by demons?

She hates the darkness the demons brought with them and longs for the light to return to the world—a world she only vaguely remembers. The people in her forest village blindly accept the life the demons forced upon them, even tolerating the yearly ascension ceremony where all the girls who have turned twenty-one are either sent away to serve the Master Demon or left in the village and forced to procreate.

But Paymon, the assigned village demon, selects a different role for Athena, a role that pits her against the village. While she adapts to her new life, Erebus, a younger, more powerful demon, arrives, and Athena must play a dangerous game with his emotions in return for information about the demon’s reign of darkness.

As Athena’s dreams of restoring the light begin to fade, her life with Erebus takes an unexpected turn, and this time it’s her life being put to the test.

Set in the forest around Buttercrambe in North Yorkshire, England, INIQUITY explores the frightening, darker side of romance and the uncontrolled emotions it can unleash.

 

Growing up, Melody showed a natural ability in art, a head for maths, and a tendency to write too long English essays. Difficult to place in the world when she graduated, she pursued a career in teaching, but ended up working in finance. Melody is convinced the methodical times she spends working with numbers fuel her desire to drift into dream worlds and write about the illusory characters in her head.

Melody Winter lives in York, North Yorkshire, England with her husband and two sons. When not dealing with football, rugby, and a whole plethora of ‘boy’ activities, she will be found scribbling notes for her stories, or preparing for another trip to the nearby beaches at Scarborough and Whitby. With an obsession for anything mythical, Melody revels in reading and writing about such creatures, and creating her own.

 

Website Goodreads Facebook Twitter Pinterest

Release Day… BOUND BY FAERIE!

Tags

Bound By Faerie, faeries, Faith McKay, fantasy, magic, release day, Robert McKay, urban fantasy

It’s release day for Bound by Faerie (Stolen Magic, #1) by WB McKay!

And if you know me, you know that if there are faeries… I’M ALL IN! BECAUSE FAERIES!!!! AND MAGIC!!!!

So I wanted help spread the word about this book that releases today! Sounds like a fun read.

Sophie Morrigan inherited many magical gifts from her death goddess mother. Most of them inflict torture, except the most beautiful. That one kills.

As an agent for the Faerie Affairs Bureau, Sophie loves retrieving dangerous magical objects. The job lets her indulge her covetous nature, and most importantly, it pays the bills. But when a routine job goes south, she finds herself struggling to keep her deadly magic in check while fleeing the wrath of an enraged dragon.

In a desperate search for answers, Sophie stumbles across Owen, a fae nightclub owner who’s as sexy as he is irritating, but just happens to hold the key to her problems.

Sophie wants nothing more than to get her magic under control and return to her normal life, but first she’ll have to face off with all the dangers Faerie can throw at her. Can she fight her way back home? Or will both she and Owen fall prey to a crazed death cult?

Bound by Faerie features a gutsy, kick butt heroine, a broody and dangerous hero, and a ton of magical mayhem.

 

On sale this weekend only! Get your copy on Amazon US or Amazon UK.

 

 

WB McKay is the pen name of married authors Robert and Faith McKay. Their love of stories brought them together, and they’ve been writing by each other’s side ever since. WB McKay marks the beginning of their true collaboration. They sat down and asked themselves what they couldn’t get enough of. The answer was simple. They loved urban fantasy set in a massive universe with room for every creature they could imagine. Throw in a gutsy female lead, a dash of humor, a pinch of romance, and they would eat it up and ask for thirds.

With that recipe in mind, they created a universe based around the vibrant and enchantingly dark lives of the fae. They invite you to explore their world in Bound by Faerie, the first of their magical adventures. Learn more about them, and their books, at McKayManor.com.

If you’ll excuse me…I must go get my copy!

The Untold Tale… Release Day!

Tags

fantasy book, J.M. Frey, release day, The Untold Tale

Today a new book enters the world.

Forsyth Turn is not a hero. Lordling of Turn Hall and Lysse Chipping, yes. Spymaster for the king, certainly. But hero? That’s his older brother’s job, and Kintyre Turn is nothing if not legendary. However, when a raid on the kingdom’s worst criminal results in the rescue of a bafflingly blunt woman, oddly named and even more oddly mannered, Forsyth finds his quaint, sedentary life is turned on its head. Dragged reluctantly into a quest he never expected, and fighting villains that even his brother has never managed to best, Forsyth is forced to confront his own self-shame and the demons that come with always being second-best. And, more than that, when he finally realizes where Lucy came from and why she’s here, he’ll be forced to question not only his place in the world, but the very meaning of his own existence. Smartly crafted, The Untold Tale gives agency to the unlikeliest of heroes: the silenced, the marginalized, and the overlooked. It asks what it really means to be a fan when the worlds you love don’t resemble the world you live in, celebrates the power of the written word, challenges tropes, and shows us what happens when someone stands up and refuses to remain a secondary character in their own life.

Available now in paperback and ebook!

My first reading love was fantasy. Other worlds where anything is possible makes my heart go all aflutter. I am really excited to read this one… the e-arc waits for me and my thoughts on it will come later this month.

Meet the author!

Toronto-based J.M Frey (pronounced “fry”) is a science fiction and fantasy author, as well as a fanthropologist and pop culture scholar who appears in podcasts, documentaries, and on television to discuss all things geeky through the lens of academia. Her debut novel TRIPTYCH has been nominated for two Lambda Literary Awards, won the San Francisco Book Festival award for SF/F, was nominated for a 2011 CBC Bookie, was named one of The Advocate’s Best Overlooked Books of 2011, and garnered both a starred review and a place among the Best Books of 2011 from Publishers Weekly.

 

Find more of J.M Frey online.

Happy release day! Hope there’s cake.

 

Sachael Desires…Release Day and Blog Tour!

Tags

fantasy, Melody Winter, NA book, romance, Sachael Desries, Sachael Dreams, The Mine Series

Anyone read Book one in The Mine Series, Sachael Dreams? I did!

Anyone dying to find out what happens? To maybe see a bit more Orontes or meet Lilith? ME! #TeamOrontes

Or, I suppose, hang out with Azariah again? Those #TeamAzariah people exist out there…

Anyway, we need more of Estelle’s journey! And here it is! Book 2 anyway, we’ll have to wait for the rest.

Today is the day!

During her ordeal with the Sect, Estelle Bailey dreamt of escaping back into the arms of the sea—and Azariah. But freedom came at a price, and though she’s back with the Sachael who’s stolen her heart, she’s also land-bound until the next full moon. And with the threat of Orontes looming ever larger behind them, Azariah, Estelle, and Michael—her once-captor turned rescuer and friend—are on the run.  Following Michael’s lead, they seek sanctuary amidst the natural beauty of the Orkney and Shetland Islands until Estelle can complete her next submergence ritual and Azariah can whisk her away to the safety of Saicean.  ​ ​ Secrets, betrayals, and old enemies await them, though, and as events spiral out of control, Azariah makes a decision that puts all their lives at risk, forcing Estelle to face a journey she never wanted to take. With time running out and tempers running high, her only hope to save the man she loves lies in a reconciliation between two kingdoms who despise each other.

Book Two in the Mine Series, Sachael Desires further expands on the intricate underwater world of the Sachaels, and the hostility and isolation of not belonging.​

And there’s a trailer! See it here.

Get your copy today!

Growing up, Melody Winter showed a natural ability in art, a head for maths, and a tendency to write far too long English essays. Difficult to place in the world when she graduated, she pursued a career in teaching, but eventually ended up working in Finance. Melody is convinced the methodical time she spends working with numbers fuels her desire to drift into dream worlds and write about the illusory characters in her head.

Melody Winter lives in North Yorkshire, England, with her husband and two sons. When not dealing with football, rugby, and a whole plethora of ‘boy’ activities, she will be found scribbling notes for her stories, or preparing for another trip to the beach. With an obsession for anything mythical, Melody revels in reading and writing about such creatures. In fact, if she wasn’t such a terrible swimmer, she’d say she was a mermaid.

Sachael Desires is her second book in the New Adult Romantic Fantasy series – the ‘Mine Series’.
Learn more about Melody Winter on her website, twitter or facebook.

GIVEAWAY ALERT!

Enter here!

Go tell Melody Winter CONGRATS on her second book! And if it strikes you fancy? Go get your copy.

LINK… Happy Release Day!

Tags

fantasy, giveaway, Link, release day, Summer Wier, trailer, YA

It’s alive! LINK is free to run amok in the world. HAPPY RELEASE DAY TO SUMMER WIER!

I have read this and enjoyed it SO MUCH… my review to be posted here on Monday. So if you like science-y, fantasy coolness, give this one a shot.

Join her on Facebook today for a release day party!

For seventeen-year-old Kira, there’s no better way to celebrate a birthday than being surrounded by friends and huddled beside a campfire deep in the woods. And with a birthday in the peak of summer, that includes late night swims under the stars. Or at least, it used to. Kira’s relaxing contemplation of the universe is interrupted when a piece of it falls, colliding with her and starting a chain of events that could unexpectedly lead to the one thing in her life that’s missing—her father. Tossed into a pieced-together world of carnivals and gypsies, an old-fashioned farmhouse, and the alluring presence of a boy from another planet, Kira discovers she’s been transported to the center of a black hole, and there’s more to the story than science can explain. She’s now linked by starlight to the world inside the darkness. And her star is dying. If she doesn’t return home before the star’s light disappears and her link breaks, she’ll be trapped forever. But she’s not the only one ensnared, and with time running out, she’ll have to find a way to save a part of her past and a part of her future, or risk losing everything she loves. Dreamy, fluid, and beautiful, Link pairs the mystery of science fiction with the minor-key melody of a dark fantasy, creating a tale that is as human as it is out of this world.

Available now from Amazon, and other retailers.

 

There is a trailer and it is gorgeous! Go see it here.

 

Summer Wier is an MBA toting accountant, undercover writer, and all around jack-of-all-trades.  Link is her debut novel and the first in The Shadow of Light series. She has three short stories appearing in Fairly Twisted Tales For A Horribly Ever After and co-authors the Splinter web serial. When she’s not digging through spreadsheets or playing mom, you can find her reading/writing, cooking, or dreaming of the mountains in Montana.

Check out more of YA author Summer Wier on her blog, twitter, facebook, and goodreads.

Last but not least… want a chance to win some very cool books?

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