Friday, March 29, 2013

Cover Reveal: A Goddess Wars Novel

Of Silver and Beasts (A Goddess Wars Novel)
Release Date: June 1, 2013
Genre: New Adult Dark Fantasy
Cover Reveal Organized by: YA Bound
Cover Designed by: Steven Novak

Summary from Goodreads:
In the sand-covered queendom of Cavan, the goddess once saved a young Kaliope’s life, preventing the mercury her father attempted to hide in her blood from reaching her heart. Now, a cybernetic clamp filters it, but the silver streaks swirling faintly beneath her skin are a constant reminder that she’s different.

When nineteen-year-old Kaliope is chosen as head of the Nactue Guard, she becomes the sworn protector to her empress. In the midst of an invasion on a neighboring land, Kaliope is placed in charge of guarding Prince Caben, the last heir to his kingdom. But when they’re attacked by the feared Otherworlders, Caben and Kaliope are abducted and taken below to a realm where they must fight for their life in a caged arena. 

Kaliope struggles to protect her princely charge, keeping him and herself alive while battling inhumanly opponents, and trying to save the stolen, sacred relic that will restore her empress’s life force and all of Cavan. And if she can somehow awaken the goddess within her, she may save what’s most important.


***Excerpt***

I open my mouth to say something comforting, but I’m unsure of what. In this moment, I’m reminded that I know little about him. Other than the sarcasm and desire to understand nothing of my queendom, he hasn’t allowed me past the surface. But then, I have my own walls, hiding things I’d never want him or any other to know. And I understand that need to hide them. You can’t trust anyone. “Caben…” I start, but still can’t find the right words. He lowers his hand from his face, never taking his eyes off the glinting water top. “You’re right,” he finally says. “Let’s find the access to Lilly’s section.” A hollow pang hits my chest, and I’m not sure why. Something in his voice sounds lost, broken. I imagine the gears around my heart spinning faster, trying to keep up with my racing heart. When he sidesteps me, I reach out and grab his arm. “Caben, I didn’t mean—” “It’s fine, Kal,” he snaps. “We have work to do.” “No, I’ve said something to offend you.” I drop my hand, but keep close to him, not allowing him to leave my side. Goddess, trying to understand the male brain is harder than anything in protector training. I’ve heard people say that you have to tip-toe around a woman’s emotions, but a man’s ego is every bit as fragile, if not more so. He releases a heavy breath through his nose and walks back to the pool. He sits down along the edge and rolls up his pants, then slips off his boots. “I honestly don’t think Bax or his goons will be returning tonight.” He sinks his bare feet into the water and sighs. Glancing at the back of the cave, I plant my hands on my hips. We don’t have time for indulgencies, but the prince is still my charge. If it were my empress, I’d give her anything she’d ask for. Allow her as much time as she needed to collect herself. I have to watch over his mental state as well as protect him, so I try to push the pending need to find Lilly aside and sit down next to him. “Here,” he says, turning his hand out near my crossed feet. “You have to feel this.” A smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. “I can remove my own—” “Have you never been pampered a day in your life?” he asks, lifting an eyebrow. “I know that the Nactue are fierce and will put a hurt on any man for touching them. But try to relax.” “Is that the rumor in Perinya?” “What?” I bite my lip, suddenly regretting my blurt. “Nothing. Never mind.” From the corner of my eye, I see his lips pucker into a pinched smile, as if he’s trying not to. “Ah,” he says, like he’s made some great universal connection. “Well, there are many whisperings about the Nactue. Some I dare not repeat for fear I’d leave here missing a limb, but that’s one, yes.” He takes my booted foot and begins to unlace it. “I’ve heard that the empress’s protectors are untouchable—forbidden to give themselves to men. And that they’ll snap a man’s neck just for making an advance.” My mouth drops open. Appalled, I counter, “That’s not true.” “All right,” he says, as if he hasn’t just insulted my very existence. “It’s only rumors. Things men jaw about in pubs. The unattainable woman is a fantasy, Kal. Don’t be offended.” “Unattainable?” I grit my teeth, trying to maintain my composure. “Tell me, prince. Do men in your country just go around bedding every woman they can in order to keep them compliant?” I shake my head. “If their fantasy is a woman that would have nothing to do with them, it seems to me it’s their way of feeding their egos after being rejected.” His eyes widen. “No! How does your brain come up with these—” He bites off his words, his lips thin as he presses them together. “Look, it was a joke.” I nod, many times. “Another joke. I’m glad that our hard work and sacrifice is amusing to the men of Perinya.” Caben lets out another sigh and slowly pulls off my boot. His warm fingers skim my calf as he inches up my pant leg. “Just stick your foot in,” he says, then adds lower, “while I stick mine in my mouth.” Unexpectedly, I laugh. “At least it’s now clean,” I say. “Would you like some help getting it to your face?”

***GIVEAWAY***
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Happy Book Birthday Streamline!


Streamline turns one-year-old this week! 
We're celebrating with a giveaway.



Synopsis:
Seems like Leo Scott has it all: looks, brains, and athletic talent. He's captain of his high school swim team with a bright future in college and beyond. But Leo has secrets. His mother's crippling car accident has devastated his family and left Leo to deal with his father's abuse, battered and alone.

Leo's girlfriend Audrey Rose is poised for her own share of success. As one of Florida's top high school swimmers, Audrey dreams of college swimming stardom. But there's an obstacle to her glorious rise to the top. Her number one supporter--her father--is in prison for murder.

Part murder mystery, part tale of young love in a military family, this gripping story takes readers on a journey from Pensacola to Annapolis. Leo and Audrey must band together to rise above the adversity they encounter and find their true selves in the process. When everything's on the line...streamline.

"What an emotional journey! I don't think I have ever 
cried over a character so much in my life."
~Dani from Paulette's Papers

"The issues that are touched upon in the story: family, substance abuse, 
teen relationships, trust, honor...they are dealt with in an amazingly 
realistic, unglossed manner." ~Andrea from The Bookish Babe

"Overall, Streamline is a wonderfully, emotionally complex story about the ones we love, 
the ones we hurt, the mistakes that break the human heart, and the unconditional love 
that puts the pieces back together."  ~Dani from Refracted Light Reviews

Streamline at Amazon for $2.99
Streamline at Barnes & Noble for $2.99

Author Jennifer Lane is giving away one signed print copy of Streamline to a US winner and three ebooks to international winners. To enter, complete the Rafflecopter form.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, March 21, 2013

How long is too long


How long should a chapter be? 

I always answer this question by saying it depends on the book. I still believe this to be true. Younger readers have shorter attention spans. I think short chapters work great for them, especially if the chapter ends with a cliff-hanger to makes the reader want to peek at the next page and possibly read just one more chapter. For young adult and adult novels, however, I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer. Several of James Patterson’s novels have chapters that are three to five pages. Each chapter is from a different character’s point-of-view. He stops the action early making me have to keep reading to find out what happens next. At the same time, I’ve read books where the chapters are longer—sixteen to twenty-plus pages—but the writing flows and the pacing is good so I don’t notice the number of pages per chapter because I’m enjoying the story too much to care.  

I started to think about chapter length when I was revising my newest work-in-progress and hit a chapter that was twenty-eight pages. I started to look at the rest of the chapters and most are between fourteen and eighteen pages. I then pulled books off my bookshelf and counted the number of pages in several chapters. Know what I discovered? Length varied widely by book. Some averaged four pages while others averaged twenty-four pages, backing my theory there is no right or wrong answer. I did divide my twenty-eight- page chapter into two, mostly because it was twice as long as the rest of the chapters in that book and I felt if anything I should keep them uniform.

Do you think about chapter length before you start to write a new novel? Does the length of your chapters depend on the book you’re working on? When you read, do you even notice how long the chapters are?

Friday, March 15, 2013

W*n a copy of Embrace



Hi!

I’m glad you stopped by, because I have exciting news! Mandy from I Read Indie  is giving away two copies of my young adult paranormal thriller/romance EMBRACE. 



Hurry! This giveaway is over in 5 short days! 

Good luck!
Cherie

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Miscellaneous Musings

I feel as if my mind is a kaleidoscope of images and ideas this week. I think it’s because I have too many non-novel projects that I need to complete before I can focus on my stories. It’s been some time since this has happened to me, and I know I’ll get back on track as soon as I finish some of the side projects.

Due to the short turnaround to judged the short fiction entries for an upcoming conference, I shifted my focus and have been devoting ninety-five percent of what would normally be my writing time to reading the submissions. These stories were written by teens and have been amazing, so having to push away from my keyboard hasn't been torturous. Thanks to the writers for giving me so many wonderful stories to judge.


My keynote speech is coming along nicely. I do hope the conference attendees enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed putting it together.

On book news I received the schedule for book two of the Embrace series. I now know when to expect my first round of edits. Cover discussion are in the works, and while I know it will be awhile before I see the designs, I can’t wait! Plus, I have a tentative release date. Since this is subject to change, I will only say that Hold Tight should be available by late summer.

I think that’s it for me this week. I’d love to hear from you. Let me know what you've been working on. How are you keeping busy this winter? Do you have cabin fever? I do!

Thanks for stopping by!



P.S.: In celebration of St. Patrick's Day, Omnific Publishing is offering their Irish author's debut novel for free. This is a limited time offer. Click here to learn more!

Also, follow the link below to Carol Oates' blog for a chance to win fun prizes!

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

March's IWSG



It’s the first Wednesday of the month, which means it’s time to talk about insecurities. Before I do that, I’d like to thank Alex Cavanaugh for hosting this wonderful meme. If you'd like to learn more about it, just click on his name.


This month's IWSG post snuck up on me. 

I’m currently in the calm before the storm when it comes to my writing.  I’m not a very patient person, but being an author demands patience. While I patiently (cough cough—anxiously) await the first round of edits for my sequel Hold Tight I’ve been keeping myself busy by working on a couple of new projects. I had gotten into a nice flow with one of them when I received a large white envelope that contained the short fiction entries for the SPC Conference I’m speaking at next month. The conference is for aspiring teen writers. I’ve read enough of their stories to know that these students are a very talented group. I’ve also drafted my Key Note speech for this same conference. Come to think of it, I suppose having a few weeks of calm isn’t all that bad. Still, I can’t wait to get started on the revisions for Hold Tight. And, truth be told, I’m dying to hear my editor’s thoughts. I’m hoping she likes the direction I took the story.  I’m also a little nervous that the revisions will be overwhelming. I’m glad I have other things to keep me busy, or I would probably drive myself crazy while I wait.

What do you do when you’re in wait-mode?

Monday, March 4, 2013

Grab Hold Tight Countdown Widget

Copy html code below to add the HOLD TIGHT Countdown Widget to your blog:

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3ec_CtQHXNTBWvMMUxYh_SK9WbW0B4wgeUJjOVKvEQbuIXVeWXkVJss6judwp1D2L1dqUFbRsDjHtbcoeII5CJWcER0luDu1q-IZ4BXrN8qiuxS2IRMaG9lMdDON8WxD79aXZeAz2iA/s1600/HoldTightCover.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3ec_CtQHXNTBWvMMUxYh_SK9WbW0B4wgeUJjOVKvEQbuIXVeWXkVJss6judwp1D2L1dqUFbRsDjHtbcoeII5CJWcER0luDu1q-IZ4BXrN8qiuxS2IRMaG9lMdDON8WxD79aXZeAz2iA/s320/HoldTightCover.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
<div style="background: #-1; font: 0px sans-serif; height: 100px; text-align: center; width: 180px;">
<object height="83" width="180"><param name="movie" value="http://cdn.onlinecountdowns.com/w/_007.swf"/><param name="flashvars" value="eid=70970"/><param name="wmode" value="transparent"/><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://cdn.onlinecountdowns.com/w/_007.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowScriptAccess="always"width="180" height="83" flashvars="eid=70970" wmode="transparent"/></embed></object><br />
<br /></div>