SOLSTICE by Braxton A. Cosby--Now Available!

Awesomesauce Authors: An Interview with Dan Koboldt!

In case you missed it, this has pretty much been me for the last few days....

Why??

BECAUSE MY AMAZING, ILLUSTRIOUS, BRILLIANT, FANTASTIC ALPHA CP IS HAVING HIS VERY FIRST BOOK BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ahem.

Here's a little more about Dan and his brand spanking new book baby!

Sleight of hand…in another land.

Stage magician Quinn Bradley has one dream: to headline his own show on the Vegas Strip. And with talent scouts in the audience wowed by his latest performance, he knows he’s about to make the big-time. What he doesn’t expect is an offer to go on a quest to a place where magic is all too real.

That's how he finds himself in Alissia, a world connected to ours by a secret portal owned by a powerful corporation. He’s after an employee who has gone rogue, and that’s the least of his problems. Alissia has true magicians…and the penalty for impersonating one is death. In a world where even a twelve-year-old could beat Quinn in a swordfight, it's only a matter of time until the tricks up his sleeves run out.

Scientist and blogger Dan Koboldt weaves wonder, humor, and heart into his debut novel, The Rogue Retrieval. Fans of Terry Brooks and Terry Pratchett will find this a thrilling read.

HarperCollins  Amazon   Barnes & Noble   Goodreads   iBooks 

Tell us a little about your writer's journey so far:

I've been writing just over eight years, starting with short fiction and soon moving into novels. By the time I started writing The Rogue Retrieval in 2012, I had two other novels written. But ROGUE was the first I queried. It took me about four months to land a literary agent, the fabulous Jennie Goloboy of Red Sofa Literary agency. Then another fourteen months of revisions and submissions before we got our offer.

Okay, let's hear your Twitter Pitch! (140 characters or less.)

A Vegas magician uses high-tech illusions of magic to save his bacon in a medieval world where they have the real thing (magic, not bacon).

What inspired you to write this book? How is it a book only you could write?

My book is a so-called portal fantasy, in which events unfold both on Earth and in a secondary fantasy world. I've been reading epic fantasy for over two decades, but I've also been a working scientist (a genetics researcher) for the last ten years. I challenge you to find another author with that background!

What's your favorite thing about writing?

Oddly enough, I think it's the challenge. Writing fiction is not an inborn skill. For most of us, it takes years of practice to reach the point where we can write publication-quality prose. At the same time, there's no barrier to entry. Anyone can become a bestselling author.

What's your least favorite thing?

That's easy: rejection. I don't like having my work rejected, and I don't like seeing it happen to friends. I understand on an intellectual that any industry with such a huge supply-to-demand ratio will have high rejection rates, but I hate the side effects: the form rejections, the long wait times, the countless good books that don't find a home.

Now it's time to brag a little--What do you love most about your book?

I love the hero, Quinn Bradley. He's an up-and-coming stage magician – a career I sometimes wish that I'd tried to pursue – and he's got the wits and charm to make it happen. I won't say that he's based on me. He's more like the person I wish that I could be.

Who was your favorite character to write? Why?

After Quinn, my favorite is Veena Chaudri, the Alissian cultural expert who joins the retrieval team. I think it's because when I wrote the first draft of the book, she was a man. An editor who'd shown interest in the book wanted to see more well-rounded female characters, so Dr. Eric Templeton became Dr. Veena Chaudri. I spent a lot of time developing her persona and backstory in my head, and I think she's a complex character as a result.

  

What has surprised you most about publishing post-agent?

I think it would surprise many just how much time gets sucked up by marketing and promotion activities. Unless you're Stephen King, most of the effort in that arena will come from you. Being published by a big 5 imprint certainly helps open some doors, but a new author coming in still has to bring a lot of energy to the campaigns.

Okay, now a little about you. (And yes, I stole these questions from In the Actor's Studio with James Lipton.)

 

What is your favorite word?

Nevertheless.

What is your least favorite word? 

No

What turns you on?

Clever wordplay.

What turns you off?

Physical injury.

What sound or noise do you love?

The deep thrum of a turkey gobble, in the woods at sunrise.

What sound or noise do you hate?

The sound of a mosquito near my ear.

What profession, other than your own, would you most like to attempt?

I used to daydream about becoming a professional fisherman. I love to fish, and I'm pretty good at it. I'm not a fan of getting up super early in the morning, though. That's probably the only thing holding me back.

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear G-d say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

Come on in!

Finally, what's the one question you've always wanted to answer in an interview? (And of course, you have to answer it!)

I love it when interviewers think to ask, 'how can our readers buy your book?' The answer is that you can buy it on Amazon, Apple iBooks, Barnes & Noble, or directly from HarperCollins. On March 1^st, you can buy the print version at your local bookstore. If they don't stock it, they'll be happy to order it for you.

About the Author

Dan Koboldt is a genetics researcher who’s co-authored more than 60 publications in Nature, Science, The New England Journal of Medicine, and other journals. Every fall, he disappears into Missouri’s dense hardwood forests to pursue whitetail deer with bow and arrow. He lives with his wife and three children in St. Louis, where the deer take their revenge by eating all of the plants in his backyard.

Author Links:   Website   Twitter   Mailing List   Facebook

To celebrate Dan's debut, I'm giving away an e-book copy of THE ROGUE RETRIEVAL to a randomly selected commenter using random.org. (Open internationally!) Share your congrats and kudos below for a chance to win!

Cover Reveal: MACHINATIONS by Hayley Stone

Perfect for fans of Robopocalypse, this action-packed science-fiction debut introduces a chilling future and an unforgettable heroine with a powerful role to play in the battle for humanity’s survival.

The machines have risen, but not out of malice. They were simply following a command: to stop the endless wars that have plagued the world throughout history. Their solution was perfectly logical. To end the fighting, they decided to end the human race.

A potent symbol of the resistance, Rhona Long has served on the front lines of the conflict since the first Machinations began—until she is killed during a rescue mission gone wrong. Now Rhona awakens to find herself transported to a new body, complete with her DNA, her personality, even her memories. She is a clone . . . of herself.

Trapped in the shadow of the life she once knew, the reincarnated Rhona must find her place among old friends and newfound enemies—and quickly. For the machines are inching closer to exterminating humans for good. And only Rhona, whoever she is now, can save them.

Pre-order Machinations today!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

And don’t forget to add it to your list on Goodreads!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Pinterest

Hayley Stone has lived her entire life in sunny California, where the weather is usually perfect and nothing as exciting as a robot apocalypse ever happens. When not reading or writing, she freelances as a graphic designer, falls in love with videogame characters, and analyzes buildings for velociraptor entry points. She holds a bachelor’s degree in history and a minor in German from California State University, Sacramento.

Machinations is her debut novel, releasing June 14th, 2016 from Hydra/Random House.

Awesomesauce Authors--Lynn Rush Interview & Giveaway!

Today I'm thrilled to welcome to the blog Lynn Rush (aka Reese Monroe) who's here to talk about her brand new book baby CRYOSTORM, which is available TODAY!!! Among other things, CRYOSTORM is about a girl with blue streaked hair. Naturally, this makes her insta-awesome, so I decided I had to learn more about Lynn and her latest book baby! And stay tuned for the giveaway at the end of the post!

 About the Book 

Book Title: Cryostorm (Touch of Frost #3)

Author: Lynn Rush

Release Date: 7/18/14

Genre: Upper YA/New Adult Paranormal
Purchase Links: USA: http://bit.ly/CryostormAMZN  

UK: http://bit.ly/CryostormAMZNUK

Click HERE to add to Goodreads!

They made his body, she’ll awaken his soul…

Three months ago, my twin sister, Georgia, and I had to die so our loved ones would be safe from the scientists hunting us. After months of searching, we’re close to finding the one person who can help us find closure, Georgia’s adoptive mother, Lois.

Snowstorms and an unexpected run-in with GenCorp, the latest entity charged with capturing us, delay our mission and break our spirits. The only light in my supernaturally chaotic life is Nate. He’s given up everything to protect and take care of me, and each minute I’m with him confirms how much I love him. Finally ready to share my heart again, I take the next step, admitting my true feelings.

The mad scientists who want to tear me apart and use my body for a freak show, once again taint my happiness with a disturbing technology that rips Nate from my arms. As I battle GenCorp’s warped technology to save my soulmate, I’m faced with the vivid reality: the Nate I knew and fell in love with may be lost forever.

And if I get him back, will I still be able to say those three precious words?

   

Tell us a little about your writer's journey so far:

It’s been a road filled with ups and downs much like any writer’s, but overall, it’s been an amazing experience. Today marks the release of my eleventh book, and it never gets old. I love the energy, and I love getting to hang out with awesome bloggers!

And we are thrilled to pick your brain!! Eleven titles is amazing! Okay, let's hear your Twitter Pitch! (140 characters or less.)

I am so bad with these… I write novels, not short little phrases. **LOL**  How ‘bout the tagline for this final book? 

They made his body…she’ll awaken his soul.

What inspired you to write this book? How is it a book only you could write?

Cryostorm is the third in the Touch of Frost trilogy. Nate appears in book two, and I just fell in love with him, so I had to give him more playtime.

He’s such a unique character—so much fun to write. As for the inspiration behind the book, I believe in the idea of soulmates. Someone made specifically for someone else, so I started asking what if—which I always do when it comes to characters and story ideas—and it turned into Nate and Mandy’s story.

I think it’s a book only I could write, because I know the characters so well. Others could write a story like this, but it’d have their own flare to it. We all have our own writing style, and I think Nate and Mandy play mine out well!

What's your favorite thing about writing?

I love starting new stories. The rush of staring at that blank page, just waiting for a world to be created…Yeah, I’m addicted for sure.

A lot of people seem to fear the blank page so it’s always interesting to me when writers love it. That’s probably how you wind up with 11 published books! So, what's your least favorite thing about writing?

Hmmm, least favorite. That’s hard to answer, because really, when you love what you do, you enjoy it all. I think mostly I don’t like waiting. The submission process takes a while for sure. Now, I usually fill that time by writing something new, so it’s all good in that respect, but sometimes things move a little slow in the publishing world. With self-publishing, like this series is, I control the pace a little more, so that’s nice. But still, there’s lag time with getting edits back, cover design, things like that.

Now it's time to brag a little--What do you love most about your book?

The love story. I am absolutely a big sap and a little old school in the romance department. I want the fairy tale. Mandy and Nate face some pretty hefty odds in this last story, but the love they share, the determination…I love that most.  J

Who was your favorite character to write? Why?

My favorite character to write in Cryostorm… Oh dear. While I love Mandy, I mean, she’s the star in all three of the books, I really enjoyed writing Nate. He’s not quite human, raised in a lab, and is mostly book smart, so having him discover things, learn things… that was super fun!

What has surprised you most about publishing?

Success is not a given if you get an agent. They may love your work and submit it places only to get rejected. And once you land a contract with a publisher, it doesn’t mean instant fame and fortune either. You still have to work hard, be patient, and most importantly—be OPEN! Always have a teachable spirit. Your editor and agent do this for a living and more than likely have seen a lot more than you have, so listen! Stay true to your work and your values, yes, but listen to their advice and honestly consider it. They want you to succeed as much as you do, and they can help.

Great advice, Lynn! Okay, now a little about you. (And yes, I stole these questions from In the Actor's Studio with James Lipton.)

What is your favorite word?

So.

It seems like I used that in writing AND talking quite a bit.

What is your least favorite word?

Meld.

There’s just something creepy about that word!

What turns you on?

A sweet kiss from my hubby.

What turns you off?

Mean people. They make my heart hurt.

What sound or noise do you love?

Water—either on a beach or listening to a little fountain.

What sound or noise do you hate?

Beeps.

You know when your food is done and the microwave continues to beep to remind you to get the food out! Drives me nuts.

What profession, other than your own, would you most like to attempt?

FBI Profiler. I always wanted to be Clarice from Silence of the Lambs.

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear G-d say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

Welcome, daughter.

Finally, what's the one question you've always wanted to answer in an interview? (And of course, you have to answer it!)

Why don’t your characters jump into bed right away like a lot of the romance novels out there?

I’ve gotten polar reviews regarding the heat level in my books. From “Turn up the heat already” to “I’m glad they didn’t just jump right into sex.”

Earlier in this interview, I mentioned I was a big sap and a bit old school when it comes to love. It’s true. To me, there’s so much more to a relationship than sex. I want to explore that part of the relationship, instead. I want to see what leads up it, like the temptations, the boundaries, the characters learning more about one another to see if they’re compatible.

Lust is easy, love isn’t. It’s is a choice—a verb. Love is the part I like to write. That’s the part I treasure, and it’s found in all of my books: Faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

About Lynn

      

Originally from Minnesota, Lynn Rush currently enjoys living in the sunny Arizona desert with her husband of seventeen years and her loveable Shetland Sheep dog, Maddux. Rush holds a degree in psychology from Southwest Minnesota State University and a master's degree from the University of Iowa. When she’s not busy writing her next trilogy, she can be found pounding the pavement, training for her next endurance event.

Connect with Lynn on Twitter, through Facebook or her website. Lynn also writes as Reese Monroe and you can find her alter ego here.

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YALLFest 2013: An Interview with Sean Williams

I'm honored to participate in the blog tour for this year's YALLfest Authors. For those who don't know what YALLfest is, you can find out more about the awesomeness and the all-star list of authors participating by clicking here. And if you live in the Carolinas or within driving distance of Charleston, SC, mark your calendar for November 9th! I want to hug all of you!!


Today's interview is with Sean Williams, who has written more bestselling SciFi/Fantasy novels and short stories than I can count. Here's a little bit about Sean and his books! 

About Sean

Sean Williams was born in the dry, flat lands of South Australia, where he still lives with his wife and family. He has been called "the premier Australian speculative fiction writer of the age", the "Emperor of Sci-Fi", and the "King of Chameleons" for the diversity of his output. That award-winning output includes over thirty-five novels for readers all ages, seventy-plus short stories across numerous genres, the odd published poem, and even a sci-fi musical. 

A series for young readers, The Fixers, pitted an increasingly lost protagonist against zombies, cyborgs, and vampires across numerous universes. His most recent releases in the Star Wars universe are The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance and The Force Unleashed 2.

When he’s not writing or in meetings, he likes to cook and DJ, but never at the same time.

What one thing do you need to have when you write?

The right music. And chocolate as a reward when I finish.

Describe your book in 5 words

Jump meets Uglies. But different.

What is the hardest line to write- the first or the last?

The first line is often the hardest to write, but I like a good challenge. The line I like writing the least is the last because it means I have a whole load of rewriting ahead of me.

Best writing tip you ever received?

Give up. If you can do that, you’ll be happier and probably better off as a result. If you can’t, then you know writing is exactly the right thing for you!

Tell us 5 random facts about yourself.

1) I live in Adelaide, South Australia, a place that’s home to about a million other people but somehow feels like a small town, which is why I love it.

2) I still think music from the 1980s is cool.

3) My stepson has situs invertus, which means his heart is on the wrong side of his body. That’s not really about me, but it is pretty random.

4) I’m a huge fan of Doctor Who.

5) I’m minding a pair of green tree frogs, Skipper and Jumpy, for a young friend while she’s overseas with her family. You can see pictures of them on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/seanwilliamsauthor/.

Where's your favorite place to write?

In my study, a lovely upstairs nook containing all my favorite book-related things, but I’ve trained myself to write anywhere as long as I have my headphones and some music. I quite like writing in hotels, probably because someone else does all the household chores.

What are you working on now?

Crashland, the sequel to Twinmaker.

About Twinmaker

High-stakes action combines with issues of friendship and body image in this timely and thought-provoking exploration of the intersection of technology and identity.

You can be Improved....

In a near-future world in which technology can transport you anywhere instantly, can a coded note enable you to change your body—to become taller, stronger, more beautiful? Clair is pretty sure the offer is too good to be true. But her best friend, Libby, is determined to give it a try, longing for a new, improved version of herself.

What starts as Libby’s dream turns into Clair’s nightmare when Libby falls foul of a deadly trap. With the help of Jesse, the school freak, and a mysterious—but powerful—stranger called Q, Clair’s attempt to protect Libby leads her to an unimagined world of conspiracies and cover-ups. Soon her own life is at risk, and Clair is chased across the world in a desperate race against time.

Action and danger fuel Sean Williams’ tale of technology, identity, and the lengths to which one girl will go to save her best friend.  

Links to TWINMAKER and Sean's collection of other works can be found below! 

YALLfest 2013: An Interview with Cinda Williams Chima

I'm honored to participate in the blog tour for this year's YALLfest Authors. For those who don't know what YALLfest is, you can find out more about the awesomeness and the all-star list of authors participating by clicking here. And if you live in the Carolinas or within driving distance of Charleston, SC, mark your calendar for November 9th! I want to hug all of you!! Today's author is fantasy and sci-fi authoress Cinda Williams Chima!

Here's a little bit about today's author from her Goodreads bio:

New York Times bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima comes from a long line of fortune-tellers, musicians and spinners of tales. She began writing romance novels in middle school, which were often confiscated by her teachers.

The Warrior Heir was named to Voya’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy 2005-2006, is a 2006 Booksense Summer Reading Pick, was named to the 2007-2008 Lone Star Reading List, and was a finalist for the 2006 Great Lakes Book Award. Warrior Heir received a starred review in the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books and a “Perfect Ten” (5Q, 5P) in Voya. The Wizard Heir also received a “Perfect Ten” from Voya and appears on Voya's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy 2007. The Dragon Heir received a starred review in Kirkus, was named to Kirkus's Best YA 2008 list, was a VOYA Perfect Ten, and is a USA Today, Indie Next, and NYT bestseller.

Chima's Seven Realms series launched with The Demon King in October, 2009.It received a starred review in the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, was a Voya Perfect Ten and was named to the 2009 Voya Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror List. The Exiled Queen followed in September, 2010. It received a starred review from Kirkus, was a Voya Perfect Ten, and a New York Times bestseller. The Gray Wolf Throne follows in September, 2011. Chima is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University and the University of Akron. Chima is an active member of the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. She has been a workshop leader, panelist, and speaker at writing conferences, including the Northern Ohio SCBWI Conference, the Western Reserve Writers’ Conference, and the World Fantasy Convention. She frequently speaks to young writers and readers at schools and libraries nationwide. Chima lives in Ohio with her family, and is always working on her next novel. 

And now, on to the interview! 

What one thing do you need to have when you write?

A computer

Describe your book in 5 words

Wizards misbehave, magic goes mutant.

What is the hardest line to write- the first or the last?

Usually the lines in between.

Best writing tip you ever received?

Give yourself permission to write badly.

Tell us 5 random facts about yourself.

1.  I am a twin.

2.  I am named after a character in a novel.

3.  I didn’t really start driving until I was 27.

4.  I am descended from Puritans and scoundrels.

5.  I used to be in a folk music band.

Where's your favorite place to write?

On a balcony overlooking the ocean.

What are you working on now?

I’m writing The Sorcerer Heir, the fifth book in a trilogy.

At what point in the development of an idea do you know that it will become a full-length novel?

When I’m finished with a full-length novel.

You can find out more about Cinda and her books via the links below!