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Showing posts from April, 2014

“Things Every Southern Woman Should Know How to Make”

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Alice clicked on the headline, mildly curious about what yet another stranger thought should be in her kitchen repertoire. Pictures of China plates mounded with crispy fried chicken, greens, cobbler, and a pile of biscuits a mile high flooded the screen, all set off with a pitcher of sweet tea beaded with condensation. The table was set; an apron draped off to the side next to a box labeled “Gramma’s Recipes” in fine calligraphy. She closed the browser and put away her tablet. She was born a Georgia peach, but she couldn’t make a cobbler to save her life. Did that mean she wasn’t southern? Or maybe just not “Southern.” For Alice, there was no recipe box full of family traditions. Her younger years were filled with rental homes in different states and her father’s voice coaxing her toward a text book rather than a cookbook. Metalworking and fabrication held more interest than learning to flambé or sauté. Did it make her less of a woman that her cooking skills consisted of fresh salads

Guest Post with Jessa Russo! Writing Loveable Supporting Characters

Today, Jessa's giving us a glimpse into her process for creating characters and excerpts of some of her loveable supporting cast members! “Writing Loveable Supporting Characters” (With excerpts!)   I’ve been beyond pleased with the feedback I’ve received regarding my side characters, in both DIVIDE and The Ever Trilogy, and I have to say that my characters are blessed in friendship, because I am blessed in friendship. For over twenty years now, I’ve had the same core group of girls in my life, and though we’ve had the occasional hiccup (okay, some of them were more than hiccups), we’ve always managed to come back to each other. There’s Charissa, who constantly inspires me and can make me laugh on even the darkest of days; Candice, my ride-or-die (though I despise that phrase—the Thelma to my Louise, the one who can call me out on my BS and I’ll actually listen; and Kristin, the one who would hit the road with me in a heartbeat if a getaway was needed, and som

Release Day! Jessa Russo's DIVIDE

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DIVIDE IS LIVE! DIVIDE IS LIVE! Today we're celebrating the release of DIVIDE--Jessa Russo's upper young adult fantasy fairytale redux of Beauty and the Beast (what a mouthful!)!  Please join us all day (4/17) on Facebook for the Release Day CELEBRATION !!! Author visits, surprises, and giveaways you don't want to miss! Click HERE to RSVP !  Amazon | Kobo | Barnes&Noble | Goodreads From senior class president to dejected social outcast, with just the flick of a match. After accusations of torching her ex-boyfriend’s home are followed by the mysterious poisoning of her ex-best friend, seventeen-year-old Holland Briggs assumes her life is over. And it is. But not in the way she thinks. As Holland learns the truth about her cursed fate—that she is descended from the Beast most have only ever heard of in fairytales—she unites with an unlikely ally, good-looking newcomer Mick Stevenson.  Mick knows more about Holland’s twisted history than she do

I've Got News, and It's Pretty Sweet

If I was a GIF-savvy person, this post would explode with them. I’m not, however, so I’m just going to squeal in plain ol’ type. Last week, I got to share some exciting news, and now I’m going to post it here. Ready? *squirms*   I’ve signed with Spencer Hill Press to publish my debut YA paranormal, LEAD ME BACK HOME. Here’s the short version of how it came to pass. I queried during Spencer Hill Press’s open submissions window in December. They requested the full manuscript shortly after. Then waiting. A nudge, a reply, and more waiting, until I received an email from Kate Kaynak that contained the following words: OFFER OF PUBLICATION. There was lots of flailing. Deep breaths. A yes. And here we are. I’ll post updates—and maybe a cooler version of this story—as we go along. For now, I’m still letting it sink in that next year I’ll be holding my book in my hands.

Cover Reveal! Stacey O'Neale's MORTAL ENCHANTMENT

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Today, Stacey O'Neale and Phoenix Reign Publishing are revealing the cover for MORTAL ENCHANTMENT , releasing on May 20, 2014!     Check out the awesome cover and enter to win a $50 Amazon or Barnes & Noble Gift Card !!!     On to the reveal!                 “Mortal Enchantment spins a unique twist on elemental mythology. This series is not to be missed.” Jennifer L. Armentrout, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author     In Kalin Matthew's world, elementals control the forces of nature. They are divided into four courts: air, woodland, fire, and water. At sixteen she will leave the life she's built with her mortal mother. Kalin will move to Avalon to rule with her father—the elemental king of the air court. Along the way, she's attacked by a fire court assassin and saved by Rowan, a swoon-worthy elemental with a questionable past.   Worst of all, she learns her father is missing.   To rescue him, Kalin will have to w

Cover Reveal! Megan Erickson's MAKE IT COUNT

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Hi, all! Check out the shiny new cover for Megan Erickson's MAKE IT COUNT!     So, are you ready for a little taste of MAKE IT COUNT? Kat gathered her books and stuffed them into her plaid Burberry messenger bag, then headed toward the front doors, smoothie from the library snack shop in hand. Head bent, fiddling with the clasp of her bag, she stumbled into a wall of human on the pavement outside. “Oh, I’m sorry—” Her voice dropped out when she realized the solid flesh belonged to Alec, Max’s best friend. She’d only met him once or twice before he’d moved in with Max this semester and every time, he cocked his eyebrow with a half frown like he knew something she didn’t. Which he actually did, since he had brainy superpowers. Smarter than a speeding Einstein. Able to leap over C-minus students like her in a single bound. She didn’t trust people that smart. And she didn’t trust a guy who didn’t ogle her ass or leer at her boobs like every other member of the