Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Introducing A.C. Davis




Introducing

A.C. Davis

A.C. Davis has spent most of her years examining the dark folds and crevices of humanity. She's a people watcher who creates a fictional bio for everyone she watches or meets. She once met a man who was responsible for slaughtering over fifty women nearly two-hundred years ago. Of course his body has long ago rotted away, but his essence never caught on.

Some people she has watched have disturbing secrets they buried so deep in hopes of being forgotten forever. But A.C. Davis sees them and she writes them down to share in novella format for all to enjoy, to think about, become frightened, horrified, aroused, and even entertained by for just a few moments in time.




Available on Amazon:

Jenny's Blue Velvet
by A.C. Davis

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EN0MLCS/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d10_i4?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0Y7XKK5YPK2BG49N6Q58&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1630083462&pf_rd_i=507846



Jenny's stuck.

She's tried just about every occupation she can think of and will be digging out of student debt for a very long time, but has nothing to show for it. Her everyday routine feels like a prison. And her marriage? Well, let's just say it's been a little one-sided lately and the money she threw down on the toys from Lover's Erotic Store was well worth it and then some.

Jenny decides her next big step is to become a romance writer. Romance books are flying off the virtual shelves, after all. This will be her big break, her escape from the prison, and a way to freedom. Self-publishing is all the rage these days. She'll be a best seller in no time.

When Jenny makes friends with a woman named Cassandra from the gym, she instantly decides that her new friend will make a perfect main character in her upcoming book. After the first chapter, real life begins to resemble the fiction she's writing. Her friendship blossoms, sex with her husband turns into a daily feast, and her job gets more interesting with each chapter written.

Out of the blue, a person who is a close friend with her husband and who is dating Cassandra disappears. As the mystery behind the missing person unfolds, Jenny wonders if she might be responsible for his possible death. And if she is, what will be the consequence? What has this writing business gotten her into?

JENNY'S BLUE VELVET, a novella, is a psychological thriller for adults only due to sexual content.


Coming December, 2013:
Still Nights
by A.C. Davis


Sammy's lost.

She's looking for a way out of the dark pit she's swimming in. A former police officer, she spends her days sitting on the couch and nights sleeping with her old partner turned friend with benefits. She shot a kid while on duty. It wasn't intentional. He threatened her and she panicked. But that one mistake won't stop haunting her. It's destroyed her life, if that's what you'd call the daily routine she lived before that unfortunate event.

Sammy has never seen a ghost even though her estranged husband is the famous Walker the Ghost Stalker, ghost hunter extraordinaire. She used to want so desperately to experience what her husband and friends call a supernatural thrill, but that desire ended when her life fell apart. The only reason she continues going on investigations is to spend time with her husband.

One night, Sammy receives a worrisome call. She rushes out in a raging storm to locate her husband and friends. What she finds instead would scare the shit out of anyone. And she regrets ever going on that last paranormal investigation. What has this ghost hunting crap gotten her into anyway?

Fan of American Horror Story? You'll enjoy the novella Still Nights, a horrific paranormal thriller for adults only.


Coming 2014:
Woman in Black Lace
by A.C. Davis




 

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Editing HIDDEN: Step 7 - Finishing the First Edit & Writing the Last Chapter

Yes, you read the title correctly. At the end of the first full editing pass, that's when I write the last chapter. Often, that's when I write the first chapter too. With Hidden, I wrote the first chapter when I hit the halfway point of the book.

The first and last chapters should be a mirror of each other - presenting/solving the main problems. If it sounds simplistic, it is. Doesn't mean it's easy, but it is really is that simple.

On Monday, I wrote the final chapter of Hidden, tying up loose ends that relate to the main plot. Not every loose end. If you're familiar with my work, you know I tend to write series. Hidden is the first in a new series, so of course there are going to be a few mysteries left unanswered (and, yes, I'm making notes of those for the next book).

After completing that chapter (and doing a quick editing pass), I did a search for all of my tk notations. I replaced all of the tk notes with the word or name that actually belonged there. Then I ran spell check. That may have elicited a resounding "DUH!" but you'd be surprised how many times I've sent a doc to editing without running spell check. Not because I don't believe in it, but because I get so excited about someone else reading that I totally forget to do it.

What's next? Well, now I am 30% relieved the first pass is done and 70% scared everyone's going to hate it. I think that's normal. Right? *laughs nervously*

Once those edits come back, I'll start on my second full editing pass.

XoXo,

Megg

Want to enter contests, win swag, and be told the moment my books go live? Sign up for my newsletter HERE. Thanks!



She thought she stopped the evil.

She thought she was safe.

Everything she thought was wrong.

Almost four months have passed since Evie Starling learned she was a Tracker and helped defeat a Daevos Clan that was taking others like her, but that wasn't the end of the abductions. As an unknown evil emerges, Evie vows to help solve the mystery of the missing Trackers, regardless of the risk.

With new powers she doesn't understand and can't control, she turns to Alex and Emil, her two soul mates, for help. But her feelings for them both are tearing her apart.

As the world around her is thrown into chaos, Evie is confronted with what could be a destiny-altering truth. Will she accept her history, her memories, and her role in this life, or choose to ignore the echoes of her past?

Purchase Eternal Echoes


Giveaway


About Angela

Angela Corbett graduated from Westminster College with a double major in communication and sociology. She started working as a reporter for her local newspaper when she was sixteen and won awards for feature, news, and editorial writing. She has also done freelance writing. In addition to writing, she works as a director of communications and marketing. She loves classic cars, traveling, and listening to U2. She lives in Utah with her extremely supportive husband and their five-pound Pomeranian, Pippin, whose following of fangirls could rival Justin Bieber's.

Angela writes under two names. Young Adult and New Adult titles are written as Angela Corbett. Adult titles are written as Destiny Ford.

Find Angela


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Monday, November 18, 2013

East of Eden by Lee Strauss

I'm excited to host my talented friend, Lee Strauss, on the blog today!!!


Super excited to launch my first Women's fiction/New Adult  Contemporary Romance
EAST OF EDEN!!



Regret is a formidable foe.

Eden Kelley is the primary caregiver for her mother who’s in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease, and she’s only twenty-four. Not what she planned to do when she left her husband for a new start with her four-year-old daughter in tow. She’d hoped for free babysitting, but instead she found a mystery. The discovery of an erroneous marriage document leads to more questions, and unfortunately Eden can’t ask her mother for answers because she doesn’t remember.

Her mother’s antics drive her crazy, but Eden’s determined to make the best of it. That includes finding the exciting romantic adventure she’d dreamed about. But when trouble knocks, it’s her husband Cade who arrives to help. It’s awkward and tense. And Eden comes to one sure conclusion: leaving her handsome, caring husband was a huge mistake.

Her parents had a second chance at love? Would she and Cade get one, too?


Coming soon to Barnes & Nobles and itunes

"I was enamored with the mystery surrounding her [Eden's] mom and dad. I eagerly read wanting to unearth their secrets. I was thoroughly pleased with what I found and how the whole story pieced together. ...And how her parent's story related to what Eden and Cade were going through...A perfect read if you are seeking a read that is light and mysterious." - Mandy Anderson from I Read Indies

The Story Behind the Story
East of Eden is my one and only backlist book, meaning it was once published traditionally (2000) and is now out of print. The publishing house is in Germany and it was only available in the German language (even though it was written originally in English). For thirteen years none of my English speaking friends or family could read it - until now! Yay for Indie Publishing!
Of course, my writing style has changed a lot over thirteen years so I took the opportunity to revise the original manuscript extensively which included title and name changes, new and deleted scenes and some reshuffling of scenes. I really love this new and improved version.
Even though I revised it, I  left it set in the 1990s instead of updating it to current times. The reason for this is the mystery involved. It needs the time frame it's in to work, plus, you can be assured the setting is authentic :)
What Inspired the Story?
I was driving through a suburb of Vancouver, BC on day in the mid 1990s and spotted an elderly woman rocking in a chair on a front porch of one of the homes. I was a young woman and I had a flash forward of myself in that older woman's place. What would it feel like to have your whole life behind you?
And what if you couldn't remember it?
My grandmother had recently passed away from complications due to Alzheimer's disease, so this was a matter of personal concern to me. I remember the moment she no longer remembered who I was and it was heart breaking.
My muse picked up on the theme and added the mystery. A self-centered daughter who stumbles across a clue to something hidden in her mother's past. Something her mother could no longer remember and so couldn't answer her many questions. 

And...

Sample pages of the first book in my upcoming Minstrel Series, Sun & Moon are included!


She has a past. He has a secret.
Katja’s a risk-taking singer-songwriter hoping to make it in the indie music scene in Dresden, Germany. Micah’s a brooding uptown banker on a quest.
There’s an undeniable attraction between them, a gravitational pull they both struggle to resist. Katja knows she mustn’t fall in love with this handsome enigma. There’s something dark lurking beneath the surface. He could be dangerous.
And even if her life isn’t on the line,
her heart most definitely is.

Includes MP3 links to original music performed by Canadian Folk artist Kim McMechan.


Pre- orders now available!

itunes | kobo | Barnes & Noble

Lee Strauss writes mixed genre romance for upper YA and adult readers. She also writes light and fun stuff under the name Elle Strauss. To find out more about Lee and her books check out her author facebook page. You can also follow her on twitter @elle_strauss and on Pinterest. To find out about new releases sign up for her newsletter at www.ellestraussbooks.com






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Monday, November 11, 2013

Congrats to the Winners!

I've chosen a name from the contest I ran last week - Vinya (sounds like Vinnia). I can't wait to put it in the manuscript. As for what happens to this character...well, you'll have to read to find out. ;)

Thank you so much to Bobbi K. for suggesting the name!!!!!

The other winner was Lisa B. for the spread the word contest.

All prizes are in the process of being distributed. Thanks so much to everyone who participated!!!!

XoXo,

Megg

Friday, November 8, 2013

Editing HIDDEN: Step 6 - Dealing with Multiple POV

Thanks to everyone who entered my contest this week! I'll contact & announce the winners next week. :)

Before getting down to editing, just a quick notice - my second trilogy, The Swarm Trilogy, is on sale this weekend. Sleepers is FREE, Afterlife is 99 cents, and The Sundering is $2.99. If you don't have them yet, now is a great time to pick them up.




Okay, on to my next editing step.

This is a new step for me! HIDDEN is the first novel I've written in 3rd person with multiple points of view. When I sat down for my first major edit, I realized the second half of the book was out of order! The chapters didn't line up properly with the timeline.

You're probably thinking I pulled out my note cards for this task. Nope. I laid out all of the remaining chapters on the floor and sorted them into the proper order.

Why didn't I use my note cards when that clearly would have taken up less space? Cliffhangers.

My note cards gave plot basics. However, I wasn't exactly sure which chapters had the biggest cliffhangers and every good writer knows you switch POV right after a huge cliffhanger. It's how we keep readers engaged!

Here's what my floor looked like while I worked on it ... and Tanu approved!!!! (She's looking on curiously in the bottom right corner).



It's back to entering edits into my master document now that the story is actually in order. ;)

Happy editing!!!

XoXo,

Megg

Want to enter contests, win swag, and be told the moment my books go live? Sign up for my newsletter HERE. Thanks!

Monday, November 4, 2013

HIDDEN - Naming Contest!

If you've been with me for a long time, you know I love hosting naming contests. The first contest was for Anathema - and the winner chose the main character's name, Reychel.

I'm running a similar contest again - but I'm throwing a little twist into the mix.

There's a grand prize for the person who wins the naming contest - but I'm also giving away a prize package to one winner who helped spread the word.

CHARACTER NAMING CONTEST
GRAND PRIZE:

- $25 Amazon gift card
- Your name in the Acknowledgements of HIDDEN
- A set of bookmarks
- An ecopy of HIDDEN when it releases
- An ecopy of MOTH, a newly released fantasy by Daniel Arenson, to keep you busy until HIDDEN releases

Help Spread the Word Prize:

- $5 Amazon gift card
- A set of bookmarks
- An ecopy of HIDDEN when it releases
- An ecopy of MOTH, a newly released fantasy by Daniel Arenson, to keep you busy until HIDDEN releases

To Enter Character Naming Contest:
 
The character: A woman, age 19, who is selfish and cruel. She's beautiful - blond and curvy. 

Comment below with your picks for the character's name. Only three (3) suggestions per person! If more than one person chooses the same name, and I wind up choosing it, the prize goes to the first person who suggested it.

If you don't have a registered Blogger account, please leave a way for me to contact you!!!!

Remember - I write epic fantasy. A name like Jane isn't likely to make the cut. Jayne, however, might.


I will choose the name I like best by November 12th and notify the winner!

To Enter Spread the Word Contest:

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