Monday, March 25, 2013

The Tuesday Tease and ELYSIAN news!

Welcome back to the Tuesday Tease!

It happened. Celestra came to a conclusion and I penned “the end.” ELYSIAN is finished~!!! It’s just a first draft so it needs edits, and more edits and polishing, like lots of it.  But I’ll get right on that and hopefully by the end of April, beginning of May it will hit e-shelves. *hopes* And, it is looong. On it’s own it will be the longest book in the Celestra series. But I think that’s a good thing because it’s sort of a bittersweet goodbye.
I can’t believe this crazy ride has finally come to an end. It was dizzying at times, and filled with heady love scenes that often spanned three suitors, but I’ve had fun on that island—plus there was Marshall. If you’re interested, you can still see Skyla’s life unfold in her New Adult series. I want to observe her and the peeps from Paragon a little ways into the future and I really hope you’ll join me. It will be different but familiar. I’m not sure how many books will be attached to that series but I have the overall arc. I think it’ll be interesting to see what’s beyond West Paragon High.
In other news I’m on final read-thru’s for EVANESCENT! I’m really loving the three point of views (Laken, Cooper, Wesley). The boys really have a way of adding a new dimension to the story(no not like that. OK, so a little like that…)—especially these boys because they’re basically enemies.
Oh, and one more thing! I’m sponsoring a Kindle Fire giveaway. If you’d like a chance to win, here’s the link: WIN A KINDLE FIRE!
Good luck!

Enjoy the teasers and Happy Easter~!

EVANESCENT (The Countenance Trilogy 2)
* (Wesley’s point of view)

“What I mean is,” I pause in the event I feel the need to bury myself further, “I would never even think of another girl or want one. You’re it for me, Laken. Hand to God, you’re all I’ll ever need. I was serious as death when I took that oath the other night, and I’m equally as serious about getting your name indelibly marked over my skin. I want to have a piece of you near me at all times. You’re all I ever think about from eyelids open until I fall asleep, and then I’m lucky enough to have you greet me in my dreams.”
Her smile expands, and she warms the room with it.
“You dream of me?” There’s a twinkle in her eyes as if she’s picking up on the unchaste nature.
“Damn straight,” I say, lowering my lips to hers. “And one day each one of those deranged fantasies is going to come to life.”


ELYSIAN (Celestra Series Book 8) The Final book in the young adult series.
*(Skyla dancing with Marshall at homecoming)

I can’t believe I let Marshall get to me like this. It’s like he’s a walking sex bomb that goes off every time we touch. This is bad, bad, bad. It is so not right to be hot for teacher.
“Hot for teacher?” He grits it through his teeth as if I said the exact words that had the power to reduce him to a primal level. Marshall’s eyes light up like flames, and sex exudes from his person in a viral—visceral—hormonal explosion.
“It’s an expression. It means—”
“I’m hopeful as to what it might mean.” He depresses a sexy as hell smile. “You realize if you dare lie with an Oliver we’ll have to scrap your carnal knowledge and start from the beginning. Why play with boys Skyla when you can run with men?”
“You mean there’s more than one of you?”
“I can multiply if you like.” His eyes widen at the prospect as if it were the first time this strange arrangement came to mind.
“No thanks. I’d be at a loss where to put things.”


Hope you enjoyed~!
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Tuesday, March 19, 2013

The Tuesday Tease


It’s Tuesday~! Welcome back to the teasers!
I’m at the finish line with ELYSIAN. Finally, right? Then the real fun begins with edits. It’s turning out to be a pretty good size book, much like VEX and EXPEL.  
I’m having such a hard time saying goodbye to the storylines—to the world of Celestra as I’ve come to know it. It feels like a boulder is lying on my back as I pen every word. My biggest comfort is knowing that Skyla gets to move on in her New Adult series, where she is no longer in high school and her love life has narrowed itself down to one suitor. I think it will be so exciting to explore this new world, especially after the long journey it took her to get there. I can’t wait to share more on this with you in the very near future, including the new series title, cover reveal, and format of the books. It’s all going to be different but very familiar at the same time. And did I mention ~steamy? Yeah. We go there.
As for EVANESCENT the edits are rolling in! My editor and betas are loving the alternate POVs. (POV = Point of view). In EPHEMERAL, it was all Laken, all the time, but in EVANESCENT it’s Laken, Cooper, then Wesley. I had the best time crawling into the minds of those boys. I think they really added a new dimension to the trilogy and I’ll continue the triple POV in the final book due out later this year. I’m excited!
And, in odd but true news, SOMEONE TO LOVE is featured in this months issue of Cosmo, which I think is really kind of fun. So, to the kind folks over at Cosmopolitan, thank you! And in case anyone missed it, I have SOMEONE TO LOVE extras as a tab up above (on my blog for those of you reading the teasers on Facebook *waves*). Feel free to enjoy the character interview with Kendall and Cruise as well as a sneak peak into SOMEONE LIKE YOU. (The story of Ally and Morgan).
Onto the teasers!

EVANESCENT (The Countenance Trilogy 2)

(Cooper and Wes at a party)
*Wesley’s point of view

“So who did this to you, man?” Coop slaps me gently on the back as he examines the stitches running up the side of my face.
“Logan and Gage Oliver.” Their names roll off my tongue, rough and hostile, like drilling a jackhammer.
“You sure they’re not from Rycroft?” Coop ticks his head back. His jaw redefines itself as if he’s good and pissed on my behalf.
I know Coop well enough to realize what he’s up to. He’s memorizing their names, running it through the super computer that functions as his memory bank to see if he recognizes them. We used to be friends Coop and I. Good ones.


ELYSIAN (Celestra Series Book 8) The Final book in the young adult series.

*(Skyla with Chloe and Demetri at his estate)

“Skyla,” her voice rasps low.
I look over at her carful, slow, in the event she breaks down and tries to soften my heart with her “please save me” shenanigans.
Her eyes plead with me. Her jaw clenches as she pulls her lips into a razor sharp line. Chloe Bishop is asking for help the only way she knows how, but I turn and run the hell downstairs.
“Mercy can hold powerful rewards, Skyla,” Demetri calls after me.
“So can justice!” I fire back.



*Hope you enjoyed!
**Please be sure to sign up for my newsletter that I promise not to spam your inbox with.  You’ll receive updates as soon as books are launched, character extras and exclusive excerpts! It will be made of serious yum~!







Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Tuesday Tease


Welcome back to the Tuesday Tease!
I hope you’ve had an awesome week! I finally sent Evanescent off to the editor yesterday and she should have it back to me in two weeks. Hopefully it won’t be too much longer after that.

ETHEREAL KNIGHTS  finally hit B&N~! Yay!!!!!! *cries a little* I really hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Marshall is miffed he wasn’t in it. He demands a POV.  (The book is slowly grafting over to iBookstore. So sorry for the wait.) 

Elysian~! Oh the sexual tension, the angst, the all out hatred toward Chloe. It all ends. Well, maybe not the general feelings toward Chloe, but the rest of it does. ;) I’m getting close to penning the end. My goal is this week or next, but whatever happens I want to do it right. Things are on track, and the book isn’t crazy long (yet) so all is looking good.  
To the teasers~!

EVANESCENT (The Countenance trilogy 2)

Laken is visiting Cooper’s house with plans to spend the night.
*Cooper’s point of view

“I’ll get you some blankets. You like your pillow soft or hard?” A smile tugs on my lips when I say it. It seems like everything turns into sexual banter with her, with or without any effort. Laken seems to pull the dirty perv out of me without trying.
“Soft or hard?” She mouths the words with a river of laughter bubbling from her chest. “I don’t plan on sleeping down here, Coop. I very much plan on sleeping right next to you.”

ELYSIAN (Celestra Series Book 8) The final book in the young adult series.

*(Lizbeth holding baby Beau in the kitchen with Tad, Gage, and Skyla. Lizbeth and Tad are heading out of town for the weekend. The baby is markedly fussy.)

“What’s happening?” My heart rate spikes and I’m halfway ready to get the fire extinguisher just to put myself at ease.
“He’s going number two,” Mom says, plucking off his cute baby jeans and fiddling with the tabs on his diaper. “I’ve got him on elimination communication—you know, going over the toilet.”
Dear God. How old is he? Two, three, months?
“Look”—she snips over at me—“don’t let things get out of control for once.” She leans into Gage. “You’re welcome to spend the night if you like.” She winks a smile as if she’s flirting. “Downstairs, on the couch of course.” She waves to me. “Be good!”
“Spend the night?” Tad snaps up Beau’s clothes from the ground as he trails Mom to the bathroom. “Just how many grandkids do you think you can strap to your back, Lizbeth?”
I give an uncomfortable smile to Gage. Every awkward moment I’ve had with this boy has been compliments of Tad and my mother.
“So?” He presses out one of his signature dimpled grins, and my insides boil with lust. “How many grandkids should we give her?”


Hope you enjoyed~!
**Please be sure to sign up for my newsletter that I promise not to spam your inbox with.  You’ll receive updates as soon as books are launched, character extras and exclusive excerpts! It will be made of serious yum~!








Tuesday, March 5, 2013

The Tuesday Tease



Here we are again! Welcome to the Tuesday Tease~!

BIG thank you to those who have read, enjoyed, and reviewed ETHEREAL KNIGHTS. I’m so very happy that you’re enjoying the Oliver boys!!! I told you they were naughty~

To my Nook customers, I’m so sorry for the bizarre delay! *cries a little* I have sent seven emails to B&N only to receive 2 form letters back. Although, I'm still hopeful that this hiccup will be resolved quickly. *prays* Unfortunately they don’t have a number for their uploading site like they do for end users so I’m at the mercy of their support team. I’m very anxious to get this resolved. I've had several readers let me know they picked up the free Kindle app for their phone and purchased through Amazon, also several readers have purchased direct from Smashwords. I’m going to see if there’s a way to distribute the epub file straight from my website so it will still load to your Nook but we can get the books to you as soon as they're available to Amazon customers. I think it's only fair. I’ll be looking into apps for that all day so if anyone knows of one I’d love to hear about it. I hope to figure this out before ELYSIAN is ready to hit the e-shelves.

Onto the books!

SOMEONE LIKE YOU: This is the follow-up book to SOMEONE TO LOVE.
This is Morgan and Ally’s story. (Kendall’s brother and her BFF). It’s written and patiently waiting for edits but I wanted to share it’s existence with you. Morgan is hawt. Think Gage with tattoos.  

EVANESCENT: So close to turning this in to my editor!!! I’m shooting for Friday. *crosses fingers and toes* I’d love to make this a March release but if not, early April for sure. I think it is SO exciting!!! Plus there are two male POV’s in addition to Laken’s!

ELYSIAN: Almost finished. I will not lie, I am so torn to pieces over this. Things swim along so normally in ELYSIAN then POW! (Yes, I’ve just resorted to verbiage you’d see in a Batman cartoon.) Anyway, before I get too spoilery, onto the teasers!
  
SOMEONE LIKE YOU (Garrison University 2)

Ally and Morgan’s story
*Ally’s point of view

 “Hey”—he smooths back my hair and a shiver runs through me—“it’s okay.”
 “It’s not okay. I’m a joke to them.”
 “You’re not a joke, Ally. Not to anybody, least of all me.”
 I blink back the tears and take him in—tall, dark, and inked beyond handsome. There’s a sincerity in Morgan that I haven’t found in anyone else. 
 “Thank you,” I whisper.
 He latches onto me with a tender gaze. Morgan Jordan exudes an inextinguishable fire from those steel grey eyes and it makes everything in me quiver to have him.
 His mouth hedges in ever so close to mine and a breath gets caught in my throat at what might come next.
 My lips part in anticipation. His granite-like chest presses tight against me as my thigh slips between his legs.
 “You’re welcome.” He digs a smile into the side of his cheek and walks right out of the kitchen.
  

EVANESCENT (The Countenance Trilogy 2)

(Wes and Cooper having a confrontation about who Cooper was up in his bedroom with)
*Cooper’s point of view

     Wes leans back and folds his arms. I know what he’s waiting for—the big denial.
     “So tell me Coop.” Wes doesn’t take his eyes off mine, neither one of us blinks. “Who was this mystery girl you were shacking up with under daddy’s supervision? Are you going to try and tell me it was Pearl? You expect me to believe you’ve got Spectators giving you blowjobs now? Who was it?”
     “It was Laken.”


ELYSIAN (Celestra Series Book 8) The Final book in the young adult series.

*Skyla lost in her thoughts while driving over to Marshall’s house.

     I speed over in my barely-there cheer uniform. God forbid Chloe spot me defecting from the group. She’ll probably have me turning in my miniskirt before the end of the evening. Sometimes I think that the only thing Chloe loves is cheer itself.
     Just what in the hell is she going to do with herself after graduation? Oh, that’s right, according Chloe she won’t be here. As if. I’m never that lucky. I’ve got a mother who practically rules the universe, and yet my name might as well be Skyla Misfortune Messenger. Nope. I seriously doubt Chloe will bite the dust as a graduation gift to me. She’ll definitely be hanging around for Gage, crawling after him on her knees in the supermarket, the gas station. I predict a permanent restraining order is in the works.



*There it is! Hope you enjoyed the teasers.

**Please be sure to sign up for my newsletter that I promise not to spam your inbox with. You’ll receive updates as soon as books are launched, character extras and exclusive excerpts! It will be made of serious yum~!