Tuesday, July 9, 2013

The Phoenix Project - Second Edition

One of the best parts of being an Indie Author?

Sometimes people will offer their services for free. 
Which is very exciting!



The second edition of THE PHOENIX PROJECT has been released on Kindle.



Get your eBook update or if you haven't read it buy it today!

THANK YOU Kristy for all of your hard work on both books!!

 


Wednesday, June 19, 2013

How do you find time to write?


I get this question a lot, and more now that people know I've published. For many of them it has been a surprise, for one reason: I kept my writing a secret from everyone except for 3 people.


I have a house, a full-time job as a NICU nurse, 3 gardens, 2 birds, 2 dogs, approximately 17 freshwater-tropical fish and two tanks to take care of, and... Oh yeah, I have my own human child to take care of.
So where do I find the time?

Anyone who tries discussing the latest TV shows with me could easily find out... I don't watch television anymore. Maybe once a week I'll sit down for a movie or an episode of a series that we still follow, but other than that the TV is off.

When the TV is on I find myself getting antsy and annoyed with the crap that's on. I find it hard watching TV shows or even the news. It just feels like my soul is being ripped out and kneaded and I can't find the time to bother with it anymore.



So, I write. I grow vegetables in my garden, I check the pH levels on my fish tanks, I walk my dog, I annoy the crap out of my editor, I avoid the calls from work offering overtime, I stare at the floor that needs vacuuming and the pile of mail that needs sorting. I read books: Indie books, traditionally published books, articles and newspapers. So much that the astigmatism in my left eye can't focus half the time and I've gone back to wearing glasses full-time again.

Lately, I've been really bad with pretty much ignoring all of the social media work required of an author. I find the more that I'm on the internet, interacting with writing groups and bloggers and reading book reviews, I feel like my time is being leached out of me... I also feel like I come across some of the worst of humankind. It seems people get more and more cruel with each day that passes. I find this really affects me in a negative way. I can't say I've felt this much self-doubt in a long time. Even when I first began writing (and I know those first few drafts were horrible), I still had some sense of confidence back then. Now that I've been published, even with all of the fans who approach me and talk about the books and how much they love them, I find the self-doubt monster is stronger than ever.

This week has been especially rough, I guess I'll blame it on the weeks of drowning rain, sucking the life out of me, there has been more than one occasion where I've contemplated just stopping it all.

And then I wake up in the middle of the night with a head full of ideas and conversations from characters I haven't written yet an I have to grab my iPhone and write it all down before I forget. It's those moments, and when my husband is urging me on, and when my fans are speaking excitedly with me that I think maybe this is the right thing to do.

Either way, I think I'll continue my break from the social media world. I think I will continue living life, reading great books, writing what I love, and living in my little bubble.

Friday, June 7, 2013

Book Review Time: The Infernal Devices Trilogy



So... I just finished Cassandra Clare's Infernal Devices trilogy, 
and now I'm having one of these moments:



I've been looking for a good series to get into, my life hasn't been complete since I finished The Hunger Games Trilogy two years ago and re-read it seven times. It has been time to move on for a while now. After reading a few of the reviews on these books I was skeptical. But the prices for the eBooks ($7-$10) are mid-range and affordable.


Book 1: Clockwork Angel
 I'm not big on some of these supernatural themed books. I've read a few and mostly found myself lost because I didn't understand a lot of what was going on. And I wasn't sure how I felt being transported back in time to Victorian London, but the author helped in this first book, readers are introduced to this new world along with the Shadowhunters with the main character, Tessa, as she searches for her lost brother and learns about this new world.
Overall: 3 out of 5 stars



Book 2: Clockwork Prince I found this second book in the series to be far better than the first. Lot's of mystery and adventure and teenage angst as we learn more about the Shadowhunters and get pulled into an emotional love triangle. I was amazed that all the characters looked so pale and had hair that curled up at the napes of their long, elegant necks. Still, interesting characters, interesting plot and side stories. Overall, good read. Kept me interest, flowed much better than the first book. After reading this I was fully invested, I HAD to know what happened to everyone. So yes, I bought the third as soon as I finished this.
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars 





Book 3: Clockwork Princess 
The third book in this trilogy doesn't skip a beat, we are thrown right back into the adventure of the Shadowhunters as they seek for truths. And then... let the heart-stomping begin. I've said it before and I will say it again, I am a hopeless sap when it comes to love. The author did an excellent job creating a story in which readers can experience the relationships between all the characters and the emotional ties that bind them. That being said I finished the last chapter and I was happy with the result.
And then I read the Epilogue... And then I cried my frigging eyes out. I've never actually cried while reading. I usually save my tears for Disney movies and hangovers. But since I was reading in the dark, and my husband was already sound asleep next to me, I didn't bother holding them in. Go ahead... judge me.
Overall: 5 out of 5 stars (I'm rating this on pure emotion right now and it may change when I get my head back together)


Negatives: The author repeats herself a lot. There were multiple occasions in which I found myself skimming the prose because I had read it already or it sounded too similar to earlier statements.

Re-readability: Lots. I know I shouldn't, but I'm re-reading book one already.

Coverart: Can we say amazing! I found myself interrupting my reading, or pausing when flicking through my Kindle, just to gaze at the cover art. It's intriguing and beautiful and I want to frame it and hang it on my wall.



Tuesday, June 4, 2013

The Reformation already in the top 10!

The Reformation (The Phoenix Project, # 2)

Kindle store current stats:
#9 Dystopian Science Fiction
#38 Suspense
4.5 out of 5 stars!

Thank you everyone for spreading the word and/or purchasing the book! I can't wait to hear what everyone thinks!!
 
 

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Book II Cover


Book II Cover

Front and back




Kindle eBook Free Promo:The Reformation (The Phoenix Project Book II)

Kindle eBook Free Promo: 
Monday 6/3-6/8!

The highly anticipated second installment in 
The Phoenix Project Series: 


The Phoenix Project 
Book II








This is The Reformation

This is the plan: fracture society and build it anew

Andromeda Somers has just been sent to The Pasture to recover after her attempted escape from the Phoenix District. Now, she watches as hundreds of missiles descend upon the United States.

Andie has just witnessed the dawn of a new age.

With all hopes of escape demolished, Andie fights to protect her daughter from whatever the Funding Entities have in store for the future.



Kindle eBook Free Promo: Monday 6/3-6/8!
A Science Fiction Dystopian Series with suspense, drama, mystery, romance, what more could you ask for?
Get your copy today!


Haven't read The Phoenix Project?