Wrist and Doctors

Hey Lovelies!
I just need a mini moment to vent. So if you haven't already heard, I'm a spaz. I fall up, down, sideways, pretty much you name it and I fall that way on the stairs. I trip over air, I'm a real klutz. I fell down the stairs a few years ago and silly me decided to attempt to catch myself. So my wrist hurt afterwards, but I never really got it looked at. So every once in awhile the last few years my right wrist hurt, no biggie I put an ace bandage on it. This is now going on like 2 or 2.5 weeks where it has been hurting and I have been wearing the wrap on my hand every single day. I have a doctor appointment on the 17th because they don't have hours after school and no weekend hours. I don't really care for doctors and hospitals make me nervous I'm really hoping nothing is seriously wrong, at the same time I hope the doctor doesn't think it's in my head...
~Ottilie

Need people for Mini Blog Tour...

Hey Lovelies!
I've been wanting to do this, but with time against me it hasn't really worked out. I want to get the news of the second edition of End of the Line out there so I wanted to do a mini blog tour. I will probably will do one for Family Ties a few months later. But I was thinking later in December starting the 15th when I'm done with teaching. Plus how fun would it have a mini blog tour about an end of the world book around the time of the whole end of the world time? I'm thinking a couple of reviews (I have a few people who said they would do so already, but would like a couple more), interviews of me or the characters, giveaways or if you have another suggestion I'm willing to hear it :) I'd really appreciate some volunteers it would mean a lot to me. You can either comment this post or email me at : ottilieweber (at) gmail (dot) com. 

End of the Line:

When so much is lost how does one to have the strength to move on? At seventeen Lauren was prepared for yet another year of school. Then asteroids hit, killing all of those she knew except for a few other teens from her neighborhood. Joining forces with her classmate Aaron, they work together on the journey in the hopes of finding more people that are alive. On the way, threats of starvation, illness, and freezing to death don’t compare to the danger of Dean Manson. Manson is an ex-con out for revenge against Aaron. With so much working against them these teens fight for everything even if it means denying their feelings just for the chance to see a new day.

Leading Ladies ~ Lauren

Hey Lovelies!
A bit ago I did a Men of Ottilie with the character Aaron! He is the star character of End of the Line. Well, one of the stars. Sorry to say I tend to write my stories in Male and Female POV's which you will learn as I hopefully get more out there. End of the Line you learned about Aaron who is tough and takes on the world, his counter part feels the same heavy weight on her shoulders. As Aaron is stubborn Lauren is his soothing friend that helps him along their journey. Lauren is a Leading Lady
                     Lauren

Auburn hair
Blue eyes
Self Sacrificing
Motherly
Sweet
Understanding
Peace maker
Leader

Scene:

 Our neighborhood was having one of those very family-oriented, corny block parties as a celebration for Labor Day, which it has every year. I, being seventeen at the time, didn’t like being at the celebration at all. First of all, the party wasn't exactly for my age group. The parents thought we were still into the little ponies and treasure hunt games. Secondly, most of the kids in my neighborhood were younger than I was, and the few who were my age were able to escape the festivity. Later I would wonder, Was it worth staying at the gathering and living or escaping the party and possibly dying?

I was hanging around my little brother, Sean, during the party since my parents were with the other adults. They wanted someone to stay with him so he was being supervised. They were able to go drink while I was here waiting in line for a smelly animal, whose long face looked even more excited than mine at being there. I loved my brother, but I just didn’t want to be outside on the blocked-off road, with people racing around who weren’t ashamed to show their enthusiasm.

At the time, my brother was six and fearless. Slightly on the hyper side and full of questions, he tested my patience at times. At the moment, he was holding my hand, jumping up and down and searching for his miniature friend, Paige, so they could go on at the same time. My brother had a girlfriend.

I was currently single. Okay, so I went on a few dates. I didn’t need a full hand to count the guys, but I just never really had a full-out, real boyfriend. I’ve never had the genuine, strong emotions toward any of the guys I went out with. It was frustrating.

“Lauren, there she is! Paige, over here!” yelled Sean, letting go of my hand to wave his in the air while still hopping about. I was starting to blame those double-chocolate cupcakes for his energy.

I smiled, not sure whether to be embarrassed or to think his behavior was adorable. A little girl with dark red hair in long pigtails came running over to us. She was wearing a yellow shirt with a big kitty on the front. She was wearing yellow shorts, one of those little kid matching outfits you later yell at your parents for, wondering what they were thinking when they bought it. Yet Paige and my brother were too cute together.

That’s when the sky started to get darker. The past week, the sky was getting an odd glow of obscurity, not that I really noticed since I always kept my shades closed from laziness ‘til my mom threw a fit. The sun still set at night, but always had that little morning glow to it. Almost like a storm was about to start, but no rain ever fell. At this point, the sky wasn’t pretty to look at, possibly looking worse than it had previously. The atmosphere gave me the chills, to be honest.

“Sean, you want to go in and watch a movie with Paige? It looks like it is going to start raining. I’ll make you guys a big bowl of popcorn,” I said, letting my voice fill with excitement to try and draw them in.

I really hoped they wouldn’t pull the “I haven’t gone on the pony yet” card. The sky was giving me the creeps and I wanted to get out of there. I shifted from one foot to the other with my arms crossed over my chest. They looked at each other and whispered, their tiny hands cupped to each other’s ears. Then they both glanced at me and agreed to see a movie. I sighed in relief as I took their hands so we could stroll back to my house. I had to tell my parents and Paige’s parents so they wouldn’t worry when they didn’t see us outside.

We walked to the Jones’s back yard where most of the parents were sitting on the porch at the tables they had brought. Their laughter could be heard clear as a bell from the front yard where the horses were. Finally, I saw my parents sitting on deck furniture, drinking some form of alcohol that appeared summery with fun, tropical colors. Someone said something funny that had the parents howling once more. I would have needed aspirin if I were with them the whole time.

“Mom, Sean and Paige want to go watch a movie at our house. They’re getting bored.” I added the lie knowing she wouldn’t care about that little detail because she’d seen right through it.

We were close, and she knew her two children very well, our likes and dislikes even our very small habits. A lie could be sensed from another floor in or out of the house by my mother.

“Honey, didn’t you at least try to have fun?” my mom asked, pushing a stray piece of hair behind my ear before looking down at my brother.

I looked into my mother’s bright jean-blue eyes. I’ve got the same ones while my brother has green eyes. Sean and I both had the same auburn hair my mother had. Mine was curly like my grandpa’s, and it fell two inches below my shoulders.

“Lauren, how about you take Cole and Jill with you to watch the movie? They’ve been here playing cards the whole time. They’re probably bored out of their minds.”

“Okay, Mom, I’ll take them.”

It wasn’t like it would affect me. They would be watching a little kid movie. I didn’t care. I had no problem admitting I still liked Disney movies.

I turned around to see Cole (who was sixteen) and Jill (who was fifteen) playing war with a deck of cards, looking really bored and sitting at a circular, wooden picnic table on the deck. Mandy, on the other side of the table, sat with her head rested on her folded arms. At nine years old, Mandy was an only child, so she attached herself to the other neighbors. I walked over to them with Paige and Sean at my side. They were whining about how they wanted the movie now. The movie that I had to talk them into seeing was now taking too long to get started for their taste.

“You guys want to get out of here and watch a movie at our house?”

The two of them gazed at the cards as the parents continued on with high pitched laughter and then glanced at each other. They got up and trailed the three of us to my house. The door was unlocked since my parents lived next door and the whole neighborhood was outside, so we didn’t have to bother with carrying around keys. I pushed open the door; then the six of us headed downstairs to the basement. Flicking on the lights, we got to the corner of the basement, which my father had separated from the rest of the basement. In this spot my dad built a sound-proof room so everyone in the house wouldn’t have to listen to the video games or the shows that would be playing.

We walked in and I closed the door behind us. Sean and Paige ran over to the shelves of movies in order to pick one they both would like. Their eyes gazed at each title. The other three went to the table and started a new game of cards, whispering to each other. I guess they couldn’t really talk with the adults always chuckling. It was always a lot easier to talk when the adults weren’t in hearing range. I was the same way at times.

The two finally picked some Disney movie so I set it up and then sat on the couch with them. I put my thin-rimmed glasses on so I could get the screen to focus a little better. Forty minutes into the movie, when all of us were settled and calm, it started. The house began to vibrate and the TV went black. The lights flickered, then went completely off. The two little ones bellowed in annoyance, but that quickly turned into apprehension. My nerves were set off as I felt my hands start to shake along with the rest of the house.

Thinking quickly, I pushed all six of us under the table that just a moment ago was the home of a card game. I mentally thanked my mom for putting the old kitchen table down here instead of getting rid of it. I drew Sean closer to me as we squeezed as close as possible in order to fit. I buried my face in my brother’s hair as I felt the fear of death breathing down my neck.

As the tremor continued, heat and a gagging smell filled the basement. Paige started to cry into my shoulder while holding tightly to me. Her tiny fingers gripped the top of my shirt. I wrapped an arm around Paige to bring her closer to Sean and me. I could feel the sweat on my body from the heat, but I didn’t care. All that mattered was getting through this.

The sounds of wood buckling and glass shattering were muted against the clashing noises that I couldn’t pinpoint. The TV fell over and the screen shattered, shooting glass fragments around the room. The shelves that once held DVD’s and games quivered before collapsing to the ground.

After what felt like forever, though it was more likely just over an hour, the earth started to wobble less. Eventually, it completely stopped and the world seemed still. It took me a bit to even realize the shaking had stopped. The sudden quiet left a new air of heat on top of the New Jersey humidity, which already lingered over the state. A weird stench filled my nose, nearly burning the inside of my nostrils. I didn’t want to move for fear the floor would be taken from right under me. My legs were probably as undependable as the house had been just a moment ago. Slowly, I let go of the two little ones to creep out from under the table. I had to pry their fingers from me. None of us wanted to let go.

“Where are you going?” asked Cole, looking very worried.

The others were appearing more frightened than him. All of them were still clinging to one another. Mandy was holding onto Jill, trembling. Jill’s dark eyes were wide with fear as she held onto Cole. Paige and Sean attached themselves to Cole since I was gone. They were too petrified to move.

“Stay there, you guys. I’m going to see what just happened.”

“I’ll go with you,” said Cole, starting to shift to see if he could find a way out from underneath the table.

“Cole, stay with them.” I tried to muster up a hiss of an order, yet my voice wavered. “Someone needs to keep an eye on everyone, so you stay.”

I tiptoed toward the door. Each step was hesitant. I was preparing for the floor to start moving again. I could see the door only because steam poured through the cracks of the frame. I went to open the door, but I could feel the heat radiating from the door knob a few inches above it. Knowing I had to go through, I grabbed the blanket from the couch and wrapped it around the knob so I would be able to turn it.

When it swung open, I never thought I would witness anything like it. In front of the door, a rock the size of half my house blocked the stairs, a searing smoke emanating from it. The little of the sky that could be seen was black, and an eerie red glow striped the dark clouds. Utter silence has never sat well with me. There wasn’t even any laughter from where the parents were.

We needed to get out of there right now. This was all very, very bad. “Hello! Someone help us!” I screamed, my voice cracking with panic several times.

After what seemed to be the hundredth time of high-pitched screeching for help, I felt tears in my eyes. Smoke drifted around me, irritating my throat and eyes. I fell to my knees, wondering what just happened and why no one was coming to help us. I coughed, feeling the smoke filling my lungs. My throat felt raw from the yelling. I knew I had to get the kids out of here if there was any chance of surviving. I got up and pushed some of the ash that was mixed with parts of my house off of my legs. That was when I heard a sound.

“Help!” I screamed, feeling a little relief come.

I stared up in the haze to try to make out the face above me. I couldn’t, but it was someone who could help us out of here. Ash, drywall, and God only knows what else was clogging my sight.

“Is someone down there?”

“Yes!” I shrieked, not able to hold back the jumpiness of my nerves. “Yes, there are six of us down here! Can you help us?”

“There are six of you?” His voice was deep. “So more people did survive.”

I took a deep breath because I felt sick after his last sentence. “What do you mean?” I questioned, not really sure if he heard me.

“Hold on a second. I’ll come down and help you guys!”

Rope appeared a few minutes later. I didn’t bother moving, since I was stuck where I was. I watched the stranger as he lowered himself down to help us. When he was a few feet above the ground, he let go and landed right in front of me. By the little light provided by the scarlet, smouldering sky, I was just able to see who was standing in front of me. Part of the reason I could tell who it was is because I had seen him so often.

Cutting this scene short ;)

End of the Line

Aaron

Kindle .99

Nook $1.99

E-reader .99

Paperback $8.99

Cover Revealing ~ Shawn Maravel!

Hey Lovelies!
Sorry for all the MIA-ness! I have a treat for you, a cover revealing of the lovely author Shawn Maravel's book Know Thy Neighbor! Not only that, but I have an interview!

Blurb: Evangeline has already lost everything once. She’s no stranger to reassembling the shambles of her life and trying to make peace with the outcome of the greatest tragedy that she’s ever had to face. But when a life of selling antiques in the Lower East Side proves to be less than enough to maintain her meager lifestyle, she turns to the pages of her thriller novels for distraction.

When a mysterious new tenant moves into the apartment above hers, she indulges her desire for danger and adventure by trying to figure out exactly who the stranger in 6C is. In time, the intrigue about a neighbor she has yet to actually see, isn’t enough to keep her distracted from the threat of having to close down her shop and start from scratch for the second time. Just as she tries to refocus her attention to breathing life back into her business, she meets the handsome stranger for the first time and she loses sight of everything else.

Soon her life takes on the exciting appeal of her novels and she can’t seem to get enough. But as she draws closer to the mystery tenant, she discovers that the danger is real and her life is left in the hands of a dangerous killer.

Interview:

1. Where did the idea of this story come from?

Know Thy Neighbor was inspired by a dark stairwell and a wild imagination. I wondered what it would be like to run into a talk, dark, and handsome stranger in the stairwell of your apartment. The idea snowballed from there.

2. This story is a little different then your other stories, did you find it hard to write?

I did actually. I loved presenting myself with a challenge but it ended up taking me over a year to complete this story. There were a few times I thought I never would. I wasn't sure how to end it and at times I thought it was going nowhere. I finally recruited my husband to help me with the action scenes and to help with certain other plot details and that made it much easier to complete. Without him I doubt I'd have the confidence or the material to see this project to the end.

3. Are you similar in any way with the main character?

Not at all. We both like antiques, that's about it. haha. Evangeline is very curious and adventurous. I've always been a lot more cautious. She likes the suspense aspect of books and life and I'm much more content to know as little as possible about what scares me. If it scares her, it occupies a great deal of her attention. She's much braver than I am.

4. Where did you get the cover idea from? Was there almost another option?

I wanted a photo of a girl looking out her window, that much I knew. Evangeline watches John on a few occasions as he sneaks around at night and for a while the view from her apartment window is all she has to go off of. Originally I'd wanted to use a different image but I found this one right around the time I completed the book and I just knew that it was perfect. I hope that readers agree.

5. What is your favorite part about cover design?

Know Thy Neighbor is the second book where I've used a stock photo, Shifting Gears being the first. I like having options for cover design. I can use stock photos through the site that I publish through, Createspace which I did for Volition & Severance's first edition covers. I can also use my own photos like with my Volition series second edition covers as well as with my other Rider series novel, The Wanderer. OR, like with this novella and Shifting Gears, as mentioned, I can use a stock photo website. Being self-published means that it's my choice as to which outlet I use. And in this case I had already seen a bunch of stock images that I liked, so it was just a matter of finding the right one. And once you do, it's like everything's real all of a sudden. It's the beautiful wrapping on a gift you hope that you readers will enjoy.

6. What is your favorite part of writing a story?

My favorite part is finishing it and looking back on a story that had started out as no more than an idea. It's like a huge weight has been lifted and I can just enjoy that I've written another book.

7. What is your favorite type of muffin?

Haha, hmmm....let's see. I'm not a big muffin fan but my go-to muffin would have to be cornbread.

8. On facebook you are known for showing your latest fashion in nails, what has been your favorite design/color you have done?

Since becoming pregnant my nails have been super long and they haven't been breaking. This is something that is very new to me so YES I am taking as much advantage as I can. I think I paint my nails about once or twice a week. My fall-back is usually a french manicure but I love sparkles, so if I can incorporate them somehow than I'm usually pretty happy with the outcome.

9. You have had both objects and people on your cover, do you prefer one over the other?

I think it all depends on the book. I also like scenery, which I have for the first edition covers of the Volition series. It all depends on the target audience and the book's theme. I liked using objects in the Volition series on their covers but I also like using photos. Though with people I prefer that they're suggestive, like with The Wanderer and Shifting Gears. You can't see the men's faces. If you could, not everyone might find them attractive. I like to allow my readers to be able to create their own image of my characters, even if I have my own vision of what my characters look like, I don't want to force them on readers.

10. Do you have a favorite out of your own book covers?

I really like my second edition Volition series covers. It took a while and some tweaking to arrive at them but they're colorful and vibrant and I was able to use my own photography for them.

11. You are having your first little one, little Landon, is there a book you grew up with that you can't wait to read to him?

Goodnight Moon :). There are quite a lot actually but that one I remember the most. It's simple but it's sweet.

12. What is your favorite color?

Light green. 

13. What book are you currently reading?

I am reading Audrey's Guide to Witchcraft by Jody Gehrman. 

14. Do you picture your books as movies?

Oh definitely. I'm a very visual person, so when I write my books I write them as if they are movies playing out in my head. 

15. What is your least favorite chore to do around the home?

Favorite chores? Is there such a thing? haha. I guess if I had to pick, I'd have to say vacuuming. It's pretty quick and painless chore with instant gratification. I do quite a lot of chores since I'm a homemaker and I really enjoy a well kept home. 

Goodreads Page: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16119326-know-thy-neighbor

My Blog: http://shawn-kirsten-maravel.blogspot.com/

My Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shawn-Kirsten-Maravel/191311257546970

Free Ebook ~ End of the Line

Hey Lovelies!
Sorry for being so MIA! To make up for that, this weekend only End of the Line will be FREE for all ebooks! All you have to do is get it off Smashwords during this limited time! Then well, enjoy :)

When so much is lost how does one to have the strength to move on? At seventeen Lauren was prepared for yet another year of school. Then asteroids hit, killing all of those she knew except for a few other teens from her neighborhood. Joining forces with her classmate Aaron, they work together on the journey in the hopes of finding more people that are alive. On the way, threats of starvation, illness, and freezing to death don’t compare to the danger of Dean Manson. Manson is an ex-con out for revenge against Aaron. With so much working against them these teens fight for everything even if it means denying their feelings just for the chance to see a new day. 

Indie Giveaway Winners!

I would like to thank Shawn for hosting this fabulous giveaway. Indie authors are less known, true diamond in the rough at times. Just waiting for a reader to discover the story that the author worked so hard to get out there. Thank you Shawn again for hosting this and congrats for all the winners! (Again sorry for most of this post is not mine I am 'borrowing' it from Shawn because my brain is still scattered from student teaching. I will be back soon! Actually the words I'm noticing it's mostly the pictures I'm using!

Thank you for everyone who entered their work into the contest. Thank you for all those who entered, and lastly thank you for all those who helped spread the word of the giveaway! Without all those factors the contest would not be to the grand extent that it became. I hope everyone got to learn about new authors they might not have heard of before.

CONGRATS TO ALL THE WINNERS!!!

AND NOW TO ANNOUNCE THE WINNERS

The winner of prize pack number one is....Tich!

Congratulations, Tich, I hope that you enjoy your new bundle of books!

The winner of prize pack number two is...Hana!

Congratulations, Hana, I hope that you are as moved by these stories as I was!

The winner of prize pack number three is...Cordelia!

Congratulations, Cordelia, you will definitely enjoy this bundle of books!

The winner of prize pack number four is...Kassandra!

Congratulations, Kassandra, you've got quiet the variety there!

And the winner of Emily White's pre-ordered ecopy of To Love or Die in a Steamy-reamy World is...Heather!

Congratulations, Heather, this sounds like such a cool read!

Indie Giveaway!

Hey Lovelies!
Hope Sandy was nicer to you all then to me, I still don't have power! However here is an Indie Giveaway that the lovely Shawn Maravel is hosting. I have 600+ emails and not going to go into how much school I'm behind not only my class but teaching wise! So out of this I am stealing Shawn's post for the giveaway! enjoy :) End of the line is one of the options and you'll win not one book, but FOUR!

This giveaway is to help get the word out about some really great Indie and Self-published authors and their books. Be sure to check them all out. So many awesome books have been donated to the giveaway and a lot of them are even signed. I have also included my reviews for some of the novels in the giveaway that I have had the pleasure of reading thus far. So, read the reviews, check out these awesome books, and enter for a chance to win some great bundle packs. And don't forget to spread the word.

There will be FOUR winners. That's right, each giveaway package will be given to one lucky winner, so be sure to let me know which package you've got your eye on by leaving a comment below. 

In addition to donating Elemental, Emily White is also offering a pre-ordered ebook copy of To Love or Die in a Steamy-Reamy World, release date set for December 22, 2012 on all major online retailers ($.99 for ebook/$2.99 for print).

Blurb: 10 Tales of Steampunk Silliness and Spookery.

In the cozy seaside village of Steamville, New Hampshire, an unfaithful zombie, out of control werebots, succubi in corsets, and more wreak havoc in this short story collection.

Find These Books on Goodreads: SLAMMED, Volition, Severance, End of the Line, Love Story, Kiss Me, I'm Irish, Souls in Peril, Spiritus, Tiger's Curse, Tiger's Quest, The Z Word, Preservation, Hollowland, Shifting Gears, Elemental, Babe in Boyland, To Love or Die in a Steamy-Reamy World

My Reviews For: 

End of the Line by Ottile Weber 

Babe in Boyland by Jody Gehrman 

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck 

SLAMMED by Colleen Hoover 

Love Story by Jennifer Echols 

The Z Word by Bella Street 

Kiss Me, I'm Irish by Bella Street 

Spiritus by Dana Michelle Burnett 
Souls in Peril by Sherry Gammon
Elemental by Emily White
Preservation by Rachael Wade
(Review by Ottilie Weber) Volition by Shawn Kirsten Maravel
(Review by Ottilie Weber) Severance by Shawn Kirsten Maravel
(Review by Ottilie Weber) Shifting Gears by Shawn Kirsten Maravel

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