Saturday, December 13, 2014

In Your Eyes Blog Tour

Good Morning!
I am lucky enough to be part of Diana Nixon's blog tour for her upcoming book 'In your Eyes'! You should check this out because it comes out this week, right before Christmas.




In Your Eyes
by DIANA NIXON
BOOK BLOG TOUR

Follow the tour on FACEBOOK:

Book Blurb:
My life has never been perfect. I lost, I lied, I cried. But there was one thing that I thought would stay with me forever — my love…
Adrian was my everything. The day he died, I died with him. It was like being caught up in a nightmare, with no reason to keep breathing, with nothing to hold on to.
                But one day, everything changed.  I didn’t know I was lost until the moment Nic found me. He made me laugh, he made me feel, he made me believe that I could love again. I thought I would never feel alive, but then I looked into his eyes and I was lost. Only this time, it was not a nightmare swallowing me, but a beautiful dream coming true.
                Just when I thought there was no hope for tomorrow, my heart found a reason to beat faster…

Excerpt (Nic’s POV)
Unlike my co-workers, I never knew the lack of money, at least until the moment I thought I wanted to change everything about my life. I didn’t tell anyone about what had happened before I realized that I could no longer live the life that I used to have before coming to Daniel’s workshop. First, because I didn’t want to talk about it, and second, because I didn’t feel like going back to something that I swore I would never return to. No matter how much I had to work, now I was sure that I would be able to take care of myself better than ever.
And then, something unexpected happened…
I saw Emily, even before she turned to see me. She was wearing one of the sexiest leather riding outfits that I had ever seen, and I had seen a lot. It consisted of a pair of black trousers and a jacket, both covering her curves like a glove. Her dark-brown hair was in a perfect mess, if I can even call it that. She was holding a helmet in her hands, and I could only imagine her perfectly-shaped body riding a bike. I would probably kill for a chance to see it, or take her for a ride with me.
The moment I bent down to kiss her on the cheek, the smell of her perfume filled my nostrils. I inhaled deeply, letting that mind-blowing combination of cherry and spice swallow me whole.
She froze. I could feel it even without looking at her. Was it the first time that a guy had kissed her on the cheek? Hardly. With the body and lips like hers, I bet guys never stopped at friendly kisses with her.
Then I looked at the guys, staring at me in complete and total shock, and realized that I must have done something wrong. “Sorry, my father is from Rio and there, they always kiss each other on both cheeks when greeting one another,” I said, trying to explain myself.
“I see,” she said, giggling. “I’m Emily, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you.” I smiled down at her.
Her dark-blue eyes met mine, and there was something in their depths that I didn’t know how to explain. Curiosity? Surprise? What could she be surprised about if I was just another guy out of what I was sure was no less than a dozen of her admirers? 
I didn’t have a chance to ask anyone about Emily. After she left, I got back to my work, hoping no one would mention the details of our meeting in Dan’s presence.
Was she his girlfriend? I saw that look that Daniel gave me. I knew that look. It said it all — I needed to stay away from Emily, especially if I cared about my life and my job.





Author BIO:
Diana Nixon is a bestselling author of Nevermore Press. She was born in Minsk, Belarus. She has a Master of Law Degree and speaks several foreign languages, including English, Spanish and Polish. Diana's writing career started with a fantasy novel, named Love Lines. For now, Diana has 11 published books, including one short story and a book of poems.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Blog Tour ~ Seasons of Change

I was lucky enough to be taken over by Mia Hoddell! Enjoy!

Description: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67b4dTZCwU5yToZJ_xPAJTeLyKVcDb9lp0GgAaFtAPVl5vSq3lDCVsESHkH3NLFg5yg9AzpJd9BgT6sDqvJqCljCsmjPWko-9ADpJNl0Yv8eKEVlAR7-UkjJeJcFxL0Fi_TKeQMuPs5M/s1600/TOUR+BANNER.jpg


Description: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi81EHco6xCQ5gI6L0XFLRTK6X-nGUJB0x1THvjCjt_r6FKKBygjkAntf45AbjvpF4x4NXI4b-c4lOYsf7UCU4NLAua6bdZSh_putUTwj4Kb0DkuDiVuTd8QIeAAdO4n5RALghbdlbkUvM/s1600/SOC+BOX+SET+PNG.pngSeasons of Change Box Set
Books 1-4 + Exclusive Bonus Stories
by Mia Hoddell

Genre: YA Romance
Release date: November 27th 2014

Blurb:
You can now get all four Amazon best-selling novellas in the Seasons of Change series, plus two exclusive short stories, in one box set.

These feel-good contemporary romances follow the seasons as characters change for the better, find themselves, and overcome fears.

All of the novellas are standalone reads, but can be enjoyed as a series because characters overlap. This box set includes:

Summer Demons:
 Jenna Shaw jumped on a plane and flew to Portugal to try and forget her past. However, forced to deal with her memories due to an ill-timed joke, Jenna’s holiday is derailed by the charismatic Ethan Brooks. She sees him as an annoyance; he sees her as a challenge. And when all of his usual tricks only serve to push her away, Ethan has to work harder than ever if he wants to win over and help his mysterious girl.

Winter Angel: When Amy’s suggestion of a beach holiday is overruled in favour of skiing she couldn’t have predicted it might make her break the one, and only, rule she has: not to commit to a serious relationship again. The minute she sees Luke, she knows something’s wrong, and her desire to fix people means she wants to be the one to help him. However, she didn’t go on holiday to fall for someone, and whether or not she can move past her insecurities will depend on whether Luke can face his biggest fear.

Autumn Ghosts: Only one person knows what truly lies in Ellie Jeffords’ heart, and that’s herself. Hating the course she is studying, Ellie is failing and when a friend’s cousin, Justin, offers to tutor her, she jumps at the chance. However, as the pressure of exams starts to break Ellie, Justin wants her to confide in him. The only problem is that he can’t persuade her to talk without revealing his own dark secret, and forcing Ellie to choose between her parents’ dreams and her own will cost her something she loves.

Spring Knight: Kayleigh Barrow is most comfortable on stage where she can pretend she’s someone else, but when auditions for the latest production are opened up to the entire university, the lines between fantasy and reality start to blur. Thrown together with renowned player, Aiden Hanson, she can’t longer hide her feelings for him. However, he’s never had a serious relationship and Kayleigh refuses to be another conquest. When her acting starts to become real and she can no longer hide behind her character, Kayleigh must decide whether Aiden’s worth the risk, or if he will end up breaking her heart.

Plus 2 exclusive short stories:
Summer Revenge:
 Jenna promised she’d get Ethan back for his prank, and it’s time to cash in. Read about what happened after the couple left Portugal.
Season of Love: There’s beach fun, flirting, and mischief as all of the Seasons of Change couples take part in a beach competition.


Buy it now, save 20% and get more content than if purchased separately.

Description: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKmx5Q2yX3W8M5lNPrhwzPLDfB48oaZu2TTPBJjB4iT2PmwxhrdSC05WZqryXSWKv7NJc64BeknRfeNACiMqUhUcgryUk4BI3L-MbJWibCtKLL7V_2fdVKOfcNc30_-f-A9i5Ny4Oqho/s400/Book+Images+2.jpg


About the Author

Mia Hoddell lives in the UK with her family and two cats. She spends most of her time writing or reading, loves anything paranormal and has an overactive imagination that keeps her up until the early hours of the morning.

With three poems published before the age of sixteen, Mia moved on to short stories but finding she had too much to tell with too little space, Mia progressed to novels. She started her first series (The Wanderer Trilogy) at the age of fourteen and since then hasn’t stopped writing. Seasons of Change is her third series and with an ever growing list of ideas, Mia is trying to keep up with the speed at which her imagination generates them.


Connect with Mia:


or subscribe to Mia's Newsletter for information on:
 ARCs, giveaways and new releases

**Giveaway**
3x copies of Summer Demons and Winter Angel (ebooks)

CODE:

LINK
Excerpts
Spring Knight Excerpt
Black. It was the only colour she could see as she stood on top of the platform. Her vision had tunnelled with the waves of vertigo that hit her body, allowing only the dark colour into her eye line. With the strength of a gale force wind, it pounded on her chest, causing her to stumble back as its icy hold sent a shiver along her spine. The break from seeing the ground wasn’t enough, though. She couldn’t go far enough to feel safe. If she moved more than one step in any direction she would fall.
She felt dizzy ... lightheaded.
It was the worst possible time to find out she was scared of heights, but maybe it was the thought of jumping rather than the actual distance. Not only did she feel faint, but also sick. Kayleigh didn’t even know how those two actions could combine, but she let out a nervous giggle and hoped another type of blackness would capture her mind before she made a complete fool of herself. It probably made her sound insane, but she couldn’t stop the sound.
No longer could she find the answer to why she was on a platform, willing herself to fall. It had seemed logical and easy on the climb up, but now she suddenly felt as if she was standing on top of a building, rather than a few metres in the air. Her heart was pounding in her chest; the rhythm frantic as she urged herself to peer over the edge once more. Palms slick with sweat, her fingers slipping over each other, she twitched nervously as she strained her neck to catch a glimpse of the floor.
“I can do this. Just lean back and it will all be over,” she muttered to herself, only adding to the crazy image she had going on.
People were shuffling anxiously on the ground, unsettled by her actions. “Block them out, Kayleigh. You can do this,” she chanted ritually under her breath before she inhaled sharply. Slowly counting, she exhaled with a deep sigh when she reached twenty. Her whole body relaxed with the action and Kayleigh closed her eyes, trying to find a sense of peace and stillness. Unfortunately, all it did was make her knees weaker. Reopening her eyes, Kayleigh kept her head up and her chin parallel with the floor. If she didn’t look down, what she was about to do couldn’t scare her … at least that’s what she told herself.
Block it out. Everything. Focus on your breathing. It’ll be over in seconds.
Taking one last deep breath, her gaze hardened and she picked a spot across the room to focus on. She shuffled to the edge, her bare toes skimming the lip of the platform.
She was just about to turn around when something interrupted her focus. A door slammed hard, and into the room walked the last person she expected to see. His cool, blue eyes found hers instantly, holding multiple questions as to why she was doing what she was. Yet Kayleigh didn’t stop to think any further. The last thing she needed was to appear weak in front of him, and she’d only just calmed herself down.
Turning, Kayleigh edged back so that only her toes were balanced on the edge, her heels hanging off. She felt like a diver, but with worse balance since her legs had started to shake.
She couldn’t hold the position long.
“Ready!” she shouted, loud enough to silence the room. Normally she hated being the centre of attention, and wanted to shrink into the darkest corner possible. However, today she would kill anyone who wasn’t focused on her. Today she needed all eyes to be on her or everything was going to end badly.
She heard counting below. “Three ... Two ... One ...” As they reached the final number Kayleigh pushed all thoughts from her mind and leaned back, her arms crossed over her chest tightly.
Displacing her weight, her body fell.

Autumn Ghosts Excerpt
Ellie’s plan to wallow in self-pity alone didn’t last as long as she’d wished for. She had gotten through two beers and was halfway through a third when Aiden marched over to her.
“Don’t you think you’ve had enough, Elles?” he asked, looking pointedly at her bottle, which caused her to let out an exaggerated breath. The flirting from Aiden was annoying, but it irritated her more when he took on a brotherly role in Luke’s absence.
“I’m fine,” she huffed. “You’ve probably had more than me anyway.”
“But I can handle it better.” She could hear the smile in his words, but she refused to look up at him. Her hair had fallen forward, creating a physical wall between them, and she was thankful that it obscured her face from view.
“What’s up, Elles? You’re not yourself.”
“I’m fine, why do people keep asking me that?”
Aiden reached forward, pulling her hair back and tucking it behind her ear. It gained him a glare, but he was persistent. “Come on, Elles. It’s obvious you’re not. I’ve known you over twenty years.”
Ellie sighed, not wanting to reveal anything, especially to Aiden. “I’m fine.”
“Then why are you over here by yourself?”
“She’s not by herself. We’re here,” Jess called, and the tightness in Ellie’s chest eased at her friend’s rescue. “You are being no fun, though.”
Ellie wanted to head-butt the bar as she groaned. Instead, she downed the rest of her beer and turned to signal the bartender.
“No, she’s good. She’s had enough,” Aiden stated, interrupting before she could place her order.
“Seriously? You’re cutting me off? I’ve only had three.”
“That’s enough. I’m not getting my ass kicked by Luke because you came home drunk and miserable.”
“I’m not drunk,” Ellie protested, not bothering to deny his other accusation.
“Really?”
“Yup”
“Prove it then,” Aiden challenged, a sly smile and silent laugh shining in his eyes.
“How?” Ellie couldn’t help but be drawn in. She never backed down from a bet.
“Beat me in a game of pool.”
“You don’t think I can?”
“No, I know you can normally. You’re one of the few people who are better than me. But … I don’t think you will today.”
Ellie’s face hardened in concentration, studying the table. “You’re on, but if I win I get all of your winnings from tonight.”
“That’s my girl. If I win, you go home.”
“I’m not your girl,” Ellie stated, her voice devoid of all emotion as she took the cue he offered and walked past him.

Summer Demons Excerpt
She saw red. Seeping into the crystal clear water it spread, bleeding and merging as the ripples around her pushed it closer towards her feet. The deep crimson only grew darker as it surrounded her.
She could feel her breathing quicken, coming in short, sharp rasps as she started to panic. Her chest constricted, an unbearable pressure tightening like a boa constrictor refusing to release her from its clutches. Her throat felt dry, her increased breathing doing nothing to help the situation as she forced herself to swallow in the hope of dislodging the lump that had formed there.
This isn’t happening. This isn’t real. I came here to escape this, she told herself repeatedly as she laid there, her turquoise bikini embellished with golden sequins shining in the sun as her back tanned slowly. Bringing up an arm to adjust her chestnut-brown hair that was dangling in the water, she tried to pull away before the colour reached her and tainted the beautiful locks. The damage done would be irreparable if it touched her.
Moving it just in time, she threw it over her shoulder so it rested between her shoulder blades, the damp tips feeling nice as they cooled her back by trailing droplets of water down either side. She tried not to flinch as her gaze returned to the bloodied water that lapped at the li-lo beneath her chin. With every wave it seemed to grow closer, making its way further up the yellow plastic to try and touch her. The tapping that was normally so soothing tormented her now, like a crowd clapping and cheering her sanity on as it fled for safety.
Rather than listen to the logical side of her brain, her body had other ideas. Shuffling back, she put a bigger distance between her face and the abnormal pool beneath her. As her toes dipped into the cool water behind her though, she flinched, automatically drawing herself up so that no part of her body was near the edge. No matter how disgusted she was, she couldn’t stop staring; her eyes were hypnotised by the gentle movements that swirled the colour into the water even more. The red had become so thick that not one tile beneath the surface was visible.
The more she stared, the more she remembered.
The more she remembered, the more she was pulled into her memory.
It might not have been real at that moment in time, but it had been, and Jenna was once again pulled into the unbearable memory. 
Winter Angel Excerpt
Taking Liam’s silence as it was meant—an end to the conversation—Amy turned back to Jenna, whose head was leaning on Ethan’s shoulder, their hands linked on his lap. They were never not touching.
“So what do you think?”
“About what?” Jenna replied. Her eyes flicked over to Amy, but her head did not move.
“Bus guy. What did you think of him?”
“He’s okay I guess. I wasn’t really paying attention. He didn’t look that pleased to be here, though.”
“He was hot, right?”
Jenna lifted her head to look at Ethan, who was watching and waiting for her response. Smiling mischievously at him, Jenna replied, “Yeah, I wouldn’t mind hooking up with him.”
She glanced at Ethan to see his reaction, but he just rolled his eyes. “Nice try, but I’m not biting.”
Jenna sighed, but returned her attention back to Amy. “Just don’t do anything stupid, yeah? You don’t know anything about him.”
“Yeah, yeah, I hear you … nothing stupid.” Amy brushed off the comment. Jenna had always been a worrier, but Amy preferred to just throw herself into things head first, the consequences be damned.
“Amy ...” Jenna’s tone was low in warning, knowing that the callous way in which she was brushed off did not bode well.
“I’m not going to go knocking on his door or anything, don’t worry. I just might happen to bump into him a few times around here. You know I don’t do serious relationships anymore. I’m not stupid enough to fall for that trick again.”
Jenna shook her head in despair, knowing it was futile to argue. “Whatever, just don’t cause trouble.”
“Me? Trouble? I’m an angel.”
Everyone on the minibus rolled their eyes.
“Sure you are, Amy, and I’m the tooth fairy.”
They laughed at her disgruntled face as the driver pulled up in front of their home for the week.



Saturday, November 29, 2014

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway

Hi Everyone!
I am taking part in a 12 Days of Christmas giveaway! There are many different authors of different genres! You should take advantage of this giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, November 7, 2014

Mistakes and happenings

Hi!
Sorry I've been a little MIA, forgive the first year teacher! This week I had some paperwork, grades, meetings, and observations this week so my brain is really fried. I like to bake to relax, it might be weird, but I enjoy it, baking gets my mind elsewhere. So I was told I could put eggs in the freezer and the next day they would be fine. Yeah, I won't be freezing eggs again! As I tell my kids, 'everyone makes mistakes'. Yeah I did a doesy today! They were still slightly frozen, so I put them in the microwave after I took the shell off. I ended up with scramble eggs in my dough. I had to restart and use yogurt because those were my last eggs... vanilla yogurt don't worry! It tastes good last time I did that. Hopefully it will again, because I might trick my friend Ryan with them to see if he notices a difference.

Now you might be thinking, that I say I write to relax. I do, don't get me wrong, but I also like to cook even if I'm not the best at it. My Aunt has Project US and she will be editing that next! Hopefully it's worth the build up...and I've been editing little by little my pirate story again :) I swear I haven't forgotten about my writing!
~Ottilie

Friday, October 3, 2014

Baking Adventure

Good Evening,

I know that I said I would review the new books I got over the summer and I haven't. However I've been a little busy, and when my mind is need to relax I like to bake or cook. It kind of keeps me busy and over worrying about things. I got Sally's Backing Addiction book in the beginning of the summer and loved all the colors in the book. The book is more than an eye catching cover, and a book that actually has a picture of what you are baking, but it is also easy to follow. I decided to try her take on an old classic, the chocolate chip cookie. Yeah, I know not much of an adventure, however my last batch was flat and I wasn't real impressed, it really bothered me. I mean come on, I should be able to bake a good batch of chocolate chip cookies.

I'd been following Sally's blog for a few years now, and had been book marking her recipes. Mostly deserts that I'm sure that would make my work clothes not fit. However, I noticed she had a book and got real excited when I could get it. I already talked about how gorgeous the colors were (I know I'm easily amused!). However I loved how she had little tid bits, and help throughout the book, it was so organized! Not only was it easy to read, but the directions were real simple and straight forward. I wouldn't have thought of putting the dough in the fridge before baking them, but I think I found a recipe that will be a classic in my household and I can not wait to try her other stuff. I haven't bitten into the cookies themselves yet, but I have tried the dough. I will be bringing them to a friend's house for the weekend and will be testing them, one of them has as bad if not worse sweet tooth than me. He will not spare my feelings if they taste bad! He will be my guinea pig.

Sally's Baking Addiction Cookbook - on sale

Her blog: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/
Her book: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/sallys-baking-addiction-cookbook/

Monday, September 29, 2014

OMG I'm still alive!

Hi Everyone,
Yes, I know believe it or not I have not fallen off the face of the Earth! I am about to finish my first month of teaching, gotten my toes wet of what is expected and what is to come (well rough idea). Since I'm working in the school and adjusting to a new state things have been well interesting to say the least. I am loving the new state and the school that I'm at. I know I'm not really posting anything since I've gotten the job and moved. I am going to try to get better of working writing and editing into my routine, I miss it and it's a great way to relax at night. My goal is to get Project US and a couple other stuff released soon. Hopefully since that's in print that it'll motivate me to stick to that!
~Ottilie

Friday, August 8, 2014

New Job and moving

Good morning!
So I will be a little all over the place the next couple of weeks. I graduated college May 2013 and have been applying to teaching jobs from March 2013 to now. The past month I even started to apply to jobs in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. I figured I'm not married, don't have a boyfriend, I don't have kids, so if I am having trouble looking for a job around here, why not look elsewhere? Expand my horizon. On August 3rd I was standing in the movie theater waiting for my friend, I got an email asking if I would do an interview for a special education position in a middle school in Virginia. I was already doing one that Monday, so I was excited to add another phone interview that Tuesday. Who doesn't like an interview in their pajamas?

The interview that Monday only went alright, I had a pretty bad interview the week before and my self-esteem was still kind of low. I had friends who told me not to worry, that I would be fine. That I had to go to my next interview and act like I had the job. Easier said than done. However, Tuesday I had the interview, and it went well. So well that I got a job offer less than three hours after my interview! Shell shock, and excited can't explain how happy I was for this job! It is a little crazy that I will be moving out of New Jersey, I'm twenty-four years old and have only ever lived in Monmouth County (minus college which was still New Jersey). My first day of workshops/training starts August 18th! So soon, I have major time crunch to find a place, furniture, get my paperwork done for my contracts, and my teaching certificates figured out as I cross some state lines. I am oddly not panicking, but if I'm a little MIA that's why. I'm usually such a worry wart I'm shocked, but it's a new chapter, and a new adventure. I applied to about 160 school districts, and I compared finding a teaching job to the hunger games. This economy is crazy and needs to get better. It is a major relief to have a job. I am majorly excited to start this September, to meet my sixth graders, and welcome a new life in Virginia.
~Ottilie

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

End of the Line

Good Afternoon!
So I'm working on about six or so stories right now. Why? Because I'm not fully working and I need to keep busy while I'm sending out what feels like a million applications and don't want to be stressing too much while I'm preparing for the job interviews I've been going on. It feels so good to be working with my characters again. I've missed them. I've been working on Project US (YA Romantic Suspense), A Pirate's Life for me (YA), Mistakes/Moonlit Eyes (YA - Paranormal Romance), Call for Help (NA Romantic Suspense Beneath the Scars 2), End of the Line 2 (YA), and might start working on two others. Yes, a little crazy. It feels nice to work on Young Adult books though.

I sometimes think that need to add more work than I should to my plate. It's an illness. You might have noticed that I've picked up End of the Line 2. I don't know what happened, but it sitting on the back burner for awhile I was able to get the gears moving again. Hopefully that continues. It has some interesting points, and I miss working with Aaron. That in mind I wanted the first and second to match interior wise. If you ever held the physical copy you might have thought the font was a little smaller. Looking at End of the Line with Family Ties and Beneath the Scars, I wondered how a book that has more words could be so much smaller. Family Ties is around 14K shorter, and Beneath the Scars is about three thousand words shorter. So I ask Amy from The Eyes of Editing and worked on the interior of End of the Line and now it's the biggest out of my collection. For that I'm sorry the price will be a little more, but at least your eyes will thank me. I fixed a couple interior problems that bothered me, I forgot to move a chapter heading down. My little OCD tendencies. It should be available again within a couple of days, or you can order End of the Line here now.
Happy Readings,
Ottilie.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Review and comments on ~ The Elements of Style

Good Morning!
Okay so my aunt gave me this book 'The Elements of Style' by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White for Christmas. As I said before, you can never stop learning. I want to keep working on my writing skills, so I figured why not. I wish I could say it was this past Christmas she gave me this book, but then I would be lying on which Christmas. Anyway, I finally sat down and read through it. the book is about eighty-five pages long. It's real thin.




I feel weird giving a 'textbook' more than 3 because well, who really enjoys reading textbooks, let along grammar ones? I was given this book by a relative for Christmas because I am always up for constantly fixing my talent. No one is perfect. This book is tiny, but has a lot of information in it, and I'm hoping I'm not breaking too many of the rules as I write this review. There were a couple of parts which I thought might as well have been written in Chinese. I think I might have needed a step before this book because I think the authors expected I knew what they were talking about at parts. I was talked to rather than getting an explanation for what the rule was. There were a couple of points I wanted to know why that was the way it was. Otherwise it's real short read. If you already have a little bit of a foundation and just need something to grab as a quick reminder this is your book.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Fun book order!

Good Afternoon!
When I had a beta reader go through Project US she suggested 'Eats, shoots & Leaves' by Lynne Truss to help me with punctuation. I went on Amazon and picked up a couple of other books while I was at it. If I want to keep writing, learning new skills is a smart idea. I want to get better with grammar, and you can never stop learning more in life. I want to pick up new skills. Editors are great, but I also want to be able to catch more mistakes myself. Plus it is pretty ignorant of a writer to just say that's the editor's job. No, they are to help polish your book, but they shouldn't be there to need a blow torch to find the work. One of my editors likes Grammar Girl, and it was on sale so I figured why not. Plus with some of the grammar books, I can bring into my classroom whenever I get one as well. Yes, I will be that social studies teacher that makes the students write. As I go through them I'll share my opinion on them.

Now, you might be reading this and be like, "Those are cookies on that one cover, you're not fooling anyone that, that is a grammar book". I know it is a cookbook. I'm excited! My goal is to eventually move out into my own place, so I'm slowly going to start collecting cookbooks before hand. This one is called "Sally's Baking Addiction". It is from the mind of Sally McKenney, a blogger who I found a couple of years ago and is currently most of the cooking tabs saved in my folder on my computer. You should check out her block here, I'm hoping to try a few recipes out over the summer. She has a several sections in the book which include breads & muffins, breakfast, brownies & bars, cakes, pies, & crisps, candy & sweet snacks, cookies, cupcakes, and healthier choices. I'm sure my parents are not going to be so happy with all the sugar since someone is always on some form of a diet. That and she has easy step by step directions and tips which someone like me appreciates! If I cook any I'll be sure to share how it goes. Heads up, when I cook things don't always look like the pictures.


Sunday, July 6, 2014

Trouble sleeping

It is currently a little over a half hour till midnight. When I was working I could barely make it till 10pm, and now despite exercising everyday I have been having trouble sleeping. When I was younger and had trouble sleeping my doctor asked if I exercised. I know there are people who will go nights with zero sleep and that's a problem. I'm not under-minding that. However, I don't drink coffee and I'm a baby with sleep. The past week I've been having a series of bad dreams almost every night, I can't get comfortable, and all that fun stuff. My attention span is shotty, haha I need my sleep gosh darn it! My eyes are tired, but my mind feels like the little person is on a treadmill and going on strong. That and a little jumpy and tense. I need to relax, and I even been trying yoga before bed. Tonight is no exception as she has like fifty, eighteen year old for a party that I have been told that will leave around midnight. Lovely times, charming group of people may I add. I'm always alert to begin with, and the constant opening and closing of the door is not helping. Currently I am watching the end of 'This is the End' hoping that the laughs will help me relax before bed, even though it's almost on full blast. We shall see, I'd love a night of no bad dreams...To those who suffer real insomnia and not my cycles of bad sleep I feel so sorry for you and I'll keep you in my thoughts as I sit here waiting to get tired.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

The Art of writing of reviews

Hello!
Do you read reviews for books before you buy a book? I will admit that I do occasionally. I do compare the good and the bad reviews for a book if I'm on the fence. That does not say that I use reviews as the only deciding factor for my purchases, but I keep them in mind. As an indie author, we do thrive on reviews, so please do not think this post is about, "WRITE REVIEWS FOR ME NOW". I swear that is not my intention. I was going through reviews for End of the Line because I will be posting reviews for it, for an upcoming project. I see just stars, there is no such thing as an expert reviewer. Next time you read any indie author (go through my own reviews for suggestions or comment here and I can try to give you a list!) write a couple of words on Amazon, Goodreads, Bn, or where you get your books. 

Write a little, a little can go a long way:
-I loved it!
-Really enjoyed the book
-Ew this book had awful characters.

Think of the good!
-Characters were fun!
-Good vocabulary.
-The setting made me wish that I was there.

You can mention the bad.
-Whinny characters (a big problem with me!)
-Too many typos
-The writing was choppy

I like to try to mention the good and the bad to make it should like I wasn't paid to read it. I think there should always be a balance. Even if the balance is the plot, characters, or author's style of writing. I personally like to have two paragraphs. The first being a short summary, maybe a little about the characters. The second being about the author's style, issues or things that I liked. So, get reading and writing ;)
~Ottilie

Saturday, June 28, 2014

NA Crush Tournament

Good Morning!
So I just wanted to share this for you since I did reviews for Faith Sullivan. Her character Eric is up for NA Crush Tournament. On July 3rd you'll be able to vote for him at: here. Be sure to vote for Eric. I mean who wouldn't vote for that?






Friday, June 27, 2014

Beta Read

Good Afternoon!
So, I join a group the other month were I get to talk to authors, we share tips, places where to get reviews, and beta readers. I have this one story that I wrote when I was 14, and for some reason that story scares me more than any other. You'd think three published novels would make someone more confident, but in reality each story is its own. Project US has an odd plot, which might turn off some readers, and I'm probably over thinking it more than anything. I got six pages back from the beta reader of compliments (by the way she loved this story, hearing that does make me a little less nervous), suggestions, and some grammar suggestions. Poor woman might regret enjoying beta reading for me! I printed out her notes and I'll be going through them more after I finish my final project and my final. She had a couple plot holes that I need to fill in, one major one that I have to figure out how to work in. All of which were good and valid points. I'm excited to dive in as soon as the homework will accept defeat! While I'm doing homework though I will be waiting for the three grammar books that I ordered and one cook book. Hey, the learning never ends :)
~Ottilie

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Review ~ The Runner by J. M. Johnson

Good Morning,
I have a review of a Young Adult novel (I know it's been a bit since I did that!). This is an indie author, J.M. Johnson. This is a post-apocalyptic that has a little bit of sci-fi feel at the end.


Are you strong enough to survive? Electricity is gone. Government has been broken down. People are scattered, doing whatever they can do to survive. Avi is a runner, someone who is between the age of 13-17 who runs errands from one 'town' to another for their community, risking her life every time she leaves the fenced in area. Avi lives in the star town of the new world, but when things go hay wire, she is the first to volunteer to rise up to find answers that will save lives.

This is the first piece that I am reading by J.M. Johnson, and I enjoy reading indie books because there are some creative pieces that are not as well known. These are characters that are willing to do whatever it takes to survive, and helps the readers see despite all the bad in the world, even a smile can make a difference. She does give you detail that helps you understand the new world that she has created for The Runner. The only issue I had was that I felt like I was being talked to, rather than reading in some parts. However, the second book is released and I will probably be picking that up at some point :)

Kindle $2.99
Amazon Paperback $9.30

Barnes&Nobles
Smashwords

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Review ~ The Lost Centurion by Monica La Porta

Good Morning!
So I've been pretty bad lately. I had all these reviews all at once and tried to space them a little bit. Only to forget one! I feel bad because this story I volunteered for and just spaced on almost two weeks ago. No I did not forget because the book was bad. Sorry Monica La Porta! You should check out this book though if you are over 18 years old. :)




** Not suitable for those under 18 **
If the one you loved was killed, how long would you seek revenge? Marcus is a Centurion and his wife was killed back when ancient Rome, wasn't ancient. Marcus has spent his immortal life seeking for the name of the vampire that killed his wife, but in the progress he comes across a brand new vampire that is on the verge of death. In saving her, he has broken not only rules, but pacts between the two races. The two have an adventure that they did not plan for that night.

I have read one or two other works by Monica La Porta, and her writing never disappoints. It flows in a natural flow, the beginning took me a little pit, but then the story grabs you. It was interesting to read the point of view where the girl was the vampire instead of the guy, fresh idea. This is coming from a girl who wouldn't read anything (minus one series) with a vampire in it. The development between the two characters are a natural progress, not an instant love. I would highly suggest anyone who loves paranormal romance to read this.




Kindle $0.99
Amazon Paperback $9.49

BN Paperback $9.30
Monica La Porta's Website

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Giveaway Ended

Good morning!
The winners were picked and I'll be contacting them. Meanwhile if you do not hear from me you can enter to win an e-book copy of Beneath the Scars from me on Angela's blog!
Ottilie

Monday, June 9, 2014

Cover Revealing ~ Blood Beyond Darkness

Good Afternoon!
I get to be part of a cover revealing! This is more towards over 18 crowed (sorry!). For those old enough keep scrolling!



We are so excited to be able to participate in the unveiling to the world the cover of the 4th book of the Darkness Series by the amazing Stacey Marie Brown!

BLOOD BEYOND DARKNESS

SYNOPSIS
After months of searching, Ember and her friends have finally located the Sword of Light, the only weapon capable of destroying Queen Aneira and ending her rule. This is Ember’s destiny. Or so she thought. Now a pact to save the man she loves changes everything.

In this final installment in the Darkness Series, when the truth comes to light, Ember will learn some things are better left in the dark as her world is ripped even further apart. It is no longer a rabbit hole, but a never-ending black void full of endless lies, betrayals, and secrets.

The fight for Earth has begun, and Ember will have to make the ultimate sacrifice to save millions of innocent lives and those she loves.

But this price may be too high—even for her.


Releases August 2014





TEASER





Other Books in the Series
all purchase links are on Stacey's Amazon Author Page 

Darkness of Light (Book 1)

Freak. Witch. Crazy. Schizo.

Ember Brycin has been called them all. She’s always known she’s different. No one has ever called her normal, even under the best circumstances. Bizarre and inexplicable things continually happen to her, and having two different colored eyes, strange hair, and an unusual tattoo only contributes to the gossip about her.

When the latest school explosion lands her in a facility for trouble teens, she meets Eli Dragen, who’s hot as hell and darkly mysterious. Their connection is full of passion, danger, and secrets. Secrets that will not only change her life, but what and who she is—leading her down a path she never imagined possible.

Between Light and Dark, Ember finds a world where truth and knowledge are power and no one can be trusted. But her survival depends on finding out the truth about herself. In her pursuit, she is forced between love and destiny and good and evil, even when the differences between them aren’t always clear. At worst, she will incite a war that could destroy both worlds. At best, she will not only lose her heart but her life and everyone she loves. Once the truth is out, however, there will be no going back. And she’ll definitely wish she could.



Fire in the Darkness (Book 2)

It's been four weeks since Ember Brycin witnessed what her powers are capable of. The Electrical Current Storm (ECS) has turned Seattle, Washington into a natural disaster zone. The death toll is in the thousands with countless others homeless and hungry.

And Ember is the one who caused it. Something she will have to live with every day.

Those people who were unable to escape either turned quickly into gangs or live in shelters. Ember, on the other hand, can’t do either. With a price on her head and a Dark Dweller on her ass, she is constantly on the move. Both Light and Dark are hunting her for their own purpose to use her as a weapon or a pawn in the war between the Unseelie King of the Dark and the Seelie Queen of the Light.

Em needs help but doesn’t know who to trust: Lars, the mystery man Torin told her to find? Torin, the Seelie Queen’s personal knight, who has sworn to keep Em safe? Or Eli, who wants to turn her over to the Unseelie King, but whom she has an undeniable, intense connection with?

No matter what she chooses she will probably lose—her life or everything and everyone she loves.




Beast in the Darkness (Eli Novellette)

*Meant to be read after Fire In The Darkness*

Beast In The Darkness (An Elighan Dragen Novelette)

We know the story from Ember's POV, but what happens to Eli after Ember disappears? Crawl inside Eli's mind and experience what he goes through. Be warned his mind in not a fuzzy warm place to be....

**Warning this contains sexual content and language.
**Contains Spoilers if you have not previously read Darkness Of Light or Fire In The Darkness.







Dwellers of Darkness (Book 3)

Some days feel like years, but in Ember Brycin’s case just the opposite is true. She had only been in the Otherworld for a day or two when she escaped with her mom, Kennedy, and Jared to the Earth realm. But it’s three years later on Earth. Em would be 22 now—if she was a human. But she’s not. She is a Dae—part Demon and part Fay—with a little Dark Dweller thrown in to make her even more of a freak.

One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is her undeniable connection to Eli Dragen, who is sexy, gorgeous, and even more frustrating. But her problems go way past him.

The Seelie Queen of the Otherworld still holds Mark, Em’s father, and her friends, Ryan, and Josh as hostages. Em needs to rescue them without, once again, getting caught and being used as a pawn to help the Queen regain possession of Earth. At the same time Lars, the Unseelie King, reminds Em she is bound to him and has to locate the Sword of Light to fulfill the prophesy and kill the Queen.

As the tension for war mounts between the Seelie and Unseelie (Light and Dark), the tension at the Dark Dweller’s compound mounts even more as they prepare to obtain the sword no matter what the price. But is Ember the answer to the location of the sword? Is she the one to fulfill the prophecy? As usual nothing is ever what it seems.




Author Bio
Stacey Marie Brown by day is an Interior/Set Designer, by night a writer of Paranormal Fantasy, Adventure, and Literary Fiction. She grew up in Northern California, where she ran around on her family’s farm, raising animals, riding horses, playing flashlight tag, and turning hay bales into cool forts. Even before she could write, she was creating stories and making up intricate fantasies. Writing came as easy as breathing. She later turned that passion into acting, living and traveling abroad, and designing. Though she had never stopped writing, moving back to San Francisco seemed to have brought it back to the forefront and this time it would not be ignored.

When she’s not writing she’s out hiking, spending time with friends, traveling, listening to music, or designing.


Social Media Links:
Amazon Author Page
Facebook
Darkness of Light Facebook Page
Twitter
Goodreads Author Page
Youtube