What can an author do to help during a quarantine and with everyone stuck at home? Help readers escape by making it easier to buy books!
Between publisher sales, personal sales I sweet talked my publishers into, and books already available at discounted prices (or even free), I wanted to let you know which of my specific books are available for less! Click the cover to get buy links.
*Discounted pricing available for a limited time only! Available at most ebook retailers.
FIRE’S EDGE SERIES
FREE – Novella $1.99
BRIMSTONE INC. SERIES – $0.99 EACH
*Shift Out of Luck is on preorder – coming 4/20/20
STANDALONE BOOKS
$0.99 – Novella Free – Short Story
*Psyched is FREE for newsletter readers only. Click the cover to subscribe and download. OR buy it and 10 other stories in the Good Things anthology.
SHADOWCAT NATION SERIES – $0.99 EACH
SVATURA SERIES – $0.99 EACH
LOVE UNDERCOVER SERIES – $0.99 EACH
*Romantic comedies by my alter ego – Kadie Scott. Sale ends 4/6/20
Shift Out of Luck which re-releases, new and improved (lots of new actually) on April 20th!
The Montagues and Capulets have nothing on the Canis and Banes wolf packs. The two have been feuding for ages. The brutal murder of the Banes’ alpha only added fuel to the fire. And now there’s only one way to bring peace—the current alphas of each pack, Marrok and Tala, need a mating of convenience.Tala has her doubts. A thousand of them.
Never mind that Marrok drives her body to levels of desire her vibrator has trouble keeping up with. If she can’t get her inner wolf—or her people—on board, forget peace, because she’ll lose the tenuous control she has over the Canis pack. Her new mate is just so damn alpha. He’d better learn to play nice or Tala will have to show him who’s boss.
But Marrok has plans of his own, and nothing and no one, not even Tala herself, can resist an alpha…
***This novella was previously self published as “The Worse for Were” but has undergone a complete re-edit. Scenes were added, things were changed, but the kissing still remains!
GIVEAWAY
I have a cover reveal giveaway going on over on Facebook. All newsletter subscribers are automatically entered. Closes Monday April 6th at 10am CT.
CLICK HERE TO ENTER MORE WAYS
ARC & BLOG TOUR SIGN UPS
Want to be part of my blog tour and help me get the word out April 20th?
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP!
Are you a blogger who would like an ARC to read/review? My publisher is giving out a limited number. I’m not sure if they’ve hit the limit yet, but…
CLICK HERE TO REQUEST A COPY!
EXCERPT
His eager wolf practically burst from his body, forcing the shift faster than Marrok liked. He’d been wanting to play with Tala’s wolf for weeks. Months even.
Taking her in now, he gave a happy wag of his tail. Tala was a lovely wolf, all white with grey socks and grey around her face, slender and lean, shorter than he and smaller by at least thirty percent. No wonder she had chosen to become a weapons expert as her preferred form of fighting. He’d seen her wolf before, of course, but they’d been busy with a battle against a werewolf at the time.
Marrok loosed a playful growl, bunching his muscles to pounce. But Tala turned on him, dropped her head, her ears flattened, and she exposed her teeth. A menacing growl, nothing like the playful one he’d issued, ripped from her throat.
What the hell?
“Tala?” he reached out with the telepathic connection all shifters shared when in animal form.
She didn’t answer. Staying low to the ground, she inched forward, her threat clear. Get away or pay with your life.
Marrok stood his ground and did his best not to react to her aggression even as reverberation of shock passed though him. He couldn’t believe his mate was posturing to attack.
“Tala?” he tried again. “Talk to me.”
With a suddenness that upped his shock to cannon blast levels, she lunged. He turned in time to keep those deadly teeth from ripping out his throat.
His mate had gone mad.
He couldn’t let her kill him. Marrok used his experience fighting in this form to twist around her. With a burst of strength and speed, he barreled into her side, knocking her to the ground. In a flash, he was on top of her. Using his greater bulk, he pinned her to the ground. She went berserk, thrashing underneath him, snapping at him. Somehow—not easy around her snarling jaws and trying not to actually harm her—Marrok managed to get her neck between his teeth. He applied just enough pressure to get through and force her to stillness, her sides heaving.
“Don’t make me do this,” he shoved the though as hard as he could, hoping to get through.
It took forever. Tala had to be fighting her animal from inside, but the rage that could overcome a wolf shifter had taken hold, making it near impossible to shift back. Finally, the tell-tale shimmering hovered around her form, blurring her in his vision this close up.
Once she was human enough, Marrok released her and backed off, making the change himself.
Breathing hard, they stared at each other.
“What the hell was that, Tala?”
Her pale face reminded him of the moon—cold, remote, and unreachable. “I don’t know. She took over completely. I could hear you and see what was happening, but I couldn’t…” She shook her head. “I mean, she’s been standoffish about you lately, but why would my wolf want to attack her mate?”
**B&N & Apple links will be live soon!
My incredible publisher, Entangled, is doing their part to help folks through quarantine. They are offering an escape by making it a little easier to afford books!
They’ve put a TON of their first-in-series books up for FREE and a ton more up for only $0.99 each.
Here are the lists on Barnes & Noble
Note that the discounted pricing is at every ebook retailer including Amazon, Apple, Kobo, & Google!
FREE FIRST IN SERIES
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/entangled-romance-sale/free-ebooks/_/N-1gmdZry0
$0.99 BOOKS
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/entangled-romance-sale/_/N-1gmd
With quarantines quickly becoming a new normal for the moment, I think we can all agree most people aren’t used to being stuck at home for long periods of time. Suddenly being contained in one place can be tough to weather.
As a writer who works from home, a well as a natural introvert who doesn’t mind being at home for weeks at a time, I feel uniquely qualified for this situation. And I’d like to share some suggestions to help others power through.
Here are tips to help keep mentally healthy (as well as entertained) during a prolonged period at home.
Stay safe and well out there! xoxo
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AT HOME
1. Shower and dress the same as you would usually do.
2. Stick to a routine of some sort (regular wake up time/bed time, regular meals, etc.).
3. Get outside if you can. Go take a walk in your neighborhood or hang out in your back yard. Something.
4. If you are working from home, actually work. For the same hours you’d be in the office.
5. Make your bed – less tempting to get back in it.
6. Skype/video chat with close family/friends to get some face time.
7. Do NOT have the news on all day. Yes, stay up to date, but try to limit yourself. Stick to the 5:30 broadcasts, state or national press conferences, and/or your local/state website.
8. Exercise. The endorphins help!
9. Check out this list of 100 fun activities you can do in the privacy (and safety) of your own home…
100 ACTIVITIES FOR HOME
RELAX & SELF-CARE
- Read a book you love.
- Give yourself a manicure or pedicure.
- Take a bubble bath.
- Try out a new face mask or beauty product.
- Doodle, color, or draw on some paper.
- Do yoga (check out YouTube for tutorials).
- Write a poem.
- Write in a journal.
- Take a nap.
- Listen to music.
- Stretch.
- Look through old photos and videos.
- Watch a sunset or sunrise.
- Meditate.
- Sit or lay outside in good weather.
- Find a new favorite quote or saying.
- Write a letter to your future self.
- Take a long shower.
- Drink tea.
- Cuddle with a pet or S.O.
- Create a self-love list.
- Find a new podcast to listen to.
- Play an instrument.
- Knit or crochet.
- Create a cozy reading nook in your house.
- Bonus: Catch up on all those shows you’ve been meaning to binge watch.
GET PRODUCTIVE
- Read a “How to” book.
- Do your taxes. (April 15th is just around the corner)
- Go for a walk, a run, sit-ups, anything you can for a little bit of exercise.
- Organize a space that needs it. (Or organize a space a day!)
- Update your resume.
- Clean something in your place that you haven’t in a while (baseboards, under the bed, kitchen cupboards, etc.).
- Meal prep for the upcoming week.
- Clean your makeup brushes.
- Research dream careers.
- Look for ways to reach out and help others from home.
- Make a future finances plan.
- Sign up for an online class. (like udemy.com or masterclass.com)
- Clean up your emails.
- Make a list of personal or professional goals.
- Start a DIY project.
- Clean out your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.
- Start a garden (or kitchen garden).
- Clean your phone or phone case (it’s probably very dirty).
- Watch a how-to YouTube video.
- Spring clean your yard.
- Get ahead on schoolwork or future projects.
- Fine-tune your LinkedIn profile.
- Do your laundry.
- Wash your car(s).
- Learn OneNote and start using it. (Get started here.)
BE ENTERTAINED
- Read something from your TBR list. (Maybe an Abigail Owen or Kadie Scott or Kristen McKanagh book! My only shameless plug, I promise.)
- Scroll through Pinterest.
- Online shop (just watch that budget you made in the productive list).
- Watch a favorite movie or a movie you haven’t seen in a while.
- Skype some friends and do a virtual game.
- Start an Instagram page for your pet.
- Watch a documentary.
- Write love notes for your S.O.
- Get lost on Tumblr.
- Make a collage.
- Make a bucket list.
- Take some selfies.
- Catch up on celebrity gossip.
- Sing & dance to your favorite songs.
- Have a costume night.
- Throw an indoor picnic.
- Have an indoor scavenger hunt.
- Have a themed movie night.
- Start family game night.
- Do a puzzle.
- Have a water balloon fight.
- Have a family tea party.
- Try some stargazing and discover constellations.
- Put on a play.
- Build a Lego city.
CREATE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE
- Read a book about — a different culture, a place you’ve never been, from a new to you genre, from a new to you author.
- Start a blog or vlog.
- Go for a walk in your neighborhood.
- Try out a new hairstyle or experiment with your hair.
- Plan a future trip. (might have to be far future).
- Experiment with new recipes.
- Make a cocktail or a mocktail.
- Reach out to a friend or relative you haven’t talked to in a while. (virtually)
- Rearrange your furniture or redecorate your living space.
- Create your own website.
- Look for your first (or next) tattoo design.
- Make an effort to learn something new.
- Make a vision board.
- Try learning a new language.
- Write a book or story.
- Make a movie.
- Stage a photo shoot.
- Create a list of places you want to travel to.
- Set up a tent indoors and do indoor camping.
- Play a different game with your family each night.
- Train your dog/cat to do a new trick.
- Create a picture book / scrap book.
- Learn a new hobby (like take up knitting/crocheting).
- Make a time capsule.
- Plan a post-apocalypse party.
I have a new(ish) book for you TODAY! The Demigod Complex is being re-released, new and improved, with my awesome publisher, Entangled! While the basic plot remains the same, some things have changed and the book is now set in the dragon shifter world of my Fire’s Edge and Inferno Rising series.
Each of the other novellas in the series will also be going through a makeover and re-release. Shift Out of Luck (previously The Worse for Were) is coming this April and Bait N’ Witch this June. Then…we get to dig into brand new stories starting in October!
But let’s get started with The Demigod Complex, only $0.99!!! (And is that new cover gorgeous or what!?!?)
THE DEMIGOD COMPLEX
BRIMSTONE, INC. #1
Two nights. One room. One demigod-sized problem.
When Lyleia Naiad was head-hunted by Brimstone, Inc., for her job as Executive Assistant to a high-powered billionaire demigod, she was given one directive—do NOT fall in love with Castor Dioskouri. Doesn’t matter if he is the son of Zeus and can electrify a room with a single glance. As an ex-nymph, she possesses a unique ability—a gift from the goddesses to protect nymphs from the randy gods—to resist her boss’s charms.
Or so she thought.
He insists she accompany him to an alpha wolf shifter mating ceremony, an event where the pheromones fly, and so do clothes…and inhibitions.
Goddesses save her, because Castor has stolen into Lyleia’s heart, and she’s not so sure she can hold out much longer…
***This novella was previously self published as a Legendary Consultants story, but has undergone a complete re-edit. Scenes were added, things were changed, but the kissing still remains!
EXCERPT
Marrok suddenly gave a low whistle.
“What?”
“Did you see Leia before coming here?”
“Yes.”
“Was she dressed for the wedding yet?”
“No.” She’d preferred to come to the ceremony without him, a decision that had bothered him more than it should. She’d muttered something about needing to sit near the back. Whatever that meant. Best guess, she was avoiding the werewolf who’d ruined her identity as a nymph. The only thing keeping him from ripping out the bastard’s neck when they’d been introduced ten minutes earlier was not wanting to ruin his friend’s important day. That, and Leia had warned him not to before he’d left the hotel.
Dark laughter lurked in Marrok’s voice. “Let’s just say you’re going to need a very large stick.”
Stick? What the fuck was Marrok talking about? “Why?”
“To beat off the wolves.”
His friend was obviously enjoying the hilarity of the situation but had to be mistaken. Leia was gorgeous, but she didn’t flaunt her beauty, tending to dress on the conservative side. Besides, he doubted she wanted to call attention to herself with Kaios here.
He scanned the crowds filing in at the back of the chapel. “I don’t see her.”
“Navy dress. Her hair is up.”
Navy sounded right. Conservative. The way his nymph liked to dress.
He caught a flash of blue and the top of her golden blond hair piled high on her head. Then the tuxedoed man blocking most of her from view stepped aside. What was Marrok talking about? While she looked incredible to him—his body started to heat up and harden at the sight of her like it always did—he harbored feelings for her. Given the way the other ladies were dressed, he doubted Leia had anything to worry about with the wolves.
The dress was long, draping to the floor, the top gathered over her right shoulder. No cleavage showed. A thin slit at her hip showed a sliver of flat belly. Sexy as all Hades. But still covered up compared to the skin on display from the lady wolves. Leia appeared classy in a room full of overdone.
She caught his eye and waved. Her lips, painted bright pink, stretched wide in a smile. Castor caught his breath as his stomach clenched in response. Her smile was for him alone. How he knew, he wasn’t entirely sure. His heart hadn’t tripped over itself like this since he’d captured his wife. Only this was different, not stronger exactly, but…different. Hilaera had been familiar, his love tender. With Leia he was all fire and need and protectiveness. Leia pointed at the back pew, indicating where she intended to sit.
Someone he couldn’t see snagged her attention, though she seemed reluctant to turn away from him, but she did.
Castor inhaled sharply.
The back to the dress was…there was no damn back to the dress. The garment was held in place by a thin strap or two across her shoulders and dipped low to a point above her curvy derriere. Barely above.
“Holy hell.” His body, already charged by the intimate smile she’d graced him with, responded rapidly. He shifted his stance, trying to ease his discomfort. In the meantime, every man around her did a double take. What was she thinking?
His friend had the temerity to chuckle. “You’re a lucky man.”
“She’s my assistant.”
“Right.”
Yeah. He didn’t believe it, either.
READ NOW!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
The perfect time to share this!!! Check out this gorgeous cover for The Blood King, book 2 in my Inferno Rising series.
Coming August 25th with Entangled Publishing, the paperback is up for preorder now, and ebook will be available by early next week. I am over the moon about the cover and the story. August can’t come soon enough! I promise the wait will be worth it!
To celebrate, I’m giving away a Kindle! See more details below.
Ruthless dragon king Ladon Ormarr must keep his throne at all costs. And now, with war on the horizon, he’ll need a miracle. Luckily, the fates have dropped Skylar Amon right into his lap.
Except he may have met his match.
The feisty Amon sister has no fear—of him or any other dragon shifter—is brash, doesn’t stick to protocols, and regularly offends his warriors and advisers.
Skylar also has no intention of sticking around. She doesn’t believe in the whole destined mates thing and believes all dragon kings to be dangerous. But if it means taking out the High King who murdered her parents, she’ll put up with Ladon…temporarily.
But the fates have other plans. And when Skylar disappears in the middle of a battle, Ladon will burn down the world to find her.
PAPERBACK PRE-ORDER NOW – COMING AUGUST 25
COVER REVEAL GIVEAWAY
To celebrate I’m giving away a…
🔥 To enter…
In the comments, share your favorite Valentine candy!
Earn extra entries on:
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I am thrilled to announce that The Rogue King placed 2nd for best vampire/shifter romance in the 2019 Paranormal Guild Reviewers Choice Awards!!! Continue reading “2019 Paranormal Romance Guild Reviewers Choice Awards”
Today, Jan. 20, 2020, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day – a federal holiday that celebrates the Civil Rights leader’s life and legacy.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
King was the chief spokesperson for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. The holiday was signed into federal law in 1983, and it was first observed three years later. MLK Day was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000.
But did you know…this is meant to be a day of service?
The holiday is meant to be “a day on, not a day off,” MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities.
“The time is always right to do what is right.” ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
FOR THOSE STILL WORKING
While this is a federal/state holiday, it is not one mandated to be a day off work for all privately owned companies. Only 33% of non-state and federal employers give this time off. So if you have to be at work, we get it.
However, you can still make it a day of service. Consider taking a moment to reach out to your HR or your department head. Make the request that even if it’s not a day off, that it be a day of service starting next year where employees can go out in groups, with company t-shirts even, to do a day of service together. (Trust me, most companies love to be represented by community minded employees this way.)
Also, there is still time after work that you can do something small. Check out the list below.
FOR THOSE WITH THE DAY OFF
For those with the day off, what are you going to do to make this a “day on.” Some great ideas are listed below.
*This list is a shortened version of the one found at https://blog.fundly.com/community-service-ideas/ to be things doable in the short term for 1 day of service. Check out the bigger list for more fantastic ideas!
GENERAL
- Volunteer at a local nonprofit
- Participate in a national giving or remembrance day
- Clean up your local park or playground
- Plant trees, flowers, or other plants
- Repair broken household items or appliances for neighbors
- Write and send letters to soldiers and veterans
HELP KIDS / SCHOOLS
- Volunteer at a youth shelter
- Donate used books to a children’s library
- Donate your used electronics to a school
- Donate baby clothes and supplies
- Join a group like Big Brothers, Big Sisters
- Donate stuffed animals to kids in hospitals
HELP SENIOR CITIZENS
- Take flowers to nursing home residents
- Cook a meal for a senior
- Decorate doors at a nursing home for the holidays
- Host agame night at a nursing home
- Teach an elderly person a card game or trick
- Teach an elderly neighbor computer skills
- Adopt a grandparent
- Write letters for a senior
- Deliver cookies or snacks to elderly neighbors
HELP ANIMALS / ENVIRONMENT
- Volunteer at an animal shelter
- Sponsor an animal in your city’s zoo
- Build birdhouses for your neighborhood
- Donate to a local animal shelter
- Collect pet food and supplies for a shelter
- Plant trees in a local park
- Clean up a stretch of highway/local park/common areas in your neighborhood
- Spruce up a park trail or hiking area
- Bike to work or school
HELP HOMELESS / HUNGRY
- Collect household items for a homeless family
- Give grocery coupons to a local food bank
- Create care packages with essential items
- Donate toys and school supplies to a homeless shelter
- Donate blankets to a homeless shelter
- Volunteer at and donate to your local food bank
- Create portable first aid kits for the homeless
- Donate gently used clothing and shoes
- Spend time at a soup kitchen
CRIME REDUCTION & SAFETY
- Become part of your neighborhood watch group
- Join an organization like DARE
- Paint over graffiti in your neighborhood
- Start a violence protection group in your community
SPECIAL NEEDS FOCUS
- Hold a crayon and marker drive
- Collect school supplies for special needs classrooms
- Help make sure your neighborhood is handicap accessible
- Donate to a care center in your community
NEIGHBORHOOD & COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT
- Campaign for more bike lanes and sidewalks
- Pick up trash around the neighborhood
- Rake leaves for neighbors
- Join your neighborhood watch group
- Help people clean their gutters
Some of you may know about the implosion that has been happening with Romance Writers of America (RWA) since before Christmas (and really for years). For any who don’t know and are interested, there is a good recap that is a list of the daily events with links to posts or other documentation. This is being updated daily.
RWA RECAP
I have been a member of RWA since 2013 and have served on several boards and committees or helped run events through the years. I have made countless friends, established professional connections, and seen my career flourish thanks to workshops I’ve learned from, events I’ve attended, and the people who’ve helped me along the way.
And I am heart-stricken to say I, like so many, have been blind to the fact that other RWA members who fall into various marginalized groups have not had the same experience.
Here’s the thing…I can’t say I am surprised.
As a woman, I have experienced microaggressions and discrimination in many situations–as a previous professional in the male-dominated tech industry, but also as a woman dealing with (sadly) other women. Some overt, like being blocked for jobs or opportunities. Some so subtle it made me want to scream. All it takes is a look or a comment, something others in the room miss, but you know was targeted at you. Even careless remarks, unintended to hurt, can carry a great deal of sting.
Writers, of all people, should understand that words matter.
Even within RWA (with all the good experiences I’ve had) starting as a self-published author, I was made by some to feel that wasn’t good enough, that I wasn’t a “real” author. And it felt awful.
How much more terrible for any person to experience any kind of exclusion or discrimination over and over and over about who they intrinsically are. In small, subtle ways and larger, explicit ones. In personal ways and from the organization that is supposed to be helping and providing a safe space for all.
In a genre promoting love and hope, why are we not seeing it for everyone? Love is love is love.
Regardless of who is or is not at fault, the ways in which both sides have handled things, and whether or not RWA as an organization can rise from the ashes of this fallout and regain the trust of its membership, it seems to me one thing is clear–we should do better.
I should do better.
As an author who falls in the white, heterosexual, able-bodied group (ADHD is something I’ve been lucky enough to learn to use for me rather than battle against, so I don’t personally count that for myself), I should work the hardest and be the most determined to do better.
I have friends and family, loved ones close to me, who fall into a myriad of marginalized groups, and I want to do better for them. As an author, whose works are read by total strangers who might then go out into the world and reflect my words, I want to do better for them. I know I will stumble and mess up and show my ignorance and get things wrong as I go, but please know that I am trying.
I am a far, far cry from perfect and, while I would sincerely hope not, have no doubt that contained in the 30+ previous works of mine are microaggressions or offenses thanks to ignorance, carelessness, or a perception of the world seen through privileged rose-colored glasses. Absolutely unintended, but that doesn’t matter if my words caused harm. If I hurt anyone with my words, spoken or written, or with my actions, I unequivocally apologize. I will also be continuing to listen, to educate myself better, and to read back through my old works to fix them as I am able (something I had already started prior to this).
The situation imploding RWA is complicated, messy, ugly, and heartbreaking. It is a difficult time for members as we all decide what is best not only for ourselves personally and professionally, but for our chapter(s), and the organization as a whole. Readers, please know that we also keep you in our thoughts as we move forward and strive to do better.
It’s coming up on the end of the old year and beginning of the new, and you know what that means… Goals.
Look at how you did on the old ones and set some new ones to keep that forward momentum. I do this every year for personal and professional goals. Let’s take a look at those author ones.
2019 ACCOMPLISHMENTS
I had a wonderful 2019 with new releases, new contracts, time with wonderful friends, fun at conferences, and growing my skill set. Here are some of the highlights: Continue reading “2019 Accomplishments | 2020 Goals!”
