Saturday, November 28, 2015

Scavenger Hunt Starts Now

Here we go! Your opportunity to follow the trail of clues and become one of my slush readers for Sun versus Snow in January. You'll get to see the behind the scenes action of a big contest, read slush, and be the one to shout out vague, taunting hints on twitter. 

Some of the clues in the scavenger hunt will be quite easy and some are harder. Each leads to another piece of the riddle.

Most clues will lead to a person somehow related to my contests and a part of their social media to see the next clue. In addition to following the clues, you'll need to ask each person (8) on twitter for their "code" word. Follow them so they can DM you the secret code. When you have all eight code words and reach the end of the trail, unscramble the code words to form a sentence. First one to give me the correct sentence will be my slush reader. The two runners up will receive a paperback version of Grudging when it becomes available December 22nd.

In the event that the trail goes cold and everyone is stumped, I will give out hints on twitter.

Note: I don't have a code word. 
Hint: I mentioned most of the people involved on Thanksgiving over on twitter. 

The scavenger hunt will last from Saturday until Tuesday. Many clues won't become available until their appointed day, giving latecomers a chance to catch up. 

Here's the first clue:


My baby is fresh into the world. Head to the place where book lists are kept and find what I have to say about my newborn.


If you're having trouble with a certain clue, you can apply to me for hints.

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Book Blitz for DIVIDED

I'm always happy to help out a fellow author, especially when they are also a Pitchwars mentor like myself. Happy Book Blitz to Sharon Johnson!



bookblitzheart

DIVIDED: AN OPEN HEART NOVEL
Sharon M. Johnston
Publication Date: November 24 2015
New Adult Science Fiction Romance.


A new heart should mean new life, instead it’s a living nightmare.

Mishca Richardson’s life is at an all-time high after her heart transplant. With new boyfriend, Ryder, she has the perfect summer romance. Even the nightmares plaguing her sleep since her operation can’t dull her new dream world. Yet, life starts to unravel when Mishca develops superhuman abilities. She does her best to hide them so as not to end up a science experiment in a lab, but she can’t ignore the strange instant attraction she experiences when she meets her university professor, Colin Reed. Torn between love and the obsession, Mishca must decide between the two men. But as the organization responsible for her weird powers moves in, she’ll have a lot more to worry about than romance.

FIND DIVIDED ON GOODREADS

BUY DIVIDED: AMAZON // BARNES & NOBLE // KOBO // iBOOKS // CITY OWL PRESS WEBSITE

DIVIDED full digital MISHCA PHONE

EXCERPTS:

SOMEONE MUST DIE so I can live. I’ve come to terms with that. Before it turned my stomach, thinking about my donor’s death, but now I’m used to it. Most likely, it’ll be a car accident or a drunken fall. It won’t come from illness or any other natural causes that corrupt human organs and make the deceased ineligible to be a donor. A violent, painful death will be my savior. It’s the only way I’ll ever get my new heart.

I open my eyes and stare upward, hoping the white fluffy clouds splotched against the blue sky will distract me from my imaginings of people dying. I guess I’m not as used to the idea of getting someone else’s heart as I thought. The harsh Australian sun makes me squint.

I swing my legs around and hoist myself upright on the stadium bleacher, looking over the sports field. Readjusting my tank top strap that had slipped off my shoulder, I try to conjure up happier thoughts. At least I won’t be responsible for the person who dies, even if I get a new heart out of the mess.

Yeah, happier thoughts.

book blitz SHAR

Giveaway

I've got one BIG prize bundle as part of the celebrations!

You could win:
  • Heart Marcasite Earrings
  • $10 Amazon Gift Voucher
  • Owl Christmas Decorations
  • Dinosaur Christmas Decorations
  • Owl Pen
  • Heart Pen




[gallery ids="1845,1847,1846,1844" type="slideshow" orderby="rand"]

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author

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Author Bio:

SHARON JOHNSTON is a New Adult author from sunny Queensland, Australia. She specializes in intriguing stories and soulful contemporaries across category boundaries. Working as a PR specialist by day, in her spare time she writes, blogs for YAtopia and Aussie Owned & Read, spends time with her fur babies, and plays computer games with her family. She’s also been trailed by women wanting to know where she buys her shoes.
Find Sharon on TWITTER and FACEBOOK and on her WEBSITE.

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Scavenger Hunt

You know I'm all for having some fun. I wanted to do a different sort of contest. The prize will be a spot as my slush reader for Sun versus Snow at the end of January, where you'll get all the behind the scenes action of a big contest. You don't need to have an agent or be published to win. Anyone is welcome to try. If you also wanted to enter Sun versus Snow, have no fear--Your entry would still be available to Amy for her Team Sun.




I'll post the first clue on Saturday, November 28th and the scavenger hunt will last a few days. 

You'll collect the code words to unscramble and spell out a sentence to report to me. First one done wins. Runners up will win copies of Grudging.

Start buffing up on my friends and associates and my recent activities. The clues will lead in their direction. 

Monday, November 23, 2015

Release Day for ACNE, ASTHMA, AND OTHER SIGNS YOU MIGHT BE HALF DRAGON

This great book was in one of my contests and now it's out into the world! So exciting!




TITLE: Acne, Asthma, And Other Signs You Might Be Half Dragon
Pub. Date: November 23, 2015
Publisher: Curiosity Quills
Format: eBook and paperback
Find it: Amazon  |  Barnes and Nobles |  Goodreads


About Acne, Asthma And Other Signs You Might Be Half Dragon:



Allyson fights acne, not trolls. As an inhaler-carrying member of the asthma society, she just wants to meet the father who turned her mother into a paranoid, move-across-the-nation freak. Now she’s trying to fit in at yet another school, but for the first time in her life, she has a best friend, Beth. When Allyson accidentally spits fire at kidnappers in the mall, she realizes why her father isn’t in the picture: she’s half dragon. Her acne? Emerging scales. Her asthma? The side effects of her dragon’s fire breath. Instead of freaking out, unflappable Beth reveals her own troll heritage and explains how things work with the supernatural creatures hiding within the modern world of smartphones and skyscrapers.

When trolls kidnap a unicorn, Beth gets blamed. Allyson is determined to prove Beth’s innocence and keep her friend off the unicorn chopping block. When they start looking for the kidnappers, they get a call from the last person they expect: Allyson’s father. He tries to warn them off, but he’s been put under a spell by the kidnappers to keep the victims from escaping. Nothing short of death can stop him. Now Allyson must choose between killing the father she’s always dreamed of, or letting her best friend die for a crime she didn’t commit.



About the Author:



Living as a muggle has brought Rena some levels of success such as completing her master’s degree, but always the stories returned, calling her to the keyboard in the dark of night. Now, having built armies from words, Rena has set her sights on world domination, one book at a time.
From her secret base in the wine country, Rena has enlisted the help of her cats, her loyal dogs, and her family―who can be relied upon to hide the launch codes at a moment’s notice. You can find Rena at her blog, follow her on Twitter, Goodreads, or find her on Facebook. Her debut novel, Acne, Asthma, and Other Signs You Might Be Half Dragon comes out November 23rd, 2015.





Be sure to stop by the release party on Facebook and win some fun prizes to help along your reading fun, and maybe even a gift card or two!

Friday, November 20, 2015

Giveaway of Dragon Heart

Books! Books! Books!

One of the best things I ever did was sign up to be an advanced reader for Tor. Every once in a while, there's a box on my porch and I get to do a happy dance!

The last box brought me the Wheel of Time Companion! Squeal! Just look at my bookshelf. The entire shelf is nothing but Wheel of Time. I have every single book, including a first edition trade paperback of The Eye of the World from 1990. It's like they knew it's my favorite. 






In an earlier box, I got a copy of Cecelia Holland's Dragon Heart. It's hard to part with a book (total book hoarder) but this copy I'm giving away! 





America's most distinguished historical novelist steps fully into the realm of fantasy and makes it her own.
Where the Cape of the Winds juts into the endless sea, there is Castle Ocean, and therein dwells the royal family that has ruled it from time immemorial. But there is an Empire growing in the east, and its forces have reached the castle. King Reymarro is dead in battle, and by the new treaty, Queen Marioza must marry one of the Emperor’s brothers. She loathes the idea, and has already killed the first brother, but a second arrives, escorted by more soldiers. While Marioza delays, her youngest son, Jeon, goes on a journey in search of his mute twin, Tirza, who needs to be present for the wedding.
As Jeon and Tirza return by sea, their ship is attacked by a shocking and powerful dragon, red as blood and big as the ship. Thrown into the water, Tirza clings to the dragon, and after an underwater journey, finds herself alone with the creature in an inland sea pool. Surprisingly, she is able to talk to the beast, and understand it.
So begins a saga of violence, destruction, and death, of love and monsters, human and otherwise.

 No fancy rafflecopters. Just comment with your favorite epic fantasy series and a twitter handle/email address. I'll pick one winner on October 25th.

And if you like fantasy, don't forget to take a look at my new book Grudging


Thursday, November 19, 2015

Query Critique Auction

I've donated a query critique + 2 revisions to the Friends of Fizzy Auction. The package also includes an ebook copy of Grudging.

The best part about being an author is the writing community and the way they care about and support each other. We jump when another writer is in a difficult situation. From the Go Fund Me campaign.

PTO mama, Humane society helper, rescuer of 7(!) cats with horrific survival sagas, and HILARIOUS novelist, Summer Heacock (aka Fizzygrrl) gives more than she gets, and makes people laugh in the process. Her fierce and funny family is her everything. 

But right now, medical bills and monkey-wrenches are piling up in their world in an epic way, and something's gotta give.  For the gritty and honest details, see Summer's post, here

It is way too much for one little family, even a fierce one.

The topping on their woe, though, is that Summer is in dire need of multiple surgeries over the next few weeks and there can be no delay, despite the awful timing. Her wisdom teeth require immediate removal because they've punctured her sinuses, and the trauma is so bad she'll require bone-grafts to repair the damage. Unfortunatly, oral surgery must be paid for in advance, and their insurance won't cover it.  And that's only the first operation.

This is where we come in. 

If your query needs polishing before Sun versus Snow, jump in with a bid and help a good cause. Click here to go make a bid. 


Query Questions with Megan Close



Writers have copious amounts of imagination. It's what makes their stories so fantastic. But there's a darker side to so much out of the box thinking. When a writer is in the query trenches, their worries go into overdrive. They start pulling out their hair and imagine every possible disaster.

Here to relieve some of that endless worrying is a new series of posts called Query Questions. I'll ask the questions which prey on every writer's mind, and hopefully take some of the pain out of querying. These are questions that I've seen tossed around on twitter and writing sites like Agent Query Connect. They are the type of questions that you need answers for the real expert--agents!

If you have your own specific query question, please leave it in the comments and it might show up in future editions of Query Questions as I plan to rotate the questions.

We haven't heard much from non-fiction agents. I'm happy to remedy that with Megan Close of Keller Media

First off, I’d like to say that we are an agency that specializes in non-fiction.  While we do occasionally consider a fiction project, I will be answering most of these questions in connection with nonfiction projects.

Is there a better or worse time of year to query? No.  Publishers are generally not buying projects during the last couple months of the year, so we are usually not pitching at that time, but we are still enthusiastically receiving queries and proposals.

Does one typo or misplaced comma shoot down the entire query? No, but if the query has clearly not been read over or edited well, it does lessen my enthusiasm.

Do you look at sample pages without fail or only if the query is strong? Generally only if a query is strong.

Do you have an assistant or intern go through your queries first or do you check all of them? We do have a query manager here that generally sifts through the queries that come in, but I review many myself.

Do you keep a maybe pile of queries and go back to them for a second look? Occasionally.  If there is a query or proposal that I am not sure about, I may sit on it for a little while.  But generally if we have rejected something I do not go back and reconsider (unless a major change has been made – increased platform, etc.).

If the manuscript has a prologue, do you want it included with the sample pages? That is fine.

How important are comp titles? Is it something you want to see in a query? In a nonfiction book proposal, they are hugely important.  It shows that the author has done their market research and that this book would have a strong chance in the current marketplace.

Some agencies mention querying only one agent at a time and some say query only one agent period. How often do you pass a query along to a fellow agent who might be more interested? If it is a book that is more to my boss’ liking, I will send it along to her.  She does the same for me.  I would do some research to see which projects the specific agent is seeking and query that agent over anyone else.

Do you prefer a little personalized chit-chat in a query letter, or would you rather hear about the manuscript? It does help to know WHY you are querying me or the agency, but I wouldn’t spend too much time on that.  Knowing what you have to offer is the most important thing.

Most agents have said they don’t care whether the word count/genre sentence comes first or last. But is it a red flag if one component is not included?  It is helpful to have it at the beginning, but if that information is mentioned elsewhere, it is not a dealbreaker.

Writers hear a lot about limiting the number of named characters in a query. Do you feel keeping named characters to a certain number makes for a clearer query? You should always err on the side of simplicity when writing queries.

Should writers sweat the title of their book (and character names) or is that something that is often changed by publishers? No – more often than not it is changed during the publishing process.

How many queries do you receive in a week? How many requests might you make out of those? Anywhere from 20-100, it really depends.  I’d say we request additional information on 10%.

Many agents say they don't care if writers are active online. Could a twitter account or blog presence by a writer tip the scales in getting a request or offer? And do you require writers you sign to start one? Your platform is one of the most important areas that we look at.  We don’t require writers to have a social media presence, but that is something they would likely need to have.  Nonfiction authors need to show that there are a large number of people out there who will buy their book and prove it.

Some writers have asked about including links to their blogs or manuscript-related artwork. I’m sure it’s not appropriate to add those links in a query, but are links in an email signature offensive? No, they are not offensive in an email signature.  I would make sure to include those links in your book proposal.

If a writer makes changes to their manuscript due to feedback should they resend the query or only if material was requested? Only if it was requested.

 What bio should an author with no publishing credits include? Related professional experience, anything that speak to your expertise on the subject matter.

What does ‘just not right mean for me’ mean to you? That the project is not in a genre we represent, that it is not something we feel we can sell, etc.

What themes are you sick of seeing? Memoirs about happiness, road trips or abusive parents.  This is not to speak badly to people’s experiences – there is just rarely anything new to say about the topics. If a book offers that, we’re always excited to see that.

Do you consider yourself a hands-on, editorial type of agent? I do.  I have an editorial background and working with writers is my favorite part of the job.

What’s the strangest/funniest thing you’ve seen in a query?  My name being completely wrong, outlandish claims as to the platform or experience of the author, really extremist political/religious/social views.

What three things are at the top of your submission wish list? 1) Books that are fresh, interesting, contemporary takes on the following genres: Self-Help, Relationships, Pop Culture, Pop Psychology, Management, Career, Entrepreneurship; 2) Books that are geared toward millennials (as much as I hate that term); 3) Books that come with authors who have amazing platforms.

What are some of your favorite movies or books to give us an idea of your tastes?  In my spare time I reading love mystery and suspense books and I love classic movies, but I also love reading authors like James Ellroy, Joan Didion, Jeanine Basinger, Tana French, Erik Larsen, Bill Bryson, John D. McDonald and Ross Macdonald, Pat Conroy, Ernest Hemingway, David Thomson, etc. etc. etc. – I could go on and on.  As long as a book or movie entertains, inspires, or educates me, I love it.

---------------------------------
Megan Close is an associate agent at Keller Media. Her passion lies not only in getting great books published, but in working closely with the authors who write them. Nothing is more exciting than a great new idea or story! Prior to her agenting career, Megan read, reviewed, edited, rejected and selected thousands of book and script projects for agencies, film companies and publishing companies.
Megan represents projects in the following genres: Self-Help, Relationships, Pop Culture, Pop Psychology, Management, Career, Entrepreneurship and Literary Fiction (especially Mystery/Suspense).

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

HUGE RELEASE DAY GIVEAWAY FOR GRUDGING



Hooray! It's finally here! The big day!




You can now officially get your ebook copy of Grudging at your favorite retailer. And the paperback is available for preorder! (December 22nd release)






A world of chivalry and witchcraft…and the invaders who would destroy everything.

The North has invaded, bringing a cruel religion and no mercy. The ciudades-estados who have stood in their way have been razed to nothing, and now the horde is before the gates of Colina Hermosa…demanding blood.

On a mission of desperation, a small group escapes the besieged city in search of the one thing that might stem the tide of Northerners: the witches of the southern swamps.

The Women of the Song.

But when tragedy strikes their negotiations, all that is left is a single untried knight and a witch who has never given voice to her power. And time is running out.

A lyrical tale of honor and magic, Grudging is the opening salvo in the Book of Saints trilogy.




To celebrate, I'm giving away a huge prize package of books donated from my fellow authors at Harper Voyager Impulse. I think authors at the same publisher, especially one that features a limited number of genres, should be a big family. We support each other. And we provide prize packs when someone has a special day!

Happy Dance everyone! 



These are super books in fantasy and science fiction. I have read several of them and can vouch they are great reads!

There are ebooks and paperback copies. All you have to do to enter is use the rafflecopter below. Follow all these generous authors on Facebook or twitter for additional entries.



I'll have a short blurb about each book below the rafflecopter so keep scrolling to see in more detail what you could win. And don't hesitate to buy a few if you can't wait for the rafflecopter! I'm sure the authors will appreciate you for it!

The rafflecopter will determine the winner, and each author will send their prize to said winner individually. 

Thanks for celebrating with me and don't forget to pick up a copy of Grudging!


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Books You Could Win:


Paperback for the Winner:

Geologist Petra Dee arrives in Wyoming looking for clues to her father’s disappearance years before. What she finds instead is Temperance, a dying Western town with a gold rush past and a meth-infested present. But under the town’s dust and quiet, an old power is shifting. When bodies start turning up – desiccated and twisted skeletons that Petra can’t scientifically explain – her investigations land her in the middle of a covert war between the town’s most powerful interests. Petra’s father wasn’t the only one searching for the alchemical secrets of Temperance, and those still looking are now ready to kill. Armed with nothing but shaky alliances, a pair of antique guns, and a relic she doesn’t understand, the only thing Petra knows for sure is that she and her coyote sidekick are going to have to move fast, or die next.

Buy: Amazon|Barnes and Noble|HarperCollins





Paperback for the Winner:

Anders Jensen is having a bad month. His roommate is a data thief, his girlfriend picks fights in bars, and his best friend is a cyborg…and a lousy tipper. When everything is spiraling out of control, though, maybe those are exactly the kind of friends you need.

In a world divided between the genetically engineered elite and the unmodified masses, Anders is an anomaly: engineered, but still broke and living next to a crack house. All he wants is to land a tenure-track faculty position, and maybe meet someone who's not technically a criminal—but when a nightmare plague rips through Hagerstown, Anders finds himself dodging kinetic energy weapons and government assassins as Baltimore slips into chaos. His friends aren't as helpless as they seem, though, and his girlfriend's street-magician brother-in-law might be a pretentious hipster—or might hold the secret to saving them all.

THREE DAYS IN APRIL is a speculative thriller that raises an important question: once humanity goes down the rabbit hole, can it ever find its way back?





Paperback for the Winner:

Compiled for the first time, The Oldest Trick comprises The Iron Ring and Iron and Blood in the Saga of the Redeemed.

Tyvian Reldamar gets betrayed by his longtime partner and left for dead in a freezing river. To add insult to injury, his mysterious rescuer took it upon himself to affix Tyvian with an iron ring that prevents the wearer from any evildoing.

Revenge just got complicated.

On his quest to get even, Tyvian navigates dark conspiracies, dodges midnight assassins, and uncovers the plans of the ruthless wizard Banric Sahand. Tyvian will need to use every dirty trick in the book to avoid a painful and ignominious end, even as he learns to work with—and rely on—his motley crew of accomplices, including an adolescent pickpocket, an obese secret-monger, and a fearsome gnoll.

Buy: Amazon|Barnes and Noble|Kobo|Google Play






Ebook for the Winner:

The Empire is Shrouded, not only by the barrier that covers the land, but by the lies and oppression of the mierothi regime. Magic is the privilege of the elite, and the people of this shadowed country have forgotten what it means to hope under their rule.

But there are some who would resist, with plans put into motion millennia before. For returned to the Empire is a valynkar, servant of the god of light, and with him come the strength and cunning that could tip the scales to end the Emperor's reign. He has gathered a group of heroes ready to ignite the flame of rebellion and fight against the dark power that has ruled for nearly two thousand years. A power that has champions of its own.

Nathan Garrison's Veiled Empire throws a mythical land into chaos, with races long thought forgotten, and magics only just discovered. Steel and sorcery clash as brave souls vie for freedom and control in this astonishing debut novel.



Author will provide ebook or paperback:

A body is found in the Alabama wilderness. The question is:
Is it a human corpse … or is it just a piece of discarded property?

Agent Samantha Rose has been exiled to a backwater assignment for the Commonwealth Bureau of Investigation, a death knell for her career. But then Sam catches a break—a murder—that could give her the boost she needs to get her life back on track. There's a snag, though: the body is a clone, and technically that means it's not a homicide. And yet, something about the body raises questions, not only for her, but for coroner Linsey Mackenzie.

The more they dig, the more they realize nothing about this case is what it seems … and for Sam, nothing about Mac is what it seems, either.

This case might be the way out for her, but that way could be in a bodybag.

A thrilling new mystery from Liana Brooks, The Day Before will have you looking over your shoulder and questioning what it means to be human.







Ebook for the Winner:

Sixteen-year-old Marci Guerrero is one of the best teen hackers in Seattle. However, she’d give up all her talents to know she isn’t crazy.

Marci feels possessed by what she perceives as shadowy spectres that take control of her body and make her do crazy things. While spying on the clandestine group known as IgNiTe, she’s confronted by the leader, James McCray. His presence stirs the spectres inside her brain into a maddening frenzy. Her symptoms and ability to control them don’t go unnoticed by James, who soon recruits her and shows her the awful truth.

Half of the world’s population is infected by sentient parasites. They bind themselves to the human brain and replace the pathways for all thoughts and actions. The creatures then morph their hosts into grotesque monsters with extraordinary strengths. Winged, clawed, fanged half-humans become living nightmares. Now Marci wishes she was crazy, because the truth is worse.

She’s infected.                                     Buy: Amazon|Barnes and Noble



Ebook for the Winner:

For ten millennia, the leaders of the Overland have been Selected by the Machinery, an omnipotent machine gifted to the world in darker days.

The Overland has thrived, crushing all enemies. But the Machinery came with a prophecy: it will break in its ten-thousandth year, Selecting just one leader who will bring Ruin to the world. That time has arrived.

Katrina Paprissi is an Apprentice Watcher, charged with seeking out any who doubt the power of the Machinery. But as the Machinery nears breaking point, her own doubts begin to surface. She must travel to its home in the depths of the mysterious Underland, to see if Ruin really is coming for them all…





Choice of ebook or paperback:

Tonight, for the first time in over a century, a mortal child will be kidnapped by faeries.

When her daughter Fiona is snatched from her bed, Caitlin's entire world crumbles. Once certain that faeries were only a fantasy, Caitlin must now accept that these supernatural creatures do exist—and that they have traded in their ancient swords and horses for modern guns and sports cars. Hopelessly outmatched, she accepts help from a trio of unlikely heroes: Eddy, a psychiatrist and novice wizard; Brendan, an outcast Fian warrior; and Dante, a Magister of the fae's Rogue Court. Moving from the busy streets of Boston's suburbs to the shadowy land of Tír na nÓg, Caitlin and her allies will risk everything to save Fiona. But can this disparate quartet conquer their own inner demons and outwit the dark faeries before it's too late?



Choice of ebook or paperback:

Across the United States, children are vanishing. Only this time, faeries may not be to blame ...

Dante, Regent of the fae's Rogue Court, has been receiving disturbing reports. Human children are manifesting magical powers in record numbers. Shunned and forgotten, they live on the streets in ragtag groups with the already-booming population of homeless changelings. But the streets aren't a haven; someone, or something, is hunting these children down.

Wraith, a teenage spell slinger, has no home, no family, and no real memories of her past. She and her friends SK, Fritz, and Shadow are constantly on the run, fleeing from a dark and unknown enemy. But when her companions are taken by "the snatchers," Wraith is their only hope. Her journey to find them will test the limits of her magic--and her trust. A dark force is on the rise, and it could spell the end of our world as we know it.




Ebook for the Winner:

Ayla Nightshade never wanted to rule Darkhaven.

Yet her half-brother Myrren hasn't inherited the family's ability to shapeshift, so their father, Florentyn, forces Ayla to take over as heir to the throne.

When Ayla is accused of Florentyn's brutal murder only Myrren believes her innocent and aids her escape. A fugitive from her own guard, Ayla must now fight to clear her name if she is ever to wear the crown she never wanted and be allowed to return to the home she has always loved.

But does something more sinister than the power to shapeshift lie at the heart of the Nightshade family line?





Ebook for the Winner:


A fantasy full of sumptuous characters, rip-roaring adventure and dark deeds…” Harper Voyager, UK 2015

Archivist, Devin Roché has just taken his finals at Coreé prestigious Académie. As the sixth son of the ruler of Llisé, his future is his own, and so he embarks on an adventure to memorize stories chronicling the history of each province.

As Devin begins his journey with only his best friend Gaspard and their bodyguard Marcus, he hears rumors of entire villages disappearing without a trace and of Master Bards being assassinated in the night.

As the three companions get closer to unearthing the truth, they can’t help but wonder whether it is their own quest that may have set these events in motion. But if that is the case, what do Llisé and Devin’s father have to hide?

Buy: Amazon US|HarperCollins|Amazon UK






Paperback for the Winner:

It frightens me, knowing the One has called up two such strong individuals. It means that there are troubled times in our future, and you must prepare yourselves."

The Temple at Illian is the crown jewel of life in the Northern Territory. There, pledges are paired with feli, the giant sacred cats of the One god, and are instructed to serve the One’s four capricious deities. Yet Sulis, a young woman from the Southern Desert, has a different perspective – one that just might be considered heresy...

Sulis’s twin Kadar, meanwhile, is part of a different sort of revolution. When Kadar falls in love with a woman from a Forsaken caste, he finds he’s willing to risk anything to get these people to freedom. But with Sulis drawing a dangerous level of attention from the deities, and war about to break out on two fronts, the twins find change may not come without great sacrifice.

An astonishing debut, Kelley Grant brings to life a powerful new epic fantasy tale of determination and self-discovery.

Buy: Amazon|Barnes and Noble|HarperCollins


Ebook for the Winner:


Sebastian Grey always thought he was a fairly normal teenager – good friends, decent grades, and a pretty sweet job in his foster brother’s tattoo shop.

But when Romany gypsies arrive in town, Sebastian discovers his world is not what it seems. There is an age-old feud between his family and the gypsies – and this isn’t the only secret his brother has been keeping from him. His life is not his own. The girl he’s been dreaming about has just turned up at school, and he feels compelled to protect her at all costs.

Even if that means life might never be normal again.

Buy: Amazon|Barnes and Noble