Authors, Kai Strand & LA Dragoni

I was unpacking my books at a recent signing and found one with a torn cover. *sad face* But that's okay because I decided to make a giveaway out of it and I'm asking for your help. Along with the slightly damaged copy of KING OF BAD , I'll be giving away some cool swag, too. Signed bookmarks and TRADING CARDS (which are not damaged, btw)! The book will only be available for US addresses, but there will the trading cards available for International addies. I'm looking for bloggers who can post a book spotlight and the rafflecopter code anytime between September 15 and September 30. All hosts will be able to add either their Twitter or Facebook page to the rafflecopter code to snatch up some new followers. I'd love to have you participate. Thanks ahead for helping me make a fun and successful giveaway. Loading...

Welcome to Three Times A Charm. Today’s guest is YA author, TC Mckee. She's touring the world wide web, talking about her shiny new release. I love introducing my readers to the people who work in children’s publishing. Thanks for joining us, Tammy. Would you please tell us a little about you? Author of The Bone Treaty, book one of the Seal of Solomon Series/August 2014. Owner of an elder care/concierge firm located in Virginia, which has nothing whatsoever to do with writing. I’m the Acquisitions Editor and owner of BookFish Books , a small YA publishing house which has everything to do with writing. I’m a chronic reader and writer. Lover of fiction, especially historical. I’m accused of being a Jane of many trades, an accusation I balk at often. I live in Virginia with my husband, one daughter, and one incredibly spoiled Great Dane. How very ecclectic your life sounds. Elder care, book publishing and a Great Dane. Now, tell us about your book, if you will? ...

Welcome to my feature FAVE-A-FAVE, all about author favorites. I love that the internet gives us access to authors. I’m a fangirl and I’m not afraid to admit it, and I LOVE to be able to help readers get to know their favorite authors as well as discover new ones. Grab a pen and paper, or log onto Goodreads, because more than likely you’ll find a title or two to add to your very own list. Please visit the authors’ websites and browse their work. Be sure to come back weekly to learn more about many awesome authors! First, I asked authors to share with us which book is their favorite book from their childhood . Tuck Everlasting (Natalie Babbitt) because I could see what she wrote in my mind like watching a movie. – Mary Waibel (Mary writes fantasy and fairytale type fiction for teens)  Where the Wild Things Are   by Maurice Sendak.  I love the monsters and the main character who is able to escape his childhood demons for a short time and realize th...

It’s Friday! Time for my blog feature, Building Character in which you get to meet characters from a book. Talking to a character outside of their book is fun! Huge. Amounts. Of fun.  This week Strands of Thought plays host to Zadie Stonebrook from My Tethered Soul. Great of you to join us, Zadie. Can you tell our readers a little about yourself, please? Hi, I’m Zadie. I’m seventeen years old, which is a bit scary for me, because … well, let’s just say I was safer when I was still sixteen. I have an older sister named Mara, and she’s been through hell. And I mean that almost literally. The problem is I’m afraid I’m going to know exactly how she felt first hand. Hopefully Mara can help me out of this mess. I remember reading yours and Mara’s story in My Sister’sReaper . It was so intense! What are you up against now? I feel like I’m being haunted by a Reaper. I hear whispers and see shadows move. Don’t get me wrong, I know how to handle a Reaper. I’ve been training ...

Welcome to Three Times A Charm. I love introducing my readers to new authors, illustrators, bloggers, agents, editors or promoters from the children’s publishing industry. Today’s guest is author, Meradeth Houston. Thanks for joining us, Meradeth. Please tell us a little about you. I've never been a big fan of talking about myself, but if you really want to know, here are some random tidbits about me: I'm a California girl. This generally means I talk too fast and use "like" a lot. I have my doctorate in molecular anthropology. Translation: I sequence dead people's DNA and spend a whole lot of time in a lab, which I love. My other passion is teaching. There's nothing more fun than getting a classroom of college kids fired up about anthropology! If I could have a super-power, it would totally be flying. Which is a little strange, because I'm terrified of heights. Anthropology does seem really intriguing. I’d love to sit in on your clas...

It is time to learn some more author favorites. When I put the call out to authors to answer my ‘Favorites’ questions, I didn’t expect for my to-read list to grow so fast. Grab a pen and paper, or log onto Goodreads, because more than likely you’ll find a title or two to add to your very own list. Please visit the authors’ websites and browse their work. Be sure to come back weekly to learn more about other awesome authors! I asked authors to share with us which book is their favorite Young Adult Fantasy . GRACELING by Kristin Cashore This book has a great fantasy hook with the Graces, a wonderfully complex female lead in Katsa, a rich fantasy world, a totally crush-worthy romantic interest in Prince Po, and a plot that kept me reading for hours on end. Pretty much everything I look for in a book! – Katie L.Carroll (Katie writes fiction for teens and kids)  Becca Fitzpatrick’s Hush, Hush Series. I fell in love with Patch and Nora. They are such a great couple with...

Happy Friday! It’s time for my blog feature, Building Character in which you get to meet a character from a book. Talking to a character outside of their book is fun! Huge. Amounts. Of fun.  This week Strands of Thought plays host to a character from Sweet Sleep . I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time. Why don’t you introduce yourself, please? Frost of Ankh here. Nice! A man of few words. It’s great to meet you Frost. Can you tell us more about your story? Like, what conflict are you up against? I’m a thousand years old. The love of my life had her memory wiped. I finally fall in love again and the chick is already dead. It’s a little bit funny. Funny. Huh. That’s an interesting way to put it. What are some of the biggest stumbling blocks you’ve encountered trying to resolve your conflict? Well, it’s not really necrophilia. This prophecy says she’s going to be absorbed into her twin. Two souls becoming one. Her twin sister is in love with some...

Welcome to my new feature all about author favorites. One thing I really love about the internet is the access it gives us to authors. Heck, I’m a fangirl and I’m not afraid to admit it, and I LOVE to be able to help readers get to know their favorite authors as well as discover new ones. When I put the call out to authors to answer my ‘Favorites’ questions, I didn’t expect for my to-read list to grow so fast. Grab a pen and paper, or log onto Goodreads, because more than likely you’ll find a title or two to add to your very own list. Please visit the authors’ websites and browse their work. Be sure to come back weekly to learn more about many awesome authors! I asked authors to share with us which book inspired them to write . Many Waters by Madeline L’Engle, because I loved the story and it made me realize that instead of trying to find more books like it, I could create something myself. - Meradeth Houston ( Meradet writes Young Adult and New Adult fantasy and scie...

Yes, that is a u instead of an o. Yes, I am suffering from writer’s bluck. Writer’s bluck is a condition every author suffers from at some point (or many points) in his or her career. It is the point when she questions, “Is this worth it?” “Is anyone listening?” and “I wonder if Shopko is hiring?” I’ve actually been in this funk for a while now. Hoping and praying it would pass. I have tried to dress up my current wip (work in progress) in spandex and a cape hoping I would be more inspired to add words every day. I have set goals like: When the fifth blogger agrees to read & review your book, you get frozen yogurt. I have even gone so far as to make a mock up of my next Super Villain Academy novel with ME as the cover model. Look I'm a super hero or is it villain?! (Full wrap version) Nothing has helped to breakthrough the bluck. Sometimes admitting you have the problem is the first step toward recovery. Meanwhile, I'm wondering, do you have an...

It’s Friday! Time for my blog feature, Building Character in which you get to meet characters from a book. Talking to a character outside of their book is fun! Huge. Amounts. Of fun.  This week Strands of Thought plays host to Kacie Ramsey from Tortured Souls. Great of you to join us, Kacie. Can you tell our readers a little about yourself, please? My name is Kacie Ramsey, and I see dead people. Yep, I'm a physical medium, been told I'm quite powerful. I'm a fifteen-year-old high school sophomore. I love acting, especially musical theater. This semester I'm starring in the school musical Anything Goes . Though I love drama, that love is limited to the stage. My life is so full of drama at times, and it drives me crazy. I'm a member of the Orion Circle, an elite club of paranormal hunters. I have an awesome boyfriend, Logan, who is also a physical medium. Wow. That sounds like a tough talent to have. Within all of that, can you tell us what conflict yo...

Welcome to my new feature all about author favorites. One thing I really love about the internet is the access it gives us to authors. Heck, I’m a fangirl and I’m not afraid to admit it, and I LOVE to be able to help readers get to know their favorite authors as well as discover new ones. When I put the call out to authors to answer my ‘Favorites’ questions, I didn’t expect for my to-read list to grow so fast. Grab a pen and paper, or log onto Goodreads, because more than likely you’ll find a title or two to add to your very own list. Please visit the authors’ websites and browse their work. Be sure to come back weekly to learn more about many awesome authors! I asked authors to share with us some of their favorite contemporary fiction novels . Well Spring Novels by James L. Rubert. Adult Christian fiction.  This is a powerful series of Christians fighting the evils of the world. Christina Weigand (Chistina writes Christian Fantasy fiction for kids and teens.) ...

I'm so excited for the official release of WORTH THE EFFORT: AYDEN'S STORY, the novella duet to ELLA'S STORY . Seventeen-year-old Ayden Worth shouldn’t have to seek peace of mind in the streets. But as family pressures mount, his anxieties increase, and he turns his back on comfort for a life in homeless camps and back alleys. Then one fateful day he runs into the only person he ever wanted to know better. Ella Jones. His memories paint her as kind and undemanding, and it seems the years haven’t changed her. Her simple expectations draw him to her. Against all odds, a relationship buds and grows. Yet, as Ayden repairs his life, Ella suggests he help others who also struggle. Will Ella turn out to be just like his dad, expecting more from him than he can give? Or will he prove that he is worth the effort? *** What do I mean by novella duet? Each story is told in the main character's point of view. Ella kicked it off by explaining to us what it was like to ...