Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Or happy hump day!


I hope everyone is having a fantastic day. As I sit still in my pajamas by the warm fire cuddling with my dogs and staring at the aftermath of present opening while sipping on my warm apple cider in the peaceful glow of the tree, I am contemplating what a fantastic year it has been and how blessed I am to have all of you in my life.



But on to good bits. Good Tidings. This is Baker’s Christmas short story. I have a few reasons why I chose to write this year’s Christmas story from Baker’s point of view. Some of them I can tell you and others I can’t because of spoilers.

Baker’s Christmas story starts while he is helping Olivia decorate the Christmas tree in Be Light. She asks him about his past because he is one of the few people she knows in the Abyss who still celebrates Christmas. After that we go back to 1929. For all you history buffs you know what a terrible year that was for our country and especially for Baker (St. Valentine’s Day massacre, prohibition was still in effect, and of course the stock market crash in October). I chose the year for these very reasons.

You see Baker was about to make a change in his life. A change that would determine the direction the rest of his life would take. If you remember when Baker and Olivia first met, she didn’t like him at all. She thought of him as simply Holden’s criminal friend. What she didn’t know what were the complicated layers that make Baker who he is and how he really isn’t all that he appears to be. However, the more she gets to know him, the better she understands. By the time you see them in Ember, Baker and Olivia are quite close and often team up against Holden.



This particular short story gives you a glimpse into the why and some of the blocks that began building Baker into the person he is in Ember.

I hope everyone has a great week. See you next year!

Liz

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Book 1 of the Jinn Trilogy and Baker's Christmas short story are here!

Ember has finally released! Woohoo! I am so relieved and happy to have the book out of my hands and into yours so I can stop keeping secrets. :-)

Olivia and Holden are back and with them, more impossible problems. Lots happens in this book and sets up even more for the series which I hope to have released in its entirety by spring (New Years resolution, give up sleep). 

Anyway, here it is!


Holden told Olivia it was only a matter of time before Hell came for them. After all, one doesn’t just walk away from the life he lived unscathed, but the longer Hell waited, the more Olivia let down her guard. She believed maybe happily ever after was possible—he knew it wasn’t. 
But when Baker shows up beaten and bloody on their doorstep with a message, all hope evaporates. The jinn make Holden an offer he can’t refuse: convince Olivia to free them all and the jinn will fight Hell alongside them. However, if their past has proved anything, it’s that the jinn cannot be trusted. When Olivia starts hearing a voice that no one can identify and Baker isn’t acting like himself, he is forced to make a decision. 
With Heaven staying hands off, Holden considers accepting the jinn’s offer behind Olivia’s back. One thing is clear, with their lives and the lives all those they hold dear at stake, something has to be done. If it were as easy as Holden going back to the jinn, he would do it in a heartbeat, but Hell wants more than his soul this time—they want Olivia’s too.


Also Baker's Christmas short story, Good Tidings, is also out. Yay! This story is special to me. I have loved Baker since I introduced him in Choices. I know readers don't know much about hi yet, but I promise the more you know the more you will fall in love with him. This short story takes place in 1929 and sort of gives you a glimpse into who Baker is as a person. 



Good Tidings by Liz Schulte 
1929 was a terrible year for Baker McGovern. The Chicago mafia was in upheaval, the stock market crashed, and prohibition was still in effect. However, life as he knew it was about to change.Ready to give up his career in the mob, all he needed to do was tie up a few lose ends and plan his exit strategy then he was home free. However, nothing ever goes as planned. Three little orphans cross his path and sets Baker on a road he couldn’t have anticipated.Trying to give them a Christmas they would always remember, they end up giving him the best gift of all. 


That's all I know! Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Liz

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

The Jinn Trilogy


The release of the first book in the Jinn Trilogy, Ember, is just around the corner, so I thought I would tell you why I decided to expand the Guardian Trilogy.



It actually happened while I was writing the Guardian Trilogy. The closer I got to the end the more I didn’t want to write. I had been with Olivia, Holden, Femi, and Baker for so long it was hard to end it. Thus the idea for the Jinn Trilogy started taking root.

The Guardian Trilogy was Olivia’s story. She figured out who she was and where she fit into the world. We saw snippets of Holden’s world but not much beyond that. Mostly, the story dealt with the guardian and Heaven side of things, the light.

The Jinn Trilogy picks up after the Guardian Trilogy. About a year has passed and Baker is attacked. Did you really think Hell would let Holden just walk away after investing decades into him. *raises eyebrow* This series will be about the darkness. The players are more powerful and infinitely more dangerous, the stakes are higher, and the losses are more devastating. It is told from Olivia, Holden, and Baker’s point of view.



Any time I write a book there are certain songs that make me think of the characters and the emotions they are going through in the story. I can’t always listen to music while I write (I find it distracting), but I will listen to songs on repeat before I write a scene to set the emotional mood in my mind. The songs are always chosen for their emotional impact and how they make me feel in relation to what is happening in the story.

With the Guardian Trilogy my songs were:

Secrets: Samson- Regina Spektor



Choices: Jar of Hearts- Christina Perri



Consquences: Goodbye My Lover- James Blunt



For Ember the song I listened to the most because it spoke to me on many different levels about different relationships in the story is I Know You Care by Ellie Goulding.



That’s all I have for today. Check back next week to hear about Baker’s Christmas short story Good Tidings and how it relates to what’s happening in the Jinn Trilogy.

Liz

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

How Much Can Indie Authors Realistically Make?

BadRedheadMedia.com
Guest post by Liz Schulte

Have you ever wondered if writing is the “get-rich-quick” scheme that you thought it was? Simple answer – nope.

I shared my insights on authorship, self-publishing, marketing, writing and income in my guest blog post at
badredheadmedia.com.

Briefly, there is no cookie cutter formula to writing success and book promotion. You have to carve out your own voice and promotion strategies. It’s not easy but it’s possible. You cannot count on being a one-book wonder either. It takes effort and investment to get your book out into the market.

For more insights and my three years of numbers check it out here.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving

I am going to try to be serious for just a moment, though like many of my characters I am a tad allergic to being sentimental (just know part of me really wants to talk about the little things that are overlooked like hair ties and yoga pants and the pure joy of driving a dog crazy by blowing in its face). However, I am truly grateful and thankful for all of you for allowing me to do what I love. Thank you for coming through journey after journey into my sometimes twisted and strange imagination and for trusting me to get you to the end relatively unharmed. I am grateful you allow me into your lives every single day, but due to sometimes overwhelming sense of snarkiness, I only express it one day a year. Gobble, gobble,nap. -Liz

Friday, November 1, 2013

Age is a state of mind.

This blog post has nothing to do with writing. Sorry. It is more of an epiphany. I woke up one morning and I was old. I am not saying old as in age, because I am not that old, but old as in my habits are becoming that of a senior citizen. I am not sure how it happened, but it has. Let me present the evidence to you, my peers.      
  • I used to watch independent movies and Arrested Development, now I watch HGTV and the Voice. Sure,  Property Brothers and Income Property are awesome and so addictive, but cool points, probably not high. Too make matter worse…I don’t even care. I like home improvement even if I am a ruiner and the judges on the Voice make me laugh. 
  • I have a twitchy back from an injury that happened while I was sleeping. *shakes head*
  •  I used to go out, probably too much (see just acknowledging I went out too much is old. Balls!). Now I prefer to stay in so I don’t have to fight the crowds.
  • I have two day hangovers. Seriously, that  makes you question every drink you take. Is this vodka tonic worth a two day headache when you have a deadline looming? Probably not.
  • I used to contemplate selling internal organs so I could quit my job and move to Italy and drink. (May not have been the best plan since it hinged on missing vital organs and drinking excessively, but every plan has its flaw--true story). Now I contemplate marketing strategies and weekend trips to wineries.  But on a side note, now I love my job.
  • I don’t know what YOLO means and I don’t fucking care. 
  •  I think Miley Cyrus should put some pants on and stop licking things, not because she is setting back feminism or anything. Mostly just because she is becoming like the word moist…disgusting.
  •  I stopped taking naps because I know I won’t be able to sleep at night.
  •  I have started censoring my weirdness because I am tired of explaining myself. (Wrinkled balls!)
  •  Getting my new Martha Stewart Living magazine and picking out recipes to make is more exciting to me than free concert tickets (see note above about crowds). *flail*

That’s all I have for right now. I am pretty certain things will only get worse from here. Who knows what’s next? Ensure? Elastic pants? Questionable makeup? Driving under the speed limit? Hmm whatever the future may hold I accept it, because truth be told, it has been one hell of a ride.

Curmudgeoningly (old people are allowed to make up words) Yours,


Liz

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Just because I am scared of fish, doesn’t mean I can’t snorkel

We all have something in life we are scared of doing—some of us have many things. I am personally afraid of a lot. I am scared of stupid stuff like spiders, Jack Nicholson, and fish touching me, but then I am also scared of intangible things: loss and failure. I have learned something, though.

Fear is a poison.  It will hold you back in everything you want to do. Fear will prevent you from living.
This weekend I flew to the DC area because I have an interview on a small local cable show to talk about my newest mystery, the Ninth Floor. Doing this interview scares the crap out of me. When I think about it my stomach hurts, my temperature rises, and I want to pass out. I tell myself, and anyone who asks, things  like “I am not a public speaker”, “I am going to make an ass out of myself and end up at Youtube sensation”,  and “I should call, better yet email, and tell them I can’t make it.”

On the plane I thought about my life and how I got to this position where I have published nine books, am supporting myself with my writing alone, done numerous radio interviews, and now my first TV appearance. The answer was simple. I got here because I did things that scare me. I may whine, I may complain, I may drag my feet, but damn it I do it.

It is scary to tell people you are writing a book. It is scary to meet other writers. It is scary to let someone read your writing—and not just the first time, it is scary every time. It is scary to send your manuscript to a critique partner. Sending your book to the editor will feel about as pleasant as waiting for news back from a doctor after they had to run tests. When it comes the time to publish your book it isn’t scary, it is terrifying…and it is every single time you do it.

However, if you don’t do it, you will never know what you could accomplish. If you never sit down and write those first words—bad or good— you will never know how far you can go. Fear will tell you that you aren’t good enough. You will never be as good as whatever author you are comparing yourself to.  But fear isn’t always so straight forward either. It will also be sneaky. Fear will supply excuses for not finishing your work. It will make you quit once you have started. It will tell you that you are a perfectionist and allow you to keep going over and over the same material, but it will never let you move forward. Fear will keep you from finishing a project by distracting you with another one. It will allow you to not write, make you want to do anything else but write—even clean. Fear is that soothing voice that calls you to corner and wraps you in a warm blank, promising to protect you from the big bad world who wants nothing more than to laugh at you when you fail.

What fear will never do is make you successful. Success comes with risks. Success comes with putting yourself out for the world despite the fact that you are afraid. So what if you embarrass yourself? So what if someone hates your book? How does any of that hurt you? Embarrassment will fade and for every person that hates your book there will be ten others who love it. For every excuse you give yourself why you can’t do something, there are countless other reason why you can do it. For every mistake you make, you will learn how to do it better the next time because for successful people there is always a next time. You aren’t alone in feeling like this. We all feel this way, but the people who do the best are the ones who realize, these things don’t matter.


I believe this applies to all areas in life. Not just to writers. The things that scare you the most, that move you outside of your comfort zone and challenge you are the ones that are most worth doing. Living is comprised of the moments you defy fear and try. Don’t be afraid to live. You will stumble, you will fall down, but every time you stand back up the fear gets quieter and you move a little closer to realizing your dreams. 

Thursday, October 17, 2013

20 Things About Liz Schulte #meetREB #rebelwriters

What is REB? Why thank you for asking. It is Romantic Edge Books. It is a conglomerate of nine authors who have built friendships on their mutual love of writing and reading in the romance genre.
Who are the authors? You came to the right place. Learn all about us in each of our 20 things post.  Check out mine below, then follow the link below for the posts by Melissa Lummis ~ Olivia Hardin ~ C.G. Powell ~ Stephanie Nelson ~ Lola James ~ Mandie Stevens ~ Amanda Latzel~ Tawdra Kandle.
 20 Things About Me!

Liz has double jointed thumbs (not as useful as it sounds, but I would make a hell of a hitchhiker).
Liz can quote nearly every line of Christmas Vacation and Tango and Cash (impressive, I know).
Liz has terrible, terrible handwriting.
Liz is a hopeless LOTR fan (and believes everyone should know what that stands for).
Liz thinks Mr. Rochester could kick Mr. Darcy’s ass, but she also thinks Heathcliff would take them both out like a ninja. 
Liz and Lola James

Liz’s first books crush was Damon Salvatore from Vampire Diaries (stupid Stefan).
Liz was also an avid fan of (and this is slightly embarrassing) The Babysitters Club and Sweet Valley Twins.
Liz didn’t know she wanted to be a writer until after she wrote her first book. She thought she wanted to be a lawyer, silly Liz.
If Liz were stranded on a desert island she would take Michael Fassbender and mojitos. She may not survive, but she is okay with that.
Mojitos!


Liz is crafty…more like Martha Stewart than the Beastie Boys.
Liz used to be funny…it went away.
Liz watches the Godfather far too often and talks about it like they are real people.
Liz has one solitary paranormal experience and it is kind of weird.
Liz likes wine and vodka, but not together (sicko).
Liz thinks Hannibal Lecter is the best villain ever written.
Liz went to see New Kids On the Block, Boys to Men, and 98 Degrees…this year *hides face* with Amanda Latzel.
Liz and Amanda

Liz hates public speaking. She talks too fast and laughs a lot when she is nervous.

Liz thinks the meaning of life is cheese.
Liz thinks DiGiorno tastes nothing like delivery.
When Liz grows up she is going to marry Batman.


Thanks for stopping by. Now meet the others! Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter for new releases and great romance books deals. 

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Pickup Styx

It's here!


Book three of my Easy Bake Coven series has been released!

*insert celebratory cheering and happy dances here....it's okay we'll wait for you*


Selene and Cheney are almost to happily ever after. Just one small promise stands in their way. The spirits make a request Selene can’t refuse without forfeiting her soul, but to fulfill their desire, she will have to sacrifice her life. Traveling to a world beyond the reach of the living, Selene has to dig deep within herself to find a way back home. 
The kingdom trembles on the edge of political upheaval and fae of all shapes and sizes are being murdered. The further Cheney digs into these mysterious deaths, the more skeletons he unearths from his family’s past. Sometimes, the truth can kill you. 
In a race against the clock, Selene and Cheney stumble through an emotional and physical journey to make it back to one another. Will they find a way back to one another or are not all love stories meant to have a happily ever after?

Where can you get it? Well so far on Amazon or Smashwords. Barnes and Noble and iBooks are on their way. 

Now Holden calls to me. Back to working on Ember: Book 1 of the Jinn Trilogy. 

Monday, September 23, 2013

Six Times A Charm: 6 books for .99 cents

On Sale September 23 – Just 99c for a limited time!

Six Times a Charm: Dive into this six-in-one boxed set and meet six charming heroines who are fighting to find true love in a world full of magic. 

Amazon | Apple iTunes | Barnes& Noble | Kobo


Six sexy, exciting, laugh-out-loud books from some of the top names in paranormal romance!

Haunted on Bourbon Street by Deanna Chase
The Accidental Demon Slayer by Angie Fox
Carpe Demon by Julie Kenner
Girl’s Guide to Witchcraft by Mindy Klasky
How to Date a Werewolf by Rose Pressey
Easy Bake Coven by Liz Schulte

There's an empath who meets a ghost in her shower. 

An unsuspecting demon-slayer who juggles her supernatural career with the demands of a handsome shape-shifting griffin. 

A demon-fighting soccer mom fighting to keep the suburbs safe and her superhero career secret. 

A librarian who discovers she's a witch when she awakens her familiar by accident, incurring the wrath of her sexy astral protector. 

A matchmaker for werewolves who may have finally found true love for herself. 

A witch who tries to balance the jumbled politics of elves, half-elves, and fae, even as she uncovers her forgotten past. 

Six different heroines, for six times the charm!
Amazon | Apple iTunes | Barnes& Noble | Kobo


 **iTunes is coming soon!**




Monday, September 16, 2013

Fantastic Box Set By Olivia Hardin

release banner

It's finally here! The Bend-Bite-Shift Box Set! So if you haven't started the series, or even if you have, now is the time to jump on it at the special release price of just $0.99.

You get the complete trilogy, plus two short stories, including the all new

By Blood & Benevolence.

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

iTunes

Kobo

Smashwords

And that's not all! I also have some great prizes for folks who spread the word about the release. Check out this rafflecopter for your chance to will a $25.00 Gift Card or some awesome Bend-Bite-Shift Swag!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Hot Summer Heroes Blog Hop

Hello all!

I am part of the Hot Summer Hero Blog Hop. A lot of great prizes will be given away over the next three days so make sure to check out all the link!


Here I will be giving away a copy of Easy Bake Coven (signed paperback open to US and International)


Cheney is the hero in the Easy Bake Coven series. I always pictured him something like the actor Chris Pine. So to enter to receive Easy Bake Coven please comment below with your favorite celebrity crush. 

Monday, August 12, 2013

Olivia Hardin Cover Reveal

7x5_postcardI'm absolutely thrilled today to reveal the brand new look for Olivia Hardin's Bend-Bite-Shift Trilogy. Stephanie with Once Upon a Time Covers outdid herself with these gorgeous covers for the trilogy.

Witch Way Bends

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

iTunes

Kobo

Bitten Shame - Olivia Hardin

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

iTunes

Kobo

Shifty Business - Olivia Hardin

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

iTunes

Kobo

And those who subscribe to Olivia's newsletter got an early bird sneak peek at these covers yesterday, so if you're not on the list, be sure to click here and get added. She gives lots of fun teasers and release info that you don't want to miss out on.

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Melissa Lummis Cover Reveal

I am excited to announce a whole new look for the Love and Light Series.  The talented Stephanie Nelson has redesigned all the covers.  I hope you like them as much as I do!

Check out the new covers ...
Available on Amazon


Available on Amazon

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Pickup Styx teaser

Pickup Styx is coming along so well. I thought I would share an snippet that makes me smile.


Wednesday, June 26, 2013

My friend Melissa has a new book and it's FANTASTIC!





Now available at:

Amazon 

When the universe conspired to bring Loti and Wolf together, it was just getting warmed up.  After surviving Modore’s assassination attempt on Wolf, the lovers want nothing more than some peace and quiet, but the universe has other plans for them.

And Loti and Wolf are done waiting to find out what they are.

Convinced there will be no happily-ever-after for them until Modore is dealt with, they form a dubious alliance with untrustworthy forces from Wolf’s past. While searching for clues to the homicidal vampire’s whereabouts, they uncover secrets that begin to unravel reality as they know it.  Tangled up in black ops conspiracies and fae treachery, they make a fatal mistake—overlooking the enemy in their midst.
Can love and light survive a downward spiral into darkness?







and Enlightened (Book 1 in the Love and Light Series) is available, too!


Loti Dupree’s meager healing abilities have been more a curse than a blessing. What’s the point if she can't save her husband from cancer? Harboring a painful secret, Loti flees the life they had in a small Appalachian town for the ashram, the spiritual retreat where she trained to be a yogini. But she finds herself running from more than grief when an ominous nightmare sets her on a dangerous path of self-discovery that challenges everything she believes--and threatens her life.

While dodging psychic attacks from an unknown assailant, Loti races to understand who and what she is before her enemy can catch up with her. To make matters worse, events throw her into the arms of a handsome but frustrating vampire. Love and light are waiting for her—if she can only figure out how to stay alive.



About the Author

Melissa Lummis considers herself a truth seeker, a peaceful warrior, a paranormal and fantasy writer, an avid reader, a thru-hiker GA->ME ’98, a wife, a mother, and a free thinker. She believes the universe conspires to help an adventurer, and that if we live our lives as if it is a daring adventure (and it is!), then everything we need will find its way to us.

The author lives in rural Virginia with her husband, two children, an Alaskan Malamute and a myriad of forest creatures. The nature of her mind dictates that she write to stay sane. Otherwise, her fertile imagination takes off on tangents of its own accord, creating scenarios and worlds that confuse the space-time continuum.


Namaste, dear friends.






Friday, May 24, 2013

Summer Book Blast

The Summer Book Blast runs from May 24-27 and is THE hottest and largest ebook sale to date for today’s best selling young adult, new adult and romantic fiction.We're giving away over $1,000 in prizes!ad
In addition to all books being priced at .99 for the four-day sale, there will be:
  • a Kindle Fire raffled off DAILY;
  • ebook bundles raffled off DAILY; and
  • paperbacks and swag raffled off DAILY.
To participate in giveaways, visit the Summer Book Blast Facebook event page! To see the incredible books on sale, check out the Summer Book Blast web page! The Blast features books from over sixty authors, all of whom came together to lower their prices and offer their readers incredible deals to stock up for the hot, lazy summer months.  
A special thank you goes out to our sponsors:
evatopialogo2 Zoey Rogue_fb 734445_507118349349148_1811984995_n 947068_538318426211444_300957727_n iusb_760x100.9731637_6twd 969555_471090236303686_346590306_n The event has been arranged and coordinated by the following wonderful people on the Summer Book Blast committee: Lisa Markson, Leanne Jacobson, Stephanie Shaw and Jennifer Pringle.

Links to our Sponsors

Evatopia
Lizzy Ford
Julia Crane
Cambria Hebert
DT Dyllin
Book Swag Shop

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

iBookStore Breakout Books in UK and Ireland

I work up this morning to some fantastic news! I had an email waiting for me saying that my book Easy Bake Coven made the iBookStore breakout list!

Yay!!! *happydance*






Thank you, Apple, for your amazing support of independent authors and for creating such a wonderful program.

Here is a link to Easy Bake Coven on iTunes UK.

Also check out the Smashwords blog post explaining this new promotion from Apple.

 

THANK YOU, Apple iBookStore!!

Thursday, February 14, 2013

27 Books for .99 on #kindle and #nook

   

27 books dropped to $0.99 for Valentine's Day. Get yourself a little something!

Shhhh. . .Fearless is part of this promo. . .but it's FREE today and tomorrow and then 99 cents on the 16th. Grab it now!

Click on the books to read more about them and buy.

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