Books, books, and more books!

Maggie Edwards can't eat, sleep, or die, but she can bake

What have I been doing lately? Writing, writing, and a little more writing.

This month I have released the first three stories in the brand new Knead to Know series. You will remember Maggie from Be Light and the Jinn Trilogy. This series follows her on her adventures while she figures out how to be a modern business owner despite being a newly formed half-vampire. See old friends from the Abyss and meet new ones as Maggie navigates her way through life and hopefully toward love. 

You know what's worse than being blackmailed by a secret council? My family. - Femi

In other news, March's release Catacombs is available for preorder.

Blurb: You know what’s worse than being blackmailed by a secret council? My family. But somehow I was roped into a mission that required me to deal with both. If it weren’t for bad luck…well you know the rest.

Shezmu, the god of ointment with a penchant for dismembering bodies, made himself known in the catacombs by chopping up fifteen innocents and putting them on display. Despite the fact that Shezmu killed my father, the council determined I was the best person to send on this “diplomatic” mission.  All I had to do was convince him to go home, thwart whatever the council’s real plan was for the contradictory god, and save the world from everyone else’s personal agendas—or as I call it, just another Tuesday. 

Everything should have been simple enough, but it wasn’t. This mission was personal and when things get personal, lives change. But not always for the better.

Easy Bake Coven Book 6!

If the Broom Fits is heeeeeerrrreeee.

Hello, friends.

This month's release is none other than the next book in the Easy Bake Coven series. Woohoo! Also, make sure you are signed up for my new release newsletter to hear about all my new releases and the next one will also include a newsletter only sign up to become a member of my beta reader group, The Coven Counsel.

The power to control the undead isn’t as glamorous as it sounds and it never comes without a price. Sure a necromancer can control any formerly living being, but the cost is losing everything else. Or at least that is what Frost always believed. 
Having spent her whole life knowing that a single touch of her skin could kill anyone, she avoided things most people take for granted: friends, family, and connections. But, despite her best efforts, those things found her in the form a tenacious coven of witches who offer her the only thing she has ever wanted: a place to belong. She knows it is only a matter of time before someone slips and touches her, ending the single greatest shred of hope she ever had to find a cure. 
Following the clues left behind by her mother, a dark witch, Frost embarks on a journey to not only end her curse, but to protect the friends she never believed she could have. However, more than she bargained for is waiting for her to return home. And a danger like she has never known turns her from the hunter to the prey. 

Amazon    iBooks     Barnes and Noble


Have a great weekend and happy reading!

Liz

#CurrentlyReading The Jinn Trilogy by Liz Schulte

So yes, I am cheating by talking about my most current book, but this is my blog so I do what I want. Bam!

Anyway, the last book in the Jinn Trilogy released last week. Woohoo!!

Olivia and Holden always beat the odds. Destined to be apart, there was nothing they wanted or fought for more than simply to be together. But no matter how great their love, the hurt they've caused each other may be more than they can bear.

An evil like no other has risen from the underworld, leaving nothing but death in its wake as it seeks out the one thing it requires: complete and utter submission from the jinn.

Losing the angel has left Olivia weakened beyond repair and unable to help even herself. Frustrated with her loss of power and devastated by her part in the death of two cherished loved ones, she struggles to find the hope she once relied on even though her relationship with Holden is crumbling. An offer to help comes from an unexpected source, but it isn’t without cost. To save herself, she will have to give up everyone else.

Holden’s powers are stronger than ever before, but his control slips further and further from his grasp, putting everyone around him at risk. Unable to forgive himself or Olivia for the death of a friend, he focuses on the only thing that matters: insuring the freedom of the jinn. But as his past comes back to haunt him, he is pushed further and further into the darkness.

In their final battle between good and evil, no one is safe and everything will change.

Eeek! *bites nails*

Things other people have said about it:
- "Finished vestige, loved it. Was a little concerned when I read your teaser but well done, well played. Not to many tears shed."
- "I LOVED the ending of Vestige."
- "Thank you thank you thank you it was everything your readers could ask for! Loved it so so much!"
- "Finally finished Vestige... ... That about sums it up. Thanks for another great ride"
- "Damn. That was fantastic!! This is why I stalk Liz"
- "Just finished Vestige and wow! I went through every emotion possible.Absolutely amazing bòok!"

So there you have. This book may or may not make you cry, it will make you want to stalk me, and it's a solid ending. 

Okay, that's enough shameless self-promotion until the next release!

-Liz

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. 

What have I been working on?

While Consequences (releases September 18th) is with the proofreader I have been busy at work on my next mystery novel, Dark Passing. *choir of angels sing*

 We will welcome back our favorite misanthrope, Ella Reynolds, and her ever so sweet detective, Gabriel Troy. Here is a little excerpt just for you. 
 
I shook my head. Fagan’s car crept up the snow covered lane and parked on the flat area behind us. He tapped on Gabriel’s window and waved for us to follow him to the barn. We hiked in behind him. The old barn groaned under the relentless wind and the smell of dirt and hay mixed with something sweeter that stuck in my throat and made me want to turn around and leave. Goosebumps covered my body and had nothing to do with the cold. I stopped, closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I had to pull myself together. The too familiar feeling of eyes on me, boring into me, made my heart beat quicken. I peeled back my eyelids that didn’t want to open to find no one was looking at me. All forensic investigators were busy photographing and collecting evidence and Fagan and Gabriel we looking intently at the table. I let my eyes slowly travel the room, searching out my discomfort. When I reached the loft an old man in overhauls and a white t-shirt stood out in the open staring down at me. The words to call out to him were on my lips when his face finally registered. His eyes were no more than crimson pools of blood slowly leaking down his cheeks and into his white beard. Everything around me faded, and I could hear the drip of the blood from the ends of his beard to the wood planked floor. Drip, drip, drip. I couldn’t look away from his gruesome gaze; my skin crawled as if trying to get away.
Gabriel stepped between me and the dead farmer, breaking the trance. “El?” He glanced to where I was looking, but didn’t see him. “You okay?”
“Um, yeah. Fine. Sorry. What were you saying?”
He gave me an odd look, but led me over to the table by the elbow. I couldn’t help glancing back up. The man followed me, the floor creaking under his weight, continuing to stare like he knew I could see him. My stomach twisted, but I forced my attention on Gabriel. He’s not real, he can’t hurt me, became my mantra.

Check out #CupidPaintedBlind a PNR anthology #Kindlepromo

Whew! Liz works me harder than my day job. Every other day she’s demanding a new blog post from me. I have law-breakers to catch, woman!

So she told me to tell you, the anthology, Cupid Painted Blind, is FREE on Thursday. (Girl, are you sure?) Yep, that’s right free is what she said. *shakes head* So pick it up here and enjoy.

There’s also a pretty freaking awesome gift basket and a paperback giveaway too!

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Anyway back to my post because the click of her fingers on that keyboard spells life and death for me. I’m not only doing this blog post, but I’m also going to do a meet and greet with you people about Cupid Painted Blind. I’m sort of excited to meet the rest of the cast. I mean Dorian Hade *swoon city*. Sarina, I know that siren has some stories to tell. Langston, that mysterious giant can’t avoid my questions forever. Jack, I’ve been looking for a hot, brawny sparring partner. And Autumn has quite the story of her own.

The point is you’re in for a treat. Not only do you have those people to talk to, but you have me. And I have the scoop on everyone in the Abyss. Yes, that’s right. If Liz expects me to do this then she can’t stop me from talking about Liv…or Holden for that matter (though knowing Holden he’ll have something to say about that).

Nevertheless, come hang out. Don’t let me be bored on my day off.

Get Dark Corners for 2 days only!

Dark Corners, mystery, #FREE on #Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Corners-ebook/dp/B00550V8CY/ref=sr_1_sc_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1330487863&sr=8-3-spell

Free today and tomorrow only!

Ella Reynolds knew from the first moment she walked into the old house someone or something was watching her. Waiting. Her husband's violent murder sent her spiraling into a world of grief and isolation, but Ella isn't alone. Who or what is responsible for her husband's death is still with her. Darkness has engulfed the past year of Ella's life. Everyday reality slips a little more between her fingers as she struggles to break free from her memories. She must look deeper into her past as well as the present to discover truth of her husband's homicide. A string of uncanny events takes place and practical explanations run thin as Ella follows the terrifying road to closure. As the past and present come to a head, Ella must decipher who or what the murderer is before it takes her as well.

What people are saying about Dark Corners-

- I pride myself in being able to pick apart a plot and figure out the twists before they happen. I can no longer claim that to be true. Liz's writing pulled me in hook line and sinker. I was quickly immersed in to this world right along with the characters and followed every mesmerizing word and went right down the path Liz lead me. There were so many times I thought I had it all figured out, only to be shocked when I was wrong. This is hands down one of the best suspense thrillers I've read in a very long time. It kept me guessing and at the edge of my seat. If you haven't read this book yet, you're missing out.

-I could not put this book down, even though I was terrified the whole time I read it! I had chills reading this book and I swear I suspected everyone but the right person. Liz did a great job keeping the intensity going in this book and the descriptions maybe me feel like I was on the crazy train with Ella!

- I could not put this book down. It was suspenseful, interesting and sometimes just creepy. I had to stop myself from jumping to the end of the book to know what happens. Everyone is a suspect, which makes it even more intense as you read through the book. You second guess everybody and everything. The story keeps you on your toes as it winds through the story about Ella and all the crazy things happening to her as she tries to uncover the mystery of her husband's death. I love when a book ends and you feel completely satisfied with the conclusion and the characters linger with you well after you have finished the story. This is exactly how it was with Dark Corners. Highly recommend!

Get it now!

Choices Book 2 Guardian Trilogy Teaser

"So we're lost? Great! What kind of operation is this?"

"Guardians are never lost." Quintus flashed me his ridiculously deep dimples, but I felt no appreciation for them. There was only one smile I wanted to see—

Needing to keep moving, I trudged through the woods in the direction I was facing. I heard Quintus walking behind me. How could he come to get me without a better plan than this? How did I get stuck with the person who’d abandoned me to a demon? My afterlife sucked.

March

#GetLoaded Final Stop and #Giveaway

Welcome to #GetLoaded.  This is the final stop on the tour.  You should have come here from Sherry Roberts’ blog.  Be sure to check the IBC blog in case you missed any stops and to gather today's Scavenger Hunt Clues.

Now that that’s out of the way it’s time to get locked and loaded

What is this madness? What does it mean? Well, I’m glad you asked. It means you can get lots of free ebooks, enter to win *amazing* prize packs and an AWESOME grand prize.

As you are prowling the savannah of the internet hunting up clues, you may stumble upon Neiko’s Five Land Adventure, grab it quick but don’t get lost in this amazing fantasy just yet there’s a lot more to come. Your journey doesn’t have to start Anew when the Archer brothers are available to help you along the way.  But the streets may be calling to you with A Hustler’s Promise. Or perhaps you are looking for a Book ofMercy with quirky and fun characters to share your day.

Here you will discover Secrets of the paranormal and life-altering kind. Olivia Martin was just a normal girl with a normal life. She had her family and her best friend, Juliet, and a promising career. Everything was perfect until she met a man. A man she couldn’t figure out or explain why she felt connected to him. Piece by piece her life falls apart as she is gets closer to a world she would have never believed existed. Secrets is a book about love, heart break, friendships, and the truth we keep hidden from the world—and sometimes even ourselves.

To get a copy of Secrets all you have to do is leave a comment with your name and email address.

But wait, there’s more!

In the book Olivia and her best friend, Juliet, stay in for a girls’ movie night and what 80’s classics. Dreams also play a prevalent role in Olivia’s life. Therefore, I bring you,

The Secrets Girls Night In gift basket.

Included:

*Breakfast Club dvd

*Say Anything dvd

*A dream journal

*Signed copy of Secrets

*Assorted Lindt Truffles

*Ghirardelli Dark chocolate and sea-salted caramel

*Kettle Corn

*Secrets/Dark Corners bookmark

To win this gift basket leave a comment (with your name and email address) on my wonderful and delightful sponsor’s blog, E-Readingon the Cheap. After you leave your comment (with email address!!) head over to the IBC blog and follow their clues for your very own adventure and chance to win a KINDLE!

For those of you who already have a Kindle, my first book, Dark Corners, is available for today only for free on Amazon. 


Thank you so much for stopping by today. I would love to hear from you!

Choices and more

Hello!

I have lots of news today. I have been extra busy and you will reap the benefits.

First, Book 2 of the Guardian Trilogy is well on its way to publication. Soon, my friends, soon.

Hearts break. Loved ones are lost. Life keeps moving.

Olivia Martin’s afterlife was more dangerous and confusing than her life ever was. She thought she was ready to come back, to forget about Holden and to let go of the rage consuming her. Fulfilling her destiny as a guardian was all that mattered—the past could stay hidden in the crevices of her mind. However, when guardians are murdered and the evidence points towards jinn, she has to do something. To save anyone’s future, Olivia will have to confront the one person from her past she is terrified to see.

Holden waited for Olivia with the hope he would see her one more time. But when she didn’t return, he found salvation in darkness. The black and twisted road made it easier to forget what he lost than to live with the memory of what he had. An unexpected promotion shoves him into a world of intoxicating power and influence. Holden will have to choose between his new life and the woman he thought was gone forever.

From the ashes of Secrets, Choices are born that will change everything.

Second, I am also working on a short story that will be released in February or March in a paranormal romance anthology called Cupid Painted Blind. Get ready for some paranormal hotties.

My story is Sweet Little Lies.

Children are disappearing from the Abyss and vampires are being blamed. Femi, a bounty hunter, is approached by an alluring vampire named Thomas who wants to hire her to find Abby, a missing child. Everyone knows vampires lie, manipulate, and want only one thing from non-vampires, but Femi cannot walk away from this case. Between her desire to find the missing children and his magnetic pull, she will solve the case or die trying. 

Check out other contributing authors story synopses: Stephanie Nelson and Olivia Hardin

Third, the final piece of news is a big one! I am participating in the #GetLoaded Blog Tour de Force this week. What does that mean to you? Only that you can get 5 free e-books by just commenting on the hosting blog of the day. 

Follow the tour from the Indie Book Collective  and even enter for a chance to win a #Kindle!!

On Friday commenting here will get you a free copy of Secrets, Book One Guardian Trilogy and for my Kindle using friends Dark Corners will also be free! 

Plus, I will be giving away an extra special Girls Night In prize pack!!!!

Magical Monday

There was a time when people believed certain stones held certain powers for protection, luck, or health. They thought these stones could help harness the power of the universe and focus it onto a particular task. This notion has always intrigued me. Maybe it is the nerdy 8 year old inside of me who loved her rock tumbler she got for her birthday and perused the pretty polished rocks in stores, but I like the idea that a particular person may be attracted to a particular stone.

During my research for Easy Bake Coven, I looked into the meanings/benefits of many different stones. Today I want to share with you the qualities behind our birthstones.

January- Garnet- The protection gem for travelers and is a symbol of love and desire.
February- Amethyst- Protection against intoxication and a stabilizing force to overcome addictive behaviors.
March- Aquamarine- Protection against dangers at sea and reverse poisonings. Also was once believe that when immersed in water, the water would heal heart, liver, stomach, mouth, and throat sicknesses.
April- Diamond- Heal illnesses
May- Emerald- Brings wisdom, growth, and patience. Also associated with youth, rebirth and fertility.
June- Moonstone- Spiritual understanding, health and longevity. Also believed by some to make a person invisible. *Pearl is the typical June stone, but there wasn't any particular attribution for it*
July- Ruby- Protection against evil and possessing its own magical powers to detect when the wearer is in danger (grows darker to warn of danger and returns to normal when danger has passed)
August- Peridot- Used to connect with nature
September- Blue Sapphire- Protection against envy and poisoning. Thought to bestow the wearer with wisdom and clarity. When ground into a powder thought to cure colic,rheumatism and mental illness, and to strengthen eyesight.
October- Opal- Ward off evil and nightmares. Protect eyesight and contains healing properties. 
November- Topaz- Strengthens one's ability to give and receive love. Also a symbol of friendship.
December- Blue Topaz- Soothe bad tempers. Thought to make the wearer invisible in threatening situations, cure insanity, asthma, and insomnia. And believed to have cooling properties.


There is probably very little truth to any of this, but sometimes it is nice to believe in a little magic.

2012 Cheap #EBook #Reading

A friend of mine who just got a #Kindle asked me for a list of my books and books of my writer friends or books I would recommend. I thought I would share this with everyone and perhaps make it a semi-regular segment. All the books are $2.99 or less and are by independent authors.

Who knows, you might find your new favorite author!

Liz Schulte (Mystery and Urban Fantasy)-

Dark Corners- Ella Reynolds knew from the first moment she walked into the old house someone or something was watching her. Waiting. Her husband's violent murder sent her spiraling into a world of grief and isolation, but Ella isn't alone. Who or what is responsible for her husband's death is still with her. Darkness has engulfed the past year of Ella's life. Everyday reality slips a little more between her fingers as she struggles to break free from her memories. She must look deeper into her past as well as the present to discover truth of her husband's homicide. A string of uncanny events takes place and practical explanations run thin as Ella follows the terrifying road to closure. As the past and present come to a head, Ella must decipher who or what the murderer is before it takes her as well.
Amazon

Secrets- (Book 1- Guardian Trilogy) While Olivia Martin observed life through her camera, the abyss gazed back at her. She discovers mysterious men follow her around, people close to her are dying, and her dreams are no longer her own as she falls head over heels for a perfect stranger. A chance encounter leads to an obsession that could destroy everything she has ever known or loved. Olivia is about to find out there is a lot she doesn't know and sometimes what you don't know can kill you.
Amazon

Elizabeth Sharp (YA Urban Fantasy)-

Natural Selection- What do you do when you find out your family isn't your family, death is knocking at your door, and that guy you can't stop thinking about knows more about who you are than you do?
Amelia Hoffman was just a normal 15 year old until she found out the truth. Now ancient myths, supernatural beings, and murder have changed everything. Tests and school dances are no longer the biggest worry in her life-- she has to figure out how to save everyone she loves and accept the future in front of her before it’s too late.
Amazon

Second Nature- Amelia Hoffman always knew she would be with Nathaniel Peplow forever, but after they bonded everything started to go wrong. Nate treats her like the enemy, her siblings are in danger, and an old threat grows closer. As Nate pulls away and Amelia’s burgeoning friendship with a handsome stranger blossoms, she worries she made the biggest mistake of her life. If sorting out her love life wasn’t enough, a new drug emerges that not only threatens the ones she loves, but seems to be part of something larger than she could ever imagine. Amelia’s new and old friends must work together to not only save themselves, but the whole world.
Amazon

C.G Powell (Paranormal Romance/Science Fiction)

Spell Checked- Broken relationships were a constant in Mae’s life, causing her to swear off men forever. Unwittingly lured to Ireland, Mae finds herself knee-deep in a hidden world she never knew existed and head over heels for the very man that tricked her to coming there. His deception is complicated by his own feelings for the one person that holds the key to merging the ancient races that once ruled the ancient word.
Mae finds herself in an underground world of witches, and vampires, which are half-breeds of aliens long gone. She learns about her own unique parentage and powers, which she must study in order to control, before they consume her.
Beck and Helen’s love for one another spans across a millennium, her human soul reincarnated to match Beck’s own immortality. This time however the body she occupies is of a being that cannot be eclipsed by her return. After waiting two hundred years, Beck finds himself tormented by Helen’s inability to return and his growing love for her new host.
Some of the underworld creatures welcome her with open arms as a savior, while others seek to destroy the abomination they believe her to be. Will the knowledge of her existence cause a race war when the true power of her blood is discovered? Or will love become her ultimate downfall?
Amazon

Stephanie Nelson (Paranormal Romance)

Craved- Gwen Sparks just wants to live a peaceful life in the supernatural town of Flora, but from the moment she read about the first murdered witch, all hope of peace was abandoned. Possessing the rare ability to read the memories of dead, she volunteers to help catch the culprit behind the string of drained witches. Gwen has to team up with the one man who broke her heart, deal with a ghost who pulls her into the deathly realm at will, and a fight off the advances of sexy but frustrating vampire who not only craves what runs through her veins—he wants her heart.
Amazon

Deceived- The vampire drug, brew, nearly ruined Gwen Sparks’ life. Just when things started to get back to normal between her and Aiden, she is summoned by the North American Witches Council to their central city of Moon. A war is imminent between vampires and witches, and Gwen’s experiences with brew are being used to fuel the fire. She is about to discover just how powerful she is with the help of the ruggedly handsome Angel of Death and just how far some people will go to get what they want. Gwen is going to learn exactly what it means to be Deceived.
Amazon

Olivia Hardin (Paranormal Romance)

Witch Way Bends- Devan Stowe has only one thing on her mind when she teams up with Kent Crosby and his gang—putting an end to her father’s child trafficking business. Her determination takes her on a journey to discover her true strength and the… one man she was destined to love. In his arms, she’ll learn the meaning of trust, honor, and courage. Devan will unlock an amazing gift that will free her from her past and open up a future full of magic, faeries and more things than she ever imagined possible.
Amazon

Nicole Chase (YA Paranormal Romance)

Mortal Obligation- Ree will face the darkest form of betrayal before the year is out.

Seventeen year old Ree McKenna has three goals: get through high school, convince her crush she is more than his best friend’s little sister, and save money for college. Fate, though, has other plans for her. After the untimely death of her older brother, Ree is haunted by dreadful nightmares and terrifying visions. To make matters worse, Ree has started to suspect that something dangerous is stalking her from the shadows.

A night full of frightening surprises leaves Ree with unsettling news. Gifted by the gods with unusual powers, she must devote herself to a battle that could very well lead to not only her death, but the demise of everyone she knows and loves. After all, Ree is the only mortal standing between the Earth and utter darkness.

Set in Savannah, Ga, Mortal Obligation is the first book of The Dark Betrayal Trilogy.
Amazon

Mortal Defiance- One short week turned Ree McKenna’s life upside down. Not only does she have the weight of the world on her shoulders, but she still has to juggle homework, a job, and a curfew. While Ree tries to find her footing amidst the chaos, the Dark Ones and their champion are busy hunting down any humans that have a touch of the gods running through their veins. Allies have turned into foes, and enemies have become stronger.

The world is growing darker, but the passion between Ree and two irresistible guys blazes hotter. Romantic ties from a past life will threaten to break Ree away from the love of her life and will cloud her judgment. In order to follow her heart, Ree will break rules put in place by the gods, risking her life and the lives of her friends in an act of Mortal Defiance.

Mortal Defiance is book two of the Dark Betrayal Trilogy.
Amazon

J.A. Titus (Drama)
Kindness of Strangers- What happens when a child’s innocence & trust gets taken away by someone they love? After years of abuse, Sydney Venery finally escapes. With no one else offering to help around her, she accepts the assistance from a kind stranger by the name of Irene. After a frightening attack it is another stranger that comes to her rescue; Ian, who charges in to save her like a knight in shining armor. With the help of Ian & Irene, Sydney slowly begins the healing process & moves forward with her life; raising her child, attending school & accepting that what has happened to her isn’t her fault. Learning to love & trust again isn’t easy, but it is with The Kindness of Strangers that she learns to get by.
Amazon