Winner of Lisa Rogers' Goodies

I'd like to thank everyone for participating!!  And a special thanks to Lisa Rogers.

It was wonderful fun to read all the books that made you cry.

When I was younger two books that made me cry were Where the Red Fern Grows and Charlotte's Web. Yep, I cried when the spider died. Which is kind of funny since I hate spiders. And when I say hate, I mean despise.

Before I announce the winner, I do have an announcement.

I know. I know. Always making you wait before I announce the winner. Seriously, though, I'm not doing it this time to be evil. Well, maybe a little.

Back to the announcement...

The Spencer Hill Press Summer Blog Run will be taking a week break while I move back to my home. So, Texas, I hope you are ready for me. Plus, I will be offline for about four days, which really doesn't make me happy. I'll miss my internet so much. Oh, and all of you, too, of course.

So, without further ado...

The winner is....

*swishes around little bit of paper with names in the magic hat*

 Sara Elizabeth!!!

YAY!!

Grats Sara

Once again, thanks for participating.  Another contest will be up Monday, August 6th. Hope to see you all there.

Spencer Hill Press Summer Blog Run--Lisa Rogers

The next author on the SPENCER HILL PRESS SUMMER BLOG RUN is the awesome Lisa Rogers. 

*Trapeze artists performing death defying tumbles without the aid of a net*

Oooohhh, all of this for me? AWESOME!!!

Lisa’s, ANGELINA'S SECRET, was released Feb, 2012, and has received some awesome reviews. I haven't had a chance to read this, yet (notice the yet), but it is definitely on my list of must reads.  I absolutely love a great ghost story and this one is going to deliver. 

Please stop by Lisa's pages. I'm even taking out the Google search for you. That's right, I did all the hard clicking for you and am providing all the links you need: Goodreads, twitter, facebook, and blog. 

I'll wait while you click away. *twiddles thumbs*

Back?  Cool. Let's get started. 

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog, Lisa. I'm so happy to have you join me.  

Ahhh shucks *blushes* Thanks for having me.

What was your favorite story as a child?

Oh my goodness, that is a hard first question. Even as a child, I LOVED to read. Seeing this question the first book that popped into my head was That Was Then This Is Now. 

 S.E. Hinton. I, too, loved her books.

Can you tell us about a story you wrote when you were in school?

That was a long, long time ago, but I do remember writing a middle grade short story called Woodrow Wuzell. It was about a young boy who was constantly being bullied in school. The poor kid tried everything to runaway from his awful nickname of weasel. 

What is your favorite novel now?

I’m so glad you specified “now,” because this does change on a daily basis. Today I’m going to go with Dan Cohen’s Masters of the Veil.

Who is the most supportive person in your writing career?

I’d have to go with my husband, Wes. He supports me in every way imaginable. He’s great to bounce ideas off of and he (for the most part) is pretty understanding when I’m working with a deadline and he has to fend for himself at dinner.

I also need to mention my daughter, Keshia. She helps me in many, many ways. She’s not only a constant source of encouragement to me, but she also beta reads for me, and helps me with all of those little grammar rules I’m not sure I ever knew. Keshia is also an author. Her debut novel, Blood Bound, will be release through Spencer Hill Press Sept. 2013.

Besides writing, what else do you enjoy doing?

I am very big on family and love spending time with them. Both of my children are grown and between the two of them, they have given me three adorable little grandchildren.

Do you have any hobbies?

Other than playing with my grandbabies J I like to read, garden, and do counted cross-stitch.

What is your favorite food?

Tex-Mex

Do you have a favorite recipe you would like to share with us?

Once upon a time, I found great joy in cooking. Now all of my favorite recipes seem to either come from a box or a restaurant.

First thing to pop into your head….

Chicken or fish?

Chicken

Brownies or ice-cream?

Brownies, but how about brownies AND ice-cream? <--That's what I'm talking about!!

If given a choice to live anywhere, where would you live?

Where I’m at. It’s close to my grandchildren. ;) 

Shorts or skirt?

Shorts

Wine or tequila?

Diet Pepsi is my drink of choice, but I’ll go with Tequila—it makes me sound tough.

Most embarrassing moment in your life? (Like everyone else, you have to share...mua ha ha)

Okay, but this is going to take some time. When my daughter was about two and a half years old, I noticed that she was scared of people who didn’t look like we did. Living in a small town, she wasn’t exposed to many races other than her own. Knowing this was a problem, I spent hours cutting pictures from magazines that showed people from various racial backgrounds. I took these pictures and made her a book. We would read this book often and talk about how God made all of us and we talked of how He loved each and everyone of us.

Soon after making this book, she and I were out shopping for a birthday card. She was sitting in the front of the cart as I browsed through the cards. (I’m one of these crazy people that take card shopping very seriously. You know, I’m the one that has to read every card at least once to find the perfect fit.) Anyway, as I’m looking through the cards, I hear my sweet little daughter say, “Momma, Momma.” When I turned my attention to her, I saw her pointing at a man that was also looking at cards. “Look Momma,” she said. “He’s black!”

I looked at the man, who was now staring at the both of us. I nodded and tried to smile. “Yes,” I mumbled to my child, “you’re right.” Silently wishing I could hide under something, I turned my red face back to the cards and tried to read. I soon heard my name being called again this time followed by a sharp tug on my shirt. “Momma, Momma.”

 “Yes?” I looked at her with pleading eyes.

“Momma, he’s black,” she once again informed me. I nodded and looked apologetically at the man who was clearly not enjoying being the center of my daughter’s attention. “Momma, he’s black and I ain’t even scared.”

“That’s good honey.” Even though I hadn’t had the chance to read the card in my hand I decided it was the perfect one.  

What book is sitting on your bedside table right now?

Elemental by Emily White

What is the scariest novel you ever read?

Anything from Lisa Gardner. I love her books, but they scare the bejabbers out of me.

Can you give us a brief description of your writing journey?

The first book I ever wrote was a nonfiction titled, On Haunted Ground. After signing this book with an agent, I started writing Angelina’s Secret. Upon its completion and still hoping for a publishing deal for my first book, I started the process of looking for an agent for book two. Not having much luck, I decided to enter it in a contest. After polishing it up, I heard about a publisher who was helping writers get their query letters ready for the contest I was hoping to enter. I sent my query to Kate Kaynak. Long story short, she asked to see my MS and offered me my first publishing contract. With my head steel reeling over my good fortune, my agent found a home for On Haunted Ground. My books were published three months apart.

Why young adult?

I write both adult and YA, but I have to say I love the YA genre. To me it seems a little faster paced than most adult books and I like being sucked into a book quick.

Why do you enjoy writing about ghosts?

As most people know by now, I truly believe in ghosts and I am simply fascinated by them.

Would you care to share a little about the non-fiction you wrote?

On Haunted Ground details my experience of living in a “haunted” house for twenty-eight years.

Angelina's Secret blurb... 

As a child, Angelina spent years in counseling learning that Josie, her imaginary friend, wasn't real, but it turns out her childhood friend wasn't imaginary after all. Now Angelina has to accept she's either (A) crazy or (B) able to see ghosts. Wanting to believe in her sanity, she chooses (B) and welcomes Josie back into her life. But even Josie can't help her deal with Shelly, the spirit of a confused teenager, and things go very, very wrong. When Angelina finds herself in a psychiatric hospital, she faces a choice: she can spend the rest of her life pretending to be someone she isn't, or she can embrace who she is and take a chance that she may never get to go home.

Show More

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Show Less

Time for the Tantalizing Teaser Temptation 

Josie’s not real. She repeated this over and over in her head. Sure, I can see her. She’s sitting in the rocking chair beside the window. But still, that doesn’t mean she’s real. She averted her eyes from the chair, sat down at the vanity table and brushed her hair.

“You’ve always had such long, beautiful hair.” Josie’s soft voice hung in the air. “I’m happy you didn’t follow the trend and cut it off.” 

Angelina ignored her. She hummed a song that was stuck in her head as she continued to brush her hair.

“I know you can see me. You might as well acknowledge me because I’m not going anywhere.”

Angelina stopped, turned around, and looked deep into Josie’s pale green eyes. She looked real enough, but she couldn’t be.

Josie. Wasn’t. Real.

She turned back around and continued to hum.

“Well, at least I’m glad to know you haven’t forgotten everything I taught you. We used to sing that tune when you were just a little thing.”

Angelina remembered. She remembered many things about Josie. She remembered her green dress with the delicate lace collar. She remembered how the dark green apron over the dress had two big pockets. She remembered Josie’s white hair and how her smile always lit up her eyes. But most of all, she remembered the fun they used to have. She wiped at the tears that rolled down her cheeks. “Okay,” she whispered. “If you’re real—and I’m not saying you are—but…

 Oops sorry to cut it off here, but I’ve already went over my word limit by one whole word. 

 Hmm. She's a little evol, isn't she?

For all the lucky people who stopped by, Lisa is kind enough to give away... 

A signed first edition copy of Angelina’s Secret, a super awesome rack card and some bookmarks.

Just two things to enter:

1)      You have to follow my blog.  Need directions---scroll back up closer to the top, right hand side and click follow 

2)      You have to tell us about a book that made you cry.

Contest ends Saturday, July 28^th.

Winners will be announced Sunday, July 29^th.

Oh, and don’t forget, everyone who comments is automatically entered to win the grand prize of a Barnes and Noble gift card at the end of whole summer run. 

Thank you all for stopping by.  Please leave Lisa a comment thanking him for his time and for the ultra-cool prizes.

Winners of Dan Cohen's Goodies--and no it is not kisses.

I want to thanks everyone for dropping by and leaving a comment.

And, of course, a special thanks to Dan for the interview and the awesome prizes.

So, without further ado, the winners are...

*reaches into magic hat of names on slips of paper*

Paperback of Masters of the Veil.

Nat

Grats Nat!!!

Winners of the .pdf file

1) Autumn

2) Claudette Young

3) Michele

Grats to you, too. 

Thanks again to everyone!  Please stop by Monday for the next author spotlight.

Spencer Hill Press Summer Blog Run--Dan Cohen

The next author of the Spencer Hill Press Summer Blog Run is the wonderful Dan Cohen. 

*A twenty-one gun salute*

Dan’s, MASTERS OF THE VEIL, was released in March 2012, and it is definitely an awesome read.  Lots of great reviews to prove it, too. A little sci-fi, a little fantasy, and a cute, unknowing hero--you know, an actual male protagonist. 

As always, I'm going to provide you a bunch of links so that you can slink after Mr. Cohen. Goodreads fan page, twitter, facebook, and blog. 

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog, Dan. 

Yo homie.

Tell us when your passion for writing started.

When I first met a young man named Harry Potter.

What book touched you when you were younger?

“The Giver,” by Lois Lowry. I still read it about once a year. Nothing is perfect, but “The Giver” proves you can get pretty darn close.

What is your favorite read right now?

“The Name of the Wind,” by Patrick Rothfuss. It’s epic fantasy about a musician. And it’s written so well it’s like poetry (HAHA! Inside joke, because Kvothe—the main character—despises poetry).

What do you do when you are not sitting in front of your computer writing? 

Play tenor saxophone. I have split passions, and music and writing take up the majority of my time. 

Do you have any other hobbies?

I collect kisses.   

Any takers??

What is your favorite food?  

Chicken.

Would you like to share the recipe with us?

That might be a little graphic for your readers. But if I must: You see, when a mommy chicken and a daddy chicken love each other very much…

First thing to pop into your head….

Greasy cheeseburgers or escargot?

Cheeseburgers.

Cake or pie? What's your favorite?

Pie.

Beaches or mountains?

Beaches.

Slacks or jeans?

Jeans. I live in Texas now and I’m going for the All-American cowboy look.

Favorite jolt of caffeine beverage.

COOOOOFFFFFFEEEEEEE

Beer or margaritas?

Beer.

Most embarrassing moment in your life? (Like everyone else, you have to share...mua ha ha)

Oh jeez. It happened at the BEA this year. I have a friend that works for Wiley Publishing that I hadn’t seen since last year, so I went to the Wiley booth and gave her a big hug and tried to catch up with her. She acted really weird but went with the conversation.

Turns out it wasn’t her. I got a text from that friend later who watched the whole thing happen. Apparently I hugged a complete stranger and tried to talk with her about the “good old days.”

Shoot me now.

Can you tell us one book you absolutely love but hasn't gotten the spotlight that you think it deserves?

“Elemental,” by Emily White. It’s such a refreshing and unique book in the YA genre and it should be getting the attention that all the copycat books are getting.

Favorite author? And why?

J.K. Rowling. Because her work makes my soul sing.

Who has been your greatest fan while traveling down writing road?

My mom :)

Was there a teacher who encouraged you? Who? And what did they do?

Yes there was. Cynthia Glozier, my High School English Teacher. She did more than I can mention in an interview. Let’s just say that she believed (believes) in me.

What was the first piece you ever wrote?

Besides the junk that I wrote for school, my first real piece of writing (that came from the heart, and not from an assignment) is my first book called “The Ancillary’s Mark.” It was published a few years back and it’s actually pretty good. 

Why young adult?  

Because the years of young adulthood often harbor the most change and development, and YA brains are in the greatest position to be inspired.

Masters of the Veil blurb...

Life can't get much better for Sam Lock. Popular, good-looking, and with a future as a professional football player. every guy at Stanton High School wishes he were Sam. That is, until his championship football game, when Sam accidentally links with an ancient source of energy known as the Veil and reveals his potential to become a powerful sorcerer.

Sam is whisked off to Atlas Crown, a community of sorcerers who utilize the Veil as a part of everyday life. Once there, he trains beside a mute boy who speaks through music, an eternal sage who's the eyes and ears of the Veil, and a beautiful girl who's pretty sure Sam's an idiot.

As it becomes clear Sam's meant for power magic-the most feared and misunderstood form of sorcery-people beyond Atlas Crown learn of his dangerous potential. An exiled group of power sorcerers are eager to recruit Sam, believing that he is destined to help them achieve their long-held goal. If they succeed, they could bring about the downfall of not only Atlas Crown. but all humankind.

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Time for the Tantalizing Teaser Temptation

Jock meets magic meets coming-of-age story meets MAGIC. I think that should suffice.

For all the lucky people who stopped by, Dan is kind enough to give away…

Four winners. One will win a paperback copy of “Masters of the Veil.” And three others will win a .pdf copy of the e-book that can be read on an e-reader or computer. 

Just two things to enter:

1)      You have to follow my blog.  Need directions---scroll back up closer to the top, right hand side and click follow 

2)      You have to tell me what book you absolutely love but never made it to a best seller list.

Contest ends Saturday, July 21^th.

Winners will be announced Sunday, July 22^th.

Oh, and don’t forget, everyone who comments is automatically entered to win the grand prize of a Barnes and Noble gift card at the end of whole summer run. 

Thank you all for stopping by and saying hi.  Please leave Dan a comment thanking him for his time and for the ultra-cool prizes.

Winner of Angela Townsend's Goodies

I'd like to thank everyone for participating. A special thanks to Angela for visiting and for the awesome prizes!

I find it interesting that several of you would move to Alaska.

There is no way in the world I would ever, ever move to Alaska. I might visit, but it's not on my top ten places I want to go see.

Now for the winner....

I'll wait while you all scoot to the edge of your seat.

Artemis Grey

YAY! 

Thanks again for visiting and I hope to see you all tomorrow!! 

Spencer Hill Press Summer Blog Run--Angela Townsend

The next author of the Spencer Hill Press Summer Blog Run is writer extraordinaire, Angela Townsend. 

*A grand finale of fireworks*

Angela’s debut YA, AMAROK, is set for release, Nov. 2012. The cover is beautiful. I'll provide the goodreads link, so you can add it to you 'to-read' list. The book sounds absolute wonderful and different, and I can't wait to change my list from 'to-read' to 'read.' 

As always, I'm going to provide you a bunch of links so that you can go stalk Ms. Townsend. Just don't be all conspicuous about it. Goodreads, twitter, facebook, and blog. 

By the way, on Angela's blog, there's a little tidbit about what it's like to having a professional editor go through you manuscript. Hanging off a ledge and letting go describes the feeling exactly.

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog, Angela.  I can't wait to get to know a little more about you.

Tell us the very first book you remember reading. 

An antique Aladdin popup book and I remember reading it over and over again as a child. It was like a piece of art-handcrafted stitching on the spine and ornate illustrations.

Give us the books you enjoyed reading during different points in your life, and why they were important to you:

Age 6 to 8: Beatrix Potter Tales 

Middle Grade: The Chronicles of Prydain- a fantastic series of five children's novels by Lloyd Alexander.

Teen-age years: Trixie Belden mysteries and anything spooky--I loved John Saul and Stephen King.

Adult: James Herriot- All Creatures Great And Small. Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

.

What type of work do you do when you take off your author hat?

I love art. Watercolor is my favorite medium. I like to paint outdoors and I love to incorporate Celtic knotwork, spirals, key patterns, lettering, curvilinear patterns, plant and human forms mixed with nature.

Very talented!!

What is your favorite food you like to cook for dinner? 

My favorite food for dinner and well…anytime is cheese popcorn. It’s full of fiber, filling, quick and easy.  

Would you like to share the recipe with us?

Sure!

3 quarts popped popcorn

5 cloves garlic minced

5 tablespoons of unsalted butter  

4 tablespoons of pure olive oil

1 cup of finely grated Pecorino Romano or parmesan cheese

salt

Sounds delicious!!!

First thing to pop into your head….

McDonald's or Burger King? McDonalds

Pepsi or coke? Coke

Thunderstorms or sunny days? Sunny days with a hint of rain in the air ;)

Jammie pants or skirt? Skirt

Cupcakes or cookies? Cupcakes as long as it’s with fresh brewed coffee!

Beer or wine-Neither no alcohol for this girl

Writing is not an easy endeavor, not to mention extremely competitive, what made you decide to go down this road?

 Because it feeds my soul. I simply couldn’t live without writing.

Who was the most supportive person in your life during your writing journey?

I have to cheat because I was lucky enough to have two fantastic people—my parents.

Why young adult? I think it suits my personality best.

Your book is about to get published--soon, so very soon *Squee*-- tell us some of the people you would like to thank and why?   

My parents, children, close friends and of course my awesome agent Jill Corcoran. I also want to thank all the girls from Operation Awesome--Lindsay, Katrina, Kelly, Kristal, Amparo. They gave me endless amounts of encouragement when I wanted to give up.

Who do you think has the best abs?  *evil grin*  

Spock

Would you mind pasting the query for AMORAK?

I didn’t query Spencer Hill. My agent Jill Corcoran did and sent something very similar to the blurb below.

AMORAK's blurb? 

Emma's life has been hell since she moved from sunny California to a remote Alaskan town. Abandoned by her father and living with the guilt of causing her mother's death, she makes a desperate dash for freedom from her abusive stepfather. But when her car skids off the icy road, her planned escape leads to further captivity in a world beyond her imagining.

Dragged across the tundra by an evil mountain man and his enormous black wolf, she learns that love can be found in the most unexpected places. Amarok, as she's nicknamed the wolf, is a young man from the gold-rush era enslaved by an ancient shaman. Emma's gentle touch and kind heart win his love and devotion. When a vicious madman--trapped in bear form by the same Shaman--attacks the travelers and injures Amarok, Emma must find the strength to face her fears and free the wolf she's come to love. But that means she must face down the evil shaman, a Siberian mammoth hunter from the ice age, and he has no intention of giving up his power to her.

Show More

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Time for the Tantalizing Teaser Temptation:

Snow mixed with rain fell in an endless river of white. She leaned over the steering wheel, straining to see beyond the hood ornament. Her wipers, on high speed, scraped violently over chunks of slush freezing on the windshield. Icy pellets hammered the roof of the car. The headlights reflected a swirling wall of mist.

Tension stiffened her neck. Emma swallowed hard, rotating her head for relief. The road curved into a glaring sheet of ice, the car fishtailed. Headlights swayed. She gripped the wheel in terror, turned into the skid, and regained control. Breathing a sigh of relief, Emma continued her descent, fingers tight on the wheel.

Her mouth suddenly went dry. Her purse, where was her purse? She shot a look into the passenger seat, then back at the road, and screamed.

For all the lucky people who stopped by, Angela is kind enough to give away…

Secret Amarok surprise bag filled with goodies plus a DVD BLUE-RAY IMAX Documentary entitled- Wolves- starring Matthew Fox and footage of Yellowstone wolves narrated by Robbie Robertson. 

WOW! Those are awesome prizes. Thanks for such considerate gifts.

Just two things to enter:

1)      You have to follow my blog.  Need directions---scroll back up closer to the top, right hand side and click follow 

2)      You have to tell us if you would ever move to Alaska and why.

Contest ends Saturday, July 14^th.

Winners will be announced Sunday, July 15^th.

Oh, and don’t forget, everyone who comments is automatically entered to win the grand prize of a Barnes and Noble gift card at the end of whole summer run. 

Thank you all for stopping by and saying hi.  Please leave Angela a comment thanking her for her time and for the ultra-cool prizes.  

The Winner of Emily White's Goodies

A special thanks goes out to Emily White for visiting my blog. AND I want to thank everyone for stopping by and leaving comments.  It was a lot of fun reading who you wanted to be stranded with. 

So, without further ado....

The winner is......

*tosses all the names into the magic hat of tricks and swirls them around*

SA Larson!

*Damon dancing with his shirt off*

I have to agree, Damon is a hottie.

CONGRATS!!!!

I'll send you an email!

Don't forget, everyone who has commented is automatically entered to win the grand prize at the end of the Spencer Hill Press Summer Blog Run.

Come back Monday to meet Angela Townsend!

Spencer Hill Press Summer Blog Run--Emily White

The next author of the Spencer Hill Press Summer Blog Run is the extremely talented Emily White. 

*gorgeous men playing piccolos*  Hmm.. There’s a visual

I'd like to see these men playing piccolos!

Emily’s debut YA, ELEMENTAL, is a wonderful surprise.  A great read. I had trouble sleeping at night, you know, cuz I was reading it.  I highly suggest you check it out here on Goodreads.  AND the second book, FAE, is expected to be released in 2013. Here’s the Goodreads link for that one as well.  I’ve already have it on my “to read” list.

As a matter of fact, here is a bunch of links for Emily.  Why don’t you go stalk her?  Be sure to tell her I sent you.  Facebook, blog, and twitter.  

Once again, I’ve made it easy by providing all the links.  All ya gotta do is click. 

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog, Emily.  I’m very happy to have you. 

Well, thank YOU for having me. :)

Tell us the first book you read that sparked your love for reading.

Oh wow, that's a really hard one. Only because I don't know if my memory goes back that far. Well, the first book I personally read was Skateboard. Don't ask me who the author was because I can't remember. I've been trying to find it for years to get a copy for my kids, but no luck. However, I know I was obsessed with learning to read on my own for a long time before that book. I can't remember which book it was my mom read to me that made me that way, though. It might have just been all of them. Books have always fascinated me. There's a whole different world in there--the magic only limited by our imaginations. I wanted to be a part of that since I can remember.

Tell us the most risqué book you’ve read.

 Oh dear. I tend to steer clear of risque books. The nakies make me blush. However, I have read a couple V.C. Andrews books in the past. I can't remember the names. One was about a southern belle who was adopted by her aunt and uncle (she didn't know this--she thought they were her real mom and dad) and then one night, "dad" rapes her and she gets pregnant. I don't think that one was actually written by the real V.C. Andrews. I'm not sure, but didn't she pass away and then a bunch of other authors started writing in her name, keeping with the same style? Well, apparently her style is keepin' it in the family. :o :P

What is your most favorite book cover?

Oooh! Mine, of course! :P But I'd have to say my favorite cover of all time is between Twilight and Wings. I love the simplicity. Ooh! Or maybe the new cover for Pride and Prejudice. That's gorgeous, too.

I love ELEMENTAL’s cover.  Was it your design?

Oh, thank you! Vic of Sketcher Girl Studios and I worked pretty closely for the design. We went through a lot of different ideas and she came up with a lot of different mock-ups. All I knew for sure was that I wanted the half-face of the model, some type of red, and stars. She's the one who took that very little bit of information and created something gorgeous with it.

What was the very first story you ever written?

The very first story I'd ever written (there were lots of stories before this that I'd actually only drawn--stick figures and such) was about a futuristic society of submarine dwellers. They traveled the oceans and met very fierce creatures. I think I got a whole of 73 pages written until I got tired of using my parents' typewriter.

Share with us an author you love, but is not as well-known as you think they should be.

I know this is going to sound like I'm only plugging a fellow SHP author, but I truly, ABSOLUTELY love Dan Cohen's book, Masters of the Veil. And he NEEDS to be known. He really does not get the adoration he deserves. A lot of people talk about how they wish there were more YA books that were boy friendly out there, and this is one! But it's not just a book for boys. This is one of those classic masterpieces that will speak to everyone.

If the entire series was already out, I would have ordered every single book the moment I finished the first one and waited very impatiently by my door for the next few days for them to arrive. There are only a few, very special, series that do this to me. Dan's is one of them.

Favorite pastime.  And you can’t say reading or writing here.  LOL!!

Hiking--or just being in the woods in general. Growing up, I used to live in the woods. I'd wake up, go out to the woods in my backyard, and stay out there all day (only leaving for bathroom breaks, meals, and bed).

What do you do when you don’t have your author hat on?

I'm a stay-at-home wife to a very gorgeous man I met while on deployment in the Army and mother to two adorable little guys. So basically, I wipe a lot of bums. I know. Glamorous.

First thing to pop into your head….

Cake or pie?

Pumpkin cheesecake!! The best of both worlds.

Caviar or hotdog?

Hotdog. Caviar=blech!

Snow or sun?

Sun

Dress or jeans?

Dress

Fruity drink with umbrella or bourbon?

Fruity drink with umbrella

Most embarrassing moment in your life?

Walking around with my dress tucked into my underpants in elementary school. You better believe I double check now! :)

Was there a particular author or book that inspired you to start writing?  If so, who and why?

Emily Dickinson. I shared a name with her (literally--my maiden name is Emily Dickinson) and growing up, I always heard about a who she was and what she did. And so I knew I wanted to be a writer of some kind.

Who provided the most support in your writing career?  Was there something special this person did for you?

My mom always dreamed that one of her daughters would become a writer. She offered a lot of support in everything I did.

Who do you think has the best abs?  *evil grin*

My husband. I met him in the military and now he has another very physical job. Trust me when I tell you my husband is GORGEOUS.

Would you mind sharing the blurb for ELEMENTAL?

Just because Ella can burn someone to the ground with her mind doesn't mean she should. 

But she wants to. 

For ten years—ever since she was a small child—Ella has been held prisoner on an interstellar starship. Now that she has escaped, she needs answers.

Who is she? Why was she taken? And who is the boy with the beautiful green eyes who haunts her memories?

Is Ella the prophesied Destructor… or will she be the one who's destroyed?

 AND, a special surprise...FAE's cover reveal. What a beautiful cover.  Let Emily know what you think about it.

FAE?

Not all fae'ri tales come with a happy ending.

     Ella thought taking care of the ego-bloated Mamood god would be a sure way to bring peace to the galaxy and satisfy her taste for revenge.

     But she was wrong.

     Despite the fact their god is gone, the Mamood refuse to abandon their attack on the planet Soltak and Ella's own so-called friends start to turn against her. And with Soltak dying--its oceans drying up and its plants withering in the ground--Ella and Cailen suspect there's a new enemy at work. As more people die and more water is leached from the planet, they both prepare for something straight from a nightmare. 

     The fae are coming.

Time for the Tantalizing Teaser Temptation

"The pain seeped into my head and I screamed, ready for it to explode. My eyes bulged, pushed from beneath by the sheer force of the agony. Too exhausted to fight anymore, I gave in and let the pain have me, praying for death. 

           

           The moment I let go of my control, the pain vanished, replaced by hunger--for what, I didn’t know yet. All I did know was that every cell of my body ached to devour. 

My vision had changed. Instead of black, creeping shadows in the night, the Shakai turned into bright, pulsing orbs. I could see every molecule in their blood sprint through their veins in a coordinated dance. The air, too, swarmed with bright molecules that dotted the space around me like stars. When I thought to bring my hand up to touch one of the red points of light, the molecule flitted through the sky to my hand before I could even move. I stared in wonder.  The others danced in front of me, ready and waiting.     

            

           Aware once again of the Shakai pouring over my body, eating my flesh as they went, I ordered the points of light to bend to my will.        

Fire erupted in the air and surrounded me. My skin tingled with the power and I moaned in ecstasy as the hunger was fed.  The Shakai shrieked and scurried away, dying and burning in the growing flames. Their bodies popped and crisped, sending up hazy smoke in the air."

For all the lucky people who stopped by, Emily is kind enough to give away…

Signed Elemental bookmarks, Signed Elemental poster, and $30 towards a Sketcher Girl Studios product (not shown in the picture).

Just two things to enter:

1)      You have to follow my blog.  Need directions---scroll back up closer to the top, right hand side and click follow  

2)      You have to .... 

Share with us the one person (no spouses here..if you're in a relationship, you have to pretend you are not) who you would want to be stranded on an island with. What would be your favorite pastime? (OH, and nothing that will turn my face red here, please)

Contest ends Saturday, July 7^th.

Winners will be announced Sunday, July 8^th.

Don’t forget, everyone who comments is automatically entered to win the grand prize at the end of whole summer run. 

Thank you all for stopping by and saying hi.  Please leave Emily a comment thanking her for her time and for the ultra-cool prizes.