Letter to my YA self - Jessa Russo

Our next letter to my YA self comes from YA author Jessa Russo. Jessa's debut novel, EVER, will be released soon from Curiosity Quills Press.

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Dear Sixteen Year Old Me,

Your dad just died. You’re broken and scared and your emotions are so crazy you don’t know which way is up half the time. The pain is intense. But you have free reign now. Mom wants you to be happy, so she’s letting you do whatever you want for the most part. You’re taking advantage of her pain, going to parties, getting drunk, and trying to grow up way too fast.

You’re going to meet a guy soon, and he’s going to be gorgeous. You’re going to swoon about that. When you meet him at that party, and he teases you, your friend will say, “Wow, you’re so lucky – he’s never shown interest in any of my friends before.” She is an idiot. He is an asshole. RUN AWAY. You'll think he's so beautiful, and so strong. You aren't going to believe that he wants you. But he does. He wants you because you are broken and vulnerable and he can see that. He wants to break you more. And he will. If you let him.

When he starts to lie to you, you’ll think you are crazy. You are not.

When he starts to verbally abuse you, you will believe him. Please do not.

When he starts to physically abuse you, you’ll be scared and confused and you’ll stay with him. PLEASE DO NOT. You will wear the scars internally for the rest of your life. I can attest to that. When he abuses you in front of one of your friends, she will do nothing. This will confuse you, and you'll think maybe its no big deal. She didn't help you, or say anything, so maybe you're overreacting. No. You are not overreacting. She is not your friend.

When you try to end things with him – and you will, many many times – he will turn it around on you to the point where you are begging him not to end things. This is his mind-f*ck. He’s really good at it and he will do it to you repeatedly. You will fall for it almost every time.

I want to tell you to stay away from him, but I know you won’t. I want to tell you to run for the hills, but I know you won’t. I want to tell you to steer clear and avoid him at all costs, but you’re a fixer and you want so badly to fix him. So I am going to tell you this: One day, shortly after your 21st birthday, you will leave him for the last time. And you will mean it. You will never look back. Down the road, you will still be somewhat broken, and your scars will remain a constant reminder etched on your heart, but you will move on. You will meet a beautiful man and start a family. You will never look back.

You are 32 years old now. You’re going to publish your first book. Your husband is awesome. Your daughter is awesome. You still have so many of the same friends you grew up with, and a group of wonderful new friends. You are beyond blessed.

Your scars remain, yes, but they are part of what makes you the fearless woman you are today. You persevere. You are stubborn. You are strong.

So make your mistakes because I know you will – you’re far too stubborn to heed any advice I could give you. But make those mistakes knowing that everything you do in your life will bring you to this. A happy, healthy family of three, and a career that is only just beginning.

Continue writing those poems - its practice for what's to come, and therapy for what you're going through now.

Keep on keepin’ on, and know that you will persevere. Know that you deserve happiness. You are worth it.

Most of all, love YOU unconditionally.

Love,

You in 16 years. Slightly wiser, a little older, and a lot more comfortable in your own skin.

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Thank you so much, Jessa. That was fearless and beautiful, just like you. :)

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Letter to my YA Self - Krystal Wade

My name is Sharon Bayliss and if you haven't already noticed, I have temporarily hijacked Krystal Wade's blog. What happened was...Krystal went camping in the forest and followed a yellow light that mysteriously appeared to her. She ended up falling through a portal to another world. Krystal managed to contact me and let me know that she'll be back to her normal blogging duties once she saves Encardia from Darkness, which should take a couple weeks.

In the meantime, Krystal has opened her blog to a guest post series called, "Letters to my YA self." In this series, YA authors will be posting heartfelt letters to their former selves. I'm not sure if you'll shed any tears, but I can say that the brave ladies posting certainly did. We have a few spots let, so if you are a YA writer and want to participate in the series, let me know in comments.

Now without further ado....our first letter comes from Krystal herself:

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Dear Krystal,

I know you're in pain. I know the world around you seems cruel and heartless. In many ways, it is, but you have to be stronger than the world, you have to be bigger than the world. Many horrific things happened to you, and you have reacted horribly.

You've pushed away your friends and family. You've allowed your schoolwork to suffer. You view yourself as unworthy of friends, unworthy of love, unworthy of any relationship remotely healthy.

But you're wrong. Go figure.

You are so much more than you give yourself credit for. Fear rules you now, but it won't later. Soon, you're going to come to terms with what that man did to you. Soon, you're going to come to terms with how your parents reacted, with their fear, with their hurt. Soon, you're going to realize the past doesn't matter, that the present and future are the only things you should concern yourself with.

Recovery won't be easy. When you make a clean start, you'll retreat further into your depression. New places don't make the pain go away. New places don't mean people are different.

Evil lives everywhere.

You'll barely make it through school, and you'll value yourself less and less every day. You'll live out of cars, you'll get a job at a hotel just so you can find a place to sleep. "Friends" will come and go. Family will be there when you call, but don't ask for help.

You don't need it. Survival will come at the hands of you, through your rehabilitation, through your learning about who you are inside.

Don't change who you are; be who you are.

When you hurt, tell someone. When someone asks you a question, tell them what you believe, not what you think they want to hear. When someone shows you kindness, show them kindness in return. And there will be many people who open their arms for you.

Don't ever forget them, and don't resent the people who should have been there. Forgive them.

You will meet a man, and this man will see every one of your glorious inner-qualities. Every one of your failures, he will see the positive that came out of them. Everything people made fun of you for, he will laugh and say you're cute. Every fear you had about love, family, parenting, marriage, he will make disappear. He will love you more deeply than you can imagine with your young mind.

He will do this because you love you.

Be strong, Krystal. Survive. Life gets easier.

Sincerely,

Krystal at 32

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Okay I'm a little teary eyed. That was beautiful, Krystal. Thank you so much for sharing that with us.

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Wilde's Fire only 99 Cents!

To celebrate next week's release of Wilde's Army, we've reduced the price of Wilde's Fire to just 99 CENTS!

Awesome, right?!

Go grab your copy now!

 B&N, Amazon, Kobo, & iTunes.

Wilde's Army is now on Goodreads! Make sure you add it to your TBR list!

There's a new Who Said It contest running.

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Buccaneer Blogfest

Banner by Cody Underwood

Ahoy mateys! Okay, I've got that out of my system, I promise to keep my pirate lingo to a minimum. I have an exciting announcement. Court Young and Sharon Bayliss will be hosting the Buccaneer Blogfest, an event designed to help bloggers build their platform and create connections. Together we will sail the blogging seas! Arrrgggh!

This blogfest is open to all bloggers and want-to-be-bloggers who post about writing, books, publishing, and everything related. Bloggers at all levels of experience are welcome, and Courtney and Sharon are happy to advise and support new bloggers on all things bloggy. Participants are strongly encouraged to follow each other and comment on posts. The idea is to build new connections and a larger blog audience.

The blogfest will run from 7/9-8/3 with three prompts per week. If you have to miss posts, don't make that a reason not to sign up, a few missed posts are fine. If you're not a writer or don't have a current novel or WIP, alternate prompts will be available for week #2. This is an outline, more detailed instructions for the prompts for each day will be made available the weekend before each week. Also, you are welcome to adjust the dates +/- a day or so if you have other commitments.

Please put any questions in comments!

How do I participate?

1) Add your blog link to the linky below

2) Throughout the fest, visit the other blogs as much as you can and comment.

3) Post on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with the prompt of the day

4) Re-post the Linky & Buccaneer banner on your own blog to show your pirate pride and promote the blog fest

5) Finally…Have Fun!


1. Intro Week (July 9 – 13)

a. (July 9) Introduction: Tell us a little bit about you and your blog. Post the sign up linky for this blogfest in your post. Include your other social media links so we can follow.

b. (July 11) Why you did you start blogging? What are your goals for your blog?

c. (July 13) Interview the person signed up below you on the linky and post that interview.

*During this first week, you are strongly encouraged to go around and follow the other participants in the blogfest - both their blogs and other social media.


2. Work in Progress (July 16 – 20)

a. (July 16) First paragraph of novel or WIP

b. (July 18) Character interview

c. (July 20) Share your light bulb moment with us. How did you come up with the idea for your WIP?


3. Reading (July 23 – 27)

a. (July 23) What are you reading? What books are on your shelf?

b. (July 25) Favorite authors and why?

c. (July 27) Recommend or review a book of choice. Tell the interwebz why you love it!


4. Final Countdown (July 30 – August 3)

a. (July 30) Social Media: Share your feelings and opinions about social media and it's relation to writing and reading.

b. (Aug 1) Host a giveaway using Rafflecopter or a similar tool. If you don't have anything you'd like to giveaway, we'd be happy to let you post the Rafflecopter form for a CQ sponsored giveaway.

c. (Aug 3) Reflection post: Share your experience from this blogfest. What are the next steps you want to take with your blog?

*Courtney and Sharon will also be hosting a treasure hunt in this last week where you can win prizes by visiting each other's blogs.


Why Should I Participate in the Blog Fest?

To sail the seven seas of the internet and make new friends. We plan to have tons of fun over the next few weeks and we hope to inspire you to write!

Make the most of this blog fest by visiting and commenting on other people’s posts. Leave comments and let the blogger know you visited. Don’t be a stranger. If you like the blogs that you sailed upon make sure to follow them so when the fest is over you can keep in touch.

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Murder Mystery Suspect - Dughbal from Wilde's Fire

It's time for the Stein and Candle Detective Agency MURDER MYSTERY BLOGFEST! What's that you ask? It's a blogfest where you introduce the villain from your novel or WIP or create one just for the contest. Then you'll solve clues to find out which suspect is the killer. It could be your own suspect!

For all the details, go here.

Meet our next suspect, the god Dughbal from Wilde's Fire (Darkness Falls). Here's how he is described by Kate in Wilde's Fire:

"Working up courage, I face Darkness again. His body shifts among different conglomerations of his daemons, never resting on one form for longer than a second. He has claws as long as the coscarthas', surely filled with the same poison. His eyes are orange and beady like those of the bats, then they transform to black, hollowed sockets, then to blood red orbs. Wings of a hawk sprawl from his back, then those of a bat. The head of a hound sits on his neck one moment, then one of a man. His chest is human, and his legs are of a bristly ox. The scaly tail swishing behind him terrifies me more than anything else."

Darkness personified, Dughbal is capable of all manners of evil and could certainly fill a man's stomach with spiders. He can also transform into any figure, so he could have easily approached Lenny Glow as someone he trusts...much like he did with Kate. There is even a possibility that Dughbal could have shifted into any of the other suspects to frame them.

The problem is...Dughbal has a good alibi. He exists in a different universe than Lenny Glow. But the recent arrival of Kate and other earth dwellers to Encardia proves that moving between the worlds is possible. The detectives are used to dealing with some nasty characters, but will they have what it takes to face a god?

Want to be part of the blogfest? You can sign up all week right here:

For more paranormal detective fun, check out The Stein & Candle Detective Agency, Vol. 2: Cold Wars, recently released from Curiosity Quills Press. If you're new to the series, you can also pick up The Stein & Candle Detective Agency, Vol. 1 for only 99 cents for a limited time!

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Why Does Charlaine Harris Hate Me?

Why Does Charlaine Harris Hate Me?

Since Krystal deigned take a well deserved vacation (Hmph!), I've decide to borrow her blog for a day and rant about something that's been eating me lately: Why does Charlaine Harris hate me?

For those of you who faithfully have followed the Sookie Stackhouse novels, as Krystal and I have, you'll know why the end of Deadlocked has many of us scratching our heads. Charlaine—yes, after twelve books we're on a first name basis—seems to be taking the series in a disappointing direction. With only one book remaining in the series, many of us fear Sookie may well end up with someone other than Eric. Readers are pissed, and her ratings reflect their ire. 65% of her reviews on Amazon for Deadlocked were 3 stars or less, with 51% on Goodreads. While this may not seem significant, her past books have enjoyed 4 and 5 star reviews. Let's face it, we feel as if she's pulled the rug out from under us. We've suffered through Sookie and Eric's trials and tribulations, believing—based on clues from Charlaine herself—they'd end up together. If she chooses not to give us an HEA for them, I swear I will never read another novel by her again.

All of this leads me to another question. Does an author owe it to their readers to give them what they want after they've faithfully devoted themselves to a series? Or should the author always stay true to their story regardless of the fallout?

I personally struggled with this exact question when I wrote the last chapter of my first book, Colour Wielders. I ended the book on a big cliffhanger, one I felt rather proud of. However, after receiving a rather angry text from Krystal, who's my critique partner, I began rethinking my strategy. Why? Because I was worried I'd piss off readers I don't even have yet. In the end, I caved, deciding it was best to not anger my future readers. So, I wrote an epilogue. Krystal was happy, I was happy, and hopefully the book will do well.

Did I do the right thing? I don't know. Will Charlaine Harris do right by her readers and give us what we want? Don't know the answer to that either. As with life, a happy ever after is never guaranteed. What I do know is as authors, we ask our readers to take an emotional journey with us. When they do, it's crucial for authors to value that and not screw us over because they can. So, I really hope that Charlaine Harris doesn't hate me!

Sookie and Eric forever! (Yes, I'm 15!)

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Dawna Raver is the author of Colour Wielders, and one of my closest, dearest friends. You'll find her work on a shelf soon, if I have anything to say about it! You can follow Dawna on Facebook, Twitter, or . . . umm, that's it because I haven't quite convinced her to start her blog. Sigh. A girl can try!

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If you still haven't purchased a copy of Wilde's Fire, you can get yours today: B&N, Amazon, Kobo, & iTunes.

There's a new Who Said It contest running.

Wilde's Army is now on Goodreads! Make sure you add it to your TBR list!

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Deathly Daemons #wildesarmy #sixsunday

Ten days until the release of Wilde's Army! I can't believe it! *Pinches Arm* Yep, I'm awake!

So, last week we left off with Brit showing Kate some painful images. But, shortly after, daemons came back into the disgusting cave and decided it was killing time. To make this more painful for Kate, they decide to take her sister first!
Enjoy! (That seems so wrong, doesn't it?)

~ The vile creature walks up to my sister, licking his blackened lips. "I am going to enjoy this."

He rips open the front of her shirt.

Trembling, she screams through her gag. Her heart races and sends so much blood to her head, it resonates as it throbs through her temples.

The daemon draws a knife from a pouch on his back then cuts a small hole into his hand.~

To read other Six Sunday greatness, visit the official site!

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If you still haven't purchased a copy of Wilde's Fire, you can get yours today: B&N, Amazon, Kobo, & iTunes.

There's a new Who Said It contest running.

Wilde's Army is now on Goodreads! Make sure you add it to your TBR list!

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How to Make a Customer Angry!

So, I'm on vacation. Yep. The girl who never stops working decided to stop writing, stop editing, stop going to the day job, stop worrying about every little thing for TWO WEEKS.

I've been sitting out on my front porch, listening to the birds sing, watching lightning bugs blink all around the yard, enjoying the soft glow from the crescent moon, and sipping on my drink of choice: margarita.

It's a beautiful evening here in Virginia. I couldn't ask for anything better, right?

Well, I decided to crack open Divergent. I've heard so many good things about this book; I figured it was time to give it a chance. The first chapter was . . . okay. The second chapter was somewhat interesting, and just as I thought, "Oh, well maybe I'll keep reading this book" I turned the page and found THIS:

To say I'm furious would be a huge understatement. I mean, I paid money for this book. I have been looking forward to reading this book for a few weeks now.

What the hell?

Who do I call to say, "Give me page 25, please?!"

I want my money back. No, better yet, I want a new copy with an actual page 25!

I'm not outside anymore. I'm not relaxed anymore. Now I'm just mad. Annoyed. Wondering what the heck I'm supposed to read now. I refuse to write at the moment. I'M ON VACATION! I'm even violating my no computer while on vacation rule just to write this post. Argh.

I'm going to watch a movie.

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If you still haven't purchased a copy of Wilde's Fire, you can get yours today: B&N, Amazon, Kobo, & iTunes.

There's a new Who Said It contest running.

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Who Said It? #contest

The Winner of the Last Who Said It is . . . drum roll, please . . . Ash! @Ash_Ash. E-mail me at krystalwade70 (at) yahoo (dot) com to claim your prize!

Rules of this ridiculously easy contest are on the "Contest" page here on my blog, but you have one week to guess who said the line from Wilde's Fire (listed below). If you guess correctly--and no, I will not tell you whether you are right or wrong until after the contest is over--then you will be entered into a monthly drawing for Wilde's Fire gear.

Tell me you don't want a poster of Kate running into those dark woods!?! (Or a magnet, keychain, signed cover card, etc.)

Okay, now onto the Who Said It?!

~ "You have very interesting dreams." ~

You have one week to make your guesses in the comments section below.  :-)

Have fun!

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If you still haven't purchased a copy of Wilde's Fire, you can get yours today: B&N, Amazon, Kobo, & iTunes.

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Oh, Arland Maher!

Kate and Arland are participating in A Midsummer Night's Blog Hop. They are interviewing characters from Author Kinley Baker's books, Ruined & Denied.

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Arland: Nice to meet you, Caleb. Kate tells me we have many things in common. If your Tabitha is anywhere near as headstrong as her, I know you must be exhausted trying to keep her safe.

Caleb: We share a similar history. Sorry to hear about the loss of your people. The women and children of my race were slaughtered in a savage invasion, so I know how hard it is to lead when it feels like there is little hope. And yes, keeping Tabitha safe is exhausting.

Tabitha: Oh please. Don't listen to him, Arland. We keep each other safe. Nice to meet you, Kate. Don't you dislike when the men talk about us as though we aren't here?

Kate: Honestly, this is the first time he's ever done that. I'll make him pay . . . somehow.

Arland clears his throat: I believe the point here is how our two worlds are similar, and eerily so. We suffered a daemonic invasion twenty years ago. Knowledge of my duty to Kate was the only thing that kept me going after they murdered my mother.

Kate: And he had to keep me a secret, even after I arrived. Did you lose anyone close to you during the invasion, Caleb?

Caleb: None of my family during the invasion. But watching the men who lost their destined mates was painful for all of us. We experienced their loss with them. None of those men will ever take another woman as their own again. I did lose someone later on.

Tabitha: You don't have to talk about it, Caleb. They'll read Ruined if they want to know more, since it's so painful for you to talk about.

Caleb: Let us talk no more of loss. How about the two of you tell us how you met.

Tabitha: Oh, that's a good question! How did you two meet, Kate? And aren't you glad they don't usually talk about us like we aren't here? I would never be able to handle that.

Kate: He'd be in deep trouble if he always did that. And about our meeting . . . well, it is kind of embarrassing. I'd just found myself alone, scared, and worried my best friend Brad was going to die. I went in search of answers but found food. I loaded a plate and turned around to take some to my friend and bumped right into Arland. I couldn't believe the man I'd dreamed about for six years stood in front of me—

Arland: We met before then, Kate.

Kate: But how am I supposed to remember that? I was two-days old, and my parents were about to escape to Earth.

Arland: I remember our first meeting clearly.

Kate: He was five. So, we have different memories. What about the two of you? And what was the hardest obstacle you had to overcome?

Caleb: I found Tabitha training in the woods. I’d never seen a woman wield a blade with such skill. She was extraordinary. I knew then that she was mine. Simple.

Tabitha: Ha! There was nothing simple about it. In Caleb's culture, the women didn't even touch weapons, which is similar to the Shadow Shifter Kingdom where I grew up. He didn't want me to fight, and there was a lot of conflict. A lot.

Caleb: Maybe not simple. But I still knew you were mine.

Tabitha: Well, we figured it out, but I can't believe you would call anything about the experience simple. This relates to my hardest obstacle. As the first female Warrior in the kingdom who wanted to be accepted as a Guard, I had to prove I was stronger than the men in order to be accepted. Actually, I overcome a lot in Denied, but some of it's kind of personal and probably best left for you to read, where I don't have to see your reactions.

Caleb: Yes, you did. And my hardest obstacle was saving my people and being denied over and over by circumstances.

Tabitha: What challenges did you two face during the early parts of your relationship?

Kate: My identity would have tipped off a few people of my arrival into Encardia, and that would've been a bad thing. So, Arland kept me, and his feelings for me, a secret.

Arland: All while trying to discover her magic. Her prophecy stated she would become the most powerful Draíochtan of our time and overcome Darkness, but she was scared and confused, and to an extent, so was I. From my prophecy, I knew Kate needed protection, but I did not realize how underprepared she was.

Kate: If my mom had shared anything about my true life with me, maybe it wouldn't have been so difficult. I'll let the readers figure that one out. Next to finding my powers, learning to control them and my emotions were the biggest obstacles.

Arland: By the way, Tabitha, Kate is fairly handy with a sword.

Tabitha: We should practice together. That's my weapon of choice.

Caleb: She's better with a sword than an arrow.

Tabitha: Caleb! Don't tell them that story.

Caleb: Fine. It's not like they can't read it anyway. Denied outlines the whole amusing event.

Tabitha: Well, they'll just have to read it then. Kate, tell us one thing we should all know about Arland.

Kate: Sounds like you and I should swap embarrassing archery stories, but definitely not today!

Arland: I believe she asked about me.

Kate: Ahh. Yes. Arland loves his people, deeply, maybe as much as he loves me. Protecting me and saving Encardia are two things he will never give up on, and sometimes he beats himself up when he doesn't think he's doing enough. Do you guys have time for one more question? Just a teensy little question?

Arland: No matter your answer, she will ask.

Kate: He's right. So, if the war was over, and you could go anywhere in the world, where would that be, and what does it look like there?

Caleb: I can answer that one. After years of traveling the realms, I know exactly where I'd go. It's a realm full of shadows and darkness, greenery and fresh waters. There is struggle there and things are not always easy, but the kingdom has a lot of heart.

Tabitha: Sounds like the Shadow Shifter Kingdom.

Caleb: That's right. I wouldn't want to go anywhere else.

Tabitha: Me neither. It was so nice talking to you, Kate and Arland. We definitely have a lot in common and your story sounds great. Can't wait to hear more about it. As a last question, why don't you both tell us one of your favorite moments in the story, or at least give a little hint?

Kate: The moment I discovered my magic—

Arland: Or what fuels it. That was my favorite moment as well, but we should not give away any details.

Kate: We definitely need to allow the readers to discover this scene for themselves. The details are too intimate to share. Thank you so much for sitting down with us. Hopefully we'll do this again soon.

Please, visit the other participant's sites!

And remember, Wilde's Fire is available at: B&N, Amazon, Kobo, & iTunes. Wilde's Army is now on Goodreads! Make sure you add it to your TBR list!

The Interviews!

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Gregor Caine + Circe (Christine Ashworth & Claire Gillian)

Sydney + Poseidon (Cindy Young-Turner & Sasha Summers)

Caleb + Arland and Kate (Kinley Baker & Krystal Wade)

Leigh Baxton + Micah Fuller (Lindsay Loucks & Diane M. Haynes)

Shayla Dormyr + Kara Magari (Raven Bower & S.M. Boyce)

Kellyn O’Brien + Julianna (Louann Carroll & Siobhan Muir)

Ivory + Sara Wiley (Rebecca Hamilton & Sandra Bunino)

Xylia and Landon + Avant (Avery Olive & Kary Rader)

Asar + Matty Ducayn (Jean Murray & Wendy Russo)

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Wilde Stuff!

Not only do I have a
beautiful little model--freshly showered--but now I have posters of Wilde's Fire and Wilde's Army!

AND

You can win one of these posters, if you go here.

The wonderful Sharon Bayliss, a soon to be published author at Curiosity Quills, interviewed me about the acquisitions process at our fast-growing publishing house!

If you're not into clicking links and participating in simple-easy-to-win-contests, then you can wait around here, twiddling your thumbs, until I come up with a new Who Said It contest . . . which will be soon.

Very soon.

OR

You can enter here. Because I'm so nice, and I love you.
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Anyway, my beautiful model is demanding I cut up cucumbers for her to eat. Guess I better go!

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Strange Connections #wildesarmy #sixsunday

Hey guys! Another week closer to the release of Wilde's Army. I can't wait. And just look at that cover!

Anyway, Kate just asked Brit to show the location of everyone in the cave. But can Kate handle what she sees?

Enjoy!

~Sharp pains radiate from my shoulder up the back of my head. I want to rub the spot, but my hands won't move. My wrists burn; rope is intertwined between them. She shows me Arland.

My breath hitches in my lungs.

He's worse than when I saw him earlier. ~

To read other Six Sunday greatness, visit the official site!

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If you still haven't purchased a copy of Wilde's Fire, you can get yours today: B&N, Amazon, Kobo, & iTunes.

And there's a new Who Said It contest going on. Check it out!

Wilde's Army is now on Goodreads! Make sure you add it to your TBR list!

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Awesome, They Are. Yoda, They Love.

How do you know when you have the coolest daughters ever? When they want a life-size Yoda Fathead on their wall, of course!

I love my children! There's never a dull moment in our household. Never a minute where I say, man, these kids have no imagination. They are smart, funny, and full of life. Kid #3 wanted nothing more than to have a Yoda birthday card. No frilly princesses for her, thank you very much--not that there's anything wrong with princesses; Kid #2 wants to be one when she grows up.

Today I'm feeling extra blessed. Extra happy to have these amazing little people in my life, and I thought it was time to share. So there. I love my babies!

Enough of my happy emotions.

Onto the music!

Drum roll, please!

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If you still haven't purchased a copy of Wilde's Fire, you can get yours today: B&N, Amazon, Kobo, & iTunes.

And there's a new Who Said It contest going on. Check it out!

Wilde's Army is now on Goodreads! Make sure you add it to your TBR list!

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Too Cliche? Or Not Too Cliche.

Okay, so it's been awhile since I've posted something downright funny. I think. Don't any of you dare say my serious posts have been funny. I'll cry. I swear.

Anyway, I've been dreadfully busy, and so I thought my recent google chat conversation with my crit partner would be fun to share. It's about the word cliché. I think the word cliché has become a bit cliché lately. Everyone tosses this word around like it's a hot potato. I mean, come on, if you really sit down and think about it, every book has been written, every story has been told. Someone comes to town, or someone leaves town. Not much more than that.

Enjoy!

The Most Amazing Crit Partner in the world, Dawna: I think I'm going to put this at the begining of my book.

My face in thine eye, thine in mine appeares,

And true plaine hearts doe in the faces rest,

Where can we finde two better hemispheares

Without sharpe North, without declining West?

What ever dyes, was not mixed equally;

If our two loves be one, or, thou and I

Love so alike, that none doe slacken, none can die.

me, who likes to tease people way too much: you're effing kidding me, right?

My poor friend who hadn't yet chugged enough coffee for this conversation, Dawna: why

me, who apparently has a potty mouth: i can't even effing read it

Frustration increasing, as much as her need for caffeine, Dawna: It's an old english poem

me: clearly

Dawna, the woman losing her patience with me: by John Donne

me: dying laughing here

Dawna. I think the smiley means she was mad at me: it's beautiful :-)

me, trying desperately to make her realize I was joking: you want people to get that impression about your book? i mean, seriously, dawna, poems at the beginning of books are cliché!

Dawna, done with Krystal for the day: there's that word again

me, feeling like a comedic failure: speaking of cliché, prologues are cliché too
and so are first chapters
OH! Don't put words in your book. that's cliché too

Dawna: life is cliché

me: death is cliché too

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Anyone else tired of this word? I certainly am, and I think my cp is, too (especially after my rant in chat today. BTW, guys, she may or may not use poetry at the beginning of her book, but my response won't sway her. That was all just for fun!

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If you still haven't purchased a copy of Wilde's Fire, you can get yours today: B&N, Amazon, Kobo, & iTunes.

And there's a new Who Said It contest going on. Check it out!

Wilde's Army is now on Goodreads! Make sure you add it to your TBR list!

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Shadows #TWC1

I want to thank Ziva D'Arcy from Coach O's class at North Stafford High School for writing this post. I may have come up with the idea, but Ziva, a future author, wrote the short story, and I think she did quite well.

I looked through my window to the west as the sun cast shadows behind North Stafford High School.  The dark areas usually only scare little kids, but most little kids can’t claim to be burned by the dark.  I can though.  My long withheld phobia of the gloom all began when I was ten.  My parents always told me there was no such thing as monsters, but they were wrong.  When the moon arose, a creaking sound always heralded the coming of HIM… That despicable being with hands of burnt charcoal and eyes of bloody crimson stared me down from the corner of my room, hiding in the shadows until the sun awoke.  Sleeping at night was impossible because of that thing.

But tonight was different.  I waited for him to appear out of the shadows and show himself.  I rested in my bed and waited anxiously with fool’s courage for him to emerge.  His eyes that stared me down from sundown to sun up finally appeared.  I gracefully walked to the closed lavender curtains gracing my windows.  Each step I took caused him to step toward me.  As I grabbed the curtains, he forcefully pulled at my upper arm, a small ray of light peering in through the windows.  In the dim light, I made out his coarse black hands. Smoke trickled out of his hand resting on my upper arm.

I yanked hard to get away, but he grabbed me tighter. Heat burned my arm.  I screamed and used the other hand to rip those curtains open.

The individual desperately covered his eyes from the light, letting my arm go, and revealed himself.  He was a kid about my age with charcoal skin and crimson eyes, but he also had a devil’s tail and horns.  The smoke that came from his hand consumed his dark body.  In a matter of moments and many wails of pain, his body disintegrated to dust, leaving behind a black hoodie, a black choker necklace, and a pair of stone washed distressed jeans.  I picked up the hoodie and held it close.  Even though he scared me, I never meant to hurt him.  He was there all the time for me, and when I was sad, he looked sad, too.

A brisk nighttime breeze filled the air, and I slipped on the hoodie.  I'm still haunted by the shadows, the burn from that mischievous sprite is still on my upper arm, but I'm not afraid.  I am stronger now, more than ever, to face the shadows like all the other children before me.

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To see other author's take on the subject "Shadows", please visit The Writers Collection.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you still haven't purchased a copy of Wilde's Fire, you can get yours today: B&N, Amazon, Kobo, & iTunes.

And there's a new Who Said It contest going on. Check it out!

Wilde's Army is now on Goodreads! Make sure you add it to your TBR list!

Read More

Are You in My Head? #wildesarmy #sixsunday

Maybe you've noticed, but I have a shiny new ticker on the side of my blog, counting down the days until the release of Wilde's Army. ARCs are out, and the first review has even come in. It's fantastic, btw!

YAY!

Anyway, here's your six, and happy Sunday. Thank you for always stopping in to comment!

Picking up where we left off last week, Kate is still in her sister's head.

Enjoy!

~ The torches on the walls are still bright with flames. The air smells so strongly of rust and mold, I find it hard not to vomit. Brit's chest hurts as she holds her breath. She pushes the stench from her thoughts, but when she does draw in a deep, ragged gasp for air, it has to pass through her nose—starting the cycle again.

"Brit?"

"Kate?~

It's an excited reunion, even if it's all in their head! To read other Six Sunday greatness, visit the official site!

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If you still haven't purchased a copy of Wilde's Fire, you can get yours today: B&N, Amazon, Kobo, & iTunes.

And there's a new Who Said It contest going on. Check it out!

Read More

Who Said It?

The Winner of the Last Who Said It is . . . drum roll, please . . . TIA! @Sunflwr38. E-mail me at krystalwade70 (at) yahoo (dot) com to claim your prize!

Rules of this ridiculously easy contest are on the "Contest" page here on my blog, but you have one week to guess who said the line from Wilde's Fire (listed below). If you guess correctly--and no, I will not tell you whether you are right or wrong until after the contest is over--then you will be entered into a monthly drawing for Wilde's Fire gear.

Tell me you don't want a poster of Kate running into those dark woods!?! (Or a magnet, keychain, signed cover card, etc.)

Okay, now onto the Who Said It?!

~ "I cannot wait to see you take Arland down today, Kate." ~

You have one week to make your guesses in the comments section below.  :-)

Have fun!

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If you still haven't purchased a copy of Wilde's Fire, you can get yours today: B&N, Amazon, Kobo, & iTunes.

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The Stamp #TWC

I want to thank Coach O's class at North Stafford High School for their participation in writing this short story. This isn't a typical piece for me, and was difficult to continue, but I hope you enjoy!

Thank you to the kid in the back of the room for the wonderful suggestion of the last line.

* * *

Abandoning hope, I stared at the river a good hundred feet below. One step and it would all be over. One step and I'd never have to worry about this again. One step . . . .

* * *

Carl walked up the drive, carrying the mail the way he always has, shoved into his gray shoulder bag. He looked especially unnerved today, his forehead sweatier than usual, his gaze directed at his feet—or whatever not ahead of him.

He muttered, shaking his head, then turned around and stomped toward the street.

“Hey, Carl. What’s wrong?” My mail carrier and I weren't friends, but no one wants to see important papers run away from them, right?

Unfortunately, my words did nothing to calm him. He took off running.

Odd.

Chasing after him wasn't in the cards, so I went back to watching the game on ESPN. Good friends, potato chips, and beer—what could be better?

"Who was that? Not Claire, I assume." Jeff handed me the remote . . . not that I had any intention of changing the channel.

"Strange. That's what that was." I took a swig of my drink. "Definitely not Claire, and I guess I won't see the mail until Monday."

I'm not sure why Jeff asked me anything; he was completely engrossed in football. Can't say I blamed him.

A few minutes later, someone knocked.

Jeff grinned at me like a psychopath. "Bet that's your girl now."

Jumping over the back of the sofa, I made a beeline for the door, then took a deep breath and ran my fingers through my hair.

"Dude. You have it bad."

Bryan and Jeff snickered like schoolgirls, but the jokes on them. At least I had a girl!

I turned the handle, excited, but Claire's beautiful smile didn't greet me. In fact, no one was there.

Just before I slammed my recently replaced, nine-hundred dollar door, I glanced down and noticed mail on the rug. I collected the letters, ready to mark off Carl from my 'nice list', then turned to go back inside and noticed yet another present. “What the . . . ? Jeff, Bryan, come look at this.”

How did someone paint a Chinese symbol on my door so fast? Better yet—why? The paint was thick and oozed down the solid oak panes, reminding me of a letter seal from times long ago.

The more I stared, the faster my anger faded, and the shakier I became.

"I've seen this before." Bryan leaned in close. "Remember on the news last week? They found the guy dead in his house, this exact symbol on his door, no explainable cause of death."

Jeff made ghostly noises, earning him an evil glare from my always paranoid buddy, Bryan.

I hated to give in to fear, but the very sight of this thing on my door made me queasy. Never mind it pissed me off. "I have to get rid of this."

A quick trip to the garage and I was back, scrubbing like no man should. Red streaks stained my wrists and burned my skin. Whatever this paint was made of, it wasn't hypoallergenic. I tossed the bucket and cleaning brushes into the trash, just to be safe, then scoured my skin in the kitchen sink.

My tendons tightened; my veins bulged and pulsed with red, not blue. Sweat beaded on my forehead, and I swear my beer was about to come back up. “What’s wrong with me?”

"I have to go," Bryan said, taking the side exit rather than going out the front.

Jeff scurried after him.

I shook my head and stared at my arm again, but it looked normal. Game ruined, friends gone, and absolutely no hope of seeing Claire, I decided to read my mail.

Bills. Ads. Coupons. Huh? A letter sealed with the same symbol.

I tore open the envelope, then unfolded the yellowed parchment.

"Due to your unique genetic makeup, you have been chosen to participate in a test of strength, of courage, and of will. The next ten days will be painful. The next ten days may be the last days of your life. By now, you have surely touched the Stamp of Death. By now, an alien form is taking place inside your soul. Live through the pain and you will have all the things you have ever desired, especially power. Decide to take your life, as every candidate before you has, and you may save this world from a massive war it could never possibly win, but then, will you have your Claire? Will you have your friends? Maybe. Because if you decide to take your life, we will also take theirs. Choose well. Good luck."

My stomach roiled. Bile climbed up my throat, burning. Just my imagination. Just my imagination. The letter fell from my hands and landed by my feet. No way this psycho has my friends. No way cramps are crippling me at the knees. No way . . . .

I ran to the garage, sweating worse than working in hundred-degree heat. I had to see if Bryan and Jeff left in their car, but when I opened the door, I didn't need any more proof. My two best friends and the only girl I'd ever even remotely thought the word 'marriage' about were bound and gagged, faces pale, eyes wild, arms held by a couple thugs dressed in all black.

"Let them g—" I doubled over, vision blurring, stomach losing its contents all over the concrete. Hot, searing pain tore through me like something was taking me over, moving in, pushing me aside. Falling to my hands and knees, I gasped for breath, gasped because all I wanted to do was die, and something in my mind, some strange voice, told me that death was a good choice, that if I allowed this thing inside me to live, all life would cease to exist and I would never truly get everything I desired. This alien didn't want to live, and I didn't want to let it, but what did that mean for my friends?

Claire screamed through her gag, and one of the thugs punched her. I tried to get up, I tried to save her, but the toxin rushing through me, singeing every hair on my arms, squeezing through every vein in my body, prevented me from moving. Blackness crept into my vision, and I passed out.

* * *

Ten Days Later: Abandoning hope, I stared at the river a good hundred feet below. One step and it will all be over. One step and I'll never have to worry about this again. One step . . . .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To read other author's take on the subject "The Stamp", visit The Writers Collection.

Don't forget, Wilde's Fire is available on B&N, Amazon, Kobo, & iTunes. Get your copy today!

Want to win Wilde's Fire gear? Check out the Who Said It contest!

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Where Am I? #WildesArmy #sixsunday

Happy Sunday, everyone. I cannot believe another week has passed--and somehow we're out of town AGAIN! This weekend we're in Dover. (Go Tony Stewart!)

Okay, so here's the set up: Perth and Kate are waiting for the right time to move in and rescue the others. In last week's six, Perth suggested she try to make a connection with Brit in order to learn more about the situation. So, that's exactly what Kate does. In this scene, she's just connected with Brit.

Enjoy!

~Control over my hands and feet returns, but it doesn't feel anything like what I'm used to—they're not my own. There isn't enough time to think about how weird being removed from my body is. Brit is tied up to a cold cave wall, her mouth gagged. It feels as though there are a thousand cotton balls on my tongue. The wet rocks send chills up her back . . . my back.

She aches, she's tired, and starved for food.~

Doesn't sound like fun, does it?

To read other Six Sunday greatness, check out the official site. *DISCLAIMER: Not all sites are appropriate for children under 18!*

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Don't forget, Wilde's Fire is available on B&N, Amazon, Kobo, & iTunes. Get your copy today!

Want to win Wilde's Fire gear? Check out the Who Said It contest!

Read More