Archive for June 19, 2013

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I’ve had my blog for about a year and a half now and met some really awesome people. Some who have become friends.

What better way to introduce you to some of them then by putting them in the spotlight.

For today, I’ve dragged Ella away from important work to tell us a few things about herself. She has her blog here . Make sure to go by and say hi. I hear she has some yummy cake! I hope she brought some with her:)

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Ella Medler

Ella Medler – Author
Goodreads Facebook Twitter Blog

She’s also an author, co-author, and a woman of many writerly talents:)

Ella is so busy, I’m convinced she’s a robot. That, or a vampire!

Please make Ella welcome!

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Hi, Laura.
Hi yourself, Ella.
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I know you’re very busy and I won’t keep you long. especially as I’m waiting on your next new book! So, let the fun begin.
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question mark photo: question mark question-mark.jpg  Please tell us a little about yourself. Inquiring minds want to know 🙂
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I am currently working on my fifth book, a thriller. I don’t count the books I’ve started but don’t intend to finish. My head if full of books that will make it. Of the four published books so far, the first one was traditionally published by a small publisher, and the other three are all self-published. Of these, two are co-authored with Kristie Haigwood. When I’m not writing, I’m usually editing. I prefer content editing, but I’m one of those people who enjoys nitpicking at grammar, so I end up doing a combined job. And when I’m not editing, I’m reading and reviewing, hosting author features or writing articles related to the publishing industry. Beware, I do hold opinions.
question mark photo: question mark question-mark.jpg  Why did you start blogging and what were your plans for your blog?
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At first, I simply wanted a website. I bought myself the software and a domain name, and then spent two weeks learning how to build a website from scratch. I did manage it, but my original hope that I would be able to keep freshening up the content on an almost daily basis fizzled out pretty soon. I found having a blog on my website incredibly cumbersome. So then I researched other ways to build a blog. WordPress came top of the list, so that’s where you can find me.
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In terms of articles for my blog, I wanted a place where I could be myself. Yes, I know I get to do that through my writing, but writing a whole book takes a bit longer than writing a blog post. My posts are about writing and authors, though I will admit to have vented once or twice on publishing in general and the prejudice against indie authors in particular. Can’t help it. I’m a fair minded person who strives to see a situation from all points of view. I strongly believe in fair chances.
question mark photo: question mark question-mark.jpg  Being an author yourself, do you receive a lot of review requests and how do you choose which ones to review?
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Yes, I do. To start with, I didn’t have much of a system. If I liked the sound of a book, I went for it. Funnily enough, until I became an author myself, I didn’t see the purpose of leaving a review. Now I do. It’s so obvious why we should! At the moment I work in batches of about twelve titles I commit myself to reviewing, and the authors know what position they are in my list. They know if they’re first on the list, the review will be posted this week, and if they’re last, it won’t be out till some time in July. I used to think I only enjoyed one or two genres, but then I tried others, and the more I tried the more I discovered books I enjoyed. Sticking to a narrow field was certainly a mistake. I review all the books I read cover to cover, though I haven’t published all my reviews on my blog.
question mark photo: question mark question-mark.jpg  How do you feel about scheduling your posts? I do this, but I miss pushing that publish button and watching the post go live. Guess that’s why I don’t always schedule them.
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Ah. Yes, you knew what question to ask, didn’t you? I have extremely itchy fingers. Once I’ve written something, I want it out there. It’s one of the reasons why I decided to self-publish. I’m impatient. I like to see the fruit of my labours right away. I’d probably make a rubbish gardener. Right now, I only have four draft posts, but there are posts scheduled for almost every day this month. I’ve printed out my calendar and I keep scribbling on it, rearranging things.
question mark photo: question mark question-mark.jpg  I’ve seen your latest posts and you are insanely busy. Care to tell us what you’re up to these days?
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I’ve just released book two in the Eternal Series, Eternal Immortality, co-authored with Kristie Haigwood, on May 10, solar eclipse day. It’s doing so well! we are very proud of how its been received. It’s a paranormal action/romance, a completely original take on witches and vampires with a humorous twist.
Right now I’m writing book two in my Hunter thriller trilogy – Blood is Power – and very much enjoying the process. As I write, new ideas occur to me, and the story twists in ways I certainly didn’t see at the beginning. I’ve re-written the first half three times so far.
I have just finished editing a YA book, and soon I’ll be receiving my next edit, a contemporary fantasy by an author I admire. At the same time, I have packed as many book reviews and author spotlights into my blog as possible.
I’m uncertain about what to write next, so I’ve put a poll on my blog. I’ve asked my visitors to vote, and so far a sci-fi project is winning. You can still cast your vote, it’s anonymous, so why not have your say? Here’s the link to the poll: http://ellamedler.wordpress.com/2013/04/28/2013-week-17-and-a-poll/
Once Blood is Power is out there, I’ll take a couple of weeks off from actual writing to plan and produce a series of visual aids – authors’ resources, for want of a better description – which will be available free on my Custom Writers’ Services page on my blog.
As and when I find a minute, I research trends in the publishing industry – top genres and figures, and sometimes news to do with established publishers. These percolate through into my blog posts because I just can’t shut up if I feel strongly enough about a subject. I have to speak my mind, or I will explode.
Did I tell you I’m learning to play the piano? It’s something I’ve always wanted to do as a child, but not managed to fit it in until last year. I couldn’t even read music when I started. My fingers seem to be in the driving seat, though. They line up nicely when I have to play Schubert, but won’t let me do a recognisable Jingle Bells.
Have I missed anything? Oh, yeah. I have a family. There were a couple of teenagers and a husband around the house, last time I looked, and nine pets of assorted sizes and descriptions.
question mark photo: question mark question-mark.jpg  Do you have a favorite genre you read?
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I used to stick to mystery, crime, thriller – that sort of thing. But then one day I read a book about zombies and I liked it. Then a sci-fi (which I used to be hooked on in my youth) and I loved it! From there, I decided to just read any book I like the looks of, and now I don’t have boundaries. If it’s a book, chances are I’ll love it.
question mark photo: question mark question-mark.jpg  One last question and then we’ll get to some fun short ones!  Is your blog how you wanted it to be when you began?
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No, it’s better. I didn’t have a clear idea, on day one, about its definite direction. Now, the onus is on producing material that is useful to authors, whether self- or traditionally published, in whatever way I can. This trend is going to continue, but it will focus even more on actual, practical advice, tips and mentoring so that more writers can produce high-quality material and, once they have that, find an easier way to publish and promote their books effectively.
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Now for Five Fun Shorts!
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1)  Who is your favorite book character?
Rover from the Giggler Treatment, by Roddy Doyle. He’s a dog who knows more about humans than the humans know about themselves.
2)  Do you have a phobia?
Probably not, though I do hate dusting with a vengeance.
3)  What’s a famous one liner from a movie that stayed with you?
“You just did!” – from Pretty Woman, when Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) has just been told by heartthrob Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) that he’d never called her a prostitute.
4)  If you could be any creature in the ocean, what would you like to be?
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A jellyfish. Useful, in fact indispensable to the ocean’s health, flexible and pretty to look at (see what I’m doing here?), still able to teach scientists something new experiment after experiment and, best of all, can sting when circumstances warrant it.
5)  If you could pull anything out of your hat, besides a rabbit, what would it be?
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Time. I am constantly on the lookout for those spare minutes, or seconds even, to finish a project.
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And a Dare!
Say the first thing that pops into your head! I dare ya!
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Zohan! (oops!)
Any last words for our readers?
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Follow your dream, because “I have spent a good many years since–too many, I think–being ashamed about what I write. I think I was forty before I realized that almost every writer of fiction or poetry who has ever published a line has been accused by someone of wasting his or her God-given talent. If you write (or paint or dance or sculpt or sing, I suppose), someone will try to make you feel lousy about it, that’s all.” ― Stephen King, On Writing.
Thank you, Laura. This has been way more fun than an interview has the right to be!
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I loved having you here Ella. Now get back to work! lol
Just kidding, kind of:) Waiting for some more good reading!

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Books by Ella Medler


Fantasy novel available in ebook and paperback
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Blood Is Heavier – Book Trailer YouTube
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Co-authored with K.S. Haigwood

Eternal Island, Book One in the Eternal Series

Goodreads

Eternal Immortality (Book 2 in the Eternal Series)

Eternal Immortality, Book Two in the Eternal Series

Goodreads

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

WITCH BOUND Tour banner

Looks like I’ve found a new series to read!

Eleri Stone’s Twilight of the Gods looks fantastic!

Check out Demon Crossings and Witch Bound

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

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DEMON CROSSINGS

Twilight of the Gods, Book 1

Private investigator Grace tracks a kidnapped child to middle-of-nowhere Iowa. Encountering a strange creature she knows can’t be a local animal, she doesn’t need her psychic abilities to figure out the sleepy town is not what it seems. When she meets the intriguing Aiden, she’s plunged into a world of Norse gods and fire demons where the Wild Hunt still rides the night.

Aiden needs Grace’s help to cross the portal between worlds and rescue his daughter. Grace is unlike any woman he’s ever met. He’s drawn to her courage, distressed by her vulnerability and doubtful of her motives. But he knows that her visions are the key to defeating the enemy and bringing everyone home alive.

Grace wants a future with Aiden, even if it means she’ll never have a normal life. When a test run to the portal takes a terrifying turn, they must learn to finally trust each other or Aiden’s daughter, and their chance at love, will be lost forever…

Available at:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | All Romance | Carina Press Audible

 

 

 Witch Bound (Twilight of the Gods, #2)

WITCH BOUND

Twilight of the Gods, Book 2

Raquel Lindgren knows what her future holds. An arranged marriage. A new home in Ragnarok, Iowa, with another clan of refugees from Asgard. She should be happy. But there’s a mental block preventing her from tapping in to her true abilities as a witch. And she’s more attracted to the best man than she is to the groom…

Fen can’t believe he’s falling for his best friend’s future wife. As a hound, a wolf shifter, his duty lies with the pack. He’s seen too many hounds destroyed by love, and he’s sworn never to take a mate, never to have children of his own. He can’t deny his desire for Raquel, but she deserves more than he can offer her.

Raquel’s been raised to trust in magic, her clan and her destiny. But when a vengeful demon threatens to break out of Asgard and destroy the clan, Raquel learns she must trust in love if she is to take the future into her own hands.

Buy links

AmazonBarnes & Noble | KoboAll RomanceiTunes

 

 

Giveaway

Eleri is giving away a $50.00 gift card to Amazon or B&N (winners choice)

Click on the rafflecopter link below to enter.

Rafflecopter Giveaway

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

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Eleri Stone was born and raised in New Jersey. She graduated from the University of Iowa, married her college sweetheart, and settled in the Midwest where she still lives with her husband and their three children. A lifelong fan of fantasy, she started reading romance as an adult and was instantly captivated by the strong female protagonists, character-driven storylines and guarantee of a happy-ever-after. Writing fantasy and paranormal romance, she is the author of the Lost City Shifters series (shapeshifter paranormal romance), the Twilight of the Gods series (paranormal romance) and the Spellcraft series (fantasy romance).

You can find Eleri at:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Follow the tour to see more fun and exciting posts!

Eleri Stone’s WITCH BOUND Tour Schedule:  June 19- July 3

6/19- Book Monster Reviews (guest post)

http://www.bookmonsterreviews.com/

6/19- FUONLYKNEW (series spotlight)

http://fuonlyknew.com/

6/20- Christine’s Blog (guest post, review & series spotlight)

http://www.shebookblogs.com/

6/21- Book Lovin’ Mamas (guest post & series spotlight)

http://booklovinmamas.blogspot.com//

6/22- The Next Chapter (series spotlight)

http://costhenextchapter.blogspot.com/

6/23- Mad Hatter Reads (interview)

http://madhatterreads.blogspot.com/

6/24- Underworld Love Addiction (guest post)

http://underworldloveaddiction.blogspot.com/

6/25- Books-N-Kisses (interview)

http://www.books-n-kisses.com/

6/25- Urban Girl Reader (guest post)

http://www.urbangirlreader.com/

6/26- Mary Abshire Blog (series spotlight)

http://maryabshire.wordpress.com/

6/27- Confessions of the Paranormal (series spotlight)

http://confessionsoftheparanormal.blogspot.com/

6/28- So Many Reads (series spotlight)

http://www.somanyreads.com/

6/29- Literal Addiction (series spotlight)

http://www.literaladdiction.com/

7/01- Offbeat Vagabond(series spotlight)

http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/

7/02- United by Books (interview)

http://unitedbybooks.blogspot.com/

7/03 – Auggie Talk (series spotlight)

http://auggie-talk.blogspot.com/

WWW Wednesday

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Hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

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What are you currently reading?

Stepford, USA by Lada Ray

Stepford USA (Accidental Spy Smalltown Adventure)

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Psychological mystery thriller set in an idyllic Massachusetts town harboring a dark secret, STEPFORD USA will dazzle you with an array of funny, outlandish, dangerous and utterly realistic characters. Who committed rape and murder: a corrupt police chief, crooked politician, millionaire-nerd, or womanizing banker?
Ladies from the Stepford Knitting Club know it all, except that the town has been hijacked by criminals posing as pillars of local community. That’s where Jade Snow comes in. A new breed of amateur sleuths and international journalist, she’s thoroughly at home in the brave, new, globalized world, but unprepared for one challenge: the dull existence in this sheltered American town. And that’s exactly where she ends up after getting married and pregnant. Aided by a super-intelligent calico cat and a psychoanalyst from New York, Jade’s on a mission to solve baffling mysteries, uncover a local conspiracy and turn this sleepy paradise upside down… if she can survive the attraction to an enigmatic convicted rapist, and the encounter with a desperate killer.
Warning: Contains enough suspense, psychology, mystical happenings, amazing pets, virtual reality, romance and humor to be a thrillingly delightful, yet dangerously sobering read.

I can’t wait to tell you about this!

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What did you recently finish reading?

The Serial Killer’s Wife by Robert Swartwood

The Serial Killer's Wife

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Five years ago Elizabeth Piccioni’s husband was arrested for being a serial killer. Her life suddenly turned upside down, she did what she thought was best for her newborn baby: she took her son and ran away to start a new life. Now, living in a quiet part of the Midwest with a new identity, Elizabeth is ready to start over. But one day she receives a phone call from a person calling himself Cain. Cain somehow knows about her past life. He has abducted her son, and if Elizabeth wants to save him she must retrieve her husband’s trophies – the fingers he cut off each of his victims. With a deadline of one hundred hours, Elizabeth has no choice but to return to the life she once fled, where she will soon realize that everything she thought she knew is a lie, and what’s more shocking than Cain’s identity is the truth about her husband.

I’ll be doing my review soon!

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Paranormal Anthology With A Twist by Numerous Authors

Paranormal Anthology with a TWIST

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What began as an idea soon set into motion a chain of events that would lead to heart-stopping action, amazing suspense, and stories that will stick with you way after you are done. Unique, unexpected, beyond imagining…shocking TWISTS that will have you frantically turning back the pages to see what clues you overlooked to have missed what was coming.Paranormal stories that span across the genre and will wow you, shock you, and leave you gasping for more.11 different authors, one main idea, and worlds that will TWIST your imagination…
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Going to have fun with these!
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So, whatcha readin?

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