Hear Me!

Hey gang! Sorry if I'm a little 'absent' from the blogosphere this week. I'm traveling, and won't have much of an opportunity to get around and comment on all of your fine posts. But I'll be back next, and will be working to get caught up then.

Just in case you're lonely in my absence (ha!), I recently did an interview with a couple of awesome ladies over at the Pod People Podcast. If you aren't familiar, they chat about lit news, lots of YA stuff, and now some NA stuff, too. :-D

Here's a link to my interview (I'll apologize for anything I say in advance--my first 'live' interview!), but the discussion is lively and you'll finally get to hear my golden pipes. (Very much a joke, btw...)

E.J. Wesley Pod People Podcast

Hope you have as much fun listening as I had participating, and chat with you all again soon. Happy Halloween!

~EJW~

Help A Publisher Choose A Cover!

Spencer Hill Press is having trouble deciding which cover they want, so they are giving YOU the power!!! 

(MWHAHAHAAAA!!!! Can you feel it going to your head yet?) 

So! Let's hear about the book first!

Blood Bound

Starting college a year early is hard. Starting fae college and learning to protect the world from the Unseelie is harder.

Brielle Reed has always been an over-achiever, but this time she may have bitten off more than she can chew. Between her crash course in fae politics, struggles to control her new mind-reading ability, training sessions with the demanding Dr. Schwartz, and discoveries about the father who is still a mystery to her, Brielle finds herself longing for a chance at a normal life.

But she may not get that chance. Or chance at a life at all, for that matter.

Title: Blood Bound

Author: Keshia Swaim

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press (www.spencerhillpress.com) Please feel free to use any images, text, links, etc. from our website.

ISBN: 978-1-937053-45-1

Release Date: September 10, 2013

Formats: Paper, e-book

Keshia is previously published, but this is her first full-length novel to be unleashed on the world.

Now, the covers:

Which design do you prefer, the one 
with the hand or the one with the girl on the cover?

• Hand
• Girl

Freeblogpolls

More polls: Memira

So which do you prefer? Does the hand make you feel like the power could be in yours? Or are you intrigued by what secrets the pretty lady is keeping? 

Don't forget to vote!

(you don't even have to register or listen to politicians or anything!)

Bury the Hatchet Winners AND Hale Maree Cover Reveal

Hey gang! Lots of good news to share today, so I'll get right to it ...

Bury the Hatchet Giveaway Winners

First, everyone who participated in the blogfest, giveaway shenanigans, etc.: YOU ARE UNBELIEVABLY COOL! If we ever meet at a writing conference or something just say, "Hey, I took part in your Bury the Hatchet thingy" and the drink and/or coffee is on me. 

Seriously, it meant so much to have so many of you jump in and share Blood Fugue on your blogs, tweets, and the like. I know, there were prizes to be had, but many of you have helped me out in the past without even being asked (or poked with sharp things), so I know you would've done it regardless. 

So I'll end this with: I appreciate it, and I'll happily return the favor if you ever have a need. Now for the winners ...

Two $10 Barnes & Noble Gift Cards:

Hart Johnson
Shannon Lawrence

Four 4 GB, custom painted USB drives:

Michael Di Gesu
Siv Ottem
Brinda Berry
Julie Flanders

GRAND PRIZE - One Nook SimpleTouch with GlowLight:

Melissa Maygrove

Congrats to all! I've been in touch with all of you, and heard back, so your prizes will be forthcoming.

Hale Maree Cover Reveal

Such a fantastic cover, right?

Couldn't be more excited to share the cover for author Misty Provencher's NA debut, Hale Maree. Misty is no stranger to this blog, and me being the New Adult cheerleader that I am, I was thrilled to hear she is venturing into NA (though she'll still write YA, I'm sure). Plus, the story just sounds dang-amazing (at least that's how I'd put it in Texas terms):

Hale Simmons dreams of climbing out of her impoverished life, going to college, and getting herself a titanium crash helmet, so she can eventually bust through the Plexiglas ceiling of her crappy life. But for now, she’s just a 17-year-old girl with a flimsy hope, barely getting by with her alcoholic father, Jerry.

But for Hale, ‘crappy’ suddenly takes a nosedive, when Jerry becomes the sole witness to a horrible accident. It is an event which means to effect everyone, especially Hale, who wasn’t even involved.

While the depth of the accident has just begun to unfold, Otto Maree, a prominent business man and old family friend, stands to lose everything because of it. Otto is desperate for Hale’s father to stay quiet about what occurred the night the two men met for a drink. Out of mutual moments of desperation, the two fathers forge a deal. Jerry is desperate to gain financial stability for both himself and Hale, and Otto Maree is more than willing to pay to keep his secret just that.

But deals like this need to be made of the strongest vows and bound with the most faithful of loyalties. Otto proposes a marriage between Hale and his playboy-son, Oscar, in order to assure that the secret remains ‘in the family’. The mystery surrounding the accident continues to grow and Hale struggles against her own mysterious feelings that begin to develop for Oscar, who turns out to less of a playboy, but just as fiercely loyal and dedicated as his father.

As the pressures around her continues to escalate, Hale realizes that she’s got to decide if this arranged marriage is really just a big mistake or an amazing twist of fate, that has been waiting around for this particular accident to happen.

You'll be able to read Hale Maree this Holiday season...

As I mentioned above, Misty is also the author of the YA para-rom Cornerstone series:

CORNERSTONE is the story of Nalena Maxwell,
a girl who receives the wrong dang sign of an ancient
community that is responsible for maintaining the intellectual
evolution of the human race. And if the choices coming aren't
tough enough, there's a boy...one with liquid blue eyes...that
understands exactly who and what Nalena is.
Cornerstone & Keystone, the second book in the Cornerstone Series, are now Available in paperback and ebook at: 

Barnes & Noble Amazon Smashwords

~EJW~

Anything You Can Do ... Guest Post

Hey gang! Today I've got a wonderful guest-post, with LOADS of awesome giveaway stuff. (Details at the bottom of the post.)

The guests are Gwen Gardner, author of Givin' Up The Ghost:

Running, writing and reading are my favorite things.

I am also a dreamer.

Have you ever told yourself that "someday" I'm going to travel or write or whatever it is that you are passionate about but can't do right now for whatever reason? You can go for years and years and keep telling yourself that "someday" you'll do it. Too often "someday" never comes. But mine did. I am a former Administrative Manager and Vice President of a successful swimming pool plastering company - until I woke up one day and realized that my "someday" had arrived. I quit my job, moved to the mountains and began to write. Crazy, I know. But even crazier? Is when you get to the end of your life and realize that your "someday" is too late. Life is much too short for that! So the adventure has begun.

And Angela Brown, author of Neverlove:

Born and raised in Little Rock, AR, Angela now calls Central Texas home. She's a lover of Wild Cherry Pepsi and chocolate/chocolate covered delicious-ness. Steampunk, fantasy and paranormal to contemporary - mostly young adult - fill her growing library of books. Mother to a rambunctious darling girl aptly nicknamed Chipmunk, life stays busy. Her favorite quote keeps her moving: "You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result." ~ Mahatma Gandhi

I'm certain you've seen both ladies (and books) around the blog-world of late, so you know they're a class act (and just dang fun). The post is in the form of a character interview--very funny stuff, btw. So please welcome Gwen and Angela, as well as the ladies of Neverlove and Givin' Up The Ghost!

****

E.J.: Today at The Open Vein, I’m hosting the casts of both Neverlove and Givin’ Up The Ghost, so I thought we’d have a bit of fun. You know, a bit of friendly competition. Just to see what the women of these two novels can do, you understand.

THE LINE-UP

Stage left, the cast of Givin’ Up The Ghost

Indigo Eady - Long black braid, blue eyes, wearing jeans and sweatshirt. Psychic, ghost whisperer, psychometry reader.

Franny - Black hair in an up-do, voluminous scarlet skirts, tiny waist, and overflowing bosom. Ghost, former 19th century madam, speaks to the living.

Stage right, the cast of Neverlove

Abby Bishop – Dark brown hair, hazel eyes in white chocolate mocha skin, full lips, wearing a red hooded cloak. Cleanser and agent of heaven, soul rescuer.

Pam - Blonde hair, blue eyes, skin tight black leather from head to toe. Harvestor and agent of hell, consumes soul energy.

*****

*Theme song plays in the background*

Anything you can do, I can do better,

I can do anything better than you.”

*Audience applause*

E.J.: *Shuffles index cards* First up is Indigo versus Pam. Indigo, what can you do better than Pam?

*Indigo and Pam meet center stage*

Indigo:  Well EJ, I thought I’d show you a bit of psychometry. If Pam will just give me her hand...

Pam:  You’d better make this good, psycho-girl...

Indigo: Psychometry! I read energy. There’s no need to be mean, Pam.

Pam: Whatever.

*Pam reluctantly holds out her right hand, and Indigo takes it.*

Indigo: *A film rolls through her head and is projected onto a theater-sized overhead screen*

Pam’s lips are locked onto a man’s as a woman stands shocked nearby. Pam releases the man and he falls, soulless, to the ground.

*The audience boos and hisses*

*Indigo tries to pull her hand back to break the connection, but Pam holds tight and grins. Indigo’s face begins to distort*

Franny: *whooshes to enter stage*

Oh no you DON’T devil-girl!

*a power surge erupts from Franny’s fingertips, sending Pam sprawling backwards.*

You’ll not suck the soul out of my girl.

Pam: No? Well how about you, Miss Madam. Seems to me you sold your soul to the devil a long time ago.

Abby: *Runs to center stage. Extensions shoot from her arms, silver pistols protruding from each hand*

All right, Pam. That’s enough. This was supposed to be a demonstration, not an opportunity for you to suck souls.

Pam: *a sly glance* Well, I couldn’t let her show my secrets to the world, could I? And put those pistols away. Like you said, it’s just a demonstration. I’m sorry you didn’t like it.

E.J.: *laughs* Ladies, ladies. I’m sure the Pretty Pamela meant no harm...

Pam: No indeed, E.J. *sidles up next to him and brings her lips close to his*

E.J.: *turns pale* Well this has been a very interesting demonstration, yes indeed. Let’s call it a success and bring this show to a close. *dashes backstage muttering, Never Again.*

Now where do you suppose EJ ran off to?

****

Purchase Angela Brown’s Neverlove at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes and Noble, Amazon FR, and Amazon DE.

Purchase Gwen Gardner’s Givin’ Up The Ghost at Amazon US and Amazon UK.

And there are two giveaways! Visit Partners in ParanormYA for the Big Swag Giveaway and for Week Three Giveaway.

Favorite Halloween Reads

Photo via cellar_door_films' WANA Commons

Hey gang! Hope everyone has had a good week to this point ...

Thanks to everyone who posted encouraging words for Jeffrey's book on Wednesday. Know he appreciates it so much, as did I. Love to see authors supporting authors.

Bury the Hatchet Blogfest Update

Today, the 'Bury the Hatchet' blogfest and giveaway officially end. I'll be drawing names from the electronic hat soon, and posting the winners next week. Good luck and THANK YOU to everyone who entered. You've helped to give Blood Fugue (and this author) a good start out in the world, and I'm so very grateful.

New Adult Lit Twitter Chat Update

I haven't done one of these in a bit, so mostly wanted to let everyone know that the chat is still going and growing. I host each week, and the wonderful folks over at NA Alley Blog moderate. Each week we have a topic relevant to New Adult lit with open discussion.

I say open, because everyone is welcome--even if you don't know a thing about New Adult. It's basically just authors and readers chatting about 'book stuff'. There's a NA Lit Chat blog HERE where you'll find a calendar with upcoming chat topics, as well as transcripts from each chat. (All the best tweets from the chat compiled for your reading leisure.)

It goes down every Thursday night, 9 PM EST US, so if you're around and curious jump into the conversation (use #NALitChat in your tweets). We're a very friendly group. :-D

Favorite Halloween Reads

Love Halloween. For the spooky, for the terrifying, for the fun, for the candy--well, for everything! Halloween is the zenith of my favorite season (Autumn), and it means I have less than one month to wait until my favorite holiday (Thanksgiving).  

We even have Halloween movie traditions in my house: We watch Monster House, The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, and one or two of the classic MGM monster movies. (Wolfman and Frankenstein ftw!)

So naturally, I was very excited to share my top 5 Halloween Reads over at the A Knife And A Quill website. I definitely like to 'set the mood' for Halloween with movies and stories, and the 5 I chose run the gamut from very scary to charming.

Here's the first on my list:

1) Cycle of the Werewolf – Stephen King: First horror story I ever read. (Think I was 14…) Lost a lot of sleep over that one, and thinking about it still takes me back to the nervous feeling I’d get around Halloween as a kid.

You can check out the rest of my list over at AKAQ, and if you're a fan of horror, paranormal, and/or speculative fiction, I think you'll enjoy their site.

So what's your favorite Halloween read or movie? Do you go for trick or treat? (You can probably tell by the movies I listed above that my wife doesn't go for REALLY freaky stuff--so I watch those when she goes to sleep. :-)

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend, and I'll see you on the other side.

~EJW~