Blog Kickoff and Contest!

Hi!

Welcome to my shiny new blog!

My first book, SWEET UNREST, will be out October 2014 from Flux books. It's about New Orleans and Hoodoo and ghosts and century-old curses and smooching.

I know. Exciting, right?

So I figured I should probably have a blog. I used to have a blog, but that one mostly talked about my kids and grad school and blah blah blah. Nobody wants to hear about that.

THIS blog is going to talk about writing. And books. And writers. And literature type things.

What can I say, it's what I do.

You know the best part? I'm not going to be the only one posting here!

Here's what I have planned for you:

Must Read Mondays: Books that I think everyone needs to read. Like. Right. Now. I promise they'll be good. And sometimes, I'll even have giveaways.

First Line Fridays: Get ready, because I have authors booked through the summer to give us sneak peaks of the first lines of their upcoming books.

Keep Going: Ever wanted to just throw in the towel? Occasionally, I'll be featuring the stories of authors who almost gave up...and what happened when they didn't. Because let's face it--we all need a shot of hope every now and then, right?

Author Interviews: I have a pile of ARCs that are just itching for a new home. Sometimes I'll have authors on to talk about them--and I'm giving the books away to you!

Query Critiques: Here's the deal--I'm kind of pretty good when it comes to queries. I can whip yours into shape in no time, so once a month (lucky 13!), I'll be giving away a query critique to one lucky commenter. If you're willing to let the whole world see, I'm willing to give you a free query.

Sound good?

Yeah--I thought you might like that.

Oh, right. And there's one more thing. To kick off my blog, I'm hosting my first giveaway--and it's a big one. I have four ARCs--that's right, FOUR! And they're REALLY good ones. Check it out:

The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings
Unforgotten by Jessica Brody
Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman
and
The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

All four are going to one lucky winner (US only, please!)

So you want to enter?

Of course you do!

Just enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below and leave a comment telling me which book you're most excited for in 2014.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Today's The Day! Cover Reveal for SWEET UNREST!

It's here! Today I can finally show everyone the cover of my Fall 2014 Debut, SWEET UNREST!

SWEET UNREST will be out this October from Flux books.

Here's the blurb:

Lucy Aimes has always been practical. But try as she might, she can’t come up with a logical explanation for the recurring dreams that have always haunted her. Dark dreams. Dreams of a long-ago place filled with people she shouldn’t know…but does.

When her family moves to a New Orleans plantation, Lucy’s dreams become more intense, and her search for answers reluctantly draws her into the old city’s world of Voodoo and mysticism. There, Lucy finds Alex, a mysterious boy who behaves as if they’ve known each other forever. Lucy knows Alex is hiding something, and her rational side doesn’t want to be drawn to him. But she is.

As she tries to uncover Alex’s secrets, a killer strikes close to home, and Lucy finds herself ensnared in a century-old vendetta. With the lives of everyone she loves in danger, Lucy will have to unravel the mystery of her dreams before it all comes to a deadly finish.

Are you ready to see it?

ARE YOU?

These amazing blogs are hosting the reveal:

Icey Books

Marci Lyn Curtis

Reflections of a Bookworm

Playing Jokers

Beauty and the Bookshelf

Kissed by Ink

Jess Keating

D.K. Burrow

J.R. Johansson

Sarah Harian

Madelyn Rosenberg

Trisha Leaver

Adventures in YA Publishing

Allodoxophobia

Reading with ABC

Click on over to see the cover and for a chance to win a signed copy of the book and this:

It's a New Orleans inspired locket that is so ridiculously perfect for the book it's not even funny. 

You know what else is perfect for the book? The cover! Can't wait for you to see it!

Cover Reveal Coming Soon

I can hardly believe I get to share the cover to SWEET UNREST. Stick around for information and the reveal on Thursday, Jan 23rd!

New Year, New Blog

2014 is here, and it's a year I didn't really think would ever come... It's the year I will have a book-shaped thing with my name on it sitting on a shelf somewhere. It's the year I go from being  a writer to an author.

Someone smarter than me once said begin as you mean to go on, so I'm starting this year by officially making this blog a thing. I'll be updating it fairly regularly with guest posts, interviews, and news about SWEET UNREST. 

I might even do some Query Critiques or other fun things for writers. 

And giveaways. LOTS of giveaways. I have two shelves full of 2014 ARCs that need homes, and I'm making it my job to set them free into the world.

So come follow me on Twitter.

Like my Facebook Page.

Checkout my life on Instagram.

and Watch as I try to figure out what Tumblr is all about.

Because I want to send YOU a book :O)

Happy new year! And happy reading!