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Showing posts from 2013

It's Christmas Already?!

Wow. I just signed in and realised I haven't blogged in four weeks. I've been so busy it didn't feel like that long! There is really no reason why you should continue reading since I have been the worst blogger ever this year. I can't even explain how it happened, really. I started picking up editing jobs all over the place, and before I knew it, it was December 17th! For those of you who have been kind enough to stick around while I've been absent, and checked in on me, I want to say thank you. I have a lot of work to do to catch up with everything I've missed. This includes not only reading your blogs, but any books you may have published while I've been running around like a crazy person! I've barely touched a book in months - it's an editing thing. I spend all day editing books, and by the end of the day, I just want to rest my eyes. I may need to invest in some audiobooks! Before I shoot off again, I want to highlight three books, by three

Monday Mini Update!

Hey everyone, I am SO, SO busy it's not even funny! I want to give apologies in advance for not keeping up with blogs this week - and ditto for replying to comments. I will do my best but I have a bunch of work on and I'm going away at the weekend so I need to cram everything in as fast as I can! Since I'm so busy I have had to drop out of NaNo. :( However, I am still working on Game On Book 3, just not as intensely as I would have if I'd been able to keep up with NaNo. I did my Andrew McNaughton tribute post on Friday, but I do have one more update for you. Nick Wilford emailed me over the weekend and asked me to send on his thanks to every single one of you for all you've done for him and his family over the past week. Between us, we managed to collect £462 for Andrew's charity, and a bunch of you joined in with the funeral celebrations which allowed me to create this video. I would love, if you haven't seen it already, for you to take a look and sha

Farewell, Andrew McNaugton

Thanks to Carrie Butler for creating this awesome virtual balloon! So, today is the day of Andrew McNaughton's funeral. During a week of sadness, I know for sure I have been lifted by the kindness and generosity you have all shown for Nick Wilford and his family as they slowly begin to prepare and adjust for life without Andrew. (If you'd like to join in with the blogger virtual funeral for Andrew, the details are here ) Aside from when I let you all know how much you raised, this will probably be the last time I post about Andrew until the anthology launch, so I want to take this time to thank you all again for everything. Messages, donations, pictures, ideas on ways to help, and this exceptional outpouring of love and support have overwhelmed me, and I know it has filtered through to Nick. Your messages will be passed on as the family will need all the help they can get once the funeral is over, and they try to find some semblance of normality without Andrew.  Fello

One more tiny request for Nick Wilford...

Hey guys, Thank you all so much for your comments on my last post. The donations coming in for Nick and his family have overwhelmed me, and I can't wait to share with him and all of you how much we managed to get! I will be taking donations for the rest of the day so if you would like to donate, you can Paypal your contribution to kyralennon (at) gmail (dot) com. I do have one further request, though I know many of you are already aware of this. Andrew's family have asked if those who cannot attend Andrew's funeral (Friday, 11am UK time) would be able to release a red balloon for him - and say a prayer for him. Red was Andrew's favourite colour, and this is such a sweet idea, I thought it might be nice if we joined in. Again, no pressure, please only do what you can! However, if you will be releasing a balloon, please could you take a photo of it and email it to me at the above email address, and let me know your location (city or state is fine, it doesn't have

Support for Nick Wilford and Family

I hesitate to start a Monday morning with sad news, but I'm hoping most of you already know it by now, and have had a little time for the news to sink in. For those who don't know, no doubt many of you follow Nick Wilford . He's a writer, and one of the most supportive, hard-working people I know. One of the things he has been passionate about is raising money for his stepson, Andrew McNaughton . Andrew had cerebral palsy, and the fundraising by Nick and his family was to help get Andrew to a specialist college so he could continue his education with all the support necessary for him to thrive. Sadly, Andrew passed away unexpectedly on Saturday morning. Over the weekend, I witnessed a massive outpouring of love and sadness for Nick and his family from fellow writers and bloggers. People who have never met Nick, and never met Andrew, but were touched by his story and felt compelled to help any way they could. Many of us contributed to Overcoming Adversity: An Antholog

A Very Game On Christmas - Out Now!

“A Very Game On Christmas” follows on directly from “Blindsided,” and is a short, bonus story which takes place at Bree Collinson’s 21st birthday party, three days before Christmas. Similar to “A Beginner’s Introduction to Game On,” the story is told from different characters’ points of view. Find out how the Westberg Warriors handle Radleigh and Leah’s return to Los Angeles, how Freya and Will are adjusting to their new relationship, and take a sneaky glimpse into the lives of the other characters introduced in “Game On.” Please note: “A Very Game On Christmas” could be considered Game On 2.5 to clarify the order the books should be read. It is not a full length novel, merely a way to gently ease readers toward Game On 3. It is not essential to read this book to understand the next, it’s just a bit of light-hearted Christmas fun! ** Yup, I did it! I released the Game On Christmas story I wrote last year as a free ebook. You can get it from Smashwords he

Dominance, Alpha Males and Sex in Fiction

I'm taking a deep breath and delving into a topic that has been bothering me for some time. It might be rambly, but stick with me, because I genuinely want to know how you all feel about this. Since Fifty Shades of Grey, erotica and dark NA fiction has been on the rise. I know these things always existed, but they weren't so much in the mainstream. Recently I've read/edited a bunch of books in the darker area of NA. I'm not a big erotica fan. I don't seek it out, but I also don't have a problem with it. But here's the thing... it seems to me that scary alpha males with borderline abusive tendencies are becoming more common - not just in NA, but in YA, too. I don't want to delve too deeply into what women want from a man - what y'all do in your own bedrooms is your own business! ;) BUT, with the amount of people lapping up these books about men who attack when another guy so much as glances at his woman; who bark out orders; who utter the excep

All I Want for NaNo and Game On Bloghop Winners!

Ah, NaNo has arrived and I am... well, I'd be happy if there was one more day left in October to get ready lol! However, there's no stopping the time, so this afternoon, I will be settling down at my laptop and getting started! In the interests of getting in the mood for NaNo, I'm taking part in the All I Want For NaNo bloghop! This was set up by Jennie Bennett , D avid Powers King , Becca Ann , Kelley Lynn , and Jessica Salyer. These guys have teamed together to release a Christmas anthology, and to celebrate the release, they want to know what we want for NaNo! This hop also comes with great prizes: Jennie's giving away a 50 page critique + an ecopy of The Spirit of Christmas Jessica's also giving a 50 page critique + an ecopy of The Spirit of Christmas Kelley's giving a $25 Amazon Giftcard + an ecopy of The Spirit of Christmas David's also giving a $25 Amazon Giftcard + an ecopy of The Spirit of Christmas Cassie's giving a cho

NaNo NaNo!

Sorry, apparently I'm having a Mork and Mindy flashback lol! After very little consideration, I've decided I'm going to be delving into NaNoWriMo this year. I really didn't intend to, but Game On Book 3 needs writing, and the characters are chatty, so I figured I'd go with it. I've done no planning, but that's okay because the story has stewed in my head for a year, so I pretty much know how it's gonna go. I did intend to be releasing the book by this time, not just writing it, but things happen. I am sorry to everyone who has been waiting to see what happens next in Westberg, but if I get the story done this month, it should be out in January next year! Also, the bonus Game On Christmas story I wrote last year will soon be available as an ebook. I plan to make it free, but you know how things go on Amazon. It may cost 77p for an eternity! The point behind the Game On Christmas story was to prepare for the next book, from Bree's POV. Since I ha

Game On Bloghop!

Good morning! It's time for the Game On Bloghop! For those who have just found this, here are the details: The Game On Series is centered around a soccer team in the U.S, and those of you who have already read the books will know the hottie of the series is Radleigh McCoy. Between October 28th and October 31st, I want to hear from you about your sporting crushes! Does David Beckham do it for you? What about swimming sensations Michael Phelps or Rebecca Adlington? When did you first notice your sporting crush, and what do you like best about them? Have you ever been lucky enough to see them in action? Please keep posts to a maximum of 500 words (this is for the benefit of Clare Dugmore who offered me a 10-page essay! ;) LOL!). Yes, of course there are prizes! 1) New paperback copies of Game On and Blindsided 2) E-copies of any of my books (3 winners) 3) A full manuscript edit (2 winners) So, who is my sporting crush? Well, over the years there have been quite a fe

Christina Rains: Romance in "The Shadow" from the 13th Floor Collection

Yes, Christine Rains is back to visit on her blog tour for the 13th Floor Collection! Christine might just be the busiest lady I know, and seeing her work so hard is super inspiring! Today Christine tells us about the romance between Veenya and Galen from "The Shadow". Take it away, Christine! VEENYA & GALEN Veenya's life was easier when her only joys came from the rush of the hunt and dancing in the shadows. Born of dark magic, her only purpose was to fulfill her Master's orders. Fraternizing with other shadow assassins of her clan was frowned upon, but she couldn't resist Galen's pull. When she fell in love with him, she gave herself fully. Except now she's a traitor, and the clan is hunting her. Never before would she think of running from her lover, but she doesn't want to risk his life too. As the second in command of the clan, Galen is feared. He's good at what he does. Very good. His deadliness with a blade is only matche

The Game On Bloghop!

Do not adjust your monitors! I really have posted two days in a row! To celebrate the release of the 2nd Edition of Game On, and the new covers, I'm throwing a bloghop! Here are all the details: The Game On Series is centered around a soccer team in the U.S, and those of you who have already read the books will know the hottie of the series is Radleigh McCoy. Between October 28th and October 31st, I want to hear from you about your sporting crushes! Does David Beckham do it for you? What about swimming sensations Michael Phelps or Rebecca Adlington? When did you first notice your sporting crush, and what do you like best about them? Have you ever been lucky enough to see them in action? Please keep posts to a maximum of 500 words (this is for the benefit of Clare Dugmore who offered me a 10-page essay! ;) LOL!). Yes, of course there are prizes! 1) New paperback copies of Game On and Blindsided 2) E-copies of any of my books (3 winners) 3) A full manuscript edit

Edits and Pitches and Bloghops!

Hey, what's this? A real blog post from me? Surely not! Here's the thing, I have barely paused for breath in the last few weeks. I've been doing a ton of editing work, and I LOVE it, but boy, it's tiring. One of the biggest reasons for me not blogging lately is that I've been reading all day long. When I finish work, my eyes just want to close. This is also the reason why I am SO far behind on reading all of the books you guys have published in the last few months. I need to spend some time soon sorting out my Goodreads list because I know for sure there are books missing that I want to read. Actually, maybe I will do this next.... The WIP I recently finished and haven't told anyone about yet (well apart from my CPs, of course) was on a"rest" because... well, based on the exhausting process of editing Game On, I have now realised that it's okay not to rush the publishing process. This new book feels special, and that's why I wanted to make

(Never) Again Bloghop!

The lovely Theresa Paolo released her debut novel, (Never) Again, this week, and to celebrate, she's having a bloghop! Here are the deets: Liz, the main character of (Never) Again got her heart broken and refused to ever open it up to anyone again. We all know how that goes though. How many times have you swore off something only to step right back into it? So for this bloghop I want to know what it is you swore you would never do again and then wound up doing. It could be anything. Dating a guy, drinking, going on the roller coaster that made you vomit, anything.  Okay, so I figured this would be simple, because I'm sure everyone has something they promised themselves they'd never do again. As it turns out, I have quite a lot! The one I'm going to go with has to do with dating - it seemed fitting! When I was at school, my first boyfriend sort of happened out of nowhere. I liked the guy, but I didn't know he liked me. He made the first move which

How To Handle Bad Reviews Like a Rock Star

No, really! I know I've not been around much, but I felt like this needed to be shared. Because handling a bad review is not easy, no matter who you are. Recently, my favourite band, Fozzy, had a review written about one of their gigs on Metal Hammer . The reviewer said Fozzy's music is as "heavy as lettuce." - Prepare yourself for one of the most fantastic responses to a bad review you will ever see:                                                       from Chris Jericho's Instagram! That's right, kids. THAT'S how you handle a bad review!

Nerd Hop!

In honour of the release of Cassie Mae's How To Date A Nerd (which is awesome, btw), Cassie is holding a bloghop to celebrate all things nerdy! There is only one question: What is the nerdiest thing about you? When I first heard about this hop, I posted a message on Cassie's Facebook page, saying "I'm not sure I'm that nerdy." Then reeled off a list of everything about me that IS nerdy. I was a little surprised lol! I am a MASSIVE Harry Potter fan, and I think this is where the majority of my nerdiness is. I've read the books many times, and I own all of the movies (even though they are less than perfect!). I used to be an active member of a Harry Potter forum, and I could debate whether Snape was good or evil with the best of them! I enjoyed thinking up theories about how the books would play out, and I could quote passages off the top of my head. (I'm a little rusty now though!). When I was about 18, my boyfriend at the time bought me a Harry

More Than Just A Kiss Bloghop Winners!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the MORE THAN JUST A KISS Blogfest.. I had the BEST time reading through them all! I mean, really, who doesn't love a good kissing scene?! Choosing the winners was quite tough, since we all have different likes and dislikes, BUT, we managed to reach a decision! Here are our top three: Our first place winner of a critique (not exceeding ten pages) from Cecilia, Christine, and I is L.G. KELTNER ! Our second place winner of a critique (not exceeding five pages) from Laurelin and Christine is MICHELLE WALLACE ! Our third place winner of a one page critique from Cecilia and Christine is ADRIANNE RUSSELL ! Congratulations! Aand, we also have some bonus prizes to give out. Each of us judges picked one entry to win our bonus prizes. Here they are!   My pick to win IF I LET YOU GO : SUMMER ROSS !   Laurelin's pick to win FIXED ON YOU : ROE ! Cecilia's pick to win TRULY MADLY DEEPLY YOU

Alex J. Cavanaugh's CassaStorm is Here!

Before I get on to the awesomeness of Alex, I just want to say a quick note of thanks to everyone who supported me earlier this week when I was feeling so... blah lol. I'm still working through replies, but I really appreciate all your kind words!   ****     No doubt, you'll have seen our favourite ninja taking the world by storm ;) this week, with the release of CassaStorm! Huge congratulations, Alex! You deserve all the success in the world!     CassaStorm By Alex J. Cavanaugh From the Amazon Best Selling Series! A storm gathers across the galaxy… Commanding the Cassan base on Tgren, Byron thought he’d put the days of battle behind him. As a galaxy-wide war encroaches upon the desert planet, Byron’s ideal life is threatened and he’s caught between the Tgrens and the Cassans. After enemy ships attack the desert planet, Byron discovers another battle within his own family. The declaration of war between all ten races triggers night

A Monday Morning, Self-Involved Whine

Disclaimer: I used this title to warn people in advance of the whiny, self-pitying nature of this post. Also, this may not make any sense whatsoever, but I've had a bunch of stuff going around in my head for a long time, so it's time to purge my brain to make way for new, more positive thoughts. I promise to be my usual self next time! Urgh. The joys of self-doubt. As a writer, I know this is part of the deal. I see other writers feeling the same way I feel right now, and I think, "But... you're amazing, everyone loves you and your books, how can you be insecure?" Which inevitably leads to me wondering if anyone feels that way about me, and my books. I just finished writing what I consider to be my best book so far. According to some of my past reviews, I didn't set the bar that high to begin with lol. My reviews for Game On continue to baffle me. I know it's FAR from perfect, and I've been itching to edit it since I hit publish lol. The thing I c