Thursday, August 27, 2015

Winners!

Okay, first off, you're all winners :).  But, since I did hold a contest, and that does mean some folks won prizes, I wanted to post them here :) (They're in last week's blog too ;)).

The rafflecopter randomizer has spoken!



Savannah S. won  a signed copy of The Glass Gargoyle AND a signed copy of The Obsidian Chimera, plus a few extra gifties!


Vanessa M. won a a $20 Harney & Sons Fine Teas gift card! https://www.harney.com/


Britty B. won a $25 Bookshop Santa Cruz gift card! 


Also- four other folks entered on all of the topics- so if they'd like to email me, I would be happy to send them a little swag bag.

Nina F.

Tara P.

Shauna R.

Julie G.

email me at Marie @ marieandreas .com

Thank you all for entering, coming by the blog, and sharing with your friends!

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

300! With PRIZES!!

*Throws confetti in the air*
*apologizes to folks who got it in their eyes*

I have hit 300 blog posts!


Hello and welcome to The 300 of blog posts.  Sadly, there will be no half naked Spartans involved in this event ;). Nor will we be fighting for our lives, nor as far as I know, our honor.

I started this blog many moons ago as a way to connect with others of my kind: writers, readers, odd and creative folks.  My blog design has changed from an "antique scroll"  (hey, it's probably all blogger had back then ;)), to stylish green, to pink swirls, to a star field, to the current awesome design by Rae Monet. 

The content has mostly stayed the same, although as I wander through this writing adventure, my blogs change as my path does.  And I love comments!  Whether they be here or emailed to me- I love hearing from folks in the same boat, or from an entirely different cruise-line altogether.

I enjoy blogging. In another time I probably would be one of those essayists doing a regular weekly column in the local paper. I'm still enjoying it- so the blogging will continue!

As a thank you to all the folks who read this blog (whether you started years ago, or just found me today), and in honor hitting 300 posts- I've got PRIZES!

Just enter the raffle copter below- THREE lucky folks will win a prize.

Will it be a signed copy of The Glass Gargoyle AND a signed copy of The Obsidian Chimera, plus a few extra gifties?

or

Will it be a $20 Harney & Sons Fine Teas gift card? https://www.harney.com/

or

Will it be a $25 Bookshop Santa Cruz gift card? (awesome, huge, Independent bookstore --they have books on EVERYTHING- yes, you can order them online although a trip to Santa Cruz is a great idea too ;)). http://www.bookshopsantacruz.com/

Just enter any and all of the events below - more events, more chances to win!









a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Book Signing!

Today will be short and sweet from me. I just wanted to get the word out about a book event that I'll be at here in San Diego THIS Saturday (aka August 15th ;)) from Noon to 3pm.  There will be mingling, snacking, book-talk, book signing, and just generally a lovely afternoon. In a place with lots of books. What more could you ask for?

It will be at an awesome local Independent Bookstore- Mysterious Galaxy

 http://www.mystgalaxy.com/event/local-author-meet-greet-0815.

Sadly, Book Two in The Lost Ancients' series, The Obsidian Chimera, won't be out in time for this event, but I will be signing The Glass Gargoyle! And I won't be alone!


Here are some of the awesome authors who will be at the event:




Cynthia Diamond—Siren’s Song








Blurb:
Between being hunted by vampires and her inability to control her siren’s powers, all Adelle Constance wants is to be left alone. She runs from her home, hoping to lay low in the small Washington town of Whitmore. She didn’t count on meeting Jack, a cranky nine-hundred year old dragon who, despite her protests, vows to protect her. She also didn’t count on him being so deliciously attractive in that grumbling way.  
Jack has no desire for a mate, especially after being dumped by the love of his life. Yet somehow he’s suckered into protecting a beautiful siren who can make things explode just by raising her voice. Reluctantly he takes the alluring Adelle under his wing, finding her quirky charms irresistible. And when angry vampires come to take her back, the dragon finds he’s not giving her up without a fight.



Andy Peloquin –Blade of the Destroyer



The Hunter of Voramis is the perfect assassin: ruthless, unrelenting, immortal. Haunted by lost memories, he is bonded to a cursed dagger that feeds him power but denies him peace of mind. Within him rages an unquenchable need for blood and death. 
When he accepts a contract to avenge the stolen innocence of a girl, the Hunter becomes the prey. The death of a seemingly random target sends him hurtling toward destruction, yet could his path also lead to the truth of his buried past?

Professional Freelance Writer


Better Hero Army-Girlgoyle


Tiffany Noboru has just awakened from her death, only to discover she has been drafted into the Gargoyle Ghost Hunter Corps. Soon she is fighting jealous rivalries within her own ranks, struggling to unravel the mystery of her recent death, and trying to avoid being killed a second time by a maniacal ghost named Bones who is seeking the destruction of the gargoyle world. 

Diane Lynn--Secondary Target








Rusty Trimble— The Fun House Mystery Adventure







It has been just over a year since Andrew (12), his cousin Lauren (10), and his little brother Tyler (6) defeated the villainous pirate Jack Frost in the strange game worlds of the brilliant, but enigmatic Professor Adams. The trio had said a bittersweet farewell to their friends Red Eye the pirate, Squawky the parrot, and Batty the squirrel who resided in the realm of Pirate Cove and bid goodbye to their friends Alistair and Craig who returned back home to Scotland. Now however the trio of kid adventurers face their greatest challenge yet! Journeying to a local store hoping to win Professor Adams’ newest gaming portal, they find it ransacked and the Professor missing, a strange blinding light behind a curtain in the room. Stepping through it, they find themselves once more drawn into the bizarre and remarkable game worlds the Professor has designed.

50% of net profits go to stopcaidnow.org a non-profit that seeks to improve the quality of life for children suffering from auto-inflammatory disease.




Paula Margulies—Favorite Daughter, Part One




A young girl faces a dangerous and changing world…
Set in the time of the Jamestown settlement and the English explorer John Smith, Favorite Daughter, Part One recounts the story of Chief Powhatan's daughter, Pocahontas, as she prepares to take her place as one of our nation's earliest leading women. Pocahontas invites readers to experience her native world when strangers appear on the shores near her village. From forging a relationship with the charismatic Smith, to experiencing love for the first time and creating a role for herself in her father’s plans for peace, this young girl takes us on a poignant and harrowing journey through the turbulent events of her life. Eventually betrayed by all of the men she loves, Pocahontas matures into a heroine of tremendous nobility, courage, and heart.

Told in first person, in a voice brimming with compassion and wisdom, Favorite Daughter, Part One provides a compelling look at the early days of one of the most remarkable legends in American history.

Winner, Published Historical Fiction, 2015 San Diego Book Awards Association
Editor’s Choice Award Winner, 24th Annual San Diego State University Writers’ Conference







Joshua Rutherford—The Sons of Chenia






At one time, Chenia was a great country. With various clans spread from north to south, a sacred brotherhood of riders known as the Shepherds roamed the land, protecting their people in the name of their god Ada. But an unspoken horror in the Shepherd city of Sarbin fifteen years earlier has left the Chenians defenseless. As refugees, many have left their homeland while those who have stayed battle enemies both near and far.


Caught between the relative safety of a foreign nation and the atrocities back home is Nicolai, a young man whose own past remains a secret to him. A letter from a distant patriarch in Chenia thrusts him into an odyssey with five of his closest friends, refugees bound by hardship. Through ocean voyages, mountain treks and seedy cityscapes these men return home, only to find it on the verge of invasion from the world’s mightiest empire, Czaria. In the face of a superior force, Nicolai’s memory churns. His once hidden past comes to light, offering a way to salvation for Nicolai and his people yet also threatening to destroy him. With no other option, Nicolai faces all his enemies, both internal and real, in one epic battle to decide the fate of his people. And himself. 


He’ll also be doing a book reading at the Del Mar Library TONIGHT- Wednesday, August 12th @ 6:30pm (https://www.facebook.com/events/1641290082782041/).



Vic Warren--The Neptune Chronicles





Saffron
Jamie Edmondson is friends with nearly everybody, as long as they don’t disagree with his strident views on the environment. When he leads an expedition up the California coast to the discovery of a new race of humans who live under the sea, things change. That’s when he meets some really bad people who don’t like humans that aren’t human. We call them Neptunes, and this race of telepaths threatens everything we humans stand for. When Jamie falls for a beautiful young Neptune, he discovers that when you’re underwater, no one can count your tears.



Girl on a Dolphin
“After this, what kind of songs do you think they’ll be singing about her over their beers,mate? She’s legend.”

In a way, that sums up my newest book, “Girl on a Dolphin.” It’s Book Two of The Neptune Chronicles, and it takes you deeper into their underwater world.

“Daddy, daddy! People on dolphins! There are people on dolphins out there!”
Jamie and Mercy have been living on a tiny island in Fiji for five years, and their daughter, Saffron, just ran in to tell them that she saw Neptunes riding on dolphins. They have to travel to both sides of the globe to forestall what people are calling “The Dolphin War.” With the balance of power over and under the seas at dire risk, can they bring peace between the Neptunes and the humans in time? “Girl on a Dolphin” brings us closer to the almost human race beneath the waves.

The Art of Adventure, at www.vicwarren.com



Selena Jones--Every Day is Like Doomsday





When a misunderstanding lands Elliot Vane in the international school for super villains he learns that the law of the land is to adapt or die. Lucky for him, the Dean of Students knows he’s a fake and has enlisted the help of a sultry Villain named Innya to show him the ropes. Elliot must maneuver through classes with actual evil teachers, defend himself against monstrous bullies who hate him at first sight, avoid Mr. Magnificent, the town Superhero, and find a way to clear his name. But with multiple death sentences on his head will he manage to survive even a week at the Villain Academy, let alone live long enough to clear his name?




Twitter at @ThatSelenaJones

Facebook Author Page:


Goodreads:



These are just a few of the folks who will be there at the event--here's the full list:

Better Hero Army, Ethan Howard, Joshua Rutherford, Abigal Borders, Shauna Roberts, Vic Warren, Marie Andreas, Ona Russell, Paula Margulies, Kristen Elise, Cynthia Diamond, Jan St. Louis, and Selena Jones, Rachel Marks, Lynne Kennedy, and Teri MacIntosh!


Wednesday, August 5, 2015

IWSG-Lost Magic

Happy Insecure Writer’s Support Group day! For those of you unaware of it, writers are often just a tad bit insecure. A few years ago a wonderful writer reached out and created a place for us all to bond and share our hopes, dreams, and fears with each other and the unsuspecting populace.


Once a month we rally and rattle our cages! 
And this is that day!
*ahem*

Okay, so today isn’t really about insecurity, or maybe it is. Insecurity masked as nostalgia. I’ll let you decide.

A few days ago I found myself thinking about my first book. Not the first book I ever attempted, mind you.  That died at 175 pages and I have no idea where the body is. But my first completed book.  The Essence of Chaos.

It’s an epic fantasy and has been massively re-written over the last *cough* “many” years- losing almost 200 pages from its original starting weight, and gaining a lot more readability in the process. I still really like it, and someday it will be published.

But that’s not what today’s blog is about.

It’s about going back to that joyous feeling of writing as a brand new writer. I had written short stories before the Essence of Chaos—and the aforementioned abandoned book—but I was still wet behind the ears. Innocent.  I used to write long hand back then (before my joints started pointing out that really wasn’t cool ;)). 

Mostly my little flashback took me back to a really wonderful time of my life. I was unemployed (okay, that wasn’t great ;)) and living near the beach in Santa Cruz. Every morning I’d get up, look for jobs, then dive into my writing. Pads of lined paper were filed, double spaced so I could go back in for those first edits. After a few hours of the wonder of seeing a world I created come to life, I’d go walk along the cliffs overlooking the ocean, have lunch, then dive back into my world. A few more hours, then dinner, then more writing.

It was magic.

I wasn’t thinking about publishing, or reviews, or the next book, or finding an agent—I just wrote.  I LOVED my characters. I’m a character driven writer, so I love all of my people, but those characters in the Essence of Chaos will always be special. The wonder of my first real book (I completed the rough draft during this time) combined with massive amounts of time and living in a place I adored really combined to create a wonderful memory.

I have to think that all the stress as of late, book two being over two months late, massive amounts of other stressors ganging up and bitch-slapping me recently, all made my mind pull up this memory. Not to make me nostalgic and sad (although it did at first). But to remind me of the magic of writing. Even though I am employed in a full-time evil day job, and no longer live walking distance to the ocean, I can still grab some of the magic back.

I really hope so anyway.