Release Day – Shadowborn #lilagray

I always have such a hard time writing release day posts.  I mean, how can I possibly express all of the jitters and shivers and doubts that are going on inside me right now?  Okay, so I’m an author and I should be able to do that, so I’ll rephrase. 

How can I possibly express how I feel without filling the page with gleeful shouts and descriptions of my happy dance?  Without sounding like a sappy moron?  Without telling you just how badly I’m biting my nails over this one?

Hell if I know, so I’ll stop rambling and get right to the point.

Shadowborn is finally here!

It’s been a whole year since The Glass Man went head to head with Lila Gray.

Now she’s back and in a whole heap of trouble.  I’m betting she’s right pissed at me right now.  In fact, I have a summons to her city.  During my whirlwind blog tour that starts today, you’ll find out what happens when I go to visit her.  If I live to tell the tale, that is.

Stop by J. Taylor Publishing’s blog today to check out my first stop.

Here are the deets of the next installment of my heart and soul:

Back of the book:

Why me?

That’s the question Lila Gray asks every time yet another bad guy tries to destroy the earth, and she learns she’s the only one who can stop it. Once again, something’s on the prowl, leaving hundreds of comatose, soulless victims in its wake.

Couldn’t the deadliest assassins of the Otherworld go after someone else instead of the brand new Queen of the Seelie? One who still hasn’t adapted to her new role.

Lila would ask Liam Kane, King of the Unseelie, for advice, but something’s off with him, too. He’s holding back. In some way. About some thing. In fact, he refuses to tell her what’s going on.

The truth holds Lila back from the greatness of her role—the people she was born to lead—the man who she desperately loves—and the solution to the latest war raging around her.

To find the answers, she’ll need to fight through her own darkness and embark on a journey through her psyche.

If she doesn’t succeed, the Shadowborn will claim not only her world, but her soul.

Release date:  October 1st, 2012 (that’s now.  Squeeee!)

Genre:  Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

Publisher:  J. Taylor Publishing

So, what do you think?  Sound intriguing?  If you’d like to pick up a copy, here are some handy dandy links for you.  Readers are made of awesome, the reason I write, so I hope with all my heart that I entertain you.  Enjoy!

Shadowborn:  Amazon, Barnes & Noble

The Glass Man:  Amazon, Barnes & Noble

Shadowborn Goodies

I’m all atwitter today, because I get to share some awesome digital goodies with you for Shadowborn, the next installment of the Lila Gray trilogy!

Book Mark

How awesome is this book mark!  I can’t wait to have some printed versions of these little beauties.

Blog Tour Button

If you’d like to participate in my blog tour for Shadowborn’s release, send me an email to sign up, and grab my button to put on your blog.

Poster

I have a printed version of my The Glass Man poster like this, and it looks amazing.  Time to send this goodie off to the printer.

When dreams come to life

Summer, 2010.  My life had taken an unexpected u-turn on the job front.  It threw me for a loop at first, but looking back now, it’s one of those events that defined me.  Or at least set me on the road to figuring out who the heck I am.  At 37 years old, I still didn’t know.

With a lot of time to ponder life, a story popped into my head.  One that came from ::ahem:: ‘dreams’ of the daytime sort, and no, I won’t elaborate more on that.  😉  My crazy imagination spun and twisted ideas, characters, settings and a collision course for my heroine and villain to follow.  I lived and breathed the story in every quiet moment, playing scenes like movies in my mind.

I’d taken an online writing course or two.  I knew I had it in me, somewhere deep, to create a story that would entertain … well … someone.  So, I opened my laptop and typed Chapter 1.  I find that blank page daunting, always.  Daring me to fill it with something interesting.  And I’m not one to back down from a challenge like that.

Six weeks later, I had the first draft of The Glass Man stewing in my laptop.  With the help of my buds from the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pens at Scribophile.com, I had it polished up in another six weeks. To my utter shock, most liked the book.  Yes.  Mine.  The one that came from my own mind, heart and soul.  I’d entertained someone.  My goal had been achieved.

Then the amazing happened.

I knew how hard the publishing world could be, and I held little hope that my baby would ever reach any readers beyond my writer friends.  I was okay with that.  Though, fine, I admit it, I did fantasize about holding my own novel in my hand one day.  By some fantastic twist of fate, I got in touch with a new and crazy-talented publisher, J. Taylor Publishing about The Glass Man.  Their response:  We want to publish your book.

WHAT?  After reading the email about a hundred times, pinching myself until I was certain I was awake AND made certain I hadn’t slipped into an alternate reality, I responded:  Um … hell yes!  Okay, so I didn’t say that in my response, but translate that into something moderately professional with a hint of excitement, and there you have it.

There were so many exciting moments over the last six months.  Signing a contract.  Seeing the cover design for the first time.  Getting a release date.  Bookmarks, cool pictures, pre-release reviews.  Today, I’m going to be signing the first run of paperback novels at Chapters Bookstore in Peterborough, Ontario.  A real bookstore.  My novel!

I am, truly, living my dream.

And now I know who I am.  I’m an author.  A professional daydreamer, and proud of it.

RELEASE DAY!!!  The Glass Man is now available!!!

Click here for purchase links

Rotten to the core #sixsunday #theglassman

This week we’re revisiting The Glass Man.  In this scene, Parthalan (villain) and his lackey, Rourke, are discussing how to dress my heroine, Lila, for a public ceremony.

“Provocative?” Rourke offered.
“I was thinking outrageously slutty, but provocative will do.” [Parthalan] patted Rourke on the shoulder and crouched by me again. “Our moment is almost upon us at last, my darling.”
He kissed me, but I stayed rigid while his tongue wormed its way between my lips. Vomiting into his mouth would have been satisfying, but it wouldn’t come.

He is a naughty boy, isn’t he?  Six whole days to go and my baby will be unleashed upon the world!  Woo hoo!

Don’t forget to click the Six Sunday link at the top for the the rest of this week’s entries.

In celebration of my upcoming release, I’m giving away a signed paperback on Goodreads. 

Click below to enter.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Glass Man

by Jocelyn Adams

Giveaway ends October 15, 2011.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Meet author M. L. Lacy

It’s my pleasure to introduce you to M. L. Lacy, author of the Chrysalis Series

What inspired you to write your first book?   

I’ve always had stories rattling around in my head, but this one wouldn’t leave and what started as a short story blossomed into a series. Now I have all the other stories pushing to get their say on paper too, but this one is my heart.

I hear you on the stories rattling around.  I often have that problem myself.  🙂  If you had to choose, which writer would you consider to be your greatest mentor?

Gosh…I’m going to say JK Rowling. Harry Potter reignited my imagination and made me stretch my limits and then made me stretch some more. Chrysalis took me out of my comfort zone and while it’s an adult read it stretches your imagination.

I love her books, too.  Tell us about your book, Chrysalis – The Awakening.  Introduce the main characters to us.

This is the first book in my series. This is the back cover blub:

All families have secrets. At 32, Bree Campbell discovers her entire life has been a secret. A human born into a family of magicals, she begins questioning everything and everyone around her. The prophecy told at her birth speaks of a Chosen One; the last and greatest of a long line of Chosen Ones charged with saving both the human and magical realms. Bree must face this reality and life with her new family; a clan of vampires protecting her. The sorceress, Esmeralda, will stop at nothing until this Chosen One is dead. None could then oppose her and she would be free to rid the world of all humans. Will Bree awaken the hidden powers and find inner strength needed to save the world?

Characters: Okay, there’s Bree, she is the heroin of the story. Then there is the clan of vampires that has protected her: Steven, her intended, her soul mate, her ultimate love. Bradley, the Alpha of the clan, Rick, and finally, Bill, who is her cousin…but not her cousin. The women that are in the clan: Madalyn – Bradley’s wife, Sandy – Rick’s wife, and Gina – Bill’s wife. Bree’s grandmother, Gran, as Bree calls her, makes several important appearances in the story. Then there are the evil-doers: Esmeralda, Bree’s arch nemeses and her henchman, Thomas.

There are multitudes of twists and turns and when you think you are heading in the right directions…it turns again.

The story takes place over seven days, with one side trip to Yellowstone, in Las Vegas. Bree knows nothing of the magical realm, or who or what she is to become. She joins her grandmother on the trip on the guise of going to a reunion, but the real reason is to make her aware of the magical realm…and reunite her with Steven…why you ask…you need to read the book to find out.

Sounds fantastic.  I can’t wait to read it.  Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?  

Staying away from the safe, the tried and true, and stretching out and trying new things.

Do you have any rituals when you sit down to write?  Coffee, certain music playing, that sort of thing.

I get up on the weekends, turn my computer on, make me a cup of coffee and sit down and type…and by the time I take my first drink of the coffee, it’s gone cold. I like it quiet. I like to hear the keys clicking on my key board and I type whatever comes in my head, I strive to get a chapter out in one sitting. Then I walk away, and when I come back a hour or so later…or longer, I re-read what I wrote, and continue. I don’t edit, I don’t worry about punctuation, grammar, spelling–nothing until the very end. When I’m completely satisfied, I then give it to my beta reader and wait for her feedback…and then I edit some more. All in all it takes me about 7-9 months.

I like quiet, too.  It’s amazing how quickly time can go by when we’re doing something we love.  What advice would you give to aspiring writers who dream of publication?

Stay true to your story, stay true to yourself and keep plugging along. I’ve been writing for only 5 years and have 4 books written, but I’ve been a dreamer for 50+.

Yep, I agree.  Perseverance often equals success. Tell us your latest news and what’s next for you.

My next series, it will be much smaller that Chrysalis, is set to go into edits in October 2011 with a scheduled release date of April 2012. Here is a small insight into the story and I’ve posted the first chapter on my website: www.mllacy.com

All that Kelsey had thought to be true her entire life, shattered upon hearing her grandmother’s deathbed confession; her parents had not died in a fire when she was three.

Along with a box of letters and cards sent to her grandparents when she was a child, her grandmother shared the awful truth that, although her parents, had planned to return for her, they never did. For reasons unknown, her mother’s family would never accept her, and there was someone who wanted her dead. Having promised to never remove it, the necklace she wears is the only thing protecting her.

Her only clues are what she finds in the box, which isn’t much. The cards in the box were purchased in Keystone, South Dakota—a place unbeknown to the human realm, where magickals lived. Unaware of that fact, Kelsey embarks on a journey to find her parents, learn who wants her dead, and discover how and why the necklace protects her.

So, if you’re looking for a great fall read, check out Chrysalis – The Awakening

Purchase from Amazon

Find her on facebook under M.L. Lacy

Find her on Goodreads

Stay tuned next week when I’ll bring you Charlie Kenmore

One month to go…

How did this happen?  There’s only one month left before The Glass Man is unleashed into the world.  My little baby has grown into its own and it’s almost time to set it free.

::sniffle::

I’m ready, I think.  There seemed to be so much time to get everything done, but time slipped away and the big event is almost upon me.  Deep breaths.  Lower the pulse from a sprint.

Okay, bring it on.

To celebrate, I’m giving away two, yes TWO signed book marks like the one below.

How do you win, you ask?

Leave a comment below with the first and last name of my heroine in the book.  Simple, right?

Here are some links where you can find it:

www.joceadams.com

www.jtaylorpublishing.com

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11273366-the-glass-man

I will pick two winners from all those who leave a comment on this post with the correct answer.  Please make sure to leave me a way to reach you, either an email or link to your website where I can contact you for an address if you should win.

Good luck!

Touch of Frost Revealed

Here she is, the face of Lauren Mclean in Touch of Frost.  I couldn’t have dreamed up a better image to represent the book if I’d had a year to do it.  Another testament to the talented designers at J. Taylor Publishing.

Here’s the blurb for this little lovely, due out on February 1, 2012 in eBook formats.

~~~

Even the simplest of touches between Will Frost and Lauren McLean are forbidden.

To share love will surely mean death.

Since her granddad’s passing, Lauren has existed a few steps out of sync with the world. Desperate to feel the love only he offered her as a child, Lauren returns to the haven they once shared — a snow-covered cabin at the foothills of the Rockies.

It’s not the memory of her granddad that warms her ice-cold, frost-bitten body after being caught in a blizzard, though. It’s the man in whose bed she wakes.

Along with bringing life to her soul, Will stirs deep-rooted memories in Lauren and brings out the love she seeks.

What Will knows about himself — the secrets of his kind — he keeps hidden, forcing Lauren to search for answers, to question and ultimately put her life, and his own existence, in danger.

In love though, there is always a way.

Can Will get around the rules? Or will Lauren give up her life simply to have one last touch from Will Frost?

~~~

Visit my website for some downloadable goodies for Touch of Frost, like a nifty desktop wallpaper for your PC.

The Glass Man Trailer has arrived!

This is a week for much excitement and sharing.  At long last, the book trailer for The Glass Man is out on YouTube!  Ahhhhhh!

J. Taylor Publishing did a fantastic job with it.  I hope you love it as much as I do.

Bet you want to read it now.  😉  Don’t forget to share it with your friends!

Only a month and a half left to go and I’ll be holding a copy in my hands.  Might want to cover your ears for that one.

Interview with Charley Randall

Have you ever met a Mimic?  Me either.  That’s why I was thrilled with Charley Randall from Aimee Laine’s Little White Lies agreed to an exclusive interview with me.

I bet you’ve been some interesting people over your lifetime.  Who is the most memorable person you’ve ever mimicked and why?

Okay, well … hmmm… you know, that’s a really hard question because in any given year, I could have been 10-12 people. Sometimes more. Add that up over my ::cough:: … uh … 200 years and well, that’s … a lot of different folks. I can’t really name names, but I’ve played a few princesses, one of the English
variety and one who never had the title ‘princess’ but should have back in the … well … middle of the 20th century. You’d be amazed at what goes on behind
the curtains of ‘royalty’ … then again, it’s really no different than in my own house, just totally in the public eye.  ::wink::

You’ve lived ever little girl’s dream, to be a princess for a day.  How cool is that?  How weird was it the first time you stood in front of the mirror as someone else?  I mean, sometimes I stand in front of the mirror and my own reflection startles the hell out of me.  🙂

Well … I was 13 at the time and had just figured out what I could do. I didn’t have anyone around at the time, so the first thing I did was … um … well
… enhance my 13 year old cleavage if you know what I mean. From there, I started enhancing other areas until I took on my Mom’s shape. She was a
beautiful woman, a Mimic, too, but one who’d blended with my Dad fifteen years before. Of course I didn’t know she was a Mimic as she’d avoided the
“you’re going to be able to change your shape” conversation the way today’s moms avoid the birds and bees conversation.

Right on!  I wish I could enhance my cleavage!  Hey, I’m curious about the Mimics.  Is there some sort of governing body you answer to?

There is always a governing body … for all ‘otherworldy’ beings or humans with supernatural abilities. As long as you don’t let those who aren’t on a need to know basis … know … then they stay out of our lives. I’ve never had to deal with them in all my years.

That’s good, because it sounds like you have enough of the US government bossing you around without having your own, too.  What’s the deal with Lily and Cael?  Are we going to find out in book two what’s keeping them apart?

::sigh::  Lily and Cael. I think you’ll learn, yes. The two of them are meant for each other. They really are. They always have been. They know it too, but Lily …  well … Lily’s a bit of a shattered soul. She hides it really well and  sometimes, you’d never know it. She needs to come to grips with a few things
before she’ll ever accept Cael. And Cael? Well … he may be big and strong and  fierce, but when it comes to Lily, he’s the biggest teddy bear around. He’ll do
anything for her, including wait until she comes to her senses.

I really hope she comes to those senses soon.  Her loyal fans want to know how their story ends, dammit!  Okay, now that that’s out of my system, moving on.  Knowing Wyatt loved and wondered about you all  the years you were separated, if you could go back to that night of the dance, would you still walk away?

::very very slow blink:: Yeah, I would. ::deep breath in:: It was the hardest thing  I’ve ever done, but it was important. It was necessary. He needed to experience life before he got saddled with me, which at 18, that’s exactly what would have happened to him.

Yeah, I get that.  You’re definitely stronger than I would have been had I been in you’re shoes.   What’s your single biggest regret?

I have no regrets. Everything I’ve done has been for a reason and while that reason might seem to have spurred regrets, after 200 years, I know not to look
at them that way. They were right at the time and since time travel isn’t … well … they were right at the time.

What an awesome attitude.  If only we could all look at our lives that way, there’d be loads of happier folks in the world.  Do you still visit James and the clan since your “change”?  Do you miss the way you used to be?

James,  Cael, Lily and now Wyatt and I are a team. There is no ‘visiting’ though I did  move out of my house and into Wyatt’s. We still see each other every day because we work together … well … I should say they all work together and  are trying to keep me out, but we’ll be having none of that in short order. I
have plans. They’ll just have to get over it. Just because I can’t look like someone else without a little stage makeup doesn’t mean I’m not still 100%
useful.

Ooo, sounds like a battle’s a brewin’.  What’s in store next for you and Wyatt? Any juicy details to share with us?  ::wink wink::

Well … right now we’re planning our wedding. It’s been really fun having my dress designed. Actually, this is really only the second dress I’ve ever picked for an event — Lily does most of my selection because they’ve all been ‘covers’ for others. So the first one I picked was for the dance 16 years ago. This time, I’ve combined what I picked back then with a little extra from Lily’s dress. If you can picture it … it’ll be a mix of the two … sort of. I’m just hopeful
Wyatt will like it because … well … he liked the last one. ::wink::

That was awesome, right?  Thanks to Charley for stopping in and here’s hoping your wedding day is bright and sunny and free of mishaps.  Can’t wait to read on in your story.

For more on Charley and the rest of the memerable characters from Little White Lies, here’s some info on this must-have summer read.

Back Cover Blurb:

When the government needs a body double for a covert operation, they hire shape-shifter Charley Randall. For two centuries, she’s played every part from foreign dignitary to office drone. The role she wants most, though, is one she’s denied herself three times already.

FBI Agent Wyatt Moreland believes Charley’s photographic memory is the key to his latest assignment. He’s oblivious to the true extent of her abilities, but he can’t deny the sense of déjà vu at their introduction.

Unlike Wyatt, Charley knows this isn’t their first meeting.

It’s their fourth.

The girl he vowed to love, sixteen years before, stands in front of him in her true form — one he’ll never recognize.

With each reconnection, Charley loves him more though she realizes this is her last chance to explain. Only absolute truth can bring them happiness, but can Wyatt forgive her deceptions? Or will lies tear them apart forever?

Useful links:

www.aimeelaine.com

http://www.jtaylorpublishing.com/books/3

Buy at Amazon.com

Buy at Barnes & Noble

My bookmarks are here!

Each time my publisher, J. Taylor Publishing, sends me a little tidbit about my book, the surreal feeling I’m swimming in flies away and everything seems more real.  My book is going to be published.  Yes, PUBLISHED!  For real.  ::snicker::  I know, right!!!!

Thanks to the blasted postal strike, I don’t yet have these little lovelies in hand, but I wanted to share the designs with you, anyway.  Aren’t they great!  Can’t wait to see them for real and to share them with everyone.

If I’m this excited about the bookmarks, what the hell am I going to be like when I finally get to hold The Glass Man in my hands?

I guess I’ll find out in October!