Think about something else... Easier said than done. RUNNING FROM SHADOWS #8Sunday #YAPNR

 

Today I'm sharing from my (unpublished) young adult paranormal romance Running From Shadows!

Follow Greta Shore (a 17-year-old, black-haired wiccan beauty) and Paxton "Pax" Craig (an 18-year-old, blond-haired college student with a dark secret) as they discover the fate of their forbidden love.

 ****

(Read last week's post. Set-up) Greta runs away from her surprise engagement party through the woods. Pax saves her from a shadow demon. Oh, and he's a unicorn! 
Back at Pax's cabin, Greta and Pax talk. He tells her that the shadow has fed on her emotions. And that it's definitely someone she knows. And she must under no circumstance confront it because it will kill her. And don't get emotional about anything! >.< Pax takes Greta home. Now, her mother tells her Reed Clarkwell--Greta's shrink--suggested the marriage contract. She's gotta stay calm per Pax, and all she can do it lay in bed and THINK about it. This is too much!

Cover Art by Danielle Fine

Why had Creepwell gone to Mom with the contract?

Oh, great, much better.

I sighed and rolled over; surely all this had been an awful nightmare.

When I wake up I’ll start over…go for a run, go to work, do my homework and crash--business as usual.
I leaned over and checked the alarm clock. Its red glare read 6:30 AM. I had to be at work by nine-thirty. How had it gotten so late?

Tune in next week for more angsty spooky goodness!

Thanks again for stopping by! Your support and feedback is greatly appreciated!

****
Extra! Extra!

*Would you like to see some pics of Greta and Pax? Check them out here! Gotta love Pinterest!! Ooo, stalk me there too, please...uh, here! ;)

 *Self-publishing? Need an editor and cover artist? Check out my uber-talented editor, Danielle Fine, she's wonderful to work with and does exceptional work! Click here for more info!

Cover Reveal: Restless In Peaceville by @pippajaygreen! #zombies #YA #RIP

Blurb:

Welcome to Peaceville, population 2067 and rising...from the grave...

Luke Chester has had enough. He’s the school geek, the girls laugh at him, he’s lost his dead-end job at the pizza place, and in the midst of the world’s messiest divorce his parents don’t even know he exists. An overdose of his mom’s tranquilizers and a stomach full of whiskey should solve all his problems...

But they don’t. Instead, Luke finds himself booted out of the afterlife for not dying a natural death, with nowhere to go but back to his recently vacated corpse and reality. How the hell is he going to pass for one of the living without someone trying to blow his brains out for being one of the undead?

And it just gets worse. He’s got to fight his own desperate craving to consume the living, evade the weird supernatural hunter who’s having a field day with the new undeads rising, and there’s this creepy black shadow following him around. Add to that the distraction of female fellow undead Annabelle burning to avenge her own murder, and clearly there’s no rest for the wicked. Jeez, all he wanted to do was R.I.P.

A YA supernatural novella, coming from Lycaon Press 20^th August.

Add it to your Goodreads shelf HERE.

Sign up to my no-spam newsletter HERE to get early sneak peeks at covers, and news of the latest releases, giveaways and contest.

Excerpt:

Where the hell am I?

Not the most original question, I know, but it’s the best place to start. The only place. I don’t know where I am. I can’t remember where I was. What I was. But nothing about this place is familiar, and some part of me didn’t expect this.

There’s a line of people all the way to infinity. I’m not exaggerating—I do mean infinity. And it hurts to look at it because the human mind can’t handle that. Not completely. You think you know how that looks? You don’t. You can’t. Try to imagine the whole of creation. Can you see every last ant, every last star? No.

Around us—well, it’s a big gray hall. A really, really huge space, like an aircraft hangar kind of place, only no planes and no doors. In fact, no walls or roof either. The edges just blur into the darkness, as though none of it exists except the floor we’re standing on, and I’m not even sure about that. Looking up makes me giddy. You know when you’re dizzy from spinning around, and you lay down, but you feel as if you just keep on falling? That. So I don’t try it again. I keep my eyes away from the endless line of other people waiting. Instead, I stare at the back of the person in front of me and try not to think about where I am and what may be going on. Because now I have a nasty suspicion about it and what might have happened. My mind scurries away from the thought. This ain’t good. 

Oh, by the by, my name is Luke Chester. That much I do know. I can’t be that old—my hands aren’t wrinkled or calloused, although there’s a cool scar across my left palm. My skin is pale gray. So are the long sleeves of my T-shirt. In fact everyone and everything is gray, just like the room. I stare at the guy in front of me, hoping for some clues. He has dreadlocks and his skin is so dark as to be almost black. He’s wearing a tank top, torn and covered with dark streaks that something tells me should be red, but, like everything else here, have no color. There are two deep slashes in the back of his neck, and more on his arms. They aren’t bleeding though. I guess they’ve all dried up, or maybe he’s all bled out. His jeans are ripped too, although that could be a fashion thing. I can’t see any wounds on his legs.

I look down at myself. My jeans are in one piece, but my feet are bare. I wriggle my toes and watch them dance like I’ve never seen them move before. I can’t feel the ground. I don’t feel warm or cold, just kind of numb, and distant. It’s as if I’m not really here, but clearly I am. What happened to me? How did I get here? That bothers me. I shouldn’t be here. Then again, I’m not sure where else I should be.

Bio:

After spending twelve years working as an Analytical Chemist in a Metals and Minerals laboratory, Pippa Jay is now a stay-at-home mum who writes scifi and the supernatural. Somewhere along the way a touch of romance crept into her work and refused to leave. In between torturing her plethora of characters, she spends the odd free moment playing guitar very badly, punishing herself with freestyle street dance, and studying the Dark Side of the Force. Although happily settled in the historical town of Colchester in the UK with her husband of 21 years and three little monsters, she continues to roam the rest of the Universe in her head.

Pippa Jay is a dedicated member of the Science Fiction Romance Brigade, blogging at Spacefreighters Lounge, Adventures in Scifi, and Romancing the Genres. Her works include a YA science fiction novel—Gethyon—published through BURST (Champagne Books), two self-published short stories (Terms & Conditions Apply, The Bones of the Sea, and Reboot), and she’s one of eight authors included in a science fiction romance anthology—Tales from the SFR Brigade. She’s also a double SFR Galaxy Award winner, been a finalist in the Heart of Denver RWA Aspen Gold Contest (3^rd place), and the GCC RWA Silken Sands Star Awards (2^nd place).

You can stalk her at her website, or at her blog, but without doubt her favorite place to hang around and chat is on Twitter as @pippajaygreen.

What's a Banshee's writing process like? Lots of screaming and swooping :P #writerslife

I've been tagged by my talented and lovely friend Lola Karns to participate! You can stalk her here ;)



1) What am I working on?

I'm currently taking a break from New Adult (NA) because of a Young Adult (YA) that has been gnawing at me since last year. The title is Hear Me (Tagline: Gotta scream to catch the dead), set in San Francisco. It's about a banshee ghost hunter who is terrified of ghosts. You knew I'd write a banshee story eventually :P That's all you get for now though! I'm pretty hush-hush about my works-in-progress (WIPs) until I've completed the first draft. Yes, I'm a tease.



2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I write NA/YA supernatural (which is a sneaky way of saying NA/YA paranormal romance...bwahaha). And a lot of my stories have LBGT themes. I strive to make my stories unique and diverse while weaving the paranormal elements throughout modern-times. Whether I'm writing about dragons or genies or banshees my characters always seem to want to live in present day. When I write a LBGT character I don't always make it a "coming out" story. My current WIP follows a banshee who is bi-sexual. She knows she is and isn't ashamed. It's totally normal for her to like both guys and girls. She is self-conscious about something though...the fact that she has a huge vertical scar down the center of her eye. Nothing can cover it, not even make-up.

3) Why do I write what I write?

Simple. I write NA/YA supernatural because I just love it. Boom! It's my fave genre to read. Being able to have abilities or turn/shift into fascinating creatures is totally my cup of tea. I write gay and bi-sexual characters because there aren't enough diverse stories out there. All characters need their stories told! Writing from a diverse character's point of view (POV) is so rewarding.

4) How does your writing process work?

Slowly... Like, this slow.

The doggie represents all the heavy thoughts and day-to-day responsibilities I carry with me as I'm plotting, day-dreaming, and writing. And the fact that the gif replays itself over and over is how my mind works. I re-think and over-analyze everything about my story from the very beginning. One of these days I'd like to just write a story without all the analyzing. But! for now that's not how I roll--erm, crawl. ;) My current WIP has been a unique experience for me though. Normally I always have an opening--inciting event--in mind, and the ending is nowhere in sight. However, Hear Me has a definite ending (and it's set-up to be a standalone novel with spin-off potential), but the opening was the hardest thing for me to figure out. I'm super pumped about how the opening turned out though! Sometimes I get upset with myself because I don't write four or five books a year. I'm doing good to write ONE. The thing I've come to learn and appreciate is that my style is my style. I don't have to keep up with anyone or compare myself to anyone. Writing is a continual process and will take as long as it takes. Being a writer means you're never done writing. No matter if you've finished a story there's another one nibbling at your soul awaiting the chance to be told. And frankly... 

But! I love it. 

You writerly types will totally relate...

That moment when a demon's been feeding on you... RUNNING FROM SHADOWS #8Sunday #YAPNR

 

Today I'm sharing from my (unpublished) young adult paranormal romance Running From Shadows!

Follow Greta Shore (a 17-year-old, black-haired wiccan beauty) and Paxton "Pax" Craig (an 18-year-old, blond-haired college student with a dark secret) as they discover the fate of their forbidden love.

 ****

(Read last week's post. Set-up) Greta runs away from her surprise engagement party through the woods. Pax saves her from a shadow demon. Oh, and he's a unicorn! 
Back at Pax's cabin, Greta and Pax talk. He tells her that the shadow has fed on her emotions. And that it's definitely someone she knows. And she must under no circumstance confront it because it will kill her. And don't get emotional about anything! >.< Pax takes Greta home. Now, her mother tells her Reed Clarkwell--Greta's shrink--suggested the marriage contract. She's gotta stay calm per Pax. This is too much!

Cover Art by Danielle Fine

As I stared up at the ceiling, I caught another glimpse of my shadow on the wall, leering at me. A cold tingle ran up my spine, and I stretched over to cut out the light so I wouldn’t have to be reminded of what was after me. A demon...An honest-to-Goddess legend. The longer I lay there, the more I kept thinking, Why me?

Stop it, Greta, go to sleep.

Had I just been in the wrong place at the wrong time tonight? A drive-through McWitches in the neighborhood? But Paxton said it had been feeding on me for a while now…

Tune in next week for more angsty spooky goodness!

Thanks again for stopping by! Your support and feedback is greatly appreciated!

****
Extra! Extra!

*Would you like to see some pics of Greta and Pax? Check them out here! Gotta love Pinterest!! Ooo, stalk me there too, please...uh, here! ;)

 *Self-publishing? Need an editor and cover artist? Check out my uber-talented editor, Danielle Fine, she's wonderful to work with and does exceptional work! Click here for more info!

Cover Reveal: DRAWN TO YOU by @AngiNicole722!! #NA #romance

Blurb:

Shy Ellie Baylor goes away to college in an attempt to escape her overbearing and zealously religious parents. In between dodging their daily phone call and lugging her oversized art portfolio across campus, she manages to be happy, mostly by avoiding any kind of social interaction. Then she meets River Daniels, the hot guy she's secretly been ogling in her art classes.

River is understanding and sexy, and their connection quickly grows.  However, a lifetime of listening to her parents has left Ellie uncertain not only about herself, but her relationship with River. Their blatant disapproval of River and her choices leave Ellie with the hardest choice she's ever faced- her parents' approval or the love of her life. 

But can Ellie lose either and still learn to live?

DRAWN TO YOU comes out August 19th anywhere and everywhere ebooks are sold!

Author bio:

 

Angi Black is a dancer, a singer, a pirate, a poet. One of those is a lie. She writes New Adult and Adult and owns her own editing business, Wise Owl Words. She also teaches dance and theater all while baking treats and greening up the world around her. She loves music and donuts. She's Team Damon and her muse is Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Gene Kelley. Whedonite. Coffee. Ambassador of Awesome. Bourbon. Beatles. Zeppelin. Mraz. Queen of useless trivial knowledge. Betty White is her spirit animal. Her patronus is a chorus of back-up dancers singing Don't Rain on my Parade. Angi blogs at The Writer Diaries, All The Write Notes, and Indie Ignites. She even has a fancy website.

 

Stalk Angi here: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Stay calm, he said. Pa-lease. Her life was over... RUNNING FROM SHADOWS #8Sunday #YAPNR

 

Today I'm sharing from my (unpublished) young adult paranormal romance Running From Shadows!

Follow Greta Shore (a 17-year-old, black-haired wiccan beauty) and Paxton "Pax" Craig (an 18-year-old, blond-haired college student with a dark secret) as they discover the fate of their forbidden love.

 ****

(Read last week's post. Set-up) Greta runs away from her surprise engagement party through the woods. Pax saves her from a shadow demon. Oh, and he's a unicorn! 
Back at Pax's cabin, Greta and Pax talk. He tells her that the shadow has fed on her emotions. And that it's definitely someone she knows. And she must under no circumstance confront it because it will kill her. And don't get emotional about anything! >.< Pax takes Greta home. Now, her mother tells her Reed Clarkwell--Greta's shrink--suggested the marriage contract. She's gotta stay calm per Pax. This is too much!

Cover Art by Danielle Fine

I ran upstairs to my room, slammed the door, switched on my nightstand lamp and flopped into bed. Covering my face with my arms, I tried to steady my breath. It was going to be okay. None of this was really happening. It had to be a dream. Or maybe I’d woken up in a parallel universe or something. When I got up tomorrow, my life would be normal again. It had to be.

Tune in next week for more angsty spooky goodness!

Thanks again for stopping by! Your support and feedback is greatly appreciated!

****
Extra! Extra!

*My newest release is AVAILABLE NOW. Only 99 cents (for a short time)!! Soo excited to be part of this fantastically talented group of authors. Check out the Lore anthology. Amazon! B&N! My story is a YA LGBT about a girl, a genie, and a tone of bad decisions. 

*Would you like to see some pics of Greta and Pax? Check them out here! Gotta love Pinterest!! Ooo, stalk me there too, please...uh, here! ;)

 *Self-publishing? Need an editor and cover artist? Check out my uber-talented editor, Danielle Fine, she's wonderful to work with and does exceptional work! Click here for more info!

Cover Reveal – Tethered by @pippajaygreen!!!! The pretty!!! #scifi via @breathlesspress

Blurb:

She can kill with a kiss. But can assassin Tyree also heal one man's grief, and bring peace to a galaxy threatened by war?

For Tyree of the Su, being an assassin isn’t simply something she was trained for. It's the sole reason for her existence. A genetically enhanced clone—one of many in Refuge—she's about to learn her secluded lifestyle, and that of all her kind, is under threat by a race capable of neutralizing their special talents to leave them defenseless.

For Zander D'joren, being a diplomat has not only cost him his appearance, but also the love of his life. Scarred, grieving, he must nonetheless continue in his role as co-delegate to the fearsome Tier-vane or risk a conflict that could only end one way.

Now both of them need to keep each other alive and maintain a perilous deception long enough to renegotiate the treaty with the Tier-vane, or throw their people into a war that could wipe out Terrans and Inc-Su alike. But there's more at stake than humanity, whether true or modified. Can the love growing between them save them both? Or merely hasten their destruction?

A science fiction romance novella, coming from Breathless Press 25^th July.

Add it to your Goodreads shelf HERE.

Sign up to my no-spam newsletter HERE to get early sneak peeks at covers, and news of the latest releases, giveaways and contest.

Excerpt:

A thrill of excitement shivered down her spine as she backed away a few steps with Zander following. He shrugged off his formal outer robes, and for the first time she could appreciate the broad expanse of his chest, the close-fitting fabric stretched over well-defined muscles. It appeared he hadn't allowed his physique to slacken, despite leaving the Galactic Commission.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

Zander spread his hands in an open gesture to say that he was.

So why is he just standing there like a defunct Manikin instead of poised to fight?

Tyree took her combat position and Zander matched her, just as the Manikin had done. She'd never fought a human in combat practice before. This should be interesting.

She sprang forward and aimed two rapid punches at his face. Zander evaded both with a speed and grace totally out of proportion to his bulk. Her third he blocked with little effort, and she stepped back to reassess her strategy. But only for an instant.

A quick step forward and she lashed upward with her foot, snapping his head back. Zander staggered but didn't fall. Her second kick failed as he grabbed her ankle and jerked her off balance. She twisted as she dropped and caught him hard in the knee. Zander collapsed. Both rolled aside, and then jumped up to face each other again.

Not bad.

Tyree bit back a laugh as they exchanged blows, each faster than the last. Zander blocked or evaded most, but not all. His skill almost matched hers, yet his defenses were just a fraction too slow. Each move she made tested his reach, his reflexes and his stamina until she could sense him struggling a little.

Time for the kill.

She floored him with a kick to the chest, the full weight of her augmented density behind it, but as she moved in to finish the fight he dove into her. Tyree landed on her back hard enough to drive the breath from her lungs.

Zander had her pinned to the ground. She bucked but couldn't shift him. The triumphant smile on his face sent rage blazing through her gut. With hardly a whisper, she Misted out and went through him. Golden warmth filled her for a second before she pulled free. Zander pushed to his feet and spun to meet her, but she cranked up her molecular density and punched him hard in the chest. He collapsed, gasping and coughing. In one fluid movement she sat astride him at full density, and the air whumphed out of his lungs. She pinioned his arms with her hands, her face hovering mere centimeters above his.

As her breathing slowed to normal, a huge grin split her face. She'd made a vow to herself to jump him, and she'd done it. Perhaps it was childish, but it warmed her heart.

"Your...reputation...is well deserved," he gasped.

"You're not so bad yourself," she complimented him. He'd fought well, but perhaps not quite with the determination—and certainly not the desperation—of most opponents she'd faced. "For a human."

"Thank you. Perhaps we could try this again tomorrow?"

Tyree laughed. As much as he could irritate the hell out of her, he was equally amusing. "If you want to spend most of your morning on the floor..."

He gazed up at her with that easy smile, making no effort to struggle. Most humans, without the influence of her pheromones and the distraction of her naked body writhing above theirs, would not have been so trusting. So compliant. She found herself staring at his mouth. What would it be like to kiss him, without the use of her talents? Would it be as satisfying? As sensual? The warmth of him, the firmness of his body beneath hers, sent heat spiraling through her abdomen.

"Perhaps you could let me up now?" His words jerked her from such musings. What the hell was she thinking?

Bio:

After spending twelve years working as an Analytical Chemist in a Metals and Minerals laboratory, Pippa Jay is now a stay-at-home mum who writes scifi and the supernatural. Somewhere along the way a touch of romance crept into her work and refused to leave. In between torturing her plethora of characters, she spends the odd free moment playing guitar very badly, punishing herself with freestyle street dance, and studying the Dark Side of the Force. Although happily settled in the historical town of Colchester in the UK with her husband of 21 years and three little monsters, she continues to roam the rest of the Universe in her head.

Pippa Jay is a dedicated member of the Science Fiction Romance Brigade, blogging at Spacefreighters Lounge, Adventures in Scifi, and Romancing the Genres. Her works include a YA science fiction novel—Gethyon—published through BURST (Champagne Books), two self-published short stories (Terms & Conditions Apply and The Bones of the Sea), and she's one of eight authors included in a science fiction romance anthology—Tales from the SFR Brigade. She's also a double SFR Galaxy Award winner, been a finalist in the Heart of Denver RWA Aspen Gold Contest (3^rd place), and the GCC RWA Silken Sands Star Awards (2^nd place).

Stalk Pippa here: website, or at her blog, but without doubt her favorite place to hang around and chat is on Twitter as @pippajaygreen.