Lake Of Sins: Hangman's Army by L. S. O'Dea (VBT, guest post, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

I have the pleasure of sharing a guest post by author L.S. O'Dea, who shares...

 

My Advice For New Writers
by L.S. O'Dea

Hmm.  There’s so much that I’ve learned since I published my first book that it’s hard to pick exactly what to tell a new author.

First, I’d tell them – write!  Don’t worry about getting it right the first time, just get it down.  Let the characters lead you on the journey.  They’re usually more fascinating than you think.

Once your story is done in rough draft – edit, edit, edit.  I edit so much, I get sick of my own books, but I don’t let that stop me.  Even though I don’t want to read it again for the thirtieth time in three months, I do.  I read it and edit it over and over until I’m not changing anything.  Then and only then is it ready for publication.  Putting out something that’s not as perfect as you can possibly make it is cheating your readers.  So, don’t do it.

I’m not saying that my books are perfect because they aren’t.  There are still a few typos and perhaps a misspelling.  I’m only human and so are my beta readers.  We miss things.  It’s a fact of life.  However, the story is as clean as possible.  I remove anything that isn’t needed.  I’m ruthless and so should you be.  It doesn’t matter if the paragraph is the most beautiful piece of prose you’ve ever written.  If it doesn’t add to the story then it has to go.  Period!  No exceptions!

Now, once you have your book ready – publish.  I used to think I was done at this point, but this is where the real work starts (at least in my opinion).  Marketing doesn’t come naturally to me, but it’s part of the process.

So, to all you aspiring authors – start reading up on how to market your books.  Check out forum and other writers’ blogs.  Goodreads has a good forum called “Best Bang For Your Buck” that lists a lot of the promoters that help and hurt.  There are a lot – A LOT – of people out there willing to take your money and give you almost nothing in return.  Beware. 

Of course, you have to stay open to new things but do your research.  The best marketing tool I have used so far is Nick Stephenson’s “Your First 10K Readers” course.  It’s not cheap and I thought long and hard about signing up, but it has been worth it (I’m not affiliated with him in anyway). 

Final words – good luck.  I have to believe that if you turn out a good story the readers will come (kind of like Field of Dreams and perhaps that’s all it is…my dream).

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Lake Of Sins: Hangman's Army
by L.S. O’Dea

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GENRE: YA, Dystopian Fantasy

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BLURB:

A rebellion is brewing in the world of the Lake of Sins while Hugh Truent sits in prison days away from his execution.

After taking his findings about the genetic similarities between the classes to the Supreme Almighty and the Council, Hugh had been arrested for treason and all his evidence had vanished as if made from smoke.

To protect his family, he cut off all contact with the outside world while he sat in prison for over four years waiting for his execution. He has no idea that some of his reports were leaked to the other classes and that civil war looms on the horizon.

Trinity and her friends have no hope of winning the war unless they can unite the classes. In order to do that, they need someone everyone will follow. They need the one person all the classes trust and believe in. They need Hugh.

That means they have to break him out of a maximum security prison and convince him to lead their army, but that won’t be easy because Hugh wants revenge and he’s not going to let anything get in his way especially mouthy, attractive, know-it-all Trinity.

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EXCERPT

Hugh

“What do you suggest we do?”  From this position, the next tree was quite a distance away.  The River-Men waited in the water below.  He didn’t want to go back but he didn’t think they had a choice.

She went farther out on the branch toward the other tree.  “Do you think you can jump?”  She turned toward him, her golden eyes searching his face.  “Don’t lie.  If you miss, you die.”

“I’ll never make that jump.”  There was no room for manly bravado in this situation.

She stared at him for another moment and then leapt.  The River-Men dipped below the surface and then back up as she landed safely on the other tree.  His heart thudded in his chest.  She wasn’t leaving him.  She wouldn’t do that.  He had faith in her.  He trusted her, but his stomach knotted.  He’d trusted before and had been betrayed.

She tied the end of the rope around the trunk of the tree.  “Do you think you can cross on the rope?  If you don’t, I’ll come back, but then we’ll have to backtrack and that means sleeping in the swamp tonight.”

His arms and back ached and his hands were a bloody mess, but he could do this.  He had to do this.  “Throw me the rope.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”  He wasn’t sure at all but they didn’t have time to go back.  He caught the rope and tied it to the trunk of the tree, making sure it was tight-really, really tight.  Then he grabbed the taut rope and wrapped his ankles over the top of it.  Hand over hand, he moved away from the safety of the tree.  He glanced down.  The River-Men were swimming faster, excited and anticipating a meal.

Join Readers’ Group and Get the First Two Books in the Lake of Sins Series for FREE

http://lsodea.com/yourfreebooks-2/

Buy Links: This book is the third in the series--and the series should be read in order.  The first book in the series are FREE. Please check the price before purchasing

links to Amazon to purchase

http://myBook.to/LOS_Escape

http://myBook.to/LOS_Secrets

http://myBook.to/LOS_HangmansArmy

draft2digital

escape = https://books2read.com/u/4Xgn21

secrets = https://books2read.com/u/bo6Dn9

hangman = https://www.books2read.com/u/bzpA5Z

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

L. S. O’Dea grew up the youngest of seven in a family that uses teasing and tricks as an indication of love (or at least that’s what she tells herself).  Being five years younger than her closest sibling often made her the unwilling entertainment for her brothers and sisters.

Before she started kindergarten her brothers taught her how to spell her first and middle name—Linda Sue.  She was so proud she ran into the kitchen to tell her mother.  She stood tall and recited the letters of her name:  L-E-M-O-N   H-E-A-D.

She’s pretty sure she has her siblings to thank for the demons that lurk in her mind, whispering dark and demented stories.

Website

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e-mail

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Nighthawks by Jeremy Flagg (VBT, guest post, excerpt and GIVEAWAY) GFT

I have the pleasure of being able to share a guest post from author Jeremy Flagg, who muses...

JF:  I think the best thing about picking up a book is not knowing the adventure you’ll be taken on. So even though people may not have heard of me, this book is still worth checking out. A dark look at superheroes, a dismal future, and people trying to maintain their humanity are all themes that people who enjoy science fiction can connect with.

I grew up devouring comics as fast as my parents could purchase them. At any given time there were hundreds of them strewn across the house. This originally led me to create my own comic book. I was young and it mostly emulated the popular titles I was reading at the time. However, now twenty years later, I’m exploring more adult themes that I think readers will be drawn to. There are a group of people with superhuman abilities who want nothing more than to be human and they wrestle with this constantly throughout the book.

If you like comics, you’ll appreciate and enjoy the entire Children of Nostradamus series.

The book takes a different look at some notable historical moments, primarily the prediction of Nostradamus that the world would end in 2012. Being one of the most powerful psychics, he predicted the end of the world as we know it, and with that began the emergence of Children of Nostradamus, people gifted with abilities beyond mere human. The story and plot play with this idea of predicting the future. The catalyst of the story happens thirty years before the story begins and we watch the ramifications happen with each of the characters throughout not only this book but the entire series. The world has been reimagined but closely relates to “what could have happened” if only slight differences had been applied.

If you’re a fan of dark futures, this book is for you.

Overall, I wrote the book I’d want to read. I think the comic book geeks and those obsessed with dystopian futures will find this book right up their alley.

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Nighthawks

by Jeremy Flagg

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GENRE: Sci-Fi (Dystopian)

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BLURB:

Twenty-six-year-old painter Conthan Cowan takes art to a shocking frontier…

His debut exhibit features the transformation of his high school friend, Sarah, as she went from a shy, soft-spoken girl to a Child of Nostradamus—an individual gifted with extraordinary abilities. Living in a society where the Children of Nostradamus are captured by the government, Conthan’s exhibit draws attention from officials and protesters alike.

A government psychic may be dead, but that doesn’t stop her from manipulating the future…

The deceased White House aide is only remembered for her failed assassination attempt on the president decades before Conthan was born. Foreseeing her own death, she scribed letters to bring together specific Children of Nostradamus on a mission that will change the world.

On the night of the gallery exhibition, Conthan receives one of those letters…

ispers from the past direct him to visit Sarah, the subject of his paintings, who like many Children of Nostradamus, is being detained in a government research facility. It’s there he finds himself aligned with a rogue group of Children on a mission to prevent a dark future.

As a dark future unfolds, there's only one hope to stop the destruction of the world...

The Children of Nostradamus.

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EXCERPT

“Class I identified,” said the Corps soldier. “Immediate termination.”

Conthan looked up, confused, and realized that the gun was pointing directly at his face. He watched as the soldier pulled the trigger and the pain surged through his brain.

“Not today.” It was his voice, but he wasn’t speaking.

He realized he wasn’t in control of his actions as he held up his hand and pushed the pain through his body to his palms. The black spot returned and he watched as the laser emerged from the gun and vanished into another dark hole. He could see a similar spot appear just to the side of the soldier. The laser projected outward from the darkness, searing through the soldier’s head.

Conthan felt the pain release his body. He fell to the ground. He lay next to a gasping Jed Zappens. Conthan turned his head to see the man. “I’m sorry,” he muttered.

Jed sucked in a ragged breath and blinked several times, tears beginning to stream down his face. He reached into his breast pocket and dragged out an old folded envelope. “For you,” he said through clenched teeth.

Conthan voice had left him. He wanted to scream for a medic but he couldn’t find air enough to fill his lungs. He started to reach for the envelope but hesitated before snatching it from the dead man’s hands. He crushed it in his grasp as he watched the light vanish from the artist’s eyes.

“Run,” said a voice.

Conthan rolled his head to see that there was nobody left standing in the alley. He sucked in air and tried to sit upright. “Hello?”

“Run!”

He had killed a Corps soldier. He was now marked for death. As he ran, he could hear the echo of the soldier’s words. “Class I,” he had said. Conthan couldn’t shake the feeling that life as he knew it was over.

Amazon link

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

I’m high school graphic design and marketing teacher, at a large suburban high school in Massachusetts. Working as a high school educator and observing the outlandish world of adolescence was the inspiration for my first young adult novel, “Suburban Zombie High.”

My inspiration for writing stems from being a youth who struggled with reading in school. While I found school assigned novels incredibly difficult to digest, I devoured comics and later fantasy novels. Their influences can be seen in the tall tales I spin.

I took the long route to becoming a writer. For a brief time, I majored in Creative Writing but exchanged one passion for another as I switched to  Art and Design. My passion for reading about superheroes, fantastical worlds, and panic-stricken situations would become the foundation of my writing career.

I participated in my first NaNoWriMo in 2006 and continue to write an entire novel every November. Now I am the NaNoWriMo Municipal Liaison to the Massachusetts Metrowest Region. I also belong the New England Horror Writer’s Association and to a weekly writing group, the Metrowest Writers.

LINKS:

Website

Goodreads

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Instagram

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GIVEAWAY


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Beacon by Angela Brown (Review and GIVEAWAY)

Beacon
by Angela Brown

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BLURB:


Tsunamis reduced the USA into a shell of itself, called The Fold. Surviving humans and vampires joined forces to form The Colony, where registered citizens do as they're told.

They donate blood quarterly and dream of being chosen as Attendees for the Jubilee celebrations, that is, everyone except Macie Breen. With high school graduation near, she’s anxious to ditch the rules in hopes of starting a new life with Thane, an unregistered and also her best friend.

Her hopes fizzle when Macie is selected as an Attendee, forever registered. Any future with Thane…impossible. Being chosen comes with another unexpected price.

Truths about The Colony blaze into ashes and lies when she discovers the vampires haven't kept their part of the bargain. Worst still, Macie’s life unravels as her stint in the city of Bliss forces her to face daunting truths about who, and what, she really is.





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EXCERPT


"We’re not kids anymore, Macie. You’ve learned what little The Colony had to say about the vampeer, wights and devil spawn. There’s something else they’ve hidden from you. From all registered citizens. I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time why we met. Just how special you really are. But you won’t want to be my friend anymore once you know the truth. Losing you would be…”

Words trickled from my mouth unfiltered. “I, what do you mean I wouldn’t…”

He turned to me, chewing his bottom lip. The last time he did that was the day I broke first blood.

We were playing at knight warriors, a favorite of ours since we were kids. I thrust my wooden sword forward. It clattered to the ground as I doubled over from a sharp spasm in my stomach. I tried to shoo Thane away, deal with the pain on my own. But, noticing the grimace on my face – I really tried hard to be quiet, but I cried out anyway – he wouldn’t have it. When he glanced at my yellow cargo pants, he chewed his bottom lip, eyes wide. My gaze trailed down to the bloody mess I’d become. My face couldn’t have flashed hotter if I set it on fire.

Now he was doing it again, chewing his bottom lip. What could he possibly have to say? He opened his mouth to speak when the tent flap ripped away. We jerked our heads around to face a tall being covered in shaggy, brown fur from scalp to hoof. A shadowy glow encircled it like a dirty aura. Two arms protruded from both sides. Jagged teeth crowded its mouth. Drool leaked down its chin. Reptilian eyes shone bright white with a red slit down the middle. One set of eyelids blinked side to side as the second set followed up and down. It snarled, spat and drooled some more. My bladder felt one moment away from losing it.

“Frag me,” I whispered as my world collapsed into a nightmare.


Buy links

Amazon
Evernight


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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Born and raised in Little Rock, AR, Angela now calls Central Texas home. She's a lover of Wild Cherry Pepsi and chocolate/chocolate covered delicious-ness. Steampunk, fantasy and paranormal to contemporary - mostly young adult - fill her growing library of books. Mother to a rambunctious darling girl aptly nicknamed Chipmunk, life stays busy. Her favorite quote keeps her moving: "You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result." ~ Mahatma Gandhi



Goodreads author page
Angela Brown in the Pursuit of Publishness blog
Amazon Author page 
Facebook author page
Twitter


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GIVEAWAY

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Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here

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MY REVIEW

3.5 out of 5 stars
 

Beacon by Angela Brown is Book 1 of the 'Ripped Ties' young adult dystopian series that features Macie Breen, an unusual young girl whose parents disappeared during a Jubilee celebration eight years prior.  Her only friend, Thane, has made her promise not to give her blood, despite the requirements for donations to the vampeers who keep them all safe.  There is a marked division between those who donate, known as the registered, and those who don't, the unregistered, but it turns out that this is a small sample of the issues that divide Macie's world.  There are plenty of things that Macie is going to need to learn in order to survive, and one of the most important things to discover is whether Thane is going to help educate her or prevent her from ever learning anything else.

There are a myriad of inventive details in this story that gives a frightening look at a highly regimented society.  For me, there was initially a bit too much similarity to a popular young adult series that features a dystopic society, but the action continues to intensify and there are plenty of unexpected twists to hold one's attention.  I enjoyed learning about the different relationships that form in this harsh society and the unusual ties that some of the individuals have to each other. It would be nice to have greater information about the different factions which are gradually revealed, but there are plenty of threads to make one curious about further developments and whet one's appetite for many more stories in this intriguing world.

A copy of this title was provided to me for an honest review.

The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel (spotlight, GIVEAWAY link)

The Book of Ivy  by Amy Engel

Releasing November 11, 2014





Book synopsis: After a brutal nuclear war, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over which family would govern the new nation. The Westfalls lost.

Fifty years later, peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual.

This year, it is my turn.

 My name is Ivy Westfall, and my mission is simple: to kill the president’s son—my soon-to-be husband—and return the Westfall family to power.

But Bishop Lattimer is either a very skilled actor or he’s not the cruel, heartless boy my family warned me to expect. He might even be the one person in this world who truly understands me. But there is no escape from my fate. I am the only one who can restore the Westfall legacy.

Because Bishop must die. And I must be the one to kill him…


 Buy links:

Amazon
B&N
iTunes 
Kobo


Goodreads link



About Amy Engel:
Amy Engel was born in Kansas and after a childhood spent bouncing between countries (Iran, Taiwan) and states (Kansas, California, Missouri, Washington, D.C.), she settled in Kansas City, Missouri where she lives with her husband and two kids. Before devoting herself full time to motherhood and writing, she was a criminal defense attorney, which is not quite as exciting as it looks on TV. When she has a free moment, she can usually be found reading, running, or shoe shopping.

Find Amy online:
Website
Twitter





  
 


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          The Book of Ivy
     

     


          by Amy Engel
     

     


         

            Giveaway ends November 04, 2014.
         

         

            See the giveaway details
            at Goodreads.
         

     

   

   

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