Ohmygosh, I've got a million things running through my head...YAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!!!!!!! (Okay, mostly just that.)
*ahem*
First...let's get the names out there of our two winners:
Congratulations to Tess H. winner of a Free signed copy of HELLSBANE
And congrats to Carey winner of the Angel Tarot Card deck.
Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by and entered. Don't feel bad if you didn't win. Why? 'Cause I'm starting another HUGE contest!!
Here’s how it’s going to work. Throughout the two weeks of the
HELLSBANE blog tour, six peeks at Chapter One will be revealed, so be sure to
check them out. There is also Scavenger Hunt with some seriously wicked awesome
giveaway prizes, so keep an eye out for the hidden word in the
chapter reveals which will give you an extra entry in the giveaway.
On top of that, each of the stops will be giving away an eBook of HELLSBANE so you won't
want to miss a single stop on this tour.
Be sure to check out all the stops on tour to find the words
for the Scavenger Hunt, and to get additional peeks at HELLSBANE's first
chapter and for more chances to win!
One more day until the OFFICIAL release of my new urban HELLSBANE!!! (I'm so psyched!! goodygoodygoody!!)
That means you still have one more day to enter to win a free copy of HELLSBANE or be the runner up and get an awesome Angel tarot card deck!
To be eligible to win, just fill out the form after the excerpt or leave your name and email in the comments. The winners will be posted here on release day--TOMORROW!!
Now...on with the excerpt. Today's slice is from chapter fifteen-- Emma's made quite a name for herself in her chosen field and in the following excerpt we get to see what that's like.
~*~
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“Hey.”
I refused to turn, just kept my eyes on the numbers
rolling over the gas pump, like I hadn’t heard a thing.
“Hey, aren’t you Madame Hellsbane, the psychic?”
Most times I get a kick out of being recognized.
This wasn’t most times. I tensed my cheek muscles, forcing a smile as I looked
over my shoulder at the guy standing next to the minivan. “Hi.”
“It is you. I knew it. Hey, honey...” Mr. Minivan, in
his tie-dyed T-shirt and faded jeans, turned, yelling to his honey, who’d
already gone into the convenience store. He spun back to me. “She’s gonna be
thrilled. We’re big fans.”
“It’s great to meet you,” I said, practiced
professional smile in place.
I seriously didn’t have time for this. I’d just
gotten a huge clue to the identity of my angelic father and I still needed to
figure out a way to get close enough to take out Tommy’s. I needed to get home
and do some serious Googling. Plus...I needed gas.
The problem was, in my business, reputation was everything.
And this guy seemed nice. Nice enough to have a lot of friends. Plus, he kind
of reminded me of Tommy. Maybe I was just seeing what I wanted to see.
But he was tall like Tommy, over six feet, with the
same thin, gangly, long-limbed build, though Tommy had been more muscled and
about ten years younger. My tie-dyed fan kind of reminded me of a high school
science teacher, with his hawklike features and his silver wire-framed
glasses.
“My name’s Kyle.” He offered his hand, and I shook
it over the top of my other, still on the gas pump. “You probably remember my
wife, Sherry. You did a three-card reading for her at the big Beltane gathering
last year. Waited two hours in line to see you.” His smile brightened. “It was
great, by the way. Dead on.”
I nodded with a polite “good to know” smile. Even if
I didn’t do thousands of readings a year, I’m horrible with putting names to
faces.
The gas hose clicked off, and I yanked the nozzle
out of the Jeep, turning to hook it back in the pump. “It was great seeing you
again, Kyle, and I’d love to say hi to Sherry, but I’m kind of in a hurry...”
“Kyle?” a woman’s voice called, two beats before she
joined us between my Jeep and the gas pumps. Seeing her tie-dyed shirt and
jeans, I made the giant leap that she was Kyle’s wife.
“Ohmygod...You’re...you’re...”
“Madame Hellsbane,” Kyle said, translucent brows
high on his forehead, smile wide and bright. “I tried to tell you.”
Sherry rushed toward me, shouldering Kyle out of the
way. She grabbed my hand and shook it hard enough I thought she’d loosen my arm
from my body.
“It is you—do you remember me—I can’t believe you’re
pumping gas like a normal person—I’m such a fan—you’re shorter than I
remember.” Words gushed out of her like she’d taken a verbal laxative.
I didn’t mind much. She was a sweetheart with twinkly
milk chocolate eyes and a cheery smile. And she clearly liked me. Always a big
plus.
“Of course,” I said, amping up the professional
smile a few watts. “Sherry, right? We met at the Beltane gathering last year.”
Her jaw dropped, eyes wide. “That’s right. That’s
right. You remember.”
I would’ve admitted to gleaning the info from Kyle
if he called me on it, but he didn’t. Typical. People only pay attention to
about half of what they say.
“Ohmygoodness, would you use your powers to tell us
if we’re going to get pregnant soon?”
Crap.
I exhaled, smiling as I said, “Sure.”
~*~
Once again, I hope you enjoyed today's EXCLUSIVE excerpt from HELLSBANE (book 1) and check back tomorrow (a.k.a. RELEASE DAY!!) to see who won the free copy of HELLSBANE and who won the Angel tarot card deck!
Stop back tomorrow for the BIG release day happenings!!
I'll be starting another HUGE contest where you'll have a chance of winning a Color Nook, 3 signed copies of HELLSBANE and 2 $25 Gift Cards from Amazon!!
Now, don't miss this last chance to enter!!You can either fill out the form or leave your info and answer in the comments. Good luck!
To celebrate HELLSBANE releasing TOMORROW, my publisher is GIVING AWAY the prequel novella, COMMENCEMENT!!
Hell hath no fury like a woman’s scorn for frat guys… Emma Jane Hellsbane knows something evil is worming its way through her college campus—she can feel it. Literally. Her freakish ability to feel other people’s emotions as though they were her own has always been monumentally awkward, and it’s easier for her to just pretend it doesn’t exist. But this time her paranormal ability just might help her save lives. Emma Jane’s fairly certain that whatever the hateful, egomaniacal, Godlike thing is, it’s set up shop inside her boyfriend, the frat boy/soccer star Justin. And if she doesn’t figure a way to get it out of him soon, Justin’s soul will be the appetizer to the main course—the whole student body. Problem is, the big baddy is granting sinister wishes, and with each one the risks grow higher and the phrase Be careful what you wish for becomes a real-life dire warning. Of course for Emma, what feels like it could be the end is in fact just the beginning…
For a limited time, download this novella free on Amazon HERE
It's a great way to meet Emma Jane and get a feel for her story...and it's FREE!! So go'on...download it, give it a try...what'ya got to lose?
I missed yesterday. Crap.
I have no (good) excuse.
Sorry.
OKAY! So that's out of the way. The release date for HELLSBANE is just around the corner. November 20th!!! (I'm so psyched!!) But to keep me from going crazy obsessing over it, I've been posting never-before-posted excerpts right here.
I'm also offering a little giveaway, the winner gets a free print copy of HELLSBANE and the runner up gets a cool Angel Tarot card deck.
To be eligible to win, just fill out the form after the excerpt or leave your name and email in the comments. The winners will be posted here on release day--which is when???
NOVEMBER 20TH!!!
Now...on with the excerpt. Today's slice is from chapter eleven and shows why teleporting and driving can be dangerous.
~*~
CHAPTER
ELEVEN
“Where
you goin’?” Tommy asked, and I jumped, jerking the steering wheel of my Jeep so
hard, I nearly drove into a tree.
“Holy—crap.” I swerved the car back onto the road
and slugged Tommy, who’d suddenly appeared in the passenger seat.
“Ouch. Hey.”
“Don’t ever friggin’ do that again. Got me?”
“No doubt. Sheesh,” he said, rubbing the sore spot
on his bicep.
Then it dawned on me. He’d traveled fast enough to
land in a moving car. Cool. It’d been
nearly two weeks since my trip around the world with Eli. Two weeks of
squeezing in combat practice between clients, two weeks of testing out my
strength, my speed, my enhanced psychic gifts. I’d only been attacked once
since the last demon got away, but I’d managed to slice off her head in the
handicap bathroom stall in Walmart.
I still felt like I didn’t know what was going on
half the time and could never really shake the fear of being ambushed by some
berserk demon. Luckily, I faked normal better than most people. I’d had years
of practice.
“What, are you stalking me or something?”
“I like to think of it as keeping an eye out for
you,” he said.
“Right. They’ve got laws against it.”
He shifted to a comfortable position in his seat,
slouching. “So, where are you going?”
“To the library,” I said. “I thought they might have
copies of the yearbooks during the years my mom taught high school English in McKeesport. She’s always
been all about her job and her family. If a horny angel wanted to get close to
her, he’d have to come at her through one or the other. I’m betting job.”
I glanced back and forth between Tommy and the road.
He nodded. “Makes sense. So, you figure you’ll look over the yearbooks and see
if you notice any wings or halos?”
I scoffed. “No.” Smartass.
“But I thought there might be some candid shots of my mom. If she was having an
affair at school, someone might have caught a photo of them together. Plus, I
can check male teachers who were only at the school the year I was conceived, then
gone the next year.”
“Actually, that’s not a totally idiotic idea,” he
said.
“Gee...thanks. Careful, that kind of gushing praise
will just go to my head.”
“I know.” He stretched his arm out to drape it over
the back of my seat and tried to lounge his legs a little more. A Jeep Wrangler
isn’t made for lounging. “Where’s your sword?”
I tipped my head and caught his following glance to
the hilt laying on the backseat.
“You’re taking it in with you, right?”
“Nah. Doesn’t really go with the outfit. Yes, I’m
taking it in, nag.”
“That’s Mr. Nag to you,” he said, and shifted his
gaze out the window.
The conversation quieted. Several seconds ticked by
without a word, but when we were almost to the library, I said, “Don’t you, um,
have someplace to be?”
He shook his head. “Not until tonight. Besides, I’ve
been doing this gig for a while now. Maybe I’ll recognize someone or notice
something you don’t.”
That wasn’t it. My gaze flicked to him again as he
shifted once more in his seat. His leg bounced on his toe, his hand tapping a
counter-rhythm on his knee. “Why are you so wired?”
He looked at me, and all his nervous motion suddenly
stopped. “Nothing. Why?”
“For one thing, you’re tagging along with me to a
library,” I said.
“So?”
“You’re a jock, Tommy. I mean, you might be a
nephilim warrior now, but you’ll always have the mindset of a jock. Jocks are
allergic to libraries.”
“That’s so prejudiced.” His face pinched in offense,
mouth agape. He was faking it. “Don’t label me. I’m a whole person, not just
the beautifully toned athlete you see on the outside.”
I rolled my eyes. “Right. Okay, Mr. Toned Athlete,
what’s got you so keyed up you can’t sit still?”
He followed my quick look at his knee—bouncing
again. It stopped, and he swung his gaze back to me. His smile bloomed across
his handsome face, dimpling his cheeks and twinkling in his eyes. I almost
sighed. So cute.
~*~
Once again, I hope you enjoyed today's EXCLUSIVE excerpt from HELLSBANE (book 1) and check back Monday (my birthday is Sunday. I'm not blogging on my birthday. m'kay?) for the last never-before-posted slice of the book before...RELEASE DAY!!!
Now, wouldn't you love to have your own crisp new copy? Or be the runner up and win a cool Angel Tarot Card deck? Take the time to enter below. You can either fill out the form or leave your info and answer in the comments. Good luck!
It's Day 4 in my countdown to the OFFICIAL release of HELLSBANEin mass trade paperback.
November 20!!!!
If you haven't been here in a while you may have missed the start of my attempt at holding onto my sanity by posting never-before-posted excerpts each day while I wait for the release. And if you missed that then you probably also missed that I'm GIVING AWAY a free print copy of HELLSBANE(includes BONUSchapter!) and a cool Angel Tarot card deck.
Read on after the excerpt for details on how to enter and win!
There. That's out of the way. On to today's excerpt. This next slice of HELLSBANE involves a few favorite things from my childhood
Okay, so technically I still enjoy sleeping but...you get the idea...I mean, you will once you read the excerpt.
~*~
CHAPTER TEN
It
was noon when I opened my eyes and heard someone in my room...eating. Fear
snaked through me. The last thing I remembered was being charged by a bunch of
stinky, drooling, pissed-off demons.
The green digital display on my alarm clock flashed
12:01. Five and a half hours of sleep does not make for a happy Emma. From
behind me, jaws snapped and crunched and mashed: crackle—snap—crunch—chomp-chomp-chomp. It sounded like the Rice Krispies
guys with a case of ’roid rage.
“Ahh, Mary Kate, Ashley, you were such cute kids.
What happened?”
Hey.
I know that voice.
“I think Michelle could really use a hug from her
uncle Jesse.” Bob Saget? I rolled
over.
“How the hell did you get in here?” I asked Tommy.
He sat next to the bed at my vanity, which was really just a cheapo desk with a
lighted, trifold mirror on top and all the makeup brushes, foundations, eye
shadows, and blush I hardly ever used scattered around it.
Tommy lounged with his dirty Converse sneakers
propped on the edge of my bed. The jeans looked the same as the last time I’d
seen him on Mount Washington: faded, raggedy, with
a hole in one knee. His blue, snug-fitting I’m
with Stupid T-shirt was speckled with red Doritos dust.
“Hey. Are those my chips?”
He twisted the bag, then glanced at me. “Yeah.
They’re a little stale, though. You should get one of those bag clips.”
Afternoon sun streamed through my bedroom window,
adding a gleam to Tommy’s pale blue eyes, making the dark circle around the iris
all the more intense. Soft, sandy-blond curls brushed over his forehead and
neck, his cheeks flushed with health and youthful vitality. He winked at me.
Crap.
The man was too cute for his own good, and he knew it. That’s just irritating. I
tugged the covers up to my neck. “I’ll try again. How. The hell. Did you get in here?”
He laughed. “How do you think? We can go anywhere,
Em.”
I shoved my foot into his and knocked his grimy
sneaker-feet off my bed. They hit the floor with a loud clomp and knocked him
off balance on his chair. “Hey.”
“Hey, yourself. This is my bed...and I’m in it.”
His gaze moved to the comforter I clutched as though
it were the key to my chastity. “What’s the big deal? You’ve got clothes on
under there.” His brows bobbed and his smile turned lecherous. “I checked.”
I peeked under the covers. Pink tank top over white,
and tan shorts—I was still wearing the clothes from my trip around the world
with Eli. I didn’t even remember getting home this morning, let alone crawling
fully dressed into bed.
“By the way, you’ve got some”—Tommy motioned to the
corner of his mouth with his pinky—“I think it’s dried spit.”
I scrubbed the back of my hand across my mouth. Crap. “Get out, Tommy.”
“Nope. Can’t.” Tommy straightened, crumpling the
empty chips bag, then reached to trade it for the remote sitting on my vanity
and turned off the TV. “We need to talk.”
He brushed the chip dust from his hands and shirt,
then swiveled in the chair toward my bed. He leaned forward, elbows on his
knees. “What happened with you and Eli before he brought you home this morning?”
~*~
I hope you enjoyed today's EXCLUSIVE excerpt from HELLSBANE(book 1) and check back tomorrow for another never-before-posted slice of the book.
Now, wouldn't you love to have your own crisp new copy? Or be the runner up and win a cool Angel Tarot Card deck? Take the time to enter below. You can either fill out the form or leave your info and answer in the comments. Good luck!
Day 3 in the count down to the OFFICIAL release of HELLSBANE in mass trade paperback
November 20, 212
So to keep me from going crazy waiting, I'm posting never-before-posted excerpts right here. I'm also GIVING AWAY a free print copy of HELLSBANE (includes BONUSchapter!) and a cool Angel Tarot card deck.
Read on after the excerpt for details on how to enter and win!
I've always thought sword fighting was such a noble form of battle. The idea of blades clashing and men in shining armor fight for honor, king, and country was kind of romantic.
Okay, in HELLSBANE it's not quite as noble...not really romantic either...but still really COOL!
Today's excerpt shows the heroine, Emma Jane during her first training session, learning how to sword fight.
~*~
CHAPTER SEVEN
“You’re
late.”
I checked my watch. “Only a half hour.”
Tommy opened his arms, his sword loose in his hand.
“Yeah?”
My brain shifted. Oh, crap. The Hellsbane family time issue strikes again. I’d become
my mother. “Right. Sorry. I overslept.”
“You were sleeping?” Tommy said, crestfallen. “It’s
three am, and I’ve been standing on this overlook for almost an hour. You think
I don’t need sleep?”
“I said sorry.”
“Sure. Whatever.” He sliced the air with his sword,
obviously still angry.
“Hey, this was your idea. Mount
Washington isn’t my neighborhood,” I said.
“Yeah, I know. You’re right.” He looked dutifully
pitiful. “I’m so whipped. Just got off work. I wanted to get some training in
with you before I hit the sack. My apartment’s like two blocks away, but I
don’t have a backyard. This was the first place I thought of. After this, I’m
hitting the sack.”
I shrugged. “It’s okay. I love it here. This place
is kind of visually epic, you know?”
With the Appalachian foothills as an observation
stage to the city, the view from the Mount Washington
overlook was fantastic. On a clear day you can see for miles, beyond the city
and off into the nearby suburbs.
But at night, the scenery is even better. It’s like
a postcard, buildings twinkling like Christmas trees, stoplights blinking
color, neon signs adding a rainbow of hues and the lights tracing over the
bridges shimmering along the dark rivers. Epic.
I kicked off my flip-flops, the cement cool against
my feet, and drew the hilt of my sword from its sheath, willing the blade to
gather and form. Knees bent, feet wide, I assumed a fighting stance, hands
double-fisting the hilt.
“I’d like the place better after a few hours sleep,”
he said.
I straightened. “Me too. I had five live readings
today and four phone readings. Plus,
I had lunch with my mother and sister. Tired is an understatement.”
“You should keep your distance from them,” Tommy
said. “From anyone you care about. Never know when a demon’s gonna show up.”
“I didn’t think about that,” I said, trying to keep
the guilt from showing on my face. “I mean, I’m used to talking to them all the
time. Damn, this sucks.”
“Tell me about it.” He sighed. “Okay, enough
complaining from both of us. You need the training, and if this is the only
time we can get together, so be it.”
“Yeah, except when we’re done, you’ll be home in bed
two minutes later. I’ll still be on the road.”
“Ah, grasshopper, the road to true wisdom is long
and full of potholes,” he said in his best Master Po voice.
“Ah, Master Tommy, you spew much bullshit.” My
Master Po wasn’t so hot. But he got the point.
“Right.” He raised his sword and I mirrored him.
“Remember, you have an instinct for using your sword. Just relax and trust your
gut.”
“Absolutely. Wait—no. We’re not actually going to
hit each other with these things, are we? I mean, ’cause...that’d hurt.” My
side gave a quick little twitch of phantom pain from where I’d been stabbed by
the demon.
He shook his head. “Don’t worry. You won’t get
through my blocks and I’m just going to push you hard enough for you to feel
your power take over. It’s just practice. No going for the kill. Besides, we
heal fast, right?”
“Riiight.” I’d worn sparring clothes just for the
occasion: khaki shorts, loose on my hips, and two ribbed tank tops—pink over
white. I’d even scooped my too-short hair into a spastic ponytail...mostly. A
lot of the pieces had already slipped free from the elastic ring. Not sure why
I bothered.
We circled each other. Tommy swung and I blocked. I
swung and he blocked. He swung again, faster, and I blocked. I sliced down fast
enough that the blade was a blur, spinning as I advanced. Tommy blocked and
then sliced straight out toward my gut. I jumped back and he lunged, stabbing
forward. I blocked. Somewhere between the first couple attacks and parries, I
stopped thinking about any of it and just did it.
The clanks and metal hisses of our swords hitting
and sliding against each other echoed off the nearby townhouses and over the
cliffside.
The upside to innate ability is that it doesn’t take
much mental concentration. I realized conversation was surprisingly easy.
“I met a guy today.”
“Should we celebrate?” Tommy said, driving me back
three steps with a volley of blows. After the third strike, I found an opening
and drove him back.
“Har-har, cute and funny. I’m all a-twitter. I
didn’t mean I met a guy guy. I meant
I met a person who happened to be a
guy,” I said. “He was an illorum.”
~*~
I hope you enjoyed today's EXCLUSIVE excerpt from HELLSBANE (book 1) and check back tomorrow for another never-before-posted slice of the book.
Now, wouldn't you love to have your own crisp new copy? Or be the runner up and win a cool Angel Tarot Card deck? Take the time to enter below. You can either fill out the form or leave your info and answer in the comments. Good luck!
We're counting down to the OFFICIAL release of HELLSBANE in mass trade paperback,
November 20, 2012
So I've planned some fun while we wait for the big day. Each day I'll be posting a never-before-posted excerpt from HELLSBANE! And then after you've enjoyed the slice, you can enter my giveaway. You can enter once a day, every day, until the release (November 20th) when the winners will be announced HERE.
What can you win? (excellent question!)
Runner up will win this cool Angel Tarot card deck:
And the Winner will win a print copy of HELLSBANE in mass trade paperback which includes a never-before-seen BONUS chapter!
So don't forget to enter after the excerpt! You can fill out the form or leave your answer and info in the comments.
Okay...so without further delay, here is today's EXCLUSIVE excerpt from HELLSBANE (book 1)
~*~
CHAPTER FIVE
I
love my mom. And from outside the family, she seems almost...sane.
I checked my watch. She and my sister were only
twenty minutes late, which meant I still had another fifteen or so minutes to
wait—according to Hellsbane time. My family takes being fashionably late to a
whole new level—myself included. It’s one of our long-running jokes.
“You done?”
I glanced up at the potbellied guy standing next to
my table, white paper-wrapped sandwich and matching Styrofoam cup in hand. “No,”
I said. “Plus I’ve got people coming to join me. So...sorry.”
The big guy huffed, angry, and waddled off mumbling,
“This ain’t no TGI-friggin-Friday’s, lady. Eat and get out.”
I don’t have a problem sitting alone in restaurants
or going to movies by myself. Sometimes I actually prefer it. But I’d been
getting dagger stares from the other customers since I’d dared to sit down at
one of the busy restaurant tables with just a Coke and order of fries.
The Primanti Brothers restaurant, in Pittsburgh’s Strip
District, had started life as a lunch cart, then moved to the brick-and-mortar
location still holding to a kind of lunch counter mentality. Over the past
seventy-eight years it hadn’t changed much. They’d added a wait staff, but
locals knew for the fastest service it was best to place their order at the
counter—using as few words as possible—get their food, and, with any luck, find
an open table or seat at the bar on their own. It’s not that the wait staff
wasn’t good, but trying to get a server to notice you in the busy place could
leave one...frustrated.
You were supposed to eat your food and get out. People
were constantly moving, tables filling and emptying. That’s the way the
regulars liked it. And today was no different. The place was busy, seating was at a premium, and
I was taking up space. Oh well.
I wasn’t sure if it was the hater vibe being focused
on me or something else, but the longer I sat there, the more my stomach felt
like it was trying to make the US gymnastics team all on its own. When my belly
gave a particularly strong roll that made me feel like it was in my throat, I
decided to take a quick trip to the bathroom before I gave Primanti Brothers
back their fries.
I zigzagged through tables and customers to the back
hallway and pushed the door on the right marked ladies.
“You always make a target of yourself, lass? Or do
ya just have a death wish today?” A weird little guy was beside me, when he
hadn’t been an instant before. He leaned against the wall by the door.
I’d backed away too fast and slammed against the
other side of the hall. My stomach roiled, my heart thumping in my throat.
“Where’d....How—Who are you? What do you want?”
“Relax,” he said, folding his arms and crossing one
ankle over the other. “If I was here to take your head, I’d have it by now.
Believe me.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“Aye, but it’s what you were thinkin’. At least for
a wee bit there in between the ‘How’d he do that?’ and the ‘Should I make a run
for it or just scream?’ thoughts.” He leaned toward me and winked. “I don’t
recommend either.”
His accent made me think Irish, maybe Scottish. Couldn’t
tell which. He was only two or three inches taller than I was, which made him
pathetically short for a man, and his cockiness totally unjustified. He had the
kind of red hair that’s more brassy, almost orange, and he wore it long to his
chin, with kinky wild curls and enough freckles to make me think boy rather
than man.
But his mannerisms, the way he held himself, moved,
and smiled, with a wise glint in his green eyes, belied the first-glance
impression, adding years to his age. I figured he was a year older than I was, maybe
two. And judging by his rumpled clothes, a brown leather vest, T-shirt, loose
jeans, and battered work boots with broken shoestrings, he wasn’t a nine-to-five
kinda guy.
“You read my mind?”
“Aye. Wasn’t hard. You’ve got no shielding a’tall.
Bess to work on that. Been reading you since you walked in the door there.
Couldn’t help it if I’d tried. You’re like a bloody bullhorn.”
“What are you?” Crap, two days as an illorum, and I
was already about to be hacked to ribbons for a second time.
His hand dropped to the hilt of a sword at his side.
I hadn’t noticed it until he touched the silver pommel. “What do you think,
lassie? Right now, I’m what’s standing between you and certain death, I am.
Where’s your sword?”
His gaze dropped to my side and my hands flexed.
There was nothing to grab. I’d left my sword in the Jeep. Sue me. The thing kept poking me in the ribs or the small of my
back when I sat. There was no good place on my belt to keep it.
“Near enough,” I said.
~*~
I hope you enjoyed today's EXCLUSIVE excerpt from HELLSBANE (book 1) and check back tomorrow for another never-before-posted slice of the book.
Now, wouldn't you love to have your own crisp new copy? Or be the runner up and win a cool Angel Tarot Card deck? Take the time to enter below. You can either fill out the form or leave your info and answer in the comments. Good luck!
With the release of HELLSBANE only a little over a week away, I've decided to hold a smallcontest to gear up to the big event.
Being a nephilim, the main character, Emma Jane Hellsbane, has a unique connection to angels. (Kind of a love hate thing...y'know how it is.) Thanks to Emma's angelic DNA she has these cool powers, one of which includes the ability to feel other people's emotions like they were her own.
In the Hellsbane series, Emma Jane uses that ability to make her living... Tell me what Emma Jane does for a living and be entered for a chance to win one of these great prizes! One lucky winner will receive a print copy of HELLSBANE /includes bonus chapter!!!
And the runner up will get this awesome Guardian Angel Oracle tarot card deck!
The Guardian Angel Oracle, by Chrissie Astell: 52 Cards to bring you Heavenly assistance, wisdom and Comfort
Cool, right?!?!
Okay. So all you have to do to enter is tell me what Emma Jane does of a living. *hint: the prize is a clue* You can find the answer in the "Look Inside" excerpt Here. Fill out the form below with your name, email and the correct answer then hit submit!
ONE ENTRY PER DAY,please! Thank you!
The winners will be posted on HELLSBANE release day--November 20th right here!
Starting Tuesday, I'll be posting some of my favorite excerpts from deeper in the book that you won't find posted anywhere else. So check back and enter again.
There's only a little over 14 days before HELLSBANE releases!! WOOT!! So I wanted to share my personal connection to the new cover.
During the process of making the new cover for HELLSBANE, the cover artist asked me to describe Emma Jane's sword.
She took my description and came back with this awesome cover! *Note the sword.*
Cool, right? So then the family and I went to the Ohio Renaissance festival. (Totally awesome! LOVED it! We go every year.)
I always spend WAY too much money there on stuff I just HAVE to have...and then proceed to tuck it away somewhere not to be thought of again until the festival rolls around again. *sigh*
BUT...this past year I really did buy something I HAD to HAVE. I bought a sword. But not just any sword. I bought Emma Jane's sword. Seriously!!!
And then I nagged the DH to hang it for me so I could share a photo. He finally did! Check it out...
Emma Jane's Sword
I LOVE IT!!!! Except for the name, it's exactly the same as the sword she's holding.
There was a lot of talk in our house about how dangerous it might be hanging there. We have small dogs that tend to bounce. We fixed that problem though. You can't see it, but there's a bird cage stand under the sword, so little furry friends can't get under the sword point. Some day I'd actually like to get a cage and, y'know...a bird to put in it, but until then...I'm REALLY likin' the sword there...hehehehe
If you've read HELLSBANE you might recognize the symbol. If not (you REALLY should read HELLSBANE...just sayin') This is "the mark" that appears on Emma Jane's -- and all illorum -- inner wrist once she becomes an illorum.
They work AWESOMELY!! Lookie...
Yes, that's my wrist
The plan is to hand them out at signings. If you can't make it to a signing (admittedly, there won't be many) I'll have a P.O. box up soon where you can send a s.a.s.e to get one for FREE! (Along with some other fun little things.)
I'm thinking that I may make mine permanent. What do you think?
The countdown has started!! With just under 19 days before the re-release of HELLSBANE I'm gearing up by officially posting the NEW COVER!!!
I have to admit, I was a little wigged out by the idea of changing out the covers. I mean, I totally loved the old cover.
Old Cover
BUT.... after I calmed down (I seriously do not handle change well...sorry Stacy!!) and made myself actually LOOK at the NEW COVER, it really started to grow on me. Check it out...
I like that you actually get to see Emma Jane. I mean, this is her, folks. This is pretty much how she appears in my head...scary accurate. Her hair is a little shorter in my head, but since she's not the type to obsess over stuff like that, I can see her not going in for a cut very often.
I LOVE the younger feel of the cover. HELLSBANE is definitely an adult series. But it has a young, snarky vibe that I know would appeal to YA readers. And this NEW COVER helps clue the viewer into that.
love, LoVe, LOVE the sword!! Seriously! Swords play a huge roll in the series. She has a friggin' sword supernaturally tattooed onto her wrist. (see reason 4) Swords are central to the story line! How could I have a cover without a sword on it?
The "mark" is on the cover. The one thing about Emma Jane that visibly sets her apart from humanity, the one thing announces to the world that she's not normal, is the illorum mark. (What's an illorum? Read the book...hehehe) I was ecstatic to see it on the cover!
Finally, it just JUMPS out at you, doesn't it? Good or Bad--Love it, or Hate it, you notice that face, those eyes, staring at you from the shelves. It draws attention, which is the #1 job of a cover. Get Noticed.
Well, there it is. The new cover for HELLSBANE, releasing November 20th 2012.
So now...I wanna know what you think. Old or New? Love it or Hate it? Let me hear your thoughts...
BUT, keep in mind it's not changing. This is it. And there are people behind this cover who worked really hard...so....be kind/ gentle.
