Monday, December 28, 2015

HUNT GREATNESS

Reebok has a line by JJ Watt (defensive end for the Houston Texans football team) and as you can read above, it says, 'HUNT GREATNESS'.

Santa brought me one of those t-shirts and I love it. To me, it goes beyond hoping for greatness, or working for greatness. It means searching with stealth and determination--giving up is not an option. You WILL find it.

That's going to be my mantra for 2016. HUNT GREATNESS.

Here are a few ways I'm starting:

Reading the life-changing magic of tidying up by Marie Kondo. (This book will be featured in January's blog posts over on the Five Pages of Something blog).

Finishing a writing project.

Blogging over on Five Pages about the craft of writing.

Taking control of my health (thanks to my health coaches Zack and Andrea Jackson).

It's a tall order, but let's do this together! Let's Hunt Greatness!

Where will you start?



Friday, December 25, 2015

Day TWELVE! Bloodline

12 Giveaways of Christmas





I'm excited to be a part of a great group of 'clean read' authors, who have come together this Christmas season, to offer twelve days of book giveaways! Each day, until the 25th, I will be sharing another authors giveaway, as well as my own!


Be sure to enter them ALL!!!

Please click the below link to enter your chance to win a paperback copy of my young adult, scifi book, Bloodline!


Goodreads Book Giveaway

Bloodline by Tara Ellis


Giveaway ends December 30, 2015. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter Giveaway.

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Day ELEVEN! Featuring Angela Carling

Welcome to Day One of the Twelve Days of Giveaways!


Twenty four authors of all genres have worked together to bring you AMAZING giveaways and just in time to celebrate the big day of giving.

Today is Day One of the fun and it’s my giveaway day. Who am I, Young Adult Author Angela Carling. Here’s my bio for those of you seeing my name for the first time.

Angela Carling was raised in Palm Springs California, but lives Arizona with her husband, three kids and five felines. After years of denial she finally admitted that she is a hopeless romantic which led her to write her first Young Adult book Unbreakable Love. Since then she’s published three more books, Shackled, Becoming Bryn and The Secret Keeper. Shackled won the silver IPGA award in 2012 and has been optioned as a screenplay. She always eats the frosting off her cake and leaves the rest, and can be caught singing in public bathrooms just for the acoustics. When she’s not writing YA novels, she’s mentoring teen writers, making pizza with her family or dreaming of taking a nap, not necessarily in that order.

Now on to the fun part…here is what I am giving away. In this post I’ve given you a little information on each of my four published Young Adult books. All you have to do is look them over and choose your favorite. You even get to pick whether you want a paper or digital copy. Below, I've pasted in the blurb you'd read on the back of each book and the book's cover so that check them out as if you were browsing in a book story.

Anyone else love to spend hours combing through the book shelves?

When you’re all done, take a minute to enter to win your copy in my easy-peasy Rafflecopter giveaway and I'll contact you by email on December 26 so it'll be like extending Christmas an extra day. Meanwhile if you want to learn more about my work or read reviews you can drop by my website or Amazon.

Now, about the books...

The first book is called Becoming Bryn and it is a stand-alone tale with a ton of heart and a really hot kiss scene:)


For months, Jesse has been envious of her twin sister Bryn and even has a crush on Bryn’s gorgeous, popular boyfriend, Quinton. When Jesse awakens from a coma to learn that everyone thinks she IS Bryn, the option of actually taking over her sister’s life is beyond tempting, but there’s a downside. She’d have to give up her relationship with Ethan, her best friend and the only person she trusts. Could she actually live as Bryn for the rest of her life? And if her family and friends found out, would they ever forgive her?


Next is my award-winning, been written into a screenplay, stand-alone novel SHACKLED!

This one's sure to keep you awake reading and somehow make you believe in love at the same time.

After shy, quiet Lucy and her family move from their small hometown in Minnesota to Seattle, Washington, she is surprised when Ryan, the most popular boy at school asks her out. Soon, she is swept up in a whirlwind romance and her naïve and trusting nature allows her to fall head over heels in love with her too-good-to-be suitor. Suddenly, Lucy finds herself enraptured by the excitement of her new relationship, leaving her blinded to the warning signs of danger ahead. Can her fairy tale romance last, or will she find that her prince charming is more like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.


Keeping things a little intense, I'll introduce The Secret Keeper. This is book one of a three book series and is all kinds of suspenseful and surprising! Also, book two In the Dying Light comes out early in the New Year so you won't have to wait long to find out what happens next.

When Seventeen year old Winter Merrill made a bargain with the mysterious Secret Keeper, she knew there were rules. The most important one, the next time you have a secret, you will not be able to tell it….even if you try.
What she didn’t know is that her next secret if not told, would destroy her life and the life of Liam, the only boy she ever loved.

Can Winter find a way out of the dark bargain that binds her tongue or will her deal with the Secret Keeper bring devastating consequences unimaginable even to her?

Finally for all you romantics, here is Unbreakable Love. This was my first published book about a guardian angel that cannot touch the one he must protect. If you like cookies, love and other sweet things you'll enjoy this tender romance.

Jennie Townsend is unlucky in love, so she is suspicious when a mysterious new student named Nate tries to gain her friendship. Despite her mistrust of the boys at school she finds herself inexplicably drawn to Nate. Nate is captivated by her too, but lives in a rule bound world as a guardian angel. His sacred task is to protect Jennie during a dangerous time in her life. However, he’s strictly forbidden to touch Jennie and falling in love is completely off limits. The more time Nate spends with Jennie, the harder the rules are to follow. Will Nate be able to save Jennie from a premature end, or will his own emotions – and Jennie's – get in the way of completing the task for which he was specifically chosen?

Well, you've seen them all. Now all you have to do is enter to win and when I email you, let me know which one you want. Thanks for stopping by and hope your holidays are filled with good things and excellent books. Good luck!



Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Day TEN! Christmas Socks

Myself and 23 other authors are giving away one of our books during a very special 12 days of Christmas!



From Dec 14th to Dec 25th we are all giving away a book and winners will be announced daily. The book I am giving away is my new Children's book called: Christmas socks


Macy, Ally and Ruby love Christmas. But when Mom and Dad say they need to make Christmas presents for each other Macy isn't sure if she can make something her oldest sister Ruby will love. Find it on Amazon.com.

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:

Its open from Dec 14th to Dec 23rd. On the 23rd I will announce a winner. Go to my Facebook page to enter.

I hope you enjoy Christmas Socks as much as I did writing it! :D
GOOD LUCK!!!


Cassie has loved stories since she was little. Her love of writing started even before she could write words. She was one to be found, reading late into the night, on the school bus or before she did her homework. In middle school she determined that she liked creating her own stories as much as she liked reading them; so she decided she wanted to be an author and keeps working on making that dream come true with every story idea that bounds into her head.

Find out more about Cassie and her books at her website: www.cassiemshiels.com or visit her blog: www.cassiethewriter.blogspot.com



Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Day NINE: The Archer's Hollow

Merry Christmas! I’m excited to share my fantasy adventure, The Archer’s Hollow with you. All you have to do is follow my blog: http://peggyurry.blogspot.com.


For the last six years, Siri has sought a way to fulfill a vow made during the last hours of her beloved mother's life. Faced with an unwanted betrothal, she knows any chance to honor her mother's request is dwindling. Risking her life to escape the arranged marriage, she unwittingly triggers an ancient elven curse. Death and destruction will begin with the rise of the next full moon. The only recourse is restoring an ancient talisman to the elves. But pleas to return it go unanswered. Siri's journey plunges her into a land of mystical creatures, some terrifying, some fascinating. As she begins to lose her heart to one very handsome Master Archer, his valley spirals toward irreversible ruin. Siri begins to wonder if she holds the key and how one lowly human could ever make a difference in a strange land of myth and magic.


About me: I'm a small town girl who loves the city and the ocean (and the mountains as long as I don't have to camp or hike). I credit the lack of television in my parents' home for my love of reading and my imagination. I credit the guy who hangs the moon for my belief in romance and true love. Along with him, five wonderful kids, extended family, and great friends keep my life exciting.

Monday, December 21, 2015

Day EIGHT! Demon's Heart


12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!

This Christmas, I’m pleased to give away a signed copy of my YA fantasy novel Demon’s Heart (Sweetwater Books). Enter here for your chance to win—and get it read before the sequel comes out March 2016!
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Rustav is carrying a dangerous secret—one his uncle won’t hesitate to kill for. Now on the run, Rustav has only two options: turn and fight his uncle and the bloodthirsty demons of the island, or flee into the unknown and face the mysterious dangers of the forest. Forced to choose between following his destiny and saving his life, Rustav soon discovers that his only hope of surviving lies in the mysteries of his past . . . Get lost in this fantasy filled with a daring combination of action, adventure, and a hint of romance.
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Praise for Demon's Heart
“A talented writer can convince a reader that fantasy is real; a gifted author makes it look easy from the opening scene. This was Emily Hall Bates’s novel Demon’s Heart! It’s a creative story that simply doesn’t stop. Intense action sequences, along with a brave and selfless hero, make this book highly addictive. Every reader who loves original, powerful fantasy will be absorbed in this compelling read.” —Rachel McClellan, Amazon best-selling author of the Fractured Light series and Confessions of a Cereal Mother

Bates’s style is striking and sophisticated. Her mastery of storytelling grabbed me from the beginning and still hasn’t let go! Demon’s Heart is a fantastic new fantasy that will appeal to fans of author R. K. Ryals and Rothfuss’s very popular King Killer Chronicles.” —Hannah Clark, author of Uncovering Cobbogoth Demon’s Heart takes the reader on a colorful adventure through lands of peasants and kings, soldiers and demons. Rustav’s tragic past and his solemn destiny make his journey one of poignant self-discovery.” —Adrienne Quintana, author of Eruption Bates has created a world rich in history and originality—a perfect backdrop for an epic romance.” —R. C. Hancock, author of An Uncommon Blue
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About the Author
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Emily lives with her husband, 2 daughters, and a goblin that sleeps in a cupboard. She can usually be found reading voraciously, writing madly, crocheting sporadically, or eating chocolate behind the fridge so she doesn’t have to share. Visit her Twitter, Facebook, and website for more news and excessive love of words and books. And don't forget to check out the rest of our 12 Giveaways of Christmas!



Book Sale!

Need some sweet romance to sigh your way through the holidays? Here you go: Merry Christmas and happy wishes for however you celebrate!