Kristie Cook's Blog, page 23

OMG, I can't believe how long it's been since I've made even a simple post. So sorry for the disappearing act, lovelies! And thank you for being so loyal even when I go MIA.

To be honest, the fight between this book and me rivals that of a fight between Alexis and Vanessa. I'm Alexis, by the way, trying to shoot all kinds of exciting sparks and goodness into it, and Book 4 is Vanessa, biting back and about to drain me dry. Purpose was emotionally difficult to write, but this one has been my hardest in every other aspect.

I know many of you (ok, some, alright, a few of you?) are excited for August 24th, but at this point, it's this big, scary monster looming over me, threatening to end the world if I don't give it what it wants - Book 4. Of course, the world won't end if I don't - in fact, it pretty much won't even notice - which I have to keep reminding myself because sometimes this book is my world.

So as that date draws closer, I'll probably grow even quieter, at least until I feel the battle has been won and it's good to go. Then again, there are lots of things to be excited about and share with you, so I may not shut up.

In other words, you've been warned that erratic behavior may ensue. I'm an author. I never claimed to be sane.

So...anyway...how would you like a cover and title reveal? Will that make you happy? Well, whether it does or not, you're not getting it here anyway. Bwahahaha! How's that for a tease this Tuesday? You'll have to wait until next week.

UNLESS...

If you're a subscriber to my newsletter, you'll get it in your email inbox later tonight or tomorrow morning. (If you're not, you just have to type your email address into that box at the top-left, right under the scrolling books.)

I know I've been promising this for a while, but it's not just the story that's been kicking my butt. The cover design and even the title have, too. Nothing to do with Brenda Pandos's awesome design skills - the problem has been my vision, or lack thereof, for the cover. But we finally pulled together a fab cover that is all the more beautiful thanks to Brenda.

Here, I'll give you a little peek for Teaser Tuesday:



 Whoop! That's all you get for now, though. Hehehehe Stay tuned!

Why I Wrote About Bullying
[image error] On the blog today I have a guest post by Tahlia Newland author of You Can’t Shatter Me, a new young adult novella with an inspiring and empowering message for solving bullying. Tahlia writes magical realism and contemporary fantasy for young adults & adults, and in her post today, she explains why she wrote on a bullying theme. This is an important topic that goes with my Share the <3 campaign - because guess what bullies grow up to do? More bullying, often of their spouses and/or children. So please welcome Tahlia to the blog!
I didn’t start out to write about bullying specifically, but I did want to write something that used analogies to show ways to deal with emotions and issues in a teenager’s life. As well as having a teenage daughter, I’m a casual (substitute) teacher in a local high school and I see the kinds of emotional stuff that kids have to deal with on a day to day basis. Often they have no skills to help them negotiate their minefield of emotions, and they suffer a lot more than they need to. All they need are a few tricks to help them see things in perspective and their issues become a lot easier to handle. I’ve used the analogies in the book (eg seeing your life as a movie) very successfully with teens, so I wanted to share them with a wider number of people.
Initially, I planned to write a series of short stories about the same people, but as soon as I took my main character into a school setting, a bully appeared and shoved a fat boy against the wall. Carly, the female lead, decided she had to do something to stop it, but when she stepped in, the bully turned on her. He kept coming back in the following stories and so bullying became the thread that eventually turned the stories into a novella.
I guess the theme came out because I’m very aware that it’s one of the main issues that face kids today. It affects everyone, either as the one doing the bullying, the one being bullied or as a bystander. I can’t stand seeing people being cruel to others, so if there is anything I can do to stop it, I will. I hope this book will encourage bystanders to do their best to stop bullying whenever they see it and also to give both victims and bullies a way to handle the situation in a positive way.
The book follows Carly and her boyfriend’s struggle to deal with a bully, and her triumph shows not only kids but also adults a way that they too can triumph in a similar situation. Although it’s fiction with a magical touch, it offers real solutions to a real problem. It’s the emotional intelligence approach to life—Emotional Intelligence was a term first used by Daniel Goldman in his book of the same name—and I wanted to write a story that showed people actually using this approach because it makes for happier, healthier and emotionally intelligent people.
These ideas are not only for teens; they’re for everyone, because even adults have to deal with bullies, maybe a boss, a spouse, a coach and so on. I wrote about it because it’s something that impacts negatively on a lot of lives and people are looking for solutions. [image error] Book Links Goodreads page
Book trailer: http://youtu.be/ysXMYoJUsO0
Purchase LinksEbook Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/You-Cant-Shatter-Me-ebook/dp/B008DME8PA
Epub files for Nook, Kobo, Sony etc: http://catapult-press/shop
Files for all devices: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/174488

PaperbackThe paperback will be available via all major book retailers worldwide. If you would like to be notified when it’s released please fill in the form here.
Author Bio & LinksTahlia is an avid reader, an extremely casual high school teacher, an occasional mask-maker and has studied philosophy & meditation for many years. After scripting and performing in Visual Theatre shows for 20 years, she is now a bone-fide expatriate of the performing arts. She lives in an Australian rainforest, is married with a teenage daughter and loves cats, but she doesn’t have one because they eat native birds.
Weblog Happy Honkers Blog Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads Author page
Amazon Author page
Smashwords author page

For everyone in the U.S., Happy Independence Day!
You don't have to be in the U.S., though, to celebrate INDIEpendence Day with me. I have some FREEBIES for you! (Note: Some of these may go back to normal price by the time you discover this post. Please double-check that the price is actually $0 on the retailer site.)

Genesis: A Soul Savers Novella is FREE on Kindle today and tomorrow!

Promise is FREE all week at Smashwords and now at iTunes ! Watch for it on other ereader retail sites. (And if you feel so inclined, report the lower price to Amazon.)

Born of Fire by the fabulous Heather McCorkle, founder of the Indie Elite, is FREE on Kindle!

Dies Irae by fellow Indie Elite member Christine Fonseca is FREE on Kindle !

Mind Games by fellow Indie Elite member Susan Kaye Quinn is FREE on Kindle !

Don't forget that all sales (not freebies - sorry) of my Soul Savers Series through July 30th support The National Domestic Violence Hotline. Share the <3 by gifting to friends and family you think would enjoy the series. Donate to the Hotline. Send me receipts and I'll send you goodies. Full details here: http://www.kristiecook.com/2012/06/share-love.html

Finally, if I could ask a big favor. My books are up for some awards and I'd appreciate your votes!

Readers Pick Summer 2012 - Devotion

Cover Crush - Paranormal Category - Promise (Click Like to vote)

Cover Crush - Fantasy Category - Devotion (Click Like to vote)

A tease from Book 4 - releasing August 24th! Woohoo!


“Mom!” he said, and my laughter stopped immediately at the serious tone of his voice. “What’s wrong with Sasha?”The dog stood at the window now, her nose pressed against it. Her all-white back and sides began to show shades of her lykora stripes. Dorian hurried over to her to see what she saw, but the hair on the back of my neck already began to rise.“What’s out there?” I managed to ask over the lump in my throat.“Two babes getting out of a taxi,” Dorian said. “They have funny hair, though. One’s blue and the other’s purple.”I blurred to the window. Crap. Crap, crap, crap.“Dorian, you need to go to your room now. I’m sure you have more studies to do,” I said, kneeling down to rub Sasha’s back. Ridges where her wings would come out rubbed against my fingers, and her smell of baby powder filled my nostrils, stronger than usual with her heightened awareness. “It’s okay, girl,” I whispered.“But I want to meet the pretty girls,” Dorian whined.“Maybe later,” I said absently, watching the faeries as they paid the cabdriver. “Now go.”I picked up Sasha and whispered in her ear. “Protect.”

Over 100,000 Soul Savers books have been sold! I still.can't.believe.it. But it's true! So I'm celebrating, doing the happy dance and donating $500 to The National Domestic Violence Hotline . Woohoo!!! (You can help me donate more - see here for the details .)

And what better way to top off my day of celebration than with this?



Oh, yeah. Making plans now to see the chests and the hotness ... er, the movie in full tonight. Are you planning to see it?

Something weird happened to me. I've completely lost the last two weeks. It was June 12th one moment and now it's somehow June 26th. Did I enter some kind of time warp?

Well, I know where I was most of last week - traveling all over the state for day-job business stuff in Miami then home for a couple hours to pick up Son #2, drive to Orlando, attend UCF orientation and then get him settled into college. Three hotels in 4 nights (only 1 with internet). Three-hour drives in the rain. And come home to Debby flooding us out and blowing us away.

So, yeah, I can account for part of that time. And a few days before that, I was hustling to meet my deadline, so there's some black-hole time there. But what happened to the rest? How did the calendar skip over so many days? We need to gain time, not lose it, right? Gah!

All of that to say: So sorry for the sudden disappearing act! I promise I didn't plan it, especially since I'd just kicked off the Share the <3 campaign . I have all kinds of things planned for this great cause benefiting The National Domestic Violence Hotline . Good thing we still have plenty of time left (assuming there are no more time warps).

The campaign runs through July 30th, including the giveaways. Sales are climbing (we're almost to the 100k mark!), but only a few receipts have trickled in. If you've bought or gifted any of the Soul Savers Series from June 15th-July 30th, be sure to email your receipt to be entered into the giveaways. So far, we have signed books, ebooks and swag from authors Brenda Pandos, Heather McCorkle, Melissa Luznicky Garrett, Susan Kaye Quinn and Karen Hooper, as well as from me.

In addition to my donation, we've also raised another $285 so far! Those are readers' donations to www.TheHotline.org . How awesome is that? Of course, that's all I know about from readers who have sent their receipts - those who do receive signed bookmarks. So if you've donated, please let me know. I'd like to keep track, but I'd also like to send you a little thank-you. Even just $5 makes a difference.

I have lots to do since that warp ate so much of my time. Please keep tweeting to Share the <3 with the #TristanK3 hashtag. Buy, gift, donate...whatever you can do to help. And stay tuned here, on Facebook and on Twitter (under the hashtag) for freebies and giveaways I'll be doing over the next few days.

Thanks for your support!

Did Tuesday's tease have you wondering what "Share the <3" is? Have you seen the #TristanK3 hashtag on Twitter and buzz on Facebook and wondering what's going on? The scoop is finally here!

Let's take a step back for a minute. You may or may not remember last January when I made a pledge to donate $500 to The National Domestic Violence Hotline if any of my books made it (again) to the Top 100 All Kindle Paid titles list. You more likely do remember that just a couple weeks ago I announced that I was getting close to selling my 100,000th book and I'd be celebrating in some way or another. And if you've read Promise, you surely remember that Tristan wanted to teach a certain wife-beater a lesson.

Well, I'm rolling it all into one for something super-cool that I hope you'll help with. Rather than waiting to hit the Top 100 list again, I'm going to donate that $500 to The Hotline when I've sold my 100,000th book. Sometime this month I'll be clicking that donation button. But I'd love to make it more than $500 and this is where you can help. For every 1,000 books sold past the 100,000 mark, up until July 30, 2012, I'll donate another $100.*

Having direct experience with domestic violence in my family, this cause is near and dear to my heart. I've heard the stories from my grandmother who left an abuser in a day when women did not leave their husbands, regardless of the reason. I've seen the bruises and injuries on loved ones whose hearts fell for the wrong person. Fortunately, most were able to pull themselves out. But not all. In fact, one person close to me died before she could get out.

Not everyone can escape these situations easily. Not everyone knows how to leave with children and lives intact. Not everyone has family or friends close enough to run to. But with The Hotline, they do have a support network. Anything you can do to help would be greatly appreciated, not just by me, but by those whose only hope is this one phone number that could save their lives.

So what can you do? Share the <3! How? Well, you can...
Buy a book, of course, if you haven't read the Soul Savers Series. Remember, Promise and Genesis are only 99c but these purchases are going to a great cause. (And be sure to keep your receipt - see below for why.) Gift any of the Soul Savers books to someone you think would enjoy the series (again, keep your receipt - see below). All the retailers offer an ebook gifting program.Encourage friends to buy any of the Soul Savers books between now and July 30, 2012 (again, see below for a bonus if they do).Tweet, blog, Facebook and otherwise spread the word about the Soul Savers Series, the Share the <3 campaign and/or The Hotline (use #TristanK3 hashtag - I'll be checking these out and jumping in as often as possible, maybe even with goodies).To add to the fun, I have presents!
Email me** a receipt for any of my books with the purchase date between today and July 30, 2012, and you'll be entered to win weekly giveaways of signed books by me and various author-friends who have so generously donated, as well as to win a grand prize at the end (specific prizes TBD). Gift receipts count!For everyone who makes a donation to The Hotline for $5 or more and emails me** a receipt and their shipping address, I'll send you a 4-pack of Soul Savers bookmarks. For the first 25, I'll also throw in a Soul Savers can-coozie.I'd love to see this campaign go viral to help raise awareness and funds to support The Hotline so more women and children can feel safe, something most of us take for granted. Will you please help?

*Up to a total of $2,000. Examples: If, by July 30th, I've sold 105,000 books, I'll donate an extra $500 for a total of $1,000. If I'm at 110,000 books sold, that's another $500 I'll donate, for a total of $1,500. If I'm at 115,000+ books by July 30, I'll donate $2,000!!!

**Email me at kristie (at) kristiecook (dot) com

Yesterday, I teased about something really exciting I'll have going on for the next six weeks: Sharing the <3 with #Tristan<3. But there was a little problem. Twitter doesn't like symbols except in tweets, including < - yeah, no hearts in a hashtag. So the team and I did some brainstorming and decided this looks pretty close: #TristanK3 He has an underlined heart. :)

And that fits because this cause is just as near and dear to his heart as it is to mine. I'm sure it's that whole guilt about his past thing - he's always looking for ways to do good and this is definitely a do-good thing.

We both hope you'll join us. More info coming soon. And be sure to follow #TristanK3 on Twitter.

Share the <3
What does that mean? It's all about an exciting campaign I'm doing for charity starting in just a couple days. Watch here, on Facebook and follow the #Tristan<3 hashtag on Twitter. Oh yeah. Tristan's involved, too. Intrigued yet? I can't wait to "Share the <3" with you soon!

The Soul Savers Tour came to an end, all entries have been made and tallied, and...

WE HAVE WINNERS!!!
Woohoo! This is one of my favorite parts of my job. Okay, I have lots of favorite parts because I have the best job in the world. But in case you couldn't tell, I really do love giving things away.

Okay, enough about me. You want to know who won, right? Well, first, I have to do one more thing:

THANK YOU TO ALL THE BLOGGERS AND READERS WHO PARTICIPATED!!!
Yes, I had to yell that. I'd yell from the rooftops, too, but I don't think you'd all hear me.

For the winners...I'm just going to include the first name (if available) and first part of the email address.*

Winner of All 4 Soul Savers eBooks: PhoenixCarvelli
Winner of Soul Savers Swag: bn100candg
Winner of All 4 Soul Savers Print Books, Signed:bookluver7
And the big winner of the Nook Simple Touch:Vivien at deadtossedwaves
Woohoo!!!! Congratulations, winners! I've sent you an email, so please look out for it so you can claim your prize.

Thanks again to everyone who followed the tour. Even if you didn't win, I hope you had fun and enjoyed reading about the characters.

*eBooks of Devotion were given by the individual blog owners, so those winners will be notified separately.