Kristie Cook's Blog, page 36

There's plenty going on here! A couple of my favorite authors with fantabulous new releases are stopping by for their blog tours and I've joined five other amazing authors on the Romancing Your Darkside tour, now through October. All the deets are below.

But, first...the new releases of Promise and Purpose are now available in ebook format. Promise is still only 99 cents, but only through this month. So if you want it, or know someone who does, get it now!

Also, when Promise makes it into the Top 100 of all Kindle paid, I'll donate $500 to First Book, an organization that gets books into the hands of needy children. When Purpose gets into the Top 100 of all Kindle paid, I'll donate another $500. So help me out, peeps! It's only a buck for Promise and with Amazon's new cloud service, you don't even have to own a Kindle.

Links:

Kindle
Promise
Purpose

Nook
Promise
Purpose

Smashwords
Promise
Purpose

The rest will be coming soon - the others take longer to get the books loaded and pages built. I'll be keeping an eye out, though, and will let you know. In the meantime, Smashwords has formats for all the ereaders. Print books will also be available in a week or two.

Upcoming Guests!

August 16th - Celebrating Brenda Pandos' recent release of Everblue, an ahhhh-maaaazing mer tale, as part of her tour. If you haven't seen it, check out this fun video she made. (She's so much braver than me. And cuter.)
August 22nd - Celebrating Heather McCorkle's release of her debut, The Secret of Spruce Knoll, as part of her tour. 
Third, I'm participating in a humongous tour myself - "Romancing Your Darkside" - with five other authors. It runs from now through October, with lots of giveaways, including a Grand Prize of a free Kindle! Check out the full schedule here. Here's mine:

August 5 - Kick Off Party &Giveaway at www.vbtcafe.com  August 14 - I'm interviewing A. JacobSweeny at http://authorsbyauthors.blogspot.comVGB Giveaway Week
August 18 - Guest Blogging &Giveaway at www.lorisreadingcorner.com August 20 - Interview at http://authorsbyauthors.blogspot.comVGB Giveaway Week
August 22 - Multiple AuthorInterview at http://www.brendawoodystevetindle.yolasite.com/author-interviews.php
August 24 - Guest Blogging &Giveaway at http://riftwatcher.blogspot.com August 28 - Guest Blogging &Giveaway with author Stacey Kennedy at http://writingcrazyme.blogspot.com August 30 - Guest Blogging &Giveaway at http://immortylrevolution.blogspot.com September 1 - Guest Blogging &Giveaway at http://ashleysbookshelf.blogspot.com September 6 - Guest Blogging &Giveaway at http://dawn-hagen.blogspot.com September 7 -  Review &Giveaway at http://takingtimeformommy.com  
September 10 - Guest Blogging &Giveaway at http://livetoread-krystal.blogspot.com September 11 - Interview at http://lisahaseltonsinterviewsandreviews.blogspot.comVGB Giveaway Week
September 13 - Review &Giveaway at http://thephantomparagrapher.blogspot.com September 14 - Interview &Giveaway at http://bibrary.blogspot.com September 14 - Author Live ChatLocation TBA Time 7pm EST
September 15 - Review &Giveaway at http://whisperedthoughtsbookreviews.blogspot.com September 16 -Interview/Review/Giveaway at http://carrieannryan.blogspot.com September 19 - Review &Giveaway at http://mykingdomforabook.blogspot.com September 21 - Interview at http://catemasters.blogspot.com/p/author-spotlights.html VGBGiveaway Week
September 23 -Interview/Review/Giveaway at http://moonlightbeautybooks.blogspot.com September 25 - Guest Blogging &Giveaway at http://speedyreader-allthingsbooks.blogspot.com September 26 - Review &Giveaway at http://fromthetbrpile.blogspot.com September 28 - Review &Giveaway at http://thewolfslibrary.blogspot.com September 30 - Review &Giveaway at http://writingcrazyme.blogspot.com October 4 - Interview www.blogtalkradio.com/bkwalkerTime 7pm EST
October 4 - Review &Giveaway at http://giveawayblogdom.blogspot.com October 5 - Guest Blogging &Giveaway at http://margaret-paranormalromanceauthor.blogspot.com October 6 - Review &Giveaway at http://louisabacio.blogspot.com October 13 - Review &Giveaway at http://myhomeawayfromhome-fb.blogspot.com October 15 - Live Book Signing www.virtualbooktourcafe.com/virtual-barrista.htmlTime TBA
October 17 - Review &Giveaway at http://pageflipperz.blogspot.com October 18 - Author Live Chat www.blogtalkradio.com/bkwalkerTime 7pm EST
October 19 - GuestBlogging/Review/Giveaway at http://mamaknowsbooks.blogspot.com October 24 -Interview/Review/Giveaway at http://takingitonebookatatime.blogspot.com October 26 - Guest Blogging &Giveaway at http://azpublishingservices.blogspot.com October 28 - Review &Giveaway at http://norachipleybarteau.blogspot.com October 31 - Review & Giveaway at http://www.Ashley--Suzanne.blogspot.com

Today you get a special tease. An excerpt from DEVOTION, Book 3 in the Soul Savers Series, set to come out February 10, 2012. Without further ado...


"Alexis, use your mind todetermine if anyone is nearby," Rina said after Mom closed and locked the door.
This was something shecould do herself, of course, but I was sure she was allowing me to practice. Iprobed outwards with my mind, careful to keep my mental wall in place. I sensedno other thoughts nearby and shook my head.
"Before we go into thecouncil meeting, you need to know that we have not disclosed your gift oftelepathy to anyone," Rina said, moving to the chair behind her desk. Mom and Itook the seats in front of her. "Only the three of us, Solomon, Tristan andOwen know and we would like it to remain so for as long as we can keep itsecret."
I nodded. She had told methis before, back at the beach house in the Florida Keys, implying that it hadto do with the video I'd received showing the Daemoni beheading Tristan. Thevideo was, obviously, a lie and no one knew who sent it.
"I do not even want thecouncil to know at this time," Rina said.
"Okay . . . but why? Ithought you figured out that the Daemoni had hacked your email and sent thevideo to me—"
"That was a guess," Momsaid. "It makes the most sense that they would send it, but we're still lookinginto it. Rina has reason to believe—"
"I would like you tolisten to the council members' minds during the meeting," Rina cut in, her eyeshard as she threw a look of anger at Mom.
My eyebrows shot up. "Um .. . I could be missing something here . . . but isn't that a big invasion ofprivacy?"
"You are missingsomething," Mom said, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms as sheglared at Rina.
"What?" I asked, my eyesbouncing between the two of them.
"I—" Rina broke Mom's gazeand began shuffling and stacking papers on her desk. "I just need you to listenand tell me what you hear."
"But why me? Can't you doit?" I didn't mean to sound so demanding, but her request made little sense andmade me uncomfortable. As did whatever was going on between the two of them.
Rina abandoned her papersand clasped her hands together. Her chest rose and fell with a deep breath andshe shook her head slowly. I'd noticed yesterday, while she provided some ofthe answers I'd been waiting to hear for so long, a new sadness I'd never seenin her before. Something different—less confidence, I supposed, as if somethinghad seriously shaken her. I thought it'd been my mention of Noah, her son andMom's twin, but today it seemed even more pronounced. Her face looked tighterthan normal and she held her shoulders at a more defined angle, as if she weretense.
"Someone might be blockingher power," Mom said when Rina didn't answer me.
"But not mine? Wait—theycan blockyour power?" I asked, taken aback, nearly knocking my chair backwards with mysudden jolt.
Rina sighed. What's making her so unhappy?What can I do to help? I just wanted that look on her face todisappear.
"There is a possibility amage might be able to shield me from entering his or her mind," she finallysaid. "A slight possibility, but a possibility nonetheless. I would havethought only a sorcerer would be powerful enough, but the witch, wizards andwarlocks on the council are among the most powerful in the world, nearlyrivaling any sorcerer."
"Then they could easilyblock me, too," I pointed out.
"Not if they don't knowthat they need to," Mom said. "The reason for keeping it secret."
"Well, there aren't anyguarantees it'll stay secret. It's not like I have the best control." Ianxiously pawed at the base of my throat, once again coming up empty, nopendant hanging there.
"I just need you to keepyour wall up and listen—just listen,"Rina said. She implored me with wide, pleading eyes and again, I wanted to makethat look go away. Butcould I do what she asked?
I stood up and walked overto the fireplace, gnawing on my lip and staring at intricately designed glasseggs lining the mantle.
"Alexis, I would not askyou if I did not think you could handle it," Rina continued. "You haveexcellent control of protecting your own thoughts. I cannot even hear themwithout your allowing me to."
I looked over my shoulderat her and lifted an eyebrow, hoping it was enough to remind her of last night.
"Yes, well, that is adifferent matter," she said dismissively.
"You and Tristan won't behaving ... at the council meeting," Mom said more bluntly.
"No, but what if somethingelse happens?" I asked, throwing my arms in the air and nearly knocking overone of the eggs. Thankfully, my reactions were much faster than before the Ang'dora and I wasable to steady it before it fell. I turned and began pacing. "That many people. . . all those thoughts . . . I nearly had a mental breakdown on the planesover here. If Tristan and Owen hadn't been there . . . I'm just not ready rightnow. Can't it wait until I'm better at this?"
"No," Mom and Rina said in unison.

We have winners! The 2nd Prize winner, who receives signed copies of Promise and Purpose and paperback of Dark and Stormy Knights, an anthology of urban fantasy that includes stories by Rachel Caine, Deidre Knight, Lilith Saintcrow and Carrie Vaughn is...

Diane(email address starts with wolferock)
 The Grand Prize winner, who receives a Soul Savers Tote Bag filled with signed copies of Promise and Purpose, Soul Savers Series swag - including bookmarks, notebook, key chain and more - plus other goodies is...

Tanya(email address starts with rockchick531)
CONGRATULATIONS, LADIES!!!! WOOHOO!!!
Interesting how both email addresses have "rock" in them. Maybe that means something. Hmmm...that you all - my followers - are my ROCK!!! Thank you, everyone, for participating. This giveaway was all about appreciating all of my friends and followers in various places on the webz. You mean the world to me!

Winners, I'll be emailing you, but if you want to beat me to it, send me an email with your full name and shipping address to kristie (at) kristiecook (dot) com.

I'll be doing another giveaway shortly, so stay tuned, ya'll.

In the meantime, there are two others you should check out. The lovely book bloggers Jessica at Confessions of a Bookaholic and Lisa at A Life Bound By Books both have Soul Savers giveaways going on Right. Now. Be sure to enter and good luck!

If you subscribe to my newsletter, it'll be coming to you shortly with an excerpt of Devotion. PLUS a subscriber-only giveaway. So watch your inbox. :-)

Okay, lovelies, it's time to get back to normal. And that means...

GIVEAWAY!
Woot! This is to celebrate over 500 (well, 600 now) fans on Facebook, 1,000 followers on Twitter and, well, it was supposed to be 350 followers here, but we're not waiting any longer.

Enter simply by filling out the form below. This one will be quick because I have another coming up soon, too! So enter by Friday, 8/5, midnight. You have to be a follower to win. Everything else just gets you extra entries.

What do you win?

Grand PrizeSoul Savers Tote Bag filled with signed copies of Promise and Purpose, Soul Savers Series swag - including bookmarks, notebook, key chain and more - plus other goodies.
2nd PrizeSigned copies of Promise and Purpose and paperback of Dark and Stormy Knights, an anthology of urban fantasy that includes stories by Rachel Caine, Deidre Knight, Lilith Saintcrow and Carrie Vaughn.

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Yesterday I received the news that my grandmother has passed. Though I knew it was coming - she'd been fighting for a long time - I'm still at a bit of a loss. She went peacefully, the pain and agitation she'd been suffering for weeks finally subdued, and all her wishes were met. I'm glad she's no longer in pain, no longer has to fight, has passed on to a better place. But it still hurts those of us left behind.
While we settle the arrangements and prepare to celebrate her life, some things must be put on hold. The re-releases of Promise and Purpose should still proceed as planned, but the giveaway I promised earlier this week will have to wait. I'm sure you can understand.
I'd love to share some things about my grandma with you, but right now my brain seems to be on hold, too. I just can't put the thoughts and words together to do her justice at the moment. All I can say, for now, is what I posted on Facebook yesterday:Today the world lost an amazing woman who taught me that with dedication, perseverance and hard work, even the highest odds can be beaten. She was a fighter until the end. Now may you rest in peace, Grandma. ♥ And a few quotes she could have said herself:

"Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and Determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "Press On", has solved and will always solve the problems of the human race." - Calvin Coolidge

"Failure after long perseverance is much grander than never to have a striving good enough to be called a failure." - George Elliot

"Perseverance, secret of all triumphs" - Victor Hugo

"The best strategy in life is diligence." - Unknown Author  

I totally missed posting yesterday. Not that you can set your clock or calendar by my posts but I've been trying hard to be more regular. I've been under the proverbial gun, though. Although we've been working hard on the planned upcoming releases - Genesis (Oct. 2011) and Devotion (Feb. 2012) - my publisher and I decided that just wasn't enough work for us or enough fun for you. So...

BIG News!
Promise and Purpose aren't just getting an outward makeover. Their insides are also getting reworked, too! At first, this meant adding quotes from reviewers to both books, teasers for following books and a few minor tweaks to the content. But since I'm already in there messing with the interior file, we thought, "Why not go all out?" What does that mean?

New content, lovelies! New. Content.

I'm going to tell you a secret. But first, a little explanation. With beta readers, critique partners, freelance editors and agent feedback PLUS all the books I read by "experts," Promise and Purpose went through numerous rounds of revisions, before and after the split (they were originally written as one book). And I mean NUMEROUS (I'm too embarrassed to say how many and I truly lost count after about, ahem, 20 rounds or so). Somewhere along the way, the "real" story got a little mixed up. The chain of events in Promise were changed - both their order and what actually happened. Parts of both books landed on the cutting room floor when they probably shouldn't have.

These changes were made in the interest of the story, to make it the best it could be. But here's my secret: I've always regretted some of those changes. I followed advice I probably shouldn't have and didn't follow advice I probably should have. And I didn't put enough faith in my own intuition.

I love both books, don't get me wrong. But I've always had the nagging feeling that they could have been better if I had left some things alone. Now I've been given the opportunity by my fabulous publishing team to make them right. To make them the way I intended. To tell the beginning of Promise as it really happened, the way Alexis had told it to me. To bring back parts that were originally deleted because they didn't seem important but they actually provide needed insight into the characters and their behavior.

Promise has more extensive changes than Purpose, with the sequence of events returned to the way they really happened and deleted parts - including an entire scene - put back in. The changes in Purpose clarify Alexis and Dorian's life until now and why Alexis behaves the way she does in the first third of the book. The real cause is not what readers seem to think it is. PLUS Purpose will now include an excerpt from Devotion at the back. (To get a sneak peek of your own, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter. Subscribers will get the Devotion excerpt first!)

Although this has added a lot of work to my already overflowing plate, I feel a sense of relief. And excitement. Because I can't wait for readers to read these stories as I'd originally intended.

We have all kinds of things planned to celebrate the re-releases of both books by the end of the month, including giveaways! But first, I've been dying to do a big giveaway to celebrate some significant milestones: reaching over 500 fans on my Facebook page (it's over 600 now), over 1,000 followers on Twitter and 350 blog followers. As you can see, I'm still short on the blog followers. But I'm out of patience.

So here's the deal: we're going to do the big giveaway anyway! Soul Savers Series swag and signed books plus other goodies up for grabs! So watch for the details later this week. And stay tuned for more about how we're celebrating the re-releases of Promise and Purpose.

Years ago, before I decided to plunge back into fiction writing, I was just a reader. I read when I had time and usually books that came highly recommended from friends. There were no book blogs or Goodreads back then.

Unless friends had pestered me to read a particular book, I made my choices on back-cover copy, after the cover attracted me, of course. I never read reviews. Then, reviewers were paid critics in the media and just as I don't trust critics' reviews of movies, I don't trust them for books. These things are too subjective to take some stranger's word that I should or shouldn't read or watch something.

Things have changed now, of course. With blogging came reviews by people who are just readers. People like me, not some talking-head in the big-name newspaper. People's whose reviews I'd take much more seriously. However, by the time book blogging took off, I was shoulder deep in writing, which has changed my perspective on reviews anyway. Sort of.

This is what I've been thinking about this weekend - how the reader in me perceives reviews differently than the writer. How two-faced I am about these.

The reader in me still doesn't want to read a bunch of long reviews that give everything away. As a reader, I prefer to scan the Goodreads ratings more than read each and every review. When I do find myself reading reviews for something I haven't read yet, I kick myself. I don't want to go into the book with too much knowledge or too many expectations. The longer and more detailed the reviews are, the more I stay away from them.

HOWEVER, after I've read the book, I like to go back and read the reviews and the more I enjoyed the book, the more reviews I read. Because I want to know what others thought about it, in details. Did we share the same reaction to a particular scene or line? Did others get something out of it differently than me? Is anyone else swooning as much as I am with that hawt hero? Add in comments and it's like discussing the book with friends. I love that! So it's only after I've read the book that I really get anything out of book blogs and reviews.

On the other hand, the writer in me loves to read book blogs and reviews because I learn so much. Whether it's a review of my book or someone else's, the longer and more detailed the review, the better. I love those that are like the book reports we had to do in school - what happened, summary of the characters, what the reader liked most, what the reader liked least, overall reaction, thoughts on certain scenes and then a recommendation. These give me insight into what readers like, what they're looking for, what turns them off, how everyone takes something different away from the same book, etc.

My two-facedness creates a dilemma. I find myself sucked into a really well-written review about something I haven't read yet, but want to read. It's inevitable. There are so many good book bloggers and reviewers out there - and they read so much faster than me - that nearly every day I'm bound to find a review I can learn so much from, even when I know that it could change the reading experience for me.

Ah, such is life. I'd rather have this dilemma than go back to only talking-head, paid critics telling me what to read.

So...do you read reviews before reading a book? Do they influence your reading choices? Are you like me and read reviews after reading? What kind of reviews do you like - the quick ones or those that provide details, even if they're a little spoilery? With your answers, let me know if you're a writer or "just" a reader and if that affects your perspective.

If you subscribe to my newsletter, you've heard - or seen may be a better word - the exciting news. After a long pow-wow with my publisher this weekend, we've made a major decision that leads to more exciting news. But that's all I can say right now. So there's your tease!

Had to do something, because the rest of this post isn't really a tease. You get it all today! Here's the newsletter article:

New Cover LoveLots of people have toldme how they love the flowers on the covers of Promise and Purpose. They'revery lovely and stunning, I can agree. The covers get placed on best coverlists, but always somewhere in the middle. They're pretty, but they're notgreat.
People also don't get thesymbolism and wonder what the covers mean. They say, "Pretty, but why?" Yes, theflowers do represent something - someone - Alexis. The leaves representcharacters, too. There really was reason to it all, but it's just not obviousenough. I also think a lot of people mistake the books for YA (Young Adult)because of these covers.
Add to that the fact thatthere wasn't a similar look to use for Devotionor the rest of the series. The idea we had when we selected these flowersdoesn't really apply to the story anymore.
And, finally, in thislong-winded explanation of what I'm about to show you...I did the originalcovers. I have just enough graphic design experience to be dangerous, but notenough to do OMG WOW! I wanted a pro, but all kinds of things happened at oncethat led me to design these.
So now I'm delighted toshare that I've been working on new covers with the multi-talented Brenda Pandos , who cando OMG WOW! And not just for Genesisand Devotion.But she also re-did Promiseand Purpose!

Aren't they gorgeous???You are the first to see them! They'll go live by the end of the month. If youhave the paperback(s) with the flower covers, you'll be one of fewer than 1,000people who ever will own those. Does that mean anything? Maybe not right now,but who knows for the future, right? Asfor ebooks, there are thousands of those out there, but I don't know if they'llbe updated with the new files or not. Not sure how that works.

Saturday night I was Potions Master at a Hogwarts Feast and Harry Potter Geek-Out Party. Six of us girls sat down to a mouth-watering feast prepared by Chrissi (publisher/biz partner/friend) and her house-elves, including roasted chicken, spare ribs, mashed potatoes and gravy, English peas, glazed carrots and Yorkshire pudding, plus treacle pudding for dessert. We were stuffed!


As Potions Master, my job was to mix drinks and the drink of the night was...BUTTERBEER MARTINIS! OMG, so freakin' good! Chrissi and I made up the recipe last week and did some testing to come up with the right mix. A lot of people have asked about them, so here you go:

BUTTERBEER MARTINIS
1 part whipped cream vodka
1 1/2 parts butterscotch schnapps
Butterscotch ice cream topping
Cream Soda

Pour all of the above except the soda over ice in a martini shaker. Shake. Drizzle more butterscotch topping in glass. Pour mixture to about 1/3 to 1/2 of glass (depending on personal taste/tolerance for alcohol). Fill the rest with cream soda.

Enjoy!

I am so freakin' excited for Eisley Jacobs and her soon-to-be-released BORN TO BE A DRAGON. I'm also excited to be the second stop on her blog tour and scavenger hunt. AND, I don't just get an everyday guest post, but a VLOG, you guys. A VLOG!!!

Before I bring on Her Awesomeness, be aware that you need to pay attention to the vlog. Why? Because there's a Nook up for grabs! The vlog is part of her scavenger hunt. She has a question over on her site and the answer is "hidden" in this video. Answer it and be entered to win a copy of BORN TO BE A DRAGON and also entered to win a Nook! A NOOK!!!

You may have to watch it twice. It's laugh-out-loud funny so you might miss the crucial bit you need for the scavenger hunt because you're spewing coffee all over your screen. You've been warned.

Without further ado, one of the most amazing people I know in this writers world...Her Awersomeness, Eisley Jacobs.



OMG. I not only laughed, but now I'm crying because of all the nice things she said about me. Told you she's amazing. Now go check out her book and see how spectacular it is, too.