Valia Lind's Blog, page 6

Hello lovelies,

Long time, no talk. I know, I know, I have no good excuse! Except that maybe I’ve been writing? That’s right. Things are happening again and I will have so much more information to share with you soon!!

But for now, did you see the title? PIECES OF REVENGE IS AN AUDIOBOOK!!!

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The excitement is real! I am so beyond happy with the way it turned out. Sarah Kate did a fantastic job with bringing Tasia’s story to life! Give this lovely lady a follow, because she’s doing great things: https://www.facebook.com/SarahKateReads/

If you’ve never tried Audible, I suggest you give it a try and maybe possibly start with my book? I get a special bonus if you keep the subscription for 60 days and you get an awesome book to listen to. Win win, right?

Here’s where you can purchase your copy today!

Audible

Amazon

I am so excited for this and I can’t wait to share with you all of the other wonderful things that are happening!

Happy listening,

Valia

[image error]Hi, booklovers!

I’m author Melissa Landers, and I’m so excited to launch STARFALL, the second and final book in my Starflight duology! This story picks up shortly after the first book ends, but now Cassia and Kane are the main characters, with Doran, Solara, and the rest of the Banshee crew pitching in to help take down an intergalactic mafia. (You know, just an ordinary day in space.) And while saying goodbye to characters is never easy, I think I gave the crew a proper sendoff with plenty of humor, heart, and action. I hope you love STARFALL as much as I do!

Haven’t read the first book? You’re in luck, because for a limited time, Starflight is on sale for 99 cents in all e-formats. Now you can binge read the entire duology in one sitting!

Praise for Starflight:

“Smart, action-packed and utterly addictive!” –New York Times bestselling author Amie Kaufman

“Starflight has the cinematic appeal, warp-speed action and unlikely heroes of Star Wars.” –Justine Magazine

“A lively tale of romance, space pirates, conspiracy, and made (as opposed to genetic) families.” –Booklist

“A great choice for fans of raw sci-fi action, reminiscent of the lawlessness presented in the television series Firefly.” –School Library Journal

If you love sci-fi adventure with a dash of romance, I hope you’ll pick up the Starflight duology today. Starflight and Starfall are both available in stores and online.

STARFLIGHT (book 1)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2jmEOqA

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2kjs57n

Book Depository (free international shipping): http://bit.ly/1OoN2WD

Indie Bound: http://bit.ly/1IIMPx7

[image error]STARFALL (book 2)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2jmNsW2

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2ddKuih

Book Depository: http://bit.ly/2k98EvN

Indie Bound: http://bit.ly/2dhMLry

To celebrate my book birthday, I’m offering one lucky winner a Starflight duology swag pack, complete with bookmarks and two signed mini posters! The giveaway is open internationally. Due to sweepstakes laws, entrants must be 18 years or older to participate.

Best of luck, and happy reading!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Melissa Landers is a former teacher who left the classroom to pursue other worlds. A proud sci-fi geek, she isn’t afraid to wear her Princess Leia costume in public—just ask her husband and three kids. She lives outside Cincinnati in the small town of Loveland, “Sweetheart of Ohio.” For more information or just to say hello, visit www.melissa-landers.com.

Hello lovelies,

I hope everyone is having a wonderful New Year! Today, I have a special guest! Take it away, Sue Duff!

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I am sooo excited to be a guest on Valia’s site! Thank you for the opportunity to hang out with your readers Valia, and share a bit about myself and some insight into my series, The Weir Chronicles.

I stumbled, well more like tumbled, my way into writing a few years ago. I had a skiing accident and was laid up all summer recuperating. Since I’m normally a very active person, I was climbing the walls from boredom, so I turned on the word processor to keep myself sane.

Approximately fifty-nine days later, I had a gargantuan novel! Once I began typing, the story and characters had taken on a life of their own and by the time I was done with the first draft, I envisioned five novels total in the series. Of course, the first draft SERIOUSLY needed some revisions and a boatload of editing, but I truly believed I had an awesome story on my hands. So, I dove into the world of writing and took a creative writing class. That gave me the confidence that I could do this if I wanted it bad enough! I then joined a writer’s critique group, signed up for any writing courses that made sense with my work schedule and measly funds, and lo-and-behold, two years later, that novel placed as a finalist in a prestigious writing contest. Yep, you guessed it. I drank the Kool-Aid and haven’t looked back since.

Then the real work began. I started cranking out the next novel, then the next, and the next. In two years, I now have the fourth novel in the series hitting shelves February 1st, with an anthology of unrelated short stories also published last spring, and another one on the way April 2017.

What kept me from pulling my hair out and took over my life, you ask? The Weir Chronicles follows Ian Black, a popular illusionist who harbors a mega secret. He has real powers. Hailing from a magical race of beings that keep the energies of the earth in harmony, he was destined to inherit all of their combined powers and, thus, save Earth from self-destructing. But he doesn’t, and after a miserable childhood, he leaves the Weir to their archaic ways and hides among humans, becoming an illusionist to perform magic on a different scale. But destiny has a way of catching up with us all and as the series progresses, Ian is sucked back into the world of the Weir, and drags his goofy manager, hard-nosed girlfriend and overly protective guardians with him for one hell-of-a-ride.

I hope you discover your true destiny as Ian has, and as I have. I never imagined I’d end up as an author, but thanks to a skiing accident, and the magic of our computer age, my fate eventually caught up with me. May you all be so lucky!

Thank you again Valia for inviting me into your circle of followers, and I hope everyone can escape into the pages of your next great series!

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BESTSELLING AUTHOR RELEASES LATEST INSTALLMENT IN HER URBAN FANTASY SERIES

STACK A DECK explores the tough questions of a world gone wrong

DENVER, CO —   What if the Earth’s ozone layer decayed? What if asteroids weren’t destroyed by outer atmosphere and impacted us on on a regular basis? And what if the Earth’s core slowed its rotation, leaving our planet completely out of sync with the gravitational pull of the moon? Bestselling author Sue Duff explores these terrifying questions in her latest installment of her urban fantasy series, Stack a Deck (Book Four in The Weir Chronicles).

As the epic story continues, Duff’s main protagonist Ian Black learns how dangerous tyrannical ruler Aeros has become, and sees for himself the narcissist’s impact on an entire planet. Ian is forced to turn his back on the Pur Weir and align himself with the rebels to rescue Rayne. But when he travels to Earth’s alternate universe, he finds himself powerless and struggles to survive. Though, it is here that he, along with eager readers of the series, finally discover the true history of the Weir and his connection to Earth’s imminent destruction. 

“Stack A Deck was so challenging because I had to consider the worst future for Earth and ask the tough ‘what if’ questions,” said Duff.

Stack a Deck is the fourth of five books in the Weir Chronicles, so fans of Duff’s novels can anticipate an exciting close in the final chapter in 2018.

Out of hundreds of submissions, Duff’s novel Fade to Black placed as a finalist in the Colorado Gold Writing Contest in 2011 and in 2015, her writing earned her the PEN Award from Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers.  Masks and Mirrors nabbed Duff a nomination for the 2015-2016 Independent Writer of the Year from Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, and Sleight of Hand landed on the Denver Post Bestseller list in 2016.

Additionally, Duff has completed a short story entitled Duo’vr for the anthology TICK TOCK: Seven Tales of Time, which received the gold medal for Best Book Cover and silver medal for Best Anthology for the 2016 Colorado Independent Publishers Association EVVY Awards. The anthology also  was nominated for Best Anthology at the 2016 UTOPIA Con. A second anthology is on its way in 2017 and, in addition to the seven Wicked Ink authors short stories, it will feature two short-stories hand-selected from over 45 submissions received from writers all over the world.

Hello lovelies,

Can you believe it?? RUINED IN RETRIBUTION, the final book in the award winning trilogy is now out in the world!!!

Release day sales are SO IMPORTANT and if you haven’t had the chance to pre-order it, you can still get the book for the reduced price!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N00SZRB/ref=series_rw_dp_sw

If you haven’t had a chance to pick up book one, PIECES OF REVENGE is FREE!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PVQEXHY/ref=series_rw_dp_sw

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pieces-of-revenge-valia-lind/1120818358?ean=2940046584172

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/520411

I’m so excited for you to have the FULL and COMPLETE story and I can’t wait to hear your thoughts!

Much love,

Valia

Hello lovelies,

Can you believe it? Only one week to go until Ruined in Retribution is out in the world! I’m amazed, excited, terrified, hyperventilating, running in panic…

Too much info? My bad.

But seriously, I am incredibly excited to share this last book with you. I honestly can’t believe that the trilogy has come to an end.

When I started writing Pieces of Revenge I never imagined writing a trilogy. In my mind, it was always going to be a duology. Then, Scarred by Vengeance wrote itself and when I finished that last chapter, the story wasn’t finished. But it’s finished now.

I am very pleased with Tasia’s story. I think she has become the kind of a character who discovered, for herself, just what it means to truly live and love. I have envisioned her end in many ways and I hope you understand it and love it in the end.

If you haven’t preordered your copy yet, RUINED IN RETRIBUTION is still only $2.99! The price will go up after release.

Link: AMAZON

If you haven’t discovered Tasia’s mission for yourself, book one, PIECES OF REVENGE is FREE!!!

Link: AMAZON

Please take a moment to share the links, pictures, promos, and REVIEWS around the internet! Let’s make this the greatest release yet!

Much love,

Valia

Hello lovelies,

I am super excited about today’s post. Not only is it the release day for THE BAD BOY BARGAIN (which you all should go check out), but Kendra herself is here to give us some behind-the-scenes info!

How a Song Launched an Entire Book

I find inspiration for books in a lot of places, but The Bad Boy Bargain was probably the most unusual. Last year, when she heard “Please” by Sawyer Fredericks (from The Voice), my editor, Heather Howland, had an idea for a new YA romance. She posted her thoughts on Twitter—shy guy with a tough shell—and said she wished someone would write it. When I asked when she wanted the manuscript, teasing but also dead serious, we started plotting.

“Please” tells the story of a young man who’s found a near-perfect girl, one he thinks he loves, but he’s lying to her at the same time. He’s scared to tell this near-perfect girl the truth about himself because he’s worried she’ll let him go. It’s a song about love and fear, giving and selfishness, longing and despair. All those themes show up in The Bad Boy Bargain, which lends some extra complexity to Kyle beyond the typical bad boy. He’s a guy full of secrets, pain, and shame, but he really wants someone to see through all of that and love the true Kyle. The working title of the book was called Keeping Faith—because he wants to keep Faith, but needs more faith in himself.

As for Faith herself, she’s been mistreated by one guy and has some reservations about being hurt again. The difference between Faith and Kyle is that she’s willing to continue to look for The One even though she’s been burned. She believes in true love, acting with kindness, and being her real self. She suffers from a lack of confidence and self doubt, and Kyle helps her get past that, especially when she struggles with a dance partner who refuses to do his part. Having him in her life restores her faith in love, and in herself.

Overall, this story is about two people finding each other and connecting in a way that allows them to be true with each other.

Now, for the special excerpt!

By the time she made it home, took a smoothie from Mom’s outstretched hand, and went upstairs to shower, six Snapchat notifications, all from different people, had popped up on her phone:

A sad-faced Skye: I’m so sorry about last night. I should’ve warned you. I feel awful.

An angry Piper: I’m at the mall and there’s some asinine shit coming out of Cameron’s mouth right now. Should I punch him?

A gossipy Fiona: Is it true that Cameron dumped you?

A sneering Mitchell: You as cold as Cam says?

A dumbfounded Katrina: Holly is telling everyone at the mall that she stole Cam from you because you don’t put out. Want me to dump a Slurpee in her hair?

A smirking Jackson: My car overheated. I heard you could cool it down for me. How about it, ice queen?

Tears of rage filled Faith’s eyes, especially when a new Snapchat chimed: Cameron, sending her a picture of Holly sitting in his lap at the party last night.. The message read: Trading up.

She squeezed her phone in her hand. What was she going to do? She had half a mind to tell Kat to pour that Slurpee down Holly’s shirt and Piper to punch Cam in the throat. But that wouldn’t solve anything. Not at all.

No, she needed something bigger. Faith wandered to her window, to stare outside and organize her thoughts. Except, when she caught sight of the ripped, shirtless guy in her backyard, she forgot what she’d been thinking about.

“Who’s that?” she whispered, touching the glass.

His back and shoulders flexed under tanned skin. A black tattoo—was it a bird?—was on one of his shoulder blades. There was a bruise on his side, too, but she couldn’t make herself wonder about it. The guy’s dark hair was in his face as he tugged hard at a holly bush, yanking it from the ground.

Look at those arms. Faith stared, her mouth open. Who was he?

The holly bush gave way and he tipped back, dirt flying. Faint laughter drifted up through her window as he climbed to his feet with his prize, and she caught a look at his face.

She gasped. Holy crap, that was Kyle Sawyer. The stories she’d heard about him were numerous, and if a quarter were true, he was not the kind of guy she’d want to talk to. He shoplifted, vandalized buildings, drank, hung out with college students—girls. College girls. And rumor had it he ran illegal street races with his Charger.

So why did he look like he was having a blast ransacking her backyard? He had an awfully nice smile for such a bad boy.

A thought exploded in her brain—wait a minute…bad boy. Kyle was the one guy at Suttonville High who’d seen enough action to have his own lore. His exploits were darker than sin, and being with him was an instant reputation killer for any girl at Suttonville.

This was it. Kyle would be her revenge.

Doesn’t that sound awesome? Grab your own copy today!

Much love,

Valia

Hello lovelies,

Did you catch that snazzy title?? That’s right RUINED IN RETRIBUTION is book three in the Titanium series and today, you get to see the cover!!!

I am beyond excited for it! Regina, once again, has done an outstanding job! (It’s my favorite tbh).

But first, THE SYNOPSIS:

Gone. Gone. Gone.

For the past two months, it has taken all of Logan’s determination to just keep going. Losing Tasia to Kallos Enterprises shattered his world, but he is not about to give up on what she had started.

Together with her family, Logan works to destroy the company that ruined their lives. The corporation is growing bigger and stronger by the minute, weaponizing the drug and selling it to the highest bidder. But that’s not the only hurdle to overcome. Logan’s past is catching up to him, and the time has come to pay. His family’s secrets are unraveling everything he has built for himself and now, Logan is fighting on multiple fronts.

Save Tasia. Destroy Kallos Enterprises. Stay alive.

Such a simple list, such an impossible mission.

Time is running out and Logan is left with one question: can he save them all?

Are you ready for the cover then?

Are you?

Are you really?

Ok here it is!!!

Isn’t it GORGEOUS???? Want to see the full wrap?? Here you go!

I’m obsessed. Seriously.

PRE-ORDER THE BOOK HERE:

Amazon: https://amzn.com/B01N00SZRB

Release date: December 7, 2016

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Are you ready for Tasia and Logan’s adventures to come to an end???

Much love,

Valia

Hello lovelies,

I am so pleased to have Erin Fletcher, the author of All Laced Up, on the blog today! If you know me at all, you know of my obsession with hockey romance stories and this one is right up my alley. Today, Erin is sharing a bit of a personal story that helped inspire her for the book! Read on!

An Ice Skating Date: It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time…

In addition to being an author, I’m also a former figure skater. My knowledge about skating was incredibly helpful while writing my most recent figure skater and hockey player YA romance, All Laced Up. There was one time when my skating experience wasn’t so helpful…on a date.

You see, there was this guy. We’ll protect the innocent and call him John. John and I had already been out twice when he asked me what I wanted to do one Saturday. Naturally, I said I wanted to go ice skating. Not only would I be able to share something I loved with him, but is there anything cuter than a couple holding hands while skating around a rink? I didn’t think so. John was slightly less enthusiastic since he’d never stepped foot into an ice arena before, but he was a good enough sport to go along with my plan.

We headed to the rink, laced up our skates, and stepped onto the ice. John was wobbly and had to spend some time hanging on to the boards, but that was okay. I’d taught plenty of beginner skaters and enjoyed teaching him.

Eventually, John started to get the hang of it, and I led him away from the wall. He was doing well, if still a little shaky. The date was going perfectly! But then it happened. I’m still not sure exactly what happened, but the next thing I knew, John was falling. I was just far enough away that I couldn’t do anything to catch him or stop him. I watched helplessly as he face-planted onto the ice. Emphasis on face.

When I helped him up, I saw that his face was bleeding in not one, but two places – forehead and cheek. That’s right. The poor guy ended our third date bleeding from his head. Thankfully, it was his pride that hurt more than anything, but still…not good.

Pro tip: if you want to go ice skating on a date, be prepared that injuries might happen. Or, be like Lia from All Laced Up and date a hockey player who already knows how to skate!

Thank you so much to Valia for having me on your blog! Happy reading!

Title: All Laced Up (Breakaway #1)

Author: Erin Fletcher

Summary:

Everyone loves hockey superstar Pierce Miller. Everyone except Lia Bailey.

When the two are forced to teach a skating class to save the rink, Lia’s not sure she’ll survive the pressure of Nationals and Pierce’s ego. Not only can’t he remember her name, he signed her bottle of water like she was one of his groupies. Ugh.

But if there’s one thing Lia knows better than figure skating, it’s hockey. Hoping to take his ego down a notch—or seven—she logs into his team website under an anonymous name to give him pointers on his less-than-stellar playing.

Turns out, Pierce isn’t arrogant at all. And they have a lot in common. Too bad he’s falling for the anonymous girl online. No matter how much fun they’re starting to have in real life, she’s afraid he’s going to choose fake-Lia over the real one…

Disclaimer: This book contains a swoony hockey player (and his equally swoony friends!), one-too-many social media accounts, kisses that’ll melt ice, and a secret identity that might not be so secret after all…

All Laced Up on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32057113-all-laced-up?ac=1&from_search=true

All Laced Up on Amazon US: https://amzn.com/B01LZUDKTF

All Laced Up on Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/All-Laced-Up-Erin-Fletcher-ebook/dp/B01LZUDKTF

All Laced Up on B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/all-laced-up-erin-fletcher/1124650107?ean=9781633757684

Website: http://booklaunch.io/erinfletcher11

Blog: http://erinfletcher11.blogspot.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ErinFletcher11

Bio:

Erin is a young adult author from North Carolina. She is a morning person who does most of her writing before sunrise, while drinking excessive quantities of coffee. She believes flip-flops qualify as year-round footwear, and would spend every day at the beach if she could. She has a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, which is almost never useful when writing books.

Hello lovelies,

How are we doing this fine Monday morning? Yes, I know. I’m way too chipper. I’ve been drinking me some coffee, okay?

Anyways.

Let’s talk about books!

A lot of you have been asking me “Valia, will you ever actually write Titanium #3 or is that it?” Goodness people, I would never just leave you hanging like that! Of course there’ll be Titanium #3! And guess what???

IT WILL BE OUT THIS YEAR!!

That’s right. You heard it right.

In preparation for this exciting event (that’s right, exciting) I’ll be hosting a bunch of giveaways!! So make sure you follow me on social medias for updates!

Also, make sure to add Titanium #3 to your Goodreads TBR: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24981832-untitled

Also, if you have read any of my books, please leave a review!! Reviews HELP SO MUCH!!! Outside of reading and loving the book, it’s the greatest gift you can give an author! It’s you sharing it with others[image error]

If you have read and left a review, let me know and I’ll send you some swag!

Well, that is all for me. Let me know if you have any questions! I’m in a question answering mood!

Much love,

Valia

Hello lovelies,

If you’ve ever seen the movie Sky High and always thought that Layla should’ve ended up with “bad boy” Warren, then you don’t want to miss Lisa Brown Roberts‘ Resisting the Rebel. Were you a fan of her September 2015 novel, Playing the Player, then trust me when I say you will also not want to miss this swoony, contemporary YA romance. Seriously.

MY THOUGHTS:

If you know me at all (or have read my book, Falling by Design) you know what a big fan I am of enemies-to-lovers trope. I’m also a big fan of pretend-to-feeling-real-feels trope. So, needless to say, this book was right up my alley.

It was cute and sweet and it hit the spot. Mandy was a fun character, with plenty of quirks. Caleb was a nice bad boy. Together, they made a cute pair. I had a few problems with a few areas, but overall, this was a quick read and I’m glad I have the chance to spread the word about it. Sometimes we just need those cutesy contemporaries to put a smile on our faces and this was one of those books!

Follow along with the blog tour from July 25-Aug. 5, 2016:

July 25, 2016:

Lisa from Lost in Lit – Excerpt & Giveaway

Rachel from Confessions of a Book Geek – Spotlight

Rhianna from Rhi Reading – Spotlight

July 26, 2016:

Megan from Under the Book Cover – Spotlight

Samantha from Musings of Madjy – Review

Kristen from Victim of Books – Review

July 27, 2016:

Jessica from OMG Reads – Spotlight

July 28, 2016:

Beth from Hike2Forty and Beyond – Spotlight

Kaitlin from Kaitbooktopia – Review

July 29, 2016:

Cristina from The Princess of Everything – Spotlight

Aug. 1, 2016:

Valia from By Valia Lind – Review & Spotlight

Hadassah from Haddie’s Haven – Spotlight

Aug. 2, 2016:

Moriah from A Leisure Moment – Review

Key from Key Read That – Review

Aug. 3, 2016:

Lisa from Lost in Lit – Review

Michelle from What Is That Book About – Spotlight

Aug. 4, 2016:

Angela from Wicked Reads – Review

Jennifer from Never Too Many to Read – Review

Aug. 5, 2016:

Elaine from Splashes into Books – Review

Vox Libris – Review

Disclaimer: This book contains a villain pretending to be a hero, a hero pretending to be a villain, a disco-dancing heroine, two overprotective sidekicks, a little bit of bad language, and a whole lot of swoony kissing.

Spirit committee leader Mandy Pennington is secretly in love with her best friend, Gus, but when he hooks up with her archenemy at a party, she decides to win him over once and for all. She just doesn’t know how. But who better to help than hot loner Caleb Torrs?

Caleb’s got his own problems, but when he sees Mandy pining over Gus at a party, he thinks she’s finally smoked the spirit stick and lost her mind. Maybe he has, too, because he just asked Mandy to be his fake girlfriend.She’ll get her loser friend’s attention, and he’ll get his stalker ex off his back.It’s a win-win.

But soon one fake date blends into the next and before he knows it, he actually wants to kiss Mandy. For real. Too bad their plan is working, and Gus is finally noticing the one girl Caleb just might be falling for…