Monday Updates & Happy Release to At First Blush!

Hello, friends!

There are lots of things going on that I wanted to share with you. The first bit of exciting news is that FORGOTTEN, the sequel to CATALYST, will release on April 18th, much earlier than expected. Yep, you read that correctly! My 2nd book baby will make an appearance in a week! Needless to say, I'm definitely feeling the stress and excitement of another book releasing into the world.

The blog tour will run from April 18th through April 25th, and will be through Xpresso Books. If you'd like to help spread the news of the release of FORGOTTEN, you can sign up at the link below. (Pretty, pretty please!) Thank you in advance!

SIGN UP HERE TO HELP WITH FORGOTTEN RELEASE

And here are a few teaser images that my wonderful friend and critique partner, Leandra Wallace, made. LOVE THEM!!!

You can pre-order your copy of FORGOTTEN HERE.

Buy CATALYST HERE.

BOOK TOUR:

At the same time of the FORGOTTEN release, I'm doing a little book tour in the western part of the US. If any of you live in the following areas, please come out and see me!

Saturday, April 15th @ 2 pm- The King's English Bookshop in Salt Lake City, UT

Isn't this just the cutest bookshop EVER?!

Thursday, April 20th @ 5 pm- Barnes and Noble Bookstore in Henderson, NV (Stephanie store)

For the event at the Henderson B&N, I'll be teaming up with bestselling YA author, Jessie Humphries, who lives in that area. It should be a lot of fun!

I have to say that one of the best things about being a published author is having fans reach out to me, telling me how much they loved CATALYST. I think the next greatest thing would be to receive some FAN ART! That would be pretty awesome. :)

In other exciting news, I'm now a Pitch Wars 2017 Mentor! I'll be co-mentoring with my dear friend, Beth Ellyn Summer, and we are SO excited to be mentoring YA this year. In a few months, we'll post on our blogs the kind of manuscript we're looking for, so be on the lookout for that post in July! If you'd like more information about Pitch Wars, see Brenda Drake's website HERE.

I'm also excited to celebrate the release of Beth Ellyn Summer's book, AT FIRST BLUSH. I'm a little late to the party (the book released last week) but I still wanted to show my love and support for this awesome book and author. If you haven't gotten your copy of AT FIRST BLUSH yet, you totally should!! Here's a preview:

BLURB

Who would have thought that a teenager could have a successful career creating makeup tutorial videos on YouTube? For Lacey Robbins, this dream has been her reality. An up-and-coming YouTuber, she has thousands of fans and can't wait for the day when her subscriber count reaches the one million mark. And when she is offered a high school internship at On Trend Magazine, she figures that this could be the make it or break it moment.

But sometimes your dream job isn't all that it seems. Her editor is only interested in promoting junk products, and her boss in the Hair and Makeup department introduces her to the larger world of makeup artistry, making her wonder if making tutorials online is all she is meant to do. To top it all off, when the magazine's feature subject, musician Tyler Lance, turns his broodingly handsome smile her way, falling for him could mean losing her fans, forcing her to make a decision: her YouTube life or her real life?

Fans of Zoella's GIRL ONLINE will fall right into the world of this YA DEVIL WEARS PRADA and stay hooked from the first blush to the last glossy kiss.

BUY AT FIRST BLUSH HERE!

About the Author:

Beth Ellyn Summer writes contemporary young adult fiction that somehow always includes the following elements: fame, makeup, and television. She graduated from Long Island University with a degree in Print and Electronic Journalism. Interning for Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Fallon was the highlight of her college years. When she's not writing, Beth can be found swatching eyeshadows, solving Wheel of Fortune puzzles, and playing with her adorable cat, Penny Belle. Beth lives on Long Island in a cookie cutter town that, in an ironic twist of fate, doesn't have a single decent bakery.

You can connect with Beth at any of the social media links below.

Website

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Pinterest
Goodreads


So many congrats to Beth! I hope your book release has been everything you dreamed it would be! <3

Teaser Interview with Jessie Humphries

Today, at Unicorn Bell, we have author Jessie Humphries in the HOUSE! Don't forget to stop by and check out her full interview as well as enter to win her new book and a really cool prize! (I won't tell you what it is, you'll have to stop by and find out for yourself!)

Here is a sneak peek of the interview...

About the Author: Jessie Humphries was born and raised in Las Vegas, NV. She received a BA from San Diego State University, where she cultivated her love of the beach, then lived in France, where she cultivated her weakness for shoes, and finally earned a law degree from UNLV, where she cultivated her interest in justice. After practicing law for several years she began writing, and, appropriately, her debut novel Killing Ruby Rose is a thriller about vigilante justice set in sunny southern California with a shoe-obsessed protagonist. Jessie currently writes and practices law in Las Vegas, where she lives with her husband and children.

Blurb:

In sunny southern California, Ruby Rose is known for her killer looks and her killer SAT scores. But ever since her dad, an LAPD SWAT sergeant, died six months ago, she’s also got a few killer secrets.

To cope with her father’s death, Ruby has been trying to stay focused on school (the top spot in her class is on the line) and spending time with friends (her Jimmy Choos and Mahnolo Blahniks are nothing if not loyal), but after months of therapy and more than a few months of pathetic parenting by her mom, District Attorney Jane Rose, Ruby decides to pick up where her dad left off and starts going after the bad guys herself.

But when Ruby ends up killing a murderer in defense of another, she discovers that she’s gone from being the huntress to the hunted. There’s a sick mastermind at play, and he has Ruby in his sights. Ruby must discover who’s using her to implement twisted justice before she ends up changing Valentino red for prison orange.

With a gun named Smith, a talent for martial arts, and a boyfriend with eyes to die for, Ruby is ready to face the worst. And if a girl’s forced to kill, won’t the guilt sit more easily in a pair of Prada peep-toe pumps?

                                ******************************************

Teaser Interview with Jessie Humphries

Your YA novel, Killing Ruby Rose, was recently released. What are some of the thoughts and emotions you’ve experienced since its debut?

Since I love bullet points, I’ve got a few for this question ;) 

Some of the things that I experienced leading up to my debut are:

• Nausea

• Ligament pain

• Shortness of breath

• Dizziness

• Insomnia

• Increased appetite

• Decreased appetite

• Irregular libido

• Excessive loud-mouthia

Among other treatable side effects. My treatment consists of scalding hot baths, pick-me-up Coke Zero beverages, and intermittent counseling sessions with friends. 

What inspired you to write Killing Ruby Rose?

I have a secret. Shhh, don’t tell anyone, but this book (about a 17 year old serial killer) is actually a tell-all memoir about myself!

Just kidding. I was inspired by two particular stories:

• DEXTER by Jeff Lindsey (which is a book turned into a hit Showtime TV series, about a sociopathic killer who only kills bad dudes); and

• HEIST SOCIETY by Ally Carter (which is a book about a young girl who is a thief but only steals things for the right reasons). 

I sort of melded these stories together, and voila…Ruby Rose. 

You’re a busy mom, how do you balance all the pieces of your life and still find time for writing?

I find the only time of day that I can focus on writing is at the break of dawn. I swear that my kids can hear creative thoughts forming in my head and will then awake to crush them. So I go to Starbucks around 5:30 or 6:00 am.

If you could have been told one thing that you weren’t told when you were a teenager, what would you like to have heard?

“Stay away from Nick, Corey, Seth, and Dominic (last names are omitted for legal reasons). They are going to break your heart.”

To read more of Jessie's interview or enter to win her Giveaway, please visit Unicorn Bell.


Also, Mark Noce's short story "Meet Me at the Waterfront" is out at Every Day Fiction. Be sure to check it out and leave a comment or stars. It's a great story with an unexpected ending!