Showing posts with label branding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label branding. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

COVER REVEAL: CINDERELLA'S SHOES BY SHONNA SLAYTON

Hey All!!!
We have a great new cover reveal for you today. Cinderella's Shoes by Shonna Slayton!! See all book deets below:


Cinderella's Shoes
Release Date: 10/06/15
Entangled Teen

Summary from Goodreads:
The war may be over, but Kate Allen’s life is still in upheaval. Not only has she discovered that Cinderella was real, but now she's been made Keeper of the Wardrobe, her sole responsibility to protect Cinderella’s magical dresses from the greed of the evil stepsisters’ modern descendants. 

But Cinderella’s dresses are just the beginning. It turns out that the priceless glass slippers might actually exist, too, and they could hold the power to reunite lost loved ones like her father—missing in action since World War II ended. As Kate and her boyfriend, Johnny, embark on an adventure from New York to Italy and Poland in search of the mysterious slippers, they will be tested in ways they never imagined.

Because when you harness Cinderella's magic, danger and evil are sure to follow...


First book in the series:
(cover linked to Goodreads)

Buy Links:
Amazon│Barnes & Noble│iBooks

About the Author
SHONNA SLAYTON is the author of the YA novels Cinderella's Dress, (Summer 2014) and Cinderella's Shoes (Fall 2015) published by Entangled Teen. She finds inspiration in reading vintage diaries written by teens, who despite using different slang, sound a lot like teenagers today. When not writing, Shonna enjoys amaretto lattes and spending time with her husband and children in Arizona.


Author Links:
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Cover Reveal Organized by:

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

BOOK BLITZ: BRICKS BY JOHN DAVIDSON

Hey All!!!
Coming to the stage we have a new book that's just been released by author John Davidson. See all the deets below:




Bricks
Release Date: 02/03/15
Anaiah Press

Summary from Goodreads:
Sixteen-year old Cori Reigns learns that not all tornadoes take you to magical places. Some take your house, your school, and life as you knew it. Struggling to put the pieces of her life back together, Cori learns to rebuild what the storm destroyed by trusting family she didn't know she had and helping friends she never appreciated.





Buy Links:


Nice!!! And if that description hasn't tantalized your reading taste buds, I've attached a blurb below:


In the eerie glow from the lantern, I sat in a ball with Slim’s long arms wrapped around me. Only our synchronized breathing and the drum of my heartbeat disturbed the silence.
The pizza boy screamed as the TV flew upward. We ducked, and it slammed into the locked steel door. A roar like a jet-powered locomotive swept over us. Wind raged through a crack in the rattling door like the screech and cackle of a tempest-tossed witch, fluttering the lantern’s light. Slim caught the set as it dropped. The cord flopped at my feet, severed like it’d been bitten by a wild animal.
Mr. Hawkins mumbled. Mrs. Lassiter spoke to Jesus. The Mangino’s driver sat near me, his rocking horse motion powered by gentle sobs. I forced my hand to stop shaking long enough to reach around Slim and squeeze the boy’s hand in mine. Mrs. Lassiter always said there are no atheists in foxholes. There are no strangers either.
My heart passed the next few minutes of external silence by banging like a sledgehammer against my ribcage. Finally, Mrs. Lassiter slid past us. “Would you mind giving me a hand, young man?”
She had to be talking to Slim. The Mangino’s guy was still a sobbing mess.
“You okay?” he asked me.
I think I nodded.
At the top of the steps, the metal latch clanged. Then a grunt and a shard of light.
The sounds repeated.
“I can’t get it open,” Slim said. “It must be jammed.”
My sledgehammer heart banged louder.
“Not jammed,” Mrs. Lassiter told him. “Blocked.”
And louder.
Crazy thoughts and images raced through my mind. The tiny enclosure seemed to have suddenly shrunk by half. I couldn’t take it any longer. Being trapped in a tiny underground bunker that smelled of perspiration and pepperoni made me want to puke. I squeezed the pizza guy’s hand a final time and pushed to the top of the steps to wedge myself between Slim and Mrs. Lassiter. No one objected. It wouldn’t have mattered.
I didn’t wait for three. I threw my shoulder into the metal door, and it slowly creaked upward—six inches, a foot. With both feet on the steps and our shoulders against the door, we pressed upward to provide more leverage.

“A little more,” Mrs. Lassiter said. “There.” She extended the metal bar to hold the door open. My shoulders relaxed as the brace clicked into place. I rubbed my arm and stepped into the eerie gray light.


About the Author
Married to my bride for twenty-four years, I have an amazing son and a wonderful daughter.

Born and raised in central Oklahoma, I work in education, first as a teacher now in technology curriculum. I write. I read. And in the summer I make snow cones.

Author Links:
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GIVEAWAY:

Book Blitz Organized by:

Monday, January 12, 2015

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVERNIGHT TEEN!!!


Happy Birthday to EVERNIGHT TEEN!

EVERNIGHT TEEN turns two this month and we’re having a huge party to celebrate! It may be EVERNIGHT TEEN’s birthday, but you get the presents. So, grab a piece of cake, hop from blog-to-blog and discover EVERNIGHT TEEN!

Be sure to visit every stop on the hop and answer each question. The more you blogs you hop, the more chances to win the GRAND PRIZE of an iPad Mini sponsored by EVERNIGHT TEEN (one entry per blog). Plus, hop each blog for a host of other fabulous prizes.

Have your TBR list handy because we have lots of new titles for you to add, including my featured book…




Just a little info on the fabulous book I published with Evernight Teen. Cursed is about one young girl’s journey to fight the darkness within herself. The main conflict is Jazz’s fight to maintain a sense of humanity in spite of the growing hunger that starts to take over her. This journey also forces her to open her eyes to new possibilities – to the love she’s always had for her closest friend, Khan.

You'll find a blurb from my book that's hot, hot, hot below:




When he walked out the bathroom, the nerves I’d thought I’d turned to steel started to quiver. What if he refused me? Khan was just as stubborn as I was. How could I possibly ask this of him? How could I get him to understand?


I took a deep breath and looked at him. “Khan, we need to talk.”


“Uh oh, that’s never what a guy wants to hear from his girl.”


My stomach fluttered, but I refused to give into the distraction. “I have a plan…in case we don’t find and kill the Gunshi. But I need your help to pull it off.”


He didn’t look taken aback, just more determined than anything. “Jazz, it’s too soon for you to give up now. We’ve got some really good leads, we can do this!”


I shook my head. “I’m not giving up, Khan. I never give up…you know that.” I smiled at him and was rewarded with one in return. “But…being a leader means having to think outside of myself…you and my dad taught me that. We have to prepare for all possibilities – even this.”


His dark eyes flashed and, for a second, I thought I was in for a long and hard fight. Then understanding washed over his features and he nodded. “As long as you promise this doesn’t mean you’ve given up.”


“Not even close – and giving in doesn’t even sound like me.”


He snorted. “That’s for sure.”


I rolled my eyes. “Okay, I think we can do this, but if not…I have a forgetting tonic to erase my memories. That way, in the very least, the vermin can’t use my knowledge against everyone I love.”


Khan jerked. “Where in the hell did you…?” Then he groaned. “Claudine.”


I couldn’t help but smile. “She always has been good at knowing what I need.”


His face was hard. “Okay, so I’ll make sure to wipe away your memories. I’ll erase everything that makes you, you – everything I’ve grown to know and care about. We done?”


I paused. “Not quite.”


He flinched. “I figured something more was coming when you said, ‘In the least’.”


I almost didn’t have the guts to continue. “Think about it, Khan. You can’t just leave me there, a newbie Suecai with the urge to feed. What if I came across my mom one day? Or your dad?


“You might not be able to do it immediately – there’s no telling how strong I’ll be at first or how protected – but eventually you’ll have to take me out! I shuddered at the thought. “What else can we do?”


The rage flew through his features even more quickly than when I’d told him I couldn’t be his Valentine in the sixth grade.


“Anything, Jazz,” Khan whispered. “We fight. We search. We keep pounding the pavement until we find that bastard. We do anything and everything.”


Words escaped me. A boulder set squarely on my chest and wouldn’t budge. I should’ve known this wouldn’t be easy – hadn’t I spent my entire life traipsing around Chicago with Khan? I shouldn’t have expected anything else.


Khan seemed to take my silence as an opportunity to change my mind. “You could learn control, Jazz, become a full-fledged Dorgai.” There it was, that secret hope I held deep in my heart that I was too scary to speak out loud.


“Khan, that’s impossible. There’s no way I can learn control if I’m forced into feeding too fast. The only way we halfers manage it is by taking an entire year to ease into the process. All of Dad’s advisors are agreed that I’ll become an uncontrollable Suecai.”


“I can’t believe that, Jazz. It can’t happen. Not to you.”


I couldn’t focus. My need to be rational kept battling the little girl within me reaching for a solution, any solution.


I didn’t notice Khan moving until it was too late.


Before I could say something to break the bubble, Khan stood over me, his face inches from mine. His eyes were warm and I could feel the heat of his breath, minty from his recent trip to the bathroom. My heart stopped. And then he was kissing me, slow and deep at first, and then with a heat and passion I’d only guessed he possessed.

You can buy my book on Amazon and Evernight Teen. And don't forget to like it on Goodreads!!!



Enter for a chance to win EVERNIGHT TEEN’s GRAND PRIZE of an iPad Mini and my blog prize by answering this question (be sure to include your email address to be eligible to win):

What book are you most excited to read in 2015?

The birthday blog hop continues here:



Happy reading and writing!

Thursday, January 23, 2014

EVERNIGHT TEEN 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY BLOG BLAST AND CONTEST!!!

Hey All!!!
So my publisher, Evernight Teen, is turning the big 1 today, and is having a great contest to celebrate!!! You can enter to win on the Evernight Teen Blog here.

The grand prize is a $100 gift card from iTunes, which is always a good find.

I'll also be giving a $10 Amazon gift card to a winner on my blog! Just leave the answer to the below question in the comments section of this post.

1) What does Jazz ask Khan to do if she ends up turning Suecai?

You'll find the answer below, so make sure to keep reading!

Just a little info on the fabulous book I published with Evernight Teen. Cursed is about one young girl’s journey to fight the darkness within herself. The main conflict is Jazz’s fight to maintain a sense of humanity in spite of the growing hunger that starts to take over her. This journey also forces her to open her eyes to new possibilities – to the love she’s always had for her closest friend, Khan.

You'll find a blurb from my book that's hot, hot, hot below:



When he walked out the bathroom, the nerves I’d thought I’d turned to steel started to quiver. What if he refused me? Khan was just as stubborn as I was. How could I possibly ask this of him? How could I get him to understand?

I took a deep breath and looked at him. “Khan, we need to talk.”

“Uh oh, that’s never what a guy wants to hear from his girl.”

My stomach fluttered, but I refused to give into the distraction. “I have a plan…in case we don’t find and kill the Gunshi. But I need your help to pull it off.”

He didn’t look taken aback, just more determined than anything. “Jazz, it’s too soon for you to give up now. We’ve got some really good leads, we can do this!”

I shook my head. “I’m not giving up, Khan. I never give up…you know that.” I smiled at him and was rewarded with one in return. “But…being a leader means having to think outside of myself…you and my dad taught me that. We have to prepare for all possibilities – even this.”

His dark eyes flashed and, for a second, I thought I was in for a long and hard fight. Then understanding washed over his features and he nodded. “As long as you promise this doesn’t mean you’ve given up.”

“Not even close – and giving in doesn’t even sound like me.”

He snorted. “That’s for sure.”

I rolled my eyes. “Okay, I think we can do this, but if not…I have a forgetting tonic to erase my memories. That way, in the very least, the vermin can’t use my knowledge against everyone I love.”

Khan jerked. “Where in the hell did you…?” Then he groaned. “Claudine.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “She always has been good at knowing what I need.”

His face was hard. “Okay, so I’ll make sure to wipe away your memories. I’ll erase everything that makes you, you – everything I’ve grown to know and care about. We done?”

I paused. “Not quite.”

He flinched. “I figured something more was coming when you said, ‘In the least’.”

I almost didn’t have the guts to continue. “Think about it, Khan. You can’t just leave me there, a newbie Suecai with the urge to feed. What if I came across my mom one day? Or your dad?

“You might not be able to do it immediately – there’s no telling how strong I’ll be at first or how protected – but eventually you’ll have to take me out! I shuddered at the thought. “What else can we do?”

The rage flew through his features even more quickly than when I’d told him I couldn’t be his Valentine in the sixth grade.

“Anything, Jazz,” Khan whispered. “We fight. We search. We keep pounding the pavement until we find that bastard. We do anything and everything.”

Words escaped me. A boulder set squarely on my chest and wouldn’t budge. I should’ve known this wouldn’t be easy – hadn’t I spent my entire life traipsing around Chicago with Khan? I shouldn’t have expected anything else.

Khan seemed to take my silence as an opportunity to change my mind. “You could learn control, Jazz, become a full-fledged Dorgai.” There it was, that secret hope I held deep in my heart that I was too scary to speak out loud.

“Khan, that’s impossible. There’s no way I can learn control if I’m forced into feeding too fast. The only way we halfers manage it is by taking an entire year to ease into the process. All of Dad’s advisors are agreed that I’ll become an uncontrollable Suecai.”

“I can’t believe that, Jazz. It can’t happen. Not to you.”

I couldn’t focus. My need to be rational kept battling the little girl within me reaching for a solution, any solution.

I didn’t notice Khan moving until it was too late.

Before I could say something to break the bubble, Khan stood over me, his face inches from mine. His eyes were warm and I could feel the heat of his breath, minty from his recent trip to the bathroom. My heart stopped. And then he was kissing me, slow and deep at first, and then with a heat and passion I’d only guessed he possessed.
 
 
You can buy my book on Amazon and Evernight Teen. And don't forget to like it on Goodreads!!!

Happy reading and writing!!!


Tuesday, December 17, 2013

SPOTLIGHT AT I HEART YA BOOKS!

Hey All!!!
My book has been featured at I Heart YA Books!

This is one of my favorite sites for picking out great YA and NA books. You can find the post here.

Happy reading and writing!

Sunday, December 15, 2013

BUY CURSED NOW!!!

Hey All!!!
Cursed is available in ebook and paperback forms!

You can find it on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Cursed-Guardian-Chronicles-Trakena-Prevost-ebook/dp/B00H9MWJ9C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1387158523&sr=8-1&keywords=trakena+prevost

You can also find it on Createspace:

https://www.createspace.com/4570656

Don't forget to put reviews up on Amazon and Goodreads!!!

Happy reading and writing!

Thursday, December 12, 2013

MY BOOK IS AVAILABLE TOMORROW!!!

Hey All!!!
In all the excitement, I realized that I completely forgot to post the fact that my book, Cursed, is coming out TOMORROW (12/13/13)!

You can pick it up on your Kindle electronically right now!

Happy reading and writing!

Saturday, November 30, 2013

CURSED BOOK COVER!!!

Hey All!!!
Here it is. My cover for Cursed, a YA Urban Fantasy to be published with Evernight Teen!


Isn't she gorgeous!!!

More details soon to come.

Happy reading and writing!

Friday, November 29, 2013

BOOK COVER TO BE REVEALED SOON!!!

Hey All!!!
I just received the most wonderful news. My book cover for Cursed has been completed and sent to me...and it's gorgeous! I'm so excited I may just burst.

I'll be posting the cover soon. I hope you all love it as much as I do!

Happy reading and writing!

Monday, August 12, 2013

MY WRITING BRAND - AN AUTHOR OF COLOR WHO WRITES DIVERSE PARANORMAL FICTION

Hey All!!!
Recently I've been delving into learning the marketing and branding side of the business of writing. Turns out that you have to do more than just write an amazing tale with relatable characters to make it in this business...much more. In addition to writing and editing, you have to have your brand fully developed, a platform established, and a hefty presence on social media and the like. It's serious business to say the least.

Instead of getting properly overwhelmed, which is my normal M.O., I decided to take this whole marketing and branding piece of writing one sliver of work at a time and dissect it like we used to do in A&P in high school. First up, my author branding!

An author's brand is his or her core philosophy when it comes to writing. What is the message that you'd like to share with the world? And why? What drives your passion for putting in the blood, sweat, tears, and pulled out hair that this process takes? There are a lot of resources out there that can help you to develop a brand. The website I looked into can be found here. You just have to apply the plethora of information out there to you.

As far as my brand, here goes nothing:

I am a writer of color who writes diverse paranormal fiction. What makes my writing different from the slew of books already out there is the fact that mine features a diverse cast of characters. We live in a world where you find a proverbial rainbow of folks in every high school, college, and office - and I'm not just talking race here. We have different cultural backgrounds and sexual orientations, different socioeconomic groups. So why do we not see this same type of diversity in the books on our shelves? Especially the books out there for young folks.

There are so many different kinds of people out there who love paranormal fiction. I want to give all lovers of paranormal fiction a voice, as well as to build worlds in my books that reflect the world around us, in all its glorious diversity!

So that's my brand. Maybe I'll post a chapter or two of my writing here...hopefully you all like it.

Happy reading and writing!!!