This Quarter's Indie Ignites Releases and #giveaways

Welcome to our second installment of Indie Ignites' quarterly releases! We're pretty excited to share the array of books out in April, May and June. Check 'em out!

April

Prom and Prejudice (YA)

(Snark and Circumstance, #4)

Blurb:

Georgia Barrett is beginning to realize that her arch-preppie lab partner, Michael Endicott, is not at all the snob-hole she once thought. Too bad Georgia doesn’t see him for who he really is until he starts dating a poised and polished senior.

Georgia knows she should settle for his friendship, especially since telling him how she really feels would mean risking losing him altogether. But her heart tells her a chance at love might just be worth dropping her trusty shield of snark. And Georgia’s determined to find out.

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Purchase on Amazon

 The Billionaire and the Barfly (NA)

Blurb:

Henry Maximus is a super-hero-loving geek and proud of it. He’s also a genius when it comes to business. It’s how he earned the title of CEO of Maximus Gaming … not to mention the billions of dollars in his bank account. Henry’s tried living the life of a bachelor, but a different girl every night has left him wanting more. Needing more.

Aubrey Vincent is in love with her job. She’ll love it even more if she lands the promotion that gets her out of her parent’s attic. She loves it so much that she has no time for relationships, not that she was ever very good at them to begin with. Aubrey is perfectly happy with the random, nameless men she picks up at the bar.After a brief encounter with Aubrey on a business trip, Henry packs his bags and moves back to the small town where he grew up. Aubrey’s town. Aubrey attempts to find her way into Henry’s bed, while he tries everything to get into her heart. Will Henry’s plan to break down the walls Aubrey has built around her heart work or will his unbelievable million dollar offer scare her away?

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Purchase on Amazon

April 21st: 

White Hellebore 

(Heroes of Falledge Trilogy, #2)

After destroying Skull Krusher, Nicholas Adams thinks Falledge is safe and becomes a security guard at the museum, watching a valuable statue. Unfortunately, the Egyptian statue houses the soul of a scorned witch, biding her time to have her revenge on the descendants of her cheating lover.

Kiya the witch isn't the only new foe in town as the drug that created Skull Krusher has now transformed a scientist into yet another monster, forcing Nicholas to don his Black Hellebore mask again and save Falledge.

Nicholas has no help this time as Kiya gains possession of his love Julianna's body and brings the soul of Justina, Nicholas's high school sweetheart and Julianna's twin, with her. Despite himself, Nicholas is torn between the sisters. If he can't stop the fiends from taking over the world and destroying humankind, he'd never be able to find lasting, true love.

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April 25th:

Stone of Destiny (NA)

(The Danaan Trilogy, #2)

Blurb:

Allison thought it was crazy enough when she found out her father, Liam, wasn't entirely human. But now she has to join his magical allies to unravel his former mistress's plans. Aoife wants to keep Allison's parents apart forever.

Despite Allison's efforts to keep Ethan, the only guy she's ever cared about, out of this supernatural mess, fate keeps throwing him back into the mix.

Will Allison be able to find the amulet that holds the enchantment Aoife placed on Liam and destroy it? Are Ethan' s feelings for Allison strong enough to endure the magic of the Tuatha De Danaan?

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May


May 1st:

Girl Lost (NA)

Blurb:

Northern was supposed to be a fresh start—a place where people didn’t know who I was or how I had spent years in and out of mental institutes. People didn't know about my parents death or the island no one heard of. But when Peter sits next to me in lit class, I can’t stop the memories, and I don’t want to. He looks too much like the boy from the island, and despite my best intentions, coaxes my secrets from me.

He’s gorgeous, irresistible, a little mad, and completely lost—we are a pair of broken cogs in a world neither of us truly fits into. He is somehow gentle and fierce, heartbreaking in his devotion and savage in his defense.

When Belle, his best friend, shows up, pale and lovely and sick, Peter pulls away from me, a startling withdrawal. It’s a relationship that scares and confuses me. She is at times warm and friendly, and other times is violent and unpredictable.

Peter says that he wants me, but refuses to let himself get close. And there are secrets, surrounding both of us, that border on nightmares. As the memories close in, as Belle gets sicker and more violent, I’m torn between what is true and what I believe, and what this magical boy knows about my mysterious past.

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Check out a teaser, HERE



May 8th:

Rev (Adult)

(Bayonet Scars, #3)

Blurb: 

We met him in Ride as the no-nonsense Sergeant-at-Arms of the Forsaken Motorcycle Club who disapproved of Ryan's choice to be with Alex, and again in Thrash as a man who few dare to challenge. Now, get to know Grady in his own words as he struggles to keep his club and his personal life from falling apart before his very eyes.

Everyone belongs somewhere. Even the misfits.

With the looming threat from the Mancuso Crime Family, the Forsaken Motorcycle Club is preparing for a war that could destroy them. Grady, the club’s Sergeant-at-Arms, knows that love makes you weak, and he has zero interest in adding to his liabilities-- especially now. He's already got his teenage daughter who keeps him on his toes and a beef within the club that could fracture his relationship with a fellow brother for good.

For Holly Mercer, her life is finally getting on track and the last thing she wants is trouble from her hometown’s resident outlaws. Keeping her nose clean is easier said than done, when suddenly she finds herself embroiled in club business. Holly might like the idea of being with a real-life bad boy, but even being in the same room with tough-as-nails Grady flusters her.

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Tur (NA)

(The Elsker Saga, #.5)

Blurb:

Inga Andersson is the envy of every girl in Asgard. On the surface she has it all -- great friends, a job as Odin’s personal fight choreographer, and a happy ever after with her realm’s hottest assassin. But when evil invades Asgard, her perfect world comes crashing down. Someone is planning to kill off the gods, and Inga’s best friend Ull is first on their list. With the Norse apocalypse a nanosecond away, Inga has to decide how she’ll spend her final moments of freedom. Because from the moment this battle begins, Inga’s happily ever after will be nothing more than a memory. 

Some things are worth fighting for.

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May 29th:

Elsker (NA)

(The Elsker Saga, #1)

Blurb:

You don’t win the heart of an immortal assassin without making a few enemies along the way.

Kristia Tostenson prefers Earl Grey to Grey Goose and book clubs to nightclubs, but when she transfers from her one-stoplight town to Cardiff University in Wales she falls in love with Ull Myhr.  Her new boyfriend isn’t exactly what she was expecting.  He’s an honest to goodness Norse God - an immortal assassin fated to die at Ragnarok, the battle destined to destroy Asgard and Earth.  Kristia’s crazy visions are the only thing that can save their realms.  Her orderly life just got very messy. 

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Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway, HERE


June

By Sun and Candlelight (YA)

(Flora, #1.5)

Blurb:

Back in Ambrosia, Rowan and the Queen continue their efforts to thwart Oleander and Hawthorne’s attempts to take over the throne. Rowan sneaks meetings with Dahlia, his only light in a world of heartbreaking darkness and loss, with intent to inquire whether she plans to leave Shaver and make Ambrosia her permanent home. But when Hawthorne threatens upcoming contention and Rowan discovers the book of Jurisprudence (the Ambrosian book of the law), has gone missing, it’s evident there’s a traitor at Lennox. The more Rowan tries to keep Oleander’s men, the Townsends, under control and solve the mystery of the missing book, the more secrets he comes across. Until he wonders: Has his own personal need for Dahlia inhibited his ability to protect her? And what right does he have to ask her to choose anything other than what she feels true in her heart?

Told in Rowan’s point of view, By Sun and Candlelight (Flora, 1.5) gives you a new view into the characters and daily happenings at Castle Lennox and bridges the gap between If I Speak True (Flora, 1) and Open Thy Heart (Flora 2 -- coming this fall)

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Enter the giveaway

Crush (NA)

(Bayonet Scars, #3.5)

by JC Emery (cover/details to come)

And that's it for now! 

The Debutantes Reflect

While we didn't actually get to dress like this and practice our curtsies, some of the ladies of Indie Ignites became Author Debutantes in 2013. We published our first books and for the first time could call ourselves AUTHORS. So as this auspicious year comes to a close, I thought it would be fun to ask some of my fellow Indie Debs to talk about the experience of launching yourself into the world as a writer. Here's what they had to say, below, but, first, MEET OUR DEBS

JC EMERY released her first novel,

 which is also the first in a series (MEN WITH BADGES). She self-published this as well as her debut novels in the BAYONET SCARS series. It's been a very productive year for JC!

LISA BASSO also debuted with the first in a series; the novel

 kicks off the trilogy THE ANGEL SIGHT SERIES. She's published with Swoon Romance.

I, STEPHANIE WARDROP, brought out the first three in a series of YA e-novellas based on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. The first installment was 

published by Swoon. The last installment releases in January of 2014.

RELEASE WEEK AND BEYOND

I spent so much time worrying about the writing that I didn't really put much thought into what it would be like when the book actually came out (I was just so relieved that it did!). Lisa Basso and I both had blog tours, so we were in the enviable but chaotic position of having to write twenty-plus completely fabulous blog posts in a few weeks. "It was crazy," Lisa says. "I didn't have much time to celebrate [that first week, but after that], man was that sweet."  JC had to figure out how to market her book on her own (and let me tell you, she has gotten very good at it), so her release week was "quiet." 

But once the book was out and people were actually reading it (squeeeee!), things started to happen. For me, people I hadn't been in contact with for years looked me up on Facebook and everyone was amazingly proud of me and very sweet about congratulating me.  Publishing a book is a big deal to people and it's really gratifying to have had so many people happy for me.  I also suddenly got to meet (virtually) a whole group of other writers and wonderful bloggers.  Lisa agrees, saying. "I've gotten to know so many amazing bloggers, authors, and book lovers I never would have had the pleasure of meeting otherwise. Including the amazing ladies of Indie Ignites." Right back at ya, Lisa! 

JC had a few more twists and turns in her year-long journey. I'll let her tell it to you straight, but if you go to Amazon or any other site selling books, you'll see it has a happy ending: Through a strange twist of events, my first book ended up being free for five

months (which I talk about here). It was (in my opinion) a really good thing 

for my career. It let people know that I’m here, but it also meant that I was 

giving away my work for several months. Because of a shoestring budget, I 

wasn’t able to do certain things until my fourth book (Ride, which debuted 

October 25th

months for me to consider myself a published author. I kept making excuses 

for how it wasn’t really real yet. I even made my mom wait until I was 

enough of a success to tell my family. I just didn’t want to fail in front of them, 

and since I had very low expectations, I’ve been pleasantly surprised with 

what I’ve been able to do.

) like a formal blog tour, cover reveal, etc. It actually took several

BEST PART OF BECOMING A PUBLISHED AUTHOR FOR THE FIRST TIME

JC said "I felt brave. A lot of people thought I shouldn't publish at all, let alone self-publish . . . I've always wanted to be my own boss, and I didn't know that I'd ever be able to make enough money off of a business to truly work for myself . . . but for now I can say that I made my dreams come true in 2013."

For Lisa, the best part was, "hands down, being contacted by a reader who loved my book. There's nothing like it."

WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY NOW IF YOU COULD?

It seems that we'd do it all over again if we had the chance.  JC said "Were there things I could have done better? Absolutely. I made mistakes—

big mistakes—but I wouldn’t want to have done a single thing differently. For 

the first time in my life I showed myself how truly capable I am. I’ve worked 

harder, taken more risks, and have ventured into areas I didn’t know possible 

this year. 2013 has been the best year ever and I wouldn’t change a single 

thing."

Lisa had some good advice for newbie authors that I'll share verbatim: "If I could do anything differently, I would keep a journal of the things that came up after I signed 

my contract. I'd log how many hours I wrote, edited, and promoted each day." Especially if you are trying to figure out if you can really "afford" to do this, even if you are not planning on quitting your day job any time soon, it's probably a good idea to keep track of all the hours you put into everything in addition to the writing, the marketing, blogging, interviewing, and, with a little luck, red carpet-walking when you sell your book to Hollywood. Hey, 'tis the season to dream big! And this past year, many of our dreams have already come true.

Buy Marital Bitch at  http://www.amazon.com/Marital-Bitch-Men-Badges-ebook/dp/B00B687AX0/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1371196872&sr=1-2, A Shimmer of Angels at http://www.amazon.com/Shimmer-Angels-Angel-Sight-Series/dp/0985029439/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386208596&sr=8-1&keywords=a+shimmer+of+angels, and the Snark and Circumstance series at  http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_13?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=snark+and+circumstance&sprefix=snark+and+cir%2Caps%2C245  . They make excellent holiday gifts :).

Character Casting Call

I thought it would be fun to ask my Indie girls who they would cast if Hollywood ever came calling to turn our books into major motion pictures. Their answers, as always, did not disappoint. 

Angi Black's adult contemporary LIFE AFTER DEATH would have an indie film lover's dream cast.

The pitch: "Sometimes losing it all is the only way to learn how to live. Marine widow, Casey, and Mark, the single father of a four-day old, begin a friendship, not just with each other, but with the lives they thought had passed them by."


The Cast: Mark LeBlanc - played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.  

Angi says, "He has the innocent charm needed to follow through with such a heavy plot. He also has the gravitas to hold the darker scenes. "


Casey Barnes - played by Sarah Michelle Gellar. 

"She has the ability to wear the "everything is fine" face while letting you see she's really falling apart. Plus I think these two would have beautiful chemistry, says Angi, who has
 thought about this so much she already has a Pinterest board devoted to it.  


And Jessica Brooks has a board for her dream cast, too, for the future film version of her contemporary YA romance PITY ISN"T AN OPTION.

The pitch:   "Seventeen year-old Jonas' blood disorder has taken away everything that matters. Sixteen year-old Hattie's father is losing his marbles. When Jonas' perfectly healthy twin brother and Hattie's crazy dad are drafted into the President's army, Hattie's dad disappears. Jonas and Hattie embark on a journey to find him, and find something they'd lost long ago in the process."

The cast: Hattie Akerman: Kaya Scodelario 

 Jonas Norton: John Patrick Amedori 

 Heath Akerman: Jeffry Dean Morgan 

Lucy Akerman: Elle Fanning  

Lanelle Akerman: Elizabeth Shue 
Elise Norton: Sela Ward 
Beck Norton: Andy Garcia 

If you want a little horror with your romance, buy a ticket to Adrianne James' The Enlightening   

.

The pitch:  "Mackenzie Duncan found out that pack life wasn’t for her. Now she is running for the second time in the six months since she was bitten and turned into a Werewolf. But this time, she isn’t alone. This time, she has Geoff and Liam with her, two very hot Werewolves vying for her heart.  But her companions aren't her focus. The only thing she can focus on is getting far from her old pack and their murderous ways. Only, she doesn’t just want to run. She wants to warn every pack she can that their lives are in danger too. No one should be turned against their will like she was and no other pack should have to surrender to the ideas of a centuries old, power hungry woman.  Not only does Mackenzie have to deal with her crazy ex-pack leader sending people out to kill her, she has to keep both men at arm’s length (and that proves to be much more difficult than she thought), but she finds out more about her own life and heritage than she ever thought imaginable. And suddenly, everything makes sense..."

The cast: Mia Mitchell as MacKenzie 

 Taylor Kitch as Geoff 

Xavier Samuels as Liam 

  and Joe Manigianello as Darren 

That is one smokin' hot cast, Adrianne! 

Rachel Blalock Bateman has already pondered this question so much in regard to her YA contemporary 99 Days of Laney Maguire that she had a nifty graphic ready-made for me!

The pitch: "Laney can’t wait to spend the summer at her father’s lake resort. It’s a place where time stands still and nothing ever changes—the perfect thing for Laney after the year she just had. But when she gets there, she discovers the lodge isn’t quite as unchanging as she once thought.

Some of the differences are good, like Rory’s new look; some are bad, like whatever secret Karissa is keeping. And then some things are just confusing, like Weston.

Weston, her mysterious new co-worker, who is the cause of so many of the changes Laney hates. She wants to despise him, but she can’t deny the attraction she feels, nor the desire she has to be around the one person who didn’t know her before the summer—the one person she doesn’t have to pretend for.



The cast:

Laney: Molly Quinn
Weston: Jamie Cambell Bower
Craig: Craig Sheffer 
Karissa: Jenna Ushkowitz
Derek: Denzel Whitaker
Rory: Robbie Sheehan
Angie: Alex Rice


I failed at the challenge myself when it came to casting Snark and Circumstance, but I came up with an interesting cast for my work-in-progress, A TIME OF SHADOWS, as long as I am allowed to play with the elements of time and space. (My game, my rules).

The Pitch:  A 400-year-old witch trapped forever in the body of a seventeen-year-old, Becca  MacCracken thinks she's seen it all. But could the cute boy in her history class really be the reincarnation of the man who tried to save her from the Burning Times? And is that chemistry teacher really her nemesis, the dark magus Count Giancarlo Montoni? Witch hunts, religious fanaticism, and theoretical physics: The Crucible meets a YA The Tudors meets The Big Bang Theory.

The cast: I realized a little while ago that the girl I had in my head as Becca looks a lot like Nicole Fox from America's Next Top Model.

I have no idea if she can act, but she has an awkward sort of grace that works and a sort of sadness that fits a girl who is not what she seems. Plus, her last name is FOX, which will mean something to others if I ever finish the darn thing. Her former fiance/present-day erstwhile boyfriend, Jack, looks like a young Ewan McGregor 

 (fitting since they are both boyish Scots).So I'm traveling back in time to get vintage Ewan for the role.  Her best friend Lilly Preston should be played by Evonna  Lynch , who's been around magic before as Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter movies 

 and Lily has a secret crush on Kai, a physics nerd and martial arts expert who's a younger, dorkier Godfrey Gao 

 

 I have a Pinterest board here for the work in progress. Now I just have to write the thing!

If you're out there, Hollywood agents, we're ready for you. And of course this casting session has been an exercise in pure wish fulfillment. None of these books are being made into films and NONE of these actors are in any way affiliated with us or any of our projects. As writers, we just have really vivid fantasy lives.

- Stephanie Wardrop, author of the YA e-novella series updating Pride and Prejudice called Snark and Circumstance, Swoon Romance, 2013-14

Write for Boston (sending writerly love--please bid for Boston!)

Hey guys, Indie Ignites has a few items up for bid to benefit Boston, including two query critiques by ST Bende (author of Nor & Elsker), the opportunity to be a character in Stephanie Wardrop's third novella (of the Snark and Circumstance series) and two enovellas, and a bundle of books (paperback and ebooks) and swag by five of us Indie Igniters. (If you haven't heard about Write for Boston, click here.)

Please help us send writerly love to Boston by bidding and/or spreading the word!

Here's the links and info to all three items up for bid:

1) Stephanie Wardrop's package (link): 

   

 E-novellas of SNARK AND CIRCUMSTANCE and CHARM AND CONSEQUENCE and name a character in the third installment PRIDE AND PREP SCHOOL from Author Stephanie Wardrop

2) ST Bende's package (link):

·         1 query letter critique (2 available-one each to the two highest bidders)

3) Indie Ignites group package featuring books by Nazarea Andrews, Adrianne James, Jessica L. Brooks, Lisa M. Basso and JC Emery (link):

·         Life on Loan by Adrianne James*

·         Overexposed by Adrianne James*

·         Edge of the Falls by Nazarea Andrews*

·         ARC of This Love by Nazarea Andrews

·         Autographed paper back of A Shimmer of Angels by Lisa M. Basso

·         Autographed paperback of Pity Isn't an Option by Jessica L. Brooks

·         The Switch by JC Emery*

·         Marital Bitch by JC Emery*

·         Anomaly by JC Emery*

·         Assorted swag

* = ebooks

You can also repin the bid info to help spread the word (or click each pin to bid on a package) on Pinterest, HERE 

or simply tweet this: 

@IndieIgnites is sending writerly love to Boston! Bid on books, query critiques & more! Info here: http://indieignites.blogspot.com/2013/05/write-for-boston-sending-writerly-love.html #WriteforBoston 

Thank you for helping us share the writerly love with Boston! (Bids end Tuesday, May 7th!)