A Must See YA Boxset ~ Wielder's Storm Trilogy!

I've been less than a blogger over the past year, and that's being generous. But that's a post for another time. Today, I have exciting news for you. Our very own Lynda R. Young aka Elle Cardy just released the most gorgeous boxset of her trilogy Wielder's Storm! 

Let's take a peek . . .

FREE on Kindle Unlimited - Amazon | Website

Whoa . . . I normally don't include an image this large in my posts, but I had to. Doesn't the cover hold an urgency about it that makes you just have to read?!

Here's the description:

The Wielder's Storm Trilogy is an action-packed epic fantasy that will sweep you across the high seas on a thrilling adventure full of exciting twists.

 This complete box set contains Wielder’s Prize, Wielder’s Curse and Wielder’s Fire.

Wielder’s Prize

Snatched for what she isn’t. Hunted for what she is.

Despite having an abusive cook as a father, Jasmine wouldn’t change her life on the high seas for anything—until that life is shattered. When she’s snatched from the only home she’s ever known and forced to crew a different ship, she learns a terrible truth. She is an untrained magic wielder who is a threat to everyone if she can’t control her power. But she’s not the only out-of-control wielder on the high seas, and the secret of that wielder could change everything she thought she knew—if she can survive.

Wielder’s Curse

A dark vision. A dangerous curse. A fierce girl caught in between.

Jasmine thought her adventures were over, but terrifying visions continue to haunt her.  When a loved one’s life is threatened, she risks everything to hunt down the would-be assassin. What she finds is not what she expected. Too late, she realizes she’s endangered the ship and crew. On the run, she is pursued across the high seas to an unknown land. If she can’t master her power, she won’t be able to protect anyone. If she can’t accept help, then she could turn into something worse than the thing that hunts her.

Wielder’s Fire

Jasmine’s secrets have been laid bare, her magic stripped. All she has left is a fire in her soul to defeat the oncoming storm.

Shipwrecked on a forsaken island, Jasmine has nothing but her anger and determination to keep her warm at night. Without her magic, she must find a way to defeat a powerful enemy that can raze townships and summon sea monsters. When she discovers an ancient magic, she embraces it. But it may not be all it seems, and she could be exchanging one sword to the throat for another.

For fans of Sarah J. Maas and Leigh Bardugo, who love exciting tales with dark secrets and unexpected twists. Lose yourself today in Elle Cardy’s epic fantasy adventure.

Elle Cardy is the pen name of Lynda R Young. She is a writer, editor, game developer, 3D artist, graphic designer, photographer, gamer and so much more.

She has a number of speculative short stories published in print and online. She has gone independent with her debut young adult fantasy adventure, Wielder's Prize, now available on Amazon. She’s a relative newcomer to sunny Brisbane and lives with her sweetheart of a husband who is also her best friend.

Under the name Lynda R Young, she has a Christian non-fiction out called Cling to God: A Daily Devotional.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Instagram | VIP Club

I hope you check out this Elle's website. It's beautiful! Congratulations to Elle.

Much success to Wielder's Storm Trilogy!

It's O-Kay To #ReachOutToConnect

***I was inspired by Cheryl Rainfield, one of the sweetest and kindest authors I know, to share my thoughts and feelings about how the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting so many. Find Cheryl's post HERE. ***
Fear. Isolation. Loneliness. Anxiety. Apprehension. Lack of motivation. Sadness. Confusion. Depression.
You may have felt some or all of these emotions during your lifetime. You may be feeling then now since #socialdistancting and #selfconfinement began. Since your daily routine stopped abruptly, leaving you reeling with unknowns and what-ifs.
It feels like yesterday.  And then like forever-ago.
That's normal. Understandable. It's O-kay.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE. 

It's hard. I totally get it. There is plenty to fear, plenty to feel isolated over, and plenty to box each one of us into the confinement of any of those emotions. But we can battle our way through this.
TOGETHER.

• Give yourself permission to feel. Yes, feel whatever it is you're feeling. #NoShameInCoping
• Take comfort in knowing there are many out there feeling as you do. Revisit old photos, journals, or newspaper clippings. Remember the good, and know more good will come your way. #ShieldYourMentalHealth
• Reach out to others through email, a phone call, or even set up an online virtual meeting. #ReachOutToConnect 

Loneliness and the feeling of isolation (or even of claustrophobia) can hit anyone, even someone in a busy household. I'm married, a mother to four, owner of three cats and a GSD puppy, and a business owner with my husband - plus I write. We're still coming in virtual contact with customers and with each other, yet at times I feel alone. 
Solution: A few of my good friends and I have been setting up a virtual call at least once a week since the pandemic began. I can't tell you how therapeutic these cyber chat sessions have been. We even share a drink together. Our kids, husbands, and even our dogs and cats steal the screen to make their own virtual appearance during our meetings.
SELF CARE

For most of us, life is one big ball of hurry up. We are running here and there, whether during work hours, family time, or adult time. So much so that we find it hard to slow down, let alone come to an almost complete standstill like during our current world pandemic. Here are some suggested activities to help with self care during this time. 

• read a book
• jot down your thoughts in a journal
• take a walk with the dog
• make yourself a special sweet treat
• clean or rearrange rooms in your house
• do a craft you've always wanted to do
• knitting or sewing
• learn calligraphy
• exercise
• play an instrument
• virtually taking up yoga
• watch an old movie you used to love
• flip through old photographs
• do a treasure hunt in your basement or attic
• light candles
• drink plenty of water
• pray

Helpful Self-Care sites.

1. OCD
2. Stress
3. Mayo Clinic
4. Stay-At_Home
5. Ways To Stay Healthy

*Some information previously share in my newsletter.*

1. I also have a Young Adult Health (Mental & Physical) Page on my website with helpful links to mental health & illness, eating disorders, drug addition, healthy teen project, and more. Please feel free to utilize that page. FOUND HERE.

I'm hoping you connect with some of this and that you find it helpful. If you do, please share it with others you think could benefit from it. Want to share this information or have some helpful thoughts or links to share? Please use hashtags #NoShameInCoping, #ShieldYourMentalHealth, & #ReachOutToConnect.
My hope is that you believe you are not alone. We are much stronger when we stand together. 
Wishing you health, happiness, and peace . . . 

Research with Kristy Fairlamb, YA Author of LUCID & a Giveaway!

TOUR SCHEDULE

One of my favorite aspects of writing fiction is the research. It's the part where I get to lose myself in someone else's data, ideas, theories, or facts, and then manipulate them to fit my story. It's so much fun to do!

Today, I have Kristy Fairlamb here to share her personal experience of researching topics and
information while writing her new release LUCID. 

Using Research In Novel Writing: An Account

by Kristy Fairlamb

I didn’t do a heap of research before I started writing, but I was intrigued by the dreaming element of this story so that’s where I focused my research to start with. Most of what I learned about lucid dreaming doesn’t really apply to my character, Lucy, because her dreams are nothing like your typical lucid dreams, but it was good to have something as a starting point. 

Most of the research for the book involved a strange mix of things that were often minor touches to add truth to certain aspects of the story. I searched for info on what it’s like to die a certain way, which brought up some very interesting and depressing articles. I needed info on a particular medication and its side-effects. I researched brain injuries but had to call on a doctor friend to help when this impacted some scenes and I needed to make it more believable. I looked up details on Queen Victoria and how Jet is made.

I did a lot of reading on aeroplane crashes and watched episodes of air-crash investigator. I needed to come up with causes for a plane to realistically crash, which was not easy. I came up with a scenario that helped me write the scenes I needed. But when things got serious, I called in an expert. I had a contact through a writer’s group who was an expert on aeroplanes and had worked in Air Traffic Control. He helped me come up with an even better scenario for my crash. 

Thank you, Kristy!

Now let's take a peek at Kristy's book!

BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon 
 TBD | GOODREADS

LUCID

by Kristy Fairlamb

Released: April 23, 2019

Publisher: Lakewater Press

A terrifying power. A horrifying curse. 

Lucy Piper lives a lonely existence on the precipice between life and death. She possesses the horrifying ability to resurrect real-life tragic events in her nightmares, reliving over and over, as if she were there, the last few moments before the victim takes their final breath. Car accidents, drownings, plane crashes – Lucy has seen it all. No one understands what it’s like living death by night and fearing sleep by day.

When Tyler Sims and his family move to town to escape past traumas, Lucy is drawn to him. The two of them are linked through their dreams, and with Tyler’s trust and friendship, hope for a brighter future returns to Lucy’s world. But Tyler's presence awakens something else in Lucy, and with this new knowledge, she will be forced to make impossible decisions. Decisions that will change history, and the future.

Chilling, haunting and compelling, this novel is the first in a two-part series for fans of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer and The Hidden Memory of Objects that will leave you breathless for days.

Kristy Fairlamb is an Australian author of the Young Adult Lucid series coming out in 2019. She spends her days drinking coffee and torturing her characters with loads of tension – both love related and the nail biting kind. Long before her days of writing began she spent half her childhood in a make believe world; daydreaming about growing up, falling in love, and travelling the world. She’s worked as a nanny in country England, a junior matron in a boy’s boarding school south of London, a governess in East Timor, and made coffees and cleared tables in the New South Wales snow fields.                                                                                                                                                                                        She lives with her husband, teenage daughter, and two sons in the beautiful Adelaide Hills where they’re lucky enough to get occasional visits from the local koalas. She’s terrible at gardening, likes her bookshelves sorted by colour, and recently checked off a lifelong dream of jumping from a plane. When she’s not writing or daydreaming about her stories you’ll find her reading, cooking for her family, or doing anything to avoid the housework.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Instagram • Goodreads

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If you're a writer, how much research do you do? 

Cover Reveal! CAGED FIRE by L.M. Preston

One of the most exciting aspects of having an expectant book baby is seeing the cover design for the first time! And as a reader, I love this part, too.

Today, I'm here to help my wonderful author friend L.M. Preston share her cover for her next young adult novel for teens. And she has a surprise for you at the end of this post. Here's the cover:

Scroll please . . . 

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TA - DAH!!!

I am beyond in LUV with the purple!

AND check out this animated version. Super cool!

via GIPHY

CAGED FIRE: Vigilant, Book 2

Author: L.M. Preston

Publisher: Phenomenal One Press

Release Date: March 7, 2019

Pre-order NOW!

Description: 

They say you can't run away from your problems. EmVee knew from experience it was true. She and her father tried to run, until the truth came and got them. Now with nothing to lose, she must confront the monster that changed her life forever. Unfortunately, she has to work with his best friend, Kayson who she is almost sure, isn't quite as nice as he seems. Kayson revealed not just why her father disappeared, but a new world of magicals that wanted the debt he left behind to be paid.

(Insatiable Darkness - Book 0, Caged Fire - Book 1, Unbreakable Darkness - Book 1.5)

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON | WEBSITE STORE

LM is offering a 2 month long book immersion with characters and game exclusive events! To play, go here:

FACEBOOK FAN GROUP

Here's your secret surprise: an excerpt

“Look kid, your father’s time is running cold. They are on to us, too many lives are at stake if either of you get caught.” Rocky handed her a thumb drive. “It’s a matter of your life and his death. He owes me, and I owe another a favor.”

“You give it to him,” EmVee replied evenly, checking her emotions and desire to punch the guy and run.

“No, this is where my road ends. Remember. Remember the name to nowhere and the code is your father’s real name. If you are his daughter. He would have told it to you, it’s a safe-word of sorts. I’m tired of running and they made sure I don’t have anything to run to. My son, he’s out there somewhere, and I’ll die taking the name of his safe-place with me. He’ll be free of them, both of them. Max and you have a chance. Don’t forget my name. It’ll mean something someday I hope. Run. Run now.” Rocky grasped her wrist, yanked it toward him, and placed the thumb drive in her hand.

EmVee looked at the drive, squeezed it in her palm.

Rocky tossed something in his mouth and pushed her back. “Look away, kid.” His body started convulsing. He groaned and collapsed, eyes open and staring towards the moon teased by dark clouds.

Sweat slid from under her drawn hoodie. Why’d he’d do it? They could’ve taken him to a hospital.

She glanced around quickly, then went for Rocky’s pockets. She reached in his jacket, flesh and entrails had spilled from his waist and into his coat. EmVee jerked back, shook her head a shaky sigh escaped her lips. She bit down on her lip and did what she had to do. In his jacket she found his cellphone and put it in her back pocket. His wallet she stuffed in the side pocket of her backpack. There was nothing else.

Putting her hand over her nose, swallowing back the tangy taste of vomit. She reached over and closed Rocky’s blue eyes. She’d never forget them.

Wishing L.M. all the luck in the world with this one! It sounds and looks amazing.

What's your favorite thing about book covers?

Wistful YA ~ Just Pretending by Leah & Kate Rooper & A Giveaway!

Welcome to another edition of Wistful YA!

Looking for a sweet YA contemporary? This one sounds so good . . . and there's ice hockey!

Amazon | Amazon Australia | Amazon UK 

Amazon Canada | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

Goodreads 

Just Pretending

(The Chicago Falcons #3) 

by Leah & Kate Rooper

Publication Date:  November 5, 2018

Publisher:  Entangled Teen Crush

It's not easy being royal. Sixteen-year-old Evangeline wears her crown proudly, but between her duties and her overprotective big brother, the idea of romance is just a dream. But a chance encounter in Chicago changes all that…. 

Sure, seventeen-year-old Tyler Evans loves playing hockey, but he's more concerned about providing for his dad and little sister. Then he meets Eva--and falls head-over-heels in love—and he has two more problems. One, she's his best friend's little sister. Two, she wears a crown.

But then Eva accidentally mistakes Tyler for a visiting prince, and for the first time, Tyler doesn't feel like a nobody. He knows he has to tell her the truth…but not yet. 

His plan? To keep up the royal charade as long as it takes to convince Eva he’s the guy for her. Even if he’s lying to everyone…including himself.

Disclaimer: May cause disillusionment. Those girls looking to find their Prince Charming might consider scouting out hockey rinks.

Leah and Kate Rooper are sisters from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Growing up beside the Pacific Ocean and inside a temperate rainforest fed their sense of adventure as children, and nourished a curiosity for strange and distant lands. They fed this curiosity with books - lots and lots of books. After experiencing the magic of Middle-earth, they began creating their own worlds. When they're not writing, Leah and Kate spend their time blogging and vlogging about their travel adventures and their writing journey.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Pinterest  

Check out more of this book tour

by the awesome Chapter by Chapter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What's your favorite sport to read within a young adult story?

Fall 2018 YA Scavenger Hunt! YA Books to #WIN!

YAY! You found me! 

So glad to be your guide on this stop of the

Young Adult Scavenger Hunt 2018!

With seven teams of 20 and over 140 books up for grabs, this year's fall season hunt is awesome. So exciting!

You are currently hunting on TEAM PURPLE!

I'm S.A. Larsen

I write middle grade & young adult books because 

being a tween or teen is hard and fictional stories 

are a safe place to escape and think about life. 

💀💀💀

What's the SA stand for, you ask?

Well, when I was a kid the S stood for SCARY because my Dad would blend my younger brother's name of Scotty with Sheri (my real name) and end up saying Scary.

That was one tidbit about me. Here are three more:

I'm a HUGE Jane Austen fan. #TeamDarcy

Dipping plain ruffle chips in ketchup is the way I roll. #YUM

Yes, I really was a Trekkie. #PeaceOut

Before I explain exactly how this hunt works, I want to share some exciting news and the bonus giveaway I'm offering up during this hunt. I FINALLY finished book II of Motley Education - my middle grade series. WOOT! So, in the description below, you'll find red letters that, when put together, create the title - the SECRET ENTRANCE CODE to my bonus giveaway of a $20 iTunes card on the rafflecopter at the end of this post! 

The Motley Mulishia must train for the upcoming Ullr Games against the newly-reopened NjorD AcadEmy and bAttle an evil nature goDdess, Raw Bones, and Mist Gypsies All while trying to put Lance back together before he turns fuLl-on berserker, igniting a ghost zombiE apocalYpse.(This is not the final description. Just a sneak peek.) 

SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE RULES

(Veterans of the hunt can skip over the instruction of the hunt.)

*A brief intro for 1st time hunters: this bi-annual event was first organized by author Colleen Houck as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors...and a chance to win some awesome prizes! 

At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. 

Write down all the secret numbers for one team, total them, and submit the answer to be entered for the grand prize. There are 7 teams participating: RED, BLUE, ORANGE, GREEN, GOLD, PINK, & PURPLE; each with 20 author members! Collect the numbers for just one team or you can do it for every team and enter in all 7 giveaways! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 120 hours! If you’d like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page.

STOP! Look back at the previous paragraph and you'll notice that I've hidden my favorite number in red among the words. Psst...you need that number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the purple team, and then add them up. 

ENTRY FORM: Once you've added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.

RULES: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian’s permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by SUNDAY, OCT 7th, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

I am super excited to be hosting

JULIE ESHBAUGH!!

ABOUT JULIE:

Julie Eshbaugh once produced an online video series for teens which received several honors from the Webby Awards. Now, she focuses her time on writing. Her debut YA novel, IVORY AND BONE, was published by HarperTeen in June 2016, and its sequel, OBSIDIAN AND STARS, followed in June 2017. She is also a contributing author to WELCOME HOME, an Anthology of Love and Adoption. (Flux 2017.) 

THE BOOK JULIE HAS DECIDED TO SHOWCASE IS ...

SO PRETTY!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

"In the riveting sequel to Ivory and Bone, the story shifts to Mya’s viewpoint as vengeful adversaries force her to flee the life she once knew.

After surviving the battle that erupted after Lo and the Bosha clan attacked, now Mya is looking ahead to her future with Kol. All the things that once felt so uncertain to her are finally falling into place. But the same night as Kol and Mya’s betrothal announcement, Mya’s brother Chev reveals his plan to marry their youngest sister, Lees, to his friend Morsk. The only way to avoid this terrible turn of events, Morsk informs Mya when he corners her later, is for Mya to take Lees’ place and marry him herself."

READY FOR YOUR TOP SECRET BONUS MATERIAL? 

Okay, scroll down...

Meet the DREAM CAST for OBSIDIAN AND STARS

Amber Midthunder

as

MYA

Booboo Stewart

as

KOL

Devery Jacobs

as

LEES

Lucius Hoyos

as

ROON

Add THE OBSIDIAN AND STARS to your TBR List.

What a dream cast! I love stories that go beyond book I!

Interested in holding your own copy in your hands?

You can buy it HERE.

And for more on Julie, follow her Website, Facebook Page, & Twitter account. 

And remember: ENTER the contest for a chance to win a ton of signed books by me and many more! Just check out all these books on TEAM PURPLE ...

To ENTER, you need to write down my favorite number, find all the other 

numbers on TEAM PURPLE, add them up, and you’ll have the 

secret code to enter for the grand prize!

Also, to stay on top of what's happening during the hunt feel free to follow YASH on Twitter, Facebook, and the Website.

I am so grateful for your visit. Thank you for stopping by Writer's Alley to join in on the YA Scavenger Hunt. I hope you'll stop by often! I don't blog as much as I used to, but I still try to share amazing YA and MG books when I find them, interview authors so you can get to know them, and share my own books news!

Remember to ENTER the Rafflecopter below for the BONUS GIVEAWAY I'm hosting! Did you figure out what the title is for book II of my middle grade series? 

Awesome! 

One lucky winner will receive a $20 iTunes gift card and some Marked Beauty Signed book swag!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Are you having fun during the hunt? What's your favorite part?

Ready to move on to the next link in the hunt? Then head on over to visit author MADELINE DYER'S page.

LINK TO NEXT BLOG

*IWSG Note: Due to my participation in the YASH, I'll be posting my IWSG post next week. I'm excited to answer this month's question of  How do major life events affect your writing? Has writing ever helped you through something?

THE SPONSORED by Caroline T. Patti & a Giveaway!

Glad you're joining in for this installment of Wistful YA. Check out this next featured read!

Google Play| BAM | Chapters | Indies  

Amazon | B&N | TBD | iBooks

Goodreads

THE SPONSORED

by Caroline T. Patti

Release Date: September 12, 2018

Publisher: Month9Books

Description: Don’t break the rules…

Max Winter is a janitor at a ritzy boarding school. He’s supposed to keep to himself, mind his business, stay quiet about the things he sees, sweep the floors, and under no circumstances is he to have any contact with the residents. Now, Max will break every last one of those rules when he meets Ace Valentine.

Don’t follow your heart…

Ace Sloane finds out she’s on the wrong side of a war she no longer believes in fighting. Now, she’ll risk everything to get her life back from the people who stole it, including getting too close to exactly the wrong boy.

Don’t get caught…

Grey Winter lost both parents in a fire that should've killed her as well. A “miracle baby,” Grey is sent to live with her Nana who should have told her the truth about who and what she really is. Now she’s at the forefront of a cover-up, all-out manhunt, and the object of one boy’s interest she doesn’t want or need. It’s up to Grey to connect the dots and bring an end to the secrets and lies that have caused so much pain and suffering for so long.

I just love the sound of this one! Can't wait to read.

Caroline T Patti is the author of The World Spins Madly On and Too Late To Apologize. When she’s not writing, she’s a school librarian, mother of two, wife, avid reader and Green Bay Packer fan.

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

Want to own a digital copy or buy your own? Enter this giveaway for your chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card!

TOUR SCHEDULE

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Best of luck!

Summer Fun Reader Scavenger Hunt!

I have a confession to make. I'm an addict. Of reading. A hoarder of books and words. I can't help it!

So . . . I practically shake with excitement when I have the opportunity to added more books to my collection. (I do share it with others, though. Sharing books is a must!) And what better time to add more books than during the summer reading months?

Are you ready to win a Kindle Fire HD 8, Amazon cards and books!

Great! Let's get underway...

I'm one of the sponsors of the Night Owl Romance Summer Fun Scavenger Hunt. During this event you'll find some great new books to add to your TBR list, your favorite authors, and even some new authors you've yet to read. It's a really fun hunt!

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY & SCAVENGER HUNT!

HAVE A BLAST and GOOD LUCK! 

Happy Weekend,