Wandering Thoughts of a Writer

Deadly to Love (Elemental Killers #1)
by Mia Hoddell
Release Date: February 2013

Genre: YA/Romance/Paranormal/Fantasy

ASIN: B00BDQ3QGA

ISBN: 978-1-291-41025-9

Blurb:

The world is dangerous – but love will kill you.

Little did Serena Jackson know that one simple, flirty remark to an anonymous guy online would lead to her world being changed forever.

She doesn’t know him, but inexplicably, is drawn. She knows it is wrong but she agrees to meet.

His real name is Kai. He is beautiful. And immediately Serena feels herself blindly falling for him even though she senses a lie. She knows he is hiding something and it terrifies her.

What she doesn’t realise is that her entire life has been built on secrets and lies. The people she loved left her in the dark for a reason.

She trusted them. She trusts Kai. But as he pulls her straight into the heart of the danger the lies and deadly secrets are revealed. They overwhelm her, and the person she once was no longer exists as she is thrown into a ruthless world of elemental forces. The price of truth is her life—and now the world wants her dead.

Available from:

Amazon (Kindle) | Amazon (Paperback) | Lulu

and only 99c / 77p on Kindle for September!

Praise:

“I couldn't put it down. So I finished it last night and all I can say is WOW! This book was amazing and different.” Brianna (Book Blogger)

“I loved how the author took a different approach to writing a love story in modern times with the paranormal element present. I thought it was absolutely wonderful and refreshing. Marvelous!” Kathy H (Amazon Reviewer)

“I will admit I scoffed at the way it started but in the end I had fallen in love with this story…completely untraditional it was a very original idea, not to mention modern. This story had
such a good plot and the story structure was sound.” Kacii – The Kooky Bookworm (Book Blogger)

About the Author

Mia Hoddell lives in the UK with her family and two cats. She spends most of her time writing or reading and loves anything paranormal. Mia always had a love of writing but never reading. She was more interested in sports and hated sitting still - despite getting three poems published before the age of sixteen. Finally though, she found some novels that captured her interest and developed a love of reading which is now one of her favourite hobbies.

Mia began with poems before moving on to short stories. Although she enjoyed this, Mia found she had too much to tell with too little space, so later on she created her first series 'The Wanderer Trilogy' and from there other ideas have emerged. With a total of nine books planned at this moment, she is busy working on her second series 'Elemental Killers' before moving onto the next idea on her ever growing list.

Author

Links

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***Excerpt***

Happy with the amount of photos I had collected I started to head back out of the forest, still flicking through my shots. As well as close ups, I had taken a few landscapes and as I was almost at the edge of the forest I noticed something in one of the photographs that made me stop.

In the left hand corner was a figure that looked mostly human, but was blurred as if they were moving on the spot.

A cold shudder shot through me.

Looking over my shoulder I became slightly panicked and felt as if someone was following me.

My eyes flicked and searched the shadows. Even though there was no sign that anything had ever been behind me, the forest looked different now - dark and threatening.

Instinctively I broke away and ran, still clutching the camera that was displaying the freaky image. Surrounded by trees I didn’t stop until I was free of the forest and back in the open light and sight of my house.

Throwing open my door, I slumped against the inside of it, regaining my breath from the short sprint. Once I had recovered I looked down at the photo once more, just to make sure that I hadn’t been seeing things. The old saying “the camera never lies,” came into my mind and for the first time I wished it not to be true. Sure enough though, as I looked down at the screen, the figure was still there and this time I noticed a red and orange glow around where its feet should have been. The image almost looked like the person was on fire but I thought I would have surely noticed if there had been a burning man in front of me.

***GIVEAWAY***

Mia Hoddell is giving away an Amazon gift card this month only there is a slight twist: the more entries she receives the more money she will put on the gift card to giveaway! For example:

No matter what = $5

100 entries = $10

150 entries = $15

200 entries = $20

and so forth...

So if she gets 1000 entries she will give away $100, there’s no limit!

To enter all you have to do is buy or have bought Deadly to Love. It's only $0.99 or £0.79 on Amazon for the duration of the giveaway! This will also unlock extra entries for you so you can earn more points by sharing the giveaway. Remember the more entries she gets the bigger the prize for you so share!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Excerpt #1

There was a deer to my left, simply watching me. She was beautiful and majestic. She came towards me the moment I wished I could pet her. My hand slowly reached out and touched her course coat. Huge brown eyes looked into mine. There was no fear.

“You’re lovely,” I whispered.

“So are you,” a deep voice said from behind me.

I turned violently, scaring the deer off into the trees. Mr. Sexy was standing five feet in front of me. Jeans and a fitted white t-shirt clothed his fit body.

“You’re here.”

“Of course I am, where else would I be?”

“I thought…well, I wasn’t sure if this was our dream or just mine.”

“It’s ours Livvie. It’s ours. Always ours.”

Excerpt #2

She calmed a bit. She seemed to sense I was near. Then…she whispered, “Mr. Sexy? Are you here?”

My heart almost stopped. How….there was no way she would be able to detect my presence. She was human and humans couldn’t observe us.

“I may be crazy and just talking to myself, but I feel like you just touched my face.”

My heart did stop this time. I slowly reached out and touched her face again, my thumb tracing circles around her chin. She gasped and reached her hand to mine. She was touching her face, but at the same time I could feel her.

Excerpt #1

Groaning, I took her face in my hands, despite her resistance. I leveled our eyes, staring deeply into her lively green irises. “Love, I’m sorry. I’m jealous because of the way he looks at you. I don’t like it.”

Her face softened. Sighing, she placed her hands on mine. Her delicate fingers clenched around my palms, causing a tightening of desire in my stomach. Hot air exhaled out my nostrils as I tried to control my urges. My eyes roamed to her lips. Full and soft looking, I wanted to take them into my own and devour her right then and there.

“Scott, look at me.”

“I am,” I said hungrily. I licked my lips in anticipation. She bit hers in response and I groaned, moving closer to claim her.

Excerpt #2

“Crap. Mom is gonna be so pissed,” she muttered, her hand squeezing her temple.

Leaning down, I placed my hand on the tree, allowing my fingers to trail over the splintered wood. There was a dent where the bark had broken off. A very noticeable dent. I caressed the tree, mumbling how sorry I was to it when I heard J behind me, “Ummm….”

I turned quickly, wondering what in the heck had happened now. “What is it, J?”

“The tree…it’s…it’s growing back where you touch it, Liv,” she said, astonished.

“What?” I gave her a look that clearly showed how crazy I thought she was, but then, I looked back at the pine. Peering closer, I could see the dent wasn’t as large. My shaking hand lovingly rested on the top of the dent. I closed my eyes and thought only of restoring the tree back to its full self. I felt energy running through my body, a tingly sensation that warmed me to my core. Heat radiated out my palm, pouring life back into the tree. I don’t know how I knew when it was whole, but I did. It was like the energy sensed it and just stopped. I drew my hand back, feeling a little weak.

Character Interview: Scott

1) If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I would change how hardheaded I can be sometimes.

2) What is your motto?

Love conquers all

3) What is your greatest regret?

Not learning more about the curse on my family and ways to stop it.

4) What is your greatest achievement?

Finding my heart mate

5) What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Living a long, happy life with Livvie

6) What is your most treasured possession?

The family books that are now mine

7) What is your biggest fear?

Losing my loved ones

8) What do you most value in your friends?

Loyalty

9) What is your favorite food?

Grandma’s baked chicken!

10) What is your favorite book?

The White Aura.

Felicia's top Ten Inspirations for writing:

1.) My daughter

2.) God

3.) Dreams

4.) My mom (she loves my books so much)

5.) Readers who love my books

6.) Readers who don’t love my books

7.) My Dauntless Indies gals!

8.) My family

Pretty much anyone that comes in my life inspires something or another

You...you’re reading this and you are awesome. You inspire me to do better :)

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Cover Reveal:

Check out this cover. I love the colors!

Devlin's Descendant, Book Three in the White Aura Series.

The curse is drawing closer and closer to an end, the only solution, kill Devlin Hart’s descendant. Scott is dealing with the aftermath of his discovery while Olivia desperately tries to stop Aiden’s recapture. What will happen when Scott reveals the identity of the descendant?

Follow along as Olivia, Scott, Juniper, Sadie, Aiden, and Mark continue their adventure. Discover secrets, new loves, celebrate a birthday, take a trip to the mysterious Sorcery Council, and more in Devlin’s Descendant.

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18269998-devlin-s-descendant

Get caught up in the

series!

Book one: Amazon Amazon UK Barnes & Noble Smashwords
Goodreads --Always Free!!

Book Two: Amazon Amazon UK Barnes & Noble Smashwords

Goodreads

About the author:

Felicia Tatum was born and raised in Tennessee. She always loved reading, and at the age of twelve began writing. Her passion for creating stories grew and in May 2012, she finally wrote her first novel, The White Aura. She still lives in Tennessee with her daughter and her kitty. She loves cooking, books, and animals are some of her best friends. She watches a lot of Disney channel and often dreams up new book ideas. She's currently working on various projects, including the rest of the White Aura Series, the Scarred Hearts Series, and a novella series. Her dream is to write as many books as possible while entertaining as many people as possible.

www.facebook.com/feliciatatumwriter

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I did this blog post over a year ago and thought I’d share it again. I’m sure my new followers haven’t read it, and I think it’s important enough to recycle. It also seems fitting for my current situation. You see, I’m in a position right now to where I can start another book series. In my previous post I’ve mentioned I started it, which I have. However, at the moment my muse is gone. I’m sure she’ll be back any minute . . .

*looks under the bed, in the closet, in the bathroom, frowns and scratches head*

BTW, I’m not bummed about being stuck on a plot point. I’m actually excited about this new story, and I know it’ll all come together soon. The only thing I’m frustrated about is I want to write the whole thing out now.

I’m getting anxious.

Blah!

Okay, I’m practicing patience. In the meantime, though, I’ve been working on other stuff pertaining to this new series, which is smart I think. I like to utilize my writing time as much as I can, and I make a conscious effort to do so.

Here’s the blog post from over a year ago:

There are people who want to write a book, but they have no idea what to write about. A lot of them check the market to see what’s hot right now, and then they’ll create a story tailored to what’s flying off the shelves at the present moment. Most of the time they won’t finish the book, or they’ll discover with dismay the "trend" they were writing in is O.V.E.R.

"Holy smokes, Batman! How can I solve this heartbreaking situation?"

"Get back to the bat computer and create a story you love."

Huh?

That’s right.

You heard me.

Write what you love.

Why?

There are many reasons:

A.) It makes you happy.

B.) You’ll have a better chance at finishing it, because you’ll be so into your story. Not to mention a fire will ignite inside your belly to where you’ll have to write.

Wait a minute.

Fire?

In the. . . belly?

Yeah. It’s called passion, baby.

C.) If you love the story you’re creating, it will show in your writing. If you don’t love it, readers will be able to tell.

Trends come and go, and nobody knows what’s going to be popular next. So write what you love. If the type of story you write isn't in vogue by the time you publish your book. . .

So what?

I’m sure eventually it will be. And if your goal is to be able to write for a living, go write another book, and another one, and another, and so forth.

But I honestly believe if you write what you love, then you’re being true to yourself and your readers. And if you keep pursuing it, because you love to write and tell stories, one of these days everything will flow together, like chocolate and caramel. . .

Mmmmm. Chocolate and caramel.

Sounds good, right?

I think so. J

Anyway, write what you love.

Be happy.

Feel that fire in your belly and spin your thoughts and imagination into a story. Create something that will remain on this earth for as long as humans walk it--a piece of yourself immortal between the pages of time.

The great and powerful Oz has spoken.

"Great Merlin’s Ghost, Batman! Who is this disembodied voice who calls herself the great and powerful Oz?"

"It beats me, Robin, but quick, hand me the inflated-ego, ghost repellent bat-spray. I’ll get rid of it."

And so he did, at least for now.

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Lately I’ve been wondering a lot about my purpose in life and destiny.

Do I have a purpose?

Is destiny bullshit?

I don’t know.

The Devil’s Third is going through edits and rewrites right now. I’m excited about this book, and it makes me happy I have fans anticipating its release. I can’t wait to share it with the world. I’m also anxious to write a whole new different series. In fact, I started writing it; however, I need to figure more things out about the story, so I’m doing some research at the moment.

Anyway, I know what makes me happy and what I want, but I wonder if it'll ever happen. I've been working very hard towards my goals, but the results I've been after hasn't manifested, and I'm worried.

Sometimes when I get down about life, picture quotes helps lift my spirit, so here are some, along with my own words to go with them . . .

* I don't do this. I do what I can to achieve my goals, but now a small part of me is wondering if some of our goals will never come into fruition.

* I'm sure it'll all make sense one of these days, but I can't laugh at the confusion. It's not funny. I can't smile through the tears, because I'm sad. I can; however, remind myself that everything happens for a reason. I just hope it'll have a happy ending for me.

* I hope this is true, because I love to write stories. It makes me happy, and I've been working hard at it. Maybe in the end I will be successful at it . . . unless, it's not my purpose or destiny.

* This is true. One of the main reasons why I self-published was because I had to know I could do it all on my own. I could have taken the traditional route, but I had to prove to myself I could do the publishing and marketing thing on my own. I also hate to ask people for things, but through this whole process, I've learned it's okay to ask for help or a favor. What's the worst that can happen? The person says no. Big deal. Move on. It's also true if you don't step forward, you'll always be in the same place. I've met a lot of cool people since I decided to take this route, and I've learned quite a few things as well. None of it would have happened if I fed myself the bullshit story on why I couldn't achieve it, right?

* I think everybody who creates something out of nothing needs to remember this.

* Um, I don't know about this . . . my high calling?

* I truly believe life is about creating yourself.

* Yes, one of the cool things about writing a novel is it'll outlive me. Another cool thing is, two hundred years from now somebody might be reading my words and seeing the word pictures I've created.

* We never know what tomorrow might bring, and this saying is so true. Our life is a book, so even during the boring and sad parts we must keep reading.

* This is a good one. We shouldn't care what other people think, because if we do we become their prisoner. Be your crazy and weird self. Have fun and do the things that make you happy. In truth, your happiness is what really counts, right? If you're not happy, how are you going to truly love? How are you going to learn and grow and create yourself on how you want to become? You can't, and to me those are the reasons why we're all here. So the key to it all is YOUR happiness and MY happiness. Now let's be weird and crazy this weekend and do a lot of laughing and smiling. What do you say . . . are you in?

HAPPY FRIDAY!

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A guy on Google Plus raised a question the other day about Facebook and it got me thinking about the whole social media thing. He talked about joining Facebook and then deleting his account. He went back and forth several times. He’d hop on the popular social network merry-go-round and then hopped off. The last I heard he decided to stay off for good because he felt it was an addictive and unhealthy habit to have. He had the presence of mind to step out of the box he was in and saw the whole picture as this: instead of physically going out into the real world to converse with others, he found himself glued to the computer and interacting with people in the digital realm.

So are virtual friends real friends?

Last week a writer friend of mine mentioned she was going to shut down her Facebook page because she was tired of her books being ignored. When I read her post, I started to cry. I didn’t want her to leave. I considered her my friend, someone I connected with who shared the same sense of humor as me and made me laugh. I responded right away, telling her not to leave and blah, blah, blah. Afterward, I logged off and talked to Kevin about it. His reaction to me crying over a digital comrade was concern. He personally thinks they’re not true or real friends. The reason why he feels this way is because they can unfriend you without batting an eye, and in his opinion, a majority of them are narcissistic and false. He told me people on the internet say things to others that they would never have the balls to say to their face. It’s all bullshit he thinks and this boom in technology is robbing us of our humanity.

Is Kevin right?

After he was done talking to me, I felt worse. I mean, I consider the authors I converse with online my friends. I love them. They’re great. But then Kevin threw a wrench into my digital bubble. He popped it, forcing me to look beyond it.

Here’s what I’ve discovered and how I personally feel about social media:

1.) Not everybody is your buddy, even though you may think so.

I had a wonderful critique partner whom I considered a good friend, and I loved how she wrote. But then one day she bailed on me. The only reason I could think of was when I critiqued one of her chapters I told her she needed to get rid of most of her "thats." I don’t know if she got butt hurt over my suggestion or what. She shouldn’t have, though. I mean, she knew how much I loved her stories and how she told them.

So don’t get too attached to people thinking they’re your buddies. However, there is a chance they can turn into genuine friends, but you just don’t know. It’s a risk; however, it's one I’m willing to take because I’ve already met and connected with some cool people in the literary world who understands what I’m going through as a writer. I just have to keep in mind that one day most of them will vanish without saying a word. It happened to me before, and it’ll happen again.

2.) Technology is robbing us of our humanity.

We as humans are not designed to sit on our butts all day in front of a computer, TV, or video game. Our bodies are supposed to be active and out in the real world enjoying the sun and nature. We’re supposed to interact with other people face to face and form bonds on a personal level.

I’ve noticed some of the teenagers who spend most of their time texting, have a short attention span and can’t hold a conversation. You try to explain something to them, and they have a blank look on their faces. Not all teenagers are like that, but enough to concern me. I personally think those who choose to communicate a majority of their waking hours texting is reprogramming their brains to accept another form of interaction. Here’s an example of what I’m talking about:

Kevin told a teenage boy who is constantly on his cell phone texting, to do a task at his place of employment. The kid didn’t understand what Kevin was telling him. Kevin tried to explain it again and still the teen couldn’t comprehend what was being asked of him. That night Kevin told me about it. I advised him the next time he needed to tell this teenager what to do to speak to him like he would if he were texting him–in short sentences. Make it simple. Well, Kevin did what I suggested, and you know what? The kid understood.

WTF?

Our children are losing the social skills needed to thrive not only in this world but as a human being, and it scares me.

3.) I don’t hate social media or the internet.

I personally think social media is a good thing IF you don’t allow it to consume your life. I love to be able to connect with like-minded people, and we can learn from each other. I love to communicate with my fans, my friends in Arizona and family. I love all of it. I also think it’s awesome if I want to find out something I can Google it.

To sum it all up, this new form of communication is great and gives us opportunities we’ve never had before. However, like food and alcohol, if you abuse it, it’ll destroy you physically and mentally. So it’s a balancing act. Be aware of your portions and how much you consume, otherwise you’ll be allowing social media and the internet for that matter, rob you of your humanity. And none of us wants that, right?

　

　

consume, Facebook, friends, humanity, rob, social media, 7 Comments

I wanted to share with you this poem by Tyro Vogel, and the guy who drew the picture is Enger Pas. From what I understand, Tyro wrote this when he was a teenager. He posted it on Google Plus, and I loved it so much I had to show it to you. Click on the link so you can read it, along with his other illustrated stories: http://www.tyrovogel.com/Softwear.pdf

Happy Friday! I had a hard week, so I’m loving it’s Friday today. I hope you have an awesome weekend. Be happy and safe!

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Dark Illusions by A.H. Browne was a good book. I enjoyed it. It’s about a race of vampires who can shapeshift into a wolf, and they’re divided into two clans–the Raaka and Runsasi. Julian is the prince of the Runsasi clan and whatever he says concerning both groups goes. He’s the most powerful of them all and enforces the law that they all live in peace among humans. The Raaka hates Julian and is determined to overthrow him so they can make up their own rules to follow.

Kat is human and not only is she strong-willed, she’s beautiful and exudes an aura that’s fetching and brimming with sex appeal. The Raaka wants her for their queen and will stop at nothing to claim her. When they begin to pursue her, she has no idea what these men want. They chase her down an alley where she comes face to face with a manlike creature wearing a preacher’s outfit. He’s hairless, has reddish black, bottomless eyes, and his long ears points at the end. His name is Kober and my favorite character in this book. He helps her and is Julian’s ally.

Knowing Julian can protect Kat, Kober decides to take her to Julian’s house. When Julian and Kat meet, they’re immediately attracted to each other. There’s a connection between them, though, Julian denies it at first. He offers Kat protection from the Raaka and has Kober watch over her while he investigates why the leader of the opposing clan is eager to capture her. He becomes mortified when he discovers they want to Awaken Kat and make her their queen. No human is allowed to be Awakened–become one of them–without Julian’s consent. It’s against their laws. But the leader of the Raaka clan is determined to do it and will stop at nothing to make Kat one of their own and to possess her like she’s his personal property.

Dark Illusions is an imaginative story. Kat is feisty and doesn’t like to be told what to do. I enjoyed her character and the hot scenes A.H. Browne wrote. I think she’s a good writer with lots of potential. The only two grips I have about this tale are Kat isn’t surprised when she discovers vampire shapeshifters exist in the shadows of humanity. If I found that out, you bet your sweet ass I’d be flabbergasted, and I’d have to reevaluate my reality. The second one is Kat’s job. When she’s kidnapped nobody at her job is alarmed by her sudden absence, and then when Kat returns to her place of employment it’s like nothing ever happened. I wish A.H. Browne had spent more time on those two details to make it more realistic. But regardless, this is a good book and worth the time to read it. In fact, I’m looking forward to the next one. So I do recommend this to readers who are into these type of stories.

http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Illusions-Beginning-Series-ebook/dp/B007AVHNNO/