December Update and I Read Fantasy Giveaway

Dear Readers,

It’s been a while since I’ve updated. So what’s going on? A few things on my side. It’s been a busy year between writing, traveling, moving, and oh yes, more writing. I don’t have an announcement on my new works yet, but I do have a few goodies. Soon, I hope to have a way to get out autographed copies of My Merlin.

For today, a few fantasy authors have gotten together to run a giveaway. Check out these books and the giveaway from December 4 – 7.

Featured Books by Author

      Amazon           Amazon Nook         Amazon          Amazon Nook

  

  Amazon Nook       Amazon            Amazon             Amazon Nook 

    

  Amazon Nook     Amazon Nook     Amazon Nook      Amazon

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Book Announcement: Diary of a Teenage Fairy GodMother

Looking for a fun YA read along the lines of Meg Cabot's Avalon High with some high school high-jinks?  Then, look no further than: the Diary of a Teenage Fairy Godmother. It is a new contemporary fantasy from a fabulous writer I know, Kathleen Baldwin, and her writing partner Andrea Sisco.

Overview:

A Fairy Godmother is not some pixie in a pink tutu. She’s a guardian and a warrior. Lilliana Skye is sent undercover to a Texas high school to save one of Cinderella’s troubled descendants, but everything goes wrong.

Jessica Harrison hates Lilliana. She doesn’t believe in magic or happily-ever-afters. Jess is tough, angry, and so intelligent it’s scary. If she ever did see a mythical fairy she would probably stomp it into oblivion with her army boots. Matters go from bad to worse when Jess’s older brother meets Lilliana and falls hard for the new girl. And Lilliana can’t keep her wayward heart in check. Jake is, well, just plain dangerous.

Falling in love with a human changes everything.

My take: Diary of a Teenage Fairy Godmother is a super-cute read. I loved the way the authors tied in Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother story you already know and brought it forward into today's time. There was also a funny Merlin reference! But mainly the story centers around the combat-boot wearing "cinderella" trying to break up the romance between her "barbie-clone" fairy godmother and cinderella's "prince charming" brother. The high-jinks surrounding this plot made me laugh out loud! 

Check it out/download a sample at these sites: Amazon and Barnes and Noble

A Secret Revealed! My Sister, Maya Prasad, And YA Books

Has there been one friend/critique partner/compadre extraordinaire in your life that you can always count on to 1) Give you the ugly truth that your story sucks, 2) Dry your tears and tell you how much you rock when someone else gives you a wrenching critique, 3) Hold your hand through years of rejection, and 4) Kick your backside to just keep writing? 5) read your book through 5 different drafts with minimal groaning 6) Help you in numerous ways that you can't count or ever pay back?

Well, that one person for me is my sis, Maya Prasad. And I'd like to introduce you to her. She's come out of the writer's closet to share with everyone her upcoming work and her tid-bits on writing. If you're a writer or if want to know about her book, check her out on her blog where she's posting awesome things like "Agent Myths," "Internet Detox," "Good Indian Girl: How I became a writer," and my favorite so far: "The World's Best and Least Tactful Critiquer: My Husband." The last post I read like I watch most horror movies (One hand over one eye, other eye watching the train wreck).

As for her book, I can tell you-- it's kick butt.

My reaction when I read the first few pages was "I can't believe you've been working on this mind-blowing story under my nose {you brat}!" *She is my little sister, so, yes, I can still call her names.*

The title is "Sky Mahal" and it's a cool YA cyberpunk set in near future India. There's scifi. There's mythology. There's romance. And I know you'll love it.

Anyway, the story's amazing and has already been picked for representation up by a stellar literary agent, Katelyn D. at the Jill Grinberg Literary Agency. (They also rep these other fantastic authors you might have heard of--- Marissa Meyer of "Cinder," Garth Nix, and Scott Westerfeld)

So, watch out for my rockstar sis's upcoming book and meanwhile, check out her writing/publication journey on her blog at http://www.mayaprasad.com/ and on twitter @mayaprasadwrites!!

On Writing: the Random Musical Teaser and YA Giveaway Hop

Part of my writing process has always been music. As I work on my next story, the first thing I come up with is a playlist. As the story builds, so does the playlist. Sometimes the playlist I started out with is radically different than what I have at the end of the book. Weird, huh?  If you're a writer, do you do this too?

Musical Teaser: The current scene I'm working on in my WIP is set to Graduation (Friends Forever) by Vitamin C. Yep, I heard it just recently and it stuck with me. What does that mean for my WIP? I'll let you think about it...

*Meanwhile, the digital copy of My Boyfriend Merlin, Book 1, is free for a limited time! If you haven't read it, try it free on your e-reader!*

On to the giveaway! It's been awhile since I've done a hop. From Jan 29 - Feb 4th, I am participating in the YA Giveaway Hop hosted by the ladies at I am a Reader, Not a Writer and BookLove101.

What's up for grabs? If you're in the US, UK, Australia --> A signed paperback copy of any one of your favorite in the My Merlin Series (pick from Book 1, Book 2 or Book 3)

Otherwise if you're INT (international) --> The ebook bundle of the My Merlin Series

Fill out the rafflecopter below, then, continue on the hop. Good Luck!

Some exciting news: The My Merlin bundle hit the B&N Nookbook bestsellers list earlier this January! Of course, I took a screen shot! Here it is on the Teen Nook homepage with the other new release bestsellers.

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