Blog Tour Stop: Yellow Socks and Blood Spots (author interview

 

Two lines means pregnant, and pregnant is the very last thing seventeen-year-old Isabelle wants to be. She’s just beginning her senior year, she’s rekindling the respectable relationship she once had with her family and she’s finally fallen in love.

Her boyfriend, Jason, wants an abortion, while Isabelle wants to give her baby a chance at life, whether that means adoption or raising her baby herself. Her situation raises a question of values, beliefs, rights, societal expectations and personal opinions, and as Isabelle’s friends and family discover the news, they seem to think that only they know what’s best for her and her baby. Within two weeks of finding out about their beautiful disaster, Isabelle and Jason have to come to a mutual agreement and make a life or death decision.

Interview with author Bailey J Thompson

Author Bailey J Thompson

When did you first know you wanted to write?

Growing up, I'd always been a "storyteller". I would tell my stories through words, pictures or a combination of both. It was all just fun and as a child, I'd always said I wanted to be a doctor. It wasn't until grade six (twelve years old) that I really started to consider it. My teacher had assigned a project: write a 2-page story about a gingerbread story due the day before the christmas break started. On the due-date, I showed up empty handed and begged my teacher for an extension. It wans't that I had forgotten about the project, it was that I was already at page thirteen and nowhere near finishing. When the holiday was over, I proudly presented a 30-page (beautifully bound with the help of my father) novella entitled Detective Bailz and the Haunted Gingerbread Mansion. That was the moment when I realized how much I enjoyed crafting stories and also that being a writer was what I was, and what I wanted to do.

How did you get the inspiration for your novel?

They say that you should write the stories that you would want to read. I found that the topic of my novel is so incredibly controversial; a political or religious debate and a fairly common experience for young people; but the literature on it is not as common. I had seen a couple of my friends go through the experience (and discovered many more individuals as I wrote the story), and I really felt compelled to write a story to explore the reality.

What is your favorite part about being an author?

That "I'm ALIVE" feeling that you get when you're sitting down writing or you've just completed a piece. I think being a writer gives me the gift of being able to observe some of the little things; the way things sound, smell, taste... and there's a really magical feeling that comes with putting those things into words.

What is your least favorite part about being an author?

Disrupted sleep.... Darn ideas popping into my head when I'm trying to fall asleep!

Could you write a bit about what your publication process was like?

When I finished my first draft, I was pretty certain that it was perfect. At least, that's what I hoped and thought. Then the editorial review came back with some pretty intense changes; I'd known it was a little naive of me to assume that the first "final" draft of my very first completed novel would be flawless, but I had hoped! I spent another six months making revisions. By the time the book was finally submitted, I had rewritten the book four times and it had been through four editors.

Are you currently working on any other projects?

Yep, I am working on a couple of children's books at the moment. I own a small publishing house called Gerbil Meets Mouse Publishing, that publishes kids picture books, and so that's kind of my other baby aside from the novels. I have spent the last five years working on another novel. It's nowhere near being finished as I am still waiting for the rest of it to come to me, but I think that will be my next main focus.

Describe in three or fewer sentences what makes your book unique and why a reader should buy it.

Abortion is the clashing of rights; women's rights and humans rights, and while I don't think that we, as humans, will ever come to a concrete agreement on who is right, I believe that it is a taboo topic that needs to be openly explored and discussed. Nobody can tell you what to believe, and that's not what this book is about. It's about creating perspective; telling the story of a beautiful, young, successful 17-year-old girl named Isabelle in a new relationship with a big life and death decision to make. 

Visit Bailey's Website

Blog Tour Stop: Suddenly You

Book Title: SUDDENLY YOU

Series Name & Book #: THE JANE AUSTEN ACADEMY SERIES #4

Expected Release or Date Published: 5/7/13

Published By: Gray Life, LLC J

Genre: young-adult / contemporary
Tour Schedule

Book Synopsis:

Fanny doesn't want to be at The Jane Austen Academy. She intends to lay low until graduation when she can try out for the Olympic track team. She doesn't need friends or love. She only needs her running.

But The Academy is in danger. In an effort to save it, Fanny joins forces with the friends she never knew she wanted. Suddenly, Fanny finds herself center stage in the middle of the Academy's biggest love triangle as the lead in the school play...only this track star can't afford to break a leg.

* * *

The last thing that the girls at the elite Jane Austen Academy need is hot guys to flirt with. But over the summer the school has been sold, and like it or not, the guys are coming. And it’s about to turn the Academy—and the lives of its students—totally upside down…

The Jane Austen Academy series are modern retellings of Jane Austen classics set at a beachside California boarding school.

Book Links:

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00COZIYCU

BN http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1115262985?ean=2940016525365

Apple http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781938268045

Kobo http://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9781938268045

Author Bio:

Cecilia Gray lives in the San Francisco Bay Area where she reads, writes and breaks for food. She also pens her biographies in the third person. Like this. As if to trick you into thinking someone else wrote it because she is important. Alas, this is not the case.

Cecilia has been praised for “instilling a warmth and weight into her characters”  (Romancing The Book Reviews) and her books have been praised for being “well-written, original, realistic and witty” (Quills & Zebras Reviews).

Her latest series of young-adult contemporary Jane Austen retellings was named a What’s Hot pick (RT Book Reviews magazine) and is a Best of 2012 pick (Kirkus Reviews) where it was praised for being a “unique twist on a classic” and offering “a compelling mix of action, drama and love.”

She’s rather enamored of being contacted by readers and hopes you’ll oblige at cecilia@ceciliagray.com or any of the following sites:

Author Links:

http://ceciliagray.com

http://twitter.com/ceciliabooks

http://facebook.com/ceciliagray

http://youtube.com/ceciliagraybooks

http://eepurl.com/fs4zk (newsletter)

Excerpt:

January, Junior year

Fanny Sato banged her gavel on the desk. "This meeting of the Jane Austen Academy’s Asian American Cultural Society will come to order. Let the record show it is Monday, January seventh. Welcome back from Christmas break."

From the middle seat of the back row, Tran Blackburn’s gaze shifted to the empty seats to his left, the empty seats to his right, then back to her. He tilted his head and slid further down in his chair, his knees widening away from each other in his baggy cargos.

"I’ll take the roll," she said. "Tran Blackburn?"

"Present." His lips twitched ever so slightly when she insisted on parliamentary procedure even though membership in the Asian American Cultural Society had consisted of only the two of them since the Academy had opened up to boys at the beginning of the year.

The Society’s membership of two was still a 100 percent increase over the previous year, when she had been the only member. Not that there weren’t other Asian students at the Academy—just none who cared enough to join or who knew the club even existed, which had suited Fanny fine. She hadn’t recruited anyone for a reason.

"Agenda items?" she asked.

"Mischief and mayhem." Tran’s answer had been the same week after week. And week after week, Fanny denied him this request. She had tried to bore him out of the club by demanding they take calligraphy classes and study obscure historical texts and watch romantic manga shows. Only, he never seemed to get bored. Tran always came back.

At first, Fanny had found his persistence annoying. Then infuriating. But somehow, she’d come to expect him, then look forward to him, and today, finally, she needed his help.

For a girl who didn’t ask for help, this was a big deal.

"Tran Blackburn, the board is happy to grant your request for mischief and mayhem." She banged the gavel again.

"What did you have in mind, Flash?"

Fanny warmed. She hadn’t heard his nickname for her all Christmas break. She’d missed it. So she was grinning a little when she answered, "Maybe a little B&E?"

Tran shot out of his chair, his shirt shifting to reveal a sliver of the black tattoo across his belly. "Get out. What do you think B&E means? Tell me you think it means brioche and eclairs."

"Brioche and eclairs?" Fanny blinked in confusion—was this her Tran talking?

"I’m a guy who likes his pastry. Don’t change the subject. Are you serious? B&E? Do you know even what that is?"

"Of course I do. You think I don’t know my felonies because I’m a girl?"

"I think you don’t know your felonies because you’re Fanny Sato, track star, honors student, and all-around good girl. I mean, look at you."

"If that was a compliment, why do I feel insulted?" she muttered, feeling self-conscious now about her black hair in its ever-present ponytail and her standard uniform of T-shirt and sweatpants. Scratch that—she did wear her tracksuit, too.

Tran ran an anxious hand through his choppy black hair, giving her another glimpse of skin beneath the hem of his shirt. Usually, Fanny couldn’t care less about half-clothed guys. She was a runner, an athlete. She’d seen her fair share of naked abs and butt cracks while competing across the country, but nothing intrigued her the way Tran’s tattoos did. The way the black lines swirled across his skin and dove beneath his shirt at his collar, sleeves, and hem.

She dragged her eyes back up his chest to his face, and he was right there to meet her.

His dark eyes bored into hers with an intensity that sent shivers to her toes. "You’re serious, Flash." He took a step forward. "You and me." Another step. "Breaking and entering." He was at her desk. "Right now." Tran rested his knuckles on the desk and loomed over her.

She cleared her throat and scooted back her chair. Having him this close, this serious, made her throat itch. "Err…maybe I’m joking."

He smirked but rose up, giving her a chance to breathe. "We know that’s not your kind of humor."

She scowled. Somehow Tran had gotten to know her. In four short months, he’d figured out how to make her smile, when she needed oranges for an energy boost after a run, and how to tell when she was lying—like now. Which made him dangerous for a girl with a secret.

"I’m going to do it with or without you," she said, although she had no idea how to go about it. "I just thought you’d be interested."

The right corner of his lip toked up. "Why? Because I have tattoos and a tongue ring?"

"You have a tongue ring?" Fanny’s throat went dry again.

"The nose ring was getting old, so I thought I’d switch it up. Christmas present to myself."

"Can I see?" She hated herself for asking, but what girl wouldn’t?

Tran grinned. "Come and get it."

Fanny rolled her eyes and forced herself to look away. She tried not to look at his mouth, but her gaze strayed despite her intentions. He laughed and she glimpsed a flash of a silver bulb.

"Why look when you can touch?" he asked.

The gavel spun out of her hand and tumbled off the desk, she’d clutched it so hard. "No, thank you," she said a little too forcefully. She stood up, determined to come off cool. "I have more important things to think about than your body flair."

Tran silently mouthed flair as though he found the word distasteful.

"You’re always asking for mischief and mayhem." She slammed her hands against the table for emphasis. "You’re always complaining that nothing ever happens. I’m trying to make something happen."

"Well, come on, Flash." Tran beckoned to her with two fingers. "Let’s make something happen."

Giveaway Information:

There will be 2 giveaways with this tour.

1^st prize is a $25 Gift Card to Bookstore of Winner’s Choosing.

2^nd prize is 5 copies of ANY Jane Austen Academy Book (winner can choose which they want)

Please use the raffle copter code below for the giveaway J

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open submissions for "A Krampus Anthology"

WORLD WEAVER PRESS

WITH “ENCHANTED CONVERSATION”

ANNOUNCES OPEN SUBMISSIONS FOR

“A KRAMPUS ANTHOLOGY”

ANTHOLOGIST KATE WOLFORD

TO BEGIN ACCEPTING QUERIES

SATURDAY, JUNE 15

Chicago, IL (June 14, 2013) – World Weaver Press (Eileen Wiedbrauk, Editor-in-Chief) and Kate Wolford, editor ofEnchanted Conversation: A Fairy Tale Magazine, have announced they will begin accepting short story submissions onSaturday, June 15 for “A Krampus Anthology.”

You know the Jolly Old Elf of Christmas, right? Of course you do. You can’t avoid him. Yet, Santa Claus isn’t just a kindly old expert at breaking and entering and leaving gifts he didn’t actually buy for the children of a house. At least he isn’t in Austria and many other parts of Europe. In these ancient places, where, perhaps, the old, old gods still add a touch of mischief, Krampus is the angry, punishing sidekick of St. Nicholas (Santa’s counterpart in much of Europe). Known for his willingness to punish rotten children, Krampus might even be considered Santa’s dark side or evil twin.

Wolford commented, “Krampus taps into a kind of ancient darkness that captures the spirit of winter. He also seems to lend himself to humor and horror and maybe, a bit of magic. I think the story possibilities are endless and intriguing.”

Guidelines and instructions for submission are available at worldweaverpress.com/submissions/calls-for-anthologies/. Additional publication details forthcoming.

Kate Wolford is editor and publisher of Enchanted Conversation: A Fairy Tale Magazine at fairytalemagazine.com. She teaches first-year college writing, incorporating fairy tales in her assignments whenever possible. World Weaver Press released her annotated anthology, Beyond the Glass Slipper: Ten Neglected Fairy Tales to Fall In Love With, in April 2013. worldweaverpress.com/books/beyond-the-glass-slipper/

World Weaver Press is a publisher of fantasy, paranormal, and science fiction, dedicated to producing quality works. As a small press, World Weaver seeks to publish books that engage the mind and ensnare the story-loving soul.

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The King of Ash and Bones Guest Post

Guest Post:

Stories come from different places. Some are fun and quirky, like my flash fiction piece "The Secret Ingredient." That particular story stemmed from a contest run by an online writing group I belong to. The story prompt was something along the lines of, "Write about something that doesn't belong in your kitchen." I couldn't come up with anything that week for the contest, but I liked that prompt, so I let my subconscious toss it around for a few weeks. One day the premise popped into my mind, and I laughed. I also happened to be home from work, thanks to a leaking gas line, so that made it into the story as well. I churned that story out in an afternoon. I chose it for a reading, and enjoyed hearing people laugh at all the right spots.

"The Leaving is Joyful" also stemmed from a contest. The participants exchanged settings and wrote from there. Often, stories suffer from 'white room syndrome.' This contest was geared towards addressing that issue. It was a fascinating learning experience, and it remains one of my favorite writing contests.

When I finished writing my novel Shards of History, I was initially relieved to have finally gotten to the words "The End." After a while, however, I found myself thinking about the characters and wondering what else they were up to. I thought about my main character quite a bit, but I also thought about one of the secondary characters, Rasmus, as well. In the novel, I raised quite a few questions about his past, but I didn't answer all of them. So I wrote "The Road Home" in order to find out more about his past and his future.

Other stories stem from very personal places. "The King of Ash and Bones" was the first story I completed after my father passed away in 2009. At the time, I was in between jobs, I was broke, I had just finished revisions on my novel Shards of History, and it was winter, which is a bleak time anyway. I had nothing to keep my mind from dwelling on how much I missed my father, how much my mother was hurting, and all the myriad things that go along with losing a loved one. I'm not sure how long I went without writing. I think I fiddled around with journal entries for a while, but they were too personal, and I didn't want to dwell on those emotions directly anyway.

I ended up listening to a lot of Johnny Cash. My father was a country music sort of guy, and he enjoyed the older stuff. Johnny Cash is not exactly known for upbeat music, but somehow it was what I needed. I'd sit back, close my eyes, and just listen. After a while, I started getting images and ideas, and before I knew it, I was itching to write a story. I decided to try to infuse my grief into the story without ever directly talking about anybody's father dying.

I think the story turned out pretty dark. I tend to write dark stories anyway. Even my humor is dark. But I felt better afterwards. Writing--and reading--are cathartic. That story was exactly what I needed at the time, and once I'd put it behind me, I felt I was able to move on and write other types of stories.

Synopsis for Shards of History (Book 1)

Only she knows the truth that can save her people. — Like all Taakwa, Malia fears the fierce winged creatures known as Jeguduns who live in the cliffs surrounding her valley. When the river dries up and Malia is forced to scavenge farther from the village than normal, she discovers a Jegudun, injured and in need of help. Malia’s existence—her status as clan mother in training, her marriage, her very life—is threatened by her choice to befriend the Jegudun. But she’s the only Taakwa who knows the truth: that the threat to her people is much bigger and more malicious than the Jeguduns who’ve lived alongside them for decades. Lurking on the edge of the valley is an Outsider army seeking to plunder and destroy the Taakwa, and it’s only a matter of time before the Outsiders find a way through the magic that protects the valley—a magic that can only be created by Taakwa and Jeguduns working together. Malia is in a race against time. She must warn the Jeguduns that the Taakwa march against them and convince the Taakwa that their real enemy isn’t who they think it is before the Outsiders find a way into the valley and destroy everything she holds dear.

Buy Shards of History on Amazon

Synopsis for The King of Ash and Bones (Book 2)

An exiled man returns to his family and the life he left behind. A king is determined to avenge his people. A man doomed to die gives his wife her greatest wish. A suspected affair leads to a shocking and wondrous surprise. Roland works her magic again in this four-story collection of eerie and enchanting works, including Rasmus’s story from after Shards of History.

Buy The King of Ash and Bones on Amazon

Release Announcement: The King of Ash and Bones

WORLD WEAVER PRESS

ANNOUNCES DIGITAL RELEASE OF

“THE KING OF ASH AND BONES,

AND OTHER STORIES”

A SHORT STORY COLLECTION

BY REBECCA ROLAND

AVAILABLE

TUESDAY, JUNE 4

Chicago, IL (June 4, 2013) – World Weaver Press (Eileen Wiedbrauk, Editor-in-Chief) has announced the digital release of The King of Ash and Bones, and Other Stories, a short story collection by Rebecca Roland, today, Tuesday, June 4, 2013.

The King of Ash and Bones, and Other Stories is available in ebook via Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com,Kobo.com, and other online retailers. You can also find The King of Ash and Bones on Goodreads.

An exiled man returns to his family and the life he left behind. A king is determined to avenge his people. A man doomed to die gives his wife her greatest wish. A suspected affair leads to a shocking and wondrous surprise. Roland works her magic again in this four-story collection of eerie and enchanting works, including Rasmus’s story from after Shards of History.

As previously announced, Shards of History is now available in paperback and ebook via Amazon.com,BarnesandNoble.com, Kobo.com, and other online retailers. You can also find Shards of History onGoodreads.

Praise for Shards of History:

“One of the most beautifully written novels I have ever read. Suspenseful, entrapping, and simply … well, let’s just say that Shards of History reminds us of why we love books in the first place.

5 out of 5 stars!”

— Good Choice Reading

“Fast-paced, high-stakes drama in a fresh fantasy world. Rebecca Roland is a newcomer to watch!”

— James Maxey, author of Greatshadow: The Dragon Apocalypse

“A must for any fantasy reader. Prepare to be taken

by storm with Rebecca Roland fever!”

— Plasma Frequency

Only she knows the truth that can save her people. Like all Taakwa, Malia fears the fierce winged creatures known as Jeguduns who live in the cliffs surrounding her valley. When the river dries up and Malia is forced to scavenge farther from the village than normal, she discovers a Jegudun, injured and in need of help. Malia’s existence--her status as clan mother in training, her marriage, her very life in the village--is threatened by her choice to befriend the Jegudun. But she’s the only Taakwa who knows the truth: that the threat to her people is much bigger and much more malicious than the Jeguduns who’ve lived alongside them for decades. Lurking on the edge of the valley is an Outsider army seeking to plunder and destroy the Taakwa, and it’s only a matter of time before the Outsiders find a way through the magic that protects the valley--a magic that can only be created by Taakwa and Jeguduns working together.

Rebecca Roland lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she writes primarily fantasy and horror. Her short fiction has appeared in Everyday Fiction, Uncle John’s Flush Fiction and in Stupefying Stories, and she is a graduate of the Odyssey Writing Workshop. When she’s not writing, she’s usually spending time with her family, torturing patients as a physical therapist, or eating way too much chocolate. You can find her online at Spice of Life, her blog, or follow her on Twitter @rebecca_roland.

World Weaver Press is a publisher of fantasy, paranormal, and science fiction, dedicated to producing quality works. As a small press, World Weaver seeks to publish books that engage the mind and ensnare the story-loving soul.

ASIN: B00D55NLLM

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