Tuesday 6 August 2013

Autumn's Blood, Out Now! Read First Chapter Here!

After months of work and much enjoyment on my part, I'm excited to let you know about the release of my new novel, 'Autumn's Blood', which is the first book in my brand new shifter series, 'The Spirit Shifters'!

The novel is currently available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Smashwords, Kobo and AllRomanceebooks for only $2.99!



Here's the blurb:

 In a discreet government facility in Chicago, scientists are trying to unearth the truth behind a group of people who appear to have the ability to shift into the form of animals.
 Ensconced among the government officials, Blake Wolfcollar hides the truth of what he is, struggling between his desire to help those he's a part of, while remaining undercover in his position ...
The last thing Autumn Anderson expects upon starting her new job is the dangerous, sexy man whose touch seems to burn. But an accident unleashes a potential she never knew she held inside her, and Autumn and Blake find themselves on the run.
 As their feelings for one another grow, they must fight to preserve the secret that could see the end of them both...

Book One: Autumn's Blood, out now!
Book Two: Saving Autumn, out late 2013.
Book Three: Autumn Rising, out spring 2014!
Sound interesting? Keep reading for a sneak preview of the first chapter! 

Chapter One

BLAKE WOLFCOLLAR FOLDED his arms across his massive chest and bit down on the fury tearing through him. He needed to keep control of his emotions. Now more than ever. Losing his grip on himself would mean exposing his true identity to the people who wanted to control his kind.
Bulletproof glass separated a team of men-which included him-from the three people held captive. Further sheets of glass divided the prisoners, deliberately done in order for the detainees to be able to witness each other's torment. In each of the glass cubicles, a solitary metal chair was bolted to the floor. The prisoners-a woman in her mid-thirties, a man of about the same age, and a boy in his teens-had each been handcuffed to the chairs. To any outsider, the people could have been a young family, but Blake knew they'd never laid eyes upon each other until they'd been brought to the facility.
The government building towered above their heads, but they weren't being held above the city. This part of the compound was buried several stories beneath ground level, preventing anyone who shouldn't be there overhearing what was going on.
His superior, and friend, Peter Haverly, glanced over his shoulder to where Blake stood, his back to the two-inch-thick metal door which led to the elevator providing access to the rest of the building. Haverly's eyes widened at him briefly, accompanied by a slow shake of his head.
Keep your cool.
Blake pressed his lips together and glanced away. He understood what Haverly was telling him-don't get involved, stay quiet for the good of their kind-but he wasn't known for his self-control.
Maxim Dumas, a silver-haired head of Operation Pursuit, pressed a button located on the control panel in front of him. He leaned forward and spoke into a small microphone. "We know what each of you is. If you simply change for us now, we won't have the need to use force."
A growl threatened to rumble from Blake's throat, but he managed to swallow it down. The blunt ellipses of his nails dug into the intricate tribal tattoo etched into the bulk of his bicep. He forced himself to loosen his grip and ran a big palm over his head, his dark hair buzzed military short. He had no way of telling Dumas that the man, woman, and boy were unable to change at will without blowing his cover. Most spirit shifters only fused with their spirit guides in moments of intense stress, pain, or emotions. Of course, what Dumas planned on doing would take these people to such a level, but he would assume they cracked under torture rather than realize the pain was the actual trigger.
The people behind the screen stared at each other, abject fear widening their eyes. Blake recognized the woman's coffee-colored skin, only a shade darker than his own, and her almost-black eyes and long, shiny, dark hair. Had they taken her from a reservation? Or was she like him, one of the lucky ones who had managed to escape the poverty and build a new life?
She strained against her bonds. "Who are you? Why are you doing this to us?"
Dumas leaned forward once more. "I don't believe you're in any position to be asking questions, Ms. Lowery. The chair you are strapped to has an electrical current of over a thousand volts attached to its feet. If you don't do as I ask, I will make sure my people start applying that voltage. We'll start off low, but it won't stay that way for long if you don't comply."
"You can't do this!" she cried. "This is abduction, and you're threatening torture! It's against the law."
He leaned forward. "We're outside of the law, Ms. Lowery. Now, I suggest you do as I tell you and change before I get my men to switch on the current."
"Fuck you!"
Dumas turned to the other men and caught Blake's eye. "She's feisty." He nodded approvingly. "I like that."
"What the hell do you people want?" the man yelled, but no one acknowledged him.
Blake knew his background: married for eight years, two children-a boy and a girl-your average American Joe. With the exception of being able to shift into the form of his animal spirit guide. For now, Dumas' attention seemed to be focused on the boy and the woman. Blake didn't doubt the man's time would come.
Dumas turned back. "Do you see the boy sitting in the chamber beside you? How about if he's the one who receives the charge? Do you know what a high electrical current does to the human body, Ms. Lowery? Oh, but wait. You're not exactly human, are you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
He laughed. "Why keep denying it?"
Blake clenched his teeth. Dumas was wrong. Spirit shifters were human, at least most of the time. They just had talents unlike the vast majority of their counterparts. Their abilities varied from shifter to shifter. Where some people, like himself, had been chosen by their animal spirits at birth and so could shift at will, the majority were chosen by their spirits later in life, making their powers less.
"Do you know what happens to the body during an electrocution?" Dumas continued. "Your heart will stop; whether that's permanent or simply an arrhythmia, depends on the voltage. Every muscle in your body will go rigid. You will probably bite down on your tongue, possibly severing it. Oh, and because you're not completely strapped down, there is a good chance an arch of electricity will leap from the chair to your body, causing severe burns. Is that what you want to happen to the boy?"
Her gaze darted wildly to the teenager in the room beside her. The boy renewed his struggles, the muscles in his arms popping as he tried to wrench them from the cuffs.
"I can't do what you want me to!" she cried. "It doesn't work like that!"
A sly smile quirked Dumas' lips. "So you admit there is something you can do?"
Tears welled in her dark eyes. She looked between the boy on one side of her and the man on the other. The man's jaw tensed and he gave his head a slight shake.
Blake took a deep breath, trying to disguise his reactions to the scene playing out in front of him, allowing the air to exhale slowly through his nose. He wanted nothing more than to leap at Dumas and rip him from the control panel and set the other shifters free, but he couldn't. This thing was bigger than three people. He'd need to find a way to release them, but he'd need to do it later, when he could disguise his identity. Being in the middle of this thing allowed him to learn of the government's plans, even if it was simply by eavesdropping on conversations. Haverly was also privy to most of the secret conversations, but not all of them. Blake was used as muscle for whatever Dumas wanted, and the man tended to keep him around. Learning more about the progress of Operation Pursuit was the most important thing. At times like this, he needed to remember that.
Dumas' head cocked to one side. "Time's up." He gave a nod to the man sitting beside him, a technical guy Blake only knew as Miller. The man returned the nod and flicked a switch.
The boy went rigid in his chair, his fingers curling, his knuckles turning white from the pressure of his grip on the arms of the chair. The shock was small and he fell limp after only a couple of seconds, but he groaned, his head lolling forward.
The woman stared at the boy in alarm and then back at the two-inch-thick glass. Due to the one-way mirrors positioned on her side, she was unable to see her captors. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Are you going to do what we want?"
"I can't! How many times do I have to tell you?"
"Then we'll increase the voltage."
Dumas gave Miller another nod and the man twisted a dial on the console and flicked the switch once more.
Instantly, the boy bucked in the chair, his back arching, his narrow chest thrusting out. His eyes rolled in his head, flashing the forked red of his eyeballs. He jerked, his hands once again tightening around the arms of the chair as a higher voltage of electricity shot through his young body.
"No! Stop!" the woman screamed. "You're hurting him."
The man said nothing, but resumed his efforts to get free. Miller flicked the switch and the current died, the boy dropping limp in his chair.
Blake's heart lodged in his throat. Was the boy dead? No, his eyes flickered open and he started to groan.
Dumas pushed the button for the microphone. "That was nothing. We can go a lot higher."
She pounded her fists against the metal armrest of her chair. "I can't do it at will! Why won't you listen to me?" She paused, her eyes widening. "Electrocute me! If you electrocute me, I might be able to change for you. I'll try, honest I will."
Blake didn't want to see either of them electrocuted, but the woman might be stronger. The boy would have turned by now if he had the power to do so. Blake could only assume the reason he hadn't was because his connection with his spirit was weak, and possibly the electric current had done nothing to help. Either that or he was strong enough to resist.
But Dumas shook his head. "I'm the one who makes the decisions around here. I don't do bargaining. Especially not with a bunch of freaks."
"Perhaps her idea is a good one."
The three men sitting at the control panel turned at Blake's voice.
Dumas appraised him with his cool, blue eyes. "And why would you say that?"
"Let her feel what the boy is suffering. Maybe if she experiences the sort of pain he's in, it'll help her make her decision."
Dumas narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to speak, but Haverly interrupted. "I think Sergeant Wolfcollar might be onto something. We need to change things up a bit."
Dumas looked between the two men and gave a slow nod. "Very well." He turned to the man controlling the current. "A thousand volts to the woman."
Miller nodded and pushed his wire rim glasses higher on his nose. He reached out and switched on the electricity. The brunette went rigid, her eyes wide. She juddered in the chair as the volts raced through her body. Her fingers curled, her knuckles white, her eyes bulging from her head.
Dumas gave the nod and the other man flicked the switch back again.
The electricity stopped and she fell forward, slumped in the chair. Her whole body heaved as she breathed in deep gasps, her hair falling over her face.
As they watched, the muscles in her back rippled beneath her t-shirt. Her slender biceps bulged, swelling against the material of her clothes.
She lifted her face to them, her dark eyes wide. "It's happening! You need to let me out of these cuffs." She yanked on the shackles on both her wrists and ankles. Blake caught sight of painful red burn marks beneath the metal. He wanted to look away, but duty kept his eyes focused. He was playing a part in this and needed to see it through. His involvement was for the best in the long run.
Dumas laughed. "I think not."
With his stomach sinking, Blake realized what was about to happen. "You need to undo the cuffs. They're too small for her."
Dumas spun around. "They fit perfectly. And what is it to you?"
"They won't be in a minute."
The woman lifted her head and screamed. The sound of bones cracking ricocheted around the small room. She dropped her head again, panting.
Miller's eyes widened behind his glasses, his already pallid face paling further, and he leaned back in his chair. "What the hell?"
This must be his first time witnessing a shift, Blake realized. He wondered if the tech guy would return for a second viewing.
Her hair seemed to shrivel away, as though a flame had been applied to it, revealing the shape of two ears curling from the top of her head. She lifted her face again, her dark eyes now flashing yellow, but her features were no longer those of an attractive woman. Her canines were white in her elongated jaw, her skin covered in thick, black hair. Her bones cracked, her fingers curling in to create paws, claws piercing through the skin of the second knuckle of her fingers. More short black hair sprouted from the backs of her hands. The thickness of her forearms grew, and Blake looked on in horror, knowing exactly what was going to happen.
The metal rings didn't give with the growth. Instead, her skin, bones, and flesh gave way beneath the restraints, snapping what had previously been her wrists but were now her front legs.
She twisted in her shackles, growling and hissing in agony. Under the cuffs, each limb had been crushed and now hung at painful angles. Though Blake knew she would heal-and heal quickly, it was part of the make-up of their kind-if they didn't get her out of the cuffs right away, her joints would heal at those awkward angles and they would need to be broken again to heal straight.
The team looked on as the bleeding, snarling, still-cuffed black panther twisted in agony behind the glass. 

Thursday 25 April 2013

Sneak Peek of 'Endless' Book Five in the Serenity Series!

The big day is almost here! although the official release date is the 2nd of May, I'm expecting 'Endless' to go live any day now. Exciting!

To keep you all geared up for the new book, here is the first chapter. Enjoy!


Chapter One


On the morning of her thirteenth birthday, Elizabeth opened her eyes and immediately squeezed them shut again. Sunlight pierced the room like slants of light glinting off a blade, spiking through her brain. The pain started behind her eyes and spread, culminating right where her skull joined her neck. She groaned and picked up her feather pillow, clamping it down over her head. What the hell? Had her mom come in and opened the drapes or something?
She edged the pillow off her head and risked opening an eye. The light was still painfully bright, but she could see the drapes were drawn. From downstairs, pans clanged and clashed like symbols—her mom making breakfast.
What the heck is she making so much noise for? Each bang and crash hurt her ears, as though the pots were being hit right next to her head, making her wince, her head pounding. The pain ballooned behind her eyeballs, as if her brain had swollen during the night and was now trying to force its way out of her head.
And something else was different.
She shifted in her bed. A wet stickiness was between her thighs, gluing her underwear to her body. A dull cramp seized her abdomen, twisting her guts, and she groaned, curling in on herself. The agony was enough to make her forget her headache for the moment.
“Mom!” she called out as the pain subsided. Tentatively, she placed a hand between her legs. She knew what she’d see before she even brought her hand back into her line of vision. She’d smelled the metallic tang of blood the moment she’d woken. However, the sight of red on her fingertips stirred a mixture of emotions inside her—uneasiness combined with a strange kind of excitement. This was her first time; she’d finally left her childhood behind her.
Her mother’s footsteps were like a drum pounding on the hallway floor toward her room. Elizabeth pressed the pillow closer to her head, trying to drown out the sound.
Her bedroom door cracked open and fresh streams of light burst through the gap, like sunlight catching on snow.
Serenity’s head poked through, a smile on her still youthful face, a result of the vampire blood she took each month. Her mom didn’t look a day over twenty-eight, something Elizabeth thought people would start commenting on soon enough. Even living in Los Angles, people would figure out that the best of plastic surgeons couldn’t leave someone looking that good.
“Hey, honey,” she said, entering the room. “Happy birthday!”
“I got my period,” Elizabeth replied, her voice a mumble in the pillow.
The footsteps crossed the room and the bed sank as Serenity’s weight sat on the edge. “Oh, honey. That’s great, right?”
“Is it?”                        
The warmth of her mother’s hand made contact with her back, rubbing between her shoulder blades in slow circles like she had done when Elizabeth was small. “It means you’re not a little girl anymore. You’re becoming a young woman.
“Yeah, well, I feel like crap.”
“Elizabeth!”           
She forced her head out from beneath the pillow, squinting at her mom in the still too-bright light “Sorry, but I do. My head’s killing me.”
Serenity’s mouth turned down, a line of worry appearing between her brows. “Oh, that’s no good. I don’t want you to be sick on your birthday. I expect it’s all the hormones throwing your body into a bit of a spin. How about you get yourself cleaned up and I’ll get you some painkillers.”
“Has Dad called yet?” Sometimes he called really early, before it got light.
Serenity shook her head. “Not yet. He probably didn’t want to wake you. I’m sure he’ll call tonight.”
“’Kay.” Elizabeth didn’t doubt that her father would call. Even after what had happened, he’d done everything he could to stay in touch with her—calling every day, sending her presents from all over the world. It wasn’t the same as having him around—of course it wasn’t—but she knew the reason for him not living with them had nothing to do with him not loving her.
She remembered that day, all those years ago, when he’d hurt her old nanny, Bridget. When he’d killed Bridget. The thought still managed to twist something deep inside of her, a pain she’d never come to terms with. She’d loved Bridget, but she loved her father too. She knew what happened hadn’t been his fault, but didn’t make the horrible fist in her guts go away.
When she’d been younger, she hadn’t understood his reasons for leaving quite so easily. She remembered being so angry at first, angry and impossibly sad at everyone, including herself. Sebastian had left because he was frightened of hurting her, or of someone else using him to hurt her. Elizabeth had been mad with herself for being so fragile, feeling as though she’d driven him away somehow simply by being as human as she was. She’d also been angry with her mother for not fighting harder, for taking her father’s point of view. For a long time, she’d been the angriest with Sebastian for doing what he had and for leaving them alone again.
But that had been years ago now, and those earlier emotions had long since started to fade.
Elizabeth climbed out of bed and checked her sheets. Streaks of dark red marred the cream cotton. With a sigh, she reached across the bed and picked up her pillows and duvet, throwing them to the floor. Then she stripped off the stained sheet and bundled it into a ball before dumping it in her laundry basket. Her closet held a change of bedding, so she forced herself to pull out a clean sheet and remade her bed, trying to ignore the pounding in her head, knowing she’d want to climb right back in again after she’d cleaned herself up.
She made her way to her bathroom, grabbing a change of clothes on the way. The smell of blood seemed to fill the room, making her stomach churn in an uneasy way. God, if it was going to be like this every month, she’d never be able to leave the house. She’d be too damned embarrassed, never mind how awful she felt.
As if in reaction to her thoughts, her lower abdomen cramped again and she stopped to clutch at the bathroom door frame. She bent double, waiting for the pain to ease.
No wonder this was called the curse in the old days.
She pushed the door shut, closing out the painful light streaming in through the drapes on her bedroom window. Thank goodness there are no windows in here. Her whole body seemed to sag with relief, the pain in her head dimming to a dull ache. She removed her clothes and threw her ruined underwear into the small silver trash can under the sink. They were beyond saving. She turned on the shower and stepped under the hot spray, swirling the blood in a diluted pink around her feet.
She sighed again. How typical for her to feel so crappy on her birthday. She had plans with her friends to head to the mall later to grab something to eat—with her mom promising to only lurk in the background and not sit with them—and she’d been looking forward to being a proper teenage girl. Now, she only wanted to climb back into bed and stay there.
Feeling cleaner—though still with a pounding headache and an ache in her belly like someone had punched her—she climbed out of the shower and carefully dried off on a clean towel. She normally loved the thick white towels, but now wished they were a different color. She didn’t want to make a mess of them as well.
A number of girls in her class had already gotten their periods and her mom had stocked her medicine cabinet in expectation of the event. She was grateful for that now, not needing to suffer the extra embarrassment of having to ask for sanitary products.
Elizabeth dressed in clean underwear and a t-shirt, not bothering with any pants. She certainly didn’t intend on going anywhere just yet.
She opened the bathroom door and squinted once more against the painfully bright light. She turned her face away and lifted one arm to shield her eyes. What the hell is going on with the sunlight today? It might be spring in L.A., but she felt like she was dealing with the sun in the middle of the desert. She found herself wishing they’d not had the blackout blinds removed after Sebastian left. On top of dealing with the light, the scent of bacon frying drifted up the stairs, pungent and overwhelming. The scent made her stomach churned, bile rushing to the back of her mouth, her throat closing over.
Jeez, what’s mom cooking? The food smelled off.
She crossed the room and stopped to scowl at the window and the painful shards of light that managed to pierce through the drapes. Moving quickly, she grabbed the soft, chenille throw from the bottom of her bed and clambered onto her dresser to throw the blanket over the top of the drapes. Immediately, the level of light dropped and her pounding head began to subside. More slowly, she got down and climbed back into bed, sliding beneath the soft sheets and curling up on her side.
Her mother’s footsteps clomped back along the hallway, sounding as if she were wearing bricks strapped to her feet, and a moment later the bedroom door opened. Serenity walked in, a tall glass of water clutched in one hand and a small bottle of pills in the other.
“God, Mom. What are you doing down there?”
“Making you a birthday breakfast,” she said in surprise. “What did you think I was doing?”
“I don’t know, but it sounds like you’re trying to remodel the house, and whatever you’re cooking smells awful.”
Serenity’s eyebrows arched. “Thanks. I take it you’re not up to food then?”
Elizabeth made a retching face.
“Here, take these at least.” Serenity opened the bottle and handed her a couple of pills. “They’ll make you feel better. And you found some sanitary napkins didn’t you? You were okay with using them?”
Elizabeth’s cheeks heated. “Mom! I’m not a little kid, you know.”
Serenity’s hands went up in defense. “Okay, okay. I’m just trying to look out for you. It doesn’t matter how big you get, you’ll always be a little girl to me.”
Elizabeth popped one of the pills in her mouth and chased it down with the water, knocking her head back to get the medicine down. It left a bitter taste in her mouth. She didn’t like having to take medication. In fact, she couldn’t even remember another time when she’d needed to. Rarely, if ever, did she get sick.
Serenity frowned and placed a hand on Elizabeth’s forehead. “Maybe I should call the doctor?”
Elizabeth groaned and rolled over, hiding her face back in the pillow, removing her forehead from her mother’s touch. “No, don’t do that. How many moms call the doctor just ’cause their daughter got their period for the first time?”
“Hmm. Well, you don’t have a fever or anything.”
Elizabeth lifted her face to look at her mother once more, but couldn’t do so without squinting. “I just need some more sleep, Mom. Stop fussing.”
“Hey, I’m your mother. It’s my job to fuss.” She pursed her lips. “Are you sure I can’t get you anything else? You’ve not even had your presents yet.”
“I’ll have them when I wake up.”
“Even the one from your dad?”
“Yeah.” She rolled over and picked up her pillow, pressing it back down over her head. “It’s not going anywhere.”
“Oh, right.”
She sensed her mother’s surprise. Normally, she was so eager to get her hands on anything her father sent her. Sometimes he mailed her funny things from foreign countries, like menus with bizarre English translations, things he knew would make her laugh. But other times, he sent her precious things—hand-dived pearls from Tahiti or beautiful green stone from New Zealand.
Wherever he was in the world, she knew he was always thinking about them.
Even though she always wanted Sebastian around, she had to admit life had been much quieter since her father left. No one had been kidnapped, hurt or threatened. For the most part, anything paranormal had stayed away. Even her visions had calmed down, making it easier for her to fit in, though she still wasn’t exactly the most popular girl in school. With her porcelain skin—which burned so easily in the Los Angeles sunshine—and her shock of dark hair, she was a far cry from all the blonde, honey-skinned girls that seemed to make up the cool-kid crowd. Still, she had her little group of friends and she was happy with that.
Her mother bent over her, pressing her warm lips against the top of Elizabeth’s forehead—the only part of her face still exposed. Though she wouldn’t admit it out loud, she was glad her mom was here to look after her. They’d all struggled over the past few years, her mom as much as anyone. Elizabeth knew Serenity missed Sebastian, but she also knew her mother wasn’t totally alone. Vincent, the vampire Elizabeth still struggled to think of as Bridget’s son, came around occasionally. It was normally late at night and her mom thought she’d kept his visits a secret, but Elizabeth heard them speaking in low, serious tones from the living room.
Elizabeth wasn’t stupid, she was perfectly aware the big vampire wanted more from her mother—something she didn’t intend on giving too much thought to—but she also recognized the affection and longing in her mother’s voice whenever she overheard her mom and Sebastian speaking. Her mom wouldn’t tell her dad that she missed him and not mean it.
With the pillow still over her head, she didn’t see her mom turn from the bed. The click of the door came, signaling her leaving. Elizabeth closed her eyes against the world that had suddenly become too bright and too loud and allowed herself to drift off to sleep.



Friday 19 April 2013

The Starlight Children's Foundation: Author Tania Elizabeth Needs Your Help!


I don't do a huge number of guest posts, the main reason being that I'm normally so swamped in writing that I simply don't have time. However, every so often someone special approaches me and I can't possibly bring myself to say no, even though I'm just as busy as usual!

Being the mother of two, and soon to be three, children are always close to my heart, so when Tania approached me via facebook to ask if I would feature the children's charity she is supporting, of course I said a big fat yes!

Tania is trying to raise awareness (and of course money!) for the Starlight Foundation.

The Starlight Children’s Foundation transforms the experience of hospitalisation and treatment for seriously ill children and their families- Starlight is the only children’s charity with a permanent , physical presence in very major paediatric hospital in the country.
                           
Every minute of every day a child is admitted to hospital in Australia. For thousands of these children what happens next is the diagnosis of a serious or chronic illness that changes their life, and the lives of their families, forever.

This is where Starlight steps in - delivering a range of innovative programs, built on the World Health Organisation’s social model of health, to support the well-being and resilience of these seriously ill children and their families.

Starlight programs are integral to the total care of seriously ill children - while the health professionals focus on treating the illness, Starlight is there to lift the spirits of the child - giving them the opportunity to laugh and play and be a child again

YOU CAN HELP TOO!

 A message from Tania
STARLIGHT AUTHOR’S AID

I am asking for all’s assistance.
To give to others is to give to oneself, and 
I NEED YOUR HELP!!!
Help us to raise funds for the Starlight Children's Foundation, which supports terminally ill children and their families.
There are two ways in which people can help.
It is very simple. 

By simply hosting, reviewing or interviewing myself/my book via a blog post, amazon, newspaper, radio, TV within a 21day window frame, between the dates of Friday 12th of April and Friday the 3rd of May. For every appearance, I will be donating $1 to the Starlight Children’s Foundation. 

If any of you could help, I would be so grateful. If you could connect me with anyone else who would be happy to interview, do a short post or review on myself/my book, I would be ever so grateful more.

I am also asking for donations, even $1, which you may do direct via this link.
 http://starlightday2013bb.gofundraise.com.au/page/ElizabethT
You may also follow our progress on the Starlight Author's Aid Facebook Page.
http://www.facebook.com/StarlightAuthorsAid

We are looking at making this an annual event. This year it is based upon myself, though every year after, we will base it upon another upcoming author.
So please share and pass this along to all. Let's make this a huge affair and raise much needed funds for a very worthy cause.

My heartfelt thanks to all.
Love, Blessings and Faerie Kisses always xo


Tania Elizabeth is a mother first and foremost and the author of The Tier of Eternal Grace. Book One The Moon Clearing was released earlier this year. Book Two The Mirrors Shadow will be released about September. Book Three will then follow in the early part of 2014.
                  
The Tier of Eternal Grace is a captivating fantasy of magic and passion, wound into the truths of reality that will enchant readers with its depiction of the faerie realm, and the exploits of the faeries themselves. Book One of the series The Moon Clearing is an immersive tale of mysticism and adventure, of spiritual and sensual intent that shall enrapture your every sense.

SUMMARY
Beyond the boundary that separates the mundane and earthly planes from the divine lies Eterna Fadas, a place ruled by extraordinary beings, lithe and human-like in appearance, yet ethereal in their grace and beauty, and sensuous in nature.
"I have existed always! Where I began I do not know, for all I know is just as I am today!"
As Queen, Tatiana was thought to have lived a life of opulence, her faith and beliefs her endearing essence. Why then was it so, that beneath the picture of perfection laid torments and terrors even she dare not explain. Being She came with its prices paid. Being She came with a deal; a contract in which she was to relinquish herself to a rogue of unmerciful fury. Would this be the end of all she know? Would this be the end of her existence?




Friday 5 April 2013

Happy Days! Amazon Overseas Tax Issue Sorted!

This morning I was thrilled to sit down and open my email box, just as I do every morning, to discover an email from Amazon letting me know that they have finally received and are accepting my W-8BEN form! Those of you who are also authors living outside of the United States will probably know what this is. For those who don't, this form means that Amazon will no longer be taking the 30% of my royalties that they have been taking to pass onto the IRS for as long as I've been earning my income from them!

I started this process in January 2012, when I requested a headed letter from Smashwords in order to get another form sent to the IRS in order to gain my ITIN. Just this part of the process alone took ten months. Yes, TEN months. It wasn't until I was deeply into trying to get my ITIN that I discovered it probably would have been easier to simply phone up and get an EIN instead, but as by this point the IRS had my actual passport, I figured I just needed to see it through.

Forward on several months... As soon as I received my ITIN, I filled in my W-8BEN and sent copies to both Amazon and Smashwords. Neither letter reached its destination. In the new year I tried again, and sent letters to both companies, this time using the most expensive tracking money could buy. This time, both forms reached their destinations, and while Smashwords happily accepted the form and sent me an email to say that it had all been processed, I had to chase Amazon. After a few days I received an email to say that my form had been rejected due to my inserted an 'invalid country'. It seemed I had written 'Great Britain' in the address instead of United Kingdom. Very annoying. So, third time lucky, I wrote out a new form and sent it off, and ta-da, the form has been accepted! Thank goodness! This means my little family will now be up several hundred pounds each month, and while I still have to pay tax in my own country (of course), it will be a lot less than I've been paying the IRS.

In other news, yesterday I went for my 20 week scan! Yes, we did find out what sex the baby is, and no, I'm not telling. *grins* Needless to say, the baby is healthy and kicking away, so all is good. Now I'm over the hump and the time I have left to go is less than the time I have left. I'm much better at taking care of a baby than I am at growing one. So now it all feels a little more real and we're really excited to be welcoming in a new little member of our family, and I'm working my backside off in order to get all the books finished before the baby is born and I take some well deserved maternity leave.

Thursday 21 March 2013

Goodreads Book Giveaway! A Signed Copy of Alone!

Would you like to win a signed copy of Alone, Book One in the Serenity Series? Well, head on over to Goodreads and enter my giveaway! And while you're there, feel free to send me a friend request or add any of my books to your 'to-read' or 'read' lists! Good luck!


Goodreads Book Giveaway

Alone by Marissa Farrar

Alone

by Marissa Farrar

Giveaway ends April 19, 2013.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Tuesday 26 February 2013

My New Release: 'Be Afraid of the Dark'!


I'm writing this post with exciting news of a new release, my YA, romantic horror novellete, 'Be Afraid of the Dark', which has just been published. It's a quick read of 10,000 words (or approximately 40 pages of a paperback) and is for sale now for only $0.99 or £0.75! It's a perfect length for that commute to work, lunch break, or perhaps even as a filler between novels so you can get over that book-hangover!

Here is the blurb: 

Ever since Lexi Harding's four-year-old brother was snatched from his bed, Lexi has been afraid of the dark. A reporter on her school newspaper, she is nervous about taking her editor's assignment of heading into the old copper mines near her school-especially because eight miners went missing exactly one hundred years ago and today is Halloween. Only the promise of being able to spend the evening with the mysterious and sexy Dylan Turner gets her to say yes.
But when Dylan's camera catches an eerie figure in one of the tunnels, and one of the group is dragged away by something unseen, Lexi has to wonder if she and Dylan will make it out alive.
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The book is available to buy from Amazon.comAmazon.co.ukKobo, and Barnes and Noble

I know you are probably eager to hear news about Serenity's next book, Endless. Well the good news is that edits have now started and are going along faster than expected! I currently have a release date of 2nd of May, so put it on your calender! Of course, if the book is ready sooner, then the release date will be brought forward, but I generally find these things are best not rushed.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy 'Be Afraid of the Dark.'

Thanks for reading!

Wednesday 23 January 2013

Cure (A Strandville Zombie Novel) by Belinda Frisch - Review

Like many people with a kindle (I suspect), I download a lot of free books. I hate to say it,  but many of them just don't do it for me. For reasons such as downloading something that isn't really the genre I read, to just plain bad books, a lot of what I read I end up discarded after a few chapters. With the invention of e-readers, the term 'disposable fiction' has never been more apt.

However, occasionally something catches me by surprise. After dragging myself through the book of a fairly well-known author, I picked up Cure. Several hours later I was halfway through and had to force myself to put down my kindle in order to get some sleep!

"Cure" tells the story of a crazy doctor who has discovered a zombie virus and decided that in order to heal all sort of diseases, such as cancer, he is going to create a zombie-human half breed by kidnapping and impregnating them with zombie genes.

This is a multi-character filled cast, from the people working in the hospital, to the poor women who have been kidnapped, to the family of those women. At times it was hard to keep track of who was who, but that was also because the book was so fast moving. It was pretty horrific in places, so this isn't for the faint of heart, but it certainly kept me turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next!

I give Cure four out of five stars. The only reason it didn't get five were perhaps a couple too many points of view to keep track of, and a little too much gore (I did have to hold down my dinner on a number of occasions, though this is only testimony to Belinda's vivid power of description). Overall this is a must read for all zombie fans, with a new fresh setting and idea in what is an over saturated zombie market.

Here is the blurb and a bit about the author. You can buy "Cure" from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.


"Cure" is book #1 in the Strandville Zombie Series. Stay tuned for "Afterbirth", "Cure's" sequel. March 2013, the experiment continues...

A thriller hailed as "original" among zombie fiction readers and enjoyed by those who aren't such fans of the genre.  Includes "Payback", a BONUS Strandville Zombie Series Short.

When those closest to you break your trust, the only option is payback.

Six months before an outbreak of viral plague turned the residents of Strandville into a mob of flesh-hungry undead, Max Reid was a new father struggling to overcome a gambling addiction for the sake of his family.
Desperate to keep his secret, out of work, and on the losing end of a debt large enough to get him killed, Max turned to Mitch, a Nixon Center guard and the closest thing he had to a friend, to make the money he needed to break-even. What he didn't know was why Mitch was so eager to help him or how far he'd have to go for the cash.
Max Reid is about to find out a terrible secret that will change his life and push him to destroy others'.


About the Author


Belinda Frisch's fiction has appeared in Shroud Magazine, Dabblestone Horror, and Tales of Zombie War. She is an honorable mention winner in the Writer's Digest 76th Annual Writing Competition and her novel, CURE, is the runner-up in the General Fiction category of the 2012 Halloween Book Festival. She is the author of DEAD SPELL, PAYBACK, and CURE, the first in the Strandville Zombie Series which has recently been optioned for film.

Wednesday 2 January 2013

Plans for 2013! Ending one Series and the Start of Another...

2012 was a great year for me. I saw a number of new novels published; the last couple of books in my Serenity series, together with a couple of stand alone novels. I rode the high wave of KDP Select, and came down on it too, much like many other authors! I've met some amazing new people - both other authors and readers as well. I've had my books hit the top 100 for their genre, drop back out again, head back in, and fall back down the list again! I've learnt new marketing techniques and given up on some old ones. I've figured out that a quick flash in the pan of sales is all exciting, but the slow and steady sales are the ones that count.

I'm hoping 2013 will bring more of the same. A lot of indie authors are complaining about falling sales, but the fact is being an author has never been easy. It's damn hard work, with lots of highs and lows. Just because the traditional gate keepers have been removed doesn't mean that all of a sudden anyone who can string a sentence together deserves to be successful. It takes time and dedication, often at the expense of personal or family time. I never started this journey with the ambition of being famous and hugely wealthy (not that it wouldn't be nice!), but simply that I would be able to work as a writer and not need to do a day job. I've achieved that now, which is amazing, so my new goal is to be able to support my family completely, and get my husband out of his day job.

I'm hoping the publication of my new series this year will go some way toward achieving this. By the end of January, I should have the first draft of the final book in my Serenity series finished, which will then be put aside to 'mature' for a couple of months. I'll then turn my attention back to editing and publishing the first book in  the Spirit Shifters series, 'Autumn's Blood.' My goal, though it may be an ambitious one, is to have three books in the new series done and published by the end of 2013.

2013, for me, will be all about the new series. I know many people (myself included) will be sad to see Serenity and Sebastian go (though don't worry, Elizabeth will be getting her own YA series, which Serenity and Sebastian may be making the occasional cameo appearance in!), but I'm hoping people will come to love the characters in the new series just as much.

I hope you'll all stick around so see how this year pans out!