Series Highlight - A Dark Faerie Tale by Alexia Purdy

Alexia Purdy is a fantastic author who has become a great friend. I really respect her and am totally stoked to have her on YAlicious today.

She's here to tell us about her A Dark Faerie Tale Series as well as 5 things we didn't know about her. Fun!

Welcome to YAlicious, Alexia :)

Ever Shade (A Dark Faerie Tale #1) 
CURRENTLY FREE ON AMAZON

A dark twist on Faeries. 

For Shade, a chance meeting with a powerful Teleen faery warrior who wields electrical currents and blue fires along his skin has her joining him on a treacherous mission for the good Seelie Faerie Court across the land of Faerie. Magic and malice abound and nothing is what it really seems to be.

The evil Unseelie Queen and her treacherous allies are round every corner as Shade makes her way across the breathtaking landscapes of the world of Faerie, which exists alongside the mundane human world. Shade discovers her own uncharted magic and meets some of the most powerful warriors in Faerie while battling evil dryads, conniving Teleen guards and challenges on her life with every step in a world where nothing can be taken for granted.

Ever Fire (A Dark Faerie Tale #2)

Magic & Fire burn...

The Serenity of the Land of Faerie is threatened as the Unseelie Queen Aveta rages war against the three remaining Seelie Realms of Faerie. As Shade's powers grow, she finds she is running out of time to keep the war from spilling into the human world. Winter is growing in strength as the evil Queen's horrifying legions scar the land in their frigid wake. No one is safe. Shade becomes enemy number one for the Unseelie legions. Questioning her true role of power, Shade discovers the cost of winning may come at a much higher price than she ever imagined.

Ever Winter (A Dark Faerie Tale #3)

Shade has been left all, but shattered. Travelling to the Ice kingdom, along with her 'body guard' Dylan-who continues to be bound to her-to where the holder of her magic dwells. The war of Faerie amplifies and her only chance to save it will be to resist the enchantments of the Ice King, one of the Ancient rulers of Faerie. But, he has his own agenda and will do anything to stop her from making it to the Summer Kingdom, with her family, to claim back her throne

These Ancients of Faerie don't want her to succeed, and the wards between the land of Faerie and the mortal world are blurring rapidly. Shade must face treacheries in every crevice of the land, even among the human mortals and trusted allies, before all is lost.

Alexia currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada–Sin City! She loves to spend every free moment writing or playing with her four rambunctious kids. Writing has always been her dream and she has been writing ever since she can remember. She loves writing paranormal fantasy and poetry and devours books daily. Alexia also enjoys watching movies, dancing, singing loudly in the car and Italian food.

5 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ALEXIA

1. I’m a twin, yep, I look nothing like my brother!

2. I hate typing. Bad thing for a writer, No?

3. On my bucket list: go to as many beaches as I can to either, A) sleep or B) read lots of books and C) maybe dip my feet in the water (I’m afraid of drowning).

4. Favorite bribe: Mambas, bring me some.

5. When I was 3, I wanted to be a nurse, an author, a dancer, a singer, a movie star, an artist, an ice skater, and be a circus trapeze performer. Yeah, I was ambitious early in life.

LOL. It's always good to have dreams, Alexia :) Thanks so much for sharing and I'm so grateful you decided to become an author.

If you'd like to connect with Alexia online, please follow the links below:

Alexia Purdy’s Blog

Alexia Purdy’s Website

Twitter

Goodreads Author page

Alexia Purdy’s Facebook Fan Page

Ever Shade (A Dark Faerie Tale) Facebook Fan page

Reign of Blood Series Facebook Fan Page

Book Highlight: Stained by Ella James

It is my great pleasure to have Ella James visiting YAlicious today. She is an amazing author with a hefty pile of books to her name. Today she is here to tell us about her Stained Series.

Welcome to YAlicious, Ella! 

BOOK ONE IN THE BESTSELLING STAINED SERIES:

Seventeen-year-old Julia is finally living the good life. She's traded a hard cot in a Memphis orphanage for her very own room in a perfect little house, on a perfect little street, with a perfect set of parents who picked her to be their daughter. 

But Julia is hiding a secret - and one fall night, she returns home from a friend's house to find that her secret has found her. Her 'forever home' is ashes. Her parents are dead. And, in the sky above the flames, a winged creature hunts her.

The Nephilim King, Samyaza, has taken everything from Cayne. After struggling in the darkness for years to piece together his shattered life, Cayne is finally ready to confront his past and avenge the loss of everything he loved. He tracks Samyaza to a Memphis warehouse, where he winds up flat on his back, in the healing hands of a beautiful, dark-haired girl he doesn't need to know. 

Unbeknownst to either of them, they are already bound. Cayne's past holds the answers to Julia's future. But what will pose the greatest threat to her? The bounty placed on her head by the leaders of two Celestial realms, or giving her heart to a man who is predestined to break it? 

- STAINED BOOKS TWO AND THREE LISTED IN AMAZON'S TOP 100 YA EBOOKS OF 2012.

-NOMINATED BEST DEBUT NOVEL AT UTOPYA CONVENTION 2012.

-NAMED ONE OF THE TOP 10 YA ROMANCE BOOKS OF 2011.

-WINNER OF THE FLAMINGNET TOP CHOICE AWARD.

-CAYNE NAMED ONE OF THE TOP 10 BEST BOOK BOYFRIENDS OF 2011.

-FEATURED ON NUMEROUS AMAZON BESTSELLER LISTS.

-FIRST IN A COMPLETED SERIES OF FOUR (INCLUDING STOLEN, CHOSEN, AND EXALTED).

Five Things You Didn't Know About The Stained Series: 

1) I wrote Stained during a break from college in 2006, and then I stuck it in a drawer until my sister gave me a Kindle in 2012. I never planned to finish the series until I put it up for sale online and people wanted other books. 

2) The Stained Series enabled both my husband and I to quit our jobs and pursue writing full-time. We've both written other books, but Stained was what opened doors for us in 2012. 

3) Samyaza is a real name from the Bible, but Cayuzul is one I made up because I needed a Nephilim-iszed form of "Cayne". 

4) I visited Killin, Cayne's hometown in Scotland, during my honeymoon in 2011. It wasn't so different from how I thought it would be. 

5) I'm probably going to do a spinoff featuring two of the Stained characters whose journeys weren't wrapped up in the epilogue of the fourth and final Stained Series book. 

Thanks for sharing those, Ella. I love that you were able to visit Killin. That must have been pretty cool.

You can pick up copies of Ella's books on Amazon.

If you'd like to connect with Ella online, you can follow the links below:
Website
Twitter
Facebook

Betwixt is ON SALE!

BETWIXT IS ON SALE!!

Only $1.99 until March 31st.

"Gripping and evocative. A dark tale that strikes close to your heart, rekindling hope and faith." 

T. G. Ayer - Author of The Valkyrie Novels.

* * * * * * * * * * 

For every copy of Betwixt sold, a portion will be donated to a charity organisation - Love146.

These guys are working to prevent child exploitation and trafficking. They also help with rehabilitation and gifting the freed children a chance at a life filled with hope and promise.

Betwixt is a story about being rescued and redeemed. Love146 does an amazing job at restoring those who have been broken.

* * * * * * * * * * 

Beautiful, wild-chid Nicole Tepper is hit by a car and left for dead. But when she wakes the next morning, Nicole finds herself in bed without a scratch. Perhaps she was more intoxicated than usual, as her mother is giving her the silent treatment and her friends are ignoring her as well. 

Things take a turn for the weird when Nicole soon discovers she is actually hovering between life and death. Her body is lying in the forest while her spirit is searching for anyone who can hear her. Unfortunately the only person who can is Dale Finnigan, the guy she publicly humiliated with a sharp-tongued insult that has left him branded.

Desperate, Nicole has no choice but to haunt Dale and convince the freaked-out senior to help her. Will he find her body before it's too late? Or will the guy who tried to kill her with his car, beat him there and finish her off before anyone finds out?

Check out Amazon stores to purchase a copy.

Amazon USA
Amazon UK

What's Wattpad? Tara West Is Here To Tell Us.

Tara West was the author who first put me onto Wattpad. I'd never heard of this writing platform before, but having spent a little time there, I truly understand its awesomeness. Tara West has had a lot of success on the site, so I have invited her here to tell us a little about it, plus show case a couple of her fantastic books.

Welcome to YAlicious, Tara!

Wattpad rocks on so many levels. It’s like Facebook, Twitter and GoodReads all rolled into one, but only for writers and readers. If you’re a writer trying to reach a target group of readers, look no further than Wattpad. Any level of writer can join, from the novice to the established author.

When I joined Wattpad last year, I was a bit overwhelmed by everything to see and do, but I quickly found my way. Since I posted Sophie’s Secret on Wattpad, it has had over 500 thousand reads (they count each chapter as a read) and it’s earned over 2,500 votes. I’ve made some awesome fans from Wattpad, too, and it’s driven sales to my other three books in the series.

If you are interested in getting your book featured on Wattpad, click on the help section and contact Wattpad. It sometimes takes a few weeks for them to get back to you, but if they agree to feature your book, you will also have a contest opportunity and a chance to write a blog for Wattpad as well. I highly recommend it. It’s driven even more traffic to my page.

If you are an emerging writer, post on Wattpad for feedback on your story. Before uploading, Wattpad has a copyright section where you can check that all rights are reserved on your story, meaning the story belongs to YOU. Emerging writers can also read stories by published authors for free. It’s a perfect way to improve and perfect your own style. Plus get tips on grammar, characterization and plotting.  

Dearest Wattpad,

How I love thee? Let me count the ways.

Published Writers:

1. Connect with fans.

2. Get feedback on your stories.

3. Increase your visibility.

4. Increase your sales.

Emerging writers:

1. Connect with other writers

2. Get feedback on your manuscripts.

3. Learn how to develop your style of writing.

4. Launch your writing career!

I’d like to extend a special thanks to the Wattpad team for giving me an exceptional experience there. If you are still thinking of signing up, especially if you are a YA writer or reader, DO IT ALREADY!    

Thanks for your insights Tara. My suggestion is you listen to her and get yourself over to Wattpad :) It's a ton of fun.

Tara West is the YA paranormal and fantasy author of the Whispers Series and the Keepers of the Stones Saga. Read her paranormal YA, Sophie's Secret, and her fantasy romance, Witch Flame, for free on Wattpad.  http://wattpad.com/TaraWest . You can also download Sophie's Secret and Witch Flame for free at most major ebook retailers. 

If you'd like to connect with Tara online, you can follow the links below:

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Book Highlight - Jordyn by Tiffany King

Tiffany King is a member of one of my Facebook groups. She's great and it's a total pleasure featuring her book, Jordyn on YAlicious today.

Hand to hand combat training: Check

Cardio and strength training: Check

Daemon hunting: Check

Anomaly: Check

Check, check, check, check...That's all my life is. There's nothing ordinary about me. I'm  "special." I know this because I'm reminded of it every stinking day. I can kick a Daemon's ass with both hands tied behind my back. I can run up a mountain without breaking a sweat. Know what I can't do? Get guys to notice me, or hang out with friends like normal people do. I can't just be ordinary because I have an Arch Angel for a mentor who is always breathing down my neck, and a family of angelic Guides and Protectors who scrutinize every little thing I do. Just for a day I want a life where I'm no longer some anomaly, where I don't have to feel like a lab rat.

And then I met Emrys. Okay, so my mentor and family hate him, but probably for good reason. After-all, he is a Soul Trader, and they aren't the most trust worthy beings. But, he is sooo hot with his green eyes, leather jacket and the sexiest tattoo you've ever seen running down his back. And he doesn't treat me like a project.

I've got myself in quite a little quandary here. Choosing between my responsibilities and the Trader that holds my heart is something I didn't sign up for. Torn between two different worlds, I must now decide who to trust and who to walk away from. What's a girl to do? See what I mean? I am an anomaly. I am Jordyn.

Man I love heroines who can kick some butt!! Already receiving great reviews, Jordyn is a must for your reading list.

You can purchase copies on AMAZON and BARNES and NOBLE.

You can also add the book to your reading list on GOODREADS.

Tiffany King is the author of The Saving Angels Series, Wishing for Someday Soon, Forever Changed, Unlikely Allies, Miss Me Not and Jordyn: A Daemon Hunter Novel book one. Writer by day and book fanatic the rest of the time, she is now pursuing her life-long dream of weaving tales for others to enjoy.

She has a loving husband and two wonderful kids. (Five, if you count her three spoiled cats). Her addictions include: Her iphone and ipad, chocolate, Diet Coke, chocolate, Harry Potter, chocolate, and her favorite TV shows.

"Books provide the ultimate getaway for me. A good story is a vehicle that takes you to another place, another time, or another world. I love reading the words and letting my imagination do the rest. I appreciate and respect every author who has the courage to put your work out there for the world to see."

If you'd like to connect with Tiffany online, you can follow the links below:
Amazon Author Page
Goodreads
Blog
Twitter
Facebook

A Chat With Book Reviewer, Alice Priday

For those you who don't know Alice, she is wonderful. A fellow kiwi, an avid reader and such an amazing support to indie authors. She runs a blog called Best Books where she reviews books.

It's incredibly cool to have you join us today, Alice. Welcome to YAlicious.

When did you first discover your love for reading?

I’ve always loved to read, even as a young kid. At age five, I was always top of the class for my reading, and I loved the trips to the school library. As I got older I started to read my mum’s Mills and Boon books and they kept me going until I raided the town library or my high school library.

What is your favorite genre now and why do you like it?

My favorite has to be historical romance. I love the settings, and the way men used to be gentleman, not like they are now. The worlds that the historical romance authors create really draw me in, the clothes, I love it all, and I really think I was born in the wrong time frame lol.

What kinds of book covers draw you in?

I love bright covers with heaps of colour; also covers with hot men on them. Can’t go wrong with those.  If the cover is eye catching then I look at the blurb, if I like what I read there, then I buy it.

What's the most recent book you've read that you thought would make an awesome movie?

Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas, Shadow Falls Series by CC Hunter, Fallen Crest High by TiJan, Hopeless by Colleen Hoover, anything by Abbi Glines, and I think Melissa Pearl’s Time Spirit Series would make an awesome movie.

Are you a fast or slow reader?

I’m a very fast reader. I've already read 85 books this year. I can easily read one or more books a day, depending on how busy I am with work, also helps that I'm an insomniac lol

A REVEIWER'S RECOMMENDATIONS

A traditionally published author you love: Sherrilyn Kenyon is my absolute fave author, been reading her Dark Hunter world since I was 16. Also love Rachel Vincent, Cinda Williams Chima, and Kristin Cashore.

An indie author you love: this one is hard but I have picked my faves, Melissa Pearl of course, her work is amazing, especially Betwixt.  T. G. Ayer, love her Valkyrie series. Abbi Glines, love all of her books and TiJan. I read her books Broken and Screwed, and Fallen Crest High, both are really good books and I highly recommend them.

One of your favorite YA books: again I can’t pick one, The Elemental Series by Brigid Kemmerer, The Light Blade series by Kylie Griffin, Blood Storm and Blood Song by Rhiannon Hart, Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins, Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth. Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas. River of Time Series by Lisa Tawn Bergren.

One of your favorite Adult books: all the Dark Hunter, Were Hunter and Dream Hunter books from Sherrilyn Kenyon, The Shifters series by Rachel Vincent and Dream Man series by Kristen Ashley.

A book you've read more than once and the reason why: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire,  this book is just simply amazing, and every time I read it, it gets better and stays with me longer and longer, and its harder to move onto another book once I have read this one, anxiously awaiting Walking Disaster to be released.

It's so cool to see all your book recommendations. I definitely have som books to add to my TBR. Thanks!

If you'd like to connect with Alice online, you can follow the links below:

Blog

Goodreads

Twitter

Twitter - Best Books

Facebook

Facebook  - Best Books

NEW RELEASE - Recalled by Cambria Hebert

It's so awesome to have Cambria Hebert join us today. She is here to tell us about her latest release, Recalled and where she came up with the idea.

Welcome to YAlicious, Cambria!

Since the release of my new book, Recalled, many people have asked me where I came up with the idea for it. It is a Grim Reaper book, but it is a little different than most (well that’s what I hear, I’ve actually not read any published Grim Reaper books).

So when Melissa invited me onto her blog and asked me to talk about something to do with writing I decided to answer the question that I’ve been asked most since the release.

And really, there is more than one answer.

LOL. Hey, I never said this post was going to make sense. Ha ha ha.

I actually wrote the first chapter of this book several years ago, at the time that I started my first published novel, Masquerade. I have since written all four books in that series as well as four novellas that go along with it. (Why? Because those characters were louder in my head). The first chapter of Recalled (which I was then calling Love & Theft) pretty much sat on my computer and I did nothing with it. I always knew I wanted to write that book but I always thought it was about angels.

I was wrong.

That doesn’t happen very often.

Lol.

So when I was getting toward the end of writing my Heven and Hell series I realized that my brain was basically fried from writing about shifters, witches and demons and I wanted to switch it up.

Well about that time my cover designer posted a photograph online of a female model and it was that image that basically haunted me for like a week. I kept thinking about it, obsessing over it and those thoughts evolved into Recalled.

I actually bought the photo and planned to use it for the cover and then we didn’t. We went in another direction (creating the cover that you see today).

But it was the photo that spurred thoughts about Dex and Piper. I began to think about a guy who basically was hired to be an assassin. I wondered what would happen if he was given an assignment he didn’t like. I wondered what kind of person would hire an assassin.

Then I thought about the Grim Reaper, and wondered what kind of character he would make.

As you can see my mind is like a black hole. One thought leads to another and they are usually random.

Then the light bulb went off. I decided to mash up all those thoughts and ideas and put them into one book. I thought back to the first chapter of that book that had been sitting on my laptop for years and I realized that it was not an angel book, but it was this story.

So I wrote it.

And now it is available to anyone to read.

BIG thanks for having me here today!

It's a total pleasure having you!! I love the whole concept of the Grim Reaper and how you came up with the idea. Thanks so much for sharing. I'm super excited about reading it.

You can purchase Cambria's books on Amazon

Recalled

Masquerade

Charade

Tirade

Cambria Hebert is the author of the young adult paranormal Heven and Hell series and the Death Escorts series. She loves a caramel latte, hates math and is afraid of chickens (yes, chickens). She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair. She currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and children (both human and furry) where she is plotting her next book. 

If you'd like to connect with Cambria online, follow the links below:

Website

Goodreads

Twitter

Facebook

NEW RELEASE - Ethereal by Alivia Anders

Alivia Anders is in one of my Facebook groups. She is one cool chick with a wicked sense of humor. I love hanging out with her online. I am so stoked to have her on YAlicious today.

Her latest novella, Ethereal, has just been released so I wanted to highlight that, plus let you know about the rest of Alivia's awesome work. She also answered a couple of questions for me.
Happy reading :)

A novella inspired by the Illumine Series by bestselling author Alivia Anders, Ethereal will enchant readers with the dark, heart-breaking tale of Rinae.

Rinae Decante has always lived by two rules: run fast, and live reckless. Since the age of seven, she's been a victim of the foster-home system, lost and shuffled until ultimately forgotten under the sea of endless faces of children. When a horrifying event nearly costs another child their life by Rinae's hand, she's branded the devil's daughter, a freak that will never survive in society. Before she can be swept away by the state, Rinae gets lost in the streets, where she spends the next seven years fighting to keep her head above the water. And freaks were destined to be homeless, wandering the streets of New York City for nightclubs to escape the pressure of a broken life. 

The past carefully tucked behind her, Rinae tries to put one foot in front of the other. But the past, always watching, refuses to let her go. When a club-goer bumps into her one night as she escapes the pressures of a broken life, she doesn't think much of it. Until he claims to know what she is, and how to control it. Against every instinct, Rinae takes a leap of faith, trusting Tegen, a boy she is uncontrollably drawn to without reason. Together, they collide headfirst into the hidden world of supernatural beings, tangling with enemies and discovering what binds both of them together, learning that some times, inviting the past into the present can save you.

From March 2nd to March 8th, ALL BOOKS in the series are on sale! 

Illumine is on sale for $0.99

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

Obumbrate is on sale for $2.99

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

Riven is on sale for $2.99

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

 ALIVIA ANDERS is the author of the Amazon bestselling Illumine Series. Born and raised in PA, she fell headfirst into the world of writing at thirteen with the discovery of internet fan-fiction and RPG-forum boards. A lover of chinchillas, mexican food, and coffee, she spends most of her time drumming up new ideas to spin into tales to enchant readers everywhere.

You can find out more about Alivia, and her upcoming projects, by visiting her Facebook or Blogger.

Books Available by Alivia Anders:

The Illumine Series:
Illumine (Book #1)
Obumbrate (Book #2)
Riven (Book #3)

Ethereal (Book #3.5)

Look for the title and cover reveal of book #4 to the Illumine Series in Summer, 2013! 

What inspired Illumine and Ethereal?

Illumine was inspired by a story idea I had kept with me since High School, although originally Kayden was a vampire to Essallie's nephilim. (Could you imagine a Nephilim-vampire story?) I was captivated to tell Essallie's tale, I mean, the girl's got balls like no other while still trying to understand where she fits in the world. For Ethereal, I had been toying with Rinae's backstory for months, back when Riven was originally in first-draft mode. I wanted to include her story into the book, but found it wouldn't fit right since the Illumine Series is told from Essallie's POV, not Rinae's. Thus, Ethereal was born. 

Where's your favourite place to write?

For some reason... hiding in my parent's bedroom on their huge bed does the trick. Only problem is the numb butt you get from sitting for so long, hah!

Who is your favourite author (if you can name just one!)

Super easy, JK Rowling, Jonathan Stroud, or Libba Bray. All of them own a piece of my heart for the enchanting tales they've told. 

If you'd like to connect with Alivia online, you can find her at the following links:

Facebook

Goodreads

Amazon Author Page

Blog