Cover Reveal: Lost Soul by T.G.Ayer

LOVING THIS COVER!! Check out the awesome description too! It looks like a must read to me.

DESCRIPTION:

With her sister missing and her mother and Anjelo stuck in the Wraith World, Kai must find a way to save them all. But the Wraith poison has brought her to her knees and only Logan's fire can help ease her pain.

Uncertain who to rescue first, Kai's decision is made for her when she discovers her sister Greer is stuck in the Greylands and slowly going insane. Desperate to save her, Kai will go to incredible lengths to obtain a portal key to the land of the dead - and maybe, she’ll go one step too far.

From deathtalkers to demons, trackers to ghosts, Kai must fight against betrayal and evade the clutches of danger to set her sister free. Can she save Greer from a horrific death - and will she ever be able to forgive herself if she can’t?

EXCERPT:

"I was too light-headed to do anything but sink to the floor, my knees at last losing the fight to hold me up. The heavy-bottomed drinking glass slipped from my grasp falling straight to the wood floor, smashing into a million pieces. As the glass hit the ground water burst from it like a geyser, spraying droplets all over the kitchen. And all over me.

Good job, Odel. Now who's going to clean up this mess?

I lay where I fell, my face resting close to my poison-wreathed arm. I stared at it as it throbbed and pulsed, as if the poison had taken on a life of its own and was just waiting for the next moment to advance further into my flesh."

Add LOST SOUL to your reading list on Goodreads.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I have been a writer from the time I was old enough to recognise that reading was a doorway into my imagination. Poetry was my first foray into the art of the written word. Books were my best friends, my escape, my haven. I am essentially a recluse but this part of my personality is impossible to practise given I have two teenage daughters, who are actually my friends, my tea-makers, my confidantes… I am blessed with a husband who has left me for golf. It’s a fair trade as I have left him for writing. We are both passionate supporters of each other's loves – it works wonderfully…

My heart is currently broken in two. One half resides in South Africa where my old roots still remain, and my heart still longs for the endless beaches and the smell of moist soil after a summer downpour. My love for Ma Afrika will never fade. The other half of me has been transplanted to the Land of the Long White Cloud. The land of the Taniwha, beautiful Maraes, and volcanoes. The land of green, pure beauty that truly inspires. And because I am so torn between these two lands – I shall forever remain cross-eyed.

Cover Reveal: Valkyrie Series (Book 1-3) By: T.G. Ayer

Dead Radiance 

Dead Embers 

Dead Chaos 

By T.G. Ayer 

(Valkyrie #1-3) 

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Valkyrie Bryn Halbrook is broken and damaged...

Struggling to accept the loss of her wings, Bryn's not sure if she can be a real Valkyrie anymore. But when a mysterious prophecy claims she will be the reason the All-Father dies, she is determined to ensure the prediction will not come to pass.

A visit to the three fates who live beneath the great Tree of life, sends Bryn racing against time to find the missing Heimdall and his horn. As Odin's life hangs in the balance and Ragnarok draws ever closer, Bryn has to find a way to save Heimdall and Odin before she can discover the truth about who she really is.

In the thrilling conclusion of the Valkyrie series Bryn must battle not only the formidable frost giants and the hated God Loki, but she must also find a balance between what she will lose and what she will gain.

Goodreads

Cover Reveal Time!

Dead Radiance

 Dead Embers

Dead Chaos

AUTHOR BIO:

I have been a writer from the time I was old enough to recognize that reading was a doorway into my imagination. Poetry was my first foray into the art of the written word. Books were my best friends, my escape, my haven. I am essentially a recluse but this part of my personality is impossible to practice given I have two teenage daughters, who are actually my friends, my tea-makers, my confidantes... I am blessed with a husband who has left me for golf. It's a fair trade as I have left him for writing. We are both passionate supporters of each others loves - it works wonderfully...

My heart is currently broken in two. One half resides in South Africa where my old roots still remain, and my heart still longs for the endless beaches and the smell of moist soil after a summer downpour. My love for Ma Afrika will never fade. The other half of me has been transplanted to the Land of the Long White Cloud. The land of the Taniwha, beautiful Maraes, and volcanoes. The land of green, pure beauty that truly inspires. And because I am so torn between these two lands - I shall forever remain crosseyed.

Author links:
Goodreads /  Website / Facebook / Twitter

COVER LOVE: September Edition

This week is all about COVERS. Yay! I have a cover reveal for Tara West on Thursday, but today, I want to highlight some of the new covers that have really caught my eye.

The first cover that really caught my eye this month is from Lizzy Ford's upcoming book. The cover for her upcoming release is STUNNING and so powerful. I'm not really into witches and voodoo and stuff, but this cover takes my breath away.

Ella James has redone her Love Inc. Series. The new covers are gorgeous. I really liked the old ones too, but these ones have a very different feel and I think they work brilliantly.

Redoing covers can be an excellent way to ramp up sales or find a new audience. Because of this, I am giving my Elements Trilogy a make over. Keep an eye out for the Cover Reveal - Oct 1st and the One Day Sale to celebrate - Oct 2nd.

Double Cover Reveal!! For the Betwixt Series by Melissa Pearl

Mrs. Potter’s Book Publicity Services Presents:

A Double Cover Reveal for author Melissa Pearl!

BEFORE

(Betwixt Novella #0.5)

Description:

Dale Finnigan is a teenage rebel; he lives for parties, girls and joy riding in stolen cars. In spite of his uptight parents' constant warnings and lectures, he continues to run wild. His crazy lifestyle is the only way he can live and feel free…until his reckless behavior takes him down a path where there is no going back.

In this prequel to BETWIXT, find out who Dale Finnigan was before he became known as “scar-face”—the unassuming hero everyone underestimates.

Add BEFORE to your Goodreads TBR List

BEYOND
(Betwixt Novella #1.5)

Description:

Have you ever been so in love with someone, but not had the courage to tell them?

Nicole Tepper is that girl. She loves her boyfriend Dale, but fearing rejection, keeps her feelings buried deep. She can’t even let on how heartbroken she is when Dale begins applying for colleges thousands of miles away from her; never even whispering a word about how much she wishes he would stay close.

But, when Dale is rejected from Columbia University in NYC, due to a police report that follows him wherever he goes, Nicole soon discovers that love can drive her to do things she never thought possible.

There's more than one way to say, I love you and Nicole Tepper is about to prove to Dale that she loves him beyond all common sense.

Add BEYOND to your Goodreads TBR List

Cover Designs By: Eden Crane Design

AUTHOR BIO:

“I used to be a full time teacher (11-13 year olds) then I became a full time mother. During that time I also found my passion for writing. Over the last ten years I have been studying the craft and putting myself out there.My first trilogy came out in November, 2011. It has been a wild ride swimming in this indie river and I have loved so much of it. I have learned so many amazing things and met so many great people. It has totally solidified the fact I want to be a writer for as long as I possibly can!

I now have five books published and am working on a new YA Fantasy trilogy for 2013. I am having so much fun with it and can't wait to share it with everybody.

I am from New Zealand, but am currently living in China with my husband and two sons. It has been a culture shock, but it's pretty cool living in such a different country.” ~Melissa Pearl

AUTHOR SOCIAL LINKS:

Facebook Author Page

Twitter

Blogs: http://melissapearl.blogspot.com/ and http://yalicious.blogspot.com/

Amazon Author Page

Goodreads Author Page

Smashwords Author Page

Newsletter subscription

Website

Pinterest

The Power of Cover Art - Guest Post by Leigh K. Hunt

It is totally awesome to have my writing (and graphic designer) buddy, join me on YAlicious today. I asked Leigh, if she'd be happy to put together a post on cover art, because this girl is a talent and has a keen eye for what works and what doesn't.

Thanks so much for being here, Leigh :)

Wow – thank you for having me here at YAlicious, Mel – lovely to hang out with you guys.

Today I want to say a few words about cover art, and the marketing power it has over our readers. And I’m going to sum up this post in three sentences: If you have good solid cover art and design, you have a phenomenal marketing advantage. If you don’t? Then it’s time to get clued up.

I have been giving cover design advice to authors for years. Seriously. Years. I have laughed, I have cried, and I have even wept in appreciation for amazing covers. I am that passionate about it. In this post I am going to give examples of what I consider a bad cover, an average cover, and a brilliant cover.

And if you are a writer – you need to strive for a brilliant cover – because that is a marketing tool you cannot afford to ignore. You want sales? There are some people (*gasp*) that do actually judge books by their covers. You want to know what else? I’m one of them. Seriously. I kid you not. As a designer, and as a writer – I want to read a book with an amazing cover. Because I know that if the book has an incredible cover that makes me go ‘ahhhh…’ then I know that the author has put in the time, energy, and love into the cover – and I *hope* that they have done the same with their writing and editing of a brilliant novel.

For this exercise, I’m choosing three different covers all on stories about vampires. First up – to demonstrate is what I consider a bad book cover to look like – Saint Sanguinus, by Someone… Someone… Smith? (I’m not entirely sure who, because I can’t really read the first two names….): 

This is my analysis of the cover. 

- No cohesion in the image. It has unblended layers, making it look clunky, and a lot like a bad computer game from the 80s.  Colours are incredibly contrasting, making it hard to look at.

     - Font is unreadable, both for the title, and the author name. Erm… and speaking of the title? What on earth does that even mean? Titles should be catchy or easy to understand, or perhaps they could even possess some sort of insight as to what the book is about.
    - And while I’m sure the young chap on the front cover is a nice enough dude in real life – he doesn’t make a very captivating cover model, and most definitely does not make me want to read the book.

In summary – this cover turns me against ever buying the book. And you know what? That is so not cool for the author, as I believe every author should have a shot at getting their work read… but when the readers are like me, and constantly judge books by their covers – this story is not even going to make the reading list in a million years. Because there are a million other vampire stories out there with better covers.

*****

Next up is a cover that I consider pretty average. Carrie Vaughn’s ‘Kitty in the Underworld’ cover is okay and it does the job. But it doesn’t jump out at me.

This is my analysis.

     - While there is nothing really fundamentally wrong with this cover – it just doesn’t attract me as a reader. This cover is what I consider - boring. 

     - What I really want to know is… what does a great big cat have to do with vampires? The only thing I can uncover from reading the blurb is that Kitty is the main character. Not the cat on the cover. Go figure.

     - The fonts are streamlined, and there are a maximum of two different types of fonts used on the cover, all of which fits rather well for a good design. But I’m not liking the top corner/bottom corner placement of text. It could have been done a lot better, with exactly the same fonts – just placed differently on the cover image.

And all this from an NYT Bestseller, whose professional publishing team probably did all the cover work for her.

*****

Blood Slave, by Travis Luedke: Now, this is a cover that I consider as a really good one.

Why?

- It is eye-catching. The graphics are spectacular, and yet simple. The colours and contrasts are good. The blood splatter on her neck immediately tells me that the book is about vampires, and that the chances are – I can guess it’s about a woman of upper class status (judging from her jewellery and clothing) and I’m guessing she is a blood slave to the vampires.

- Do I know anything more? No. But that’s when I can read the blurb, and find a little more out.

- But honestly? If someone just sent me this picture and said – ‘Hey, do you want to read this?’ I would have to say yes. Yes, indeed. It might be the crappiest book on earth, but I will at least buy the book and open the first page. And if I keep reading after that, then that author has a new reader.

Just as an end note to this post – while cover design is super-super important as a marketing tool – so are titles. Seriously important. There are some really awful ones out there, so make sure you do your research. But I’m not here to talk about titles at the moment – that’ll be a post for another day, I guess!

If you would like to take a look at some seriously shocking book covers and titles to learn about what NOT to do – then visit: Lousy Book Covers.

If you want to read more of my opinions on good cover design please visit: Sexy Designer Covers or Judging a Book by its Cover, or just on any subject in general – you can find me over at Parchment Place.

Thanks for having me here today, it’s been a pleasure.

Now go forth, and celebrate sexy and eye-catching designer covers.

~ ~ ~ ~

FB Graphic Design Services Page: http://www.facebook.com/DwellDesignandPress

Leigh K. Hunt Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Leigh-K-Hunt-Author/

Blog: http://parchmentplace.wordpress.com

Leigh K. Hunt considers herself to be a dreamer. She disappears into worlds created within her head, and every now and then she’ll re-enter the real world for a little while before delving back in again. Leigh writes for the love of writing, the creation of new worlds, and meeting new characters.

Leigh has written a number of unpublished novels, and some short fiction. She usually writes thrillers, but is currently trying her hand at writing an Urban Fantasy trilogy. Over the years, Leigh has placed in a number of short story competitions. The short story published in Tales for Canterbury is the only drama based story she has written to date.

She loves travelling, design, and music - and tries to indulge in most of it, all of the time. Once upon a time, she used to surf, but she hasn't managed to dip her little surfer toes back in the water since she was pregnant. (One day she'll get back in!)

To find out more about what Leigh is currently up to in her writing world - please connect with her on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/leigh.k.hunt

COVER LOVE - July Edition plus COVER REVEAL for Taming Cross by Ella James

As many of you know, this is my favourite post of the month. I love book covers, there is something so delicious about them and I have some gorgeous ones to share with you today.

First off - here are two by the talented Eden Crane. I love her stuff and am very excited to be working with her for the first time. She did these two covers for Komal Kant - an author I adore. I can't wait for both these books to come out. So excited!!

Add Echoes of Melody to your reading list.

Add Wrong Side of Town to your reading list.

Next up with have a saucy little cover by Lizzy Ford. I think it's the lips that my eyes get drawn to first. They are very luscious and I'm immediately intrigued by who this woman is.

Add Star Kissed to your reading list.

Another cover that caught my eye and took my breath away this week was Exit Stage Left by Patti Larsen. It is SO gorgeous and I cannot tell you how excited I am that Patti has written a contemporary romance. I can't WAIT to read it!!

Add Exit Stage Left to your reading list.

And finally - the big cover reveal. I love doing cover reveals and I'm very excited to be a part of Ella's one. The sequel to Selling Scarlett does not disappoint. Check out - Taming Cross! 

TAMING CROSS by ELLA JAMES

For twenty-three years, Cross Carlson was a playboy. You know the type. Tall, dark, and wealthy. Blue-eyed. Charming. He seemed to have it all so easy. But Cross was harboring a terrible secret - one that helped ruin the life of an innocent girl and almost ended his own.

Finally out of the hospital, Cross is flailing, scarred in both body and mind and stifled by the weight of the secret he still keeps. The only way to absolution lies in a Mexican convent, and going there could cost him everything.

If there's anyone who knows what it's like to screw up big time, it's Meredith Kinsey. Just a few years ago, Merri was an ordinary girl with a job at her college newspaper and white picket fence kind of dreams. Now she's holed up in a Mexican convent, hiding from a drug lord who thinks he owns her.

What happens when the only way out of hell is with the son of the man who put you there? They say love conquers all, but does it really?

Add Taming Cross to your reading list.

Cover Love - April Edition

Welcome to April's Edition of Cover Love. I had some gorgeous covers to share with you this month.

The top billing for me is an upcoming release called Skin Deep by T. G. Ayer. This cover is gorgeous and I'm super excited about reading the book.

Panther Shape-shifter Kailin Odel just wants to be normal. Leaving her clan, and her Alpha responsibilities, to live with her grandmother in Chicago had been the best thing for her. Only then did she discover her ability to track and kill the soul sucking undead creatures called Wraiths. Now she protected the humans, and had something to be proud of.

But, when she discovers the body of a murdered shape shifter, Kailin has to come to terms with the reality that her own kind are just as vulnerable as the humans.

The closer Kailin gets to the killer the more she has to face the intricacies of her people. When the time comes can she accept who and what her real purpose is?

Here is the Goodreads link so you can add the book to your reading list: SKIN DEEP

Another cover that caught my eye this week is If I Fall by Anna Cruise. I love what the girl is wearing, how she's leaning against the railing...the look on her face. It's all good!

You can check out this book on Goodreads and add it to your reading list: IF I FALL

The fourth book in Alexia Purdy's A Dark Faerie Tale series is coming out later this year. Here's the cover... isn't it cool! I love the mysterious vibe.

You can check out this book on Goodreads and add it to your reading list: EVER WRATH

There are SO many more covers I can share. Books seem to be firing onto the web at lightning speed, but I'll stick with those three for now. I hope you enjoy them when they are released later in the year.

Cover Love - February Edition

Yay - one of my favourite posts of the month.... cover love. I love looking at book covers, being inspired by the images, wanting to rip open a book, just to find out what it all means.

Here are some of the covers I have spotted this month, that I really love...

The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard - due for release May 15th, 2013. There is something very wistful and romantic about this cover. I want to know what the girl in this image is thinking.

The Game by Shane Scollins - due for release March 2013. I love the haunting eyes and the maze beneath. It's a very intriguing cover. (Another one by Eden Crane - man that girl rocks!!)

Inhale, Exhale by Sarah M. Ross - due for release April 2013. Yet another wistful cover that makes me want to read the book.

Drowning in You by Rebecca Berto - due for release April 12th, 2013. I'm such a sucker for kissy covers. I love the expression on the girl's face. It draws me in, makes me want to read.

And, of course, I can't end this post without sharing my latest cover. Unknown is due for release June 2013. Thank you so much to my beautiful designer, Brenda Howson, for putting this together for me. You managed to capture the essence of the story perfectly :) And thank you to my model, Ruth Little, your gorgeous face was exactly what I needed to make this cover work.

Have you seen any stunning covers lately?

Cover Love - Eden Crane Edition

I want to start a new feature on this blog - Cover Love!

I love cover art. I could spend hours in a bookstore, or online, checking out all the amazing covers out there. In particular, I love YA covers. There are so many stunning images out there, and it makes me realize how important covers are. It's the first thing to draw me in. If I'm not intrigued by a cover, I'm not going to read the book description. So it really is vitally important to get it right.

Today I'd like to feature covers by a designer I just discovered - Eden Crane. Her work is amazing and there are plenty of books I'd happily add to my TBR based on her covers alone.

Here are few that really stand out to me...

If you'd like to find out more about Eden Crane, you can find her on:

Facebook - Eden Crane Design
Pinterest - Eden Crane
Website - www.edencranedesign.com

Cover Reveal - Betwixt by Melissa Pearl

It is my total pleasure to share the cover of Betwixt with you today. This story has been one very close to my heart for a while and I can't wait to share it with you in November when the book is released.

For now - I am super excited to show you the cover and book description.Before I do - I'd like to give a huge thank you to Brenda Howson for her awesome graphic design work and Al Ronberg for his legendary photo. You guys are both amazing and I so appreciate what you've done. 

The cover is just how I wanted it.So here you go people... enjoy :)

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?

If you would like to add Betwixt to your reading list on Goodreads, you can do that here.

Book Cover Reveal!!

We are super excited to show you our book cover for Forbidden Territory (first of the Mica and Lexy series), due for release in July this year!

We are busy preparing the manuscript doing final edits and will be giving it out to our second lot of beta readers shortly. This book has evolved a lot in the last six years to something Melissa and I are really excited about. The girls in this story are so much fun to write and when they get in trouble (and DO they get in trouble!) the actions scenes are fast paced and entwined with romantic angst. All my favourite stuff!

Anyway here is the blurb. Hope you like it!

Mica and Lexy have been best friends and next door neighbours since they were eight years old. They share everything and have no secrets from each other until... Tom arrives on Mica's doorstep. A gorgeous exchange student from England. And Lexy is smitten.

Suddenly both girls are keeping secrets. Mica is hiding news about Tom's English girlfriend and Lexy hasn't got the heart to tell her best friend that her brother Eli, the guy Mica is mad on, thinks of her as only a friend.

After a massive fight, the girls decide the best way to mend their friendship is to spend some quality time together. And what better way than to go camping away from their parents and why not invite along the guys they are crushing on.

So the four teenagers embark on a geo-caching expedition into New Zealand's native bush expecting a long weekend filled with flirtatious fun; instead secrets are exposed as they stumble across a hidden marijuana crop and its gun-wielding watchmen. Forced apart they spend the next forty-eight hours racing blindly in opposite directions as they fight to find each other before the hunters do.

Are there any other books pending release that you are excited about reading?

A Little Bit of Honesty...

Sorry I've been so out of the loop the last couple of days, I've been having a bit of a hard time nailing down this cover.

One thing about this whole indie publishing thing is that I'm learning as I go. I thought I should share with you some of the things I have learned in the last few days.

ONE...
Allow plenty of time to get your cover art done. I haven't done this and it has put pressure on me and my designer. Next time around, I will be starting the cover months in advance so that I can keep adjusting it until it screams perfection.

You see - I had this really clear vision in my head of what I wanted... it's all been put together and I haven't fallen in love with it. Now I feel forced to use it, because I promised my readers the book would be released December 15th.

Can I just say though - my graphic designer, Amanda Crane, is all types of awesomeness. She has been so patient with me and done everything I've asked her too. She's met deadlines and never once complained about my fickleness. So, Amanda - THANK YOU!!

I am comforted by the fact we are revamping the covers for the paper back copies next year and we have come up with some awesome ideas that are going to rock!

TWO...
When it comes to cover design - do some research. I was so set on my vision, that I didn't take the time to pour over other YA covers. Since getting the feedback that my Golden Blood cover wasn't hitting the mark, I have spent a lot of time looking at great covers and I now have a really good idea of what appeals to the YA market.

THREE...
I might be freaking out over nothing. My cover isn't all bad. It has some really cool elements I like. Some people might see it and love it. Others will scrunch up their noses and some probably won't really mind what the cover looks like, because all they want to do is find out what's going to happen to Gemma & Harrison.

I never really liked the covers for Hunger Games, but the stories are amazing. I looked past the covers, because the books had come highly recommended.


Now - without further ado, the day before the book is due to be released.... here is the cover for Black Blood and the blurb.

I really hope you enjoy the second book in the Time Spirit Trilogy. I loved writing it.

Gemma's parents have put enough rules around her relationship with Harrison that she feels like she's living on parole. But she wins one battle—a summer job working for Harrison's step-father. It is the perfect chance to spend the steamy, hot Florida days with her boyfriend. It's also a great distraction from the cellphone hiding in her underwear drawer—her only contact with Gabe, the mystery man who's stalking her. 

When she confronts Gabe, he tells her that her parents are not who she thinks they are, and Harrison has the gall to believe him. Surrounded by conflict, Gemma doesn't know what to believe, and it takes a trip back in time for her to glimpse the sickening truth. 

Thanks to her parents, she returns to the present to find the love of her life no longer exists. His family line was broken and now, so is she.

This betrayal forces her to seek out Gabe. Setting aside her fear of the truth, she must trust this man and learn what he can teach her... otherwise, she'll never get her boyfriend back.