Melissa Pearl: Author Interview and More - An Examiner.com Article

Hello YAlicious Allison here! 

I just wanted to share with you this article on examiner.com. 

Learn a little more about Melissa Pearl and her Elements Trilogy! 

Check it out HERE!

Indie Inked Solstice Sale - Thursday's Books of the Day!

For the next week, we are going to be doing daily highlights for the Solstice Sale. Remember, we are also running an amazing signed paperback giveaway.

Entry details are on the Rafflecopter form below.

We have an awesome line up for you today.

UNKNOWN by Melissa Pearl

Darkness is covering the land. As the city of Mezrah grows with power and greed, the rest of the world can only stand by and wait for their inevitable destruction. The only hope against this growing power is an ancient prophecy that people have stopped believing in.

Then a star begins to fall.

Princess Kyla of Taramon stopped believing in the power of light the day her father died. Trapped in a city she does not care for, under the watchful glare of her mother, the queen, she struggles to accept her fate.

Then a star begins to fall.

Jethro has loved Kyla for as long as he can remember. Learning that she was to marry his cousin drove a wedge between him and the feisty princess. Watching her from a distance is a torture he is unable to free himself from.

Then a star begins to fall, sparking an ember of hope and sending two seekers on a treacherous journey into the unknown.

PURCHASE on AMAZON.

TRAGIC by JA Huss

Rook Walsh is TRAGIC

Because life so far – just sucks. Some girls get parents. Rook got the foster care system. Some girls get Prince Charming. Rook got an abusive frog. Some girls get lucky…

Rook got a second chance.

And she took it. Because when fate throws you a bone – you grab it with both hands and run.

Antoine Chaput knows the minute he spies Rook in his photography studio that she’s got The Look. The dark and desperate look he must have to land the exclusive TRAGIC media contract.

Rook is paired up with top model, Ronin, and he’s everything her abusive ex-boyfriend wasn’t. Patient, gentle, happy, attentive, and sexy! He knows exactly what to do to make Rook blush for Antoine’s camera.

Rook’s luck changes in an instant and suddenly she’s the darling of the modeling world. It’s a dream job to go with a dream guy and all she has to do is look pretty and follow directions. But there’s always a price to pay – and Rook is about to get the bill.

PURCHASE on AMAZON, and BARNES and NOBLE.

FOREVER FAE by LP Dover

He leans down, lips parted, and then our lips connect... We didn’t know that this one kiss has FOREVER changed the Land of the Fae.

According to the Prophecy proclaimed many years ago, Princess Calista of the Summer Court is destined to change the Land of the Fae from the evil determined to destroy it. Her powers are phenomenal, and she secretly trains for battle with her handsome warrior friend, Merrick, who unbeknownst to her protects her heart as well, in hopes of keeping it for himself. At least, until the seductive Prince Ryder attends the Guardian Ceremony and instantly sends a fire burning through her veins and a connection so deep they both discover a love above anything imaginable.
No one knows how Calista is destined to change the kingdoms, but there is one that does. He not only craves Calista’s power, but her body as well, and his goal is to steal her power, make her his Dark Queen, and take over the Land of the Fae.
Will the evil succeed in claiming Calista’s soul? Or will the two men that fight for her heart save her from despair, and help her fulfill her destiny to become what she was meant to be.

PURCHASE on AMAZON.

FORGED BY GREED and FORGED BY MAGIC: ORIGINS by Angela Orlowski-Peart

Two Seattle 16-year-olds, Jatred and Jasmira, are not your typical star-crossed lovers. They are not even your typical Shape Shifters. Sure, they try to live an ordinary life. At least, as ordinary as the Prince and the Princess of the rivaling ancient Races--the Winter wolves and the Summer leopards--can live. But eventually they learn that not much about their existence can be normal. Especially when the Races' two commanding Goddesses are involved.

One of the Goddesses is on a quest to tilt the scale of power to her side. The other will never let it happen, even if it means kicking Jatred and Jasmira's love to the curb. Nothing is off limits, including removing Jatred's memories of Jasmira.

To complicate things even more, there are the Universe's powers to consider. They are trapped in an ancient Amulet in order to protect the stability of the world. But the Universe has a mind of its own, and when the powers are unleashed, the forces of nature are disturbed; earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions shake the Earth. All Shifters of both Races are summoned by their respective Goddesses to fight in the name of, or against, the normalcy of the world.

PURCHASE on AMAZON.

Forged by Magic: Origins is a collection of FIVE Young Adult (teen) fantasy short stories, featuring the characters from the Forged series. This is the first of two prequels to the series. Each story is told from a different character’s point-of-view.

Find out how the Amulet and the Dasht-e Kavir have been created, and how the powers of the Universe opened the gates to other dimensions, inadvertently releasing unworldly supernatural creatures into the Human World.

PURCHASE on AMAZON.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

NEW RELEASE - Unknown by Melissa Pearl

Darkness is covering the land. As the city of Mezrah grows with power and greed, the rest of the world can only stand by and wait for their inevitable destruction. The only hope against this growing power is an ancient prophecy that people have stopped believing in.

Then a star begins to fall.

Princess Kyla of Taramon stopped believing in the power of light the day her father died. Trapped in a city she does not care for, under the watchful glare of her mother, the queen, she struggles to accept her fate.

Then a star begins to fall.

Jethro has loved Kyla for as long as he can remember. Learning that she was to marry his cousin drove a wedge between him and the feisty princess. Watching her from a distance is a torture he is unable to free himself from.

Then a star begins to fall, sparking an ember of hope and sending two seekers on a treacherous journey into the unknown.

You can pick up a copy on AMAZON or SMASHWORDS.

If you'd like a chance to win a paperback copy, you can check out the new release giveaway here.

xxxxx

It feels so good to have the first book in this trilogy out there for you to enjoy...and the best part - book 2 and 3 are not far away!! 

As you know with any project, there are so many people involved. I have listed you all in the back of the book, but I wanted to make special mention to:

My critique readers - thank you for your awesome feedback. Your suggestions and honest opinions were gold.

My editor - Laurie - thank you so much for your hard work. You brought my writing to life.

My proof-reader - Brynna - you are a legend. I can't believe how many things you picked up even after all my read throughs :D

My graphic designer - Brenda - you are the best. I love you so much, chick. Thanks for being awesome. 

My street team - thanks for your support, your encouragement and your awesome reviews.

Indie Inked - you guys are one of the highlights of my year. Love hearts and cyber hugs to you all.

xxxxx

Work In Progress Update - Unseen, The Elements Trilogy #2

We have had so many guest authors recently and I have loved highlighting their books. There are so many cool things happening in the publishing world. It's super exciting :)

I have not published anything so far this year because I am working on a trilogy that I want to release in rapid succession. I made the decision to hold off releasing the first book until all three were written so that readers would not have to wait to find out what was going to happen. You know me and my cliff hanger endings. I just can't help myself :)

So - currently my works in progress are going really well. Unknown - Book 1 is written, edited and awaiting a decent proof-read. The cover is finalised and if you'd like to add the book to your reading list, you can do so here - Unknown on Goodreads.

Unseen is now complete as well. The first draft is done and in the hands of six very amazing authors. They are critiquing it for me. I can't wait to find out what they have to say. I know I have some major edits ahead of me, but I love this stage of a book's journey.

Unseen delves deeper into Jethro and Kyla's journey and their relationship. They are forced to face their feelings for each other head on. I have LOVED writing their scenes together and seeing how they've handled this conflict. The book also introduces three new characters I have come to love plus some very cool creatures. Writing the fight scenes was intense and fun and the climax had me typing on the edge of my seat.

I can't wait to share this series with you!!
It's definitely like nothing I've ever written before and it's been a huge, yet totally thrilling, challenge.

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?

Work In Progress Update - Unknown by Melissa Pearl

Another feature we want to introduce at YAlicious is a Work In Progress Update. I love finding out what different authors are working on. It's fun to keep track of their progress and see a book come to fruition.

So I thought I'd start things off with my current WIP - Unknown.

This is the first book in the Elements Trilogy and I am hoping to publish all three books in 2013. At this stage I am aiming for a June release for Book 1 - Unknown.

Unknown is a YA fantasy romance filled with mystery and action. A prophecy discovered years ago is brought to life when a star in the north falls to the earth. As people struggle with their differing beliefs and whether or not to trust this ancient prophecy, two seekers are sent on a quest. Following the prophecy's instructions they head out to discover the four elements who can unleash a powerful light that can save their world from the brewing darkness. These young seekers - Kyla and Jethro - have a mammoth task ahead of them and the question is not just if they can complete their mission, but if they can do it without killing each other.

I have never written anything like this and I am having so much fun with it. I have to admit I am finding it a huge challenge... hopefully I can pull this off :D

On Sunday I finished the first draft and am now doing my first full read through. Once I've completed that I will be sending it off to my critique partners for some very honest feedback. I feel like this project has a lot of potential, so I'm asking them to be brutally honest. I want these books to shine :D

Once Unknown is off for inspection, I will start working on a detailed plan for Book 2 - Unseen. I have mapped out the entire trilogy, but new things present themselves as I write, so I will be tweaking accordingly then launching into the first draft.

The photo shoot for all three covers has been completed and my graphic designer will be working on the covers over the next couple of months. The ideas we have come up with are pretty awesome, so I can't WAIT to see what she puts together. She's a super talent so I'm pretty excited :)

If you'd like to be a part of this project, I'd love to have you enter the Name That Troll competition. You can find out details by signing up for my monthly updates newsletter here.

So - that's what I'm working on.
How about you?

If you are an author and you'd be keen to share your WIP with us, please contact me. You can message me on my FB page: http://www.facebook.com/melissapearlauthor or leave a comment below.