A Note:

6/2/13

I once told myself: IF I am accepted into grad school, this blog would no longer be updated. As it turns out, in April, I received news of my acceptance for the Fall 2013 semester, where I will attain a Master's degree of Science in Nutrition.

Running a blog, as many of you may already know, is a demanding side job once the excitement wears off. And once I fell out of the blogging community's loop (have you SEEN how many blogs there are now? Wow!), it was like the kiss of death. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't get into a blogging routine once this happened due to the disconnect I felt from the community.

So I took a break. I struggled with the loss and with missing my blog. And then I realized I didn't have to run Book Faery to still be a book reviewer; I could read my books and post reviews online. I'm still a book review blogger, just not in the traditional sense.

I'll still be online. You can chat with me on Twitter, where I'll be posting links to my reviews and talking books. I'll also be posting links to nutrition articles. And if you'd like to connect with me where I guarantee I will post reviews, just add me as a friend on Goodreads.

So that's all, folks! It's been a fun and amazing journey, and I thank you all for listening to my thoughts about books. I hope we all can keep in touch elsewhere :)

Tori

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Guest Post with Anita Clenney and Giveaway!

Connect with Anita:
Website | Goodreads | Twitter


Signing Books with Nora Roberts and Sherrilyn Kenyon

When I first sold Awaken the Highland Warrior, I imagined all the great things about being an author. Seeing my name on the cover of a book, seeing my name on top of the pages on the left side (I don’t know what it is about that, but I just love it), giving readers the joy and thrills that I’ve gotten from books over the years. B…U…T!!!! There were the dreads as well, and ranking right up there at the top…booksignings. If you know an author­­—and she isn’t a Nora Roberts or a Janet Evanovich—chances are you’ve heard a horror story about booksignings. The poor author huddling behind a table in a big bookstore as people walk through the door, passing her table with its stack of books begging to be signed. I got lucky. My experience was anything but.

First, let me start with the day before. My dear friend and critique partner, Dana Rodgers and I headed to Boonsboro, Maryland. It was a wonderful drive, beautiful, rolling hills dotted with cows amid stands of trees. Turn the Page is a quaint bookstore owned by Bruce Wilder, Nora Roberts’ husband. Across the street is Inn Boonsboro, Nora's gorgeous Inn, with each room named after the characters from a great story. It was incredible. The rooms, the décor…the toilets. They did everything from open by themselves to drying your nether regions, after washing them of course, and I’m not kidding. The Inn was gorgeous.

Inside our room, the Jane and Rochester, there was a copy of Awaken the Highland Warrior waiting, with a letter asking if I could please take a moment to sign it for the Inn's library. "Oh, I think so, Nora." And there was a bag of heather­scented bath goodies for me. We roamed the inn, checking out the library and dining room before heading outside. I've never seen a place like Boonsboro. It was a cute, small town. I've seen cute, small towns before, but no matter what store we entered, they treated us with amazing hospitality. That evening, we met some wonderful readers who were staying at the Inn and spent time laughing and talking with them.

The next morning, we watched people lining up outside the bookstore, some waiting for hours to get inside. I figured I would only sell a few copies, with the greats like Nora Roberts, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Kristan Higgins there. Imagine my surprise when I saw people coming through the line with Awaken the Highland Warrior in their hand, asking me to autograph it, autograph their tote bags, even store paper bags, and some wanted photos with me. It was an amazing feeling to have to stop signing because someone wanted a picture with me. Right there with Nora Roberts not ten feet away. Needless to say, I was stunned when the books in front of me disappeared. I had sold out!

Not only was I surprised, and pleased, but I heard Nora Roberts was as well, because debut authors don’t sell out at these events. The bookstore manager scrambled to see if she could locate more copies elsewhere in the store, but couldn’t. All in all, it was a fairytale booksigning, not the stuff nightmares are made of. And just in time for the release of Awaken the Highland Warrior. What an awesome day.




Want to win a copy of Awaken the Highland Warrior?
First, check out the awesome excerpt, and then check below to see how you can win!


Bree’s fingers tightened around the metal disk as she ran through the graveyard, zigzagging past leaning headstones. Her lantern swayed, throwing shadows on the crypt looming before her, its stone walls the color of bones. Thick vines crept over it, sealing in cracks left by time, while gnarled branches from the twisted oak hovered like outstretched arms. Protecting… or threatening?



An owl screeched overhead as she scurried up the crumbling steps, wishing night hadn’t fallen, when shadows twisted into monsters and spirits came out to play. The burial vault lay open near the back of the crypt, waiting. Blood rushed past her ears, a sound like all the angels’ wings beating in unison. She moved closer and peered at the chest inside. It was ornate, made of metal and wood, with green gemstones embedded in each corner. It looked ancient, like it belonged in a museum or a pyramid, or
perhaps Solomon’s Temple. The beauty of it struck her again, as it had when she’d first discovered it.


She set the lantern on the edge of the burial vault and studied the markings on the chest. Swirls and shapes like writing shifted in the amber glow. Stretching out a finger, she touched the surface. Warm? She yanked her hand back and hit the lantern. It crashed to the floor, throwing the top of the crypt into darkness. Dropping to her knees, she scrambled for the light. A sound cut through the silence, scraping, like fingernails against stone. She grabbed the lantern, not daring to blink, then remembered the wind outside and the claw­like branches of the old tree.


She placed the lantern securely on the vault cover she’d pushed onto the alcove and unfolded her hand. The metal disk she held was three inches in diameter and appeared to be made from the same metal as the chest, not silver, not gold. One side had deep grooves; the other was etched with symbols. With trembling fingers, she lined up the disk with the matching grooves on top of the chest and pushed. There was a series of clicks as the notched edges retracted.


A voice rushed through her head. What lies within cannot be, until time has passed with the key.


Bree whirled, but she was alone. Only stone walls stood watch, their secrets hidden for centuries. It was sleep deprivation, not ghosts.


She pulled in a slow, steadying breath and tried to turn the disk. Nothing. Again, this time counterclockwise, and it began to move under her hand. She jerked her fingers back. A loud pop sounded and colors flashed… blue, orange, and green, swirling for seconds, and then they were gone. Great, hallucinations to go with the voices in her head.


Her body trembled as she gripped the lid. This was it. All her dreams held on a single pinpoint of time. If this ended up another wild goose chase, she was done. No more treasure hunts, no more mysteries, no more playing Indiana Jones. She’d settle down to a nice, ordinary, boring life. She counted. One. Two. Three.


She heaved open the chest. Terror clawed its way to her throat, killing her scream.


The man inhaled one harsh breath and his eyes flew open, locking on Bree. A battle cry worthy of Braveheart echoed off the walls. Bree jumped back as metal flashed and a rush of air kissed her face. Petrified, she watched him crawl out of the burial vault, a wicked­looking dagger in his hand. Her scream tore loose as she turned and fled.


Fingers grazed her shoulder, and she glanced back. The last thing she saw before her feet tangled with the shovel was the dead man reaching for her.


Giveaway Guidelines
+
Include your email address with your comment
+Answer the question in your comment: If you were Bree, how would you react to a dead man reaching for you? (hint: reread the last paragraph in the excerpt)
+Open to US & Canada only.
+Giveaway ends Wednesday, May 18th

Extra Entry
+Tweet about this guest post on Twitter and include a link!

47 comments:

  1. I would do the girly thing, hit him with the shovel, scream and run like hell ;)

    Looks like a great read.

    robin (at) intensewhisper (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. :( :( :(

    This book sounds so interesting and makes me curse living in Australia. ='(

    ReplyDelete
  4. If a dead man was reaching for me I would scream and run like hell. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. I would probably be scared out of my mind lol. Sounds like a good read.

    juliecookies(at)gmail.com

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  6. I think I'd run.

    sgiden at verizon.net

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  7. I would like to say I would maintain my cool, but I would scream like a girl and pass out cold!

    I am definitely going to get this book (for the cover alone!).

    jwitt33 at live dot com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Alice. Sign up for my newsletter and bring your friends. I'll be doing some giveaways as well.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks Robin. I think Bree had the same idea you did, but Faelan is one strong Scot. :)

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  10. Hi Tore. I would do the same. Run!!!

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  11. Hi Julie. I would want to appear brave too, but with an angry Scot swinging a dagger at me, I think I'd run.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'd love to say that I'd be brave enough to pick up the shovel and hit him over the head with it...but I'd probably be trembling with fear on the ground and unable to even run!

    Please enter me!

    mk261274 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  13. Melissa, I said I would probably run. Actually, I'd probably have a heart attack.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I would freak, scream, probably cry, kick, hit, and try to run!!!

    This book sounds amazing, thanks for the way cool giveaway, and please enter me in! :0)

    Kaitlin

    Fairytalebooklover at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  15. LOL! Thanks for coming by Kaitlin.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I would be terrified and and run away screaming at the top of my lungs.

    Great excerpt!

    marieimy (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/marieimy/status/68436168416567296

    marieimy (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  18. I think I'd freak out and run as fast as I could, probably screaming my head off as I ran.

    I think Awaken the HIghland Warrior sounds like a fantastic book and I can't wait to read it.

    Barbed1951 at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hopefully I would run and not just stand there stunned. lol

    books (dot) things (at) yahoo (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  20. Barbara E, thank you for the sweet words.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Melissa, thanks for coming by and commenting.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I'd hit him with the shovel and scream! Also, run like hell! ;) This books souds great.

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  23. I would probably do something totally different than most people. I am a bit morbid and would think it would be really interesting for a dead man to be able to do anything so I would wait to see what he wanted. If he didn't actually hit me first. lol

    Thanks for the way cool giveaway. please enter me.

    miztik_rose At yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. I would sream my butt off and run like theres a show sale at Macy's!! =)


    SpadesHigh @ http://SpadesHighReads.blogspot.com
    TValeros18 @ gmail [dot] com

    Thank you for hosting this giveaway!!

    ReplyDelete
  25. I would probably smack his hand away and ask what he wanted.
    twoofakind12@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  26. I'd probably scream and run away.
    chey127 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  27. Thanks for hosting. Please enter me! I am an old follower.
    bevsharp@desch.org

    ReplyDelete
  28. I commented before, guess mine was one that disappeared into the ether.
    My answer was that I'd probably freak out, and then run as fast as I could toward wherever I thought I'd be safe.

    Barbed1951 at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
  29. I would hit him with the shovel a few times then run lol

    I loved your interview I want to travel to Nora's inn I have checked it out on-line a few times. It is a long drive from me about 4 hours but I think it will be well worth the trip.

    Ktalley28@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  30. I'd hit him with the shovel and run like hell, crying and screaming. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  31. I would freak, scream, probably cry, hit and kick, and try to run as fast as I could!

    This book sounds amazing, thanks for the awesome giveaway!! :0)

    Kaitlin
    Fairytalebooklover at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  32. I would absolutely be scared out of my mind and most likely faint:)

    yadkny@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  33. I've watched to many zombie movies in my time. I would get away from him as fast as possible, then investigate from a safe distance.
    marlenebreakfield(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  34. If the dead man were to reach for me, I would run so fast that half my body wouldn't be able to keep up with my legs :O

    starlightgirl678 at aol dot com

    Twitter status link:
    http://twitter.com/#!/michelledluvsu/status/69593965481046016

    ReplyDelete
  35. Well, lately when I'm scared (isn't that often) I seem to lock in place and freeze. But under these circumstances I'd make sure I was panicking by swinging the shovel. :) And crawl if I couldn't run to get the heck away.Would love to read Awaken The Highlander.
    Carol L
    Lucky4750@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  36. I would probably scream hysterically.

    treerose AT yahoo DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  37. Well, I feel sure I would pee my self and then scream bloody murder.

    http://twitter.com/#!/alterlisa/status/70331211712696322

    (\___/)
    (='.'=)
    (")_(")

    alterlisa AT yahoo DOT com
    http://lisaslovesbooksofcourse.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  38. I would probably scream and run away as fast as I could!


    kmcfarland15(at)yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  39. I'd like to say I'd be smooth and calm, but I would probably spaz and faint or something else equally girly

    (great post, btw, I really enjoyed it)

    highlandhussy[at]demonloversbooksandmore[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  40. I'd probably scream and run, of course!

    meredithfl at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  41. I would scream and hit him with the shovel!

    edwardsgrrl@gmail.com

    Tweet Link: http://twitter.com/#!/StefansGal/status/71251081425981440

    ReplyDelete
  42. I truly hope to add this book to my "must reads!"

    I think my immediate reaction would be to scream...run...and flail. I mean, I would love to say I'd be up for some dead guy butt kickin'; but we're all friends here. ;)

    flteen05(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  43. If I was Bree, I would probably scream, hit him with the shovel and then run away as fast as I could.

    chibipooh(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete