Hi all,A curse, because it's hard to keep the kids entertained without spending sh*tloads of money, or letting them spend far too much time on the computer or Xbox. Plus, no matter how hard you try to keep the house relatively tidy, it's a losing battle. They leave their junk everywhere. And the noise! OMG. For a poor author, used to working in a lovely quiet house for most of the day, the constant barrage of TV, video games, pop songs, and bickering is enough to drive me up the wall. (Yes, I am one of those writers who doesn't play music when she writes. And even if I did, I wouldn't be choosing the music my daughter likes, LOL.)
Winner of the Maryland Romance Writers “Reveal Your Inner Vixen” contest (YA category)When a teenage cyborg is forced to hide out at a small-town high school, the unthinkable happens: she falls in love.
Jay’s a cyborg who looks just like normal teenage girl. She’s super-strong, super-smart, and she can even appear to grow and age like a human. When a covert organization intent on using Jay as a weapon comes after her, she needs to find a place where she can blend in. Greenfield High seems perfect… except that the boys all think she’s totally hot and keep hitting on her, and she has no clue how to handle the attention. Who knew high school could be so perilous?
To add to her confusion she’s evolving – experiencing human emotions for the first time. And when she encounters ex-jock-turned-outcast Tyler, he sends her logical brain into a spin. She’s just starting to get the hang of this girlfriend/boyfriend thing when her pursuers track her down. Now’s sooo not the time for a cyborg to fall in love and get all emotional!
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Winner of the Romance Writers of New Zealand Clendon Award for full-length romantic manuscriptChalcedony (Chalcey) has given up on men. Who’s got time for all that angsty dating crap when she’s got a new dance studio to run? Then she’s given a piece of wulfenite crystal and Lord Wulfenite, Keeper of the Shifting Sands fief, literally pops out of the crystal and plants one on her. Wulf is the man of her dreams… or at least, dressed like an ad for We Love Leather, with killer abs and delectable pectorals, he sure looks like the man of her dreams. But if there’s one thing Chalcey’s learned: If it looks too good to be true, then it sure as heck probably is too good to be true! And Wulf proves to be no exception.
Wulf doesn’t stop to wonder why he’s so attracted to Chalcedony. All he knows is he’s finally escaped from a centuries-long hell and he wants this woman – more than anything he’s wanted in his entire life. Chalcey doesn’t stand a chance. Before she realizes what’s at stake, she’s bonded with him and his life is in her hands. She knows she should walk away and leave him to his fate. No way is she planning on getting stuck with a guy who used to steal women for breeding stock! But the more she learns about Wulf and his past, the more conflicted she becomes.
Only when the Crystal Guardian’s curse threatens everything Chalcey’s worked so hard for, does she finally realize what’s truly important. But even if she can figure out how to save Wulf from his fate, it might be too late.
(For excerpts and reviews, please visit my website Books page or click the link in each title to go to each book's landing page.)
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I have various formats available, including PDF, epub, and mobi for Kindle, so don't fret if you have an eReader, and your daughter doesn't... or you don't want to share yours, LOL. And I won't tell if you don't have a daughter and you want to read Freaks yourself, either ;-) It is pitched at YA, but it crosses over to adult, as it is most definitely a romance. (I love me my happy endings!)
And as for the catch? There isn't one. Just leave me a comment and you're in the draw. Of course, if you'd like to share how you entertain kids over the school holidays without spending loads of money, I'd be delighted *g*
As per normal, I'll draw a winner and announce it here next Wednesday.
Cheers!
Maree
HI Maree.. I have your books, so no need to enter me into your draw- I just wanted to come over and tell you how much I am enjoying The Crystal Warrior (Yumm) keep em' coming!
ReplyDeleteKarly.
Karly, thank you so much for the morale boost -- you're a sweetie! And I'd be more than happy for you to nominate a friend for the giveaway if you still want to enter the draw. Just let me know.
ReplyDeleteHugs!
OMG school holidays + 3 daughters = Mummy hell!!!
ReplyDeleteLol well they're not that bad really ;p
Mine are 13, 9 and 4 so we have shopping trips for the 13 yr old, sleepovers for the 9 yr old and a bit of everything for the 4 yr old...and its definitely not cheap!!!
We live in North Waikato and the shops that Miss 13 likes are about a 60km drive away, which means lunch and snacks are involved too, and God help me if we have 'hangers on' coming too.
My book reading time has been limited and the wine has been flowing!!!
Thats my secret to holiday survival....lots of wine with dinner!!!
I hope you survive....we arent even half way yet!
Cath
cbcowley@gmail.com
3 daughters, Cath? Wow, you are totally out-numbered! And as they're all girls, I can hear the "kaching" of the cash register now, LOL. Know exactly what you mean about the wine. I look at my watch and as soon as 6pm hits, whether DH is home yet or not, I'm watching the news.... which is just an excuse to pour myself a wine, really *g* G
ReplyDeleteDS (13) had a sleepover with a mate last night, so DD (15) and I went shopping. Or rather, I trailed her into shop after shop after shop. Only plus is that at least for the main part, she's spending her own money!
Maree - I see frazzled mums and dads everywhere during the school holidays. Here we are in the 2nd week of the current holidays. A good place to go that's free is the library- they can surf the web, read, play games now, so inexpensive and entertaining. Other free places include the museum and the art gallery - at least here they are free. Though they may be going through the 'I don't want to be seen in a place of culture' phase as teenagers do :))
ReplyDeleteI've got Freaks on my TBR pile Maree. So please don't enter me in the running.
Good luck for the rest of the holidays!
These both sound like great books.
ReplyDeleteEleni, DD loves the library. DS, not so much. But if he figured out he could use the 'net there.... Suffice it to see I have enough trouble getting him away from the computers at home! With him, I thank goodness for the bike park, so he can got there with his mates and ride around like a mad thing and wear himself out. But then again, last time he did that he knocked himself out and we ended up at A&E. Boys. Sigh....
ReplyDeleteGreenduckie -- thank you! These books are both favorites of mine *VBG*
ReplyDeleteHi Maree!
ReplyDeleteI'm lucky Miss 13 likes to read, shame Miss 4 hasn't yet learned how lol!!!
How did you find the transition from adult to YA?
Mel, I imagine Miss 4 will be right up there with her nose in a book like her big sister before you know it. Lucky there's a bit of a gap, so they won't be arguing over the same books--as happens in my household. (Often it's a 3-way between me, DD and her brother O_0 )
ReplyDeleteAs for the transition from (very!) adult to YA, I didn't find it hard. I've always been a huge reader of paranormal YA, so it felt quite natural to me. Maybe I need to grow up? Nah. *VBG*
I just have to say... your kids are lucky (including commentors) that their mums are even worried about keeping them entertained. My mother just kept sending us outside with a "it's good for you - and don't come back until lunch!". Even if fights happened, you didn't dare go to mum unless a good amount of blood was involved.
ReplyDeleteIn my teenage years, I was well and truly used to entertaining myself without hours of television or game consoles. Of course, I was writing (note)books, but my brothers had a harder time of it. :P
I should probably note that I'm not talking too long ago; I stopped being a teenager onyl five years ago. :P
ReplyDeleteWow, Jaime. That does bring back memories of mums "releasing" their kids to run round outside and admonishing them to "be back when it gets dark". But if you hadn't mentioned it was only 5 years ago, I wouldn't have picked it at all!
ReplyDeleteI remember vividly some of the things we got up to as kids -- like, 3 of us perched on a pedal car, haring down a really steep road.... Yikes. But then, things were very different back then with regards to the amount of traffic and the speed the cars traveled.
We're lucky we live relatively close to a shopping centre, public swimming pool, sports fields, a bike park, and cinemas. At a pinch we--or they, now they're older!--could walk to any of them. DS, especially, gets stir crazy if he can't get outside and let off some steam. Luckily he's bike mad, so he heads off with his mates on their bikes, while I worry that he'll try some trick and knock himself out (again!), and DD is happy to be dropped off at the mall with her friends, or walk her BFF walk her dogs.