What’s Up?

Quick intro note! My friend Rhys Ford is…BACK IN BLACK! Well, to be fair she was always in black, but this time she’s brought back the much-loved, slightly older Cole McGinnis in a whole new series. Check it out below my ramblings :D

Question? Do you think that January is the most murdery time of the TV year because we’ve used up so much good will over the festive season? I mean, I’m in with the murders - I mean, it’s me! - I just wonder what the reasoning is.

So I finished my blog tour for Prodigal over the weekend and sent it off to the bloggers. It’s a short story set in Cutter’s Gap after Sammy Calloway’s disappearance shattered the town but before the start of Prodigal. In ‘Feet of Clay’ get to spend a wee bit of time with Joe ‘Mac’ MacKenzie, who’s a secondary character in Prodigal but who’ll find out more about in next two books in the trilogy.

You can follow the tour in February at the following stops to read ‘Feet of Clay’, find out more about the book, and enter for a chance to win prizes!

Oh and just in case you want to keep an eye on it, I’m doing a VERY UNOFFICIAL! DON’T PRESSURE ME! short story on my website that I’ll be hopefully adding to over upcoming weekends (not this weekend, because I was sorting out the blog tour :D). ‘Roll with It’ by TA Moore is a story that stands as a testament to my stubborness and refusal to listen to reason, the love between a seafood restauranteur and a lobster shifter.

Dubhthaigh Adams@lizduffyadams

This is quite the correction. Wouldn't you read the hell out of Jane Austen's Dracula?

January 26th 2020

111 Retweets383 Likes

I ABSOLUTELY would!

Book Recommendation of the Week

Spread the word... The Boys Are Back In Town....

Back in Black by Rhys Ford is available for pre-order. Do I have to say more? OK, just a little! Back in Black was announced at GRL last year and I was in the audience when Greg Trembley did a reading that brought the house down. So…check it out. I think it will be worth your while !

McGinnis Investigations: Book One

There are eight million stories in the City of Angels but only one man can stumble upon the body of a former client while being chased by a pair of Dobermans and a deranged psycho dressed as a sheep.

That man is Cole McGinnis.

Since his last life-threatening case years ago, McGinnis has married the love of his life, Jae-Min Kim, consulted for the LAPD, and investigated cases as a private detective for hire. Yet nothing could have prepared him for the shocking discovery of a dead, grandmotherly woman at his feet and the cascade of murders that follows, even if he should have been used to it by now.

Now he’s back in the dark world of murder and intrigue where every bullet appears to have his name on it and every answer he digs up seems to only create more questions. Hired by the dead woman’s husband, McGinnis has to figure out who is behind the crime spree. As if the twisted case of a murdered grandmother isn’t complicated enough, Death is knocking on his door, and each time it opens, Death is wearing a new face, leaving McGinnis to wonder who he can actually trust.

Pre-Order Now

You can also follow the Back in Black blog tour to not only see Cole and Jae finally tie the knot, but hear about it too. Greg Trembley, who narrated the Dirty series, narrates each section. There are also some prizes to be won!

2020 has been the year of insomnia—it happens, my brain can be a real tit about sleep sometimes—and I have been filling the nights with a Leverage rewatch on Amazon. I can take or leave Nate and Sophie, but I love Parker, Hardison, and Elliot. It evens out.

Must Read of the Week

This article is SO COOL! It’s about the birth of the infographic, which can be traced back to Emma Willard's Maps of Time. I have to admit that I never thought about where infographics came from, isn’t it neat?

Emma Willard's Maps of Time

By Susan Schulten

In the 21st-century, infographics are everywhere. In the classroom, in the newspaper, in government reports, these concise visual representations of complicated information have changed the way we imagine our world. Susan Schulten explores the pioneering work of Emma Willard (1787–1870), a leading feminist educator whose innovative maps of time laid the groundwork for the charts and graphics of today.

Read Now

Do I ship Jaskier and Geralt on The Witcher? Maaaaybe.

I love this! The longer you look at the cafe, the creepier details you pick up. Is the POV character a writer whose imagination has run amok as she works in a cafe? It happens! Or has a writer found the perfect cafe to draw inspiration from the unwitting monstrous customers.

Arthur K. Flam@arthurkflam

The "Blue Plate Special" by American illustrator Jeff Lee Johnson

January 24th 2020

521 Retweets2,688 Likes

Not much going on this week. I got my hair cut and had it shaved into a dramatic undercut at the back, which alarms me constantly when I see it. I like it, but it is shorter than usual. Plus the back of my neck is VERRA CHILLY!

Anyhow, writing on the SOOPER SEKRIT PROJECT which is…fun for me? :D I’m also getting the blog tour for Prodigal (out Feb 13!) done and dusted so I might go and hit up a coffee shop to get some work done. Weirdly I can write in my office, but I blog-tour and write non-fiction better when I’m hot desking somewhere. Maybe the coffee refills in my favourite coffee shop have something to do with that?

You also still have time to vote in the PRG’s Reviewer’s Choice Awards! So go vote for me or…you know…one of those other people!

Nope, not over my Witcher fan-fever yet. Plus ‘War Pigs’ is one of my favorite songs EVAH! Good fight writing music!

Book Rec of the Week

I love me a good psychic. Or a bad psychic. You have NO IDEA how big a fan I was of Tomorrow People, and not because Mark Pellegrino was in it…. Not JUST because Mark Pellegrino was in it. So the Psycpop series is a an eaaasy rec for me.

Bitter Pill

There’s a new drug on the streets called Kick. The side effects are so brutal, most folks only try it once…unless they’re psychic. Then they do it until it kills them.

Psychic medium Victor Bayne is well acquainted with pharmaceuticals, from the Auracel that blocks his ghosts to the Seconal that offers him a blissful nights’ sleep. But he’s managed to steer clear of street drugs…so far.

Jacob Marks has a medicine cabinet filled with every over-the-counter remedy known to man, but none of them are doing much for his mood–and his long, fruitless days of combing through records at The Clinic are taking a heavy toll.

But their lackluster investigation does have one silver lining: a front row seat at The Clinic when the first Kick overdose comes in. And as scary as the drug might be, if it truly does augment psychic ability, the appeal is not lost on Vic.

Because the very first hit never killed anyone.

Where did Kick come from? Why is it so addictive? And why is everyone at The Clinic acting so darn shady? That’s what Vic intends to find out. And if he’s lucky, he can also expose a shadowy figure from Camp Hell.

Unfortunately, the demons of his pill addiction might prove just as deadly as his long-buried history. He thought he’d managed to ditch that pernicious habit. But what if it was only lurking in the shadows, waiting for the best time to rear its ugly head?

PsyCop is an ongoing series filled with supernatural action and delightfully awkward humor–with a steady undercurrent of gay romance. It’s best read in order, so if you’re new to the series, start with PsyCop #1, Among the Living…and prepare for a hauntingly good read.

Ebook • Paperback

Unmute! For the love of all that is good in the world. UNMUTE!

lewis@lewisa95

this may be my new favourite video

January 13th 2020

17,105 Retweets65,687 Likes

This is literally my new favorite video. I am addicted to the tippy-taps. SO SOOTHING!

Deal of the Day

Two deals today! Well, a deal and a half. I just wanted to remind you all that Bru Baker has a freebie up on Prolifc Works ahead of her heading to Coastal. Go and grab it now!

Claim Your Freebie!

Get a 99-Cent eBook of Truth, Pride, Glory, Love by David Connor & E.F. Mulder. The sale ends January 20, 2020 at 11:59 PM ET

Beneath the surface, they share more than dreams of Olympic gold.

Since elementary school, the question of Reed Watson’s race has needled him. But the one thing he’s always known is that he is destined to become an Olympic star—he felt it the moment he first hit the water. Chosen by a former Olympic swimmer to train for the 2016 Olympics, Reed determinedly works toward his dream.

Along the way, Reed develops feelings for two men he’s known since childhood: Cal, his next-door neighbor, and Mathias, his rival since the fourth grade. Cal’s struggle with his sexual identity and a tragedy complicate Reed’s feelings, while Mathias’s wealth quickly makes it obvious they are from vastly different worlds. 

As Rio approaches, Mathias becomes a gay sports icon, while Reed is told to hide his sexuality for a lucrative endorsement deal that will offer his family a financial boost and help him with mounting debt. Reed’s unresolved desires for both men remain and so too do all the things that have kept them apart. Has he grown enough to navigate rougher waters, to find truth, pride, victory, and love?

Buy Now

41 Strange@41Strange

Elongated mannequins

January 20th 2020

695 Retweets4,654 Likes

Just so you don’t think I’ve gone soft with all the cute hedgehogs. Have some horrifying Slender Man fashion.

Must Read of the Week

You have no idea how much I love a good treasure hunt story. I grew up on this stuff. One of the first books I ever tried to write (as opposed to a short story) was a rather complicated story about a will, a treasure, and a gang of bickering, rather 1920’s heirs fighting to be the one to find it. I was, like, twelve so it was neither finished nor, in hindsight, probably that good.

Still, treasure! I also hesitate to try and write a good treasure hunt because I’m never sure I can capture the intense mix of suspense and puzzle engagement that you need. I still love reading about them, though.

Treasure Fever

The discovery of a legendary, lost shipwreck in North America has pitted treasure hunters and archaeologists against each other, raising questions about who should control sunken riches.

Most visitors come to Cape Canaveral, on the northeast coast of Florida, for the tourist attractions. It’s home to the second-busiest cruise ship port in the world and is a gateway to the cosmos. Nearly 1.5 million visitors flock here every year to watch rockets, spacecraft, and satellites blast off into the solar system from Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, reminding us of the restless reach of our species. Nearly 64 kilometers of undeveloped beach and 648 square kilometers of protected refuge fan out from the cape’s sandy shores. And then there’s the draw of relics like Turtle Mound, a vast hill containing 27,000 cubic meters of oyster shells left by Indigenous tribes several thousand years ago.

Read More

41 Strange@41Strange

Vintage Collage Artwork (Artist: instagram.com/veryrealfantas…)

January 17th 2020

2,543 Retweets8,087 Likes

What’s Up?

*(Bummer! I had this done yesterday and mis-scheduled it! Enjoy now :D)

Well, I don’t have much choice. I tripped on the stairs Friday night and wrecked my foot. I thought I had broken it, so I spent Saturday morning at Casualty getting it x-rayed. Luckily nothing was fractured but I’ve done a bit of soft tissue damage so I’m on foot rest!

Ok, so Prodigal by TA Moore is coming out on February 13! The blog tour will start on 6 February so make sure you keep an eye out!

I also have a few books that have been nominated for the PRG’s Reviewer’s Choice Awards! So if you would go and vote now, that would be awesome! For me or the author of your choice, there’s some great picks in there so there’s no going wrong!

I’ve also touched base with a couple of people about new blogs that are starting up. So I thought that this might be cool. It also might not, we’ll see. So I’ve made a google form for anyone who has a blog and wants to be considered for ARCs and Blog Tours. It’ll be made available on my site as well, so that anyone looking for blogs to read and follow can find some. Let’s see if it works!

ABS-CBN News@ABSCBNNews

Streaks of lightning blazed through columns of ashes amid #TaalVolcano eruption as seen from Nasugbu, Batangas on Sunday evening. Photo from Domcar Lagto, ABS-CBN News

January 12th 2020

29,830 Retweets66,553 Likes

This is a really good cause. You should check it out. These guys are doing great work, and making a huge difference in people’s lives.

N’Jeri Eaton@njerieaton

Read this thread and then donate to @transformcincy to help them find a permanent home. I did and it was the best way to start the day!

transformcincy@transformcincy

A snapshot of the how: we had a client yesterday who was shy and timid as he walked in but then quickly greeted by three eager teenagers eased into belonging.

January 8th 2020

7 Retweets3 Likes

Deal of the Day

It is your lucky day! Bru Baker has a freebie up on Prolifc Works ahead of her heading to Coastal. Go and grab it now! (I can assure you the doctors at Casualty when I limped in were NOT this hot!)

Despite long hours and job stress, psychiatrist Dr. Barr Campbell and his partner, psychologist Dr. Charlie Winters, are making it work. But when Charlie is suddenly relegated to the night shift, cracks start to form in their relationship. Barr finds himself lonely and frustrated, and his solution is to jump into his work. Between Barr's extra hours and Charlie's new schedule, they're hardly ever alone. As doctors they're used to brutal schedules and exhaustion, but the lack of sleep is really getting to Barr. Luckily for him Charlie has a plan--and an Rx for Sex might be just what this doctor needs.

Claim Your Freebie!

This cracks me up every time I see it. It makes me cackle-snort.

Disapproving Seal

Book Rec of the Week

Dead Man’s Quill by Jordan Castillo Price has magic, romance, and a carnival. What could go wrong? I mean, clowns. Clowns are always a worry. Other than that though!

It’s all fun and games until someone loses a hand.

Dixon has been dying to introduce Yuri to Uncle Fonzo, the Hand of his family, and now he’ll finally get that chance. All they need to do is meet him at a traveling carnival with an unused piece of Spellcraft.

Easy peasy, right?

Not even a little. And even worse, they might encounter a clown.

Uncle Fonzo has left a trail of magical destruction in his wake, but he claims he’s been helping people. Spellcrafters are a slippery bunch, and it’s hard to say if he’s stretching the truth or telling an outright lie. One thing’s for sure, he’s between a rock and a hard place now, and if he doesn’t deliver an outrageous ransom to Strange Manor by midnight, all deals are off.

From a lackluster carnival with a booby-trapped tour bus to the decrepit mausoleum behind an old mental asylum, the Spellcraft leads Dixon and Yuri on a goose chase that’s not only wild…but deadly.

Buy Now

I love this cat. I respect him immediately.

nadia@nrasidi

oh to be a glorious king of old, cursed by a witch to assume the form of a fat little cat, awaiting on a beach the seafaring vessel that will bear me back to my lands so that I may once again rule with an iron paw

January 12th 2020

38,959 Retweets128,139 Likes

I am ALL IN on this.

Must Read of the Week

I always find stories about culture and food, about how inextricable food IS to culture and how damaging it is to tamper with that…tastescape…for the people who formed it.

The late-August sun blazes overhead as Travis Milton enters the gated two-acre vegetable garden just steps from Taste, his new brews-and-bistro-style pub. Some 200 yards away, an accompanying fine-dining spot, Hickory, is being built. He walks along a row of heavy, two-foot-long Candy Roaster winter squashes that, when sliced, reveal delicate pink-orange flesh. Elsewhere, ears of Bloody Butcher corn as red as a mountain sunset grow alongside Cherokee White Eagle Corn, which contrast, in turn, with licorice-colored Black Nebula carrots.

Read Now

I love this. It 100% ridiculous but I don’t care.

Unlike THIS which hurts me in my brain meats even thinking about. I mean, I’m a pantser, but I think even plotters would go cross eyed with this.

TZE CHUN@thetzechun

Still amazes me that someone thinks this is what writers do when they sit down to write a script.

January 11th 2020

1,013 Retweets7,794 Likes

Well, welcome to the first newsletter of the New Year. I hope that you all had a good first of January, and the 2020 is treating you well so far!

So far the next few months are looking like a busy time for the Tammster! Swipe was released on Dec 31 and so far people seem to have enjoyed it! My new novel Prodigal is out on February 13 and I am on tenterhooks to see what people think of it!

It is the first book in the Lost and Found trilogy and I can’t WAIT to get stuck into book two. I’ll have the blog tour schedule up and ready for next week’s newsletter! So keep your eyes peeled.

Last but least I’m elbow deep in my SUPER SEKRIT PROJECT! So far I have the world, the story, characters I love, and I am MAYBE a little short on the cute and fluffy that I promised to deliver.

I mean, there’s a pupper? You can’t go wrong with a pupper right? (Mind you, before you get your hopes up, Booger is no Bourneville.)

That is a problem for another day, though. To be exact *checks watch, realises that makes no sense and checks calendar* it is a problem for February 29 when the novella is due. That is so long away, or at least it seemed that way 2019!

Seriously though, I am really enjoying writing this one and I love the characters, even thought I have to do a rename on one of them because she refuses to co-operate until she is APPROPRIATELY named.

I also have to get ready for ShiMMer, but I’m being a really lazy writer and just going as a reader. It means I can wander around and say hi to everyone, and not be stuck behind a table. It also means that all I have to do is pack some undies, stuff in some t-shirts, and I’m good to go!

Now PARIS is going to be a bit more involved.

Share

New Year’s Resolutions

Post more on social media!

Write!

Exercise more (within reason!)

Drink less coffee (have already given up)

Do something I haven’t done before.

Book Rec of the Week

I am going with my own book since I just released it a week ago! One! I get one big-headed moment a book release.

Swipe by TA Moore was so much to write and people seem to think that’s it been fun to read too! So check it out on Amazon and at Dreamspinner Press.

A Novel of Plenty, California

As one of the top trauma surgeons in Plenty’s ER, Dr. Taggart Hayes knows how to fix broken things—fractured legs, ruptured spleens, allergies, and traumatic brain injuries. He can put them back together good as new. 

A broken heart, though? That’s a bit trickier. Especially when it’s his own. 

When Tag swipes on the photo of the hot man in the dating app, he just wants a distraction from the wreck that used to be his life. A one-night stand with a safely inappropriate stranger, no names, no feelings, and no complications. 

But the headless photo on the app belongs to a man who isn’t so easy to forget the next day... or the next week. And it becomes increasingly clear that Bass is neither safe nor uncomplicated. Drawn into the dark, criminal underworld his lover inhabits, Tag has to decide if the cure for his broken heart is worse than the disease.

Cover Artist: Kanaxa

Read Moore (get it :D)

littlemissbookreader

When the stairs in an book-restaurant is turned into a beautiful work of art...
😍📚😍
(📸: @potspotting)
#workofart #bookart #loveart #lovebooks #lovetoread #bookrestaurant #lovethestairs #artinspo #lamanchamx #mexicocity

December 30, 2019

Deal of the Day

Today you can get an ebook by Andrew Grey for 99 Cents! Ends at midnight ET.

Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Brian Paulson has lived a life of luxury and ease. If he’s been left lonely because of his family’s pursuit of wealth and their own happiness, he figures it’s a small price to pay for what he sees as most important: money.

Cade McAllister has never had it easy. He works two jobs to support himself, his mother, and his special-needs brother. They don’t have much, but to Cade, love and taking care of the people who are important to him mean more than material possessions. When Cade is mugged in the park, he can’t afford to lose what little he has, and he’s grateful for Brian’s intervention.

Cade is given a chance to return the favor when Brian’s grandfather passes away and Brian’s assets are frozen. Cade offers Brian a place to stay and helps him find work, and the two men grow closer as they learn the good and the bad of the very different worlds they come from. Just as Brian is starting to see there’s more to life than what money can buy, a clause in his grandfather’s will could send their relationship up in smoke.

Buy Now

Keith Smiley@SmileyKeith

I keep needing to consult the trustworthiness of beards

December 30th 2014

20 Retweets21 Likes

I’ve never understood the appeal of beards. Why invite more grooming into your life? Minimise! Minimise! If I had my way I’d interact with the world as a pre-groomed hologram from my tank!

I love this idea! It’s also so pretty! I love the tide pool ones so much, but them I do love the seashore! Miss Wondersmith is just astonishingly talented.

I Create Detailed Glass And Ceramic Artwork Inspired By Nature… And Here Is Why I Have Decided To Give It All Away!

Wouldn’t it be amazing to stumble on a fairytale picnic in the woods and be invited to join? Have you ever wanted to go on a *real* treasure hunt for buried treasure hidden by codes and clues? Those examples may sound fantastical, but as Miss Wondersmith, it is my goal to make them a reality!

Read Now

Since I haven’t been able to get this song out of my head since I watched The Witcher - which I adored, by the way! - I decided to share it with a wider audience.

dearcynthiawriting

"The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me." —Ayn Rand⁠
⁠
⁠
#writing #writersofinstagram #writer #creativewriting #write #writersofig #writingcommunity #amwriting #writers #author #writerslife #wordsmith #writersnetwork #words #inspiration #inspirationalquote #writersofinsta #ilovewriting #writingprompt #writefromgrief #writetip #writingtip

January 6, 2020

(Usually, in case you were curious, a chronic lack of organisational skills!)

Wolf Conservation Center@nywolforg

. For most of history, man has had to fight nature to survive; in this century he is beginning to realize that, in order to survive, he must protect it. 🐺 -Jacques-Yves Cousteaug

January 4th 2020

3,353 Retweets11,470 Likes

I hope everyone has had a good time last week. My Christmas was excellent and I ate way too much chocolate, but what IS the festive season if not looking at the least appealing Quality Street and deciding to eat it anyhow?

My new book Swipe by TA Moore comes out on 31 December! That’s tomorrow, people! This is not a drill! Go check it out :D

A Novel of Plenty, California

As one of the top trauma surgeons in Plenty’s ER, Dr. Taggart Hayes knows how to fix broken things—fractured legs, ruptured spleens, allergies, and traumatic brain injuries. He can put them back together good as new. 

A broken heart, though? That’s a bit trickier. Especially when it’s his own. 

When Tag swipes on the photo of the hot man in the dating app, he just wants a distraction from the wreck that used to be his life. A one-night stand with a safely inappropriate stranger, no names, no feelings, and no complications. 

But the headless photo on the app belongs to a man who isn’t so easy to forget the next day... or the next week. And it becomes increasingly clear that Bass is neither safe nor uncomplicated. Drawn into the dark, criminal underworld his lover inhabits, Tag has to decide if the cure for his broken heart is worse than the disease.

Buy Now

You can also catch the last few days of the Blog Tour and enter for a chance to win prizes!

And, of course, I can’t let you go without wishing you a very:

I used to go to Forum Books a lot when I lived in Newcastle (bit of a drive, but Corbridge is beautiful and had an awesome bookshop AND a shop where you could white chocolate and pistachio meringues the size of your head. YOUR HEAD!)

Forum Books@ForumBooks

Really happy to share the HIGE good news that thanks to incredible support we made the target AND our offer has been accepted!! Thanks so much! More here ridsdalecommunitygroup.co.uk

December 30th 2019

8 Retweets16 Likes

Last Book Rec of the Year!

So, let’s throw a few at you!

In case you aren’t quite ready to let go of Christmas!

In the mood for a different sort of bird? And seriously, cover looks dark and spooky but go read the blurb. Go on! Do it! See? :D

This one is literally a rec for my friend Andi Lee, because metalcore romances are right up her alley. Now to see if she reads my newsletter?!

Speaking of Andi Lee check out her first novel, Mischief Maker. You can almost come and say hi to her at ShiMMer (we’re just going as readers this year!), the Salon du Livre, and UK Meet. So if you do? Ask her what donnies are :D

Finally, check out Deosil by Jordan L. Hawk. Despite my eternal, and inexplicable, desire to add an e to the end of his name, he’s always been awesome, talented, and easy going enough to have me chatter excitedly on panels without throwing a shoe at my head. Plus Deosil is long-awaited, long-dreaded (you wanna read it, but then it’s over!), and very good finale to the Whyborne & Griffin series which I started to read back in 20….flip…13? I’m going off the cuff here, but maybe!

And finally, go and pre-order Back in Black. Rhys Ford has brought back Cole McGinnis in this romp of a mystery that fans can’t miss.

I do feel this potato, but 2020! It will be better, bigger, stronger! It’s gonna be the Million-Dollar Year!

potato@potatopatatas1

October 19th 2019

37,039 Retweets47,288 Likes

Deal of the Week

You still have two days to 50% off all pre-2019 Holiday eBooks at Dreamspinner Press! Even if you just want to stock up for next Christmas ;)

I love this beastie!

❄️🐐 Goth Ms. Krampus 👹❄️@spookperson

dismantle the system

December 27th 2019

27,734 Retweets133,600 Likes

Must Read of the Week

Check this out. I want to go ALL OF THESE PLACES in the new year!

The best seaside towns to visit near London

The Thames not big enough for you? Upgrade your day by the water in one of these cute coastal towns near London

When the sun shines, it’s a tradition in London to immediately seek out the nearest beer garden or patch of grass to soak up some rays. But with a little planning, it’s perfectly easy to slink off a little further afield and upgrade your place in the sun to a seaside deckchair. 

The UK’s wild and sweeping coastline is peppered with pretty little towns - some of which are surprisingly close to London. Don’t be fooled by the small stature of these coastal retreats - they’re packed with plenty of things to do, see, eat, drink and explore. They’re kitsch, cool and perfect for flip-flopping your way through a day of salty, sandy fun. 

Read Now

#WOMENSART@womensart1

'Self-Organization' by Courtney Brown, metal art bronze octopus and Underwood typewriter #womensart

December 28th 2019

394 Retweets1,198 Likes