Cover Reveal: Pretty When She Destroys by Rhiannon Frater

So, here is the much awaited cover reveal of "Pretty When She Destroys", the third installment in "Pretty When she Dies" series by Rhiannon Frater and I am very happy to be part of it.

Series: Pretty When She Dies #3

Author: Rhiannon Frater

Release Date: July 23rd 2013

Genre: NA Horror/Urban Fantasy

Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Amaliya Vezorak always believed she was destined to live a failed life in obscurity until she was brutally murdered by an ancient vampire named The Summoner and reborn as a powerful vampire necromancer. Now it is up to her to save the world…

SERIES ORDER

0.5.  Pretty When They Collide - Amazon | Goodreads | Review

1.  Pretty When She Dies - Amazon | Goodreads

2.  Pretty When She Kills - Amazon | Goodreads

3.  Pretty When She Destroys 

AUTHOR INFO

Rhiannon Frater is the award-winning author of the As the World Dies trilogy (The First Days, Fighting to Survive, Siege,) and the author of three other books: the vampire novels Pretty When She Dies and The Tale of the Vampire Bride and the young-adult zombie novel The Living Dead Boy and the Zombie Hunters. Inspired to independently produce her work from the urging of her fans, she published The First Days in late 2008 and quickly gathered a cult following. She won the Dead Letter Award back-to-back for both The First Days and Fighting to Survive, the former of which the Harrisburg Book Examiner called ‘one of the best zombie books of the decade.’ Rhiannon is currently represented by Hannah Gordon of the Foundry + Literary Media agency. You may contact her by sending an email to rhiannonfrater@gmail.com.

AUTHOR ONLINE: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Ten Tips for Becoming a Better Writer

- Guest Post by Julia Tagliere

1. Practice makes perfect: It’s important to write every day, even if it’s only for fifteen minutes. If you’re on a break from your book, try blogging or journaling—just make sure you’re writing daily.
2. Misery loves company: Join or create your own writers’ group. Don’t just join the first group you find; a good fit is critical. Look for like-minded writers who are supportive but honest; encouraging but not sycophantic. Try to find a mix of both accomplished and aspiring writers; everyone, no matter his or her level of experience, has something to share. If it’s truly misery to share your work with them, move on—it’s not the group for you.  
3. School: not just for kids: Enroll in a class; take a webinar; attend writing conferences; check out some writing books. Never make the mistake of thinking that you already know everything there is to know about writing.
4. Those who can [write], read: Want to be a better writer? Read.
5. Emulate, but don’t imitate, the Greats: Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, it’s true. You can learn a great deal from studying The Greats, but beware of copying them. Rather, study those Greats to help prepare you for your own leap forward.  
6. Get tough: One of the hardest things to do as a writer is to become comfortable sharing your work with other people. My advice? Suck it up. If you want your work to be read, you have to share it. But—you don’t have to share it with everyone right away. Share it first with people who will simply encourage you (your mom, your best friend), just to get over the hump of that initial terrifying exposure, thenmove on to people who will give you their honest opinions.
7. Learn how to listen: Speaking of honest opinions…even the best writers in the world rarely get it right the first time. Listen to feedback and take it seriously. There is, of course, a difference between critique, which is helpful, and criticism, which is not. Choose your beta readers and editor carefully and be open to their suggestions.
8. Find your own rhythm: Some writers work best first thing in the morning; some writers are night owls. Find what works for you and stick to it.
9. Birds of a feather succeed together: Reach out to some local writers and ask them if you can meet for a cup of coffee. Ask them questions about their paths to publication. You’d be surprised how many generous, open writers are out there who’d be happy to share their experiences with you—particularly if there’s a free cup of coffee involved.
10. Live: Don’t isolate yourself! Writers can be very reclusive people by nature, but your writing will be richer and more engaging if you are connecting with the world outside of your laptop. As much as possible, get out there—travel, visit museums, people-watch, live life!

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Genre – Women’s Fiction

Rating – PG13

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Author Interview – James R Johnson

What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why? “It’s nothing personal, Sonny.  It’s strictly business.”  This was said by Michael Corleone, played by Al Pacino, in the 1972 Best Picture Oscar winner, The Godfather.  If you can’t tell, I’m a huge movie nut.  This quote always stood out to me, because at this point in the film, Michael has thrown himself completely into the family business, which he worked so hard to stay out of.  Here he realizes that he needs to step up for his family, to do what is necessary to survive.  The implications of what Michael is saying carry the maturity of manhood, looking outside himself to satisfy the needs of those he cares about.  He does what is necessary.  He does what others can’t or won’t.  He becomes the go-to guy.  I admire those who take control and get the job done.  Of course the morality of this instance is questionable, but the motivation behind it is what I cling to.

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life? Wow.  There are so many things in my life that I can look back on and ask, “Did I do that”.  I’m not a big believer in regret, so I tend to find the best in any situation.  Especially those tough situations in life, I try to find something I can learn from and make me a better person for the next encounter.  But, if I must toot my horn a little, I would have to say that I am proudest on my accomplishments in the film and television industry.  I started out as an actor in an out-of-market area.  Gigs were tough and few.  So, I made my own gigs.  I got into writing my own scripts, producing my own films, directing my own crew and cast.  I heard a quote once, actually it was Billy Zane in Titanic, he said, “A real man makes his own luck”.  Well, his character was pompous and arrogant, but that line always stuck with me.  I’m definitely a person who tries to make things happen.

What is your favorite color? Believe it or not… Orange.  Followed closely by Pinstripe.  I know, that’s not a real color but what’s a Yankees fan to do??

What is your favorite food? I love anything Oriental.  Chinese, Japanese, it doesn’t matter.  My father was stationed in Japan for a few years and the cuisine stuck with the whole family.

What’s your favorite place in the entire world? While there are many places I’d love to visit and see, there is nowhere on Earth quite like NYC!  New York City will always have a place in my heart as “home”.  Even now I hear New York State of Mind tripping in my mind’s ear.

How has your upbringing influenced your writing? My upbringing always fostered the creative spirit.  Between my father’s love of story and storytelling and my mother’s creative overdrive (crafts, writing, acting, painting, drawing, sculpting, cooking), there was not a deficiency in support.  I remember after I discovered acting in high school, I knew I had found my calling.  I told my parents that after I graduated I was going to fly out to Hollywood and make it big as a movie star.  I said I would give it two weeks and that should be plenty of time.  What did my parents do?  Encouraged me every step of the way.  I never did go to Hollywood, but the support never faded.  So when I decided to move from writing screenplays to novels, my parents were the first to read it and praise it.  But, of course, parents are supposed to stuff like that, right?

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated? Writing, like most of my other creative outlets, started as just that, an outlet.  I hated the routine of life.  School, homework, dinner, chores, bed.  How can anyone live like that?  I needed to create something.  It all started with erector sets and legos as a kid.  Then I moved on drawing and painting and sculpting and performing.  But writing was something that could be done anywhere with nothing but a pencil, paper, and time.  I could do it in class during lectures (I probably shouldn’t admit that…) or waiting in the doctor’s office.

When and why did you begin writing? I seriously started writing after college.  My situation forced me to leave New York and move back to my hometown.  That destroyed me.  So I wrote.  It wasn’t anything structured, no story arcs, no character development.  It was slice of life and just described experiences.  Mainly it was about a man who sought redemption and restoration (hmm).  For years I thought of nothing but returning to NYC.  I found relief in writing narrative.

How long have you been writing? Technically you could say I’ve been writing for all of my adult life.  But I didn’t start paying attention to the fundamentals of writing until about 1997 when I wrote my first screenplay.  Man, what a piece of trash that was.  But, we all have to start somewhere.

When did you first know you could be a writer? Honestly, I didn’t think it was possible to be a “writer”.  That thought began to change after I was offered my publishing deal.  The idea that someone was willing to give me money for the words I wrote, shook me.  It wasn’t until that day.  Actually, I still struggle with it sometimes.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Urban Fantasy

Rating – PG13

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How To Handle The Rejection Blues

- Guest Post by Lee Fullbright 

If you’re a writer you’ve got to keep your suit of armor polished. Rejection goes with the territory. Every writer gets rejected. Just like every architect gets rejected. And every actor. And musician, and model, and ad (wo)man, and and and…

But here’s the good news (if there’s anything good about rejection): This kind of rejection, about your project, is not personal. The rejector has no idea what kind of really wonderful person you are.    

I used to keep rejection slips in a black binder. But only the “really good” ones, the one with encouraging comments. I jokingly said I’d paper a bathroom with them someday—probably every writer says that.

I told myself the binder represented effort, and effort is commendable, a “no pain, no gain” kind of thing. Rejection meant I was engaged with the world.

However, scrap-booking my rejection slips meant I was borderline neurotic (which I didn’t know, of course—not then.). It’s like keeping every reminder of every jerk I ever dated—why would I want to do that to myself?

The good news is that my binder is long gone. I’d no use for it after it got so big and fat and started taking up too much room—not just on the shelf, but as a weight on my self-esteem.

My aha moment came when a rejection arrived that sent me straight to bed; covers over my head, the whole pitiful thing. I felt worthless. I felt a fool for even trying to write, for submitting, for even breathing the same air as the rest of the human race.

And then I got sick of myself. Of my poor-me wailing … oh, get a grip, I thought. I got out of bed and made a list of my really amazing qualities (we all have them), and then I made another list, this one of all the things I love. People I love. Dogs I love. The gardens, books, and music that nurture me—the things that can take me back to my center. My good center. My worthwhile center. The empowering place (where I keep my suit of armor).

The balance.

There’re a particular few lines I love in Elizabeth Berg’s Home Safe. They are:

“She sits down and puts her hand to her chest and rocks. Thinks of all she has lost and will lose … it seems to her that life is like gathering berries into an apron with a hole. Why do we keep on? Because the berries are beautiful, and we must eat to survive. We catch what we can. We walk past what we lose for the promise of more, just ahead.”

And as much as I love these words—and I more than love them; I’m in awe of them—I always think when I read these lines, and I just can’t help it:

Yes, but you could always try changing out of that apron-with-a-hole-in-it, sweetie. No sense making things harder than they need being—unless you’re getting some kind of special (and, yes, neurotic) joy out of giving yourself more pain.

Might want to look at that.

Just sayin’.

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Genre – Historical / Psychological Mystery

Rating – PG13

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Website http://leefullbright.com/