Support 4 Authors & SNAG $125!!

Here on the Graffiti Wall, I'm all about promoting authors. I'm a firm believer in the more you give, the more you receive. I created Writers' Ally to record my journey as author, short story writer, and mother with the hope to help, influence, and encourage others. But the Graffiti Wall is all about YOU.

Today is not your average Graffiti Wall spotlight. I have four authors sharing their splatters with us and leaving their signatures on the WALL. Even better, they are offering up a giveaway!

More holiday swag!! YES!

Four books

Two Days

Great Prizes

With this contest, there is something for everyone and it’s SO simple to be in on the winning!

On November 28 and/or 29, purchase 1 or all 4 of the debut author’s books listed below. Then forward proof of purchase (the receipt Amazon sends you will do just fine) to : motionsrider@yahoo.ca and get up to 4 entries into a draw for a $100 Amazon gift card!

It’s that easy, no reviews, no hoops to jump through. Just a great .99 book or two. Or three or four. AND, if the person who wins the $100 Amazon Gift Card has purchased all 4 books, an additional $25 Amazon Gift Card will be awarded to the winner!

On top of that, 2 random commenter’s picked from 2 of our participating blogs will receive $5 gift Amazon gift cards . So, be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think of the promo, the books, or the authors.

Winners will be chosen randomly, one entry per person, per book. All winners will be announced on December 7^th on Wringing Out Words.

“Between” by Cyndi Tefft

It just figures that the love of Lindsey Water's life isn't alive at all, but the grim reaper, complete with a dimpled smile, and Scottish accent.

After transporting souls to heaven for the last 300 years, Aiden MacRae has all but given up on finding the one whose love will redeem him and allow him entry through the pearly gates.

Torn between her growing attraction to Aiden and heaven's siren song, Lindsey must learn the hard way whether love really can transcend all boundaries. LINK to purchase.

“Until Dawn: Last Light” by Jennifer Simas

When darkness falls, whose side will you be on?

For the past six years, Zoë has been anything but “normal.” Struggling to accept her immortality and thrown into a war that’s been waging in the shadows for over a thousand years, Zoë must now become who she was meant to be, joining the other Chosen to save what’s left of humanity. When the endless night falls over the Earth, will she be able to save the one man who reminds her of what it is to be human, or will it be too late?

Until Dawn: Last Light is a story of death and despair, love and longing, hope and hopelessness, and the ability to survive and keep going even when it seems impossible – when you want nothing more than to give up. LINK to purchase. 

“The Kayson Cycle” by Jonathan D. Allen

A stranger enters a dying town and makes a desperate plea…

The Kayson Cycle introduces the Kayson Brothers, a pair of faith healers who once wowed crowds in a traveling show but went their separate ways after a night in which a healing took a dark turn. Jeffrey Kayson disappeared into the wilderness and William Kayson, wracked by guilt, moved to the failing mining town of Calico Hills to build a nice, quiet life – one that has lasted for over ten years.

His quiet, predictable life crumbles when a mysterious stranger walks into his tavern bearing a proposal to find his long-lost brother and do the one thing that William has sworn to never do again - have his brother heal a woman. William soon learns that he can’t escape his family – or his destiny.

Includes an exclusive sample chapter of The Corridors of the Dead. Please note that this is a Kindle Single, and around 6,000 words in length. LINK to purchase.

“Sundered” by Shannon Mayer

A miracle drug, Nevermore, spreads like wildfire throughout the world allowing people to eat what they want, and still lose weight. It is everything the human population has ever dreamed of and Mara is no different. Only a simple twist of fate stops her from taking Nevermore.

As the weeks roll by, it becomes apparent that Nevermore is not the miracle it claimed. A true to life nightmare, the drug steals the very essence that makes up humanity and unleashes a new and deadly species on the world that is bent on filling its belly. Locked down within their small farm home, Mara and her husband Sebastian struggle against increasingly bad odds, fighting off marauders and monsters alike.

But Sebastian carries a dark secret, one that more than threatens to tear them apart, it threatens to destroy them both and the love they have for each other.

Now Mara must make the ultimate choice. Will she live for love, or will she live to survive? LINK to purchase.


QUICK ALLEYWAY SPLATTER: Please support Shelli Johannes Wells, today! She's launching her book!! And if you would be so kind to support me, head over and VOTE for my picture book!! (Thank you!!)


For those of you who are Indie published, what do you think of this way of self-promotion?


Here are the other sites helping these authors promote themselves:

The Immortal words of Doctor Fab www.shayfabbro.com

The Beauty Brat http://www.thebeautybrat.com/

A Novel’s Journey http://anovelsjourney.blogspot.com/

Haley Whitehall http://haleywhitehall.com/blog/

Call Sign: Wrecking Crew on the Run http://callsignwreckingcrew.blogspot.com

Romance by Catherine http://catherinebybee.blogspot.com/

Believe http://mimibarbour.blogspot.com/

Carmen Desousa http://carmendesousa.blogspot.com/

AE Marling http://aemarling.com/

RS Guthrie http://www.rsguthrie.com/

Ev Bishop http://evbishop.wordpress.com/

Labotomy of a Writer http://labotomyofawriter.com/

Must Inkshttp://museinks.blogspot.com/

The Romanceaholic http://romanceaholic.com/

Care Caffrey www.carycaffrey.com/

Chicklets Lit http://chickletslit.wordpress.com/

Nathan Everett http://www.gutenbergrubric.com/

Rants of a Wolf http://aetas-lupus.livejournal.com/

Letters inside Out http://www.lettersinsideout.net

Can’t Put it Down book Reviews http://readitreviewit.wordpress.com/category/home/

Unabridged Bookshelf http://unabridgedbookshelf.blogspot.com

Indiscriminate Writes http://indiscriminatewrites.blogspot.com/

Illusions http://lorhainneeckhart.blogspot.com

Angie West http://angiewest.wordpress.com/tag/angie-west/

Micheal Young: The Canticle http://www.writermike.com.

Brianna Soloski http://www.girlseeksplace.com/

Wendy Carmell http://www.wendycartmell.webs.com

Heather McCorkle http://heathermccorkle.blogspot.com/

Sheri Larsen http://writersally.blogspot.com

Vanessa Barger Writes http://vanessabargerwrites.wordpress.com/

J Keller Ford: Dreamweaver’s Cottage http://jennykellerford.wordpress.com/

Doc Dave’s Voice http://www.docdavesvoice.com

Kim Cormack http://www.kimcormack.com

Twin Dragon’s Knowledge http://twindragonsknowledge.blogspot.com/

What’s Beyond Forks? http://whatsbeyondforks.blogspot.com/

Scott Bury: Jambalian http://jambalian.blogspot.com/

Raven Corinn Carluk http://raven.youareannoying.us/

Madeline Rex http://madeleinerex.com

What the Cat Read Http://whatthecatread.wordpress.com

Chazz Writes www.chazzwrites.wordpress.com

Venture Galleries http://venturegalleries.com

Far Manor http://farmanor.blogspot.com/

Blame it on the Full Moon www.blameitonthefullmoon.blogspot.com

Kelly Hitchcock http://kellyhitchcock.com/blog/

My Imaginary Beings http://my-imaginary-beings.blogspot.com/

Louise Wise http://louisewise.blogspot.com

My Eclectic Bookshelf http://myeclecticbookshelf.blogspot.com/

Benjamin Jones Writes http://benjaminjoneswrites.weebly.com/index.html

Alchemy of Scrawl alchemyofscrawl.wordpress.com

Reena Jacobs www.reenajacobs.com/blog

Sleepless in Samoa http://sleeplessinsamoa.blogspot.com

Bluebells Trilogy http://bluebellstrilogy.blogspot.com

Nyx Book Reviews http://nyxbookreviews.blogspot.com/

Wicked Readings by Tawania http://www.wickedreadingsbytawania.blogspot.com

Live to Read http://livetoread-krystal.blogspot.com/

Cici’s Theories www.cicistheories.com

Hannah Downing www.hannahdowning.com

My Inner Muse  http://www.kishazworld.com/innermuse/

Book Flame http://www.bookflame.blogspot.com/

Dreaming Dreams no Mortal ever Dared http://Dreamingdreamsnomortaleverdared.blogspot.com

Coldfire Writer http://coldfirewriter.wordpress.com/

Passing the Open Windows http://www.passingtheopenwindows.co.za/

Books 4 Juliet http://books4juliet.blogspot.com/

Ren’s Blogging About http://renthewriter.com/

Tibby Armstrong http://tibbyarmstrong.com/

A Diary of a Book Addict http://adiaryofabookaddict.blogspot.com/

Andrew Carlson http://andrewcarlson.com/bloggy/

SS Book Fanatics http://ssbookfanatics.blogspot.com

Lady Techies Book Musings Http://ladytechiesbookmusings.blogspot.com

Jillian Brookes-Ward www.writers-unlimited.blogspot.com

Horror. Punk. Buddhism.  http://mepurfield.livejournal.com

Writers Alley http://writersally.blogspot.com.

Lost in Believing http://lostinbelieving.wordpress.com/

Melissa Bunnell http://psptutstagsbyq.blogspot.com 

Books Make me Happy http://palmcoasttwilightbookclubreviews.wordpress.com/

Between the Pages Reviews http://www.betweenthepagesreviews.com/

Word Spelunking http://www.wordspelunking.blogspot.com/

The Violet Hour http://www.violethourbr.com/

New England Muse http://Newenglandmuse.wordpress.com

Live by the Pen, Die by the Pen http://blog.daphnejriordan.com/

Glowy Mushrooms  www.glowymushrooms.tumblr.com

Fictional Distraction Book Reviews www.fictional-distraction.com

Breila McValan http://taiyouryu.insanejournal.com/375.html

Lakisha Spletzer http://indieauthor-howto.blogspot.com  

NEWS and Q & A with a YA

I do have NEWS. But first, read this:

It's been a while since the Alleyway has heard from our teen board. They've been busy with high school, studying, reading, and doing what teens do. But the time has come to welcome their return.

For those of you who write YA, just leave a question (or more) in the comments below for our young adults to answer. It can be about what they'd like to read, about the publishing industry, or maybe ebooks. Libraries. Their studies. Even a question about a character or scene you're currently writing: how would you (the teen) react or is this believable to you?

Ask them anything.

They are awesome.

In the coming weeks, I'll compile your questions and post the answers.

'K, for the news. About three weeks ago, I decided to submit one of my picture books to a publisher's contest. There are approximately 300 entries. *Shiver* Yes, I know. But someone has to win. And if I'm one of the top five, my book gets itself a shiny illustrator and a hardcover!! Hee...

It all starts out with reader votes. I've NEVER asked you to do anything like this for me before, so if you feel awkward about it I will not hold it against you. But if you don't mind, I'd LOVE for you to head over HERE and read my story. If you feel it's worthy of your vote, PLEASE VOTE for my story. (If you click on Author at the top of the page, I should be on page 10. Thank you~!!)

Thank you!! I'm forever grateful for your support!!

DESTINED Released!! Book Tour

I could not be more happy for today!!

Jessie Harrell, author of DESTINED

 Approximately a year and a half ago, I met the Graffiti Wall's next featured author. We were both members and moderators of YAlitchat--our fabulous online writing community. She took on the duties of a MOD before I did. But when I decided to lend my volunteering gene to YAlitchat's wonderful mission of guiding writers on their road to publication, she welcomed me with open arms--as did the others. *waves at MODS*

Jessie and I began to blog together. Then chat, sharing ideas. Before I knew it, we were launching a team blog, Oasis for YA, with three (now four) other YA writers. It's been a fabulous experience, not to mention getting to know Jessie even better. I've watched her grow during her personal journey to publication, and I could not be more happy for her. She has worked very hard.


Without further chatter from moi, here's Jessie answering my questions in her own words.



Isn't she just fabulous!!!

And check out this gorgeous cover! So beautiful.

Please feel free to visit Jessie on her Blog, Website, Goodreads, and Facebook.

Have the itch to purchase the book now?? You may do so in paperback form: Book Depository & Amazon; ebook form: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, & Smashwords.

Even better, want to win an ebook copy?? Jessie is graciously giving one away, right here on Writers' Ally. Click HERE to enter and read my review of DESTINED.

I'll be taking the rest of the week to finish some edits and spend with my family, giving thanks.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Book Spotlight: DESTINED & GIVEAWAY!!

                                                                  

Title: DESTINED
Author: Jessie Harrell                                                                  
Genre: Young Adult, Romance                                          
Publisher: Mae Day Publishing                                              
Release Date: November 17, 2011                                            
Pages: 260
                                                  
I'd like to thank the author for providing me an e-copy of this book to review. 


Favorite Passage/Line: Father handed off his knife to one of the other mourners and turned to me. He cupped my face in both his hands. The tears he had worked so hard to hold back two days ago spilled freely down his face. His pain broke my  numbness and hot tears of my own bubbled up and slipped down my cheeks.

Description: When Psyche receives a prophecy gone horribly wrong, she learns that even the most beautiful girl in Greece can have a hideous future. Her fate? Fall in love with the one creature even the gods fear. 

As she feels herself slipping closer into the arms of the prophecy, Psyche must choose between the terrifyingly tender touch she feels almost powerless to resist and the one constant she's come to expect out of life: you cannot escape what is destined. 

Destined is a fresh and heartachingly romantic retelling of the Cupid & Psyche myth from debut novelist, Jessie Harrell.

COVETED!! A Must Have!

My Splats: Yes, I really did like it that much. 

Destined is a legendary tale, told in a modern voice and spiced with Harrell's gentle nature and charm. Her rendition breaths new life into this timeless story of honor, love, and betrayal, introducing Psyche and Eros to a new generation.

True to it's mythological roots, Destined follows Psyche as she struggles with the her fate of being chosen 'a daughter of Aphrodite.' One of my favorite aspects of this retelling was Harrell's utilization of two POVs. I find it interesting to see a story from more than one vantage point. But Harrell goes even farther by giving the reader an intimate view of Psyche through a first person voice, all while teasing the reader by leaving Eros in third person. This method  gives Eros' manliness a boost and makes for a faster paced story.

And speaking of Eros, could he get any hotter? If Harrell's physical description of him doesn't get you, the words she gives him will. His bad-boy attitude only makes him more attractive as does Harrell's decision to write his voice in third person. But slowly, as the story progresses, his cockiness softens and he grows emotions, changing the momentum of the story. I quickly found myself wanting more and more of him, unable to wait for the flip of the page.

Psyche is a strong protagonist, which young adults can relate to and admire. Harrell's usage of some of Greek Mythology's characters such as Persephone and Charon really give the tale vigor, and leave a thirst for more Mythology on the tongue. What better influence could a writer have then to intrigue a younger generation to seek out the classics.

Isn't this the most beautiful banner you've ever seen!

(Go to give my fellow Oasis Sister a little extra...*wink*)
BUY FROM AMAZON & BARNES AND NOBLE.

ENTER to win an e-copy of DESTINED!! AND make sure you return tomorrow for Jessie's interview via VLOG!!

"If you leave your e-mail address in your comment, you'll be automatically entered to win an e-copy of Destined. The contest will stay open for 48 hours after the post goes live, and then Jessie will use random.org to select a winner. Available formats include .mobu, .epub and .pdf.

And please be sure to visit the other stops on Destined's official blog tour for chances to win copies of Destined and other goodies."

1-Nov Once Upon A Twilght -  Book Trailer +Interview Ebook giveaway
2-Nov Books With Bite - Interview Ebook giveaway
3-Nov Living in Literary La La Land Guest Post Ebook giveaway
4-Nov I am a Reader, Not a Writer Guest Post Ebook giveaway
5-Nov Paper Hangover Interview Ebook giveaway
6-Nov Nikki Katz Interview Ebook giveaway
6-Nov Fictional Distraction Review Ebook Giveaway
7-Nov Daisy Chain Book Review Interview Ebook giveaway
8-Nov MundieMoms Review + Short Story Ebook giveaway
9-Nov Safari Poet Guest Post Ebook giveaway
10-Nov Good Choice Reading WOW CONTEST + Review Ebook giveaway
11-Nov LM Preston Guest Post VLOG - Read a Scene Ebook giveaway
12-Nov An Avid Readers Musings Interview VLOG Ebook giveaway
13-Nov Skyla11377 Review Ebook giveaway
14-Nov Dark Readers Interview Ebook giveaway
15-Nov Shortie Says... Character GUEST POST Ebook giveaway
16-Nov A Cozy Reader's Corner Reviews  Guest post - Sneak Peek Ebook giveaway
17-Nov Stuck In Books Character Interview Ebook giveaway
18-Nov From A to Z Review  Ebook giveaway
19-Nov Turning Pages Interview Ebook giveaway
20-Nov A Tale of Many Reviews Guest Post Ebook giveaway
21-Nov Read My Mind - AliseonLife Interview Vlog Ebook giveaway
22-Nov S.A.Larson Review Ebook giveaway
23-Nov Starry Sky Books Prize pack giveaway + Guest Post Ebook giveaway
23-Nov Angels and Demons and Portals. Oh My! Prize pack giveaway Ebook giveaway

Book Spotlight: STRING BRIDGE

Title: String Bridge
Author: Jessica Bell
Genre: Woman's Contemporary
Publisher: Lucky Press, LLC
Release Date: November 2011
Pages: 288

I would like to thank the author/publisher for providing me with a copy of this book to review.

Favorite Line/Passage: Imagine standing in the middle of a field. Imagine red dirt. Distance and more beyond it. Imagine searching for the end of this distance, where the stars join to it like pins to a tent in loam. Imagine looking up to a cluster of approving eyes. Lying naked beneath them with the man you want to spend the rest of your life with. Imagine a silence that echos the touch of your hand to his cheek. Imagine existence being loud and small, the way the Sun lights up the Earth. Imagine you are the Earth and he is the Sun, that silence is tangible, and the stars are the souls of your previous lives. Imagine distance is the place you'll find life and death, where soil is your skin, and the dry fields your bones. Imagine love is the desert.

Description: Greek cuisine, smog and domestic drudgery was not the life Australian musician, Melody, was expecting when she married a Greek music promoter and settled in Athens, Greece. Keen to play in her new shoes, though, Melody trades her guitar for a 'proper' career and her music for motherhood. That is, until she can bear it no longer and plots a return to the stage--and the person she used to be. However, the obstacles she faces along the way are nothing compared to the tragedy that awaits, and she realizes she's been seeking fulfilment in the wrong place.

COVETED. A MUST READ!

My Splats: A poignantly written tale of family, marriage, love, betrayal, and the inner strength of one woman's human spirit to find her true place in her world.


I primarily read young adult and middle grade fiction, because of my love for the raw innocence within that age group. Saying that, I found String Bridge to have a similar pureness I look for when reading children's literature. The characters are well developed with meaningful and realistic inner struggles that a reader can easily relate to. 


Melody is a woman with a beautiful daughter and wonderful husband. She has a fantastic job doing something she loves to do--write and edit. But despite the coverall of a perfect, domestic life, she longs for the life she left behind--her music. Through reading Melody's thoughts and past experiences, the reader discovers that Melody left behind more than just her music when she decided to marry and start a family. She abandoned a part of her soul, the part that music freed up inside her.


The author's portrayal of Melody's search for inner self, purpose, and meaning, is at times gut-wrenching almost pithy, but always honest and true. The stormy pieces of her relationship with her mom add to the emotional depth and show how some childhood wounds simply never heal.


There's an elegance in Melody's pain over her mother's selfish ways. Melody's longing to find peace with her mother foreshadows her need for personal acceptance in who she is as a mom, wife, daughter, and musician. Along with this and trying to balance motherhood and work, tensions escalate within her marriage, making her question every decision she's ever made. And when tragedy strikes where she lest expects it, Melody realizes that life is a string of never-ending bridges in one's life and crossing each bridge is choosing to live.


You can support Jessica Bell by visiting her Blog, Website, Facebook, & Twitter. STRING BRIDGE can be found in e-book form at Amazon, Amazon (UK); Paperback - Barnes & Noble. Goodreads. A soundtrack is also being released with the book. How cool is that!! It's available at Amazon, Amazon UK, & iTunes. Read my INTERVIEW yesterday with her for even more links and details.

Graffiti Wall Spotlight: Author Jessica Bell

It seems like only yesterday that I met my next featured author. We were both cyber surfers and found a few similar blogs to hang out at, chat. Eventually that turned into private emails of tossing ideas and projects around. Before long, we were sharing our hopes and dreams for both our personal and writing lives.

Then there was the massive excitement when she email-chatted me about catching the eye of Janice of Lucky Press--now her publisher. There was even a bit of interaction between myself and Janice about my novel, which I credit to Jess's speedy help in preparing a query letter.

I consider her a dear friend.

Jessica Bell, Author of STRING BRIDGE

Please give a warm, Alleyway welcome to her main character, Melody.

Hi Melody! It's a pleasure to have you here. Where did your love for music come from?

Well, originally, before being influenced by my parents’ love of music, and Joni Mitchell, it was my grandmother, (my mother’s mother) who encouraged me to sing when I was as young as three or four. My grandmother, Bertha Shea, who was born in Washington, USA, was greatly influenced by Mildred Bailey, a popular American jazz singer during the 1930s. My grandmother would sing her hit Rockin’ Chair with me so many times. She died when I was ten in a freak road accident. And don’t remember much more than the cosy nights by the piano. I never spoke about her in this story because it would have created tangents to completely different aspects of my life that just weren’t relevant. Not to mention, Betty’s (my mother) childhood too, and the influence my grandmother had on her being an American married to an Australian, etc. The story would have just gone out of control. I guess you can say there’s a history of marrying into different cultures!

Oh. I'm so sorry for your loss, but I think the relationship you and your grandmother shared is beautiful.

Many times, as Jessica told your story, I felt you sink into your past, your music. How hard was that for you? How deep did the regret of giving up your music for a time go?

I’m not sure I can explain that any better than how I do in the book. Your followers will just have to read it. J

There were parts of your childhood that you obviously wanted to forget, parts of your relationship with your mum. How do you think that inner struggle to forgive, to forget, to not be like your mum, yet still love her, affected the choices you made?

I think I analysed everything too much and forgot to live the moment. My choices were therefore made for the wrong reasons; they were made based on what I romanticized my life to be, rather than looking at what it already was square in the face and doing the math.

Throughout your story, you question yourself--self examine yourself, your marriage, motherhood... Did you find any answers?

Yes. But not by examining myself. I found answers by chance. To be honest, I think they were already there, but I wasn’t looking in the right direction.

I think that's a common thread in life.

Do you believe in fate? 

Totally and utterly. Everything happens for a reason.

Without giving away your whole story, what life-advice would you like to share with my readers?

• Firstly, don’t mistake depression with unhappiness. They are completely different things. Depression makes you feel unhappy without reason, don’t try to find excuses for the feeling, they are just excuses, they are not real. Unhappiness is brought on yourself and you can change it. It doesn’t come in waves like depression. It is constant. Try to determine which one you are suffering from before trying to treat it.
• Don’t over-analyse yourself or those around you. Life is more often than not, simple and uncomplicated.
• Don’t take your friends and family for granted.
• Acknowledge your regrets, and then move forward before you waste your life living in your past.
• Take a moment out of every day to savour and enjoy. Otherwise it’s just another date to tick off your calendar.

Thank you, Melody, for being a part of our day, and thank you, Jessica, for sharing Melody's story with us. Looking forward to releasing my book review tomorrow!! 

Jessica can be found on her Blog, Website, Facebook, & Twitter. STRING BRIDGE can be found in e-book form at Amazon, Amazon (UK); Paperback - Barnes and Noble, Amazon (US), Amazon (UK), Goodreads. A soundtrack is also being released with the book. How cool is that!! It's available at Amazon, Amazon UK, & iTunes. 

       Jessica Bell is a literary women's fiction author, poet and singer/songwriter who grew up in Melbourne, Australia, to two gothic rock musicians who had successful independent careers during the '80s and early '90s.

      She spent much of her childhood travelling to and from Australia to Europe, experiencing two entirely different worlds, yet feeling equally at home in both environments. She currently lives in Athens, Greece and works as a freelance writer/editor for English Language Teaching publishers worldwide, such as HarperCollins, Pearson Education and Macmillan Education.

      In addition to String Bridge, Jessica has published a book of poetry called Twisted Velvet Chains. A full list of poems and short stories published in various anthologies and literary magazines can be found under Published Works & Awards, on her website.

     From September 2012 Jessica will be hosting the Homeric Writers' Retreat & Workshop on the Greek island of Ithaca, home of Odysseus.