Reads to Master the Craft

"It is time," as Rafiki says in the Lion King movie.

Life has become such a maelstrom of chaos that I need to step back, refocus, and breath. I adore blogging with you all, so I won't be gone long or stay too far away. Throughout the month of July, I will pop in now-and-again to say HI. I will continue to write for Oasis for YA during this time, so I hope you pay visits to us over there. On July 17th, I will be participating in LM Preston's Flutter of Luv Blog Tour, plus I'll be announcing the winners of my Q&A with a YA giveaway! If you haven't already entered, please do for your chance to win 1 of 3 YA & 2 MG summer reads! And please keep spreading the word. <3

BUT...I can't just leave you empty handed, so I have a gift.

Back in April, during the A to Z Blogging Challenge, I spotlighted books on craft and technique, grammar, and conjuring up ideas. It was such a hit with readers that I decided to gather a list of Writerly Aids and make a place for them on my site. I have, however, created a widget in the past, listing just that. But that widget grew and became bulky. 

What I've decided to do is create a widget of Perfecting the Craft, which will hold links to specific posts of all sorts. I'm beginning with the following: 

Books on Writing: ~ Incredibly Insightful Books~

• Save the Cat!: Blake Snyder
• The Art of War for Writers: J.S.Bell
• Writing the Breakout Novel: Donald Maass
• Characters/Ems/VP: N. Kress
• Words Overflown by Stars: Creative Writing Instruction and Insight - David Jauss
• From Where You Dream: The Process of Writing Fiction - Robert Olen Butler
• Plot Whisperer: Martha Alderson
• The Plot Whisperer Book of Writing Prompts: Martha Alderson
• Hooked: Les Edgerton
• The Emotional Thesaurus: Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi
• Elements of Style: Shrunk/White
• Word Power Made Easy: N. Lewis
• Leap Write In: Karen Benke
• Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus
• Rock Your Plot: Cathy Yardley
• Plot & Structure: J.S. Bell
• Elements of Fiction Writing: Beginnings, Middles, & Ends - Nancy Kress
• Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft - Burroway, Stuckey-French, Stuckey-French
• Bird by Bird: Anne Lamott
• A Poetry Handbook: Mary Oliver
• Elements of Fiction Writing: Scene & Structure - Jack Bickham
• The Art of Fiction: John Gardner
• Writing Down the Bones: Natalie Goldberg
• Dynamic Characters: Nancy Kress
• On Writing: Stephen King
• The Extroverted Writer: Amanda Luedeke
• Show & Tell in a Nutshell: Jessica Bell
• The Grammar Devotional: Mignon Fogarty
• The First Five Pages: Noah Lukeman
• Aspects of the Novel: E.M. Forster
• 30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary: Funk & Lewis
• Stein on Writing: Sol Stein
• Outlining Your Novel: K.M. Weiland
• How to Write Attention Grabbing Query & Cover Letters: John Wood
• Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: Renni Browne/Dave King 
• Reading Like a Writer: Francine Prose
• Elements of Writing Fiction: Conflict & Suspense - J.S. Bell
• Word Painting: Rebecca McClanahan
• Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting - Robert McKee
• First Draft in 30 Days: Karen S. Wiesner
• The 90 Day Novel: Unlock the Story Within - Alan Watt
• The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller - John Truby
• Alone, With All that Could Happen: David Jauss
• The Moral Premise: Harnessing Viture & Vice for Box Office Success - Stanley Williams
• How to Write and Sell Short Stories: Della Galton
• My Grammar and I or Should That Be Me?: J.A. Wines/Caroline Taggart
• The Writer's Treasury of Ideas: Linda Lewis
• The Hero with a Thousand Faces: Joseph Campbell
• Adverbs & Cliche's In A Nutshell: Jessica Bell

I've even added links to each so you can click and buy the books if you don't already own them. Whoot! 

Within the comments of my original post, many of you graciously suggested other reading material valuable to a writer's growth. So I've amended my original list, adding your suggestions. Thanks goes out to Stina, E. Arroyo, Lisa Gail Green, Heather McCorkle, & Matt MacNish.

August will be the month I will probably be less visable. I know I mentioned an announcement is on its way--and it is a way grander announcement than I thought it'd be when it all began--but I can't spill just yet. These things take time, as I'm discovering. So I might just be breaking in with some news. Until then....

Hearts to you all. Have a fabulous and safe 4th of July and enjoy your summer!

The YA Mind: readers, writers, thinkers

Whether you're of young adult age or years beyond, if you read or write or think about topics that affect the tweens, teens, and young adults of today, then you have a YA Mind.

And what better way to explore that then by asking questions of ourselves and others? So I'm here today to recruit your help. I want to accumulate a mountain of questions to send to our YA Expert Board to keep them busy for the summer. It's been a while since I've sent them any, so I believe it's time.


You may ask any question that you feel is pertinent to the YA world. It can be about reading, writing, or living the tween/teen life of today.


Here's a few suggestions:

• Relationships - parent/teen, teen/teen, teen/teacher or other
• Romance - age, behavior, seriousness, fickleness, etc...
• Tween/Teen outer appearances vs. inner conflicts
• Settings
• Plots & subplots
• Tween/Teen emotions & emotional gauges
• Contemporary vs. Paranormal
• Action vs. Literary
• Fashion, music, television, technology, sports, activities, the arts, etc...

I'm sure you can come up with more to explore.


Now, when I say I want a mountain of questions, I do mean a mountain. So to help perpetuate this and simply because you all totally ROCK, I'm offering prizes. Yes, prizes, with 5 lucky winners. 

Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below to be included in the giveaway!!  The only requirement is that you leave a question for our panel. (Don't leave your question in the comments or you won't be entered. PLEASE leave your question in the Rafflecopter form, so you'll be entered with 2 chances to win.) I would, however, love it if you'd spread the word about this giveaway and challenge. Pwwease.... ;D Thanks so much!!  I'll compile the questions and send them to our board. Winners to be announced on July 17th so you have plenty of time.


And just an FYI: I will be having a massive, gaugantuan, bigger-than-a-shopping-mall giveaway with an announcement very soon, probably after I take my summer blogging break but not sure just yet. I'll need your help then too. ;D (So if you'd be willing to offer up any prizes like critiques, a book, or anything, please let me know with your comment or feel free to email me. I'm willing to return the favor.)

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MG Spotlight: Nicolas &` Company~FREE copies!

Check out what Author Kevin McGill is doing: he's giving away 1,000 copies of his book.

July 6th, Aero Studios will mail 1000 free, signed copies of my book, Nikolas and Company: The Merman and The Moon Forgotten to those who get their orders in first. You don’t have to pay for the book, or shipping and handling. To qualify: Be between the ages of 10 and 17 (If you know someone between 10 and 17, feel free to order for them). Live in the US (adults can also get a free digital copy). 

 What do the reviewers think? Click here.  


    
CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR COPY NOW

And look forward to Kevin's return to the Alleyway, when I do a character interview with his characters!

My Wig Is On Perfectly Crooked

Characters can make or break the success of a story.

Have you ever read a book or watched a movie where you absolutely despise one of the characters? What about the hero you just can’t bear to see lose or the underdog who’s backstory is so gut-wrenching that even if they committed murder you’d still love them?

Sure you have. We all have. But why? What makes those characters resonate with us?

A relatable, emotional connection was established by the writers and filmmakers. They were able to get you to invest yourself and stake claim in the character. And if this is done well, they will also get you to connect qualities from a character with someone in your world. It might be your mother or the dog you and your BFF used to dress up in dog clothes. Or maybe the babysitter you had when you were twelve. You might even see a bit of yourself. The possibilities are endless.

Uniqueness, an element that makes the character stand apart from others, was surely also used. Take Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice. Her unique quality was her confidence and dogged opinions, which was only strengthened by the world she lived in where it was not popular to be an outspoken woman. A unique quality doesn’t have to be different in itself, just different to the other characters in your story.

Characters who make a story work are believable, flawed, and on some level emotionally jaded. Now, emotional jaded could be as simple as a character having a spider fall on her head as a young child while sleeping in a camp and developing a terrifying fear of the Arachnid. (Not that I ever experienced such an event.) Or it could travel the extremes of depression or anguish over a death, accident, or other traumatic and personal event.

The trick is to make the reader believe said character is haunted by his/her past, present, and possible future ~ whichever of these apply to your story.

How is that accomplished? Before you begin meshing the lives of your characters together in their here and now, give them – at varying degrees:

• A PAST worth telling and exploring. Don’t be afraid to push boundaries here. But remember, this past should help motivate the character forward in their current story world. It should help force a change.
• 
  
• A FAÇADE worthy of description, both inwardly and outwardly. Paint a picture for the reader, but do it gradually throughout a few chapters. Nibbles always make the eater hungrier. Give them a meal, and they fill up quickly.
• 
  
• A CHARACTERISTIC different from any other character in your story. It can be subtle or in-your-face. Play with it. Honestly, this is one of my favorite things to do, while I write.
• 
  
• A CONFLICT that will NOT be cured within the pages of this particular story. It could be a Doritos fetish from one character that totally aggravates another character. Kind of silly, but workable, and it can add flavor to scenes.

Obviously most of this should be concentrated on your main characters, but developing secondary characters even a little can add depth to your main characters that you can use and bounce off of. And who knows, if you accomplish success with this first story you just might be asked to do a sequel. You’d have surface material on the secondary characters that you could develop more deeply.

So tip your characters’ wigs now and again. Change the color. Give them a hat of a different texture, unexpected. Make me want them to succeed or fail. If you accomplish this, either way, you’re story will be remembered. (Repost from my guest post on Misha's site. 05/12)

Hoped you enjoyed this Featherbrained Friday post! What do you have to add about the emotional connection between reader and character? 

Book Spotlight~Daemons in the Mist

For today's Young Adult Teen Tuesday, I'm continuing with the theme of Daemons in the Mist by giving you a deeper look into the story of Patrick and Nualla.

Title: Daemons in the Mist
Author: Alicia Kat Dillman
Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy
Publisher: Korat Publishing
Release Date: June 2011
Pages: 490

I'd like to thank the author for providing me with an e-copy of this book for review.

Favorite Line/Passage: Patrick - Nualla was pacing back and forth still waving her hands frantically and talking into her cell in a language I couldn't understand. Though she was speaking quickly, the words flowed over her lips like a beautiful waterfall.

Nualla - The exception, it seemed, to California's bright and sunny weather. It's not the foggiest city in the world, but its damn close. People have written books based here, and songs and movies. Even Mark Twain is quoted as saying, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.' Though if I hear one more tourist say it, I'm going to hit someone. (I could have shared a ton of different quotes from Nualla; I just wanted to show you her snarkiness. Awesome, huh?)

Description: Finally getting the girl of your dreams; what could possibly go wrong? Seventeen year old Patrick Connolly has been hopelessly infatuated with Nualla for years but he is all but invisible to her. Until, that is, he rescues her from a confrontation with her ex. Little does Patrick know he’s just set off a dangerous chain reaction that will thrust him into a world of life altering secrets and things that shouldn’t exist, because the fog and mist of San Francisco is concealing more than just buildings.

NIGHTSTAND WORTHY

My Splats: A ride of intrigue, hidden agendas, action, and a ting of romance.

The story opens with Nualla and Patrick attending the same high school but living in separate worlds. Of course, the blending of two worlds works to sprinkle the paranormal elements necessary to tell this tale. But this setting also presents the reader with a great parallel of the reality of being a young adult. There are always segregated groups in high school, groups that are seen and those that are not seen. And the perception of these groups is no different than it has been throughout the ages of organized public education.

Patrick’s eyes are opened by the sudden, although somewhat accidental, interest Nualla shows him. Unexpected attention leads to unexpected travels, which take on a life of their own…and consequences. When Nualla believes she and Patrick have violated a serious code of honor for her people, they are forced into abiding by the rules of this code. This is fine with them, because they genially have fallen for each other. But as you might have guessed, there’s more to that part of the story.

Dillman includes what some might call risky subjects in young adult literature, using the reality of teenagers partying, drinking, sexual tension, and references to having sex. With saying this, all is done in perfect taste and highlights more of the real experience of today’s teenage life. It shows that teens might not always use the best judgment with their decision making, but they can act responsibly in handling the consequences when given the opportunity.

Overall, Dillman’s writing is a hoot! She uses the snarkiest, quick-witted language, especially through Nualla’s dialog. This strong characteristic attracted me like bees to their honey. And it didn’t just attract me, but Dillman’s other characters too. It was obvious that this was one element of Nualla’s personality that Patrick enjoyed. But it also challenged him. Through this, Dillman showed the maturing growth of a teenage boy.

I look forward to reading more of Nualla and Patrick adventures and am excited to see where Dillman takes their story. 

For more YA, visit these YATT Meme Supporters:

Margo Berendsen

The Write Game

Julie Musil (not every wk)

Rosewood Pencil Box

Misha Gericke (not every wk)

Fairbetty's World 

Concrete Pieces of Soul 

The B.L.O.G (The Bizzare Life of One Girl)  

A Day into the Writer

Want to take part in spotlighting young adult literature? Join our team. For more information, go HERE.

Daemons in the Mist Tour~Meet the Characters GIVEAWAYS!

Meet Nualla - quiet teenage girl, aloof, beautiful, mysterious. Then there's Patrick - the boy who has always admired Nualla from afar; and has few friends and from a normal family.

Isn't this gorgeous?

And from Author Alicia Kat Dillman's tour banner, it's pretty obvious that they change throughout the course of their story. So let's give Nualla and Patrick a warm Alleyway welcome! 
*Muffled hellos, hi's, and welcomes ... oh, and a faint what'sup?

But first a reminder to enter at the end of the post for a chance to WIN your very own eBook edition of Daemons in the Mist in the winner's choice of Kindle, Nook or PDF format. Whoot! The contest is open internationally so spread the word. Merci!! AND to enter the grand prize tour giveaway, consisting of a signed book, art pack and daemon makeover!! 

Hi Patrick, Nualla. Feel free to tell the audience a bit about yourselves.

Patrick: Gods, where do I even start? Okay, so basically I was this normal geeky guy who, let’s just say it, I had a slightly unhealthy infatuation with this girl, who basically didn’t even know I existed. [What? You know it’s totally true.] But it all worked out in the end because I ran off on this trip to Vegas with her and we accidentally got married and… Wait, that came out wrong… Um well… I think I’ll just stop talking now.

Nualla: Oh me, I’m totally not human. I may look human to you, but your eyes are lying to you. [What? Kat said she was cool. I mean we’re not exactly allowed to talk about what we are, but it’s not like anyone outside this room will ever know, right?] So yeah, I’m a Kalodaemon. You’d be surprised how many of us there are, especially in The City. [Well, obviously she knows I mean San Francisco when I say The City, Patrick. Where else would she think I meant?]

Fun facts, 'cause I'm just weird like that: What’s your favorite ice cream?

Nualla: Coffee or any coffee-like flavor.

Patrick: Pumpkin. [What? It’s a great flavor.]

Nualla: You are so weird.

Do you like to read? If so, what?

Patrick: Not as much as Beatrice seems to, but mainly I read manga and art magazines. Or I did until I started dating Nualla. My life is a little… crazy at the moment.

Nualla: I mainly read Kalodaemon fiction. Human books… uh do blog posts and twitter count as reading?

Patrick, Nualla mentioned coffee. What about coffee?

Patrick: Okay, I like coffee as much as anyone, but Nualla and the others well, they have this crazy obsession with it.

Nualla: It’s not crazy, it’s perfectly natural.

Patrick: You’re telling me drinking copious amounts of coffee is a normal daemons thing?

Nualla: No Patrick, I was just screwing with you.

Patrick: That’s what I—Oh you were being sarcastic just now, weren’t you?

Nualla: Yeah.

Patrick: So the coffee thing…

Nualla: Totally normal.

Patrick: Great.

Nualla: Patrick, why else would there be so many coffee shops in The City?

Patrick: People really really like coffee?

So Patrick, what was it like admiring Nualla from afar and then to suddenly have her notice you?

Okay I’d like to say it was all cool but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I totally freaked out, alone, in my room, where no one could— and I totally just admitted that to the world just now didn’t I? Crap.

         What was it about Nualla that drew you to her?

I… I don’t know exactly. The first time I saw her it was like well, like someone took a crossbow to my chest. I mean she’s freakin’ gorgeous and all, but well, I don’t know, I was just drawn to her. I really can’t explain it. There was something in me that just couldn’t seem to let her go all those years.

Nualla, Did it surprise you how easily you warmed up to Patrick? What made him different?

Well, he was like way cute and oh, those eyes of his are gorgeous. I’ve always been kind of a sucker for dark eyes. [Yes Patrick, Travis does have dark eyes, and no we are not talking about that… ever.] But [cough] there was something gentle and vulnerable about him that just kinda drew me in. And I’m not saying he’s weak or anything, I mean he did stand up to Michael and everything, and well, it was probably because he didn’t want to be with me to possess me or raise his status in the eyes of others. He wanted to be with me just because I was me. It was like he could always see me, the real me. The me I always had to hide before. And with him there was no longer a reason to hide.

How strange was it for you, Patrick, to hang out with Nualla and her friends that first time?

I’m gonna try not to sound like a terrible teen movie here but, when the cool kids suddenly decide they want to hang out with you, you just go with it. I mean sure my brain was telling me, ‘Oh God Patrick, you are so going to screw this up.’  While the other part of my brain was screaming, ‘Who the hell cares? You’re hanging out with Nualla freakin Galathea! Just shut and do what ever they do.’

Nualla: Gods Patrick, is that seriously what it’s like in your head all the time?

Patrick: Yeah, pretty much.

Nualla: Geez that must be exhausting.

Patrick: I’m kinda used to it.

Patrick, what did you really think about the early fact that certain kids didn't notice you at school over the past three years?

You know I hadn’t thought about it until now, but now that you mention it, okay at first it was a little weird. But I guess I just forgot about it after Nualla. [Okay that sounds lame but in my defense she was a huge distraction. Which--I’m gonna regret saying in about five seconds.]

Nualla, do you find it difficult melding your world into the mortal world? What about isolating?

Oh, this suddenly got all serious and stuff. Um… well, of course it is, you have to hide what you are all the time. Lie to everyone you will ever met. No one will ever know the real you, just the mask you have to wear every day. You’re basically a ghost; just enough online to seem normal, nothing more. It sucks big time. But it’s what I am, and well, sometimes you find people you can share it with.

           Were you surprised about the connection between Patrick and your close family friend, Travis?

Completely and totally shocked. Seriously would never have guessed that in a million years. And boy does it complicate--like everything.

P & N - So, what's up with this whole marrying business? Strange for seniors, isn't it?

Nualla: One, I was really drunk. Two, Kalodaemon Law isn’t exactly flexible on this. Three, well, don’t make decisions when you’re drunk because I’m sure I had a one in a million chance of this not sucking. Lucky for me I got stuck with someone who’s… [Okay maybe stuck with is a bad choice of words.]

Patrick: Okay I know everyone thinks I’m crazy, seriously Connor has already beaten this discussion to death. But let me just say when the universe hands you exactly what you’ve always been asking for who in their right mind would say no? I mean seriously, saying, “No Universe I don’t want this,” is like saying, “Hey Universe, come hit me with a bus now,” or something. You don’t say no, you never say no, you grab hold of it and hold on for dear life.

Your family seems really supportive, Nualla, where Patrick's isn't. How did that make you feel?

Oh, don’t even get me started on them. His parents have got to be some of the most neglectful people I have ever known. They leave him alone for days, weeks on end. And when they were actually there, they’re not really there. My family on the other hand is—

Patrick: Awesome.

Nualla: Well, besides Andraya.

Patrick: Oh come on, she’s not so bad.

Nualla: Patrick she hates you.

Patrick: at least she acts like I even exist. [And no I’m not talking about you, I’m talking about them.]

Patrick, did it feel strange having to trust in Nualla's daemon family?

At first it was weird, sure, but they’re all such great people. I mean even Andraya has her moments. I guess I’m just more used to friend’s families caring more about me than my own. I mean I think I’ve seen Connor’s mother more times in the last four years than my own.

P&N - You definitely had some major hurdles to leap over for your story to move forward together. What was the toughest for each of you?

Patrick: Toughest? Not having a nervous breakdown over the last few months. Oh, and having to keep things from Connor. The fact that there are now parts of my life I just can’t share with him, it’s—hard.

Nualla: Just loving Patrick at all, really. [Don’t give me that look, just let me finish, okay.] I’ve never regretted what happened for a second, it’s just the fact that someone could be so important that losing them could destroy you. The fact that something, that anything could have this much power over you, is terrifying. Realizing that, that absolute vulnerability, was really hard for me. [Now aren’t you glad you let me finish? Yes, I love you too.]

Thanks again for stopping by!

Patrick: No problem.

Nualla: Wait you said ‘world’ earlier, didn’t you?

Patrick: Um yeah, they’ve been recording this whole time. Wait, you mean you didn’t notice?

Nualla: Oh gods, we are so frakked.

About Alicia Kat Dillman
Indie author & illustrator Alicia Kat Dillman is a lifelong resident of the San Francisco Bay Area. Kat illustrates and designs book covers & computer game art by day and writes teen fiction by night. The owner of two very crazy studio cats and nine overfull bookcases, Kat can usually be found performing, watching anime or hanging out in twitter chats when not playing in the imaginary worlds within her head. 


I've added Kat's signature here. I just love it: =^.^= Alicia Kat Dillman Creative Director of KatGirl Studio. Find her at Kat Girl Studio, Twitter, Facebook Studio Page, Facebook Author Page, Google +.


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MOONLIGHT MAYHEM~Ask Shiloh Character Advice Guest Post!

Twitter hashtag: #MMBlogTour

To celebrate the release of author, Sherry Soule’s new YA novel, MOONLIGHT MAYHEM, the second thrilling novel in the Spellbound series, I've asked her fictional heroine, Shiloh Ravenwolf to stop by. She has started her own advice column “Dear Shiloh”. Since several people have asked Shiloh for help with some “very” interesting questions, she’s generously taken time away from her supernatural studies to answer them. Pasted below are some of the emails sent to her. Enjoy the snark!

Shiloh

Question 1:

Q. Dear Shiloh,

My boyfriend and I have been together for six months and I love him a lot but I think he loves his computer and his X-box games more than me! All he wants to do is play online games. He never takes me on dates anymore. I love him bunches, but I don't wanna feel ignored anymore. I don't know what to do!

Thanx,

Ignored-by-BF

A. Dear Ignored-by-BF,

It’s great that he’s into video games, but he should make time for you, too. If he can’t—I advise you to move on and find someone who appreciates you like my honey, Trent.

Kind regards,

Shiloh

Question 2:

Q. Dear Shiloh,

I think my house is haunted. Objects move by themselves, I hear whispering and moaning at night, and often the rooms get super cold. Once I saw a ghostly figure in the hallway. It freaked me out. What should I do?

Sincerely,

Scared of Ghosts

A. Dear Scared of Ghosts,

Sounds like your house is definitely haunted. My mentor Evans says that often a ghost simply wants to be recognized and sometimes they like to just hang out.  Maybe the ghost really wants to play a game, like Monopoly before he/she ventures into the light. Always remember to be a good host, and even, offer your ghostly roommates some kind of entertainment.

Kind regards,

Shiloh

Question 3:

Q. Dear Shiloh,

Lately my boyfriend has been acting kinda weird. Sometimes he gets all aggressive, and then he acts all testosterone-fueled. And he seems to be inhumanly strong. One time he got so mad that he actually snarled like a wolf. Plus, he’s gotten a lot hairier, too. Whaddya think’s going on?

Peace out,

Worried Girl

A. Dear Worried Girl,

Well, his odd behavior might be a paranormal dilemma. He could have a serious lycanthrope disorder. Not sure what to tell you about his bad attitude, but you could buy him a bottle of Nair for his hairy bod. Evans told me that were-creatures cannot enter houses of worship or walk on sacred ground. Try taking him to a graveyard or church and if he freaks out—well, then you’ve got major problems, and it might be best to contact either the Paranormal Research Group or animal control.

Kind regards,

Shiloh

Question 4:

Q. Dear Shiloh,

I think I might have a “Devil’s Mark” like yours. Does that mean I have demon blood inside me? It itches a lot and occasionally the scar even pulsates like a heartbeat. Sometimes when I get upset or mad a ball of flames appears in my hand.

Best,

Super-Worried

A. Dear Super-Worried,

Okay, it could be one of three things. One, you’re possessed by something evil. Two, you were “marked” by a demon named, Esael. Or three, you’re a half-demon, otherwise-know-as a cambion. If its number three, then you should know that in medieval legend, a Cambion is the offspring of a demon and a human. I sure hope it’s something simple like possession. Best of luck!

Kind regards,

Shiloh

Question 5:

Q. Dear Shiloh,

My BFF got hit by a car and we thought she died. But now she talks with an odd gurgle sound, she shambles around school, and she looks all insipid and blue-veiny. Recently, she’s had a weird craving for brains and she smells like embalming fluid. I think something’s terribly wrong with her!

Help me,

BFF Troubles

A. Dear BFF Troubles,

Yikes! This doesn’t sound good. I fear your BFF has turned into a zombie! But on the plus side, I’ve read online that zombies can often be affectionate, but hugging one often leads to, well, having your brains eaten—so you’ve been warned.

Kind regards,

Shiloh

Otherworldly Creatures. Dazzling Magic. Fiery Romance.

Book Blurb: Shiloh Ravenwolf thought she was getting used to the strange events in Whispering Pines, until the full moon brings another surge of supernatural threats to her coastal town. Ferocious wolves, deadly necromancers, and shambling zombies have descended upon the neighborhood, so Shiloh needs to gain control of her magical abilities—fast!

It sucks that she has a crippling fear of the dark, which for a demon hunter can be an epic problem.

When her classmates are attacked by a mysterious creature and her father is murdered, Shiloh vows vengeance. Forcing her phobias aside, she forms an unlikely coven of supernaturally gifted teens to help her eradicate this menace. Except that's not all Shiloh has to worry about. She’s battling a different monster within herself and struggling not to become the very thing she fights: evil.

But with demon blood inside her—anything can happen…

Moonlight Mayhem is the second novel in the unforgettably epic Spellbound series

Where you can find author, Sherry Soule online:

Official Blog, Official SpellboundSeries Universe, Twitter @WriterSherry, Goodreads

Stay tuned for my interview with Sherry, where she shares her experience, thoughts, and advice on writing and publishing, coming in the Fall.

SPLAT ALERT! I must announce the winner of a copy of J. Meyers book INTANGIBLE. 

Ricki M. you are the Winner! 

Many congrats to you and thanks for participating.