Hello my lovely readers!

Just a note to remind everyone that this blog is no longer regularly updated. For all information regarding me and my books, please visit my website at michellemcleanbooks.com

Countdown to 69 Million Things I Hate About You

The newest release from my contemporary side, Kira Archer, is coming soon!!! It's up on Goodreads and available on Netgalley for those who'd like to request it for review and there are lots of fun and giveaways on the way so stay tuned!

Release Day!

It's release day!! Here's where you can find How to Lose a Highlander:

Book 1 in The MacGregor Lairds series

Find it at: Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Google | Kobo | Amazon UK  | Amazon CA | Amazon AUS | Goodreads | Entangled Publishing |

New Cover for Upcoming Release!

So excited to have a new series coming out. Especially because it revolves around HIGHLANDERS! The first book in the MacGregor Lairds series is How to Lose a Highlander and it's out May 15th! Stay tuned for more info and in the meantime, drool with me over this gorgeous cover :-)

To Trust a Thief is on Sale!

My very first novel just had its third anniversary - if you haven't read it yet, now is a great time to grab it. It's on sale for 99 cents! The sale is actually tomorrow but it's already going live so you get a few extra hours :D Don't miss out!!

Deets, links, and the first chapter can be found here - http://goo.gl/M5Oj9i

grin emoticoDon't miss out!! http://goo.gl/M5Oj9i

Passionate Promises is Live!

The Passionate Promises anthology is LIVE!!

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1JUgSTg 
BN: http://bit.ly/1VRENUK
iBooks: http://apple.co/1VRERnh
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1VREXLy

Nine Promises to Stir Your Passions from award-winning, bestselling authors: USA Today Bestselling author Bronwen Evans with Ella Quinn, Collette Cameron, Maggi Andersen, Victoria Vane, Barbara Monajem, Michelle McLean, Violetta Rand, and Christy Carlyle. Enter the dazzling world of brawny Vikings, Regency rogues, and sexy scoundrels as they take you on one romantic journey after the other in these tantalizing historicals filled with betrayal, intrigue, and passion. 

TO CHALLENGE THE EARL OF CRAVENSWOOD by Bronwen Evans 
A darkened garden, a case of mistaken identity, a drunken kiss, and a dropped emerald earring, leads Henry on a Cinderella hunt. 

A PROMISE OF LOVE by Ella Quinn 
Can she keep her promise and be true to herself? 

A KISS FOR MISS KINGSLEY by Collette Cameron 
Love relinquished and redeemed as once betrothed Allen Wimpleton and Olivia Kingsley meet again after a three year separation only to discover, their love is stronger than ever. 

STIRRING PASSIONS by Maggi Andersen 
A passionate promise should never be taken lightly. 

A PLEDGE OF PASSION by Victoria Vane 
Only a madman makes a promise in the heat of passion...And only a fool believes him.... 

A HIGHWAYMAN'S HONOR by Michelle McLean 
He's honor bound to protect his enemy's daughter; but he never counted on losing his heart. 

LORD QUICKTHORN'S BARGAIN by Barbara Monajem 
To save her sister’s virtue, will she sacrifice her own? 

WANTED BY THE WARRIOR by Violetta Rand 
In a land where vendettas and magic separate the north and south, forbidden love is brewing between two ancient rivals… 

NEVER TEMPT A ROGUE by Christy Carlyle 
An infamous rogue meets his match in a feisty chaperone who has all but given up on love.

Coming Soon!

Coming February 15, 2016 - An Embracing Romance anthology with 9 best selling and award winning authors. Available for a limited time only!! Up for pre-order now.

Nine Promises to Stir Your Passions from award-winning, bestselling authors: Bronwen Evans, Ella Quinn, Collette Cameron, Maggi Andersen, Victoria Vane, Barbara Monajem, Michelle McLean, Violetta Rand, and Christy Carlyle. Enter the dazzling world of brawny Vikings, Regency rogues, and sexy scoundrels as they take you on one romantic journey after the other in these tantalizing historicals filled with betrayal, intrigue, and passion.


Amazon | BN | Kobo | iTunes

BBS Now in Paperback

The Blood Blade Sisters series is now available in paperback! Check the tabs above for links.

Teaser Tuesday - Lisa Amowitz's Until Beth

Andre burst through the gym doors, as bare-shouldered as always, graceful tattoos coiling up one of his muscled brown arms. Though his breath came in misty puffs, his hands were warm when he took my cold ones in his.

“Come inside, Beth,” he said, a hint of a smile in his dark eyes. “You’re gonna freeze your ass off out here.”

At Andre’s touch I felt my tension ebb, and the sob that was trapped inside my ribs dissolve. Andre, respectfully distant, was always just close enough when I needed him. I pressed my head against his chest and let him hold me.

“Not a day goes by when I don’t feel it, too,” he murmured. Andre was the only one who understood what it was like to breathe when your lungs were gone. Sam had been his best friend, the rock he could hang on to when things at home got to be too much for him.

“But standing here in the cold isn’t going to bring him back. Besides, it’s

time for the sound check.”

And just like that, I felt better. Andre’s touch, as I called it to myself, had the power to calm me. It wasn’t attraction. Andre and Shelly had been together even longer than Sam and I. It was shared pain. And somehow, Andre had the ability to take mine away. I was in too much pain to wonder what he did with his own.

Squeezed into a black satin bustier over a cobalt tulle skirt and black fishnets, I waited in the wings backstage. I couldn’t see past the glare of the lights, but judging from the crowd’s roar, the whole town had shown up for the Band Slam Semi-Finals. August Rebellion was pitted against eight other bands. The winner wouldn’t be chosen until

the Grand Finale next week.

At last, our turn came and I tried to kick it into gear. I belted out Blast Mahoney’s “Like Never”, hoping to incinerate my nerves with the screaming licks of my guitar. Shelly scorched on bass. Andre hammered the beat. We sounded good, but inside I was hollow, the keyboard chords ringing in my ears. I wanted them to be Sam’s notes.  And they weren’t.

When it was over the crowd went nuts. Long-time Slam tradition required the audience to throw random junk at their favorite band.  They flung crazy stuff at us—coins, confetti, flowers, rubber chickens.  Even someone’s bra and underpants landed on the stage. I figured as far as the crowd was concerned, we’d rocked the house. When the spotlight dimmed, I glimpsed Luke and Carson standing on their chairs and pumping their fists. My chest tingled and I felt the roots of my hair, as if I was about to be struck by lightning. I had to get out of there.

Pushing past the kids who crowded the backstage, I fled to the dressing room behind the auditorium.

A boy with a halo of blond curls and mirrored sunglasses slouched against the door.

“Hi,” he said, walking up to me, hand extended. “I’m Vincent Rousseau. Your bandmate Andre asked me to come to the Band Slam tonight to hear you play.”

“What? Andre didn’t tell me anyone was coming.” Shivering in my skimpy costume, I scanned the empty corridor. The next band, Wails from the Crypt, was already tuning up. My phone was in the dressing room drawer. If Vincent Rousseau planned to kidnap me, no one would hear my screams.

“What do you want?”

The boy’s surprisingly deep voice was colored by a trace of an accent. French, I decided, from the way he emphasized the second syllable in his first name—Vin-cent. I couldn’t help but notice how his dusky skin contrasted pleasingly with his mop of bright curls. “I’m a scout for a high school residency program for talented youth. Andre

speaks very well of you.”

I twirled a strand of damp hair. “Huh? Where is this program?”

“We’re allied with many colleges nationwide.”

“Yeah? Never heard of something like that. Does it have a name?”

“HSTYP, or High Step as we call it. Your friend Andre thought you’d be a good candidate.”

“Oh, did he?” I glared at the poor guy. I was in a crummy mood and had no problem taking it out on him. “I’m not leaving Linford.”

“No matter, then,” said Vincent Rousseau, shrugging. “I am just a student at one of the local affiliates. I will leave you with my card in case you have a change of heart.” He smiled again, and despite myself, I felt my guard slip just a notch. Still, I wasn’t sure if I could trust someone who wore mirrored sunglasses indoors in the middle of

winter.

“Look, I’ve got to change,” I said, taking his card. “It was nice to meet you—Vincent.”

I was pretty sure I didn’t mean it, but if Vincent cared, he didn’t show it. He smiled, broadly and said, “It’s been a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Bethany Collins.”

I shook my head and watched him go. Strange guy. But polite. And oddly hot. I was going to have to chew out Andre for his well-meaning but lame attempt to shake me from my gloom. But first I had to get out of my ridiculous get-up.

Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22459608-until-beth?from_search=true&search_version=service

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Until-Beth-Lisa-Amowitz/dp/163392033X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1436751867&sr=1-1&keywords=until+beth

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/until-beth

Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/Until-Beth-Lisa-Amowitz/9781633920330

Author Bio:

Lisa Amowitz was born in Queens and raised in the wilds of Long Island, New York where she climbed trees, thought small creatures lived under rocks and studied ant hills. And drew. A lot.

Lisa has been a professor of graphic design at  Bronx Community College where she has been tormenting and cajoling students for nearly eighteen years. She started writing eight years ago because she wanted something to illustrate, but somehow, instead ended up writing YA. Probably because her mind is too dark and twisted for small children.

BREAKING GLASS which was released July 9, 2013 from Spencer Hill Press, is her first published work. VISION, the first book in the Finder Series, released September 9, 2014 and its unnamed sequel will release winter, 2016. UNTIL BETH, a YA urban fantasy, will release September 2015.

Author Social Media Links:

Website: http://www.lisaamowitz.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisa_amowitz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisa.amowitz

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLisaAmowitz?ref=hl

Instagram: https://instagram.com/lisa_amowitz/

Waiting on Wednesday - Lisa Amowitz's Until Beth

Can't wait for this one to come out!! Check out the deets and come back next week for an amazing teaser!

Title: Until Beth

Author: Lisa Amowitz

Release Date: September 29, 2015

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Synopsis: She doesn’t just play, she kills it.

Talented rock guitarist Beth Collins has been barely holding herself together for months, ever since her boyfriend and bandmate became the latest victim in a string of suspicious disappearances. When her brother is injured an accident and she sees something dark billowing around him as he hovers close to death, she’s convinced her sanity is collapsing for good.

Then she's accepted by a boarding school for the musically gifted. All of her new friends are bursting with talent, but they're also keeping secrets. Can she trust Vincent, who's so sweet that his very touch makes her fears melt away? Or Xavier, who's trying to tell her something but is hiding even more?

And will anyone be safe when her true Talent comes out?

Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22459608-until-beth?from_search=true&search_version=service

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Until-Beth-Lisa-Amowitz/dp/163392033X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1436751867&sr=1-1&keywords=until+beth

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/until-beth

Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/Until-Beth-Lisa-Amowitz/9781633920330

Author Bio:

Lisa Amowitz was born in Queens and raised in the wilds of Long Island, New York where she climbed trees, thought small creatures lived under rocks and studied ant hills. And drew. A lot.

Lisa has been a professor of graphic design at  Bronx Community College where she has been tormenting and cajoling students for nearly eighteen years. She started writing eight years ago because she wanted something to illustrate, but somehow, instead ended up writing YA. Probably because her mind is too dark and twisted for small children.

BREAKING GLASS which was released July 9, 2013 from Spencer Hill Press, is her first published work. VISION, the first book in the Finder Series, released September 9, 2014 and its unnamed sequel will release winter, 2016. UNTIL BETH, a YA urban fantasy, will release September 2015.

Author Social Media Links:

Website: http://www.lisaamowitz.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisa_amowitz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisa.amowitz

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLisaAmowitz?ref=hl

Instagram: https://instagram.com/lisa_amowitz/

New Cover!

To Trust a Thief has an amazingly gorgeous brand new cover. I soooo love it :D Check out the tab above for excerpts and the book trailer :)

Fractured by Lisa Amowitz BOOK BLAST!!

So excited to be part of Lisa's book blast for her novella Fractured! Here are all the deets and make sure you scroll to the bottom for the giveaway!

Blurb:
FRACTURED, Book 1.2 in The VISION SERIES

Bobby's a hick who sees visions. Jeremy's a smartass who sees dead people. Together, they have a weekend to stop a murderer...if they don't kill each other first. Sparks fly when the worlds of Lisa Amowitz’s BREAKING GLASS and VISION collide.

Excerpt:


“Hey. You were the kid that played with that amazing redhead. Not bad, man. Not bad.”
“Um, thanks.”
“Not from around here, are you?”
“No. I mean, I’m not, really.”
The guy smiled and extended a hand. “Sorry. Just a little cranky tonight. I came in this morning on an epic bus ride from Duke just to see my girlfriend and she’s stuck in a study group with a bunch of other assholes. Oh. I’m Jeremy Glass.” He lowered himself on the bench next to me and massaged his leg. “Too much walking today. Damn.”
I tried to keep my eyes from going wide as the guy lifted the cuff of his black jeans. Instead of an actual leg there was only a hydraulic metal pole.
Jeremy Glass looked at me and smiled. “Veronica’s been sticking a little lately. I think I’ll have to bring her back to the shop. What’s your name?”
I glanced from his face to the metal leg. “Bobby. Bobby Pendell,” I choked out. It wasn’t the leg. It was just hard to breathe around him, like he was sucking up my share of the oxygen.
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know how Jeremy Glass had lost that leg, though I was pretty sure he’d be happy to tell me. I thought about bolting back inside the club, but that would be rude.
Instead, Glass said breezily, “You were awesome, dude. Where’d you learn to play guitar and sing like that? Man, all I can do is run.”
I bit back on the obvious response. How could a guy with a fake leg run?
Glass laughed. “Ha! Most people are too polite to ask, but I’m not shy about it. I was a sprinter. Fastest in my school. Until—well, until the accident. But now I’ve got a Teflon blade and I’m the fastest on the team. Technology is awesome, huh?”
I cleared my throat. Something about this guy was making my skin crawl. Maybe it was his fast talking. Or the way his eyes twinkled but looked steely and cunning all at the same time. I felt like he was silently laughing at me. Like his brain worked two and a half times faster than mine did. He eyed me with one eyebrow raised, as if he didn’t actually expect a response.
“Um, it was nice to meet you. But I really should be getting back inside,” I said, and finally got up to leave.
Glass stared calmly back at me. “Who’s your friend, then?”
A shiver rolled up my spine. I had to get away. Ever since my last brush with Agent Maura Reston on the Scratch Lake dock, I’d had the distinct feeling I was being watched. Maybe I was just being paranoid, but this guy seemed to be probing me for something.
“What friend?”
His gaze shifted over my left shoulder. “That guy.”
The blood froze in my veins. I pivoted and saw a brief white flicker, a disruption, then empty air.
Glass laughed. “Yeah. You’ve got to learn to ignore them. They’re everywhere.”
“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
Glass’s smile vanished. “I don’t like it any more than you do. But I can always tell when I meet someone like me.”
“Like you?” I backed away toward the club entrance, cold sweat trickling from my scalp down the back of my neck.
“You can see them, too. Things no one else can.”
He pressed a card into my hand. My mouth went dry. The sidewalk tilted. I pressed my palm to the glass of the club window to steady myself.
I didn’t have to look down to know what it said.
He’d seen the thing that I’d seen. He was like me.
He was working with Agent Reston and her paranormal goon squad.

Buy links:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Lisa Amowitz was born in Queens and raised in the wilds of Long Island, New York where she climbed trees, thought small creatures lived under rocks and studied ant hills. And drew. A lot.
Lisa has been a professor of graphic design at Bronx Community College where she has been tormenting and cajoling students for nearly eighteen years. She started writing eight years ago because she wanted something to illustrate, but somehow, instead ended up writing YA. Probably because her mind is too dark and twisted for small children.
BREAKING GLASS which was released July 9, 2013 from Spencer Hill Press, is her first published work. VISION, the first book in the Finder Series, released September 9, 2014 and its unnamed sequel will release winter, 2016. UNTIL BETH, a YA urban fantasy, will release September 2015.
So stay tuned because Lisa is very hyper and has to create stuff to stay alive.
Lisa is represented by Shannon Hassan of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal! Until Beth by Lisa Amowitz

I'm thrilled to be part of the cover reveal for my very dear friend Lisa Amowitz's new book! Isn't it gorgeous!! Look for the book this fall!

She doesn’t just play, she kills it.

Talented rock guitarist Beth Collins has been barely holding herself together for months, ever since her boyfriend and bandmate became the latest victim in a string of suspicious disappearances. When her brother is injured an accident and she sees something dark billowing around him as he hovers close to death, she’s convinced her sanity is collapsing for good.

Then she's accepted by a boarding school for the musically gifted. All of her new friends are bursting with talent, but they're also keeping secrets. Can she trust Vincent, who's so sweet that his very touch makes her fears melt away? Or Xavier, who's trying to tell her something but is hiding even more?

And will anyone be safe when her true Talent comes out?

Title: Until Beth
Author: Lisa Amowtiz
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Expected Publication Date: September 29 2015

Goodreads Link

Lisa Amowitz was born in Queens and raised in the wilds of Long Island, New York where she climbed trees, thought small creatures lived under rocks and studied ant hills. And drew. A lot.
Lisa has been a professor of graphic design at Bronx Community College where she has been tormenting and cajoling students for nearly eighteen years. She started writing eight years ago because she wanted something to illustrate, but somehow, instead ended up writing YA. Probably because her mind is too dark and twisted for small children.
BREAKING GLASS which was released July 9, 2013 from Spencer Hill Press, is her first published work. VISION, the first book in the Finder Series, released September 9, 2014 and its unnamed sequel will release winter, 2016. UNTIL BETH, a YA urban fantasy, will release September 2015.
So stay tuned because Lisa is very hyper and has to create stuff to stay alive.
Lisa is represented by Shannon Hassan of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency

Elana Johnson's Elemental Series Cover Reveal!!

 I am very excited to help reveal the new covers for the fabulous Elana Johnson's Elemental series! Aren't they gorgeous!! Here's a bit about each book:

About ELEMENTAL RUSH: Eighteen-year-old Adam Gillman has trained for twelve years to earn a coveted spot on the Supreme Elemental’s elite sentry squad. His brother, Felix, is the commander, but Adam is still thrilled when his official assignment to serve Alexander Pederson comes.

He moves into nicer quarters and can stop getting up at four a.m. to complete his mandated work out time. He still rises early though, because he needs the solitude of early morning to practice his airmaking Element—something that Adam has kept secret from everyone, even Felix, because he can’t be both an Airmaker and a sentry.

When Alex assigns him to kill a group of rogue Elementals, he balks at completing his mission for the first time. See, his only friend is Isaiah Hawking, and he’s the Earthmover on the accused Council. When faced with the prospect of killing him, Adam finds he can’t do it.

He’s well trained in assassination, but he thought he’d be murdering bad guys—not innocents.

When Alex buries the Elemental Academy—and kills over one thousand Elementals—in a fit of rage, Adam’s loyalty cracks. When he discovers that Alex is really a woman, and his brother’s lover, he defects. He hops from city to city, from Elemental school to Elemental school, always escaping only minutes before Felix can embed a knife in his heart or a tsunami can make a classroom his watery grave.

He tries to fight back, but he’s just one Airmaster with exceptional tracking skills. He does his best to warn those in danger, but as the last Elemental school goes up in flames, he knows he needs to get some real firepower on his side.

ELEMENTAL RUSH is a prequel novella to the full-length futuristic fantasy novel, ELEMENTAL HUNGER.

On Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22063929-elemental-rush

Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KFM3JJM
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/elemental-rush-elana-johnson/1119569676?ean=2940150184190
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/elemental-rush/id962939892?mt=11
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/elemental-rush-an-elemental-novella-volume-1
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=3SZtBgAAQBAJ

About ELEMENTAL HUNGER: The second installment in the Elemental series, a new futuristic fantasy for young adults and new adults from acclaimed author Elana Johnson, ELEMENTAL HUNGER is a full-length novel that continues the story that began in ELEMENTAL RUSH, an Elemental novella.

Sixteen-year-old Gabriella Kilpatrick can shoot fire from her hands, which would be great if she didn’t get blamed for a blazing inferno that kills 17 schoolmates. When Gabby is commanded to Manifest her Element, everyone knows what she is: a genetic abnormality. Not to mention guilty.

So she does two logical things to survive.
1. She runs.
2. She hacks off her hair to assume a new role—that of “Gabe”, because in her world, only boys are Firemakers.

Not only does she have to act like a guy, she has to pretend to know everything a Firemaker should know. When Gabby meets Airmaster Adam Gillman, he believes her act and pledges to serve on “Gabe’s” Council. But Adam has the mark of a sentry and spent years obeying Alex, the Supreme Elemental. And Alex wants Gabby-the-genetic-freak dead and gone before she can gather the magical protection of a full Council.

With Adam’s lies that sound like truths and rumors that Alex isn’t really a Firemaker—or a man—Gabby sets out to charter a Council of her own. In order to uncover the truth, Gabby will have to learn who she can trust, how to control her own power, and most of all, how to lead a Council of Elementals, most of whom have more control over their power than she does. If she can’t, she’ll find herself just like those 17 schoolmates: burned and six feet under.

Look for the third and final installment, ELEMENTAL RELEASE, the final Elemental novella.

On Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22063919-elemental-hunger

Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KWF9PLI
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/elemental-hunger-elana-johnson/1119673756?ean=2940149745685
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/elemental-hunger/id962939784?mt=11
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/elemental-hunger-an-elemental-novel-volume-2
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=HjBtBgAAQBAJ

About ELEMENTAL RELEASE: Two months after returning to the capital city of Tarpulin with a Council of his own, Airmaster Adam Gillman is ready to start repairing the relationships in his life. Up first: his Councilman and the girl he’d like to be more than friends with, Gabriella Kilpatrick.

But first, he has to figure out how to be the Airmaster his Firemaker needs. In order to do that, Adam attends Elemental training and discovers that to truly command the air, he must first be in control of his emotions. And in order to master those, he has to grieve for the loss of Hanai, make amends with his brother, and earn the trust of Gabby.

Amidst all that, Adam must also learn how to grapple with the jet stream, because a dangerous Airmaster is loose in Tarpulin. And Adam will need to find his emotional center in order to work with the atmosphere and defeat the threat.

On Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22063941-elemental-release

Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L4HTBZS
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/elemental-release-elana-johnson/1121137547?ean=2940150154391
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/elemental-release/id962940235?mt=11
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/elemental-release-an-elemental-novella-volume-3
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=3zNtBgAAQBAJ

About Elana Johnson: 
Elana Johnson’s work, including Possession, Surrender, Abandon, and Regret, published by Simon Pulse (Simon & Schuster), is available now everywhere books are sold. Her popular ebook, From the Query to the Call, is also available for download, as well as a Possession short story, Resist.

Her self-published novels include two YA contemporary novels-in-verse, Elevated and Something About Love, as well as a YA/NA futuristic fantasy series, which includes Elemental Rush, Elemental Hunger, and Elemental Release.

School teacher by day, Query Ninja by night, you can find her online at her personal blog or Twitter. She also co-founded the Query Tracker blog and WriteOnCon, and contributes to the League of Extraordinary Writers.


Social Media Links:
Website/blog: http://elanajohnson.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ElanaJ
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorelanajohnson
Tumblr: http://elanajohnson.tumblr.com/
Wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/user/elanajohnson
League of Extraordinary Writers: http://leaguewriters.blogspot.com/
WriteOnCon: http://writeoncon.com/
Elana on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4044383.Elana_Johnson

Win $10 for helping to spread the word about the new ELEMENTAL series covers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Live Unaware by Cole Gibsen - Cover Reveal!!

I am thrilled to be a part of the cover reveal for a very dear, amazing friend of mine, Cole Gibsen! Here's the deets on her awesome book!

Life Unaware

by Cole Gibsen

Release Date: 04/28/15

Entangled Teen

Book Summary:

Regan Flay has been talking about you. 

Regan Flay is on the cusp of achieving her
control-freak mother's "plan" for high school success―cheerleading,
student council, the Honor Society—until her life gets turned horribly,
horribly upside down. Every bitchy text. Every bitchy email. Every lie,
manipulation, and insult she's ever said have been printed out and taped
to all the lockers in school. 

Now Regan has gone from popular princess to total
pariah. 

The only person who even speaks to her is her former best
friend's hot but socially miscreant brother, Nolan Letner. Nolan thinks he
knows what Regan's going through, but whatnobody knows is that
Regan isn't really Little Miss Perfect. In fact, she's barely holding it
together under her mom's pressure. But the consequences of Regan's fall from
grace are only just beginning. Once the chain reaction starts, no one will
remain untouched... 

Especially Regan Flay.

About the Author

Cole Gibsen first realized she different when, in
high school, she was still reading comic books while the other girls were
reading fashion magazines.

It was her love of superheroes that first inspired
her to pick up a pen. Her favorite things to write about are ordinary girls who
find themselves in extraordinary situations.

Author Links:

   

Cover Reveal Organized by:

12 Days of Cowboy Christmas Party!

If you haven't stopped by the 12 Days of Cowboy Christmas party on FB yet, you must do so! :D Tons of fun going on, lots of great authors, and of course, amazing giveaways!! I'll be there tonight from 5-7pm EST, so be sure to stop by and say hi :)

I'll be talking about my favorite bandits, the Blood Blade Sisters. If you haven't read the books yet, here's a little taste of book one, A Bandit's Stolen Heart.

Under the persona of the bandit, Blood Blade, Cilla Richardson robs from the corrupt and gives to the poor. But an accidental kidnapping leaves her with a very handsome captive named Leo Forrester...and an idea to save her town.

On the wrong side of the feisty redhead's pistol, Leo reluctantly agrees to help Cilla's cause. But the more time he spends with the sexy thief, the more determined he is to steal her stubborn bandit's heart.

But to prove his love, he'll have to save her neck from the hangman's noose first.

Entangled Black Friday Deals!!

Entangled has over 30 books on sale for just 99 cents!! Including my own Romancing the Rum Runner. Don't miss the chance to snap up a ton of great books!!

Head here to see all the books on sale!

Get Wicked with Entangled!! It's a Halloween Blog Hop!!

It's a Wicked with Entangled Blog Hop!! Go trick or treating at over 100 fabulous blogs and enter to win a ton of amazing Halloween prizes!

I love Halloween. As a writer who lives a large chunk of my life floating around in other worlds it's a blast to be able to dress up and wallow in a little society-sanctioned make believe for a night :)

I've always loved reading about fantasy worlds. I think the first "other wordly" book I ever read was the Dragonriders of Pern books by Anne McCaffrey. Up until then I'd only read historicals and historical romances (and books like the Little House on the Prairie series and Sweet Valley High) :D Those dragonriders hooked me though and I started adding more books with a bit of "other" in them.

Once I began writing, I really wanted to delve into those worlds myself, but my first love, historical romance, came first. I have two urban fantasies I'm working on, and one, a love story set amidst a zombie break out, that is currently available through Entangled.

I've got a little taste of Wish Upon a Star for you, and below that is a rafflecopter to win your very own copy! :) Don't forget to scroll to the bottom of this post and check out the linky list of all the Blog Hoppers! You won't want to miss out on all the Halloween Hopping Fun!!

Here's a little taste of Wish Upon a Star:

She wished he would come back into her life…

When Ceri McKinley’s ex-fiancee asks for help collecting his brother’s body, Ceri knows she should refuse. But how can she say no to the man she still loves?

He wished he’d never left her…

If Jason Crickett had known his brother had been turned into the world’s first cyborg zombie, he would never have dragged Ceri along with him. At least they are together again, though from the looks of things, it won’t be for long.

They should have been careful what they wished for…

With five floors of hungry zombies between them and Ceri’s daughter and a bomb ready to go off at any moment, Ceri and Jason will have to put their painful past aside and focus on surviving. If they are very lucky, they might just get everything they wished for.

We stumbled for the far end of the atrium, over to Clearwater Cleo’s, a maze of fish tanks and water-filled walkways that displayed all sorts of gorgeous tropical fish and sea life. The oasis of water beckoned invitingly with the fire licking at our backs. Jason pulled us into the middle of one of the pathways and up a small set of stairs that led to another pathway. He sat me down against a tank of over-sized goldfish. I let out a sigh of relief as I took the weight off my ankle.

Jason pulled his gun and aimed at the tanks below us. He fired several shots into each, shattering the glass and spilling thousands of gallons of water across the floor. I felt bad for the fish that were about to be flash-fried, until I remembered that they’d be blown up when the bombs hit anyway.

The water gushed across the floor, dousing flames and washing away zombies. I leaned my head back against the tank and closed my eyes. Jason sank down beside me and pulled me toward him, pressing a kiss against my temple.

“Are you okay?” he asked, brushing soot and a few burned leaves from my face and hair. The smell of burned plastic and singed hair coated everything. But it could have been worse.

I leaned against him for a moment before trying to push to my feet.

Jason stopped me. “Rest for a minute.” He reached into my backpack and pulled out another bottle of water.

I took it gratefully, gulping down half the bottle before handing it to him to finish off. When he was done, he leaned in again, kissing a drop of water from my lips. His hands cupped my face. “I’m sorry. For everything. All of it. Everything I put you through. These wasted years without you.”

“I’m sorry too.” I pulled away and looked up at him. “If we get through this –”

“When we get through this. Not if.”

I gave him a small smile and nodded, knowing he knew what I wanted to say without having to voice the words. “When we get through this, maybe we can talk. About things.”

He gave me one more lingering kiss. “I’ll hold you to that.”

“But for now,” I said, brushing a lock of hair from his forehead.

“Raincheck?”

“Raincheck.”

“Let’s go get your daughter,” he said, pulling me to my feet.

My heart skipped and I slipped on my backpack with renewed energy. We could do this. With Jason at my side, I could do anything. Even face down a building full of zombies and a few military bombs. Piece of cake.

~~
To read the first chapter for free and for buy links, CLICK HERE.

And enter to win your own copy!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

So You Have to Write a Poem is Here!!

At some point, every student must not only learn about different poetic forms, but try their hand at penning a few. It can be daunting, even for those who enjoy poetry.

Following the same plain language, straight forward vein of Homework Helpers: Essays and Term Papers, So You Have to Write a Poem gives novices an easy-to-read guide with step-by-step processes and fun examples while giving more advanced poets a technical guide to the rules behind all their favorite poetic forms.

This volume includes:

• Nine forms of poetry, including chapters on ballads, blank verse, haiku, heroic couplets, limericks, the pantoum, sestinas, sonnets, and the villanelle. 
• Overviews on poetry basics like meter and rhyme scheme. 
• Detailed, easy-to-understand instructions and “cheat sheets” that outline the rules for each form of poetry. 
• And a section with a detailed explanation of how to analyze a poem.

So You Have to Write a Poem is designed to not only help students get through their poetry assignments, but also shows poetic skeptics how to enjoy the act of writing poetry, and gives poetry lovers a chance to learn some classic styles.

Find it on AMAZON

Happy Book Birthday to Kristal Shaff and The Emissary!!

I am absolutely thrilled to help spread the word that my very dear friend Kristal Shaff's book, The Emissary, is FINALLY here!!! I absolutely loved this book and can't wait for book 2! Check it out!! Here are the deets:

For hundreds of years, dark clouds covered the skies of Adamah, and an ageless king ruled. Those who emerged with one of six extraordinary Shay powers were forced into the king's army, an un matched force with inhuman Strength, Speed, Accuracy, Perception, Empathy, and Healing. With the army at his side, the king—a man who wields all six abilities—was invincible and unquestioned in his rule.

To most, serving the king was an honor. And for some, it was a fate worse than death. When seventeen-year-old Nolan Trividar witnesses the transformation of his brother from kind to cruel after entering the king’s army, he vows never to follow the same path. So when his own power—the Shay of Accuracy—comes upon him at the Tournament of Awakening, Nolan conceals his emergence instead of joining the king’s ranks.

For years, he traitorously hides his power, pretending to be a gifted scribe. But when Nolan comes face -to-face with a deserter, the man discovers his secret. To evade detection and a death sentence, Nolan escapes with the deserter and flees into a night filled with dark creatures who steal both powers and souls.

Nolan joins a resistance, a village hidden deep in the forest, filled with others who secretly wield a Shay. But his peace is short lived when they discover that the dark clouds, the undead creatures, their own decreasing powers, and even the king, are all connected.

Amazon | B&N

She also has an awesome book tour going on, so be sure to check out all the stops for great interviews and guest posts and a chance to win a copy of her book!

My Thoughts:

I’m not usually a huge fantasy reader so I wasn’t sure how much I’d like this book, but I absolutely loved it! The Shay powers were just cool and I (being a history buff) really loved the medieval setting. The characters are what make this book truly fantastic. Nolan, the main character, decides to hide his Shay power of Accuracy so he can avoid having to serve in the evil king’s army. The journey he takes from someone who hides who and what he is to being a main force behind the rebellion against the king kept me glued to the pages. The other characters in the book are well fleshed out and an integral part of the story, not just there as filler. Alec, Megan and Emery in particular I absolutely loved. Between the magical elements, the rebellion against a psychotically evil king, the group of rebels who band together to become a family of sorts who fight and sacrifice for each other, amazing fighting scenes, truly creepy zombie-like creatures who add even more danger to the game, and even a bit of romance, this definitely goes on my “must read” list – I highly recommend!