Steampunk goes Bollywood! And TWO ways to #WIN!!!

Only Susan K. Quinn could think up a steampunk novel set in India that has a Bollywood vibe.

It's called "Bollypunk," and it looks and sounds fantastic (much like Bollywood!)

Of course my long-time writer-friend and critique partner is on top of it. Finger. On. The. Pulse. And I'm super-THRILLED to be helping with the launch. Personally, I can't wait to get my greedy little hands on it.

At the bottom is how you can #WIN! 

Here's the scoop:

GET ME!

Third Daughter (The Dharian Affairs Trilogy #1) 

by Susan Kaye Quinn
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Steampunk

The Third Daughter of the Queen wants her birthday to arrive so she’ll be free to marry for love, but rumors of a new flying weapon may force her to accept a barbarian prince’s proposal for a peace-brokering marriage. 

Desperate to marry the charming courtesan she loves, Aniri agrees to the prince’s proposal as a subterfuge in order to spy on him, find the weapon, and hopefully avoid both war and an arranged marriage to a man she does not love.

Third Daughter is the first book in The Dharian Affairs Trilogy (Third Daughter, Second Daughter, First Daughter). This steampunk-goes-to-Bollywood (Bollypunk!) romance takes place in an east-indian-flavored alternate world filled with skyships, saber duels, and lots of royal intrigue. And, of course, kissing.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

**Enter to #WIN:

--20x “Third Daughter” mini M&M packs  (US only)
--A steampunk key necklace (INTL)
--"Third Daughter" East-Indian style bridal jewelry (INT)

Photos are on the Rafflecopter (link)--Click here to enter!

And there's a superfun "Launch Party" happening on Facebook--Go here to check it out (link)~

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But wait! I said there were TWO ways to #WIN! 

Enter to #WIN!

The second is a 12 Days of Christmas-themed giveaway I'm participating in with the girls over at Indie Ignite (link)!

EVERY DAY You can WIN a signed book! 

My day is Day 7--win a signed set of the Dragonfly series!!!

Go here to enter (link)!

I'll also be posting on the Indie Ignite blog (link) next Thursday about something Christmas-ey.

In the meantime, have a SUPER weekend, reader-friends! Stay warm~

#TeamUll, Undertow Teaser #3, and Kelly Oram for the #WIN!

Happy INDIEpendence week (link), reader-friends!

The Indelibles (link) are taking this holiday opportunity to celebrate independent authors we've discovered across the past year. I'm spotlighting author Kelly Oram, who's hosting a Giveaway for a $50 Amazon Gift Card (below).

But first... #TeamUll!

My awesome writer-friend and fellow Indie Ignites memeber S.T. Bende has been nominated in the NA Alley "New Adult Crush Tourney" (link). She's up against some pretty stiff competition, but I'm here to ask you to vote for her character Ull from her book Elsker.

TODAY is the day to vote for Ull, so if you would, go here and give him some love (link).

Here's your motivation:

Vote for me (link)

* * *

And finally, who's ready for a new Undertow photo teaser?

Add me on Goodreds

*sigh*... Lexy.

Undertow releases July 18, but you can get Dragonfly today on Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

You can join the Release Day Launch for Undertow! Click Here, fill in the form, and you'll be sent all the information for July 18 for your blog or Facebook page.

THANK YOU!!! 

* * *

Now for Author Kelly Oram!

Visit them All!

I first noticed Kelly with her book V is for Virgin, which I still want to read. And when I saw The Avery Shaw Experiment, I had to scoop it up.

I'm so happy I did! ASE gets 5 sparkly stars from me! (And I think it'll appeal very much to fans of The Truth About Faking.)

"Aves" and Grayson are working on a science experiment to help her get over her broken heart. He's an "impartial observer" (in a way that's similar to fake dating), but Grayson, the jock/most popular hottie at school, is already falling for Avery, the cute little science geek.

Watching Avery work through her feelings, get over her ideal dream of being with Aiden through dating--and occasionally kissing--Grayson, is fun, swoony, and at times steamy.

Avery's all wounded innocence trying to move on, while Grayson is charming determination to get the girl. So if you love Jason and Harley, you will LURV Grayson and Avery.

Here's the scoop on The Avery Shaw Experiment!

On Amazon

When Avery Shaw’s heart is shattered by her life-long best friend, she chooses to deal with it the only way she knows how—scientifically. 

The state science fair is coming up and Avery decides to use her broken heart as the topic of her experiment. She’s going to find the cure. By forcing herself to experience the seven stages of grief through a series of social tests, she believes she will be able to get over Aiden Kennedy and make herself ready to love again. But she can’t do this experiment alone, and her partner (ex partner!) is the one who broke her heart.

Avery finds the solution to her troubles in the form of Aiden’s older brother Grayson. The gorgeous womanizer is about to be kicked off the school basketball team for failing physics. He’s in need of a good tutor and some serious extra credit. But when Avery recruits the lovable Grayson to be her “objective outside observer,” she gets a whole lot more than she bargained for, because Grayson has a theory of his own: Avery doesn’t need to grieve. She needs to live. And if there’s one thing Grayson Kennedy is good at, it’s living life to the fullest.

Run get your copy now (link)!

Kelly Oram is the author of Being Jamie Baker, Serial Hottie, V is for Virgin, The Avery Shaw Experiment, and Chameleon. Find out more about Kelly and her books at her Amazon page; and follow her on Twitter | Author website.

How to #WIN? Kelly's celebrating the release of her new book Chameleon with a $50 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway! Go here (link) to enter.

And please visit ALL the FAB independent authors being spotlighted July 2-5 here (link).

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Have a super holiday, friends. I'm still out of town, but I'll be home next week with more news and teasers. ((hugs))

Why I Hate Writing & FOUND

(Y'all realize ^ ^ ^ that's me being intentionally provocative, right?) I know, what??? 

Here's the deal, and I'll keep it short. I love being a writer. I couldn't do anything else, and it's all I've done professionally for almost 20 years.

But it wasn't until 2009 that I started writing novels.

When I did that, it was a lot like when I went from being a full-time professional, career gal in a bustling, busy office surrounded by fast-moving people... 

...to being a full-time, professional Mom, in a quiet home, alone with a beautiful little baby girl who didn't smile at me for three months.

(If they smile before three months, it's gas. Read the book, people. #nerdmom)

Flower says, "What, I'm
not lively enough for you?"

Writing novels is awesome! I love it! And it is looonely.

Spoiler Alert: I'm a pretty social person.

In the past, I've had jobs in public relations and marketing. I was a journalist, which requires you to talk to people...

Writing novels is not like that. And some of you like it that way!

But what about the rest of us?

Well, it helps to get connected, of course. I'm not intimidated about reaching out to other writers (I blame my past work experience), but even for me, that isn't always successful.

For one, writers need to write.

Social media and writers' groups are FAB, but to do this job (write novels), one has to be alone for a good amount of time. And writers don't always coordinate their schedules with each other. (Read: never.)

Some writers are grumpy, mole-type people, who really don't want to make friends. I get that. Sometimes I feel like a grumpy mole-type person, too! And I hate to say it, but outside the group here, I've bumped into some writers... who aren't very nice for whatever reason.

I'm a Cancerian, and I'm sure writer-friend Tami Hart Johnson (link) can tell you better than me why that makes me scamper back into my shell quicker than... something really fast.

Luckily, none of you guys are like that. ((hugs))

So I'm just thinking out loud over here, coming off a new book release. It's quiet. And I actually have promos to do for the publicity blitz coming...

Y'all know I've joined a few writer's groups, The Indelibles (who are fantastic!), Indies Ignite (who are up and coming!), and most recently YA Confidential (who are hilariously helpful!).

We'll see if I can balance this. And of course, YOU, my bloggy reader- and writer-friends, supporting each other since Feb. 2010.

I guess, what do you guys think? And if anybody's looking for a group or if there's a group that needs a member(s), you can put it in the comments. I encourage you to team up! Don't be scared off by grumps or meanies. We've got to have friends in this tough business.

I'm so thankful for mine~

Now what's this FOUND?

From Stacey Wallace Benefiel, the author of the Zellie Wells trilogy, comes a New Adult trilogy set in the Society world.

Penny Black hasn’t had it easy. Just about everything you’d expect to happen to a harassed foster-kid turned junkie has happened to Penny. 

Add in the mysterious power to rewind time, conducting events around her, and it’s a wonder she held up on the streets for so many years. 

Now, at seventeen, the New Society has found her. Finally, Penny is where she belongs. But that doesn’t stop the visions, or the need to protect the victims shown to her.

*The Penny Black trilogy is a companion to the Zellie Wells trilogy and not a continuation of the series. (It's set 18 years in the future with a new cast of characters.)

*Due to language and sexuality, FOUND is recommended for older teens. (Most of the characters are out of high school and preparing for college.)

Purchase links:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | Smashwords

Coming soon to the Apple iBook store and in paperback!

Haven't read the Zellie Wells trilogy yet? Pick up all three novels together for $6.99 at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, and iTunes. Or get the first novel, Glimpse, for FREE at all ebook retailers.

And have a great week-end, reader- and writer-friends! <3