October Events

First up is an online event on Facebook:

"Embrace the Darkness" Paranormal Nights (2 Night Event)

Sponsored by the Wordsmithe Book Blog

(who interviewed me back in July)

Looking for some new paranormal reads? Over 40 authors have banded together to hold a two-night event on Facebook, and it's going to be full of chills and thrills! I'll be working the 8:45-9:00 PM (EST) slot on Saturday, October 24--stop by and check it out!

The party is happening on Facebook at

https://www.facebook.com/events/1640573729542675/

 On October 30, at 6 pm, I'll be joining up with some other authors at Face in a Book:

PARANORMAL PAGES: A FOUR-AUTHOR EVENT

October 30, 2015 in El Dorado Hills

El Dorado Hills, CA—In celebration of the spooky season, four accomplished authors of paranormal novels for teens are gathering at the indie bookstore Face in a Book for a night of haunting tales. The free, themed event goes from 6 to 8 p.m. on October 30. Each author will share an eerie excerpt from her book, followed by a group Q&A session. Costumes are encouraged for attendees, but not required. Seasonal, themed refreshments will be served.

The movie industry has spawned a growing demand for supernatural stories, spurring book sales and increasing the number of paranormal titles on store and library shelves.  Halloween is the perfect excuse for buffs of the genre to celebrate their favorite creepy book characters, and this event is one way for them to gather with fellow fans.

About the authors and their novels:

Angelica R. Jackson’s darkly funny, young adult urban fantasy novel, Crow’s Rest, is set in a fictional town in the Sierra foothills, and was partly inspired by a nearby haunted landmark, Preston Castle. She sometimes haunts the Castle’s hallways herself, as she photographs the arrested decay, and will be sharing a real-life ghostly encounter that made it into the pages of her novel. She was featured on Sacramento Access’s Story Connection in April, and the video is at https://youtu.be/JwRtQ3i06Ow. In Crow’s Rest, sixteen-year-old Avery Flynn is determined to reclaim her almost-boyfriend from the Fae, with the help of the creature who stole his body in the first place.

Linda Covella will be reading from the first book in her Ghost Whisperer series, The Castle Blues Quake. This tale of ghosts and friendship for teens and tweens received the Literary Classics Seal of approval and is “highly recommended for home and school libraries.” It’s also a finalist in the Literary Classics Book Award (winners will be announced soon), along with her other published book, Yakimali’s Gift, which  won an honorable mention in the RONE awards, young adult-general category. Recently published, The Ghosts of Pebble Brook Lodge, is the second book in the Ghost Whisperer series; both Ghost Whisperer books take place in Santa Cruz.

Linda Joy Singleton is the author of over 40 books for kids, including  the YALSA honored The Seer series, the Dead Girl Walking trilogy, and The Curious Cat Spy Club. Her latest book, Never Been Texted, is a sweet romance with a touch of magic: When Ashlee’s stepdad completely forgets her birthday she takes matters into her own hands to get the one thing she really wants: her own cell phone. But text messages start rolling in from a broken-hearted boy, and though Ashlee knows not all stories end happily, she’s determined to make hers the best it can be.

Tracy Clark formerly served as the Regional Advisor for the Nevada chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and is currently a contributing writer on the YA Series Insiders group blog. The first book (Scintillate) in her young adult paranormal romance series, The Light Key Trilogy, won the YA category of the 2015 Golden Quill Contest. Kirkus Review said of Deviate, the second book in the trilogy, “Passion and power are the driving forces behind this series that continues to deliver.” The trilogy was completed with the publication of Illuminate in September, and her next offering, Mirage, a young adult thriller, is due in the summer of 2016.

Face in a Book is located in the El Dorado Hills Town Center, at 4359 Town Center Blvd., #113, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762. 916-941-9401.

All authors are available for phone or email interviews.

Learn more:
Face in a Book: http://www.getyourfaceinabook.com/

Angelica R. Jackson: http://www.angelicarjackson.com/

Linda Covella: http://lindacovella.com/

Linda Joy Singleton: http://www.lindajoysingleton.com/

Tracy Clark: http://www.tracyclark.org/

I'll be costuming for this one--will you?

Some Urban Fantasy Resources on Operation Awesome Today

I participated in a panel of fantasy authors over the weekend, and you may want to check out some resources on the urban fantasy genre that I posted on Operation Awesome today.

Also, if you weren't able to come see the panel in person, I've uploaded a video of it. We had some issues with our backup battery failing, so we didn't quite film the entire thing, but there are some gems in it! This video unfortunately lost some video resolution, so I'll post a highlights reel later. (Update: the highlights reel has been added below the full video)

Since it may be hard to recognize us on sight, the panel is (L to R): Moderator Jen Garrett, Author Christina Mercer, Author Angelica R. Jackson, Author Jessica Taylor, Author Heather Marie.



And if you can't quite commit to that 1-hour-plus video, here's the highlights reel

Upcoming Panel Appearance

Save the date for my premiere as part of a panel of fantasy writers! And...the book trailer for Crow's Rest will be making its debut at the panel! It's happening at the Placerville branch of the El Dorado County Library:

Fantasy Authors Unveil Writing Secrets Placerville Library
Saturday, Jan. 3, 1:00 pm

Are you a fan of the world of fantasy in all its many forms, spectrums and realms? Are you an aspiring author looking for advice from those who have come before, those who have battled in the trenches of book publishing and emerged victorious? Join our four published authors as they answer ALL of your questions about writing the fantasy genre and share with you their writing journeys.

OUR AUTHORS:

Urban Fantasy: Angelica R. Jackson – In keeping with her scattered Gemini nature, Angelica R. Jackson has far too many interests to list here. She has an obsession with creating more writing nooks in the home she shares with her husband and two corpulent cats in California's Gold Country. Fortunately, the writing nooks serve for reading and cat cuddling too. Other pastimes include cooking for food allergies (not necessarily by choice, but she’s come to terms with it), photography, and volunteering at a local no-kill cat sanctuary. @angelicarjaxon

Magical Realism: Jessica Taylor - A young adult novelist who adores sleepy southern settings, unrequited love, and characters who sneak out late at night. After earning Bachelor’s degrees in English and communication studies, she decided to go all out and get her law degree too. She soon realized her one true love had always been writing young adult fiction. She lives in Northern California with a sweet-yet-spoiled dog and many teetering towers of books. Her young adult magical realism debut, Wandering Wild, is slated for fall 2015 release from Egmont USA. @JessicaTaylorYa

High Fantasy: Christina Mercer - An award-winning author of fiction for children and young adults. Honored titles include Tween Fantasy Arrow of the Mist and its sequel Arms of Anu, and Young Adult Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance Honey Queen. She is also an accountant and certified herbalist, enjoying life in the foothills of Northern California with her husband, two sons, a pack of large dogs, and about 100,000 honey bees. For about her and her writing visit www.christinamercer.com @cwritebuzz

Dark Paranormal: Heather Marie - She spends the majority of her time at home reading. Before she followed her dreams of becoming a writer, Heather worked as a hairstylist and makeup artist for several years. Although she enjoyed the artistic aspect of it all, nothing quite quenched her creative side like the telling of a good story. When the day had come for her to make a choice, she left behind her promising career to start another, and never looked back. @HeatherMarieYA Sponsored by Friends of the Library.

Thanks so much to Jen Garrett and The Writer's Bloc writing group for inviting us, and hope to see you all there!

P.S. Myu publicist is getting together a mini-blog tour for the book trailer (after Jan 3), so if you'd like to participate let me know, and I'll forward your info to my publicist.