Stuff I know this week: Loftis & Hunter’s pretty new covers, OUAB Awards finalists announced, and the return of Ember

Crazy week, right?

For those of us in Ohio, coronavirus concern exploded this week with the announcement that schools are dismissed for the next three weeks–four with spring break–and a ban on events of 100 persons or more. This news was followed by today’s restriction of restaurants to carry-out/delivery only and a warning that daycare facilities would be closed soon.

At this point, I welcome a little distraction from the world around me. So, here we go with the things I know…

The second book in the newest duology by the incomparable Casey Bond hit shelves on Friday. And before the end of the first day, The Omen of Stones, reached the #1 spot in Amazon YA Royalty Fairy Tales and Folklore category.

Quinn Loftis revealed a beautiful new cover for Luna of Mine. I have to admin, this one is my favorite of the Grey Wolves redesigns.

Chanda Hahn announced that Of Sea and Song, book 3 in her Daughters of Eville fairy tales series, will be releasing June 16. We talked about Book 1, Of Beast and Beauty on the Halloween episode of On the Same Page.

Yesterday, L.L. Hunter revealed the cover for Reign of Secrets, an epic YA fantasy romance which drops June 30.

On Wednesday, the fabulous Stacey Rourke announced finalists for this year’s Once Upon A Book Awards. It’s stiff competition for Author of the Year with Tish Thawer, Kelly Martin, Heather Hildenbrand, and Karen Lynch! More category finalists on the fan page.

What I’m fangirling over…

I’ve watched The Magicians on Syfy since the beginning, but it’s only been the last few seasons that I’ve become a real fan. Season Three’s key quest reeled me in, and I’m still hooked.

Currently in its Fifth and final season, writers have kept the surprises rolling, starting with a new foe gloriously played by Sean Maguire, who also portrayed Robin Hood on Once Upon A Time.

Season Five has already had such fun moments as a 300-year jump in Fillory, psycho Dean Fogg, Penny as dean, Eliot and Margot body switch, the crew MOVING the moon, Julia with an unexpected “development”, and Finn with knives. Oh, I so love Finn.

And this week, I was already geeking out over seeing Penny 40 again, but then the trailer for next week popped up with Ember! Ember!! I am freaking out, guys.

Last season’s goodbye episode is a permanent staple on my DVR, and I’ll be watching these last few episodes with wonder. If you watch too, send me your thoughts.

Until next time, Happy Reading and stay healthy!!

Bryna

Stuff I know this week 2.27.20

It’s such an exciting time, my little mogdocs. My head is rushing with everything currently going on, and I want to share. So I am. I’m sharing like never before.

Expect a new post from me every week (if I forget, give me a nudge). In them, I will share tidbits about stuff I know, my work in progress, books/TV/movies that I’m currently fangirling over, and any other wonderfluff that wants to pour from my keyboard.

In today’s post, I’m gushing over Chris Wood and geeking out about Locke and Key, but first…

Here we go with the stuff I know…

Tomorrow, author Casey Bond will release the trailer for The Omen of Stones, the follow-up to When Wishes Bleed. I got an early peek today and it gave me serious chills. Omen drops March 13th.

Misty Provencher recently dropped paranormal romance Out Cold. Reading it now and completely absorbed. It’s one of those that gets into your head, and you think about it long after you’ve set the book down. Her next book, a middle grade monster novel called, Something Exquisite, is due out March 27th.

Our gal Misty has been super busy. In addition to the above two books, she and daughter, Sydney, collaborated as author and illustrator (respectively) on When I was Weird, a children’s book that helps little ones deal with bullying. So wish I had this for my boys when they were little.

Heather Hildenbrand and Bam Shepherd delighted everyone with the cover reveal for Girl Who Cried War. This is the third book in crazy cool Girl Who Cried Werewolf series. The covers are becoming known for the clever sayings on the protagonist’s t-shirts. This cover’s “Shift Happens” had me rolling. War releases March 3rd.

Kelly Martin‘s giddy video reveal of the What Rachel Did paperback had me doing a giddy dance too. Monster Ivy published the middle grade horror novel with beautiful artwork in the interior. Pick up Rachel at bookstores starting March 3rd.

This week, I quietly released new covers for the Midnight Guardian series. Pleased as punch (yes, I’m bringing that phrase back) with the new covers that better convey that they are clean YA novels suitable for pre-teen readers.

Works in progress update

Wrong Side of the Song will be the third Mothman Mysteries book. When Eric trips over a corpse in the woods, Bridget guilts him into following a stolen clue that leads them to a siren in the school show choir! It’s young Harry Dresden meets Pitch Perfect in a hilarious, mystery thrill ride.

The sirens in the Mothverse (did I just coin a new word?) are not aliens like Mothman, but native to Earth with powers over water and song. Look for (finally) some serious heat between Eric and Bridget as the siren’s seductive influence brings our favorite book blogger out of her shell. Song is roughly 50% complete with release anticipated later this year.

Simultaneously with Song, I’m also working on a yet-to-be-named project. Super excited about this idea, but I’m only about 4% in, so it’s not far enough along to share too many details yet. I can tell you that it is YA paranormal suspense/romance and will likely be a duology.

Dark fairy academy … changelings … closet monsters.

To quote Forrest Gump, “That is all I’ve got to say about that” for now.

What I’m excited about on screen this week…

Locke and Key. Seriously, how did I not know this existed before? LOVED the first season on Netflix and have the graphic novels by Joe Hill (Stephen King’s son) on my TBR. Cause you know the book is gonna be even better.

After the murder of their father, the Locke family moves into the father’s ancestral home, Key House. The children, three of them in varying teen years, start discovering magical keys, each with a unique, single power. It isn’t long before something dark, lurking in the creepy well house on the property, plots to steal the keys and unleash very bad things.

I loved it for its creativity. And as crazy as it sounds, I also loved it for the keys. For whatever reason (OCD?), I get really into stories where I have to keep track of a set number of objects/people. With Harry Potter it was horcruxes. With Hunger Games it was tributes. With Umbrella Academy, it was siblings.

And speaking of siblings, it’s time to talk about my favorite evil twin. Since he first stepped on the screen as Kai in Vampire Diaries, I’ve become a total Chris Wood fan. What can I say? The guy knows how to play a villain.

It seems to me that it would be almost impossible to pull off that character. Think about it. You have to have perfect comedic timing in one second and deliver believable, psychopathic lines in the next. But Wood nails it every time with a perfect mix of charm and chaos.

Needless to say, I’ve been thrilled to see him reprise the role on Legacies this month. But, I was absolutely screaming and jumping up and down when he popped up on this week’s SuperGirl in a what-if episode that had him back as Mon-EL. Significant because I believe that his portrayal of this character has been some of the best performances in SG‘s run. Certainly the most dramatic, uplifting, and heart-wrenching. As much as he knows how to play the perfect villain, he has also demonstrated the skills to be the perfect hero. Never too much Chris! Welcome back to these shows. Your CW fans missed you.

That’s all I know for now. 😉 Let me know what you know in the comments.

Midnight Guardian #6 Pre-order Info

Thank you for all the love!! Here’s an advance look at the Prologue & First Chapter.

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Forward to the Fall!
Here’s your hookup for pre-ordering HOUSE OF GAMMEN the 6th and final book in the Midnight Guardian series.

Pre-order before Oct. 6 & get it for only 99 Cents
at these retailers:
SmashwordsApple iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
Amazon US | Canada | United Kingdom | Australia
*Pre-order only available for ebook editions.

Nearly miss the pre-order deadline? Sign up for Bryna’s New Book Alert. No spam. No hassle. Just a heads up…and freebies!

Video of the cover reveal at https://youtu.be/1xUXtbm5rYc

Need to start at the beginning? Pick up the ebook edition of Book 1, OF SUN & MOON for FREE at all major online bookstores.

 

HOUSE OF GAMMEN
Read the exciting conclusion to the series that started with Of Sun & Moon, #1 Teen Supernatural Mystery, #1 Teen Romantic Mystery, #1 Time Travel on the US & UK Kindle Free Charts for January & February 2014.

With one friend trapped in time and the other chasing down a ghost, Keira Ryan must find it in herself to move past the damage caused by her misplaced trust and fulfill her destiny to bring forth the fall of the House of Gammen. Can she defeat the royal line before the gremlin-like creatures of Atlantis cross into our world?

All your favorite characters are back in House of Gammen, the perfect culmination of this teen, light fantasy series. Readers have fallen in love with the story based in magic, but set in the rural heartland of America.

 

Cover Reveal and Release Announcement this Friday

The Cover Reveal and Release Announcement for the 6th and FINAL book in the Midnight Guardian series is coming this Friday, September 16th.

At one minute before midnight (11:59 p.m. eastern) on Friday, the cover will be revealed and release date announced simultaneously on Twitter,  Instagram, and this site. Want more? Join me for a special video where I’ll personally unveil the cover and share my thoughts on the finale. The video also premieres at midnight Friday on Facebook and YouTube.

If you haven’t picked up this series yet, there’s still time before the 6th book arrives in stores. Grab the first book, Of Sun & Moon, free in ebook format at major online bookstores. Better yet, for a real jumpstart on the series, sign up for my New Book Alert and get the first TWO ebooks in the Midnight Guardian series for free.

Are you a blogger/reviewer and want to be involved in the midnight cover reveal and release? Fill out this simple request form with your info.

 

The Art Behind the Mothman Mysteries: the Cover

In my last “Art Behind” post, we took an in-depth look at the BRAND and the development of Eric’s alien tattoo in the series. In this post, we’ll look at the icing on the cake, the book cover.

As I mentioned before, I’ve used stock photography in the past for my covers, but I wanted something special for this new series. Fortunately, Joshua Labello of Envy Ink was up for the task. I remember having the initial conversation with Josh. I didn’t have an exact idea for the cover, and even if I did, I’m not sure if I would have shared it with him. I hated the idea of limiting his artistic process.

So, instead, I told him about the book and its characters. We talked about genre and YA covers that I liked. He also asked me about marketing and what items from the book might stand out. I told him about Bridget’s red umbrella and how I thought that the red would be a nice splash of color for the cover.

From the initial discussion, Josh started sketching and came up with these two images.

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Loved the idea of setting it in the graveyard. The book is about the dead rising and much of it takes place in the cemetery so it only seemed fitting. Also, loved the idea of Eric and Bridget together and Bridget behind Eric. I thought that was important symbolically as she always backs him up.

I looked these two over for a long time before responding. Then, I decided that the first one looked a little too much like a Fabio cover to me. Not that that’s a bad thing, just not what I was looking for in a cover for a clean YA. The second image, however, seemed right on the money, except for one thing.

I had described Eric’s hair as long. Which I realized right away was way too vague. I see how a rocker with long hair would look like this; however, Eric Jansen in my mind looked more like Chace Crawford and less like Bret Michaels. I asked Josh to think more surfer and less 80s hair band.

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So, the next round of sketches looked like this.

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Eric was shaping up nicely, but Bridget seemed off. Eric often refers to her as a “tiny thing”. I had pictured her as the petite, flat-chested girl next door. I think I described her to Josh as average, but pretty. She’s a good foot shorter than Eric. In this version of the cover, Bridget seemed much younger than Eric. I knew they should appear to be around the same age.

So Josh went to work on Bridget. He needed some reference, so I sent him a pic of Bella Thorne in her Disney days.

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And then I didn’t hear back about Bridget for a while. Instead, he kept her under wraps and went to work finalizing the tattoo and “dressing” Eric.

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Then one day I got this, and I couldn’t believe how close Bridget looked to how I had pictured her.

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Painting time! What color are his eyes again?

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Finally, Josh called me into his studio where we had a two-hour session to finalize the cover. He had already sketched the wooded cemetery background.

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I watched as he blurred in fog around the tombstones and put in the finishing touches like adjusting the shade of Bridget’s shirt.

Mothman book 1 cover (1)    Mothman book 1 cover b

Can you spot the differences? Josh couldn’t get it out of his head. So, a little while later, I received a new version that had a few more tweaks: white reflection in the eyes, a little more fog at Eric’s chest, rain bouncing off the umbrella and texture on the black clothing.

Finally, I set the text and we had a cover!

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Next time, we’ll look at the music behind the Mothman Mysteries. If you missed my post on the development of the artwork for Eric’s tattoo, you’ll find it here. There’s also a post on Mothman here. Stay up to the minute on Mothman Mysteries news. Now available for ebook preorder at all major online bookstores. Wrong Side of the Grave lands March 3, 2015.

HUNTED Cover Reveal by Liz Long

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Hi everyone! Thanks so much to those special authors and bloggers helping me with today’s cover reveal. I’m so excited to show off the new cover. It always makes the upcoming release a little more real for me, you know? Anyway, I hope you love it as much as I do. HUNTED is Book 3 of the Donovan Circus Series, with more adventure, romance, and chaos that will lead to murder. In case you haven’t read it, you can run away to the supernatural circus and start with Gifted for just 99 cents on Amazon, B&N, and iBooks! You can visit this page to learn more about the 3rd book in the series and what to expect – or worry about!

HUNTED Donovan Circus Cover

Back Cover Synopsis

Lucy Sullivan finally belongs with the gifted Donovan Circus. Members are finding their rhythm, even the new folks from the Grayson Circus who joined after the last attack. Lucy feels like a trusted leader who can win the gifted battles and prevent humans from discovering their existence.

When tragedy strikes camp, a distraught Sheffield sends Lucy and her gifted team to hunt down the enemy – Alex, a Chameleon with a wicked ability for war. He’s out for blood and won’t stop until Lucy and her friends are dead.

This time, it won’t be Lucy’s gift that is tested – it will be her morality. To save her circus, the price will be greater than she ever expected. This time, she will lose someone she loves. And it will change everything.

About Liz:

Liz Long, indie author

Liz Long is a ridiculously proud graduate of Longwood University with a BA in English. Her inspiration comes from action and thriller genres and she spends entirely too much time watching superhero movies. Her fabulous day job as a social media strategist includes writing for a publishing company in Roanoke, VA.

All titles, including the Donovan Circus Series, A Reaper Made, and Witch Hearts, are available at Amazon on Kindle and paperback.

To learn more about Liz, visit her website: http://lizclong.com.

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