Cover reveal and excerpt: ‘The Problem With Crazy’ by Lauren K. McKellar
Posted: January 17, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: aussie-owned, book covers, contests, self-publishing 1 CommentA week ago I reviewed Lauren K. McKellar’s debut novel Finding Home. Today I’m excited to be a part of the cover reveal for her next book, The Problem With Crazy. I’m really looking forward to this release. Like, REALLY!
The problem with crazy is that crazy, by itself, has no context. It can be good crazy, bad crazy . . . or crazy crazy—like it was when my ex-boyfriend sung about me on the radio.
Eighteen-year-old Kate couldn’t be more excited about finishing high school and spending the summer on tour with her boyfriend’s band. Her dad showing up drunk at graduation, however, is not exactly kicking things off on the right foot—and that’s before she finds out about his mystery illness, certain to end in death.
A mystery illness she is likely to inherit.
When your whole life goes from adventure and ecstasy to sad and suicidal, what’s the point? Not knowing who to love, and who to trust . . . where does it end?
The Problem With Crazy is a story about love and life; about overcoming obstacles, choosing to trust, and learning how to make the choices that will change your life forever.
A portion of sales from this book will be donated to a Huntington’s disease-related charity (details to be confirmed).
Excerpt
Gypsy Rose placed a series of cards on the table, one after the other. They were brightly coloured, garish-looking things, full of shapes and objects, some of which I recognised and some of which I didn’t.
“Is there anything specific you want to know?”
The words stuck in my head.
Yes, when is my dad going to die?
Sure, will he remember me at all?
Okay, let’s start with am I going to have a mental illness and lose control of my words and movements?
“Oh you know, just general stuff.” I smiled vaguely and bit my lip.
Click here to enter Lauren’s The Problem With Crazy giveaway!
Join in the release day blitz, complete with prizes, fun, games, and a partridge in a pear tree on February 13 2014. Sign up today.
Lauren K. McKellar is a writer and editor of fact and fiction. She has worked in publishing for more than eight years, and recently returned to her first love: writing books that make you feel.
Lauren loves to write for the Young and New Adult markets, and blogs with Aussie Owned and Read, as well as vlogging with the YA Rebels.
In her free time, Lauren enjoys long walks on the beach with her two super-cute dogs and her partner-in-crime/fiancé.
Find Lauren McKellar at her website, or on Twitter, Facebook or Amazon.
Cover reveal: ‘The Other Me’ by Suzanne van Rooyen
Posted: November 25, 2013 Filed under: On Books | Tags: book covers, contests, lgbt, small presses, young adult 1 CommentTitle: The Other Me
Author: Suzanne van Rooyen
Release Date: 19 December 2013
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press
Genre: YA, LGBT, contemporary
Fifteen-year-old Treasa Prescott thinks she’s an alien. She doesn’t fit in with the preppy South African private school crowd and feels claustrophobic in her own skin. Treasa is worried she might spend life as a social pariah when she meets Gabriel du Preez. Gabriel plays the piano better than Beethoven, has a black belt in karate, and would look good wearing a garbage bag. Treasa thinks he’s perfect. It might even be love, as long as Gabriel doesn’t find out she’s a freak.
As Treasa spends time with Gabriel, she realizes she might not love him as much as she wants to be him, and that the reason she feels uncomfortable in her skin might have less to do with extra-terrestrial origins and more to do with being born in the wrong body.
But Gabriel is not the perfect boy Treasa imagines. He harbors dark secrets and self-destructive tendencies. Still, Treasa might be able to accept Gabriel’s baggage if he can accept who she longs to be.
Add The Other Me on Goodreads now! And enter the giveaway to win a $15 Amazon giftcard HERE!!
Suzanne is an author and peanut-butter addict from South Africa. She currently lives in Finland and finds the cold, dark forests nothing if not inspiring. Although she has a Master’s degree in music, Suzanne prefers conjuring strange worlds and creating quirky characters. When not writing you can find her teaching dance and music to middle-schoolers or playing in the snow with her shiba inu. She is rep’d by Jordy Albert of the Booker Albert Agency.
Cover reveal: ‘Forget Me Not’ by Stacey Nash
Posted: November 22, 2013 Filed under: On Books | Tags: book covers, contests, small presses, young adult 3 CommentsI have read one of Stacey’s books — although not this one (yet!) — and can assure you she has serious game. Also, she is one of the contributors over at Aussie Owned and Read and one of the loveliest people you could ever hope to meet. So I’m very excited to be a part of this cover reveal.
Title: Forget Me Not (Book I in the Collective series)
Author: Stacey Nash
Release Date: 17 February 2014
Publisher: Entranced Publishing, Rush Imprint
Genre: YA speculative fiction
Since her mother vanished nine years ago, Anamae and her father have shared a quiet life. But when Anamae discovers a brooch identical to her mother’s favorite pendant, she unknowingly invites a slew of trouble into their world. When the brooch and the pendant are worn together they’re no longer pretty pieces of jewelry — they’re part of a highly developed technology capable of cloaking the human form. Triggering the jewelry’s power attracts the attention of a secret society determined to confiscate the device — and silence everyone who is aware of its existence. Anamae knows too much, and now she’s Enemy Number One.
She’s forced to leave her father behind when she’s taken in by a group determined to keep her safe. Here Anamae searches for answers about this hidden world. With her father kidnapped and her own life on the line, Anamae must decide if saving her dad is worth risking her new friends’ lives. No matter what she does, somebody is going to get hurt.
Add Forget Me Not on Goodreads now! And enter the giveaway HERE!! You can win a pre-release Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of Forget Me Not, a $20 Amazon gift card, or (for the writers) a first chapter critique. I’ve had Stacey crit my stuff before. Believe me, you want this!
And here is the cover. 
Reviews:
“Nash brings a secret world to life with these amazing characters.”
“I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys action, intrigue and romance.”
“It’s an incredible story with great action, a swoon-worthy romance, and twists you won’t see coming!”
About the Author:
Stacey grew up in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales. It is an area nestled between mountains and vineyards. Full of history and culture, it provides wonderful writing inspiration. After dabbling with poetry during her teen years, Stacey stopped writing until after university when she was married with young children. Now she loves nothing more than spending her days with her children and writing when inspiration strikes.
Social Media Links:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads
Cover reveal: ‘Branded’ by Katie Hamstead
Posted: November 7, 2013 Filed under: On Books | Tags: book covers, small presses 1 CommentYou guys have probably figured out that I’m a bit of a Katie Hamstead fangirl, with all of my posts about her Kiya trilogy. So I don’t need to tell you how excited I am to be part of the cover reveal for her newest (non-Egyptian) release, Branded, which is being released by Soul Mate Publishing in the Australian summer (and American winter, but whatever 😉 ).
Terrorists have invaded Sydney, and Allison King barely escapes her brother’s wedding reception alive. She and her siblings flee, but their parents are killed by firing squad.
Now Ali’s on the run and terrified. While searching for other survivors, she is captured by the General who leads the invasion. He’s smitten by Ali, and when she refuses to submit to his whims, he brands her for death. In a wild act of defiance, she snatches the branding rod and sears the mark onto his face. Marking not only him but also sealing her fate. Ali manages to escape and flees into the bush once more where she finds a group in hiding. Even with the scars left by the General, Ali learns to love and falls in love with the young man who found her—Damien Rogers.
But the General is hunting her. When he discovers their location, and finds her with another man—Damien—his wrath is kindled and his obsession is inflamed. Ali must put herself on the line or the General could kill her family, those who help her, and most significantly, the man she loves.
And here is the cover. I LUFF IT! ❤
Born and raised in Australia, Katie’s early years of day dreaming in the “bush”, and having her father tell her wild bedtime stories, inspired her passion for writing. After graduating High School, she became a foreign exchange student where she met a young man who several years later she married. Now she lives in Arizona with her husband, daughter and their dog.She has a diploma in travel and tourism which helps inspire her writing. She is currently at school studying English and Creative Writing.
Katie loves to out sing her friends and family, play sports and be a good wife and mother. She now works as a Clerk with a lien company in Arizona to help support her family and her schooling. She loves to write, and takes the few spare moments in her day to work on her novels.
You can find Katie on her blog, Goodreads, Facebook or Twitter.
Cover reveal: ‘Kiya: Mother of a King’ by Katie Hamstead
Posted: October 1, 2013 Filed under: On Books | Tags: book covers, small presses 1 CommentNefertiti has forced Naomi to flee Amarna with Malachi and the three children. But even under the protection of Naomi’s family in Thebes, Nefertiti still hunts her and Tut. Nefertiti sends assassins to kill them, and while Naomi fights to protect the children, Malachi fights to keep her safe.
With three children in tow, one of which isn’t her own, she is labeled the harlot outcast wife of the pharaoh and is shunned. She isn’t safe among her own people, and flees from being stoned to death. Although her family protects her, she must find a way to survive.
While Naomi struggles to keep herself and Tut alive, old adversaries return as Smenkhkare takes advantage of Akhenaten’s ailing health. Naomi must rely on Horemheb’s promise to protect Tut’s birthright, but her feelings for Malachi could cause more problems with Horemheb than she expects.
There’s a pre-release tour running, so if you want to see more you can find out here.
AND there’s a giveaway HERE!
Are you ready for the cover?
Ready for it??
Kiya: Mother of a King
Born and raised in Australia, Katie’s early years of day dreaming in the “bush”, and having her father tell her wild bedtime stories, inspired her passion for writing. After graduating High School, she became a foreign exchange student where she met a young man who several years later she married. Now she lives in Arizona with her husband, daughter and their dog.She has a diploma in travel and tourism which helps inspire her writing. She is currently at school studying English and Creative Writing.
Katie loves to out sing her friends and family, play sports and be a good wife and mother. She now works as a Clerk with a lien company in Arizona to help support her family and her schooling. She loves to write, and takes the few spare moments in her day to work on her novels.
You can find Katie on Goodreads, Facebook or Twitter.
Cover Reveal and Excerpt: ‘Finding Home’ by Lauren K. McKellar
Posted: August 30, 2013 Filed under: On Books | Tags: aussie-owned, book covers, contests, small presses Leave a commentI’m thrilled to be a part of the cover reveal for Finding Home, written by my dear friend Lauren K. McKellar. Also, the excerpt gave me goosebumps! I can’t wait for this release!
Synopsis:
Moody, atmospheric, and just a little bit punk, Finding Home takes contemporary YA to a new level of grit…
When Amy’s mum dies, the last thing she expects is to be kicked off her dad’s music tour all the way to her Aunt Lou in a depressing hole of a seaside town. But it’s okay — Amy learned how to cope with the best, and soon finds a hard-drinking, party-loving crowd to help ease the pain.
The only solace is her music class, but even there she can’t seem to keep it together, sabotaging her grade and her one chance at a meaningful relationship. It takes a hard truth from her only friend before Amy realises that she has to come to terms with her past, before she destroys her future.
Finding Home, Lauren K McKellar’s debut novel, is coming October 1, 2013. Add it to Goodreads today.
Click HEREto enter a giveaway celebrating this sexy new cover!
Excerpt:
‘Look, I have to go. Can we talk about this later?’ Dad was asking Mum. Joe had shut the door behind him, and it was a good thing he did too, because when Dad had finished speaking, Mum picked up an empty bottle of Grey Goose vodka and threw it at his head. She missed, missed by a mile, but that didn’t stop the bottle hitting the wall behind him and shattering into thousands of tiny pieces.
‘Jesus!’ Dad exclaimed. He turned around, surveying the damage.
‘Oh, look what I did! Can’t have clean-cut Stevie D trashing the green room. People might talk!’ Mum’s voice dripped with sarcasm. It sounded hoarse, no doubt a result of the hours she’d spent alternating between crying and screaming up until now.
‘Even if this was our bloody lounge room, I would still be furious! You can’t just throw s**t like that.’
‘I’ll throw whatever I want to throw!’ Mum yelled. ‘You’re so uptight.’ She walked up to Dad and put her hands on his shoulders, shaking them. ‘Give up this stupid dream already.’
‘And do what? I can’t afford your habits any other way. If I don’t sing, you have to get a job.’ Dad shook his head.
I inched around behind them and started to pick up the pieces of glass. They were all different sizes, and some had gotten stuck in the carpet. They required a bit of twisting to retrieve, but the others I could pick up with ease and place in my hand.
‘What do you want me to do? I don’t have any skills. And there’s clearly only one thing you think I’m good at these days,’ Mum said, leering. She pulled at her top, exposing her décolletage.
I focused on the glass again. I counted each piece in my hand. Thirty-six, thirty-seven, thirty-eight. On the fortieth piece, a shard broke through my skin, spilling bright red blood. Funny. I hadn’t thought my skin would be so thin.
‘Amy, you’re hurt!’ Mum pushed past Dad and came to kneel next to me. ‘What are you doing?’ She knocked my hand with her own, and the pieces of glass flew up into the air and landed back on the floor.
All my efforts — ruined.
‘Let me see,’ Dad said.
‘Get the hell away from her!’ Mum yelled, raising her voice again.
‘Do we have to do this in front of Amy?’ Dad asked. I felt them turn to look at me. Did they think I hadn’t heard? That the fights they’d been having all day in the adjacent hotel room hadn’t resonated with a hatred that travelled through walls?
‘Please don’t,’ was all I could say. But it was enough. Dad left the room, and Mum tended to my hand, spilling some vodka to cleanse it before wrapping it in a spare t-shirt.
‘I’m sorry, baby,’ Mum whispered to me. ‘I promise, things are going to get better.’
Only they didn’t. They got much, much worse.
Find Lauren McKellar at her website, or on Twitter or Facebook.
Cover reveal and excerpt: ‘Immagica’ by K.A. Last
Posted: August 23, 2013 Filed under: On Books | Tags: book covers, contests, self-publishing 1 CommentThis is one of the most gorgeous cover reveals I’ve ever been a part of. And it’s for a book by an indie author — which just goes to show the difference a professional presentation makes! Seriously, you’ll love it.
First, here are the deets:
Title: Immagica
Author: K. A. Last
Genre: YA Fantasy/Adventure
Expected Date of Publication: November 2013
Word Count: Around 66,000
Cover Illustration: Lawrence Mann
Cover Designer: KILA Designs
Immagica…
Where anything is possible, but not always controllable.
Enter at your own risk.
The night before her fifteenth birthday, Rosaline Clayton receives an amulet from her deranged father. He tells her she must find the book, and begs her to save him. Rosaline is used to her father not making any sense, and she dismisses their conversation as another of his crazy rants.
Rosaline and her younger brother, Elliot, find the old, leather-bound book tucked away in their Nana’s attic, and it sucks them into its pages. They land in a magical world where anything is possible, but when Rosaline and Elliot are separated, the only thing Rosaline wants is to find her brother and go home.
The creatures of Immagica have other ideas. Rosaline befriends a black unicorn, two fairies, and a girl named Brynn, who are under threat from a menacing dragon. Rosaline discovers she is bound to Immagica in ways she doesn’t understand, and the fate of this magical world rests entirely on her shoulders.
Add Immagica on Goodreads today!
Giveaway:
To celebrate the cover reveal, K.A. Last is giving away an Amazon gift card. To enter, click:
Excerpt:
The book flew open and a gust of wind whipped my curls around my face. The pages riffled back and forth before coming to a halt, open at the first page. This was getting a little weird. I was about to slam the book shut when words began to appear of their own volition, right before our eyes.
“Um, Elliot. Can you see that? Or am I as crazy as Dad?”
“I can see it,” he whispered.
Immagica, the place where anything is possible, but not always controllable.
Enter at your own risk.
“What a load of crap,” I said, picking the book up. The new line of text flickered gold and pulsed, on then off, then on again, like a flashing, neon sign. I gingerly picked up the corner of the page and peeked under it to the next, but it was blank.
“How do we enter?” Elliot asked, leaning into me and staring at the book.
“Why do you keep asking me all these questions? You’re here, you know as much as I do.”
“You’re older, and always acting so much smarter than me,” Elliot said. I poked my tongue out. “That’s real mature.” He rolled his eyes.
“Oh, so you’re Mr Maturity now you’re a teenager.”
“Sometimes I’m more mature than you!”
While we argued, we were oblivious to what was happening. The book riffled its pages again, and another gust of wind hit our faces. Before we knew what was happening, the golden glow exploded from the book and sucked us in. That’s the best way I can describe it. One minute we were in my room, surrounded by my grandmother’s elegant interior decorating, and the next we were enveloped with gold light.
At first I felt Elliot beside me, but then he was gone. The light was warm, like a soft, fuzzy blanket. Then the ground hit me in the face. It was hard and rough. The force of my landing knocked the wind out of me, and I tumbled over myself before coming to a halt on my back. Above me was an azure sky dotted with fluffy, marshmallow clouds. I turned my head and spotted the book lying closed on the ground a few metres away. I tried to move to retrieve it, but it took a few moments before I could roll onto my side and get to my knees.
When I finally managed to stand, I took in my surroundings with wide eyes. The sky may have been blue, but the ground was dirty charcoal. Lumps of gravel mixed with sand and dead grass. It stretched on, and on, nothing but barren wasteland no matter which way I turned. The only break in the landscape was where the horizon met the sky.
A lump of fear rose in my throat. Where was Elliot?
I didn’t know where I was, and I was completely alone.
K. A. Last was born in Subiaco, Western Australia, and moved to Sydney with her parents and older brother when she was eight. Artistic and creative by nature, she studied Graphic Design and graduated with an Advanced Diploma. After marrying her high school sweetheart, she concentrated on her career before settling into family life. Blessed with a vivid imagination, she began writing to let off creative steam, and fell in love with it. She now resides in a peaceful, leafy suburb north of Sydney with her husband, their two children, and a rabbit named Twitch.
You can find her at her website, or on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads or on Amazon.
‘Possession’ cover reveal and giveaway
Posted: July 23, 2013 Filed under: On Books | Tags: book covers, contests 1 Comment
Possession (Book 2 of the Mirrors of Bershan)
by J. Elizabeth Hill
Coming September 10, 2013
Cover by Regina Wamba of MaeIDesign.com
Book Description
“I never meant any of this, least of all for you to pay the price of my pride.”
After binding themselves to each other through their magic, Faylanna Derrion and Tavis journey back to her ancestral home, Iondis, intent on restoring the estate to its former beauty. From the moment they arrive, they find the secret horrors of the place aren’t exhausted yet.
Faylanna finds an old journal of her father’s, one that shakes her understanding of her own past. Worse, Faylanna and Tavis are both nearly killed when attacked by one of the men set to guard the Ninth Mirror of Bershan, still residing at Iondis. In the aftermath, he disappears with the newly-found journal. Sure there is more to this event than they know, Faylanna and Tavis return to the capital, Rianza, for help.
More secrets await them there, ones kept for years by people Tavis never suspected. When the truth is revealed, it alters his present and future completely. Can he rise to the challenges this new fate presents him with or will the change be more than he can handle?
The truths each learn about themselves and those they thought they knew will test Faylanna and Tavis’ love for each other. Will they be able to endure the pain and chaos they face, or will it tear them apart?
Haven’t met Faylanna and Tavis? BOUND is on sale! You can pick up the ebook for only 0.99 from Amazon.com, KoboBooks or Barnes & Noble!
About the Author
Born in Toronto, Ontario, Julie Elizabeth Hill exported herself to Vancouver, British Columbia after many years of staring longingly at the map following every snowfall. For as long as she can remember, she’s been making up stories, but it wasn’t until high school that someone suggested writing them down. Since then, she’s been hopelessly in love with story crafting, often forgetting about everything else in the process. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook or her blog.
Cover Reveal Giveaway:
Enter to win HERE!!!
Nominate the best people-free YA or NA book cover
Posted: July 7, 2013 Filed under: On Books | Tags: aussie-owned, book covers 11 CommentsLooking at my Pinterest account made me realise what a sucker I am for a cover with a pretty boy or girl on it. I’m not sure whether that’s because I look at a lot of YA covers, and most of them feature people, so my collection is reflective of what’s out there—or whether it’s due to my own biases. But to try and address this, my post over at Aussie Owned and Read this month will be a poll where we vote for the best YA or NA cover that has no people on it. I’m extending this to include bits of people, such as eyes, or silhouettes of people. (Animals, however, are fine.)
But in order to vote, we first need covers to choose from, so I’m asking you guys to nominate your favourite covers first. Post in the comments with your favourite cover, and make sure to include a link to the cover you mean so I get the right edition. Then on 25 July come on over to Aussie Owned and vote for your favourite! The winner gets bragging rights.
Here are a few gorgeous covers to get you started.
Cover reveal: ‘Sleeper’ by S. M. Johnston
Posted: May 3, 2013 Filed under: On Books | Tags: book covers Leave a commentI’m lucky to have such talented friends. Today I am honoured to be part of the cover reveal for Sleeper by S. M. Johnston. It is a new adult science fiction (with paranormal elements, my favourite kinds!), and will be coming out with Entranced Publishing in December! You can add it to your to-be-read list on Goodreads here.
After a life-saving heart transplant, eighteen-year-old Mishca Richardson is plagued by nightmares and an urgent desire to find her birth parents, which she puts down to post-operation depression. But her new heart seems to bring more than a second chance at life in the form of speed, strength and love at first sight.
“Sleeper” by S. M. Johnston
About the Author:
Sharon is a writer from Mackay in Queensland, Australia who has short stories published in anthologies and was also runner-up in the Australian Literary Review’s Young Adult short story contest with KARMA. By day she is a public relations executive and by night she writes weird fiction and soulful contemporaries while her husband, two sons and cat are fast asleep.
You can find her on Facebook, Twitter or at her blog. She also contributes to Aussie Owned and Read.
Sharon M. Johnston
Cassandra Page 