November Book Giveaway

Just a quick note to let everyone know about an opportunity to win an autographed hardcover copy of my most recent release, H.A.L.F.: ORIGINS! The giveaway is happening over on Goodreads. Just click this link to go to Goodreads to enter*. The winners will also receive an exclusive bag-o-swag with stuff you can’t buy in stores.

Thanks so much for your support of my work and best wishes in the Giveaway!

Watch for a new giveaway in December that will perhaps include something to help fund your holidays ;-)

*NOTE: The Goodreads giveaway is open to residents of U.S. and Canada only.

Win a Signed Copy of The Makers by Natalie Wright!

H.A.L.F.: ORIGINS

H.A.L.F.: ORIGINS releases August 24. That’s only sixteen days away y’all!!

This is the end of a series I’ve been working on since 2010! :-o

I’m throwing a month-long party to celebrate. And it’s not a party without prizes and free stuff.

Let’s start the gift-giving out right with an official Goodreads Giveaway. This month I’m giving away five, signed paperback copies of H.A.L.F.: The Makers (H.A.L.F. 2). Click on the link in the box below to go to Goodreads and enter for your chance to win The Makers.

And come back throughout August to keep up to date on all the chances to win goodies in celebration of ORIGINS!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

H.A.L.F.

by Natalie Wright

Giveaway ends August 22, 2017.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Paranormal October: Dissolve into the Paranormal with Andrea Heltsley

Paranormal October continues and today I welcome back to the blog author Andrea Heltsley. Andrea has a new release in the adult paranormal genre and it's part of the Dissolve series. She has given us two nice excerpts to whet our appetite so check them out. And make sure to enter the Giveaway at the end of the post ;-)

Cora is thrilled to leave high school behind and kick start her summer with her boyfriend and best friend, Nessa. In an unexpected turn of events, tragedy strikes and Cora turns to Nessa for help.

Cora and Nessa discover they are not alone and become entangled in things much bigger than they expect. As the two of them meet new allies, it’s obvious that clearing Cora’s name and going home seem like the least of their worries. The further they travel; the more complicated their lives become. Someone is after them and they are just getting started.

Book One in the Dissolve Trilogy

Add to Goodreads

Buy on Amazon 

Excerpt:

Through all the mess, I managed to have a peaceful dream. I dreamed I was an incandescent purple butterfly floating 

lightly through the summer air. I reveled in 

the warm night and the soft breeze that 

encompassed me. Looking up, I took in the 

sight of a gibbon’s moon waning in the inky 

night amongst twinkling stars.

Gentle as the breeze itself, I landed on a 

blade of grass. I was surrounded by an 

entire field of swaying grass, and I sank 

down to the soft earth. Time seemed to stand 

still as I took in the warm peaceful night.

That was when I woke up, and I mean I 

really woke up. I was lying in a meadow, the 

cool earth beneath me. My blue eyes snapped 

open in panic. I soon realized that the moon, 

the breeze, and the grass were no figment of 

my imagination.

Naked and panicked, my mind raced as 

all the thoughts course through it at once. 

Where was I? How was I going to get back to 

the motel? Exposed, I tried to steady my 

breathing for fear of a panic attack. I stood 

up, looking around under the cover of 

darkness. My heart raced and then skipped a 

beat as I saw the motel just off to the left 

of my field of vision.  

1.     Codes and Keys- Death Cab for Cutie

2.     Dark Blue- Jack’s Mannequin

3.     The Creationist- Kerli

4.     Secrets- One Republic

5.     Just Tonight- The Pretty Wreckless

6.     Drown- Carolina Liar

7.     AM/FM Sound- Matt & Kim

8.     Fixed at Zero- Versa Emerge

9.     This is For Real- Motion City Soundtrack

10.   Done- Charlotte Sometimes

11.  What You Want- Evanescence

12.   Saying Sorry- Hawthorne Heights

13.   Northern Downpour- Panic! At The Disco

14.   Firefight- Jimmy Eat World

15.    Make a Run for It- Hit the Lights

16.  This is War- Thirty Seconds to Mars

Cora and her friends encounter one problem after another on their search for the truth. Questions about their genetically altered states and the mass bombings that plague the country, lead them to the place they least expect, and a threat they didn’t anticipate.

As the search for answers grow more complicated, they must learn to trust new allies as well as each other. If only Cora could just dissolve away from this mess, but she’s determined not to leave anyone behind.

With shocking twists, steamy romances, and heart-pounding action, find out what happens when danger is just a step ahead and their fate waits in the shadows. 

Book Two in the Dissolve Trilogy

November 15, 2015

Excerpt:

True panic didn’t set in until I heard screams and gunshots. The loud pops shattered my hold on reality. The only thing I could feel was my need to get away from the awful scene. My body was going to unravel, right here, right now, in front of the agents. This had disaster written all over it, but I couldn’t stop it. It was like a safety mechanism built inside me—run, escape, hide, get away, or flee. I was consumed by these thoughts as they ran on repeat in my fragile mind.

It started at my feet, one foot, and then the other. The shoes I had on, emptied, the transition moving up my legs in a slow tingling feeling. My eyes had involuntarily closed, waiting for the peace of freedom dissolving would bring. This transition was slower than most. I couldn’t concentrate with my mind so busy.

 

Add to Goodreads

Pre-Order Detour on Amazon

1. Somethin’ Bad - Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood

2. Begin Again - Taylor Swift

3. Carry the Fire – Automatic Loveletter

4. Cruel World – Lana Del Rey

5. Hysteria – Motion City Soundtrack

6. My Racing Thoughts – Jack’s Mannequin

7. Never Gonna Let You Down – Colbie Caillat

8. Pumpin’ Blood - NoNoNo

9. Shatter Me – Lindsey Stirling and Lizzy Hale

10. Waiting for a Friend – The Pretty Reckless

11. Warpath – Ingrid Michaelson

12. Whitecoats – Foxes

13. Give Me Back My Hometown – Eric Church

14. Loved – Lucy Hale and Joe Nichols

15. Immortals – Fall Out Boy

16. This Nothin’ Town – Jason Aldean

17. Mission Bells – Matt Nathanson

18. Hold My Hand – The Fray

19. Hope – Natasha Bedingfield

20. Line of Fire – The Veronicas

 

About the Author:

Andrea Heltsley is a new adult and young adult author. She started writing in 2012 and hasn’t stopped since. She lives in Missouri with her husband and two Italian Greyhounds. Ice cream, coffee and candy are a few of her serious addictions. 

When writing, Andrea loves to listen to all kinds of music and always has a candle burning. Her dogs curl up in a nearby chair and burrow in a blanket most of the day. She has more book ideas than time to write them. Andrea is fascinated by the paranormal, supernatural, shifters, love triangles and romance. Her books reflect that. 

When she’s not writing, you can find her nose in a book. 

Her ideal forms of entertainment are: 

She reads mostly Indie authors including: Alyssa Rose Ivy, Ednah Walters, Molly McAdams, Rachel Van Dyken, Shelly Crane, Addison Moore, J.L. Weil, Stephanie Hudson, Amy Bartol, Amelia Hutchins and Chelsea Cameron are just a few.

A few NYT authors she reads: Rachel Vincent, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Chloe Neill, Richelle Mead, Rachel Caine, Kim Harrison, Sophie Kinsella, Kelley Armstrong, Kiera Cass, L.J. Smith and Alyson Noel.

She loves listening to Shakira, Taylor Swift, Andrew McMahon, Death Cab for Cutie, Kerli, Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, Lana Del Rey, Marina and the Diamonds and The Pretty Reckless.

TV shows she loves are The Vampire Diaries, The Walking Dead, Bitten, The 100, iZombie, Under the Dome, Graceland, The Originals and Orphan Black.

Movies that are her must watches: P.S. I Love You, Elektra, The Host, Veronica Mars, The Underworld Movies, The Terminator Movies, The Resident Evil Movies, Coyote Ugly, Alice in Wonderland (Tim Burton's), Nicholas Sparks movies, Sweet Home Alabama and Salt.

 

Follow her blog at Andrea Heltsley Books
Follow Andrea on Twitter
Like Andrea on Facebook
Follow Andrea on Pintrest
Andrea's Goodreads Author Page
Andrea's Amazon Author Page

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Writer Chat Wednesday: Joanna Penn!

Joanna Penn, Author

Welcome to Writer Chat Wednesday where each week I get inside the mind of some of my favorite authors. This week I have a very special Writer Chat, via Skype, with British author Joanna Penn. If aren't yet familiar with Joanna's work, let me be the first to introduce you to this fabulous author. Eavesdrop on our Skype Chat which took place February 2, 2012:

Joanna Penn is the author the thriller Arkane series. Her first book in the series, is Pentacost.

Pentacost was released January 6, 2011. Joanna's most recent release is Prophecy.

You can view my full review of Prophecy here. And you can view my Goodreads review of Pentacost here.

If you are a writer and you aren't already a follower of Joanna's popular blog, The Creative Penn, then go check it out. Joanna provides some of the most consistently helpful advice for writers that you'll find anywhere.

Connect with Joanna!

Facebook

Twitter

Have you read Pentacost or Prophecy? If so, what did you think? 
Do you enjoy reading books in the thriller genre? Are there Indie authors you'd like read or see a chat with?


February "Show the Love For Readers Book Giveaway" going on now! Post a comment to any blog post OR sign up for the mailing list to enter. See this Post for complete details.

Social Networking: Powerful New Procrastination Drug of Choice for the Writer

The new conventional wisdom for the writer:  Social Networking is a Must.
You have to "build a platform."  Create the audience for your work.  If you're an unknown writer, you must tweet and Facebook and blog and link in.
In the past, my procrastination drug of choice:  Gaming *head dips in shame*.  It started innocently enough.  I had to check out Pirates Online before I let my kid play it.  But like so many things, a little was good, a lot was better.  My child quickly lost interest.  Me?  I played until my wrists hurt from clicking the mouse; played until my character was maxed out.  Then the power of the drug had worn off.  I needed something harder.
World of Warcraft ("WOW") was just what I needed.  Characters could go to level 85 (not the wimpy 50 of Pirates Online).  There were whole continents to explore, powers to learn, weapons to earn.  Ahh, that's the stuff.  Gaming heaven.
My family tried to reach me but I said "just one more battle."  Once in a dungeon I may not surface for over an hour.  My refrain was "it boosts my creativity" and it "helps me relax."
What I was really doing was procrastinating.  The longer I played, the longer I avoided looking at the dreaded white screen.  When playing, I didn't have to think about how I was going to get my characters of the precarious situations I'd put them in or worry about plot problems.  When gaming, I was on auto-pilot, closing out the world around me.  
But I was also silencing the world within.
With the help of my husband (my ever-present external wise man and knower of all that is Nat before Nat knows it) I realized that gaming didn't "relax" me.  If anything, it made me more tense.
And there was no enhancement of my own creativity.  Gaming impedes my creativity.  When you game, you enter a world someone else created.  It can be fun, but if you spend too long there, you're just closing off your own creative powers.
The pact was made within - no more gaming.  And it helped when I got my new MacBook because I just didn't load the games.  Out of sight, out of mind.
And creativity thrived.  Writing happened.  White screens were filled with words.  Not always great, wonderful, beautiful strings of words, but words.  I was writing again and living the life of a writer.  Every day, writing happened.  That's what being a writer is all about.
And then . . . Social Networking happened.
It is necessary.  Whether your book is acquired by a legacy publisher or you self-publish, you must self-promote and these days, to self-promote you must be engaged in the online conversation.  No question.
And it is valuable.  You learn a lot from the conversation.  
But oh, the seduction it holds for the OCD-type.  Tweeting, blogging, Facebooking, checking, reading, following threads, re-Tweeting.  Round and round it goes.  Loops and follow-backs and some Goodreads thrown in for fun.
You look up at the clock and it's noon and you haven't written a word on that novel or short story or poem.  After lunch you open the document and look at the empty white screen before you.  You look down and you've got 7800 words. That's the same number you had last week!  Where did the time go?
Hey, procrastination on the Social Network, now that would make a good blog post. . .