AHHHAHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhaaaaaahHHHHAAA!!!!!!!

RELEASE DAY: THE EMISSARY, by Kristal Shaff

Like the title of this post? It's a scream of joy! I just can't help it. FINALLY today I can say my YA fantasy novel, THE EMISSARY, is out in the world.

It's taken me YEARS and many trials and agents and editors and publishers and rewrites and stubborn resolve for this to happen. I don't have words for what I'm feeling. Instead, I'll give you the facts of what is going on with my book.

Firstly, here is the cover.

You can order it on AMAZON HERE.

You can add it to your goodreads list HERE.

If you have a nook, order HERE

A FREE GIVEAWAY on Goodreads is happening HERE.

My blog tour, hosted by Chapter by Chapter, started yesterday. Learn more about my book and my journey by following the tour. The list of tour sites are HERE

Please, read my book. It's been wanting to be seen for oh so long.

Dead Jed by Scott Craven

Today I wanted to put a plug in for one of my fellow authors from Month9 Books.

Dead Jed: Adventures of A Middle School Zombie  

Coming December 1, 2013. Preorder Now!

Jed is not your typical middle school geek. He is, to use the politically correct term, "cardiovascularly challenged." And though his parents attempted to shield him from the implications of being different for as long as they could, when Jed was eight and at a friend's sister's birthday party, he blew his lips off onto the cake in front of everyone, finally prompting the Big Talk—and an emergency SuperGlue repair by his dad. Now as a target of Robbie, the supreme school bully, and his pack of moronic toadies, seventh grade at Pine Hollow Junior High is rapidly becoming unbearable. From being stuffed in a trash can as "dead meat" and into a trophy case as the bully's "prize," to literally having his hand pulled off in the boys' room and a cigarette put in it to try to frame him for the recent reports of smoking in the school, Jed's had enough and is ready to plan his revenge. (Jed's always losing body parts, but luckily, with a good stapler and some duct tape, he's back in action.) But Jed finds that it's awesome what you can do when you're already dead! He goes from underground underdog to over-the-top hero and proves you don't have to be living to have a lot of heart. For every kid who's ever felt different, been picked on, or kicked out, this is a heartwarming and funny story about surviving middle school, making friends, and keeping your limbs.




Amazon Link
Goodreads

And here is the new book trailer for Dead Jed.

COVER LOVE: Daughter of Chaos by Jen McConnel

I've been enjoying my status as a peon in children's publishing for nearly half a year now. I work for Month9Books as an editorial assistant. Month9Books is a fantastic publisher and we see eye to eye when it comes to good fiction. Case in point: Daughter of Chaos by Jen McConnel. This is the first book I read for them that will be published, and the date is set for March 2014. It seems SO far away, so I am thrilled to share this crucial step on the road to publication: the cover reveal! I found it here, and here and here and here and here and here and here on Jen McConnel's author website. (Also the author is hosting a Rafflecopter giveaway of two other great books.)

Add it on Goodreads

Witches must choose the path they will follow, and Darlena Agara is no exception. She’s been putting it off long enough, and in her case, ignoring it has not made it go away. In a moment of frustration, Darlena chooses to follow Red Magic, figuring she had outsmarted the powers that be, since there’s no such thing as Red Magic. But alas, Darlena’s wrong (again) and she becomes a newly declared Red Witch.
Her friends are shocked and her parents horrified by the choice Darlena has made. As a Red Witch, she now governs one third of the world’s chaos. She is the walking personification of pandemonium, turmoil, and bedlam, just as the patrons of Red Magic would have it to be.
But Darlena believes there must be more to Red Magic than chaos and destruction, and she sets out on a journey to achieve balance. Only doing so puts her at odds with the dark goddess Hecate, who simply will not allow Darlena to quit. She encourages Darlena to embrace who and what she is and to leave good magic to the good witches. If only Darlena could, life would be simple, and she would not be the Daughter of Chaos.

DAUGHTER OF CHAOS is the first in a YA paranormal trilogy.

I can't even tell you how fulfilling it is to see something I had a (very, very small) part in turn into a real out-there book. I have experienced it as a critique partner to the amazing Operation Awesome blogger/writers and it never gets old. I LOVE WORKING IN PUBLISHING!!

Jen McConnel is an experienced writer whose other books also have a creeptastic witchcraft motif and stunning book covers. Check them out:

CONGRATULATE JEN ON TWITTER