Meet Sebastian Wallace...

I've been so wrapped up in Wicked Hunger the last month and prepping for the release of Wicked Power on May 1st, that I fear I've neglected some of my other characters. Ketchup has been stealing the spotlight lately, but I wanted to make sure Bas got an equal chance. 

So, meet Sebastian Wallace from Soul Stone (Escaping Fate #2) and make your own decision on whether he's arrogant, annoying, and out to make Arra's life miserable... or something else entirely. 

Please join me in welcoming Bas. He's ready to tell us more about his role in Soul Stone and why Arrabella, the girl with the dreams, apparently can’t stand him.

Bas: How did I know questions about Arra were coming? Silly me to think you wanted to hear about the curse.

By all means, tell us about the curse first. We’ll save the details about you and Arra for the end.

Bas: (shakes his head) Okay, fine with me. I missed the whole Aztec curse, as I was overseas visiting relatives during the summer. I really didn’t know what was going on with Arra even after I got back until she asked me for a favor. Even then, I wasn’t really sure what was going on, but I knew it was only the first step in a long, weird journey. One that’s probably not ending any time soon.

If you knew that, why did you decide to help Arra?

Bas: Why wouldn’t I help her?

Well… because you two don’t get along.

Bas: I get along with Arra just fine. She just doesn’t get along with me.

So, Arra’s the problem? Not you?

Bas: Of course not.

So, you didn’t give her a goose egg on her head and not apologize? Or get her phone confiscated? Or spill her chemistry experiment? Or…

Bas: Those were all accidents. Every single one of them.

And you wonder why Arra doesn’t believe you. Anyway, tell us about Sibeal Ahearn, the girl who has suddenly become the center of some very strange dreams.

Bas: Sibeal, yes, there’s definitely something weird going on with her. Aside from her creepy reflection. Really, she’s a nice girl. She’s pretty and smart, sweet. Under normal circumstances, the guys probably would have been all over her.

Including you?

Bas: Well, no …

Why not?

Bas: I’m just not interested in her like that. I mean, I want to help Arra figure out what’s going on and make sure she doesn’t die, but not for any romantic reasons.

Who would you like to save… for romantic reasons?

Bas:  Are you trying to get me to admit something about Arra? It’s not going to happen. I don’t know why, but I seem to bring out the worst in her. We’re barely managing friends as it is. I just got sucked up in all of this because she’s Tanner’s girlfriend. I’m trying to help save Sibeal. It isn’t any more complicated than that.

Hmm, if you say so. What if Arra has more strange dreams? Will you help her with whatever they bring as well, or are you done after this one?

Bas: Well, just because we aren’t that great of friends doesn’t mean I want to see her die. If she needs my help again, she knows I’ll be there.

I’m sure she’ll be glad to hear that. Tanner, maybe not so much.

Bas: What’s that supposed to mean?

It looks like we’re about out of time, Bas, so sorry. I guess it will just have to remain an enigma, just like why the whole town of Grainer thinks you can do no wrong. So many mysteries, and only enough room for one more question. What will the dreams bring next? 

Bas: I suppose it would be too much to ask for it to be something good. I’m not really sure, but Arra said something about Oracle Lost the other day. You’ll have to ask her for more details, I was only half paying attention because I was trying to get all of her pencils out of her backpack without her noticing at the time.

Bas, Bas, Bas. I do hope you know what you’re doing. Until we see you again, good luck with the curses, and with Arra. 

See what Bas is up to in Soul Stone in Paperback or Kindle

You can also check out the book trailer for Soul Stone!

Wicked Hunger Book Trailer Debut!

I know I'm a little behind in getting the book trailer for Wicked Hunger finished up and released, but here it is! I hope everyone enjoys it!

Interested in grabbing a copy? 

Wicked Hunger is available now on: 

Amazon/Kindle

B&N

Book Depository 

(free shipping worldwide)

Smashwords

...and coming soon to all your other favorite ebook stores!

How do you choose a new book?

Looking for a new book, but not sure what you want, or whether or not it's worth trying out? 

This is a fun way to compare what you already like with what you're looking at!

Give it a try...

The Joys of Editing...

I don't know how most authors feel about editing, but it's not my favorite part of the writing process. It can be tedious, and I usually end up feeling rather foolish when I get my edits back and see the same mistake pointed out over and over again.

At least, that's the case when you actually work with a good editor.

It's been a while since I've worked with an editor who actually knew their stuff. Cynthia Shepp, who not only has her own freelance editing business (Cynthia Shepp Book Reviews and Editing), she is also the fabulous editor for Clean Teen Publishing, one of my publishers. Aide from the lovely Phyl Manning, who passed away this year, I've had a heck of a time finding an editor who is thorough and truly an expert in their field.

I was thrilled when Wicked Power was recently handed off Cynthia, because I knew she was top notch. When I got edits back from her and I didn't find an error free page until I got to page 95 in my manuscript, I had mixed feelings. Cynthia clearly did a great job and caught all my errors, but I was rather annoyed at myself because the errors she fixed were pretty much the same four errors over and over again.

So, to serve as a reminder to myself, and possibly to keep other authors from tripping up over the same things, here's what I learned from Cynthia. 

Ellipsis

Three dots. Not too difficult, right? It's the spaces that were getting to me this time. 

There should not be a space between the word and the ellipsis. Ex: I want to...

There should be a space after the ellipsis and before the next word. Ex: The kids are... somewhere.

There should not be a space between the ellipsis and final punctuation, but their should be a space between the last word and the ellipsis. Ex: How are we supposed to ...?

Hyphens

"Compound adjectives and/or compound modifiers need to be hyphenated when preceding the word it modifies, unless one of the modifiers is an adverb ending in –ly. They don’t if after the noun." ~ Cynthia

Ex: Three-foot platform, petal-soft, miniature-sized ballerinas

Also, I may be the only who frequently forgets this one, but five-year-old sister should also be hyphenated. 

I and Me

Poor Cynthia had to fix so many "you and I's" and "me and my family's" because I can't ever seem to get this rule straight. 

I kept writing things like "With that, the privacy window rolls up and secludes Ketchup and I." 

• Here's what Cynthia had to say about this one: "
  • Easy way to remember whether to use I or me. If you take out the other person, the sentence has to make sense with either I or me. 
  • With that, the privacy window rolls up and secludes Ketchup and I. (WRONG).
  • With that, the privacy window rolls up and secludes I. (WRONG)
  • With that, the privacy window rolls up and secludes me. (RIGHT)
  • With that, the privacy window rolls up and secludes Ketchup and me. (RIGHT)

Another rule I learned, or maybe re-learned, is that the person who is speaking should be put at the end of a list of people whenever possible. 

For example: Aside from my siblings and me... rather than Aside from me and my siblings... 

Commas

On every other point, Cynthia was able to explain why what I had been writing was incorrect, and it made sense. I'm sorry to say, I'm still a mess on commas, and I fear I always will be. 

I don't know why commas are so difficult for me, but they are. I'm good with commas used for series (I was taught to use the Oxford comma), and setting of introductory elements. Here's some of what I get tripped up on when it comes to commas: 

1. Apositives and Parenthetical Elements. This trips me up a lot, because what is or isn't essential to a sentence isn't always easy to decide. I read a sentence one way, and it makes perfect sense, but my husband will read it and disagree. I'm sure most of that is because I know what the sentence means, so I'm reading it the way I want it interpreted, but it's hard to read it any differently. 

•  Although Andrew spent several years in Africa, he still found the heat of the desert overwhelming. 

2. Strong and Weak Clauses. Again, this seems open to interpretation, and for some reason, I seem to interpret it differently than other readers. 

• Ex: If you're not sure about the color, let me know VS Let me know if you're not sure about the color.

3. Separating Strong Clauses. This one can depend on the length of the sentence, but it's still be tricky, in my opinion, because sometimes the way I read it makes me unsure. Strong clauses should be separated by a comma when they're joined by a conjunction. 

• I have done all the laundry, but he has only vacuumed one room. 

I'm sure there were other rules I was breaking, and will continue to break, but I will do my best to send less commas errors to Cynthia the next time we work together! 

What grammar and punctuation rules do you find yourself breaking regularly? 

Cover Reveal: Wicked Power (Someone Wicked This Way Comes, Book 2)

COVER REVEAL: WICKED POWER by DelSheree Gladden

Book 2 in the Someone Wicked This Way Comes Series. 

Release Day: May 1, 2014

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Clean Teen Publishing 

Find out why Kirkus Reviews said: The pairing of a formulaic start and formula-breaking ending makes the book ideal for paranormal-romance readers seeking a new spin on the familiar. 

“Wicked Power is what he craves. He collects it and turns it into wicked glory—the glory of ruling everything and everyone.”

Even after Vanessa and Zander Roth barely survive the Eroi's attempt to expose them for what they are, they aren't safe. Sitting balanced on the edge of impending death and unthinkable power, they reluctantly turn to the other Godlings for help. 

What they find and learn while being trained by the arrogant leader makes them question whether they are being trained to be a weapon for good or evil. Soon enough, Van and Zander find themselves once again on opposing paths. 

A lot of things happen to Godlings as they near their sixteenth birthday, including the impending full strength of their hunger. When Van starts exhibiting some strange abilities, which include a heightened intuition and frightening visions of the future, she soon learns that she's not like the others. She knows she must do everything she can to protect her secrets from their leader, who will use her as a weapon if he finds out. Thankfully, Van is not alone. She has the help of her best friend—and the one boy she shouldn't be falling in love with—Ketchup. 

While Van is dealing with her own problems, Zander finds himself embracing the training of the Godlings, even though their methods are cruel and harsh. He finds himself clinging to the hope that he can redeem himself, even after falling into Ivy's trap and putting their family's lives in danger. Along the way, Zander finds himself falling for an unlikely accomplice, who has him wondering if he even loved Ivy at all. 

Redemption and protection both take a backseat when a shocking discovery puts everything they have worked for in jeopardy. The choice between safety and freedom has never been more important, and in the end… they may not have a choice at all. 

Wicked Power is the second book in the all-new paranormal series, Someone Wicked This Way Comes.

WICKED HUNGER by DelSheree Gladden

AVAILABLE NOW!

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing

“Save him and hurt him, don’t save him and hurt him. Pain, either way. Delicious pain. Hunger will be the only one that wins. Hunger always wins.”

Vanessa and Zander Roth are good at lying. Their whole life is a giant web of deceit made in an effort to conceal the deadly secrets that plague their family.

Zander will do anything to forget his mistakes, including pushing everyone away. He was barely surviving in his self-forced solitude before Ivy Guerra entered his life. The new girl in school, with her pink-striped hair and unyielding curiosity, incites something wicked inside Zander that can only be blamed on his family genes. Now Zander is forced to fight an internal war and make a choice between loving Ivy Guerra and killing her.

Vanessa wants nothing more than to shed the strange powers she wields and be normal. Because if Van were normal, she’d be able to have normal things… Like a relationship with the boy she’s been secretly in love with for years. Unfortunately, her life is anything but ordinary. That boy who owns her heart just happens to be her brother’s kryptonite and a potential liability for her entire family. When choices between love and family loyalty have to be made, Van finds herself faced with an impossible decision.

As if the Roth family needs anything more to worry about, a vicious plot to expose Van and Zander for what they are is uncovered. When it becomes apparent that someone close to them is at the center of this devious plan, the fight to maintain control and keep their cover ensues. It's a seemingly impossible battle because something is causing their powers to stir stronger than ever before… and it won’t stop until Van and Zander give in to their wicked hunger.

Wicked Hunger is the first book in the all-new paranormal series, Someone Wicked This Way Comes.

KIRKUS REVIEW OF WICKED HUNGER

Teenage siblings with a dark secret find their lives complicated by the arrival of a mysterious girl.

Zander and Van are tougher and heal faster than ordinary teenagers. However, the price is a terrible, mysterious hunger—a bloodlust that becomes intensified by specific individuals. Younger Van does her best to suppress it so she can have friends and a normal life; Zander instead keeps everyone at arm’s length and warns Van that once her 16th birthday hits and her powers reach full strength, she should do so as well. Ivy, a new girl—cousin to one of Van’s friends—puts everything at risk. Both Zander and Van hunger to hurt her, but Zander falls for her in a push-pull love story reminiscent of Twilight, right down to Zander’s sneaking into Ivy’s room to watch her sleep. Van, however—when she’s not busy with a love triangle of her own, with a mysterious boy she’s just met and her trusty best friend, Ketchup—is suspicious that certain things don’t add up with Ivy. The conclusion, made strong by unraveling secrets and formula-shattering twists, sets up a sequel.

The pairing of a formulaic start and formula-breaking ending makes the book ideal for paranormal-romance readers seeking a new spin on the familiar. (Paranormal romance. 13-17) 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

DelSheree Gladden lives in New Mexico with her husband and two children. The Southwest is a big influence in her writing because of its culture, beauty, and mythology. Local folk lore is strongly rooted in her writing, particularly ideas of prophecy, destiny, and talents born from natural abilities. When she is not writing, DelSheree is usually reading, painting, sewing, or working as a Dental Hygienist. Her works include Escaping Fate, Twin Souls Saga, The Destroyer Trilogy, and Invisible. The first book in the Someone Wicked This Way Comes series, Wicked Hunger, is scheduled to be released through Clean Teen Publishing on April 1, 2014.

Want to READ MORE from Clean Teen Publishing? 

Check out our huge selection of amazing reads! There's sure to be something for every reader! 

Crafty Authors Vol.1: Ribbon Bookmarks

Want to learn how to make some awesome, one of a kind book swag for you new book?

I'm going to attempt to show you how to make some really fun Ribbon Bookmarks! 

If my pictures are fuzzy, it's because I used my phone camera. I'll use my real camera next time! Also, if any of the direction don't make sense, just leave a comment at the bottom and I'll try to explain it better :) 

So, here we go!

Supplies: 

Ribbon

Grosgrain ribbon is preferable, but I've used sheer ribbon as well. 

Grosgrain ribbon is the one that kind of looks like corduroy, but it's not fuzzy. If you're not sure what I'm talking about (since I explained that really poorly), just ask someone in the fabric section at Hobby Lobby or Joanne's. Or Michael's if you're lucky enough to have one in your town, which I am not. 

Metal Ribbon Ends

You'll find these in the jewelry section of your favorite craft store. They look like little metal mouths :) 

These come in a variety of widths. Just make sure you get ones that match the width of your ribbon. 

Bottle Cap Charm (or some other kind of charm you can put your graphic on)

These are in the jewelry section as well. There are all different shapes and sizes. You might find some fun charms you want to use too. 

Headpins and Eyepins

The headpin look like standard sewing pins. Use these if you don't need to attach anything else to it like a charm or ring. 

The eyepin looks a little like a sewing needle. The eye on the end is for attaching charms or rings. 

Beads and Charms

Find beads that match your book cover, or charms that have something to do with your book. 

I like to keep an eye on the clearance section at Hobby Lobby and pick up little packs of cute beads here and there.

Jewelry Pliers/Wire Cutters (or regular pliers)

You'll need these to pinch the Ribbon Ends closed and bend your Pins. You can use any pliers for the ribbon ends, but these work best for bending pins. If you use regular pliers just be careful if you don't want to scratch up the metal. 

Jewelry Findings

Depending on what design you do, you may need a few other jewelry findings like little metal rings. If you're planning to make a lot of these, get a jewelry starter kit from a craft store and it will have a good variety you can play around with. 

Making the Bookmark:

Step 1: 

Cut your ribbon to about 7" since 6x9 is a popular paperback size right now. 

Slip the Ribbon Ends onto the end of your ribbon and use the pliers to pinch them onto the ribbon. Do this on both ends. 

Step 2:

Assemble your charms/beads/etc. onto your Head/Eyepin. This is the one I did for Wicked Hunger :) 

Attach the pin to the Ribbon End by clipping the excess and bending the end of the pin into a loop around the Ribbon End eye, or using a metal ring in between to make it easier.  

Step 3:

Attach the Bottle Cap Charm (or whatever you decided to use) to the Ribbon End using a metal Ring. 

Step 4: 

What you put inside the Bottle Cap is up to you. I have painted the initials of my book title on some. For this one, I printed little versions of my book cover and cover symbols. You can shrink down your book cover in photo editing software then have them printed on card stock or photo paper. 

Step 5: 

Then I cut out my pictures and glued them onto the bottle cap to finish it off. 

This one has the symbol from the cover of Wicked Hunger on it. 

Some of the charms you can get have a plastic holder you just slip the picture into. Square or rectangle charms are much easier to work with than round ones :)

One batch of supplies will make A LOT of bookmarks!

Hopefully this was helpful! I hope you have fun making your own Ribbon Bookmarks. If you have any questions, just leave a comment and click the "Notify Me" button so you'll get an email when I answer. Thanks for stopping by and check back for instructions on wire bracelets, key chains, and a few other fun swag creations.

Wicked Hunger Release Day!!!

WICKED HUNGER by DelSheree Gladden

Release Date: TODAY! Wicked Hunger is Finally Available!!!

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing

 

 

“Save him and hurt him, don’t save him and hurt him. Pain, either way. Delicious pain. Hunger will be the only one that wins. Hunger always wins.”

Vanessa and Zander Roth are good at lying. Their whole life is a giant web of deceit made in an effort to conceal the deadly secrets that plague their family.

Zander will do anything to forget his mistakes, including pushing everyone away. He was barely surviving in his self-forced solitude before Ivy Guerra entered his life. The new girl in school, with her pink-striped hair and unyielding curiosity, incites something wicked inside Zander that can only be blamed on his family genes. Now Zander is forced to fight an internal war and make a choice between loving Ivy Guerra and killing her.

Vanessa wants nothing more than to shed the strange powers she wields and be normal. Because if Van were normal, she’d be able to have normal things… Like a relationship with the boy she’s been secretly in love with for years. Unfortunately, her life is anything but ordinary. That boy who owns her heart just happens to be her brother’s kryptonite and a potential liability for her entire family. When choices between love and family loyalty have to be made, Van finds herself faced with an impossible decision.

As if the Roth family needs anything more to worry about, a vicious plot to expose Van and Zander for what they are is uncovered. When it becomes apparent that someone close to them is at the center of this devious plan, the fight to maintain control and keep their cover ensues. It's a seemingly impossible battle because something is causing their powers to stir stronger than ever before… and it won’t stop until Van and Zander give in to their wicked hunger.

Wicked Hunger is the first book in the all-new paranormal series, Someone Wicked This Way Comes.

KIRKUS REVIEW OF WICKED HUNGER

Teenage siblings with a dark secret find their lives complicated by the arrival of a mysterious girl.

Zander and Van are tougher and heal faster than ordinary teenagers. However, the price is a terrible, mysterious hunger—a bloodlust that becomes intensified by specific individuals. Younger Van does her best to suppress it so she can have friends and a normal life; Zander instead keeps everyone at arm’s length and warns Van that once her 16th birthday hits and her powers reach full strength, she should do so as well. Ivy, a new girl—cousin to one of Van’s friends—puts everything at risk. Both Zander and Van hunger to hurt her, but Zander falls for her in a push-pull love story reminiscent of Twilight, right down to Zander’s sneaking into Ivy’s room to watch her sleep. Van, however—when she’s not busy with a love triangle of her own, with a mysterious boy she’s just met and her trusty best friend, Ketchup—is suspicious that certain things don’t add up with Ivy. The conclusion, made strong by unraveling secrets and formula-shattering twists, sets up a sequel.

The pairing of a formulaic start and formula-breaking ending makes the book ideal for paranormal-romance readers seeking a new spin on the familiar. (Paranormal romance. 13-17)

EXCERPT FROM WICKED HUNGER:

“Oscar,” I snap. His mouth stops blabbering and he looks up at me. “I need to know if Zander’s in trouble.”

“Trouble,” Oscar says. He nods deeply. “Tell me everything.”

So I do.

I force myself not to look over at Ketchup once during my explanation. I hadn’t been planning on letting him in on the secrets of our family right now, or any time, to be perfectly honest, but what else was I going to do. There was no chance I was going to ask him to step out. Not only would that be incredibly unfair after I forced him to bring me here, but also, as much as I love Oscar, I do not want to be left alone with him. My mouth spills out the details of Ivy and Zander’s bizarre relationship as I pretend Ketchup isn’t listening to a word of it. I tell him about our hunger reactions, my suspicions, Zander’s love, his likely confession, and his slip that Ivy was somehow going to help him.

At that last part, Oscar’s entire body goes rigid. His eyes latch onto me like a barbed dart, painful and difficult to be free of. “She thinks she can help him?” Oscar says. “She won’t. She won’t help him. She doesn’t really want to. Ivy, Ivy. Ivy is lying. Ivy Guerra. I don’t like her name. Vines and War, that’s what her name means. She will wrap herself around Zander and strangle the life out of him, start a war that none of us can win. Ivy Guerra can’t be trusted.”

“I…what? Her name means war? What are you talking about?”

Oscar tsks at me, one finger of his bound hand bobbing up and down. “I told you to keep up with your Spanish, Van. It’s always useful to know languages. Shows you things that others miss. Guerra means war. Ivy is here to start a war.”

“How could you possibly know that?” Not that I disagree with him, but he’s actually crazy. I suspect Ivy is trouble because of what I’ve seen. I want to stop her, but I’m not going to launch a full out campaign against her on the word of my murdering, psychotic brother.

The dull thud of Oscar’s head hitting the metal table startles me. I look down at him. Panic creeps under my skin. Is this the end of his lucidity? It can’t be. I have more questions still. “Oscar. Oscar! How do you know Ivy is here to start a war? You have to tell me or Zander might get hurt.”

“Oh, Zander will get hurt.” The muffled slur of his words makes them even more ominous. “That girl is no good. If you want to save Zander, you have to stop her, but he’ll still get hurt. Save him and hurt him, don’t save him and hurt him. Pain, either way. Delicious pain. Hunger will be the only one that wins. Hunger always wins.”

My fingernails are digging into Ketchup’s skin. Pain ripples around his wrist, but I pay it no mind. All my focus is on Oscar. “How do you know about any of this, Oscar?”

“They didn’t want me to know, but I found out. Someone tried to help me, and I didn’t believe them. I searched and asked and demanded and screamed until someone told me. They didn’t want me to know, but I found out. I found out, and it made me angry. So, so angry. Furious. Irate. I wanted blood and pain and death when I found out. Nothing could feed my hunger enough, not after being starved for so long. I found out, and they paid for it. I made them pay.”

“Oscar,” I whisper, his words making more sense to me than I wish they would. He made them pay. They didn’t want him to know. He made them pay. My shaking rattles the uneven legs of my chair against the floor, a skittering noise that fries the last of my barriers. I ask my last, most frightening question. “Oscar, why did you kill Mom and Dad?”

“Because,” he hisses, “because, because they lied to us. They knew. All along they knew who we were, what we were, but they tried to pretend, change us, turn us into something we aren’t, starve us, deny us, make us suffer for years and years and years! They said they loved us, but they lied! They lied! They lied! THEY LIED!”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

DelSheree Gladden lives in New Mexico with her husband and two children. The Southwest is a big influence in her writing because of its culture, beauty, and mythology. Local folk lore is strongly rooted in her writing, particularly ideas of prophecy, destiny, and talents born from natural abilities. When she is not writing, DelSheree is usually reading, painting, sewing, or working as a Dental Hygienist. Her works include Escaping Fate, Twin Souls Saga, The Destroyer Trilogy, and Invisible. The first book in the Someone Wicked This Way Comes series, Wicked Hunger, is scheduled to be released through Clean Teen Publishing on April 1, 2014.

Want to READ MORE from Clean Teen Publishing?

Check out our huge selection of amazing reads! There's sure to be something for every reader!