SHINE: The Knowing Ones Blog Tour REVIEW and GIVEAWAY

Shine: The Knowing Ones

by Amy Freeman

Blurb: 

We walk among you. Wherever your lives take you within this world, we are there, and we are many. We are not superior, we simply know more... far more... and none of you are safe.

Sam has always had the gift of reading auras and seeing future events. But since beginning college, her gifts are strengthening - becoming more foreboding. Dark visions she can't explain haunt her daily. She senses danger but doesn't know why. Meeting gorgeous Olympic swimming star Trin Kosolov, who shares her extra sensory abilities, only seems to intensify the imminent peril.

Sam soon discovers she was born with an identity she never knew she had and finds herself fighting for her life as she and Trin struggle to save humanity from an evil that could ultimately destroy them all.

Available for purchase at 

      

My Review

5 STARS

My God, I don't even know where to begin to describe the merits of this book. SHINE comprises every element you could want in a great novel. It has engaging characters that are well described, relatable and easily imagined. It has a superbly rich series of exciting settings and vivid new places to be transported to. The dialogue is fresh, clear and charming, and the plot is a cleverly-woven story that is simple to follow but deep, dark and complex at the same time. 

This book was always pleasant to pick up, I was never bored or eager to skip over the pages, and every sentence added value to the tale. Amy Freeman is a prolific writer who deserves every success with this book and in her future endeavours, and she proves that independent writers can produce novels that are of the same discerning standards of professional publishing (if not better, in my opinion). I cannot wait for the sequel to this book to be once again enveloped in the incredible world of Veduny and their paranormal powers. 

Having read the first edition of SHINE I was keen to see what had been altered in the second. This new edition brings with it some revamped scenes where the action and dialogue balance has become a lot more punchy and effective. The prose in those sections now flows in the same effortless style as the rest of the read, making the overall experience a delight from start to finish. I am desperately awaiting more.

Keep up the amazing work Amy!

This book is officially rated as HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Excerpt

Sam climbed out of the shower and dried off. She was confused, even angry. Never before had she sensed such conflicted energy in another person. What was wrong with him? Wrapped in a towel, she raced over to her dresser and began digging for clothes. Bra, underwear, jeans—she tossed it all onto her bed and made a beeline for her closet. Should she be offended? And that intensity…that wasn’t normal.

Sam had never been in love before, but this surpassed anything she had ever even heard of. Opening the closet door she found a shirt, pulled it from the hanger, and tossed it on the bed with everything else. She reached in the back, grabbing a jacket and threw it on the bed as well. Tossing the towel aside she began dressing with lightning speed, confusion and unanswered questions running through her head the entire time. 

She didn’t know how much longer she could take this. She pulled her underwear on, then grabbed her bra. She let out an exasperated breath as she slipped her arms through the straps and reached back to fasten the hook. If something didn’t give soon—she stopped. Lifting her head toward her bedroom door, she focused. A familiar security swept through the room. Eyes still on the door, she grabbed for her robe and pulled it on. The short hemline and thin satin material didn’t conceal much, but her thoughts lay elsewhere, captivated by the glorious energy filling the room. Why was he back?

She crossed her room, following the energy to its source, the dormitory hall. Tying the sash, she moved to the front door, stopping in front of it. Heart hammering in her chest, she placed her hand on the doorknob and turned it. As the lock disengaged she cracked the door.

He stood, beautiful, frustrated, and still wet. One arm rested on the door jamb, head bowed as if he had been arguing with himself. His shirt clung to his muscled body, sun streaked hair damp and shaggy around his tanned face. At the sound of the door his thick black lashes lifted. He froze. His conflicted energy swept through her as his electric blue eyes scanned her body. Sam’s fist tightened around her sash, biting down on her bottom lip, barely able to breathe as his eyes traced every curve, revealing angst of unexpected erotic desire—and he found her eyes. 

He had nothing left. Caught completely off guard, his strength broke, conflict won out. In all the moments leading up to this one…when she thought she needed him, he now realized how much he truly needed her.

Self-preservation flooded through him. His restraint, will power, every device he had ever used to control or extinguish his own needs and desires came crashing down around him before he even had a chance to engage them. 

His initial reason for coming back vanished. Shoving the door open, he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her to him. He slammed the door shut. His lips pressed against hers, ravenous, taking what he needed. Nothing else mattered to him. Nothing. 

Drawing him in, Sam’s fingers pushed through his hair, repressed desire set free, building with every touch, every caress. She molded to him as he lifted her against the wall. Liberating release flooded his veins, as if he were experiencing sunlight or truly breathing for the first time. Decadent power flowed unlike anything he had ever experienced. His lips left hers as he hungrily searched every aspect of her neck, his labored breath hot against her skin as he crushed her to him. She gasped, trying to find air—the way this felt—indescribable. 

            Energy in the room spiked as their auras merged, his energy fusing with hers.

Sam grabbed his dampened shirt, pushing it up his sculpted back, his powerful muscles moving beneath her hands as he helped her pull it over his head. Wanting more, hearts racing, blood pumping, her craving fingers explored his powerful chest, pushing past his naked shoulders, caressing his neck and lacing her fingers into his hair—she pulled. 

Trin gasped, responding to the erotic pain, arousal flooding his body. He found her lips again, pursuing, pushing. Reason and reality had disappeared. Trin was taken, lost in the seduction of the woman he loved. Wherever her ravenous fingers went the tension, stress, and pressure melted away beneath them, erasing the pain, the doubt, and the crushing fear of defeat. He welcomed it. 

A few broad strides to her room, back to the bed he had forced himself to leave only ten minutes earlier. His powerful body covered her, his soft lips moving passionately against hers.

A measurable physical science erupted within the room, elements working together in a feeding frenzy as preparation set in to ignite a power that had not been alive for a century. 

Trin’s strong hand slid down the side of Sam’s body, his large fingers wrapped around her thigh pulling it up around his torso. 

A voice—buried deep within the euphoria of the moment—nagging him.

Annoyed by the distraction he pushed it out, driven by his aching need for her. Never having experienced such power, he was unprepared to fight it, and in this moment he was unwilling to fight it.

Sam’s fingers pressed into his back, her breath sweet and inviting on his neck, the exhilarating warmth of her mouth tracing the length from his collar bone to his jaw line, then pulling his face back to hers, erotic softness of her lips molding to his over and over again.

Stop. Not yet.

His hand moved to the sash on her robe, pulling at the knot, loosening the tie. 

You have not earned her yet! 

Trin flinched—pausing, the words rattled him. His pumping heart forced labored breath as conflict and truth wrestled for his attention. She was his Goddess, his sacred prize, yet he had given her nothing.

Sam’s hand slid beneath the waistband of his jeans, pulling at the buttons. The sensation of her fingers yanked him back to her. A throaty groan escaped him as his lips covered hers. He pulled the sash loose, the warmth of her skin flooding him like a drug and he followed its beckoning pull.

Searing gold hummed around her, energy of living intelligence full of life and light—all elements positioned and ready to accomplish their reason for being: to ignite the Oracle power.

You will lose her!

“Sam, wait—” Trin stopped, catching her hand in an iron fist at his lower torso.

About the Author

Amy Freeman grew up in Salt Lake City in a family of five siblings, one of which is an identical twin. She spent most of her time as a child daydreaming and creating stories. She wrote a stellar screen play at ten, her first full length book at age thirteen, and her second and third at age nineteen. She has been published in Meridian magazine, Moab Adventures magazine and has just released her debut novel SHINE the Knowing Ones —the award-winning first edition in the SHINE series. She is active in several writing and critique groups and maintains an online page for writers.


Book Two SHINE: Domination is in the works with an anticipated release next year. Amy lives in St. Augustine Florida with her husband and youngest son, Jackson.

 You can find Amy at the following

             

Giveaway

1 eCopy of Shine

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Presented By

Writing About Imperfect People: The inspiration behind The Mind’s Eye

If there was ever an embodiment of the idea of the ‘troubled teen’, then it was me, but probably not in the way you’d think.

I wasn’t, for example, a smoker or a boozer; I didn’t stay out late or smuggle anything (or anyone) untoward into my room at home. In fact, I stayed in. A lot. I would come home from high school aged 15 and find myself crawling straight into my bed at four o’clock, out cold until gone six and still in my uniform with Mum calling me down for dinner. My entire life was a pattern of eat, sleep, school, sleep, eat and so on; not a scrap of energy or enthusiasm for life, waiting desperately for the time when I could throw off the shackles of the 9-to-4 school day and finally use what little pep I had to do something better with my life. A myriad of doctors and therapists told me that I was depressed and filled me up with drugs, packing me back off to school like that was the answer to my problems.

It took me a further four years to work out what was really going on.

At age 13 I developed what I now know to be called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.), a debilitating physical condition that attacks every major system in your body from the nervous and digestive systems to the musculoskeletal, hormonal and beyond. Between the ages of 13 and 16 (what some would call the best years of your life) I went from being a spritely, bright child to a surly, aching, exhausted teen who saw every morning as just one more day of pain coming her way. I dropped out of school and spent eighteen months trying to recover from what I was still being told was depression and anxiety, but no matter what I tried I just couldn’t get better. I knew that there had to be another explanation; I just had to find a way to prove it.

For my 18th birthday I was taken away for a week’s holiday. I deliberately didn’t pack my anti-depressants, suffering a week of cold-turkey withdrawal in order to flush them out of my system once and for all. This is not a practice recommended by doctors and I don’t advocate it, but it was the only thing I felt able to do at the time. Coming home from that holiday I had a fresh perspective on my physical health, realising that I was never mentally depressed, but that my body was the one letting me down. I had an illness and it took me another whole year before I met a doctor who could put the label M.E. to my symptoms.

Armed with this knowledge I returned to college and then went on to university, all the while making my way through different doctors and different treatments until I could find one who would push to get the diagnosis I so desperately needed. I was 22 years old when the letter finally came to tell me what I had been suffering from for the last nine years. It was a relief, but also a sadness, the final confirmation that I am living with a condition that has no known cure and will be likely to affect me for the rest of my life. At the point when I received that letter in November 2011, I felt as though the life I had been wading through suddenly needed a new purpose and a proper direction, something I would still be able to achieve if and when my condition worsened.

So I started to write.

I have written several self-published books in the last twelve months and it has been pointed out to me repeatedly that each one of them contains characters that are physically limited, pained and/or mentally scarred in some way. This is no co-incidence, but it is something that was creeping into my work without a definite conscious knowledge; I think I simply found it more engaging personally to write about imperfect people. That was until I sat down to write my first novel for Clean Teen Publishing, entitled The Mind’s Eye. In this book my central character suffers from Juvenile Systemic Arthritis, a severe and debilitating condition that presents many of the same musculoskeletal symptoms that I face every day. Whilst I am not always bound to a wheelchair, the immobility that my character Kit faces isn’t just about her legs not working. The Mind’s Eye is an exciting wartime adventure with paranormal fun, but at its heart it is also a story about a girl just like me, struggling to work out how to find a place in the world where she can feel valued and still be useful to the people she cares about.

Scenes within The Mind’s Eye are a mixture of Kit’s psychic visions of the Second World War interspersed with her own struggles in her home life. I have a feeling that some people might consider those latter scenes to be the ‘boring bits’, the ‘filler’ that has to happen between the tense, exciting action moments. To me, however, I could take or leave the incredible and heart breaking scenes of war, because the real struggle that touches my heart is that of a lonely young girl quite literally trying to stand on her own two feet in a world where all the odds are stacked against her. When you read The Mind’s Eye, spare a thought for Kit and the life she has to lead every day, because her fictional creation represents countless other people out there who face physical and emotional struggles that ordinary folk can barely comprehend.

The real story of The Mind’s Eye isn’t that of the glorious Allies beating back Jerry, but of Kit Cavendish beating back the sentence that life has handed her with the newfound love and support of the people around her. It is a story that is very important to me and I sincerely hope it will find a place in your hearts too.

The Mind's Eye will be released on April 1st 2014 by Clean Teen Publishing, followed by other books in the Synsk series.

Read the synopsis here.

For more information on the condition:
please visit Action For M.E. 

MY Cover Reveal: The Mind's Eye!

COVER REVEAL AND ARC GIVEAWAY:

THE MIND'S EYE by K.C. Finn

Release Date: April 1, 2014

Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal, Historical, Adventure and Romance)

Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing

A girl with a telepathic gift finds a boy clinging to his last hope during the war-torn climate of Europe, 1940.

At fifteen, Kit Cavendish is one the oldest evacuees to escape London at the start of the Second World War due to a long term illness that sees her stuck in a wheelchair most of the time. But Kit has an extraordinary psychic power: she can put herself into the minds of others, see through their eyes, feel their emotions, even talk to them – though she dares not speak out for fear of her secret ability being exposed.

As Kit settles into her new life in the North Wales village of Bryn Eira Bach, solitude and curiosity encourage her to gain better control of her gift. Until one day her search for information on the developing war leads her to the mind of Henri, a seventeen-year-old Norwegian boy witnessing the German occupation of his beloved city, Oslo. As Henri discovers more about the English girl occupying his mind, the psychic and emotional bonds between them strengthen and Kit guides him through an oppressive and dangerous time.

There are secrets to be uncovered, both at home and abroad, and it’s up to Kit and Henri to come together and fight their own battles in the depths of the world’s greatest war.

GIVEAWAY:

Enter to win an Advance Release Copy of The Mind's Eye by K.C. Finn and a Clean Teen Publishing- Authors Are My Rockstars bracelet.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born in South Wales to Raymond and Jennifer Finn, Kimberley Charlotte Elisabeth Finn (known to readers as K.C., otherwise it'd be too much of a mouthful) was one of those corny little kids who always wanted to be a writer. She was also incredibly stubborn, and so has finally achieved that dream in 2013 with the release of her first three novellas in the four-part Caecilius Rex saga, the time travel adventure The Secret Star and her new urban fantasy epic The Book Of Shade.

As a sufferer with the medical condition M.E./C.F.S., Kim works part time as a private tutor and a teacher of creative writing, devoting the remainder of her time to writing novels and studying for an MA in Education and Linguistics.

K.C. Finn signed with Clean Teen Publishing in late 2013. Her first book published with Clean Teen Publishing: The Mind's Eye, is scheduled to release 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!

The Book Of Shade - Romance Music Mix

The Book Of Shade Romance Mix

10 love songs that best describe the TBoS romance

1. E.T. - Katy Perry 

2. Gravity - John Mayer 

3. Everybody Talks - Neon Trees 

4. Somewhere Only We Know - Keane 

5. Butterflies - Lucy Spraggan 

6. Safe and Sound - Me Vs Gravity 

7. Kiss From A Rose - Seal 

8. True Love - Pink 

9. Still Into You - Paramore 

10. Loved Me Back To Life - Celine Dion

The Book Of Shade - Romance Mix from kim.finn.986 on 8tracks Radio.

The key lines of lyrics:

1. You're so supersonic
Wanna feel your powers, stun me with your lasers
Your kiss is cosmic
Every move is magic

2. Oh I'll never know what makes this man
With all the love that his heart can stand
Dream of ways to throw it all away

3. It started with a whisper
And that was when I kissed her
And then she made my lips hurt

4. And if you have a minute, why don't we go
Talk about it somewhere only we know?
This could be the end of everything
So why don't we go somewhere only we know?

5. Cause there's nowhere else I'd rather be
No one else I'd rather see
Controlling every part of me
I love skipping a beat every time you speak

6. Don't you dare look out your window, darling,
Everything's on fire
The war outside our door keeps raging on
Hold on to this lullaby
Even when music's gone

7. You remain,
My power, my pleasure, my pain, baby
To me you're like a growing addiction that I can't deny.
Won't you tell me is that healthy, baby?

8. Sometimes I hate every single stupid word you say,
Sometimes I wanna slap you in your whole face.
There's no one quite like you, you push all my buttons down,
I know life would suck without you.

9. It's not a walk in the park
To love each other
But when our fingers interlock,
Can't deny, can't deny you're worth it

10. Strong hands, thick skin, and an open heart
You saw through the pain, saw through the mask
You never gave up on me

There's still time to be part of the TBoS December release tour here

MAKE SURE YOU'RE PART OF THE TBOS RELEASE PARTY FOR GIVEAWAYS AND 50% OFF THE BOOK PRICE ON DEC 20TH

November Goodies Giveaway

To celebrate my 5 STAR review from Reader's Favorite for The Atomic Circus, I am giving away some great goodies for the month of November. Win a free paperback at Goodreads and some of my digital works plus gorgeous bookmarks - winners will be announced at the Facebook Page at the end of the month!

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Counterclockwise

by K.C. Finn

Giveaway ends November 30, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Also, please sign up for the VERY OCCASIONAL and not at all annoying newsletter to receive updates on when my books are released, free and discounted!

Author K.C. Finn News and Discounts Newsletter

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7 Things You Didn't Know About K.C. Finn

I was nominated by Michelle Abbot to do this, thanks mate!

How it works…
1. Display the Award Certificate on your blog
2. Announce your win with a post and thank the blogger who nominated you.
3. Post 7 interesting things about yourself.
4. Present 15 deserving bloggers with the award.
5. Link your nominees in the post and let them know of their nomination with a comment.

7 Things You Didn't Know About K.C. Finn

1. I have 29 novels currently in progress.
2. I am addicted to cheese and Jack Daniels (thought not usually together).
3. I have a phobia of dogs.
4. I have a soft toy hedgehog called Reginald D. Hedge that has been with me for as long as I can remember. He wears tartan dungarees and has afro hair.
5. My favourite singers include such 50s greats as Paul Anka, Neil Sedaka, Elvis Presley and Frankie Valli.
6. I am obsessed with British Sitcoms made in the 70s and 80s, especially those written by David Croft and/or Jimmy Perry.
7. I just started working on a top-secret-NA-super-scary-gory-awesome dystopian thriller, but shh! Don't tell!

15 Blogs I Think Also Deserve This Accolade:

1. Veduny Writer
2. Closed The Cover
3. This Girl Reads A Lot
4. Grown Up Fangirl
5. SRM Author Radio
6. Crystal's Many Reviews
7. Mary Had A Little Book Blog
8. Just Thinking
9. These Are But Shadows
10. Rose and Beps Blog
11. Reader's Candy
12. The Indigo Quill
13. Book Reviews By Lexi
14. Diane's Book Blog
15. The Book Cove

Go check them out!

Read the whole Caecilius Rex Detective Series for FREE (including my new novella THE FACE!)

To celebrate the release of Caecilius Rex Volume 3: The Face, I have entered all 3 novellas so far into the Making Connections ARR Program at Goodreads. This means that so long as you agree to review the novellas, you can get your hands on a totally FREE copy of ALL 3 of them to enjoy the story of Cae and Kendra so far (the final book will be released early next year). 

Here's where to request them:

The Atomic Circus

Counterclockwise

The Face

Remember to join the Goodreads group before you request! There's also loads of other great books there that you can read for free in exchange for reviews!

Also here's the info for the latest instalment in the series - reading all 3 will now give you 99,000 words of mysterious criminal adventure!

The Face: Synopsis

Continue your journey with detective Caecilius Rex following the events of The Atomic Circus and Counterclockwise!

In the wake of some startling discoveries about those closest to him, the life of young detective Caecilius Rex is about to get a whole lot more complicated. The dark, criminal world around Cae and Kendra is rapidly converging on them, putting them in danger once more and threatening to tear them apart.

Amazon UK Link // Amazon US Link // The Face on Goodreads // The Caecilius Rex Series on Goodreads

BlogFest 2013 GIVEAWAY

So in conjunction with A Journey of Books, here's my BlogFest 2013 post and giveaway!

PRIZE: The ebook of your choice! (up to a $5 value)

Last date for entries is the end of the day on Sept 29th so get cracking!

Special condition: Please be following my blog in some way to be eligible to enter, I will be checking, since that's the whole point of blogfest!

This is a COMMENTS giveaway, so to enter leave your comment here with the answer to this question:

What would you most want to see in a Paranormal Young Adult novel? What's most important in that kind of story?

Then when you've answered that, visit these other great blogs between the start of Sept 28th and the end of Sept 29th for more great giveaways and the Master Site and Tracking Site for another massive giveaway.

• http://vedunywriter.blogspot.com/
• http://cuzinlogic.com/
• http://rubysreads.com/
• http://imbacceliasweblogfantasy.blogspot.com
• http://www.simplyali.com/

The Book of Shade's MASSIVE December tour!

Sign up here!

Calling all bloggers, reviewers and urban fantasy fans, make sure you're part of the biggest tour I've ever done (and probably ever will do) this December!

I have teamed up with the wonderful Amber from Grown Up Fan Girl to bring you a tidal wave of reviews, posts and a totally interactive experience from me to you during the month of December.

Look out for:

• Interviews with me and all the fabulous characters from The Book of Shade
• A LIVE video chat where you can ask your burning questions
• A HUGE Facebook party to celebrate the TBoS release day with flash giveaways and live interviews and chat
• More exclusive TBoS content like playlists, videos and graphics

It's going to be one serious urban fantasy party guys - we're taking over the internet this December!

There's plenty of time to join up and be part of the experience by filling out this form, where you can also be an advanced reviewer and read The Book of Shade totally FREE before it gets released! We welcome all bloggers and reviewers, however large or small your following, and we hope that being a part of this tour will also increase your promotion and help you make new friends too!

So here's the burning question: 

What would you MOST like to see on this epic tour?

Prizes? Videos? Music? Interviews?

What would make TBoS's tour the best book tour ever for you?

The Book of Shade - Music Mix Preview

The Book of Shade Playlist

10 songs to get you in the mood for TBoS

1. Mirah - Light The Match
2. 3 Doors Down - Kryptonite
3. The Smiths - Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want
4. Emeli Sande - Read All About It (Pt. III)
5. Ed Sheeran - Give Me Love
6. Beyonce - Sweet Dreams
7. The Avalanches - Frontier Psychiatrist
8. Savage Garden - Break Me Shake Me
9. Jasmine Thompson - Ain't Nobody
10. Rihanna - Russian Roulette

The Book of Shade from kim.finn.986 on 8tracks Radio.

Some key lines to tease y'all:

1: My glow; it will attract you, my smoke will push you back
Until you call again, please arsonist, attack.

2: You took for granted all the times
I never let you down

3: Haven't had a dream in a long time
see, the life I've had
can make a good man bad

4: Maybe we're a little different
There's no need to be ashamed
You've got the light to fight the shadows
So stop hiding it away

5: Give me love like never before,
'Cause lately I've been craving more,
And it's been a while but I still feel the same,
Maybe I should let you go,

6: You could be a sweet dream or a beautiful nightmare
Either way I don't wanna wake up from you

7: That boy needs therapy 

8: I never thought I'd change my 
opinion again 
But you moved me in a way that I've 
never known 

9: I wait for night time to come 
To bring you to me 
I can't believe I'm the one 
I was so lonely 

10: Say a prayer to yourself
He says 'close your eyes, sometimes it helps'
And then I get a scary thought
That he's here - means he's never lost

Support The Book of Shade on Facebook and become an ARC reviewer here!

The Book of Shade - Synopsis Reveal - Coming Christmas 2013

Okay guys, here's the deal:

• For every 50 likes that the Facebook Page gets for this book, I will reveal snippets and exclusive sneak peeks of the book, so please go and like it and tell your friends to do the same.
• The Facebook Page will also soon be hosting some freebies and giveaways, so all the more reason to join in!
• I need ARC REVIEWERS who want to read this book and review it before its release. You will get the book at the start of December as early as I can possibly give it you, you must review by December 20th at the latest unless you get hit by a bus. Comment here if you're interested or email me at finn [dot] kimberley4 [at] gmail [dot] com
• If you feel like getting in touch, comment here with your feels about the book! And any questions you may have!

August's Promotional Recap

Here's the complete list of linkage and features for the works of K.C. Finn for the month of August 2013. There were some fab interviews and reviews, be sure you didn't miss anything!


Feature on The Atomic Circus and Counterclockwise at Reader's Candy
5 Paw Print Review for The Atomic Circus from Crystal's Many Reviews
5 STAR Review for The Secret Star by Amy Freeman
The Atomic Circus featured on My Book Addiction (with interview)
The Atomic Circus featured on Off The Page  (with interview and character interview)
5 STAR Review for The Secret Star by Shannon Maechling
Facebook Author Interview with Urban Hearts Book Review
In-Depth Interview for The Secret Star at Veduny Writer
The Secret Star Featured Promo on Trips Down Imagination Road
The Secret Star Feature and Review on These Are But Shadows
The Secret Star Feature on K&T Book Reviews
The Secret Star Feature on This Girl Reads a Lot
The Secret Star Feature on Rose & Bep's Blog
The Secret Star Feature on Lions & Lambs
The Secret Star Feature on Our Grain of Sand
The Secret Star Feature on Everything Marie

Facebook 500 Likes Giveaway - Have a character named after YOU!

That's right folks, overnight last night my Facebook fan count jumped up over 500 people, so to celebrate I'm having a fab 500 giveaway! The grand prize? How about having a character named after YOU in my new urban fantasy tale, The Book of Shade, scheduled for release this Christmas time!

Enter the Rafflecopter below to be in with a chance of this and other fabulous prizes!

By the way, this giveaway is totally International!

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The Town That Inspired The Caecilius Rex Series

As part of my PJ Blog Tour day for the Indie Summer, here's my post on how and why I chose my home ground as the setting for my post-apocalyptic, toxic detective series...

Gorgeous FREE Book Swag - Here's How!

Ladies and Gentlemen, the swag has landed:

So finally everything arrived in the mail and I have ALL my current book swag and promotional material. What you see above are paperbacks, flyers, posters, bookmarks, stickers and postcards. Much as I love staring at it, I'd rather it didn't all stay in my flat taking up space - I want to give it to YOU!

Okay so here's the current ways in which you can obtain such gorgeous free stuff from me:

• The two lucky people who win my paperback giveaways at Goodreads (Link 1 // Link 2) will get a swag pack included with their book!
• TOMORROW August 22nd, visit these two blogs to enter rafflecopter giveaways for ebooks and swag packs: My Book Addiction and Off The Page!
• On SATURDAY August 24th (at 6pm Central Time / 11pm GMT) Urban Hearts Book Reviews is hosting a little Facebook Party for me! One lucky winner will receive a free ebook and another will win a swag pack!
• Follow this blog, my Goodreads author page and my Facebook page for SUPER RANDOM GIVEAWAYS when I'm feeling generous (and have spare change for postage)! 

Want to stare at the swag some more? More pictures under the read more link...

Goodreads Giveaways!

Current Giveaways:

Paperback copies in Goodreads Giveaway! Check out the widgets below, going live on August 16th through to the end of September 5th - get your entry in today!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Atomic Circus

by K.C. Finn

Giveaway ends September 06, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Counterclockwise

by K.C. Finn

Giveaway ends September 06, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

IBB First Edition Giveaway Is OVER - WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Hey folks!

Well it has been a busy night here in England, here are the fabulous winners of the prizes drawn in the Indie Book Buffet's First Edition Giveaway - thank you all for entering and showing your support to a brand new magazine.
Don't forget authors, if you want to be featured in the next edition then head over to this link and submit your details!

The Winners Are...

Roll Up, Roll Up!: Quoth The Raven #2

This article was originally written for the next issue of Write Mag, an amazing free magazine for authors and readers! Get a copy on Magcloud today and visit http://writemag.net 

Come and see the Incredible Juggling Writer!

So I’ve been thinking a lot about project management this week, as I am coming to the end of a very hefty manuscript that I have devoted 100% of my time to over the last month in a powerhouse effort to complete in time for a publishing competition. But whilst I’ve been writing this one big important project, other ideas have come slowly creeping into my head. Thus far I have resisted the temptation to put anything more than notes down about these other works and maybe do a little research here and there, but I’m starting to wonder, would it be such a bad thing to have more than one story on the boil?

GIVEAWAY: 30+ Prizes including Amazon Vouchers and books, books, books!

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IBB First Edition is OUT NOW!

The Indie Book Buffet: The Indie Book Buffet: Issue 1 August 2013

Issue 1: August 2013, featuring 25 excellent self-published authors for you to sample!

It's officially up folks! Go grab your copy now to sample some of the best new independent writing out there. Plus don't forget to enter our incredible giveaway!

ENTER HERE

Brand New Book from K.C. Finn - THE SECRET STAR - Coming Soon!

A little teaser for you all for now. Publication expected before September!

ALSO:

I am looking for anyone who would like to review/comment on an Advanced Preview Copy of the text. If you are interested please comment below!

July's Promotional Recap

So here are the links to all the juicy info and extracts from The Atomic Circus and Counterclockwise that are floating about in the blogasphere right now - please visit these excellent blogs and follow them for more fantastic books and features!

Book Spotlight on The Atomic Circus and Counterclockwise at Author Reader Mixer
Interview on The Atomic Circus and Counterclockwise at the Author Reader Mixer
- This is a particularly excellent in depth interview with great questions!

Author Interview on The Atomic Circus with Jess C Scott
- I gave some neat little tips on writing in this feature for all you aspiring authors out there.

Book Spotlight on The Atomic Circus by Punya Reviews
- Very thorough spotlight and a great blog in general.

Book Spotlight on The Atomic Circus by Michelle Parsons
Book Spotlight on Counterclockwise by Michelle Parsons
- Michelle called me awesome, so yeah :) Go look at her blog!

The Tuesday Report: Confidence and Editing

So I decided to do this new thing where I reflect on the Creative Writing Class that I teach on Monday nights, plus dole out some of the tips that I used during the class for the benefit of any aspiring writers who may be following.

This Tuesday: the Trouble with Confidence and 7 Simple Ways to Instantly Improve Any Sentence

This week in class I asked my students if they felt confident as writers, and a lot of them were less than eager to admit any confidence at all in their skills. The problem identified by most was that they could imagine quite clearly the story they wanted to tell, but when the words came out on the page they just weren't delivering the same quality as the writer's imagination. 

My solution? Never underestimate yourself, and embrace the power of editing. 

It seems to me that a lot of what my writers are producing is perfectly fine, but their own expectations of what it should look like on the page are ridiculously high standards to achieve on the first draft. The key to good writing is to produce the material freely regardless of whether it's 'perfect' or 'good enough'. Learn to embrace being wrong. It's not only incredibly freeing, but it's great for creativity. Once the wrong words are down on the page it becomes easier to see exactly what's wrong with them and therefore make the appropriate changes. Mistakes are how we learn, after all.

Read more below for 7 Simple Ways to Instantly Improve Any Sentence:

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Inspiration versus Discipline: Quoth The Raven #1

This article was originally written for the new issue of Write Mag, an amazing free magazine for authors and readers! Get a copy on Magcloud today and visit http://writemag.net 

There is a time-old question among writers: is it better to write every day, or only when you feel like it? Does a burst of inspiration really produce the greatest work, or is a steadfast, disciplined approach the sure-fire way to pen that bestseller that’s dying to pour out of your brain?

As a teacher of creative writing, I have often encouraged my students to always be writing, to pen notes, words and phrases as often as possible, every day if they can. But I have to admit I have not always practised what I preach. I used to hear tales of Philip Pullman going down to his garden shed to pen his target words for the day and I always thought that that kind of writing could only produce contrived and constricted prose that did not really have the flow of truly inspired writing. And so for many years I wrote only when I felt inspired to put pen to paper, which resulted in something like six disastrously unfinished novels and me calling myself a writer whilst only actually spending an hour or two each week actually practising my craft.

Now you may have your own style as a writer, and perhaps only writing when you’re ‘in the mood’ for it really does produce your best work, and perhaps you do get novels and stories completed in that way. If so, then I applaud you, dear friend, for you are a rare breed. In my experience in teaching other writers, the single most vital thing I have learned is that ‘lack of inspiration’ is the biggest excuse that writers make for not producing any work at all, and that a prolonged period of feeling like this will inevitably lead to the dreaded writer’s block. I myself have fallen into this trap too many a time over the years.

But no more.

New Magazine - The Indie Book Buffet - Now Taking Submissions!

ATTENTION READERS!

Want to hear about the best new independent books and read exciting extracts of them before you buy? Want a convenient digital magazine organised by genre so you can discover all your new favourite books in an instant?

Want all that absolutely FREE?

Then look no further than the Indie Book Buffet - coming August 1st to HP Magcloud and PDF direct download exclusively from this blog! Be sure to follow The Proverbial Raven or editor K.C. Finn at Goodreads to be informed of its release!

ATTENTION WRITERS!

Want to show off your books to a brand new audience looking for something new to read?

Want to have your extract, book cover, links and details published?

Want all that absolutely FREE?

Then hurry up and submit to the Indie Book Buffet using this link. Submissions for the August 1st edition will close on July 21st! Anything submitted after that date will be kept for next month's edition.

Christening the blog

Although I'm fully aware there are no readers to this post as yet, here goes the christening post of The Proverbial Raven, with this:

Visit The Tour Here

Can't wait to get going on this!