The Highlander's Hope

Woohoo!!! My crit buddy Calista Taylor is heading out on a new adventure. Under that name she's published an incredible steampunk craft book, 2 steampunk romances (Virdis & Devil on a Sparrow's Wing) and 2 grim reaper romances (JACK & For One Last Kiss).

Now, she branching out into the world of contemporary romance under the name Cali MacKay. Her first novel is called The Highlander's Hope and it's up for FREE!

Here's the blurb:

When Dr. Catriona Ross discovers clues to a long lost highland treasure, her only hope of finding the jewels is to obtain the help of Scotland's most eligible bachelor and playboy, Iain MacCraigh.
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Iain can't believe his luck when he finds out the jewels are hidden away somewhere on his land-- and it doesn't hurt that the historian looking for them has curves to go with her smarts. With his brother betting the family fortune, this is the life line he desperately needs.
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The odds are against them, and with word getting out about the jewels, they're not the only ones on the hunt. Time's running out, but can they learn to trust each other, or will they lose the jewels and true love in the process?

Sounds great doesn't it? And I can totally vouch for it! A sexy highlander, a smart & courageous historian & an elusive treasure - all kinds of awesome!

Book 2 in this new series - A Highland Home - is also available - and only $2.99.

Rowan Campbell is desperate for answers. She’s lived her life without knowing a thing about her father, her mother refused to speak of him, even on her deathbed. With her cheating fiancé gone and no one else in her life, Rowan moves to her mother’s hometown in Scotland, determined to find the father she’s never known.

When Angus Macleod agrees to help a family friend move to Scotland from the States, the last thing he expects is to fall hard for the fiery redhead, who makes him rethink his bachelor ways. Looking for any excuse to spend time with Rowan, he’s more than happy to help her find her father, even if she’s skittish about committing to anything serious. But when Angus discovers Rowan’s mother left Scotland pregnant and terrified, he wonders how dangerous Rowan’s quest might be. Before long, Angus finds himself hindering rather than helping, despite knowing his actions could ruin any chance he has for happiness.

With Rowan closing in on her father’s identity, will Angus be able to keep her from harm? And will she ever forgive him for standing in her way?

So, pop off and try out Cali's latest stories - I hope you'll love them as much as I do!
Isn't it great when you get to celebrate a critique buddy's success? :) 

Steampunk Your Wardrobe & a Winner!

I'm SO excited!!!

My incredibly multi-talented crit buddy Calista Taylor has another new book out. This one is a craft book called Steampunk Your Wardrobe published by Fox Chapel Publishing. Calista made all the crafts, figured out the lighting, took the photos and wrote the instructions & the commentary! (See what I mean about multi-talented?)

Amazon has sent me an email informing me that my pre-order is delayed ... because there's not enough in stock. How cool is that????

Although... I am VERY annoyed I don't have my copy yet. *sigh*

Calista also has several novels out and about - and they are fabulous!

• Jack - A Grim Reaper Romance is a very cool story based on the Jack the Ripper legends ... and so much more!
• One Last Kiss is a prequel to Jack and is a Grim Reaper Romance as well. It's also FREE
• Virdis - a Steampunk Romance & Mystery is also FREE!
• Devil on a Sparrow's Wing - part 2 in the Virdis series

If you like crafts, fashion, and/or steampunk, this is definitely a book you have to have!!

How about you? Any interest in branching out into both fiction and nonfiction? What's your specialty?

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I used a very scientific method to choose a winner from my previous post. I hollered down the stairs and asked my kids to choose a number. And the winner is...

Sharon K Mayhew!!! Yay!!!

Congratulations & I'll forward your name to Shelli! :)

RAOK

The nicest thing happened to me on Monday morning. Lovely Lisa Gail Green over at Paranormal Point of View offered me a Random Act of Kindness in honour of Angela and Becca over at The Bookshelf Muse. These 2 wonderful ladies celebrated the release of their book The Emotion Thesaurus with an amazing Random Act of Kindness Blitz. All over the bloggy-verse, people performed amazing acts of kindness. Incredible stuff! AND the ladies are offering up a gift or two to everyone at their blog!

Anyway, Lisa offered me a critique - I'm thrilled with such a great opportunity! And now I'm going to pay it forward twofold. :)

First, I'd like to do a shoutout to my two critique buddies. They are amazing ladies who are incredibly bright and have eagle eyes when it comes to critiquing! They're also kind, generous and fun! I joined Agent Query Connect as a total newbie and lucked into a crit group with these two. They've taught me so much! Here's a little more about them:

Jean Oram writes chick lit and contemporary romance. She's also working on a chapter book for kids that has a fabulous premise. She's got an agent for a nonfiction project that revolves around her It's All Kids' Play website and blog. There are about a bazillion ideas for parents on this site - you'll love it!

Calista Taylor has published steampunk romances (Virdis and Devil on a Sparrow's Wing) and a grim reaper romance (JACK). She also has the Steampunk Your Wardrobe craft book coming out with Fox Chapel Publishing in the fall. In addition, Cali creates fabulous book covers!

Both Jean and Calista are also part of the From the Write Angle Blog team. Please visit these 2 lovely ladies and say Hi! :)

Second, I'd like to offer up my own critique for someone who comments. Please know I have absolutely NO credibility other than my own experiences (and putting out the offer is making me extremely nervous)! I'm not sure how valuable my input might be, but, sometimes an extra set of eyes is welcome. I have more experience critiquing queries, but I'm willing to look at the first 5 or 10 pages instead. Whichever the winner chooses...if anyone is willing to take a risk on me! Let me know in the comments if you are interested and I'll select a random winner on my next post. Because I don't blog on a schedule, I don't know when that will be - but probably in a couple of days! :)

Thanks again to Lisa, Angela and Becca!

What's one of your favourite random acts of kindness?

Devil on a Sparrow's Wing

Good news!!! Calista Taylor's 2nd book is out and about!

Devil on a Sparrow's Wing (book 2 in her Virdis series) follows more of Phoebe's adventures in Steampunk London. Independent, passionate Phoebe and brilliant tinkerer Seth are trying to help the poor of England, and rebellion is approaching. Gavin, Seth's Scottish pal, has a large part in this new book - he's a fabulous character. And that accent? You're going to love it!

Phoebe has developed another herbal - Sanctis - which enhances the senses in a way that will give the rebels a distinct advantage. I don't want to reveal any spoilers, but the story takes some twists that you will NOT see coming. You know you're in for adventure when, within the first few pages, Seth gives Phoebe a leather corset he's designed to withstand attacks by fuse guns, pistols and knives!

Calista isn't afraid to let the characters take the lead. You'll be cheering for Phoebe, Seth and Gavin and your heart will be pulled right into their story. It's an incredible tale!

Devil on a Sparrow's Wing is available on Amazon and Smashwords. It'll be up on B&N soon. Only $2.99!

The new book stands on its own, but if you want the full experience & you haven't picked up Virdis yet, it's still free at Amazon, Smashwords & Barnes & Noble.

Visit Calista at her blog: A Steampunk Reverie. Check out the first chapter there to get a glimpse into the book.

Calista also has a steampunk craft book coming out through Fox Chapel Publishing - the tentative date is May 2012. Not only did she design and create everything in the book, she took all the photographs and, of course, wrote up the instructions. She is one talented lady! She also created the gorgeous covers for both of her novels. She's got some tips over at From the Write Angle if you'd like to try it yourself.

So, if you're interested in a steamy, intriguing romance that's packed with adventure, check out the links. You won't regret it!

Have you tried designing your own cover - even just for fun?

Virdis

My good friend, Calista Taylor, has released her first novel! Virdis is a wonderful steampunk mystery laced with a hot and steamy (pun most definitely intended!) romance.

The main character, Phoebe, creates an herbal, Virdis, which entrances the elite of Victorian London because of the way it enhances the senses. Phoebe's a fabulous character - she's strong and intelligent and she refuses to be constrained by the strict Victorian rules. You're going to love her!

When one of the guests at Phoebe's club is murdered and her lover (who happens to be a very handsome charming tinkerer) returns from a mission to help the Cause, Phoebe's life is thrown into chaos. And the stakes get upped from there. Calista comes up with incredible twists and turns in the plot and she's not afraid to tackle any subject. Kind of reminds me of Phoebe... :)

Calista herself is incredibly creative. She created the fabulous cover herself. She's also currently working on a steampunk craft book - and she's making all the crafts herself. This book will be published by Fox Chapel Publishing - the tentative date is May 2012. I can't even sew on a button...

Virdis is currently available on Amazon for $0.99 and for FREE on Smashwords. Click on the links to take you there. The 2nd book in the Virdis series will be available soon, so you won't have long to wait! Enjoy!

Steampunkery!

Steampunk is a fairly new idea for many people. I've run into a lot of writers who don't know much (if anything) about it. I'm no expert, but I'm learning!

As many of you know, my NaNo novel is a YA Steampunk story. It's my first foray into the genre, and I'm finding it a lot of fun. I like playing around with the Victorian setting. I enjoy the research I've been doing to learn more about the timeframe.

The characters are a lot of fun too. My characters are lower class, and that makes it a bit different from some of the Steampunk I've read. My main characters rely on creating new machines and selling them for their income. They're also trying to solve a couple of murders and keep one step ahead of the killers who are now after them.

Calista Taylor over at A Steampunk Reverie is currently holding a Steampunk Short Story Contest. The entries are up on her blog. For a great introduction to Steampunk, pop on over and check out the stories. You'll be amazed at the diversity of the writing. Some will make you shiver, some will make you laugh, others will make you wonder. All will keep you entertained.

Have you ever read any Steampunk? Do you enjoy trying out new genres in your writing or do you prefer to stick with what you do best?