Love Stories

Amazon's Post-Holiday Party

2017-01-22T14:09:00.000-08:00

Amazon's Post-Holiday Party was last Friday, held at Century Link field in Seattle. Over 22,000 people attended the event, which featured artists Robert DeLong, the music group DNCE, aerial acrobatics, moving orbs of light, an ice sculpture of a couch for posed pictures...The list goes on. It was overwhelming, to be sure. With so much to look at, I mostly just wandered through, and bust out a random dance move here and there.

My favorite part of Amazon's party was the diversity of the people. In a sea of unfamiliar faces, all smiling and having a good time, the people watching was an event itself. Everywhere I turned, I saw something different. A man with a beard and long, flowing red hair. A woman with ear gauges and spiky black boots. Women in jeans and hoodies. Women in evening gowns. Men with ties and colorful suits. Men with baseball caps and sunglasses. People of every size, shape, color, persuasion, background, and all the other labels--joining in, being part of something crazy huge, something exciting.

The Amazon post-holiday party didn't have to strive to be inclusive; it just was. It was a reflection of the work we do, where everyone has something to contribute, and where your race or your style or your gender doesn't matter. The output, the collaboration, the creativity that you bring to the party--that's what matters.

It's natural to want to belong and sadly, that often leads us to strive to be the same as others, to dress the same, to laugh the same, to mock the same things. Any deviance from this 'ideal' state can lead to being shunned, an outcome to avoid at all costs.

The post-holiday party was a microcosm, a peek into a utopia where people get along, where we don't have borders and boundaries between us. For me, the takeaway from the evening was loud and clear: you don't have to be the same as someone else to fit in. You can be yourself. In fact, when we're all here together, being ourselves, it's a much better party than one where we're forced to be something we're not.

This is a great big company in a great big world filled with billions of people, each unique but needing human connection, to belong, to be accepted, to be loved. At the party, I caught a glimpse of what the world could be like if we were just people instead of labels.

It was a beautiful thing.

Thousands upon thousands of stars

2016-07-03T20:00:00.000-07:00

In April, I went on a weekend retreat with my fellow booklovers from the Outlander Fanatics of WA state fan club. Not only was it a whole lot of fun, I found myself journaling--writing again--and it's been a long time since I've done any writing at all.

I bought a new laptop yesterday so I'm hoping to change that. In the spirit of writing again, I want to share with you one of the journal entries from that trip.

Now I know why they call it a 'blanket' of stars. Living in the city, I can see two or three stars on a clear night. Here in the country, the stars come out en masse, thousands upon thousands of twinkling bulbs, some bright and some soft and all spectacular.

As I lay on my back, eyes wide to absorb as much of their beauty as I could take in, I realized that this tapestry of stars has always been there. Even in the city where the constant man-made light drowns them out, our pollution and selfishness snuffing the brilliance from our senses, the stars are still there.

The grass tickles my ear, the frogs provided an unending chorus as a soundtrack as God exclaimed in His overpoweringly still and silent way, "I've been here all along. You just don't always see me."

I saw each point of light as a contact, a time in my life when God was with me. Some brilliant and strong, the light intense and powerful, some a muted cluster of presence, so soft and faded that I could scarcely perceive them.

My life, start to finish, displayed on the backdrop of the sky, with thousands upon thousands of moments where God was there, is there, will be there.

And when I'm back at home in the city, gazing up at the one or two stars that have fought through the haze, I'll know the rest are there, hidden from view, but there all the same.

Outlander Sisters Unite!

2015-10-19T17:00:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending the Outlander Fanatics of WA State Craft Fair and Palooza event in Tacoma. There are talented, crafty women in the group!

I gave out tissue packets with the Aiden's Angels logo, since my books may make you cry!

My friend, Molly, Ringle, and I did an author panel at the event. I talked about the Between series and she discussed her Chrysomelia Series, of which Persephone's Orchard is the first book.

Molly with Amy White

Huge thanks to everyone who worked to make the event a success and especially to those who attended the panel. What fun to talk about books with folks who love Scotland like I do!

Amy Kirsch is awesome.

Wendy Nay rocks!

It's Here! It's Here! It's Finally Here!

2015-03-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

Nah, who wants to stay calm???

After a two-year wait,

Sacrifice of Greatest Price,

the final book in the Between series,

is released TODAY!

Yes! It's so exciting!

All together now!

I can hardly believe today is the day!

It's like Christmas and my birthday all rolled into one!

Oh, baby! This is the best day ever!

I can't stay still!

I have tears of joy that I can't contain.

But then I'm reading and all the bad stuff starts happening to Aiden and Lindsey.

What are you doing to Aiden MacRae???

You might cry a little, or be scared. No one is judging you.

I had to include this one because of Thor. LOL

And at the end, it's okay to take a picture and send it to everyone you know.

Because this is how you want to feel at the end of a book series!

Huge thanks to every single person who has stuck with me through this series, who has spread the love of Aiden MacRae. Aiden's Angels are the best and this series would not be possible without you. I love you guys!

Here are the links to grab a copy for yourself!

Print copy (signed)
Print copy (not signed)
Kindle
BN.com
Smashwords
Kobo
iBooks

I hope you enjoy this final book in Aiden and Lindsey's story! *sniff*

Signed copies of Sacrifice of Greatest Price: Pre-order Now!

2015-03-06T11:49:00.001-08:00

After a two-year wait, it's almost time! Can you believe that we only have 22 more days until the release of Sacrifice of Greatest Price?? *flails*

If you want to be sure to get your hands on this book, to get a signed copy to complete your collection, you can now pre-order!

I will order you a copy, personalize it to you (or if it's a gift, to someone else), and ship it to your address. Please note the drop down list for different shipping prices by country (all taxes are included in the price). Of course, the book will be available on March 28 in all ebook formats as well. Be sure to add Sacrifice of Greatest Price to your to-read shelf on Goodreads and enter the Between giveaway for yourself or a friend, too!

I am so excited to share this final book in the Between series with all of you. I hope you love it!

P.S. If you'd like to order personalized copies of any of the other books in the series, leave a comment below and a way for me to reach you, and I will connect with you on how to do so. Thanks!

The Cover Reveal is Finally Here!

2015-02-13T21:05:00.000-08:00

Today is the day!

Oh, Aiden's Angels, you have all been so patient with me so you deserve a Valentine's Day treat! The final book in the Between series has taken two years to write, which I recognize is pure torture, given the way I left you all hanging at the end of Even In Darkness. Mwahahahaha... *rubs hands together in an evil hand sanitizer fashion*

BUT! You will be rewarded for your patience and for sticking with me all this time. The fourth and final book in the Between series is the longest one! It's twice as long as Even In Darkness. So even though you had to endure the grueling wait, you will get to enjoy a thick, meaty story once the book is published on March 28, 2015. << That's next month, people! Squee!

Well, with no more ado (even though I can't say for sure what an 'ado' is...), here is the cover and blurb of the final book, Sacrifice of Greatest Price!

Three in one, forward and back

Here and gone, to deepest black

Silver blooms, swollen with child

Birth crimson globes, untethered wild

Life meets death where the sun meets the sea

Blood sacrifice, for you and for me.

It has all come down to this.

A prophecy, passed down through generations of MacRaes, tells of a blood sacrifice. A simple stone placed in an ancient dagger unleashes an army of hell transporters with glowing red eyes who have now come to exact that price.

In the epic finale of the Between series, Aiden and Lindsey will be tested in ways they could never have imagined. Visions of the past, from thousands of years ago when the Broch of Gurness in Orkney was whole, provide more questions than answers. But every secret will be revealed as the MacKinnons and MacRaes join forces to fight a battle they cannot hope to win.

***

Well, what do you think? Leave your comments below to share in the excitement! Did you notice that number of words in each book title corresponds to its place in the series? I can never remember the order of books in a series, so I've made it easy for you! One word = first book. Two words = second book, and so on. :)

I can't wait until March 28th when I get to share the rest of Aiden and Lindsey's story with you!

Finding Yummy Books in Unlikely Places

2014-09-07T12:06:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I was on my deck, watering the flowers in the planter boxes, and I got to thinking about how they are pampered and cared for, and how pretty their flowers are because of my attentions. My thoughts swung to those plants that don't get TLC and yet, do their best in spite of it.

I live in Washington state where we get a ton of rain. Blackberries grow along the road in wild thickets, even along the freeway where they are constantly enveloped in a fog of exhaust. And yet, these blackberry plants produce fruit. Sometimes big, fat, juicy, delicious fruit, though no one cares for them. No one prunes the vines, pulls the weeds, or waters them during dry spells. These blackberry plants are on their own. Most of their fruit dries on the vine, shrivels up, unpicked, unwanted. But for those brave souls who venture off the beaten path, some yummy fruit can be found for free.

Indie writers are much like these roadside blackberry bushes, striving to produce fruit even though few people will ever read our books. We are not pampered by publishers, cultivated and marketed by a team of paid professionals. More often than not, our books can't even be found in brick and mortar stores. Our fruit is hard to find and though it is often just as delicious, much of it remains on the vine, never having been picked, never seen, never tasted.

But for those adventurous souls who venture out, who dare to leave the supermarket fruit behind in search of something new, some exciting finds are waiting for you. Supermarket fruit is delicious, to be sure, but there's nothing quite like winding your hand through the brambles to take hold of that fat, juicy berry that would otherwise go to waste.

My Favorite Writer Moments So Far

2014-05-22T17:23:00.001-07:00

I've published three books and am about halfway through writing my fourth. This is a crazy, wonderful, stressful, exhilarating, and ridiculous journey I'm on, and I thought it would be good to take a moment to reflect on some of the best parts so far.

My Favorite Writer Moments (in no particular order):

The first time I held a printed copy of Between in my hands.
Getting glowing reviews on Goodreads from complete strangers.
Fan art based on my characters!
Receiving gifts from readers who fell in love with Lindsey and Aiden MacRae.
Friends telling me I've inspired them to write and asking me how to go about starting.
Meeting Aiden's Angels fan site creator Vicki Trask in person.
Being recognized at the RT conference by people I've connected with on Twitter.
Getting to the end of the third book, which I never thought I could write, and which is my favorite so far.
Seeing quotes from my books made into art, knowing they spoke to readers.
Hearing that my daughter bragged to her classmates that her mom is an author.
Having readers ask me when the next book is coming out because they can't wait to know what happens.
When my characters hijack a scene and take it someplace I didn't anticipate.
The Fake Scotsmen chats I've done with Jeri Smith-Ready featuring Aiden MacRae from the Between series and Zachary Moore from the Shade series.
Wearing the Published Author banner on my name tag at the RT conference.
Having coffee with fellow authors and talking about the craft.
Getting reviews from readers who appreciated that I incorporated faith themes without being preachy.
When Aiden's Angels and KoomKey raised $700 so that the fan club prez could go to the RT conference.
Getting a t-shirt with the Aiden's Angels logo on it!
Shipping books outside of the US. Still boggles my mind that I have readers all over the world.
Visiting Scotland and seeing the setting of Aiden's story with my own eyes. Completely surreal.

What about you? If you're an author, what have been your favorite moments so far? If you would like to be an author, what are you most looking forward to in the journey?

Welcome Adriana to Aiden's Angels!

2014-05-05T10:09:00.001-07:00

Adriana is our newest addition to Aiden's Angels, and she's sent her pic with Between to be added to the Awesome Fans page. Woohoo!

Is your pic on the page, too? If not, send me a photo of you with any or all of the Between series books and I'll add it to the site! Ebook pics are totally legit, too. ;)

And in case you missed it, there are new items in the Aiden's Angels store as well. Nicole Scott's new Kindle sleeve looks amazing!

Between Turns Three! Let's Celebrate with a Contest!

2014-04-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

Between was published three years ago today. Holy smokes, where does the time go? Since that time, she's been followed by two siblings: Hell Transporter and Even In Darkness. And of course, we have one on the way (not yet named!) to round out the family. Awww....

I am truly humbled by the readers who took a chance on this book series, who fell in love with Aiden and Lindsey, and who continue to spend their time and energy to promote the series so that others will love it, too. A huge thanks to all of Aiden's Angels, and a special shout out to Vicki Trask and Theresa Largusa who are hosting an awesome contest on the Aiden's Angels blog this weekend. You don't want to miss it!! And don't forget to check out all the cool merchandise you can pick up from the Aiden's Angels Store.

I thought it would be fun to have a wee contest of my own as well. What do you think? Are you down with that? *grin*

Authors love to put endorsement blurbs on their covers and on their product pages, and I've been blessed with some great ones!

"A touching love story with a serious degree of YUM." - Author Jamie Canosa

"Aiden MacRae is the guy the word 'SWOON' was invented for." - Jessica from Just a Booklover

"Aiden MacRae OWNS MY HEART!!!" - Reading Angel

"What exquisite torture! You have no choice but to hang on until the ride is over. You absolutely will not put this one down!" - Author Linda Rae Blair

"With a gorgeous style reminiscent of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, I was absolutely enthralled by this novel." - The Violet Hour Book Reviews

"From page one, this book draws you in and holds you there." - Were Vamps Romance

"Between had me laughing, sighing, and definitely a little teary-eyed. I loved every minute of it!" - Simply Me Book Addict

"I loved Between so much. I found myself looking forward to my reading time even more than usual. I kept telling my mom and husband, "I can't wait to sit and read a while. I'm reading the best book!"- I'd So Rather Be Reading

"This is a truly enchanting story and not to be missed in any way, shape or form."- Magic of Reading

*****

Now it's your turn to take center stage!

I'll be looking for a quote to add to the cover of Book Four and/or the product pages of the books, so comment below with your own endorsement blurb (for the whole series or any specific book in the series). If your blurb has the magic stuff, you might just see it on the cover of the final book in the series!

Special Love Scene for Aiden's Angels!

2014-02-17T13:39:00.002-08:00

As my Valentine's Day gift to the Angels, I asked you all to come up with the setting/location for a love scene between Aiden and Lindsey. I loved your creativity on the comments of my Facebook post!

And now, as my special gift to you, the love scene is now posted on Goodreads along with the other deleted scenes from Between and special scenes I've written just for Aiden's Angels! :)

In case you're wondering, this scene would chronologically take place toward the beginning of Hell Transporter, the second book in the series, and it is some naughty sexy times for them both. Enjoy!

https://www.goodreads.com/story/show/359057?chapter=1

Lots of love from me to you!!

Teaser from Book Four!

2014-02-01T12:25:00.000-08:00

Broch of Gurness, Orkney, Scotland

I asked Aiden's Angels on Twitter and Facebook whether they would prefer a sexy, sweet, or mysterious teaser from Book Four, and they chose mysterious! I was surprised, actually (I thought sexy would win), but I guess the Angels are anxious to see where the fourth book is headed. So here you go!

Book Four Teaser

I dropped into the rocking chair and began to nurse. Amidst the baby's soft suckling noises, I found myself drifting in a space between sleep and wakefulness, someplace not quite here, but not quite there, either. It reminded me of our visit to the Broch of Gurness in Orkney.

The weather had been blustery, windy with clouds rolling past, but no actual rain. Mom, Dad, and Aiden were wandering through the ancient village, listening intently as our guide pointed out the small stone frames where thousands of years ago, the inhabitants had slept. They’d slept piled on top of one another to keep warm, most likely under animal skin blankets. A circle in the center of the room showed us where they’d kept their fire. As the rest of my family wandered the ruins to see where they’d kept the animals in this stone settlement dated back to before Christ, I stayed behind, running my fingers over the rough walls in awe. The air shimmered around me like a mist and I felt as though I were no longer alone. I turned, expecting to see Aiden or my mom, but instead, I saw a translucent flicker of flames in the cooking spot. I stared open-mouthed at the fire, not comprehending what was happening, when a movement to my right caught my attention.

“Cadhìa! Come to bed, love.” The deep voice from underneath the mass of furs in the corner echoed in the small room. The language was foreign to my ears and yet I understood it perfectly. All of a sudden, I became aware of the scents around me: the clinging smoke from the fire, the cool earth beneath my feet, the dampness of the air, and the sweat from the man huddled under the blanket. Where before, the room had been open to the sky, now I stood in a small, darkened room with a low ceiling. My feet moved of their own accord across the length of the room to the man curled into a ball under a pile of sheepskin. Love for him gathered inside me, building with purpose like a bird taking flight, though I couldn’t see anything but the back of his head. Above the bed, a symbol carved into the rock seemed to glow with the light of the fire. I ran my fingertips over it in reverence, this picture of the sun sinking into the sea. My sleeve fell away from my wrist as I touched the stone, and I saw the same symbol tattooed on the inside of my forearm. This simple drawing meant everything to me, but I didn’t know why.

At the sound of my mother’s laughter, I'd blinked and the vision had disappeared. Completely disoriented, I found myself standing in front of the bed’s outline, stroking the rock wall where I’d seen the symbol. It wasn’t there anymore. The rock was worn smooth. A sense of loss enveloped me before slipping away on the breeze, leaving me confused and mystified.

“There you are,” Aiden had said, appearing at my side.”I thought we’d lost ye.” When I didn’t immediately respond, he'd studied me with concern. “Are ye well?”

With one more glance at the stone walls that had turned cold under my fingertips, I'd nodded and followed him through the rest of the broch, my heart strangely full and empty all at the same time.

*****

Be sure to follow me on Twitter and Facebook to catch any future teasers I post! :)

When I Was a Wee Lass!

2014-01-12T20:48:00.000-08:00

When I was in the eighth grade, I had a poem published in a literary book. My mom recently visited and brought me a copy of the book. Inside was another entry I'd submitted (a short story) which I actually like much more than the poem that was selected, so I thought I'd share it with you! To be fair, I have retyped it word for word, including typos (these were the days before spell check, after all!).

ATTACK!

The black and white kitten entered the room and found a bright orange ball of yarn across the floor waiting for him. The kitten approached it slowly and cautiously and became less sure of himself with every step. He laid on his stomach, crouched down very low, waiting for the right moment. The ball, about one foot away from the kitten, stood still, waiting for the exact time the kitten would strike. The small feline edged closer to the ball of orange yarn and stared continuosly at it. Suddenly the ball moved away from the kitten and he leaped to the side. He was breathing very hard now and his heart beat rapidly. The kitten, once again, dared to move toward the orange ball with constant awareness of all about him. His ears were perked and his hair stood straight on end as a quiver ran down his spine.

The ball looked innocent, as if unaware of him, but he would not be fooled by an orange ball. He know that this yarn knew exactly when he would strike and so he decided he must trick it. He walked slowly around the ball as if to surround it. The orange ball of yarn looked at the kitten with beady eyes as if to say, "You'll never get me! I'm too good for you!" He knew this look, for he had seen it many times before, but he knew he must conquer this yarn, for he was the king.

He continued on around the object and hissed fiercely. Finally, he knew the right moment had come. He leaped high into the air with all his strength and landed with a crash on the small orange ball. Alas! A small string of yarn came bleeding out of the orange ball and he stood tall on the wounded yarn, for he knew he had won!

Then suddenly, the ball was lifted onto the forbidden shelf and he was alone again. So on the carpet he laid, and rested his eyes while he basked in his victory.

New Fan Art of Aiden MacRae!

2013-10-27T19:46:00.000-07:00

I love Aiden's Angels and how they use their gifts and talents to express their affection for Aiden MacRae. If you check the Aiden's Angels page of my site, you'll see the variety of art I've received from readers who love the crazy hot Scotsman like I do!

Today's fan art comes from Pau Castillo of the Philippines, who recently read Between and wrote an awesome review, saying how she flipped the last page and needed a good reason to move on with her life. LOL Gotta love that! :)

Pau creates fan art for characters she becomes attached to, though she says she's better at writing than drawing. Maybe she'll have to try her hand at writing a fanfic scene like these on the Aiden's Angels blog!

When I asked what it was about Aiden that inspired her, she said, "Aiden is, well, the kind of guy any girl would love to have and is rare to find nowadays. I love how he's such a gentleman to Lindsey and even honoring the sacredness of marriage before making love to her. It's the kind of chivalry that I personally rarely see nowadays."

I could not agree more. Aiden tries hard to do the right thing, to honor Lindsey, and to be virtuous, and that is one of the many things we all love about him!

Thanks, Pau, for your awesome fan art of Aiden MacRae, and to all of Aiden's Angels who work to spread the love of our courageous and smokin' hot Scot!

Win a Paperback Copy of Persephone's Orchard!

2013-10-10T16:53:00.001-07:00

The Greek gods never actually existed. Did they? Sophie Darrow finds she was wrong about that assumption when she's pulled into the spirit realm, complete with an Underworld, on her first day at college. Adrian, the mysterious young man who brought her there, simply wants her to taste a pomegranate.

Soon, though she returns to her regular life, her mind begins exploding with dreams and memories of ancient times; of a love between two Greeks named Persephone and Hades. But lethal danger has always surrounded the immortals, and now that she's tainted with the Underworld's magic, that danger is drawing closer to Sophie.

****

My lovely writer friend, Molly Ringle, has crafted a delicious and entrancing tale in Persephone's Orchard and I am lucky enough to have a signed paperback copy to give away to one lucky winner! You want this, people!

Enter below, and best of luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

How Do I Love to Tease Thee? Let Me Count The Ways!

2013-10-08T21:26:00.000-07:00

I want to give a heartfelt thanks to Koomkey.com and to everyone who donated to the #VTtoRT campaign. We collected over $700 (including the generous match) toward's Vicki Trask's trip to the RT Convention in May! *sets off fireworks*

As a reward for your awesomeness, I posted on my FB page a couple teasers from the fourth and final book of the Between series. Just in case you missed them, here they are again!

*****

The windows rattled with the force of the wind and rain outside. Moonlight streamed into the room, interrupted only by the flickering candles around his altar. He stepped forward, chanting an incantation in a tongue that had not survived the ages, the one he was born to speak.

Ceriida telus kvarial
Hubride shalaa miejr

His hand disappeared into the folds of his cloak briefly as he extracted a sgian dubh with a razor sharp edge. On the altar rested a small cauldron, already brimming with the blood of an innocent girl he’d slain that morning in preparation for the evening’s rites. She was a street urchin; she would not be missed. Light as a feather in his steely grip, she’d made a soft, gurgling sound as he’d sliced the blade across her neck, extracting the necessary ingredient for his birthing ceremony. He’d dropped her in the shadows beside a dumpster to be collected with the day’s trash. She’d served her purpose. He felt no remorse.

Reveloria onghamii plius
Desari sodam glarava

The storm kicked up outside as he drew nearer the cauldron. A quick flash of silver and his own essence was mingling with that of the urchin’s. Drip. Hiss. Drip. Hiss. His nostrils flared at the familiar scent of the now writhing pool of blood.

Decevus uighel hy yawe
Torag avear iuyovir da

A shimmering haze formed in the air above the cauldron. Voice rising with each phrase, he lifted both arms and called to the souls on the other side of the portal. He felt their response to his summons like a vise grip on his lungs. His body shook with the effort to keep the wavering portal alive. Hell itself pressed against the thin film, waiting to be set free, waiting for the portal to be thrown open at last, the goal he had so utterly failed at before, but now lay within his reach.

*****

SPOILER ALERT: If you have not yet read Even In Darkness, you don't want to read this teaser, as it reveals a critical plot point from that book!

*********

“When I finished my ride, Ian met me out at the barn and said he and Sarah have a surprise for us. We’re to come to the house as soon as you’re ready. Shall we be off to see what it is?” The dimple in his smile chased away my dark thoughts and I took a deep breath. Well, as deep a breath as I could manage with limited lung space.

“A surprise, huh? Don’t you think they’ve done enough for us already?” I gestured to the nursery with one hand.

“That they have. But love knows no bounds. Not theirs for us. And not mine for you.”

His lips came down over mine, soft and seeking. I opened for him and tasted him, got lost in him for a moment. When we pulled apart, his blue eyes had darkened and gone fuzzy around the edges. “Perhaps they can wait just a moment longer…” He reached down and picked me up, making me squawk in surprise. He grinned at me, obviously proud of his ability to still carry me in his arms. A chuckle bubbled up from deep within me. Damn, I was so lost to this man.

“You know, they say that sex can bring on labor,” I said with a teasing tone.

“What?” he said, his jaw dropping open so dramatically that I couldn’t help but laugh harder. “Truly?” he said with a waggle of his eyebrows.

“Stop it. You’re going to make me pee.”

With a flourish, he set me back on my feet and gave me a raucous wink. “Fine, pee. And then we’re going to see if what they say is true. I reckon we’ve waited long enough to meet this bairn.” With a smack on my bottom, he chased me down the hall to our tiny bathroom and waited for me, then led me into the bedroom where he proved just how creative he could be in getting his way.

Make an Angel's dream come true!

2013-09-06T21:56:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard, I am going to the RT Booklovers Convention in New Orleans in May 2014, and I am CRAZEEEE excited! I've never been to a major conference before and while part of me is completely terrified, the bigger part feels like a kid waiting for Christmas.

But, possibly the coolest thing about the trip is that I have made arrangements to room with Vicki Trask, president of the Aiden's Angels fan club! Even though Vicki and I email and tweet regularly with each other, we've never met in person.

Here's the deal, though. Vicki is a full-time student in Canada and she's going to have to scrounge up a pretty hefty chunk of change to make it to the conference. Even eating Top Ramen noodles and ketchup packets every day can only get you so far.

So I asked my incredible friends at koomkey.com to help us out, and they generously offered to match up to $300 in Koomkey donations to Vicki during the month of September.

How cool is that??? I love those guys!!

So let's show what an amazing, loving community we have here in Aiden's Angels and help Vicki get to the RT Conference!!

To contribute, all you have to do is go to koomkey.com and send @vatrask a koomkey (aka a kashkey). Use the hashtag #VTtoRT so we can keep track.

Even donations as small as 25 cents will be matched, so don't be shy. Every little bit counts toward making this Angel's dream come true!

The campaign will run through September 30th. Please help spread the word and let's see if we can't raise enough to blast through that match and get Vicki to New Orleans.

Many thanks to all of you for being such awesome readers and friends. I adore you.

Now, go, Angels, go!! Like fierce, kilted warriors, we declare IT IS ON!!

We all love giveaways!

2013-08-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

Fellow author Jacinda Buchmann is celebrating the paperback release of her book, Indigo Incite, and to show her love, I'm throwing in a free ebook of Between to her giveaway!

There are no secrets

Sixteen-year-old Tyler believed that his extra-sensory powers were a secret, but when his twin brother, Toby, is kidnapped by a covert government agency, he realizes that he has no secrets, and he has nowhere to hide.

He’s not alone

Now, in order to save himself and rescue his brother, Tyler must call upon the help of four strangers. Unknown to each other, Eddie, Liliana, Grace, and Sarah share a common bond. They are Indigo Children. With extra-sensory powers of their own, they must unite with Tyler in order to maintain their freedom.

Unexpected romance

They’re on the run. They’re on a mission. Romance is a distraction that Tyler can’t afford. But sometimes, the heart has a mind of its own.

Time is running out

Will they find Toby before the agency finds them first? Find out in Indigo Incite, Book One of the Indigo Trilogy.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

They're Here! New Covers for the Between Series

2013-08-21T07:29:00.000-07:00

BIG NEWS!!

No one does the excited flail quite like Kermit the Frog. LOL

Kermit is showing just how excited I am to share the new covers for the Between series with all of you! Gabrielle Prendergast, Aiden's Angel extraordinaire, put her incredible skills to the test and after hours of scouring the web for pics of smoking hot guys (a tough job, but somebody's got to do it!), she put together these pieces of heaven to showcase our beloved Aiden MacRae!

Aren't they gorgeous? *swoons*

I can't thank Gabrielle from Cover Your Dreams enough for all the work and passion she put into these new covers. If you're an author, you MUST check out her work. Amazing creativity, professionalism, and lightning fast with all the nitpicky details that obnoxious authors like me throw at her.

The new ebook covers will start popping up online over the next week as the various retail sites upload the files. Print copies will still be in the old covers, and I have several on hand, so if you're hankering for a paperback, head over to the store to get a personalized copy with the old covers made out just for you.

Wait, you thought we were done?

Hells, no!

The lovely and talented Lindsay Cox from Violet Hour Book Reviews has come up with a new Aiden's Angels logo to go along with the new covers. Vicki Trask, prez of the fan club, is working hard to get them loaded onto the Cafe Press site so you can get Aiden's Angels gear with the new logo!

Thanks to all of Aiden's Angels for spreading the word about the new covers, and for sharing the love of this series with your friends and family. I wouldn't still be writing Aiden and Lindsey's journey if it weren't for all of you. Mwah!

New Between series covers coming Wednesday!

2013-08-18T17:01:00.002-07:00

I've got exciting news to share with you! (As if you couldn't tell from my gif above- LOL)

While I adore the covers that Woulds 'N Shoulds Editing and Design made for the Between series, I've been thinking for a while now that I'd like to test the waters with covers that have more of a New Adult feel.

I got chatting on the subject with Aiden's Angel Gabrielle Prendergast who, lo and behold, makes awesome covers!

*gasp* I know, right?

Could I love the Angels more? No, I don't think so.

So Gabrielle took on the exceedingly difficult task of scrolling through thousands of pics of hot guys (yes, let's take a moment to appreciate her sacrifice) and came up with three new covers for the Between series that blew me away.

I know you're going to love them as much as I do!

This coming Wednesday, August 21st, we'll have a reveal of the beautiful new covers. If you didn't get the email that I sent out to all of Aiden's Angels and would like to participate in the cover reveal, just shoot me an email at cynditefft [at] gmail [.] com. << I have no idea if these sorts of things keep the webcrawlers from picking up my email, but it's worth a shot, right?

Hopefully these new covers will bring more Angels into the fold so we can spread the love of Aiden MacRae far and wide!

Final Day of the Even In Darkness Tour sniffle

2013-08-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

You know, they say that all good things must come to an end. Robert the Bruce's heart came to an end and is buried under this marker that I photographed in Scotland. How creepy is that???

Well, while Even In Darkness does have some creepy moments (duh duh duh....), this tour has been full of fun and silliness as Aiden's Angels got together to show their love for the uber-hot Scot that is Aiden MacRae!

We have FOUR blogs wrapping up the tour today, so please stop by and leave them some comment loving.

8/3: Read Between the Lines www.rbtlreviews.com
8/3: A Rebel’s Journey http://arebelsjourney.blogspot.ca
8/3: Color me GREYsessed! http://colormegreysessed.wordpress.com
8/3: Ink-Stained Life http://nmscuri.blogspot.com

And in case you're late to the party, never fear! I've listed links below to all the rest of the participating blogs throughout the tour. Interviews, playlists, marriage proposals, a death defying writing process, reviews, a hilarious vlog--you name it, we've done it!

7/28: Violet Hour Book Reviews www.violethourbr.com
7/28: Refreshingly Riki http://missriki.com

7/29: Aiden’s Angels fan site http://aidensangels.blogspot.com
7/29: What the Cat Read http://whatthecatread.wordpress.com
7/29: Confessions of a Book Addict http://www.bookaddictsblog.blogspot.com

7/30: Jamie Canosa http://jamiecanosa.blogspot.com
7/30: Tales of Books and Bands http://talesofbooksandbands.com
7/30: Pinky Pollock www.pinkypollock.blogspot.com

7/31: Just a Booklover http://justabooklover.blogspot.com
7/31: Molly Ringle http://lemonlye.livejournal.com
7/31: Book Groupies http://bookgroupies2.blogspot.com

8/1: I’d So Rather Be Reading www.idsoratherbereading.com

8/1: Writer of Wrongs http://madamewriterofwrongs.blogspot.com

8/1: Mermaid with a Book http://mermaidwithabook.blogspot.com

8/2: Reading Angel http://www.readingangel.com
8/2: Paperback Cowgirl http://paperbackcowgirl.blogspot.com
8/2: Carrie Secor http://carriesecor.com

And huge thanks to Koomkey.com for their support of the Between series and Aiden's Angels in particular. Their generosity in providing cash prizes to fans of the series just blows me away. If you haven't submitted your piece for the tour, today is the last day!

Last two days of the Even In Darkness blog tour!

2013-08-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the final day of the Even In Darkness blog tour, but never fear! We have more goodies in store for you today. Be sure to drop by these participating blogs and leave some comment lurve.

8/2: Reading Angel http://www.readingangel.com
8/2: Paperback Cowgirl http://paperbackcowgirl.blogspot.com
8/2: Carrie Secor http://carriesecor.com

Time is running out to earn cash for sending a Between book cover, an Even In Darkness trailer, and or a fan fic scene from the series! Learn all about how you could get $10, $20, or even $30 for your creativity!

And of course, tweet me a pic of your copy of any of the Between books to get 25 cent kashkeys each day from Koomkey.com.

If you missed any of the previous posts from the tour, here they all are for you!

7/28: Violet Hour Book Reviews www.violethourbr.com
7/28: Refreshingly Riki http://missriki.com

7/29: Aiden’s Angels fan site http://aidensangels.blogspot.com
7/29: What the Cat Read http://whatthecatread.wordpress.com
7/29: Confessions of a Book Addict http://www.bookaddictsblog.blogspot.com

7/30: Jamie Canosa http://jamiecanosa.blogspot.com
7/30: Tales of Books and Bands http://talesofbooksandbands.com
7/30: Pinky Pollock www.pinkypollock.blogspot.com

7/31: Just a Booklover http://justabooklover.blogspot.com
7/31: Molly Ringle http://lemonlye.livejournal.com
7/31: Book Groupies http://bookgroupies2.blogspot.com

8/1: I’d So Rather Be Reading www.idsoratherbereading.com

8/1: Writer of Wrongs http://madamewriterofwrongs.blogspot.com

8/1: Mermaid with a Book http://mermaidwithabook.blogspot.com

The Even In Darkness blog tour continues-- with cash prizes and a giveaway!

2013-08-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

This week has flown by! I can't believe it's already Thursday and the fifth day of the Even In Darkness blog tour. Aiden's Angels have been posting about the latest book in the Between series, sharing the love of our favorite uber-hot Scot, Aiden MacRae!

Today's group of Angels are...

8/1: I’d So Rather Be Reading www.idsoratherbereading.com

8/1: Writer of Wrongs http://madamewriterofwrongs.blogspot.com

8/1: Mermaid with a Book http://mermaidwithabook.blogspot.com

Be sure to stop by and drop them a little comment love so they know you were there! And don't forget to enter the giveaway to win an ebook of one of the Between series novels.

If you are feeling saucy, go a step further and win some cash from Koomkey.com! Write a fan fic piece on the series, create a new Between book cover, and/or make a trailer for Even In Darkness. The top winner in each category gets $30 from Koomkey! What would you do with $30? If you're anything like me, that's book buying money, people! LOL

Just email your submissions to aidensangels@yahoo.com by the end of the tour. And if the categories above don't work for you, earn 25 cents a day by tweeting a pic of one of the book covers to me @cynditefft as part of our "Where In the World is Aiden MacRae" party!

And just in case you missed the posts from earlier this week, here's a roundup for you:

7/28: Violet Hour Book Reviews www.violethourbr.com
7/28: Better Read Than Dead www.angelsdemonsandvampires.com/
7/28: Refreshingly Riki http://missriki.com

7/29: Aiden’s Angels fan site http://aidensangels.blogspot.com
7/29: What the Cat Read http://whatthecatread.wordpress.com
7/29: Confessions of a Book Addict http://www.bookaddictsblog.blogspot.com

7/30: Jamie Canosa http://jamiecanosa.blogspot.com
7/30: Tales of Books and Bands http://talesofbooksandbands.com
7/30: Pinky Pollock www.pinkypollock.blogspot.com

7/31: Just a Booklover http://justabooklover.blogspot.com
7/31: Molly Ringle http://lemonlye.livejournal.com
7/31: Book Groupies http://bookgroupies2.blogspot.com

New stops on the Even In Darkness tour!

2013-07-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

It's hump day on the Even In Darkness blog tour and we have three new awesome blogs featuring Aiden MacRae and the Between series today, so be sure to stop by and check them out. Leave a comment so the blogger knows you're there (we all love comments!). And be sure to sign up for the book giveaways (the rafflecopter is on the tour blogs).

7/31: Just a Booklover http://justabooklover.blogspot.com
7/31: Molly Ringle http://lemonlye.livejournal.com
7/31: Book Groupies http://bookgroupies2.blogspot.com/

And don't forget that you have the chance to win cash prizes all week long! Create a book cover for Between, make a book trailer for Even In Darkness, and/or write a fan fic scene from any of the books to be entered to win kashkeys from Koomkey.com. Three prizes will be awarded in each category ($30 for first, $20 for second, and $10 for third). Think about it-- your odds of winning are ridiculously good, so get cracking and stretch your creative muscles! Email submissions to me at aidensangels@yahoo.com.

And if none of the above options sound like your cup of tea, never fear! You can earn 25 cent kashkeys every day during the tour by tweeting a pic of the book cover (ebooks work, too) to me on Twitter @cynditefft. That adds up, people!

Many thanks to Koomkey.com, tour sponsor and proud supporter of Aiden's Angels!

And just in case you missed them, here are the previous tour posts from Sunday through Tuesday:

7/28: Violet Hour Book Reviews www.violethourbr.com
7/28: Better Read Than Dead www.angelsdemonsandvampires.com/
7/28: Refreshingly Riki http://missriki.com

7/29: Aiden’s Angels fan site http://aidensangels.blogspot.com
7/29: What the Cat Read http://whatthecatread.wordpress.com
7/29: Confessions of a Book Addict http://www.bookaddictsblog.blogspot.com

7/30: Jamie Canosa http://jamiecanosa.blogspot.com
7/30: Tales of Books and Bands http://talesofbooksandbands.com
7/30: Pinky Pollock www.pinkypollock.blogspot.com

Huge thanks to all of Aiden's Angels who are participating in the tour!!