I’m having a Goodreads Giveaway for CRYSTALLUM
in honor of its official launch on November 30th. đ
Enter here:
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/widget/163436
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November 24, 2015 | Categories: Booktrope, CRYSTALLUM, New Releases, Primordial Principles, Young Adult Novels | Tags: Book Giveaway, Booktrope, Crystallum, CRYSTALLUM by Laney McMann, Crystallum The Primordial Principles, Goodreads Giveaway of CRYSTALLUM by Laney McMann, laney mcmann, teen reads, upcoming YA releases 2015, YA urban fantasy 2015 | Leave a comment
This contest has ended. The winner will be announced tomorrow (1/5).
Stay tuned!
Hi everyone!
I’m happy to once again be participating in the Midwinter’s Eve Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader Not A Writer and Book Hounds. đ

*********
For the Hop this year, a few titles are up for grabs, all in the fantasy genre, all YA. There will be ONE winner, just choose the book you want. đ
First option:
CRUX
by Julie Reece
YA Urban Fantasy
She should have run. Now, sheâll have to fight.
Eighteen year old Birdie may be homeless, but sheâs surviving, that is until a mysterious guy throws money in the air like a crazy game show host and she grabs some with the idea sheâll be able to buy dinner that night.
In that singular moment, unassuming Birdie becomes the girl in everyoneâs viewfinder. Thugs want to kill her. Money-guy wants to recruit her. The very hot, very rich and very out of her league Grey Mathews wants to save her.
Birdie, though, wants nothing to do with any of them until she realizes fate didnât bring them all together.
Her heritage did.
Now, with only twenty-one days left, sheâs got to decide whether to follow in the footsteps of those before her or risk her life for people sheâs only just met.
Next option:
REAPER
by L.S. Murphy
YA urban fantasy
There’s no way sixteen year old Quincy Amarante will become the fifth grim reaper. None. Not over her shiny blue Mustang. Her Jimmy Choos. Or her dead body.
Sheâs supposed to enjoy her sophomore year, not learn about some freaky future Destiny says she has no choice but to fulfill.
It doesnât take long for Quincy to realize the only way out of the game is to play along especially since Death can find her anyway, anywhere, anytime. And does.
Like when sheâs reassuring her friends she wants nothing to do with former best friend Ben Moorland, whoâs returned from god-knows-where, and fails. Miserably.
Instead of maintaining her coveted popularity status, Quincyâs goes down like the Titanic.
Maybe … just maybe … thatâs okay.
It seems, perhaps, becoming a grim reaper isnât just about the dead but more about a much needed shift in Quincyâs prioritiesâfrom who she thinks she wants to be to who she really is.
And last option:
TIED (Fire Born #1)
by Laney McMann
YA Urban Fantasy
Normal people don’t believe their nightmares stalk them. They donât fall in love with boys who donât exist, either.
Seventeen-year-old Layla Labelle, though, is far from normal. Her delusions walk the earth. Her hallucinations hunt her, and her skin heats to a burn every time her anger flares.
Or is that all in her head?
Layla doesn’t know what to believe any more because if none of thatâs true, Max MacLarnon must be an illusion, and her heart must still be broken.
No matter how much she wants to believe Max is real, doing so would mean everything else is, too. How, then, is that possible?
The answers lie in an age-old legend the supernatural arenât prepared to reveal, and with a curse that could tear Layla and Max apart foreverâif it doesnât kill them both first.
In TIED, book one in the Fire Born trilogy, learning the truth will mean fighting an arsenal of demons, and being with Max will put Layla on a path toward her own destruction.
Just how far will Layla go to protect the one she loves?
The answer may never be far enough … away.
*****
In addition, I’m giving away a $10 Amazon gift card to the same winner.

#######
 So, to make this easy, and fast, the book will be in e-book format (Kindle or Nook) and I will have a simply entry. Random.com will choose the winner. No purchase necessary to win. International entries welcome. Just leave me a comment in the form below, tell me which book you want, your email address, and the format (Kindle or Nook). That’s it!
Easy. đ
**the giveaway will run from December 21-31, 2014.
Check out all the other bloggers participating in the Hop here:
Powered by Linky Tools Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…
Good Luck and Happy Holidays!
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December 20, 2014 | Categories: Author, BLOG HOPS, Giveaways | Tags: Arts, Book Giveaway, CRUX by Julie Reece, Fiction, laney mcmann, REAPER by L.S. Murphy, The Fire Born Novels, TIED by Laney McMann, YA book Giveaway, YA Books, YA Fiction, young adult paranormal romance, young adult urban fantasy | 13 Comments
This giveaway has ended.
Welcome to the 2nd Christmas Cracker Scavenger Hunt!

This year we are giving away a few prizes including Amazon Gift Cards
& e-books.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Here on my blog, I am giving away a e-book copy of …
One More Day
by Erika Beebe, Marissa Halvorson, Kimberly Kay, J. Keller Ford, L.S. Murphy, Danielle E. Shipley, Anna Simpson
Release Date: December 2, 2013
Target Reader: Young Adult
Keywords: Contemporary Romance, Fantasy, Fiction, Romantic, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy
Description
What if today never ends?
What if everything about lifeâeverything anyone hoped to be, to do, to experienceânever happens?
Whether sitting in a chair, driving down the road, in surgery, jumping off a cliff or flying ⊠thatâs where youâd be ⊠forever.
Unless âŠ
In One More Day, Erika Beebe, Marissa Halvorson, Kimberly Kay, J. Keller Ford, Danielle E. Shipley and Anna Simpson join L.S. Murphy to give us their twists, surprising us with answers to two big questions, all from the perspective of characters under the age of eighteen.
How do we restart time?
How do we make everything go back to normal?
The answers, in whatever the worldâhuman, alien, medieval, fantasy or fairytaleâcould,maybe, happen today.
Right now.
What would you do if this happened ⊠to you?
To enter in the drawing to win this book, just enter your name and what format you need (Nook or Kindle) in the form below, and that’s it, you’re entered! Easy.
Now, for the Grand prizes,
HERE’S WHAT’S UP FOR GRABS:
Grand Prize:

Second Grand Prize:

Here’s how to play the Scavenger Hunt:
Hop around ALL of the Blogs taking part in the Christmas Cracker Scavenger Hunt, collect the individual letter from each participating blog, then rearrange them to spell something related to Christmas. This is the answer you will need to enter into the Grand Prize Rafflectopter to be eligible for entry.
MY LETTER IS: RÂ
So start hopping from blog to blog, gather your letters from EVERY ONE of them, figure out the Christmas word the letters spell and go to the Rafflecopter HEREÂ to enter to win the grand prize!
For the next stop on the hop, head over to Danielle E. Shipley’s blog at http://everonword.wordpress.com/
@@@@@
Participating blogs (they also each have an e-book prize up for grabs):
Danielle E. Shipley
Julie Reece
Juliette Cross
Keri Lake
Claire Gillian
Jonathan Lister
Laney McMann
Anna Simpson
Terri Rochenski
Alexander Nader
J.Taylor Publishing
J.A. Belfield
GOOD LUCK and Thanks for playing!!
***Giveaway runs from Dec 12 at noon-15 at midnight, 2014
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December 12, 2014 | Categories: BLOG HOPS, Giveaways | Tags: Author, Book Giveaway, Christmas Cracker Scavenger Hunt, Giveaway, J. Taylor Publishing, laney mcmann, YA Fiction | Leave a comment
I will be giving away copies of  both TIED & TORN on Goodreads for the holidays. Check out the details and enter below!
Enter to win

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December 3, 2014 | Categories: A Fire Born Novel, Giveaways, TIED, TORN, Young Adult Novels | Tags: Author, Book Giveaway, Fiction, Goodreads, laney mcmann, Layla and Max, The Fire Born Novels, TIED by Laney McMann, young adult paranormal romance, young adult urban fantasy | Leave a comment
Today on the blog, I’m happy to be hosting fellow author, Terri Rochenski, and touting the sequel to her fantasy duology,
Secret of the Souls
(Pool of Souls #2)
Author:Â Terri Rochenski
Publisher:Â J. Taylor Publishing
Release Date:Â October 6, 2014
Keywords:Â Adult Fantasy
Blurb:
Thrust out of their homes by a human High Priest on a vengeful mission, the Natives of Derlund no longer have a place to call their own. One escaped capture, however, and now she, Hyla, is the only one who can save her people.
For, Hyla, though, saving her nation isnât her ultimate goalâreturning to the Pool of Souls is. Becoming its Guardian and preserving their faith is her heartâs desire. The perils of her current journey, though, could leave her unable to fulfill that dream.
To find her way back to the Pool, Hyla must live among dangerous, powerful humans willing to defend the Natives, and must submit herselfâher Talentsâto them. While her protection is paramount, plots to end Hylaâs life will push her to her physical and emotional limits.
On the edge of sanity, her courage tested, and convictions nearly broken, Hylaâs final test of loyalty to her faith comes with the death of one she could have loved.



I asked Terri to share her top 10 fantasy movies. Here goes:
-
LotR â is there any other??
-
The NeverEnding Story â FAV movie as a kid. Couldnât get enough of it. I used to dream Falkor would come pick me up & take me to meet Atreyu. Le sigh.
-
Stargate â while this might fall more on the Sci-Fi side, itâs a must-see for all adventurous dreamers.
-
The Hobbit â duh.
-
Iâm going to cheat here and say Game of Thrones, cuz itâs MY list and I can!
-
-
Shrek â because that donkey CRACKS ME UP!
-
FROZEN!!! Love me some Olaf. Besides, I have two little girls. What did you expect?!?
-
The Polar Express. The hubs would be sad if I didnât add this one. Itâs a Christmas must-see. Every. Year.
-
Star Wars â all 6 movies. Again, itâs more sci-fi, but heyâŠI grew up BEING Princess Leia.
***** For the record, and being a HUGE fantasy fan myself, I concur with Terri. There is no other that could ever take the number one spot. LOTR reigns supreme. đ
**********
And to celebrate the launch, Eye of the Soul (book #1)Â is on sale!

*****
AND we have a giveaway.
*********************
Bio:
Terri started writing stories in the 8th grade, when a little gnome whispered in her brain. Gundiâs Great Adventure never hit the best seller list, but it started a long love affair with storytelling.
Today she enjoys an escape to Middle Earth during the rare âmeâ moments her three young children allow. When not playing toys, picking them back up, or kissing boo-boos, she can be found sprawled on the couch with a book or pencil in hand, and toothpicks propping her eyelids open.
Ms. Rochenskiâs Links:
Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads
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October 16, 2014 | Categories: Blog Tours, J Taylor Publishing, New Releases | Tags: Adult Fantasy Novels, Book Giveaway, Pool of Souls, Secret of the souls release, Terri Rochenski | 2 Comments

The TORN Book Blitz winners are in,
and thank you so much to everyone who participated in this awesome shout-out,
as well as Shane Morgan at Itching for Books.

There were TWO winners chosen for this giveaway, and they are:
Laura T.
and
Stephanie S.
You both won a signed paperback of TORN.
Congrats, and thanks for entering!
I’ll be contacting you soon, so check your emails. đ

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September 22, 2014 | Categories: A Fire Born Novel, Blog Tours, Book Blasts, Giveaways, TORN | Tags: Author, Book Giveaway, Fiction, Itching for Books, J. Taylor Publishing, The Fire Born Novels, TORN (Fire Born #2) by Laney McMann, TORN Book Blitz, YA Fiction | 1 Comment
Hi guys! Thanks to everyone who entered the
September is for Sequels Blog Hop Giveaway.
There were a lot of entries, and to show my thanks,
I’ve decided to choose TWO winners instead of one.
So ….
Lisa V.
&
Jaime Lynn
Check your emails.
You both won copies of TIED and TORN in e-book form.
I’ll be contacting you soon!!

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September 15, 2014 | Categories: A Fire Born Novel, BLOG HOPS, Giveaways, Young Adult Novels | Tags: Author, Book Giveaway, Fiction, J. Taylor Publishing, laney mcmann, Layla and Max, September is for Sequels, The Fire Born Novels, TIED by Laney McMann, TORN (Fire Born #2) by Laney McMann, YA Fiction, young adult paranormal romance, young adult urban fantasy | Leave a comment
It’s been forever since I participated in a blog hop it seems, but September for Sequels is the perfect place for me to hop back in.

What’s up for grabs on my end of things?
As this is a sequels hop, I’m offering up a e-book copy of not yet released, TORN, the second book in the Fire Born Novels trilogy which launches on September 8th. And since it is the second, I’m also going to giveaway a e-book copy of the first book in the trilogy, TIED.

Target Audience: Young Adult
Key Words: Urban Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Mystery, Mythology
Publisher:Â J Taylor Publishing
BLURB:
Normal people don’t believe their nightmares stalk them. They donât fall in love with boys who donât exist, either.
Seventeen-year-old Layla Labelle, though, is far from normal. Her delusions walk the earth. Her hallucinations hunt her, and her skin heats to a burn every time her anger flares.
Or is that all in her head?
Layla doesn’t know what to believe any more because if none of thatâs true, Max MacLarnon must be an illusion, and her heart must still be broken.
No matter how much she wants to believe Max is real, doing so would mean everything else is, too. How, then, is that possible?
The answers lie in an age-old legend the supernatural arenât prepared to reveal, and with a curse that could tear Layla and Max apart foreverâif it doesnât kill them both first.
In TIED, book one in the Fire Born trilogy, learning the truth will mean fighting an arsenal of demons, and being with Max will put Layla on a path toward her own destruction.
Just how far will Layla go to protect the one she loves?
The answer may never be far enough … away.
*******
AND … the sequel:

September 8, 2014
BLURB:
Find Max.
Thatâs all Layla cares about. Not healing from the Fomore attack. Not finding answers to how she survived a fall that nearly killed her. Nothing will stop her. She will find him. Sheâll even pair up with an overbearing Fallen Angel whoâs hell bent on making everything harder than it needs to be if she has to.
Protect Layla.
For Max, nothing else matters. Not the bruises covering his body. Not the pain radiating from his broken bones. Not even his hands tied behind his back. He will find a way to save Layla, and the Fomore will pay if theyâve hurt her.
Every. Single. One of them.
In the second installment of The Fire Born trilogy, a new breed of villain loomsâone Layla and Max will never suspect, and this killer has nothing to lose. Better yet, with Max and Laylaâs deaths, victory is in the grip of the enemy.
Will Max and Layla find each other in time, or is it already too late for them both?
Releasing September 8, 2014
*************
September is for Sequels will run from September 2nd – September 10 at midnight.
To make the entries super simple, I’m only asking for you to leave a comment in the comment form below, including your email, so I can contact the winner. Random.org will choose one winner at contests end, on September 10 at midnight. (The giveaway is International)
That’s it. Simple.
Thanks, and GOOD LUCK!
Check out all the other blogs participating in the hop and goodies up for grabs HERE
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September 1, 2014 | Categories: A Fire Born Novel, BLOG HOPS, Giveaways | Tags: blog hop, Book Giveaway, Giveaway, I am a reader, laney mcmann, Lisa Loves Literature, September is for Sequels, The Fire Born Novels, young adult paranormal romance, young adult urban fantasy | Leave a comment
The Summer Reads Scavenger Hunt was organized to help bring authors of all publishing backgrounds together in a show of solidarity.
FORTY awesome authors have signed up to support this event. (Yes, TIED (Fire Born #1) is among the books)
MORE THAN FORTY awesome SIGNED books* have been donated by these authors to make up the Grand Prize, as well as $30 worth of Amazon Gift Cards.
And YOU could win them ALL!
 All you have to do is hop around ALL blogs on the Hunt.
Within the posts on EVERY stop you will find a NUMBER.
Make a note of EVERY number from EVERY stop.
Once you have collected them ALL, simply add them up to calculate the total, and then hop back to here to the ENTRY FORM PAGE, fill in your details AND your calculated answer … and You’re In!
Up for Grabs?
$30 Amazon Gift Card (3 @ $10 ea.) AND these titles.
All of them:

BUT FIRST …
I have a second giveaway.
Author Lisa Amowitz is giving away additional swag on my blog. Only my blog. Here’s what she has up for grabs:
Breaking Glass and Vision bookmarks
Four sets of Vision trading cards (4) each
Four Signed Spencer Hill Press bookmarks she designed–
(Note: Lisa designed both of her covers as well as over 20 titles for SHP.)
And a Breaking Glass T-shirt (sz small)



Ready to enter to WIN?
To enter your name into Random.org to WIN Lisa Amowitz’s Swag, just leave a comment below telling me one book on your summer reads list (with your email so I can contact you if you win) and you’re entered! Easy!
THEN … head over to the next blog in the HUNT and continue adding up all your numbers for the GRAND PRIZE that you enter here:
****
For the next stop on the Hunt head over to Laura Howard’s blog HERE
You have until MIDNIGHT (EST) of 19th July to enter.
Terms & Conditions can be found HERE
Good luck!
*Thank you to Joelle Charbonneau who, although unable to participate, donated a copy of The Testing for the Grand Prize.
Info on Lisa Amowitz:
Her young adult novel BREAKING GLASS is available nowÂ
coming September 9, 2014 from Spencer Hill Press
The light is darker than you think.
Visit me on the web at:Â lisaamowitz.com
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July 16, 2014 | Categories: BLOG HOPS, Giveaways, TIED | Tags: Author, blog hop, Book Giveaway, Fiction, Giveaway, laney mcmann, summer reads scavenger hunt | 37 Comments
FIVE more days to enter and win 1 of 10 Signed Paperback copies of TIED (Fire Born #1)
before TORN releases in September.
GOOD LUCK!

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June 28, 2014 | Categories: A Fire Born Novel, Fire Born Updates, J Taylor Publishing, TIED, TORN, Upcoming Releases, Young Adult Novels | Tags: Book Giveaway, J. Taylor Publishing, laney mcmann, Layla and Max, The Fire Born Novels, TIED A Fire Born Novel, TORN (Fire Born #2) by Laney McMann, YA Fiction, Young Adult book releases 2014, young adult paranormal romance, young adult urban fantasy | Leave a comment
In honor of TORN, the second book in the Fire Born Novels trilogy’s upcoming release on September 8th …
I’m having a giveaway starting today (June 6th).
The month-long giveaway will happen on Goodreads, NOW through July 4th.
I’ll be giving away 10 SIGNED paperbacks of TIED (Fire Born #1).

TIED (Fire Born #1)
These giveaways typically have a high number of entries, so get your name in to win!
Enter to WIN here:
GOOD LUCK!

Layla and Max are back September 8th.
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June 6, 2014 | Categories: A Fire Born Novel, Fire Born Updates, Giveaways, J Taylor Publishing, TIED, TORN, Young Adult Novels | Tags: Author, Book Giveaway, Goodreads, laney mcmann, Layla and Max, The Fire Born Novels, TIED by Laney McMann, TORN (Fire Born #2) by Laney McMann, YA Fiction, young adult paranormal romance, young adult urban fantasy | Leave a comment
J. Taylor Publishing are giving away FIVE ARCs of Inspired by Danielle E. Shipley!
Check it out!

For a muse like LucianĂel, one storyâs end is anotherâs beginning.
In the wake of his authorâs sudden death, Luc takes ownership of her surviving creationsâfour fantastical characters with tales yet to be toldâsaving them from unwritten lives crumbling around them and giving them a second chance at a literary future.
Luc finds that chance in the unsuspecting mind of Annabelle Iole Gray, a quirky teen with her head in the clouds, nose in a book, and imagination ripe for a brilliant museâs inspiration.
Or so he hopes.
Neither Luc nor Annabelle, however, realize all theyâve undertaken. Even with a to-write list including accounts of a shape-shifting cat creature, gentle knight-in-training, vigilante skater girl, and a mystery boy smothering in unspoken fear, the most remarkable saga created between author and muse just may turn out to be one stranger than fiction.
INSPIRED is an innovative glimpse at the true muse of a writer, a tale told with style and wit. And J. Taylor Publishing is giving away FIVE ARC copies.
To YOU!
You donât even have to be a book blogger!
Nope, so long as you are willing to leave an honest review between the dates March 3rd and March 17th 2014, you are eligible to enter.
Interested?
Then just fill out the form and keep your fingers crossed.
You have until midnight of March 2nd to enter.
About Danielle E. Shipley:

Danielle E. Shipley, author, Inspired
Danielle E. Shipleyâs first novelettes told the everyday misadventures of wacky kids like herself. …Or so she thought. Unbeknownst to them all, half of her characters were actually closeted elves, dwarves, fairies, or some combination thereof. When it all came to light, Danielle did the sensible thing: Packed up and moved to Fantasy Land, where daily rent is the low, low price of her heart, soul, blood, sweat, tears, firstborn child, sanity, and words; lots of them. Sheâs also been known to spend short bursts of time in the real-life Chicago area with the parents who homeschooled her and the two little sisters who keep her humble. When sheâs not living the highs and lows of writing young adult novels, sheâs probably blogging about it.
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February 24, 2014 | Categories: Author, Books, Giveaways, J Taylor Publishing, Upcoming Releases | Tags: ARC giveaway, Arts, Author, Book Giveaway, Danielle Shipley, Fiction, INSPIRED, J. Taylor Publishing, laney mcmann, upcoming book releases 2014 | 2 Comments
Today, I have fellow author, and friend, Alexander Nader on the blog to talk about his newly released adult urban fantasy title, Beasts of Burdin.
First let’s see what the book is about:
Beasts of Burdin
by Alexander Nader
Release Date: February 10, 2014
Target Reader: Adult
Keywords: Urban Fantasy
Description
Demon hunter Ty Burdin hung up his guns, knife, trench coat and fedora a year ago. Bags packed, hands washed of all demon politics, heâs done. Forever.
In fact, to get far far away, he dragged Nora, his rockabilly secretary, from Miami to the Tennessee mountains where heâs lived a life of peaceâif peace can be defined as drowning in scotch and taking private eye jobs to keep the lights on. Jobs for real people. Not demons.
No demons.
Heâs retired from that. Remember?
Demon hunters arenât a dime a dozen, though, and when Tyâs brother asks him for a favorâjust oneâwhatâs a brother to do? Agreeing to take down one hillbilly demon shouldnât take that long. In. Decapitate. Out. Favor complete. Back to the office where Nora and his bottle of whiskey are waiting.
Unfortunately for Ty, staying retired doesnât seem to be in the cards, and an avalanche of bad luck draws him right back to an agency he despises and the career that nearly cost him his sanity.
This time, Ty has no way out and will have to face his own demons just to survive.
**********
Yeah, it’s a good read, but let’s hear what Alex has to say about the series and other stuff:
LM: The story line around Beasts of Burdin contains a good number of demons. Did you pull from mythology, your imagination, or both?
AN: All of the demon names in B.o.B. are real and most of the abilities are too. I took some liberties with the physical descriptions to make them suit my needs. There really is a demon made of eyeballs, though. I didn’t make that up. As soon as I read about it I was like, “I have to find a place for this guy”.
LM:Â Researching is one of my favorite aspects of writing. It’s crazy what you come across. Was is it the demons that inspired the story or something else? And I really liked Ty Burdin, he isn’t your ordinary demon hunter, where did the idea of his character come from?
AN:The idea for the story came from a twisted version of a song lyric. The original lyric was, “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing me that I was him”. I played around with that in my head until I ended up with, “The greatest trick humanity ever pulled was convincing itself the devil existed”. From there it rolled into people creating demons with their minds. All of the demons just came from ideas. Human mythology is pretty deep, so when I needed a war-demon, I just searched until I found something.
As far as Ty goes, he is the adoptive child of this whole hard-boiled noir phase I’ve been going through lately. It started when I read a comic book re-imagining Wolverine as an old school private eye. After that, I read The Maltese Falcon and then moved on to Philip Marlow. The brutal honesty of the characters struck me enough to want to make that modern. Hopefully, that’s what I’ve accomplished.
LM: I like the idea of reinventing a song lyric to suit your story telling needs. And speaking of writing itself, how long have you been writing? Did you always aspire to be an author?
AN: I was born to be an author! *Looks around to see if anyone is buying it* Nope. *Slumps* Well, I wrote a comic book about a cat with super powers in third grade and I may or may not have dabbled in some terrible song writing over the years. Other than that I started my first novel a little over two years ago. (Not Beasts of Burdin, it was actually the third novel I wrote. The first two sucked. (I put them in the corner to think about what they’d done)
I’ve always kind of jumped from hobby to hobby, but writing is the first one that has really felt right. It’s the first thing I can actually see myself doing.
LM:Â đ Looks like you found your calling. Any of those hobbies you care to share with your readers? And speaking of hobbies, what else do you do with your time when you’re not writing?
AN: As a kid it was mostly extreme sports of one sort or another. BMX, rollerblading, snowboarding, skateboards. I was never any good with the board sports though. Most of my teens were wasted on video games and cars, if you can call that a hobby. Then it became guitar. I would probably still be playing guitar if I didn’t hate the sound of my own voice. I go through spurts where I exercise a lot followed by long periods of physical dormancy. A little bit of everything really.
Nowadays, when I’m not writing I’m usually just trying to catch up with my wife and kids. I work a lot, so any time not working is family time. I’m currently learning a lot about Pokemon and Beyblade, while teaching about Mario and super-heroes. It’s a pretty awesome trade-off.
LM:Â That’s a great trade-off. So, for anyone who might not know, Beasts of Burdin is a series, can you tell us anything about book 2?
AN: Burdin 2 (Burdin of Choice) is done. When this is posted I think I will be working with the my publisher on the cover art. It should hit the shelves November 10th. It’s definitely going to feel a little different, but the story gets bigger. There are more characters, more suspense, more intrigue, more jerkwaddery (<- I don’t know how Laney feels about language on her blog, so that’s a nifty little bit of self-editing.), more demons, more alcohol, and more cigarettes. Don’t worry though, all of that stuff is in the first book too, there’s just more in the second book. People will be able to pick up Burdin of Choice and feel like they were right where they left off; listening to the drunken ramblings of a vaguely retired demon hunter.
LM: Thanks for the self-editing on my account. đ I think we’re good. Any tips you can give other writers hoping to be published one day?
AN: Write for you and no one else. When you stop worrying about whether or not someone will publish your writing is when youâll write something worth publishing. Thatâs how it worked for me anyway.
LM: Couldn’t agree with you more on that. Plotter or Pantser?
AN: Little bit of both. I make a thoroughly detailed outline of about twenty sentences and go from there. I guess I vaguely plot the entire book and then kind of pants the individual chapters. If that makes any sense.
LM: ‘Pants’ the chapters is one I haven’t heard yet. đ Coffee or Tea?
AN: BOTH! Green tea only though, Iâm not big on black tea anymore. I prefer my coffee with chocolate, but have been known to drink it straight, no chaser, when in a bind.
LM:Â Tea for me, unless it’s iced coffee. E-Book or Print?
AN: BOTH. I like to have books on my shelves. It looks good and makes me feel all accomplished and such, but itâs hard to argue the convenience of ebooks. I keep the Kindle app on my phone and try to sneak in a couple pages every time Iâm waiting for something.
LM:Â Me too. Introvert or Extrovert?
AN: An introverted extrovert. HA! Howâs that for clarity. Yeah, Iâm a little on the fence. About everything, apparently. Anyway, I seem to be okay at talking to people and functioning in groups, but I donât really like it and try to avoid it at all costs.
LM:Â I think that sways you pretty far into the introverted group, like so many writers. đ Thanks for taking time out to talk with me, Alex. It was fun.
********

Excerpt:
Chapter 1
âTy Burdin! Answer the phone already. Itâs your brother.â The voice comes from the next room in a tone usually used by stress-fried mothers, not twenty-something-year-old receptionists. The harsh words crack through my whiskey-soaked brain like someone snapped a bullwhip in my ear. I pick my head up off the desk and wipe the drool from my mouth, as she bursts in the door.
âHeâs adopted, and good morning,â I say, opening the drawer to my desk and digging through it.
âItâs not morning. Itâs past noon, you lazy drunk.â Her tone is accusing, but thereâs a slight smile to her ruby red lips. I really do think Nora gets enjoyment from trying to keep me in line. Her rockabilly style, all tattoos and polkadots, might scare some people off, but honestly, I think itâs kind of cool.
âFine, I was wrong about the time, but youâre wrong, too,â I say.
âOh, yeah? Howâs that?â Nora kicks her hip to the side and props a hand on her leopard print skirt.
âIâm not drunk. Iâm hungover.â I pull out a flask full of scotch and take a long drink. âIâm working on getting back on track, though.â I tip the flask toward her.
âI swear someoneâs gonna find you in a ditch one day.â Her voice has a trace of concern, but itâs mostly drowned out by annoyance.
âIn my line of work, thatâs almost a guarantee. Now, can you tell me why you disturbed my ugly sleep?â Ugly sleep is a gross understatement. No amount of alcohol ever seems to drown out the vision of the young, innocent girl burned into my memory. The scene is even more ominous in my dreams than it was in real life.
A thunderclap breaks the silence of my memories. Nora stares down at me, hands stuck together. âWake up, drunkard. Hartnetâs been trying to reach you on the phone for the past fifteen minutes.â
The pocket of my jacket buzzes, probably been ringing the entire time. Nora walks over to where it hangs by the door and withdraws the phone. âJesus, Ty. Youâve got four missed calls, ten new messages, and over twenty emails. Do you ever check this thing?â
âNo.â I have the phone, but honestly, I hate it.
Nora sets the still ringing phone on my desk, puts her hands on her hips and, using only facial expressions, guilts me into picking up.
âHello,â I say into the phone that smells of smoke. I use my free hand to dig out cigarettes and a lighter.
âTy! Finally, man, where you been?â Hartnet asks.
âOh, you know me. I just got back from hiking the Swiss Alps with Edmund Hillary.â
âReal funny, Ty, but I imagine youâve been spending more time with Jim or Jack.â
âGod, no, I hate southern whiskey,â I say. âI prefer a fine scotch, Macallan to be specific.â
âYou prefer whateverâs in front of you as long as thereâs a proof label on the bottle,â Hartnet says.
I donât have any argument for that. âSo, what do you want?â
 ***********
Here’s my review of the book:
4 STARS.
Still grinning.
I could say that the plot was tight, the story moved at the speed of light, and I liked the new approach on demons versus the world, and that would all be true, but even more than thatâ what kept me turning the pages was Ty. His voice is fresh and witty and sarcastic, and I found myself getting wrapped up in his words, the way he talked, the way he saw life. Really a great book that pulled me out of my own head and put me in someone else’s. For me, that’s the benchmark of a good story. Can’t wait to see what Ty gets into in Burdin 2.
******
So go on, check it out for yourself.
And here’s a chance to win a signed copy along with a few other book goodies, and an Amazon gift card:
Enter the Rafflecopter HERE Â
Good Luck!
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Alex lives in the tourist infested hills of east Tennessee with his amazing wife/muse and three superb children. He would tell you more about how awesome they are, but you probably wouldnât believe him. When heâs not hanging out with them heâs making pizzas. When heâs not doing that heâs working at a bookstore and occasionally he jots a few words down. Heâs a big fan of good music, good storytelling, and mixed martial arts.
He once wrote a short story about pirates to his wife via text message that blossomed into a full length novel and never stopped after that.
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February 21, 2014 | Categories: Blog Tours, Giveaways, J Taylor Publishing, New Releases | Tags: Adult Urban Fantasy, Alexander Nader, Author, Beasts of Burdin, Book Giveaway, book tour, Fiction, J. Taylor Publishing, laney mcmann, Ty Burdin, Upcoming urban fantasy 2014, Writer | 1 Comment