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By:
Kelly Hashway,
on 10/11/2015
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Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.
Here's what's on my mind today:
- MG Alien Twitter Pitches Okay, MG authors, Leap Books Seek and I are looking for your Twitter pitch for middle grade alien books. Tweet me @kellyhashway with your MG alien pitch. If I'm interested, I'll reply with where to send sample pages. I'll be taking pitches today through Friday.
- Drafting I'm attempting to draft a book between edits—well, I should say around edits because I'm still editing. Last Friday, I managed to get in 10,000 words and it felt amazing!
- Branding? You know that draft I just mentioned? Well, it's an adult thriller. Apparently, I'm refusing to let Kelly Hashway be branded as a YA paranormal author. I can't help but write the stories that come to me, no matter what they are.
- Reading I spend a lot of time reading. Between the books I edit for clients and the submissions for Seek, I read constantly. Of course that means I don't get to read a lot of new releases though. I'm going to attempt to change that. Wish me luck—and a few extra hours in my day.
- YA Fest I attended YA Fest on Saturday and got to spend some time with readers and fellow authors. I had a great time. Here are some pictures from the event.
 |
| My table. (I signed the Touch of Death trilogy, The Monster Within duology, and Our Little Secret.) |
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| Lisa Amowitz, Martina Boone, and me |
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| The very awesome Brooke Watts DelVecchio and me |
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
A while back, Beth Fred and I were talking about mission statements and the common theme in the books we write. Now, you all know I write across genres and age levels, so you can imagine my reaction when Beth said there must be a common theme in all my books.
Um… Yeah, that was me. I've always said I'm not one to write to trends. I write the stories I feel I need to tell. And that's led me to having a pen name for romance while I write speculative fiction under my own name. But after a while, I realized Beth was right. There IS a common theme in all my books. It's self-discovery.
In my Touch of Death series, Jodi finds out she's a special kind of necromancer descended from the Gorgon Medusa. She struggles with what this means for her and how she'll have to adapt her life now that she's poisonous to humans.
In The Monster Within books, Sam dies of cancer at seventeen and is brought back from the dead as a monster who has to kill to survive. She struggles to figure out where she fits into the world and whether or not she's willing to kill others in order to live.
In Perfect For You (Ashelyn Drake title), Meg is trying to find herself again after having her heart broken in a very public and humiliating way. As much as it's about her finding the right guy, it's about her finding herself.
In A Lion's Song (my most recent picture book), Amara is trying to figure out her place in the pride when she's the only lion who can't roar.
I could keep going with all my books, but I think you can see the common thread. All my MCs are struggling to figure out who they are in this world and what that means for them. So I do have a common theme after all, even if I didn't know I did at the time I wrote these books.
What common theme pops up in your work?
2015 is the year of branching out for me. I'm trying new ways to reach readers. My latest venture is with Wattpad. I wasn't very familiar with this platform, but I know a lot of readers are there grabbing free samples of books. So I thought why not?
I joined and got permission from the very awesome people at Spencer Hill Press to upload my two FREE Touch of Death series companions, which are also available on the SHP website.
The first is Curse of Death, which is the myth behind the series. It shows why I love Medusa and feel she was wrongfully cursed. The second is Kiss of Death, which is a prequel novella told from Alex's POV, because I just love Alex and his story needed to be told pre-Jodi.
So what does this mean? I'm not entirely sure yet, but I'm hoping to reach new readers and introduce them to my work. I'll keep you posted on how it's going. In the meantime, feel free to follow me on Wattpad here and to read my free stories.
Are you on Wattpad? Feel free to leave your link in the comments so I can follow you. If you aren't, what do you think of a site that allows you to sample an author's work?
By:
Kelly Hashway,
on 1/18/2015
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Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.
Here's what's on my mind today:
- Another Campus Crush So last week I mentioned that fans asked for another Campus Crush story for Mike since he didn't get his HEA. I thought I was going to write a novel for him, but this series insists that it's made up of novellas, and that's what his story has turned into. More details to come.
- Friday Feature I have some Friday Feature spots available this month and next (and beyond, actually) so if you have a new release or upcoming release and would like to be featured email me khashway(at)hotmail(dot)com.
- Spotlight and Giveaway The very sweet and awesome Megan McDade is hosting me on her blog this month and in addition to interviews and guest posts, there's a giveaway (winner's choice of a paperback of Touch of Death or The Monster Within). Check it out here.
- Winter Ball My daughter attended her first school dance last Friday. It was three hours of me sitting on a hard cafeteria stool, but seeing her dance and run around with her friends made it worth it. She's only in second grade, so seeing how outgoing she is really makes me happy. That girl is not afraid to be who she is. :) I'm a proud mom.
- Winter Blues Anyone else have the winter blues? Some of my 2014-year-of-ickiness has carried over and I'm hoping to be finished with it by the end of the month so I can get back to life as usual. And I could really use some sunshine and warmer weather if anyone can make that happen. ;)
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
By:
Kelly Hashway,
on 12/23/2014
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This isn't your typical Writer Wednesday post because tomorrow is Christmas! To celebrate the holiday season I want to help you fill up that new ereader you asked for or that you purchased for someone else. We all know that can get expensive, so here are my books that are either FREE or very low in price. Enjoy!
FREE Books:
Kiss of Death: Young Adult Paranormal Prequel Novella to the Touch of Death Series. This book is told from Alex's POV.
The only life Alex Montgomery knows is raising the dead and having zombie servants, normal stuff for an Ophi. Alex is a necromancer descended from Medusa—or at least he will be once he comes into his powers. So far his life is training to use abilities he doesn't yet possess, which gets him beaten up by zombies on more than one occasion. And his parents Victoria and Troy won't tolerate anything less than perfection from Alex. He has a lot to live up to, and they remind him of it every day. So when an innocent birthday kiss turns deadly, Alex has to work twice as hard to master his Ophi abilities. He isn't the Chosen One, but he's still a Montgomery, which means he's expected to run the Ophi school one day. With a new group of students coming to the school, Alex needs to learn fast because he's about to be sent on the biggest mission of his life.
Want to know Alex's story and what he was like before he met Jodi? Now you can. Download it FREE here. Curse of Death: Young Adult Paranormal Prequel Short Story to the Touch of Death Series.
When Medusa is caught between the god she serves and the god she loves, there can only be one outcome.
The Imaginary Friend: Lower Middle Grade Two-Part Short Story
Samantha and Tracy have been best friends since kindergarten, but now that Tracy has gotten over her shyness and made new friends, Samantha is feeling left out. This is nothing compared to how she feels when a strange girl named Jessica tells Samantha that she’s actually an imaginary friend. Tracy has outgrown Samantha, and it’s time for Samantha to help another child who needs her. But will Samantha be able to move on and fulfill her duty as an imaginary friend?
Campus Crush: New Adult Contemporary Romance Novel consisting of four novellas (written under my pen name Ashelyn Drake).
The co-eds of Timberland College know a little romance is good for the soul.
Follow four couples as they try to find love in the Campus Crush Series boxset, including Nothing to Tell, Romancing the R.A., Behind Closed Doors, and Rushing Into Love.
When you're looking for love, you have to be willing to break the rules.
This novel includes all four novellas in the Campus Crush series:
Nothing To Tell
Romancing the R.A.
Behind Closed Doors
Rushing Into Love
LOW-PRICED Books:
Touch of Death (Touch of Death series #1): YA paranormal
Jodi Marshall isn’t sure how she went from normal teenager to walking disaster. One minute she’s in her junior year of high school, spending time with her amazing boyfriend and her best friend. The next she’s being stalked by some guy no one seems to know.
After the stranger, Alex, reveals himself, Jodi learns he’s not a normal teenager and neither is she. With a kiss that kills and a touch that brings the dead back to life, Jodi discovers she’s part of a branch of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac, Ophiuchus. A branch of necromancers that are descendents of Medusa. A branch of necromancers with poisoned blood writhing in their veins.
Jodi’s deadly to the living and even more deadly to the deceased. She has to leave her old, normal life behind before she hurts the people she loves. As if that isn’t difficult enough, Jodi discovers she’s the chosen one who has to save the rest of her kind from perishing at the hands of Hades. If she can’t figure out how to control her power, history will repeat itself, and her race will become extinct.
The Monster Within: YA paranormal
The moment seventeen-year-old Samantha Thompson crawls out of her grave, her second chance at life begins. She died of cancer with her long-time boyfriend, Ethan, by her side—a completely unfair shot at life. But Ethan found a way to bring her back, like he promised he would. Only Sam came back wrong.
She's now a monster that drains others' lives to survive. And after she kills, she’s tortured by visions—glimpses into her victims would-have-been futures had she not killed them. Barely able to live with herself and trying to make things right, Sam ends up a pawn in a vicious game of payback within the local coven of witches.
But when the game reveals what Ethan had to do to save Sam, she must make a choice that will change all their lives forever.
Perfect For You: YA contemporary romance written as Ashelyn Drake
Seventeen-year-old Meg Flannigan isn’t very self-confident, but what girl would be after her sophomore-year boyfriend dumped her by making out with another girl in front of her locker?
Now a senior, Meg catches the eye of not one, but two gorgeous guys at school. Sounds good, right? What girl wouldn't want to be in Meg's shoes? One cute boy happens to be her boyfriend, and the other? Well, he wants to be. And Meg? She's torn between Ash, the boy she's been with for nearly five months, and Noah who is pretty irresistible.
But Meg is playing with fire. Pitting two boys against one another, even if she doesn't intend to, could end badly if she isn't careful.
Into the Fire: YA paranormal romance written as Ashelyn Drake
Seventeen-year-old Cara Tillman’s life is a perfectly normal one until Logan Schmidt moves to Ashlan Falls. Cara is inexplicably drawn to him, but she’s not exactly complaining. Logan’s like no boy she’s ever met, and he brings out a side of Cara that she isn’t used to. As the two get closer, everything is nearly perfect, and Cara looks forward to the future.
But Cara isn’t a normal girl. She’s a member of a small group of people descended from the mythical phoenix bird, and her time is running out. Rebirth is nearing, which means she’ll forget her life up to this point—she’ll forget Logan and everything they mean to one another.. But that may be the least of Cara’s problems.
A phoenix hunter is on the loose, and he’s determined to put an end to the lives of people like Cara and her family, once and for all.
Happy Holidays!
Happy Halloween, guys and ghouls! Welcome to the Monster Madness Blog Hop hosted by Vicki Leigh and me. Since Vicki and I both released monster books this year (The Monster Within and Catch Me When I Fall), we thought it would be fun to have a blog hop dedicated to the monsters we love so much. So have some candy corn and enjoy this post as Vicki and I interview each other.
Okay, Vicki, time to fess up. What monster scares you the most?
I’m pretty hard to scare, to be honest. But there is one monster who gives me the creeps: Freddy Krueger. In a way, he was kind of the inspiration behind the Nightmares in my series, because the thought of someone being able to kill you in your dreams terrifies me. I’ve never actually seen the Nightmare on Elm Street movies, but, man, that dude creeps me out.
I love Freddy! My sister loved the Nightmare on Elm Street movies so I saw them much younger than I should have. ;)
How about you, Kelly? You have to be afraid of someone or something, too!
Growing up, I was terrified of the monster under the bed. I even wrote a short story about it called “The Monster of All Monsters.” Anyway, if I had to get up in the middle of the night for water or to use the bathroom, I’d stand on my bed and try to jump to the doorway. Thankfully, I’ve gotten over that fear. Now the thing that freaks me out is ghosts. I tried to write a book about a haunting once, and the research totally scared me away from the idea.
Oh, man. I love ghosts. Like, I legitimately want to spend the night in a true haunted house. I think it’d be awesome. (Yet, a fictional guy creeps me out. I’m weird; I know. J)
All right, Vicki, you have to create a NEW monster. What does it look like, and what kind of terrifying things can it do?
Hmm…I think a monster who takes the shape of whatever form you find most attractive would be pretty terrifying—especially when he/she sucks out your soul during a smexy scene and leaves you a comatose patient for the rest of your life. That may have been done before. I don’t know. But I’ve heard freaky stories about what it feels like to be in a coma. I never want that experience. Or being found comatose on my bed in my birthday suit.
All right. So, my monster sucked. You create one, Kelly. I’m positive you can do better!
I’m feeling the pressure now. I’m sort of stealing from Harry Potter here, but I think a monster that can transform into whatever it is a person fears the most would be just awful because no one would be safe from it. No wait! Better yet, the monster becomes ALL of your fears rolled into one! So if you are afraid of snakes, ghosts, and realistic looking dolls with eyelids that open and close (not that I’m being that specific because those are my top three fears or anything), the monster would turn into a doll possessed by a ghost who can charm poisonous snakes to attack on command. *shivers*
Back to you, Vicki. We’ve all been inside haunted houses or mazes at Halloween time, right? What monster got the best of you inside one of those?
I actually have a good story for this, because I really am super hard to scare. I’ve been in haunted houses and mazes, and usually when things jump out at me, I giggle. So, last year, I went to a haunted cornfield with a few friends. We walked through a LOT of really tall corn, and a trailer that was pitch black. None of the actors really got me, even when I had to feel the walls because it was so dark I couldn’t see. And then we exited the cornfield, and I was like, “well, that was fun,” thinking it was over.
Then, out of nowhere, came a dude with a chainsaw. Good lord; I jumped out of my skin! I screamed and then tipped my head back and guffawed. That dude got me. It was the chainsaw noise that did it, and his perfect position: I thought the maze was over.
How about you, Kelly? Do you have a good haunted house story?
Ooh, sneaky little chainsaw-wielding devil! ;)
Okay, well I have to say I startle easily, not scare easily. I went through a haunted dormin college. I give the people who ran it credit because it was pretty good. There was a funeral in one room, and we all thought the dead body was going to get up. It was really a distraction for something that snuck up on us. Still, I wasn’t scared. Nor was I scared when they turned out all the lights and we had to find out way out in complete darkness. Then at the end, there was a guy in a gorilla suit. That made me laugh, but it also distracted me from the hands reaching out from under the stairs I was climbing. I admit I jumped when I looked down and saw what I’m assuming was a zombie gripping my leg.
Time to change gears. What monster is your all-time favorite, Vicki?
Am I okay to say Cookie Monster? J For real, though, my favorite is probably Dracula.
How about you? You have to have a favorite!
I think I’m going to have to go with a zombie. Something about a reanimated corpse is both disgusting and terrifying, considering it wants to eat your brains. Got to love that! ;)
Now it's your turn! Choose 3 questions below to answer either in the comments or on your own blog.
1. What monster terrifies you the most?
2. Do you have a good haunted house story?
3. What's your favorite monster?
4. Is there a monster book that terrified you as a child?
5. Have any book recommendations for stories that include monsters?
6. Finally, create your own monster! What does it look like, and what scary things can it do?
Then tag FIVE of your friends to share in the Monster Madness!
And be sure to enter our giveaway to win books and SWAG from Vicki and me.
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We've all heard that half the battle—or maybe more—in selling books is finding your audience. But how do you do that? It's something that I've struggled with, so I thought I'd share my story with you.
When Touch of Death was originally submitted to editors, it was pitched as The Walking Dead meets Shatter Me. Now, I should have immediately realized my audience off of that pitch, but I was new to the industry and I admit it went right over my head. Now, nearly two years later, I realized that I have a huge audience I never reached out to. Fans of The Walking Dead!
So this Sunday, I'm hosting a Twitter Viewing Party during this week's episode of The Walking Dead.
In addition to the viewing party, my P.A. made this for me, and I love it because it's Daryl and my book! ;)
I've also been on a book tour for The Monster Within and I've been bringing my bookmarks for the Touch of Death series. After I talk to people about The Monster Within, I mention Touch of Death. But my first question is always "Are you a fan of The Walking Dead?" All but one person I asked answered yes to that question, and the one person who didn't said she wasn't but the woman with her was. It's the perfect way for me to introduce my series and hand out bookmarks. So that's the pitch I'm sticking with for this series.
Will this connection to The Walking Dead help sales? I guess I'll find out, but I certainly can't see how it could hurt.
So it may have taken me a while to stumble on this idea, but I found my audience. How have you found your audience?
A couple weeks back, I was asked (in the comments) how to promote the second book in a series, so that's what I'm going to talk about today. First, I don't claim to be an expert at all. I'm just sharing my experiences and hoping they'll help you. So, here we go.
Promoting a sequel or second book in a series is tricky because you want to get word out about the new book, but you also want to draw new readers into the series, which actually means promoting book one. You should definitely post about book two, though. Post the cover reveal, post teasers, post links to reviews, but always continue to promote book one. Your current fans won't need much encouragement to buy book two if they loved book one. A simple "it's release day" post will prompt them to run out and get book two. You need to keep trying to broaden your reach and find new readers for the series.
Even though the entire Touch of Death series is out, I continue to promote book one. My publicist even made this image for me:
Notice it's book one on the image. That's not to say you can't use images with both covers or all of them if it's a series. Go right ahead, but make sure it's clear which book begins the series because new readers will need to know that.
Over the summer, Stalked by Death, which is the second book in the Touch of Death series, was the Kindle Daily Deal. It became a #1 Best Seller in Greek Mythology on Amazon. What also happened was Touch of Death becoming #3 in the same category. Why? New readers bought book one when book two went on sale.
So, when you promote book two, don't forget to promote book one. You want to be loyal to your existing fans and continue to let them know about your new releases, but you also want to reach new readers and draw them in to the start of the series.
Do you have tips for promoting a second book in a series? Please share in the comments.
By:
Kelly Hashway,
on 10/12/2014
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Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.
Here's what's on my mind today:
- #IntotheFireChallenge Extended! I've decided to extend the #IntotheFireChallenge until Halloweeen. That means you have until midnight on Halloween to post a review of Into the Fire on Amazon for a chance to become a Phoenix in the third and final book. Get your review up!
- Monster Madness Blog Hop Vicki Leigh and I are hosting a fun Monster blog hop on Halloween. We'll be talking about our favorite monsters, and of course there will be a giveaway. Want to join the fun? Sign up below and we'll send you all you need for your Halloween post, plus some fun questions for you to answer on your blog.
Loading...- Signing The Monster Within at Books-A-Million in Exton, PA on Saturday. As part of the Three Witches Tour, I'll be signing The Monster Within with Jennifer Murgia and Molly Cochran from 1-3pm.
- Vitamins and Death Cover Reveal Check out the cover of Medeia Sharif's upcoming YA, Vitamins and Death. This book will release December 10th through Prizm Books.
Deidra Battle wants nothing more than to be invisible. After her mother, a public school teacher, engages in an embarrassing teacher-student affair at Lincoln High, they relocate to a different neighborhood and school. Being her mother’s briefcase, Deidra joins her mother at her new workplace, Hodge High.
Since her mother has reverted to her maiden name and changed her appearance, Deidra thinks no one will figure out they’re the Battles from recent news and that they’re safe. Neither of them is. Hodge brings a fresh set of bullies who discover details about the scandal that changed her life.
Feeling trapped at home with an emotionally abusive, pill-addicted mother and at school with hostile classmates who attempt to assault and blackmail her, Deidra yearns for freedom, even if she has to act out of character and hurt others in the process. Freedom comes at a price. - The Walking Dead Who watched the season premier last night? Oh, and my PA made this for me and I love it. Touch of Death was pitched as The Walking Dead meets Shatter Me.
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
I've made my share of book trailers so I thought I'd share some tips on how you can make a trailer without spending a fortune. It's also fairly simple, so even if you aren't computer savvy, you can figure it out pretty quickly.
First, your computer comes with programs to create movies. I use iMovie because I have a Mac. PCs usually have Movie Maker. If you don't see an icon on your desktop, search your Applications. I'm willing to bet you'll find a program. The programs are designed to let you drop pictures into the frames and then add text, voiceover, music, etc. You get to set the duration of each clip, which is great for adjusting the length of your trailer to fit your music. There are even transitions to choose from between the slides.
Once you locate your program, you need to find images for your trailer. A very cost efficient way to do this is to create a book trailer for an entire series instead of each book. You can then use your book covers and crop them for images. That's what I did for the Touch of Death series. All the images, with the exception of one, came from the front and back covers of the books.
I did the same thing for my Campus Crush series, written under my pen name.
If you have a budget that allows you to purchase images for your trailer, I suggest royalty-free stock photos. I use Shutterstock, which allows you to purchase images on demand. I usually opt for the package of five downloads, which isn't expensive at all, and you can almost always find a coupon code online to take about $10 off the price.
For The Monster Within, I opted to purchase images instead of sticking to my cover. I did find some sites (thanks to an article in the SCBWI Bulletin) that offer completely free images as long as you credit them. I found similar sites for the music tracks. Both are great options for keeping costs down. The Monster Within Book Trailer uses paid images and free images along with free music. I made sure to credit my sources on the final slide.
Another option is to film your book trailer yourself and hire some actors to portray your characters. I haven't tried this myself just yet, but maybe one day.
I recommend playing around with whatever movie program your computer has and get used to the different features and how they work. You'll be surprised by how easy it actually is to create a trailer for your book.
By:
Kelly Hashway,
on 7/13/2014
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Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:
- I have a roof! Finally! The addition isn't finished yet but I have a roof, which means no more raining in my house. Yay!
- Beth Fred's Blurb Writing Class Beth Fred is teaching another online blurb writing class in August. Beth is great at writing blurbs so you're going to want to sign up here.
- Revisions I'm working on second round revisions of my MG novel this week. I still have more to trim off my word count.
- Kiss of Death My Touch of Death prequel novella from Alex's POV will be ready soon, and it will be free! I can't wait to share it with you.
- Reviewing I need to catch up on reviews. I have two waiting for me to write them. Hopefully they'll get taken care of this week.
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
I recently got an email from one of my publicists asking me what events I had coming up. To be honest, it was an eye opener for me. I planned a lot of events in the spring, but then there was a gap. A big gap. I have a book tour with other authors planned for the fall, but I realized my summer was wide open, which just isn't okay. So, I got my butt in gear and started contacting bookstores.
I reached out to a bookstore owner I met at YA Fest and got a very nice email stating she'd love to have me sign at her store this summer. I also contacted the Books-A-Million by me because they were on my list for the fall witch book tour for The Monster Within. But after I talked to the manager about the tour I also asked if I could come in alone over the summer for my Touch of Death series. And they said they'd order my books right away.
Sometimes we need a reminder to get ourselves out there. I love doing events. Other than writing a new book, it's the most fun part of this career. What I don't like is booking the events because it means I have to step out of my comfort zone and sell myself and my books to people. But that's exactly what I have to do. I'm really glad my publicist emailed me, because now I can go back to her and give her a list of events I have coming up.
What are you doing to put yourself out there?
By:
Kelly Hashway,
on 6/29/2014
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Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:- Construction *Sigh* I knew this was going to be bad, but ugh. I can't wait until July is over so this construction will be finished. Still no roof, which means lots of rain damage. :(
- July How is it almost July already? I mean seriously? Where did June go?
- Editing Amidst the craziness in my house, I'm editing for clients this week. It's keeping me sane.
- Books heading to production I recently had three titles to proofread and get ready for production. So exciting!
- Touch of Death Series Last week, Stalked by Death became a #1 best seller in Teen & Young Adult Greek and Roman Myths, and Touch of Death was the #3 best seller in the same category! Needless to say, I was thrilled! Thank you to all who bought copies.
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
By:
Kelly Hashway,
on 4/27/2014
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1. Monroe County Book Expo Thanks to everyone who came out for the Monroe County Book Expo. I had a great time. This was my third and final author appearance this month and it was a great way to close out April.
2. The Monster Within Goodreads Giveaway Spencer Hill Press is giving away TWO copies of The Monster Within on Goodreads. Enter here.
3. The Monster Within Monster Giveaway To celebrate the upcoming release of The Monster Within, I'm hosting a Monster Giveaway! Want to be part of it? The giveaway will run from May 16th to June 17th and you can post anywhere within those dates. Sign up in the form below.
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4. Stone of Destiny by Laura Howard Congrats to Laura Howard on her newest release, Stone of Destiny. Isn't this cover gorgeous?
Allison thought it was crazy enough when she found out her father, Liam, wasn't entirely human. But now she has to join his magical allies to unravel his former mistress's plans. Aoife wants to keep Allison's parents apart forever.
Despite Allison's efforts to keep Ethan, the only guy she's ever cared about, out of this supernatural mess, fate keeps throwing him back into the mix.
Will Allison be able to find the amulet that holds the enchantment Aoife placed on Liam and destroy it? Are Ethan' s feelings for Allison strong enough to endure the magic of the Tuatha De Danaan?
5. Snip, Snip Revenge by Medeia Sharif Congrats to Medeia on the release of her latest YA novel!
Beautiful, confident Tabby Karim has plans for the winter: nab a role in her school’s dramatic production, make the new boy Michael hers, and keep bigoted Heather—with her relentless Ay-rab comments—at bay. When a teacher’s lie and her father’s hastiness rob her of her beautiful hair, her dreams are dashed. The fastest barber in Miami Beach has made her look practically bald.
With all her pretty hair gone, Tabby doesn’t believe she fits the feminine role she’s auditioning for. Michael is still interested in her, but he’s playing it cool. Heather has taken to bullying her online, which is easier to do with Tabby’s ugly haircut. Tabby spearheads Operation Revenge, which proves satisfying until all of her problems deepen. After messing up, she sets to make things right.
Join Medeia's giveaway to celebrate the release of her latest novel.
a Rafflecopter giveawayThat's it for me. What's on your mind today?
By:
Kelly Hashway,
on 4/20/2014
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Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:
1. YA Fest On Saturday, I attended YA Fest with 49 other authors. It was crazy awesome. I got to meet my Month9Books family who I've talked to online but never met in person before.
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| Pab Sungenis, Jackie Kessler, Me, Jen McConnel, Janice Bashman, and Donna Gallanti |
I also finally met Jennifer Armentrout in person, which was awesome since she blurbed my Touch of Death series for me.
Kate Kaynak photo bombed a picture, giving Lisa Amowitz bunny ears. ;)
So, I took a picture with Kate.
The lovely Kimberly Miller was nice enough to take a picture of me at my table.
I got a nice surprise when my friend and fellow author, Beth Consugar, showed up. We'd never met in person before.
Here's me with YA Fest founder, Jennifer Murgia, who happened to blurb The Monster Within for me.And here I am with the totally sweet Jen McConnel. Seriously, what a sweetheart!
And that's probably way more pictures than you wanted to see, but I had an absolute blast and had to share.
2. Monroe County Book Expo I'll be at the Hughes branch of the Eastern Monroe County Library on Saturday from 10am-3pm signing copies of all my books, PB through YA, and my Ashelyn Drake title, Campus Crush.
3. Editing I'm editing for clients this week along with working on revisions for two of my books. April has been such a busy month for me.
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
By:
Kelly Hashway,
on 4/13/2014
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Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:
- YA Fest I'll be at YA Fest this Saturday (April 19th) signing copies of Touch of Death, Stalked by Death, and Face of Death. I'll also have plenty of SWAG including bookmarks, zombie limb candy, and buttons. I'm excited.
- Revisions I'm currently revising three of my novels all on deadlines ranging from tomorrow to May 15th. I love revising. It's when I really get attached to my characters.
- Client edits I'm also editing for clients. I have several edits scheduled through this month and May, which always makes me happy.
- Spring pictures I'm working at my daughter's school on Wednesday for spring pictures. It's always fun to see the kids dressed up.
- Happy Holidays! I wish you all a very happy Easter and Passover.
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
By:
Kelly Hashway,
on 3/23/2014
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Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:
1. Touch of Death for $0.99!!! Yes, you read that correctly. Touch of Death is only $0.99 on Kindle. Get it here.
2. Need To Read I've created a new meme over at YA Bound called Need To Read. On the first Tuesday of each month, I'll feature releases from that month that I'm excited to read. You can join me by grabbing the button and posting your Need To Read list on the first Tuesday of each month.
3. Catching up on my TBR list I have three books to review this week as I try to catch up on my TBR pile.
4. Drafting I'm drafting a new idea but I'm doing it between a lot of other stuff, which is not typical for me. I hope this works. lol
5. My Tethered Soul Cover Reveal Dorothy Dreyer had a cover reveal on Friday. Check out the cover and blurb for My Tethered Soul. (I'm looking forward to this one!)
It’s been months since Zadie faced her sister’s Reaper, months during which she’s been under her mentor’s magical protection. But now that she’s turning seventeen, that protection is about to run out.
When dark forces lure Zadie to wander at night, she’s manipulated into committing unspeakable acts. With her friends and family at risk, Zadie must try to use her powers to break free from the Reaper’s grasp, or surrender to the Reaper’s Rite, which can only lead to death.That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
By:
Kelly Hashway,
on 3/20/2014
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Thank you for stopping by the Many Sides of Medusa Blog Hop hosted by Heather Lyons and Kelly Hashway!
Door Prize: Your door prize for joining us is the short story prequel to the Touch of Death series titled Curse of Death. It's the myth about Medusa and how she was cursed by the goddess Athena. Claim your free gift by clicking here.
Heather and Kelly are teaming up to show you a very different side of Medusa. Forget the monster you might think she was, and check out these excerpts from The Deep End of the Sea and Touch of Death. You just might change your mind about Medusa.
The Deep End of the Sea excerpt:
But there’s no way around it. I am, in fact, a monster. A hideous one, to be precise, but as I don’t have any mirrors on Gorgóna, I can’t verify that one for certain. I rely on the fact that every single person I’ve frozen over the ages boasts abject fear on their face, which makes me believe they find me pretty horrifying. And it sucks. It genuinely, truly, absolutely, unequivocally sucks. I hate stealing lives.
Thus, not only am I a monster, I’m a really lousy one. A lonely, classic Five Stages of Grief following, insecure, shut-in of a pathetic beast who talks to the snakes on her head and the statues on her island.
Find Heather online: WebsiteFacebookTwitter
Purchase The Deep End of the Sea on Amazon or B&N.
Touch of Death excerpt:My hair blew up, flying wildly all around me. My blood bubbled in my veins like boiling water, but it didn't hurt. It was the feeling of power. Too much power. My body felt like it was going to burst. Still I held on. My eyes closed, and I threw my head back. An imaged filled my mind. Medusa. Her snakes wriggled their bodies at me, flicking their tongues. Chills ran down the backs of my legs, but I forced my eyes away from the snakes. Lower. To Medusa's face. She smiled at me. Her face and eyes filled with warmth. She looked like…Mom.
"Do not fear me, Jodi. My blood lies in your veins and in your heart. you are one of mine. My children."
Find Kelly online:WebsiteFacebookTwitterPurchase the Touch of Death series on Amazon or B&N.If you want more Medusa, be sure to check out The Deep End of the Sea and the Touch of Death series. And…Heather and Kelly have a giveaway for you. Enter on the rafflecopter form for your chance to win a $20 gift card to either Amazon or B&N, Medusa Makeup lipgloss, signed bookmarks from both authors, buttons for each book, and Touch of Death stickers.a Rafflecopter giveaway
By:
Kelly Hashway,
on 3/2/2014
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By:
Kelly Hashway,
on 1/19/2014
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Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:
1. Tween 2 Teen Best of 2013 and Most of Anticipated of 2014 List Tween 2 Tween chose Touch of Death as one of the best reads of 2013 and chose Face of Death as one of the most anticipated reads of 2014! I couldn't be more ecstatic. Read the full list of books here.
2. Arisia I'm on my way home from Boston today after the zombie prom to launch the release of Face of Death. Pictures to come!
3. Face of Death My official release day is the 28th, but the ebook was released on the 14th and Amazon will ship the paperback tomorrow.
4. Model Position Cover Reveal I'm happy to share the cover of Model Position, and upcoming NA romance by Kitsy Clare.
For Sienna, love and art are perilous games. Is she ready to take that gamble?
Sienna is a beautiful, talented artist poised on the precipice of soaring into theglamorous, yet cutthroat Manhattan art scene.
Dave Hightower is a hooked-up, handsome heir to the hippest gallery in NYC, Gallery Hightower. Erik is the live drawing model with his sizzling green eyes fixed only on Sienna.
Three’s a crowd, so Sienna must make a choice: date Dave and ride the fast track to landing a show at Gallery Hightower and hobnobbing with the art glitterati, or follow her heart and take a chance with Erik, the stunning male model who’s stealing her heart. But Erik has some worrisome secrets, and who in their right mind would make live modeling their career?
Dare Sienna throw away her chances of hitting it big to follow her heart?
5. Silent Starsong Cover Reveal Check out this awesome cover of TJ Wooldridge's upcoming release! (How cute is that alien?)
Eleven-year-old Kyra is meant to continue the Starbard's proud family legacy of
interpreting the future from the stars' songs. Her deafness, incurable by the best medics, breaks her mother's heart and pushes her father to explore anything to help his little girl--including the expensive purchase of a telepathic alien servant to help Kyra communicate on a planet inhospitable to unfixable genetic defects.
Marne's telepathy is too weak for his Naratsset culture, so he is sold into slavery and expects to die at the hands of human owners--until he meets a human child who begs her father to "save" him. Her kindness introduces Marne to a new world--one where he would risk his life to save a human from her own people's abuse and the stars' songs can touch even a deaf girl and a defective telepath.
When an intergalactic terrorist organization kills Kyra's father, driving her mother to madness, Kyra and Marne only have each others' friendship--until even that is threatened by the danger surrounding the Starbard heritage. But can the two friends, not good enough for either of their cultures or families, manage to keep each other safe when several different worlds threaten their lives?
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
By:
Kelly Hashway,
on 1/12/2014
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Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:
- The Monster Within The release date for The Monster Within is being pushed back until June 16. I'm actually really happy about this because it allows me to get the Touch of Death series out first, including the novella from Alex's POV, and I'll get to sign The Monster Within at BEA! Yay!
- Blurbing books I was asked to blurb a really awesome book called Losing Logan by Sherry Ficklin. It's SOOOOO good, guys. I couldn't put it down. Seriously. Just awesome.
- School Visits I'm heading back to my daughter's school today to work with a fourth grade class on the stories they are writing. How cool is that? I'm excited.
- Editing I'll be editing for a new client this week, but in order to stay true to my 2014 goals, I'll also be working on the plot of a new book of my own.
- Zombie Prom at Arisia I'll be heading to Boston on Sunday for another zombie prom at Arisia to celebrate the upcoming launch of Face of Death. Can I just tell you how much Face of Death makes me cry every time I read it? I really love those characters and wrapping up their series was tough.
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
By:
Kelly Hashway,
on 1/5/2014
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Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:
- Touch of Death and Stalked by Death Chosen as Best Books in 2013! I'm ecstatic that both Touch of Death and Stalked by Death made blog lists for best books in 2013. Touch of Death was chosen as Best Paranormal by Patrice Caldwell over on Whimsically Yours, and Stalked by Death was chosen as Best YA by Sherry Ficklin over on Curvy Writer!
- Free Monthly Newsletter My free monthly newsletter goes out this evening. If you aren't signed up but would like to receive one, click here.
- #SHP2014 Twitter Chat Thank you to everyone who came out for the Spencer Hill Press Twitter chat last Thursday night. The chat was crazy fast and so much fun. Lots of ARCs were given away, including two of The Monster Within.
- Snow I'm kind of done with snow this season. Seriously, been there, done that. I'm ready for spring.
- 2014 Goals I've got my goals for this year all set. I'll be posting them on Wednesday.
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:
1. Spencer Hill Press/Spencer Hill Contemporary Twitter Chat January 2 (Thursday) at 9pm is a SHP/SHC Twitter chat. I'll be there talking about my upcoming release, Face of Death. There will be lots of authors and good stuff, so check it out using the hashtag #SHP2014.
2. New Year's Goals I'm setting my goals for 2014. I'll share them soon.
3. Fun with Banners I've been creating banners for all my sites. I added the animated banner to this blog a while ago, but I just added banners to my Ashelyn Drake blog and my website. Here's what they look like:
I'm thinking about offering banner making as a service, so stay tuned for more info on that.
4. Darkly Delicious YA Feed Your eReader! Over on Darkly Delicious YA, we've got a Feed Your eReader post telling you about all our books and the sales going on right now. Check it out here. 
5. Editing I had a mini break between client edits to work on a revision of one of my Ashelyn titles, but now I'm back to client edits. I have two scheduled and then I'll hopefully work on a YA paranormal I drafted a while back.
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:- Touch of Death in the YA Highway Cover Story Post! Over on YA Highway, they did an awesome cover story post where they created a story and used book covers to "illustrate" it. Touch of Death was among the covers! Yay! You can check out the post here.
- Editing I'm swamped with client edits through mid-January. I'm loving it, but I need to find a way to sneak in writing time, too.
- Christmas shopping Ugh, I'm STILL not finished shopping. The snow this past weekend cancelled my shopping trip, so I'll be out there with all the other last-minute shoppers.
- School Visit Guest Post In case you missed it, I was on Sarah Negovetich's blog talking about school visits. You can check it out here and feel free to ask me questions. (Sarah's blog is a wealth of information, so if you haven't checked it out yet, go now! Seriously!)
- Querying I'm nearing the point where I should hear back on the fulls I have out. I'm biting my nails (Figuratively speaking. I love my long nails.) and still hoping Santa brings me a new agent.
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:
1. Signing at Books-A-Million This past Saturday, I had a signing at Books-A-Million in the Exton Square Mall. It was a lot of fun. Here's a picture of me at my table:
2. I finally saw my books in a bookstore! Yes, I know my books have been out for a while, but I don't have bookstores by me. So sad, I know. So I finally saw my book on a bookshelf in Books-A-Million. And of course I took a picture.
3. I now have a BAM by me!!! Okay, I just told you I don't have any bookstores by me, BUT the manager at BAM told me that they just opened one in my mall. Woo hoo! I'm beyond excited about this and am going there today to see if I can set up a signing. :)
4. Querying So, I've begun querying on a very small scale. I have one query out and one full out. Today I'll be querying a few more agents and really getting this process underway. Please cross your fingers for me.
5. Christmas decorating We decorated for Christmas on Thanksgiving. As soon as we got home from visiting my grandfather, who is 92 and going strong, we put up our tree, stockings, and other decorations. Now I just need to finish my shopping.
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
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