Interview with Taylor Henderson and Sara Schoen ~ Authors of The Dying Game

Hi guys! Today I have an interview for you with the authors of The Dying Game. Taylor Henderson and Sara Schoen. Keep reading to find out about the book, the authors and more in the interview below.

Title: The Dying Game 

Authors: Taylor Henderson and Sara Schoen

Release Date: February 10 2015 

Publisher: Limitless Publishing LLC

Page Amount: 234 pages, Paperback 

Summary: 

When Matt has the opportunity to visit the place he's dreamed of going since he was a little boy, he won't let anything stop him. Not the ghost stories, hauntings or even the fact that his pessimistic girlfriend has threatened to break up with him if he goes. It only makes him want to go more, and even more when he finds out that his childhood crush, Kelsey Hendricks, is going to be attending with all of his closest friends. Now is his chance to tell her how he really feels, or will someone get to it before he can work up the courage to say anything to her? When the group is tempted by an unknown tour that takes them deep into the underground mazes of New Orleans, what will happen to them? But more importantly, who will be waiting for them in the depths of a city that is supposedly haunted? 

And all Matt thought he would have to worry about was a killer hangover. 

About The Authors:
Taylor Henderson and Sara Schoen are twenty year old college students who were born and raised in Northern Virginia. They have been interested in writing since they were young, and met in a creative writing class in high school. Taylor introduced Sara to an amateur writing website, and shortly after, the pair began writing together. Together, and separately, they plan to continue sharing their stories.

Taylor Henderson on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Henderson/e/B00T58JDU6/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_2

Sara Schoen on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sara-Schoen/e/B00Q0DI93Q/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

The Interview:

Tell us about how you two ended up teaming up to write this book.

We met in a creative writing class in high school where Taylor told me about an amateur writing website called wattpad. We both realized that we liked each other’s writing style, and thought it would be fun to start write stories together. (Sara)

Have you both always wanted to be writers?

We have both always had a passion for writing, but we had never actually considered it as a career path until recently. Writing had always been a hobby for us, and eventually that hobby just snowballed into something bigger. Surprisingly, neither of us are majoring in english. Rather, Sara is a biology major, and I am a psychology major. (Taylor)

What inspired The Dying Game?

Sara really loves New Orleans, and we wanted to combine our two favorite genres, horror and romance. We also just really wanted to start writing our first story together, so we brainstormed, and therefore The Dying Game was born.

Is The Dying Game a stand alone or part of a series?

Stand alone.

What genres do you each like to read?

Sara: I have always enjoyed reading Thriller/mystery stories the most. Heather Graham’s novels are my favorite by far, but the genre itself has always been a favorite.

Taylor: I use to really love reading teen fiction/drama novels, but recently I have been really into mystery/thrillers. I started doing a 2015 reading challenge, and the first book I chose to read was the option “Read a book from an author with the same initials as you”. Therefore, I chose to read a book by Tami Hoag, and I have become a huge fan. I’ve been reading through her novels like wildfire.

Do you like to write in the same genres?

We both started off writing the same genres, but as Sara transitioned into writing suspense/thriller, she kind of dragged me into it. We both can write almost any genre, but like most authors we have our preferences. I think that we both can agree that we enjoy writing stories that are thrilling the most. (Taylor)

What is it like co-writing a book? Planning the story together, melding your styles, etc?

It’s interesting. We have to spend a lot of time making sure that we see everything the same way so that we can avoid any confusion, and then plan the story out so that we can both work in the same direction. It takes a lot of time and effort to make a cohesive story because we are two different people who can see a scene in many different ways. We go about melding our stories together in two different ways. One way that we do this is where Sara will write a skeleton (which is a chapter that has no detail and is basically an outline of that needs to be filled in) and Taylor will go through it to add detail and anything she thinks is missing. Another way that we mix our stories is through what we call a “split chapter” where someone begins it, and the other person finishes it, then starts the next chapter and so on. The Dying Game itself was written as a split chapter story. We enjoy both of these writing styles because we can practice writing more, overcome writer’s block, and learn from each other as we move forward. It is great having a writing partner, especially one who is your best friend, because we can support each other in our individual works as well as in our co-writes.

Can you tell us about some of your plans for the future, writing wise? Future books, future partnered up projects?

Together and alone, we have many other novels that we are ready to share with the world. This summer we are hoping to release two more stories with Limitless. Currently we are trying to move more into the direction of writing thriller/mystery novels that have an element of romance mixed in.

_____________________________________________________________________

I hope that you enjoyed the interview and hopefully now you have a new book to add to your To Read list! Thank Taylor and Sara for joining me on the blog, and good luck in your writing!! 

Book Blitz ~ The Ghost of You by Amanda Burckhard

 

 

The Ghost of You

by Amanda Burckhard 

Release Date: 02/24/15

Swoon Romance

Summary from Goodreads:

Emmy has everything she’s ever wanted: a hot boyfriend she adores, great friends, a promising future, and even a well-connected family. But one night rips it all away.

A car accident shatters her world, claiming the lives of her twin brother and her best friend. In the wake of the accident, her friends drift away, her family falls apart, and her boyfriend cheats.

The grief is more than she can handle, so she finds escape at the bottom of a bottle of painkillers. Taking the pills makes her brother alive again, if only in her head. Seeing and talking to her brother as if he were still alive is the only thing that keeps her going. Until Logan King moves to town.

Logan sees past the mask of pristine popularity she wears in public and he’s the only one who can tell she hasn’t moved on. His uncanny ability to read her forces her to open up and she starts to fall for him, no matter how unwilling she is to admit it. But Emmy isn’t the only one keeping secrets and when a close brush with death sparks events that bring everything to light, Emmy will have to decide what’s more important: learning how to forgive and move on, or holding onto the pills and the ghost of her past.

Add to Goodreads

Buy Links:

Amazon

Excerpt: 

I darted my way around a few chattering and dancing people. If there was one rule I lived by with my best friend, it was friends don’t let friends get hammered and make out with their exes. 

When I reached them, I slid my arm under hers and pulled them apart. “Come on, Skye. Time to go home.” She didn’t put up a fight as I dragged her away. She only giggled in a way I knew meant she had one too many shots of that vodka I saw her carrying around earlier.  

We stepped outside into the summer night air and waited for Zane to pull his car around.  We sat on the bottom step of the porch, and Skye started to fall asleep on my shoulder. Sleep  sounded nice.“My stomach hurts,” she whined into my hair. 

That last shot had settled, and mine wasn’t feeling the greatest either. “We’ll get you some ginger ale at Zane’s. You can nap in the car until then.” I pulled out my phone to text Derek. It was hard to focus on the screen. 

 Me: Stayinf at Zane’s. You grood to get ho 

Mid text, Skye knelt over and heaved. I set my phone down and pulled back her hair just in time. Zane pulled up and came around to us. “Get it all out now because if you puke in my car you’re walking home.” 

After a minute or two, she assured us she was fine so we helped her into the back seat and sped off toward town. The open window sent warm air swirling around us like a blanket fresh out of the dryer. The forest smelled of fresh dew and sunshine, even though the sun had set a few hours ago. Soon it would start to smell of decay and changing leaves. 

Zane grabbed my hand with the hand that wasn’t on the steering wheel and interlaced our fingers.“We still all crashing at my place?” 

I squeezed his hand, smiling. “Skye’s mom thinks she’s at my place. My mom thinks I’m at hers. You know the drill.” Zane’s dad traveled a lot with work so his house was almost always empty on weekends. Something we often took advantage of. 

Fifteen minutes later, Skye was passed out in the guest bed and Zane was half carrying, half dragging, me into his room. His lips found my ear lobe, softly caressing the edge with his tongue. My entire body tingled. “We shouldn’t. Skye’s right down the hall,” I breathed. 

He moved his lips down to the skin above my collar bone, the place he knew always sent me over the edge. “She’s out cold. I seriously doubt she’ll hear anything during that vodka-induced coma.” 

We backed into the bed and collapsed into it. Zane’s hand crept to the edge of my shirt, but my phone started to ring from where I set it on his dresser. The song roared in the quiet house. 

Carry on, my wayward son 

For there’ll be peace when you are done 

Lay your weary head to rest 

Don’t you cry no more. 

I pulled away at the sound of Derek’s ringtone. It was his favorite song, and he blasted it in his Mustang every chance he got. Zane pulled me back to him, recognizing the ringtone as well. 

“Call him back.” His voice was pleading, on the verge of a whine. 

My lips hovered over his. “It’ll just take a second.” 

By the time I pried myself out of Zane’s arms and crossed the room, my phone stopped ringing. I called him back, but it went straight to voicemail. I went to send him a text instead and noticed the one I had typed earlier when we were leaving. I must have forgotten to send it. Deleting it, I sent him a different one asking what he wanted. There was still no reply by the time I fell asleep.

About the Author:

 

Amanda Burckhard grew up exploring bat caves and hunting for dinosaur bones in the Black Hills of South Dakota. When she wasn’t crossing paths with mountain lions, she was making up stories and devouring books at the library. Although, she still does that.

Amanda loves to travel and cross out things on her adrenaline packed bucket list. Some of the things she's been able to cross out include see an active volcano erupt, ride a gondola in Venice, and pet a tiger.

She currently lives in North Sioux City, South Dakota and works as a microbiologist by day. Some of her obsessions include comic book movies, hot chocolate, sushi, sunshine, and Doctor Who.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

GIVEAWAY:

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Book Blitz ~ Gathering Frost by Kaitlyn Davis

 

Gathering Frost (Once Upon A Curse #1)

by Kaitlyn Davis 

Release Date: 02/17/15

Summary from Goodreads:

Will his kiss be enough to revive her frozen heart?

Once Upon A Time meets La Femme Nikita in GATHERING FROST, a dystopian romance from bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis that reimagines the classic fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty.

Jade was only a little girl when the earthquake struck. Before her eyes, half of New York City disappeared, replaced by a village that seemed torn out of a storybook. Horses and carriages. Cobblestone streets. A towering castle. And, above all, a queen with the magical ability to strip emotions away.

Ten years later and Jade has forgotten what it is to feel, to care...even to love. Working as a member of the queen's guard, she spends most of her time on the city wall staring at the crumbling skyscrapers of old New York. But everything changes when the queen's runaway son, Prince Asher, returns. Jade is tasked with an unusual mission--to let the Prince capture her, to make him trust her, and then to betray his secrets to the crown. In return, she'll earn her freedom. But life outside the queen's realm is more than Jade bargained for. Under Asher's relentless taunts, her blood begins to boil. Under his piercing gaze, her heart begins to flutter. And the more her icy soul begins to thaw, the more Jade comes to question everything she's ever known--and, more importantly, whose side she's really on. 

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Buy Links:

Amazon

**This is a KDP select novel. $2.99 to buy or free on Kindle Unlimited!**

 Excerpt: Gathering Frost – Chapter One

The world ended on a Saturday in spring. Beautiful. Sunny. The sort of afternoon that pulled New Yorkers from their hibernation, urging them to shed their floor-length coats and stiletto boots, to let the sun kiss their pale skin once more. 

When the earthquake began, my mother and I were in Central Park. "Pedal!" I remember her shouting. "Pedal!" And I did. My little legs pumped in circles, my heart lifted as I felt her fingers release the bike, and suddenly I was riding on my own. For the first time. The breeze whipped against my grinning cheeks, stinging my eyes. 

But then the ground shook. The earth began to tremble. And I had no hope. In a flash, I was on the ground, sandwiched against the concrete as screams rose around me. Darkness stole my vision as my mother's arms encircled me, hugged me closer. Teeth chattering, I tried to be strong. But tears leaked from my eyes, the cries of a baby. Shame burned my chest. 

Time passed but my young mind had lost count. Minutes. Hours. I still don't really know. But when the ground stilled, I woke to a new world. 

My mother was frozen with shock, so I had to pull against her hold, straining to see. Over her shoulder, south, I saw smoke and ash rising like clouds over my skyline. The trees looked gray, the sky washed out. Faint outlines of buildings were only just visible through the fog, a mix of skyscrapers still standing or leveled to the ground. 

I looked at my mother. Her arms had fallen mutely to her side. I'll never forget her green eyes, pulled so taut I swore they were about to snap. Her lips were just slightly open. 

"Mommy?" 

But she didn’t hear. Something behind me had her so transfixed that even her only child, her little girl, could not shake the alarm. 

So I turned. 

New York was gone. 

Like a line driven through the ground, we stood on one side with the past while our future rested a few feet away. A future that was backward in time. 

Atop a hill, a giant castle rose from the ground, surrounded by green lawns where apartments used to stand. At its base were stone houses, smoking from fires. Horses. Carriages. Carts. And people. People dressed in dull brown clothes looked at us just as we looked at them—confused and terrified. 

And then she appeared. 

Her gown sparkled in the sun, brilliant red popping against a dull backdrop, cinching in at the waist and then expanding into a magnificent skirt billowing in the breeze. Silky white gloves encased her hands. Jewels dripped around her thin neck. Pins held her hair so that it curled elegantly down her back, and resting right above her forehead was a golden crown.

My eyes went straight to her.

A princess. I knew she would save us. I had seen it before, so many times, so many princesses saving the day. 

I ran to her, crossing the threshold without hesitation as my mother screamed at me to come back. My mom was an adult. And adults didn’t believe in these things. I knew she would see my side if I could just get the princess to help us. 

She knelt as I approached. A wide inviting smile spread across her face. Her arms caught me.

"What is your name child?" Her voice was warm. It soothed me, relaxed me, filled me with hope. 

"Jade." 

She brushed my bangs from my forehead, kissed it softly. 

"Would you like me to help you? To make all of your fears go away?" 

"Yes!" I wanted to run to my mom, to show her she didn’t need to be afraid. The princess would help us. But I couldn't. Something stopped me. 

A hand pressed against my chest, pricked my skin. 

I looked up at the princess, struggling to break free of her hold, when a freeze snatched my heart, so cold that it burned. I tried to speak, but I was frozen. My limbs grew heavy, my lips felt fat, my vision started to spot. 

"Don't worry, little Jade. I'm just putting you to sleep for a little while. You'll wake up soon." 

I did. In a cell with other frightened girls. But I never felt the same. Icy. That's what some of us started calling it, this feeling like our hearts won't thaw. Even a fire doesn't warm me. I am hard. Frigid. Emotionless. Sometimes I think I must still be caught in a long dream. 

But time has only made me tougher. 

Now I know the princess by another name, Queen Deirdre, the Ice Queen.

And I wish I could say I was the hero of the story. A resister. A rebel. Someone who lived to bring an end to the queen who stole my childhood—my mother, my life, my very world. 

But I'm not. 

I'm not the good guy. 

I'm the one who puts the good guys in their graves.

 

About the Author:

I've always been a writer. I grew up duct taping my novels together, started writing complete manuscripts in high school and studied creative writing at Johns Hopkins University. Upon graduating, I decided it was finally time to actually give my dream career a chance. So, of course, I started writing a young adult paranormal romance series -- and no, I'm not jumping on the bandwagon. I've been a true paranormal supporter for my entire life! I blame my obsession almost completely on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, my all-time favorite television show. And, before you ask: Yes, I own every season... even the post WB ones! I especially challenge anyone to watch the first three seasons and not fall in love with Angel, securing a lifelong love of vampires! Other culprits of my paranormal obsession are some of my favorite authors: JK Rowling, Raymond Feist, Meg Cabot, Richelle Mead, Lynne Ewing and Tamora Pierce.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook│Pinterest│Wattpad│Youtube│Amazon

GIVEAWAY:

Grand Prize: $20 Amazon Gift Card & 1 digital copy of my Complete Midnight Fire Series (INT)

Two Second Place Winners: 1 digital copy of my Complete Midnight Fire series (INT)

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Teaser Tour ~ Living Heartwood Series by Trisha Wolfe, Post 2!!

Today we have teasers to share from the Living Heartwood series!

But that's not all.  If you want to help us share these teasers, you can enter to win an eBook of your choice up to $5.  Details below!

The Darkest Part (Living Heartwood, #1) by Trisha Wolfe 

 

Pressing the boundaries of both the psyche and the heart, Sam and Holden embark on a dangerous journey that will test the limits of love.

Sam Wintry’s life used to be almost perfect. She was engaged to her childhood best friend and high school sweetheart, Tyler Marks, planning an amazing cross-country honeymoon during her college break. But after a hit-and-run leaves her in ruin, she begins seeing Tyler’s fractured, ghostly presence, and her family believes she’s losing her mind. Not until she completes their journey, stopping along the way to scatter Tyler's remains, will Tyler be able cross over. Only...is Sam ready for him to leave her?

When the black sheep of the Marks' family, Holden Marks, returns to check on Tyler's case, Sam convinces him to give her his brother's ashes. Despite their shaky history, she needs him...plus, he owes it to Sam and his brother. What she doesn’t count on is Holden’s relentlessness to go on the trip.

On the road, Holden realizes just how unhinged Sam has become. Dealing with her psychosis forces him to confront his dark past, making it harder to keep secrets hidden that should remain buried. Especially from Sam, the only woman he’s ever loved. And as Sam starts to unravel the truth, she begins to question if the brother she's unwillingly falling for again is in an even darker place than her. 

Goodreads | Amazon

 

Losing Track  (Living Heartwood, #2) by Trisha Wolfe

Sometimes you have to lose your way before finding the right track.

The roar of a bike engine. The vibration between her thighs. The feel of cool darkness kissing her skin as she coasts along twisty back roads at night—Melody Lachlan lives for these things. Ever since Mel and her best friend Darla escaped their small, backwoods town, they’ve traveled the countryside in search of fast rides, tatted bikers, and good times.

A self-proclaimed poet and lover of all things free, Mel views her life as one long bike ride—with pit stops along the way to numb the pain. But she never saw herself as a junkie. Party as hard as you ride. That’s her motto…until a tragic night steals her soul. Then she’s forced to delve below the surface, to where her demons rage.

When she meets recovered drug addict Boone Randall, she’s more likely to deck him than kiss his dimple-adorable face. She doesn’t want his help; doesn’t want to own up to her part in that night. She just wants to do her time and keep her promise to her friend. Yet Boone challenges Mel, and soon she doesn’t mind sharing the road. Only when Boone’s own secret demons threaten their newfound, fragile security, Mel’s course becomes rocky, and she must decide if letting her well-worn track marks fade is worth finding a new path.

Told from Dual point of view from Melody and Boone, this is a New Adult Contemporary Romance intended for readers seventeen years of age and older.

Amazon | Goodreads

Fading Out (Living Heartwood, #3) by Trisha Wolfe

 

Love means fading out so another shines brighter.

Right clothes. Right school. Right fiancé. As a Wyndemere, Arian’s expected to abide by the rules. The most important: be perfect. But Arian’s seemingly flawless life is far from it. An embarrassing expulsion from her parents’ alma mater spirals an already unhealthy obsession out of control, exposing a dark truth.

Faced with having to attend a small private college after a stint in rehab, Arian’s just ready to coast under the radar and repair some of the wreckage, but her father’s looming control is like a vise choking off her air supply.

When a run-in with Braxton’s beloved star quarterback, Ryder Nash, puts Arian squarely in the crosshairs of his devoted teammates, the last of her controlled, orderly world unhinges. As the pranks and paybacks escalate, Arian and Ryder’s rivalry takes a passionate turn. And once Arian glimpses beneath the all-star-athlete exterior Ryder projects, she realizes he’s far more than just a jock.

As their relationship intensifies, outside forces feel the threat. Outrunning their pasts doesn’t mean history won’t repeat itself, but Ryder can’t let that happen. He’s just one Championship game away from breaking the mold. Only one moment, one choice, might change everything.

Told from both Arian's and Ryder's POV. New Adult Contemporary Romance intended for readers 17 years of age and older. 

Available February 18th

 Amazon | Goodreads 

 Find more teasers to share for the Giveaway HERE. 

Share the teasers to be entered to WIN an eBook of your choice up to $5.

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Book Blitz ~ Love Bites by Rachel K. Burke

 

 

Love Bites

by Rachel K. Burke 

Release Date: 12/29/15

Harper Impulse

New Adult

225 pages

Summary from Goodreads:

What do you do when you fall in love with your best friend’s boyfriend?

That is the question that twenty-six year-old Justine Sterling has been asking herself ever since the day she met David Whitman, her best friend Renee’s boyfriend. Justine is determined to ignore her growing feelings for the irresistibly charming David, until one night, when she finds herself in the bed of the one person she should stay away from.

When Justine and David’s affair ends in heartbreak, Justine is forced to repair the damaged friendship with her best friend. In doing so, she learns that right and wrong decisions aren’t always black and white, and sometimes you have to follow your heart to see where it leads.

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Buy links:

Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo Books│iBooks│Google Books

Excerpt:

I was the saddest girl to ever hold a martini. A walking Sex and the City episode. Minus the sex. 

I wished Renee was here. If she wasn’t home for a funeral, I would’ve called her for a long distance cheer-up, but it wasn’t the most appropriate time. So instead, I resorted to sitting barefoot on the living room floor, still wearing Renee’s gold dress, crying into a martini glass.

Pathetic, really. 

I’m not sure what set it off, because I shouldn’t have been this upset. It wasn’t like I’d invested much time or energy into my relationship with Vincent. I think this was just the last straw. The end result of the bad date build-up. I finally thought I’d found someone who was different, and he turned out to be worse than all of them.

At first, it was quite comical. I chuckled to myself in the cab, wondering how long he’d wait at the table, how stupid he’d feel when our waitress realized he’d been ditched. I skipped into my kitchen, made myself a dirty martini, then sat down on my living room floor and drank.

And somewhere around the second martini, the humor faded. 

First, I thought about my parents, and the dreaded question that presented itself every time they called. “So, are you seeing anyone special?” It was the first thing they always asked. Well, technically the third, aside from the traditional “How are you?” and “How’s L.A.?” But the first two were just a buffer to get to the third question, the one they really wanted to ask.

Even worse was their discouraged “oh” after I told them no. I could hear the disappointment echoing from three thousand miles away. And forget about family parties. My mom would attempt to cover up my patheticness by telling my nosy relatives that I was “kissing a lot of frogs” when they asked about my dating life.

You can only kiss so many frogs before your parents start to think you’re a lesbian.

The sound at the door made me spill the remains of my drink onto the floor. I knew Vincent had my address, but I didn’t actually think he’d show up here. I was quiet for a minute, hoping he’d go away, but then I watched in horror as the knob turned and the door swung open.

I could have sworn I had locked it behind me when I came in. No, I definitely had. But then how…

“Justine?”

I looked up and locked eyes with David. David in all his six-foot-tall gorgeousness, standing above me with a look of bewilderment on his face. 

I could only imagine what I looked like. 

About the Author:

Rachel discovered she wanted to be a writer at the age of ten, when her love of R.L. Stine murder mystery novels inspired her to start writing her own.

In 2008, Rachel combined her love of writing and music and began freelancing for a music column in Worcester Magazine. She also worked as a music journalist for Starpulse News Entertainment and Jamsbio Magazine, as well as a fitness journalist for Prevention Magazine.

Rachel graduated from Bridgewater University in 2011 with a B.A. in Communications and Media Studies.

She currently resides in Santa Monica, CA.

Author Links:

Website│Twitter│Goodreads│Facebook│YouTube

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Book Blitz ~ Eyes Unveiled by Crystal Walton

Eyes Unveiled (Unveiled Series, Book 1)

by Crystal Walton 

Release Date: 02/01/150

259 pages

Summary from Goodreads:

Twenty-one-year-old Emma Matthews lost the song in her heart the same night she lost her dad. With an unfulfilled promise and an ultimatum shadowing her junior year of college, maybe it’s better that way. You can’t hurt if you can’t feel.

But when the reflection she sees in musician Riley Preston’s eyes borders dangerously close to the one she’s spent the last five years searching for, Emma discovers her walls can’t guard her heart from its fiercest desire. Terrified of what she’s experiencing, and even more afraid of what she might lose, Emma grapples for the courage to hold on to one dream without abandoning the promise of another.

Contemporary New Adult Romance novel Eyes Unveiled lets you relive those heartfelt moments when you don’t know how you’d survive a day without your best friend, when you’re trying to figure out who you are and what you’re supposed to do with your life, and when falling in love changes everything.

Music. Friendship. Self-discovery. Hope. Purpose. Identity. Within this inspirational love story, you'll find you have a song of your own to share.

Buy Links:
Amazon

 

Author Q&A: 

What inspired you to write Eyes Unveiled?

When I first contemplated writing fiction, three musts came to mind. (1) It had to include romance because that’s my favorite part of any story. (2) I wanted whatever I wrote to be relatable. (3) I didn’t want to write simply for the sake of entertainment.

As soon as I opened myself up to daydream, a scene fluttered into focus. A guy and girl, college age, sitting in the middle of a secluded field. The guy was playing an acoustic guitar, as much in love with music as he obviously was with the girl across from him. Every chord stoked her love for him the same way it fanned the craving in her heart to find where she belonged. Both fighting what they felt. Both wanting to make the other see what they saw. Physical and emotional tension flared in a palpable tug-of-war between hope and doubt, caution and desire, passion and responsibilities. And right then, I knew these characters had a story to tell—one I wanted to read as much as write. From there, I couldn’t stop the scenes from coming.

What made you choose New Adult?

I didn’t intentionally set out to write NA fiction. But the truth is, college was the best season of my life. I’d relive it in a second. There's something special about it. Sharing an extended sleepover with your best friends, stepping out on your own for the first time, discovering things like who you are & what friendship really looks like. It's when we fell in love like never before, and when we fell apart like never before. It shaped our lives. One of my favorite parts about Eyes Unveiled is that you get to relive those moments all over again. The laugh-until-you-snort moments. The heart-flutters-taking-flight moments. The on-the-floor-crying-your-heart-out moments. All of it. Doubt. Faith. Friendship. Love. NA is a dynamic genre to read and write.

What made you decide to go indie?

I started off on the traditional route, but the more I studied publishing, the more passionate I became about going indie. Along with the benefit of keeping the rights to my book, it’s a joy to partner with some amazingly talented contractors. I love getting to offer my books at a low price and still receive a fair royalty, so readers and I both win. And since traditional and self-published authors have to do the same amount of marketing on their own anyway, you might as well be compensated fairly for the investment. Overall, it simply made the most sense.

Why do you write what you do?

In a word? Passion. As an artist, I leave my heart on the page. Exposed. Vulnerable. Nothing withheld. It’s risky to bear your soul to the world, but that’s the cost of art. There might always be a part of me tempted to guard my heart. But there’s a much more compelling part that’ll never allow me to. Regardless of the outcome, I write what I do because my heart is spoken for.

What do you want readers to take away from your books?

My goal as an author has always been to craft novels that are relevant and encouraging. I love compelling fiction that draws you into characters’ lives to the point of feeling what they feel. The kind that you walk away from knowing the story just impacted your life. Beyond mere entertainment, they awaken dormant dreams, stir creative visions, and remind you that you have a story of your own to live. If you walk away with an emotional connection that touches and inspires you, then I know I’ve written the kind of story I’ve always wanted to.

 

About the Author:

Amidst multiple moves up and down the east coast, Crystal received her bachelor of arts from Messiah College in PA, married her exact opposite in upstate NY, and earned her master of arts from Regent University in VA, where she currently resides with her husband. Crystal writes contemporary new adult fiction fueled by venti green teas from Starbucks. 

When not working her accounting day job, she's delving into the wonder of words, supporting her Starbucks habit, or laughing over movie quotes & singing eighties songs with her husband.

Giveaway:

Amidst multiple moves up and down the east coast, Crysta

l received her bachelor of arts from

Messiah College in PA, married her exact opposite in ups

tate NY, and earned her master of arts

from Regent University in VA, where she currently resides

with her husband. Crystal writes

contemporary new adult fiction fueled by venti green teas

from Starbucks.

When not working her accounting day job, she's delving into

the wonder of words, supporting

her Starbucks habit, or laughing over movie quotes & singing eig

hties songs with her husband

Amidst multiple moves up and down the east coast, Crysta

l received her bachelor of arts from

Messiah College in PA, married her exact opposite in ups

tate NY, and earned her master of arts

from Regent University in VA, where she currently resides

with her husband. Crystal writes

contemporary new adult fiction fueled by venti green teas

from Starbucks.

When not working her accounting day job, she's delving into

the wonder of words, supporting

her Starbucks habit, or laughing over movie quotes & singing eig

hties songs with her husband

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

The author is also doing a promotion on her site. If you order in February, email the receipt to promo@crystal-walton.com and you’ll be entered in a drawing for Amazon gift cards, Starbucks gift cards, signed books, and art pieces.

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