Across the Stars and Ashes--Updates

Hello dearest readers and supporters.

It is with a heavy heart that I'm having to, for the first time, say that I won't have this release available on time. The date is being pushed back to December 18th instead (or as close to date as possible, whether before or shortly after). Reasons? I'm barely wrapping up the final-drafting. From there, I still like to have at least six-seven weeks at best for editing/revising, formatting, etc.

I have not been a good writer-person lately. :( The motivation left me for some time during the summer, causing me to barely get any work done. And there just have been many days when I wake up and feel like giving up entirely. Especially after recent events with how some bloggers and reviewers have been treated because of reviews. It makes my heart hurt because of me being a blogger also, and some of them are close friends, so it's caused me to just feel "blah" against two things I love dearly and mean the world to me lately.

However, thank you to my wonderful readers. I appreciate every one of you. I don't have many of you, but the support you've given me has been awesome. *hugs* And I do apologize once again for the slight delay in the release of Across the Stars and Ashes. It's coming! Don't worry! =)

To hold you over until then, here's a small teaser:


“I will kill you. Maybe not today, but I will see the feathers from your back fall. I will see the light leave your eyes. And I will enjoy every drop of your blood.”

“Oh such empty words from a vampire lying on the floor in silver chains,” he barked a laugh before reaching down to haul her back to her feet. Zarah winced as he clutched her against him. “Kathleen tried killing me also. To save Seth and your father. Obviously that worked so well. It only bought her time to hide for some years before I found her again.”

“There’s a difference between me and my mother,” she began. She watched his expression become quizzical, and his grip loosened enough through the confusion that she knew she had her opportunity. “I’m not my mother.” 

 


Thanks again everyone! I will post again soon. I have other things to post about... like Chasing Dirt Roads, which is releasing early next year! Annnddd and a new Super (Not Really That Much Of A Secret) Secret Project currently in the works for the coming year! =D

Love,
Pixie

Chasing Dirt Roads--Cover!

I'm excited to finally share this cover with everyone. Chasing Dirt Roads has been a project I've worked quietly on in the background for some time. Now the time is coming to set it free into the wild, and I can only hope you all enjoy it as much as I've loved writing these characters. It has a personal touch but I won't talk about it because I don't like getting into my own past dealings, but I can say that I can relate with Kenley in some ways. But I'm also glad to say that I created her in many ways to be nothing like me at that age also.

I have said that Chasing Dirt Roads is NA due to character ages (18-23), though there isn't explicit sex scenes, so I don't see a problem with it being classified into a YA category either. I guess I felt the need to explain that because every NA I've read has had detailed sex scenes and this doesn't. It's a bit confusing with the category. Though I would say it's romance and deals with mature subject matter and strong language.  :) I just simply say Contemporary Romance with young adults and a cross-over appeal??  *shrugs*  Haha.

Okay! So now that is all out of the way (and I've probably bored you all to tears), ARE YOU READY FOR THE COVER?

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Add it to your Goodreads

 

LOVELY HEIGHTS, MISSISSIPPI.

It's the last place I wanted to be during the most important summer of my potential photography career. I was used to this though. Mom and I have been running the roads since I was thirteen while I stood by quietly and let her take me wherever. Cans and bottles littered our junked-out old Buick with the boxes. But something was different about the place this time. His name was Cooper Reed...

****

When eighteen-year-old Kenley Brooks moves to Lovely Heights, she's tired. Tired of moving around the country. Tired of taking care of her drunk mother. She just wants to finally settle down, live a normal life and get back into pursuing her photography dreams. After meeting Cooper and his friends, she thinks she could. But she has deep secrets and people are starting to gossip.

 

What do you think? I love it!
Meet Kenley (and Cooper's horse, Misty). :)

 

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And now, a special treat! Over the next few months, I'm going to post exclusive excerpts, quotes, etc., while we wait for the release. When is it getting released you ask? Not until the end of January 2014. Long wait, I know. :O It'll go by fast. Don't worry! :D

 

CHASING DIRT ROADS EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT:

“You know it's trespassing to step over the fence, don’t you?”

I heard him before I saw him, but when my eyes adjusted, I saw the young man standing on the inside of the fence, slightly off to the side. When I turned my head toward his voice, he came forward. I swallowed the lump forming in my throat and took a quick step backward. I couldn’t make out all of his features in the darkness.

“No, no. I’m sorry.” I heard my voice stutter out in a hurry. My mouth felt dry. He stepped up to the fence, placing his hands over the wood, and let out a friendly laugh. It rolled out in gentle baritone waves.

“It was a joke. Yeah, this is our property, but we let everyone come by and go swimming in the pond. Just clean up any trash—cans, bottles, wrappers. That’s all we ask.” 

“Oh.” I was barely choking out syllables. I’d always struggled talking with strangers, especially guys. Most especially good-looking guys. Which I realized he definitely was as he got closer.

“You’re new…the new neighbor from down the road, aren’t you?”

I nodded, this time not even uttering a word, and hoped he could see my head bobbing. A goofy grin spread across his cheeks. His teeth were straight, with a slight gap between his front ones giving him a more youthful, boyish appearance. He couldn’t be much older than me. His hair looked brown, but it was hard to tell which shade in the dark. And he was tall, at least a foot taller than me.

He leaned against the fence and I stepped further back into the road. I turned to head back to the house with nothing else to say to the stranger. It was embarrassing in a way really.

“Welcome to the neighborhood,” I heard him shout behind me as I started to walk away.

“Thanks,” I muttered. My cheeks flamed.

 

Thank you for being so supportive of me everyone! Love you all!


With Love,

Pixie

Sign-Ups For Chasing Dirt Roads Cover Reveal!

Are you a blogger and would like to participate in the cover reveal of CHASING DIRT ROADS? Please sign up with the form below and I'll contact you as soon as possible with all of details! :)


CHASING DIRT ROADS --Cover Reveal Sign Up



LOVELY HEIGHTS, MISSISSIPPI.

It's the last place I wanted to be during the most important summer of my potential photography career. I was used to this though. Mom and I have been running the roads since I was thirteen while I stood by quietly and let her take me wherever. Cans and bottles littered our junked-out old Buick with the boxes. But something was different about the place this time. His name was Cooper Reed...

****

When eighteen-year-old Kenley Brooks moves to Lovely Heights, she's tired. Tired of moving around the country. Tired of taking care of her drunk mother. She just wants to finally settle down and live a normal life and get back into pursuing her photography dreams. After meeting Cooper and his friends, she thinks she could. But she has deep secrets and people are starting to gossip.



Thank you everyone!

With Love,
Pixie

If CHASING DIRT ROADS Had a Soundtrack

So, I've been working on this for several weeks actually. The topic was brought up after the lovely Marta Acosta and I were chatting about it on Twitter recently (I believe we were discussing how different things inspire an author's work, etc.) and I mentioned how my upcoming project, Chasing Dirt Roads, had been largely inspired by several country songs. Which you'll see below. ;) The bigger story is that a little over a year ago I started this novel all because of a few songs that had me thinking--not just about them, but about life and my own ups and downs. Characters sparked. Ideas crafted themselves from thoughts and listening to lyrics, and before I knew it I was writing this story. It's been slowly progressing while working on my Guardians of the Night trilogy, but now that one is wrapping up and I have been finding much more time the last few months with this one as well. My tentative release date is still January 2014--with updates being posted regularly. Should anything come up to postpone the release, you all will know immediately.

I know not everyone is a country music fan. I listen to a bit of everything myself. If Chasing Dirt Roads had a soundtrack though, it would have a majority of country because that's what inspired this work. I admit to visualizing the characters and particular scenes with certain songs after putting the final touches on the playlist. I don't know of any writer that wouldn't do that. Ha. It was kind of fun. :)

I would be interested in hearing readers' opinions after publication, too. Would choices be different from mine? What songs would you choose? I love music just as much as I do reading and writing, so let me know later down the road. :D

And if you're interested in participating in the cover reveal coming up soon, please let me know! I've seen the development stages, and it's going to be gorgeous. I can't wait to share it with you all!

CHASING DIRT ROADS PLAYLIST
Keep Holding On --Avril Lavigne

Dear Sobriety -- Pistol Annies

I Don’t Want This Night To End --Luke Bryan

Mud on the Tires --Brad Paisley

Cruise --Florida Georgia Line

Barefoot Blue Jean Night --Jake Owen

Overjoyed -- Matchbox 20

Unwritten --Natasha Bedingfield









With Love,
Pixie

Teaser Tuesday #1: Chasing Dirt Roads

I've decided I really need to post more often on my author blog. With that, I'm going to start doing Teaser Tuesday features where I share snippets of upcoming or past projects.:D

As many of you already know, I'm releasing CHASING DIRT ROADS early 2014, and what better time to start getting word out about it than now. Today's teaser is a brief excerpt from this one and I'm more than happy to share and I really look forward to when it releases because it's a special one to me. Hope you enjoy!

The house was the color of baby vomit.

You know, the puke-green pea color? There were even brown spots in some areas where the paint had chipped away.

My stomach churned at the sight. I frowned and turned toward my mom.

 

“Seriously? You’ve got to be kidding me.”

 

“Oh, come on, it’s not that bad. And it’s out of that nasty city.” She stood beside me, laughing at my sour face. At least she was sober. For now. The longest she’d ever gone without a drink was ten hours, and today’s move had pushed it to the limit of seven.

“Yeah, because living out in the middle of nowhere is so much safer for us,” I replied sarcastically before turning my back on her. Honestly, I didn’t even have to move. I’d had a decent enough job back in Sacramento, and I was eighteen now. I could have lived on my own just fine. I’d enjoyed it there. All of the constant moving around since I was thirteen was exhausting me. But sometimes I felt like she needed me more than she wanted to admit. The guilt I would feel if something happened to her would haunt me, no matter how dysfunctional our relationship could be. So when she moved, I moved with her. I only hoped she'd get her act together soon, because I definitely would not live in that household forever. I have needs and wants, desires and dreams.

I reached into the backseat of our old car—a big, brown Buick that I’d dubbed “the rolling turd”—and began pulling boxes out to carry in the house. At least it wouldn’t be out of place on the property. The moving truck with the furniture and larger items had come the day before, so the house was already mostly organized.

“You’re so melodramatic, Kenley. It’ll be fun!” Mom chirped, going around to the trunk to help with other boxes and bags.

That’s me: Melodramatic Kenley Brooks.

 

 

Look for a new Teaser Tuesday excerpt next week! :)
Thanks for dropping by!

With Love,
Pixie

Stop! Cover time!

Sorry for the reference. :)

Anyways, now that's done, today is the official cover reveal for ACROSS THE STARS AND ASHES (The Guardians of the Night #3). Also, in celebration of this I have the first and second book free right now on Amazon! Check out the cover below and don't forget to add it to your TBR! :)

In the conclusion of The Guardians of the Night trilogy, bonds are tested, unlikely allies are made, and a world is on the brink of destruction.

Zarah has been in captivity with the Fallen Warriors. There she learns that things are much worse for the world than she'd thought. Allies with the humans, the Fallen have started an apocalyptic war sending the world into chaos. Then there's Lucas, Fallen Master and source of a shocking secret. When she makes an unexpected friend out of a Warrior during her captivity, she realizes there's no rescue—only she can be the hero. But at what cost?

Draven never could remember his past. Now he knows why. After learning the truth, the flashbacks start and the memories are returning. He was one of them once.... But what would Zarah say if she knew everything? Because his mission is clear—to get his Bond Mate back, even if it means destroying everything in his path.

Told in dual PoV between Zarah and Draven, Across the Stars and Ashes presents the thrilling final installment packed with action and emotion, romance and family, and supernatural intensity. --Goodreads 


Release coming October 22.


Thanks again everyone!


With love,
Pixie


P.S. A big, big thank you to Taylor for help with design from all three covers as always.
Model/Photographer credits and permissions from: Auroradreams at DeviantArt and Nickie.

Cover Reveal Sign-Ups and More

I'm happy to announce that Saturday, May 4th, I'll be revealing the cover of ACROSS THE STARS AND ASHES (Book 3 of The Guardians of the Night). I've been watching the process of the cover creation and so excited to finally share it. Hope you all love it as much as I do!

If you're a blogger and would like to participate in a cover reveal on your blog for this last installment, please take a moment to sign up with the form HERE and I'll be in touch with you later this week with all the details.

Also, I wanted to announce that in celebration of the cover reveal, on Saturday and Sunday, you can get the first and second book free at Amazon. Yay!

Hope you all have a fantastic week and I'll be posting again soon!


Love,
Pixie