Spotlight on Crystal Collier’s New Release: Timeless, and Medieval Funnies!

Welcome Crystal Collier here today to share her new book and some medieval funnies!

 

timeless_ebookcoverIn 1771, Alexia had everything: the man of her dreams, reconciliation with her father, even a child on the way. But she was never meant to stay. It broke her heart, but Alexia heeded destiny and traveled five hundred years back to stop the Soulless from becoming.

In the thirteenth century, the Holy Roman Church has ordered the Knights Templar to exterminate the Passionate, her bloodline. As Alexia fights this new threat—along with an unfathomable evil and her own heart—the Soulless genesis nears. But none of her hard-won battles may matter if she dies in childbirth before completing her mission.

Can Alexia escape her own clock?

 

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 GUEST POST

Thank you Lori for having me here today!

Writing is my hobby (a little more than a hobby if you couldn’t tell). It gives me a reason to dream, a reason to stretch, and a reason to LEARN ABOUT EVERYTHING. How cool is that? (You might hate research. That’s fine. All the more for me!) But you have something you love. One thing I’ve learned from studying across time periods, the environment may change, but the humans have always been the same. We’ve always craved love, survival, and healthy recreation. (Or sometimes not so healthy.)

This month, TIMELESS, the third book in my Maiden of Time trilogy is out! (Knights, battles, time travel, an epic love story, and special powers…WHAT?!) Today I’d like to share some medieval hobbies with you. (Pick your favorite, eh?)

PE (Physical Exercise)!

Language!
Music!
Technology!

Oh wait, how did that get in there?

Hobbies have always been a part of life, but how wonderful when someone (ME) can share my happy place with others (YOU)? And now the shameless plug: go buy my books. What hobby would you most miss if you lived in medieval times? What is your favorite medieval movie/story? What’s your favorite hobby?

Crystal Collier is an eclectic author who pens clean fantasy/sci-fi, historical, and romance stories with the occasional touch of humor, horror, or inspiration. She practices her brother-induced ninja skills while teaching children or madly typing about fantastic and impossible creatures. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, four littles, and “friend” (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese. You can find her online HERE.

(Email address is required for awarding prizes.)

 

The Prizes! Click prize photo to Enter

The Prizes!
Click prize photo to Enter

 

 

 

© Lori L. MacLaughlin and Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams, 2016. All rights reserved.

 

Blog Tour! With Stephanie Faris — My Favorite Children’s Books!

Here’s one more blog tour stop to celebrate the release of my new fantasy adventure novel, Trouble By Any Other Name, the sequel to Lady, Thy Name Is Trouble!

Since Stephanie Faris is a children’s book author, I started thinking about the books my parents read to me during my childhood. I had many favorites, but there were some I asked for over and over and over again, and I was so happy when my parents obliged. Come visit Stephanie’s blog, check out my list of favorites, and share yours! 🙂

 

Trouble By Any Other Name

 

 

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© Lori L. MacLaughlin and Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams, 2016. All rights reserved.

Welcome, L.G. Keltner with Dani’s Survival Tips for Crazy Sci-Fi Scenarios!

Today I’m welcoming L.G. Keltner and her MC Dani as they celebrate their new book release, Self-Help 101 or: How to Survive a Bombardment With Minimal Injury.

Dani’s here to share her Survival Tips for Crazy Sci-Fi Scenarios! Take it away, Dani —

Hey! Dani Finklemeier here! I write self-help books about how to get by in various scenarios, many of them disastrous and awkward, and while the masses may not yet find them useful, a small number of people have gained something from them. Mostly laughter, yes, but I’m fine with that. If people don’t find your writing entertaining, you aren’t going to get far.

I’m a fan of TV shows and movies across various genres, especially if they’re cheesy. I enjoy poking fun of them while eating too much junk food. It may not be the healthiest pastime, but oh well.

Anyway, sci-fi has offered the world a lot of fun and outlandish scenarios over the years. You may think such things could never happen in real life, but who knows? In either case, it never hurts to be prepared. Today I’d like to give you some survival tips so that you might come out unscathed should you find yourself in a sci-fi style scenario.

1.) If something strange falls from the sky, never poke it with a stick.

2.) If you’re in a group of people who all know each other but they don’t know you, give them your name. Nameless characters always die so the others involved know the situation is serious.

3.) Do not wear a red shirt.

4.) If the teachers at your school act like they’ve been taken over by aliens, they probably have been. It may be time to start your summer vacation a bit early.

5.) If the dead are reanimated in any way, run away ASAP. That’s the sort of thing you really don’t want to mess with if at all possible.

6.) If you’re in a group hunting for some unknown threat, never bring up the rear. That’s the person who gets picked off first. If you’re the second to last in the group, keep your eye on the person behind you. If they go missing, you’re next.

7.) If you come across someone experimenting with a device that looks like it could do a lot of damage, steer clear.

8.) If aliens land in a first contact scenario, try to avoid being the one sent in first. They may be hostile, but more importantly, even if they aren’t initially hostile, you don’t want to be the person who makes a mistake and ends up starting an interstellar war. That sort of thing will weigh heavily on your conscience.

9.) Do not be the jerk who acts so overconfident no one likes them. That person tends to die in bad ways.

10.) Learn how to work together with people you don’t know while not fully trusting them. You never know if they’re a double agent, only out for their own self-interests, or a shape-shifting alien who is luring you into some kind of trap. You may not be able to make it on your own, but trusting too fully in a bad situation can get you killed.

That’s all for now! I’m sure there are a lot more survival tips to be found. Next time you’re reading or watching science fiction, be sure to take your own notes. You never know when survival tips like these may come in handy!

*   *   *

 

Burntcover

 

Title: Self-Help 101 or: How to Survive a Bombardment With Minimal Injury

Author: L.G. Keltner

Genre: YA/holiday/humor

Length: 25,000 words

Cover Art: L.G. Keltner and Jamon Walker

Release Date: June 28, 2016

 

Blurb:

Book 2 in the Self-Help 101 series

Dani Finklemeier has self-published her guide to taking over the world, but she still isn’t rich. Now she’s eighteen, still babysitting for money, and looking forward to starting college in the fall.

Of course, she has to survive a 4th of July outing with her family first. That’s a challenging prospect considering she has to be in close proximity with a group of cousins known as The Fallible Four. As if that weren’t enough, she also has to deal with the fallout of her parents learning more about her relationship with her boyfriend Seth than she ever wanted them to know.

The good news is that, if she survives this holiday, she’ll have plenty of material for another self-help book.

 

Purchase Links:

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photoL.G. Keltner spends most of her time trying to write while also cleaning up after her crazy but wonderful kids and hanging out with her husband. Her favorite genre of all time is science fiction, and she’s been trying to write novels since the age of six. Needless to say, those earliest attempts weren’t all that good.

Her non-writing hobbies include astronomy and playing Trivial Pursuit.

You can typically find L.G. lurking around her blog, on Twitter, or on her Facebook page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blog Tour! A Book-Related Interview with Host Juneta Key!

I’m celebrating the release of my new fantasy adventure novel, Trouble By Any Other Name, the sequel to Lady, Thy Name Is Trouble!

I hope you’ll join me over at Juneta Key’s place, Writer’s Gambit, for a conversation about my new book. The Author Spotlight interview goes behind the scenes to discover the inspirations behind a certain character and plot twist. I’m also sharing a couple of my most memorable author moments. See you there!

Happy Fourth of July to everyone in the States!

 

Trouble By Any Other Name

 

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© Lori L. MacLaughlin and Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams, 2016. All rights reserved.

Blog Tour! With C.G. Coppola — An Interview!

I’m celebrating the release of my new fantasy adventure novel, Trouble By Any Other Name, the sequel to Lady, Thy Name Is Trouble!

My blog tour is winding down with an interview today at fantasy and science fiction romance writer C.G. Coppola’s site. Find out who my favorite authors are and what are some of the most fun things I’ve ever done! Hope you’ll stop by and say Hi! 🙂

 

Trouble By Any Other Name

 

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© Lori L. MacLaughlin and Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams, 2016. All rights reserved.

Blog Tour! With Julie Flanders — Read the Latest Excerpt!

I’m celebrating the release of my new fantasy adventure novel, Trouble By Any Other Name, the sequel to Lady, Thy Name Is Trouble!

Coming down the home stretch with my blog tour! Up today is an exciting excerpt from deep into the story. Stop by Julie Flanders’ site to see what Tara and her friends are up against!

 

Trouble By Any Other Name

 

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© Lori L. MacLaughlin and Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams, 2016. All rights reserved.

Blog Tour! With Joylene Nowell Butler — What I Love

I’m celebrating the release of my new fantasy adventure novel, Trouble By Any Other Name, the sequel to Lady, Thy Name Is Trouble!

It’s been a wonderful blog tour, and I’ll be wrapping it up this week with an excerpt, two interviews, and today’s guest post with IWSG admin Joylene Nowell Butler. Find out what I love about fantasy adventure and my stories. Happy Monday!

 

Trouble By Any Other Name

 

 

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© Lori L. MacLaughlin and Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams, 2016. All rights reserved.

Celebrate the Small Things! And Blog Tour with Kari Jo Spear — My Writer’s Legacy for My Children

Celebrate the Small Things is a weekly celebration created by VikLit and now hosted by Lexa Cain to celebrate the happenings of the week, however small or large. You can learn all about it and sign up for it here. CelebrateSmallThings_Badge

Today I’m celebrating a blog tour stop with my wonderful CP and fellow author, Kari Jo Spear. We’ve been friends forever, and she always helps me keep my stories on track. I’m sharing my Writer’s Legacy for My Children. Hope you get a chance to stop by!

I’m also celebrating — Flowers!

For the first time ever my peonies bloomed!

Peonies_06172016

 

Daisies_06172016

 

My Shade Garden

My Shade Garden

 

Pansies_06172016

 

Sweet William

Sweet William

 

I have a lot of gardening work I need to do, but it’s nice that flowers blossom even when they don’t get weeded regularly. 🙂

 

Don’t forget to stop by Kari Jo’s place!

 

What other celebrations are going on out there?

 

 

 

 

© Lori L. MacLaughlin and Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams, 2016. All rights reserved.

Blog Tour! With Erika Beebe — Pantsing and the Self-Publishing Process!

I’m celebrating the release of my new fantasy adventure novel, Trouble By Any Other Name, the sequel to Lady, Thy Name Is Trouble!

Pantser or plotter? If you’re a writer, which way works for you? Come join me at Erika Beebe’s site, Cloud Nine Girl, where I share a little about my writing style and some self-publishing tips. Hope to see you there!

 

Trouble By Any Other Name

 

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© Lori L. MacLaughlin and Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams, 2016. All rights reserved.

Blog Tour! With T.F. Walsh — Creepy Places!

I’m celebrating the release of my new fantasy adventure novel, Trouble By Any Other Name, the sequel to Lady, Thy Name Is Trouble!

Tania was looking for a guest post on settings — what makes authors choose the settings they do and what kind of research is involved. I thought about where my idea came from for the creepy nightmare dungeon that my heroine, Tara, gets trapped in and shared that for my post.

So for a little creepiness, stop by Tania’s site, and don’t forget to share your scariest settings. I’d love to read about them!

 

Trouble By Any Other Name

 

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© Lori L. MacLaughlin and Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams, 2016. All rights reserved.