You'll notice my "self-publishing blog" page is gone. I really didn't get too many hits on it, and I want to dedicate more of my time to my actual writing (anyone who has self-pubbing questions is more than welcome to ask away). 

Today I released my short Valentine's Day story, Wicked Valentine - I was originally going to publich a collection of short stories, but I've been sick for over two weeks now, so I decided to go with the one. This is an experiment of sorts - I am doing my own research on whether or not the KDP Select program is actually worth it. I've never participated in it before, so I wanted to test it and see if I end up making more money using it than I do through Apple and B&N. Expect results in May. 

My new @ChatterBox book is under way! It's a New Adult novel and I cannot wait for you all to meet my MC's! I will probaby be ready to pub this one in April!

 
   I cannot even begin to express my apologies for being absent for nearly a week. I've had trouble getting over this cold; it just won't go away! But the final symptoms are receding and I feel (somewhat) back to normal. This morning I woke with a sense of purpose and drive.
   I spent some time yesterday coming up with a new idea for a book. It's definitely something within the New Adult genre and I feel like it will definitely be something worthwhile. There are an insane number of characters, so I'm in the process of creating deep character profiles. I want my readers to really connect with these people. 
   Leaves Of Autumn is almost ready! Only eight more days until release! I think everyone will be intrigued by Lilly's story! There's a lot going on (including a steamy scene) and unfortunately for Lilly, this is just the beginning! I don't want to give too much away, but I think you'll all like what I have in store. 

Here are some things I am absolutely loving this week:
1. Rap & Hip-Hop music from the 2000's. Pandora has a station for this genre and I am obsessed with it.
2. French Vanilla Creamer in my coffee. Don't get me wrong, coffee is delicious no matter how you drink it, but with my creamer in it, I drink ten times more!
3. My iPhone. Honestly, my whole life would fall apart without it.
4. Twitter. I can't even tell you how addicted to Twitter I am. I'm on it constantly. Even if I'm not tweeting, chances are, I'm reading through a collection of tweets. (ps- I love to hear from my fans on Twitter!)
5. My day planner. I know normal people just use their smartphone, and I considered doing that, but it wouldn't work. My phone has too many apps that are far too distracting. So my day planner stays on my desk and I keep track of my writing goals and whether or not I've met them. I also plan out my releases (weeks ahead). Keeping it on my desk helps me stay focused when I would otherwise be distracted.

That's it for today, folks. Come back soon! :)
 
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When Tina Pollick isn’t writing paranormal romance about Heavenly hunks, and smart,
sassy women, this RN enjoys a quiet home life with her husband, children, two
horses, two dogs, cat, chickens, guineas, well sort of quiet.
Tina has just finished her first Urban Fantasy novel, GABRIEL, A Kematian Hunter
Series and is working on the first book of another Urban Fantasy series, SOUL  BROKER.

Here is her interview:

Tell us about something that has just happened or is about to happen in your life that you would like to share.
  We just bought a farm house we’re renovating. It has a lot of land so we’ll have more animals. Not sure if that’s a good thing or not yet. 

What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 30 or less words, what would you say?
 “GABRIEL”- Thirty words, wow. Okay here goes:
When demons sunder ancient bonds, a love-match between a valiant archangel and a selfless nurse brings humanity's
last hope -- but demon-taint may destroy them both.


Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?
 Yes. I’m working on RAPHAEL now
  
Is there an Author that you would really like to meet?
 Yes, Nadine Christian. She lives on Pitcairn Island and I really want to go there.
  
Do you prefer ebooks, paperbacks or hardcover?
 Paperback. They’re just the right size.

 Where do you prefer to buy your books?
 Local stores, but sometimes I buy from Amazon.

Who designed the cover of your book?
 Sour Cherry Designs. They did an amazing job.

 Do you have any advice for other writers? 
  If you love to write then write. Don’t listen to anyone else.
 
Do you write under a pen name?
 No. I was going to, but my family has sacrificed a lot so I can write. The very least I can do is display my husbands name with
pride.

What date were you born? 
  December 31, 1973

Do you have a nickname? 
  Does mom count?

Do you ever write in your PJ’s?
 Yes, I do. I’m trying to get in the habit of getting dressed and getting ready as if I were going to any job. Some days I’m better at it then others.

D
o you like to cook? Do you have a favorite food?
 I cook everyday. I really like to bake. I make the best homemade brownies. My favorite food is Chinese. I love Kung Pao Chicken from Panda Express. We don’t have any around us, so I can only eat it when we go home to visit. That’s probably a good thing.

What do you normally eat for breakfast, or do you skip it and get straight to work?
 During the week, I eat cereal. On the weekends my husband usually makes breakfast. Bacon and eggs. I love the weekends.

Where is one place in the world that you would really love to visit someday? 
  Pitcairn Island.

Is your book in Print, ebook or both?
 It’ll be in ebook first. If it makes so many sales, it’ll go into print. 
 

Where can your book be purchased?
  http://www.evernightpublishing.com/gabriel-by-tina-pollick/
 http://www.amazon.com/Gabriel-Kematian-Hunter-ebook/dp/B00B4JYSMC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358947174&sr=8-1&keywords=Gabriel+Tina+Pollick

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Find Tina on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tinapollickauthor?ref=hl
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/tinapollick
Or visit her website: http://tinapollick.com/







And now an excerpt from her new release, Gabriel, available today:

“Are you kidding me? You weigh maybe a hundred pounds soaking wet. What do you think you’re doing walking alone at night?” She noticed Eric looking down at all five feet three inches of her, scowling. “Let me give you a ride home.”

Eric’s radio went off. “Shit. I have to go, Calla, another attack. Call a cab, please.”

“Yeah, sure.”
He hurried away. Calla walked in the opposite direction, towards her house. She took this path three to four days a week on her way home from work. There wasn’t any way she was going to call a cab. 

She heard footsteps closing in behind her. Alarmed, she wrapped her hand around the can of mace in her pocket and picked up her pace. 
 
The footsteps were gone. Had she imagined them? Calla turned her head to look but she was alone. “Get it together, chicken. You’re scaring yourself now.” 

She rounded the corner nearing an alley. A trickle of red blood flowed from it, creeping onto the sidewalk. Calla stopped in front of a pathway as uneasiness washed over her. Fear and ethics battled within her. Ethics won, but her legs felt like lead, and they weren’t moving. She forced herself to take a few steps and spotted a mound lying next to the wall. 
 
After several tense seconds, she tightened her grip on the can of mace and slowly made her way towards the heap on the ground.

This is exactly how all the stupid girls are killed in the movies. They go walking right into danger, and boom, they’re
dead.

Approaching the mound, she trembled. As she moved closer she saw a tanned foot sticking out from the trench coat. Calla bent down, her chest heaving, hands shaking as she reached the foot and gave it a quick shake, but nothing happened. Relax, before you hyperventilate and end up on the ground, too. Breathe, Calla, breathe.

She stood, crept forward, and reached for what she hoped was the head. She knelt down and pulled back the thick trench coat. His head turned to the side, face badly beaten, eyes cracked to reveal a glimmer of the brightest green she had
ever seen. 

“Holy shit!” She jumped back, startled.

The man didn’t move. She bent down again this time reaching for his neck. The pulse was weak. She had already used her gifts twice this evening, and her body still ached from the two previous failures. “Focus. You can do this.” She struggled to turn the man onto his back. When she finally rolled him over there was a knife, with a green hue as if the metal was oxidized, protruding out of his chest.

 “Of course there’s a knife,” Calla murmured to herself. 

“I’m going to try to help you,” she whispered in his ear. She knew she might not be able to save him, but she had to try. If she could pull the knife out in a quick motion she could heal him. She placed her hands around the hilt of the knife and
pulled. Nothing happened. “Maybe if I get some leverage.” 
 
Calla straddled the man, planting one tennis shoe on each side of his limp body. She bent down and wrapped both hands around the hilt and pulled with everything she had. The knife began to move—barely—but it was moving. It felt like pulling a rubber boot stuck in thick mud. After a few more attempts the suction released, and the knife was freed.

She collapsed on his chest and sat up, placing both palms on the bleeding wound. “Please, oh please let this work.”Calla focused on the wound, gathering energy. Then her hands began to glow. Sweat dripped matting blonde hair to her forehead, and her vision began to dim.“I won’t let you die,” she promised.

Then darkness embraced her.
 
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I recently had a conversation with several author friends who didn't quite understand my fascination with Monday. To be honest, I never used to feel this way about Mondays. I love, love, love Mondays! I mean, think about it - it's the first day of a new week, a fresh start. Monday is like a mini-New Years! You forget all the things that went wrong over the last seven days and start with a clean slate.
Adopting this attitude can really change your whole outlook on life - even if you aren't an author. The point of liking Mondays is to not let things get you down. No matter how bad my week is, on Monday, I start over. I am usually more productive on Monday than any other day of the week!

In other news, Leaves of Autumn, my next release featuring Lilly Madison (Jamie Madison's younger sister) is going through the final editing and polishing stages this week! I have had some requests for an excerpt... So here it is:

Leaves of Autumn, 02/05/13
     Lilly jumped when she heard the door crash to the floor. She heard the muffled sounds of men’s voices for a second and then silence. There was no way of knowing what was happening outside the closet, but she hoped Brian would keep her safe. 
     She only wanted to survive. She bent her knees and wrapped her arms around them, pulling herself into the smallest form she could manage in the corner of the closet. The sudden crunch of bones breaking outside the thin closet door drew her attention. 
    She heard a faint grunt and then a loud thump as a body hit the floor. A gunshot followed. She slammed her hands over her ears to try to block out the loud pop. She heard the unmistakable sound of another body slumping to the floor. She closed her eyes, afraid of death. 
   Had Brian been able to take down the men who broke into their room? Probably not. She was about to face their attacker; she wasn’t sure how she would react, but she knew
she wouldn’t go down without a fight. She took a deep breath, preparing herself. 
   The door to the closet whipped open and Lilly raised her eyes slowly, her eyes meeting those of the man in front of her.
 
 

 
Today, I have a special treat for all you indie author lovers out there! I am featuring six up and coming indie authors today! These are not full-length interviews, but a small dip into each of their worlds. So check out each one and find your new favorite indie!

Pen Name: Sophia Jones 
Genre: Paranormal  Romance Short Stories 
Next release: “The Phantom and the Psychic: A Paranormal Erotic Tale” January 25th, any person that signs up for a publication announcement on my website will receive a coupon for a free download
Twitter:  @SophiaJRomance
Website/blog:http://www.sophiajonesromance.com/
Why should people  read what you write?  I am a romance junkie, and I write what I want to read: steamy, spooky stories that bring  escape from an often hectic day. I like my heroes angsty and my leading ladies strong. Life gets busy. I promise to deliver a complete story you can enjoy in one sitting.

 Pen Name: Aderyn Wood
Genre: fantasy, paranormal, historical, Young Adult
Next Release: March  3, 2013 “The Viscount’s Son”
  'The Viscount's Son' is a fictional blog that tells the story of book conservator, Emma, and her online project - to transcribe an ancient and mysterious text. The trouble is, Emma's colleague, Jack, believes the medieval 'diary' is a fake. Emma decides to translate the text and leave it up to her readers to decide - so what will you think? Follow Emma's journey to discern the mysteries of the medieval memoir.
Twitter:  @AderynWood
Website:http://aderynwood.blogspot.com
Why should people read your work? Mystery, magic and mayhem. I love developing characters that are forced to come to terms with their unusual talents, or overcome challenges of a preternatural kind. I like mixing my genres too, so my stories are familiar but offer something a little different.

 Pen Name: Inge Moore
Genre: Literary, Adventure, Children’s
Current titles(names): Short Story Collections: 1. As Crazy As You (Literary), 2. Trees in the Wind and Other Stories (Mix of literary and mainstream)
Novels: A Pony For The Fair (mid-grade children’s)
Short Stories: Dancing Lights, Confessions: Ten Fragments, The
Sheets, Cowboys, Something of Substance, An Honest Woman, Lucky, The Crow and
The Dwarf, Fort Erie, The Stoat, Niagara Falls, Only One Cat In the House, Happy
For A While, and Einstein (Mix of literary & mainstream). 
Next release:  “Savage Dawn”  March 1, 2013. 
Edziza, a dormant volcano in Northern Canada erupts. This eruption
triggers other volcanos in different parts of the world to follow suit. A global
volcanic winter ensues. Savage Dawn is the story of how a handful of survivors
deal with the aftermath.
Website/blog:  http://ingemoore-novelistandshortstorywriter.yolasite.com/
Why should people read what you write? My stories have been published in literary magazines and broadcast on radio. One of my stories placed first in an annual Writers’ Digest Writing Competition. I studied creative writing at the University of Alberta.
(If you enjoy the writing of Alice Munro and Margaret Atwood, you will enjoy my work.) 

Pen Name: ED Martin
Genre: contemporary fiction, with some horror and magical realism occasionally mixed in
Current titles (names): "Tim and Sara," a short story for Kindle; my short story "The Business Trip" was just included in Free Flash Fiction's anthology The Flashing Type: Issue 1; I've also had over two dozen short stories
appear in various print anthologies and online publications.
Next release: I have several more Kindle shorts in the works, with the next one hopefully released in late spring. It's a fun dark
fantasy about a spirited peasant girl teaming up with an arrogant prince to slay a dragon.
Twitter: @EDMartin_Writer
Website/blog: http://www.edmartinwriter.com
Why should people read what you write? I’ve moved around and job-hopped a lot, so when I write I draw on my experiences to tell the stories of those around me, with a generous heaping of "what if" thrown in. I like to take an ordinary character or
situation and give it a new, unexpected perspective

 Pen Name: T.L. Manning
 Genre: Young Adult
 Current titles: “Red Sky At Night”
 Next release: “Wolf Moon's Blue Hour” Book 2 in the Night series January 26, 2013
  Jillian is forced to deal with the death of her older brother with her parents on the verge of a divorce making her feel more alone than ever. Her boyfriend, Gabriel and her good friend, Brent start to discover more information about the events that led
to his death while trying to dig up dirt on each other, and instead find that Jillian is in danger when the wrong person finds out she was the one behind the wheel during the crash. Can the two love sick men come together to save her
life, or will the pride in them be the death of her? 
Twitter:  @Snowqueentlc
Website/blog:http://authortlmanning.blogspot.com/
Why should people read what you write? Writing young adult fiction has always been a dream of mine. I know how to deliver a drama-filled piece and leave them wanting more. My characters feel real, like you could meet them in person.  

Pen Name: Douglas Owen
Genre: Science Fiction / Fantasy
Current titles (names): I Hate Zero-G
Next release: “A Spear in Flight” February 2013, Spears, protectors of The Realm. The elite group of men and women trained in the art of protecting, judging, and dispensing justice to the populace all had to start somewhere. They start as orphans at birth, for none would take a child from a loving family. Trained since birth, they live and learn to fight, to protect, and to serve the people. This is the story of one who will be, and the three friends that will help him be, a great Spear.
Twitter: @Douglas_A_Owen
Website/blog:  http://www.daowen.ca
Why should people read what you write? A fresh new look at the world about us through the eyes of a futurist, who has a love of the written word.
 
The past week has been amazingly busy for me. Aside from connecting with several new indie authors (yay!), I have decided to write a spin-off series to The Kiss Trilogy! This series will fill you in on what's been going on with Jamie and Kayla (and their son). But the main character is Lilly, Jamie's younger sister. I think you're all going to love her! I am pushing myself for an early February release date.
  On Friday, I will feature several indie authors on this blog! Each author will provide info on what they're doing, as well as a blurb about themselves and how to get in touch with them via social media. This is going to be fantastic! As a continuation of this promotion, I will be featuring two or three author spotlights every week. I will try to announce my authors ahead of time so fans can ask their own questions. If you want to be featured, please fill out my Contact Me form!

My first author will be Tina Pollick on Wednesday, January 23! Send in your questions!

 
Well, this week has been wonderful, that's for certain. On Tuesday, I received my sales numbers from Apple for December. Over 2k in four short weeks? Amazing. Yesterday, I was blessed to get my B&N numbers. Nov 1- Jan 3 was over 2k, too! I thought I might die! You guys are amazing and I love that you're enjoying my work!

I am hoping to release the third in The Time Series by the beginning of February. I am going to try out a new series something more like The Kiss Tril than The Time Series. I am shooting for a release date around mid-Feb, and I will do a rapid succession release, like I did with Kiss. :)

Keep reading and thanks for all the support. :)
 
If there was ever a person afraid of going out on a limb, it's me. I have wanted to write since I was a teenager. I remember filling pages and pages of notebooks with stories and characters who felt more real to me than anyone else. But I lost myself after high school. I became focused on trying to find (and keep) a job that I never wanted. So I bounced from place to place, looking for something I couldn't quite name. 
I looked for a long time. And now, at 26, I've found exactly what I was looking for all along. My career has been right in front of my eyes for ten long years. I was just too blinded to notice. So, here I am, writing, blogging, and getting my act together. Finally.  

This website is one of my final steps in making my dreams a reality. I've wanted for so long to be able to work from home, and now I do. I'll never again have to be a 9-5 kind of gal, working for the weekend. I work on my own timeline and I love it!!

Today, I am working on Only Time Will Shift, and I think that you'll all be surprised by what happens. Or, at least, I hope so. Don't forget to buy my current releases, available at:

Barnes & Noble
Apple
Kobo
Sony
Amazon

Come back for more updates soon!

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