Guest Post--Debut Author Katlyn Duncan

Hey Everyone,

today I'm going to do something I rarely do.  I'm surrendering my blog for a guest post.  It's an incredibly worthy cause as my fran, Katlyn Duncan, is about to move from the ranks of reader of books to author of books.  That's right, this surrendering is in honor of Katlyn's debut novel, Soul Taken (Carina),  the first book in her The Life After trilogy.  Isn't her cover GORGEOUS!!!  Pub date is June 4th, but you can pre-order now by clicking on the link.  Congratulations on a job well done, Katlyn.

Want to know more about Soul Taken?  Here's the Amazon Synopsis:

After-life just got a lot more complicated

Maggie is a Soul Collector. It’s her job to transport souls from the Living Realm to the After – but during a mission to find a stolen soul, she ends up stuck in a teen mean girl’s body.

Trapped, Maggie’s soul is catapulted into Ally’s life – and the human world she hasn’t experienced for one hundred years. But, as a descendant of the most powerful beings in the After, Maggie must rescue Ally before the girl’s soul dies…

To survive, Maggie must uncover devastating secrets – because with one soul taken by a terrifying enemy, Maggie’s could be next!

 

And heeeere's Katlyn...

 

Why YA Paranormal?

Let’s start with the first half of that question. I write YA because I love to read YA. There is something about reading about first loves, coming of age, and the hardships of being a teenager. Now couple that with werewolves, vampires, shifters, ghosts, faeries, and every other paranormal creature out there and that is something that I am really interested in reading and in turn, writing.

I love that I can create a new world with new rules. I am the boss of my own story and can tell my characters what their limitations are. And I get to think up cool abilities for them. Their world is at my fingertips and I love every second of its creation.

For Soul Taken, I imagined the After Realm which somewhat mirrors the Living Realm. The native creatures of the After are called Caeleste and they look like humans but with a few significant differences. The human souls in the After Realm that I focus on are divided into two groups; Soul Collectors and Guard. Soul Collectors are given the ability to transport souls from one realm to the next, they are somewhat limited in their abilities but serve quite an important role in the After. The Guard are elite souls. They are hand picked and trained to protect important human souls on the Living Realm. I don’t want to spoil too much, so I will let you explore the realm I created while you are reading.

In closing, even though I love to read all genres, young adult and adult, I usually fall back on YA paranormal. I find I can fall into a different world easier than one exactly like mine when I am looking for an escape.

What do you love about the YA Paranormal genre? Do you have a favorite book/series? Sound off in the comments!

Thank you for having me on your blog today E!

Katlyn Duncan was born and raised in a small town in western Massachusetts. Her overactive imagination involved invisible friends, wanting to be a Disney Princess and making up her own stories. Her bibliophile mom always encouraged her love of reading and that stayed with her since. Even though she works full time in the medical field Katlyn has always made time for books, whether she is reading or writing them.

Katlyn now lives in southern Connecticut with her husband and adorable Wheaten Terrier and she is thrilled to finally share her stories with the world.

*

You're welcome, Katlyn.  It was a pleasure having you.  For those of you (like me) who must have Katlyn's new book you can pre-order it here:

Soul Taken Amazon  or here Soul Taken Amazon UK

Katlyn's Website
Twitter
Facebook Page

And here's a chance to win a copy of Soul Taken or a $50 gift card to an online book retailer of YOUR choice. This giveaway is open internationally. Enter below and follow along with the tour, counting down to June 4th!!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Peace.

 

Awesome Swag Bag Winner!

In my last post I commented on the Awesome Swag Bag I was giving to the first person who came up to me at LitFest Pasadena and said the secret words.  That person was a The 25 member and fran, Annabelle Blume.  Here's a photo of Annabelle showing off her Awesome Swag. 

Stay tuned, because in the coming weeks I'm giving away a similar swag bag in a new contest--and you won't have to leave your homes to win it.

The reason this post took so long to post is because right after LitFest I took off for vacation in beautiful Cancun.

Please check back Thursday when fran and debut author, Katlyn Duncan, takes over my blog for the day.  Katlyn has her own giveaway scheduled.  So please check back, meet Katlyn, and perhaps even win.  And be on the lookout for more Awesome Swag from yours truly.

Peace.

Come See Me At LitFest and Win Big!

  

This coming Saturday, May 11th, I will be at LitFest Pasadena.  LitFest is a celebratory day of readings, performances, and panel-discussions featuring well-known and upcoming California authors, hands-on activities, good food, better books and family-friendly fun aimed at promoting the literary arts.  

I will be in the White Whisker Books Pavilion sharing signing and greeting duties with authors Christopher Meeks, Davis Scott Milton and Shelly Lowenkopf.  I know most of you won’t be able to make it to Southern Cal, and that’s too bad because I’m offering an awesome SWAG bag prize package to one lucky attendee.  The first person that comes up to me and says: “Hi, E. Did I win the awesome swag bag?” gets it.  It’s that easy. 

So what’s in the goodie bag?  Check it out:

First off I’m offering an autographed copy of The Fiction Writer’s Handbook, written by my USC professor, and the man responsible for my writing career, Shelly Lowenkopf. The Fiction Writer’s Handbook is the definitive volume to explain the words and phrases that writers and editors use when they talk about a work.  While this is a book for writers, I’m telling you it is equally interesting for readers.  It’s a hard book to describe, but one thing it’s not is an instruction manual. 

Also in the bag is a woman’s I Survived a Boyfriend From Hell fitted tee (cobalt color).  Every lady I know has survived a boyfriend from hell.  Now, courtesy of me, ladies can flaunt it on their chests.  I know Suze Barnett wishes she had one of these.

Next I’ve got the official I Want You Back! Coffee mug. This mug is for sipping your drink of choice while reading your book of choice.  I Want You Back! is my free novella available only to members of The 25.  To find out how you can join The 25 click on the link to read my post: The Power of Twenty five.

Finally I’ve got an autographed copy of Heaven Sent or Never Slow Dance With A Zombie, whichever you prefer.

I have only one, yes, ONE awesome SWAG bag, and remember, the first person who comes up to me and says: “Hi E, did I win the awesome swag bag?” gets it.  We’ll take your photo for the blog, and hand you the bag.  If the tee I have is not your size, we’ll order up one custom just for you.  I hope to have some conciliation gifts if more than one of you comes up to me. 

Tell all your family and friends in and near Southern Cal they need to come out this coming Saturday, May 11^th, to LitFest Pasadena for a day of food and fun while supporting reading. And while they’re there, tell them to stop by The White Whisker Books Pavilion to claim a neat prize from me.  I hope to see you Saturday.

Peace.