Category Archives: Guest Post

Ciye Cho, author of the YA novel Florence is here to give us 8 reasons why mermen should be your next book boyfriend.

Ciye Cho lives in Australia and works as a graphic designer. He writes YA novels in his free time–and his head is often lost in the clouds or some place far from reality…

For more information about Ciyo check out his website.

You can also find him on Goodreads, Facebook and Twitter.

8 Reasons Why Your Next (Book) Boyfriend Should Be A Merman.

One of the biggest drawcards in YA fiction has to be the excess of swoon-worthy guys. Whether you’re into sparkly vampires or baker boys who toss burnt bread at you, there’s something for every female reader. Team vampire, team human, team dystopian bad-ass, team werewolf… I could go on and on. Yet, there’s one type of lead that often goes under appreciated: the merman. Well, let me show you 8 reasons why your next (book) boyfriend should be a merman:

1.  Mr. Merman is eco-friendly. Perfectly in tune with the ocean, he cares about the welfare of all animals under his dominion. Mermen never hunt more than they need, and many are vegetarians. Mer guys don’t do (sea)weed… they eat it.
2.  Like most merfolk, he’s not materialistic. Forget what you’ve heard about thingamabobs and dinglehoppers.
3.  He’s a deep-sea olympian. Living in the ocean is rough, but mermen are strong enough to swim past tsunamis, fast enough to beat Michael Phelps at freestyle, and tough enough to cross an ocean without rest.
4.  He can communicate with animals. (Did I mention that he’s friends with sharks? Well, that’s just how he rolls.)
5.  He’s Just Not That Into You (as a food item)… so no worries about being eaten, drained of blood, or turned into a paranormal entity. Relax, you’ll never become an appetizer.
6.  He’s smart. The facts, you ask? Well, he’s highly adept at avoiding human detection, speaks multiple languages (mer, dolphin, whale), and knows the bottom of the ocean better than Jacques Cousteau. Come on, it takes more than a tail to be a merman. It takes panache.
7.  He spends 90% of his time shirtless. So there’s no need for plot devices that require a male lead to lose articles of clothing.
8.  Living underwater means no awkward cover story. In other words, less fake human life = more time for you. (Of course, you’ll have to find a way to breathe underwater if you want to be with him… but hey, I’ll leave that up to you.)

Ladies, it’s time to believe in mermen… and LTR relationships (Long Tail Relationships).

Florence
Genre: YA

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Seventeen-year-old Florence Waverley is out of her depth. Literally. Kidnapped and taken below the waves to the mer world of Niemela, she is the ultimate gift for merman Prince Kiren: a human familiar tied to his side. But nothing is what it seems amid the beauty and danger of a dark ocean.

Every Niemelan has a role to play, from the mermaids who weave towers out of kelp to the warriors who fight sea monsters. But in trying to survive, Florence will end up in the middle of a war between the mer and the Darkness. A conflict that will push her between two brothers: Kiren, the charmer inexplicably drawn to both her and the monsters; and Rolan, the loner who has been pushing her away since the day they met. But in order to take a stand–and find out where she belongs–Florence will have to risk it all: her life, her heart… and her very soul.

We’ve all been sucked into a book and have been taken to another world only to be spit back out into reality. Have you ever wondered how the worlds and characters that we read about, come to be on paper? Well L.J Cohen is stopping by today to give us the skinny on her writing technique and how her characters are born.

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To celebrate the release of author Vanessa Morgan’s new paranormal thriller A GOOD MAN, she’s stopped by to give us a look at some of the music that inspired this unforgettable vampire story!

A Good Man
By: Vanessa Morgan
Genre: Paranormal Thriller

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Do you like Dexter and American Psycho? Then chances are you will love A Good Man.

Louis Caron is a good man – he’s a vegetarian, feeds homeless people, takes care of animals and is converned with the ecological well-being of the planet. But his altruism has a sinister edge – he’s a vampire and local detective Taglioni becomes increasingly suspicious of him. Louis’ attempt to escape the police will take him on a journey into his own private hell where he is not only forced to confront his worst fears, but where he will also destroy the lives of those he cares about.

MUSIC THAT INSPIRED A GOOD MAN

Because it mingles so well with the atmosphere of the story, I often listend to Wax Tailor’s In The Mood For Life when writing A GOOD MAN. Fireflies in particular would be a great accompaniment to the beginning – Louis seeing Nathalie for the first time on the street, then entering the bar when the more catchy part of the song starts…

I imagine this song playing in the background in one of the scenes where Louis is watching his neighbour, Nathalie. The lyrics summarize well what he feels for this woman, but he knows that his insecurities will prevent him from ever telling her that personally.

One of Vincent’s favorite songs; he often plays it in the bar where he’s DJ’ing. The song also eludes the feeling of youth that his older friend, Louis, longs for. It’s in strong contrast with the calm, often classical, music Louis listens to at home that reflects his unwillingness to take any risks.

Another one of Vincent’s favorite songs that he often plays in the bar where he works. The girl in the music video reminds him of his ex-girlfriend Céline.

I’ve Got That Tune would be the perfect song for when Louis comes home after his somewhat destastrous date with Martine, drinking wine alone in his apartment. Solitude, loneliness, love… It’s all there.

Wax Tailor’s Seize The Day has always been the perfect song to accompany the last two scenes of A GOOD MAN. We all know that we should seize the day and enjoy the small things in life without worrying too much about the bigger picture. Unfortunately, most of us realize this when it’s too late.

Which is your favorite song/music video on this page? What do you like about it?

Screenwriter and novelist Vanessa Morgan is known as the ‘female version of Stephen King’. You can find out more about Vanessa Morgan and her work by going to her personal blog.

You can also find Vanessa on Facebook and Twitter.

We are so happy to have Elizabeth Luscomb, author of Forgetting Susan joining us today. She has stopped by to talk a little bit about her journey to becoming a published author.

Elizabeth Luscomb was born and raised in Texas. Growing up next to her grandparents, her grandfather inspired her debut novel, Forgetting Susan. Presently, she is residing in Texas with her husband and three children.

For more information about Elizabeth, check out her website.

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Kersten L. Kelly is a self-published author of narrative non-fiction and semi-fiction books. She grew up in Munster, Indiana, and currently works in a sales role based out of Chicago, Illinois. She started writing at an early age and graduated from Indiana University with a dual Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Communication & Culture. She then went on to earn a Master’s in Business Administration from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. She has a passion for learning, teaching, and writing as well as international travel in her spare time.

For more information on Kersten L. Kelly visit her website.

Joining us today we have John Nelson, author of Against Nature.

John is a retired Air Force Master Sergeant and former Special Forces Medic. He’s now the Director of Quality and Risk Management, Patient Safety, and Infection Control at a community hospital in Utah. His novel Against Nature was released on April 5th, 2011 by Wild Child Publishing.

For more information on John Nelson visit his Website

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We have Kate Ellison author of The Curse Girl, joining us today to talk a little bit about why she loves not only writing young adult fantasy but reading it as well. She has also been gracious enough to offer a copy of The Curse Girl to one lucky reader.

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