Category Archives: Guest Post

Guest post with London Setterby, author of Set Me Free [Giveaway]

SetMeFreeSet Me Free
By: London Setterby
Publisher: Self-Published
Published: July 8, 2016
Genre: Romantic Suspense

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Miranda Lewis is desperate to get away from her controlling ex–so desperate she leaves him in the middle of the night. She ends up on a remote island off the Maine coast, where she befriends a bubbly shopkeeper, Claire, and becomes fascinated with Claire’s son, big, brooding Owen Larsen, a woodworker who keeps to himself. Even the friendliest locals here are secretive–and Owen is at the center of their secrets.

Still, Miranda loves the salt air, the craggy coastline, and, most of all, the work of the island’s beloved local painter, Suzanna White. Miranda wants to stay–to claim a life of her own, to paint again. But the longer she stays, the more her fascination with Owen increases. Why is there a painting of his stern, handsome face in the art gallery by the beach? And why is everyone so afraid of him?

 

 

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Guest Post with T. L. Bainter, author of How I Ruined My Life

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TBainter-T. L. Bainter was born in 1994 and began writing short stories not long after that. Since the age of six, he has been churning out short story after short story. After receiving an award from the renowned Writers of the Future competition for his short story Edwin, T. L. Bainter found the confidence and encouragement that he needed to write and publish his first novel: How I Ruined My Life. Currently, he resides in Kansas City with his cat, Sooba.

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My Adolescence and (Probably) Yours

If I had to describe my adolescence in one word, it would be: “whoops”. I was reclusive, I was a loner, and I took too much for granted. When wisdom was given to me by those with more experience, I scoffed and dismissed it. In this way, I was very much like Kyle, the main character in How I Ruined My Life. He keeps to himself, he’s impulsive, and he doesn’t fully appreciate what he has until it’s too late.

I think that if we all take the time to look at our own adolescence, we’ll see a bit of Kyle in ourselves, as well. We thought we knew everything, we disregarded the wisdom of those who really did (by comparison) know everything, and by the time we made it out of high school, we’d virtually ruined our lives. We might think to ourselves “If only I’d studied harder”, “If only I hadn’t broken off that friendship”, or “If only I’d listened more”. You know what they say: hindsight is That’s what How I Ruined My Life is about. It’s about making mistakes, growing up, and maturing as a person. Throughout the story, Kyle and his best friend James experience a multitude of harsh realities, including heartbreak and death. Growing up is a difficult and often painful process wrought with circumstances that seem impossible to overcome.

There is so much that I would change about my young adult life. If I could go back and do things differently, my life would be on a much better track than it is now. I’d treat my friends with more kindness, I’d probably still have my “dream girl”, I’d be on a faster road to success – the list goes on. But in my mind, all of the pain, heartbreak, and perpetual failure was worth it in the end. Without all of the pain of my adolescence, I never would have written How I Ruined My Life. I hope that at least one reader is able to learn something from the lessons and experiences

 

 

 

about the book

28476477How I Ruined My Life
By: T. L. Bainter
Publisher: Self-Publised
Published: Feb. 12, 2016
Genre: YA Romance

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Kyle has gone unnoticed for the vast majority of his life and he’s always preferred it that way. Homeschooled, shy, and only attending church because he’s forced to, there’s not really anything outstanding or interesting about him. That changes, however, when he meets James Porter. The two are fast friends, but Kyle isn’t sure if that’s a good thing or not. While some of the experiences resulting from their friendship are grand, many other experiences leave Kyle broken, angry, and depressed. Is Kyle’s friendship with James really such a good thing, or would he have been better off if he’d simply remained the quiet, lonely boy that no one seemed to notice?

 

 

 

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Guest Post with Láyla Messner, author of Overwhelm

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Today we have author Láyla Messner stopping by to chat about her awkward years as a teenager and how awkward is the new sexy. 😉

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Láyla Messner is a young-adult author and the founder of Chrysalis Sanctuary for healing childhood sexual abuse. She has an M.A. in embodied writing from Goddard College and her novels provide New Sexual Mythology for teens.

She believes that love is real. She does not believe in unsolicited advice or the word “impossible.”​

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Guest Post with Dianna Beirne, author of Aurelious Forty

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Dianna Beirne lives in a fantasy world. Okay not really, but part of her wishes she did and, since that’s technically impossible, she writes about fantasy worlds instead. Her first Young Adult novel entitled Aurelious Forty; Volume One quickly turned into her first Young Adult series with the addition of Aurelious Forty; Volume Two and, Aurelious Forty; Volume Three.

When not writing, she’s generally daydreaming which morphs into wondering if that last daydream could turn into a book. She has also recently discovered podcasts but doesn’t exactly understand what they are or why they’re different from regular radio shows. So it’s safe to assume that her next book won’t be about a podcast. Instead she’ll just keep listening to the ones that she finds that hilarious because laughing is one of her favorite pastimes and she finds way too many things funny!

Prior to dedicating her time to writing, Dianna taught undergraduate and graduate courses about using literacy in the elementary, middle, and high school classroom. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, a Master’s degree in Literacy and a Doctorate in Education specializing in Curriculum and Teaching.

Dianna lives in New York and is the grateful mother of a son whom she misses terribly when his away at college.

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Guest Post with Nikki Duncan: The NDcent hunt is on! Are you game?

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Heart stopping puppy chases, childhood melodrama and the aborted hangings of innocent toys are all in a day’s work for Nikki Duncan. This athletic equestrian turned reluctant homemaker turned daring author, is drawn to the siren song of a fresh storyline.

Nikki plots murder and mayhem over breakfast, scandalous exposes at lunch and the sensual turn of phrase after dinner. Nevertheless, it is the pleasurable excitement and anticipation of unraveling her character’s motivation that drives her to write long past the witching hour.

The only anxiety and apprehension haunting this author comes from pondering the mysterious outcome of her latest twist.

 

 

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The NDcent hunt is on! Are you game?

Give me a W!

Give me an I!

Give me a N!

Yes that’s right! You might WIN! During an awesome blogger scavenger hunt, you have several chances to WIN Amazon gift cards and a larger Amazon shopping spree. If you can count $100 as a shopping spree, that is.

I was never picked for the cheerleading squad, but sometimes I like to celebrate like I had.

I’m thrilled that an awesome group of bloggers have agreed to be a part of this hunt, and I hope take the time to play. And of course I hope you enjoy yourself along the way.

  • The game is simple, fill in the blank below to be entered in a drawing for a $5 gift card here. Visit and enter at every blog site and you’ll be entered in the drawing for the $100 gift card. Make sure that the email address you use to comment with is the one you want me to contact you with if you win.

Winners will all be announced on Saturday, August 22!

 
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Guest Post with Jessica Lauryn, author of Dangerous Magic

JessicaLauryn

An author of Contemporary Romantic Suspense, Jessica Lauryn is most intrigued by dark heroes who have many demons to conquer…but little trouble enticing female companions into their beds! She feels that the best romances are those where the hero is already seducing the heroine from that first point of contact. Jessica enjoys listening to a unique blend of 80’s and classical music and she attempts to spend as much quality time outdoors as possible, preferably in a kayak. Though she resides in New Jersey, her heart belongs to the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire.

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Excerpt & Guest Post: Death Wish by Megan Tayte

DWDeath Wish
(Ceruleans, #1)
By: Megan Tayte
Publisher: Heaven Afire
Published: Feb. 7, 2015
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

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IN SEARCH OF THE MEANING OF DEATH, SHE’LL FIND THE MEANING OF LIFE.

The Ceruleans: mere mortals infused with power over life and death. Five books; one question: If the might of the heavens were in your hands, would you be sinner or saint?

Seventeen-year-old Scarlett Blake is haunted by death. Her estranged sister has made the ultimate dramatic exit. Running away from school, joining a surfing fraternity, partying hard: that sounds like Sienna. But suicide? It makes no sense.

Following in her sister’s footsteps, Scarlett comes to the isolated cove of Twycombe, Devon, with grand plans to uncover the truth. Alone. But she hasn’t reckoned on meeting two boys who are determined to help her. Luke: the blue-eyed surfer who’ll see the real Scarlett, who’ll challenge her, who’ll save her. And Jude: the elusive drifter with a knack for turning up whenever Scarlett’s in need.

As Scarlett’s quest for the truth unravels, so too does her grip on reality as she’s always known it. Because there’s something strange going on in this little cove. A dead magpie circles the skies. A dead deer watches from the undergrowth. Hands glow with light. Warmth. Power.

What transpires is a summer of discovery. Of what it means to conquer fear. To fall in love. To choose life. To choose death.

To believe the impossible.

 
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Guest Post: Wolves Within by Shivon Sudesh

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Shivon Sudesh is a college student, reading BA English Language and Literature at King’s College, London. She started writing her first novel, Wolves Within, while still in school and it was published by Mereo Book in August 2014.

While not at college, Shivon spends her time reading countless books and pretending to work on her next novel, ‘Doves in Flight’. She enjoys listening to music and hanging out with the fictional characters that occupy her brain.

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Hey, everyone! I’m very excited to be here on Book Sniffers Anonymous – thank you Kristin for letting me write a guest post on your blog!

I’ve finally decided – after flipping through several crackpot ideas, each worse than the last – to talk about the pros and cons of writing a novel in the first or third person. The reason I chose this particular topic is that I spent around a month wrestling with this very dilemma before finally starting work on ‘Wolves Within’ (NB: this is an excellent mode of procrastination!)

I adore books written in the first person. I feel so much closer to the main character, like there’s nothing between me (the reader) and them, no distractions to get in the way of getting to know them. Conversely, with books written in the third person I used to find it harder to really understand and “get into the skin” of the MC – it’s like there’s an invisible wall constructed between me and them. Writing ‘Wolves Within’ in the third person has done a lot to change that, though, and now I can appreciate the unique advantages of a third person narrative.

Which brings me to why I ultimately chose to write ‘WW’ in the third person, despite my reservations. The truth is… I didn’t! If you look at my very, very early notes (I don’t recommend it – they make no sense to anyone, including myself) Sathi is speaking in the first person. So why the change? First person narration is wonderful, it brings you very close to the main character… but it’s limiting. You can only narrate through your chosen character. You can’t have another main character – like Zakiy in ‘WW’ – providing a different perspective. You can’t have random characters interjecting their bit. You can’t have completely unexplained scenes that don’t make any sense at the time, but will make sense later. Third person narration gives you so much flexibility – and for this trilogy, flexibility in narration is essential for me. I can’t imagine writing this in first person now – so I’m quite happy with my choice, despite the lengthy time it took me to make it!

One thing I find quite challenging with writing in the third person, though, is the use of pronouns. With first person it’s very clear: you use ‘I’ with ‘he/she/they’ – simple! But with third person you use ‘she’ and ‘he’ for the narrator, so if both the protagonist and the person they’re talking to are the same gender, you end up having to use the characters’ names about twenty times in just one paragraph… grrr!

What do you, as either a reader or an author, think about the use of first/third person narration? Are you like me, or does it not matter to you?

 
 
 
about the book
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Wolves Within
By: Shivon Sudesh
Publisher: Mereo Book
Published: Sept. 30, 2014
Genre: YA Mystery

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

What really happened to Sathi’s mother – the mother she never knew?

Throughout her eighteen years, Sathi has carried the burden of her grief and guilt over the death of her own mother while giving birth to her. But then she starts investigating – and unearths hidden documents that suggest her mother did not die in childbirth after all. This shocking discovery sends Sathi back to India, the land of her forefathers, on a trail which opens up a world of intrigue she had no idea existed. What secrets are her family keeping from her? What is she to make of the charming but infuriating Zakiy, who is not quite the simple young man he claims to be? And what really happened to her beloved Amma?

 
 

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Shivon is giving one very lucky winner a signed copy of Wolves Within!
*Giveaway is international*

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Guest Post: Every Ugly Word by Aimee L. Salter

Aimee L Salter

Aimee L. Salter lives in Southern Oregon with her husband and son. She writes novels for teens and the occasional adult who, like herself, is still in touch with their inner-high schooler. She never stopped appreciating those moments in the dark when you say what you’re really thinking. And she’ll always ask you about the things you wish she wouldn’t.

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Do Authors Write Real People into their Books?

It’s a question I get asked a lot. After all, I wrote a book about a redhead (like me), who got bullied (like I did), in a high school that looks similar to my old school on the page.

It would be easy to think that I’d just taken my life and turned it into a story (except, maybe, the part about the main character being able to talk to her future self through the mirror). But the reality is, more often than not real life doesn’t actually translate well to fiction. Not to mention that if you’re trying to turn your real life or people you know into a book, there’s limited material available.

Instead what tends to happen is that authors become collectors and observers, constantly gathering emotions, events, and interactions from their real lives, and twisting them into something that serves a fictional story.

For example, in my book the main character, Ashley, is severely bullied at school. While none of the scenes in the book which show Ashley being bullied are reconstructions of moments like that in my life,

I did draw on my experiences – the emotions I felt; the expressions, body language, and motivations I gathered from those who’d targeted me. The type of responses from people who saw it happen.

Rather than taking my experiences and turning them into a story, I took the tones of people’s voices, the feelings I had when walking down the hall, the reasoning offered during arguments I had with teachers or coaches about the issue, and so much more.

My real life experiences inspired and fuelled my story. But in the end, the story had to be told in a way that would make it most satisfying for readers. That wasn’t a re-telling of my story. That is in using real life emotions to drive fictional characters.

There’s a famous quote from the Irish writer, John Connelly: “Writers are magpies by nature, always collecting shiny things, storing them away and looking for connections of things.”

I think he says it well. So, if you know an author of fiction, don’t worry. Chances are, if anything you’ve said or done is being magpied into a story, it won’t be recognizable to anyone else . . . except maybe the author!

 
 
 
about the book
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Every Ugly Word
By: Aimee Salter
Publisher: Alloy Entertainment
Published: July 29, 2014
Genre: YA Contemporary

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When seventeen-year-old Ashley Watson walks through the halls of her high school bullies taunt and shove her. She can’t go a day without fighting with her mother. And no matter how hard she tries, she can’t make her best friend, Matt, fall in love with her. But Ashley also has something no one else does: a literal glimpse into the future. When Ashley looks into the mirror, she can see her twenty-three-year-old self.

Her older self has been through it all already—she endured the bullying, survived the heartbreak, and heard every ugly word her classmates threw at her. But her older self is also keeping a dark secret: Something terrible is about to happen to Ashley. Something that will change her life forever. Something even her older self is powerless to stop.

Guest Post: Fierce by LG Kelso

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L.G. Kelso is a fantasy and contemporary novelist. Having grown up watching Xena and Hercules with her grandmother, she inherited her passion for all things magic, paranormal and mythological. She also has a probably unhealthy obsession with martial arts, and as a boxer she strives to give readers an authentic view of MMA in her contemporary sports novel.
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