Love #Paranormal? 46 #Free #Books in the #Supernatural Book Fair! #amreading #angels #vampires #shifters

Art of the Arcane has organized an all-genre book fair with two common threads...first, all titles have a supernatural element, and second, they are all FREE with author newsletter sign-up!  Vampires, Shifters, and the Supernatural runs from July 6th to July 20th, and 46 books are up for grabs!  I'm thrilled one of my titles, Divine Fall, is included in the fair...this award-winning paranormal romance involves angels...or rather, the Nephilim, which are the forbidden race of half-humans, half-angels mentioned in the Bible.  

Revenge, Romance, and a Rogue Fallen Angel collide in DIVINE FALL

Visit the Vampires, Shifters, and Supernatural Fair HERE and fill up your e-reader for free!  

Love #YA? 21 #Books ~ #FREE or on sale! #Paranormal #Fantasy #amreading Young Adult #sale

If you enjoy Young Adult reads, check out the Mystical YA Paranormal and Fantasy Book Fair!  There are 21 books with paranormal or fantasy elements, most free or 99c!  My YA Paranormal Romance, Divine Fall, is one of the featured titles. 

If you like forbidden first love, supernatural secrets, and page-turning suspense, try Divine Fall!  Revenge, Romance, and a Rogue Fallen Angel come together in Jamie and Dothan's story.  

The Nephilim are the half-angels, half-humans described
in the Bible...a forbidden race destroyed in the flood.

But when one is born centuries later, the consequences become
deadly, and the last Nephilim must choose between the vengeance
he needs and the human girl he's come to love. 

Visit the Mystical YA Fantasy and Paranormal Book Fair to see all the titles!

Readers' Choice Award Winner
at The Romance Reviews!

#Free Review Copies! 14 #YA #Books for fans of Young Adult #Books #bookreviews #amreading

REVENGE, ROMANCE, AND A ROGUE
FALLEN ANGEL...
Forbidden First Love & Supernatural Secrets
in award-winning Divine Fall

If you enjoy YA, check out the Outstanding Young Adult Novels Review Event!  There are 14 books with free copies to offer in hopes of review.  My YA Paranormal Romance, Divine Fall, is one of the featured titles!

Reviewers do need to have a Story Origin account, but this is free and easy...just link your review profiles from sites like Goodreads, Amazon, or Bookbub.  Then request any of the titles that look interesting to receive a free review copy!

While "YA" refers to teen protagonists, there are many subgenres represented in the promo, including paranormal, romance, academy, fantasy, coming-of-age...visit the review promo here:

OUTSTANDING YOUNG ADULT NOVELS ~ 

Free Review Copies

Young Love is in the Air #YA #Romance #Book Fair! #FridayReads #teenreads #yalit

Revenge, Romance, and a Rogue Fallen Angel collide
in this award-winning YA PNR

Fans of Young Adult books filled with first love and coming-of-age stories, this is for you!  The Young Love is in the Air Book Fair is featuring 31 YA titles, all romance with various subgenres represented such as paranormal, fantasy, sports, dystopian...something for everyone!

My YA Paranormal Romance Divine Fall is featured, and this is a story of Forbidden First Love filled with Supernatural Suspense.  As the last surviving Nephilim, Dothan is an outcast in both worlds...will he risk her life to seek his revenge?

Divine Fall is only 99c on Kindle, so grab your copy for less than a buck!

YOUNG LOVE IS IN THE AIR Book Fair

#Books for Fans of #Twilight ~ #YA #Paranormal #Romance #Angels #amreading #Fantasy

Like millions of fans, I loved the Twilight series.  I was hooked from the beginning of book one, and I had to pace myself from then on in order to stretch the story out rather than finishing the series in a few days.  Some of my friends and I joked about needing a support group when we did finish--it was that addictive!  

As a paranormal romance author myself, I thought a lot about what elements of the story arc made the series so compelling to so many readers.  And a few years later, when an idea for a Young Adult Paranormal Romance wound its way into my imagination and wouldn't let go, I decided to write it, even though YA is not my usual genre.  The end result was a story of forbidden love and supernatural secrets involving revenge, romance, and a rogue fallen angel...Divine Fall.  

"This delicious YA novel was filled with love...rich in history, suspense, and
enough twists to keep the reader turning the pages" ~ BTS Book Reviews

When initial editorial reviews came in comparing the story to Twilight and The Mortal Instruments, I was overjoyed!  This title won the Reader's Choice Award in the YA category at The Romance Reviews, and earned Finalist Positions for both The Reader's Crown Award and the Red Carpet Book Awards.  It even got a shout-out from the prestigious BookBub site, naming Divine Fall as one of "14 Books to Get You in the Mood for Fall".

"Reminded me of Twilight...reads quickly with action and romance"
~ Read for Your Future

This title is currently 99c, and part of a "Books for Fans of Twilight" Book Fair, along with eleven other titles to appeal to readers of YA Paranormal Romance and Fantasy.  Check out the link below and grab some new reads...many available for less than a buck or for free!

BOOKS FOR FANS OF TWILIGHT 

BOOK FAIR

Author Panel + #Book Signing #Hyannis! #YA #CapeCod #amwriting Cape Cod

A lot has been going on in my writing life this past week!  I had an Author Panel last Thursday evening at Bourne Library, as part of their Beach Buddy Book Club summer program (my Young Adult Paranormal Romance, Divine Fall, was one of their picks).  Friday, a fabulous article came out in a local newspaper, with an interview about my new Romantic Suspense release, Dangerous Currents.  Saturday, I did a book signing at Market Street Bookshop, and admittedly, the rainy weather resulted in a great day for me, as Mashpee Commons, where the book store is located, was mobbed with shoppers who couldn't visit the beach that day.  I hope that everyone who purchased one of my books took the opportunity to put their feet up, relax, and get lost in steamy romance, secrets, and page-turning suspense!

Cape Cod Teen Writers Conference is FREE!
Please help support the conference by joining
us at the Author Panel and Book Signing on 8/8

Tomorrow, I'm thrilled to be a guest instructor at the second annual Cape Cod Teen Writers Conference in Hyannis.  I was part of the conference last year, and this year, it's completely sold out!  I love sharing my passion with aspiring authors, and I'm going to discuss Goal, Motivation, and Conflict, as well as the hook and the inciting incident.


After the conference wraps up on Wednesday, I'll be back for the Author Panel.  This is open to the public with a ticket purchase, and tickets sales will go toward offsetting the conference expenses, as it is offered FREE to the teens who sign up! 

So if you're in the area and interested in chatting with a group of authors (all of us write Young Adult novels, many, like myself, also write other genres) please join us!  Bring your questions on writing, publishing, etc., and find some new reads as well.  Tickets can be purchased at this link:  Eventbrite.  The event scheduled for August 8th from 1:00 to 4:00 and will be held at the Double Tree Hotel in Hyannis, near the Cape Cod Mall.  Hope to see you there!

Revenge, Romance, and a Rogue Fallen Angel...
DIVINE FALL is the winner of The Romance Review's Best YA Romance 2015!

Author Panel + #Book Signing in #Bourne! Cape Cod #YA #amreading #CapeCod

I'll be chatting with readers and signing books this Thursday evening from 6 - 7:30 p.m. at the Jonathan Bourne Library, located at 19 Sandwich Rd. in Bourne, along with several other authors who write Young Adult novels (many of us, including myself, also write books that are not YA, and we'll bring some of those too!)  There's still time download the selected "Beach Buddy Books" for FREE as well, if you'd like to register, but it's not required, and you can also pick up signed print copies that night!  An ideal event for aspiring authors of all ages as well as for adult and teen readers.  For more info on the specific books selected for the library's summer reading, see below!

I'm thrilled to share that my Young Adult Paranormal Romance, DIVINE FALL, is one of four novels being offered for FREE summer reading as part of the Jonathan Bourne Library's "Beach Buddy Book Club".  Cape Cod-area teens can register at Bourne Library's website and receive codes to download electronic copies of any (or all) of the four titles: Divine Fall, Undertow, Descent, and Any Way You Slice It.  Then choose a buddy or two to read along with--friend, parent, cousin, sibling, etc.--and enjoy the stories together!  Plus, you can also meet the authors and ask questions or chat about characters on Thursday, August 2nd at the Bourne Library from 6-7:30 pm.

Winner of The Romance Review's Readers' Choice Award in YA

If you'd like to try Divine Fall but aren't in the Cape Cod area, you can still download it for only 99 cents on Kindle or Nook right now!  Find the links below...Happy Reading!

Divine Fall on Kindle

Divine Fall on Nook

"The action is nonstop and nail-bitingly good.  I was on the edge of my seat...
the twists and turns kept me constantly surprised." - Where Books Lead Us

DIVINE FALL is a Beach Buddy #Book Club read at #Bourne Library! #YA #CapeCod #angels #horses #Free!

I'm thrilled to share that my Young Adult Paranormal Romance, DIVINE FALL, is one of four novels being offered for FREE summer reading as part of the Jonathan Bourne Library's "Beach Buddy Book Club".  Cape Cod-area teens can register at Bourne Library's website and receive codes to download electronic copies of any (or all) of the four titles: Divine Fall, Undertow, Descent, and Any Way You Slice It.  Then choose a buddy or two to read along with--friend, parent, cousin, sibling, etc.--and enjoy the stories together!  Plus, you can also meet the authors and ask questions or chat about characters on Thursday, August 2nd at the Bourne Library from 6-7:30 pm.

Winner of The Romance Review's Readers' Choice Award in YA

If you'd like to try Divine Fall but aren't in the Cape Cod area, you can still download it for only 99 cents on Kindle or Nook right now!  Find the links below...Happy Reading!

Divine Fall on Kindle

Divine Fall on Nook

Last Day to Enter! #Giveaway #Goodreads #YA #Paranormal #Romance

Ahhhh I've been SO busy--just finished novel #5, working on the editing and synopsis (ugh), gearing up for an audiobook release (yay), and starting a new writing class, I nearly forgot about this Goodreads Giveaway I scheduled to coincide with Valentine's Day!  Hurry if you'd like to enter, Feb. 4th is the last day!  You'll get a signed paperback during the perfect month for love stories.

REVENGE, ROMANCE, + A ROGUE FALLEN ANGEL...

Divine Fall is a Young Adult Paranormal Romance featuring forbidden first love and supernatural secrets:

After tragedy tears Jamie Brandt's life apart, her only goal is to finish high school so she can leave her small hometown behind. In the meantime, riding her horse is her main source of solace, until a mysterious stable hand shows up at the barn. There's something not quite right about the handsome new employee, and the more Jamie sees of him, the more determined she becomes to figure out what he's hiding. 


Dothan Reed came to historic Huntsville, Maryland, for one reason--revenge. But his plan can't move forward until he finds the missing piece he needs to enhance his powers. As the only surviving Nephilim, Dothan is not only weaker than full-blooded angels; his forbidden lineage makes him an outcast in both worlds. When he discovers Jamie is the key to locating an ancient weapon, he's forced to interact with a vulnerable human girl--a task that becomes more appealing with each encounter. 

Jamie soon learns Dothan isn't the only one with a dark secret. Each new revelation further threatens her safety, and Dothan's betrayal shatters her heart. Forgiving him seems impossible, but the thought of turning her back on him is equally painful. 


As their connection deepens, Dothan will have to make his own difficult choice: continue on his path of vengeance, or protect the girl he loves. And when Dothan's actions thrust Jamie into an unforeseen danger, he must seek the help of his enemy...or risk losing her forever.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Divine Fall

by Kathryn Knight

Giveaway ends February 04, 2018.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

If you missed the deadline or want to make sure you grab your copy, you can also get the ebook on Kindle or Nook for less than a buck!

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

How Small Promo Efforts Lead to Big Things! #writingtips #amwriting

Making time for promotion, and then actually finding effective ways to get your name out there, can be a real challenge for authors—especially when we’re deeply involved in a story and we’d prefer to stay in our fictional world and write.  But putting yourself out there can really pay off as well, and I’m sharing today how doing local events and getting my name in the paper led to a dream-come-true opportunity—signing books beside the “Queen of Suspense”, Mary Higgins Clark, as well as many other very well-known authors whose books I have enjoyed.  This post originally appeared as an "Authors Boosting Authors" (ABA) installment in an ongoing series organized by an author friend who also writes for my publisher--check out other posts for more insights and ideas on writing and promo here!

Last spring, I received an email asking if I would be interested in participating in an author panel and book signing event at the end of the summer, with no details other than the proceeds would benefit Dream Day on Cape Cod, an organization bringing children with life-threatening illnesses to Cape Cod for relaxation and vacation time with family.  I had no idea who the other authors on the panel would be, but I immediately said yes—a chance to help children and gain visibility for my novels in a win/win.  I didn’t learn the identity of the author panel until a few weeks prior to the event, and you should have seen my expression when I opened the promotional flier and saw “Mary Higgins Clark” next to my name.  Then I saw other very well-known names such as Hank Phillipi Ryan, Sally Cabot Gunning, and Jacquelyn Mitchard and nearly fell off my stool at the kitchen island.

A dream come true!  Signing books alongside Mary Higgins Clark

A little background into what this meant to me.  I’ve always been a voracious reader, and throughout my childhood, my father would bring home stacks of library books each week, selected with the help of the local librarian.  That’s how I discovered a ghost story/sweet romance entitled Jane-Emily, a novel which inspired my own books many years later.  But when I would inevitably finish all the library books in a few days, I’d turn to raiding my mother’s bookcase.  And that’s how I first found Mary Higgins Clark’s debut novel, Where Are The Children?

I can still remember my pulse racing as I tore through the pages.  I quickly hunted down the two other paperbacks we owned, A Stranger is Watching and The Cradle Will Fall.  Over the years, I read all three again many times in between waiting for new releases.  And before I began writing my debut novel, Silver Lake, I re-read Where Are The Children? as a lesson on building tension and suspense.  I was surprised to discover the book was set on Cape Cod, a place which meant little to me as a child, but has now become my home for the last 18 years. 

What a great night the event was!  It was held at the Cape Cod Museum of Art, and it was entitled Art, Word, and Wine, organized by and benefiting Dream Day on Cape Cod.  There were nine authors in total, each with a large table displaying our books, bios, and cards, and while we signed books there, Brewster Book Store employees took care of the sales.  Local shops offered wine tasting and appetizers, and there was a large raffle table as well.  We had a 45 minute author panel with a quick Q&A session; for the most part, we signed books at our tables and chatted with attendees.

My table at Art, Word, and Wine

I was able to chat quite a bit with Mary Higgins Clark and Hank Phillipi Ryan, whose tables were near mine.  What an honor!  Mary Higgins Clark signed my author panel name card on request, and was so very gracious about it, and Hank Phillipi Ryan suggested I Facebook friend her.  Done!  Quite a few of my friends came to the event, as well as a number of members of the gym where I work.  I met a lot of new people as well, including the County Administrator of Barnstable, who works right near the Old Haunted Jail from my novel Haunted Souls (which he purchased and said he enjoyed very much in follow-up emails!).  Since the building in that area (Barnstable Village) are so old and filled with history—and possibly ghosts, per our local paranormal society—he offered to give me a tour of some areas “off limits” to the general public, which was a fabulous experience.  The pictures and notes can be found in this post; and for a taste of some Cape Cod spooky suspense mixed with steamy romance, give my latest release, Haunted Souls, a try!

Haunted Souls was one of the Top 3 Books of 2016 at Read Free.ly!
A damaged soldier, a secret baby, and a haunting mystery...
Coming to Audible Dec. 2017!

**If you're in the Cape Cod area, I'll be participating in another author panel this Friday--this one is comprised specifically of Authors of Young Adult fiction, and again, I'm thrilled to be participating with some very famous authors!  More info on that event can be found here.

In the ABA series, posts end with a specific writing tip and a specific promo tip, so here are mine...please share yours in the comments below! 

Writing Tip:  This goes along with trying to balance time between writing, promo, and life in general, and it speaks to me because I’m not a speedy writer.  It’s advice from Chris Bohjalian, an author I enjoy, who writes in several genres.  “Write one terrific sentence. Don’t worry about anything else – not where the story is going, not where it should end. Don’t pressure yourself to write 500 or 1,000 words this morning. Just write 10 or 15 ones that are very, very sound.” – Chris Bohjalian, from his Goodreads author page Q & A.

Promo Tip:  Again, relating to this post…get your name out there!  Every time I do an event, whether it’s a book signing, a reading, a class, etc., I make sure the event is listed on the online events calendars of all the local publications.  It’s something you can easily do yourself, and it’s free promotion, and it also leads to bigger things.  Aside from the book signing I discussed above, I’ve been contacted and asked to display my books at a local bank, appear at a salon open house, talk to a high school creative writing class…so many opportunities pop up just from letting people in the community know that I write novels!

Happy Writing!

Cape Cod #YA #Author Panel ~ #CapeCod #amwriting

I blogged a few weeks ago about the 2017 Cape Cod Teen Writers Conference, and I'm happy to announce that registration is full...it's going to be a great week!  And I'm excited to be part of the panel of YA Authors coming together Friday evening to share our experiences in writing and publishing, discuss our books, and answer questions.  We'll all have books for sale--signed and personalized for readers, of course--as well as plenty of swag! 

Since it's a YA Panel, I'll be highlighting my Young Adult novel, DIVINE FALL, a paranormal romance filled with forbidden first love and supernatural secrets.  But I'll also have my other titles available for purchase as well, as we expect readers and writers of all ages to attend.  And the best part?  It's free!  So come meet 12 YA Authors and find some new characters to spend time with this summer!

Revenge, Romance, and a Rogue Fallen Angel in DIVINE FALL
Winner of the Reader's Choice Award in YA at The Romance Reviews

Some very popular names in YA fiction will be there; the panel consists of: Amy Ewing, Emily Ross, Huntley Fitzpatrick, Kristy Acevedo, Hillary Monahan/Eva Darrows, Meg Kassel, Michael Bailey, Alex Lidell, Katie Bayerl, Kim Savage, and the conference organizer, K.R. Conway.  Oh, and me!  As a group, we write in a variety of genres within YA, including romance, horror, fantasy, dystopian, and combinations of all of the above.  

Author Night is Friday, August 4th, from 6 to 8 pm at Barnstable United Elementary School in Marstons Mills.  More info can be found on the website, here.  

As the last Nephilim, he'll risk his life to seek his revenge...
but will he risk hers?

#Free Teen #Writing Class ~ Cape Cod #amwriting #CapeCod #YA

The first annual Cape Cod Teen Writers Conference is coming up!  Aspiring young writers can sign up this year for FREE, thanks to the generosity of Marstons Mills library, Barnstable Public Schools, and Titcomb's Bookshop, and organized by my friend and local author (and instructor) K.R. Conway.  More information can be found at the link below, as well as links to register.  The conference is open to writers between the ages of 13 and 19 and runs from July 31st to August 4th, from nine to noon daily.  

On the final day, a YA Author Panel is scheduled for the evening, with 11 authors of Young Adult novels answering questions, signing books, and chatting with attendees...and this is open to ALL age groups, again for free.  I'm thrilled to be part of the panel, and I'll have copies of my YA Paranormal Romance DIVINE FALL, winner of The Romance Review's 2015 Readers' Choice Award in YA Romance, as well as one of the five Finalists for the coveted Reader's Crown Award from RomCon in 2015.  My other titles, which have older protagonists and combine steamy romance with ghost mysteries, will also be available for signing and purchase.

Revenge, Romance, and a Rogue Fallen Angel...

No registration is necessary to come to the Author Panel, so feel free to come visit with us on Friday, August 4th, from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m., at Barnstable United School, 720 Osterville-West Barnstable Road, in Marstons Mills.  

Cape Cod Teen Writers Conference 2017 website 

"The hero is swoon-worthy" #YA #Angels #Paranormal #Romance #Review

DIVINE FALL, my Young Adult Paranormal Romance, was featured recently on the site YA Insiders, with a fabulous review entitled "Love it!" ~ things that make an author's week!  The entirety of the review is linked here, but a few of my favorite phrases are "perfect blend of fiction and romance", "the hero is swoon-worthy", and "will keep you on the edge of your seat, longing for more".  It was chosen as one of Book Bub's 14 Books to Get You in the Mood for Fall as well, so why not grab your copy today and curl up with a warm drink and cozy blanket for some forbidden love and supernatural secrets?  The best part is still to come...it's only 99 cents on Kindle and Nook...less than a buck!  Happy Reading!

  

5* #Review "Dark Tale of #Suspense" #YA #Paranormal #Romance #Angels

My YA Paranormal Romance, DIVINE FALL, was on Netgalley during the month of September, and a wonderful review from Tome Tender showed up last week!  I'm sharing the link to the review here, along with a reminder that the Kindle and Nook versions are currently 99 cents ~ so you can get a new paranormal read filled with forbidden first love and supernatural secrets for the Halloween season for less than a buck!  And if you're looking for more spooky stories for the season, try one of my ghost mystery romances!

TOME TENDER REVIEW of Divine Fall

Divine Fall on #NetGalley! #YA #Paranormal #Romance #pnr #review

Although I’ve been a published author now since 2011, this September will be my very first experience with NetGalley, a service that matches readers willing to post reviews with free digital copies of books.  My publisher had not been involved in the program until this year, so I’m very excited to now have an opportunity to introduce my novels to avid readers and hopefully garner some additional reviews, which are so important on retail sites. 

My latest release, Haunted Souls, is scheduled for NetGalley in October, since the Halloween season is perfect for ghost stories.  Then a slot opened up for September, and we decided to put one of my backlist titles, Divine Fall, into the opening.  Although it came out in 2014, it will still be “new” to many readers in this crowded market, and since the story takes place in September, it’s a good fit.  In fact, the word “Fall” in the title not only refers to the season, but also fallen angels and falling in love.  And in this case, it’s an unexpected and dangerous fall into a forbidden relationship.

Last autumn, the prestigious BookBub posted a wonderful article on 14 Perfect Novels for Fall, and Divine Fall was on it, along with some very popular books by well-known authors like Nora Roberts, Debbie Macomber, Lisa Kleypas, Elizabeth Lowell, and Diane Setterfield (The Thirteenth Tale was one of my favorite books...it's such a match for my tastes that not one but TWO of my friends bought it for me for my birthday...so seeing my title next to it on a recommendation list was a huge moment!)  I'm hoping this fall it will be a good fit for readers' lists as autumn once again approaches.

So if you’re on NetGalley and you’re a fan of Young Adult Paranormal Romance, Forbidden first love, and supernatural secrets, put in a request for Divine Fall!  And next month, look for Haunted Souls, a steamy military romance mixed with a ghost mystery.  Happy reading!

eta: It's October!  Divine Fall is no longer available on NetGalley, but Haunted Souls is - find it here.

Teaching a #Free Writing Class at #BarnesAndNoble! #YA #BFestBuzz #Dartmouth #amwriting

It's been a whirlwind week for me with the release of my latest novel, HAUNTED SOULS, and now I'm gearing up to teach a FREE Creative Writing Class for teens tomorrow at the Barnes and Noble in Dartmouth, MA.  This is a great opportunity for young aspiring authors, and it's part of the Barnes and Noble BFest, a Teen Book Festival taking place at Barnes and Noble locations nationwide from June 10 - 12!  We start at 2:00 pm and will go for about an hour, discussing topics such as Goal, Motivation, and Conflict, inciting incidents, and log lines.  I'll be signing copies of my Young Adult Paranormal Romance DIVINE FALL as well, so you can grab a personalized new read for the summer filled with forbidden first love and supernatural secrets!  If you're in the Dartmouth area, I hope to see you there!  Here's the Facebook link for additional information: Barnes and Noble Dartmouth BFest

Book Signing Weekend at #Hyannis Harbor! #CapeCod #Barnstable #amwriting

Two of the Artist Shanties, a group of
studios along Hyannis Harbor
featuring hand-crafted work of
Cape Cod artists and authors -
the blue one will be ours!

I have a busy weekend lined up!  I’ll be signing books all weekend at the Hyannis Artist Shanties at Hyannis Harbor with two other Cape Cod authors, Katie O’Sullivan and K.R. Conway.  Between the three of us, we have a dozen titles for adults and teens, in genres including romance, paranormal suspense, urban fantasy, and young adult.  So if you’re in the Cape Cod area, stop by to grab some new summer reads!  We’ll be there in the Barnstable Shanty from 11 am – 7 pm on Friday, May 20, Saturday May 21, and Sunday, May 22.

Unfortunately, my upcoming release HAUNTED SOULS, a military romance/ghost mystery set in Barnstable Village, will not be available yet, but you can pre-order on Kindle or Nook to have it automatically download on June 1, the official release date.  GULL HARBOR, a #1 Amazon Bestseller, will be available in print copies, and this is also a steamy romance + spooky ghost story set on Cape.  Between the three authors, we’ll have a number of novels with local settings, so if you’re just visiting, you can take a piece of Cape Cod home with you.

Love that my new earrings
look like both leaves and
hearts...it echoes the multiple
meanings of "Fall" in Divine
Fall's title: falling in love, the
season fall, & fallen angels.

The Artist Shanties are a group of cute little stand-alone “studios” right along the water, and offerings vary by weekend, and all items available are handmade or handcrafted by the artist.  The site has a link to all the artists and their work, along with the dates they’ll be there.  I visited last weekend and ended up buying some beautiful earrings from the jewelry artists in the Shanty we’ll be in this weekend.  They go perfectly with my DIVINE FALL book cover pendant, which is one of my favorite necklaces.

So we’re keeping our fingers crossed for gorgeous weather and lots of visitors, as spring seems to have finally arrived here.  Find us in the light blue Barnstable Shanty on Ocean Street, across from The Black Cat restaurant, and pick out your next great read!

Guest Teaching a H.S. Creative Writing Class! #amwriting #HONY

Tomorrow is a big day!  Before Thanksgiving, I received an email from an ELA teacher at the local high school, asking if I'd like to come in as a guest speaker in his Creative Writing Class.  Of course I said yes--what an opportunity to share my passion for writing!  I've been teaching a course on Fiction Writing for the local community college for a while now, and my adult participants have all seemed to really enjoy it--but I have little experience creating a lesson plan for a single visit to a class of high school students.

The teacher and I exchanged emails until we worked out a topic for discussion: Goal, Motivation, and Conflict, which is something I spend quite a bit of time on in my own class.  But with the time constraints, we needed to come up with some short examples to analyze after the lecture.  We tossed around a few ideas, and then I hit on something I hope will be engaging, interesting, and effective: two Greek myths full of drama, action, and tragedy.  Once I review the concepts of GMC, we will work as a group to build the GMC charts for several of the characters in each myth.

Then the teacher came up with a great idea for an accompanying exercise for the students after the discussion.  They're going to break into groups and visit the amazing Humans of New York site (HONY).  Many of the stories that accompany the photos reveal the subject's struggle--and often, in the longer stories, it is possible to discern the very real elements of GMC that people face every day.  Students will pick one of the photos and tell us about that person in terms of their goal (what they hope for or dream of), their motivation (why they want this), and the conflict (what they will have to overcome to achieve their dream).  This should be a powerful discussion.

I truly hope the class finds the lesson useful and educational.  And in an odd twist, I discovered that the Beta reader I worked with for DIVINE FALL, my Young Adult Paranormal Romance, is in the class!  Since the protagonist in the book is a 16-year-old girl, and I am not, I contacted the school's volunteer office a few years ago to see if anyone was interested in taking on the project.  So I will get to thank her personally once again, and perhaps motivate some other aspiring writers to become Beta readers in order to learn more about the process.

It is late and the class is early, so I need to get to bed.  Fingers crossed for a great class tomorrow.

DIVINE FALL is up for the Red Carpet Award! #YA #angels #romance

Over the summer, DIVINE FALL received a fabulous 4.5 star review from BTS eMag, calling it a "delicious YA filled with love, rich in history, suspense, and enough twists to keep the reader turning the pages".  The reviewer also said it was perfect for fans of The Mortal Instruments series, which had me grinning ear to ear.

Books the receive high reviews in their magazine automatically get nominated for their Red Carpet Book Awards, which is very exciting!  I'll admit, with the voting period over our crazy Thanksgiving travels, I'm way behind on asking people to vote.  But I'd still love to get a few before the voting closes on December 8th.

So if you have time for one click -- no sign in, no registration -- I'd appreciate it!  The voting link is HERE, and Divine Fall is a little less than halfway down.  Thank you!  And if you want to give it a read, it's currently only 99 cents - less than a cup of coffee for hours of entertainment involving forbidden first love and supernatural secrets.  Find it on Kindle here and the blurb and other retailers here.