New Beginnings

Today for me the start of a new week also means the start of a new story. I always get really excited about starting a new WIP (work in progress). I babble about the story to anyone who will listen, I run key scenes in my mind when I'm walking the dog or taking a bath and then I suddenly disappear...

When I'm writing a story I delve right into it. I stop talking about it and just start...living it I guess. It can be quite consuming but I love it, especially when it's a story I'm crazy excited about. But as the excitement wears off I feel bad for all the other ideas I've brushed aside in honor of this current one. I saw a writer on Twitter talking about how each time she publishes a book she breathes a sigh of relief as it's another story out there because she fears she might not live long enough to write all the stories within her.

And as morbid as that is I totally relate to that. I have a growing list of stories I just have to write. Until they are all down I'll keep having this gnawing emptiness within me, this incessant need to just keep writing. Because writing isn't a choice, its an involuntary impulse like breathing. Both are equally essential to my well being. I know, I know I sound like I'm being WAY overly dramatic but I'm truly not. When I look back at the unhappiest moments in my life they are always the times when I've not been writing. Writing keeps me sane, it keeps me happy.

I just hope that one day I do get to write all of the books residing within me. With each new start to a story I'm one step closer to completing my literary bucket list!

So here's to a new week, a new story and numerous new chapters!

xoxo

Extract from Dare to Dream

I'm really excited because the ebook of Dare to Dream is released a week today! Woo! In honour of the impending release I wanted to share an extract of the story on my blog today. 

The lead character in the story, Maggie Trafford, is very much an outsider and even invisible in the chaos of our own home. In the Trafford household, her siblings choose any moment to be disruptive, even dinner time...

Meal times were perhaps the most chaotic moments of all. The family were forced to cramp six seats around a table meant for only four, which meant that an awful lot of pushing and shoving occurred. Maggie would have been much happier eating her dinner alone upstairs, but her mother insisted on them all dining together in an ill-judged attempt at creating some family unity. The boys were always first to the table and would wolf down their food as if they hadn’t eaten in weeks. The girls talked as much as they ate, which meant that they took longer. Their mother always began by attempting polite small talk, asking each of them how their day had been, but it always somehow managed to erupt into a huge argument and dinner would end with people leaving the table angrily, followed by a succession of slamming doors. Once, Jack had punched Kyle over a dispute at school that they had not managed to settle during the day. Their mother had cried that night.

This mealtime played out like all the ones before it: this time it was Catherine and April who were having a heated exchange over their spaghetti bolognaise. The argument reached a head when Catherine called April a slut, to which April’s reply was to throw the remainder of her dinner over her sister’s head. It was a typical dinner in the Trafford household. Maggie began cleaning away the dishes whilst her mother wiped clean a sobbing Catherine. April, not wanting to be disciplined, had slunk off during the chaos to her friend’s house across the street. It was unlikely that she would return that night.

With dinner having drawn to a dramatic conclusion, the family had dispersed for the evening. Catherine was with their mother in the small living room watching the soaps, while Jack and Kyle had gone out to meet friends and play soccer, which seemed dubious considering how cold and dark it was. Maggie was pretty certain that they had gone somewhere with much less noble intentions, probably to drink cheap cider and smoke cigarettes, but she had learnt what happened when she told of their plans and so she kept quiet. Now that the house was relatively empty, she could at last relax and begin to unwind after a hectic day. Maggie chose to have a bath: it was one of her favorite things to do. She loved nothing more than to lie amongst the warm bubbles and let her mind wander. It offered her a rare chance to be alone and was more often than not the highlight of her day.

To win a signed paperback copy of Dare to Dream head over to Goodreads

xoxo

Meet Dawn Brady

Since it's #TeaserTuesday I thought I'd put the spotlight on one of the main characters in Dare to Dream; Dawn Brady. Dawn is Maggie's fiercely loyal best friend who proves that she's more than just a pretty blonde. So I'll let Dawn do something she's pretty good at, which is talking about herself...


Hi, okay, so I'm Dawn Brady. You have probably already heard of me. I'm fourteen and I go to Bainbridge Wells High which is just a dump. I think there are prisons which are nicer than my crappy school! But it's not all bad. Mags is there. 

Mags, Maggie, is my BFF and I love her to bits. She's seriously the smartest person I've ever met! We do pretty much everything together. Maggie even watches my Hartford's Place DVDs with me even though I can tell she doesn't like it since she can never keep track of who is dating who. But I LOVE Hartford's Place it is like, the best show ever! I wish my school was more like Hartford High, full of hot guys with great suntans and ripped abs...

What else is there to say? Umm. Well si My favorite flavor ice cream is cherry, I never leave home without my lip gloss and my inhaler and I can just about wrap my leg around my head. It's pretty much the only thing I picked up when my Mum used to make me take gymnastics lessons. I don't really do sports. Sweating is just...urgh. Wrong. 

I can't wait to leave Bainbridge. As soon as school finishes I'm getting the hell out of there and I'm taking Maggie with me! Though I'm pretty sure she's destined to go to some hot shot university like Oxford or Cambridge. So maybe I'd follow her to London, I don't know. What I do know is that Mags is my best friend, without her life would totally suck. She makes me laugh and actually listens to me. I'd follow Mags to the ends of the earth if she asked me because that's what best friends do. 

 xoxo

Want to read more about Dawn and Maggie? Well you don't have to wait long as Dare to Dream is officially being released on 17th February! That's just a few weeks away! Until then make sure you add Dare to Dream on goodreads are there will be some exciting competitions being announced on there shortly!

The Motivation Behind Dare to Dream

Since it won't be long until Dare to Dream is released in to the big wide world I'm going to focus my next few blog posts on the book because it's my newest book baby and I'm crazy proud of it!

Today I want to share what motivated me to write Dare to Dream. In a nutshell I was inspired by a book I read.

A few years ago I read Cormac McCarthy's The Road. For those of you not familiar with the story it is a harrowing tale of a father and son struggling to cope in the aftermath of an apocalypse. We are never told what plunged the world in to despair, just that it had happened. McCarthy sort of drops the reader in to the bleak wilderness and encourages them to follow along with the main characters and will them to survive.

The end of the world is not a great place to be there is no denying that. But as I read the book I started thinking about how I'd love to have read the story which occurred before The Road, where I'd be given an insight in to what happened.

As a writer I'm always keen to push my characters to their limits as it is when people are pushed to extremes that they are at their most interesting and revealing. And it is from this place that the original idea for Dare to Dream was born.

When I was writing the story it was called Maggie Trafford Dreams of Armageddon. Kind of lengthy, right? The story was about a teenage girl who preempts the end of the world. I wanted to give my story an anchor through Maggie, I also didn't want to paint as bleak a picture as McCarthy did because I think however dark it might be at the end of the world, hope will always manage to shine through.

Maggie is hopeful, brave and fiercely determined. Dare to Dream details the start of her story but it is far from over.

I can't wait to share Maggie's journey with everyone. It would be amazing if her story prompted someone to write a book of their own! ; )

If release day feels too far away don't despair as Reuts are starting to filter tantalizing teasers in to the world so make sure to follow them on Twitter so you don't miss anything!

And check out Dare to Dream over on goodreads as I've got a feeling there might be some competitions launching over there soon...

xoxo

Cover Reveal for Tied Up With Love

January has been an exciting month for cover reveals and I'm thrilled to share another one on my blog today, the cover for Amelia Thorne's second novel, Tied Up With Love. Amelia is a fellow CarinaUK author so I'm delighted to be able to take part in her big reveal today! 

So without further delay check out the beautiful cover below;

Isn't the cover beautiful?

And here's the fabulous blurb;

‘We’re from KMW. Do exactly as you’re told and you won’t get hurt...'

Being grabbed off the street, blind folded, tied up and thrown into a van was not what Izzy expected to happen when she stepped out the door that morning. But when an accidental kidnapping at the hands of the sexy Ethan Chase and his 'Kidnap My Wife' sexual fantasy business leads to just that, Izzy seizes the chance to turn her misfortune into a brilliant new job opportunity…

Since then, life has been one big tangle of new client meetings, fake kidnapping pick-ups, and handling the temperamental, but drop dead gorgeous 'bad boy' Mr Chase. But, as liberating as being tied up in Ethan's life is, Izzy knows the time is fast approaching when she must make some decisions and take charge of her future. The only question is: will Ethan allow himself to be a part of it?

Sounds awesome, right?

Head over to Goodreads now and add it to your TBR pile! I know I will be!

xoxo

Cover Reveal for Dare to Dream

It's here!

I'm so thrilled to be able to share the absolutely stunning cover for my upcoming YA novel, Dare to Dream!

I hope you all love it as much as I do as I think it is stunning and perfectly reflects the themes of the book! Speaking of which, check out the official blurb below;

“The world was going to end. Of that, Maggie Trafford was certain.”


Fourteen-year-old Maggie Trafford leads a normal life. Well, as normal as being crammed in a three-bedroom house with four siblings and a single parent can be, anyway. But despite being somewhat ignored at home, Maggie excels, earning top grades, a best friend who would do anything for her, and stolen looks from a boy in Maths. 

It’s not until the dreams start that Maggie realizes “normal” is the least of her problems. Every night, she lives the same nightmare—red lightning, shattered glass, destruction. But nightmares are just that, right? No one believes her when she says it’s an omen. At least, not until the already mysterious pillars of Stonehenge start falling. 

No longer alone in her fear, Maggie and the world watch with bated breath as one after another, the historic stones tumble, like a clock counting down. But only Maggie knows what it means: when the last stone falls, destruction will reign. And when the world ends, there’s only one option left—survive.

Horrifying and raw, Dare to Dream is equal parts tragedy and hope, detailing the aftermath of apocalyptic catastrophe, the quest for survival, and the importance of belief.

If that has piqued your interest then you'll be pleased to know that book is available for download via the Reuts website and my editor and I are busy frantically working to get the book out in the big wide world as soon as possible!

http://www.reuts.com/store/books/dare-dream-electronic/

I must extend a massive thank you to everyone who has been involved in the cover reveal today. You are all truly awesome and I'm sending numerous virtual hugs your way! 

So do check out these amazing blogs to hear what other people have to say about Dare to Dream's haunting cover;

http://prettylittlememoirs.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/cover-reveal-dare-to-dream-by-carys.html

http://bookreviewsbyem.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/i-am-delighted-to-be-able-to-take-part.html

http://beccasbooooks.blogspot.co.uk/

http://melodywinterbooks.blogspot.co.uk/

https://hollymartinwriter.wordpress.com/2015/01/20/cover-reveal-for-dare-to-dream/

http://busybrunettesbookshelf.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/cover-reveal-dare-to-dream.html?spref=tw

http://bookbuddiesph.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/cover-reveal-dare-to-dream-by-carys.html

http://nicoleatone.com/cover-reveal-dare-to-dream/

https://misswishlade.wordpress.com/2015/01/20/coverreveal-dare-to-dream-by-tiny_dancer85-reutspub/

http://whathappenedtothewallflower.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/cover-reveal-dare-to-dream.html

http://www.seriouslydaph.com/?p=952

http://www.juliaessenburg.com/?p=157

xoxo

Cover Reveal for Sachael Dreams by Melody Winter

Today I'm really excited to be helping out a member of the Reuts family with a fantastic cover reveal for Sachael Dreams! Fellow Brit and all round fabulous writer, Melody Winter, has a New Adult romance coming out next month with Reuts and it sounds epic! Think dramatic twist on mermaid mythology epic! You can see the stunning cover below which is elegant, mysterious and so so beautiful! 

Twenty-two-year-old Estelle Bailey has had enough of busy city-life and her hot-tempered ex. She escapes to the seclusion and peace of her family’s clifftop home in Ravenscar, where the soothing solitude whispers to her soul as strongly as the sea itself does. But her newfound contentment is interrupted when a mysterious man—a Sachael, master of seduction—joins her midnight swim unexpectedly.

Estelle struggles against his charm and the overpowering attraction she feels for him. He offers her a life she never could have imagined, a life beneath the waves . . . but at what cost? Before she can decide, she’s captured, ensnared by the Sect, a secret enemy of the Sachaels, becoming a pawn in a war she knew nothing about.

Now, she’s left with a new choice—escape the clutches of the Sect and flee into the ocean, or side with her alluring, intimidating captor and destroy the Sachaels forever. Can she turn her back on the man she might love, or will the secret of her heritage change everything?

Set against a picturesque backdrop, Sachael Dreams is the first in a new series, exploring themes of romance, love, and identity, and the struggle that happens when all three collide.

Growing up, Melody Winter showed a natural ability in art, a head for maths, and a tendency to write far too long English essays. Difficult to place in the world when she graduated, she pursued a career in teaching, but eventually ended up working in Finance. Melody is convinced the methodical time she spends working with numbers fuels her desire to drift into dream worlds and write about the illusory characters in her head.

Melody Winter lives in North Yorkshire, England, with her husband and two sons. When not dealing with football, rugby, and a whole plethora of ‘boy’ activities, she will be found scribbling notes for her stories, or preparing for another trip to the beach. With an obsession for anything mythical, Melody revels in reading and writing about such creatures. In fact, if she wasn’t such a terrible swimmer, she’d say she was a mermaid.

Sachael Dreams is her debut novel, and the first in her New Adult Romantic Fantasy series—the ‘Mine Series’.

You can view more of Melody Winter on her website, Twitter or Facebook. 

Make sure to add Sachael Dreams to your TBR list today; https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22209539-sachael-dreams

Also, you can pre-order Sachael Dreams prior to it's release on 24th February directly through the Reuts website; http://www.reuts.com/store/books/sachael-dreams-pre-order/

I think you'll all agree that the cover for Sachael Dreams is absolutely gorgeous! I for one can't wait to get my hands on a copy! 

xoxo