Please welcome Krysten with her new teen / young adult novel:

COMPETING WITH THE STAR

by Krysten Lindsay Hager

Genre: Young Adult

Blurb:

Hadley Daniels’s life seems perfect…

Before the beginning of sophomore year of high school, Hadley and her family move to a beautiful beach town, where she makes amazing new friends and lands the boyfriend of her dreams—Nick Jenkins. He’s the kind of guy every girl swoons over, and it isn’t long until Hadley discovers some are still swooning.

A famous ex-girlfriend makes matters more complicated…

After some time dating, Hadley and Nick form a deep bond. But insecurity sets in when Hadley discovers her boyfriend once had a huge crush on her friend—who just happens to be the beautiful former teen TV star, Simone Hendrickson.

The past is the past—or so they say…

Hadley confronts Nick, who confesses about his history with Simone. Though he claims to only have eyes for Hadley now, it’s hard to believe—especially when she’s blindsided with the news that Nick and Simone kissed after school.

Now Hadley must determine who is telling the truth. Love, betrayal, friendship…who needs soap opera drama when you’re busy competing with a star?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Krysten Lindsay Hager is an obsessive reader and has never met a bookstore she didn’t like. She’s worked as a journalist and humor essayist, and writes for teens, tweens, and adults. She is the author of the Landry’s True Colors Series and her work has been featured in USA Today and named as Amazon’s #1 Hot New Releases in Teen & Young Adult Values and Virtues Fiction and Amazon’s #1 Hot New Releases in Children’s Books on Values. She’s originally from Michigan and has lived in South Dakota, Portugal, and southwestern Ohio. She received her master’s degree from the University of Michigan-Flint.

WEBSITE: http://www.krystenlindsay.com/

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/krystenlindsay/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/KrystenLindsay

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/KrystenLindsayHagerAuthor

PINTEREST: https://www.pinterest.com/krystenlindsay/

Buy links:

Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.com/B01CQ47Z2S

Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.com/1680585495

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0149HTAK0

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/competing-with-the-star-krysten-lindsay-hager/1123539654?ean=9781680585490

What readers are saying about Competing with the Star:

From Reader’s Favorite:

Competing With The Star is the continuation of Krysten Lindsay Hager's epic YA drama series, The Star Series. Through a captivating plot, amazing character development, and Krysten's flawless writing, the story captures the true essence of the drama, confusion, and em

otional high that is teenage romance. It brings to life the beauty of YA romance with all its uncertainties and possibilities. In the midst of all the drama, confusion, and romance, the story also gives off a beautiful and serene sense of family. I especially loved how the book dived into the story right away, and captured the genuine feeling of the story down to details, language, and interaction between the characters. Lovers of YA romance will definitely love The Star Series.

From Katie’s Clean Book Collection:

Oh, the feels! Krysten Lindsay Hager has a way of drawing me right back to my high school days with her writing--feelings and all. This book is a continuation of Next Door to a Star. Hadley is now settling in and a new boyfriend, Nick, really helps her feel like she belongs. What girl hasn't felt insecure at one time or another when trying to figure out if "he loves me, he loves me not?" Hadley is real. She has real struggles, real strengths, real reactions, and real emotions. Nick once had a crush on former TV star, Simone, and although Simone swears her friendship with Hadley means more to than anything, but oftentimes, actions speak louder than words and Simone is an actress...

Nick is a great boyfriend, especially for a first relationship, as he and Hadley have a lot in common. Many assumptions lead to drama and realizations as Hadley, Nick, and their friends try and navigate the confusing roads of teenage life. I love how this story seems to unfold like a TV show--easy to picture and imagine. The characters and situations are vibrant, almost leaping off the pages and I felt like I was either a fly on the wall or a silent friend, sitting smack in the thick of it. I love the dynamics and can't wait for more to the story!

Spotlight and Character Interview with Iris Blobel

Title: ECHOES OF THE PAST

Author: Iris Blobel

Series: Fermosa Bar Book #1

Publisher: Limitless Publishing

Release Date: February 16, 2016

Synopsis:

Emily Bradshaw waited over twenty years to see Connor again…

When her childhood friend, Connor Walsh, returns home to see his ailing father, Emily is elated to be reunited with the handsome man who moved to London so many years ago. But excitement fades to disappointment when he doesn’t remember her—or their first kiss. With her crush on Connor still in full swing, she’s determined to enjoy the short time he’s in Fermosa Bay, even though she knows her heart will break when he returns to his life in London.

When Connor receives news that his biological father is terminally ill, he returns to Fermosa Bay, Australia. 

With memories of his childhood tucked fondly in the back of his mind, returning to the small, coastal town leaves him to wonder how life would have been if his mother had never taken him away. Would he have been married and had children? Perhaps with Emily Bradshaw…

Secrets from long ago begin to unfold…

As Connor and his father grow closer, Connor learns his parents have a broken love story of their own. Will the echoes of the past lure him into staying, maybe for good? Or will he relive his parents’ tragic story and flee to London? 

Walking away from a real chance at true love…

Purchase links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/20dEHY9

Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/1K5Skqn

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1Q0Nozf

Meet the Author:

Iris Blobel was born and raised in Germany and only immigrated to Australia in the late 1990s. Having had the travel bug most of her life, Iris spent quite some time living in Scotland, London as well as Canada where she met her husband. Her love for putting her stories onto paper has only emerged recently, but now her laptop is a constant companion.

Iris resides west of Melbourne with her husband and her two beautiful daughters.

Next to her job at a private school, she also presents a German Program at the local Community Radio.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrisBlobel

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_iris_b

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4067254.Iris_Blobel

Character Interview:

Interview with Connor Walsh.

What’s your favourite part of the day? Morning, afternoon or night?

Good Question. I've never really thought about it before. I’d say since I’ve been back in Fermosa Bay in Australia, waking up early to see the sunrise is well worth it.

If you had to take anyone with you on a long journey away from home, who would it be?

Considering that my long journey away from home has just taken me to Australia, I have to admit, at the moment, I’m quite content to not have anybody from “home” with me. I have time to re-connect with my dad and my old friends.

What is your motto in life?

“Trust in people, don’t judge” … well, it’s my new motto since arriving back in Fermosa Bay.

Name one of your weaknesses that you’d like to work on.

Trust.

What question would you like to ask your creator?

Why did you have to bring my ex-girlfriend into the story?

If you could do anything over again in the book, what would it be?

Re-connect with my dad earlier.

Give a memory from childhood.

See … I’m still trying to remember anything from my childhood. It’s all tucked away in the back of my mind. But listening to Dad, Emily, Ethan, and Niall, it must’ve been great. Hopefully one day I will be able to answer this question. I’m working on it.

Is there anything you’ve always secretly wished for but isn’t mentioned in the book?

To have attended a local school around the corner from mum and her husband. A dog greeting me when I got home … and perhaps some holidays once in a while.

If you could commission a painting from a famous artist, what would it be of?

“Irises” from van Gogh

What’s your most embarrassing moment?

They locked me out in boarding school …. I was naked.

What is the most sacrificial thing you’ve done for someone else?

Not sure. I wasn’t raised to be generous, but to make money. It’s only since I’ve been in Fermosa that I’ve learnt to care about others. May I say, to find out the most sacrificial thing I’ve ever done is to read the book.

What do you prefer? Rock, classical, jazz, country or other?

Rock.

Cat or dog person?

Dog 

Thank you for sharing. Connor sounds like a fascinating character!

Why I Don't Regret Having Writer's Burnout

Writer's burnout? What's that? I think writer's block usually happens in the middle of a book when you hit a snag or when you can't come up with a book idea. That's not what I've been going through the last four months or so. No, I just didn't want to write.

Maybe to some that doesn't seem like a long time to not be able to write, but for me it felt long and rather troubling. I always feel fulfilled when I'm in the middle of a writing project, so I was forced to look outside of my obsession/passion and find something else to occupy my mind.

These are the reasons why I think it was a good thing:

1. I moved away from writing and other things occupied my mind so I filled up my tank and imagination. If we don't take part in life, we run dry as writers and don't have fresh things to put on the page. I've noticed the stuff I've just started writing seems fresher and more authentic - not so rushed and formulaic.

2. It got me onto something else that I'm going to be doing. The last six months or so, I've been feeling a bit restless as though writing isn't all that I want to do with my life. I've also had a longing to take part in something to help people or to give to the community. An opportunity to do something totally different and also to benefit other people has come up. I don't think I would have taken the time to delve into this if I'd been on a writing roll.

3. I've had a much-needed break. After a year of writing a full series plus a couple of other writing projects, I reached total exhaustion in beginning November last year. I thought the summer holidays would help clear that out and, although I did have a relatively relaxing holiday, it didn't help. I'm only now starting to feel my writing energy return and it's mid-March. I have written a couple of short stories but now feel ready to tackle a full book again. I couldn't face up to it for a while and it felt strangely scary - like I'd lost my ability.

4. Working from home makes me think that I have to be productive all the time, like I would if I were at a 9-5 job. Yes, I do work every day, but not always on writing. And that's all right. I shouldn't feel like a failure for taking a few months of slowdown. It's a creative career and it doesn't work the same as a clerical one.

5. I feel renewed in my desire to write. It kind of waned for a while and the hiatus has given me new inspiration, new direction and new ideas.

6. I've become more soulful and learned a powerful lesson about taking time out for myself. I'm talking about really relaxing and drawing from the source - whatever you consider the source or the divine. I've grown spiritually the last few months and feel more at peace and loved. It's great to develop rituals or ways to rest and connect with our spiritual side. We're not just intellectual or physical and we can become out of balance when we just concentrate on one facet of our lives.


Have any of you experienced

writer's burnout before? How long did it last and what did you learn from the experience? I'd love to hear your comments.

Celia Breslin - Author Interview and Spotlight on Diamond Moon

What is the best thing for you about being a writer?

Writing! I love immersing myself in the worlds I create and getting to know my characters.

What is the hardest thing for you about being a writer?

Time management. As a full-time mom and a freelance editor, I fit in writing and editing around my child’s schedule. A typical day during the school year looks something like this: chauffeur child to school, exercise, write, edit, pick up child, spend evening with family, work a little more before bed. Rinse, repeat.

What genre/s do you write and what genre is your latest release?

I write urban fantasy and paranormal romance.  My latest releases are both paranormal romances: Diamond Moon and Under A Mating Moon. They’re stand-alone reads, and part of Decadent Publishing’s Black Hills Wolves, multi-author/shared world series.

What essential things have you learned about writing in the last year?

Try new things, for example, writing stories for a shared world. I’ve had loads of fun writing in the Black Hills Wolves universe. I’ve created new locations and characters for the world, and I’ve used some existing locations, too. It’s also amusing to have other author’s characters make appearances in your own story.

Who is your favourite heroine from your books and why?

Hm, I do love them all, but if I must choose, I’ll go with Darci from Diamond Moon. She’s a wicked smart computer nerd and recent graduate from college. She’s half human, half wolf shifter and, unfortunately, her shifts almost kill her every full moon. I’ve dealt her a rough hand, but she faces it bravely. Her courage and kindness are totally endearing.

What type of hero do you like? Super alpha, wounded or somewhere in between? Or even something totally different? You could give an example from a movie or well-known book.

Honestly, I like them all. Some of my favourite heroes from fiction include:  every single military veteran hero in Laura Kaye’s Hard Ink series; all the fierce vampire’s in J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood Series; and the heroes in Larissa Ione’s Demonica and Lords of Deliverance series.

Tell us about your journey in writing Diamond Moon.

When I was first invited to submit a story idea to the Black Hills Wolves series, a question popped into my mind:  what if one of my characters were a half-breed with a life-threatening shifting problem?  The story wrote itself from there, or, I should say my characters Darci and Ross immediately popped up and told me their story, LOL.  Generally speaking, characters tend to arrive first for me, and, as I get to know them, their story follows.

Tell us three quirky or interesting things about yourself.

Hm… I have a tattoo I designed myself. I was classically trained on piano from age six through sixteen, and sang in an a cappella group in high school.

What rituals do you use to help you focus or get the words down on the page e.g. music or a snack.

I work out in the morning and drink water.  Really. Movement energizes me and sets the tone for the rest of my day. I find I’m less productive when I’m lethargic or dehydrated.

Mention something unique about your books and your writing style.

Let’s see… I’d say my style is modern, urban, fresh… Being an editor, too, I tend to prefer active verbs, concrete nouns, showing versus telling, minimal use of adverbs, use of consonance, alliteration, etc.  Okay, total Word Geek answer, but there you go!

What book would you like to work on next?

I recently finished Jasmine Moon, my third story for the Black Hills Wolves line.  Darci and her hero Ross from Diamond Moon make an appearance in this one, as do Jake and Lexi from Under A Mating Moon. Now I’m writing Origins, the third novel in my Tranquilli Bloodline vampire series (urban fantasy for Champagne Books).

Diamond Moon Blurb:

Human-wolf hybrid Darci Diamond spends every full moon locked in auntie’s basement in Southern Oregon. Her excruciating shifts terrify her, the last one causing her heart to stop beating. Seeking a cure, she journeys to Los Lobos.

Ross Luparell returns to the struggling Tao pack, using his millions made in the tech industry to build homes for pack families in need. He never imagined he would also find his one true mate. But when a hybrid with the biggest green eyes he’s ever seen lands on his doorstep in the middle of a wicked summer storm, there’s no denying it. She’s the one.

She wants a normal human life, free from pain-filled shifts. He won’t give up on her Wolf, and will do whatever it takes to help her accept her true nature. But can he convince her to trust him with her heart?

Diamond Moon Excerpt (First Meet):

He reached out with his Wolf senses. The feedback froze his fingers on the doorknob. Female. Damn, she smelled good. Human. Wolf. Wait…both? The copper tang of blood hit his nose. And injured.

He flung open the door. His abrupt move caught his visitor off guard, one small, white fist raised to knock. The woman startled and fell forward. Catching her, he pulled her inside, kicking the door shut with his foot.

She sagged against him, a shivering bundle of wet woman. Underneath the dampness, her scent drop-kicked his gut. Apples and cinnamon. Roses and honey. His body perked up, taking extreme notice. He fought the growl of possession threatening to tear out of his throat. Holy hell, had his potential mate just walked into his home in the middle of a storm?

The scent of her blood jump-started his brain into action. He lowered her gently to the floor. “Jesus. You okay?”

His instincts urged him to check her for wounds, but he was a stranger and didn’t want to spook her. But goddamn, he wanted to touch her. Peel off her wet clothes. See all of her. With a jacket covering her torso, tight jeans hiding her legs, and her ball cap pulled low on her face, all he’d seen so far was her quivering pale chin, full red lips, and those delicate, trembling hands.

“S-s-sorry, d-dripping all ov-v-ver your f-f-floor,” she said, teeth chattering. Her snow white fingers curled on the hardwood, arms trembling with her effort to keep herself upright. Blood streaked the wood. A line of liquid crimson slid down her jaw and dripped from her chin onto her jacket.

To hell with propriety. “You’re injured. Let me help you.” He pulled off her cap and damn near swallowed his tongue.

Big green eyes blinked up at him from a face so pale it made him think of moonlight. Drenched, short black hair lay plastered to her head, the ends framing features reminiscent of the fairies his sister loved to draw for the hidden-object games she designed. Ethereal beauty. My beauty. He stroked a knuckle down her cheek then ran his thumb over her soft, full lower lip.

She flinched and batted his hand away, falling to her side in the process.

Ross snapped back to reality with a healthy hit of guilt. “Shit. Sorry.”

His gaze shot to her forehead where a two-inch cut sent blood trailing over her prominent cheekbone with its silky-smooth skin he’d so enjoyed caressing—

Shit. He gave himself a mental ass kicking for scaring her. “I’m Ross. You’re safe here. Promise.”

Diamond Moon is available at:

All Romance:  https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-diamondmoon-1760499-340.html

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Diamond-Moon-Black-Hills-Wolves-ebook/dp/B00T2E7ZEY

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1121371749

Bookstrand:  http://www.bookstrand.com/diamond-moon

Google Books:  https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Celia_Breslin_Diamond_Moon?id=CkOvBgAAQBAJ

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/nz/book/diamond-moon/id963546627?mt=11

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/diamond-moon

Connect with Celia on social media:

Web site: http://www.celiabreslin.com/

Blog: http://www.celiabreslin.com/blog/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/celiabreslin

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CeliaBreslinAuthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/CeliaBreslin

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/celiabreslin/

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bxqwRL

Wow, your book looks amazing and I love the excerpt.