Limited Time $0.99 Anniversary Sale

November is a special month for me as an author.  Two years ago, November was the month that I started writing Beneath Angel's Wings as my NaNoWriMo novel. Last year, on the anniversary of the first day I started writing, I published the novel. This year I hope to spend November writing the sequel.

Anyway, because November is such a special month, I decided to do a limited time sale in honor of the anniversary of publication and the start of another NaNoWriMo. Today though November 7, Beneath Angel's Wings will be available on Amazon.com, Smashwords and hopefully other sites that Smashwords distributes to (although they sometimes take a few days to modify their pricing) for only 99 cents.  That's 80% off its regular price and the lowest the price has ever been.

If you enjoy the book, please tell a friend and take a few moments to write a short review. Authors depend on readers' word of mouth and it is very much appreciated!

Thank you and happy reading!

LGTBQ YA books can save lives

I came across this very powerful video on YouTube today and I felt this message, even though it was originally posted in 2011, still needs to be heard today. Please note, although the ultimate message of the video is positive, you'd have to be inhuman not to be powerfully impacted by the examples shown of LGBTQ youth who lost the fight against hate and bullying.

 

I wrote "Beneath Angel's Wings" in part as a response to all of the news stories I had read about LGBTQ kids who took their lives because they didn't believe anyone cared about them. I can only hope  my book can help an LGBTQ kid realize that there are people who do care, and maybe they simply haven't met them yet.  I hope even more my book  can show a straight kid how he or she can change another person's life simply by making a decision to help instead of ignoring others' hate and prejudice. 

 

If you know any LGBTQ youth who may be at risk, share your favorite book featuring LGBTQ characters with them. You may be saving a life!

 

And if you only know straight kids, share your favorite LGBTQ books with them as well. As the video says, knowledge is the key to eliminating ignorance.

School's Out For Summer Sale

Summer vacation!  Are there two better words in the whole world? 

When I was young, summer vacation was a time to hang with friends, go on adventures, and read the books I wanted to read, instead of the ones we were assigned in school. Now that I'm older, I miss summer vacation with a vengence. What I wouldn't give for a couple of months to relax and catch up on movies, TV shows and, of course, reading! 

The good news is, e-books make it easy to read just about anywhere, so even without taking the summer vacation off, I can still grab bits of time here and there to get in some quality reading.

Whether you're off for the summer or still reading in your spare time like me, I still want to help you celebrate summer, so for the remainder of the month of June I'm lowering the price of Beneath Angel's Wings to just $2.99*.  For the price of a fancy cup of coffee you can read one gay teen's coming of age story and learn how a run-in with a stranger helped him redefine friendship, family and love.

And don't forget, half of my proceeds will be donated to Project Fierce Chicago to help them establish a shelter for homeless LGBTQ youth!

Spend a bit of your summer with Angel and Adam, now at 40% off.

Beneath Angel's Wings is available in e-book format from the following retailers:

Amazon (kindle format readable across a variety of devices with free reading apps or via browser app)
iTunes (for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Mac)
Barnes & Noble (for Nook and other devices with Nook reading apps)
Kobo (Kobo e-readers and other devices with Kobo reading apps)
Smashwords (available in mobi, epub, pdf, lrf, and pdb formats)

*currently the lower price is available on Amazon, iTunes and Smashwords.  Hopefully B&N and Kobo will catch up soon!

Fundraising for Project Fierce Chicago

Even before I actually published Beneath Angel's Wings, I knew I wanted to donate half of the proceeds from any sales of the book to organizations that helped LGBTQ youth. For the first six months since the release of the book, those funds were designated for Lost n Found Youth, an Atlanta-based organization helping homeless LGBTQ kids get off the streets. I want to thank all the readers who purchased my book between last November and yesterday for helping  me donate to this very worthy organization.  I will finalize my calculations and give you the grand total of the donation in the next few days.

Starting today, sales of the book will contribute to a similar and also very worthy organization, this one in Chicago. Project Fierce Chicago is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to reduce LGBTQ youth homelessness in Chicago by providing affirming transitional housing and support services to homeless LGBTQ young adults.  The group has done a lot of grassroots work and is in the midst of a fundraising campaign to purchase the home that will enable them to accomplish their mission. I am very excited to be able to help, in however a small way.

The best thing about this change is that I know the characters from Beneath Angel's Wings would approve :). So please, help me spread the word about Project Fierce Chicago and their efforts and let your friends know that their purchase of Beneath Angel's Wings will help support this very worthy cause. Thank you!

Beneath Angel's Wings is available in e-book format from the following retailers:

Amazon (kindle format readable across a variety of devices with free reading apps or via browser app)
iTunes (for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Mac)
Barnes & Noble (for Nook and other devices with Nook reading apps)
Kobo (Kobo e-readers and other devices with Kobo reading apps)
Smashwords (available in mobi, epub, pdf, lrf, and pdb formats)

Review of Not Broken, Just Bent

Not Broken, Just Bent by Mia Kerick

ebook, 180 pages
Published November 14th 2013 by Harmony Ink

Synopsis: Braving the start of high school, longtime childhood friends Benjamin Wells and Timmy Norton quickly realize they are entering a whole new world colored by their family responsibilities. Ben is trying to please his strict father; Timmy is taking care of his younger sisters. While their easy camaraderie is still comfortable, Ben notices Timmy growing distant and evasive, but Ben has his own problems. It’s easier to let concerns about Timmy’s home life slide, especially when Timmy changes directions and starts to get a little too close. Ben doesn’t know how to handle the new feelings Timmy’s desire for love inspires, and his continuing denial wounds Timmy deeply.

But what Timmy perceives as Ben’s greatest betrayal is yet to come, and the fallout threatens to break them apart forever. Over the next four years, the push and pull between them and the outside world twists and tears at Ben and Timmy, and they are haunted by fear and regret. However, sometimes what seems broken is just a little bent, and if they can find forgiveness within themselves, Ben and Timmy may be able to move forward together.

Rating: 4 stars

Review: There was a lot to like about this book. I enjoyed seeing the build-up of the relationship between Ben and Tim, being able to watch them grow up together and grow closer and closer. I'd say I thoroughly enjoyed the first two-thirds of the book, right up until the "pivotal moment," where the two boys were separated. The story fell apart for me at that point, mostly because of the way everyone reacted. I get the fact that boys at that age are immature, and that could explain some of the head-scratching reactions to the circumstances, but if the goal was to be realistic then it was directly contradicted by the thoroughly unrealistic plot turns. Somehow both the plotted circumstances and the reactions of not just the main characters, but also Ben's friends and his dad, all felt off. The best way I can explain it is when you have a math problem and you need to show not just the answer but also your "work" - how you got there. The answer is right and the work is right for the first 2/3 of the book, but then some numbers got mixed up so even though the answer still came out right, it wasn't solved correctly. Still, despite some of the problems I had with the story, it was well written and I cared about the characters, so it was a solid 4 to 4.25 star read for me, just not quite enough to take it up to 5 stars.

Tomorrow's the last day of Read an e-Book Week on Smashwords

Don't forget to check out all the book bargains on Smashwords during this awesome sale. Tons and tons of great books are discounted, including Beneath Angel's Wings. Just use coupon code REW25 at checkout to get 25% off the regular price.

I took advantage of the sale to buy Matthew J. Metzger's Vivaldi in the Dark. I'd read wonderful reviews of this book and when I saw I could get it at 25% off, it went straight to the top of my reading list. I'm only 17% done, but so far all the good reviews have been borne out. I'm really enjoying it!

Did you pick up any new books during the sale? It costs nothing to browse and there are a lot of books on offer for free. You can be like me and pick up a book you would have bought anyway or take a chance on a new author or two. Happy Reading!

Read an E-Book Week on Smashwords

In honor of "Read an E-Book Week" on Smashwords, you can pick up a copy of Beneath Angel's Wings in your choice of several formats (including e-pub, mobi and pdf) at 25% off. Simply enter coupon code REW25 at checkout to take advantage of the promotion, now through March 8. While you're there, check out the other books on offer during this awesome site-wide promotion!  Happy Reading!

p.s. If you do buy the book on Smashwords, please leave a review there after you're done reading. Spread the word and help other readers find new independent books :). Thank you!