The Extra Special Birthday Surprise: ESBS

It's that time of year again! The ESBS is here, because it is what?

November 9th! (Best day of the year in my extremely biased opinion)

http://youtu.be/GKAHA4Yohi8

So, first things first:

1. Giveaway of Only The Stars Know by Ryan, from RyanReadsBooks on YouTube. This will be a US Only Giveaway. I believe it will be opening tomorrow, and I'll post again to make sure you have all appropriate links and videos available. Giveaway Includes: Signed & Personalized copy of Only The Stars Know: The Immortal World Book 1, Signed Submerged In Darkness bookmark, and two extra signed business cards for Only The Stars Know.

Next!

2. Scene release from Shadows On The Wall: The Immortal World Book 2!!! That will be posted right here, in just a few moments!

3. Book Orders can now be made directly through me, via email & Paypal. EMAIL ME HERE if you would like to take advantage of this! Be sure to include "Book Order" in the subject line, and your name, how many books, personalization wanted, and mailing address. In return I will send you my PayPal information. The books should end up costing about $8 plus shipping & handling! (Probably $11 total, for continental US)

4. Pre-Release copies of Shadows On The Wall: The Immortal World Book 2 can now be requested by reviewers! Please EMAIL ME HERE if you are interested. Make sure you put "SOTW Pre-Release" in the subject line, include your name, review forum links and any personalization you might like for the book.



There now, aren't you happy I'm alive?

An Update In So Many Ways

You may have noticed that I have updated the look/feel of this blog with a slightly variation in the color scheme. I also added more tabs to the top of the page, which link to my other important profiles. I advise you to use them immediately, and often.

In addition to these changes, I have added a word count widget for Shadows On The Wall, just to the right. I am basing my total goal on count that Only The Stars Know came in at (That was like 6800 or some such nonsense, I rounded up). As you can see, I have written 11,307 words as of this afternoon.

I am currently under book arrest by Cameo, and I am not allowed to buy or read any books until we have reached 20,000 words. Yep, big trouble for me.

As for the VideoBook, I have recorded chapters 2 & 3. Chapter 2 is scheduled to go live at 10am PST on Monday (the 1st).

I am also hoping to do a special Vlog next week for Banned Books Week. I recently found out a book I very much enjoyed was the 3rd most banned book in 2011. I am shocked, naturally.

The giveaway for Only The Stars Know is still going over on Lindsay Mead's blog, you can click the banner at the top of the page to be scooted on over there. I suggest you enter! Many many times! The book will be signed and personalized for you, by yours truly--so hop to!

Wells, I'm all tuckered out for tonight. Happy reading all!

Oh Good Gracious...

How long has it been since I blogged????

What the heck happened to me??

DID I DIE?


These are some questions you may have been asking, I know I have. Then you saw my OSK VidBook post and probably thought I had lost my mind...then you saw the OSK VidBook Prologue and thought I was a genius....

Right?

You had best agree with that. Meaning: You had best have seen the Prologue on YouTube. (If you didn't my heart shall wither and die)

Just In Case:

Well, I'm partial to a little blood and guts I suppose, but I think that was pretty darned good.

Anywho, so yes, that is what is up with me. No, I didn't die (though I plan to at some point in my life).

Essentially my entire life comes down to juggling necessity ('real' job) with my greatest passion (writing)...My greatest passion is overwhelmed by the necessity to destroy the necessity for a 'real' job. Which means marketing Only The Stars Know like a death bead patient with only another year to live.

Other things going on in the life of me: poking Pangur Ban in the stomach whilst she sleeps, avoiding grocery shopping in the hopes that I'll magically grow (shrink?) thin, attempting to force small paychecks to cover big bills.

Not all that exciting...or realistic for that matter.

Things going on the in the writing world of me:

Giveaway of Only The Stars Know by Lindsay Mead, The Book Vlogger! Starting sometime this afternoon on her lovely YouTube channel: Lindsay Mead TBV

Chapter 1 of the VideoBook went up Monday afternoon: OSK Chapter 1 VidBook

And I am developing a plan to enter the (ABNA) Amazon Break Through Novel Award for 2013. I have not yet decided which book to enter because I am a lazy bum who sits on her cushy arse rather than writes Shadows On The Wall.

I also just upgraded to Google+ even though I have absolutely no idea what that means or what to do with it..


You may not have noticed this, so I'll tell you: the world of my writing is much more busy/fascinating that my 'real' life.

In the end you are likely still wondering why I have not blogged all of these wonderful things. I am sorry to leave you wondering.



.... te-hee.

An Introduction & A Plan

Yes! We're branching out! Now I will be providing books on video! Lol! Also, I might vlog once in a while too, I'm finding it to my liking so far. Granted, writing a blog is much easier, but less personal.

Please share this video everywhere. Pass it along! Help me out here peeps!

(I'll have a lot more time to write if I don't have to go to a "real" job!)

New Venues for Only The Stars Know

In my tunnel vision, I originally only published Only The Stars Know to Kindle and Paperback...how stupid is that? Well, via Smashwords Only The Stars Know is now available on just about ALL ereaders. Including, but not limited to: Apple iPads/Books, Nooks, Sony eReaders, etc... Click Here to go to the Smashwords page for my book where you can buy it for only $0.99.

 Also, you can read the first 20% of the book for free to see if you like it. If you do, and you read the whole thing, please post a review! Reviews are something my books and I need to live and thrive!


In other news! I got about 30% of the outlining for In The Darkness Remain done yesterday. Those of you who know me well probably remember that I normally don't outline at all. Well, I've been having so many ideas for the story that I'm afraid I'll start forgetting them. As for the actual writing itself, I have started some drafting from Damon's POV, which most of the story will be in, but I doubt any of what I've written thus far will be in the book. Mostly it's just background on his life before being a vampire to help me understand him as well as possible. There are certainly some curious circumstances...Don't worry, I'm not going to continue being this vague within the book. You will understand Damon almost as well as I do, once you read it.

In my personal life, my Pangur Ban is turning 7 months old this Sunday, the 15th! Her birthday present is something she would have been most happy to do without, she was spayed yesterday by the Paws Clinic in town. She is not altogether happy with me. She's taking her pain killers with a good grace that makes me suspicious, and frankly I fear she will kill me in my sleep.

Also, I'm decorating my apartment. I'm hanging pictures and art like crazy. I am cleaning a lot as well, my roommate thinks I'm either on drugs or suffering from some type of hormonal imbalance due to pregnancy. I told her she's insane and then threw out the 5 year old apple cider dry mix that was rotting in the kitchen cabinets. Honestly...

I am in my second month of my new job and my stress levels have gone waaaaay down. I do have a wee bit of a cold at the moment, but I'm taking Zicam and vitamins like crazy, so hopefully it will amount to nothing.


One last note, I know you might be wondering why I am working on In The Darkness Remain instead of Shadows On The Wall. My normal routine is to write the rough draft of one book, then revise a different book until I publish it. I was going to scrap that routine after I published Only The Stars Know in favor of a faster publishing time for the next book, but Damon has been bugging me lately to write his story. And I recognize the feel of the pull, the story is ready to be written.

Until we meet again! Adieu!

Book Signings & Promotional Gear

Well if you're local you can now see me (or my books rather) on display in downtown Oroville, at Discount Books. A gorgeous 13x18in poster boasts of the new book as well as reminding you of the first book.

I have ordered business cards! The cards will feature the cover of Only The Stars Know and all the information on my websites. They should arrive in a couple weeks, at which point I will paper the town! If you want a couple just let me know. Any and all help spreading the word will be hugely appreciated.

Last and best: When I dropped off the books at the stor the nice owner asked what I thought about doing a book signing. You may imagine my reaction. I'm actually pretty impressed with myself that I didn't gleefully scream in his poor ear. I was able to control myself and say (quite happily) "That would be terrific!"

Sooo, I am now in charge of getting the word out. I'm contacting the local book reviewer, Dan Barnett, in the hopes that he will once again review for me. My marketing manager is also contacting all of the local newspapers with the story of me. If all goes well, we would like to set something up for the last weekend in November, which is historically a very very busy shopping time for America.

Even if you already have a signed copy, I hope you will come down and show your support. I'll look into doing a reading, and I'll even give hints as to the next book!

My Central Valley Representative has contacted me about possibilities at the Barnes & Noble in my old hometown, Modesto. Apparently there is a nice lady there who has a soft spot for local authors. Seeing as I spent 10 years of my life there, and started writing when I lived there, I consider myself to be a local author of their's as well.

As you see, we are busy busy busy here at Shanco! Updates will be coming with progress, and progress is being made!

If you have read the book already, I would love to hear what you thought of it! Please comment or email me: shannonahiner@live.com

A Note & The Last Bit of Sweet Innocence

Well the first batch of books is disappearing faster than I can replace it. More people put bids in on the books than I ordered for...so if you haven't tossed some money my way then you'll probably have to wait for the second batch. Sorry loves, but it's first-come-first-served.

I'm heading over to Discount Books, on Meyers in Oroville, tomorrow to drop off some books. Hopefully the nice owner will also let me put up a poster. He really is very nice though, so I can't imagine why not. I'm taking some of Submerged In Darkness as well as Only The Stars Know.

Payday is tomorrow! I'll order some new books ASAP and hopefully they will get here a bunch faster this time.

If you pick up a book from an online retailer or the bookstore and you want it signed, no problem! Just email me: shannonahiner@live.com
And we'll figure something out!

Because I love my readers SO much, I'm posting the final tiny bit of Sweet Innocence.

(If you haven't been following::
Sweet Innocence Pt I
Sweet Innocence Pt II )

Sweet Innocence (the end of PT I)

When his eyes opened again, Adrian's sight was different. He couldn't figure out what was wrong. His prey was kneeling next to him. The human's eyes were filled with merry pleasure as he patted Adrian's shoulder.

"Not to worry young one, this state of being is not permanent. If you find your light again, you will find yourself again. You need this chance. I thank you for helping me, I do not care what caused you to do so. Your keepers cannot find you as long as you are in this form." The human stood, "I must be going now. Best of luck!" He tipped his hat and began to walk off into the forest.

Adrian tried to speak but couldn't find the words or ability. He felt strange, and completely different. Hastily, he stood. He pushed himself up on his forelegs and walked a few steps before he realized what was wrong.

Forelegs?!

He frowned and turned his head to look down at himself.

Hooves?! What is going on?!

His tail switched in annoyance and he shook out his mane.

Tail?! Mane?! What am I?!

Adrian trotted over to the river and broke a hole in the ice with his front hooves. He almost collapsed as he saw his reflection. He was a horse. And then something sparkly caught his attention. Examining his reflection closer, he amended his first theory. He was not a horse. He had the body of a horse, but the legs of a stag, a lion's tail, and a very flashy horn coming straight out of his forehead. He was a unicorn.

Scrapped Piece of Tears You Apart

I stumbled across this the other day whilst reading deleted scenes (yes, I have deleted scenes saved from ALL my books). It's a wee little piece from Tears You Apart, in the beginning before Aubri and Hadrian meet.

At the time, I was writing the book with an entirely different meeting in mind for them. Well, almost entirely. She was always upset and driving (and of course in a fatal accident), but the particulars were much different at first.

You see, normally when I write I'm simply copying down the story as the characters tell it to me. Well, we had had the initial meeting to establish that I knew the jist and would work well with them, but then the two had left me to my own devices for a few days. I was desperate to get some of their story down, so I didn't wait for them to come back and whisper the story in my ears.

It was a stupid thing to do, I admit that. My own attempt, without the particulars was stilted and a bit odd. I am still a pretty good writer though, and there are some interesting scraps left over as a result. It's just, that's not how the story really happened.

Tears You Apart was actually my first attempt at writing a full length book from the point of view of two main characters. When I was finished I felt so good about the attempt that when I revised Only The Stars Know I stuck with that feature. Blood's Faith, the original form of Only The Stars Know had switched back and forth between Zane and Ally, but everything had been done in first person and was confusing. It works much better now.

Anywho, now that I've rambled on so long you've forgotten what this post was about in the first place...I shall share with you, a dream!


The swirl of faces. Blackness, yet so much color. Disorientation and the feeling that nothing is real, but everything is. Who am I? Whomever I want to be. Who are you? Whomever I want you to be. What are we doing? Whatever I want us to be doing. Laughter, fun, excitement. The swirl begins again. And suddenly, a nightmare enters. Everything has gone wrong. People are dying, wolves are chasing, the light switch doesn’t work. The inner conscious takes over, emoting deepest fears and screaming deeper truths.

This is a dream. My dream. I am dreaming.

Figures that I have never met, known, or dared imagine, dance in my head. Faces, voices, memories I don’t yet own. The future is uncertain. I close my eyes against the bright glare. I feel a hand touch mine. I shiver, knowing that this too, is not real. My eyes open, already knowing who I will see. I have never met him. I have never seen him, but for here, in my dreams.

Golden hair, that of an angel surely. Piercing green-gold eyes. An angular face. That of a young man, but his eyes show years, centuries, of learning. Inexplicably, there is a certain darkness to this light man. A feeling of despair. Strange, these things I dream.

He smiles wearily. I swallow, feeling sad beyond explanation. He shakes his head, motioning with his hand for me to be silent. He does not speak, there is no sound in my dream. Only the silence. He mouths words to me. I can’t understand what he’s saying. He is smiling and then disappearing.

I close my eyes.


That's it!

See, I had to cut it because it's odd...but I couldn't get rid of it because it is also pretty cool.

Point Arena & Point Reyes Trip

First of all, a quick note: Only The Stars Know now shows up on Amazon! Huzzah! Unfortunately, in order to make it available through Amazon I had to raise the price to $17. I was very annoyed by this, but it is so that they get a cut of the action. Otherwise, what is the incentive for them to carry it?

I am trying to think of a less expensive way to distribute the book, and might even decide to ship them out myself. I'm not sure yet, but if that's the case I might be able to get the price as low as $14 after shipping. Updates shall be forthcoming.

In other news, I just got back from my trip to the ocean last night! What a whirlwind trip! I left at 6am Monday, after a sleepless night and drove until 12:30 when I reached Point Arena. I ended up on some very interesting roads, and not altogether fun ones. I am very glad that I learned to drive in the Sierra Nevadas, because the Coastal Range sucks but still can't quite compete with Eastern Cali. Pangur Ban was not happy with being stuck in her carrier, but she probably would have ended up plastered to the front window otherwise.

When I finally arrived at Point Arena lighthouse I climbed all the way to the top, which happens to be the tallest lighthouse on the West Coast. 115 feet later I was feeling suspiciously light headed and overheated. I'm chalking it up to altitude rather than wussy out-of-shape-ness.

Afterwards I drove to my hotel in Petaluma, then Pangur and I went on to Point Reyes. The beach was beautiful, and my mind is still reeling from the glorious smell of ocean brine and the roar of the waves.

My editor in chief says that when I finally make money off writing I can move to the ocean...I said as long as I didn't live on Highway 1. That road is very frustrating. It didn't help that I was in a hurry...one moment I was going 60mph and then the next there was a sign in front of me that said 15mph turn! Oy!

When the sun set I was tucked safe in my hotel where I collapsed and fell asleep in seconds. In the morning I hit Jamba Juice (much <3) and then drove to visit my sister in Napa. After that it was a straight shot home. After feeding Pangur and I collapsed and took a 3 hour nap. I think I need to practice this crazy two day driving trip stuff...

I guess after Pangur and I are well rested we'll be planning a new trip. Of course, I have to write Selkie Dance first.

(Pictures curtesy of Victor, my camcorder, hopefully more will be coming soon...I have to put some new batteries in :P)

SID Scary Bookcover?

I brought the paperback of Only The Stars Know along with me to show some people today. They loved it, of course. Whilst fawning over the beauty that is Zane they commented that they liked it so much better than the cover of Submerged In Darkness. I was struck by these comments, and not entirely pleased.

The cover of Submerged In Darkness, which features a hybrid between Alexandra and Elizabeth is one of my great prides. McKenzie captured perfectly the face which had haunted the pages of my mind. She was, to me, realistic, beautiful, striking, mysterious, intriguing and conversation worthy.

What these two people I showed the book to told me was, "the first book looked scary!"

...What? No, seriously, what?

Disclaimer: I brought the book to show out of pride and happiness, not respect for these people's opinions.

Disclaimer 2: These people do not really read this genre and are older, therefore disqualifying my respect in their opinions.

Still, I was stunned. Alex, scary? No way. She's just 'Lex, good ole shop girl in a small town who happens to be carrying the very soul of a faerie princess. Whatev.

Well, I decided to share this rant disguised as an anecdote in case anyone else though the SID cover was scary too. Perhaps I can put your fears to rest by a simple explanation.

The person on the cover of Submerged In Darkness is a human, carrying a faerie within her. Naturally that would show through her eyes the most. Also, being that the title refers to be thrown into the Immortal World, it would need to be dark.

I think that Only The Stars Know manages to convey hope, while Submerged In Darkness is closer to despair.

Maybe that's the real difference.

OSK Available in Paperback

See? I told you! Only The Stars Know is finally available in Paperback from CreateSpace.

Super Special Preview available....

Where to Buy the book

Also, for those of you local to me, I will soon be placing copies in

Discount Books, Oroville CA
& Lyon Books, Chico CA

Where's My Credibility Gone?

I wouldn't be surprised if you no longer believed that Only The Stars Know is actually going to ever reach a paperback form...It has been much longer than I ever wanted us to wait.

My poor explanation is that I now fully understand what I paid Author House for, when they created the paperback version of Submerged In Darkness. They made it easy on me, I just wrote the book and told them what I wanted it to look like. This time around, using CreateSpace, is worlds apart. Since I do not have to pay them to do the work, I must do it.

The end result is something I am so incredibly proud of. Every page, every letter, every single piece of formatting is ME. The only thing that's not is the barcode on the back. I am not exaggerating.

I tried to make Only The Stars Know as similar to Submerged In Darkness as I could. I think I succeeded right to the perfect point. They look like the same series, but different books, perfect.

My hope is to approve the book for distribution tomorrow, but it may not happen until Wednesday. I am waiting for the files to be reviewed and approved, which I have no doubt they will, but it takes up to 48hrs. Cross your fingers and pray they get back to me in only 24.

I apologize heartily for the delay, but I hope you beautiful readers can understand that you are getting a much better product for your wait.

It has been through this process that I have discovered a passion for book design. If the writing gig doesn't work out I could always get a job at a publishing house in design. :)

Thank you for your patience (or at least for not voicing your impatience) and feel safe in the reality that you will only have to wait a couple more days.

So...what now?

Only The Stars Know is now available for only $0.99 as an Amazon ebook. You can even download Kindle for PC for free! (and it's pretty dang fast too)...I mean, what could be better? Plus, the paperback version will soon be available from CreateSpace and then you (and I) can hold it, smell it, reread it and place it on our treasured bookshelves.

So, what's next for the Shanco team?

Here's the plan:

1. Find book reviewers to tackle OSK and (hopefully) tell me they love it!

2. Travel to the ocean to do some much needed research on my next project, tentatively titled Selkie Dance.

3. Finish Selkie Dance so that I can actually concentrate on The Immortal World again.

4. Start work revising Shadows On The Wall. This is going to be the biggest task, because it needs so much work.

By far, Shadows On The Wall was always the fan favorite. Don't ask me why, it was my least favorite. But, I think the revision is going to be fantastic. I just have to get disciplined enough to sit down and do it.

I will leave it up on Fiction Press for jut a little longer, so you can refresh your memories. But be warned, it is going to change almost as completely as Blood's Faith did when it became Only The Stars Know.

Check out http://ShannonAHiner.com for some personal life updates!

Only The Stars Know Available as An Ebook!

Only The Stars Know is now available as an ebook through Amazon.com! Even if you don't have a Kindle, I know from experience that downloading the Kindle for PC is a piece of cake! (Delicious, booklike cake!)

It will only cost you $0.99 and it's so instantaneous it brings on a whole new level of instant gratification!

I'm still working with CreateSpace to make some nice paperbacks for you, we're in the review process now so hopefully it won't be long.

Don't forget! Interview with Romancing-The-Book in less than 2 weeks! (8/20/11)

Excerpt from Only The Stars Know

I'm giving you a Sneak Peek at Only The Stars Know until you are able to get your own copy to read! This will have to tide you over until you sit down to read the whole thing!

Without further ado, from one of my favorite scenes, I present you,

Only The Stars Know

.....

The animals were moving about the woods freely, that was a good sign. A herd of deer were a ways off. She could hear them chewing the leaves from surrounding trees. It didn’t calm her like normal. The air around her was tainted with her fuming rage. The animals gave her a wide berth. She wanted to scream that she was not a predator to them, but it seemed too much like a lie. Another lie.

No, given the chance she would change into a giant cat of prey and tear through the forest. The very thought made her muscles twitch. Her fingers flexed, trying to ease the itch in her palms. Her eyes burned and her vision shifted. The forest was more than just shapes in the darkness now. Everything had a color now. The trees were swirls of brown and green, the ground was gray. The creatures she had heard with such clarity before were now spots of red on the edges of her vision.

Her stomach rolled and she fell to her knees. The earth felt warm beneath her palms. The animals sensed the change. Each squirrel, jackrabbit and deer fell utterly still. They turned in her direction as one.

Run.

The word was a command in the darkness. She wasn’t sure if it came from them, or her…or both. They didn’t wait. Every beast bolted.

Prey. Her muscles twitched all together and she fell on her back.

“No!” She screamed, the agony was ripping through her in waves. She had to fight it. Not again. Please God, not again. Kali fought herself. When her muscles tried to make her rise, she threw herself back to the ground. It was long minutes before she could breathe the cool air again. Her eyes finally shifted back.

The forest was utterly silent. The animals would not return here for days.
Kali curled into herself on the ground as the sobs took over. She could not get angry...She could never allow herself to revel in that emotion. Because it would happen again.

When she could finally control herself, Kali lifted herself from the ground. She wiped the dirt from her arms and shook it from her hair. The bottom of her shirt would do for wiping away the tears. When she felt relatively whole again, she starting walking back down the road. As if nothing had happened? No. She could never pretend it away. The monster inside would never go away. She would never be truly alone.

Kali folded her arms around herself and walked faster. Up ahead the forest ended and Rowan came into view. The town was built in what used to be a large meadow. The buildings lined the outer circle, and in the middle was the Rowan tree. The path to Grandma Ivana’s was almost directly across the town from the Verbotsch’s.

As Kali entered the town she again had the feeling of being watched. She slowed down and glanced around cautiously. The town had gone to sleep for the night. Most of the houses were dark, but the windows that shone light had curtains drawn down as well. There was absolutely no one in sight. She raised her nose and sniffed warily.

Nothing out of the ordinary.

She walked faster again, keeping her head down and her ears peeled. As she approached the Rowan tree, the feeling of being watched grew. Her shoulders were tense and she was ready to run at a moment’s notice. When she was directly underneath the Rowan tree she could suddenly smell cotton and soap. She stopped moving.

A twig snapped just before something hurled itself out of the Rowan tree and at her. The man landed gracefully about three feet away and stared down at her. In the dark she could not make out his features, only that he was tall, imposing, and angry. She could also smell something else on him, something strange that she had never in her life smelled before. It reminded her of the predator smell that the dangerous animals always carried. It was sharper though, and more sweet.

Kali took a step back.

“What the hell do you think you are doing?” His voice was soft and dangerous, but somehow she recognized it.

The blinding hatred that drove him was vaguely familiar, but Zane wasn’t in the mood for placing it. At the moment he was doing all he could not to strangle Kali before she explained herself. Her scent carried something new with it this time, forest and predator. If he hadn’t been so angry he might have questioned what she must have run into in the forest. That would be later, after he killed her.

“Zane?!” She whispered in surprise and fright.

He stalked toward her, cutting the distance between them in half. Her fear seemed to be converting to anger. Good, he detested the smell of fear. “What are you doing with my family?” He tried to keep his voice low, he wanted to shout very badly. If he shouted though, the rest of his anger might release. He would not kill her before he knew what game she thought she was playing.

“You’ve been spying on me!” She exclaimed, “Instead of going into that house and telling your family you’re alive you hid outside and spied on me!”

He growled, a barely controlled sound that seemed to rip from the back of his throat, “I wasn’t spying on you. I was looking in on my family. You should not have been there!”

“Hah! I shouldn’t have been there?!” She crossed her arms again, “They think you are dead!”

“I am dead!” He yelled finally. He could not hold the fury anymore. Grabbing her shoulders he lifted and shook her, “I died twelve years ago! I am never coming back!"
.....

Check in tomorrow and the next day for details on where to find Only The Stars Know published!

Only The Stars Know Pub Update

Monday the 8th!!! (Of this month, of course)

The cover is done, and I am sitting down to a very long night of final edits.

On Monday I will spending the whole day online (no, seriously) to put my book up as an ebook.

As for it paperback date, I'm not positive yet.

Many more details will be coming!