In honor of Throwback Thursday: Embrace

 

Hi! And welcome to my blog. In honor of Throwback Thursday, I have an excerpt from my debut novel EMBRACE. This was my first book baby, the one that took me from aspiring author to published author. Madison Riley and her friends are still some of my favorite characters. The magic in this book inspires the magic in my later books. 

Be sure to read to the end, I have exciting news!

Peek between the pages

Ishould have cared what I wore, but I couldn’t quite get there. I didn’t see any point in dressing up just to get knocked down. Now, if my best friend had said, Epic party and we’re going, I would have rushed upstairs and changed out of the cream tank top I’d rescued from the hamper that morning, and I would have put on my new jeans, the ones with the rhinestones on the pockets. But that’s not what Kaylee said.

“Your life’s about to change, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

That’s what she’d blurted into the phone just after she had told me she’d be by in fifteen minutes to pick me up for the party at Wingaersheek Beach. She hadn’t said, I have a great surprise for you, or, You’ll never believe how happy you’re going to be. She hadn’t said anything to hint this change was good, and that bothered me.

For me, change meant major adjustments in my life. It meant learning to live without people I loved. Taking on responsibilities I wasn’t ready for. It meant even a tub of chocolate and peanut butter ice cream and all the lattes in the world wouldn’t make things better.

I called her back several times. She wasn’t answering. Whatever she had to tell me, it had to be bad or she would have told me over the phone.

Grab your copy!

Add to Goodreads

EMBRACE, Book 1

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance/Thriller

Blurb:
Madison is familiar enough with change, and she hates everything about it. Change took her long-term boyfriend away from her. It caused one of her friends to suddenly hate her. It’s responsible for the death of a local along with a host of other mysterious happenings. But when Madison meets a hot new guy, she thinks her luck is about to improve.

Madison is instantly drawn to the handsome and intriguing Isaac Addington. She quickly realizes he’s a guy harboring a secret, but she’s willing to risk the unknown to be with him.

Her world really spins out of control, however, when her best friend becomes delusional, seeing things that aren’t there and desperately trying to escape their evil. When the doctors can’t find the answers, Madison seeks her own.

Nothing can prepare her for what she is about to discover.
Dangerous, intoxicating, and darkly romantic, Embrace is a thriller that will leave you spellbound.

~~~

I have a special thank you coming soon to my Book Insiders. Join my mailing list, and you'll receive it too!

QOTD: Do you believe in magic?

The unexpected start to the Embrace Series

A reader recently asked me if  I planned for Embrace to be a series. I didn't. Embrace, the first novel in my young adult paranormal romance/thriller series, was written to be a standalone novel. That’s not to say I didn’t know what awaited my determined, incredibly loyal protagonist, Madison Riley, in her future. I’ve yet to write a book where I haven’t had glimpses of what will happen to my characters after the last word of the novel is written. Let’s face it; life doesn’t stop when a person overcomes one obstacle. We learn from the experience, grow, and often find a new challenge to conquer. The same is true with well-rounded characters. As I wrote Embrace I not only knew what brought Madison to the point in her life where the book started, I knew where her choices would lead her. This made it easy for me to weave in tiny details she’d need to help her and her friends in the future.

After Embrace released, the most wonderful thing happened: readers wanted more of my witchy friends. Returning to Embrace was like visiting close friends. I already had intimate knowledge of my characters, their likes and dislikes, and their strengths and weaknesses. That made it easy for me to dive right into a new story.

In book two, Madison not only finds herself trying to hold on to her new boyfriends, but she’s also trying to hold on to the people she loves and her humanity. The plot for Hold Tight came together quickly and small details from Embrace, like Madison and Josh's trip to a crossroad, the iron fixtures in Isaac’s room, and the various protection wards he cast, became important to Madison's survival.

One of the nice things about turning Embrace into a series was that I got to dive even deeper into the world I created. In Hold Tight, I added more romance, increased the danger, and raised the stakes. When Madison cast a spell that unknowingly invited two dangerous yet enticing creatures into her life, she quickly discovered just how dangerous it can be to possess magical powers, and she learned there are things her magic can’t undo.

In book three, Madison is tested in new ways and she faces even tougher decisions. Her good friends, Kaylee and Josh, are back as is her sexy, intriguing, and powerful boyfriend, Isaac Addington, along with one confident, darkly appealing crossroad demon. Be sure to check them out!

Thanks for visiting! 

Dangerous, intoxicating, and darkly romantic novels now available: 

         

~ Click the cover for more information ~

Ghosts, Shades and Specters: Have you met one?

The last supernatural beings in my real or fictional posts are ghosts, shades, and specters. What's the difference? I'm glad you asked!

     Ghost: a visible disembodied soul

     Shades: the shadows that gather in cemeteries

     Spirits: the immaterial intelligent or sentient part of a person

Madison Riley has met her fair share of shades, ghosts and spirits in the Embrace Series. Of course, meeting other supernatural creatures is all part of possessing magical powers.

If you're a believer in these entities, then you probably know the temperature in a room tends to drop when one of these creatures are nearby. So the next time you walk through a sudden cold spot, say hello. Someone or something unseen might just answer you.

Ghost, shade or specter: what these entities have in common is they are souls of the deceased that can appear in visible manifestation. Mediums can sense ghosts, psychics can communicate with them, and humans have seen them. There are even television shows dedicated to finding ghosts.  Of the different supernatural beings, ghosts are the hardest to dispute.  Wouldn't you agree?

Still on the fence about these spectral beings?
Meet the ones Madison has and then decide.

      
~Click the cover to learn more about each book ~

Psychic: Gift or Curse?

Psychics:

A person marked by extraordinary or mysterious sensitivity, perception, or understanding of the supernatural.

I will admit, I’m skeptical of people who claim to be psychic. My skepticism was only strengthened when a friend dragged me to see a man who was obviously no more psychic than I am, but that doesn’t mean I don’t believe there are people who are sensitive to the supernatural.

There are psychics all over the world. Many who use their abilities to help others, but is having the ability to sense the unknown a gift or a curse. I suppose this depends on just how sensitive the person is to the supernatural. I’m leaning toward the latter, because seeing ghosts and malevolent spirits does not sound like fun to me. 

How about you, would you consider being psychic a gift or a curse?

These aren't Disney's Faeries

Fae

Or maybe you prefer the term sidhe, faerie or pixie.

Don’t trust your eyes; few humans can see faeries without a bit of magic or a looking stone.

Fae are often broken up into the Seelie Court, the Unseelie Court, and solitary fae. Think of the Seelie Court as the aristocrats of fae, and while they are prone to their share of mischief, their pranks rarely cause harm. The Unseelie Court consists of dark fae. They are the most malicious and evil of the faeries. Solitary Fae fall in the middle, often trying to stay under the radar of the two courts. 

If we break down the courts a little more, you have the Summer Fae and the Winter Fae of the Seelie Court. Just as their names imply, Winter Fae are the strongest during the cold months of winter and Summer Fae are at their best in the warm months of summer. We meet the prince and princess of the Seelie Court in Hold Tight, book two in The Embrace Series. These siblings were a lot of fun to write about. =)

Do you believe in faeries? Ever suspect one is near?

You can find out just how dangerous a faerie can be for yourself.

      
~Click the cover to learn more about each book ~

Crossroad Demons: Make a deal with the devil

Crossroad Demon
Definition: A demonic being that makes deals with humans in exchange for their souls.

The crossroad demons in The Embrace Series have some control over how many years they take from a human and what deals they make. They have even talked a few humans out of making deals. But Embrace wasn't the first series to mention these creatures from hell.

Robert Johnson sang about crossroad demons in his song Crossroad. Sam and Dean Winchester have dealt with their share of these demonic beings in the TV series Supernatural. And there are people who believe that some celebrities traded their souls for success. Is that even possible? You tell me. 

A better question might be: If you found the location of a crossroad where the veil between worlds was at its thinnest, would you seek out a deal?

Meet the demons in The Embrace Series and discover 
which historical figures they declined to make deals with.

      

~ Click the cover for more information ~

Magic: Real or Fictional? You tell me.

Magic

Webster’s Definition: an extraordinary power or influence seemingly from a supernatural source.

In The Embrace Series those who possess the magical powers draw upon their emotions when doing spells. They can taste and feel each others' magic. For instance, chocolate covered strawberries kiss Madison Riley's tongue when she draws about positive emotions to cast a spell. Whereas the taste of dirty pennies fills her mouth with she draws upon negative emotions.

While I haven’t mastered the skill to move objects with my mind or manipulate the elements, I like to think there is a little magic in all of us. Some show theirs through their ability to help others, some do it with a stroke of a pen or brush. Still others through sports, medicine, science, a keen eye, the list is endless. 

Do you believe in magic? What would your powers taste like?

(Mine would most likely taste like hazelnut macchiatos when fueled by happiness or love and vinegar when fueled by anger or jealousy.)

Click on the covers below to learn more about Madison Riley and her world.

      

~ Click the cover for more information ~

Last Days of the Giveaway and a Thank You

A huge thank you to all the wonderful readers, bloggers, friends, family, and fellow authors who helped to spread the word about the release of ENTWINED! You're the best!!

If you haven't entered the giveaway, there's still time. But hurry, it ends soon. 

aRafflecopter giveaway

For those who were looking for a paperback copy of Entwined, it's coming any day now. I'll be sure to let you know when I see it available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. 

                      Cherie 

It's here! ENTWINED... Even the devil has a soft spot

Entwined is out today!

Book three in the Embrace Series is dedicated to my readers, because without you Entwined wouldn't exist. You're the best!

ENTWINED, Embrace book 3

YA Supernatural Romance/Thriller

Omnific Publishing

Even the devil has a soft spot. 

Only a few months after embracing her magical powers, defeating a dark witch, and banishing a faerie prince back to his realm, sixteen-year-old Madison Riley is back in book three of the Embrace series—and doing the bidding of a demon. She has no choice but to do so if she wants him to honor the deal they made to save the life of someone she loves. Twenty years of service to a creature of hell is a big price, but one she’s willing to pay. And it sure beats the alternative: selling her soul.

But life gets complicated when you’re the beck-and-call witch of a crossroad demon. Caden, the demon she serves, wants to become master of Death Himself, and with Madison at his side he has the means to do it. 

It’s up to Madison and her coven to foil his plans, but Caden’s intentions aren't entirely evil—and the kisses he seals his deals with aren’t too bad either. As Caden's motives test Madison’s trust, his shameful flirting tries her boyfriend Isaac’s patience. But being caught between two supernatural hotties is perhaps the least of her concerns when the coven’s interference in Caden’s plot might just cost Madison her life and unleash hell on earth.

Get ENTWINED today!

Amazon | Amazon uk | Barnes & Noble
Add to your TBR list on Goodreads

To celebrate the release, I'm giving away a $20 Amazon Gift Card, so be sure to enter the giveaway. Stop back in the future for more giveaways, excerpts and news!

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

A big thank you to Omnific Publishing, my amazing editor, and my wonderful publicist for helping to make this day possible. Thanks also to the wonderful bloggers who are participating in the release day events.

One Week Until the Release of ENTWINED!

Hi everyone!

ENTWINED releases next week! Time seems to be moving too fast and too slow at the same time. The day job has been crazy busy and my evenings have been filled with last minute to-do's for release day. I'm almost ready. =)

We haven't reach the 100-campaigner minimum on the Thunderclap campaign, yet. Participating is super easy. Follow the link below if you'd like to help out. (You'll have my undying gratitude!) Plus, you'll be entered in the $15 Amazon gift card give away.

Click here to join the ENTWINED Thunderclap

I want to thank everyone who helped spread the word about EMBRACE being on sale. It hit #2 in YA Paranormal & Urban Fantasy and it was in the 300s overall in Amazon Kindle books the first week of the sale. The special price is good for a couple more weeks. Learn more at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon.uk.

Today's teasers are from Hold Tight, book 2 in the series:

Teaser 2:

Actual necklace from
Hold Tight

“That’s a very special talisman,” the eccentric storeowner had commented when I’d gone to purchase it. “It brings luck and protection to the wearer.”

I had grinned at Isaac, twitching a shoulder smugly. “See. It looks good and offers protection. It’s perfect.”   

The woman at the store had explained that the bronze heart protected the wearer against evil and the different strings of beads dangling from the base of the charm offered their own benefits: blue for inspiration, green for growth, and yellow for courage. She’d spoken about the necklace with such passion that I had bought myself one too. Looking at them now, they were better than perfect. Not only would the metal ward off evil, but the beads would boost Kaylee’s powers.

(from Hold Tight)

Cover Reveal: ENTWINED (Embrace book 3)

Look what I can finally share...

(This is close to the image that leaked out last month, so if you're thinking you've seen it you'd be right. But the final design is crisper and the coloring has been toned down on this version to fit the tone of the character that the image represent. I hope you like it!)

ENTWINED

Book 3 in the Embrace Series

Releases April 14th

It's not too late to join the release day celebration.

Click here be a part of the Book Blitz

Click here to join the Thunderclap 

and be enter in the $15 Amazon gift card giveaway

About the book:

Only a few months after embracing her magical powers, defeating a dark witch, and banishing a faerie prince back to his realm, sixteen-year-old Madison Riley is back in book three of the Embrace series—and doing the bidding of a demon. She has no choice but to do so if she wants him to honor the deal they made to save the life of someone she loves. Twenty years of service to a creature of hell is a big price, but one she’s willing to pay. And it sure beats the alternative: selling her soul.

But life gets complicated when you’re the beck-and-call witch of a crossroad demon. Caden, the demon she serves, wants to become master of Death Himself, and with Madison at his side he has the means to do it.

It’s up to Madison and her coven to foil his plans, but Caden’s intentions aren't entirely evil—and the kisses he seals his deals with aren’t too bad either. As Caden's motives test Madison’s trust, his shameful flirting tries her boyfriend Isaac’s patience. But being caught between two supernatural hotties is perhaps the least of her concerns when the coven’s interference in Caden’s plot might just cost Madison her life and unleash hell on earth.

Add Entwined to your to-be-read list

Special thanks to the design team at Omnific Publishing for creating a cover that fits in nicely with the other books.

      

Calling All Bloggers: Sign-up for ENTWINED Cover Reveal

A witch and a demon become ENTWINED...

Just 19 days until the release date!

Hi everyone! The sign-up form is now available for the Cover Reveal and Book Day Blitz for the third book in my Embrace Series. If you'd like to be a part of either or both events, just follow the link. The more the merrier!

Click here to sign-up
for cover reveal and/or blitz 

Plus, there's still time to joining the Thunderclap and be automatically entered in the $15 Amazon gift card giveaway.

Click here to join the Thunderclap campaign! 

Have you added ENTWINED to your to be read list on Goodreads?

Thanks for your support!

Join the Thunderclap for ENTWINED!

Hi everyone! I've been busy getting ready for the release of ENTWINED, book three in my series. My publicist and I are working on the details for the book blog tour and she started a Thunderclap campaign. Now all I need is campaigners. Joining is simple, just follow the link below. Plus, one lucky campaigner will win a $15 Amazon gift card.

Join the Thunderclap campaign! 

If you have a moment, I would appreciate help getting the word out about the campaign. I made up a quick Tweet or if you prefer you can share the news right from Thunderclap.

Quick tweet:  A witch and demon get ENTWINED! Join @OmnificPub's Thunderclap for @CherieColyer http://ow.ly/KvDFF  Please RT! #YA #YALit 

Add ENTWINED to your to be read list on Goodreads by clicking here.

Thanks for stopping by, and thanks for your support! 

Coming April 14th: ENTWINED, book three in the Embrace Series

Just 35 days until the release of ENTWINED!

book three in the Embrace Series, 

It's now on Goodreads! Details on the cover reveal coming soon.

About book three:

Only a few months after embracing her magical powers, defeating a dark witch, and banishing a faerie prince back to his realm, sixteen-year-old Madison Riley is back in book three of the Embrace series—and doing the bidding of a demon. She has no choice but to do so if she wants him to honor the deal they made to save the life of someone she loves. Twenty years of service to a creature of hell is a big price, but one she’s willing to pay. And it sure beats the alternative: selling her soul.

But life gets complicated when you’re the beck-and-call witch of a crossroad demon. Caden, the demon she serves, wants to become master of Death Himself, and with Madison at his side he has the means to do it. 

It’s up to Madison and her coven to foil his plans, but Caden’s intentions aren't entirely evil—and the kisses he seals his deals with aren’t too bad either. As Caden's motives test Madison’s trust, his shameful flirting tries her boyfriend Isaac’s patience. But being caught between two supernatural hotties is perhaps the least of her concerns when the coven’s interference in Caden’s plot might just cost Madison her life and unleash hell on earth.

Add ENTWINED to your To Be Read List

Today's teasers are from HOLD TIGHT, book two in the series. Enjoy!

Teaser 1:

Teaser 2:

His voice bounced off the walls, making it impossible to tell where he was.

Until his cold breath skimmed the back of my neck. I spun around.

“I am not an object up for auction to the highest bidder,” I spat either to his face or to thin air. It was impossible to tell.

“You don’t want to upset me further than I am, or you won’t be the only Riley I claim as my own.”

Fear paralyzed me. “You wouldn’t.”

     Long fingers wrapped around my biceps, pinning my arms to my side. Reed materialized, tugging me upward so that I was on my toes, my ear inches from his mouth. “A better question would be, have I already? Stop fighting and come with me.”

Read HOLD TIGHT today!
Only $2.99

Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads 

Missed book one? 

Get EMBRACE today!

Amazon  | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

News, Tips, & Tuesday Teasers: Careful what you wish for. HOLD TIGHT

News:

There's less than two months to the release of ENTWINED, book three in my series. I'm currently in the quiet before the storm. The manuscript is with the copy editor. The cover is with the design department. My publicist is on top of the cover reveal and blog tour. To keep myself busy, I've been focusing on ways to spread the word about the series and working on a new project. Both are going good.

Writing tip:

At my critique meeting this month, Susan Kaye Quinn reminded me that a transition scene - a scene that is important to the plot but doesn't necessarily have a lot of action - should talk about the emotional state of the character at the beginning of the scene and at the end, and that there should be a change in the emotional tension from the beginning and the end. This advice was exactly what I needed to hear to help me recognize what I need to focus on in the scene I shared with the group, and I thought I'd share the tip with my followers.

Teaser:

Today's teaser is from HOLD TIGHT, book two in the Embrace Series. Enjoy!

Teaser 1:

Teaser 2:

He regarded me with the patience that only came with age. I wondered just how old he was, and I was dying to know if his skin was as soft as it looked. More than anything, I really needed him gone for a few minutes because the feeling of vertigo returned.

[…]

“Fine. I’ll admit I feel different lately.” I placed my hand flat on his chest and pushed him further away from me. “And it’s worse when you’re this frickin’ close, but you already know that.”

He smirked devilishly.

You can read HOLD TIGHT today
for only $2.99

Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble

Teaser Tuesday: You have to taste the power... EMBRACE

News/Updates:

I got word from my publisher that the cover for Entwined is with the design department. I was even given a sneak peek at what they are planning to do, and I like it so far. This new cover will go nicely with books one and two. 

With edits done and the cover in the capable and talented hands of the cover designer I'm focusing my energy on polishing my latest work-in-progress. It's slow going, mostly because I'm too tired after a full day of work to focus on writing in the evenings. I'm not worried, though. I know I'll get through them soon enough.

I hope you enjoy today's teasers. They're from EMBRACE, the first book in the series.

Teaser 1:

Teaser 2:

     Kaylee’s fingers tightened like a vise as she took a step closer to me so that our shoulders touched. Kaylee’s eyes were wide and focused on the far end of the parking lot. My gaze followed hers. “What is it?”

     The street lamp flickered on and off, creating odd shadows among the cars parked there.

     “Who is that?” Kaylee whispered.

     I squinted, looking between and inside the distant vehicles. “Who’s who?”

     She raised her free hand and pointed toward the darkness in front of us. “Right there, standing in front of the pick-up truck.”

     It was one of those work trucks with the racks for ladders.

     “Kaylee, there’s no one there.”

You can read a sample of EMBRACE on Amazon  | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble

What are you working on? Do you find it hard to write after a long day at work? 

News, Events, and Two Teasers

Where I've been the last few days:
This past weekend I had the pleasure of participating in the Elgin Literary Festival. I participated in a panel, presented a workshop, met readers, chatted with aspiring writers, sold books, and caught up with friends. A big thanks to Karly Kirkpatrick and the other facilitators who put the event together.

Today, I'm over at Uncommon YA telling Two Truths and a Lie. Stop by and see if you can pick out the lie!

Update on ENTWINED:
Developmental edits are complete for ENTWINED. I can now kick my feet up and relax.

Okay, not really, but it's a good feeling to know my amazing developmental editor and I met our deadline. Entwined is now in the heads of the head editor. Time will tell if additional tweaks are needed.


Today's teasers are from EMBRACE, book one in the series.

Teaser #1: 

I followed two chatty sophomores into the classroom and almost lost what little control I had left over my emotions when I saw Mark sitting at our table. I was sure my face turned a few shades of red as I fought the urge to throw something at him and snarled, “Hello.” […] It took me a few seconds, but I managed to pull myself together after that. This would be my only chance to yank out Mark’s hair. The thought cheered me up.

Teaser #2:

Get EMBRACE today!

Only $2.99 

Amazon  | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble

Teaser Tuesday: Catch up with Madison Riley in EMBRACE

Hi everyone!

If you're near Elgin, Illinois this weekend by sure to check out the Elgin Literary Festival. I'm participating in the Exploring Other Worlds - Science Fiction / Fantasy / Paranormal / Dystopian Panel on Saturday, February 7th, from Noon-1:30pm and presenting my workshop, Magic, Mystery, and Afterlife of Literature on Sunday, February 8th, from 12:30-1:30pm. Both presentation will be at Next Door Theater. Click here to see the full schedule and all the amazing author that will be there. Plus, most author will be available to sign books.


Book news....

With the upcoming release of ENTWINED just a few months away, I thought it would be fun to share teasers from the series, starting with book one. And what better day to do this than on Teaser Tuesday? I hope you enjoy.

Today's teaser:

Isaac looked at me, his eyes smoldering as he leaned over the stick shift and brushed my lips with one of his feather-soft kisses that sent a warm tingling sensation all the way to my toes.

No one who could get my heart beating as fast as it was with such a brief kiss could possibly be bad. I was sure of it.

Discover the magic of Embrace for yourself.

Only $2.99 on Kindle and Nook

Amazon  | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble

Dishing news on the Embrace series

Hi everyone!

Edit on Entwined, book three in my series, are coming along. They're due at the end of the month, so I'm going to keep this post short. But before I go, I wanted to let you know I'm over at Uncommon YA, chatting about how Embrace turned into a series. Click here to learn more.

Have a wonderful week!

Demon Alert! Caden from HOLD TIGHT''s been spotted on Uncommon YA!

Hi everyone!

Don't miss Caden, the hot demon from Hold Tight (book 2 in the Embrace Series), on Uncommon YA.  And don't worry, the answers to the questions he skirted will be revealed in ENTWINED, book three in the series, coming next year.

Click here to read interview.