Thank You, Readers and Fellow Authors!

As 2013 comes to a close, I'd like to thank all the people who have supported me and my work. Without your encouragement, praise, assistance, and interest I might have given up on this whole independent publishing business! I would never give up writing, but the publishing/marketing side of things is difficult, to put it mildly.

Readers, I appreciate you and your enjoyment of the worlds and characters I've created. I especially appreciate those readers who took the time to contact me about my work or rated/reviewed my stories. Such feedback is priceless and a joy to us writers. You are fabulous and you have my undying love! ;)

Fellow Authors, your support and assistance in getting the word out about my books has been an enormous help. With so many books out there and so many other voices yelling for readers' attention, it's easy to get lost in the shuffle no matter how hard we work to be seen. Without your helping hands I would have become too discouraged to continue. You have my heartfelt gratitude!

To show my appreciation I will continue writing, reading, rating and reviewing, and supporting other authors as I have been. And may we all have an even better literary year in 2014.

Peace and Love,
Michelle

Ho, Ho, Ho... ( The Xmas Kind ;)

Just call me Santa's Little Helper! Not because I like green tights, jingly hats, and shoes with bells on them (though I do actually ~snicker~) but because I want to give out gifts!

Let's start with a Kindle Countdown Deal for Here There Be Dragons, my newest scifi romance release. This second installment in the Sunscapes Trilogy will be $0.99 on Amazon starting ~DEC 17TH~ so be sure to stop in and get your copy this week!

 Here There Be Dragons, Sunscapes Trilogy Book 2
$0.99 Kindle Countdown Deal Starts Dec 17th: Click Here





 
Also, all of the following are marked down for the Holidays on Amazon's Kindle Store:

The Huntress - $2.99 
Stepping Stones: The Huntress Series of Short Stories - $1.99
Angels and Ministers of Grace - $2.99
Last Chance, Sunscapes Trilogy Book 1 - $2.99
Light of Kaska - $2.99
No Such Thing - $2.99
The Third Sign - $2.99
Felinar Chronicles - $1.99

And if you've read down this far, Dear Reader, you deserve a special reward. Just email me at moleary.author@yahoo.com, tell me which of the above titles you'd like to read, and I'll send you a PDF copy of it for FREE. Yipeeee!! :D

Lotsa Love and Happy Holidays!
-Michelle

'Tis the Season

Congrats to the winners of my Goodreads Giveaways! I hope you enjoy reading Here There Be Dragons and Last Chance, Books 1 & 2 of the Sunscapes Trilogy and let me know what you think of the storyline. I'm working hard on Book 3, Dawn of the Red Sun, so keep your eye open for the exciting conclusion.

Since I've started December off on such a high note, I feel I should keep the fun going for the Holiday Season. I've reduced all of my titles to $2.99 or below and they'll remain at those prices at least through the holidays.

Also in the tradition of "it's better to give than receive" I'm offering you, Dear Reader, a giftie! :D Send me an email or message me on Goodreads, let me know which of my titles you've been wanting to read but don't have yet, and I'll send you a PDF copy of it. Whahoo, I feel like Santa. ;)

List of titles at amazon.com/author/michelleoleary

Email: moleary.author@yahoo.com

Goodreads profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1341174.Michelle_O_Leary

Happy Holidays and Fun Readings!
-Michelle

Goodreads Giveaways: Sunscapes Trilogy Books 1 & 2

And the celebration for the release of my newest scifi romance continues...

I'm giving away two signed paperback copies of Here There Be Dragons Sunscapes Trilogy Book 2 on Goodreads. I'm also giving away one signed copy of the first book, Last Chance. The giveaways end Dec 9th so enter to win your copy today!

HERE THERE BE DRAGONS (click here to enter giveaway)

This second installment in the Sunscapes Trilogy continues the epic struggle between two mega companies, deciding the fate of the entire galaxy. The Endgame has begun, pitting Shay Enterprises against Quasicore—the Shay twins, mysterious and dangerous, weave a seductive web for their ruthless, lethal opponent, Webster Griffin, whose hunger for power and control might just destroy all civilization.

Here There Be Dragons continues the saga through Nick Givliani as he investigates the unscrupulous and unpredictable Shay twins and their intriguing cohort, Cassie Draegen. As Shay Enterprise’s resident genius, driven by a dark past of her own, Cassie is their technological advantage over Quasicore. A target of both Griffin’s avarice and Nick’s investigations, Cassie desperately struggles to fulfill the next step in the Shay’s complex design against their enemy. 


LAST CHANCE (click here to enter giveaway)

Corrupt and malign, the corporation Quasicore has dominated Del's life for ten years, using his father's debt and his brother's safety as leverage to make him do their bidding. Forced into acts that become progressively more shady and criminal, Del finally rebels when they demand the unthinkable. To kill.

Desperate for a way out, he flees the Core, only to find himself entangled with the dazzling and dangerous Shays. Sin Shay's offer of protection seems too good to be true and her motives are suspect. Is Shay Enterprises simply a rival of the Core or a partner in crime? Is Sin's offer of a new life his last chance at redemption or just another version of hell? 


Good luck and Happy Reading!
-Michelle

New Release Giveaway & Amazon Firesale

Big Celebration! Book Giveaways and Kindle $0.99 Sales

I'm excited about my newest scifi-romance release, Here There Be Dragons, book 2 in my Sunscapes Trilogy, thrilled that it's finally finished and available for readers. Those who enjoyed Last Chance, book 1 in the trilogy, will definitely want to revisit these characters and see where their story has gone. I'm hard at work with the conclusion of the trilogy, Dawn of the Red Sun, but in the meantime I hope readers will enjoy Book 2.

To celebrate this release, I'm giving away two signed paperback copies of Here There Be Dragons and one copy of Last Chance on Goodreads Giveaways. Links to the Givaways are below - try your luck and enter to win a copy! Plus most of my titles will be reduced in price in the Amazon Kindle store for a limited time. You can find them all here: Amazon's Michelle O'Leary Page

Goodreads Giveaway of "Here There Be Dragons"

Goodreads Giveaway of "Last Chance"

BLURB:
Here There Be Dragons: Sunscapes Trilogy Book 2
This second installment in the Sunscapes Trilogy continues the epic struggle between two mega companies, deciding the fate of the entire galaxy. The Endgame has begun, pitting Shay Enterprises against Quasicore—the Shay twins, mysterious and dangerous, weave a seductive web for their ruthless, lethal opponent, Webster Griffin, whose hunger for power and control might just destroy all civilization.

Here There Be Dragons continues the saga through Nick Givliani as he investigates the unscrupulous and unpredictable Shay twins and their intriguing cohort, Cassie Draegen. As Shay Enterprise’s resident genius, driven by a dark past of her own, Cassie is their technological advantage over Quasicore. A target of both Griffin’s avarice and Nick’s investigations, Cassie desperately struggles to fulfill the next step in the Shay’s complex design against their enemy.

Come chat about this release and my other work on my Goodreads group, Ask Michelle O'Leary!

Soon to Be Released: Here There Be Dragons, Sunscapes Trilogy Book 2

I'm excited to announce the impending release of the second book in my Sunscapes Trilogy, Here There Be Dragons. It was such a pleasure to give these characters life again and continue their stories of redemption and intrigue, romance and action. Read on to catch a glimpse into a new chapter of the Sunscapes Trilogy.



This second installment in the Sunscapes Trilogy continues the epic struggle between two mega companies, deciding the fate of the entire galaxy. The Endgame has begun, pitting Shay Enterprises against Quasicore—the Shay twins, mysterious and dangerous, weave a seductive web for their ruthless, lethal opponent, Webster Griffin, whose hunger for power and control might just destroy all civilization.

Here There Be Dragons continues the saga through Nick Givliani as he investigates the unscrupulous and unpredictable Shay twins and their intriguing cohort, Cassie Draegen. As Shay Enterprise's resident genius, driven by a dark past of her own, Cassie is their technological advantage over Quasicore. A target of both Griffin's avarice and Nick's investigations, Cassie desperately struggles to fulfill the next step in the Shay's complex design against their enemy.


To get an exclusive look at this book's Prologue and 1st Chapter on Goodreads click here!

Questions? Want to be the first to know when this book is available on Amazon? Email me:
moleary.author@yahoo.com

Chocolate Fix-ed

A pox on all holidays!!

Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of holidays in general and Halloween in particular. I love putting up witchy decorations, seeing my son and his friends in all their adorable and/or creepy costumes, watching scary movies, and taking the munchkin trick-or-treating.

However, my son bagged an entire pumpkin head full of candy. Mostly chocolate. And then spread it all out under his chocoholic mother's nose. Ohhhh, the torture!

Bless his heart, he did share. My weight scale tells me he shared a lot. At this rate, by the time the New Year rolls around, there will be approximately two of me. I try to live by the motto, "Everything in moderation." But I have zero chocolate resistance.

Hmm, if I do twice as much yoga, can I eat twice as much chocolate?? The pumpkin head says yes...

Book Giveaways Ending!

Hurry! My book giveaways are ending in about a week. So enter to win your FREE signed copy of the following scifi romantic adventures:

Click here to enter giveaway for: THE THIRD SIGN
Ends Nov 4th

Click here to enter givaway for: NO SUCH THING
Ends Nov 5th

Click here to enter givaway for: LAST CHANCE
Ends Nov 5th

Good luck and Happy Reading!
-M
***

Book Giveaway on Goodreads

In celebration of my newest release, The Third Sign, I've entered three paperback copies of The Third Sign (plus copies of No Such Thing and Last Chance) in Goodreads Giveaways. To enter to win any of the following books, just click on the below links or find these titles on the Goodreads Givaway page.

These are month-long giveaways, but don't wait or the time will slip by before you know it! ;)

Enter to win: The Third Sign

Enter to win: Last Chance, Sunscapes Trilogy Book 1

Enter to win: No Such Thing

New Release: The Third Sign

I'm very excited to announce the release of my latest scifi romance, The Third Sign, a dark adventure with non-stop action and magnetic, kick-ass characters. This title is available on Amazon.com as a Kindle ebook and paperback. I'm also running a month-long giveaway on Goodreads for three paperbacks, so enter to win your copy today!
[Follow this link to read description and excerpt of The Third Sign on Goodreads]

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Third Sign

by Michelle O'Leary

Giveaway ends November 04, 2013.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Soon To Be Released - The Third Sign

The Third Sign is a scifi romantic adventure with a dark twist and non-stop action. This story was exciting to work on, flowing out like someone had stuck a spigot in my brain. Those who have read my Huntress novel and shorts will recognize common elements between The Huntress, Mea Brin, and the Black Widow, the volatile, dangerous heroine in The Third Sign. I do love strong, kick-ass females! Priya, the other heroine, is almost as feisty, but also brings a great deal of heart to the story. And the hero, Tier, offers so much more than just the yum factor. The story takes these characters on a wild ride, with plenty of twists and action to keep even adrenaline addicts busy.

Novel Description:

Abandoned by her brother and out of her depth in one of the foulest prisons in the galaxy, Priya finds an ally in a half-mad newcomer with a deadly beauty and a mysterious past. Together they hatch a plan to break out of the prison, but before they can put their plan into action, Priya’s brother Tier arrives as a new inmate. Determined to rescue his wayward sister, he is dismayed to find the child he knew has become a bitter, wild young woman, with a companion as magnetic as she is murderous. Between one woman’s fury at his desertion and the other woman’s seductive menace, Tier discovers escaping with his skin intact might just take a miracle.
 

They call me the Black Widow, the spider who kills and eats her mates. If I have another name, I don’t know it. My past is lost in blood and shadow. It never mattered until Priya, the quicksilver girl with a laugh like sunshine, and her brother, the first man to touch me without dying. For them, I would leave my darkness behind...but can I?
~~~

This title will be released soon through Amazon.com as a kindle ebook and print book.
Happy Reading!
-M
*** 

Do You Haiku?

Recently I discovered the difference between haiku and senryu—wait, let me step back a bit. First, I saw the word senryu and thought, “What the heck is that?” Then I discovered the difference between haiku and senryu. I had no idea that senryu even existed. I was fascinated by this little piece of the world of Japanese poetry, and intrigued to find that it’s just the tip of the iceberg.

As an amateur haiku-ist (love making up words like that), I admit to having a great deal to learn about the mechanics and nuances of haiku creation. If you’re here looking for a lesson from a haiku master, you’ve stumbled into the wrong blog. You’re perfectly welcome, of course, but if it’s detailed, official information that you seek, there are infinitely more knowledgeable sources than me.

Haiku originated with the Japanese, a people that have an unbelievable talent for quiet elegance and simple majesty. Haiku revolves around the magic number 17—a traditional Japanese haiku is made of 17 characters or less. This does not translate well into Western languages, however, so when we adopted this form of poetry, we changed it from 17 characters to 17 syllables or less. I hope the Japanese people see this as a compliment (imitation being the greatest form of flattery) and are not offended that we’ve bastardized their poetry.

Both haiku and senryu are in this form, 17 characters or syllables in three lines of 5, 7, and 5 respectively. But where haiku traditionally focuses on aspects of the natural world, senryu focuses on human nature. There are nuances to both forms of poetry which govern their creation, but this is the simplest description and basic difference between them.

(Admittedly Amateur) Examples:

Haiku

Singing and silence

Fill distance between lovers

Sweet feathered courtship.

Senryu

My child’s smile could light

Vast rooms full of grim shadows

Joy chasing sorrow.

I’ve not ventured far into the realm of senryu, but I’m excited to learn about it and itching to practice. As a nature lover, it’s easier for me to create more traditional haikus, but challenge is good for the soul and mind. And hopefully, while I’m practicing, experienced senryu poets will be kind. If you see my senryu efforts elsewhere on the net, please don’t point and snicker.

;)

Peace & Love,

-M

***

Writing Inspiration

I’m sure every creative writer has been asked at one time or another, “Where do you get your ideas?”

For many writers, the answer is as much a mystery to them as to their readers. It’s easy enough to say that the world around us is an endless source of inspiration, from the goofy neighbor that’s just asking for characterization, to books and movies that offer infinite imagination, to historical and current political and social issues. Sure, the world is a hotbed of ideas. But how does a long-ago bloody battle and creepy historical figure get translated into a full-fledged, infamous story about vampires? Where is the point in a writer’s mind where interesting facts become a fictional story?

For some aspiring writers, this is a question of deep, abiding interest. How do they take information and morph it into an absorbing story? It’s a very good question that unfortunately has as many answers as there are writers. One of the basic foundations of creative writing is to write what you know, which is a great place for any new writer to start. But this method is complicated when entering the realms of fantasy, science fiction, paranormal, horror, etc. Personally, I’ve never visited another planet. But most of my characters have.

For me as a scifi writer, books and movies play a large part in building my foundation of knowledge and creative imagination about science fiction. But I still can’t tell you how I go from a kernel idea to a convoluted storyline complete with cast of characters. (I suspect magic. Or perhaps a mental defect.) As a very visual person, I often “see” the action in my mind, like a movie unfolding. This helps to put me into the world, to build the scenes and flesh out my characters. It also helps me remain in a specific point of view, or smooth out a switch in point of view, which can keep reader confusion down and enhance their immersion in the story…but I digress.

Or maybe I was just avoiding the question. Because the truth is storylines and ideas often pop into my head from no source that I can pinpoint. And with my highly character-driven writing style, my stories often seem to get written without much discernable input from me. Scary? Um, yeah, I’ll admit it can be disconcerting. But it’s also the most fun I’ve ever had.

For those still looking for a source of inspiration, keep reading and keep writing, as often and as varied in subject as you can. Very likely inspiration will find you. ;)

Peace & Love,

-M

***

The Glory of the Short Story

The creation of the short story is a dying art. It’s being killed off by an unwelcoming market and dwindling audience. Publishers (especially print, but also electronic) shy away from accepting short story submissions, since they aren’t nearly as popular and lucrative as novels. It seems the only authors publishing shorts are the well established writers who have already proven their marketability, the desperate authors who offer their shorts for free, and the smattering of authors who enter and win short story contests.

I find this tragic. As a reader, I dearly love devouring short stories, quick reads that usually have some insightful impact or delightful twist. Shorts seem to pack more of a brutal punch than longer works, probably because they’ve got a lot to say in a tiny space. There’s no getting used to the characters, settings, and plot pace—it all comes at you at mach speed and whirls you along for the ride. As a writer, I revel in the challenge of creating shorts. Can I get the reader involved and engaged in the characters and plot in such a confined word count? Shorts also give me a chance to get out my creative juices when my longer works have me temporarily stymied.

But what are short story writers to do when the current market has such a strong bias against shorts? Write nasty letters to the publishers? Well, that might release a therapeutic amount of hostility, but it won’t change that downward trend—no one responds well to anger. Instead of writing letters to publishers as an author, try writing (polite) letters of protest as a reader of short stories. Articles and letters promoting shorts could help, too, on blogs, forums, e-zines, etc. And try actually reading short stories, as many as you can. We are the market. If we can generate more interest, perhaps the publishing world will revisit and rehabilitate the dying art of short stories.

Peace and Love,
-M
***