Win a Print Copy of The Lost Princess

My second Goodreads Giveaway is for The Lost Princess, which is the final installment in The Peasant Queen series. It was awesome to be able to revisit these beloved characters to tie up the dangling plot elements.

You can enter the giveaway HERE. Again, the contest is for your chance at one of 3 print copies.

If you haven't yet read what happened after the end of The Tyrant King, now's your chance to find out.

Best of luck!

Books Galore!

I'm on kind of a writer high since getting my edits back for City of Light yesterday. You know how it is, your editor didn't mean to but read it all in one sitting because she couldn't put it down. Yeah, that. :)

You've likely noticed, but I did some work on the website/blog over the weekend as well--just housekeeping things like editing links and updating information. And while I get City of Light up for sale (likely before Christmas), I just wanted to remind you of all the other books I've got out there.

Don't forget you can really capture the Christmas spirit with the audio version of Twelve Days, available through AUDIBLE or on AMAZON. It's also available through the iTunes store, if that's your preference.

I do still have some print copies of my books left, in case you are wanting to gift autographed copies of Birthright or any of my other books. The closer we get to Christmas, of course, the harder it is to get books mailed in time to make it under the tree. Pretty soon, this offer will only be available local contacts. Of course, you can still pick up the print versions online, if the signed copy isn't a priority.

I've put all the purchase links on the right side of the blog, so all you have to do is click your preferred link.

And, naturally, you can pick up e-book versions of my books in case you have an e-reader to fill for a gift for someone on your list. They're all available through iTunes as well in the iBook store. I plan to have the e-version of City of Light live before Christmas, for that last minute gift idea. Of course, Ghost Bride and Tea for Two are always free. (Amazon is still having issues making Tea for Two free, but it's free on all other formats)

Here's wishing you a very merry and safe holiday season!

THE LOST PRINCESS has been FOUND

Isn't she beautiful? Deirdra did another fantastic job with the cover. I'm so excited to share this with you!

To celebrate the release of this final book in The Peasant Queen series, today and tomorrow only, you can snatch up THE LOST PRINCESS (for kindle only) for only 99 cents!

There's another reason I'm celebrating. Today is my dad's birthday. He was born April 22, 1942 and would have been 73 today, but he passed away when I was seven years old. I wanted to do something to commemorate my dad, so I chose to release the final book in a series TWENTY FIVE YEARS IN THE MAKING on his birthday.

There's another way you can celebrate with me. Today is the last day you can get Tea for Two, the first in the Eeryan World books (where The Peasant Queen series is set) FREE. Just click that link and grab your copy.

We've been celebrating all week, really, since three of my kids had birthdays yesterday--but this is the last day Tea for Two is free, so I urge you not to miss out.

Just to recap, the Kindle version of THE LOST PRINCESS is only 99 cents until Friday April 24, 2015 when it will return to regular price.

And TEA FOR TWO is FREE today only, to celebrate the release of The Lost Princess.

Happy birthday, Dad. I love you.

Free for TWO days!

It's St Patrick's Day today. Have you got your green on? :)

Today is also my Dan's birthday. Who's Dan, you ask? He's one of my brothers.

He's the little guy on the right. I'm the upside down one.
Not pictured is our brother, David, so--as you can see--I have a fair few.

Dan's birthday, obviously, has always fallen on St Patrick's Day. He probably got teased about that some, but I can't say for certain. Though we're only 2.5 years apart in age, we weren't really close growing up and we don't see each other that much now. Life and distance keep getting in the way.

But today is his birthday, so to mark the occasion I've chosen to celebrate with a free ebook giveaway rather than the traditional giant shamrock cake my mom made every year. Now that, friends, was a labor of love. We're talking full size heart shaped cake pans and part of an 8x8 cake for the stem.

So, on to the free book. Are you a romance lover? Do you like some mystery and intrigue? Then TEA FOR TWO is definitely the story for you! It's set in a land in the world of Eeryan, which is the same world where my Peasant Queen series takes place. Except Brundidge is far removed from the continent where you would find Fayterra, Demarde, or Norvallen.

In Tea for Two, you meet Shannah, a servant with a secret to hide (or two) and Brendan, her employer, who is bent on weeding those secrets out. This is a highly revised version of a story I wrote twenty years ago, and the first story I let my then-brand-new husband read, because it was shorter than my novels. So, as you can see, Tea for Two has a special place in my heart.

It's only free today and tomorrow (March 17th and 18th) in celebration of my brother's (muffled) birthday. Don't hesitate to grab your copy today!

TEA FOR TWO FOR KINDLE

Cover Reveal: THE LOST PRINCESS

This. There were some days I wondered if I'd ever get to this point. I can't even tell you the struggle finishing my Peasant Queen series has been. I've had this cover for nearly a year, and FINALLY I get to share it with you.

To recap, or if you're new, in The Peasant Queen we met Krystal, who found herself thrust into a world of kings and magic and had to grapple with the fallout. The sequel, The Tyrant King, continues Krystal's story with a new villain and a whole new set of problems. The companion novel, The Wild Queen, is similar to these books in that all of them contain action, drama, fighting, wars, and plenty to keep the plot dancing along the page.

The Lost Princess is different. War is over, but conflict isn't. There's still plenty of trouble for the characters to get in to. But instead of exclusively following Krystal, we meet a newbie--Jessenia. The book is all about Jessenia's struggles to accept and come to terms with her place in the world. And it's not easy.

This story challenged me in ways I didn't think possible. It's all about internal struggle and self-worth, and let me tell you that's hard to convey to the page. Action is easy. These characters hate each other, so they fight. But Jessenia doesn't get into a single physical fight in the whole book. Yet in some ways she's the strongest character I've ever written.

The other issue I had with this story is bringing all my threads from previous books to a satisfactory conclusion. That's not to say that I tied everything up in neat little bows (please, that is so not me) but there's resolution, hope for the future, etc. We meet all our favorites from the previous books, and see how time and trouble have changed them. So, happily, the story is far from dull. It's just been an incredible challenge to complete.

So here you go, the blurb/summary and cover. Are you ready? I think Deirdra did an amazing job drawing my vision out. She's the best.

Unwanted. Torn between two families, Lady Jessenia Elsden curses her birth and wishes only for a place where she belongs. But is that place with her father’s people or in the royal courts of Fayterra and Demarde with her mother, the long absent Queen Roweena?
Jessenia will traverse miles, even going to the royal courts of Peldon, to find her heart’s desire—somewhere, someone, that she can call home.

Stay close, readers. Soon I'll upload links for preordering THE LOST PRINCESS and give you an updated release date.

Checking In, and My New Writing Buddy

This is Inigo. He is my new writing buddy. I say that because, whenever I'm trying to write, he hops up onto the desk, sits across the keyboard, tries to grab the cursor, plays with the cables, or tries to climb up and sit on my chest. You know, he's "helping."

Truthfully, if I want to get any writing done I have to shut him out of the office. It's okay, though, because he spends some time sticking his paws under the door to give me encouragement.

My goodness, here he comes now.

As I continue to emerge from this sickness coma I fell into last Thursday, it occurred to me that I needed to post on my blog today to keep up with me "post every Tuesday" goal. Since this is probably all I'm going to manage today, I'd better make it good.

First off, the sickness. This has been probably the most sick I've felt in years. Pretty sure it was the flu, but I did not go and get tested or anything. Why? Simple. The only insurance I have only covers family planning and women's health issues. Not general sicknesses. (basically, if I needed a hysterectomy I'm all set, but get the flu and I'm on my own) I don't have the money to pay for a flu test, just like I couldn't have afforded the flu shot this year. I also don't have prescription coverage that would have helped me pay for Tami-flu. Not to mention the doctor visit. So I had to rough it out the old fashioned way.

I don't recommend it.

Because of this illness, and because basically January 2013 has been one for the incinerator, I'm having to push back Tea for Two ONCE AGAIN. It won't be out this February. Honestly, whenever I do get around to releasing it, you're going to love it. I don't think I'm going to wait another year, though. We'll see how things go.

However, I got this cute letter on Facebook from my friend Lizzy Hughes, who was part of our Tooele Writers' Group when I still lived out there:


Dear Wonderful Cheri,

Since moving to Idaho I have been employed by a wonderful bookstore wherein we sell your wonderful book. Recently, I had a bright, bubbly woman drag me into the fiction section and beg me for recommendations. I suggested the book I was currently reading and she marked it on a list, along with a few others I pointed out from past readings. Then she walked me through her favorites, insistent that I must read all of them if I had not already done so. At the very TOP of her favorites list, she pointed to a familiar purple cover and I said, "Oh, yes, I know the Peasant Queen. Cheri and I were in a writing group together when I lived in Utah."

This bright, bubbly woman has commanded me to give you a message: The Peasant Queen is one of her absolute favorite books. She loves your characters, she loves the story, and she hates that she has been left with no continuation. She has given the book out to everyone in her circle of reading friends and they are all waiting on pins and needles with bated breath for the next story. Also, if you could ever make your way to Idaho for a signing, every single one of them would attend no matter what for the chance to meet you in person. 

That is all. ♥

This has inspired me, so I'm going to refocus my time on finishing up The Lost Princess so it can be ready for it's May release. I truly hope to contact my "bright, bubbly" fan and let her know she can read The Wild Queen and The Tyrant King in the mean time. :)

Upcoming Book Launch/Tour

Hi there! I'm collecting bloggers for my upcoming book launch and tour for The Tyrant King. What's super-duper exciting (I seriously just said super-duper, wow) is that I'm launching my book in conjuction with my sister-of-my-heart's FIRST book being published!!! Are you excited? I totally am.

Here's the skinny: Her author name is M.L. Chesley, and her pirate-fantasy novel is called Adversarius: Shadow of the Rose, Book One

What's it about? Glad you asked: When it comes to politics, Kayta likes to let her sword arm do the talking. The only way to gain peace for her kingdom would be to enter into an arranged marriage with her enemy's son, Alabassin. There are worse ways to end wars.

And, of course, who is this lady? Aside from my friend and fellow author who happens to be married to my husband's brother, this is M.L. Chesley: M. L. Chesley is an Alaska based author, online blogger and MMORPG junkie. She has been writing fantasy for several years. Between writing, work and family she barely has time for much gaming, but some days, raids take precedence over all. If you would like to
learn more about her world, created in this book, go to www.mlchesley.webs.com. You can also follow her blog at www.caledonialass.blogspot.com.

I would LOVE to share with you a book cover for Adversarius, but, alas, it's not live yet. I CAN share with you (again) the cover for The Tyrant King (sequel to The Peasant Queen, my 1st novel), along with my book blurb:

The kingdom of Fayterra has enjoyed four years of peace since Jareth was crowned King and married Krystal. But, on the eve of Alana’s wedding, a stranger arrives with a link to the family that threatens to change everything. An enemy is revealed. Their people are under attack. War is declared. And not everyone will survive.
As the future becomes bleaker and the mystery continues to unravel, Krystal’s enemies will learn just how far she will go to defend the people she loves.

Now for the details. Our book launch/blog tour fun will happen in June. Participating bloggers will be entered to win a $10 Amazon gift card, and those who enter the contest will be entered to win a prize package of books and candy. So far, for that package, I have Watched by Cindy Hogan, Ireland's Pirate Queen, Variant by Robison Wells, Michael Vey by Richard Paul Evans, and a beautiful leather bound journal. I will also throw in a copy of The Wild Queen, which is the prequel to The Peasant Queen.

Both books (Adversarius and The Tyrant King) will be available in print and e-book formats to cater to all readers, so never fear. You will get your copy. :)

Now, who wants to volunteer for all this fun? I need to collect at least 15 willing blog participants to host my tour. I've had a couple volunteers trickle in, but not nearly enough. This is my official plea. Please comment with your email if you are willing to be a host so I can contact you. You might also want to specify which book you'd like to spotlight or review, or if you'd rather do an author interview (and which of us you'd like to pick on lol).

Thanks!

That Good Ol' Comfort Zone

Recently someone said to me, "No growth happens inside your comfort zone." Okay, so she said it to about 200 people, but she may as well be talking right to me.

Lately I've had all sorts of crazy ideas about my writing career. Most of them have to do with getting more books out to readers. How is anyone going to know they love my writing if they don't know it's out there? The simple answer is: They WON'T.

When I started down this path a few years ago (5, 6--but who's counting) in earnest, I abandoned all those things I used to love. Hiding from people. Doing my level best not to draw attention to myself. Coming in under everyone's radar as much as humanly possible. I knew I'd have to step out of that shell in order to sell books.

But it was hard. Sometimes I'd creep back in. Being "out" all the time was like standing on the sun without any SPF 3000.

Writing is what I love. It's that part of my soul that was missing. It's what makes this wife and mom a complete being. For a while I let my job and having to home school my daughter and my husband's two jobs serve as my excuses for not spending as much time out of my comfort zone as I should.

I paid for that, in a way. The Peasant Queen didn't sell enough copies to justify the publisher picking up the sequel. That was in large part due to my choices, and in small part due to the economy. Publishing is a business. They are there to make money. I understand that, and I'm at peace with it. My past choices have put me on a different path for The Tyrant King, and I own my responsibility for that.

Self publishing means an utter destruction of my comfort zone. Nobody is helping me sell books (aside from loving, caring friends and family) to strangers. I have to do that. It's up to me. There is no such thing as an overnight success. What people don't see are the years of crushing disappointments that came before. Just because you never heard of someone before they're "breakout debut" doesn't mean they weren't working toward that goal all along.

This is me. Writing is my life. Publishing/marketing is my job.

Yesterday I spoke to the local librarian about a book signing in May. I came away with a tentative offer to teach a creative writing class to kids in the summer.

Not a bad first step out of that comfort zone, I think.

Having Doubts

As the weeks tick by waiting for my publisher to get back to me about The Tyrant King, I find myself dwelling more and more in the world of doubt. I know this is a normal process authors go through, but I doubt it gets easier with time and experience.

Which makes me wonder how much authors are willing to put themselves through, and why?

The first draft of The Peasant Queen that I submitted was roughly 114,000 words. The copy of The Tyrant King that I submitted is about 57,000 words. It doesn't take a math genius to see that's about half the size. Which begs two questions:

Have I really learned to be THAT concise of a storyteller?

Or is it that I've become TOO concise? Am I not telling enough of the story?

Oops--that's three questions.

Forgive me if, for a while, I try to hold my footing while the waves of doubt smash me against the rocks over and over again. Eventually I'll make my way back to solid ground--one way or the other.

Winners Galore!

First of all, a HUGE thank you to all the people who participated in my blog tour for my first book. Being my first attempt at this, there were some bumps, and some hitches, but overall it's gone well. Thank you bloggers, reviewers and interviewers for your willingness to help me out! I appreciate it more than these feeble words can express.

Congratulations to our final weekly prize winner of a copy of The Peasant Queen: Theresa! I've already contacted her via email, so hopefully she will soon claim her prize. :)

And now you can start the drum roll, because I've done the final, Grand Prize Drawing for my promotional blog tour. And the winner is:

Taffy! Congrats, Taffy! Be sure to email me so I can get your address to send the grand prize out to you. In case you've forgotten, you won all of this:


Thanks so much, everyone! Don't wander far. I have another contest coming up in March!

Touring Update

We're down to the last few stops on my blog tour. Last week's winner of a copy of The Peasant Queen is Ann Best! Congrats, Ann!

This week, there are 5 reviewers posting, so be sure to get them all as I put them up on the side bar of my blog. Diony George's review is up already from yesterday. And, don't forget to get your comments posted, because there's still the grand prize drawing the first week of March.

Good luck, everyone, and happy commenting!

It's Here

February has arrived! And, don't forget, the contest is on. Click HERE for a reminder on the rules and prizes, but the gist is simple--watch my blog's sidebar for review/interview posts about me or The Peasant Queen, comment on the reviews, and be entered in not only the weekly prize drawings but also the grand prize drawings. And, don't forget January's reviews/interviews are eligible for the first drawing this weekend!

Author Rachelle Christensen has generously offered to post an interview tomorrow, so look for her blog to be added to the growing list. And, as always, you'll benefit from following my reviewer's blogs as well. :)

Happy contesting!

What You've Been Waiting For!

My poor blog tour has had it's share of glitches. But, I'm moving forward the best I can. Since January is pretty much done, I'm going to start new with February. Here, to tempt you of course, is the grand prize:

You're looking at a copy of MATCHED by Ally Condie, THE SCORCH TRIALS (autographed) and the audio version of the 2nd 13TH REALITY book--both by James Dashner, THE AMARANTH ENCHANTMENT and SECONDHAND CHARM, by Julie Berry (both autographed), and two fun and pretty hardbound journals from Barnes and Noble.

If that's not enough, each Saturday in February--the 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th--I will draw a name from everyone who has posted on my reviews that week, and the winner will receive a free, signed copy of THE PEASANT QUEEN. (In case you forgot, it looks like this lol)

All the reviews posted in January will count in the drawing for Feb 5th, so make sure to get clicking and comment on those reviews!

I'm going to make this super easy for everyone. I will post each review on the sidebar of my blog in the Tour section. If you'll notice, there are already a few in there. And, I will click each review and tally up comments for the drawings.

Where do you come in, you may ask?

All you need to do is comment on each review my blogging friends post about my book. Each comment is an entry in the drawing, and all entries will count in the grand prize drawing I'll do March 1st. You'll get a bonus entry if you also start following that reviewer's blog. It's that simple.

So, get clicking!

Editing Life

Okay, my darlings, sometimes we have to do a little editing of real life.

More details will come shortly, but, in the mean time, I thought I'd share some excellent news. Yesterday, Monday, I noticed one of the people I follow on Twitter had shared a link about me and my book. This LINK, specifically.

This person, @SuccessBooks, has 33,380 followers. So their post on twitwall.com about my book was sent out to over 33k people. That is an amazing blessing. Of course, I said thank you. :) What else would I do?

You just never know what will come of the networking you do to promote yourself, your books, or your projects. This is a great lesson to keep at it--whatever it happens to be.

And, if you happen to be an author with a book to promote, I suggest you follow @SuccessBooks on Twitter. It couldn't hurt. :)

Christmas Aftermath

Now that we are on the other side of Christmas, I'm anxious to re-focus on my writing. At my last signing of the year, I sat down and ironed out on paper the remaining plot holes in THE TYRANT KING. Earlier this month, I was able to plot out the entire story of THE LOST PRINCESS. And, now that I have people literally clamoring for my next book, I'd better get moving.

My husband has a network of amazingly supportive friends where he works, most of whom have purchased at least one copy of my book. Last week, he shared a bit of a short story with them that I'd written for my mom forever ago. And his friend immediately asked when THAT story was being published.

I told him he has to stop talking about my stories. He asked why. I said, with my current schedule, there's no way I can keep up with his mouth! :)

The biggest challenge of plotting out my trilogy has been deciding who lives and who dies. Really, only a handful of characters have proven untouchable. But I also don't want to kill characters off for the sake of killing them. There has to be a purpose, or reason, for their death that makes sense from the plot perspective. And I'm kind of worried, because there are a couple of characters I deeply love who might meet their end in THE TYRANT KING. I wasn't expecting that.

There's very little death in THE PEASANT QUEEN. I mean, most of the important deaths occur before the book starts. Only two characters die in the book, and they are the bad guys. But, in THE TYRANT KING, the villain is much more ruthless, and much more deadly--arbitrarily--than in THE PEASANT QUEEN.

But, in THE LOST PRINCESS, there isn't a murderous enemy. Most of the conflict comes from internal character issues, though there is a little bit of a power struggle the characters involved are not murderous. They feel justified that they are on the side of the right, so they don't feel they should have to resort to murder. But, it's not realistic for the events that happen to transpire without costing at least one life. And, it's a big death, a meaningful one. I'm still struggling with it. All the primary characters will feel it--they will all react.

I remember JK Rowling saying once, on this topic, that she'd tried to kill Mr Weasley several times, but he kept surviving. But the Weasley family couldn't be untouched by the events, as close as they were to them, so it did cost. When I look at killing off characters, I play out the events and then wonder what the cost would be. In one instance, a character poisons someone so he can escape, but logically, as he reaches the stable to get his horse to steal out of the castle, someone is there. Someone who would raise the alarm. Someone who, if injured, would die before help would arrive the next morning.

It's amazing how much logic and reason have to go into a fantasy novel. :)

A Little More History

I've posted about all the exciting things, contests, books etc, during the last few weeks, and gotten a bit distracted from my writing history.

If you'll recall, the last tidbits I shared were in story form. Basically, I shared real events that happened to me in ways that were easier to talk about. Now I'm going to share with you how those experiences, and others, helped me write my book.

We all know that we're supposed to "write about what we know." Okay, well, I wrote a romantic fantasy novel. I don't know much about the setting and what might happen in an alternate world--never been there--but I do know something about captivity, real and figurative. I do know what it feels to be put in the role of "victim" and how I react to it.

Recently, I attended a signing where author Jessica Day George spoke about this very thing. Her books focus heavily on relationships because that's something she knows. So, while she has this fantasy setting for her novels, the characters resonate with the reader because she pours what she knows into them.

That's what I hoped to do. In my book, THE PEASANT QUEEN, Krystal is put in a position in her family where she is given an impossible choice: marry the village idiot or run away. I faced different circumstances, but a similar choice. Krystal is taken prisoner by an evil king. Okay, my captivity was more emotional than physical, and he wasn't a king, but I felt trapped just the same. And I did NOT like it, very much like Krystal.

At one point in the novel, Krystal is fighting of the unwanted advances of an older man. Been there. At another, she has genuine fear for her life. Been there, too.

Most of us don't know how it feels to look possible death in the face and the things that race through your mind in those moments. When we're granted the reprieve of continued life, we reflect on what we would have left behind.

All of this is very real for me. All of this is what I know, and what I hope to pour into my novels.

Next week I'll tell you about that day I almost died. At least one of them.

And the Winner is...

I'm so mean. Before I announce the winner, I have to say that you ladies are amazing. All the suggestions I received were worthy of consideration. It touched me how accurate some were, and how similar others were. Many of you suggested terms from Alice in Wonderland. Some of you really hit my heart.

I found myself wishing everyone could be a winner. But I had to narrow it down. To one. Oh, the humanity. But, my blog can have only one name.

So here's what I did: I narrowed it down to my top 5 (ok, 6) favorites, then put them in a hat, mixed it up, and let my oldest son draw the winner.

And the winner is:

From the Other Side of the Mirror

submitted by KRISTA.

Congratulations, Krista! You have one week to email me privately at Cheriwrites(at)yahoo.com with your address so I can mail your free copy of THE PEASANT QUEEN to you. Also, please let me know who you want to me to autograph the book to.

Thank you to everyone who submitted their suggestions. You really made this tough. :)

And, a huge shout out to ALL my followers. We hit 250!! Woohoo!!

WE have Arrived!!

I know it's not Tuesday, but I had to post. Just got an email from my editor, Megan, that said my book has arrived at the warehouse. Can you imagine? Sitting over in Springville are copies of my book, just waiting for their December release.

I'm so excited! I have to go wake up my husband now! :)

The Suggestion Box is now Closed

Just a quick post to remind you all that yesterday, Tuesday, Nov 16th, was the last day to submit your suggestions for my blog name. I will announce the winner here next Tuesday, Nov 23rd.

I'm so excited.

Remember, the lucky winner will receive a FREE signed copy of my book, THE PEASANT QUEEN!

CONTEST REMINDER

This is a friendly reminder of my ongoing contest. We're nearing the last week I'll be accepting entries, so get commenting! :) I've gotten some great suggestions so far. Here are the details:

My author blog needs a cool name. An incredibly brilliant author friend of mine suggested "Author Blog" might be a bit boring, but I literally had NOTHING--so I just put up my name. Equally boring.

I'm opening up the floor to suggestions. But, remember, keep it clean. I am a wife, mother, blogger and author of young adult romantic fantasy novels. I'd like to keep to this theme, particularly with emphasis on the writing--since this is my author blog (even if I want a better name for it).

How do you enter? Simple. Just leave a comment on my blog with your suggestions between NOW and NOVEMBER 16TH. On TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23RD I will announce my choice.

And now you're wondering what you could win, aren't you? How about a free, personalized, autographed copy of my debut novel THE PEASANT QUEEN? That's what's up for grabs. So get brainstorming, my friends!