Weekly Recap (Upcoming Plans And New Website Coming Soon!)

I wish I could say I was very productive last week, but the major stuff I wanted to do wasn't accomplished. Mostly because I'm having issues with it. Of course they're little simple things that must have an easy fix I'm just not seeing *frowns*. That said, I still managed to get some goals crossed off, or at least started:

• Format Midnight Sky for print and order author copies

• Plot remaining books for the Iron Gargoyle series (create a map)
• Continue writing The Iron Gargoyle, the first Iron Gargoyle novel

• Beta read edits for Storm of the Gods  (Finish them up)
• Formal edits and minor tweaking for Storm of the Gods (Finish them up)
• Make list of publishers accepting new authors and sending queries for Storm of the Gods 
• Look through Scrivener tutorials and begin working from there

And here's what I want to do this week, bullets one and two being the most important:

• Format Midnight Sky for print and order author copies
• Complete and launch website

• Plot remaining books for the Iron Gargoyle series (create a map)
• Minor plot alterations and continue writing The Iron Gargoyle

• Edit Storm of the Gods 
• Make list of publishers accepting new authors and sending queries for Storm of the Gods 

I'm still going to promote Damnation's Door, though the tours I had going on have winded down, though I recently did my first ever character interview, which was even more fun than I thought it would be. Recently, I've been using Kindle and Kobo's services to promote my books, which is a trial and error thing I need to get better at. 

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I fully completed a book series. How crazy is that? I definitely learned a lot from the Cursed series and couldn't be happier that I put in the effort to see it through to the end. 

Demons are free. Angels are fallen. Hope is dying...

Constance Ramirez and her adopted sister, Andromeda, have stopped Lucifer’s plan– They have closed the Heaven Gate and kept the demons out. But their choice came with brutal consequences, and now every angel on earth is trapped in their mortal body.

All that remains is closing the Hell Gate and establishing a balance once and for all. That means returning to the city of Constance’s nightmares, which has become a haven for murderers and monsters. But even more dangerous than their hunt is that Andromeda’s powers and instincts are turning darker, and this time Constance doesn’t know how to protect her.

Constance is ready to fight for her life, but her enemies have plans she can’t begin to imagine, and they’re prepared to make her suffer...

Trust is lost and hearts are broken in the epic conclusion in Amy Braun’s Cursed trilogy...

Media Kit

Chapter One

Buy it here:

Amazon Kindle | Paperback | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Nook | iBookstore |  Goodreads | Smashwords 

***

As things wind down with Cursed and Damnation's Door, I'm turning my energies to Dark Sky and the upcoming sequel, Midnight Sky.

There are secrets, there are betrayals, and there are sacrifices… 

The Behemoth has been destroyed, and the bloodthirsty Hellions seem to have left Westraven. But Claire Abernathy’s mind is not at ease. A terrible disease plagues her sister, appearing to have been brought on the Vesper, the leader of the Hellions beyond the tear between worlds– the Breach.

To save Abby and stop the Hellions for good, Claire must find the machine her parents built before the attacks, and fix it before the monsters return. To do so, she needs the help of her crew, and must ignore the secrets and rivalries between her captain and the man she saved.

Because the Hellions are not the only dangers following Claire. Twisted humans and old enemies surface to stop her and destroy all she loves. While she is determined to endure the trials, a single betrayal could shatter the hope of a better world, and force Claire to make a choice that will cost her dearly…

Media Kit

Chapter One

Preorder Links

Kindle | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Smashwords | Goodreads

I've heard very positive feedback so far, but if you're a book blogger/reviewer interested in reading Crimson Sky and/or Midnight Sky, feel free to enter the sign-up sheet below! 

Review Opportunity for Crimson Sky and Midnight Sky

Looking at those covers rocks my world, and I can't wait to see what they'll look like when they're placed next to the prequel novellas in the fall and the final novel next year. 
Now, onto the news. I've been keeping it under wraps for a couple months, but I should let frequent readers of the blog know that I'll be moving to a brand new website *hopefully* at the end of the month. I'm familiar with Blogger and it's been working so far, but the simple fact is that I have a new novel I want to send out in another month or two. I want to show publishers that I take my career seriously, and what better way than to have a crisp new website? I'm using Wordpress and while it's been throwing me for some loops (seriously, it should not be that hard to make more than one drop down menu under the main header!), I love the way the site is coming together. I don't know if they'll be on their when the site launches, but I'll be working on setting up a mailing list with occasional, exclusive bonuses for those who sign-up, and an online shop for readers to buy my books. However, I intend to spend less time blogging and focus on my writing. I won't continue doing weekly/month recaps or Thursday posts (GIAM bloggers, you'll get the basics). That said, when something big happens, it will go on the blog, and I'll likely continue with review posts and will definitely keep up with Weekend Writing Warriors. 
I've started the edits for Storm of the Gods, which will need way more work than even I expected. That said, I'm looking forward to working with the new world and have so far been very impressed with my new editor. I'm hoping this new series goes far, and will be working hard to give it all the promotion and spotlight it deserves, regardless of whether it gets accepted by publishers or not. I'm hoping that will be the case *dreams about writing as a full-time hybrid author* but if not, then Storm of the Gods will be written, fully edited, and potentially formatted for a new release in 2017. I'm even thinking about adding graphics to the chapter pages. I know– it'd be pretty cool. 
Also gaining ground is The Iron Gargoyle, another new post-apocalyptic urban fantasy series that will go through the same process Storm of the Gods and the Areios Brothers series is currently undergoing. I recently discovered that I needed to alter the world history and therefore my plot, but thankfully it hasn't really affected what I've written so far. Still, the sooner I make the changes, the better and stronger the story will be.
So that's what I have coming up! I'm really hoping to have at least the paperbacks for Midnight Sky or the final version of my website finished today. It's killing me that I have to do all that boring stuff when I'm actually aching to write, but I do need to prioritize my time, and both of those tasks have been nagging me for weeks, and the sooner I have them done, the more time I'll have for my writing! Which means I need to get to work! 
Cheers!
Amy

Sunday Snippet: "A single snap in battle could get him killed."

Welcome to 8Sunday and Weekend Writing Warriors, the weekly blog hop where indie authors get to share their work in 8-10 sentences. I couldn't really find a snippet appropriate for Father's Day, so instead, I decided to use a snippet featuring a character who acts like a father figure for Constance in Damnation's Door. She seeks Sephiel, a former warrior angel, for counsel and advice about the mass murders in her old hometown, but as expected, doesn't get the answers she wants to hear...

“Seph,” I asked the ex-angel, who stood across from me on the other side of the curtain, watching the opposite end of the street. “These killings, the major ones... do you think Lucifer is behind them rather than Mateo?”

Sephiel went very still. Talking about Lucifer always made him tense, and I had to remind myself not to push him. He was human now, and his emotions weren’t so tightly reined anymore. A single snap in battle could get him killed.

“It is likely they are working in collaboration,” he finally said. “Perhaps Lucifer is feeding Mateo Rocha’s thirst for vengeance, and your former lover is constructing the circumstances for the slaughter. His men are nearly always there, are they not?”

***

Still got lots going on. Damnation's Door is still on its blog tour, and one particular stop features an author interview, a character interview, and a giveaway. I've never done a character interview before, and it was a lot of fun to get back inside Constance's head and have her answer questions not typically posed for her. I'm still working on formatting Midnight Sky, editing Storm of the Gods, and rebuilding the world/writing The Iron Gargoyle. I would go into more detail, but I'm half-falling asleep at my desk. Not as comfy as a bed.

Be sure to check out the other Weekend Writing Warriors and leave some love and wishes in the comments of their blogs. You have no idea how much that means to us!

Speaking of love and wishes, I hope everyone enjoys their father's day! Love you, Dad!

Amy

Progress Report (And First Character Interview!)

It's been a little bit of a chaotic (though productive) week. I've started writing exclusively with Scrivener, and aside from some formatting issues, I really enjoy it. I'm still fiddling with the paperback version of  Midnight Sky, though I hope to have it sorted out by the end of the week or early next week. I really want it in my hands!

Onto the cool stuff. As part of the Damnation's Door release, I did my first ever character interview! It was way more fun than I expected. It was nice to get inside Constance's mind again.

Demons are free. Angels are fallen. Hope is dying...

Constance Ramirez and her adopted sister, Andromeda, have stopped Lucifer’s plan– They have closed the Heaven Gate and kept the demons out. But their choice came with brutal consequences, and now every angel on earth is trapped in their mortal body.

All that remains is closing the Hell Gate and establishing a balance once and for all. That means returning to the city of Constance’s nightmares, which has become a haven for murderers and monsters. But even more dangerous than their hunt is that Andromeda’s powers and instincts are turning darker, and this time Constance doesn’t know how to protect her.

Constance is ready to fight for her life, but her enemies have plans she can’t begin to imagine, and they’re prepared to make her suffer...

Trust is lost and hearts are broken in the epic conclusion in Amy Braun’s Cursed trilogy...

Buy it here:

Amazon Kindle | Paperback | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Nook | iBookstore |  Goodreads | Smashwords 

***

I really can't wait to start the promos for Midnight Sky. It's going to be a lot of fun setting up all the blog tours, reviews, and giveaways. I had so much fun writing this novel and can't wait to share it. 

There are secrets, there are betrayals, and there are sacrifices… 

The Behemoth has been destroyed, and the bloodthirsty Hellions seem to have left Westraven. But Claire Abernathy’s mind is not at ease. A terrible disease plagues her sister, appearing to have been brought on the Vesper, the leader of the Hellions beyond the tear between worlds– the Breach.

To save Abby and stop the Hellions for good, Claire must find the machine her parents built before the attacks, and fix it before the monsters return. To do so, she needs the help of her crew, and must ignore the secrets and rivalries between her captain and the man she saved.

Because the Hellions are not the only dangers following Claire. Twisted humans and old enemies surface to stop her and destroy all she loves. While she is determined to endure the trials, a single betrayal could shatter the hope of a better world, and force Claire to make a choice that will cost her dearly…

Media Kit

Chapter One

Preorder Links

Kindle | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Smashwords | Goodreads

***
As far as usual writing goes, I'm still searching for time to edit Storm of the Gods so I can send it to my editor. I dread all the work that will go into it, but I look forward to sending out the final product. The Iron Gargoyle is also going great. I'm still toying with ideas and the world and haven't finish some of the details, but I'm learning more about the world the more that I write it.

That's all I've got to share for now. I admit I'm rushing a little since I want to get writing, but what can I say? It's part of the job!

Cheers!

Amy

DAMNATION'S DOOR Released, Giveaways, Preorders, and MIDNIGHT SKY's Cover!

This week has been going great so far. I was away for a mini-vacation Sunday and Monday (why there was no blog post on Monday) and on Tuesday, Damnation's Door, the last in the Cursed trilogy, was released in style with two different blog tours and release blitzes courtesy of XPresso Book Tours and En Pointe Author Services. 

Demons are free. Angels are fallen. Hope is dying...

Constance Ramirez and her adopted sister, Andromeda, have stopped Lucifer’s plan– They have closed the Heaven Gate and kept the demons out. But their choice came with brutal consequences, and now every angel on earth is trapped in their mortal body.

All that remains is closing the Hell Gate and establishing a balance once and for all. That means returning to the city of Constance’s nightmares, which has become a haven for murderers and monsters. But even more dangerous than their hunt is that Andromeda’s powers and instincts are turning darker, and this time Constance doesn’t know how to protect her.

Constance is ready to fight for her life, but her enemies have plans she can’t begin to imagine, and they’re prepared to make her suffer...

Trust is lost and hearts are broken in the epic conclusion in Amy Braun’s Cursed trilogy...

Media Kit

Chapter One

Buy it here:

Amazon Kindle | Paperback | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Nook | iBookstore |  Goodreads | Smashwords 

I'm still reeling from the knowledge that I've officially released a full book series. It's exciting, uplifting, and a little sad. I've been on some great adventures with Constance, Dro, Warrick, Sephiel, and Max, and I'm sad to see them go. Still, I've learned a lot from the experience, and know that I can use the knowledge to improve myself as an author. Besides, there's another story to be told: Midnight Sky, the second Dark Sky novel, had its official cover reveal on Sunday, and I couldn't be happier with the work Deranged Doctor Design put together.

There are secrets, there are betrayals, and there are sacrifices… 

The Behemoth has been destroyed, and the bloodthirsty Hellions seem to have left Westraven. But Claire Abernathy’s mind is not at ease. A terrible disease plagues her sister, appearing to have been brought on the Vesper, the leader of the Hellions beyond the tear between worlds– the Breach.

To save Abby and stop the Hellions for good, Claire must find the machine her parents built before the attacks, and fix it before the monsters return. To do so, she needs the help of her crew, and must ignore the secrets and rivalries between her captain and the man she saved.

Because the Hellions are not the only dangers following Claire. Twisted humans and old enemies surface to stop her and destroy all she loves. While she is determined to endure the trials, a single betrayal could shatter the hope of a better world, and force Claire to make a choice that will cost her dearly…

Preorder Links (More on the way!)

Kindle | Kobo | Smashwords | iTunes | Goodreads

Though I'm still focusing on Damnation's Door and trying new promotion techniques, I have to say that I'm thrilled to have figured out parts of Scrivener with Midnight Sky, which will be my go-to writing tool... once I learn how to use it. I'm very excited about the release and everything that will come with it. In addition to the blog tours for Damnation's Door, I've also got a ton of contests and signups going on:

The Bookish Crypt Damnation's Door and Cursed series giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sign Ups:

Book Blitz for Damnation's Door
Release Blitz and Blog Tour for Damnation's Door

Review Opportunity for Crimson Sky and Midnight Sky

Last, but not least, I'll be starting the Storm of the Gods edits by the end of the week, I think. I'm still waiting for one more email response but am determined to have those done by the end of the month so I can send it to publishers. I'm also working on The Iron Gargoyle, and it's been going great. The story turned out to be longer than I intended, but there isn't a part of it I don't love. I'm very excited to jump into this new world and learn all I can from it. 
And that's what's going on! This has been a crazy, exciting week for me as an author, and I can't wait for it to continue. 
Cheers!

Amy

Sunday Snippet: "I didn’t think this whole plan through."

It's been a busy week! I'm posting early because I'm preparing for a long weekend vacation with my friends, a cover reveal in a couple hours (and likely live, depending on where you are in the world!), formatting, completing a first draft of a novel, and planning another series. I'm going a little out of my mind with all I need to do. But, first things first– Weekend Writing Warriors! My 8-10 sentence snippet for this weekly blog hop continues a little while after last week's cliffhanger post, since so many people asked for it to continue. So in this snippet from Damnation's Door, releasing on Tuesday (woo hoo!), main character Constance Ramirez gets into trouble, and has to fight her way out of it...

Admittedly, I didn’t think this whole plan through. Seeing the man who murdered my mentor, kidnapped my sister, tortured and tried to kill me sparked my already short temper. So it wasn’t long before they got their shots in.

The man on my left jabbed his fist into my ribs. I winced, giving the man on the right the chance to loop his arm around my throat. I was pinned to his back, my neck straining painfully as he wrenched it up. I used one hand to claw at the meaty arm on my throat, leaving my front completely exposed to the second man. He grinned, thinking he was going to get some revenge on me for the sake of his employers.

Stupid bastard forgot I was still armed.

Demons are free. Angels are fallen. Hope is dying...

Constance Ramirez and her adopted sister, Andromeda, have stopped Lucifer’s plan– They have closed the Heaven Gate and kept the demons out. But their choice came with brutal consequences, and now every angel on earth is trapped in their mortal body.

All that remains is closing the Hell Gate and establishing a balance once and for all. That means returning to the city of Constance’s nightmares, which has become a haven for murderers and monsters. But even more dangerous than their hunt is that Andromeda’s powers and instincts are turning darker, and this time Constance doesn’t know how to protect her.

Constance is ready to fight for her life, but her enemies have plans she can’t begin to imagine, and they’re prepared to make her suffer...

Trust is lost and hearts are broken in the epic conclusion in Amy Braun’s Cursed trilogy...

Media Kit

Chapter One

Pre-order it here:

Amazon Kindle | Paperback | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Nook | iBookstore |  Goodreads | Smashwords |

There've been some great reviews of the final Cursed novel lately, including one from WeWriWa's very own Christina Ochs, who just released her own brand new novel that you all need to buy! Seriously, get it, it's freaking amazing! In addition to reviews, One Book Two currently has a giveaway for the whole Cursed series! You can find out more details here, and there's still a ton of signups that all book bloggers are welcome to:

Sign Ups:

Book Blitz for Damnation's Door
Release Blitz and Blog Tour for Damation's Door

Cover Reveal for Midnight Sky

Review Opportunity for Crimson Sky and Midnight Sky

Now, in writing news. While Midnight Sky, the second Dark Sky novel is just about to have its glorious cover revealed to the world, I'm still working on the final formatting for both the printed and ebooks. I'm still working on figuring out Scrivener (the compile feature is what I want to use most right now, hence why I can't get it to format without doing weird things), but I'm hoping to have it sorted out by next week so I can send out all the details for reviewers and bloggers and begin its promotion. 
I'm crushingly close to finishing the second Areios Brothers novel (only half a chapter!), and wanted to get it done today, but I don't know that I'll have time or wakefulness on my side. *cries* That said, I'm taking my laptop with me to my friends cabin (and before you protest about what a horrible friend I am, all six of them plan to play a round or two of Magic The Gathering, a game I know about as much of as I do astrophysics), so I'll get a little more work in during that time. 
Once that's over, it's on to plotting and working on The Iron Gargoyle. I'm expecting a little more edits to return my way and will focus on Damnation's Door and Midnight Sky more than anything (seriously, thank God for blog tour companies and ebook promotion services– I think I would actually have to quit my Real Job if I had to do literally all of this by myself), but I'm going to need something to write when I have a moment or two to spare. 
So yes, that's the big news! Check back in a couple hours for the official cover reveal of Midnight Sky, and be sure to leave some love for the other Weekend Writing Warriors! I'll be posting again on Thursday, so until then, cheers! 
Amy

Monthly Goals (And Overworked Insanity): June

Wow. I like being busy, but am I the only one who felt that May went by insanely fast? Hopefully I can provide an accurate recap of it. The first, and most important thing, was that my second standalone novel, Storm Born, was released!

A single night can change your life… for the worst.

It’s been a century since the last Centennial Storm, the calamitous phenomenon that covered the world in disasters– tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, tsunamis, and dust storms– caused not by nature, but by alien creatures from another realm. The Stormkind.

Ava Reid tries not to think about that night, when she was caught in a hurricane and brought face to face with one of the Stormkind, the man with a dagger, and the agony she felt when he stabbed her with a crystal blade. Yet as she and the rest of Florida’s citizens begin to rebuild their lives, Ava can’t help but notice strange things happening around her. Things she seems to be causing. The gusts of wind and sudden floods attract the attentions of a mysterious stranger who leaves her clues, and the deadlier men following her.

It isn’t long before Ava is swept up into a wild conspiracy, led by a secret society that knows the truth about the Stormkind– and what their enemies have planned for the world she loves. If she wishes to protect her friends and her family, Ava must harness her strange new abilities and become part of the Stormkind society. Because if she loses control, there will be no force strong enough to stop her…

Buy it here:

Amazon Kindle | Paperback | Createspace | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | Smashwords | iBookstore | 

***

I was super excited to have another novel, which has been selling quite well in my opinion, and I've received a lot of good feedback on it. There's currently a blog tour going on for it (and you can still sign up!) which will carry on for another week. En Pointe Author Services helped put together and they've been stellar to work with. 

A few weeks ago, I also had a guest post for an anthology called Fae Visions of the Mediterranean as a favour for an author who will be featured with the me in the upcoming Ghosts, Gears, and Grimoires anthology compiled by Mocha Memoirs Press. I was super excited to have my story, Engineered Deceit, accepted, especially since it will be released in between my upcoming Dark Sky novellas, Amber Sky and Smoke Sky. 

Speaking of Dark Sky, I was thrilled to have the cover art for Midnight Sky returned! The wonder team at Deranged Doctor Design outdid themselves this time. The cover, which will be revealed on June 5, is exactly how I imagined it would be. I can't wait to share it. 

There are tons of sign-ups for my upcoming releases, all of which can be found below!

 Sign Ups:

Blog Tour for Storm Born

Review Opportunity for the Cursed series

Pre-Order Release Blitz for Damnation's Door (Starting soon!)

Book Blitz for Damnation's Door
Release Blitz and Blog Tour for Damation's Door

Cover Reveal for Midnight Sky

Review Opportunity for Crimson Sky and Midnight Sky

***

I also started taking time to re-organize how I write. I'm trying to learn the mysteries of Scrivener. It's format is almost perfect for the way I write, but the learning curve is merciless. I'm hoping to have it figured out either some time today or next week so I can upload the final versions of Midnight Sky, which is now up for preorder on Kindle, Kobo, and Smashwords. I'm also slowly transferring my Blogger account to Wordpress, now that I've bought a domain name. More learning curves. And I thought I was done with school. 

So. That's been May. As for June... June will be freaking insanity. Next week, the final novel in the Cursed trilogy, Damnation's Door, will be released. 

Demons are free. Angels are fallen. Hope is dying...

Constance Ramirez and her adopted sister, Andromeda, have stopped Lucifer’s plan– They have closed the Heaven Gate and kept the demons out. But their choice came with brutal consequences, and now every angel on earth is trapped in their mortal body.

All that remains is closing the Hell Gate and establishing a balance once and for all. That means returning to the city of Constance’s nightmares, which has become a haven for murderers and monsters. But even more dangerous than their hunt is that Andromeda’s powers and instincts are turning darker, and this time Constance doesn’t know how to protect her.

Constance is ready to fight for her life, but her enemies have plans she can’t begin to imagine, and they’re prepared to make her suffer...

Trust is lost and hearts are broken in the epic conclusion in Amy Braun’s Cursed trilogy...

Media Kit

Chapter One

Pre-order it here:

Amazon Kindle | Paperback | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Nook | iBookstore |  Goodreads | Smashwords |

***
I'm super excited for its release, and have been hearing great things so far from fellow author Christina Ochs and the reviewers at One Book Two, who have listed the first of many giveaways! 

In a couple days, I'm going to be very excited to have Christina Ochs back on the blog to promote her new novel, Hammer of the Gods. The novel is spectacular, and I look forward to reviewing it in detail on Saturday. Sunday is the cover reveal of Midnight Sky, and almost all the signups I have will be kicking off, starting with a Pre-Order Release Blitz for Damnation's Door. I'll also be sending out emails to reviewers for Midnight Sky, and am hoping the Review Opportunity will bring in more interest and help boost promotion. 

While all that's going on, I'm hoping to finish the second Areios Brothers novel. I'm pretty confident I can get it done today (lest I become exhausted and distracted with Scrivener and Wordpress tutorials). It will be a relief to have it over with, and I expect the Beta edits for the first novel, Storm of the Gods, to come back in a couple days. I'll be happy to work on those and add a few changes to the story, and my goal for the end of the month is to have it sent out to publishers. I'm realistic with my expectations, which is why once those queries are sent out, I won't touch the novel for six months. If I hear nothing back, I'll self-publish the series. The Areios Brothers is extremely dear to me and I would love nothing more than to see it on book shelves, but I'm not going to revolve my career around one book.

Case in point, if I can't motivate myself to do the tutorials today, or if I fail at them abysmally, I'll be working on the series plots and first storyline for my upcoming Iron Gargoyle series. I've already started some of the first novel, and I adore it. It's been a while since I've constructed a series from scratch, and my mind is bursting with ideas for this new series. I won't give much away (the title hints at quite a bit to be honest), but hopefully it will be like nothing readers have encountered before.

So that's my June. I know. I don't know how I'm going to keep up with everything, especially since I still have to work full time at the Real Job. That said, thinking about all these upcoming projects is very exciting. I'm learning a lot and can't wait to go through all this madness again!

Cheers!

Amy