Tuesday 30 July 2013

Author's Tale: Nicole Storey



Several years ago, I ran into an old “friend” at a local fair. I hadn’t seen her since high school, and we weren’t very close then. She was part of the “preppy” group of kids – you know the type, designer clothes, too much money, sports cars, cheerleaders and jocks. Back in those days, I considered myself Switzerland. I wasn’t a part of any particular click and I tried to get along with everyone. In other words, she didn’t give me the time of day and I couldn’t have cared less.
We made small talk and she asked, “So, what do you do now?” I smiled on the outside, but groaned inwardly and searched for an excuse to leave so I wouldn’t have to answer. I hated that question back then.  When you tell someone you’re a stay-at-home-mom, they automatically picture you lying on the couch in a pair of ratty pajamas, hair a cyclone-mess, stuffing your face with something unhealthy while watching soap operas on the Boob Tube. Most reactions are typical. First, you get “The Look.” It’s hard to explain unless you’ve been on the receiving end. Picture someone trying to maintain a smile while realizing they just stepped in a pile of doggy-doo. After that comes the standard reply of, “Oh, that’s great!” which is said in either a condescending tone or one used for those who just revealed that someone close to them died. She did not disappoint. It was at that very moment, while her cheeks flamed in embarrassment for me and (I’m sure) she immediately began a check list in her mind of all our mutual friends she could inform that I did nothing with my life, that I decided I needed a change. I loved being able to stay at home with my kids and I still do. I have my reasons for this choice I made and I don’t have to explain them to anyone. However, I needed something of my own – something that wasn’t connected to my husband or kids. The next day, I began to write.
When I started Grimsley Hollow: The Chosen One, I never had any intentions of publishing it. It was a story, a way to pass the time, a little something for my children. My son had just started middle school and we quickly came to realize that autism and a school full of pre-adolescent kids who are confused, unsure of themselves, and either uneducated where special-needs kids are concerned or just down-right mean, did not mix. Bullying was as natural as breathing for some, and my son was a favorite target. I wanted to write a book where he was the hero, where differences such as autism or how a person looked were brushed aside and the word friendship meant what it should. I wanted to educate, empower, and entertain. The book would contain two very important messages: Not all heroes wear capes and special-needs kids want the same things as other kids – to be accepted and have friends.
It took years to finish my book. Life tends to get in the way and I wasn’t on a time schedule. When I finished, my son and mother-in-law read the printed pages slipped into plastic covers and preserved with love in a cheap binder from Wal-Mart. They loved it. I wasn’t surprised. After all, my son was the hero in a magical realm and my mother-in-law is family. They were supposed to say they loved it. Soon after, my mother-in-law asked me if I thought about having it published. I laughed at the time, but the idea had been planted in my mind (her intention for bringing it up in the first place) and I began to research online.
I discovered author Amanda Hocking. I read about how she self-published her books and made a name for herself in the world of writing. After that, I stumbled upon book and writing groups on Facebook and found out that many authors were self-publishing and they called themselves Indies. I was amazed! With the help of others, I got my book formatted and bought a pre-made book cover from the same artist who designed some of the covers for Hocking’s books. With a wish and a prayer, I sent my baby out into the digital world. I was a published author.
I’ve made many mistakes on this exciting (and sometimes bumpy) path. However, I’ve also done a few things that turned out okay. Since that fateful day in 2011 when I submitted my book with a click of my mouse to Amazon, I have been signed with a publisher, Inknbeans Press. The Grimsley Hollow series has grown to three books and I started a new series in the genre of YA paranormal with the first book slated for release on July 18th of this year. And there you have it – the story of an author born from the desperation and frustration of a stay-at-home mom. I no longer mind it when old “friends” asked me what I do now.



Author Bio and Contact Links



Nicole Storey lives in Georgia with her wonderful husband, two prodigious kids, and a plethora of pets. When she isn’t traveling to magical realms with potty-mouthed pixies or fighting demons, she enjoys reading and reviewing books, gardening, cooking, and planning for her favorite holiday – Halloween! She is an author of juvenile fantasy and YA paranormal books and is published with Inknbeans Press. Her books can be found on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Sony, and Smashwords in e-book and paperback.

Contact Nicole:
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/KThYif
Official Website: http://bit.ly/15oJb2y

Wednesday 24 July 2013

Excerpt from Blind Sight – Book one in The Celadon Circle series by Nicole Storey



Blood and screaming; screaming and blood. The horrors of the image before her assault Jordan’s senses, overwhelming them to the point where she must scream herself. It wouldn’t matter if she did -- the young girl fighting for her life wouldn’t hear her.  Neither would the monster dismantling her body piece by agonizing piece.
She’d fought valiantly. The girl – she couldn’t be more than sixteen – obviously wasn’t the type to roll over and die. The monster liked that. Fear made her flesh sweeter. Her hair is plastered to her head with sweat. Her breathing labored, coming in short gasps. Tears cut tracks through the grime and muck on her face. Jordan figured she’d been on the run for at least an hour or more.
Her time is coming to an end, though. The blood loss is too great – she’s weak. Jeans, which were once faded blue, are a saturated burgundy now. She had lost what was left of her shirt a while back. Strips of skin flap loosely above and below her bra strap. She’s barely able to stumble through the trees. The monster allows her to get as far as fifty feet away before it pounces again, using powerful claws to rake what’s left of the flesh from her back. Its long, black tongue snakes out, lapping up her blood. Its putrid body shivers in ecstasy under the bloated moon.
The girl barely whimpers this time, but sound carries in the silent woods. The monster stops feeding long enough to place a gnarled, heavy foot on her back, snapping it like dry timber.   There will be no more running for either of them this night.
Enormous wings unfurl from the creature’s body, webbed and veined -- not unlike those of a bat. Fully spanned, they reach at least twelve feet across. Jordan knows she must get a closer look. With the thought, her body moves, drifting on the currents of the gentle breeze created by the pines and oaks. Soon, too soon, she is floating right above it. 
As if it can hear or sense something is near, the thing raises its massive head, sniffing the air. Its face resembles a gibbon, but the mouth is wider – distorted and stretched to hold rows of wicked-sharp teeth. Yellow eyes capture the moonlight, reflecting it like any other animal, only more brightly. Its body is covered in gray feathers or scales coated in a slimy substance. The smell is unbelievable – a mixture of skunk, feces, and ammonia that make her eyes water. Jordan’s seen enough.
Before she moves away, she takes one last look at the girl lying broken on the ground before her.  She is bruised and shattered, her blonde hair streaked red with blood. Was she beautiful before? Maybe she was a cheerleader for her school’s football team. She could have been a straight -- A student on her way to a full scholarship to Vassar. It didn’t matter. She was someone’s daughter, perhaps a big sister…someone’s friend. Jordan wishes she could comfort her, stroke her brow or squeeze her hand – something to let her know she isn’t dying alone. However, it is against the rules. The most she can do is make sure her death is not in vain.
As she moves away from the nightmare, the creature lets loose a scream, raising goose bumps along her arms. AhOOOoool! Probably a victory yell for a successful hunt, Jordan thinks to herself, wishing she could sink a silver knife in its gullet. She feels herself begin to fade from this time and place, a sensation of being guided somewhere else. Go ahead and celebrate, you bastard. That poor girl will be your last meal.


I have always been a huge fan of anything supernatural, paranormal, or just plain spooky. I’m the type who will sit through hours of Lost Tapes on Animal Planet and Monster Week. When deciding on a paranormal-type monster for my book, I decided to research cryptozoology for creatures people have actually claimed to have seen. The one in the excerpt is called a Kongamato. Descriptions of it vary, depending on what part of the world the people are from who witnessed it. I chose a description that would best fit in with my story. Does it really exist? I can’t say for sure, but considering how many times it has been seen soaring in the sky or perched on branches of trees as it waits for unsuspecting prey to wonder by…I wouldn’t count it out.



Author Bio and Contact Links



Nicole Storey lives in Georgia with her wonderful husband, two prodigious kids, and a plethora of pets. When she isn’t traveling to magical realms with potty-mouthed pixies or fighting demons, she enjoys reading and reviewing books, gardening, cooking, and planning for her favorite holiday – Halloween! She is an author of juvenile fantasy and YA paranormal books and is published with Inknbeans Press. Her books can be found on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Sony, and Smashwords in e-book and paperback.

Contact Nicole:
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/KThYif
Official Website: http://bit.ly/15oJb2y

Monday 22 July 2013

Cover Reveal: Blind Site by Nicole Storey




Blind Sight – Book one in The Celadon Circle series
 


I have been told that, as an author, I do things backwards. LOL! When a story forms in my head, I find it easier to build upon when I have a visual to inspire me. One of the first steps I take when writing a book is to get the cover art done. The book cover for Blind Sight was created by Megan Parker of Emcat Designs. You can find her business here on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmCatDesigns?fref=ts
Megan and I clicked right from the start and we seemed to feed off of each other’s ideas. Blind Sight is a YA paranormal, and I wanted the cover to reflect certain aspects and details of the story. Since most of it takes place at a campground in Tennessee, Megan added the forests, which surround the campground. The pentagram and ancient rune inside of it are used by characters in the story. The wings represent angels and the girl on the cover is Jordan, the main character.
I am very picky when it comes to my book covers. I want them to stand out. I want readers to notice them and say, “Now that looks like a book I might enjoy!” Some people say that cover art is not important, but most people I’ve spoke with tell me it matters a great deal when they are choosing a book. In my opinion, if an author takes the time to write a book, pours their heart and soul onto the pages, and then sets it loose on the world, then they should make the cover just as special as the story. I think readers deserve that.



Author Bio and Contact Links

Nicole Storey lives in Georgia with her wonderful husband, two prodigious kids, and a plethora of pets. When she isn’t traveling to magical realms with potty-mouthed pixies or fighting demons, she enjoys reading and reviewing books, gardening, cooking, and planning for her favorite holiday – Halloween! She is an author of juvenile fantasy and YA paranormal books and is published with Inknbeans Press. Her books can be found on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Sony, and Smashwords in e-book and paperback.

Contact Nicole:

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/KThYif
Official Website: http://bit.ly/15oJb2y
 

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