Freaks, Warriors, & Erect Male Parts

FREAKS, WARRIORS, & ERECT MALE PARTS by Maree Anderson (for Writers Gone Wild)

Hi y'all,

It's a fly-by post today, I'm afraid--especially since it's practically Friday and I'm supposed to have posted this on Thursday. Ooops. Apparently time moves differently when you're chock-full of antihistamines....

So rather than a post about anything in particular, I'm posting little sound-type-bytes of hopefully interesting stuff *g*

1) Remember my first independently published book, The Crystal Warrior? Well, since I last posted about it when it was first released in around August last year, it's had some wonderful 5-stars reviews:

“The chemistry between these two jumped off the page, and there was no putting The Crystal Warrior aside until I’d made it all the way through. Loved it from the first page to the last!” ~ InTheBook

“The sexy alpha male hero had me hooked from the beginning and I loved the sassy heroine who tamed him (just enough). The plot unfolded at a fast page-turner pace. Finding The Crystal Warrior was like finding a Paranormal Romance Gem. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.” ~ BookLover1960

“... an intelligent, fast, action packed read with a feisty, sassy heroine Chalcedony and a really hunky hero, Wulfenite. This book has it all including laugh out loud humor, danger, twists and turns, and both protagonists have gut wrenching choices to be made that leave you wondering right to the very end.”~ rowenamaywrites

“... the author has crafted [this story] with enough emotion, suspense and twists that I found it hard to put down. It’s easy to see why it won the Clendon Award! I sure hope Ms. Anderson doesn’t make us wait too long for the sequel!” ~ Anne Kane

“... everything about it was beautifully crafted. Characters felt real – even ancient warrior Wulf – and I loved the interaction between modern day independent heroine, Chalcey, and her hero. There was humour, angst, passion, the works! ~ Jennifer Lynne

2) Being 90,000+ words, I've decided to raise the price from $2.99 to $3.99.

So if you'd like to give The Crystal Warrior--and/or Book Two of the series, Ruby's Dream--a try, then now's good *g*. (Note that as at today, the price has been raised on Smashwords and already rolled out to iTunes, but the lower $2.99 price still applies to Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Sony, Diesel, and All Romance eBooks.)

3) Can't remember The Crystal Warrior from a bar of soap? Don't worry, I'm not at all offended. August was a long time ago *g*

Here's the blurb:

She’s a dancer, and the most important thing in her life right now is the success of her new dance studio. He’s an alien Crystal Warrior with one big-ass curse hanging over him. In a moment of weakness she lets him seduce her. Now they’re magically bonded and his life is in her hands. (Winner of the Romance Writers of New Zealand Clendon Award)

Chalcedony (Chalcey) has given up on men. Who’s got time for all that angsty dating crap when she’s got a new dance studio to run? Then she’s given a piece of wulfenite crystal and Lord Wulfenite, Keeper of the Shifting Sands fief, literally pops out of the crystal and plants one on her. Wulf is the man of her dreams… or at least, dressed like an ad for We Love Leather, with killer abs and delectable pectorals, he sure looks like the man of her dreams. But if there’s one thing Chalcey’s learned: If it looks too good to be true, then it sure as heck probably is too good to be true! And Wulf proves to be no exception.

Wulf doesn’t stop to wonder why he’s so attracted to Chalcedony. All he knows is he’s finally escaped from a centuries-long hell and he wants this woman – more than anything he’s wanted in his entire life. Chalcey doesn’t stand a chance. Before she realizes what’s at stake, she’s bonded with him and his life is in her hands. She knows she should walk away and leave him to his fate. No way is she planning on getting stuck with a guy who used to steal women for breeding stock! But the more she learns about Wulf and his past, the more conflicted she becomes.

Only when the Crystal Guardian’s curse threatens everything Chalcey’s worked so hard for, does she finally realize what’s truly important. But even if she can figure out how to save Wulf from his fate, it might be too late.

For reviews, buy links and to read an excerpt from The Crystal Warrior, visit my website Books page.

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4) Have you checked out the calorie-free 99c eBook treats on offer at the Book Lovers Buffet yet?

There are around 140 eBooks on offer -- all 99c each -- from a huge variety of authors, including moi. Sale ends January 15th so don't miss out. I've already bought a heap *g*.

Speaking of 99c eBooks, my paranormal YA, Freaks of Greenfield High, is included in the Book Lovers Buffet YA and paranormal sections. Just sayin'...

5) Freaks has also garnered some great reviews since it released in September last year:

“If you liked Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles you will love this YA book. I devoured this book in two nights. It totally played out like a movie in my head. Anderson’s descriptions of cyborg Jay were amazing. It was fast paced, riveting, real teen language that I loved and I didn’t want it to end. I seriously hope Anderson will write a sequel featuring more cyborgs.” ~ Renee Pace (Nitty Gritty YA Writings)

“[ Jay and Tyler’s] personal growth as well as their relationship issues are true to life–both heartbreaking and heart warming. This author has become a must read for me. Although this book is a YA, I found I couldn’t put it down and read into the early morning hours.” ~ L.J. Charles

“This book has one of the best heroines ever. When I started the book, I was just going to read a little before going to bed. I ended up finally shutting off my Kindle at 2am. I finished the book the next night. A really enjoyable story. It moved fast, and I think adults will like this as well as teens.” ~ E.S. Rose

“There are three things I’d like to see more of in fiction: ninja, bionics, and cyborgs. Maree Anderson has provided us with the latter, enclosing it in a YA tale of…well, coming to terms with feelings, but the author takes that sap and executes it superbly so it’s no way near as cheesy as it sounds. Read this, and you’ll understand why Jay Smith is so awesome – she’s my new favourite heroine.” ~ Tez Says

But the reeeeally big news is....

6) Freaks of Greenfield High was chosen in December by the Wattpad crew to be one of their featured stories. Huge coup because it means mega-exposure, and a way for me to get my story out there to my target audience.

As at about five minutes ago, Freaks has had more than 103,000 reads from Wattpad readers, and more comments and votes than I can poke a stick at. The feedback has been incredible and the support I've had from the Wattpad community continues to astound me. Looks like I'm going to be writing a sequel to keep the Wattpaders happy *g*

7) If you can't remember what the heck Freaks of Greenfield High was even about (hey, it was released in September, after all) here's the blurb:

When a teenage cyborg is forced to hide out at a small-town high school, the unthinkable happens: she falls in love. (Winner of the Maryland Romance Writers Reveal Your Inner Vixen contest, YA category.)

Jay’s a cyborg who looks just like normal teenage girl. She’s super-strong, super-smart, and she can even appear to grow and age like a human. When a covert organization intent on using Jay as a weapon comes after her, she needs to find a place where she can blend in. Greenfield High seems perfect… except that the boys all think she’s totally hot and keep hitting on her, and she has no clue how to handle the attention. Who knew high school could be so perilous?

To add to her confusion she’s evolving – experiencing human emotions for the first time. And when she encounters ex-jock-turned-outcast Tyler, he sends her logical brain into a spin. She’s just starting to get the hang of this girlfriend/boyfriend thing when her pursuers track her down. Now’s sooo not the time for a cyborg to fall in love and get all emotional!

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And finally, just for fun (and because we're all grownups here on Writers Gone Wild)....

8) This from Jim Johnston:

"There are some literary subjects that have become total cliches and an attempt to describe an erect penis is one of them." Click here to read more "On the subject of penises".

WARNING: Do not attempt to drink coffee--or anything for that matter--while reading this or you will be sorry.

Cheers, and Happy New Year!

Maree