What are Beta Readers?

Happy Writer Wednesday!

Beta Readers are those who read your manuscript before it goes to an editor or to press and offer constructive feedback. They can help you identify weaknesses and problem areas, and give you an indication of what to expect from your readership. Their assistance is be invaluable, especially when it comes to letting you know what is working and what is not. Try to include as many non-writers as possible in your team!

If you have friends or family who read in the genre you've written, ask them to read your draft and offer their honest feedback. Find out what works for them and what doesn't. Ask them to answer the following questions:

·         How quickly did you become invested in the story?

·         Were the characters relatable and realistic? If not, why not?

·         Is my writing easy to understand or were you frequently confused?

·         Did the story seem to drag in parts or did it hold your interest all the way through?

·         What did you love about the story?

·         What did you hate about the story?

·         Are there any plot holes you noticed?

·         Are there any continuity errors that need to be addressed?

·         Did you notice any frequently occurring grammatical mistakes or overused words?

·         Were you happy with the ending?

Aren't sure if anyone reads your genre? Ask them! Thanks to the advent of social media, you have a whole world of readers at your fingertips. Put out feelers and see who bites. It might surprise you to find how many of your friends, family, or followers are willing to help you out.

Teaser Tuesday: Desire Me (Teaser #2)

For NaNoWriMo, I've been working to finish up Desire Me. I'm 99.99% of the way there! So why not share a celebratory teaser?!

"Having Luke staying here will make me feel a helluva lot better."

"Okay," I say.

"Yeah?" He cocks a brow at me like he's surprised I'm agreeing.

"Yeah," I say with a shrug. "I like Luke."

Roman narrows his eyes on me.

"Not like that. Jeez," I huff, rolling my eyes at him. "Do you have a setting other than caveman?"

"Apparently not when it comes to you," he mutters.

I snort a soft laugh.

"I was never jealous until you," he says, rinsing the second round of soap off. I lick my lips, watching it slide down the ridges of his abdomen. "No one else ever mattered before you. But you? The thought of some other guy even looking at you like I do pisses me off. I think I'd straight up murder someone if they tried to touch you."

"I feel the same way about you," I tell him, wrapping my arms and legs around his waist when he picks me up again. He turns me until the water is beating down on my back, which pulls a moan of ecstasy from my lips. I swear, there's nothing better than a hot shower with my even hotter man.

"Baby," he says on a deep chuckle that hits me low in my stomach, "you don't even have to worry about someone trying to touch me. I'd never let that bullshit happen. The only hands I want on me are yours."

"Same here," I breathe, sliding my hands up into his hair and pulling his head to mine for a deep kiss.

"None of that," he growls when I moan and wriggle, trying to find a little friction. "You need sleep."

"I'm not sleepy," I whine, rubbing up against him.

"Liar." His lips quirk up into a smile.

"I like you way better when you're giving me what I want," I pout.

"I've been giving you my cock every day since I brought you home," he says with another chuckle.

"Then why stop a good thing?" I ask, leaning forward to bite his neck. "I sleep better after you make me come, anyway, Mr. Gregory."

He growls softly and then grinds me down on his cock before smacking my ass. "I'm trying to clean you up."

"I like it better when you get me dirty," I retort, grinding against his cock and moaning loudly.

"Fuck," he mutters before spinning and putting my back against the wall of the shower. He glares down at me, but I know he's not really mad. His eyes are wild with desire and a little hint of humor. "You're a pain in my ass, baby."

"That's why you love me."

You can pre-order Desire Me on Amazon!

About the Series:

Two weeks.

No strings.

No commitments.

Those are the terms Mila Lawson offers Roman Gregory when they find themselves living together in Santa Cruz.

With a violent gang gunning for him and a cartel threatening to go to war, the last thing the ATF agent should be thinking about is claiming his daughter's twenty-two-year-old best friend. But after four long years of lusting after the gorgeous little blonde from afar, once Roman has her, he's not willing to give her up. 

She may be off-limits, but something about Mila drives him wild. There's nothing sweet about the things he wants to do to her, and nothing gentle about the way he takes her. She makes him crave a future he never envisioned for himself…one so much better than he ever dreamed was possible.

To keep her, he'll be forced to face the daughter he adores. To save her, he'll break every rule in the book.

Nothing will stand in his way. Not his daughter. Not the gang hunting him. Not even the law itself.

New to Roman and Mila's steamy story? The first three parts are now available and FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Devour Me

Destroy Me

Defend Me

** My blog will be moving to my new site soon! You can find it at akmorgen.com/blog **

FADE is NOW LIVE! #paranormal #excerpt #romance

FADE is officially live on all major retailers under the Tirgearr Publishing brand!

I am so, so excited to get this one back into your waiting hands. If you've previously read FADE, parts of it have been rewritten for clarity and flow, but the story itself has not changed. If you haven't read FADE yet, what are you waiting for?! This was my first ever book baby, originally published in 2012. 

It's got wolves and danger and a beautiful, broken boy who might just be one half of the duo fated to save the world. Again.

FADE is suitable for older teens and above, though my younger niece and nephews have all read and loved it as well. 

ABOUT FADE

What do you do when you realize nothing in your life is what you’ve believed it to be?

When Arionna Jacobs loses her mother in a tragic accident, her world is turned upside down. She’s forced to leave her old life behind and move in with her father. Dace Matthews, a teaching assistant at her new college, is torn in two, unable to communicate with the feral wolf caged inside him.

When they meet, everything they thought they knew about life unravels. Dace has intimate access to Arionna’s mind, and something deep within her fights to rise to the surface. They don't understand what's happening to them or why, and they're running out of time to sort out the strange occurrences around them. 

Their meeting sets an ancient Norse prophesy of destruction in motion, and what destiny has in store for them is bigger than either could have ever imagined. Unless they learn to trust themselves and one another, they may never resolve the mystery surrounding who they are to one another, and what that means for the world.

Amazon | Smashwords | Apple | Kobo | Nook

Universal Book Link

Goodreads | Bookbub

Excerpt

Arionna.

I jumped as his voice sounded clear as bells in my head.

What are you doing? His mental voice was too calm. He'd heard my thoughts.

My face burned. I was trying to talk to you. I don't exactly know how to do it, I answered, defensive and mortified. I didn't mean to share those last thoughts with him, and like so much else, he'd received them anyway.

Again, it just wasn't fair.

I guess it worked. He sounded amused, though his tone seemed darker than usual, like when he kissed me. I stored that knowledge away for future use.

I don't know where Chelle lives.

You could have called.

Why? You never call me.

Would you like me to call you?

No. I had his attention now. Why bother with the phone? It didn't make sense. Still, would it kill him to pick up the phone once in a while, like normal people did, instead of always leaving me to do the calling?

I'm not normal people, Arionna.

How could one boy be so clueless?

Oh, forget it. Where does Chelle live?

Dace sighed then gave me her address.

I sat up straighter in the seat and put the car in drive, not even thanking him. Sue me, I wanted to sulk for a little while. Talking to him aggravated me. Things that should have been obvious were beyond him. He had no clue what a girl wanted. Ironic as hell since he got to know my every thought whenever the desire struck. Meanwhile, I muddled along, trying to sort out this person who made no sense half the time.

He didn't even tell me no, he wouldn't teach me how to figure out how to access his mind. He ignored the situation and acted like I didn't say anything the four thousand times I demanded to know how. And even worse than all of that? I still felt him in there, nestled into his little corner of my mind. I growled aloud.

Do you honestly think I'd take your virginity on a picnic table? His curious tone held more than a little hurt.

Why not? I stopped at a red light. It's better than the back of a car. I couldn't hold back the snippy reply.

Dace sighed. When we do that, Arionna, it won't be on a picnic table in the middle of winter, or in the back of a car. And you won't regret it, not for a minute.

I didn't know how to respond to that, so I didn't try.

By the way, you're going the wrong way. Chelle lives on the other side of town, behind the grocery store.

"Ugh!" I yelled.

FADE is only .99c on Amazon through 11/10!

Get it at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YYKKC58

Happy Writer Wednesday!

Do you confuse who and that in writing? Don't feel bad if you do. Most people struggle with this one because it's so common in speech to use "that" instead of "who".

Just remember, when referring to a person, you use "who". When referring to an object or another type of noun, use "that", like in the examples above.

That said, sometimes it's appropriate to use "who" instead of "that" when referring to animals and other sentient beings, especially if you're trying to humanize them. If the wolf in your book, for instance, is a shapeshifter or has a strong bond with a character (or human mannerisms or speech, etc), try "who" instead of "that" to further humanize him or her.

Teaser Tuesday: FADE Excerpt

Happy Teaser Tuesday!

Since FADE releases tomorrow (AHHH!), I thought I'd share another quick teaser from the book with you guys today! One of my favorite things about this series is the bond between Arionna and her dad, Alex. When things get messy, he's always right there to lend a hand, an ear, or a hug to Ari, Dace, and their ragtag band of apocalypse-fighting heroes.

"So, how'd you and Dace meet?"

Dad starting a sentence with "so" never boded well.

I took a sip of water before answering. "Um, in the woods. One of the girls I met on Thursday suggested I go through the park to the Inn. I ran into him out there."

Now that I thought about it, something about the entire situation didn't sit just right. Chelle had gone all cryptic over Dace, sent me off on a shortcut, and there he'd mysteriously appeared.

Coincidence? Given the weird vibe I'd gotten from her, I rather doubted it.

"Oh." Dad ate quietly for another few minutes.

"Was he a student of yours?" I asked, trying my best to sound only mildly curious. I think I succeeded.

He could probably hear my heart racing though.

"Sort of." Dad sat down his fork before picking up his glass. "He was in my Mythology 101 class four years ago. I think he taught me more than I taught him."

"Really?" That sounded interesting.

"Mmhmm." He took a long drink of his tea, his brow furrowing again. "He's like a walking encyclopedia of myths, legends, and the supernatural. There is nothing he doesn't know about each of the three, so far as I can tell. It's quite fascinating."

Fascinating, indeed. Although not very surprising. At this point, I didn't think I could learn anything about Dace that would truly surprise me. He felt way too familiar. And secrets? The boy had those in droves.

Where was my sense of self-preservation?

"So, how well do you know him?"

"Me?" I blinked at the question. "Not well. We talked for a while Thursday, and he helped me get home tonight. He seems like a nice enough guy." Okay, so I was going to Hell for stretching the truth as far as it would go, but telling my dad that Dace had kissed me senseless in the middle of the woods, and I wanted to do it again sooner rather than later? Probably not a good idea.

I doubted telling him Dace could talk to me in my head would go over any better. I'd end up in a straightjacket, swallowing little cups of pills, and sleeping all the live-long day, and I found that possibility less appealing every time I considered it.

We ate in silence for another few minutes and then Dad cleared his throat.

I looked over at him.

"You didn't…notice anything unusual about him?" he asked.

Was he kidding me? Everything about Dace was unusual, and gorgeous, and…. "Unusual?" I asked innocently. "What do you mean?"

"It's…nothing." He picked up his glass. The look on his face gave away the lie, but he might as well have been Fort Knox. I wouldn't be getting anything out of him until he decided to spill on his own.

I considered asking outright if he'd ever heard Dace speaking when he hadn't said anything, but I couldn't do it. I kept envisioning awkward conversations about the effects of grief on mental health, and I wasn't crazy.

Dad took another drink and then said, "Did he mention he's been helping me with a book?"

He most certainly had not.

"No." I frowned. Was Dace intentionally infuriating or did it come naturally?

ABOUT FADE

What do you do when you realize nothing in your life is what you’ve believed it to be?

When Arionna Jacobs loses her mother in a tragic accident, her world is turned upside down. She’s forced to leave her old life behind and move in with her father. Dace Matthews, a teaching assistant at her new college, is torn in two, unable to communicate with the feral wolf caged inside him.

When they meet, everything they thought they knew about life unravels. Dace has intimate access to Arionna’s mind, and something deep within her fights to rise to the surface. They don't understand what's happening to them or why, and they're running out of time to sort out the strange occurrences around them.

Their meeting sets an ancient Norse prophesy of destruction in motion, and what destiny has in store for them is bigger than either could have ever imagined. Unless they learn to trust themselves and one another, they may never resolve the mystery surrounding who they are to one another, and what that means for the world.

Pre-Order FADE from your favorite retailer via the links below!

Amazon | Smashwords | Apple | Kobo | Nook

Universal Book Link

Goodreads | Bookbub

Just a Kiss by Carrie Elks is Now Available! #holidayromance

Title: Just A Kiss

Author: Carrie Elks

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: Nov 1, 2019

Cover Designed by: Najla Qamber

Beautiful, perfect and everything he needs.

Caitie Russell's big brother is getting married. As the proud owner of Holiday Magic, Caitie is the obvious choice to organise the perfect Christmas wedding. Piece of cake, right?

If it weren't for one gorgeous man-shaped problem...

Her brother's best friend, Brecken Miller.

He was her first crush.

Her first kiss.

Her first broken heart…

Construction worker Brecken Miller is a modern-day Scrooge.

The confirmed bachelor would rather pull his nails out than celebrate Christmas, until he sees Caitie again.

Like a moth to a flame he’s drawn to her.

But there’s a problem with fire. It always leaves a scar.

 

**Just a Kiss is the fourth book in the Angel Sands series, set in a small beach town on the California coast. If you like a heartwarming holiday romance that’s low on angst and big on feels, this is the story for you!**

 

BUY FROM AMAZON US

BUY FROM AMAZON UK

READ FOR FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED

 

Excerpt

When the door closed behind her for a second time, Caitie bit down a smile and slowly turned to look at Breck. He was leaning on the wall, arms folded across his chest, the skin at the corner of his eyes crinkling up as he smiled at her.

“Hello,” he said, his smile widening.

“Hi.”

She felt breathless as the air around them snapped and crackled. The hairs on her neck stood up. Breck slowly pushed off the wall and walked over to the sofa where she was standing, his strides long and confident.

Caitie didn’t move. She wasn’t even sure if she could. Her muscles were tense with anticipation, her skin tingling with need. There was a half-smile on his lips as he reached out for her chin, using the pads of his fingers to tip her face up.

“Cait…” His voice caressed her ears. She loved the way her name sounded on his lips.

“Did you know you’re the only one who calls me that?” she asked breathlessly.

“Do you mind?”

She shook her head slowly, his fingers still holding her. “No. I like it.” Too much.

He took another step forward, his eyes firmly on hers. “I like it, too,” he said. “The same way I like you.”

Her chest tightened. Standing so close to him felt overwhelming. She could smell the woody scent of his cologne, feel his firm touch as his fingers caressed her jaw. Everywhere she looked, all she saw was him.

“Where were we last week?” he asked her.

The corner of her lip quirked up. “Remind me?”

He chuckled and lowered his head until his lips were a breath away from hers. She could see the thickness of his eyelashes, the strong line of his nose, the warmth of his skin where it was kissed by the California sun.

“I think it was a little like this,” he murmured, brushing his lips against hers.

Advance Praise For Just A Kiss

'Another trip to Angel Sands, and another beautifully written romance. The entire book is gorgeous.' - MB, Goodreads reviewer

'Undeniable chemistry, bro code guilt, a single-minded flirty bridesmaid, & it makes a fun, roller-coaster of a holiday romance'- Steph, Goodreads reviewer 

‘The perfect beachy Christmas romance with lots of steam.’– Lea, Goodreads reviewer 

 

BUY FROM AMAZON US

BUY FROM AMAZON UK

READ FOR FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carrie Elks writes contemporary romance with a sizzling edge. Her first book, Fix You, has been translated into eight languages and made a surprise appearance on Big Brother in Brazil. Luckily for her, it wasn’t voted out. Carrie lives with her husband, two lovely children and a larger-than-life black pug called Plato. When she isn’t writing or reading, she can be found baking, drinking an occasional (!) glass of wine, or chatting on social media.

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A Halloween Treat for You!

Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love everything about it, from the costumes to the candy to the movies! I don't have any candy for you guys this week, but I DO have a treat!

A Halloween Outtake from Fight for You! 

JANUARY AND THE LOST BOYS Cade has never been particularly good at telling January no, especially when she turns those big green eyes on him. Now he's agreed to don tights and brave the laughter of his friends just to see his best friend's baby sister smile on Halloween.  But when a jealous classmate's cruelty wounds January's heart, Cade realizes that there just might be something more to his growing feelings for Titan's little sister than he thought. You can claim this Halloween outtake for FREE via the link below! GET JANUARY AND THE LOST BOYS  Want more of January and Cade? You can now get Fight for You on Kindle Unlimited! About Fight for You The road to hell is paved with good intentions...but the path to redemption never hurt so good. Some men deserve redemption. Some men are worthy of salvation. I'm not one of them. My name is Michael Kincaid, and I've got so much blood on my hands, I'll never wash clean. For ten years, I've tried to outrun my gangbanger past by burying myself in my work with the DEA. I've tried like hell to forget the day I damned my soul and lost everything…my family, my home, and the only girl I've ever loved. I still can't outrun it. No matter how far I go, January James haunts me. Now one of my enemies—a local gang member—has it out for her. He isn't going to stop until she gives him the territory I left her all those years ago. She deserves better than me, but she's mine anyway. It's time to stop running and fight for her. She's an angel. I'm the devil on her shoulder. And this is my swan song. When it's over, I'll either be the monster at the end of this book…or I'll be the man she deserves.

AMAZON | BOOKBUB | GOODREADS

Reviewers are saying

"This book is hot, emotional, interesting, sweet, and intense and I wholeheartedly recommend it." ★★★★★ Amazon Reviewer

"Raw. Gritty. Amazing! As always, Ayden blows us away with her cutting edge, honest, emotion-driven novel."  ★★★★★ Jeanne McDonald, Author of the Truth in Lies Saga

"FANTASTIC! This was a really good book!! It captures you from the start and never lets you down." ★★★★★ Amazon Reviewer

"I cried, I laughed, and I loved with the characters! Romance and tragedy, Oh. My. Gosh!" Mary (★★★★★ Goodreads Review)

"You will not regret time spent on this novel and this author deserves a standing ovation."  Shontell (★★★★★ Goodreads Review)

"The way this book made me feel is indescribable. I felt like I was watching this whole book play out on a movie. I could not put it down." Grace (★★★★★ Bookbub Review)

Media Kits: What to Include

Happy Writer Wednesday!

Media Kits are documents that contain all the relevant information about your book. They can be a HUGE time saver, especially if you keep them updated with current information.

At a minimum, your media kit should include the book cover, the summary, purchase links (and links to the book on Goodreads and Bookbub) and your author bio, links, and author photo. You can also include an excerpt from the book, teaser images, and reviews or accolades to really make it a "go to" document. There are many templates out there you can use to create yours, or you can do it from scratch in a Word document.

You can send the media kits along to bloggers, reviewers, fellow authors, and use it during other types of promotional and marketing work (ie: if you're reaching out to media outlets).

I use mine FREQUENTLY! I also try to update them every couple of months as new teaser images are created, for sales, etc.

Teaser Tuesday: Desire Me

Happy Teaser Tuesday! I have an excerpt from Desire Me for you guys today! Mila and Roman's final book releases December 17, 2019!

"Pull her detail," Octavio says. "Whatever progress I'd made with her, Sanders blew. If we can get her to talk now, I'll let you know. Until then, I'll keep an eye on her."

"Are you sure you don't want to put someone else on her?" Finn asks him as if he has another choice here.

"Even if you could manage it, she's scared enough already. Locking her in a room with someone else she doesn't know won't help her learn to trust me."

"Luke and Mila are going to help us keep an eye on her," I tell Finn.

"She's okay with this?" he asks, glancing between me and Octavio.

Frustration rolls through Octavio's expression. "She's not okay with any of it, but it is what it is. At least this way, she isn't alone with someone like Sanders." He glances at his phone and then back to Finn. "You need anything from me?" he asks. "I've got a debriefing in half an hour."

"You're good," Finn says, waving him off. "I'll let you know if IA needs to speak with you."

Octavio nods, bumps my fist, and then strolls out of the office.

Finn waits until he's gone to turn to me. "Sanders is as good as fired," he says with a disgusted shake of his head. "The little prick is lucky Hernandez didn't rip his balls off."

"Hernandez is too smart to do it with witnesses around," I murmur.

Finn snorts. "I probably would have let him do it."

"Sanders will get what he deserves," I remind Finn. IA does not take kindly to federal agents using their badges to prey on women. Especially when those women are in their custody.

"You sure you're good having Ms. Donovan around Mila?" he asks, pinning me with a no-bullshit look.

"Like Octavio said, it is what it is." I blow out a breath. "After seeing her again today, I'm not so sure Octavio's wrong about her. She's jumpy as hell, scared. Whatever she was doing with Fuentes, I don't think it was by choice. We need to know what she knows, and this is the best way to ensure she's safe while Octavio figures out why they want her back so goddamn badly."

Finn nods and then glances at his phone when it buzzes, his brows pulling down. "We're being summoned by the DEA. They want us at their offices within the hour."

"What the fuck for?" I ask, scowling. I've got enough shit to do today, thanks to Sanders. I've got to talk to IA, figure out how to keep Octavio from losing his shit, check in Kincaid, and stop in to see Tristan and Lillian. It's not even noon and I already know I'm not going to get home before dark. Again.

Mila's going to be pissed.

"Don't know," Finn mutters, shoving his phone into his pocket and grabbing his keys. "Let's go find out."

"Fuck, fine. But it better not be another goddamn press conference or I will start flipping tables," I warn him, stomping out of his office.

He chuckles like he thinks I'm joking, but I'm not.

About Desire Me (Her Best Friend's Father #4)

Roman Gregory and Mila Lawson thought the clouds hanging over their heads had vanished with the death of Jose Guerrero four months ago, but after Tristan Riley blew into town to take on el Demonio, their world imploded all over again.

With Mila pregnant and the gang war slowly fizzling, all Roman wants to do is focus on the future...but he can't do that when a man he worked beside for years betrayed him and their team in a major way. Now all Roman wants to do is find Remi Pledger and end the threat from Pedro Francisco once and for all.

Being back in Los Angeles after so long is exactly like coming home for Mila...except Roman is stressed out and ready to snap. All Mila wants to do is get on with the future they planned, but it's hard to do that when Roman's being pulled in a thousand different directions.

To ease his mind and soothe the pain of betrayal, she'll do whatever it takes. Even if she has to take on Remi Pledger by herself.

Desire Me takes place after the events in Rapture (The Teplo Trilogy #3). While this book can be read as a standalone, reading that one first is recommended. 

Pre-Order Desire Me for .99c on Amazon!

About the Series

Two weeks.
No strings.
No commitments.

Those are the terms Mila Lawson offers Roman Gregory when they find themselves living together in Santa Cruz.

With a violent gang gunning for him and a cartel threatening to go to war, the last thing the ATF agent should be thinking about is claiming his daughter's twenty-two-year-old best friend. But after four long years of lusting after the gorgeous little blonde from afar, once Roman has her, he's not willing to give her up. 

She may be off-limits, but something about Mila drives him wild. There's nothing sweet about the things he wants to do to her, and nothing gentle about the way he takes her. She makes him crave a future he never envisioned for himself…one so much better than he ever dreamed was possible.

To keep her, he'll be forced to face the daughter he adores. To save her, he'll break every rule in the book.

Nothing will stand in his way. Not his daughter. Not the gang hunting him. Not even the law itself.

Read the rest of the series on Kindle Unlimited!

Devour Me (#1)

Destroy Me (#2)

Defend Me (#3)

Deny Me (1-3 + Bonus Content)