Search results for: phoenix blog tour

Melissa Starr is the author of Phoenix. You can find out more information about Melissa Starr at her website.

Dogs or cats?

Dogs, I think. They’re easy to talk to, don’t talk back and aren’t real picky about their owners…then again I have a few things in common with cats, lol. I tend to be pretty finicky, like my comforts and I’m real choosy about who I get close to. But if I have to pick I’d say dogs.

The Hunger Games or The Mortal Instruments?

Definitely Mortal Instruments, love Cassandra Clare and what she’s done with the slayer type characters. Oh, but wait. I love Hunger Games too!!! Don’t make me choose! Okay, Mortal Instruments, but I can’t promise I won’t change my mind when I’m done reading Mocking Jay! ;P

Chocolate or Vanilla?

Can I say both? I like to swirl my choco & vanilla ice cream together until its like soft serve…guess it’s the kid in me!

Now let’s get down to business:

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I started writing in the 5th grade, short stories, poetry and such but I’d say my freshmen year in high school is when I decided it was something I really wanted to pursue.

What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?

Hectic when I actually get to write! When I write I tend to zone out and my family loses me for awhile, lol, but it’s hard to fit it in so my schedule goes like so… Get kids up, off to school, clean my house, sit and write until around 11:30 am, get lunch with the hubby, sit and write until 2:45 and the pick up the kids…it’s all down hill from there, lol. So, when I get a weekend where I get bit by the “bug” I fall off the map & the fam has to fend for themselves.

Do you ever experience writer’s block?

Hmmm. I’d be lying if I said never but truthfully if the words aren’t flowing I step away from the keyboard. I don’t force it. It comes and I write or it doesn’t & I don’t. Hard to experience block if you don’t write til the bug bites.

Do you work with an outline, or just write?

I jot down the general idea of what I want to write about and hit key points that I want to remember and how I’d like it to end, so the bare skeleton I’d say but I fill it in as I go and sometimes the story changes on me as the characters progress.

Can you tell us about your upcoming book?

I’m following Phoenix; Phoenix Elite Book 1 up with Ruhk’s Rising; Phoenix Elite Book 2. Book 2 is bound to make a few readers angry because the main character, Elora is stripped of her strengths and literally has to find herself through the rising of this race she knows nothing about. Most of my readers have counted on Elora to be spunky, opinionated and strong but this book is going to flip some of my readers on their heads. I should shush now because I’ll give too much away!

Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?

I think that a little of my life’s experiences have seeped through but it is ninety-five percent fictional.

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

I’d say when Elora starts to lose her identity. She’s losing everyone & everything around her and succumbs to the charms of “the new guy”. This guy seems to know more about her than she’s comfortable with making her feel even more vulnerable but in the same instance she is highly attracted to him and begins to lean on him for support. I love this particular part because I can identify having lost a brother when I was in my teens and then leaning upon someone you believe will always have your back only to find that’s not the case.

What are you currently working on?

I recently signed contract on Ruhk’s Rising; Phoenix Elite Book 2 and have set aside Book 3 for a bit while I pull something older off the back burner. It’s a new series and I’ve almost completed the first one. This WIP is entitled Therian Cursed; An Equinox Novel. If you know anything about Therianthropy you’ll automatically know what it’s about. If not…we’ll I shall not keep you in suspense. It’s a shifter novel.

Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?

Wow, um…don’t ever EVER give up on your dreams. Be true to you and know that saving yourself for THAT one special person is way cooler than fitting in. I totally think abstinence should be the “new black”, lol. AND if you’re a victim of being bullied in any shape, form or fashion, get help. And if you happen to be the bully, there’s help for you. You can stop. Seek counseling. I understand there are those out there who suffer from abuse and neglect and find it in some way theraputic to pick on others but you are your own person and the cycle must be broken. You should always treat people with respect and how you would want to be treated.

What is currently in your To-Be-Read-Pile? I actually have a few different things I desperately want to read. I fell in love with Kendare Blake’s, Anna Dressed in Blood and can’t wait to read the sequel, I also want to get started on Richelle Mead’s, Bloodlines. Love her Vampire Academy series.

  Giveaway: Head on over to this link to enter the giveaway!

Follow the rest of the tour here!

Elora Rae Gannon believes her life is over. On her sixteenth birthday she receives news that she is a mythical monster of hellish proportions and if that’s not bad enough, she receives this information in the form of a letter from her dead mother who also informs her that she must become part of an elite secret society of others like herself or die. Sucky birthday, huh? And just when she thinks she’s got it all figured out, her new-found family in the Elite forces her to break ties with her human BFF shortly before her BFF just up and vanishes. With her world in utter upheaval, Elora makes the move to a new school- Marlind Prep, with full intentions of finding out exactly what is going on behind the scenes and why her best friend has vanished- all while trying to figure out how to successfully make out with her boyfriend without sucking the very life out of him!  

Take a look below for an excerpt of Phoenix:

A black, cloth was pulled over my head and I was flung effortlessly over someone’s shoulder in a fireman’s carry. I could tell my captor was jogging as I felt the jarring of his shoulder in my gut, I thought I might puke at any second and would’ve if I thought it’d stop my captor in his tracks, but I doubted it. I swallowed against the bile, juice and Pop Tart churning in my gut and tried to take a deep breath. He stopped abruptly and thrust me into the seat of a vehicle. Front or back seat, I wasn’t sure but the door closed behind me with a thud and that’s when I realized my hands were bound. I was so distracted and terrified I’d never even felt my captor bind me. Zip cord, I could feel the hard plastic cutting into my skin. I struggled to sit up but couldn’t see anything but the tiny fibers of my black hood. The light outside did very little in the way of penetrating the material.

“Where are you taking me?” I spat to whoever was listening. A slight shadow of movement caught my eye.

“In due time, Elora. You are in no danger.”

“I’ve been bound and abducted but I’m in no danger? I don’t know what tree you fell out of but where I come from it’s called kidnapping and it carries a prison sentence in all fifty states!”

The man (I could tell my captor was a he, by his deep voice.) sighed and chuckled to himself as he made a left turn suddenly causing me to slide toward him. Okay, front seat. I tried to focus on how many turns he was making, left or right and how far he drove on each stretch of road but it was pointless, he was clearly trying to throw me off.

“Who are you?” I managed to sit up and turned my head in the direction I believed him to be seated.

“I am a senior at Frederick High and a Phoenix but you already knew that, didn’t you?”

“So, people do have reason to fear Phoenixes.” I breathed only a small sigh of relief that my abductor was a Phoenix. “Tell me, do all of the Phoenixes partake in the kidnapping of innocents?” My nerves were beginning to settle a bit now that I knew I wasn’t a victim of some deranged nutcase. At least he didn’t sound like a deranged nut. But I guessed insanity was no respecter of persons- was it?

“You are quite a handful aren’t you? I believe you were informed that you would be taking the Oath today, don’t play dumb Miss Gannon. You’ve been told who and what you are. And with that knowledge come secrets and the whereabouts of our headquarters will be kept secret from you until you’ve taken the vows.”

“It’s not like I was told I’d be kidnapped!” I growled. “And what happens if I refuse?”

“You will die.” A sick feeling washed over me and now I really did feel like vomiting. Maybe my captors really were deranged.

“Now the Phoenixes are involved in murder? Kidnapping and murder. Terrific, sucky birthday to this-”

“Don’t be stupid. We won’t kill you.” Memory of his voice surfaced but I couldn’t place-

“Who then?” I was afraid to find out. My breathing became shallow and I could feel myself beginning to hyperventilate.

“Are you okay?” The car slowed.

“No,” I croaked. “I feel sick. And it’s hard for me to breathe under this- stupid- THING!” I panted as I tried to slow my breathing. It wasn’t working. “It’s- not- everyday that a- person- finds out that they,” I took a deep breath, in, out, in, out, and began to gain control but now tears were welling in my eyes. “They must choose- to become a freak or die-” I finished. The dang dam broke and I began to sob.

The car came to a stop. The man turned to me and slid his hands beneath the hood covering my head and lifted it just above my nose and held it firmly against my eyes. I could feel his hot breath on my face and a tingle rose within my core. His voice was so freaking familiar…my heart thrummed. I wasn’t scared anymore, just angry.

“It’s okay. Everything is going to be fine,” he whispered soothingly. “Calm down.” He brushed away the tears that trailed both sides of my cheeks with his thumbs. I immediately felt better for some reason as a strange feeling come over me.

“Are you ever going to tell me who you are?” I sucked in another breath and shivered. The air around me smelled of leather and woodsy-type cologne mingled with the salt from my tears. I’d smelled that scent before, minus the salt. I blew out noisily waiting for his response. I knew I must look a mess, probably had snot streaming from my nose so I sniffed hard. Nope, not yet.

“You know me,” he whispered again. His breath swept my flushed face causing me to shiver, but not from the cold this time. Then the familiar voice owner pressed his lips tenderly against mine. I stopped shaking instantly. How did he do that? A dozen faces flashed before my eyes but only one felt right. Ezra Denton, the most amazing, most perfect guy in Frederick High School or maybe any school for that matter. He was a five foot eight track and baseball star with steely-gray eyes which at times appeared almost silver with messy, burnt chestnut locks, which most days he wore in an unkempt, faux hawk. He was also a senior and teacher’s aide to Ms. Batton in my first hour choir class. I’d only drooled over him for the past three years, but he had really come into his own in the last year and no one and I mean no one could compare in looks or talent to him as far as I was concerned. A lot of guys went through that awkward stage where you were unsure of how good looking they would be when they were fully matured, but not Ezra. He had always maintained a strong, well-defined frame, great skin and oozed self-confidence.

His lips were soft and warm and I suddenly liked the idea of being taken captive by this Phoenix. He pulled back far too soon for my taste; instinctively I felt my body inchworm closer to his.

“Ezra?”

“I told you, you knew me,” he breathed, then gently tugged the cloth down over my face again and pulled the car back onto the road.

I drew my knees to my chest unsure of how to respond to what just happened. I had just been kidnapped and then happily un-kidnapped by the same extraordinary man who had been the center of many of my day dreams and night dreams for years, yet, I was still bound and didn’t know where I was being taken. And suddenly I didn’t care as long as I was with Ezra.

A life for a life I vow…by embrace of fire and spirit, I conquer death.

High is the price of immortality, a life for a life I vow.

Giveaway: Melissa is giving away 3 ecopies of Phoenix. Simply fill out the form below for a chance to win!

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Melissa Starr is a small town, country gal from deep in southern Oklahoma. Born in Altus and raised in Frederick, it only seemed right to put down roots there with her own family; a husband, two sons and two daughters. She resides and writes from her home where she frequently lets her inner child come out and play long enough to spin colorful words into novels.
Melissa is also a freelance photographer who enjoys camping and riding ATV’s when the weather permits and snapping a million and one pictures of her family and friends against much protest. *Smiles*

Visit Melissa: Website   Facebook   Twitter   Goodreads   Figment   WordPress

Buy the book: Fire & Ice   Amazon Kindle   Barnes & Noble

Follow the rest of the tour here!

This just in, straight from Richelle’s blog:

Turns out I have a bit of news for those of you who live in Oregon. I will be doing a signing at Escape Fiction, a bookstore in Salem (3240 Triangle Dr SE), on July 18 from 12-2. That’s a Saturday, and I’ll be with the other Seattle-area authors if you’d like to meet them: Mark Henry, Caitlin Kittredge, Cherie Priest, and Kat Richardson. So, if that’s in your vicinity, I hope you’ll come on down to chat and get books signed.

I have this feeling that I might get some comments from people wanting to know why not Portland. Well, this is kind of a thing the whole group threw together, and Escape Fiction was the store that invited us. Also, I was just in Portland in May–so I gave you guys some love! It’s funny, whenever I post new signing dates and locations, I often get people wanting to know why I can’t come to X place. What’s particularly interesting is that I’ll get people who are new blog readers asking me to visit places I was actually at within the last couple months.

So, for those who aren’t familiar with where I’ve been and think I’m missing certain cities, I thought I’d give you a list of the places I visited in the last year: New York, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Portland, Phoenix, Orlando, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, and of course, Seattle. So, I’ve made some rounds, and while my publisher sends me back to some repeat cities, we also try to get to new places, which is why my tour schedule looks the way it does

Click here to link to Richelle’s blog.