Savage Magic Blog Tour! (+$20 Amazon GC Giveaway!)

Title: Savage Magic

Author: Judy Teel

Series: Shifty Magic #3

Pages: N/A

Date Published: 2015

Format: Kindle

Genre: Urban Fantasy 

Source: Goddess Fish Blog Tours

Synopsis:

A deadly disease from an unknown origin… 

Addison Kittner and ex-FBI agent Cooper Daine arrive at Bone Clan expecting a warm welcome. Instead they’re imprisoned and placed under quarantine, where they discover that the werewolf mountain Clans are being decimated by a deadly plague which can’t be cured.

An old obligation that changes everything…
With only a few days to live, Cooper’s brother, Alpha of Bone Clan, asks Cooper to fulfill his promise, one that’s crucial to their Clan’s survival. But if he does, Cooper risks loosing Addison. Forever.

An ancient creature bred for genocide…
Determined to stop the plague and cure Cooper’s brother, Addison defies Clan law and sneaks away to an ancient ruin which might hold the key. There she discovers an unexpected link to her past and inadvertently calls forth an immortal monster that will destroy the paranormal races protecting humanity if it can’t be stopped. But as Cooper and Addison battle to stop the annihilation of the Clans and the forces trying to tear their bond apart, something even more powerful and deadly gathers just out of sight… And prepares to strike.

7 Things Most Novelists Don't Want Readers To Know

Writing fiction is hard work.

Some authors I know like to maintain a mysterious illusion that their stories magically flow onto the page in a matter of days and then it’s off to the editor and perfection. Oh, if only that were so. The truth is, creating a story that people will want to read takes research, planning, patience, and a lot of time at the computer. Usually some gnashing of teeth, as well.

And it's all wonderful. Ask any novelist.

Authors don’t have all the answers when they start a project.

This frightening truth is the real reason behind writer’s block. We writers can plan all we want, plot all we want, make all the character interviews and profile sheets we want, and when we start our project we still won't have all the answers. A new story will always surprise us in ways that can’t be anticipated. Even more mysterious (and weird when it happens), characters sometimes refuse to do what we think they should, or say what we want them to say.

But that's all wonderful too. Knowing everything is boring and surprises are fun. Especially when you’re writing.

When an author finishes the first draft, it’s not so great. In fact, it sucks.

The first draft of any project pretty much stinks and readers would be shocked if they saw it. The kick in the pants about that is we could never create an amazing story if we didn’t finish that first crummy version. Without something to work with, rewriting can never start. And without rewriting, greatness can never be the result.

Another big secret writers like to keep to themselves? A lot of scenes, dialogue and even characters hit the cutting room floor before a polished product is ready for our beloved readers. (Four minor characters and about 80 pages from Savage Magic. No kidding!)

If we could give all our readers a hug and a big “Thank you!” we would.

We novelists adore our readers. We’re thinking about you when we’re coming up with ideas for a new series, we’re thinking about you when we’re plotting a new book and creating characters, and you’re on our minds every time we sit down to write. Then when the book goes out, we start worrying about what you will think. The biggest secret about writers? We’re worriers. Seems to go with the territory.

Novelists need a lot of book reviews to sustain a career.

A lot of reviews help writers make it in this business, especially the way it’s structured now. High numbers of reviews effect search ranking and get our books in front of more readers. More readers mean we can keep the snack pile next to our computer stocked so we can keep creating stories for our fans.

Novelists love writing so much they’d do it even if no one bought their books (but they wouldn’t be as happy).

Even if we don't make a dime, writers are driven to tell stories and we’ll create them in our imaginations and write them down on anything handy at any hour of the day or night. (I’ve even written on my hand before.) We can't help it, we’re obsessive like that.

But we’d hate it too. Sharing our created worlds and characters with readers is pure joy for us. Without readers, we feel a bit lost.

Authors feel a little sad when people hate their books, but if a reader tells us why, it helps us grow as writers.

Deep inside every novelist is a scared person. We don't like to admit it, but when we release a book, whether our first or our thirtieth, a part of us is always afraid that people will hate it. But that doesn't mean we can't take it when our readers have constructive criticism to offer. One of the best things about being a novelist is that you never stop improving. The book we just released is the best book we’ve ever written, and ten books later we'll be saying the same thing.

What better way to keep us and our readers happy!

~Try an Excerpt!~

The scent of blood got stronger, pulling my thoughts back and making my heart pound a little harder against my chest. Slipping a knife from the sheath inside my right boot, I watched the flutter of shadows on the path below where it turned and disappeared behind a thick wall of laurels. Slow breath in…Silent breath out…



Deeper shadows emerged and took shape — a man and a woman, both dressed for living outdoors and blending in. And there was Cooper, complacently allowing them to roughly pull him along between them, his nose and a cut on his cheek seeping blood. Weird. Cooper was built like an early twenty-first century Olympic gymnast and I’d seen him take out opponents in less than ten seconds without a single blow landing on him. How had they managed to subdue him?



I watched them come closer and pass below me. The woman on one side of Cooper was medium height with light skin and dark red hair that she’d pulled back into a short ponytail with a strip of leather. The man on the other side was tall and muscular with tanned skin, his bright red hair in a military cut.



I adjusted the soles of my logger boots against the branch under me to give myself a more solid launch, judged the distance — and jumped.

~Meet Judy!~ 

Judy Teel was born in Virginia and moved to North Carolina just before middle school. She's a fiction author and novelist writing in the dystopian urban fantasy genre. Her stories deliver mystery with some thriller elements, a kick-butt heroine with a large dash of snark in her, a bit more than a touch of romance with a guy that makes readers' hearts beat a little faster, and a wild ride full of action and emotion from start to finish.

Shifty Magic is permanently free on all platforms and Undercover Magic is free as a thank you gift for anyone who signs up on my readers list: http://judyteel.com/my-free-book/

 Judy will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.