Happy Birthday, Musa!

One year ago, Musa Publishing was just finding its way into the wide, wide world of e-publishing. The folks in charge were (and still are!) talented individuals, with experience, writerly know-how, and a whole bunch of ambition. They then opened their arms to us loonies-- er, writers, and what do you know-- it's now Musa's first anniversary, and our books are a force to be reckoned with.

Well, everyone else's, anyway. Mine hasn't been released yet, but it will be soon! How soon, you ask? October 26th soon! Before I tell you about my soon-to-be-released novel, let me babble a bit more about Musa, and why, to me, their books are a step above.

My reasoning is simple-- Musa takes chances. Captive by the Fog, my debut novel, wouldn't be readying to dive into the reader universe if it weren't for Musa. The novel deals with an odd mixture of subjects, including but not limited to: aliens (yep, have a spoiler-- free of charge!), grief, friendship, self-esteem, LGBT issues, illness, disability, creativity, love, happiness, desperation, dreams, captivity, and more that my readers may hopefully one day point out to me. And ALIENS. Did I mention that?

Now, when I first began pitching around my synopsis (which looked far different from my current blurb), the reactions I received were, well, odd. I think most folks thought I was crazy. And hell, maybe I am. But I honestly don't think many publishers would have given my goofy-sounding novel a chance, let alone read the entire thing. People need to take chances to see the true bounds of happiness. Books need to take chances.

Lesbian science fiction and fantasy is a rare breed. And I intent on helping to change that. Musa was that first step.

Seriously, take a look at some of the excerpts and blurbs for the books listed under Musa. Musa takes chances. And for that, I wish them years and years of good luck and hawt books. Okay. Back to Captive, and the reason you're probably here-- phat loots (yes, I'm a gamer-- I'm all about the shinies).

Captive by the Fog

Earth has been captured by an alien species, and one prisoner, Sam, must confront the darkness as well as her own dreams-- or watch the city crumble.

Release date: October 26, 2012

Genre: Modern day science fiction, LGBT

Formats: All popular E-book formats


Here's a not-so-final version of the blurb:


Sam feels like a prisoner within her life until one foggy evening, when she is captured by beings from another world along with a group of strangers. As they are held within San Francisco, Sam and her fellow captives are told they are under surveillance, and that in order to survive, they must trust these creatures who won't show themselves. 

The group has no choice but to do so, and cling to the tiny pieces that make them human--hope, curiosity, courage, and love. Sam befriends Kisana, a shy woman with a captivating smile, and despite the harsh conditions, they find strength in one another--and love. Both are needed when Sam begins experiencing strange, prophetic dreams about the city around them being blown apart.
 
Will love--along with the power of Sam's foretelling dreams--be enough to ensure their survival after the fragile trust with the aliens is shattered, the city falls, and the fog of desperation rolls in?


See more information about Captive, including a rather long excerpt (which may still change), here. 

Now, for the blog hop details. Since my release date isn't until October 26th, I'm going to be promising a copy of Captive to the winner of my hop. That copy won't be delivered until October 26th, unfortunately, but the second I'm able to grab a copy, I'll send it in an email!

Don't also forget, of course, that by posting a comment to this blog post, you'll be entered to win our awesome grand prize-- a Kindle Fire!

To enter the Captive by the Fog Musa Anniversary giveaway, please do the following:

• Include a comment with your email
• Do ONE of the following: Follow this blog (check the sidebar on the right), or follow me on Twitter. 
• If you've already done both, no worries, just toss me a comment and your email. I'll know who you are! :D 

As the weeks to Captive's release count down, I'll be providing as many updates as I can! I also have a Facebook page, which you're welcome to check out and friend me on.

Thanks for stopping by! To get back to the original Musa Anniversary Blog Hop page, go here. Alternatively, here's the full list of participating blogs:

Captive by the Fog Cover Reveal!

Huzzah! This is the cover for my debut novel, Captive by the Fog, due out October 26th. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Pretty nifty, eh? I'm pretty dang happy with it. In the information I provided the artist, Kelly Shorten, with, I just kinda babbled about the San Francisco skyline, ruins, fog, a lamppost, and a whitish/blueish technological "sheen"... and well-- wow, major props to her for somehow being able to decipher my random items and come up with this. The color scheme's exactly what I'd imagined!

I'm finished with Captive's edits (special thanks to Megan Embry, my fantastic editor who somehow put up with my noobness!), and am now heading into the final stretch before publication. I've got some nifty Captive-inspired projects in the works, including a book trailer, an amazing instrumental song composed by my awesomely-talented friend, Jeremy Jones, and a slew of guest blogs that I'll be babbling on-- er, appearing on-- as the countdown to October 26th nears. 

I'm also going to be taking part in Musa Publishing's 1st Anniversary Blog Hop, which is starting in October. I'll be giving away a free digital copy of Captive by the Fog during the blog hop, but since my release date's after the hop ends, it'll pop up in the winner's email box when the novel is released. Think of it as a pre-order, but free! Expect to see more information on the blog hop this coming Sunday.

In the meantime... huzzah x2!