Cover Reveal: Eliesmore and the Green Stone by Angela J. Ford

Eliesmore and the Green Stone by Angela J. Ford
Cover by Wicked Book Covers

The Four Worlds Series #3
Genre: fantasy
Release date: September 9th, 2017

Synopsis

Run, run as fast as you can. Never stop...Changers have arisen, wreaking havoc as they harvest the world, searching for the Green Stone. The South World sinks in despair, holding its breath, waiting for the One.

Eliesmore is a Blended One, growing up on the edge of the forest of the creatures of the wood. Young, headstrong, and inspired by magical rituals, he spends his time between his overprotective mother and sneaking out to dance with the wild things.
His courage is tested when Eliesmore discovers that he is the One who is meant to save the Four Worlds from the Changers. Unwilling to accept his fate, he turns his back on the prophecy and the futile quest to dissolve the Green Stone.

But Eliesmore will soon learn he cannot escape his destiny. Beset by creatures of the deep and hunted by servants of the Changers, Eliesmore finds his task will test the loyalty of his companions and help him answer the ultimate question:

Can he trust the immortals – or are they the reason the Changers have come to power?

Pre-order

Amazon US | Amazon UK | iBooks | Nook | Kobo | Google Play

Start the series today!

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Author bio

Brought up as a bookworm and musician, Angela J. Ford began writing The Four Worlds Series—a fantasy series—at the age of twelve. The storyline of those books was largely based off of the imaginative games she played with her sisters.

Angela originally finished the series when she was sixteen. After college, Angela began to rewrite The Four Worlds Series, bringing it from a child’s daydream to an adventure young and old can enjoy. Since it is inspired by fairy tales, high magic, and epic fantasy, Angela knows you’ll enjoy your adventures within the Four Worlds.

If you happen to be in Nashville, you’ll most likely find her at a local coffee shop, enjoying a white chocolate mocha and furiously working on her next book. Make sure you say hello!

Author links

Facebook
Reader Group
Twitter
Website
Instagram

Would You Be a #TimeWrecker? Or Do You Think #YSOLO?

I love writing quizzes. Big surprise, right? I'm a freelance education writer, so my contracted work usually involves creating chapter tests and assessment questions. However, I'd never thought about using quizzes in my fiction-writing life until I read Angela J. Ford's blog post last March. She created an awesome quiz for her Four Worlds book series: Where Does Your Allegiance Lie? (According to the results, I'm a Blended One!) 

One of the main conflicts in my upcoming Time Wrecker trilogy is whether or not time travel should remain legal. Sure, it sounds like a great idea for rehabilitated criminals to "go back in time and undo the crime." But...there are also some very valid concerns. What if these so-called "timeline rectifications" cause more harm than good?

In Every Last Minute, the first book of the Time Wrecker trilogy, the characters fall into two camps. Those that support timeline rectification call themselves "Time Wreckers." Or, if they'd like to see the policy abolished, they adopt the hashtag "YSOLO," an acronym for You Should Only Live Once. 

A story conflict like that is perfect for a quiz! I had so much fun writing it because there are a lot of elements that shape the characters' opinions one way or the other. Now you can find out whether you would be a #TimeWrecker of if you think #YSOLO! 

Powered by

If you take the quiz, I'd love to know your result! You can also share your answer on Facebook and Twitter--you never know who else might be a TimeWrecker, or who thinks YSOLO!

Release Day for THE BLENDED ONES by Angela J. Ford

Which birthdays are the most fun to celebrate? Do you like milestone birthdays? Friend birthdays? "Thank goodness April the giraffe FINALLY gave birth" days?

I'm going to do you one better: the best birthdays are book birthdays.

The day a book is released out into the world is a huge cause for celebration for the author--and it's also a huge celebration for the readers. We've been waiting for this day since the words "pre-order" first appeared on Amazon. Some of us have been waiting and hoping for another book even longer than that. We might even have been stalking an author's blog and twitter feed, looking for signs that another book is in the works. (Did I say stalking? I meant "reading with enthusiasm." It's not creepy, I swear. Ahem.)

So you can imagine how excited I am that today is the long-awaited book birthday for The Blended Ones by Angela J. Ford. It's the second book in The Four Worlds series, and since I've already read Book 1: The Five Warriors, I'm thrilled that I get to dive right in to the next story!

Just take a look at the cover art:

You can tell this is going to be another epic fantasy adventure--perfect for readers that like to get lost in new worlds and go on quests of mythical proportions. Here's the synopsis:

Phyllis and her 17 year old twin sister, Ilieus, are blended ones. But Ilieus suffers from visions of darkness she is unable to discern. Forsaken by their parents the two cross the country in search of the Order of the Wise for help.

Cuthan the Charmer is mischievous enough to change anyone’s mind with a smile and a wink. Born into a family of treasure hunters, he’s searching for the key to unlocking his dormant powers.

Pharengon the Horse Lord was born to be King. Young and inexperienced he seeks a weapon to turn the tide of the war in his favor. But when his very own army betrays him, he will have to turn to the Lost Ones for assistance.

Caught in the fate of the Eastern World the youths’ destinies become twisted together in a frightful quest that will change the course of time. In the midst of their whirlwind adventure, they discover love, loss, and uncover the truth about who and what is behind the chaotic, spiraling events in the Eastern World.

The writer behind this epic fantasy is none other than Angela J. Ford. You might remember her from an author interview I posted back in October. In addition to writing the Four Worlds Series, Angela is a Digital Marketing Strategist and creator of the course How To Plan A Book Launch. She's also a fellow bookworm--if you want to talk about books, I highly recommend following her on twitter!

Angela J. Ford, author of THE BLENDED ONES

You can grab your paperback copy here and the Kindle version here. More good news: the Blended Ones is only 99 cents on Kindle through the end of this month!

Happy book birthday, Angela! I'm so excited to read The Blended Ones!

What Are You Reading in 2017?

This week, I had planned to share a list of books I read and loved in 2016. One small problem: there were too many. Seriously. I could not narrow them down to a manageable list. I couldn't even pick a Top 10, much less a Top 5. I'm still trying to catch up with listing/ reviewing them all on Goodreads!

This is literally my favorite problem to have.

Instead, I'm going to share my list of books I can't wait to read in 2017!

Love Fortunes And Other Disasters

You know the old saying "You can't judge a book by its cover?" Maybe you shouldn't, but you can definitely decide you want to pick up a book based on its cover! I saw this adorable book on Instagram, read the description, and decided I had to read it.

Here's the book's synopsis:

Love is real in the town of Grimbaud and Fallon Dupree has dreamed of attending high school there for years. After all, generations of Dupree's have successfully followed the (100% accurate!) love fortunes from Zita's famous Love Charms Shop to happily marry their high school sweethearts. It's a tradition. So she is both stunned and devastated when her fortune states that she will NEVER find love. Fortunately, Fallon isn't the only student with a terrible love fortune, and a rebellion is brewing. Fallon is determined to take control of her own fate—even if it means working with a notorious heartbreaker like Sebastian.
 

Will Fallon and Sebastian be able to overthrow Zita's tyranny and fall in love?

Love Fortunes and Other Disasters

By Kimberly Karalius

Stardust

This was recommended to me on Amazon based on other books I've bought. That's no surprise when you read the description: this sounds like a fun Southern fiction novel with quirky characters, new beginnings, and a spunky protagonist. What's not to love?

From the book description:

Shortly after burying her unfaithful husband, Georgia Peyton unexpectedly inherits the derelict Stardust motel from a distant relative. Despite doubts from the community and the aunt who raised her, she is determined to breathe new life into it. But the guests who arrive aren't what Georgia expects: Her gin-loving mother-in-law; her dead husband's mistress; an attractive but down-on-his-luck drifter who's tired of the endless road; and an aging Vaudeville entertainer with a disturbing link to Georgia's past.

Can Georgia find the courage to forgive those who've betrayed her, the grace to shelter those who need her, and the moxy to face the future? And will her dream of a new life under the flickering neon of the STARDUST ever come true?

Stardust: A Novel

By Carla Stewart

The Magnolia Story

I love watching the Fixer-Upper show on HGTV. Chip and Joanna Gaines seem like a really sweet couple and they have an amazing ability to create homes that are just right for their clients. I can't wait to read more about how they got started!

From the book synopsis:

Are you ready to see your fixer upper?

These famous words are now synonymous with the dynamic husband-and-wife team Chip and Joanna Gaines, stars of HGTV’s Fixer Upper. As this question fills the airwaves with anticipation, their legions of fans continue to multiply and ask a different series of questions, like—Who are these people? What’s the secret to their success? And is Chip actually that funny in real life? By renovating homes in Waco, Texas, and changing lives in such a winsome and engaging way, Chip and Joanna have become more than just the stars of Fixer Upper, they have become America’s new best friends.

The Magnolia Story is the first book from Chip and Joanna, offering their fans a detailed look at their life together. From the very first renovation project they ever tackled together, to the project that nearly cost them everything; from the childhood memories that shaped them, to the twists and turns that led them to the life they share on the farm today.

The Magnolia Story

By Chip Gaines, Joanna Gaines, Mark Dagostino

The Sun Is Also A Star

I saw people posting about this book on Instagram and decided I had to add it to my to-read list! I'm always up for a good love story, so I was hooked as soon as I read the synopsis.

From the book description:

Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.

Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

The Sun Is Also a Star

By Nicola Yoon

The Five Warriors

Remember my interview with Angela J. Ford? Her love for books is infectious! Plus, she's a great writer: everything from her tweets to her blog posts to her online course is well-written and engaging. It's no surprise that I'm eager to read the book she wrote! Bonus: The Five Warriors is the first in a series. I love starting a good book knowing that there's going to be more to follow!

From the synopsis:

What if...

your best friend started a rebellion in the middle of a war?
your lover awakened a deep evil and helped it grow?
your people were too cowardly to face a battle?
you stole an ancient power source?
you gambled with the fate of the world?

Join five powerful warriors each with a unique ability and magical weapons. Their quest is to discover where the transformed creatures are coming from and put a stop to it.

Along the way they run into treacherous immortals, sea monsters, powerful beasts of the air and talking animals.

Each has their own reasoning for joining the quest, but one carries a deadly secret which just might be the destruction of them all.

The Five Warriors (The Four Worlds Series) (Volume 1)

By Angela J. Ford

What books are you planning to read in 2017? Want to recommend a book to add to my to-be-read pile? Leave a comment and let me know!

*Note: the links in this post are affiliates. All opinions expressed in my blog are my own--including why I can't wait to read all of these books in the new year! Using affiliate links helps me stay well-stocked in fine-point Sharpies, post-it notes, coffee and other writing essentials.

Interview with Angela J. Ford

Often people say that writing is a solitary business, but I really think it’s the opposite! I’m always meeting more authors, readers, and book lovers that are just as passionate about great stories as I am. It’s part of what makes the writing life so much fun!

If you love talking about books and meeting new authors, you definitely want to meet Angela J. Ford.

Angela is the author of the epic fantasy novel The Five Warriors and also works as a Digital Marketing Strategist. She recently created a course called How to Plan a Book Launch. I had the honor of previewing the course and I can’t emphasize enough how helpful and well put-together it is. This course has everything I wish I knew when I was launching my first book! Indie authors, take note—this course doesn’t just show you how to market your book, it makes you excited to market your book!

I’m so happy that Angela agreed to stop by the blog today for an interview! Thanks for joining us, Angela!

Ellen Smith: Angela, I love how much support you offer new and indie authors with your course, How to Plan a Book Launch. What inspired you to create this course?

Angela J. Ford: The course creation was a long journey. I started my business as a freelance marketer while I finished writing and published The Five Warriors. I'd been following the book launches of several authors including Jeff Goins, Todd Henry, and Michael Hyatt. Even though I don't have the kind of budget they do (one of them spent $100,000 on a book launch), I knew I could still make an impact, have an amazing book launch, and make money!

Once my book came out, authors started messaging me on Facebook, emailing me and having calls with me to discuss book launch strategies. I put together a free guide: "How to Plan an Epic Book Launch in 6 Steps" and authors started downloading it like crazy, which got me thinking: How can I monetize my expertise and help authors understand book marketing? I created the sales page and wrote up the course curriculum and I found it's actually a lot of fun, I may like talking more than I like writing!

ES: You have personal experience with launching a book from marketing your first novel, The Five Warriors. Can you tell us a little bit about how you planned for your book’s launch?

AJF: I was taking a coaching class about writing a book in 100 days, and it focused on the writing, but not so much on the marketing. However, the coach asked us to put our marketing plans together, which made me think through what I wanted to do. Here goes:
• An interactive quiz + giveaway where people could get to know The Five Warriors
• A ThunderClap campaign to spread the word on social media
• Pre-order bonuses to encourage readers to order the book before it came out
• A book launch party in Nashville, TN
• A virtual book launch party on Facebook for everyone who couldn't be at the party in Nashville, TN
• Giveaways to encourage readers to leave reviews
• Goodreads giveaways of the paperback novel to reach a new audience
• Ads on Facebook, Goodreads and Amazon to make more people aware of the book
• Daily posts on Instagram to connect with book bloggers
• Outreach to book bloggers for a review/promotion
• A blog tour to reach a new audience
• Free ebook promotion to increase awareness of the book and gain new reviews

It sounds like a lot but the key is, I didn't do it all at once! Each month had a focus and goal which helped make the process easier.

ES: I’d love to know more about your writing process. How long did it take you to write The Five Warriors? What was the process like for you?

AJF: Wow it took me two years, which was not what I was aiming for. I was hoping I could get it done in one. I wrote the original book when I was 12 years old, and I still have it just to look back and laugh at it. When I was 25 I took a week long vacation to Tucson, Arizona for a writing retreat. I stayed at an amazing resort and focused on writing, that was the beginning.

From there I wrote almost every day, sometimes it was 10 words, sometimes 100. Once I got into a rhythm I started averaging 5,000 words a week. I also did several re-writes based on feedback from my beta readers, especially since the first ending I wrote was disappointing and fell flat. Re-writing the ending was the best moment in writing The Five Warriors. I was at a coffee shop in Nashville one morning, with a white chocolate mocha (my favorite drink). I wrote for 3 hours in a fury, my fingers flying over the keyboard, never stopping until it was done. It was like I was there, watching what was happening and all I needed to do was write it down.

ES: You’re working on a sequel for The Five Warriors, too! Can you share a little bit about what your work-in-progress is about?

AJF: The Blended Ones is Book 2 of The Four Worlds Series. I've completed the 1st and 2nd drafts of the book and now I'm working on the final draft, but I had a crazy idea for a plot twist, so I’m working on that. With NaNoWriMo coming up, my focus will be completing it by the end of the month, then turning it over to beta readers and starting the editing process.

ES: Do you plan to use any new or different strategies when you launch your second book that weren’t available when you launched your first?

AJF: Yes, I didn't put together a book launch team, that's something I will focus on with the goal of ramping up reviews on launch day. I also plan on having a bigger book launch party in Nashville, TN and using candles as the pre-order bonus.

ES: One thing that shines through in your work as an author and as a digital marketing strategist is that you really love what you do! How did you decide to make the change from the 9-to-5 workweek to the entrepreneurial lifestyle?

AJF: You know, it was one of those moments when I looked at my future and I thought to myself: If I am doing exactly what I'm doing now next year or 5 years from now, will I be happy with the direction my life is taking? The answer was NO – and that's when I knew I had to make a change.

ES: One thing I love about the entrepreneurial life is that it allows us to have more time and flexibility to be creative! In addition to writing, what other creative pastimes do you enjoy?

AJF: Oh, I love traveling! Just like the characters in my books, I'm always off to my next adventure. One of my big passions is music, I used to be a musician when I was a teenager, now I love listening to soundtracks, eventually I want to film a movie. I'm not sure whether you would call this a creative pastime, but I love world building games and I'm still obsessed with Mario.

ES: It was fun talking with you and finding out more about your work! How can readers stay connected with you?

AJF: Join me on Twitter to chat about anything and everything: www.twitter.com/aford21
Find me on Instagram and see lovely photos of The Five Warriors: www.instagram.com/aford21

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog, Angela! If you’re interested in Angela’s course, How to Plan a Book Launch, click here to get started.* I highly recommend it!

*Note: link is an affiliate. I only link and blog about products that I sincerely love and think you will love, too. Affiliate links help me stay well-stocked in fine-point Sharpies, post-it notes, and other writing essentials.