Tag Archives: S.R. Johannes

Wilderness Mayhem? Check out YA Book Uncontrollable by S.R. Johannes today!

I’m stopping by to let readers in on an exciting new series I’m currently reading!  Uncontrollable, by S.R. Johannes, launches today as the second book in “The Nature of Grace” series that started with Untraceable.  The series seems like an exciting addition to the Young Adult genre that’s full of mystery. I especially like its wilderness setting and that they’ve  been described as page turning thrillers. I can’t wait to finish these books myself and I’ll be posting reviews and fun so you all can get excited too. In the meantime, check out the series and stop by the links below for her many contests and fun.

Book Summary: Uncontrollable

As 16-year-old Grace recovers from tragedy, her science class is chosen by Agent Sweeney at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to help with research on the new “Red Wolf Reintroduction Program”.

While she’s excited about helping with the conservation of the endangered wolves, Grace knows this means being outdoors in the worst winter recorded, in a place she no longer feels comfortable. It also means working closely with Wyn (her ex) and his annoying girlfriend (Skyler), a girl whose idea of getting close to nature is picking silk plants and growing fake plants.

After a couple of wolves show up dead, Grace almost quits. However, when a fellow project team member goes missing, Grace continues the assignment under a renewed suspicion that someone might be sabotaging the conservation program. She quietly begins to hunt for clues.

Little does she know, she is being hunted too.

 Untraceable, the first book in the series, has won and been nominated for several awards including Winner of the 2012 IndieReader Discovery Award (YA), 2012 Georgia Author of the Year (YA Nominee), and a finalist in The Kindle Book Review’s “Best Indie Book of 2012 (YA)”.

Previously, Kirkus reviewed Untraceable as “A thrilling story is a dramatic entanglement of mystery, deception and teen romance.  The action flows like a brisk mountain stream interspersed with rapids, holding suspense to last page.”  What will your opinion be? As I prepare my reviews of this series, I hope to see your thoughts as well.

 Also, head over to Mundie Moms for a big Uncontrollable Launch Party with tons of prizes and then over to SR Johannes blog for even more fun!

 To continue on with the blog tour, check out the line up! Where SR talks about everything– from marketing to writing to her books as well as giving personal interviews and giveaways!

Uncontrollable (Book 2) On Sale Now! And don’t forget to purchase Untraceable (Book 1) too!

Uncontrollable is on sale in paperback and ebook at all major booksellers including Amazon, iBooks/Apple (coming soon), Smashwords, and B&N.

If you haven’t read Untraceable, you can get it in paperback and e-book at all major booksellers including Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, and B&N.

Author Bio: S.R. Johannes

 S.R. Johannes is the author of award-winning and Amazon bestselling Untraceable (a teen wilderness thriller) and new tween paranormal, On The Bright Side. She has also published short novelettes as well as a teen romance anthology with 16 other authors titled, In His Eyes.  Uncontrollable, the sequel to Untraceable, is scheduled for September 2012.

S.R. Johannes is a winner of the 2012 IndieReader Discovery Awards (Young Adult) and was also recently nominated for 2012 Georgia Author of the Year (Young Adult). Untraceable was also recently named a Finalist in The Kindle Book Review’s Indie Book of the Year (YA)

After earning an MBA and working in corporate America, S.R. Johannes traded in her expensive suits, high heels, and corporate lingo for a family, flip-flops, and her love of writing.  She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her dog, British-accented husband, and the huge imaginations of their little prince and princess, which she hopes- someday- will change the world. 

 Connect!

Follow S.R. online on her websiteTwitterFacebook, and Pinterest!  You can also sign up for her newsletter to keep up on author or book news.

 

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Suffocate Novelette Thriller Mixes Dystopic and Sci-fi: Out Now!

Hey, YA readers (or those living with one like me)!! Just out today! Here’s a new novel you don’t want to miss out on!  It’s a mix of thriller, plus dystopic and some sci-fi themes, pieced together for a combo that sounds super good to me! It’s S.R. Johannes’ Suffocate! Out today and on sale!

 Suffocate is the first novelette (15,000 words) in S.R. Johannes’  THE BREATHLESS series. Here’s a little about the novelette, Suffocate

“For centuries, the world outside the Biome has been unlivable. Today, marks the first time anyone will attempt to leave the suffocating ecosphere. Eria is not worried because her scientist father has successfully tested the new Bio-Suit many times. It’s a celebratory day until something goes horribly wrong. In the midst of tragedy, Eria uncovers a deep conspiracy that affects the very air she breathes. 

 If those responsible find out what she knows, they won’t stop hunting her until she takes her last breath.”

 The 2nd novella in the series, CHOKE, is scheduled for Fall 2012. The 3rd, EXHALE, is scheduled for Winter 2013.

 You can purchase Suffocate for only 99 cents at:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Also you can add it on Goodreads! – http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13648347-suffocate

*********************************************************************************************************

S.R. Johannes, Author Bio

S.R. Johannes is author of the Amazon Bestseller Untraceable and a current nominee of the Georgia Author of the Year in the Young Adult category. After earning an MBA and working in corporate america, S.R. Johannes traded in her expensive suits, high heels, and corporate lingo for a family, flip-flops, and her love of writing. She lives in Atlanta Georgia with her goldendoodle Charley (notice he is listed first :), her British-accented husband, and the huge imaginations of their little prince and princess, which she hopes- someday- will change the world.  You can find her hanging out online and visit her at srjohannes.com.

Twitter- https://twitter.com/#!/srjohannes

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/srjohannes

Pinterest- http://pinterest.com/srjohannes/

Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5235537.S_R_Johannes

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In His Eyes Anthology a Great Valentine Present: A Collection of Short Stories

Looking for a fun new read for you or a young adult in your life? I wanted to tell you about a new anthology called IN HIS EYES that is just perfect.  You can buy it TODAY for Valentine’s day!! It’s the perfect read to snuggle up to with a box of chocolates, a blanket, and tea. Read on in the blog for information about the collection and authors involved, as well as an exclusive interview about how the anthology came about from one of the authors you won’t want to miss!

A wonderful group of writers (they call themselves *The Indelibles* and write young adult fiction–check them out on FB) have put together a fun book of short stories based on either male characters in their already published books or new ones they’ve dreamed up just for your enjoyment. They told me they just want to give back to all the fabulous readers out there!!

I’ve read THE VEIL by Cory Putman Oakes and loved it and just recently also posted about author S.R. Johannes, who wrote Untraceable and On the Bright Side. Both of their short stories are fabulous as well as many of the others. If you’ve read their books, you’ll love some of the new perspective from favorite male characters. If you haven’t read their books, as with many of these for me, you’ll definitely want to go grab their books soon too because they’ll leave you wanting more, either from the characters you’ve met or from liking their writing style. This is a great collection for any lover of YA fiction.

The anthology is a FREE e-book from Smashwords.com!!! No strings attached (Note: .99 cents on Amazon and Barnes and Noble).

Promotional Blurb

*The Indelibles*bring you a one-of-a-kind young adult anthology! Sixteen original short stories, all from the point of view of our favorite male characters – some are old flames from our novels and some were dreamed up especially for this anthology.  Let these imminently crushable, swoon-worthy guys show you what romance looks like – IN HIS EYES.

Contributing Authors

The contributors to IN HIS EYES include award winners, frequent “Top 100” placers, and hot 2011 debut authors:

Surprise, Surprise by Stacey Wallace Benefiel, author of Glimpse: Half the women in Melody’s family can see the future, which makes it nearly impossible for Raleigh to surprise her. What’s a guy to do for Valentine’s Day when his girlfriend is always one step ahead of him?

First Kiss or First Kill? by C.K. Bryant, author of Bound: Love isn’t always rainbows and kittens, sometimes it can be downright deadly. (A deleted chapter from Bound.)

Shattered by Ali Cross, author of Become: James and Desi use each other in an effort to cling to the darkness in each of them, but in the end they discover that love changes you. (A chapter of Become from James’ POV.)

Before by Jessie Harrell, author of Destined: When a younger Eros is exiled to a land that doesn’t believe in the Greek gods, he finds the first love of his immortal life. Read Eros’ first person account of his romance, and heartbreak, in the time before he met Psyche.

The Qualm Before the Storm by Karen Amanda Hooper, author of Tangled Tides. Yara Jones doesn’t want to be a mermaid. Treygan doesn’t want to be the monster who turns her. You can’t always get what you want. (A short prequel to Tangled Tides.)

Unspeakable by S.R. Johannes, author of Untraceable: When Mo sees a strange girl in the woods, he follows her. He soon realizes they are both in a dangerous position and might not get out alive.

In the Beginning by Katie Klein, author of Cross My Heart: Seth is falling hard for Genesis Green, but the guardian angel is determined not to interfere, until an accident changes the course of their lives forever. (A short prequel to The Guardian.)

A Chance Encounter by Cheri Lasota, author of Artemis Rising: Finnian’s eyes hide a terrible secret. But a girl on the train home, the girl in tears with a secret of her own…She sees right through him. A scene from the upcoming novel, Echoes in the Glass.

Family Bonds by Heather McCorkle, author of The Secret of Spruce Knoll: A Halloween party filled with teens who can channel energy and use it to kill, what could go wrong? For Spruce Knoll fans who are dying to read more about Fane.

Getting Closer by Lisa Nowak, author of Running Wide Open: Megan is smart, hot, and an upperclassman—in other words, way out of Cody’s league. So why did she choose him? (An excerpt of Getting Sideways.)

Precalculus by Cory Putman Oakes, author of The Veil: a re-telling of the fateful class period that changed Addison Russell’s life, from Luc’s point of view (a.k.a. Chapter 2 of The Veil from Luc’s perspective)

The Almost Assassin by Laura Pauling, author of A Spy Like Me, releasing Spring 2012: Malcolm tries his hand at the family business but his conscience and a beautiful “spy” may be his downfall.

Mind Games by Susan Kaye Quinn, author of Open Minds: Raf wants to take Kira—the only girl in school who doesn’t read minds—to the mindware Games, but his friends have other plans. (A short prequel to Open Minds.)

By The Firelight by Elle Strauss, author of Clockwise: When Nate McKenzie asks an unpopular girl to dance on a dare, he’s in for the time of his life.

A Very Alien Valentine’s Day by Magan Vernon, author of How To Date An Alien: After surviving confinement and an intergalactic war for his human half, Alex, now he has to live through the biggest challenge of them all: Valentine’s Day.

Aligned by RaShelle Workman, author of Exiled: A half-Eternal boy and an Eternal girl must free millions of tortured souls from a creature whose been feasting on their pain and suffering.

Interview

We nabbed an exclusive interview with author Cory P. Oakes of THE VEIL. She is a contributor to the short story collection and we asked her a few simple questions about the IN HIS EYES Anthology. Check it out!

Q:  Where did this anthology come from?

A:  IN HIS EYES is a group effort of sixteen members of *The Indelibles*. We are a group of indie and small-press published authors. We host a blog (LINK: http://indeliblewriters.blogspot.com/) where we discuss a variety of fun, fierce and fabulous topics, all relating to Middle Grade and Young Adult writing. We thought it would be really fun to come out with a Valentines Day offering for our readers – something really cool and just a little bit different (kind of like us!).

Q:  What was the idea behind the anthology?

A:  We wanted to introduce people to us and to our books – and we thought a unique way to do that would be to display our writing-worlds (and our writing styles) from the point of view of our male characters. What’s more romantic than getting the guy’s side of the story?

All of the short stories from IN HIS EYES are told from a male point of view. Some of them are original shorts we made up just for this book, others are reworkings of previous writings from a new point of view (for example, my short story is called Precalculus and it’s a re-telling of Chapter 2 of THE VEIL, from the point of view of the love interest). And since it’s Valentines Day, all of the stories have a romantic angle to them.

Q:  How challenging was it to write from the male perspective?

A:  I think the members of the Indelibles who were more used to writing from a male point of view found it pretty straight-forward . . . but I for one found it very challenging! I tend to write almost exclusively from the female point of view – I had only done male characters in third-person, so jumping right into a male character’s head and writing in first-person was totally new to me.

I actually wrote a blog post about my struggles to “write like a dude” (LINK: http://www.corypoakes.com/news-and-events/writing-dude-grunt-grunt-scratch-scratch/): the gist of it was that my first attempt was absolutely horrendous! It wasn’t until I was able to remember that my character had qualities other than just being “a dude” that I was able to get inside his head. I am ultimately very proud of “Precalculus” and how much the voice in it really does sound like the “Lucas Stratton” I have had floating around inside my head for years. It took a long while to get there, but it was worth it. It actually really helped motivate me to get cracking on the sequel to THE VEIL – getting some new insight into Luc really helped to give me some fresh perspective on the series in general.

 Q:  What do *The Indelibles* hope to accomplish with this anthology?

 A:  Well, we’ve put it up for free on Smashwords and for just .99 cents on Amazon and Barnes and Noble – so we’re not trying to make a killing here, moneywise. Really, this is our Valentines Day gift to our readers. And of course we hope that if people really enjoy our short stories, they will be motivated to check out our books as well. (It worked for me! I now have a whole list of books I want to read, just from the various shorts I got to proof-read during the course of doing this anthology!)

 Q:  Where can one get a copy of the anthology?

A:  IN HIS EYES was released as an ebook for free on Smashwords at:
(LINK: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/129467)

and for just .99 cents on Amazon:
(LINK: http://www.amazon.com/In-His-Eyes-Anthology-ebook/dp/B00760G5CE/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329243075&sr=1-1)

and Barnes&Noble.com:
(LINK: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-his-eyes-anthology-sr-johannes/1108613162).

You can also add it to your shelves on Goodreads by going to:
(LINK: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13331838-in-his-eyes-anthology)

Thanks Cory, the book is a fabulous idea! Happy Valentine’s Day!!

 

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On the Bright Side by S.R. Johannes: a YA book of heavenly drama

Today is January 31st and the sale date for S.R. Johannes new On the Bright Side, in e-book format. I haven’t personally read this book yet (I am still catching up) but she is someone an author friend of mine is acquainted with so I’ll give her a shot and a little free promotion.  I sat down with her via email and we discussed her new book that is an “angelic” tale for young adults. You’ll also get to know a little about the author as a person.  Read on past the book promotion for that original and exclusive interview.  If you read her book soon, be sure to come back and tell me what you think.

About the book, On the Bright Side, by S.R. Johannes (book promo via the author)

On the Bright Side is a hilarious road to guardian angeldom paved with so much drama and due-paying that it makes middle school look painless.

As if the devil’s food cake at her wake and the white fat pants she’s stuck wearing for eternity weren’t bad enough, fourteen year-old Gabby is quick to discover that Cirrus, the main rung of Heaven, is a far cry from the Pearly Gates. Here, Skyphones and InnerNets are all the rage. Until Gabby finds out she has to protect Angela, her school nemesis, in order to move up through the training levels of heaven. Problem is, Angela is now hitting on Gabby’s should-have-been boyfriend. (awkward!)

Instead of protecting Angela, Gabby pranks her (like tripping is a sin?) at the hopes of cooling off the new couple. At first, they seem harmless until the school dance sabotage gets completely out of control. Then, her Celestial Sky Agent, who happens to have anger management issues of his own, puts Gabby on probation, threatening her eternal future. 

Determined to right her wrongs, Gabby steals an ancient artifact that allows her to return to Earth for just one day. Without knowing, she kicks off a series of events and learns what can happen when you hate someone to death. 

“S.R. Johannes delivers a cute paranormal thrill ride for middle graders! Even in death there is a BRIGHT SIDE!” Addison Moore, author of the bestselling Celestra series and soon to be TV show

Book Trailer:  http://faeriality.blogspot.com/2010/01/on-bright-side-trailer.html

Interview with S.R. Johannes

Hi Shelli (or otherwise known as S.R. Johannes), I am happy to do an interview to hear about your new teen paranormal novel, On the Bright Side! I’m sure my readers and I would love to also hear more about you in the process.

Q:  Could you tell us more about what readers can expect from On the Bright Side?

A: OTBS is about a disgruntled angel BRIGHT. Not only is she cursed wearing her white fat pants for eternity but she is also forced to protect her school nemesis. Instead she pranks her and is put on probation. To right her wrongs, she steals an ancient artifact to return to Earth one time. However, she unknowingly unleashes a dark side.

Q: What feelings and emotions do you hope this book emits for teens (and adults) alike?

A: We always seem to want what someone else wants. But we never truly see what someone else has.

Q: What prompted your story idea?

A: Xmas 2008, I had just finished Lisa Schroeder’s I Love You,You Haunt Me. I thought it would be nice to see the other side of the coin. What the dead person was going through. But I didn’t want to do another Lovely Bones type book. I started with YA but when angel books started selling (Hush Hush, Fallen) – I decided to change the book’s direction and audience. So in the spring, I started writing a funny story about death and a disgruntled angel in her own Afterlife world. But instead of utopia, I created a NYC in the sky.

Q: Who was your favorite character to create, and why?

A: They are all fun for different reason. Lawrence was fun. He is Gabby’s SKYagent and is cursed to taking anger management classes. Jessica was fun because she is one of those people who are always happy and positive, which is so not me.  I love the banter between Jessica and Gabby. They are hilarious.

Q: Who is your favorite character in ANY book of all time, and why?

A: Oh gosh. I have no clue. Maybe Pippy in Pippy Longstocking. I like how strong and rebellious she was. She was creative and didn’t care what anyone thought.

(Erin note: Yea, one of mine too. I dressed up like her one year for Halloween.)

Q:   I found this statement in your bio quite familiar to me personally: “She started out writing for her local school paper, winning a state Nutrition essay contest for “Be a Smart Cookie”, and singing in a local Jazz band. Somewhere along the way, she earned an MBA in Marketing and embarked on an 18-year marketing career in Corporate America working as a marketing and communications consultant.”

This sounds almost like me! From an essay win young to a marketing and public relations career to working from home while juggling being a mom and writer.

What do you find is most rewarding?

A: Being with my kids. Corny but true. I have the best of both worlds.

What do you find are your struggles?

A: I have ADHD. So focusing on one project is hard for me. It can be good in multi-tasking but hard in writing.

What advice do you give to others who are trying to manage life with a dream of writing?

A: Never give up. It’s easy to do when you are getting rejection. They say everyone has a book inside of them but if you are truly in your heart a writer – you could not give up writing if you tried.

Q:  As a writer, what is the best moment of your life?

A: I love reading all reviews. The good ones make me smile and the bad ones make me better.

Q: What is your favorite television show at the moment?

A: Walking Dead

Q: Tell me something most people might not know about you.

A: I used to sing in a band.

Q: Where is your new book, On the Bright Side, available at or from?

A: At first it is e-book(Amazon, B&N etc). Paperback comes out in February.

Q: What is the best way for readers to connect with you? (website, FB, Twitter…list any and all you want)

A: I always answer email. I have a blog too.

Email: shelli@srjohannes.com

Blog: http://faeriality.blogspot.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/srjohannes

Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/SRJohannes/249888602550

Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5235537.S_R_Johannes

Thank you so much your time with us, Shelli. Hope you’ll visit again and I wish you much success with your book.

Author Biography: S.R. Johannes

S.R. Johannes is the author of Untraceable (a teen wilderness thriller) and On The Bright Side ( a tween paranormal). She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her dog, British-accented husband, and the huge imaginations of their little prince and princess, which she hopes- someday- will change the world. After earning an MBA and working in corporate america, S.R. Johannes traded in her expensive suits, high heels, and corporate lingo for a family, flip-flops, and her love of writing.

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