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This blog is no longer in use and will be deleted on 10/5/2015. If you want to continue to receive the latest sharp news, check me out in my new web home at elizabethsharpbooks.com or sign up for my newsletter by clicking this link to receive all the updates in your inbox. I don't send out notices more than once a month unless something is happening I want my readers to be aware of.

Finding Keepers cover reveal

What do you get when you combine the writing of Kristi Strong with the digital talents of Elizabeth Sharp? A brand new cover of awesomness!

Finding Keepers is Kristi Strong’s first Young Adult novel, and first non-fantasy novel.

Story Blurb: Starting a new life is never easy, but Alyssa Doe has turned it into an art form. Abandoned by her parents at age twelve, four years in foster care has taught Alyssa how to get through life the hard way. Now sixteen and growing desperate for a stable life, Alyssa finds herself puzzled by her newest keeper, twenty-five year old Jessica Sona. A feisty woman who does not accept no for an answer, Jessica’s insistence on safety, family, and unconditional love begin to break down Alyssa’s walls and bring her hope, a dangerous emotion. Can such a thing as family and love exist for a girl whose birth name is Doe, or will Alyssa be forever left finding keepers?

Excerpt “None of us stand a chance,” Alyssa mumbled as she pushed her eggs around. Jessica looked up from her plate, but remained silent, giving Alyssa time to process her thoughts. “The rules made sense,” Alyssa said, glancing up at Jessica, the lack of surprise on the woman’s face confirming that some of the memories had fallen from Alyssa’s lips as she relived the past, along with her reading Alyssa’s records. “I get it, especially now. The alarms were to make sure no-one snuck over to the other bedrooms, or tried to run away. A couple of the teenagers tried, because they were lonely, I guess. They didn’t even realize when Jenna did it, because she disabled the alarm, until they found the pregnancy test she stole from the pharmacy and questioned the boys ... The obsession with cleanliness and order a necessity, because with eight children in a house, things would become chaotic so quickly.” She felt a tear trickle down her cheek and rubbed it away angrily. “But I was just fourteen. I wasn’t trying to be bad when I set off the alarm. I just had a nightmare and was so scared. They didn’t believe me though, and so they sent me away the first chance they got.” “Do you still have nightmares?” Jessica’s voice was soft, low, her gaze on Alyssa’s hand holding the fork, the trembling causing the fork to vibrate the eggs where it rested. Alyssa nodded. “Every night. The police car comes for me, and ... ” The words were strangled, as if her heart was pushing them out, while her head was forcing them back in. Confessions were dangerous, ammunition to use against you in group therapy, proof that you were not right in the head and needed more intensive care, institutionalized care. “Alli,” Jessica’s hand slipped over Alyssa’s where it lay on the table, trembling like a leaf. “My door is always open, no matter if it is day or night. You don’t have to be alone in the darkness anymore. I’m here now, and forever.”

About Kristi's Novels

While Finding Keepers is her first Contemporary Young Adult novel, she also has three books currently published in her New Adult Fantasy series, the Land of Kaldalangra.

The Lady of Steinbrekka  (The featured fantasy book in the 2014-2015 LCPS Battle of the Books competition) Rhea Aralia lived an uneventful life in Virginia, until the fateful night of her kidnapping. Taken to a strange realm of destruction, despair, and mysterious people with dark secrets, the young woman must learn a new way of life to survive. With the help of her new companions, Rhea discovers the courage to defy the tyrant King Verikhan and his heir, the cleverness to deceive the court, and the power within herself to transform this world of darkness into one of beauty and hope. Will Rhea triumph over those who seek her destruction, or will she be forever lost in the darkness known as Kaldalangra?

Heart of Kylassame

   It has been two years since the reign of the tyrannical King Verikhan has ended, and the realm of Kaldalangra flourishes.    Nyssa has taken her place as Queen of the realm, with her secret love, Sebast, now openly at her side. She rules with a fair hand, striving for justice and prosperity for all of her people.    Rowan and Rhea travel the realm, spreading peace and healing wherever they go. In Kylassame, they have formed a strong bond with friends and spread deep roots in the community.    The people of Kaldalangra are joyful, and life in their world is better than ever before.    But a string of tragedies has the ability to bring Rhea to her knees, and with her, the entire realm. While Rowan struggles to recover the village of Kylassame from a devastating crime, Rhea’s faith in her own strength weakens, with dire consequences.    Re-enter the world of Kaldalangra, and join the adventure as Rhea and Rowan endeavor to continue upon their chosen destiny.

 Soul of Asimina

In the land of Kaldalangra, one woman stands at a crossroads 

  Sabina de Nespa has known a life of freedom and peace, thanks to the actions of her heroic parents. As a child of royalty, she has kept her intentions pure and her heart guarded, always aware that the crown of the realm may one day rest upon her brow. 

  When two strangers stumble across her path, she finds her peace shattered as dangerous family secrets begin to emerge, along with a malignant force that threatens to destroy her entire world. These men have the ability to help her rise to brilliant heights, or cause a devastating plunge into darkness. 

  It is now up to Sabina to continue her parents’ legacy of honor, courage, and strength through adversity. With the fate of Kaldalangra upon her shoulders, she has vowed to follow the path of righteousness, or die trying.

About the Author:

Fixing broken computers, wrangling a very spirited little toddler, and creating new fantasy worlds are all parts of the average day for Kristi Strong. While she has called Virginia her home for two decades, her head has rested in two countries, three states, and far too many houses to count. She was more than happy to give up her nomadic lifestyle and settle down with her husband, daughter, cat and chinchilla.

Want to learn more and connect with Kristi?

Strong Novels Blog

Strong Novels Facebook

Strong Novels Twitter

Strong Novels Email

Skin Deep release day!!!

It's finally here. Release day for Skin Deep. This book has been a life changing experience for me, and I hope others feel the same way. :)

Being a teenager is hard. Being an overweight teenager is even harder.

Bethany Watson has tried to accept herself, but being either bullied or ignored by her peers leaves her feeling she has nothing to contribute. Worse, just as the feelings for her best friend begin to blossom into something else, another girl sets her eyes on him—someone she can’t compete with.

She discovers a host of problems bigger than her social life and waist size when she comes face to face with a creature hell bent on destroying anything that gets in its way. An unwilling recruit in the fight against the darkness, Bethany is torn between what is right and what is easy.

Where you can get it: 

Amazon        B&N       Smashwords

Additional formats are coming and I will share them as they become available.

If you haven't seen it, you should check out the amazing trailer I made .

Please come on over to Facebook and join the party happening all day. Some amazing authors have agreed to stop in throughout the day, so come on over.  

Now for the prize, cause you all know I will have a prize. This is open world wide. Since I don't recommend this book for younger readers, must be sixteen or older to enter. One winner will be chosen to receive this great prize pack.

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Skin Deep (Dark Reflections Book One) Cover Reveal

I have no idea how I've kept this quiet this long, but today is finally the day I get to share the cover for skin Deep with you. So without further adieu...

Being a teenager is hard. Being an overweight teenager is even harder.

Bethany Watson has tried to accept herself, but being either bullied or ignored by her peers leaves her feeling she has nothing to contribute. Worse, just as the feelings for her best friend begin to blossom into something else, another girl sets her eyes on him—someone she can’t compete with.

She discovers a host of problems bigger than her social life and waist size when she comes face to face with a creature hell bent on destroying anything that gets in its way. An unwilling recruit in the fight against the darkness, Bethany is torn between what is right and what is easy. 

About the Author

Elizabeth has a near crippling Facebook addiction, dwarfed only by her need for Dr. Pepper. A self-proclaimed techno geek, she loves cell phones, computers, tablets and all things technological. The internet has to be the greatest invention since the wheel, in her opinion. She lives in a quiet subdivision with her husband, one-year-old son, three cats, and far too many electronics. It’s quite possible she has some raccoon in her DNA, because she loves glitter and anything that sparkles. She enjoys making jewelry and costumes. Halloween is her favorite holiday since it’s the one day of the year that you can be whatever you want. But her first love will always be writing. Otherwise, hearing voices in her head would make her feel schizophrenic.

Connect Online:

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Pintrest

Skin Deep Teaser

You've all been waiting patiently but I'm here to assure you, Skin Deep IS coming. April 24 is the official release day, and there will be plenty of things between now and then. Next week is the cover reveal (and if you're a blogger who would like to host the reveal, you can sign up here.) but this week I have goodies for you.

Skin Deep toes the line between YA and NA, so I definitely recommend it for older teens. It's a paranormal story jam packed with stuff. This is the book about bullies you've all heard so much about. Please add it to your shelves on Goodread!

This week I was featured on YA Podcast. Give it a listen to learn more about the book and hear me read a teaser. Or if you can't listen, I'll share the teaser here. The lead character, Bethany Watson, has come out of an event to discover her car won't start and her phone is dead. She has no choice but to walk home, taking a short cut through the park.

Once in the park, darkness swallowed me. My eyes darted around as I rubbed my palm on my pant leg. The sweeping fields seemed ominous, though there was nothing out of the ordinary I could put my finger on. I walked faster than usual, trying to get out of the deserted park and back onto the well lit streets.

The pitch black field lay out before me like a scratchy blanket. Deprived of vision, my hearing picked up the faint sound of a struggle, meaty thuds and metallic clashes. I considered ignoring it, but I couldn’t walk away when someone was being hurt. Knowing I would regret it, I veered to my right and followed the sounds. They were coming from the playground area, or maybe the picnic shelter beyond.

The normally vibrant plastic and metal equipment were black shadows in the darkness, but nothing moved among them. Metal clanged further away, towards the pavilion, so I crept forward. I tried to look in every direction as I carefully picked my way around the shadowy mammoths that were usually the slide and the merry-go-round, my fit sinking into the cool sand. Every nerve in my body screamed at me to turn around, but I couldn’t back out now.

My foot caught on the old railroad tie used as an edger so the sand wouldn’t spill over into the grass, nearly causing me to faceplant in the mud. I swore under my breath before crossing the hundred foot span between the playground and the parking lot, with the pavilion mediating their meeting.

Horror weakened my legs and my heart pounded in my ears as the fighters came into view. A lone lamp stood proud over the pavilion, bathing the tiny square of asphalt in an orange glow. Two figures fought in the circle of light, one a strange man I had never seen before. He moved like he had no bones, shifting in ways a human body simply could not. His eyes glowed like vibrant rubies and his teeth all came to sharp points. Perhaps the strange tint of the lamp was to blame, but his grayish skin was dull and waxy. I swallowed, taking an involuntary step back.

The figures spun and I got a clear glimpse of his opponent. My heart sank at the sight of his golden skin and long dark curls. Anderson. An audible gasp slipped from me as I stumbled over something. I landed hard on my butt, my teeth clicking shut painfully. The night was still as both figures stared at me lying on the ground in a graceless heap, shiny jean-clad legs reflecting the light. The inhuman thing —and despite everything in me screaming it was impossible, I knew it couldn’t be human — eyed me. Unnatural lips spread in a smile that turned my stomach to a rock. A scream clawed its way up my throat, and it took everything in my power to choke it back.

The creature slowly stepped towards me, the tattered remnants of a hooded cloak and billowy pants shifting to reveal more gray skin stretched taut over prominent ribs and a hallowed out stomach. The emaciated arms and legs seemed too long, the joints pointed where they should have been found. I crab walked away as it stood over me, knowing this was the last breath I would take. My life flashed before my eyes. All the stupid pointless diets that never worked. All the tears I shed over my classmates’ cruelty. The rancid hatred churning in me every time I caught a glimpse of my own reflection… My entire life was made up of pointless moments. And now it was about to be snuffed out. My lips parted to thank him for rescuing me from my own miserable existence, but something stilled my tongue. Pushing to my feet, I stood with my back straight and my chin high. If I was going to die by this foul creature’s hand, I would not do it wallowing in my own shame and misery.

Anderson appeared between the monster and I. Grabbing my arm, he yanked me behind him. “Watson, what are you doing here?”

I shook my head, unaware he couldn’t hear the dishwater slosh. When he didn’t respond, I struggled to find my voice. “My car died. I… I was going home.”

He sighed, but that was the end of our conversation. The thing lunged at us, knocking me to the ground. I clutched at my arm as waves of fire shot down from the shoulder that had slammed into one of the large rocks edging the grass. Tears welled in my eyes as I fought to sit up. Anderson was locked in combat with the creature, slashing out with what I could only classify as a sword. Steel glowed in the dim light as he slashed out, meeting the bony plate covering the beast’s arm, the blade recoiling in a shower of sparks. I rolled over, trying to scramble away on my hands and knees. A jolt of pain from my injured shoulder sent me back to the ground with a cry. The two continued to scuffle as I sat up again. The monster feinted toward me, causing Anderson to rush to put himself between us. With an evil chuckle, the creature took a step back, fading until only a bit of vapor remained in the circle of light. After a moment, it too faded, leaving me blinking at nothing. 

St Patrick's Day Pintrest Party

Join your favorite YA and NA authors as we celebrate being Irish for a day and play on Pinterest. There will be over 45 e-book giveaways! 

You can join the Facebook party HERE!

You won't want to miss it!

Participating Authors:

Lila Felix   A. W. Exley  Melissa Pearl   

Jessica Gibson  Cindy M. Hogan  Sarah Ashley Jones  

Marie Landry  Rachel Morgan  Jennifer Snyder 

Stacey Marie Brown  Jessica Therrien  D.L. Raver 

Stacey Wallace Benefiel  Marilyn Almodóvar  Angee Taylor 

A.O. Peart  Devyn Dawson  Rick Chiantaretto 

Raine Thomas  L.P. Dover  Tamara Hart Heiner  

Leigh T Moore  Meradeth Houston  Amber Argyle 

Tawdra Kandle  Carlyle Labuschagne  Lisa Collicutt

Christy Dorrity  Stephanie Fowers  Kristina Renee

Faith McKay  Charlotte Abel  Jamie Ayres

A.M. Hargrove  Charli Webb  Amy Harmon  

Alyssa Rose Ivy  Kristie Cook  Lani Woodland

T.M. Franklin  Laura Howard  Sharron Riddle

Eliza Tilton  S. M. Boyce  Bethany Lopez 

Dawn Leigh  L.A. Casey  Emma Adams  

Amber Garr  Liz Long

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First Dark Reflections teaser

So, today I'm happy to release the first ever teaser for the first book of my Dark Reflections series, coming in April.

I was running out of options when my phone chimed. Expecting it to be Maggie, I dove for it. I hissed when I realized it was a video. I recognized the parking lot of the coffee shop and knew it must be one of the phones I spotted in the crowd of douche bags.

Within seconds my phone chimed again with another video, then another. It went on and on, one video after another. I turned the ringer off, setting the phone on my desk. I felt like I was going to be sick. All the numbers were blocked, so I couldn't be certain if it was the same person or a different one. The notification light kept flashing for a long time, but I refused to pick up my phone. I just stared at it helplessly as nausea wormed through my belly.

The house phone ringing jarred me from my thoughts. Figuring someone had tried my cell and got no answer, I jogged to the unit in the hall and picked it up. There was a long silence, then some heavy breathing. As I was just about to hang up, someone mooed, then more heavy breathing. Disgusted, I put the phone in the cradle and yanked the cord out of the wall. I went around the house doing the same with all the phones.

When the doorbell started to ring, I ignored it, returning to my room and huddling on the bed. I wrapped a pillow around my head, a wailing sound coming from my throat no matter how hard I tried to stop it. I heard a phone ringing, realizing too late I hadn’t unplugged the one in my dad’s room.

I have no idea how long I sat rocking on my bed, pillow wrapped around my ears as the phone rang, the doorbell chimed, and knocks sounded at the door. Glass broke in the living room, but I didn’t move to examine it. I just sat there, rocking and crying and praying to die.

Silence didn’t register when it fell at long last for a good long minute. At first I didn’t trust it, though I was finally able to still myself. I dropped the pillow from my ears, though I kept it in my hands. There was no sound except for the normal ones - the refrigerator running, the crickets chirping outside. I slid to the edge of my bed, afraid to move for fear of the torment starting again.

My door swung open and I screamed, turning to bury my face in the pillow as sobs wracked my body. Hands pulled at me, trying to turn me but I fought them, refusing to give them the satisfaction of my tears. An urgent voice suddenly registered and I turned and threw myself into my dad’s arms, sobbing.

Let me be real with you....

I'm going to be releasing the first real teaser from Dark Reflections next week, but before I do, I wanted to share the story behind the teaser.

Maybe you don't realize this, but most life-long authors like me aren't popular in school. We tend to be quiet and thoughtful, observing when our peers are acting. We pour angst onto page after page, leaving ourselves raw and bear with nothing left to give the world around us. Much of our time is spent lingering in world's of fantasy until the real world is too abrasive for us. Or maybe that's just me.

I rarely had many friends. Maybe it's because I was dirt pour and moved twelve times in my thirteen years of schooling. Always the new kid. Never wearing clothes that fit the trend. I never even went on a real vacation until I was seventeen. I was a victim. To my family. To pervy neighbors. To the other kids.

I'm not saying this because I'm looking for sympathy, just setting the stage. Because I was always on the outside, i had no idea I was bullied at the time it was happening. Not when I was shoved so hard my knee swelled to the size of a baseball. Not when I was stabbed with a pencil, leaving the lead that is still under my skin to this day. Not even when another girl told the entire school I had molested her cat.

My story isn't unique.

Kids everywhere have stories like these and worse. I know because so many people have shared their amazing stories with me. I have been blessed and even healed a little, having others share their own pain and vulnerability with me. Because of it, I have the courage to share some of my own experiences in Skin Deep. The teaser I will be releasing is a slightly dramatized experience from my own childhood.

It wasn't long after the girl had told the school I molested her cat. I was thirteen. (Yup, that's me in the picture.) Two girls followed me home, poking me,  calling me "rapist" and "molester" as they threw pebbles and candy at me. I kept walking faster and faster until I was running. When I got home, I locked the door. What happened after that was fairly accurately recreated in the teaser I'm releasing on Wednesday.

When it's ready, I will hotlink the teaser here.

Again, I don't really need sympathy. What I hope to get from sharing my story is maybe - just maybe - I can reach someone else who is struggling with something like this and give them strength. Give them hope. Maybe even give them a shoulder to cry on. Because if I can help just one person then it will all be worth it.

IBF Meet the Author 2014 Feb 14 - 21

IBF Meet the Author 2014 Feb 14 - 21

Tell us a little bit about your book(s) and yourself.
If you don't already know me, let me take a minute to introduce myself. I'm Elizabeth Sharp, author, artist and world renowned chatterbox. I have an unhealthy addiction to Facebook and Dr. Pepper, and I might be part raccoon because I'm all about the shinies. I have four books out with another series coming in April. My first series, The Forces of Nature, follows a teen nature spirit as she discovers her own powers. If your interested the first one, Natural Selection, is free on all ebook vendors (there should be links to your right). Supernova is a standalone, featuring fae who decide to use their powers to become superheroes.


When was your first book published?
August 12, 2011


Why did you decide to become an Indie Author?
I'm want to be in charge of my books, how they look and what does and does not make the cut. I have the only say in everything that happens, so any success or failure is on me.


Are you currently working on anything?
I have a trilogy about body image and bullies and demons, coming this April. while that's in edits, I'm also working on writing a NA contemporary inspired during my recent trip to Istanbul.


Who and what inspired you to write?
My family says I've been telling stories my entire life. I had to learn to write before I could start writing though.


Each author has his or her own inspiring journey. How did you begin writing?
I've been writing since i was eight, so I can't really tell you what made me start. It was a hobby of mine through the years, though there were definitely times I took it more seriously than others. Back in 2010, I got an ereader for Christmas. Through it I was able to discover independent publishing, and some of the amazing authors. Around the same time, I started writing a story. I knew there was something about this one, that it would be the one that finally got published. I was right.


What is on your writing playlist for your book(s)?
It really depends on the day and the book. Currently I am very fond of Lindsey Stirling, Blackmill, 2 Cellos, The Piano Guys, Jennifer Thomas and such. I mostly use Pandora.


Who is your favorite character in your books?
Xander Hoffman from the Forces of Nature series. I told my husband if he weren't a figment of my own imagination, he might need to start worrying.


What is your favorite book of all time?
That's like asking a mother who her favorite child is! Though I guess that would be easy for me since i only have one... I seriously can't pick just one.


Tell us in one sentence why we should read your books.
I've poured everything I had into making these books the best they could possibly be, with realistic characters, vivid settings and intricate plot.

Now for a chance to win. I'm giving away an autographed paperback of Supernova, along with some great swag. Contest is open internationally.

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Hop around and Meet the Authors of Indie Book Fest 2014. Each stop features an author and a contest.

Myrtle Beach Write In

8 Amazingly talented authors + 3 days + one hotel room + a LOT of coffee = over 71,000 words

That's not a joke, that's the cumulative total for an epic weekend of writing in Myrtle Beach. Over 10,000 of those were mine. Yes I'm proud. And yes, I'm exhausted. While there was far more talking and goofing off than there should have been, I am happy with the results. So let me tell you about the weekend, outside of the word count.

I arrived after 10 hours spent traveling, though only three of them were actually spent in the air. I met up with the amazing Jordan Deen in Charlotte, passing the time until our flight left chatting. Once in Myrtle Beach, we grabbed a cab to the hotel where Dawn Pendleton and Andrea Heltsley were waiting for us. We grabbed dinner and walked down Ocean Boulevard to an arcade where none of us acted out age and all of us had a great time. People probably thought we were all drunk, but we were just high on each other (to steal Dawn's phrase).

On Friday we took a walk on the beach before heading back to our room to get some words down. We were joined that evening by Amy Miles and Bella Rocco, just in time for dinner and some grocery shopping. Finally on Saturday morning, the last two joined us, Kristina Circelli and Sarra Cannon, bringing the total number of authors to eight.

Saturday the plan was to spend the whole day writing, and I was ready for it. However, I had forgotten to take into account my inability to keep my mouth shut whenever there was a person in the vicinity to listen to my inane babble. Those poor authors... I was able to get some words, but not as many as I'd hoped. After a brisk walk in the cold, I realized I was ok with the original plan of staying in and headed back while some of the others explored I Love Sugar.

Sunday I was determined to make up for lost time, so I hit the floor running. While some of the others headed to Medeival Times for knights and hijinx, I stayed in the room, pounding out as many words as I could. It worked for me, since i had the highest word counts I'd had all week that day.

Monday morning everyone left, leaving me with a day before my flight home. Dawn, Andrea and I headed to the aquarium, then the alligator farm. before spending a quiet evening relaxing in the hotel.

All in all it was an amazing weekend and I came out of it charged with some great ideas for the weeks and months ahead. Cannot wait for the next time we can all get together...