Happy Relaunch Day, CAPTURE!

Capture is officially available through all eBook retailers. (If you prefer paperbacks, you can grab one through Amazon.)

Here is the description for Capture:

Every family has its secrets. Some are just more costly than others.

Autumn Stone has spent her entire life in Lunica City, a home for those with the gift of magic. It was a place of freedom, a place of happiness, a place that she considered to be a part of her. Until a stranger destroyed that illusion with one single action.

He holds the key to who she really is.
But he also holds the ability to destroy her.

The city as Autumn knows it to be no longer exists. It is buried beneath pain, fire, and death. A haunting shadow of the place she once called home.

As secrets are revealed, and powers are tested, Autumn will have to risk everything that she has left in order to protect her loved ones.

But safety comes with a price.

This book holds a special place in my heart. It was the first full length novel that I ever wrote. I managed to complete the first draft during NaNoWriMo 2010. That draft was complete at a little over 50,000 words. The current edition is over 70,000 words... so yeah, it has been reworked quite a bit. But I think it is for the best.

Capture is a lot different from my other projects. The biggest difference is that it is set in a made up world. The second is that it's a mixed bag of nuts, meaning that it doesn't really fall into one genre.

The way this story is written is also quite different from my other books.
That is because it is my first book, but also because the setting forced me to write it differently. I needed to visualized the setting through words as much as possible. (I tried, but we'll see if I actually succeeded.) It's a strange world, one full of tons of possibilities, and I hope to one day have the time to sit down and draw out a few scenes.

Since this book is so different, I figured I'd talk about a few things in the book that may be of interest to some of you:

1. The secondary characters (mainly women) play a big part in the story. This is Autumn's story, yes, but like with the Emile Reed Chronicles, the story is also bigger than her. So I like to think that the secondary characters aren't just one dimensional, or there solely just to be there. I like to tie in family to my books, and for me, Autumn and the gang are one big dysfunctional family.
2. It is a story about magic and witches, but it isn't your typical witch story. Actually, here's a fun fact: I initially set out to write a story kind of like the Craft, and somehow, Capture was what I came up with.
3. Autumn was originally the main character in my [now shelved] vampire story, Crave. That was a book I realized just wasn't working after I'd managed to write 20k words. I have every intention of reworking Crave after I finish up my projects for 2014, but the story will obviously end up changing quite a bit.
4. Release, the conclusion to Autumn's story, will be out in 2015. I haven't started writing it yet, and I probably won't until the end of the year, but I'm thinking of writing it from Ian's POV. I've found it is easier for me to write from his POV than it is for me to tap back into Autumn's POV after four years. (Seriously, a lot harder than I thought it would be.) No promises just yet, but that is what I'm leaning towards!

Interested? You can grab a copy of Capture using the links below:

Amazon -- Barnes & Noble -- iTunes -- Kobo -- Smashwords -- Amazon (Paperback)

The eBook will only be $0.99 until May 31st, after that it'll go up to $1.99.

Want to read the first chapter? Follow the cut!

Relaunching "Capture"!

If you follow me on Facebook, chances are you saw the announcement that I will be relaunching CAPTURE in May. If not, well, surprise!

CAPTURE was the first book that I wrote, and the early drafts definitely showed that. But I've gone back and reworked the story, and I feel comfortable with where it is now. I added in more Ian. I reworked the ending so that it doesn't go by so fast. I also added a prologue and an epilogue. So, there are a ton of changes.

The official relaunch will be on May 23rd, 2014.

I do not have a final cover yet, but I do have a placeholder cover. And a description. And a pre-order link. ;)

Here is the placeholder cover:

Book summary:

Every family has its secrets. Some are just more costly than others.

Autumn Stone has spent her entire life in Lunica City, a home for those with the gift of magic. It was a place of freedom, a place of happiness, a place that she considered to be a part of her. Until a stranger destroyed that illusion with one single action.

He holds the key to who she really is.
But he also holds the ability to destroy her.

The city as Autumn knows it to be no longer exists. It is buried beneath pain, fire, and death. A haunting shadow of the place she once called home.

As secrets are revealed, and powers are tested, Autumn will have to risk everything that she has left in order to protect her loved ones.

But safety comes with a price.

Smashwords Pre-Order Link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/433461?ref=NicoleSobon
It'll be $0.99 until May 30th, at that time, it'll go up to $2.99.

I've also included the Prologue and the First Chapter beneath a cut.
Please note that I'm still editing it, so there's a chance the text could change before publication!

Looking Back at "Capture"!

While I was cleaning up the other day, I stumbled upon some interesting things: the original outline for Capture (I used this during NaNoWriMo 2010), handwritten pages from the original draft, and the original draft of Crave (a vampire novel that will never see the light of day).

I figured it would be cool to share the beginnings of my writing journey. Crave was technically the first book that I'd ever written, and well, it sucks, so I like to pretend that it doesn't exist. Capture followed shortly after. It was my NaNo project from 2010, and while some people don't care for it, I love it because I love Autumn and Ian. It's a strange book. It's upper YA (not quite NA), it has magic, it is set in a made-up world, and there is just as much romance as there is violence. It's a strange little book, Capture, but I still love it. :)

I figured it would be neat to share these things with you guys, so here you go:

(These are riddled with mistakes. I tend to jot down notes quickly, which leads to a lot of misspellings of words and such.)

P.S. I took Capture down from all retailers, but you can still download the book for free through Smashwords if you'd like. Or if you'd prefer a paperback, I'll send you a link where you can still purchase a copy. And I still do intend to write the sequel, I'm just not sure how I plan to go about releasing it just yet. ;)

Saying Goodbye to "Capture".

Capture was the first novel that I ever wrote. I actually wrote it during NaNoWriMo 2010. The first draft sucked. Seriously. But I was still proud of myself for finishing a novel. I adored Autumn and Ian, and I couldn't wait to share them with the world. Once I finished revisions last August, I made the story available through all of the e-retailers thinking I'd find other readers that loved Autumn and Ian as much as me.

Unfortunately, that never happened.

As a writer, it is hard to focus on a story when you know that most readers hate it.
Release was originally going to be my next project, followed by Deprogrammed, since some readers have been waiting since 2010 for more of Autumn and Ian. When I saw the poor response to Capture, I decided to just skip ahead to Deprogrammed.

I have a lot invested in Autumn's story, but honestly, sometimes you just have to learn to let things go.

So, I'm letting Capture go.

I will unpublish the title on June 1st, 2013. After that, you will not be able to purchase a copy.

At some point, I may write Release.
I just don't have it in me right now.

<3 Nicole

"Capture" Extra: Chapter Six From Ian's POV.

This is a bit late, sorry about that, but here is chapter six of Capture from Ian's POV:

 Ahora stood against the door-frame, her arms crossed over her chest, and a smirk wide on her face. “Ready?” She asked us.

That was a loaded question, I thought. Because I surely wasn’t ready to be poked with needles, and I wasn’t entirely ready to lose any time with Autumn, but I knew that I couldn’t worry about what my heart wanted when there was a battle to be fought.

“Let’s go,” I said, reaching for her arm. I pulled her out of the room after me, ignoring Holly’s giggle fit as we moved past her.

“Normally we’d head to your next training center,” she said, walking ahead of us. “But as you’ve both received your tracking implants, you’ll be allotted a thirty minute rest period.”

“Well, that’s nice of you,” Autumn teased. I could feel the smile tugging at the corners of my lips. Her attitude was one of my favorite things about her.

She was as tough-as-nails, and yet selfless when it came to risking her life to save the rest of us from the wrath of Lucas. I hadn’t known her long, but I’d come to admire her strength and determination.

Autumn reached behind her, her fingers massaging the nape of her neck where the implant had been inserted. A cold gush of air hit us as we neared the end of the hall, forcing her to wince in pain. My eyes instinctively moved towards her, worried. It was ridiculous how protective I’d become of her. Relax, idiot, I told myself. She was fine. I knew that. I did. And she certainly did not need me to protect her, she’d already proved that she was more than capable of taking care of herself, so my need to protect her was useless. Yet, that didn’t stop my eyes from locking on her every time she reacted to the slightest bit of pain.

“We’re going to need you both in the best shape possible.” My eyes remained on Autumn until we stopped in front a silver door. Frosted glass surrounded the door, showcasing the vacant beds inside.  “This is the recovery room. Feel free to use any bed you’d like.” Ahora ran her fingers tapped her fingers on the door, revealing a small keypad. Her fingers moved quickly over four digits, careful not to giveaway the code.

Which could only mean that it was a common code used throughout the building, there’d be no other reason for her to hide it from us.

I glanced at Autumn briefly before the door to the room opened.  “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call.” Autumn’s face reddened as Ahora winked and spun on her heel.

She took off, back down the hall, leaving us alone.

Autumn body shook ever so slightly, her eyes focusing on the ground beneath her.

I wanted to search her thoughts to see what she was thinking of, but given how uncomfortable she seemed, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

She moved inside of the room and beelined for the mattress aside, falling onto the mattress face first with her arms stretched over her head.

I probably should’ve let her be, but I needed to know. I took a seat next to her on the mattress carefully, making sure not to disturb her. “So, we’re just friends?” I leaned back against the headboard and folded my arms over my chest. “I was under the impression that our relationship was much more complex than that.”

She lifted her head off of the mattress and smirked.

My first thought was that I wasn’t going to like her answer, but there was still a part of me that hoped maybe she’d admit her feelings for me. But the chances were slim, and I knew that.

After all, I’d kind of broken into her home and tortured her family. Definitely not going to help with crush points, I told myself.

She closed her eyes and took and took a deep breath before answering. “Well then, how would you describe us? You went from trying to kill me to being my partner in battle. I’m not exactly sure how to label a relationship as such.”

“I guess partners works,” I said, grinning. “For now.”

I expected her to argue with me, but she didn’t. She actually seemed to relax. “You are quite the mystery, you know. I’m trying to figure you out, but you make it nearly impossible to get inside of your head.”

“I have my reason,” I said, shrugging. I’d learned to distance myself from others, having been burned before. I’d never truly let anyone get close enough to get inside of my head because then they’d be capable of tearing me down, and well, I preferred to have the upper hand. “When I’m ready to open myself up, you’ll know.”

She moved to sit up and crawled towards the top of the bed. I reached forward, entwining my fingers with hers, and pulled her into my lap easily. We didn’t speak, neither of us willing, or able, to start conversation, fearing that we’d ruin this moment; that I’d ruin this moment.

She had no reason to trust me after what I’d down to her family. In fact, she had every reason to kill me. But, somehow, she’d seen past what I’d done to her, and welcomed the chance to get to know me outside of Lucas’ control.

“Thank you”, I wanted to tell her, but just as I went to speak, an intercom came on over the room, destroying my chance. ” Ahora’s voice tore through the room, “You are both to meet me in the hallway within the next five minutes for the remainder of today’s training.”

Autumn moved to look up at me once her voice faded away, her eyes full of wonder and intrigue. As I sat there staring at her, at those blue eyes that had the power to make my heart pound against my chest, I could feel my lips twitching into a wide grin.

“Time to go,” she sighed and rolled off of my lap, back onto the mattress. Her eyes moved to the stone ceiling, her body making no move to leave the bed.

“Autumn?” I whispered. “We gotta go.”

“I know, I know,” she agreed, shaking her head. She tossed her feet over the side of the bed and lifted herself off of the mattress. “Let’s get this over with.”

She jogged towards the door as I ran up behind her. We stood beside each other, waiting for the door to open.

I wasn’t ready to give up my alone time with Autumn, even though I knew it was selfish on my part. People were dying, and she was the only person capable of stopping Lucas, I knew that, but the unknown terrified me. We didn’t know what awaited us once we faced him. There was no promise that we’d all return in the end.

All we had was here and now, and right now, all I wanted was to spend my time with Autumn, getting to know the girl beneath the tough exterior.

I tried to think of what my friends from back home would say – friends that I’d never see again now that Lunica City was my home. They’d probably tease me for allowing some girl to overtake my thoughts.

And really, as ridiculous as it seemed, how I’d allowed this girl to work her way into my mind, I didn’t regret it. Because, if I were to die out there, at least I’d have had the chance to know her.

Standing outside of the recovery room were Ahora and Ramona.

When Ramona noticed Autumn, she sent her a chilling glare before turning to walk down the hallway. I shot Ahora a look and she just shrugged, moving in line behind Ramona.

When neither Autumn or I moved, she turned to call out, “You’re supposed to follow us.”

We followed behind them, unsure of where they were taking us. Ramona’s presence seemed to indicate that we were headed to the training arena, which motivated me to move faster.

I needed to take out my frustration somewhere.

Noticing how sluggish Autumn was moving, I leaned down and pressed my lips to her ear. “Walk faster.”

Her body shook as I pulled away, her cheeks reddening.

Grinning with satisfaction, I glanced up, noting Ramona’s cold eyes focusing on Autumn.

Autumn must’ve noticed too because she’d begun to pick up speed, nearly forcing tripping as she did so.

We continued down the empty hall, only the sound of our footsteps filling the air until we reached a door near the end. Ramona stopped, causing the rest of us to practically fall on top of one another.

“I uh, I’m sorry,” Autumn apologized to Ahora profusely, blush creeping into her cheeks.

I let out a rambunctious laugh and placed my hand on the small of her back. Her eyes looked me over, silently taking in every inch of my body.

Well, that’s got to be a good sign, I thought, grinning.

And then Ahora coughed, forcing her to look away.

So much for that short moment.

I looked back at Ramona, watching as she entered a code into a keypad beside the door. As she door opened, she made no move to wait for the rest of us, instead moving inside of the doorway. “Right this way,” she called, never bothering to look at us as she spoke.

The room was nothing like I had remembered it to be.

At some point, Ramona had managed to turn it into some sort of battle arena. “Oh, my,” Autumn gasped.

The walls were lined with energy stations, something that should’ve terrified me, but actually excited me.

Energy stations meant serious training, which was exactly what we were in need of.

The room was full of battle platforms. “What are these for?” Autumn arched a brow as she took in the platforms.

Ramona stepped forward and waved her hands out in front of her, choosing to show Autumn what the platforms were for, instead of taking the time to explain.

The room underwent another transformation – this time turning into a replica of Lunica City. Autumn seemed bewildered. “How did you… is this even possible?”

Ahora let out a laugh. “I’ll be back in two hours to retrieve both of you. Try not to get hurt.”

“I have a feeling I’ll be walking out of here in a body cast,” Autumn gulped.

I moved beside her, eager to ease her worries, “Autumn, you will do just fine,” I said, careful to keep my voice calm. “I am pretty sure that they need you to stay alive. But me, I’m disposable,” I teased, trying to lighten the mood.

Ramona clapped her hands, eager to reclaim our attention. “Let’s get started!” Her lips twitched into a smile. “What you’re looking at is Lunica City under the control of Lucas. Some things may appear differently than how you remember them to be.”

I hadn’t spent much time within the city, but even I was horrified at what was in front of me. A red sky highlighted the flame engulfed city. Torched bodies lay all over the streets. There was hardly anything left.

I could see the horror on Autumn’s face as she took it all in.

I wished that I could ease her pain, but I couldn’t fix this. No matter how hard I tried.

“Autumn, you’re going to need to focus,” Ramona said, moving in front of her. She moved her hands to Autumn’s face, pulling her attention back to her. “You’re not the only one hurting because of him.”

Almost instantly, something snapped inside of her. “What do we need to know?” She asked, her voice full of determination.

Ramona turned to walk back to her platform. I moved to follow, but Autumn stopped me, her fingers digging into my shirt. I arched a brow at her in surprise. “Please,” she pleaded. “Let me go first.”

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” I countered. I looked up at Ramona, who stood on a nearby platform with her hands on her hips, and her foot tapping, clearly lacking any sort of patience. “You should watch me first, this way you’ll know what to expect.”

I couldn’t stand the idea of something happening to her.

She hadn’t been trained for this, and well, I knew for a fact that Ramona wouldn’t go easy on her. I hadn’t been around her long, but I was quickly gathering that she enjoyed fighting. Maybe a bit too much.

Autumn stood on her tip-toes and gently pressed her lips to mine, shocking the hell out of me. “I’ll be fine. Besides, this is my fight.”

I let out a frustrated sigh and relaxed my eyebrows. “Go ahead then.”

Autumn took a moment to collect herself before running over to the platform directly across from Ramona. “Ready?” She called out, grinning. Autumn nodded. Before she could respond, Ramona sent out her first attack. A disc soared through the air, headed straight for Autumn. “Where did you-?”

She seemed unsure of what to do, and I was honestly considering stopping the disc for her, worried that this wasn’t going to end well. But to my surprise, she’d managed to send out two fire balls, scorching the disc in midair.

“Nice one!” I smiled widely.

“Yes, but let’s see how you do on this one,” Ramona snapped.

She crossed her arms over her chest and closed her eyes. Her lips moved rapidly as she recited some sort of spell.

Oh, crap, I thought as I realized what she was doing.

A large two-headed beast erupted from the floor, towering over both Autumn and Ramona. “Fire won’t destroy it. What are you going to do now?” Ramona asked, satisfied with herself, truly believing that she’d stumped Autumn.

For a second, I saw a flicker of panic in Autumn’s eyes as she took in the full size of the beast, but then a sense of calm seemed to overcome her as she focused on the beast, trying to think of a way to destroy it. She looked behind her, her eyes locking on a silver rod. “Perfect,” she said.

I wasn’t entirely sure what she’d had planned, but I was glad that she’d at least thought of something because the thing was beginning to move in closer.

She closed her eyes and placed her open palms out in front of her. I watched as the silver rod floated through the air, landing gently in her palms. The beat let out a terrifying groan as it neared Autumn, forcing her to open her eyes.

Move faster, I thought.

She took hold of the rod and whispered a spell. It traveled through the air, moving towards the beast, plunging deep inside of its heart. It’s body fell backwards just as it let out a loud cry, it’s remains turning into nothing more than a pile of ash.

“Impressive.” Ramona waved her hands out in front of her. The arena began to transform back into its normal state, all images of Lunica City vanishing instantly.

“Hey! What about me? I thought we were both here for training.” I ran over to Ramona. “She’s going to need help. You can’t expect her to do this on her own!”

“Relax.” She sighed. “Your training will be later on. For now though, I’m sending the two of you to practice your spells. Magic is useless if you don’t know how use it properly.”

I let out a soft sigh, and nodded my head in agreement, trying my best to hide my frustration. Autumn walked over to me and nudged me in my side. “Someone’s in a bad mood, huh?” She joked.

I leaned in and poked her in her side before wrapping my arms around her. “As long as you’re around, I don’t think it’s possible for me to ever be in a bad mood.”

And that was the truth.

The girl did something to me.

“In that case, I suppose my plan to ignore you won’t work too well.”

“I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.”

Ramona appeared beside us. “Ready?” She asked. “The study is adjoined to the arena.” She took off in front of us, walking over to the white wall, and pressed one of the panels in. The panel transitioned into a red door. “Come on now.”

We jogged over to where she was standing.

“You’ll have an hour here by yourselves to practice. I’d suggest that you use your time wisely.” She turned the brass handle, revealing a dim study full of books. Autumn stepped inside while I stayed close behind her. Autumn’s mouth dropped open in amazement as she took in the amount of books lining the room.

Before leaving, Ramona turned to look at me. “Oh, and Ian, you’ll have a battle session with me afterwards.”

About time, I thought.

I grinned, forcing Ramona to laugh as she made her way back into the arena, closing the door behind her.

Autumn grabbed a random book from the shelf, Book of Enchantment, and took a seat at one of the two desks, settling in to read my book. I reached towards the nearest shelf and pulled down a book on Ubiera’s history.

I moved onto the desk beside her, my eyes focusing on her instead of the text in front of me. “You kissed me,” I blurted. She looked over at me curiously. “Last I checked that isn’t something friends do. Kissing is a bit more intimate, don’t you think?”

Autumn sat in silence, seeming to mull over my words.

I thought that trying to talk to her about this was the right thing to do, but I was suddenly beginning to rethink that. She’d been silence for far too long.

Way to go, hotshot.

“Okay, so you’re right,” she finally answered, turning her attention back to her book.

“So, what is this then?” I leaned forward, inching closer to me. I placed his book on the table beside her and waited for her to respond. She looked up at me and leaned back on the desk, crossing my arms. I remained quiet. “Well,” she said, trying to edge me on.

I grinned and leaned in, pressing my lips gently against her. I lifted my hands to the sides of her face and moved in even closer, doing my best to eliminate any space between us.

Her hands wrapped around my neck, and she scooted closer to the edge of the edge.

I knew that this was the last thing that we should be doing, given what was taking place around us, but it felt right. Her body underneath mine, her lips pressed against mine, the feel of her beating heart against my chest – I’d never wanted anything more than I did in this moment. I craved her. Every inch of her.

I parted my lips over hers, slipping my tongue between her lips, deepening the kiss. I ran my fingers through her curls, not wanting this moment to end.

Almost as if remembering why we were there, Autumn suddenly pulled away, brushing her fingers over her lips.

I didn’t move, unsure of how to react.

“We should get back to studying. Ramona will probably be back soon,” she said.

I reached for my book and moved back into the desk next to hers, losing myself in the text. I was doing my best to ignore her when she reached for my hand. Her fingers wrapped around mine tightly as our energies connected.

I closed my eyes, loosing myself in her thoughts.

Maybe this wasn’t how I expected things to go, but I wasn’t ready to give this up. I squeezed onto her hand harder, not wanting to cut the connection to her thoughts.

If this was all that she could give me right now, then I would hold onto it as tightly as possible.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas (for those of you who celebrate it)! :)

<3 Nicole

Saturday Update!

This is going to be short since I'm at work, but I figured I'd update you guys on what is going on. I'll leave out Allegiance updates, as I talked about those yesterday.

A Program 13 Promo Giveaway: As of November 1st, Program 13 will return to $2.99 on Amazon. Until then, it is available for $0.99. So, I've decided to host a bit of a giveaway. If you help me spread the word over these next few days (through tweets, Facebook posts, etc), I'll give you a signed paperback copy of either Program 13 or Capture (your choice), as well as a $10 Amazon giftcard. How do you enter? Send me an e-mail by the 2nd with your links (tweets, FB posts, Goodreads status updates, blog posts, etc), and include your mailing address (must be within the US). I'll randomly pick a winner by November 5th.

And because I've been failing at promoting Capture: If you post your review on Amazon (good or bad), send me an e-mail (NicoleWritesYA[at]gmail[dot]com). I'll randomly pick one reviewer to win an eBook copy of Abbi Glines' latest book, Just for Now. You have until November 10th to do so.

I have a few short stories available on Smashwords for free: Rare Talents, The Yearning, and Program 12 (which is also free on Amazon). The Yearning is a prequel to a book I'm outlining, but Rare Talents is a one-shot piece. Feel free to download them. If you like them, or even if you hate them, I'd appreciate it if you left reviews on Amazon. :)

NaNoWriMo begins on the 1st, so my posts are going to be sporadic. I do have a few upcoming reviews: Passion and Pain (Nov. 2nd), Elixir (Nov. 1st), The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer, and The Super Spies and the High School Bomber (Super Spies #2) (reviews will be up by the 5th). Other than that, if I'm not around, sorry! I'll be in my writing cave knocking out Collide.

Fun bits of information: Capture was my 2010 NaNo novel; Program 13 was written immediately following Capture. So my goal this year is to knock out Collide, and then the first half of Deprogrammed.

And just because, here is a teaser from Submerged:

You suck, I mouthed to Glate. He reached forward and took a hold of my hand and pulled me to my feet. “It’s okay,” he whispered, brushing my hair behind my ear. “We both know you’re secretly in love with me.”

<3 Nicole

Quick Update.

Capture will be available for purchase starting on Wednesday, August 22nd. The paperback, however, will not be available until the following week. When I lost my file, I had to reconstruct it after I converted the PDF using Adobe X. I ended up losing the formatting for the paperback, so I kind of have to redo all of that.

If you read an older version of Capture, I should probably state that there were a ton of scenes added in. There were also more kissing scenes added in. When I said that Program 13 and Capture were totally different? I meant it. ;)

Because I'm in a sharing mood, here is a random snippet from Capture:

“So, what is this then?” He leaned forward, inching closer to me. He placed his book on the table beside him and waited for me to respond. I looked up at him, leaning back on the desk, and crossed my arms, ready to hear what he had to say. Ian remained quiet. “Well…”

Before I could argue, Ian leaned in and pressed his lips gently against mine. He lifted his hands to the sides of my face and moved in closer. No. No. No. I felt as though the room was spinning. Every argument. Every question. Every fear. It was all gone, replaced by the satisfaction his kiss. I could feel his lips part over mine, the rush of cool breath escaping between my lips.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, eager to erase the space between us. Ian took that as his cue to deepen the kiss. His lips moved against mine as he ran his fingers through my hair. He pulled me to the edge of the desk, pressing his body against mine.

What the heck was I doing?

Remembering what we were there for, I pulled away, brushing my hand against my lips. Ian didn’t move. He sat still, waiting for me to say something. “We should get back to studying. Ramona will probably be back soon.”

I couldn’t tell him what I truly felt. I couldn’t afford to lower my guard now, not when I had a job to complete. Ian retrieved his book and proceeded to study, completely ignoring me. Damnit. Afraid I’d hurt his feelings, I reached for his hand and closed my eyes. If I couldn’t say how I felt, the least I could do was show him how I felt. Even if I knew that I was going to regret it. Ian squeezed my hand harder, as if trying to hold onto my thoughts. It was enough for him. It was enough for now.

I'll return to a somewhat normal posting schedule next week.
Right now, I'm in Submerged land. I've been editing as I've been writing, but I still have a ways to go before I am able to query this novel. I'm also working on the dreaded query letter and the synopsis, so soon enough I'll actually be able to tell all of you what the story is about.

After I finish Submerged, there's a short story I plan on finishing for a SHP anthology call, and then I'm going to dive into a New Adult Contemporary novel that I've been eager to write for some time now. I figure before I dive back into cyborgs, I could use a little time writing about normal people.

Don't forget to enter my current giveaway if you have yet to do so.

Oh, and be on the lookout for other Program 13 giveaways, as I've donated a few copies to other blogs. If you can't wait, you can purchase the eBook for $0.99 - the price will return to $2.99 at the end of the week!

The rest of my 2012 release schedule:

• Updated version of We Are All Strangers - October 2012
• Is Love: Volume 1 (YA novelette) - December 2012
• Allegiance (The Emile Reed Chronicles, 1.5) - December 2012
• Untitled NA Contemporary Novel - December 2012

The cover reveal for Allegiance is scheduled for the 27th. It's super pretty and I can't wait to reveal it. :)
<3 Nicole

P.S. The Yearning is free right now on Amazon, for those interested. Or not. It's back at $0.99 (thanks, Amazon, for making me look bad. Geez.)

Releasing Next Week: "Capture"

Starting next week, the blog will be quiet as I'll be working on "Submerged" edits. Today, I have the first two chapters of "Capture" for you, and over the weekend, I'll have two reviews for you: Stained (on Saturday) and Wool (on Sunday).

Capture - Sample Chapters - Sobon, Nicole

I'm scheduling a release post for "Capture" that'll go live on Wednesday, but if you don't hear from me for the next week, at least you'll know why. I need to clean up "Submerged" a bit more before I begin querying next month, so I need to take some time out to focus on that.

<3 Nicole

"Program 13" Available.

This was the original post from this morning:

ARCs for Program 13 have started making their way out. I'm a bit scared to see what readers think, as this book is different from what they are probably used to, but I'm happy to finally send Emile's story back out into the world.

Now, before Deprogrammed comes out next year, there will be a short story released. The plan was to write this next short in Emile's point-of-view, but seeing as the series is told in her point-of-view, I thought it'd be best to bridge both Program 13 and Deprogrammed by telling the next short through Alexis' point-of-view. She is in Program 13 very briefly, but she is an important character throughout the series.

I'll reveal both the title and the cover for Alexis' story in September.

This is the lineup for the series, for those who are curious:

• Program 12 (The Emile Reed Chronicles, #0.5)
• Program 13 (The Emile Reed Chronicles, #1)
• Alexis' Story [title to be announced] (The Emile Reed Chronicles, #1.5)
• Deprogrammed (The Emile Reed Chronicles, #2)
• Untitled Short Story [title to be announced] (The Emile Reed Chronicles, #2.5)
• Rebooted (The Emile Reed Chronicles, #3)
• Colton's Story [title to be announced] (The Emile Reed Chronicles, #3.5)

Paperback ARCs will go out tomorrow!
If you're a YA book blogger and you would like a review copy of Program 13 (I only have eBooks available right now, I'm out of print ARCs) send an e-mail to NicoleWritesYA[at]gmail[dot]com with the following information:

• Your blog name
• Your blog URL
• Total Followers and/or blog hits (weekly)

I'll have an update on Capture this weekend. I might have found a way to restore my document. *fingers crossed*


And then, while working on Submeregd, I decided to go again and hit publish:
The file has been ready for a few days now, there was really no reason to hold it until Monday. So, Program 13 is now available...or will be shortly. Purchase links: Amazon -- Smashwords -- Barnes & Noble

The paperback should be live within 2-3 days. I'm waiting on CS to approve the updated file I submitted. Once I hit "approve", it'll post on Amazon within a day or two. For those curious: the paperback will be $10.99. I wanted to price it lower, but if I did, I wouldn't be able to make any sort of profit. Sorry, guys!

I might have found a way to convert the PDF file I saved for Capture (thankfully) into a Word document. If the program works, it'll probably be available sooner than August 27th. I was nearly finished with it before my document decided it hated me. Hopefully, I'll be able to announce an early release for that title soon! I think you guys are going to like Autumn. :)

I'll end this with a teaser line from Submerged, since I'm in the middle of editing that manuscript:

"Oh, how I wanted to punch him. If it weren’t for the cuffs, my fist would have been well acquainted with his jaw by now. Stupid General."

Updates.

Just a few updates:

I've been working on Submerged edits. I'm at the 20k mark right now (around page fifty), and I'm realizing how much of a jerk I am to my characters. But I'm extremely happy with how the story is coming along. I think that, once I'm totally finished with these edits, it may actually stand a chance at finding a home. It's a lot different than my other projects. Yes, all three of my novels focus on family, but Submerged is more of a character growth story (not to say that Autumn and Emile don't grow in their stories). Taylen is a sassy, independent teenager who doesn't seem to comprehend that her actions affect those around her until it is too late. Everything that she goes through in this story forces her to grow as a character, and if you [for some strange reason] don't like her in the beginning, you'll love her by the end.

I'm working on another novel (Collapse), too. It wasn't a planned project. At all. But I needed a break from cyborgs (Program 13) and Florida (Submerged). I don't have many details to share on this project, as it is nowhere near being complete, but I'm hoping I'll have a clean draft to query by January/February. The most I can say is that it may or may not involve superpowers.

I've already formatted the paperback for Program 13, so once I receive the edits back from the editor, I'm ready to go. I plan on doing two or three rereads after I complete the edits, just to double check for typos and/or grammar issues. I don't want to publish crap, so I'm going to do my best to make sure it is as clean as I can get it. Same goes for Capture. I've been editing the heck out of the manuscript for the past month or two. Fun bit of information: both paperbacks are a little over three hundred pages.

Reviews for next week: Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout and  Semi-Charmed Life by Nora Zelevansky (which I'm reading right now). By now, I'm sure you know that I loved Onyx - Jennifer does no wrong. But I've been pretty quiet about Semi-Charmed Life. Honestly, I wasn't sure to expect from this one, but it is an incredibly fun read. It's full of wit, and I love wit.

Decision Made on "Capture".

After much consideration, I have decided to re-publish "Capture" in August 2012. I don't have a set date yet, but I'm set on August (although that may change). I will be hiring an editor this go-round.

I know people seemed to like the cover with the girl on the front, but as there are limitations on how many copies I can sell with that image (due to licensing), I've decided to go with my original cover. Some people may hate it, but I think it fits the story better.

As for "Release", the one and only sequel to "Capture", I'm thinking of a January 2013 release date. That may sound crazy, but if I knock out the draft in a month (probably around August), I'll be able to have a polished manuscript by then. Again, that time-frame can change - nothing is set in stone.

I will be taking blogger eARC requests in July, and I will be looking into scheduling a blog tour around September.

This book is my baby. I say that is the first novel I've ever written. That isn't true, "Crave" actually is (and no, that novel will not be seeing the light of day...ever). But I like to block out "Crave", and pretend that book never happened. ;)

So yeah, there's that.

I'm still awaiting a few responses concerning "Program 13". If things don't work out, I will probably look into self publishing that as well. Most likely around the same time as "Capture". I will be diving back into "Deprogrammed" (P13 Book Two) in June. That book will take priority over "Release". Like "Capture", if I self publish this title, I will be hiring an editor.

Late Teaser: "Capture"

It's almost Wednesday, so this is actually super late. The scene below takes place about halfway through "Capture". I haven't really posted any scenes with Holly on here. She is a fun character, and I loved writing her. She may not be the gun toting, knife wielding, clumsy character that Autumn is, but she is awesome in her own right. She kind of reminds me of Penelope Garcia (a character on Criminal Minds). That's probably the best way to describe her.

Anyway, here is the teaser I owe you guys:

“Autumn,” Holly fell to her knees so that we were eye to eye. “Trust me on this, please.”

“Why?” I clenched my hands into fists. “Why should I trust you, when I can see what the others are thinking? Most of them aren’t expecting me to come back from this, Holly. They’re already convinced I’m going to die, and you know what? They are probably right.”

Holly reached up to brush my cheek. “Don’t.”

I plan to start on "Release" around July/August, as I should have "End It On This" and "Submerged" completed by then...and maybe even "Running Scared". We'll see. But 2012 is my writing year. :)

"Capture" Excerpt

Here is a random excerpt from "Capture":

Before I could argue, Ian leaned in and pressed his lips gently against mine. He lifted his hands to the sides of my face, pulling me closer to him. No. No. No. I felt as though the room was spinning. Every argument. Every question. Every fear. It was all gone, replaced by the satisfaction of this moment. I could feel his lips part over mine, the rush of cool breathe escaping between my lips.

Remembering what we were here for, I pulled away, brushing my hand against my lips. Ian didn’t move. He sat still, waiting for me to say something. “We should get back to studying. Ramona will probably be back soon.”

I couldn’t tell him what I truly felt. I couldn’t afford to lower my guard now, not when I had a job to complete. Ian retrieved his book and proceeded to study, completely ignoring me. Crap. Afraid I’d hurt his feelings, I reached for his hand and closed my eyes. If I couldn’t say how I felt, the least I could do was show him how I felt. Even if I knew that I was going to regret it. Ian squeezed my hand harder, as if trying to hold onto my thoughts. It was enough for him. It was enough for now.

Late Teaser Monday: "Capture" and "Submerged"

Today is Tuesday. Not Monday. The things you learn. :P

Anyway, here is a "Capture" teaser:

“You know, it’s not normal to talk to yourself.” Ian called out.

“You can be rather annoying, you know that?” he laughed, falling off the crate. “That’s what you get, jerkface.”

I returned my attention to the map, watching the groups of guards closely. I counted each group as my eyes scanned over the city. The guards traveled in groups of five. “Well, that doesn’t make sense.”

“What doesn’t make sense?” Ian jogged up behind me. “What’d you find?”

“Look,” I pointed out various groups of Lucas’ men. “There are only five guards per group. When have you known Lucas to send out such small groups of guards?” It just didn’t make sense. Why would he lower his groups now? Was he scrambling to come up with some sort of backup plan? “There has to be a reason he’s spread his army this thin. We’re missing something. Something big.”

Second "Capture" teaser:

“There’s an army of guard’s out there. Please don’t tell me you’re expecting to take them on yourself.”

“Well then, I won’t tell you.” I could feel the corners of my lips rising in a smile.

“You really are stubborn.” Liam shook his head.

“I’ve been hearing that a lot lately.”

With my Blaster in hand, I moved from behind the rubble. I crept out closer towards the guards, more than ready for whatever they had planned. “There’s no escaping now, Autumn.” Holly cried out over the earpiece. “You should have just stayed behind!”

“I’ve got this, Hol. Don’t worry.”

“I know you do,” the Official’s voice caught me off guard. “Just stay focused, child.” 

Special teaser from "Submerged" (this will be the FINAL teaser for this book until it is completed):

The crowd erupted in applause. “Troum, our savior!”
I stood there silently, my gaze drifting to Lex.
You can do this, he mouthed.
I don’t have a choice.
With no other choice, I joined in with the others. The anger rang through my body. I wanted to lash out at Troum, to make him pay for everything. To make him pay for ruining our lives. But I couldn’t. Not until I retrieved my sister. I threw my arms above my head, pumping my fists in the air with fury. I fought to force a smile on my face. Troum’s eyes were fixed on me, waiting for the slightest slip up. But there was no way I was going to allow myself to fail. Not now. I was capable of being selfless when I needed to be, even if my actions usually proved otherwise.

Book Trailer: Capture

No actual blog, just a trailer and a short story for you.

And two new short stories (written specifically for two contests on InkPop): Broken and Invisible.
Note: Invisible is a PDF download. The link for Broken will bring you to the story on Figment.

Back to my writing cave. For real.

Synopsis Time.

Here are the synopses for Program 13 and Capture, hopefully they'll answer any, and all, questions you may have concerning both novels. Also, I think the synopsis for Program 13 will help you all to better understand the Emile/Thirteen relationship (as the short synopsis doesn't really do a great job of explaining things):

One page synopsis for "Capture":

Life can change in an instant.
While on her way to Bryn’s house as part of her magic training, Autumn comes upon a strange man standing in front of the Command Center. In a place like Lunica City, where everyone knows everybody, his presence frightens the residents. Autumn standby’s motionless, watching as he breaks the one and only rule that Lunica City has: never use your magic to harm another being.

Desperate to keep the morning’s tragedy under wraps, Commander Willow Ford issues a memory cleanse on every witness - effective immediately. Because if word spreads that fifteen residents have been murdered, all hell will break lose, and the Commander cannot allow that to happen.

Leading the surviving bystanders beneath the Commander Center, the Commander sends them off into a room, one-by-one, where Official Agnes will perform the memory cleanse on each person.

When it’s Autumn’s turn, she begins to panic, worrying that the Official will harm her – after all, she’s known to be violent. But when the cleanse is finished, and Autumn is on her way, the Official tells her that Lucas will be back. And he’ll be back soon.

The word’s don’t make sense to Autumn. She can’t even remember why she’s in the Command Center, or why she’s with Official Agnes. But she knows that there’s an urgency in the Official’s words, although she isn’t sure as to why.

But it’s something important, something she needs to remember.

Because soon enough, Lucas will return in search of her.

When everything you know is a lie, what do you choose to believe in?
When Bryn disappears without a trace, and the Official seems to be keeping a close eye on Autumn’s whereabouts, she begins to question what’s going on.

Desperate for answers, she pays a visit to Adley Baxter, the one person she knows can give her answers. But when Adley tells Autumn that the city will soon fall at the hands of Lucas, and that she is the only one capable of stopping him – everything changes.

The klutzy, eighteen year old, who has yet to learn to control her magic, will now need to find a way to save a city from its demise. But it won’t be easy.

She’ll have to watch her mother die.

She’ll have to keep from losing her heart to the enemy.

And she’ll need to accept who, and what, she is.

But the hardest part will be finding the strength to take down Lucas.

Her brother.

Because if she can’t defeat him, the city will fall and she’ll lose everyone that she loves.

That is, if he doesn’t kill her first.

One page synopsis for "Program 13":

Emile’s life was almost perfect, as close to perfect as it could be for any teenager. She had a loving family, a great boyfriend, and the future in front of her. But it was all taken away when a car struck her down in an alleyway. Emile’s parents were told her death was an accident, and that it was best if they didn’t mention it to anyone. But her death was far from an accident.

Her death was only the beginning. Emile Reed is dead. Her body has been signed over to Vesta Corp, where her parents believe it is being used for science. If only they knew…

Everything Emile was. Everything she knew. It’s been erased, stored on a back-up hard drive, never to see the light of day. Her body has been rewired, made up of computer parts, and what’s left of Emile’s battered body. Having been turned into a Program, Thirteen isn’t aware of the life she’s lost, or that she’d been murdered by the very man responsible for her being. All she knows is that she is the first teenage Program created by Charles McVeigh. And that he has plans for her.

But his plans are cut short when Hayden, Emile’s brother, takes a job at Vesta Corp with every intention of giving his sister back the life that was stolen from her. Through her daily hard drive evaluations, Hayden slowly begins to reinstate Emile’s life on Thirteen’s programming. But when he runs out of time, his only option is to get Thirteen to safety.

With the help of Tina, a white coat at Vesta Corp, Hayden manages to sneak Thirteen out of the building and to a nearby house where he finishes the remaining hard drive evaluations. But there is no time to celebrate, because McVeigh will be sending his men after Thirteen and Hayden knows it.

Eager to get her as far away from Vesta Corp as possible, Hayden sends Emile off to a nearby residence, insisting its best this way. Because if they stay together, not only will McVeigh come for Emile, but he’ll also take her family captive.

On her way to the nearby residence, Emile nearly runs down a young boy she finds standing in the middle of the road. Struggling to adjust to life after McVeigh, Colton and Emile form a connection. But there’s a problem, he’s a human, and humans aren’t particularly fond of Program’s.

And Thirteen’s programming is beginning to find its way back in.

Program Thirteen is still very much alive. And Emile will need to find a way to fend her off if she has any chance of saving those that she cares about from McVeigh’s wrath.

No one is safe.