Suzanne Lazear's Blog

Launch the cupcake cannons, today is the release day for book two of THE SECRET LIVES OF ROCKSTARS. 

Saving the world, one tour stop at a time.

Join Bitsy in the second installment of her attempts to stop a magical war threatening Arizona and all those who call it home. With the help of a human, a sexy dragon, and the members of her band, Bitsy must stop an angry mob of chaos demons before the band leaves for their next tour stop.

It’s nice to be needed, but Bitsy has no idea how to defeat the demons and she just might get herself killed trying. But then, at least one problem would be solved...

Fitting in doesn’t matter if you’re dead.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guess what went down to $0.99? The e-book of book one of The Secret Lives of Rockstars! It'll only be this price for a couple of days so if you haven't read it, you'll want to grab it while it's on sale, since book 2
releases on Monday! If you pre-ordered book 2, don't forget to get in your receipt!

Part 2 of THE SECRET LIVES OF ROCKSTARS releases 11-13-17! This is the second part of the adventures of Bitsy, Jules, Eric, Phil and company as they try to save the world before the next tour stop. 

The e-book for Part Two is up for pre-order now!  If you're looking for paper copies, the box set of both parts 1 & 2 should be available in spring. 

If you haven't read Part One yet, it's only $1.99. Book Two literally starts where Book One stops, so you'll be all set. 

PRE-ORDER SPECIAL

I have a limited number of THE SECRET LIVES OF ROCKSTARS bookmarks that I had made for Westercon (since it took place in Tempe, over 4th of July weekend, just like the story.)

If you would like one, send me your receipt for the e-book of BOOK 2 (or a screenshot), to suzannelazear @ yahoo, subject PRE-ORDER. Make sure you take out those personal details. However, make sure you include a snail mail address so I can send you one.

Books must be bought before 11/13/17 to be eligible, emails must be sent to me by 11/15/17. Not responsible for misdirected mail. If you're under 18, please make sure you have your parent's okay.

(Yes, I'll have a fun pre-order for the paperbacks if you're holding out for them.)

Book 2 of THE SECRET LIVES OF ROCKSTARS is now on Goodreads. Don't you want to add it?

Also, here's the cover! Yeah, it's the same as book one, except it says book two, but then it is half a book. If you've yet to read book one, now would be a really good time to do so, since part two might not make much sense without it given it picks up right where book one left off. (It's only $1.99.)

Join me on Saturday, September 23 for an awesome workshop followed by a great panel with some terrific authors! You don't have to attend both. It's free! There are other things going on that day, too. Also, if you're nowhere near me, please check your local B&N to see what they are up to that day.

It's summer, which means time to get ready for fall submissions. For the month of August manuscript submission packages are only $45. 

I will read and line-edit your query, synopsis (up to eight pages double spaced), and (up to) your first three chapters (or 50 pages). I will also give you additional feedback on characters, plot, pacing, pitch ideas, etc, to polish your submission package for querying or contesting. I will also read your query and synopsis a second time for free. There's about a one week turnaround.

I' critique most genres of Adult, MG, and YA. I'm not the best person for your erotica, non-fiction, or picture books.

Limited spots -- email suzannelazear @ yahoo to reserve your spot today. You can book a future spot at the discount rate as long as you reserve your spot by August 31, 2017.

I also critique full manuscripts. Please see my critique services page for details. 

Welcome to New Adult Scavenger Hunt!



I'm Suzanne Lazear, author of the elfpunk THE SECRET LIVES OF ROCKSTARS which is about dragons, demons, rockstars, and mayhem.

This bi-annual event was inspired as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors…and a chance to win some awesome prizes! At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize–one lucky winner will receive one book from each author on the hunt in my team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online until Sunday! Go to the New Adult Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt.

You are hunting on Team Blue.



Collect the lucky book numbers of all the authors on TEAM BLUE and then add them up. Once you’ve added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify; you must submit the completed entry form by Sunday, April 30, 2017 at 12 pm EST.

Now, onto the author I'm hosting!

Kim Briggs

Kim once smashed into a tree while skiing. The accident led to a concussion, a cracked sternum, temporary notoriety as a sixth grader returned from the dead, and the realization that fictionalized accounts are way more interesting than just slipping on the ice.
An unhealthy obsession with conspiracy theories combined with a love of travel and happily ever afters led Kim to write her YA novel, Starr Fall, where a secret organization decides 17 year old Starr Bishop is not only the model student, but the ideal assassin. While in hiding, Starr meets dark, moody, and dead sexy Christian Evergood. Cue the swoon worthy music.
But it’s not all happily ever afters for Kim. Her NA novel, And Then He, explores the dark and scary corners of the human psyche. Following a night of innocent flirting with a handsome stranger, Tiffani finds herself in the midst of a nightmare she can’t escape.
And Then He is available now through Amazon and other major book retailers. Starr Fall, Book One of the Starr Fall series released November 2016 with Inkspell Publishing. Starr Lost, Book Two released January 5, 2017. Her short story, Avalanche, was be part of Valentine Kisses which released February 14, 2017. Starr Gone, Book Three of the Starr Fall series releases June 2017.
 As the Co-Regional Advisor to SCBWI Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter, she meets lots of writer and illustrator friends. Through SCBWI, she met her Ink Sisters. The Ink Sisters destruct plot like ninja warrior poets. They make her laugh, especially when she wants to cry. They're awesome. You should follow them on Twitter: @Alisongmyers  @DonnaBoock
When she’s not doing something writerly, Kim can be found jumping into snow drifts with her three kids, husband, and dog. She’s careful to avoid trees.
Chat with her on Twitter: @KimBriggsWrite
She shares writing love with her INK Sister Alison Green Myers at INK Sisters Write.
Valentine Kisses: A Kiss to Last a Lifetime

Valentine’s Day Kisses…. A set of sweet and smoldering stories by some of Inkspell Publishing’s authors. These award winning and best-selling authors created a holiday anthology you won’t soon forget!
Lola Flannigan by Abigail Drake Seven is not lucky for Lola Flannigan. Although it’s the number of years she’s been in business for herself, running a successful hair salon, it’s also the number of times she's spent Valentine’s Day all alone, getting drunk on cheap wine and expensive chocolate. One more thing. It's the number of times she’s been struck by lightning, and walked away unharmed. She should be dead. She realizes that. And as much as she’s grateful to be alive, she now has a little electrical problem. Her hands have become weapons of mass destruction, capable of shocking anyone she touches with deadly force. Things start to look up the day sexy millionaire Morgan Slade struts into her shop and demands a haircut. Just when Lola thinks life might finally be going her way, everything goes from bad to so much worse. Red-eyed mutants dressed in SWAT gear shoot up her shop, and she has seconds to decide whether to trust Morgan, or if he might be her unluckiest move of all. At least it looks like she won’t be by herself on Valentine’s Day this year.
Hearts Must Be Broken by Bridie Hall Can love forgive murder? When a ghost from her past wants to take revenge on twenty-year-old Anais, the only one she can turn to for help is Damon. But things quickly become complicated because he has feelings for her and she doesn’t want a relationship. Can she learn to trust him and can he forgive her past? Not Today by Lisa Hahn A chance meeting in the park sends Emily and Ezra on an emotional journey neither had been expecting. Emily Scott is mourning the loss of a parent. Ezra Cavanuagh is ready to give up on his dreams of literary success. Will their new connection be enough to help them pull through these trying times?
Avalanche by Kim Briggs Lexi returns to her first love, Wolf Creek Ski Resort, with ambitions of becoming a ski instructor. She soon finds herself in the middle of a longtime feud between Gabe, a snow groomer who gives off the broken vibe Lexi finds irresistible, and Harrison the fourth, playboy son of Wolf Creek’s owner who always wants what Gabe has. Tensions boil at Wolf Creek, and Lexi’s heart might not be the only thing at stake.
Lost & Found by Shilpa Mudiganti Valentine's Day is just around the corner and Aisha, who is still grieving for her ex-boyfriend, John, is in for a surprise. Liam, John's best friend, who has had feelings for her but had to keep his feelings in check is ready to prove his love for her. But is she ready to risk her heart again? Aisha lost the love of her life to fate. And then Liam happened.
What’s Better than a Book Boyfriend by Sarah Vance-Tompkins How can a real man compete with a book boyfriend? Shy librarian Charlie Bishop has spent every Valentine's Day in the company of one of her beloved book boyfriends. Despite his many attempt to gain her attention, Charlie is absolutely certain she has nothing common with hunky construction worker Hank Carter. So how far will Hank have to go to prove to Charlie he's better than any of her book boyfriends?
Special Giveaway
For a chance to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card and a Valentine Kisses Ebook enter here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thank you so much for visiting me. There's a playlist from both THE SECRET LIVES OF ROCKSTARS (Part One) and THE SECRET LIVES OF ROCKSTARS (Part Two). hidden someplace.  My lucky book number is 6.

Please enter my bonus contest!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

All done? Time to move on to Marie Meyer. Don't forget to bring her a cupcake.

Join me tomorrow for the New Adult Scavenger Hunt. I'm on team blue.

It's that time again!

You are hunting on...




I'm Suzanne Lazear, author of the elfpunk THE SECRET LIVES OF ROCKSTARS which is about dragons, demons, rockstars, and mayhem. Part One is out now (and only $1.99). Part two releases this summer. I also write the Aether Chronicles series, which is about steampunk faeries.

Welcome, have a cupcake. You can start the hunt here or you can go to the YA Scavenger Hunt homepage to find out more or if you're stuck. I'm part of the Purple Team but there are four other teams, all with lots of prizes to win.

Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the purple team, and then add them up. Hint: the secret number is highlighted RED. Once you've added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify. Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian's permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by April 9, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

And now on to the author I'm hosting today:


  Madeline Dyer



MADELINE DYER lives on a farm in the southwest of England, where she hangs out with her Shetland ponies and writes young adult books—sometimes, at the same time. She holds a BA Honors degree in English from the University of Exeter, and several presses have published her fiction. Madeline has a strong love for anything dystopian, ghostly, or paranormal, and she can frequently be found exploring wild places. At least one notebook is known to follow her wherever she goes. Her debut novel, Untamed (first published by Prizm Books in 2015), examines a world in which anyone who has negative emotions is hunted down, and a culture where addiction is encouraged. Her second novel, Fragmented, released in September 2016, and will be followed by Divided in July 2017.

Untamed



In a world where addiction is encouraged, one girl must fight to stay clean...
As one of the last Untamed humans left in the world, Seven's life has always been controlled by tight rules. Stay away from the Enhanced. Don't question your leader. And, most importantly, never switch sides--because once you're Enhanced there's no going back. Even if you have become the perfect human being.
But after a disastrous raid on an Enhanced city, Seven soon finds herself in her enemy's power. Realizing it's only a matter of time before she too develops a taste for the chemical augmenters responsible for the erosion of humanity, Seven knows she must act quickly if she's to escape and save her family from the same fate.
Yet, as one of the most powerful Seers that the Untamed and Enhanced have ever known, Seven quickly discovers that she alone holds the key to the survival of only one race. But things aren't clear-cut anymore, and with Seven now questioning the very beliefs she was raised on, she knows she has an important choice to make. One that has two very different outcomes.
Seven must choose wisely whose side she joins, for the War of Humanity is underway, and Death never takes kindly to traitors.
Character Sketches for the Untamed Series
Hi everyone!
So, one of my favorite parts of drafting a new book is getting to know the characters through drawing them. I love art, and doing sketching characters has become an integral part of my planning and drafting stages when working on a new manuscript. And so, for YASH this spring, I thought I’d share with you some of those character drawings…
SEVEN SARR
So, Seven is my main character and the narrator of the Untamed books. She’s a powerful Seer, who in book one has to cope with the disappearance of her mother and her own kidnapping and torturing at the hands of the enemy, the Enhanced Ones. Plus, she also has an addiction to beat.

KATYA SARR


This is Seven’s mother, and she’s one of the strong, powerful women in the series. She’s also one of my favorite characters to write! I absolutely love her, and she’s a firm favourite with fans too, which makes me so happy. Like Seven, she’s a Seer.



RAHN ERIKSEN
So, both Seven and Katya belong to a group of Untamed people (those who can feel negative emotions, and are hunted down by the Enhanced, who want to turn everyone into beings who can only feel positive emotions). And Rahn Eriksen is the leader of this group of Untamed. He’s a complex character (and one of my favorites). And he’s also rather prejudiced toward Katya and Seven, both of whom are Seers, as he blames Katya for the deaths of his brother and sister-in-law as she failed to foresee the conversion attack that killed them.
Seven also has a thing for Rahn’s nephew, Corin!


ELF
Elf is one of my favorite characters too! He’s only in book one at the beginning, but he’s mentioned a lot in the later books—and he’s got an integral part in A DANGEROUS GAME, the standalone novel that’s set in the Untamed world, releasing November 28th 2017. So, I can’t say a lot about him now…

ELWOOD MANNING
Manning. Manning. Manning.  Where to start? He too is an Untamed human, first introduced in book two of the Untamed Series, FRAGMENTED. He’s the leader of the Zharat tribe (one of the last surviving large tribes of Untamed). And he’s quite a dangerous man….

TARAS
So, readers haven’t actually met Taras yet, as he first appears in book three, DIVIDED, which releases July 11th. But Taras becomes a powerful allie to Seven as she fights the leader of the Enhanced Ones, and he’s also in book four (releasing in Spring 2018).
Like Seven and Katya, Taras is also a Seer.


SORAYA
Soraya first appears in book two, and she’s part of the Zharat tribe, led by Manning. She becomes a good friend for Seven, which is just what our main character needs as it becomes clear that the Zharat people are not at all what they seem…

And that’s all of my character sketches!
I often find that I can’t draw some of the characters at all—I have a solid idea of what they look like in my head, but I just can’t get that down onto paper. Corin (Seven’s love interest) is one of them, as is Jed (a main character of FRAGMENTED), and Raleigh (the leader of the Enhanced Ones).


Thank you so much for visiting me. There's a deleted scene from THE SECRET LIVES OF ROCKSTARS hidden someplace.

Please enter my bonus contest where I have some favorite things of my MC, Bitsy, up for grabs. A mini top hat, glitter lip gloss and makeup, fake eyelashes, glitter nail polish (in rockstar pink), and a handmade stocking shaped like a boot.




a Rafflecopter giveaway


All done? Time to move on to Nicole Conway.  Don't forget to bring her 7 cupcakes.

Do you know that I offer a range of critique services?

For details, including what I do and don't crit, please see the "critique services" tab. There's a limited amount of spots for each type of critique each month, however, you can reserve spots ahead of time. Paypal gladly accepted. Please email me at suzannelazear @ yahoo for details and/or to reserve your spot.

Submission Package $50
I will read and line-edit your query, synopsis (up to eight pages double spaced), and (up to) your first 50 pages. I will also give you additional feedback on characters, plot, pacing, pitch ideas, etc., to polish your submission package for  querying or contesting. (I will also read your query and synopsis a second time for free.) One week turnaround.

Read and Respond
I will read and reply with a full report on your manuscript (or partial). This will include detailed feedback on characters, pacing, plot, what worked and didn't work, what's satisfying to the reader, etc. This will give you a blueprint for edits and help take your manuscript to the next level. Note: These are summary/overview notes and do not include in-line or chapter-by-chapter edits, however, I will reference specific chapters as needed. If there's something specific you need help on or want me to look for I can help you with that, too. Two week turnaround.

Under 40,000 words -- email for rates, since it depends on length
40,000-70,000 words -- $100
71,000-100,000 words --$150
Over 100,000 -- $200+ (email for quote)

Full critiques are available, see the critique services tab for details.