The Blood Angel Series Kickstarter Project was a Success!!!
I want to say a special thank you to the following Kickstarter Project donors for helping to make this series a reality:
Kathryn Dougherty
Harvey Howell
Mom & Dad (I love you both)
Smith Family
Grandma June
Michael Mullin
Arlene
Jamie Young
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WHAT IS THE BLOOD ANGEL SERIES ABOUT?
The Blood Angel series is set in a world very much like our own, yet Atlanta isn’t just an ordinary city and Alee Moyer isn’t just an ordinary girl. Having barely survived her childhood, it will take the death of her father for the truth of her bloodline to come out, even if it means losing her life or her identity. Watch as Alee struggles to understand her true destiny as the first surviving Dhampir in history. Surrounded by a new world ,where the horror films she grew up watching have become her reality, the most unlikely characters have become her lifeline. Follow as Alee discovers herself and her purpose.
Camouflaged by the mundane happenings of a high school existence, Alee would never have guessed what was happening below the surface in, “The Underground”. If she thought hunting in the wild and drinking blood was bad, what will she think when she becomes one of the hunted?
Will Alee be able to survive her destiny, or will it prove to be more powerful than she is?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nina Soden, Author
I have always been creative, be it art, theatre, film – anything but singing…trust me, you don’t want to hear that! I earned my bachelor’s degree in Theatre and Military Science from Eastern Michigan University where I spent most of my time either on stage, rappelling down buildings, or working one of three jobs. After college I moved to Los Angeles like so many other starry-eyed actors in pursuit of fame and fortune in tinseltown. While there, I worked to pay the bills but my love was always acting. I was able to achieve some level of success, mostly in commercials and independent films, and I consider those experiences as some of the best of my life.
After some major life changes, I self-published my first book entitled PRIVATE WORDS UNSPOKEN, a compilation of self poetry. Since then, my literary interest has grown and I would like to think my storytelling ability has improved. I have done everything from office administration, to business development, to being the Director of a private preschool. I have jumped out of a C130 aircraft, fired a M16 machine gun, and given birth – TWICE! But I always return to my art.
Though I’ll forever be a Michigan girl at heart, I now live in the South where I am married with two wonderful children. If I’m not working on my latest story you can find me lounging with a good book, playing with my kids, or indulging in my unhealthy addiction to Starbucks coffee.
To learn more about me and my books you can check out my website, or follow me on one or all of the various internet/social media sites.
I hope that you will take the time to visit my KICKSTARTER project and maybe even donate a little to help me reach my goal. Every dollar counts and for your donation of $5 or more you’ll even receive a special reward directly from me!!! You’ll have to click on the link above to find out the details of all the available rewards.
The Blood Angel series is set in a world very much like our own, yet Atlanta isn’t just an ordinary city and Alee Moyer isn’t just an ordinary girl. Having barely survived her childhood, it will take the death of her father for the truth of her bloodline to come out, even if it means losing her life or her identity. Watch as Alee struggles to understand her true destiny as the first surviving Dhampir in history. Surrounded by a new world ,where the horror films she grew up watching have become her reality, the most unlikely characters have become her lifeline. Follow as Alee discovers herself and her purpose.
Camouflaged by the mundane happenings of a high school existence, Alee would never have guessed what was happening below the surface in, “The Underground”. If she thought hunting in the wild and drinking blood was bad, what will she think when she becomes one of the hunted?
Will Alee be able to survive her destiny, or will it prove to be more powerful than she is?
The Blood Angel Series by Nina Soden
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nina Soden, Author
I have always been creative, be it art, theatre, film – anything but singing…trust me, you don’t want to hear that! I earned my bachelor’s degree in Theatre and Military Science from Eastern Michigan University where I spent most of my time either on stage, rappelling down buildings, or working one of three jobs. After college I moved to Los Angeles like so many other starry-eyed actors in pursuit of fame and fortune in tinseltown. While there, I worked to pay the bills but my love was always acting. I was able to achieve some level of success, mostly in commercials and independent films, and I consider those experiences as some of the best of my life.
After some major life changes, I self-published my first book entitled PRIVATE WORDS UNSPOKEN, a compilation of self poetry. Since then, my literary interest has grown and I would like to think my storytelling ability has improved. I have done everything from office administration, to business development, to being the Director of a private preschool. I have jumped out of a C130 aircraft, fired a M16 machine gun, and given birth – TWICE! But I always return to my art.
Though I’ll forever be a Michigan girl at heart, I now live in the South where I am married with two wonderful children. If I’m not working on my latest story you can find me lounging with a good book, playing with my kids, or indulging in my unhealthy addiction to Starbucks coffee.
To learn more about me and my books you can check out my website, or follow me on one or all of the various internet/social media sites.
Although I have been writing for quite some time, the Kickstarter Project opportunity is very new to me. I am the author of the Blood Angel Series. Book 1: AWAKEN and Book 2: BEGINNINGS, have already been published and are available to the public. However, with the steady increase of positive feedback I have received of late, I realize that my books will need additional editing in order to have a significant impact in the world of Young Adult Supernatural Fiction.
With that in mind, I have put together this Kickstarter Project in order to raise money to do the following:
Professional Editing, formatting, print and re-release of Awaken (book 1 ~ the Blood Angel Series)
Professional Editing, formatting, print and re-release of Beginnings (book 2 ~ the Blood Angel Series)
Professional Editing, formatting, print and release of Revenge (book 3 ~ the Blood Angel Series)
Marketing for the Blood Angel Series
I have found some amazing editors and formatters on elance.com and plan to work closely with them to ensure that my books are properly edited and formatted in order to give my readers the most enjoyable reading experience possible.
HOW WILL THE MONEY BE USED?
Traditionally, published authors receive an advance from a publisher in exchange for the chance to publish their book. Unfortunately, I have not been afforded this luxury – I’m an Indie Author. So, Kickstarter is my advance. It is a way for me to fund my literary project and produce a much higher quality product.
Here is an estimated breakdown of where the money will go:
$1050 for professional editing fees ($350 per book)
$400 for print and e-book formatting
$400 for the first paperback print run
$150 for fees and shipping costs
Any/all excess funding will go towards marketing/promotion of the Blood Angle Series, as well as, investment into the future of the series.
WHAT IF YOU DON’T READ YOUNG ADULT (YA)?
That’s okay!!! Even if you don’t read or even like Young Adult Fiction or the Supernatural Genre, I can guarantee that you know or love someone who does! Every reward level of this project can be given as a gift to someone else. Just pledge the amount for the reward you’d like to gift to a friend, and when the surveys are sent to collect your information you can let me know whether or not it is a gift and who to send it to. I’d even be happy to write a special gift message for you as well.
WHAT TO DO NOW?
So, you’re convinced and want to be a part in making the BLOOD ANGEL SERIES a reality? Awesome! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! All you have to do is click the button that says “BACK THIS PROJECT” at the top right of this page and pledge any amount over $1.00. Then, choose your reward, follow the instructions to pay, and I’ll keep you updated on the project every step of the way!
Even if you can’t pledge today, I would like to personally thank you for stopping by and giving me your time. Please feel free to share this project with your friends and family!
SPECIAL THANKS
Special thanks to my wonderful husband, Eric and my beautiful children, Sydney and Ethan, for all of their love and support.
There are days when I feel so creative that my fingers can’t keep up with my thoughts.
Today is one of those days!
I have a new book editor and she is awesome! Trust me… I hate to see my pages covered in red just as much as any author. However, I also can appreciate that all those edits, comments, deletions, additions, etc. etc. etc. are only going to make my manuscript better.
So I say, BRING IT ON!
Since I was getting some great feed back on my books AWAKEN and BEGINNINGS (with the exception of a reoccurring negative comment about some minor grammar issues) I decided to re-edit and re-release the books. I hired a wonderful editor out in California and am now doing a thorough edit (round 10+) of Awaken, Beginnings, and my soon to be released Revenge (book 3 ~ The Blood Angel Series).
I can’t wait to re-release Awaken and Beginnings and see what type of difference the new edits will make on their reviews.
MORE SO… I can’t wait to announce the release of REVENGE…
RELEASE DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON!!!
Revenge ~ a Blood Angel novel (BOOK 3) by Nina Soden COMING SOON
REVENGE:
Having died in her father’s arms only to awaken in a pool of blood surrounded by the corpses of the mutilated, her true love among them, who could blame her for what she did next? Wouldn’t you seek REVENGE?
He stood in the doorway, back against the cold brick wall, hidden by the dark shadows of the night. The rain poured down in sheets, but with his keen hearing he heard every drip… every drop… every splash as if the goddesses were playing a beautiful symphony just for him. He waited patiently until finally from across the street he saw her step out of her door.
She pulled the umbrella over her head, to shield herself from the rain. As the street light softly lit her face he could see the bruise covering her left cheek and the tears pouring from her eyes. It took less than a second and he was across the street and through the door before it closed behind her. All she felt was a cool gust of wind as he passed. Then she continued on her way.
Once inside, he didn’t give him time to react. Grabbing him off the couch and smashing the liquor bottle he was sucking down over his head the went down easily. He could hear through the thin walls of the old building the little old woman next door phoning the police. He knew he had to act fast and finish what he had started, but he wasn’t worried about being caught.
With his teeth like blades he bit easily into the drunk man’s neck and drained him quickly. Wiping the blood from his chin he stepped back into the rain. For only a moment he closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. He could smell her… sense her… feel her. Hearing the sirens approaching in the distance he took off down the road, turning right… then left following his instincts and his heart.
Her trail ended in a dark alley between two old abandoned factory buildings. He was confused… Worried for her safety… He had never lost her scent before. He had never been more than a stone’s throw away from her and he always made sure he could see and hear her at all times. He was like her guardian angel from a far… If guardian angels killed.
Although he knew he could never hold her… feel her touch… or taste her lips he would always protect her and in his heart and soul he would always love her. His heart, though it no longer beats, would always long for her and his soul, though condemned to walk alone, would always belong to her.
Falling to his knees he cried out in pain.
He searched for days covering every inch of the two buildings and the property. When he finally gave up and stood in the shadows silent and alone he turned to leave. But then, a feeling came over him… Her scent… Her touch… She was there! Something was different… He couldn’t hear the beat of her heart. He turned and in seconds her body was against his.
Her lips so close to his that he could taste her breath… Her hand softly ran down his arm, and she leaned in close and whispered in his ear, “It has always been you.” He took her in his arms grabbing her tightly… passionately… not willing to let go, and he kissed her hard with everything he had.
Edit: To prepare (written material) for publication by correcting, condensing, or otherwise modifying it.
Editing: The act ofputting something (a written work such as a literary work) into acceptable form.
When you decide to rightwritea book… you have to understand and accept that editing is all part of the process. The worst WORSTpart! YET ESSENTIAL!!!
Yes in the end the editing process makes your book storynovelthe best it can be. However, the moment you get your manuscript back from the editor… and it is coveredCOVEREDin RED ink INK… WOW!!! Your heart stops!
At least mine does.
I imagine my editor sitting at her desk stacking piles and piles of red pens… brand new – fresh out of the box on the desk in front of her.
I can almost feel her excitement, from a thousand miles away, as she gets ready to strickstrikethat first line across the page. Yup, her joy is my pain!
The waiting… that time between sending her the manuscript and getting her mutilatedimproved mutilate yet improved copy back… is almost as bad as the first ten seconds after opening the package after it arrives in the mail.
I SAID ALMOST!
But, I won’t lie, after I’ve spent the next few weeks reading and rereading all of her edits, comments, deletions, additions, etc. etc. I do have a better understanding of what will is needed to make my book betterthe best it can be. Then, after spending a couple of week on rewrites… well, I feel more confident that sending the manuscript off to the editor AGAIN isn’t going to be as painful.
My process is this: write – edit – rewrite – edit – rewrite – edit – rewrite – edit – rewrite – final edit – final rewrite – final review by editor – final review by me – format – review – format edits – review – and so on… until publication!
I do not don’tuse only one1editor… I have a team of editors. Why? Well, because if you read someone reads the same thingdocument over and over youthey start seeing what the words should be instead of what they are. I like to have a fresh set of eyes to edit at different stages of the process.
THAT IS WHERE I AM TODAY!!!
I have gone through all the edits, all the comments, all the changes my editors could come up with. Yes, I accepted most of them but not all! I am now ready to move forward with the final round of edits. This round is purely for grammar – spelling – punctuation – etc. NOT TO CHANGE THE PLOT, CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, OR THE STORY! I want the book to have my voice – not the editor’s voice.
WRITERS750.com is a group of creative fiction writers who work together to publish short story anthologies such as the Giant Tales 3-Minute Stories books and the Giant Tales Apocalypse 10-Minute stories books. I am excited to announce that one of my short stories will be included in the upcoming Giant Tales Apocalypse 10-Minute Stories book FINAL SHIPS being released this summer! I will post more about FINAL SHIPS when it is released.
Many of the authors in this amazing writing group have also published their own independently written novels – like me!!! Below is a list of books published by WRITERS750 Authors. Please check them out and if you find something you’re interested in – please pick up a copy and support an author today!
One random winner will receive a FREE autographed copy of AWAKEN book 1 ~ Blood Angel Series
Awaken ~ a Blood Angel novel (BOOK 1)
Awaken is set in a world very much like our own, yet Atlanta isn’t just an ordinary city and Alee Moyer isn’t just an ordinary girl. Having barely survived her childhood it will take the death of her father for the truth of her true bloodline to come out. Even if it means losing her life, or at least her identity she won’t be able to escape her true destiny as the first surviving Dhampir in history. Surrounded by a new world where the horror films she grew up watching have become reality and the most unlikely characters have become her lifeline, Alee will struggle to find herself and her purpose.
HOW TO BE ENTERED IN THE CONTEST…
Enter Before: 5/18/14 | WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED: 5/19/14
Complete the form at the bottom of this blog and complete at least one of the following:
Follow @Nina_Soden on Twitter and tweet about the Giveaway (#Awaken #BloodAngelSeries @Nina_Soden)
Tell your friends (Post an active link to this giveaway on your blog, facebook group, LinkedIn, Twitter, or any other place where you think people would like to hear about the chance to win! Note: You can do this once per day, but each entry must be a different community and you must post here when the link/post is complete so it can be checked.)
For additional contest entries, complete two or more of the above actions. Be sure to include details of which of the above items you are completing in your comment below.
Torn between good and evil… heaven and hell! His heart pulls him closer and closer toward the forbidden angel. Her beauty strikes like a knife deep into his heart. He longs to be with her, but knows it shall never be. He forces his hand and strikes back. Attack… Attack… Attack… It’s easier now to go into the dark. Follow the light from hell’s burning flames.
Alone in the dark he finds his soul shattered and torn apart. He is tormented by his love for this angelic beauty and his propensity to destroy everything and everyone around him. The fight inside him grows until he can no longer stand it. He runs into the night searching for anything he can sink his teeth into. As he turns the corner there she is…
Not quite as beautiful or as sweet, but she would do to ease his pain. From behind he moves like a ghost, not making a sound. With hands of fire and ice he scoops her up and is out of sight in seconds. Under the cover of the willow trees he looks deep into her eyes calling to her fear to show itself. She screams!
A grin appears on his face showing his fangs like blades. He sinks them deep into her throat and drains her as her breath slows and her screams stop. His thirst is gone, but still he longs for the lovely angel he cannot have.
She sat alone at the end of the hotel bar. Her lips as red as blood sparkled as she licked off the last drop of her vodka martini – extra dry. She looked around the dimly lit room and her dark hair glistened under the blue lights. Her deep brown eyes focused on her potential mates. Tall… Short… Thin… Large… Balding…
No one caught her eye. To the casual observer she would seem out-of-place in her skin-tight black dress and her thigh-high black boots. But she waited…
After about an hour as the bartender was bringing her last drink of the night she noticed a man seated at the opposite end of the bar. She hadn’t noticed him come in. It was as if he had appeared out of nowhere. Dressed in all black he stood out from the men and women around the room. His hair was perfect not a single piece out-of-place. His body was as tight as a board and she felt a strong desire to run her hands across his chest.
Silently, she waited for the right moment, she watched him from the corner of her eye. His eyes seemed to glow with an amber fire. His chin was that of a statue chiseled from stone. Women approached him eager for his attention, but he brushed them aside uninterested in their flirtatious conversations, and their drunken seductions. Every now and then he glanced at the beauty at the other end of the bar.
She just looked back showing no emotion… no care… All the while inside her heart was pounding in her chest… A rush of life was flowing throughout her body… Excitement made her want to run to him… Desire kept her where she was. There was something different and new about him. The way he talked… The way he moved… The way the whole room seemed centered on his energy.
The bar was about to close and all but maybe a handful of patrons had gone off to their rooms to sleep. She slowly sipped the last drop from her glass and popped the olive into her mouth, licking her finger clean as she glanced again to the other end of the bar.
But he was gone… She didn’t know where… She hadn’t seen him move… And no one else seemed to have noticed. Disappointed she slipped down from her bar stool, and threw her wrap around her shoulders.
Alone in the elevator she pressed the button for the penthouse suite, and as the doors closed she could feel someone slowly running their hand down her back. Scared and excited… She didn’t move. As he gently took her hand in his she turned to see his handsome face, and his amber eyes staring directly into hers. It felt like he was looking right through her and into her soul… Reading everything there was to know about her.
She took a step and closed the gap between them as he ran his fingers down her cheek and around the back of her neck. Her lips fell slightly open, she could almost taste him. He stopped the elevator as he pulled her body against his own. Every inch of her skin was tingling with excitement from his touch. Without warning he turned with her in his grasp… With her back against the wall and his body holding her in place she couldn’t move… Couldn’t scream – even if she had wanted to, but she didn’t.
His right hand slowly caressed her left thigh moving her dress up. He lifted her as she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist. She could feel his arousal as he touched her body. Warm and wet she wanted… Needed… Craved what she knew was about to happen. Then without warning his lips turned up and a wicked smile formed on this face unveiling fangs as white as snow and as sharp as blades.
She didn’t move, but smiled instead. And as quick as the lightning in the sky she pulled a sharp wooden stake out from under her dress where it had been strapped to the inside if her thigh all along. As he grabbed her neck and his teeth sank into her smooth flesh she plunged the stake through his back and deep into his heart. He drank from her… Trying to find a way to survive, yet knowing there was no chance.
His grip loosened and she slid her legs down and placed her feet back on the ground. His lifeless body slowly sank to the floor and turned to ash. She stood up casually wiped off her dress and pushed the penthouse button again. As the doors slowly opened she steps over his ashes and into the room. “It’s taken care of master. Anything else I can do for you?”
A tall muscular man more handsome than any mere human could dream to be, walked over to her and took her in his arms, “You have done well my dear. Now you must rest.” he kissed her softly on the hand and held her close as they disappeared deeper into the room.
Nina Soden 