Jessica Bayliss
  • Home
  • About
  • Books & Stories
    • BREATHLESS
    • BROKEN CHORDS
    • TEN AFTER CLOSING
    • Anthologies
    • All Books & Stories

Crossroads Blog Tour Day 6

10/31/2015

1 Comment

 
Picture
I can't believe it's the LAST day of the Crossroads Blog Tour! Hopefully, by now you've won some treats, but if not, there's still a chance. Be sure to enter the Amazon card giveaway via the rafflecopter form below. Today's bloggers have prizes too, and you never know what might pop up on the tour's  Twitter feed. 

​Here I have our final author interviews. Enjoy!
Picture
When I was a kid, I was terrified by horror movies but fascinated by them all the same. (I was obsessed with VHS box covers. And, now I just gave away my age.) What was your scariest horror movie as a kid? Hands down, The Exorcist, especially because as I’ve moved to St. Louis, I’ve seen some of the locations where the real exorcism occurred.

I LOVED that one, but not until I was way older. The book was totally creepy too. Do you have any ghost stories passed down through your family? Or maybe one of your own ...? My last house was haunted by an old woman. She would play with my hair when I was cooking.

And, that would keep me from cooking ever again. Forever.

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
​Sarah Bromley drinks too much coffee, likes her music loud and off-key, and has loved spooky things since she first saw “An American Werewolf in London” when she was five years old. She currently lives in the St. Louis area with her high-school-sweetheart-turned-heroic-husband, three children, and her dogs.
Picture
 I had the fear-fascination relationship with horror movies when I was a kid - pretty much until I hit my tweens. What was your favorite (or most feared) movie as a kid. My dad took me and my older brother and sister to Amityville Horror when the film first came out. The scene with the priest and the flies. Ugh! I thought they were bees (I’m terrified of stings) and had a full on freak out in the theatre.
 
Your dad was a brave man! Tempting the fates to give him sleepless nights due to three extra kids in the bed. Or, maybe you guys were more hardcore than I was. How about family ghost stories passed down, or have you had your own spectral encounter? My mom used to tell me that if you see someone you love and they look right through you – like they don’t know you – you’re actually seeing their “fetch”.  A warning their death is fast approaching. That idea has always haunted me.


Now I HAVE to look that up. There's definitely a story there. A very creepy story. And speaking of creepy stories, I can't wait to read the 13 tales in the next Leap Books anthology, "Fright before Christmas!"
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Award-winning writer and screenwriter Judith Graves loves tragic romance, werewolves, vampires, magic and all things a bit creepy. A firm believer that teen fiction can be action-packed, snarky and yet hit all the right emotional notes, Judith writes stories with attitude. She lives in northern Alberta and when she’s not writing, or playing bass in a cover band, she works in a school library.
Picture
What was your scariest horror movie as a kid? Me too! It’s hard to choose the scariest, but I’d have to say it’s a tie between Nightmare on Elm Street and Hellraiser. *shivers*

"Hellraiser!" Yes! I actually can't watch the first one, it's just too intense. I've been thinking of the second one quite a bit lately, though, and I'm thinking I may need to watch it again. It's been over a decade since I saw that movie, and I'm totally in the mood. Do you have any ghost stories passed down through your family? Or maybe one of your own ...? No family ghost stories, but I’ve heard voices whisper my name in the hallway of my childhood home. 

I'm glad you don't live there anymore! If that happened to me ... serious chills.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Heather L. Reid writes character driven YA urban fantasy, paranormal, and speculative fiction and is the author of the Pretty Dark series (Month9Books) She is both American and British and has called six different cities in three different countries, home. Her strong sense of wanderlust and craving for a new adventure mean you might find her wandering the moors of her beloved Scotland, exploring haunted castles, or hiking through a magical forest in search of fairies and sprites. When she’s not venturing into the unknown in her real life, she loves getting lost in the worlds of video games or curling up by the fire with good story. For now, this native Texan is back in the Lone Star State, settling down with her Scottish husband and writing whatever new tales of fantasy her imagination dreams up.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
1 Comment

Crossroads Blog Tour Day 5

10/30/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Welcome to DAY FIVE of the Crossroads Blog tour! You'll want to get in on all the goodies so don't forget to enter the Amazon card giveaway via the rafflecopter form below and visit each blogger's site every day. There's also a dedicated Twitter handle where you can win even more treats. 

On to the interviews! And each day, feel free to post your answers to the questions in the comments. We'd love to hear from you.
Picture
When I was a kid, I was terrified by horror movies but fascinated by them all the same. (I was obsessed with VHS box covers. And, now I just gave away my age.) What was your scariest horror movie as a kid? When I was about twelve, I saw a movie that featured ghoulish walking-dead characters in some weird medieval setting. I can't tell you the name of the movie because it was such a bad film. I was so freaked out by it that it made me (literally) sick. Years later I caught it on TV. Man, it was so bad, and I could laugh. A little.

I'd LOVE to know the title if it ever comes to you. Sounds like a crazy mash-up. Do you have any ghost stories passed down through your family? Or maybe one of your own ...? My mother saw ghosts all the time. I've only had a few experiences, but I will tell you that the night that my best friend died (she had cancer) I was awakened at precisely 3:17AM by something bumping my bed, hard. I learned the next morning that she'd died at 3:17AM. I'm sure she was there to say goodbye.

What an incredible story ... I hope that brought you peace during a hard time. Although I'm sure I'd be terrified, I can name a few people I would love to come bump me in the night.

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
​Janet Fox's published works include the non-fiction middle grade self-help book GET ORGANIZED WITHOUT LOSING IT (Free Spirit Publishing) and three young adult historical novels: FAITHFUL, FORGIVEN, and SIRENS (all Speak/Penguin). Her debut middle grade novel THE CHARMED CHILDREN OF ROOKSKILL CASTLE is due out March 15, 2016 from Viking. Janet is a 2010 MFA graduate from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and she's represented by Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. She lives in Bozeman, Montana, where she and her husband are ruled by an energetic Lab.
Picture
What was your scariest horror movie as a kid? Child’s Play. I saw that when I was very young and dolls had already terrified me.

You know, that's one I've never seen from beginning to end. I think I have a new title for my Halloween-season list! Have you ever had any paranormal experiences? I saw an apparition at the foot of my bed once. It was a man and he cocked his head at me. I screamed and ran from the room.


I would have run screaming from the house. I love to read, watch, and write horror, but I think I'd be a total chicken if it actually happened to me.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
​Kelly Hashway fully admits to being one of the most accident-prone people on the planet, but that didn’t stop her from jumping out of an airplane at ten thousand feet one Halloween. Maybe it was growing up reading R.L. Stine’s Fear Street books that instilled a love of all things scary and a desire to live in a world filled with supernatural creatures, but she spends her days writing speculative fiction for young adults, middle graders, and young children. Kelly’s also a sucker for first love, which is why she writes YA and NA romance under the pen name Ashelyn Drake. When she’s not writing, Kelly works as an editor and also as Mom, which she believes is a job title that deserves to be capitalized. She is represented by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary Agency. 
a Rafflecopter giveaway
0 Comments

Crossroads Blog Tour Day 4

10/29/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Time is flying. We're already at DAY FOUR of the Crossroads Blog tour. If your just catching up today, don't worry. You can still visit the bloggers' sites and enter the contest for the  Amazon card giveaway via the rafflecopter form below. Also, be sure to keep an eye on the tour on Twitter. We'll be giving away special prizes there too. 

Today, I'll be interviewing author, Christine Fonseca. Feel free to leave a comment on about our own spooky encounters. We'd love to hear from you!
Picture
When I was a kid, I was terrified by horror movies but fascinated by them all the same. What was your scariest horror movie as a kid? I saw Salem’s Lot  (1979) and Amityville Horror (1979). Scared the heck out of me.
 
I love that one! The book too. One of the first scary movies I actually watched was "The Amityville Demon," and there was a particular part that I can still see in my mind. What about your own ghost stories or one passed down through your family? We had a ghost my childhood attic. She lived in the attic. I remember cleaning that attic on day. She didn’t like that! 

Perfect excuse to never clean again!

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Critically acclaimed and award winning YA and nonfiction author. Lover of books, lattes, and family. Passionate about humanity. Believer in dreams.k And, she's a 2015 finalist in the Kindle Book Awards contest for her novel, COLLIDE. 
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The most dangerous secrets are the ones that kill. 
When a surprising mental breakdown draws too much attention from a secret government group call the Order, 17-year-old Dakota discovers that her so-called boring life isn’t so boring after all. Between the lies, secrets and assassins out to kill her family, Dakota discovers there’s more to paranormal activity than ghosts and cheap mind tricks. Now she must uncover the truth before a new breed of terrorism takes everything away – including her life.
0 Comments

Crossroads Blog Tour Day 3

10/28/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
It's already DAY THREE of our blog tour.  Anyone get any treats yet? If so, leave a comment. We'd love to hear what you've won. If you haven't done so yet, be sure to enter the Amazon card giveaway via the rafflecopter form below. And remember, each blogger will feature different interviews and have some goodies to give out as well, so stop by them all. Keep an eye on the tour on Twitter for special prizes there too.

Today, I'm featuring a fellow Leap Books author, Patrice Lyle, who just celebrated the book birthday of her new Middle Grade book. And, I'm also going to interview myself! I'm both an author and a blogger for this tour, so get ready for a bit of a Gollum moment. Things might get a little weird ... But first, Patrice!
Picture
When I was a kid, I was terrified by horror movies but fascinated by them all the same. (I was obsessed with VHS box covers. And, now I just gave away my age.) What was your scariest horror movie as a kid? This is funny but The Wizard of Oz. The wicked witch freaked me out! I had to leave the room when she came on screen.

Me too! My mom used to try to decrease my freak-out by telling me she was just the lady from the coffee commercials. What about your own personal ghost stories. Any creepy experiences in your past? Yes, I saw a ghost float by the front window of an old house on my college campus. Rumor was a teenaged girl died in the house.

We had a ghost story in one of my dorms, too. I lived in an old convent building for a couple years. What had been the chapel served as a study hall. The legend was that one of the sisters hung herself in the attic. Luckily, I never saw anything or I would have been putting in for a new dorm assignment faster than you can say flying nun.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Patrice Lyle has never met a ghost story she didn’t like. She’s been fascinated with the paranormal since childhood. She attributes this fascination to having heard old family stories of ghostly wreaths, ESP, and money hidden in the lining of antique purses. She grew up on the Oregon Coast and has a Master’s Degree in Writing Popular Fiction. Now she lives with her husband and three cats near Orlando, where she’s working on the next Poison Ivy novel and trolling the area for ghostly happenings. 
Picture
When I was a kid, I was terrified by horror movies but fascinated by them all the same. Well, Jessica, “Poltergeist” came out when I was six. I was in bed while the grown-ups watched it, & just listening was enough to keep me up all night.
 
Okay, this IS weird. I'll just tell you about my family ghost story. My grandmother grew up in a coal mining village in Pennsylvania. She used to tell us about a ghostly figure that rose from a lake in coal-country, PA when she was a kid. It scared the bejesus out of her. She also used to talk about a man in brown she'd see in her house from time to time. I never saw him, but I used to get major creeps on her second floor. I actually have nightmares where I have to sleep over her house and I'm terrified.

As you may already know, I have a new book coming out next month. I'm super excited to be included in "Fright Before Christmas," but since I have that cover all over this site, I thought I'd share the magnet that's part of the swag pack I'm giving away. 
Picture
Picture
a Rafflecopter giveaway
0 Comments

Crossroads Blog Tour Day 2

10/27/2015

3 Comments

 
Picture
Welcome to DAY TWO of our spooky blog tour. Did you enjoy yesterday's goodies? Well, here are some more for you. You'll want to get in on all the prizes so don't forget to enter the Amazon card giveaway via the rafflecopter form below. Also, be sure to visit all the blogger's sites each day of the tour for special prize ops, and keep an eye on the tour on Twitter. We'll be giving away special prizes there too. 

​On to today's interviews. Feel free to tell us your own stories by posting in the comments. We'd love to hear from you!
Picture
When I was a kid, I was terrified by horror movies but fascinated by them all the same. (I was obsessed with VHS box covers. And, now I just gave away my age.) What was your scariest horror movie as a kid? The Wicked Witch of the West made “The Wizard of Oz” the scariest movie of my childhood.

I was absolutely terrified of her too for a few years. Not so much the witch version of her, but the part where she's flying around the tornado on her bike ... I have no idea why, but it creeped me out big time. Do you have any ghost stories passed down through your family? Or maybe one of your own ...? We had a human sized cut-out on the staircase landing to our 3rd floor, just to scare people into thinking it was a ghost! 

LOL! Better to fake it than have to live through it for real. I bet you guys had some interesting experiences.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
​Tina Ferraro is the author of several young adult novels and novellas, as well as upwards of a hundred romantic short stories for teens and adults. A two-time finalist for the Romance Writers of America's RITA award and the National Reader's Choice award for her young adult novels, her interests include Facebook Scrabble, the color orange, and chasing coyotes out of her neighborhood.
Picture
What was your scariest horror movie back in the day? Definitely The Exorcist. It came out when I was a kid, and it was the first scary movie I ever saw. The horror stuck with me ever since.

That one came out during my childhood too, but I never even considered watching that one. I took me years to get up the courage for "Poltergeist." I had no misconceptions I was too much of a wuss for "The Exorcist," so I only saw it years later when I could handle it. Do you have any ghost stories passed down through your family? Or maybe one of your own ...? My mom used to live in this house where she later found out someone had died. Her bed used to shake in the middle of the night. At first it scared her, but then she got fed up. Thinking it was a ghost, she decided to confront it. “We both have to live here!” Her bed never shook again.

​I'd never sleep again. Ever. 

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
a Rafflecopter giveaway
3 Comments

Crossroads Blog Tour Day 1

10/26/2015

6 Comments

 
Picture
Welcome to DAY ONE of our spooky blog tour. You'll want to get in on all the goodies so don't forget to enter the Amazon card giveaway via the rafflecopter form below. Also, be sure to visit each blogger's site each day of the tour and keep an eye on the tour on Twitter. We'll be giving away special prizes there too. 

Eacy day of the tour, I'll be asking the authors the same two questions. Feel free to post your answers to the questions in the comments. We'd love to hear from you!
Picture
When I was a kid, I was terrified by horror movies but fascinated by them all the same. (I was obsessed with VHS box covers. And, now I just gave away my age.) What was your scariest horror movie as a kid? Poltergeist. Hands down. I watched it when I was about 6 years old. Big mistake.

Mine too! I'm kind of giving away my answer for later in the tour, but that one freaked the heck out of me. We had HBO back then, and they played it all the time. I'd watch the first half our or so, but as soon as the tree/closet scene was about to start, I was out of there. I'm always fascinated by people's family legends. Do you have any ghost stories passed down through your family? Or maybe one of your own ...? I felt something climb up the bed then it took my head, turned it, and pushed my face into the pillow. Probably a dream, but still freaked me out!

Dream or not, that sounds super freaky! 

Picture
Picture
Elizabeth Holloway is an author of young adult fiction living in Southern Pennsylvania with her two teen children and their growing number of pets. In addition to writing, she is a registered nurse, an avid reader, an out-of-practice artist, a karaoke singer, and a music lover. She is still trying to decide what she wants to be when she grows up.
Her first novel, CALL ME GRIM, is available NOW. The sequel, DEATH BECOMES ME, will release in Fall 2015. She is represented by Lindsay Ribar of Sanford J. Greenburger Associates.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
When I was a kid, I was terrified by horror movies but fascinated by them all the same. What was your scariest horror movie as a kid? DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK freaked me out so much, I don’t think I slept for a full year!

That happened to me after I saw "Aliens." I couldn't cross a dark room without running for at least a year. What about your childhood or family ghost stories? Any good ones? My last house was haunted by the ghost of a little boy. I saw him once, heard him each night, but my daughter saw him nearly ever day.

Your daughter must be one brave girl ... Thanks for sharing that!

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Jennifer Murgia writes moody fiction for teens—from paranormal fantasy (ANGEL STAR, LEMNISCATE, THE BLISS), to contemporary gut-puncher s (BETWEEN THESE LINES). Her latest, FOREST OF WHISPERS, a 17th century hist
orical mystery (about witches!) was a School Library Journal Fall 2014 HOT TITLE, and a 2014 Moonbeam Children’s Literature Award Winner (Bronze Medal for YA Horror/Mystery). The sequel, CASTLE OF SIGHS, releases October 27, 2015 from Spencer Hill Press. She is the co-founder and coordinator of YA FEST and currently resides in Pennsylvania
a Rafflecopter giveaway
6 Comments

Meet us at the Crossroads ...

10/21/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Are you brave enough to join us at the crossroads? Who knows what manner of spooks, ghouls, or specters will be waiting. A place of high spirits and fun prizes. You won't be able to stay away.
Join us for the Crossroads Blog Tour, 6 days of spooky fun with twelve incredible paranormal authors answering devilishly fun interview questions across seven blogs. Our bloggers will be giving away prizes whenever they feel like it. The more you participate, the better the chance you'll score a treat. There will also be random prizes given by the Tour on Twitter, so be sure to stay tuned there. Finally, you can enter to win the grand prize, an Amazon gift card, by filling out the rafflecopter form, which will be contained in each blog post here as well as on the official Tour Website. 
I'm super excited, because I'll be participating as both an AUTHOR and a BLOGGER, which means I get to give away PRIZES.
I'll be giving away a bunch of swag, and I have my own personal trick up my sleeve. I'll be giving away a grand prize, including PRINT copies of BEWARE THE LITTLE WHITE RABBIT and Issue 31 of Sanitarium Magazine (featuring my short horror story, THE MUSE), a digital copy of my romantic ghost story, BREATHLESS, and some of my own swag. To be eligible for my personal giveaways, all you have to do is respond to the Blog Tour posts by leaving a comment on my blog. Each day, the various authors will answer some interview questions; you can answer too. Tell us your own spooky stories. The more times you respond, the better your chance at a prize. We can't wait to hear from you!
You can see the full list of bloggers here.
Picture
0 Comments

Crossroads Blog Tour: Full list of participating bloggers

10/13/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture

The crossroads blog tour is less than two weeks away. Here's a
full list of the bloggers who will be participating. For each day of the tour, which takes place October 26-31, you can stop by each of these sites including my own, for a bunch of chances to win prizes, including the grand prize of an Amazon Gift card.

Stay tuned here on my site for an announcement of more details. I'll fill you in on a special prize I plan to give away in addition to the fun swag I have handy.

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Leap Books opening up submissions to UNAGENTED authors for some Bloody Good YA horror reads

10/5/2015

0 Comments

 

Just in time for Halloween!

Leap Books just announced that they are in the mood for a little YA Horror, so they're opening up submissions for their Shine line to both
agented and UNAGENTED authors who have YA novellas in the horror genre.
​
This is such an exciting opportunity to work with an incredibly talented and supportive team that produces quality fiction for young readers of all ages. 
Picture
Picture

​Here are the deets from Leap Books co-founder and editor, Judith Graves:  

​
If you've got an all out horror (with strong romance elements), stand alone (no breaking the story into two books) YA novella (45k words max) - please send editor, Judith Graves, a query and the first 10 pages to: submissions@leapbks.info with BLOODY GOOD READS in the subject line. Deadline for submissions: February 1, 2016. Unagented submissions that are NOT relevant to this project won't be read.
So, get your fright on, authors, and send in your best BLOODY GOOD READS by February 1st, 2016!
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Halloween Book Hop: Join us for some tricks and treats.

10/1/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, so this year, I'm participating in two different spooky blog events. In addition to the 7 days of fun and giveaways during the  Crossroads Blog Tour, I'll also be joining over 100 other authors for the Halloween Book Hop, a two-week long Facebook event that will give lucky trick-or-treaters a chance to win up to ten prizes a day! How can you go wrong? Books, swag, and lots of fun. So check out my Facebook Page and my blog right here for more details as we get closer to the parties. 
Picture
Picture
0 Comments
    Subscribe
    Jessica Bayliss Blogs about reading, writing, & other fun stuff

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Allegory EZine News
    Award News
    BREATHLESS
    BROKEN CHORDS
    Contest News
    Craft
    Feedback Mini Series
    Giveaways
    Guest Posts
    Inspiration & Motivation
    It's A Writer Thing
    Latest News
    Live Events
    Pitch Wars
    Release News
    Submission News
    Tech & Gadgets
    TEN AFTER CLOSING
    The Business Side
    THE FIVE SENSES
    There's A Story There
    Utter Randomness
    What I Want Wednesday
    What's New?
    Writer's Block Series
    Writer Wellness
    ZOMBIE CHUNKS

    Archives

    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    January 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.