Today Idea City is helping to celebrate the re-release of Donna Galanti’s thriller, A Human Element. Donna explains her fascinating motivation for the book idea:


Do Genes Dictate Who We Are? 
Adoption and being an only child runs through A Human Element. I am both, and they both had a deep impact on my life. In A Human Element three characters have similar lives. Laura’s adopted and an only child raised by loving parents. Ben is an only child but abandoned when his parents die, to live a lonely existence in foster homes. X-10 is raised alone in a government facility, an unloved experiment. One common thread connects them all. They grow up alone and eventually parentless. 


Adopted children often suffer abandonment issues and feel like they never belong, that they aren’t ‘blood family’.  Being adopted myself I understood this. But as an adopted child I was lucky. I had a loving family and I learned my heritage (and am very glad I was given up. Read more about that here). I got married and had an amazing son. In having him, I have my own ‘blood’ now. I do belong–with my family.


In A Human Element all three characters have similar backgrounds, but how are they different? Ben isolates himself, Laura has an open heart, and X-10 hates the world. Is it their genes that shape who they are or their environment? I’ve found it’s both. I like to think we can overcome our genes and thrive in an environment that allows us to do so. In such an environment we can conquer our obstacles and achieve anything, but without love we’re lost. I believe that our genes do not dictate who we are–and this gives me hope. Without hope change is not possible. Laura believes we all have something redeemable in us, no matter how small. Do you believe that too?

Excerpt with X-10. Can he overcome his genes and environment?


As he lunged for Laura she sensed his conflicting feelings. She saw the scientist who experimented on him and caged him his whole life, taunting him with her existence and fueling his hatred.
She saw all this in the two seconds it took for him to reach her. His sorrowful life punctured her like a knife digging into an old wound. His wounds made her wounds. It was a small window of opportunity to grasp, but all she had. Could she convince him to turn away from evil?
X-10 grabbed her by both arms and pulled her up. His freakish face loomed inches from hers. Her feet dangled above the earthen floor. Scenes from his life blasted across her mind. 
A tormented life. A tormented soul. Images of blood and killing and rage. And such loneliness. He had suffered such loneliness. He was an animal as he had been treated like an animal all his life. She pitied him and feared him.
“Charlie,” she whispered. Pain coursed through her. He gripped her harder. She stared into his yellow eyes that shone bright, burning with hate.
“What did you say?” He shook her and she moaned in pain.
“Charlie. I called you Charlie, isn’t that what you want?”


About A Human Element:
Evil comes in many forms…
One by one, Laura Armstrong’s friends and adoptive family members are being murdered, and despite her unique healing powers, she can do nothing to stop it. The savage killer haunts her dreams, tormenting her with the promise that she is next.
Determined to find the killer, she follows her visions to the site of a crashed meteorite in her hometown. There, she meets Ben Fieldstone, who seeks answers about his parents’ death the night the meteorite struck. In a race to stop a madman, they unravel a frightening secret that binds them together. But the killer’s desire to destroy Laura face-to-face leads to a showdown that puts Laura and Ben’s emotional relationship and Laura’s pure spirit to the test. With the killer closing in, Laura discovers her destiny is linked to his, and she has two choices—redeem him or kill him.

**Get your evil on with this re-release by Imajin Books! Newly edited, new scenes & cover!** Purchase A Human Element here

Praise for A Human Element: 
“Be afraid. Be very afraid. And be utterly absorbed by this riveting debut that had me reading till the wee hours of the night. A thriller star is born.”  –bestselling author M.J. Rose
“An elegant and haunting first novel. Unrelenting, devious but full of heart.” –Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author

About Donna: 
Donna Galanti writes murder and mystery with a dash of steam as well as middle grade adventures. She’s an International Thriller Writers Debut Author of the paranormal suspense novel A Human Element, A Hidden Element (August 2014), the short story collection The Dark Inside, and Joshua and The Lightning Road (2015). She’s lived everywhere from England as a child, to Hawaii as a U.S. Navy photographer.
Website, blog, twitter, Facebook

A Rafflecopter Monsters vs. Aliens Giveaway!

This has been a busy time, and it’s only going to get busier! With good stuff. First of all, Private Internship, my new adult novel (sequel to my novella Model Position) is coming out on September 29th with Inkspell!
Also, I signed my YA contemporary horror, Dorianna with Evernight Teen!

Dorianna is a fresh yet toxic twist (think daisies, snakes and burlesque dancers at Coney Island) on the Oscar Wilde classic, A Picture of Dorian Gray. It’s a cautionary tale for the Internet generation. More on that soon . . .

Private Internship is . . .

In the meantime, I’d LOVE for anyone who’s up for it, to help me with my cover reveal (or release day blitz) for Private Internship!! It’s a really pretty cover, and I’m proud to say that I helped design it with the lovely and talented Najla who does the covers over at Inkspell. The cover reveal will be on Wednesday, August 27, but August 28 & 29 are fine days to post as well! (The blitz will be on Sept 29) Just fill out this easy peasy sign-up form here. Once you sign up, I’ll send you all the info you’ll need to post. (Plus you’ll get a magical chocolate sundae & bestie sticker)


What’s your news/obsession/thrill/fave summer activity, and how’s your July going so far?

My writing station

I just got back from a writing retreat on Cape Cod. I go to a retreat every July and January. It’s an amazing, inspiring, informative, fun experience and it builds community. I often start the draft of a novel in July, and this summer was no exception. Finally, I had the time and peace of mind to plunge into an NA historical fantasy, set in the 1930s. I also had time to open a Pinterest account and create a board for my new novel. Why did I wait so long to visually organize my novel elements?! Wanna follow me there? I’ll follow you back!

At the retreat we do readings in the evenings,

Our gang

and they’re always helpful. There’s nothing like running your newest work by fellow writers who you trust implicitly, to make sure you’re on the right track with a fledgling project. Each night someone makes a dinner. Good way to sample interesting food.

Emily’s veggie fest dinner

Other retreats and conferences that I recommend are Squaw Valley, the SCBWI Summer Conference out in LA (& winter one in NYC), the Mendocino Writers’ Conference, the Chautauqua conference & Southampton workshop. If you have the time, you could do a residency. I have a friend who liked Ragdale.

Emily and her coconut yogurt with lemon zest!

Stairs to beach

Helen ordering pizza

Maggie being writerly

Have you attended a retreat or conference you’d recommend?

In June, I also taught at a writers’ retreat in Rosemont College for MFA students, which rocked the house. I got to try out some crazy-fun new writing prompts on them *insert evil cackle here*

My smart & uber-creative MFA students

Rosemont gargoyles

Some of the Rosemont teachers & faculty

So, do you do retreats, conferences or workshops? Have you ever organized your own? If not, how do you refresh and relight your creative spark?

“The author fuses carriages, steam trains, airships and clockwork with the rich eastern culture that underlies Bollywood storytelling…” – Cherie Reich

I went to BEA recently and had a blast signing books, meeting friends, checking out forthcoming novels and snapping photos!
Plus, the night before the expo, I got to hang out at the Harvard Club, and pick up a YA finalist Next Generation Indie award for Ruby’s Fire! The place brimmed with other interesting writers, including Lindsay “LC” Barlow, a finalist for her horror ebook, Pivot, and Janet Shawgo, a finalist for her romance novel Find Me Again. I was impressed by the VP, Catherine Goulet for her enthusiasm, professionalism and intense dedication to promoting great indie lit.

I signed at the SFWA booth and the Headline booth, where the Next Gen Indie winners and finalists signed. It was big fun getting to talk directly with librarians, teachers and bloggers.

Meeting Kelly Hashway

I met Kelly Hashway, an online blogger and friend. She was signing at the Spencer Hill booth for The Monster Within. I also said a hearty hello to Jonathan Maberry, a fellow Philadelphian, who is quite beloved for his amazing horror novels.

Stopped by to meet and greet the inspiring Georgia McBride, founder of Month 9 Press and Swoon.

Chatting with the fab Georgia McBride

And hey, I couldn’t resist getting my picture snapped with the uber-buff Ellora’s Cave cover models. One of them even writes romance. Who would’ve thought?!

The Ellora’s Cave cover models were good sports

Hanging with Hugh Howey

The next day I got to meet Hugh Howey, darling of the indie scene, and hot damn, his Wool series proves that he’s one excellent writer. Have you read it yet? The first in the series is perma-free!
He wrote a smart post about Amazon and Hachette debacle.

I also sat in on a fascinating panel with some of the most successful indie romance authors, HM Ward, Bella Andre and Barbara Freethy ( a hybrid author). They all said that readers love series, and that when creating one, a writer should leave it as open-ended as possible so that you can add on more books should the series become popular.

Bella said that she has a family series, the Sullivans, with eight siblings and when readers clamored for more, more, more she actually extended the family into a series about the cousins, and then extended it into a handful of cities. These women are all super-fast writers. They say in this era of insta-buy ebooks that people want the next books in the series immediately after finishing the last one! I guess I’ll have to get better at fast drafting.

Have you been to BEA? Any other great conferences?
Oh, and before I forget, the huge book giveaway is still open. Click here to enter the Rafflecopter. Plus a must-read from Indie author Dean Wesley Smith here.

Today, Idea City celebrates two novels: The Monster Within, a paranormal by Kelly Hashway and Edge of Truth, a dystopian by Natasha Hanova. Woo hoo!!!

The Monster Within is the first in Kelly Hashway’s newest series. Check out this great trailer for it on YouTube! It launches with Spencer Hill Press on June 17, but you can pre-order it here! B&N, Amazon 


The moment seventeen-year-old Samantha Thompson crawls out of her grave, her second chance at life begins. She died of cancer with her long-time boyfriend, Ethan, by her side—a completely unfair shot at life. But Ethan found a way to bring her back, like he promised he would. Only Sam came back wrong.
     She’s now a monster that drains others’ lives to survive. And after she kills, she’s tortured by visions—glimpses into her victims would-have-been futures had she not killed them. Barely able to live with herself and trying to make things right, Sam ends up a pawn in a vicious game of payback within the local coven of witches.
     But when the game reveals what Ethan had to do to save Sam, she must make a choice that will change all their lives forever.

Kelly Hashway writes for children through teens. Her YA novels include, Touch of Death (Spencer Hill Press), Stalked by Death, Face of Death, The Monster Within, The Darkness Within (SHP, 2015) and Into the Fire (Month9Books, 9/14). Her debut MG series, Curse of the Granville Fortune releases in 2014 through Month9Books. Visit her website & blog. Kelly’s repped by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary.

Idea City’s thrilled to chat with Cherie Reich about writing and Reborn. Oh, and enter the Rafflecopter to win LOTS of great books from Cherie and other Untethered Realms authors!
Cherie, tell us about your main character. 
Yssa is god-chosen as the Phoenix Prophetess. She’s grown up knowing who she is, but that doesn’t change how she wants to be normal, like everyone else. She’s sometimes naïve, self-centered, and wishy-washy, but she can be strong and caring. She genuinely does want to change people’s terrible Fates, even though she often fails.

In what ways does she change? 
Yssa would rather be anyone besides the Phoenix Prophetess, but she must learn and grow to accept her role in Amora’s history. She can still be a little selfish at times, but she’s learning to be less naïve and more certain of herself.

Your favorite line from your protagonist: 
My memories weren’t enough to take with me. I just wouldn’t go to Amora.

From an antagonist:
“Your queen is not all she seems.” Odjin half-heartedly laughed.

An emblematic, teaser paragraph:
The child’s life-thread ripped from his mother’s hand and joined the pulsing jewel on her belt. The piece sizzled, reattaching to the gemstone, and transformed to blood red.

What keeps you going when your inspiration flags? 
Reading. I can always tell when I’m not reading enough since the writing goes downhill.

What truly inspires you and fires up your vision? 
Daydreaming. I love thinking about future scenes, acting them in my head, and figuring out where to go next.

Best words of advice you ever received? 
Write a draft and then put it aside for a while. Coming at a draft with fresh eyes really helps to find problems with the story.

Worst? 
You must write every day. Every day works for some authors. I find I write best in spurts.

Advice to aspiring and new authors?
Read! In your genre, out of your genre. You’ll pick up ways to write by absorbing what you read.

Which do you enjoy writing most: action, romance, setting, dialog?
Good question. Can I say “world building”? It’s similar to setting, but I still feel like I have a hard time with description, but I love finding ways to delve deeper into the world the characters live in.

How is it writing a trilogy? 
I’m still learning about writing a trilogy. Book One is finished and published, but I only have part of Book Two written, and Book Three is only an outline. The biggest challenge will likely be not dropping a story thread. I’m trying to tie everything up at the end, and I fear I’ll miss something. I do love building the world and learning more about the characters and the Kingdom of Amora as I write and plan.

What is the most important theme of book one? Book Two? 
Accepting who you are is a strong theme in the books. Life and death is another as well as free will versus Fate.

Care to share a hint of what’s to come in book three? 
Since Book Two isn’t out yet, I don’t want to give away too much. Let’s just say everything comes together in one epic conclusion.

A hint of what you’re working on next? 
A princess must rise to challenge Fate. I’m expanding a short story within The Fate Challenges’ world to novella-length. The new title is Repledged, and it features Princess Magna and is set 800 years before Reborn.

Find Cherie on the web: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Reborn is available in Ebook and Print! Amazon | Createspace | Google Play | Kobo | Nook | OmniLit | Smashwords | Other Retailers. Click to add on Goodreads.

To save a kingdom, a prophetess must challenge Fate.


On the day of Yssa’s death and rebirth, the god Apenth chose her as the Phoenix Prophetess. Sea serpents and gods endanger the young prophetess’s journey and sour the omens. Yssa is cursed instead of blessed, and her duties at the Temple of Apenth prove it. She spends her days reading dusty scrolls, which does nothing to help her forget Tym, the boy back home. But the annoying yet gorgeous ferryman’s son Liam proves to be a distraction she can’t predict, even though he rarely leaves her alone for two sand grains.


Her boring temple life screeches to a halt when visions of her parents’ murders consume her. Yssa races across an ocean to stop the future. If she can’t change Fate, she’ll refuse to be the Phoenix Prophetess any longer. Fate, however, has other plans for her and the kingdom.


Yssa must either accept her destiny or fight to change Fate.

Cherie Reich, a self-proclaimed bookworm, is a speculative fiction writer and library assistant living in Virginia. Her short stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies, and her books include the horror collection Nightmare, a space fantasy novella collection titled Gravity, and the fantasy series The Foxwick Chronicles and The Fate Challenges. Reborn is her debut novel. She is Vice President of Valley Writers and a member of the Virginia Writers Club and Untethered Realms. For more info, visit her website.

Cherie and the authors of Untethered Realms are giving away over $50 worth of books to one lucky winner. The giveaway is open internationally. Enter the Rafflecopter below.


On an unrelated note, Catherine Stine signs at BEA this week! Click for the schedule.

“A heart-pounding tale of deception and danger set in a futuristic world teetering perilously between metamorphosis and destruction.”  -Ciara Knight, author of Weighted & Escapement


And for those in the Philly/Jersey/Delaware area who want to attend an amazing writing retreat, I’ll be teaching a concentration of writing YA and NA at the Rosemont, PA writing retreat from June 22-27. Still time to sign up! The deets here!

I even have a little more news! Yup, after a long, cold winter it’s a newsy spring. But I’ll save that for my next post.
What are you up to this May and June?