Wednesday 26 December 2012

Finding Trust Cover Reveal

Hey Guys!

Well it is finally here!

This is the cover for my debut novel "Finding Trust" due out Spring 2013!!


Just want to say a HUGE thank you to Donna for designing my cover :D And putting up with my ever changing mind :D

Here's the link to Donna's website if you want to check out her work :D

http://dcoll1.wix.com/dlcdesigns

Thursday 20 December 2012

Finding Trust - First Chapter

Please not this expert is unedited and may be changed before the book is released :-)

Coming Spring 2013 - Finding Trust


Once upon a time Leah had a perfect life, a loving mother and father, and the best friend anyone could ask for. Then a secret ruined everything. Leah's world came crashing down and her family are now shunned from the town, people who were once seen as friends now treat Leah and her family with disgust.
A new family move into town and right next door to Leah. She has learnt to keep herself to herself after the past year, but her mother wants her to try and have a normal life again. But this new family have secrets of their own. Can Leah learn to trust again when the people closest to her are lying?


OK, so I am a self obsessed book freak. My mum thinks it’s dull, I think it’s amazing. Why would I want to live in a world like this, when I can dive into worlds of Princes, Vampires, Mermaids, Lycans and happily ever afters'?
Mum worries that I am too unsociable for a girl my age and that I should be making friends- I am nineteen and the only friends I have are the few friends I want to have, the character’s in my books- but she doesn't understand. 
I tapped my fingers along the back of my kindle impatiently as I heard another loud bang come from outside. One thing about reading, I had to do it in complete silence, which sadly, was a comfort I wasn't being allowed at this moment.
 A new family had moved in next door after Mrs. Smith, the old lady that previously lived there, went to live with her son in London. The new family were very conveniently unloading their belongings from the moving van, and to be quite frank it sounded like a marching band was helping them from the amount of banging and thumping that was going on.
But it only got worse. I heard my mother’s high pitched voice call over to the newbie’s. I rolled my eyes as I and climbed off my bed and walked over to the side window of my room.
There she was. Standing at our brown wooden fence talking to whom I presumed was the mother. That was the main reason why mum was so excited about the newbie’s, apparently they had two kids roughly the same age as me, and she hoped that they would cure me of my book fetish. They wouldn't.
Turning my mother looked straight at my bedroom window, I was just getting ready to duck out of the way but it was too late, she was already waving at me like a lunatic.
Sighing I made my way downstairs and outside. I put on my best ‘I don’t want to be here’ smile as I walked over to the wooden fence.
“Leah this is Mrs. Anderson-”
“Call me Sarah.” The woman on the other side of the fence smiled.
Sarah looked far too young to be a mum, and much cooler than mine. She had short bright auburn hair that cupped her slender face. Her greens eyes shone as her smile almost touched them.
“She has two kids your age.” My mother said to me, her smile taking over her face as she tried to discreetly nudge me, but making it far too obvious.
Sarah turned to me. “My son Darien is twenty-one, but I have a daughter your age called Tina. From what you’re mum has told me, Tina is going to be going to the same college as you.”
 “That’s good.” I already knew what mum was planning, hoping this girl and I could become friends and that would fix all the crap that had happened to me, to us over this last year. “What is she studying?”
“Preparation and Cooking, she wants to be a chef.” Sarah’s smile was full of pride, something I hadn't seen in my own mother in a long time, almost a year to be exact.
At least this Tina wouldn’t be in any of my lessons. Mum's planning would have to take a different route. “I don’t think she will be in my classes, I’m studying creative writing.”
“Oh that’s a shame I was kind of hoping that you would be able to show her around.” Sarah replied.
I knew what was going to happen before I even had a chance to stop it. My mum quickly suggested that I would still meet Tina at breaks and lunches to keep her company. It was so nice of her to offer my free time on my behalf without even asking me first. But what could I do? So smiling I nodded when Sarah asked if that was OK.
“Where are your kids?” Mum peered over the fence trying to spot them like they were a pair of toddlers hiding somewhere.
“Oh I sent them to the store to get some supplies; they were driving me crazy with all the unpacking at the moment.”
I smirked at the shimmer of disappointment on mums face. Least something was going good for me. Excusing myself, I went back inside the house before mum roped me into helping them unpack or something. I kept my fake smile on until I got safely back inside the house and retreated to my room. I picked up my kindle and started where I left off.
Almost half an hour had past when a car pulled into the drive next door. Curiously I walked back outside to meet who I was going to have to spend my time with. Mum was practically dragging them out of the car when I got there. You’d think she was the one needing friends.
“This is Darien and Tina.” Sarah smiled as the two people got out of the black pick up. She moved to stand between them, her daughter taller than her by a head but her son towered above her, and I found myself having to look up to see his face. “This is Mary and her daughter Leah.” She said indicating to us.
Tina was like a mini version of her mother, she had slightly darker auburn hair but it was longer falling down her back. Her green eyes smiled at you when she looked at you. She was slim and lucky enough to be able to walk in heels, judging by the platforms on her feet. I on the other hand, would break my neck.
Darien looked like a dark knight next to them with his jet black hair that lay flat just above his brown eyes. He was tall; at least 6 foot and well defined from what his tight black t-shirt let you see. Not in a body builder way though, in a just nice way. God was I checking him out?
Tina smiled at us both warmly, while her brother looked me up and down, a look of disappointment and disgust passed his face before he turned and stormed off into the house. What was his problem?
The atmosphere went cold as Sarah shifted uncomfortably watching the door Darien had just disappeared through. “I’m sorry about Darien; he hasn't taken the move very well.”
“He’s always grumpy.” Tina rolled her eyes looking at me.
Hmm, maybe spending time with her wasn't going to be so bad after all.
“Tina.” Sarah said waiting until her daughter looked at her. “Leah has nicely agreed to show you around the college.”
Tina’s eyes lit up as she turned back to me. “Oh thank God I was so worried I was going to be on my own the whole day. Nothing worse than being the new kid.”
“How did you get into the college? The courses have already started.” I asked curiously.       
“I was at college in our old town so they agreed to let me start now instead of waiting until next year.”
All mum had talked about at dinner was Tina; it didn’t bother me that she wanted me to make friends, in fact I understood it. What I didn’t like was her trying to force them down my throat. If Tina were to become friends then it would depend entirely how well we got on, not on how much meddling my mum could do. Besides even if the new girl and me did get on, there was no way in hell I was going to become best friends with her, I had learned that lesson long ago.
Thankful that dinner finally ended I finished my book and submitted my review to my blog. I had a rule never to start a new book right after finishing one. So after nipping mums head for hours she let me borrow the car to go to the supermarket. I kept looking at the speedometer making sure I was always staying within the speed limit – by an easy ten miles per hour –but because I was so excited about the new release of my magazine I felt I was part of a police chase trying to get to the store. How sad.
I walked down the aisle filled with magazines and papers as I looked for ‘Reader’s Weekly’ a magazine I lived by. It told you all the new releases, reviews for books and the recommended best reads, and this week one of my reviews was featuring in it. There was one other person in the aisle and when I looked closer at him I realised it was Tina’s brother, I stood debating with myself if I should speak to him or not. Earlier he hadn’t even said a word to us before storming off into the house, but then they had just moved in, he was probably just tired and Sarah had said he wasn’t happy with the move, and there was my mother not even letting them get settled in before bombarding them for information. Deciding to speak to him I walked over and stood at his side. I waited for him to acknowledge me but after a few moments it was obvious he wasn’t going to.
“You’re Tina’s brother right.” I asked leaning forward slightly to see his face. He was quite a bit taller than me, but then at 5’5 that wasn’t uncommon.
He sighed answering abruptly. “Yes.” Then picked up a magazine about motorbikes, his hair moved to hover over his eyes as he bent his head to inspect the magazine, and I wondered if he was even able to see it. A part of wanted to move the annoying bangs away from his eyes but the thought of him biting my hand off made me hold my hands at bay.
“It’s Darien right?” I asked trying to make conversation.
“Yep...” He sighed again which was really beginning to get on my nerves.
I looked around awkwardly. Thinking of what to talk about would have been a good thing before coming over here. “How do you like living here?” God how lame a question was that? He hadn't even been here twenty four hours.
“I didn't want to live here, but we didn't have a choice, then it was OK when we finally moved in, but there is this girl who lives next door to me and she just doesn't know how to mind her own business.”
I was so shocked that he had said more than one word, that it took me a couple of moments to realize he was talking about me. See mum this is what you get when you try and be nice to people. “Well who shoved arrogance up your ass?”
It may have been my eyes playing tricks on me, but I could have sworn that I seen the smallest smirk in the history of the world appear on his face before it vanished.
“So tell me." Darien placed the magazine back on the stand and turned to stare down at me."Were you born this nosey or is it just me you want to know everything about?”
My mouth dropped open and I wasn't sure if it was from his insult or the hard glare in his eyes as he looked at me. “I am not nosey. I was just trying to make conversation.”
“Yeah..? Well how about you just make like the wind and go.”
What an arrogant pig. I tried my hardest to think of something to say to him but instead I just turned and marched out of the store.
I got back into the car and over dramatically slammed the door shut. He had to be the most obnoxious man I had ever met - not that I had much experience with men. Well only the men in my books really. Since my father had decided it would be good for him to run off with another woman three years ago, I had sworn off men and had made a promise to myself that I would never put myself in a position where I could get my heart broken like my mother had. I groaned and thumped my head against the steering wheel as I realized I hadn't even gotten my magazine, and I sure as hell wasn't going back in there for it.

I'd really appreciate any feed back on this expert :)
Thanks Guys and have a great Christmas and New Year!!!

Thursday 29 November 2012

Release Date

Hey folks :-)

I was hoping to have my first novel released on 13th December. However, sadly due to delays in the cover being ready i am going to have to push it back for a release on the 13th January.
I think this would be the easiest option as it then gives the cover designer more time to finish the work and me more time to do final edits and perhaps add a few more pieces.
I should have the book finished within the next week or two, once this has been done and the story has been edited, i will be sending it to some blogs for them to read and review for the release day.
Also maybe a few sneak peaks as well ;)

I'll keep you guys posted :-)

Serena x

Friday 5 October 2012

Update

Hi Guys!

Just a quick update for you all.

I have made another blog for book reviews i will be doing, as i felt my page here was getting a bit clustered. 
I am still working on my debut novel, the problem with me is that i can't just seem to stick to working on one novel.
I am also working on adding more to my short stories collection on Amazon, and then having the cover changed. 
Hoping to have my first novel out by December.

Thanks guys

Serena 

Monday 23 July 2012

Hey Guys :-)


Because there has been a delay with the release, i thought i would give you all a little teaser. 


This is still unedited at the moment but i hope you all enjoy it and let me know what you think. 


Hoping to have a longer one for you next time ;-)


The room was empty when I awoke, checking that the bathroom was also empty I took some fresh clothes from my bag and walked into the bathroom to change. I found Jack sitting in the arm chair when I came out. He smiled and held up a brown paper bag and a foam cup of coffee. I took the bag from him and looked inside to find it filled with donuts. I loved donuts and he knew that.
“You’re awake.” Jack smiled as he handed me a coffee.
I nodded. “Yes I am awake, and I am going home and I never want to see you again.”  Perhaps I was being harsh, but I wasn’t going to let Jack hurt me like he did three years ago.
Jack sat on the edge of the bed and looked at me, his face full of sadness. “I wish that was an option Sarah I really do.”
I was getting fed up with these games. “And why isn’t it an option Jack?”
His silence proved he wasn’t going to tell me. “You can’t just come back after three years Jack and expect me to do everything you say! Now I’m going home, and you can go….wherever you want.” I screamed as I grabbed my bag and headed for the door.
Jack got up from the bed and jumped in front of the door blocking my way. “Sarah I know this is difficult but trust me.”
I took a deep breath trying to keep calm. “Jack, there is three years worth of anger and pain for you that has built up inside of me and it’s about to explode. So move out of my way before I knock you on your ass.” 

Please comment and let me know what you think.

Sorry it's just a short one at the moment.



Sunday 8 July 2012

Sorry
But there is going to be a delay in the release :-(

Only by a week or so, as my laptop decided not to work again.
 
I'll post when i am ready to release it :-)

Saturday 30 June 2012

Hi Guys!


I have the house to myself for a whole week!!!


It's almost like its me that has gone on holiday.


Anyway, due to the peace and quiet i will now have, i am expecting to have a new ebook release by this Friday!!


The story is called 'On the Run'.


Sarah's brother died and the most important person in her life, her brothers best friend and her boyfriend, tells her he is leaving her on the day of her brothers funeral. 


Three years later the now ex boyfriend, turns up bloodied and beaten, telling Sarah she has to come with him for her own safety but can't tell her why.


Should she trust the man that left her broken and has now put her in danger?




Watch this space for the release update!!






Tuesday 19 June 2012

Hi Guys


Just a little update for you all.
I am almost finished two stories which should be coming out in the next month once i have them edited.
Now today i went up town to get a book and ended up with 6!!! So no one is going to be hearing from me for a while.


The books i got are:
Forsaken by Jana Oliver
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Chocolat by Joanne Harris - The film really made me go get this.
Beautiful Creatures - Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Clockwork Angel - Cassandra Clare
And this is one i have been meaning to read for a long time. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I have seen the films and have always meant to read the books so that is now my next mission.

Once i am finished witht he books i will write a review here for each one. 

Watch this space!!

Serena :-)

Saturday 9 June 2012

Hi Guys

I just wanted to post something about the book i JUST finished literally.

'Easy' By Tammara Webber

This has got to be the best thing i have read since Obsidian!! I actually only started reading because i was bored so decided it would pass the time.
However, i was completely hooked from the first page.
The story is told from Jacqueline's point of view. She followed her long term boyfriend to college, only for him to go and dump her. But that turns out to be the least of her worries.
Then there is Lucas, and all i can say is WOW! He helps Jacqueline become stronger and more independent through the problems she has to face and is someone who is always there for her, but he has secrets of his own he wants to keep from her.
So can she trust him?

This has been one of the too few books i have read where i haven't gotten bored at either the story taking too long to develop or the characters. The main characters and the supporting characters were interesting and funny and i just wanted to keep reading.

A MUST read for everyone who loves a bit or romance .

Serena x

Wednesday 9 May 2012

Working on a lot of new stories at the moment.

Hoping to have two of them out in the next couple of months.

My laptop decided to turn itself back on, I think all my threatening to bin it made it change it's mind.

Anyway I have read a few books over the last few weeks and just wanted to write about them, these are the three that I have liked the most.

They are:

Epic Fail - This is basically a 21st Century version of Pride and Prejudice and it was amazing. It actually surprised me how much i liked it. It was a bit of a tricky story I think because when you are reading it you know who is going to end up with who and what is going to happen. However, the author Claire LaZebnik keeps it entertaining and fun throughout. And I swear you will fall madly in love with Derek who plays the role of Mr. Darcy.

Thoughtless - Well this just blew me away. I have already bought the sequel to it Effortless. Kellan is the kind of man I think we all dream about. But the main problem in the story is Keira is in a relationship with Kellans long time friend Denny. Sometimes these type of plots can get boring for me but i couldn't put this down. It's a must read.

Going Under - I wasn't too surprised at this one to be honest. I thought it was very short and rushed at some parts. Also you saw what was coming and knew what was going to happen so for me it took away that 'WOW' factor which i think we all love in a book. However, the characters were very lovable and i still wanted to finish the story. But I think this could have been an amazing story if more time had been taken with it.

Out of the three Thoughtless has been my favorite so far.

Sunday 6 May 2012

Worst thing happened to me.


My laptop decided it isn't going to work anymore, so i have lost all my saved work from the past few months 
:-(


Also the company are trying to say they won't fix it, even though it is only 6 months old. 


Note to self : In future back up filed on DAILY basis.

Sunday 15 April 2012

Goodreads

Hey guys :-)

Add me on Goodreads to see my reviews of stories and updates of future releases.

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5447231.Serena_Myles

Sunday 1 April 2012

Part of the House and Other Short Stories Downloads

I just wanted to say a MASSIVE thank you to every one who has downloaded my short stories.

OVER 400!!!

I never thought that it would have that many downloads being the first thing I had self published, and i appreciate everyone who has taken time to read them.

Please let me know what you think of the short stories, I would love to hear back from you negative or positive, in my opinion it only makes you a better writer.

Thanks Everyone

Serena xx

Saturday 17 March 2012

FREE

The Short Stories Collection is FREE for five days ONLY on Amazon.
Why don't you give it a try and let me know what you think of it :)
Couldn't hurt :-P

Serena xx

Friday 16 March 2012

FIRST AMAZON PUBLISH!!

I have just posted my collection of short stories on Amazon!!

So excited!!

Please let me know what you think about it :)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=sr_nr_scat_341677031_ln?rh=n%3A341677031%2Ck%3Apart+of+the+house&keywords=part+of+the+house&ie=UTF8&qid=1331928104&scn=341677031&h=98a40560f0779056d08eb452aa936045aa329578#/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=part+of+the+house+serena+myles&rh=n%3A341677031%2Ck%3Apart+of+the+house+serena+myles

Thursday 15 March 2012

Cover Art

I just wanted to post some links to the website of the man i got to do my cover art.
His name is Robert and he is really great to work with, I recommend any new self publishing writers to get in touch with him.

Serena xx

Saturday 18 February 2012

Reviews

I would just like to say a MASSIVE thank you to everyone who has reviewed my short stories. It really has helped me to keep writing.

I will be taking my short stories off smash words and adding them to amazon soon.

Thank you for all your support so far.

Serena

Tuesday 7 February 2012

Part of the House

Hi

I have just published another short story to Smash Words.
Please read and let me know what you think about this. It's one of the darkest stories i have written. So any feed back would be appreciated.

Serena x

Thursday 5 January 2012

The Girl in the Mirror

Hi.

I have posted another short story to smashwords 'The Girl in the Mirror'.

Please read and review it

Serena

Sunday 1 January 2012

A Lonely Ghost Girl update

I have uploaded my very short story to Smashwords, all my short stories are free.
Please read it and let me know what you think of it.

A Lonely Ghost Girl

Hey there.

Hope everyone had a great New Year.
I am hoping to have my first short story available to read by next week.
Its titled "A Lonely Ghost Girl."
Please let me know what you think of it.

Serena.