Fallout \\ Release Day!

Wahooo!! It's release day for my first novel outside of the Hands of Time series----Fallout!

Here's the back cover blurb: 

Four months of torture in an undisclosed location. 

Four months of silence. 

Four months of praying she won’t lose her mind and give away secrets she’s fought so hard to keep. 

Avery Kent escapes with her life, but she is pursued deep into the heart of the British Columbia wilderness by the men who almost took her life—and shattered her mind. 

After wandering for two days in the mountains, she stumbles upon a cabin—but little does she know that the man inside is not the sheltering protector he claims to be. 

Haunted by his past, former CAF soldier Dakota Fontaine is trying to mind his business and keep his head down when a woman stumbles onto his property and collapses, wearing only a hospital gown and a tattered sweater. 

As he nurses the battered woman back to health, he wonders at the way she talks in her sleep but won’t say a word when she’s awake. But Dakota knows better than most that the art of coercion isn’t always violent. Torture isn’t the only way to ferret out a person’s secrets, and he is confident of one thing; Avery Kent will confide in him, one way or another. 

Just as Avery begins to trust Dakota, an unlikely encounter sends her fleeing back into the heart of the city where it all began. 

On the hunt to collect the stash of lethal evidence that will take down her attackers, once and for all, the flashbacks grow stronger, and her grip on reality continues to falter. 

Avery knows the chances of losing her mind before she can bring down her captors, are high—and deadly—and she’s not up to the challenge. 

But she’ll die trying. 

Where to buy Fallout? 

Amazon, naturally, where you can find it in both Kindle & Paperback form (both are linked, so just click on the one you want). 
**For the first few weeks, Fallout is also priced super low at $11.99 for the paperbacks, $2.99 for the ebook version! I mean, what's not to like about that? You can get a super wild ride of a read, for practically the price of two Starbucks's drinks!**

Phew! That was an intense ride of writing, editing, and getting Fallout into the hands of readers, in just over a year! To date, I've never completed a project so fast--and it felt like a crazy whirlwind, but the good kind. 

You know when the first idea for Fallout was sparked? 

Well, I'd just finished reading Lynette Noni's 'Whisper' and I was gobsmacked--in a good way--and my imagination started floating down the plot river of a woman who doesn't speak, but has this crazy intense secret (because that is the premise of Whisper). Obviously, I'd read Whisper and how Noni took that plot in the direction she did, but I thought to myself--"There are SO MANY PLOT POSSIBILITIES coming from a mute woman with secrets" so what did I do? I started brainstorming, and--BAM! Fallout was born. 

I love how inspiration begets inspiration! So thanks, Lynette, for piquing my interest and, #1--writing Whisper & blowing my mind, and #2--giving me that one-line inspiration to write an entire book, just from the "mute woman with crazy secrets" concept. 

That's all for now! If you read Fallout, make sure to leave a rating and/or review on Amazon & Goodreads--those make me so happy. 

And for those of you who like videos, I made one of those for you too! Tadaaaaa :) 
Much love, 
-Ashley Nikole

Do I write Christian Fiction?

Today I'm going to share a little bit about my reading and writing journey. 

In writing this blog post I know I'm most likely going to disappoint some of the ones reading it. What I'm going to say in this post is not meant to bash anyone. It's my personal opinion on the matter, and contrary to popular belief, just because I disagree with someone or the way they do a particular thing, doesn't mean I hate them. 

That being said, let's get to the questions and answers! 

I'm a spiritual person--not a religious one, but spiritual, yes. 

I believe in Jesus, the Trinity (God the Father, Son & Holy Spirit). We have a relationship, we talk. I believe in God communicating with me through dreams (dude--do I love those), through the Bible and through people. I'm a fairly prophetic person as well. I believe in healing the sick, raising the dead--and yes, casting out demons, as it says in Matthew 10:8. 

But anywho, I'll not get into a lengthy theological spiel. That's just some of the stuff I believe.

So that would beg the question--if you write fiction, does that mean you write Christian Fiction? 

Answer? No. I don't write Christian Fiction. 

Why? Well, I'll give you a bit of a backstory. 

I grew up reading Christian fiction, (I'll refer to it hereafter as CF) simply because I didn't like getting blasted with sex scenes and lots of language and morals that didn't line up with mine. 

That being said, I can (and do) enjoy books, films and the like where the morals don't line up with mine 100% (there's a limit to that concept, but we're not talking about that today), but ya know, "birds of a feather flock together"--I just liked reading stuff that more closely resembled my values. 

And I truly do appreciate certain aspects of CF, like the aforementioned morals and values being similar to my own. I like how CF can sometimes go deeper than the typical mainstream fiction book. I like that instead of getting totally hung up on just the physical aspects of something and calling that the end-all-be-all, deeper things/aspects are searched out and that's cool. 

I respect that you don't get blasted with sex left, right and centre. I love people falling in love in all its glorious aspects, but I don't like getting 99 steps of foreplay and actually getting a front row seat to the act of sex like I'm the one doing it. I don't like that, in books or movies. 

I really do appreciate that generally, CF tends towards keeping the graphic sexual stuff off the radar. I'm a grateful reader for these aspects of CF. 

What drove me somewhat batty (and still does) about CF is the preaching. Whether that be the salvation message or regarding a character's blossoming--or floundering relationship with God. I'm a Christian and I don't like getting preached at. I love being inspired and uplifted. Preached at? Not so much. 

If the salvation message being crammed down my throat is distasteful to me as a believer, I honestly don't know how it is going to be palatable to someone who doesn't know Jesus personally. 

I've always felt that faith and sharing the gospel is a very personal thing. I don't think it's a blanket answer thing, or a one-size fits all--and that's primarily why I don't enjoy reading preaching sessions in books, or characters getting their relationships with Jesus back on track in the middle of a gripping story. It just doesn't seem to ring true when I read it. And I really dislike faith and personal relationships with Jesus being treated like a mathematical equation. 

I'm not saying there isn't a place for the gospel in fiction, but the way I've seen the majority of Christian authors do it just rubs me the wrong way. 

I've spent time outside the institutionalized church and have gotten an "outsiders" perspective of the way the church does things, rather opening my eyes to how tacky we can come across to people who don't share our beliefs. 

And no, I don't believe in "being so morally and spiritually fluid that we are attractive to ALL PEOPLE" and "everything goes"--cause it doesn't and there are rights and wrongs and boundaries and all that, but I am saying I'm not necessarily in favour of how Christians (and our relationships with God) are being portrayed in this genre of fiction. 

I've read hundreds of Christian books, and the number of times I was touched by the spiritual content or a character working out their relationship with God, I can probably count on one hand. One hand. Usually I skim through the spiritual parts because they aggravate me. They seem tacky and trite and don't answer the burning questions I have deep within me--so I'd much rather the author not address a subject they don't have adequate, soul-rending (and mending) answers for. Perhaps they answer some people's questions and mend some hearts, but I've almost never found myself ministered to by the spiritual content in a book. I very often find myself frustrated. 

When deciding what camp I was going to find myself in when I released my novel, I asked myself several questions, one of which was...would I rather find myself judged and hated by a non-Christian, or judged and hated by a Christian? 

It seems like the answer would be obvious--until you've felt the sting of religious ridicule. 

I would, any day, take a furious non-Christian over a furious Christian. Why? 

Because non-believers usually [and I say usually because that is (usually) what I've encountered, but that doesn't go for everyone] state the facts, freakout, and if they hate something, they hate it and are usually pretty upfront about it. 

But if a Christian hates something, whoa. Look out for bible verses to be used as swords and fire-breathing theology dragons to be fired up-- there's someone who certainly must be boiled alive in a bubbling cauldron of oil for their indiscretions. There's much by the way of philosophy that has been twisted to fit people's immature, warped sense of character that is presented as the religiously correct thing. 

Christians can (and do) bully, but they put on their "righteous" robes when they do it and think themselves holy martyrs who are defending the faith. 

When non-Christians bully, it's just, quite obviously, bullying. But when a Christian does it, it looks HOLY but smells FISHY. 

Which is truly quite sad. 

I contemplated not saying this because I didn't want to look like the "Big-Bad-Rebellious Christian" who is dissenting and criticizing the bride of Christ and ruining our unity. That's not my intention. It's just apart of my story and why I don't feel called to write Christian fiction.

I don't have a grudge against my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. I love them to bits. 

And by the way, the aforementioned bullies are not representing Jesus as they should and as they claim. They are representing their own immaturity, masked in theology that was never meant to be twisted and used in a selfish, warmongering capacity. But, as in any group, there are people who claim to be glorious and for the cause, when they're just trying to elbow everyone out of their way that makes them feel insecure. You'll find those people everywhere (in the church, outside the church--literally everywhere), they can just be quite particularly scary when they start using theology to defend their immaturity, lol.

When I started writing fiction, my goal was never to save souls or preach the gospel. 

I know most Christians who write fiction think that it's their spiritual duty to evangelize through their writing. If they truly feel passionate about sharing Jesus with people, I think that's cool. Passion is contagious! I don't know how that will translate into fiction, as I've not really seen it done in a way that felt natural when I read it, but you know, I believe it CAN be done. I haven't necessarily seen it, but I'm open to seeing it done well! 

And just because I'm not expressly sharing about Jesus, left right and centre in my books doesn't mean I'm not passionate about Him and sharing my faith with people who are curious about it. Quite the opposite, but like I said, I don't feel called to lay out the gospel in fiction. It would feel unnatural and insincere to me. 

Once, several years ago I was writing a scene and the thought popped into my head, "You know, this is usually where they have a preaching moment. I feel like I'd be a bad writer if I didn't do my duty and put it in here, so let me insert XYZ right about...here." After a while, I came back to that scene and couldn't believe how fake and unnatural it felt. 

But in the same breath, I felt as though I was doing society a disfavour by not sharing "the message" in my books, but when I really questioned why I felt I had to put "the message" in there, it was because I felt like I'd be a "bad Christian" if I DIDN'T put it in there. Because that was how everyone was just taught to do it. Share even if no one asked. Because if you don't, there are several people who won't get to heaven, cause YOU. DIDN'T. SHARE. THE. MESSAGE. 

I discovered that was the religious guilt trip of the year, and I sure as all get-out was NOT going to share something as amazing as Jesus or Heaven or my overall faith, because I felt guilted or duty-bound to do it. YIKES! 

Jesus doesn't force Himself on people. And I won't share about Him when I don't feel the Holy Spirit prompting me to do it. And that's why I don't give "the message" in my books. I don't feel the Spirit telling me to. 

Jesus taught largely in parables. That ministers to my soul and I'll tell you something--God speaks to me through seemingly non-spiritual content A TON. 

In movies, in books, where simple human interaction upon human interactions just smacks me upside the head and God speaks to me at that moment so strongly it makes me weep. 

In the media, I find metaphors are more powerful than the total truth of the matter at about 100% throttle. I prefer the truth at about 100% throttle when I'm talking with someone face-to-face about something. In fiction and movies, I am moved deeply by metaphors. 

Ray Hughes said, "Metaphors are the crowbars that open the doors to truth. If you kick it down it might overwhelm everyone, but if you pry it open..." bam. That quote resonates deeply within me. And since I am moved by metaphors, and Jesus used metaphors when He taught, I take that as my cue--that's what imma gonna do when I write books. That feels natural to me. I believe in imparting wisdom and truth through riddles, rhymes and parables. The truth is no less true because it is masked in a concept or a figure of speech. 

My goal in writing has always been to...

1) Entertain my readers. That's always no. 1

2) Present the grittiness of life in a raw, vulnerable and honest way

3) To instil hope in readers, every time they pick up one of my books 

4) To portray a journey of healing that is believable and cathartic to those reading it

5) Instil hope--AGAIN, cause in this world it is an easy thing to lose and life is a sad place without it

6) Teach people how to grieve. This one is (as they all are) obviously quite personal to me. With the things I've experienced, grief has been something I've encountered frequently in my life, and I've found that most people just don't know how to grieve. I want so badly to show readers it is a natural thing, not something to fear and is actually there to help us through seasons in life. 

Those six things are engraved deeply upon my soul, and I'll tell you something, they feel very natural to write about. Writing, for me, has always been about healing. It's not an escape, it's an avenue of healing, and yes, entertainment! But always fundamentally coming back to healing and instiling hope. So no, I don't write CF, I write in the mainstream/general market. 

I dig deep when I write, sometimes things get more intense than they would in a CF novel, and that's one of the reasons I decided to write mainstream fiction. I wanted to be allowed to go deep and raw, to colour outside the lines that would be permissible within CF. 

At times I use strong language in my writing. Not the F-Bomb or taking God's name in vain, but words like "damn, hell, ass, bastard and shit." Those words are harsh and strong. I don't use them lightly when I do. I use them intentionally because using normal language wouldn't fully express the situation or moment like I want it to. I want my writing to be raw and gritty, not polished and perfect and pretty. That sometimes involves using words that will make certain readers uncomfortable. 

I've had readers tell me they won't buy or recommend my writing because of the 10 strong words spread throughout a book of mine, while others have said it made the experience far rawer and impacted them on a deeper level because I included them. 

Sometimes I include sensual references or innuendo's that wouldn't fly in CF. I don't throw these references blithely into my writing, just as I don't toss language around like a toy. If you're wondering--no--I don't do sex scenes in my writing. I'm not that writer and it's simply not an experience I'll provide my readers with. 

Because of my spiritual beliefs, the majority of people I know, assume I write CF. 

If you were confused, curious or just wanted to know, now you do. I write in the mainstream/general market because I have a specific goal in mind. I don't want to reach ONLY Christians. I want to reach everyone, regardless of what they believe. I don't want to preach a certain message and get harped on for not doing a good job of it. Though that's not the only reason I decided to write in the general market. 

I weave my beliefs and principles into my writing (naturally) with parables instead of hard, cold facts. But if hard, cold facts are a person's style in writing fiction, that's great--I only sincerely hope it comes across to readers as natural--not information shared in an obligatory capacity. 

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the long-ish answer to the burning question...

"Do I write Christian Fiction?"

When they come back...

There's a wonderful relationship, platonic or romantic. It's the most amazing, wonderful thing you have ever experienced, then something happens. For one or many reasons, these two go from being "two people" to "one person" and "one person". 

In circumstances where one party is abusive and the other has done nothing to provoke/create or deserve this malevolence- either physically, spiritually or emotionally, usually, all you have is a gaping void of pain. 

Oftentimes there is no reconciliation, no "I was wrong and caused you unimaginable pain and I am sorry". The abuser remains a danger to you and they don't right the wrongs they have caused. Sad as it is, that is oftentimes the reality of relationships gone south. 

If you've experienced the pain of someone you once loved (or do love) very deeply, you know how painful it is when a good thing turns into a very bad, harmful thing. 

However, I wanted to depict in one of my books how it would look to have a relationship that was beyond messed up, become whole and healthy once again. 

In one of the books I'm currently working on, (no title as of yet. It is a Contemporary Romantic Suspense) my MC Devri Harper finds herself in need of a bodyguard and unbeknownst to her, her ex-husband is sent to protect her. 

Throughout the book, Devri works through her relationship with her ex-husband, Jonathan (yes, I will most likely be changing his name, cause hello Jonathan Dreggs from Present History- but bear with me, haha) & the mark that his substance abuse- and at times, physical abuse, had on her during their marriage that still affects her, even now. (and no, he's not the love interest in this book. Val Arden gets that privilege.)

I wanted to show what it looks like to have the once-abusive party actually come back to the one they hurt, stick it out with them through the ugliness that their actions caused and rebuild the bridge of trust, not simply expecting the other party to "get over it". 

It's a beautiful thing, seeing someone rebuild a bridge they destroyed. Truly. I don't see it happen often, but wow- it is incredibly bittersweet and healing. 

So I decided I'd share a scene with Devri & Jonathan for those of you eager to read something new before Phantom's Daughter is released this coming Summer! 

Devri Harper | Untitled | Coming Winter 2019

Harper didn’t know what brought her out of the dream until she could feel someone watching her. She opened her eyes and saw Jonathan standing over her, face stricken. Although the old feeling of terror crawled over her skin, it left swiftly as it came. Jonathan wasn’t drugged out of his mind. He wasn’t going to hurt her, but it seemed that her very existence caused him pain. He blinked and stepped back. “Sorry, I-“ 

“It’s okay.” She moved to sit up, but a cramp forced her back down with a wince. Jonathan lurched forward, then stepped back, clearly wanting to help but knowing it wouldn’t be received well. 

“Would you…sit with me for a minute?” she asked.

Surprise flickered across his face before he nodded and pulled up a footstool. 

“How are you feeling?” he asked, his tone oddly stilted. Interactions were awkward for both of them, and rightly so. 

“I’ve had better days,” she admitted. “How’s your ankle?” 

“Strained, they tell me, and swollen to the size of a baseball- but with some icing I should be fine.” 

Harper moved to sit up, but Jonathan held her shoulder’s in place against the pillows. “I can get the ice, darlin’.” Soon as the last word escaped his mouth, he paled ever so slightly. “I’m sorry. Force of habit.” He sighed. 

To her surprise, Harper wasn’t frustrated at the slip. It was strange, how in the space of twenty-four hours, her feelings about someone could change so drastically. 

“It’s not as though you can snap your fingers and change the fact that we were married,” she said, feeling the grief coming off him in waves. 

“They say it takes time,” she whispered, not sure why she was so dang emotional. Until she’d met Val, she couldn’t even remember the last time she’d cried. Or maybe that was why- she was used to being the only person to look out for herself, and when someone else started to- her reserves started to show. As did her brokenness. Because, for seemingly the first time in her life, she didn’t have to be the strong one. 

“I truly am sorry, Harper. For all the pain I caused you,” Jonathan said, tears filling his eyes. 

It took her aback, seeing him cry. Somehow, it didn’t look strange on Val, even though she’d only seen him cry once. Jonathan liked to keep everything locked away. He didn’t do messy. 

Or, maybe like her, he’d changed significantly in the last few years. 

Harper reached over and brushed away his tears with her thumb, then took his hand in hers. 

“I forgive you,” she whispered. 

Not in her wildest dreams could she have imagined Jonathan coming to her and asking her forgiveness. Not once, but twice. 

“Let it go, Jonathan.” She squeezed his hand, wishing he would look her in the eye, but knowing his dignity wavered.

“I can’t let it go,” he said, voice tight. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive myself for what I did to you. I was so messed up I don’t even remember most of it. 

Doesn’t mean I didn’t do it. It doesn’t mean you didn’t suffer at my hands,” he whispered, his tears falling onto their hands. 

It was the strangest thing, but she didn’t want to hurt him anymore. She certainly had, at one point. She’d been mad enough that she’d wanted to murder her husband for what he’d done to her. 

But now…after seeing how his actions had not only affected her, but him…the anger was gone. Maybe it would return, but for the moment, she felt nothing but…love. Not in a romantic sense, but in a way she couldn’t quite describe. 

She sat up and scooted closer, her knees brushing against his thigh, his doing the same with hers. He still wouldn’t look at her, his shame so tangible in the air. 

“Jonathan.” She gently worked her fingers through his hair, then lifted his chin with her other hand. The regret in his eyes stole her breath and brought tears to her eyes. 

“A year ago if you had’ve put a gun in my hands with you in front of it, I might have killed you. I certainly wanted to.” Her brows pinched together. “I’m not in denial. I worked through my feelings, deadly as they were…but I don’t want to punish you, and…” Her voice caught. “I don’t want you to punish yourself. Not for my sake.” Their foreheads pressed together and she was brought back to the time, just before they’d divorced, when, for a few hours, everything had seemed like it was heaven. 

She’d never wished that she could go back and change what happened between them, only that she had never met Jonathan. 

Now, she wished that somehow things could have been different. But there was no undoing the past, no going back. Only forward. 

A deep yearning struck her, for Jonathan? For their marriage? It wasn’t desire, rather something more bittersweet, something she knew existed, not to be fulfilled, but to be acknowledged. 

One look into Jonathan’s eyes and she knew he felt the yearning, but also desire. Desire that he loathed himself for feeling. 

“We can’t go back and undo anything, we have to move forward.” 

“I don’t think that’s going to work, Dev,” Jonathan said, jaw clenched tight. 

“Why won’t you look at me?” 

His eyes met hers, fire burning there. “Because if I look at you, I’ll smother with guilt that I can do nothing to absolve-“ 

“I told you-“ 

“I’ll never be able to punish myself enough, for my sake. Let alone yours. And while your feelings towards me have clearly and, might I add- rightfully changed, my feelings towards you are…” He motioned to himself, then her, disgust lacing his words. “Not at all platonic.” He shoved to his feet, looking all the caged tiger ready to run. 

“Jonathan-“ She stood. 

“No, please-“ He held a hand out. “I’m leaving, because if I don’t…I’ll do something I’ll very much regret.” 

“Regret?” She stepped toward him. 

“Yes!” he shouted, chest heaving. 

“I’m sorry.” He closed the distance between them, pulled her against his chest and planted a kiss on the crown of her head, then stepped back, looking anywhere but at her. “I’m trying to be good, Dev.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Please don’t tempt me,” he said hoarsely, then fled the room. 

****

It's a tricky thing, addressing the issue of abused relationships being mended. 

Of course, each different relationship is different- not all things can be healed without a literal creative miracle. 

But I so desperately wanted to (and still do) want to depict a relationship that was very broken, beyond dead and was resurrected and made whole. 

In the case of Devri and her ex-husband Jonathan, they couldn't go back and remarry and "pick up where they left off" which is challenging because there is irrevecable loss. But, despite the bittersweet pains of the loss, there might...or might not be healing to be had for both of them. 

We'll have to wait and see until Harper's book is released in a year or so! 

****

If you're looking for something to read in the meantime, be sure to add Present History to your TBR list on Goodreads! 

If you're looking to buy a copy, they are now available on Amazon in Paperback and Kindle. For those of you subscribed to Kindle Unlimited or Kindle Owners Lending Library for those of you who have Prime! 

It's out | Where to buy

Release day has come!! 

Sooo...for those of you dying to get your hands on a copy...let me give you the skinny! 

You can get it a few ways, as both a Paperback & Kindle...

1) On Amazon. 💻

It's $15.99 on there for my U.S. readers and $20.41 for us lovely Canadians.

I wanted it to be $19.99 on both stores, but I couldn't set the price manually on both sites. It's all based on the American price, which then does the conversion rate for the Canadian site. If I put the list price on the U.S. store below $15.80 I wouldn't be getting any royalty whatsoever, so I just said, "well, I'm sure my Canadian readers can handle the extra forty cents I wanted so desperately to save them" haha :) 

2) As a Kindle. (also linked & clickable)📱

I know lot's of you love reading on your phone, tablet etc. so this is for you! 

Also, for those of you enrolled in the KU or KDP Select program on Kindle, you can currently get Present History for free as apart of the "subscription". It is $9.99 regularly, so you can get it either by being enrolled in the program or just buying it straight up & glorious. 

Here are the links for if you live in the...

UNITED STATES 

CANADA

UNITED KINGDOM

GERMANY

FRANCE

SPAIN

If I didn't list your country- just click on one of these links and the site should automatically detect your country and ask to redirect you to the appropriate store. 

Note: For those of you who are saying, "Yikes. I don't have a Kindle device- I can't read the ebook version of her book!" Fear not. You don't have to have an actual "Kindle" device. You just have to download the Kindle App, which I believe is available for both Apple & PC devices. Just google "kindle app (insert what operating software you have- i.e., Apple or PC)" It's a free app and basically just allows you to read Kindle files. 

INTERNATIONAL READERS ⤵

My advice to you would be...search your country's Amazon for "Present History Ashley Nikole" and see what you get. If the list price is inordinately high, it's either because the exchange rate is positively unfair, or the listing is not yet completely built. I've read that sometimes it takes up to 6 weeks for certain international listings to be completed.

Or, you can simply buy the Kindle version. It's not a book-you-can-hold-in-your-hands-book, but nonetheless, you still get the full novel, just electronically. 

That about concludes this post- let me know if you guys have any questions! Also, once you've read Present History, please make sure to go on Amazon & rate and review it, also on Goodreads as well! That helps me in so many ways. 

I'll leave you with a few lovely photos my sister @LauriciaDawn took of my book! Feast yer eyes 😂😜

GIVEAWAY for Present History on Goodreads

The release date for Present History is inching closer and closer (5 days!!!) and to celebrate, I'm giving away 3 signed, first edition copies of Present History to 3 lucky people. The giveaway is happening on Goodreads, so if you don't have an account on there and want to be apart of this, be sure to set one up! Its very simple.

| Giveaway is available in Canada & the US and ends on the 19th of November.

Enter by clicking here and be sure to share with your friends!

And in case you need a little incentive *wink wink* here are three reasons why you should enter...

➊ Its FREE

➋ You'll have an amazing new book to read

➌  Its gorgeous and looks absolutely fabulous in pictures ;)

| All pictures taken by @LauriciaDawn |

As always, thanks so much for sharing your support and excitement with me surrounding the release of PH.
It brings me joy!
OCTOBER 25th is coming soon, guys!!

-Ashley

Present History is GETTING PUBLISHED!! | Cover Reveal

I'm getting published. 

Squeeeee!!!!! *cue celebratory music blaring*

I have been working towards this day for over a decade (literally), but quite feverishly the last two years, and almost insanely the last year. Let me just say, from the bottom of my heart...yikes. What a

process this has been! 

I feel as though I've encountered almost every alluvion known to humankind in the formatting department- but I PREVAILED. And when I say "almost every", I mean, "every single one and about one-hundred more that no one even knew existed", haha. Yeah. 

I have cried more consecutive days in a row from formatting disasters than I think I ever have (not from formatting disasters, cause before this I didn't know what a a formatting disaster was. The closest thing I can compare this to is a high-school math meltdown, but worse). 

But it has been worth it. Every single hour spent writing, refining, polishing and formatting Present History has been worth it. 

I can't wait to get this book into your hands!

When is it coming? Good. question. 

Thanks for asking :) Present History will be released, OCTOBER 25th, 2017

It will be coming out in Paperback, Kindle and ePub format. You'll be able to buy it directly from my online store on Createspace, and also from Amazon. If you're local to the Calgary, Alberta or surrounding area, I will have a limited number of signed copies available for pickup. 

I will put the links for where you can buy it once I get them sorted. In the meantime, you can add Present History to your TBR (to be read) list on Goodreads. So, click here for that! 

A big thank you to everyone who has supported me through this journey of publishing my first book. From my beta readers and readers on Wattpad who left the sweetest comments and helped me finetune several plot details that were dying a sad, unconnected, confusing death...THANK YOU! Especially Francesca B. & Rachel R. on Wattpad- you ladies brightened many a day with your interactions! 

SPREAD THE WORD. 

If you wanna help a girl out, share about Present History. Tell your friends who love fiction that it is coming out! Give them the link to add it to their Goodreads list. I will be doing a giveaway on there, too, so stay tuned! Do some Instagramming, Facebooking or just some good old-fashioned blabbing to your co-workers, school buddies & friends, letting them know that a) Present History is coming out SOOON or b) if you've read an ARC (advance reading copy) of Present History, that you liked, lumped or were basically crazy about it. 

I need (and am incredibly grateful for) your help!! 

Who is ready? I am. Are you? 

Character Sketches | Part 2 | Phantom's Daughter | Hands Of Time series #2

Hey ho, #HandsOfTime series peeps! 

Last week I shared some character sketches for book one in the series, Present History. Today, I will be continuing in revealing some character sketches, but this time it will be from book 2 in the series- Phantom's Daughter! 

Let us begin with a summery of this book...

Ebony Hunter has been an outlaw for as long as she can remember. Her memory, however, doesn't go back more than a few years. Some event erased her memory- she has no idea who she really is...how she got tangled with the outlaw gang called Phantom- or ended up on the wrong side of the law. 

When she discovers her pursuer, U.S. Marshal Ethan Fellows is someone from her mysteriously shrouded past, the clock is ticking. Can she escape Phantom before her life is claimed in the process? Who is Ethan, and why does he know her past but will reveal nothing to her- save his intentions to lock her away or see her swinging from the hangman's noose? 

Setting: Oregon 1895

Ebony Hunter North (Hunter) 

Location: Oregon, USA (1895)

Age: 23

Occupation: Outlaw & Co-Leader of Phantom

Hair Colour: Dark Brown

Eye Colour: Brown

Height: 5'7''

Ethan Fellows

Age: 28

Occupation: U.S. Marshal

Hair Colour: Light Brown 

Eye Colour: Blue 

Height: 6'2''

Character Comments: Ethan doesn't discriminate...he just hates everybody. Just kidding ;) He's actually a very nice guy, but his history has made him a little rough around the edges. 

Jackson James Dewar (Jack)

Age: Unknown 

Occupation: Outlaw

Hair Colour: Blond

Height: 5'11''

Eye Colour: Green

This guy has made an appearance in book 1 (under the name James Dewar), now book 2- so if you're wondering about his contemporary-ness, don't worry, he was fully 21st century in Present History. How he makes it around from time period to time period is a mystery that will be slowly unraveled as time goes on. 

Terrence North 

Age: 42

Occupation: Phantom's Leader & Famous Outlaw

Hair Colour: Dark Brown

Height: 6'

Eye Colour: Ebony

Character Comments: Ebony Hunter North's father. 

Dan Heeler 

Age: 37

Occupation: Outlaw

Height: 5'11''

Eye Colour: Brown

Hair Colour: Ash Brown

Howie Robertson

Age: 45

Occupation: U.S. Marshal (Scottish)

Hair Colour: Brown 

Eye Colour: Green

Character Comments: Howie is a supporting cast member in Present History (book 1), as you'll know if you've seen Present History's Character Sketches! He originally hailed from Oregon in 1895, so that's why he's another supporting cast member in this story. He and Ethan work together as U.S. Marshal's. 

There we are! Now you have a basic idea of the main characters. What'd'ya think? 

Below are more story inspired photographs I found searching on pinterest and tumblr :)

Read a SNEAK PEEK of Phantom's Daughter on Wattpad, here's the link. Make sure to comment on how you liked it & also vote- it helps me get more exposure and new readers :) 

Until next time! Makes sure to follow along on IG: @ToAshleyNikole