indie author | Katstiles

Cover Reveal for Modified Volume 3!!!

December 5, 2017 By Kat

I’m so excited to share with you the cover for the latest installment of my Modified series, Volume 3. I was fortunate enough to get the talented artist Jasper Yu again, to bring my vision of the cover to life. For this cover, we finally get to see Steve, the hot Brit who initially kidnapped Kate. I’m thrilled with how it turned out—both the cover and the story. 🙂

Volume 3 finds Kate freaking out once more about accidentally killing someone with her power—this time, her lover. Vi tries to console her, but when things heat up, Kate’s afraid she’ll hurt her too. Steve appears, saying he wants to help, but his intentions become apparent when he teleports Kate to the lair of the mastermind behind the modifications.

I enjoyed writing this installment, as the others, but this one was fun because it really brought out Kate’s personality and attitude, when she encountered the main villain. It’s due out shortly, I just sent it to the publisher today. I’ll be sure to setup a page for it and post another blog once it’s live.

So without further ado, here’s the cover for Modified, Volume 3!

Please comment below, let me know what you think! 🙂

5 Stars for All the Broken Places by indie author Anise Eden

October 26, 2016 By Kat

To say I LOVED this indie fiction is an understatement. Her characterization and writing style is detailed yet engaging. Cate is flawed and easy to relate to. Her relationships in the book were original – I love that she didn’t give us the old boy meets girl romance plot line, but instead provided something more complex. But most of all, I love the powers in this book. Her treatment of the various abilities is clearly based on research. I know Reiki, and the way she described it was accurate without going overboard on the spiritual side, perfect for those new to it. Indie author Anise Eden is definitely one of my new favorite authors and I’ve added her to my Favorite Indie Reads page. Kudos for bringing spirituality into fiction without scaring away the reader! What an excellent, fun read. 🙂

Check it out on Amazon, you won’t be disappointed!

SPR gives Connected 4 Stars!

June 27, 2016 By Kat

Just got my review back from Self-Publishing Reviews (SPR), and they gave Connected 4 stars! So excited, the review has a few negatives but most of it’s positive. The only thing that had me baffled was the typos – I thought I caught most of them.

Here’s the full review:

“Connected by Kat Stiles is an entertaining paranormal escape for young adult readers.

Emily is a high school student who doesn’t feel like she fits in. To make matters worse, Em discovers she has a special power. Fortunately, she isn’t alone and her best friend Roz has her own gift. Tommy, the boy Em likes, seems to be different as well. When people in their town start to die, Em, Roz, and Tommy join forces to find a murderer.

The theme in Connected is intriguing and inspirational for younger readers in a world that is becoming increasingly more disconnected. Em and Tommy are portrayed as outcasts right from the start, while Roz’s beauty sets her apart as well. Emily, at first, doesn’t see her ability as a positive:

I got enough strange looks from people without them knowing about my ‘gift.’ If they ever found out…I’d get the freak of the year award for sure.

However, the three of them band together and find strength through their relationship, which is a powerful message. High school, no matter if you’re a jock, loner, popular, or geek to name a few types, is a difficult time for everyone. And more than likely, most high school students feel alone at some point. Reading about three teens who discover something different and scary about themselves and turning to their friends for support is fantastic, and drives home the point to young readers that no matter what, they aren’t completely alone.

Each of the three main characters is unique, however the narrative is told from Em’s perspective. She’s a difficult character to pin down. Since she’s been bullied by classmates, she comes across as meek. Furthermore, Em’s sister and mother aren’t the most supportive. The reader wants to cheer Em on, however, she struggles finding her voice, which can be frustrating for readers who like to see more personal growth, even in the first book of a series.

The writing is straightforward and intended for a younger audience. There are some pesky typos that are distracting. Certain plotlines could have been tightened or cut to make for a more seamless and captivating read. While the book blurb and cover illustrate the paranormal aspects of the novel, the budding romance between Em and Tommy hijacks the story and dampens the excitement of the trio hunting a serial killer.

That said, the author does an excellent job of dangling enough plot elements for a future book or books in the series, such as the strained relationship between Em and her father. The mystery around the father is alluded to, but never fully explained and it seems that the author plans to explore the relationship more in depth in the next book.

Also, the reader may wonder how many more in the Texas town have special powers. Will Em, Roz, and Tommy have to fight off more evildoers who wield their gift for personal gain? It’ll be interesting to see how the author develops this aspect.

Connected is the perfect book for young adults who enjoy paranormal aspects coupled with a sweet romance. Stiles has crafted a novel that is intriguing and opens the door to what promises to be a thrilling series.” 4 Stars

And here’s the cool picture they sent:

So I’m happy overall, and hoping this helps with the sales a little. 🙂

May Giveaway: Indie Gem Shadowed Strength by Wendi Wilson

May 6, 2016 By Kat

For the merry month of May, my indie digital book giveaway features the amazing YA paranormal romance, Shadowed Strength by Wendi Wilson.

**UPDATE: I’m now giving away 3 copies of Shadowed Strength!!! Be sure to sign up for my newsletter by May 31st 7PM CST to enter**

YA Paranormal Romance Shadowed Strength Book Cover — Love the new Cover! Click to get more info on Amazon

This book is exactly what I like to read: superpowers, a likeable underdog heroine, and a sweet romance.

Here’s an excerpt from my Amazon review: “Wow. I just devoured this book, finishing it in a single day. Wendi’s writing style is exactly what I like to read: enough description to let you picture the scene, with steady pacing and great characterization. Add the super powers, nefarious villain, and first love…how could I not be hooked?

I really appreciated the fact that Wendi didn’t give us the typical hot-but-she-doesn’t-realize-it, perfectly proportioned heroine. Melanie has flaws and she’s noticeably insecure. I love that she has to work through her doubts and learn that she is beautiful, even if she isn’t a size two.

I also loved that I was able to connect so easily with the characters, and in particular the main protagonist. The way she wrote it felt more like first person than third person, which is a rare experience for me.”

You might call me a fan. 🙂 I thought it would be fun to do a Q and A with Wendi, so you can get to know the fun and wonderful person I now call a friend. Enjoy!

1) What was the inspiration behind the Shadowed Series?

Wendi Wilson in marching band uniform — Portrait of a Band Geek, circa 2000. I too was a band geek, but all my pics have mysteriously vanished 🙂

When I was in 10th or 11th grade, there was this boy who sat behind me in Biology. One day, and I don’t remember how the subject came up, he told me he had written some books and submitted them to a publisher, but the publisher told him he wasn’t ready. Something switched on inside me after that conversation. I grabbed a yellow legal pad and a pencil and started writing. I created Melanie, who was basically me. I gave her all my insecurities, my sense of humor, my low sense of self-esteem. I gave her my crush on one of my best friends. I made something terrible happen to her and made her overcome. I made her strong. I made her loved.

Many years later, I looked for that yellow legal pad and couldn’t find it. It had been lost after my move from my mother’s home. I sat down with a spiral notebook and attempted to rewrite it from memory. Eventually, I got a computer and started typing it out. This is when the paranormal aspect was added in. I had read Twilight and fell in love with paranormal romance. The rest is history!

2) It’s no secret that your book contains dogs. Are you a fan of dogs, do you have any at home?

I do love dogs. I do not, however have any. Unfortunately, though I love him dearly, my husband is NOT a dog person. I’ll wear him down one day.

Shadowed Strength manuscript — Handwritten manuscript for Shadowed Strength. Her handwriting is much neater than mine…

3) When I read Shadowed Strength, I fell in love with your protagonist, Mel. Is she fashioned after anyone real?

Yeah. See question 1. 🙂

4) What are your super powers?

I’d have to say my super power is juggling. Not juggling in the literal sense—God knows I don’t have any hand-eye coordination—but I have to juggle everything in my life to find time for it all. With a husband, two young boys in various sports, my involvement with the PTA, two cats, two snakes, a guinea pig, a tortoise and a betta named Red Vine, my life is full to the brim. Throw in this whole published author thing, and I am constantly juggling and organizing. And I still make time to watch my shows.

5) For the Shadowed Series, book two is already out, and book three is in the works. Do you have any plans for additional series, or different genres?

I don’t have any set plans, but I am excited for the future. I’m ready to try something new. I’ll probably stay in the YA paranormal romance genre, but I’d like to try something like psychic powers or maybe time travel. We shall see!

Additional bonus – Lyrics that inspired Wendi when writing Melanie’s transformation.

Now that you’re excited to read Shadowed Strength, all you have to do to win it is sign up for my newsletter. I’ll be randomly choosing a winner from all active newsletter subscribers at the end of the month. I’ll email the winner to find out digital preference – Kindle, Nook, iTunes, etc.

Comment if you have any questions or wish to strike up a conversation with a highly entertaining and talented indie author. 🙂

If you want to reach out to the other highly entertaining and talented indie author mentioned in this post, here are her links: