Christine Rains's Blog, page 35

Friday Five for January 8, 2016

1. First off, I want to let everyone know that I have not forgotten about you. I've been really sick since the first of the month. I was sleeping 18-19 hours a day. Whatever virus had me in its clutches, had a vicious hold on me. I'm feeling a little better now, but I have a ton of blogs to visit and catching up to do. I hope your new year started off better than mine.
2. 2015 didn't end off very well either. Three days before Christmas, a woman back into our car, smashing the driver's side door and shattering the window. Thankfully my son and I were on the sidewalk feeding the meter when it happened. Yet we were without a vehicle for two weeks over the holidays. The next day, one of the cats we adopted, showed her true colors. She viciously attacked my son several times, and she even attacked me when I picked up my son once. She had scratched him a few occasions before, but we called a behaviorist and we tried to work with the cat. Unfortunately, she didn't like children. We still have Thunder and he's the perfect cat for our family. Gentle, playful, and loving. Our power went out with a wind storm for a day, my husband was sick, my son fell and smacked his head on a concrete floor, the lid of my drink at the movie theater slipped off and spilled all over me... You can see 2015 had a pfffft end for me. 
3. One good thing did happen, though. I had my short story, "George and the Dragon" accepted by Randi Lee for her anthology, The Thing That Turned Me. What makes me more excited is all the other fantastic writers who has stories in it. Getting a story accepted is great. Getting a story accepted in an anthology with writer friends is pure awesomeness! Randi Lee has already made a trailer for the book. Check it out!

4. I haven't done any writing or editing. I feel so far behind, but I know it's just a week into the new year. I have been reading, though, and watching television that inspired me for a new series. I know, I know. Too many ideas, not enough time!
5. We didn't get to do much over the holiday break, but we did do one thing I had planned. We visited the Exotic Feline Rescue Center. I've been before a few times, but I love going back. It was my little guy's first time there. You get to be a few feet away from the biggest felines in the world. It's amazing. This is not a zoo experience, and I think it shocked my son how big these critters really are!


(Belle Fille. She kept us company while we waited for our tour guide.)
(A Canadian lynx. Which is super cool since I have a lynx shifter in my newest series of books. Research!)
(A flurry of furry fury. Feeding time! She's tearing off the fur from her deer leg.)
(A lazy lion. He looks adorable, but that head is bigger than my nearly six-year-old!)

#IWSG for January 2016

The Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG) is the brilliant idea of Alex J. Cavanaugh. The purpose of the group is to share doubts and insecurities and to encourage one another. Please visit the other participants and share your support. A kind word goes a long way.

Make sure to check out the IWSG site to find out who the winners of the anthology contest are. I'm so excited to find out who they are!

The awesome co-hosts for this month are: L.G. Keltner, Denise Covey, Sheri Larsen, J.Q. Rose, Chemist Ken, and Michelle Wallace!

As the new year looms before me, I see so many possibilities and just as many potholes. Never mind the ones I can't see. I'm taking on the biggest project I've ever conceived and I want to do even more.

More? I must be bonkers. Yet if I set up a schedule, I can do it. Maybe. I don't know!

I'm trying to reason with the voice that nags me to do more and the other voice which exclaims I'm crazy to try any of it. Finding the middle ground is difficult. All these years I've been writing, I still haven't managed to find that balance.

But it doesn't stop me from trying. I will never give up. This is too important to me.

Into 2016 we go! Here's to all of us finding balance, peace, and success. And even if we don't achieve those this year, here's to perseverance. 

Goals for 2016

As much as that nagging voice in my head says I should have done more, I had a productive year in 2015. I published one novel and six novellas plus a handful of short stories. I met all but two of my goals. One was a novel I put aside because I wasn't ready to write it yet. In its place, I wrote and published The Paramours and started on my biggest project yet, Totem. I read over 100 books and wrote reviews for them, but I could not find a way to coax more readers to write reviews for me. I also did not manage to find the balance between writing and blogging. I did better than 2014 with that, but I have to learn to be more strict with myself and stick with my schedule.
Here are my goals for 2016:
1. Revise and submit the Sasquatch Susies to my publisher. The first drafts are done. Not too much I have to do story-wise in the revision phase.
2. Write the rest of the Totem books and start to publish them. The first two novellas out of nine are done, but not revised. I'm trying very hard not to rush myself with these. I learned some valuable lessons in publishing the 13th Floor series. I will be much kinder to myself and my CPs/editor with this one. Tentatively, I'd like to say I'll start putting them out by early summer, but I'm not putting any definite deadline down on paper yet.
3. Read and review 100 books. I did it last year and the year before. I'd love to continue it for the rest of my life.
4. Write and submit six short stories. I managed to do this last year. I was short-listed on pro venues five times. I'm so close to my goal of being accepted by one.
5. Blogging. Once again, I'm going to attempt to find a balance between writing and blogging. The writing of my blog posts doesn't take too long, but keeping up with everyone's blogs and returning comments does sometimes. I will not give up the latter. So I will schedule a certain amount of time each weekday for returning comments, and if I have time left, I will make some visits. I must decide what is the appropriate amount of time for that, though. How much time do you spend a week returning comments and visiting blogs?
What are your goals for 2016?

Happy 2016!

Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMASFROM MY HOUSE TO YOURS.
And in honor of my new paranormal romance series coming next year, here's an Inuit toast: "May you have warmth in your igloo, oil in your lamp, and peace in your heart."

My gift to you - Team Santa

TEAM SANTABy Christine Rains

"Team CA-23 is a go!”
The fat man wiggled and slithered down the chimney as if boneless. He popped out of the fireplace with a merry laugh. A puff of soot surrounded him and transformed to sparkling dust as it drifted to the floor.
Bobbo the cat started out of his nap and hissed. His gray fur stood on end and his claws dug into the couch cushion. He raced behind the sofa in a flurry of hairballs.
From the sleigh on the roof, an elf in a green cap flipped a switch for the camera. “CA-23 entry successful.”
The radio response was crisp as the new fallen snow. “Roger that, CA-23. How's he looking, Evert?”
“Doing good. No chimney damage. He's placing the presents under the tree right now.” Evert leaned back, breathing in the cold night air. The images on the screen bobbed as Santa bent and set the many gifts out for the large family of six. “I think we got this one right.”
"Let's hope. Finn's still trying to repair the roof from CA-22's mishap.”
“The mishap was letting Finn pilot anything.” Evert snorted. “But since his father has more stripes on his cane than the rest of us, he gets to do what he wants.”
Santa nabbed a sugar cookie from a plate and stuffed it in his mouth. He hummed and chewed as he started on the stockings. His beard caught the crumbs and sifted them out to appear on the empty plate.
"At least he made Finn do the repairs himself. Maybe he won't ask for his own team next year.” 

Evert chuckled. “Yeah, let him stick with cleaning up after the reindeer.”
As if he'd heard the joke, Santa's belly jiggled as he giggled and packed the treats into the last stocking. He then continued to stick stuffers into a nearby vase and potpourii dish.
"Crap.” Evert straightened and pressed a few buttons on the dashboard. With no response from Santa, he tried another set. “Hugo, we have a stuffing problem.”
Santa moved on to the chair, ripping open a pillow and filling it with gifts. 
"Dammit.” Hugo let loose a colorful string of curses. “What's he doing?”
"Just stuffed some pillows. Moving on to a potted plant.” Evert's fingers danced over the controls. 

Dirt and leaves splatted against the wallpaper.
"Have you tried telling him his job is complete? Or the adult out-of-sight escape command?”
"Both. He's not responding to either. It keeps saying his work is in progress.” Evert growled and hit a fist on the screen. “Come on, Santa. You're done!”
Santa bent and reached down to pick up something.
"The cat! He's going to stuff the cat!” Evert sent the commands again as Hugo frantically yelled over the radio.
Bobbo screeched and kicked, but the gloved hand had a firm hold of him. The other hand raised up, full of peppermints and chocolates wrapped in shiny red paper.
Evert slapped his hand on a large red button. The gleam in Santa's eyes blinked out, and he fell backward on the coffee table. The cat tore free and raced out of the room.
"Situation averted.” Evert groaned and rested his head against the screen. “CA-23 has been shut down.”
"Roger that.” Hugo sighed. “Clean up. A replacement is already on his way.”
A cold wind kicked up the snow and sent it spiraling upwards. The reindeer stomped impatiently. Evert could sympathize. When Santa had been alive, it had never been like this. Deliveries were made quickly and efficiently. No good child was ever forgotten.
"What make? Please tell me it's one of the Mistletoe line. At least the only bug they've exhibited is kissing too many surprised mothers.”
"Nope, the closet available is one of the Snowman clones.” Hugo replied, the apology clear in his tone.
"Great.” Evert grumbled and slid out of his comfortable seat. “He better finish our route before he melts. Team CA-23 leaving the sleigh for clean-up.”
END

Cloaked now available for pre-order

   Add it to your 'to read' list!

Pre-order HERE!   Blurb: Raised by an overly protective wulfkin pack, Daciana leaps at the chance to venture into the human world for her one-year independence ritual. But after someone steals the endangered bear cubs she’s been assigned to protect, she must locate them or lose her job and return home in disgrace. The sexy inspector on the case isn’t making this any easier. He knows nothing of her kind, and wulfkin rules forbid relationships with humans. 
Newly divorced Inspector Connell Lonescu trusts no one but himself. He’s convinced relationships are a waste of time and thinks burying himself in work will ease the pain. Yet he’s attracted to the gorgeous and mysterious Daciana, even if there’s something slightly odd about her. Can Connell learn to trust the sexy but secretive woman?

I LOVE this cover! I'm honored to be one of Tania's critique partners, and let me tell you, this story is as rich and sumptuous as the cover. 

Friday Five for December 18, 2015

1. I had a bump in my writing this week because a nasty headache told me to nap Wednesday afternoon. I'm about 4000 words away from finishing  my novella. I'm going to try to NaNo sprint today and finish it before my son's Christmas break starts.
2. Christmas break is where I'll be headed, too, for the next two weeks. We stay at home, but I'm planning lots of fun family and friend activities including going to an indoor waterpark and the exotic cat rescue center. I have a couple of posts coming next week. One of them a flash fiction story gift to you from me!

3. I'm over halfway done watching Daredevil on Netflix. LOVE it. Dark and intriguing and the villain! I really like what they did with Wilson Fisk (Kingpin). That is the sort of story I want to write... and have HBO or AMC or Netflix make into a show!

4. My son is bringing candy canes in today for school to give out to his class. Yesterday, I asked him if he would like to make a craft out of it and dress up the canes like reindeer. He gave me this look that was ten years too old for him and said, "I'm in elementary school now, mama. We like candy canes without the costumes."
5. However you're spending this holiday season, enjoy! Have a very merry Christmas and I'll see you in 2016. It's going to be an amazing year.

Wicked Wednesday - stuff that stocking!

What does Santa stuff your stocking with?

My mom still buys stockings and stuffs them for my brother and I. My husband is very appreciative of this because that means he doesn't have to do it! Mostly she fills it with toiletries, treats, socks, and notebooks.

If I could choose what Santa put into my stocking, it would be books. (And chocolate!) While I do love paper books, I could get more if I had an electronic stocking to stuff with ebooks. I've read over 100 books this year and the great majority of them were on my Kindle.

Here's your chance to stuff your digital stocking! Mary Pax is hosting the Stuff Your Stocking Event. There are 17 free ebooks from MG to YA to comics and fantasy and sci-fi and paranormal romance. Even a cookbook! Plus there's a giveaway for a $40 gift card. Click on the link and give yourself some gifts.

Included in the event is your chance to get either The 13th Floor Complete Collection or Of Blood and Sorrow . All you have to do is join my newsletter. See that handy dandy little widget on the right of my blog? Just type your email address in and jingle-jingle! You can pick either ebook in whatever format you need.

Tawa also wants me to remind you that Fearless is always free. So many readers have expressed their love for her (and the story!) over the years, I might be posting a new Fearless story on Wattpad next year. Either a prequel to this one or a tale about another Fearless warrior.

Heart in a Box Review

Blurb:
Each heartbeat leads Joss closer a shocking truth that will change everything.
Joss Olstad wins the fight to switch from her private school to a public high to “find her pieces” she lost when the Indian artist father she never knew died. There, Joss struggles with a slutty friend, who flirts with her new love; Indian Culture Club girls who press her on her past, as well as her stoner mother’s lies back at home. Armed only with her handmade heart boxes that hold private messages, Joss’s search for identity leads her to a scary industrial section of Queens, and a shocking family secret that changes everything.
My review:
Joss Olstad found private school stale and stifling. As she starts at a public high school, she's determined to find herself amidst the diverse student population. Her hopes begin to crumble as one friend flirts with her boyfriend, the other Indiana girls act judgmental, and her hippie mother refuses to tell her anything about her father. Joss is losing herself even as she trying to find herself. A school project draw out the secret wishes of her heart, and she dares risk everything by going to discover a family secret that will either tear her world apart or make it whole.

This is my favorite young adult novel from Catherine Stine. It's an amazingly written story of a teenage girl trying to build her identity. Joss feels she cannot because she never knew her father or any of his history or family. I loved reading Joss' struggles in trying to find out who she is and how this helped her bloom into someone she did not expect. It's all at once genuine, sweet, heart wrenching, and wondrous. Sensational characterization and a tremendously moving story.

What a fantastic book for teens and adults. This should be on everyone's must read list!


Buy links: Amazon * B&N * Kobo * iTunes * All Romance Ebooks
Catherine Stine is hosting a Blitz Rafflecopter Giveaway with awesome prizes. Check it out on her blog here!