Christine Rains's Blog, page 54

Welcome to Realms Faire 2014! Drench-a-Wench if you dare!

HUZZAH!Welcome to Realms Faire 2014!
The Realms Faire is hosted by our most magnificent Lady Mary Pax.She'll be conducting the Joust. Cheer for your favorite knight and win prizes!
There are several terrific events happening this week. Each host is giving away prizes for their games. Check out the Realms Faire page for all the links.
Once again, I'm hosting the Drench-a-Wench / Soak-a-bloke event!

The rules to this game are simple:
1) The dunkee is chosen by committee.2) I post a link to the dunkee's blog and you click on it.3) You leave a comment, soaking them with blog love.4) You are entered into a drawing for a chance to win prizes.
I'll have different prizes every day. You don't want to miss out on these awesome books!

Today's prize packet consists of:
A print copy of The Headhunters Race by Kimberly Afe (US & Canada only)
A digital copy of Taking Time or Passing Time by Ellie Garratt
A digital copy of The 13th Floor Complete Collection
You have until 7:00 pm EST to leave a comment on the dunkee's blog.A winner will be chosen randomly each day and contacted at the end of the week.
Our first wonderful dunkee is:

J.L. Campbell is an award-winning YA, romance and woman's lit writer.She is absolutely fabulous!

More Games! More Prizes! Visit other Realms Faire events for more fun and chances to win more prizes: Joust  ~ Riddle Me This  ~  Dueling Bards  ~  Stockade Brigade  ~  Phasers  ~ Dragon Hunt  ~  Wisdom of the Creative Realms  ~ VelociRaffle
~ Live Performance / Cody Sill: Into Oblivion

A quick hello and a Realms Faire reminder

Happy Friday!
I hope you all had a good week.
We've been having lots of fun with my mom.
Busy, busy, busy!

Did I mention I visited Milo James Fowler's blog this week? Click on over and tell us what you think about hybrid authors. No, we're not some weird science experiment.

Don't forget Realms Faire is next week.
 Join me for the Drench-a-wench and Soak-a-bloke event
and win really awesome prizes.
I kid you not. Some wonderfully generous folks donated a lot to the Faire this year. Have some medieval fun and win yourself something fantastic!

Have a great weekend!

A detective with no way out

Musa Publishing is proud to announce the release of Milo James Fowler's most recent science fiction novella Yakuza Territory .
Take a moment to discover what happens when a hardboiled detective story is set in a science fiction world:
A detective with no way out. A telepath with something to prove...

World-weary detective Charlie Madison has seen more than his share of war. When he stops by the 37th precinct late one night to check on his old friend Sergeant Douglass, the place is as quiet as a morgue. The last thing he expects to find: half a dozen Russian gunmen with a score to settle.
What starts out as a vicious Alamo-style battle soon evolves into something more sinister as Madison's past comes into play. Will his ties to a branch of the Japanese mafia be a help or a hindrance? And who is the strange man in holding? Why are the Russians determined to break him out?
Struggling to survive the night, one private eye must rely on his wits to solve a mystery where he's outnumbered, outgunned, and trapped inside a police station with a soulless killing machine.
Available from Musa Publishing Add Yakuza Territory to your Goodreads bookshelf

Get to know the man behind the book:
1. When did you start seriously pursuing writing as a career?I've been writing since I was a kid, but I started submitting my work for publication in the summer of 2009. I'd always thought I would pursue publication at some point—probably after I retired from teaching or turned 40. My first story was published in January 2010, and I've had another 96 accepted for publication since then. I won't turn 40 for a couple more years, and I'm still teaching full-time. Doesn't look like I'll be retiring anytime soon!
2. How did you create the character Charlie Madison?When I was a kid, I learned to type on an old-school manual typewriter. That's where I learned to write, too. My first novels were messy, full of typos and plot holes. But they were fun. And at age 15, that's what it was all about for me. Private eye Charlie Madison was one of the first characters I created, based on Box 13 and Dixon Hill, and The Double Murderwas his big debut. By the end of it, I had over a hundred pages of snappy banter, mob hits, double-crossing dames, car chases, and even some alligators on leashes. It was a horrible parody, and I knew it.
 Halfway through Write1Sub1 2011, I came up with the first Charlie Madison story I'd written in decades: Girl of Great Price . It wasn't anything like his original case, but he was the same quick-witted, intrepid detective I'd known before. I transplanted him into a more serious and gritty "future noir" sci-fi setting, and once I'd envisioned that world, I knew I'd be back. Immaterial Evidence  soon followed, and Yakuza Territory will be available from Musa Publishing on November 7th.
3. Are you working on more Charlie Madison stories?I'm outlining the follow-up to Yakuza Territory , and it's going to be full of assassinations, kidnappings, killer robots, and maybe even a mad scientist. The working title is The Gifted Ones , and it follows the origins of the mysterious suprahumans who have appeared in all three Charlie Madison detective stories so far.

Author Bio:Milo James Fowleris a teacher by day and a speculative fictioneer by night. When he's not grading papers, he's imagining what the world might be like in a dozen alternate realities. He is an active SFWA member, and his work has appeared in more than 90 publications, including AE SciFi, Cosmos, Daily Science Fiction, Nature, Shimmer, and the Wastelands 2anthology. Visit www.milojamesfowler.com and join The Crew for updates about new releases as well as exclusive promotions.

IWSG for November 2014

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.

It's that time of year again. Nope, not the holidays. Uh-uh, well, yeah, you have to winterize the house too.

I meant it's time for NaNoWriMo!

I really love participating in the challenge, but I don't have time this year. My mom's visiting this week, and then we visit my in-laws the last week of the month. If only I could have a clone to take care of the family visits. (Psst, Alex! Help a gal out!)

I've done NaNo for ten years. I love it, and it agonizes me that I can't do it this year. But I must be realistic about my time management. The two novels I'm publishing next year started off as NaNo novels. Oh yes, they needed a lot of work, but this year has been a year of revising. They're going to shine.

Good luck to everyone who took up the challenge this month. I'm a little envious cheering for you!

Write, write, write!

I'm over at Milo James Fowler's blog talking about being a hybrid author. Click on over and let us know what you think about the various paths to publishing.

Nobody Knows is here!

 Title: Nobody Knows (Razes Hell Book 1)Author: Kyra LennonGenre: NA Contemporary RomanceCover Design: Najila Qamber DesignPhotographer: Lindee Robinson Photography
Synopsis:It's not easy being friends with rising rock stars - especially when you're the glue that holds them together.

Razes Hell has taken off in the charts, and Ellie can't believe her childhood friends, Drew and Jason Brooks, are on TV and drawing crowds after years spent playing in dodgy bars. From obscurity to overnight success, Ellie soon realises life in the public eye isn’t all it’s cracked up to be as dark secrets become headline news and old conflicts are re-ignited. When a fake feud meant to boost the band’s popularity threatens to rip the boys apart for real, Ellie finds herself torn – a position which only gets more uncomfortable when her loyalty to Jason collides with her blossoming relationship with Drew.
Nobody knows how deep their issues run; nobody but Ellie. With friendship, a music career and a new love on the line, can Ellie keep their tangled pasts from ruining their futures?
Pre-order links: AMAZON | AMAZON UK
Teasers: [image error]  Author Bio:Kyra is a self-confessed book-a-holic, and has been since she first learned to read. When she's not reading, you'll usually find her hanging out in coffee shops with her trusty laptop and/or her friends, or girling it up at the nearest shopping mall.
Kyra grew up on the South Coast of England and refuses to move away from the seaside which provides massive inspiration for her novels. Her debut novel, Game On (New Adult Contemporary Romance), was released in July 2012, and she scored her first Amazon Top 20 listing with her New Adult novella, If I Let You Go.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | GoodreadsRelease Day Party on Kyra's Author FB Page Release Party - Friday November 7th - Hosts TBA ::: Facebook Event :::Hosted By:

Clues and Red Herrings - Guest Post by Carol Kilgore

I'm very excited to have the marvelous Carol Kilgore on my blog today. I love her books, and I'm doing a happy dance that she's going to talk about how she writes such brilliant mysteries. Take it away, Carol!
Thanks so much for hosting me!
When I asked Christine what she’d like for me to write, she gave me a short list of possibilities but indicated she would most like to see a post about how I write the mystery aspect of my novels, especially whether I plot every detail or if I go back and add clues and red herrings.So what I do is a mishmash. Before I ever begin to write, I learn as much as possible about the beginning, the major plot points, and the ending. I also find out as much as possible about my characters without actually putting them together and writing their story.
When I write, I use what I know and let their story develop around the framework. The deeper I get into the story, the more I learn about the characters, and the more they learn about each other.
The more I know about the characters and the story, the better I can mislead the reader.
So on each successive pass, I add more details. As an example, in SOLOMON’S COMPASS, one of the characters wears a bracelet. Never takes it off. It’s just about the only positive means to identify him. The bracelet was an extremely late addition.
When I leave an obvious clue, I try to bury it so it doesn’t stand out. Many of my clues are subtle--too subtle sometimes, according to my editor. But together we fix that. I hope! One of my favorite movies is “The Sixth Sense.” All the clues are there, but most viewers don’t put them together until near the end of the movie.
That’s my goal when I write--have the clues come together and make sense near the end of the book.
===


By the end of a long evening working as a special set of eyes for the presidential security detail, all Kat Marengo wants is to kick off her shoes and stash two not-really-stolen rings in a secure spot. Plus, maybe sleep with Dave Krizak. No, make that definitelysleep with Dave Krizak. The next morning, she wishes her new top priorities were so simple.
As an operative for a covert agency buried in the depths of the Department of Homeland Security, Kat is asked to participate in a matter of life or death—locate a kidnapped girl believed to be held in Corpus Christi, Texas. Since the person doing the asking is the wife of the president and the girl is the daughter of her dearest friend, it’s hard to say no.
Kat and Dave quickly learn the real stakes are higher than they or the first lady believed and will require more than any of them bargained for.
The kicker? They have twenty-four hours to find the girl—or the matter of life or death will become more than a possibility.
===

Although Carol has deep Texas roots, she’s lived up and down the eastern seaboard and in other locations across the U.S. as a Coast Guard wife. She sees mystery and subterfuge everywhere. And she’s a sucker for a good love story—especially one with humor and mystery. Crime Fiction with a Kissgives her the latitude to mix and match throughout the broad mystery and romance genres. Having flexibility makes her heart happy. 
You can connect with Carol here:Under the Tiki Hut blog: http://www.underthetikihut.blogspot.comWebsite with Monthly Contest: http://www.carolkilgore.netFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/carol.kilgore1Twitter: http://twitter.com/carol_kilgoreGoodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6094110.Carol_KilgoreAmazon: http://www.amazon.com/Carol-Kilgore/e/B008FRCXQY

Happy Halloween and Friday Five for October 31, 2014

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

1. What sort of scary good fun are you having today? My son is really excited. He'll have a party at school and then go trick-or-treating with his best buddy this evening. (If it isn't raining!)
2. Another good writing week. I'm one-sixth of the way done my third and final D&D novella. This one is from the guy's POV, so I've been pestering my husband with a ton of questions!
3. I did some critiquing and wrote up two short skits about bullying for a friend of mine. It's a bit strange for me to write for an eight-year-old audience. I tend to fall into quirky Harry Potter-like prose when I do. But since this was a serious subject, I had to keep it realistic. A good writing exercise.
4. I'll be absent from the cyberworld next week as my mom is visiting. We'll get our Christmas shopping done early. I still have my IWSG post ready to go for Wednesday along with a fantastic guest post by Carol Kilgore on Monday, and the second week of November is Realms Faire. Huzzah!
5. Thank you to everyone who entered my Creepy Freebies giveaway and to all who helped promote it. Thanks to the participating authors for all the awesome free reads. My Kindle is packed with scary stories. A final big thank you to Milo who organized it. I can't wait to do it again next year!

The winners of my Creepy Freebies giveaway are:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wicked Wednesday - sexy costumes for geeks

I bet when you read the topic for today's post, you immediately thought of Princess Leia in her steel bikini or Captain Mal. While absolutely tantalizing, geeks don't need to see tight clothes on starship captains to find their favorite characters sexy. Someone fully clothed can be just as alluring.

Here are some ideas for costumes that leave everything to the imagination. Just the way we like it!

I see a lot of women dressed as the TARDIS. I understand the desire. I would love to have a TARDIS of my own, but I don't want to dress as one. I'm sure you can think of a few joking comments you'd like to avoid wearing it! So what about other ships? Serenity, the Enterprise, or the Millennium Falcon. Oh, even better, Moya from Farscape. She's a living sentient ship.

Bill Nye the Science Guy. Nothing is sexier than science.

The Bowler from Mystery Men. There's so many guy superheroes out there this year, we need more options for the ladies.

There's nothing as fun as riffing movies. You could be Joel or one of the robots from Mystery Science Theater 3000. I always wondered what a man alone in space with only robots as companions did in the times between he was forced to watch bad films.

And if you really must be Princess Leia in her slave outfit, be LEGO Princess Leia.

What costumes can you suggest that leave everything to the imagination but are just as awesome?

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Have you picked up any Creepy Freebies this week?All week, participating authors are giving away FREE reads and raffling off books. You can enter to win a signed copy of The 13th Floor Complete Collection. Check out Sunday's post for the details.

CD Coffelt's Mage Revealed - excerpt

Mage RevealedBook Two of The Magic Withheld series Struckwith enough malevolent Spirit to turn him into a raving beast of a man, Bert Reese fights to remain human. Alone, he walks a slender path between sanity and madness. Then, an unlikely source enters his life to help—one of the now-hated mages.But Ashleigh is different and calms his butchered senses. Her fierce nature is the only rock that stands between him and the crevasse that is beast. In all ways, she walks beside him toward a new beginning. But at the end of their journey lies the one who used Spirit against him. Questions arise; did Tiarra, head of the Imperium, lose her magic, die, or simply give way to the new order? Or, like a spider, does she wait for a mage to blunder into her web?Forcedon him without a care for his humanity, Bert is the mage who should not exist, born with a different kind of magic. And the gates of Hell are no match for the magic he wields. Author C.D. Coffelt’s world of magic started in Wilder Mage with the words “The earthquake wasn’t his fault. Not this time.”It continues in Mage Revealed, the second book of the three-part series. Watch the book trailer on YouTube.
Excerpt from Mage Revealed
Energy slithered around him, encased him and…Bonded.All the elements slammed into him at once filling him like a bursting dam, sloshing into a maelstrom of Fire, Earth, Air, Water, and Spirit. Magic filled him, cascaded into every pore of his skin until there was nothing left that was of his essence.He raised his arms. “I am a wizard,” he said.His words echoed, like the roll of a bass drum in an empty coliseum.From his fingertips, fluid lightning forked and shot into the empty sky. A violent whirlwind as tall as he wanted it to be caught up a whirl of leaves. A roar of Fire sprang from the palms of his hands, crowned his head. And Spirit, the silvery element waited for his command, to charge into any foray he so chose.He turned to the panting women, frozen in the grip of panic and fright.“I am a wizard,” he said again.

C.D. Coffeltlives outside Skidmore, Missouri with a bemused husband and way too many cats. She is a member of the Missouri Writers Guild. But despite that bit of conventionality, she adores all things fantasy with a special love for urban and epic. With a passion for good writing and Doritos as companions, locating Middle-Earth on a dusty road in rural Missouri wasn’t difficult. All it took was a little Magic, hours of reading, and an overactive imagination.She blogs as Huntress on www.spiritcalled.blogspot.com , Facebook , Twitter , and her writer’s critique site, www.unicornbell.blogspot.com . Find her books at Amazon and Barnes and Noble .

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Don't forget to grab your Halloween treat this week.It's Creepy Freebies! And you could win a signed copy of The 13th Floor Complete Collection. See yesterday's post to enter and get a bunch of terrific free reads from other authors.

Creepy Freebies

It's that time of year again.Time for some spooky treats!
Creepy Freebies is the brilliant idea of Milo James Fowler.Because what's better than candy or having your brain eaten by zombies?FREE BOOKS!
Milo will be giving away a couple of his creepy story collections.But this isn't a one house treat fest.All these awesome authors are giving away free reads!
Cory ConeJames Garcia, Jr.Anne E. JohnsonSimon Kewin
Michelle Ann KingMary RajotteKay Theodoratus
Erin Cole
Rhonda Parrish

 In celebration of my favorite time of year, and the one year anniversary of The 13th Floor Complete Collection, I'll be giving away a bunch of  treats!
One lucky US winner (sorry, shipping costs are huge!) will win a signed print copy of the collection. It's the last one I have on my shelf to give away!
Three international winners will receive a digital copy of the book.
Don't forget that I also have three novellas that are perma-free:The MarquisFearlessL'il Gal Al and the Zombies of Amarillo
Be sure to visit all the authors and collect your treats!
a Rafflecopter giveaway