Cindy C. Bennett's Blog, page 35

The Experiment Blog Tour: Day 6

Abig giant hug of gratitude to authors Stacy Lynn Carroll and Jamie Canosa for their willingness to host the blog tour today.

Stacy was kind enough to read and review the book for us. As authors ourselves, we're aware of how very difficult it is to find the time to actually read a book so we're all very, very grateful to her! Here's a little of what Stacy had to say:

Each author picked a character, and wrote a chapter in turn.  I was actually a little surprised by how fluid the story was. I think it’s amazing that the authors were able to work together so well that the story really feels consistent and it keeps the same steady voice throughout. Overall, I really enjoyed this book! I would definitely give it 4 out of 5 stars! The characters were strong and funny, the romances were sweet, and the storyline was constantly moving. There was too much action to ever be bored!

Jamie allowed us to hop on over to her blog to not only share the book, but to have us give her what we each consider the ultimate playlist for the book. Below is one of the songs we each chose, but you can read the whole playlist on Jamie's blog here.

Jeff:  Jack Johnson's "Upside Down": A song that's about curiosity, and expanding one's thinking about how things are.

Sherry:  Brave New Radio's "Radioactive" : Song about the state of the cities under Collaborative rule.

Me:  London Grammar's "Wasting My Young Years" : A combined theme song for all three, because they were forced to grow up almost overnight.

Pick up your copy of The Experiment today!

The Experiment: Excerpt 6

In conjunction with the blog tour for The Experiment, I'll be posting an excerpt daily from the book. You can see the schedule for the tour here. Here's today's excerpt:

Emiah
Cil’s head whipped to the left. “I hear someone coming,” she whispered. Another gunshot, closer, louder.“Run,” Brax said and took off through the jungle. The rest of us followed. Shouts came from behind us. The other three pulled ahead of me, but I kept them in sight. Jules constantly looked over her shoulder to make sure I kept up. The leaves and branches smacked across my face. People pursued, gaining on us. I looked behind me just for a second and when I looked back, I didn’t see Jules. I ran faster to catch up, but still couldn’t find them. I didn’t shout for fear of giving away our position. Winded, I slowed my pace. The blood pounding in my ears drowned out all other sound.I stumbled into a small clearing where a giant brazzle stood, staring at me. I froze. The brazzle’s mouth was frothy and its breathing labored, snorting out each breath. Like the other brazzle, its green-brown coat looked as if crafted from wire. Blood oozed from a hole in its chest. Its big, dark eyes fixed on me and the beast leapt.
Read the Prologue and first 3 chapters here. Come back tomorrow for another excerpt.

Get your copy of The Experiment today at these retailers:


       

The Experiment Blog Tour: Day 5

A woot-woot! goes out to these blogs for allowing us to take up a little space on their blogs today, and for helping to spread the word about our new release, The Experiment.

Books Complete Me was kind enough to read and review the book. You can read Mindy's review here and then enter to win your own copy of The Experiment. Here's a little of what Mindy had to say about the book:
This book had a great Sci Fi meets Dystopian feel. The three main characters, siblings, are what every parent dreams of. They are loyal to each other. They take care of each other and they always put each other first. . . I truly enjoyed this book. One author writing a book is an amazing experience. To read a book written by three authors in an amazing collaboration is an honor. 
Bookworm Brandee not only gave us a spot on her blog for the tour, she also allowed me to ramble on a bit in a guest post, Collaborating on a Novel, where I talk about the process of writing this book with my two amazing co-authors. Thanks, Brandee!
Why Not? Because I Said So! was kind enough to allow us to pop by her blog, also. Plus, how cool is her blog name? What mom in the world hasn't spouted those exact words at some point? Also, Jeffery wrote a guest post talking about the process of writing this book together between the three of us (sort of his POV of what I talk about on Brandee's blog). You can read that here. So, thanks, Sheila, for the chuckle as well as allowing us to stop in. Here's some of what Sheila had to say about the book:

I was so excited to read this book, especially because of it being written by three different authors. This intrigued me so much. I've read books written by Cindy and Sherry, but this was the first book I'd read from Jeffery. This was a fun YA book that is Speculative Fiction. There is plenty of action on this new world.The triplets are the main characters and have such different personalities, as it would truly be in real life. The authors did a great job of increasing the suspense the first several chapters as the reader isn't quite sure what is truly going on. Altogether, this book is a fun ride for YA readers, whether they are teens or adults. The fast pace of the story keeps you fully engaged. I would definitely read another book written by these three authors. They have a good thing going on here.
Pick up your copy of The Experiment today!

DiSemblance Blog Tour

 


Tour Schedule

    DiSemblance Jason Tanner’s life has always been different from the ordinary citizen’s. It started when he was an infant and his parents were only teenagers. A computer science prodigy, Lloyd attended MIT but left a pariah in the eyes of the school’s dean—but a computer physics genius in the eyes of his primary investor. Then his theories and ideas created a holographic machine and their world shrunk as contact with the outside world became less and less frequent. A computer prodigy now himself, Jason is about to learn that the world never waits for you if you have the ability to change it: it will come for you. Detective Bruce Durante has been handed the case of the Comfort Killer, a serial killer so named because he appears to abduct terminally ill patients before returning their corpses to their families in refrigerated coffins. When he picks up the trail, it leads straight to the home of Lloyd Tanner. Jason has been living life through the world of Lloyd’s invention and wishing he could carry on a relationship with Boston, the beautiful girl next door. When his father is murdered and framed as the Comfort Killer, he is brought back to reality in a hurry. He is forced to destroy all of the planted evidence—and finds he is being targeted as the killer’s new fall guy. But the secrets of his father’s invention run deep and Jason, his brother Isaac,Boston, the Comfort Killer, and Detective Durante hurtle towards one another on a deadly collision course that leaves everyone’s life hanging in the balance.

My Review:

I received this book through a blog tour, and as such didn’t know much about it. I hadn’t even read a blurb so had no idea what to expect. If I had to sum the book up in one word it would be: confusing. I don’t know whether it would have helped to have read a blurb to at least have an idea of the storyline, but as is I spent most of the book trying to keep everything straight.The book is about a boy named Jason who lives with his genius father and younger brother. His father has invented a hologram machine that’s so realistic you can touch others within it, and even be hurt. He’s completely paranoid that someone is going to try to steal the technology and has therefore become completely paranoid about it. He’s passed that paranoia onto his sons so much that they basically don’t have any kind of life outside their home. Sounds interesting, right? So here’s where the confusion comes in.A detective named Bruce is investigating murders by someone they’ve dubbed “the comfort killer” because he only kills terminally ill people, and then returns their bodies to their families in a coffin with a large amount of money. Okay, also interesting, but sounds like a completely different storyline, right?No, they’re both connected, and as they begin to intersect, that’s where the major confusion comes in. As the reader, you’re never sure what’s real and what’s not. I don’t have a problem with that and in fact think it can be a truly mesmerizing way to get a story across—if it’s done right. In this case it just always felt off-balance and I had a hard time even keeping some of the characters straight most of the time, and a secondary storyline involving the detective and his wife felt thrown in and was so sparse that I honestly didn’t care about it.That being said, it was still an interesting story. I did care about Jason and girl-across-the-street Boston. I cared about him being kept safe and finding the answers he needed. There were some plot holes and some repetitive things happening, but overall I think it’s a read that you can enjoy if you’re willing to suspend your disbelief and just roll with the story. There’s enough of Jason, Boston, and Bruce’s investigation to keep the reader invested in the story, and to want to know how it’s all going to end. So I’d give it 3.5 stars out of 5 because it’s a good enough story to be worth reading.
Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Author Shanae Branham I am a professional writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and a minor in grammar. I have also attended several years of classes and workshops in screenplay writing at the Los Angeles Screenplay writer’s Expo. I love suspense thrillers and am a master at plot and character development. I enjoy stories with happy endings. I promise all my readers that when they put one of my books down or walk away from one of my movies, they will be enthused with excitement and joy. This does not mean there will not be some sad parts, because you have to feel the bitter in order to understand the sweet. In fact, I have struggled with Dyslexia my whole life, so you can imagine how overjoyed I was when DiSemblance won a Silver metal in the fantasy/science fiction category at the eLit awards in 2012.

Website * Twitter * Facebook

Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 9/16/13

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The Experiment: Excerpt 5

In conjunction with the blog tour for The Experiment, I'll be posting an excerpt daily from the book. You can see the schedule for the tour here. Here's today's excerpt:

Juliet
I worked my way over to the bluff and stood staring out over the moon bathed expanse. It was breathtaking. And it fed my desire to fly again. I spread my arms, lifted up onto my toes, and smiled when a slight tingling feeling tickled my chest. I breathed deeply and concentrated on the feeling, willing it to grow and spread across my skin. The pressure beneath my ribs was something inside me wanting to break free, but I just couldn’t manage to push it to the surface. I was so close. I just needed that tiny element of danger. I jumped. I got maybe six inches off the ground before I was tackled onto my back. The impact popped the air from my lungs and I struggled for my next breath.“Are you out of your freakin’ mind, Juliet? You could have died.” Brax straddled my stomach, pinning my arms to the ground.“Get off me, you anorexic brazzle bear.” I bucked and kicked, finally wrapping my legs around his torso and flipping him onto his back.“Not bad for a girl, Blondie.” He stood and brushed off the jungle’s undergrowth and mud from his clothes. He didn’t bother helping me up.I jumped to my feet and headed back to the bluff. No stupid guy was going to tell Juliet Tripp what to do. Two feet from the edge, his arm snaked about my belly, jerking me to a stop. “Juliet, don’t be so arrogant,” he whispered in my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. 
Read the Prologue and first 3 chapters here. Come back tomorrow for another excerpt.

Get your copy of The Experiment today at these retailers:


       

Excerpt from Sugar Coated by Shannen Crane Camp. After yo...

Excerpt from Sugar Coated by Shannen Crane Camp. After you've read the excerpt below, come on over to the Facebook Launch Party going on from 4-8 p.m. MST. At 6:05 p.m. there will be a question posted specific to this excerpt. Answer that question for the chance to win a prize. Click here to find the party!

   Staring into the massive expanse of the ocean, Brynn couldn’t help but feel insignificant. Next to something so large and imposing, how could she possibly feel important? She thought of the white-clad Angels, of the one with the smooth, deep voice, and wondered how they would look next to the greatness of the water. Would they look as insignificant as Brynn or would they outshine even the most powerful thing in the world? They were certainly more beautiful in their own terrifying way. They may have even been more powerful, which Brynn was beginning to believe more and more as she dreamt about them every night. But were they as unpredictably changing and dangerous?
   Despite the things her Angel had said in her dream last night, Brynn was still prone to like her. She still wanted to make the woman happy. She knew dreams were nothing more than her mind’s abstract interpretation of what she thought about during the day, but it made life more interesting to put greater stock in them.
   Keeping her eyes locked firmly on the horizon, a crazy thought crossed Brynn’s mind. Maybe it was the thoughts of Angels and impossibilities, or the feelings of insignificance, or just the desire to do something out of the ordinary. But whatever the reason, Brynn lifted her foot from its safe place behind the water’s reach and took one step into the dark, wet sand.
   And then another. And one more. Until the next wave that came brought skin-numbingly cold water up to her knees, completely soaking her pants through. Brynn stood with her mouth open, shocked not only by the unexpected temperature of the water, but by her own bravery. Or stupidity. Depending on how the situation turned out.
   She looked around for a moment, almost wondering if anyone else was witnessing her moment of accomplishment, before a force like a brick wall hit her right on the side of the cheek, knocking her onto her back.
   Her head made contact with the icy water, then the soft sand below that. She dug her palms into the ground and pushed herself up, trying to regain her footing while blinking the salt out of her eyes. She took a deep and noisy breath just as another wave hit her in the face, filling her mouth with a bitter and salty taste.
She opened her eyes under the water that now seemed much deeper and darker, but she couldn’t make much out in the murky and constantly moving abyss. The light reflecting off of the surface suddenly seemed to be much further above her than it was just moments ago, and now pushing up off of her palms wasn’t going to get her to the air. She’d need to kick off of the ocean floor with her feet.

Sugar Coated FB Party

Tonight, Shannen Crane Camp is hosting a party on Facebook to celebrate the release of Sugar Coated, her new dystopian YA novel. You can read my review of the book here. The party goes from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. MST. And guess who's hosting the third hour? Moi! I'll be hosting from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. MST, so stop by for fun games and lots of prizes. Click here to join the party any time during the 4 hours it'll be going. It begins just ONE hour from now (when I posted this).

The Experiment Blog Tour: Day 4

A giant thank you to author extraordinaire, critique partner supreme, and fantabulous friend, author Camelia Miron Skiba, and to blogger supreme, Kathy at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer for featuring our little book on their blogs today!

Camelia also ran a very interesting post written by my co-author and friend, Sherry Gammon, To Write or Not to Write, where Sherry talks about what inspired her to begin writing in the first place. Part heartbreak and bigger part inspiration, you won't want to miss it. You can read that here.

On I Am A Reader, Not A Writer, all three of us who co-authored the book (me, Sherry, and Jeffery Moore) got to have a little fun as we talked about some of our pet peeves. Who doesn't love to air their pet peeves? You can read that here.

 

The Experiment: Excerpt 4

In conjunction with the blog tour for The Experiment, I'll be posting an excerpt daily from the book. You can see the schedule for the tour here. Here's today's excerpt:

Cilla
Juliet's eyes came to mine, locking, pleading. “Is it true, Cil? Don’t lie to me. Please.”I don’t have to ask what she meant. “It’s true.”“You’re a . . . a felit?” Her words carried an undertone of disbelief still.“No.” My denial was immediate. “I’m just me.” I tore my gaze from hers, looking down on the green carpet below as tears filled my eyes. “I don’t know what happened. The first time, it was because a Troll threatened us . . . threatened Em. I was so angry and scared, and suddenly I wanted to kill the guy, tear him to pieces, you know? It was like something took over my anger and fear, harnessed it or controlled it, and I lashed out. Next thing I know, he’s running away, scared, and Em is staring at me like I sprouted a second head. And then the second time, when you were attacked . . .” I trailed off, shuddering at the remembrance of Jules being attacked by the eagle.“How did you feel? Before, I mean?”I felt her gaze heavy upon me so I finally looked at her, bracing myself for the revulsion I expected to see. Instead I saw curiosity and acceptance.
“Like my chest was full of viper ants trying to get free.”
Read the Prologue and first 3 chapters here. Come back tomorrow for another excerpt.

Get your copy of The Experiment today at these retailers:


       

The Experiment Blog Tour Days 2 and 3

I want to thank the bloggers who've been so kind as to host the blog tour for The Experiment  for the past couple of days. As any author knows, without blogger's willingness to help spread the word about new books, they're sort of dead in the water!

So a huge THANK YOU to:

Author Juli Caldwell
Author Cami Checketts
Literary Wonders
Wrathsqueen's Books
My Book Addiction and More!
Author Tracker

Go to My Book Addiction to enter a giveaway for your own copy of  The Experiment . All you have to do is comment on the post you'll find here. And you can read April's review of The Experiment here! Here's just a little of what April had to say:

Filled with plenty of action,romance and mystery. Three masterful and talented authors collaborate to produce a story of imagination, shifters, sci-fi, that is futuristic and fantasy. The storyline was fast paced and interesting. The characters were also engaging. If you enjoy fantasy,shifters, Science Fiction with a twist,and fast paced stories than “The Experiment” is the story for you to read.

Pick up your copy of The Experiment today!