Caron Rider's Blog, page 14
March 13, 2012
Tail Envy
I have a little rescue kitty that I found in the middle ofthe road along side my local Walmart. And someone, before they dumped her orshe escaped, had cut off her tail. I got her home to the house with sixguineas, two dogs and a cat already in residence (Sassy my older black andwhite cat has a nice looonnnngg tail) to be greeted by an irate Grandpa. NOMORE ANIMALS! So she was washed, frontlined and fed out on the front porch.Where little Bella, as we called her, stayed for several weeks until Grandpagot used to her and felt sorry for her when the temperature dropped into thelow 20s. Once he gave permission for her to enter, she never left. She is avery sweet kitty, purring at even a hint of a petting. And when I sit down,she's right there waiting to cuddle—the perfect kitty in other words.
Sassy didn't take too kindly to little Bella and Ithink she considered killing her on that first night. I could see her working out how she would do it in her furrylittle brain. What saved Bella was being left outside for a few weeks untilSassy was more accustomed to her. But accustom doesn't necessarily mean like.Now, though, they will lie on the same bed and I watch Bella watching Sassy andI know that she misses her tail. Then I see Sassy who without even opening hereyes will deliberately flick her tail under Bella's nose! To get her backoccasionally, as Sassy lays sleeping with her tail stretched out, Bella willpounce on it and bite down. Then caterwauling ensues! And somewhere in the backof my mind I hear the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz singing, "If I onlyhad a…tail!"
Sassy didn't take too kindly to little Bella and Ithink she considered killing her on that first night. I could see her working out how she would do it in her furrylittle brain. What saved Bella was being left outside for a few weeks untilSassy was more accustomed to her. But accustom doesn't necessarily mean like.Now, though, they will lie on the same bed and I watch Bella watching Sassy andI know that she misses her tail. Then I see Sassy who without even opening hereyes will deliberately flick her tail under Bella's nose! To get her backoccasionally, as Sassy lays sleeping with her tail stretched out, Bella willpounce on it and bite down. Then caterwauling ensues! And somewhere in the backof my mind I hear the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz singing, "If I onlyhad a…tail!"
March 11, 2012
The Social Network Dilemma
I hope you all enjoy Jamie B. Musings' guest post as much as I have!
Welcome to my blog Jamie!
J.B. MusingsI'm going to be honest here. I spent several daysdebating what my topic for this post should be. I'd sit and try to come up withtopics, but couldn't settle on anything and the panic started to rise as thedeadline neared. Can you tell I was a Journalism major? The good thing is, thepanic and pressure of a deadline gets me moving and then I had it.
Social Networking. It's the reason I'm guestinghere today. I met Caron through a Novel Publicity group on Goodreads and weagreed to exchange guest posts. I've been thinking about social networkinglately because the writing club I'm in has been debating the merits of newmarketing vs. traditional methods. I sided with Team Social Media for a lot ofreasons.
First of all, it's free. You don't have to pay onecent to get yourself all over google and other platforms, how can you go wrong?This is crucial for any indie author/blogger/musician looking to survive in atime where every penny counts (it's called being a starving artist for areason).
Secondly, it can be a great creative outlet. Lastyear, I started making some banners, videos and trailers for my husband, CPBialois, as well as for my own blog. I had a great time doing so and becameaddicted to making them. Creative juices we stirred and next thing I knew CPtalked me into participating in NaNoWriMo. Writing that book ended up inspiringme to try photography and the pets started looking for new hiding places.
Third of all, social networking has exposed me towriters and books I may never have learned about otherwise. Memoirs Aren'tFairytales, Farsighted, and The Forever Girl are all new favorites of mine. I'malso looking forward to several releases by other authors I met thanks to theonline writing community.
That brings me to the most important reason I'mfirmly behind the social networking trend: a sense of community. Many of thepeople I come across in my day-to-day life think CP's and my projects are cool,but they don't understand the struggles involved and the headaches (usuallyduring the editing process- we're looking into buying stock in red pens). It'sa fight to get some of them to understand that this is more than some "hobby"-it's a job. The writers and bloggers I meet online get it and are usually quickto offer support and advice when you're in need. The writing community has beena huge blessing in that respect and I'm glad to count so many of the funny andinteresting people there as friends.
What do you think about the traditional marketingvs. new media debate? What has the social networking world done for you? I'dlove to hear about it. Thanks for hosting me, Caron. May the Karma be with you!
Jamie's BIO:Jamie B. Musings is a music addict, book lover, petservant & NaNoWriMo survivor. When she's not busy writing posts forCultureShock, she's taking pictures for her new obsession (That Photo Blog) andspending time with her husband and pets. Her first book, The Life and Times ofNo One in Particular, is slated to be released this year and is currently inthe hands of beta readers and the red pen of doom.
Jamie's Links: www.jamiebmusings.webs.comwww.jbcultureshock.wordpress.comwww.jamiebmusingspics.wordpress.comwww.twitter.com/jamiebmusingswww.facebook.com/jamiebmusings
Welcome to my blog Jamie!
J.B. MusingsI'm going to be honest here. I spent several daysdebating what my topic for this post should be. I'd sit and try to come up withtopics, but couldn't settle on anything and the panic started to rise as thedeadline neared. Can you tell I was a Journalism major? The good thing is, thepanic and pressure of a deadline gets me moving and then I had it.Social Networking. It's the reason I'm guestinghere today. I met Caron through a Novel Publicity group on Goodreads and weagreed to exchange guest posts. I've been thinking about social networkinglately because the writing club I'm in has been debating the merits of newmarketing vs. traditional methods. I sided with Team Social Media for a lot ofreasons.
First of all, it's free. You don't have to pay onecent to get yourself all over google and other platforms, how can you go wrong?This is crucial for any indie author/blogger/musician looking to survive in atime where every penny counts (it's called being a starving artist for areason).
Secondly, it can be a great creative outlet. Lastyear, I started making some banners, videos and trailers for my husband, CPBialois, as well as for my own blog. I had a great time doing so and becameaddicted to making them. Creative juices we stirred and next thing I knew CPtalked me into participating in NaNoWriMo. Writing that book ended up inspiringme to try photography and the pets started looking for new hiding places.
Third of all, social networking has exposed me towriters and books I may never have learned about otherwise. Memoirs Aren'tFairytales, Farsighted, and The Forever Girl are all new favorites of mine. I'malso looking forward to several releases by other authors I met thanks to theonline writing community.
That brings me to the most important reason I'mfirmly behind the social networking trend: a sense of community. Many of thepeople I come across in my day-to-day life think CP's and my projects are cool,but they don't understand the struggles involved and the headaches (usuallyduring the editing process- we're looking into buying stock in red pens). It'sa fight to get some of them to understand that this is more than some "hobby"-it's a job. The writers and bloggers I meet online get it and are usually quickto offer support and advice when you're in need. The writing community has beena huge blessing in that respect and I'm glad to count so many of the funny andinteresting people there as friends.
What do you think about the traditional marketingvs. new media debate? What has the social networking world done for you? I'dlove to hear about it. Thanks for hosting me, Caron. May the Karma be with you!
Jamie's BIO:Jamie B. Musings is a music addict, book lover, petservant & NaNoWriMo survivor. When she's not busy writing posts forCultureShock, she's taking pictures for her new obsession (That Photo Blog) andspending time with her husband and pets. Her first book, The Life and Times ofNo One in Particular, is slated to be released this year and is currently inthe hands of beta readers and the red pen of doom.
Jamie's Links: www.jamiebmusings.webs.comwww.jbcultureshock.wordpress.comwww.jamiebmusingspics.wordpress.comwww.twitter.com/jamiebmusingswww.facebook.com/jamiebmusings
March 8, 2012
Shawdowland by C.M. Gray
I have started a few blog swaps where I am featured on someone's blog and I feature someone on mine. So here's a treat for you:
It's a YA historical fantasy:
Description:
The legend of Arthur and his knights of the round table is one of thosestories that most of us grew up hearing. Magic swords, strange druids, knightsin shinning armor and damsels in distress. But where did Arthur come from, ifthere is indeed any truth to the tale? This was all back in the dark ages,where so few records exist that it is actually called the dark ages.
Shadowland is the story … before the story. It follows the journey oftwo boys as their lives are roughly torn apart, witnessing a raid upon theirvillage. The Romans are leaving Britain, Pict raiders are coming from north ofthe boarder and now Saxon boats are bringing a new invader to the shores ofBritain.
On the night of Midwinter's eve, a storyteller takes his listeners backto a tale from his youth, but it isn't the tale his listeners had expected tohear, it isn't a story he thought he was going to tell, and it isn't a storythat you have ever heard before. Welcome to Shadowland.
Received severalfive star reviews on Amazon including this from : Mad scientist
A great story filled with tense scenes. Theworld described is evocative, atmospheric and really nails the sense ofuncertainty as the folk, left behind by Rome's withdrawal from the BritishIsles at the beginning of the Dark Ages, try to protect themselves and rebuildtheir culture. There's also a strong sense of mystery, magic and adventure asthe plight of the main characters unfolds while they move through the landscapetoward their destiny. (Can't say anymore without spoiling!) As you get to knowthe characters' strengths, weaknesses, hopes and fears I really found myselfrelating to them and visualizing who they were.
There are some unforeseen and unexpected twists too which move the storyforward nicely and some exciting battle/ skirmish scenes. I really was hookedfrom the beginning. Having read quite a few published novels in the same vein Iwould rate this for sure. Highly entertaining!
About the Author C.M.Gray:
Born in England during the hippy 60's I had to wait until the early 80's to domy 'hippy' travelling. I spent a lot of time in India and all over Asia andworked at everything from a carpenter to an investment consultant. I now livein Barcelona Spain with my Dutch born wife and two wonderful children, Dylanand Yasmin. I love to write, Shadowland is actually my third novel. I willshortly release another pure fantasy tale called The Flight of the Griffin.
Links:
Website: http://www.flightofthegriffin.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13484347-shadowland
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=c.m.+gray+shadowland
It's a YA historical fantasy:
Description:The legend of Arthur and his knights of the round table is one of thosestories that most of us grew up hearing. Magic swords, strange druids, knightsin shinning armor and damsels in distress. But where did Arthur come from, ifthere is indeed any truth to the tale? This was all back in the dark ages,where so few records exist that it is actually called the dark ages.
Shadowland is the story … before the story. It follows the journey oftwo boys as their lives are roughly torn apart, witnessing a raid upon theirvillage. The Romans are leaving Britain, Pict raiders are coming from north ofthe boarder and now Saxon boats are bringing a new invader to the shores ofBritain.
On the night of Midwinter's eve, a storyteller takes his listeners backto a tale from his youth, but it isn't the tale his listeners had expected tohear, it isn't a story he thought he was going to tell, and it isn't a storythat you have ever heard before. Welcome to Shadowland.
Received severalfive star reviews on Amazon including this from : Mad scientist
A great story filled with tense scenes. Theworld described is evocative, atmospheric and really nails the sense ofuncertainty as the folk, left behind by Rome's withdrawal from the BritishIsles at the beginning of the Dark Ages, try to protect themselves and rebuildtheir culture. There's also a strong sense of mystery, magic and adventure asthe plight of the main characters unfolds while they move through the landscapetoward their destiny. (Can't say anymore without spoiling!) As you get to knowthe characters' strengths, weaknesses, hopes and fears I really found myselfrelating to them and visualizing who they were.
There are some unforeseen and unexpected twists too which move the storyforward nicely and some exciting battle/ skirmish scenes. I really was hookedfrom the beginning. Having read quite a few published novels in the same vein Iwould rate this for sure. Highly entertaining!
About the Author C.M.Gray:
Born in England during the hippy 60's I had to wait until the early 80's to domy 'hippy' travelling. I spent a lot of time in India and all over Asia andworked at everything from a carpenter to an investment consultant. I now livein Barcelona Spain with my Dutch born wife and two wonderful children, Dylanand Yasmin. I love to write, Shadowland is actually my third novel. I willshortly release another pure fantasy tale called The Flight of the Griffin.
Links:
Website: http://www.flightofthegriffin.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13484347-shadowland
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=c.m.+gray+shadowland
March 7, 2012
No one wore a wife beater, but…
As you may know, I am getting into the country life andhave learned far more than I care to about chickens. No I don't have any,although I will have to tell you about The Great Guinea Caper one day. Soanyway, my dad has a friend in Louisiana who hosted a metal detecting hunt onhis land—a weekend affair. Yes, he's the one with the chickens, at least 20possibly up to 30. They were everywhere. Nadine fed a really big rooster cornon the cob for lunch. When he was done with her, he strutted out to an openarea and started calling. As I watched about 15 of the hens came a runnin. Whenthey'd all gathered up, he escorted them into the woods. Huh, that's cute, Ithought and didn't think anything else about them.
Come evening I saw the rooster come back out of thewoods. He hopped up on a stump and started calling again. Pretty soon all thelittle hens showed up out of the woods and headed toward the coop (why I don'tknow because the coop wasn't big enough for all of them, at all). But hestayed on the stump and kept calling. After a few minutes, a lone little hencame out of the woods. As she approached the stump, the rooster jumped down andproceeded to beat the stew out of her with his wings. She started clucking indistress and running with him beating her all the way to the coop. Now, what Iwant to know is, who came up with the term "hen pecked?" If it was me, I'd beflying the coop!
March 5, 2012
Witchblood by Emma Mills
Win a contest to get your name in the sequel to Witchblood!
Check it out:
Description:When Jess steals a glance at a gorgeous guy in aManchester nightclub, little does she realise how he is going to change herlife…or should that be death? Yet, the vampire clan could never have predictedwhat they were taking on.
With Luke pronounced 'off-limits' and the blood of a vampire simmering inJess's body, can she forget the love of her life and move on? If not, she willrisk exposing the entire Northern vampire clan to untold dangers, in order tolive her life the way she wants.
Can Jess be sure that Luke is all he appears to be? Will she succumb to theattraction she desperately tries not to feel for Daniel? And why does she stillcrave a packet of crisps more than a tasty teenage boy's blood?
Got a 5 Star Review FromAuthor Thomas Winship of 'Vaempires'"In Witchblood, Emma Mills introduces a worldwhere vampires, witches, and angels walk among us. As we follow Jess's journeythrough the realization that she has not only been transformed into a vampire,but that she is also something more, we can't help but be swept up in the worldthat Mills creates. The characters feel real, the world feels authentic, andthe story literally throbs with an underlying intensity that builds with eachpage. In short, Witchblood is an imaginative, satisfying read that stillmanages to leave the reader hungry for more."
About the Author Emma Mills:
I'mhappily married with two lovely kiddies that keep me on my toes. I have alwaysloved reading, and always wanted to write, it just never happened! Then once myyoungest started school I was able to take some time and give it a go,Witchblood is my debut novel. After acquiring an obsessive love of supernaturalteen novels, I decided to write my own supernatural story, based in Manchester,in the UK, near where I live and grew up. It's currently dark, windy, cold andvery, very wet... and easy to get inspiration!
Emma'slinks:
Website: http://www.witchbloodthenovel.com/
AmazonUK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Witchblood-ebook/dp/B006VD5QLI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326705501&sr=8-1 (also on Amazon.com)
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13400691-witchblood
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Witchbloodthenovel
Twitter: EmmaMwriter
Check it out:
Description:When Jess steals a glance at a gorgeous guy in aManchester nightclub, little does she realise how he is going to change herlife…or should that be death? Yet, the vampire clan could never have predictedwhat they were taking on.
With Luke pronounced 'off-limits' and the blood of a vampire simmering inJess's body, can she forget the love of her life and move on? If not, she willrisk exposing the entire Northern vampire clan to untold dangers, in order tolive her life the way she wants.
Can Jess be sure that Luke is all he appears to be? Will she succumb to theattraction she desperately tries not to feel for Daniel? And why does she stillcrave a packet of crisps more than a tasty teenage boy's blood?
Got a 5 Star Review FromAuthor Thomas Winship of 'Vaempires'"In Witchblood, Emma Mills introduces a worldwhere vampires, witches, and angels walk among us. As we follow Jess's journeythrough the realization that she has not only been transformed into a vampire,but that she is also something more, we can't help but be swept up in the worldthat Mills creates. The characters feel real, the world feels authentic, andthe story literally throbs with an underlying intensity that builds with eachpage. In short, Witchblood is an imaginative, satisfying read that stillmanages to leave the reader hungry for more."
About the Author Emma Mills:
I'mhappily married with two lovely kiddies that keep me on my toes. I have alwaysloved reading, and always wanted to write, it just never happened! Then once myyoungest started school I was able to take some time and give it a go,Witchblood is my debut novel. After acquiring an obsessive love of supernaturalteen novels, I decided to write my own supernatural story, based in Manchester,in the UK, near where I live and grew up. It's currently dark, windy, cold andvery, very wet... and easy to get inspiration!
Emma'slinks:
Website: http://www.witchbloodthenovel.com/
AmazonUK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Witchblood-ebook/dp/B006VD5QLI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326705501&sr=8-1 (also on Amazon.com)
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13400691-witchblood
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Witchbloodthenovel
Twitter: EmmaMwriter
March 1, 2012
My Redneck Greenhouse
As many of you know, I live in rural Missouri…just movedhere this past year. Since I hail from the south and love plants, I thought I'dbetter get a greenhouse to try to preserve some of my flowers and to startseeds early. So I bought a kit. Sounds easy enough, right? Except I couldn'tfigure out these little clippy things that were meant to attach the plasticwindowpanes to the metal frame. So I used screws to fasten the pane to theframe. Well, I was a little short on screws (no, that's not a euphemism on myintelligence although after this story you might think so), so I only put twoscrews per pane no matter how large the pane was. So things were breezing rightalong until last week when one of the panes took flight! I tracked it down butstill didn't have screws…so to re-attach it I used duct tape! We had a blowlast night that had 70 mile an hour gusts…the panes are all there but boy do Ifeel like a redneck!
February 28, 2012
5 Star Review for Silver Knight from Readers Favorite!
Thank you Brenda C.!
Posted February 27, 2012
My only warning is that once you start reading this story you are not going to be able to put it down!Reviewed by Brenda C. for Readers Favorite
All I could think once I started reading this book was WOW! It's Diana's last days as a high school junior, and she is looking forward to becoming a senior and perhaps being voted president of their book club. The thing is that she has always been plagued with haunting dreams, and often the dreams are of people being killed. While the dreams seemed very real, she had always thought they were just that, dreams. When she sees a video on YouTube of a priest from the Vatican asking for warriors to join his crusade in trying to rid the catacombs of the demons that are living there, she is surprised to realize that she actually recognizes this priest from her dreams, and in her dreams she had saved him! When she calls him, she is shocked to find out that he knows her and that he wants her help. She decides to take the trip and invites two of her best friends from high school to go along. The journey she embarks upon not only helps her understand her past and her destiny, but it also allows her to meet with a man whom she has been tied to for centuries! Will Diana and her friends survive the journey, and what about the man she meets, just who is he and how does he play into this story?
To say I loved this book would be an understatement! The author weaves a fantastic tale of past lives and present time together so smoothly that it was easy to see Diana not only as a high school teen, but also to get a real look at her past lives and her fate in each one. The dreams that Diana had, especially at the beginning of the story, were really amazing. I could easily imagine the events happening as the author described them, especially the one that involved Alexander! As we learn of Diana's past lives we see the skills she has at fighting demons, and while ultimately I knew what her fate would be, I was heartened in knowing that she would eventually be reborn. I really enjoyed that I was able to feel the normalcy of Diana's high school life, but also easily felt what her true destiny was as a demon fighter. The twist provided at the end of the story leaves me anxious to know where the author plans on taking this story. I certainly couldn't wait to find out!
While this story is geared toward teens, I would easily recommend it to anyone who enjoys a great story filled with a paranormal flavor, that not only takes place in the present but the past as well. There is also the mystery and intrigue along with the bits of romance sprinkled in that will allow this book to appeal to many.
Posted February 27, 2012
My only warning is that once you start reading this story you are not going to be able to put it down!Reviewed by Brenda C. for Readers Favorite
All I could think once I started reading this book was WOW! It's Diana's last days as a high school junior, and she is looking forward to becoming a senior and perhaps being voted president of their book club. The thing is that she has always been plagued with haunting dreams, and often the dreams are of people being killed. While the dreams seemed very real, she had always thought they were just that, dreams. When she sees a video on YouTube of a priest from the Vatican asking for warriors to join his crusade in trying to rid the catacombs of the demons that are living there, she is surprised to realize that she actually recognizes this priest from her dreams, and in her dreams she had saved him! When she calls him, she is shocked to find out that he knows her and that he wants her help. She decides to take the trip and invites two of her best friends from high school to go along. The journey she embarks upon not only helps her understand her past and her destiny, but it also allows her to meet with a man whom she has been tied to for centuries! Will Diana and her friends survive the journey, and what about the man she meets, just who is he and how does he play into this story?
To say I loved this book would be an understatement! The author weaves a fantastic tale of past lives and present time together so smoothly that it was easy to see Diana not only as a high school teen, but also to get a real look at her past lives and her fate in each one. The dreams that Diana had, especially at the beginning of the story, were really amazing. I could easily imagine the events happening as the author described them, especially the one that involved Alexander! As we learn of Diana's past lives we see the skills she has at fighting demons, and while ultimately I knew what her fate would be, I was heartened in knowing that she would eventually be reborn. I really enjoyed that I was able to feel the normalcy of Diana's high school life, but also easily felt what her true destiny was as a demon fighter. The twist provided at the end of the story leaves me anxious to know where the author plans on taking this story. I certainly couldn't wait to find out!
While this story is geared toward teens, I would easily recommend it to anyone who enjoys a great story filled with a paranormal flavor, that not only takes place in the present but the past as well. There is also the mystery and intrigue along with the bits of romance sprinkled in that will allow this book to appeal to many.
It's a leap year!
I'm feeling my mortality today. Is it because it's a leap year and our leap day is tomorrow? I feel like we're making up time (which of course we are) but I never seem to be able to make up my time.And since our moon cycle is reaching its first quarter for 3/1, and the crescent moon is the symbol of silver, I thought this might be appropriate:
Crescent Moon
Green September gone to October brown,Fair November led to December's frozen ground.
The seasons stumble round,
Our drifting lives are bound
To a falling crescent moon.
Fair the clouds cry the veil of tears to earth,Morning gray time, no one sees a bird's quiet mirth.
Dressed in a brand new day,
The sun is on its way
To a falling crescent moon.
Somewhere in a fairytale forest lies One answer that is waiting to be heard.
It speaks to us of love
Flying in on the wings of a dove
To a falling crescent moon.
You and I were born like the breaking day.All our seasons, all our green September's burn away.
Slowly we'll fade on our cue
Into the sea of midnight blue
And a falling crescent moon.
Crescent Moon
Green September gone to October brown,Fair November led to December's frozen ground.
The seasons stumble round,
Our drifting lives are bound
To a falling crescent moon.
Fair the clouds cry the veil of tears to earth,Morning gray time, no one sees a bird's quiet mirth.
Dressed in a brand new day,
The sun is on its way
To a falling crescent moon.
Somewhere in a fairytale forest lies One answer that is waiting to be heard.
It speaks to us of love
Flying in on the wings of a dove
To a falling crescent moon.
You and I were born like the breaking day.All our seasons, all our green September's burn away.
Slowly we'll fade on our cue
Into the sea of midnight blue
And a falling crescent moon.
February 27, 2012
School Fundraiser
With the poor economy our schools' funds are stretched thin. I offer both the ebook and paperback version of Silver Knight as a school fundraiser. If your school is looking to offer something other than candy and donuts, check out the details on my website: www.caronrider.com or email me at caron@caronrider.com.
February 26, 2012
Something to Strive For
If you would not be forgotten
As soon as you are dead and rotten,
Either write things worth reading,
Or do things worth the writing.
-- Ben Franklin
As soon as you are dead and rotten,
Either write things worth reading,
Or do things worth the writing.
-- Ben Franklin
