C.M. Brown's Blog, page 12
April 10, 2014
LETTER "I" - A-Z CHALLENGE
A to Z Team [2014]Arlee Bird:
Tossing it Out
Alex J. Cavanaugh: Alex J. Cavanaugh
Stephen Tremp: Author Stephen Tremp
Tina Downey: Life is Good
Damyanti Biswas: Amlokiblogs
Jeremy Hawkins: [Being Retro]
Nicole Ayers: The Madlab Post
M. J. Joachim: M. J. Joachim's Writing Tips
Heather M. Gardner: The Waiting is the Hardest Part
AJ Lauer: Naturally Sweet
Pam Margolis: An Unconventional Librarian
"I" is today's letter for the A-Z Challenge. You can read my installment from "Forces of Mist" a yet to be finished, dystopian sci-fi. Let me know your thoughts below.
“In which direction were they headed?” Walker asked.
“Westward. It was more of a convoy, than a scouting party. There was about five or more craft in total.”
“I wonder why they are headed out that way.”
“Maybe they are setting up a new base, out past the Blue Mountains.” Sarah suggests.
She had been holding Spank in her arms, while she made her report and he was beginning to get restless and she was struggling to control him.
“So, where did you pick up your new friend?” Walker reached out to give the dog a pat on the head.
Spank responded by licking his hand, he seemed used to human touch.It brought a smile to the commander’s face. “He seems quite tame. Go and get him and yourself a feed and then give him a wash, he looks like he needs one. And Sarah, get some rest. I’ll send you out tomorrow to head west and see if you can find this new alien base. We have to be sure it isn’t going to be any threat to our existence here. I’ll send Robert’s and Jennings with you for support, you could be away for a while.”
“Do you think Roberts will follow my orders?” Sarah asked, she had found Jack Roberts to be a pain in the arse and a chauvinist bastard on another assignment in which they had been sent out together, he had spent the time trying to get into her pants.
“I will ensure Jennings is aware of his infatuation with you and give him orders to follow your instruction and to leave you alone. Will that make you happy?”
“I suppose, if there is no one else available I suppose it will have to do.”
“Sarah, we lost quite a few good men in the last battle, there is no one better qualified to support you in this operation. Roberts and Jennings will have to do.”
“Yes sir. Is that all then?” she asked, a little deflated by his reasoning.
“Yeah, go and get cleaned up and make sure you get some food into both of you before you fall asleep. That’s an order.” He chuckled and stroked Spank behind the ears, "Now, get out of here."
April 9, 2014
LETTER "H" - A-Z CHALLENGE
A to Z Team [2014]Arlee Bird:
Tossing it Out
Alex J. Cavanaugh: Alex J. Cavanaugh
Stephen Tremp: Author Stephen Tremp
Tina Downey: Life is Good
Damyanti Biswas: Amlokiblogs
Jeremy Hawkins: [Being Retro]
Nicole Ayers: The Madlab Post
M. J. Joachim: M. J. Joachim's Writing Tips
Heather M. Gardner: The Waiting is the Hardest Part
AJ Lauer: Naturally Sweet
Pam Margolis: An Unconventional Librarian
Hi everyone and welcome to my letter "H" post for the A-Z Challenge. I am posting teasers from a new book I am developing titled, "Forces of Mist" a science fiction, dystopian story for a New Adult audience.
These teasers are in no particular order, so as not to give the story away. I hope you enjoy!
“Hi gorgeous…”
How the hell had he known that I would be there to organise a recorded message directed to me personally? Sarah thought and then found herself distracted by the use of his word ‘gorgeous’, did he actually think she was?
Shaking her head, she refocused on the rest of the message, as it played on.
“… Yes, I am able to see into my future and I knew you would be waiting, pressed up against the wall as you were, looking so hot!” He winked. “Not my entire race has this ability, only a small number like I exist.” He paused, before continuing.
“It is imperative that you ensure your commanders are informed of the information contained in this message. They must switch their communication devices back to the out dated analogue system, prior to the digital network. They must do this before the detonation of our disabling device or all hope of survival for your species will be lost.”
Jackson’s image seemed to plead directly to her, before his message continued, “… and we might never have a chance to get to know each other and that would be a serious shame.” Sarah could not believe her ears and eyes. Was he actually trying to help the Earthlings stop his species conquest over the planet? Why? What did he have to gain? Or was Jackson simply laying the foundations for a trap, intending to use her as a means to spring it.
She looked at his face displayed on the small com monitor and weighed up her options.
Should I follow his request, or ignore it? If I ignore it, would there be consequences?
Deliberating for only a short moment, her attention was once again focused back to the small monitor.
April 8, 2014
TEASER TUESDAY
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by
http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/of Should Be Reading.Anyone can play along!Just do the followingGrab your current readOpen to a random pageShare two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that pageBE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE ANY SPOILERS!
Make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away!
You don't want to ruin the book for others!
Lacrimosa (Requiem #1) byChristine Fonseca Some sacrifices should never be made, even for love.Nesy is the best of an elite group of angels, warriors called Sentinals, charged with one job—vanquish the UnHoly. She’s never made a mistake, never gotten emotionally involved, never failed.
Until she comes face-to-face with Aydan.
He is evil incarnate. A fallen angel that feeds off the souls of others. Everything Nesy is supposed to hate. But she can’t, because he’s also the human love of her life; a love she was never supposed to feel.
Now she must choose between doing her duty or saving Aydan, a choice that will cost more than her life...
Or his soul.
MY TEASER:
I collapse any space between us, and catch him off guard. Our lips are barely apart, my fingers wrapped firmly around my knife. “And what do you think now?” I can feel him shudder . Feel his heart pound against mine. “Am I still afraid?” “Terrified.” He draws a deep breath, parts his lips and kisses me. It deepens, again pulling on my soul. I don’t resist. Not yet.
Fonseca, Christine (2012-03-05). Lacrimosa (Requiem Series) (Kindle Locations 967-972). Compass Press. Kindle Edition.
LETTER "G" - A-Z CHALLENGE
A to Z Team [2014]Arlee Bird:
Tossing it Out
Alex J. Cavanaugh: Alex J. Cavanaugh
Stephen Tremp: Author Stephen Tremp
Tina Downey: Life is Good
Damyanti Biswas: Amlokiblogs
Jeremy Hawkins: [Being Retro]
Nicole Ayers: The Madlab Post
M. J. Joachim: M. J. Joachim's Writing Tips
Heather M. Gardner: The Waiting is the Hardest Part
AJ Lauer: Naturally Sweet
Pam Margolis: An Unconventional Librarian
Letter "G" and my teasers continue. I hope you are enjoying the glimpse of "Forces of Mist" my latest novel in progress, suited to a New Adult audience who enjoy reading dystopian sci-fi.
“Well, a little earlier than that actually, sir.” Sarah replied, with a twisted smirk.
“Get some sleep and make sure you get a meal into you. You never seem to be around at mess time.” He smiled and stood up, walked over to where she sat and gave Sarah an affectionate pat on her shoulder.
“Goodnight, sir.” Sarah slugged down the last dregs of her drink and walked towards the door.
“Remember, do not speak of this to anyone.”
“Yes sir.” She opened the door and headed towards the kitchen. The commander’s mention of food, had wet her appetite.
Back in her small room which she shared with Kara and Emma, Sarah replayed the events of the day over in her head, lying on her bunk.
She was left with the same questions. Why had the Mist Warrior helped her? Why had he acted the way he did? She remembered looking into his bright green eyes and the feel of his mist shaped into fingers, caressing her cheek. The thrill of feeling his touch lingered in her mind, sending shivers of pleasure through her body.
Sarah tossed in her sleep, disturbed by her thoughts and recollections. What was it about this warrior that was so different? She had no answers. She did come to the realization that for some reason she was attracted to him, but this made no sense to her at all.
After little sleep, she woke to the sound of the alarm screeching to alert, the sound of an imminent attack. As the deafening whirring noise screamed to be noticed, Sarah quickly grabbed her gear, dressed then raced out into the corridor to find the complex in total chaos.
April 7, 2014
LETTER "F" - A-Z CHALLENGE
A to Z Team [2014]Arlee Bird:
Tossing it Out
Alex J. Cavanaugh: Alex J. Cavanaugh
Stephen Tremp: Author Stephen Tremp
Tina Downey: Life is Good
Damyanti Biswas: Amlokiblogs
Jeremy Hawkins: [Being Retro]
Nicole Ayers: The Madlab Post
M. J. Joachim: M. J. Joachim's Writing Tips
Heather M. Gardner: The Waiting is the Hardest Part
AJ Lauer: Naturally Sweet
Pam Margolis: An Unconventional Librarian
"Forces of Mist" is set in a futuristic Sydney, Australia. An alien force has almost annihilated the human inhabitants, but a determined group survives, battling a fierce enemy to regain what was once theirs.
For the letter "F" you will find below yet another teaser from my yet to be released dystopian sci-fi.
Any wood found was now a precious commodity and teams had been sent out to scout the ruins of nearby towns to collect and transport the timber to the new complex.
Nails, an old fashioned device to secure the wood in place, were also being collected from the ruins and hoarded like precious stones. The human population was unable to construct any new ones as there were no mining or industrial technologies available.
The challenges mounted up. Developing a means of communication, other than the com systems, was paramount if survival was to continue. Luckily when the aliens had first attacked, the army had hoarded lots of equipment into safe areas, so these were now being searched to try to establish some type of analogue system to enable easy communication. It was becoming the most challenging of goals.
Sarah helped to move equipment from one site to the other, being careful not to be detected by the enemy, while gathering as much intel as she could, travelling back and forward to the new site.
She spotted an alien make shift camp set up along the eastern ridges a fair way south of their new base and made sure she informed the commander of its whereabouts, when she returned.
It took twelve days to transport all the goods and equipment to the new site and luckily they were able to succeed, without being detected. The new complex turned out to be perfect. After further inspection they found fresh water running through one of the tunnels, bubbling up from an underground spring. Large natural caverns were spread throughout the cave system suitable to transform into rooms for their purposes.
Sarah had found a natural alcove carved into a tunnel wall and set up the few meager possessions she harboured, creating quarters for herself, away from the main living areas of the rest of the base. It had been a long time since she was able to enjoy some personal space and was grateful to have found the small cave.
April 5, 2014
LETTER "E" - A-Z CHALLENGE
A to Z Team [2014]Arlee Bird:
Tossing it Out
Alex J. Cavanaugh: Alex J. Cavanaugh
Stephen Tremp: Author Stephen Tremp
Tina Downey: Life is Good
Damyanti Biswas: Amlokiblogs
Jeremy Hawkins: [Being Retro]
Nicole Ayers: The Madlab Post
M. J. Joachim: M. J. Joachim's Writing Tips
Heather M. Gardner: The Waiting is the Hardest Part
AJ Lauer: Naturally Sweet
Pam Margolis: An Unconventional Librarian
Excerpt / Teaser, from "Forces of Mist," a work in progress, of my first Dystopian, Sci-fi set in Sydney, Australia. Sarah, a survivor of the original battle, is now part of the human resistance, fighting for survival on a daily basis, while battling an alien enemy, set on conquering mankind.
“Ensure all parties remain undetected until the designated time. We do not wish to be discovered before then.”
Sarah suddenly heard the sound of footsteps approaching and pressed herself further into the wall, hoping her shield would hold and that she would not be detected by whoever approached.
She was mesmerized by what she saw as this unknown party closed in upon her. He was striking, she could see that he was not human, but it did not detract from his manliness or his perfect features, but something stirred within her, she felt as though she knew this stranger.
He came closer, Sarah gasped aloud as she took in his striking features, and was immediately concerned that she had given away her position as he seemed to make eye contact with her, just for a fleeting second. Her heart pounded, waiting for the outcome of his detection. She was surprised when he ignored it and continued past her to move into the room where the meeting was taking place.
A sudden thought immobilized Sarah with fear, was this Mist Warrior the one who had held her suspended above the ravine, months ago? She was pretty certain he was. She remembered the brilliance of his green eyes and the touch of his mist as it caressed her face, with finger like talons.“Nice of you to eventually join us Jackson, we decided to start without you.”
Sarah felt the need to move closer to try to obtain another glimpse of this individual, she now knew was named Jackson, but she controlled her overwhelming compulsion and remained positioned against the wall.The meeting continued with the leader of the group delivering instructions and directives to the party within.
April 4, 2014
LETTER "D" - A-Z CHALLENGE
A to Z Team [2014]Arlee Bird:
Tossing it Out
Alex J. Cavanaugh: Alex J. Cavanaugh
Stephen Tremp: Author Stephen Tremp
Tina Downey: Life is Good
Damyanti Biswas: Amlokiblogs
Jeremy Hawkins: [Being Retro]
Nicole Ayers: The Madlab Post
M. J. Joachim: M. J. Joachim's Writing Tips
Heather M. Gardner: The Waiting is the Hardest Part
AJ Lauer: Naturally Sweet
Pam Margolis: An Unconventional Librarian
"D" is today's letter and I have another teaser from "Forces of Mist," a New Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopian Novel where humanity battles to survive.
Deliberating for only a short moment, her attention was once again focused on the small monitor.“Sarah, please, you must do this! I implore you to forward this message on. I will try to find you in the near future and meet up to discuss our options.” The monitor went dark and for a few moments Sarah sat dumbfounded by the request. She was totally dumbstruck by his words. What the hell did he mean? How the hell did he know her name? She sat looking at the blank monitor, completely baffled.
Ensuring the area was clear, she started the engine of her truck and headed to the safe area, where the camp and the rest of her squad had congregated, awaiting her return.Sarah was specially trained to service her world in similar tasks to the one she had just completed. The squad she was working with risked their lives on a daily basis gathering intel on the invading alien force, trying to help the depleting human civilization combat their attacks with any means they could muster.
“SWAN, is that you on the horizon? Over.” Her com badge sounded over the noise of the engine as she drove over the scarred terrain of Wollongong.
“Affirmative command, over.” Sarah answered.
This was a necessary process; the area surrounding their makeshift camp was interlaced with weapons, wired and ready to detonate if an unknown entity approached.
Sarah closed in on the bunker and she was allowed entry.
Disembarking from her vehicle immediately, she headed towards the commanders office, deciding that she had best advise him of the knowledge of the impending attack on their communications network.
April 3, 2014
LETTER "C" - A-Z CHALLENGE
A to Z Team [2014]Arlee Bird:
Tossing it Out
Alex J. Cavanaugh: Alex J. Cavanaugh
Stephen Tremp: Author Stephen Tremp
Tina Downey: Life is Good
Damyanti Biswas: Amlokiblogs
Jeremy Hawkins: [Being Retro]
Nicole Ayers: The Madlab Post
M. J. Joachim: M. J. Joachim's Writing Tips
Heather M. Gardner: The Waiting is the Hardest Part
AJ Lauer: Naturally Sweet
Pam Margolis: An Unconventional Librarian
"C" is the letter for today and you will find here, that I continue to post teasers of "Forces of Mist," my work in progress for my first sci-fi, dystopian novel, set in a future time in the vacinity of Sydney, Australia.
Commander Walker hoped Sandy’s intel was correct and they would be safe for a time. Surprisingly, their enemy had not yet detected their movement back and forth from their previous site. They seemed to be safe, he hoped it would stay that way, but measures would need to be reinforced to ensure it remained that way.
The community spent long hours setting the base up and scouting around nearby areas, finding a feel for the land and looking for any timber still available for use.
Within two weeks they were totally settled and had set up a secure control centre using a reconstructed analogue communications system from the scavenged parts found in their storage areas.
It was cumbersome to carry around and Sarah was developing a habit of leaving the heavy unit in her truck and scouting on foot without it.
Time moved fast, without any sign of alien movement and Sarah found herself feeling a little depressed, longing for Jackson. She caught herself reliving the moments they shared and the feeling of his misty tentacles gently caressing her skin as his lips met hers.
Sometimes she would be so focused on her thoughts, she would find herself in the outer zones late in the day, not even aware of how she had got there.
She knew she was risking her life by not paying attention to her surroundings, but as memory and desire overtook her, she would completely faze out, taking no account of the territory she covered.
She had been lucky not to encounter alien movement, but if she continued in this manner her luck would not last. She needed to get a grip on herself quickly, or her life would turn non-existent.
The sun was about to set and Sarah turned her truck to head back to the camp. It was an easy run through the burnt out landscape, where once forests of eucalyptus grew dotted with houses. They would have been worth millions of dollars once, valued because of their magnificent views. Now, just mounds of rubble dotting the landscape.
April 2, 2014
INSECURE WRITER'S SUPPORT GROUP
IT IS TIME FOR INSECURE WRITER'S SUPPORT GROUPTo find out more about this group,visit:Alex J. Cavanaugh (The Ninja Captain)
at http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com.au/
TO SIGN UP TO BE PART OF THIS MONTHLY MEME, JUST FOLLOW THIS LINK:http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html
THIS MONTH THE CO-HOSTS ARE:
Hart Johnson, Chemist Ken, Candilynn Fite, Terri Rochenski, Clare Dugmore, and Lilica Blake!
March was such a busy month and April is now upon us and the A-Z Challenge is go, go, go....
This last month I have been busy organising my A-Z posts and frantically typing "Forces of Mist" to be able to take the excerpts from the manuscript for my posts. My first drafts are always hand written and then I type them up, editing and changing things as I go.
This week while visiting blogs prior to the Challenge, I came across an English author, who has published two books in her native language and was amused to read her comment relating to critiques who complain about "typo" errors in her new manuscript....
She is feeling frustrated by the attitudes of these people and explains that in England, (and like myself, being Australian), that our spelling of certain words is very different, we like to add the letters "ou" and use an "s" where Americans use a "z', and just an "o", these types of differences are not "typos!"
It made me think.... and feel compassion for her frustration. I have also received these types of comments from my readers. Should English, Australian, New Zealand, Canadian and other authors of British origins conform to American influence and change our traditional language to please our audiences?
Please let me know your opinion on this topic. It is a big insecurity to authors from these nations, including myself.
Should we tailor our writing and conform to the larger audience or hold onto the traditional "English" spelling we were educated to use?
To my American followers, I appologise if this topic may offend you, but it is a real issue to authors from these colonial British nations.
Carolyn
LETTER "B" - A-Z CHALLENGE
A to Z Team [2014]Arlee Bird:
Tossing it Out
Alex J. Cavanaugh: Alex J. Cavanaugh
Stephen Tremp: Author Stephen Tremp
Tina Downey: Life is Good
Damyanti Biswas: Amlokiblogs
Jeremy Hawkins: [Being Retro]
Nicole Ayers: The Madlab Post
M. J. Joachim: M. J. Joachim's Writing Tips
Heather M. Gardner: The Waiting is the Hardest Part
AJ Lauer: Naturally Sweet
Pam Margolis: An Unconventional Librarian
Below, you will find another Teaser form Forces of Mist, a work in progress set in Sydney, Australia. I hope you enjoy all 26 teasers being posted throughout this month, for the A-Z Challenge.
Before he approached, she inhaled a large lungful of air and stood in trepidation, hoping he would not divulge her presence. He looked her straight in the eye as he neared her vicinity and Sandy wondered how he was able to pinpoint her exact location. It left her baffled as the device she was operating should not allow any penetration.
Mere inches from her; he stopped and bent down as if to retrieve something he had dropped. She carefully moved her head forward, so as not to disturb the rough rock face she was pressed up against, to discover that Jackson had placed an object which looked very much like a com device by her feet.
He quickly stood and brushed himself down, as the officer in charge turned around looking for him.
“What are you doing, Jackson?” he asked.
“Sorry sir, I just dropped my com.” he answered and quickly juggled the device between his hands to add credence to his story.
Once they passed, Sarah remained fixed in her position, but found herself drawn to the mist trailing behind Jackson’s body as he moved forward towards the exit behind his leader. It seemed to be trying to send some message to her, but her ignorance left her completely baffled by what she saw.
