C.M. Brown's Blog, page 28

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!
 

Vampire Miami  (The Human Revolt #1) byPhil Tucker  BLURB:
Five years ago, the war ended and Miami was given to the vampires. Five years ago, the US turned its back on those trapped behind the Wall – and life in the vampire kingdom has degenerated into a grisly struggle for survival.

When naive and impulsive Selah Brown leaves Brooklyn to search for her father in the dead heart of the vampire city, she discovers that nothing is as it was explained to the American public—and her search is subverted into a quest to expose the truth before the horrors of the city can claim her.

Yet what hidden talent could one young woman possess that would allow her to stand a chance?   MY TEASER:   His soulless eyes burned into her own, seared through her, and she couldn’t think, couldn’t act. She wanted to run, but instead he held out his hand, the gesture strangely plaintive, his face taking on a vulnerable cast that shocked her even more than his eyes. It was as if he were as shocked to see her as she was to see him. His fingers were long, his hand steady, and not knowing what else to do, she reached and took his hand with her own.

Philip Tucker. Vampire Miami (Book 1 of The Human Revolt) (Kindle Locations 778-780).

CHRISTINE RAINS RELEASE OF 1305 & 1306 The Oracle and the Vampire (The 13th Floor series, #5) / JESSICA BELL'S ADVERBS & CHICHE'S IN A NUTSHELL LAUNCH

NEW RELEASE
1305 & 1306 - The Oracle and The Vampire (The 13th Floor series, #5)
byChristine Rains 

Blurb:
Having fallen for her gorgeous neighbor might not be so bad if Harriet McKay wasn't in her hideous banshee form every time Kiral saw her. Such is her curse. True, he's a vampire struggling with a drug addiction, but he's a good soul. Yet no one could love a cursed witch, especially one not even her cats respect.

After having a vision of Kiral's death, Harriet makes it her mission to save him. Never before has she attempted to change fate, but so strong is her love.



Author Bio:
Christine Rains is a writer, blogger, and geek mom. She has four degrees which help nothing with motherhood, but make her a great Jeopardy player. When she's not writing or reading, she having adventures with her son or watching cheesy movies on Syfy Channel. She's a member of Untethered Realms and S.C.I.F.I. The 13th Floor series is her first self-published series. She has six novellas and twenty short stories published.
Website: http://christinerains.net/Blog: http://christinerains-writer.blogspot.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorchristinerainsTwitter: https://twitter.com/@CRainsWriterGoodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4017568.Christine_Rains

***** 

ADVERBS & CLICHE'S IN A NUTSHELL
Too many adverbs and clichés in your writing? I've got just the fix for you.by Jessica Bell
Writers constantly have rules thrown at them left, right, and center. Show, don’t tell! Stop using so many dialogue tags! More sensory detail! More tension! Speed up the pace! Yada yada yada ... it can become overwhelming, yes? I used to feel overwhelmed by it all too. In fact, I still do sometimes. It’s hard enough to get the words on the page, let alone consider how to put them there.

In Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird, she says that in order not to be overwhelmed, a writer needs to focus on short assignments. She refers to the one-inch picture frame on her desk and how that little picture frame reminds her to focus on bite-sized pieces of the whole story. Basically, if you focus on one small thing at a time, the story will eventually come together to create a whole. I believe the same applies to learning the craft of writing. If writers focus on one aspect of the craft at a time, the process will seem less daunting and piece by piece it will come together.
My name’s Jessica Bell, and my own struggles with feeling overwhelmed inspired me to write the Writing in a Nutshell Series of pocket-sized writing guides. So you can learn to hone your craft in bite-sized, manageable pieces. In the first book of the series, I focused on demonstrating how to transition “telling” into “showing.” In Adverbs & Clichés in a Nutshell: Demonstrated Subversions of Adverbs & Clichés into Gourmet Imagery , I deal with another of the most common criticisms aspiring writers face: to absolutely avoid adverbs and clichés like the plague. But see, right now, I just used one of each. I also used a couple in the first two paragraphs of this post because they come naturally, and we utilize them frequently in everyday speech. But in fiction, too many adverbs and clichés weaken your prose. It’s considered “lazy writing,” because it means we don’t have to show what’s happening.

If your manuscript has too many adverbs and clichés, it most likely means that the emotion you felt while writing it is not going to translate to the reader in the same way. So how exactly can we approach the subversion of adverbs and clichés? For starters, play around with simile and metaphor when you’re trying to convey emotion, and for action, use strong verbs to show it happening in real time.

The key? Think smaller details rather than the bigger picture.

Need some help and inspiration?

In Adverbs & Clichés in a Nutshell: Demonstrated Subversions of Adverbs & Clichés into Gourmet Imagery , you will find thirty-four examples of prose which clearly demonstrate how to turn those pesky adverbs and clichés into vivid and unique imagery. Dispersed throughout are blank pages to craft your own unique examples. Extra writing prompts are also provided at the back of the book.

“Jessica Bell's latest pocket guide, Adverbs & Clichés in a Nutshell, will inspire you to leave bland behind and pursue your creative best. With force and clarity, she demonstrates how adverbs and clichés hobble vibrant writing. She then marks a course toward unique expression and provides workouts that will help writers at every level develop a distinctive voice.” ~Laurel Garver, freelance editor, author of Never Gone and Muddy-Fingered Midnights

Purchase links:
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon Ca | Kobo

Bio: The Australian-native contemporary fiction author and poet, Jessica Bell, also makes a living as an editor and writer for global ELT publishers (English Language Teaching), such as Pearson Education, HarperCollins, Macmillan Education, Education First and Cengage Learning.

She is the co-publishing editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal, and the director of the Homeric Writers’ Retreat & Workshop on the Greek island of Ithaca.

For more information about Jessica please visit:
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

LIEBSTER AWARD!

Thanks for awarding me this Liebster, Squid, I really appreciate the thought! To humbly accept this award I am to answer 11 questions The Armchair Squid has asked, give 11 fun facts about myself, then award a Liebster to 11 other bloggers and ask them 11 different questions. The 11 bloggers I have chosen are to repeat this process, if they so choose, hopefully they will, to keep the Liebster Award going.
THE ELEVEN QUESTIONS ASKED BY THE ARMCHAIR SQUID:
1. If you could live one year of your life again, which would you choose and why?
The year I travelled around Australia, living out of a Combie and a tent. Surfing the best beach breaks, meeting new people and just living.  Why? It was a carefree existence.

2. If you could be good or better at one thing without putting in the time and work, what would it be?
I would like to be able to play guitar.

3. You've been invited to join a bowling league and you may choose any five people to be on your team.  There's just one catch: you can only pick fictional characters.  Whom would you choose?
Captain Picard, Data, Dr Who, Alice (Resident Evil) and Selene (Underworld).

4. How do you really feel about pears?
I like eating pears when they are still firm and crunchy.  I also value what my writing peers think of my work and my standard of professionalism. They are invaluable.

5. How do you feel about the metric system?
Being Australian, I have never known any difference. I have used the metric system most of my life.

6. The Doctor knocks on your door.  He'll take you to visit any place on Earth at any point in history (he always seems to make the choices with interstellar travel).  Where and when do you choose?
It would be interesting to visit France during the Muelon Rogue era.

7. If you could learn any new language, which would you choose?
Definitely, Klingon.

8. You have one personal quality which eventually annoys everyone in your life including, on occasion, yourself.  What is it and do you feel it's within your power to change it?
I detest cooking and avoid it if I can, annoying most of my family, especially my husband, as he is left to do most of the cooking. He cooks better than me as he used to be a chef and cooks very well. I suppose I could cook, if I had to.

9. If you knew when you were younger what you'd be doing with your life now, how might you have planned things differently?  Do you think your life would truly be better overall if you had?
I wouldn’t change anything. I love my husband and family, where I live and also enjoy my working life, so no, I would not change anything.

10. If all went south and you had to turn to a life of crime (assuming you haven't already), what line of dirty work would you choose?
Embezzlement! If I needed to make my living from a life of crime, I would go for it big time, so it would be worth it.

11. How do you get your geek on?
By watching Startrek, The Doctor and other scifi’s. I also love playing video games, my favourites are Resident Evil, the Sims, Diablo and Alice (AO version). Every year I go to Supernova, and watch the Cozplay, sometimes I dress up in my favourite characters of the moment.


ELEVEN FUN FACTS ABOUT MYSELF

1.   I love eating oysters raw!

2.   I wear a lot of black clothing, no I am not in mourning, I just like black. If I am no wearing black, I wear red or white. 

3.   I have a tattoo of a lotus behind my right ear, a large tree of life tattoo on my and a crescent moon above the tree.
 
4.   I also have a small piercing in my nose and 6 piercings in my right ear, and 3 in my left.

5.   An xray of my kidneys showed that my right side kidney floats. Yep, it is not attached it floats up and down my right side! 

6.   I was also born with a heart murmur, but this doesn't upset my lifestyle. My mitral valve doesn't close, but flutters and the blood that escapes is pooled in the bottom on my lunges! Crazy!
 
7.   My hands and feet are very small. I am a size 6 to 7 in shoes (Aus), 36 - 37 (US).

8.   I love alternate rock music, some heavy metal and a little screamo! 

9.   I have a fear of heights, even a few stairs, can give me the creeps.

10. I eat a boiled egg on toast, most mornings for breakfast.

11. I can knit, crochet, tie macramé, embroider and sew, although these days I don't spend anytime working on these crafts.


THE ELEVEN QUESTIONS TO THE ELEVEN FRIENDS I HAVE CHOSEN:
1.  If you had a choice would you prefer to live in the city or the country? Why?

2.  Where is your favourite place to vacation?

3.  What do you value most in your life?

4.  If you had the opportunity to see a band from the past or the present, which would you choose?

5.  Is there something in your life which you regret you never accomplished or would like the chance to do in the future?

6.  What is your favourite food?

7.  If you had a choice, who would you like to be
trapped in an elevator with? (And, don't say you 
would prefer not to be trapped in an elevator, you
don't get a choice).

8.  Do you have a really close friend? Tell us three 
things about the person. 

9.  When you were a young child what was your 
favourite game?

10. Would you prefer to travel into the deep dark 
depths of Earths oceans or visit a faraway planet?

11. Have you applied for the mission to Mars? If
so why? If not, why not?



THE ELEVEN BLOGGERS I AM AWARDING A LIEBSTER:
EliseFallson Nick Wilford@ Scattergum ScribblingsL. DianeWolfe@ Spunk On A Stick's TipsCiara KnightGwen GardnerCherie ReichChristineRainsJackie Felger@ Bouquet of BooksMelissa Bradley@ Melissa's ImaginariumJ.L. Campbell@ The Character DepotSheena-Kay Graham@ Queendsheena

I hope you all accept this award and take the time to pass it on to some worthy bloggers, in the near future.  I look forward to reading your answers and finding out eleven interesting fun facts about all of you! And, thanks again Squid, for including me in your list.



Carolyn
  Don't forget that Writer's for Writer's 
is happening tomorrow night, 
as it is the third Mondy of the Month!

The two authors chosen
for May are:
LAURA ENO
and
MARIE - ANN ALLEN

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT W4W'S
  OR TO SIGN UP TO JOIN THE FUN:
CLICK HERE! 

EXPRESS YOURSELF

 HOSTED BY:
Jackie Felger @ Bouquet of Books
Dani@ Entertaining Interests



The best part of the A to Z Challenge for me was reading all the awesome books I posted about.

The mix included Paranormal, Sci-fi, Steampunk, Adult and Young Adult, Ghost Stories, and many more!

I found some great stories, written by my blogger friends and was entertained immensely!

Of course, I also enjoyed just visiting and reading the posts I visited during the challenge. April is always a great month, when involved in the Challenge!

THE INDELIBLES - INDIE LIFE

What is Indie Life?
How: Sign up on the Linky at the bottom of this page
When: Post on the second Wednesday of the month (starting 1/9/2013)
What: Write anything indie related: something that will inspire or help a fellow indie; something that celebrates a release or a milestone; something that talks about the ups and downs, joys and heartaches of Being Indie.
Grab: The banner above to include in your posts!


One of the most important things about being an Indie Author, is to give back to the people who help you the most - other authors (eg: your blogger contacts within your circles).

Even if it is in some small way, I believe this contribution goes a long way in helping to promote your own work and to build a network base. By becoming involved in the release hype of other writer's work you create larger networks, which is a very important step towards making friends and contacts.

The old saying: You reap what you sow, is so very true!

Ensure you make your network strong, by commenting on other blogs, being interested and involved in what others are promoting and when you make a commitment to help with a web activity, ensure you follow it through. Don't let others down, make people feel important and invaluable.

There are so many ways to support and encourage your writer friends. You can sign up to be a host to promote a new release, become a beta reader or critique partner, always leave a review of the books you read at the various publishing sites, visit other blogs and leave comments as often as possible, involve yourself in blog hops and memes, etc, as often as you can.

But most importantly, remember you are running a business and every comment, input and post you create, reflects upon your commercial face. Make sure the image you present is the one you wish to develop and expose.

A-Z Reflections Post / Teaser Tuesday & Book Release for James Wymore - Exacting Essence!

As some of you might know, I held a poll during the A-Z Challenge, asking people to vote to Appreciate a Fellow Blogger, well guess who won?

Although there were other popular votes, the winner won hands down!
Of course it was  the man we all admire and love:Alex Cavanaugh @ http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com.au/
At the beginning of the Challenge, I had not decided on the prize for this Award, but my decision is, to present Alex with a $20 Amazon Gift Card for being chosen as a winner!Congratulations Alex!   
 Thanks to all of you who participated in the vote.The winner of the $20 Amazon Gift Card for casting a vote to Appreciate a Fellow Blogger was:Sheena-kay @http://queendsheena.blogspot.com.au/Congratulations Sheena-kay!
  And yes, I am proud to say I am a survivor of the A to Z Challenge for two years running and totally enjoyed the experience once again! 
Although my choice of reading and reviewing books, written by my fellow bloggers, was an immense task, I loved the opportunity to show off their work and give a little back to those who have helped me throughout the year. Some of the books, I still need to post reviews to Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble as well as Smashwords, but in the next week or so, I hope to have this all up to date!  A big thankyou to all who visited my blog and left such wonderful comments and to Arlee Bird, the founder of the Challenge for his efforts to arrange the Challenge for yet another year! 
 I was also fortunate to be awarded a Liebster Award by The Armchair Squid, during the Challenge and intend to post my response to this, later in the week. 
Carolyn
*****  


 
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by
http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/of Should Be Reading.Anyone can play along!Just do the following
Grab 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!

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
Wow, wasn't the A-Z Challenge just great this year?
It is hard to believe it has come to an end.  This month I have concentrated so hard on my posts for the challenge, that I did not get much writing accomplished besides my posts, but I am certainly not concerned.
This weekend, I intend to make up for lost time and delve head first into working on my new projects.
I have no insecurities or other worries to complain about, except dramas at work, but hey, ces't la vie!


 

"Z" - A TO Z CHALLENGE

Your hosts:
Arlee Bird at Tossing It Out, Damyanti Biswas at Amlokiblogs, Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh, Tina Downey at Life is Good, DL Hammons at Cruising Altitude 2.0, Jeremy Hawkins at Retro-Zombie, Shannon Lawrence at The Warrior Muse, Matthew MacNish at The QQQE, Konstanz Silverbow at No Thought 2 Small, Stephen Tremp at Breakthrough Blogs, Livia Peterson at Leave it to Livia, L. Diane Wolfe at Spunk on a Stick’s Tips, and Nicole at The Madlab Post.





Well the A to Z Challenge comes to an end for another year, it is always so much fun and definitely a challenge!
I would like to thank everyone who visited my site during the month of April and hope you also enjoyed the challenge.

And a big warm thank you to all the hosts above for all of their efforts to bring the challenge to us. 

I must also thank Jeremy - Retro Zombie for asking me to be one of his minions for the month! Thanks Jeremy! 
This is your last chance to enter the $20 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway and to vote to Appreciate a Fellow Blogger. (Details at the end of this post!)  Zombie Nights byTom Lichtenberg
 
GoodreadsAmazonSmashwordsBarnes & Noble
BLURB:
Being a zombie, not so easy. That could have been Dave Connor's six word memoir. "At first he couldn't remember how he'd ended up in that shallow grave; he just knew it was hell to claw his way out, and that the taste of its dirt would remain in his mouth for the rest of his time on this earth" ... Expect the unexpected in this existential resurrection thriller. 

REVIEW: 
Zombie Nights, by Tom Lichtenberg has an appealing charm, but is a thriller with twists. It tells the tale of Dave Connor's.  Poor Dave was murdered by a gang of no good thugs, and left in a shallow grave in a park, dead!

Of course Dave rises and becomes a Zombie, but not the Walking Dead type, he is a little different. Dave expresses to readers how a Zombie feels, thinks, moves, etc. It is quite a different perspective on the world of Zombies.
  
He finds a place to live with his Uncle, when he just turns up at the door one night and his Uncle helps him to learn human traits once again.  I really enjoyed this very unique Zombie experience and would suggest for any Zombie fans out there to give it a go!

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 read Open 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!


From Zombie Nights (The above book)
Here is My Teaser:


He felt the cold more than anything. That and the darkness and the worms crawling across his face. There wasn't exactly the thought of "I've got to get out of here". There was the action, a sudden panic surged within him and the struggle to move his arms which were pinned by his side.

Tom Lichtenberg. Zombie Nights (Kindle Locations 19-21). Tom Lichtenberg.
 

As the A-Z Challenge comes to an end 
this will be your last chance to  vote for a special Blogger friend who you think deserves to be recognized for all the great work they do! Simply fill out the  Appreciate a Fellow Blogger Form.   
Also, remember to enter the  Rafflecopter Giveaway  for your chance to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

"Y" - A T0 Z CHALLENGE

Your hosts:
Arlee Bird at Tossing It Out, Damyanti Biswas at Amlokiblogs, Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh, Tina Downey at Life is Good, DL Hammons at Cruising Altitude 2.0, Jeremy Hawkins at Retro-Zombie, Shannon Lawrence at The Warrior Muse, Matthew MacNish at The QQQE, Konstanz Silverbow at No Thought 2 Small, Stephen Tremp at Breakthrough Blogs, Livia Peterson at Leave it to Livia, L. Diane Wolfe at Spunk on a Stick’s Tips, and Nicole at The Madlab Post.




You Reap What You Sow

By

TJ Hudson

Goodreads
Amazon
Smashwords
Barnes & Noble

BLURB:

Several hundred years in the future and humanity has reached the stars. Great fleets are sent out to look for intelligent alien life, little do they know that first contact will come from a most unlikely place.
What should have been a momentous and great occasion instead turns into something that leads humanity down a dark and dangerous path. There are some who refuse to follow this new path and plan in one form or other to rebel.
However, these plans prove futile in the face of a truly alien and deadly foe that threatens everyone. 

REVIEW: 

You Reap What You Sow, by TJ Hudson is a sci-fi, which takes place across nearly 500 years, in a distant space colony, set up in another star system, with a purpose to mine for the precious resources desperately needed for humanities survival.

On a reconnaissance mission searching for minerals, the spaceship Eir, commanded by Lieutenant Commander Benjamin Richards happens upon an alien ship and First Contact is made.  Unfortunately, this historical event starts a domino effect to the demise of the human race. 

Humanity discovers there are number of alien races, and that space is not quite as big as they once thought, with mining territories and regulations already enforced by the different species.

The story line of You Reap What You, Sow is quite interesting, but it is somewhat disjointed, and the flow is lost with the time jumps, making it difficult to read.  I found myself re-reading to grasp an important fact or two and at times to understand what was occurring.


Make sure you vote to Appreciate a Fellow Blogger, who you believe goes a little further than most to be supportive, friendly and kind. Simply fill out the Vote to Appreciate a Fellow Blogger form!
Then, enter to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card,simply by completing the Rafflecopter Giveaway!
Thanks for the visit,I hope you have enjoyed the A to Z Challenge. 
Only one more day of blogging to go!

And,  good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

"X" - A TO Z CHALLENGE

Your hosts:
Arlee Bird at Tossing It Out, Damyanti Biswas at Amlokiblogs, Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh, Tina Downey at Life is Good, DL Hammons at Cruising Altitude 2.0, Jeremy Hawkins at Retro-Zombie, Shannon Lawrence at The Warrior Muse, Matthew MacNish at The QQQE, Konstanz Silverbow at No Thought 2 Small, Stephen Tremp at Breakthrough Blogs, Livia Peterson at Leave it to Livia, L. Diane Wolfe at Spunk on a Stick’s Tips, and Nicole at The Madlab Post.



 Finding a book titled with the letter "X" or starting with an "X" was a challenge, until I came across this short novella by Matt Thompson.

Although this book discusses the issues of a male addicted to hard core porn, there is no sexually descriptive scenes within the story!

I must also apologize for my post being a little late, life was just too busy this weekend.  Sorry.....

X. Matt Thompson

Amazon

BLURB:
Cale is a young man who struggles with an unusual addiction and eventually it makes him realize what really matters to him. This is his narrative. It is often unreliable and unpredictable. He is occasionally delusional, and always over thinks. Reality is grounded in the footnotes that accompany his thoughts. It takes more than it should for Cale to come back to that reality.
REVIEW:
This adult novel, by Matt Thompson, is a very unusual read.X, delivers Cale's story, which is unusual and bizzare!
This book may suit a male audience more, but I was left with unusual feelings after reading it, even a little angry!  As a woman I am unable to really understand how a happily married man can jerk off to hard core porn, five or more times a day and keep it hidden from anyone in his life. 
Even though the book is well written, I found it hard to believe and very strange. 

Make sure you take the time to   vote for a special Blogger friend who you think deserves to be recognized for all the great work they do! Simply fill out the  Appreciate a Fellow Blogger Form.   
Also, remember to enter the  Rafflecopter Giveaway  for your chance to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!  

  a Rafflecopter giveaway