C.M. Brown's Blog, page 35

FIRE & ICE BLOG HOP

Hosts:Heidi @ Rainy Day RamblingsKimba @ The Caffeinated Book ReviewerVeronica @ Mostly ReviewsCambria HerbertChristy @ Love of Books.
TODAY CHRISTY @ LOVE OF BOOKS is linking the 
Fire & Ice Blog Hop to my site to help promote
He Came For Mine 
Book Two in 
The Protector Series,
 which the above hosts are collaborating together to promote a number of authors and their books.  

Blurb 
Desperate to save the life of a child he never knew he had, Sebastian returns to Earth to find Jazz in the arms of another man.  A man he knows all too well.  One who cannot be trusted!  Sebastian worries if Jazz’s feelings for him have fleeted in his absence and he vows to win her back.
Jazz struggles to find ground between Sebastian and her new life, unsure who to trust and still holding resentment for Seb’s abandonment.  She seeks solace through someone who was there for her when she needed to pick up the pieces.
After coming to terms with her new life, Jazz is struck down with confusion and longing when Sebastian suddenly returns.However, a dark battle is forthcoming, one that is bound to bring bloodshed.Excerpt
It was late in the evening when I found myself in the large dining room surrounded by the rest of the Protectors, as well as Bliss, Xavier, Vern and Seb with Auron upon his knee.
Candles had been placed around the room and were flickering in the gentle breeze coming through the house from the open veranda doors.  Furniture had been moved from its position and pushed up against one of the walls or it had been taken out of the room.  Painted on the wall in its place was a large symbol, one I recognized from my doodling’s.  One I had repeated absent mindedly, when I first met Seb.  I didn’t know what it had meant then and I was still ignorant of its meaning now.
The vampires sitting around the table with me seemed to be in some type of semi-hypnotic state.  The only people who seemed to be aware of our surroundings were Seb, Auron and I.
My emotions were heightened as I waited for Seb to begin.  On the table in front of him lay a small silver dagger, I had seen it before, it was the one he had used to pierce open his chest for me to drink his blood during our love making, the very first time.
The room was in silence as the ritual began.  Seb chanted a verse in a language I had never heard, whilst the others gathered around the table, joined in at various intervals.  My imagination took me to the many eerie dark magic and horror movies I had watched and I began to feel somewhat uneasy!
Bliss sitting on my right, must have sensed this and placed her hand in mine lending me her support, to get me through whatever was about to occur.
Time seemed to stand still and stretch on forever, as the words being spoken by Seb continued until he suddenly paused and reached for the small dagger in front of him.  With a flare of dramatics he sliced his skin across his wrist and filled an empty crystal goblet with the droplets of blood escaping from his wound.
Once the wound had stopped bleeding and had begun to close and heal, he picked up the goblet and moved towards the symbol drawn on the far wall.
Using his blood he marked it with his fingers writing letters and words in his language at certain points across the large symbol marked on the wall.
Everyone in the room was now completely quiet, their eyes closed, I watched in fascination as the blood which had marked the symbol seemed to shimmer and move from the wall and make its way toward Auron, who was sitting quietly on my lap.
I felt the pressure of Bliss’s hand in mine, giving me a silent message of courage as I sat transfixed upon Seb’s written words moving and entwining themselves together as they danced before my eyes.
Seb walked across the room and gently took Auron from my arms, quickly removed his clothing and holding him up in front of the moving words. 
Unless I had witnessed this for myself I would not have believed it.  The words seemed to pass through Auron’s small body twisting and twinning a path around his frame until somehow they melted into his skin, leaving small markings tattoo like across his body in the shape of the letters Seb had written over the symbol on the wall.
Seb still holding the dagger in his hand cut a small incision across Auron’s wrist and held his arm over the goblet collecting a small amount of his blood.  He then placed Auron back into my arms and walked over to the symbol on the wall marking it in blood for the second time.
New symbols formed as Seb once again recited the chant and the others began to join in.  For the second time the words Seb had written twisted and turned and pulled themselves from the wall and floated this time towards Seb.  In a few short moments the markings had buried themselves across his chest where his heart lay.
When all the blood had found its way into the bodies of the two I loved, everyone in the room opened their eyes in unison and began cheering loudly!
Not really knowing what was expected of me, I stood up and moved closer to Seb who took Auron from me and placed him on the floor, he gathered me into his arms while our friends and the gathered Protectors congratulated Auron with pats on the head and soft kisses.
Seb whispered into my ear, “He is joined with me and we can be a part of one another!  He will be safe now!”
Whatever that meant I had no idea, but I made a point to ask him to explain it to me later.
     SMASHWORDS      APPLE     BARNES AND NOBLE       KOBO       SONY     AMAZON
Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below to win either an autographed Paperback copy of
He Came For Me, Book One In The Protector Series
or one of three ebook copies of
He Came For Mine, Book Two In The Protector Series!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Best of Luck! Carolyn

HOSTING RACHEL MCCLELLAN - FRACTURED SOUL BLOG TOUR

 
Today I am hosting Rachel McClellan for her Fractured Soul, Virtual Blog Tour  
I asked Rachel five questions relating to herself and her writing and these are her answers:

1.       Please tell us about yourself in fifty words or less. 


I am the mother of four amazingly wonderful and completely crazy children. Writing has helped to keep me sane. Besides writing I love all kinds of sports and enjoy staying active. I seek out adventures like my children seek out my peppermint M&M’s. But they won’t ever find them. (I hide them in my tampon box.)
2.       Is writing your main occupation? 


No, but I wish. I also work part time in the glamorous field of merchant account processing.
3.       What's been the single most empowering piece of advice you've gotten when it comes to writing? 


Never start a project before you know the ending. I can’t tell you how many novels I’ve started and never finished because I didn’t know where I was going with it. Now I never begin a novel unless I know the ending. This gold nugget has also prevented writers block.
4.       What's been your most challenging writing moment to date? 


This may sound stupid, but it’s been difficult to know how dark to take my books. A couple of years ago I discovered a part of me that’s quite twisted, but because I write YA I don’t think my crazy thoughts are appropriate. Maybe one day I’ll switch to writing adult and let my “beast” come out.
5.       What compelled you to write your book?


I didn’t have much of a choice. The characters voices were so loud, I thought I might go mad if I didn’t tell their story. 




Blurb
Llona will do whatever it takes to protect her new found friends and home, but the dark plot threatening Lucent Academy, a school that’s supposed to be a safe place for Auras, may be too powerful for even Llona to defeat. This fast-paced tale of love, loyalty, and overcoming the darkness will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page!

Excerpt

As soon as the Vyken appeared in the doorway, I tossed a ball hard. He dodged it by jumping up along the side of the wall, his nails and bare toes somehow finding a hold in the thin cracks of the wall. I threw another one, but he was already moving, scrambling alongside the stones like a spider. He was grinning.

I rolled away from the wall until I was in the middle of the room. I lost sight of him for just a fraction of a second, but that was enough. The Vyken was gone, or, I should say, hiding. He was still here. I could feel him. I looked up toward the rafters of the tower roof. It was pitch black.
At the bottom of the tower, I heard Christian begin to ascend the stairs. “I’m coming, Llona!” he yelled.

Still staring up, I created Light again in the palm of my hand and willed it to rise. The closer it got to the rafters the faster my heart beat. Sweat rolled down the small of my back.

Light began to fill dark spaces, exposing that which wished to remain hidden. My Vyken was there, but he wasn’t alone. Another sat crouched on a beam. Where his left eye should’ve been there was an empty hole.

I screamed when my Vyken dropped from the ceiling, extinguishing the light. He fell onto my stomach, pushing my shoulders into the floor. I tried to create Light, but it was as if he knew what I was going to do because his hands slipped up and pinned my wrists together. He bent forward and inhaled my skin. The warmth of his breath steamed my ear when he said, “I’m going to eat every part of you.”

Amazon   |   Barnes and Noble 
Blurb
Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After the Vykens killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too. She can’t take any chances. But when she starts to make friends for the first time in her life, she gets careless and lets her guard down. Big mistake.

As an Aura, Llona can manipulate light and harness its energy. But if she wants to survive, Llona will have to defy the Auran Council and learn to use her power as a weapon against the Vyken whose sole desire is to take her light. Now she’s caught in something even bigger than she can understand, with a power she can’t wield, and no one she can trust, except, just maybe, a mysterious stranger.


Amazon   |   Barnes and Noble
  Rachel's Author Bio

Rachel McClellan was born and raised in Idaho, a place secretly known for its supernatural creatures. When she's not in her writing lair, she's partying with her husband and four crazy, yet lovable, children. Rachel's love for storytelling began as a child when the moon first possessed the night. For when the lights went out, her imagination painted a whole new world. And what a scary world it was...



You Can Find Rachel
Facebook  |   Blog   |   Website   |   Twitter   |   Goodreads  |  Book Trailer

THE INDELIBLES - INDIE KISSING BLOGFEST

Who can join?       Absolutely anyone!When is it?     February 14th!What do I blog about?share a smoochable scene from your current wip or published workprovide tips on writing kissing or romance sceneslist your favorite books, movies…etc (with kissing, of course)just write about kissing - your first kiss, perhaps?suggest ideas for an affordable romantic date nightCan I do a give-away? You sure can! Books, gift cards, chapter crits…etc.How do I join? Sign up with the linky link below!On February 14th put up your post, link back to the Indelibles please, and include the linky code! MY ENTRY IS ALSO BEING POSTED AT 
J.L. Campbell @ The Character Depot  to celebrate her new releaseLove....The Second Time Around!So here goes!  

My Darling, Jazz,
You have been the most wonderful thing that has happened in my life and I will return for you as soon as it is possible.  But, I need to work out the problems of my home world.  I would not be able to live a life with you leaving behind such a mess.  I must find out what has happened to the others, my mother, my father and my friends.  I also must ensure that you will now be safe.
You will find that our blood exchange will change you.  You will see things differently.  You will be stronger and more alert.  You will also have more effective healing capabilities and be able to listen to your body’s needs.
I would love to watch you as you become more aware of these gifts but I am sorry that I will not be able to do so.  My dreams will be filled with the beautiful moments we have just shared and I hope that our separation will be short.
Please forgive me Jazz,
My love will always be yours.
Seb******Exactly at the stroke of 7:30pm my apartment was buzzed to allow entry for my visitor.  I pressed the button to open the outside door and stood apprehensively near the internal door leading into my apartment, waiting for Ryan’s knock.  Those few minutes seemed to extend to eternity and when I heard the rap of knuckles on the wood, I jumped.  I quickly took the few steps to the door to open it wide and allow Ryan to come inside.
Only it wasn’t Ryan standing on my threshold, it was Seb…!
I took a couple of steps backward, I could feel my head start to swoon and my heart beat faster, I knew that I was going to faint, but could do nothing to stop myself from falling.  The last thing I remembered was the feel of Seb’s familiar arms holding me just before my head hit the floor.
******
Jazz made her way to her apartment, I snuck in behind her as she opened the external door and hid while she made her way upstairs.  I stood outside, debating whether to once again enter her life again or not?  With mixed feelings, I approached the door and stood facing it trying to get up the nerve to eventually knock.  Jazz opened the door and stood looking at me, straight in the eye.  She didn’t faint from shock this time, but my presence did cause her to become emotional.
She ran to me and wrapped her arms around my neck, tears flowed freely form her eyes as I held her against me.  For a long time we stood together like this.  I enjoyed savouring her scent and the feel of her body pressing closely to mine.
“Jazz, I ….”  Before I could finish the sentence she was entwined in my arms once again.  We kissed passionately, as if the expanse of time between us had never taken place.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY! HE CAME FOR MINE EXCERPT OVER AT LAURA ENO'S

Today over at Laura Eno's http://lauraeno.com/2013/02/14/carolyn-brown/there is an excerpt from He Came For MineBook Twoin The Protector Series   to read and the Blog Tour Rafflecopter is open for entries to win some great prizes!
Also, make sure to visit J.L. Campbell @ The Character Depot to read the entries submitted for her Love....The Second Time AroundCelebrationFor the release of her second book Retribution
I have also entered The Indelibles:Indie Kissing Blogfest
with the same entry as the one above!
 
There is also the Vampire Bites Blog Hophosted by   Jolie Du Pre @ Precious Monsters 

The Romance is in The Air Giveaway Blog Hopis on the Final Day of running.It is  hosted byKathy@I am a Reader not a Writerand 
Co-hosted by Rachael Anderson  I have a signed paperback copyof He Came For Me, Book One in the Protector Series  up for grabs!Just click on any of the buttons above to lead you to the posts for the relevant hopsat this site!      Best of Luck!

Carolyn

VAMPIRE BITE BLOG HOP

 
Blog about vampires on 2/14/2013! Join the Vampire Bite Blog Hop #vampirebloghop #bloghop #vampires #ValentinesDay @Joliedupre


Vampires, I am totally smitten!Did you know that the vampire myth has been around for thousands of years? In Ancient Egypt the vampire is said to be born from sorcery! Egyptian history tells of a vampire spirit which would feast on the blood of newborns.The Greeks feared the Lamia who disguised as a beautiful woman who would stalk Greek men and drink their blood.Ancient Romans were stalked by a bloodthirsty demon known as a Strager.

A Babalonian winged creature who hunted humans for eternity was called Ekimmu.   Asia has the Chinese Jianshi, evil spirits who attack people and drain their energy.These blood-drinking wrathful deities also appear in the Tibetan Book of the Dead!During the time of the Middle Ages in Europe, the interest in vampires and revenants surged.In 1443 the Hungarians named a restless corpse Nosferatu 'the undead.'
Hebrew mythology speaks of Lilith, Adams first wife, who was evicted from The Garden of Eden and indulged in the blood of first born babies! The word vampire was first used in 'English' in 1790 and is derived from the Hungarian word Vampir, which was used to describe a Slavic mythical creature called a Upir, which ate the living!  


 
     A skeleton, buried in the cemetery of Vecchiano, Pisa shows vampire like qualities was uncovered with a brick suck in its jaw. Paul Barber, a folklorist studied the beliefs of revenants and noted that centuries ago babies were killed at birth if they were born with defects such as being born with teeth, an extra nipple, lack of cartilage in the nose or a split lower lip as it was believed they were children of the dead. BLOOD is toxic!  Anyone consuming blood runs a risk of haemochromatosis, (iron overdose), resulting in liver and nervous system damage!
Even before Bram Stoker, and his novel 'Dracula,' the human race has been enthralled with this mythological creature
THE VAMPIRE!

LOVE...THE SECOND TIME AROUND CELEBRATION

The Love…The Second Time Around Celebration dovetails with the theme of my-soon-to-be-released novel, Retribution. Help J.L. Campbell celebrate by submitting your most interesting stories of people taking another shot at a relationship. ·         There is no restriction as it pertains to form or genre. Stories can be fact or fiction. Use your imagination, make them attention-grabbing. ·         Somewhere in there, you must tell the reader why the couple broke up and why they feel compelled to get back together. This can be done from any of your characters’ point-of-view.  ·         The word cap is 500. ·         Indicate on your blog post, by the relevant badge, whether you’re in the fact or fictioncategory.  ·         Last day to submit your piece of fact or fiction is on February 14 (Valentine's Day). (Book release day is February 1, but we’ll be holding the blast off on Thursday, February 14, 2013.) The polls will open on February 15 and we’ll have a few days to read and vote. 

·         Winners will be announced on Friday, February 22, 2013.  

THIS IS MY ENTRY (TAKEN FROM BOTH OF MY PARANORMAL ROMANCE NOVELS  IN THE PROTECTOR SERIES, SO OF COURSE IT IS A FICTIONAL ENTRY.  I HOPE YOU LIKE IT, IT SITS JUST ON THE 500 WORD LIMIT.):


My Darling, Jazz,
You have been the most wonderful thing that has happened in my life and I will return foryou as soon as it is possible.  But, I need to work out the problems of my home world.  I would not be able to live a life with you leaving behind such a mess.  I must find out what has happened to the others, my mother, my father and my friends.  I also must ensure that you will now be safe.
You will find that our blood exchange will change you.  You will see things differently.  You will be stronger and more alert.  You will also have more effective healing capabilitiesand be able to listen to your body’s needs.
I would love to watch you as you become more aware of these gifts but I am sorry that Iwill not be able to do so.  My dreams will be filled with the beautiful moments we havejust shared and I hope that our separation will be short.
Please forgive me Jazz,
My love will always be yours.
Seb******Exactly at the stroke of 7:30pm my apartment was buzzed to allow entry for myvisitor.  I pressed the button to open the outside door and stood apprehensively near the internal door leading into my apartment, waiting for Ryan’s knock.  Those few minutes seemed to extend to eternity and when I heard the rap of knuckles on the wood, I jumped.  I quickly took the few steps to the door to open it wide and allow Ryan to come inside.
Only it wasn’t Ryan standing on my threshold, it was Seb…!
I took a couple of steps backward, I could feel my head start to swoon and my heart beat faster, I knew that I was going to faint, but could do nothing to stop myself from falling.  The last thing I remembered was the feel of Seb’s familiar arms holding me just before my head hit the floor.
******
Jazz made her way to her apartment, I snuck in behind her as she opened the external door and hid while she made her way upstairs.  I stood outside, debating whether to once again enter her life again or not?  With mixed feelings, I approached the door and stood facing it trying to get up the nerve to eventually knock.  Jazz opened the door and stood looking at me, straight in the eye.  She didn’t faint from shock this time, but my presence did cause her to become emotional.
She ran to me and wrapped her arms around my neck, tears flowed freely form her eyes as I held her against me.  For a long time we stood together like this.  I enjoyed savouring her scent and the feel of her body pressing closely to mine.
“Jazz, I ….”  Before I could finish the sentence she was entwined in my arms onceagain.  We kissed passionately, as if the expanse of time between us had never taken place.

EXPRESS YOURSELF

Hosted by Jackie@Bouquet of Books& Dani@Entertaining Interests
This week Jackie and Dani have asked forus divulge our favourite couples.
Here are a few of mine:

Patch & Nora (The Hush, Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick) 
    Bella & Edward (The Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer)     Ever & Damon (Evermore, The Immortals by Alyson Noel)  Jace and Clary (The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Claire) Sadly, a love that unfortunately does not seem to come into fruition! Alec Lightwood and Magnus Bane (The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Claire) 
Luce and Daniel (Fallen by Lauren Kate)  
 Naif and Lenior (Burn Bright by Marianne de Pierres) 



 Yuna and Tidas (Final Fantasy by Square Enix)

BLOG TOUR - MY LOVE WITH THE PARANORMAL

Hi everyone, today over at The Peasants Revolt, Fel Wetzig has asked me to share my love of all things Paranormal/

Enter the Blog Tour Giveaway by filling out the Rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
There is also a second Rafflecopter giveaway over at Books a la Mode!

You are welcome to enter the draw at her site, see you there.

Remember to post and tweet next Monday (18th February) for W4W's! Steven Tremp, Christine Rains, Mary Pax and myself have invited the effervescent Gwen Gardner and the fantastically evocative, Melissa Bradley to join us in promoting their new releases!
To find out more about W4W's, visit Vicki Trask's@Writer of Wrongs site and read my guest post informing her readers about the details on how and what is expected when participating in the monthly event and the way it helps authors to promote their work!
If you would like to join us for Writers 4 Writers, on Monday, add your name to the linky list here!!!!
Be sure to hit the LIKE BUTTON at the bottom of the linky post to leave a comment/LIKE on W4W's Facebook page!
  Carolyn

 

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! 

Love is Darkness (Valerie Dearborn #1)
byCaroline Hanson Valerie Dearborn wants a cotton candy life, but it’s more like a puffer fish: pointy, unusual, and—if not prepared exactly right—deadly.

In London for graduate school, Val knows she's finally free. Her father and ex-almost-boyfriend are back in California and she's out of the Vampire hunting biz for good. Or is she?

She draws the attention of Lucas, a 1600 year old Vampire, and King to his kind. He’s also wicked hot. As golden as Lucifer, and just as tempting, he makes Valerie an offer she can't refuse— help him find out if the Others (Empaths, Fey and Werewolves) still exist or he'll stop protecting those she loves.

Lucas tells her that Empaths were a Vampire’s biggest weakness before going extinct hundreds of years ago. While the Fey or a Werewolf might kill a Vampire, an Empath could enslave them, seducing or harming with emotions at will. The one detail he leaves out? Valerie is an Empath.

And after 1600 years of an emotionless existence, Lucas wants Valerie like a recovering alcoholic wants a wine cooler.

Can she keep those she loves alive, stop Lucas from munching on her, survive a fanged revolution and still find a way to have that boring, normal life she’s always wanted? Probably not, but boy is she gonna try!

This is a full length novel and contains adult content.

MY TEASER!

 The vampire was still struggling, but it was as futile as a moth struggling when a child has it by the wings. 

Decide. Run or stay. Her heart pounded ten times louder than the words. But he was a vampire, he'd hear it anyway. “Make me then.” 

Val looked back to him almost aggressively, deciding to own her decision. She threw herself into his eyes like jumping off a cliff. His will surrounded her until she was floating in the warm sea of his blue eyes, watching actions that belonged to someone else.

Hanson, Caroline (2011-08-27). Love is Darkness (A Valerie Dearborn Novel) (Kindle Locations 430-435). Unknown. Kindle Edition.

 

NOMIS PARANORMAL PALACE - BOOK REVIEW

TODAY I INVITE YOU TO VISIT NOMIS PARANORMAL PALACE, WHERE YOU WILL FIND A REVIEW OF HE CAME FOR MINE, BOOK TWO IN THE PROTECTOR SERIES!

Naomi read the first book last year and although she enjoyed the story line of He Came For Me, she did point out a few weaknesses, which I needed to correct.  At the time she asked when Book Two was released she would be happy to read it and once again give her review.
Today she has posted this review on her site!
As the timing just happened to be during my Blog Tour,I decided to include Naomi's post as part of the tour.
The Rafflecopter giveaway for the Blog Tour is also posted with the review so make sure you visit and enter to win some great prizes!
NOMIS PARANORMAL PALACE
Thanks once again Naomi for the support you have shown me!
Carolyn