C.M. Brown's Blog, page 36

BLOG TOUR STOP AT A.K. MORGEN WRITES

WELL FIRST I MUST MAKE A BIG APOLOGY TO AYDEN FOR GETTING THIS LINK POSTED LATE.

I HAD TO STATE IN MY IWSG POST THAT THE TOUR WAS GOING WELL!

YESTERDAY MORNING I WOKE UP AND WENT TO MAKE MY BREAKFAST - BIG MISTAKE! THE BOILED EGG EXPLODED! AT THE TIME I WAS FILLING UP WATER BOTTLES FROM THE WATER FILTER, I GOT SUCH A FRIGHT THAT WHEN I TURNED TO FIX THE EGG PROBLEM, I LEFT THE TAP ON THE FILTER, WATER EVERYWHERE!

I CLEANED UP, WENT TO PUT ANOTHER EGG ON TO BOIL AND PUT MY FINGERS THROUGH THE SHELL! CLEANED THAT UP!

TURNED MY COMPUTER ON TO CHECK EMAILS, ETC., AND WINDOWS DECIDED IT DIDN'T LIKE ME, AND WANTED TO REVERT BACK TO A RESTORE POINT.

AFTER A VERY LATE NIGHT AND MOST OF TODAY I FOUND THE CONFLICTING PROGRAM IT DIDN'T LIKE AND REMOVED IT FROM THE COMPUTER. I SOMEHOW HAD TWO VIRUS PROTECTIONS PRODUCTS TURNED ON AT THE SAME TIME! SILLY ME!
I HAVE SPENT THIS MORNING UPDATING VIRUS DEFINITIONS AND SCANNING THE COMPUTER. BUT WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY COMPUTER SAVVY DAUGHTER, THE BABY IS ALL BETTER!

SO NOW I CAN TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND RELEASE MY STRESS!


Over at A.K. Morgen Writes, you can read my answers to her interview questions about writing. You might find the answers to some of her questions interesting and perhaps, get to know me a little more in the process!


The next stop on the tour is Fel Wetzig @ The Peasants Revolt, on Tuesday night. I will be discussing why I target the Paranormal Romance genre to write my stories.
 

Carolyn

EXPRESS YOURSELF

 Jackie and Dani
have asked participants this week to reveal their character crushes!

Well here are a few of mine:

Aron (Sniegoski -The Fallen) - Such a hero and leader!
Damon Salvator (L.J. Smith - The Vampire Diaries) - Mysterious, secretive and misunderstood!
Edward Cullen (Stephanie Meyer - Twilight) - I know, but what can I say, I loved the character!
Kaname (Vampire Knight -  Matsuri Hino) - Even though he is a manga character, he is sexy and hot!
Patch Cipriano - (Becca Fitzpatrick - Hush Hush)  - A little dark, powerful and georgeous!


 

ROMANCE IS IN THE AIR BLOG HOP

Romance is in the Air Giveaway HopFeaturing Young Adult & Clean Adult Romance
February 8th to 14th Co-hosted by Rachael Anderson
For this Blog Hop I am giving away one signed paperback copy of my first book

HE CAME FOR ME
BOOK ONE
IN THE PROTECTOR SERIES

AND

one ebook copy of book two in the series


HE CAME FOR MINE  

Simply enter by filling in the Rafflecopter form below: 
  a Rafflecopter giveaway

To view the linky list, visit I am a Reader, not a Writer 

INSECURE WRITER'S SUPPORT GROUP

 THE FIRST WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH
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
What have I to say about being insecure with my writing?Lucky for me, not too much this month.
Everything is running smoothly.
I could complain about time, or should I say the lack of it, but I am learning we all have to deal with that aspect of life.
My blog tour is going smoothly, but I am amazed at the amount of work there is behind the scenes and as usual, I have linked to too many hops, and my desire to visit everyone on the Linky lists is never fulfilled.
I do not know how I would be able to operate without Google Calendar, it really works for me. Being organized is important to me and I rely heavily on keeping my blogging commitments by using this service.  Without it I would be swimming up river never achieving anything just like a trout.
Are there devices you rely on to help you?
This month during my tour, I also approached the Goodreads group of which I am a member, offering copies of my books for review. The moderator was lovely and terribly efficient, but sending out approximately 20 books for free at once is a hard thing to do.
What amazed me was the range in the reviews I recieved - from 2 stars to 4's and 5's.  One of the 2 star reviews emailed me offering critique pointers, which when I read through, I could not see fault with.   Reading through her posted review, I found her English to be quite poor with obvious spelling mistakes, missing words and other grammatical errors.  
Even though I can shrug off the review, those 2 stars are there to stay! 
How does one cope with these types of reviews?Is there anything that can be done, or do I turn the other cheek and forget it?

iINSECURE WRITER'S SUPPORT GROUP

 THE FIRST WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH
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
What have I to say about being insecure with my writing?Lucky for me, not too much this month.
Everything is running smoothly.
I could complain about time, or should I say the lack of it, but I am learning we all have to deal with that aspect of life.
My blog tour is going smoothly, but I am amazed at the amount of work there is behind the scenes and as usual, I have linked to too many hops, and my desire to visit everyone on the Linky lists is never fulfilled.
I do not know how I would be able to operate without Google Calendar, it really works for me. Being organized is important to me and I rely heavily on keeping my blogging commitments by using this service.  Without it I would be swimming up river never achieving anything just like a trout.
Are there devices you rely on to help you?
This month during my tour, I also approached the Goodreads group of which I am a member, offering copies of my books for review. The moderator was lovely and terribly efficient, but sending out approximately 20 books for free at once is a hard thing to do.
What amazed me was the range in the reviews I recieved - from 2 stars to 4's and 5's.  One of the 2 star reviews emailed me offering critique pointers, which when I read through, I could not see fault with.   Reading through her posted review, I found her English to be quite poor with obvious spelling mistakes, missing words and other grammatical errors.  
Even though I can shrug off the review, those 2 stars are there to stay! 
How does one cope with these types of reviews?Is there anything that can be done, or do I turn the other cheek and forget it?

WHERE FANTASY AND LOVE TAKE FLIGHT

Hi everyone! Today Nicole Zoltack @  Where Fantasy and Love Take Flight is my host for The Protector's of Aidensdein Blog Tour.
Drop over to her site and say hi! While you are there you will be able  to read a Character Guest Post by 'Bliss'  a Protector from Aidensdein  and  best friend of Sebastian. 
Add your details to the Rafflecopter below 
 to win a number of great prizes. I wish you lots o luck!
 

Carolyn
a Rafflecopter giveaway

  
The Young Adult Giveaway Hop
Also, as the Young Adult Giveaway Hop has come to a close I am happy to announcethe Winner is

Karen Palmer
She has received an ebook copy of 
He Came For Mine
Book 2
in The Protector Series.    

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! 

 
Frost Fire (Tortured Elements #1) byOlivia Rivers (Goodreads Author) “Magic is just like love, Allai. It won’t wait for permission before it destroys you.”

Like sand in an hourglass, Allai’s future is dwindling away. She’s spent her entire life fighting the Mages who threaten humanity, and dreams of someday eradicating magic. But all it takes is an anonymous phone call for the truth to spill out: Allai is the one thing she despises most.

She’s a Mage.

Though ancient law mandates Allai’s death, she still has one last chance of survival. His name is Drake Rhaize, and he swears he can lead Allai to a sanctuary for Mages. Allai hasn’t seen Drake in years, but she remembers him as the Demon boy who used to hold her close and softly whisper that he’d keep her safe. But Drake has changed since then: He’s now suspected of murder, and has been out-casted for betraying his own kind.

While Allai doesn’t trust Drake, she has no choice but to put her life in his hands and hope he can get her to safety. Because Allai’s father has hired a pack of Demons to bring her back to him, dead or alive–and Demons never stop the hunt.

"Frost Fire" is a YA Paranormal Romance intended for ages 14+.

MY TEASER:

 Allai peered around the edge of his wing. The Persequor just slowly blinked at the two of them, his deadpan expression looking almost relaxed. He must have seen through the guard’s show of defensiveness. Because that was all it was: a show, and nothing more. Allai felt her legs begin to shake. She didn’t know this guard, he’d made it clear he didn’t like her, and she doubted he’d actually fight for her.

Olivia Rivers. Frost Fire (Kindle Locations 266-269). Red Sparrow Press.

OVERCOMING ADVERSITY BLOGHOP

Nick Wilford @ Scattergum Scribblings is holding his first Blog Hop. He is asking participants to post a 500 word flash fiction with the theme 'Overcoming Adversity'.

 So here is my entry!

 
Suzie always tried her hardest in everything she attempted to do, but with her depleted motor skills she found some tasks almost impossible to complete.

Being a student with special needs did not deter her from volunteering for the various committees the students were allowed to partake in.  She gave up a lot of her free time to help others, even though she struggled with her own issues.

Her teachers wished that some of her peers who were far more capable would partake in supporting others with the drive and passion Suzie held.

One day during Art class, where it was necessary for her to use fine motor skills to complete a specific task, she became frustrated and lost control.  Her fellow students were shocked and her Art teacher stood looking on in surprise, dumbfounded by her tantrum.

A boy who sat up the back of the room came forward and took Suzie’s hand, gently coaxing her from the floor.  He led her to the easel and carefully placed the brush in her fingers and gently persuaded her to continue with her work, guiding her hand precisely through the task.

Suzie was ecstatic to see the fine detail of her work and gave James a high five.  They were both smiling as were her classmates and teacher.  For the rest of the year James helped Suzie to perfect the use of her brush, teaching her the techniques needed to perform the delicate tasks.  

James took the challenge head on, quietly helping Suzie to achieve the results expected from the rest of the class.  By the end of the year she had completed all of her requested Art Assignments and had produced some amazing work with the ongoing support from her fellow classmate, James.

On awards night she was presented a special award for Art excellence, which she accepted humbly, stating that without the help of her friend James, it would not have been possible.  
James was asked onto the stage and was also presented with a Community Spirit award for helping Suzie to achieve the results she did.

To view the linky list click here!

A - Z CHALLENGE FOR 2013

I have joined up for the 2013 A-Z Challenge, have you?
April is the month it all happens!
Our hosts for 2013 are:
The Madlab Post (Nicole Ayers)Tossing It Out (Arlee Bird)Amlokiblogs (Damyanti Biswas)Alex J. Cavanaugh (Alex J. Cavanaugh)Life is Good (Tina Downey)Cruising Altitude 2.0 (DL Hammons)Retro-Zombie (Jeremy Hawkins)The Warrior Muse (Shannon Lawrence)The QQQE (Matthew MacNish)Leave it to Livia (Livia Peterson)No Thought 2 Small (Konstanz Silverbow)Breakthrough Blogs (Stephen Tremp)Spunk on a Stick (L. Diane Wolfe)  
To give you an idea of what to post, I have below one part of my posted challenges for 2012.  The theme revolved around the Protector Series, so as it is my Blog Hop this month and I am promoting this series, I though I should re-post my 2012 challenges which involved describing the characters in The Protector Series.

 As yet, I have not quite decided what I will be post for 2013, but I have a few ideas I am tossing around.


Aidensdein, home dimension of the main male character, Prince Sebastian Rowan, is a world filled with other beings. The majestic red tinged landscape is lush with vegetation in various shades of pink and red, while a rose coloured sky surrounds the planet. As you look across the landscape, a large blue moon hangs forever low in the sky. There is no sun, only the moon, which lights and reflects a purple haze! Meandering through the redish landscape are many rivers, flowing freely, full of blood. After all this is the land of the Vampire! Aidensdein is also the name of the capital city of this mysterious world. It lies in a valley surrounded by lavender coloured hills. The city itself is made of gold and is fashioned in a gothic style, old fashioned golden spirals snake and glisten as they reach up to the low hung moon, like fingers stretching towards the sky.
Bliss, the heroine of this series has her life and plans for the future turned upside down, not only by the guy she falls for, but also by his friends, family and enemies! Bliss enjoys surfing and photography, her dream is to finish college, find a job in magazine publishing and make a name for herself.  All that changes as she steps on the path towards a totally different destiny, when she decides to befriend Seb.  She has a strong personality, has athletic prowess and is quite independent. She works in a local cafe to make money to cover her expenses, even though she lives with her parents when the story begins
Brennan, strives to take control of Aidensdein, he plots and schemes to become head of the family kingdom, even though he is not the next in line to the throne. Feared by the people of Aidensdein, as he slaughters innocents ruthlessly, he plans to rule the kingdom and make great changes to their lives!Cleo is a waitress, who works with the lead character, Jasmine,in a small restaurant, where one group of vampires watch Jasmine, waiting for something or someone, but I cannot tell you what or who!  Why would they be in a restaurant, you ask? Well they do need to eat, yes they are able to consume all foods which are red! They just love red wine! Ha ha!  Getting off the track here, Cloe is not really a friend to Jasmine, more of a working colleague and only appears throughout the story from time to time. But, all characters are of importance to every story!
Dean, is the annoying younger brother of the main lead character, he embarasses his sister at every opportunity as all younger brothers love to do! He is only a young teenager when the story begins, but as time moves on his part may possibly play a bigger role in the story?
Erica, one of Jasmine's bff's, looks like a barbie doll with blond ringlet curls.  She attends the same Tafe College as Jasmine and they get together often over lunch or spend time on the weekends surfing and clubbing with their other friend Jules.
Flowing rivers of blood run through the land of Aidensdein, and in the center of this magestic golden city is an enormous fountain where the land dwellers drink their fill. The residents of this mystical planet do not feed from any life form, but drink their fill from the rivers which are abundant with their life essence! But when they happen to visit the Earth plain it is a totally different story!
Grayson comes into the series in book two. He is a Protector and becomes a close friend to Jasmine when she needs a friend most. As a Protector Grayson is one of the specially selected vampires of Aidensdein, trained to guard the 'chosen' from rougue vampires!
Hinterland behind the Sunshine Coast, becomes a special place for the couple in this series. Amongst the natural swimming holes, bushwalking tracks, antique shops and cafe's, Jasmine and Sebastian spend time together, getting to know one another!
Intimate moments happen between the two main characters making for a hot, steamy experience for readers to enjoy.
Jasmine is the main female character of this story (who was called Bliss in earlier versions of Book One, before publishing, and I must admit to human error when I posted about Bliss for letter 'B' of this campaign. So to read about Jasmine, visit the post linked here), Sorry! But there is an important  character in the series called Bliss, so I will now post about her instead: Bliss is a Protector assigned to Earth to guard the 'chosen one' from rougue vampires sent by Brennan from Aidensdein. She is exceptionally beautiful, but down plays her looks with many piercings. Her assignment ensures she  keeps close to her target, but be very discreet!
Jules is another friend of Jasmine, one of the three who  have been friends since kindy. She enjoys life and likes to go out and have fun!  Jackson is another Protector, he has darker skin and looks a little Asian, wearing his long black hair in a ponytail.  He has sharp symmetrical features and is extremely unsure of being anywhere near humans.
King Bane Rowan, lord and master of Aidensdein and father to Sebastian, is actually trying to keep the society stable!  Conflict and underhand dealings are impacting upon the kingdom and the community of  vampires are feeling the pressure!
Linda is Jasmine's mother, she loves her daughter and enjoys the company of Jasmine and her friends. She is happy to host their get togethers and also likes to help the girls get ready for special occassions, fixing their hair and make up etc,. She often engages Jasmine in mother daughter talks, sometimes late at night.
Melinda, sister to Sebastian, also a Protector, is not happy with his choice for a partner.  She is not the main villian in this story, but as time goes by, she will certainly make her mark! She sports a really short cropped black haircut with ends tipped red, as if they had been dipped into a bucket of blood, she has a fiesty temper and is a bit of a b**ch!
Nambour, one of the original sugar cane settlements of the Sunshine Coast is the location of the Tafe College where Jasmine, the lead character in the series drives to each week day, to study a course in journalism and photography. On her drive to Nambour one morning, she spots the guy of her dreams, and when she eventually meets him, her life changes.
Old keeper of secrets, Bethany is the one vampire alive in Aidensdein who knows the stories of both worlds from ages past.  She is who Sebastian visits to learn what he needs to learn about the Chosen.
Protectors, are a specially selected group of highly trained vampires from Aidensdein, who have the privileged duty to keep the vampire race secret on Earth, whatever it takes. They are elite soldiers who travel from world to world hunting rouge vampires. A small select band from this group perform a specialised task: Protect the 'Chosen One'.
Queen Solace, Sebastian's and Melinda's mother is an elegant lady and head of her household in Aidensdein.  She has a close relationship with her son and will endeavour to support him at any cost.Ryan is a character in the series, who enters the story in Book Two. 
Unfortunatey, I am unable to disclose too much about Ryan as his position in the story would be compromised.  But I will tell you what he looks like....Ryan as long wavy dark hair which reaches past his collar.  He reaches a height of 6 feet and has a muscular body, shaped by his obsession with the martial arts. He has dark brown eyes and a few peircings around his lips and eyes.
Sebastian Rowan, the main male character in this series, is in the position of being in charge of the group of Protectors who guard the "Chosen One"!  He is loyal and responsible and reliable, but on the other hand he is also strong, efficient and a skilled fighter. He is most likely in the prominent position to take up the power to rule Aidensdein when his father eventually resigns from the role. Sebastian, or Seb as his friends call him, enjoys photography and while on Earth he has taken many pics, which are displayed on the walls of his various homes.  He falls in love with Jazz and finds that protecting her from her many threats is a  huge challenge!
Tattoos shaped like an apple, in a bluish, purple colour are found on the Protectors bodies. They can wear them anywhere, but they are always easily visible.  Seb wears his on the under side of his right upper arm, Bliss has hers on the back of her neck.  Jackson's is on the side of his neck while Grayson wears his on the inside of his left wrist.  It symbolizes eternal devotion to keeping the human race safe and oblivious to the existence of the vampires.
Unions between adults and offspring of this vampire world need to be performed during special rituals, with the exchange of blood and magic. But of course a vampire can only produce children under unique circumstances which involve the 'Chosen'.
Vern, closest friend to Sebastian and also a Protector, is a member of the group of Protectors sent from Aidensdein to guard the Chosen One. Vern supports the personal decision Seb makes for the future of Aidensein and is one of the three Protectors who help with the challenges he faces for making that decision.
Waratah, which means red flower, enters the story in the second book of the series. She has curly red hair and eyes the colour of emeralds. Unfortunately if I tell you anymore about Waratah, I would be giving away spoilers, so I shall not say another word.
Xavier, partner to Bliss, friend to Seb and Vern is also one of the Protectors sent to guard the Chosen One.  He has blond hair and blue eyes, a typical surfer look about him. He has a kind heart and will do anything Bliss asks.
Yolanda, is also a character who will be introduced in the second book of the series and therefore so as not to give away any spoilers, I canot reveal very much about her.  Yolanda, means purple flower, she has deep violet eyes and long black curly hair.
Zane, is also a Protector who makes an entrance in the second book. He offers to stay on Earth and guard Jazz from threats.

INTERVIEW AT VICKI TRASK'S - W4W's

Hi everyone, another busy week! 

Today as part of my blog tour, Vicki Trask is hosting me and I am giving her readers an update on W4W's. So head on over and find out when, who and what to do when you sign up for W4W's!!!!

Enter the Rafflecopter to win great prizes as part of the Blog Tour:
   a Rafflecopter giveaway