C.M. Brown's Blog, page 42

Destined - Cover Reveal for Ali Cross

  COVER REVEALOF


DESTINED    BY ALI CROSS  BOOK 3 of Desolation

Choosing is a bad idea, because Desi always makes the wrong choice, and sometimes there are no do-overs. Certainly not this time, when all has been lost and Desi can’t even save herself, let alone her friends. For Desi, the hardest thing is letting someone help her, to accept their sacrifice on her\behalf. But that’s exactly what she’ll have to do in order to save the worlds from Helena’s destruction. The goddess of Helheimer, long imprisoned by Desi’s father, Loki, is free at last, and she’s bent on reclaiming what once was hers. The nine worlds will be drawn into war, over Hell, over Earth, with innocent humans as meaningless collateral.
While Michael and the Gardians of Asgard, along with the golden-armored Valkyrie, lead the battle for freedom, it’s Desi who holds the destiny of all the worlds in her hands. 
Can she set aside her doubts, once and for all, and claim the gifts that are hers to bear? Can she accept the sacrifice that is made for her and Become all that she was created to be?
Her final choice will define not only her future, but the fate of humankind, forever more.  

TEASER TUESDAY

It is time once again for:

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! 

As I am participating in M. Pax's Jousting Tournament, I have decided to choose The Renaissance of Hetty Locklear for my Teaser Tuesday this week.

Don't forget to vist M. Pax's site and vote for your favourite Knight! And as one of the jousting Knights , I emplore you to  
LEAVE A COMMENT ON HER SITE -  CHEER FOR THE KNIGHT OF AIDENSDEIN  AND MENTION THAT ALL THE POPPETS WILL BE SAVED  WITH HER HELP!!

  By doing so you may just win one of 5 ebook copies of the new book   The Renaissance of Hetty Locklear

A New Adult Urban Fantasy, The Renaissance of Hetty Locklear is the first book in a new series. And it’s now out! The main character, Hetty, is a twenty-two-year-old, stumbling about in an effort to become a full-fledged adult. She struggles with self-esteem, weight, relationships, and making the transition between college and the real world. Graduation from community college isn’t the magic elixir Hetty Locklear counts on for becoming an adult. Her parents, who work the Renaissance fair circuit, insist she spend part of the summer with them. Hetty doubts pretending to live in the Middle Ages will help her find her way. To make it worse, an entity haunts her at her dead-end job, warning her of a dangerous man she doesn’t know. The ghost leads her to a lover who has a lot of secrets. He pulls her farther into peril and into a strange, hidden world of genetic experimentation.New Adult Urban Fantasy with a contemporary sci-fi twist. Mature content.Available as an ebook at Amazon / Amazon UK / Smashwords / iTunes/ Kobo(B&N is coming – visit www.mpaxauthor.com for other links)

 TEASER:
 Their hands touched when she took the cleanser. She gasped, wanting to run her fingers up his warm wrists to squeeze his biceps. She bet they felt like molten iron. Pax, M.. The Renaissance of Hetty Locklear (Kindle Locations 457-458).  . Kindle Edition. D


 DON'T FORGET TO VISIT M. PAX AND  CHEER FOR THE KNIGHT OF AIDENSDEIN!!

COVER REVEAL - 1301 – The Marquis

1301 – The Marquisby Christine RainsA Paranormal Romance

Release date: December 13th, 2012 (tentatively)
  Blurb:
Life after Hell isn't more exciting than watching football and fixing a busted pipe. Once a powerful demon, Marc enjoys his quiet existence and a good cup of coffee. With big ambitions to gain his master's favor, a trickster demon named Vetis shatters Marc's peace and vows to deliver Marc's head to the fires of Hell. Not before he destroys everything Marc cares about, of course.
Marc's power has diminished over the years. Heaven will never grant him absolution, and he refuses to return to Hell. Running isn't an option. The city of Carmine is his territory. It's also home to his favorite cafe owner, Mae Hopkins. The dame has a lovely smile, but it's her heart and soul that shine bright.
While his city burns and his love is captured, Marc must decide to surrender or let hate and anger fuel him to become the fearsome beast he so loathes: The Marquis. If the Marquis rises, Vetis can be defeated and Mae saved, but Marc would be lost to his demon forever.
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 S.C.I.F.I. The 13th Floor series is her first self-published series. She also has two novellas and sixteen short stories published.
Website: http://christinerains.net/ Blog: http://christinerains-writer.blogspot.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorchrist... https://twitter.com/@CRainsWriterGood... http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...

CHEER FOR THE KNIGHT OF AIDENSDEIN AND CELEBRATE M.PAX'S NEW REALEASE

A New Adult Urban Fantasy, The Renaissance of Hetty Locklear is the first book in a new series. And it’s now out! The main character, Hetty, is a twenty-two-year-old, stumbling about in an effort to become a full-fledged adult. She struggles with self-esteem, weight, relationships, and making the transition between college and the real world. Graduation from community college isn’t the magic elixir Hetty Locklear counts on for becoming an adult. Her parents, who work the Renaissance fair circuit, insist she spend part of the summer with them. Hetty doubts pretending to live in the Middle Ages will help her find her way. To make it worse, an entity haunts her at her dead-end job, warning her of a dangerous man she doesn’t know. The ghost leads her to a lover who has a lot of secrets. He pulls her farther into peril and into a strange, hidden world of genetic experimentation.New Adult Urban Fantasy with a contemporary sci-fi twist. Mature content.Available as an ebook at Amazon / Amazon UK / Smashwords / iTunes/ Kobo(B&N is coming – visit www.mpaxauthor.com for other links)





I AMTHE KNIGHTOF AIDENSDEINPLEASE HELPME WINTHE JOUSTINGTOURNAMENT!

SIMPLYVisit M. Pax @
       

www.mpaxauthor.com                AND LEAVE A COMMENT SUCH AS:  
I am here for the Knight of Aidensdein !!!She just rubbed that poppet's head for good luck!!I SCORE EXTRA POINTS IF YOU USE THE WORD "POPPET' WHICH MEANS 'CHILD OR DOLL' 

WRITERS FOR WRITERS (W4WS)

YOUR HOSTS:
 Christine Rains
M. Pax
Stephen Tremp
& Myself, (C.M. Brown) 

WHAT IS W4WS?
W4WS will give authors opportunities to reach audiences through other people's Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, LinkedIn, etc "Friends".
HOW W4WS WORKS
Each month we will spotlight one, two or three new authors. To start W4WS off, on December 6th our spotlighted author for the month of December will be Nancy Thompson, marketing her book 'The Mistaken'
 What we are asking our linked participants to do is to simply promote the spotlighted author/s book using their Twitter followers or/and Facebook friends, potentially reaching large new audiences the author would not reach on their own. 
HOW WILL IT OPERATE?On Decmber 6th, Nancy Thompson (our first spotlighted author) will post an image of her book, 'The Mistaken' with a short blurb and a link to Kindle on her blog.The author/s (Nancy's) blog will be linked to the W4WS Facebook page.   Nancy (the spotlighted author for the month) will then choose a social media avenue such as Twitter or Facebook (or both) to promote her book using W4WS Facebook page and the Twitter hashtag.   (#W4WS)
 
CLICK TO FIND W4WS FACEBOOK PAGE
[image error]                                         
TWITTER HASHTAG: #W4WS

 The author/s (Nancy) will also have pre-written  
TWEETS posted on her blog.
EXAMPLES OF PRE-WRITTEN TWEETS  

[image error] He Came For Mine, Jazz and Seb's story continues http://www.amazon.com/Came-Mine-Protector-Series-ebook/dp/B009IG3YLY #paranormal #ebook #review
~ He Came For Mine, will Seb win Jazz's love back? 
http://www.amazon.com/Came-Mine-Protector-Series-ebook/dp/B009IG3YLY #download #Amazon #Kindle

~ 
 Vampires, Love, Heartache, Revenge and Loss  - He Came For Mine, http://www.amazon.com/Came-Mine-Protector-Series-ebook/dp/B009IG3YLY #ebook #Please RT!

[image error] ~
 Notice the use of hashtags and the Please RT! within the short blurb to reach additional audiences. 

Now imagine a hundred bloggers over a few days tweeting and sharing links for (the spotlight author/s) Nancy's book potentially reaching tens of thousands of new readers.

 What is Expected of our Participants?

As a participant of W4WS you simply add your name to our W4WS Linky List HERE!

And on December 6th, and every first Thursday of each month, join us to blast the social media networks to support the featured author/s by tweeting and re-tweeting the pre-posted Tweets posted in the featured author/s blog post.

Simply visit W4WS Facebook page 
Click the Page and Share the link with your 
FB Friends and writer's groups.
 https://www.facebook.com/Writers4Writers#
 
FOR NOW MAKE SURE YOU ADD YOUR NAME TO THE LINKY LIST AND LIKE W4WS FACEBOOK PAGE 
BY CLICKING THE LIKE BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM OF MARY'S LINKY LIST

W4WS MISSION IS TO:  
Help writers bring awareness of their book(s) to tens of thousands of new peopleHelp writers reach Amazon Top 100 in at least one category  (ie suspense, free, whatever)Increase sales of their book(s) after the promo is overDrive new traffic to their blog and increase following Create verbal and viral buzz    


I hope you will join us in this exciting new way to reach a very wide audience!
Carolyn
 

#FRIDAY FLASH - FORCES OF MIST (PART THREE)

THE FORCES OF MIST(Part Three)by C.M. Brown
(780 word sci-fi)   “Hi georgeous….”

How the hell had he known that I would be there to organize a recorded message to me?  Sandy thought and then found herself distracted by the use of his word ‘gorgeous’, did he actually think she was?  Shaking her head she re-focused on 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 extremely hot!”  He winked.  “Not all of my race has this ability, only a small number gifted like myself exist.” He smiled, his face lighting up, showing off his perfect features, making Sandy's heart beat slightly faster.
“It is imperative that you ensure your commanders are informed of the information contained in this message.  They must switch the communication devices back to the outdated digital network, prior to the detonation of our disabling device or all hope of survival for your species will be lost….” He paused and took in a breath.
“….and then we might never have a chance to get to know each other and that would be a serious shame.”
Sandy could not believe her ears and eyes, was he actually trying to help Earth stop his own 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 the face displayed on the small com monitor and weighed up her options.  Should she follow his request or ignore it?  If she did ignore it would there be consequences?
Deliberating for only a short moment her attention was once again focused on the small monitor.
“Sandy, 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 Sandy sat dumbfounded by Jackson’s request.  She was totally dumbstruck by these words.  What the hell did he mean?  How the hell did he know her name?  She was completely baffled.
Ensuring the area was clear, she started up her vehicle and headed to the safe area, where her camp and the rest of the squad she worked with were congregated.
Sandy was specially trained to service her world in similar tasks to the one she had just completed.  The squad she was involved with risked their lives on a daily basis to gather intel on this invading alien race, to help the human civilization combat their attacks with any means they could muster.
“S W A N, 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 what was once a major city.
“Affirmative command, over.” Sandy answered.
This was a necessary process, as the area surrounding their underground complex was interlaced with weapons, wired and ready to detonate, if an unknown entity approached.
Sandy moved into the bunker and the automatic doors opened to allow her entry and closed immediately as she passed through.
She parked and exited the vehicle; before she left she picked up the com monitor and placed it into her pocket. Turning towards her commander’s office she decided that she had best advise him of the knowledge she had learned about the imminent attack on their communications network.
Sandy also thought it would be best to tell them of the strange behaviour shown by Jackson and had decided to hand over the recorded message, even though she was going to be mightily embarrassed and would possibly experience reprisal from her peers and could be the brunt of jokes, if word got out.
She left her commander’s office an hour later with information she did not expect.  Jackson was known to their organization and had been gathering intel for her people for a very long time.  He had been informed that a person from her division would be situated in the vicinity she had been positioned.
So he did not possess the ability to see the future, but how had he known her name? She was filled with questions she knew she would not find the answers to, not until she met up with Jackson some time in the future. If she did, he would be bombarded with numerous questions she longed to find the answers to.
That night, Sandy fell asleep in her makeshift cot, dreaming lazily of the mysterious alien who seemed to have captured her heart in only the few short moments they’d met.
(To be continued)

EXPRESS YOURSELF

This week our hosts Dani and Jackie have asked for us to post our Playlist for either our WIP or MS and if not a writer our life Playlist. You also have the option to mix and match and do a bit of both!

As I have not quite started my next WIP as yet, I have decided to post the songs mentioned in my two published books from The Protector Series, I hope this is acceptable and that you enjoy the music!

Jack's Mannequin's 'La La Lie'


  Blink 182's 'Apple Shampoo'



Billy Talent 'Red Flag'


 
Angus and Julia Stone 'Just a Boy'



 Angus and Julia Stone 'And The Boys'


 

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

CO-HOSTS FOR NOVEMBER
L.G. Keltzer and Myself, (C.M. Brown)

It is with great pleasure to announce that I am helping Alex to host this months Insecure Writer's Support Group, along with the help of L.G. Keltzer.
This monthly meme is becoming so big it is now difficult for Alex to visit everyone on the ever growing list, so he invited his regular blogger followers to put up their hands to take on the task to offer support.
L.G. Keltzer and myself were quick to accept and were given the month of November to kick off this new system which Alex has devised to help lighten his load and to ensure the bloggers on the list are acknowledged and accepted into his huge audience of followers.
All writers have insecurities, whether they are focused on their writing, their style of writing, acceptance among their peers or any number of other things.
The IWSG helps all of us to voice these insecurities and gain support and advice from other members of the group.  We learn from this process and our feelings of being alone (as writing is a lonely task), are found to be false because we find support and comfort in the words of others in this unique group of people who follow Alex Cavanaugh and involve themselves in the IWSG.
You can be surprised by the positive comments other people make in regard to your insecurities and learn that you are not alone and your feelings of doubt are swept aside.
Using these feelings of insecurity can also benefit us, especially when we learn others have experienced them too.  Using insecurities in a positive way can make us grow, giving the individual writer the power to continue on and progress with their endeavours.
I remember years ago when it was a fad to give out what was known as ‘warm fuzzies’. This was a process where persons gave other persons hugs and support and thanked people for anything and everything that was done for them, whether those people were strangers or friends.  Well the process of the IWSG is similar, we give each other advice and support whether the person who posted the writing is known or unknown to us.
Personally, I have found the IWSG a place where I can learn from my fellow writers and gain beneficial advice, helping me to progress as a writer.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank Alex and the other members of IWSG who ensure this monthly meme lives, strives and moves forward into the future to help and support our fellow writers.
                         Image via MarketingSelfStorageOnline.com

RESURRECTION BLOGFEST

RESURRECTION BLOGFEST!











In this first year of bloggery, before I'd connected with other bloggers and attracted regular readers, I posted stuff which never got the attention I felt it deserved. I was sure I couldn't be the only blogger who felt that way. Only, you might feel kinda lame just trotting out an old post, fearing accusations of laziness (if you're neurotic, or, in fact, lazy). (Like I am.) So I thought I'd just host a blogfest so I could resurrect a piece from my first year of blogging. (Yeah, I know there's Linked Within, but there's no certainty folks'll click on your older stuff to check it out, now is there?) Mina Lobo



HERE IS MY ENTRY FOR THE 
RESURRECTION BLOGFEST
It is one of the very first posts I wrote and I linked it to the Smashwords site to win a mug. I never did receive that mug!  It was posted  on 8/28/2011  This post received my very first comment in the Blogging World and it was from Stephanie from Books are Cool




+1     1Comment count      620View count
Over time this blog has received 620 views but no new comments.... I think for someone new to blogging that this post had lots of  useful information contained within it!  What do you think?
Smashwords make it easy!!!                         

I am a new author who has only just used Smashwords to publish my book in the last week and I have found the site to be the most amazing tool to use!
From my understanding of reading the Smashwords FAQ some people have all sorts of problems and receive error messages for their formatting.  I must have been one of the lucky ones!  I followed the Smashwords Style Guide carefully, to format my book, making sure not to hit the enter key more times than necessary at the end of each line and paragraph. By turning on the Show Hide Key in Microsoft Word I was able to see my formatting as I typed.  I decided not to indent my paragraphs as I believe it looks untidy on the page, but I did add ***~~~*** to skip back and forth between my characters. 
The only problem I had was that I was eager and forgot to save my file as a Microsoft Word .doc file before uploading.  I corrected this easily by following the instuctions in the Smashwords Style Guide and then when I pressed the Publish Tab to proceed to upload my book to Smashwords, I had the thrill of watching each version being processed and approved on my computer screen as I watched.
The Smashwords Publish upload also takes all the hassel out of trying to publish your own book. Just by following the process step by step all angles are covered, even the legal ones. The process takes you through the usual questions, but Smashwords can also assign your book an ISBN number at no cost to you or you can purchase one through them if you wish. These questions are asked as you continue the process to upload your precious work.
Smashwords also cover any IRS questions you may have, especially if you are an author using the site to publish your work in a country outside of the United States of America, as I am.  During the process of publishing you are asked if you are from a country outside of the US and by answering yes, further information is shown on the page informing you about the formal part of requesting an ITIN. The information is given in easy to follow language and takes the worry away! You can also read about the legal side of things in the FAQ. I had previously downloaded the Smashwords Book Marketing Guide prior to publishing my book and decided which Marketing tips I would use.  I had never used a Blog page or Facebook before but decided to start this blog page and my illustrator created a page link to my book http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/82996?ref=CMBrown attaching it to her Facebook page. I am still learning about other tips to market my book but I recommend reading the Smashwords Book Marketing Guide to make your own choices.
I found out about Smashwords through my local library.  I was lucky enough one day to walk in and find a notice about an information session on publishing eBooks, which was being held there by a local artist. I immediately made a booking and attended the session most convenient to me. I came away enlightened and as I was so close to finishing my book the timing could not have been more right! It must have been karma as I had also around this time attended the blessing by the Dalai Lama at the opening of the Stumpa at Chenrezig.
From this information session at my local library, I found out that the Australian Government had given a grant to Judy Barass to inform new writers how to publish eBooks. Judy Barass could not say better things about Smashwords and encouraged her audience to persue eBook publishing using Smashwords, as they took all the effort away from independent puplishers and made it easy! (I also came away feeling that my work would be safe in the hands of Smashwords).
It has only been one week since I uploaded my book to the Smashwords site for publishing and three days ago it had already been accepted into the Smashwords Premium Catalogue and has been shipped on to some of the connecting distributers Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Apple and Deisel. I am amazed at just how quickly and efficiently the process has been. It could not have been made easier!!
View my book at Smashwords through this link:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/82996?ref=CMBrown 

 


He Came For Me! Book One in 'The Protector Series'
Ebook Price: $1.99 USD. 54240 words. Fiction by Carolyn Brown on August 21, 2011
(5.00 from 1 review)
Jazz, driving on her way to TAFE one morning is passed by a gorgeous guy in a red Mazda Rx7. Caught at the stop lights ahead, she finds herself drawn to this stranger as he watches her in his rear view mirror. From the moment she meets him in person her life begins to change! Why does he always seem to be close by, could he be stalking her? Or was their meeting totally innocent?
Thanks,

Carolyn

TEASER TUESDAY

It is time once again for:

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! 
   
                                                         

BLURB:
Ava Tanner finds herself in a world without satellite technology in a time of GPS, Smart phones, and Tablets. When she discovers that a corporation headed by vampires with sinister motives is to blame, her world is turned upside-down. After a narrow escape, she learns a mystical secret about herself that could aide her in her fight against the vampires. Unfortunately, the vampires see her either as an asset or a target.

When the world is on the brink of complete social and technological destruction, one must ask themselves: Would I give up my blood for the modern ideal way of life, or will I risk my life and wage war with the overlords of chaos?

TEASER:
“In this day and age, technology is power. If you control technology, you control the world. Psytech has been planning this for a very long time and we are glad you’ve decided to join us. Now you can share the power.”

Curry, Kayla (2012-07-30). Obsidian (Mystic Stones Series) (Kindle Locations 600-603). Martin Sisters Publishing LLC. Kindle Edition.