C.R. Hiatt's Blog, page 9
May 29, 2012
Gone at Zero Hundred 00:00 Blog tour
Reblogged from McSwain & Beck:
My YA action-thriller, Gone at Zero Hundred 00:00, featuring McSwain & Beck, is going virtual…blogging that is, and I have all of the dates confirmed, except for one which will probably be confirmed in a couple days.
Here’s what readers are saying about the book:
“McSwain & Beck kick ass!” – FyrInstructor
“An action-packed thrill ride” - Author MG Wells…
May 28, 2012
Happy Memorial Day…
As I prepare for my upcoming blog tour starting June 1, I wanted to take a quick moment out of my writing, twittering, and social media exploits, and give thanks on this Memorial Day. To the veteran’s who gave their all, to the troops who continue to give, and to their families who selflessly sacrifice every day for our country…THANK YOU!
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CR HIATT
May 21, 2012
Gone at Zero Hundred 00:00 Blog tour
My YA action-thriller, Gone at Zero Hundred 00:00, featuring McSwain & Beck, is going virtual…blogging that is, and I have all of the dates confirmed, except for one which will probably be confirmed in a couple days.
Here’s what readers are saying about the book:
“McSwain & Beck kick ass!” – FyrInstructor
“An action-packed thrill ride” - Author MG Wells
“ The characters of Syd and Cody were a perfect pair…funny, smart, snarky…they totally need their own TV series” – Kaylee S
Other readers have described the book as a James Patterson-style thriller for young adults. You can read the first few chapters HERE, but make sure to stop by daily during the tour, comment and be a part of the fun.
FIRST ROUND BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE
Here is the schedule. I’m still awaiting confirmation of the tour site for June 8, and will update as soon as it’s received. Stop in each day to get multiple reviewers’ takes on the book, check out the interviews, guest posts and for extra chances to win copies of the book. The contest is open to all countries!
June 1 - http://reviewsbymolly.com/
June 4 - http://firestarbooks.blogspot.ca/
June 5 - http://danicapage.blogspot.com/ -
June 6 - http://datesbooks.blogspot.com/ -
June 7 - http://engelsigh.blogspot.com/ -
June 8 -
June 11 - http://thereviewsofmar.blogspot.com/
June 12 - http://www.whats–hot.com/
June 13 - http://intothemorningreads.blogspot.com/
June 14 - http://sweepingtheusa.org/
June 15 - http://seekingwithallyurheart.blogspot.com/
BLOG COVER REVEAL
June 18 - http://www.yanovelreader.com/
June 18 – http://ramblingsofanelfpire.blogspot.co.uk/
June 18 – http://xxdaydreamer21xx.blogspot.com/
June 18 – http://www.booklovinmamas.blogspot.com/
June 18 – http://www.littlebookowl.com/
June 18 – http://danicapage.blogspot.com/
June 18 – http://www.headstuckinabook.blogspot.com/
June 18 – http://paranormalbookfan.blogspot.com/
June 18 – http://jennreneeread.blogspot.com/
June 18 – http://adreamwithindream.blogspot.com/
SECOND ROUND BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE
June 24 - http://bethartfromtheheart.blogspot.com/ - Character Post
June 25 – http://www.littlebookowl.com/ – Excerpt/Guest Post
June 26 – http://thereforyoumelissa.blogspot.com/ – Interview
June 27 - http://harleybearbookblog.blogspot.com/ – Review
http://adreamwithindream.blogspot.com/ - Review, Guest Post
June 28 - http://headstuckinabook.blogspot.com/ - Excerpt
http://littlelibrarymuse.blogspot.com/ - Guest Post
June 29 - http://www.delphinareadstoomuch.com/ – Guest post
http://drpepperdiva.wordpress.com/ Review
June 30 – http://www.booklovinmamas.blogspot.com/ - Interview/Excerpt
http://readthatalso.blogspot.com/ - Review
July 1 – http://thecoverbybrittany.blogspot.com/ - Interview
http://reviewingshelf.wordpress.com/ - Review
July 2 – http://engelsigh.blogspot.com/ - Review/Guest Post
http://www.fortheloveoffilmandnovels.com/ Review
July 3 – http://ramblingsofanelfpire.blogspot.co.uk/
http://mylittlebookspace.blogspot.com/ Review/Interview
July 4 – http://www.yanovelreader.com/ – Interview
http://www.onemilysbookshelf.com/ - Review/Character Interview
July 5 – http://theshortone08.blogspot.com/ – Review
July 6 - http://thebooktomyheart.blogspot.com/ - Interview
July 7 - http://jennreneeread.blogspot.com/ – Review
July 8 - http://hailgil.blogspot.com/ - Guest post
It’s going to be a busy month, with lots of fun and GIVEAWAYS all along the way. To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is follow the directions at the bottom of this blog post each day.
“The odds of winning are in your hands…”
CR HIATT
Gone at Zero Hundred 00:00 – sneak peek blog tour
My YA action-thriller, Gone at Zero Hundred 00:00, featuring McSwain & Beck, is going virtual…blogging that is, and I thought I’d give you a sneak peek of the first round, which runs from June 1 through June 15.
Here’s what readers are saying about the book:
“McSwain & Beck kick ass!” – FyrInstructor
“An action-packed thrill ride” - Author MG Wells
“ The characters of Syd and Cody were a perfect pair…funny, smart, snarky…they totally need their own TV series” – Kaylee S
Other readers have described the book as a James Patterson-style thriller for young adults. You can read the first few chapters HERE, but make sure to stop by daily during the tour, and I might just unveil a few action excerpts.
BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE
Here is a sneak peek at the schedule for the first round. I’m still awaiting confirmation of the tour site for June 8, and will update as soon as it’s received. Stop in each day to get multiple reviewers’ takes on the book, check out the interviews, guest posts and for extra chances to win. I’ll be giving away two signed paperback copies and two Kindle e-book copies during this first round. The contest is open to all countries!
June 1 - http://reviewsbymolly.com/
June 4 - http://firestarbooks.blogspot.ca/
June 5 - http://danicapage.blogspot.com/ -
June 6 - http://datesbooks.blogspot.com/ -
June 7 - http://engelsigh.blogspot.com/ -
June 8 -
June 11 - http://thereviewsofmar.blogspot.com/
June 12 - http://www.whats–hot.com/
June 13 - http://intothemorningreads.blogspot.com/
June 14 - http://sweepingtheusa.org/
June 15 - http://seekingwithallyurheart.blogspot.com/
Thank you for stopping by the sneak peek preview of the first round of my summer tour. To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is follow the directions at the bottom of the blog post each day.
“The odds of winning are in your hands…”
May 19, 2012
I RECEIVED THE VERSATILE BLOGGER AWARD!
When I woke up Saturday morning to the news that I RECEIVED THE VERSATILE BLOGGER AWARD, I was like what? What is the Versatile Blogger Award? And how come I, who am a newbie at blogging, was deemed worthy enough to receive such an esteemed award.
I received the Versatile Blogger Award (VBA) from M.G. Edwards. Thank you, M.G.! It’s an honor, and I am humbled. M.G. is a fellow writer, and author of Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill. Yeah, I know, he’s one of them crazy guys who lives out his adventures!
This was M.G.’s definition of the award:
A mutual admiration society where bloggers recognize their peers for writing quality blogs that touched them in some way. The VBAs honor the blogger rather than specific posts. It’s a chance for bloggers to pat themselves on the back like the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences does with the Oscars. Until someone starts giving out Blogscars, the VBAs will have to suffice.
Well, since I am a newbie to blogging, and my content so far, describes “Heroic sleuth and spy duos”, I think I might just have received this award because we all admire a hero. Yeah, that’s it. I’m sticking with that one.
Here are the rules when selected for the Versatile Blogger Award.
If you are nominated, you’ve been awarded the Versatile Blogger award.
Thank the person who gave you this award. That’s common courtesy.
Include a link to their blog. That’s also common courtesy — if you can figure out how to do it.
Next, select 15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly. ( I would add, pick blogs or bloggers that are excellent!)
Nominate those 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award — you might include a link to the VBA site.
Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself.
Thank you M.G. Edward. I am honored and humbled by your selection. I hope I prove myself worthy. Visit M.G.’s blog at http://worldadventurers.wordpress.com
My fifteen nominees are:
David Leadbeater - http://davidleadbeaternovels.blogspot.com/
Roger Grubbs - http://booksbyrogergrubbs.wordpress.com/
Derek Blass - http://derekblass.wordpress.com/
Russell Blake - http://russellblake.com/
Lorna Suzuki - http://web.me.com/imagobooks/IMAGO_FANTASY_REALM/Blog/Blog.html
Alan McDermott - http://jambalian.blogspot.com/
Douglas Wickard - http://douglaswickard.blogspot.com/
Martha Bourke - http://www.marthabourke.blogspot.com/
Wodke Hawkinson - http://wodke-hawkinson.com/our_blog
Carmen DeSouza - http://roadsidegems.blogspot.com/?expref=next-blog
Catherine Kirby - http://catherinekirby-author.weebly.com/blogs.html
Spencer Brokaw - http://www.spencerbrokaw.com/
Ciara Ballintyne - http://www.blog.ciaraballintyne.com/
Kevin Rau - http://www.kevinrau.com/blog.asp
G.A. Albrethsen - http://gaalbrethsen.com/
Congratulations, winners!
Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself.
1. I love action movies. Not only do I own an entire collection, but I watch them over and over, again. Once in a while, if I have nothing major going on, or the weather is yucky outside, I will have an all-day movie marathon of nothing but action.
2. I am a creature of habit. I never go without breakfast, which is two poached eggs with raisin toast.
3. I am petrified of snakes and spiders. A water snake was dropped down my shirt when I was a kid, and I’ve been terrified of them ever since. The mere sight of a spider will have me jumping three-feet in the air.
4. When I was nineteen, I was trying to show off and get the attention of a guy I had a major crush on, so I hopped onto my friends motorbike and started to race across the yard, trying to look cool. Only problem was; it was the first time I had ever ridden this friend’s bike, so I wasn’t that good with the gears. I put the pedal to the metal, and ran head first into a tree. I got the guy’s attention all right, he busted up laughing when I was sprawled out across the lawn.
5. I love mint chocolate chip ice cream with orange juice poured over it, like a float.
6. I love to renovate houses. Even if it means I might be forced to face some spiders and snakes, I like to tear down an existing structure, help to rebuild it and put together a new design. Once it’s all completed, I have to admit, it’s pretty cool.
7. I’m a sucker for a good Christmas movie. The sappier the story, the better.
Thanks again, to M.G. Edwards for nominating me for the Versatile Blogging Award.
CR HIATT
Author of Gone at Zero Hundred 00:00 featuring McSwain & Beck
May 14, 2012
Summer blog tours for 2012
Get ready!
CR HIATT, along with the fictional characters #McSwainandBeck of the first YA action-thriller, Gone at Zero Hundred 00:00, are going virtual…blogging that is.
Starting June 1, there will be interviews, guest posts, character intros, chats and lots of cool and exciting things along the way. Follow the summer tour and meet some cool bloggers, writers and authors and hopefully, we’ll meet some new readers along the way, as well. These upcoming tours are my first blog stops in my grass roots effort for the novel, Gone at Zero Hundred, and I would be honored for you to follow along, comment and possibly win one of the giveaways offered by #McSwainandBeck.
Stay tuned for more updates, giveaway announcements, and the finalized list of dates once they have been confirmed.
CR HIATT
P.S. I want to take a moment to give a huge THANK YOU to the blog hosts that are contributing to these tours. I am blown away by the fact that so many bloggers (whom I have never met) are willing to take time out of their days – interrupting their own lives – to blog regularly, read my book and offer their honest opinion, and without asking anything in return. Without them, I wouldn’t have the opportunities that I do today, to push my grass roots effort and get my books out to the readers at large.
I am sincerely grateful.
May 9, 2012
Fifth day of heroic sleuth and spy duos…
Okay, so you’ve been patiently waiting for the fifth installment of the ‘heroic sleuth and spy duo’, (or maybe not if you’re a new follower, and this is the first time you’re reading about it ).
For those of you that are just tuning in, you can catch the original blog post that started all this fun here: http://mcswainandbeck.com/2012/04/26/heroic-sleuth-and-spy-duos/
Anyway…
Today’s pick happens to be one of my personal favorites. The heroic duo are from one of the consistently top-rated TV series on CBS. Yep, you guessed it.
NCIS
Now, let me start by saying I was a fan of Sasha Alexander, who portrayed Agent Caitlin Todd. I liked how she was introduced to Gibbs, and that she was a former Secret Service Agent. Her character was a good mix with Gibbs, DiNozzo and McGee. After the story-line with Ari, I think it became pretty clear that Caitlin didn’t have the chemistry with DiNozzo that would stand the test of time. I was sorry to see her go.
But hey, if she didn’t leave NCIS there would be no Rizzoli & Isles…
Well, okay, Hollywood would have come up with another actress to fill the shoes, but the chemistry wouldn’t have worked the same. Personally, I think Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander are the perfect picks for Rizzoli & Isles. But, back to today’s pick of heroic sleuth and spy duo – the duo most likely to be depicted as mature versions of McSwain & Beck…
DiNozzo & Ziva
Actors, Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo
She’s sexy, smart and sassy, and tough as nails..
He’s handsome, cocky and arrogant, and can charm you with his smile…
Millions tune in each week to see the teasing banter and undertones of flirting between these two…
And we wait to answer the ultimate question: Will these two hook up?
What do you think? Hook up, or not?
Stay tuned for future picks of heroic sleuth and spy duos…
CR HIATT
May 4, 2012
KINDLE VERSION FREE (today is the last day)…
THE “KICK-ASS” FREE EBOOK EVENT – MAY 5 – 6, 2012!
They YA action-mystery featuring @McSwainandBeck is now on Kindle for #FREE
On the morning of her high-school graduation, SYDNEY MARIE McSWAIN, was arguing with her mom (a Private Investigator) about the identity of her father. An hour later, she was at the local café with her pals, JADEN WHITE and CODY BECK, and watched as her mom was gunned down, and it was broadcased on live TV.
Now, Sydney had two goals: finding out the identity of her father, and figuring out how to survive.
Faced with immediate responsibility, Sydney and Cody took over the P.I. agency, and were immediately thrust into a complex and riveting thriller, where they were forced to take on a secret club with members who called themselves The Privileged Ones. Bored, rich kids, bad cops and members of a cartel were wreaking havoc on the City of Sutter Beach.
McSwain & Beck unwittingly discovered the possible abduction of teens. Then, they were chased by men in ski-masks, nearly gunned down by a gang of outlaws, and Sydney became the number one suspect when a member of the secret club; was found dead.
There was only one way to solve their dilemma: figure out how to crash a red-carpet Mardi Gras bash being held on a private cruise ship, before it sailed off into the sunset.
Now, the clock was ticking…
And time was running out…
How was she ever going to find her father, now?
HEAD ON OVER TO AMAZON FOR YOUR FREE COPY MAY 5 – 6, 2012!!!!
KINDLE VERSION FREE…
THE “KICK-ASS” FREE EBOOK EVENT – MAY 5 – 6, 2012!
They YA action-mystery featuring @McSwainandBeck is now on Kindle for #FREE
On the morning of her high-school graduation, SYDNEY MARIE McSWAIN, was arguing with her mom (a Private Investigator) about the identity of her father. An hour later, she was at the local café with her pals, JADEN WHITE and CODY BECK, and watched as her mom was gunned down, and it was broadcased on live TV.
Now, Sydney had two goals: finding out the identity of her father, and figuring out how to survive.
Faced with immediate responsibility, Sydney and Cody took over the P.I. agency, and were immediately thrust into a complex and riveting thriller, where they were forced to take on a secret club with members who called themselves The Privileged Ones. Bored, rich kids, bad cops and members of a cartel were wreaking havoc on the City of Sutter Beach.
McSwain & Beck unwittingly discovered the possible abduction of teens. Then, they were chased by men in ski-masks, nearly gunned down by a gang of outlaws, and Sydney became the number one suspect when a member of the secret club; was found dead.
There was only one way to solve their dilemma: figure out how to crash a red-carpet Mardi Gras bash being held on a private cruise ship, before it sailed off into the sunset.
Now, the clock was ticking…
And time was running out…
How was she ever going to find her father, now?
HEAD ON OVER TO AMAZON FOR YOUR FREE COPY MAY 5 – 6, 2012!!!!
May 3, 2012
Fourth day of heroic sleuth and spy duos…
Okay, so you’ve been patiently waiting for the fourth installment of the ‘heroic sleuth and spy duo’, and you’ve probably been thinking, okay what hot duo will McSwain & Beck come up with this go round? And what cool action scenes will we get to see?
Well, the wait is over. Only, today’s hot pick doesn’t feature a gorgeous female wearing a bikini, or showing off her legs. Nor does it include a hot guy in Armani stepping out of his exotic sports car. Nope, this duo is in a class all by itself…
Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill in 21 Jump Street
In 21 Jump Street a pair of underachieving cops are sent back to a local high school to blend in and bring down a synthetic drug ring. They sure do look like underachievers, don’t they?
Hollywood is notorious for doing remakes these days, and some of their choices have not turned out so well. But, I admit I was jazzed when I heard they were doing a remake of 21 Jump Street – the show that introduced us to one of the best male actors in Hollywood, Johnny Depp. The DVD collection of the old series is another one of my time wasters on a rainy weekend.
Then, I was a little dismayed when I learned it was going to be a comedy/action. A gritty, action flick with a little bit of romance thrown in was more along the lines of what I was hoping for. When the promo images of the new flick started showing up in kiosks and buses that passed along the street, I thought well, they might just be able to pull it off…
“Two screw-ball cops go back to the prom…”
That had comedic fun written all over it.
“Look at those tuxedos…”
I was ready to give it a chance. And I’m glad I did.
The night of the flick, the theater was packed. Apparently, everyone who had misgivings about the remake, also wanted to give the duo a chance. I have to be honest, here. Maybe it was because the crowd that night was a pretty young group, and a lot of them (us) were female, and were there to see Channing Tatum…
But, we were in hysterics, and it wasn’t just because of Jonah Hill who was expected to lead in the laughs.
Channing Tatum (though hot) was the perfect dunce. His failure to remember lines when reading the Miranda rights, as well as his own identity, had people in stitches. He pulled it off so charmingly with a blank and troubled expression on his face, and it worked. Perfectly!
If you didn’t get a chance to see it in the theater, check it out on DVD. It will be a cool flick for a night when you’re just looking for some good fun, and a few laughs.
CR HIATT
