C.M. Stunich's Blog, page 16
December 3, 2012
Deck the Halls With Stunich Swag
Thank you everyone for coming to visit my blog and for joining my Facebook event. I’m a new author with a lot of drive and a tenacity that frightens even me. I write prolifically, read obsessively and think of my characters as my children. In short, I’m your typical author. =) For those of you that are just here for the giveaway (and I don’t blame you one, little bit), here it is:
If you’re still reading, then I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I have a lot I want to offer my readers, and I hope that I can deliver on it.
If you stay tuned, there will be more chances to enter the giveaway, more prizes, and more free things. I want to make this holiday rockin’, and I want to earn your readership! I will try to post at least one new thing everyday. Keep checking back at this spot and at our Facebook event, here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/172168709596376/
Here’s a free copy of A Werewolf Christmas:
If you haven’t seen my books yet, you can find them at the following places:
http://www.cmstunich.com/books.html
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
http://www.amazon.com/C.M.-Stunich/e/...
http://www.kobobooks.com/search/searc...
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/stuni...
Stay tuned, and thanks for your patience!
-C.M.
November 29, 2012
The Alpha Male Character – An Essay
Did I scare you? Well, calm down. I’m not writing an essay, just a blurb. Why? I don’t know, maybe because I’m trying to finish up Broken Pasts and am procrastinating. Or maybe not, you never know. Before I begin this … well, it might turn into a rant … I just want you to know that I am in no way judging anyone for writing this type of character or loving or hating this type of character. This is just my humble opinion, for what it’s worth, just a series of random thoughts pounded out on a keyboard, so don’t let it bug you. Engage me in conversation in the comments! I love to talk, I want to talk, I need to talk. So here goes (please scroll past hilarious and totally inappropriate picture of a male chest, Copyright Shutterstock Images, blah, blah, blah, and don’t you DARE say a thing if this guy actually ends up on one of my covers. Promise!).
So last night, I was lying in bed, and I was thinking about certain really popular books that I definitely won’t name titles about except to say that the most popular of them all has something about gray and fifty and things like that. Anyway, so the main male characters, what many, including myself, like to refer to as the love interests, are basically this: jerks. Plain and simple. They’re rude, condescending, demanding, inappropriate, and often tortured. And most of the time, they’re trying to coerce some hesitant, also tortured, often inexperienced woman to engage in intercourse with them. The way they go about it often disturbs me. Why would a woman want some caveman, he-man, pull you to the cave by the hair kind of a guy? What century are we living in? Again, please don’t get upset if you feel I’m judging. I’m not, just asking, truly.
Some folks that I’ve spoken to have this attitude: “Well, if he’s clean and well dressed and uses peach-mango lotion, talks about his feelings, and tells me I’m smart and lets me be self-sufficient, then he’s some limp-wristed toot. I want a man that smells bad, never shaves, and tells me to get down and get ready.” Okay, so I’m paraphrasing here or perhaps even exaggerating, but you get the point. I can understand that everyone has different aesthetics and all that, but why can’t a human male be a Man, an assertive, strong, handsome, masculine being without acting like a complete pig? The strangest part about all of this to me is that these books are written by women for women. Why? Where’s the appeal. So anyway, in my book, Broken Pasts, I tried to make the main character, Nathaniel Sutherland, exactly that. I wanted him calm, strong, assertive, masculine, etc., etc., but I wanted him to be nice. Yes, nice. I’m not trying to dog anyone’s fantasies, but I’m just curious. What’s appealing about those characters? I’ve seen a whole slew of them lately, many of them hitting all of the major best seller lists.
So there’s several reasons I brought this up. One, to make my blog more interesting so that you’d read it. Two, to understand, to get the view from the other side of the fence and engage in a discussion with y’all. Three, to tell you that I do not write that kind of character and that I never will (hey, I like the bad boy look as much as the next straight chick or gay dude or bisexual person or whatever, but I want them to have a heart of gold underneath and show it with their actions and words). And four, to coerce you into entering this Rafflecopter drawing or giving my books a try if you never have. Hopefully, you’re still reading this and I haven’t scared you off. I value your readership and your opinion and free speech and so LONG LIVE THE ALPHA MALE, HE-MAN! because everyone’s got their thing and maybe this is yours (mine is popcorn balls with cashews and sugary glazes, YUM).
P.S. Enter this drawing or I will cry.
-C.M.
November 28, 2012
New Book Release and Other Random Tidbits!
Hey there! Guess what? The Seven Wicked: Fourth has just been released on Amazon. You can read it for free with Amazon Prime, buy it for your Kindle for only $4.49 or get a paperback from Createspace (Amazon paperback is on its way). If you are interested in the paperback now, here’s a 15% off discount code to use: D547JUHL.
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/The-Seven-Wicked-Fourth-ebook/dp/B00AEYZFBG/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1354163543&sr=1-1&keywords=the+seven+wicked+fourth
Paperback: https://www.createspace.com/4075938
Also, if you haven’t entered my giveaway, please do. I want to see you win a free book!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
In further news, A Werewolf Christmas is now available on Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Amazon. If you haven’t checked it out yet, please do. See below for links.
Barnes and Noble (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-werewolf-christmas-cm-stunich/1113821244?ean=2940015727883)
November 18, 2012
Indie Giving Blogfest!
Hey all, I’m participating in the Indie Giving Blogfest today presented by The Indelibles. Check out my post below and then click the image to see the other fine authors that are participating. I’ve seen a couple of great giveaways already in my few minutes of browsing.
Instead of just telling you that I’m thankful for your readership (which I am!), I’m going to show you by hosting the following giveaway. Enter the contest below to win one of three eBooks by me, your choice.
And well, I decided that giveaway wasn’t enough so … I’M RELEASING A NEW STORY! It will be permanently free on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo as my gift to you. It’s called A Werewolf Christmas, and it’s campy, silly and was ridiculously fun to write. Also, in the back, I’ve included full excerpts of eight of my other works, so you can preview them at your leisure! Check out the cover reveal and description below:
Sylvia’s parents have just dropped a bomb on her. A big one. A colossal one. When they told her she could open an early Christmas present, she never expected ears and a tail, especially not connected to her person. Sylvia is just fine with being boring, thank you very much, and she would certainly prefer not to spend Christmas howling at the moon. With the most important date of her life tied to the holiday, Sylvia’s going to have to decide if she should tell her high school sweetheart the truth: I’m a werewolf.
I have turned the files into the retailers and am just waiting for them to post it. As soon as I get the links, I will update this post with them, Tweet them, and put them on Facebook.
Amazon (link will go here; still waiting)
Barnes and Noble (link will go here; still waiting)
Kobo (link will go here; still waiting)
***
Thanks for bearing with me on this long post. I’m so glad to have you all here! Now, the whole point of this INDIE-giving Blogfest is to talk about what we’re thankful for, so here goes … I’ve decided to write a haiku to represent my feelings:
I am very glad
That I am not trying to
Sell my poems to you.
Isn’t that great? Okay, fine, it’s a cop out, but what I am supposed to say?! That I’m thankful that you’re willing to read my books? That you, the readers, turn words on paper into fantastical worlds? That you give life to my characters in a way I never could on my own? That being able to write what I want, when I want, without being censored by anyone or anything is the most amazing feeling in the world? Is that what I’m supposed to say?
Anyhow, happy Turkey Day and keep tuning in for awesome holiday updates! As for me, it’s back to work. I’m just about done with The Seven Wicked: Fourth edits. My hope is to get it published today. I’ll let you know if I get it done!
-C.M.
November 9, 2012
Can’t Get Enough Walking Dead?
New Release! DeadBorn.
FREE FOR TWO DAYS ONLY ON AMAZON! 11/10-11/11
Zombies, Necromancers, and Magic. Oh my!
“In a few days, days, the whole world will fall to the undead. It’s inevitable.”
I’m being chased by the DeadBorn and everything’s gone chaotic.
Just last night I was playing baseball in the park. Now, hordes of undead swarm the streets, roused by a magic that’s raging out of control, drawing the lifeless from their graves and luring demons from a different world. And they’re all after the one person that I care about: my girlfriend, Holly. She’s being chased by a necromancer who won’t stop until she finds her. Not even if it means bathing the world in a wash of blood.
The DeadBorn are almost impossible to kill. A simple head shot won’t do the trick. We have to break them into pieces, smash them until they’re nothing. And those are just the lopers. There are other DeadBorn, too, ones with fire in their faces, some that spew acid, and then there are the ones that can take down helicopters.
We’d already be dead if it weren’t for Holly’s dreams. She says she knows what to do, and I think we’re just going to have to trust her because there’s no time for anything else. We can’t run; we can’t even hide.
The necromancer knows where we are, and the legion is coming.
Click below for a free wallpaper download of the gorgeous cover:
October 16, 2012
Spam – The Other White Meat
Okay, so I want to apologize to anyone who’s commented on my blog in the past few weeks: I’ve received over 6,500 comments (most of them spam) and so I haven’t been able to approve anything. If you’ve commented in the past two weeks, please try again next week after I get this stupid spam thing sorted out.
On a better note, I bet many of you are wondering: WHERE THE HECK IS THE FOURTH BOOK IN THE SEVEN WICKED SERIES!?
Answer: It’s coming! The book is mostly done, but needs some clean up and edits. The reason it isn’t out yet is actually a good one … Okay, so we all know that writing is a creative process and I can plan and plot and promise all I want, but what it comes down to is this: my quirky brain, the place where clockwork people and Doppelgangers and murderous fairies come from, is absolutely ornery. When it wants to do something, it does it, no matter what. And what does this have to do with Seven Wicked? Well, I got super inspired and wrote a new book, Broken Pasts, which I will be releasing in the next week or so. Here is the cover reveal!
Isn’t it gorgeous? Once again, a big thank you goes out to Amanda Carroll at Sarian Royal Publishing (www.sarianroyal.com). Here’s the description:
Theresa McMaster does not have a good track record when it comes to men. Her first husband walked out on her after a terrible miscarriage left her unable to carry any children of her own, and her estranged second husband has revealed himself to be more than just an emotional danger – he’s been stalking her.
Fearing for her own safety as well as that of her family, Theresa hires a private security service and meets Nathaniel, the man whose secrets and heartaches may just outnumber her own. Drawn into the arms of the sexy stranger, Theresa fears that both of their pasts may very well be the things that keep them apart.
I’m super excited as this book is a big step out of my comfort zone – there are no supernatural creatures! GASP!
Anyway, The Seven Wicked: Fourth is still on the way as is The House of Hands and Hearts and Hair. I have a super strict schedule so just keep checking back. Things are always bustling here, even if you can’t see ‘em. =)
Also, I just want to throw this out there: I’m not into marketing or Tweeting (I honestly believed it was called Twittering) or social networking. I don’t even know what a blog tour really is; I’m not into fictional scavenger hunts or memes (what are they anyway?). I’m into writing books for you. I’d rather give you more books faster than spend time doing marketing, so if you like my books, please, please spread the word. As of right now, I’m drowning in obscurity. I’m not trying to ask for sympathy or charity, but if you enjoy my novels, please tell a friend. Thanks so much for your support everyone!
-C.M.
Today’s Projects: The Seven Wicked: Fourth, Broken Pasts, a novella called Conflagration (more on that later) and what will be a FREE short story called Wept. Intrigued? I bet you are!
September 30, 2012
Fourth AND ePubs Abound
I have had some requests for ePub files, so I’m happy to announce that my first four titles are now available for sale on Kobo and Barnes and Noble. The other titles will be added according to the releases page based on my participation in the Kindle lending library. Some of the platforms, such as iTunes and Google are taking much longer than expected, but we are working on it. The Seven Wicked: Fourth is coming along very well and should be released on schedule. Thanks so much for your support and don’t feel shy, drop me a line anytime!
Hell Inc.:
For Barnes and Noble, Click Here
For Kobo, Click Here
The Seven Wicked: First:
For Barnes and Noble, Click Here
For Kobo, Click Here
The House of Gray and Graves:
For Barnes and Noble, Click Here
For Kobo, Click Here
She Lies Twisted:
For Barnes and Noble, Click Here
For Kobo, Click Here
September 25, 2012
Steampunk Book Release!
Yes, folks, that’s right. Indigo & Iris, my western/urban fantasy/steampunk novel has just been released on Amazon.com so click here to check it out. Also, a sample chapter is available @ http://www.cmstunich.com/i&i.html.
This means that I can now devote ALL of my time to The Seven Wicked: Fourth and The House of Hands and Heart and Hair (Houses Trilogy Book 2). Fourth should be out sometime in the next week or so since it’s almost ready and HoHaHah should be out very shortly after that. So thanks to all of you who downloaded the Seven Wicked: First and the House of Gray and Graves! Rest assured, I will get your sequels out soon. 
Thanks for checking my books out!
-C.M. Stunich
Today’s Project: TSW4
September 18, 2012
Free Books, Writing Schedule, and Notes
*****ONE DAY ONLY!*****
I am offering The Seven Wicked: First for free on Amazon.com on the 24th of September from midnight to midnight. Same goes for The House of Gray and Graves on the 25th of September, so if you’re interested in trying my writing but have been afraid to take a chance on a new author, here’s your opportunity.
A note on this, once I have given a book away for free, I will unable to do so again so please, get yours while they’re available!
I just want to take this opportunity to say ‘Thank you!’ to everyone that downloaded a free copy of She Lies Twisted last week on Amazon.com. The ePub files for this, as well as several other of my titles, will be done soon and you should see She Lies Twisted, Hell Inc., The Seven Wicked: First, and The House of Gray and Graves available for the following services: Nook, iTunes, Google bookstore, Sony, and Smashwords (more coming soon!) by October 1st. Paperbacks are still available through CreateSpace and Amazon.
This is a super long blog post, so I apologize for that, but here goes. I do have some job related things to work on in the next few months, but I also have an amazing writing schedule/release timeline that I wanted to share with you. This is in no way a promise or guarantee as this is a creative process and things take time, but here’s my tentative release schedule.
September: Indigo & Iris; The Seven Wicked: Fourth
October: The House of Hands and Hearts and Hair; The Hunt; The Seven Wicked: Fifth; Deadborn (a YA zombie novel with magic =) ); The House of Sticks and Bones
November: The Throne; Indigo & the Colonel; Indigo & Lynx; The Seven Wicked: Sixth
December: The Seven Wicked: Seventh; Suicide Girls; Zombie Hunter Lulu; another novel that I can’t reveal yet (it’s a surprise!)
This will wrap up all of the series that you’ve seen from me as well as start some new ones. Thanks for reading this and if you’re here, comment please! My blog looks so lonely without you!
-Best of love in reading, C.M.
Today’s Project: The Seven Wicked: Fourth
September 11, 2012
Free Book: She Lies Twisted Starts Tomorrow
Starting tomorrow, for FIVE DAYS ONLY my book, She Lies Twisted, will be available for FREE exclusively on Amazon.com.
Let the crazy downloading begin and remember, honest reviews are always appreciated!
