Demelza Carlton's Blog, page 44
July 31, 2013
Release Day – Water and Fire
World, watch out. The sexy Dr Aidan is out! On the horses’ birthday, no less…I wonder what that says about him? Oh, my…
I likened the man to a very sexy tree in the teaser trailer, The World’s Sexiest Tree:
I researched the site thoroughly, going whale watching, whisky-tasting and driving rough country roads to the very house where Aidan lives – dangerous wildlife and all. The official book trailer includes footage and photos taken on site:
Water and Fire is now available from Amazon and Smashwords.
Working as a student midwife in an Australian country hospital is never easy, but Belinda finds more trouble than most.
There’s the intern doctor who follows her around like an overgrown puppy, the dangerous local wildlife and her own secrets she must keep.
When she finds herself without a place to live, what else can possibly go wrong?
Or is it time for something to go right?
What have people said about Water and Fire?
“Grabs you from head to tail! Great story, read when it’s cold outside! Or blazing hot!”
– Marcel de Vette
“Whales, whisky and love, great story!”
– Limeburners Whisky
“This is really good, I need more, it can’t finish there.”
- Lauren Russell
“Steamy without being smutty…There’s something about a man in just an apron…”
- J T Chapman, author of the Enchantress series
“It had some great heated moments and I often found myself laughing as well as holding onto the edge of my seat. All in all…WOW!”
– Carey Decevito, author of Hot Communications and The Broken Men Chronicles
“I loved this story! I read it all in one go, honestly I couldn’t stop.”
– Vera Loy, author of Regency Masquerade
“Oh my gosh, that was…phenomenal to read. Seriously. That has got to be one of the best stories I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. It surpasses all of those other romance novels that I’ve read with just a few excellently done chapters. WOW. Just wow.”
– Nita
What will you say?
Water and Fire. Now available from Amazon and Smashwords.
July 30, 2013
Release Day – Nightmares of Caitlin Lockyer
It’s today. Nineteen years of work, sleepless nights and countless nightmares. To see Caitlin released.
There are real monsters out there. The worst part is that they’re human.
“Name?”
“Nathan Miller.”
“What happened?”
“I was shot.”
“Her name?”
“Caitlin Lockyer.”
“What happened to her?”
“Looks like someone tried to kill her.”
Nathan found a girl lying on a beach covered in blood. Saving her life was just the start. Now he’s the prime suspect and he has to find out who’s really responsible. Both of their lives depend on it.
Who hurt her?
Why was he shot?
What did he promise?
Why doesn’t his story add up?
Who was the dead man on the beach?
What will she remember when she wakes up?
After almost a million reads on Wattpad, Nightmares of Caitlin Lockyer is now available in professionally edited ebook format.
Nightmares is a fiction project I’ve been working on since I was 12, which makes it old enough to legally drink alcohol in Australia. With the success of Ocean’s Gift, I’ve chosen to let my Nightmares see the light of day.
I hope you don’t lose too much sleep over them!
It’s now available from Amazon and Smashwords.
The second book in the series, Necessary Evil of Nathan Miller, will be released on 30 August 2013.
July 27, 2013
How to solve a mystery
The world is full of mysteries.
How does the Duchess of Cambridge keep her long hair looking good?
Why did Bella Swan fall for Edward Cullen?
Where did my chocolate bar go?
Building and solving mysteries is at the heart of writing. From the questions in your teaser to the need to know more that draws a reader from the first page to the last, all stories are about mystery and suspense, no matter what the genre.
The best stories start with a question.
What happens if a vampire loves a human?
What will satisfy the Very Hungry Caterpillar?
Can the Little Mermaid win herself a soul?
How did Pi survive the shipwreck?
Some authors answer all the questions, but some leave you hanging.
What questions does your writing ask and how will you answer them?
What questions do your readers have and have you answered them to their satisfaction?
Whilst only you can answer the first, writing sites like Wattpad and Widbook can help you answer the second. Take comments on board and let your readers help you shape your story. I wonder how much better Tolkien could have made Lord of the Rings if he’d been able to talk to his readers as he wrote. The devil is in the details – your readers can tell you if there’s too much, too little or it’s all too confusing.
In Australia, a thong is a shoe. In the rest of the world, I understand it’s a different piece of attire entirely. Some brave readers on Wattpad kindly cleared this mystery up for me. I’ll never look at my Italian leather thongs the same way again as I slip them on my feet.
Releasing a book is all about suspense – is the cover attractive enough? Does your book description tantalise a prospective reader enough to make them want to read the first page? Both Widbook and Wattpad have helped me answer that – from one cover to another, Water and Fire certainly is more attractive when the cover isn’t actually on fire. Perhaps being on fire only works for couples in YA fiction like the The Hunger Games?
All of my writing is about solving mysteries. With the serialised novel I wrote for Wattpad, which will be published on 30 July, Nightmares of Caitlin Lockyer, the mystery lies in Caitlin’s mind, starting with the night Nathan finds her on a beach covered in blood. I asked Wattpadians to join Nathan in his journey to discover who tried to kill Caitlin and stop it from happening again. Almost a million have accepted my invitation so far – and the number keeps growing.
Of course, the solution to some mysteries is different – a paranormal, fantastical element that you might never have considered outside the realms of fiction. Mermaids. Anything that went wrong in the ocean, you can be sure mermaids played a part in it. I’d pin any shipwreck on them and possibly the loss of my chocolate bar, too. Mermaids have quite a taste for chocolate.
Mermaids have infiltrated my writing, too, in my Ocean’s Gift series – which includes both Ocean’s Gift and Ocean’s Infiltrator.
Where to from here? I’d like to keep that a mystery…though with the Nightmares Trilogy and the Ocean’s Gift series, the possibilities are endless.
July 24, 2013
Reviews, Guest Posts and Virtual Travel
I do get out and about – in the real world as well as online. For a tiny taste of my online wandering – interviews, guest posts and reviews of my books on other blogs, videos and other such things. I’ll give you links to all of them so it’s easier for you to stalk me online, if that’s your desire.
Interviews
Author Sharon Stevenson’s Blog
Reading After Sunset
Writer’s World by Thomas Berryman
Interviews with the Women at The Pub
Watty Award Interviews for Round One 2012
Writing’s What I Do by Hayley de Koker
Videos
My YouTube channel
Nightmares of Caitlin Lockyer (ebook release date 30 July 2013):
Official Book Trailer
Ocean’s Gift:
Official Book Trailer
Sirena’s Storm
Ute Tribute
Deep Change
Best Fishing of Your Life
Our Cursed Island Home
Cursed with Murder, Mutiny and Lust
Sirens and Sharks
Rats! Welcome to Rat Island
Character Profile: Joe Fisher
Ocean’s Infiltrator:
Official Book Trailer
The Battle of Cocos
Sirens and Sharks
Water and Fire (Release date 1 August 2013):
The World’s Sexiest Tree
Official Book Trailer
Sneak Peek – Part 1 Reading
Reviews
Bodice Rippers, Femme Fatales and Fantasy
Drue’s Random Chatter
Tome Tender
Once Upon a Coffin
Reading After Sunset
D.C. Sharples
Chick Lit Pad
Book Lover’s Cozy Cafe
Guest Posts and Articles
Dark Dimensions
Anything else of interest
Cover Reveal for Water and Fire:
Book Lover’s Cozy Cafe
July 20, 2013
Kamikaze Kangaroos, Water and Fire
No other animal has a death-wish quite like a kamikaze kangaroo. – Water and Fire
A sneak peek of Water and Fire, Demelza Carlton’s latest book – the first chapter, as read by Demelza.
Release date for Water and Fire is 1 August 2013.
Working as a student midwife in an Australian country hospital is never easy, but Belinda finds more trouble than most.
There’s the intern doctor who follows her around like an overgrown puppy, the dangerous local wildlife and her own secrets she must keep.
When she finds herself without a place to live, what else can possibly go wrong?
Or is it time for something to go right?
July 18, 2013
July 13, 2013
Nightmares are about to become real…
As real as any book can be, of course.
Nightmares of Caitlin Lockyer – which has more than 850,000 reads to date on Wattpad – will be published on 30 July 2013.
There are real monsters out there. The worst part is that they’re human.
“Name?”
“Nathan Miller.”
“What happened?”
“I was shot.”
“Her name?”
“Caitlin Lockyer.”
“What happened to her?”
“Looks like someone tried to kill her.”
Nathan found a girl lying on a beach covered in blood. Saving her life was just the start. Now he’s the prime suspect and he has to find out who’s really responsible. Both of their lives depend on it.
Who hurt her?
Why was he shot?
What did he promise?
Why doesn’t his story add up?
Who was the dead man on the beach?
What will she remember when she wakes up?
Nightmares will be released on 30 July 2013.
Water and Fire – Seven #SexySnippets
“How can an extinct creature break a man’s leg?”
“If the beast’s out there, it could be hunting my place at night, and it’s just me out there.”
“I’d keep you warm, Belinda,” he replied instantly, the sound of longing in his voice.
“Have you never seen a man with hair on his chest before?”
“Back home in Ireland, it’s supposed to be good luck to rub a man’s red hair, like a leprechaun.”
“I may be a bad doctor, but I’m bloody good at anatomy. Are you willing to let me get my hands on yours?”
Seven sentences from Water and Fire (release date 1 August 2013) for The Nuthouse Scribblers Sexy Snippets.
July 7, 2013
Excuses, Excuses…for Playing with New Toys
Ocean’s Gift – Now Available Through Apple, Barnes and Noble, Amazon and Sony
Okay, yes Ocean’s Gift is available from all those new channels, with thanks to Smashwords.
Actually, it was just an excuse to update my official book trailer and play with my newest toys – Moviemaker and a Samson Meteor Microphone.
So, my first ever trailer video has now had a makeover, with the audio re-recorded and the graphics smoothed out into a proper movie…take a look and let me know what you think:
July 6, 2013
Official Book Trailer – Water and Fire
Whales, whisky and love – what’s not to like in this story?
An Irish whisky connoisseur…a persistent doctor intern…a student midwife with secrets…wildlife that won’t leave her alone…the Return of the Rainbow Lasagne…a naughty nurse trying to turn a profit…mysterious sightings of an extinct predator…and a bottle of Limeburner’s Cask Barrel Strength Whisky.
The official book trailer was filmed on location in Albany, Western Australia and features both LV Lloyd’s possum and music from the lovely Julia Henning.
You’d like me to stop talking about it and show you the bloody video? Sure, mate 
Did I mention I had a lot of fun creating this one?
Right. Right.
