Cathrina Constantine's Blog, page 38

#CelebrateTheSmallThings

Hop over to Lexa Cain to join in this fun weekly Celebration. Lexa's wonderful co-hosts are:


L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge
Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog
I love this time of year!!! The beauty of the changing landscape and crisp breezes. And, I like the musky fragrance of decaying leaves. 
We have a Cider Mill around the corner, and I'm graced with wafting apples and sweet fry cake donuts. 
Next week, my new book is being released. If anyone would like to put my cover and blurb on their blogs, please comment with your email or message me and I'll gladly send you the info. I'd be forever grateful and willing to return the favor!!! My email: cathrinaconstantine@gmail.com
If you're on FB, join in my Release Party to Win Prizes on October 25th. Between 3-4 EST. If you can't make that time, the comments will be left open until Oct. 29th when the winners will be picked. https://www.facebook.com/events/1717839301760808/

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!!

**MAYHEM IN THE AIR** #Specfic #Supernatural

I'm Honored to be among this Fabulous group 
of Author's. 
Untethered Realms has collected a series of 
Speculative Fiction Stories for this Awesome 
Anthology!!! 
****Coming Soon**** From Amazon bestselling and popular science fiction and fantasy authors comes Mayhem in the Air, a supernatural anthology of ten thrilling tales. Meet hot robots, hungry winds and the goddess of chaos. Explore alien planets, purgatorial realms, and a shocking place where people bury the living with their dead. Mayhem in the Air is the second, long-awaited story collection from the dynamic and inventive Untethered Realms group. 

Now Meet the Author's and their stories:

A Strange Penitence by Catherine Stine - A young artist pays a supernatural price when a drawing trip to North Carolina turns deadly.
Mass Transit by Graeme Ing - For Emily, mind over matter is not just a saying, but the gateway to her career among the largest starships built by man.
A Tangled Weave by River Fairchild - A TimePulse rips through the Great Tapestry of Life, leaving Earth’s history in a jumble, and Death and Chronos in a race to save the world yet again.
Corrosive by M. Pax - In a world ruined by pollutants, Bex sets off to establish a new homestead with her dreamy robotic man. Already farming her plot of land is another dreamy man with radical ideas, presenting new challenges as corrosive as the air.
Saving Scrooge: A Short Story Prequel to the Saving Marley Series by Gwen Gardner - Marley is sent from purgatory to save the soul of his old friend. Can he save his own in the bargain?
The Silent Wind by Christine Rains - A team of specialists must dispel a mysterious storm on an alien planet to prepare it for colonization. One by one the crew disappears until only a seasoned soldier remains. How can he battle a hungry wind that makes no noise?
Paper Lanterns by Cherie Reich: In order to keep his promise to his daughter, Mayor Alfred Merry must betray the woman he loves.
Chaos. Hope. Love. by Misha Gerrick - Although Eris is the goddess of chaos, her life has fallen into a nice and comfortable routine. Until someone from her past shows up in her bookstore.
Cardinal Sin by Julie Flanders: Beleaguered hospital workers bury the living with the dead in the midst of a tuberculosis epidemic and a seething spirit vows vengeance from the skies.
The Ark by Cathrina Constantine -Plagued with memory flashes of fiery explosions and running for her life, Fallon emerges from a drugged stupor to find herself in an airborne Ark, and the earth below is a drowning wasteland.

You can add it to your growing TBR list on Goodreads: Here.

#Paranormal #Horror #FrightBlogHop

http://clarissajohal.blogspot.com/2015/08/sign-ups-are-open-2015-october-frights.html


This is a silly little story I whipped up for the Hop:

Shadows creep over Craggmire Road as I inhale the crisp fragrance of autumn, and peddle faster to catch up to Peter. “C’mon, slow down already.”
“It’s getting dark,” he says over his shoulder.
“So,” I say through a chuckle. “You turn into a werewolf or something.” He scowls as I parallel his ten-speed.
“This road freaks me out,” he says.
“Oh. My. God.” I laugh out loud throwing my head back, and put on the brakes. “You believe the rumors, don’t you? Are you pissing your pants because you’re so scared right now?” I straddle my bike seat, toes balancing on the road. “Being new in town is rough. The kids at school are just yanking your chain.”
Peter presses back on the gears of his bike. His rubber tires fishtail leaving a black line on the road. He turns to look at me, but a shadow swallows him. I couldn’t quite make out his eyes as he chases fingers into his windblown hair. “C’mere, I’ll show you how scared I am,” his voice drips with sarcasm.
I’d known Peter for approximately two days, and eighteen hours, and he's adorable. There's something...different about him. I could eat him up. I angle my bike on the road and start to walk. Trees seclude Craggmire road, and cars hardly ever pass through to the dead end, unless they're visiting St. John’s Graveyard. Which is rare since no one’s been buried there in ages. It’s reputation for ghost citing’s is its claimed afame. And since Halloween is tomorrow, I figured Peter might like to indulge in a little spookiest.

My sneakers crunch over decaying leaves giving off their musky scent. Just to freak him out, I paint a scared look on my face and point toward the dilapidated wrought-iron gates. He jerks and spins around and I can’t contain my snickering.
“Real funny.” He sounds droll, and starts to run after me, growling.
“Haahaahhaaa…” I sidestep his open arms and run to the entrance of the graveyard. Rusty chain-links with an attached lock had been snipped years ago, yet the gate seems frozen in place. I wedge my slim frame through, and ran amid the mutinous weedy grass. Hearing strange grunting, I peek over my shoulder. Peter's having a hard time squeezing through the gates. He's a big boy for being only fifteen, and that’s what I like about him.

I lope to a very familiar headstone and wait.
“Gotcha!” He wraps his arms around me, but lets go when I didn’t struggle. “Why’d you stop here? A relative or something?”
“Look.” I gesture to the grave marker. It’s carvings deteriorating and faded with time.
“Bessie Climber,” he read aloud. “Born 1791 and died 1805. Man, this place is old.” He irons his hand along the thigh of his jeans, and turns. “Look at that one over there.”
“Peter Cushing,” I read. “Born 1845. It doesn’t say when he died.”
“That’s because I never died. Not really.” Moonbeams rain down on him. He smiles, a big open-mouthed grin. Incisors seem to expand into pointed fangs.
Cackling, I hold my arms out to hail the full moon. Suddenly, I morph into my shaggy werewolf self. “Hey, Peter. Let’s get this party started.”

“Hi, Bessie.”
Silly, wasn't it. I hope y'all are enjoying this Frightening Blog Hop!!!

Visit more Spooky, Paranormal, and Horror Authors:

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#IWSG #2015OctoberFrightBlogHop

http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html
Join Alex J. Cavanaugh and a multitude of writer's in this monthly hop to help support one another!

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!


The IWSG Anthology Contest is open until November 1. For details – http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/2015/09/iwsg-post-day-and-special-anniversary.htmlYou MUST post for either October or September to be considered for the anthology!Our co-hosts for October are:TB Markinson https://tbmarkinson.wordpress.com/   Tamara Narayan  http://www.tamaranarayan.com/    Eva E. Solar   http://lilicasplace.com/   Shannon Lawrence   http://thewarriormuse.blogspot.com/   Stephanie Faris  http://stephie5741.blogspot.com/   

After re-editing my books, I still find imperfections. Even after another editor reads over the manuscript, typos and missed little words drive me crazy.

Sometimes I can rewrite a paragraph and a sentence so many different ways, hoping to find what makes me happy. When do you say enough is enough?

I know we've been through this before, but this problem still plagues me. 
Some day I'll LET IT GO~~~~~



Come Back Tomorrow for more Frights~~~~



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#PrahConstantineBaryehReviews #fantasy #fairy

For Our October Review, the team picked 
The Masquerade an Alter & a Fairy 
by Kristine D. Van Risseghem



Frustrated with her extravagant duties as a Summer fairy, 

Sidelle Amistad is desperate to prove she can be more than a 

petty princess. The accidental capture of Winter fairy, 

Finnegan, looks like the ideal opportunity—until Sidelle and 

Finnegan fall in love.

Knowing her love for Finnegan is forbidden, a heartbroken 

Sidelle searches for deeper meaning in her eternal existence. 

Her pain leads her on a quest to help the humans … in a 

desperate fight against Hell itself.

Amazon Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Masquerade-Altar-Fairy-Enlighten-Novella-ebook/dp/B00YPWD9SO/ref=sr_1_1_twi_kin_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1443275711&sr=8-1&keywords=the+masquerade+an+altar+%26+a+fairy

Cathrina's Review

I was hooked by this mythical fantasy in the first few pages. Wrapped up in a land where fairies and other fantastical creatures dwelled was quite an entertaining story. When the summer fairy Sidelle, meets the Winter Prince, Finnegan, sparks didn't happen to fly right away. It was a long friendship which ripened over many seasons and then grew to a great love. But a forbidden love. 

Then the Author, Ms. Risseghem takes our main character Sidelle on a time travel through centuries with humans. And the reader gets a history lesson and, the immortal, Sidelle begins her battle against evil. 

I must say, as I was reading, I kept waiting for Finnegan to make an exciting appearance, but I believe Kristin D. Van Risseghem has another tale up her sleeve.... 


Now Hop Over to Nana Prah and Empi Baryeh
to read their reviews! 

COME BACK TOMORROW FOR MORE: 



Visit more Spooky, Paranormal, and Horror Authors:

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#OctoberFrights #Horror #Paranormal #Spooky

ARE YOU HAVING SPOOKY FUN YET?


http://clarissajohal.blogspot.com/2015/08/sign-ups-are-open-2015-october-frights.html


Cathrina's Flash Fiction Story: (this is a revised oldie) After a romp in the woods with the dogs, the irritating itch began. I was literally going out of my mind. I’d definitely trespassed into a toxic bush or plant of some sort. 
Oppressive, prickly pain scraped into my bones. And my flesh tingled beneath the surface like a million skittering spiders. I scratched, and scratched, and scratched. My fingernails raked my skin raw. I looked like a victim of abuse, and felt like one.

Since I resembled a bloated red leper, work was out of the question. Slathering anti-itch lotions and soaking in the tub only magnified the condition. All over my body, I detected erupting, tiny bumps. It appeared like an allergic reaction.             Suddenly, the obnoxious sting became unbearable. My ballooning body felt like it was going to explode. Like a quivering lunatic, I clutched my cell phone and keyed in 911. One mound on my arm gaped open and out crawled what looked like a bug. A bug with wings. 
My stomach lurched threateningly, and I swatted at the thing while running to the bathroom. As the intense pain shattered my brain a scream lodged in my throat. Hunched over the commode, an army of arcane insects ripped my skin apart and flit about the tiny room. The ubiquitous throb somewhat subsided. My flesh was a pin-pricked cushion of bloody holes.            I dragged in a choppy, whimpering breath. 
Ominous buzzing fed my ears. The walls were no longer peach colored, they were black and undulating. With swarms of bizarre winged insects, the room vibrated. Like ravenous cannibals, they began to devour one another, expanding in size. 
Horrified! Run—Run!
I jerked, ready to bolt. The buzzing melted to a low hum. My eyes cut around the room, the insects noticed my presence. 
I froze.
The last thing I heard ~ the bombardment of whirring winged insects. 
And my screams.



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Visit more Spooky, Paranormal, and Horror Authors:

#2015OctoberFrightsBlogHop #Paranormal #Horror #Authors

http://clarissajohal.blogspot.com/2015/08/sign-ups-are-open-2015-october-frights.html

The Opening Poem for Wickedly They Come 
Re-Released on December 19, 2015
WICKEDLY THEY COME
 Eyes like embers burn into my soulAs gnarled fingers stretch to sow seeds of terrorWeaving a realm of pandemonium
Nightmares pour poison upon sleep’s tangled webAnd on and on the vision’s dance:
I saw the world blind and hollowFloating in the void of spaceFeeding upon the vapors of someTranslucent suspended beast
Disjointed bodies then did appearSprinkling death and devouring lifeCoaxing earth into silent slumber
Blazing eyes again emergedRed brightness true to hellish fireFixed upon my wandering eye
Flames burst upon the sceneWild and wily, leaving not one piece to fix upon
Except for those eyes of ember…


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#CelebrateTheSmallThings #FrightBlogHop

Hop over to Lexa Cain to join in this fun weekly Celebration. Lexa's wonderful co-hosts are:
L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge
Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog

I actually was able to get down 2k on my wip. It's the same manuscript that's been sitting around for months while I've been re-editing my other books for their re-release. It took me a while to get back into the storyline, and I'm still having trouble. But I hope my characters will stop being mad at me and get moving....
My New Release: Snow On Cinders comes out on October 24th. If any of my fellow bloggers would like to have me as a guest, even just to post my book cover, blurb and buy link after the 24th, I'd be very grateful. Just send me a message or make a comment below.

COME BACK TOMORROW FOR MORE:



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#2015OctoberFrights #Paranormal #HorrorAuthors #BlogTour

Welcome to Day 1 of the October Frights Blog Hop!Many Marvelous Author's will be tickling your scary bone over the next 10 days.We're getting you Ready for Halloween!

http://clarissajohal.blogspot.com/2015/08/sign-ups-are-open-2015-october-frights.html


First on today's docket is: A Snippet from  SNOW ON  CINDERS: 
A gritty dystopian/action-adventure  novel  where monsters prowl in the wilderness.
“Run faster.” Knox shoved his younger sister’s shoulder, jarring her forward. 
“I can’t,” Swan panted, chasing past a tree trunk. “We can’t outrun them.”

“We’re dead if we don’t.” Eleven-year-old Fabal sprinted past Knox and Swan, his curls blowing in the wind. “This way. Follow me. There’s a tree we can climb.” 
“Hurry,” Knox wheezed, and glanced over his shoulder. “They’re gaining on us.” 
A hair-raising howl slipped through the woodlands along with heavy scampering, crackling of twigs and deep-seated growls fed the children’s ears.

RELEASE DATE: October 24, 2015

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Demon in the Basement / Simulation/ Lead Me Into Danger

Thirty-two stories, including a novelette by the same title, to keep you awake at night.A time-traveling Chevy, an ancient church of evil, a house possessed by black magic. Stories to fill you with dread, draw you into places you’d rather not go, smack you in the face with ironic possibilities.Meet the monsters of myth, the creatures that lurk under your bed, the phantoms you thought didn’t exist. Travel to the real Atlantis, strap in for the Bermuda Triangle. Terror lurks in the ocean, while an asteroid hides a secret.Leave a nightlight on before you go to sleep. Something’s coming for you.Where to buy: Amazon / Barnes&Noble / Smashwords / other links
SIMULATION
by Tara Tyler
Release Date: Sept 14, 2015

In 2082, androids are essential, but some are too real. Clone android simulations are illegal and Cooper is on a case to find out who's making them. He has to work fast when his ex-girlfriend tries to kill him, but it must be a simulation, right?
SIMULATION delivers more technology, more intense action, more humor, and more engaging new characters. Come along for the ride.

Available Now!Amazon ~~ Barnes & Noble Goodreads giveaway!

Release Day October 1st
A journalist, a jewel thief, and a Russian spy…when their paths cross, it’s murder. 

Journalist Emmeline Kirby hasn’t laid eyes on her former lover Gregory Longdon, a jewel thief, in two years. But she literally tumbles into his arms, after she witnesses two men attempt to murder her friend and fellow journalist, Charles Latimer, in Venice. 

When Charles is ultimately killed, Emmeline is determined to bring his murderer to justice. But as she and Gregory delve deeper, they become ensnared in a hunt for a Russian spy in the British Foreign Office, who has his sights set on keeping his identity a secret at all costs—as Charles found out too late.
Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Lead-into-Danger-Daniella-Bernett-ebook/dp/B015NBRXAA/ref=sr_1_1_twi_kin_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443529708&sr=8-1&keywords=lead+me+into+danger+daniella+bernett