HOLD TIGHT is being featured on Free Book Friday, and there's three paperback copies up for grabs. Click here to enter.
The giveaway ends this week, so hurry!
Don't want to wait? You can get Hold Tight on your eReader for only $2.99.
Monday, December 9, 2013
Free Books and More: Miscellaneous News
HOLD TIGHT is being featured on Free Book Friday, and there's three paperback copies up for grabs. Click here to enter.
The giveaway ends this week, so hurry!
Friday, December 6, 2013
Spotlight: Claudette Marco, author of Satchel & Sword I
With me today is Claudette Marco,
author of Satchel & Sword I: The
search for the Saluka Stone. Before we get to the interview, let's learn a little more about this exciting new book:
SATCHEL & SWORD I (The Search for the Saluka Stone)
by Claudette Marco
Synopsis:
In the land of time and
Queens, one young woman sought not greed, but justice!
Satchel & Sword I:
The Search for The Saluka Stone is part one of a Young Adult Epic Fantasy
trilogy chronicling the struggles and perseverance of Nevaline Scarcliff, a
15-year-old foot soldier living in the militarist, matriarchal territory of
Amazonia. The greedy Amazonian Queen forces her army to march north to fight
against Amazonia's rival territory: Hychester. They must march through the
bewitched Blackbern Forest in order to conceal their attack. There, Nevaline
and her best friend Cairine wield their Claymores in perilous battles against
mercenaries, thieving Harpies, giant, human-eating Pophagi, enemy soldiers, and
a group of malevolent sorcerers called the Sables. Nevaline also discovers her
true destiny: she must destroy Micdian, the God of Verahain (Purgatory), who
descended to earth to enslave all in the continent of Kordalis and the northern
islands of the Caátlach Ocean. She must retrieve the Saluka Stone and use it to
awaken him and destroy him. Will she recover the Saluka Stone? Will she claim
justice and destroy Micdian?
Want to read more? Kindle price $0.99/£0.77!! Amazon .com | Amazon .co.uk
Please help me welcome Claudette!
Cherie: Tell us about your
novel, Satchel & Sword I: The Search
for the Saluka Stone in your own words.
Claudette: The struggles of a teenaged girl in a time of societal
unrest and the will to never surrender hope for a better future… This is the
story Nevaline Scarcliff, a 15-year-old foot-soldier living in the militarist,
matriarchal territory of Amazonia. Her
mother died at childbirth and, at eight years old, her father disappears and
she is taken into the custody of the Amazonian government. She is placed into
the United Warriors Training Camp. After much anger and frustration, she
accepts her lot in life as a soldier, training arduously physically and with
the sword, her Amazonia-issued Claymore sword, because if she does not, it
means her death on the battlefield. But she accepts this because she has been
taught patience and shown love by her Mythics teacher Master Sjhong, whom she
also loves and admires as much as her own father.
The greedy Queen of Amazonia declares war on Hychester, a territory to
the distant north and orders her army to march through the bewitched Blackbern
Forest to conceal their attack. But, much to Nevaline’s surprise, her path
would veer away from the army.
Cherie: Sounds intriguing. Can
you tell us a little about your writing process?
Claudette: I have spent my whole life looking for a career that would
best fit my interests and abilities. When I found writing, it felt like two
gears clicking perfectly into each other. When I started, the story just flowed
out of me. I wrote close to 2000 words a day while working. What I enjoyed most
in life was writing the college research essay. So I kept those habits when
writing S&S like keeping a notebook for my notes about the story and
characters, researching aspects of the Scottish, Mexica, and Mongolian culture
which I include as details in the backdrop of the story, and I even drew a map
to give the readers a guide for the story.
Cherie: Where did you get the
idea for your novel?
Claudette: I was always fascinated by the idea of the Amazon, the
female-led government. What would it be like? Who would run it? How would it be
administered? Also, I wrote this book during a rough time in my life, and I
wanted others to feel empowered by this story, as much as it made me feel at
peace with myself and gave me confidence to actually be myself. So, I wanted
the message to be that the underdog has hope, one must never give up in their
dreams of getting out of a bad situation, or their dreams of achieving
something when the future looks like a never ending plateau. I was starting my
life from scratch, just finding the career I love doing, so I wanted my main
character to be someone just starting out their life as well, and what better
person than a teenager. Teenagers have already had schooling, a taste of what
life is going to be like when it comes to dealing with rules, improvisation, and
formulating goals for themselves. So everything fit.
Cherie: That’s a great message.
What was your favorite or most difficult chapter to write?
Claudette: My favorite and, also, most difficult parts to write were
not so much chapters but the characters. I spent a lot of time honing what they
were going to say, how they were going to react to situations. I needed them to
be true to their personality and upbringing, and their actions had to reflect
that. For example, Master Sjhong and Farjon are distinct characters that needed
an added touch which, I must say, was an exhilarating process for me. I loved
this.
Cherie: Can you share with us
something about you that we may not already know?
Claudette: I have spent much time trying careers that were not meant
for me and I kept trying to make them work because I was afraid of failing.
Failure has a pejorative meaning to it which leads people down wrong paths in
life, or, something which can be worse, keeps people from living to their full
potential. It did both for me, but I kept fighting back, and I learned not to
take failure as a strike against me in life. I learned what I can and cannot
do. Failure can actually lead to fulfillment, you just have to go for it.
Cherie: So true! What are you
working on now?
Claudette: Right now I am working on publishing this trilogy, the
second book will come out March 4th 2014, my 34th birthday,
and the third I have not decided yet when. I have started the next book which
is a Sci-fi adventure.
Cherie: Now that we know about
your book and you as a writer, I have some fun questions for you. Try to answer
in five words or less:
Favorite color? Red.
Secret crush? (It can be anyone
real or fictional.) Not really a secret, but
it always will be Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Do you believe in love at first
sight? Yes, but likes and dislikes must
click as well.
Have
you ever experienced that head-over-heels, tingly, have-to-get-to-know-someone
feeling yourself? The first time I saw Stone Cold Steve Austin on television!
Who are you drawn to the good
guy or the bad guy? Both. I love exploring
both in my writing.
If you had all the money and
time in the world, where would your dream vacation be? Smoo Cave in northern Scotland.
Are you a morning person or an
evening person? A little of both.
Favorite author? Agatha Christie
Favorite movie or television
show? The Lord of the Rings/Xena: Warrior
Princess
Guilty pleasures that get you
through the writing/revising process? Never did get to enjoy myself fully in the
careers I tried. With writing, I get to indulge in my fulfillment.
Favorite place to write? In front of a
window with a view of plants, nature.
Who is your mentor (or hero)? My parents Jose and Virginia Marco, and various teachers
I have had in school like Sister Terese, Sister Christine Beach, my advisor in
high school Mr. Marcus Lewis, my advisor in college Prof. Michael Mcbride, and countless other
teachers.
What book are you the most
excited to read? I look forward to anything
fantasy/sci-fi. But I like re-reading books more than once like any of Agatha
Christie’s Hercule Poirot mysteries and Isaac Asimov. One book I really liked
was Hyperion by Dan Simmons.
Are there any types of books
you don’t read? I read a little bit of
everything, except erotica. The bulk of my interests are in fantasy, sci-fi,
and mysteries, but I also love reading horror, experimental, and even westerns
too.
Thanks so much for being here
today!
Author Bio:
Claudette Marco,
scrivener of poetry and short stories since she was a child, earned a B.A.
degree from Whittier College, soul budding in world wild. After many years of
toil, soul searching for relief, she finally reclaimed path towards labor
complete: writing. Home locates in Covina, CA.
Connect with Claudette
Instagram: @Telekorn | LinkedIn: Claudette Marco
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
IWSG: Setting Goals
The first Wednesday of the month is here, which means it's time for IWSG. If you're not familiar with this meme, it was started by Alex Cavanaugh. It's a group of writers who share their insecurities, encouraging words, and support with each other and our followers. If you'd like to join us, great! Click here for more information.
I've always been goal orientated. I also like to create to-do lists. Both of these things help me stay on task. By setting goals, I have a target to aim for and, because I like a challenge, I find a way to hit it. To-do lists help me keep track of the things I need to get done. Because I hate to have items looming over me, I tend to finish my lists quickly. These two tactics have always helped me accomplish what I have to do as well as what I'd like to do, so when work on my current project came to a halt I decided to use NaNo as a way to kick my butt back into gear.
Last month I set a goal to write 50,000-words by the end of the month. In a way, I accomplished this. I added 21,000-words to my latest WIP which put my total word count at 53.500-words. Mid-month I hit a road block. I had too many plot threads and a few details that really needed to be smoothed out and/or developed better before I could write the last few chapters. I decided to revise what I had so far. As of Sunday night, I revised 34,000-words. That included re-writing a few scenes, deleting the slow parts, adding more detail to what worked, killing one of the plot threads, and, best of all, discovering the missing link needed to add more suspense to the middle of the book. Not too bad for thirty days of writing. If I can keep up this pace I will have a completed draft of book three in my Embrace series done before the holidays.
If you're finding it hard to complete your projects, I highly recommend setting a goal or making a list. Let me know you're doing it and I'll be right there to cheer you on!
Happy writing, and happy holidays!
Friday, November 29, 2013
Black Friday Extravaganza with Four Chances to Win!
Kick start your holiday shopping with gift cards from your favorite authors! There are four $50 Amazon Gift Cards up for grabs and, as if that wasn't enough, on November 29th, hop over to the Facebook party and you just might win one of the many e-books being given away.
Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Friday, November 22, 2013
Feature Friday: Kelly from Kindle and Me
Welcome to Feature Friday. A meme dedicated to meeting the people behind the wonderful book blogs we love to follow.
Today I have Kelly from Kindle and Me here. If you haven't checked out this blog, you really should!
Cherie: How did you get started in blogging
about books?
Kindle and me: Kelly joined Anjana the
beginning of this year. Anjana has been blogging for several years.
Anjana ran an ad on the blog looking for help. So I, Kelly, replied. I do most
of the posts currently. Anjana is a busy beaver working and going to grad
school. She needs an Assistant. Anyone know of one??
Cherie: How did you come up with the name for your blog?
Kelly: Anjana got a new kindle and went with
that. Although she says it should have been Me and My Kindle.
Cherie: What’s your favorite part about blogging?
Kelly: Getting word out to others on all
that’s out there!! I also like it when someone wins a giveaway and you can feel
their excitement in their comments!
Cherie: And we appreciate it! Do you have any pet peeves that make
you want to put down the book your reading?
Kelly: Sex at the beginning of a book! Next up
are F bombs. I am not a fan, never was!
Cherie: What type of books do you enjoy?
Kelly: Give me a romance any day! I am a
fiction person, I want to escape reality.
Cherie: Me too! Do you mind books with similar ideas
to other books? Similar concepts, backgrounds, or retellings?
Kelly: Nope, not at all. I like reading the
different versions! I have read a lot of Pride and Prejudice retellings lately!
I own them all too!
Cherie: Do you like when your favorite books are made into movies, and why?
Kelly: I used to. But my mind plays it
differently than the directors mind. I like mine better.
Cherie: If you could choose to be any
character from a book, who would it be and why?
Kelly: I can’t think of her name and it is
only a side character anyway from The Vampire Academy but she is one of the
Dhampir Instructors at the academy who is still in great shape and kicks
butt. I always wanted to be her and still do. She is kicking butt in the
40 and 50’s!
Cherie: Okay, try to answer the next set of questions
in five words or less. If you start a book that isn’t grabbing your attention,
how far into the book will you read before you put it down? 40 pages or pure frustration
Secret crush? (He or she can be anyone real or fictional.) err, uh, my husband!
You're a lucky girl to have married your secret crush! Do you believe in love at first sight? It can happen, but rarely.
Have you ever experienced that head-over-heels, tingly, have-to-get-to-know-someone feeling yourself? Nope
Are you drawn to the good guy or the bad guy? good guy (Darn it)
Ha! That made me smile! What’s the first thing
you notice about a guy? His face
If you had all the money and time in the
world, where would your dream vacation be? New
Zealand
Are you a morning person or an evening person?
I work nights, nuff said!
Favorite author? I plead the 5th! TOO MANY
Favorite place to read? On the beach!
I’m jealous! There’s no beach near me. Favorite
classic? Pride and Prejudice by
Jane Austen
What book are you the most excited to read? Next I am waiting for Richelle Mead’s The Fiery Heart
Are there any types of books you don’t read? Not Erotica.
Do you have any hobbies? Reading, Reading and traveling
What book would make a great movie? Blackmoore A Proper Romance by Julianne Donaldson
What’s the worst cover to a book that you loved? Somewhere to Dream by Genevieve Graham
It’s your birthday, and your friends got you a giant cake. What character do you hope pops out of your cake and what book is he/her from? Dimitri from Vampire Academy
Kelly, thanks so much for being here today!
Connect with Kelly and Anjana from Kindle and
Me!
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