Back From the Future Blogfest

Thank you to Mary @ Wistful Nebula, Nicki @ Not-So-Deep Thoughts, and Suze @ Subliminal Coffee for setting up this blogfest. Here's the blurb so you know what it's all about:

You're up before dawn on a Saturday when the doorbell rings. You haven't brewed your coffee so you wonder if you imagined the sound. Plonking the half-filled carafe in the sink, you go to the front door and cautiously swing it open. No one there. As you cast your eyes to the ground, you see a parcel addressed to you ... from you.

You scoop it up and haul it inside, sensing something legitimate despite the extreme oddness of the situation. Carefully, you pry it open. Inside is a shoebox -- sent from ten years in the future -- and it's filled with items you have sent yourself.

What's in it?

I remove two trade paperbacks from the shoebox, and they are mine! Provex City and SUSY Asylum, but with new covers and a line across the top of each that reads: "New York Times Bestseller." On the back covers is a picture of myself that I've never seen before, but I don't look much older than I do now. I flip through the pages and scan familiar scenes. The words are definitely mine.

I turn to the first few pages to find the publisher and stop on a list of over fifteen books I've supposedly written. It would have been nice to get one of the books I haven't written yet to make my life a little easier, but I'm sure my future self already thought of that. Leave it to future Mike to be teaching present Mike a lesson in earning my own way. Damn you, future Mike! At least I don't have to fret about running out of ideas.  

My gaze drops to one more book in the shoebox. I set the other two books down and reach for my original Createspace proof of Provex City. I still have this book buried in my bookcase somewhere--a copy I never want to lose. It was the first book I had ever held in my hands with my name on it. With all of its imperfections, it symbolizes my transformation into an author. I open up the front cover and find a short inscription:

"Remember to always believe anything is possible."

I close the cover and know it to be true.

 <><><><>

Thank you for reading and be sure to check out the other awesome bloggers signed up for this blogfest!

Neumarian Uprising - Escapement Cover Reveal!

Neumarian Uprising

We need your help! Thanks to our spy, Ciara Knight, we are able to communicate with you today via blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other social media.

The Neumarian uprising has begun. We are fighting for freedom and equality for all, but we need your help. Ciara informed us that you might want to know more about the uprising and why we ask you to risk your lives for our cause. To answer these questions I’ve agreed to let Ciara tell my sister’s, Raeth’s, story about her captivity. It will be free for you on a site called Amazon until March 1, 2013. Our spies have told us this will help spread the word and find more recruits for our rebellion against the tyrannical queen. You can help by simply downloading a free copy of Weighted, a prequel to the Neumarian Chronicles. If you are intrigued and wish to follow our uprising, Escapement, book I of The Neumarian Chronicles, will be available for only $2.99 until March 1, 2013.

Escapement is told by Princess Semara. Don’t hold the fact Semara is a princess against her like I did, there is more to her than you can possibly imagine.

Here is a brief explanation of her telling of our uprising:

Ten years after the great war of 2185 the queen’s reign is threatened by uprisings and fear. In celebration of my sixteenth birthday it is my duty as princess to sacrifice a slave to be initiated into the ruling council, solidifying my mother’s empire. When my own erratic powers surface I’m captured and tried for treason. Slaves hate me, my mother wants me executed, and my only chance of survival rests in the hands of a young man, Ryder Arteres, whose sister I sentenced to death. 

What people are saying about Escapement:

“A heady mix of action adventure and steampunk -- leavened with a dash of romance -- ESCAPEMENT offers up its fair share of thrills, horrors and heart-pounding moments. A strong start to a captivating new series.”

-- Jana Oliver, author of The Demon Trapper's Daughter

“A riveting tale of justice, mercy, honor and love. Take a deep breath and hold on, because you'll be turning the pages of Escapement quickly. Three unlikely comrades, Princess Semara, Ryder, and his sister Raeth, embark on a journey that will alter their lives forever. The beautiful love story nestled into these action-packed scenes will make you sigh and remember why you love to love. After reading the prequel Weighted, I knew this story would be amazing, and it was. Ciara Knight truly has a gift for creating awesome worlds and characters you won't forget.”

--Lindi Peterson--Award winning author of Summer's Song.

“Betrayal, secrets, and a rebellion send readers on a grand adventure, caught in the plight to discover Semara’s gifts and purpose.”

--Alex J Cavanaugh, author of Amazon best sellers CassaStar and CassaFire

“The most unmissable series ever! I couldn't stop reading, the action and romance too breathtaking to break the spell!”

--ARC review by Sudah on Goodreads

"A courageous heart-stopping journey by young people to save their kind."

--Hildie McQueen, bestselling author of Where the Four Winds Collide

If you’d like to see a peak into our world, please view this short clip on You Tube.

If you are now ready to join our fight, please add Escapement to your TBR shelf on Goodreads here.

Shout out on all your social media sites, and tell everyone you know to stand up and fight.

           Be Bold.
                          Be Brave.
                                           Be Free.
                                                            In the name of the rebellion,
                                                            Ryder Arteres

Rafflecopter giveaway:
 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Escapement can be found at Amazon.

CassaStorm Cover Reveal!

Today is the official cover reveal for Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh's highly anticipated third novel, CassaStorm! And thank you to the Ninja Captain for allowing me to be party of this festive day. Without further ado, here is the striking cover and blurb. CassaStorm will be released on September 17th...and the countdown starts now.


A storm gathers across the galaxy…

Byron thought he’d put the days of battle behind him. Commanding the Cassan base on Tgren, his only struggles are occasional rogue pirate raids and endless government bureaucracies. As a galaxy-wide war encroaches upon the desert planet, Byron’s ideal life is threatened and he’s caught between the Tgrens and the Cassans.

After enemy ships attack the desert planet, Byron discovers another battle within his own family. The declaration of war between all ten races triggers nightmares in his son, shaking Bassan to the core and threatening to destroy the boy’s mind.

Meanwhile the ancient alien ship is transmitting a code that might signal the end of all life in the galaxy. And the mysterious probe that almost destroyed Tgren twenty years ago could be on its way back. As his world begins to crumble, Byron suspects a connection. The storm is about to break, and Byron is caught in the middle…

Release date: September 17, 2013
Science Fiction - Space Opera/Adventure
Print ISBN 9781939844002
E-book ISBN 9781939844019

And click on the covers below to check out the first two books the series...

   

YA Paranormal Hop Giveaway!

February 21st to 27th
Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & YA Between the Lines

Thank you for stopping by and checking out my giveaway! I'm so excited for the opportunity to participate in this blog hop and offer a lucky winner one of the fantastic YA paranormal books listed below.

On to the books...

Evie's always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she's falling for a shape-shifter, and she's the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours.

But Evie's about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.
~Go to the entire Goodreads description of Paranormalcy by Kiersten White




When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy...
~Go to the entire Goodreads description of City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Romance was not part of Nora Grey's plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how hard her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch comes along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Patch draws Nora to him against her better judgment...
~Go to the entire Goodreads description of Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever...

~Go to the entire Goodreads description of Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl







Here are the official rules/guidelines for the giveaway:

1. You must be a follower of this blog. Just click the Join this Site box below "Followers" on the sidebar.
2. You can gain extra entries by following me on Goodreads, Twitter,"liking" my Facebook fan page, tweeting about this giveaway, or leaving a comment below.
3. This is open to international followers. (Only if The Book Depository ships to your country; please check this link to see if your country's included.)
4. This contest runs from February 21 - 27.
5. The winner will be selected on February 28th via Rafflecopter random selection and announced in this post. You will have 48 hours to respond or I will draw another winner. 

***As the winner, if you are just dying to get another YA book, then you may substitute one of the books listed above for another of similar value from The Book Depository***

Thanks Again & Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Also, make sure to check out the other blogs participating in this Giveaway Hop, too!

Level Up! Blogfest

Thank you to Allison @ Geek Banter and Jamie @ Mithril Wisdom for hosting this blogfest! The game I've chosen is Donkey Kong Country for the Super Nintendo. When I finally upgraded from the NES to the SNES in 1995, one of the first games I bought was Donkey Kong Country. It was the first game I'd ever played that had really cool looking 3D graphics. It felt way ahead of the other games out there at the time and I was hooked immediately. And as you may already know, I love music, and I was blown away by the soundtrack to this game. Its ethereal, trance-like music, coupled with the state of the art graphics, made for a gaming experience that transported me into another world. Donkey Kong Country is a game I'll always remember, and the music in the clip below really takes me back.

Another item related to gaming that deserves a spot in this post is a fantastic book I read last year about the ultimate gaming experience, a virtual reality role-playing game, titled Ready Player One. It is a dystopian novel about the most elaborate Easter egg hunt through a virtual utopia. If you're interested in video games, role playing games, 1980s pop culture, with a sprinkling of romance, then you'll love Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.

Be sure to check out the other awesome bloggers participating in this blogfest. Thanks, Allison and Jamie!

IWSG Wednsday: Typos

Happy first Insecure Writer's Support Group Wednesday for 2013. Thank you again to Alex J. Cavanaugh, the creator of the group. The first Wednesday of every month is dedicated to this group of supportive writers. If it's something you're not familiar with, then please click on Alex's link above for more information and to sign up!

As I finish my final edits for SUSY Asylum (finally in the home stretch!), I'm preparing for a re-release of Provex City. I've already compiled a list of corrections and small edits for a 2nd Edition of my debut novel. I know I'll never find every typo and mistake, but it drives me crazy every time I come across one. I want to make it as good as I can, knowing I can't reach perfect...but I can strive for it.

One of the reviews I received during my blog tour, though it was a good review, mentioned that self published books typically need more editing and general cleaning up, but it wasn't a big problem with Provex City. My tunnel vision zeroed in on the word "big." So it wasn't a big problem, but it was a problem--it was noticeable enough to warrant mentioning. I know I shouldn't read that much into word choice and the reviewer probably meant the comment as a compliment. And then I found a typo in one of the excerpts I gave to a blogger for another stop in the tour. I was furious when I read it. I had just cut and pasted from the Word document I'd submitted to Createspace--so if the typo was in the excerpt, then it was also in the book. I went and found it right away. Damnit!

Again, I know I won't find all of the mistakes, but I can correct the ones I've found, and that makes the extra work worth it. And I can refocus my obsessive tendencies on the next project, and finally start writing again. Hopefully, next month I will be able to say I am somewhere into Book 3, bringing new adventures to life.

How was your January? How is your year shaping up? As always, thank you for reading!

(Wednesday)

The "Overcoming Adversity" Bloghop

This bloghop was organized by Nick Wilford @ Scattergun Scribblings. The entries will be compiled into an anthology to help raise money for his son to attend a specialist college. Please visit Nick's blog and check out the other entries in the bloghop.Thank you for reading.

Flight

Two men in uniform lifted me from my wheelchair and gently placed me onto one of four bucket seats in the passenger area, buckling me in securely. The other passengers were already in their chairs, with palpable excitement reverberating off the walls of the cabin. We were all winners, chosen for a very special flight. I looked out the window at the launch pad, hardly able to believe I should be among them.

The captain’s voice came over the loudspeaker, welcoming us to Utopia. The engines kicked on and the whole ship pivoted upward, pushing me back in my seat. The launch pad was nearly gone, enveloped by thick smoke and sparks from the rockets. A teenage girl strapped into the seat across from me looked over, grinning widely with a mouth full of white braces. I couldn’t help but to smile back.

3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . .

My hands shook as the rocket left the ground behind—and with it, all I’d been through since the accident, all the things the doctors said I’d never do again, and all the walls that had been thrown up around me. When the smoke cleared, the launch pad, the station, and the city were all within a circle no larger than a dime dropped in the grass. And then it was gone, swallowed up by the whole Earth as we left her behind, too.

Clouds swirled over the continents. City lights illuminated the side hiding from the sun. And we could see it all in one panoramic view. The sun smoldered in the nexus of the solar system, and the moon peeked shyly from behind its mother’s protective stance. A vast blanket of planets, stars, and galaxies stretched out forever, reaching for Heaven itself.

The captain announced we had reached our cruising altitude and we were free to move about the cabin. Everyone but me clapped and cheered. I had no idea where my wheelchair had been stored during the flight. I’d have to wait to be helped out of my—

The girl across from me hastily unbuckled herself and squealed as her chubby body floated out of her chair. The other two passengers also rose from their chairs and found themselves swimming through the air, flipping and twirling, dancing and laughing with gaiety I never believed I’d feel again.

I fumbled with my buckles, impatient to be released from the confines of my chair. The girl with braces glided by and extended her hand to me. I took it without question, and her momentum pulled me effortlessly from my chair. As soon as I was up, she let go of my hand; and I found myself soaring throughout the cabin with the other passengers—the other special winners. I reached the window with surprising ease and gazed out at the celestial perfection. The doctors said I’d probably never walk again, but they never said anything about flying. So I flew.