A Shout Out To Some Awesome Folks

It's Valentine's Day (puke) and I wanted to share the love and give a shout out to some very awesome people.

Samantha Redstreake Geary, and the Composers for Relief: Support the Philippines project that not only created an amazing music album, but also a companion ebook, Beyond the Binding that is now available: 

- Worldwide through Amazon

- Smashwords 

  
- Goodreads


(More links coming soon)

DL Hammons at Cruising Altitude will be celebrating his one year anniversary of the Blog Blitz team. Please check it out if you haven't already. The team blitzes random bloggers, and what better way to brighten someone else's day than to blast them with over 100 positive comments!

I also want to give a shout out to Roland Yeomans at Writing in the Crosshairs. Roland is a supportive blogger and prolific writer. He's written dozens of books that are fast paced, action packed, and wonderfully written. I love the imagery and imagination in his books that give Roland a writing style all his own. You can check out Roland's books on Amazon. 

Have a great day and a wonderful weekend everyone. 

As for me, I'll just be watching my back . . .

Savory Sunday: Beer, Books, and Flying Snake Women

Recently, I sampled a few local beers : Mélusine, Blanche Ecume, Love & Flowers, and Puy d’Enfer. Each had their own personality with eye-catching labels that made it feel like I was looking at book covers. Plus, the larger bottles (75cl) were corked a bit like champagne bottles which was fun.

Anyway, of the four I drank sampled, the one I preferred was Mélusine. It’s a dry beer with a 6.5% alcohol content and is the kind that tastes great on a hot summer day.

The second one I tasted was the Blanche Ecume. Despite its bronze medal win in Paris last year, the Blanche Ecume (4.2%) was just ok in my opinion. It was a little weaker in taste compared to Mélusine but not bad.

After that, I tasted Love & Flowers (4.2%). From the label alone, this beer certainly targets a more feminine palate. I was curious about this beer because on the back of the bottle it says it's flavoured with flower petals and hops. And indeed, it did have a subtle rose flower aroma to it. But, the taste doesn’t last in your mouth, and I like beers that tickle my tongue and linger in my mouth a bit. 

Then, I tried Puy d’Enfer that had the highest alcohol content, 8.5%. This one I did not like at all. Blaeeeah. It was really bitter with a strong taste of hops. It was like licking a thorn bush. The word ‘Enfer’ translates to Hell, so the label was aptly chosen. This beer did indeed taste like Hell. 

 ANYWAY, what was interesting about all these beers besides taste, is that they are made by the same brewery: Mélusine. And even MORE interesting, is in the European literary world, Mélusine (which rhymes with magazine) refers to a mythical creature described in many legends. There are different variations of Mélusine but she is usually depicted as a fairy, mystical female spirit or a kind of half-human half-serpent creature. 

The first literary version of Mélisine was written in the late 1300's by Jean d'Arras, a French poet and composer. The story basically tells the tale of a man named Raymond of Poitou (a real province in France) who meets a woman named Mélusine in a forest. He falls in love with her and asks her to marry him. She says yes, under one condition, he must never enter her chamber on a Saturday. He agrees and keeps his promise (for a while). They go on to have a family and their lives prosper, until the day he breaks his promise and sees her in her true form: part woman, part serpent. After that he calls her names, she turns into a dragon, and all hell breaks loose (I'm simplifying just a tad, can't you tell?)

Anyway a while back, friends of ours offered my kids a book about Mélusine. This children's version is called, The Fairy Mélusine talks about the region we live in.

In this book, poor Raymond meets beautiful Mélusine in the forest. She sees in him a good man and asks him to marry her. She tells him she has the power to make him a wealthy man under one condition, he must never disturb her in her chamber on Saturdays. He agrees.

Soon after they are married, she uses her power to create castles and churches throughout the region (all of which are real places that can be visited today.)

They live in a beautiful castle in a kingdom that prospers, have a large family, and everything is perfect until. . . curiosity gets the better of Raymond. 

One Saturday, he peeks through a hole in the door and sees Mélusine in her true form; part woman, part serpent.

Turns out, Mélusine is cursed and Raymond's betrayal condemns her to grow wings and leave the kingdom forever. 

Little by little, all the kingdoms she created fall into ruin.

Moral of this story is: 

Respect a woman's privacy else you lose all your shit. 

Cheers 

And Happy Sunday.

French Books Drive Me Crazy

On the left, you have a stack of English printed books. On the right, you have a stack of books printed in France. See anything that's COMPLETELY wrong with this picture, to the point you wish you could reach in and fix it? 

See it? 

Yes! It's the French books. The spines are printed upside down and it drives me bananas! I wish I could rip them off and stick them back on correctly. I don't know why they're printed like that, but I going to assume it has something to do with readability when stacked vertically on a bookshelf. Still, they drive me nuts. The only solution I've found is to stack French books upside down so the spines read properly and then top it off with an English printed book. Interestingly enough, I have a few mangas which are printed back to front, but they don't bother me at all. I think it's because I expected the back to front print when I bought them. 

Anyway, that's my stupid rant for today. I'm going to be MIA all of next week, the kids are on summer break and I'm taking them to visit family. 

Have a great weekend everyone, and may your worst problems be the print alignment of your book spines.

Christine's Odyssey and YA Giveaway!

I'm excited to have a special little lady over today to talk about her story and a fantastic opportunity to win a YA book pack of your choosing. How cool is that!?  Let me move over and let Christine give you the details. 

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Howdy. I’m glad you’ve stopped in. My name is Christine and although I’m only eleven, I’m what some adults might call precocious. A lot has happened in my life, some of it bad, but like my dad used to say, good things can result from the bad stuff that happens to us.

To help me celebrate overcoming my challenges, a great gang of authors have teamed up and will be giving away copies of their books. Sweet, yes?

For a chance to win a pair of the books listed, you can do anything included on the Rafflecopter below or on Facebook. However, for those who’d like to win a $10.00 Amazon Gift Voucher, hop on over to the Jamaican Kid Lit Blog to enter for that.

Anyway, I tend to talk a lot, so before I get carried away, here’s my story:

Raised in a hotbed of arguments and fights, eleven-year-old Christine Simms is the victim of her mother's cruelty. A domestic dispute ends in tragedy, sending the family into a tailspin. 

A shocking discovery sends Christine on a quest to find the stranger who left her behind in Jamaica. Determined to unravel the mystery of her birth, Christine uses every tool at her disposal and treads with courage where no child should.

Thanks so much for dropping in! I hope you win the novels of your choice. I should tell you that you get to choose books based on how the Rafflecopter does the drawing of the winners. So, if your name comes up first, you get to say which pack you want.

Available in ebook format at AmazonUS

J.L. Campbell is a proud Jamaican, who is always on the hunt for story-making material.

She writes romantic suspense, women's fiction and young adult novels. She is also the author of Contraband, Dissolution, Distraction, Don't Get Mad...Get Even, Giving up the Dream, Retribution and Hardware (written under the pen name Jayda McTyson).

Visit her on the web at http://www.joylcampbell.com

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I love book covers: Chemistry of Fate and Strength

I love cover art and getting a chance to see a book cover for the first time, it's kinda like receiving a gift.  And lately, there have been many books coming out with stunning covers to enjoy. Today, I've got two amazing covers to share with you. The first is THE CHEMISTRY OF FATE by Meradeth Houston set to be released in April of this year. I love the dream-like effect of this cover. THE CHEMISTRY OF FATE is the prequel to Meradeth's first book COLORS LIKE MEMORIES.

The chemistry between Ari and Tom is reactive, but a deadly secret in a family journal will tear them apart if they can’t avoid fate.


About CHEMISTRY OF FATE:


“They are everywhere, can be anyone, and are always the last person you’d expect.”

When Tom stumbles across his grandfather’s journal, he’s convinced the old man was crazier than he thought. The book contains references to beings called the Sary, immortals who are assigned to save humans on the verge of suicide. They certainly aren’t allowed to fall in love with mortals. Which the journal claims Tom’s grandfather did, resulting in his expulsion from the Sary. As strange as the journal seems, Tom can’t get the stories out of his head; especially when he finds the photo of his grandfather’s wings.

Tom’s only distraction is Ari, the girl he studies with for their chemistry class.

Ari has one goal when she arrives in town: see how much Tom knows about the Sary and neutralize the situation. This isn’t a normal job, but protecting the secrecy of the Sary is vital. If Tom is a threat to exposing the Sary to the public, fate has a way of taking care of the situation, usually ending with the mortal’s death. While Ari spends time with Tom, he becomes more than just an assignment, but how far can a relationship go when she can’t tell him who she really is? When she finds out just how much Tom actually knows about the Sary, Ari is forced to choose between her wings, and her heart.

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Meradeth’s never been a big fan of talking about herself, but if you really want to know, here are some random tidbits about her:

• She’s a Northern California girl, but now lives and teaches anthropology in Montana.
• When she’s not writing, she’s sequencing dead people’s DNA. For fun!
• She’s been writing since she was 11 years old. It's her hobby, her passion, and she’s so happy to get to share her work!
• If she could have a super-power, it would totally be flying. Which is a little strange, because she’s terrified of heights.

You can find Meradeth here:

www.MeradethHouston.com

meradethhouston.blogspot.com

https://twitter.com/MeradethHouston

http://www.facebook.com/MeradethHouston

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17452243-the-chemistry-of-fate

And check our her trailer for her book: COLORS LIKE MEMORIES

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Next is not a cover reveal but the launch of Carrie Butler's book, STRENGTH.  And with a cover so strong and sizzling hot, how could I not add this to my post? (;

I wonder if I can get this book with a 3D cover. . .
  

About STRENGTH:

When college student Rena Collins finds herself nose-to-chest with the campus outcast, her rumor-laced notions are shattered. Handsome, considerate, and seemingly sane, Wallace Blake doesn't look like he spends his nights alone, screaming and banging on the walls of his dorm room. Hell, he doesn't look like he spends his nights alone, period.

Too curious for her own good, Rena vows to uncover the truth behind Wallace’s madman reputation—and how two seconds of contact had left her with bruises. Of course, there are a few setbacks along the way: guilt, admiration, feelings of the warm and fuzzy variety…

Not to mention the unwanted attention of Wallace's powerful, supernaturally-gifted family.

They’re a bloodline divided by opposing ideals, two soon-to-be warring factions that live in secret among us. When Rena ends up caught in their crossfire, Wallace has no choice but to save her by using his powers. Now they’re really in trouble. With war on the horizon and Rena’s life in the balance, he needs to put some distance between them. But Rena won’t let go. If fighting is what it takes to prove her own strength and keep Wallace in her life, then that’s what she’ll do—even if it means risking a whole lot more than her heart.

And check out the trailer HERE!

You can get STRENGTH on AMAZON and on other sites by clicking HERE for more information. There's also an awesome giveaway, so be sure to check it out HERE!

Congratulations to both Meradeth and Carrie! 

In Review: Anticipation of the Penitent

Anticipation of the Penitent
by: Nancy LaRonda Johnson
Received through a giveaway

Quote from the book:


"No one knew the whole story of the caged woman. She appeared to be a living receptacle for the shipment of evil in today's society. "

*****

The Anticipation of the Penitent is a literary Christian novel that falls into a category that normally is not my genre of choice. I  sometimes hesitate to read religious works, but I was revealed to see that the strong Christian theme in this book never came across as proselytizing under the banner of literary fiction. 

This is the story of Thomas, a serial killer who believes his father is Satan. Thomas is devoted to his father, worships him even into adulthood, and would do anything to please him, even if that includes taking the lives of innocent children. But this book is also about Thomas's mother, Alezea. She is a spiritually splintered woman, convinced she can never escape Satan's control. She is forced to do horrible things and even helps Thomas dispose of his victims. With the aide of a close friend, Alezea finds the strength to reach out for help and salvation. But more than anything, Alezea wants to save her son. Her efforts lead them to Gabriel, a Christian community that helps people find their way to a better life through Christian ideology.  

Several scenes in this novel made me emotionally and physically uncomfortable. But despite these unspeakable acts, I never found them to be overly gruesome in their description and I can honestly say I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to read this novel. The other reason why I enjoyed this book is because it was extremely well written. The author, Nancy LaRonda Johnson, had me feeling some degree of compassion for characters that normally I would want to see burn in Hell for all of eternity. And as a mother, I could understand the lengths Alezea went through to try to save her son. There were even moments during the book when I wished I could have called Nancy on the phone to plead with her to stop torturing her characters. That is a testament of how emotionally invested I became in these characters lives. 

Nancy also has a strong command of the English language and made the story flow effortlessly, even though some of the most difficult moments of the book. In the end, this book isn't about the horrible acts committed by Satan or Thomas or even Alezea. It's about the power of faith, the need for forgiveness, and letting go. 

Overall, I think this was a very good book, despite it not being something I would normally pick up, but I'm glad I had the opportunity to read it. 

Australia - A Source of Inspiration

I'm excited to have Carolyn Brown over as part of her Protector's of Aidensdein Blog Tour! Carolyn has a special post for us today so let me just move over and let her talk to you about one of her biggest inspirations for her two books. (:  

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Hi Elise and thanks for inviting me to discuss something which is of great interest to me and that I love…

The Sunshine Coast of Queensland, Australia!

This magnificent stretch of coastline runs from the north of Brisbane (which is the capital city of Queensland) to the Fraser Coast, which is an island off the coast of a country town called Gympie.  It stretches over 100 kilometres and is known for clean, beautiful surf beaches which are surrounded by tropical forests and backs up into the hinterland.

At the heart of the Sunshine Coast lies the city of Maroochydore, expanding along the Maroochy River which is flanked by coffee shops, restaurants and the main shopping complex of the region. 

To the north are several beaches and small towns, leading to the well-known coastal town of Noosa.  To the south lies another expanse of coastal beaches, stretching to the older coastal township of Caloundra and just at the southern stretch of Caloundra sits Bribie Island.

The Great Dividing Range is a continuous line of mountains running along the east coast of Australia.  The mountains are dotted with beautiful rock pools and water holes, hidden among the tropical forests, where small tourist towns are situated, which sell arts and crafts as well as restaurants and coffee shops.

There are many well-known surf beaches along this stretch of coastline and as the characters in The Protector Series all surf; it was a natural decision for me to include some of these beautiful destinations into the stories.

Jazz and her friends surf at the popular Alex Headland, which is part of the coastal city of Maroochydore.  As this is a tourist destination, there are cafes and restaurants, bars and night clubs, large shopping complexes and amusement parks scattered across the coast to provide entertainment and cater for a large number of visitors and residents.

In book one, He Came For Me, I introduce the surf beaches and the Hinterland, where Seb and Jazz take a short trip into the mountains to swim at a waterhole and while there, have lunch at one of the many cafes.

The beginning of book two is set in the city of Maroochydore, where Jazz lives.  The story concentrates on the restaurants in the area.  The infamous Loo with a View is also mentioned.  It is a very elaborate toilet block which overlooks the beaches and hosts a live web cam of the beach.  The Residents are still paying for its construction in our rates. Lol!

I have downloaded photos from the web, unfortunately with the wild weather we have been having, I just did not get the opportunity to take my own, also the beaches are a little worse for wear at present, but they always return to their former glory, a few weeks after onslaughts.

I hope you and your readers have enjoyed reading a little about the Sunshine Coast Elise and as this is my last stop for the tour, I would just like to say thank you to everyone who participated.  It has been fun, (although a lot of work) but certainly worth it and the lovely comments, support and genuine interest has been appreciated.

Carolyn

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BLURB: He Came For Mine, Book Two in 'The Protector Series'

Fending for herself for almost two years,

Jazz worries she will never see Sebastian again.

A new man enters her life, but he holds a secret.

Will Jazz trust him?

~~~~

Sebastian discovers an ancient ritual which must be performed

on the Chosen One's son before his first birthday, or he will die.

He returns to Earth to find Jazz in the arms of another man.

A man he knows very well.

A man he does not trust....

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About Carolyn Brown

Carolyn Brown lives on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia with her husband and two young adult children. She works in education, supporting high school students with Learning Difficulties, helping to improve their literacy and numeracy skills. 

Her novels target a New Adult audience and focus on the genre of paranormal romance.  Included in the stories are the wonders of the beautiful area in which she resides, sharing the different aspects of the coastal tourist mecca.

She spends her free time relaxing on the beautiful surf beaches of the area, walking, swimming, reading and writing.

Connect with Carolyn Online:

Smashwords

  Blog

Author Page

Email

Facebook

     Goodreads

Twitter

AMAZON       SMASHWORDS        APPLE
BARNES AND NOBLE       KOBO     SONY        

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I do not want to be a satellite

“Books are the best of things, well used; abused, among the worst. What is the right use? What is the one end, which all means go to effect? They are for nothing but to inspire. I had better never see a book, than to be warped by its attraction clean out of my own orbit, and made a satellite instead of a system. The one thing in the world, of value, is the active soul. ” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Learn from the past and learn from the ideas of others. Use this knowledge to help you find your own path, mold your own reasoning, create your own conclusions. But take heed, do not allow the ideas of others stifle your own unique perception or risk forsaking your freedom. 

NOT Hungry for Hunger Games - the Movie.

!!!Spoiler Alert!!! (SA) This post contains spoilers about the books and trailers for Hunger Games. If you haven't read the books stop HERE or be spoiled (;

Now, before I get booed off the blogosphere for my pic and post title, let me say I read the book The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (in 2 days) and LOVED it....and hated it. But I still gave it 4 our of 5 stars.

Let me expalin. I enjoy adventure/sci-fi/ fantasy/paranormal stuff. Everything from books, stories, movies, manga, comics, and just about anything with superheroes in it. I also don't mind things getting a little violent nor do I mind some bad language, just as long as it makes sense and adds to the story. However, you will not see me fangirling over anything about zombies *shudders* or tragic storylines where animals or loved ones all die at the end. I'm still not over Charlotte's Web... (;

So why did I read the Hunger Games? For one, the hype. I'll admit, I got sucked into the hype. Second, the girl on fire with mad bow and arrow skills = my kind of gal. But what I didn't like was finding myself sobbing by page 24 and balling my eyes out by page 40 to the point where words looked like they were swimming on the page. And guess what happend on page 235? The crying thing again. I was stressed out from the first chapter all the way to the last.

Therefore, I know if I go see the movie, I'm going to cry and I don't like to cry. (some people do - they are strange to me). Plus, (SA) I don't want to see Rue die, AGAIN! Why would you want to go through that a second time? I know the first thing I'd think of when seeing Rue appear on screen, No! You're too young to die! Not sir, not me, not going to see that again. Seeing a vampire get his/her head ripped off their body, no problem...but (SA) sweet little Rue getting impaled with a spear, no.

While I cannot deny how well Suzanne Collins crafted her novel, it's obvious I'll not be reading the rest in the series. Besides, I've cheeted and have read reviews of the next two books and I'm dissapointed in the way things turn out. Nonetheless, a lot can be said about a book that is pretty much heart wrenching from beginning to end and yet, I still could not put it down. Most books like that I do put down. I have no qualms about snapping a book shut if it's too emotionally draining on me. So, I prefer to stay with my pseudo-happy ending after the first HG book and ignor the fact (SA) that Katniss is going to have to go back. She goes back?! And even though I liked the small changes seen in the trailers, (Cinna secretly giving Katniss the pin before the games was better than what's described in the book, IMO.) I will not go see the movie, either.

However, I am curious and will be looking forward to reading everyones reviews and feedback on the movie since I'm going to be about the only one on the planet sitting this one out. Enjoy the popcorn, bring tissues.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Truly a wonderful short film. A must see.

The following description was taken from the website http://morrislessmore.com/
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The Animated Film

Inspired in equal measures, by Hurricane Katrina, Buster Keaton, The Wizard of Oz, and a love for books, "Morris Lessmore" is a story of people who devote their lives to books and books who return the favor. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is a poignant, humorous allegory about the curative powers of story. Using a variety of techniques (miniatures, computer animation, 2D animation), award-winning author/illustrator William Joyce and Co-director Brandon Oldenburg present a hybrid style of animation that harkens back to silent films and M-G-M Technicolor musicals. "Morris Lessmore" is old-fashioned and cutting edge at the same time.

"Morris" was awarded the Oscar® for Best Animated Short Film in the 84th Academy Awards®.

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