Thanks & Book Reviews

First, I just wanted to say a HUGE, GINORMOUS thank you to all of you for coming out to the Writing Nut for my big spotlight yesterday. It meant the world to me and.. Well,  I LOVE you, my Imaginarians, you are the BEST!

Second, I have just finished two of the coolest books I have ever read. I mean we are talking Steve McQueen, vintage Harley-Davidson motorcycle cool. The books...Savages and its prequel, Kings of Cool by Don Winslow. Let me introduce you to So Cal pot dealers, Ben and Chon, plus their playmate/girlfriend, O (Multiple O) which is short for Ophelia and... I think you can probably guess the rest of that nickname's origin. Ben and Chon are not just pot dealers, they are pot artists, growing the very best hydroponic weed ever. They can customize that White Widow seed to the particular high that you want and their clientele is more loyal than a soldier's dog. They are living the high life until a Mexican drug cartel starts to muscle in. Then it's on like two angry tigers.

The first chapter of Savages is literally just "Fuck You." From there it races down the highway in your head, a rocket fuel concoction of poetry and prose. The chapters are short, like machine gun bursts. It is a masterpiece of violence, demented plot twists and some of the best descriptions I have ever read. Winslow dives head first into the deep end of So Cal slang. For instance: instead of saying Chon drove his Mustang to San Diego, it reads: Chon rode his Pony to Sun Dog. I love it! Favorite line: Do not fuck with anyone unless you know who the fuck you're fucking with. Then don't do it.

Kings of Cool takes us back to how these three arrive at their place atop the pot scene. We see Chon as a Navy SEAL, smuggling the seeds in from Afghanistan. We ride along with Ben as he goes from college do-gooder to D o B (Doctor of Boo). It delves into their families and the surf culture drug scene in the late 60's through the cocaine party train in the early 80's. There also plot twists galore that foreshadow what is to come in Savages. I recommend reading Kings first, but that's just me.

I had no interest in the California drug trade before, but once I started, I was hooked. I finished both books in a matter of days. And it's not just the writing. Winslow's knowledge of the drug world and law enforcement is breathtaking. These books are rife with inside knowledge of how to set up grow houses, supply chains and stash houses. He sheds a lot of light on the US government's corruption and failures in the so-called War on Drugs. My jaw was agape as I sped through the pages, devouring each syllable.

These characters are not heroic by any stretch of the imagination. You will not like them, but you will be enthralled. They are savages, criminals on the fringe with no where to go but straight to the bottom. It is no wonder Oliver Stone chose to make Savages into a film. These stories will shove you out of your comfort zone and make you think. And for my fellow writers, Winslow's style is certainly one that will have you re-thinking parts of your own.

Now I have two more reviews coming out probably tomorrow and Saturday. Bear with me as I get myself organized around my own writing. I've had multiple doc appointments of late because well, my diabetes is starting to affect my kidneys. I had these two books with me to entertain myself in the waiting room because the others are ebooks and unfortunately, I don't have a Kindle or anything. 

Spotlight At The Writing Nut

Today is the BIG DAY...I'm featured over at The Writing Nut for Wednesday Writer's Workspace. Whoo Hoo!! Come and check it out. See what my work space looks like (you were dying to know, weren't you?) and if I have a hidden talent. Nutschell has me revealing all. And here's a look at two companions who share my writing space at times. Look at those lazy girls. Precious is the black one and Cookie is the tiger. They're my roommates cats, but they tolerate me, too.

Celebrating Weighted, Ciara Knight's New Release

It's Tuesday and more importantly, it's a New Release Tuesday and we are celebrating Ciara Knight and her new release, the YA apocalyptic tale, Weighted. Congrats Ciara!

Here's a little bit about Ciara...

Ciara writes to ‘Defy the Dark’ with her fantasy and paranormal books. Her debut novel, The Curse of Gremdon, was released to acclaimed reviews, securing a Night Owl Top Pick and five stars from the Paranormal Romance Guild. Also, book I, Rise From Darkness, from her debut young adult Battle For Souls series, secured glowing reviews and won July Book of the Month from Long and Short Reviews.

Her first love, besides her family, reading, and writing, is travel. She's backpacked through Europe, visited orphanages in China, and landed in a helicopter on a glacier in Alaska.

Ciara is extremely sociable so please feel free to connect with her at her blog, website, Twitter,
Goodreads, or Facebook.

Weighted (Prequel Novelette)

The Great War of 2185 is over, but my nightmare has just begun. I am being held captive in the Queen’s ship awaiting interrogation. My only possible ally is the princess, but I’m unsure if she is really my friend or a trap set by the Queen to fool me into sharing the secret of my gift. A gift I keep hidden even from myself. It swirls inside my body begging for release, but it is the one thing the Queen can never discover. Will I have the strength to keep the secret? I’ll know the answer soon. If the stories are true about the interrogators, I’ll either be dead or a traitor to my people by morning.

Here's a short excerpt from Weighted

Subject: Raeth Arteres
Date: March 8, 2185
Species: Neumarian
Status: Captured

Tick-tock…tick-tock…I clutch the sides of the steel bed in my cell and push up on my elbows. The clock, with its bronze rim, hangs high on the wall, taunting me. The long black arm of the second hand struggles up the side of the enormous disc, ticking away the last few moments of my life.

Tap…tap.

Footsteps, two by two, march to the cell door. Sucking in a long breath, I embrace the rhythmic sounds of the airship, with the occasional interruption of an engine sputtering.

Tap…thump.

The Queen’s unmistakable gait interrupts my dream-like state. It matches the sounds of the ship, as if she is an extension of the heap of metal propelling us across the desert wasteland.

“Open the door.” Her voice echoes down the narrow hall.

Tick…

The hand struggles to reach the twelve. If it doesn’t make it, maybe the door won’t open. It teeters and shakes, then slides straight up in unison with the door.

…Tock.

“Be quick, before the parasite uses her curse on us.” Her raspy, artificial voice sends a quiver to my core.

A guard races in with a handheld device and points it at my neck. I’ve been collared like a dog. I clutch the slick metal ring around my neck, pulling it from my skin, but current zaps through my shoulders and my arm juts out to my side, shaking. Searing pain runs along my veins.

After all these years of my brother hiding me, it was inevitable I’d get caught.
Darkness swirls deep inside, brewing a storm. I can’t remember what it will do if I release it. Is it a gift, as my brother told me, or a curse, as the Queen believes? All I know is that if I unleash it, the Queen will have what she wants, so I push it down deep, keeping it hidden from her.

A man in a grey coat approaches with a syringe in his shaking hand. His left eye has been replaced by a bronze implant that clicks as it grows wide. I concentrate on remaining calm. “I-I see you s-still need me.” It is a struggle to speak against the rising will of the gift trapped inside me.

“Need you? I only need your wretched, cursed body. We must ensure your kind never threatens the world again. When I’m finished, you will serve me, and only me.”

Acid boils up in my throat but I force it down. The beast caged inside me longs for release.

You can purchase Weighted here

Smashwords
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Upcoming books in The Neumarian Chronicles:
Escapement (Book I) - Early 2013
Pendulum (Book II) - Mid 2013
Balance (Book III) - Early 2014

Other books by Cara Knight:
Battle for Souls Series
Rise From Darkness
Fall From Grace
Ascension of Evil - Coming in October

Liebster Redux: 11 Badass Questions From M

My badass home girl M Hufstader of the killer blogs The Smoking Pen and Feed Me A Stray Cat, has tapped yours truly to receive her Liebster Award. Hell Yeah! And while I've tapped people already for this award, I'm still going to share 11 more things about me because well, you all want to know more don't you? I knew you did. LOL

But first let's get to M's Q's shall we?

3-D Yes or No?

I'm going to have to go with no as the tech leaves me with a headache so why pay more to be in pain.

Lord of the Rings or Star Wars?

I'm a total wimp. I can't choose as I love them both equally, but for very different reasons.

What movie would you like to see in theaters that you never got to?

Gone With The Wind. I have never ever seen this on a big screen and would relish the experience.

What's your major draw for a movie: actors, director or script?

Script. I have to have a great story in order to shell out for tix. I can honestly say that I have never chosen a film because of a director or actor.

Who is your favorite person to watch movies with?

My nephew. He sits there, shuts the hell up and let's it ride. And he likes all the movies I pay to see in the theater.

Who are your top three action heroes?

Indiana Jones, Bruce Lee and Mallory Kane. For those not familiar with Mallory, she's from Soderbergh's epic film Haywire.

The zombie apocalypse is upon us-what movie characters do you want in your camp to keep you alive?

Hmm...Machete, Alice from Resident Evil,  Ripley and Vasquez from Aliens and The Terminator. I think they could work well together. I would also include any Shia LeBeouf character because we need zombie snack cakes in case things get tight.

Who is the one actor you love to hate?

That's easy, Keira Knightly. Completely over-rated and over-used. Need an English girl? Give it to Keira. I wish she would quit acting and go work at McDonald's. Eat some fries so she might put on a milligram or two. I don't know why I loathe her, but I swear I want to put out my eyes with knitting needles and pour bleach in my ears every time I'm forced to watch her on screen.

And the actor I hate myself for loving?

Channing Tatum He is so hot and he's not all that talented, I used to not like him, but then I saw an interview and well, he had me at fake mountain lion and hiding in an outhouse.

If they made a movie about your life, who would play you?

Janeane Garafalo. She's short, has my twisted, cynical sense of humor and sarcasm to spare. Like moi.

If you could change one movie ending, what would it be and why?

I'd change Twilight. Bella discovers she's into girls, stakes Edward, then runs off with Buffy the Vampire Slayer thus saving us all the misery of the subsequent films.

11 More things about me you probably don't care to know, but I'll share anyway. :)

I love the color blue, any and all shades of blue.

Pink makes me look like a ham. 

My fave Japanese monster is Rodan

I can fill your power steering fluid should you need it.

I love toast with peanut butter and banana slices

The first time I cut my hair was 8th grade. I went pixie short the day before graduation unbeknownst to my mother. Her restraint is why I survived to adulthood.

I like to blow bubbles in the house. I taught my nephews to do that and can you tell I don't have kids? LOL

My first pet was a dog named Bandit and the first street I lived on was Avenue G. They say strippers name themselves after their first pets and their home streets. I would be the G Bandit. Perfect or what?

I eat Reese's peanut butter cups by eating the outer rim first, then peeling off the top chocolate.

The only wine I like is Moscato. Can't stand anything else, but I haven't had much in the way of wine, either.

I have a scar over my right brow where my brother hit me with a piece of firewood while we were playing The Incredible Hulk.

Like what you've read? Had enough about me? I hope you all have a terrific Monday. :)

Author Spotlight: Angela Renee

Happy Friday, Imaginarians! Today I am very excited to welcome author Angela Renee. She is the author of the hot new sci fi romance, You Are Mine Whoo Hoo!

How did you get started on the writing journey? Do you have a specific routine when you write?

I’ve always been a story teller and hadn’t considered writing. Then one day I was watching The Twilight Zone and the concept for You Are Mine popped into my head. What if a spaceship landed in Grant Park (a huge park in Chicago)? This story would be a little too long and complicated to tell my children, so I began writing. Ninety-eight thousand words later, I’d completed You Are Mine.

When I write, I like complete silence. I build a world in my mind and don’t like the distractions of the outside world.

What made you decide to take the plunge and go the self-publish route? What was the process like?

Many years ago when I completed You Are Mine, my children were younger and I had to do a lot of running around with them.
I submitted the novel to a few agents and two wanted to sign me on, but I wasn’t ready. I knew I wanted to spend more time with my family and on my career than writing. Now my youngest is graduating from college this coming June and I’ve found myself with more free time. I always wrote, but put publishing on the back burner. My mom reads everything I write and she asked me when I was going to start having my work published.

I’m at a place in my life where I would like to start a new career in writing and have the time to dedicate to it, so I decided to self-publish. I’ve studied the industry and know the pros and cons of self and traditional publishing. I will also be shopping around a manuscript this winter for traditional publishing. So I plan to do both. I learned the process and did a TON of research and asked a million questions before I began self-publishing. I devised an action plan and shared it with a few people I know who have self-published and allowed them to give me pointers. So I’m feeling pretty good.

What was the best piece of writing advice you have ever received? Any advice you might have for a group of aspiring writers?

Learn the craft and the business.

Tell us little about your novel, You Are Mine. What was the inspiration behind its creation?

The inspiration came from an old episode of The Twilight Zone. In this episode, people were transported from Earth to another planet. That got me to thinking about what would happen if a spaceship landed here. There’d be mass hysteria, but what happens after the hysteria ends?

Here’s the blurb for You Are Mine:

In the hundreds of special assignments Erica Morgan has worked, there was nothing that prepared her for waking one morning on an alien spaceship. More surprisingly, her captor and adversary, the leader of this mission, is the one man who could make her want to leave her home planet and embrace a different life.

D’Jarus Commodore doesn’t want a wife, but his planet is slowly dying, and their salvation lies in the people of Earth. As leader of Darien, he chooses to make a sacrifice and be the first to marry a terran. His captive bride, Erica, is like no other being he has ever met. At first sight he knows he must have her, but for obvious reasons—he did kidnap her after all—she resists him every step of the way.

To visit Angela and learn more about her and her work, please check out these links.

Website/Blog
Facebook
Twitter

To Purchase You Are Mine:

Print
Nook
Kindle

Exciting News

Just a quick post to share some exciting news here. Next week, on Wednesday, August 22, I'm going to be spotlighted at The Writing Nut. Yay! I can't wait. Come on over and find out all about my writing life, my non-writing life and what my hidden talent is. Bet you can't guess.

Tomorrow, August 17th, author Angela Renee will be here. I will have a short interview with her as well as an excerpt from her new book, the hot sci fi romance,You Are Mine.

Next week I will also have a couple of book reviews. I'm finally, FINALLY starting to catch up on my reading.

I will leave you with another picture from my hike at Porcupine Mountain State Park. This is Lake of the Clouds where Brenda and I started our hike. I scooted out onto an overhang to take this. For those who asked, here is the link for the bear story.  It was part of my very first A to Z Challenge. Enjoy, it is pretty funny. Now that I am years removed from it. ;)

My Unforgettable Place

My incredible friend, Siv over at Been There, Done That is celebrating the release of  her short story, Secrets of the Ash Tree with the Unforgettable Blogfest. Secrets will be released September 4 in the fantasy anthology Open Doors. Yay Siv!

Now, what makes this blogfest so brilliant, aside from celebrating Siv's story, is that we each get to share the person or place that is absolutely unforgettable to us. How awesome is that? To check the other incredible participants, click here

I'm going to share with you a place that I hiked to with my best friend in the entire world, Brenda. It was 1995 and I had just gotten vacation time from my first job after college. Brenda had invited me to go camping with her and I was nervous as heck. Hell, I watch horror films. Give me a hood rat with a gun or blade any day rather than some backwoods scary redneck with plans to skin me and eat me. Then there was always the distinct possibility that a Jason Voorhees type would likely come at me with an axe or machete.

I digress.

She took me to Porcupine Mountain State Park in Michigan. I had never gone hiking in my life. I'm South Side Steel Town girl and to me hiking was what one did when having to walk about 10 blocks to catch the bus.  The last time I had actually been in woods that weren't a city forest preserve was age 10 in Scouts. My troop and I had gone to Butternut Springs, a huge Girl Scout camp in Indiana. Cabin, bus, indoor plumbing... not exactly roughing it.

So Brenda and I set out on this immense trail with backpacks and tent. Now, I am voluptuous chica to say the least, even more so back then. But I had been slowly starting to lose weight, so I was eager to push myself. We started off high above the park at Lake of the Clouds, then we hiked down through some rough trails. I was a sweaty, rotten mess, but I was still feeling all right. Then fatigue started to hit and just when I was hitting pain, we came upon this scene on the trail. This is the Presque Isle River, which runs through Michigan's Upper Peninsula and empties out into Lake Superior.

Beautiful, isn't it? I couldn't believe that I, Melissa Bradley, had hiked miles into a forest and was able to see this amazing scene. It was like being in my own nature film. Scary bear encounter aside, this is one memory that will stay with me always. I was so happy to be able to share it with Brenda.This woman has always been my rock and my instigator. If I'm going to get into trouble not of my own making, she's behind it. No wonder she's on my team when the zombie horde comes.