I'm blogging about a new computer? Well, I have to admit, I'm a bit of a techno-junkie and have been hanging out for one for a while. For ages I have been limping along my hated compaq laptop, which really was the worst computer purchase I ever made :(. This week I told hubs I needed a new one. So I jumped on Ebay and started scouting.
I knew what I wanted - enough memory to keep me out of trouble, a reasonable amount of RAM and a stand alone graphics chip. Not much to ask? And I didn't want to pay alot. Yeah. My list isn't really that long.
So 3 days and not a terribly huge amount later, my new computer has arrived. So for most of the day, I have been loading up software. The most interesting thing I have found, is that it came preloaded with Vista. Not a bad thing. Seems very stable, so I'm quite pleased. But I have had to install updates. Lots of updates. Actually 133 updates. Sigh. The things you do :) so you can run certain programs.
I have it down to around 60+ to go...I may have to leave it to run all night so it gets them all.
What kind of computer? A Samsung R610... faster, more hassle free than anything I have had for a long long time. I like the look, the feel, the numeric keypad, the light weight and yes the slimline styling.
Doesn't it look spiffy? So the next thing is to order a skin for it. Something out of spacey...I'm still tossing up what and where, but I do have ideas.
So far I have installed:
Skype
Scrivener (still having an issue there, though I think it is to do with something from the loading)
Edit Pad Lite
Photofiltre
Google Chrome (gotta have a good alternative browser)
Dropbox (makes moving files between computers super easy)
ITunes (well, I could hardly be expected to survive without it, now could I?)
Java...
The list is almost endless. I am bringing over files as fast as I can, and getting really excited. Tonight I was able to play my fave facebook games without interruption or timing out. Ohhh, I almost go gooey at the knees!
Yes, I think I'm happy. Now to find out my Sims discs I think :)
Yes, I would love to tell you about my chicks and everything else that is happening but life is so amazingly busy that I feel like I am going from one announcement to another at the moment.
Yes a second review for STARLINE
Words of Wisdom....from The Scarf Princess (April 21, 2012)
As a big fan of the sci-fi genre and it's mix of action, suspense, and intriguing views of the future I found myself drawn to this story and the groundwork that was laid for a trilogy set in the future with occasional visits to the past. With its likable characters, action packed scenes, and some super sexy interludes I found a rather enjoyable read that has me intrigued for what comes next.
Mellissa grew up in an orphanage with no family and now runs a bookstore writing a book about other lovers living a life of excitement. Through a sci-fi twist of fate she ends up traveling through space and time with a no-nonsense overachieving Captain. I liked Mellissa and felt sympathy for her as her whole world was turned upside down. She accepted the changes to her life fairly quickly and wasn't one of those annoying heroines who didn't do what she was told in a crisis. She had a backbone but used her smarts more.
Duvall stayed away from long-term relationships wanting to focus on his career. That's why it was so surprising how quickly he fell for Mellissa. The sexual tension between them didn't slowly build, it just suddenly exploded. The sexual interludes between them were hot and frequently occurring, almost too many which I don't say often. I'd like to have seen more character development of them as well as the secondary characters, and most particularly the villain and his motives.
We're told how horrible Crick Sur Banden is but we barely see him and his motives aren't really clear. He uses underlings to enact his plans and therefore he never really seems that dangerous. Not only do we not get a good understanding of the villain, one of the more intriguing couples, Elara and Grayson, have an intriguing backstory merely alluded to but one I wish would've been told in its entirety. The traumas Elara went through and Grayson's acceptance of her physical scars would make an amazing love story that should've been told wholeheartedly.
Between the rollercoaster actions scenes, intriguing views of the future, and likable characters I became immersed in this story and was sad to see it end. There's more characters I long to revisit and look forward to the next story in this proposed series. I do hope that the agenda of the villains is made more clear in the next release as this would add more excitement to the story. Fans of sci-fi romance rejoice that there's a new voice in town and take a chance on this newly released story.
I'm a visual writer and use a software called Scrivener for early drafts. Scrivener has a corkboard where I stow lots of graphics to view for inspiration as I write. Here are several from my Refugees On Urloon File!
My Hero. Commander Liam Ringel. I know in Real Life he is a Bad Boyfriend, but he looks like a space commander.
Urloon looks a little like this.
My older but attractive couple inspiration. Imagine Olivia as a future world supply clerk, and her disappearing boyfriend as a Commander.
Dolphins are called delphs on Urloon. They are domesticated and ridden like horses.
One of the previous guest posts I wrote as part of this blog
tour has been on the topic of the seven deadly sins and their appearance in
Protector (Anniversary of the Veil, Book One). Therefore, I feel it is only
right I write another post on the seven virtues and how they balance out the
sins in Protector.
Chastity: This one is most evident as concerns the order of
Protectors of the Realm. As it has often been the case, the end result of
mandatory chastity is not quite as virtuous as it is meant to be.
Temperance: None of the main characters truly exercise this
virtue, but it would be much better if they did. For all concerned.
Charity: Both King Ardnan and Princess Issiyanna wish to make
the realm a good place to live for all. The Priests also, in pursuit of their
higher purpose, exercise charity towards those less fortunate.
Diligence: Performing one’s duty and doing it well is certainly
one of the main themes of Protector. None, save perhaps First Captain of the
Protectors, Entan, are guilty of not being diligent in this. Though, to be
fair, his dereliction of duty comes from love and care.
Patience: Not prevalent at all. They all want what they want,
and will take steps to get it. The main character, Protector Kiyarran, believes
patient waiting will solve all his problems, but ultimately he just does not
have enough patience to wait.
Kindness: Both Princess Issiyanna and Kiyarran are kind, just
not always to each other. Though kindness saves the day in many situations throughout
the book.
Humility: Despite being one of the strongest and most powerful
Protectors in years and years, Kiyarran remains humble throughout the book.
Humility certainly balances out his youthful pride and arrogance.
Kiyarran always wanted to be a Protector of the Realm.
But unknown magic and forbidden love for Princess Issiyanna awaken inside him
once his wish comes true. Now the Priesthood that rules the realm from the
shadows see Kiyarran’s extraordinary skill as a threat.
Issiyanna is needed for a reaction on the other side of
the Veil—a man-forged barrier separating the world in half. A Beacon and Answer
gave up their lives to Don the Veil 1,000 years ago. Issiyanna is a Beacon
needed to renew the Veil.
Issiyanna is abducted by a group of Keepers from across
the Veil, and Kiyarran follows to save her.
Will he choose to bring her back, or run from all he
knows to follow her across the Veil? Will Kiyarran fulfill his duty as a
Protector, or allow his love for Issiyanna to guide his future path?
Magic, loyalty, childhood friendship, greed, and love all
clash as Kiyarran is forced to make his decision.
Vanna
Smythe is on a quest to become a (bestselling) fantasy author. Right
now, it promises to be a dangerous quest, full of questionable, powerful
magnates, laced with pitfalls of obligation, and dreams. So it is good
that she does not mean to quest thus alone. To keep her company along
the way, she has enlisted the help of an incredible cast of characters.
For the moment, they are a confident boy who must learn many things
anew, a girl who would like nothing more than to live in endless summer,
four who wish things were different, and one who will do all to keep
things the same.
As
she travels with them, they are slowly reveling their world, and who
they are, to her, challenging her to look beyond what is easy to see.
These characters may be from a different time, a time long ago, a time
that never was, but they could all be here today, forming a part of your
inner circle of friends.
Trying
to understand them better, her blog will feature an array of posts on
the way of life in the Middle Ages. Vanna has lived in European cities,
which have sprung from former medieval towns, for most of her life. She
has visited many more such cities. Maybe this is why she feels such
kinship with her cast of characters. She hopes you will grow to love
them also.
Vanna also needs your help, because a story without a reader is like mist before the sun. You can find her here:
“Finding My Faith (The Six Savior Series, Book 2)”
by Carly Fall
Published by Westward Publishing
Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance
BLURB:
Growing up in a small Northern Arizona town, Faith Cloudfoot’s life was spent playing in the forests surrounding her house under the protective eyes of her father, and learning about the legends of her Native American heritage. Yearning for more out of her life, she moves to Phoenix, Arizona at the age of twenty-three where she is kidnapped and almost killed.
Rayner has a special ability, one that weighs on him like a curse. He can see spirits trapped in between life and their final resting place. Because he can’t do much to help them, he studiously ignores them. He concentrates, instead, on working with his fellow warriors to right the wrongs caused by the evil criminals from his home planet.
When Rayner sees Faith in her spirit form while investigating a lead in Phoenix, his attraction to her is immediate, yet he follows his own personal code and ignores her cry for attention. When he realizes that she may be a stepping stone to getting him home to his own universe, he engages Faith and begins to use her as a means to an end: going home.
As the attraction grows stronger, Rayner finds himself breaking all sorts of self-set rules, as well as the code of ethics set by him and his fellow warriors. When Faith nears death, Rayner realizes that he must do everything in his power to save her, because if he doesn’t, he may just lose himself.
EXCERPT #2:
Faith stood on the sidewalk watching the five o'clock crowd hustle and
bustle around her and through her. She
had a little inner war going on, and she wasn't sure what to do about her
predicament.
When she realized she was literally walking around outside of her body, she
had panicked. It seemed like the
reasonable thing to do, given the circumstances. She had tried to communicate with a few
people today, but with no luck.
There were a couple of times she thought that maybe someone had felt her or
even seen her. There was one woman Faith
had been certain she was connecting with—an older woman waiting for a bus. Her gray hair looked like a halo as the
sunlight filtered through it, and her heavy body was covered by an old green-and-brown
dress. Faith had stood in front if her
and yelled, over and over. Can you see me? Please help me! The woman stood still for a moment, her dark
eyes wide in horror or shock, then she’d grabbed the cross she wore around her
neck and began praying in Spanish.
Then there was that guy on the corner who she’d sworn had seen her. He had stuck out in the crowd like a dead rat
at a dinner table. Among all the suits
and skirts, he had towered over everyone, his shoulders the size of a small jet
runway. He was dressed in a pair of
jeans, black leather boots and coat, and a black t-shirt that had Affliction blazed across the chest in
red. His blond hair hung to his chin in
one length, and he had two gold hoops in his right ear. He was wearing sunglasses, so she couldn't
see his all of his face, but she could tell he was definitely nice on the
eyes. He had stood at the corner looking
at the street signs and the buildings as if he were lost. As she had moved closer to him, she noticed
he became more agitated. When she
stopped in front of him and he didn't say or do anything, she kept moving.
Now she wondered if it was a good thing she couldn't get anyone's
attention.
She was in unchartered territory here.
She supposed the first thing she needed to establish was if she was
alive or dead. Going by most religions,
she wasn't dead because she would be in some form of Heaven or Hell. Even going by some of the Native American beliefs,
she might have been reincarnated as some type of animal if she were dead. She was not in Heaven or Hell, nor was she a
cat, dog, rabbit, or any other animal.
She was standing on Second Street in downtown Phoenix. However, if she held out her hand, she could
see right through it. She watched as a
man approached her, and she stepped directly in his path. He walked through
her, never missing a step. So she wasn't
in her corporeal body. If she wasn't
dead, if she wasn't in her corporeal body, then she was somewhere in between
life and death.
There's always something to worry about when reading the sequel to a book you love. If your expectations are high, you may worry about feeling let down if the second book in a series doesn't live up to the first. As much as I loved book 1, I was hoping that Finding My Faith would capture me the same way. It did!
I loved Rayner and Faith. Faith was one of those headstrong heroines who is not stupid or annoying her independence, and Rayner was the perfect blend of alpha male and heart.
I appreciated that there wasn't a huge info dump, much like what you would have to suffer through in most sequels. The same story of Rayner's alien race was told, but this time from his point of view, giving it a different angle and a new perspective. I loved how even though Rayner and Faith were from two different worlds, they were both so similar. Faith is Native American and Rayner is from the 'forest people' of his planet...the two go together like opposite ends of an Oreo!
The love scenes were tender but also scorching hot! I liked how the sexual tension was allowed to build to an explosive level before 'it' finally happened. The chemistry between Rayner and Faith didn't disappoint!
I am really looking forward to book 3 in the series, just as much as I was looking forward to this one. Well done Carly!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
I live in Arizona with my incredibly supportive husband, our son and our dog. I love my family, hiking, writing, our pool, and wine, and depending on the day, not necessarily in that order.
To receive my monthly newsletter, please go to CarlyFall.com and sign up at the big box on the right. I promise not to spam you or sell your information (even if someone tries to bribe me with chocolate chip cookies), but instead I want my newsletter to inspire you, make you laugh, and let you know of super fun promotional activities I'm involved in that usually mean free stuff for you.
This week, I have a little something special. Over 2 days, we have 2 giveaways. So pop back again tomorrow for another chance to win!
“Finding My Faith (The Six Savior
Series, Book 2)”
by
Carly Fall
Published by Westward Publishing
Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance
BLURB:
Growing
up in a small Northern Arizona town, Faith Cloudfoot’s life was spent playing
in the forests surrounding her house under the protective eyes of her father,
and learning about the legends of her Native American heritage. Yearning for
more out of her life, she moves to Phoenix, Arizona at the age of twenty-three
where she is kidnapped and almost killed.
Rayner
has a special ability, one that weighs on him like a curse. He can see spirits
trapped in between life and their final resting place. Because he can’t do much
to help them, he studiously ignores them. He concentrates, instead, on working
with his fellow warriors to right the wrongs caused by the evil criminals from
his home planet.
When
Rayner sees Faith in her spirit form while investigating a lead in Phoenix, his
attraction to her is immediate, yet he follows his own personal code and
ignores her cry for attention. When he realizes that she may be a stepping
stone to getting him home to his own universe, he engages Faith and begins to
use her as a means to an end: going home.
As
the attraction grows stronger, Rayner finds himself breaking all sorts of
self-set rules, as well as the code of ethics set by him and his fellow
warriors. When Faith nears death, Rayner realizes that he must do everything in
his power to save her, because if he doesn’t, he may just lose himself.
EXCERPT #1:
Rayner knew what he was doing
was wrong, but he simply couldn't help himself.
He should have left the room a while back, but seeing Faith standing in
the middle of the room in that little blue nightshirt and watching her get angry
at him had jacked him up to levels he had never known before. Holy Christ, he wanted her even more when she
yelled at him, and when she had come at him with that little fist, oblivious to
their size difference…it had sent him right to the edge. He would have to explore the psychiatry of that
later. Right now, he was busy teetering
on a very dangerous slope. He just
wanted Faith. He didn't care about
consequences, what would happen later, or what would happen in three
minutes. He was only in the moment, and
the moment consisted of Faith's hand on his raging erection.
He wanted those lips, but he knew if he kissed her, he would be a
goner. A total goner. Game over, hit the lights because his party
would be over. So he kissed her cheek,
which was soft and warm and just a little damp from all those tears that had
ripped at his heart. He hadn't meant to
actually nip at her earlobe.
He needed to disengage and get away from her.
Instead he placed his hand at the nape of her neck and pulled her
forward—the only thing separating them was their hands, her little fist wrapped
in his big paw.
"Rayner—"
"Don't say another word, Faith," he whispered. "Just don't."
He closed his eyes and brought a lock of her hair up to his nose, smelling
the fresh mountain breeze scent he had come to associate with Faith. His chest grew tight, his breathing became
more labored as the silky strands whispered across his skin. He wanted her with a ferocity that bordered
on insanity. What beat within him now
was nothing but raw male need, all pretenses of manners and gentlemanly
etiquette long gone.
When he felt her hand lay flat on his chest, and she turned her head and
rested her cheek on his chest, he thought back to his dream and how good it
felt to have Faith touch him, to be near her.
To have it happen in real life was a zillion and one times better than
the dream.
"I think I'm in love with you, Rayner," she whispered.
He knew that from the ceremony to get her spirit back in her body. It still shook him to his core to hear her
say it. His skin developed goose bumps;
his knees went weak at her words.
“You can't love me, Faith,” he said into her hair.
“It's too late,” she breathed into his chest. “Too late.”
He knew what he had to do. He needed
this to end, to come to a halt, a full stop with brakes screeching. He thought
his heart might break, crack, or just fucking stop with his next words. “But it's not too late to let me go,” he
whispered. He let go of her neck and
hand and stepped away. He didn't meet
her eyes as he opened the door and stepped out.
There's always something
to worry about when reading the sequel to a book you love. If your expectations
are high, you may worry about feeling let down if the second book in a series
doesn't live up to the first. As much as I loved book 1, I was hoping that
Finding My Faith would capture me the same way. It did!
I
loved Rayner and Faith. Faith was one of those headstrong heroines who is not
stupid or annoying her independence, and Rayner was the perfect blend of alpha
male and heart.
I
appreciated that there wasn't a huge info dump, much like what you would have
to suffer through in most sequels. The same story of Rayner's alien race was
told, but this time from his point of view,
giving it a different angle and a new perspective. I loved how even though
Rayner and Faith were from two different worlds, they were both so similar.
Faith is Native American and Rayner is from the 'forest
people' of his planet...the two go together like opposite ends of an Oreo!
The
love scenes were tender but also scorching hot! I liked how the sexual tension
was allowed to build to an explosive level before 'it' finally happened. The
chemistry between Rayner and Faith didn't
disappoint!
I
am really looking forward to book 3 in the series, just as much as I was
looking forward to this one. Well done Carly!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
I
live in Arizona with my incredibly supportive husband, our son and our dog. I love my family, hiking, writing, our pool,
and wine, and depending on the day, not necessarily in that order.
To
receive my monthly newsletter, please go to CarlyFall.com and sign up at the
big box on the right. I promise not to
spam you or sell your information (even if someone tries to bribe me with
chocolate chip cookies), but instead I want my newsletter to inspire you, make
you laugh, and let you know of super fun promotional activities I'm involved in
that usually mean free stuff for you.
Real life relationships can be messy and complicated. Whether it’s a
casual remark or a complete betrayal, the people involved will feel hurt by the
other at some point. Writing about relationships isn’t much easier. My
characters are like my children. Seeing them get hurt is just as hard for me as
it is for them. But, in order to build a realistic relationship, it has to
happen. I don’t want my characters to
feel this pain, but it’s part of life.
In The Flash of a Firefly, Kaden meets Lyn. There is an instant mutual
attraction between them that Kaden tries his best to ignore. He knows enough to
realize that a vampire shouldn’t date a human. But, that’s where those pesky
feelings come in and take over. Being the author, I knew how things would end
for them. I knew that, both in the first novel and throughout the series,
things wouldn’t always be pretty for them. It made me sad that I was setting
Kaden up to be hurt so many times. (I won’t say how Lyn hurts him, but it isn’t
really her fault.)
Alternatively, it’s very awkward writing the scenes where they are
intimate. It was hard for me to detach enough to write those moments. (My
“children” don’t do those things!) It took a long time to get those pieces
written. I actually skipped over them in the first draft and wrote them in
later.
Despite all my mixed feelings about the relationship between Kaden and
Lyn, I’m happy with the way things end for them. It might not wrap their
relationship up in a pretty bow, but it’s as realistic as it can be given the
genre. The ending of the series does show their bond, which I think is the most
important thing.
Title: The
Flash of a Firefly (Kindred Blood, Book 1)
Author: Amber Riley
Publisher: Self
Length: Approx. 50,000 words
Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy, YA
BLURB:
Trying to put his past behind
him, Kaden moves to New York City where he creates a new life for himself. And
that isn't easy, considering the fact that he's a six-hundred-year-old vampire
who hasn't fed on a human in more than a century. Unfortunately, the past isn't
something you can always escape from. When old enemies resurface, they come
with a message. His master wants him back and refusing isn't an option.
Confronted with losing both his
freedom, as well as the human that has captivated him, Kaden struggles to hold
onto his humanity while controlling his darker side. He knows the showdown is
inevitable. He must find a way to stand his ground.
EXCERPT:
Then,
a hundred feet away, two figures slowed their pace to match mine. I clenched my
jaw and forced my feet to keep moving forward. I hadn’t been looking forward to
this day. I knew it would come sooner or later. I just wished that I had
listened to my gut instinct in the first place.
Well,
there was no going back now. I was within reach of them, and my blood was
boiling under my skin.
“What
are you doing here?” I snarled.
“It’s
good to see you too, Kaden.”
Her
hair tumbled down her back, and her jaw set as she forced her full red lips
into a big smile. It was a face I hadn’t seen in over two centuries, one I
could have gone a thousand lifetimes without seeing again.
“What
are you doing here?” I repeated.
“Would
you treat your own sister so coldly after all this time?” she asked in a
sickeningly sweet voice.
“You’re
no relation to me,” I growled through gritted teeth.
She
smiled sarcastically. “We’ve come to take you home.”
Amber Riley has enjoyed writing short stories since childhood and is happiest with a cat in her lap. Born and raised in Central New York, she is currently living in Germany with her new son and husband, a Seabee with the US Navy.
Yeah...I know. I got up at 6 am today, while hubs took the dog out for his little walk, and wandered into my office to find....
A review! Giving me 5 stars (or crowns!!) Sad isn't it. The little things that give us joy :D
Having been too sick to write for a week, it certainly got me down, so this was just the boost I needed. So...below, check it out :D
When you find yourself in possession of a futuristic handbook anything can happen.
This was a very enjoyable read with enough twists and turns to keep me on the edge of my seat. I loved all of the characters in this story and thought they were really well written and seeing how these two very different people interacted with each other was interesting and fun.
Mellissa is your average bookstore owner/aspiring romance author and I found her to be a very relatable. It was really fun to get to know this character and see how she handled all of this sudden chaos in her life.
Duvall was an interesting character who I thought was a great match for Mellissa because he brought just the right amount of excitement to her life. He was also very noble and you could tell he would be a great captain. I loved the relationship between these two characters and felt it grew at a realistic rate instead of just insta love.
This is a great new fantasy story that alien romance fans are sure to love!
So, there is now a giveaway on the site...go check it out for yourself! Enter the draw to win the prize!
Well, technically in Australia it is the day after release for me (maybe that is a huge positive as I get 2 days instead of one? I might have to think on that!)
But anyway, my thoughts on release day...
Is it as exciting as the first release day? Well, yes and no. Yes, because it is awesome seeing my book "out there" for sale. But there will always be something special about the first. Some quality that, for all the excitement of the others, no other will ever match.
Don't get me wrong though, I am super excited. I told the whole world, just as I did with Starline.
How did you celebrate? Did someone mention celebration? We had a quiet family dinner, with champagne and the yummiest dessert. Release day party? Actually, we are planning those for the paperback releases.
So, now what? Well, honestly? Today is back to work. As you can see, updating the webpage and blog came first, and then writing. I still have Starburst to finish and working on something else. Time doesn't stand still and I have stories to complete.
