by Christine | Uncategorized, Writing
Some of the buzz around Sasha Summers’ new book Medusa – A Love Story – available now!
“This tragic and beautiful retelling of one of the world’s oldest stories tackles the eternal battle between duty and happiness. Medusa, A Love Story broke my heart then filled in the cracks with joy. Sasha Summers is simply a mesmerizing new talent.” ~Stephanie Dray, Author of the critically acclaimed Song of the Nile
Astrid, Amazon review – “I have been waiting for weeks for this book to come out and I was not disappointed. A tragic love story of great depth and heartbreak. How Ariston pours his heart out to Hades brought tears to my eyes. Perfect for anyone who loves mythology and reading of the power of love.”
“Sasha really had me feeling for Medusa’a plight. A really enjoyable read and I will definitely be reading more of her books.” Kay, Goodreads review
“Medusa, A Love Story is a beautifully written story with characters who are stunningly alive and well crafted. A creative twist on mythology! If you’re into myth and/or romance you’ll be well pleased.” – Raven, Amazon review
“The love between the hero and heroine is enviable. It’s what love stories are made for, really. It just tugged at me and kept me thinking about it long after I read the book.” ~Lynn Rush, author of Wasteland and Awaited.
“Beautifully and poetically written!” Jessi, Goodreads review
“This is a beautiful love story, and the beginning of a fantastic series. Do yourself a favor and read it as soon as it’s available. Sasha is a very gifted storyteller and has a rich way with words.” Allison, Goodreads review
Medusa Blurb:
It’s said love can change a person. Medusa wasn’t always a monster…
Medusa is ruled by duty, to her Titan father and the Goddess Athena. She has no room for the tenderness her warrior guard, Ariston, stirs. When Olympus frees her from service, her heart leads her into the arms of the guard she loves… and curses her as the creature with serpent locks.
Ariston goes to war with a full heart… and dreadful foreboding. He learns too late of the danger Medusa faces, alone, and a Persian blade sends him into the Underworld. But death, curses, nor the wrath of the Gods will keep him from returning to her.
Poseidon will use Greece’s war to get what he wants: Medusa. He does not care that she belongs to another. He does not care that she will be damned. He is a God, an Olympian, and she will be his…
Medusa, A Love Story book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90fH7xoZiCo
Author Media Links:
Media Links:
Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sasha-Summers/213036208773108
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5759214.Sasha_Summers
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sashasummers/
Twitter: @sashawrites
Webpage: http://www.sashasummers.com
Get your copy today, and find out what all the hype is about!
by Christine | Uncategorized
Before I tell you about this book, I want to mention the cover. This is a nice, powerful cover – the woman on it is staring at you with a frank expression, a bit of a smile on her face, her hand on her hip – you just get the feeling she’s kick-ass as well as sweet. Plus the ocean behind her – well, let’s just say Nevada is now a coastal town, lol. I really enjoyed Book 1 in this series.
Crimson Sunrise, Book 2 of the Tueri Fated Souls series.
Saari Mitchell attends a Tueri conference in Las Vegas, Nevada to strengthen her bonds with Dhelis Guidry and Brogan Vincent—and see if they can make their three-sided relationship work. But when Saari and her vampire brother Mag’s lives are threatened, her trip to paradise soon becomes a surreal fight for survival.
Dhelis and Brogan’s psychic abilities are no help in finding Saari. Desperate to save their mate, they call in favors from the psychic and preternatural community, but the information leads only to more questions. Is the threat against Saari personal or part of a larger plan that threatens every human and Tueri’s existence?
Crimson Sunrise is the second novel in the Tueri Fated Souls Series.
Said of the first novel in this series, Moonlight Bleu:
“Moonlight Bleu by Renee Rearden is one of those ‘blow your socks off’, totally awesome, amazingly entertaining and, completely wonderful stories that make you want to yell about it, at the top of your lungs, from every roof top you can get to! Rearden’s talent is fresh and brings a new face to the world of the paranormal genre.” ~YzhaBella’s BookShelf
“Renee Rearden has exploded onto the paranormal fiction scene with this debut novel—Moonlight Bleu! The concepts in this novel are fresh and creative, and I look forward to seeing future developments…from an exciting new author to watch!” ~Digigirl’s Library
“Read! It’s a good book!” ~ Christine Ashworth
www.reneerearden.com
www.reneereardenblog.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/ReneeRearden
www.facebook.com/ReneeRearden
www.goodreads.com/ReneeRearden
Do you have any questions for Renee? Bring ’em on!
by Christine | Uncategorized, Writing
Monica has written an awesome book called Socialpunk – I’ve read excerpts, and it’s so cool! She’s celebrating with a blog tour and a contest, and yes there are prizes. The contest takes place from April 3rd – April 30th in conjunction with the Socialpunk blog tour.
This is a photo of Monica Leonelle, taken from her website.
Here’s the Blurb for Socialpunk: “Ima would give anything to escape The Dome and learn what’s beyond its barriers, but the Chicago government has kept all its citizens on lockdown ever since the Scorched Years left most of the world a desert wasteland. When a mysterious group of hooded figures enters the city unexpectedly, Ima uncovers a plot to destroy The Dome and is given the choice between escaping to a new, dangerous city or staying behind and fighting a battle she can never win.”
Excerpt:
“Twelve cups of water sat on the table, four for each of them. Next to each cup sat a pill—yellow for fat, red for carbs, blue for protein, and green for vitamins.
Vaughn took the red pill, ripped it in half like a pack of sugar, and poured it into his cup. He set his cup into a contraption on the table and it whirled and hissed. When the machine finished, the cup had a pink, swirly liquid inside.
Nahum looked at the four cups in distaste.
“Not up to your standards?” Vaughn asked, shooting his drink. He swallowed the mixture in one large gulp. “I would get you something else, but we’re rebuilding our hash. We can’t afford real food, plus it’s bad for you anyway. Extremely difficult to maintain a balanced diet.”
“Synthetic food can’t cost that much,” Nahum countered. He grinned. “We had it in our little fake world, at least.”
Vaughn chuckled. “Synthetic food is even worse for you than real food. Shortens your life. We stopped eating that stuff at the turn of the century. It gave people long-term hyperactivity, which can kill you. LTH took out a lot of the population, kind of like cancer in your day, except a bigger deal because the population had dwindled so low already. Plus, people live indefinitely now.”
Nahum’s nose twitched as he laughed. “People don’t live indefinitely.”
But Vaughn looked genuinely surprised. “Of course we do. Have you seen anyone who looks over the age of twenty-five to yo
“What does that mean, though?” Ima asked out of curiosity. “How could you live indefinitely? You may not look older, but you still age.”
Vaughn grinned. “Like I said before—there’s a lot you don’t understand about this world.”
~~ Monica Leonelle is a well-known digital media strategist and the author of three novels. She blogs at Prose on Fire (http://proseonfire.com) and shares her writing and social media knowledge with other bloggers and authors through her Free Writer Toolkit (http://proseonfire.com/free-writer-toolkit).
~~~
Okay, sorry about this guys but I couldn’t upload her book cover or figure out the Rafflecopter thingamajiggie, and despite my sending her emails, I’m not getting any response from her. <insert pouty face here> If you leave a comment and are interested, I’ll see what I can do to get you into the contests she’s holding.
Anyway, the book looks interesting, yes? Visit her at her website and read more!
~ Until the next time, cheers – and remember to drink responsibly! ~
Demon Soul is available for the Kindle and the Nook. Demon Hunt coming Summer 2012
A Caine Brothers’ short story, BLOOD DREAMS, is coming soon!
by Christine | Uncategorized
A new feature on the blog – every now and then, a Cover Reveal! Below is the brand new cover for MEDUSA – A LOVE STORY by Sasha Summers. Isn’t it pretty?
Medusa Blurb:
It’s said love can change a person. Medusa wasn’t always a monster…
Medusa is ruled by duty, to her Titan father and the Goddess Athena. She’s no room for the tenderness her warrior guard, Ariston, stirs. When Olympus frees her from service, her heart leads her into the arms of the guard she loves… and curses her as the creature with serpent locks.
Ariston goes to war with a full heart… and dreadful foreboding. He learns too late of the danger Medusa faces, alone, and a Persian blade sends him into the Underworld. But death, curses, nor the wrath of the Gods will keep him from returning to her.
Poseidon will use Greece’s war to get what he wants: Medusa. He does not care that she belongs to another. He does not care that she will be damned. He is a God, an Olympian, and she will be his.
Review: “This tragic and beautiful retelling of one of the world’s oldest stories tackles the eternal battle between duty and happiness. Medusa, A Love Story broke my heart then filled in the cracks with joy. Sasha Summers is simply a mesmerizing new talent.”
~Stephanie Dray, Author of the critically acclaimed Song of the Nile
And if you want to check out the trailer, here you go…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90fH7xoZiCo
MEDUSA – A LOVE STORY will be available SOON!
by Christine | Uncategorized
I do two things that are just for me. One of them I do with other people, and one I do alone. Well, in the car.
I take Tai Chi. Every time I go back to it after an absence – whether that absence is one of a couple weeks or a couple years – I can feel my entire being release. Relax. Breathe.
Go here to see a beautiful example of the 24 form Tai Chi .
I take it for myself. I go alone – no husband, no sons – just me. It’s my space – the people there are genuinely happy to see me, and email me when it’s been a while. It’s a place for me to cherish myself, to feel that connection back to my ballet dancing days, to breathe and get in touch with the energy of life. When I see friends there, that makes the class better – but when I only have acquaintances around me, that’s fine, too. I’m accepted.
The first time I went back – at the very end of January, after two full years and then some – the emotions ran high. I hadn’t planned on going back – but Tom had been urging me to. Tai Chi is the perfect thing to do when you need to regain your sense of balance! I had worn the appropriate shoes that day – so I went to the studio, bought a new set of clothes, and signed up for a month.
When Sifu saw me try to sneak by the children’s Kung Fu class to the dressing room, she did a double take, excused herself from her class, and came over and gave me a hug. It’s that kind of place. I felt I had come home.
I’m exhausted both mentally and physically after class, but my body, mind and spirit are better the next day. It fills a need I have that I don’t realize – and I am so grateful for it.
thanks to library.thinkquest.org for the image
The other thing I do for myself is sing. Not just to the radio – I have a set of cds that I borrow from my hubby. They’re vocal exercises, but with a bit of a jazz beat. So it’s not operatic, but it is fun! I also have another cd that helps me learn how to harmonize. (Um, but no, I don’t do karaoke. Never have, never will. That will be all.)
I do almost all my singing in the car – yes, I know, I should be standing up – but still, it’s a fun way to use up some energy, it keeps me awake when I drive, and it exercises my voice. I used to take voice lessons a couple of decades ago, when I thought I might want to do musical theater; but I have to tell you, these exercises are much more fun than what I used to do. And I think I’m a better singer now, too. Everything I’ve heard says that people sing better as they age. Or maybe that’s just opera singers…
So, there you have it. Two things I do, just for me, that don’t benefit anyone else. They are my personal joys. I probably do more, but when I stopped to think about it, the other things that are joys also bring joy to others, and that’s not what I was aiming for this go-around.
What are your personal joys? Do you do anything “just for you” that doesn’t benefit anyone else? I’d love to hear about it!
It’s been raining here this week. Whatever the weather wherever you are, please drive safely – and drink responsibly!
by Christine | Uncategorized
During the drive back from San Diego last night, my 21 y/o son and I had a conversation about fortitude. How this one acquaintance of ours had the opportunity to really do something wonderful, but instead the opportunity got snatched away from her.
I wondered if it had been snatched away because she continually talked about being so tired, so stressed out, so worn from doing this something wonderful (which made others in the story think – well, she’s not up to dealing with this something wonderful, hence the taking away of the opportunity).
And I wondered – this would have been the perfect time for her to show the world that she DID have it in her to do awesome things. To triumph over nature and adversity. She didn’t, and that boat sailed without her. (Metaphor.)
I don’t understand that mentality. Maybe it was the way I was raised, but when things start to fall apart, the LAST thing you do is fall apart. You hold in your gut, dig deep, and get everyone over the hump so to speak. Then after the crisis has passed – THEN you can fall apart.
When I mentioned all this to my son, he said that lots of people don’t have that ability to dig deep and maintain their sanity while the sky is falling and at the same time take care of everyone else so they don’t get a concussion. (Okay – maybe he didn’t put it quite like that. But he could have, because he’s damned creative.) Which I guess I knew already, but it made me sad.
What do you think? Do YOU have that internal fortitude? (I think of it as what got everyone through two world wars. Dig in, do what must be done type of thing.) Does everyone have it, but not believe that they do? Can it be taught, or ripped out of a person?
Rosie the Riveter
Most important – is that kind of fortitude truly uncommon now? Have we as a society lost the art of doing more with less, and without whining about it? I’d love to know your opinion…
Some of the buzz around Sasha Summers’ new book Medusa – A Love Story – available now!