Thursday, December 13, 2012

Holiday Gifts of Love Blog Hop

Top Ten Reasons I Love The Christmas Season

We're hopping, peeps!  It's holiday time, and for me and mine, that means time to celebrate one of the holiest Christian holidays--Christmas!  So many things I love about this time of year, so I wanted to share my Top Ten Reasons I Love the Christmas Season.  I hope you can totally relate.

10. The goofy kid in the holiday school program who waves and shouts at his or her family and sings loudly off key the whole time. (Yeah, it's usually mine.)

9.   The growing (and lovable) mish-mash of kid-made ornaments decorating my once gold and silver Christmas tree.

8.   "O Holy Night," "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Jingle Bell Rock," and "Breath of Heaven"--the songs I crank and belt out anytime they play on the all-Christmas-all-the-time radio.

7.   Despite the holiday stress, despite the crazy to-do lists, despite the increased traffic...everywhere, people still seem to be at their happiest.

6.   Light displays give my kiddos free entertainment with every street we turn onto.

5.   People actually invite me to parties!

4.   Finally getting to see family that all my early fond memories surround.

3.   Fooooood! Need I say more?

2.   No school for the holidays! (Can you tell I'm a teacher?)  And more time for denting the TBR pile!

1.   The reason behind the season--my Lord and Savior--Jesus Christ.  May I never forget this.

There you go.  Leave me a comment about your favorite part of the holidays for a chance to win a $10.00 gift card to the e-tailer of your choice.  You must comment to be entered into the grand prize drawings.  Don't forget to leave your e-mail address.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

And don't forget to keep hoppin' through to the other sites for more chances to win.  You can find them here:  http://carrieannbloghops.blogspot.com/

There are THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times, including this one!


Now what are those prizes?

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $200 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!



Happy Reading and Writing!



Charlie hides her true identity inside a community made up only of males, but her presence places everyone around her in danger. This community is surrounded by Draghoul, once-human creatures bent on infecting others. Left with no other choice but to remain, she fears her secret will be discovered, and she’ll be thrown to the creatures she dreads. Yet, the longer she stays with these survivors, the less benevolent they appear. 

In this new and dangerous version of the world, where the friend beside you might be an enemy and an enemy might be your only friend, seventeen-year-old Charlie protects her baby sister and herself from grotesque monsters outside the community as well as human ones inside. Will the truth she discovers about her protectors save her or ultimately doom her to a fate worse than death?

This is the first full-length novel in the Mercy Series.

C. C. Marks

Friday, November 30, 2012

View From the Grown-Up Table


Okay, so I'm old enough to know better, right?  Believe me, my butt sits squarely at the grown-up table.  No doubt about it.  Yet, so often I find myself cleaning up childish messes of my own making.

The latest one was losing my wallet--complete with credit cards, driver's license, and insurance cards.  With the attention span of a gnat's twitchy minuscule brain, I dropped it in a parking lot next to my car and drove off none the wiser.  Didn't even notice it was gone until later that evening--not because I needed to buy anything, but because I swear I have a guardian angel who whispers in my ear when something's not quite right.  After an exhaustive search of the usual places, I called the gas station, which was my only stop that morning, and asked if they'd found a wallet.  I felt like such a goof just asking, but was even more disappointed to hear that no lost wallets had turned up.

Now, I really panicked.  I called my bank to put a hold on my debit/credit card and cancelled my other credit cards immediately.  Fortunately, there hadn't been any activity on any of them all day.  That meant one of two things.  Either A. it was just somewhere I hadn't looked yet or B. someone had figured out they weren't going to get far with the maxed-out credit cards in my wallet.  Of course, they were more than welcome to pay some down while they had them in their possession.  I might have even bought them something nice if they had.

Alas, still no clues as to where it could possibly be.  So, I re-ordered insurance cards and prepped myself to file a police report.  After all, that would be the grown-up thing to do.

However, my super-secret guardian angel seemed to be telling me to wait, and so I figured if it still hadn't turned up by the end of the week, I'd file the report and cross my fingers no one tried to pretend to be me--poor fool that they'd be.

The next morning, I stopped at the same gas station, cash in hand this time, gathered a few items and went to pay.  The cashier looked nice enough, so I swallowed my pride and asked, "Did anyone, by chance, turn in a wallet recently?"

He glanced below the counter and asked, "What color?"

Oh, my hopes soared as I said, "Pink, with flowers."

"Yeah, this one?"

And you know what?  It was my wallet.  Aaaaah!  Needless to say, I gushed profusely about how he'd made my day and how beyond happy I was now.

Of course, it wasn't all rainbows and unicorns.  I still have to wait for all my cancelled cards to be re-issued in seven to ten business days.  But life is good again, and though I still feel very much like a *cough*-year-old child playing grown-up most days, I guess I don't have to worry about anyone else doing a better job of being me now that I have my identity back.

Anyway, one of these days, I might actually grow up.  Until then, happy reading and writing.

C. C. Marks

Sunday, November 18, 2012

When My Big Moment is Your Meh...

Overheard someone in a store the other day say, "So I said it right to the teacher's face."  But I couldn't help but wonder if the moment was as momentous to the teacher as to this person.  As a teacher, I couldn't help but wonder how many students felt they'd had a moment in my room that I wasn't even aware I was a part of.  I've had students say shocking things in my room, but I'm not easily shocked, so I can't say that too much has left that strong of an impact.

So when I tell you that lately I'm dealing with some heavy stuff, I know it won't impact your life very much at all, and I'm okay with that.  Just know, I'm still here, but life is a slog through a bog lately.  Please forgive me for not being as active lately.  I'm still writing and reading, but I've gone a little quiet lately as I consider a few life changes.

Thanks for understanding.

C. C. Marks

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

I'm On Edin Road Radio

Come listen to me at 6:30, Thursday night (November 8, 2012) at http://www.edinroad.com/radio 

I'm excited to be doing my first live interview.

It's going to be a great time, and I'm soooo excited!

Happy Reading (and Listening)

C. C.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Emerald Talisman $100 Audio Book Blast


The Emerald Talisman Audio Book by Brenda Pandos  
Read by Mary Morgan

You can run from your destiny, but you can't hide.

If for no other reason than to help endure the hormonal rush of high school, sixteen-year-old Julia Parker would trade her ability to feel her fellow students' emotions in a heartbeat, especially half the boys in class.

When the beguiling Nicholas uses his superhuman strength to rescue Julia from the edge of a cliff before she's devoured by a bloodthirsty stalker, Julia is suddenly thrust into an underground world where people and animals are often one and the same. Fellow high school students disappear and only Julia and Nicholas know the truth. While Nicholas, a vampire hunter, is out stopping the ever-growing coven, an old friend entices Julia to join him on the dark side and a psychic tells Julia she alone is the key to stopping the madness, problem is it'll require Nicholas' life. 






Author Brenda Pandos:  

Brenda Pandos lives in California with her husband and two boys. She attempts to balance her busy life filled with writing, being a mother and wife, and spending time with friends and family. Working formerly as an I.T. Administrator, she never believed her imagination would be put to good use. After her son was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder her life completely changed. Writing paranormal romance became something she could do at home while tending to the new needs of her family, household, and herself.


Three years later, Brenda now has five books published, The Talisman Trilogy: The Emerald Talisman, The Sapphire Talisman, and The Onyx Talisman, and Mer Tales: Everblue and Evergreen. She is currently working on the third book of Mer Tales, Everlost, coming February 2013.



LINKS:
Website * Blog * Goodreads * Twitter * Facebook 


Audio Book Tour 

Readers are invited to participate in The Emerald Talisman blog tour from 10/26-11/23 hosted by Confessions of a Bookaholic. There will be giveaways, interviews and a scavenger hunt! 





Book Blast Giveaway Details:
$100 Amazon Gift Card or $100 PayPal Cash from Author Brenda Pandos
Ends 10/30/12
*You need not enter your twitter name for each entry.  Simply enter it when you follow Brenda and leave the others blank.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent's permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.



Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Why Supernatural is My New Addiction

I wouldn't say I'm OCD.  Believe me, if you saw the mess that trails behind me, you'd agree that I'm possibly the long, lost fraternal twin of Charles Schultz's character Pigpen.  Sorry if that is TMI, but the point is, despite my messiness, I do get obsessive about some things.

For instance, I'm obsessing over finishing a paranormal romance right now.  Unfortunately, it's not Heart of Mercy, which is progressing, but not as quickly as I wanted.  Instead, I should have The Fae Next Door finished by the weekend.

Lately, I'm also obsessing over Sam and Dean Winchester and their perpetual fight against evil also.  I readily admit I don't watch a lot of TV lately.  You see, I've vowed to DVR all my shows and watch them when time allows, so that I can be a responsible, contributing member of my family (cough, cough...something about needing clean underwear...cough, cough).  As a result, I have been practically living under a rock the past few years, and though I'd heard of the show Supernatural, I thought my life would be whole without having watched it.  Poor, pitiful, ignorant me!  This show rocks it hard!

Now, I'm busy watching Netflix on the Ipad, catching myself up on the earlier seasons.  I've got two more episodes in season 3 (the writer strike season, so only 16 episodes), and it's getting more and more difficult to pretend I don't have to have the Ipad right at this moment when all I can think about is how Dean is going to keep from spending eternity in Hell, and doesn't everyone realize how hard it is to concentrate on anything else until I know the answer; I mean, come on already, how many Disney shows about talking dogs do you have to watch tonight, really?

::Deep breath::  Okay, so it's a tad obsession that I'll move on from eventually, but for now Supernatural is my new addiction.

Happy Reading and Writing (And Supernatural watching),

C. C.

Sunday, September 30, 2012

I Feel Pitch-Slapped!

Date night this weekend, and as that usually means dinner and a movie for hubby and me, I saw the movie that will soon grace my DVD shelf (in about six months) when it's not in my DVD player.  We were going to see Looper, which looks seriously kick-ass, but we were in the mood for a laugh instead of action.  We're very moody movie-watchers.

Ba-bam! There it was...Pitch Perfect.  I realize it's not exactly everyone's idea of a good time to see a bunch of teens prance around and sing, but throw in the absolutely hilarious, and big-girl-beautiful, Rebel Wilson, and this is a very gooood time.

In this movie, we follow an aspiring music producer Beca, played by Anna Kendrick of Twilight fame, as she tries to please her father and give college a chance.  Reluctantly, she tries out for the Barden Bellas, an all-girl competing a capella group, and livens it up with her music mixes.  They take on their campus rivals and though they struggle as a group, it's hilarious and fun the whole way through.

The characters are what make this movie.  I can't really describe the hilarity without spoilers, but let's just say, Fat Amy isn't the only humor in this movie.  I laughed so hard, I was holding my nose so my snorts were thoroughly suppressed.  So very funny, and the music is stellar. I got chills quite a few times.

Basically, it boils down to this...I'd pay full-price to see this one again, and I will buy this DVD to watch over and over.  Loved it!

Happy Reading and Writing (and Movie Watching),

C. C.

Friday, September 28, 2012

Video Friday--Author Insights

Love, love, love me some Meg Cabot.  Besides being an all-around, super-duper, amazing author, she also makes very funny videos and posts them to http://www.youtube.com.  Of course, many of them are hilarious trailers and spoofs about her books, but some are just insightful to the goings-on of her creative mind.  I'm a subscriber, and these vids are often just so much fun.  Like this one, for instance--fun, fun, fun:


Happy Reading and Writing (and Video-Watching),

C. C.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Stuck in a Good Book Giveaway!

What? There's a blog hop about books? Like, the best books?  I'm SO in!

So many books sucked me in and engrossed me for a spell.  It's hard to narrow it down to just one.  So, I'll try to base it on the most recent one.  Last summer, I finally caved into the hype and read The Hunger Games.  I am so glad I did.  Ever since Lois Lowry's The Giver, and Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, I've been fascinated by the dystopian genre.  What would we do if society as we know it collapsed?  How would we go on?

The Hunger Games does an excellent job of giving a sympathetic character with Katniss Everdeen.

Not only is she independent, but she takes care of her family and would do anything for them, including sacrifice herself, if she has to.  That's how she ends up in The Hunger Games, a competition contrived by the government to keep the people in line after a previous rebellion.

Katniss is amazing in the games, and in the end, refuses to compromise her beliefs and follow the dictates of a corrupt government.

Of course, I could go on and on, but most have probably read it or seen the recent film.  If not, I don't want to spoil it for you.  Basically, it boils down to this--this book is about hope.  All dystopians are about hope.  Even though the conflict is great, the journey to salvation is worth it and leaves the reader hopeful that if the world ever did go crazy, we would survive and thrive.

Though I began writing Edge of Mercy before I read The Hunger Games, and though they both have a strong heroine, their journeys are very different.  In Edge of Mercy, Charlie disguises herself as a boy to protect her sister from the monsters outside the community walls as well as the human ones inside.  Her world is far from perfect, but they're all on the Edge of Mercy.

Thanks for stopping by.  I'm giving away two $5 gift cards to the e-seller of your choice and a copy of Edge of Mercy.  Complete the entries that interest you for multiple chances to win.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget to check out the other giveaways at http://www.iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com

Friday, September 14, 2012

Video Friday--A Little Julian Smith in Your Life

If you haven't seen Julian Smith's YouTube videos (or his alter-ego Jeffery Dallas), you've been missing out.  I'm a subscriber, so I've watched nearly all his many videos.  Here is the first one I ever watched.  Maybe it's a little warped, but for some reason I can't really explain, I find it funny:


Just to give you fair warning though, you usually can't watch just one video.  And some of them will leave you on the floor.  Check them out, if you get the chance.

Happy Reading and Writing (and video-watching),

C. C.

Friday, September 7, 2012

Video Friday--Laugh With Me

I love JustForLaughsTV on Youtube. I subscribe because they upload funny videos three or four times a day. I can't watch all those, but it brightens my day when I can at least check out one.

Today I saw this one about the power of love and wanted to share.

Have a look at this one and try not to smile:

Happy Reading and Writing!

C. C.

Monday, September 3, 2012

Progress! Heart of Mercy

Yeah! Made it through a pivotal and tense scene in Heart of Mercy. Only 7,690 words in, but making progress. Hope to make it to 10,000 words tonight.

It took two things. One: my new technique of listing the action in a scene and mentally checking off as I write a particular bit of it. And two: employing my tried and true, "I'll just write for ten minutes,"  technique. One of two things always happens when I do this. Either I write for ten minutes and get a little further (every little bit counts), or I keep going past the ten minutes and kick writing butt. It's not fool-proof, but it works for me.

Excuse my ADD moment, but I also found an interesting discussion written in March 2012 about why the boom in YA fiction recently. The writer shares,

"Why are so many adults reading young adult books? No need to page Dr. Freud. This isn’t about the guilty pleasures of communing with one’s inner child. It doesn’t signify a huge baby boomer regression. It isn’t even about nostalgia. 
It’s because adults are discovering one of publishing’s best-kept secrets: that young adult authors are doing some of the most daring work out there. Authors who write for young adults are taking creative risks -- with narrative structure, voice and social commentary -- that you just don’t see as often in the more rarefied world of adult fiction."
I rather like the idea of YA taking those creative risks. How fun and fantastic! Is YA fiction where the daring ideas are?
If you'd like to see more, the entire article can be found here.


Happy Reading and Writing!

C. C. Marks

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Feed Your Reader E-books Giveaway

I am so excited to be participating in the "Feed Your Reader E-books Giveaway," hosted by I Am a Reader, not a Writer.  Enter to win one of three copies of Edge of Mercy, by completing one or more entries on the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.  Good luck!  I'm also participating in the E-Reader Giveaway.  You'll find the rafflecopter for that at the bottom of the post.

Edge of Mercy is a dystopian suspense novel about a girl disguised as a boy, hiding in a community of survivors, defending her sister and herself from the hideous monsters outside the community, as well as, the human ones inside.

Writing this story got the old noggin' thinking about the things I would miss if the world ever did go "goat-poop crazy." So here are my Top Ten Things I'd Miss in the Event of the End of the World.  Hope you enjoy and don't forget to pick up a FREE copy of the story that inspired it all--"Mercy."  It's free at Amazon, BN, and Kobo. You can click on the cover to the right of this post to download it to your Kindle.

TOP TEN THINGS I'D MISS IN THE EVENT OF THE END OF THE WORLD

10.  Hot, hot showers! (One word--STINKY)
9.    Chocolate (Pretty sure it will be currency in the future)
8.    New releases by my favorite authors (of course)
7.    The Internet (Was there life before it?)
6.    Taking a leisurely walk around my neighborhood
5.    Mocha Frappes (Are you catching a repeating theme of chocolate?)
4.    Pizza (Pepperoni, extra cheese, green peppers, black olives, and banana peppers)
3.    Movies (Give me a good romcom or action/suspense and I'm happy).
2.    Fave TV shows like Project Runway, Top Chef, and Supernatural
1.    My Kindle and Nooks (Yes, I have more than one e-reader. It's probably against the rules or something, but I love to read!)

So, there you go. These are my Top Ten Things I'd Miss.  How about you?  Take a look at the rafflecopters below.  Complete the entries that interest you for a chance to win.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, August 20, 2012

LASR Anniversary Blogfest

Come check out Long and Short Reviews Anniversary Blogfest to win some very awesome prizes. Find it all HERE.

Happy Reading!

C. C.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

I'm Featured on Taryn Raye's Blog Today


You can find me at http://tarynraye.blogspot.com/ today, talking about books, research, casting heroes and heroines for the movie version, and Edge of Mercy.  Stop by and leave me a comment, if you get a chance.


Sunday, August 12, 2012

Six Sunday--Edge of Mercy



It's been an awesome couple of weeks around here. I'm having such a great time sharing Charlie's story with readers. It's been a little distracting (see my previous post), but I wouldn't change any of it.  Thank you to those who have been so very, very supportive.  Your excitement keeps me going.  

Let's get to the good stuff.  In this scene, the monstrous Draghoul are fighting to get to the people hiding inside and Charlie dreams of someplace safe from it all:

In my mind, I combined the known with the unknown and escaped, away from the community and away from the Draghoul forever. If only it were that simple.
As far as I knew, the whole world struggled to survive just like we did, but there were rumors…well…one rumor, by someone who’d been there and come back…a rumor of a city that was safe. The city stood free of the Draghoul plague and offered its citizens food and shelter and a place where going out at night wasn’t a death sentence. Even the name of the city filled me with longing—Mercy.
Read more Six Sentence Sundays here, or sign up to participate next week. Hope you have an enjoyable Sunday.

Happy Writing and Reading,

C. C.


Charlie hides her true identity, but her very presence places everyone around her in danger. With no other choice but to remain where she is, she stays with a community that might not be as benevolent as it appears. In this post-apocalyptic romance where a friend might be an enemy and an enemy might be a friend, seventeen-year-old Charlie protects her baby sister and herself from grotesque monsters outside the community as well as human ones inside. Will the truth she discovers about her protectors save her or ultimately doom her to a fate worse than death?


Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Omnilit
Smashwords

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Make Me Write Heart of Mercy!

Besides the release and the welcome response, one of the best parts of my week so far has been looking at blog stats. No, I'm not a math nerd (though I did take and actually pass calculus) plus numbers don't usually make my day.  And in this case, it wasn't the statistical data that got me all excited anyway.  No, instead, I got a little giddy when I saw the search terms that led people to my blog.  Why?  Because, someone Googled whether there was a book two following Edge of Mercy.  Did you hear that?  Someone out there wants to know if the series continues.

Well, I'm here to tell you that indeed it does.  Heart of Mercy is the next book in the Mercy Series and it is well underway.  I'm going to be honest though.  I've been so busy this week trying to get word out about Edge of Mercy, I've not met my writing goals on Heart of Mercy.  So, this is my promise to you.  I will finish this book and the final one before 2012 ends.  My goal is to have Heart of Mercy out by the end of September and Escape from Mercy out by the end of November.  

The funny thing is that search stream for the next book in the series motivated me to get back to the keyboard in a way nothing else ever has, so if you feel so inclined, drop me an occasional e-mail, comment here on the blog, basically bug me as much as you can to write these books.  I know you're going to love this story, so I've got to get it on paper (or screen, as the case may be).  With that said, I'm going to get back to typing.

Happy Reading and Writing,

C. C.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Six Sentence Sunday--Edge of Mercy


Yup-yup! I am so excited to announce that Edge of Mercy is available at all major online bookstores. Thanks for all the awesome feedback so far.

I've posted excerpts from Edge of Mercy on my other blog, but here are six more sentences from the story.  If you want to read earlier snippets or the short introductory fiction story I published, you can find them here (from three weeks ago on this blog), here and here.  Otherwise, let's get to the good stuff.  In this scene, the monstrous Draghoul are fighting to get to the people hiding inside:
Were they in the building? With knees raised to my chest, I sunk into myself, lifting my hands to my ears again. Fear pooled in my abdomen, but I couldn’t give in. When I was younger, my mother held me tightly when I was afraid, but my father pushed me to face those same fears. Now I was alone and understood my father’s lessons. Except for Star, I was completely alone.
Read more Six Sentence Sundays here, or sign up to participate next week. Hope you have an enjoyable Sunday.

Happy Writing and Reading,

C. C.


Charlie hides her true identity, but her very presence places everyone around her in danger. With no other choice but to remain where she is, she stays with a community that might not be as benevolent as it appears. In this post-apocalyptic romance where a friend might be an enemy and an enemy might be a friend, seventeen-year-old Charlie protects her baby sister and herself from grotesque monsters outside the community as well as human ones inside. Will the truth she discovers about her protectors save her or ultimately doom her to a fate worse than death?



Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Omnilit
Smashwords

Friday, August 3, 2012

Featured on THEBOOKLOVERS

Oh. My. Goodness! I'm so excited that "Mercy," is featured on The Book Lovers today. And what's more, they like it. They really, really like it.

As if that wasn't enough though, they also posted info about Edge of Mercy. I really, really love people right now.

If you get a chance, check out the post HERE.

Yay! Thank you, thebooklovers!

Charlie’s true identity is a secret, but her very presence places everyone around her in danger. With no other choice but to remain where she is, she stays with a community that might not be as benevolent as it appears. In this short dystopian romance where a friend might be an enemy and an enemy might be a friend, seventeen-year-old Charlie must protect her baby sister and herself from grotesque monsters outside the community as well as human ones inside. Will the truth she discovers about her protectors save her or ultimately doom her to a fate worse than death?


Around 9800 words. Part of a larger work titled Edge of Mercy




Happy Reading and Writing!


C. C.

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Edge of Mercy is on Amazon!

Let's Go!  Edge of Mercy is LIVE and available for purchase at Amazon!  Barnes and Noble and Kobo are coming soon, and though you can get it on Smashwords, I'm still waiting for premium status so that it will be sent to Sony and Apple.

Woot!  I'm so excited!  Come on, world, tell me you love it!


Charlie hides her true identity, but her very presence places everyone around her in danger. With no other choice but to remain where she is, she stays with a community that might not be as benevolent as it appears. In this new and dangerous version of the world, where a friend might be an enemy and an enemy might be a friend, seventeen-year-old Charlie protects her baby sister and herself from grotesque monsters outside the community as well as human ones inside. Will the truth she discovers about her protectors save her or ultimately doom her to a fate worse than death?

BN Buylink: Coming Soon
Kobo Buylink: Coming Soon

Happy Reading and Writing!

C. C.

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Six Sentence Sunday--Edge of Mercy

Wow! Barring any technical difficulties, Edge of Mercy, releases Tuesday, July 31st.  That's this Tuesday!  Oh, happy day!  I'm so excited for others to read about Charlie.


I've posted excerpts from Edge of Mercy on my other blog, but here are six more sentences from the story.  If you want to read earlier snippets or the short introductory fiction story I published, you can find them here (from two weeks ago on this blog), here and here.  Otherwise, let's get to the good stuff.  In this scene, Charlie describes the monstrous Draghoul fighting to get inside to attack the people hiding:
I’d seen them up close, and they were beyond frightening. Their exteriors weren’t much different from when they were human. And they were once human, as unbelievable as it was. But the transformation into a monster was permanent and dreadful. The pale sallow skin, the glazed, souless eyes, the malicious teeth were a vision I would never forget. The fact they used to be people we knew, some we loved, made the sight of them all the more devastating.
Read more Six Sentence Sundays here, or sign up to participate next week. Hope you have an enjoyable Sunday.

Happy Writing and Reading,

C. C.


Charlie hides her true identity, but her very presence places everyone around her in danger. With no other choice but to remain where she is, she stays with a community that might not be as benevolent as it appears. In this post-apocalyptic romance where a friend might be an enemy and an enemy might be a friend, seventeen-year-old Charlie protects her baby sister and herself from grotesque monsters outside the community as well as human ones inside. Will the truth she discovers about her protectors save her or ultimately doom her to a fate worse than death?

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Come Find Me at Darkling Delights


What's the appeal of the dystopian genre? Stop by Darkling Delights to weigh in today as I guest blog.  I'll also be sharing an excerpt from Edge of Mercy.  Stop by if you get a chance:

http://t.co/VclMmHFJ

Happy Reading and Writing,

Cherie/C. C.


Sunday, July 22, 2012

Six Sunday--Edge of Mercy

Good morning!  Thanks for stopping by my tiny slice of the internet.


I've posted excerpts from Edge of Mercy on my other blog, but this novel will be released at the end of this month, so here are six more sentences from the story.  If you want to read earlier snippets or the flash fiction piece I published, you can find them here (from last week on this blog), here and here.  Otherwise, let's get to the good stuff.  This is a short but tense scene early in the book when this small group of survivors are under attack:
He pulled one of my hands free from my ear and asked, “It’s worse than before, right?”
Before? Before what? Before tonight? Before I stumbled through the community gate? Before the world turned to blood, survival, and hiding at night, always hiding at night?
Read more Six Sentence Sundays here, or sign up to participate next week. Hope you have an enjoyable Sunday.

Happy Writing and Reading,

C. C.

Charlie’s true identity is a secret, but her very presence places everyone around her in danger. With no other choice but to remain where she is, she stays with a community that might not be as benevolent as it appears. In this riveting scene from a post-apocalyptic romance where a friend might be an enemy and an enemy might be a friend, eighteen-year-old Charlie must protect her baby sister and herself from grotesque monsters outside the community as well as human ones inside. Will the truth she discovers about her protectors save her or ultimately doom her to a fate worse than death?

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Big Reveal for Edge of Mercy



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<-------------What do you think of the cover?

Literally, just a couple weeks away from the publication of Edge of Mercy.  My excitement is building, but like any major project, there have been a few issues along the way.  Not the least of which was creating my second cover ever and then losing it to the computer gremlins.  Yeah, I get why people pay for book covers.  Next time...next time.  Yet, I think it was for the best because it gave me a moment to step back and think through the process a little more.  I really, really like the finished product I was finally able to SAVE today, but I'm definitely still learning.  Here's a little more about Edge of Mercy:


Charlie’s true identity is a secret, and her very presence places everyone around her in danger. With no other choice but to remain where she is, she stays with a community that might not be as benevolent as it appears. In this post-apocalyptic romance where a friend might be an enemy and an enemy might be a friend, seventeen-year-old Charlie must protect her baby sister and herself from grotesque monsters outside the community as well as human ones inside. Will the truth she discovers about her protectors save her or ultimately doom her to a fate worse than death?

Happy Reading and Writing,

C. C. Marks



Sunday, July 15, 2012

Six Sentence Sunday--Edge of Mercy

I might look like a Six Sunday noob, but I've actually participated for a while as my alter-ego, Cherie Marks, and I'm preparing to release a different genre from my usual, so today I want to give C. C. Marks some exposure.  I've posted excerpts from Edge of Mercy on the original blog, but this novel will be released at the end of this month, so here are six more sentences from the story.  If you want to read earlier snippets or the flash fiction story I published, you can find them here and here.  Otherwise, let's get to the good stuff:

Screeches and clangs bombarded the combination wood and chain link fence around the outside of the brick structure. We cowered in windowless cells inside. My hands firmly planted over the sides of my head, I couldn't force myself to pull them free. I was certain our security was solid. The fence was electric and the building reinforced from the inside, but tonight, something was different. The creatures never attacked with this much intensity, this much ferocity, and a wish to crawl into the deepest, darkest hole and hide there until it all ended crept over me.
It would end. It always ended.
Read more Six Sentence Sundays here, or sign up to participate next week. Hope you have an enjoyable Sunday.

Happy Writing and Reading,

C. C.


Thursday, July 12, 2012

That All-Important Cover

So I was at the Barnes and Noble that sits a hop, skip, and a jump away from me yesterday.  And, all those lovely books were calling my name.  I even picked a few up and stroked their covers, you know, just to make them feel special and all.  Unfortunately, my money and time budgets are super-tight right now, so I had to ignore the pleas of those gorgeous books and place them firmly back on the shelf for some other lucky person to pick up and love.  It was hard, but I was there on business, not pleasure.

The covers were my real focus.  I'm cover shopping right now for Edge of Mercy.  I have in mind what I want it to look like, but I wanted to double-check to see if my vision was the popular vision.  Now, don't get me wrong, I don't follow the fads--anymore.  But, I certainly don't want to shoot myself in the foot by putting up a cover no one would take a first, second, or any look at.  It needs to pop, look good as a thumbnail.  Let's face it, it needs to beg a reader to stop, not to keep on browsing, but to 'pick me, pick me!', much like the ones I had to reluctantly put back.  Not such a tall order, right?

Yep, I know I'm on the right track, but now I just have to find that perfect combination of irresistible and can't-look-away-ness (I might need to work on my vocabulary too :0) ).  At any rate, I really like this kind of research.

Happy Reading and Writing,

C.C.


Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Hello, World! C.C. says Hi!

Bam, Bam, Toast and Jam!  C. C. Marks is stepping out into the literary world.  Coming soon, Edge of Mercy will be available on the 'Zon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Smashwords (which will distribute to Apple, Sony, Diesel, and a few others).

I'm getting great feedback from my Beta readers and all the pieces are falling into place.  Great cover, which I'll reveal here and on my alter-ego's blog.  I'll also be trickin' out this blog to make it more beautimous for all and beginning to spread my presence like peanut butter on the bread of the Internet.

Along the way, I'll be stopping by other blogs and doing what I can to introduce Charlie, Thomas, and Zeke to the world.

Come back when you can,

C. C. Marks