Thursday 29 November 2012

NaNoWriMo- WINNER

WINNER: Mechancial Breath
 
Words: 50090
Pages: 106 
 
 
 
With a failing heart and a broken family, Chloe feels like she is fighting a losing battle. Medical bills her father can not pay and a heart condition that ties her to a hospital bed pushes Chloe over the edge. Unable to withstand another moment, Chloe runs far from her beaten home and gets caught in an electrical storm that strikes her down and drags her into darkness.
When she finally awakes its at the hands of a mysterious stranger. A boy with machines for body parts and a robotic voice. Within a dying, polluted world, Chloe finds her self a medical miracle to those of a different dimension, of a human race far superior to her own; trying to survive on a dead planet.
Replacing human organs for mechanical counterparts, at what stage does a human stop being a human and becomes a machine?
 

Mechanical Breath - Jakob the Cyborg

This is my NaNoWriMo project called Mechanical Breath.

Jakob the Cyborg.

A teenage boy living on the planet of Promelues, an alter dimension to earth where the planet is dead and technology has advanced beyond our understanding. To survive on their decaying home, the human race have to exchange their human organs for mechanical counterparts.

Jakob has his right eye upgraded for an artifical eye, his right arm and right leg are all replaced with metal. Jakob is serious, quiet and fascinated with all things strange and foreign. So when a girl from planet earth lands on their planet, Jakob grows an unhealthy obsession with the 'alien'.

Sneak Peak:
“Yeah, she’s unique and we think that is why the Council are out to get her.”

“Why would they want her though?” Hyde crouched down next to him as Jakob stopped clawing through the pieces to consider his answer.

“Because she’s perfect.” He couldn’t help but shake his head in laughter. “She’s the perfect human being; her body is unscratched by pollution unlike ours. She has her original organs and voice and eyes. Except for her heart, but even so her heart wasn’t damage like ours is damaged. She can very well be the cure to our Magnate crisis.”

“I thought you said you found her on in the pits. How is it possible that her body survived in perfect condition for so long? Even hiding a city beneath the surface can’t protect us from the disease and death from above.” Hyde slumped into the wall, running his hands along his mouth. “Do you really think that she’s the answer? But then why would the Council want to kill her?”

“It’s our guess they’ll want to dissect her. I can’t let them… they won’t see a human being they’ll just see a test subject.”
 


Thank you so much to the wonderful and talented Genki-de for her amazing work on Jakob. Please check out her gallery if you have a moment to spare, it truly is breath taking.

Artist:Genki-de


To all new readers to Mechanical Breath:
With a failing heart and a broken family, Chloe feels like she is fighting a losing battle. Medical bills her father can not pay and a heart condition that ties her to a hospital bed pushes Chloe over the edge. Unable to withstand another moment, Chloe runs far from her beaten home and gets caught in an electrical storm that strikes her down and drags her into darkness.
When she finally awakes its at the hands of a mysterious stranger. A boy with machines for body parts and a robotic voice. Within a dying, polluted world, Chloe finds her self a medical miracle to those of a different dimension, of a human race far superior to her own; trying to survive on a dead planet.
Replacing human organs for mechanical counterparts, at what stage does a human stop being a human and becomes a machine?

Wednesday 28 November 2012

Book Thongs have Arrived

Just some pictures of the Book Thongs from Rhonda. Again, if you are interested in her stuff please just contact her via facebook, she's is such a lovely and sweet friend and easy to approach. 
Facebook to Rhonda M Perkins: Click Here








Tuesday 20 November 2012

Book Launch - Happening RIGHT NOW

I am having so much fun, there is a book launch for our beloved E.C Hibbs and her book Blindsighted Wanderer and HK Savage's Second Sight happening RIGHT NOW on facebook.
Follow this link  and join in the fun, there are chances to win some amazing prizes. 
 
 
 
We are celebrating the back to back release of Staccato Publishing's newest releases - Second Sight by HK Savage, the much loved author of The Path & The Empath Trilogy as well as the debut novel for E.C. Hibbs, Blindsighted Wanderer.

We are going to have some giveaways, games and prizes on the night and are looking forward to partying it up with you all. You don't want to miss it!

There will be a prize for the person that invites & gets the most attendees so make sure you get them to say you sent them.
Congratulations HK Savage & E.C. Hibbs


Sunday 18 November 2012

TAM'S TWO CENTS

A very big thank you to the lovely and wonderful Tammy Middleton from Tam's Two Cents.
She has been an amazing friend not only to myself but to everyone under the branch of Staccato Publishing. For the month of November the authors with Staccato have been given a spotlight month, including interviews, give aways, guests blogs and an amazing chance to win some of Staccato's finest books.  
It is now my turn ~ for my spotlight we have an interview and Tammy wrote a review for me based on My Demonic Ghost.

TAM'S TWO CENTS:
 
*From Blog*
 
 
Maree has taken the concept of demon possession to a new level with My Demonic Ghost. Dark and captivating as we follow the story of 15 year old Rachael Hastings (the host) and Lock (her demon).
When Rachael travels to Whitehaven to visit her ailing father who dies soon after she unwittingly becomes her father's demons new host. Lock links himself to her with a kiss, wrapping her in chains and tying her soul to him. As a banished spirit he must feed off a human host to remain in our realm. In a welcomed twist, the pair become more dependent on each other as their feelings for each other grow stronger, all the while their journey takes them to the depths of hell to face the 7 deadly sins.
Maree's imagery is vivid and creative and you are transformed into this world alongside Rachael and Lock. I loved the hierarchy of the realms with the Royals, different levels of spirits and the Hunters. The character's had depth and realism to them even if most of them were demons or spirits. I also liked that the storyline was complex and detailed, giving us history on the different spirits and insight into their current names. Linking the 7 deadly sins into the story was pure genius right down to the differing eye color of the spirits that linked beautifully with their unique names and backgrounds.
In a race against time Rachael and Lock along with several other spirits and their hosts attempt to defeat the sins, therefore gaining access to the third realm where Lock's soul can be safe from the Hunter's and he can find peace. In the end as the Hunter's close in, what will Lock sacrafice for Rachael?
I was hooked from the first page and I anxiously await the sequel, Maree leaves us with an unexpected twist at the end, I must know what the future will hold for Lock and Rachael!
4/5 stars, definitely recommend this book, but that's just my two cents!


Self confessed chocaholic, Jacinta was born and raised in Melbourne Australia with her loving family of five. Even as a child Jacinta had an itch to write. Writing was the one constant hobby she clung to, also trying her hand at piano, flute, tennis, horseback riding and drama.

Jacinta works full time in the family business and spends her afternoons either playing basketball, reading, writing or hanging out with friends. She is always happy to try something new; getting her real estate license, practicing ninjitshu, Zumba and parkour to name a few.

For her future, Jacinta sees herself writing. It is a large part of her identity and something she hopes to continue. Aside from her love of stories she loves Japan and its unique and beautiful culture and history. From their delicious sushi dishes right down to their wooden sandals and kimonos. She is also a huge cat person and loves to snuggle up in front of the fire for a good movie or book. Her favorite genres are paranormal and fantasy but she also loves anything written by thriller writer, Stephen King.

I had to have a few minutes inside the mind of this creative author; here is my interview with Jacinta Maree author of My Demonic Ghost...........
INTERVIEW:
*Tell us a bit about yourself. 

Currently I am sitting in a hotel room in Queensland, finally letting my ghoulish white skin see sunlight so I am pretty happy at the moment. I am Australian and a middle child in a family of five. I have an awesome party trick which lets me touch my tongue to my nose, also helpful when there is food on my face and my hands are full. I LOVE anything and everything oriental. I have a strange obsession with collecting tea sets and teapots as well as unique chopsticks. I've also turned myself into an art collector, too bad I've run out of wall spaces to hang the pieces. I am a cat person and I love playing video games. I am not afraid of spiders or snakes but i am terrified of bees and wasps. I have been bungee jumping in New Zealand, recently returned from Japan back in July and my next travel destination is Malaysia in January and Kansas City in May.
 
*Where were you born and where do you call home?
I was born and raised in Melbourne Australia. Regardless of where I go or where I end up, that will always be my home. I lived in my current house for my whole life.

*What was your inspiration for My Demonic Ghost?
A few things triggered My Demonic Ghost, mostly I was getting a bit tired of the same story line where Angels = good and demons = bad. I wanted to write from the perspective of a so called 'monster', and I wanted to challenge the readers into cheering on the bad guys. It wasn't as simple switching the roles around so Demons are human loving, they have both good and bad qualities in them just like the 'angels' or hunters. I've tried to make them human I guess. It was Descartes the philosopher who made me start questioning the likely hood of a 'demon god' and a afterlife full of corruption with his teachings of the consciousness.
 
*For those who are unfamiliar with your novel, how would you introduce it?
Casper the not so friendly and misunderstand ghost with some bad ass Deadly Sins thrown in. It's a world where, like it or not, you are dragged into a losing battle between the Banished Spirits (demonic ghosts) and the Hunters (angelic spirits). With no choice but to go along with the demonic ghost's demands, you start to unravel the awful truth about the afterlife. It's an upside down road that makes you want the demons to win.

*What are the Pro's and Con's to being a published Author?
Pros are most definitely the amazing people you get to meet. Every single person who I've met since I started up with Staccato have been so kind to me and extremely friendly. I honestly don't have any cons, sure it can be scary to have your hard work thrown out there into the big scary world of publishing but in return you get to learn and develop more as a writer and really come to understand what other amazing works and authors are out there. If anything, it's motivating to become better.
*What was the first thing you did when you got the news My Demonic Ghost was being published?
I was so shocked when I found out the first thing I did was chase down my father. I was at work, looking over my emails when I got the wonderful news and he was just about to walk out the door. I could barely catch my breath once I caught up to him and then I just started to cry. It was a good couple of minutes before I could talk properly. After that I was very secretive about it, it was one of those moments when I was scared I was going to wake up and everything was going to just be a dream. It wasn't till the front cover came through that it finally kicked in that this was seriously happening.
*Whom in your life would you say has influenced you the most?
Obviously my parents are a huge influence, they are kind, hard working, ambitious and have taught me to reach for my dreams. Writing was just something I did on my own, I would tell only my parents about my books and had to almost hold them down to listen to every single one of my silly stories. I wrote so many of them it wasn't funny. They taught me to believe in myself.
*What has been the most interesting comment (or review) about your book?
 
I always find it so interesting when I read over people's reviews because everyone is different. Some people would tell me how scary the creature Mother was, others would comment about the love between Rachael and Lock. At one point I had to laugh when a young girl sent me a comment saying she wished to harbor a banished spirit one day. I hadn't really thought about what it would be like if I (not Rachael) had a ghost attached to me. I didn't know what I would do. And not just a ghost either, but a Banished one with the spiritual ability to summon magic and mind control. I admit, I'll be too scared to do anything.
 
*Who is YOUR favorite Author?
 
Brent Weeks and Stephen King, hands down. Though now that I am meeting more and more new authors I feel like my list to growing everyday.
 
*What are you reading right now?

Right now I am reading The Reaping by Leighton M, which I am absolutely loving at the moment.
 
*What research did you do while writing this story?
 
During the time I was writing My Demonic Ghost, I was learning about Descartes Inferno and studying up on other afterlife myths. A large chunk of the book is created from my own imagination, giving ghosts and spirits new faces, new duties and classifications. I wanted to step back and just ask the big question, is the afterlife really like anything we've been taught through personal religions? Studying Philosophy really helped open my eyes to the infinite possibilities about the afterlife. Maybe things aren't just black and white but also have a cloudy grey area.
 
*Tell us your latest news.

Sticking to the topic of writing, I've just completed My Demonic Ghost - The Reapers which is Book Two. I plan on releasing three books in the Demonic Ghost series, but the more and more I dive into their world the more I learn about the characters, their struggles and their inner ambitions. A part of me fears that there may even be a book four if I don't plan it properly. Aside from paranormal romance I want to branch out and write different genres, I want to try out sci-fi, high fantasy, dystopian and many others. In my little planner book that I carry with me everywhere there are so many difference ideas and plots it's now just a matter of picking which one to start.

 

Thursday 15 November 2012

Creators - My Demonic Ghost 2

Creators: My Demonic Ghost Book 2

Another draft version of the Creator Spirits, my original concept was too similar to humans so I decided to include animal characteristics and have them appear to be like aliens. Creators are the size of human children, they have arched backs with their spines pressed against their skin and patterned bodies. Long arms that end with claws, masked faces usually with insect designs and animal prints. They are incapable of speech but can telepathically communicate to each other. They are pure instinct and lack ambition or any sense of right and wrong.

Artist: http://fdasuarez.deviantart.com/
 

Wednesday 14 November 2012

A very Special Thanks to Rhonda M Perkins

BEST BOOK THONGS EVER~
 
Sometimes it's hard for me to believe that people like Rhonda exists! I had just met her on facebook not too ago but she has been so supportive and increible generous that it feels like she's been my friend for years.
I just wanted to make a special mention to everyone about her, and show off some of her AMAZING and unique book thongs that she created for all authors, publishers and readers to enjoy.
 
Here is her facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/jacinta.maree.10/subscribedto?app_id=2415071772&ref=notif&notif_t=open_graph_subscribe#!/rhonda.m.helton please check out her photo album just so you can understand the amazing stuff she does in her spare time.
 
Here is a pic she had done for My Demonic Ghost:
 
 
 
 
 
 
AND she made a few more out of the kindness of her heart here:
 
 
Here are some examples of what she's done for others:
 
(Right now she has a 'buy two and get one free' deal going on, where the book thongs are only $15.00 each. I strong reccomend you check her out!! <3)
 

Sunday 11 November 2012

Tam's Two Cents - Spot Light Month

Tam's Two Cents is having a MASSIVE give away!!
 
It is Staccato Publishing's spot light  month where all the authors have chipped in to make this an amazing prize- you have a chance of winning: 
*Copy of Life Blood & signed bookmark *signed copy of Thoeba & signed bookmark *signed copy of CKK & signed bookmark *Ebook copy of My Demonic Ghost w/Kindlegraph & signed bookmark (US only)
 
2nd place:
*Ebook copies of Second Sight, Thoeba, Five Santa's and My Demonic Ghost (International) 
 
Bookmark Prize Pack *2 Thoeba bookmarks *2 Jay Mims bookmarks *1 Jacinta Maree bookmark (US only)
 
Click the link to check it out: http://tamssbookblog.blogspot.com.au/ 
 
*Quote from Blog *Each week we will visit with each of the different Author's under the Staccato name.
Staccato Publishing's lineup of amazing authors:
Grand Pubah, Editor and Author Heather Savage
*The Empath Trilogy
*Life Blood
*The Path
*Second Sight

 
Author Donna Milward
*Thoeba
*Aphrodites War

 
Author Jacinta Maree
*My Demonic Ghost

 
Author Jay Mims
The Oncoming Storm series
*Five Santas
*The Cult of Koo Kway
NOV 4-10: HEATHER SAVAGE (Spotlight & Guest Post)
Image of HK Savage
NOV 11-17: DONNA MILWARD (Spotlight, This OR That & A sneak peak at book 2 Aphrodite's War)
NOV 18-24: JACINTA MAREE (Author Interview & Review)
NOV 25-30: JAY MIMS (Interview with Dan Landis)

Tuesday 6 November 2012

Deadly Road - Tara Neideffer

Deadly Road -
Tara Neideffer
 
4 Stars
 
Blurb:
What happens when the dead seek revenge?

After a night out with friends turns bad, Lizzie drives home upset, exhausted, and a little tipsy. She ends up making a terrible mistake that leaves her with a dark, disturbing secret.

She is traumatized by what she's done and desperately wants to find a way to make amends with her wrong doing. She soon becomes surrounded by an evil she never knew could exist, and finds help from a dying woman in hospice.

This series of events make her realize that everything in life happens for a reason, and sometimes you have to search the darkness for the answers.
 
My Review:
 
Talk about hitting the ground running, Deadly Road started off with one of the most serious mistakes a person can ever make and a test of their morals. When the accident happened, knocking over Lizzie's once controlled world into a living nightmare the horror of her choice floods her dreams with savage wild coyotes and flickering ghosts.

Neiderffer had done a wonderful job bringing forth the terror of Lizzie's mind, having her question her reality as the images of the man she killed started to appear during her waking hours. It's a scary thought to really think about what you would do if you are put into her shoes, even after considering herself such a high morale person, to leave a body in the middle of the woods is a serious decision. Poor Lizzie panicked in the split moment that her world came unfolded and now she is tormented again and again for it. Even despite her faults Lizzie was a really likable and strong character.

For a bit i couldn't understand what the little girl had to do with the story, but obviously as the story progressed so did the truth behind the pair come into light. It was a very enjoyable read!