Mailbox Monday, Meme, Monday Memes, Musing Mondays

Monday Memes

CMash July 2, 2012 7 Comments

Hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading

Today’s question:
When you’re stuck for a book to read next, what do you do?

My response:
I’m reading this question with 2 different slants, probably because my brain has not received enough caffeine yet, so will answer both.

1. Does it mean you have finished a book and don’t have another one on deck? No other book within your grasp? For me, that has not been the case since I started blogging/reviewing. I have too many books that are staring at me from my requested review pile so I always have a book that I can choose from, from the moment I finish the last page of my current read.

2. Or does it mean one is not sure what the next book tbr is. Even with all the books that I do have to read, sometimes it depends totally on my mood. Usually I know what the next read will be because of commitments, but sometimes I’m just not in the mood for that particular book. And I have found that if I pick up a book and really not in the mood for it, it will be a struggle to read, takes me much longer to finish it and sometimes, will even put me in a mini slump. My mood definitely depends on what I should read next.

What about you? How would you answer this question? And what do you do if you are “stuck” for a book?

July is being hosted by Mrs. Q Book Addict

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia of A girl and her books and is now on tour.

According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.”

Click on text below for more information via IndieBound.

The Story Plant-PICT Author-PICT

Sparkpoint Studio The Story Plant

Meme, Sunday Memes, Sunday Salon

Sunday Salon

CMash July 1, 2012 4 Comments

I am so excited!! I have gotten many compliments on my blog look over the past year but lately have been wanting a new look. I have hired Gina from Hott Books and Hott Designs to create a new look. Gina also creates all my tour banners for Partners In Crime Tours. She is amazing when it comes to design and computers in general. Yesterday she gave me a sneak peek and I LOVE IT!! Not sure when the unveiling will be because she is now working on the details but I hope you like it as much as I do. I can’t wait to show you!!!

Facebook link

Happy Sunday Saloners!! Welcome if this is your first time visiting. I hope you find something of interest.

Another week has gone by in a flash, however, as I look at my calendar and recall what my week entailed, I don’t feel I accomplished much, especially in the reading department.

Reading: I didn’t get much done in this category. I have been reading you take over from here by Pamela Ribon but have put it on hold to start Sweat by Mark Gilleo because it has been booked to go on tour with Partners In Crime Tours the end of August (more on this later). I do a lot of my reading either in the afternoon if I’m caught up on blogging to-dos or at night before falling asleep, however, this week I have had to get used to equipment that I am now prescribed to wear each night during sleep (more on this in Real Life)

Blogging: This is where I spent most of my time. I hosted 4 guest authors this week and drafted up future posts for guest authors that will be visiting and also some giveaways that are scheduled. I participated in my daily memes, which does take time, because of visiting other blogs that also play along. But I so enjoy my memes!!!

Partners In Crime Tours: This was where I spent most of my time this week. Two (2) tours were booked and I was busy doing the preliminary work for them. One tour starts the end of August and the other in September. Click on the links to read the synopsis, and if you would like to review either one or both, email me at CMash@Partnersincrime tours.net, and I will provide all the details.

August-October September/October

Real life: For the past couple of months, during my afternoon reading time, I was dozing off while sitting in my reading chair and fall into a deep sleep for a few hours. This was definitely not my norm. I was so frustrated because now I am behind in my reading and the TBR pile is growing. My doctor scheduled a sleep study appointment. It was found that I stop breathing every 4 minutes while sleeping due to apnea. It was explained that even though I was not aware that I was waking up that often, my brain did and it was not getting any rest. Kind of scary when you think about it but at least I knew why I was so tired during the day. So I now have to sleep with a CPAP machine that forces air via a face mask. I have been trying to get used to wearing it. The only problem is that , and trying to see how to rectify the issue, is that if I don’t put the mask on when I get into bed and start reading, I tend to fall asleep without it. If I do put the mask on, I can’t read because my glasses can’t be worn with the mask.

There is some humor to this situation. It is thought that my husband has the same problem and is also scheduled for a sleep study. I was saying to him the other night, that since we will both be going to bed with this new attire, that if anyone one came into the house at night, they would think that we are under attack and probably run right out.

If anyone also uses the assistance of a CPAP during the night, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

How was your week?

Caitlin Hamilton Marketing & Publicity, LLC, Guest Author, Showcase

Guest Author Rebecca Yount

CMash June 30, 2012 Leave a Comment

We are having company today! An old friend (not chronologically) is stopping by. Caitlin from Caitlin Hamilton Marketing and Publicity is visiting so that she can introduce us to one of her authors. So please hep me welcome them to the CMash blog.

REBECCA YOUNT

REBECCA YOUNT trained from childhood as a concert pianist, is a published poet, and worked in education reform, but she always nurtured a passion for storytelling which she has indulged only late in life. Coming from a family of writers, it wasn’t hard for her to put pen to paper, but it took an actual unsolved murder to give her the idea for her first novel. On a home exchange in England—something she and her husband regularly do—a villager told her about a local murder that remained unsolved, even by New Scotland Yard. Sitting under a tree in a fallow field one day, Rebecca began to imagine what might have happened. The result is A DEATH IN C MINOR.

In 2010, Rebecca underwent open heart surgery, which left her unable to write for two years. After this hiatus, she returned to writing, deciding to put the entire Mick Chandra series out herself as e-books. She is retired and lives in Virginia with her husband, writer David Yount.

Rebecca Yount is available for talks and presentations, and she is happy to meet with book clubs.

To schedule an appearance or to learn more about Rebecca Yount and her books, please visit www.rebeccayount.com.

GUEST POST

THE ONGOING STORY
How A One-Off Crime Novel Became A Series

I had originally planned to write a one-off crime novel based on the protagonist of my series, Detective Inspector Mick Chandra. But as I launched into terra incognita with A Death in C Minor, I realized that the story had become more expansive than originally conceived. In fact, the book had vastly outgrown its own author. By the time I had completed the first draft of the book, I realized that the process had become something like a new life form growing in a laboratory petri dish.

As I wove the plot and developed my four main characters — Mick; his American love interest, Jess; his partner, Elizabeth; and Jamie, his undercover agent — the story was no longer under my control. Like wading into a rushing river, I had to go with the current even as I risked drowning.

At the outset I had constructed the storyline around Jess, who stumbled upon a murder in the English village where she had taken refuge from her troubled life. As she became increasingly caught up in the murder of Peter Chandler, a neighbor, I planned to have her travel to Cambridge to meet with a professor of forensic science. That plot never materialized.

Instead, I introduced Mick in chapter two, sitting in his office in New Scotland Yard, attempting to master a trick from Blackwell’s Book of Magic and Illusion. This transition in the story surprised me. Even today I am not certain where I got the confidence to roll with it.

There was a real-life “Mick,” whom my husband and I had met during a home exchange on the English Channel. He was a forensic specialist on leave from Scotland Yard, attempting to recover from burnout. David and I soon became fast friends with our friendly neighbor. Still, after we returned home, Mick did not suggest himself as a character until I began writing the opening chapters of the book. Strange how our memories come back to haunt us.

So instead of a novel centered solely on Jess, I introduced the Mick character, establishing a scenario that promised a conflicted and passionate love story, as well as a complex murder investigation.

I found I had traversed Mount Olympus, where the ancient gods guided my hand over the page and I had no dominion over the text, inflated as that may sound. It was the most incredible rush!

For weeks I wrote like the proverbial bat out of hell, laboring for at least four hours in the afternoon, going to bed around 10 PM, then getting up at 3 AM to write until 5:30 AM. This brutal schedule continued until I had completed the first draft of A Death in C Minor.

After putting the book away for a short period of time, I rescued it from my desk drawer, then started all over again on rewrites, keeping the same punishing schedule. Finally, after four years, I had trimmed the book from 52 to 37 chapters. Since then there have been multiple rewrites.

My Mick Chandra series now consists of seven books. The second in the series, The Erlking, is due for publication as an e-book in early fall of 2012.

Rebecca Yount’s debut crime novel, A Death in C Minor: A Mick Chandra Mystery, will be published in e-book format on June 26 and available at Amazon.com; Apple iBookstore for iPad; Barnes and Noble for Nook; Sony Reader Store; Kobo; Copia; Baker and Taylor; eBookPie.

ABOUT THE BOOK

(June 26, 2012, Knoxville, TN) We are pleased to announce the publication of Rebecca Yount’s debut novel, A DEATH IN C MINOR: A Mick Chandra Mystery. This is the first title in a seven book series. The other six novels, which are already written, also will be published as e-books, with the second title in the series, THE ERLKING, scheduled for release in fall 2012.

A DEATH IN C MINOR follows young American concert pianist Jessica Beaumont. Determined to rebuild her life following the death of her young son, a bitter divorce and a suicide attempt, Jessica retreats to a 17th century cottage in rural England. But she soon learns that life in the village of Kenwick isn’t the idyll she imagined. A year earlier, Peter Chandler, a mysterious newcomer to the village, had been hacked to death in his manor house with his own kitchen cleaver. The case remains unsolved until it’s reopened by Detective Inspector Mick Chandra of New Scotland Yard.

Like Jess, Mick Chandra harbors a few ghosts of his own—a childhood spent on the mean streets of industrial Liverpool and a father murdered in a robbery. Welsh on his mother’s side and Kerala Indian on his father’s, Mick attributes his keen instincts as an investigator to his grandmother, who was a seer in her village in India. He has succeeded as an investigator despite the racial tensions that still divide England’s most elite police force.

As Mick begins to question the villagers, his list of suspects grows to include an adulterous vicar; an unscrupulous Cambridge don; a neglected, love-starved wife; a retired octogenarian army colonel; a loss-stricken daughter; and Adam Marr, a devastatingly handsome wealthy landowner with whom Jess had a brief affair when she first arrived in Kenwick.

Against the backdrop of Chandler’s violent murder, and though deeply wounded from failed marriages, Mick and Jess find themselves falling in love. Consequently Jess stirs the hostility of the villagers.

Under pressure from his superiors to close the case, Mick must find Peter Chandler’s murderer and bring him to justice. But who is the murderer: the local laird, the cheating vicar, or perhaps the wealthy commodities trader? Or does it take a village to commit a murder?

A DEATH IN C MINOR takes the reader on a journey fraught with danger, love, and intrigue, where the unexpected becomes the norm. The surprise ending will astonish even the most jaded readers of mystery fiction.

THANKS TO AUTHOR, REBECCA YOUNT AND CAITLIN, FROM
CAITLIN HAMILTON MARKETING AND PUBLICITY, I HAVE
ONE (1) EBOOK EDITION TO GIVE AWAY. OPEN TO ALL.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

DISCLAIMER
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.

Caitlin Hamilton Marketing & Publicity, LLC, Giveaway

EBOOK GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE “A DEATH IN C MINOR” by Rebecca Yount ENDED

CMash June 30, 2012 5 Comments

JUNE 30th to JULY 14th, 2012

A DEATH IN C MINOR
by REBECCA YOUNT

SYNOPSIS:

A DEATH IN C MINOR follows young American concert pianist Jessica Beaumont. Determined to rebuild her life following the death of her young son, a bitter divorce and a suicide attempt, Jessica retreats to a 17th century cottage in rural England. But she soon learns that life in the village of Kenwick isn’t the idyll she imagined. A year earlier, Peter Chandler, a mysterious newcomer to the village, had been hacked to death in his manor house with his own kitchen cleaver. The case remains unsolved until it’s reopened by Detective Inspector Mick Chandra of New Scotland Yard.
Like Jess, Mick Chandra harbors a few ghosts of his own—a childhood spent on the mean streets of industrial Liverpool and a father murdered in a robbery. Welsh on his mother’s side and Kerala Indian on his father’s, Mick attributes his keen instincts as an investigator to his grandmother, who was a seer in her village in India. He has succeeded as an investigator despite the racial tensions that still divide England’s most elite police force.
As Mick begins to question the villagers, his list of suspects grows to include an adulterous vicar; an unscrupulous Cambridge don; a neglected, love-starved wife; a retired octogenarian army colonel; a loss-stricken daughter; and Adam Marr, a devastatingly handsome wealthy landowner with whom Jess had a brief affair when she first arrived in Kenwick.
Against the backdrop of Chandler’s violent murder, and though deeply wounded from failed marriages, Mick and Jess find themselves falling in love. Consequently Jess stirs the hostility of the villagers.
Under pressure from his superiors to close the case, Mick must find Peter Chandler’s murderer and bring him to justice. But who is the murderer: the local laird, the cheating vicar, or perhaps the wealthy commodities trader? Or does it take a village to commit a murder?
A DEATH IN C MINOR takes the reader on a journey fraught with danger, love, and intrigue, where the unexpected becomes the norm. The surprise ending will astonish even the most jaded readers of mystery fiction.

THANKS TO AUTHOR, REBECCA YOUNT, AND CAITLIN

AT CAITLIN HAMILTON MARKETING AND PUBLICITY

I HAVE ONE ( 1 ) EBOOK EDITION OF

THIS BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.
HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO WIN.

*USE THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM BELOW
IN ORDER TO BE INCLUDED IN THE GIVEAWAY*
BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL

ADDRESS IN THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM
SO THAT I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN
*LEAVE COMMENT: FROM READING THE SYNOPSIS,
WHO DO YOU THINK IS THE MURDERER?*

*OPEN TO ALL—EBOOK EDITION*

**HONOR SYSTEM**
ONE WINNING BOOK PER HOUSEHOLD
PLEASE NOTIFY ME IF YOU HAVE
WON THIS BOOK FROM ANOTHER
SITE, SO THAT SOMEONE ELSE MAY
HAVE THE CHANCE TO WIN
AND READ THIS BOOK.
THANK YOU.

*GIVEAWAY ENDS JULY 14th AT 6PM EST*

WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN BY RAFFLECOPTER AND NOTIFIED
VIA EMAIL AND WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND
OR ANOTHER NAME WILL BE CHOSEN

DISCLAIMER / RULES

Giveaway copies are supplied and shipped to winners via publisher,
the giveaway on behalf of the
above. I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in
exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are
ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.

I am not responsible for lost or damaged books that are shipped
from agents. I reserve the right to disqualify/delete any entries
if rules of giveaway are not followed

YOUR JAVA SCRIPT MAY NEED TO BE UPDATED
IF YOU AR EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY
USING THE RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway, Winners

And the winner is…….

CMash June 29, 2012 1 Comment

……..of Corpse in the Crystal Ball by Kari Lee Townsend

25 Connie Bernhardt Be a Public Follower of ‘CMASH Loves to Read’

An email has been sent to the winner and she has 48 hours to respond with her mailing address or another winner will be chosen. Thank you to all that entered. Stay tuned…..More giveaways in the near future!

Aloha Friday, Friday Blog Hop, Friday Memes, Meme

Friday Memes

CMash June 29, 2012 9 Comments

Hosted by An Island Life

From An Island Life:
In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.
If you’d like to participate, visit An Island Life answer the question and then post your own question on your blog and leave your link below. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

It has been all over the news. Ann Curry leaving The Today Show.
So my question is:
Did you like her as an Anchor? Do you feel she was treated unfairly?

Giveaway, Winners

And the winners are…..

CMash June 28, 2012 1 Comment

…..of The Second World War by Antony Beevor

41 Jim Leave a Blog Post Comment

8 Mary Renshaw-Grace “Like” the Blog Post

38 Katie Roch Follow @CherylMash on Twitter

An email has been sent to the winners and they have 48 hours to respond with their mailing address or another winner will be chosen. Thank you to all that entered.

Booking Thru Thursday, Meme

Booking Through Thursday

CMash June 28, 2012 6 Comments

http://btt2.wordpress.com

Today’s question:
A while ago, I interviewed my readers for a change, and my final question was, “What question have I NOT asked at BTT that you’d love me to ask?” I got some great responses and will be picking out some of the questions from time to time to ask the rest of you. Like now.
Margaret asks:
Who taught you to read?

My answer:
Since , with me, it was many years ago, I can’t exactly recall. However, I would assume it was my Mother and Grandmother. My mother used to relate stories as to how she would always give me books while in my playpen, while potty training, etc. She was not an avid reader nor do I remember ever seeing her or my Dad reading a book for pleasure when I was young. I do remember, as a young child, helping my grandmother cook, and she would let me read the recipes. I do have vivid memories of always being with a book when I was in 2nd grade as my teacher, Mrs. Chervarini, encouraged reading and would give books as prizes for different tasks. Example, one month she created a collage of many sites, buildings, etc in our state. In our spare time, we could try to name each picture and the one with the most right would win. My parents used to take many day trips around the state so I was able to recognize many pictures in the collage and I won, which I received the book, PT 109 by John Kennedy.

What about you? Who taught you to read?