SFR Brigade Blog Hop

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Congratulations to Eva M. who won the Amazon Gift Card.

Thanks to everyone who visited and left a comment. 

The theme for this year's Blog Hop is Out of this World. Is that a coincidence or what? The name of my blog is "~Out of this World Adventures". That's what I write--adventures that take place out of this world that we know.

Why? Because I love the idea that there are other worlds--planets inhabited by intelligent beings. Do they look like us? I'd like to think that some aliens do, which is why the main characters in my books have two arms and two legs and walk upright. Unlike some memorable movies where the aliens look like insects (Men in Black) or robots (Transformers) or are just plain creepy (Alien).

Blurb for my latest book Switched Resolution:

Actions have consequences as Space Fleet Captain Marcus Viator and NASA reject Scott Cherella discover when they switch places. Switched Resolution, which wraps up the Switched series, takes the reader from Earth—where Marcus adjusts to a pregnant Jessie—to the starship Freedom commandeered by rebels, to the chase ship with Scott and Veronese aboard.

Excerpt:

If Scott thought being on a starship was a thrill, it couldn't compare to actually walking in space. Holy shit.

"Are you all right?" Neese's voice came through his headset.

"Better than all right." He gave the joystick on the jetpack control a little nudge. A small propulsion sent him shooting away from the ship. "This is so cool, Neese."

He heard a tsk then silence. Nudging the joystick, he turned around to see her moving toward the rear of the ship. He'd bet she shot him a few laser beams from her eyes first.

"Watch this," he called and did a complete somersault. "This is better than a ride in the Vomit Comet."

"The what?"

"A Zero G aircraft." He somersaulted again. "Training for weightlessness. Named for how it makes people feel."

"That is distasteful." She tsked again.

"Captain, playtime can wait," Glaxpher scolded him through the headset. "Qilana could use your help."

"Sorry, Neese." He returned to the ship. "This is just so damn cool."

"Your enthusiasm outweighs your common sense."

"Hey, give a guy a break, will ya? It's not every day I get a chance to float in space." He zoomed to her side. "Just tell me what to do, darlin'. I'm at your service."

"Your Texas accent is showing again. Now here's what I need you to do . . ." She proceeded to show him how to remove space junk from around the port thruster control.

After what seemed like hours, they finally cleared the debris.

"We can go inside now," Neese announced. "Mr. Glaxpher will want to try the control."

"Give me a couple of minutes. This is so freaking cool."

"If you say 'this is so cool' again, I will . . ." She sputtered. "I don't know what I will do. But I guarantee you won't like it."

"Aw, lighten up, Neese. Watch this." With his feet, he pushed off from the ship, did a couple of loops then just looked around. It was one thing to see space from inside a ship—something he never thought he'd ever do. But to be outside, actually in space . . . There was nothing like—

"Come. We need to return to the ship. No more fooling around."

"One more minute." Geez, he sounded like a kid. Hell, he felt like a kid, all giddy and thrilled beyond belief.

As he turned around, he saw her jetpack had snagged on a loose flap. "Neese, wait."

When she turned, the flap sprung, flinging her on top of the ship. She hit hard above the viewscreen then cried out.

Using the joystick to steer, he shot forward. During those long—agonizingly long—seconds, she lay limp, arms flung out. A sacrifice.

Switched Resolution is available at http://amzn.com/B00CNJEO1C

What do you think aliens would look like?

 I’m giving away a $10 Amazon e-Gift Card to a lucky commenter who leaves an email address.

Now, did you know there are GRAND PRIZES? Whoo-hoo. Yes, there are.

1st Prize - $150 Amazon or B&N gift card (winner's choice) and an ebook bundle (currently Ghost in the Machine, Bayne, Recast Book 1:Wither, Recast Book 2:Clash, Alien Adoration, Switched, Reckless Rescue, Wreck of the Nebula Dream, Keir, Terms & Conditions Apply,  The Key, Marya, The Iron Admiral, Sasha’s Calling, Trouble at the Hotel Baba Ghanoush, Winter in Paradise, Once Upon a Time in Space, the Telomere trilogy, Winter Fusion, Blue Nebula, Demential, Wytchfire, Maven, Fires of Justice, Interface, Girl under Glass, and Breakout. Bonus books – Ghost Planet, The Iron Admiral: Conspiracy and
Deception, The Plan, Starburst and Games of Command.)

2nd Prize - $50 Amazon or B&N gift card (winner's choice)

3rd Prizes - four $25 Amazon or B&N gift cards (given to separate
winners and their choice)

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for the Grand Prizes.

a Rafflecopter giveaway






After you've left a comment here, you'll want to hop on over to the next author's blog. If the InLinkz below doesn't work, here's a link to the main page.   http://www.sfrcontests.blogspot.co.uk/p/sfr-brigade-midsummer-blog-hop.html


Welcome to the SFR Brigade 2nd Midsummer Blog Hop - Out of this World!

1.	Diane Dooley	15.	Reading Reality	29.	S. A. Huchton
2.	Kimber Vale	16.	Spacefreighters Lounge	30.	T.K. Toppin
3.	Maria Hammarblad	17.	Pippa Jay	31.	Jo Jones
4.	Bookswagger	18.	Melisse Aires	32.	Liza O'Connor
5.	C.E. Kilgore	19.	Pauline Baird Jones	33.	Isabo Kelly
6.	Cathy Pegau	20.	Sandra C. Stixrude	34.	Nina Croft
7.	Misa Buckley	21.	Monica Enderle Pierce	35.	Imogene Nix
8.	Yolanda Sfetsos	22.	The Galaxy Express	36.	TC Archer
9.	Rachel Leigh Smith	23.	Linda Mooney	37.	EA Hoornaert
10.	Greta van der Rol	24.	Aubrie Dionne	38.	AR Norris
11.	Jessica E. Subject	25.	Anna Hackett	39.	Liana Brooks
12.	Diane Burton	26.	Tonya Cannariato	40.	Cathryn Cade
13.	Rinelle Grey	27.	Sabrina Garie
14.	Veronica Scott	28.	Kyndra Hatch

Best wishes to everyone!
 

Meet Catherine Russell

 The delightful Catherine Russell is my guest today. She's here to tells us a little about herself and about her journey toward publication. Cathy writes paranormal romance and, according to her, her drug of choice is vampires.

Welcome, Cathy.

 Hi Diane,

Thanks for having me as a guest on your blog. My name is Catherine Russell, though most of my friends call me Cathy. I live in the Pacific Northwest, just south of Seattle, in Tacoma. My home is nestled down near the Puget Sound, close to the Narrows Bridge. My partner and I have been together going on 24 years this Christmas and we have one son, who is about to turn 12. He’s our pride and joy.

            About 5 years ago I had been enjoying Twilight…yes, I’m a twihard and proud of it…and had been watching interview after interview of authors who had started out on a whim. So a thought occurred to me, why couldn’t I? I’d had characters rolling around in my head for many years, not based on real people but none the less very real to me. So began my adventure. They chose me to tell their tale. I picked up a pencil from my son’s study, grabbed a 5 subject binder and started to put their voices to paper. Yes, I said paper. I have a unique way of writing; at least I think it’s different. I write it out long hand first, then edit it as I enter it into my computer. The more I wrote the faster their voices became. I wrote on my lunch hours (I work full time for a nationally known health care system) on my breaks, after dinner and lunches were made, late into the night. Getting up as early as 3 am was not uncommon for me to do in the early days of my story. After 3 years and a few health crises’ of our own, my first manuscript was complete. I began the daunting task of finding a self-publishing company after I met an author in town and she suggested I give it a try.  I choose iUniverise.com and went through the whole design phase and one round of editing, though I certainly needed more than one round I ended up using beta readers to help me finish it.

            During this very hectic time, our son watched me become the author I am today. Both he and my partner put up with repetitive dinners, grouchy Sunday mornings and sometimes found me asleep on the keyboard…but they both encouraged me to continue it. When the day came that I received my first published book from iUniverse and held it in my hands my son was so proud he jumped up and down, squealing with delight as I did! He proceeded to go to school the next day and tell his entire class. I then began the grueling task of self-promotion. I reached out to local mom & pop book stores, though they weren’t very interested. As part of my publishing package that I had purchased through iUniverse, Barnes & Noble plus Amazon carried my book on line. One day coming back from a small signing in Olympia, I saw a Barnes & Noble from the freeway and thought…Why not? So I stopped in, spoke with the manager on duty and sure enough…I had my first signing with B&N 3 weeks later! That was the beginning of a 2 year run of going up and down western Washington doing signings, some with other romance writers during a launch party, others doing events during the spring  and then later on through the holidays. I thought outside the box and did signings at Spirit Halloween stores that open up only during September and October since my book is vampire based, the sales were good!

            So far, I’ve completed two out of the 4 that will be the complete Stage Series. Last September I began looking for a traditional publisher that had open submissions, hoping at least one might pick up the 2^nd book. Submission after submission I kept trying, hoping to get picked up. I kept my head up even after rejections came in. Then this past January, I crossed my fingers one last time. Barking Rain Press, out of Vancouver Washington, had an open submission period right after the first of the year. I chanced it, sending not one but both of my manuscripts. I’d discovered most traditional publishers didn’t want to pick a series up in the middle. After 12 weeks of sitting on pins and needles, I was rewarded for my patience by having both manuscript requested for further exam. And another 12 weeks went by and in early May…I got the e mail that my one of my goals for 2013 became real…they picked up my series! I’ve started on book 3, Enter Stage Right and am still in love with my series, though at this point I love both books 1 & 2 equally but for different reasons. The Stage was my first baby and my playlist still pulls on my hearts strings tremendously. But writing Exit Stage Left I really sank my teeth in to my characters, flushing them out a lot, and had a ton of fun.

            I still write quite the same, lunch hours, early mornings and late nights, though not ‘til midnight anymore…it’s hell getting up at 4:30 for work after that. I find that I think clearly as my music plays in my ears, blocking out the rest of the world. The morning sunshine is the best time, my mind is fresh and my ideas come quickly. I enjoy cross country running, long distances really clear my mind and I get a ton of unique ideas and scenario’s when I run. Plus it helps me relax too.

            The most enjoyable part about writing is giving my characters their voices, building their world and lives. Plus I love being able to make them do things that I normally wouldn’t be able to do or something totally insane, yet it’s very real to them. I get lost in the story line sometimes, when the words are flowing so fast, to the point that I forget where I am and the time…that’s about when my son’s comes, taps me on my shoulder and says “Mom, it’s time for bed.” I love him so much…

            When I write I allow the story to grow organically, watching which ideas work and if not, rethink it. I try not to think too far into the story because then it becomes over thought and becomes too stiff for me. I’d say my series is character driven with plot coming as naturally as it flows through them. I hope that makes since, it does in my head. But I love each of my characters for different reasons. The main two, Geoffrey Drake and Megan O’Day, are the two that have been around the longest. The supportive cast was so much fun to create. And strangely enough, I ended up with multiple sets of twins in this series, something I didn’t plan on, it just happened and made sense so I kept that idea.

            For right now, my first book, The Stage, is available on Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com and on iUniverse.com as well. My website is www.thestageseries.com, where you can watch the teaser trailer video for The Stage that I helped direct and had my videographer, Nathaniel Jackson produce and I have links on there as well. I’m on twitter @CathyMRussell plus my series is on Facebook , The Stage and just recently I’ve added instagram, thestageseries and on Goodreads too. My followers have self-named themselves as the Loyal Stage Hands and I have actually created swag in the form of T-shirts for all to order and to wear proudly. Thanks for having me and I look forward to enjoying more of your work as well.

            I almost forgot to add that last June, after much due diligence, I was fortunate enough to have my first TV interview on King5 in Seattle for New Day Northwest with Margaret Larson. It was a tremendous day and I learned so much and had fun. The link for this interview is on the home page of my blog if you'd like to enjoy to it.

Blurb for The Stage

Megan is a bit of a social recluse who comes out of her shell, falling in love with an underground musician, only to discover that he's been her unseen protector since she was a child. That and the fact that he doesn't age...ever. Geoffrey Drake is her vampire guardian angel. As their two worlds collide, she discovers just how dangerous love can be.

Cathy can be found around the Internet at:

 

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Stage/236537156361313

http://www.thestageseries.com/

www.twitter@CathyMRussell.com

 

Thanks, Cathy, for sharing your story. Best wishes on this series.