J.C. Martin, Fighter Writer

Posted By J.C. Martin on January 25, 2012

Welcome to my Writer Wednesday feature! Usually, I use this weekly feature to either showcase a fellow writer who has inspired/encouraged me in some way, or I interview one. Today, though, will be a bit different…

I’ve been awarded the Liebster Blog award! Thank you, Barbara G. Tarn @ Creative Barbwire! ‘Liebster’ is German for ‘Beloved’–aww!

To accept the award, one has to pass it on to five other bloggers. So this week, instead of featuring one writer, I’ll be featuring five! So here are my nominees for the Liebster Blog award–five of the awesomest blogs around!

To view their blogs, simply click on their profile picture, or their name!

Talli Roland

Talli’s been an inspiration to me ever since she published her first novel, The Hating Game. She introduced me to the chick lit genre with the fantastic and sweet Build a Man, and she continues to amaze me with the ingenious ideas she comes up with to promote her books, from an actual Build a Man website, to dressing up as Marilyn Monroe! Talli’s blog is chock-full of the same lighthearted humour, and it never fails to put a smile on my face!

Len Lambert

My buddy Len has just started a new writer’s blog. I enjoyed her old, more personal blog, but this new one is starting to look swell! Her second ever blog post was the cover reveal for Oracle as part of my ongoing Mystery Tour! That alone qualifies her for the Liebster Blog award, but there is so much more that I like about her blog, the design, the neatness, and like the kind, caring sweetheart she is, Len promotes her fellow writers’ books in her sidebar! So  here’s your first award for your new blog, Len!

Lucy Felthouse

Firstly, I love that cartoon writer girl at the top of her site! Also, the layout is fantastic: the share toolbar down the bottom, the Twitter, Facebook, etc. links on the right … but then again, what would you expect from a writer who’s also a talented web designer? Her website’s even been nominated for the Xcite Books Awards 2012! While Lucy is an erotic author, and some of her snippets, although a great read, can make some people blush, it’s a great place to get your weekly fix of eye candy. Totty Tuesday, anyone?

Lydia Kang @ The Word is My Oyster

Lydia is a writer and a medical doctor, and her Medical Mondays feature is a must-read! Ever wondered if it was medically feasible to kill off a character by breaking his neck with your bare hands? Or if your hero would be able to remain conscious all that time with the amount of blood he’s lost? What about dreaming up the worst disease ever to afflict one unfortunate character? Ask Lydia! (Okay, perhaps not all writers are that sadistic, but I am!) Understandably, Lydia’s already got a whole smorgasbord of blog awards, but if my eyes hadn’t deceived me, it looks like she’s yet to receive a Liebster Blog award. So, here you go, Lydia! Another award to add to your collection!

Michael Di Gesu @ In Time…

One of my favourite features on Michael’s blog is the Earthly Angels series. Not enough is done to recognise the true, honest, and caring people in the world, who go above and beyond the norm to help others in need. Michael’s Earthly Angels posts will restore faith in humanity, even in the hardest of hearts. He even made me an Earthly Angel once, an honour I feel undeserving of after reading the sacrifices of other Earthly Angels. I know you’ve already received the Liebster Blog award previously, Michael, but one more can’t hurt!

 

Category: Writer Wednesday | 13 Comments »
Tags: Award, Blog, Len Lambert, Liebster, Lucy Felthouse, Lydia Kang, Michael Di Gesu, Talli Roland, Writer Wednesday

Posted By J.C. Martin on January 23, 2012

Today’s the day! The day I reveal the official cover for Oracle, something I’ve been itching to do since the moment we finalised the design!

Permission to squee!

And true to the book’s genre, I’m holding a Mystery Tour to celebrate! Join in the sleuthing, and you’ll be in with the chance to win a $20 AMAZON GIFT CARD!

*EDIT: To sweeten the deal, I’m also giving away 5 additional prize bundles comprising Oracle swag: bookmarks, postcards and a magnet! (You may have to be patient in receiving these prizes as I’m still waiting for the printers to get them to me!)

But first, if I keep this to myself any longer I’m going to burst! So here it is, the official cover and blurb for Oracle, courtesy of the talented people at J. Taylor Publishing:

BLURB

As the countdown begins, the body count rises.

With London gearing up to host the Olympics, the city doesn’t need a serial killer stalking the streets. They’ve got one anyway.

Leaving a trail of brutal and bizarre murders, the police are no closer to finding their latest murderer than Detective Inspector Kurt Lancer is in finding a solution for his daughter’s disability.

Thrust into the pressure cooker of a high profile case, the struggling single parent is wound tight as he tries to balance care of his own family with the safety of a growing population of potential next victims.

One of whom could be his own daughter.

Fingers point in every direction as the public relations nightmare grows, and Lancer’s only answer comes in the form of a single oak leaf left at each crime scene.

Oracle will be available both in print and in e-book form on July 30th, 2012!

I’m so excited!

Now, this wouldn’t be a Mystery Tour without a mystery … and a tour. 14 of my wonderful blogger buddies from around the world have agreed to publicise my official cover release on their blogs:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Category: Contest, Reading | 83 Comments »
Tags: Amazon, Competition, Contest, Cover, Gift, Giveaway, Mystery, Oracle, Reveal, Tour, Win

Posted By J.C. Martin on January 22, 2012

This is a weekly feature whereby participants post six (6) sentences of their work, published or otherwise, to be read (and possibly critiqued) by everyone else. Thank you to all regular commenters for your return visit, and welcome to all new visitors!

Okay, so I know I’m not actually on the SSS linky list this week. Linky Tools kept sending me to some error page, and after 3 days of trying, I still couldn’t enter myself! But because I have exciting news to share, I thought I’d participate unofficially anyway…

We’re sticking with Oracle (which will have a shiny new cover revealed tomorrow! *squeee!*). Following on from last week, here’s more on Lancer’s partner, Sam Blaize. Here, they meet the latest recruit to their Murder Investigation Team.

—

“You’re Sam Blaize?” he asked my partner. “I was expecting a … oh, it must be short for Saman—”

“No, just Sam,” Blaize said, cutting him off, green eyes flashing a stormy warning. There were two things nobody ever called her: Ginger was one; her hair colour could be better described, in her own words, as “cinnamon.” The other taboo word was Samantha. Considering her knockout record as an amateur kickboxing champion with the nickname “Firestorm,” most people were wise enough to respect her wishes.

—

I may be guilty of a cliche here, but what else can someone with the name Blaize be but a fiery redhead?

Come back tomorrow for Oracle’s official cover reveal! There’s even a celebratory CONTEST!

Now pop on over to visit the other SSS participants!

Category: Six Sentence Sunday | 22 Comments »
Tags: Oracle, Redhead, Six Sentence Sunday

Posted By J.C. Martin on January 18, 2012

Welcome to my Writer Wednesday feature! Each week, I either showcase a fellow writer who has inspired/encouraged me in some way, or I interview one. Writers could be at any stage of their writing career.

I am pleased to introduce this week’s guest:

Michael Myer

What genres do you write?

I currently have three published novels on Amazon Kindle. Covert Dreams is an international thriller, The Famous Union is comical fiction, and The Survival of Marvin Baines is contemporary fiction with some dark humor.

Sum up your current WiP in 10 words or less.

Murder and stalking on a Caribbean island.

What’s your ultimate goal as a writer?

I am not out for money. As a retired college professor, I have a nice pension. Rather, I want to write until I die. I love creating characters and plots. Writing to me is like reading. I never know precisely where things will lead. I am in good health, and my doctor told me that writing is a very healthy avocation for someone in my situation: a retiree. I love his advice.

How close are you to achieving this goal?

Not close at all, I hope. I want to live to a ripe old age, but I hope I have my faculties about me as does my ninety-eight-year-old aunt who still lives alone and has a mind as clear as gin.

Any quirky writing habits?

Quirky appeals to me, so many of the characters in my novels, particularly in The Famous Union, have quite quirky personalities. In fact, one reviewer posted that my characters would make good case studies for a psych class. I like that.

Category: Writer Wednesday | 7 Comments »
Tags: Interview, Michael Meyer, Writer Wednesday

Posted By J.C. Martin on January 16, 2012

Category: Weekly Round-Up | 9 Comments »
Tags: Competition, Contest, Cover, Faber, J Taylor Publishing, Mystery, Oracle, Prize, Reveal, Self-publishing, Submissions, Tour, Weekly Round-Up, Win

Posted By J.C. Martin on January 15, 2012

This is a weekly feature whereby participants post six (6) sentences of their work, published or otherwise, to be read (and possibly critiqued) by everyone else. Thank you to all regular commenters for your return visit, and welcome to all new visitors!

I thought I’d introduce you to Lancer’s partner in crime-solving this week. Here, she appears for the first time in Oracle, catching Lancer in the act of narcissism:

—

A sharp rap on the driver’s side window snapped me from my vanity check. My partner, Detective Sergeant Sam Blaize, grinned at me through the glass barrier.

“You can stare in a magic mirror all you like,” Blaize said, as I opened the car door, “but it won’t make you any prettier.” The corners of her eyes crinkled in amusement.

“Actually, I was seeing how long it’d take for my face to crack the mirror,” I stood up, towering over Blaize. Most women of her stature would cross the street when they saw me coming, but I’d seen Blaize take down enough men my size—one of them a knife-wielding maniac—to know my imposing physique didn’t faze her one bit.

—

That’s it for this week! Now I’m off to read some awesome six sentences! Care to join me?

Category: Six Sentence Sunday | 17 Comments »
Tags: Cover, Oracle, Reveal, Six Sentence Sunday

Posted By J.C. Martin on January 14, 2012

I’m making an appearance at John Ling’s blog today with a guest post on the 10 Lessons I Learned in My Journey As a Writer. Pop on over and have a read!

And, thanks to everyone who entered the Writer Wednesday draw for John’s debut thriller, The Blasphemer. Here are the five winners:

Jenna Quentin

Anna Tan

Susanna Hill

Kim

Kim L

Congratulations, guys! You each win an e-book copy of The Blasphemer! I’ll be getting in touch shortly with your prizes…

Category: Contest | 7 Comments »
Tags: Blasphemer, Competition, Contest, E-books, Giveaway, Guest, John Ling, Post, Winners, Writer Wednesday, Writing

Posted By J.C. Martin on January 12, 2012

I’m over at Jason Bourne’s blog, Jason’s Spina Bifida Journey, today, for his Author’s Roundtable interview! He’s even put up a rarely-seen picture of moi in old-fashioned kung fu get-up!

To read the interview, click HERE.

And you’ve got two more days to comment on this week’s Writer Wednesday post for the chance to win one of five copies of John Ling’s The Blasphemer. I’m loving what I’ve read of the book so far, so don’t miss your chance! Contest ends Friday night, and winners will be announced Saturday morning!

Category: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Tags: Guest, Interview, Jason Bourne, Reminder, Spina Bifida

Posted By J.C. Martin on January 11, 2012

Welcome to my Writer Wednesday feature! Each week, I either showcase a fellow writer who has inspired/encouraged me in some way, or I interview one. Writers could be at any stage of their writing career.

This week’s guest is someone I’m super-excited to have on the Fighter Writer:

John Ling

My initial inspiration was Enid Blyton. Then I progressed to Charles Dickens before moving on to David Morrell.

Very different writers, to be sure, but each of them has taught something invaluable about the art of writing. Mainly the fact that writing is not truly make-believe. It’s self-psychoanalysis. You draw from your own experiences in order to construct fiction that’s authentic and compelling.

What genres do you write?

I write thrillers with an international focus. And my characters are operators–special-operations personnel who work undercover, straddling the line between law enforcement and military.

Sum up your current WiP in 10 words or less.

Former soldier hunts another who’s become a serial killer.

What’s your ultimate goal as a writer?

To produce a story that’s honest and authentic, no matter how difficult the subject matter may be.

How close are you to achieving this goal?

I have no idea, but I like to think that I’m inching a bit closer every day.

Any quirky writing habits?

I like my fonts in Microsoft Word to be as large and magnified as possible. It helps me spot mistakes!

Category: Contest, Writer Wednesday | 14 Comments »
Tags: Blasphemer, Competition, Contest, E-books, Giveaway, International, John Ling, New Zealand, Thriller, Win, Writer Wednesday

Posted By J.C. Martin on January 9, 2012

Woot! The final edits for Oracle have been submitted! We’ve also finalised the cover, and possibly the back cover blurb! Everything is coming together beautifully, and I can’t wait for the official book cover reveal in a couple weeks’ time! I’ve got something special planned, so watch this space!

Because I’ve been so busy on all things Oracle, I’ve not been doing much in terms of working on other writing projects. Plus I’m treating myself to a well-deserved few hours of gameplay. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood was my birthday present for 2010, and I’ve only just started playing it! And of course, now that I’m well into the game, I don’t want to stop until I’ve completed it!

Does that make me a bad writer?

Since I haven’t had the chance to do much reading around the World Wide Web, I decided to start my Weekly Writer’s Round-Up only next week. This week, I thought I’d share with you all my most anticipated reads in 2012, in no particular order:

The Blasphemer by John Ling

John is a fellow Malaysian-born writer living in New Zealand. I came across his website, read the first seven chapters of the book (which can be found here), and was hooked! That was months ago, and I’ve been eagerly awaiting the release of his book since. Well, The Blasphemer is now available, and John has kindly sent me a copy! I’m honoured and thrilled, and can’t wait to dive into this explosive, tight-paced, and controversial thriller!

***Oh, and did I mention John will be giving away some free copies of his book, here, on my blog? Come back here later in the week for his Writer Wednesday feature for your chance to win! ***

The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M. Auel 

Since reading the very first book, The Clan of the Cave Bear, I have been mesmerised by the Paleolithic world of Ice Age Europe, where the predecessors of modern man co-existed (and possibly interbred) with the Neanderthals. The Earth’s Children series enthralled me all the way, and Auel’s latest (and final) installment has been something I’ve been waiting on for years. Despite the battery of negative reviews, I’m still looking forward to reading this!

Wildefire by Karsten Knight

I was actually a couple of chapters into this book before edits and other reading commitments drew me (ever so reluctantly) away. I do not exaggerate when I say that the opening chapter was the most explosive and gripping I have ever read! The unique plot, the distinctive voice, the tension, the fascinating characters, the tight prose, and–gasp!–the shocking turn of events … I am dying to go back to read it!

Also, isn’t the cover just to die for?

Sleepyhead by Mark Billingham

I have heard of this book, a must-read for crime buffs everywhere; I have watched the drama series Thorne based on Billingham’s Tom Thorne novels; I have even read (and enjoyed) the complete synopsis of the book itself … but I have_never_read it!

Why, you ask? Your guess is as good as mine. Despite it being on my TBR list for yonks, I never got around to purchasing a copy–until now.

Now, nothing is going to stop me from reading what is possibly one of the best crime series of all time, with the most twisted criminals and evil-doings anybody can dream of! Hopefully, this first in the series will result in my finding a new favourite author and new favourite series.

Apartment 16 by Adam L.G. Nevill

It looks like a typical haunted apartment horror story. The blurb sounds like a typical haunted apartment horror story. But I’ve read some really good reviews about this book, and add to it the fact that the story is set in London, on my doorstep, I just had to find out just how creepy it is!

Forest of Shadows by Hunter Shea

I interviewed Hunter for my Writer Wednesday feature a couple of months back. I’d won a copy of his book from the Guide to Literary Agents blog, but had already purchased my own copy! So we decided to include a giveaway in the interview to pass my prize copy on. Hunter’s story about a ghosthunter, a remote Alaskan village, a haunted cabin in some creepy woods, sounds like a great spine-chilling read!

Forest of Shadows has recently been released in print! Congratulations, Hunter!

True Colors and Other Short Stories by Michelle Davidson Argyle

Michelle is a fellow writer and blogger who I really respect: I’ve followed her since she self-published her fairy tale novella, Cinders; I reviewed the ARC for her debut thriller, Monarch; I hope to help out in spreading the word about her upcoming novel, The Breakaway; I even collaborated with her when we co-edited the Stories for Sendai charity anthology, where her experiences in layouts and formatting were a godsend.

A talented writer, Michelle peppers her works with the written gems of a writer of the literary fiction genre. I enjoyed these gems in Cinders and Monarch, and I enjoyed her contribution to the Sendai anthology, Threads. If this collection of short stories is more of the same, then I am looking forward to reading it. I enjoy short stories that explore the deepest recesses of the human psyche, and I have a feeling True Colors will be one of them.

—

Right, so these are my top reads for 2012! Have you read any of these? What do you think? Which should I read first? Do you have any recommendations to add to the list?

I foresee a happy reading year for me!

Category: Reading | 21 Comments »
Tags: 16, Apartment, Blasphemer, books, Earth's Children, Forest of Shadows, Hunter Shea, Jean M. Auel, John Ling, Karsten Knight, Land of Painted Caves, Mark Billingham, Michelle Davidson Argyle, Reading, Sleepyhead, Tom Thorne, True Colors, Wildefire