J.C. Martin, Fighter Writer

Posted By J.C. Martin on February 2, 2012

Today is the day Bethany Lopez reveals the cover for her latest book, xoxoxo, the second book in her comtemporary YA series, Stories for Melissa. The first book in the series, Ta Ta for Now!, is currently available.

I am pleased to be one of the blogs to reveal the cover for the first time:

xoxoxo

Melissa has learned a lot since her freshman year began, but it isn’t over yet! Her world is about to change again with the birth of her new sibling, and she has to figure out how she will adjust to being the eldest of five kids. She, Jess, and Jimmy are inseparable, and she is having a fantastic time although she can’t help but miss Brian as she tries to learn how to deal with his relationship with Layla. Everything seems to be happening at once and that is when she is introduced to Ben Campbell, a senior at Dearborn High, who becomes an interesting distraction as he helps her deal with the new developments in her life.

About the Author

Bethany Lopez was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in Michigan and San Antonio, Texas. She went to High School at Dearborn High, in Dearborn, Michigan, which is were she has set her Young Adult novel. She is married and has a blended family with five children. She is currently serving in the United States Air Force as a Recruiter in South Carolina. She has always loved to read and write and has seen her dream realized by independently publishing her first novel through Amazon with CreateSpace and Kindle Direct Publishing. Ta Ta for Now! is also now available through Smashwords at Barnes and Noble.com.

Contact: Website/Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Category: Books | 11 Comments »
Tags: Bethany Lopez, Cover, Reveal, xoxoxo, YA

Posted By J.C. Martin on February 1, 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:

James Hutchings

What genres do you write?

I mostly write fantasy, although The New Death and others has some general fiction in it as well. However I’m branching out a bit with Confession of a Bounty Hunter, which I’m currently working on.

Sum up your current WiP in 10 words or less.

A long poem set in the old West.

What’s your ultimate goal as a writer?

To live off my writing.

How close are you to achieving this goal?

About 100% off.

Any quirky writing habits?

Not really. I’ve heard some writers say they can only write in a particular room, or only on an old typewriter or something, but I’ve never had anything like that. I do a lot of writing on bus or train trips.

Category: Contest, Weekly Writer's Round-up | 9 Comments »
Tags: Competition, Contest, Giveaway, James Hutchings, The New Death and others, Win, Writer Wednesday

Posted By J.C. Martin on January 30, 2012

Yee-haw! Welcome to the Weekly Round-up, where I lasso up the week’s latest news and rootin’-tootin’ literary articles on the Net!

This week, FutureBook asks 3 important questions about digital that nobody is asking. Also on FutureBook, the Digital Rights Management (DRM) debate continues.

For writers: K.M. Weiland @ Wordplay has a post with useful advice on writing multiple-character scenes.

On GalleyCat: after January 30th, Goodreads will stop using book identification information from Amazon. While this may not affect any of the books on your bookshelf, here’s how to rescue your books should they be in danger of going into Goodreads limbo. (via GalleyCat)

And finally, this may not be a new article, but for crime fiction buffs, here are some ways to separate your sociopath from your psychopath. I have a clear idea which one my antagonist in Oracle is.

Category: Weekly Round-Up | 6 Comments »
Tags: Crime, Digital, DRM, FutureBook, Multiple-character, Psychopath, Publishing, Sociopath, Weekly Round-Up

Posted By J.C. Martin on January 28, 2012

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU 

Thanks to everyone who helped make Oracle‘s Cover Reveal Mystery Tour a huge success! We had a whopping 117 entrants, so thank you so much for all your support! For everyone who solved the two mysteries, well done from knowing your Kurt Lancer (real protagonist name) to your Kirk Lyncher (false protagonist name), and for spotting the doctored cover out of the lot:

Special thanks go to my 14 Mystery Tour hosts, who helped make Oracle‘s cover visible throughout the blogosphere on reveal day! Could not have done it without you!

Now enough preamble: it is time to announce the winners of the competition, drawn randomly from the 346 entries in total! This is the biggest turnout I’ve had to a competition!

The 5 winners of an Oracle swag pack, comprising bookmarks, postcards, and a magnet, are, in no particular order…

J.A. Belfield

Florence Fois

Eileen Curtin

Michael Di Gesu

Lynda Young

And the winner of the grand prize of $20 Amazon gift card is…

Rachel Morgan

Congratulations, guys! I will be sending you all an e-mail shortly.

Once again, thank you to everybody who participated. It has made my debut cover reveal a truly unforgettable one! And for that, you all ROCK!

 

Category: Contest | 16 Comments »
Tags: Competition, Contest, Cover, Mystery, Oracle, Prizes, Reveal, Tour, Winners

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 | 86 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