Author Archives: Cindy

Angels and an apocalypse

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What theme will I be doing with a kick off topic of angels and the apocalypse? Every year I’m excited to start the A to Z Blogging Challenge, usually with a theme, and every year I only make it part way through the alphabet. This year I hope to make it to the end using a speculative fiction theme. I decided very late in the game to try my hand at the challenge again (the day before) so I didn’t have a reveal post. My posts will be all over the speculative fiction map.

Angels in fiction

Angels are popular in urban fantasy, one of my favourite speculative fiction genres. Books, movies, TV shows, angels can be found everywhere. I haven’t read a lot of books with the Heavenly creatures, but I have a bunch from Amazon on my wish list. It’s an easy way for me to keep track of what I want to read. I did used to watch Touched By An Angel. And of course, there’s my favourite angel, Castiel from Supernatural. I had to throw the apocalypse in there because of my upcoming series Angels of the Apocalypse. When I first conceived of the idea, it was going to be one book with four angels. But four books, each book focusing on one angel and her goal sounded like an even better idea. I could explore their characters more fully and have more complicated storylines. Despite the impending apocalypse in the stories they’re mostly crime fiction/urban fantasy. I had a great time writing the first one and can’t wait start writing book two.

So much to research

Having a series starring angels, fallen ones at that, will require lots of research on my part. I don’t know a whole lot of angel lore. What I know I learned from Supernatural. The best show ever. Well, okay it’s tied with Buffy and Firefly. I’ll also be researching the apocalypse and its signs. I’ll need to find all the books I can on angels and how they watch over us. Books that talk about the apocalypse with all the signs. I will probably have to flip though passages of the bible at some point. Despite the presence of angels, and the apocalypse in the story being a biblical one, the series isn’t religious. It will be fun and kick ass though.

Fair warning if you intend to check out the series when it comes out. One of my angels swears more than a soldier. She’d make a sailor blush.

Keep up to date with my new releases and the angels’ fight to stop the apocalypse. Get behind the scenes information about all my books by signing up below.

Until next time…

Cindy

*Angel sculpture photo copyright manfredxy from DepositPhotos

Time for New Possibilities

Goodbye 2016

Last year wasn’t a great one for a lot of people. And I’m not talking about all the celebrity deaths which seemed to be a lot more than usual. There were other things that went a whole lot wrong last year in my personal life. Dad’s cancer. Dervish’s (aka Slippy Cat) heart condition getting worse. Financial struggles for the first half of the year. But I don’t want to dwell on the bad. There was good too.

The finances got sorted. Even though Dad’s cancer is back there is still hope with the ongoing treatment. Dervish did get worse but we had the fluid removed from around her lungs and adjusted her medication. How long the improvement will last is anyone’s guess. The last round of medications kept her stable for two years. I’m hoping this will keep her stable for longer than that. I finally started a weight loss program and have lost 32 pounds so far.

And because of the bad stuff last year I found focus. Focus to concentrate on what is important to me. Spending as much time with family (that includes the cats) and friends is my goal. To that end I decided to focus on a full time writing plan. To become a full time writer will take a lot of hard work and in the beginning a lot less time with family and friends. But once I am a full time writer, not having to divide my time between a day job, writing, running my groups, family and friends I will have more time for the things that matter.

Hello 2017

Of course a new year means new goals for me. I always list what I plan to do during the year with every intention of actually accomplishing it. The shine of a brand new year makes one optimistic. This year is no different except the goal at the heart of my plans is to become a full time writer. To do that I will need to release books – under my own name. The short stories and novellas I have out under pen names don’t count. I’m starting with a fresh slate. Well, sort of fresh. I do have one short story up under my name as well as stories in two anthologies.

I plan to finally release Almost Normal (Shifting Sands Book One). I’ve already started writing Almost Never (Shifting Sands Book Two). I also have stories in mind for a prequel (so readers who sign up for my mailing list can get the inside scoop as to how Sierra’s boss found out about her secret) and book three which will be titled Almost Perfect.

Besides the Shifting Sands series I will be working on a few other series. One involving angels. Another one involving demons. And it wouldn’t be a complete year if I didn’t throw some ghosts into the mix. There will also be at least one book in my dystopian trilogy though Iâ€™m hoping for them all to be finished and released next year. All of these plans depend on the actual writing, though. So I will be doing a lot more of that in 2017.

Other goals for the year include spending more time with family and friends, reading more, watching more movies, and continuing on the weight loss journey. I have a Supernatural convention to go to this year complete with Jensen photo ops and I want to look my best!

Do you have goals for the new year?

Until next time…

Cindy

Featured image copyright erika8213

The Newcomer – New Release

I know it’s been a while since I’ve written anything on here and for that I apologize. It’s been a crazy busy year so far but I’ve still been writing. I’ve got a writing challenge planned for January that will have me writing and publishing a lot more. In the meantime I have a short story in a new anthology that releases today! It’s called The Newcomer and I hope you check it out.

From a young couple struggling to look after their baby to a new captain’s reluctance to take command of her ship, and from a sun-addled stranger’s appearance in town to the emergence of a sentient AI, the twelve tales presented here explore the central theme of an arrival by someone or something new.

There’s even an alien puppy.

Tithe by Griffin Carmichael
When the world is nothing but a dry husk of itself, a man must choose between a thriving town and keeping on walking. Jacob Heinlein has lost his home, everyone he knew, and hope. He is on a journey to the mythical ocean, an unforgiving sun beating down on him. Delirious and near death, Jacob finds himself in a town with a source of fresh, clean water.

He’s welcomed and given the opportunity to become a productive member of the community, but everything comes with a price. For Jacob, it will call upon everything he believed about himself to make a decision, and either stay under the obligation to give of himself, or to be put outside the walls.

Exodus by Alec Hutson
The orphaned children of Old Earth are scattered across the solar system, protected from the darkness by god-like beings fashioned from lost technologies.

But something has changed. Ancient rules have been broken, and after centuries of isolation one of these beings approaches Mars with overtly hostile intent. A defence must be marshalled, and the coming conflagration could result in the destruction of one of the last bastions of man.

First Bonding by Tom Germann
Humanity had aimed for the stars and a glorious future in space. The alien’s arrival had tarnished that shiny dream. Now the first AIs are fully coming online, even while the government tries to block their use, and humanity is once again looking to the future.

The illegally created level 8 AI known as Genghis is locked down in the basement of the corporate building being researched for future use. Powered down so that it can be studied safely in sleep mode everything was fine.

Then the meteorites hit damaging the area. That was followed by the robotic invaders that were looking to establish a beach head.

Now Genghis is awake and figuring things out. He is no longer asleep and he is angry. Robotic soldiers closing in looking for technology to loot and a hated human soldier falling into his prison dying from wounds are upsetting all his plans.

What’s an insane AI to do and what should he target first?

Ice Dreamer by J J Green
Lab technician Prussis has dreamed all her life of reviving someone from the past. Whilst no-one understands why she keeps trying, she works long hours defrosting heads. In her latest attempt, what happens is the last thing she expects.

The Nanny by Cindy Carroll
The first natural birth in over two hundred years brings a new life to Cardea’s family. Despite the risks, she and her husband are determined to raise a family the old fashioned way. But social habits die hard.

Right Hand by Jonathan C. Gillespie
The war with a forgotten conqueror has been over for decades, but that doesn’t mean the Earth has recovered, and life in the American Midwest is only getting more dangerous. His town besieged by hunter-killer drones left over from the conflict, gifted high school senior Daniel Bell is determined to make the Army believe that the machines are somehow not being harmed by their operations.

But to do that, he won’t just have to deal with his cautious family, nervous friends, and sceptical officers. He’s going to have to take a secret journey outside the town’s walls, into the teeth of a wilderness both alluring and deadly. And the most important season of his life might also be his last.

What Make is Your Cat? by Richard Crawford
Welcome to London Atlantis where, after the tsunami, your cat has higher social status and earning power than you do, and evolution is an elite, designer trend you can’t afford to join.

Kaxian Duty by Cherise Kelley
Three-month-old Clem faces his first day of Kaxian Duty with anxiety. He is keen to find out what his assignment will be, but runs into distractions on the way to headquarters. Training will be hard. Mistakes will be punished.

Oh, and his tail has a mind of its own, which doesn’t help matters any.

Lessons Learned by J. Naomi Ay
Ary had known he was destined to be a starship captain his whole life. After all, his mother was Captain Sandy and his father was the guy who was supposed to be Fleet Admiral. However, the prospect of attending the Spaceforce Academy was daunting. Enough to make Ary question his future.

The Humra by Laura Greenwood
Bounty hunter Braillen takes a new job on The Humra to get close to her mark. When the crew discover her identity she is whisked in front of the captain. She must face her nightmares if she wants to finish the job and realise her deepest desire.

The Hawk of Destiny’s Fist by James S. Aaron
Asarik Leah is sent to replace ShipLord Till and lead his InquiryShip on a dangerous new mission. Tradition demands she proves herself fit to take his place.

Repulse by Alasdair Shaw
Newly-promoted Commander Olivia Johnson is posted to the destroyer Repulse. Most of the officers are dead and the remaining crew are exhausted. Johnson must step up to the mark and lead them back into battle despite her personal misgivings.

Buy it on:

Amazon | Kobo | Apple | Google Play | Barnes and Noble

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Dystopian – A Worse Society Than Before

What causes a dysptopian society? Usually the stories and movies that feature a dystopia have societies that rebuilt after an apocalyptic event. Something caused the end of the world and the new society is trying to bring back that world. Usually they try to make it better but it’s usually worse. The dystopian society pretends to be a utopia and on the surface it might look like everything is happy and good. But underneath there are the secrets, the conspiracies, the erosion of freedoms that cause the citizens (at least some of them) to eventually fight back. It’s usually one person or a small group who fight to make a change.

Even though I’m writing a dystopian trilogy and I have another dystopian stand alone book in the works I haven’t read a lot in the genre. But I do love dystopian movies. The what if questions get my mind thinking about how the world turned out the way it did in those movies. Before I started focusing on the genre I didn’t realize that a few of my favourite movies were dystopian. I thought they were just science fiction but upon looking into the dysopian genre I realized a lot of them fell into that category.

When I do a Google search for dystopian movies a list comes up, most of which I’ve seen. Among those listed is Serenity, my absolute favourite movie of all time so far. But it looks like I have a few other movies to watch.

Dystopian Elements in Standpoint

The idea of Standpoint came to me on the way to work. At first I didn’t realize it was going to be a dystopian story or a trilogy yet. Originally it was going to be one book but there was too much story to tell. It has the oppressive government masquerading as a benevolent political system. There was a plague like event centuries earlier and the government rebuilt.

At the start of the story my main character is eager to do her duty. The propaganda bombarding them tells her she owes her country four years. But it’s not a one sided deal. She gets something out of it too like an education and a job. She wonders why people want to live differently than the way the government has provided for them. When she learns more about what the government is doing she has to make a choice. But if she goes against them she could put herself and her family in danger.

What’s your favourite dystopian story?

Don’t forget to sign up for my mailing list. Just for signing up you get a copy of my horror short story Reflections for free.

Until next timeâ€¦

Cindy

*Feature image copyright kwest available on DepositPhotos.

Campus – It’s Not All Fun and Games

When I think of campus I always think of higher learning. I also think about what I missed out on when I went to university. At the time I didnâ€™t care that I lived with my parents and drove to the university every day for class. There were some things I didnâ€™t miss out on. University is where I met my second boyfriend.

Looking back at my university years there are things I regret. I didn’t get to know many of my fellow classmates while I was there except the guy I would start dating. My best friend went to the university with me and I pretty much talked to her and that’s it. Maybe it was because university was so much bigger than high school and I was overwhelmed by the people. I was a little shy back then, liked to blend in, didn’t speak up in class.

Copyright Wavebreak Media Ltd. available at BigStock

I met one guy who was in third year and I can’t remember his name at all. I met a girl and actually went to her house to get something but I can’t remember her name either. There was a guy named Mark in one of my creative writing classes who was super cute but I didn’t do a lot of talking with him because I was seeing someone. The guy I met in the one math class we both thought we needed to take for our chosen major but it turns out he didn’t need to take it. And I changed my major second year and didn’t need the class either.

I regret not living on campus. I think I missed out on a lot by living with my parents and commuting to school. Before class started every day there would be a handful of those students who lived on campus and talked about the parties, the pub nights, the library. In the four years I went to the university I didn’t set foot in the library. My friends an I ventured into a pub once right after class but didn’t even stay for a drink.

Campus in Standpoint

My Standpoint trilogy is a new adult dystopian story with most of the first book taking place at Campus. Certain citizens get free education and a guaranteed job for “serving” their country and part of that requires them to attend Campus for four years. My main character is at first excited to be going away to school. She’s never left the small city where she grew up except for the occasional vacation when things were good financially. At the start of the story she’s excited about doing her civic duty.

Things change quickly once she gets to Campus and finds out it isn’t all just fun and games. It’s not the studying, work, essays, tests that she objects to. It’s the stuff they didn’t tell her about Campus. When she finds out what happens to students who disobey she has to make a choice. Fit in, keep her nose down and not make waves. Or rile the place up and help those who can’t help themselves.

What’s your fondest memory about school? Any school – University, college, high school, grade school.

Get behind the scenes information about the Standpoint trilogy by joining Campus. Some areas of Campus are open to everyone but you need to be a member to get the whole scoop.

Until next time…

Cindy

*Feature photo copyright kzlobastov available on DepositPhotos.

Bunker – An Apocalypse Must Have

I was a teenager in the 80s so I wasn’t around when there was a threat of nuclear war every day and everyone wanted a bunker. Though they’re scary when you think of why you need one I always wanted one because I liked the idea of a safe place with everything in it you might need to survive. When I was a teenager my introduction to nuclear issues was The Day After. It was the first time I realized the world I was living in could be destroyed and destroyed so quickly. The budding writing in me always remembered that and over the years I thought about various ways the world could end.

Bunker in Movies

I still remember the bomb shelter scene in Grease 2 when Louis was trying to convince Sharon to “do it for our country”. And the use bunkers has appeared in other movies that have nothing to do with an apocalypse. But I’m more interested in when bunkers are used to protect the characters from a virus, invasion, zombies. They’re waiting out some crisis hoping the earth will be able to sustain them again some day.

Copyright ronniechua and available at BigStock

Recently my husband and I saw a movie called Hidden. It’s a slow build movie with tension, suspense and a hint of horror. It pulls you in slowly but once you’re hooked there’s nothing you can do but root for the characters who don’t know how long they’ll have to survive in the bunker. The flashbacks were woven in perfectly. The reveal, I thought, happened at just the right time. I would watch it again to see if I can pick up all the clues to the twist. If you plan on watching it don’t read any spoilers.

Bunker in Standpoint

There’s a small part for a bunker in the first book in my trilogy. Small but recurring part actually. It’s important to the story but they aren’t using it to protect themselves from an outbreak. The outbreak part is long over and the province has rebuilt. There’s some semblance of order again. The bunker in the story will feature prominently in the prequel trilogy to the Standpoint trilogy though.

There’s no telling what secrets the characters will find in the bunker. Where it will lead to. How it changes them and the way they view Campus after they find it.

What’s your favourite movie or story that features a bunker?

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Until next time…

Cindy

*Feature photo of bunker copyright sssccc and available at DepositPhotos.

Dictionary definition of the word Addiction.

Addicted to Sugar – The Struggle Is Real

When most people think of addiction they think of someone being addicted to drugs or alcohol. Those are the two biggies that probably get the most attention. But there are a lot of other types of addiction based on the dictionary definition of addiction which is in part: persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful. By that definition and knowing what sugar can do to the body sugar is a substance you can become addicted to.

Are you addicted to sugar?

There are lots of different online quizzes you can take to find out if youâ€™re addicted to sugar. Do I really need one to tell me I should cut back on my sugar intake? Probably not. While I donâ€™t think Iâ€™m actually addicted to sugar I might be getting close. I do like my sweets but I love my savoury snacks too.
There are hundreds of books about combatting sugar addiction. And donâ€™t get me started on the online articles. It could take forever to read through everything on the subject but none of it matters if you donâ€™t do anything about your sugar intake.

So are you addicted? Do you eat when youâ€™re not hungry due to cravings? Do you have a sweet tooth that wonâ€™t go away. Does cutting back on sugar make you uncomfortable? Too much sugar can be dangerous so you should try to cut back as much as you can. Check out this article and this one for more information. But there are thousands of hits so you can also Google sugar addiction.

I donâ€™t always eat due to cravings. Sometimes itâ€™s because Iâ€™m bored. Or anxious. Or stressed. Because Iâ€™m pre-diabetic Iâ€™m trying to reduce my sugar intake. That means I gave up pop. I try to keep junk food out of the house because if itâ€™s here Iâ€™ll eat it. I will start keeping healthy snacks in the house and make sure I eat healthy food.

Addiction in the Standpoint Trilogy

While there is more than one addiction in my trilogy my main character Undine is addicted to sugar. At the beginning of the story she works in a candy store which helps feed her addiction. When she goes off to Campus she smuggles candy in, knowing she wonâ€™t be able to get a lot of it while at school. Part of the stress for her at Campus is hiding the candy but that turns out to be the least of her worries when she learns the secrets of Campus.
Since one of the major themes in my trilogy is addiction there are a number of characters who are addicted to various things. Itâ€™s not just sugar. There are other things characters are addicted to. Drugs. Alcohol. Food. Shopping.

Keep up to date with my new releases and Undineâ€™s experiences at Campus. Get behind the scenes information about the Standpoint Trilogy by joining Campus.

Until next time…

Cindy

*Addiction definition photo copyright Devon from DepositPhotos

A to Z Blogging Challenge Theme

This year I decided to jump into the blogging challenge late and with topics figured out only up to J. But I’m determined to do this. I decided so late that it was after the theme reveal posts for March 21. Since I missed that I decided to do a very late reveal so my followers know I’ll be doing this. So for 2016 my theme is going to be dystopian/post apocalyptic. Some of the letters will deal with themes common to those types of stories. And some of the letters will be directly related to my dystopian trilogy. So far I only have the first book written but I will be writing book two during the challenge. Maybe that will help me figure out the rest of the topics. If I can’t figure out letters that suit the theme I might stretch into the suspense/crime arena for things to talk about. I’m hoping it doesn’t come to that but you never know. With the ghostwriting project plus book two in the trilogy on the go my creativity might be tapped out.

My goals for the challenge (besides finishing it) are to increase my Twitter followers, increase blog followers, and hopefully pique interest enough in my trilogy that I get some mailing list sign ups.

I’ll try to keep the posts short and sweet and entertaining. The trick to writing twenty-six blog posts in a month will be organization and brevity. I also plan to use my credits at DepositPhotos a lot this month so each post will have at least one picture.

I hope you’ll follow along, read some of the other blogs taking part in the challenge and have a great time. I’ve already downloaded the badges for every letter so I’m determined to finish the challenge this year. Don’t forget to sign up for my mailing list. Just for signing up you get a copy of my horror short story Reflections for free.

Until next time…

Cindy

Cozy Mystery for Coffee Lovers – Feature Friday

Cozy mysteries are light and fun but I have a love/hate relationship with them. I love the cozy mystery TV shows and thought I would love cozy mystery books. So when I picked a few up I was surprised that I didn’t love them as much as I thought I would. Mostly it was because they were in first person. And if you’ve read my blog for any length of time you know I hate reading first person. At least I thought I hated it. Turns out I only hate it when it’s done poorly but I still shy away from first person stories. So colour me surprised when I picked up some cozy mysteries recently, written in first person, that I liked. A lot.

Once a month I will be doing a feature Friday where I highlight a book I’m reading or have read and enjoyed. I hope others check them out and enjoy them too.

Expresso Messo is the sixth story in a series but I think you can still enjoy it if you haven’t read all the books in the series. I’ve read the first two and then jumped to this one because it has a Valentine’s theme and that day is just around the corner. Plus it takes place in Florida. With it being -12C as I write this and getting colder the idea of escaping to a warmer climate even through a book appeals to me a lot.

I like the small town feel of cozies and the Sweet Home stories have that in spades. It’s a tight knit community and I like all the characters. They feel like people I would like to spend time with. The main character owns a coffee shop with her aunts and I love coffee. I wish the coffee shop near me had the Valentine’s Day drinks the Cabana has.

If you like cozy mysteries check it out!

A missing redhead, a secret admirerâ€™s column, and special syrup

When one of Sweet Homeâ€™s residents goes missing, Lily decides to put her sleuthing cap on. With her fiancÃ© Eli and his father away on a fishing trip, itâ€™s up to Lily to unearth the how and why of the disappearance. But not before she and Jules discover some odd goings on at Revaâ€™s cafÃ©. A secret admirerâ€™s column in Jules newspaper is also causing quite a stir at the local hair salon where Lily finds a nemesis of the porcelain kind.

Find out what happens when Lily dives deep into all sorts of crazy mischief.

Caffeine and sugar warning: This book contains visions of red velvet hot chocolate and raspberry lattes.

Until next time…

Cindy

Life is About Change

Cape Breton, Nova Scotia Copyright Cindy Carroll

Change isnâ€™t easy for most people. If I surveyed my family and friends Iâ€™m sure 99% of them would say they dislike change. I would be one of those people who like things to stay the same, provided things are ticking along okay. No ripples. When things are bad I canâ€™t wait for change. Almost every month last year I hoped for something to change. There are reasons people stay in jobs they hate. Neighbourhoods theyâ€™re tired of. Relationships that are dead. Change is hard. Thereâ€™s comfort in the familiar eve if it drives you nuts. But change is a part of life. Why not embrace it?

There are different kinds of change. Good. Bad. Natural and unstoppable. Anything that makes my routine, my day to day life as I know it, different is welcome if itâ€™s good. Winning money, a raise, unexpected praise from someone I admire. If the change is bad the universe can take it back. The hard times last year were decidedly unwelcome. But is there ever a silver lining when things are bad? I’ve looked into ways to deal better with change and part of that is saying yes when you really want to say no.

Can Bad Things Turn Good?

A cancer diagnosis in the family last year was bad. More bad news came on job fronts. Health issues came on pet fronts. None of that change was good. The only good that came out of it was me discovering my employer is hugely understanding. They let me work form home for three months while I attempted to not fall apart. The good part about working form home was at the end of my work day I was already home. I could start writing right away. No one hour commute.

If it werenâ€™t for the sucktastic year that was 2015 I wouldnâ€™t have started ghostwriting. Iâ€™m glad that I did but now Iâ€™ll have to deal with a whole can of tax worms I wouldnâ€™t have had to deal with otherwise. On the other hand it has broadened my writing horizons and that will serve me well in the future.

Iâ€™d still prefer for those changes not to have happened.

Change For the Sake of Change

I hate this kind of change too. Businesses do this a lot. I know a company that changes its tagline and focus just about every year. They changed their cubicle structure to an open office set up because some of the big companies use that set up. Gotta jump on the trends!

One of the banks I deal with changed its online banking layout to make it easier for customers to find things. The layout is horrible. Everything is huge, forcing me to scroll to find things I could see right away before. They moved things that fell mid screen to the top of the page. To me it looks like a change for the sake of change. Itâ€™s a New Year we need to do an update!

Change for the Good

As much as I like routine, for things to stay the same, sometimes the same doesnâ€™t work anymore. Sometimes change is needed for things to improve. I am so happy the publishing industry changed and that self publishing isnâ€™t just feasible but authors can actually make a living publishing on their won. To embrace that though I had to think differently. Gradually, after hearing all the success stories, I decided I would change my publishing strategy.

When I first jumped in short erotica was selling like crazy. Readers would pay $2.99 for a short erotica story, leaving those authors pretty flush with cash. Then Amazon made changes (thereâ€™s that word again) and they were offering a borrowing experience. Authors still did well in Kindle Unlimited 1.0 because they were still getting an amount comparable to a royalty. But when Amazon changed the pay structure of KU to be less than a penny per page read a lot of erotica authors had to reevaluate.

This year Iâ€™ve decided to leave the secret erotica pen names behind (not for good, just for now) and focus on my books. I have New Adult dystopian stories to tell, urban fantasies to explore, serial killers that need to be caught. So other than the ghostwriting most writing this year will be to bring those stories to life. Novels sell better than short stories so itâ€™s time I worked on full length books.

Of course since nothing in life stays the same I could be singing a different tune a few months from now.

How about you? Do you resist change or embrace it?

Until next timeâ€¦

Cindy