J is for Josh Groban

If there is a voice that makes me want to sink on the ground I'm standing on and weep in joy, it's Josh Groban. Remember 'You Raise Me Up' truely genius, right? He is my 'to-go-to' artist when I feel as if my world is falling apart, or need inspiration or uplifting music, not to mention the awesomeness of the lyrics and his voice.

I remember the first time I got to know about Josh Groban was in Ally McBeal (remember that tv series with quirky characters, and each court case as strange and funny as the characters themselves? - I loved it by the way and still do. My dvd's can attest to that.). I think it was in season 4 episode 23. He plays Malcom Wyatt, a preacher's son. A girl from school agrees to go with him to the prom. Then she bails out on him. And of course, Ally gets the case.  To cut the whole story short, she goes with him to the prom, and he sings 'You are still you'. My gosh, I can't even begin to explain the feelings that song evoke in me, and how the prom crowd cheers after. Here is the clip from youtube: (the prom one didn't work, so I got this one, which is just as awe-inspiring as the other one)

Oh here is another: Broken Vow. Lara Fabian, another of my muses, did the song as well. The lyrics are soo sad, but the voice makes up for it. Magnificent.

Josh Groban is one of the most amazing artists, and humble too. He's my muse, and his music a source of comfort.  I would love to meet him hopefully one day. I'd gush the the whole day and week about Josh, but I think I'll give it a rest and let you discover  about this ..this..oh, well,, words fail me..again.

Who is your to-go-to artist? Your favourite? Does Josh make you want to spread your wings and fly?(Or wish you had wings to fly..like me?

I is for Innsbruck

Innsbruck one of the most beautiful towns in Austria, as well as the capital of Tyrol. It's one of the best ski places, with beautiful resorts and breathtaking view of the Alps.

In Innsbruck, there is this wonderful Care Im Turm -Panaroma- Cafe. It is situated at the Bergisel Ski Jump You are guarantee to have a perfect view on Innsbruck as well as the jumpers.

Watten is a town located 13km from Insbruck. While there one can visit the Kristalwelten - Crystal World - Swarovksi (photos above)  

Watten

Can visit the Labyrinth which is part of the Crystal World. I was there a long time ago. I should make a point of going back. 

Marketing Deluxe

In Winter, starting November, the Christmas markets are a places worth visiting, surrounded by the Alps. Breathtaking.

Innsbruck Turismo

Apfel Strudel - Apple Strudel - A traditional Pastry with coffee on a blue skies, sunshine winter day.

Europabrücke

But before a the coffee break with Apfel Strudel, I hear there is this wonderful site close to Innsbruck where you can bunjee jump.  The Europabrücke -Europa Bridge is 190m above ground. I plan to visit one day. I've never been there myself. I'm not sure if I'd try this extreme adrenaline pumping activity.  Maybe one day. :)

H is for Home

A few weeks ago, my friends and I were debating a particular subject:  Home. How does one define where home is? Everyone had their opinion.  Is it a place where one lives? 

Is home a castle house? 

Or is it a place like this: 

I am originally from Kenya. My mom, three sisters and brother and a whole bunch of relatives are in Kenya. I live here in Vienna with my children. I miss that part of my family, but my other part  is here with me. I've lived in thatched roof houses/huts, lived in posh houses, and in a tent. It was comfortable yes, and to some extent adventurous, but not as home-y as I'd have liked. Would have been much better if my family, my loved ones were with me. 


Right now my heart is in two places: Kenya and Vienna. 

Sometimes when I travel by myself and spend the night someplace far from my children, I toss and turn, and by morning I'm a sleepless mess. It's because my heart isn't attached to that foreign place. 

Personally, I believe home is where you go at the end of a frustrating day, to the arms of the ones who love you and you love. It doesn't matter whether it's in Africa, Europe, Asia... 

Home is where your heart is.

What is home to you?  Would love to know what you think.

Karen Morrison's The Creeper Book Review

Author: Karen Morrison

Source: Making Connections (Goodreads.com)

Format: ebook

Date of Publish: January 19th, 2012

Publisher: Untreed Reads

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Book Summary:

A cheerleader is pestered by an amorous vampire who claims that he is Alexei Nikolaevich, the rightful tsar of Russia, and that she is his long lost love, reincarnated.

He's gorgeous, he's royalty, he's a vampire and he has an exotic European accent. She's a lesbian, she thinks his story is fishy and she wishes he would go away.

Too bad vampires are immune to Mace.

A short story for both teens and adults from our Spectres line.

Source: goodreads

My Review:


This was a great short read. Karen Morrison weaved a story that is funny and suspenseful in just a few pages. She had me smiling at the end. The lead character was witty, her descriptions well done. Truth be told, the ending came as a suprise, which made me enjoy this story even more.I really look forward to reading more from Ms Morrison's work.

Cece's Lucky 7

I've been tagged by a friend, author and fellow Inkspeller, Brooke Moss.


Here are the rules:

1.) Go to your current WIP...

2.) Go to the 77th page...

3.) Go to the 7th line...

4.) Copy and paste the next 7 lines...

Alright-y. A while back I shared the 7 from my YA dark fantasy WIP. Today I'm going to share the 7 from another of my current WIP, a sequel from Truly, Madly, Deeply, You. If you've read Truly Madly, then you know the storyline: Friends to Lovers. This one explores how Frey and Liese take their friendship to the next level. This sequel also introduces two more characters who are completely different from Liese and Frey. They are stubborn, bossy, and have a healthy amount of temperament. She is bossy, he is bossier, he is Alpha she is Alpha-ier. (Is that even a word?) None of them like to lose. But underneath all that, are two hearts willing to go the distance.

So here we go: 

"Do you get high annoying me?" Katarina asked,

"No," Vasyl said, his hands shoved in the front pockets of his faded jeans. The expression on his face shifted. Calm demeanour faded to uncertainity, as he rocked on his heels.  His grey eyes, wide and darker than moments before. "It's the only way I know to get your attention, Katarina, to get you to look at me."

Whoa. This was a side of him she'd never seen before. It was very... unsettling.

She folded her arms across her chest and cleared her throat. "You succeeded. You have two minutes. Talk."

They locked gazes. The air in the room seemed to have a life of its own. He shook his head, swivelled on his heels and left the room.  Her jaw dropped, her eyes glued to the door. What just happened?

Ok, those are not 7, but somehow I couldn't bring myself to finish it midway. 

Thanks for tagging me, Brooke. :)

H is for Hour and Hourglass

The Symbolic meaning of Hour glass: Some say it is one of the items Grim carries  with him while on his daily chore of collecting souls.  
It also appears when the computer performs a function. Ancient Alchemist used this instrument as well.


I would like to share with you an excerpt from  a story I'm working on, Young Adult dark fantasy, Reaper's Novice. The girl in this story works for Grim... or Ernest as he likes calling himself. She got this job by trading her soul for the four souls of her family, after they were involved in an accident. Working as a nurse, I always wondered what happens to the soul. Therefore I came up with this story idea last year.

The hour started out as usual, one made up of compact minutes. Now it seems to have grown wings and flown by, leaving me with a handful of minutes. I've been sitting here, waiting for someone, anyone to come in and help her. Her life, her soul is mere minutes, then it's mine to collect. I don't want to. Not when I know she will forever be gone. I feel frustrated of my inability to help her because that would only conflict with my occupation. Soul Collector. How does one collect her best friend's soul? Can I make a deal with Grim to let her live?  What would I trade her soul for? I am a soul collector. I have nothing more to offer.


My eyes dart to the hourglass perched on the table in front of me. The sands of time sift through as if competing to reach the finish line. The clock strikes midday, still no one has come to save her, to stop the gunshot bleeding. Finally, the last of the sand sifts through. I exhale, my  eyes  sting with tears. Pain twists inside my chest as the shimmering red soul rises from her inanimate still warm body, and floats towards me, towards the soul vial clutched in my hand.


Afterwards, I snatch the hourglass from the table and shove it inside my coat, then place the soul vial carefully in the padded pockets of my trenchcoat. I wipe my eyes with the sleeve of my coat. With one last look, I leave the room.

Yeah, it's a sad scene, in the story, 
Oh, and another book I am really looking forward to read, hopefully soon. 

from Goodreads

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.
Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young adult debut.



Do you know any myths relating to the Hourglass? Have you read Myra McEntire's Hourglass? Ever wondered what happens to a soul once it leaves the body?

Interview with The Perfect Game Author, John Hansen

Today I'm hanging out with John Hansen, a dear friend and author of  'The Perfect Game'. Would you like a free copy of his book? Head over to Amazon and grab yourself a copy. It is free. Today is the last day.

Cece: Tell us a little about yourself

John: Some people call me John Hansen.

I’m the author of ‘The Perfect Game’ (short story), its prequel, ‘The Games Begin’ (novella), and also ‘Man’s Best Friend’ (short story), which is forthcoming from Untreed Reads Publishing. My work appears in the lit mags “Raphael’s Village” and “Crack The Spine” and in the “Dark Light” anthology published by CH&BB Publishing.

Or, the simplified version:

There's a line between killing your characters out of necessity and killing them for pleasure. I tend to cross it. [Insert evil laughter here].

You can find me on:

Goodreads
My blog
Facebook
Twitter

Cece: Tell us about your latest book.  Do you have anything new in the works and can you tell us a bit about it?

John: My latest book, ‘The Perfect Game’, is a horror short story that explores a game show where the challenge is to kill on live TV. And also, what happens when the show goes too far.

Here’s a more official blurb:

“Entertainment is changing forever. Comedies, dramas, and reality TV shows are out. Murder is in.

In a world where murder is being exploited on TV, viewers watch live assassinations for their own entertainment. A hit game show where the challenge is to kill arises, stirring up remarkable popularity. Millions of viewers all across the globe watch it, vicariously experiencing the thrill of murder without ever committing the crime. And they all love it. Murder is the world’s latest and most remarkable excitement turned entertainment. But what happens when it goes too far?”

I’m currently writing a prequel to ‘The Perfect Game’ entitled ‘The Games Begin’ to be released sometime in July (hopefully).

Cece: How did you come up with the idea of your story?

John: It all stemmed from a book title I saw for some random self-published book. Oddly enough, that book was a romance, but the title made me think of parodying TV. It was then that I knew my next short story would be a TV parody, and with a dark twist, I decided. That’s when it hit me: what if I wrote about a game show where people kill each other on live TV?

And thus, the idea was born.

Cece: What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?

John: Well, beyond the ability to market efficiently, every writer must be capable of creating an interesting and unique story. This means creativity. Also, every writer should read hundreds of books in their genre before writing anything at all, these books ranging from good to bad ones so the writer can learn what works and what doesn’t. A writer must have patience and must realize that not every book will be good. A good editor is also vital, as well as an initial beta reader who’s willing to say “this is awful” if, indeed, it is. Most importantly, writers with books must be able to distinguish between promoting themselves and spamming, so they come across as real people and not annoying SEO dweebs.

Cece: Anything else you'd like to share?

John: Well, first, thank you for having me! I really appreciate it!

In addition, I’d like to add that my horror short story, ‘The Perfect Game’, is free for a limited time on April 7^th and 8^th. You can download it for free here:

Amazon UK
Amazon US

It was a pleasure having you here, John!