Guest Stephen Tremp

Posted on February 22, 2012 by

Please help me welcome the super-amazing science fiction author, Stephen Tremp! I think he is my official sci-fi go to guy. I’m excited to have him on my blog today. Welcome, Stephen. Oh, and he’s got a great post to share with you guys today. Take it away, Stephen!

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Science, The Supernatural, And Fantasy

I weave together breakthroughs in science and technology with greed, murder, and mayhem. I then escalate events by converging science and the supernatural. That’s my thing. It’s my schtick. My signature calling card. I do not see a problem with this as I, like most of human civilization over the millennia, believe there is something else out there just as real as our physical universe, but something that we cannot see, feel, hear, taste, or touch under normal circumstances.

Some people struggle with this concept. Religion has a historical record of persecuting scientific discoveries that contradict their traditions (not truth) while many in the field of science do not give heed to concepts that cannot be rigorously tested under the scientific method. I believe both sides are selling themselves short in their quest for reality and our place in the universe.

Science has two incompatible schools: the science of the very big (Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity) and thescience of the very small (quantum mechanics) that cannot be incorporated within one cohesive model. Enter the Theory of Everything (TOE), a model that attempts to unite General Relativity with Quantum Theory using String theory, M-Theory, and/or Supersymmetry. So far, no major breakthrough has been established.

But should expand our horizons? Should a Theory of Everything reconcile science and the spiritual? Most primitive and advanced civilizations have believed in a spiritual realm, often one that is more real than our physical world. A place where events cause the effects we see in our world today, both good and bad. Additional dimensions could very well be where angels and demons reside who could cross back and forth at will. This would explain a lot of things that science simply cannot touch with a test tube.

In addition to science and the supernatural, there is fantasy. I think writers of this genre are, at least to an extent, “tapped in” as they easily write stories using magical settings, beings, beasts, and spirits. Elves, gnomes, dragons and fairies come to life just as easily as a setting on the streets of Manhattan. The Greeks and Romans were amazing in how they tried to explain their world and their place in it using gods, demi-gods, and creatures with mystical powers.

There is such an attraction to the fantasy genre that millions of people accept magical settings and characters with incredible powers. Harry Potter is an excellent example of a world of magic that exists right underneath the muggles scientific noses. Speaking of reconciling science and the supernatural, I had fun a while back with my post A Little Science Behind the Magic of Harry Potter.

Question Posed: Do you think a Grand Unified Theory of Everything would need to include spiritual things?

“A scientific breakthrough of such magnitude it could radically alter the future of humanity—for better or worse—is in the wrong hands”

Stephen Tremp has a background in information systems, management, and finance and draws from this varied and complex experiential knowledge to write one-of-a-kind thrillers. His novels are enhanced by current events at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and other scientific research facilities around the world. These potential advances have the ability to change the way we perceive our universe and our place in it!

You can visit Stephen Tremp at Breakthrough Blogs.

OPENING on Kindle for $1.99

OPENING paperback for $12.95

BREAKTHROUGH on Kindle for $1.99

BREAKTHROUGH paperback for $12.95

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Gremdon Goodies

Posted on February 21, 2012 by

International Giveaway!

Yep, that’s right, this is open to EVERYONE. :)

 

Oh, and this is some great swag! You will receive a signed
copy of The Curse of Gremdon, a notebook with The Curse of Gremdon cover, a key chain, a delux tote bag, AND your own Amulet of Protection!

 

 

 

 

 

So, how do you enter? All you have to do is send a picture that shows the cover of your copy of The Curse of Gremdon. (e-book copies are welcomed and encouraged) Want to earn even more entries? Follow my blog, Tweet, Facebook, or shout out on any form of social media about this giveaway.

Email your entry to Ciara (at) CiaraKnight (dot) com by midnight EST, March 31st. (Please include total number of entries based on your participation in this giveaway, including FB,Twitter, StumbleUpon, Pinterest, and any other way you shared with others. One entry per each social media outlet utilized.)

Be creative with your pictures! On April 3rd, ten finalists will be announced. (Random.org). Those ten photos will be placed on the blog for voting. The one that receives the most votes wins! The final winner will be announced on April 9, 2012.

 

Here is the first entry.

 

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Happy Monday!

Posted on February 20, 2012 by

My normal Monday guest post will be on Wednesday this week. I just thought I’d shake things up a little. :) Stop back then for the uber-amazing Science Fiction writer, Stephen Tremp. I took a sneak peek at his post, trust me, you’ll want to stop back. ;)

 

Also, coming soon, is the launch for my Young Adult Paranormal novel, RISE FROM DARKNESS. It is book I of the Battle for Souls series. If you’d like to review RISE FROM DARKNESS, have me on your blog as a guest, or interview me or one of my characters, please stop by Bewitching Blog Tours. I’d love to visit you guys, especially if you enjoy young adult novels. :)

 

Lastly, don’t forget about the A-Z challenge. I’ve already started to work on my concept for the month of April, and even write some of the posts. My goal is to have them all written prior to April 1st. Yikes, guess I better get started.

Oh, I HAVE to share one more thing. The Curse of Gremdon received 5 stars from Paranormal Romance Guild over the weekend. Squee!!! :) Yep, that made my weekend.

What did you do this weekend? Did you take an exotic trip, read a great book, watch an outstanding movie, or walk on the moon?

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Great Books and Crazy Days

Posted on February 17, 2012 by

Oh, my goodness. I had the craziest thing happen yesterday. When I went to Barnes and Noble to set up a book signing, a nice lady saw my book in my hand and asked me what I thought of it. She stated that a friend of hers just told her about this book she was reading. To make a long story short, she posted on Facebook about our encounter. This is what she wrote:

A couple of days ago Tanya mentioned a book by Ciara Knight “The Curse of Gremdon”, so I looked over it and added it to my reading list and while walking through B&N I see this woman walking through the store with the same book so of course I stop and ask her about it cause my friend is reading the same book and ask her what she thinks of it… She said she loves it but might be a little biased seeing as how she wrote it :) , she showed me her picture on the back of the book, I was like wow that is so cool I’m talking to an author of a book.

Yes, that TOTALLY made my day. :)  

Okay, next on the list is some cover love. I mean I ADORE this cover. Check it out and tell me what you think.


At Barinkoff Academy, there’s only one rule: no students on campus after curfew. Phoenix McKay soon finds out why when she is left behind at sunset. A group calling themselves night students threaten to taste her flesh until she is saved by a mysterious, alluring boy. With his pale skin, dark eyes, and mesmerizing voice, Demitri is both irresistible and impenetrable. He warns her to stay away from his dangerous world of flesh eaters. Unfortunately, the gorgeous and playful Yuri has other plans.

When Phoenix is caught between her physical and her emotional attraction, she becomes the keeper of a deadly secret that will rock the foundations of an ancient civilization living beneath Barinkoff Academy. Phoenix doesn’t realize until it is too late that the closer she gets to both Demitri and Yuri the more she is plunging them all into a centuries old feud.



Now, for a spotlight on a great read. This book is getting some attention. Check out some of these great reviews!


“Simply put: Paramour blows the roof off the house! I believe this new author is someone to watch. She’s going to make waves, especially if she can continually produce stories like Paramour. Read. This. Book!”

~BookingIt Grade: A+

Camellia Stafford has never been alone in her room. For twenty years, she’s been engaged in a fierce power struggle with her bedroom’s previous tenant, Frank DeLuca, the ghost trapped in the light fixture above her bed.

 

 Caustic and cranky, Frank has one soft spot—Cam. Over the years, their feelings for one another have evolved from grudging friendship to an enduring love that burns white-hot until Frank puts his feelings for Cam on ice.

 

Happy Friday!!!!
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Did I Notice Your Book?

Posted on February 16, 2012 by

It’s that time of week again. Anyone for a writing experiment?

With all the new tools out there to monitor book sales and blurbs mentioned about their books, I’m going to highlight a new book each week. I’ll post it in the morning. If by the end of the day that author finds her book on this post I want her or him to tell us how they discovered it; word of mouth through the close network of writers, a Yahoo group mention, or through some new fangled Google tool.

Now, how will I choose this book each week? It will be a book that caught my attention. As a reader, I will keep an eye out for something that either provoked me to read the blurb, look at the author’s blog, or purchase said book.

Before I reveal my choice I want to clarify that this author has no idea that I’ve chosen his/her book.

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The book I chose was: Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn

Goodreads Blurb:

When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep.

Sixteen-year-old Kira Moore is a zero, someone who can’t read thoughts or be read by others. Zeros are outcasts who can’t be trusted, leaving her no chance with Raf, a regular mindreader and the best friend she secretly loves. When she accidentally controls Raf’s mind and nearly kills him, Kira tries to hide her frightening new ability from her family and an increasingly suspicious Raf. But lies tangle around her, and she’s dragged deep into a hidden world of mindjackers, where having to mind control everyone she loves is just the beginning of the deadly choices before her.


I received this book as a recommendation on Goodreads from M.A. Leslie. The cover intrigued me, the blurb pulled me in, and the reviews sealed the deal. I’m adding this one to my to-read shelf on Goodreads.

Have you added a book to your to-read list on Goodreads after receiving a recommendation? If so, what made you add that specific book?

Have you read Open Minds. If so, what did you think?

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