Stephen Tremp "Opening" Release

Hi everyone, and thanks for stopping by. I'd like to thank Lee for the opportunity to promote the recent release of my suspense thriller OPENING, the second installment int he BREAKTHROUGH series. Here we go .....


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

Graduate students from M.I.T. have stolen a breakthrough in wormholes. Their leader, Nicholas Fischer Jr., has convinced the group to assassinate powerful politicians and World Bank executives, privy to the discovery, to prevent them from using it for their own New World Order agenda and egregious profits.

Orange County resident Chase Manhattan, man of danger, is part of a new breed of modern-day discovery seekers. As the death toll mounts, Chase and his friends must battle this group of misled zealots from M.I.T. The conflict: will this discovery be used to benefit and advance the world in ways only previously imagined, or will greed and incompetence be used to manipulate the masses and benefit a select few. Amplifying the problem, events escalate as a scientific Pandora’s box is knocked over and the contents spilled out.

Stephen Tremp, author of the BREAKTHROUGH series, has a B.A. in information systems and an MBA degree in global management. Stephen 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!

REVIEWS

I am a big fan of BREAKTHROUGH, the first book of the Chase Manhattan series, so I was looking forward to OPENING. Author Stephen Tremp has not only not disappointed with the new installment, but also raised the bar in OPENING, providing a slick complex action thriller.

The scope of the story is breathtaking and the action is non-stop. The events are so plausible that at times I was nodding in agreement thinking, "Yeah, that could happen." The story is cued directly from current world events and scientific breakthroughs.

Arlee Bird
Writer, Blogger and Juggler of Words and Phrases

I enjoyed reading OPENING. You did a great job of grabbing and keeping my attention. Your use of description was wonderful and your attention to detail just helped to add to the book. The action was quite intense at times. I am a big fan of BREAKTHROUGH, the first book of the Chase Manhattan series, so I was looking forward to OPENING.

Audrey Sillett Lintner

You can visit Stephen Tremp at Breakthrough Blogs. BREAKTHROUGH and OPENING can be downloaded:

Kindle for $1.99

Smashwords for $1.99

#AtoZ : A to Z Challenge Sunday Summary

        Our fellow co-host from Retro-Zombie has been turning out some beautiful blog art for those who want to adorn their sites with A to Z decor.  Check the tab at the top of the page for additional selections.

      We're looking for you to start promoting the A to Z Challenge outside of the blog circle that includes you who have joined already.  There are an untold number of bloggers who would love to do what we're going to do this April, but they don't know about it yet. When it comes to telling others, it starts right at your own blog.   Have you been helping to spread the word about the A to Z April Challenge?   It helps the cause when you tell friends and post publicity articles on your blog.

      Here are a few that I found this week:

      Lucy Adams announced her intentions to return to do the Challenge of 2012.  We're glad to see you back Lucy.  And thanks for that rousing plug for A to Z.  I was surprised to learn that Lucy published a Kindle book based on her posts from last year--the third A to Z inspired book that I'm aware of.  Take a look at ABC Book of Literary Devices.

       Joyce Sully from Small Wonders is also going to be joining us in April.  How do I know?  She announced it in her blog!  Welcome to the April fun.

        At Older Mommy Still Yummy Monica tells about her experience in last year's Challenge and provides words of encourage to those who are considering this year.  Nice job Monica!

          I absolutely adored the alphabetical call to action from Anna Smith at Universal Gibberish.  Go by and say hello after you read this for yourself.

         Passionate Musings did some ruminating about the Challenge as well.

          Ella at Ella's Edge found her topic for the letter Z.  She provides a peek into her April plans.

         Cherie Reich is offering a promotional opportunity for published or soon-to-be published authors on her blog Surrounded By Books.    Don't pass up this one up if you want to get your name out there a bit more.  Free promotion?  What's not to like about that?

        Since we're on the subject of getting yourself promoted, if you missed my discussion of this topic earlier in the week please check it out starting with Tossing It Out and following the link trail from there.  Self-promotion is nothing to be ashamed of nor be intimidated by.  In fact, for authors or anyone with something they want the world to know about, if you don't promote it yourself it may not get done at all.  Helping to promote A to Z will get your feet wet and make it easier for you to promote yourself later.   Stephen Tremp has already stated his intentions on becoming a "publicity hound".

        The A to Z Challenge announcement can also be found at Lady Reader's Bookstuff, The Written Word, and Rebekah Loper,

        Show your support for all of these A to Z Challenge allies by visiting their blogs, leaving a message, and giving them a follow.

         Tracy Jo at Brand New Day dropped a teaser in her blog that she has an A to Z video forthcoming for the A to Z Video Contest.  I'm anxious to see what she'll come up with.
 
         We're still accepting submissions for the A to Z Video Contest and you can find details in a tab at the top of the page.  To inspire you here's an entry received this week from Dale Smurthwaite from Smurfin' the Web.   Enjoy:





.

Training for the A to Z Challenge: Guest Post from Journaling Woman

         A couple of weeks ago, Teresa from Journaling Woman published a post that offered some great tips on meeting the Challenge in the best blogging shape.   It was entertaining and funny, but on target as to some of the things challengees will want to consider as they approach April.   Teresa has given me permission to reprint her post on the A to Z Blog.

Lee at Tossing it Out is the man behind the scheme. He thought up this challenging blogfest and it’s been a hit ever since. And he’s recruited some of his friends and fellow bloggers along the way to help. Beginning January 30^th you can sign up.

Now, I don’t join blogfests often. There’s the commitment issues. There’s the “marching to my own drummer” philosophy. But sometimes you long to belong.

And that’s where the Blogging from A-Z Challenge comes in. To get prepared, I’m in training. Here’s my workout plan.

Exercising

Fingers stretch out. Fingers pull in. Repeat eight more times. Then—stop.

Resting

·         Get eight hours of sleep.

·         Dream each night about a dancing alphabet.

·         Leap vigorously to catch random letters in your dreams since you will need them to complete A-Z.

·         And even if they struggle and bite to be free, catch them. It’s well worth it.

Mental Games

Repeat daily: A-Z is only one month. Not even a month. Only 26 days. It’s a challenge not a marriage. You’re only committing yourself for 26 days. Consider it a very long date.

 Read

·         The Little Engine That Could (I think I can, I think I can)

·         Old A-Z posts for ideas. New A-Z posts for ideas.  (This helps you know you’re not alone.)

·         Gone with the Wind (“I can’t think of that right now, If I do I’ll go crazy. I 'll think about that tomorrow.”)

Nutrition

·         Eat chocolate – lots and any kind is fine.

·         Drink coffee. Lots. Coffee helps with memory. True story, I think.

·         Eat fried foods to store fat because writing is a lonely and cold profession. You’ll need the comfort of fried food.

Write

Write random ideas. Write conversations. Write grocery lists. Write until you find your theme. Then…write it for real.

And that’s my training workout for the Blogging From A-Z Challenge coming to a blog near you April 1-30.  I’m stoked. I have a theme. I’m getting prepared.  

Now go visit the Blogging from A-Z Challenge site to learn more about it. Get outta here--go!

Related articles

• Memoir Through Journaling: guest Teresa the Journaling Woman (wrotebyrote.blogspot.com)
• The Lazy Blogger: Hosting Guests on Your Blog (breakthroughblogs.blogspot.com)

Get Yourself a Theme Song!

Many of you have already planned your A to Z posts. However, I’m sure some of you still wonder what the heck you’re going to do for the Challenge. I understand - I’ve been in both situations. And in case you’re wondering, planning posts around a theme was much easier than winging it!

The first year, I don’t think any of us really knew what we were doing. The closest I came to a theme was that my posts were all entertainment related. Movies, music, games - you name it. For Q, I blogged about Q*Bert and “Q.” Yes, the crappy 1983 movie “Q!” I was desperate…

The second year, I realized I needed a plan of attack. I was a co-host last year as well, and I knew I couldn’t be floundering around for post topics. I at once hit upon the idea of featuring two blogger buddies per letter. Some of the letters were challenging, but I stuck with my topic until the last couple letters. (Thank you, Matthew – QQQE was a much better choice than “Q!”) As an added bonus, everyone really liked my Challenge theme.

You may think A to Z a challenge enough without adding the limitations of a theme. But choosing one overall subject for your posts really allows for a lot of creativity. You could select any topic under the sun and run with it. The only limitations are in your mind. A theme also helps you to plan ahead for each post, which frees your time during the Challenge to visit other blogs.

So, start brainstorming now! Avoid total brain freeze when you reach the more difficult letters. Believe me, you don’t want to post about crappy movies like “Q.” I’ve already done that!

Ninja Captain and A to Z Challenge Co-Host
Alex J. Cavanaugh


And related to today's topic comes another entry to the A to Z Video Contest.  Today's submission comes from Dale Smurthwaite at Smurfin' the Web.   Hop over to his site and say hello.  If you are interested in knowing more about the A to Z Video Contest click on the appropriate tab at the top of the page.   Now rock out to Dale's video:






.

A to Z Challenge--How to Wing It in Style: guest from Jamie at Mithril Wisdom

        Jamie Gibbs from Mithril Wisdom is no stranger to the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.  In this guest post Jamie provides some excellent Challenge wisdom that may alleviate some stress come April.  

A to Z Blogging - How to wing it in style

It’s certainly no secret that I rarely prepare for blog-type events. I’m usually the one frantically hitting that “Publish’ button mere seconds before each deadline (and on one occasion, several days after it). I enjoy the spontaneity of winging it and the thrill of the unexpected when I blog with little planning. However, writing by the seat of your pants does not mean you should walk into the A to Z Challenge blind. A small amount of planning can go a very long way. Here’s a few tips to wing it without making a fool of yourself.

●        Know your theme

            Even if your theme is to have no theme, make sure you know the general feel of the posts that you’ll write. Things will be a lot easier when you’re sitting at your keyboard, struggling to find that elusive ‘Q’ topic, if you know that whatever the ‘Q’ is, it needs to be in the realm of, say, Aztec gods (and the answer, of course, would be Quetzalcoatl).

●        Prep each day with one word

            You have two whole months until the Challenge starts, so grab a pen and paper, and write the alphabet. Go on, do it, don’t be shy. I’ll wait. I’ll just busy myself thinking about dragons.

Right, done that? Awesome. Now think about a single word to go with each letter (sticking with your theme). I hope you left enough room next to each letter to write the word itself. I probably should have mentioned that earlier. Hmm . . .

It may take some time, but using those single words will make your posts so much quicker to write each day. Even if you still haven’t thought of any for the elusive ‘Q’ by the time April rolls around, you’ll have 25 less posts to worry about because of your list.

●        Read around. Read widely. Read everything!

            The A to Z Challenge is about community above all else. There are hundred of awesome bloggers who are participating, and it would be a shame for you to miss out. Don’t just read the blogs you know, or those who comment on your posts. Don’t just focus on the blogs that are similar to your own. You’ll be surprised how much inspiration you’ll get from reading outside of your comfort zone. Even better, you’ll meet new friends along the way. Everyone’s a winner!

Good luck to all of you, and extra good luck to my fellow winging bloggers. I look forward to seeing you blogging by the seat of your pants - and doing it in style.

Related articles

• Inspiration for your posts (a-to-zchallenge.com)
• alexandra heep (a-to-zchallenge.com)
• Tell Me About This A to Z Challange (a-to-zchallenge.com)