Christmas Traditions Part 1 + Giveaway! (INTL)

Just in time for the Christmas Holidays, I have a special author guest telling us what her Christmas Traditions are, as well as book news for the coming year.

Please help me give a warm welcome to Carlyle Labushchagne!

Author of The Broken Destiny.

And now, Carlyle lets us know what her Christmas Traditions are.

Christmas Time
Generally means the same thing to many across the globe. A time to share, to catch up on lots moments we missed during our busy lives all year long. Christmas is a time to celebrate family, giving, and being thankful. Weather you believe in Christ or not, we have plenty to be thankful for. My worst part about Christmas is the shopping, yeah you wouldn't think a woman would hate shopping, but I do. The malls are crowded, prices of everything are escalated, and finding parking is a nightmare. The kids get tired and someone is going to end up crying. The Best part is handing out those presents. The Feeling one gets from seeing your kids elated, and out of their sin with excitement on receiving the one thing from Santa they really wanted, or the smile or tear the receiver of a very sentimental gift bears, that warms my chest. Then there is the huge dinner or lunch, bringing the entire family together for a day in time where it’s crazy, fun and loving. Then the clean-up of spills, patching up of broken objects or cuts and bruises because the boys jumped from the roof, fell out a tree, pushed their cousin a little too hard on that new swing set or skateboard, only to do it all over again next year. For me it’s a blessed time to give and yes receive. What makes my Christmas different from yours? In South Africa it’s our peak summer time, where we spend Christmas by the pool, or at the coast,  eating watermelon, pumping the summer tunes and drinking and eating a little too much. Merry Xmas to all of you, where ever you are and whatever you may be doing. 
Author Bio: Carlyle Labuschagne lives in Sunny South Africa , married her high school sweetheart and shares her creativity with her two young boys. Carlyle Works as a PR and Marketing Manager by day, and writes by every other moment. She holds a diploma in creative writing through the writing school at Collage SA. Loves to swim, fights for the trees, food lover who is driven by passion for everything fantasy. Carlyle writes for IU e-magazine an inspirational nonprofit magazine that aims at inspiring the world through words. Debut author for 2012 - novel The Broken Destiny . Her ultime dream is to write songs and direct music videos. Her native language is Afrikaans and has just begun her journey into grasping the English language.  

Book Info: 

An amazing new sci-fi series begins with The Broken Destiny: Book One of The Broken Series.

Ava's People have been exiled to Planet Poseidon, where through a series of horrific events, Ava discovers that their existence has been fabricated by The Council, And She has a Destiny that could save them. Her Soul is a secret weapon that has been lost to an ancient race. To fulfill her destiny Ava needs to go through a series of "changes" that will reveal her true purpose. Throughout her journey she will become what she hates in order to save the ones she loves. And through it all she will find herself - for that is her Destiny, to rise above the fall. 

The story continues in the next book Evanescent. 

Twitter : http://twitter.com/#!/CarlyleL 

 Website : http://www.carlylelabuschagne.com/ 

 Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Carlyle-Labuschagne/189835811074342

 Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Broken-Destiny-Book-One/dp/1612048722/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347131640&sr=1-1&keywords=carlyle+labuschagne 

 Trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FPWniWsvrk

 Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12537426-the-broken-destiny-1-in-the-broken-series 

 Barnes and Nobles http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-broken-destiny-carlyle-labuschagne/1112448868?ean=9781612048727

 Blog http://worldsawaybookblog.blogspot.com/

About Evanescent book two in The Broken Series

Evanescent A Broken Novel is the second in a four part series. Book one entitled The Broken Destiny. It follows up on Ava’s journey, and those destined to a prophecy she still has a hard time following and believing in.  It is her endless struggle into becoming the one an ancient prophecy has predicted to save a dying race and those like her, because in becoming The White Devine it means to have no life or love of your own.

Book one: The Broken Destiny 

Ava is third generation of The Broken kind who reside on a planet called Poseidon. The Broken share this planet with an ancient race known as the Minoans. The Broken are a breed of humans who evolved from a program that was constructed to save human kind from harsh conditions back on Earth. But Ava knows much more, and feels much more than she is allowed to. When she starts questioning her origins and the destruction of Earth, things go horribly wrong for her. She is saved by a Minoan boy from an attempted kidnapping on her life – the perpetrators are evil Zulus and their dark ancient magic. Humans and Minoans are forbidden to interact with each other, and as she is taken back to their village she finds out why – they know of her, her kind and her destiny to save a dying race. Ava must rid them from the Council’s ruling and free the galaxy of The Shadow. Her destiny is to rise above the fall, because within her soul is the key to an archaic weapon that has been missing in the mix of a genetic code since the time of the ancients. As the prophecy unfolds she learns of her bloodline – a bloodline that makes her less human than she could ever have imagined. She alone has the power to destroy or save, but the mind-shift is a horrible thing. Ava will become what she hates to save the ones she loves. Beaten, poisoned, possessed and betrayed by her own emotions, she has no choice but to rise above it all… for that is her Destiny.Book two has been a difficult one for me to write, I think I have written it 6 times over. I am currently on my final draft -  I think I have nailed it this time. I have also decided to write part two of this book from Troy’s POV and have been amazed at how much it has opened up his story and the world of The Destined ones. I do not plan beforehand; my story comes to me as I write.  In Evanescent Ava explores how to use human emotions to either evoke her Shift allowing her to defeat her enemies, or use emotion to damper The Shadow-shift that changes her, and threatens those around her. The Shadow-Shift is a powerful, seductive and destructive force with a mind and will of its own. The more times she shifts, the harder it is to bring her back. We learn that Troy is the ignited one,  and one of the perks to being the ignited one – he is her antidote to the shadowing disease she carries through her bloodline. A war has broken out between The Council, The Minoans and the Zulus. A war that brings death, and togetherness for some.  I have explored a stronger magic with the Minoan race, as the prophecy draws near their powers grow,  and  we delve  a little deeper into some of the controlling aspects the Council has had over Ava and her kind, especially Ava. Turns out, the recipe to the ultimate weapon has been under their noses the entire time. Now they will use that against everyone. But when all is discovered, secrets revealed and mistakes have been wronged, it might be too late. And yes just like The Broken Destiny, Evanescent will be a cliff-hanger – because that is how I roll! *lol* 

You can read an excerpt on Evanescent on the Fansite : http://thebrokenseriesfansite.com/home/
Website link to The Broken Destiny http://www.carlylelabuschagne.com/
Page link to Evanescent http://www.carlylelabuschagne.com/evanescent.html
Pinboard to Evanescent http://pinterest.com/carlylel/evanescent-a-broken-novel/ 

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