Follow Me - When Things are Worthwhile

I dropped my lovely Samsung S3 from the top of the Badger and it fell itself to death on the rocks below. We are quite far away from any place that could replace or repair it here at the test facility, in the Northern Cape, making that option impossible.
For many people that could spell disaster at a test such as this one, but I am fortunate that the other members of my team are willing to help out and make calls on my behalf where necessary. We sorted out some ammunition that we needed (thank you, Derek) and some technical adjustments to the system we are testing (thank you, Derek and Nico). And these are only for the phone calls that I couldn't make.
The rest of the team are pulling their weight (Noel, Tienie, Paul and our youngest member Charl) during the firing. In the meantime Jors, André and Jeff are gathering the data that we need for the evaluations after the tests. Tomorrow it is Kassie's turn for directing the data we need to capture for the final section of the first part of our tests.
Some of the team are leaving soon, while more are flying in tonight and tomorrow for the second phase of our tests.
It wasn't a simple task to plan and schedule everyone in and out, since the facility is fairly isolated. That isolation also required tools and equipment that had to make the trip too, and my logistic right hand, Neville and our truck driver, Sam, did a sterling job on that score.
Yet, all those headaches are nothing when I see the smiles on the guys' faces at the end of the day. All those meetings and technical preparations beforehand were worth it as we are making terrific progress towards the results we are ultimately aiming for.
The only sad thing - I cannot post the pictures that I had taken of the guys, they are on my phone :(

Follow Me - Meeting People on the Road

We had arrived at our destination yesterday, and along the way we had met quite a number of people to whom we showed our vehicle. Children of all ages, one could say, judging by the enthusiasm with which we had been peppered with questions. It is times likes these that those of us who work with the system on a daily basis, can stand back and appreciate our efforts from the perspective of the public. Yes, people like to kick the tyres, and want to know how heavy it is, and want to take a peek inside. Since climbing inside was not allowed, made more difficult with all the measuring equipment that had been installed, it is still interesting to watch everyone's faces when they looked at the inside.
You might want to know if we like our Badger? Yes, we do. We might have some challenges still ahead, but this test is one many of us have been waiting for.

Follow Me - Travelling Day 1

Travelling in a convoy with a vehicle that is not your average sized car, can be a bit challenging. It is larger, wider and much heavier than most people believe.
As such we travel on roads that are easier to negotiate, for all the vehicles in the convoy.

We stopped in Bloemfontein to have a break and as usual drew a crowd of interested and curious fellow South Africans. I love watching their faces, especially the kids when they see our Badger for the first time.

We are not yet done with our travelling for today, so come back to see where we are staying over on route to our destination.

Follow me - Off we go!

With the long road ahead of us, we had made an early start. At this time of year the sun rises after 6am, but we needed to be on our our way before then.
So our little convoy left our workplace before dawn and now we are making our way towards the test facility.
Since I am not planning the route, I can't and am not allowed :) to tell you how we are going to get there.
If you however spot us on the way - and trust me it would be very hard to miss us - wave hello, or say come and say hi if we had stopped for a break.
The rest of the team are flying out later, but someone has to get the ball rolling!

Follow Me - What am I going to do?

This week I am going to travel through a part of South Africa for work, and it would be great if you could join me and meet some of the terrific guys I work with on a daily basis. Yes, you guessed it - I am not a writer by profession. I am a project manager and this week the product that I am responsible for is going on a firing trial.

For those of you not familiar with the term “firing trial” I will explain. I work in the military industry and in South Africa, Denel Land Systems  is busy developing a new generation of infantry fighting vehicles for the South African National Defence Force (SANDF for short).

My team and I are responsible for the Mortar Variant system, and we are taking our system out for a test. And while I have not been granted permission to post any photographs of the tests, there are public domain sites where you can see what the Badger (as it is called) looks like. The photographs in the links are for the Section Variant, that look very similar to the Mortar Variant.

So join me for a week away from the office, you might be pleasantly surprised.

Follow Me - I am going places!

The map of South Africa you see here, is actually a postcard designed by a company called Synergy Graphics as part of (c) Paper Trail Memories that you can send to friends and family telling them about your adventures when visiting my beautiful country.

What I wanted to do was to mail - yes, the real slow kind - these postcards to people to take part in a ‘Follow Me’-tour that I will be taking in a few days’ time. Problem was, the time when I needed to mail these (and I bought all the stock the shop had) the South African Post Office went on strike, and it would have been an exercise of ginormously futile proportions. So the e-trail memory card, or is it the trail memory e-card(?), was born.

If you still want a real postcard though, let me know and I will snail mail you one of these beauties with pleasure - I will even write you a letter on it.

Or you can print a map of your own country, state, province or city and mail it to me at the end of this tour.

If paper is no longer your pleasure, don’t despair, just hang around here during the next few days, things are bound to get real interesting!

Blooming Love Blog Hop 1-15 April

Thank you for visiting the Broomstick. To show my appreciation I am giving away one of my short stories, called PERFECT. Please use the code MA79D and download yourself a copy from Smashwords. You also post a review for it on Goodreads or cast your vote in the sci-fi/fantasy category here.

Leave a comment to say hi,...and then hop onto the next blog taking part. But keep in touch by following and you will be surprised at the happenings at the Broomstick in April!
Enjoy the story!

And to hop along ....

Book launch and Giveaway: I Know What You Read by Keara Kevay

Synopsis:

Ever wonder what some people might think if they knew what you read? Do you tuck that naughty novel inside a plain-Jane cover, or keep your e-reader turned at an angle so no one can see the dirty words? Jade always errs on the side of caution when it comes to sex. She’s never been risqué, but when she learns the thrill of reading erotica at work, things quickly change. She finds a note that says: I know what you read. Now she’s in trouble; someone has discovered her secret—and he wants to watch. It’s a blackmail scheme the likes of which she would have never imagined. Erotic stories are found on her desk with notes that say if she doesn’t sit there and read them, they will pop-up somewhere else in the office—with her name on them. She thinks she knows who is tormenting her; now all she has to do is get him to say, “I know what you read.”

Author Bio:
Keara is an Irish lass who loves to spin erotic tales, but the tale is the part she enjoys the most. She can be found on the sunny beaches of Florida, the lakeshores of Maine, or picking blackberries along the northern California pacific shore. Her works include:
 
Ain’t Even Done With The Night – Series – Book 1
 Hold On To The Nights – Series – Book 2
 The Ride
 Best Night Ever
 Best Night Ever II – Never Again
 I Know What You Read
 And coming soon: Because The Night – Series – Book 3

She loves to hear from her readers. You can contact her at Kearakevay@gmail.com, visit her blog at www.kearakevay.com, Facebook, or Twitter.

You can find her books on Amazon   Barnes&Noble    Smashwords

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Book launch & Giveaway: I Kissed a Dog by Carol van Atta

Genre: Paranormal Romance/Fantasy on Goodreads & Amazon

 Synopsis:

  Chloe Carpenter isn't like other women. She can communicate with animals. A gift she unwrapped following one of her frequent dances with death.

   In her otherwise wacky life, she's finally found a semblance of sanity working at the Plum Beach Wildlife Park, where her unique talents can make life or death differences for the animals in her care. That semblance is shattered when a new veterinarian roars into the park in his spiffed up sports car and sets his golden gaze on her. If she had her way, he'd roar right back out.

  Problem: He's her new coworker and he's saved her life twice - in the past twenty-four hours.

  Zane Marshall, Enforcer for the Pacific Pack of purebred werewolves, has a job to do - figure out who or what is mutilating the young men of Plum Beach.

  With orders to find the woman who talks to animals, he accepts a position working alongside the fiery Chloe Carpenter, a female who ignites his interest far more than he ever expected. Remarkably, she's the one elusive female with potential to bring meaning and passion to his empty existence.

  Problem: She despises him.

  Together, they're forced to unravel a mystery of supernatural proportions, a murderous mystery with eternal implications for everyone. In the process, they discover opposites really do attract.

  Major Problem: Zane is pledged to another woman, and she'll do anything to keep him from Chloe.

Author Bio:

Like most authors, Carol Van Atta is no stranger to the written word. She penned a short novel at age 12. (somewhat frightening illustrations included), and had a creative writing piece published in her high school newspaper (about David Bowie’s Diamond Dogs LP). Yes, she’s an ex-80’s rocker chick.

    She has contributed to several popular inspirational anthologies and devotional books, and lives in the rainy wetlands of Oregon with one terrifying teen (another in college) and a small zoo of animals. She is taking an undetermined hiatus away from inspirational writing to delve into her darker side. It is rumored that this genre-jumping occurred after Carol discovered two suspicious read marks on her neck, and experienced an unquenchable urge to howl at the moon. 

Find Carol Van Atta on the Web

Facebook Page      Facebook   Website   Blog  Goodreads

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Cover Reveal: One Shade of Red by Scott Bury

Women want the perfect man, so they can change him. But when university student Damian Serr discovers a rich, beautiful woman who’s voracious about sex, he doesn’t try to improve on perfection. It’s all that he can do to hold on for the ride.

Damian has always followed the rules, always tried to please others. At 20, he still dates the girl next door because his parents like her parents. When Nick, his university roommate, asks Damian to take over his pool-cleaning business so he can take an internship in London, Damian can’t say no — especially to Nick’s first and only client, a rich widow.

But widow Alexis Rosse is far from helpless or lonely. This beautiful financial genius is busy turning the markets upside-down, and she revels in sex wherever, whenever and with whomever she wants.

Over the summer, Alexis gives Damian an intense education. Day after day, she pushes him to his sexual limits. The only question he has is: will she break them?

Book Review: Always on my Mind by Bella Andre

This is number 8 in the Sullivan Saga and I have to say I am looking forward to number 9.

If you like your heroines sassy, independent and fearless, then this book is for you. Lori had just left her doubly cheating boyfriend - personally and professionally - and hit the road with no idea of where to go. On impulse she found a job ad for a farmhand and not much later she had wrecked her rental car, damaged her potential employer's fence post and met the most attractive man she had ever laid eyes on.
But Grayson was not so impressed with this woman who knew how to push buttons he refused to acknowledge even existed. And then she had to go and fall in love with his sick cat.
With grunts and moans the two of them started to work together and with chickens and pigs and lots of mud, people were soon discovering that this widower farmer had taken two strays under his wing that will forever change his outlook on life. To say nothing about the brick wall he had built around his heart.
This book was extremely entertaining and I had to laugh at the antics of the pigs and Lori as they tried to exist together.
If you need to get lost in a romance novel with a sense of fun and lots of heat, this will be the one for you.
Linzé's rating: ★★★★★

On Tour: Hearts of Ishira by Bethany Aan

When Arianna wakes on a strange planet, she is the only human able to communicate psychically with the big, sexy Thorsani warrior who rides in with his men to rescue the Earth women from their crashed space transport. The Thorsani, humanoid but descended from sentient cats eons ago, are also marooned on this planet they have named 'Ishira'.

Hunter and his brother Jace are Commander and lead physician of Ishira colony. When the captured women tumble into their lives, the small Earthlings turn the men's world upside down. The girls bring drama and heartache, laughter and light...not to mention the first opportunity for sex in more than ten years. And though she's the oldest of her group, Hunter and Jace find themselves drawn to the lovely, curvy Arianna.

For Ri and her ladies, their tumultuous new life takes a very interesting turn when they discover that the Thorsani way is to marry in teams of men...

 

 

Author Bio:

Bethany has been a fan and a writer of romance, science fiction/fantasy, and erotic fiction for more than twenty years and is thrilled that the reading market has finally caught up to her love of all three so that she can share the stories she's always dreamed of writing.

Bethany Aan lives in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina with her husband and their dog, Loki.

You can find her author's page on Facebook, follow her blog at bethanyaan.blogspot.com, or keep up with everything at once by visiting www.bethanyaan.com. 

  

Buy Links:

Nook      Kindle

CreateSpace (trade paperback)