R.A. Evans's Blog, page 18

New Asylum Lake Trailer Revealed

What are you waiting for? Dive into the mysteries of Asylum Lake for only $.99 at Smashwords and use coupon code BK52B for this special deal. Buy it now and get ready for more secrets to be unearthed in May with the release of Grave Undertakings!

 

 

Luke Romyn to Answer 7 Deadly Questions

Sometimes it's pretty #%*@! cool to be me – and this is definitely one of those occasions. This past weekend I started reading The Dark Path by Luke Romyn and couldn't put it down. It's a unique take on the epic battle between good and evil – with a couple twists thrown in. Needless to say, I think I may have a new favorite author.  Plus, just based on Luke's bio, he's definitely the kind of guy you'd wanna have a beer – or five – with.

Check out his trailer for The Dark Path and then make sure you swing by next Wednesday as Mr. Romyn answers my 7 Deadly Questions.

Up Next: Spencer Township Library for an Author Talk and Book Signing

Growing up, one of my favorite places was the library. I would escape within those stacks for hours on end. As an adult, I don't make it into the library very often – more for book signings than to actually escape. That's why my favorite destinations on my book tours are small public libraries.

This Saturday, March 5th at 10:30 a.m. I'll be at the Spencer Township Library (14960 Meddler Ave., Gowen, MI 49326) in beautiful Gowen, Michigan.  I'm especially excited about this visit because this area lies very close to the fictional setting of Bedlam Falls that I created for Asylum Lake.

So if you're in the neighborhood, escape into the library with me. I'll read some of my favorite excerpts from Asylum Lake, tease Grave Undertakings, and do my best to entertain.

7 Deadly Questions with author Hilary LiDestri

1. I've read your debut thriller CONSUMED and was blown away. It's both smart and sexy. Can you share a bit of the inspiration for it?

The inspiration for "Consumed," is a culmination of life experiences for me ranging from the time I was fifteen when I was first stalked. If you can imagine, that was long before stalking laws, so nothing was treated with the weight it required. When that same person made their "last" threat on my life, I was twenty and the laws were in place. The campus police didn't take kindly to it, my parents had all but had it with the lack of attention the police had given the case for five years and finally, the police got involved.

The "stalking law" was in its infancy in 1990, and the "protection" I was offered was minimal because I hadn't been physically harmed. My parents weren't willing to wait until I was physically harmed because they feared harm and death would come together. He'd clearly stated his intentions, but the police were not impressed with what they thought were empty threats by a boy with a "crush." Let me tell you what you don't want to do. Threaten "The Big H"'s daughter. She took matters into her own hands and had a less than dignified discussion with said "boy"'s parents. It was twenty years before I heard from him again. We can confront all of that in book six. Stay tuned.

2. You write with a partner, Alisa Griffin. Talk to me about what that process is like?

Alisa and I have always been perfect complements to one another in all aspects. Our personalities are shockingly similar and yet vastly different. We not only provide strength to one another within the confines of a supportive friendship- but we actually allowed our strengths to lead our writing paths, only to have those paths create the perfect assemblage for a writing team. My degree is in creative writing, so my responsibility is to conceive stories, birth them, raise them until they are stable enough to be toughened up and disciplined. As a journalist by degree, Alisa takes the story and shapes it, asks me to broaden or deepen ideas, tighten up aspects of the story lines and together we create what I hope are well-written, entertaining and thrilling reads. For entertainment we go back to the first draft of "Consumed," where she jabs me endlessly for my overuse of the word "that," my lack of ability to use a comma properly (according to CMS or AP- or Alisa). I remind her I have a degree in "Creative" writing and that gives me authorization to be creative with punctuation. She chides me for my affection for the dash- and it is great affection indeed. We chuckle at my redundancy- get a huge kick out of how many times I covered the SAME information from one character to the other instead of saying, "Roz caught Joel up over a cup of coffee." This alone could have been why the first draft was a lengthy and meandering 685 pages.

3. CONSUMED deals with the issue of stalking. You're a beautiful woman and would-be-famous author, do you worry about your # fan taking things a bit too far someday? Case in point, the Stephen King classic MISERY?

I am more worried about the lingering "stalkers" I've dealt with in the past than I am any new ones. I'm not the naïve and trusting, frightened young girl or woman I was when I began to have problems. There are laws in place now to protect people, laws that didn't exist when I was young. It's been quite a challenge proving the psychological damage that can be done in a stalking situation- it needn't be physical to effect someone physiologically or physically. I have no fear of fans- mainly because I don't have any. I'll keep you posted.

4. Talk to me about the feeling of holding CONSUMED in your hands when it was finally published?

To be honest, our publishing experience was a little nerve wracking. We knew going in we were working with a new publishing house and there would be hiccups in the process, but there were more than we expected. Some were nearly seizures, or actual cardiac episodes, so when it finally arrived, I put it (unopened) in my computer bag and carried it around all day. I was hoping Alisa would get her copy and we could open them together. That didn't happen, so I opened it with her on the phone and shared every single emotion with her- raw, honest. We laughed, she cried (she does that- I try not to), we examined it like stone unearthed and likely to be a diamond and then I toasted her with a glass of Roederer Brut. I went out that night to one of the restaurant featured in Mercy and read the owners the passage where they are both addressed by name (the only "real" people in the book) and drank several more glasses of Roederer while I marveled at our creation. It was similar to admiring a baby in a crib- fearful someone was going to touch it, or spill something on it or fail to inquire about it. I employed all the absurd gestures to get attention- it was shameless. Thank goodness I was drunk.

5. Which novel's antagonist do you wish you held the rights to and why?

I wish I could own Angelo, from Shakespeare's "Measure for Measure." I find him one of the most fascinating characters ever written. I love tension, real- palpable, sexual tension and this play defines it for me. I revel in the hypocrisy of untested mettle. People love to speak about their moral standing- I love when they realize they can lie down with those roiling in turpitude. I will write Angelo someday- I just have not figured out how I want to modernize the story line. There are shades of his moral demise in everything I write. Does that count even though it isn't a novel?

6. Rumor has it you've just finished the final draft of your next novel. Care to reveal any secrets?

I just finished my initial part of book two. Alisa now has it in her hands and will begin the work of making me sound like a good writer. She smoothes my rough edges and makes sure ever character is distinct and plays their part well. I can't wait to do my next read through- she is a genius. Book two is a light medical thriller. By light, I mean there is a very real medical component, but it isn't so bogged down by technical medical jargon that it overtakes the story line. The medical stuff is a backdrop, though critical to the book. I fear writers will be disappointed by the lack of sex in this book because "Consumed" is so racy, but there was no place for it- so it's not there. I feel, we feel, we don't want anything gratuitous about our books- if sex was necessary in book two- it would be there and it would be vivid- but it just didn't come up. Just like violence- never will it be there to satisfy some component to "qualify" as a thriller. To me, thriller means- thrilling. It's that easy.

7. Where can readers learn more about you?

I am slowly sharing information on www.lidestrigriffin.com, it's something new to me so be patient. The best place to crawl inside my head is at www.soveryclever.com.

About Hilary LiDestri

Hilary Reddy LiDestri and Alisa Rodgers Griffin are childhood friends reared and schooled in a small town in Michigan called Linden.  Restless and terminally impetuous, both girls approached college as both an escape and a vast workshop in which to sharpen their minds, ideas and goals, a vehicle that eventually would propel them into careers as writers. Hilary has a degree in creative writing from Michigan State University. Alisa has a degree in journalism from Eastern Michigan University.

Download Asylum Lake for only $.99 today on Smashwords!

"A taut tale liable to raise significant goosebumps"

- Ray Walsh, Lansing State Journal

 

Looking for a good read? Try Asylum Lake – the debut thriller from yours truly! Not only am I practically giving it away for only $.99, but email me confirmation of your purchase and you'll be entered into a random drawing for an official Asylum Lake hooded sweatshirt.

So here's your winning formula SMASHWORDS + COUPON CODE TU82L + EMAIL me at raevans@asylumlake.com = a chilling read and a possible sweatshirt!

Words Can Wound

Sometimes I get a head of myself – especially when it comes to writing. I live and breathe the words I write. That's not to say that every word I write is truth. There's a difference.

I recently shared the prologue from a new project – Awful Beautiful Life.  It's a huge departure from the typical horror which I write. I have found it to be painfully frustrating to carve out a more truthful creativity from inside me than what I normally offer with my novels. That's not to say the words are true as written.

In Awful Beautiful Life I was searching for a way to describe emotion – not revealing a page from my diary. Does this make the story less powerful? That is for you to decide. For me, right now, the concern is for my wife and the wounds my words inflicted upon her.

M. – we may not be once we once were, but you are always a part of me – the best part.

Tips on Writing: The Eight-Point Story Arc as Described by Nigel Watts

One of my favourite "how to write" books is Nigel Watts' Writing A Novel and Getting Published. I found myself revisiting the book after some time away. You see, I thought I had things figured out. With one novel already published and another due out in May of this year,  I wrongly-believed that my days of relying on Mr Watts and his eight-point story arc were long over.

Mark this down – I WAS WRONG -  and unfortunately, I don't yet have the story-arc app for my smart-phone (no, Mr. Smart Guy in the serial killer glasses – I cannot hear you now). By flipping through his book I became reacquainted with what a story-arc should look and feel like. Now, I have to use his blueprint to find my way back to the road from which I so drastically veered.

The eight points which Watts lists are, in order:

Stasis
Trigger
The quest
Surprise
Critical choice
Climax
Reversal
Resolution

He explains that every classic plot passes through these stages and that he doesn't tend to use them to plan a story, but instead uses the points during the writing process:

I find [the eight-point arc] most useful as a checklist against which to measure a work in progress. If I sense a story is going wrong, I see if I've unwittingly missed out a stage of the eight-point arc. It may not guarantee you write a brilliant story, but it will help you avoid some of the pitfalls of a brilliant idea gone wrong.

So, what do the eight points mean?

Stasis

This is the "every day life" in which the story is set. Think of Cinderella sweeping the ashes, Jack (of Beanstalk fame) living in poverty with his mum and a cow, or Harry Potter living with the Dursley's.

Trigger

Something beyond the control of the protagonist (hero/heroine) is the trigger which sparks off the story. A fairy godmother appears, someone pays in magic beans not gold, a mysterious letter arrives … you get the picture.

The quest

The trigger results in a quest – an unpleasant trigger (e.g. a protagonist losing his job) might involve a quest to return to the status quo; a pleasant trigger (e.g. finding a treasure map) means a quest to maintain or increase the new pleasant state.

Surprise

This stage involves not one but several elements, and takes up most of the middle part of the story. "Surprise" includes pleasant events, but more often means obstacles, complications, conflict and trouble for the protagonist.

Watts emphasises that surprises shouldn't be too random or too predictable – they need to be unexpected, but plausible. The reader has to think "I should have seen that coming!"

Critical choice

At some stage, your protagonist needs to make a crucial decision; a critical choice. This is often when we find out exactly who a character is, as real personalities are revealed at moments of high stress. Watts stresses that this has to be a decision by the character to take a particular path – not just something that happens by chance.

In many classic stories, the "critical choice" involves choosing between a good, but hard, path and a bad, but easy, one.

In tragedies, the unhappy ending often stems from a character making the wrong choice at this point – Romeo poisoning himself on seeing Juliet supposedly dead, for example.

Climax

The critical choice(s) made by your protagonist need to result in the climax, the highest peak of tension, in your story.

For some stories, this could be the firing squad levelling their guns to shoot, a battle commencing, a high-speed chase or something equally dramatic. In other stories, the climax could be a huge argument between a husband and wife, or a playground fight between children, or Cinderella and the Ugly Sisters trying on the glass slipper.

Reversal

The reversal should be the consequence of the critical choice and the climax, and it should change the status of the characters – especially your protagonist. For example, a downtrodden wife might leave her husband after a row; a bullied child might stand up for a fellow victim and realise that the bully no longer has any power over him; Cinderella might be recognised by the prince.

Your story reversals should be inevitable and probable. Nothing should happen for no reason, changes in status should not fall out of the sky. The story should unfold as life unfolds: relentlessly, implacably, and plausibly.

Resolution

The resolution is a return to a fresh stasis – one where the characters should be changed, wiser and enlightened, but where the story being told is complete.

(You can always start off a new story, a sequel, with another trigger…)

This is just a Cliff Notes version of Watts' eight-point arc. In the book, he gives several examples of how the eight-point arc applies to various stories. He also explains how a longer story (such as a novel) should include arcs-within-arcs – subplots and scenes where the same eight-point structure is followed, but at a more minor level than for the arc of the entire story.

So now that you know Watts' secret (and mine) what are you waiting for? You have a novel to write!

Dive into the mysteries of Asylum Lake for only $2.99

Sure, you could get that #1 value meal at your local fast food joint for $2.99, but you'll just feel bloated and unsatisfied afterward. You'd feel much more proud of yourself for investing that same amount of money into what  The Lansing State Journal has called "A taut tale liable to raise significant goosebumps."

I've spent a fair amount of time on here talking about my debut thriller Asylum Lake. It's a good read – and you don;t have to take just my word for it. Check out the reviews on Goodreads or Amazon.  And if you need even more motivation, Grave Undertakings – the chilling sequel to Asylum Lake – has a May pub date.

Simply CLICK HERE and download Asylum Lake in an ebook format that's right for you. Hell, $2.99 is a bargain to finally read what all the fuss is about.

Poster Finalized for Grave Undertakings

Here it is – the promotional poster for Grave Undertakings! Media kits will start going out soon for the highly-anticipated and chilling sequel to Asylum Lake. May isn't coming soon enough!

R. A. Evans writes… is now a Novel Publicity Blog Tour Host

You may have noticed the funny Novel Publicity badge on the left column of my blog. The colorful bird in the photo may seem a bit out of place amongst all of the blood and carnage discussed within my blog, but really, it's quite fitting.

You see, I'm a proud new member of the Novel Publicity Blog Tour.  Easily sounds like something I could have made up to make myself sound important, right? Nope – this one is completely legit.

So what exactly is a Novel Publicity Blog Tour Host? Simple, my blog will join other blogs under the Novel Publicity banner to promote authors, books, and all things writing-related. From book reviews and author interviews to interesting and informative articles related to the publishing industry, R. A. Evans writes… will do for other authors what I had long hoped someone would do for me – provide guidance and assistance.

So what does this mean for you – the avid follower of R.A. Evans writes…?  Well – for starters it means you will now have access to more authors, books, and articles than ever before.  No fear, however, you'll still be treated to my highly-popular 7 Deadly Questions interviews, random musings about my own writings and experiences, and, of course, behind-the-scenes access to all of my projects.

I encourage you to check out NOVEL PUBLICITY.  Emlyn Chand and her team have really put together something special and I am very proud to play a small part in their continued success.