R.A. Evans's Blog, page 22

Review: The Blood Moon of Winter

In Courtney Conant's debut novel the  Blood Moon of Winter she introduces readers to Lilyana Makay, an unfulfilled secretary by day and an avid reader/dreamer by night.  A loner, Lily's two joys are her impressive personal library of books and the niece and nephew she sees most weekends.  That is, until she encounters Jason Caurns, the author of one of her favorite reads. Their chance encounter sends Lily headlong into a grand adventure through the very fabric of the universe and headlong into another world  – a world full of exotic characters, deadly plots, and an unimaginable destiny for Lily.
Conant creates a rich and fantastic world within her words.  The story develops smoothly.  Lily's journey from the mundane to the fantastical is sure to strike a chord with readers.
Conant's writing flows easily and her "voice" never intrudes in the story. She deftly blends the real the with fantastical making each of the characters believable and ring true. I, for one, expect great things from Courtney Conant as she continues Lily's grand story — and beyond as she delves into other worlds.
Courtney Conant's The Blood Moon of Winter is an imaginative tale that blends reality with fantasy, darkness with light, and the underlying need to follow one's heart no matter where it leads.  Do not miss out on the amazing title. Courtney Conant is definitely an author to watch!
Don't miss out on your chance to win an advance copy of The Blood Moon of Winter. CLICK HERE for details. Learn more about Conant's projects at www.courtneyconant.com
Born and raised in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Courtney began writing at a very young age and was very passionate about it. Since moving to Arizona at age 16, she took a long break from it as she seemed to have hit a very long period of writer's block. She began writing again in 2008, due to finding NaNoWriMo which is an amazing contest/challenge for anyone needing that extra motivation. Since then, she has completed her first novel and has started work on the sequel.

Wanted: Reader Reviews of Asylum Lake

I'm looking for Asylum Lake readers to write and submit their reviews. All reviews will be included – whether you loved or hated the book. Just remember, bad reviews will most certainly result with a character being named after you in a future novel – and not a good character that everyone likes! 

Submit your reviews to raevans@asylumlake.com and look for s a special blog post in the near future!

Pushing The Envelope…

I struggle with finding the balance in my writing. I like to scare people…A LOT!  I consider it my personal goal to make the reader suffer.  I know I am doing my job right when the reader is both terrified and excited about what they may find on that next page.

Easily the most talked-about chapter in my thriller Asylum Lake is the one in which a twelve-year-old boy pays a special visit to a young family. According to JournalStone Publishing's review of the book,

"I do love a good horror story, and Asylum Lake fits the bill.  It reels you in while developing the storyline and main character and then slams it home with one of the more horrific murder scenes I have read in a long time.  Hello, has anyone seen the twin's hands and feet lately.  Try looking in the kitchen sink if you have the stomach for it...definitely one of the more entertaining reads I have picked up in awhile."

What an honor – to have a chapter from my novel described as one of the more horrific murder scenes this publisher had read.  I get all warm and fuzzy inside when I read that review. Just imagine if they had read my original draft where I went into even more excruciating detail!

But, you see, that's just it. I knew when I was pushing the envelope and eased off the accelerator a bit.  As much as some readers enjoy the gore and entrails, others do not. I want my horror to be more of the mind than of the eyeballs. I need only provide enough detail with words to let the reader's imagination take completely over.

In Grave Undertakings, the much-anticipated sequel to Asylum Lake due out in May of this year, the story is darker…and bloodier. But that's not to say there's more gore. They key is to make the reader's stomach churn with anxiety and anticipation..not heave with sickness.

 

 

RAEvanswrites welcomes Lindsay Mawson, author of Stolen Prey

I met Lindsay Mawson on Goodreads and hounded her until she agreed to review Asylum Lake.  We struck up a friendship and I am proud to have her as my first guest-blogger.

I hear a lot, "What the heck is going on in your mind?" and "I can't believe you wrote an entire book! I could never do that". To these, I have two things to say. One is that anyone who knows me is probably glad that I write my ideas down on paper, rather than beleaguer them with a never-ending soliloquy. My need to express myself through words is as ingrained in my DNA as my eye colour. As for where my dark ideas come from, who knows? I am just thankful that they are there to put into writing so that I can create thrilling tales for my readers to enjoy!

What tales, do you ask? Let me tell you a little about each.

Stolen Prey: To Detective Constable Ethan Callaway, it seemed that life could not get any better, but when a woman he meets ends up in intensive care, the search is on for the man who tried to kill her. The catch: the suspect knows that she and Ethan are more than just acquaintances. Thrown into a whirlwind chase, Ethan suddenly finds himself fighting for not only his own life, but for the lives of those he loves. You can find Stolen Prey in online bookstores worldwide.

The Lothgoliar: When Josh meets May, she at once captivates him. But when an unknown creature comes to them in the night, injured and desperate, May is swiftly allured by his humanlike qualities and agrees to help him. In the morning, they awaken to tragedy. Now, Josh must make impossible decisions when it comes to the creature's fate, and as the death toll begins to rise, he must convince May that the creature is not as innocent as he claims to be. Before they know it, they are running for their own lives, and their only chance of survival – and that of humanity – rests in dangerous hands. The Lothgoliar can be found through the publisher Lulu.com and will soon be found in online bookstores worldwide.

COMING SOON, Exposing Dallas: Famed musician Dallas Korbin is about the play the biggest show of his career at Madison Square Garden. He has been trying to ignore the unsettling dreams, the ringing in his ears, the desperate screams of a little boy… and the blood. Tormented by a sudden inexplicable affliction, he finds himself following instinct to confirm if these dreams are more than just that. What he stumbles upon is a dangerous secret and news that will change his life forever. Suddenly, he is being hunted by not just an assassin but also by police, and the only way to escape this mess is by exposing the secret to the world. But at what price?

So the next time you're looking for a good book to get you through the cold winter, check out some of my works. I'd love to know what you think! I hope that you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them (and re-reading them and re-reading them)! For more information and ways to purchase, check out my website at www.brktel.on.ca/~mawson!

Author Bio: Born and raised in Southwestern Ontario, Lindsay Mawson now lives near London, Ontario with her husband, Greg, and daughter, Zoe. She has been writing fiction for over fifteen years and has recently published two novels, Stolen Prey and The Lothgoliar, with her third novel, Exposing Dallas, expected to release in the spring of 2011.

Links:

www.brktel.on.ca/~mawson – Official Website – find book info, synopses, trailers, previews, links to purchase, contact info, and how to write a review.

www.facebook.com/authorlindsaymawson – Official Facebook Fan Page

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4452204.Lindsay_Mawson – Goodreads Page

More links can be found via Lindsay's official website under the "links" tab.

IndieHorror guest blog

I've made some new friends over at IndieHorror and you should check them out.  It's a great place to learn about new authors, get writing advice and inspiration, and even learn how to promote yourself in the horror genre.  I've shared a few of my more mild musings as a guest blogger for them. Check It Out!

Don't miss out on their Cannibal Cook-off writing contest.

A picture is worth a thousand words…

Guest Bloggers

I've had the pleasure of connecting with a number of  amazing authors and  readers over the last few months and I want to share them with you.  Starting next week I will have guest bloggers posting  here. Their posts will be on anything from promoting their own work, providing book reviews, and even some sharing secrets of their writing-process.

I hope you enjoy their words as much as I do.

Character Development

Last night I completed my character development questionnaire for the antagonist in a new project I am toying with.   Usually, the antagonist is the easiest character for me to develop; I get to infuse the character with all of the cool, evil and twisted things I wish I could do and say.

I've mentioned the questionnaire I use before and thought I would share a bit of it with you.  Some are fairly basic and standard. Others are my own unique ways of getting into a character's head. Her are 20 of the 100 questions I answer.

What is your character's name? Does the character have a nickname?
What is your character's hair color? Eye color?
What kind of distinguishing facial features does your character have?
Does your character have a birthmark? Where is it? What about scars? How did he get them?
Who are your character's friends and family? Who does she surround herself with? Who are the people your character is closest to? Who does he wish he were closest to?
Where was your character born? Where has she lived since then? Where does she call home?
Where does your character go when he's angry?
What is her biggest fear? Who has she told this to? Who would she never tell this to? Why?
Does she have a secret?
When has your character been in love? Had a broken heart?
Describe a recurring dream or nightmare this character might have.
List the choices (not circumstances) that led this character to his/her current predicament.
List the circumstances over which this character has no control.
What wakes this character in the middle of the night?
How would a stranger describe this character?
What does this character resolve to do differently every morning?
Who depends on this character? Why?
What is this character hiding from him/herself?
Does this character believe in god?
What has this character lost?

There you have it. Now you know where I start with my characters. At some point I'll post the entire Q&A lists for the main characters in Asylum Lake. I think you may find some of the answers quite surprising!

Letting the reader's imagination do the dirty work…

I am constantly amazed when readers comment on the depths of my depraved mind. Sure, I like to flex my blood and gore muscles as much as the next horror writer, but I much prefer leaving the heavy lifting  up to the reader's imagination.

Much like anything else, constant exposure numbs the senses.  Readers can easily separate themselves from words on a page, but its a much tougher task to hide from their own twisted imaginings.

My debut thriller Asylum Lake is a great example of blending my words with the reader's dark thoughts.  I cannot recall a single book event or discussion where a reader hasn't commented on a specific excerpt from my book only to embellish the text. I am flattered beyond belief by this.  I get off knowing that the  words I choose fan the flames of their imaginations.

Enjoy this excerpt from Asylum Lake

Blood spilled by violence leaves a stain far different from blood which is shed in any other way. As Lionel stood on the tips of his toes at the kitchen sink, he was surprised by how much more difficult blood was to wash away than the dirt he was accustomed to. The dish rag had done little to clean the gore from beneath his fingernails. It had taken a fork from the drawer to scrape most of it out. As for the streaks and spatters that coated his forearms, neck and face – they seemed to be a lost cause. Lionel had considered showering, but that would have

meant removing what was left of Mrs. Reed from the bathtub. In the end he did what he could with a wet towel and decided not to worry about the rest.

Not that the mess was limited to the kitchen; bloody tracks led from one end of the small Cape Cod to the other and smeared fingerprints were on everything from the kitchen knives to the golf club he discovered in the hall closet. Even the hedge clippers he had picked up in the garage were bloodied … and

broken. The blades had actually bent and snapped clear off from the wooden handles. The dull and rusty shears had worked just fine on the kids, but Mrs. Reed was a big woman with thick bones – and thick bones, he learned, required a hacksaw. Lionel had to make the long walk from the bathroom to the garage three times for new blades.

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