Kristie Cook's Blog, page 25

A Bit of Catching Up

Since I've been somewhat dark here on the blog, I have a bit of catching up to do. There's a lot to share, so this is just to get us started. More to come later.

First off, I hope you had a Happy Easter! It's such a special day for my beliefs so I find it hard to "celebrate" it appropriately. We haven't really gotten into the commercialism of the holiday for years. I believe it's a day to appreciate the gift we've been given through Christ's sacrifice, as well as the intangible blessings bestowed on us. Mostly, for me, this is my family and the love we share. So, I was happy to have college boy home and to have a day to just hang out with the Man and the Herd, swimming, relaxing and eating.

Tomorrow I'm off to Chicago for the RT Booklovers Convention, where I will hopefully get to meet some of you! I also get to finally meet my Best Author Friend Forever, Brenda Pandos, as well as many other authors I've befriended online but haven't met in person. And I'll be rubbing elbows with industry elite (Charlaine Harris, JR Ward, Anne Rice!!!). Well, I hope to at least get their autographs anyway...and to not go all fan-girl psychotic on them.

I seriously can't wait. I'll definitely be posting pictures either during the week or when I return. (Reminder to self: don't forget to pack "real" camera - this deserves more than phone-camera.)

If you'll be at RT, please let me know via comments below so I can look out for you! I'll be signing at the EXPO on Thursday, 4-6 pm. I'll also be at Club RT Thursday, 3:15 and Friday, 11:15, and hanging out for FAN-tastic Day and party on Saturday.

Before I leave, I'll be sending out my newsletter. If you're not a subscriber yet, be sure to sign up (form on the left - I just need an email address). There will be a little sneak peek into the next Soul Savers book. *sly grin* *no, I'm not beyond bribing you to subscribe*

Finally, I've been noticing how many fans of the Soul Savers Series have not read GENESIS: A SOUL SAVERS NOVELLA yet. The novella shares the intriguing and informative story of how the Amadis began, including details about the mythology of the Soul Savers world. If I could get something like this from J.K. Rowling or any other of my favorite authors, I'd be all over it! So I don't understand why readers aren't picking it up nearly as much as the rest of the books in the series.

Do you have any ideas why this could be? Do fans just not know about it? Are readers not seeing the mentions of it at the beginning or end of each book? Or do readers tend to ignore side stories and novellas, thinking they're not important? What do you think? Any insight is much appreciated!

Teaser Tuesday

As many times as readers have asked, I have tried to stick to my self-imposed rule that I won't cast my characters and you won't ever see my main characters' faces on my covers. Because I want you, the reader, to create your own images. I provide enough description to get you started, but you get to fill in the blanks how you want them to look. I just think it makes for a better reading experience.

I also think this is especially true for the male lead, because I don't want to force my image of Mr. Beautiful on you. You may not like him. But, well, I can't help but share something because last night was amazing and you'll see why in a minute.

Just know this: This is the closest you're ever going to get from me for Tristan.

Soooo...here we go.

Over three years ago, back when I was writing Promise/Purpose (one book at the time), I was at 7-11 and saw this picture on the front of a Latin tabloid. And I may or may not have said out loud, "Tristan! What are you doing on that tabloid?!?"


I made a mental note of the name, came straight home and immediately Googled it: William Levy Gutierrez. A Cuban actor who lived in Miami and was on Telemundo soaps. I printed off several photos* and they are now all wavy from my drool. If you're a long-time follower, you may remember this teaser post , in which I shared this picture:



A few months or so after my "discovery," he appeared in a J Lo video. Now, he's finally getting noticed by the mainstream (and has since dropped the Gutierrez). You may have seen him on Dancing With the Stars this season. If not...

O.M.G. Look at what you're missing!



*panting* *fans self* *watches again because I can't help it* *tries to calm heart* *call 911 - overheating over here!*

Can he be any sexier?!?! I think not.

And that's your tease for today. Enjoy. :)

*I had decided back then that upon further investigation, he's not quite Tristan. Nobody in real life is, because Tristan is my Mr. Beautiful - and yours. But I think Mr. Levy serves nicely as a visual stand-in. What do you think?

Writer Wednesday - The Onyx Talisman Blog Tour

Today I am so excited to be a stop on the tour of my BAFF Brenda Pandos . We are celebrating the release of The Onyx Talisman, the final installment of The Talisman Trilogy, with a review and a personal note to a character or to Brenda herself. Be sure to enter the giveaway at the bottom - the prizes are awesome, including a Kindle!

About The Onyx Talisman:

"Alora looked back and the corner of her lip turned up. "It's always darkest before the dawn, Julia. Good luck."
Her words sent chills up my spine as she vanished."

Unrest stirs deep in Scotts Valley. Filled with uncertainty, Julia anxiously awaits Nicholas' return. Phil, hurt and unsure of his place as a sober vampire, holds the pieces of Julia's fragile psyche together, secretly hoping Nicholas stays away forever. Scarlett bides her time, plotting for the perfect moment to prove herself and earn redemption. But somewhere in L.A., Alora conspires to reclaim her talisman and strip Julia of everything she holds dear.

Little do they know, a war is coming and more than one vampire would like to see the Prince of Vampires overthrown. As more and more vampires show up from nowhere, addicted to her scent, Julia must pick her allies carefully before it's too late. Can Julia bargain with fate? When the time comes, will she even have a choice? Find out how it all ends in this explosive grand finale of The Talisman Trilogy.

My review:

This final installment of The Talisman Trilogy offers everything you could ask for - laugh-out-loud moments, tears of both sadness and joy, mystery and suspense - and then blows it up in your face. Just when I thought I had it figured out, Brenda throws in an unexpected twist. The grand finale - the end of the end - is just like the description says: explosive. And also beautiful. Bravo, Brenda! I can't wait to see what you have for us next! 

My personal note (I chose Brenda because although I love her characters, the author herself is my favorite character of all):

Dear Brenda,
I have met some awesome writerly people over the years, but I never expected to forge such a close friendship, especially with someone I've never met in person (yet - 2 weeks, baby!). You have been such an inspiration, an encouragement and a kick in the butt when I needed it.

You are so talented - a fabulous writer and storyteller. I love escaping into the worlds you create, and I feel like a queen when I get to do so before the rest of the world does. The input you provide for my own writing is priceless, even when it stings or feels like a mountain of work to do when I'm already a week past deadline.

You're a great idea-bouncer-offer, too, when it comes to brainstorming and figuring out pricing, promotions and marketing. I'm so glad to have someone in the trenches with me. I won't even go into your talent with designing the best covers ever (yeah, mine...oh, yours are fab, too, hehe).

But you're so much more than all that. Just from what I've seen from my side of the computer screen, you're an incredible mom, wife, sister and friend. For me, though, and the purposes of this letter, I'll just say:

I am so honored that we met. You're my Bestest Author Friend Forever.

Two weeks from today, the world will hear a huge SQUEE! (listen for it, readers, I promise you'll hear it around the world) as we accost each other with hugs IN REAL LIFE. We are going to rock Chicago and RT Booklovers Convention and I'm so excited for it all. But mostly I just can't wait to see you in person and hang with you for 5 days. 5 days! Eek! And when it comes time to leave, I know I'll be a bawling mess of tears and snot.

Thanks for being you! I luff you, dammit.

*dabs at moist eyes* *OMG, I just used Brenda's most hated word ever - bwahaha!*

So, peeps, if you haven't read The Talisman Trilogy yet, check it out.

Enter the giveaway to win ebooks and signed copies of The Onyx Talisman and a Kindle!

DEVOTION on iBooks

Taking a break in my break to let you know that Devotion is finally, finally available on iBooks. So if you've been (not so) patiently waiting, your wait is over! Here's the link:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/devotion/id505202577?mt=11

Enjoy!

Going Dark (and Teaser Tuesday)

I'm working hard on drafting the fourth book of the Soul Savers Series, plus getting ready for the RT Booklovers Convention in Chicago in April (hope to see you there!). I'm way overwhelmed and  seriously need to focus. Something needs to come off my plate for a little while, so...

I'm going dark here on the blog.

I'll pop in with any news and announcements that come up. I might poke my head in and say "hi," as well, when I have a moment. But, for now, there won't be any rhyme and reason to my posts. The normal schedule of Teaser Tuesday, Writer Wednesday and Foodie Friday will be put on hold.

Since promotions and friendships and life go on, however, I'll still be hanging out over on Facebook and occasionally on Twitter, just not as much as normal (that's the plan anyway). So if you really miss me (haha!), be sure to catch me over there.

Before I go, here's a little bit of a tease:
Book 4 has several chapters.Book 4 has a few different title ideas, one of which will be chosen soon.Book 4 will be released sometime this year.Sorry - that's all I have for now. Getting back to the writing so I can have more for you in the future.

While you're here, I'd love to see a "Hi!" or a "Keep going!" or a "We miss you!" Or even a "Wait - you're gone? Par-tay!"  I just like to see you've stopped by, so please feel free to leave a comment. :)

Foodie Friday: Food In Literature

My girlfriends and I have started what's turned out to be a "thing" for us: dinner parties to celebrate the release of movies based on our favorite books. It started with the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. CJ, my publisher, is a huge HP fan as well as an awesome cook and a fabulous baker, so what better way for her to celebrate the release of the movie? We had such a great time that we repeated it for the second Deathly Hallows movie (when, incidentally, we created this awesome recipe for Butterbeer Martinis ).

For the Twilight movies, we had usually gone out to eat before seeing the movie, but another friend decided to host a dinner party featuring an Italiano menu for Breaking Dawn Part I. And next weekend, we're doing a potluck for The Hunger Games. I've been re-reading the book and taking note of all the foods and meals mentioned. Obviously, something called "The Hunger Games" is going to have a lot of food references.

And this all got me to thinking: How does food play a role in our favorite books? What books seem to emphasize food more than usual? Is it because of the plot or the characters or the author's attention to detail?

In my own books, Tristan and Alexis love to cook together (isn't a man who cooks sexy???), but, I've realized, food isn't as prominent in my books as I'd expect it to be. Or is it? Maybe I just don't see it as much as others do because I've seen my words so much. I could definitely do a dinner party for each book - in fact, the girls and I had a whole weekend of reading Promise/Purpose with food based on the story (back in the very early days when I didn't even know if it was something anyone would want to read, so I bribed them with food).

We had a Greek lunch, a Caribbean-flavored dinner (featuring mangoes and papayas) and a brunch consisting of characters' favorite foods and drinks. From our brunch:

 


If you've read my books, could you plan a dinner party with them? What would you serve? What other books can you think of that would be a good theme for a dinner party? Have you ever been in a book club where the food served went with the book being discussed? That would be my kind of book club!

Writer Wednesday - Heather McCorkle

We have author Heather McCorkle back in the house! Channeler's Choice, the sequel to Heather's The Secret of Spruce Knoll just released and this is a stop on her tour. I asked Heather's main characters a tough question, but before we get to their answers, here's a little about Heather and Channeler's Choice.

[image error] About Heather McCorkle:

I am an author of young adult fantasy, in all its many sub-genres. Helping other writers and supporting fabulous authors is my passion. When I'm not writing or surfing my social networking sites, I can be found on the slopes, the hiking trails, or on horseback. As a native Oregonian, I enjoy the outdoors almost as much as the worlds I create on the pages. No need to travel to the Great Northwest though, you can find me on my blog four days a week, and Monday night's on Twitter where I co-moderate the #WritersRoad chat with my good friend TS Tate.


[image error] About Channeler's Choice:

With her parents' murderers dead, Eren can finally concentrate on fitting in at Spruce Knoll High, not to mention figuring out what it means to be a channeler. If only it were that easy. It turns out she isn't normal even among channelers - she may be a legendary warrior meant to protect the earth in a last great battle.

But Mayan prophecies are the least of her worries as she involuntarily starts to gather her own Society, another girl moves in on Aiden, her powers rage out of control, and worst of all, someone is stalking her. To top it all off, Eren discovers she doesn't have to be a channeler after all - she has a choice.

As an old threat closes in and she risks ending up like her parents, she is forced to decide. Be a normal teenager and leave the legendary warrior stuff to someone else, or embrace a dark destiny?

I really enjoyed The Secret of Spruce Knoll and can't wait to read this one. Now on to the hard question I asked of Heather's four main characters: What is the most difficult choice you've ever had to make?

Eren: So far, that would have to be whether or not to let myself get close to people again. And I'm really glad I made the right choice on that one. :) I have a feeling there are even tougher choices on the way though. Such is my life.

Aiden: Standing up to my adopted family and deciding to expose them for the monsters they are was the hardest choice I've ever made. Even though they were horrible to me, they were all I had, or so I thought. I'm glad my choice taught me that there is better out there and I deserve to have it.

Fane: Choosing to trust Aiden, a complete stranger who was raised under the dark influence of my maniacal cousins, was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. But something deep in my core told me he was a good person and that he would do what was right.

Caitlin: The four inch heals or the wedges. LOL! No seriously, choosing to defy my parents and become friends with Eren and her Society wasn't easy. I mean, they're my parents. But in the end, my parents are wrong.

Connect with Heather:
http://heathermccorkle.blogspot.com/https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Heather-McCorkle/211058455603533https://twitter.com/#!/HeatherMcCorklehttp://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard

Read an Ebook Week!

During Read an Ebook Week:
30 Hours for $7.23! March 4-10 is Read an Ebook Week! No eReader Needed!
Check out all the deals on Smashwords.com, including:

Promise (FREE! no coupon needed): https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/80015Purpose (50% off! coupon code REW50): https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/80016Devotion (25% off! coupon code REW25): https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/128262

If you have a Kindle, download the MOBI format.

If you have an iPad/iPhone, Nook, Sony Reader, Kobo, etc., download the EPUB format.

If you read on your computer, there are options for you, too!

Be sure to check out all the other fab ebooks also on sale for READ AN EBOOK WEEK!

Five for Friday

We've been having a lot of Foodie Fridays, but I'm back on my *cough* "healthy eating plan" and trying not to think too much about food right now. I'll have to round up some help from Alexis, Tristan, Sophia, etc., and maybe from "real" people, too, for some guest posts.

But we haven't done a Five for Friday in ages . I don't even remember the last one (and I'm too lazy to look it up). So, here's my Five for Friday...

Five Awesome Things This Week
We made it home safely from our motorcycle trip to Key West last weekend. Each way took us 9 hours. Our bodies were so locked up by the time we got home, I could barely get off the bike. If you've never been on a motorcycle, you can't move. You can't shift around, throw a leg up for a little while, lean against a door or center console, recline your seat, take a nap, etc. You have to remain still, especially as a passenger, so you don't throw the bike off-balance. So yeah, as much fun as we had, it was a relief to be home.My ebooks are all set up at All Romance eBooks and OmniLit providing another place to buy the Kindle and ePub (iPad/iBooks, Nook, Sony Reader, Kobo, etc.) formats, which is pretty cool.Along with the set up at ARe/OmniLit, I completed some other major projects to prepare for the RT Booklovers Convention in Chicago April 11-15. I cannot wait for this! I'll be signing at the EXPO on Thursday afternoon/evening and will be appearing in RT Club a couple times, too. The rest of the time I'll be geeking out at writer workshops and stalking my favorite authors. If you're going, please let me know! We'll have to arrange a time to meet up.I bought our tickets for the midnight showing of The Hunger Games. I sooooo cannot wait for this movie. I just have to mentally prepare myself with the mantra, "Film is a different medium. It's going to be different, but that's okay."My college boy is home for Spring Break! Woohoo!!! I haven't seen him since he went back after Christmas break, which, of course, is the longest by far I've ever gone without seeing him. So momma is happy to have all her boys under one roof once again.What awesomeness has gone in your life this week? Any cool plans for the weekend?

Writer Wednesday - A Jacob Sweeny

Today we have author A Jacob Sweeny with a guest post introducing her awesome (and yummy!) heroes of The Pulse Myths series. First, let's get to know more about Ms. Sweeny and her books.

About A Jacob Sweeny

I have been writing and storytelling ever since I was able to hold a pen. When I spent time working as a teacher with children of varying ages I was fascinated by the awesome power of words to excite and inspire the young mind. The art of Storytelling is what makes a good teacher great.

My degree in History with an emphasis on Ancient Near East, and my personal interest in world myths, combined with my fieldwork in archaeology have inspired my research and development of many elements in the story. 

I also remember what it was like to be a girl myself and have often wanted to share my own thoughts, fears and dreams during that age with others. I read many books during my teenage years and some of them were essential in helping me make it through that time, and helping me become the satisfied person that I am today. I want to be able to return that favor to all the readers out there.

About Pulse of Heroes

A suspenseful, passionate, paranormal romance that sweeps through the emotions of first love and heartache as it traverses centuries and continents.

Michelle used to feel like she was behind in everything, especially school and relationships. Her great aunt from the old country says she is like a bland meal, "no salt or pepper". But in junior year, everything changes. Her father takes a position on the Town Council, a popular boy in school becomes interested in her, and most importantly, the Hekademos Learning Center, a private school for 'troubled' students, moves into her quiet neighborhood amidst the protests of the entire town.

After an embarrassing fall over the school wall, Michelle meets Elliot and her ordinary 'bland' life changes its course forever.

Elliot is no ordinary human. In fact, no one at the Hekademos Learning Center is. Beautiful and fierce, they have survived throughout the millennia by weaving in and out of human events. Through them, Michelle learns that history and myths from around the world are dotted with references to their kind. Michelle falls madly in love with the ever-striking and mysterious Elliot and, as much as he tries to fight it, he develops strong feelings for her as well. Although Elliot carries numerous painful memories from his many pasts, he disregards his own better judgment and the advice of his friends, and finds himself falling for Michelle's offbeat personality. Their feelings grow in intensity, but when History catches up with them, the difference between their life paths threatens to destroy any future that they might have had together.

Michelle learns that there are infinite shades of gray between black and white, and has to deal with the bundle of contradictory emotions called love. She has to trust her intuition in order to face the danger and uncertainty of being drawn into Elliot's wondrous world. Ultimately, it is up to Michelle to make the split-second, life-altering decision that will either tear them apart forever, or give them another chance.

Guest Post:
 
In The Pulse Myths series we are introduced to many characters, however it is the introduction to the Heroes of Hekademos that transfers us from the every day life of a teenage girl living in a small town in Northern California and into the extraordinary.

Before even honing the main plot for this trilogy I knew that I wanted more for my readers. I wanted to be able to show them a world that is real and yet amazing as if it was purely fiction. I knew that my heroes would established a doorway to this world.

All too often in stories that deal with heroes or even immortals the characters seemed to be adopted out the classical era of Hellenism/The Greek myths, or the Biblical heroes/archangels and the likes.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with these topics, as we delve into them in my novels too, but there is so much more out there that is just as beautiful and exciting. My readers are introduced to the original stories that inspired the Biblical and Greek Myths. They are also exposed to the time and place where reality and myth cross one another. They are one and the same in many instances.

There are amazing myths from around the world that hardly make it into the Western consciousness, unless one picks up a book that is devoted to a specific culture, or an area of the world. I was determined to change that by introducing my readers to an onslaught of these beautiful, sexy, intelligent, and at times dangerous immortal males from across the globe. My research had taught me so much more than I would have ever imagined, and yet it was difficult to choose only a handful of stories and characters.

The main heroes of Hekademos are introduced in the first installment: Pulse Of Heroes. They are forever young and beautiful as they are complex and multi-layered. We get to meet more heroes in the next two installments.

The beautiful, rapturous, and yet with an air of danger, ***Elliot De Costa (he is from God-Semitic/Sumerian background) from ancient Sumer is the main hero and love interest of the story. He is surrounded by his friends who form a ragtag family of sorts.

*Devin-(From God/Great man in Hindi. Interestingly enough there might be a connection to the name David, where the word divine comes from) A handsome and kind man, Devin is from Harappa, a Indus Valley civilization that predates Hinduism in the area of India/Pakistan

*Haneul-(Heaven/sky in Korean) Fair, fierce, quiet, mysterious. Haneul is from Korea and establishes the first Korean dynasty.

*Rioni/Amirani (The main river that runs from the Caucasus Mt. and through Georgia-Amirani is a variation on an ancient name from the Levant of Hebrew/Arab origin meaning Prince/Commander) Rion is Charismatic, stylish and sharp of tongued. He is an ancient warlord and king many times. He originates in the area of Northern Turkey

*Kahl (Perfection of man-in Arabic/Semitic languages) He is tranquil in character, seductive and secretive. Kahl comes from ancient Yemen and Ethiopia.

*Ando/Ondottr (Fiery of eyes/great man in Norse mythology) Ando hails from Norway. Attractive strong and frighteningly cold when needs be. He is a viking hero and king many times.

*Mikoto (Divine-being-Shinto/Japanese) is an ancient Japanese warlord turned Samurai. Awe inspiring looks, charming and comically simple when needs be, a maser of weaponry.

Connect with A Jacob Sweeny

Website: http://www.pulseofheroes.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ThePulseSeries?ref=ts