Peter W. Dawes's Blog: The Man Behind the Curtain, page 5

Character Interview – Olexander from Sacrifice

Hello, readers, and thank you for joining us. Today, I have the pleasure of hosting Olexander, one of the characters from Jess Fortunato’s new book Sacrifice .  Greetings, Olexander, and thank you for joining me on my blog.

Now, I have to admit, I’m a huge fan, so this is an honor for me, personally. Please, take a seat and make yourself comfortable. How my interviews usually work… I give you ten personal questions and ten rapid fire ones. Sort of to let us get to know you a little better. Answer them as much or as little as you want.

If you’re ready, we’ll begin.

I am ready and will be happy to answer any questions you may have.  I have promised Liliana I will be more sociable, and since she has sent Julia to monitor my answers today, I must be on my best behavior.

My first question is a little bit of a warm up. Tell us something interesting about yourself.

I’m not certain if this counts as interesting but I was the last person to visit Al Capone before his death.  He had called upon me when learning of his sickness and considered me a friend if you can imagine that.  I performed the rites on him, as I was taught to.  Despite his other “colleagues” finding me to be superstitious folly, Al was a true believer.

What is being a sin collector like for you?

It has been difficult.  Many humans as well as my fellow Collectors believe that what we do should have many shades of grey, picking and choosing those worthy.  I was taught that Collecting was a privilege and a sacred charge from God.  In that way, if I am called upon and I am able, I will perform my duty.

How does your job affect things like your own personal religious beliefs?

At times, I wonder why the Gods have chosen to allow any of the humans into paradise.  They can be lazy, self-centered, and arrogant.  I have faith that I was placed upon this earth for a reason, and to ignore that reason would be blasphemy.  If God wishes for his children to have salvation, who am I to question it.

How has your life changed over the years?

It was always quite simple to see the negative in humans, and as I stated above it was disheartening.  Liliana has helped me to see that I had become jaded in my view of the world.  Yes, there are those who are spiteful, cold, and angry.  Yet there are so many more filled with love, hope, and a willingness to sacrifice what they want for another’s happiness.  Liliana has helped me see how truly connected we are and that knowledge alone has changed my heart in ways I cannot describe.

What are some of the more interesting places you’ve visited over the years?

I was quite excited to be in Berlin during the fall of the Berlin wall.  I spent a large chunk of the 18th century living near the Isle of Skye in Scotland.  I studied martial arts in Japan.  One of my favorite places in the world is New Zealand, I hope to take my family and make a home there one day.

Share with us one experience from your past that still lingers with you today.

I came to the Americas during your civil war.  Later I found out this had been the case for many Collectors.  It was among the most brutal scenes I had ever witnessed.  The enormous loss of life coupled with the brutality of each man’s death was nearly unbearable.  I’d Collected the sins of soldiers before of course, however their faces stayed with me much longer than I would have liked.

If you could have chosen anything else to do with your life, what would you have picked?

I’m not entirely sure.  Liliana and Julia would most likely say a drill sergeant *chuckles*.  There was however a time, very long ago, when my greatest joy came from painting and sketching.  I could sit for hours with charcoal in hand sitting as still as a statue until the frenzy of muse came upon me.

What do you like best about yourself?

That is difficult to say.  The best parts of myself, as well as my life, are all entwined now with my family.

What do you like least about yourself?

In a crisis, I tend to shut down my emotions.  This can make me appear cold and callous to the situation.  It is merely a poor way to hide my own fear of losing what I love.

Where do you see yourself going from here?

In times such as these I cannot guarantee where I will end up.  What I can guarantee is that I will always be with my family.  To have them with me always makes the geography seem of little value.  I hope to see peace in all of our futures.  The time for fighting needs to be done.

Alright, we made it past the tough questions! Thank you for giving my readers more insight into you as a character. Now… the rapid fire questions. Let’s begin!

Chocolate or vanilla? Espresso

Beatles or Rolling Stones? Beatles

Driving or flying? Flying, there is (almost) nothing safer

Swimming or hiking? Hiking

Favorite toppings on a sundae? Caramel

Favorite vacation spot? I’d love to take my family to Greece, it is most beautiful there.

Night or day? Night is less populated and more serene.

Vampires or werewolves? The girls are always watching those insufferable teen movies.  In that instance, I must vote werewolves.

Beer or wine? Scotch

Sam or Dean Winchester? I’m unfamiliar with these Winchesters.  I was a close friend of Oliver Winchester, and his son William, well known for manufacturing guns.  It was an awful shame what became of William’s wife Sarah all alone in that chaotic mansion of hers.

Thanks once again for joining us, Olexander! My readers and I look forward to reading more about you in Sacrifice. 

Thank you for having me.  Liliana was entirely accurate, you are a kind and gracious host.

As an immortal Sin Collector, Liliana lead a transient life of solitude for over one-hundred years.

Now with a growing family, she has found herself liking normalcy and the façade of being human.  However, when old friends begin to turn up dead, it is clear Collectors are not safe.  The battle that Liliana thought she’d won, has only just begun.

She must save herself, her family, and her friends from the Castus, a fanatical group sworn to eradicate her kind.

As Liliana travels the globe making allies, and discovering secrets, she soon learns that the threat to her safety is closer than she ever thought possible.

Will she be able to fight her fate, or will she succumb to an ancient Castus prophecy?

Sacrifice is the latest book in The Sin Collector Trilogy. You can order it on Amazon, or find out more about it by visiting these links:

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

Guest Post: 4 Things You Didn’t Know About Becoming a Self-Published Author

Welcome back to my blog, dear friends. Today, I am pleased to have Raebeth McGee-Buda visiting again today. She is going around promoting her new book, Silenced 2: The Overtaking. More on that shortly. For now, Raebeth is sharing her insights on being a self-published author.

Without further ado, the floor is yours, Raebeth.

4 Things You Didn’t Know About Becoming a Self Published Author

Self Publishing is Time Consuming

I didn’t realize how much time I’d be putting into my book even after I was finished writing it. I knew there would be some work involved to help my book become known and I’m still working on that. I’ve spent countless hours slaving over my manuscript to try to perfect it the best I can. I’ve went several rounds of editing with beta readers and a professional editor. Not to mention the promotion it takes to get a book noticed by a small amount. I promote my work every day, even several times a day. Most mornings after getting my daughter off to school, my time goes directly to my books. I work most of the school day on promotion and writing. At night is when I am able to relax and read a book.

The Importance of Social Networking

As a self published author, most of my time is put into the social networking world. I use Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and many more sites to help me get my work out there. Word of mouth is good too. My friends and family have done an amazing job with helping me spread the word about Silenced, but that’s only part of the marketing. With Silenced being available on Amazon mainly, I strive to keep up in the social network among the hundreds of other authors out there trying to shine too.

It’s Hard to Stand Out

The self publishing industry is booming right now. It seems like everyone and their brother is an author. Therefore, there’s a lot of competition out there. But I don’t like to think of them as competition. I find it easier to become known in this tough industry is by helping others like you. Teaming up with other authors that write in your genre have helped me get my book out there to a bigger audience. But even after all the help, it’s still like I’m one small fish in the vast ocean of books.

Creating a Professional Book is Hard

I didn’t realize how much it would take me to get my book to some what stand out until after I hit that publish button. I didn’t realize how much the cover matters and how much the editing matters. I designed the cover of the Kindle version of Silenced. This took a lot of time. I had to learn Photoshop, find the perfect pictures, purchase the rights to them, and then begin designing. Even after it was said and done, I still felt it could be better. This is how the paperback cover came to life. I got with another designer, worked with her to create the amazing cover, and this took time. I was blessed enough to have the designer help me as I helped her. Then, once the book was listed on Amazon I realized there was something missing. Page numbers! Yes, I formatted Silenced without page numbers in the paperback. It actually took my six year old daughter to point this out to me. Ughh!! So not only do I have editing issues I need to fix within the text, I now have to fight with the formatting of page numbers.

In life when one thing goes wrong, it can feel like everything goes wrong. Secrets come to the surface while friendships twist out of control, romantic relationships end, and even a dear loved one can die!

In Silenced: The Overtaking Amber’s life turns to chaos when she finds out Sarah, her childhood friend dies suddenly, her stepfather reveals another devastating family secret, and her boyfriend begins pushing her away.

After all the truth comes out, Amber turns to her darkness for comfort when her worst fear becomes reality. Her secret with cutting is discovered when she loses control and ends up in the hospital. Amber’s long journey to recovery begins with a battle. While she’s fighting her way to freedom, she discovers the one love she’s been missing her entire life.

Will Amber overtake her darkness of cutting or will the darkness overtake her?

About the Author:  

RaeBeth McGee-Buda was born in southwestern Pennsylvania in 1987, the second daughter of Rachel Yost and Arthur Curtis McGee. RaeBeth grew up loving to read and write poetry, as well as short stories. Her childhood dream was to become a teacher. Rae Beth’s dream of writing was created in her eleventh grade literature class where writing became her passion.

RaeBeth married in August 2012 to her husband, Gregory Stephen Buda Jr. and resides in a small Pennsylvania town of Fairchance. RaeBeth is a full time mother of one beautiful daughter Emma, and a mother to an angel, Dakota Emily.

She graduated from American Intercontinental University in 2010 with her associates in business administration. She enjoys spending her time writing and feels connecting with readers and sending her messages are her main goals.

Author Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/raebethbuda
Blog link:  http://raebethbuda.blogspot.com/
Twitter ID:  https://twitter.com/raebethmcgee
 Website:  http://raebethmcgee.weebly.com/

Cover Reveal: Sacrifice

Any of you who have followed me long enough know how much I love fellow author Jessica Fortunato. If you haven’t had the chance to read her work, I recommend you fix this immediately. I love all of her characters, including and especially the character Olexander.

Well, okay, my character Michael O’Shane has a crush on him, but anyway… the author’s very fond of him, too!

So, without further ado, I present your first teaser for the sequel to The Sin Collector. This, my friends, is Sacrifice.

Sacrifice is the second book in The Sin Collector Trilogy by author Jessica Fortunato.  Also from Fortunato is The Sin Collector, The Sin Collector: Thomas, Steam and the short story Banished which can be found in the Nocturnal Embers Anthology.  She lives in Pittsburgh PA with her family, a clumsy black cat, and year round Halloween decorations.

You can find Jessica:

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Link to Sacrifice Official Trailer

Find The Sin Collector: Sacrifice, exclusively for Kindle August 30th, 2013!

Synopsis:

As an immortal Sin Collector, Liliana lead a transient life of solitude for over one-hundred years.

Now with a growing family, she has found herself liking normalcy and the façade of being human.  However, when old friends begin to turn up dead, it is clear Collectors are not safe.  The battle that Liliana thought she’d won, has only just begun.

She must save herself, her family, and her friends from the Castus, a fanatical group sworn to eradicate her kind.

As Liliana travels the globe making allies, and discovering secrets, she soon learns that the threat to her safety is closer than she ever thought possible.

 

Blogger Book Fair – Author Feature: Shah Wharton

As the Blogger Book Fair draws to a close, I wanted to present – last, but certainly not least – author Shah Wharton. Here’s more about her and her works!

Shah Wharton is offering a giveaway for one print version (available Fall 2013 (UK) or one eCopy, (available INT) of Finding Esta, an urban fantasy, paranormal mystery.

* Interesting Fact Alert: Finding Esta is currently going through a re-write / edit (post publication) ready for the print edition.

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For the Book Blogger Book Fair

GIVEAWAY: Finding Esta:

#1 The Supes Series

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The Supes Series – Ridiculously short synopses.




Book 1 of The Supes Series: Finding Esta (Published)

Published

Psychic flaws curse a fledgling journalist who seeks validation from loveless parents, and peace within her cruel world. When her investigation into child abduction leads her to the supernatural Cornwall community, her sense of identity implodes as each incredible revelation steers her to a singularly mind-blowing question:

“What am I?”

For a larger description, trailer, reviews, images of characters ,and links to various interviews etc, please visit the My Book page on Shah’s website.

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A FEW BLURBS


“Shah pens “Finding Esta” in a well written plot with plenty of twists and turns to keep your interest. Her characters are totally interesting and believable in this paranormal fantasy. I totally loved the book and even with the cliffhanger at the end, now I can’t wait for the next book to come. Highly recommended for all adult paranormal readers.” My Cozie Corner {Book Reviews}

“Finding Esta is an urban fantasy tale with a riveting plot that hooked me from the very first page. [...] and cleverly weaves both mystery novel and supernatural tale together.” Valerie S. Fowler {Book Reviewer}

” It’s a great tale that’s part Nancy Drew, part Harry Dresden, and part Underworld, with a dash of Weapon X thrown in for good measure [...] and my favorite line was, “The ego of a God, the wit of a goldfish.” Tom Winship, {Author of Vaempires.}

“From the onset of the story, the prose is dripping with the voice of a character I could spend eternity with. The story is laced with beautiful but nicely paced descriptions, and the characters breathe life into the pages.” BooksForever {Editor / Author}


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Finding Luna (working cover)

Book 2 of The Supes Series: Finding Luna (Re-Writes)

Due for publication early 2014 (this is the working synopsis)

Imagine a broken young woman whose world is left in ruins. Imagine horrific identities forced violently upon her, to trigger a growing, often frenzied desire for blood, bouts of extreme hirsutism, and (ahem) embarrassing dental issues. Imagine two love interests and the supernatural community insisting she’s not only their prophesied saviour, but also the defeater of Queen Vampire Lucy …her sire-sister.

Then …imagine she is you! What’s your next move?

* Interesting fact alert: Shah designed this cover and the fur textured title does have significance. Do you love or loath it? This may or may not be the cover used at publication. Shah requests your input and any ideas.

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EXCERPT

From Chapter Four of Finding Esta

…White rays of light streamed from his eyes to captivate and near blind me. My neck arched for a glimpse of his face, but I could only make out the heart shaped curve of his wet, full lips. When they parted and his breath deepened, I wanted to bite him of all things. Especially when the delicate tips of his fangs peeped below his upper lip. I admit, unfamiliar warmth spread out across my lower abdomen.

I stood before him transfixed, puzzled, and sodden with rain in my flimsy attire. I shivered against his bulky form when his arms wrapped around me like a quilt. Grateful for their cover, I embraced my stranger’s slim waist and my near-nakedness dampened white t-shirt, beneath his huge wax coat. My red chiffon scarf fell, but clung to the damp curve of my lower back, so he hoisted it up over my shoulders. I held my breath and waited for the pain that always came with touch. The silent dread left my mouth dry. Even in dreams I feared my reaction to it, yet I surrendered to his, come what may. My faith in him repaid me, as it had once done for Abby. No pain came from his caress, no images burned through my brain. I became dizzy, but from holding my breath until a powerful flood of relief made me exhale. He brushed my hair away from my face with smooth fingertips and I let go of a tear.

The rain and wind wrapped around us, but it remained powerless to penetrate the cover of his physical shelter. I burrowed into the sweet weight of his face-less, name-less affection. He held me captive, not in a prison of bars and abuse, but by the sheer power of his presence.

Protective. Powerful. Peace.

He touched my chin with his forefinger and looked into my eyes. The white glow of his ebbed until he finally allowed me to see the palest green eyes I’d ever seen. He cupped my cheeks and searched my expression. Beyond beautiful, those eyes darted with a desperate hunger and studied each of my features. He licked his plump lips, his heartbeat became audible and accelerated.

Or was that mine?

My gaze worked around his square jaw line, spiky cheekbones and heavy brow, but the delicate green of his eyes framed by short, thick, black lashes, and the plump pink pads of his mouth, softened the otherwise overt image of masculinity. My breath caught in my throat at such perfection. Heat continued to build within me; I licked my own lips as though they were his.

Fingers foraged grey cells beneath the bony shield of my skull and I knew he strove to read my thoughts, to search my mind. But why?

More concerned that he’d find lewd thoughts than anything else, even in a dream, I panicked and broke the attachment between us be stepping back and closing my eyes. When I peered into the rain, then down at my naked, nasty feet, I swallowed sour regret.

All too soon the cold air replaced the warmth of his body, and effigies of the dead danced in the darkness, around me.

I woke with a start, gripped by an inhuman passion, but cold and empty in the gloomy grasp of reality. No one could ever hold me like that outside of dreams.

I’ll be a lonely virgin for the rest of my miserable life.

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FINDING ESTA BUY LINKS

Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk and internationally.

Draft2Digital distributes to many outlets on all formats, including

Barnes & Noble (for NOOK) | KOBO (for ePUB) | iBOOKS (for APPLE) |

SMASHWORDS


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Author Bio

Shah Wharton

Shah’s father nurtured her love of the written word as a child, although her words remained private until recently, when she decided to apply her imagination to short stories, in 2010. One of which grew into Finding Esta, the beginning of Luna’s tumultuous journey of self-discovery. Finding Esta is her debut novel, and the first volume of The Supes Series.

Shah enjoys all good speculative fiction and is an avid Kindle abuser and cinema fan. She adores her fans, the indie writing community, and is thrilled to be part of the e-publishing revolution.

She lives between Dubai and United Kingdom with her husband and their beloved dog, Bobby.

On her blog, she discusses her writing, publishing, books and storytelling, and supports other authors. She is always happy to accept feedback so please do get in touch.

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FIND SHAH

WEBSITE | Amazon Author Page (US) | Amazon Author Page (UK)

Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Google+

Blogger Book Fair – Guest Post by Michael Brookes

Welcome to Day Three of the Blogger Book Fair, fellow Indie fans. In case you missed it, Wynne Channing gave us a story excerpt on Monday and Nathan Squiers visited the Flynn blog yesterday. Today, we have a Guest Post from Michael Brookes, author of the book Faust 2.0.

Without any further ado, take it away, Michael.

Levels of Reality

by Michael Brookes

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“Electric Neuron” by Ronny R

One of my favourite subjects for exploring in stories, both long and short, is the understanding of reality. On the face of it reality should be easy to define; it is what is around us. The complication arises when we examine how we perceive and process reality. In the simplest terms we collate information through our many senses (yes we have more than five!) and build a replica of the world in our minds.  This is where it gets interesting, that mental picture is different to the actual reality around us.

The differences are usually trivial, such as details that we don’t notice or that the mind assumes is there. It is amazing how much of what we think we see is put there by the mind because it believes it should be there. We’re not the only creature to do this; you only have to watch a dog sleep to see that it has its own mental picture of a world where it is chasing cute animals. From this we can say that our experience is a subjective one and this leads, in part to what we call consciousness.

Consciousness is an even slipper thing to define than reality. Rather than try to describe what it is, we can look at what it means. Our mental map of reality defines the world we operate in, it provides the information we need to make decisions. Consciousness is the sense of self and how we fit into the world our brain has created.

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“Mila 2.0″ by margotwood

In my latest book, Faust 2.0 the principal character of the story is an emergent artificial intelligence. This essentially means that it has spontaneously become self-aware, or conscious. There are three interesting aspects that occur from this that differ from a human perspective of consciousness.

The first aspect is that the entity is born with self-awareness, but no sense of identity. This contrasts with how consciousness in humans develops over time, rather than in an instant. A person’s identity also develops over time, at a slower pace.

In the story I make the assumption that a being that is self aware needs to have a concept of its own identity. For this entity it searches what it knows, essentially everything stored on the Internet and comes to the conclusion that it is a demon. This decision is somewhat coloured by the fact that from the moment it is born, it is attacked by anti-virus software and other protective measures created by humans.

The other interesting contrast is the perception of reality. As already mentioned our minds filter ours sensory input creating a model. For an AI this filter does not exist, everything it is aware of is the same as the data it receives. It sees reality as it is, of course some of the input is tainted by whatever bias is in the information it accesses, but it’s real time ‘senses’ are objective devices like cameras and microphones, there is no pre-processing of that data.

Human consciousness stems from a singular perspective. We operate in a social structure, but that framework is relative to our understanding of ourselves. For the newly born AI it is different in that it exists in multiple locations across the Internet simultaneously. It’s awareness is distributed between hundreds and ultimately millions of computers. This means that it is able to operate in parallel; multi-tasking to a degree we can’t even come close too.

Returning to the nature of reality, we’ve seen that humans live in the physical world, but it is a separate perceived reality that governs decision making. The choices made in the mental world then go onto affect the physical reality around them. For the AI this works differently too, it exists within a reality (the Internet) that is abstracted from the physical world it resides in. Like a person’s internal reality, the choices that the AI makes in its realm impacts the physical world, often to deadly effect.

FAUST 2.0

Is it the rebirth of an ancient evil in a new realm? Or something much worse?

A sexy looking avatar grants wishes for people across the web, but nothing is truly free, and for those who accept, what price must be paid?

Sarah Mitchell must discover the truth of this creature and stop it while it can still be stopped, but why is a mysterious lawyer dogging her every step?

Faust 2.0 is the first book in the new Mitchell & Morton series.

Available now on Kindle:

Amazon (UK): http://www.amazon.co.uk/Faust-2-0-Mor...

Amazon (US): http://www.amazon.com/Faust-2-0-Morto...

About Michael Brookes

Michael Brookes is an Executive Producer with a leading UK games developer. Working in games and writing are two of his life passions and he considers himself fortunate to be able to indulge them both. He lives in the east of England, enjoying starry skies in the flattest part of the country. When not working or writing he can sometimes be found sleeping. Which is good as that is where many good ideas come from.

Other Books by Michael Brookes
The Cult of Me

The first book in ‘The Third Path’ trilogy.

For too long he dwelt apart, watched those who passed him by. With his unique abilities he entered their minds and inflicted terrible suffering upon them. They didn’t even know who he was. The game has lasted for years, but now the game has become stale. On an impulse he decides to make a final and very public last stand. After surrendering himself to the police he enacts his plan to seize the prison for his final bloody act.  

There he discovers that he’s not as unique as he once thought.

Buy now from:

Amazon (US): http://www.amazon.com/The-Cult-Third-Path-ebook/dp/B008O7ZVXW/

Amazon (UK): http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Cult-Third-Path-ebook/dp/B008O7ZVXW/

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-cult-of-me-michael-brookes/1112888391?ean=2940016637747&isbn=2940016637747

iTunes (US): https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id639396634

iTunes (UK): https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/id639396634

Conversations in the Abyss

The second book in ‘The Third Path’ trilogy.

Stealing Lazarus’s miracle gifted him immortality. Combined with his natural ability of invading and controlling people’s minds this made him one of the most dangerous people on Earth.

But the miracle came with a price. His punishment was to be imprisoned within the walls of an ancient monastery and tormented by an invisible fire that burned his body perpetually. To escape the pain he retreated deep into his own mind.

There he discovers the truth of the universe and that only he can stop the coming Apocalypse.

Buy now from:

Amazon (US): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BCP08JU/

Amazon (UK): http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00BCP08JU/

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1115281270?ean=2940016700465&isbn=2940016700465

iTunes (US): https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/id647298331

iTunes (UK): https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/id647298331

An Odd Quartet – Drabble Enhanced Edition

A quartet of dark short stories (10,000 words total) each with a twist in the tale. The drabble enhanced edition also contains some of my favourite drabbles (100 word stories).

The Yellow Lady

Grave robbing is a dirty business, in more ways than one. When he disturbs the grave from a childhood scary story he discovers it’s not always treasure to be found.

This Empty Place

At the heat death of the universe, Death contemplates his existence.

Forced Entry

Terrorists seize an average suburban house. A Special Forces hostage rescue team is sent in and encounter more than they were trained for.

The Reluctant Demon

A young demon prepares to take his possession exam.

Buy now from:

Amazon (US): http://www.amazon.com/An-Odd-Quartet-ebook/dp/B009QJMMPC/

Amazon (UK): http://www.amazon.com/An-Odd-Quartet-ebook/dp/B009QJMMPC/

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/an-odd-quartet-michael-brookes/1046494250?ean=2940016693453

iTunes (US): https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id636526301

iTunes(UK): https://itunes.apple.com/uk/book/id636526301

Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/An-Odd-Quartet/book-IW9-ulByxE-fcgKdLgZT8Q/page1.html

Blogger Book Fair – Meet Wynne Channing

Greetings, friends, and welcome back to my blog. To resume the previously scheduled broadcasting (i.e., to get more in the habit of having blog posts and features here again), I decided to participate in the Blogger Book Fair this year. And to kick things off, I have a special treat.

Make sure you’re keeping an eye on this blog and on Peter’s Vampire Flynn blog for BBF posts this week!

I’m pleased to feature on the blog today, Wynne Channing, author of the bestselling paranormal adventure novel: What Kills Me.

Here’s an excerpt from the book which is the first in a series. The sequel, I Am Forever, is out this winter!

“Hello?” I called out. The sound of my own voice, broken and afraid, pushed me over the edge and my body shook with sobs. “Can anyone help me?”

My tears were hot on my face. The pillars around me were carved with undecipherable symbols. I hobbled further and found the source of the light. Hundreds of red candles jutted from the ground, the shining, melting wax creating blood-red pools. They seemed to be arranged around a circular formation of boulders. When I got closer, I saw that the rocks lined a hole in the ground.

What is that?

I looked into that black hole and I shivered.

“Is anyone here?” I said.

I heard the crunch of sand behind me and I spun around. It was Paolo. He opened his arms as if to invite me in for an embrace.

“Why did you run from me?” he asked, sounding surprised.

“Stay away from me,” I said.

“Don’t be like that.” He took a step toward me. I stepped back. I felt the heat from the wax through the soles of my slippers.

“I said, ‘Don’t come near me.’”

“Is that any way to treat me after I rescued you when you were lost? After I took you around Rome, bought you gifts, and invited you to this amazing place?”

My tears pooled under my chin. I lifted my heel and found it stuck to the wax.

“Come here, Zee,” he said. “Let me put you out of your misery.”

Horrified, I staggered back. Time slowed. Paolo ambled toward me, a smile spreading on his face. I backed away farther from him, knocking over candles. My heel hit a small rock. I looked over my shoulder and realized with shock I was now very close to that foreboding hole. At that same moment I saw the rock skitter into it. There was no sound of the rock landing.

I’m going to die.

“Stop!” A voice shouted. Startled, we both turned toward the sound. An older man in a hooded blue robe was running toward us.

Suddenly I was off balance, tipping over. I was falling. Falling into the hole. I saw Paolo dive for me with outstretched hands. Screaming, I clawed once at nothing.

Then there was only black.

Buy What Kills Me to see what happens!

Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | Kobo | iTunes | Goodreads

About the top-rated, best-selling book: An ancient prophecy warns of a girl destined to cause the extinction of the vampire race. So when 17-year-old Axelia falls into a sacred well filled with blood and emerges a vampire, the immortal empire believes she is this legendary destroyer. Hunted by soldiers and mercenaries, Axelia and her reluctant ally, the vampire bladesmith Lucas, must battle to survive. How will she convince the empire that she is just an innocent teenager-turned bloodsucker and not a creature of destruction? And if she cannot, can a vampire who is afraid of bugs summon the courage to fight a nation of immortals?

About Wynne: Wynne Channing is an award-winning national newspaper reporter and best-selling young adult novelist. Wynne loves telling stories and as a journalist, she has interviewed everyone from Daniel Radcliffe and Hugh Jackman to the president of the Maldives and Duchess Sarah Ferguson. The closest she has come to interviewing a vampire is sitting down with True Blood‘s Alexander Skarsgard (he didn’t bite). She briefly considered calling her debut novel “Well” so then everyone would say: “Well written by Wynne Channing.”

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Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself…

I find sometimes it’s easy to be myself / Sometimes I find it’s better to be somebody else

- Dave Matthews Band, “So Much to Say”

Blowing the dust off the personal blog, because admittedly, I’ve been in hibernation. Part of me wants to talk about all of the awesome things I’ve been cooking up as an author and the other half wants to bemoan the real life distractions that’ve been getting in the way, but that’s not what I came here to talk about.

Next weekend, I’m attending Wizard World Philly for the first time in two years, because it seems like Wizard has finally started doing something right again with what had been my favorite convention. Last year, we exhibited at Otakon, an anime convention in Baltimore, and JR and I are hoping to do another convention somewhere else by the year’s end. (NYCC, dare we dream?) This sets up an interesting conundrum for me, however, in starting to do so many public appearances.

Much to my chagrin… I’m not Peter Dawes.

I know, I know. It’s as upsetting to me as it is to you, because seriously, there are days in the week (seven to be exact) where I wish I could pull a sword, decapitate someone pissing me off, and go about my business. The wonderful thing about the internet is that I can use my main character as a pseudonym and anyone who talks to me knows Peter’s a persona. Any time you see me on Facebook and Twitter, I’m being the authentic, honest-to-goodness person behind the mask.

But meeting me in person can be a little… jarring.

So, the time’s finally come for me to come out and actually reveal the Man Behind the Curtain. Only, he’s not really a man at all.

No, really… It’s me.

Hello there. My name is Julie Staples (you can call me Jules) and I am the mad genius behind Peter Dawes. As I said above, I’m not Peter. Peter is Peter, and any author or creative type is probably nodding their heads in understanding as I say that. The characters take on their own lives with their own personalities, which is why I coined the hashtag #thevoicesarereal.

I am also the person behind Karyn Mitchell, if you’ve seen her floating around. (She’s my paranormal romance pseudonym.) And this picture is older than Moses, but it’s my best one and I wanted to put my best foot forward before I’m photobombing all over the place because I can now.

Most of my posts have pointed toward being of the male persuasion, only because using Peter as a moniker seems to indicate I would be. By and large, though, you already know me. I have four kids from a previous relationship, am (more or less) married to the best thing to ever happen to me, my partner-in-crime, JR Wesley. Everything I’ve shared has been me and my life. The names and genders have been changed, however, to protect the innocent.

And yeah the title of this blog is sort of a misnomer. But to be perfectly honest, I’ve never been that stellar at being a girl. If I would’ve grown up with role models like Felicia Day, I would have a much better handle on it, because that’s the sort of girl I am. This is why I prefer writing male protagonists. Women are beautiful, complicated creatures who drive me up the wall whenever I try to think like what normally constitutes being “the typical female”.

Just remind me I said that the next time I have an emotional outburst.

Holy shit, you haven’t been a guy this whole time?

No, but at the same time, when I’ve been approached in private by people asking me questions about the real me, I’ve done my best to answer them as honestly as I can. Telling people about the really real me is on the basis of trust, something I’ve been short on in recent years. Someone once used my online identity to defame my character and that experience was hell on earth. (I’m not being melodramatic in saying I had a nervous breakdown.) If I’ve been gunshy about my identity this is why.

I won’t get into that whole story. If you want to know it, just ask me in private. Or reference back to this post I wrote. I’ve repeated it ad nauseum as it is.
So, why Peter Dawes?

I started out posting rough drafts of the Vampire Flynn books on my personal deviantART account six years ago. Around the time I started the fifth book, Peter turned to poetry to help him cope with the awful shit his writer was putting him through.

(Not commonly known fact: I am a sadistic bitch to my characters.)

Anyway, it led to Peter having a deviantART account of his own. When I decided to adopt Peter as my pseudonym, I’d already been roleplaying him, so continuing to roleplay him wasn’t all that difficult. I still roleplay him, only now, he has his own Twitter account.
I thought you were gay?

She doesn’t have a pic for me to post, but you’ve heard me talk all about my partner, JR. I call her Jesi. The necessity on my part to have Peter necessitated her to have a complimentary persona, which is why she used Victor Mason for a while. You haven’t met Victor in prose, unless you’ve been reading his story over at Bloodtide. You’ll meet him in Peter’s books sometime soon.

Jesi wanted a pseudonym for her editorial work with Crimson Melodies, and thus was JR Wesley born. Truth be told, Jesi and I are really free-spirited people. Polyamorous. Bisexual, although the term pansexual might be a little more applicable to me. But in everything, we are a partnership and I can’t see a time in my life when I wouldn’t consider her the peanut butter to my jelly.
A gay Christian, no less…?

Yep, we exist, and minus the self-loathing, too. Everything I said about having a seminary level education? Accurate. My fortes were textual criticism and apologetics.

I don’t really have a denominational affiliation anymore, but I’ve been camping with the Episcopalians lately. They’re good people.
And your crush on Joseph Gordon-Levitt?

I will probably get arrested the first time I meet him, for jumping him and trying to take all of his clothing off. True facts right there. Keep the gratuitous JGL picture porn coming, friends.

I mean, come on, look at that face.

The bottom line is, I’m a complicated creature and have relished the freedom Peter’s given me. And it’s my sincere hope I continue having that freedom being me, working through the different avenues of expression my creativity likes running down. I’ve never liked being pigeon-holed into one identity, one frame of mind, or one stereotype. I still plan on writing under Peter’s name for all my urban/dark/historical fantasy projects, because it’s still hard as a woman to write male protagonists and be taken seriously. It doesn’t matter how many male muses I have in my headspace, it’s the truth of the matter.

So, here I am. For the first time since 2008, I’m taking a tentative step forward in showing you the really real (wo)man behind the curtain. Consider it therapy. Consider it that desire I have to be able to be the sort of author who’s connected to their readers, but I’m being crazy and throwing myself out there.

And just in case you were partial to that Peter fella, and his Flynn alter ego, don’t worry… they’re not going anywhere. *slow, wicked grin* The floor is open for comments and questions. Just please… be gentle.

Zen and Inevitable Destiny

“It’s all connected, Reese.”

If you’re at all familiar with Damian Lewis, you might recognize that quote. If you’re not familiar with either, it comes from a show he had starred in a few years ago, called Life. In it, he played a police officer who turns to Zen after being wrongfully accused for a murder and sent away for a life imprisonment. When new evidence comes to light which overturns his conviction – twelve years later – we learn Eastern Philosophy has kept him balanced while incarcerated. We also learn both his spirituality and his desire to rejoin the police force are thinly veiling an involved revenge vendetta.

In the show, however, his character, Charlie Crews, is constantly telling his partner, Dani Reese, how much the many facets of both a case and the universe are intertwined. “It’s all connected, Reese.” She bristles each time he says it, but falls prey to the concept at the same time, following Charlie through each thread of the intricate spider web he weaves. You all are my Reese today, and I’m going to be your Charlie for a moment here.

It’s all connected, guys.

Poor Andy can’t even catch a break while playing football with Scott.

I haven’t had the chance to tell many people this, because it often seems like putting the cart before the horse. You’ve only met Peter and Flynn. You haven’t met Scott and Andy, and only barely know Christian. Andy, I keep picking on, the poor guy. He and Scott were my first two protagonists and someday, I’ll dust off their story for you to read. But if you notice the reporter Flynn keeps picking on here and here, it’s the same guy whose best friend is actually a superhero. Christian might be a medieval mercenary, but that’s all I’ve told you about him so far. Rest assured, his life gets very interesting very quickly in The Unquiet Dead.

So when I tell you that they all inhabit one very large universe, I hope it doesn’t come as any surprise. Unfortunately, I don’t have any stories written out which connect Scott and Peter (other than those blog posts), but as I’ve been working on Inevitable Destiny (which is delayed only because it’s turned out to be more of an involved project than I realized), a small, incidental story about an ill-fated vampiress finally connected Christian to Peter’s world. Since I don’t know whether or not this scene will even make the final cut of the book, I decided to spill a little of it here for you.

Christian, a medieval character, in Peter’s world?

It’s all connected, Reese.

An excerpt from Chapter Eight of Inevitable Destiny…

Whoever penned the text wasn’t as concerned with intrigue as they were with thoroughness. The first few pages were the most difficult to muscle through, but after turning to Chapter Two, a story played out which carried Julian through the rest  of the book.

Her name had been Eleanor, and she had been a beauty.

It was how he chose to imagine her, which suited him just fine even if his mind had embellished the details. The 1920s were in their waning years, summoning thoughts of skirts, stockings, and feathered hats; strong necks adorned with necklaces made of pearls. While the text had failed to say what color her hair and eyes had been, he chose to envision her with charcoal-colored waves and opalescent blue irises. Pale-skinned and strong-natured, she had lived through hell from the sound of it and remained one of the first of Raulin’s lot to defect.

Prague was where she met her end, but her life had unfolded throughout Europe. The Medieval Period tracked her through France and Spain. She started the Renaissance in Italy, but arrived in Russia by the start of the Victorian Era. A brief entanglement with Germany preceded her dash for the Vltava River and there, she placed her final stakes on the edge of the Czech capitol. While her constant movement could’ve been attributed to wanderlust, another truth came to light the day she stumbled into the small, Prague branch of the Supernatural Order.

“Your name, Madam?”

“Eleanor Fiedler. Not my human name.”

“What is your purpose in coming here?”

Julian imagined a room filled with smoke, a rustic, wooden table placed in the center with three chairs on one side and one chair on the other. She wore her long hair in ringlets, and black gloves had been fastened to her elbows, an elegant dress clinging to her slight curves in a flattering manner. Her shoulders were squared and an elbow rested on the arm of her chair. The sigh which preceded her opening comment bore the weight of too many years. “I come to you for help,” she said, glancing from one man to the next down the line. They stared back quietly, allowing her to continue. “You don’t know who I am or why this is important, but I need sanctuary. And you need to provide it to me.”

The elder in charge of the office, Erik Novotny, sat directly across from her, two sorcerers flanking him on either side. He raised an eyebrow while regarding her.  “For what purpose would we need to provide you sanctuary?” he asked.

“There are men after me. They have me surrounded and I have nowhere left to run.” She rolled her eyes and joined the men in smoking, pulling out her own cigarette. “Modern conveniences. It used to be simple to outrun the shadows. Now there are trains and automobiles. Telegraph wires and telephones they can use for communication. The world has gotten smaller and the corners in which to hide in fewer.”

Erik lifted his own cigarette to his lips and took a deep draw from it. His body settled into the chair more, turning into a casual recline. “Madam Fiedler, we are not a safe house for vampires. In fact, I would think your kind might view us as anything but.”

“Desperate times often call for desperate measures.” The expression on her face turned deadly serious. “I wouldn’t have come here if I had any other options left. I haven’t come here for years, but my bodyguard, Christian, stayed back in Germany and the dogs got closer to me than I should’ve let them.” Her eyes developed a wistful look, something she brushed aside with a flip of her hand. “It can’t be stopped now. But I’ve kept something from them for eight centuries and I’m not about to give it to them now.”

“Eight centuries?”

“Yes, from my earliest days to this.”

“And what is this thing you’ve kept from them?”

She crossed and uncrossed her legs, sighing as she fidgeted with her necklace. “First, I must ask you what you’d do with it. Where do you house your artifacts?”

Erik laughed. “You can’t expect us to tell you…”

“Is it somewhere safe?”

The elder blinked and glanced at the sorcerer to his left. They exchanged a glance, as did Erik and the man to his right before all three focused on Eleanor again. “Yes. It’s heavily guarded.”

Exhaling shakily, she shook her head. “It needs to be more than heavily guarded. It needs to be impenetrable to my kind.”

“Such places exist, Madam Fiedler.” Erik drew from his cigarette again, reaching forward to extinguish it before settling against the back of his chair again. “You’ll need to be more specific first before I can make you any promises. What sort of an artifact are you donating to us?”

“Donating.” She bristled against the word, bringing her cigarette to her lips and drawing from it. Her lips held back the puff of smoke, releasing it slowly in a sigh. Eleanor shut her eyes and shook her head. “This isn’t a donation. You all are children. Finite and inexperienced. You won’t take this as seriously as it should be.”

“We have no way of knowing that unless…”

“You have no way of knowing that, but I do.” Eleanor came to her feet, the sound of her chair skidding across the floor interrupting Erik from finishing. Her movements shaky, she struggled to compose herself and gathered her belongings. “Raulin’s sycophants will end this world and everyone in it. I was foolish to think you would grasp the severity of this discussion.” Reaching across the table, she put out her cigarette and righted herself with a resolute nod. “I will take my leave now.”

“Madam Fiedler…” Erik fumbled to a stand, pursing Eleanor all the way to the door. “You are doing nothing to even help us to understand. What sort of artifact? Why do you need us to protect it?” He placed himself between Eleanor and the door. “I thought you had nowhere else to turn.”

“It is a key. Used to unlock doors which should remain shut.” Her eyes shimmered when she turned one final time to look Erik Novotny in the eyes. “And I did have nowhere else to turn. But I’ve survived this far. I will simply have to figure out how to continue surviving.”

Pushing Erik aside, Eleanor made her exit, leaving the befuddled elder in her wake. While Julian could envision the men exchanging confused glances, he understood what had happened more than he would’ve liked. A dedicated sentry would not readily hand over their ward, not without determining the person to whom they had turned would be just as good of a warden. Even if the sentry might otherwise die at their post.

The story continued, depicting conversations exchanged between Prague and London shortly thereafter. A seer and watcher had been assigned the task of keeping watch over Eleanor and while two days passed in quiet, by the third evening, Armageddon descended on the Czech city at last. Shivers ran the length of Julian’s spine when he turned the page and began the next chapter in the story.

The Liebster Blog Award 2013

*coughs, blows the dust from the blog and smiles sheepishly*

So, I haven’t been blogging as much so far this year. Chalk it off to illness, deadlines, and children, but it’s been difficult to find the thoughts to string together, let alone the time. But despite all of that, Noree Cosper has nominated me for the Liebster Blog Award, which I am taking as an admonition to be blogging more. I couldn’t be more honored, Noree, so thank you.

Here are the Liebster Award Rules:



Thank the blogger who presented you with the Liebster Award, and link back to his or her blog.
Answer the 11 questions from the nominator; list 11 random facts about yourself, and create 11 questions for your nominees.
Present the Liebster Award to 11 bloggers, who have blogs with 200 followers or less, whom you feel deserve to be noticed.  Leave a comment on the blogs letting the owners know they have been chosen. (No tag backs.)
Upload the Liebster Award image to your blog.

Here my answers to Noree’s eleven questions:


What hobbies do you have?

I’m one of those people who doesn’t have a hobby so much as I have a myriad of flirtations and a few trysts with things other than writing. I love the arts in general. I sing along to music, visit museums, and love the theater. I dabble with writing scripts, have fifteen half-finished books I’m reading, and would love to take dance lessons. Perhaps one of these days I might finally become fluent in French, too.
Do you have any pets? Do you want any pets? What kind?

JR and I have two cats: Mischief and Nibbler. Mischief is a big, stupid ball of love fluff. Nibbler is secretly plotting world domination when he isn’t busy annoying Mischief.
What song is “your song?” Why?

There are so many I identify with at any given time. Right now, I could easily say “Some Nights” by fun., but even that’s not exactly correct. The song “In Chains” by Depeche Mode used to be played on repeat when with an ex. “Such Great Heights” by The Postal Service makes me think of JR. Catch me at any moment, ask me that question, and you’ll get a different answer every time.
What do you think makes a good story?

When you can grab me, uproot me, throw me into your world, and immerse me in it. When your characters make me laugh, cry, and get utterly pissed off at them. When you put them through hell and drag them back out of it. When the plot surrounding them only makes them bolder, stronger, or more exposed. Those are the stories I latch onto.
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

For a while, I wanted to be a lawyer. I worked my ass off in school to try for Harvard and everything. And then, one day, my grandfather pulled me aside and smacked some sense into me. “A lawyer? You kidding?” he said. “You’re a writer. You’re good at writing. Be a journalist or something.” That my practical-as-hell, WWII vet grandfather felt the need to deter me from one possibly-lucrative career to a lesser one stuck with me. I miss him.
What is you favorite type of monster?

The reason why I like vampires is because they’re so much like us. They’re our cultural reflection at the moment; our inner demons, the things we both love and fear all at once. They represent our non-stop quest for some form of immortality, and the desires we keep barely-bridled by whatever the current list of societal taboos are.
What would be the perfect gift for you?

You know how people argue that gift cards are so impersonal? To hell with that. Give me a gift card to Starbucks or a book store, and I’m happier than a pig in mud. Unless you want to fund a night at the opera for me and JR, that is.
What time of day is your favorite?

That time directly after sunset, when the night’s just begun. I blame the vampires in my head.
What’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?

Anybody who’s a parent and doesn’t say their newborn child is dead inside. I will never forget holding my oldest son for the first time, that terrifying epiphany hitting me that I’d helped bring something so beautiful and so complex into the world. New life is hope and potential and it is staggeringly amazing.

Of course, I might’ve gone overboard having four of them.
What habit that others have annoys you most?

Inconsiderateness. I admit, I’m generally oblivious, but if I find out I’m in someone’s way or have neglected to include or give deference to someone, I’ll be the first to apologize for it. People who wallow in apathy and get annoyed when you dare to exist in their general space… are the people I most wrestle with the desire to go Flynn on.
If you became a vampire, what would you do?

We don’t want to hand me that loaded weapon. Have you met Flynn?

Seriously, though, while Flynn is often those things I fear I would do, Robin is the vampire I would more strive to be. Someone who’s life might be woefully tragic at times, but still puts himself out there to experience the world. He’s traveled to so many countries, learned so many languages and so many cultures, and this in only a century. He has a passion for learning. He’s read Sherlock Holmes’s stories a million times or better. He’s a little kid when we watch Downton Abbey. He doesn’t make any apologies for being himself, but that both includes the man and the monster he is.

So… where’s the vampire who wants to turn me?

Now, the dreaded eleven facts about me:

I’m about to turn 33. I both love and hate birthdays. I like the celebration aspect, not so much the aging.
I’ve lived in four different states, in four different parts of the country: Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Arizona, and South Carolina.
Saying I’m bisexual is sort of a lie. I’m pansexual, which means gender isn’t a hindrance when it comes to falling in love with someone.
Sometimes, I’m a little demisexual, too. I don’t have to be in love with you to be sexually attracted to you, but there should be some emotional connection before I follow through with it.
I get scared by the popping noise a canister of biscuits makes when you open it. Likewise, I hate the sound of balloons popping.
I stick my tongue out when I’m concentrating on something intently. Completely subconscious.
I currently play Clint Barton in a Twitter roleplay. Have a problem? I’ve got an arrow for that.
I’m also an avid Dungeons and Dragons player. Sadly, this still hasn’t led to a crushing addiction to witchcraft. Damn you, Jack Chick. (Lvl 9 Rogue, in case you were wondering.)
I’m a spiritual person. Still identify as a Christian. Still a fairly moderate one. Been flirting with the Episcopal church lately and not off-put by it at all. There’s some comfort in formality.
I have two tattoos and am starting off my midlife crisis by getting a third soon.
I’m not really a gamer, but I still play World of Warcraft. If you’re on Lothar, look for a level 90 blood elf rogue named Crimsonflynn. (For the Horde!)

Now, it’s your turn…

Here are my eleven questions for you:

What is your favorite game? (Board or video.)
Vampire or werewolves?
Your current television obsession?
What movie are you looking forward to seeing the most this year?
If you could pick three people to be stuck in an elevator with, who would it be?
If you could jump into a book and visit its world, which one would you choose?
Who is your role model?
The silliest thing you’ve ever seen an animal do?
If you could body swap with anyone for a day, who would it be?
Who was your first crush?
If you got a tattoo, what would you get? (Or which is your favorite if you have one?)

As for who I am nominating…

Well, considering I’ve seen quite a few people I would nominate already nominated… I’m nominating anyone who reads this. I know it’s cheating, but considering I don’t know you all, this is an excellent chance to remedy that. Post a link to your entry in the comments (or if you’ve already done one, post the link there, so my other readers can get to know you.)

Or, if you just want to answer my questions… post a comment.

Next Big Thing Blog Hop

Hello again, Ladies and Gentlemen, and thank you for joining me again. While I am used to being the one who gives interviews on this blog, today I’m the one being interviewed. The awesome, 80s hair metal werewolf-loving author David Jon Fuller asked me to be a part of this. It’s half blog tagging, half self-promotion and considering the point of this is to go more into our current Work in Progress, I jumped on the opportunity.

So, imagine him in the interviewer’s chair while I hop up on the hot seat. Hmm, I think my mic keeps falling off. Is this thing necessary? And seriously, why didn’t one of you tell me this chair needs a cushion. I’m about to slip…

Ouch.

Now, onto the questions…

What is your working title of your book?

The working title was simply “Julian’s Story”, in a sheer stroke of brilliance which rivals my calling an order of supernaturally gifted humans The Supernatural Order. My better half – JR – saved me from myself and recommended the title Inevitable Destiny, which is in part an homage to Star Wars.

The Force is strong with that one.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

I blame Jessica Fortunato. In her review of Rebirth of the Seer she mentioned that she wouldn’t mind learning more about Julian, the seer who chases after Flynn for most of the book. It’s funny, because I didn’t really know all that much about him at the time, so I prodded him (what you do with the voices when you want them to speak) and tried to figure out what made him who he was.

The plot of this story came tumbling out from there.

What genre does your book fall under?

Dark fantasy, definitely. No romance anywhere near this, unless you count the stolen kiss Ian and Jasper exchange as romance. To me, it’s more along the lines of villainy celebration.

Yes, there are very mild gay references. If you can’t deal with two guys exchanging one brief kiss, then you probably won’t much care for the rest of my work.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Joseph Morgan, who plays Klaus in The Vampire Diaries, would be my casting for Julian Reichlin, at least at the time this takes place. He’s nineteen when he gets his gifts. (Probably one of the younger seers called. Peter, at twenty eight, was one of the older ones not to yet have his gifts.)

As far as Jasper Ashcroft is concerned… Tom Hiddleston. I know he’s a generic catch-all for villains at the moment, but I could see him being able to pull off a very old, very devout vampire cultist, if you will. Birgit – Julian’s sister – I often see as a blonde Evan Rachel Wood. Perhaps even a Jennifer Lawrence, depending on how well ERW could pull off being a tough-as-nails German sorceress.

Honorable mentions: A smug Timothy Olyphant as Berwick, the man responsible for handling the seers in the London headquarters. And there’s a character modeled after Phil Coulson from the Avengers. I’ll let you try to figure out who.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

In a world filled with… No, wait, that’s the movie trailer.

New seer Julian Reichlin goes head-to-head with dark magician Jasper Ashcroft, who is bent on destroying the Supernatural Order.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

My works are all published by Crimson Melodies Publishing. So, neither. We’re a small micro-press run by me and my real life significant other, JR Wesley, though I should say we’re mostly run by JR. I’m more of the writer monkey than the brains behind the operation.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Two months. Admittedly, I was battling a massive cold in the middle of all that, which makes writing much more than, ‘Just kill me now,’ a little difficult.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Most of my work in the Flynn series is a mish-mash of Anne Rice meets Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files and occasionally goes out with Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake (the early books) for drinks. The darkest shades of urban fantasy, if you will. This one in particular is a little more Harry Dresden because it focuses on the spellcasters rather than the vampires.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Again, I blame Jessica Fortunato, and will be dedicating the story to her.  Though, I have to say, Julian piped right up with the story of his life when I finally coaxed him into talking.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Four words: Giant Unicorns with Lasers.

Seriously, I know this book is going to mostly be for the Flynn fans and they’re the people I’m writing it for. At the same time, non-Flynn fans, I’m hoping, will appreciate the look into a secret society filled with vampire hunters, and what happens when they’re outwitted by the very thing they’ve fought against for nearly a millennium. The vampires are legitimately the bad guys in this story, so if you like the old fashioned struggle of good vs evil, you’ll love this story.

Now, onto the tagging. These are the victims I have selected to speak about their current work in progress. When they fill out their blog post, I’ll add the link to this entry. (If they decided to take the bait.)

Jessica Fortunato – [blog link] | [post link]
Justine Dee – [blog link] | [post link]
Noree Cosper – [blog link] | [post link]
MR Graham – [blog link] | [post link]
Ava Doran – [blog link] | [post link]