Chrystalla Thoma's Blog, page 10

Pronouncing the names in Rex Rising

Sometimes when I create a world and live in it long enough, I forget that readers who get my books don’t know how I imagined something to look or sound. Add to that the fact that I’m not a native speaker of English, and things get complicated.

This issue was brought to my attention recently from two different readers with two different questions.

The first had to do with the meaning of names and foreign words in the text. I wanted to give the Seven Islands a feeling of not being exactly like our world, and using such words and names helped paint the picture, I believe. Yet, the reader had a perfectly valid point – how about a glossary? So, I added such a glossary at the end of each book, and you can also find it in the “Rex Rising” section of this blog.

The second reader wanted to know how the names were pronounced. I admit I hadn’t given this any thought at all… Bad me. I mean, I know exactly how they are pronounced, but I never thought that there might be different ways to pronounce them. To my defence, in Greek you pronounce the words the way you see them, and there aren’t any options, so sometimes I forget that in English this isn’t so… and also that the way I read a name in English (influenced by my Greek heritage and my Latin lessons back at school) might differ.

So, here is a brief guide to the names I consider essential. Feel free to ask me for more if you want! (i’m marking with bold the stress on the word)

Elei: E-le-ii

Kalaes: Ka-la-es

Hera: He-ra (as in “her”)

Maera: Ma-e-ra

Pelia: Pe-li-a

Alendra: A-le-ndra

Menes: Me-nes

Gultur: Gool-toor (I understand from the way my friends write the word they read it as “Gultar” – that’s alright. The Gultur themselves pronounce it differently from us mere mortals…)

Dakru: Da-kroo

Is this helpful or not? Let me know! Happy reading.

 

Guest book “Moonlight”: vampires and werewolves by Katie Salidas

My good author friend Katie Salidas (hello, Vegas!) is what you might call a paranormal expert – at least in her fantastical worlds, or rather her fantastic version of Vegas and surrounding area. In her alternative world, vampires and shifters share the cities with “normal” humans, and the boundaries often fall. If you have read her series “Immortalis: Carpe Noctem” you know what I’m talking about.

If you have, then you’ll surely remember Fallon, Alyssa’s best friend, a normal but very interesting human. Fallon is spunky and outspoken and falls in love with a werewolf! I really loved her character and was very excited when Katie said she’d give her a book to tell her story. So here it is! Moonlight – An Immortalis Companion Novella.

 

 

What it’s about:

Good girls don’t wear fur, or fight over men, and they certainly don’t run around naked, howling at the moon.

But then, no-one ever called Fallon a good girl.

As a human unofficially mated to an Alpha werewolf, Fallon is being pressured to “become”…or be gone.

Her mate Aiden, the interim leader of the Olde Town Pack, is in a position that demands he either choose a wolf mate…or leave the pack forever. No matter how hot the sex with Fallon is, he can’t ignore centuries of tradition.

Become a wolf or not. If only the choice were that simple. Fallon’s options are further clouded by the overt presence of other females desperate to be the Alpha’s mate. And when these bitches get serious, it’s not just claws that come out. If Fallon wants to keep her man and take the title she’ll have to exert a little dominance of her own.

 

Where to find the book:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes and Noble

Smashwords

 

Read an excerpt:

Long pajama pants, a sweat shirt, fuzzy socks, and still I felt frozen. I’d been here a couple of months but still hadn’t gotten used to the cold. Boston was an arctic tundra compared to Las Vegas and that blistering desert I’d come from. I’d be warm soon enough, though. Aiden was due back at any moment. That man was hot! Wolves have more than just good looks working for them. They run a few degrees warmer than us humans. And I needed that heat. The thought of him snuggling up next to me, fur coat or not, was enough to keep the icicles at bay for the moment, but I was still cold.

Teeth chattering, I pulled the thick feather comforter up to my chest and snuggled into the fluffy, king-sized down pillows. I doubted I would ever get used to the winter. But, if I wanted to stay with Aiden, I’d have to. As the future Alpha of the Olde Town Pack, he was a Boston boy for life. That also meant I would have to make some life changing decisions.

The thought of that wiped the smile from my face.

Aiden was my love, and I knew he loved me for who and what I was—human. But the pack… they wouldn’t accept a human as their Alpha Female.

I buried my head under the blanket as if it would shield me. I’d been avoiding facing the inevitable, but a decision had to be made… soon.

The bedroom door opened with a slight creak.

“Fallon, babe. You still awake?” Aiden called out in a whisper.

Perfect timing! A thrill of excitement ran through me. “Yeah. Come cuddle. I need to steal your warmth, I’m freezing over here.”

He gave me a quick sidelong glance then looked at the wall. “It helps if you turn on the heater.”

“There’s a heater in here? Why didn’t you tell me?” I felt a little embarrassed for not thinking of something so simple; but in my defense, I hadn’t lived at the sanctuary long.

“Yeah.” He tapped a finger on the thermostat mounted to the wall. “Looks like Brady is up to his old games. The thermostat is off.” He clicked the switch, walked inside, and shut the door.

Instantly, I heard the fans kick on. Warmth rose to my cheeks, but it wasn’t from the heater.

“That bastard!” I said, angrier at myself for falling for another one of his tricks than anything else.

Aiden didn’t bother to hide his snicker. “He is who he is. But you probably should have checked the thermostat instead of turning our bed into an igloo.”

“That would have been the smart thing to do. But then I couldn’t have hot Eskimo sex with you.”

Without another word, Aiden tore off his clothes and dove into bed, under the covers. Snaking his arm around my waist, he pulled me in close and nuzzled my neck. My body began to warm, melting against his. Aiden’s chin stubble scratched a little but not so much that it hurt. Besides, I loved a little rough touch from my man. His thick scent, fresh from the hunt, filled my nose. There’s something about that heady odor of patchouli and cologne mixed with a little sweat that sends my heart racing.

Oh, yeah. This is my happy place. Safe in Aiden’s arms, I felt like the world could go to hell and I’d still be okay. This is love, right?

Twenty-six years old and I’d never really been in love. Sad to say, I know. But love had never been a high priority on my list. School, family, friends, sure… but men had been merely blips in the radar. They were temporary distractions; fun little bumps along the road of life. With Aiden, it was different. He made me want to stop bumping along the road and find my home, with him.

“How was the hunt?” I scooted closer, reveling in his delicious warmth.

“The new recruits were naturals.” Pride filled his voice. “You should have seen them. Everyone transitioned this time, and they’re all acclimating well.”

“That’s wonderful news.” The last group hadn’t been so lucky. “But I couldn’t take the cold tonight. I’m still too much of a desert rat.”

His warm hand dipped under my sweat shirt. “Your blood will thicken in time.” He tip-toed his fingers up to my breasts. “How about your day? What have you been up to while I was playing in the snow?”

“Nerd stuff.” I purred. That man had a sinful touch. “I got the new server online and finished configuring the firewall. I still have to set up a few new user accounts, but other than that, not much.”

“I have no clue what you just said, but I think it’s sexy when you talk computers. Say something else.”

 

 

 

 

About Katie:

 

 

Katie Salidas is a Super Woman! Endowed with special powers and abilities, beyond those of mortal women, She can get the munchkins off to gymnastics, cheerleading, Girl Scouts, and swim lessons.  She can put hot food on the table for dinner while assisting with homework, baths, and bedtime… And, She still finds the time to keep the hubby happy (nudge nudge wink wink). She can do all of this and still have time to write.

 

And if you can believe all of those lies, there is some beautiful swamp land in Florida for sale…

 

Katie Salidas resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mother, wife, and author, she does try to do it all, often causing sleep deprivation and many nights passed out at the computer. Writing books is her passion, and she hopes that her passion will bring you hours of entertainment.

http://www.katiesalidas.com/

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Katie-Salidas-Author/214780936916

LinkedIn

http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=58814031&trk=tab_pro

Twitter

http://twitter.com/QuixoticKatie

I have a newsletter list – how cool is that?

I have wanted to have a newsletter list for a long time now – a way to connect to readers and be able to inform them if I have a new release, or an event such as a contest or giveaway. But I couldn’t find out how (me and technology don’t get along too well) until a friend recommended mailchimp – and I finally found out how to use it.

So now I finally have my list, and if you want to know if anything interesting comes up, then sign up so I can let you know when it happens. I promise not to spam!

Here is the link to the newsletter list.

Your name and email will never be made public, so have no fear. I alone will have access to that information so that I can send you the newsletter.

I wish you all a very nice day!

 

Interview with author Valerie Laws

Today my guest is Valerie Laws, author of many books and artist.



Hi dear Valerie, and welcome to my blog! Why don’t you tell us a few words about yourself first?




I’m Valerie Laws, a novelist, poet, playwright, sci-art specialist and performer. I’ve had eleven books published, twelve plays produced, and many commissions and Writer in Residence posts. I’m now Writer in Residence at a London Pathology Museum of human specimens, where I’ve written about the dead bodies at dissections, at a university brain institute, and at a physic garden growing mind-altering plants. I’m famous for spray-painting poetry on live sheep in my Quantum Sheep project, which got a lot of media attention and still does! I live by the sea in North East England and am a fanatical swimmer. I swim a mile five times a week and love to snorkel in as many oceans as I can on my travels. I love to perform my work and to make people laugh, and make them cry too.






What genre(s) do you write and why?




My new novel LYDIA BENNET’S BLOG is a historical romantic comedy, and I also write crime fiction, stage and BBC radio plays, and poetry which I perform live or in the media, often funny poems about sex, moving poems about death and science! I also create animated poetry installations for exhibitions. My creative ideas seem to arrive in my head ready to be a poem, a play, or a novel.




What can you tell us about your writing projects and recent releases?




My most recent release is LYDIA BENNET’S BLOG, more details in my next answer! I’m busy promoting that, but also working on my second crime novel which is nearly finished. My first crime novel THE ROTTING SPOT with a homeopath detective, hidden secrets and a skull-collecting theme is now available on kindle (and paperback) and has won awards and had many fab reviews. (99p or $1.5 http://amzn.to/RotSpot & in US at http://amzn.to/RotSpotUS) My latest poetry book ALL THAT LIVES (from redsquirrelpress.com) is out and I’m touring giving performances from it all over the world. I have a poetry film showing at a London exhibition which is going to be shown in Berlin this autumn. I always have lots of projects on the go at once!




Tell us about your latest release (could include blurb, small excerpt like 200 words).



LYDIA BENNET’S BLOG – THE REAL STORY OF PRIDE & PREJUDICE is my 11th book, my first indie e-book. It’s a comedy, telling the story of Jane Austen’s novel in the voice of Lydia Bennet, the outrageous, sexy, shameless youngest Bennet sister. She’s just like a modern teenager, so I’ve written her ‘blog’ in modern teen language, but I’ve invented 19th Century explanations for her slang. Lydia knows a lot of what went on unknown to Lizzy, Darcy and even Jane Austen, as she was manipulating the action behind the scenes to get her way and get her man, the ultimate bad boy Wickham! It’s on kindle at http://amzn.to/LydBBUK (98p) and http://amzn.to/LBBUS ($1.55) and Smashwords http://bit.ly/LBBSmash. It’s collected some ace five star reviews, some from respected authors.
This is how Lydia introduces herself and her 19th Century ‘blog’:
‘Well, me and my buddies on the Net are way too cool to read or write those boring ladylike journals! That’s ‘buddies’ from ‘rosebuds’, we being young, sweet, innocent maidens (irony alert!). So we started to write our goss and news in our own style, in our‘buddies’ logs’ or ‘blogs’ for short, and pass them around our Network, or ‘the Net’. Geddit? Well it’s not rocketry science! But my publishers asked me to explain this, now it’s going to be a book. They also say I need a glossary. Excuse me? Like I need advice on hair conditioning from them! Anyway, I’ve written this the way me and my friends talk, so in case some of you readers out there don’t understand some of our like, lingo, I’ve explained some of the words as I go. Not all of them. FGS, it is 1814! We begin when goss-worthy stuff started happening way back in 1811, when I was fifteen but fabulous. Enjoy!’




What gave you the idea for this book?




I’ve always loved ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and all Austen’s novels but Lydia, the youngest sister, gets a raw deal. She’s treated as a threat to society and everyone disapproves of her, and she brings shame on her family. I wanted her to have her own voice and to triumph over all of the respectable sisters and their boyfriends! She’s very funny and full of typical teenage preoccupations. She’s boy crazy, fashion mad, feisty and has to get her way by trickery and manipulating the other characters. One day I just suddenly got the idea for her having a blog in the 19th Century and I had to write it!




What is special about this book – what sets it apart?




I wrote the book in modern teenage language, although it’s still set in Austen’s times. Lydia in the original book is very like a modern teenager and it’s possible her generation had their own slang like our teens do! It’s also very sexy and erotic in parts when Lydia elopes with the man she marries scandalously after she’s spent a week with him. This book is very different from most of the Jane Austen sequels or new versions in that Lizzie and Darcy, who are usually seen as too sacred to laugh at, are treated with rebellious mockery by Lydia, though they think they are still running the show!




Do you have a favorite scene in the book?




There are many funny scenes when Lydia is up to no good flirting, or plotting to get her own way or get revenge on anyone who disses her! Many people love my new explanation of the odious Mr Collins’ marriage to Charlotte Lucas.  Now his hilarious attempts to wed the Bennet sisters one by one is funnier, more complex, and yet quite moving.  I won’t give it away here but the whole thing is arranged by Lydia, who thinks she’s very street-wise but gained most of her sex ed from her Pa’s Greek myth books with bizarre results.




What kind of research did you do for this story?




I do a lot of research for my books and plays, but in this case I’ve been re-reading Jane Austen’s books every year for most of my life, so I knew the period and the style very well. I did a lot of research for all the parts I invented to check if they were right for the period.




Thank you for coming over to talk about your work! Where can people learn more about you and your writing?




I’m on facebook as Valerie Laws. My website is www.valerielaws.co.uk. My main publisher’s website is www.redsquirrelpress.com.
‘Lydia Bennet’ is actually blogging her book on http://bit.ly/LydiaBsBlog and she’s also on Twitter as @LydiaBennetBlog.
I also am on Twitter as myself, @ValerieLaws. Come and find me on there!
LYDIA BENNET’S BLOG is at http://amzn.to/LydBBUK (98p) http://amzn.to/LBBUS ($1.55) and Smashwords http://bit.ly/LBBSmash.
THE ROTTING SPOT crime novel is at http://amzn.to/RotSpot & http://amzn.to/RotSpotUS
You might find me performing near you one day –  or why not invite me to perform at a festival or event!

FutureVision Sale! YA sci-fi/dystopian promotion 21-22 August!

FutureVision Sale! 5 YA SF and Dystopian ebooks from 99 cents

Aug 21-22 only! Discover your future on our special Amazon page at http://smarturl.it/future

Finished reading the Hunger Games trilogy? Finished the Divergent and Delirium series? Wondering what other YA sci-fi dystopian to read?

Four authors banded together these two days to offer their books at a low price and give you a wonderful ride in their pages.

And the novels are…

Never Too Far

by Thomas Christopher

99¢ (Reg. $2.99)



A harrowing story of love and survival.

In a future of scarce resources, where the possession of gas and diesel is punishable by death, a teenage boy and a pregnant girl must save their impoverished family. They risk their lives on a terrifying journey to sell stolen fuel on the black market.

Semper

by Peter Dudley

99¢ (Reg. $2.99)

Dane’s sixteenth birthday holds a choice he didn’t expect to face: Should he take his place as Semper, obeying his cruel uncle and twelve generations of Southshaw Truth, or should he follow his heart and risk exile and death to unearth the real truth? An exotic huntress, a mythical ghost-man, and a tailor’s daughter hold the keys to his answer. And to the survival of Southshaw itself.

Saving Mars

by Cidney Swanson

$2.99 (Reg. $5.99)

When the food supply of Mars’ human settlement is decimated, seventeen-year-old Jessamyn Jaarda, the best pilot Mars Colonial has ever seen, flies to Earth to raid for food. Earth-Mars relations couldn’t be worse, and her brother is captured during the raid. Breaking rules of secrecy and no contact, Jess finds an ally in Pavel, nephew to a government official, but their friendship only makes more agonizing the choice before her: Save her brother or save her planet?

Rex Rising – Book 1 of Elei’s Chronicles

by Chrystalla Thoma

99¢ (Reg. $2.99)

In a world where parasites create new human races, Elei leads a peaceful life — until a mysterious attack on his boss sends him fleeing with a bullet in his side. Pursued for a secret he does not possess and with the fleet at his heels, he has but one thought: to stay alive. His pursuers aren’t inclined to sit down and talk, although that’s not the end of Elei’s troubles. The two powerful parasites inhabiting his body, at a balance until now, choose this moment to bring him down, leaving Elei with no choice but to trust in people he hardly knows. It won’t be long before he realizes he must find out this deadly secret —  a secret that might change the fate of his world and everything he has ever known — or die trying.

Rex Cresting – Book 2 of Elei’s Chronicles

by Chrystalla Thoma

$3.99

Still recovering at a hospital on the north coast of Dakru, Elei is convinced that his part in bringing down the Gultur is over. Rex has infected the other race and their dictatorial system is starting to collapse. Not every Gultur, though, has been affected, and on top of that, inside Elei’s body, Rex has matured and goes through another transformation. Elei isn’t sure he can survive Rex’s new strength — but that may prove the last of his worries as the Gultur descend on him again.

(Some profanity and violence)

Click on the image below for the amazon page of  the promo, and HAPPY READING!!!

Summer Speculative E-Book Giveaway Contest!

Are you ready for more giveaways? It’s a Summer thing!

It’s easy – it’s great! All you have to do is visit the Dreamer’s Perch blog (site of author Cindy Borgne) and comment, picking two e-books that you would like to win from the list! Each author is donating 1 or 2 E-books.  Random.org will be used to pick the winners.

 

Click on the poster below – or on the link under that – to be taken to the blog!

 

Summer Speculative E-Book Giveaway Contest

The participating authors are:

Katherine Amt Hanna

Chrystalla Thoma

J.A. Beard

Cindy Borgne

Michael Offut

Tara Fox Hall

Cyrus Keith

Rusty Karl

Lots of ebooks to win, just by leaving a comment. Go and post your preference now.

Free book – and have you visited our Summer Splash Blog hop?

Have you noticed that there’s an awesome blog hop running – with great prizes, from book copies to kindles?

Go to my page here and participate! The blog hop runs until the 31st.

Or just go directly to the official site of the blog hop!

Also, don’t forget: today and tomorrow, my novel Rex Rising is FREE on amazon!

Amazon link

Recommended by Free Kindle Books and Tips!

Summer is made for reading – so download, read and have a great time!

Summer Splash Blog hop – coming to your PCs in 2 days!

This is a brief update to let you know I will be participating in a blog hop – that is, an event where more than 80 authors link to each other’s blogs to talk of their writing and offer prizes to the participants following the event and commenting.

Each author will offer particular presents, but there will also be some GRAND prizes – 2 Kindle Fires, Amazon gift cards, and more!

I will be giving away my collection of fantastic tales “Dreamwater” to everyone who participates on my blog, and copies of my urban fantasy novella “Dioscuri” (and the upcoming The Minotaur which comes out in November – when it comes out!) to the winner.

Stop by next week, and look for this logo on other writers’ blogs to join in. You can also follow the Summer Splash Blog Hop on Twitter:  #SUMMERHOP

A day of amphoras and ancient finds – Kyrenia ship

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Rex Rising wins 3rd place in Underground Book Reviews contest

Happy Sunday everyone. I have dipped beneath the radar once more, due to work, and won’t be surfacing until next weekend most probably, but I wanted to share this piece of news:

Rex Rising has won third place in the Underground Book Reviews Summer Reading List contest (The Readers’ Choice winners). I’m happy, of course, and here is the lovely badge sent to me to display proudly:

 

 

The results of the contest are here

Have a great day all!