Denise K. Rago's Blog, page 14

Time Flies

Working on book three in my vampires chronicles and toying with the idea of a novella. I want to share with you the life of Josette Delacore the young, mortal aristocrat who captures the hearts of not one, nor two but three powerful vampires in eighteenth century Paris. She intriques me too. So young and beautiful and yet, not naive or too trusting.

I have been busy promoting Blood Tears. Readers have been raving about both this novel and my debut novel, Immortal Obsession. This thrills me but please, share your kind words about my novels with your friends, family, in your coffe shops, book stores and on social media. Even a few kind words on Goodreads, Amazon, Facebook or Pinterest can do wonders for independent writers like myself.

Meanwhile, summer is moments away. Longer days, warmer days and as much time spent outside as humanly possibe.

Enjoy.

A taste of Book Three

“It happened again Michel.”

Her eyes seemed to illuminate from within as she spoke, turning from the colors of the forest to almost Peridot in color. Michel fought the pull of those eyes and everything about Amanda Perretti. She reminded him so much of Josette Delacore he could not help losing himself as she spoke, her voice wrapping around him like a silk scarf. Josette had a lilting laugh. Centuries later he could still hear her; a soft voice yet a lilting laugh, nothing like Amanda’s New York accent.

And yet he found himself mesmerized.

“Michel, you’re not listening.” She shook his arm gently.

“Forgive me, what were you saying?” He consciously stepped away from her thinking it might help him focus.

“The dream…it happened again. I dreamt about Christian again last night.”

Christian Du Maure.

His best friend since the 1700′s and Amanda’s current lover.

Michel had heard it before. She insisted Christian was trying to reach her. She had uncanny psychic abilities, just like Josette, her distant relative, but her dreams were unnerving him.

“He was in this vast room with plaster walls that were falling down all around him. The windows were broken and the floor covered in piles of plaster. I knew he was being held captive.” She stared off past him.

“Amanda, any vampire could climb out a window or smash a door in. How could he be lock in such a place?”

“I know it sounds strange but I ….he’s being held against his will Michel. He cannot get out of this…it’s an abandoned house. He paces and there’s some sort of design on the walls. I have to find this place.”

Michel felt a chill at the possiblity that Amanda was right and his best friend was being held as some sort of captive in France. It was not possible that any mortal could hold him but then perhaps his captor was not mortal.

“Amanda-”

“Michel, let me get my laptop. I need to start searching for abandoned chateaux in France. Perhaps I will recognize the place.”

“Then what?” Michel shrugged following after her.

Bitten By Books ~ 6 Years ~ 70 Authors ~ Day One

The celebration begins today!

Joins numerous authors at Bitten By Books for a celebration of their 6 years anniversary. Authors such as Syrie James, Jim Butcher, Nancy Kilpatrick and Keri Arthur are giving away copies of their novels along with other prizes.

I’ll be there too, giving away two copies each of both of my novels, Immmortal Obsession and Blood Tears, plus an Amazon gift card. Please drop by and show your support for such a wonderful website which has only been supportive and kind to authors such as myself.

Thank you Rachel Smith for 6 wonderful years!

What can you discover in the darkness?

As a child I loved to retreat to a closet with a flashlight and do my homework. Yes, a closet. I found comfort in the small, quiet, dark space away from the noise of my family. I could focus and felt as peace, alone with my books and my thoughts. Sometimes I would take a book and retreat to the closet to read, not sure how I managed to hold a flashlight and a book but I did it.

As an adult, I find I gravitate towards small spaces. I live in a small house, my office is small. I always thought it was because it was less to clean and to manage, but I take comfort in the lack of space. Though I am in awe of castles and mansions built in another era, I am not sure I would want to live in one. Too much space I say to myself.

What is it about small spaces? They are comforting and safe for me and though I love daylight and the beach, I find something special about the darkness. Especially, the quiet and the darkness.

In Barnes and Noble last week, the cover of the April 28th issue of Time Magazine caught my attention. A black and white photograph of a train’s headlight barely visibie in mist, coming through a copse of trees. The title read FINDING GOD IN THE DARK ~ Beyond Enlightment: Acclaimed preacher Barbara Brown Taylor argues that strength, purpose and true faith are found in the shadows. I found the article fascinating, not only for the religious and spiritual content but that she challenges the concept of darkness as “evil or scary.”

In her newest book Learning to Walk in the Dark Taylor talks about such things as taking a walk at night, watching the moonrise, unplugging all your devices and yes, sitting in a closet! I also find it no surprise that I do most of my deepest writing while sitting at my desk in the darkness, surrounded by candlelight. I am not sure if I feel that I am cheating time but I take comfort in the quiet and the darkness. I have never found it scary or evil, only soothing and rejuvenating. I can gather my thoughts as though the darkness clears away the clutter of the day and the world starts anew.

Taylor states that “A walk in the dark can lead to wisdom, deliver us from fear, and brings us closer to God.”

Try it sometime and let me know what you discover.

Moving onto Book Three

I sit at my writing desk awith notes and varous papers written about the characters in my series. I have lineage charts for Christian, Amanda, Josette as well as many character profiles. I pull up the Outline template and stare at the blank grid knowing what is to come.

Book Three in my series.

I write a lot and although I may not use all the materials in one particular book I keep everything because….well, because my characters speak to me loud and clear and one never knows when all their gabbing will suddenly coalesce into a chapter and a direction and suddenly I have material for my next novel.

My next novel is tentatively titled Eternal Hunger.  As with all my book titles, they reference the emotional state of more than one character in the story.  For example, in Immortal Obsession, there were several immortal characters who were obsessed with other vampires and in some cases with mortal men and women.

In Blood Tears, many of the vampires cried Blood Tears. No one vampire was immune to sadness and loss. Loss wraps itself around all the main characters like a beautiful mink shawl as they struggle to live and love while they travel from the calamitous eighteenth century to the present day. For some, the eighteenth century is just another pit stop in their long and complicated lives.

Anyway, here I sit as voices fill my head and I see their faces and their pain and I realize, it is time to start anew.

Only Lovers Left Alive ~ Trailer

Only Lovers Left Alive Trailer

Have you seen this film yet?

It looks particularly alluring with the two main characters; vampires aptly named Adam and Eve, moving about in the shadows of exotic rooms; lovers who have endured centuries both together and apart. Vampires that seem both accepting of their fate and yet bored by it. I wonder if I lived for centuries how would I manage not to be bored? What is it that sustains me on a daily basis? Without the frame-work of a mortal life how would I manage to remain connected to and excited by the world?

Would infinite time dull the edges of the things that I love? Reading, writing, traveling, listening to every classical composers works….it all takes time. Walking through art museums, watching movies.  Without the need to hurry through life how would I manage the vastness of it? It appears that vampires wrestle with these issues just as we do and I wonder how Adam and Eve will manage it in Only Lovers Left Alive.

Goodreads Giveaway

Thank you to everyone who entered this giveaway. I am extremely flattered and I hope you enjoy the second novel in my Vampire Chronicles.

Discounts on Smashwords

Through April 30th, Immortal Obsession will be discounted to $1.00. Yes, that is right. From $3.99 down to one dollar.

Use the coupon code WV28T at check out and enjoy my spring fling on Smashwords.

Supernatural Horror Writer Brian Moreland

Thank you Brian Moreland,  supernatural mystery author of such titles as Dead of Winter, The Witching House, The Devil’s Woods and several other terrifying novels for allowing me the honor of being featured on his blog Dark Lucidity with an article on Greystone Psychiatric Hospital located in my town of Morris Plains, New Jersey.

I love all sorts of horror novels and his stories do it for me, though I do not recommend reading them alone at night. His latest novel, The Vagrants releases on June 3, 2014. I’ll be reading it with the lights on!

Here is a bit about Brian taken from the bio on his website. Brian and I connected both on Facebook and Pinterest where he saw photographs I had taken of Greystone Psychiatric Hospital.  I have always found a certain beauty in abandoned places and I guess I am not alone in this love of the macabre.

Growing up near the historic landmark of Greystone Psychiatric Hospital, it was interesting researching it’s long and complicated history. Presently, the famous Kirkbride Building is slated for demolition, a process that could take years, while a local group tries to save at least part of the massive structure.  I learned so much about this building and it is all there in myarticle featured on Brian’s blog Dark Lucidity. Won’t you stop by and visit?

Blood Tears GoodReads Giveaway

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Goodreads Book Giveaway







Blood Tears



by Denise K Rago

Giveaway ends April 10, 2014.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter to win