Denise K. Rago's Blog, page 17

Indies Unlimited

As an Indie Author I am always looking to connect with other authors as well as garner a bit of exposure for Immortal Obsession.  If you have not done so, drop by Indies Unlimited  and check out all they have to offer the Indie author. Today my novel Immortal Obsession is featured as a book brief but tomorrow it could be your novel.  Thank goodness there are places the independent author can call home as well as meet others like themselves who have so much to offer in the way of their publishing experiences as well at their finished products. Visit their book store, subscribe to their posts or become part of their every-growing family.

More irons in the fire

Diligently writing the second novel in The Enchanted Bloodline Series with a working title of Blood Tryst and now I am adding an ebook to the mix. Not sure about the title but it will focus on the exotic beauty Josette Delacore, young lover of both Christian Du Maure and Michel Baptiste.  She has quite a story to tell so stay tuned.

 

The Narrows

I am reading an incredible novel by an author I discovered about a year ago.  His name is Ron Malfi and the novel is titled The Narrows.   This is the third novel of his I have read and it is rapidly joing Floating Staircase as one of my favorites by this talented author.

I don’t scare easy, especially by the written word. I have read all of Anne Rice and most of Stephen King and although I love their books they don’t keep me up at night. The Narrows scares me as even as I read it in broad daylight.

As a writer, I ask myself, what makes a book frightening to me? It’s something subtle for me; the suggestion of a malevolent person or force or place? The hint of unspeakable evil waiting just outside my field of vision.  Ironically though I loving paranormal novels it is not paranormal creatures or beings from another world who frighten me.

For me I believe it is the suggestion of evil whether it be in a person or in a place as is suggested in The Narrows. An evil that cannot be reasoned with, cajoled or manipulated.  An evil with a quest all it’s own and like a force of nature, it cannot be stopped.

The Pont Neuf

 I am not sure what it is about the Pont Neuf but I am very intriqued by this bridge and so it has a prominent place in my novel, Immortal Obsession.  Despite the name, it is the oldest standing bridge in Paris, paved and fit with bastions, a place for pedestrians to step to to avoid being hit by carriages.  A center of commerce and crime, the Pont Neuf was a place of secret gatherings and in the mid 1700′s it was a place to cross quickly to avoid criminals, prostitutes and perhaps, even vampires.

For Christian and Michel, the bridge is their place to hunt mortals once the sun set. The place where Christian first spies Josette Delacore, the young mortal aristocrat who will become his lover and his undoing.  And over this bridge they will run to escape the burning city of Paris on a summer night in 1790.

 

Exerpt from Book Two

NEW YORK – PRESENT DAY

CHAPTER ONE

The two vampires stood in silence atop Belvedere Castle gazing into the quiet Manhattan night just as they had done for decades. Silence cloaked Christian Mauré as he fought the pull of their conversation. Central Park was empty in the early morning winter hours with only the sounds of distant traffic disturbing his thoughts. On a night not unlike this one, just one month ago, his world had changed forever; and now, he and Michel Baptiste, his best friend since childhood had to move ahead.

Recently, the three vampires joked about moving back to Paris, a place Christian knew now only in name; devoured by urban sprawl and the absence of politesse. The vampire Sabin Réyon, his only other connection to Le Revolution Française, had already left for Paris in the hopes of finding them lodgings there yet it was hard for Christian to imagine living there.

Still, he had an ache inside; a need fueled by both the present circumstances in the City of Lights and in his personal world as well. So much had happened in such a short time as he and Michel still tried to make sense of it all as it related to a time and place he had long ago abandoned. Presently, the Parisian vampires were without a leader and though he knew there would be petty skirmishes in attempts to gain the throne, it would remain empty, unless….

“Mon ami; back to my original question. When will you tell Amanda?” Michel began tossing small rocks and sticks into the Turtle Pond. He seemed fascinated as each rock arched out over the pond and quietly splashed in the inky black water below.

Christian had asked himself the same question, over and over again and still he had no answer, rolling over various scenarios in his mind. He would have to tell her soon, but then what? He wanted her by his side in Paris, but in her present condition he thought it downright dangerous to bring her into the middle of a situation he could no more imagine than he could control, and Christian liked control. On the other hand, to leave her alone in New York seemed a more irresponsible decision.

Christian Du Mauré had never been a trusting soul. Even as a mortal man, he had trusted only one person and that vampire was standing beside him, tossing rocks into the water like a child. He still could not believe his ancient enemy Gaétan was dead. After coming to New York to kill Amanda for her powerful blood Christian had slain him. Still, it was hard to believe it had all happened and had left the chasm in the power base of the Parisian vampires. Though Christian felt a need to return the reasons eluded him.

Having fun with Pinterest

I have discovered new social media, Pinterest.

Being a somewhat visual person I love what I can do there.

Please drop by or sign up.

Resolutions for the New Year

In looking ahead to the New Year I have come up with only three Resolutions. Any more seems like a set up and any less seems too non-commital:

1) Finish my current novel which is the sequel to Immortal Obsession and publish it by November of 2013.

2) Exercise more and eat healthier.

3) Stress less.

How about you? What is it you want to accomplish in the New Year?

Happy Holidays

My favorite time of the year to reflect on all the good in my life.  I love celebration both Hanukkah and Christmas and reveling in the joy of family and friends.  May we all have only good in our lives and have a wonderful 2013.

Riding out Hurricane Sandy and what it taught me

The northeast was hit last week by a storm like no other.  Having had news of the possibility of Hurricane Sandy making an unprecedented left turn and barreling into New York and New Jersey, my husband and I began to prepare.  We waited on a long line at 3:30 am to purchase a generator, afraid of historic flooding. We brought in every piece of deck furniture, tied down our grill, brought in firewood, filled up our cars with gas and stocked our refrigerator. Then, we made sure we have lots of batteries, filled op both bathtubs, bought lots of bottled water and canned foods and then waited.

We prepared for the worse while hoping for the best.

Last Monday afternoon the winds and the rain came.  Having numerous trees on our property we worried and bantered about what might be worse, the high winds or the rains.  During Hurricane Irene last August we lost power for three hours.  Since the ground was already saturated, the water table rose and rose and once our power went out so did our sump pump.  We mopped water for three hours and then miraculously, our power was restored.  Last summer we removed several dead pine trees knowing that the right storm would bring them down, along with lots of property damage as well.

We really tried to anticipate everything.

Then the storm came.

We never lost power…just blinks here and there.

Our local grocery store remained open.

We considered ourselves very lucky for on the surface it seemed that life would go on as normal.

Then we began to see the images of Stated Island, New York city and our beloved Jersey shore.

We saw our governor on television assuring us everything would be alright despite the devastation to our state.

My husband and I sat by the fire and read books and made meals and I was able to actually work on my second novel without the distracts of my regular life.

I found that as always, my friends came through, my family stayed in touch as best they could and  that my husband and I are a wonderful team. We enjoy each others company and relished the time we had off together although it was like being sick during a vacation – lots of time but no where to go.

Having to ration gas has made me rethink every move I make these days.

Not wasting a drop of food because who knows…when the supermarket runs out who knows when the next delivery will be?

The world around me was suddenly very quiet and I must admit I love quiet.

I cleaned out my desk, closets and I have lots of clothing to give away.  I am making my donation to hurricane relief and figuring out what I can do as a resident of this great state of New Jersey to help others right here at home.

The devastation now has a name and a face and it is my home state.  The newspapers tell us that we will rebuild, come back and live to see a new day here in New Jersey.  I believe all of this is possible because human beings are resilient, determined and these days, this human being is very grateful.

 

 

Another interview with a vampire….author

Interview with a vampire…..

author

A special cyber friend sent me an e-mail after finishing Immortal Obsession.  She posted several interesting questions. I promised to answer them in a blog post. I found them so interesting I thought I would post them again.

Here goes…..

† I guess you did a lot of research for your book, especially about the French Revolution?

Some of the books I read include: The Road from Versailles by Munro Price,

Travels in France During 1787, 1788, 1789 by Arthur Young,

Paris: The Secret History by Andrew Hussy

Vive La Revolution: A Stand-Up History of the French Revolution by Mark Steel.

†Are you a fan of history?

Most definitely so, especially, English and French history. To say I have an affinity for the French Revolution is an understatement.  I have always loved Arthurian legend as well.

†Have you ever been to France?

Yes, as an undergraduate student I spent one semester studying at the American University of Paris.  It was a life changing experience.  I find Paris one of the most beautiful, romantic cities in Europe with incredible churches, parks and of course The Louvre.  I promised myself I would go back again, but so far it hasn’t happened yet. Who knows, maybe to do research for my second book in this series?

†How did you choose the name of your characters?

Quite honestly, most of the names just came to me.  Gaétan was shortened from Gaetano, my father’s real first name.  He then Americanized it to Thomas.  I wanted

to immortalize him on paper somehow so I used a derivative of his first name.  Étienne is French for Steven, which is the name of one of my siblings who I wanted to fit into this story somehow.

I have always found a certain mysterious allure for the name Christian.  I have never known anyone with this first name, but his full name just came to me, just as

Michel Baptiste was in my head.   Josette is also a name I find seductive and haunting.  Amanda is named after someone I know.  She is such a lovely person I had to use her name!

In my original draft, Amanda’s best friend was named Jasmine and she was the exact opposite of Amanda, sort of like Christian and Michel.  Jasmine was the name of someone I knew and I used bits of her character in the novel, but then I basically rewrote Immortal Obsession, and Jasmine became Bethany Daniels, an accountant who is a bit more subdued.

[Christian, for example, is a common name in Germany]

†Who did you have in mind when you created Christian, Michel or Amanda?

I won’t deny Amanda has parts of me in her; a love of art, museums and history.  Her sense of loneliness and always feeling like an outsider mirrored my

childhood experience as well.  As for Christian and Michel, I am not really sure but they speak to me and I feel their presence so much when I write that it’s as though I am just recording their experiences, dreams and feelings.  It’s as if I knew them from a past life.

[Christian is my favorite]

Christian seems to be everyone’s favorite.  I would be curious to know why. I know that Amanda feels safe with him and she trusts him, despite his capability to destroy human life.  He has a powerful presence and yet a calmness about him which I find appealing.

†Where do you write? Do you have a favorite place?

My favorite place is my desk in my bedroom surrounded by candles, crystals and photos of family and friends.  When on the beach I use a yellow, legal

pad.  I love reading and writing on the beach, though I can’t write as fast there.

†Do you need silence for the writing process or do you listen to music while writing?

While writing Immortal Obsession I did most of my writing under headphones!  For my second book, silence seems most appealing to me.  I tend to go with my feelings on any particular day.

†If yes, what was your personal writing soundtrack?

Some songs that spoke to me include: You’re Beautiful ~ James Blunt, Collide ~ Howie Day, You and Me ~ Life House, Come Back ~ Pearl Jam, Iris ~ Goo Goo Dolls.

I kept a list but generally, love songs and somber ballads.  Other musical groups such as Cold Play, Alice in Chains, Nirvana and the Red Hot Chili Peppers appear  occasionally as well.  Some classical music included Chopin and Beethoven.

†Tell us a bit about Christian from your point of view.

Christian is a paradox.  On one hand he is powerful, solitary and passionate about his world.  On the other hand, he is full of anger and regret over his lost love Josette Delacore.  He does not see himself as handsome, not like Michel and he wonders about his attractiveness to women.  He is a loner by nature, yet someone who feels deeply and remains incredibly loyal to those he loves, almost to the point of self-destruction.  He keeps his emotions under control, yet falls hopelessly in love with Josette Delacore, risking his life in the process.  At that time, he put both he and Michel at risk.  More of this time period emerges through flashbacks in book two, which I

hope to finish this spring.

†The relationship between Christian and Michel, for example, is really interesting.

I agree. One of my readers suggested to me that Michel needs his own book, and that may come at some point.  Christian and Michel have been friends since childhood in Meudon, France.  I think it would be safe to say that the theory that opposites attract applies here. Despite being the same sex, both men share an affinity and loyalty that is enviable and that moves with them through time.

One of the scenes I had written for Immortal Obsession but later removed gives the reader a taste of the complexity of their relationship.  Christian had gone

sort of mad after the death of Josette Delacore.  As a thirty year old vampire, he is considered “young” and he loses all control, killing indiscriminately.  His behavior even frightens Michel who sees no way to help his best friend, until one dawn he is able to chain Christian in his coffin, before the sun rises and they both experience their daily “death.” Michel’s immediate concern is to keep Christian safe and this is the only way he knows how to contain him.

I won’t give any more away except to say that obviously Christian survives and his confinement restores his sanity.  As a result of his imprisonment, his hair has

grown.  When he meets up with others from his past, he is almost unrecognizable because of his waist-length hair.