Kimberly Kinrade's Blog, page 13
December 3, 2012
Celebrating an EPIC launch with WINNERS!
Where do I begin? This last week literally blew me away. You all were so freaking amazing, there just are no words (but I’m going to try really hard to find some! Lol)
First, you helped launch The Forbidden Trilogy in the most amazing way possible. AND you helped get Forbidden Mind so high up on the bestseller lists it was incredible.
Here’s what we accomplished this week:
Forbidden Mind hit #7 on the Amazon Movers and Shakers List.
The Forbidden Trilogy hit #16 on HOT NEW RELEASES in Science Fiction on Amazon
Forbidden Fire and Forbidden Life both hit the top 50 in BEST RANKED books in Sci Fi!
Forbidden Mind hit #237 in ALL OF AMAZON
Forbidden Mind hit #9 in Sci Fi
and #9 in Fantasy
I hit in the top 50 for author ranking in sci-fi and fantasy!
Here are some screen shots of the highlights of the week 
I didn’t always have screen shots of my books getting to their highest points, but these are still fun!
[image error]
FORBIDDEN MIND, snuggling up on the top 20 bestseller list for ALL OF FANTASY on Amazon with Brandon Sanderson and George R.R. Martin. Mary is already trying to seduce one of the Stark boys.
So this week was pretty darn amazing! And I have a few more awards to give out. I gave out a $25 gift card to the winner of the Share Contest on Facebook!
Now it’s time to announce the winner for the Photo Contest and the Rafflecopter giveaway!
Here’s the winning picture for the photo contest, with the most LIKES on Facebook (I couldn’t think of how else to judge since they were all so awesome!)
[image error]
WINNER: Tracy Haidle, though since she used her sister's brain for this, she should probably share! Lol
And for the Rafflecopter Giveaway!
The GRAND PRIZE: $20 Amazon GC, IPI ID Badge, bookmarks, postcard from Sam or Hunter goes to MARIE BORTHWICK!
2 Runner-ups each will receive a signed postcard featuring Sam or Hunter:
ELAINE BETH BISHOP
ALLYSON BRAN
Thank you all for sharing in this exciting week with me! It means so much to me! If you’d like to stay up to date on when my books are coming out, make sure to sign up for my newsletter. If you’d like to have a more active role in sharing about my work (with extra perks) come join my Street Gang
Have a great week!
If you haven’t picked up your copy of The Forbidden Trilogy, click on the covers to the right to purchase any of my books. Also available on B&N, iTunes, Kobo, Smashwords and BookieJar.
November 28, 2012
The Forbidden Trilogy Photo Contest! Win a $25 Amazon GC!
[image error]
I’m doing a photo contest!
Take a picture with The Forbidden Trilogy somehow in the picture and post the picture at our Facebook Party and on your own Facebook stream (with a link to the book). Also, email me a copy so I can make sure it’s entered into the contest! kimberly.kinrade at gmail.com
The most CREATIVE picture will win a $25 Amazon GC!!! Open internationally, get as creative as you’d like! I’ll rely heavily on HOW MANY LIKES your picture gets on the Facebook Party page! Here’s the link you can use to add to the post of the picture: http://amzn.to/ToGEie
This contest will run from now until Friday midnight PST, so get your pictures up! If you tag me when you upload to your FB page, I’ll share! (My author page is Kimberly Kinrade, Author, and my personal page is Kimberly Karpov-Kinrade.)
November 26, 2012
The Forbidden Trilogy- hailed as the best trilogy since The Hunger Games
[image error]Wow. Just wow! I can’t even believe the reviews that are pouring in for the three books in the Forbidden trilogy (Forbidden Mind -110 reviews at 4.3, Forbidden Fire – 38 reviews at 4.8, and Forbidden Life – 21 reviews at 4.8) and now for The Forbidden Trilogy Special Omnibus Edition – 11 reviews at 4.9, which launched today!
I’m blown away! Here’s what readers and critics are saying:
“A thrilling, dark and deeply romantic read.” ~ Refracted Light Young Adult Book Reviews
“THE best trilogy I have read EVER since The Hunger Games!” ~ Sharon Hughes
“The plot is very ALIAS and DARK ANGEL-like with X-MEN as its backdrop (awesome combo!).” ~ Sour Skittles Book Blog
“Kinrade’s talent lies in weaving stories together, telling multiple points of view with clarity and precision while making you love her characters through their humanity and unwillingness to quit no matter what.” ~Patti Larsen, Author
” These characters are ones that will dig into your heart so deeply that you’ll find yourself sympathizing with each and every one of them. At times, you’ll even root for the bad guys because of the unique circumstances they find themselves. I definitely recommend this series for reading. It’s one you’ll end up reading time and time again.” ~ N. Medina
“I hope this trilogy will be made into movies, because I will make it a point to see all three of them! I’d love to see these beloved people come alive on the silver screen! As good as these books are, I don’t think I’ll have to wait that long for this to come true, either! Here’s my parting advice: dive into these books — you’ll find it very hard to come back to reality, and, in fact, may not want to come back at all!” ~TwilightDreamLover
“I highly recommend you own the complete Forbidden Series and display it proudly on your bookcase. It is a story you won’t mind reading over a half dozen times.” ~ lilgracielou
See what I mean? Incredible. So I’m celebrating. First, you can join the party on Facebook and I will have random fun all week long, including extra little giveaways!
Click here for The Forbidden Trilogy Launch Party.
Also, I have a special offer for anyone following this launch this week. Here it is:
I’m going to do a special set of giveaways when The Forbidden Trilogy reaches certain benchmark rankings on Amazon between now and Friday midnight PST. Here are the details for that:
If The Forbidden Trilogy reaches… then EVERYONE HERE will get …
If it reaches 10,000 on Amazon, then EVERYONE HERE will get a free short story, Eye of Newt (co-written with Dmytry Karpov).
If it reaches 5,000 on Amazon, then EVERYONE HERE will get Eye of Newt AND a free short story (never before seen) Son of Destiny, from the world of Death by Destiny.
If it reaches 1,000 on Amazon, EVERYONE here will get everything listed above PLUS a free ecopy of my first book published, “Bits of You & Pieces of Me”
If it reaches 500 on Amazon, EVERYONE here will get everything listed above, plus a signed Hunter or Sam postcard delivered to you in the mail (internationally as well!)
If it reaches 100 on Amazon, EVERYONE here will get everything listed above PLUS ***an exclusive short story, written FOR YOU, based on a subject matter you VOTE for!!! This will be custom tailored for you guys and written JUST FOR YOU!*** I’ll also sign your copy electronically!
If it reaches #1 in all of Amazon, EVERYONE here will get EVERYTHING listed above, PLUS I will mail you all a signed poster of the book cover for The Forbidden Trilogy, PLUS a signed poster of the book cover Sunrise & Nightfall!!! (And yes, if I make it this high, I’ll even mail these internationally!)
So please help me make these benchmarks a reality! Help me launch The Forbidden Trilogy to the top of the bestsellers lists and I will give lots of prizes!
Please share the link, encourage your friends, family and literate pets to get their copy!! I couldn’t have come this far without all of you and I’m so grateful for the support I’ve received in writing this trilogy! THANK YOU!!
As if that’s not enough, I’m having ANOTHER GIVEAWAY with additional prizes. This will last all week and there are tons of ways to enter. See the raffelcopter giveaway widget at the bottom of this post.
Also, keep an eye on this site, as all week there will be fun ways to win more prizes!
But first, one more thing! All week Forbidden Mind is on sale for just 99cents for those who want to test drive the series before committing. But you STILL SAVE $2 if you buy The Forbidden Trilogy, even if you already bought Forbidden Mind. So share it with your friends, pick up a copy, and get hooked on what (I hope!) will be the next Big Thing!
About The Forbidden Trilogy
Those inside are special, gifted with unique abilities, abilities that make them dangerous to the outside world. Since childhood, they’re trained to control their powers, to show restraint, and to defend themselves. For years they practice, honing their gifts for one purpose: to be rented out to the highest bidder as a spy, to be used as a weapon against others.
Sam never questions her role at the secret organization dubbed Rent-A-Kid.
Until she meets Drake.
She reads minds.
He controls minds.
Together, they might get out alive.
THIS SPECIAL EDITION INCLUDES:
*Award-Winning Book #1 – Forbidden Mind
*Book #2 – Forbidden Fire
*Book #3 – Forbidden Life
*In-Depth Q&A with Author Kimberly Kinrade
*Extensive Bonus Content (Available ONLY in this Special Edition)
Get the whole trilogy, plus bonus content and save money… even if you already bought Forbidden Mind. This special edition gives readers the best deal with the best content!
Excerpt:
This was the moment. Our first meeting. What if the chemistry we had in our minds didn’t translate to our bodies? What if he looked at me and ran away?
Ana, reading my mind, tugged me to the door with a motherly smile. My heart clenched at the thought that Lucy and Luke should have basked in that smile over the last eighteen years. The injustice of it all renewed my motivation.
She opened the door and Drake stepped forward, and for that moment, the world stopped spinning and time stood still.
In my imagination, he hadn’t been so tall. Tall and muscular. His blond-highlighted hair lay casually messy, and his crystal blue eyes held me in a long stare. He’d found a way to shave, and the chiseled strength of his jaw made my knees weak.
When he smiled, warmth filled my stomach.
“Sam.”
That was it, just one word, but he made it sound like it held all the secrets of the universe. His voice was deeper, huskier, than it had been in my mind.
“Drake, it’s really you.”
He reached for my hand. “It’s really me.”
When his skin touched mine, lightning danced between us. He pulled me close, breathing in the scent of me as our bodies touched. I nearly cried right there in his arms, just being held, feeling him. I never wanted to let go.
But I had to.
***
For a great article on how to do some of the things suggested in the giveaway, see this post: 10 Ways to Help Your Favorite Author. It even had pictures!
Even Immortals Can Be Killed – an excerpt of Sunrise and Nightfall
by Kimberly Kinrade & Dmytry Karpov
[image error]He’ll risk everything to save her life.
She’ll sacrifice it all to save his soul.
Danika Star will die soon, her visions have foretold this, and they are never wrong.
Andriy Zorin will live forever, but not without a price.
They never expected to fall in love, especially with each other, but fate had other plans.
To save the woman he loves, Andriy must defy the rulers of his kind and make her immortal.
But even immortals can be killed.
Set during the early Renaissance in Venice, Italy under the threat of the Inquisition, Sunrise & Nightfall is a story about love, death, immortality and the power of redemption.
***
Sample Excerpts!
*unedited and not necessarily the order they will appear in final novel
***
Outside of Venice, Italy
Andriy Zorin
17 May 1522
One year ago today I lost my heart and gained my soul, because she chose to believe that anyone could be redeemed from their past, no matter how bloody. I have stayed busy in that year, rebuilding what had been lost, creating the life she would have wanted for me—for all of us. Her memory weighs heavy on me always, but I have, to date, stayed ahead of the grief, if by only a half-step, until today.
Today I take pause to grieve and remember and tell the story of the woman who changed the world. Her name will not be written in books of history, but it will be forever carved into my soul. Her stack of letters, written in her final days, sit unopened by this journal, waiting for me to find the courage to read them.
She hasn’t come to me since that night, but I feel her always. Her story mustn’t be forgotten, and I will make sure it’s not. This is my story, and her story. Our story, and the world’s story. It is the story of every being who walks the night or basks in the sun.
The pain is still so raw, the loss fresh, that once I open this first letter, I know I too will be ripped open once again, exposed to the pain anew. Why then do I torture myself in this way? Because with the pain comes the love and the joy of cherished memories, moments too sweet to let rot from fear.
She would have wanted me to move on, to live fully, and so I shall try, if only for her.
***
Venice, Italy
Danika Star
17 May 1521
Death stalks us all, in one form or another. Most fear the death of the body, but this is the cycle of life, a natural progression to a new reality. It is not to be feared. But humans act rashly to avoid the unknown, and in so doing often make deals with the devil, sacrificing their very soul for a longer taste of life—a sweetness that inevitably turns bitter.
When the first vision took me, I had no fear. My own death would bring about something greater than any one life.
When the second vision took me, I knew the worst kind of fear, and I knew that I only had a short time to alter the path he had chosen, to save his soul before he could no longer be redeemed.
I write this now as I near the end, in hopes that this story, our story, will live on as a reminder to him… and to others… that no one is past redemption and forgiveness, and to show that death is not the end, merely the beginning of a new kind of journey.
***
Venice, Italy
Danika Star
20 October 1519
The chill of late fall settled in my bones as I hurried through the empty streets of Venice. A dark cloak made of thick wool protected me from the cold, and from prying eyes bent on keeping women in their place. Philip kept pace with me, acting as an unorthodox chaperon for our illicit midnight rendezvous. We had little time to complete our mission. Within a few hours, the air would fill with the scent of fresh bread, as the baker prepared for the start of his day. Street urchins would stake their territories in anticipation of a hot meal. The world, so quiet now, would slowly awaken, greeted by the sunrise, by the promise of a new start.
And I had to be back before any of this happened, or all of our lives would be forfeit.
Tension vibrated through Philip’s stocky form, his green eyes creased in worry. “This is far too risky, Danika. We should have waited for her at the manor.”
A dark tendril of curl fell out from my hooded cloak as I jerked my head to scan the streets. The force with which I set it in its place pulled a few strands loose at the scalp. “My vision left no room for caution. She’s in danger and we must find her.”
Sinister forces brewed in the underbelly of the city, though neither my visions nor our network of sources had given shape to the ominous weight I felt. We’d been lucky so far, in as much as we could call it luck. Venice still remained a haven for the Gifted and Nephilim alike, a place we could all live in peace. But that peace would soon be shattered, I feared.
We walked without fire to light our way in order to stay hidden in the shadows. But Philip’s kind ruled the shadows. Though not of the Court of Nightfall, having been born Nephilim and not turned by blood magic, he still possessed heightened senses that enabled him to walk as if in full day. The Daywalkers of the Court of Sunrise had all the power of their Nightwalking kin, with fewer weaknesses.
I stayed close to him and wrapped myself in my own magic to avoid tripping on the uneven dirt roads and pebbled paths.
It seemed to take longer than it actually did to arrive at The Four Bridges Inn, which ironically was not located near any bridges. The Inn Keeper, a grizzled man of unknown years named Giovani, greeted us at the back door with a hushed voice and nervous glances over our shoulders.
A thick accent turned his words into puzzles to decipher. “She be here, but you not be taking her any time soon.”
I shivered as a gust of wind blew past me. “We must. Already we have pushed the timetable for this. Where is she?”
The map of time that was his face creased in an extraordinary display of tunnels and ridges when he frowned. “She be with the horses.”
Philip flashed his sharp incisor teeth and the glow of golden white wings shimmered behind his back. Giovani gasped and cowered into his kitchen, allowing us entrance. Philip pierced him with a stare. “You are well paid to aid our friends who travel to Venice. How dare you treat even one of them like livestock.”
Nephilim rarely showed their wings, and though they still remained hidden in a thin veil of nearly transparent magic, it was enough to remind Giovani that we took our charge’s health and safety very seriously.
A wave of nausea swept through me and I bent at my waist and clutched my stomach. “I need to see her. Now!”
Philip steadied me and carried our bags as Giovani ushered us to the barn. Sweat dripped from his round face despite the temperature outside, and I began to suspect him of more than just neglecting our charge. Philip and I exchanged a glance and he nodded once, sharply. We would have to be on our guard with him, and we might have to find a new rendezvous spot, if this one had been compromised.
The smell of manure and moldy hay assaulted us as we entered the dimly lit barn. At the sight of Giovani, a white stallion to our right neighed and bucked at the wooden beams imprisoning him. Festering sores from what looked like lashes across his flanks oozed illness and his eyes clouded with fever. The Inn Keeper backed away, fear on his face when I turned to him, power lighting up my eyes. “Get out of here now. If I ever hear of you abusing animal or human again, my friends will be paying you a visit. Are we clear?”
He nodded and scuttled from site and Philip pulled me along. “Danika, I know your heart is big, but we’re running out of time.”
I shook him off and approached the horse. “This won’t take much time or power. I can’t leave him here like this, dying and in pain.”
The horse eyed me with suspicion, then sniffed the air. I allowed a tendril of my power to float free, surrounding the fearful beast. He whimpered and bent his body until he lay on the foul smelling hay. “There, there. It’s going to be okay. I’m going to help you.”
Once he had calmed, I entered the pen and lay hands on him, summoning the power of water to cleanse his wounds, and earth to regenerate and heal him. Swirls of green and blue light warmed my hands and reached out to the illness infecting the horse. I pulled the pain and sickness into me, holding it in my hands and releasing it into the earth to be transmuted into something pure.
Wound knit together and healthy flesh replaced that which was damaged. His eyes cleared and he pulled himself to standing, huffing and neighing in pleasure. I rubbed my hands over his body and kissed his nose. “Would you like to come home with me?” His head nudged mine and I smiled.
The wail of a woman in pain pulled me from the moment. Philip reached for me. “She needs you now.”
I left the stall with a silent promise to the horse that I would not forget him and joined Philip as we followed the screams deeper into the barn.
In one corner, laying on her own coat, a woman heavy with child cried out as another contraction wracked her body in pain. I bent down, pushing her thick dark hair out of her face. “We’re here. You’re going to be okay.”
She clenched her teeth through the pain as she spoke. “S’il vous plaît. Aide-moi.”
My French was limited, but I knew she plead for help. “Oui. We’ll help you.” I looked up at Philip. “I need clean cloth, hot water and my bag.”
He dropped my bag next to me and left to get the other items I needed. “I hope you can understand me. I’m going to give you a tonic to help ease the pain. I need you to swallow it all, okay?”
She nodded. “I speak… some.”
I reached for my bag and pulled out a vial that I gave to her. She drank it all and within a moment sighed in relief as the blend of herbs and magic relaxed her body. “Good. Where is your husband? I was told there would be two of you.”
Her large eyes filled with tears. “Jean-Paul. Mort.”
“Dead. He died?”
She nodded. “Killed. They found us. The… how you say? Man who hunts us?”
“The Inquisitor?”
“Oui! The Inquisitor, he found us. Jean-Paul died to save me and le bébé.” She cried out with another contraction, this one less painful with the tonic. When it eased she reached for my hand. “Le bébé, he is special. Of the sun, comprenez-vous?”
Her pain, emotional and physical, flowed into me and I struggled to contain it, to send it back to the earth. “Yes, I understand. He is a Daywalker. Your husband, he was Nephilim of the Court of Sunrise?”
She slumped into my arms, her face a mix of emotion. Relief that I understood, fear and pain for what had passed and what was to come.
My magic swirled around me and I shared with her my power. “What is your name?”
Her eyes glowed with the light settling into her. “Lisette.”
“Lisette, I have friends at Court. They will help you and your son, do you understand?”
She nodded.
Philip arrived at that moment, a bucket of steaming water and a handful of linens that looked like they could use a good wash, but we didn’t have a lot of options.
I thanked him and held his eyes as I spoke to Lisette. “This is Philip of the Court of Sunrise. He will be able to initiate your son upon birth and make sure he receives all of the rights and privileges associated with being a Daywalker.”
Philip nodded, sadness in his eyes as he too pieced together what the woman had lost at the hands of those who sought to persecute anyone different. He bent and held her hand. “It would be my honor to do so, if it pleases you.”
She cried and squeezed his hand. “Oui, s’il vous plaît. Je vous remercie beaucoup.”
Philip’s eyes clouded with tears, and I knew he was thinking about his sister’s birth, and how he had to perform the same rights for her after their mother had died in childbirth. It must be a Nephilim who performs the rights, for a child of Sunrise to come into their power and place properly, and Philip’s father hadn’t been Nephilim, so that task was left to a young and scared Philip who had just lost his mother.
Lisette cried out again and I felt the child drawing near. “It’s time. Lisette, I need you to push.”
I positioned myself to receive the child and instructed Philip to hold her from behind. “When the next contraction hits, push with everything in you.”
She screamed and pushed. Blood poured out of her and she became pale and listless. My power searched for the problem. “The baby is coming out the wrong way, feet first. There’s a tear. She’s bleeding out.” My heart raced as I used my hands to manipulate the child, trying to turn him in the right direction. Lisette’s cries exploded around us, the pain near unbearable.
I couldn’t extricate my hands to help her. “Philip, I have another vial of tonic in my bag, give it to her.”
As he did, her body relaxed a fraction and I used my power to repair the damage, but if I couldn’t turn the baby around, it wouldn’t make a difference.
Tears streamed down her face. My hands stayed steady but my heart dropped to my gut as I fought to keep her alive and save the baby living in her womb. I couldn’t let this woman lose her husband and child on the same day.
My power, slightly drained from healing the horse, now rushed out of me, leaving me feeling empty and exhausted. I sought more source, pulling from the earth, the sky, the water, sucking it in only to empty it into Lisette and her child.
Philip looked up at me, eyes wide in concern. “Danika, I can hear her heart slowing. She’s dying.”
“I know, but I won’t let it happen.” My heart cracked and I fought my own tears. So much hate and pain in this world. All of it unnecessary. She could have lived a happy life with Jean-Paul and her baby, and instead they had to run from their home and life because of fear and prejudice. So many killed, and for what?
I couldn’t think of that right now. Had to focus. Finally, the baby turned, head positioned to exit the birth canal. I sent her more of my power, what little I had left. “Lisette, we’re almost there. Be strong. Push!”
I felt her draw on her own inner strength and bare down again. The baby’s head crested. “Push again!” And with that last push, the baby dropped into my hands, bloody and wriggling. I worked fast, sending more power to Lisette to repair the damage left from the birth while I cleaned off the child and cleared out his mouth and nose.
Once wrapped in the cleanest cloth I could find in the pile, I placed him in her arms. “Your son. He’s perfect.”
She wept and kissed him as I cleaned her up, then she passed him to Philip.
A golden glow of power surrounded him and the child as he spoke the ancient words to initiate the boy into their court. This would allow him to grow into his own powers as he aged, rather than having them thrust upon him all at once, without any way of controlling them. As he reached puberty he would come into his full power with his wings. It also gave the child a place within their society. He would never be alone, helpless in a world that didn’t understand or want him. I wished other Gifted had such rituals and community. Too often those like me never understood who or what they were and died alone and often violently at the hands of those who feared them.
As Lisette healed, she regained her color and strength and eagerly reached for her child when Philip completed the initiation. “Merci. Thank you for saving me and my son. He is also Jean-Paul, for his father.”
My head spun from exhaustion and too much use of power, but I smiled and packed up my bag. “That’s a lovely name. Rest here and we’ll see about getting you a room until you’re fit to travel.”
Philip nodded and left to speak to Giovani while I cleaned up the mess of childbirth as best I could with rags and hot water. I shrugged out of my coat and laid it over Lisette and her son. “You two need to stay warm.” She nodded and dozed into a half-sleep while nursing her baby.
An unexpected surge of bittersweet longing clung to my heart as I watched mother and son. I would never know that kind of bond, never have children of my own. I thought I’d come to accept that. Being a midwife I often delivered babies and witnesses the joy of that connection, but it had become harder, knowing what I would have to do to save the man in my vision… and to save so many others. I didn’t regret my destiny, but I wondered what a softer path in life would have felt like.
I shook myself out of my own wallowing and leaned against a pile of hay to rest my eyes and regain some of my own power, but was startled out of my sleep when Philip charged in and called for me. “Danika, get Lisette and the baby out of here. We’ve been betrayed.”
***
If I hadn’t been so distracted by the mission and the injured horse, I would have followed my instincts about Giovani. But, it was too late now. I nudged Lisette awake and reached for the baby to help her up. “We have to go now. It’s not safe. I’m sorry.”
I swayed as I stood, but clothed the child in my arms and steadied myself. It would take us too long to get back to the manor by foot. The white horse neighed and I smiled and walked over to him. “Will you help us?”
He neighed again and I took that as a yes. “We will have to ride together. I’ve healed your tears, so it shouldn’t hurt too much. Will you be okay?”
She nodded and I handed her baby back to her while I prepared the horse for riding. He stayed calm and even got on his knees to allow Lisette on, as if he knew she needed to be handled with care. I insisted she keep my jacket and slid in front of her, ignoring the deep cold of the night air as she and the child pressed against my back.
Though it had felt like hours, it was still dark outside. Near the Inn, sounds of fighting gave me pause. Philip glowed in golden lights, his wings fully visible to anyone who watched as he took on the five thugs Giovani had summonsed to help capture us.
Philip looked up and saw us waiting. “Run! The Inquisitor is coming to Venice and there’s a reward for any Gifted. Go!”
So that was why the Inn Keeper had suddenly turned on us. Greed. My heart sank as I contemplated the ramifications of the Inquisition finding its way to here. We had been safe before, but this changed everything. Where would we send those in exile? What would become of them, of us all?
I galloped through the quiet streets, worry weighing heavy on me for Philip and for our city and our charges.
We made good time, the sun sending out its first tentative rays of light as the horse slowed to a stop in front of Philip’s estate. A beautiful red-head swung open the front door, just as I slid off the horse and helped Lisette and her child down. She ran to me, as much as she could with her own child growing in her, and hugged me hard. “I’ve been worried out of my mind.” Her green eyes scanned the lane that lead to her brother’s home. “Where’s Philip? Is he okay?”
“He should be joining us soon. Giovani betrayed us and your brother had to fight off some thugs. They shouldn’t pose much of a challenge against him though.” I hugged her again. “It’s good to see you. We need to get them to bed.” I stood back to introduce our new friends. “This is Lisette and her son Jean-Paul.”
Lisette curtsied. “Bonjour.”
I held the reigns on the horse. “Lisette, this is Elizabeth . She’s Philip’s sister and my dearest friend. She’ll take good care of you and your baby.”
Elizabeth frowned. “You look exhausted. You need to come in and rest.”
I shook my head. “I can’t. You know I can’t. I’m already late and my brother is going to be angry as it is.”
She sighed, a guilty expression flashing over her face before it disappeared. “Well, he did send a message asking about you. But honestly, Danika, Darius is an overbearing ass. You don’t have to do what he says. You’re so much more powerful than him!”
“In our hidden world, perhaps, but not in the regular world. To them I’m just his widowed sister who is forced to work as a mid-wife, while he is the great and rising physician to the wealthy.” We’d had this conversation too many times to count, but Elizabeth never gave up.
Her eyes narrowed, and I knew what would come next. “Marry Philip. You know he’d have you in a heartbeat if you but gave him the slightest indication you wanted him in that way. Then we’d be real sisters and we could live here together and do the work we were meant to do.”
I would have given almost anything to live that reality, but it wasn’t to be, and Elizabeth, who believed the world could be anything we chose it to be, would never understand. “I have to go. I’ll see you soon.”
I draped my leg over the horse and left my friend behind as she ushered the new mother and babe into her home. The pull of their lives, of that home and the safety and freedom it would afford me was strong. But I didn’t love Philip in that way, and knew that I never would. Even still, our friendship and deep caring might have been enough, if not for the other who waited for me in the near future. My heart strings had already bound to his, site unseen, and I couldn’t change the course of our destiny, I could only hope to shape it enough to save at least one of us from a fate worse than physical death.
***
Disagreeable Things
Andriy Zorin
21 October 1519
“What is the city but the people?”
—William Shakespeare, Coriolanus
Venice stank. Like most cities, it stank of the people that populated it. The smell of dung and dead things spilled from the canals—appropriate, in a way. The canals were, after all, the roads of Venice. Roads had horse shit. The canals had people shit.
They had barges too, packed with goods by day and festive drunks by night, and Gondolas. The boats, sharp and flat like blades of grass, streaked through the water, carrying ladies who enticed the men with their flesh, and Gondoliers who recited poetry old and new. Even when the streets were empty—but of course, they were never empty—winged lions and griffins listened on, forever etched in stone by the meticulous hand of an artist. Some statues had been forged from bronze, others stolen. They say the Horses of Saint Mark came from Constantinople. The armies of Venice sacked the city during the fourth crusade and dragged the horses back to their city, placing them on the terrace of the façade of the Basilica, where they forever graze. The city had statues and boats and colors and foods as various as the seasons. And this season, the fall wind touched everything with a slight chill, like the air from a window in a stuffy room. It was quiet nice.
It didn’t make up for the shit.
I rubbed my nose and walked across Piazza San Marco, a town square so unlike the winding streets of Venice and so full of human. Before me stood Saint Mark’s Basilica at nightfall. Seldom did a Venetian vessel return from the Orient, without adding to the Basilica clumps of some ancient building, as if it were a castle made from sand and not from stone. Lead-covered domes topped the chapel, and marble carvings and columns, older than the structure itself, covered the interior brick walls. Four roman emperors, the Tetrachs, held each other in the south west corner. Five round-arched portals led the way inside. Frozen in stride, the Horses of Saint Mark looked down upon me with their old eyes, as if saying, “You do not belong here. You are not wanted.” They were right. But when anyone other than me is right, they are wrong. I entered the house of god. The Nephilim Tribunal lay within.
“They will not want to see you.” Ezio strode beside me and clutched his coat. Only nerves drove a man to hold things so close. Only nerves turned a man’s fingers bone-white. “We should go back to the country, maybe Florence, no?”
I shook my head, still walking. “The election is here, not in Florence.”
“That’s the problem, my friend.”
“If you wish, you may wait for me out here.” I gestured at the interior dome and the mosaic above.
Ezio harrumphed. “You know that’ll never do, my friend. Wherever you go, I follow.”
“And I’m glad to have you with me.” I clapped him on the shoulder and walked behind the columns on either side of the inner dome.
The choir lofts were empty at this late hour, and only two men walked upon the floor, whispering prayers to their god, heads clutched in their arms. As they wandered out of sight, I traced my hands down the wall and found a loose piece of stone. With a hard push, it sunk in, and a stone door opened, revealing stairs going down under the Bascilia. They led to the Tribunal.
“I have a bad feeling, my friend,” Ezio whispered.
I grinned and descended the stairs. “Let’s hope it goes away then. You wouldn’t want to lose your appetite. I hear the feast tonight will be… how would you say it? Fantastic.”
“What feast?” Ezio followed me, each step a heavy thud, as if he carried a burden on his shoulders.
I suppose I was a burden. “Prince Dante is getting married tonight.”
“And we’ve been invited?”
I smiled my secret smile. “Not exactly.”
“But we’re still going to go.”
“You know me too well.”
We arrived in the Under Dome. Here, not murals, but paintings draped the walls, and torchlight told their tales. At the end of the hall, three doors stood under marble arches, all a different kind of color.
Obsidian, darker than the night sky, plated the archway on the right, and sapphire banners hung from its teeth-like spires. Black steps rolled out from the doorway, swathed in sheen, yet the door itself devoured all light, as if the mouth of a gluttonous beast. The air hummed, and it seemed to growl at me.
The archway to the left glittered. It was gold, all of it, as if an empire had melted down its wealth and poured it over the auburn door. Crimson banners guarded the way inside. The Court of Sunrise kept their riches within.
Color split the central archway, lathering the left side in gold, casting the right side in black. The banners followed form, red on the left, blue on the right. It was beautiful. It was The Court of Twilight and seat of the High King.
Sunrise, Twilight, Nightfall. I would rule them all.
We approached the center door, and a figure, leaning against the wall, covered in armor both gold and black like its charge, shifted the spear on its shoulder. It spoke with a woman’s voice, full of honey and subtlety, like a Goddess. “Why have you come here?”
I decided to call it a she, and she deserved a bow. “My lady, I am Andriy Zorin, heir of Erebus, son of Nightfall. I am here to claim my seat on the Tribunal.”
She-Goddess snickered and unclasped the chainmail over her mouth. The dark red lips—she had to be of Sunrise—made a pleasant sight, and I started to notice the curves of her armor, woman’s curves. “Call me The Watcher. The last man to call me a lady died a very unpleasant death.”
“How unfortunate.”
“For him.”
I imagined The Watcher drive a spear into a man’s gut and rend it free, spilling bits of intestines on the marble, and my own stomach clutched as if in defense. “Did the man try to get past you?”
She puckered her lips as she paused, and my hands got a little hotter. If the rest of her body matched that mouth, she was beautiful indeed. “He tried to court me.”
I made a note to never court The Watcher. “May we pass?”
She shook her head and pushed off the wall, speaking with an edge not directed at me. “Prince Dante is receiving his trial.”
“And you can’t interrupt such a momentous occasion. I completely understand.” I creased my eyes and softened my voice, as if sharing words between friends. “However, it would be a shame if Dante was elected. There are such better candidates.”
Even more anger filled her words. “I agree. Tiberius should win, but the old fool isn’t even running. So Dante will win almost uncontested, and he has no respect for the old ways.”
“No respect.”
“The pig thinks he can have anything he wants.”
“Anything he wants.”
“He should have never have even been made Lord of Sunrise.”
No one had told me that little detail. “It is frowned upon for a Lord to seek the Twilight Throne.”
“Exactly. They say he communes with the church, you know, and The Pope.”
More news. I rubbed my chin and said nothing.
“If he’s elected, our entire faith will go to the mud.”
I used my soft voice, laced with passion, again. “Our faith is stronger than that. Isn’t that right Ezio?”
He jumped, as if from sleep, and raised a weary fist halfway in the air. “Yes. Our faith is stronger.”
“Stronger!” I roared.
The Watcher shook her head. “What is it with you? Please be quite. There’s a ceremony going on in there.”
“My apologies. I just get so invigorated.” My hands waved back and forth as if in real shame. I didn’t feel it. I couldn’t remember the last time I had. “How much longer are the proceedings?”
The Watcher sighed and slouched back against the wall. “Hours. And I’m here on ceremony, not for actual protection.”
“A waste of skill, though not of beauty.”
The Watcher frowned. I forgot: don’t court The Watcher. So I did my shameful act again.
The frown faded. “You can wait.”
“Thank you. I understand. You can’t let us in.”
“No.”
“But you’re not here for protection.”
“No.”
“Only on ceremony.”
“Yes.”
“So if we were to… ”
A smile crept on The Watcher’s lips and a gleam entered her eyes. “I think I’m going to take a nap.” She slouched lower on the wall and lowered her head.
And we walked on through.
***
The Throne Room reflected its exterior, torn in half by two factions and their colors. The first floor stretched long and wide, covered in a black and gold carpet, lined with suits of armor on either side. The second and third floors held balconies from which you could view the hall. Members of the Tribunal used it while making judgments. Those pleading, or on trail, used the first floor and seemed puny amidst the vast hall. At the far side, a circle engraved with glyphs and cycles of the moon marked the carpets end and the place where the elected High King would ascend to the throne. No other way could The Twilight Throne be reached. It had been carved from obsidian and gold fused together, with a base like giant rock, and the mixture hung suspended in midair, a shimmer of white heat around it. If a Nephilim flew close by, their wings would burn off. Some say, they’d never grow back.
Unless, you were the High King. Then you’d stand within the circle of glyphs, the Moon Dial, and a path of stairs would rise toward the throne. The white heat would not touch you. The seat would not graze you. And you… you would rule all of Nephilim.
***
I would be king. No matter what The Watcher thought, Prince Dante would not go uncontested.
He rested on one knee at the center of the hall, no doubt accepting the trial he would have to perform to prove his worth. Whatever it was, the Tribunal spoke of it no longer. Instead, they turned their gaze to me.
A voice like parchment, thin and old, drifted from a second balcony. “Who comes here?”
In this hall, hundreds of feet below ground, the air squeezed around me and drained my lungs, leaving the smell of smoke behind. My muscles tightened. A hint of sweat touched my brow. I was about as deep in a city as you could be. At least it didn’t smell so bad.
I put on my biggest smile and sauntered to the center of the room. As my face reached the light, gasps dropped from the balconies.
“Count Zorin.” The old man spoke again, and I could see him now, above me. Tiberius. Pale skin, full of lines and grooves like wet bred, clung to his hollow eyes. Whatever hair he once had on his head, had transferred to his beard, which ran past his waist and twisted in thick, rope-like cords. Black robes veiled his body, though by the looks of his veined hands, it was a slim thing, worn away by age. Not many Nephilim showed long years, but those who did often displayed cunning and intelligence. They had sought out immortality at their old age, and they had found it. Tiberius had not only found it, but become the Lord of Nightfall as well.
I flung my hands on my hips. “I have returned, my Lord. Please, show me to my council-seat.”
Tiberius’ face betrayed no emotion. Not when he didn’t want it to. Then… he laughed. “You dare claim a seat among us, whelp? Your father would weep in his grave.”
I clenched my teeth. “My father would want me to have what’s mine… my Lord, or so I would believe. I am his heir, and thus the heir to his seat on this court.”
“He would disagree with you, if he were here. You are a disgrace to his name.”
His words started a fire in my veins. “Do you presume to know my father’s mind, Tiberius? Was it not he, who taught you our ways, who supported you in joining this court? I trust you simply misspoke.”
The laughter left his face, leaving no emotion. “Yes, thank you, Count Zorin. I only meant to offer opinion on the matter. After so many years away from court, I do not think you will enjoy it.”
“That is for me to decide.”
Tiberius raised a goblet to his purple lips and sipped. “Yes, but now is not the time to decide anything. A trial is being bestowed.” He gestured at Prince Dante, who now stood on his feet, but had not spoken. The man grinned.
I rolled my eyes and raised my hands at the balconies. “Now is the time. As my father’s heir, I qualify for election and ask to be trialed as well.”
Whispers filled the hall as members of the court debated with their attendants. Ezio groaned behind me, and Tiberius raised his goblet, regaining silence. “You have not yet been inducted into the Tribunal. To run for election would be improper.”
“I agree,” said a voice, and then more echoed the call.
I grit my teeth. The Tribunal followed tradition and rules like dogma, but perhaps their hatred for me surpassed even their need for order.
Prince Dante lifted his hand. “My Lords, as a member of this court, I say let him be trialed.”
“I agree with the Lord of Sunrise.” A man with golden curls, Antonio, tapped an equally golden cup. He was Dante’s brother, and his words slurred from drink. “Let him be trialed, and let fate decide if he is worthy.”
Other members nodded their approval. They liked this Prince Dante, and so I hated him.
“So be it.” Tiberius stuck his cup against the balcony like a gavel. “Are you ready to accept your trial, Andriy Zorin?”
I nodded and thanked the fates for my luck.
“Then kneel.”
I fell on one knee, the sweat dripping off me.
“Show your faith to this council and its people. Earn ascension and prove a king. Will you accept judgment?”
“I will.”
“Then your trial shall be thus. A Grand Inquisitor is arriving in Venice tonight. His mission, as we know it, is to eradicate the Unsired and Wingless within the city. Rid us of him, and you shall have proven yourself worthy. Do you accept your trial?”
My knees wobbled, and I stared at Tiberius. “A Grand Inquisitor? This is suicide.”
“This is your trial. You may refuse. There is no dishonor in that.”
“There is no honor in this trial. One does not simply kill an Inquisitor.”
“One worthy to be High King will find a way.” He grinned, no doubt to kindle my rage. It worked.
“I accept my trial. May the Inquisitor shudder in his sleep, for I will see him in his grave.” I stood.
Tiberius nodded. “So be it. Now, venture forth and prove your worth.”
I bowed and walked away. No ceremonial claps followed me out the door, only Ezio grumbling about Inquisitors and trials. He was right to complain. To kill an Inquisitor and live would be impossible.
But Tiberius never said kill.
Still, not killing meant talking, and I preferred the former. As we rounded up the stairs, the rage inside me boiled and with it hunger. I wished to blast the steam at Tiberius, who doomed me with his trial, and Dante, who thought he could beat me at this game. That’s all it was, after all—a game to see who should be king. And they dealt me a losing hand. I wanted to cut theirs off. If they’d been there, I would have.
But instead, the stone door opened, and a portly man gazed at me, draped in the white garbs of a priest. “Who are you, my son?”
“The devil, Father.” I showed my face, and the old man dropped his scepter. He’d caught me in a bad mood. More’s the pity. Venice stank of the people that populated it. One less person made it smell a little better.
***
Add it on Goodreads
Watch for it 2013
November 20, 2012
Lincoln (without the vampires!) a MUST SEE movie!
Tell me this looks ANYTHING like Daniel Day-Lewis?
Lincoln seems to be a hot topic in theaters this year. I’m not sure why this is so, but first he’s hunting vampires and now he’s freeing slaves. Go Abraham!
I must start by saying that this movie was incredible. Truly. It was brilliantly (and I mean freaking BRILLIANTLY!) cast, and the acting, script, scope and emotional impact was extraordinary.
But a word of warning… this isn’t the movie where he kills vampires. So, if you go thinking it is, you’ll probably be very confused and about an hour into it wonder when the hell the vampires are coming and how the hell the writers got away with NOT including this pretty freaking big plot element in the first 10 or 20 minutes of the movie. Because you can’t make a vampire movie starring Abraham Lincoln and NOT have the vampires featured pretty early on.
You also might wonder how the vampire plotline would work at all, once you’re an hour or so into the movie. Will a rebel soldier from the north rise up and attack the beloved president, only to be found a vampire and beheaded? Will one of the cabinet members opposed to emancipation turn into a vampire and Lincoln will finally be justified in slamming a stake through their racist heart? These are real thoughts you’ll have if you’re expecting vampires.
How do I know? Well, here’s what happened. First, I don’t really follow what movies are out, what’s hot and what’s not, etc. As you might have noticed if you follow me anywhere at all, I’m pretty darn busy writing lately. So I didn’t know the vampire version of Lincoln had already run its course and wasn’t out in theaters anymore. I also didn’t know there was ANOTHER Lincoln movie that shockingly DID NOT feature vampires AT ALL!!
Dmytry and I planned to spend our afternoon date seeing the last Twilight movie. But my parents and my 14-year-old sister are coming to town tonight—family I haven’t seen in a few years—and they wanted to see it with us, so we rescheduled that particular movie for tomorrow, and decided to go to something else instead. Being the good wife that I am, and since I have the most awesome husband who was wiling to use our rare movie date to see Twilight, I told him he could pick the movie. I’d see whatever he wanted.
He spent the next 20 minutes trying to decide between three movies, and finally said, “Okay, we’re going to see the Lincoln movie,” which I took to mean the Lincoln movie where he kills vampires. It was a logical assumption given the above information, don’t you think?
So we go to the movie, he buys the tickets (and he’s so freaking hot with his 6’6″ gorgeous Russian self that I’m not paying attention to the movie name) and we go watch our movie.
And there I am, sitting in this very intense and emotional history lesson wondering where the hell the vampires are.
So don’t go expecting vampires and you’ll be in a much better position to enjoy this movie.
Even with that expectation, which, after I asked three times “Where the hell are the vampires?” he finally realized I thought we were at the Vampire Hunter movie and laughed himself silly… but even with all that, I loved this movie.
I’m not a big history buff. I hated AP History in high school and though the stories of people’s lives fascinate me, the dry facts and memorization that learning history used to be bored the socks off of me. So I won’t pretend to know how much of this is based on fact and how much is fabricated for the story… though I’m fairly confident that the vampire hunter version had a lot more make believe involved.
Here’s what I will say about the movie.
O.M.G. The cast was amazing. Daniel Day-Lewis played Abraham Lincoln. Those are some pretty big shoes to fill and Daniel was brilliant. Have you noticed that he never looks the same in ANY movie? I didn’t even recognize him until I googled the movie. Seriously, check him out in “The Last of the Mohicans” and “In the Name of the Father” and now this, it’s like three different dudes. He was the perfect amount of understated and commanding, approachable but still presidential, a people’s man, a politician, a pure soul willing to bend the rules to do the right thing.
Genius. Right there. Genius.
[image error]
She plays 'a little bit crazy' very well.
Then we have Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln. She was brilliantly cast as his wife and played the part with just the right amount of vulnerable, angry mother, grief stricken after their young son’s death, but still a savvy politician’s wife.
James Spader makes an appearance as W.N. Bilbo, the shady character Lincoln hires to help him sway the votes for the emancipation amendment. I love Spader in Boston Legal and he brings that same swagger and “I-can-do-anything-I-want” attitude to this role.
This was a full cast of people whose faces you’ll recognize, but I’m just going to touch on one more, my favorite character in the whole show (and my favorite actor) Tommy Lee Jones who played Thaddeus Stevens. First, who doesn’t love good ol’ Tommy? He’s epic. Second, this part was made for him. The dialogue was sharp, witty, biting and brilliant. Thaddeus spearheads the fight for equality, not just to free the slaves, but to give all men equal rights, a vote, a place in society as equals.
[image error]
This is the face you will see aimed at you if you vote to enslave people.
The most powerful scene in the movie is when Thaddeus has to speak before congress and reporters about what the true meaning of this amendment is. His enemies, those who want to keep slavery alive, want to goad him into sharing his real feelings, that it’s not just about freeing slaves, but about giving them the vote and making them equal. If he says this, the amendment will not pass and all hope will be lost. If he doesn’t, if he denies this, he goes against everything he’s ever believed in.
The ultimate political conundrum. Speak the truth and lose or lie and win. But losing means millions of people will continue to be enslaved, beaten, killed… while lying gets him one step closer to true equality.
He turned this speech on its head and you have to see the movie for this scene alone.
Once I got over the lack of vampires, what really touched me about this movie is how shocking it is that just 150 years ago people were at WAR over whether or not to enslave other human beings. That the thought of giving anyone other than white men the vote was so completely appalling. That human beings are so controlled by their fear, that we still see this in our society… that fear of letting people different than us have the right to choose their own life path.
I must confess, I don’t understand. I don’t get how we could have ever thought that was okay, and I don’t understand how we can still feel it’s okay to deny people the rights that all humans should have. The right to marry. The right to make decisions about their own body. The right to be heard.
I almost never get political online, and I’m not really going to now. I believe each and every person has the right to believe what they want and live how they want as long as they are not 1: impeding another person’s freedom to do the same and 2: hurting other people.
But getting back to the movie, it touched me. The struggle, the fear, the humanity of it all… it will stay with me. If AP History had been more like this, I’d probably have majored in history in college.
And for a historical movie with no vampires, this one is definitely a must see!
The trailer for the Lincoln movie WITHOUT the vampires
The trailer for the Lincoln movie WITH the vampires
So you see, two very different movies apparently. It’s important to know these things ahead of time, don’t you think?
November 16, 2012
Don’t talk down to children! Smart entertainment equals smart kids
First, I introduced you to one of my favorite romance authors and gave you a chance to win Amelia James’s bestselling book, Tell Me You Want Me . Then, we explored the heart of human darkness with Lane Diamond and his psychological thriller, Forgive Me, Alex . Today, at the end of our EP Blog Hop, I’m excited to introduce you to my dear friend and fellow author of YA and children’s lit, Emlyn Chand. Her Bird Brain Books are delightful reads for young children and today you can win your own signed copy!
Don’t talk down to children!
Smart entertainment equals smart kids
by Emlyn Chand
Think back to your childhood. What was it like? What did you enjoy doing for fun? I remember playing outside, collecting Pogs and Beanie Babies, watching cartoons, and reading—lots of reading. I loved Bunnicula, because it taught me big words and never apologized for that. I couldn’t get enough of The Babysitter’s Club, which illustrated that girls could be strong and, no, you were never too young to start your own business (and follow in Kristy’s footsteps I did when I opened Novel Publicity at the age of 26. BSC totally deserves some of that credit, thank you very much).
These childhood favorites have stuck with me through the years—I even continue to learn from them! But what do kids have nowadays?
Is it just me, or have books and television seriously been dumbed down? Our kids aren’t getting any stupider, are they? I don’t believe so. Of course, this problem isn’t only the curse of the younger generation. These little kiddies have moms who read Fifty Shades of Grey and watch Jersey Shore and The Real Housewives for entertainment. What’s going on?
Am I romanticizing my childhood, or has something seriously changed? Either way, I refuse to follow trend with this stuff and drivel that’s far too widespread for my liking. What’s wrong with a little intellectual entertainment?
Smart books and TV shows equal smart children!
Although I have yet to add the mommy feather to my cap of accomplishments, I’ve been thinking about this issue quite a lot lately.
It all started when I decided to finally pursue the publication of the children’s book I penned four years ago. My editor loved the story but questioned my decision to use words like mysteriously, investigation, or catastrophe. In the end, we decided to forge forth with the larger vocabulary words and let the chips fall where they may.
… And readers noticed in a positive way!
In fact, one reader said: “This is a smart book. The storyline is simple (it has to be, to keep things interesting and quick for young kids), but not simplistic. It has excellent higher-level vocabulary (quaint, gazed, zipped, shapely, fluttered, mysteriously, frantic, flitted, nestled-the list goes on and on). As a parent who is forever obsessed with expanding my kid’s vocabulary (which, at fourteen months, consists mostly of “doggie,” “kitty,” “up,” and “hi”-but we’re getting there) and exposing her to new words, this is essential. I loved that I, an adult, was able to read Honey without feeling cheated out of thinking. I kept imagining reading this story with my kids when they’re older, and pausing to explain what the new words meant, and how they could use them.”
And you know what? I’ve not heard a single complaint about the words being too big or challenging. There are plenty of books out there that stick to an easy vocabulary for three to six year olds.
The Bird Brain Books are different, and if you ask me, they’re different in a good way.
Yes, I want to provide stories that can capture children’s interest, but it’s just as important to grow their minds as it is their imaginations. That’s why I will continue to use “big words,” make references to classic literature, and teach a lesson or two along the way—while always keeping the enjoyment factor number one.
What are some other “smart kids’ books” you’ve come across, and how have they been received by your little ones?
Don’t forget to stop by the Evolved Publishing pre-holiday blog hop. We’ve got 20 autographed books up for grabs! From thrilling young adult adventures to suspense nail-biters, thought-provoking literary novels, bright and cheery books for children, an uplifting memoir, and hot-and-steamy romance, we’ve got something for everyone on your holiday-shopping list.
About Emlyn Chand: Emlyn Chand emerged from the womb with[image error] a fountain pen clutched in her left hand (true story). When she’s not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm Novel Publicity. Best known for her Young Adult novels, she is also developing a small, but devoted, following to her children’s book series and is beginning to dapple in other genres as well. Emlyn enjoys connecting with readers and is available via almost every social media site in existence. Visit EmlynChand.com for more info. Don’t forget to say “hi” to her sun conure Ducky!
[image error]About Davey the Detective: Davey dubs himself the luckiest crow in the entire world when he finds a wonderful, shiny object. It even has a fantastic name: “paperclip.” Wow!
One dark and dreary day, Davey’s treasure goes missing, and he is beside himself with grief. Luckily, he knows just how he can find out which of the forest animals is to blame for the theft. Inspired by the torn pages of a Sherlock Holmes story that were used to fashion his nest, Davey calls on the help of Sarah the sparrow to investigate the mystery and, hopefully, retrieve his prize.
Together the two birds begin to collect clues. Their trail leads them straight to Mr. Bushtail, a greedy squirrel who keeps a giant store of objects in a hollowed-out tree trunk. When Mr. Bushtail refuses to cooperate, the two birds have no choice but to break into his tree house in search of the truth.
Justice will prevail and treasure will be found in this intriguing tale of mystery.
November 14, 2012
“Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?”
Yesterday, I introduced you to the steamy romance of Amelia James and her book, Tell Me You Want Me . Today for the Evolved Publishing Blog Hop & Giveaway, we delve into the heart of evil with Lane Diamond’s riveting psychological thriller, Forgive Me, Alex . Lane is not only an exceptional author, but he’s also my editor. Yes, folks, this is the man who makes me look good! So let’s see what lurks in his mind as he creates serial killers, shall we? Don’t forget to enter to win a signed copy of his book, and click on the link to check out the 20+ giveaways happening this week all over the internet for Evolved Publishing.
***
“Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?”
[image error]That classic line from the 1930′s serialized radio program, The Shadow, functions as something of a theme for much of my writing. This is particularly true of my novel, Forgive Me, Alex. It also guides a fair portion of what I read.
For me, great literature has always been about great characters, and if I’m going to dig really deep into a character, the author needs to take me… well, really deep inside that character. I want to know what’s in that character’s mind, his heart, his soul. I want to know what scares him, what makes him nervous, what excites him, what motivates him.
Now, to be clear, this requires a level of authenticity that will bring the character to life in a realistic way. However, it needn’t be all puppy dogs and daisies. Let’s face it: there are some real sickos out there. But what makes them sick?
If you heard that a neighborhood kid was stealing people’s pets and first torturing them, then dismembering them, how would you react? Would you say he’s sick? Would you wonder how anyone could even think to do such a thing? Would you fear letting your dog out? Would you call that kid… evil? Yes, I used the E-word. So many today seem to want to hide from the possibility that true evil exists, to explain it away as something else, to make it not a cause, but a mere symptom. Why?
People fascinate me. Specifically, the inner workings of the human brain fascinate me. After all, as human beings, our brains are what separate us from the rest of the animal kingdom. That brain is complex, mystifying, and still largely misunderstood. Indeed, in the medical sciences, the brain is truly the final frontier. For all the extraordinary things they’ve learned about how the brain works in recent years, they’ve still barely scratched the surface.
Human emotions and psychology are particularly difficult to understand. How many times have you scratched your head at another person’s actions, wondering what in the world they must have been thinking, or feeling? Now, imagine a person who has no feelings. Would he be easier to understand? Perhaps. Would he also scare the bejesus out of you? Probably. As well he should.
Let’s return to that kid above who likes to torture and kill the beloved Fido and Mittens. The mere thought of such acts might bring you to tears, turn your stomach, and make you want to grab a baseball bat and pay that kid a visit. For that kid, however, ripping Mittens limb from limb is merely a… curiosity. As a psychopath, he doesn’t process emotions the way you and I do. (Please tell me you’re not curious what it would be like to tear Fido limb from limb.)
Why doesn’t he feel in the same way we do? The cause could be physical, environmental, or… nothing at all. Dare I say it? Some people are just evil.
It’s hard to understand, and it draws us in, perhaps out of our own sick curiosity, natural though it may be. Why is the TV show Criminal Minds, which brings us a weekly parade of some of the worst sickos in our midst, so popular? Setting aside the obvious—great cast, solid acting, exceptional writing—might it be because we’re all, at some level, fascinated by how a human being can do what we ourselves couldn’t even imagine doing, at least not without puking our guts out and collapsing into a weeping mess?
And might that sicko—that twisted, despicable, unrepentant psychopath—make a great character? Oh yeah, baby! Come on… tell the truth: you love reading about that kid who’s sharpening his knife right now, even as he’s eyeing Fido in the neighbor’s yard. At least, you love hating reading about that kid. Or is it hate loving?
Well… let me introduce you to Mitchell Norton, the devil. http://bit.ly/EPbhFMA
***
Don’t forget to stop by the Evolved Publishing pre-holiday blog hop. We’ve got 20 autographed books up for grabs! From thrilling young adult adventures to suspense nail-biters, thought-provoking literary novels, bright and cheery books for children, an uplifting memoir, and hot-and-steamy romance, we’ve got something for everyone on your holiday-shopping list.
[image error]About Lane Diamond: I write fiction, long and short. My writings cross over many genres and focus on diverse subjects, ranging from the mysteries of the human mind, with its fragile psychological and emotional states, to the everyday joy and anguish of life on Earth.
I’ve been an avid reader my entire life, and started writing at the age of 12. I love a good story, of course, a compelling plot and satisfying conclusion. Yet as a reader, I’ve always been drawn to great characters. The characters bring me back to an author time and time again. This shows in my writing, where I attempt to create authentic, complex, real characters you can come to love, and in whose company you feel at home. Or maybe you’ll despise a character and want to stick a fork in his eye. Hey, bad guys are fun too!
I did my tour in the real world, serving in the U.S. Air Force, then working as everything from a forklift operator to a bartender in my youth, before settling in as Business Services and Project Manager for a large manufacturing and distribution concern. Now, at long last (Man! Why did I wait so long?), I’m putting pedal to the metal in pursuit of the author’s life.
After many years as a Freelance Editor, with several clients published or aspiring to be so, I co-founded Evolved Publishing, where I wear hats as Publisher, Executive Editor, and Author. As an author, I started with a few short stories, and released my debut novel, a psychological thriller called “Forgive Me, Alex,” in December 2011. The sequel, “The Devil’s Bane,” is under way and due Spring 2013.
You can find out more about me at my website: www.LaneDiamond.com.
About Forgive Me, Alex: Tony Hooper stands in shadow across the street, one amongst many in the crowd of curiosity-hounds gathered to watch a monster’s release. Seventeen years after Mitchell Norton, the devil, terrorized Algonquin, Illinois on a spree of kidnapping, torture and murder, the authorities release the butcher from psychiatric prison.
Tony longs to charge across the street to destroy Norton–no remorse–as if stepping on a cockroach. Only sheer force of will prevents his doing so.
The devil walks the world again. What shall Tony do about it? Aye, what indeed.
After all, this is what Tony does. It’s who he is. The devil himself long ago made Tony into this hunter of monsters. What a sweet twist of fate this is, that he may still, finally, administer justice.
Will FBI Special Agent Linda Monroe stop him? She owes him her life, so how can she possibly put an end to his?
Tony Hooper and Mitchell Norton battle for supremacy, with law enforcement always a step away, in this story of justice and vengeance, evil and redemption, fear and courage, love and loss.
November 13, 2012
Romance Novels Are For Men
This week we are having an Evolved Publishing Hop! Not only will several of us EP authors be giving away signed copies of our books, but we’re all hopping around on each other’s blogs so you, dear reader, can meet some new amazing authors.
Today I have the privilege of introducing you to my dear friend and fellow EP author, Amelia James, author of such steamy romance and erotica as Tell Me You Want Me , Her Twisted Pleasures and Secret Storm .
***
Romance Novels Are For Men
A guest post by Amelia James
[image error]The male characters, I mean. When I read a romance novel, I read it for the bad boys and brooding heroes with male-model-worthy abs. A strong heroine is nice, but I want men!
I thought I was the only one, but since I started writing and getting feedback from my readers, I noticed that none of them ask about my women. They’re all about my guys.
Quick: name 5 romance novel heroes. Christian Grey, Austin Sinclair, Jack Wheeler, Alex Sheridan, Billy Ramsay. Okay, I cheated. Four of them were mine (the last one still to come).
Now name 5 romance heroines. Ana Steele and…? I could name mine, but that’s not my point. How many times have you heard Christian’s name over Ana’s? Do your female friends gush over Ana and wonder who’s going to play her in the Fifty Shades of Grey movie? Nope.
Romance critics, and audiences in general, have long complained about the lack of strong women in books, TV, and movies, but when good female characters make an appearance, they’re overlooked or quickly forgotten. A few months ago, I dedicated a week of my Trashy’s Treasures blog posts to my favorite kick-butt chicks. I posted pictures and videos of strong women such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aeryn Sun (Farscape) and Susan Ivanova (Babylon 5). The initial post, which I thought would generate some interesting discussion, got 0 comments. My fluff post about The Bad Boy Appeal (including pictures of Lost’s Sawyer) got 11 comments.
Last month, I did a giveaway of my erotic mosaic novel, Her Twisted Pleasures. One of the ways to enter was to ask a question on the character interviews I posted. Talia, the heroine, got 0; Will, the hero, got 1; and my bad boy, Alex, got 11. Huh. Maybe romance is for the bad boys. 
I’ve written two bad boys: Austin and Alex, but they’re very different from each other.[image error]Austin is fun and charming. He’ll drive you crazy with his teasing smile and tempting kisses. He’s a player, but with good reason. He’s been hurt, and he doesn’t want to risk falling in love again so he guards his heart. Women know he won’t stick around, but they can’t resist trying to be the one to change him. She found him when neither one of them were looking.
Alex is cynical and ambitious, and maybe even a little dangerous. He does the wrong thing for the wrong reason, and he doesn’t care what anyone thinks about him. He prefers unavailable women, and he’s not above sleeping with another man’s wife, or sharing his best friend’s girlfriend. That’s a recipe for disaster, but Alex loves adding a little spice to his bedroom (or pool table) encounters. He’s been burned, but he’s not afraid of playing with fire. My readers all want to know if he’ll find his happy ending, and the answer is… yes… after I make him pay for his sins.
But my favorite guy is Jack. He’s a brooder, and I typically don’t like brooders, but Jack keeps his tragic past hidden behind an approachable mask. He’s the best friend you can always depend on, but when he needs help, he won’t ask for it. That would reveal his weakness, and he has to stay strong to protect the ones he loves. He’s suffered for years, and he earned the love he deserves.
The one thing all these guys have in common is this: there’s a woman who can heal him, but he’s gotta go through hell and back to find her—and keep her. If you’d like to hear about Jane, Talia, or Sara, I’d be happy to tell you, but I suspect their men are far more appealing.
So maybe romance novels are for the couples. After all, only love could make a player, a cynic, or a brooder into a romance novel worthy hero.
***
Don’t forget to stop by the Evolved Publishing pre-holiday blog hop. We’ve got 20 autographed books up for grabs! From thrilling young adult adventures to suspense nail-biters, thought-provoking literary novels, bright and cheery books for children, an uplifting memoir, and hot-and-steamy romance, we’ve got something for everyone on your holiday-shopping list.
About Amelia James
[image error] Amelia James started reading steamy romance novels in junior high, but her mom took them away from her, so she started daydreaming instead. After she got married, she wrote some of her naughtier daydreams down and sent them to Playgirl magazine. Two of them got published. She kept daydreaming and writing stories until her dirty stories turned into trashy books.
She lives in Colorado, but she’ll always be a loyal Wisconsin Cheesehead. When she’s not lusting after her next bad boy hero, she looks for inspiration in sci-fi and action movies, football players, bloodsucking lawyers, muscle cars, and kick-butt chicks.
“I write because I love it, and I have a wild imagination I gotta do something with. I’ve been writing stories since the 3rd grade. My teacher wrote ‘tends to daydream’ on my report card. I’m gonna have that carved on my tombstone. My stories are character driven. I love creating characters and hearing the stories they have to tell. They’re my imaginary friends. Yep, I’m a little weird.”
About Tell Me You Want Me
[image error]…“I can give you exactly what you’re asking for, Janie, and I can give it to you all night long.”…
Their first kiss is impulsive, fun, a little wicked—everything Jane Elliot isn’t looking for in a man, but desperately needs.
Their second kiss is slow, deliberate, an instant connection—everything Austin Sinclair never had with a woman, and doesn’t want.
Jane is no easy conquest, not the type of woman Austin’s used to. Stubborn as hell, and a bookworm more interested in studying than dating, she needs a little—no, a lot—of fun in her life. Well,Austin’s just the guy who can give it to her.
Too bad she thinks love should be easy. Too bad Austin knows it isn’t.
Everybody told her to stay away from the heartbreaker, but Jane knows there’s more to Austin than full-body contact kisses and bad boy charm. He promised her a good time—nothing more—and wow… does he ever deliver!
November 5, 2012
Judging a Book by Its Cover and a deal for NaNoWriMo
I’d like to welcome my amazing husband, the sexy Russian Prince himself, Dmytry Karpov, to my blog today. He’s just created a new website and is taking on new clients for book covers, marketing swag for authors, custom websites and more! Not only is he a brilliant author, a talented musician, and an amazing husband and father, but he’s also a very skilled designer and he’s offering some great deals this month! So, without further ado, here is Dmytry!
Judging a Book by Its Cover
[image error]
My favorite Dmytry Karpov book cover
We all do it. The book cover is usually our first introduction to a book, or at the very least, what creates our first impression. Will a book cover sell your book? Maybe. It will certainly attract or repel people.
What does a book cover need to do? In short, a cover needs to incite people to pick it up or click on it. That’s it. It doesn’t need to tell the entire story, or reveal major plot elements, it just needs to seduce. It should get a person to stop and say “Hmm, that looks interesting, I wonder what it’s about… “
The sale will come from the blurb and the sample. Your product description has to be strong and you need a well-edited, well-written book that will sell itself when people read a sample.
But first we all have to accept the fact that looks matter, and your book will be judged by its cover. That’s why cover art is so important, and why it needs to balance art with marketability.
Unfortunately, cover art is one of the most subjective elements of publishing there is. Take ten professionals in the publishing business and give them a cover, and you’ll get ten different opinions on it. However, there are some professional standards that should be met.
First, while stock images have become the norm, and we all know that Photoshop is doing the heavy lifting these days, your book cover should not scream “I’ve been Photoshopped.” The images should integrate seamlessly to create a unified flow to the piece.
Second, the cover should pop in thumbnail. This doesn’t mean every element needs to be clear and easily read in thumbnail. After all, the author name and book name will be right there, next to the thumbnail. But the cover as a whole should stand out and have a central image to draw in a reader.
Third, the cover should have colors, fonts and images that blend well together and don’t clash or fight each other for attention. Think unified front vs. kids pushing each other over to get center stage.
Finally, and perhaps hardest of all, your cover should attract your target demographic but stand out from the other covers in its genre as well. It’s tempting to do what everyone else is doing, or to copy the bestsellers, but chances are those bestsellers weren’t copying anyone when they became bestsellers. And that probably helped them get where they are. So don’t be afraid to stand out, but at the same time, don’t settle on a thriller cover if you’re writing a children’s book.
As NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) goes into full swing, I know there will be a lot of new novels out there looking for covers. I hope this blog post helps you find a match.
I’m also offering a special deal to NaNoWriMo authors (or really anyone who commissions work from me between November 1st and December 1st.) For every cover you purchase from me this month, you can get a free banner using the images and styles from your cover to post on Facebook or use in any online marketing campaign. A $50 value, free, for this month only!
Email me to take advantage of this special offer: DmytryKarpov at Gmail.com
About Dmytry Karpov
[image error]I write fantasy—be it urban, dark or epic.
I heard the siren call of the muses at an early age and penned my first masterpiece when I was twelve-years-old. Okay, masterpiece may be stretching it, but I didn’t give up. At the ripe age of sixteen I began an epic fantasy that would someday leave all epic fantasies green with envy. It now sits in my computer, 80,000 words into it, and only one third complete. I might someday finish it.
Fortunately, by the time I entered college, I learned the art of outlining, thus making the process of actually completing a novel much more likely. Words have always held the power to seduce me, which is why it’s no surprise that I’m now co-writing the Fallen Trilogy with my wife, Kimberly Kinrade, and also have a dark fantasy and epic fantasy burning a hole in my writer’s brain.
I believe writers should never stop learning and studying their craft, and we should always be open to the call of the muse, wherever it leads.
Born in the Ukraine and raised in Canada, I now live with my beautiful wife, where I try to remember my Russian and my wife tries to remember her French and together we try to remember to feed our three daughters, two dogs and two kittens.
Find me on: Facebook; Twitter; Goodreads; and Google+ and at http://DmytryKarpov.com.
November 3, 2012
An EPIC trailer for an EPIC book launch!
On November 26th, 2012, Evolved Publishing is launching 9 books. This is an exciting day, and the day that the Forbidden Trilogy omnibus will be available! All three books in one, plus bonus content and an awesome new cover. Plus, my latest Three Lost Kids book, The Three Lost Kids & The Christmas Curse will also be available. This is a great holiday stocking stuffer for any 5-10 year old in your life!
In addition to my books, there will be more children’s books, YA, romance and historical fiction for your reading pleasure.
To celebrate, one of Evolved’s artists, the amazing Mallory Rock, created an incredible trailer to introduce you to the books being launched.
Take a peek and mark your calendar for November 26th, 2012. You won’t want to miss this event!
