Meredith Allard's Blog, page 43
April 2, 2012
Her Loving Husband's Curse Giveaway Winners
It took a little longer than I thought it would, but I finally have the winners for the giveaway. The first hint was the term Kalona Ayeliski, also known as the Raven Mocker, which is a Cherokee vampire legend. Then, with the hint of the walking (and the walking, and the walking…), that would bring those more astute about American history to the Trail of Tears, which is the right answer and the historical background for Book Two in the Loving Husband Trilogy. I saw some great answers, ranging from the American Revolution to the American Civil War. Thanks to everyone who sent in their responses. I really enjoyed reading them!
Here are the winners:
E-Books
Wanda F.
Janice J.
Sammy K.
John M.
Stephanie W.
Paperbacks:
Diane M.
Charlie H.
Martha B.
$10 Amazon.com Gift Certificate:
Su Chin Z.
I'll be back on April 6th with the Hoppy Easter Giveaway hosted by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer. See you then!
Filed under: Giveaways, Her Loving Husband's Curse Tagged: Giveaways, Her Loving Husband's Curse
March 26, 2012
Prologue–Her Loving Husband's Curse
As I'm getting Her Loving Husband's Curse ready for publication, I wanted to share the Prologue. Please enjoy.
Prologue
I am among the masses as they limp and drag toward some foreign place they are afraid to imagine. Even in the dimness of the nearly moonless night the exhaustion, the sickness, the fear is everywhere in their swollen faces. The weaker among them, the very old and the very sick, the very young and the very frail, are driven in wagons steered by ill-tempered soldiers. The riders are not better off than the walkers, their sore, screaming bodies bumped and jostled by the wobbly wheels over the unsteady forest terrain. No one notices as a few drop like discarded rags from the wagon to the ground.
"Here!" I cry. "Let me help you. I will find water for you to drink."
But they pass me without looking. They see nothing, hear nothing. They walk. That is all they are. Walk. That is their name. Walk. Or "Move!" That is what the soldiers scream in their faces. They struggle under the weight of the few bags they carry and stumble under the musket butts slapped into their backs. And still they do not see me.
I wave my hands in the air and yell to make myself heard over the thumping of thousands of feet.
"Here!" I cry. "Who needs something to eat?"
I push myself into the center of the mass. Men in turbans and tunics, women with their long black hair pulled from their faces as they clutch their toddlers—all focus their eyes on a horizon too far away. One old man, unsteady under the weight of the pack he carries, stumbles over some rocks and he falls. The soldiers beat him with their muskets—their futile attempt to make him stand. The man tries to push himself up but cannot, so the soldiers try the whip instead. The old man prostrates himself on the ground, arms out, face away. He has accepted that this is how he will die.
"Step around him!" the soldiers bark. And they do step around him, their eyes straight ahead. They do not see the old man any more than they see me. To acknowledge the fallen elder would force them to admit that his fate is their fate and they will all die here among unknown land and foreign trees. The old man does not stir. He does not lift his head or seem to breathe. And the people pass him by. When they stop to make their encampment for the night, the old man does not arrive.
I throw my hands into the air again, my frustration boiling the blood in my brain. "Let me help you! Why will you not listen to me?"
"Because they cannot see you."
I have seen the man before—his blue tunic, his white turban, his solemn bearing—and he has seen me. He is an elder, his hair silver, his face a ridged map of everything he has seen, every thought he has had, every prayer he has said. There is wisdom behind his wary glance and oh so tired eyes.
"That's ridiculous," I say. "I am standing here among them."
The old man shakes his head. "You are the Kalona Ayeliski. They cannot see you."
"The what?"
"The Kalona Ayeliski. They cannot see the Raven Mocker."
I watch the walkers, hundreds of them, their heads bowed under the weight of losing their possessions, their land, their ancestors, everything they had in this world and beyond, and I realize the man is right. They do not see me. They have never seen me.
"What is a Raven Mocker?" I ask.
"An evil spirit. All the Raven Mocker cares for is prolonging its own life force, and it feeds from others to do it. It tortures the dying and hastens their deaths so it can consume their hearts. The Raven Mocker receives one year of life for every year its victim would have lived."
"I am no Raven Mocker. I mean harm to no one."
"Ever?"
I turn away, watching the families reuniting after the long day's walk, children crying for their mothers, husbands searching for their wives. They are setting up their campsites, eating the meager gruel and drinking the few drops of water given them. I cannot meet the man's eyes.
"Not for a long time," I say. When the man's stare bores through me, pricking me somewhere I cannot name, I shrug. "I do not hasten death in anyone," I say. "Not anymore."
"We shall see," he says.
Filed under: Her Loving Husband's Curse Tagged: Her Loving Husband's Curse
Her Loving Husband's Curse Giveaway
I'm in the final stages of getting Her Loving Husband's Curse ready for publication, and I'm so excited I wanted to share the Prologue with everyone. For those of you who read Her Dear & Loving Husband, you know the historical background for that story is the Salem Witch Trials. Of course, being the historical fiction person I am, I had to connect the second book to a historical period as well.
That brings us to the giveaway. The first five people to correctly identify the historical period the Prologue is set in wins an e-copy of Her Dear & Loving Husband. The next three win a paperback copy, and the 10th wins a $10 gift certificate to either Amazon.com or BN.com (your choice).
Don't leave your answers in the comment section–you don't want to give the answers to anyone else! Use the Contact Me form to drop me a line. I'm looking forward to this. It should be fun!
Prologue
I am among the masses as they limp and drag toward some foreign place they are afraid to imagine. Even in the dimness of the nearly moonless night the exhaustion, the sickness, the fear is everywhere in their swollen faces. The weaker among them, the very old and the very sick, the very young and the very frail, are driven in wagons steered by ill-tempered soldiers. The riders are not better off than the walkers, their sore, screaming bodies bumped and jostled by the wobbly wheels over the unsteady forest terrain. No one notices as a few drop like discarded rags from the wagon to the ground.
"Here!" I cry. "Let me help you. I will find water for you to drink."
But they pass me without looking. They see nothing, hear nothing. They walk. That is all they are. Walk. That is their name. Walk. Or "Move!" That is what the soldiers scream in their faces. They struggle under the weight of the few bags they carry and stumble under the musket butts slapped into their backs. And still they do not see me.
I wave my hands in the air and yell to make myself heard over the thumping of thousands of feet.
"Here!" I cry. "Who needs something to eat?"
I push myself into the center of the mass. Men in turbans and tunics, women with their long black hair pulled from their faces as they clutch their toddlers—all focus their eyes on a horizon too far away. One old man, unsteady under the weight of the pack he carries, stumbles over some rocks and he falls. The soldiers beat him with their muskets—their futile attempt to make him stand. The man tries to push himself up but cannot, so the soldiers try the whip instead. The old man prostrates himself on the ground, arms out, face away. He has accepted that this is how he will die.
"Step around him!" the soldiers bark. And they do step around him, their eyes straight ahead. They do not see the old man any more than they see me. To acknowledge the fallen elder would force them to admit that his fate is their fate and they will all die here among unknown land and foreign trees. The old man does not stir. He does not lift his head or seem to breathe. And the people pass him by. When they stop to make their encampment for the night, the old man does not arrive.
I throw my hands into the air again, my frustration boiling the blood in my brain. "Let me help you! Why will you not listen to me?"
"Because they cannot see you."
I have seen the man before—his blue tunic, his white turban, his solemn bearing—and he has seen me. He is an elder, his hair silver, his face a ridged map of everything he has seen, every thought he has had, every prayer he has said. There is wisdom behind his wary glance and oh so tired eyes.
"That's ridiculous," I say. "I am standing here among them."
The old man shakes his head. "You are the Kalona Ayeliski. They cannot see you."
"The what?"
"The Kalona Ayeliski. They cannot see the Raven Mocker."
I watch the walkers, hundreds of them, their heads bowed under the weight of losing their possessions, their land, their ancestors, everything they had in this world and beyond, and I realize the man is right. They do not see me. They have never seen me.
"What is a Raven Mocker?" I ask.
"An evil spirit. All the Raven Mocker cares for is prolonging its own life force, and it feeds from others to do it. It tortures the dying and hastens their deaths so it can consume their hearts. The Raven Mocker receives one year of life for every year its victim would have lived."
"I am no Raven Mocker. I mean harm to no one."
"Ever?"
I turn away, watching the families reuniting after the long day's walk, children crying for their mothers, husbands searching for their wives. They are setting up their campsites, eating the meager gruel and drinking the few drops of water given them. I cannot meet the man's eyes.
"Not for a long time," I say. When the man's stare bores through me, pricking me somewhere I cannot name, I shrug. "I do not hasten death in anyone," I say. "Not anymore."
"We shall see," he says.
Filed under: Giveaways, Her Loving Husband's Curse Tagged: Giveaways, Her Loving Husband's Curse
March 23, 2012
Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Winners
First of all, thanks to everyone who entered. The winners of the Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway are:
E-Books:
Kathleen K.
Crystal F.
Judy C.
Paperbacks:
Georgette C.
Irene M.
Patricia Z.
BN.Com Gift Card
Alicia Marie E.
Next up for the hops hosted by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer is the Hoppy Easter Giveaway beginning April 6. On Monday, March 26, I'll be hosting my own giveaway. I'll be posting the Prologue to Her Loving Husband's Curse, Book Two of the Loving Husband Trilogy, and asking a question. The first five to respond correctly will be the winners. See you then!
Filed under: Giveaways Tagged: Giveaways, Her Dear & Loving Husband
March 19, 2012
Guest Post From Author Ciara Knight
Worldbuilding is my thing
I LOVE worldbuilding. There is nothing better than creating magical castles, freaky creatures, and Earthbound demons.
To set up the world for Rise from Darkness I decided to pick a hot and humid location. I grew up in Florida, so I knew a lot about the culture, weather, and habitat. The town I placed my hero and heroine in is Kemp, Florida, an isolated town on the west coast. Why is it isolated you ask? Because, the world isn't just built and the story is constructed to fit it, the world should almost be another character in your story. Since I had a character who wished to remain 'off the grid' the isolated town was a must. It followed the rules of my world.
Another reason I chose Florida was because the temperature is hot and humid. Palmetto bugs scurry in the woods and Spanish moss hangs from large oak trees. All true aspects of Florida and great setting for a demon story. The small sounds of nature, there is never a moment that mole crickets aren't chirping in the heat of the summer, became a warning symbol for demons.
Mood, sight, sounds, taste, and touch are all important parts to dig deep in POV, but giving each sense purpose strengthens the plot and gives the reader more.
One warning about worldbuilding: never throw in a plot element that doesn't fit the rules of your world. For instance, if you have a frog that turns people's hair purple if they touch him, and he's done this throughout the story, don't turn around a few chapters later and say his power is to turn mushrooms into gold and that's how he is able to buy the freedom of a princess being held by an evil sorcerer. Also, don't have a thunderstorm pop up if your characters live in the desert just because they need water.
What kind of thing pulls you into a story? Does it bother you when something doesn't fit?
Rise From Darkness
Book One: Battle of the Souls
Publisher: Turquoise Morning Press
Young Adult Paranormal
Alexander Lorre gives new meaning to the term "tormented teen." He's a newly fallen angel, which means he has the self-control of a three-year-old, the hormones of a teenager and the strength of an angel. When he rescues Gaby Moore from drowning, the chemistry between them is undeniable. With a local demon threatening Gaby's life, he struggles to find a balance between remaining close enough to protect her but distant enough to control his desires.
As danger draws closer, Gaby uncovers shattering secrets that will lead to an ultimate choice. Will she fight alongside her father, an earthbound hunter killing fallen angels and demons, give into the demon blood coursing through her veins and join the demon world, or save the man she loves from both? The first two choices damn her, but the last one could destroy them all.
About The Author:
Ciara Knight always had a passion for storytelling. At an early age, she wrote several short stories and poems, and in college she started work on her first novel. It wasn't until late 2008 that she returned to her true passion of writing. Over the past few years she has penned five novels and joined several professional writing organizations to better her craft.
When not writing, she enjoys reading all types of fiction. Some great literary influences in her life include Edgar Allen Poe, Shakespeare, Francine Rivers and J K Rowling.
Ciara is happily married and enjoys family time. She has learned to embrace chaos, which is a requirement when raising three boys, and utilizes the insanity to create stories not of this world including, Fantasy, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, and Young Adult Dystopian.
Her first love, besides her family, reading, and writing, is travel. She's backpacked through Europe, visited orphanages in China, and landed in a helicopter on a glacier in Alaska.
Website: www.ciaraknight.com
Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/Ciaraknightwrites
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/ciaratknight
Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: Bewitching Book Tours, Ciara Knight, guest blogs, Rise From Darkness
March 16, 2012
Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop
Welcome to the Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway! This hop runs from March 17 to March 22. Thanks to I Am a Reader, Not a Writer, Books Complete Me, and Author Cindy Thomas for hosting.
I have three e-copies of Her Dear & Loving Husband to give away as well as three paperback copies. If you're not familiar with the story, check here. There's also a $10 gift certificate to either Amazon.com or BN.com (your choice) for one lucky winner.
You must be a follower of this blog to enter. You can gain extra entries with the following:
Following this blog +1
Follow me on Twitter +1
Like The Copperfield Review on Facebook +1
Friend me on Goodreads +1
The extra entry options are available on the right sidebar of this page. Then fill out the form below and you're entered!
[contact-form]
There are over 200 great websites involved in this hop. Check here to see what other wonderful items you can win.
Filed under: Giveaways Tagged: Author Cindy Thomas, Books Complete Me, Giveaways, Her Dear & Loving Husband, I am a Reader Not a Writer
March 15, 2012
An Interview With Author Dawne Dominique
Thank you so much for hosting me today, Meredith. It's such a pleasure to be here.
What books did you love as a child? Why?
Pippi Longstocking in the South Seas. It was a very old book, and I have no idea where I got it from. She was so adventurous…and STRONG! But more importantly, she didn't care what other people thought…and I loved those pigtails! I had about twenty hard cover Nancy Drews. Oh, to still have them today. *sigh*
Who are your favorite authors? How did they influence your writing?
My favorite authors are J.R. Tolkien and Anne Rice. Need I say more? : ) My husband turned me on to fantasy when I was about 16. It was a genre I'd never read before. To say the least, I was instantly hooked.
In the early 1980′s, I purchased an Anne Rice book—it was on sale and the title intrigued me: The Feast of All Saints. Anne's writing style mesmerized me.
When did you decide you wanted to be a writer? Why did you decide to write?
In grade school, I always wrote silly stories, but they were just for me, a way to escape reality. In high school, I wrote poetry for basically the same reason. My grade 12 teacher found some of the pieces I'd written in my notebook and suggested I submit them to the yearbook committee. She was amazed at how my mind worked, how vivid and real my writing was. And here I thought I was just an odd duck. She pushed me to continue.
When do you find time to write?
*chuckles* I work three days a week as a paralegal. My days off are spent creating cover art for several publishers and authors, but the night…the night is my time to write.
What are the joys of writing for you?
I'm not a conventional writer, nor have I been one to "follow the crowd". My writing is an extension of who I am. I write for me and it makes me happy. To share a part of myself with people who enjoy what I write is pure bliss. I can die tomorrow be totally content.
What are the obstacles of writing? How do you overcome them?
I think I speak for a great many authors, but it's writer's block. I've suffered through a few bad bouts, but I believe everything happens for a reason. When I get past the wall, I produce some of my best writing. If I can make it to the week before a full moon without driving myself completely insane, the moon usually crumples the barrier and my muse goes wild.
What is your favorite genre to read in? Write in? Why?
I read a lot of fantasy. I try not to read vampire/werewolf books, as I don't want any outside influences affecting my writing, but I attempt to incorporate a little bit of fantasy in all my novels. Once this series is done, I have a LOT of catching up to do.
How would you describe your writing style? How did you develop it?
I can't really answer that because my style is my own. I have been compared to Anne Rice, but I write as Dawné Dominique. There's no purple prose with this gal. Each character I write is different. They have to be.
What was the inspiration for your book?
I wanted to write a "unique" vampire series. Heaven knows the genre has been written and rewritten a hundred different ways. By blending religious undertones and fiction together, I'd hoped to create a series in which readers could relate and understand…and perhaps believe it was possible.
What were the challenges of writing your story? The joys?
Dark Diary was originally the originating novel to this series. It was my first submission to a publisher too, who picked it up immediately. I was floored and tickled pink and blue. Unfortunately, it was short-lived. Just before my release date, things started happening. I immediately withdrew my submissions of Kindred and Crimson, but had to wait for my contract to expire before I could get Dark Diary back home. In the interim, I shelved the entire series for three years. I couldn't even look at it without crying, so I began writing another paranormal novel—one that was supposed to be a stand-alone. Halfway through the writing process, I realized it had to begin The First series. The challenges were trying to rewrite four full-length novels to coincide with Eden's Hell. Even though the experience left me scarred and still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, I learned so much from it. In that I'm very grateful for the experience and very glad it happened.
Do you do research for your writing? If so, how do you go about it (Internet, travel, etc.)?
I researched a lot for this series (and still do). I use the internet and libraries. Eden's Hell is based on the premises of Adam and Lillith, who was his first wife. I was raised Catholic and had no idea Adam had a mate before Eve. The research was a fascinating process. When I write, I want to ensure my facts are concise. Dark Diary was a little easier because it's situated here in my own Canadian city. Being a paralegal, research is second nature to me. I love it!
Tell us about your books.
How do I summarize five novels? Well, it's about how and why vampires came to be. It centralizes around characters who are the First of their race, and the forever battle between good and evil.
What did you learn about yourself from writing this book?
That patience is a virtue. Not everyone is going to like what I write, and I'm okay with that. As an author, I've had to grow thick skin. In this business it's a must.
What advice do you have for other writers?
Grow thicker skin…and never give up. Whatever obstacle is in your way, time and patience will alleviate it. Forge ahead and follow your dreams, your heart and your soul. It'll never steer you wrong.
What do you wish someone had told you about writing that you learned the hard way?
That sometimes less is more. Edits can hurt, but sometimes it must be done. : (
What is your next project?
I'm really trying to find time to write Hellhound Bound. It's about a paralegal who gets caught up in a murder trial she's working on. Hanna travels to a small town to interview an important witness in the case, who in turn tries to kill her. A hellhound shows up to take his target to hell, which coincidentally is the witness. When Hanna sees the monster, she realizes that the nightmares she'd suffered as a child were real.
Rhune has the worst job ever. He lives at his outdated gas station about 30 miles from anywhere during the day, but at night he delivers souls to hell. He's seen Hanna for years in her dreams…then she disappeared. Now he finds her all grown up and witnessing him devouring a human. Where the story goes from there, Hanna and Rhune will let me know. ☺
What are you reading now?
I'm not reading anything as I'm in full edits with Crimson Cries. When I'm editing my novels, I can't read.
Anything else you'd like your readers to know?
I find it so difficult to talk about myself. : ) For all you readers out there, if you're looking for a unique vampire series, take The First journey. You won't be disappointed.
Thank you again for having me here today, Meredith.
About the Books:
Eden's Hell, I: The First
In the beginning…
God created man and called him Adam, a fine specimen replicated in his own image. He then created woman to ease Adam's loneliness and named her Lillith. Unfortunately, God realized his mistake too late in giving woman free will, for she would rule her domain—not man.
When Lillith left Adam, God created another for his first-born son and gave her the name Eve and a kingdom called Eden, but by then it was too late, for he'd unleashed Hell into the world of man.
Dark Diary, II: The First
Daniella Rolfe, a seven-century old First vampire is unwittingly drawn together with a City of Winnipeg detective, who happens to be investigating a string of some rather bizarre serial murders. It doesn't take long for her to discover that this mere mortal man holds more power over her than any she's ever known.
And Aiden…he's only dreamed about women like Daniella.
Blood battles and broken vows are just the beginning of Daniella Rolfe's woes.
Kindred Blood, III: The First
There is nothing thicker—or stronger—than kindred blood.
Being married in Scotland sounds like the perfect romantic getaway, doesn't it? For Daniella Rolfe and Aiden Blackmore, the nightmare they'd left behind was just the beginning. When Aiden is kidnapped, Daniella will go to any lengths to ensure he's brought safely back to her, no matter the amount of blood to be shed. Together with Spencer Dalton, a private investigator she hired to help find Aiden, they begin to unravel more than they bargained for.
Broken vows are the least of Daniella's worries now.
*These books are erotic romance novels with strong sexual content*
About the Author:
Dawné Dominique is a multi-published author of paranormal romance and fantasy. Weaving tales of intrigue that include riveting characters and spellbinding plots, she takes great pleasure in immersing an unsuspecting reader into the worlds she created, refusing to let them go until that last page is read.
She embraces life with one simple rule:
"Everything in life happens for a reason, be it good or bad, and
it's because of this we learn to never take anything for granted."
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000501135339
Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: Bewitching Book Tours, Dawne Dominique, interviews, The First Series
March 8, 2012
An Interview With Author Joseph Devon
What books did you love as a child? Why?
I grew up with Doctor Seuss; those were the first books I ever read for myself. I think the draw there is self-evident if you're a fan. The fun rhymes and whimsical characters were, and still are, just a perfect match for kids. My first chapter books, I believe, were the original Hardy Boys adventures. They were hand-me-downs; they've been in my family for decades now and will be passed along to my nephews. They're great adventures and they do some major wish-fulfillment for young boys. I can see it now looking back. I mean these teenagers had access to helicopters, the ear of the chief of police, always got into adventures, and never had any parents around unless things really got dangerous, then they were always scooped out of trouble by their father. Sounds pretty perfect to me.
Do you do research for your writing? If so, how do you go about it (Internet, travel, etc.)?
I do a lot of research for my writing. For one, I'm constantly listening and looking around whenever I'm out. I try to train myself to treat everything as a chance for research, so I'll listen in on conversations around me or study faces or if possible I'll ask people how their job works or what they're day to day is like. I get a lot of good flavor that way for my writing. And then, if I have a large topic that I know I need to learn about, I'll just buy the biggest book about it I can and choke that down. I read a biography of Isaac Newton for Probability Angels that was probably the most boring thing I've ever read. But that's how I like my research, unfortunately. I just want dry, dusty facts, and then I'll take them and add color and spin. I don't want anyone else's spin on them before I get to them. Oh, and of course there's the Internet. I was writing a scene in a street in Frankfurt, and I've never been there, so I went to Google Maps and looked up Frankfurt and zoomed into street level and took a walking tour digitally. I mean that's an amazing tool.
What do you wish someone had told you about writing that you learned the hard way?
Nobody ever really talks about the second third of writing a book. Or maybe they do and I wasn't listening. Anyway, the first third of a book is pure lovely excitement. You're meeting new characters and discovering new settings and you have free reign because these are your starting decisions that you're making and nothing is guiding them. The last third of a book is exciting, though not as much, but you get a lift from seeing the ending coming at you and knowing that soon you'll be able to show it to people as a completed project. The middle third? The middle third is horrible. It's just an annoying, grueling, march through a bog. The excitement drains off and you don't have your freedom anymore because you have to make sure things line up with your early choices. And you're too far from the ending to think about that. So you just have to sit down, type, push yourself to get your word count, day after day and week after week. Nobody really told me about how a book turns into boring old desk work in that middle third. That was a bit of a shock when I learned that one the hard way.
When do you find time to write?
It depends on what I'm working on. For shorter things I'll wing it or write when I get a rush. For books, though, I take a good look at my schedule and I make time to write. And I stick to that. Even when it gets sloggish. And I keep in mind that it is always always always better to write 200 words a day for 10 days straight than to plan on writing 1000 words at some day in the future. Take the little bit of sure-thing writing time and stick to it one day at a time. Next thing you know you have a book done. Well…it's not exactly that easy but still…
Tell us about your book.
Probability Angels is an Urban Fantasy novel about a group of beings, call them ghosts, call them angels, call them phantoms, it doesn't matter, they've been called worse. But they're all former humans who died under specific circumstances. They didn't die together, mind you, but the moment of their deaths all contained a moment of self-sacrifice. So because of this, they were given a choice: they could either pass on to whatever comes next, or they could stick around on this world and become a tester, a near immortal being that pushes humans to ensure that they live up to their full potential. The book mostly follows Matthew, who is new to all of this, and Epp, his mentor, who is a two-thousand year old tester. We learn about the world of testers along with Matthew and, just as he starts to feel comfortable in his role…well there's a bit of an uprising. But I don't want to give too much away.
What is your next project?
Probability Angels is the first book of a trilogy. The second book, Persistent Illusions, will be going on tour in about a month. So my next project is to write the third book in the series and finish off the trilogy. I'm doing research right now for that by reading a lot of not very exciting history books.
How would you describe your writing style? How did you develop it?
My writing style came about in a pretty odd way. Looking back at the classes and teachers I had in high-school, the biggest influence on my writing turns out to have been my Latin class with Miss Alexander. I didn't learn…well any Latin, sadly (although I can still quote the first few lines of the Aenead). But we read the great poets and orators of ancient Rome in Latin and that was where I really started to learn about how each and every word counts. Ovid, Catullus, Cicero, Virgil, they made every word work double-time for them. They also were happy to break their laws of grammar if they felt a word could have more impact placed incorrectly in a sentence. That was a huge impact on me. I tend not to focus on proper grammar and wind up sculpting sentences however I feel they work best instead. I mean I don't write gibberish, but sometimes new readers take a few pages to adjust.
Who are your favorite authors? How did they influence your writing?
I love a lot of different favorites, but the ones that have had the largest influence are Joyce, Hemingway, Salinger, and Fitzgerald. Joyce ties in with what I was saying before about my Latin influence. The man has zero regard for grammar and frankly reinvented English every time he put a sentence to paper. And he made every little detail mean something. Hemingway taught me to get out of my own way. His stark style is a favorite of mine and I always try to take words away during my rewrites instead of adding. Less is always more for me. Salinger I don't read that much anymore, but his style is so chatty that he gave me the courage to relax and find my own voice. Also his dialogue is still second to none for me. And Fitzgerald? I don't know, I just love The Great Gatsby and can read it over and over so I probably learned something from him. How I went from those influences to writing zombie books is beyond me, though.
When did you decide you wanted to be a writer? Why did you decide to write?
I think it was eighth grade English class. We were assigned a creative writing project to write a short story. So I did. It was a science fiction story about some monster attacking…a planet? I can't even remember. At any rate there was a pure joy that came with writing the opening of that story. I remember it opened with the mayor of the planet (yes the mayor) closing out a press conference about the monster attacks and I slipped in and out of his head and recapped a bit because I had started in media res and, basically, it was the best feeling ever. That was why I decided to write. There's something intoxicating about being the teller of tales.
What was the inspiration for your book?
A few years ago I was not very happy with the work I was putting out. It was too formulaic and overly planned. So I decided that I was going to start a writing project where I would write a short story every two weeks for a year. I figured that would shake things up for me for certain. So after I had written two stories for that project I was totally out of ideas and I started kicking around the notion of doing a Twilight Zone sort of story, one where the main character makes a deal with the devil and things turn out all ironic for him at the end. Only this immediately seemed boring to me because I'd written something like that before, so I kept noodling with it. Eventually I started asking myself if it would be possible for the "devil" character to actually be the good guy in the story. That got me thinking about how sometimes the bad things that have come my way have actually turned out to be the best things to come my way because of how I grew from them and learned from them. So wouldn't it be interesting if that "devil" character was actually misunderstood because the bad things he caused made us grow and learn? And that, in a very oversimplified way, is what the world of Probability Angels is all about.
Anything else you'd like your readers to know?
I'd love to tell your readers about the two contests I'm currently running.
The first is The Great Typo Hunt. I encourage readers to email me if they find a typo and if it checks out they can win a signed copy of one of my books:
http :// josephdevon . com / contest / the - great - typo - hunt /
The second is my Annual Fan Art Contest. There's a lot of great prizes to choose from for simply submitting art based on my books:
http :// josephdevon . com / contest / the - third - annual - joseph - devon - art - contest /
Probability Angels
By Joseph Devon
About the Book:
Matthew knows that he died twenty years ago. He has, after all, been bouncing around New York city ever since, causing mischief and having fun as a supernatural being. But recently some problems have been cropping up: not only is he hallucinating things in garbage cans, but his mentor doesn't think he's working up to his full potential, his best friend can't offer any solace but drunken confusion, and his wife is dying in Central Park.
See, the past twenty years haven't meant a thing because now it's time for Matthew to make his second choice and become a tester of humanity.
And that's all before the zombies show up.
Come explore the world of Matthew and Epp and see what a samurai from Feudal Japan has to do with the course of modern physics, what a two-thousand year old Roman slave has to do with the summit of Mount Everest, and what a dead man from Brooklyn has to do with the fate of the world.
About the Author:
Joseph Devon was born in New Jersey and currently lives in New York. He's been a student, a nanny, worked at the Ground Zero recovery project after 9/11, and of all the things he's created he is probably most proud of the character Kyo. He writes a blog, enjoys photography and he's also at flickr, and tumblr, and twitter — sometimes he thinks that he might have one too many social networking outlets. Joseph's Annual Fan Art Contest has a lot of great prizes to choose from for simply submitting art based on his books — check it out at: http://josephdevon.com/contest/the-third-annual-joseph-devon-art-contest/.
Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: interviews, Joseph Devon, Nurture Virtual Book Tourz, Probability Angels
March 6, 2012
Leap Into Books Giveaway Contest Winners
Here are the winners for the Leap into Books Giveaway:
E-Books
Barbara Butler
Sarah Lehan
Shirley
Paperbacks
Lilian Cheng
Cindy Macbeth
Cassandra Martino
$10 Amazon Gift Certificate
Barbara Ryan
Thank you to everyone who entered. I'll be back on March 17 for the Lucky Leprechaun giveaway. See you then!
Filed under: Giveaways Tagged: Giveaways, Leap Into Books Giveaway
March 5, 2012
Her Dear & Loving Husband is FREE this week!
To celebrate "Read an E-Book Week" Smashwords is holding a site-wide sale and Her Dear & Loving Husband is FREE until March 10, 2012. If you're not familiar with the story, check here. Use code RE100 when you check out: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/49588.
Filed under: Her Dear & Loving Husband, News Tagged: Her Dear & Loving Husband, Read an E-Book Week, Smashwords
