Nicky Peacock's Blog, page 8

Interview with Laurisa White Reyes

Tell us about your publishing journey…

I started writing books about a decade ago and was fortunate to have my first two middle grade novels, The Rock of Ivanore & The Last Enchanter, published by Tanglewood Press. But I found that I loved reading young adult novels, so I decided to give that a try. The result was, CONTACT, a sci-fi thriller about a girl who can upload people’s psyches with a single touch, an ability that drives her to attempted suicide. The book was originally published by Hallowed Ink Press, but HIP went out of business a year later. I am very lucky that Evernight Teen liked the book and re-published it. They even made it an Editor’s Pick.



What do you love about being an author?

I love the way characters seem to take on a life of their own. When I get about half way through a project, it begins to feel like the story exists outside of me and that I’m just the one writing it all down. It’s the moment when a story and the characters break free, become independent of the creator. It’s kind of magical.



If you could have dinner with any literary character, who would it be and what would you eat?

Jo March from Little Women. When I was a young girl, I wanted to be Jo March. Jo is strong-willed, feisty, and a writer. I’d love to pick her brain and just spend a little creative face-to-face time with her. I would probably want to introduce her to sushi, since I don’t think would have ever tried that in the 19th century.

 
If your book was to be made into a movie, who would you cast as the leads?






That’s tough. I’m a bit older than my readers, and many of the actors I love are closer to my age and would naturally be too old for CONTACT. But maybe Daisy Ridley (Star Wars) or Selena Gomez (don’t laugh!) could play Mira. For her love interest, David, Diego Boneta (Pretty Little Liars) has the right look.



Vampires – do you prefer them as sexy leads or blood hungry monsters?

I recently read Bram Stoker’s Dracula for the first time, and I was stunned how scary it was. I imagine it was terrifying back in 1897 when it was first published. The best vampires remain true to Stoker’s original vision–suave, sophisticated, but also cruel and violent. They are the epitome of irresistible evil.



If you had a time machine, which era would you go back to and why?

There isn’t a time in history I wouldn’t want to see. I’m kind of an ancient history buff. But I suppose if I chose one era, I’d love to travel back 2100 years to the time of Jesus Christ, see some of those miracles first hand. Then again, I’m not so sure I’d want to face the Romans or live in a time prior to ibuprophen or antibiotics.



What life advice do you wish you’d been given sooner?

To write books. To follow my dream. I wanted to become a novelist since I was a kid, but it took until I was forty-two before I actually did it. I wish I’d started pursuing my dream sooner.





If you were a supernatural creature, what would you be and why?

I’m really not into supernatural creatures. Ask me what super hero I’d want to be, and I’d say Kitty Pryde from the X-Men. I love how she can phase through walls. I’m a total Marvel Universe geek.



Where do you write best?

Anywhere where I am alone, which is no where. I have five children and a house full of people. So I quite literally never get any peace and quiet time, which makes it very difficult to write. I’ve tried going to the library, but you’d be surprised how noisy libraries can be. Normally, I write at my desk in my home office. At least I can close the door.



What was the last book you read, and what were your thoughts on it?

The Dogs by Allan Stratton. It’s a middle grade horror novel. It had just enough creep factor and mystery to give a kid chills. Perfect book for reluctant readers. I’m always on the look out for good horror novels for all ages. For adults, I recently read The Troop by Nick Cutter about these boy scouts on a island who get infected with genetically modified worms that make them really, really hungry. Some pretty disgusting things happen. Loved it.



If you didn’t write in your genre, which other would you prefer and why?



My secret dream is to be a horror novelist. CONTACT has some elements of horror, and I just finished writing a horror/sci-fi manuscript set on a distant planet with an invisible creature that rips the characters to shreds. Hoping to get that published in the near future.


Where can fans find you online?

The best way to keep up with me is via my e-newsletter. People can subscribe for free on my website:http://www.laurisawhitereyes.com/ or blog http://laurisareyes.blogspot.com./ I’m also on Facebook  and Twitter.
Filed under: Interviews with other authors Tagged: Contact, horror, Laurisa Reyes, Teen reads, YA fiction

Interview with Medeia Sharif

Tell us about your publishing journey…

It took me a long time to break in. I queried for thirteen years, for several manuscripts, until I found the agent who sold my first book. After that agent and I parted ways, I’ve had subsequent books and short stories published through small presses.

What do you love about being an author?

I love creating stories. I can’t imagine not writing. Then to have people tell me that they enjoy my work is uplifting.

If you could have dinner with any literary character, who would it be and what would you eat?

I’m a fan of Erica Jong’s Isadora books, so I’d have dinner with Isadora Wing. I’d go with Thai, since that’s my favorite restaurant food.

If your book was to be made into a movie, who would you cast as the leads?

I have no idea. I don’t watch many TV shows or movies, so I’m out of touch with today’s celebrities.

Vampires – do you prefer them as sexy leads or blood hungry monsters?

Since I lean towards horror, I’d say blood hungry monsters.

If you had a time machine, which era would you go back to and why?

I’d love to visit the 1960’s and 1970’s (although I was born in the latter part of the ’70s). I find the societal changes during those decades fascinating. I also like the music, fashion, and entertainment of that time.

What life advice do you wish you’d been given sooner?

To get involved. I did many things alone and in a bubble when I would’ve learned things faster by working with and receiving support from like-minded people.

If you were a supernatural creature, what would you be and why?

I’ve always been fascinated by vampires since an early age, so I would choose that creature. From shows to movies to books, they’ve always captured my imagination.

Where do you write best?

My home office space. Sometimes I write somewhere else in my home or at a public spot, but that space is where I write the most.

What was the last book you read, and what were your thoughts on it?

The last book I read was Kelly Hashway’s Out of the Ashes. It’s book 2 in a paranormal YA series. It has mystery, romance, and so many other wonderful elements.

If you didn’t write in your genre, which other would you prefer and why?

I’d love to try writing one of those sweeping speculative fiction series that run into 3 or more installments, either paranormal or sci-fi. I’ve had ideas for them, but never planned them out.

Where can fans find you online?

I have a website, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads page.

Filed under: Interviews with other authors Tagged: Evernight Teen, Medeia Sharif, Teen reads, vampires, YA books

Interview with Christine Potter

What do you love about being an author?

I love writing.  I love getting a scene down on paper, complete with everything: who’s fiddling with the focus ring on her camera, what it actually felt like to sit in a seat at the old Fillmore East (where the best rock and roll bands played in New York City in the 60’s), what it’s like to have your first sip of wine.  I love dissolving into writing.

If you could have dinner with any literary character, who would it be and what would you eat?

Hmmm…I’d gladly eat anything Meg Murry’s mother (from Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle In Time) felt like heating up over her bunsen burner.  I think I’d just like to sit at the Murry family’s dinner table, and have a little chat with Meg and Charles Wallace.

If your book was to be made into a movie, who would you cast as the leads?

The characters in Time Runs Away With Her are 16 years old in the year 1970.  Bean Donohue, the time traveler, is a green-eyed redhead, and her true love Zak has silvery blonde hair that reaches down his back—sort of a very young Johnny Winter, although not quite as pale! Assuming I had the funds to do it, I think I’d want to cast unknown actors, young folks who were in high school themselves.

Vampires – do you prefer them as sexy leads or blood hungry monsters?

Sexy leads, for sure!!  I have a sort of vampiric character (not a real vampire, though) in the sequel to Time Runs Away With Her.

If you had a time machine, which era would you go back to and why?

If I had a time machine, I’d be in it all the time. I write time travel! My books are set in the Hudson River Valley of New York State, and I’d love to see that in Colonial times—and also in the late 19th Century, when the one percent of that time built their huge mansions.  I love old houses!

What life advice do you wish you’d been given sooner?

I wish someone had told me to trust love more.  I don’t know whether I’d have believed the advice or taken it, but the older I get, the more I know that love is the strongest force in the world.

If you were a supernatural creature, what would you be and why?

Perhaps I’d be a Hogwarts-educated wizard.  I always liked the way Molly Weasley does housework without working up too much of a sweat. A wand would be useful.  Also, I don’t love driving cars, and I have to do that all the time! Magical transportation sounds much nicer.

Where do you write best?

I am blessed with a really pretty office.  It’s on the bottom floor of our very old and haunted house.  Our place was built in 1740, and I think the room I’m in was added in the mid eighteen hundreds.  I have an old-school desktop computer that I write on, and a view of a creek and the woods.

What was the last book you read, and what were your thoughts on it?

I’m a big music fan. I DJ, sing classical and folk music, and I especially love to listen to and read about rock and roll.  Just finished Patti Smith’s second memoir,  M Train.  I love her spirit!  The woman rides her life like a pirate sailing a ship.

If you didn’t write in your genre, which other would you prefer and why?

I’m actually a poet, as well as a YA novelist.  I have two poetry collections: Zero Degrees at First Light, and Sheltering in Place.   I switch back and forth between the genres a fair amount.  I think I’d like to experiment a little with New Adult books; it’s an interesting genre with a little more freedom to be frank.

Where can fans find you online?

I’m very findable on Facebook personally (https://www.facebook.com/christine.potter.543), and there’s a page dedicated to Time Runs Away With Her: https://www.facebook.com/beanstravels/

My blog is called Time Travels, and it’s here: http://chrispygal.weebly.com/

Filed under: Interviews with other authors Tagged: Christine Potter, Evernight Teen, Teen reads, Time runs away with her, time travel fiction, YA fiction

Book Spotlight: Traitors’ Gate (Battle of the Undead Prequel) by Nicky Peacock

Want to know how the Battle of the Undead started? Well, download you FREE copy of Traitors’ Gate today. A historical urban fantasy that stars some familiar faces from Bad Blood and Bad Timing, and some not so familiar ones.

Download here…

Battle of the Undead: prequel

Only time will tell who the traitors really are…

Sixteen-year-old Lucinda is getting the home-coming from hell. England is in the grip of the War of the Roses and her tyrant father has promised her hand to a vile man three times her age. In need of aid, she seeks sanctuary with an old childhood friend only to find him accused of treachery and harboring a supernatural secret. All too soon Lucinda is caught in a fight that’s not her own but, to be with the man she loves, she’ll gladly take up arms.

When you stand at Traitors’ Gate, keep the vampires close, and the zombies as far away as possible!

14+ due to violence and adult situations

Excerpt:

I rush into the dining room like the wind on a stormy night, gaining a withering look from Mistress. Black who is seated at the table along with my father and a strange man.

“And this is Lucinda,” my father says pointing at me. The man next to him gets up and smiles at me. He bows slightly and takes my hand in a sweaty grip. He drags his moist lips over my palm in what I assume is a romantic gesture. I look over at father, who doesn’t seem to care.

“This is Lord Appleby. He has a large estate in Dorset.”

“Dorset? My, that’s quite some way away.” I try to smile at him, but fail miserably.

“Yes, you’ll love it there.” Lord Appleby sits back down to the right of my father and Ms. Black physically moves me to the seat across from him.

Lord Appleby is painfully thin with almost black eyes and a complexion liked a cooked frog. I imagine him putting his arms around me, and I shiver; it would be like being enclosed by a sallow fleshy girdle. The dinner slowly marches through seven courses, every one of my favorites from Mistress. Leighton’s repertoire, but each plate is tainted by the obvious conclusion to my homecoming: my father has sold me and didn’t even have the decency to tell me beforehand. I’m to become Lady Lucinda Appleby, the sixteen year old wife to a forty year old man who eats with his mouth open and, as he’d gotten drunker through the evening, and has become more and more leery, regardless of Mistress Black or my father’s presence.

The moment I finish chewing the last piece of the cheese and bread I stand up.

“I’m tired from my journey, so I will bid you goodnight, father, Lord Appleby, Ms. Black.” I nod to each of them and turn to leave.

“Wait,” my father says, “Lord Appleby would like a turn around the garden with you.”

I glance toward the window. It must be at least ten o’clock and is pitch black outside.

“Now?” I ask.

My father narrows his eyes at me.

“Oh please, yes. I so love a garden at night.” Lord Appleby jumps to his feet and moves to my side. He’s protecting me. Have I misjudged him? I take his arm and we head into the garden.

Outside, the chill of the night air pinches at my bare arms. I look at Lord Appleby in his lovely warm cloak, but he makes no move to offer it to me in any kind of gentlemanly gesture.

“And these are the white roses,” I say. “My father planted them for my mother.” I linger at the small patch of buds that I remembered as being much bigger, fuller, and more fragrant.

“Ah yes, we are all white roses here,” he says with an exaggerated wink. He’s referring to the House of York. A war has been raging for quite some time between the white rose of York and the red rose of Lancaster, each backing a different king for the throne of England.

We make strained small talk for a while longer as we walk farther away from the lights of the house. Suddenly he stops and grabs my elbow, spinning me round so my body is flush against his.

“I do hope you are amenable to this arrangement, Lucinda,” he says.

I try to pull back, but he’s stronger than he looks and holds me firm. “Please let me go.”

I look up into his eyes and see a slight madness there, a malevolence that I hadn’t noticed before.

“Let me go!” I say again.

“Just a kiss,” he whispers and lowers his lips to mine.

I pull my head back so that he lands his kiss on my chest. I’m unsure as to whether that is worse than his mouth on mine. His grip on me tightens and he begins to slobber rough kisses over my collarbone, while his hand frantically pulls up my petticoats ripping into them as he does. I scream, but no one comes. I struggle and pull back as far as I can from him, falling halfway out his grasp. A wild look crosses his face and he raises up a hand and slaps my cheek. The blow makes me stagger backward, out of his clutches. He stares at me for a moment. I kick him in the crotch. He doubles over with a strained groan. I run.

Filed under: Book Review, Nicky's Posts - My ramblings... Tagged: battle of the undead, historical teen, Nicky Peacock, princes in the tower, tower of london, traitors gate, vampires

Interview with Amy Braun

Amy Braun and Crimson Sky– MINOR SPOILERS BELOW

When you began writing Crimson Sky, did you know the direction the series would take?

Yes and no. I had an idea of what I wanted the characters to achieve, but I had no idea how they would get there. I didn’t really know what Claire’s key from her mother would be used for, and I was still working on the history between her parents and the Hellions. But the more I wrote, the better understanding I had of the series and how it should progress. Hopefully readers will want to continue reading into the second book, which will be just as exciting as the first.

What were the challenges in writing Crimson Sky?

To be honest, I don’t remember the story being that challenging as compared to some of my other work. Oh, there were times where I had to sit back and really think about what I was doing, and the research was bland as ever, but I knew I had to move past the roadblocks and just get the story done. The more I wrote, the more eager I was to reach the end, just to see how it ended.

What inspired the design of Westraven?

One of my favorite movies is The Lord of the Rings. They’re beautiful films and the set design is incredible. I loved the look of Gondor, and I actually based the setting of Westraven off that city. A flatter, less medieval version to be sure, but I liked the idea of a crumbling city of white stones. I have another steampunk series planned that follows the more traditional ideas of a derelict steampunk town, but I didn’t want to write the same setting for two very different series’. I also think that Westraven’s stony, broken look gives a certain, haunting echo to the story, and I think a lot of readers will like it. There are still places in and outside of Westraven that haven’t been seen yet, and I can’t wait for readers to see them.

Why did you choose vampires as the monsters?

It’s true that vampires are overused in fiction. It’s not something that’s lost on me. But the thing with vampires is that they’re such a changeable species, and when you stick to the tradition (more or less), they will always be terrifying. I modeled them after the vampires from Thirty Days of Night– they hide in the shadows, are super fast and savage, and have their own, animalistic language. I can’t read those books or watch that movie without getting chills when I see those vampires. Plus, I like the idea that even after its destruction, the Hellions continue to suck the life out of Westraven and its inhabitants. That definitely seems to raise the stakes.

What can we expect in future books in the series?

Dark Sky will be a collection of three full length novels and two prequel novellas when it’s all said and done. Right now, the sequel, Midnight Sky, is scheduled for release in August 2016, with the novellas to be released in October and December. The final novel is scheduled for February 2017. Midnight Sky will have a lot of surprise reveals and twists, and an ending I seriously doubt anyone will expect. There will also be a lot more chemistry and interactions between Claire and Sawyer, which I think will leave a lot of readers happy. The novellas will focus on the secondary characters, Gemma and Nash, and chronicle their adventures before they joined Sawyer’s crew. I won’t say anything about the third and final novel, because I don’t want to give anything away, but let’s just say that things are going to get dark for our heroes, and they’ll find themselves in places they never expected. And that’s a good thing, because you can’t write a steampu

nk pirate story without some wild adventures.

What’s the one question you dread in interviews?

I’ve been forced to re-write a couple of my stories and push my deadlines back, and while the question hasn’t been asked yet, I dread the day someone asks “When can we expect Book Such And Such,” and I have to awkwardly answer that it needs to be delayed another year because I have to start from scratch again.

Which book do you wish you’d written and why?

All of my favourite books are ones that I’ve drawn inspiration from, and I know that I would never have been able to replicate all the ideas the author came up with. They’d have had some amazing idea that I would have completely glossed over. Having said that, I gotta go with the Elemental Assassin series by Jennifer Estep. Among my favourite books of all time, I love how Estep is always able to create an exciting new story with beloved characters. It’s the series that made her famous among urban fantasy lovers, her heroine is absolutely fantastic, and her fight scenes are always inventive. All of this has earned her legions of followers and fans. I won’t lie and say I’m not a little jealous, but she’s earned her success.

Who is your favorite villain and hero?

Oh man, this is tricky. As far as mythology goes, I’ve always loved Loki. He’s the ultimate trickster. No one can tell what’s going on in his head until they suffer because of it. Not to mention that he’s hot as hell with Tom Hiddelston playing him. As far as book/TV villains, I have to go with the villains from Game of Thrones. They’re exquisitely crafted, and even if it makes you sick, you understand them. Which makes their actions all the more horrifying.

What are you watching on TV at the moment?

I actually haven’t had the time to catch up on the many, many, many TV shows I’m behind on, but I’m going between the new seasons of Supernatural and The Walking Dead right now. I feel behind because I’m busy writing, but hopefully I can find the will to take a day and unwind to watch what Sam/Dean and Rick/Daryl get up to, hopefully before Facebook spoils me.

A genie pops out of a lamp, what’s the first thing you wish for?

A publisher to sign me on for a book deal that will let me quit my Real Job and allow me to write full time. Alternatively, more time so I can write all the books I want to write and turn my dream into a career. Outside of writing, I’d probably ask for an endless supply of money to travel the world and see all the cities and countries I’ve always wanted to see. Wait, that’s three wishes. Can genies still give out three wishes?

About Amy Braun

Amy’s current work includes the full length novels Demon’s Daughter, Dark Divinity, Crimson Sky, and Path of the Horseman, and the novella Needfire. She has short stories in various horror and urban fantasy anthologies such as Call From The Grave, Hotel Hell, Survivalism in The Dead Walk: Volume 2, Dismantle in The Steam Chronicles, Lost Sky in Avast, Ye Airships!, Secret Suicide in That Hoodoo, Voodoo, That You Do, Bring Back The Hound in Stomping Grounds, Charlatan Charade in Lost in the Witching Hour, and her award winning short Dark Intentions And Blood in AMOK! Amy can be found online through her frequently updated blog, Literary Braun (literarybraun.blogspot.ca), as well as on Twitter (@amybraunauthor) and Facebook (facebook.com/amybraunauthor).

Filed under: Interviews with other authors Tagged: Amy Braun, crimson sky, needfire, Steampunk, vampires

Traitors’ Gate book tour dates

The prequel to my Battle of the Undead series will be out soon – my publishers, Evernight Teen have arranged a virtual book tour to celebrate the release.

Tour dates:

2/29 Young Adult & Teen Reads
http://teenyoungadultromance.blogspot.com/

2/29 Darkest Cravings
http://darkestcravings.blogspot.com/

3/1 Get Cozy
http://get-cozy.blogspot.com

3/2 The Book Pub
http://thebookpub.blogspot.com

3/3 Seeing Stars
http://seeingstarsteenya.blogspot.com

3/4 Fantasy Pages
http://www.fantasypages.ca/

3/5 All Book Finds
http://shannaclemens.blogspot.com

3/6 Nics Book Nook
http://nicsbooknook.blogspot.com

3/7 Nikki Noffsinger 
http://nikkitrueblue.blogspot.com/
Filed under: Book Review, Nicky's Posts - My ramblings... Tagged: bad blood, bad timing, historical teen, horror, Nicky Peacock, Paranormal Cravings Book Tours, paranormal romance, supernatural, traitors gate, vampires, YA books, YA fiction, zombies

Interview with…Nicky Peacock

So, why do a self-interview?

Well, Nicky at the risk of appearing schizophrenic I thought perhaps I could use this opportunity to ask myself the questions that don’t tend to get asked in other interviews. And of course, be incredibly honest with my answers. You can’t lie to yourself, well you can, but it’s not healthy!

What advice would you give a new writer?

Honestly, only go into writing if you are passionate about it. I love writing, always have, but if you don’t have the time and energy to properly dedicate to it, it’s best to find another hobby/ career. People who are outside the publishing industry tend to not know the efforts that have to go in to getting published, sure they’ve probably read big time author stories romanced up to the point where it’s three steps away from reality, but they’ve not experienced it themselves. To be fair, until they do, they won’t understand. There are lots of friends and even family in my life that only see the end product of the book in their hand, they don’t see the nights I stayed up editing, the lunch times I worked on my blog, and all the spare hours I could get my hands on to actually write. Only other authors truly appreciate these efforts. So, finding other writers to talk to is paramount to keep your sanity!

What question do you dread in interviews?

How did you come up with the idea for your novel? I hate seeing this question as the answer is always awful sounding. There are so many ideas, characters and plots that go into writing a novel and they all spring from somewhere – some can be very personal. I always try to be honest in interviews, so I find it really hard to spin my answer in such a way that I don’t sound psychotic or condescending!

Your new book Bad Timing continues the Battle of the Undead series with Evernight Teen. Was writing a second book harder?

Oddly, no. I have an overall plot for the series in my mind, so it kind of felt cathartic to get the story on paper. I love the character of Britannia and I feel a certain sense of duty to get her to her ending, whether it’s happy or not. The one thing I am worried about with it though, is that you have to read the books in order for them to make sense. I’d hate for a reader to start with Bad Timing as they’d have no idea what is going on!

How do you feel about promoting your own books?

I’ve worked in sales and marketing now for 16 years, so I really enjoy it. As the author, I’m passionate about my work so getting it out to the widest audience possible is as much my responsibility as my publishers. Some days I can’t write a coherent sentence to save my life, so it’s nice to have another job to get on with which is just as productive. I also really appreciate it when readers and bloggers help me to get the word out – makes me feel like I’ve done something right.

Tell us something about yourself that you wouldn’t normally reveal…

I’m highly competitive but incredibly lazy. This makes for an interesting combination. My inner self is pretty much always at war. A big part of me wants nothing more than to turn on Netflix and binge watch with a tub of mint choc chip ice cream. The other part of me wants to win, to push myself to my limits and get to the top with hard work and dedication. The latter tends to win more battles, but it’s an ongoing war!

What do you feel passionately about?

Helping other writers find their way. I have a writers’ group that’s really busy and I’m volunteering to do creative writing workshops for local schools and libraries. Writing can really help to focus you, exorcise demons and if all goes well give you an extra income. I’m currently striving to provide the support for wannabe authors that I didn’t get when I was younger. I also really enjoy inspiring other writers. I have quite a busy mind, so playing muse to others is a great way for me to focus too. If I could get a job as a muse, I’d be there like a shot!

What was the best story you ever wrote?

I love all my stories, I wouldn’t put them out into the world if I didn’t. But there are three short stories that I put my whole heart into. For Audrey appears in the So Long and Thanks for all the Brains anthology – this story is about a zombie dog protecting his child owner in a zombie uprising. It never fails to make me cry! Bad Baby appears in the Bleeding Ink anthology. It was an idea based in science but marinated in emotion. The Red Fingers appears in Grotesquerie anthology, is probably the most ‘out of the box’ story I’ve written, it’s all from the point of view of a musical talent. The Battle of the Undead series published through Evernight Teen is my first sole author books, so these will always have a special place in my heart.

How do you deal with bad days?

Everyone has them, I try to remember this, but I have developed a trick that makes me feel so much better…the montage. Montages are mostly found in scripts but sometimes in prose; it’s where a character skips through a portion of their lives in short scenes; this leads them to their destiny, usually with uplifting music – think Rocky training to Eye of the Tiger. After a bad day, I sit down, close my eyes and imagine my day as a montage of events (usually to the song Nine to Five by Dolly Parton) Once finished I feel better, that I the protagonist of my own story is heading toward my destiny, one country song montage at a time!

What are you working on at the moment?

Well, it’s the last installment of Battle of the Undead, Bad Karma and also the 2nd installment of my new series, The Twisted and the Brave. I also have another story eating away at my brain, like a toothy worm – but I’ll update you all on this one when I know more.

Filed under: Interviews with other authors, Nicky's Posts - My ramblings... Tagged: bad blood, bad karma, bad timing, battle of the undead, Evernight Teen, lost in wonderland, Nicky Peacock, the twisted and the brave, traitors gate, zombies vs vampires

Book Spotlight: Crimson Sky by Amy Braun

Crimson Sky by Amy Braun

Synopsis:

They’re always watching. They’re always waiting. They’re always starving…

Ten years ago, the sky shattered and the Hellions emerged. No one was able to keep them from destroying the city of Westraven. Now that the bloodthirsty monsters rule the skies and have forced the few remaining humans underground, Claire Abernathy lives in a nightmare. She survives by using her skills as an engineer for a ruthless tyrant connected to her mother and father’s past failure.

Then Claire’s world is torn apart when her sister Abby is kidnapped by the Hellions, and Claire herself is taken by dangerous sky pirates known as marauders. But Claire will not be intimidated by them while her sister’s life hangs by a thread, and so she strikes a deal with them: If they help rescue Abby, she will fix their ship and give them the chance to take the revenge they desperately seek.

As Claire fights for her sister’s life, she begins to realize that the Hellions are not the only dangers she’ll face. Burdensome secrets and devastating betrayals threaten her at every turn, and if she loses herself to them, it won’t just be her life that is destroyed…

About the Author:

Amy is a Canadian urban fantasy and horror author. Her work revolves around monsters, magic, mythology, and mayhem. She started writing in her early teens, and never stopped. She loves building unique worlds filled with fun characters and intense action. She is the recipient of April Moon Books Editor Award for “author voice, world-building and general bad-assery,” and the One Book Two Standout Award in 2015 for her Cursed trilogy. She has been featured on various author blogs and publishing websites, and is an active member of the Writing GIAM and Weekend Writing Warrior communities. When she isn’t writing, she’s reading, watching movies, taking photos, gaming, and struggling with chocoholism and ice cream addiction.

Amy’s current work includes the full length novels Demon’s Daughter, Dark Divinity, Crimson Sky, and Path of the Horseman, and the novella Needfire. She has short stories in various horror and urban fantasy anthologies such as Call From The Grave, Hotel Hell, Survivalism in The Dead Walk: Volume 2, Dismantle in The Steam Chronicles, Lost Sky in Avast, Ye Airships!, Secret Suicide in That Hoodoo, Voodoo, That You Do, Bring Back The Hound in Stomping Grounds, Charlatan Charade in Lost in the Witching Hour, and her award winning short Dark Intentions And Blood in AMOK! Amy can be found online through her frequently updated blog, Literary Braun (literarybraun.blogspot.ca), as well as on Twitter (@amybraunauthor) and Facebook (facebook.com/amybraunauthor).

The first novel in a brand new series, CRIMSON SKY, the first 238 page novel of the DARK SKY books, marks the beginning of new characters as they forge their way through a shattered world, struggling to erase the perceptions left behind by their families, and relying on unlikely allies to survive horrors that have become commonplace…

Buy through Amazon.co.uk

Filed under: Book Review Tagged: Amy Braun, crimson sky, horror, Steampunk

Cover Reveal – Traitors’ Gate – Battle of the Undead – Prequel

Due out very soon through Evernight Teen, the prequel to Bad Blood and Bad Timing – Traitors’ Gate. A historical urban fantasy that takes you back to where it all began…

Filed under: Book Review, Nicky's Posts - My ramblings... Tagged: bad blood, bad timing, battle of the undead, historical urban fantasy, horror, Nicky Peacock, prequel, teen books, traitors gate, vampires, Ya Reads, zombies

Evernight Teen 3rd Birthday Blog Hop!

EVERNIGHT TEEN is celebrating their anniversary this month with a 3rd Birthday Blog Hop. It’s EVERNIGHT TEEN’s birthday but we’re giving out the presents with a Grand Prize of a $100 Amazon gift certificate!

EVERNIGHT TEEN books feature fresh teen fiction that is raw, gritty and real. Whether paranormal, contemporary, sci-fi or suspense, our books are about real issues and pack a strong emotional punch. You’ll find cutting edge fiction that today’s young adults can relate to and will keep you turning the pages long into the night.

I’m proud to be an EVERNIGHT TEEN author. Enjoy this tease from my book, Bad Timing – Battle of the Undead Book #2

“If there’s someone there, you’d better show yourself. Unless you want me to cleave off your head,” I shouted. I heard a cough and saw a tall, well-built man slip from the shadows. He wasn’t bad looking, but his dark hair was styled with cement-like gel and his eyes were far too blue to be natural.

“Apologies. I wasn’t sure if you were friend or foe.” He nodded at me.

He was a vampire, probably a little younger than me.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“My dear, you are the one trespassing on my territory. It should be me asking questions of you.” He gave me a sly smile, as if he was trying to get away with something. Like he’d farted and was waiting for me to smell it.

“If this was truly your territory you’d have attacked me, not slunk in the shadows like a sniveling child.” I pulled my axe back so I held it by the handle and it rested on my shoulder.

He put his hands up; he was unarmed and laughed beneath his breath. “I now understand the Elders rule.”

He was referring to the old, no female vampires rule – misogynistic t scumbags. It was then that I got a good whiff of blood, live human blood.

“Have you got people here?”

“Why yes, we’ve collected a few to take to the Highlands. Would you like to join me for a drink?”

And he’d been openly feeding off them, great!

“No, I’ll give that a miss. Where are they?”

“In the store room, back there. They’re uninfected,” he said with a sweeping invitation with his arm. “I must say, I’ve never seen a female vampire so beautiful.”

Good grief, did he think this was some sort of date? That we would sit back and watch Dawn of the Dead whilst munching on scared survivors? What an asshat!

I narrowed my eyes and walked to the door he was pointing to. He smiled and gestured for me to open it. I did. Now I was fully aware that this could have been a trap, but even if a hundred vampires descended on me, I still had an axe to Red Queen their asses back to Wonderland.

“May I introduce myself?” he said behind me.

“No.” I stepped through the door and was hit with the smell of both old and fresh blood. I took in the large warehouse back quickly: boxes were piled high with electronics, gadgets and God only knows what other useless items, but there were also people crouching by them. They were blindfolded and roped together with a thick unforgiving plastic vine. Some were still bleeding from where he had fed off them. Some were whispering prayers in ragged voices. Some slowly pulled at their bindings, more like they were an itch than a problem. But all cowered when they heard his voice. There was a collective shiver that even caught me in its terrible wake. Whoever this vampire was, he was truly living up to monster status now.

“Here,” he said as he lifted the plastic rope and pulled the nearest person toward us, “have a drink.”

I looked at the young boy bound and blindfolded before me; he had blood all down his Simpson’s t-shirt and he’d pissed himself, probably days ago now. This was what the Highlands were going to be like, just with slightly less feeling and more order.

“My name is Ludwig. What’s yours, my blonde haired vixen?” He pushed the boy at me and I moved so that I was stood between them.

“Britannia.”

“What?” Ludwig’s eyes widened. He’d heard of me, the lack of blue hair had been what had put him off the initial recognition. If I’d looked more like my old self he’d have run from me, or attacked me in the shop. I might never have discovered his little person larder.

“Yeah, I was forced into a make under.” I smiled sweetly at him, “Ludwig, you have something on your sleeve.” I swung the axe so hard that it cleaved his arm straight off. Blood sprayed across me, splattering my face and streaking the front of my hair. Unlike human blood, vampire blood is cool, smells metallic and tastes like sea water, kind of like your blood tastes to you. Some vampires get a taste for their own kind; those were usually the ones that the Elders sent me after.

Ludwig’s look of shock was only matched by his girlish scream. He clutched at his leaky stump and shuddered. I lifted the axe again, this time to cleave off his head, but he must have regained a modicum of resolve, as he caught the axe’s blade in mid-swing. I quickly slipped my hands down the handle and, palms up, slammed it vertically so that its blade crushed against his skull. I heard a sickening crack as bone crumbled against the force. He keeled and stumbled back through the shop’s doors. I edged forward and crouched, sweeping my leg out to trip him over. Once he lay sprawled on the floor, I lifted my axe a final time and off rolled his head. It tumbled down the flat screen TV section.

The tethered humans were now desperately pulling at their bonds. I guess the big bad that had just killed their torturer was probably not someone they wanted to stick around and have tea with – better the devil you know.

I moved carefully toward the nearest boy. I gently took his blindfold from him and he blinked a few times and recoiled at my presence.

“It’s okay,” I said, hands out, palms up, “I’m here to help you. I won’t hurt you.”

The boy edged further away from me, pulling on all their ropes. He particularly dragged all of the survivors onto the floor. I suddenly had an image of me leading them like a chain of dogs through the streets. If Satan had been on a leash, he’d have died. If I couldn’t do that to a dog, I’d be damned if I was going to be responsible for leading an all-you-can-eat zombie buffet conga line.

“Look, I know you have no reason to trust me, but…”

“You’re one of them,” said the boy, looking past me to Ludwig’s twitching corpse. He must have been old; it can sometimes take a while for the magic to leave older vampires.

“We’re not all the same you know.” I stepped to his side and took a blindfold off a nearby woman, “Wait a minute, them?”

The woman gave me a quizzical look, “There’s another one. He had red hair and a posh accent; like from Downton Abbey.”

Okay, now time was of the essence. I pulled out my pink handled knife and sliced the rope between all the humans. I removed all their blindfolds and counted them: twelve.

“Right, here are your choices. You can say here and wait for Red, whoever he is, to come back and drink you dry, or you can follow me and I can get you the hell out of zombie central.”

“Zombies?” they all said together.

“You haven’t noticed the slathering zombie masses?” I asked.

“No,” said an older man, who had managed to pick up a plank of wood and hide it behind his back while I wasn’t looking.

“How long have you been in here?”

The man chose then to swing the plank at me, which I caught and crumbled in my grip. The small crowd gasped and I think they were just about to all fall onto me, when the bell at the door of the shop chimed.

“Oh no, it’s him. He came back for us.” A young girl of no more than thirteen cowered near me. I turned to her.

“I won’t let him hurt you. I told you, we’re not all the same.”

She bit her bottom lip and squeezed out a fat tear that rolled down her ruddy cheek.

“My name is Britannia. I know this is all a bit…” I struggled for the right word, “…weird, but I’ll get you some place safe. You just have to trust me.”

“So, let me get this straight.” The boy whose blindfold I’d took off first edged toward me. “You’re a friendly blood sucking demon, and there are zombies outside. But you’ll protect us? At what price, you gonna feed off and kill us one by one like your friend there?” He motioned at Ludwig’s now still body. I kicked the vampire’s corpse out of the door and into the main shop, out of the eye-line of the humans.

I didn’t have time for this. I needed to get a new radio, some food and get back to the zoo. I needed to tell Tate I was alive and for Josh and Jack to know I was on my way to them. I hadn’t even bothered to ask these humans’ names and here I was trying to protect them, while they challenged my ethical code. I was just about to give the boy what for, when a rumbling groan echoed through the store. I peered out to see a group of zombies shuffling toward Ludwig’s body. Once there, they began to rip him apart like an overcooked turkey. There were stuffing- and cranberry sauce-like substances cascading out of the yawning cracks they were making with their bare hands. I gagged and quickly closed the door.

Bad Timing is out now! For buy links, click here…

Be sure visit each stop on the BLOG HOP for more chances to WIN the GRAND PRIZE of a $100 Amazon Gift Card. You’ll receive bonus entries for commenting on each blog! For details.. http://evernightteen.blogspot.com

Filed under: Nicky's Posts - My ramblings... Tagged: bad timing, battle of the undead, bloghop, evernightteen, Nicky Peacock, YA fiction