S.B. Knight's Blog, page 8

Dark Heirloom (An Ema Marx Novel) By J.D. Brown Day II

Chapter One




            A scream tore from my throat. The
rapid slap of my sneakers against asphalt echoed through the alley. Wind ripped
my hair and coat back as if trying to halt my escape.  A chain link fence rose in the distance as I
neared the end of the alley. Shit. I could have sworn this one opened to
Clark Street.

            Thud.

            I froze. My heart pounded in my
ears. Tears fell as I closed my eyes. Please, please, God…

            His heinous laugh drowned out my
ragged breath. Caught at a dead end, I had no choice but to turn and face him.
He stood in the shadows, the darkness of his attire blended in with the night.
Only the glow of his emerald-colored eyes gave him away.

            Think, I shouted to myself. What
does he want? My purse? My money? With a shaky hand, I pulled my wallet
from my bag and flung it at him. He shifted his weight, dodging the wallet in
one simple move. I stared like an idiot as it landed in the gutter behind him. Why
is he chasing me if he doesn’t want my money? What else could he want?

            He grinned, bearing a set of
abnormally sharp, fluorescent-white teeth. Who the hell is this freak?
He stepped toward me. My fists clenched as I stepped back. He took another step
forward. My back pressed against the cold metal of the fence. Tears blurred my
vision and fell as ice melted through the back of my coat. Chills rolled down
my spine, sending a quiver to my lip. I swallowed the lump of panic building in
my throat. “Leave me alone!”

            He kept advancing, his eyes locked
on my face, his gait slow with one foot in front of the other, like a cat. I
shoved a trembling hand in my purse in search of my pepper spray. He snatched
my wrist and yanked me to my knees. The contents of my purse spilled and
scattered.

            “What makes you think I want
anything from you?” he sneered.

            My chest heaved as I pushed myself
up. From the corner of my eye, I glanced at the mouth of the alley, now behind
me.

            He scoffed. “You think you can run?
Go ahead, mouse. Run.”

            I did.

            I was almost to the street when a
thick shadow dropped from the sky. Two rock-solid fists shoved my chest. I fell
backward. My head hit the pavement. Stars danced in the periphery of my vision
as I struggled to sit up, but my limbs moved in slow motion.

            Two hands, each finger adorned by a
silver ring, gripped my shoulders and lifted me. My back hit something solid
and cold—a brick wall. My feet dangled above the ground. He held me at eye
level; his sour breath churned my stomach as his face inched closer to mine.

            “I know what you’re thinking.” His
voice was deep, smooth, as he rolled his R’s. “You’ve done nothing wrong. Nevertheless,
once you kill one rat, you have to kill them all. Even a little mouse like
yourself.”

            My blood drained at the utterance of
the word kill. I squirmed in his grasp. “Please, don’t hurt me.”

            He clenched my jaw with one hand as
his fingernails dug into my skin. I cried not from the pain, but from fear.

            “Would you like to know a secret?”
His hot breath caused bile to rise in my throat. “Only you disgusting rats can
see our eyes glow. I’m sure you knew that already. I’m sure your mother told
you the stories. I’ll bet you didn’t listen to her. I bet you thought they were
just fairy tales and bad dreams, hmm?”

            I had no idea what he was talking
about. I concentrated on finding a way out of his grip, hoping his guard would
slip while he continued his monologue.

            “You know, when you find one rat,
there are a dozen more in the nest.” He tightened his grasp. “Where’s your
rathole, eh little mouse?”

            “Let me go!” Pain manifested in
every inch of my face. My jaw throbbed and my head spun. A stiff ache cut through
my spine. Fear and cold shook my core. Exhaustion weighed down my struggling
limbs. I just wanted it to end.

            He studied my face for a moment, a
frown tugged at his lips. “Very well.”

            He released my jaw then reached back
under his jacket. The sound of sharp metal being unsheathed pierced the night
as he drew out a long silver dagger. My eyes widened at the emblems engraved on
every inch of the blade and handle. I recognized them as Norse in origin. I
also recognized the precise way in which he held the dagger level with my left
rib cage. He’s going to stab me in the heart.













About the Author:





 J.D. Brown graduated from the International Academy of Design and Technology with a Bachelor Degree in Fine Arts. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her two Pomeranians. Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, her writing is influenced by the multicultural urban society of her youth which she continues to visit each summer. J.D. loves paranormal characters; from vampires and werewolves, demons and angels, to witches and ghost. Her writings are often a combination of suspense and romance.

J.D.’s books are available in e-book formats from Muse It Up Publishing Inc. and major e-book retailers. She loves to hear from readers. You can reach her via email to DarkHeirloom@gmail.com or visit her website at http://authorjdbrown.com



Author’s Links:

• Facebook Fan Page

• Twitter Profile

• J.D.’s Blog

• J.D.’s Book Club



Buy Links:

• Amazon Kindle

• MuseItUp Publishing Inc.

• Smashwords.com

Exclusive Behind-The-Scenes Truth from the Author of Dark Heirloom – Writing What You Know

Hi, Sb Knight. Thank you for hosting me on your blog today. And hello, readers. :-)



Today I want to share with you how I came up with some of the fun details about my vampire characters from Dark Heirloom because they are a little different from your normal vampire variety. They’re a mix of the old lore and the new ideas my subconscious thought up. In short, they are not undead, but instead they are a human-nephilim hybrid. They’re stronger, live a very long time, have animal-like instincts, and a few magical powers handed down from their nephilim side.



I often run around preaching about how authors should write what they know. Some people roll their eyes and scoff and make comments like “Yeah, like you know a vampire”.



Well actually…I do. Know vampires, that is. Yes, really.





Okay, so I don’t know any magical immortal vampires, but I do know people who honestly believe they are vampires. Normal people like you and me, except that every once in a while, they crave blood and they find a willing source and drink just a little sip.

You can go ahead and psychoanalyze these people all you want. I won’t judge. All I know is interviewing them was fascinating and I got the information I needed; the understanding of what that craving feels like. It’s not unlike craving a chocolate bar, really.



Now my characters do drink blood on a daily bases as a meal. But I liked the idea that vampires didn’t need to run around killing everything in sight and glutting themselves, just like we humans don’t go around swallowing cows whole. A single hamburger or steak is fine. Same idea applies to my vamps that, by the way, do enjoy a raw stake every now and then.



While we’re on the subject of blood, yes I know what lots of blood looks like and how it taste. I’ve had my blood drawn more times than I can count, which is why it no longer makes me queasy to see or write about. I’ve seen my own blood fill up a vial; the dark maroon almost purple color of it, the way it flows, just a shade or two thicker than water.

And yes, I’ve tasted it out of pure curiosity all in the name of research. I can assure you I will never ever crave that flavor. LOL.



Here’s another fun tid-bit. My vampires suffer from temporary blindness in the sun because it’s too bright for their sensitive eyes. This idea actually came to me from a personal experience I had while at the eye doctor a few years ago.

The wacked-out doctor I ended up paired with used what I felt was an excessive amount of eye drops. He said brown eyes are more difficult to dilate and see into than light colored eyes. Then left me to sit in the darkened exam room for extra hour to make sure my pupils got good and wide.

After the exam, I remember leaving the dark room and walking through the hallway thinking wow, they really amped up the wattage in the florescent lights.



The nurse offered me a pair of flimsy plastic sunglasses but I told her I would be fine without them. Boy was I wrong. The moment I walked out the door, the world looked like the sun had gotten closer to the Earth. Everything was neon-colored and had a yellowish glow. Or at least everything on the ground did – I couldn’t even look straight ahead without squinting excessively. Of course I grumbled and then went back inside for the free sunglasses.

But that experience got wheels in my head going. I remembered thinking that nocturnal mammals have wide pupils which allows them to see in the dark. And if that was how they saw the world during the day, I’d stay hidden too until nightfall. Suddenly I knew that would be my undead vampires’ reason for staying indoors and avoiding the sun.



Okay, so my vampires don’t combust in the sunlight like Anne Rice’s do, but at least they don’t sparkle, right? ;-)




Dark Heirloom (An Ema Marx Novel)
By J.D. Brown

Blurb:



 “You’re a vampire” is so not what Ema Marx wants to hear when she wakes from a two-day coma in a cryptic yet exquisite castle in northern Finland. Unfortunately, it explains a lot. Like why she’s able to see in the dark and walk through solid objects. What she doesn’t understand is why the other vampires expect her to have all the answers. It’s their fault she turned into one of them…right?



Jalmari’s hatred for his old-man intensifies when he’s ordered to bring that troublesome girl to their castle. He has a clan to run, there’s no time for babysitting newborn vampires no matter how they were converted to their culture. But when a two-thousand-year-old premonition threatens to take the crown and his life, Jalmari sees no other choice than to take out the catalyst. Ema Marx. Fortunately for Ema, she could also be the clan’s only savior.



The race to figure out her vampiric origins is on. And maybe she’ll get the hang of the blood-drinking gig along the way…



Buy Links:

• Amazon Kindle

• MuseItUp Publishing Inc.

• Smashwords.com



About the Author:





 J.D. Brown graduated from the International Academy of Design and Technology with a Bachelor Degree in Fine Arts. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her two Pomeranians. Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, her writing is influenced by the multicultural urban society of her youth which she continues to visit each summer. J.D. loves paranormal characters; from vampires and werewolves, demons and angels, to witches and ghost. Her writings are often a combination of suspense and romance.

J.D.’s books are available in e-book formats from Muse It Up Publishing Inc. and major e-book retailers. She loves to hear from readers. You can reach her via email to DarkHeirloom@gmail.com or visit her website at http://authorjdbrown.com



Author’s Links:

• Facebook Fan Page

• Twitter Profile

• J.D.’s Blog

• J.D.’s Book Club

Video Contest Results!!

The Born of Blood book trailer finished in second place for the You Gotta Read video contest.







I want to send out a big THANK YOU to everyone who voted and for your support. This could not have happened without you.

Can I Have Your Vote?

Right now the official Born of Blood book trailer is in a contest over at yougottaread.com. The top 3 finishers will win free promotion on that website with the top finisher winning three months of free promotion. Voting started today and will last all week.



I am asking everyone in the New Author community for a the favor of your vote. Help me get Born of Blood to the top spot. Voting is very easy and takes less than a second. Click on the link, scroll down to #8 Born of Blood, watch the video (optional but you might want to check it out), click the little button beside it and submit. You can vote everyday and I will appreciate all of them.



Here is the link and Born of Blood is #8. The voting runs until the 26. http://yougottaread.com/category/video-contest/

In Praise of the Short Story by Tracie McBride

I’m something of a rarity amongst my peer group of emerging and independent authors; I’ve had over 80 short stories and poems published, but never even attempted writing a novel. I am an ardent admirer and practitioner of the short form.
Why, you might ask, would I do that to myself? There’s no money in it, you say. Nobody wants to read short stories, you say. Novels are where it is at, you say.



Why, indeed?



I first started writing short stories because I believed that, because they were short, they would be easier to write. Ask the author of a 500,000 word fantasy trilogy just how easy it is to write short…nobody told me at the time that I was mistaken in my belief, so I carried on in blissful ignorance. One thing is for certain, it’s much quicker to produce a completed, polished short story than it is to finish a novel, so writing shorts feeds my need for instant gratification. Along the way, I discovered that I enjoyed both the freedom to experiment with form, voice and style that is harder to get away with in a novel, and the discipline imposed by the short form to express one’s ideas in as few words as possible. Money? Money never really entered into it. I’m a firm believer of the idea that whenever possible, one should work for reasons other than money, and if money comes along with it, then that’s a bonus.





Readership is another thing, though; I don’t write just for my own amusement, but with the hope that I will bring to the readers some new insight into the human condition through the metaphor of speculative fiction. And if I can’t do that, then at least I’d like to give readers a few minutes of pleasant diversion. It’s true, my book “Ghosts Can Bleed” has on occasion fallen into the wrong hands; I’ve heard the wail, “But I don’t even like short stories!!!” And let’s not even mention the poems (although I like to think of most of my poems as just extremely short stories). But I’m not so naïve as to think that my writing has a wide appeal. I don’t write for the whole world, I just write for people who appreciate snippets of dark speculative fiction. I know they’re out there; I just have to find them.



So that’s the why of it. Now for the how. I’m not qualified to conduct a master class on writing the short story; in fact, I’m not even sure I can deconstruct the processes I use to write short stories. Perhaps the easiest way to describe what I look for in a short story is to describe what I don’t look for.



A short story doesn’t have to tell me everything. I don’t need to know where the characters came from and I don’t need to know where they are going. I just need to know what is happening to them NOW. Show me that one fateful moment when their world changed forever and just give me a tantalising hint of what lies in store for them after “The End”.
A short story doesn’t need a complicated plot with several dozen sub-plots, several dozen exotic locales described in loving detail and a cast of thousands. One of the best horror short stories I have read in recent times was “Button” by Simon Kurt Unsworth. It featured one man, alone in his house, and a button. And that’s it. There is elegance in the simplicity of the short form.



A short story doesn’t have to have a happy ending. When you’ve spent several hours in the company of characters in a novel, you’re somewhat less inclined to accept total annihilation at the end (and besides, the author probably has one eye on the movie adaptation), but in a short story you can go all Hamlet on their asses. To me, a tragic ending is more satisfying because it is often less predictable and often carries a more poignant message than “and they all lived happily ever after”. Oh, but you still have to make the reader care about the characters, even in 5,000 words. Especially in 5,000 words. And therein lies the challenge to the short story writer.



A short story does not have to use a conventional structure or voice. Try writing an entire novel in second person and you’ll most likely alienate more readers than you will entrance, but it can be a highly effective device in a short story if handled well. A short story can be a series of diary entries, letters, or fictitious email correspondence. A short story can be composed entirely of dialogue. A short story can have several different viewpoint characters, and all of them unreliable. A short story is where you as a writer get to play.



I’ve already snuck in a sales pitch a few paragraphs back, but just in case you missed it, here it is again. I’d love to enter into a discourse with you about the stories in “Ghosts Can Bleed”. May is THE month to purchase it, as the publisher, Dark Continents Publishing, is having a birthday sale and you can get it at bargain basement prices. Email me via my blog. If you’re not already a short story fan, then I hope I can make a new convert of you.



Purchasing links: 

Paperback: http://darkcontinents.com/2011/04/ghosts-can-bleed/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Ghosts-Can-Bleed-ebook/dp/B006R6VB54/

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ghosts-can-bleed-tracie-mcbride/1100833329?ean=2940012487162&format=nook-book


* * * *


Author Bio
Tracie McBride is a New Zealander who lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband and three children. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in over 80 print and electronic publications, including Horror Library Vols 4 and 5, Dead Red Heart, Phobophobia and Horror for Good. Her debut collection Ghosts Can Bleed contains much of the work that earned her a Sir Julius Vogel Award in 2008. She helps to wrangle slush for Dark Moon Digest and is the vice president of Dark Continents Publishing. She welcomes visitors to her blog at http://traciemcbridewriter.wordpress.com/

It's All In The DNA

ALAN DALE’S BIOGRAPHY
Alan Dale has been a sports and news journalist for on and off, the last 25 years. He has won national awards for sports writing and received numerous accolades for his work. Recently he completed "The Enternet: Trapped Inside A WEB" and the “DNA: Code Flesh (Part One)” teaser novella as part of his “Dead Nations’ Army” trilogy. He currently is finishing up the “Code Flesh” full novel and hopes to get cracking on the follow ups “Code Mind” and “Code Soul.” “DNA” is considered horror-zombie-political-fiction series that hopes to tell the story of the world we lived in decorated in zombies. To some, it also is a predicative piece of work projecting where the world is heading right before our eyes.
He hopes to get DNA completed by the beginning of 2013 and then he aims to work on his "NIGEL" Vampire trilogy and his "Resurrection of Game" young adult series.
Currently, he lives in Portland, Oregon and enjoys time with his girlfriend Thia, cat Kid, and two dog friends, Qi and Puck.



WHAT’S IN OUR “DNA”
For years the planet was run by the New World Order, but not to its liking. After mandating the use of death row and life sentenced inmates as subjects in scientific experiments, the NWO has decided to tighten its grip through its greatest political decision. However, the experiment backfires, leaving the world in the middle of a war stuck in the middle of another war.





Two of those combatants, Bridjett and Shad Alexi, siblings, torn apart by different allegiances both work to find the common ground amidst a war that will soon grow beyond the parameters anyone would have ever imagined.
Having contaminated the "cocktail" used to keep prisoner test subjects, or SCRATS, alive, the NWO hoped to create an army purely under its command. Little did they know the "cocktail" would turn thousands of SCRATS into zombies and lead to a worldwide epidemic of undead walking the earth.
Led by Bridjett and the DNA roving army, the survivors, mostly trapped in various gated communities around the world, await the replenishment of supplies and sustainence in order to survive the constant threat of zombies on the other side of the wall.



What the DNA didn’t expect was the NWO’s need to feed the new undead army to keep them compliant. Only what they don’t know is Shad Alexi’s plans to give the people a fighting chance, even if it involves going against the NWO he fights for. Now, a war for the lives of the remaining humans on earth is waged as government and survivors, battle for the right to claim control for the lives of the people.
The Dead Nations’ Army trilogy begins with Code Flesh which examines the origins of the scrat infection and its ultimate growth. It also discusses the many issues that face the world today, such as how the have nots sustain themselves in a world gone dead, the different groups that ultimately arise from the apocalypse, and of course, how to destroy the NWO.



To date, the teaser novella – Part I of Code Flesh – has done fairly well and its Facebook page has also garnered 500-plus fans and thus there is a following to build off of. Take a look at www.facebook.com/WERZOMBIES.



For future reference, the second book in the DNA series, CODE MIND investigates how the scrat evolution becomes second stage. Cognition, communication, and forming as one unit take center stage for the scrats. This happens just as the DNA and NWO and Independent decide to team up. Also the Order and Utopias ultimately learn that all best plans don’t always go the way you hope.
Concluding the series will be CODE SOUL, where the complete evolution of the scrats takes form. This is where we learn if a perfect equilibrium on earth. The war ends, there is peace, but that comes in the form of “be careful what you wish for.” In the end, it is DNA’s hopes to give the reader the most intense, kick in the gut, sick to my stomach moment, where they realize, that maybe this isn’t what the human race should be about after all, even if it is….



WHY EXPLORE THE “DNA”
Quite frankly, about a decade ago, I began seeing more and more of what was going wrong in our world. Being both a journalism and history major I tend to wax nostalgic and read a lot about past civilizations and dynasties. It is scary how similar the demise of our nation parallels those of other empires past – think Greece, Rome, Persia, etc. The difference is, that with the world becoming so much smaller and compact due to technological advancements, the so-called ‘elite’ have decided to become buddies. It is a known fact that when a populace’s decision makers and governmental leaders come from means (you know, Silver Spoon kids), ultimately its nation and infrastructure fails. Why? Well how can the 1 percent who have no semblance of what struggle and day-to-day survival is, relate to the 99 percent? They can’t. Historically, they tend to be greedy and want the whole playground to themselves. The problem is now all of those kids have grown up and can Skype with those of their ilk in Japan, Russia, Germany, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, and of course the United States. This does not bode well for the people. Thus, DNA was written as a way to first, entertain, second, educate, and third, predict and show where we are headed if we do not stop this from happening. I mean c’mon? Really? The insurance rates? The medical billings? The gas prices? Grocery prices? Etc. Etc. It’s not just us. It’s everywhere. But, sadly, if we don’t fix it, we are in trouble. “DNA” basically explores what will happen and what we ultimately deserve when things don’t get properly dealt with. If I may offer a teaser…it’s the first zombie-horror story with a totally ‘happy’ ending….but, be careful what we wish for.



LINKS TO DNA

To check out the book on Amazon
www.amazon.com/DNA-FLESH-Zombie-Nations-ebook/dp/B007PL1C18/ref=cm_rdp_productTo check out the book on Goodreadshttp://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13569984-dna

To check out the “DNA” fan page
http://www.facebook.com/WeRZombies

To check out Alan Dale’s Twitter account
https://twitter.com/#!/ADaleandDNAArmy

To check out Alan Dale’s Blog Page
http://alandale.wordpress.com/



BEFORE “DNA”
Starting in 2001, I began working on a story that would talk about our ability to travel within the Internet. Ultimately, it started to unfold as a tale of dependence on the WEB and technology itself. I completed it in late 2004 and It also is available as an e-book on Amazon. I really like the story, but my writing was still working itself out, at least novel-wise.
“The Enternet: Trapped Inside A WEB”
THE ENTERNET: Trapped Inside A WEB, is a futuristic thriller about Brian Masters, a detective who pursues a web-traveling serial killer only to find that he and the killer are both pawns of Klemm Teegs, the falsely-imprisoned technical mastermind behind the invention of society's cybertravel infrastructure. Aided by the expertise of a mysterious woman known to him only as The Mark, Masters must now save society from total ruin by preventing Teegs from enacting his vengeful and fanatical plan to destroy the infrastructure...or is society already doomed by the nature of the infrastructure itself?
The ENTERNET: Trapped Inside A WEB combines science, politics, romance, horror, suspense, futuristic elements, and modern themes of terrorism, overindulgence, political brainwashing, self centeredness, and the “me-ism” of modern times to deal with the greatest issue facing mankind – is man weaker of stronger because of our technological advancements?
The story begins with a historical flashback illustrating how the PORTAL and WEB Travel came into existence. Beginning with the Tannenbauer lawsuit and the terrorist attacks of 2026 due to decreased airport security, the need for a safer form of transportation is in need. These more serious attacks leads to an economic crash and the world enters a serious depression for years.
The years pass and KLEMM TEEGS comes up with a plan to help “save the world” from its current downtrodden state of affairs – personal, safe, and untouchable internet travel…via the Internet. By breaking the human body down atomically, the PORTAL sends the body through the WEB at breakneck speed, so fast the user never knows he is being torn apart into billions of atoms to be reconfigured anywhere else in the world within seconds.
Once he successfully hatches a successful series of transfers, Teegs invites his collegiate friend, EDWIN ROMERO into the fold, letting him in on his secret. Romero, has aspirations of his own and decides that Teegs’ invention means more than just a remedy for the world’s problems and a rebuilding of the economy.
Push comes to shove and with some governmental “help,” Romero manages to get Teegs falsely imprisoned and take sole proprietorship over the portal.
Fifteen years later and Teegs has been released from prison. Romero, a Senator himself, aims for the presidency, and the world is now one of Internet transfers and America is wealthier than ever. But is it safer and is man better for it or further distanced from what made man great in the first place?
Will man, rediscover his nature?



Links to “The Enternet”
http://www.amazon.com/The-Enternet-Trapped-Inside-ebook/dp/B007P801WM/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_2



Thanks for your time!

Alan Dale

Know Your Characters

Character development is a very critical part of any novel. We all know this to be true. It can actually add to the story, open new avenues, and present new angles we may have missed before hand. How much you develop your characters is completely up to you. Some writers get a basic idea and build their characters as they write while others fill out a character work sheet before they start. Which will work best for you? I don't know. I recommend trying both or combining the two. Many think the main character or characters are the only ones that need to be developed but you truly don't know if a character will rise from the shadows and take on a much larger role in your story.



Before I wrote the first word for Born of Blood I sat down and described the characters on a sheet of paper. I believe we all have an idea of how our characters look and how they act but it is always good to write these thoughts down so you can refer to it later on. For example, I knew how my characters looked but after I wrote that down I would add notes such as:



Charles - silent, intimidating, powerful, and closed off.

Sam - A little nerdy, average build but muscular, computer savvy, and shy

Janet - A lover of men, Jesse's friends, high maintenance, and obsessive



There are other characters that I added notes to as I developed them on paper before I started writing the novel. From that list I decided what and if I was missing something in the form of characters. I made this decision by the why I wanted the story to flow. For example, I wanted Jesse to have a co-worker who is very unsavory to add both drama and comedy to the story. If I said I wanted a chauvinistic, rude, obnoxious man to be Jesse's co-worker I bet you already have a picture of him in your mind. No, I didn't have a name yet but I knew the characters.



Then there is that moment when you're writing and a character comes out of nowhere. Maybe this character will be a flash in the pain or maybe this particular character will reach out to you and demand your attention. This is exactly what happened in Born of Blood. I wrote a scene that had Jesse, Janet, and Drake in a bar. Janet left with a man she picked up and the waitress brought drinks to the table for Jesse and Drake. I knew I was running flat at this stage and needed to pick up the action but didn't know how. Well, this waitress not only provided a means to energize this scene but also built upon that momentum and became a prolific character.



The important thing is to not underestimate your characters, no matter if they are in one scene or in a chapter. Give them the opportunity to shine...they just might surprise you.



 

Thinking about my characters... A Guest Post From Author Jenna Storm

My goal as a writer has always been to entertain my reader, to sweep them out of their reality and into the supernatural, dangerous and at times sensual world I’ve created for my characters. Whew! That was a mouthful.



There’s no doubt a riveting plot and an author’s talented use of the five senses to bring a scene or setting to life pulls me into a story. But it’s the connection I make with the characters that gives me the ability to block out the stresses and responsibilities of the real world.



As a writer, one way to get close to my characters and snoop through their thoughts and feelings is to talk to them. I use the ‘interview’ technique. Yes, it does sound crazy (although a lot of authors do this) but having a one on one chat with a character really provides insight. Believe it or not (and maybe this is the crazy part) they can actually answer in their own voice/style! Sometimes, I imagine my characters interviewing and reacting to one another. This seems to work well when I’m trying to develop relationships, fuel conflicts and understand their attitudes toward one another.



There’s so much more to creating characters who live and breathe in our minds then what I’ve touched on in this post. I love hearing how other writers get inside their characters heads so please post if you have ideas to share!



Blurb:

Detective Danni Keegan is plunged into a dark, demonic world where survival depends on deciphering the connection between ritual killings, and a demon terrorizing her for a “gift” she wasn’t even aware she possessed. She must unravel her dreams of another woman who lived during ancient times and battled a bloodthirsty demon—the same demon who now hunts Danni. The loss of her body and soul looms imminent as her only chance to destroy the demon depends on changing her new partner’s convictions. He is a sinfully sexy man, who exudes power and self-assurance with the ease of breathing and has an iron-willed determination not to believe in the paranormal.



Excerpt from The Burning Seal:

Danni Keegan pulled back the wispy curtain to peer through the thick rivulets of rain and search the swaying trees and bushes. She put her fingers to the glass and welcomed the chill as it traveled through her body. Maybe the cold would paralyze her tragic thoughts, end the feeling of dread, the vengeful tide that sought to drown her.



Her hand came off the glass and returned to the curtain where her nimble fingers fidgeted with the lace. For weeks now, the doomed feeling had fed on her, no better than raging piranhas hungering for fresh meat. She was the fresh meat. Every day the fear escalated, chewed off more of her flesh; exposed more of her vulnerability.



Get control of yourself. You didn’t make it as a cop by fearing the dark, or letting a feeling rule your head. Yet, her uneasiness gnawed, the cause was elusive, unsupported by evidence. Were Lucy Brighton’s and Chelsea Marlin’s unsolved homicides warping her sanity?



No matter how tough she acted, it was impossible to view ravished remains and not mourn lost lives. Question your own mortality and blame yourself for not stopping the homicides. Was she confusing her edginess with guilt that the killer remained free to hunt new victims?



Her fingers beat the glass in a staccato tempo which matched her heart’s unsettled rhythm.

No. This evil feeling, it was blacker.

More menacing. More...enduring.

She cast a wishful glance at the wide-cushioned sofa and the television. Her bagel and cream cheese lay neglected on the coffee table along with the horror novel she was reading. Anchored to the window, she scanned the looming trees and thick darkness for a shadow that didn’t fit. A forceful wind scraped tree limbs against the condo's roof and the windows wept from the torrential downpour.



She leaned forward and focused, as if she could frisk the shadows with her eyes. The bushes along the sidewalk shook in a way that was at odds with the direction of the wind. A clump of white bolted from tangled branches and frost-burned leaves. Realization dawned and the sight of the familiar lithe body made her smile, partly from relief, mainly from her foolishness.



The porch was clear except for a very drenched, very vexed cat. A stray who sporadically allowed Danni to mother her.

She hurried to the door and twisted the bottom lock, but when it came to the deadbolt she wavered, her fingers refusing to close over it.

Don’t. Open. The. Door.



A warning slithered through her body, stroked her apprehension and added high-octane fuel to her fears. More like a premonition. Blood. Destruction. Innocence lost. She stared at the top of her fluffy-socked feet and scrunched her toes against the hardwood floor.

"This is stupid. Letting poor Independence drown in this storm because of a feeling."

Flexing her hands, she thought of her gun tucked in the nightstand drawer; thought about getting it. To what, shoot at trees and darkness?

She twisted the lock and stepped out, playing hopscotch with the growing puddles on the small cement porch. Frigid wind and freezing rain pushed at her. She sucked in a breath, pulling her robe tighter. The sensation of standing on solid ice seeped through her socks. Before she could cajole Independence inside, the cat darted to the right, into the heart of the storm.

“I’m not chasing you,” she called out and shoved her hands into her robe’s pockets, shuffling from side to side on cold, wet feet.

Damn. Now she’d have to change her socks and throw her damp robe into the dryer.

A warning sparked from the rustle of dead leaves. Overgrown bushes at her left shook. Branches snapped. The cautionary spark exploded into a bonfire of fear. Her breath halted. Thoughts seized. Everything froze except time.



Thanks again SB for letting me guest on your blog. I enjoyed visiting.



Visit author Jenna Storm at the follow places:

The Burning Seal, The Elements Series paranormal romance, https://museituppublishing.com

Website: http://www.jennastormauthor.com/

Blog: http://jennastorm.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jenna-Storm/111299362263109

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/JennaStormWritz

A Little Overwhelming?

Have you ever met an author who plasters their book cover all over the internet and talks about their book on their websites and social networks? I know, just about every author does that and many of us very quickly get to the point of, "come on, talk about something else" or "enough already." I bet many of you are thinking - 'yep Brian, you are one of those authors.' I have to admit, it is unusual to have been on both sides of this coin.



As a reader I know exactly how you feel. You follow an author on their websites and social networks only to be overwhelmed by waves of information about their latest release. At times it can drive some away as authors give the impression that they are only in this for the marketing and promoting of their books and not to connect with others. I've seen this happen and I've heard of it happening. The question now becomes - why do authors do this?



Well, I can't speak for everyone but I can give you my thoughts on this situation. Of course all authors are proud of their novels when they are finally published and it should be understandable that authors would want to share that with everyone they've met while building their author platform. Yes, I can honestly say that some believe if you flood the market with your book title you stand a better chance of making higher sales. It is also a marketing rule that a product needs to be presented to a possible customer at least three times. Do I believe flooding the market is a good idea? No I don't. I do believe in the saying, "out of sight out of mind" so I also think it is important to keep any book cover out in public view.



With that said, why did (and still do) keep on about my book? Why do I plaster the cover and updates and events all over the Internet? There are a number of reasons. The most obvious is that I want to share it with everyone. I want everyone to know about the events so they can take part and I wish to entertain readers with my stories. To accomplish that the book must be front and center for everyone to see. However, there is a hidden reason, one that has surprised me.



We, as writers, work hard to establish an author platform and build connections through the many avenues available to us. Over time we accomplish this while writing. Then the day comes when we find a publisher and we continue building the platform. Here is the twist, before our books are published we sign up on social networks as writers or readers which is great but after our books are published we have to make changes to incorporate the release of our book. Sometimes we can simply change our bio or a tagline but if we want to change our name or maybe setup an account for a character that is a little more challenging because at times it is the same as starting over. Goodreads is a great example of this. We start as readers but there is a separate author's section where you get author accounts. You can only get that after your book is released.



It is very challenging to walk the tightrope between just enough promotion and too much. This is especially true soon after your debut novel is released because you're pretty much setting the foundation right then and there. In my opinion, this is what makes marketing and promoting so tough. At least in the beginning.



Where do you think the line is between to much promoting and just enough?

The Reviews Are Coming In!

When feedback comes back like this it makes being an author all the more gratifying. This is the 4 star review as posted on Goodreads and on the reviewers site which the link is included at the bottom.





"Born of Blood, the first in the Blood Chronicles saga, is SB Knight's debut novel, and what a great start it is. This dark fantasy novel was released just a few short days ago and I'm sure it will be well received.



Step into the distant past and discover where Dracula (aka Drago) came from. His legacy of evil has propelled him through time, searching for the one person who can give him immortality. How will he accomplish his goal? How will Jesse Banks, the object of his obsession, overcome the evil that surrounds her?



This novel gives the reader a vivid image of the cruelty and madness that spawned centuries of evil. Imagine yourself a young woman with no knowledge of her family's past, and nightmares that seem more real than possible. Jesse Banks is that young woman, as she discovers her true legacy the reader is taken for a wild and sometimes gruesome ride through history.



Being the first of a three books series, this story is an great start to what promises to be a engaging saga. Though sometimes quite gruesome, this novel gives dark fantasy fans a different take on a well known story. The flow of the writing and vivid imagery draws the reader into the story and keeps them on the edge of their seat right to the last page.



The unexpected ending leaves you wanting more, with a sense that things are not as they seem. I'm looking forward to the answers to some burning questions. Does Drago live on? Or did they succeed in ending the legacy of evil? Does the legacy live on in the baby Reba is carrying?" ~ Karen Gilmour, Book Reviewer at Misty Bay



Currently Born of Blood is being uploaded into the Amazon Kindle store and Barnes & Noble Nook Store. I will monitor this and add the link to that page once it becomes available. However, as of RIGHT NOW you can purchase Born of Blood from the MuseItUp Bookstore, just follow the LINK.