Christine Feehan's Blog, page 13
July 16, 2019
The Inside Scoop at InD'tale Magazine
I was interviewed byInD'tale Magazine and we spoke about my books, my family, my life and the future.
Many people don't realize that the death of my son was the catalyst to the Dark series or what it was like growing up for me.
There are some personal stories, funny stories and lots about my career, writing and my books.
I hope you'll read the article and let me know what you think and if anything in there surprised you!
You can read the article - HERE
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July 2, 2019
These Leopards Haven’t Changed Their Spots: WalMart Covers
I was asked by WalMart if they could do special limited-edition covers for my Leopard Series and naturally I said “yes”. I was excited that there was such interest in refreshing the series with new covers and knew that readers who like to collect my books might be interested in having these special covers.
The story inside hasn’t changed. I’ve not added anything new to them. Only the cover is new. But, the benefit to having the new covers at WalMart is that it has attracted new readers. The covers are really well done and I like them very much.
WalMart had done special edition covers for the Drake Sisters series and that had gone over really well. I’m hoping to see the same with the Leopard series. So far, Wild Rain, Burning Wild, Wild Fire and Savage Nature have been released. July 16th Leopard’s Prey will get its new cover and be released, then Cat’s Lair Oct. 15th and Wild Cat Nov. 19th.
To get the special limited-edition collector’s covers you have to go into WalMart and purchase them. There’s always a chance you’ll find some at a secondhand bookstore, but for a new copy you need to go into WalMart for it. I know you can order online from WalMart, but that doesn’t ensure you’ll get the new cover. You may get whatever is in stock, or you could get the new cover, but there’s no guarantee. The only guarantee that you’d get the new cover is by physically going into the store and buying it off the shelf. The ebooks though, those will auto-update to the new covers.
The NEW Leopard series book is Leopard’s Wrath which will be out everywhere on Nov. 5th.
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June 24, 2019
Meeting Readers and Having Fun!
The Reader/Author Get Together (RAGT) in Ohio is one of the most fun events! This was my first time to attend but, I’d heard all about it for years.
I love that it’s a relatively small event. I really love that it’s all for charity. I was able to stay in a central location, meeting other authors and many readers as I walked around the event. It was casual with everyone just chatting and sharing their love of books.
The charity raised $32,000 for CancerFreeKids
If you’ve never attended this event, I highly recommend that you do. Authors and readers create amazing raffle baskets and then everyone buys raffle tickets. The proceeds go to the charity. The baskets are amazing and so much thought is put into them. There were several children’s baskets, many homemade items, themed baskets like Doctor Who, beach reads, pirates, coffee, wine and more!
I donated several baskets that included a variety of things. One basket included every single Dark book I’ve ever written. There were also other books in different series, scarf and glove sets, and other super fun items. Oh! And I even won something myself! I never win anything! Seriously! LOL I won this amazing stained glass pane with the GhostWalker symbol on it created by Capstone Glassworks! I love it!
I really loved everything about this event. And Lori Foster, who created the event, is a warm and wonderful human being in addition to being a fabulous writer. It was so amazing to have a chance to just walk around and chat with people for a few days. When authors and readers get together it always ends up magical!
While I was there Lori Foster interviewed me and it was really fun. I talk about the Shadow series, Shadow Warrior, my writing schedule and lots of other fun things. I hope you'll watch the video. You can see it here- LORI INTERVIEWS CHRISTINE
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June 12, 2019
Villains in the Shadows
Shadow Warrior is unique in that we see the Ferraro family being attacked in more than one way. I liked the idea of keeping the family off-kilter so they didn’t know where to focus their attention. If they choose poorly, someone they care about or love would pay the ultimate price. The obvious villain in this book is creepy. I wanted to write a villain that would be scary in a fundamental way. In a straight forward way. In a way that would give readers goosebumps. I feel this may be one of the best villains I’ve ever written.
If you’ve seen the book trailer, you already have a hint as to what kind of villain this is and you saw him being creepy. I wanted people to realize that sometimes we’re not even safe in our own homes that danger can lurk in places that you should be able to feel safe in.
Other dangers await the Ferraro family and they have to determine how to respond to it. Sometimes the scariest villain is the one you’re uncertain of. Are they out to get you? Now? Later? Not knowing can be the worst feeling of all.
Tell me about some of your favorite villains and why you think they’re so great!
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June 10, 2019
Grace Under Fire: Shadow Warrior’s Heroine
Grace Murphy is a resilient character and I enjoyed writing her story. She’s had a difficult start in life, in and out of foster care. She finally finds someone who is a brother to her, who cares about her, just to find that he is not who she thinks he is. He’s dangerous. And he’s jealous of anyone she gives her attention to, which makes her life very lonely.
She’s sold by that same foster brother to repay a debt. It’s here where our story starts and where Vittorio discovers that, not only is there a traitor to the Ferraro family, but the Saldi’s are up to something. Then, he discovers Grace and what her fate was to be.
Imagine waking up in the hospital to find that an infamous billionaire playboy is taking care of you and claiming to be your fiancé. You’re wounded and betrayed and know that wherever you are, whoever you’re with, danger follows you. It’s a vulnerable position to be in. Then some wildly sexy man wants to protect you and take care of you. What’s a girl to do, right?
I love that Grace holds up under pressure. So much of her life is changing and other people are trying to maneuver her, but even with so much confusion and danger in her life she holds true to herself.
Grace is a perfect fit for Vittorio. She knows when something is worth arguing for and when it’s not. She’s sweet and caring and has longed for a family. The mutual respect between Grace and Vittorio is one of the things I loved most about their relationship. They want to understand one another and find harmony in their life together.
I love that Grace has her own kind of power and is a heroine in her own right. She’s a perfect match for a Shadow Warrior.
June 5, 2019
Romance Book Chat: Getting the Inside Scoop
I enjoy doing podcasts and this most recent one with Kym and Misty over at Romance Book Chatwas especially fun!
I talk about my personal life, my writing schedule and of course Shadow Warrior. But, more than that, we laughed and had a great time. I want to share that with you!
You can listen to the podcast on their WEBSITE
or on
iTunes
or-
Stitcher
Tell me what you enjoyed most in the podcast!
I talk about my personal life, my writing schedule and of course Shadow Warrior. But, more than that, we laughed and had a great time. I want to share that with you!
You can listen to the podcast on their WEBSITE
or on
iTunes
or-
Stitcher
Tell me what you enjoyed most in the podcast!
June 4, 2019
Inventing Shadow Riders
I clearly recall the day I came up with the idea for my Shadow Riders. I have two Black Russian Terriers who are somewhere between 130 – 140 pounds each. People often comment that they look a lot like big, black bears. So, you can imagine my surprise when one day, they became very difficult to locate in the yard.
I stood up on the porch looking down into the dog yard. It’s large with lots of trees that line the fence. My dogs, Drago and Vladimir, were playing in the late afternoon sun, chasing each other and enjoying the day. It’s a joy to watch them when they play and I was in no hurry to call them back in.
As they ran around the yard they drifted over to the line of trees near the fence. Each tree threw a shadow across the yard, nearly leaning into one another on the ground. The shadows seemed to be stretching out toward each other. The dogs entered the first line of shadows and for a moment I lost sight of them. I was shielding my eyes with my hand, squinting against the dying sun and suddenly, they just weren’t there anymore.
Then Drago rushed in between the shadows, closely followed by Vladimir. They entered the next line of shadows and again, I could hardly see them at all. In my mind it was as though the shadows stretched to accommodate a path for them and they entered one, jumped to the next, disappearing along the way, but still moving forward.
My vivid imagination wondered what it might be like to travel from one shadow to the next. Why would someone do it? What would be the purpose? What if…an assassin had this ability? What would the assassin do and why? The thought took hold in a way that I had to do something about it. So, I began to imagine a family of assassins who looked to bring justice where it had not previously been served. Not a mob family, not really, but they might disguise themselves that way to hide what they really are; Shadow Riders.
My Shadow Riders series was born and today, June 4, 2019 my fourth book in the series, Shadow Warrior, will be released. I have so many ideas for the Shadow Riders and hope to keep writing about them for as long as readers enjoy their stories.
May 30, 2019
Vittorio Ferraro: The Dangerous Peacekeeper
They always say that you should be careful of the quiet ones and I’m going to have to agree. Vittorio Ferraro is known as the peacekeeper of the Ferraro family but, what does that really mean when you come from a family of assassins who can travel using shadows?
In Giovanni’s book, Shadow Keeper, I hint that Vittorio is quiet, but extremely dangerous and that he may be much more dangerous than anyone imagines. So, in Shadow Warrior you get to see Vittorio in action and find out just how many layers he has.
I love that he has those layers. He’s quiet and thoughtful. He’s intelligent and clever. He’s dangerous and controlling. He’s loving and patient. The mix is both intriguing and sexy in my opinion. So, when he meets Grace and all of those different aspects of his personality are needed in order to keep her safe and win her love, Vittorio is put in the spotlight.
I enjoyed writing Vittorio’s story and learning more about him as he has to learn how to win Grace’s love and loyalty while also having to protect her from a particularly cunning and frightening predator. And as if that’s not enough, his entire family becomes a target which pushes Vittorio to the edge.
Vittorio has both inner-strength and inner-struggles which I feel makes him a fully realized, layered and 3-dimensional character that I hope people will invest in as they read his story. He’s romantic and sexy; a hero and warrior.
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May 27, 2019
Recap the Madcap Adventures of BookLoversCon
New Orleans is one of my favorite cities as most of you know. Arriving there for the BookLoversCon I could feel the excitement in the air. The event opened with a Jazz Fest and I was one of the authors sponsoring a little booth there giving away fun things. The Jazz Fest was one of my favorite events at the large conference. I loved the music and the line of people parading into the room with smiles, laughter and obvious joy. It was such a great start to the conference!
The speed dating with my Starfish writer’s group was especially fun. We’ve been together for years but, this was the first time we’d done an event as a group. Readers sat at tables and each of us rotated around the room, meeting each person. Everyone got a personalized champagne flute and a custom bracelet with charms from each Starfish group member. We told wacky fun ‘secrets’ on each other so it was hilarious!
The Biker Babes lottery event was fun and I had such a great time learning about other author’s MC books. And of course it’s always a treat catching up with Khloe Wren .
The costumes at the fairy ball were beautiful. Even I dressed up! Those let me tell you, fairy wings can be dangerous! LOL
Of course the highlight is always meeting readers, finding new authors and catching up with old friends. That’s what I loved most. I am excited to have found new authors and can’t wait to start reading those books!
It all ended on Sunday with my big lottery event which was brunch and a swamp tour! Our group was adventurous and fun and we had a great time seeing the Louisiana Bayou together with Captain Neil of Pearl Eco-Tours.
It was a whirlwind of fun and now I’m back home getting back to writing until I leave for the Reader & Author Get Together in Ohio in early June!
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May 9, 2019
GhostWalker Research Part 4 of 4: Where in the World?
From California to Montana and from the Bayou to the jungle I’ve set my GhostWalker novels in a variety of locations. Since I don’t do a great deal of travel anymore I research these locations in several ways. Sometimes I am fortunate enough to still go there myself such as with the Louisiana Bayou and San Francisco. Often I will send someone from my team, usually my daughter, to gather information first hand. I’ll research online, but it’s good to know what a certain area feels like on your skin, smells like or what it looks like during certain times of the day or certain seasons. I buy books about an area to learn about flora and fauna as well as the people, landscape, homes and legends. I may know people who live in that area and I’ll contact them to get their ideas, opinions and information. Videos and virtual reality can also give amazing aid.
I continue to expand the areas in which I set these stories. Recently, I’ve sent them to China and to Indonesia. I’ve been writing Team 4 stories recently so I’ve done a great deal of research in the bayous of Louisiana, China and Indonesia specifically.
Montana (Team One and Team Two)
Team Two is in the mountains of Montana. I love the wide open space of Montana and thought it would be a perfect place for one of my GhostWalker teams. And where better to place them than the beautiful mountains? Montana is the 4th largest state in the US and there are 2991 mountains with names in Montana.
When I was researching houses in Montana I found one that was completely self-sufficient. They used the wood from the logs in the forest on their property. They were totally off the grid. I loved how it was set up and had that in mind as I wrote.
Montana Mountains
California (Team Three)
Team 3 is based in San Francisco, California and have been together since childhood. They specialize in Urban Warfare. I live in Northern California and love the area so much. It is helpful that I’ve been to San Francisco so many times in my life. San Francisco is the 13th most populated city in the US. And I love that it’s near mountains, ocean, rivers and has such a diverse population.
More on San Francisco
Team Four
~LOUISIANA BAYOU~
The word bayou has its origins in the word "bayuk", which is the Louisiana French word for a small stream. The definition of a bayou is "a swampy arm or a slow moving outlet of a lake". A bayou is "a sluggish or stagnant creek, frequently flowing through swamp terrain. The term is used mainly when referring to areas in the delta region (the area near the mouth) of the Mississippi River. In comparison, a swamp is low-lying, marshy wetland, and is usually forested and seasonally flooded." The wildlife that can be found in the bayous of Louisiana is abundant. It is not uncommon to see alligators, raccoons, rats, crawfish, crabs or peeps. It is said that the insect and plant species of these areas could fill up a large phone book in and of themselves!
For more information visit:
Swamps
Louisiana
Sunset
On The Bayou
Shrimp Boat
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One of my favorite cities in the world, I go there as often as I can, which isn’t often enough for me. I love the people, the history, the atmosphere, the food! There’s so much to do that I always find something new each time I go there.
~NEW ORLEANS~
New Orleans is a beautiful and historically rich city located in Louisiana, on the Mississippi River, approximately 110 miles upstream from the Gulf of Mexico. The city was originally named Nouvelle Orleans in honor of Phillippe II, Duc d'Orleans, who was the regent of France under French King Louis XV.
New Orleans, also known as the crescent city (because of its shape), was founded in 1718 by France and is the only U.S. city where French was the predominant language for more than one hundred years. In fact, there are many unique characteristics to New Orleans. For instance, it is the American city occupied longest by enemy troops during the Civil War. Also it houses the oldest continuosly active Roman Catholic Cathedral in the United States, St. Louis Cathedral. The New Orleans Streetcar line is the oldest continuosly operating rail system in the world. And to top it off this city is known as the birthplace of jazz.
On top of the amazing history of New Orleans, this city is a great place to visit. With multiple festivals, including Mardi Gras, great Cajun food, and abundant attractions, New Orleans is definitely a city not to be missed!
Larcos Bridge
French Market
Grand Island
For more information visit:
New OrleansCity of New Orleans
I have utilized Pearl Eco River tour to see the swamps in the Bayou on several occasions. I’ve learned a great deal through those tours, perhaps more that way than any other.
It’s important to me to see, hear and smell the environment first hand when I can. I was able to meet the people of the Bayou and get personal stories of the area.
Pearl Eco River Tours
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~COTTONMOUTH SNAKE~
Cottonmouth snakes, also known as water moccasins, are commonly found in the south and like to inhabit marshy areas in particular. They are the only poisonous water snake in North America. These highly venomous snakes are black in color and reach lengths from 3 ½ to 6 feet. Water moccasins are very aggressive and will defend their territory; they will even approach intruding human beings!
For more information visit:
Cottonmouth
Cottonmouths
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~ALLIGATORS~
Alligators are large reptiles that can be found in the southeastern United States and China. Unlike their cousin, the crocodile, alligators have blunt snouts and are relatively unaggressive. Between 1978 and 2003, there were only 2 alligator attacks in Louisiana, neither of which was fatal, and 13 fatal attacks in Florida. Typically alligators live between thirty five and fifty years and rarely grow larger than thirteen feet in length and six hundred pounds in weight. The largest alligator ever captures was caught in the early 1900's in Louisiana, and measured nineteen feet, two inches!
For further reading on alligators, please follow the links below:
A Comparison of Shark Attacks and Fatalities with the American Alligator
Indonesia
Finding information on Sumatra was much more challenging than I thought it would be. It took several days and many hours of research to get the information I needed for Toxic Game. Palembang is one of the larger cities, but beyond that there’s relatively little information. I found personal blogs, travel guides, travel blogs and some news and photos that helped give me an overall view of the area.
Not even 20% of the research ended up in the book, but I wanted people to feel they were really experiencing the area.
