Christine Feehan's Blog, page 4
May 18, 2022
Red on the River Puzzle
A few more weeks and Red on the River will be out! I can't wait for June 28th!
I thought it would be fun to do a puzzle based off of the book! I hope you enjoy it!
I thought it would be fun to do a puzzle based off of the book! I hope you enjoy it!
April 27, 2022
The Danger of Shadows: Shadow Fire
Shadow Fire brings us back to the discussion of how horrible it can be to ride the shadows.
From the very beginning of the series, it was made clear that riding shadows wasn’t something easy to do. Some people just couldn’t. Some people did but paid a high price for it. Having the ability to ride the shadows wasn’t a guarantee that you’d be successful at it. So above and beyond a rider’s ability to use the shadow tubes, they also had to be well versed in fighting and weapons. In killing.
The Ferraro’s lost their young brother, Ettore, in the shadows. Their mother pushed the younger Ferraro into going into the shadows in order to save her own pride and it was Stefano who had to retrieve his brother’s body from within the shadow tubes. Riding those tubes takes a physical toll on the body.
When Nicoletta was forced to ride the shadow tubes with Taviano in Shadow Flight, in order to escape a group of killers, she became disoriented and ill at first. It would take training in order for her to learn to ride the shadows like the others.
Brielle Couture is a woman who doesn’t take failure lightly. Not if she can improve herself and come out on top. She’d not been the prettiest sister. The most eligible. Riding the shadows made her extremely ill. And though no one thought she’d be a Shadow Rider, she had the Shadow Rider genes and that was where they saw her value. But, Brielle didn’t see herself that way. She would train regardless of the cost. No one would take away what she had fought so hard to do. No one would take away the life she carefully worked at having. A husband. A family. Respect and perhaps even affection.
Everything she worked so hard to have would be put into question, challenged or potentially taken away.
Riding could cost her everything, including her life. But she wasn’t about to let Elie Archambault dictate what she could or could not do.
Sometimes we want something so much we are willing to do what it takes to have it. And when we get it, it’s not good for us. Even when we know it’s a bad idea, we’ve fought for it for so long it feels like you’d rather take chances than give up.
Brielle will have to make compromises in her new, married, life. Making the wrong choice could be a point of no return when you’re a Shadow Rider.
From the very beginning of the series, it was made clear that riding shadows wasn’t something easy to do. Some people just couldn’t. Some people did but paid a high price for it. Having the ability to ride the shadows wasn’t a guarantee that you’d be successful at it. So above and beyond a rider’s ability to use the shadow tubes, they also had to be well versed in fighting and weapons. In killing.
The Ferraro’s lost their young brother, Ettore, in the shadows. Their mother pushed the younger Ferraro into going into the shadows in order to save her own pride and it was Stefano who had to retrieve his brother’s body from within the shadow tubes. Riding those tubes takes a physical toll on the body.
When Nicoletta was forced to ride the shadow tubes with Taviano in Shadow Flight, in order to escape a group of killers, she became disoriented and ill at first. It would take training in order for her to learn to ride the shadows like the others.
Brielle Couture is a woman who doesn’t take failure lightly. Not if she can improve herself and come out on top. She’d not been the prettiest sister. The most eligible. Riding the shadows made her extremely ill. And though no one thought she’d be a Shadow Rider, she had the Shadow Rider genes and that was where they saw her value. But, Brielle didn’t see herself that way. She would train regardless of the cost. No one would take away what she had fought so hard to do. No one would take away the life she carefully worked at having. A husband. A family. Respect and perhaps even affection.
Everything she worked so hard to have would be put into question, challenged or potentially taken away.
Riding could cost her everything, including her life. But she wasn’t about to let Elie Archambault dictate what she could or could not do.
Sometimes we want something so much we are willing to do what it takes to have it. And when we get it, it’s not good for us. Even when we know it’s a bad idea, we’ve fought for it for so long it feels like you’d rather take chances than give up.
Brielle will have to make compromises in her new, married, life. Making the wrong choice could be a point of no return when you’re a Shadow Rider.
April 21, 2022
Shadow Fire: From Paris with Love
For several years we’ve followed the Ferraro family of Chicago. And though I wasn’t ready to let them go, it was time to move on and meet someone new. Someone from a different family of Shadow Riders.
I wrote Shadow Fire to introduce someone from a different family.
I hadn’t thought about writing Elie’s book. He was a fun secondary character that I enjoyed writing. But, soon he took on a life of his own and he insisted he had his own story to tell.
The Archambault family, which is centered in France, is notorious not only for their shadow riding abilities but because they are a family who also could mete out justice to other Shadow Riders. Try to imagine what kind of training you would need to be able to kill well-trained assassins who could also ride shadows.
The fact that Elie had a dark side to him made perfect sense. He was raised in the shadow of a great family. The expectations of his skills was extraordinary. Because the Archambault family was akin to royalty in its own way, a great deal of discipline and little affection was simply the way Elie was brought up.
When it was dictated to him that he would marry a woman of his family’s choosing, Elie rebelled. And the young woman his family wanted to tie him to heard every cruel word Elie had to say about why he’d not marry her. Elie tried to apologize later, but to no avail. She disappeared and he left France, joining the military and then the Ferraro security detail.
But Paris was never truly far away. Not in his memory. Or heart.
There had been a woman there who’d caught his attention. A woman who stood out. He only had to wait until she was old enough. Ready enough. Now that was gone. As was the chance of a love-match.
He accepted the terms of an arranged marriage. A woman from France. Who met a very specific criteria. She would have everything…but his heart.
She arrived in the United States already married by proxy. The ceremony just a formality. They finally were able to meet in person. And that’s when everything went to Hell.
I had such a great time writing this book and giving Elie someone that would challenge and fulfill him.
I wrote Shadow Fire to introduce someone from a different family.
I hadn’t thought about writing Elie’s book. He was a fun secondary character that I enjoyed writing. But, soon he took on a life of his own and he insisted he had his own story to tell.
The Archambault family, which is centered in France, is notorious not only for their shadow riding abilities but because they are a family who also could mete out justice to other Shadow Riders. Try to imagine what kind of training you would need to be able to kill well-trained assassins who could also ride shadows.
The fact that Elie had a dark side to him made perfect sense. He was raised in the shadow of a great family. The expectations of his skills was extraordinary. Because the Archambault family was akin to royalty in its own way, a great deal of discipline and little affection was simply the way Elie was brought up.
When it was dictated to him that he would marry a woman of his family’s choosing, Elie rebelled. And the young woman his family wanted to tie him to heard every cruel word Elie had to say about why he’d not marry her. Elie tried to apologize later, but to no avail. She disappeared and he left France, joining the military and then the Ferraro security detail.
But Paris was never truly far away. Not in his memory. Or heart.
There had been a woman there who’d caught his attention. A woman who stood out. He only had to wait until she was old enough. Ready enough. Now that was gone. As was the chance of a love-match.
He accepted the terms of an arranged marriage. A woman from France. Who met a very specific criteria. She would have everything…but his heart.
She arrived in the United States already married by proxy. The ceremony just a formality. They finally were able to meet in person. And that’s when everything went to Hell.
I had such a great time writing this book and giving Elie someone that would challenge and fulfill him.
April 4, 2022
Writing Romantic Suspense Mysteries
I’ve always loved reading mystery novels. The Sherlock Holmes series was a favorite of mine. Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, and I loved Agatha Christie. Then I found romantic suspense and Laurie R. King’s Mary Russell mysteries series, Karen Rose’s amazing thrillers, Tess Gerritsen, Sandra Brown, the list is endless! So, to say that I’ve always wanted to write a romantic suspense mystery is an understatement.
I’ve written since I was very young. So, there are some initial mystery/thriller books that I’ve written that will never see the light of day. Let’s call those my practice run. Lol
Last year I decided to sit down and plan out a mystery novel. I normally am a linear writer and pantser. But, to write a mystery you do have to have some planning. I wanted people to really have to guess at who the killer was. It was every bit as fun as I had hoped and that is how Murder at Sunrise Lake came to be published.
I loved the women and the feeling of sisterhood in Murder at Sunrise Lake and though the next book, Red on the River, utilizes those characters it is a standalone book. It is also a romantic suspense mystery. Set in Las Vegas with a poker tournament and a killer following Vienna and her friends as they hike and boulder, this still has a touch of paranormal to it. And it has a hot hero with a secret government job and skills that can save, or end, someone.
The romance between Vienna and Zale is one of my favorite things about Red on the River . It’s an emotional relationship full of passion and hope. This is definitely an action book and I’ll be really interested in how long it will take readers to figure out who the killer is.
Murder at Sunrise Lake will be released in paperback May 24th and Red on the River releases in hardcover June 28th.
Who is your favorite mystery or romantic suspense author? Or what is your favorite mystery novel?
March 9, 2022
Phantom Game Word Search Puzzle
Celebrating the release of Phantom Game with a fun word search puzzle!
You can download the PDF of the puzzle and print it as well. DOWNLOAD HERE
Find out about other GhostWalker books HERE.
You can download the PDF of the puzzle and print it as well. DOWNLOAD HERE
Find out about other GhostWalker books HERE.
February 28, 2022
A Game of Betrayal: Phantom Game
Like any action film there’s a great deal of conflict in Phantom Game. The main story is, of course, a love story. But this is also science fiction and action. Lots of action.
We’re back with Team 1 and 2 and that brings with it old conflicts. These are the teams that were first experimented on. They have a lot of problems both physically and psychically. How have they fared over the last few years? We’re about to find out.
Jonas has always been a quiet character who I knew had some dark secrets he didn’t even want his team to know about. So when I realized Camellia would be the heroine of Phantom Gamet I knew immediately Jonas would be the hero. Camellia keeps secrets as well.
Put two secretive, strong, enhanced people together and add incredible romantic chemistry into the mix and stir in betrayal it is going to make things explosive.
Many readers ask about the children of the GhostWalkers and they’ll be happy to get a little information in that regard. Not only is there an enemy army coming to Montana to attack the two compounds, but they have every intention of capturing one of the children and murdering the others.
If you’ve not watched the Phantom Game book trailer you can see it here and get a little more insight to the story.
Will the betrayal within destroy them before their enemies even arrive?
Her secrets will change a lot for the GhostWalkers as they introduce new information.
We’re back with Team 1 and 2 and that brings with it old conflicts. These are the teams that were first experimented on. They have a lot of problems both physically and psychically. How have they fared over the last few years? We’re about to find out.
Jonas has always been a quiet character who I knew had some dark secrets he didn’t even want his team to know about. So when I realized Camellia would be the heroine of Phantom Gamet I knew immediately Jonas would be the hero. Camellia keeps secrets as well.
Put two secretive, strong, enhanced people together and add incredible romantic chemistry into the mix and stir in betrayal it is going to make things explosive.
Many readers ask about the children of the GhostWalkers and they’ll be happy to get a little information in that regard. Not only is there an enemy army coming to Montana to attack the two compounds, but they have every intention of capturing one of the children and murdering the others.
If you’ve not watched the Phantom Game book trailer you can see it here and get a little more insight to the story.
Will the betrayal within destroy them before their enemies even arrive?
Her secrets will change a lot for the GhostWalkers as they introduce new information.
January 26, 2022
Savage Road: What This Book Has That Annihilation Road Doesn’t
So many people have asked why I have the same couple in two books. A lot of readers thought there was an error and that the descriptions had to be wrong. But there wasn’t a mistake. Annihilation Road was Savage and Seychelle’s story of how they met and fell in love. Savage Road looks at how that love affects and is affected by the people around them. Specifically, how it is affected by and how it affects Torpedo Ink and its members.
Savage’s story was one I wasn’t sure I’d even write. It’s complicated and sad. I knew his would require a trigger warning at the front of the book. Not everyone would want to read this kind of material, or something this intense, or complicated. But I feel it’s important that survivors realize there are happy endings for them. Not easy ones. But, there’s hope.
Torpedo Ink would want Savage to be happy. To be safe. Seychelle wasn’t going to have an easy time of being accepted. They knew Savage was already on the edge. If he found love and his woman couldn’t handle it and left, what would happen to Savage? Everyone wanted to be careful. Not everyone thought of “careful” the same way and that caused some issues.
In Savage Road we already know Savage and Seychelle love each other. But as we all know; love isn’t always enough. That is the question – Is love enough?
This book looks at that but it also takes a deeper look at Torpedo Ink and its members. The motorcycle run is dangerous for so many reasons and it puts relationships to the test. A great deal is going on with and around Torpedo Ink that will force Viktor and some of the others to do potentially unforgivable things.
This is still a romance. But it is also very much a story of Torpedo Ink itself.
Watch the book trailer for Savage Road here.
January 5, 2022
The Psychic Gifts of Savage and Seychelle
Because the paranormal element in the Torpedo Ink series isn’t always prominent people can forget this is paranormal romance. Annihilation Road is romantic, heart wrenching, hopeful and it has more undertones of the paranormal than some of the previous books.
Savage and Seychelle have psychic gifts that help each other recognize and understand one another on a level no one else could understand.
I enjoyed writing about their special abilities and watching how they treat each other as they discover what those abilities cost.
Savage has always been able to use his voice in a way that was unusual. Seychelle is a singer. An incredible singer who seems to draw people in, calm them, make them feel better. Her remarkable gift is both a blessing and a curse, as most gifts are. Their talents draw them closer.
I think their love story is about acceptance. What are you willing to accept in order to be with the person you love? Unusual psychic gifts, unusual sexual yearnings, club life, and danger. For those who love to see just how much love can conquer, Savage’s story has it all.
Savage and Seychelle have psychic gifts that help each other recognize and understand one another on a level no one else could understand.
I enjoyed writing about their special abilities and watching how they treat each other as they discover what those abilities cost.
Savage has always been able to use his voice in a way that was unusual. Seychelle is a singer. An incredible singer who seems to draw people in, calm them, make them feel better. Her remarkable gift is both a blessing and a curse, as most gifts are. Their talents draw them closer.
I think their love story is about acceptance. What are you willing to accept in order to be with the person you love? Unusual psychic gifts, unusual sexual yearnings, club life, and danger. For those who love to see just how much love can conquer, Savage’s story has it all.
December 28, 2021
Annihilation Road: Who Deserves to be Loved?
I knew I would write Savage’s story, but I thought I would only write it for myself. And then I wrote Annihilation Road . Savage’s story was so big I realized right away it would expand over two books.
Savage has known tragedy, pain, grief, yearning and brotherhood. He was turned into a sadist by the men and women who trained him as a child. He learned to take the pain. He learned to give pain. They rewired his brain and his body until he knew there was no going back for him. His value had to do with what he could do for his brothers and sisters in Torpedo. And what he could do to those who harmed children and women and those he cared about.
What Savage couldn’t imagine, but what I already knew was true, is that he deserves love. Regardless of his sins. Regardless of his own opinion or belief. Savage had his own set of rules. Honor. And the part of him that was redeemable called out in what he thought were the final moments of his life and he found himself face to face with a woman unlike any other.
Seychelle had her own special gift. Not just the psychic gift she was born with. Her gift was compassion, empathy and love. This woman was exactly what Savage needed. Desired.
For being such a scary and violent character, she brought out the best in Savage. Made him a better man.
Sometimes your past changes you in ways that can never be put right. Savage is broken and can’t be fixed in a lot of ways. Seychelle wasn’t there to fix him. She was there to love him. Because she was that strong. And because Savage deserved it.
Savage has known tragedy, pain, grief, yearning and brotherhood. He was turned into a sadist by the men and women who trained him as a child. He learned to take the pain. He learned to give pain. They rewired his brain and his body until he knew there was no going back for him. His value had to do with what he could do for his brothers and sisters in Torpedo. And what he could do to those who harmed children and women and those he cared about.
What Savage couldn’t imagine, but what I already knew was true, is that he deserves love. Regardless of his sins. Regardless of his own opinion or belief. Savage had his own set of rules. Honor. And the part of him that was redeemable called out in what he thought were the final moments of his life and he found himself face to face with a woman unlike any other.
Seychelle had her own special gift. Not just the psychic gift she was born with. Her gift was compassion, empathy and love. This woman was exactly what Savage needed. Desired.
For being such a scary and violent character, she brought out the best in Savage. Made him a better man.
Sometimes your past changes you in ways that can never be put right. Savage is broken and can’t be fixed in a lot of ways. Seychelle wasn’t there to fix him. She was there to love him. Because she was that strong. And because Savage deserved it.
November 17, 2021
The Goddess Card: Dark Tarot
In Dark Tarot we find that Adalasia comes from an ancient family. Her heritage includes a powerful, magical deck of tarot cards handed down from mother to daughter for centuries. Rumored to be the first such deck of cards, these antique cards hold a decidedly feminine power. Soon, even the ancient Carpathians begin to understand exactly how powerful this line of powerful women are. One touch…and the cards react to these ancient men. What will their future hold? What will Adalasia’s future hold? And why is the blood infused into the cards so familiar to Sandu?
I’ve had this idea for tarot cards for some time now. This deck holds Italian decoration and the history dates back so far that even with the stories told from mother to daughter there are lost secrets that must be found.
The Goddess card represents the feminine power of these cards. This card is part of the deck but not in the way most people who read tarot would recognize. It does something altogether different but exceedingly important. She is an anchor. A seat of power. Only those taught to use this deck understand her purpose.
I wanted to show just how strong, powerful and loyal women are and have always been. This represents hundreds of women who have held the power of the cards, infusing it with their own power. These women have a purpose that is both dangerous and necessary.
I want women to celebrate their heritage and their strength. I want women to embrace their own power and appreciate those women who lifted them up to support them and handed down history one woman at a time.
