Christine Feehan's Blog, page 9

Interviews, Book Schedule and a Thank you!

First, I want to thank everyone who bought Desolation Road. I am so grateful to all of my readers and am excited about how well the book did!

Even though the book was released early in some places, you pre-ordered the book and those sales counted toward the bestseller lists.




It's not too late! Order Dark Song by Aug. 3rd and you can have it signed and personalized! Gallery Bookshop is at it again!
They are sponsoring the opportunity to have me sign and personalize the book for you or a friend! If you’d like to get a signed and personalized copy of Dark Song just go here- Gallery Bookshop




If you don’t need your copy of Dark Song personalized, but would still love to have it signed, Barnes & Noble are offering signed copies at B&N HERE





Books Connect Us interview with myself and my editor, Cindy Hwang. Talking about my books and writing. This was so fun since I’ve not done an interview with Cindy before! INTERVIEW





Book Schedule for the rest of 2020



Dark Illusion in paperback Aug. 4
Dark Song in hardcover Sept. 1

Lethal Gamein paperback Sept. 29

Leopard’s Rage Nov. 10

Conspiracy Game with Walmart exclusive, collector’s cover Dec. 8



2021


Reckless Road Feb. 9th

Lightning Game (no date yet)

Shadow Storm (no date yet)

More to come



Aug. 7th come celebrate the paperback release of Dark Illusion and listen on a bit about onDark Song Reader’s Entertainment Radio. We’ll be talking about my Dark series, answering reader questions and having a great time! It’s at 1PM Pacific/ 4 PM Eastern and lasts half an hour -RADIO

The Mystery of Scarlet – Desolation Road

Never forget that a woman who reads is a dangerous woman indeed. If you're already read Desolation Road , you know that.




I can really see Scarlet becoming a favorite for so many, myself included. She is full of mystery. She is a kick-ass librarian both smart and courageous. She’s beautiful inside and out. Of course, Absinthe was going to fall in love with her.

She’s a very layered character so writing her was fun for me. I enjoyed writing every single page. Even the difficult ones. These characters, Absinthe and Scarlet were so well matched, so strong they were fun to write. Having her have her own psychic gifts was really fun. And for her, dangerous in ways she never dreamed of.

Scarlet has a former life she has to deal with. A former life that comes back on her when she’s not yet prepared. She’d hoped for more time. But, she knew it was possible her past could cost her her life. Having a relationship wasn’t in the cards for her. Maybe it never would be. Then along comes the most sexy, intelligent, incredible man in the world and what’s a girl to do?



Scarlet and Absinthe have amazing chemistry. She wants him with everything she is. Then, her past starts to take a dark turn. And some of it surprises Absinthe…and Torpedo Ink.

I’m excited to have readers meet her and discover how courageous and amazing she is.

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The Magic of Absinthe - Desolation Road

His psychic talent has been the most used throughout the series so far and it makes him intriguing now that he has his own book. I love that he’s this mystery, not just to readers, but to me. Writing Desolation Road was as much a journey for me as I hope it will be for the reader. Absinthe and Scarlet are an amazing couple who I feel are well matched on every level.

There are a lot of reveals in this book. Things I’ve always known were coming and soon I’ll find out what readers are most excited about when they discover it.

Absinthe doesn’t tell his brothers and sisters about the little librarian he’s been coming to see. He doesn’t even let Scarlet know he’s in a club at first. Not because he’s ashamed, but because he wants her to know him just as himself first. For a while she doesn’t even know his club name. So, you can imagine the scene when that gets revealed, right? LOL



Absinthe is very sexy. In my mind I see him so clearly. It’s not just his perfect body, handsome face or bad boy lifestyle. He is super brilliant. And to me, intelligence is sexy. This man is layered in sex appeal and Scarlet isn’t a silly girl. She sees it too. Unfortunately, her past and her plans don’t really align into having a relationship. So, our guy Absinthe has to use his considerable charm and training to convince her otherwise.

We find out what his intimate needs are and that was a discovery for me, too. It’s something that’s actually kind of popular though not something people talk about openly unless you’re in that lifestyle. Some people will love it, some won’t, but I hope people at least find it interesting.



Just like all of Torpedo Ink he has his tragic backstory that follows him and tries to crush any possibility of being in a relationship. Of being loved and accepted.

Absinthe has found a woman that has the potential of giving him everything. Now they just have to survive their past and the challenges of being together to get their happy ever after.

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Desolation Road – The Music Behind the Book Trailer

I love music. I listen to it when I write, when I exercise, to meditate or dance. Music has always been a part of my life even though I am not a musician. So, when I first heard the music they wanted to use for the Desolation Road book trailer I was excited and approved it right away.




The song is haunting and the words were perfect for the trailer that gives a glimpse inside the book that is Absinthe and Scarlet’s story. Ironically, the song could represent each character individually, or as a couple.


I love the song so much I reached out to the artist, Will Van De Crommert to ask him about the song and to show him some of the many comments posted on social or emailed to me about the song.



From Will - Composers and authors actually have a lot in common. We’re both artists that work and create primarily on our own, in solitude. We spend countless hours honing our respective crafts and when we finish an album or a book, we have no idea how it will be received after the work goes public. It’s both creatively fulfilling and terrifying, so you can imagine how gratifying it is when there’s such a positive response to a track or album I have created.


I am incredibly grateful and humbled when I receive a positive response to my music. Creativity almost always requires risks on the part of the artist, so it’s always a pleasure to see a track, like Last to Fall, be well received by fans like yours. Many thanks!

Will watched the Desolation Road book trailer and said, “The trailer for Desolation Road looks like an exciting addition to her Torpedo Ink series, and I’m pleased to have my music alongside a promo for what looks to be a very exciting addition to this literary world.”

Quotes from readers about the song-

I love the music in this trailer. Who is it by?
Love the trailer!!!
Love the music, who is it and what's the title????
I love this whole series!! Can't wait for Absinthe's book!
Love this series What is the song called, it is brilliant?
Ok I think I need to track down the music from the trailer! lol what is the title of it and who is it?
Omg I soooooo cant wait Christine Feehan may I ask what song is used in this trailer pleaseeeee
This is beautiful. And the music is prrfect.
Not usually a fan of the trailers but...OMG this is fantastic....where can I get this music!!?


I knew how the song made me feel, both while watching the trailer and just listening to the entire song on its own so I asked Will more about the song.

From Will - This album (called Last to Fall for the title track) arose in collaboration with a music house in my native Minnesota. For this release, I wanted to create a sonic backdrop that could support larger-than-life worlds, exciting stories, and dark narratives. Much of my musical training is based on my university classical training, my pop music sensibilities, and my time as a film and television composer in Minneapolis and Los Angeles.

You can see Will’s music video for Last to Fall here-https://youtu.be/wsZaEFomcLU




Will’s album releases on June 19th on iTunes and pre-orders start on June 11th! If you enjoyed Last to Fall I hope you’ll check out his album.




Desolation Road releases July 7th. I’ll be taking questions on Ask the Author for Torpedo Ink the entire week of the release starting July 6th. I can’t give out spoilers, but I’ll answer any questions I can.

Check out Will's album!


Link to album.

Desolation Road Video Teaser Gives More Hints

I love how this book has already caused some conversation with the book trailer. I’m hoping the story will be one readers talk about for a while after they read it.

I thought it would be fun to surprise everyone with an extra book teaser for Desolation Road. This has a different approach to it though.

I think men should always be careful of women who frequent libraries or bookstores. Women who surround themselves with books. You should never underestimate them. You don’t know what she’s read. So you don’t know what she knows. Her mysteries are as vast as her TBR pile. LOL

I hope you enjoy the teaser! Let me know what you think!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH

Torpedo Ink Word Search Puzzle

Desolation Road is out July 7th and we're starting the celebration with some fun puzzles!


You can work on the word search puzzle here on Goodreads and let me know what you think about it once you completed it!


And if you want to try a fun Torpedo Ink themed crossword puzzle you can do that one on my online community HERE . If you've never signed up before just know we will never spam you and we hold your information private. It's easy to sign up HERE.



You can work on the Word Search puzzle either by downloading it HERE or work on it online HERE.

I hope you let me know how you like them!

If you missed it, here are links for the BOOK TRAILER and for the FIRST CHAPTER of Desolation Road!

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The Youngest Ferraro Steps Out of the Shadows

Taviano is the youngest brother and in Shadow Flight we really see how he’s grown as a man. All of the Ferraros are alphas, even Emme. Just because Taviano looked up to big brother Stefano didn’t mean he wasn’t a badass in his own right. He took missions. He delivered justice. He also had a unique love interest in that, Nicoletta had been rescued by the Ferraros and now lived in their sphere.

I really enjoy writing this series. Most people know that I have a large family and that family means the world to me. It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that most of my books have that kind of theme running through them. The Shadow Rider series is about family and with Taviano and Nicoletta’s story you get several layers of it. From the love of siblings, to what makes up family we learn how family can save us in so many ways.



Taviano loves his family, but something from his past kept his apart. Because his secret could, in his opinion, harm the family, he couldn’t share it. But, something in Nicoletta gave him solace and he’d go to her to keep his demons at bay even though it wasn’t the right time for a romantic relationship.



Taviano is a bit of a hothead and the most like Stefano. He’s always been his own man. He’s not one to ask for permission. When things go sideways and he needs to protect Nicoletta, he makes the decision he feels will keep her safe, even though the cost to him is dear.
Taviano is willing to pay the price for his decisions, his mistakes and desires.

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Re-Read Wrap up with Shadow Warrior!

Shadow Flight is out tomorrow! So we're wrapping up our re-read of the series with Shadow Warrior in preparation.

This was one of those books with lots of layers to the overall story. I’ve always loved this family and the family dynamics, but this one I thought really expanded the overall family story as you read about Grace and Vittorio.
Reading through it again I found several things that I enjoyed re-reading.

1. I really enjoyed the serial killer. LOL That sounds bad, doesn’t it? But, I did. He was creepy and scary and exactly as I wanted him to be. I always try hard to improve on something with every book and for this one, I worked on improving my villain.



2. I loved Grace. I love her quiet strength. She wasn’t going to beat someone up, but she was indomitable and courageous in her own way. She was fiercely strong and willing to sacrifice in order to keep others safe. She didn’t fold under pressure. She was an amazing woman and her strength was different in a lot of ways that maybe you didn’t recognize, but Vittorio did.



3. Of course, I love my hero, Vittorio. Each of the Ferraro brothers are so different from each other, each having their own alpha-strength and skills. Vittorio was considered the “peacemaker” of the group. He seemed calm, peaceful, but he was also the one you didn’t want to come up against. He could be unmovable. He was protective in HIS way, like she was in HER way. They complimented each other.

Those are the three things I thought about and enjoyed while re-reading Shadow Warrior. Then, I got to read the top three passages that the reader liked. These are highlighted in Kindle and I get the opportunity to read and respond to what readers like. These are the top three, but I’m going to include all ten over on Kindle Notes & Highlights and I hope you check those out, too!

1. “When Valentino, the now heir apparent, was eight, there was a car bombing. It killed his father, Fons, and mother, leaving him an orphan. Giuseppi and his wife, Greta, had always been in Val’s life. Supposedly, they adored him and were the favorite aunt and uncle. Greta has never had children, and there isn’t even a whisper of Giuseppi cheating on her. They took Val in and later adopted him legally. He was around ten when they made it legal.”

This passage is about Val’s past and shows he was actually the youngest brother’s son but the oldest brother legally adopted him and made him the heir to the Saldi family. That adjusted who would be direct heir to the throne.
Val’s adopted parents appear as though they love each other and him. He was accepted by them on a level that changed things on a family business level. Val’s actual mom and dad were killed, so you know there’s violence in his life. He has a very complicated life.
As a writer, I wanted to say as much as I could about Val in an abbreviated way. I thought this said a lot about his life.

2. “Miceli had one son, Dario, out of wedlock. He never married his mother, but Dario came to live with him when he was fifteen, after she died. Miceli has two sons with his current wife, Tommaso and Angelo. Because Giuseppi adopted Val legally, Val, who would have stood in line behind Miceli and his three sons, was now the official heir to the Saldi throne.”

Because Giuseppi legally adopted Val, Val became the official heir to Giuseppi’s territory. Miceli has a territory but he answers to Giuseppi. Should Giuseppi die, Miceli would have to answer to Val.
Had he not been adopted, Miceli, Giuseppis’ brother would have been the heir and his three sons, Dario, Tommaso, and Angelo would have all been in line so they would have owned both territories. You can see the complication and potential drama of the entire situation.


3. “Mia bella ragazza, sei cosi coraggiosa,” he murmured.
My beautiful girl, you’re so brave.
He tells her that a lot. He feels she is brave and is always telling her that. He praises her a lot because he feels like nobody ever has.
So much of this story helps lead up to some of Taviano and Nicoletta’s story in Shadow Flight. I enjoyed the re-read of the series and can’t wait to find out what everyone enjoys most about Shadow Flight when you read it.
In the meantime, let me know what you enjoyed most about Shadow Warrior.

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Forbidden Love- Shadow Flight’s Taviano and Nicoletta

She was too young when Taviano saved her from her uncles. Taviano and Stefano brought her back to Chicago and found her a home. They knew immediately Nicoletta was a Shadow Rider. Taviano knew immediately that she belonged to him, but he would have to wait for her.









Sometimes a love is forbidden because of circumstance, like Romeo and Juliet. Sometimes it has to do with culture or religion, ethnicity, or class. There are times a love or relationship is forbidden because of family objections or timing. In Shadow Flight , for Taviano and Nicoletta, it had to more to do with suspending the possibility of a relationship because Nicoletta had been traumatized and she was too young. But, there was always a chemistry between them. One that evolved as Nicoletta got older and more mature.



Once Nicoletta began to mature the issue became whether or not she was ready for a mature relationship. Her trauma made Taviano, and the Ferraro family, very careful with her. Even though Taviano knew not to press the issue of a relationship, Nicoletta wanted him, and she became more and more difficult to resist. Then, a small indiscretion ruined everything.

It's fun to write a fated love story against the backdrop of not knowing if it is the right time. To find a way to cross the line from forbidden to an explosive love affair when there were so many obstacles.



I always knew I wanted these characters to be together. I also knew it couldn’t be easy. And there would need to be a catalyst to throwing them together.

So, with the backdrop of danger and difficult positions, I threw them into a situation, shook it up with some adventure and family, and watched it all unfold. I really can’t wait for people to read this book. They are an amazing couple in so many ways.

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Re-Read Wrap up with Shadow Keeper

Have you ever read a book and liked it even better on the re-read? It’s been so long since I wrote Shadow Keeper I nearly forgot how much I love Giovanni and Sasha’s story. I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting them.










It was difficult to pinpoint just one scene that I loved, let alone three. But, there are types of scenes I loved throughout.




I love all the scenes with the brother. I still have readers write to me asking about Sasha’s brother. I love the closeness between Sasha and Sandlin, her big brother with a brain injury. He is childlike and she reads to him and spends time with him. And though Sandlin has a brain injury he still recognizes Giovanni as a dangerous man. I really enjoyed the brother.


I love the scenes that show Sasha’s strength. She’s a country girl with a kickbutt attitude, logical about life and very loyal. She’s not inhibited and has no problem making her own demands. She’s non apologetic about her sexuality. To me, she embodies a real woman.

I enjoyed foreshadowing and layers to the Ferraro matriarch, Eloisa. I showed a little softness to her with regard to Sandlin, but there is no doubt that she is a hardened woman. So much of how she is in Shadow Keeper comes back into play in Shadow Flight. I’ll be interested to see what readers make of her.



Now, the intriguing, fun part of the re-read for me – looking at what readers found interesting in the book. These are the top three passages or scenes readers on Kindle highlighted. I love seeing what a group of people found interesting or memorable and then trying to figure out why that was chosen or talk a bit about the idea behind that scene or passage.

Kindle Notes & Highlights

#1 -On the asphalt, she could see their shadows had come together, connecting with all the other shadows in the parking lot.
When two people come together as Shadow Riders for the first time it’s one of my favorite moments in the story. There’s an undeniable awareness between them. It’s on a cellular level, a soul level.
It’s one thing for Shadow Riders to acknowledge each other through their shadows, but when it’s a fated couple there’s more to it. That awareness is a jolt. Once a Shadow Rider commits to the relationship they are committed for life. I love the romance of that.



#2 - “Sasha Provis is a shadow rider. At least, she’s capable of being one,” Giovanni announced to his family. “She’s definitely mine. I was attracted to her before our shadows ever connected. In the club, when she spoke for the first time something in me opened up and she just poured inside.” He didn’t know any other way to describe it.

Giovanni knew Sasha was his. It was so strong he knew it even before their shadows touched. Her voice opened up something deep inside him. They were like a lock and key for one another. They are a very strong couple.


#3- “She said I was rather worthless sitting on my barren ass at home all day. She asked me point-blank if I had been tested and was I able to produce children. She made it very clear that I better be able to at least have children or I was useless to you and the family.” (Francesca is saying this)

Eloisa makes it easy to dislike her. But, she herself was raised to believe that a woman’s worth was determined by two things – The ability to ride the shadows and the ability to produce shadow riders. Francesca, though she had the ability, didn’t ride the shadows. That wasn’t something she felt she needed to do. She also hadn’t produced a child, making her an utter failure in Eloisa’s eyes.


I hope you enjoyed revisiting Giovanni and Sasha. Please let me know your favorite scenes or characters.
Revisit them in the book trailer here