C.R. Richards's Blog, page 30

Pariah Book Review Tour Wraps Up

The Pariah Book Review Tour comes to an end today. Sad, but true. It’s been a fun experience visiting these tour stops over the past month. I want to thank my readers (old and new) who stopped by to support the tour. You are awesome!

A special “Thank You” goes out to the wonderful Blog Hosts who featured Pariah. Below are the links to their reviews of my book. Check out other authors they feature as well. You might just find your next favorite read.

Stop 1 – Ashley’s Paranormal Book Blog (October 15, 2014)

Stop 2 – Unabridged Andra (October 22, 2014)

Stop 3 – MAD Hoydenish (October 29, 2014)

Stop 4 – SBM Book Obsession (November 5, 2014)

This tour was organized by the fantastic folks at Goddess Fish Promotions. I highly recommend their services!

I’ll announce the winners of the Host and Visitor Amazon Gift Cards soon. Don’t forget! You still have a chance to enter through today on SBM Book Obsession.

The Prankster Nun

Santa Fe is the oldest capital city in the United States, so over time it has picked up a few ghosts.  Like other souls chained to a world that has forgotten them, Santa Fe’s ghosts haunt places which held significance when they were among the living. I could understand how a former prison would keep tortured souls within its walls. Historic hotels are logical haunting spots as well. But a chapel gift shop?

Loretto Chapel – When visiting Santa Fe, you have to stop at the beautiful Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi. It is still an active church were services are conducted, babies blessed, etc. A few blocks over is another historic religious structure. Loretto Chapel (a must see) is famous for its beautiful spiral staircase. Known as the Miraculous Staircase, it was said to be built by a mysterious carpenter. He used no nails or screws – an amazing work of engineering. Legends say it was the work of the supernatural.

Maybe the notion I was misbehaving inside the church was a lingering superstition from my youth. I felt the sensation of being disrespectful to a deity that was no longer worshiped there. It was a little too much like being back in Sunday School for me. I left the chapel and made my way into the cramped gift shop. The creepy vibe really ramped up at this point.

What I discovered when I got home: I ordered Santa Fe Ghosts by Susan Blumenthal. The author examines reports of paranormal activity around Santa Fe and has uncovered the background of each historic site.

The author interviewed individuals who were very open and honest about their experiences in Loretto Chapel. One gentleman arrived at work each morning to find several crosses on the floor of the chapel gift shop. They were put there courtesy of one of the nuns who had passed away.

Another staff member shared her experiences with the ghostly Sister George. This prankster nun enjoys playing practical jokes on the staff within the chapel and gift shop. One invisible music fan liked to manipulate the gift shop kiosk containing sample music. Each time the ghost would select the same song, playing it over and over again. It drove the gift shop staff crazy. Could it have been Sister George playing one of her pranks? You’ve got to love a nun with a sense of humor.

And Now For Something Really Scary!

You only have one more tour stop left for a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card.

Check out a summary of the reviews for Pariah so far on my website. (Located at the bottom of the page along with links to the full reviews)

The Rose Room

One of my hobbies as I visit new places is checking out the ghost scene. I try to book in hotels with paranormal activity. Ghost hunting in Santa Fe, New Mexico was not on my “To Do List” this time around. I went to Santa Fe to heal and rest, but the spirits had other ideas.  It began as I entered my room…

La Posada de Santa Fe is a beautiful resort and spa located downtown. Once the Victorian mansion of Abraham and Julia Staab, it has been converted to match the adobe buildings of the resort. My room was off the main house on the first floor. The strange feeling began as I entered my room. Something wasn’t quite “right” about the space. I was growing uncomfortable. Then a kind of peace came over me. Impressions came into my mind of a welcoming family who were happy I came to visit. I began to feel as though I was staying at the family home of a dear friend.

The lobby of La Posada is a welcoming place which draws the locals of Santa Fe to visit for S’more Night each Tuesday. Walking up the stairs past lovely exhibits of local artists will take you to Staab House proper. The home has been restored to its original Victorian style. A beautifully restored wooden bar offers a comfortable gathering place for guests. Across the hall is the magnificent Library. I enjoyed spending many hours there reading by the fire.

(My Selfie in the Library)

And then there’s the Rose Room. Decorated in dark wood and rose colored furnishings, it houses many pieces of flower art by local artists. I DO NOT LIKE THAT ROOM. The moment I stepped across the threshold I felt a heaviness come over me. I’m not one to shy away from exploring creepy places, but the feeling of being watched was overpowering. This wasn’t my first paranormal rodeo. I knew that room had a history the minute I stepped inside. It took every ounce of restraint to resist asking the staff, “Okay. What happened in the Rose Room?” I was there to heal and rest after all, not to chase ghosts.

Curiosity eventually got the better of me. I had to know. Rather than ask the staff, I decided to look into the history of the hotel on the sly. There was a little book shop down by the Plaza. I attempted to purchase a book about local ghosts. Santa Fe being the laid back town it is, I was not surprised to find a note on the bookstore door.

“Sorry. No set hours yet. Be back sometime in the afternoon.”

I tried three days in a row, but was unsuccessful in catching the store open. My research would have to wait.

What I discovered when I got home: I ordered Santa Fe Ghosts by Susan Blumenthal. The author examines reports of paranormal activity around Santa Fe and has uncovered the background of each historic site.

In her book, the author details the life of Julia Staab or as the staff call her “the hostess with the mostess.” She was one of the most famed socialites of old Santa Fe, throwing wonderful parties and expertly entertaining guests. The stories say Julia went insane after the death of her seventh child and eventually died. Today the Rose Room in the Staab House is believed to be dedicated to Julia.

There are many tales of ghost sightings surrounding Staab House. They say the spirit of Julia Staab can be felt in her lovely gardens throughout the property. She is also the presence fussing about and making certain the modern day guests are taken care of. One employee experienced her maternal nature first hand. He was working the nightshift and decided to take a nap on one of the couches. When he woke, he’d been stripped and his clothes had been neatly folded.

There are accounts of the shadow of a woman when no one else is in the Rose Room. Was the presence I felt Julia? I remember making a “yucky” face at the red walls and vibrant flower paintings (not my taste). Perhaps she didn’t like my editorial comment on the decor?

The next time I visit La Posada, I’ll be prepared for a midnight visit to the Staab house. And I’ll keep my opinions on interior design to myself.

Next Time on DTJ Blog: The Prankster Nun

I Ran Away From Home. Again.

I have an October tradition that began about seven years ago. I’d been through my first Cancer scare and decided I needed to get away to think about what the hell I was doing with my life. I jumped online and bought tickets to Maui (a place I’d never been before). Not knowing any better or caring where I ended up, I picked a hotel at random. The flight was a nightmare. It was dark outside when we landed and bloody hot. My suitcase had been hastily packed with all the wrong clothes. It was the perfect recipe for the “vacation from hell.” Yet, I knew I’d made the right choice the moment I stepped outside and smelled the bougainvilleas.

My impromptu trip to the Islands remains one of the defining moments of my life. I bought all new resort clothes, not giving a damn how much I spent. So many awesome and cool things happened to me on that trip. The resort hotel turned out to be hosting contestants from “The Biggest Loser.” Since it was the off season, I had the huge swimming pool and beach to myself. I was also invited to watch a red dwarf in an endless starry sky in the middle of a peaceful ocean. And a very kind group of folks escorted me around the rain forest. I flew back from Maui with a new understanding about life and the roll I played in it. That trip helped me to minimize the importance of my day job drudgery. It got me off my arse to fulfill my lifelong dream of writing.

Tomorrow isn’t promised. Death is the only certainty. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Etc. Etc. Etc.

Each October I send out what I need to the Universe. Each October I get back what I need and more. Last week found me in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Holding true to my tradition, I picked a hotel at random and resisted the impulse to research the city (Disclaimer: I do a bit of research if I plan on indulging in my hobby. See last paragraph). My request to the Universe? I needed healing in the worse way. My recent bout with a viral reaction to sulfites (aren’t food allergies fun?) had left me feeling beaten up. Releasing Pariah during the same month had really taken a toll on my health. Time to get some healing from an area of the country that – through its very nature – promotes Mind, Body and Spiritual balance.

I was blessed to visit an extraordinary Healer in Santa Fe. Lavender, Sage and Basil – favorite herbs of mine that grow in my garden – filled the air during my treatment. Balance restored! I got back what I put out there. No matter what spiritual belief system you have, know that someone or something is listening to you. Trust and Faith.

Yes, I did get what I asked for when traveling to Santa Fe. I also got a taste of the unexpected. One of my hobbies as I visit new places is checking out the ghost scene. I try to book in hotels with well known paranormal activity. Ghost hunting in Santa Fe was not on my “To Do List” this time around. The spirits had other ideas. Tune into DTJ next week for special Halloween posts about my paranormal experiences at La Posada and Santa Fe’s most famous ghost.

Next Week on DTJ Blog: The Rose Room

Hittin’ the Road

(Bus Clip art by hasloo.com)

The Tour Stops have been booked. The virtual bus is loaded. All that’s missing is you!

Pariah Review Tour – Oct 15th thru Nov 5th

Follow the Tour for a chance to win a randomly drawn $25 Amazon Gift Card via rafflecopter!

Tour Stops by Date:

October 15: Ashley’s Paranormal Book Blog

October 22: Unabridged Andra’s

October 29: MAD Hoydenish

November 5: SBM Book Obsession

A special THANKS to Goddess Fish Promotions and the four awesome Bloggers who are hosting Pariah during the tour! I’ll be back to posting on DTJ Oct 22nd.

A Look Back A Look Forward

It’s October 1st and I have to wonder where September went!  It was an exciting month on the writing front.

A Look Back

Colorado Gold – The month started in one of the best ways I could imagine. I joined several of my fellow authors at the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Colorado Gold Conference in Westminster, Colorado. Attending gave me the opportunity to get great advice from some well-established authors in my genre. In turn, I hosted a table for new members and was able to spend time helping them to hone their pitches to agents. I was thrilled to see such a large turnout for the Friday Night Book Signing. We took over a huge area in the hotel! There are more of us each year. So good to see!

New Book Baby – Pariah, my newest fantasy novel, was released on Sept 15th. It was an intense experience getting the book ready to go for eBook and Print Copies. I was publishing to Amazon KDP and Createspace for the first time. My 102 fever definitely added a level of challenge I didn’t need. I think my years as a techie helped get me through the process. OR the software is just that user-friendly.

Dream Come True – During the past week, I had one of my life long dreams realized! I had some exciting news from the wonderful representative of the Arapahoe  (my home county) Library District in Colorado. My books are being added to Arapahoe Library’s Colorado Author Collection! I’m not sure yet if they will be available in eBooks only or if they will carry print copies as well. Trust me. If I see a print copy on the shelf, I’ll be taking pictures!

A Look Forward

Pariah Book Tour – October is going to be an exciting month too. My virtual book review tour begins on Oct 15th. It will run each Wednesday for four weeks. Don’t forget to follow the tour for a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Why I have an I Love Me Wall and so should you

If you’ve ever worked in a cubical jungle, you’ve probably heard the term “I Love Me Wall.” We’ve all had those over achieving co-workers who seem to consistently win employee awards. They proudly display them on the walls of their cubicle. Sometimes they pack their books in boxes and replace them on their book shelves with awards. There are those folks who really don’t deserve the awards they receive, but I digress.

Other employees win just as many awards. Rather than displaying their hard earned achievements, they stick them in a drawer and titter at the various “I Love Me Walls” in the office. I don’t know why we (yep. I was a drawer kind of gal.) don’t crow along with the others about our achievements. Is it modesty? Could it be we feel as though we really don’t deserve the kudos? I can’t speak for everyone, but I am an Introvert. I don’t like to be the center of attention.  Even in my role as Program Manager, I don’t like to be the shining light at center stage. I just want to come in, do what I do and leave. In the interest of full disclosure, I will tell you back then I didn’t feel I earned those awards. Just doin’ my job, Ma’am.

My attitude began to change when I published my first book. It was hard work! I’d dreamed about being published my entire life. My book deserved a special place on the book shelf in my home office. I put it in a prominent place and look at it when I’m struggling with a new story. Not going to lie to you, I also look at “My Shelf” when I have bad days on the Program Management gig too.

I had a huge mental shift recently when I released my first Indie Pub book. Talk about high risk/ high stress. It was a turning point in my career. My attitude about my achievements shifted again. What I’d done took talent and a lot of brass balls. The day I released Lost Man’s Parish was the day I truly respected myself as a professional writer. It stopped being an unattainable dream and became my long term professional goal. That was the day I put up an “I Love Me Wall” in my family room.

Sound crazy?! Think about it. If you aren’t your loudest cheerleader, then who will cheer for you? Be proud of publishing that book, earning that masters degree, getting that dream job, [fill in the blank]! Display the sheet music you’ve written or the certificate you earned from technical college. Each day is a battle as we fight self-doubt. Your past achievements are reminders that you can make your dreams come true, because you’ve done it before.

Crow on! I sure plan to crow, because getting that box of brand new shiny books never gets old.

 

 

The Many Iterations of Jin

Here’s a peek at the creative process of a book’s becoming…uh, whatever it’s supposed to become.

I started Pariah during a time when I was still trying to find my voice as a writer. I knew I loved writing Fantasy, but I’d also successfully tried my hand at Romance. During my first draft attempt, I decided to try making the story all about the romance between the two main characters, Jin and Gracie. By the time I reached the end of Act I, I knew the story would be a flop. Nope. It wasn’t a romance novel.

Take Two: Gracie’s character was pretty solid from day one. Jin was the problem. Who was this guy? I knew his mother was English and his father was of Chinese descent living in Hong Kong. I also knew Jin was a bad ass martial artist. Making him a Chinese spy on the run seemed to be the next logical conclusion. I sat down, rolled up my sleeves and began rewriting Act I. Then my mind began to wander. Some of the amazing things I wanted this character to perform would be so much cooler if he could actually do magic. Hmmmm

Take Three: It was time to decide who I was as a writer. Winning a 2014 EPPIE for Best Fantasy for my novel, Phantom Harvest, answered my career question better than anything else could. Pariah would be a fantasy as well. Everything started falling into place for Jin and for the book after I made my decision. I finished the full manuscript in a few months and was ready to start getting critique feedback.

The Tweak: It is essential to get feedback from people you trust at this stage in the writing process. However, don’t underestimate the insight you can glean from strangers in the publishing profession. They don’t know you. They don’t have to worry about hurting your feelings. You’ll get unfiltered honesty. I was fortunate to have a well known author I respect give me some great advice about Jin. She told me his personality was unrealistic. I’m paraphrasing her words, but essentially the gist was she found Jin to be an arrogant unlikable ass. Ha! I was laughing then and I’m still laughing. She was absolutely right. I went back and spent time with Jin to discover his true motivations and heart. I’m happy to report his personality has changed for the better. If you find him to still be an ass, I hope he is a likable ass.

What I hope you get from this post: Don’t be afraid to try several approaches to a story or character. Eventually, you’ll find the true path and hopefully learn some things about yourself.

 

Available for Purchase:

Print:

Amazon

Createspace

EBook:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Smashwords

Also available on iBooks

 

The Vegas Connection

It’s release week! Time for some fun. In honor of my new book baby’s arrival, I’m going to share some fun facts about its creation. All of my story ideas come to me in my dreams. Most of the time, I see a vivid scene that becomes the focal point of my books. Pariah’s inception started with a woman (Gracie) who – through a case of mistaken identity – ended up witnessing a slave auction by human traffickers. She sees a man who is struggling to break free (Jin) from their captors and tries to search him out, hoping he can help her escape.

After I had the set up, I asked myself where two such different people could meet in a bizarre situation like a secret club. My answer? VEGAS BABY! Glitz, glamour and gambling. It was the perfect place with the perfect reputation for naughty behavior. I hopped on a plane and spent a few days in December on the Vegas Strip. If you haven’t experienced Vegas around Christmas time and love to people watch, I highly recommend it.

[Christmas Time at the Bellagio]

The story really started to come together when I attended KillerCon at the Stratosphere a few years ago. Las Vegas writer and friend, C.R. Moss (they call us CR Squared) took me around the real Las Vegas where the inhabitants of the city reside and spend their time Off Strip. A true kindred spirit, she was game to show me good places to hide a body and areas of the city where secret clubs might be found. ;)

I hope you have as much fun reading this book as I had researching and writing it!

Available for Purchase:

Print:

Amazon

Createspace

EBook:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Smashwords

Also available on iBooks

It’s Herb Harvestin’ Time!

September is my favorite month in the garden. The herbs are at full flavor and ready to harvest. Maybe you’ve never grown herbs or this is your first time trying to dry them. Here are some tips from my own garden.

First Step: Cut your herbs for drying before or after they flower. *There are two wonderful exceptions in my garden: Chamomile (you dry the flowers) and Lavender. A special note for Lavender: The flower petals can be eaten in chocolate or other yummy dishes. And of course the petals are popular in oils, soaps, candles, etc.

Bunch the herbs and tie garden string around them, like so:

[Bunched English Thyme]

Second Step: Hang them in a cool, dark place.  For the bigger herbs like Mint and Catnip, I hang them out in my garden shed.  This week I’m harvesting English Thyme and Tarragon. I hang the more delicate herbs in my office closet. It’s a great location where they won’t be bothered and it gives me the opportunity to enjoy their wonderful scent as I work.

[Day One: Freshly cut and bunched English Thyme and Tarragon]

Third Step: Wait.  In about 4 weeks or so, you’ll have a bunch of dried herbs on your hands. They look horrible, but as you cut them down and crumble them in a Ziploc baggie…take a big sniff. As I write this post, I’m enjoying the huge bunch of Mint I crumbled in my kitchen.

[Dried Catnip ready for Kitty to enjoy]

Last tip: Resist the impulse to cut your herbs down to the ground. I usually have Thyme and Rosemary growing past Thanksgiving. Enjoy!