Andrea R. Cooper's Blog, page 52
July 3, 2013
July 4th The Next Big Thing Blog Hop
A big thank you to Joceline Farrah for inviting and tagging me in this Blog Hop.
1: What is the working title of your book(s)?
Son of Dragons
2: Where did the idea come from for the book?
This is the second book in The Garnet Dagger trilogy. I thought of The Garnet Dagger after watching Underworld at the movies. Through the movie, it showed what happened when a vampire and werewolf merged into a hybrid. So I started wondering what would happen if a vampire bite an Elvin?
Near writing the ending of The Garnet Dagger, I knew this was not the end of the story. I then wrote Son of Dragons which I am currently working on revisions.
3: What genre does your book come under?
Paranormal romance/ Fantasy
4: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Brock (Elvin vampire) : Eduardo Verastegui
Celeste : Elisha Cuthbert
Landon(dragon heir) : William Levy
Mirhana : Olivia Wilde
Jeslyn : Denise Vasi
5: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
The Garnet Dagger: Everyone knows what happens when a vampire bites a human…but what if the victim is Elvin?
Son of Dragons: How do you find a dragon when he’s a man and doesn’t know he’s a dragon?
6: Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?
The Garnet Dagger is published through Crimson Romance. I hope to have Son of Dragons published late this year.
7: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Son of Dragons, so far, has been the fastest book I’ve ever written. From start to finish it took me three and half months. Edits and revisions, however, have taken much longer 
8: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
On a grandiose day, where I was feeling arrogant, I would compare my story with Anne Bishop’s Black Jewels, Kim Harrison’s Hallows’ series, and Yasmine Galenorn’s Indigo Court and Otherworld series. I’ve heard readers compare the first book, The Garnet Dagger, in my trilogy with Tolkien and George R.R. Martin
9: Who or what inspired you to write this book?
The movie Underworld inspired me to write this book. In addition, the House of Night series (yes, I know it’s YA, but I still am addicted), Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth series, Anne Bishop’s Black Jewels, Kim Harrison’s Hallows’ series, and my husband who introduced me to the world of fantasy in books.
10: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
There are numerous mythical creatures from Elves, to Brock the vampire Elvin, dragons, assassins, undead creatures who are a type of zombie that can talk and be controlled through magic, magical creatures and love.
Snippet:
Chapter One
Call me cursed. For that is what I am. Yet because of a witch’s love, I’m also blessed. Despite draining a murderer in the last village with my power, hunger still tugs in me.
I ride behind Celeste, my witch, on her horse Shadowdancer. Even though he is the largest horse I have known, he acts more human than animal. Instinctively, he seems to sense when something is a danger, especially to Celeste. For that reason, he and I tolerate each other.
Through the human forest we maneuver closer the barrier to my Elvin home, Tamlon. A shudder passes through me as we move past a group of fallen logs. Nearly a year ago this was where the vampyre seized upon me. Cursed, for neither food nor drink filled me. My ancestry of Elvin and human tainted by a vampyre did not bring the hunger for blood, but for kajh, life essence.
Any humans from whom I drain their kajh, never sustain me for more than a day or two. Other races or magical creatures sate my hunger for weeks.
It’s only Celeste I am able to touch and not drain her into death.
Celeste. She was the witch the prophecies told me would be my redemption. Though at the time, I thought her death would not only bring my healing, but rid the poison that choked my people’s lands. The true meaning of the prophecy eluded me until after I chose not to harm her.
I thought I was to find the witch and kill her. You’d have believed the same, if you had read the words.
With the autumn leaves the dark one, Vaer, will come. Wolves voice his return. Judgment for any who harbor him.
A mixing of blood long ago shall return to birth this dark monster. Death comes with him. He brings the end of our time. Only the spilling of the witch’s blood will atone.
Even Nivel’s assistance to use the garnet jeweled dagger to find her, “pierce the witch’s heart and spill her blood” convinced me of my mission to kill.
Check out the next blog hop: http://wp.me/p2qOcp-5o from Joceline Farrah.
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July 1, 2013
$1.99 Sale at Amazon for select Crimson Romance titles – including The Garnet Dagger
$1.99 Sale at Amazon for all Crimson Romance titles published June 4, 2012-June 3, 2013 including my debut novel! Yay. The Garnet Dagger, a paranormal romance.
Everyone knows what happens when a vampire bites a human…but what if the victim is Elvin?
More details at http://www.crimsonromance.com
June 30, 2013
Hi Everyone,
Paranormal, Fantasy, Dystopia and Romance W...
Paranormal, Fantasy, Dystopia and Romance Writers and Reviewers’ Book Trailer Competition has now gone live, so you can vote for your favorite. Yay! Like mine
The Garnet DaggerPlease?
The voting can be done on the front page of the website
http://www.ultimatefantasybooks.com
The voting closes tomorrow, July 1st
Thank you.
Vampire with Amnesia (WIP)
Chapter One
I woke to darkness and a copper taste upon my tongue. I lifted my hand to rub my face and hit something solid an inch above me. Where was I? I was encased somehow. I pounded upon the silken covered wood above me, and kicked with my feet, but nothing happened. No matter how I punched and kicked, I could not break free.
“Help me,” I yelled and added pounding of my fists to my words. “Let me out!”
Nothing. No murmured voices or laughter. I screamed until my voice grew hoarse as I continued to beat and thrash, but no one answered. I tore at the silk padding along the sides. Solid wood. My breath panted as I frantically searched in the darkness for an opening. No light came through my prison. How is it that there was no light? I was bleeding from scratching and pounding on the unyielding wood. Blackness surrounded me and I felt my breath hitch. Was I to die here? Or was I dead? Was this my hell?
I scored the sizes until my fingers went numb. Soon I would suffocate. Already I felt the air stale with my hyperventilating. This was a dream. A nightmare. Another moment and I’ll be awake shaking my head at the reality of this. I closed my eyes and focused my breathing to calm myself. Sleep. I was asleep. Using my left hand, I pinched my other arm hard enough to bruise.
Nothing. Using both hands I pressed above me hoping to leverage the top off or move it slightly. But the wooden cage refused to open. I beat at my enclosure but nothing budged, not that I expected it to now. But I refused to give up; I would not die in here. There had to be a way out. A lock or something. Even a cell has a lock. I ran my hand down the top as far as I could reach. Only silk and wood rubbed my fingers. Felt the edges of the hinges, but they were on the outside.
Fighting down bile that slowly crept into the back of my throat; I ran my hand down the left side as well. One side to go. Holding onto hope, I ran my hand down the right side. Then my fingers felt a metal latch. I yanked at it and my prison creaked open. I scrambled out. My fists clenched and ready for a fight for whoever had put me in there. But no laughter greeted me. No sounds, no one. Looking at my prison, I realized I had been in a coffin. How had I ended up in that?
June 26, 2013
To Ye or Not to Ye
When writing historical novels, or fantasy, or any writing where old language will be used…should ye be written instead of you? Or nay for that matter?
Ye was in use by 900 CE and nay was in use by 1175 CE according to English Through the Ages by Willian Brohaugh. But does either belong in your story?
I wrestled with this question myself over and over. In my forthcoming historical romance, Viking Fire, it came up several times. At first, I did not use ye. Then I thought, well it’s the time period so I changed all the you’s to ye’s. Then I took them out again. Then I put them back in.
It reminds me of a quote from Oscar Wilde, “This morning I took out a comma and this afternoon I put it back in again.”
Finally, I left in all the ye’s and sent it into my publisher. What did the editor say? Take out all the ye’s and nay’s.
So my original story without the ye’s was the better choice. Why? There are several reasons, but the best that works for me is that the story flows better.
If you are deciding on whether or not to have ye’s and nay’s or not in your writing, go with your gut first…and your editor after that. Your editor will know what works and what doesn’t—especially if you are on the fence like I was on whether to ye or not to ye.
June 24, 2013
June 15, 2013
Awesome Romance Blog
Please check out my feature on Awesome Romance’s Blog: http://awesomeromancenovels.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-garnet-dagger-by-andrea-r-cooper.html
May 20, 2013
New Contest by Writer: Rowena O’Sullivan
The Jade Dragon being released this week Romancebookworm has put together a Giveaway of both The Silver Rose and The Jade Dragon. Both entry links at www.rowenamayosullivan.com Feel free to share.
Here’s the Jade Dragon Giveaway here:
http://bit.ly/12pBQOD
May 17, 2013
My WIP – Vampire with Amnesia
Chapter One
I woke to darkness and a copper taste upon my tongue. I lifted my hand to rub my face and hit something solid an inch above me. Where was I?
I was encased somehow.
I pounded upon the silken covered wood above me, and kicked with my feet, but nothing happened. No matter how I punched and kicked, I could not break free.
“Help me,” I yelled and added pounding of my fists to my words. “Let me out!”
Nothing. No murmured voices or laughter.
I screamed until my voice grew hoarse as I continued to beat and thrash, but no one answered. I tore at the silk padding along the sides. Solid wood.
My breath panted as I frantically searched in the darkness for an opening. No light came through my prison. How is it that there was no light?
I was bleeding from scratching and pounding on the unyielding wood. Blackness surrounded me and I felt my breath hitch. Was I to die here? Or was I dead? Was this my hell?
I scored the sizes until my fingers went numb. Soon I would suffocate. Already I felt the air stale with my hyperventilating. This was a dream. A nightmare. Another moment and I’ll be awake shaking my head at the reality of this. I closed my eyes and focused my breathing to calm myself. Sleep. I was asleep. Using my left hand, I pinched my other arm hard enough to bruise.
Nothing.
Using both hands I pressed above me hoping to leverage the top off or move it slightly. But the wooden cage refused to open. I beat at my enclosure but nothing budged, not that I expected it to now. But I refused to give up; I would not die in here. There had to be a way out. A lock or something. Even a cell has a lock.
I ran my hand down the top as far as I could reach. Only silk and wood rubbed my fingers. Felt the edges of the hinges, but they were on the outside.
Fighting down bile that slowly crept into the back of my throat; I ran my hand down the left side as well. One side to go. Holding onto hope, I ran my hand down the right side. Then my fingers felt a metal latch. I yanked at it and my prison creaked open.
I scrambled out. My fists clenched and ready for a fight for whoever had put me in there. But no laughter greeted me. No sounds, no one.
Looking at my prison, I realized I had been in a coffin. How had I ended up in that?
If this was a prank, I’d lock them up in a coffin with no latch on the inside. And why did it have a latch? Didn’t most coffins contain the dead and could only be opened from the outside?
Who would have done this to me? I searched my memory, but realized I remembered nothing. Not the day before, my name, just emptiness.
Maybe I was dead then? Or in hell?
As I gathered my bearing, a glance around still as confused by my surroundings as I was about who I was or how I ended up here. The chamber was dark, like a basement without windows. I saw melted candles lined around the outer edge of a small room. No candle was lit though.
My eyes adjusted somehow and I made out a spider web dangling from a light fixture. How was it then that I could see now, but I couldn’t before in the coffin?
Across the cement floor grooves carved a path from a foot away from me and into the darkness as though something was heavy were dragged across the floor.
I ran a hand over my face and saw a glint of gold. Staring at my hand, I turned it around. There was a gold wedding ring on my left hand. Married?
Racked my brain, but couldn’t remember anything. No face, no name of my husband. Hell, I didn’t even know what my own name was let alone what my face looked like. Who was I?
May 14, 2013
My Interview with Books with Benefits
Yay, please drop by Book with Benefits and say hi 
http://bookswithbenefits.com/2013/05/14/interview-with-andrea-r-cooper-author-of-the-garnet-dagger/
