Rosi S. Phillips's Blog, page 7
April 4, 2014
Burning Questions
Questions, the highlight of my days. Seriously, when a reader says: "I have so many questions!" I basically just pull out my iPad and start typing.
With almost of my works I like to leave the reader with more questions than answers. Now, this is entirely my fault, but in my own little twisted mind I feel like I've given you enough answers to start putting the puzzle together and too many answers will just bore you.
And I loath boring books.
But considering that many people have many, many questions, I've decided to dedicate a post to it. Here I will post the questions I get with my usual round about non-answers. Just kidding! :)
I’m not sure why a reaper can be tortured so much when he isn't actually human and why did Nina need to die to enter the Underworld when she had been there before?She didn't need to die, and she didn't technically die. What happened to her is at the end of book one. It's never specified what Yin and Yang exactly do to her. Grim can be tortured and feel pain because of the drug Felicia gave him. The drug and what it does will be explained more in Can't Fight Fate.Is the Underworld purgatory?No. What is a reaper?They were mediums for spirits (basically ferrymen without boats) who shuffled souls that wanted to go on; because, even after death, some souls still clung to this world even though they could not be a part of it. What is a reaper's power?Various things including super speed, the ability to "read" people, the ability to manifest tangible power, etc. This question will be answered completely in Can't Fight Fate.Why are the three kingdoms warring? How did it begin?This question will be answered in Can't Fight Fate and all my readers will have an "ah ha!" moment.How were reapers made?... they [Yin and Yang] had to make mediums [reapers] because the souls were overwhelming them and they were too lazy to really deal with everything.What does the Underworld look like?This question will be answered in full in the second book. Nina only went out of the Bloodspurn Castle once in the first book, but in the second book she submerses herself in to their world.Is the Underworld a separate realm?Yes. It is a world apart from the human world.When are you going to develop the Underworld?In the second bookWhat are the three monarchies, and what do they do?Castoff, Bloodspurn, and Darklore control ad oversee the Underworld, Sort of like your America’s Legislative, Executive, and Congressional branches. Except that they don’t check each other; they come together and equally make the laws. We do not have a specific monarchy that is above the rest.Each Kingdom has a different part of the human world that is under their jurisdiction. There are eight different sects within each kingdom that gather souls from their jurisdictions in the human world. This will be explained more in book two and three. Who are Yin and Yang?Mad scientist gods who created the universe by accident. The second book goes into more detail about them, but you can also check out my character page for more information.More questions will be written and answered as I receive them
With almost of my works I like to leave the reader with more questions than answers. Now, this is entirely my fault, but in my own little twisted mind I feel like I've given you enough answers to start putting the puzzle together and too many answers will just bore you.
And I loath boring books.
But considering that many people have many, many questions, I've decided to dedicate a post to it. Here I will post the questions I get with my usual round about non-answers. Just kidding! :)
I’m not sure why a reaper can be tortured so much when he isn't actually human and why did Nina need to die to enter the Underworld when she had been there before?She didn't need to die, and she didn't technically die. What happened to her is at the end of book one. It's never specified what Yin and Yang exactly do to her. Grim can be tortured and feel pain because of the drug Felicia gave him. The drug and what it does will be explained more in Can't Fight Fate.Is the Underworld purgatory?No. What is a reaper?They were mediums for spirits (basically ferrymen without boats) who shuffled souls that wanted to go on; because, even after death, some souls still clung to this world even though they could not be a part of it. What is a reaper's power?Various things including super speed, the ability to "read" people, the ability to manifest tangible power, etc. This question will be answered completely in Can't Fight Fate.Why are the three kingdoms warring? How did it begin?This question will be answered in Can't Fight Fate and all my readers will have an "ah ha!" moment.How were reapers made?... they [Yin and Yang] had to make mediums [reapers] because the souls were overwhelming them and they were too lazy to really deal with everything.What does the Underworld look like?This question will be answered in full in the second book. Nina only went out of the Bloodspurn Castle once in the first book, but in the second book she submerses herself in to their world.Is the Underworld a separate realm?Yes. It is a world apart from the human world.When are you going to develop the Underworld?In the second bookWhat are the three monarchies, and what do they do?Castoff, Bloodspurn, and Darklore control ad oversee the Underworld, Sort of like your America’s Legislative, Executive, and Congressional branches. Except that they don’t check each other; they come together and equally make the laws. We do not have a specific monarchy that is above the rest.Each Kingdom has a different part of the human world that is under their jurisdiction. There are eight different sects within each kingdom that gather souls from their jurisdictions in the human world. This will be explained more in book two and three. Who are Yin and Yang?Mad scientist gods who created the universe by accident. The second book goes into more detail about them, but you can also check out my character page for more information.More questions will be written and answered as I receive them
March 27, 2014
A themed excerpt
As many of you have probably already picked up, I have a variety of themes and reoccurring images going on in my books. I thought it would only be fitting that I do a themed excerpt since there are so many different themes in A Grim Love: Can't Fight Fate and A Grim Love: Can't Fight Time. And, I would love to hear back from people about what they think the theme here is, and what other themes or reoccurring images and words you have encountered in my story.
Hope you enjoy! (mind you, this is the unedited version and subject to change before publication, but only marginally so)
***
“Nina, please--” Grim wasn’t above pleading with her. Hell, he’d get on his knees and beg her if that’s what it took for her to forgive him and accept him again.
“Don’t speak, Grim. Just listen.” Nina said quietly, her voice wane. “I have given up everything, become someone I’d never thought I’d be, done things that I’m not proud of, all for you and our child.”
Grim heard her pause, take a deep breath, and then blow it out on an exhausted sigh. “None of this is your fault, Grim. None of it is either of our faults. It’s just how it was.
“I’m not angry at you. I understand why you did what you did, and I can even understand why out went on a rampage. But there is a difference between us, Grim.
“You didn’t change!” he heard the misery in her voice, the pleading end note that seemed to have been ripped out from her very heart. “After everything you went through, you didn’t change because you never really had to. Felicia might have tortured you, she might have even turned you to her side, but what did you learn? How did that make you stronger? Make you able to deal with the shit that is going to be our lives?”
Her voice rose in the bedchamber, practically shaking the walls, and most certainly shaking Grim. He didn’t move; didn’t go to her like he wanted, because she was right.
Grim heard the change in Nina’s voice, the power twisted and knitted in the words, a testament to what she had become. He knew that what she’d gone through had broken her, but Nina had always been resilient, always found a way to pick up the broken pieces, force them into something new--something better--and forge ahead.
Grim might have broken, but he’d never picked up the pieces. They were still laying there, the person he used to be at his feet.
Yes, Felicia had tortured him, made him wish he was dead, but Nina had been his anchor, always pulling him back, always there for him. He hadn’t needed to change because Grim knew Nina would always be there for him.
Grim understood where Nina was coming from. What she’d gone through... He couldn’t even finish the thought as anger stuck on his tongue like thick and bitter syrup. When Grim had been destroyed by Felicia he hadn’t become stronger, he’d become wilderer. He’d given in to the power inside of him and let it control him.
It had been dangerous, intoxicating, something that other Bloodspurn kings had done. And look where they were now. Immortal reapers, killed by their own power hungry obsession and inability to adapt and change. Grim clenched his fists as he tried to peer through the shadows surrounding the bedchamber to the woman hidden inside the sheets.
“I can’t stay with you, Grim.” Nina spoke so softly, he thought he’d missed it.
Shaking his head, Grim picked up his legs and walked slowly towards the shadowed bed like at any moment Nina might turn and flee. “I’m sorry, Amica. But please, we can get through this, we can work it out. I love you. I will do anything for you.”
“How long has it been since you called me that? I can’t even remember.”Her voice sounded far away, and for the first time Grim heard the soft sigh from his child. “Grim--
“Is it a girl or a boy?” The words ripped out of him before he could stop himself as he slowly approached her.
Nina spoke suddenly, ignoring his question and changing the subject.“Did I tell you, Grim? I finally understand what Tuoni meant: circles.”
Grim clenched his jaw, trying to peer into the shadows to see his wife, the woman he loved, his everything. He was so close, but he still felt far, felt a rift between them. He needed to cross it, find a way to her side. He needed to become not only the man she needed, but the man he wanted himself to be.
There was a shift in the air, a flash of power, a whisper of something greater. And within the sudden tornado of Grim’s own insecurities, his desperate need to be the husband and father needed needed him to be, and the crushing guilt of his actions over the past few months, he heard Nina’s soft and melodic voice. “I'm breaking them.”
Hope you enjoy! (mind you, this is the unedited version and subject to change before publication, but only marginally so)
***
“Nina, please--” Grim wasn’t above pleading with her. Hell, he’d get on his knees and beg her if that’s what it took for her to forgive him and accept him again.
“Don’t speak, Grim. Just listen.” Nina said quietly, her voice wane. “I have given up everything, become someone I’d never thought I’d be, done things that I’m not proud of, all for you and our child.”
Grim heard her pause, take a deep breath, and then blow it out on an exhausted sigh. “None of this is your fault, Grim. None of it is either of our faults. It’s just how it was.
“I’m not angry at you. I understand why you did what you did, and I can even understand why out went on a rampage. But there is a difference between us, Grim.
“You didn’t change!” he heard the misery in her voice, the pleading end note that seemed to have been ripped out from her very heart. “After everything you went through, you didn’t change because you never really had to. Felicia might have tortured you, she might have even turned you to her side, but what did you learn? How did that make you stronger? Make you able to deal with the shit that is going to be our lives?”
Her voice rose in the bedchamber, practically shaking the walls, and most certainly shaking Grim. He didn’t move; didn’t go to her like he wanted, because she was right.
Grim heard the change in Nina’s voice, the power twisted and knitted in the words, a testament to what she had become. He knew that what she’d gone through had broken her, but Nina had always been resilient, always found a way to pick up the broken pieces, force them into something new--something better--and forge ahead.
Grim might have broken, but he’d never picked up the pieces. They were still laying there, the person he used to be at his feet.
Yes, Felicia had tortured him, made him wish he was dead, but Nina had been his anchor, always pulling him back, always there for him. He hadn’t needed to change because Grim knew Nina would always be there for him.
Grim understood where Nina was coming from. What she’d gone through... He couldn’t even finish the thought as anger stuck on his tongue like thick and bitter syrup. When Grim had been destroyed by Felicia he hadn’t become stronger, he’d become wilderer. He’d given in to the power inside of him and let it control him.
It had been dangerous, intoxicating, something that other Bloodspurn kings had done. And look where they were now. Immortal reapers, killed by their own power hungry obsession and inability to adapt and change. Grim clenched his fists as he tried to peer through the shadows surrounding the bedchamber to the woman hidden inside the sheets.
“I can’t stay with you, Grim.” Nina spoke so softly, he thought he’d missed it.
Shaking his head, Grim picked up his legs and walked slowly towards the shadowed bed like at any moment Nina might turn and flee. “I’m sorry, Amica. But please, we can get through this, we can work it out. I love you. I will do anything for you.”
“How long has it been since you called me that? I can’t even remember.”Her voice sounded far away, and for the first time Grim heard the soft sigh from his child. “Grim--
“Is it a girl or a boy?” The words ripped out of him before he could stop himself as he slowly approached her.
Nina spoke suddenly, ignoring his question and changing the subject.“Did I tell you, Grim? I finally understand what Tuoni meant: circles.”
Grim clenched his jaw, trying to peer into the shadows to see his wife, the woman he loved, his everything. He was so close, but he still felt far, felt a rift between them. He needed to cross it, find a way to her side. He needed to become not only the man she needed, but the man he wanted himself to be.
There was a shift in the air, a flash of power, a whisper of something greater. And within the sudden tornado of Grim’s own insecurities, his desperate need to be the husband and father needed needed him to be, and the crushing guilt of his actions over the past few months, he heard Nina’s soft and melodic voice. “I'm breaking them.”
March 17, 2014
My bad habit
I have been writing for a couple years now, and I've noticed I have a bad habit. I come up with a series, but I only publish one book and then move onto something else.
This will not happen with AGL, and, in fact, I feel like the second book is completely different from the first, and I can't even wait to start on the third. But there are several stories--namely Lunar Dance and Tale of the Water Cipher--that I started and just didn't finish.
I want to assure all my readers that I will finish them. As I've said before, I have about two dozen outlined stories waiting on my computer, but many of them just don't make it past all twelve of my steps. And more often than not, I want to become a better writer and then go back.
But I never forget about my characters. Jozlyn and Demir, Day and Beth, and even Mira and Asmody. I treasure them all and can't wait to write their sisters. In fact Lunar Dance is a world I created, which I plan to develop in Lunar Kiss and Lunar Light. I have zero clue when I'm going to get around to doing this, but I'm twenty, so I think I have time. And I have five more books to write in the Cipher series: Fire, Air, Earth and Soul Cipher. On top of that, I have about a hundred other things I'm doing for my school and my publisher, but it's not called a bad habit for nothing.
My main point is: Nina and Grim are going to be finished because I'm breaking my bad habit, and after them I'm going to go back and try to write more Lunar and Cipher stories.
And, since I'm sure you've all been waiting for it. Here's a small sniper from a chapter in CFF I'm currently writing.
This will not happen with AGL, and, in fact, I feel like the second book is completely different from the first, and I can't even wait to start on the third. But there are several stories--namely Lunar Dance and Tale of the Water Cipher--that I started and just didn't finish.
I want to assure all my readers that I will finish them. As I've said before, I have about two dozen outlined stories waiting on my computer, but many of them just don't make it past all twelve of my steps. And more often than not, I want to become a better writer and then go back.
But I never forget about my characters. Jozlyn and Demir, Day and Beth, and even Mira and Asmody. I treasure them all and can't wait to write their sisters. In fact Lunar Dance is a world I created, which I plan to develop in Lunar Kiss and Lunar Light. I have zero clue when I'm going to get around to doing this, but I'm twenty, so I think I have time. And I have five more books to write in the Cipher series: Fire, Air, Earth and Soul Cipher. On top of that, I have about a hundred other things I'm doing for my school and my publisher, but it's not called a bad habit for nothing.
My main point is: Nina and Grim are going to be finished because I'm breaking my bad habit, and after them I'm going to go back and try to write more Lunar and Cipher stories.
And, since I'm sure you've all been waiting for it. Here's a small sniper from a chapter in CFF I'm currently writing.
My bad habit (and an excerpt!)
I have been writing for a couple years now, and I've noticed I have a bad habit. I come up with a series, but I only publish one book and then move onto something else.
This will not happen with AGL, and, in fact, I feel like the second book is completely different from the first, and I can't even wait to start on the third. But there are several stories--namely Lunar Dance and Tale of the Water Cipher--that I started and just didn't finish.
I want to assure all my readers that I will finish them. As I've said before, I have about two dozen outlined stories waiting on my computer, but many of them just don't make it past all twelve of my steps. And more often than not, I want to become a better writer and then go back.
But I never forget about my characters. Jozlyn and Demir, Day and Beth, and even Mira and Asmody. I treasure them all and can't wait to write their sisters. In fact Lunar Dance is a world I created, which I plan to develop in Lunar Kiss and Lunar Light. I have zero clue when I'm going to get around to doing this, but I'm twenty, so I think I have time. And I have five more books to write in the Cipher series: Fire, Air, Earth and Soul Cipher. On top of that, I have about a hundred other things I'm doing for my school and my publisher, but it's not called a bad habit for nothing.
My main point is: Nina and Grim are going to be finished because I'm breaking my bad habit, and after them I'm going to go back and try to write more Lunar and Cipher stories.
And, since I'm sure you've all been waiting for it. Here's a small sniper from a chapter in CFF I'm currently writing.
*
"The one for what?" Nina asked angrily, pissed that Yin had been planning whatever this was since the moment of her birth.
"The one to save the Underworld, and in turn our world and the human world." Yin smiled gently, reaching her hand out to Nina. "The one who can bear the first reaper child and survive.”
Nina stumbled back until she hit the cool wall, and then slowly slid down to the floor with her hands over her head, nails digging into her scalp. “What?"
What else was there to say really? Yin had basically told her that she was some weird pregnant superhero who was supposed to save the world through the miracle of childbirth. Weird, strange, crazy, insane, all those words paled in comparison to the shit storm Nina had stepped in—or rather been born into.
"I know it's hard to understand, but none of this was never solely about you, Nina. It was never about your love, your life, or even your death; it is so much more than those trivial things. This has been the the works—" Yin said softly, coming over to sit down beside Nina on the cold, sterile floor of the morgue.
Nina’s head snapped up, her eyes sparking with fury, pain, and emotions she couldn’t even identify. “Don’t try to lessen the impact of my death, or my life. You stole everything from me. My sense of security, my sense of safety. Don’t try to justify what you’ve done.”
This will not happen with AGL, and, in fact, I feel like the second book is completely different from the first, and I can't even wait to start on the third. But there are several stories--namely Lunar Dance and Tale of the Water Cipher--that I started and just didn't finish.
I want to assure all my readers that I will finish them. As I've said before, I have about two dozen outlined stories waiting on my computer, but many of them just don't make it past all twelve of my steps. And more often than not, I want to become a better writer and then go back.
But I never forget about my characters. Jozlyn and Demir, Day and Beth, and even Mira and Asmody. I treasure them all and can't wait to write their sisters. In fact Lunar Dance is a world I created, which I plan to develop in Lunar Kiss and Lunar Light. I have zero clue when I'm going to get around to doing this, but I'm twenty, so I think I have time. And I have five more books to write in the Cipher series: Fire, Air, Earth and Soul Cipher. On top of that, I have about a hundred other things I'm doing for my school and my publisher, but it's not called a bad habit for nothing.
My main point is: Nina and Grim are going to be finished because I'm breaking my bad habit, and after them I'm going to go back and try to write more Lunar and Cipher stories.
And, since I'm sure you've all been waiting for it. Here's a small sniper from a chapter in CFF I'm currently writing.
*
"The one for what?" Nina asked angrily, pissed that Yin had been planning whatever this was since the moment of her birth.
"The one to save the Underworld, and in turn our world and the human world." Yin smiled gently, reaching her hand out to Nina. "The one who can bear the first reaper child and survive.”
Nina stumbled back until she hit the cool wall, and then slowly slid down to the floor with her hands over her head, nails digging into her scalp. “What?"
What else was there to say really? Yin had basically told her that she was some weird pregnant superhero who was supposed to save the world through the miracle of childbirth. Weird, strange, crazy, insane, all those words paled in comparison to the shit storm Nina had stepped in—or rather been born into.
"I know it's hard to understand, but none of this was never solely about you, Nina. It was never about your love, your life, or even your death; it is so much more than those trivial things. This has been the the works—" Yin said softly, coming over to sit down beside Nina on the cold, sterile floor of the morgue.
Nina’s head snapped up, her eyes sparking with fury, pain, and emotions she couldn’t even identify. “Don’t try to lessen the impact of my death, or my life. You stole everything from me. My sense of security, my sense of safety. Don’t try to justify what you’ve done.”
March 7, 2014
Shatter (excerpt from A Grim Love: Can't Fight Fate)
Whipping her head to the left, Nina gasped as Grim came into view. He looked terrible, bloodied, bruised, with pieces of his body missing. A strangled whimper escaped her throat as Nina gazed at her husband.
“Grim,” her voice was soft as tears rushed down her face.
Grim’s blue-diamond eyes locked on. with shame, sadness, and pain twisting his face. Nina shook her head softly as she tried to take a wobbly step to the man she loved. Grim had nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to hide from her.
I love you, Nina thought as her foot hit the gold floor and another power rushed over her, this one she recognized too well.
Strong arms enclosed around her and stilled. Uriel was behind her, arms locked like steel bands around her waist, probably looking at Grim the same way Nina was.
Grim’s eyes darkened as his eyes darted left. “Get her out of here!” he yelled at them, raising his arm. It was only than that Nina realized he held a bloody knife in his hand, and also when she realized she couldn’t really feel Grim’s power. He felt weak, almost human.
Trying to slip away from Uri and go to Grim, Nina screamed as she saw Castoff guards suddenly appear in front of them, a dozen feet away. Nina began to rage like a banshee, kicking at Uriel with all her might. “Let me go, Uri! Let me go!”
Grim moved with that reaper super speed and was suddenly in front of them. Nina took a breath in and smelled blood, but under that she smelled Grim. It was his unique scent, something like fresh, rich soil and piercing winter cold.
“Now, Uriel,” Grim commanded as the guards shifted and charged them.
The ground fell away as Uriel hoisted her up and over his shoulder, moving fast out of the castle and away from Grim. Nina clawed at his back, kicked at his stomach, and tried to freeze time again. Freeze! Freeze! she mentally commanded as she screamed out; “No! Grim!”
A door burst open, and the ground was suddenly rushing up to meet her. Nina didn’t even feel the impact; she just fell, spread out, eyes open and unseeing. Uri was cursing above her, raging at her, calling her an idiot and worse. But Nina tuned it out, shut out everything but her own pain and grief.
She’d lost Grim. He’d been right there, right in front of her and she’d lost him. Loathing, contempt and hate settled in her bones, directed straight at Uri. Nina wanted so badly to blame him--kill him if she was being honest. She had never understood how people could kill each other, what factors drove them to it, but at that moment Nina felt it. It was better than anger, better than rage and hate.
She’d been so close to saving Grim. So close that she could smell him, feel him, and Uri had taken her away. Nina was sure she could have taken the guards, Felicia, whoever stood in their way--sure she could have saved Grim. It was all Uri’s fault.
Nina bit her lip until she tasted blood, felt pain. Usually the pain helped, made her realize who she was, what she was. But it didn’t help. Nina felt the pain, but it didn’t really register. Nina's anger and pain began to slip away, fading into nothing.
Uri was still screaming, maybe he was shaking her. Nina didn’t know, didn’t care anymore.
It was worse than when she’d discovered her father was a serial killer, worse than when she’d found out he was going to kill her and there was nothing she could do about it. She had broken than, lost her marbles, but now?
Nina felt it a moment before it happened, a split second before she could stop and bring herself back from the edge. In the next instant, Nina shattered.
“Grim,” her voice was soft as tears rushed down her face.
Grim’s blue-diamond eyes locked on. with shame, sadness, and pain twisting his face. Nina shook her head softly as she tried to take a wobbly step to the man she loved. Grim had nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to hide from her.
I love you, Nina thought as her foot hit the gold floor and another power rushed over her, this one she recognized too well.
Strong arms enclosed around her and stilled. Uriel was behind her, arms locked like steel bands around her waist, probably looking at Grim the same way Nina was.
Grim’s eyes darkened as his eyes darted left. “Get her out of here!” he yelled at them, raising his arm. It was only than that Nina realized he held a bloody knife in his hand, and also when she realized she couldn’t really feel Grim’s power. He felt weak, almost human.
Trying to slip away from Uri and go to Grim, Nina screamed as she saw Castoff guards suddenly appear in front of them, a dozen feet away. Nina began to rage like a banshee, kicking at Uriel with all her might. “Let me go, Uri! Let me go!”
Grim moved with that reaper super speed and was suddenly in front of them. Nina took a breath in and smelled blood, but under that she smelled Grim. It was his unique scent, something like fresh, rich soil and piercing winter cold.
“Now, Uriel,” Grim commanded as the guards shifted and charged them.
The ground fell away as Uriel hoisted her up and over his shoulder, moving fast out of the castle and away from Grim. Nina clawed at his back, kicked at his stomach, and tried to freeze time again. Freeze! Freeze! she mentally commanded as she screamed out; “No! Grim!”
A door burst open, and the ground was suddenly rushing up to meet her. Nina didn’t even feel the impact; she just fell, spread out, eyes open and unseeing. Uri was cursing above her, raging at her, calling her an idiot and worse. But Nina tuned it out, shut out everything but her own pain and grief.
She’d lost Grim. He’d been right there, right in front of her and she’d lost him. Loathing, contempt and hate settled in her bones, directed straight at Uri. Nina wanted so badly to blame him--kill him if she was being honest. She had never understood how people could kill each other, what factors drove them to it, but at that moment Nina felt it. It was better than anger, better than rage and hate.
She’d been so close to saving Grim. So close that she could smell him, feel him, and Uri had taken her away. Nina was sure she could have taken the guards, Felicia, whoever stood in their way--sure she could have saved Grim. It was all Uri’s fault.
Nina bit her lip until she tasted blood, felt pain. Usually the pain helped, made her realize who she was, what she was. But it didn’t help. Nina felt the pain, but it didn’t really register. Nina's anger and pain began to slip away, fading into nothing.
Uri was still screaming, maybe he was shaking her. Nina didn’t know, didn’t care anymore.
It was worse than when she’d discovered her father was a serial killer, worse than when she’d found out he was going to kill her and there was nothing she could do about it. She had broken than, lost her marbles, but now?
Nina felt it a moment before it happened, a split second before she could stop and bring herself back from the edge. In the next instant, Nina shattered.
March 4, 2014
Dates
So, here are the dates for my books. Exact days are still in the works, but the months are crystal clear. Can't Fight Time: January 2014 Can't Fight Fate: July 2014 Can't Stand Alone: January 2015 *My website will be coming out with my second book Can't Fight Fate, along with a fun news letter!
February 25, 2014
Nina's hilarious!
I just finished writing this scene and I couldn't wait to share it! I think it's hilarious!
*
Moving away from the door, Nina searched for any sign of life, but couldn’t find a direction. A blank expanse of green was all she saw. Biting her lip, she rubbed her temples and thought. How do I find Grim?
Mulling the thought over in her head, Nina didn’t come up with a single answer. “Argh!” She clenched and unclenched her fingers, anger, fear, and worry churning in her stomach. “How do you find a reaper in the Underworld? If this was a movie, it would be so freaking…”
Nina trailed off as her eyes went wide and a thought stuck in her mind. What if it is a movie? It was a crazy thought, but she didn’t have anything better.
Sci-fi flicks ran across her mind followed by every paranormal novel she’d ever read. It seemed like a crazy idea, but Nina decided to give it a shot. If she could freeze time, why couldn’t she try a movie trick?
Feel out his power, her conscious said with a mental nudge. It was the same concept of a vampire being able to track a human on just a drop of their blood alone, and it was also the best idea she had.
Reaching her hands out in front of her, Nina wiggled her fingers and began to move in a circle. She wasn’t exactly sure what the hell she was doing, but for some reason she thought having her arms out would help her sense the power.
“Here, power, power, power,” Nina cooed, as she gazed at the fields of grass.
*
Moving away from the door, Nina searched for any sign of life, but couldn’t find a direction. A blank expanse of green was all she saw. Biting her lip, she rubbed her temples and thought. How do I find Grim?
Mulling the thought over in her head, Nina didn’t come up with a single answer. “Argh!” She clenched and unclenched her fingers, anger, fear, and worry churning in her stomach. “How do you find a reaper in the Underworld? If this was a movie, it would be so freaking…”
Nina trailed off as her eyes went wide and a thought stuck in her mind. What if it is a movie? It was a crazy thought, but she didn’t have anything better.
Sci-fi flicks ran across her mind followed by every paranormal novel she’d ever read. It seemed like a crazy idea, but Nina decided to give it a shot. If she could freeze time, why couldn’t she try a movie trick?
Feel out his power, her conscious said with a mental nudge. It was the same concept of a vampire being able to track a human on just a drop of their blood alone, and it was also the best idea she had.
Reaching her hands out in front of her, Nina wiggled her fingers and began to move in a circle. She wasn’t exactly sure what the hell she was doing, but for some reason she thought having her arms out would help her sense the power.
“Here, power, power, power,” Nina cooed, as she gazed at the fields of grass.
February 23, 2014
Feedback
I can't believe I've already posted almost 50 different posts! I'm obviously online way too much.
But getting to the point.
I'm in the process of reviewing and re-editing AGL. So, for everyone who is reading or has read the book, if you've seen a typo please, please email me!
I went through it cover to cover--as did my editor--before the book was published, but since we both read it so often we missed a couple of things. In a perfect world I would have had at least one other person working on the story with me to weed out some of the things we missed, but *shrug* it's not a perfect world.
My editor is fabulous, I am eternally grateful to him, but we are only two people with over 150 pages and 60 thousand words to go through. It's a labour of love, people, a labour of love.
But anyway, if you don't feel comfortable posting feedback on Amazon or what have you, please email me! Feedback is KEY to my writing process; it allows me to see where my readers are and what is going through their heads
So, please, please, please give me something!
email: rosisphillips@gmail.com
But getting to the point.
I'm in the process of reviewing and re-editing AGL. So, for everyone who is reading or has read the book, if you've seen a typo please, please email me!
I went through it cover to cover--as did my editor--before the book was published, but since we both read it so often we missed a couple of things. In a perfect world I would have had at least one other person working on the story with me to weed out some of the things we missed, but *shrug* it's not a perfect world.
My editor is fabulous, I am eternally grateful to him, but we are only two people with over 150 pages and 60 thousand words to go through. It's a labour of love, people, a labour of love.
But anyway, if you don't feel comfortable posting feedback on Amazon or what have you, please email me! Feedback is KEY to my writing process; it allows me to see where my readers are and what is going through their heads
So, please, please, please give me something!
email: rosisphillips@gmail.com
February 22, 2014
A Letter
So, this had nothing to do with A Grim Love: Can't Fight Time. But it does have something to do with me as a writer.
I got an email telling me I could apply for the Writers' House at my school. It's a great program where I can develop my skills as a writer, and well, I decided to apply to it.
Part of the application process is a letter, basically a statement of purpose where I have to tell them a little about myself and why I want to be in the program. I sent it off to my family to just go through and tell me if I needed to change anything or if I was missing anything, nothing really new.
But one thing I never expected was my father's overwhelming... I'm not sure what the word even is. The best way I can describe the experience was, after my father read my two page letter, I went from being a child to an adult. It was in the way me spoke to me, not like a father, but like a man who appreciated my work, and saw how good it was. I never expected it, and it brought tears to my eyes.
But I'm not going to go all mushy on you. I just thought you all might like to read it to. So here it is:
“What makes a truly good story is its ability to be close enough to reality to be believable, yet far enough away to keep you guessing.”
Rosi S. Phillips
I’ve always liked writing and creating stories. I liked to think of a concept, develop it in my mind, and then let my characters play out their lives while I watched them; it was like I was creating a little movie in my head. I had a lot of fun doing it, but I never thought of writing my little stories down.
Poems were the only things I really wrote down, and that was only because I couldn’t
remember all of my poems. I’d think of a really fantastic poem, but if I didn’t write it down I’d forget it. I guess my writing just progressed from there, and somewhere along the way I began writing down the movies playing in my head and labeling them as “stories”.
I never thought much about my writing, and I never had any desire to write for anyone but myself. Languages were my real passion, and even to this day, it remains that way. I love languages, and I’ve spent a good amount of my time studying Japanese, Persian, and Arabic, but I knew I had to do more. I couldn’t just speak Japanese and not know anything about the culture; and so I studied, I learned, I traveled, and I wrote everything down and incorporated it into my stories.
Every experience I’ve ever had is tied into my work. While I write fiction, in particular paranormal and fantasy, my experiences are still in my work and give the stories I write a realistic quality I never anticipated. The stories I write, the characters I create, come alive because I write what I know and stay close enough to reality so that it’s believable. And that’s the real trick I’ve learned with my writing: to use what I know to make the extraordinary relatable.
I had a hard time at the beginning though, accepting that others might like what I wrote, and an
even a harder time putting my stories out into the ether to be judged and critiqued. It took me a while to let me stories live outside of my Google Doc folders, and be read by eyes other than my own.
Still, it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
I won’t say it was an easy thing to let strangers read my tales, but with every story I wrote and sent out, I got great feedback which ultimately led me to become a better writer. It was a leap I took, and one I’m so glad I made because it allowed me to publish my first book.
My first book, the catalyst for this Statement of Purpose letter. If I hadn’t put myself out there and posted my stories I never would have been given an opportunity to ghost write, I wouldn’t have fought with my publisher to publish my first book, and ultimately I wouldn’t be writing this letter.
But life’s funny that way; the things you least expect are usually the things you get.
So that’s what it’s boiled down to; I want to study creative writing in a living and learning environment because I don’t want to ever wonder what might have been. I love writing now, it’s my passion. But, if I hadn’t decided to write my stories down, or the million little things I’ve done so far, I would have never gotten to this point. Writing is as natural to me as breathing; it’s as simple as clay and stone, feathers and blood.
So I’ll end with this: what makes a truly good reality is its ability to keep one craving more, wanting the truth over fiction, and ultimately keep a person’s mind always enthralled, always guessing.
Thank you for reading my letter, and I hope you will consider me a good candidate for the Writers’ House.
Sincerely
Rosi
I got an email telling me I could apply for the Writers' House at my school. It's a great program where I can develop my skills as a writer, and well, I decided to apply to it.
Part of the application process is a letter, basically a statement of purpose where I have to tell them a little about myself and why I want to be in the program. I sent it off to my family to just go through and tell me if I needed to change anything or if I was missing anything, nothing really new.
But one thing I never expected was my father's overwhelming... I'm not sure what the word even is. The best way I can describe the experience was, after my father read my two page letter, I went from being a child to an adult. It was in the way me spoke to me, not like a father, but like a man who appreciated my work, and saw how good it was. I never expected it, and it brought tears to my eyes.
But I'm not going to go all mushy on you. I just thought you all might like to read it to. So here it is:
“What makes a truly good story is its ability to be close enough to reality to be believable, yet far enough away to keep you guessing.”
Rosi S. Phillips
I’ve always liked writing and creating stories. I liked to think of a concept, develop it in my mind, and then let my characters play out their lives while I watched them; it was like I was creating a little movie in my head. I had a lot of fun doing it, but I never thought of writing my little stories down.
Poems were the only things I really wrote down, and that was only because I couldn’t
remember all of my poems. I’d think of a really fantastic poem, but if I didn’t write it down I’d forget it. I guess my writing just progressed from there, and somewhere along the way I began writing down the movies playing in my head and labeling them as “stories”.
I never thought much about my writing, and I never had any desire to write for anyone but myself. Languages were my real passion, and even to this day, it remains that way. I love languages, and I’ve spent a good amount of my time studying Japanese, Persian, and Arabic, but I knew I had to do more. I couldn’t just speak Japanese and not know anything about the culture; and so I studied, I learned, I traveled, and I wrote everything down and incorporated it into my stories.
Every experience I’ve ever had is tied into my work. While I write fiction, in particular paranormal and fantasy, my experiences are still in my work and give the stories I write a realistic quality I never anticipated. The stories I write, the characters I create, come alive because I write what I know and stay close enough to reality so that it’s believable. And that’s the real trick I’ve learned with my writing: to use what I know to make the extraordinary relatable.
I had a hard time at the beginning though, accepting that others might like what I wrote, and an
even a harder time putting my stories out into the ether to be judged and critiqued. It took me a while to let me stories live outside of my Google Doc folders, and be read by eyes other than my own.
Still, it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
I won’t say it was an easy thing to let strangers read my tales, but with every story I wrote and sent out, I got great feedback which ultimately led me to become a better writer. It was a leap I took, and one I’m so glad I made because it allowed me to publish my first book.
My first book, the catalyst for this Statement of Purpose letter. If I hadn’t put myself out there and posted my stories I never would have been given an opportunity to ghost write, I wouldn’t have fought with my publisher to publish my first book, and ultimately I wouldn’t be writing this letter.
But life’s funny that way; the things you least expect are usually the things you get.
So that’s what it’s boiled down to; I want to study creative writing in a living and learning environment because I don’t want to ever wonder what might have been. I love writing now, it’s my passion. But, if I hadn’t decided to write my stories down, or the million little things I’ve done so far, I would have never gotten to this point. Writing is as natural to me as breathing; it’s as simple as clay and stone, feathers and blood.
So I’ll end with this: what makes a truly good reality is its ability to keep one craving more, wanting the truth over fiction, and ultimately keep a person’s mind always enthralled, always guessing.
Thank you for reading my letter, and I hope you will consider me a good candidate for the Writers’ House.
Sincerely
Rosi
February 21, 2014
AGL Characters and Terminology *Spoilers!*
I'm been thinking--something I do far too often--about how complicated I've made AGL. I mean I get complicated even thinking about the progression of the story!
That got me thinking about my readers, and how complicated it must be for them. You all don't even know where the story is going yet, so I can only imagine how confused you are!
Well, I've decided to add a page about it! Of course this page will change with every AGL book I publish, but that's a couple months down the road.
So, let's begin!
Characters
Nina:
daughter of the serial killerdriver of the struggle busperpetually curious humanNina meets Grim, a Grimm Reaper, and ends up falling in love with him and ultimately marrying himShe is also a college student who suffers from memory attacks, but only of the same memory.
Grim:
A Grim reaper who falls in love with a human--Nina. Grim is Heir Apparent to the Bloodspurn throneThe son of Tuoni and Morrigan Bloodspurn. Ivona Bloodspurn is his birth mother, and Uriel Bloodspurn is his half brother. Grim is in an arranged marriage with the Castoff princess, but marries Nina instead
Tuoni:
The Bloodspurn king. He is going insane. Tuoni lost his human wife, Ivona, when she gave birth to Grim
Morrigan:
The Bloodspurn queenShe was Ivona's maid, but after Ivona died she married TuoniGrim's step mother, she raised GrimHarridan
Yin:
The other half of YangShe is a woman and one of the creators of the universemad scientist goddess
Yang:
The other half of YinHe is a man and one of the creators mad scientist god
Iris:
Personal messenger of the Underworld for Yin and Yang
Uriel:
A reaperBrother to Samuel "Grim" Bloodspurn, he is the second princeHe is also Nina's friend and the one who takes her back to the human world to be killed by her father
Felicia:
ex-Fiancee to GrimFirst Princesss of the Castoff kingdomA "Pedophile's wet dream"She is also Grim's captor
Terminology
Shedding: A process that happens when reapers come into their powers. Their flesh peels from their bones.
Reading: A reaper skill that enables reapers to dive into human's minds and pick up the information there.
Ghostin: When a reaper is invisible like a ghost and all you can feel is a chill in the air. It allows them to walk through walls and such, but only in the human world.
Reapers: Middlemen. Reapers take the souls of every living thing to the underworld where they either use the soul to enrich their environment, recycle the soul, or give the soul to Yin and Yang. They have exceptional powers.
*If I'm missing anything, please let me know*
That got me thinking about my readers, and how complicated it must be for them. You all don't even know where the story is going yet, so I can only imagine how confused you are!
Well, I've decided to add a page about it! Of course this page will change with every AGL book I publish, but that's a couple months down the road.
So, let's begin!
Characters
Nina:
daughter of the serial killerdriver of the struggle busperpetually curious humanNina meets Grim, a Grimm Reaper, and ends up falling in love with him and ultimately marrying himShe is also a college student who suffers from memory attacks, but only of the same memory.
Grim:
A Grim reaper who falls in love with a human--Nina. Grim is Heir Apparent to the Bloodspurn throneThe son of Tuoni and Morrigan Bloodspurn. Ivona Bloodspurn is his birth mother, and Uriel Bloodspurn is his half brother. Grim is in an arranged marriage with the Castoff princess, but marries Nina instead
Tuoni:
The Bloodspurn king. He is going insane. Tuoni lost his human wife, Ivona, when she gave birth to Grim
Morrigan:
The Bloodspurn queenShe was Ivona's maid, but after Ivona died she married TuoniGrim's step mother, she raised GrimHarridan
Yin:
The other half of YangShe is a woman and one of the creators of the universemad scientist goddess
Yang:
The other half of YinHe is a man and one of the creators mad scientist god
Iris:
Personal messenger of the Underworld for Yin and Yang
Uriel:
A reaperBrother to Samuel "Grim" Bloodspurn, he is the second princeHe is also Nina's friend and the one who takes her back to the human world to be killed by her father
Felicia:
ex-Fiancee to GrimFirst Princesss of the Castoff kingdomA "Pedophile's wet dream"She is also Grim's captor
Terminology
Shedding: A process that happens when reapers come into their powers. Their flesh peels from their bones.
Reading: A reaper skill that enables reapers to dive into human's minds and pick up the information there.
Ghostin: When a reaper is invisible like a ghost and all you can feel is a chill in the air. It allows them to walk through walls and such, but only in the human world.
Reapers: Middlemen. Reapers take the souls of every living thing to the underworld where they either use the soul to enrich their environment, recycle the soul, or give the soul to Yin and Yang. They have exceptional powers.
*If I'm missing anything, please let me know*
