Hello Red Tash!!

Ladies and gentlemen, for your entertainment and enjoyment I am honored to present Red Tash, a fellow author and esteemed (and thoroughly enjoyable) colleague of mine. Okay, okay, I'll stop talking and let Red Tash lead the way so without further adieu...



Well, it's an honor to be featured on RJ Palmer's new blog. She says there's nothing interesting about her, if you read her bio, but she's wrong. In fact, RJ's site reminds me a lot of what my blog was like, about eight years ago when I started blogging seriously. And *I'm* interesting, so she must be. ;) Oh, how times flies. :)



Speaking of time flying, in just a few days, my Kindle giveaway ends. What's that you say? You didn't know I was giving away a Kindle? Well, in that case, you probably aren't familiar with me, either, so here's a little about me:



*crickets* I have nothing interesting to say about myself. Thank you very much. *crickets*



Seriously, though, I'm Red Tash, and I write dark fantasy. Scary stories, spooky stuff, funny stuff, but always on the dark side of life. I recently released my first novel, This Brilliant Darkness. It's a quick read, it's been described as "richly poetic," a "fast-paced set of chills," and my editors sent me lots of "LOLs" in the midst of their corrections, too, so that's pretty killer.



In order to help spread the word about this wonderful tome of magnificence & splenderificalness (sure, that's a word, why not?), I decided to launch my very first book in a big way: I'm giving away a Kindle. And not just a Kindle, but a Kindle loaded with reads from over three dozen authors of horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and paranormal fun. It should arrive in time for Halloween, too.



Well, that was the plan, then the new Kindles were announced, so I've decided to let the winner choose which Kindle he/she wants. The new one, which will arrive post-Halloween, or the model I'd originally chosen, which *should* get to the winner's house by Fright Night (fingers crossed).



As if that's not enough of an incentive to enter, 2nd and 3rd prizes are Amazon gift cards plus a free copy of This Brilliant Darkness. Making it even easier, there are a ton of different ways to enter, and although I shouldn't mention this (at all), I've even been known to announce super-secret extra ways to enter, for mega-bonuses.



I'm not going to lie, it's been a lot of work keeping up with this contest, but it's also been a lot of fun, and hey--you only release your first book ONCE, so I've been trying to do so with a bang. Hopefully it's made an impression. I hope you'll check out the contest and give the book a look-see. If it's not for you, maybe you can recommend it to your creepy friend.



Here's what readers are saying about This Brilliant Darkness:



"Richly poetic: This is labeled as a dark fantasy. As such you would expect it to be dripping with imagery and poetic devices - and it is. There is horrific cleverness in the plot and in the characterization. You will find no better use of language and symbolism throughout the prose. It is well done. In addition to the dark fantasy, there's a flip side to the coin which is that this could also be labeled Sci-fi. There are aliens, a new star, physicists, and "end-of-the-world" fanatics. All of this is done artfully well and is believable.



"Without question, read this book ready to be challenged in your thinking, questioned in your understanding, and dared not to buy the next installment whether you like it or not."



"Fast-paced fantasy, lots of mystery: The quick, snappy dialogue moves the story fabulously, and with the many change of POV's (each chapter), the story kept building in momentum into a tangled web of darkness, mystery, and paranormal terror. The fast pace was refreshing and I kept on reading, wondering what was going to happen to Christine and how all the characters twined into the bigger picture. There is a hint of more SF going on than seems apparent with the emergence of the flat sun, and the paranormal activities around its sudden appearance, not to mention the very strange and beguiling creature Greachin and its macabre habits--very cool SFF concept, especially when we get into the head of the 'thing'! The main character, Christine, is energetic and likeable. She fights . . . right to the bitter end."



"A Fast Paced set of Chills: I don't usually review books that I read but this one grabbed me from the first page…before I knew it, I was hooked. Christine is an admirable character with a grittiness you won't expect. The other characters are equally complex, sucking you into their lives with a force that's hard to resist. Like the other reviewers, I agree this isn't a book for those of younger ages and with the urge to argue over every little detail. The author's view of religion is clear and I think it adds to the story. Without those tormenting dreams, where would the story be? I recommend this book to those who like alien encounters and hard core sci fi. IMO, you'll love it."



Synopsis:



When an ancient, deeply troubled entity identifies quirky Christine Grace as his latest threat, all hell breaks loose in the urban forest of Indiana University's Dunn Woods. Will Christine piece together his destructive plan in time to save herself? And what exactly is going on with this peculiar star, Stella Mirabilis?



This fast-paced story moves quickly from character to character, introducing us to the headspace of not just Christine and the monster Greachin, but also to Tom, her devoted boyfriend, and Richard, an aging physicist interested in the time-traveling star overhead. Along the way, singing street people, cosplaying environmental activists, and heaven-sent beings come to populate the unique cityscape of Bloomington, IN, where encountering the bizarre is an everyday experience.



Part one of a series.



And just in case there's any confusion, this book is intended for adults.



You can also find Red Tash on Facebook and Twitter along with a few more interesting tidbits about my fellow Wingnut. Keep doing your thing Red Tash, you're keeping things interesting!



Speaking of which, what is your mother's maiden name and the name of the street on which you were born? ;)