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Jan. The Judging: The Corescu Chronicles Book One with Ellen Maze/Spoilers
Hi Ellen,My copy of The Judging will be arriving in the mail soon. ;) So, how 'bout prepping us with this book. I have read Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider, and give it high marks. Kudos on a wonderfully-developed storyline.
I understand that The Judging is part of the Beth Rider series. Can you tell us how The Judging fits in, or where it fits in with the storyline of said series...
Also, was The Judging released before Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider came out and then recently re-released through Treasureline Publishing?
I also know that you are one busy and indefatigable author. You have some other books in the "Rabbit" series. Would you mind briefly touching on those, along with The Judging, to let us see how each title falls chronologically in the series?
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Howdy and thank you for getting us started with a few earnest queries, Teric!TERIC SAID: I understand that The Judging is part of the Beth Rider series. Can you tell us how The Judging fits in, or where it fits in with the storyline of said series...
Sure! I'll make sure it's clear as mud...
In Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider, an author named Beth Rider writes a series that begins with THE JUDGING; this book, which indicates that vampires might be able to be delivered from their bloodlust by faith in God, makes the "real" vampires (the Rakum) angry and a few of them vow to hunt her down and kill her because of these books.
THE JUDGING by Ellen C Maze (me) is that same book. SO--RABBIT is aware of THE JUDGING, but THE JUDGING is not aware of RABBIT. You can read THE JUDGING and never pick up RABBIT--it stands apart as a separate series. But RABBIT fans will enjoy reading this new series BECAUSE of its connection to their fav book.
Clear as mud?
Also, was The Judging released before Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider came out and then recently re-released through Treasureline Publishing?
No, although I completed THE JUDGING long before I ever wrote RABBIT. When THE JUDGING was finished (in 2008), I started submitting it all over, trying to find a publisher or agent. Self-publishing was an option at that time for me, so instead of publishing THE JUDGING (what I considered my ace-in-the-hole, my shoe-in for easy representation), I decided to write and publish RABBIT: CHASING BETH RIDER instead.
RABBIT was self-published in 2009 and went right up to the top of the charts while I was still trying to find a buyer for THE JUDGING. Then, in 2010, I finally heard back from a publisher who was willing to take a chance on my baby, and they published THE JUDGING in Nov. 2010. This publisher also re-released an updated and improved version of RABBIT, which has made me very ecstatic!
I also know that you are one busy and indefatigable author. You have some other books in the "Rabbit" series. Would you mind briefly touching on those, along with The Judging, to let us see how each title falls chronologically in the series?
You are a glutton for punishment because you know I love to go on and on about my babies...
After a reader reads RABBIT, and they enjoyed it, they should move on to read Loose Rabbits of the Rabbit Trilogy (a collection of 20 short tales featuring the characters of the Rabbit Trilogy).
Then, while they are still salivating for more, they should read Rabbit Legacy, Book Two in the Trilogy, to see what happened next. Personally, I love this one even more than the first -IT ROCKS ME.
Now, the reader can read THE JUDGING anywhere in there since it stands alone. The voice and style are different in these two series, so I wonder how it will be received. RABBIT races forward and never lets up, where JUDGING is paced and more studious...
TRISH SAID: Ellen- I'm on "nook" pg. 29, which is the 1st page of Ch. 8. -I don't think nook pages correspond to "real" book pages. I hope that helps. It's awesome so far, I can't wait to read on! "HUGGLES and wholesome kisses" back at ya! (that's too cute btw!) Oh, goodie! You've met almost all of the principles. Ch. 8 introduces the final main character -- our human antagonist. He is a squirrely and slick little man who gives freelance journalism a bad name.
Hey--look back in Ch. 4 when Paul and Reuben were at the car dealership. I had a lot of fun with their argument, and with Reuben's "slave" impression. Did that make you giggle? Their relationship is strained, but their interactions are funny to me.
Hee hee hee...(wholesome chuckle)
Ellen: "After a reader reads RABBIT, and they enjoyed it, they should move on to read Loose Rabbits of the Rabbit Trilogy (a collection of 20 short tales featuring the characters of the Rabbit Trilogy).Then, while they are still salivating for more, they should read Rabbit Legacy, Book Two in the Trilogy, to see what happened next. Personally, I love this one even more than the first -IT ROCKS ME."
Very cool, Ellen; thanks for sharing- it does clear it up a bit for me. Are "Loose Rabbits" and "Rabbit Legacy" available in hard copy formats as well as e-book?
Very cool, Ellen; thanks for sharing- it does clear it up a bit for me. Are "Loose Rabbits" and "Rabbit Legacy" available in hard copy formats as well as e-book? Yessir! Loose Rabbits and Legacy can be purchased on Amazon in print... gotta love that amazon!
Oh, yeah! Keep me informed! Also, let me know if you start to feel sorry for Reuben along the way. When the book was finally finished and I read it for the last time before it went to the publisher, I realized what crap that kid went through with Mark. Poor baby...Insider's note: in 2004, when TJ was first begun, Hope Brannen was to be the heroine. Over time, it became apparent that Tony Agricola would be the actual hero, and the more his character developed, the more self-centered and self-absorbed Hope became. Her personality in this final version is so far removed from Day One writing, but it works because as the 4 novels move on...her selfishness plays a big part in the plot and Mark's ultimate outcome. Plain as mud. :-)
*YAY* -- READER MARY D. said: Ellen - I just had to tell you that The Judging is incredible ... ooooh, I love how you opened the book with such delicious visual detail! It was like slipping into an oil-silkened bath (okay, that's probably a poor analogy on my part, but I can't think of anything else at the moment loll).... Seriously, though, you get the idea. You definitely have a marked flair for rich, sensory detail which was such a pleasure to read in the past/prologue opening scene... (thank you, Mary! Yay!)
GOOD MORNING ALL!*YAY* I had to share... I had this email in my box this morning: from LYNDA L: What a wild concept!!! A priest as a vampire vigilante! How in the world did you figure this one up and run SO WELL with the idea!??? I loved this book. I think it's one that I've read the fastest in a long time!! Ellen, when's the next one coming out! I'm DYING for it!!
Very cool, Ellen! Kudos on the great reviews! I am lurking around the forum here, but trying not to read too much as I don't want to spoil the read before the book comes in. But the reviews are really whetting my appetite! Rock on, sis!
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P.S. The Cart-Man says to pass this song along to you, and to pay special attention to the lyrics in verse three @ 1:28.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lWJXD...
Enjoy!
I love the vampire line here... :-)thanks for the flash-back!
Greetings, peeps, or should I say rabbits? I'm desperately trying to dig my way out of a rabbit hole of reviews for numerous authors. I have decided to burrow in and complete the stack at hand so I can get back to my own writing... but wait, I have only read one book by Ellen and there are so many more... books, books and books, I can't seem to find my way out of this tunnel! Keep the light on, I will return.
@Toni -- do you already have THE JUDGING?
Ellen wrote: "@Toni -- do you already have THE JUDGING?"not yet... I did enter the contest!
I got a KINDLE yesterday!!! Now, I can see how THE JUDGING looks on there. I think it looks really nice! Yay!
I don't have a Kindle, but guess where else The Judging looks really nice??? IN - MY - HANDS! Mailman brought it to me two days ago! Woo-Hoo! Thank you, Auntie Ellen!Now I've got some catching up to do. But if I'm not able to ketchup, I'll catch you guys later!
It looks real nice, Ellen; I am happy that it's seen a proper release!
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THANK YOU, TERIC OL' PAL, OL' BUDDY :-)Don't get scared now...it's kinda scary...
I have some JUDGING news that's not story-related.LOL, my publisher just submitted the document and the eBook versions with 11 grammatical errors CORRECTED. So if you're reading your copy and notice something awry... WE FIXED IT!
LOL, the most embarrassing, toward the end, I had added some new material and accidentally called Hope "Beth". Whoops! Forgive me! Beth was on my mind that day!
Hi everyone!I'm up to page 84 of THE JUDGING and I am kinda scared, Ellen - this one is so much darker than Rabbit! Glorie is revealing her true colors and they're definitely not nice colors. And I'm dying (pardon the pun) to see how Mark and Hope's first date turns out.
Congratulations on the great reviews! I'm with Mary - I loved the visual, atmospheric prologue! And to remark on what you said above, I love the different voice and style of THE JUDGING - the more gothic feel and slower, more studious pacing are perfect for the vampire's medieval origins.
Okay, I shall returneth as I get further along. I can't wait to get back to reading tonight. Like Trish, I'm eagerly awaiting Hope's reaction to discovering Mark's true nature!
@ Krisi -- thank you, sweets :)Is it darker? Shows what I know. You're absolutely right, a publisher once rejected it because it was too "creepy" for her taste. I am no judge of what is dark and what's not (I'm no JUDGE, get it? har har)
Coming from you, Krisi, with your delicious writing style in your book On the Soul of a Vampire, I am honored that you find my book engrossing. Your book enthralled me very much!
Something to ponder everyone...
Glorie is Hope's identical twin sister. Doesn't it stand to reason that Hope might have latent psychological disorders since Glorie's quite mad? Keep that in mind as this series proceeds! I'm not spoiling nothing...I'm just sayin'.
Thanks, Ellen, you are too kind! :-DYes, definitely darker and maybe "creepy," but in a good way! Fictionally speaking, of course. But I really think that's a cool difference, being that Rabbit was the "real world" or present-day author and vamps and this is the dark world waiting for light that Beth wrote about.
I will be pondering what Hope's similarities to Glorie are even more now, especially since I was already reflecting on why her impression of her sister's difficult life and her handling of it seem so far from the truth and so different from Glorie's thoughts on Hope. Verrry interesting!
Ellen wrote: "Mark is sexy."Are you saying that is his true nature? Hee, hee.
Trish wrote: "I'm on nook pg. 132/242 first page of ch. 29. It's so good! I just wanted to give you an update, and I'm happy to see another participant, Krisi! Welcome!I'm glad the e-book errors are corre..."
Thank you, Trish! Very happy to be here. This is my first book discussion!
Rabbit, scared me to the point of not being able to dangle my foot over the bed anymore! lol I do pop up on the discussion page as time permits... sounds like a scary read but I'm sure Ellen has added her "twisted sister" touch to the read!
@Toni -- yeah...and I think Mark is a sympathetic character. What do ya'll think? Do I just feel sorry for him because he was deceived (not his fault)? I'm a mushy person :)Waxing Philosophical... maybe Mark represents all of us who want to serve God, we think we are doing so, but eventually, we learn that we've been doing what we "thought" He wanted, when actually what we thought was His will wasn't even biblical.
I did that in college -- I went from sweet Baptist conservative kid to extremely unchurched liberal christian during my 4 years in college.
Sometimes we lose sight of the truth in our zeal to "set the world right by our own hands," as well.
Anything? Eh? Zzzzzzzz...it's bed time so I get chatty ;-P
Well, you already know I'm sympathetic to the vampire plight, Ellen! Especially the ones who are tricked into it, in a manner.But yes, I think Mark and any vampire who is not the stereotypical soulless monster without a conscience, is representative of what just about all human beings do. On the more simple level because we're all prone to judging not just an evil act, but judging the person or the soul of the person who commits that act. And also, like you said, because we're not quite so good at judging ourselves. Consciously or unconsciously, human beings tend to justify themselves by redefining self-serving actions as God-serving ones so that they can feel okay with things that are really just pleasing to themselves by seeing them as universal goods. And the reasoning Mark uses isn't really much different from the reasoning human beings have always used when faced with evil acts, after all. Is it alright to harm or kill one or some to protect the many, or in doing so are we valuing some lives more than others?
But you shouldn't get me started on the philosophical implications of little vampire horror stories! I admit to having a bit of an addiction there.
Thanks, Ellen! But you already said it. I was just agreeing with you in a really long-winded way! :-D
Ellen: "LOL, the most embarrassing, toward the end, I had added some new material and accidentally called Hope "Beth". Whoops! Forgive me! Beth was on my mind that day!" To: Ellen
From: Cart-Man
An audible (and visual) "Hallmark" card:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoI5WF...
P.S. Teric says he is a bit behind due to proofing U-TURN books, but is on chapter Nine, and loving every minute of it! He also says he agrees with Krisi- The Judging is a bit darker... and when the last name of one's pseudonym is Darken... well, darker is a good thing! Two thumbs up!
@ Cart-Man -- YAY! I forgot about that song! Now I will snag it for my MP3 player :-) Thank you!! ~ellen
I just finished "The Judging" on my nook and loved it! Ellen, how did you come up with the idea for a vampire vigilante? I really sympathized with Mark. He did'nt choose what happened to him and he thought he was doing the will of God. Now I can't wait for the next chapter in this story to see what happens with Mark and Paul and the other characters.
@ Paula -- YAY! My heart soars when someone enjoys my book. This one especially, since it is the first novel I ever conceived and wrote. THANK YOU :-)I feel bad for Mark, too. I'll drag him through his transformation for 4 books... hee hee hee.
As for the vigilante angle, in 2004, when I wrote this, I hadn't heard of such a thing. As a matter of fact, vampires were not the rage anymore (Twilight changed all that by 2005!!), and I was very fearful to show my work to Christians. Vampires in Christian books? I thought I'd be chased off or laughed away. But, in God's timing, the book found a publisher and an audience. Yay!--I say again!
In book 2, DAMASCUS ROAD, I get to play with Paul and Tony almost exclusively...it is so fun. I wonder how it will go over! I am shooting for around May for that one to come out :)
Now Paula,you can help me TREMENDOUSLY by reviewing Judging on Barnes &Nobles & here on Goodreads for me (and Amazon, if you have an account there). I don't think she has any reviews yet on B&N.. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-...
Thank you so much for giving it a whirl :)
I am on chapter twenty-four now. Hope is confiding in Anthony about Mark. I'm not sure which way Mark is leaning, or how he will turn out, whether bad or good, but I know one thing: I sometimes wish there were characters such as Mark (all good, of course) who were sent here to place evil-doers in the balance before Judgment Day. All the child-abusers, sadists, rapists, serial killers... Man, how I long for the dogs to have their day. That said, I know that that way of thinking is wrong of me. But I hope that everyone can appreciate my honesty. I know that is why the battle belongs to the LORD, and that is why He said, "Vengeance is mine." The Almighty gives people a chance to repent, and I have to remind myself that, although I am not guilty of certain horrific sins, I certainly have enough "little sins" (I am using a human term, fully realizing that a sin is a sin to a Holy God) in my own life to place a chasm in between me and the Holy God. And yet, He gave me a chance to receive His Son and to repent from my sins. Realizing this, I daily remind myself that I have no stone to throw, else I am a hypocrite.All apologies... I didn't mean to go off on a tangent. Nevertheless, this has been my thought process as I've been reading through The Judging.
Mark kind of reminds me of The Punisher- a vigilante who roams the streets at night searching for corrupted felons. He makes them pay, and pay dearly.
Well put, Teric. Since my youth, it has always been a fantasy of mine to write a character that hunts serial killers. I guess kind of like DEXTER today on TV (I haven't watched the show, but the idea is the same). Since I know vampires well, I made my vigilante a vampire. The twist is that Mark really thinks he is doing God's will -- so much that over the years, he's forgotten he was ever human! He thinks perhaps (and he doesn't dare think too hard on it lest he learn differently), but perhaps he is some sort of angel?????I love how Tony attempts to show him the truth... let me know how it goes for you when you get there, Teric!
As for your lament,"All the child-abusers, sadists, rapists, serial killers... Man, how I long for the dogs to have their day.", I have read in the Bible the prophets and psalmists asking the same question (How long, O LOrd???)-- so you're in great company, my friend!
Oh my gosh, Teric and Ellen, thank you for bringing this aspect of the story into the discussion. Maybe I shouldn't comment on it yet, because I haven't gotten to how Tony attempts to show Mark the truth, but it's such a fascinating subject for me.Teric, your post doesn't go off on a tangent at all. It is one of the most significant questions brought up by vampire lit, especially of the more modern type. While there are still some of the purely evil, killer without a conscience type vampires out there and there are the de-vamped type who don't kill at all (obtaining the blood that feeds them from some other source), the believably human vampires like Mark, who seek to justify what they must do to live, are the ones who really make the reader think. And for the very reason the difficulty mentioned in your post brings up. I've seen readers make comments on this type of vampire like "his kills are (or are not) justifiable" or "he's not really a hero because he doesn't even try to be good" (implying that he would be trying if he only killed evil people). It's such an interesting phenomenon: that the reader judges the vampire's goodness or evil on who the vampire judges to be good or evil. It's such an amazing portrait of human nature and of that tendency to make ourselves "little gods" in judging another's soul, both the vampire's and his or her victims. Yet that is exactly what those "justifiable" victims have done - the serial killers, sadists, rapists, child-abusers... in that, they've assigned their own idea of worth to a given person's life in relation to their own and "judged" them less worthy of love, respect, life itself, in some cases.
We are all prone to this and I doubt there are too many who would be being honest if they said they are not so horrified by the above crimes that, even if only for a moment, they don't wish to see such a person receive their just rewards. But besides bringing up the question of what God considers a just reward as compared to what we do (I'm thinking of Cain here), it also makes one wonder if there is a little bit of an answer to the question of why God allows such terrible evils to exist in the world, why He Himself doesn't just wipe out people who commit such crimes against their fellow man. That is, is it in an effort to make us think about our own "little" sins - the ways in which they hurt others and offend God - and that they could as easily attract the wrath of a "human" judge (like a man become vampire is), for who's to say how another human being might judge what we consider a little sin when we allow any human being, including ourselves, to consider oneself that "little god" who judges another's soul?
Thanks again for bringing up this really important topic and now I can't wait to find out how Tony tries to show the truth to Mark!
Good points all around, Krisi! You have prompted me to think on the following:Pertaining to sin, and the horrors thereof- in a nutshell, I believe that mankind is reaping what we've sown. It "rains" on both the "just" and the "unjust." Since "Adam" and "Havah" (Hebrew: "man" and "woman," Adam and Eve, respectively) first rebelled against The Almighty in the garden, trying to become those "little gods" that you're speaking of, Krisi, mankind has continued to rebel and sin against God ever since. And because of our rebellion and sin, the evils and horrors that are byproducts of sin have entered the world as a result. Am I saying that an innocent child has earned abuse? Or that a woman who has told a lie merits being raped? Certainly not! But what I am saying is that mankind, as a whole, is witnessing the atrocities, and feeling the repercussions of our sins, as a whole. Sin is a cancer that does not discriminate. Sometimes its effects deliver a seemingly subtle blow (when the bad guy "gets it"), sometimes it strikes hard (when the good guy "gets it"). Either way, we witness just how horrible the acts of sin, and the effects of sin are... and yet we choose to partake of that rancid fruit in our lives. To those of us who have been given eyes to see and ears to hear with, we see and hear The Voice that cries out: "Mankind, you need the Savior! Receive Him and be a new creation!"
Pertaining to those people whom we may deem "especially bad," and of those who make us wonder, "Why doesn't God just wipe them off the face of the earth, IMMEDIATELY"... the Jack the Rippers of the world, the Adolf Hitlers, the Vlad the Impalers, Terrorists, etc... maybe God, the Creator of us all, who is the God of all, including justice and mercy, knows that Hell burns so hot, and He knows exactly what "everlasting" means in His infinite mind (something I don't think we can fully comprehend in our finite minds), that He gives even (those whom we humans consider) the vilest offender the fairest of chances to repent before judgment begins for eternity.
Ellen, I just love The Judging! I pray that you don't take offense but it kind of reminds me of Frank Peretti's books. And I just love his books. I hope that you understand that I'm giving you a MAJOR compliment. I don't want to give anything away but the way you wrote about the spirits of fear, etc. is awesome. It's very hard to find books written this way and I think they are great because I believe that that's the way real life is. It's like you can feel it in the air as well as your spirit.I also just finished downloading all of your books to my nook. I'm going to start the first one as soon as I get done typing this.
@Karendenice (my new best friend) -- music to my ears! Thank you so much. Frank Peretti is a personal inspiration of mine. I once contacted him on Facebook and he asked about my book RABBIT: CHASING BETH RIDER, and gave me a personal blessing for its success! He was so sweet and humble.I am honored that you not only enjoyed THE JUDGING, but that you came away with some of the truth the Lord helped me stick in there :-)
I'm so glad you got them on nook! I need my books reviewed on B&N as well as Amazon and Goodreads...if you're the type who has a moment to do that, then I'll really dance! Of course, I'm dancing now because you LOVED THE JUDGING!!!!
Thank you so much for letting me know. I am blessed :)
I wll absolutely post my review on B&N & Amazon. Hope you sell a million.Also when is your next book coming out? I can hardly wait!
@ Karendenice -- ah, my favorite question!FECKLESS Tales of Supernatural, Paranormal, and Downright Presumptuous Ilk comes out middle of february. Link -- to this fun book!-- http://www.ellencmaze.com/feckless-ta... All of my stories (11 total, and the others from other authors), will have my particular flavor..
Book Two of the Judging, DAMASCUS ROAD, is due out in late Spring, God-willing. I'm shooting for May 1st, latest. http://www.thejudgingnovel.com/damasc...
RABBIT REDEMPTION (Book 3 in Rabbit trilogy) might be ready for Fall, 2011. That's the plan anyway!
And I'll hopefully finish this spooky new stand-alone novel called INDWELT. Oooooooo. Yowsa!
Thank you for caring :-D
Oh, how I wanted to be a part of this discussion, Ellen. I have obligated myself to so many reviews, I hope, I don't mix-up the characters. Hey, sounds like a new book brewing, wouldn't you agree? he... he...
Toni wrote: "Oh, how I wanted to be a part of this discussion, Ellen. I have obligated myself to so many reviews, I hope, I don't mix-up the characters. Hey, sounds like a new book brewing, wouldn't you agree..."LOL-- Just look around the discussion at all the pretty lights... Ahhhhh..sparkly!
Note to those reading THE JUDGING...I just printed out DAMASCUS ROAD for the next editing phase. I like to print the whole thing out and make changes right on the paper at this stage...
It was 180K back in 2007. Now I shortened it to 141K. My goal is to chop it down to 110K. Wish me luck! LOL
Anyway, I was trying NOT to read it, but the little bits that I DID see made me very excited. People are going to really like it... I got chills! Dang. Tony's in trouble. Oops...
Trish -- you are a dream :-) THANK YOU!! Remind me of your blog address?? I'll share it all over!
Trish wrote: "http://trishgdesigns.blogspot.com/ Thanks! I don't have many followers (yet) but I hope it helps you;)"
Gotta start somewhere!! Every time it gets shared, more followers will pop on... that's my theory :)
HEY YOU GUYS! (Electric Company, anyone?)I am having a giveaway on my facebook group page. Any of my books are up for grab, print OR eBook (reader's choice), and all ya gotta do is join the group and comment on the page. :-) Spread the news :-) !!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid...
Improved Rabbit? Improved from what?:) Lisa
I finished it yesterday! A job well done, Ellen! Left my review here and on Amazon.com.
Contemporary Christian Fiction
Books mentioned in this topic
On the Soul of a Vampire (other topics)Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider (other topics)
Rabbit Legacy (other topics)
Loose Rabbits of the Rabbit Trilogy (other topics)
THE JUDGING is on Kindle (Amazon), Nook (Barnes & Noble), paperback, iBooks for Apple devices, and for sale as an eBook on Smashwords (link: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/... for $4.99)
So...what page you on?
I'll read my copy over again too and keep up with you!
HUGGLES and wholesome kisses,
Ellen