Monday, March 2, 2020

Of Gods & Sorrow by Christine Rains




Welcome, Christine Rains, author of 
Of Gods & Sorrow
One of my favorite authors.
Christine is here to share a little about herself and her latest book.

Of Gods & Sorrow 
    
1.    What was your hardest scene to write?

The ending. Endings are always tough for me as a pantser because I don’t know how it’s going to resolve itself. I want the protagonist to win, but I love stacking the odds against them. I want it to be believable and satisfying for the reader, and I want it to resolve itself in a way no one expected. This was especially difficult with Erin’s situation at the end with the cult, but hopefully, I achieved what I set out to do.

2.    What makes you run screaming?

Nothing. I don’t like to run and I’m not a screamer. I’ve always been a face your fears kind of person. Though I give a very wide berth to spiders and snakes!

3.    You’re about to be dropped in a remote spot for a three-week survival test. Where would you go? What three tools would you take?

The Canadian wilds. Not too far north on the tundra, but it’s cold enough as it is. I’d take a Swiss army knife, a fire-starter, and proper clothes. I’ve watched a lot of survival shows over the years, and hopefully, that helps.

4.    What behind-the-scenes tidbit in your life would probably surprise your readers the most?

That I never take detailed notes while writing. I love to have many-layered characters and several crisscrossed relationships and a web of sub-plots, but I store them all in my head. I usually start with the good intention of keeping a notebook of a book, but the story takes off on its own and I just go with it.

5.    If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in that same setting, where would you choose?

Hm, that’s tough. I want to live in so many places! I would say a cottage in the English countryside near mysterious ruins. Oh, the magic of such a place!

6.    If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Don’t care so much about what other people think about your writing. I hid what I wrote for so many years until I gathered the courage to submit stories to publishers. Sharing a piece of our soul with the world is tough, but it’s more than worth it.

7.    What does literary success look like to you?

This has changed for me over the years. It was once having been published by one of the major presses and being as big as Stephen King. These days, I want to publish stories that I love to read and find readers that love to read them too. I don’t need to be the next Stephen King, but it would be nice to pay off some of our monthly bills with income from my books.

8.    Tell us about the book you’re working on now.

I’ve jumped into a new genre, LitRPG or GameLit. It’s fantasy fiction based on characters who get sucked into the game world they’re playing. Jumanji is a great example. My protagonist is playing a tabletop role-playing game I created called Khthonia. She and her friends must find a way to lift the Specter Plague curse and win the game to get home. It’s a geeky and exciting fantasy with some horror thrown in.

Of Gods and Sorrow (Of Blood and Sorrow Book 2) by Christine Rains


Stopping the undead will seem like child's play when the Cult of Ammut comes calling.

Even after losing most of her adopted family, Erin Driscol continues to console clients at Putzkammer & Sons Funeral Home. Keeping the funeral business working smoothly is no longer the walk in the graveyard it used to be. Grieving demons are fighting in the halls. Eyeballs are showing up in teapots. And a so-called psychic and member of the Cult of Ammut claims Erin's boss Cort is a god. All Erin wants is a friend to lean on and a sense of normalcy. But as the cult kills people and repeatedly attacks the funeral home, she must stand strong or lose Cort to the Lake of Fire.
****


Read My Review HERE:




Christine Rains is a writer, blogger, and geek mom. She has four degrees which help nothing with motherhood but make her a great Jeopardy player. When she's not reading or writing, she's going on adventures with her son or watching cheesy movies on Syfy Channel. She's a member of S.C.I.F.I. and Untethered Realms. She has four novels and several novellas and short stories published.
                                    Find Christine HERE
*****

Thank you, Christine!

Wishing you all the best on your newest project- LitRPG!

Congratulations on all your success!

 Christine was wondering if you could tell your younger self anything, what would it be?








36 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I'm sure the new genre is a lot of fun to write.
You'd like living in England. There is such a mystery about that country.

Christine Rains said...

Thanks so much for having me here today, Yolanda! It was a lot of fun answering your questions.

Alex, one day I'll get to the UK. These days I live in Khthonia, and while that realm has magic, it's not exactly the place I want to live! :D

Elizabeth Seckman said...

Excellent interview. I want to come to the English countryside with you. I also have redefined success- ironically, after reading On Writing by Stephen King. His comment about writers who just want the writer life annoy him. To be a writer, I believe you have to love the process or what's the point? But yeah, money would be nice, so I've started playing the lottery.

Off to grab the next book. How did I miss this?! This first book was fabulous. I loved it!!

H. R. Sinclair said...

OOOO, Christine the new book /genre sounds cool. I like it! Great interview. :-)

Juneta key said...

Great interview. Enjoyed.

Carol Kilgore said...

Fun interview! I love the role-playing genre. Tons of options! Best wishes for your new book, Christine.

Christine Rains said...

Thanks, Elizabeth! I need to start playing the lottery too. ;) Let's have a UK writer's retreat!

Christine Rains said...

Thanks, Holly!

Christine Rains said...

Thank you, Patricia! Hopefully it will be fun and I get all the game stuff right.

Christine Rains said...

Thanks, Juneta!

Christine Rains said...

Thank you, Carol. Me too! Half my bookshelves are filled with RPGs.

M.J. Fifield said...

I want a cottage in the English countryside near magical ruins, too. Probably wouldn't end up getting any writing done though...I'd spend too much time exploring. :)

I love the idea of GameLit.

Christine Rains said...

Yeah, same. I only manage to get things done around here because we are a one car family and my hubby has the car during the day, and there's only highway to explore here.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I hid what I wrote for a long time, too. Then when my husband found out, he encouraged me to continue writing.

Susan Flett Swiderski said...

Sounds intriguing. I haven't read book one, so I reckon I should begin there. The new genre sounds like a lot of fun. Much to my old fuddy-duddy surprise, I LOVED "Jumanji," so I'd probably enjoy a book along those lines, too.

If I could tell my younger self anything, it'd be to take better care of my body. Every one of those too-heavy things my stubborn younger self insisted on picking up or moving by herself, every stupid time I pushed my body beyond the normal level of pain... I'm paying for now. In spades. :) (Then again, my younger self probably wouldn't listen, anyhow...)

Nilanjana Bose said...

The gamelit genre sounds fun and intriguing both. If I could tell my younger self anything it would be to chill. And spend less time working at a desk and get out more :)

Best wishes for the book.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Yolanda and Christine - this was a great read ... your imagination must be powerful, while your brain must be 'huge'!! holding all your stories in your head ... but congratulations and you've obviously found your niches in the writing world.

However if you ever get to England and have that writer's retreat - count me in!! It's a bit soggy at the moment ... so wait a while! Cheers and all the best - Hilary

Christine Rains said...

It's wonderful you have such a fantastic supporter in your husband! :)

Christine Rains said...

Oh yes, I'd tell my younger self to take better care of this body too. Jumanji was a fantastic movie!

Christine Rains said...

I think sometimes I need to tell myself to chill these days! :D Thank you!

Christine Rains said...

Thank you, Hilary. You would be the perfect tour guide for us. :)

Denise Covey said...

Oh my gosh, Christine, i'am pleased there's at least 2 pantsers left in the world, althought with the help of my critique partners, I'm learning to plot and pants.

Yolanda Renée said...

Christine, thank you. It's always fun to learn more about you favorite authors. I don't know much about the gaming genre, but I've seen it blow up in the movie arena, so I look forward to seeing your work! I've no doubt it'll be amazing!

Tyrean Martinson said...

LitRPG sounds like an awesome to write!
It's definitely worth being brave to write what we love.

Chrys Fey said...

Yay! Hi, Christine!

Our ideas of success can/do change. My idea of success has changed since I first started writing/dreaming.

Hi, Yolanda!

Jemi Fraser said...

Great interview!
LitRPG sounds like a lot of fun!
I'm on the wimpy side of the bravery scale - may have to call Christine for help one day :P

Pat Hatt said...

Not caring what people think is the way to be indeed, in most everything, as when it comes right down to it, what 99.99% of the world thinks of you or writing or whatever, doesn't matter.

Christine Rains said...

I'm trying to learn to plot too. But my characters never seem to want to stick to an outline! =P

Christine Rains said...

It totally is! :)

Christine Rains said...

I think it's healthy that we change and evolve. The market is constantly changing as well.

Christine Rains said...

Thanks, Jemi! We can go on an adventure together. :D

Christine Rains said...

Here, here! Cheers!

Gwen Gardner said...

I loved your first two books in the series. I can't wait for the next one to see what happens next.

I'd love to join you in the English countryside cottage. Perhaps near Stonehenge?

Hi Yolanda! Thanks for the interview ladies, I loved the questions and answers <3

Heather R. Holden said...

Great interview! LitRPG sounds like such a fun genre. (Can't wait to see those Khthonia misadventures!) And love your definition of success--that mirrors a lot of what I hope for, too.

Christine Rains said...

Oh yes, Stonehenge! Thanks so much, Gwen.

Christine Rains said...

Misadventures would be the right word for them! :D