Showing posts with label Cherie Reich. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cherie Reich. Show all posts

Friday, March 11, 2016

FOLDS IN LIFE AND DEATH

Why Cherie Reich Wrote “Folds in Life and Death”
for
Parallels: Felix Was Here
the IWSG Anthology!


Four elements inspired me to write “Folds in Life and Death”: 1. the IWSG anthology contest, 2. the Curse of Tippecanoe, 3. my fascination with origami and paper magic, and 4. the grief I felt by the on-the-air deaths of Allison Parker and Adam Ward.

Despite insecurities, I couldn’t pass up the chance to submit a story. The genre of alternate history spurred me to think up ideas. The perfect one hit me while showering.

In fifth grade, I learned of the Curse of Tippecanoe. According to legend, Tecumseh had his brother place a curse against Harrison and future presidents elected in years with the same number as Harrison (1840). The curse ended when Reagan survived an assassination attempt, but my mind whispered an intriguing question: What if Reagan had died and what would happen to the new president elected in 2000?

From an early age, I’ve been fascinated by the art of paper folding. Paper planes fly. Paper frogs hop, and paper cranes’ wings flap. A simple piece of paper could transform into anything. The idea of paper magic isn’t new, but I enjoyed putting my spin on it in another short story (“Paper Lanterns” from the anthology Mayhem in the Air), and I revisited its world for “Folds in Life and Death.”

On August 26, 2015, WDBJ7 news reporter Allison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward were gunned down on live TV. I never had the honor of meeting them, but I have met people who’ve worked for WDBJ7 because it’s one of my hometown TV stations. Some events hit you harder, and this story gave me a chance to work through my emotions.

Without one of the four, the story wouldn’t have been the same. It’s interesting how these things work out.


COMING MAY 3, 2016
PRE-ORDER HERE!


Tagline: In 2001, the Curse of Tippecanoe strikes again.

Story Description: Allyson Moore loves using her gift of paper magics. With precise folds and an incantation, she brings paper creatures to life.

But being a Paperist has its downsides too. She sees spirits, but she can’t revive them. She folds paper lanterns to release souls, but she can’t stomach sending another family member from this earthly realm.

The Curse of Tippecanoe, conceived nearly two centuries before, claims her brother, the President of the United States. She must journey to Washington, DC to be with her orphaned niece and nephew, but nothing—not even magic—can prepare her to see the brother she hasn’t spoken to in two years and release his soul to the sky.

About the Author: Cherie Reich owns more books than she can ever read and thinks up more ideas than she can ever write, but that doesn’t stop this bookworm from trying to complete her goals, even if it means curbing her TV addiction. A library assistant living in Virginia, she writes speculative fiction. Her books include the paranormal horror collection Once upon a Nightmare and the fantasy series The Foxwick Chronicles and The Fate Challenges. She is a member of the Virginia Writers Club, Valley Writers, and Untethered Realms.





Congratulations, Cherie!
Love the premise.

Have you ever used an alternate history to write your stories?
Will you now?



Friday, November 1, 2013

MAGNA'S PLEA




 I'm very excited today to have  
as my guest. 
She's answered a few questions in regards to her  release of  
a free download
and her upcoming debut novel Reborn book one of the Fate Challenges

You're an editor, writer, Vice President of Valley Writer's and a member of several writing groups, was this always your goal? Please tell us a little about your writing journey and current goals.

I never thought I would do anything with books beyond read them. In high school and my first two years of college, my goal was to be an opera singer until I changed majors to Classics (Ancient Greeks/Romans). When I got my library job, I considered getting a Masters in Library Science, but then I started writing (beyond online roleplaying and fanfiction) because I had ideas and time at the new full-time day job. I'd love to eventually make enough money with my writing to supplement my library pay or even be a full-time writer, but that could take awhile.

What is speculative fiction, what made you choose it, and what are your goals for this or other genre's. 

Speculative fiction is an umbrella term for fantastical genres such as science fiction, fantasy, horror, and alternate history. Speculative fiction focuses on the question: what if. I have a tendency to jump between writing horror, fantasy, and science fiction, so it made sense that I was more of a speculative fiction author than just a fantasy author, etc. I have quite a few stories planned that involve speculative fiction, although I'd eventually like to branch out and write a few contemporaries and even mysteries.

You're offering your short story, Magna's Plea, as a free download. Is this part of a marketing plan for your book coming out in 2014 – Reborn, book one of the Fate Challenges. Is there a plan behind your 'madness'?

Yes, having Magna's Plea for free is part of my marketing plan for Reborn. In Magna's Plea, the reader will get a sense for the world in The Fate Challenges as well as be able to read a sneak peek of Reborn, which is the prologue. If the reader likes what she sees, then she'll be more likely to add Reborn on Goodreads or sign up for my newsletter. At least that's the plan. Plus, Magna's Plea is only 5500 words, so I feel a bit weird making people pay $0.99 for it, so free is an additional bonus. Right now, it's all about spreading the word, making connections, and gaining a few new fans here and there.


Tell us about Reborn and The Fate Challenges.

To save a kingdom, a prophetess must challenge Fate.

On the day of Yssa's death and rebirth, the god Apenth selected her as the Phoenix Prophetess.

Sea serpents and gods endanger the seventeen-year-old prophetess's journey and sour the omens. Yssa is cursed instead of blessed, and her duties at the Temple of Apenth prove it. She spends her days reading dusty scrolls, which does nothing to help her forget the boy she left at home. The ferryman's son won't leave Yssa alone for two grains of sand either and is a distraction she can't predict.

When visions of her parents' murders consume her, Yssa races across an ocean to stop the future. If she can't change Fate, then she'll refuse to be the Phoenix Prophetess any longer. Fate, however, has other plans for her and the kingdom.
Reborn is a 90,000+ word YA Epic Fantasy novel and the first book in The Fate Challenges. It was also my first novel I wrote back in 2009. The idea for Reborn came from a roleplaying character I had in a Harry Potter RPG. She was stillborn, but her father revived her. From then on, she had the gift of prophecy. I liked the idea, but I wanted to take a character with that premise and create my own world; thus, Yssa and the Kingdom of Amora was born. I knew from day one that The Fate Challenges would be a trilogy because of Yssa's character growth evolves well to fit three novels, and it's my goal to have at least the first drafts completed of Reforged (Book Two) and Redestined (Book Three) finished by May when Reborn releases.


MAGNA'S PLEA by CHERIE REICH
An Excerpt:
Amora
12-13 Days of Luquiry
Year 1717 AUC

Tendrils of smoke swirled heavenward. The smoldering stench reached Princess Magna at the top of the palace’s northern tower. She wrinkled her nose at the unpleasant odor, yet it still smelled better than the filth plaguing the besieged seven-hilled city.

She’d vowed to protect Amora. Her heart shattered a little more each day at the devastation afflicting her kingdom.

The once grassy and flower-filled plain sprouted dust plumes from the trampling feet. As the sun neared the western horizon, a bloody hue washed over the battlefield. Tiny, metallic dins and men’s shouts rang out. Magical bursts flashed in the sky like Thean’s lightning, beautiful and deadly. A wooden catapult hurled a human-sized stone slab into the city’s wall. Magna jerked away from the opened window she stood before, as if the object had struck her instead. Rock crumbled from the impact, but the barrier held.

When the reddish orb sank lower, the fighting ceased. War’s chaos parted into two orderly sides, and soldiers crossed the field to gather their dead.

She brushed a shaky hand over her cheeks. Tears dampened her face, and she struggled to turn away from the battle before her. Almost two months had passed since the Apenthans had begun their attack Amora. How much longer could the Amorans—she—stay safe behind their impenetrable wall?


                                                          ***** *****


To download this short story for free: Amazon / Nook / iTunes / Kobo / Smashwords / Goodreads
Read online at Wattpad
Add to Goodreads
 



                                                      ***** *****

About the Author: A self-proclaimed bookworm, Cherie Reich is a speculative fiction writer, freelance editor, book blogger, and library assistant living in Virginia. Her short stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies, and her books include the horror series Nightmare, a space fantasy novella trilogy titled Gravity, and the fantasy series The Foxwick Chronicles. She is Vice President of Valley Writers and a member of the Virginia Writers Club and Untethered Realms.


Her debut YA Epic Fantasy novel Reborn, book one in The Fate Challenges, will be released on May 23, 2014.





  ***** ***** ***** 


This Friday, the first day of November 
I am thankful for early Christmas presents,
for the NANO challenge that is all about focus and WRITING!
and for the beginning of a holiday season that's all about family!

Wishing you all a great, great beginning to the 
WRITING SEASON!