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?

THE HAUNTED

My Book Blog Tour began this week

I'm guesting with Denise Covey

Alaska: Why It Speaks To Me!

____

But here I have

Melanie Schulz, author of The Haunted

from the IWSG Anthology

Parallels: Felix Was Here

Thank you, Yolanda. for having me here today; 

it’s always fun to discuss all things bookish.

My pleasure, let's get started.

1. As a writer of alternative fiction the IWSG anthology was a perfect fit, did you find the challenge easy? 

Yes and no. Writing with prompts, even as minimal as they were for this anthology, has always been a challenge for me; that’s why I don’t enter more contests. The stories I write always begin somewhere inside of me; I can’t write any other way. But, as it turns out, I already had the stirrings of this story when the anthology was announced, so in the end, I was able to write it, or rather it wrote itself.  

2. Where did the idea for Haunted come from? 

I really can’t answer that without giving away the ending. Let’s just say I wanted a particular group of people to have a voice. You’ll know what I mean once you read the story.

3. What is it about an altered universe that you appreciate?

 It gives us a chance to see the world that would’ve or could’ve been. The tagline I gave this story is: Sometimes the best things in life are the things you never got to have, and that’s what this altered universe let me do; it let me give back that best thing.  

4. Please tell us about the UBook or Newstead project. 

The Newstead Project was my first novel and the first novel in the Newstead Saga Series. Five years of my life went into developing this story. There’s some serious love there. And it’s that love of all things Newstead that led me to invent Ubooks, a patent pending new way to enjoy reading. I listen to music when I write; it takes me to that deeper level I need to be at in order to get into the character’s heads. I wanted that same experience for my readers. And now they can have it. Ubooks, in essence, are books on video, set at reading speed, augmented with scene enhancing music. And best of all? They’re free and able to be viewed on all your devices. Check out my YouTube Channel  to see the latest releases. 

Wow, what an amazing idea!

Thank you, Melanie!

Your story The Haunted - is remarkable. 

Thanks for sharing your journey.

What do you think folks, music and reading

 combined - do you listen to music when you write

 or when you read?

***

The Haunted

Melanie Schulz

Tagline:

     Sometimes the best things in life are the things you never had.

Blurb:

For five years Andy has been consumed by nothingness. Her life was fine—normal even—and then suddenly it wasn’t. No one knows why, least of all her. Desperate for answers, she seeks out yet another psychiatrist, not knowing that psychotherapy has nothing to do with it, not when the problem is that you’re being haunted.

Excerpt:

“Your dream bothering you again?” he asked, knowingly.

Andy closed her eyes and held on tighter.

He kissed her again. “It’s okay,” he whispered into her hair. “I’m here.”

“It doesn’t matter,” she breathed, shaking her head. “Nothing does.”

John pulled back to look into his wife’s face. “Are you sure you’re okay—do we need to call your doctor?”

“The only doctor I have is an ob-gyn, and I don’t think she’ll be able to do anything about this.”

John shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe it’s a hormone thing.”

Andy raised her eyebrows. “Do you really want to go there?”

“Hormones are powerful things, Andy. They can make you do all sorts of weird shit.”

“Like dream your husband’s dead?” There is was; she’d said it.

His face softened. “Is that it—is that what happened?”

Andy looked past him to the sky beyond. His hands cupped her face and brought her focus back to him. “I’m not leaving you, ever. Even if I die, I promise to haunt you.”

Andy frowned. “Don’t say that.”

“What? It’s true. You can’t get rid of me; face it.”

Andy shuddered; she didn’t know why.

***

Melanie Schulz is planted in upstate New York with her husband and three kids on a smallish plot of land she likes to believe is a farm. She plays at being a writer, same as she plays at being a farmer, and nurse, and overall enjoyer of this thing called life. One of the things she enjoys most are people who delight in discussing all things listed above. Join in the conversation at:

Website    Blog    Facebook

RAINERS

My Book Blog Tour begins today
I'm guesting with Denise Covey
Alaska: Why It Speaks To Me!

____

But here I have

Sandra Cox, author of Rainers

for the IWSG Anthology

Parallels: Felix Was Here

to answer a few questions!

1. As a writer of fantasy and paranormal romance the IWSG anthology was a perfect fit, did you find the challenge easy?

The easy piece was the word count.  I usually write fifty-five to sixty thousand words per story, so five to six thousand was great. The fact that I have wanted to do an alternate universe story for a long time was the icing on the cake. 

 2. Where did the idea for Rainers come from?

Besides an alternate universe, I also wanted to do something on the order of zombies without the gross factor. They are just a bit too gruesome for me. One of the effects of the Rainer disease on pubescents is an indigo liquid that streams from the infected child’s mouth and nose. When I originally wrote the story, the liquid was a lavender color…until the hubby commented that the color made it sound more like a disease the Easter bunny would have. At that point I switched to Indigo. Grin.

  3. What is it about an altered universe that you appreciate?

Altered is the key. Your universe is what you make it. In my personal altered or parallel universe, I’m a NY Times bestsellerJ  

 4. Please tell us about your other writing projects.

Love, Lattes and Angel, the third in the Mutant Series, comes out in April.  FYI, until April 3^rd, Love, Lattes and Mutants is free and Love, Lattes and Danger is ninety-nine cents. 

Thanks, Yolanda. Great questions.

You're so welcome, Sandra. Rainers is a great story and one I hope you'll continue!

***

Multi-published author Sandra Cox writes YA Fantasy, Romance, and Metaphysical Nonfiction. She lives in sunny North Carolina with her husband, a brood of critters and an occasional foster cat. Although shopping is high on the list, her greatest pleasure is sitting on her screened in porch, listening to the birds, sipping coffee and enjoying a good book. She's a vegetarian and a Muay Thai enthusiast. 

 Facebook     Twitter    Blog    Website

COMING MAY 3, 2016

PRE-ORDER HERE!

Tagline: 

     Save his world or save her own.

Blurb:

Out hiking, Harper Reese tumbles into a parallel universe where a nightmarish virus has infected the sphere’s pubescent children. While there she encounters bad boy Noah Tanner who’s got problems of his own. 

Now, they must work together to track down and destroy the source of the disease before it travels to her world and infects her twelve-year-old sister.

***

Have you ordered your copy?

Do you think it's possible to write zombies minus the gross factor?

GALAXY NOMADS

Today I welcome Karen Elizabeth Brown and her rescent release Galaxy Nomads - Chronicles of the MacKenzie Clan, she's agreed to answer a few questions.

1. Tell us about a favorite character from a book.

One of my favorite characters from Galaxy Nomads is a mystic named Hestia. She is kind of like a mother to all the characters, who is fascinating, but with wisdom and foreknowledge. She mentors the protagonists throughout the book and is that steady character in the background. I created her with my own mother in mind. If my mother was here today, I’d tell her that this character was made as a tribute to her.

2. Where do you dream of traveling to and why?

I dream of making a trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Since I live in Southern Oregon, it will be a major undertaking. I’m fascinated by the imagination that went into making the creation of the parks. I’ve been able to watch you-tubes of many of the areas and some on how they dreamed up their ideas. The Animal Kingdom is especially drawing to me. They created it like a savannah for the animals and one ride takes you through a number of areas that take you away from Florida and into the African lands. It’s that kind of imagination that tickles my own brain when I want to write about other people and places in outer space.

3. I hope you get there soon, but you have quite the imagination, does travel play into the writing of your books?

Absolutely! I love to have my characters explore new places and get lost in other times. My own experience with traveling as a young person probably has much to do with it. My parents would take us camping on the weekends and on holidays. They would take us to the desert or the beach, where we would put up our own tents and wander the area. I also traveled to Europe and Japan which gave me insights into different cultures and landscapes.

4. How exciting Europe and Japan, congratulations. Tell us about your next release.

I’m presently working on a sequel to Galaxy Nomads which I’m calling Gemini: Chronicles of the MacKenzie Clan. It’s about a pair of twins that have the predisposition of getting into trouble. They’re actually good seventeen year olds, but happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Their pranks catch up with them and they are faced with the antagonist’s wrath. I won’t tell you how it ends; sorry, no spoilers. However, it won’t be out until 2016.

5. Has someone helped or mentored you in your writing career?

Aside from teachers and critique partners, the person who has helped me the most (as a mentor) has been my sister, Retta Stephenson. Actually, she is an accomplished artist and did the cover for Galaxy Nomads. But she has the ability to speak her mind to me, good or bad, which keeps me growing as an author. I appreciate her feedback, which she does regularly, and it helps me see myself from another’s perspective. Thanks, sis.

6. Teachers are a wonderful influencee, but sister's are awesome! Are you a plotter or Pantser? Why?

My first attempts at writing were as a pantser. I just sat down and started writing. They were terrible! And one was for an inclusion in an anthology. The editor sent it back covered in red, suggesting I re-think my story. It was then that I started outlining my stories. Since then, I find that if I outline first, I have an idea of where I’m going and why. It makes writing the rest of the story much easier.

7. A manuscript covered in red is very familiar, and a good reason to rethink your approach, congratulations. Do you use a pen name? How did you come up with it?

I do use a pen name. Actually, it’s my maiden name. I decided to use it since I’ve been married twice and I didn’t want any confusion between names and my books. I’ve heard that some authors have more than one pen name according to the genre they’re writing in, but I’ll stick with the one.

8. I think it's a great name and your reasoning is sound. Do you listen to music while writing? If so, what?

I love to listen to one particular album by Future World Music called A Hero Will Rise. The music is inspiring and has all kinds of moods in the music. It helps me create different worlds and scenes. It also obliterates the background noises that distract me while I’m writing.

9. Music does influence creativity, I'll check out A Hero Will Rise How do you develop your plots and your characters? Do you use any set formula?

My plots are usually developed while I’m writing my outline. Sometimes I can get stumped and it takes me days to figure them out. My characters are developed along with the outline also, but I use a character interview to help flesh them out. This is a long set of questions that I answer about each character; physical, emotional and psychological aspects of their character. After I’m done, not all the information may go into the book, but I’ve got a good grip on the character. In my next book, I want to add more in the book so the characters are deeper and the reader gets to know the characters better.

10. The formula changes as the story and characters change, you seem to have it down! As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? Did you pursue it or follow your heart/dreams?

I wanted to be a musician when I was a child. I even traveled to Europe with an orchestra as a teenager. I went to college and began studying music diligently, practicing at least eight hours a day on my viola. I won a scholarship to study at USC-Los Angeles and even played for the famed Yascha Heifitz, who gave me a critique on my playing. But, I fell in love, got married and had three beautiful children. I continued to play on the side, but discovered writing while I was at home. I then went back to school, studying to be a registered nurse, so I could have a good job. I continued to write in my journals, but it wasn’t until I retired that I went back to school and studied writing formally. Now I enjoy it fully and spend my time at the keyboard creating unique characters and worlds.

Thanks, Karen, appreciate your sharing so much with us. We all love learning about the talent behind the masterpiece. Now onto to your release...

Galaxy Nomads

Chronicles of the MacKenzie Clan

The MacKenzie clan is forced to flee from the devastating destruction of a supernova and is challenged to a ruthless game of survival. When all seems hopeless, a new generation arises to battle their worst enemy in a unique battle of wits. Will the MacKenzies survive betrayal, pirates and wormholes to the outer quadrants? Here they find a new race of people on the Patchouli planet where the female is Alpha. They learn wisdom from the mystics and seers on their jaunt through the universe and from across the galaxy two brothers are reconciled to each other. They experience love and hate in the Merridian sector when a prince is abducted and must be rescued before a cruel cousin steals the throne. An epic read that will send you spiraling at warp speed through all the MacKenzie generations.

Available at:

Amazon

Smashwords

Meet Karen Elizabeth Brown:

My passion for writing is what fills my entire life with exhilarating inspiration. I spend my days writing, doing research, and studying about the characters of my stories. Having done some traveling in my earlier years to Europe and Japan, I find those experiences have helped color my stories with a variety of ideas for the characters and places.

When I'm not writing, I enjoy music and reading, especially fantasy and sci-fi. Born in Southern California, I migrated to Southern Oregon in 1974 where I now reside in the Rogue Valley with my family and friends.

What about you - who was your biggest influence? 
Do you have a question for Karen?

SUPERNATURAL

 

Blogging and writing friend Chrys Fey
is talking about the supernatural today.
Welcome, Chrys - now take it away!

With two short stories titled Witch of Death and Ghost of
Death, it’s no real secret that I have a thing for the supernatural is it?
I’ve always loved the supernatural and like to twine it into my stories
whenever I can. I have such a deep love and fascination for the supernatural
that I even have a list of my favorite supernatural beings.

My top ten supernatural beings/creatures:

 

1. Witches

2. Ghosts

3. Angels

4. Gods/Goddesses

5. Vampires

6. Fairies

7. Mermaids

8. Shapeshifters

9. Dragons

10. Unicorns

QUESTION: What are your favorite supernatural beings?
 

Title: Witch of Death

Author: Chrys Fey

Genre: Supernatural/Suspense

Format: eBook Only

Page Count: 45 (short story)

Release Date: May 20th, 2015

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Blurb:

Detective Reid Sanders doesn’t believe in the
supernatural, but when he’s faced with a crime scene that defies the laws of
nature, he has no other choice but to start believing. And solving a magical
murder involves working with a witch.

Liberty Sawyer embodies the look of your classic evil
witch, so, it’s no surprise when she uncovers the murderer is a witch that she
becomes Reid’s number one suspect. If she can’t convince him otherwise, more
people could lose their lives to dark magic, including her.

BOOK LINKS:

Amazon US / Amazon UK / The
Wild Rose Press / NOOK
/ KOBO

Excerpt:

Liberty Sawyer glided swiftly through the horde of police
officers, reporters, and on- lookers. Black hair fell from a rigid part in the
middle of her scalp to her hips. Her eyes were a soul-stabbing blue and her
lips were blood-red. She towered over the other officers on the scene, and wore
all black, which set off 6 the pallor of her skin.

Showing her badge to the officer, she slipped under the
crime scene tape. A few paces away, she spotted Detective Corbin talking to his
new partner, a man she knew by name but hadn’t had the privilege of meeting
yet.

“I cannot believe you called her,” the new man was saying
when she came up behind them. “We don’t need a damn psychic!”

“Actually, I’m a witch.” She smiled when Reid jolted and
turned to face her. “I’m

Detective Liberty Sawyer.” She stuck out her hand.

“Detective Reid Sanders,” he grunted back and took her
hand.

The feel of his palm against hers sent tingles of lust
from the tips of her fingers to her shoulder blade, and she knew he felt it too
by the way he jerked his hand back. She winked at him playfully, hoping it
would unnerve him even more.

ALSO AVAILABLE:

Blurb:

Jolie Montgomery, a twenty-one-year-old woman, wakes up
in an alley next to her corpse. She has no memories of her murder or the night
she died. She didn’t even see the killer’s face before he or she took her life.
Wanting justice, Jolie seeks answers in the only way a ghost can...by stalking
the lead detective on the case.

Avrianna Heavenborn is determined to find the person
responsible for a young woman’s death. She gets closer to the killer’s identity
with every clue she uncovers, and Jolie is with her every step of the way.

But if they don’t solve her murder soon, Jolie will be an
earth-bound spirit forever.

Book Links:

 Amazon US / Amazon UK / The Wild Rose Press / NOOK / KOBO

 

Chrys Fey is the author of Hurricane Crimes and 30
Seconds. She is currently working on the sequel to Hurricane Crimes that’ll
serve as book two in the Disaster Crimes series.

When Fey was six years old, she realized her dream of
being a writer by watching her mother pursue publication. At the age of twelve,
she started writing her first novel, which flourished into a series she later
rewrote at seventeen. Fey lives in Florida where she is waiting for the next
hurricane to come her way.

You can connect with her on Facebook and her blog, Write with Fey. She loves to get to know her readers! 

Author Links: 

Facebook / Blog / Website / Goodreads 

 

Thank you all for visiting and hopefully commenting. ;)