DEMON HUNT

by Christine Ashworth

Tribred Gregor Caine decided long ago to deny his blood legacy. So he isn’t happy when paired with a full-blooded Fae to hunt the demons threatening to overrun Los Angeles. As they fight side by side, he finds she calls to both his Fae and his demon blood; a call he can’t resist.

Warrior Fae Serra Willows crossed into the Human Plane to help destroy the demons released from the Chaos Plane. Finding and shutting down the portal between worlds is more challenging than she expected…and Gregor and his world more seductive than she had ever imagined.

As the killings escalate, Gregor and Serra realize one of the most deadly demons from the Chaos Plane has marked Serra as his own. To save her, Gregor has to face his greatest fear—losing his humanity to the darkness in his blood. But in a race against time, that darkness could become his greatest strength. And he will kill to claim Serra’s love.

Coming summer 2012 from Crescent Moon Press.

About Christine

Christine Ashworth is a native of Southern California. The daughter of a writer and a psych major, she fell asleep to the sound of her father’s Royal manual typewriter for years. In a very real way, being a writer is in her blood-her father sold his first novel before he turned forty; her brother sold his first book before he turned twenty-five.

At the tender age of seventeen, Christine fell in love with a man she met while dancing in a ballet company. She married the brilliant actor/dancer/painter/music man, and they now have two tall sons who are as scintillating as their parents, keeping the dinner conversation lively.

Christine’s two dogs rule the outside, defending her vegetable garden from the squirrels, while a polydactyl rescue cat holds court inside the house. Everything else is in a state of flux, leaving her home life a cross between an improv class and a think-tank for the defense of humans against zombies.

You can find Christine here:

Website and Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Isn’t it purty? Thanks for revealing on my blog, Christine!

Okay, lovelies, I am off to a writing retreat for the weekend–woo hoo! Expecting to really get my teeth into book two now that edits on book one are out of the way. Wish me luck!

Actual picture of “bath salts,” drugs that are being sold in gas stations. They are now illegal in some states in the USA.

There have been many hypotheses about what might cause the end of civilization as we know it. Some of them include nuclear attacks, EMPs (read Ashes by Ilsa Blick if you haven’t already for more on EMP zombies–oh so good!), and killer viruses.

But I bet you didn’t think of the possibility that people might zombify themselves. According to the peeps in Miami, FL, they are. How are they zombifying themselves, you ask? By ingesting bath salts.

Yes, I said bath salts. But I don’t think these are the salts you’d want to use after a long day chasing after your kids or berating your coworkers. This is the “new LSD,” a drug which contains amphetamines. Sold at gas stations in innocuous packaging since it’s not yet illegal in all fifty states, it makes people delirious, paranoid, violent, and excessively strong. A doctor who treated a 150-pound patient who’d taken “bath salts” stated that he seemed to have the strength of a 250-pound man, and that it took six security guards to restrain him. These people are prone to use their jaws as weapons. Holy hell, you say? Damn right.

There have been a spate of attacks resulting from people taking this drug. Here’s one that occurred recently. People are calling it a “zombie attack” because of what the guy did (in case you haven’t figured it out, it’s graphic–extremely so.) and because it took several bullets from a gun to get him to stop. The victim was simply a pedestrian he grabbed off the street. Urk.

What do you think of this disturbing zombification of oneself? Do you think it could be one of the lesser discussed reasons for the apocalypse? I’m not sure, but I think I’ll double-knot my shoelaces and walk a little faster down the street from now on, anyway.

Hey Shauna! Thanks so much for coming over to talk about your fabulous Elemental series. I’ve been hearing a lot about the Kickstarter campaign you’ve got going on to raise funds for the completion of this behemoth writing project.

Could you tell us more about the campaign?

Heya Adriana! I’d be happy to!

Firstly, what is Kickstarter?

Basically it’s a crowd funding website, which means that fans and supporters of various artists can help artists absorb the cost of production before releasing their projects. In return for their monetary support, artists give rewards based on the amount pledged. I happen to have ten levels of pledges/rewards that I think are pretty spiffy.

(Click here to view Shauna’s Kickstarter campaign.)

How is Kickstarter going to help your writing career?

When you’re a self-published (or “indie,” if you prefer) author, you do have to pay for the up-front costs of everything since the big booksellers won’t let you set up pre-orders. With Kickstarter I’m basically giving readers a chance to pre-order my upcoming release (and many other things as well). By doing so, it makes it a little easier on me to keep producing books. I know how important editing is, and how important a good book cover is, but these things cost money–money one doesn’t have before the book starts selling.

Ah, okay. That makes total sense. What book are you currently working on?

This campaign is for the third book in my Young Adult urban fantasy series, Water. In this new adventure, our heroes are facing a new elemental foe: soul stealing mermaids! But I am also working on the fourth book in the series, Fire. Can’t really tell you too much about that since no one has read Water yet!

Right now my beta-readers have that one in their hot little hands so that I can gauge reader reaction to the story and find any plot holes or uncharacteristic traits going on. Then I’ll give it another read through before it’s off to the proofreader and editor! Ah, the glamorous life of a writer!

Glamorous indeed. (As long as no one sees us in our pajamas, sitting in front of our computers all bleary-eyed.) What’s been your biggest challenge with it so far?

Well with Water, at some random point, my story just went off the rails. I had taken a long break in the middle of writing it and when I came back to it, I didn’t do a proper re-read. So when I started writing again, I started going off in all these different directions that were, frankly, pointless and stupid. I gave it to my betas to read when I just couldn’t look at the thing again and they told me there was something really wrong with the pacing. So I grabbed a red pen, locked my office door and sat down. I ended up taking out over 10,000 words, which for me is almost three chapters, and I was just amazed at how far off the rails I had gone. This is why you need critical beta readers, ones who are not afraid to tell you when you’re not doing a good job. It is a much tighter, well-plotted book now, thank goodness.

The hardest thing with Fire that I’m dealing with is the big one: death. A major character is dying in the fourth book and it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do in my writing career. I’m actually afraid to get it back from my betas to continue to work on it.

Sounds like you’ve had to make some tough decisions! And wow, a major character dying–I’m already extremely curious about this one now! Getting back to the campaign, what do people get when they support you on Kickstarter?

Oh, what don’t they get?! Here, I’ll just give you a list:

1. A pledge of $5 gets you an ebook copy of Water in the format of your choosing (.mobi, epub, PDF, etc).
2. A pledge of $10 gets you ebook copies of book one, two and three – Earth, Air and Water in the format of your choosing.
3. A pledge of $25 gets you all three books in ebook format and 3 bookmarks, one for each book cover!
4. A pledge of $35 gets you the 3 ebooks, 3 bookmarks and a signed paperback copy of Water!
5. A pledge of $40 gets you the 3 ebooks, 3 bookmarks, signed paperback copy of Water and 3 magnets–one for each cover!
6. A pledge of $50 gets you the 3 ebooks, 3 bookmarks, signed paperback copy of Water, 3 magnets and a signed paperback copy of Earth!
7. A pledge of $75 gets you the 3 ebooks, 3 bookmarks, 3 magnets, signed paperback copies of Earth, Air and Water! That way you’ll have all three books in ebook and paperback format!
8. A pledge of $100 gets you the 3 ebooks, 3 bookmarks, 3 magnets, signed paperback copies of Earth, Air and Water and a thank you in the acknowledgments section of Water and a signed poster for Water!
9. A pledge of $250 (limited to 10 people) gets you the 3 ebooks, 3 bookmarks, 3 magnets, signed paperback copies of Earth, Air and Water, a thank you in the acknowledgments section of Water, a signed poster for Water and a minor, walk-on character in Fire (the fourth book) named after you. Please note, Fire is not scheduled to be released until December 2012 (subject to change) and the character will be author’s choice. Please understand the character will be minor and may not (probably won’t) look like you, act like you or represent you–but it will be your name! Also, if I get an abundance of female names I may have to use the masculine equivalent of your name as there are male characters I would have to use for this prize.
10. A pledge of $500 (limited to 5 people) gets you the 3 ebooks, 3 bookmarks, 3 magnets, signed paperback copies of Earth, Air and Water, a thank you in the acknowledgments section of Water and a minor, walk on character in Fire (the fourth book) named after you (all the same disclaimers as listed in #9). And a replica of Shayna’s pentagram necklace!

Amazing prizes for sure! Having a walk-on character named after me reeeeeeally appeals to my ego. And finally, the most important question of all: If you were a day of the week, which one would you be?

That’s a tough one. The obvious choice would be Saturday; work week is over, you still have one more day off before a new one begins. You can stay up late because you know you’re sleeping in the next morning and you can sleep in that morning. You can do whatever you want that day because you still have one more day to get other things done. Yeah,  Saturday.

But to quote one of my imaginary friends, Jodi, in Earth, I’ll tell you why I wouldn’t ever be Tuesday: “Tuesdays are the worst day of the week… Think about it, people think Mondays suck because it’s the new week, but you still have the high and energy from the weekend. Wednesdays let you know you’re half way through the week, Thursdays mean it’s almost over, and Fridays it is over. But Tuuuuuesdays… Tuesdays mean the week just started and you’ve still got a ways to go.”

Haha, well said, Jodi! I recently had the exact same conversation with someone, too. Tuesdays should be the new Monday, I think.

Thanks so much for spending time with your readers here today, Shauna, and we wish you the best of luck with your campaign. I’m donating some moolah for sure–it’s a win-win!

About Shauna

Like so many other writers, Shauna grew up as an avid reader, but it was in high school that she realized she wanted to be a writer. Four years ago, Shauna started work on her Elemental Series. She released the first installment, Earth, on May 1, 2011 and released the sequel, Air, on October 31, 2011. She is currently hard at work on the edits of book three, Water. When not reading and writing, Shauna enjoys cooking and playing hostess whenever she can.

Find Shauna at her website or visit her Amazon page. She also hangs out on Twitter and Facebook. And again, visit her personal Kickstarter campaign so you can get your pledge on, peeps! Support the indie artist, help keep prices down, and everyone wins. Pretty simple, eh?

]]> http://adrianaryan.com/2012/05/21/shauna-granger-and-her-kick-ass-series/feed/ 7 adrianaryan ShaunaTrilogy Water Shauna Granger http://adrianaryan.com/2012/05/16/top-three-superpowers-id-hate-to-have/ http://adrianaryan.com/2012/05/16/top-three-superpowers-id-hate-to-have/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 15:48:16 +0000 Adriana Ryan http://adrianaryan.com/?p=856 Continue reading →]]>

Now that the Avengers movie is out, there’s been a lot of “What superpower do you wish you had?” type questions floating around on the interwebz. That’s a pretty nifty thing to think about, don’t get me wrong. I mean, the entire Awakened trilogy I’m writing is based on the idea of people with special powers.

However, my brain rarely deigns to think linearly. If there’s something twisty about a thought, that thought will be twisted before it is thunk.

And that’s how I came up with my list of Top Three Superpowers That Would Suck:

3. Lipokinesis aka Fat Manipulation: According to Wikipedia, users with this ability can multiply their fat cells, manipulate fat in others’ bodies, or even become so heavy as to have their own gravity. Um, yeah, nothing about that appeals to me. My superpower is being fat enough to be a mini-planet? Sorry, but all that brings to mind is a ton (pun intended) of Yo Mama jokes.

2. Prehensile Tongue. This superpower lets you wrap your extra-long tongue around things… Looking for more? Well, sorry, but that’s about it. Beware, though, because your super-tongue might get dirty from wagging around near bad guys. If I was bestowed with a superpower and it turned out to be a prehensile tongue, I’d probably use my tongue to hang myself.

1. Bubble Generation: Really? Bubble generation? My three-year-old can do that. Apparently these bubbles can be used to clean things (ooh, scary). One of the limitations listed: Bubbles may pop as they are fragile. Fail. Major fail.

And thus, we’ve come to the end of my list! So tell me, what superpowers would you hate to have?

From favim.com

Does success ever freak you out? Do you ever find yourself on the verge of a panic attack when you feel like you’re getting something you want?

Anyone?

So it’s just me, then. See, some cool stuff has been happening in my life lately, and I’ve been paralyzed with the fear of getting what I want. Yeah, I’m an odd one.

The first thing that happened was that I entered a Harlequin contest, and based on my first chapter, they requested a partial of my manuscript! (I know–squeeee!) I’m still in a state of shock about that. Harlequin said my work showed promise?! What?!

Anyway, the next cool thing that happened was that when my deal with Crescent Moon Press was listed in Publishers Marketplace, two different Hollywood producers contacted me/CMP and asked for a copy of the manuscript to see if they would be interested in optioning film/TV rights! This was based on the concept listed in Publishers Marketplace, and ultimately the manuscript didn’t work for them, but still. It was huge! Two respectable producers, too, so I was over the moon (the crescent moon… get it? Haha!).

Well, after all the hullabaloo died down, I got to thinking. I was in such a state of shock over first the Harlequin thing, and then the TV thing, that I got into this panicky, oh-my-FSM-I’m-going-to-hyperventilate-and-die state of being. But then I thought–why? Why was I getting so worked up that people liked my stuff or thought it was interesting enough to want to pursue beyond the initial phase?

I mean, yes, it’s cool and a compliment and all of that. But ultimately, I’m a writer. It’s what I want to do. It’s what got me to this place. The other stuff is just noise. Really cool, super-flattering noise, but just noise nonetheless. The most important thing of all is for me to embrace the process of writing (and I mean that in the least frou-frah-look-at-me-I’m-a-writAH way possible) and let everything else go. Keep up with social media, talk to those who help me be me (you know who you are, you rascals, you!), and keep on keeping on.

What about you? When was the last time something exciting happened to you and how did you react? How do you tune out the noise in your life?

With my lucky fairy wings strapped onto my back, I began to troll the interwebz for something cool to adorn my desk … and found the wonder that is artist Jasmine Becket-Griffith. The very fact that her website is called strangeling.com made me develop an instant girl crush on her. And when I looked at her art? *swoon*

So this is what I got (click on the picture to go the website where I bought mine):

The Raven Fairy

Not only is my emo fairy super kick-ass with a raven and a quill, the sheet of paper actually has the entire poem, The Raven, inscribed on it! Yes, the Edgar Allen Poe poem! How freaking crazy cool is that? She is now perched proudly–and endearingly creepily–on my desk, inspiring me to produce more. When I finish book 2 in the Awakened series, I’ll reward myself with this little Becket-Griffith gem:

Adorable, isn’t she? Have you found any fantasy decor lately?

This is mostly how I’ve looked the past few days. On Friday, I got a wonderful email from Stephanie Murray of Crescent Moon Press, a boutique publisher of paranormal/fantasy books, that they wanted to offer me a contract! Of course, I said yes after I looked it over, and now I can say I have joined the ranks of such authors as Lynn Rush and Cole Gibsen, not to mention so many, many other fantastic authors!

The contract is for the first book of my urban fantasy trilogy, tentatively titled Enlightened. I originally toyed with self-publishing this series, but ultimately decided that my heart was with traditional publishing, since I love the team concept of publishing. Crescent Moon Press has a great history of helping their authors market their books effectively (a situation that is sadly waning with the changes happening in the industry), supporting them at such conventions as RT and book signings, and getting them into indie bookstores. And of course, you can always find them at the major outlets. I am absolutely beside myself, and let me tell you, the eagerness to complete book two is now mind-blowingly intense.

So if you want to take a moment to squeeeee with me, that would be quite alright! Thank you to all my author friends, beta readers, and critique partners who have stood by my side through all of my whining, self-doubt, and questions!

Reblogged from Spellbound Scribes:

Well, I don’t know what you’ll do, but I know I nearly fainted. This picture reminded me of those recent internet memes that have people posing in weird places in pictures.

This photograph is actually from a 1970s wedding. The photographer was apparently taking pictures of the party, and when one of the pictures was developed, they noticed something unusual right behind the man’s leg.

Read more… 143 more words

Freaky, freaky! My post on Spellbound Scribes--can you spot the half-hidden face?

Please welcome K.L. Glanville, author of the newly published 2108: Eyes Open! Here’s a little blurb from the futuristic YA sci-fi:

It’s the year 2108. I just turned 16. That means I can access the autopilot on my Aerokopa. So now, I can both fly and scope the Dat-X at the same time. But what good is that when I don’t even have a date to my best friend’s party of the century? Okay, well, one of the Holdouts offered to go with me . . . but there’s NO WAY I’m going with one of them! And then there are the Trollers docked at the quay. They’re most likely spies working with the Aliens, bringing nothing but trouble. But with this visit, they may even bring war. It would be treason to talk to them, let alone . . . befriend one. But what’s a curious girl to do? Did I tell you I have a propensity for trouble?

Doesn’t that sound awesome? Well, it is! I’ve read the book, and let me tell you, the details in this novel are exquisite! Now let’s get to the fun part–grilling K.L.

1. When you were writing this book, what part(s) made you want to tear your hair out? Why?  

Coming up with some of the names for the futuristic technology in 2108: Eyes Open definitely tested my patience at times. I liked the names I ultimately ended up with, but deciding on them was sometimes downright tedious! I would look up words in different languages, Google the words I came up with to see if someone else was using it somehow, and sometimes even look up the words on urbandictionary.com to make sure I wasn’t going to offend anyone! It could take me hours or days to decide on one word.

2. What parts were especially easy and/or fun to write?

I loved working on the dance scene. It was weird . . . and fun to try and imagine what a dance party would be like 96 years from now. I thought about how I would like it to be and let my imagination run wild.

3. Tell us how and when this idea came to you. 

The ideas for 2108: Eyes Open came from a number of things. Over the year or so before I wrote 2108: Eyes Open, I wanted to write a futuristic novel so I could invent things, I wanted to try the challenge of writing first person, present tense, and I had been reading a lot about aliens. Wrap those all together, and my mind had a great playground to explore.

4. Ten years ago, would you have believed that you’d be the author of a book such as this one? Why or why not?

Absolutely not. I had no interest AT ALL in writing about a world where aliens dominated much of the landscape. I actually happily ignored anything that had to do with them.

5. What did you do while writing this book that you will never do again (this doesn’t necessarily have to be writing-related.)? 

Hug my father again in this life. He passed away during the time I was doing the final edits. I love him dearly and assume he has gotten to read the pre-released version in heaven. I know he’s cheering me on. He’s a lot like Jasper, Jewel’s father in 2108: Eyes Open.

Out of all the characters you’ve written, who do you think would be:

1. Most likely to get a movie deal from Hollywood? Why? Probably Forge. People would probably think he was the most intriguing to look at: tattoos, skinplants and muscles.

2. Most willing to streak naked across a parking lot for money? That would be Teak. He’s a minor character, but noteworthy. How much money and why? He would do it for free, for the sake of art.

3. Least willing to use someone else’s toothbrush, even in a dire dental emergency? Why? Maybe Jasper, Jewel’s father. I think he would stoically convince himself he didn’t really need to brush his teeth that badly. But he would find something else he could use to rinse his mouth with.

4. Least likely to win the Nobel Peace prize? Why? Jewel would think she is the least likely, because she isn’t even tempered like her father. But I think she has more potential than she gives herself credit for.

5. The best person to have around when a woman goes into labor unexpectedly? Why? Loyal wants to be a medic, so he would probably be pretty helpful. He also has so many younger siblings, I’m sure he knows a thing or two about labor.
 

So make sure you get your copy of 2108 today, before it blows up and the prices sky-rocket. Totally worth the $2.99, guys. Here are the buy links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/HDDhQN

Goodreads (where you can find links to Barnes and Noble and other stores): http://bit.ly/IKSnF1

About K.L. Glanville

K.L. Glanville resides in Southern California. She divides her time largely between writing, researching, hanging out with friends and kids, exploring new restaurants, traveling…and dreaming of living in a tree house.

Visit her at: http://www.KLGlanville.com or

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/klglanville

I suppose writing flawed and yet strong women is my way of combating sexism as and when I see it (I live in the deep South in the US of A, so …). In my current work-in-progress, my heroine is unsure and vulnerable, but she’s decided to take control of her safety by getting some kick-ass Krav Maga lessons. That led me to thinking about some of the best movies I’ve seen that deal with the issue of sexism. And at the top of my list has to be Mona Lisa Smile. (If you haven’t seen it–you MUST. I’ll wait.)

At the end of the movie, they show some really awesome footage from the 1950s, of women competing for the Miss America title. I love that part, and have rewound it several times to take in all of it. So I did a search for some sexist print advertisements that ran in the 1950s, and Google came up with a stupendous article. I used a couple of images from it, but a couple I just found while browsing the interwebz. Have you seen these before?

1.

No way! A WOMAN?!

2.

Oh, so THAT'S what I've been doing wrong all these years...

3.

Aww, now who wouldn't love a man like that?

4.

Who cares if she's pregnant? Can she still cook?