Category: Support an Indie!

The Realm of Darkness – Blog Tour and Giveaway #Fantasy #Paranormal

Realm of Darkness

A Limited Edition Collection

Genre: Fantasy and Paranormal

When darkness falls, beware of the creatures that come out to play…

Fall under their spell over and over again in this ultimate paranormal and fantasy romance boxset! Over 40 full-length novels with heart-melting heroes and devastating anti-heroes, full of romance, magic, mystery, and adventure can be yours for an insanely low price.

Ready to be swept away? Your book boyfriends are waiting… Enemies-to-lovers, alphas, fae, werewolves, dragons, shapeshifters, vampires, gods, angels, demons, and more: with novels ranging from sweet to spicy, there’s a flavor to sate your every craving.

You won’t find these exclusive novels anywhere else, so don’t miss your chance. Over ten thousand pages by New York Times, USA Today, and International bestselling authors and at less than three cents per book, this collection is a steal, but only for a limited time. Grab it today before it’s gone forever…

**Preorder now for Only .99 cents!!**

Add to Goodreads

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Books2Read

Creatures of the Night

by C.A. King

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Zoe spent her whole life training how to fight demons—how to kill them. Not once did that curriculum include falling in love with one. Now, she’s faced with a hard choice: betray one to save the other.

Will she side with the family and friends who have always been at her side, or trade it all for the romance she so deeply desires?

Odds are, no matter which path she follows, her heart won’t make it out unscathed.

I was diagnosed with clinical depression after the loss of my mother, father and husband within three years of each other; all to cancer. 24/7 in-home care, coupled with the loss I felt, left its mark on my psyche.

Depression takes up a lot of my life. Reading and writing are the only things I have found that help (in connection with regular medication), even if only for a short time. To escape to a different world can make a big difference in my mood in real time.

To put things in perspective, when I was at my lowest point, I couldn’t open mail, talk on the phone, or even drive to the store. Walls of sadness surrounded me. As they closed in, tears would fall. There didn’t need to be a reason or trigger.

People ask me why I started writing. My answer is simple: I wanted to create a world into which other people with similar problems could escape. I wanted to share the one place that had helped me for many years.

I have always said that as long as one person finds a little bit of happiness out of my books, I am, in my opinion, an accomplished author. The same is true for every writer out there. Please don’t ever let anyone tell you different.

I read books as well as write them and have visited the worlds many different authors have created. Those worlds not only make me feel better, but give me the strength to face real life again. I want to thank everyone who writes—I want them to know they are making a difference.

Fast forward to today…

C.A. King, USA Today Bestselling Author has over 60 books available across multiple fantasy sub-genres.

Awards include:

Hamilton Spectator Readers’ Choice Award in the Best Local Author category 2017 & 2018 & 2019

Brant News Readers’ Choice Award: Best Local Author 2017

Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards: Best Novella/Short Story 2017 Silver medal

2017 SIBA Awards – Best Novella

2017 SIBA Awards – Best New Adult

2018 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards: Gold Medal in the Fiction – Supernatural genre

2018 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards: Bronze Medal in the Fiction – New Adult genre

2019 Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal Winner in the Fiction – Supernatural genre

2019 Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal Winner in the Young Adult – Fantasy – Urban genre

City of Brantford Featured Artist February 2020

Burlington Post Readers’ Choice Award in the Best Local Author Category 2020

Toronto Star Readers’ Choice Award in the Best Local Author Category 2020

Cambridge Times Readers’ Choice Award in the Best Local Author Category 2020

Burlington Post Readers’ Choice Award in the Best Local Author Category 2021

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$20 Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Signed copies – Poll

I’m contemplating offering signed copies of my print books (including large print). Possibly with merchandise. Payment would be through paypal. Postage would be dependent on the timescale you wanted the book and where you lived but I could give you an amount at the time of enquiry.  Please complete the poll above – it’s only worth doing this if enough people are interested.

Vote here 

https://app.crowdsignal.com/polls/10912844

Character Interview – Clyde the Vampire #Fantasy

CHARACTER NAME:  Clyde

  • Tell us a little about yourself:

Let’s get the obvious out of the way.  I’m a vampire.  Not the kind you’re thinking of, but a species called a Dawn Fang.  In fact, I’m the first one due to this thing called the Great Cataclysm.  It washed over the world and turned my execution into a rebirth type of thing.  Now, I’m faster, stronger, and immune to the sun.  A few accidents later and I realized I could make more of my kind, which resulted in me creating a kingdom called Nytefall.  I’ve been leading the Dawn Fangs for a few decades now and it doesn’t get any easier.  Running a gang of vampiric thieves is one thing.  Now, I have to run a kingdom in the face of a civil war, sun-worshipping priests, hunters, usurpers, and all manner of enemies.  The worst part is that I can’t kill all of them if I want to prove to mortals that Dawn Fangs aren’t monsters.  Not that I haven’t considered it.

  • How did you end up in the situation you’re currently in?

The mess I’m in is rather complicated.  As far as I know, I haven’t done anything to anger this vampire hunter.  He calls himself Alastyre and keeps ripping the heads off vampires.  Swears he’s the one who’s going to kill.  Scary part is that he might not be wrong since he’s the strongest enemy I’ve ever faced.  Nobody else has managed to match my power and primal brutality like this guy.  So, I’m going to have to do something I haven’t done in over one hundred years.  I have to train and get stronger in order to stop this maniac from killing my people and destroying my kingdom.

  • Do you believe in monsters?

Of course.  I am one.  Don’t go thinking all monsters are heartless beasts that can only destroy.  Sure, that’s basically the definition, but that way of thinking is why Dawn Fangs are having trouble.  We are vampires, which makes us monsters.  Yet, we’re able to live like mortals, so we’re in the middle.  Personally, I think any species can be seen as a monster in certain situations.

  • Do you have a moral code? If so what might it be?

I guess you could say that I do.  Hard to tell since I use illusions to trick people, especially in battle or when I’m stealing.  Guess you could say that my moral code depends on who I’m dealing with.  If I’m facing an honourable person then I’ll act the same.  Pit me against a jerk and I’ll do whatever it takes to either kill them or knock them down a few thousand pegs.  One constant rule I have is that you don’t draw children into your fights.  They can join when they grow up, but let them be kids before that time.

  • Would you kill for those you love?

I’ve proven that I would on several occasions.  Not only for the woman I love, but my friends too.  They’re my family and I’m going to protect them with this great power I’ve been given.  In return, they watch my back and make sure I don’t surrender to the monster in my soul.  Guess that desire to retain my humanity makes the whole killing for loved ones rather strange.  It makes sense if you’re a vampire.

  • Would you die for those you love?

Tough one here because you can only do this once.  It would have to be a very specific situation.  My sacrifice would need to result in my family being safe for the rest of their existence.  Otherwise, I’d get myself killed and they’d still be in danger, which means I made a mistake.

  • How do you define ‘heroism?’

Heroism is the ability to stand by your convictions and defend others.  It’s very easy to change your mind or abandon people to save your own skin.  In fact, I’d say most people do this once they’re challenged.  Those with heroism ignore their own survival instinct to make the world a better place.  Although, to be honest, I don’t have that much use for the mortal version of heroism.  For a vampire, it’s closer to having the ability to control your destructive tendencies for the good of your people.

  • What is your greatest skill/asset?

I would have to go with my illusions, which work off my cunning.  Sure, I can shatter mountains with my fists.  My Lord’s Rage allows me to get even stronger at the cost of my self-control.  Those work for slaughtering enemies and physical obstacles, but they can be undermined.  My illusions are much more difficult to get around and they create opportunities for my strength to be used.  I can create decoys, false attacks, or mask my true form to confuse my enemies.  That and it’s simply fun to mess with people.

  • What is your greatest weakness (we won’t tell)?

This is the big question.  In fact, it’s the reason I’m on this ridiculous training quest while my friends are trapped with Alastyre.  I need to figure out my greatest weakness in order to overcome it.  After decades of never feeling threatened, I can’t imagine what it would be.  Could be overconfidence, but I’m trying really hard to stay humble while I rule a kingdom.  I really wonder why people can’t just show up and tell me the answer here.

  • Do you believe in god(s)?

Definitely.  I come from Windemere, which has active gods.  There’s a whole pantheon that lives on an island and watches the rest of us.  They have this rule against physically interfering in events because of past mistakes.  Actually, I recently had my first god encounter.  The guy was a jerk and I’d have punched his face in if I didn’t think he’d smite me.

  • Do you believe you will be successful in your quest?

Yes to both quests.  I believe I will find a way to become stronger and defeat Alastyre.  There’s no reason it wouldn’t happen since I always find a way to win.  I need to be patient and think hard about the problem.  That or beat up whatever’s in my path until they give me what I need.

My other quest is the big one.  I want to prove that Dawn Fangs can live amongst mortals without posing a danger.  This is possible since we can eat regular food and drink blood without killing.  The biggest hurdle is that we’re still vampires, so people see us as monsters.  Doesn’t help that we have a civil war going on between Nytefall and those who wish to stay in the shadows.  Once I get that cleared up, the big quest will be nothing more than a simple test of patience.

  • What do you think of your author/creator?

He’s got a pretty good imagination, but I have a major grievance.  It took the moron about 15 years to get to my series.  He pretended to be me in this imagination game for about a year, but then shelved me for nearly half of his life.  Don’t get me wrong.  I’m happy that he’s given me the spotlight, but I waited so long and I can see that my time isn’t going to be as long as that of his previous heroes.  We’re definitely going to have to chat once he goes to bed.

For the author:

Books in which this character appears:

War of Nytefall Series–  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KBFS2LK

  • Loyalty
  • Lost
  • Rivalry
  • Eradication
  • Ravenous
  • Savagery

Bio-

Charles Yallowitz was born and raised on Long Island, NY, but he has spent most of his life wandering his own imagination in a blissful haze. Occasionally, he would return from this world for the necessities such as food, showers, and Saturday morning cartoons. One day he returned from his imagination and decided he would share his stories with the world. After spending many years fiddling with his thoughts and notebooks, he decided that it was time to follow his dream of being a fantasy author. So, locked within the house with only pizza and seltzer to sustain him, Charles brings you tales from the world of Windemere. He looks forward to sharing all of his stories with you and drawing you into a world of magic.

Social Media

Blog: www.legendsofwindemere.com
Twitter: @cyallowitz
Facebook: Charles Yallowitz
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cyallowitz/

Links etc

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0921ZGG44

The War of Nytefall – Savagery #Vampires #Fantasy #Adventure – Book Spotlight

Title:  War of Nytefall: Savagery

Author:  Charles E. Yallowitz

Genre:  Fantasy, Vampires, Action Adventure

Main character description (short):

In the magical world of Windemere, Clyde was your average vampire thief who ran a gang of criminals.  Then, the Great Cataclysm struck in the middle of his execution and transformed him into a new breed of monster.  Able to retain his strength in the sun and possessing a heartbeat, Clyde realized he could pass as mortal.  He also learned that he could turn old-world vampires into what would come to be known as Dawn Fangs.  For years, he has defended the hidden kingdom of Nytefall as he waits for the day vampires and mortals can coexist.  It doesn’t help that he really enjoys fighting and keeps looking for trouble.

Synopsis:

After years of defending Nytefall and the Dawn Fangs from all enemies, Clyde may have met his ultimate challenge.  Matching the destructive vampire in power and ferocity, Alastyre the hunter is the first to make him feel fear.  Before he knows what is happening, Clyde has been driven from his home while his friends remain trapped with this new threat.  His only hope is to find a way to become stronger and return to reclaim his kingdom.  Yet, how can a monster who splits mountains with a single blow become more powerful?

Brief Excerpt:

The instant the longbow clatters on the floor, Clyde and Alastyre vanish for a moment and reappear on opposite sides of the courtyard. The force from their failed strikes create matching blasts of air and they whirl around in unison to face each other once more. Another charge results in the combatants crashing together, the shockwave sending a circular wall of sand billowing away from them. Palms pressing against each other, they appear to be evenly matched until Clyde is struck by a swift headbutt. Having been caught by surprise, his back-leg bends and he loses the leverage that was preventing him from being forced away. With his knee on the ground, he is bent backwards and left open for another shot to the face. It is only by increasing his Lord’s Rage that he avoids falling and musters the strength to shove Alastyre to the side. He dislocates his wrists to free his hands from the hunter’s grip and creates four illusions of himself to gain time to heal. With his own body masked to blend into the nearest boulder, the Dawn Fang crouches in order to pounce on the first opportunity. Instead, he has to leap away when his enemy ignores the decoys and punches exactly where he is lurking.

“I’ve studied your tactics, so your tricks are pointless,” Alastyre says as he throws the cracked boulder over his shoulder.

“Guess I’ll have to take you seriously then,” the Dawn Fang retorts with a grin.

Why should readers buy this book?

The only reason to buy this book is because it’s a fun adventure.  I write to entertain with humour, exciting action scenes, and colourful characters.  Like my other books, War of Nytefall: Savagery is pure, relaxing escapism.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0921ZGG44

 

The Stolen Kingdom – Blog Tour – YA Fantasy

 
 
 
The Stolen Kingdom
by Jillian Boehme
Genre: YA Fantasy
 
 
“A bold girl, a kingdom under attack, magic everywhere—I devoured it in one sitting! This book is one wild ride!” —Tamora Pierce on Stormrise
 
Nothing is quite as it seems in this thrilling YA fantasy adventure by Jillian Boehme, The Stolen Kingdom!
 
For a hundred years, the once-prosperous kingdom of Perin Faye has suffered under the rule of the greedy and power-hungry Thungrave kings. Maralyth Graylaern, a vintner’s daughter, has no idea her hidden magical power is proof of a secret bloodline and claim to the throne. Alac Thungrave, the king’s second son, has always been uncomfortable with his position as the spare heir—and the dark, stolen magic that comes with ruling.
When Maralyth becomes embroiled in a plot to murder the royal family and seize the throne, a cat-and-mouse chase ensues in an adventure of dark magic, court intrigue, and forbidden love.
 
**Join the Live Chat Author Event March 5th here!**
 
 
 
 
 
Jillian is known to the online writing community as Authoress, hostess of Miss Snark’s First Victim, a blog for aspiring authors. In real life, she holds a degree in Music Education, sings with the Nashville Symphony Chorus, and homeschools her remaining youngster-at-home. She’s still crazy in love with her husband of more than thirty years and is happy to be surrounded by family and friends amid the rolling knolls of Middle Tennessee.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
 
$20 Amazon
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

 

Forbidden – Blog Tour and Giveaway – Fantasy Romance, Fairytale Retelling

Forbidden: A Red Riding Hood Retelling
by Adrienne Woods
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy Romance
This is not The Little Red Riding Hood we grew up with.
Supernatural races—vampires, werewolves, witches, you name it—all exist.
Eighteen-year-old Rue Chaperon and her family belong to an elite hunting society, the S.H.A—Supernatural Hunting Association—and what the Chaperons hunt best are werewolves. When a new hunting group convinces the Chaperons to team up with them and try a different approach to hunting the supernatural by taking out the Alpha, it sounded like a great idea.
Taking out the Alpha meant they’d eradicate the entire race.
Piece of cake, right?
But nothing is ever easy when you’re a hunter.
A Little Red Riding Hood retelling with a spin that will make you believe not all fairytales were meant for children.
Adrienne is a USA Today Bestselling author.
She’s been in love with books all her life and knew at the age of 13 that she is going to be a writer one day.
That dream happened ten years ago and she started to pen her stories down on paper. Firebolt, her debut novel, was released 4 years after that, and she hasn’t stopped since.
Now she almost has 15 novels under her belt, and it doesn’t look like she is going to stop soon.
Go to her books to discover her series and those that still need to come.
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$10 Amazon

5 Tips on Writing Fantasy Characters – Guest Post Desiree Villena

5 Tips for Writing Fantasy Characters – Desiree Villena

Most creative writing classes treat writing characters and writing fantasy characters as one and the same. They provide run-of-the-mill tips (create conflict, establish flaws, etc.) and you end up with run-of-the-mill characters — well-developed, but nothing out of the ordinary.

But what fantasy writers need are legendary characters — characters that stay with you for a lifetime, like those that occupy the worlds of J. R. R. Tolkien and George R. R. Martin. Unfortunately, these writers haven’t exactly revealed all their secrets to the rest of us. But by working backwards, I’ve put together five top tips, exclusively for fantasy writers, that should help you think outside of the character-profile box.

1. Interview your characters to get to know them

Whether you adopt the tactics of a police interrogator or Oprah Winfrey, interviewing your characters is a great way to flesh out their motives, weaknesses, history, habits, and hobbies. Sure, the same advice is given to authors of all fiction genres, but when writing fantasy this exercise calls for more creative flair.

For instance, most questionnaires will ask your character about their career: What’s your dream job? What job would you never consider? When writing contemporary fiction, it’s easy to fall back on conventions: I want to become a writer, a football star, a successful entrepreneur. I’d never be a high-school teacher, a telemarketer, a pest control worker. Your fantasy characters, however, will need to produce answers that make sense in the context of their world.

Let’s take the Harry Potter series as an example. Some Hogwarts graduates will join the Aurors — an elite group of Dark Wizard catchers — others take soul-crushing jobs in magic middle management, and I imagine someone has to clean up the mess made by the post-office owls. These jobs are recognizable; we can place them in the real world, and even make assumptions about a character based on their magical nine-to-five. But at the same time, they place the character firmly in the unique world of the books, seamlessly weaving the two together and adorning the bigger picture with original details.

2. Don’t assume that your characters think like you

When a story takes place in a world that’s not our own, its characterizations should reflect that on a deeper level than just creative job titles and otherworldly hobbies. Everyone in your world, good or bad, leading lady or forgettable friend, will share a baseline set of assumptions informed by the world they inhabit, which means that their inherent ways of thinking won’t always resemble our own.

Let’s say your fantasy novel is set in a world where gods regularly show their faces to interfere in everyday life. Though atheism might be common here on Earth Prime, it would make no sense for anyone in that world to be an atheist. This doesn’t have to mean that everybody thinks and feels exactly the same way about the gods; some characters might fervently believe that they reward devotion and punish sin, while others might quietly think of them as meddling pranksters.

Setting up coherent belief systems and knowing where your characters stand on your world’s “big questions” will help you to build more complex relationships among your characters, and between your characters and their world.

3. Build diversity into your cast of characters

In general, creating some diversity in your cast of characters can be a really useful thing to do. Meaningfully different perspectives and experiences will add complexity to your world, and hopefully create intuitive conflict or tension among your characters.

If your world is divided into different regions, for example, then the people in each region might have vastly different cultures due to the influence of climate, landscape, or the way they’re ruled. Take A Song of Ice and Fire. The people in the North live, think, and dress very differently from the people in King’s Landing: the first being sparsely populated, harsh, and independently ruled while the other is crowded, coastal, and right under the thumb of the Iron Throne.

Even within distinct groups, one member doesn’t need to have the same mannerisms, views, and values as the next. In The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien has creatures that are familiar to fantasy readers, and certainly employs generic tropes. But his elves, dwarves, hobbits, and wizards are not carbon-copy fantasy races. Among the dwarves, for example, there are good and wicked, eloquent and crass, loyal and traitorous characters.

4. Revitalize common character tropes

Lots of fantasy writers love character archetypes — which is not necessarily a bad thing, because fantasy readers love them too. But if you rely too much on clichés, you might stray into overly predictable territory. There’s also no reason to get anywhere near that black hole when there are so many great ways to revitalize common character tropes. Here are a couple to get you thinking:

  • Deconstruct it: Even if you adhere to its traditions, you can deconstruct a trope by shining a light on its implications and consequences. For example, Harry Potter may be the Chosen One — but only because the antagonist, Voldemort, decided to believe a prophecy and mark Harry out. The notion of the Chosen One only has as much power as Voldemort gives it.
  • Defy expectations: When readers encounter an archetypal character they’ll bring certain expectations to the table (because that’s how archetypes work). But you can give your character a dose of originality by meeting enough of the required standards that make a trope recognizable, while defying other characteristics that are simply expected. For example, the White Witch of Narnia ticks all the boxes of an Evil Overlord, but she defies character conventions by being a woman shrouded in white, rather than a male character cloaked in darkness.

5. Keep the bigger picture in mind

You may have noticed that in fantasy writing, worldbuilding and character development often go hand-in-hand. And nowhere is this more evident (or more important) than in the mood and tone of your story. Whether you build your setting or your characters first, the general tenor of both elements should work together to create the perfect atmosphere.

The easiest way to think of this is to look at some more examples. In the Song of Ice and Fire books, where the dead stand up to fight and swords are forged with blood, even our favorite characters are flawed — Arya is obsessed with revenge, Tyrion is morally ambiguous, and Daenerys is proud and stubborn (and burns down a city). These gray characters meld perfectly with the grim and somber tone that shrouds this highly cynical series.

Meanwhile, the first few books in the Harry Potter series are full of wonder and whimsy. Its magical world features bat-bogey hexes, dodgy spell-checking quills, and wacky divination lessons. So it makes perfect sense that the protagonists be quirky teenagers who are always bickering, fumbling first crushes, and failing to get to grips with Muggle technology (I’m looking at you, Ron).

So take inspiration from fantasy legends JKR and GRRM. Don’t just fill in a character profile. Think about the emotional texture of your book and the kind of reaction you want from your readers. Then approach the task of character development with your mind on the bigger picture.

Scarlett and the Big Bad – Blog Tour – Paranormal Fantasy Romance

Scarlett and the Big Bad
Fated Fairytales Book 1
by Sierra Brave
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy Romance
What if Red Riding Hood invited peril and the big, bad wolf was the only hero who could save her?
Promised power and position, Scarlett Capuche left her tiny village to join the prestigious Order of the Phoenix.
Monty Blackwolf never wanted a mate, especially not a human raised on a hidden farm for blood-ritual sacrifice. But his werewolf’s heightened sense of smell drew him to Scarlett’s sweet fragrance from miles away.
Duty-bound to protect her, he will break her of her religious devotion to the magical terrorist group responsible for the murders of his parents and older brother, even if he has to put her over his knee and turn her bottom as red as her hair.
She belongs to him now, and he will claim all of her despite his affliction with a unique, third shifter-form he doesn’t fully understand and isn’t able to control.
Will Monty save Scarlett, or will he prove more dangerous to her than anyone else?
Author’s Note: If you’re offended by steamy fairytale retellings with graphic language, explicit put-you-in-the-moment love scenes, elements of power exchange, and domestic discipline, you might want to look for a different book.
Sierra Brave is a multi-published author of heart-pounding, blush-inducing romance with put-you-in-the-moment love scenes. She enjoys writing about a variety of gorgeous alpha males who can’t resist head-strong heroines. Curvy girls have a special place in her heart and often grace the pages of her books. Tales of shifters, cowboys, twisted fairy tales, space pirates, Amazon warriors, and vampires capture her imagination as do tempting spanking and ménage scenarios, but she also engages in more down-to-earth themes such as office romance. You’ll find lots of unique characters and humor in all of her stories.
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$10 Amazon giftcard, ebook – 1 winner each

The Electric Girl – Blog Tour and Guest Post – YA/Fantasy/Magical Realism

The Electric Girl
by Christine Hart
Genre: YA SciFi Fantasy, Magic Realism
Polly Michaels is trying to forget that her mom has cancer. She keeps busy at school and plods through a normal social life. Until a freak electrical storm and a unicorn appear in the orchard next to her house.
Sy’kai wakes on an orchard floor to the smell of rotting cherries and wet earth. She doesn’t know where she is-or what she is-but she knows something is hunting her.
Polly recruits her friends to find the mysterious creature she saw from her window while Sy’kai, a confused shape-shifting endling from another dimension tries to piece her mind back together. Once the human girls find Sy’kai (whom they nickname Psyche) the mystery unravels and the danger facing all of them comes into focus.
A gritty struggle ranges throughout the girls’ rural hometown and in the wild terrain around it. All while two questions hang over their heads. Can an alien deliver a miracle for a human mother? Can a group of teens defeat an interdimensional demon?
Located on BC’s beautiful West Coast, I write from my suburban home outside Vancouver. I love writing about places and spaces with rich history and visually fascinating elements as a backdrop for the surreal and spectacular.
In addition to my undergraduate degree in writing and literature, my background also includes corporate communications and design. I am a current member of the Federation of BC Writers and SF Canada.
When not writing, I have a habit of breaking stuff and making stuff – in that order – under the guise of my Etsy alter-ego Sleepless Storyteller. I share my eclectic home and lifestyle with my metalworking husband, dancing daughter, and future rocket scientist son.
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$25 Amazon

Writing YA Novels as a Pop Culture Fan

Many of us have been binging all our old favourite TV shows and movies over the past year. So, we’re not surprised to see nostalgia making its way into the novels of 2021. Today, author Christine Hart is sharing the scoop on all the pop culture influences that shaped her new book, The Electric Girl.

Christine, can you tell us a bit more about the role pop culture plays in this novel? So many people have a love/hate relationship with pop culture, but the older I get, the more I realize that I should be writing what I want and drawing inspiration from what I truly like. Rather than trying to be a literary author, I’ve embraced genre fiction – and it feels like the right choice for me. And with The Electric Girl, setting a story in the 1980s was an irresistible opportunity to infuse my worldbuilding with the pop culture of the time.

 Which movies and television shows influenced this story? The most obvious first influence is The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle – both the book and movie, drawing on the idea of a unicorn becoming a girl. When I picture Psyche opening portals to another world, I can’t help but remember the inter-dimensional doors opened by Philip Pullman’s The Subtle Knife.

 I also believe the nebula imagery and the concept of an alien that exists primarily in astral form comes from my days watching Star Trek: The Next Generation every day after school. I also watched a lot of Twin Peaks and I’ve always loved David Lynch’s ability to be delightfully bizarre just for the sake of it.

 Most recently, getting addicted to Stranger Things, and combing through old toys and games that I saved for my children surprised me by having the power to evoke both memories and positive emotions.

 Do you see The Electric Girl ever being made into a movie? I have a very clear picture of the story in my mind, mostly because I used my hometown of Vernon, BC for the real-world side of things.

 If The Electric Girl could become a movie, I’d like to see it done with as much historical authenticity as possible. I tried my absolute best to make my readers feel like they’ve been drawn into 1988. So that’s what I’d want from a movie as well.

But at the end of the day, I’m a pragmatist at heart. I used to indulge in daydreams about one of my novels getting an upgrade to film format. Now, 40-something me knows it’s not very likely, so I don’t think about it as much.

To keep the retro 80s fun going, Christine has put together a playlist including a handful of songs and bands mentioned in the story.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4Oibmyx7Wmu9X1vFPOPQgd

 

 

 

Vampire Huntress Chronicles – Book Tour – Paranormal Romance

Blood Hunt
Vampire Huntress Chronicles Book 1
by Jessica Wayne
Genre: Paranormal Romance
★A Top 300 Bestseller★
Hunting vampires is her legacy.
Detective Rainey Astor walks a dangerous line between the human and supernatural worlds. As a vampire hunter, she’s a formidable opponent, having killed hundreds of their kind. Yet, when her latest foray into the supernatural world goes terribly wrong, she finds herself rescued by the very creature she’s vowed to kill.
Elijah Hawthorne is unlike any vampire Rainey has ever met. His sexy as hell exterior hides a tortured soul seeking redemption. Rainey knows she should avoid him at all costs, but fate has other plans.
Together, they’re forced down a twisted path of ancient revenge and tainted love.
With Elijah guarding her back, Rainey must protect her heart, because giving in could mean a death sentence for them both. But if they don’t discover the hidden identity of their enemy before the clock runs out, she’s as good as dead anyway.
Fans of J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood, Lynsay Sands Argeneau Novels, Linsey Hall’s Shadow Guild, L.J. Smith’s The Vampire Diaries, or the TV show The Originals, will devour this brand new trilogy.
Grab your copy of Blood Hunt and start this addicting Vampire Paranormal Romance today!
But be warned, this romance comes with a bite.
**On Sale the week of Feb 18th!!**
Blood Captive
Vampire Huntress Chronicles Book 2
She was the hunter. Now, she’s the prey.
Detective Rainey Astor has run headfirst into danger for as long as she can remember. Her trip to Salem was no different, and although she and Elijah are back in Billings, nothing could have prepared them for the repercussions they will face upon their return home.
Determined to get back to normal despite the fact that everything’s changed, Rainey dives back into work at the same time bodies of dead witches start popping up all over town. Their ritualistic style murders scream sacrifice, but there’s something darker at work, something far more sinister than Rainey or Elijah could have anticipated.
As someone begins beckoning to Rainey from the shadows, drawing her closer and closer into their web, she unearths a horrible truth that will alter her irrevocably. And soon she will discover, not even Elijah can shield her from what’s to come.
Picking up from Blood Hunt’s explosive cliffhanger ending, Blood Captive turns the tables for Rainey and Elijah as they go from being the hunters to the hunted.
This series is perfect for fans of J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood, Lynsay Sands Argeneau Novels, Linsey Hall’s Shadow Guild, L.J. Smith’s The Vampire Diaries, or the TV show The Originals.
Grab your copy of Blood Captive, and pick up right where you left off with this bestselling Vampire Paranormal Romance series!
Blood Cure
Vampire Huntress Chronicles Book 3
She is in hell.
Trapped in the shadows, Rainey is unable to do much more than watch while her entire life is destroyed.
While the Original Witch’s plan continues to fall perfectly in place, it’s up to Elijah to put it all on the line and save his hunter.
Or die trying.
Picking up from Blood Captive’s heartbreaking cliffhanger, Blood Cure tests Rainey and Elijah in ways they never saw coming.
This series is perfect for fans of J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood, Lynsay Sands Argeneau Novels, Linsey Hall’s Shadow Guild, L.J. Smith’s The Vampire Diaries, or the TV show The Originals.
Grab your copy of Blood Cure and pick up right where you left off with this bestselling Vampire Paranormal Romance series!
Curse of the Witch
Vampire Huntress Chronicles Book 4
Her death was just the beginning.
Two years trapped between the living and the dead would make anyone jumpy. But soon Delaney realizes the shadows surrounding her are more than light casting shapes upon the wall. Someone is hunting her, and they won’t stop until she’s back in the ground.
Cole left his heart in an alley two years ago when he walked out covered in the blood of a hunter he would have died to protect. Now that she’s back from the dead, he’s determined to keep his distance.
After all, if he lost control once it could happen again.
When Delaney’s life is threatened, Cole knows he can’t ignore the call. Even if answering it could mean death for them both.
Shifter meets witch in this epic battle for the soul of Delaney Astor. Perfect for fans of Lynsay Sands, Kelly St. Clare, McKenzie Hunter, and Jennifer Ashley, Curse Of The Witch will take you on a brand new adventure with characters you know and love.
Bestselling author Jessica Wayne writes paranormal and fantasy romance. She lives in Texas with her husband, three kids, and their two dogs.
She is skittle obsessed, enjoys the occasional whiskey, and is an ambassador for the mix-matched socks movement.
A believer in true love, Jessica also believes that good things are worth fighting for, and sometimes you have to risk it all to find your place in the world.
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