Book Review: One Soul to Share by Lori Devoti

Here is my review of the paranormal romance novella One Soul to Share by Lori Devoti:

A different story concept, not quite emotionally involved enough for me

I had quite high hopes for this novel, since the story was a little different to what I have come across before. I enjoyed reading it, and it didn’t take long to read either, but I did not feel drawn in as I would have expected. The characters seemed distant, perhaps intentionally due to their nature, but I just could not sustain that personal connection that I like to develop when I read a book. I probably identified best with the vampire Nolan, but I feel that overall the book could have done with a little more description in places, just to draw the reader in more closely. Still, I intend to try out some of the author’s other books, so it wasn’t that bad in the end!

Meet the Vampire Book Realm Authors at Coffee Time Romance

I have already posted about this a few weeks’ ago, but remember our date for Friday 30^th November (oh, that would be today, now in fact!) I will be live in the Latte Lounge at Coffee Time Romance, along with my fellow authors from the Vampire Book Realm.

This is an all-day event, so drop by anytime and say hello! We are running cool competitions, discussing all aspects of our books, and I will even post excerpts from my newest vampire tale, The Vampire of Blackpool (fresh from the NaNoWriMo press!)

So remember, pop in to our forum any time today at Coffee Time Romance. If you love vampires, you will love the Vampire Book Realm… 

http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/board/forumdisplay.php?f=1955

Moving away from the Redcliffe Novels

I have finished writing the third novel in my Redcliffe series.  Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel) is complete and has been edited, but I am hanging on to it for just a little longer before I send it to my publisher.  At just under 90,000 words, this novel is longer than the first two.  It is certainly more fantastical than Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel) and Love Kills (A Redcliffe Novel), and I am interested to see what sort of response it gets from readers. 

Therein lies part of the problem. I am anxious about letting go of a story that has haunted me for ten years. It is finally written, and the first two sections are already in print and being consumed by readers the world over. Of course, that is what I want, otherwise I would never have submitted my work to a publisher. I want my Redcliffe novels to be enjoyed and celebrated, and I want to be a best selling, popular author in my genre. I even want to see a film or a television series about my stories one day.

But what happens next? Where do I go from here? The Redcliffe novels will definitely continue. My heroine, Jessica Stone, has made that perfectly clear. She has lots more stories to tell about her complicated relationship with two vampires and a werewolf, and about her personal journey into the world of magic and mystery as a witch. Book 4 in the Redcliffe series will be something very different to book 1 I am certain, and I feel that the witches will play a far more prominent role than they have so far. I also don't know what will happen, because my original plans have been changed after I rewrote the ending to Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel).

There is yet more news. Today I received inspiration from my muse for a completely new novel. This one tells the story of a female vampire hunter in the UK. I won't give too many details at present, indeed I don't even know very much myself. So far I have written the first chapter and become acquainted with my new heroine, Dr Jennifer Worthington, and her protagonists. The story came to me while I was out for an early morning walk with my family, and I spent all afternoon in a daydream until I could find the time to sit down and write properly. Now it is out of my head, on the computer, and I am very excited about what will arise.

Happy days, my friends!

Catherine Green on the Vampire Book Realm

Today I have a guest blog on the Vampire Book Realm. You can read about the Redcliffe Novels, and a little of my insight into the history of vampires in Britain in popular culture. Learn about our heroine, Jessica Stone, and the vampire and werewolf she becomes entangled with...

www.vampirebookrealm.com/1/post/2012/08/vampires-in-britain-by-author-catherine-green.html

Wednesday Wordsmith Author Interview - Catherine Green

Here is an interview I did for the very lovely Stephen C. Ormsby, author of Long Lost Song. Enjoy!

http://stephenormsby.wordpress.com/2012/08/08/wednesday-wordsmith-author-interview-catherine-green/

Love Kills (A Redcliffe Novel) - Exclusive Preview

For those of you who have read Love Hurts and are thirsty for more sex, blood and secrets, here is a taster from my second Redcliffe novel, Love Kills. This book is due for publication in Summer 2012:   

     I was running through the forest on the outskirts of the Cornish town of Redcliffe.  It was evening and the sky was growing dark with that smooth, silky blackness that descends gradually as night progresses.  There was an eerie feel to my surroundings, where tall trees shadowed me with their heavy green branches, but I saw only light and colour.  The air was clear and fresh, late summer, and I paused and breathed in the delicious scents of plant life and nature.  Here, deep in the forest, I could still taste sea salt on my tongue, and I relished the sensation.  It was beautiful, and I was blissfully happy.
     Suddenly a man burst through the trees into the clearing where I stood, making me jump with surprise.  My fright quickly turned to welcome when I recognized my boyfriend Jack standing before me.  My gaze rose from the ground up, taking in the delicious definition of muscle that showed through the grey t-shirt he wore with black jeans. His skin was glowing with health, he was smiling, and his deep blue eyes were sparkling with a promise of delight and excitement.  As he strode towards me I stood still, waiting for his embrace.  He put a hand on the back of my head, drawing me close, and touched his soft lips to mine. 
    The kiss started out gentle but quickly escalated and I knew this wasn’t Jack; it was his identical twin brother Danny.  I pulled away, gasping.
    “Danny what are you doing?” I said breathlessly, my heart pounding,  “We can’t do this!” 
    He laughed and spoke in a low, deep voice, with a hint of growl betraying his werewolf lineage.  The sound rumbled through my body, setting off shivers of excitement that I tried to suppress. 
    “You know Jack will not mind, Jessica.” he said, “After all that we have been through I am sure you understand.” 

Love Vampires, Love Werewolves, Love Paranormal Romance

Just a reminder that I will be on the Coffee Time Romance Chatters eLoop tomorrow afternoon (evening) hosting Love those Vampires and Werewolves! The chat is scheduled between 3:00pm and 5:00pm EST (8:00pm - 10:00pm BST) and it will be lovely to chat.

I will discuss my debut British paranormal romance novel Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel), and will run a competition to win a signed paperback copy. We can talk about why we love vampires and werewolves, and which we prefer, and I will even talk about the forthcoming Redcliffe sequel Love Kills.

Join me tomorrow (Wednesday 7th March), grab a cuppa, and we can settle down for a chat!

Love those Vampires and Werewolves!

"Love those Vampires and Werewolves!" - Join me on Wednesday March 7th for the Coffee Time Romance Chatters e-Loop, 15:00 - 17:00 EST (20:00 - 22:00 BST)

I will be hosting an e-loop chat with Coffee Time Romance to promote my paranormal romance series 'The Redcliffe Novels.' I will run a competition to win a signed paperback copy of my debut novel 'Love Hurts.'  Join me if you love vampires and werewolves in all their manifestations, where we can talk about our love for these often-misunderstood creatures of the night...

Love Hurts Book Review

I am very excited to share with you my latest review of Love Hurts on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R2HRB8H472W20P/ref=cm_cr_dp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B005AXVDZS&nodeID=341677031&tag=&linkCode=

Romancing the Book: Interview & Contest: Catherine Green

Romancing the Book: Interview & Contest: Catherine Green: Jen: Today we welcome debut author Catherine Green to Romancing the Book. Catherine, will you please share a short bio with us? Catherine:...

The Redcliffe Trilogy Inspiration

This morning I was feeling a mild sense of panic when I realised that once I finish editing Love Kills and send it off to the publisher, I will then need to start writing the third Redcliffe book. At the time it was only a vague idea in my head, sort of following on from the latest instalment that I just wrote. Determined not to be perturbed, I put the panic out of my mind and sent out a silent plea to my muse.

After lunch I finally dragged myself away from the computer and decided to take myself, the baby and the dog out for our daily walk. The weather was beautiful. It was sunny and fairly mild for a January day in England. We strolled along by the canal, my daughter chattering away happily in her pushchair, the dog running off ahead exploring the undergrowth.

My mind wandered as I stared out at the water, and I admired the way the sunshine reflected in warm colours of orange, yellow, and even hints of blue on the gently rippling surface. There were no boats moored up in their usual spots, which surprised me, but then I remembered, it is winter. We continued on our walk, following the gentle sweep of the recently resurfaced towpath, and we didn’t encounter anybody else on our way.

And then it hit me. I was mentally organizing my current edit of Love Kills, and then I started to think about what would happen next to Jessica Stone and Jack and Danny Mason. The story suddenly panned out in my head, clear and exciting and ready to be written. Hallelujah! My muse has spoken, and my prayers have been answered. As soon as Love Kills has been despatched, I will get started on the next book, as yet untitled.

But that wasn’t all. I was in luck today, and it must have been the sunshine drawing out my inspiration. Not only did I mentally prepare the third Redcliffe book, but an idea for the fourth one started to grow as well.  And it sounds good! And then, to top it off, I came up with a plot for a completely separate novel featuring a character that appeared in another novel. She is a powerful and ancient vampire, and I now have a clear idea of where she came from, and how her story should be told.

All in all, it was a very successful walk. I feel refreshed and invigorated to continue my work, the dog is happy after running round like a puppy and playing with sticks. And my daughter had some fresh air and a little stimulation as she saw the ducks, the water, and the beautiful countryside in which we live. Clearly I was brought to live in Middlewich by some sort of divine intervention!

If you haven't yet read Love Hurts, get it now for Kindle on special offer until the end of January!

Love Hurts - Love, Vampires and Werewolves

Love Hurts is about a young woman who runs a bookshop in Cornwall with her best friend. She falls in love with a local police detective and later discovers that he is a vampire, and that his identical twin brother is a werewolf. She is dragged into their complicated and dangerous lives, to her detriment, where secrets are told and lives are lost...

Here is a snippet from the novel, to whet your appetite:

“She is connected to the job in Scotland; they both are.” he said, “I’m sorry Jessica; it looks like we have inadvertently drawn you into our mess.  I need to find Jack and go sort this out.  Please promise me you will stay home, don’t answer the door unless you know who it is, and phone Jack or me if you get worried about anything, no matter how small or trivial.  Will you do that?”

             

He grabbed my shoulders, staring directly into my eyes, and I gasped, shocked at his forcefulness.  I nodded, feeling sick with nerves. 

             

“Yes of course.” I said, “Am I in danger?  What about Liz?” 

         

  He relaxed slightly and eased his grip on me.  

             

“Liz will be fine,” he said, “she is of no concern to them.  But they seem to have found out about you and your relationship with Jack and me.  You don’t need to be overly concerned just yet; hopefully we can settle this tonight.  Please just stay home and keep all your doors locked and your mobile phone handy, ok?” 

           

I nodded and Danny left, saying he would call Jack on the way. (END)

If you want to know more about Jessica Stone and Jack and Danny Mason, check out my website http://www.catherine-green.co.uk

On there you will find a free short story featuring the Redcliffe werewolf pack, and more details about my book.  

Merry Christmas!

The Indie Writer does NaNoWriMo

November is National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo to everybody involved or aware of it.  This is an international competition, which has no prizes and no entry fees.  Participants are simply expected to write a novel with a word total of 50,000 during the month.  It is a wonderfully simple way of motivating yourself to finally write that story that has been festering in your head for all these months or years.

I have entered this competition.  Having published my debut paranormal romance novel, Love Hurts, in July this year, I now need to write the sequel.  Indeed I need to write the whole Redcliffe series, but this is my starting point.  I decided that NaNoWriMo would be the ideal opportunity.  It would motivate me to actually finish another piece of work, instead of procrastinating and avoiding the inevitable.

My sequel is called Love Kills and picks up the story of Cornish bookshop owner Jessica Stone as she recovers from her life threatening injuries sustained from a werewolf attack.  She is settling back into normal life, but struggling to deal with the reality of having a vampire boyfriend, and werewolf friends.  She is also working through the revelations that she is a witch, and deciding whether she wants to pursue her training and unlock her powers and abilities.

Finally, Jessica’s best friend and business partner has just given birth.  The new baby will throw up all sorts of challenges between the friends, and also between Jessica and her lover Jack Mason.  That is where my story stands at the moment.  As of today (Monday 7^th November), my word total is 19,148, and I am very pleased with that.  It was easy to start my novel because the story was already in my head.  Indeed, I had begun the story while I was finishing writing Love Hurts, but I had to separate the novels out, and make time to write Love Kills. 

That is why NaNoWriMo is important to me.  I have informed all of my close friends and family about the competition, and warned them that I will become a social hermit while I get my novel finished.  My plan is to complete the 50,000 words, and hopefully even write more than that as quickly as possible.  I certainly have the story; I just need to find time to write it around my duties of motherhood and housework.  But now that I have told people, they will expect me to complete this challenge, and that is my motivation.  NaNoWriMo, I will succeed!

NaNoWriMo and all that Work

Oh my goodness is it really #NaNoWriMo next week? I have totally lost this last month in a flurry of work. I have been busy trying to finish my current WIP The Darkness of Love. It is almost complete by the way. It will be in the editing stages by December and hopefully published early 2012, publisher depending.

For NaNoWriMo I will  be working on a novel called Love Kills, the second in my Redcliffe series. It means I already have a plot in mind, and my characters are already clear, as are my locations. I won't get too smug however, because you can guarantee that my vampires, witches and werewolves will never behave themselves. They have already surprised me with random activities simply in my head!

So, my poor family will be neglected next month. I have made provisions. There will be a freezer full of prepared meals, and when they run out I will resort to the slow cooker and a variety of casseroles. My daughter will still get her weekly schedule of play groups and activities, but at home she will simply have to amuse herself while I disappear to Redcliffe!

The house will just have to collect dust for a month, and our clothes will be washed when absolutely necessary. I still have to walk the dog, but he will provide a welcome distraction and chance for a  break every day. We do need fresh air and exercise, I appreciate that. I have forewarned my close friends and family that they will not hear from me, except for a couple of pre-arranged social events. They understand.

My husband barely sees me at the moment anyway, but then he has his own activities. The only thing is, it is his birthday in November. And not just any birthday. He hits the big 30, so we must celebrate (or commiserate) somehow. We will make up our lack of time together over Christmas. This year has been a hectic and chaotic one anyway, so we really do need to catch our breath at some point. In  the meantime, let the ferocious writing commence. NaNoWriMo, bring it on. I am ready for you!

Writing a Victorian Vampire Novel

This is just a brief update on my work in progress this week. I have done quite well and have almost finished writing my first draft of The Darkness of Love. I started out on this particular project about 14 months ago. There was a lull in my writing while I had a baby, but now I am back in full swing. I enjoy writing, but I must admit I am anxious to leave this manuscript, and move on to writing my sequel to Love Hurts. But I am determined to see this through to the end, because the story needs to be told.

The Darkness of Love is set in Victorian England. It tells the story of the vampire Marcus Scott, and how he came to be the man we see in Redcliffe (Love Hurts) today. Marcus was originally supposed to be one of my 'bad guy' characters, but he has actually proved to be more complex than I first thought, which is why he gets his own novel. It won't be a massive tome, but I am sure people will be pleasantly surprised with it. There is intrigue, passion, beautiful English scenery, and a fit, strong, impulsive young man. What more could a girl want?

The Modern Paranormal Romance

When people hear the words ‘paranormal romance’ today they will most probably associate it with the popular Twilight franchise, and maybe even the HBO television series True Blood. It is strange to think that the original horror novel Dracula was actually a romance of sorts, although it was grotesque and evil to reflect Victorian values.
It is no longer acceptable to have a truly evil vampire who preys on innocent humans. We have evolved in our society to a point where we realise our arrogance in the face of such stereotypical views. In contemporary paranormal romance novels, vampires, shape shifters, and other non-human creatures are often treated as another race, a group of people that should not be discriminated against, but that are reviled for their supernatural abilities and nature.

I have recently finished reading Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris. It is the latest of the Sookie Stackhouse novels, and I really enjoyed it. There was a clever mix of supernatural activity, and everyday ‘normal’ human life. The heroine, Sookie, spends her evenings fighting manipulative and unpleasant vampires and shape shifters, and her day time hours are filled with household chores and paid employment. She struggles to fit in her human friends, and their baby showers and weddings, and all of the standard rites of passage that humans live by, and that are safe, happy events.

My novel Love Hurts follows this pattern, or at least that is what I intended. My heroine is a human (or so she believes), who runs a small business with her close friend. She is dating a vampire, and once she discovers his hidden secret (because in my Britain, supernatural creatures still remain hidden from society), she then struggles to merge her human life with her supernatural one.

This is where I am drawn in with the genre. I love the idea that mundane life can be livened up with a different cultural perspective, especially an apparently violent and volatile one. It makes life interesting. We need an escape from our daily household routine, and our regular pattern of work and play. That is what paranormal romance offers, and I love discovering new and exciting authors who weave their own perspective and experiences into their tales.

I hope that other people will read Love Hurts and will feel the same excitement and enjoyment that I did when I wrote it. And that those same people will follow my heroine Jessica Stone, as she stumbles through a relationship with a vampire and his identical twin werewolf brother, while supporting her human best friend with a new baby. Oh, and she has a gay best friend who is a werewolf too, just because I can!

Stories in my Head

I am struggling at the moment, to find time to sit down and write all of the stories in my head.  I have a young baby, a family, and all the associated housework to deal with before I can focus on my writing.  Unfortunately the writing has to be a sideline to my role as Mother. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

           

Anyway, just because I can’t physically write up the stories, does not mean they don’t exist.  For example, I am currently attempting to write the sequel to my recently published paranormal romance novel Love Hurts.  I have actually written a rough draft of about the first five chapters of Love Kills.  In my head, I am probably on about chapter twelve, or possibly even further along.  It gets a little confusing.

My stories are a good source of escapism while I am stood before the kitchen sink, or cleaning out the turtle tank, or ironing, or hoovering, or any number of other boring household tasks.  I even formulate the stories while in the shower, or in bed, out walking, or even when I am out in the car.  My characters take on their own lives, and draw me in as a spectator.  It is my job to remember what they tell me, and commit it to paper (or computer) as soon as possible.

Sometimes it can be embarrassing, like the time I headbutted a neighbour’s hanging basket because I was engrossed in my personal fictional dialogue.  Other times people can be talking to me and I simply don’t hear them.  I sort of snap out of a daydream, and have to wake up to the reality around me.  I am sure this is not an isolated situation.  I must be one of a million writers in a similar position.

Maybe I should invest in a Dictaphone, and dictate my stories while I work.  Perhaps then I can at least have something to write up at a later date.  I find sometimes that when I actually get to the physical writing stage, my stories fly off on a tangent, totally different from what I had originally imagined.  Sometimes this works, sometimes not.  I must be away to bed soon as the night is moving on.  Who knows which story I will dip into, and where I will travel before sleep takes over…

The Authors that shaped my Writing

A question that has popped up lately is that of the writers that have influenced me in my work. Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel) is a paranormal romance novel. Immediately I imagine many people will associate it with the recent Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer. I don’t mind this association because I expect the readers of this series to move on and read my own Redcliffe novels series.

My own personal influences came from other writers, and many of them not even in the paranormal genre. When I was a young child I read Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl. Any serious child reader has to experience the joys of these authors. They are amazing! I was a huge fan of the Mallory Towers series and The Famous Five. I also read a few Secret Seven books but these were never quite as magical. But they all fired up my imagination.

And then there was Matilda, The BFG and the Witches. These were my favourite Roald Dahl books, closely followed by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach. My husband has recently started reading Matilda to our daughter for her bedtime story, and once again I sit transfixed by the story. I adore the use of language, and Quentin Blake’s illustrations just finish the book brilliantly.

As I grew older I did find my way to the paranormal genre. It started with some Penguin classic ghost stories, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and a couple of anthologies of vampire short stories. Then I discovered LJ Smith. I read the Nightworld series, and I was hooked. The books described pretty much exactly what was happening inside my head, but from an American perspective.

It was Nightworld that really fired up my imagination and put the first stirrings of Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel) in my head. Back then I would invent the story of a man who was a vampire, and a human woman who discovered his secret. Sometimes the heroine was the vampire. Eventually I discovered the Mason brothers and Jessica Stone, and the rest is history. In fact, I am very surprised at the way my story evolved over the years. It is as though the characters wrote it themselves and I translated.

Finally I discovered Anne Rice and her Vampire Chronicles. These books showed me that I could be controversial, and that it was acceptable to write about what was really important to me. I didn’t have to disguise my vampires behind senseless violence just so they would be accepted. And now, during the last decade, I have been reading the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K Hamilton. 

All of these amazing authors leave me with a lot to be desired. But hey, eventually they must retire, and maybe by that time I will be experienced and decent enough to take the reins in the paranormal world. A girl can dream …

Join my tribe today, and I will send you a fabulous FREE book to get you started… (be warned, my vampires do not sparkle, and my wolves will bite!) 

Love Hurts Surprise Book Reviews

I have been speaking to various people about my novel Love Hurts. Being a paranormal romance, it was more than likely going to fall into the category of Young Adult for audience appeal, but that was not my original intention. Indeed, the story content is very adult and I would not recommend it for anyone under the age of 18. I had intended the book for an adult market aged roughly between 18-35, although of course I would not begrudge anyone reading it.

I was greatly surprised to find that several older people have read and thoroughly enjoyed my book. Here is a classic example of my cultural and social conditioning rearing its face. I automatically assumed that any people over the age of 50 that read my book would think it far-fetched and probably ridiculous. This was not the case according to some recent word of mouth reviews I have received.

Two people in particular stand out. The first is my paternal grandfather. I have never known him to read a book that didn’t include photographs of classic cars and engines. He reads newspapers but that’s about it, and my grandmother agreed that she too had never seen him read a novel before. But he read mine, I thought just because I was his granddaughter. Actually he told me that it was really interesting, very descriptive, and he thoroughly enjoyed it, so much so that he read it within about two days!

The second surprise positive review came from the grandmother of my brother’s girlfriend. This was a review from someone who doesn’t know me, and I was really happy to be told that this lady thought my novel was really exciting. Apparently she enjoyed it, and is keen to see the sequel when I finally complete it.

After these, and several other positive word of mouth reviews, I am filled with renewed vigour for my writing. Now I have established that there is actually a whole new older audience, I cannot wait for them to read some more of my work. And my lesson for the week is to never underestimate what people are prepared to read.

Getting Down to Business

As mentioned previously, I have been so involved with networking and promoting my book recently that I have been rather lacking in actual writing. So tonight, after another busy day with the baby and various jobs, I forced myself to sit at the computer and not jump straight onto the internet.

I have actually managed to write another chapter of The Darkness of Love, and at the moment this book is drawing me back in. Marcus Scott is a hot character, I have to say, and this story is all about classic Victorian vampires. It is sultry, sexy and alive, despite the undead characters!

There is still a lot of work to do with this. Firstly I must persevere until all of the chapters are written in rough. The story has been buzzing round my head for months now, and I have to stop suppressing it. Then I can start at the beginning, read through, and amend the chapters as necessary.

Once that is completed, I will need to format it and find a publisher. Easy!