Review: Forged by Greed – Angela Orlowski-Peart

Here is my review of Forged By Greed - Book 1 - by Angela Orlowski-Peart:

A love story of magical proportions!

 I really enjoyed this book, although I would say it picks up more towards the end. In the beginning I struggled to get involved with the characters, but that may be due to its Young Adult setting and glamorous location (at least for someone from the North of England!). My favourite characters were Jatred and Crystal. I am definitely a Winter kid at heart! Anyway, if you want a supernatural story that’s a little bit different, I recommend you try this one out. There are shape shifters, Goddesses, and ancient magic and folklore that really get the imagination racing! It was generally well written and you can feel the love from the author on every page.

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/

Blog Lucky 7 Challenge - A Redcliffe Novel

I have been handed the challenge by WordzNerdzDebz, also known as the fabulous Debz Hobbs-Wyatt from Bridge House Publishing. She was one of the editors responsible for selecting my very first published short story The Teen Game in the Young Adult anthology Devils, Demons and Werewolves.

The challenge is to open your current manuscript or work in progress. Go to either page 7 or 77, whichever is juiciest. Copy the first seven lines on the page, and post them in your blog under this title. Then wait for your audience to react with excitement!

Here is my excerpt, taken from page 7 of my current manuscript Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel). It is the third book in my Redcliffe paranormal romance series, and this is from the very rough first draft in progress:

           “No!” I said, “I mean, yes,” I stuttered, “I just, I thought we needed a little space after what happened the other night.”
            Danny’s expression sobered a little as he stared at me.  He nodded.

            “I suppose that was wise,” he agreed, “But I will not be bullied by a tiger familiar.  Just learn to control her so she doesn’t force you to shift, and we will be safe.”
            The room spun around me and I swallowed nervously.

  

Now to pass on the challenge

Now I must choose 7 lucky and talented writers who have active blogs, and challenge them to the task. Here are my chosen few, from those who have not already done the challenge (I hope):

1. David J. Pedersen @got_angst
2. Sarah Luddington @BlakWulf
3. Craig Stone @robolollycop
4. Naomi Chance @Write_ShareNaom
5. Becca Campbell @beccajcampbell
6. Kirkus MacGowan @KirkusMacGowan
7. Rachel Chance @write_sharerachel

Have fun everybody!

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 on Valentines Day

I have to say I apologise for the title of my post, but you must forgive me! Actually, I understand love shouldn't hurt on Valentines Day. In fact it should be a beautiful celebration of our love for each other, whether we are  in long-term comfortable relationships, or shorter developing ones. I am simply offering a view of Valentines Day from the perspective of my paranormal romance novel Love Hurts.

Personally I am not celebrating Valentines Day this year. My husband and me are very busy at the moment developing our careers and raising a family, and we simply cannot afford an extravagent celebration. We barely have time to see each other these days. I am not sad about it, and our relationship is strong and secure. We accept that there are many years ahead for us to enjoy Valentines celebrations in romantic and indulgent ways.

I wonder how my characters in Love Hurts will celebrate Valentines Day? Without giving too much away, my protagonist Jessica Stone is an independent woman struggling to acknowledge that she has fallen in love. Jack Mason has his own reasons for not wanting or needing a relationship, but finds himself falling for Jessica against his will. As the old saying goes, we cannot help who we fall in love with. It happens, and we deal with it.

Back to the subject of Valentines Day. At present I am writing the third book in this opening trilogy for the Redcliffe series. It will not cover Valentines Day, because all the events happen at the end of summer, between August and October specifically. Perhaps I will write a short story about Jack and Jessica's Valentines Day. It would certainly be an interesting exercise. There would be some tension with the local werewolves who are inadvertantly involved, not to mention another vampire who keeps drawing Jessica's attention. That is all I will say for now. I do not want to spoil your enjoyment of Love Hurts.

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

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!

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!

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.

Work in Progress

It is time to stand back for a moment, take a breath, and remember the true reason for my online presence and all the social networking. I am a writer. I write stories. Currently I am trying hard to access a wider audience for my newly published debut novel. But there are other works in the pipeline, and indeed I have two more novels in progress as we speak.

The first of these is naturally a sequel to Love Hurts. Tentatively entitled Love Kills, the story picks up when Jessica is recovering from her injuries and Elizabeth is about to give birth. This story will delve deeper into my characters' emotions and moral standing. It will challenge the reader to decide who are the 'good guys' and who are the 'bad guys.' Personally I believe that everyone has their flaws and we make our own judgements. I enjoy seeing the reactions of other people.

My second work in progress is a spin-off novel called The Darkness of Love. This is the story of how my Redcliffe character Marcus Scott came to be a vampire. He surprised me in Love Hurts, so I decided to give him his own novel. I think he deserves it because he is quite a forceful character, and I am most definitly attracted to him! The Darkness of Love was originally entered into a competition but was unsuccessful. I am determined to see it through, although I seem to blow hot and cold with this one. Some days I like it, some days I don't, but mostly I do.

And that is a brief update because it is late, I am tired, and I am determined to be in bed before midnight for once. Goodnight!

Sharing Writer Profiles

I will shortly be posting some guest blogs from a fellow Indie author, and would like to take this opportunity to open an invitation to others. If you write within the Fantasy or Spiritual genre, both fiction and non-fiction, and would like a guest post on my blog, then please get in touch. We all need to help each other and get our names out there!

The Road to Literary Fame

Here is an excellent feature article in my local regional newspaper The Sentinel (North Staffordshire and South Cheshire) - Family Holidays on Cornish Coast set scene for Ghostly Tale

It feels like I'm on a wild roller coaster at the moment, and it is fantastic! A word of advice for budding writers out there: just get out and broadcast the news about your book. You will be surprised at how many people take in interest in your work. Go get 'em!

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!) 

Redcliffe and Real Life

It is so hard to leave my book alone when I want to write! I could happily sit up all night typing away, but I know that I must sleep. We have a mother and baby yoga class in the morning, then a playgroup in the afternoon. Thursday is a busy play day!

I have managed to write another chapter of my spin-off novel The Darkness of Love which tells the story of how Marcus Scott came to be a vampire. This is potentially more of a steampunk novel, but we will see. It seemed to drag for a bit, but every time I return to it I am pleasantly surprised at my work, which must be a good thing!

And I have at least written another partial chapter for the sequel to Love Hurts. Jessica is struggling with her feelings for Danny, the forbidden brother, and as the novel deepens so will the intrigue. There are more secrets to be broken, more danger to encounter, and even I am not sure what the outcome will be...