Meet My Character – WIP Blog Tour

The lovely and talented D.A. Rhine, author of Vampires on the Chesapeake Series, invited me to participate in the WIP Blog Tour. She is a fellow MD writer with a passion for romance and the paranormal. You can visit her blog HERE and check out her books HERE.

KEEP READING  FOR A SPECIAL GIVEAWAY OFFER  FROM D.A. RHINE AND SANDRA R. CAMPBELL!!

Tour questions for my current Work-In-Progress:

What is the name of your main character? Is she fictional or a historic person?

Leo (short for Leona) Marrok is a kick-ass fictional character.

When and where is the story set?

Mother Nature releases her wrath on mankind in the year 2021. Draught, flood, famine and disease decimate the human population. The modern world is in ruin, and only the strongest will survive the days that follow. This is where my story begins, several years after ‘the end’. The setting is a bunker in the Appalachian Mountains, where the Marrok family and the survivors they’ve taken in along the way, have endured extinction and become a thriving community–for the time being.

What should we know about Leo Marrok?

Leo is the daughter of Vincent Marrok, an avid doomsday-prepper, who taught her the rules of survival at an early age. She fired her first gun at age six and became a perfect marksman by age nine. In high school, Leo ran track, studied martial arts and spent countless hours in self-defense classes. At twenty-two, Leo knows how to stay alive. She has a strong will and a big heart.

What is the main conflict? What messes up Leo’s life?

Ah, there are many conflicts, daily life and family being the most difficult. Leo’s real problem arises the night she finally gives her heart to the man she loves. When her father finds out, he demands that she do the one thing she fears most in the world–bear a child. This sends to her straight into the clutches of a creature only rumored to exist. The one called ‘Halloween’ reveals a new threat, and claims to be all that stands between her, and her family’s continued existence. Without his help everyone she loves will be slaughtered for food. Leo will do anything to make sure they survive, but not all are happy about the enemy she’s brought into the bunker. Halloween and Leo must face unrelenting obstacles and defiance from the very people they are trying to protect.

What is the personal goal of the character?

Leo’s goal is to survive, so she can protect the people she loves. This includes her innocent baby brother, who is ill-equipped to handle the cruel world they must endure.

Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it?

The Dead Days Journal is a post-apocalyptic story of fear, family and love told through two points of view: Leo Marrok’s first-hand accounts and the pages of her father’s personal journal, giving two very different perspectives on what survival entails. Here is a random sneak peak…

“Stop saying you’re sorry.”

When I stood to go Ben grabbed my arm. I didn’t pull away, just looked down at him with a horrible sadness ripping through my heart. “Let go.”

Ben released his grip as a single tear escaped his eye and fell. “I love you.”

Not only did I not say it, but I never even looked back, I simply walked away. But my emotions wouldn’t let me stay quiet for long. As soon as I exited the back door I ran through the cave opening into the early dawn and down to the mountain spring-fed river. Not bothering to take off my mother’s treasured dress, I plunged into the icy-cold river and screamed through the pain.

I tried to ignore the throbbing ache in my extremities and swam to the middle where I couldn’t touch bottom and the current was strong. I floated on my back and let the river take me away. Above, the pink hues of dawn were brightening, and I watched the brilliant night stars dissolve into nothing. If only for a short time, I wished to feel nothing, be nothing. At least now my hands and feet had completely disappeared.

“Leo! What are you doing?” I didn’t have to look to know it was Lincoln. I recognized the high-pitched squeals, and swam toward shore.

Damn, kid, what are you doing outside at this hour?

Once I started to move again, my arms and legs were no longer unfeeling. My blood was moving as I waded back to shore, sharp piercing stabs replaced the numb ache.

“Why are you outside alone?”

A cool morning breeze raised fresh goose bumps. Chilled straight through to the bone, my teeth chattered like a tightly-wound plastic toy.

“I had a bad dream. You weren’t in bed.” Lincoln pulled a brown plaid scarf from around his neck and handed it to me. The scarf wasn’t much, but it was enough for me to get a spot or two dry.

“Come on, I’ll race you inside and you can tell me all about it.”

Lincoln didn’t move. He stood there, staring past me. I turned around to see Jack crouched on the opposite side of the river. His black hair was shiny wet, as was the rest of his nude, hard-coiled body. Another chill ran through me; it had nothing to do with the cold. Jack’s eyes narrowed to dark slits as he watched me take hold of my brother’s pale hand to lead him away from the riverbank. “Come on Linc, let’s run together.”

When can we expect the book to be published?

I’m currently working on some editing tweaks. Since my goal is to have this novel traditionally published, it could take some time to find the right partnership.

Enter for a chance to win a digital copy of Vampires on the Chesapeake (book 1) by D. A. Rhine – leave a comment on her blog and let her know I sent you!

 

Special giveaway!!!

 

 

 

For a chance to win digital copies of my dark fantasy series (Butterfly Harvest & Dark Migration) follow my blog and leave a comment below! 

Continue the tour on June 16th with… 

WATERFRONT WRITERS

http://waterfrontwriters.com/

&

DESIREE SMITH-DAUGHETY

http://desireesmithdaughety.wordpress.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interview with a Vampire

Val Okhovat is one of many monsters living in the pages of Dark Migration. As a rare treat he’s taken some time to sit down and talk with Maryland author D.A. Rhine.

Check out their conversation here: Interview with a Vampire

An excerpt on Val:

Val stood by the counter with a glass of red wine in his hand. There was well over six feet of him and every inch covered in hard muscle. His hair was cut so short it was a black shadow creeping over his skull, giving him a hard, menacing look. Narrow sunglasses hid his eyes – the same way I hide mine – and it looked as if his chiseled jaw and tight lips were made of solid marble. Everything about him screamed “man,” from his stance to his aura all the way to his black-tailored clothing and heavy-soled boots. Unbelievable my memory of him still remains utterly blank.

We stood silent, staring, while I tried to detect a hint of thought, an image or some scent of emotion, but there was nothing. Empty just like Officer Kelley. Val took another sip of his wine and removed his sunglasses to reveal mismatched eyes, one black as coal and the other light brown, as he continued to eyeball me.

Kendrick cleared his throat rather loudly. “Val, Seanna. Seanna, Val. Sorry Val but she doesn’t remember meeting you. Our girl isn’t much of drinker, and well, as a result has a case of inebriation amnesia.”

The corners of Val’s mouth twisted, his lips cracking open slightly as he extended an extremely large hand in my direction. “Val Okhovat. The pleasure is mine. Again.”

 

 

What Makes You Scream at Night?

I’m sure many of you can recall a night from your childhood when you awoke to a bloodcurdling scream (your own) with a feeling of fear or panic. A simple nightmare. We’ve all experienced them as kids, but as we grow older they become less frequent. But what about Night Terrors… as an adult?

In case you were wondering, night terrors are an uncommonly vivid nightmare where you not only scream, you actually jump out of bed and try to escape through a window or door. There can be physical danger involved for the sleeper and anyone in close proximity. Night terrors affect as many as 6.5 percent of all children and are considered normal until around age 6. They are far less common in adults, about 2 percent of the population. I learned that statistic after experiencing an intense night terror, which left me with a sore throat (from screaming) and a very upset husband. Nothing more frightening than waking to a screeching wife as she tries to run away.

My normal ‘scream and run’ nightmare reaction is evoked by spiders. I jump out of bed screaming and scrambling for the light switch. My husband’s usual response is, “It’s okay.” My answer, “No, it’s not.” According to him, our conversation goes back and forth for a couple minutes before I finally turn off the light and return to bed.

Most mornings I have no recollection of my movements, but may recall a portion of the dream. This is such a frequent occurrence that I researched the meaning of spiders in dreams. The results were rather interesting. On the upside, spiders are a symbol of creativity (hello writer), but they are also an indication of a feeling of being entangled or trapped. Then again, the spider dream could refer to a powerful force protecting you against a self-destructive behavior. Or, in my personal opinion, it’s because spiders have massive creep factor. Who wouldn’t jump out of bed if they saw thousands of spiders emerging from under their pillow? Last night’s incident, however, had nothing to do with the usual creepy crawlies. Not sure what I saw emerge next to the bed, but whatever it was, it was bad and I had to get away.

So, who out there has had a night terror? And do you still have them as an adult?

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Slump Hump

At times writers feel like they are standing in the shadows of a towering mountain with no way to climb it. I call this the Slump Hump. It is the moment you realize book sales have wandered off and you do not know if they will ever return. Your Inspiration Well is dry and Motivation just hopped a plane to Katmandu. Not to mention the response to your recent batch of query letters is a cricket serenade.

I have been staring at the Slump Hump and scratching my head for a couple months, unable to find my way over, around, under, or through the mounting obstacle. But I refuse to give up, because giving up is a quick path to failure. Instead I turn to a fellow writer, Desiree Smith-Daughety. Des and I are collaborating on a project, Two Weeks to Rites, which surprisingly is something I have worked on lately, but it is the only thing. To get my focus and energy back on my novels I have joined Des in a weekly Word Count Challenge. If I fail to meet my word count I am to suffer the pains of sit-ups and push-ups. One of each for every word I do not write. So, if I come up 500 words short on my weekly challenge, that is 500 sit-ups and 500 push-ups I have to sweat out. Sometimes the creative mind needs a little physical punishment. If my novel pages remain blank I will at least have six-pack abs and sculpted arms to show for my effort.

Abs  vs. Pages

Follow me on Twitter and Facebook for updates. The winner will be reveal April 20th!

TWO WEEKS TO RITES – Chapter Twelve

Another intense chapter in Two Weeks to Rites is available for public consumption. Eat up!!

Waterfront Writers

Megan spun around, almost knocking Sloane over, as she raced after the cab’s vanishing tail lights. “Wait!”

The cab driver kept going, but that didn’t stop Megan from flailing her arms and running up the gravel driveway.

Sloane lingered just outside the kitchen door and watched Megan’s retreating back, while regretting every decision she’d made as of late; she should have let Chase come, she shouldn’t have insisted they find a place in the middle of nowhere to finish their work, or ventured into a scary basement tunnel, and she most definitely shouldn’t have let that tattoo-freak bartender call them a cab. She’d take a DUI over being stuck here any day.

The crash of breaking glass echoed inside the house. Sloane quickly backpedaled away from the doorway until she hit something solid. A strangled cry escaped her mouth as she spun around to see Megan.

Megan blew out a…

View original post 1,169 more words

What the Frozen!

Living on the water is a privilege and a luxury that I’m usually very thankful for… That is until the Polar Vortex slams into our oasis and creates a giant block of ice. Our lake  is frozen solid, which sounds great if you have a pair of skates, not so great when you have a guide post that sits just out of reach of the ice eater.

Good thing my husband and I don’t scare easily, we decide to venture onto the ice and remedy the situation before the changing tides dislodge our precious pole. Necessary tools for our task include: rope, a battery operated drill, and a sledgehammer.

After tying ourselves together for safety purposes, of course. We drill the first test hole. Unbelievable, the ice is six inches thick! As we drill more ice we become confident and a lot more adventurous.

But then the work begins…

Followed by a lot of play! Our first snowman on the lake! We call him Slush, for his time with us will be short. 

Top 5 Collaboration Quotes

• I think it is in collaboration that the nature of art is revealed. ~ Steve Lacy

• Politeness is the poison of collaboration. ~ Edwin Land

• If I have seen farther than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants. ~ Isaac Newton

• Every sin is the result of a collaboration. ~ Lucius Annaeus Seneca 

• Unity is strength… when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved. ~ Mattie Stepanek

Writing is known to be a solitary task and yet literary collaborations between authors are remarkably frequent. Grimm’s Fairy Tales set the standard for literary collaborations in 19^th Century Europe. This grisly collection of short stories has stood the test of time and proves that writing collaborations can be successful. Since the Grimm Brothers there have been famous joint efforts, dynamic writing duos like: Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast. Even the King, as in Stephen King, partnered up with Peter Straub in the Talisman, which is why I recently entered into my first writing collaboration with fellow author Desiree Smith-Daughety. Our experimental project Two Weeks to Rites is a ghostly web series written exclusively for Waterfront Writers.com.  You’ve probably seen it mentioned here a time or two. Maybe you’re reading Two Weeks to Rites, maybe you’re not…. But hopefully you’ll take a moment to investigate what we expect will be an ongoing writing collaboration.

TWO WEEKS TO RITES – Chapter Nine

Beat the winter blues with another edgy installment of Two Weeks to Rites!

Writing Collaboration or Mad Libs Mayhem?

Never know what you’re going to get….

Writing Collaboration or Mad Libs Mayhem?.

WHEN BOOK IDEAS ATTACK!

Top 5 Places NEW Book Ideas Attack

Sleeping – You wake one second before the alarm blares with the next bestseller dancing through your head. But as soon as you reach for the paper and pen you stashed next to the bed, the idea is lost. Sometimes preparation does not pay.

Traffic Jam – An idea of incredible magnitude flashes before your eyes–or was that the brakes lights of the car in front of you. The only tool at your disposal is the cell phone you’re not allowed to use in the car. And the watchful cop sitting next to you in traffic is just waiting for you to reach for it. The standoff ends when you finally accept the fact that the cop is faster than you.

In the shower/on the treadmill – The music is awesome via the newest track on your IPod or your best shower karaoke. The party is going strong, until that idea pops in your head. You stumble on the treadmill and pray no one saw you, or frantically try to rinse the burning suds from your eyes. Either way, the idea vaporizes faster than it appeared.

After a disaster – During a dinner event, the topic of conversation turns to the newest and worst tragedy the world has ever experienced. The light bulb in your head goes off. You grin and rub your hands together knowing this is the one. Everyone at the table notices your excitement… The idea is shelved and you’re never invited to dinner again. Timing is everything.

Working on your current book – This is the most common and easiest to overcome. When an unexpected idea shows up as you’re typing a critical death scene in your current Work-In-Progress, stop and open a new ‘idea’ file! I recently survived a vicious attack by two new novel ideas while working on my latest WIP. This is in addition to the sequels I need to write for two separate series. Now, I just have to find the time to write them.