Happy Easter!

This is a little late, but I just got home from out of town. I hope you have had a lovely Easter holiday.

The Midnight Spell On Sale This Week for 1.99 in ebook!

The Midnight Spell is on sale this week on Kindle and Nook for just $1.99!

Kody and I love our collaboration together and we hope that our fans will give our paranormal YA novel a chance. We recognize it's different from our usual forays into horror and dark fantasy, but it contains elements we're known for: solid characterization, witty human, suspense, and some spine-chilling scenes of the supernatural kind.

Snag your copy today and make sure to add it to your Goodreads list!

Adam and Christy have been best friends since kindergarten. Always the perpetual outsiders in their small town in Texas, they’ve always had to deal with nasty comments from their classmates. Adam is called “gay” while Christy is called “witch.”

On both counts the bullies are right.Their junior year in high school seems destined to be the same old same old until Christy decides to cast a love spell for Adam at the midnight hour. The next day an alluring and mysterious new boy enrolls at school and sets hearts a flutter, including Adam’s. Meanwhile, Christy’s mad crush on the handsome Ian seems to be going nowhere fast. Struggling to capture the heart of Ian while trying to come into her full witch powers is tough enough, but when a great evil arrives in town that threatens everything they hold dear, she realizes that finding a boyfriend is the least of her and Adam’s worries.Soon Adam, Christy, their potential love interests, and their good friends Drifter and Olivia, will have to battle a force of darkness that has killed in their town before and will again.

Purchase your copy today!

Writing Advice: Earning Your Character Deaths

The other day I was scribbling down some notes for Pretty When She Destroys while waiting in line for the early screening of The Host. As I wrote out the basic details of a major character death and how it impacts the story and the characters, my thoughts inevitably drifted to how fans of the trilogy will respond. I do like to keep my fans happy, but I have to also make sure that I'm writing a balanced story that stays true to the universe I've created.

Even though I'm known for offing characters, I don't do it lightly. I actually really do agonize over each death. It has to fit within the context of the story and not be just for shock value. I hate it when a writer kills a character just to freak out the readers. I always make sure that the plot, world building, etc, create a dangerous environment for all characters involved, so that if one dies it makes sense. Though there are many senseless deaths in the real world, I don't feel the need to throw a random death into the mix just to upset the readers.

A few vague examples of my characters dying and the set-ups:

• One of my characters had zero impulse control. None. They acted without thought and purely on instinct. In the dangerous world they lived in, this was not a great idea, though it made them look like an utter badass in the eyes of the fandom.  I feared for their survival. It wasn't a matter of if they was going to die, but when. By the time the character did die, both the character and I knew it was their inevitable fate and we were both okay with it. 
• On of my characters was very beloved. People would send me emails requesting that they not die. Yet, the character chose a dangerous path in pursuit of saving another person. The character put themselves in danger's way and knew it. When the character was killed by the Big Bad, it came as a shock to some. Yet, the Big Bad had every reason to want the character dead and the character put themselves straight in the villain's cross-hairs  The outcome was pretty much set in stone after that.
• One of the hardest deaths I ever had to write was for a character who never even got close to a happy ending. Their life was stolen away from them by the incredibly dangerous world they lived in. In fact, the character had already avoided death a few times, but had put themselves in a very dangerous situation to be near someone they loved. The brutality of the environment took the characters life.

Growing up, I was a huge fan of Alfred Hitchcock's films. His films slowly burn to the dramatic climaxes, and are always fraught with tension and excitement. He had a gift with creating scenarios that were terrifyingly dangerous to the characters, but often the characters were oblivious until it was too late. It was the audience that knew that the character was in terrible danger. I took note of how masterfully he did this and have tried to emulate it in my writing.

Since I'm a horror writer, I am always dealing with some sort of aspect of horror. Monsters inhabit my books, but the monstrous acts of humanity are also part of the equation. The worlds that my characters live within are dangerous to begin with and the actions of the characters weave difficult webs for them to escape without loss of some sort. Sometimes it's the loss of their very lives.

I recently finished watching the first four seasons of Being Human (UK). One of the aspects I really admired was the slow decline and eventual death of (highlight for spoiler) Mitchell.  Everything about the character's world and past screamed violence, danger and death. The character had lived his life so brutally, it was natural that the character's end would come from violence. Yet, the way the final scene worked out was surprising. Yes, the character died, but not because of hatred, but love. Redemption came through how the character died. It was perfect.

The point of this post, as a prepare for Pretty When She Destroys, is that character deaths are coming. They're going to be brutal and without mercy. Some characters will die unexpectedly. Some will sacrifice themselves. The main protagonist, Amaliya, will make some choices that may not be exactly popular with the fans, but they are the best ones she can make while facing the possible end of the world.

Amaliya never did believe in happily ever after. Chances are, she won't have one, but she's not going to lose her chance for one without a fight.

The Lack of Decent F/F Stock Art

There was a tiny bit of mocking and teasing about the cover of PRETTY WHEN THEY COLLIDE sharing cover art with a lesbian erotica called HOT BUZZ, but the reality of the situation is that there's hardly any F/F stock art available that doesn't look pornographic or like its done for the explicit (blargh) reason of appealing to the male gaze. It took a long time to find a picture where the women looked like they were portraying strength, yet devotion to one another.

The blond girl looks like she'll kick your ass if you mess with her woman. The woman behind her looks like she loves her partner and is holding her protectively.

It worked perfectly for Cass and Aimee. I have no regrets about using it and if I'm sharing stock art with another author who writes F/F erotica, so be it. Good lesbian stock art is so hard to find I'm not even sure what I will do if I write another Cass and Aimee novella.

Just a few thoughts...

Where You Can Purchase Episode 2 of the In Darkness We Must Abide Serial

Available today for .99!

Rhiannon's Bookstore

In Darkness We Must Abide Episode Two Available Today!

I'm so excited! Today the second episode of In Darkness We Must Abide, entitled Death in the Shadows, is available in most ebook formats at various online stores.  It may take a little longer for it to show up on some stores (like iTunes), but you can by the ebook in nearly every format at my website by clicking here.

Episode 2

Death has claimed a Socoli, but the family curse will not allow him to stay dead. Vanora and Alisha must battle the creature that stole their brother's life while fearing the possible resurrection of Roman. 

Don't forget to add the book to your list at Goodreads.

 

Also, check in with the Read Along hosted by Lori Parker at Parajunkee.

You can also download the first episode for FREE from my website by clicking on the book cover.

Book Release Dates for 2013

Here is a quick update on the release dates for my novels coming out 2013.  I know many of my fans try to keep track of what is coming out in order not to miss anything.

I have several other projects on the back burner, so things may switch up a bit. Plus, if I end up signing a contract with a publisher for a new book my indie novels may get their release dates shifted back a few months.

Books Published Since January 2013

Fighting to Survive
(from Tor)

Release date January 29, 2013

The Midnight Spell

Released February 28, 2013

Pretty When They Collide

A Novella in the Pretty When She Dies Universe

Released March 15, 2013

In Darkness We Must Abide

Episode One

Death Comes Home

Released March 2013

Confirmed For Release 2013

SIEGE: As The World Dies Book 3

Mass Market Paperback

(from Tor)

Release Date April 30, 2013

Pretty When She Destroys (Pretty When She Dies #3)

Cover to be Revealed

Release Date July or August 2013

Upcoming Releases

(dates yet to be confirmed)

In Darkness We Must Abide

Full Serial

To be released every 2 to 3 weeks until completed.

Estimated Release of Paperback Omnibus October 2013

As The World Dies Untold Tales Volume 3

(Final Short Story Collection in ATWD Universe)

Estimated Release May 2013

The Lament of the Vampire Bride 

(Vampire Bride #3)

Estimated Release December 2013

I'm In a Cover War! OH MY GAWD!

Ah...the joys of stock art. Big publishers, small publishers, and Indie Authors all utilize the images from photoshoots for photo manipulation/digital painting covers. There are massive stock photo depositories (like istock, depositphots, etc) where you can search for hours for just the right image.

I came across the perfect image for Cass and Aimee sometimes last year and Kody Boye (who had credit on his stockphoto account) bought it for me.

This is what it looked like BEFORE and AFTER Claudia McKinney of Phat Puppy Art did her magic.

I really, really loved the image because I felt it went perfectly with the Pretty When She Kills cover artwork and the yet to be revealed Pretty When She Destroys cover.

Today I got a Twitter mention by KT Grant that read:

I followed the link to the Book Whore Blog and found my cover in "battle" with KT Grant's cover for her novel Hot Buzz. From the description I think it's safe to say it's steamy lesbian erotica. 

Now, I had actually seen this cover about two weeks before Pretty When They Collide came out, but I wasn't worried. My novel is UF/Horror and her works are Erotica. There was a possibility of fan bleed over to some degree, but I didn't see an issue with the image being shared on novels. The vibe (hehe) on both covers is totally different anyway.

DA DA DUM!!!!!

But today they are pitted against each other in a battle of covers! So go vote for your favorite!

Special thanks to KT Grant for giving me the heads up and also being so cool. I'll be guest posting on her blog in the very near future.

In Darkness We Must Abide Episode 2 Coming Soon!-Details

My new supernatural serial, In Darkness We Must Abide, has been garnering quite positive reviews. A lot of you have been telling me how anxious you are to read the next episode, which was music to my ears! I'm so thrilled that my readership is enjoying my foray into putting out a serial.

You can download the first episode for FREE at my website by clicking here.

The next episode will arrive on March 22nd and is titled Death in the Shadows.

For an exclusive sneak peek at the next episode pop over to the website for In Darkness We Must Abide by clicking here.

The In Darkness We Must Abide Read Along is underway. It's hosted by Lori Parker at Parajunkee. You can read Lori's review, enter a giveaway to win the SECOND episode in the serial, and view links to other bloggers participating in the read along. You can also post your answers to the questions in the comments.

If you have a blog and would like to join the Read Along, please let Lori know. You can sign up via her blog by clicking here.

The cover for episode 2 should be ready for the big reveal sometime this week, so keep an eye out for its unveiling.

Why I'm Incapable of Writing Romance (YA, PNR, Or Otherwise)

With the recent success of Samantha Young and Abbi Glines with their Contemporary New Adult romance novels, a lot of Indie Writers who were writing Paranormal Romance (PNR), Urban Fantasy (UF), or Horror, are now starting their own Contemporary New Adult novels.

The old adage of "Write what you know" has been changed to "Write what sells books."

Which makes sense if you want to make a living at writing and you want to sell books.  

Almost as soon as Samantha Young penned her big deal and ended up on the NYC Bestseller list (which is amazing and kudos to her!) for On Dublin Street, imitators were everywhere. Even her beautiful cover by Claudia McKinney of Phat Puppy Art was mimicked. I've seen this sort of jumping on the bandwagon before after the successes of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight (that's why we have so many PNR YA books now) Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games (Dystopian) and E.L. James erotic fan fiction of Twilight, Fifty Shades of Grey (hence the tons of erotica with light BDSM themes). Success stories always inspire a frenzy in the hot new genre because writers do want to be successful and make a living a their writing.

I'm a horror writer. At least that is how I label myself. I've seen my books tagged as Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Fantasy, Chick Lit (???), YA (only The Midnight Spell is YA), and onward. Many people consider horror to be "icky," so I get why I get categorized differently.

Over the years I have been asked by interviewers and readers why I just don't write PNR or UF.  Now that the big craze is Contemporary New Adult, I'm hearing that question again.

So...why don't I write romance heavy novels?

The closest I've have ventured toward writing a book that could possibly qualify as a romance is Pretty When They Collide. Though the two main protagonists spend the majority of the book apart from one another and dealing with bad guys, the main purpose of the story is seeing them come together at last.  Yet there isn't a steamy sex scene, the bad guys in this book are BAD, the elements of horror are definitely in play, the couple doesn't actually interact until the end of the book, and their happily ever after is questionable They have to survive Pretty When She Destroys still.

Frankly, I don't think I'm capable of writing a romance novel.

Here are my reasons:

1. I can't write a YA romance novel because I have teenage nephews. 

Seriously, even though they're amazing and handsome kids, I have a front row seat to what real teenage boys are like. The teenage boys in the YA novels I've read (that were PNR, UF, or Dystopian) bore little to no resemblance to teenage boys that slouch on my sofa watching zombie movies with me. The hunky, mature, dreamy teenage boys of YA come across as so unrealistic, I just giggle at times. So...no YA romance for me.

That's why the teenage boys in The Midnight Spell are not objects of perfect male beauty or mature beyond their years. As Olivia would say, "They're grungy, stupid boys."

Example of Regular Teenage Boys: Ian from The Midnight Spell. He's pretty, but so good at putting his foot in his mouth.

2. If the sole purpose of a novel is to get the two leads to fall in love, I'm bored. 

I have to have a richer, fuller story where the romance is just a part of the whole. There has to be excitement and danger and not of the bedroom kind. I enjoy seeing people falling in love despite all the bad stuff happening around them.

Example of a Couple Destined to Be, but Gotta Fight For It: Cass and Aimee from Pretty When They Collide and Pretty When She Kills.  Glynis and Ignatius from The Vampire Bride Series.

3. I don't like stupid people who can't figure out if the other person likes them or not for like the entire book!

Oftentimes, an author will throw in tons of plot devices and make their characters downright ridiculously stupid to prevent the couple from getting together. It's like a soap opera. Everyone is beautiful, but has no IQ to speak of. I hate how stupid characters come across. "This guy just kissed me passionately in the rain, but I'm not sure he likes me!"  Well, at the very least, he finds you kissable!

I can't make characters stupid just for the sake of being stupid. 

If a character is a young woman, then I'm okay with her being a bit daft. We all had to learn how to read the very confusing cues men (and women) can give off. It can be a little complicated at first to sort out exactly what is going on, and sometimes circumstances really do keep us from trusting our instincts to take a leap of faith with someone. I don't mind a complicated relationship, but when a couple is completely daft, I'm out. 

Example of Couples with Complications: Samantha and Jeff from Pretty When She Kills and Juan and Jenni in As The World Dies.

4. I find "falling in love" boring. 

Yeah. I do. The whole fluttery, crazy, intoxicating lust at first sight kind of love is the most annoying part of love in my honest opinion. You have your blinder's on and you're nuts in lust with someone, and you're sure they're just the most perfect person on the planet and its all starry and fabulous and there are unicorns...Flash forward a year when they've left their wet towels on the bed and forgot to walk the dog or feed the cat. Then we'll see the TRUE aspect of love. Real love develops over time and with work. That's the good stuff. The solid stuff. I like seeing those kind of relationships in books.

Even after a decade with my husband, I can still walk into a room and see him smile at me and feel tingly all over. There are times when he just grabs and kisses me. It's fun and sexy and reminds me of how much I love him. And why I shouldn't shove him down the stairs when he's left his laundry all over the floor.

Example of True Lasting Love: Katie and Travis's relationship in the AS the World Dies trilogy.

5. I like seeing relationships develop among characters. 

Not just falling in love, but actually developing the bonds that will keep them together for the long haul. I hate it when a couple meets, gets together, and everything is just magically perfect. I enjoy seeing two people slowly finding strength in one another and encouraging each other to be a better person.  

Example of a Developing Couple: Amaliya and Cian in Pretty When She Dies were sizzling hot when they got together, but in Pretty When She Kills we get to see them adjusting to being actual partners in love.

6. I hate writing sex scenes. 

Yeah. I do. Completely. I HATE sex scenes. Yet, once in awhile a story needs one to develop the characters or push the plot forward. It's more than just about two people getting sweaty and naughty, it's about what is happening emotionally, spiritually, or supernaturally.  

I usually try to just skirt around sex scenes as swiftly as possible. I don't like explicit scenes and will only write them if absolutely necessary. Every time I write a book that demands an explicit sex scene, I sit back and whimper. It amuses me that I've had readers beg me for more sexy times in books.  I can't imagine writing a book and deliberately putting in sex scenes. Blargh!

Example of Hot Couple With an Explicit Sex Scene: Amaliya and Cian in Pretty When She Dies.

Example of Hot Couple Without an Explicit Sex Scene: Jenni and Juan in As The World Dies.

7. I like to kill characters. 

Romance novels (in every genre) demand a happily ever after of some sort. That's probably not going to happen in a Rhiannon Frater novel. It's so rare that fans send me emails of relief when a favorite couple last until the end of a book. As I prepare to write Pretty When She Destroys I already know that...*bites lip* Well, let's put it this way, not everyone makes it out alive.

Examples of Doomed Couples: All of them???

PRETTY WHEN THEY COLLIDE Release Day!

Aimee & Cass's first appearance in PRETTY WHEN SHE KILLS instantly made them a fan favorite. Many fans sent me messages hoping that the witch and dhamphir would take on a bigger role in the final book of the PRETTY WHEN SHE.. Trilogy entitled PRETTY WHEN SHE DESTROYS.  I had been wanting to write about how Aimee and Cass meet initially for some time. The positive fan response inspired me to write a prequel novella. It's full of danger, action, and some serious magic!

I'm happy to announce that the book is available today! Make sure to pick up a copy and enjoy their dynamic tale!

An exciting new novella set in the world of Pretty When She Dies... Cassandra is a dhamphir-the offspring of a vampire and mortal woman-and a thief of occult relics. Aimee is a full-blood witch that is bound to a powerful vampire who traffics in the slavery of supernatural beings. Both are powerful, lonely, and trapped in the dangerous world of the vampires. When Cassandra steals a relic from Aimee’s vampire master, he targets her as his next acquisition. What he doesn’t realize is that a chance encounter between Cassandra and Aimee ignited a spark between them that they cannot deny. To survive, the women must find a way to band together and fight against the ruthless evil that conspires to enslave them forever.

Please let me know what you think of the story! I'd love to hear your thoughts. If the book is successful, I would definitely love to write more about Aimee and Cass.

 You can get your own copy of PRETTY WHEN THEY COLLIDE by clicking on the icons below.

Paperback

In Darkness We Must Abide Episode 1 Cover Reveal!

I'm incredibly excited to present the cover for the first "episode" of IN DARKNESS WE MUST ABIDE, my brand new supernatural serial.  Every 2 to 3 weeks a new episode will be released.

In Darkness We Must Abide is the epic saga of one young woman caught in the dangerous world of the creatures of the night.

My husband was awesome enough to create the cover and Ashley from Bookish Brunette Designs did the typography.  It was a lot of fun watching my husband alter the stock art I purchase and create my albino heroine from the series.

So here is the final cover....

The first episode is available for FREE at my website in most ebook formats (.mobi, .epub.) and you can read it for FREE at Goodreads.com. It may take a bit longer for it to appear on Nook and Kindle for free, but we're working on it.  The ebook will also be available for FREE on Kobo by Friday.

Lori Parker from Contagious Reads will be hosting a Read Along that she'll be posting at Parajunkee.com. If you're a blogger and would like to participate, please sign up below for more information.

Latest News and Updates

Here is another quick round up of what is going on in my writing career!

Available Now

Kody Boye and I are thrilled that our Paranormal Young Adult novel is now available for purchase. The blog tour recently wrapped up and it was a lot of fun. The winner of the grand prize giveaway will be announced soon.

The novel is available in ebook and paperback. You can also order autographed copies from my online store.

Check out the reviews of the novel at Goodreads and add it to your own To Read list.

Upcoming Releases

Just a big reminder that PRETTY WHEN THE COLLIDE, a novella in the universe of PRETTY WHEN SHE DIES, will be released on March 15, 2013 in ebook and paperback. It tells the story of the first meeting between Cass and Aimee, the witch and dhamphir from PRETTY WHEN SHE KILLS and is chock full of action, magic, and sizzling chemistry. The official cover reveal is also on March 15th, and is being hosted by Xpresso Tours.

If you have a blog, you can still sign up to participate. Just click on the image below.

If you're a book reviewer and have your own blog, please feel free to contact me to receive an UNEDITED advance review copy of the novel. It's available in most ebook formats. Just email me at rhiannonfrater at gmail and include the name of your blog, url, and which format you'd like the book in.

In Darkness We Must Abide Serial Update

The first "episode" of IN DARKNESS WE MUST ABIDE is ready for publication and my hubby is putting the final touches on the cover. I hope to have a release date by the end of this week. I'm working on the verbiage for the synopsis, and tweaking it.

The first "episode" will be free across all ebook platforms, with each episode after it being .99.  When the serial is done, we'll release an omnibus in paperback.

Newsletter Sign Up - Don't Miss Out on Exclusive Deals!

My second newsletter goes out this week and it will have an EXCLUSIVE deal in it for all the newsletter subscribers.  In the first one there was excerpts from AS THE WORLD DIES UNTOLD TALES VOL 3 and THE MIDNIGHT SPELL.  There will be more exclusive excerpts in the next newsletter.  Make sure you subscribe today!

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