![]() Awesome news! The amazing Rhonda Hopkins has a new book coming out, and it's about one of my favorite subjects...no, not tequila, it's about zombies! Don't forget to add it to your shelf! Award–winning author, Rhonda Hopkins, has learned first-hand that truth is stranger than fiction. Her two decades of experience as an investigator provide her characters with a depth and realism that gives truth a run for its money. Having come in contact with the best and the worst that society has to offer, Rhonda’s imagination is filled with story ideas. Rhonda writes horror, suspense, paranormal, and YA Urban Fantasy. Rhonda also enjoys reading every bit as much as writing and tends to read a little of everything, but her personal favourites are: suspense/thrillers, romantic suspense, horror, paranormal, and YA. She grew up reading the Nancy Drew series and graduated to Stephen King novels by the time she was twelve. Rhonda loves living the small town life but enjoys residing close enough to a big city to have the best of both worlds. A native Texan, she resides in the DFW area with her Russian Blue cat. Samantha doesn't seem to realize she’s a cat and has trained her human quite well. Rhonda even swears she can talk. Social Media Links Amazon Author Page | Website/Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Google+ | Survival Cover & Blurb
Survival will be released in June 2014. I will be giving away several copies two days before the official release - randomly selected from my newsletter subscribers. Newsletter link: Click To Subscribe As Always Happy Reading Claire C. Riley
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![]() So…what is this? This blog tour is where writers and authors answer questions about their writing process. I was invited to this event by the creeptastic Rhonda Hopkins. You can read about her process here: Rhonda Hopkins Blog | Rhonda Hopkins Facebook I’ve been enjoying the other posts coming up and seeing other authors processes, and I hope that you will too. 1) What am I working on? Well, I’ve just finished working on ‘Odium II. The Dead Saga,’ (releasing May 9th) and have now started the accompanying novella ‘Odium Origins. A Dead Saga Novella Pt Two.’ I love writing these novellas, probably more than the full books they go with. There’s a lot of thought and background work which goes into each character in the books, and this information rarely gets used for anything other than just me getting to know the character fully. Certainly no one would normally see this background history. But this is where all the fun begins for me, building that character profile, their history and such. These novellas show certain parts of the characters’ lives. Obviously I can’t do every character, so I hand pick some of my favourite for readers to get a deeper look at, and hopefully give more depth to these characters for them. After Odium Origins Pt 2, I’ll be working on a short piece I’m writing as part of a collaboration with two other great writers. It’s about three serial killers and the nature vs nurture aspect I guess. I can’t say much more than that now, but needless to say I’m having great fun writing it! After that it will be the (long awaited) ‘Limerence II. Mia’ and a ton of other short stories that I’ve been working on for other anthology collaborations. 2) How does my work differ from others of its genre? People have told me that my writing style is very physical, in the sense that you get to ‘touch’ ‘smell’ and ‘feel’ what each character goes through. Making the characters as real as possible for the reader I think helps. I love writing old school style horror as well. Shuffling zombies, bloodthirsty vampires, no new angles, just plain, simple horror. 3) Why do I write what I do? So far I’ve only written dark paranormal and horror, but I do have several erotic romance stories under way and a crime thriller. I like to read pretty much any genre, believing that you should be as open as possible when reading, and that opens up a lot of the genres for writing too. So far I’ve stuck with horror as this is what I’ve always known. For as far back as I can remember I’ve been thinking up creepy little tales ha ha. 4) How does your writing process work? Generally I’ll write out a plot which will be anything from 5’000 to 10’000 words. Then I start writing. Nine times out of ten, the story ends up so different from my actual plot that I wonder why I even bothered writing one in the first place! BUT when I’m stuck in a rut and fighting writers block, I do find that re-reading my plot outline gets the juices going again and helps get me back on track. So, I try—I really try, to outline and plot, but generally my best ideas come to me when I let go and let my characters go and do their own thing, surprising us both! So now it’s my turn to invite three authors to carry on the blog tour. I’m going to invite the following: Ken Mooney—he was born in Dublin in the middle of the 1980s; he still lives there. He holds a degree in English Studies from TCD, which he totally uses every day during his day-job in TV advertising...totally. He's always been obsessed with stories, reading, writing and playing them; that explains the massive collection of books, comics, video games and discarded Word documents. His writing is a combination of all the things that he's passionate about, all the way through high-and-low-brow. Godhead is his first novel, an idea that's been floating around his head for nearly fifteen years; there might even be a (few) sequel(s) if he ever gets around to writing them... Ken Mooney Facebook Tracey Ward—author of the Quarantined Series and the Survival Series plus many more. She was born in Eugene, Oregon and studied English Literature at the University of Oregon (Go Ducks!) It was there that she discovered why Latin is a dead language and that being an English teacher was not actually what she wanted to do with her life. Her husband, son and snuggly pitbull are her world. Tracey Ward Facebook Jack Wallen—His works span genres and weave evil, conspiracy, and fear into nightmarish worlds. Jack has been given the title "Zombie King" by his readers and fans. He didn't garner that title by dining on the brains of helpless victims. It was only after writing until his fingers and mind were nothing but meat for the beasts that he became a master of the zombie genre. During that haunted hay ride Jack produced works of fiction enjoyable by not just zombie fans, but anyone daring to take a peek into what might possibly become of humanity. Of course, being of the insane writer clan, Jack isn't just happy with the penning of zombie fiction. Oh no, the nightmare does not end there. Like the late, great Freddy Mercury, Jack wants it all -- so, he will continue twisting the horror genre to meet his disturbed mind as well as write his Fringe Killer and Screampark series, and his joyous celebration of all things diverse -- Shero. For his inspiration to begin reading and writing, Jack thanks the ever-incredible Clive Barker for penning in a genre with words of grace and horror. Jack Wallen Facebook As always, happy reading Claire C Riley ♥ ![]() Way back last year I stumbled across another writer who mentioned they were doing a charity anthology. 'What's that?' I said, 'A zombie anthology purely for charity?' Well of course, I did everything I could to get in contact with the man putting it together, the wonderful T.W.Brown. He said yes straight away and I set about writing my story. You see, I've always believed that you have to give back as much as you can in this world. You never know what is going to happen from one day to the next, and Cancer, that really ugly word right there is so much more than just a word to thousands and thousands of people. It's a death sentence. It's change. It's loss. It's suffering. I've been touched by cancer, both near and far, and each time I'm struck down by how brave people can be. I'm in awe of them. So this is me, doing what I can to help them fight, and with your help, I know it will make a huge difference. So buy the book, enjoy the stories by some of the most amazing zombie and horror talent around, spread the word, share the links and leave reviews. Every one of those things makes a difference, because every book we sell is more money to fight this. So let's fight this together. One last thing... Cancer, we're coming to get YOU! Buy your gore-fest here: UK links: Lets Scare Cancer To Death Ebook Lets Scare Cancer To Death Paperback USA links: Lets Scare Cancer To Death Ebook Lets Scare Cancer To Death Paperback Anthology Blurb: Cancer. For millions, there is no word that instils more fear. It is about time to give some payback. Enter a cadre of talented authors with a common purpose: to SCARE cancer to death. Okay, the premise may seem silly, but the truth is that these writers have all given their stories freely in hopes that you will be enticed to come check out this anthology. Every penny generated will be given in a quarterly check to The V Foundation for Cancer Research https://www.jimmyv.org. So, when you purchase this book, you are tossing your hat in the ring with people who are out to eradicate a killer that has touched far too many lives. Join us, and Let's Scare Cancer to Death! Participating authors: T.W.Brown Eli Constant Armand Rosamilia Mark Tufo Claire C Riley Julianne Snow Michael McFarland Blaze McRobb Rhonda Hopkins Heath Stallcup Chantal Boudreau Alyn Day T.Fox Dunham Catie Rhodes J.Thorn Gregory Carrico Lets Scare Cancer To Death Short Story Titles & Social Media Links Z Children by Eli Constant Twitter Facebook Website Blog Of the Dead by Alyn Day AlynDayOfTheDead Twitter Memories by Heath Stallcup Website Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Project Arizona by Gregory Carrico Website Facebook Twitter Goodreads Pinterest Amazon Author Page Just Life by T. Fox Dunham Website Goodreads Facebook Choices by Claire Riley Twitter Facebook Goodreads Website Amazon Author Page Dying Days Mortality by Armand Rosamilia Website Facebook Twitter Amazon Author Page Gift Wrapped Box by Catie Rhodes Website Twitter Facebook Goodreads Amazon Author Page Tunnel by J. Thorn JThorn.net Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google+ One Lonely Night by Chantal Boudreau Website Facebook Amazon Author Page Twitter Scribd Goodreads Sweet Release by Mark Tufo Amazon Author Page Website Facebook Uncle by Michael James McFarland Amazon Author Page Goodreads Facebook The Legacy by Julianne Snow Days with the Undead The FlipSide of Julianne Zombieholics Anonymous Amazon Author Page Facebook Author Page Twitter The Judas Contingent by Blaze McRob Website Goodreads Facebook Twitter Pen of the Damned Angelic Knight Press Visionary Press Collaborative My Name is Charles by TW Brown Website Facebook Amazon Author Page Survival by Rhonda Hopkins Website Addictive Reads Facebook Author Page Twitter Goodreads Google+ Amazon Author Page About The V Foundation For Cancer ResearchOUR STORY As I sit here in the UK, it's 9:30pm, I just checked the Amazon stats. I wanted to let you know how well the book is doing so far. As of right now, it's #7,937 Paid in Kindle UK Store
*** Feel proud because you helped that happen *** As always happy reading! Claire ♥ ![]() So, I'm going to let Karen Perkins giveaway of the signed paperback play out for a little longer--I'm enjoying your horror stories too much! But on with tonight's post. Rhonda Hopkins, writer of many different things--but all things creepy and horrorful. We're going to get to know a lot about her work between today and tomorrow, but tonight we'll go with The Consuming, her most recent book. The Consuming Book CoverSerena knows her late uncle wasn’t crazy. So when she inherits his sprawling Carolina mansion and leaves the big city to restore both his home and his name, she uncovers a mystery that could cost much more than her sanity. As the house slowly reveals its dark secrets, and the extent of her peril becomes evident, she’ll settle for escaping with her life—if it isn’t already too late. A Excerpt From The Consuming
Okay, spooky huh? Let's get to know about her, and trust me, you don't want to miss this interview! Get To Know Rhonda HopkinsName: Rhonda Hopkins Website: http://rhondahopkins.com Other contacts/social media sites: Facebook Author Page: http://facebook.com/RhondaHopkins.Author Twitter: http://twitter.com/Rhonda_Hopkins Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/rhondahopkins Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/rhondarhopkins Google+: https://plus.google.com/101178105814937271110/posts Link to your Amazon page and or any other place that your books can be purchased: Amazon Author Central Page http://amazon.com/author/rhondahopkins Where did you grow up? I grew up in Mansfield, Texas - a very small town of about 12,000 at the time. It's in North Central Texas near Fort Worth. What made you start writing? It seems I've always written. But one of my first memories was in second grade when I wrote "How the Raccoon Got His Mask" for a school assignment. I think that probably fuelled my imagination. Is it something that you have always wanted to do? Like I said, I think I've always written for the most part - for my own pleasure. There were a few years in there where life was so busy I didn't have time for it. I missed it and kept saying I was going to write a book one day. A friend encouraged me to do so and the rest is history as they say. Until then, I don't think I'd ever seriously considered writing for publication, but once I decided to write that first book, I knew it was what I wanted to do. What is your favourite genre to read, and do you have any favourite books or authors you would like to recommend? I love reading and I read a little of everything probably. But my favourites are horror, paranormal, suspense, YA and romantic suspense. My absolute favourite author is Dean Koontz. But I also enjoy Stephen King, Lee Child, Lisa Gardner, Lisa Jackson and many more. As for indie authors - Greg Carrico, TW Brown, Stacey Joy Netzel, Christine MacKenzie and Cate Dean are a few of my favourites. Do you ever base your characters on anyone that you know, or are they solely from your imagination? I often base characters on people I know, using mainly their personalities. I'll change names and physical characteristics. It's funny though because even when I've let people read something that was influenced by them, they don't recognize themselves. I think that's human nature. My antagonist in ILLUSION OF SAFETY Is a mixture of different people I've come in contact with while doing court investigations. Of course none of them (that I know about) have gone on a murder spree. And my main character in the COURTING JUSTICE series is a little like me, but she's a much better person than I am. She's who I strive to be. J But I also use my imagination quite a bit. It's fun making up characters and giving them quirky personalities - watching them interact with one another. About your book‘s. Tell us about your latest book. The story/plot. THE CONSUMING, is a paranormal short story. Serena knows her late uncle wasn’t crazy. So when she inherits his sprawling Carolina mansion and leaves the big city to restore both his home and his name, she uncovers a mystery that could cost much more than her sanity. As the house slowly reveals its dark secrets, and the extent of her peril becomes evident, she’ll settle for escaping with her life—if it isn’t already too late. What gave you the idea? I originally wrote The Consuming as a writing exercise. I was given the first line and had to come up with a story. It was almost like magic. I saw that line and the story just unfolded. I wrote 12,000 words in one sitting. Then I went back and edited it down to 8,000. That story received second place in a local contest. When I decided to publish it, I rewrote it from scratch and added another 2,000 words. I like this version even better. What genre is it? THE CONSUMING is a paranormal short story about a haunted house. Who is your favourite character? And why. Hmmm…I guess I'd say Serena, the main character, is my favorite. She's strong, independent and capable. And when she's up against it - she faces her fears. Although I really like Devon too, he's smart, strong and sexy. J And worst? Max, the attorney for Serena's grandfather's estate is a nice guy but scared of the house and more interested in keeping himself safe than helping Serena. He has information about the house that he won't impart because he's afraid of being labeled a nutcase like her grandfather. What are your hopes for it? I just hope people enjoy the story and my writing. What’s the project that you’re going to be working on next? I'm working on a romantic suspense series called COURTING JUSTICE. The main character is Tori Matthews and she's a family court investigator in Fort Worth, TX. The first in the series is a novella length suspense - PREDATOR. With one young girl dead and three missing, Fort Worth detectives Greg Matthews and Caleb Simmons are fighting against the clock to catch a predator. One of the missing girls is a pawn in a nasty custody case assigned to family court investigator, Tori Matthews. Could the cases be related? Teaming up with her brother and his partner, they’ll stop at nothing to find the missing girls before another child is lost forever. PREDATOR is due out at the end of September and the next novel in the series, ILLUSION OF SAFETY will be released in December. What’s the best piece of advice that you have been given in regards to your writing, and by whom? One of my friends, Kay Rifkin, got tired of hearing me say I was going to write a book one day. So she went to a local college, got a catalogue for continuing ed courses, highlighted the writing ones and told me, "It's time." And it was. Thanks, Kay! You're the best! The next best piece of advice I received was to give myself permission to write a crappy first draft. Just finish it and then worry about editing it. I'd probably still be stuck revising the same old chapters trying to make them perfect. I can't remember who told me this, but I've since heard it from several different sources. And it's something I tell new writers that I see doing the same thing I did. So for a chance to win one of two eBook copies of The Consuming all you have to do, is go LIKE her page https://www.facebook.com/#!/RhondaHopkins.Author?fref=ts and tell me what your favourite type of supernatural is. That's it.
Happy reading! Claire ♥ |
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