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New Year, New Beginning

2012-01-03T20:23:00.000-06:00

After taking a year-long hiatus from all things related to writing, my one and only New Year's resolution this year is to write more, so this represents my brand new start. Of course, this is a promise I make to myself often, that there will always be time tomorrow, but there are no guarantees, so I have to make time to do the things I love, or not get the chance to do them at all.

This year I read a lot, mostly on my Sony e-reader. The whole e-book thing has really taken off, with a huge boom in e-book sales this past year. The big-box stores now carry Kindles and Nooks at affordable prices, making them easy to own, and super convenient. The introduction of the Kindle Fire is a game-changer, as it appears to be able to do all the things an i-Pad does at a fraction of the price. Even in my own sales, I've noticed Amazon is head-and-shoulders above the competition, so even though I originally wanted a Sony reader so that I could open all kinds of files (not just Kindle-formatted files), I am a huge supporter of the Amazon Kindle. Hey, if such a device can encourage people to read more, I'm all for it.

I've been wading through my gigantic list of book freebies I've downloaded. Most of them are generally Christian romance. I'm not a huge fan of the genre, but I do like the uplifting message most try to convey. As long as they don't get too preachy (often a huge mistake in books of that nature), I like the simplicity of it. I tend to enjoy the historical/western ones that blend the Christian romance in. However, reading this genre doesn't do much for my own inspiration since I have no interest in writing those types of books. Maybe that's telling me something right there.

I've also spent a lot of time playing video games this past year. I tend to really enjoy the ones that are more story-and-character-driven (obviously). I definitely don't fit into the 'typical gamer mold,' but it's still something I enjoy. Unfortunately it's been cutting into my valuable writing time significantly (I'm looking at you, Dragon Age and Skyrim). I can't be content with a game that generally takes about ten to twelve hours to beat, oh no. I go for the monsters that can take anywhere between 20 and 100 hours (depending on how much side questing you want to do). Fit a full-time job in there somewhere and you'll get an idea of how difficult it can be for me to just sit down and write.

Last year around this time, I'd only been living in my new house for two months, so there was an adjustment period there while we settled in and got used to the rhythm of a new life. I'm not sure I've really found that rhythm yet as life just seems so uncertain these days. But I am definitely trying. Hopefully I'll have something to show for all this effort by the end of the year. Several somethings would be nice, but I don't want to overwhelm myself.

Here's to a happy (and hopefully productive) new year!

Time off

2011-10-22T16:16:00.000-05:00

I realize it's been a long time since I've bothered updating my blog, but there has been very little going on in my little writing world lately. For whatever reason, my muses seem to have mostly deserted me. Don't get me wrong, the desire to write is still there. However, every time I attempt to approach the computer I start feeling slightly sick. I attribute this to the recent stress I've been experiencing. My writing can't support me, so I'm forced to work full-time, yet I find myself at a point in my life where I'm no longer excited or happy about the prospect of my job. I'm thinking a career change is in order, and as much as I wish I could just quit my job and concentrate on my writing, that's not really an option, at least not at this point in my life (and probably not ever).

There have been a few big changes in my life recently, and I think I'm about to experience a couple more sooner than I'd like. But know that I'm trying very hard to get my writing back on track. I've returned to working on the sequel to the rather popular The Prince's Knight. I can't give an estimated completion date since I can't predict the future at this point, but at least I'm trying. That's really all I can do.

May Scavenger Hunt--Character Interview

2011-05-02T14:48:00.001-05:00

All month long, Purple Sword, Whimsical Publications and Astraea Press are hosting a scavenger hunt. Authors from all three publishers have created character interviews to let you get to know their characters a little bit better. This next part is important: If you want to participate you must email our publicist, Robyn White, at promorobyn@gmail.com. She will send you a list of participating authors along with the questions you will need to answer in order to enter to win.

Following is my character interview with Alecandros, the male lead from my paranormal romance, Tied to a Demon:

Thank you for joining us today, Alec. For those who might not know you, why don’t you start off with telling us a bit about yourself.

First of all, my full name is Alecandros. Very few people are allowed to use the shortened version of my name.

So sorry, Alecandros. I should know better.

Yes. You should. I’m a demon from the nine hells, though I haven’t always been a demon.

So how does one become a demon?

It’s a long and painful process. Not something I would recommend. When I underwent the change, it was an experimental process, a method designed by perhaps the greatest wizard of his time and the leading expert on demonology, Reynauld. Essentially, the subject’s soul must be separated from his body. In my case, Reynauld had plans for me, so he needed my soul. After yanking it out, he stuffed it back in because he couldn’t have a soulless demon running around. I guess it worked out in the end, though I wish the process would have erased more of my memories.

So you remember most of your life before?

I remember a great deal more than I think I should. It’s strange. Becoming a demon felt like having someone remove the wool over my eyes. I could see things clearly for the first time. As a result, everything that’s happened to me since that moment feels more real, like my real life didn’t begin until I lost my soul. My previous life is a bit muddled and fuzzy. The easiest moments for me to remember occurred towards the end of it unfortunately.

These events you speak of. Are they the reason you chose to submit to the process of becoming a demon?

Yes. Before that I was a renegade wizard. I had so much power, I cared little for the consequences of my actions. My own experiments were everything to me, and I didn’t balk at the thought of taking human life if it furthered my research. Towards the end, I was being hunted, and sought refuge with Reynauld. It turned out he could use me, but by that point I didn’t care. I only wanted to escape the hunters.

So what were you researching?

Oddly enough, my studies weren’t that different from Reynauld’s. I just went about it in a different way. I was studying the way a human’s soul was connected to its body. I began with animals, but I could learn very little from them since they’re so different.

What made you take the leap from animal experimentation to human?

I grew frustrated. You’re probably looking for a more satisfying answer, but that’s all it was. Animals couldn’t tell me what I wanted to know, so I moved on.

Let’s do the same. What became of you after Reynauld turned you into a demon?

Well, I don’t want to give too much of the story away, so I will just say that he made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. Instead of unlimited freedom, I found myself in the nine hells, awaiting my eventual release. Let me tell you, the hells are not a pleasant place. The seventh hell was my ‘home,’ for lack of a better term. I hated the place.

What does a demon do for fun then?

Most of my fellows dreamed up new ways to torture people. But I was stuck with my soul, so it was different for me. I moped a lot, in the beginning. There wasn’t a lot to do besides wait for the event that would finally set me free. And once I was free, there was no way I was going back.

Just a few more questions before I let you go. Shanna isn’t the first witch who’s summoned you, yet she called you forth from the nine hells. Care to explain that?

The other witches all knew what they were doing. If Shanna had bound her circle properly, she would have been able to send me back, too. But once I broke free, there was no turning back.

Well, she did summon you accidentally.

Yes. And I used that to my advantage.

What did you think of Shanna when you first saw her?

I reacted badly at first, but being ripped from someplace and thrown into another is disconcerting. Once I’d adjusted to my surroundings, I realized Shanna wasn’t the all-powerful witch I imagined. She was struggling. I found her clumsiness adorable, but she’s just lucky I’m the worst thing she’s ever summoned.

Thank you for answering my questions today, Alecandros. One last thing. Are we thinking sequel?

I should think not. A prequel might be possible, but I think my adventuring days are mostly over now, and I prefer it that way. I’m quite happy with the way things turned out. Let’s just leave it at that, shall we?

An Update

2011-04-08T17:14:00.000-05:00

Yikes. Life has really derailed my writing career lately and I feel horrible about it, but I just can't force myself back on track. I'm trying very hard to get my head back in the game, but unfortunately it hasn't been that easy. I've recently started working overnights, which can be hard on anyone, so my sleep has been suffering, and when I feel groggy/drowsy/tired, I just can't write. I worry about it constantly, but even approaching the computer will give me a greater case of lethargy. I cringe at the idea of even entering the room that houses my computer. Once my schedule settles down a bit, I hope things will get better. Even being able to write this blog post is a step in the right direction.

Here's another step:

ATTENTION ALL READERS: Who wants to join in some scavenger hunt mayhem and fun for the month of May? Learn more about your favorite authors, their work and their wonderful characters in our Character Interview Blog Bash! Great prizes to be won, as well! Please email Robyn at promorobyn@gmail.com if you would like to participate and she will put you on a contestant list!

Purple Sword is set to participate, so I am working on a character interview (and currently procrastinating over it). I've never written one before and just settling on the character I wanted to do it for took me about two weeks. But seeing as how I haven't even really touched my computer in those two weeks either, except to check email, I get sidetracked easily by everything that's been happening, with fellow authors, in the world in general, by this great news I just had to share. Well, I'd better get to it!

End of Days

2011-02-28T04:28:00.000-06:00

Once in a while, when I find I'm at an impasse on a current project, I find it helpful to take a stab at something new. Royal Guard Book 2 is the project I'm currently working on, but considering the first book was the last thing I published, I've been finding it a bit difficult to dive right back into that world, so I found myself in need of a distraction.

I briefly entertained the notion of taking on a pseudonym to publish short, strictly erotica books, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Promoting books under one name is difficult enough. Just thinking about the logistics involved for two names made my head spin.

Still, I have decided to pen some shorter tales revolving around angels and demons. The basic premise has been done before, in certain ways. You might refer to my angels as valkyries for instance. But I've decided not to call my Armageddon Ragnarok. The end of the world is simply known as the End of Days, and while it fills the angels with dread, the demons are looking forward to it. Both sides are tasked with choosing their warriors. In the first book, which doesn't have a title just yet, Kieran's target is Samantha Jordan. He doesn't know why the demons want her, but he does know that the angels are after her as well. Yet, Kieran is the best at what he does. There shouldn't be a problem, until an angel makes him an offer he can't refuse.

Purple Sword Blog and Facebook

2011-02-22T14:43:00.000-06:00

Want a great way to keep track of Purple Sword's authors, their great new releases, and everything else Purple Sword?

Check out their wonderful, in-depth blog here: http://pspreleases.blogspot.com/?zx=23678a80cd0b4832.

Or become a friend on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Purple-Sword-Publications/107420692619430?sk=wall.

Tied to a Demon nominated for an award!

2011-01-12T21:23:00.001-06:00

Tied to a Demon has been nominated for its second award, this time for Siren Book Reviews' Best Books of 2010, in the paranormal romance category.

Even better, Siren is entering all voters into a contest to win free e-books, so click on the link to go vote for me and get your name entered in the drawing:
http://sirenbookreviews.weebly.com/nominees-paranormal-romance.html

Voting lasts until Feb. 1st.

Their reviewer for Tied to a Demon had very nice things to say about it. She gave the book 5/5 Siren Stones. Here's a quote, though it was difficult to choose just one:

"Tied to a Demon kept me up until the wee hours of the morning because I was unable to put it down."

In my opinion, that's the highest compliment an author can receive.

Please, go visit the website to read the full review: http://sirenbookreviews.blogspot.com/2010/10/rachel-d-thompson-tied-to-demon.html.

Review for The Prince's Knight

2010-12-29T09:57:00.000-06:00

Fallen Angel Reviews has given four out of five angels to The Prince's Knight.

"Watching Aric and Matthew's relationship grow and their need to protect each other was beautiful." --Teresa from Fallen Angel Reviews.

Here's the link to read the full review. She had a lot of great things to say about the book.

Yesterday, while I was trying to get some work done on the sequel, I found myself unable to concentrate. I'd just received an Advanced Reader's Copy of A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, so I pulled it out and soon found myself lost in a world of witches, daemons, and vampires. I haven't read too far yet, and it's a very big book, but I am thoroughly enjoying it. This book rekindled my desire to pull out my own somewhat finished vampire novel (Immortal Book 1: Blood Rage).

Now, after writing most of the book in first-person, I was having thoughts that I should switch to third. Personally, I had grown sick of the overabundance of first-person books clogging the paranormal bookshelves. Interestingly enough, A Discovery of Witches is written using mostly first person viewpoint (switching to third for certain chapters). So while I had rewritten the first three chapters of Blood Rage, I was no longer feeling the excitement. Of course, I had a copy of the original manuscript to refer to. I dusted it off, so to speak. Except for my notes, everything is electronic. And I began reading it, all the while thinking to myself: "Wow, this is really good."

I know I'm probably not exactly the most unbiased opinion when it comes to my own work, but I suddenly hated the thought of rewriting so much material when I enjoyed the first draft so much. When I first envisioned this product, I had a very clear picture of what I wanted it to be. Rewriting it would change all of that. I've decided to continue on with the project in first-person. I need to rewrite a major plot point, and hopefully add a lot more to the book in order to make it long enough for my ultimate publication goals, but I'm once again excited to work on the Immortal series. And I'd lost hope for that.

Oh, and A Discovery of Witches is set to release Feb. 8, 2011. I strongly urge anyone who likes paranormal books to pick it up.

Featured Author

2010-12-20T14:36:00.001-06:00

Yikes! It's been awhile since I've been able to post anything. I don't have internet access right now, so I have to drag the laptop to the public library. Usually I have a list of things I need to take care of, and the blog is one of the last. My battery usually dies before I get to it.

Anyway, Merry Christmas! Hard to believe Christmas is already upon us. I wanted to get a holiday story out for the season, but that just didn't happen. I'll shoot for next year. Instead, I've started working on Royal Guard Book 2, which I've titled The King's Consort. I think it's going to have a lot more action than the first book. And the way things are looking, the story might drag out long enough to warrant a third book. I want to tackle my plans for this book first before I start worrying about that.

Today, I am the featured author on one of my friend's blogs. Tied to a Demon took a spot on her Great Reads page, so my blog spot talks mostly of that, while giving mention to The Prince's Knight, where inspiration came for Tied to a Demon, and how I first got interested in writing. Here is the link: http://charleneawilson.com/2010/12/20/373/.

I've also joined Romance Junkies Holiday Contest to give away a free copy of The Prince's Knight. I don't have any extra info about that yet, but once I know what's going on, I'll try to get it posted. The info will at least appear on my website.

Thanks for reading, and Happy Holidays!

Deadlines

2010-10-19T18:38:00.000-05:00

At this point, I'm really pushing to finish writing A Christmas Dream by the end of October. That gives me about two weeks. The deadline for submission to my publisher is Nov. 20th, so I'll spend at least one week revising and editing. I don't want to wait until the last minute to submit it, since it is a seasonal story.

I'm a huge procrastinator, so working under a deadline--even a self-imposed one--is challenging for me. But I think I do better when I work under that kind of pressure. It gives me a goal, something to shoot for. Otherwise, my books just tend to drift along, until I feel like working on them.

Once I finish up A Christmas Dream, I'll be starting work on Royal Guard 2: Untitled. I've started kicking around a few ideas for that, though I haven't gotten far in the brainstorming process. It was going to be this year's NaNo project, but with my holiday story taking top priority, I just don't think I can really commit to NaNo this year. We'll see how it goes.

Research

2010-10-17T20:24:00.001-05:00

Never underestimate the importance of research. I've learned to love doing research. It helps add realism to any story, plus you can find just about anything you want to know on the internet these days. Sometimes I get so side-tracked by research that I have to pull myself away.

I plan for A Christmas Dream to be somewhere in the 15,000 to 20,000 word range, which isn't a whole lot. For those unfamiliar with that unit of measurement, in comparison a full-length novel averages about 80,000 words. So this will be a short story. I've hit nearly 7,000 words, but I've already researched 'Sandman,' quotes, spiders, dreams, different words for dream, including 'dream' in other languages, Cayden's boots, and pics for Cayden and Noelle.

I originally wanted to name Cayden Dream, but Neil Gaiman's Sandman is already named Dream, so I wanted something different. I thought perhaps I'd choose something in a different language that still meant dream, but I didn't really like my choices, so I settled on Cayden, and I'm glad I did. I love the name.

Yesterday and today I spent some time learning about spiders. I absolutely hate spiders. Too many legs, too many eyes, blech! But I wanted to write: The spider's mandibles clicked together, so I wanted to make sure I got it right. Turns out that what I thought were mandibles are actually called chelicerae--something completely different. So I thought: what else am I mistaken about? I learned that most spiders have eight eyes and their sounds are usually inaudible to the human ear. Interesting stuff. I also had to suffer through lots of ugly spider pictures. *shudder* I might never be the same. Not a pleasant research experience, but necessary nonetheless.

The Importance of POV

2010-10-16T21:02:00.000-05:00

I'm working on Chapter 4 of A Christmas Dream now. Usually when I start working on a project, the first three chapters are a breeze, because the story is just starting out. It's still young, fresh, anxious to grow. As soon as I hit the fourth chapter, the struggle begins. Now, I am climbing uphill, fighting a difficult battle to reach the top and slide the rest of the way to the ending.

I started the book in Cayden's point-of-view. He's a unique character, and I always do well with those. I understand them better and their thoughts are very clear to me. He's somewhat of an outcast, or at least he feels that way. Alone and lonely. I relate well to him. He wants something he thinks he can never have.

Chapters 2 and 3 were told from Noelle's POV, to introduce the horror elements of the story. She has no idea what's going on around her, whereas Cayden does. But with the lack of understanding, it's easy to weave in the horror in her chapters.

I started writing Chapter 4 from her POV as well, but started struggling at the start of the very first paragraph. I was no longer feeling the story. I wanted to continue the horror elements where I left off in Ch 3, but it just wasn't meant to be. Noelle was no longer speaking to me and I couldn't force her to. I can always tell when I've started writing a bad scene -- one that I'm going to need to go back and rewrite, which seems wasteful to me. I'd rather get it right the first time. But then I thought, why not switch back to Cayden's POV and see what happens?

So I did, and the story started flowing easily once more. Cayden needs to tell this chapter, to share some of his insights with the reader.

I know I talk as if these characters are living, breathing people. I'm not crazy -- I know a lot of writers are like that. The good writers are. If you can't hear your characters speaking to you, then you're just not listening clearly.

Building a Character Part 2

2010-10-14T20:54:00.001-05:00

I was working on A Christmas Dream the other day, when I became stuck trying to describe the hero, Cayden. I wanted a description that would serve to bring him to life, but aside from describing the basics, hair/eye color, perhaps physique and height, it's hard for me to go in-depth. I hate descriptions involving lists of a character's physical attributes. What I really wanted was a way to describe the guy's profile (cheekbones, nose, that kind of thing). I've read descriptions of such things, without completely knowing what they meant. For instance, I like the sound of an aquiline nose, but wasn't completely sure what that meant. After looking it up, I decided that's not what I wanted at all.

So I decided to do something I haven't really done before. I hopped online (the internet is useful for so many things in my writing) and searched for an appropriate picture for the look I was going for. I just wanted a handsome face that would give me an idea of how to describe it. What I found instead was the whole character -- I even ended up changing Cayden's hair color to match the picture. Since I found the pic on a stock photo site, I won't post it here, but I can post the link if anyone wants to check it out:

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-26150902/stock-photo-young-handsome-man-thinking.html

I would love to somehow incorporate this picture, or at least this model, into the cover art, somehow. I don't know if that will be possible, but we'll see.

While I was at it, I also found a pic for Noelle:

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-34904140/stock-photo-portrait-of-a-young-and-beautiful-business-woman-thinking-in-something.html

I just thought it might be interesting to post some of my processes as I continue to work on this story.

Building a Character Part 1

2010-10-12T14:53:00.001-05:00

I've started working on my first holiday novel, A Christmas Dream. At first, I was having trouble coming up with ideas for the plot, but I think I've figured out the problem. It was hard for me to connect with my characters until I actually sat down and forced myself to write the first chapter. All I knew about my hero, Cayden, is that he's a Sandman, charged with delivering dreams to people. Well, how was I supposed to take that and expand it into an entire story? How did he meet the heroine? What were his intentions, interests, and goals?

I know plenty of authors prefer to sit down and map out every aspect of each character's personality, but I've never been able to work that way. Often, that means inconsistencies pop up during the first draft that I have to alleviate during re-writes, but I've never found plotting things out to be successful. For me, writing is very fluid. Things change from one moment to the next. Even if I decide I want my character to behave a certain way, that's really up to him in the end.

So I sat down and hammered out the first chapter, focusing on what I wanted to introduce in the story. Cayden's character would fall into place, and it has. I can see him clearly now, when I couldn't before. The boots helped. I wanted a distinguishing look for him, something Noelle would notice right away, something that would make her think Who is this guy?

The boots are a bit much for my taste, but they're unique and set Cayden apart. They'll also serve to give Noelle pause. After all, any guy that wears spikes on his boots could be automatically classified as a bad boy. (His black clothes and leather jacket don't help.) Such things make it hard for Noelle to trust Cayden, which is fine with him, since it makes it easier to keep his distance.

Once I had Cayden figured out, it was much easier to come up with Noelle's characteristics. In the first chapter, we're in Cayden's viewpoint, so we see Noelle through his eyes, which might be a bit biased. In the second, which is almost finished, the story takes on a bit of a horror spin, with Noelle fighting for her life. Now I'm looking forward to working on the rest. While Demon's Torment had horror-themed elements to it, it wasn't really as scary as I wanted it to be, since I focused so much on the romance. Hopefully things will balance out nicely in A Christmas Dream.

New Contest

2010-10-08T18:49:00.000-05:00

Life for me has been crazy busy lately, since my husband and I have been house-hunting. That still isn't resolved, so I'm not on the computer as much as I'd like to be. This makes writing a bit difficult, but hopefully things will be ironed out no later than the end of November. Fingers crossed.

I've signed on to be a part of LASR's Halloween Scavenger Hunt. The Hunt will last for two days, Oct. 30th & 31st, and one lucky winner will receive a free copy of Tied to a Demon. Visit their site for more details by clicking on the banner below:

I admit I'm struggling on writing anything right now. I'd like to get a Christmas story completed for my publisher by the end of November, but it's been hard for me to find the right motivation. I've never been a big fan of Christmas stories in the first place, and this could be a part of the problem, but as long as the story has strong paranormal elements to it, I should be able to cope. I've settled on telling the story of a Sandman, someone who travels the world, bringing people good dreams. He's become fixated on Noelle, a woman who literally doesn't even know he exists. He can tell she hasn't enjoyed an easy life, but he's determined to show her the meaning of Christmas, a holiday he's always enjoyed.

The Prince's Knight

2010-09-07T13:12:00.001-05:00

Royal Guard Book 1: The Prince's Knight is now available at Purple Sword!
Genre: Fantasy Erotic Romance
Price: $4.99
Warning: Book contains m/m erotic scenes and one m/m/f scene

Blurb:

Becoming the prince’s bodyguard was supposed to be easy. No one warned him to guard his heart...

After receiving a crippling injury, Sir Aric finds himself reassigned to the crown prince’s royal guard. He thinks it will be an easy job, but Prince Matthew turns out to be a spoiled brat, too used to getting his own way. Within the first week, the prince disappears and almost gets himself killed in his desire to be a part of the ongoing war effort at the southern edge of the kingdom. Matthew’s brief taste of battle is more than enough, making him ready to settle down and attend to matters of state. Marriage tops the list of those, but in the meantime, Matthew and Aric find themselves drawn together by irresistible forces. Until Matthew’s chosen bride arrives.

Excerpt:

He scanned the visible windows, not seeing anyone. One little kiss couldn’t hurt, could it? He’d given her the ring, asked her to marry him. There was no taboo against one little kiss. Besides, he’d already kissed her once. This wasn’t much different; there were just more potential witnesses.

“All right,” he agreed. His hands rose to grasp her upper arms.

Before he could change his mind, he leaned forward, his lips brushing against hers. So soft! He deepened the kiss, pulling her closer, dragging her against his suddenly hard length. He was attracted to her—there was no doubt about that.

“Am I going to have to pry you two apart?” a deep voice asked.

Matthew released Jessa abruptly. She stumbled against him before regaining her balance.

Aric stared at them from two feet away. Every muscle was taut with anger. Or jealousy. He took two quick steps forward. “I know your decision,” he hissed. “You don’t have to taunt me with it.”

“Aric,” Matthew said with a clear warning in his voice.

“What? Afraid Jessa might guess your dirty little secret?” The knight sheathed his sword and turned away to pull his shirt on.

“Shut up! You will respect your king!”

The cold look Aric gave him sent shivers down Matthew’s spine. The knight stepped closer, his tone dropping to a dangerous level. “The same way you respect your lover?” He shot a glance at Jessa.

“Actually, I already g-guessed.”

“Ah.” Aric leaned back. “Well, let’s get everything in the open then. Your groom is a jackass.”

“You’re the jackass right now,” Matthew sniped back.

“S-stop it!” Jessa’s raised voice stopping them both in their tracks. Both men stared at her, wide-eyed. “You’re both behaving l-like children.”

Matthew sighed and ran a hand over his face, taking a step back to gather himself. “Aric, you know how I feel about you. What will it take to make this easier on you?”

A sly look appeared on the knight’s face, and Matthew knew he was in trouble.

“I think it’s only fair I get a kiss, too.” Aric’s gaze slid from Jessa to Matthew.

“Absolutely not!” Matthew exploded. “That’s completely inappropriate.”

“Not from her.” Aric sidled closer. Now his expression could only be considered smoldering. “From you.”

Matthew retreated from the knight’s advance. “You’ve kissed me plenty of times,” he mumbled.

“Then it shouldn’t be a big deal.”

Matthew glanced at Jessa, but there was no help to be found there. “I th-think you should. I don’t want to come between you two.”

A triumphant smile lit Aric’s handsome face. He reached out, his hands fisting into the fabric of Matthew’s tunic. Displaying his strength, the knight dragged him back into a corner created by one wall of the castle and a towering turret.

“Prove to me you don’t want me,” Aric challenged, and then his lips descended on the king’s. Matthew’s thoughts dissolved. No longer did he worry about their audience, or whether or not anyone could see them from a castle window. The kiss was rough, bruising, but he only wanted more. His wilting erection grew hard and firm, pressing against the thin leather of his trousers.

He took over, pushing Aric hard against the unforgiving stones of the castle wall. Had he thought he could live without this passion? He’d been so wrong.

Finally, Aric pushed him away with a smirk on those beautiful lips. Matthew was breathing hard, and when he glanced at Jessa, ashamed that he’d lost control so easily, he saw that she didn’t look entirely unaffected by the display.

“I want love like that,” she said, breathless.

Aric turned away from Matthew to throw a companionable arm around her shoulders, steering her towards the front of the castle. “Then you’d better hurry along those wedding plans, my dear. It’s inappropriate for Matthew to kiss you like that.”

“And doubly so for you.” She ducked under his arm and skipped to the front door, laughter trailing behind her.

Both men stared after her for a moment, perplexed.

Tied to a Demon review

2010-08-22T12:38:00.000-05:00

Romance Junkies has given Tied to a Demon 4 blue ribbons.

"Rachel D. Thompson creates delightful characters."

Read the full review.

Contest and Contract

2010-08-04T19:34:00.000-05:00

It's August already! That means LASR's scavenger hunt has started. Three lucky winners will win Nooks at the end of the month, and all you have to do to enter is find the hidden Nook on a participating author's website. Easy. Check out LASR for full rules and details.

I've also signed a contract for my next book, a gay erotica fantasy romance. Yeah, it has a lot of labels. (I feel the need to warn people that it's not strictly gay romance, as it contains one menage scene.) It's called Royal Guard Book 1: The Prince's Knight, and it's releasing Sept. 1st at Purple Sword. Hopefully people will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Here's the official blurb:

Becoming the prince’s bodyguard was supposed to be easy. No one warned him to guard his heart...
After receiving a crippling injury, Sir Aric finds himself reassigned to the crown prince’s royal guard. He thinks it will be an easy job, but Prince Matthew turns out to be a spoiled brat, too used to getting his own way. Within the first week, the prince disappears and almost gets himself killed in his desire to be a part of the ongoing war effort at the southern edge of the kingdom. Matthew’s brief taste of battle is more than enough, making him ready to settle down and attend to matters of state. Marriage tops the list of those, but in the meantime, Matthew and Aric find themselves drawn together by irresistible forces. Until Matthew’s chosen bride arrives.

Oh! And the cover art:

I plan on penning the sequel in November, but in the meantime, I'm working on a vampire book, tentatively titled Demon's Tattoo. I'm three chapters in so far, but I think I've just started hammering out some of the plot, and I'm pretty excited to get more work done on it once I've got that all figured out.

New Submission

2010-07-17T13:02:00.000-05:00

I've submitted my latest completed novel to Purple Sword. While I'm waiting to hear back, I've started working on an untitled vampire book. I'm currently two chapters in. I expect this one to hit around the 30,000 word mark, as most of my recent interest has been in creating enjoyable novellas. But I don't really have the details of the book worked out yet. Generally, when I start something new, I jump right into the first chapter and think about plot later, as the book comes together.

I look at each chapter as having a plot itself, so by the time I reach the end of a chapter, I know how I want it to end. I settled on the last line of the first chapter before I had completely gotten to that point. I like crafting hooks that make the reader want to stay with the story rather than putting it down and moving on to other things. This is very important to me, so I hope that in most cases I succeed. Now, I've got a tentative plan in place for chapter 3, which I hope to sit down and write within the next few days. Progress has been good so far, though I also plan on working on Immortal Book 1: Blood Rage, when I'm not working on this new book.

I want to wait until I hear from my publisher to mention more about my latest submission (I'm a little superstitious like that). But if it's accepted, I plan on tackling the sequel during November, as part of National Novel Writing Month. After last November, I had decided I wouldn't participate this year. The stress always wears me out, especially during the holidays. By the time July rolls around though, I'm usually ready to gear up for the challenge. I'm not sure I'll be shooting for 50,000 words this year. I will be happy if I hit 30,000, which I expect will be enough to finish the planned sequel. We'll see what happens after that.

My Coffee Corner

2010-07-08T22:24:00.000-05:00

I've just opened my own forum over at Coffee Time Romance, to more easily communicate news, announcements, and contests with readers. Click on the graphic to go check it out.

Inspiration

2010-06-27T18:48:00.001-05:00

Inspiration

What inspires me?

For a writer, inspiration can be found just about anywhere. It doesn’t matter where I am or what I’m doing – sometimes it’s even hard to pinpoint where an idea came from, but here are a few things that inspired the books I’ve written.

Demon’s Torment

I’m an active member of an online writing community (Writing.com). A while ago I entered a scary story contest that had to include certain words in it. The words were: red dress, party hat, cake, surprise, balloon, and confetti. Now how do I get a scary story out of that? By throwing a macabre birthday party for a demon, of course. Daemon (the male lead of Demon’s Torment) was born! Of course, he’s changed a lot since that short story, becoming a kinder, gentler demon – though he can still be scary from time to time! The short story actually appears in the final book in an altered form. Yes, I kept the creepy birthday party idea.

Tied to a Demon

I’m pretty sure this one came about simply because I wanted to write another demon book. This one would be a shorter length, and heavier on the romance, plus I wanted to set it in a fantasy world. I decided I wanted a witch to summon an unwanted demon and deal with the consequences.

Royal Guard

This is the one I’m currently working on (hoping to submit it to my publisher soon). It involves a crippled knight being reassigned to become a spoiled prince’s bodyguard – yes, it is a romance, and a bit of a departure for me. I wanted to get away from demons for awhile and try something new. This idea came to me after looking for another contest to enter. This one just wanted a story about a bodyguard. I never wrote anything to enter in that contest, but the idea would not leave me alone, especially when I came up with the m/m romance angle. Having a crippled knight fall for a prince sounded like a great story to me.

I like thinking back over the things I’ve written and remembering how inspiration struck me. It’s sometimes amazing what a person can come up with, especially when they least expect it.

What do you think?

What inspires you?

Ambiance

2010-06-19T21:02:00.001-05:00

Ugh. I meant to post this about a week ago, but I just recently moved, and started working at a new place, so life has been hectic to say the least.

Ambiance

Ambiance is all about setting the mood. Paranormal often involves things that go bump in the night. Even though my books deal with romance, they still have elements that add to the ambiance. I like things that send a chill down my spine, things that make it difficult to turn out the lights. As a writer, I’ve given myself goose bumps – that’s the best way to tell when a piece is truly scary. I try not to make my creatures too scary. After all, I want people to like them! But there were a couple of spots in Demon’s Torment that gave me chills while I was writing them. If I can’t move myself, how do I ever expect to move others?

So how does one write an ambient scene? Having a character stumble through a dark room is good. Added details make it better. Perhaps the flashlight glances off something strange – a picture that looked different a second ago, shadows that move. Face it, darkness is terrifying. These days I’m scared of zombies hiding under my bed, even though I’m really too old to think there might be monsters living under there. What about strange creaks and groans? Lots of old houses have them. In the dark, a commonplace noise takes on horrifying implications.

What do you think?

So what scares you? Ever read a truly terrifying book that had you leaving the lights on?

Paranormal Creatures

2010-06-07T19:04:00.002-05:00

Creatures

First of all, what, exactly, constitutes paranormal? Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paranormal) describes it as an experience that defies normal experiences or scientific explanation. UFOs and ETs are lumped into this category, although in the realm of writing, those are more commonly referred to as science fiction. But still, a lot of creatures appear in paranormal writing and lately, this genre has been saturating the market. Take a trip down the fantasy/science fiction aisles of any bookstore and most of the books you’ll find will actually be paranormal. Sadly, this usually isn’t recognized as a major genre, falling under the category of fantasy.

My two favorite paranormal creatures are vampires and demons. These are the creatures I like to read about and they’re the ones I prefer to write about. With two published demon books out, as well as a planned series consisting of at least six books about vampires, this should be easy to see. What’s my obsession? Far from being the monsters first depicted in old movies, both vampires and demons have become undeniably sexy. And I’m not the only one that loves reading about bad monsters trying to do good, searching for redemption.

There are less werewolf books out there. This creature seems to be perfect for the realm of e-books though. Take a search online and you’ll come across plenty of books about shapeshifters. I’ve never been a big fan of them. I’ve tried taking a stab at my own werewolf story, but that project has stuttered, stalled, and been shelved indefinitely. While I like to think I create strong heroes in my books, there’s something about the completely alpha male of the pack that turns me off. My werewolf character is a bit of a challenge because I want him to be a dominating presence, even though he’s far from an alpha male.

Witches rank with werewolves for me. I hate them. I generally won’t read anything involving a witch as a main character – with good reason. The few books I have tried didn’t endear me to such a character. It’s probably the magic; fine in a fantasy setting, not so great in the Manhattan of the new millennium. This is ironic, though, considering both Tied to a Demon and Demon’s Torment feature witches as the main heroines. I’m a contradiction like that, so apparently I can make witches work for me. And some writers out there pull it off. Kim Harrison comes to mind. I also enjoy L.J. Smith's witches.

Finally, there are ghosts. This is perhaps the creature people think of first when hearing the word paranormal, thanks to TV shows like Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures. I’m trying my hand at a book featuring a ghost, but it’s been put on pause while I work on some other projects. Ghosts don’t seem to be used too often, especially as main characters. More often they’re the scary monsters no one sees – the poltergeists and cold drafts.

What do you think?

Your chance to sound off. Which paranormal creature is your favorite and why? Did I forget or neglect to mention a creature that you’d like to talk about?

Contest coming soon

2010-05-28T09:11:00.001-05:00

June will be a busy, stressful, hectic, scary month for me. Yes, all those adjectives and more. But I'm still planning a paranormal contest that will run throughout the month, so check back then.

I am moving back to the state of my birth at the beginning of the month, so my internet might be a bit spotty at first -- I don't know yet what the plan for internet access is, I only know I can't live without it for very long. It's like water to me. I need it to survive. ^-^

I've changed the title of Personal Protection to Royal Guard Book 1: The Prince's Knight. I was, at one point, toying with the idea of lengthening the book, which stands at a little over 30,000 words right now, and turning it into a 60,000 word plus epic. But it would still be split down the middle into Parts 1 and 2, and since the first half is nearly complete I'm going to go ahead and release it as two separate books since I haven't even started thinking of book 2, which might prove to be longer than anticipated, therefore inspiring the need for a third book. Here's my thought on sequels. If you're going to do a second book, you might as well do a third and create a trilogy. But we'll see how the second book ends. I haven't gotten that far yet. The ending of the first book really surprised me, creating a need for the second to finish the story -- or at least take a stab at finishing the story.

I really want to share a wonderful book with everyone. I just finished it and I really enjoyed it. The best part? It's available for free on Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/58. It's called Mortal Ghost, and while there were some confusing bits, especially regarding the main character's past, it is definitely worth the read, as well as the surprise ending. I haven't found many free books on Smashwords that I actually enjoyed, but this was one that stood out for me.

Cover Art feature

2010-05-05T23:17:00.000-05:00

The cover art for Demon's Torment is currently featured on Judge a Book by the Cover. It's accompanied by some of my comments about the artwork.

Romance Junkies requested a copy of Tied to a Demon for review, so hopefully that will be posted within the next couple of weeks. I'll get the link up once I get it.

I'm also cooking up a paranormal contest for the month of June, because I would just love to give away a copy of one of my books.

More good news: Tied to a Demon is holding strong at #3 on Purple Sword's bestseller list.

Purple Sword Blog

2010-04-21T21:50:00.002-05:00

Want to hear all the news about Purple Sword's new releases when they happen? Subscribe or follow their new blog for up-to-date release info.

Personal Protection status update

2010-04-18T20:56:00.003-05:00

I'm hard at work on Personal Protection. Just finished combing over the first six chapters, so I've got them in a pretty good spot and I'll continue working on the book through the next couple of months, though I don't know how far I get as life is going to get pretty crazy for me soon, as we are planning a little vacation at the end of this month and then a big move probably at the end of May, so my writing time will be limited, but I'll do what I can.

I wrote the first draft during the 2009 NaNo, along with Tied to a Demon. Both books finished at just under 30,000 words which was my goal for both. While Tied to a Demon, after revisions and rewrites, stayed at that word count, Personal Protection left off on kind of a cliff-hanger, so I'm trying to decide whether I want to finish this book and then write a second one, or if I'd rather just continue adding onto this book until it's completed. By my estimations, that might be another 30,000 words.

The book is a bit of a departure for me. I know I've been focusing a lot of my publishing efforts on demons, but who doesn't like a sexy demon? Personal Protection, however, is completely fantasy-based. Even more striking it contains a gay romance, my first stab for that genre, but it went so well that I doubt it will be my last. Even one of my vampires in my Immortal series was shaping up to have homosexual tendencies before I shelved that project to work on some shorter books.

Fans of vamps will be happy to know I plan on going back to work on Immortal just as soon as Personal Protection is finished. I just can't stay away from them for much longer, especially since I've decided Book 1: Blood Rage needs a complete rewrite. I originally wrote it in 1st-person viewpoint, but after thinking about it from just about every angle, I've decided to change it to 3rd-person. Personally, I am sick to death of books written in 1st-person. Generally, they annoy the heck out of me these days. And after rewriting the first chapter of Blood Rage, I think 3rd-person will serve the books so much better. I had planned on two trilogies, with the first told from Elliot's point-of-view, while the second would focus on his brother, Carter, but be told in 3rd-person anyway. It doesn't make any sense to have one trilogy written one way and the other to be completely different. So I've made my decision and I have a lot of work ahead of me as far as that goes. I'm looking forward to diving right in, though. In fact, I can hardly wait.

Tied to a Demon Release Day!

2010-04-14T13:34:00.002-05:00

My latest paranormal romance, Tied to a Demon, is now available at Purple Sword Publications. Here's the official excerpt to put you in the buying mood:

“Are you all right, little witch?”

She wasn’t. A demon stood so close to her she could feel the unnatural heat baking off his skin, coming off him in waves. Her muscles had tensed up so much she didn’t think she could move, even to defend herself. Of course, any spells she’d memorized had flown right out of her head anyway. They wouldn’t do her any good.

He picked her up before she could fall again and retrieved the jar from her limp grasp. He set it back on the shelf.

“Clumsy little witch.” She gasped as he slung her over his back, steadying her with a hand on her rump. He took the stairs two at a time, and she bumped along with his unsteady gait, her view obstructed by his back.

They passed through the kitchen and into her bedroom. Dried potpourri filled the air with the scent of lilacs, an aroma she favored. He unslung her and after a short ride through the air, she landed on a soft surface. Her bed. She grabbed handfuls of the yellow comforter, sure it would soon be splattered red.

His face appeared in her view at the side of the bed, his forehead wrinkled. “You okay?”

She scrambled backwards, rumpling the sheets and comforter into a ball around her feet. Her head banged against the wall. “Ow!”

Rubbing the back of her head and trying to hold back a sob, she stared at the demon. His image doubled in her vision as tears threatened.

“Why don’t you just kill me and get it over with?” she choked out.

He cocked an eyebrow. “What makes you think I’m going to kill you?”

She thought that should be obvious, but maybe he needed clarification. “You’re a demon.”

He sighed and shook his head. “I’m not that kind of demon. Tell me something, little witch. Why did you summon me?”

The question caught her off-guard. She sniffled. “What?”

“It’s a simple question. Demons are usually summoned because the summoner wants something. What. Do. You. Want?” He enunciated each word, as if speaking to a half-wit.

“I didn’t mean to summon you.”

“Oh. I see.” He sat on the bed with his legs folded underneath him. Then he smirked. “Then you shouldn’t have drawn my symbol within the circle.”

“I didn’t—” she began, but he cut her off.

“I’ve been summoned by many witches. But never accidentally.” He gave her a sly, sidelong glance, his eyes smoldering.

The temperature in the room rose about ten degrees. He got off the bed so he could execute a sharp bow. “If I’m an accident, allow me to introduce myself. I am Alecandros. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

After giving her sore head one more rub, she folded her arms.

“Do you even know what you’ve summoned, little witch?”

“It doesn’t matter. As soon as I figure out how to send you back to wherever you came from, I will.” The brave words lost some of their edge when her voice wavered.

“And why would you want to do that?” he asked in a dangerous tone.

She sounded uncertain even to herself. “You’re a demon. You belong in another dimension.”

“I do?” He spread his arms. “Do I look like a demon to you?”She stared at him. He looked a few years older than she did, and his blue eyes had adopted a more innocent look. No, he didn’t look much like a demon now. Until his eyes flashed to black and back again.

“Let me show you what witches usually use me for,” he whispered, sliding closer. His hand on her ankle made her jump.

“Stop it.” Her voice sounded strangled, even to her.

His hand slid higher, bringing her skirt with it as he leaned over her. “Why? I promise you’ll enjoy it.”

April Newsletter

2010-03-23T06:18:00.006-05:00

New contract announcement!

I'm very excited that Tied to a Demon is 100% completed and now contracted with Purple Sword Publications. The release date is scheduled for April 14, 2010. Here's the official blurb:

Shanna dreams of becoming a level-five witch. Only one thing stands in her way—her ability. Attempting to conjure a low-grade imp brings forth a terrifying demon straight out of the nine hells. Worse yet, he claims to be tied to her through a contract formed with her late father. Who is the demon Alecandros really? He seems to know far too much about her...

I will be hitting the 'promotion circuit' this month to promote the new book. Hopefully I'll be able to get some chats scheduled for either April or May.

March Newsletter

2010-03-02T22:02:00.000-06:00

February came and went in a flash. I got a promotion at work so that's where I've been concentrating most of my energy.

Tied to a Demon is nearing the final stage. I've revised through Ch 10 and since I decided to rewrite the last few chapters completely, I think I'm going to end with 12 chapters rather than 13. I don't really see a need for the final chapter anymore, and with the plot changes I've implemented, 12 should be enough, unless the climax takes longer than I expect. In either case, I'm going to try to push myself to be done by the middle of the month so that it can be submitted to my publisher by the end of March.

I realized something this morning. I've always known I've had a thing for bad boys--in movies, in books, sometimes I find myself rooting for the villain. Well, it seems I implement that penchant in a great deal of my writing. I tend to write about bad guys trying to do good, or heroes struggling for redemption. I've realized it's sort of a theme of mine. What's the point of a story if the hero doesn't struggle a little? Of course, my demons are obvious representations of this, in both Demon's Torment and Tied to a Demon. But this theme is constantly repeated in most of what I write, so if you like your heroes with a little 'bad boy' in them, you've come to the right place.

"What are you so afraid of?" he whispered. "The worst thing in your life right now is already inside your house."
--excerpt from Tied to a Demon, spoken by the demon Alecandros.

February Newsletter

2010-02-01T15:27:00.002-06:00

After a month of (mostly) relaxation, I am now ready to jump back into the fray. I'm working on mustering up the energy to plunge back into writing. I'm up to Ch 5 for revisions for Tied to a Demon (out of 11). Not bad. Almost half done.

To help with relaxation, I spent the last week of January chilling out in Las Vegas. My first time there. It was amazing and a lot of fun. Even managed to catch a show--Bite. It centered around my favorite creatures--vampires.

After that I'm ready to delve back into revisions and hopefully have them finished by the end of February. It's a short month so I'd better get cracking!

I love February--the month of romance. My husband and I don't really celebrate Valentine's day, but I love the cute pink, red, and white merchandise stores come out with, probably because I can be such a girly-girl at times.

Everyone should check out my friend's webcomic: Impure Blood. Apparently they're going to be attending the Spring Con in MN this year. I'd like to attend, but I don't know if I'll be in MN that weekend (May 15-16). Anyone who is should stop by to support them.

Happy Valentine's Day everybody and have a good February! Mine will be spent at my computer and I wouldn't have it any other way.

January's Newsletter

2010-01-01T12:26:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year!

2010 is upon us. Can you believe it? I don't really believe in New Year's Resolutions. They don't seem to work for a lot of people. If I had a resolution it would be the same it always is. Write more. I think I succeeded last year. This year it's more about getting some more books on the market.

For Christmas I finally got an e-reader. My husband bought me the Sony e-reader Touch and I love it. I have a few series that I've started collected that I'd like to keep buying in paperback, but lugging around boxes of books is starting to get old. Having an e-reader is really convenient. My husband doesn't really understand my reading and writing habits, but at least he puts up with them. Sometimes.

I'm still working on revising Tied to a Demon. I'm now shooting for finishing by the end of January. End of February at the absolute latest. It's difficult because I have other demands on my time, as well as other interests. By setting goals I hope to get more accomplished.

At the end of January I'll be in Vegas for a week! I've never been there so I'm super excited. So yeah, it's probably more realistic to expect Tied to a Demon to be finished by the end of February, but I'll keep plugging away whenever I have some free time.

December Newsletter

2009-12-01T17:22:00.003-06:00

I've decided to switch this to a more monthly thing since I just don't have the time to post once a week. We'll see how well I do with this structure.

Well now that December is here, NaNo (National Novel Writing Month) is over. I squeaked by with just a little over 50,000 total words, split between two novellas--I say squeaked because according to my word counter I ended with 50,001 words. Whew! And I couldn't really write more because I completed both stories and didn't want to add anything else just to pad my numbers. I was working on my word goal right up until about 6:30 Central Time on Nov. 30th though, so it wasn't like I ended up with a whole lot of extra time.

Here's what I've got planned for the month writing wise and also what I used NaNo to work on:

Tied to a Demon
I started this novella before November rolled around so the first chapter was written beforehand. It ended at a little over 25,000 words and is a paranormal romance with a fantasy setting. Shanna is a witch who has trouble completing even the simplest spell correctly. So it really shouldn't come as a surprise when she tries to conjure an imp and gets the demon Alecandros instead.

This novella is done, but I'll be spending December polishing it up and getting it ready for submission to my publisher. I find that it's a lot more helpful if I set goals and then do all I can to stick to them.

Personal Protection
This is also a fantasy novel, but it doesn't have any paranormal elements to it. It's still a romance, actually my first stab at m/m romance. After receiving a crippling injury in battle, Aric finds himself transferred to a more laid-back position, guarding the crown prince, Matthew. Aric thinks Matthew is a royal pain, until he gets to know him.

If all goes well I should be working on revisions for this one in January, and judging by how the first book ends, it will probably have a second one to follow. There's a bit of a cliffhanger there.

I'm really focusing on my writing right now to get some projects finished up, so with any luck I'll have more books out there in the near future.

Thanks for reading and happy holidays!

NaNo kicked-off!

2009-11-02T18:56:00.002-06:00

November is National Novel Writing Month, in which writers all over the world strive to write 50,000 words in the month of November. This will be my fourth year participating. I'm planning to finish off a paranormal short story and hopefully either work on finishing another one, or starting something else.

The story I'm working on right now is titled Tied to a Demon. A little info: Shanna is a struggling witch who can't seem to get the simplest spell right. When attempting to summon a basic garden-variety imp, she ends up with the demon Alecandros instead.

I've added the word count goal for this one to the left and I plan to have it be my next published book.

Free Read

2009-09-27T00:23:00.001-05:00

Demon's Witch, the short story prequel to Demon's Torment is now available at Purple Sword Publications as a free download. That's right, free! Go pick up your copy here and while you're there, check out the info for Demon's Torment.

Blood Rage Excerpt

2009-08-27T17:15:00.005-05:00

I just realized today that Tuesday came and went without me even realizing it. In my defense, my schedule at work has been crazy this last week, so I completely forgot about everything else, even when I meant to post a new entry. I really wanted to share an excerpt from Thief in the Night, which is the story I'm currently focusing most of my energy on. But the thing has taken on a life of its own, growing bigger than I'd originally envisioned, and there are more rewrites in store for it, this I know. So I thought I'd share the first half of Chapter 1 of Immortal Book One: Blood Rage, since I think the first chapter is sitting in a pretty good spot right now. This is an unedited excerpt, meaning only that it hasn't been touched by an actual editor, but I've proofed and revised so there shouldn't be any errors anyway. Enjoy and feel free to let me know what you think.

Immortal Book One
Blood Rage
Chapter 1

I knew my name long before I remembered who I was.

Elliot. My name is Elliot.

The thought circled in my head, but it refused to summon any more memories. Just that. A name. But who is Elliot? A featureless wall encircled my brain, locking away all traces of memory. Probing at it only drew frustration.

I am Elliot. My name is Elliot.

I was so thirsty. My throat screamed for liquid, until it was all I could think about. It felt like shards of glass embedded themselves in my throat. I needed something…

It was then I realized I wasn’t breathing. I hadn’t even noticed in my state of confusion and overwhelming thirst.

I am Elliot.

Breathing was important. I remembered that much.

Starting to panic, I drew in a great lungful of air. It burned going down and I choked on it, expelling it with a hacking cough that raised me from my prone position. The next breath hurt just as much, so I gave up, but my body didn’t protest. My lungs didn’t scream for air when I quit my labored attempt to breathe. My body no longer needed oxygen, though it had at some point. Some point in the not-too-distant past, I thought.

I stared down at myself, fascinated by the fact that my chest didn’t rise and fall. What had happened to me? Where was I? And the most troubling question of all. Was I dead?

I lay in an unfamiliar place—not a morgue as I half expected, but someplace much warmer. It was dark and no hint of light showed around the edges of the curtains, yet I found I could see everything. The draperies were a dark red, as were the pair of sofas in the middle of the room, but everything else was brown in varying shades—the carpeting, the other furnishings, the walls.

I swung my legs over the edge of the furniture I lay on. It took me a moment to come up with the words to describe it. A chaise lounge. Not sure if I’d ever seen one before. It wasn’t very comfortable, that was for sure. A stiff neck could attest to that fact, but within moments of noticing it, the stiffness disappeared as if it had never been.

My clothing was wrinkled, making me think I’d slept for far too long. Slept or been unconscious—I wasn’t sure which.

The label inside the suit jacket read Armani. High-end stuff. The white shirt felt like silk, but no tie hung around my neck and the first two buttons of the shirt were undone. Was this my idea of casual? Or my idea of dressing up? What had I been doing? Where was I? And most importantly: Why couldn’t I remember anything?

The slacks were gray to match the jacket, but interestingly enough I wore no socks or shoes. The plush carpeting felt good on my feet and I lingered for a moment, not sure what to expect in this dark place, knowing only my name and my taste for fashion.

Checking every pocket revealed no wallet, no ID of any kind. Just Elliot then. I couldn’t even remember my last name. I discovered a watch weighting down my left wrist, expensive, tasteful. It displayed the date in tiny black letters. November 3rd, 2009. The date meant nothing to me.

Blinking at the surroundings, I forced myself to my feet, trying to keep panic at bay. What good would it do me? I needed to take a look at the facts. First, I’d awoken in a strange place…

Wait.

How did I know it was a strange place? Maybe I lived here. Taking a closer look at the room didn’t help. I didn’t know this place, even if it was mine.

Second, I had amnesia. I knew just enough about the disease to know my memory could gradually come back, or might never return. What did I do until then?

I’d found a cell phone in an inner pocket of the jacket I wore, but trying to turn it on met with no success. Dead battery. Completely useless. I couldn’t even call anyone I supposedly knew to get a better idea of what I’d gotten into.

The third, and most important, fact I forced myself to take a look at. I wasn’t breathing. That was, admittedly, bad. I’d already patted myself down. I felt solid enough, so I didn’t think I was a ghost, but then again, how could I be sure? Ghosts didn’t always know they were dead, did they?

God, did I even believe in ghosts? A hiccupping laugh escaped me. Without air it was difficult to even make the sound. I frowned. Also bad. People needed air to speak. I couldn’t speak without breathing. Another glance around showed I was alone though. Who was I going to speak to?

Good point. I forced myself to focus on finding something for my feet. A short hunt turned up shoes and socks. They fit and I felt a little better once properly clothed. Now I just needed to find out where I was. This room held no clues, and nothing jogged my memory. I needed to proceed with caution, in case I truly wasn’t dead. Waking up on a strange chaise with amnesia and an inability to breathe didn’t strike me as a good position to be in. I didn’t know if I’d brought this on myself, or if there might be a perfectly innocent explanation for my state.

But how did I explain the ability to see in the dark? Maybe I really was a ghost…

Then she entered the room and my thoughts ground to a halt.

“My little pet’s finally awake,” she purred.

My Inspiration

2009-08-18T22:40:00.002-05:00

Last weekend, one of my author friends, Anastasia Rabiyah hosted a chat at CoffeeTime Romance (this happens about once a month). Anyway, last weekend the main focus was inspiration. Where does it come from? What inspires us?

It's hard for me to come up with any one thing. I like reading, obviously. Lately I've been focusing a lot on paranormal books--anything and everything I can get my hands on. Vampires, demons, witches, shapeshifters. I don't care too much for witches and shapeshifters, and most demons, but I love vampires. Every time I sit down to read, it engages my imagination. I think that's my biggest inspiration--reading something and thinking about all the stories I'm currently working on and what I can do to make them better.

These days the best time for me to brainstorm occurs as I'm settling in for bed, just laying there and relaxing after a long day. This is my characters' favorite time to come out and tell me I've been neglecting them. They want their stories told now!

I also love this time of year. The days are getting a bit cooler, the nights a bit longer, the air is crisp. There's just something about fall that gets my creative juices flowing. I have always been a night person--I hate mornings, so more darkness also means more energy for me. I find that autumn is the best time for me to sit down and write, because the feeling in the air inspires me.

I also like listening to rock music while I'm writing. I used to need complete silence to write, but now I pop in the headphones, surrounding myself with ambiance, and I find it both easier to write and easier to concentrate. My husband usually has the TV on all the time, so I need something to drown that out. Music is both inspiring and relaxing.

I get random ideas everywhere. Some stories I don't even know where they come from. Demon's Torment was inspired by a contest I entered on www.writing.com. Avery and the Devil was inspired by something that I was going through at the time--a recently signed lease that we wanted out of so we could move. That made me think of contracts, which made me think of contracts with the devil. I know, it's strange how my mind works. I don't even know where I got the idea for Thief in the Night.

My current project--Blood Rage--started with the first couple paragraphs of the book:

I remembered my name longer before I remembered who I was.
Elliot. My name is Elliot.

These two lines haunted me for a couple weeks before I decided to sit down and start writing. Somehow I established that Elliot was a vampire (once again, I love vamps--obsessed with them), and that the change somehow stole his memories. Now I've got most of the first book written and the second one started. It's a planned trilogy, with a second trilogy to follow.

Within the next week or so I plan on posting the entire first chapter of Blood Rage. It will only be available to subscribers of my Yahoo! group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/racheldthompson/. But I will also be including a teaser here and on my website.

My Writing Process

2009-08-11T23:18:00.002-05:00

Currently I'm concentrating on revising/rewriting Thief in the Night, so today I was thinking about my writing process and what I usually go through for each book. At times I can be a horribly slow writer, but there are plenty of reasons for that. For one, I have a full-time job and other interests to occupy my time. But other things slow me down too, so I thought I'd share how I write a book from beginning to end.

Step 1: I come up with a great new idea and can't wait to get started. I can usually pound out between one and three chapters (each between 2,000 and 4,000 words long) before I get stuck and realize I need to come up with a plan for how the characters get from Point A: The Beginning to Point B: The Ending.

Step 2: Now comes the planning stage. I use a pen and paper for this step because I'd rather plot stuff out that way. It's easier to jot down random notes. Most times I have an idea of how long I want the story to be before I sit down in front of the computer, but that figure can fluctuate, so I don't worry about how many chapters I'll need to reach my word count goal. But I do have to come up with a bare-bones plot in this step. The plot might eventually change depending on what my character encounters, but it's good to have a plan, and a goal to work towards.

Step 3: Back to the computer. Now comes the frustrating part of getting my characters to jump through these hoops I've created for them. The middle of a book is often the hardest for a writer. It's easy for me to envision the beginning and the end, but oftentimes I have no clue what the middle looks like. That's why Step 2 is so important. Now armed with an idea of what's going to happen in subsequent chapters, it's easier to sit down and write the book one chapter at a time.

Step 4: The Ending. Don't think that means that the book is done. Not by a long shot. Once I've written it from beginning to end, and usually gotten a few critiques to let me know what works and what doesn't, I usually go back and start to rewrite the whole dratted thing. This involves more planning. I take into consideration the reviews I've received and implement the suggestions I've gotten if they make sense in the story.

Step 5: Rewrites. I'm never happy with a first draft. I always know when something needs work and it drives me crazy if I don't follow all the steps to make something the best it can be. I go through a rewriting stage, where I rewrite most of the book, sometimes from scratch as is the case with Thief in the Night, since I originally wrote the first chapter from a secondary character's point-of-view. After rewrites, it seems much more natural to tell it from the main character's point-of-view. I'm also working on huge rewrites with both Avery and the Devil and Blood Rage. This part doesn't usually take as long as writing the book in the first place though, because let's face it, the book is written. I know how the plot is going to turn out and what happens in the middle. This process is basically just for rewording. Sometimes I'll insert extra scenes or chapters to make things make sense. This is also my favorite step because next comes:

Step 6: Submission. I'm really looking forward to finishing up Thief in the Night and submitting it to my publisher of choice. Thief was originally contracted with Forbidden Publications, and sure it was an okay story when I submitted it to them. But after the revision process it will be a whole lot better. That's the plan anyway. Originally only five chapters long, with 11,000 words, I think it's going to end up being longer than that. I've rewritten two chapters so far, and arrived at the same point it took me one chapter to get to before. Does this mean it's wordier? I guess so, but in a necessary way as I dig deeper in an attempt to get to know my characters. Can't wait to share them with the world!

I'm a winner!

2009-08-04T16:15:00.002-05:00

Every week, Just Another Paranormal Monday chooses three paranormal book covers to showcase on its MySpace page. This week, Demon's Torment was a winner! Check it out here.

Also, Demon's Torment is still only $5.20 at All Romance E-books. Get it while it's on sale.

Purple Sword Sampler

2009-07-29T09:57:00.003-05:00

Looking for something to read? Purple Sword Publications has released its first Purple Sword Sampler, a collection of excerpts from ten of Purple Sword's authors. Best of all, the e-book is completely free! Or buy it in print for a small fee. See what Purple Sword and its authors are all about. Here's the link to get your copy: http://purplesword.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=27.

Demon's Torment on sale

2009-07-24T18:36:00.002-05:00

Demon's Torment is now available through All Romance Ebooks! Even better, right now it's on sale for $5.20, a great reason to get lost in the story of Ally and her demon lover. Please keep in mind when purchasing that this book is a sweet romance. Here's the direct buy link: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-demonstorment-79578-140.html. Enjoy!

7th Anniversary

2009-07-14T00:55:00.002-05:00

My husband and I celebrated 7 years of marriage yesterday. Honestly I love him more than I ever would have thought possible, even when he annoys me. He doesn't understand my writing obsession, and I can't really call him my inspiration, but when I think of all the hard times we've been through, I realize how lucky we are to have each other. And I hope for many more years together.

Happy anniversary, hon!

Re-release

2009-07-09T19:31:00.002-05:00

Demon's Torment is finally available in e-book format once again for those of you who like to save trees. It's published through Purple Sword and sells for $6.50. Here's the direct link to the book information: http://purplesword.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=22. Please go support this wonderful publisher and see what else they have available! They have wonderful authors contracted with them.

Of course, if you prefer the real thing, Demon's Torment is still available in paperback for only $10.99! Here's the link: http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/demons-torment/4112009.

2009-06-30T23:30:00.003-05:00

After spending a couple of months negotiating with a publisher for Demon's Torment, after which I emerged without a new contract, the book is now contracted with Purple Sword Publishing and will release July 8th. Here's the new cover art:

It looks fantastic! I absolutely love it. To go along with the re-release of Demon's Torment, I've also revamped my website, giving it a new look. Go check it out: www.racheldthompson.com.

Get Hooked 150x300

2009-05-07T20:07:00.001-05:00

Current Projects

2009-04-03T22:30:00.002-05:00

I've added an expected word count for my works-in-progress in the hopes that it will keep me motivated to finish. I've grown especially fond of the series I'm working on right now and the characters involved, and I really want to see it become something people will enjoy. I'm tentatively planning two trilogies in the series, with a third one possible, depending on how it goes. The story arc features two brothers, both turned into vampires on different sides of the continent by completely different masters. Both must learn to cope with the change. While one embraces his new lifestyle, the other tries to deny it.

Elliot, the star of the Immortal trilogy, is a young playboy, with access to everything he could ever dream of, but still he wants more. To be young forever is an impossible dream, but when a dark beauty approaches him and offers him exactly that, he can hardly refuse her. But Elliot is about to discover that immortality comes with a price.

The eternal trilogy follows Elliot's older brother, Carter. Awoken to the vampiric lifestyle a full two years before Elliot, Carter's had more time to adjust--to embrace it. And he does just that with startling efficiency. A realist, Carter is used to doing what needs to be done, both in his career and his life. Surviving is no different. But he's changed since becoming a vampire, discarding his careful practices and embracing his wild side.

Snow Day

2009-03-30T10:34:00.002-05:00

The entire state is shut down today, so I finished my March writing goals earlier than I thought I would. Plus I've reorganized my site, removing everything Forbidden Publications from it. Starting tomorrow I'll be starting the search for a new publisher. I think everyone who's supported me so far, and I really hope I have more out for people to read soon. Thanks!

Weather

2009-03-29T09:53:00.001-05:00

I'm a little behind on my March word count due to the bad weather we've been having in North Dakota lately. Blizzards, flooding--it's a mess. But I have a few more days yet to reach my 30,000 word goal, so I'm still going for it.

Sad news for the e-publishing world

2009-03-06T20:49:00.002-06:00

It was announced yesterday that as of March 30, 2009 Forbidden Publications will be shutting down. This came as a shock to most of its authors, but it is not due to financial difficulties. In my opinion, Forbidden was one of the best e-pubs out there and they were a pleasure to work with. I am sad to see them go. Rights for all three of my books will be reverting back to me and I'll be shopping Demon's Torment around to other publishers as soon as April rolls around. I will probably hold off on the other two until I've found a new home. For anyone that was thinking of buying Demon's Torment, make sure you do it before the 30th. Otherwise you will have to wait awhile. Demon's Torment will still be available in paperback format through Lulu.com.

MarNoWriMo

2009-03-04T15:45:00.003-06:00

For authors in my writing group, March is another month of novel writing fun. While some writers treat it like November and shoot for another 50,000 words, I like to take things easy. One month of insane writing is enough, so I'm only shooting for 30,000 words this month. At the moment I'm right on track, and of course it would be nice if I could get more than that. It would help me finish up the book I'm working on right now--but even 30,000 words will get me close enough to my goal to make me happy. Well I'd better get back to it. If I can keep up the pace I've achieved throughout the first few days of the month, I'll hit 50,000 without a problem, but I don't think I can keep it up.

Release dates announced

2009-02-25T18:47:00.002-06:00

Avery and the Devil: March 27, 2009
Thief in the Night: May 21, 2009

I received a new review for Demon's Torment, this time from Dark Diva Reviews who gave it 4.5 Dark Divas.

Ms. Thompson has crafted an excellent story and if you're looking for a well built paranormal romance, this book is definitely the one for you.

Read the full review.

Valentine's Day Contest

2009-02-09T17:02:00.005-06:00

February is the month of love--the perfect time to pick up a good romance novel. And I've got prizes for people who decide to buy a copy of Demon's Torment. So for anyone who purchases Demon's Torment anytime during the month of February, just send me a copy of your receipt and you'll be entered into a drawing to win free stuff as a thank you for supporting me. Just to be fair, if someone has purchased Demon's Torment during the month of January I'll include you too.

To enter, email me at rachel_d_thompson@yahoo.com with Valentine's Day Contest in the subject line. Remember to include a copy of the receipt and the address where you'd like the prizes to be sent. I will only ship to winners in the United States. However, if you live outside the US, you can still enter for a chance to win a couple of e-books.

The prizes:

A 3-pack of Chesapeake Bay scented candles

A 3-pack of Valentine's Day Sweetheart candles

A Demon's Torment magnet

Copies of two new e-books, Avery and the Devil and Bounty Hunters: Thief in the Night (**Note: these titles have not yet been released, but are coming soon through Forbidden Publications, so they probably won't be available at the end of the month with the rest of the prizes, but the winner will receive them as soon as they're published.)

2009-01-22T18:27:00.001-06:00

Now is a great time to stock up on e-books at Fictionwise. To celebrate the fact that they've served over 3 trillion words to readers all over the world, they're offering a 60% Micropay rebate if you pay with credit card or Paypal. That brings Demon's Torment down to only $2.40.

New edits

2009-01-20T07:39:00.004-06:00

I've just received first round edits for my fantasy novella Thief in the Night, so I'll be working on that within the next couple of days.

Otherwise, I've just started back with my novel critique group on Writing.com to work on the vampire story I've been writing over the past couple of months. It's a project I'm rather proud of, so I'm excited that it's already so far along.

Time to get serious

2009-01-03T18:18:00.003-06:00

Whew! The holidays are over once again. That means it's time for me to start hitting the keyboard. I've got too many things whizzing around in my brain these days for me not to start seriously thinking about releasing them.

I'm working on getting an ISBN number for the print edition of Demon's Torment, but I have to buy a proof copy through Lulu first, so it will still be a little while yet before the print edition is available through Amazon. But reading through it again made me realize just how much I love this book. C'mon people! It's got a sexy demon who demands that Ally submit to him. What more could you want? I appreciate everyone that has supported me by picking up the electronic version, and the handful of people that have ordered the print edition. But I want a lot more people to experience this tormented demon. I think I'll be holding a contest in February--what better month to hold a contest for a romance novel, right? I'll be thinking up prize support during January, so check back here or on my website for all the details come February.

I've read through most of the books I ordered through Ellora's Cave last month during their special promotion. I've been really impressed with a few of them, not so much with others. But if you want to check out my thoughts and reviews on the books I've read, why not join Goodreads and add me as a friend? I love seeing what other people have read and looking for more ideas of books I'd like to check out. You wouldn't know it from looking at my list, but I haven't always been a fan of romance. My first love is fantasy, although lots of things have opened my eyes to show me just how many great books are out there. Just because you like a certain thing, don't close yourself off to other genres. You might miss out on something truly great.

My husband got me a new notebook for Christmas. As a writer I love notebooks...and brand new pens. It's a disturbing obsession really, but sometimes nothing beats an old fashioned pen and piece of paper, even if I do most of my writing on my computer these days. Still, this new notebook is heavy--made of some type of metal--and it's got a dragon engraved on the cover. Awesome, right? The perfect thing for a fantasy lover. I wasn't sure what I would write in it at first--of course I knew it would be a story of some type. I figured a paranormal one, since that's what I've been concentrating on lately. But as I was laying down to go to bed the other night, this first sentence just hit me. Wham! I couldn't believe it. I have trouble sleeping anyway, so I just had to get up and write it down before I forgot the exact wording. It was truly perfect you know. I wrote a few pages before going back to bed and that's how The Last Dragon was born. Just a few pages in, but I'm itching to write more, to find out more about Vrin, my main character. I can't wait to find out what happens next.

I guess I'm similar to quite a few writers. I feel as if stories are just out there, waiting for me to write them. If something comes easily to me, then it's meant to be. Demon's Torment was like that. I didn't really struggle over anything when it came to that book. I think that's why it's so good. I think even my mom enjoyed it, and she doesn't really like romance books. I hardly plot out anything that happens in my books. Sometimes when I'm stuck I'll sit down and try to map it out, usually when the middle of the story hits and it all seems uphill from there. But for now, as Vrin's story is just beginning, I'll just let my mind go and see where his actions take him. It's always exciting to start out on something new...probably the reason I have so many unfinished projects. The beginning is always the best part. Getting to know your new characters. Finding out what makes them tick. It's the best feeling in the world. Before you know it, they've wormed their way into your heart. And if you're good, and maybe a little lucky, your readers will love them too.

Well I think I'm going to spend the rest of the night getting back into the spirit of writing by visiting my old writing stomping grounds, Writing.com to clean out my porfolio and join a new critique group to really kick 2009 off right. Hopefully this year will be better than the last. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season.

Christmas--Less than a week away

2008-12-20T01:32:00.002-06:00

With Christmas now looming very close, I've been focusing more on my actual job (in retail) than on my writing. Hopefully once January hits I'll be able to get back into my writing since I have a lot of in-progress works. I'm thinking about joining a romance writers' critique group on writing.com in January, so that should keep me focused on my own goals.

Upcoming works:
Fallen Angel--a free short story that will only be available to my Yahoo! Group subscribers. Sign up now if you wanna make sure you get the freebie right away. It's a prequel of sorts to Avery and the Devil, featuring the Devil (of course!).

Black Wolf--a werewolf short story that I'm working on for an anthology contest Samhain Publications is holding. As a young werewolf Brock has led a sheltered life, knowing better than to get close to anybody, until he meets Rissa, a woman that fits so naturally into his life that he thinks he might have found his mate.

The other things I'm working on now are novel-length works and are too far away from being finished, but I hope to get as much work done on them as possible within the next six months.

Work in Progress

2008-12-12T12:04:00.002-06:00

I'm currently working on a free read to promote Avery and the Devil. It details Lucifer's fall from Heaven and his role as the reluctant devil. It will only be available to members of my Yahoo! Group, so if you want a copy be sure to join!

The story's name is Fallen Angel, and--fair warning--it will contain an erotic scene.

Blurb:

Lucifer refuses to bow to God's greatest creation: Man. For his sinful pride God casts him far from Heaven, changing him and his followers into demons and granting them domination over Hell. As Lucifer grows accustomed to his new life, he grows more jealous and bitter and vows to introduce Mankind to sin as well--a petty thing to do, and one for which he feels guilty for centuries later. He buries his guilt in any way he can.

Sale at Ellora's Cave

2008-12-08T22:10:00.002-06:00

I'm all about helping out my fellow authors, so even though I'm not published with Ellora's Cave (and probably never will be since I don't write a lot of erotica), I still wanted to spread the word about their great holiday sale.

Right now they're offering 80% off on a huge selection of print books. And if your order totals $35 or more--and you live within the 48 continental states--you also get free shipping. I've already taken advantage of this great offer. I'm getting 10 books for $36. Not a bad deal at all. Here's the link: Ellora's Cave Sale.

Avery and the Devil

2008-12-04T20:18:00.004-06:00

Avery and the Devil is my next paranormal romance scheduled to release through Forbidden Publications. The edits are now done for it, so I thought I'd share the official excerpt.

Blurb:

In a moment of weakness and to save her dying boyfriend's life, Avery sells her soul to the Devil. Once she realizes what she's done, she fights to get out of her contract, but it's unbreakable and she soon finds herself in Hell, dealing with demons, impure souls, and a temptation impossible to resist.

The Devil hides behind the cool facade of Quinn Deville, a successful businessman in the mortal world--a man who has everything he could ever want. But when he realizes that what he really wants is Avery, he struggles with himself to push her away, not wanting to corrupt her innocence and sentence her to an eternity in Hell.

Warning: Avery and the Devil contains a couple adult scenes, including the start of one in the excerpt below.

Excerpt:

"Someone here to see you, Avery," Trace's deep voice announced.

Avery looked up from her computer monitor, where she was busy retyping a letter for Haiden. Trace filled the doorway, but when he moved aside, a new figure stepped into the room.

Avery gasped and jumped to her feet. “Quinn!” Remembering herself at the last minute, she refrained from leaping into his arms. She felt relieved to see his familiar face. Though more reserved, he looked glad to see her too. A muscle jumped in his cheek.

“We need to talk,” he said without preamble.

For a moment, Avery was at a loss for words. Now he wanted to talk? After ignoring her for nearly three weeks?

He held a hand out to her. “Come, Avery.”

“Um, okay.” She forgot all about her job as his fingers closed over hers, but she managed to ask Trace to inform Haiden that she would be out of the office for awhile.

To Avery's surprise, Quinn led her upstairs to the penthouse, giving them complete privacy. Settling herself on one of the sofas, she gave Quinn her undivided attention. Her heart gave a funny little flip at his presence as he prowled around the sitting room. Folding her hands in her lap, she forced herself to calm down. He looked good. Too good.

His mahogany hair had fallen over his forehead in a disarrayed mess, as if he'd been running his fingers through it. The suit he wore was as immaculate as ever, but without a tie, and with the collar loosened, he looked positively devilish.

“So what's up?” Avery asked when the silence stretched on a little too long. She had the irresistible urge to run across the room and run her fingers through his unruly locks, but she restrained herself. What was wrong with her?

Quinn drew in a deep breath and then crossed to stand in front of her. Slowly, he sank to his knees and placed his hands on the sofa cushion on either side of her knees. “I'm prepared to answer any questions you might have about the next eleven months.”

“Are we leaving today?” she asked, surprised.

“No. I am here merely to prepare you. I will be back for you in three days.”

Giving in to the urge to touch him, she reached out to brush a lock of hair out of his face. He closed his eyes, leaning into her touch. His hands moved to her knees, clutching at them.

“Oh, Avery,” he said with a shaky sigh. “I've missed you so much.”

Is this emotion I suddenly feel even real? Avery wondered. She realized she had missed him too, but was it just the Devil's temptation that caused her to react this way to his presence? She wanted to run her fingers even lower, but didn't dare. Could she trust herself to behave? I miss Lucas, she reminded herself. And she did, but Quinn was right here, and starting to moan under her ministrations.

Avery jerked her hand back and Quinn opened his eyes, looking up at her with a heat-filled passion. His gaze smoldered with an intense desire, but he didn't move. He was waiting for her, she realized.

But she couldn't do that. Her loyalty to Lucas was important, although she was finding it difficult to remember why. She swallowed hard and decided to ask another question.

“What is Hell like?” She couldn't resist touching his smooth forehead, running her fingers through his hair.

He laid his head on her lap. “It's a horrible place. It's never-ending torment that saps your will and makes you go crazy. And I'll never be free of the place.”

“What's happened to you?”

His fingers traced circles on her thighs. “I spend so much time trying to be good—not committing any sins—just in the small hope that someday I can ascend to Heaven, just like everyone else. I know it's a hopeless dream, but a part of me still refuses to accept that fact, even after all these centuries.”

“Oh, Quinn,” she breathed. “I had no idea.”

“What am I supposed to do?” When he glanced up, his eyes shone with unshed tears. “I set high standards for myself, but my punishment must last for an eternity. Why do I torture myself like this?”

Avery wasn't sure she completely understood what he was talking about, but she smoothed his hair back, trying to soothe him.

“I drive myself crazy,” he whispered. “I work hard because it's a sin to be lazy. I push you away because it's a sin to feel lust. But I want you so badly. I can't help myself.” His hands settled on her hips.

“Why?” she asked. That one word held all her questions, and she knew he'd understand.

He focused his gaze on his hands as they slid along her thighs. “I've spent your whole life watching you, hoping you'd become the person you are today. I need you, Avery, in more ways than one.” He licked his lips. “I've tracked everything you've ever done. Every triumph. Every defeat. I needed to. But I never realized that I'd fall in love with you along the way.”

Gripping her hips, he raised his head. “I know you think you're just an unwanted orphan, but that's not true. I've been trying to tell you all along that you're special. I just wish you'd realize it.”

Now Avery found herself choking back tears. His touch felt good, but his words brought harsh memories to the surface. “Ever since my parents died, people have looked down on me. I've never been good enough for anything.”

“I know.” He took her hand, his warmth sending a tingle through her.

“You're the Devil,” Avery said, awe in her voice, as well as a quiet acceptance. “How could you be interested in me at all? I'm just a mortal.”

“You're everything I wish I could be,” he said, rising up enough to brush his lips across hers. “Someday you'll find ecstasy in Heaven. I just wish I could be there to see it.”

Something broke in Avery at the soft touch of his lips to hers. Suddenly, she wanted him. Badly. All thoughts of Lucas flew from her head. Not even Lucas had ever looked at her with such longing. And his very touch sent heat shooting through her until she just wanted to drag him into bed and never let him go. His earlier words, spoken to her three weeks ago, echoed back to her. The devil leads to temptation. But right now she didn't care. She didn’t want to care. She kissed him back.

Quinn growled and rose to sit beside her, deepening the kiss they shared until Avery couldn't breathe. When he relented, his lips blazed a trail across her cheek and then down her neck, leaving heat in their wake. She gave into the sensations coursing through her body, wanting to give in. She needed this. She deserved it. It felt too good to tell him to stop.

She urged him on with little moans. He nipped at her ear lobe, his skilled hands seeking the buttons of her blouse. His fingers slipped each button free, leaving her shirt to gape open. Once done, he stood, and then lifted her easily. His warmth enveloping her, he carried her to the bedroom, and laid her gently on the bed where he continued his careful exploration.

The End of NaNo

2008-12-03T11:37:00.002-06:00

Another National Novel Writing Month has come to a close, and as you can see, I'm a 50,000 word count winner. Woohoo! That deserves a cheer. It was a real struggle at times for me, but I persevered and I'm proud of myself. I managed to push myself over the line on the evening of Nov. 30th. I'd like to continue working on my NaNo project now that the month is over, but I find I have other writing obligations at the moment. I need a little writing break anyway. I know that soon enough I'll have to force myself to sit back down at the computer to pick up where I left off, but at a much less mad pace.

Whew! Now it's time to step back, take a few deep breaths, and enjoy what I've accomplished.

Sale at Fictionwise!

2008-11-26T19:42:00.002-06:00

If you buy books with a credit card at Fictionwise from now through Nov. 30th you'll receive a 40% discount. This brings Demon's Torment down to $3.59! It's a great deal and if you belong to the Fictionwise club, it's even cheaper--$only 3.05!

Discover a demon's dark desires.

Daemon is tied to a mortal woman. He can't live without her, but in her past lives she's always rejected the demon. Will he finally be able to convince her that they belong together?

This is a paranormal romance. Of course, if you'd prefer to have it in paperback, it's available in that format too for only 9.99 at Lulu.com.

NaNo Week 4

2008-11-24T19:00:00.002-06:00

The homestretch is upon us. This is the last week of NaNo. Hopefully by the end of it, my latest book will be mostly done. I've tentatively decided to call the new book Immortal. Once November is over, I'll be starting work on my edits for my next two Forbidden Publications books, Avery and the Devil and Bounty Hunter: Thief in the Night. I can't wait! Well, I better get back to it so that I'm that much closer to the 50,000 word finish line.

New blog look coming soon

2008-11-21T18:32:00.002-06:00

At one of Bitten by Books' recent Bloggy Carnivals, I managed to win a prize for a free blog customization. It's in the creative process right now, but it's something to look forward to. Anyway, I spent a couple hours today searching through other blogs, trying to get ideas for what I might want for my own. My time is limited, so I didn't spend much time looking through each one--there are hundreds, maybe even thousands out there, and I focused mostly on the blogs of other romance writers, but I found one that stuck out. I read the first two posts I found on there, just because they were a hilarous commentary on writers. Check it out and make sure to read up on The Devil's Dictionary to see what a writer really means when s/he uses literary lingo:

http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/

Are the Amazon Kindle and the Sony e-book Reader too expensive for you? EBookwise is currently running a sale on it's own ebook readers. Get an ebookwise-1150 with a 64 MB SmartMedia card for only 119.95. Check out that and other deals at eBookwise.

Twilight has officially opened in movie theaters nationwide today. Early critics reviews are mixed, and based on the trailers for the movie, I have to say this looks like a disappointing adaptation to a wonderful novel. The characters look wooden and apathetic, the vampires aren't nearly as beautiful as they're described in the book, and the entire thing seems flat. At first I was really looking forward to seeing this movie. But now I'll probably wait for it to come out on DVD.

NaNo Week 3

2008-11-17T22:05:00.002-06:00

Well I started out thinking I would work almost exclusively on my paranormal ghost romance, Haunted by the Past, but a different muse completely blindsided me, expecting me to spend most of November telling his story. And I've been catering to him. He's a vampire! I don't want to get on his bad side. His story also took an unexpected detour. Apparently there's a lot more to his story then I first realized. His book doesn't have a name yet, but I've got a couple different ideas that I've been tossing around. Hopefully he'll keep telling me his story until NaNo is done, because I've had no problems escaping back into his world and writing until I run out of time. It's helped my word count, even though I'm a little behind right now--the work thing really gets in the way. I'll have time to write during the coming weekend though, so I should get caught and maybe even jump ahead. *fingers crossed*

Here's a little bit about the untitled book:

Elliot is young, successful, rich, and handsome. There's only one thing he desires, something that may never be his. He craves immortality--to be young forever. His wish comes in a form he didn't expect. A beautiful temptress with fangs. It isn't until after he wakes up a vampire that he realizes Victoria isn't all she seems. And the vampiric lifestyle doesn't agree with him.

Week 2 of NaNo

2008-11-12T11:29:00.002-06:00

I've added another book to my NaNo word count and it's actually helped give me a little bit of a boost. I have a very limited amount of free time, so anything that helps me out is welcome. As of right now it's an untitled vampire story that I started not too long ago. The words have been coming easily for this one, so I'm going to continue with it for as long as I can until the inspiration dries up and I have to start struggling for words for that one too. I'm only about a half a day behind on my word count right now, but I've been making it a point to attempt to write every single day this year. I didn't do the same last year and I failed miserably. It's paying off for me. My word count isn't as high as others' but I'm determined to reach 50,000 this year. I just have to keep at it.

NaNo update

2008-11-07T19:56:00.003-06:00

I'm right on schedule so far for my word count. It was looking a little iffy for a couple days there, but I've managed to catch up. I'm working on three different books right now.

Haunted by the Past is the furthest along. Cassie finds herself torn between two men, the handyman she first met when she moved into her new Victorian-style house, and the ghost that's inhabited the house for the last hundred years.

American Vampire is a different take on vampires. Once a vampire lives to be a certain age, he/she starts entering what's known as the feral change, losing all sense of self until they become mindless monsters. Now Dmitri is on the hunt for one of the most dangerous vampires of all time.

And finally Black Wolf is an intended short story. Brock reveals his true werewolf heritage to a lost and frightened girl he finds in the woods, having no choice but to trust her with his secret while he attempts to save her life. I have a publisher in mind for this one already, and it will need to be submitted by March 31st, so at the last minute I've decided to try finishing this one up during NaNo.

Congratulations Barack Obama!

2008-11-04T22:05:00.002-06:00

America has made history tonight by electing its first black president and I could not be more excited for what this might mean for the country's future. I am only disappointed that I live in a state that is so decidedly Republican, because I've been an Obama supporter ever since he first started his campaign. He's intelligent and charismatic, something the White House has been lacking in the last eight years. Hopefully he will be able to start digging America out of the hole it finds itself in after a shaky leadership.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T14:57:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween!

For writers everywhere tomorrow is the first day of NaNo 2008! Good luck!

And everyone don't forget to vote on Tuesday!

Bloggy Carnival week is here!

2008-10-29T16:28:00.004-05:00

Here's all the info you need to get started enjoying Bitten by Books' Bloggy Carnival:

Welcome to the Bitten by Books Haunted Bloggy Carnival Spooktacular event! The carnival starts at 8:00 am Central time October 27th ALL WEEK and ends on November 2nd at 11:59 pm Pacific time. Comments will be enabled at that time so you won’t be able to post until then.

The winners will be contacted and announced sometime the week of the 3rd. You will have to give us some time to sort through all of the hundreds of entries. Thanks for your patience on this.

Hang on to your seats and keyboards because we have a line up of prize contributions like we have never seen before. Right now we have over $3865.00 in prizes up for grabs!! AND another $2330.00 in prizes at our sister site Weird Stuff In My Desk! Check those prizes out here: http://weirdstuffinmydesk.com/?p=176. If we don’t have enough prizes for your blood, remember to visit all of the other participating blogs at the main Bloggy Carnival page here.

Keep checking back here, because the list will GROW eerily larger as more companies join in on the Haunted Blog Carnival fun! If you would like to contribute a prize and promote your books or business, please email us through our CONTACT FORM.

Now I bet you are wondering just how you can win some of this spectacular loot! There are a TON of ways to win. Do to different states laws you MUST be 18 to enter. You do NOT have to have a blog to participate.

OH!! and if you like FREE STUFF, be sure to stop by our Freebies Page!

Check out Bitten by Books to find out all the great ways to be entered into their giveaways!

Nano, Goodreads, and ARe's giveaway

2008-10-24T14:30:00.002-05:00

I've officially signed up for another great year of NaNo. During the month of November, writers from all over the world will be participating in National Novel Writing Month, each writer striving to write at least 50,000 words, no small task, especially for those of us that have plenty of other commitments.

Both Demon's Torment and Avery and the Devil were products of NaNo and after this year I hope to have most of another novel completed, although I've decided to try working on two or three different projects this year. I'm excited to get started since it's been a while since I've forced myself to sit down and write. I'll be spending the last week of October working on my outlines, since it's much easier to write quickly if I have some idea of where the story is going.

I've also recently become a member of Goodreads. Visit my page there if you want to become my friend:

http://www.goodreads.com/profile/racheldthompson.

One last piece of big news. All Romance E-books is giving away a free downloaded e-book to every registered customer. So if you still haven't picked up Demon's Torment, this is as good a time as any to discover a demon's desires. You have to register on their website before November 1st to receive a coupon for a free download. Check out their site for all the details: http://allromanceebooks.com/birthday.html.

Interview

2008-10-17T16:19:00.002-05:00

I've been interviewed by Tara S. Nichols! Stop by her blog to find out more about me and my writing style.

Upcoming Interview

2008-10-14T18:30:00.002-05:00

I've been interviewed by Tara S. Nichols, another Forbidden Publications author. The interview will appear on her blog this Friday, Oct. 17th, so check it out if you want to learn a little bit about me. You can find her blog here: http://tarasnichols.blogspot.com/.

Halloween contest

2008-10-08T13:33:00.001-05:00

From now through Nov. 15th, Romance Junkies is holding a fun Halloween contest with lots of participating authors giving away great prizes. Head on over to explore their Haunted Mansion and answer each author's question to be entered into a drawing to win that prize. For my part I'm giving away an e-book copy of Demon's Torment, a Demon's Torment magnet, and a scented candle.

Book Trailer

2008-10-07T17:43:00.003-05:00

I finished my book trailer for Avery and the Devil this weekend and uploaded it today. It didn't take me as long as I thought it would to make, but I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. Go ahead and view it and feel free to let me know what you think.

Book trailer coming soon

2008-10-03T21:11:00.004-05:00

I've started working on my very first book trailer. After reading info about how to do it (it took one author 40-60 hours to do a trailer) I was a little daunted, but it was nowhere near as difficult as I expected. It's mostly done now, but I still need to try and find some fitting music to go with it. That's proving a definite challenge so far. I'll post it here as soon as it's completely done.

Torment Released Today!

2008-10-01T17:57:00.003-05:00

The paperback edition of Demon's Torment is officially available to purchase through Lulu.com.

Discover the deep bonds between a demon and a mortal woman. You belong to me, the demon promises. He haunts her dreams, but soon he'll haunt her waking hours too.

Pick it up here: http://www.lulu.com/content/4112009.

Goodbye September

2008-09-30T18:35:00.003-05:00

It's the last day of September and that means this is your last chance to get your entries in for The Forbidden Hunt and TwoLips Reviews Two-year Anniversary Hunt. I know the Forbidden Hunt has received quite a few entries, so good luck to all the contestants!

The paperback edition of Demon's Torment also releases tomorrow! If you've already read the book and want to add it to your real bookshelf, or if you want to experience the demon for the first time, please check out my Lulu store tomorrow and get your very own copy! I personally love this book, but I'm probably a little biased. So if you don't want to take my word for it, check out what others have said about Demon's Torment:

Rachel D. Thompson brings a different kind of tale and this tale will touch your soul and satisfy your desires.

--Bitten by Books

This is an extremely thrilling tale that will send chills down your spine. Exceptionally written, you will be ensnared from the beginning and clutching your seat by the end.

--Coffee Time Romance

This is sure to please those looking for a light sensual content with dark undertones.

--PNR Inklings

It's a step into purgatory, into the heart and mind of a demon, an escape you will not forget.

--Anastasia Rabiyah

Another new cover

2008-09-26T12:35:00.007-05:00

As promised, here is the proposed cover art for Bounty Hunters: Thief in the Night.

Blurb:

Lydia's parents were horribly murdered and she's been searching for their killer ever since. The only clue she has to go on is a playing card that belongs to a thief, but members of the Thieves Guild aren't in the habit of killing their victims.

Drake will admit that the card is his, but he refuses any knowledge of the murders. He has his own strict code of honor and he doesn't remember killing anybody although he has a hard time convincing Lydia of that. Can Lydia trust a thief long enough for her to discover the truth?

New cover art

2008-09-23T17:27:00.004-05:00

I've just received the proposed cover art for my next book, Avery and the Devil.

The book hasn't undergone edits yet, so I'm not posting an excerpt, but here's a blurb:

Desperate to save her dying boyfriend's life, Avery will do anything--even sell her soul to the devil. The contract she signs only lasts for one year, but all she can think about is getting back to Lucas. The devil is nothing like she expects however, and she soon finds herself torn between her old life and a new future.

The devil has kept tabs on Avery ever since her birth, hoping that she would one day have the strength to handle one of the most important jobs in Hell. To his pleasure she does, but when he finally meets her in person, he finds himself drawn to her. He'd prefer to keep her at arms' length, but when she starts showing an interest he can't stay away. Will the devil claim her innocence or can she restore Lucifer to his former glory?

I should hopefully have cover art for Bounty Hunter: Thief in the Night by the end of the week.

Coming in October

2008-09-19T20:53:00.005-05:00

To celebrate Halloween and all things paranormal, I'm releasing a paperback edition of Demon's Torment through Lulu.com. It will be available October 1st, for only 9.99, featuring brand new cover art. I'm very excited about it. Here's the new cover:

I also expect Demon's Torment to be reviewed by the book girl in October. I'll be doing an interview for that as well. It will be my first interview, so that's something to look forward to as well. I'll post the Lulu link on Oct 1st for those that would like to pick up Demon's Torment in print.

TwoLips Scavenger Hunt

2008-09-06T11:07:00.002-05:00

Okay, a lot of people have entered Forbidden Publications' September scavenger hunt so far and that's great. I don't have any idea how many people have joined the TwoLips Scavenger hunt though. So I did some searching and found their official contest page with all the rules, prizes, and participating authors. It makes things easier for everyone: Scavenger hunt contest page.

Jon Michaelson is giving away a free mini-read to everyone who enters. I counted over 80 participating authors, which means a lot of great prizes and a lot of scavenger hunting fun.

When you stop by my site searching for icons, don't forget to check out my free reads section where you can pick up Demon's Witch, the short story prequel to my novel, Demon's Torment.

Save money on a Kindle

2008-08-30T12:59:00.002-05:00

For those of you interested in purchasing an Amazon Kindle, now is the time. Through a partnership with Chase, Amazon is knocking $100 off the Kindle...making it slightly more affordable. While you're picking it up, you can also purchase Demon's Torment. Check out Amazon's terms and conditions here.

September scavenger hunts

2008-08-25T17:11:00.002-05:00

I'm participating in two scavenger hunts for the month of September. I'm donating free copies of Demon's Torment and Avery and the Devil to each one. Check them out:

The Forbidden Hunt: Participating Forbidden Publications authors have hidden a treasure chest somewhere on their websites. Prizes will be awarded to random participants, including a grand prize treasure chest full of goodies sent straight from Forbidden Publications! Check out the official Forbidden Hunt website for all the rules and information you need.

TwoLips Reviews Anniversary: TwoLips Reviews is celebrating its two year anniversary. Participating authors have hidden a TwoLips anniversary banner somewhere on their websites. The official rules aren't posted yet, but here is the link for TwoLips Reviews. I'll post more info at the end of the month.

I've already hidden both icons! If you want a jump-start on the competition, check out my website and see if you can find them.

Vampires and werewolves and witches, oh my!

2008-08-22T16:36:00.002-05:00

I have a pet peeve--okay I have a lot of pet peeves, but I've noticed something happening in a lot of paranormal books these days. Instead of focusing on one kind of supernatural creature (writing a vampire book about only vampires, for instance), some authors just lump all paranormal creatures together in the same universe and let them loose. As far as I'm concerned this rarely works out.

I recently read Stacia Kane's Personal Demons. Her universe contains demons, witches, and vampires at the very least, although no vampires appear in this story. Thankfully her book sticks to demons. For me, demons and witches go hand-in-hand. Witches summon demons, etc. This book didn't grab my imagination as others have, but at least it didn't throw a bunch of different rules at you for a bunch of different monsters and then expect you to keep up somehow.

It depends, of course, on how well a book is written as well. In L.J. Smith's Night World series (a new personal fave), she has vampires, werewolves, and witches all co-existing in the same world, but each story focuses almost exclusively on one type of those creatures, making it a more enjoyable experience for me. Plus her writing just draws you into the world and into the characters' heads.

For the most part though I prefer my vampires to remain separated from my shapeshifters, and for my demons to stick with their witches. I know I for one will never want to create a world where they all coexist--that's just not a world I would want to write about.

LASR winner and new review

2008-08-20T12:39:00.003-05:00

Congrats to my winner for Long and Short Romance Review's Anniversary giveaway. I've already sent her the free copy of Demon's Torment she won, plus she's entitled to a free download of Avery and the Devil once it's released.

I spent the morning catching up on email--since I've been feeling kind of under the weather lately it's been piling up. Bitten by Books reviewed Demon's Torment August 6th, so I finally got the chance to read what they had to say and was pleasantly surprised. Their reviewer loved my book.

Here's what she had to say:

Absolutely fantastic! Demon's Torment is a book where you can never guess the direction of the story. It is wonderfully written book, filled with suspense and sweet moments. It is an enjoyable read and I highly recommend it to others who love a story that stands out like none other. Rachel D. Thompson brings a different kind of tale and this tale will touch your soul and satisfy your desires.

You can read the full review here.

Contests around the net

2008-07-29T21:20:00.005-05:00

I felt bad about the short post I wrote this morning and the fact that I don't know when I'll get my next entry up, so I thought I'd share some ongoing contests. I scoured the web for these, choosing the top five that I found and I probably didn't even scratch the surface.

1.) It's Bloggy Carnival week at Bitten by Books. There are lots of chances to win lots of great prizes, including entries to win prizes just by signing up for their newsletter or adding them as a friend on MySpace. Check out their website for all the contest details and discover all the chances to win. This opportunity only lasts through the end of the week which is why I'm posting this notice today.

2.) Midnight Seductions is hosting a Summer Bash August 1st through August 4th. They're giving away a whole basketful of goodies, including a $40 Fictionwise giftcard. Join their Yahoo! group for more information.

3.) For erotic romance readers, the Wild Rose Press is giving away digital downloads every day in August. Just head over to their blog each day and post a comment for your chance to win.

4.) Of course I don't want you to forget Long and Short Romance Review's one year anniversary party. It starts August 1st and runs through August 27th, and involves a scavenger hunt, featuring a different author each day. Make sure to stop by their contest page on August 18th to win the two free e-books I'm giving away.

5.) And finally, the greatest prize of them all. St. Martin's Press is giving away a Sony Digital Reader and a Sony giftcard. The entry deadline is August 5th and you can read all the official details here.

Scavenger hunt starting soon

2008-07-29T05:32:00.003-05:00

Readers, remember Long and Short Romance Review's scavenger hunt starts on Friday, August 1st. Go to their contest page for details on how to enter and win. I hope to see lots of people participate.

I'm heading out of town this weekend to visit family, so I probably won't be able to post another entry on Friday. I also don't know when I'll have August's free read up, but I'll have it up as soon as I can.

August celebration

2008-07-25T19:33:00.006-05:00

Long and Short Romance Reviews is celebrating its one-year anniversary during the entire month of August with book giveaways and a grand prize drawing for a $50 Amazon.com gift card. Each day starting on August 1st and extending through August 27th, a different author will be featured. My day is August 18th, so be sure to check out LASR's contest details on that day for the chance to win a copy of Demon's Torment and a future download of Avery and the Devil when it releases from Forbidden.

The Dark Knight

2008-07-21T08:50:00.005-05:00

I didn't get a chance to post an entry on Friday because my brother came to town, and since he had to drive seven hours to visit me, he had my undivided attention for most of the weekend.

On Saturday night we went to see the new Batman movie. We have two theaters in town, a nice theater--very clean, nicely decorated--and a not so nice theater--dirty, sticky, boring. Unfortunately the movie, one of the biggest movies of the summer, somehow landed in the not so nice theater.

I thought the movie was very good. I'm not a huge Batman fan, but I like Heath Ledger, and I really wanted to see his performance in his final movie--I wasn't disappointed by the movie by any means, but I was disappointed by the whole movie-going experience. I used to love going to the theater, but now I only see an average of two movies a year in theaters, and I think The Dark Knight will probably be my last. For three tickets plus snacks it cost me nearly forty dollars for a night at the movies. Snack prices have just gotten completely out of control. It was $7 for a large popcorn. Last summer I went to see Pirates of the Caribbean 3 in the movie theater at the Mall of America and I thought their snacks were expensive. By comparison they weren't that bad, which is just crazy because everything at MoA is more expensive.

We have a pretty nice theater setup at home, so from now on we're just going to have to make do with that. I'd rather watch movies in the comfort of my living room anyway--I won't be spending $7 on a bag of popcorn anymore.

Paranormal Quiz

2008-07-15T00:05:00.002-05:00

This paranormal quiz was posted at The Muses Three and let me tell you, some of the questions gave me the shivers. Not a good idea to take it at midnight with all the lights off. But since I'm all about the paranormal, here's the link:
http://paranormal.about.com/library/bl701_quiz.htm

I've also gone ahead and posted a sneak peek excerpt for Avery and the Devil on my Yahoo! group, so you have to sign up if you want to read it.

Party with The Muses Three!

2008-07-11T17:00:00.004-05:00

For the whole month of July The Muses Three Yahoo! Group is hosting a birthday party for Anastasia Rabiyah, so the month is filled with fun contests and of course excerpts! Paranormal week starts on July 14th, and of course this is my favorite week. I'll be stopping by Monday afternoon to post excerpts from Demon's Torment and my new paranormal romance, Avery and the Devil, so if you want to be one of the first to see what Avery's all about, visit The Muses Three to sign up. I won't even be posting an excerpt for the book on my website until the book has been through edits, so this really is a sneak peek!

You could also win books or prize packs for answering Ana's silly questions, so there's no reason not to check it out.

Also if you want other exclusive info and contest news, you can sign up for my brand new Yahoo! Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/racheldthompson/. Other authors are definitely welcome and encouraged to post news and reviews about their own books.

Free Read

2008-07-07T17:55:00.003-05:00

I've added a free read section to my website. I hope to add a new free read once a month. July's is Demon's Witch, a short story prequel to Demon's Torment. The story takes place in a small New England town during the infamous witch hunts.

Blurb:
Allison tries very hard not to attract attention to herself, wanting to avoid being accused of witchcraft, but she can't hide her escalating craziness for much longer--especially when she starts speaking to demons.

Follow the link to download it for yourself!

July's Free Read

Contest winner

2008-07-06T13:10:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to word crafter for winning the free copy of Demon's Torment. And thanks to everyone who posted comments. I can't wait to look into some of these other paranormal authors and characters. I hope you all consider checking out my next paranormal romance, Avery and the Devil, when it releases from Forbidden later in the year.

Don't forget to enter my contest

2008-07-04T17:04:00.003-05:00

Scroll down to the previous blog post to see how to enter my contest for a chance to win a copy of Demon's Torment. The deadline is Saturday at midnight (central time).

I thought I'd let everyone know that St. Martin's Press is giving away a free e-book copy of Seize the Night, one of the first books in the Dark-Hunter series, by Sherrilyn Kenyon. All you have to do is sign up to receive it. I got my free copy and read through it in two days. It's a very good book. I guess I must not read as much as I used to because I've been discovering a lot of great authors lately that have apparently been around for awhile. This free giveaway is to commemorate the next release in the Dark-Hunter series, Acheron. Yes, I will be going to Barnes & Noble to see if I can pick up some of Sherrilyn Kenyon's other books. If you want a free copy of Seize the Night, just follow this link: http://yearofacheron.com/ebook.html. This is a good book for all you vampire lovers out there--I swear I'm obsessed.

Contest Giveaway

2008-06-30T21:43:00.004-05:00

I'm holding a contest this week to give away a copy of Demon's Torment. Entering is easy. I want to know who or what your favorite paranormal character is. Be as general or as specific as you want. Leave a comment telling me all about it. My personal favorites are vampires. I specifically enjoy Stephanie Meyer's take on vampires, as well as Tanya Huff's. Interesting fact: I'm not even halfway through writing my own vampire novel: demons, the devil, and a restless spirit have all demanded my attention first. But I want to know what readers think. I'll randomly choose one entrant at the end of the week so get your answers in no later than midnight (central time) on Saturday, July 5th.

Demon's Torment Available Now

2008-06-26T21:18:00.003-05:00

I thought I'd start off by posting information on my current release, my paranormal romance Demon's Torment, available in e-book format at Forbidden Publications.

Blurb:

Lately Ally's been haunted by disturbing dreams of women being chased by an unseen demon, leading to their violent deaths. When she learns of her father's grave illness, she heads for home, not knowing she’s heading straight for the demon of her dreams.

Somewhere in purgatory, Daemon awakes. He has pursued Ally in each of her reincarnations, only for her to choose death rather than open her soul to save him from his endless torment. He knows he must tread carefully if he is to have a chance at saving her immortal soul.

Excerpt:

Ally stood in front of the house, staring up at it. Only the attic light was on; the rest of the house stood dark. She reached back into the car, popping open the glove compartment to grab the heavy duty flashlight her father insisted she keep there. She felt grateful for it now. She didn't plan on waking the Masons to demand time with Daemon.

She flicked the flashlight on, testing it. It cut through the darkness. Ally trotted to the porch, hoping to find the door unlocked. It was, so she pushed it open, trying to be quiet. The door's hinges squeaked.

Ally slipped inside, closing the door behind her. She swung the flashlight around, peering into the living room on her way past it. The beam of light glanced off the picture of young demon-child Daemon. His malevolent, hate-filled stare caught her attention. She almost screamed when she saw what looked like fangs in his wide open, grinning mouth.

Ally's heart jumped into her throat. He really didn't want her here, did he? Funny, he had been so insistent before. Well, parlor tricks weren't going to scare her off.

She moved forward with determination. The kitchen loomed on her left. Ally glanced in. The shadows danced around her flashlight beam, making the furniture look sinister.

She came to the door at the end of the hallway and pushed it open. The darkness here was complete; she couldn't even see her own hand held in front of her face. Ally kept her flashlight beam trained on the steps that rose up in front of her, moving forward with caution. The door slammed behind her.

She whirled, almost losing her grip on the flashlight, her hand sweaty. She fumbled with it for a moment before regaining control. Nothing stood behind her. Trying not to let her fear overwhelm her, she turned back to the stairs. She didn't like this one bit.

"I know you're a demon," she called to the surrounding darkness. "You don't have to scare me half-to-death." Her voice echoed back to her, mocking her.

Ally gasped and came to a stop at the sharp right turn. Bloody footsteps appeared before her. They headed up the stairs in the direction she was going. She placed her own foot next to one, comparing sizes. The footsteps were a little smaller, a woman's. Was this just another scare? She hoped it was an illusion.

Ally kept an eye on the footprints, not wanting to step on them. Something below her creaked and she raced up the last few stairs, throwing herself at the door that stood at the top of the stairway.

It was locked.

Fear consumed her. She screamed and turned back to the groaning darkness. The flashlight's beam bobbed crazily, revealing slavering jaws and a demonic red-eyed gaze. She shrank back against the door, shutting her eyes, not wanting to see any more.

A moment later she fell backward, caught up in strong arms that lifted her into the attic room.

Ally kept her eyes shut tight, tears leaking from beneath her lids. She didn't know whether she was safe or not.

"I'm sorry about that, Ally," Daemon murmured.

She felt a soft surface beneath her. The strong arms disappeared. She dared to open her eyes, her heart returning to a more normal beat.

Daemon looked down at her with concern. "You didn't tell me you were coming."

Sweat made her damp hair cling to her forehead. He brushed some away, out of her face, his touch lingering. She didn't trust herself to speak just then. She breathed deeply to calm herself.

"What was that?" she demanded once she got her breathing back under control. She felt calmer now, in his presence.

He glanced away, frowning. "This house is a hotbed for demonic activity. When you were here before, I kept it at bay, but I didn't know you were coming this time." He moved closer, reaching out for her. She let him pull her into his arms. "I'm sorry it scared you. If I had known you were coming, I wouldn't have let that happen."

"I thought you wanted me to stay away," Ally said, fresh tears appearing. Something terrible could have happened to her. She couldn't stop the shudder that racked her body.

Daemon held her tighter, soothing her fears.