Eye of Persuasion by Adrienne Monson - Book Review

I picked up this book whilst sharing a booth at SLC Comic Con from my fellow author and long time friend, Adrienne Monson. We were there as members of the Utah Fantasy Authors (UFA) branch of the League of Utah Writers (LUW). There were ten other authors involved in the UFA booth besides Adrienne and myself, everyone with a book or two to sell. Although I've only read a few of the books that we were offering in the booth I only took home two of them. One of them was Monson's new novella "Eyes of Persuasion" a historical romance with a fantasy twist thrown in for good measure.

Synopsis: When her parents are murdered, Lady Maybrick is taken in by an abusive uncle to help pay his gambling debt. But Isabeau has a secret, a talent hidden since birth. Her gift helps to keep her out of the whorehouse and out of trouble--that is, until she meets Everett Radcliff. Hard working Everett Radcliff detests high society and finds plenty of excuses to avoid it. But when he meets Lady Maybrick, he can't help but be enthralled by her violet eyes. When he hires an investigator to uncover a crook, his path crosses with hers, throwing them into a world of mystery, murder, and, surprisingly, love.

The Pros: "Eyes of Persuasion" is a fast-paced, plot-driven easy read. Set in eighteenth century London, taking us everywhere from high society balls, to the dirty hustle of the shipping industry of London's port. This tale is well researched making the reader feel as though they've fallen through the pages back into time. This book begins like many a historical romances with a unique, yet unappreciated, high-born maiden forced into an engagement with a man she doesn't love, but has no choice but to marry. However, Isabeau Maybrick is no ordinary lady, as we find out within the first couple chapters. The author endeavors to deliver a fresh look at this era with a heroine who has not only a special gift but some modern day gumption. Fast-paced and unpredictable this book delivers some interesting twists that will pleasantly surprise readers.

The Cons: Although well-written with it's attention to the details and lingo of the era, the story felt rushed. This might be due in part to the fact that it is a novella and not a typical novel. It felt more plot driven then character driven, a pattern I noticed in Monson's other book, "Dissension" (book 1 in the Blood Inheritance Trilogy) Depending on the reader this may or may not be a bad thing. My issue is, that with the plot taking up the entirety of the book their is little time to develop characters or create emotional depth in even the most intense scenes. I struggled to connect even with the principle characters, Lady Maybrick and Everett Radcliff. Although I found their relationship somewhat entertaining, the story rushes their romance along too quickly. Personally, I feel that the book would've been greatly improved had it been a regular novel; giving the characters more time to grow and their relationship would also feel more genuine. As it is, I found that I wasn't invested enough in the characters to be drawn into the suspense of the story. Some of the secondary characters felt very under developed and somewhat two dimensional such as Isabeau's abusive gambling Uncle  Brig. Although he's not a huge part of the story, he's in it enough that I found his actions and motives puzzling because his character is never examined. He comes off more as a stereotype then a real character and this took me out of the story from time to time. The dialogue was a little weak here and there also taking me out of the action.

Overall the book is unpredictable and easy to read.  It's length and ever twisting plot combined with the setting makes it an entertaining escape for a rainy day. I give it four stars. A decent book executed fairly well. But, as always, don't just take my word for it, go out and read it yourselves!

Now go forth and pick up this book "Eyes of Persuasion" and come on back to share your thoughts with us when you're done.

Till next time,
R.J. Craddock

The Offspring Blog Tour - excerpt from The Forsaken

The Offspring Blog Tour is almost over! If you've been following me on Facebook, Twitter or my website you might have been following the blog tour as well. Today the tour stops by here on my own blog for an excerpt from book one The Forsaken. This is a tidbit for those who haven't read the first book in The Children of Cain series. Enjoy the read and go pick up the book at the links below.

Her eyes still sting from the tears she cried an hour ago, the remnants dry upon her rosy soot-covered cheeks. She cannot go back to where she came from, and there is no place for her to run, but still she has to flee. Everyone is gone now, everything in flames. There is nothing left but ash and tears. She has to keep walking for there is nothing left to do. She is utterly alone in the world. All she can feel is the bitter cold as she walks endlessly through the woods; the only living thing in an empty world of white. A mixture of glacial air and lingering smoke causes her lungs to ache, her rasping coughs blowing out in white clouds. Her whole body is frigid and stiff, as cold as the snow that is all around her. She notices that even the morning sky above her is white, vast, and empty. She continues on, her stockings soaked through, and her feet past feeling, numb.

She lost one of her shoes a while back, walking over a bunch of fallen branches. Her foot had slipped into a crevice, and when she tried to pull her foot back out, her shoe did not come with it. Her little arms were too short to reach the shoe, so she had simply left it there. However, walking with just one shoe proved uncomfortable, so she took it off her foot, holding the lonely shoe clasped in her hands and pressed against her chest.

The blackened soiled clothes on her back are her only possessions in the whole world. Her short dress, once sunny-yellow trimmed with frilly white lace, is now dirty with ash and dried blood; the lace is gray and singed. Her once-white stockings, now gray with holes burned away in places. Her green winter coat, musky with the smell of smoke, is still in pristine condition. Around her neck, she wears a gold chain necklace with an oval-shaped locket branded with the symbol of a burning rose and the name Gwenevere engraved upon it. The locket is the only tie to her past, the only remnant of her identity.

She hasn't seen a single soul, no towns, no houses, and no roads. She makes her trek toward an unknown future, leaving behind her painful past. An image of her mother’s beautiful face creeps into her dazed mind, making her want to start crying all over again, but she holds back the tears.

“Crying never got the world to stop spinning,” her father had once said. Or at least she thought the man was her father. She had only met him a handful of times; he always came to visit their little cottage late at night. She would see him only briefly before she was sent off to bed, and he was long gone before she awoke the next morning. Nonetheless, she learns quickly not to cry, pout, or go to him for comfort. He is always serious, worried, and cold.

If he is my father, then why didn't he live with us? Why did he feel like a stranger? Why wasn't he there when the fire came and ate up everything? A father is meant to protect his family.

Her eyes begin to water. She sniffles, forcing back the tears, pushing the memories away. It is better that she forgets them and leaves them behind her, and so she does. With every step she takes forward, she puts more distance between herself and the world with which she once belonged. Hour after hour goes by and fatigue makes it easier to shut out all thoughts and feelings. She thinks of nothing but walking in a straight line, as the wind blows through her long black hair.

Brushing the errant strands out of her eyes, she sees a man, a tall dark figure lurking amongst trees ahead of her. One moment she was alone in the forest and then suddenly the stranger is there, watching her. She blinks several times but the apparition remains. She hesitates only a moment then continues. Not wanting to show her fear, she avoids his eyes.

He looks warm in his long, black, trench coat, tall leather boots, and black suit. But something about him is wrong, frightening. With a dark unnerving determination, she senses his gaze follow her wherever she moves. A bone-deep chill comes from his direction. Quickly she deviates her course slightly off to the right, planning to simply pass him by.

As she comes closer to the dark stranger, he makes a quick move toward her. She bolts, breaking into a wild run. The forest becomes a blur around her as she speeds forward in a headlong dash.

Keep running. Don’t look back. 



That's all for now. If you want to read more you can get The Forsaken and The Offspring here:

Author Website

Webstore

Smashwords

Goodreads

Facebook

Twitter

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Now go forth, read and have a great week!

R.J. Craddock

Fire Light by J. Abram Barneck - Book Review

April 17th - 19th I will be at the Salt Lake City Comic-Con sharing a table with the Author of this book. I figured I better know the other novel in which I'm sharing my booth. So I got it on kindle, and jumped right into it. Here are my thoughts:                                                                                                                                                                              J. Abram Barneck's "Fire Light" is a unique YA Urban Fantasy set in the Great Salt Lake Valley. The protagonist, Jacob Stevens, is a seventeen-year-old geek turned jock who will do anything to seem normal, although he's anything but. Then one day he meets Charles O'Brien, an FBI agent who brings with him an ancient magical textbook and some bad news for Jake: someone is trying to kill him.Why? Because it turns out Jake is a Druid.  Some mysterious organization has been hunting down all the Druids, even the potential ones, like Jake, with the intent to exterminate the ancient society. Running for his life, Jake is torn away from his family and the life he took for granted. Helping O'Brien uncover the identity of the ones responsible for this genocide, Jake is thrust into a dangerous world filled with magic, Nightwalkers, and even a Vampire King! Sounds exciting right? Well, it is and it isn't. Although the writing was excellent throughout the book, and the plot was very well thought out, for me "Fire Light" had a few weaknesses.

1) The inciting incident doesn't happen until chapter twelve. For those of you who don't know what an inciting incident is here's the definition. When an event happens to the protagonist forcing their lives to change from the norm to adapt to the story's plot. Pretty much it's the part that kicks the story off and gets the ball rolling. Most writing gurus and creative writing courses teach that an inciting incident should happen in the first act, within the first few chapters in a novel or the first ten pages in a screenplay. If this was a typical epic Fantasy novel like Robert  Jordan's "The Eye of the World" the reader would expect this kind of build up because the writer is introducing them to a whole new world. However, the author of "Fire Light" spends the first twelve chapters of the book just getting us acquainted with Jake. We learn about his parentage, his sister, his geek lifestyle and we meet his friends and other supporting characters. All good things to learn as this helps to establish Jake's character, but it drags on a bit. Had I been a beta reader for this book I would've suggested condensing this whole segment to help the story move along more quickly. 

2) Just before the story finally picks up, the author forces a love connection between Jake and his sister's best friend Kendra. At this point it was the last thing I wanted to read, I just wanted the fantasy element to happen already. Also, I found Kendra's character weak and inconsistent. She's described as confident but then goes on to do things that make her seem insecure, childish, and desperate. I found it hard to care about her and was relieved when the inciting incident finally arrived and Jake was taken away into another world. I found myself hoping we'd never see Kendra again. 

However, once the story took off, it kept on going! The pacing from chapter twelve on was fantastic, keeping you interested and wanting more. Later, another female character was introduced, Alexis, who didn't annoy me and I found I suddenly needed to finish the book more because of her than anything else. The author managed to surprise me in some places and that's not easily done. The author didn't shy away from darker subjects yet kept things somewhat PG-13 with which I was impressed. He kept the dark fantasy world realistic without getting too morbid for young adult readers to enjoy. The ending was action packed and exciting without being too over-the-top or unbelievable. The big climax did not disappoint as many YA books do, and kept me on the edge of my seat to the very end. When it was all said and done I found myself eager to read the next book! Which unfortunately does not yet have a release date set. 

Is "Fire Light" a worth while read? Yes. Will I be reading the next book in the series? You betcha! Does it take a while to get going? Sure, but the pay off makes it's well worth the wait. So, overall I'd give "Fire Light" four and a half stars! 

Now go forth and pick up "Fire Light" by J. Abram Barneck, (at the following links) and find out for yourself what "Fire Light" is all about. Till next time.

R.J. Craddock

Amazon

Barnes & Noble
Facebook Fan page

Religion, Mythology and Fiction.

For some, Religion, Mythology, and Fiction all mean the same thing. Many find profound truths in Religion, deep moral lessons in Mythology, and just plain good entertainment in Fiction. However, every once in a while a book intermingles the three into one tale. Such is the case with my novel "The Forsaken" (Children of Cain - book one). I have to admit that I was heavily influenced by my own religious beliefs when it came time to come up with my own mythology for Gwenevere's story. My fantasy world is after all spawned from one of the oldest stories ever told, the creation. However, mine starts with Adam and his first wife Lilith.

Now some of you just scratched your head and asked yourselves, "Who is Lilith?" Well, Lilith is sort of a cross between a redundancy in the Bible and an ancient myth. The creation story is told twice in the Bible. First in Genesis 1:1-2 and secondly in Genesis 2:4-25. In the first scripture man and woman are created at the same time, however, neither of them is ever named. And, in the second telling of the creation, man was created first, then the animals and then woman. The man’s name isn't mentioned for a few scriptures but he is introduced as Adam. Only after she has eaten from the tree of good and evil and persuaded Adam to eat as well does the woman get a name. Adam calls her Eve because she will be the mother of all living now that they are being cast out of the Garden of Eden and she now must bear children. Add this to the fact that other stories emerged over the years, naturally this got me speculating. What if there were two women created in the garden of Eden? What if Eve was actually the second woman to be created on the Earth, and not Adam's first wife? Some mythologies suggest that this was the case. See the link below for more details: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1513/whats-the-story-on-lilith-adams-first-wifes 

Growing up in a Christian home reading the Bible and being fascinated by different religious beliefs, I was aware of the notion of a first wife prior to Eve in the Garden of Eden and always thought the idea was fascinating. What might have really happened to make this first wife fall? Now do I believe that Lilith really existed? No. However, the idea of such a person got my wheels turning and before I knew it I had created my own version of the creation story with Lilith as the original wife of Adam and her eventual fall from grace. This leads to her becoming the mother of all mythical beings and myths we've all grown up with. You might know them as Witches, Elves, Vampires, Werewolves, Fairies, Giants, Dwarfs, Mermaids and such but in my mythology they are all known as The Forsaken. 

A while back I met a fellow author, C. David Belt, who had a series with a very similar name to mine, “The Children of Lilith Trilogy”. I even wrote a blog about this meeting, read it here. Since both our stories deal with Lilith in their mythologies we started talking about the possibility that such a person might have existed. "The idea of Lilith as Adam's first wife supposes that God makes mistakes, and God does not make mistakes." C. David Belt reasoned. And I have to say that I disagree. If God gave us free agency to choose as we wish so that we might learn for ourselves right from wrong then any choice made by us would be no one’s fault but our own, for we are solely accountable, not God. So I reason that such a person could have existed and not threaten the belief that God knows all, as the master planner. 

To write this story I had to delve into a lot mythology and fairy tales as well as learn a lot about Wicca and Witchcraft in general. As a born and breed Christian, do I believe in any of these things? No. Does writing about them contradict my real life faith and values? No. In writing this book I seek only to entertain and to teach a moral about the true importance of one’s character and the choices we make throughout our lives. I believe in God and Jesus Christ. I believe there is a heaven and hell. But any speculations about these places in my books are merely mythology, intertwined with religion for entertainment.

For my character I built a world in which she is doomed no matter what she does because of what she was born, a Witch, one of The Forsaken. My purpose in creating this world and writing this story is to answer a few questions. "What would you do if you were damned no matter how good or bad you were? Would you still choose to do the right thing? Would you be a good person if there was no reward waiting for you in heaven, or would you just indulged yourself and do whatever you liked? A lot of religions teach that if you're faithful you'll receive blessings in heaven and a mansion on high, and thus the motivation for some to do good. But shouldn't we do good and be righteous and selfless, giving to others just because it is righteous and not just because we want a reward for our good deeds? These questions and more I strive to answer in the Children of Cain series. I invite you all to read the series and find out what Gwenevere does when faced with these questions, and find out where her decisions lead her. 

"The Forsaken" is currently out and can be purchased at www.rjcraddock.com. Links to my book on Amazon and Barnes and Noble can be found there or at the top menu of this blog. "The Offspring" book two of the six-part series comes out in April 2014.

Now go forth and pick up "The Forsaken" and may it inspire you to make righteous decisions and have strength to overcome even when in the face of true evil. Till next time. 

R.J. Craddock

"Share the Love" (We artist need it too!)

Love is in the air. Valentine’s Day is the next big holiday here in the states, and giving presents is a great way to share the love. Yes, generally you think of sweet goodies, poetry, flowers, and romantic dinners when you think of this cupid-driven holiday. That’s okay for your sweetheart maybe, but what about your other loved ones? Luckily we live in a modern age where you don't have to run around town dropping off cookies or making trips to the post office to mail out Valentine cards. Instead you can share the love online. Sure you can send them an e-card or an e-gift card, write them a cute little note on facebook, or send them a video link to a song dedicated to them, those are all nice ideas. But say you have a friend or loved one who has a business; 

wouldn't it be nice to show them you care by showing your support for their endeavor? When you’re self-employed, whether it be running your own brick and mortar store/company or running a store online, it's a lot of work, and takes a lot of time to build your reputation, or get a decent clientele. Most of these self-employed/small business owners have facebook pages and twitter accounts dedicated to these businesses. And most of us are dutiful friends and “like” those pages, “like” their posts, read their tweets and blogs, but how often do we share their business info with others? They say that the best advertisement is word of mouth. Well, nowadays we have countless online social networks in which to spread the word about the things we love. Why not use these means to spread the word about the things the ones we love are doing, to help them achieve success? What I propose is this: truly encouraging someone you love is by actively talking about what they do with others who might likewise appreciate their business or talent. 

My husband's sister runs her own bakery with her husband called Hill's Bakery located in the Springville, Utah Ream’s grocery store. They have the best doughnuts ever! I'm not kidding, they really do. I know people who live on the other end of the valley who go out of their way to stop by the Springville Ream’s just to get doughnuts from their bakery. They really are that good! They have recently started a facebook page, and, of course, I went and “liked” it. But I was thinking the other day is this really enough? Does one more “like” on their page really help them sell more doughnuts? I'm not sure it does. 

I think it would show my love and respect for what they do better if I told more people about their bakery. What I'm saying is if there is a small business owner, artist, author, athlete, actor, and what have you in your life, then you should show your love for what they do by sharing the love online, in person, to neighbors, friends or co-workers. They'll feel your appreciation. After all it doesn't take that much effort to open your mouth and speak, or click a button and share. So with that said here are a few sites/facebook pages for loved one who I'd like to show my love for, if you feel inclined please go and visit their sites and “like”/follow their pages and share their information with others who will love them too. Thank you. 

https://www.facebook.com/HillsBakery https://www.facebook.com/LillysPadLearning https://www.facebook.com/jabrambarneck https://www.facebook.com/adriennemonson https://www.facebook.com/authorrebeccarode https://www.facebook.com/pages/Donna-K-Weaver/417995298257527

Now go forth share the love and I'll see you next time. 

R.J. Craddock

The Second Time Around

Those of you who are my regular readers are aware that I already have one published book "The Forsaken" under my belt. If you're new to this blog, this is news to you. But I have other news. My second book "The Offspring" is coming out in April 2014. Both books are part of a six part series called The Children of Cain. This is an epic Urban Fantasy series that rolls biblical and mythical tales together into a modern world with characters as realistic as you and me. It's dark, deep, and meaningful, set in real life situations with a dash of magic thrown in for good measure. If you'd like to learn more check out my website www.rjcraddock.com.  

If you're an aspiring author or know one whose thinking of self-publishing here is a quick tale of my own self publishing journey for you to read or share with anyone who might benefit from it. I've written my whole life but only gained the confidence to pursue it as a career a couple years ago. I submitted my manuscript to publishers for a year and a half. I did receive an offer but the company didn't have a solid reputation so I declined. With the support of my husband I decided to self-publish my first book "The Forsaken". However, I was taking a blind leap of faith and really didn't grasp what I was getting into. I only started blogging and building my online presence a few months before the book was released. When it was launched there was very little hype so it didn't get the launch it deserved. I also hadn't taken enough time with the editing process and had rushed the book to print. When I received my first shipment of the book I could tell from page one that having just one editor had been a big mistake. We did, however, hire another editor (a more experienced one) and a few months later released a second--and much improved--edition of the book. One up side to self-publishing I found is that I got to design the whole book myself. For most people I wouldn't recommend doing this. However, I am an artist as well and studied animation, media arts, and graphic design in college. Actually, the idea of having no say in my own cover art drove me crazy so it was the best solution for me. It was a lot of work, but well worth it in the end. I probably won't do it for another series but for this one it made since to do it myself. Overall it's been a great experience. Like I said before my second book "The Offspring" comes out in April and the process is definitely smoother the second time around. I would advise anyone thinking of self-publishing to read blogs like this http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2013/12/26/five-mistakes-killing-self-published-authors and do a lot of research about the business before they make up their minds. It's not for everyone but self-publishing can be very fulfilling. 

Anyway, that's all for now. Make sure to check out my new and improved website for details and updates about The Children of Cain series. Now go forth, read, write and share. Enjoy the video below of one of my favorite CAKE songs (The video is a little silly but the song is awesome) Come on back to visit the blog next weekend. 

R.J. Craddock

New and Blue

I have to apologize for completely spacing last weekend and not writing my blog. Sorry, patient readers. Let me try and make it up to you. A lot is going on right now in regards to the "The Children of Cain" series. Book two, "The Offspring", is complete and awaiting first edits. I'm almost done with all the interior illustrations, and am halfway done with the cover/art design. Next weekend I'm off to another writers' retreat to start the first draft of book three, "The Coven". To celebrate the completion of book two I painted my desk navy blue! It was looking run down and I'm not a fan of the brown or wood grain. Here are some pictures of the finished product: 

I'm hoping the new sophisticated look of my desk will help inspire me and I'll get book three written in no time.

In other news I was recently contacted by a publisher who was interested in reading my manuscript. Apparently they found my name and my book listed in the library of congress. I looked up this company and found out this is how they get their leads for suckers. They're one of those vanity presses that charges through the roof to publish your book. I say no thank you. I have done everything they can do for my book. The only thing I can't do is advertise the heck out of it. I just don't have the cash for that, but I'm working hard to get the word out about my book, and I'm doing just fine on my own. I love getting to draw all my illustrations and designing my own covers. Self publishing has been a very rewarding experience for me. I love it!

Anyhow, I'm off to work on "The Offspring". I know you're all dying to read it, so while you wait for it's release you can enjoy one of the illustrations. 

Now go forth read, laugh, cry and enjoy life and all it's little wonders!

R.J. Craddock

A Poet's Tale

I've always enjoyed poetry. When I undertook writing poetry myself, I wrote in a style all my own. I'm not 

so much symbolic as I am straight forward. I write with emotion, and try to rhyme in unique ways. Mostly my

poetry is rather autobiographical. When I was a poor struggling art student I spent an enormous amount of 

time writing what I call "Napkin Poetry". I kept a sketch book journal as well. Most artists do. It was my 

goal to someday compile these scraps of paper and my collection of drawings into a book. Now, after 

having published my first novel, "The Forsaken" (The Children of Cain - book one) which includes my own 

illustrations; I feel confident to make that collegian dream a reality. So be on the lookout for my poetry/art 

book "Disenchantment" sometime next year. Until then you can enjoy a sample poem.

To read more of my work you can find me on Wattpad. Also, you can visit my website  

www.rjcraddock.com for more updates on The Children of Cain series and my other projects. You can 

follow me on Facebook or Twitter linked at the top of the blog. Now go forth and enjoy your weekend and

what have you. Till next time. 



R.J. Craddock

Favorite Movie Quotes - Horror

It's been a while since I've done one of these posts. So far I've done one for comedy and classics this time around  the genera is Horror!  A quick disclaimer, I have to admit that I'm not a huge horror fan so my favorite horror movie quotes and the movies they come from are not typical. 

1) Psycho (1960)  Based on the novel by Robert Bloch, screenplay by Joseph Stefano. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Staring Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin and Janet Leigh (Jamie Lee Curtis' mom) - "I think I must have one of those faces you can't help believing." (Norman Bates: Anthony Perkins) 

Norman Bates' mother has been dead and buried in Greenlawn Cenetery for the past ten years! (Sheriff Al Chambers: John McIntire)

 

2) Wait Until Dark (1967)  Based of the play by Frederick Knott, screenplay by Robert Carrington & Jane Howard Carrington. Directed by Terrence Young. Staring Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin, Richard Creena. 

"I cannot negotiate in an atmosphere of mistrust." (Roat: Alan Arkin)

"Oh you must be so bored with me, everytime you come in here, I'm in absolute panic." (Susy Hendrix: Audrey Hepburn)

 

3) Scream (1996) :Screenplay by Kevin Williamson. Directed by Wes Craven. Staring Neve Campbell, Skeet Ulrich, Courteney Cox, David Arquette. - "Now Sid, don't you blame the movies. Movies don't create psychos. Movies make psychos more creative!" (Billy: Skeet Ulrich) 

"If you were the only suspect in a senseless bloodbath - would you be standing in the horror section?" (Randy: Jamie Kennedy)

 

4) Saw (2004) Screenplay by Leigh Whannell, James Wan. Directed by James Wan. Staring Leigh Whannell, Cary Elwes, and Danny Glover. - "He doesn't want us to cut through our chains. He wants us to cut through our feet!" (Dr. Lawrence Gordon: Cary Elwes)

 

5) Carrie (1976) Based on the novel by Stephen King. Screenplay by Lawrence D. Cohen. Directed by Brian De Palma. Staring Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, and Amy Irving. 

"They're all gonna laugh at you." (Margaret White: Piper Laurie)

"It has nothing to do with Satan, Mama. It's me. Me. If I concentrate hard enough, I can move things." (Carrie White: Sissy Spacek) 

 

So there you go. Some of my favorite horror movie quotes. Now go forth and watch some Horror flicks on your own, and share your favorite quotes from them here! Till next time have a horrifically awesome weekend. 

R.J. Craddock

Who Wants To Live Forever?

I've read a lot of books, quite a few of them featuring characters with blood-sucking, night-walking, never-aging immortal tendencies. Currently I am reading the fourth book in the “Mortal Instruments” series by Cassandra Clare. One of the characters is a teenage boy who has been turned into a Vampire, then, through drinking the blood of a remarkable personage, now has the ability to walk in the sun. They call him "daylighter" because of it. He can only live on blood now but isn't the homicidal type, so he's sneaking animal blood to get by. He's in denial, trying to live his life as much like a normal teenager as possible, including living with his mom who has no clue what’s going on with him, except the maternal instinct that keeps nagging at her that something ain't right with her baby boy. No, I'm not doing a book review. I just wanted to talk about this because as I was reading it, I started thinking of all the Vampires I've read about over the years.

Vampires have been portrayed a variety of ways in books and film. From Nosferatu (creepy as all get out, not sexy at all) to Victorian Vampire Lestat (sexy, in a refined kind of way) to Twilight's Edward Cullen (brooding, teenage, glittering, stalker’ish dream boat) to True Blood's Eric Northam (sexy, hunky, dark, dangerous and hilarious). By the way the last one is my favorite Vampire of all time! Partially because i love the character from the books and how they brought him to life on the TV show, and because the actor (Alexander Skarsgard) reminds me of my husband. Anyhow, in all these stories, Vampires--whether sexy or creepy--have held some kind of allure for the readers/viewers. When I was reading this book earlier I suddenly thought "Why? Why are we drawn to this mythical creature? What is the allure?" 

So I want to pose the question to you, my readers, "Who wants to live forever?" Really let’s think about it. "What are the pros and cons of being a Vampire?" Here's a few I came up with:


Pro:                                                                  Cons:
Immortality                                                        Everyone you know will die long before you.
Eternal Youth (they're not the same thing)           The not aging thing will freak people out!
Strength,                                                            Not knowing your own strength could be hazardous.
Agility                                                                Not so perfect sight, smell and hearing helps you zone out!
Heightened senses                                              Special powers can be more a nuisance than a gift.
Special powers (in some cases)                          Living eternally at night could get boring after a while.
"Sexy Vampire Mojo" (quote from the book :)    Being sexy all the time just seems like to much work!

Personally, I don't think living alone forever on the blood of others sounds like a whole lot of fun, it sounds downright depressing! I'd much rather be a Fairy. Give me some awesome wings, sprite-like powers, and mythical enchanting beauty; that's all I need. But I want to hear what you all think. So let’s hear you sound off below. To be a Vampire… Yay or Nay?

Well, I'm off to write more of "The Offspring" book two of the "Children of Cain" series. In case you didn't know, book one "The Forsaken" is now available in print and Kindle form at www.rjcraddock.com

You can also find it on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Below I've added a video of the song "Who Wants to Live Forever" and "Princes of the Universe" by Queen. Yes, I know they were both on the soundtrack for "The Highlander" film, which does involve immortals, but who are not Vampires. Now go forth and enjoy the video, enjoy my book, or just enjoy your life!

R.J. Craddock

   

Print, eBook, or Audio book, Whats your poison?

In case you haven't heard yet my book "The Forsaken" is finally available on kindle! Whoo-hoo! The next step is to start recording the audio book version.

I noticed that in the last two months since my book was released that there are all sorts of different kinds of readers. I personally have a thing for traditional printed books. Whether leather bound, hardback, or paperback, I love them all! I try to collect all my favorites. At one point I had a job that was obscenely boring but was fortunate in that they allowed me to listen to audio books on the job. During this time I read/listened to a lot of books! I learned to love audio books almost as much as printed ones. My favorite audio books are "The Outlander" series by Dianna Gabledon, and "Inkspell" by Cornilia Fluke. The second book in the "Inkspell" series was narrated by Brendan Fraser. Let me tell you that he makes a wonderful narrator. Apparently the author invisioned him as the lead character (Moe) while she wrote the book. Brendan Fraser did ultimately play "Moe" in the film version of Inkspell. Cool huh?

Anyhow, I've been going all around town talking to people about my book and passing out bookmark/buisness cards. Half the people I've met were interested in the book only if it was in eBook or Audio book format. I found this curious at first, because I am not one for eBooks myself. However, as I spoke more to readers about their preference in format and why, I started to understand why someone might like their book digital, or audio instead. So here it is, the pros and cons of a printed book, eBook, and audio book.

Printed Books

        Pros:                                                                     Cons:                     
        1.Something to hold on to                                    1. Easily damaged.
        2. Looks pretty on a shelf                                     2. Worse for wear when you lend it out        
        3. You can show it off when people visit             3. Can be bulky to carry around.
        4.You're bookmark lets you see physically          4. Collecting them can turn you into a hoarder
           how far you are in the book, you see                5. Need to be dusted on a regular basis
           your progress.                                               
        5. There's nothing like the smell of a new
             book!

eBooks

            Pros:                                                                 Cons: 

            1. Quick delievery/instant download              1. Rarely have pictures in them

            2. No shipping costs                                        2. Turning pages is more fun than swiping

            3. Portable                                                       3. No new book spell, or glossy cover.

            4. Collect as many as you want and they        4. You can only show off your collection online

                all fit in your pocket                                   

            5. Easy to lend to friend, no bent spines

                or torn pages.

            6. Cheaper than print or audio books

                                        

Audio Books

            Pros:                                                                   Cons:
            1. Available in many formats                              1. No pictures
            2. Can be bought in a store or online                  2. No new book smell, no flipping pages
            3. You can read/listen anywhere                         3. Needs absolute silence, other noises ditract
            4. Hands free, you can read while you drive       4. You might not like the Narrator
            5. Talented actors read it to you                        


Those were all the pros and cons of each format I could think of. If anyone out there has some other pros and cons they'd like to add feel free to list them in the comments below. Now go forth and get "The Forsaken" on kindle (if your a kindler) or else get it in print, or if you like, you can wait for the audio book coming soon!

R.J. Craddock