Rebranding my urban fantasy series!

Yep The rumors are true, The Children of Cain series by R.J. Craddock (yours truly) has undergone a major change. From henceforth is will be known as The Thirteen Tribes of Cain series! Why? Because there is a handful of other book series out there with The Children of Cain name and also because The Thirteen Tribes of Cain makes a lot more sense with my series as a whole. So there you have it. A new name just in time for the release of the third book The Decree. In honor of this occasion I have revamped the original Forsaken trailer. Enjoy :)

First Quarterly Book Bash/ Give Away!

I'm doing an experiment. My books are in a very popular genre and have very common themes. It is very difficult to get to the top 10 let alone the top 100 of a genre on amazon with this many books to compete with. One way to do this is to have a lot of sales on amazon in a short amount of time, this makes your amazon book ranking rise considerably. Why is this important? You ask. Well, the higher your book is on a list or search, the more visible it is to potential readers; which means more book sells and more chance of getting some real attention. So here's what I'm going to do. On Saturday, December 26, I'm throwing a Book Bash for my first book “The Forsaken”. Both my eBooks will be on sale for .99 cents that whole day. I'm trying to get as many people to buy my book that day as possible in the hope it'll help my book rise in the book ranking and thus make “The Forsaken” more visible to readers on amazon. As part of my Book Bash, I will be giving away a $25 gift card to one random person who buys my book that day.  Also, I will give out a few other prizes as well for some other lucky reader to win. Here’s how you get credit for your purchase to be entered into the giveaway.

To Enter into the Giveaway:

1.       Buy “The Forsaken” eBook for .99 cents

2.       Take a screenshot or take a picture of your amazon purchase confirmation email. Post it in the comments of the Book Bash giveaway post on my author Facebook page www.facebook.com/rjcraddockauthor (2 entries)

For Additional Entries:

1.       Buy book two “The Offspring” as well as “The Forsaken”.  (2 entries)

Again you must show the proof of this purchase in the comments of the giveaway post.

2.       Share your purchase in a post on Facebook, or twitter by using the hashtag #rjcraddockbooks

(1 entry per site)

3.       Like my author Facebook page www.facebook.com/rjcraddockauthor (1 Entry)

Sunday afternoon December 27th Rafflecopter will take the entries and randomly select one person to win the $25 Amazon gift card and four more to win a copy of one of the four eBooks available. That’s It! Spending .99 cents to potentially get $25 seems pretty awesome right? So mark your calendar, share this post and make sure to join The Forsaken Book Bash the day after Christmas!  You get my eBook for a steal, you could get a free amazon gift card, and it’s a win/win! The .99 cent sale ends on Saturday the 26 at midnight. Here’s hoping my little experiment works and together we can make big changes happen and win lots of great prizes!

Now go forth and enter!

Until 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

Librarians do it Between the Covers!

Hello, gentle readers, I don't know about you, but I love printed books far more than ebooks. Yes, it's convenient and space-saving to have one hand held device that carries countless volumes of literature. However, there's something magical about holding a bound book in one's hands and watching the pages fly by as you read. I'm also a sucker for the smell of books. Paper and ink are two of my most favorite things! Needless to say I also love Libraries! I adore being in a room full of books. There's an excitement in the air that makes me almost giddy, wondering what beautiful words or vast worlds I might discover next!

Naturally when I was publishing my book "The Forsaken" (Children of Cain - book one) I dreamed of someday seeing my book not only on bookstore shelves but on Library shelves as well. However, neither is easily done when your self-published. I do currently have my book in one store, and am constantly looking for more possible markets. "The Forsaken" at present is only available at the Spanish Fork Library in Utah. This is because some friends of mine requested it. Another friend saw it on the book shelf recently and told me it looked well-read. This tickles me pink, because my book is available for more readers to discover it. This got me thinking though. Wouldn't it be great if my book was available everywhere? Yes, yes, it would be awesome! But, I can't go to every library in the state of Utah and request my own book, let alone the entire country or world (although that would make for one heck of a road trip)! ;-) 

Why can't I just do this in my own state you might ask? Mainly because you have to have a library card for each library to be able to do this. Also libraries tend to want proof that you live in the area before they give you access to their collection, let alone start requesting new books on your behalf. So then I got thinking some more (a dangerous past time, I know) and decided I could always ask my friends, family, and fans to go out and do the requesting for me. So I'm putting it out there. Who wants to help a new author get their book in libraries across the United States? Who wants to help get "The Forsaken" on shelves in libraries all around the globe? If you said "I do" or "Me" then great! If you haven't read my book yet and were planning to this helps you in that you can do so without purchasing it. This helps me because the library does purchase it from me, and also having it on their shelves gives other avid readers the opportunity to experience my dream world as well. 

So the next time you make a trip to your local library don't forget to ask the Librarian how you can request a book, and help me get "The Forsaken" on the shelf and ultimately into the hands of more readers like yourself. If you do you'll be doing me a huge favor, and I will be eternally in your debt. :-) 

Now go forth, visit your local libraries and remember to request "The Forsaken" by R.J. Craddock (Children of Cain series - book one). Also, keep checking back here for more info on book two "The Offspring" which comes out in April! Till next time.

R.J. Craddock

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

Lookie, Lookie! I've gone Nookie!

The time has come to branch out a little bit. Up till now I've only had my book available in print and on kindle. Mainly because I published through Amazon, but also because most everyone I know has a kindle not a nook. However, over the last couple months I kept getting requests for it in the Nook format. So I went a head and did it. Yep, that's right, I finally converted my book "The Forsaken" into a nook book. You can get it here. Also, I've lowered my price for the eBook in both kindle and Nook. Instead of $5.99, "The Forsaken" eBook is now $2.99! My print book is currently being sold in select stores as well! Exciting stuff going on.

In other news, book two "The Offspring" is in the beta reader phase. The design of book two including cover art and interior illustrations is nearly finished. I'm about four chapters in to book three "The Coven" So things are plugging along. It looks like I'm right on schedule. It isn't easy meeting deadlines when you're your own boss you know. The temptation to procrastinate is too strong. Yet somehow despite being a stay at home mom to three crazy little boys I've still managed to stay on task. Here's hoping I keep this up!

Meanwhile, I'm working on building my audience and getting more reviews. So if you haven't read "The Forsaken" (Children of Cain series book one) by R.J. Craddock you can check it out here. If you have read "The Forsaken" please fell free to leave your honest review on these sites: Barnes and Noble, Amazon, goodreads. Below is one of my book trailers to entice you with:

Now go forth, read, review and have a great Thanksgiving!

R.J. Craddock

Blog Block

If you follow my blog regularly you might have noticed that I've gotten a little lazy as of late with posting my 

weekend blog. The reason for this is that I'm having blog writer's block. When I first started blogging it felt like I 

had endless things to write about, and my energy level was high. Seven months later I'm starting to loose my 

steam. I try to keep this blog focused on my books, books I like, movies, and things related to the genera I write - 

Urban Fantasy. It feels as though I can only say so much about these things before I start repeating myself. So, I'm 

open to suggestions here, my readers. Is there something in particular you'd like to hear more about? Something 

related to my novel "The Forsaken" or book two "The Offspring"? Or perhaps you're curious about my writing 

process, or interested to hear about the other books I'm developing? How about a Q and A session? Anything at all, 

I'm open to new ideas here. Just leave me a comment on this blog or on my facebook page.

As far as book two is concerned, I'm right on schedule. I'm about to head into the first round of beta readers. I'm 

looking forward to hearing all that they have to say and using their feedback to improve my novel. Anyway, before 

I go I'd like to remind you all that Monday the 29th (today) marks the beginning of my facebook event: "Barnes 

and Noble take over!" Just read the previous blog for more details about that.

Below I've added the link to my book trailer for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy. Well, that's all for now. Now go forth, 

read, drink hot coco, and watch movies for tomorrow we'll just do it all over again!

R.J. Craddock

The Forsaken Reel

The Magic Formula

  

Takes Over

If you've visited my facebook page recently you might have noticed I've created a new event called "Barnes and Noble take over!" I promised to share details of this event, so here it is.

Recently a good friend of mine and fellow author told me The Magic Formula to getting an indie book on the bookshelf of a big chain like Barnes and Noble. She explained it to me as it was told to her by her publisher, a small local press. However, after she was done telling me, I still didn't quite understand it, so I had her detail it to me again. When I tried to explain this to my husband he was completely confused. So being a visual person I decided to make a little diagram.

The Magic Formula

Phase One: Three different people have to request/order the same book (The Forsaken) from the same Barnes and Noble store in the same week, in three different locations in the country. This gets that book stalked in the Barnes and Noble warehouse.

Phase Two: Three different people have to request/ order the same book (The Forsaken) from the same Barnes and Noble store in the same week, in three different locations in the country. This gets the book stalked on Barnes and Noble bookshelves nation wide!

I thought it might be a fun experiment to give this Magic Formula a try myself. So the point of my Barnes and Noble take over event, is to try and orchestrate Phase One the next week. If anyone who hasn't bought the book yet would like to be apart of this please leave a personal message on my Facebook fan page https://www.facebook.com/RJCraddockAuthor. We'll be launching into Phase One starting Oct, 21st. Let's see if we can make this thing work, shall we?!!!

I'll keep you all up to date with the events' progress, and let you know when Phase Two starts. That's all for now, so go forth and share this post with everyone you know, lets get this baby viral! Thanks. :) Until next week.

R.J. Craddock

Drawing Inspiration

So it seems like I'm getting overwhelmed these days. With the editing of book two and the first draft writing of book three, not to mention a backyard renovation nightmare, I'm totally swamped. So, I apologize for not posting last weekend. But I have good news. I have finished all the drawings for book two! I've got a lot of work to do on the cover still but I'm half way to finishing the book and having it ready to publish by May 2014! "And the villagers rejoiced! Yay."

Now your probably wondering, if you've read "The Forsaken", why every chapter has a sketch above the title? Where does this idea come from and what is the significance? Well, part of it comes from my childhood, being raised by a former art teacher, and from my own experiences in art school. My father always told us, "If you want to draw well you have to keep a sketch book journal, and draw at least one thing a day." This was reiterated at the Art Institute of Phoenix where I studied animation and media arts. Every truly aspiring artist keeps a sketch book journal. I have gone through many in my time. When I was developing the character Gwenevere, I decided to make her an artist and a singer. After all, Gwen and her story is in many ways strongly based off of myself and my own experiences. I have always expressed myself through art, and writing, or course, so it made sense to give the very troubled and lonely Gwen the same outlet. Through her art work I chose to show her perspective of the world and to help give the sense of her personal growth throughout her journey. Also, I have to admit it gave me the excuse to marry two of my great loves together, art and literature. I, myself, have grown as an artist from this experience, as you'll notice in book two. If you liked the sketches in "The Forsaken" you're going to love the art work in "The Offspring." Gwen, as a character and an artist, grows leaps and bounds in book two and the artwork really reflects that.

It's been really exciting to see the "Children of Cain" series take shape. My original goal for October was to write four chapters, but I'm realizing now that that might not be do-able. So I'm modifying that to two chapters, that seems more reasonable with all the havoc going on in my life. I have the whole series written in my imagination so all I need to do is find enough time to write it all down! Hopefully I'll be able to keep on track with my deadlines and have book two ready by May. Wish me Luck :)

Here are some of the new sketches for your viewing pleasure. Now go forth and feast your eyes, and then like and share all over cyberspace if you feel so inclined.


R.J. Craddock

Writing Techniques

I just got back from another successful Writer's Retreat. One of the members of my critique group has a fancy-schmancy cabin in her family that she's been so kind to share with us. There's something about being in a cabin up in the mountains away from your everyday life that seems to spark creativity and open the mind to new possibilities. The last Writer's Retreat was in June. During that weekend I finished writing book two "The Offspring". This time around I started my first draft of book three "The Coven".

I got the prologue and the first two chapters of the book written, as well as a book outline done. I was there with three other talented ladies, Adrienne Monson, Rebecca Rode, and Karren Pellette. When we weren't writing, we talked about writing, went for walks to the lake, watched a movie, and played "Just Dance 3" on the Wii. I know it sounds like we just goofed off, but that's far from the truth. Each one of us got at least one of our writing goals accomplished this weekend. We started talking about outline writing verses discovery writing.

When I really thought about it, I realized that I am a little bit of column A and column B. No, I don't really outline my books, I daydream them. I live them out in my head till I know them backward and forward. Then I sit down and write them. So if ever I couldn't finish my series for any reason, there'd be no way for another to come along and finish it for me. I don't keep enough physical notes for anyone to even know where to start. When I do start writing though, new things always come to light as I try to translate my mental vision into words. So, in that way, I am a discovery writer. But I know details about the plot, and how every book will intertwine in ways that most discovery authors can't even fathom. Yet, I write in a way that is unlimited, organic, and creative in a style that most outline, rule-driven authors couldn't imitate. It's fascinating to talk to other authors and hear about their writing process. What works and what doesn't work for them and where they get their inspiration. Most of all, I love how unique and different we all are. No two people are alike and that is most diffidently true of authors, too.

Anyhow, I'd love to hear about all your writing process. Feel free to share. Now go forth, write, create, or just read and celebrate the written word.

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

What's In a Name?

I for one have always been fascinated by the meanings and origins of names. For instance Ruth (that's my first name by the way) means mercy, merciful or friend to all. As a writer I put a lot of thought into what I name my characters, using a baby name books with meanings and origins as a writer's tool. Sometimes I like a name until I read the definition. Other times I can't think of anything and just start flipping through the pages of names until something grabs my attention. When naming my main character in "The Forsaken" I knew right a way her name had to be Gwenevere. When I checked the meaning: Fair One, I thought it fit perfectly.  However, Gwen can't speak English at the beginning of the book and is given the name Marianne by the orphanage. Marianne means sorrow or Bitterness, which also seems fitting as she isn't  very happy at the orphanage or when people call her by that name.
As Gwen delves deeper into the mystery of her past she'll go from the human world into the other worldly in book two of the Children of Cain series "The Offspring". Naming characters from another era, world, culture, or species is quite challenging. When my series went into the Fantasy realm I needed to get more creative, but I didn't want to get too complex. We've all read books (Fantasy in particular) where the names are so outlandish and unusual that you can barely figure out the pronunciation let alone agree with other fans how it's supposed to be said. I didn't want to have that headache in my series. Below is a list of some characters from book two "The Offspring"

Emon---------------------------Elf (scholar)
Angelo--------------------------Vampire (Italian)
Vinita---------------------------Elf (female)
Legion--------------------------Vampire Lord (French)
Slethum-------------------------Ogre
Morna--------------------------Fairy
Juniper--------------------------Witch
Ivan-----------------------------Vampire (English)
Lucca---------------------------Vampire (black)

As you can see... nothing too fancy. None the less they're still interesting and unique to the characters, their personalities or species. Well, that's how I do the naming game. How about you? I'd love to hear from my fellow authors out there. How do you get the inspiration for the names of your characters? Now go forth and leave a comment below and enjoy "Open Book" by Cake!

R.J. Craddock

We've Got It Covered

We live in a time when the old adage "You can't judge a book by its cover" just isn't true anymore. When a reader is searching for a book online the first thing they judge is the cover. If that interest them than they'll read the description, summary and reviews. If the cover doesn't grab their attention right away the book gets past by as they scroll on down the never-ending list of titles available.

 For those of you who don't know the cover design and all illustrations for my book "The Forsaken", were done by yours truly. It's been a life long dream to find a way to marry my two great passions: writing and art. Having studied at the Art Institute of Phoenix, I decided to take that experience and do my own Cover for my debut novel. However, I soon found that this is easier said than done! I wanted to make a cover that conveyed the genre and feel of my book, that caught the eye but wasn't too similar to other popular covers. As it is part of a six part series, I also felt I needed to come up with a style that would be easy to carry through each subsequent cover, something that made it recognizable on sight as a part of the same series. I started researching books in my genre, Urban Fantasy. What I noticed is that they all looked eerily the same. Then I started looking st some of my favorite book covers from every genre and sat down to examine what it was about them that caught my eye. One of these books is "The Dragon and the Unicorn." by A.A. Attanasio.

I have to admit that I bought this book entirely for its cover and have had it for years but have still never read it. However, I do intend to start it next week. One reason I love this cover is because of the use of negative and positive space, and the contrast with the black and white. It's simple yet dramatic and some what mysterious. I'm a big fan of negative and positive, black and white imagery and use it often in my own art. It seemed only natural that I would use the same concept for my cover.

The black and white background represents the good and evil existing within my main character, Gwenevere, and her struggle to figure out her own identity and her true nature. The stars and snow textures represent the many struggles and trails she encounters in the book. The silhouettes of the girl's face, showing the two sides of her personality, were meant to look like a ying and yang sign. The locket in the middle is an iconic item from the book. Green and red are used as accents, signifying her magical gifts. The fiery font of the title representing the refining fires she'll go through to become the person she was destined to be. I made sixteen different versions of the cover before arriving at this one. I have to say that all the work was worth it and I am very satisfied with it.

Book two of the series "The offspring" is nearly complete and I'm currently working on the cover art and illustrations. I can't reveal the new cover yet but can tell you that the black and white (negative and positive space) and fire fonts are all incorporated in it. One fun difference I've made is to change the color of the spine. Book two will have a white spine, everything else changed to contrast. I plan to switch the color of the spines throughout the series, so that, should they be siting together on a shelf they would be black, white, black, white, black, and white. Needless to say the complete collection will look rather sharp together on your book shelf or mantle.

I've received many compliments on "The Forsaken" cover, and hopefully I can make book two's cover as effective as the first. I've enjoyed the process--although grueling--of creating them both and look forward to doing it again for the rest of the series. If you like what you see you can check out my book on my website, Barnes n' Noble and Amazon. Now that I've covered the cover art of my books, you may now go forth and have a fabulous weekend full of leisurely reading.

R.J. Craddock

Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters - Movie Review

I love the idea of re-vamping a classic child's tale and taking it a step further. What happens after they kill the Witch in the gingerbread house? What would Hansel and Gretel be like when they grew up? What would they do for a living? What adventures would they have? These questions and more are answered in the film "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters".

The movie starts by re-telling the story we all know, with their father leading the children into the woods and leaving them. Then they wander the forest finding a house made--rather unlikely--of Gingerbread and candy. When they enter they find that the innocent-looking home is inhabited by a Witch. Capturing the siblings, the Witch forces Hansel to eat candy to fatten him up, and Gretel to heat the fire for the stove in which she'll bake them. When the children fight back trying to escape, the Witch tries to use magic on them but they are immune to it. They shove the evil Witch into the stove and burn her alive. Thus, she becomes their first kill as Witch Hunters, a profession they carry on into adulthood.

Fast forward to present day; Hansel and Gretel (played by Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton) come to the aid of a village plagued by children-stealing Witches. But not everyone in town is confident of the legendary Witch Hunters' abilities. The town sheriff assembles his own Witch hunting party, and both groups attempted to solve the mystery. But time is running out, it appears that the children might be taken for a specific spell, one that will make Witches impervious to fire. They need one more child and the heart of a White Witch before the blood moon is past to cast their spell. If they succeed they the Witches will be unstoppable.

Although they attempted to put some modern twists into the story, I still felt it was believable in the era and style it was told. They gave Hansel and Gretel some rather advanced weaponry for the times, but I was able to look passed that and still enjoy the action scenes. Famke Janssen (Jean Gray in the x-men movies) was fantastic as the Grand Witch, a dark yet sexy villain. The performances from the two leads were at times a little weak, but overall I enjoyed this movie. It's not the greatest Fantasy film of all time, however, it did had some clever twists in the plot that made it enjoyable. 

I Give "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters" three out of four stars. It was well done, fun, and original.

Now go forth and see it for yourself, or if you have already, share your thoughts on the film with us here. Also, below I added for your viewing pleasure the wicked opening titles for the movie. Enjoy.


R.J. Craddock