Christine Fonseca Blog Tour: Dies Irae

Greetings, friends! I return from the wilds of social media (where I have assiduously avoided the twin time sucks of Pinterest and Tumblr, but have continued to sojourn in the productivity-sucking wastes of Facebook, Twitter, and occasionally Google+) to help the lovely and talented Christine Fonseca spread the word about her recently-released novella, Dies Irae.

I confess, I’m kind of a sucker for classical references in fiction. I’m also—and those of you who’ve been around a while should know this—rather a quivering fanboy when it comes to angst-ridden, genius-scale classical music pieces. So when Christine put the call out for blog tour hosts, and the title of her novella reminded me of one of my favorite choral pieces, I was happy to offer her the virtual pages of the ol’ CR. (That’s Constant Revisions. I’m trying out an abbreviation in hopes of boosting my trendiness.)

Anyway. I’ll just cut straight to the novella blurb, shall I?

*

Some sacrifices should never be made—even for love.

Mikayel lives by one rule—obey the orders of the angelic Council at all costs. But when he and his friends, Azza and Demi, are sent to Earth as teenagers, following the rules is more difficult than they expected.

Being human isn’t the only problem facing the three angels. Unbeknownst to the Council, demonic activity is on the rise, threatening to break a tenuous peace that has existed for a millennia.

Caught in a struggle for power with unseen demonic forces, and fighting against his rising emotional, Mikayel must now decide how many rules he is willing to break to save his friends, a decision that could reignite an ancient war and will threaten the only thing that matters to the angels, the survival of humanity.

*

And the interview questions!

1. Dies Irae introduces your Requiem series of novels. Could you tell us a little about the series?

Sure! The series really takes place about 3000 years after DIES IRAE and follows one particular angelic warrior on her assignment to vanquish a particularly bad-ass demon. Well, as you can guess, things get complicated as bad goes to worse, nothing is as it seems, and every character is forced to look at sacrifice and redemption in a new way. The series is steeped in romance and mythology, wrestling with the themes of love, duty, vengeance, and redemption. As the tagline says: Some sacrifices should never be made…even for love.

2. How does this introductory novella set the stage for the action in the following books?

The storyline for DIES IRAE was plucked from a story that is mentioned in the first novel LACRIMOSA. This story explains the relationship between two very important characters, Mikayel and Azzaziel—a relationship that defines the entire realm of Celestium for thousands of years.

3. The idea that our human emotions—which angels aren’t supposed to share—are a source of strength is an intriguing one. What was the inspiration for that?

Wow! This is a fabulous question. And one I’m struggling to answer, though I’m certain being a trained psychologist has something to do with it. I guess the inspiration comes from my personal beliefs about humanity and the potential strength we all have within the passion of our emotions; passion that has the potential to be both our greatest asset and our greatest weakness. I think that concept was the driving force behind the novella, and the series. Could these characters learn to reconcile emotions their species has denied for eons in a functional way?

4. Every time I read the title of your novella, the opening lines of the “Dies Irae” from Mozart’s Requiem play in my head. Which version were you thinking of when you wrote it?

Funny you should mention Mozart’s Requiem as that particular piece of music was the driving inspiration behind the entire series (thus the name of the series). I listened to Mozart’s “Dies Irae” while writing this story and used the lyrics as a major source of inspiration for the storyline. In fact, the entire series replicates a Requiem mass in structure, with every title being drawn from the mass, Mozart’s version of it in particular.

That…is awesome. I so dig it. :)

5. You’ve set the novel in Greece, I’m guessing, based on the references to the Aegean Sea. Why was no one drinking ouzo at any point in the story? :) 

Yes, the story is set in ancient Greece just before the Greek dark ages, a mysterious time when their civilization nearly collapsed. And dude, have you tasted ouzo??? Yea, I’m not a big fan ;)

But…but…it’s alcoholic! On this blog we have a policy of making room for alcohol of all types, m’dear. I’ll pretend you didn’t just say that, though, for the sake of the interview.

*

Interesting, right? So if you’re intrigued by the promise of a love story with plenty of angelic ass-kickery, hop on over to Christine’s Website and see what Dies Irae’s all about, won’t you?

I leave you with the book trailer. Enjoy!

Buy Links!

• Dies Irae for Kindle
• Dies Irae for Nook
• Dies Irae in PDF at OnlineBookPlace

Christine’s Bio

School psychologist by day, critically acclaimed YA and nonfiction author by night, Christine Fonseca believes that writing is a great way to explore humanity. Her debut YA Gothic series, The Requiem Series, including DIES IRAE and LACRIMOSA, examines the role of redemption, sacrifice and love. When she’s not writing or spending time with her family, she can be found sipping too many skinny vanilla lattes at her favorite coffee house or playing around on Facebook and Twitter. Catch her daily thoughts about writing and life on her blog.

A winner! Finally!

Hey, remember that contest I ran a while back for a signed hardcover special edition of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods? Yeah? Remember it?

I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t. It was kind of a while ago. Like, before the holidays a while ago. And who remembers things after the holidays? Didn’t we all spend our holidays sauced to the hilt and surfeited on terrible-for-us food? Who can remember little things like blog contests after that?

(Actually, my holiday week was pretty drastically sober, since I was visiting with the in-laws and had to behave myself. I know, right? Sheesh.)

Anyhow, I’ll keep it short today, since all I have to do is give books away.

Mmm...vodka....

The grand prize of the signed American Gods, along with Neverwhere and Good Omens in paperback (and a random book from my library) goes to… *drumroll* …

Jessica Love!

Congratulations, good lady! Just because you picked up a copy of Tangled Tides by Karen Amanda Hooper, you are now the proud (soon-to-be) owner of a passel of Neil Gaiman books. Whoo!

(Sorry, I’m not shipping the vodka, though. Mainly because it’s long gone.)

Also, since I’m generous like that, I’ve randomly selected a second winner, who shall receive a random book or two from my collection. (But again, no vodka.)

And the runner-up is… *drumroll* … *eyeroll cuz drumrolls are overdone* …

Alexandra Shostak!

See, this is nifty because Alexandra did the interior art for Tangled Tides. Mad props to her for some really nifty imagery. Also, free books to her. Wins all round, baby.

And thus endeth the contest.

I’m exhausted now.

Who’s bringing me a martini?

The Cracked book launch of awesome.

Last night, friends, I attended a launch party for a lovely lady’s debut novel. It was a marvelous affair, with champagne flowing freely, and despite the caviar hailing from the Black Sea as opposed to the Caspian Sea, the gustatory offerings  were utterly delightful.

Hang on a sec. I think I just choked on my own pretention. *hack* *haaaack*

Okay. Better now.

And I was kidding about the champagne and caviar bit. The gal in question is entirely too cool and down-to-earth to throw a shindig that required a stick in the ass as part of the dress code. (The wine, cheese, crudites, and mini-cupcakes, though? Awesome.)

 Whose launch party was it? Well, the wonderful Kate Walton’s novel, Cracked, just hit bookshelves around the nation, and in celebration of this fact, she threw quite a bash at the Chester County Books and Music Company. And by quite a bash, I mean 300 of her closest friends and family showed up to wish her a happy book release.

Yes, I asked her if she could mobilize her minions for my eventual book release party. She laughed. I should drop her a line and tell her I was serious. >.>

Anyway, I’ll give you the publisher’s blurb for the book, because seriously, it sounds fantastic. And damnably topical, too. Here you go:

In this gripping debut, a teen takes a bottle of pills and lands in the psych ward with the bully who drove him to attempt suicide.Victor hates his life. He’s relentlessly bullied at school and his parents constantly ridicule him at home.

Bull is angry. He’s sick of his grandfather’s drunken beatings. And he likes to take out his rage on Victor.

Determined to end it all, Victor takes a bottle of his mother’s sleeping pills, only to be disappointed when he wakes up in the psych ward. And his roommate? None other than Bull, whose loaded-gun effort at self-defense has been labeled as a suicide attempt. Things go from bad to worse, until the boys discover they might just have something in common: a reason to live.

If that sounds like a good read to you (and it does to me), why not hop on down to your local bookstore to see if they have a copy for you. You could even win a $25 Amazon gift card if you act in the next couple of days (details on that contest here).

And if you prefer teh interweb storez, I’ll give you the links. Don’t say I never did nothin’ for you.

Powell’s

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

Right. That’s my spiel for today. I’ll be back later on in the week with the winner of my signed Gaiman book giveaway, cuz I’ve been procrastinating that one for-EVAR!

Till then, friends.

Cheers!

Happy, uh, belated New Year! *insert excessive cheeriness here*

Yeah, I know it’s been the New Year (are those capitals really necessary, though?) for a few days now. Five, if we’re being specific. Well, six, by the time this posts. Not that it matters.

Anyhow, I think January 5th (which is when I’m writing this) is a good time for me to put up my New Year’s resolutions post. It is, right? (Not that I need your validation. It’s my blog, after all.) (And in any case, I only just got back from my holiday trip to the West Coast on Tuesday, and I’m still jetlagged and sleep-deprived, so cut me some freakin’ slack, why don’t you?)

Where was I?

Oh. Yeah. Resolutions.

Hang on. I’m going to post a picture to liven up this post. Lemme go find a good one.

I resolve to have more of these in the new year....

Right. Let’s get this train back on the tracks.

See, it’s 2012 now. And not only is it a year in which I’m going to become, and feel (and strive mightily against getting) older, it’s a year in which I will be published.

You can mark that on your calendars, boys and girls. I’m getting published this year.

Was I published last year? Well, yeah. Once. I got the steampunk romance flash fic I wrote for a contest on Calista Taylor’s blog republished on my friend Matt Delman’s Doctor Fantastique website. (Matt’s awesome, he’s an independent publisher, and the dude cares about social justice. You should all check him out.)

But other than that, I didn’t publish squat last year. Perhaps I was resting on my laurels. (Laurel probably didn’t appreciate it, but y’know….) Maybe it was my focus on social networking and longer-format fiction. Maybe it was sheer laziness. But whatever the case, I didn’t publish much last year, and that’s a crying shame.

But in 2012? Baby, I’m gettin’ things done. I have two novella’s in progress right now, and two novels. All will be completed by year’s end. 

Will I get an agent this year? I dunno. That’s actually not even on my list of goals, given the brave new world of digital publishing. No, I’m not even considering self-pub, but there are other ways to go. Small presses are a virtual font of publishing creativity nowadays, so for an aspiring author to overlook them as a potential market would be a tad foolish, at best, no?

I also resolve to find more symphonic metal lead singers bands to obsess over.

So that’s how things are going to be in the new year. I’m getting some long-format fiction published, and that’s all there is to it. Which, of course, means that I have to finish said long-format fiction. 

Excuse me while I get on that.

Oh, and Happy New Year, everyone!

*raises vodka glass*

Cheers!

The No-Kiss Blogfest (3rd Ed.)!

Yes, folks, it’s that time again. The irrepressible Frankie Diane’s hosting her annual tribute to almost-smooches, and since we’re co-hosts of our periodic Philly Lit Nights, she made it clear that in no way, shape, or form could I skip posting for a blogfest she’s hosting. (Like the rhyme there? I thought it was nice.)

And yes, I need to post the winner of my Random Monday Gaiman Giveaway. I’ll do that this week, I promise.

But in the meantime….

Here’s an excerpt from one of my works-in-progress. It’s the first draft, and completely unedited, but it’s the only thing I’ve got that fits teh blogfest rulez right now. So, for your delectation and delight, here’s an almost kiss between two characters who, shall we say, have a bit of a, uh, stormy relationship. Yup.

*

She tries to brush past me. I touch her wrist. She reacts.

In a sudden, convulsive gesture, she twitches aside, grabs my wrist, and twists. I grunt as my arm bends at an acute angle. Instinct kicks in.

I slam my knuckles against her forearm, yank loose from her grip. She throws a punch at my solar plexus. I block, counterattack. A flurry of close-range blows—fists, elbows, knees. We’re aiming for the cripple points. Arm-lock, break, head-lock, break, fist to the kidney, the neck. We’re in close and dirty. She shoves me backward. I grab her arm and twist. She cries out softly, spins, snatches my free hand, bends it to the breaking point.

We pause, our harsh breathing the only sound in the room. Pain throbs through my nervous system.

My back is against the wall. She’s got my right hand in a painful lock; I have her free arm twisted behind her back. Her knee is jammed against my thigh, the sharp toe of her boot grinding into my calf. Our chests are separated only by her arm, plunging diagonally between us to keep my right hand immobilized. Her face is very close to mine.

Strands of hair have fallen across her cheeks. Her eyes flash fire at me. Her breath hisses against my cheek. Moisture glistens on her forehead, in the hollow of her throat. Her lips are skinned back from her teeth. All I can smell is her skin.

“Enough,” I say through my teeth. “Drop it, darlin’.”

“Don’t you ever touch me again,” she hisses , pushing harder on my hyperextended fingers.

I gasp and yank her arm further out of position—her shoulder is near dislocation, now. She cries out softly.

“I said enough, T.” I take a measured breath. “I’m going to let go.”

Her body quivers with strain. I can feel her heat shimmering across the space separating us. Her gaze rakes my face.

After a silent three-count, I release her. Her lock on my fingers lasts a moment longer, then she lets go as well. She slides her arm from between us, flexes her stretched shoulder gently. But she hasn’t stepped back.

I stare into her eyes. This close, I can see every crimson crease in her lips, every mascaraed eyelash. Her breath is shallow. I reach up.

Her cheek is smooth beneath my palm. The air in the room is suddenly electric, humming with expectation.

“Tarja,” I say, softly.

Her tongue flickers out to moisten her lips.

I lean closer. Her lips part.

She pulls away. “No,” she says. “No.”

*

So you know, folks, that’s totally not how the scene ends in the manuscript. If you’re curious about how it really does end…well, you’ll have to wait till it’s published, then, won’t you? #tease

Anyhow, pop on over to Frankie’s blog and browse the other entries via the Mr. Linky, won’t you? ‘Cause what’s better than an epic tease to brighten your day? >.>

Happy reading, folks. Cheers!

Blog Tour: Spruce Knoll for Endangered Species!

You may not know this about me, friends, but I’m a bit of a softie when it comes to animals. They don’t even have to be fuzzy, either. I’ve always had rather a surfeit of empathy for the downtrodden, and what’s more downtrodden than a species that’s in danger of becoming extinct? Not much, I tell you.

So when the lovely and kindhearted Heather McCorkle sent out a call for hosts for her Spruce Knoll for Endangered Species blog tour, I couldn’t say no. Yeah, yeah, I’m a sap. Go ahead and judge me. I’ll be over here in the corner brushing up on my not-giving-a-CENSORED*.

Anyway, a special edition of Heather’s The Secret Of Spruce Knoll is releasing from Compass Press this month and she’s doing a blog tour to go along with it. A percentage of the proceeds from every special edition sold by December 12th (in any format) will go toward Heather’s favorite charity that protects endangered species. Very cool, yes?

Of course, there are prizes during the tour (which started on December 1^st and goes through the 17^th). They include a symbolic adoption for the endangered species of the winner’s choice (a $50 donation by Heather), signed copies of her novels, and great swag (which I hear may include cute stuffed animals, but since cute stuffed animals have been banned on this blog since 1994, I can neither confirm nor deny this fact). For full details on how to enter, why not hop over to Heather’s blog?

Also, as part of the tour, Heather has asked each blog host to pick their favorite endangered species. I’ll tell you, the list was pretty long, but after careful consideration, I had to go with the Hellbender Salamander.

 

I mean, c’mon. The name alone? Awesome. It makes me want to write a short story. We’ve had The Last Airbender, right? Why not The Last Hellbender?

And Heather offers the following facts about this nifty creature:

This is one really cool near-endangered species. The hellbender salamander is over two feet in length and lives in fresh water such as rivers and streams. They have both gills and lungs (in different stages of their development) and they absorb oxygen from the water through capillaries on their side-frills. 

So help a poor Hellbender out, won’t you, folks? Click on over to Heather’s blog for additional details, or just go ahead and pick up a special edition of her book at:

Amazon

or

Barnes & Noble

And don’t forget to tell her about it if you do. You’ll be helping out a poor, voiceless, two-foot long Hellraiser Salamander, yes? Yes.

Till next time, friends.

Cheers!

*Heather’s a classy gal, so I decided to avoid profanity in a blog post promoting her charitable efforts. But this is a footnote, and not the real post, so you may as well know I totally dropped the f-bomb underneath that CENSORED sticker.

Philly Lit Night, Part…Oh, screw what part it is. Just show up.

It’s that time of…erm…month again, folks! (No, not that time of the month. That time of month. There’s a difference.) Time for another Philly Lit Night with the riotously boisterous and shockingly good looking crew of Philadelphia-area writer types, right?

Yep.

Now, Frankie already blogged the details, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt if I threw them up on the ol’ interwebz also. So. This is me throwing up the details: *hurk* *huuuurk* *cough cough* *huh-AAAHH-uuuurk*

Um…sorry. I mean, here are the details (shamelessly cut-and-pasted from the email I sent around to the group):

WHEN?

Sunday, December 11th, 4 pm or thereabouts

WHERE?

Barnes & Noble Rittenhouse Square, 18th & Walnut Sts., Phila., PA

WHERE NEXT?

The Irish Pub, 20th & Walnut Sts., Phila., PA

WHERE NEXT?

Home and bed, or the drunk tank, depending on how much fun we end up having.

WHY?

We need a reason? There'll be alcohol involved, that's why. *shakes head*

HOW?

Seriously, do I have to do everything!? Figure out how to get yourself there, you lazy sod, you!

WHAT?

Are you asking me to repeat myself?

*

As always, you can RSVP to me or Frankie, and feel free to pass the invitation along to local writer-types that might be interested in our particular brand of mayhem.

We look forward to seeing you there!

* * * * *

Oh, and one more thing before I sign off: you still have until December 15th to support small presses and win a chance at a Neil Gaiman prize pack, including a signed, hardback, special edition of American Gods.

Interested?

Check my contest announcement –> here.

Over and out, y’all.