A Darker Rain by Claudine Kapel Interview, Excerpt & Giveaway

A Darker Rain

by Claudine Kapel

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BLURB:

“It’s definitely not a good time to be going into the woods of Hawkley Ridge.”

When a red-eyed wildcat starts threatening ranchers in the Pacific Northwest, Ryan Cole recognizes the danger is far more menacing than the ranchers realize. Cole specializes in tackling unconventional security threats, particularly those with alien origins.

His investigation puts him in the crosshairs of Antoine Drake, an international arms dealer with a penchant for weapons from other worlds. Both men are hot on the trail of powerful alien artifacts known as guardian stones.

Cole and his team of investigators embark on a dangerous quest to recover the guardian stones before they can be assembled into the ultimate alien weapon. To succeed, Cole must also decipher the wildcat’s deadly secrets.

But in the woods of Hawkley Ridge, it’s easy for the hunter to become the prey.

A Darker Rain is the first book in the Ryan Cole series.

Available for purchase on:

Amazon-US   http://www.amazon.com/Darker-Rain-Ryan-Cole-Adventure-ebook/dp/B00HHF4E8U/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1388776108&sr=1-1&keywords=A+Darker+Rain

Amazon-CA    http://www.amazon.ca/Darker-Rain-Ryan-Cole-Adventure-ebook/dp/B00HHF4E8U/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397007047&sr=1-1&keywords=a+darker+rain

Apple iBookstore/iTunes-US    https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-darker-rain/id784213486?mt=11

Apple iBookstore/iTunes-CA   https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/a-darker-rain/id784213486?mt=11

Barnes and Noble   http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-darker-rain-claudine-kapel/1117923653?ean=9781483513324

Kobo Books   http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/a-darker-rain

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Excerpt

Suddenly Cole stopped, raising his hand to halt Dalton’s progress. He heard something. It sounded like a growl, off to the left of the path. The forest became deathly quiet. The night creatures were also aware of the danger in their midst.

Cole reached for his gun. He sensed Dalton doing the same. The cool metal in his hand was reassuring, although he couldn’t forget what the leopard had done to Scofield.

Then he saw the shadowy figure, maybe twenty yards away. Red eyes watching him in the darkness, but well shielded by the forest.

Cole remained still, pondering his options. Memories of countless military operations that had unfolded in forests and jungles flickered through his mind. He had faced many opposing forces in his life, but never anything quite like this.

Cole knew they weren’t in a position to get a good shot, not with trees and brush in the way. He hoped the leopard’s options were equally limited. The animal was large as far as wildcats went, so it was unlikely it could advance through the brush with ease.

Suddenly the red eyes were gone. Within moments, sounds of life returned to the forest.

Cole heard Dalton exhale.

“What the h*ll was that?” asked Dalton in a whisper.

“A genetic nightmare on four legs,” replied Cole.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

A Darker Rain is Claudine Kapel’s first novel. She lives in Toronto and enjoys books, music, and travel. When not working as a consultant, she can be found writing, reading, or contemplating what else may be out there.

The second book in the Ryan Cole series is planned for release in 2014.

Claudine loves to hear from readers. You can reach her at www.claudinekapel.com.

Interview:

Where are you from?

I live in Toronto, Ontario. I’ve lived here for many years and I enjoy the creative vitality of a big city. I love to travel as well. I enjoy seeing new places and experiencing different cultures. I especially love spending time in nature and am drawn to places on water, and especially those by an ocean.

Tell us your latest news.

I recently published my first novel, called A Darker Rain. It’s the first book in the Ryan Cole science fiction / action adventure series. The series follows the adventures of Cole and his team of investigators as they tackle unconventional security threats, including those posed by beings and technology from other worlds. Cole is committed to protecting Earth from negative alien influences and to keeping technology from other worlds from falling into the wrong hands.

In the first book, Cole and his team are on a mission to recover five alien artifacts known as guardian stones. Cole’s search leads him to assist a group of ranchers who are being threatened by a mysterious red-eyed leopard. The creature exerts strange powers over the humans it encounters, leading Cole to suspect alien influences are at play. Cole and his team must confront dangerous adversaries – on two legs and four – as his quest to recover the guardian stones and his efforts to protect the ranchers intersect.

I’m currently working on the next book in the series, which is slated for release later this year.

When and why did you begin writing?

Writing has always been a part of my life both personally and professionally. I have a degree in journalism and I started my career as the Lifestyle and Entertainment editor at a small daily newspaper.

I’ve generally always had some sort of writing project under way. I started with shorter stories and this eventually evolved in the writing of full-length novels.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I’ve considered myself a writer as far back as I can remember. Even as I child, I wrote short stories, poetry and songs.

What inspired you to write your first book?

I had an idea for a novel that wanted to come to life. The book was initially intended to be a straight action and adventure work, but it quickly took on a life of its own, evolving to have more of a science fiction feel.

When writing, I’m often also inspired by music. Sometimes I’ll hear a song on the radio and it will trigger an idea for a scene. As I write, I create a playlist of the songs that relate to different scenes in the book.

What would you like my readers to know?

I love to explore new ideas, both through reading and research and through my writing. A Darker Rain explores the central question: What if there’s more to reality than meets the eye?

Many people are fascinated by the possibility that beings from other worlds might visit our planet. The Ryan Cole series unfolds on current-day Earth, but one where encounters with alien technology and beings from other worlds are becoming more commonplace – at least for those in the know.

For Ryan Cole and his team, there’s a lot more to reality than meets the eye. And they’re only just starting to discover what that really means.

Buy Links:

Available for purchase on:

Amazon-US   http://www.amazon.com/Darker-Rain-Ryan-Cole-Adventure-ebook/dp/B00HHF4E8U/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1388776108&sr=1-1&keywords=A+Darker+Rain

Amazon-CA    http://www.amazon.ca/Darker-Rain-Ryan-Cole-Adventure-ebook/dp/B00HHF4E8U/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397007047&sr=1-1&keywords=a+darker+rain

Apple iBookstore/iTunes-US    https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-darker-rain/id784213486?mt=11

Apple iBookstore/iTunes-CA   https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/a-darker-rain/id784213486?mt=11

Barnes and Noble   http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-darker-rain-claudine-kapel/1117923653?ean=9781483513324

Kobo Books   http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/a-darker-rain

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