Praise for Awakening, Book 1 in the Dark Rituals series:
"A
paranormal story unlike any other. If you are looking for an original plot look
no further. … I couldn't put it down! Every single time I thought I was getting
to a lull where I might be able to stop reading, the hooks dug in deeper."
—Goodreads reviewer
"The
plot twists and turns on this wild horror ride. … A must read by an exceptional
upcoming author." —Goodreads reviewer
Rafflecopter
Contest:
I’m giving away a Paranormal Readers
Survival Kit.
The Dark Rituals, Book 1
COMING 10/7/15!
Pre-Order the book
In Awakening,
the first installment in the Dark Rituals series, a former healer turns to the
Death Arts to seek revenge.
Seventeen-year-old
Colina was born a healer. But after a horrific event forces her to leave her
clan, she becomes desperate to learn the dark magic of the death dealers, mages
who draw their power from the spirits of the dead. Colina was taught to fear
and hate death dealers, but becoming one of them is the only way for her to get
the revenge she seeks—and the only way for her to survive.
Colina
asks a young death dealer named Luke to help her, but he’s reluctant to train
her in the Death Arts. Little does she know convincing him to teach her will be
the easiest part of her journey. To become a death dealer, Colina will need to
undergo three dark rituals, each more terrifying than the last. At the same
time, she’ll have to deal with her growing feelings for her mentor. Too bad the
first ritual involves him strangling her to death.
As Colina
undergoes the trials, she discovers an untapped darkness within herself. If she
survives the horrific rituals and gains dark power, what will she become?
Catrina
Burgess’ Dark Rituals series originally appeared on Wattpad with over three
million reads. Awakening
is the first book of four and was named Wattpad’s Best Suspense Story of 2014.
About the Author:
I write because it helps keeps the darkness away
and reminds me that there is magic in the world. I live with one husband, two
dogs, and a cat named Shitty Kitty in a small mining town in Arizona. At night
this place is definitely spooky. I swear I’ve heard the wind giggle, and
sometimes there’s a very odd breeze. Luckily, I love all things that go bump in
the night. I adore old movies. I’m a huge Joss Whedon fan.
I’ve been known to eat pizza and cold Chinese food
for breakfast, and I’m the queen of the board game Stratego. I’ve never been
beaten. NEVER!
Website http://www.catrinaburgess.com/
Follower me on
twitter: @catrinaburgess1
Interview
1.
When did you first
realize you wanted to be a writer?
When I was eleven years old. I’ve always had a love of books and I
realized early on I wanted to not only read books, but I wanted to be the one
telling the stories.
2.
How long does it take
you to write a book?
Six months. I write a very fast rough draft of the book that
usually takes 3 months. And then I have to spend about the same amount of time
editing and polishing it up.
3.
What is your work
schedule like when you're writing?
I try to write pages every day, but that doesn’t always happen. I
have a page goal I set for myself of 20-30 pages for the week. If I can’t get
any writing done on Monday then I better get my butt in the chair and start
writing on Tuesday if I want to make my weekly page goal.
4.
What would you say is
your interesting writing quirk?
I liked to write my scary scenes between midnight and 3 am.
5.
How do books get
published?
Now a days there are many ways to get your book noticed so it can
get published:
I’m doing a series with my publisher that talks about what happens
once you sign with a publisher. You can check it out here - http://fullfathomfive.com/beyond-the-page/
Other tips:
1. You can go the old fashion route and try for an
agent.
2. Enter a contest and hope to win or final so an
editor scopes out your stuff.
3. Head off to a writing conference and sign up to
pitch to an editor directly.
4. Submit to some of the NY print houses that allow
submissions without agents.
5. Go the digital first publishing house route.
6. Self publish.
7. Post your book up on crowd sourcing site like
wattpad or swoon reads.
6.
Where do you get your
information or ideas for your books?
I often have to research information on the internet or at the
library for certain aspects of my book. But the ideas come from everywhere. I
get ideas while watching the news, sitting in a crowded restaurant, driving
around doing errands, etc…
7.
When did you write your
first book and how old were you?
I started working on my first book the day after my thirty-six
birthday. My husband dared me to get working on this big dream I’ve always had
of being a writer. The next day I started working on my first book.
8.
What do you like to do
when you're not writing?
I run a romance review site. RomanceJunkies.com has been up and
running since 2002.
9.
What does your family
think of your writing?
They are very encouraging. I wrote the Dark Rituals originally to
entertain my teenage nieces.
10.
What was one of the most
surprising things you learned in creating your books?
That it’s a lot of crazy hard work. I always thought I would only
write when I felt inspired. I quickly realized that you have to write quite
often when you don’t feel like it. It takes a lot of determination, long hours
and hard work to get a book written.
11.
How many books have you
written? Which is your favorite?
I’ve written 9 books. The last book in the Dark Rituals series,
Legion, is my favorite.
12.
Do you have any
suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?
Grow a very thick skin when it comes to your writing. It helps to
get a lot of feedback on your writing and stories to become a better writer.
But it’s hard for many writers to hear anything that is at all critical about
their writing.
13.
Do you hear from your
readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
I do hear from my readers quite a lot. There is nothing better
than having a reader tell you they really were up all night reading your book.
I often get readers telling me they were reading the book late at night and
some chapter spooked them out.
14.
Do you like to create
books for adults?
I’ve written romance books in the past. But the Dark Rituals books
are young adult’s books. Though many adults have read them and enjoyed them.
15.
What do you think makes
a good story?
That’s a hard one. I know a good story when I read it. It’s a
combo of terrific writing, characters I really can root for, and a setting that
sucks me in. There is nothing better than finding a book that keeps you up
until 3 am reading.
16.
As a child, what did you
want to do when you grew up?
Three things: Writer, Librarian, and coffee shop owner.
17.
What would you like my
readers to know?
That if they are looking for a bit of a spooky read this Halloween
they should check out my Dark Rituals series. A story about magic, mixed with a
ghost story vibe. And if they read the books, make sure to read them late at
night during the witching hour. ;-)
No comments:
Post a Comment