Call
of Affliction
The
Gamayun Prophecies
Book
One
Lara
S. Chase
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Urban
Fantasy
Date of Publication: November 22,
2015
ISBN: 978-1518876059
ASIN: B018FE5Z0M
Number of pages: 364
Word Count: 72,353
Cover Artist: Resplendent Media
Book
Description:
I am no longer in control of my
own body.
Without warning and without my
consent, my shape shifts and contorts into the half woman, half bird form of
the Gamayun. That’s bad enough, but then
I’m forced to deliver prophecies to Sirin, the immortal who guards the gates of
hell. Messages she doesn’t care to hear,
and she’s not afraid to use deadly force to silence me.
I’m starting to see things no one
else can see. The last Gamayun died in a
psych ward, having lost everyone she ever loved. I refuse to meet that same fate, even if that
means lying to my sister and best friend.
The only person I can turn to is
Sasha, the mysterious stranger who guarded the previous Gamayun. When I stare into those pale blue eyes, it’s
hard to be objective. Can I really trust
someone with that much barely suppressed anger and hurt? For every piece of advice he gives, there are
ten more secrets he’s not telling me.
But when he kisses me, do I
really care?
Call of Affliction is the first book in
a six part series. 99 cents until
Christmas!
Available at Amazon
Excerpt:
CHAPTER 1
Part of me knew
it was the dream again. The sensible part of my brain was screaming at me to
wake up, but when does that ever work? So I watched the film unspool once more,
with me cast as the villain.
The bones in my
fists crunched with every blow to her face and torso. She fell, and did not
move. Her blood dripped off my fingers and onto the body at my feet. I focused
on the slow progression of the red trickle, hoping in vain that I wouldn’t have
to identify my victim this time.
My breath echoed
in my ears as the rest of the world grew still. Drip. Inhale, exhale. Drip. The
pain in my swollen fists forced its way into my thoughts as I stood over her.
Inhale, exhale. Throb. I shook out my hands and forced my gaze down. I didn’t
need to see her lifeless eyes look back at me to know who it was. It never
changed. Who could inspire a killing rage from me but my mother?
I squatted lower
to study the broken form of Senovia. Victory—the thought rose before I could
squash it, and it made me nauseous though the blood had not. I turned from the
body with a jerk.
The jerk took me
to the edge of my bed, startling me. I awoke screaming and choking, my hair
plastered to my face with sweat. I tried to untangle my hair, but the thick
waves were strangling me.
“Galine! Galine,
it’s okay!”
The sound of my
sister’s voice drew me back from my nightmare. I was in my bed, my sister was
safe in the room with me, and our mother, still alive, was several miles across
town. My pulse began to come down to a reasonable level. However, now that I
could think, the guilt came. Not only did I commit matricide in my sleep, but I
woke Katja in the process.
I blinked,
trying to adjust my eyes to the sudden light of the lamp between our twin beds.
I propped myself up on an elbow to get a better look at my sister. Kat sat on
the edge of her bed, her long legs crossed. The oscillating fan shot a burst of
air in my face. It didn’t make the stuffy air that much cooler, but it brought
me out of my stupor.
“Kat, I’m sorry.
I didn’t mean to wake you. Go back to sleep.” The words croaked out, my throat
raw from screaming.
“Was it the one
about Mom again?” I nodded. Katja ran her fingers through her long dark hair.
Her brown eyes studied the tips for split ends with an intensity that betrayed
her uneasiness. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“No.”
About
the Author:
Lara Chase was born and raised in
rural Indiana surrounded by corn fields.
Finding her environment somewhat
boring, she spent most of her childhood with her nose buried in a book or
writing stories in her head to entertain herself. Eventually she decided she should probably
start writing some of them down.
After graduating high school,
Lara decided a change of scenery was in order.
She lived in Oklahoma, Minnesota, and Illinois picking up the first
bachelor’s degree she doesn’t use and a husband. The husband she’s quite fond of, but the
states she wasn’t as taken with. She
moved again, but this time she was smitten.
It would likely take an act of Congress to remove her from Durham, North
Carolina. Since relocating, Lara has
acquired another bachelor’s degree that has proven to be merely decorative.
She still gets restless at times,
though, so she and her husband swap houses with families in other countries. Lara wrote some of the first lines of her
current project hanging precariously out
of a third floor apartment window in Italy trying to get a wireless signal. Luckily, writing at home is usually less
dangerous. Her greatest threat there is
the disgruntled cat who keeps sitting on her keyboard.
Interview
I’m from a teeny tiny town in Indiana called Camden,
and I didn’t even live in the town. I
was raised on a farm. I’ve lived in Durham, NC for the last 14 years, though.
Tell us your latest news?
I’m very excited to say I have a release date for
the next book in the series, Wings of Ash. It will be on Amazon January 18, 2016, and
you should be able to preorder it starting the first week in January.
When and why did you begin writing?
I’ve been writing since elementary school. I used to give collections of short stories
with pictures I had drawn as Christmas gifts.
In high school I wrote my first novella with a friend. I just always had ideas for stories and
characters. I did a lot of daydreaming,
and when my mom would ask what I was thinking about, I would tell her I was
writing books in my head. But then I
went to college and felt I had to start thinking about a “real” job. It took me a long time to come back to
writing and realize it was the only thing that really made me happy.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I didn’t start calling myself an author until I’d
been writing for a couple of years and was on probably my second to last draft
of Call of Affliction. That’s when I felt like I had finally
produced something good enough I could see publishing it.
What inspired you to write your first book?
I saw a painting of a Gamayun, and I don’t even
remember where anymore. As a lover of
shapeshifter novels, I had to know what this half woman/half bird creature
was. As I began researching, I found the
old Russian folktales and religious myths about the Gamayun, Alkonost, and
Sirin. I thought they were so fascinating,
I knew I had to tell them again, but in a modern day setting.
Do you have a specific writing style?
Yes, I’m very organized. I know some people can write by the seat of
their pants, and it all comes out fine, but I can’t do that. I needed to know what would happen in all six
books before I published the first one.
First I do a lot of research.
Even though it’s fiction, there’s always things I don’t know. History, locations, occupations, local
accents and expressions, vehicles, and even particular toiletries are some of
the things I had to look up. Not only
did I write an extensive outline of all six, I even wrote a first draft of all
of them! I also wrote such in depth
profiles on all of my characters, it’s as long as one of my books.
How did you come up with the title?
“Call” has a double meaning. It refers not only to the call of a bird, but
to the call of a prophet. Galine’s call
to be both a bird shapeshifter and prophet is not a pleasant one. I chose the word “affliction” in particular
because of the inscription in the front of the book from Lamentations 3. The whole series will have inscriptions from
Lamentations 3, and most of the titles will reference it, too. There’s some
hints in there for readers. J
Is there a message in your novel that you want
readers to grasp?
There’s an overall theme throughout the series,
yes. I wanted to explore two
questions. 1. What makes someone worthy
of love? 2. What makes someone worthy of redemption? All of the characters in the book are going
to go on separate journeys exploring these questions and may find different
answers to them.
How much of the book is realistic?
Like most urban fantasy, about half. The settings are real, and the characters
have normal jobs like nurse, student, etc.
As a Durham native, I particularly enjoyed throwing in my favorite
Durham landmarks and restaurants. I also
think readers will identify with the very real and common emotions of love,
fear, insecurity, and joy that the characters experience. However, I can’t say that I’ve seen many half
bird/half women shapeshifters running around.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events
in your own life?
Certainly.
I’ve always had a fascination with Russian culture, even though I’m not
Russian, and I think it’s because my mother named me Lara after the main
character in Dr. Zhivago. I also took
ballet when I was little, and as a teacher even had a student whose father
taught ballet at Duke. So, I created
this family of Russian immigrants where the parents are former ballet dancers
with two daughters (I have two sisters). I love art like Kat does. I’m a little obsessed with baking like
Galine. My husband looks like Sasha and
has his strength of character, but Alex’s sense of humor. The similarities go on and on. I take a lot of inspiration from life.
What books have most influenced your life most?
As a writer, I’d have to say Where’d you go Bernadette by Maria Semple because it’s one of the
funniest books I’ve ever read in novel form.
I write a lot of action and some serious scenes, but I never want to
lose the humor. I’d also say anything by Naomi Novik when it comes to world
creation and just general style. That
woman can paint pictures of places like I’m right there. Self-Editing
for Fiction Writers by Browne and King sort of ruined my life when I read
it, but did more to make me a better writer than any other book. The Queen’s
Thief Series makes me want to write characters as brilliant as Megan Whalen
Turner’s.
If you had to choose, which writer would you
consider a mentor?
I’d have to say Elizabeth Hunter. She’s a very successful indie author who
writes urban fantasy/paranormal romance.
I’ve read several of her books and enjoyed them, but more than her
writing style, I’ve been impressed how she’s been able to make something of
herself without a publishing house behind her. Now that I’m trying to do what
she’s done, I’m realizing how hard that is.
What book are you reading now?
I’m just finishing Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost and starting You’re Never Weird on the Internet by
Felicia Day.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your
interest?
What are your current projects?
I’m finishing up final edits on book three Crown of Sacrifice, and doing some
writing on book four Flight of Hope.
What would you like my readers to know?
I think my book details are pretty well covered in
the media pack, but I can share this bit of wisdom: One the best things about being an adult is
that if you want to occasionally eat dessert for breakfast, no one can stop
you. Try it; it’s great. J
Website/blog: http://laraschase.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/laraschase
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/LaraSChase
Tour
giveaway
5 ebook copies
A very intriguing premise!
ReplyDelete