Today The Cover Contessa is very excited to be participating in the blog tour of Charlotte Abel's awesome book:
River's Recruit (Sanctuary #1)
Have you heard of this totally awesome book? Well read on so you can find out what it's all about!
Jonathan McKnight lost everything in Afghanistan. His left hand, his identical twin, his self-respect and his naive belief that good always triumphs over evil. Burdened by grief and guilt, he searches for redemption on a solo backpacking trip into the remote Sawatch Mountains of Colorado and discovers a secret tribe of shifters.
River, the beautiful young shifter that rescues Jonathan has been promised to a man she despises. A man that does not desire her and only wants to use her to achieve his own political goals. Jonathan is more than a romantic rival. He’s a threat to those goals.
The only way to save Jonathan’s life is for River to take him as her recruit.
As Jonathan learns more about the horrors of River’s cult-like society, he becomes even more determined to escape it, until he learns that River is responsible for everything he does and will be executed if he succeeds.
Escape is not an option—unless Jonathan can persuade River to leave with him. And if she refuses? Well, then, he’ll just have to kidnap her.
As part of my stop, Charlotte has generously answered a ton of my questions for interview! So read on to see what she says. And if you keep reading, you'll see my review and a little something extra Charlotte has added for my stop of the tour!
Charlotte Abel was born and raised in Oklahoma where she met her soulmate, Pete. She chased him to Boulder, Colorado and finally convinced him they were meant to be together forever. They've raised three kids, two ferrets, three dogs and countless hamsters -- and are still happily married.She's in love with "real" life and paranormal romance. When she's not reading or writing, Charlotte enjoys hiking, bicycling and primitive archery (although she's never shot at anything other than a target!)The final book of The Channie Series, "Finding Valor," should be available by Christmas.
1. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer or did you want to be something else?
When I was a kid, I wanted to be a horse. I ran around on my hands and feet and ate Shredded Wheat biscuits off a plate on the floor, pretending it was hay.
I’ve had lots of different careers—including dance instructor, portrait artist, jewelry designer and glass artist—but I’ve found my “home” as a writer.
2. How long does it take you to write a book from start to finish?
It depends on the book. Enchantment took a little under a year from idea to published novel. Taken was the quickest at about six months. I started River’s Recruit three years ago.
3. How do you come up with themes for your stories?
I don’t really think about theme. It sort of evolves as I write. Having said that; personal sacrifice is a big part of all my stories. I’ve always admired people that risk their own lives to save others.
4. Do you have a schedule of when you write?
Writing is my career so I spend eight hours a day writing and marketing my books.
5. How are you able to balance other aspects of your life with your writing?
This is a huge problem for me. I am obsessed with writing, and like any other addiction, it’s taken a toll. Sitting in front of a keyboard for fifteen to eighteen hours a day, living on cherry Pepsi and Snickers is not a healthy lifestyle. (I gained ten pounds with each book I’ve written. Yikes!) I can’t carry a basket of laundry upstairs without panting. My health is not the only casualty. I’ve lost track of lifelong friends and damaged important relationships.
I’m trying to repent, but it’s not easy. I moved my Nordic Track from the basement to my bedroom and force myself to spend at least 30 minutes on it before I sit down at my desk. I go out to lunch with a friend once a week. I take a break when my husband gets home from work to spend a couple of hours with him every night. I leave my laptop at home when we visit family during holidays. (I went through some serious withdrawal over Thanksgiving!)
I’ve made some real progress, but…I’m trying to hit a deadline. I’m tempted to sneak off to our condo in Summit County or go hide out at my parents’ farm in Oklahoma, so I can write without distractions.
6. What elements do you think make a great story line?
For me, the most important element is romance, but that alone won’t hold my interest. I need intrigue, high stakes and lots of plot twists.
7. What was the hardest thing about writing a book?
Avoiding the temptation to start over when I get a “better” idea. This usually happens after I’ve written at least fifty-thousand words.
8. How many books have you written so far? Do you have a favorite?
I’ve written three books, Enchantment, Taken and River’s Recruit. I love Channie and Josh, but River’s Recruit was my first “real” novel, so Jonathan and River will always hold a special place in my heart.
9. Do you have a favorite character?
Yep. Hunter Feenie. He’s only a secondary character in The Channie Series, but he cracks me up.
10. Where do you write?
I have a home office where I do most of my writing, but my favorite place is our condo in Silverthorne. My desk overlooks the Blue River. I was working on Taken when a bald eagle snagged a trout out of the water.
I also love to write at my parents’ farm. It’s remote and quiet and full of memories. Plus they feed me ;-).
11. When deciding on how to publish, what directed you to the route you took?
At first I wanted to go the traditional route. I went to a writers’ conference and pitched Enchantment to an agent. She loved the story but insisted I cut my 145,000 word manuscript to 75,000 words. I went home, cut the heart out of the story and got it down to 85,000 words. But when I went to her website three months later, it was “down.” I assume she left the business.
I started researching other options on the internet. When I learned how much marketing and self-promotion a new author was expected to do on their own, even with an agent and a traditional publishing house, I couldn't see the value of pursuing a contract.
Anyway…once I decided to go indie, I rewrote Enchantment, gave it a new heart and a riskier, more powerful, ending. I was able to keep creative control right where I like it…with me.
12. Have you gotten feedback from family about your book(s)? What do they think?
The only people in my family that have read any of my books are my husband, my daughter-in-law and my mom. My daughter-in-law loved Enchantment and Taken. I don’t know if she’s read River’s Recruit yet. Pete gave Enchantment three stars on Amazon because he thought it had too much swearing and sex. (Thanks a lot, babe). He likes River’s Recruit but is a bit offended by my portrayal of Mormonism. My mom enjoyed Enchantment and Taken, but wanted to edit out all the naughty bits with a magic marker. I asked her not to read River’s Recruit, which only insured that it’s the next book she downloads onto her Kindle.
13. What kinds of things do you like to do outside of writing?
I love to ride the bike trails around Louisville, Silverthorne and Boulder. I also enjoy primitive archery but have never shot at anything other than a target. Unfortunately, I don’t get to practice much. The neighbors tend to complain when I sling arrows in my suburban backyard.
14. What kinds of advice would you give to someone who wants to start writing?
Read Story Engineering by Larry Brooks and Writing Fiction for Dummies by Randy Ingermanson. Go to a few writer’s workshops to improve your craft. Find a like-minded but tough critique partner, and write every day—even if you don’t feel like it. Sometimes you just gotta park your butt in the chair, give yourself permission to write pure crap and then let the story flow from your heart. You can always edit it later.
16. What is your favorite book? favorite author? Do you have an author that inspired/inspires you to write?
If I had to choose just one book, I’d have to pick Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer, not because it’s my favorite book. It isn’t. But it’s the one that launched my own writing career.
I loved the first three books of The Twilight Saga. But Breaking Dawn just pissed me off. I was expecting a bit “more” on Edward and Bella’s wedding night. We get three books of foreplay, an abrupt fade to black and then nothing but a broken headboard, torn pillows and bruises the next morning?
But it was the whole imprinting on an infant thing that bugged the crap out of me. What was going to happen when Nessie hit puberty before her seventh birthday?
Anyway…I started imagining how I might have finished the series if I’d written it. Entire scenes sprang to life in my mind. I had to write it down before it drove me nuts. 200,000 words later, I found the closure I was looking for. I also found an audience for my writing.
17. Do you have any go to people when writing a book that help you with your story lines as well as editing, beta reading and such?
Definitely! I have an awesome team of beta readers. Karla Hernandez, Nicole Passante, Jessica Ramierez, Stephanie Redwine, Maghon Thomas and Terri Thomas are just a few of the people I count on to give me honest feedback. My editor, Kris Kendall of “Final-Edits” is amazing! My friend and “life coach,” Carol Burkett keeps me from driving myself and everyone around me crazy.
18. Are you working on anything now?
I’m writing the final book of The Channie Series: Finding Valor. As soon as that’s done, I’m starting on River’s Remorse, the second book of The Sanctuary Series followed by River’s Revenge. After I finish that, I’ll start on a new series set in Costa Rica.
Thanks so much for stopping by and answering my questions today, Charlotte. It was great to have you here!
And now, here's my review! Don't forget to scroll down for Charlotte's surprise!
I received a copy of this book from the author to read and give an honest review. This in no way influenced my review process. I am reviewing this book as part of a blog tour hosted by SupaGurlTours (http://www.supagurlbooks.blogspot.com).
I absolutely love the cover of this book. It is totally how I pictured River in my mind. It does make me think a bit of fantasy but this book is not fantasy at all. I still love the cover!
River is an interesting character. A bit naive for sure. She's spunky and definitely confident. She is sweet and a little feisty. I love how strong she is. A great role model for young girls. But she is also a bit vulnerable and lets the reader peek at this throughout the book.
Johnathan is a broken man. He has had such tragedy in his life. He is in search of himself and what he needs to do to find that part of him that was lost when his twin brother died. He's a good man with a heart that needs to be healed.
Together their relationship is interesting given their different backgrounds. It was fun to watch them learn about each other.
The story line is very different from anything else I have ever read. There are many intense moments throughout the book that make it an interesting read. And the world building is very good. The characters are very real and it was easy to related to them.
I enjoyed Charlotte's writing. She creates a totally different shifter story.
This was a nice paranormal read.
4 out of 5 stars from me.
I absolutely love the cover of this book. It is totally how I pictured River in my mind. It does make me think a bit of fantasy but this book is not fantasy at all. I still love the cover!
River is an interesting character. A bit naive for sure. She's spunky and definitely confident. She is sweet and a little feisty. I love how strong she is. A great role model for young girls. But she is also a bit vulnerable and lets the reader peek at this throughout the book.
Johnathan is a broken man. He has had such tragedy in his life. He is in search of himself and what he needs to do to find that part of him that was lost when his twin brother died. He's a good man with a heart that needs to be healed.
Together their relationship is interesting given their different backgrounds. It was fun to watch them learn about each other.
The story line is very different from anything else I have ever read. There are many intense moments throughout the book that make it an interesting read. And the world building is very good. The characters are very real and it was easy to related to them.
I enjoyed Charlotte's writing. She creates a totally different shifter story.
This was a nice paranormal read.
4 out of 5 stars from me.
So, you made it all the way down here for the surprise? Are you ready? Charlotte is giving away TWO ecopies of this awesome book! Wanna win? Well, it's easy enough to enter, just fill out the Rafflecopter below. The contest will run through the end of this tour (December 31, 2012). Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thank you so much for hosting me during the blog tour for "River's Recruit." Your interview questions really made me think. I hope I wasn't too honest. And I REALLY hope my hubby doesn't read my answer to #12 ;-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great review as well! I'm glad you enjoyed the book.