It’s a colorful world.
Color is such a substantial part of our lives. It covers our walls, floors, cars, clothing,
even our hair (especially the gray ones).
We even have designated colors for the holiday seasons. It allows us to express our moods and
preferences. Everyone has a favorite
color. Mine is any variation of
blue. Right now, dark teal is my
fav. Throw it with brown, gray, or lime
green for pizzazz. I’m in heaven. Which brings me to my next point –
Colors can affect our mood and emotion. Ever wonder why a doctor’s waiting room is
usually blue? If you haven’t noticed, check
the next time you go. Blues keep us calm. Bright yellows keep us awake. Greens sooth and relax. Reds elicit
excitement and aggression.
Color can even be found in your favorite book. Color imagery has an amazing way of conveying
meaning in words you are reading whether a scene, character, object etc... Why are all those alpha males dressed in
black leather? Black triggers an
immediate picture in our mind of the hero whether the author wrote the words or
not. It symbolizes power, danger, evil,
sexuality. Now, put that same alpha hero
in an orange shirt and green leather pants.
What’s the first thing that comes to your mind? For me, I think of a clown. The change in color alters the image you have
of this character. In your head or
through the author’s words, you have to make that character work for his bad
ass image. I’m not saying it can’t be
done, but it takes skill to get there. A
sword slinging, buff alpha in green leather pants and an orange shirt. Oh,
my—so not working for me.
We often glaze over the use of color in novels. Our subconscious does the work for us. I love to use color imagery in my
writing. In Soul Awakened Kendra has
this overwhelming fear of the dark. She
carries this little green flashlight.
Yes, I put conscious effort into the picking the color of this
flashlight. Obsessive, I know, but yet
how it is used in the novel lends very well to its color choice. Green not only sooths and relaxes, it is the
color of renewal and health. As readers,
we may not consciously catalog the fact that it is green, but our minds use
that information to process the circumstances.
It wasn’t until I watched the bonus material for the movie, The Sixth
Sense, did I find out that the director used red objects in scene shots where
Bruce Willis was with the boy. It was
his way of delineating the two planes of existence. I know, now everyone is going to run back and
check that movie out. LOL :-)
My novels are based on Ancient Egyptian mythology. This culture used colored turquoise gems to
protect them from evil spirits. Properly placed charms on the mummy protected
all the vital organs of the body for their journey to the afterlife. You will
find in Soul Awakened, a turquoise veil of magic covering the entrance to the
demotic vault that houses all the black magic texts. Only those without sin can pass through the
veil and Kendra is just that kind of girl.
So, to make this fun I’m going to make you think back to a
novel you read. Did the author use color
to convey a meaning or mood? Can you
give an example of how it was used in the book?
Or just share your favorite color.
Giveaway: Commenters
will be entered to win the following: Of course, a little green Maglite, plus signed cover flats. (US only) Plus, don’t forget to join the book tour
giveaway, Kindle Fire HD plus e-copies of Soul Reborn and Soul Awakened.
The Author:
Bio: In her
pursuit of a nursing degree, Jean Murray aspired to see the world and joined
the Navy. At the end of 2011 she said a heart-breaking goodbye to her Navy
family and retired after twenty years of military service. Although her dreams
of writing full time have yet to come true, she continues her writing journey
and draws inspiration from her travels abroad. She enjoys spending time with
her family and of course, writing about the “Carrigan sisters and their mates,
Gods of the Underworld,” to bring you the next installment of the Key to the
Cursed series.
Author Jean Murray brings a wonderful new spin to the paranormal world
with her Egyptian Underworld gods. She
broke ground in the paranormal romance genre with Soul Reborn (ARe Best
Seller/NOR Reviewer’s Top Pick) and now continues the Key to the Cursed journey
with Soul Awakened (NOR Reviewer’s Top Pick).
See what readers and reviewers are saying about her new book ~ http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16484518-soul-awakened?auto_login_attempted=true
BOOK I: Soul Reborn
THE HUMAN REALM, HIS BATTLEFIELD.
Asar, the Egyptian God of the Underworld, has been tortured
and left soulless by a malevolent goddess, relegating him to consume the very
thing he was commissioned to protect. Human souls. Now an empty shell of
hatred, Asar vows to kill the goddess and anyone involved in her release, but
fate crosses his path with a beautiful blonde huntress who has a soul too sweet
to ignore.
DEADLY SECRETS BETTER LEFT UNEARTHED.
Lilly, fearless commander of the Nehebkau huntresses, is
the only thing standing in the way of the goddess' undead army unleashing hell
on earth. But Lilly has a secret—one she
is willing to sell her soul to keep. If the Underworld god discovers her role
in the dig that released the goddess, she will lose everything, including his
heart.
Amazon Purchase Links:
Barnes & Noble Purchase
Links:
Purchase Print&Nook:
Reviews:
Romantic Times (RT)
Book Reviews (Sept2011) - 4/4.5
stars/Scorcher, http://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-review/soul-reborn
Bitten by Paranormal
Romance – 5/5 Alpha Howls, Hot http://www.bittenbyparanormalromance.com/2011/07/review-of-soul-reborn-key-to-cursed.html
Night Owl Reviews: Reviewer’s Top PICK/ 5 Stars (Abigail,
Feb2013) “The
first book in the “Key to the Cursed” series was absolutely phenomenal.
Anything that deals with old world deities and is written well always hooks me
from the get go. This was definitely an excellent book to begin a new series.” http://paranormal.nightowlreviews.com/V5/Reviews/Angibabi4-reviews-Soul-Reborn-by-Jean-Murray
BOOK II: Soul
Awakened
Book Blurb:
LOVE FOR BLOOD OR HONOR
Kendra, an Egyptologist
and demi-god in waiting, is the key to unlocking Bakari, the Egyptian God of
Death, from his cursed slumber. Desperate to free him, she inadvertently binds
herself to the god with a spell that only death will undo. To save Bakari from
himself, she may have to sacrifice her innocence, and possibly her soul, before
he becomes his family’s worst enemy.
HAUNTED BY SINS OF THE
PAST
Bakari awakens to a world at war and a beautiful woman who
has tethered his soul to hers. In the wake of his self-destruction Kendra is
his only hope of salvation, but another has vowed to keep Bakari from the one
thing he craves most-- his Parvana. His butterfly.
Purchase Links:
Books –A – Million: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Soul-Awakened/Jean-Murray/9781937254971?id=5602792319200
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/soul-awakened-jean-murray/1114128757?ean=9781937254971
