Meet My Characters Blog Hop

Meet my Characters Blog Hop ~ Meet Zaphkiel from “Exterminating Angel”

Hi everyone! I was invited to participate in this blog hop by Sharon Struth.  You can read her post here: http://wp.me/p1kyEn-fq

First, a bit of info about Sharon Struth:

Author Bio:

Sharon Struth is an award-winning author who believes it’s never too late for a second chance in love or life. When she’s not writing, she and her husband happily sip their way through the scenic towns of the Connecticut Wine Trail. Sharon writes from the small town of Bethel, Connecticut, the friendliest place she’s ever lived. For more information, including where to find her other novels and published essays, please visit her at www.sharonstruth.com

 Thanks, Sharon, for the invitation!

Now, I’m supposed to choose one character from a work-in-progress or a recently published book and answer seven easy questions. Here goes!

What is the name of your character? Is he/she fictional or a historic person?

Zaphkiel, an archangel.

When and where is the story set?

Louisville, KY – present day.

What should we know about him/her?

Former leader of the angelic hierarchy of Thrones.
Left his position after his lover, Caliel, was supposedly executed by the Seraphim.
Role is as a celestial law enforcement officer, later a fallen angel.

What is the main conflict? What messes up his/her life?

In a fit of rage, Zaphkiel kills an occultist who had murdered a woman and was summoning a demon. Unfortunately, killing the occultist was the catalyst that allowed the demon entry into the human world. Because he committed such a heinous crime, and violated celestial law, his boss, Ophaniel, wants him returned and executed for his crime, but being under Lucifer’s protection interferes with Ophaniel’s plans.

What is the personal goal of the character?

To stop the demon Sorath and also to protect Caliel, his lover, who is incarnated as a young man, Sean. Zaphkiel knows if he returns to Ophaniel, he will be executed by Seraphic fire. Because he summoned Sorath, however inadvertently, he is also responsible for destroying the demon.  

Is there a working title for this novel and can we read more about it?

Exterminating Angel. You can view the trailer and Pinterest board link here.

If published, add buy links and other author info here.

Haunted Dreams, Dark Destinies (author website)

Buy Links:

Kensington Books (Lyrical Press Imprint)
Amazon (Kindle)
Barnes and Noble (Nook)
Kobo

Now invite as many authors as you’d like to continue the blog hop. They will do their post exactly one week after yours. Feature their photo and bio below to show upcoming character tour stops.

 

Magical May Blog Hop

One of the perks of being an author is twisting preconceived notions of good and evil. In Exterminating Angel, Lucifer plays a mentor-type role, helping Zaphkiel and the others as they search for two pentacles – one gold and the other silver – before the sun demon Sorath finds them. The Devil not only protects his friends, he sees to their welfare, giving them jobs and places to live.  

In contrast, Zaphkiel’s angelic boss Ophaniel not only usurps his position as leader of the Throne angels, he has Zaphkiel’s lover, Caliel, arrested and executed. Ophaniel covets the pentacles, and makes Zaphkiel a deal. If he brings him the pentacles, he’ll forgive and forget everything.

Zaphkiel knows he can’t trust Ophaniel, and any deal he makes with him is subject to the archangel’s whims. When he kills a young man and unwittingly unleashes Sorath upon the city, he realizes his situation is even more dire. This is all Ophaniel needs to threaten him with execution unless he finds and turns over the pentacles.

Both Ophaniel and Sorath seek power, although for different reasons. Sorath wants to destroy the universe. Ophaniel wants to be equal to the high-ranking Seraphim. Caught in the middle are two angels, one who doesn’t even know who he is.

As for the Devil, it would be too easy to make him evil. Creating a complex character who has to deal with the negative stereotyping. Yeah, that was harder

Exterminating Angel Trailer:

Exterminating Angel Buy Links:

Amazon

Kobo

Nook

Please check out the Magical May Blog Hop posts from these other Kensington/Lyrical Press authors.

Gemma Brocato

Tera Shanley

Julia Tagan

Joanne Wadsworth

Contest:

Enter for a chance to win all five digital books from the May 5th release.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Writing Process

morguefile.com

Today’s my turn for the Writing Process Blog Tour. During this tour, writers and authors talk about how and why they write. My friend Laken Cane posted hers last week. You can check out her writing process here: Laken Cane

Ready? Let’s begin!  

1) What am I working on?

Serpent Fire, an angel urban fantasy/paranormal, and the second book in my Angels of Death series.

2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I twist notions of good and evil. During my research on angelology, I discovered there was a fine line between so-called “holy” and “fallen” angels, and this has opened an intriguing world of possibilities.

3) Why do I write what I do?

I write dark genre fiction because since I could read, I’ve always been interested in the preternatural world. I grew up watching Twilight Zone, Thriller, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, etc., and reading stories of suspense, horror, mystery, and fantasy. Authors who influenced me include Madeleine L’Engle, Stephen King, Phyllis A. Whitney, Ray Bradbury, and Ida Chittum.

4) How does your writing process work?

It varies, but I typically start with a “What if” idea. Then I jot down the inciting incident, plot points, black moment, etc. I take this information, along with any character descriptions, motivations, and goals, and plug them into Dramatica Pro, a story development software. From there, I fine tune the plot, and then write a synopsis and/or an outline. I’ve started using Writer’s Blocks, another software, to help me plot my story. Once I get the information compiled, I start the first draft.

Stayed tuned, when next Monday, Amy McCorkle shares her writing process on her Letters to Daniel blog.

BIO:

Kate Lynd/Amy McCorkle is an award winning blogger and 2^nd place finisher in the 2011 Preditors & Editors Reader’s Choice Award for Best Romance Short Story for No Ordinary Love. She also writes as Amy McCorkle. Her books include Another Way to Die, a 2012 Moondance International Film Festival Semi-Finalist, GLADIATOR (released August 2012), and Set Fire to the Rain. Her official website is http://AmyLMcCorkleKentuckyAuthor.webs.com, reviews, guest posts, and her popular blog http://Letters-toDaniel.blogspot.com has gone on the inspire both a bestselling memoir and short documentary by the same name. And she is peppered all over Facebook and Twitter under Amy Leigh McCorkle and @Kate_Lynd.

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop Stop

Courtesy: MorgueFile.com

Hi everyone, I’ve been tagged by Sonya Clark to participate in The Next Big Thing blog hop. Today is my day to post about one of my works in progress or a book you may not have heard of yet. (In my case, that would be short stories.) Considering I have a number of manuscripts in various stages of production, I thought I’d talk about the one that’s closest to being ready for submission. 

What is the title of your book?
The working title is The Zaphkiel Project. But I’ll probably call it Zaphkiel. I have had other names for it over the years, most of which are unprintable.

Where did the idea come from for the book?
I don’t remember. I guess when I was wondering what would happen if an angel unwittingly let loose a demon on a city, and the consequences that would follow.

What genre does your book fall under?
Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Dark Suspense

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Good question. I’m partial to British actors. Benedict Cumberbatch as Lucifer and Laurence Fox as Sean/Caliel would be two choices. But I’ve no idea who would play Zaphkiel or Ophaniel. To be honest, I’m more interested in having my stories turned into graphic novels. :-)

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
When an archangel unleashes a demon upon a city, he must enlist Lucifer’s help to stop it.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Not sure. I plan to submit the book to digital publishers, but self-publishing’s also an option.  

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Can’t remember. Can’t even remember when I started it. I think I’m on draft nine now, but that’s a guess.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Maybe Thomas E. Sniegoski’s angel urban fantasies and Kaori Yuki’s Angel Sanctuary. To be honest, I don’t read books in my genre when I’m working on a project. I don’t want to become influenced. However, Dark Halo (Christopher Kokoski), Demon’s Night (Guido Henkel), and Halo of the Damned (Dina Rae) might be similar books. (They’re on my TBR list.)

Who or What inspired you to write this book?
Inspector Lewis. Seems incongruous, I know. There was an episode which mentioned the Venus Transit and that fit one of my characters so well, I decided to make the Transit part of the story. Now, I’m debating whether or not I want to change that aspect.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

I twist preconceived notions of good and evil. Also, Lucifer seems to be a popular character, at least among the people who’ve beta read the story.  

These are the people I’m tagging for The Next Big Thing Blog Hop. No obligation or purchase necessary. :-)

Amy McCorkle

Donna McDonald

Teresa Reasor

Debbie Christiana