Well my wonderful Bookworms today is your lucky day! Kristie Cook, author of The Soul Saver Series, has took time out of her busy day to chat with us! So without further interruptions take it away Kristie.....
Promise
When Alexis Ames is attacked by creatures that can’t be real, she decides it’s time she learns who she really is, with or without the help of her mother, who guards their family’s secrets closely. After meeting the inhumanly attractive, multi-talented Tristan Knight, however, Alexis retreats behind her façade of normalcy…until she discovers he’s not exactly normal either. Then their secrets begin to unravel.
Their union brings hope and promise to her family’s secret society, the Angels’ army, and to the future of mankind. But it also incites a dangerous pursuit by the enemy – Satan’s minions and Tristan’s creators. After all, Alexis and Tristan are a match made in Heaven and in Hell.
Purpose
Lost in despair, Alexis teeters on the edge of an abyss, her lifeline of hope fraying into a thin thread. If it snaps, she’ll plunge into complete darkness. With the help of her son and her writing, she’s been able to hold on. Until now. Erratic impulses, disturbing delusions and her own demonic blood threaten her sanity. When she’s forced to choose between hanging onto hope or letting go to serve her Amadis purposes, she faces a decision with inconceivable sacrifices.
Alexis runs to the one place she thinks will provide answers, only to find herself at the center of another battle of good versus evil, not only with the Daemoni, not only within herself…but also against the worst opponent imaginable. But even if she wins, what will she lose?
About the Author
Kristie Cook is a lifelong, award-winning writer in various genres, from marketing communications to fantasy fiction. She continues to write the Soul Savers Series, with the first two books, Promise and Purpose, available now and the third book, Devotion, coming February 2012. She’s also written a companion novella, Genesis, coming October 2011.
Besides writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, traveling and riding on the back of a motorcycle. She has lived in ten states, but currently calls Southwest Florida home with her husband, three teenage sons, a beagle and a puggle. She can be found at:
Author's Website & Blog: http://www.KristieCook.com
Series Website: http://www.SoulSaversSeries.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorKristieCook
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/kristiecookauth
Tumbler: http://www.tumblr.com/tumblelog/kristiecook
Google+: https://plus.google.com/102746226001674797330/posts
The Evolution of a Character
When I first started writing fiction again, an intense scene came to mind immediately. I had no idea what was really going on, just that this woman was about to find out there was a lot more in store for her life than she ever expected. She would learn many secrets about souls, angels and demons (and their many forms) and she would play a key role in this supernatural world she never knew existed.
But first she had to get over a huge initial shock that I can’t tell you because it would give too much away. Sorry, but I don’t want to ruin your fun! This part became a pivotal scene in what is now Purpose, the second book of my Soul Saves Series.
In the original scene, “she” (no name yet) was a 38-year-old widow with twins going off to college. She was a bestselling author of a fantasy series, but had no idea there was anything different about her. Except for losing her very normal and human husband in a car accident at a very young age and developing a Rowling-like writing career, her life had been pretty normal.
Somehow—and it didn’t take long—this woman became Alexis. In Promise, Alexis starts at 18 years old. Although she’s 27 in Purpose, I don’t think she’ll ever reach the age of 38. She already knows she’s not normal because, you know, instant healing and a sixth sense just aren’t part of a normal human’s abilities. Her mother doesn’t age and she also has “quirks.” So Alexis is not completely in the dark. She just doesn’t know why they’re like that. She does aspire to be a bestselling author. She’s obviously not married yet and has no kids and even when it does happen, it’s all completely different than when I first started with a simple character sketch.
Fortunately, all of this came to me early on. There was a lot in that original scene that I realized wouldn’t work once the rest of the story came to me. But it at least got me started. And once I started, I learned more and more about Alexis and the rest of the characters each day. And now, the only part of that one scene that remains is that big shock. How the characters arrived at that place and where they go from there have all changed and so have Alexis and the other characters.
As the story evolved, I came to know each character better—they didn’t change much, only became more real and multi-dimensional. I can’t think of any that are completely different now than they were at the end of the first draft. There is a minor character that took on the role of what was once two people. There are characters who started as one-liners, but have and will become pretty major players in the series.
I love them all, though some I know much better than others at this point. I look forward to becoming more intimate with the others, as well as new ones, in future books. Part of the fun of writing is meeting and getting to know these people, as if they were real. And just like real people, they don’t just spill out everything about themselves as soon as they have a name. It takes time to learn what makes them tick and why they behave the way they do—what happened in their past to make them who they are now.
They will all evolve over the series, but especially Alexis. We will see her grow and mature and eventually be prepared to lead the Angels’ Army on Earth. But first, we have to see her hit rock bottom and climb out of it. We suffer with her as she faces and overcomes the challenges put before her, each one strengthening her and preparing her for what she is meant to do. By the end of the series, she will have evolved into a different person. She’ll be Alexis…but better.
Thank you Kristie that is such an interesting post! I am sure my Bookworms will love it as much as I did! Feel free to stop by and visit with us again sometime soon :)
Kristie has been awesome enough to include an e-copy of her book Promise! So to enter all you have to do is be a follower of I Love Books and leave a comment for Kristie....it's that simple so good luck and enjoy :)
