Friday, February 12, 2016

Top Ten Myths About Authors - Angelus by Sabrina Benulis





            First I want to say thank you to Roxanne for this opportunity to share my Top Ten list! We authors are an interesting bunch, but not really in the way most readers tend to think. So I'm going to comment on some common myths about authors out there, and tell you the real deal. Think of this as something like seeing magic behind the scenes. I hope I don't get in trouble for the reveal! Ready?

Myth #1. Authors are rich. Boy, how I wish this were true. It's a common misconception people have, but the truth is that a very tiny percentage of us (maybe 2%) go on to equal footing with any of the rich and famous. Most authors write, not for money, but for the love of writing. We're crazy, I know.

Myth #2. Authors procrastinate. If you're the creative type, you know that brainstorming in and of itself is work. So is trying to be inspired. Sometimes, the words just don't come. But, yeah, even if we're staring at a computer screen with ravaged, bloodshot eyes, we're definitely working.

Myth #3. All authors are born with the dream of being an author. I can't tell you how many authors I know who started in completely different professions or with entirely different interests in life. Everyone has their own unique path when it comes to writing their first novel.

Myth #4. Authors have lots of free time. Only if we're (referring back to #1) rich or still in college. Yeah, those were the days . . .

Myth #5. Authors enjoy the spotlight. Most of us don't enjoy it. Most of us are painfully shy. Most of us are very, very good at disguising that. Like classic introverts we often hide when an unknown person rings our front doorbell. What crazy person would dare arrive on our doorstep unannounced?!

Myth #6. Authors have thick skins. Reviews are the bane of existence of all authors, probably since writing was first invented by the Sumerians. As a rule, most authors learn quite quickly not to read reviews of their work. That being said, some author's skins are so thin they go on ranting rampages via the internet when that errant, random someone doesn't like their work. In that case, they should probably go back to their day job for sanity's sake.

Myth #7. Authors need to write in fancy workspaces, with special desks, knick-knacks, and a magical hat that they must wear to be inspired. Every once in a while you'll hear an author say they can't write without their favorite scarf wrapped around their neck, or that their office is the size of your entire house, and by gosh if it isn't, then their brain doesn't function. The truth is that all you really need is a laptop or computer, a place to sit, and a deadline.

Myth #8. Authors have a good chance at seeing their book turned into a movie. Believe it or not, this is less likely than Myth #1.

Myth #9. Authors are very prolific writers. Some of us do manage to pump out countless books in a year. Then there are authors like Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird), who published one book while she was alive. In reality, most authors I know can publish two a year, maximum. And it really depends on your genre, and your life circumstances. If you're a woman author who is also a wife with young children, you'll probably be lucky with one novel a year. Now that's a great time to think about your next book series!

Myth #10. Authors are very interesting, amazing, outlandish people. Okay, we're about as interesting as any other every day person. But that's the great thing. We're ordinary people. We're dreamers. We're every race, every gender, with every background, occupation, hobby, and possible combination of favorite television shows and coffee preferences on earth. We're readers. We're you. And you know what, it's awesome. We wouldn't have it any other way.

Happy reading! (And writing)!

Angelus
Books of Raziel Trilogy
Book Three
Sabrina Benulis

Harper Voyager

Genre: Fiction / Fantasy / Paranormal

On-Sale: February 9, 2016
ISBN: 9780062069429
E-book ISBN: 9780062069436

A Harper Voyager Trade Paperback Original

In the heart-pounding conclusion to The Books of Raziel trilogy, Angela discovers that she holds the keys to both Heaven and Hell, and that angels, demons, and all the creatures in between will stop at nothing to possess her...

The war started by three powerful angel siblings - Raziel, Lucifel, and Israfel - has divided the kingdoms of both Heaven and Hell. Now the destruction is spilling over into our world.

The last hope for a crumbling world is the Archon, also known as the human Angela Mathers. Angela alone can successfully oppose Lucifel and open Raziel’s Book for the power of good rather than evil. But to do so would mean murdering her best friend, a fact Angela refuses to face.

Now Angela sits on the throne of Hell, fulfilling a prophecy of ruin. But ruin does not always mean destruction.....sometimes it means revolution.

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Praise for Sabrina Benulis and The Books of Raziel Trilogy:

“[Benulis’] unique take on religion and angels is truly innovative. With just enough left unresolved, Covenant perfectly leads into the upcoming final book of the trilogy”
— Romantic Times Magazine on Covenant

“These angels can be vindictive and cruel, more human than you might expect and oozing supernatural abilities…. If you think you have the guts to take on this novel pick it up.”
— Boulder Examiner on Covenant

“A dark, bold story.”
— Lexington Literature Examiner on Covenant

“Benulis writes a no-holds-barred tale of destruction, love, power, and friendship. Everything you thought you knew about God, the Devil, angels and demons will be wiped away and replaced with a world so terribly beautiful that you will yourself gazing out into the night sky, hoping against hope that magic is real. Her characters have depth and 3-deminsional personalities, while her scenery, complete with candlelight and stain-glass windows, emphasizes the primal battles that humans go through on a daily basis.”
— Tulsa Books Examiner on Archon

“… Benulis uses lush descriptions and larger than life characters to tell the story of a battle between Heaven and Hell…She proves herself as a force to be reckoned with… I will definitely be on the lookout for the next installment in her book of Raziel series so I can grab it up and pour over each page.”
— Suspense Magazine on Archon



Genesis – The Story So Far

Before the beginning of all things, there was a Mother who sang and carried the stars within her.

Worry consumed her because often the stars near her heart burned and jostled, as if fighting one another. Then the unthinkable happened, and she gave birth to twins long before the appointed time. These children were meant to be equal in every way, but from the stars one twin decided to claim dominion over our universe. He attacked his sibling, murdering him, and from then on a fragile balance weighed toward the side of shadows.

The Mother who has carried these gods fell into the deepest despair and took her punishment to the depths of the eternal Abyss.

Innumerable cycles of time passed before an angel named Raziel found her again.

Raziel was one of three powerful sibling angels, and they had also been told their purpose was to share equal rule over the universe. Yet the jealously and rivalry between two of them, Israfel and Lucifel, grew to a feverish pitch, and upon returning to his home in Heaven, Raziel found his sister, Lucifel, instigating the infamous War that would divide the angels forever into two opposing kingdoms.

It was a dreadful time of blood and feathers falling like the snow.

Raziel was the last to fall. Horrified and determined to end the bloodshed, he had confronted God and begged for intervention to stop Lucifel’s rebellion. Instead, he plummeted to his death in full view of his siblings, one of whom loved him more than life itself.

The glorious time of Israfel’s rule as Archangel in Heaven was over.

Lucifel too had failed to claim the crown she so desperately desired, and she fled to her new kingdom of Hell. But the Throne of Hell was little more than a prison, and Lucifel found herself swiftly jailed by the angels who had once worshipped her. They called themselves demons, and though their kingdom remained forever dark and dismal, they never forgot the glories of long ago.

This truce between angels and demons could not last. Instead, Lucifel’s influence grew from the darkness, and her twisted ideals seeped throughout the universe. Seeking the mysterious power contained in Raziel’s Book, one of his greatest treasures, it is claimed she means to destroy the universe that mocks her suffering.

The last home for a crumbling world is a being called the Archon, also known as Angela Mathers. Angela is human, but her soul is protected by the spirit of Raziel. She alone can successfully oppose Lucifel and open Raziel’s Book for the power of good rather than evil. However, the Book is not a thing but a person, and Angela knows that to open the Book would mean murdering her best friend, Sophia. She has refused to do so, seemingly sentencing the universe to a fate of silence worse than death, because it would be one without resurrection.

Angela Mathers firmly believed that even Hell could not separate her from her friend. She suffered, and bled, and fought in a twisted demonic maze to save the Book from destruction, only to unwittingly allow Lucifel to escape back to Heaven.

Now Angela sits on the Throne of Hell, fulfilling a prophecy of Ruin. But Ruin does not always mean destruction. Sometimes it means Revolution. Crowns pass from one person to the next, yet it takes a special soul to heal the burdens of all.

The Mother’s song no longer echoes throughout the universe, and new notes wait to be revealed. Now, the moment of change has finally arrived. The end of a cycle of pain has begun.

For through souls have hurt, and bled, and cried, the light ever returns in a rushing, relentless tide.



About the Author:

Sabrina Benulis graduated with a masters in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. She currently resides in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania with her husband and a spoiled cockatiel. 







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1 comments:

Sabrina Benulis said...

Thanks for the guest post opportunity! :-)