Thursday, May 21, 2015

Interview and Giveaway: Destiny by Charlene A. Wilson




What inspired you to become an author?

I’ve been writing since my early teens, so I guess it was just a given I’d end up as a published author.

Do you write in different genres?

I enjoy writing in the paranormal or fantasy, but my works do encompass some science fiction. I also have some contemporaries waiting in the wings.

How did you come up with the title for your latest book?

I held a small contest to come up with some ideas for the name of Cornerstone Deep book three, but none of them really hit home. So I laid on my bed, gathered my characters around my head and started saying words that had to do with their story in this book. Destiny felt right.

Do you title the book first or wait until after it’s complete?

I guess it just depends. For book two, Echoes, I knew right away before I even wrote chapter one.

Is the book, characters, or any scenes based on a true life experience, someone you know, or events in your own life?

This is purely fictional. Parts of this entire series come from a dream I had long ago. I just filled in the pieces. (smile)

What is your current “work in progress” or upcoming projects?

Aside from starting a follow-up series to Cornerstone Deep entitled Midway Summit, I’m working on book two of my Aumelan series, World Beneath the Rock. It will be the next book coming out.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

You bet! This is a scene from Aumelan book two, World Beneath the Rock. It’s a Sci-fi/Fantasy Romance and Salana is being challenged about following her heart…

The rock seemed to press on Salana’s eardrums as silence replaced the rumble of the engines.  A deep hum filled her ears.  
Eric jangled rope links and slammed compartment doors, and she had to wonder if the silence affected him too. Their heavy boots crunched rock as they walked the wide byway. The trail led them through large tunnels that looked as if a giant snake burrowed into the mountain and left a neat trail for future exploration.
Beams cast by the lanterns on their hats turned shadows into vertical belts of toffee and beige formations against the flat walls. Long slabs made up the floor like a misshaped puzzle. She brushed her fingers along a rogue boulder.
Eric looked at Salana and then inched closer. “A word, Miss Goffin?”
Salana slowed, and Chad and Styne eased past. He glanced behind him at Dae several steps back and then spoke in a low voice as not to be heard by the others. “Excuse me if I’m being too forward, but you don’t belong here. This isn’t a holiday. We’re headed for some real rocky situations. No pun intended. And it might not be safe.”
Salana stifled a snort. “I know what’s below, Eric. I’m not looking for a holiday. I’m here to help. To support Chad.”
A long growl rumbled in his throat as he looked away. “So I didn’t imagine you on the terrace in his arms that day. Or that you told him you loved him.”
“No, you didn’t imagine it.”
“But you’re promised to Dr. Masterson. You pair with Chad and you know what will happen.”
“Nobody knows what will happen, but it will happen with me and Chad together. And this is your concern how?” Her tone came out offensive, and Salana tilted her chin at him. That’s right. Give me a reason to prove my love.
“It’s my concern because you’re the daughter of my Nation. An icon of discipline to the people. Our people idolize you. Any of them would step up and fight for you, but you turned your back on them like they mean nothing.”
“Our people mean the world to me, Eric. But a person’s personal life is theirs, not those who think they know what’s best.”
“But you just gave up everything.”  He threw his hand to point from where they came.  “Riches, prestige, security.  Who’s going to protect you?  Chad?”  He glanced at the two men as they walked ahead of them.  “They don’t fight.  And their people won’t accept you.” He huffed as Salana arched her brow. “Okay, forget the people. This task is going to be rough. It’s not just another camping trip. Your clothes will get battered, there are no soft beds or tarts, and chances are if you haven’t felt it yet, claustrophobia will set in.”
“Don’t pretend to know me, Eric. I’m not as shallow as you think.”  She looked at the formations in the side of the tunnel.  “Accept the fact that I had to follow my heart.”  
“So.  You gave up everything back there – for Chad.”  
“Do you love Lulu?”  
Eric’s brows dipped into a deep furrow. “What’s she got to do with this?”
“What if you were a Son of the Nation and promised to another?  What would you have done?”
A slight sneer caused the scar on his face to press against his cheek bone. He lowered his gaze to floor of the pass. As he veered a few steps away, she clearly heard his murmur. “Lulu would never expect me to submit to slavery.”

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Keeping to a rigid writing schedule. I really need to learn to buckle down and get those words out! 

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

That would be J.D. Brown. She has a way of putting you right in the scene and falling in love with her characters. 

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Believe in the magic that’s in you, its potential, what it can achieve. But most of all, believe in yourself and create a world where dreams become reality.~
Oh, and never, never, never give up!

Destiny 
Cornerstone Deep
Book 3
Charlene A. Wilson

Genre: Paranormal/light sci-fi/ Fantasy

Publisher: Spectrum Publishing

Date of Publication: May 11, 2015

ISBN 10: 0989984656
ISBN 13: 978-0-9899846-5-2
ASIN: B00W35XAY8

Number of pages: 200
Word Count: 52,886

Cover Artist: Charlene A. Wilson       

Book Description:

Angels, Gods, High Ones… Could anything else find its way into the prophecy caused by their father, Sylis Shilo, the renowned realm traveler? Vincent understands there were things in his father’s work he wasn’t privy to simply because his soul was too young, but how could this be kept a secret from even his brothers? The more he learns, the more he’s glad he hadn’t known.

The sentinels of Cornerstone Deep are in for their most difficult challenge yet. The portal to the Spectrum of the Realms must be sealed, and punishments must be carried out. Will the Gods take all that is dear to Vincent, James, and Cole Shilo?

“Flesh cannot take away that which our souls have united.”


Available at Amazon

Excerpt:

Stars blinked, and Vincent scowled at the firmament. They mocked him—tiny gems as out of his reach as the treasure he sought. With a snarl, he scanned the area around the empty town square, whirled to face Simpson drive, and then jabbed his hand toward the deserted street of the city’s east side.
“Orvertre!”
The summoning command echoed through the night and then ebbed into the quiet atmosphere with no result.
A frog croaked from Center Creek somewhere within the park to his right. The urban green rustled and deep shadows waved as the breeze whispered along the tall border hedges. A cat padded from an alley between the north side commerce onto the sidewalk and then looked his way. The dim streetlight reflected in its eyes, two silver discs that taunted alongside the night sky.
With a growl, he punched his frustration into the air. Blue neon flashed from his fist. The bolt highlighted the crimson brick storefronts and plowed into the street with a resounding blast. Asphalt bulleted the commerce, shattering glass behind the barred windows, and pelted the granite griffin perched on top of the corner archway of the entrance to Shilo Park.
The cat darted back the way it came. 
Vincent snarled. Turning toward the city center, he clenched his jaw and glared around the empty court. How many times have I tried to summon the Mother Earth beads from here already? Every faithful follower of the gods had come to witness the absence of Gryffin. When they left, the park was in shambles. It took three weeks to pick up all the rubble and return the vegetation to its rightful state. He glanced over his shoulder at the stone gargoyle. The god of conformance couldn’t have made a more striking statement with that disappearance act—and the beads couldn’t have been lost at a worst time. Anyone could have stashed them away, thrilled to find such a keep.
Vincent ground his teeth together so hard his temples ached. Humidity thickened the early summer night and carried the sulfuric odor from the west side industries. It coated his senses with added irritation. Where was the floral scent of Shilo Park? He needed the sweet comfort it held.
Releasing his breath, he whispered a vow he didn’t intend to sustain. “Elaina, you will never touch another magical charm as long as you live.”
He glanced at his watch and sighed an anxious breath. I need to get home.
How long before his brothers questioned his excursions? How long could he keep the disappearance of the relic a secret? 
Furling his cape, he dispersed his elements into a fine mist. He allowed his dark essence to meander as he flew the length of the boulevard, recalling the crowded scene. Pilgrimage buggies, tents, covered wagons; they were only a portion of the massive gathering of faithful that had finally cleared the area.

Irritation rippled his essence. With a growl, he conceded failure and headed over the southern apricot orchards to Shilo Manor.


About the Author:

Charlene A. Wilson is an author of tales that take you to other dimensions. She weaves magic, lasting love, and intrigue to immerse you into the lives of her characters.

She began writing in her early teens when her vivid dreams stayed with her long after she had them. The characters and worlds were so amazing she brought them to life through her books.

Charlene resides in a small community in Arkansas, USA, with her two beautiful daughters, husband, a cuddly Pekingese, and a very chatty cockatiel named Todder.






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1 comments:

Charlene A. Wilson said...

Thank you for having me over at Roxanne's Realm. Love this blog!