Sunday 8 July 2012

Author Interview with Christie Rich

Author Christie Rich came by our blog today
to share about her Elemental Enmity series! 



Check out these beautiful covers...


FIVE
Rayla Tate was just a child when her mother disappeared from her life forever. Raised by her aunt Grace in a small town, she has lived a relatively uneventful but extremely sheltered life. She doesn’t know it yet, but she is special. She has been hidden from the fae who have lived secretly among us since the beginning of time. Descended from an ancient blood-line of Elementals, only she has the power to crown the first fae high-king.

Sick of provincial living and the dictates of her aunt, Rayla flees the safety of her home and runs away to college with her best friend. However, excitement over her newfound freedom is short-lived when she finds herself being chased by a mysterious stranger on her way to school. She is drawn to him immediately but resists the compulsion she feels. He disappears into the night, but she is certain he is following her.

Rayla struggles to deal with the encounter while she adapts to her new environment. To make matters worse, Aunt Grace reveals that Rayla will soon be hunted by a pack of fae lords, each hoping to claim her power for his own. She soon finds herself surrounded by stunning men. Are they fae, or is this just normal college life? More importantly, who can she trust when she can’t trust herself to be near them?




DARK MATTER
Rayla Tate’s dreams for the future shattered when she discovered she was an Elemental capable of manipulating matter. Thrust, once again, into the magical fae realm of Faeresia, she has an important choice to make. But now that she has Heath to contend with, deciding between Zach and Luke is the least of her concerns. Tall, dark and lethal to her will, her attraction to Heath eclipses all she has experienced with any other lord, but he is using compulsion to wear her down. If only she could trust her feelings?

In a desperate attempt to escape Heath, she accepts the help of a little troll and finally gets what she wants; however, her relief is short lived. Things go terribly wrong when a dark force closes in on her, threatening to steal her burgeoning power before she even has a chance to test her abilities. Now, with Rayla as their captive, the Order will stop at nothing to create a male Elemental, and willing or not, Rayla is the key.

Caught up in the age-old battle for dominance between human and fae, only one question matters to her now—will she be able to save those she loves most without losing herself in the process? Or will she be forever haunted by the choices she alone can make?





When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?
Not until a few years ago really. I’ve always loved a great story, but I didn’t realize I had a passion for writing until Rayla’s story grabbed me and wouldn’t let go.


Is there someone in your life who inspired you to write? Was there another author or a teacher who encouraged you?
I had started reading voraciously after ten years of not reading anything. Yeah, I know, what was I thinking? Anyway, one of my best friends had gotten me into Twilight and we went to see the movies together. Since I had been reading so much, an idea had formed in my mind and it wouldn’t leave me alone. I honestly thought writing was what other people did. And since my friend had shared her dream of becoming a writer, I tried to tell her my idea. She flat-out refused me like the good friend she is and told me that if I had a story I needed to write it. A few drafts later, Five (Book I of the Elemental Enmity series) was born.


Tell us a little bit about Rayla.
Rayla’s a fighter who is learning how to fight. She grew up really sheltered and had no idea that one rebellious decision would plant her firmly between an ongoing conflict for domination between humans and the fae. She has to learn fast to fight for her freedom and what she holds dear. Unfortunately for her five smoking hot fae lords want her power and they are only too eager to seduce her into getting it.

Rayla doesn’t make their job easy, though. She’s different than most Elementals because she is capable of resisting compulsion; she is also capable of manipulating all five elements which is pretty rare and one of the reasons these men want her so badly.
 
Five opens Rayla’s story, but it is merely the beginning of the journey she will have to endure.


How do you come up with your cover designs?
I have a great cover artist. Amber McNemar from eThink Graphic Solutions:

http://www.ethinkgraphics.com/


I hired Amber to create the cover for my second book, Dark Matter, and I loved her work. I knew what I wanted going in, and Amber was great to work with. All of the covers for the Elemental Enmity series represent the feel of the book and the part of Rayla’s journey the reader will be submerged in.

I knew I wanted a girl facing away from the reader because as a reader I prefer to come up with my own image of the MC. I wanted each cover to give a general idea of what the reader should expect from the book.

Speaking of Covers, Genesis (Elemental Enmity Book III) will be released the end of July. I am so excited to share this one with you all and would love to hear what you think of it.



Can you share a little of your current work with us?
Absolutely! Genesis is the third book in the Elemental Enmity Series. I just love the cover and I think it does a fantastic job of representing what Rayla goes through in this installment. The back cover copy is below:

Having just escaped the nefarious plans of the Order, Rayla Tate thinks all she has to do now is rescue her family and sort through her feelings, but bonding with five men might just be her undoing. Not only does she have to deal with all of them reading her mind, Tabitha informs Rayla that she must choose a bondmate before she will be allowed to venture into the mortal realm to save those she loves most. 

She has three weeks to get to know each lord, but her journey turns into far more than a simple choice of the heart. Rayla comes face to face with the underhanded dealings of the fae political system where good is a matter of taste and evil lurks under beautiful shells. Long held judgments crumble when she discovers the heart beneath the men she has come to count on. Rayla must overcome long held fears, discover the truth behind the creatures of the dark realms, and conquer her greatest weakness before she can take her place as the new queen of the fae.

However, her world crumbles when she discovers following her heart’s desire might just mean the destruction of the world. Will Rayla have the courage to choose the man who has risked everything to win her, or will she succumb to the manipulations of the fae council and those who would use her power for evil? 

One choice: five men. The stakes have never been higher, but which one will prevail?  


As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A princess. LOL. No, really, at one point I did. Doesn’t every little girl? I don’t anymore. I went through phases as a child. I wanted to be a painter, a firefighter, a psychologist…you name it, I thought about it.


Is there a place you’d like to visit, but haven’t yet?
Oh heavens, yes. I’ve always wanted to explore the British Isles and next year my husband is taking me on a twelve day cruise. I will get to see Ireland, Scotland, England, Norway, and France. I’m so pumped for this.


What book are you reading now?
I just finished one of the best books I have read in a long time. Crux by Julie Reece. It comes out July 9th and I was lucky enough to receive an ARC. I just loved the story. Birdie is a snarky MC with a soul, and the male lead, Grey, is just so sweet yet still has that bad boy edge.

I’ve started What Kills Me by Wynne Channing. It’s a YA Vampire novel and I am really into it. It’s promising to be really good, too. I have to say lately my luck with books has been excellent. I either know what to look for or someone upstairs is smiling on me right now.

Thanks for having me here today. Making Connections is one of my favorite groups on GR. If you are interested in learning more about my Elemental Enmity Series, or just want to chat you can reach me on:

Goodreads (be sure to friend me):

5 comments:

  1. really pretty covers! tweeted and shared :-)

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  2. Thanks, Midu! You're awesome :)

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  3. I've added these to my to-be-read list. They look awesome! :)

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  4. I recently finished Five. These covers are amazing. I love the continuity! I will definitely enjoy reading more of this series, as soon as I replenish my overspent book fund:)

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  5. This was a great interview, and the books sound wonderful. Putting them on my To Read list. Your covers are works of art. Beautiful.

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