Taking on the Paranormal from a Writer’s Perspective, by Tabitha Barret
I want to thank Fang-tastic Books for asking me to write a guest blog for their readers. Since I am an Adult Paranormal Romance / Urban Fantasy author, I love anything to do with vampires, shifters, ghosts, and my personal favorite, Fallen Angels. Not only do I write in these genres, but I enjoying reading them and often write reviews for other authors to help support them.
My first two books, The Third Throne: Angel of Darkness and The Third Throne: Angel of Death, are the introductory books for my series that will continue across twelve books. The series will bring together all types of paranormal creatures and the Fallen Angels who are trying to fight them. In the end, the world will be on the verge of falling into chaos and one person will decide its fate. My unique versions of Heaven and Hell give a new twist to the Apocalypse and the person responsible for creating it. This series is a challenge to write, but because I have created a detailed world for them exist in, it makes it easier to tell my story. If I didn’t have rich landscapes and rules for my worlds, things would fall apart quickly.
In creating my version of Hell, I had to imagine the entire landscape and figure out how to punish the prisoners. I invented the Realms of Fire, Frost, Insects, and Drowning Seas, to name a few. Places like the Hall of Shadows and the Realm of Nightmares were made to hold the non-mortal prisoners and the mortals who were beyond redemption, respectively. I needed werewolves, but mine were made from the Germanic God Fenris. New creatures like the Syankas, black shadow figures borne of a great evil, offer deals to mortals, while the dreaded Bhakṣaka prowl the Caves of Darkness to keep the evil souls from escaping Hell.
When writers decide that they like vampires, werewolves and other mythical beasts, and decide to write paranormal fiction, they sometimes fail to understand that they need to treat mythical creatures with respect. When they add a vampire or a ghost to a story, they have to be careful to set up their own rules and history. No two vampires in fictional works are the same. Some can turn into bats, some can walk in daylight, and some can read minds, but because so many people have reinvented the vampire, a writer can’t just assume that a reader will know the rules of their vampire, especially when they decide to bend those rules without an explanation.
I recently read a shifter novel that jumped right into the world of werewolves. I felt off kilter since I didn’t know if they could turn at will or if they turned on a full moon. They immediately talked about finding mates, but didn’t explain why they needed to find them. Was their wolf side out of control without a female to tame them? Did they have some curse that could be cured by finding their soul mate? I didn’t know because the writer hadn’t written enough werewolf lore into the story. They wanted to play with the werewolves without understanding the need for some kind of culture associated with the wolf pack. Putting a vampire or a werewolf into a story is not enough to make a great book.
When dealing with mythical or fantastical creatures, it’s best to establish who they are, what their purpose is, what their strengths and weaknesses are, and then weave the details into the story. Without a good backstory, vampires are just men with long teeth who have disgusting diets. Take the time to create your worlds and decide what will make your characters different and make them stand out. It will captivate your readers and make them eager for the next book!
The Third Throne:
Angel of Death
The Third Throne Series
Book Two
Tabitha Barret
Genre: Paranormal Romance / Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Heather Baker
Date of Publication: 7/31/2015
ISBN: 1514847507
ASIN: B00XOJ09Z0
Number of pages: 530
Word Count: 223,833
Cover Artist: Heather Baker
Book Description:
Anjali has embraced her destiny to end the world, but now she must find her ten Harbingers, known as the Predznak. She is determined to find Alazar, the Angel of Death, the former leader of the Predznak, before the other angels. She fears that he has lost hope and is close to becoming a Rogue Angel.
Alazar has spent too many centuries waiting for his Master Anjali to come and claim him. Deception and lies have kept them apart, but now it’s too late. He has vowed to the other Predznak that he will kill their Master so that they can be free.
During her search for Alazar, Anjali meets the Spirit Experts, paranormal investigators who are on a collision course with the Angel of Death. Anjali finds herself strangely attracted to one of the Spirit Experts and decides to become a part of their group in an effort to keep them safe from her dangerous angel.
Can Anjali stop Alazar from killing the Spirit Experts and destroying the surrounding town? Can she keep Lucifer in the dark about her affections for the mortal man? Will unseen enemies destroy all that Anjali holds dear?
The Third Throne: Angel of Death is the second book in the steamy Adult Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance series.
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/lmijIjDuvZk
Excerpt The Third Throne: Angel of Death, by Tabitha Barret
Alazar took a
step back and contemplated the beautiful woman standing before him. He was compelled to look at her. Reaching out he touched the bruises forming
on her neck. How could he hurt someone
as lovely as this? The ice inside of him
melted, just a little, as his fingertips grazed the skin on her neck. The pains of his injuries were dulled when
his thumb brushed against her cheek. She
didn’t say anything as he touched her face.
She seemed bewildered. He
chuckled at his own confusion. What in
the world would make him believe that she was his enemy?
Anjali began to
hope that she and Alazar could get past all that had happened in her
absence. He was looking at her with
amusement and perhaps, hope. She smiled
at him, enjoying the feel of his hands on her skin. She felt appreciated and cared for as he
gazed at her with excitement in his eyes.
He was gentle and patient while touching her face. She was surprised to find that she enjoyed
the way he touched her. It occurred to
her that Death had a seductive side, one that could lure his victims into
believing that death could be glamorous and fun. She would have to watch herself around him.
He looked into
her perfect blue eyes and saw, he wasn’t sure at first, but he saw, death. Fear consumed him as realization dawned on
his beleaguered brain. He was a
Harbinger, a Predznak, the one that would herald the coming of the Destroyer,
and here she was, in the flesh. So much
for heralding her coming, she had walked straight into his town and taken him
by surprise. Dear Lord above, it was
Anjali, his Master.
Anjali saw
Alazar’s enchanting face turn cold and calculating as he stepped away. Sadly, he had finally figured out who she
really was and he wasn’t thrilled about it.
“Anjali,” her
name felt like sawdust on his lips. The
other nightmare in his life was here and she was wearing the symbol of his
undying hatred of Hell and all who inhabited it. How fitting.
At least he could roll both of his fears into one and consolidate them
for ease. If he defeated her, he would
burn Serena’s dress and be rid of both of them.
“Alazar,” she
didn’t know what else to say. Bracing
herself for another trip through the snowy air, she held out her hand to him
again. She didn’t expect him to take it,
but didn’t know what else to do.
Alazar gripped
the knife tighter as anger spread through him.
She was standing in front of him, after all this time. He remembered his vow to the other Predznak,
the vow he had made to himself nearly fifteen hundred years ago. He was going to kill his unworthy
Master. He stared at her outstretched
palm. Settle things, she had said. He was going to settle things.
The knife tore
through the drifting snow and slashed through her palm. A spray of blood fell across the snow-covered
ground. This was how it was going to
end, her dead in the street and him free for eternity.
Anjali was
surprised by the sudden movement of the knife.
She hated knives and had an odd fear of them ever since Hades had tried
to take her head with one. The pain was
minor compared to the thrashing she’d just endured, but the action made her
scream. This was what she had feared. Alazar hated her and was declaring war
against her. She stared at him in disbelief
and stumbled backward, trying to comprehend all that had happened. By all rights, she should remove her ring and
force him to bow to her, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She had to find a way to get through to him.
Alazar allowed
the Destroyer’s scream to wash over him, and renew his desire to end her
life. He was going to make this
personal. She would know all that he had
endured in her absence. That simple
scream was just the beginning. She would
feel every lash of Lucifer’s whip, every cut from Serena, and every torture
used in the realms. He would listen to
her scream until the light finally faded from her eyes.
About the Author:
Tabitha Barret graduated from Rutgers University with a BA in English. She married the guy from her Creative Writing class and together had two amazing children. They live in a quiet town in New Jersey with their three rambunctious dogs. She is currently working on her series, The Third Throne.
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/TabithaBarret
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TabithBarret
Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/thethirdthrone
Website: http://www.thethirdthrone.com
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1 comment:
Thank you so much for allowing me to be a Guest Blogger. I had a lot of fun writing the article! Have a great day!
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