Anastasia V. Pergakis | Fantasy Author

My birthday is today, May 24th, and Memorial Day is May 27th. To honor both of those amazing holidays, I’m pricing Cleanse Fire down to $0.99! ALL profits from May 24th to May 28th will be split between Wounded Warrior Project and Help for Heroes. Both of these charities do amazing things to help wounded soldiers in the United States and the United Kingdom.

I’ll try to post regular updates of our progress and how much has been raised for these two charities. Keep in mind, I’m having surgery on the 24th (yes, surgery on my birthday!) so, it might not be until the very end of the event that I post the numbers for you.

Feel free to spread this around and you’re welcome to use the icon I posted above. Thank you all for your support! And a special thank you to all service men and women who serve.

Thank you so much to everyone who entered! It was great reading your entries. It was hard to choose my favorite because they were all good entries.

Meaning…

EVERYONE WINS! Yes.

The lucky three winners are:

Kurt Chambers

Judith Frazee

Howard Zang

Congratulations everyone!!

Okay, so let me refresh your memory about the characters and have you visit the original post here: http://avpergakis.com/2013/04/choose-contest-blood-trade/.

Now, here are the entries.

Character #1 – The dance teacher
Kaydence
Eesha Hamlin
Bela Sapphire

Character #2 – the Royal Guard
Rhylaer
Caelan Farrow
Harlen “Hard Rock” Zanger

SO….I did a little mix and match.

The dance teacher = Eesha Sapphire
The Royal Guard = Rhylaer Farrow

Congratulations to the winners again and thank you, thank you so much for your help with the names here. I’ll email you your one of a kind signed ebook by the end of the day today. And when Blood Trade comes out, you’ll get your prize on release day.

Horray!

We are diligently working on writing “Blood Trade”, but we’ve run into a few new characters that don’t have names! Instead of me coming up with them, the team talked me into letting YOU come up with the names instead!

How It Works:

Below, you’ll find some information about two new characters from Blood Trade. Decide what name you think fits with the character and submit your entry into the form below! Simple as that! Remember, this is a fantasy book, so try to come up with names that people won’t easily recognize or relate to “modern day”.

The Prizes:

If your name is chosen, you will be personally thanked in the acknowledgements section of the book. You will also receive signed and personalized e-copies of Cleanse Fire AND Blood Trade! (Note: This is a special edition of the e-book, with the author’s real signature inside! You won’t find this anywhere else!) (Extra note: Cleanse Fire will be sent at the immediate conclusion of this contest, Blood Trade will be sent when it is finished!)

The Characters:

Character #1

Character #2

Enter the Contest!

Now it’s up to you! Choose a name for one or both characters and fill in the form below! Good luck and thank you!

DEADLINE: TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013 11:59 PM EST

I won’t take up much of your time today. I took over this thing called a blog to let you know about the recent news of the Kinir Elite. My author is working hard writing the next book in our series. I’m trying my best to help her as I too want this book out as soon as possible.

And another bit of news: Anastasia and her cover artist, Elin, are working on some special edition book marks, featuring none other than the Kinir Elite, of course. There are six in total, one for each team member. Each teammate will be signing their bookmarks too! I don’t know the full details on how Anastasia will distribute these special edition book marks, but I promise to keep you (or make Anastasia keep you) updated on how you can get one.

And to the most important news of the day: The audio book edition of “Cleanse Fire” has been officially released. I can tell you that my author is squealing like an elfling during the winter holidays. I’m just as excited – thought I don’t squeal. Ever.

I’ve provided the links where you can purchase the audio book and I’ve also included the first fifteen minutes or so for you to sample. I hope you enjoy!

[podcast]http://kinirelite.com/wp-content/uploads/15-Minutes.mp3[/podcast]

Get the Audio Book!

• Audible.com
• Amazon (US)
• iTunes (search by title or author)

Yes, you read the title correctly! Cleanse Fire will soon be out there in audio book format! I’m so excited about this I can barely contain my glee! I’m shooing for by the end of February but it might be mid-March until it’s official. I’ll be sure to keep you updated!

Derac: This is really a great step forward for the series. I’m thrilled.

Anastasia: Yes it is! Living in my head, I’m sure you’ve listened to it too Derac. What do you think of how the narrator portrayed your voice?

Derac: He did a wonderful job with it. He really captured the emotions and our personalities. Very impressed. I especially enjoyed how he managed to switch between one voice and the next with varying pitches, accents, and emotions during a conversation.

Anastasia: And to you dear blog readers, I’m talking the fabulously talented, Chad Tindale. My first step into getting Cleanse Fire into audio was to put up an excerpt on ACX.com. (Audio Creation Exchange) I honestly didn’t think much would come out of it – and I also was prepared for a lot of extra work involved with corrections with the producer on pronunciation, character voice, and emotional level – but Chad completely blew me away. He took the story and really made it come to life! Only a few points of input from me, otherwise he nailed it first go around.

Derac: Oh yes. Watching Anastasia literally squeal with glee as she listened to the audition recording Chad sent to her, was quite entertaining.

Anastasia: But it was fabulous! Plus, it was quite funny that he pronounced everyone’s name wrong the first go ’round. But of course, after talking to him and figuring out all the pronunciations for things in the book and giving him a bit of extra incite into the characters, Chad has taken Cleanse Fire to a whole new level – literally and otherwise.

Derac: Tell them why you wanted a man to read the story – rather than yourself.

Anastasia: I figured that would be obvious! You’re the main character, the hero of the story, so I felt it wouldn’t be fitting for a woman to read it for the audio book. Plus, my voice is just annoying in recorded form.

Derac: *laugh* It is not.

Anastasia: Is too but that’s not the point. Chad’s natural voice really fit the story – it was a match made in heaven seriously! I’m so glad to add him to my own Elite team as The Kinir Elite Chronicles continues to grow and expand!

Derac: I’m sure your readers want to know about the next book, yes?

Anastasia: Ummm well…

Derac: Fans, you’ll be happy to know Anastasia is working diligently on getting Blood Trade written. She has done a severe plot rework – greatly improving the story – and making it much easier for her to write it. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure she gets it done very soon!

Anastasia: Yes, as I was going to say…ahem…I hope to have Blood Trade out by June or July of this year. It would be great if I could get it ready by my birthday – May 24 but, given life and its craziness, I don’t want to get your hopes up! So, June or July is a safe bet. And yes, the audio book will be out not too long after that!

Derac: What’s your favorite part of the audio book?

Anastasia: Oh. I love the interaction between you and Kie the most I think. When you’re planning the mission in the beginning? Hearing it out loud just tickles me to no end! Love it. Other parts are great too – hearing it aloud amazes me because I’m like “Wow I wrote that?” *giggle* But, that scene I think is my favorite.

Derac: *chuckles* That is a great scene. I don’t really have a favorite part. I think Chad really captured the entire essence of the story so I don’t have a specific area that draws my attention more than others. Though I suppose I paid more attention to my dialogue than the rest.

Anastasia: Well of course you did! What do you think of his portrayal of Kie and Aeli?

Derac: Well, given he is a man, a part of me finds it amusing to hear him talking in a rather female sort of voice – or at least as much as his voice will allow. But, despite that, I think he did rather well. He still captured their personalities, their little quirks and speech patterns, and made sure they were unique. After all, Kie and Aeli sound nothing alike, and Chad did a great job making sure they didn’t in the audio book too.

Anastasia: I find it a tiny bit funny too, but still pretty amazing stuff! It’s time to go now Derac. We have to get to writing Blood Trade!

Derac: Lead the way.

Anastasia: Dear blog readers, sign up to get our blog posts by email so you can be sure to stay updated on the developments of this series. And remember! The audio edition of Cleanse Fire will be out in just a few weeks! You’ll be able to get it at Amazon, iTunes, and Audible as an mp3 download and I’m also looking into having them on CD -we’ll see. For a little teaser – I’ve put the first two chapters below for you to listen to! I hope you enjoy! Please tell me what you think of them!

Pars I (Chapter 1) (5:02)
[powerpress]http://kinirelite.com/wp-content/uploads/Pars-1.mp3[/powerpress]

Pars II (Chapter 2) (12:47)
[powerpress]http://kinirelite.com/wp-content/uploads/Pars-2.mp3[/powerpress]

Thank you to David Brown for tagging me with this! Such great fun!

The Next Big Thing: Week 8

What is the working title of your book?

Originally the book was called “Fire Renewed” but after some major plot changes the title no longer fit. So it’s become “Blood Trade.”

Where did the idea come from for the book?

It’s the continuation of The Kinir Elite Chronicles. The idea was actually spurred by my Dad. He has been a big help to me writing this series. As a military fantasy, I relied on him for his military expertise to craft my fictional armies. I told him about some new creatures I wanted to introduce (Vampire pixies!) and he took off with the basic description of their race to craft a plot!

What genre does your book fall under?

Mainly fantasy because of all the fantasy creatures running about and that it’s a brand new world. But, it’s also a military thriller. Actually I tend to think of it as a military thriller that just so happens to have elves in it!

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Oh lord. This is a tough one, and since I have six major players, I think right now I’ll just talk about Kie, the only character I’ve figured out so far! But I promise to revisit this question in a future post and have the entire team figured out, actor wise!

Kie could be played by Angelina Jolie because of her roles as a bad-ass action chick. But in the end, I think Elisha Cuthbert would be better suited to play her. The facial expression in the picture here just says “Kie” all over it. Just gotta give Elisha long auburn hair, amber colored contacts, pointed ears and tada!

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

A traitor still lives, forcing the Kinir Elite to face an new enemy – and rely on an unlikely ally.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Indie all the way!

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

I’m still working on it at the moment. Been a hard one to write for some reason. Major plot changes in the middle of the draft along with regular life getting in the way. But, now that all the plot issues have been worked out and school has started, I’m hoping to have the first draft done by the end of August.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

This is hard to answer for me. I mean, there are some good military fantasy types like “Control Point” by Myke Cole and “No Rules of Engagement” by Thomas Wilson, but those fall into more the paranormal or science fiction category. (Both great books though!)

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

Since this is the second book of the series, I suppose the answer is “the first book” but honestly I started out to write a story about my Dad’s military career (20 years US Army) and realized I couldn’t write it well enough to do him justice. So I created a fictional military story to honor real heroes.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

What? Hot elves in uniform isn’t enough? Well okay, this particular book has a new race of creatures, which in essence are vampire pixies! I have named them “Vaxies” as a new combo word of “VAmpire” and “piXIES”.

The Next Big Thing Rules:

1. Answer the ten questions about your current WIP (work in progress) on your blog on the Wednesday, updating the number of the week when you are running it.

2. Tag five other writers/bloggers, and add their links so readers can hop over and read their answers to the same questions.

So, I answered the 10 questions above for Blood Trade (check!) and now I’ll tag five people for next Wednesday, Week 9!

J.D. Brown
Charlene A. Wilson
Steve Vorley
Thomas Wilson

And okay, I don’t have a fifth! My mind is a blank right now. So, if anyone is interested, just leave a comment below and you can be my fifth! First come, first serve!

When you hear the word “pirates”, what do you think of? The Jolly Roger? Johnny Depp? I guess I’m a bit, weird, in that I think of salt water, pirate ships, and freedom. I know in real life, pirates were and are ruthless killers but thanks to movies and books, pirates have taken on a different light in the minds of many people. Because of this new romanticized view of pirates, we can enjoy the “bad boy” without cheering on a “bad guy”.

I have a t-shirt that says “I ‘heart’ pirates!” on it with a picture of the Jolly Roger depicted in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie (The skull and crossed swords). I really do love pirates and have done a lot of research into pirates, how they lived, etc. for a fantasy book of my own. It was very interesting research for sure and I can’t wait to apply all the notes I found into my book.

Did you know (for a bit of useless history) that the design of the skull and cross swords was used by real life 18th century pirate, Calico Jack Rackham? Interesting that the main character in “Pirates of the Caribbean” was also named “Jack”…

A Jolly Roger is actually a flag flown by pirates, to identify themselves to other ships. The origins of where the flag came from have been lost so now all we have is speculation. It is thought that originally Jolly Rogers were red (instead of the black that we usually think of today). In naval warfare, a red flag means that no quarter will be given. The flag was called Joli Rouge (pretty red) by the French and most likely corrupted into the English language as “Jolly Roger”.

From that point, history shows that pirates began designing their own Jolly Rogers, with the intent to strike fear into other sailors and pirates, to get them to surrender quickly before a fight began at all. This is why many Jolly Rogers depict skulls, Death, bones, swords, and even an hourglass (which symbolized death in the 17th and 18th century). Some began using a black background, rather than the red. Black flags back then meant quarantine and disease.

Of course, some other historians disagree with that. Some say that the term Jolly Roger comes from the English use of “Roger” as a term for sex. Apparantly, Stud bulls in England were commonly named “Roger” becasue of this. It was implied then, in relation to pirates, that if a victim did not surrender or give up, they would be “Rogered” (perhaps the early version of our modern phrase “we were screwed” as in, we were in trouble or in a bad situation).

Still, others say the Jolly Roger was derived from the phrase “Old Roger”, used as a term for the Devil – and since Pirates were “evil” it fits.

Isn’t that so interesting? I’m sure some of you like, “Why is she telling us this?” Truthfully, I love stuff like this. One of my favorite things to do is research actual history for use in my fantasy novels.

The real reason for this post, is that a fellow author friend of mine, David M. Brown, is releasing his book “A World Part”, the second book in the Elenchera Chronicles. I’m really interested to read his view of pirates and how they live in the world of Elenchera. I loved his first book, “Fezariu’s Epiphany” (gave it 5 stars) and I’m certain I won’t be disappointed by “A World Apart.” I’ll have a review up as soon as possible!

~*~*~*~

Demetrius makes his first mistake when he lets his best friend Halcyon marry Eleyna, the love of his life, without saying a word. On the day of the wedding, he walks away from the Elencheran town of Dove’s Meadow and joins the army.

He makes his second mistake when the pirate Black Iris tricks him into letting dozens of men, women and children die in a fire. Demetrius is imprisoned in grief and disgrace.

But he can atone. The Black Iris is dead. The Ivory Rose has risen to the top of the pirates and is leading brutal raids on the coast. If Demetrius can capture and kill her, he’ll win his pardon.

And then Demetrius discovers the Ivory Rose is Eleyna. He must decide which will be his third mistake: losing his last chance at a pardon, or destroying the one woman he’s ever loved.

David is having a huge event for the release of this amazing book. Check it out at his blog, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave. Some really great prizes including some Amazon gift cards! Check it out for your chance to win. And don’t forget to pick up a copy of “A World Part” too!

Purchase “A World Apart” at:

• Amazon UK Kindle
• Amazon US Kindle
• Smashwords E-Readers

I’m going to go get my ASAP and you should too! Seriously.

I am a novelist at heart, but once in a while the poetry bug does hit me. After all, my writing roots live in poetic form. So, for today to honor my Daddy and my wonderful husband, I have the following poems to share. Sometimes as a writer, it is much easier for me to write what I feel, rather than try to say it.

“My Hero (II)”
(Note: I wrote another poem titled “My Hero” for my Dad when I was 17. This is simply a new version, a continuum.)

You taught me about life
about unconditional love
about never giving up.

You loved me when I thought I was unloveable
when I felt like a waste
when I felt utterly alone

You listened when no one else did
when I couldn’t find the words
when I didn’t say anything at all

You made me laugh when I wanted to cry
when I thought my world was ending
when I felt like life was too much

Thank you a hundred times doesn’t say
how much it all meant
how much it still means to me

So instead I’ll just say I love you
for being you
for being my Hero
for being my Daddy

“The Love of My Life”
(Note: The first two stanzas/paragraphs of this I wrote before my husband and I married, thinking I would use it as my wedding vows. But we decided not to use use our own vows, so I used them here instead.)

You are the man who stands by me
through the good times and the bad
whether I’m sick or healthy
whether I am happy or sad

My lover, my best friend
devoted husband and father
true love until the end
for me there is no other

I see you clearly in our son
see the man he will be
the greatest thing we’ve ever done
the best of you and me

Thanks for the laughs, the fun
filling my life with glee
Thank you for our son
and sharing life with me

Thank you for your love so true
and the reason for this rhyme
I will always love you
beyond the end of time

St. Francisville used to be a quiet place. Until three bodies turn up dead with spells carved into their skin. Someone in Louisiana is ritualistically killing people to capture the attention of Detective Paige Ansley. Having earned her title through her knowledge of the occult, she’s the only witch detective that can get to the bottom of these serial murders.

Only, there’s one problem. Paige can’t seem to remember anything that happened during the past five years.

With the help of Dexx, a snarky yet incredibly sexy demon hunter, she begins to remember pieces of her past. After discovering she has the gift of communicating with both demons and angels, the murder investigation takes a much more personal turn. The killer is after a demon’s soul, and who better to get that for him than the demon talker? But after Paige is kidnapped, drugged, and cast upon, she finds herself on the short side of possessed. Even after the demon is exorcised, her gift of demon talking is compromised. Any demon who steps within a hundred foot radius is drawn into her, pushing her soul out.

Paige is determined to get to the bottom of this demonic case so she can return home. But the killer is still on the loose, and he’s short a demonic soul. In order for her to save herself, banish the murderer, and save Dexx, she must decide if she’s willing to give up the one thing that can hold everything together. And bring the quiet back to St. Francisville.

Review

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

I’ve been waiting to read this book, this series, for years! And finally I got my chance.

It was a fast read, full of tense situations and plenty of danger. I enjoyed the story and getting to know the characters, especially Paige and Dexx.

I have to admit, reading this made me feel like I was reading the second book in the series, rather than the first. I wasn’t lost or confused at any point but I still felt as if I was missing a detail or some hidden joke that I should have known before hand.

Overall I enjoyed the read and look forward to the rest of the series. I want to see what happens to Paige and Dexx – and the rest of the mix-matched group trying to put the world back to rights again.

Pick up a copy of “Demons are Jackasses” at:

• TLT Publishing
• Amazon – Paperback
• Barnes&Noble – Paperback
• Autographed copy

E-book (coming soon)

When you buy an autographed copy of Demons Are Jackasses, you’ll also receive a demon doll!

St. Francisville used to be a quiet place. Until three bodies turn up dead with spells carved into their skin. Someone in Louisiana is ritualistically killing people to capture the attention of Detective Paige Ansley. Having earned her title through her knowledge of the occult, she’s the only witch detective that can get to the bottom of these serial murders.Only, there’s one problem. Paige can’t seem to remember anything that happened during the past five years.

With the help of Dexx, a snarky yet incredibly sexy demon hunter, she begins to remember pieces of her past. After discovering she has the gift of communicating with both demons and angels, the murder investigation takes a much more personal turn. The killer is after a demon’s soul, and who better to get that for him than the demon talker? But after Paige is kidnapped, drugged, and cast upon, she finds herself on the short side of possessed. Even after the demon is exorcised, her gift of demon talking is compromised. Any demon who steps within a hundred foot radius is drawn into her, pushing her soul out.

Paige is determined to get to the bottom of this demonic case so she can return home. But the killer is still on the loose, and he’s short a demonic soul. In order for her to save herself, banish the murderer, and save Dexx, she must decide if she’s willing to give up the one thing that can hold everything together. And bring the quiet back to St. Francisville.

Birth of a Novel: Demons Are Jackasses

Well, Demons Are Jackasses took a long, hard road to get to you. It started…oh, geez! How long ago was it? Um, five or six years ago, maybe? I really thought I was a great writer and, boy, did I have dreams of grandeur!

When I started writing this novel, then called Demonic Alliance, there was a lot of anger, a lot of hurt, betrayal, and self-loathing festering in me that I needed to get out. I just knew I was a great writer (did you just see that juxtaposition? LOL! I did!) and that I’d pen this fantabulous book and the world would be grand again.

After throwing the book away and re-writing all or major parts of it 27 times (@_@), I finally learned that being a good story teller is a LOT different than being a good writer.
Some of the things I messed up the first 26 times were:

PACING!

BACKSTORY!

LONG, DRAWN OUT INTERNAL DIALOGUE THAT WENT ON AND ON FOREEEEVVVVVEEEERRR!

I’m sure there are going to be some people that will read Demons and say, “Wow, is this book 1? Are you sure?” Yes. However, my characters had lives BEFORE this book. Should there have been a book before this one? Sure. There could have been, but then there would have been a five year lag between book 1 and book 2 and that would have been BORING! *shrug* I worked very hard to keep the story ACTIVE and to keep the backstory to a minimum.

Pacing can be a bit tricky and I didn’t realize this until I’d written it the first 12 times. (I’m really NOT joking). This was my first mystery thriller. While it was exciting and I LOVE writing this genre, it was daunting! OMW!! Previously, I’d written a couple of high fantasies (that were AWEFUL) and more than a few romance novels.

*sigh* This book received (73) rejections as Demonic Alliance. My VERY good friend, Eisley Jacobs said, “I think the title is kind of boring. Maybe you should change it.” Now, she’s a sweetie. She was thinking…Demons are a Pain in the Butt…you know. Classy and clean. I said, “Eureka!! Demons Are Jackasses!” I’d just found that line in the dialogue and it’d made me laugh.

As soon as I changed the name, I got INTEREST!! There were two requests for partials, one request for full and an offer of publication within the span of…I don’t know, WEEKS. It was amazing!
And *open handed shrug* that’s how Demons Are Jackasses was born! *grin* I hope I didn’t bore you to death! Have a lovely day and please remember, if you happen to read the book, let me know what you thought! I want to hear you! I’m easy to contact and reviews are a GREAT way to support your authors. We ALL need to hear what you think!

Pick up a copy of “Demons are Jackasses” at:

TLT Publishing
Amazon – Paperback
Barnes&Noble - Paperback
Autographed copy
E-book (coming soon)
When you buy an autographed copy of Demons Are Jackasses, you’ll also receive a demon doll!