Book Blast, Giveaway & Top Ten:Chasing the Sun by @EarthRelic

 

Chasing the Sun

An Earth Relic Novel

Book 1

Sasha Abernathy

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Crimson Frost Books

Date of Publication: October 21, 2014

ISBN: TBD

ASIN: TBD

Cover Artist: Suzannah Safi

Book Description:

Hunted by Chaos. Protected by Death. Guided by Fire.

Terran is now the key to a world she never knew existed.

Normal was what Terran did best – house, job, dog, friends – rinse and repeat. She never knew demigods existed, or that you could journey to other realms, manipulate nature with your mind, or that the dead weren’t really gone at all, but instead existed in the Underworld. No, she lived the mundane life of any twenty-seven-year-old Alaskan girl…until she met Aiden, the complicated and gorgeous new local art gallery owner.

As their fiery relationship evolves into something more, Terran finds herself surrounded by a world of nightmares and gods, when the mysterious Aiden proves to be more than a simple man. Soon, Terran finds that she is not so simple herself. As an ancient evil threatens to escape and unleash all Hell, Terran must dive into a magical world she never knew existed to save them all…even if that means giving up her life to do it.

When I walked in, I could feel an energy in the air. Its warm and soft pulse had a slight humming sensation that tickled my skin. Wisps of heat surrounded my necklace as it pulsed ever so slightly. Amazing. I had taken care of these plants their whole lives, from seedlings to sale. They truly felt like a piece of me now. As I tended to the flowers in the back of the shop, blue, purple, white, and yellow petals swayed to a gentle rhythm as I moved to the music playing in my earbuds. Was this the gift Marc had given me? If it was, it had gotten stronger. No way, this could be real. It was so bizarre. I had to know if anyone else saw this. I needed to find someone I could trust. I decided I would call Jon.

I ran to the ladies’ room and whipped out my phone. Please pick up, please pick up. After five rings, he finally answered.

"Terran? Sorry, I was in a meeting. What's up?"

"Are you super busy? I need a favor, a kind of crazy favor."

"Okay. Anything, but first are you okay?" It wasn’t like me to call Jon while he was at the office, so his concern was definitely warranted.

"I'm not hurt, but I might be crazy." I laughed, my tone laced with an anxiety that couldn’t be contained. "Can you meet me at the nursery? I could use your eyes for something."

"Sure. I'll be there in about twenty. Do you need anything while I'm on my way?"

"Just you, please. I'm in the back where we keep the marigolds."

It only took Jon about fifteen minutes to get here. He must have been worried and speeding. I was back with the marigolds when I heard him enter the room. I turned to see him in his dark charcoal suit with a light blue dress shirt. He looked handsome as usual.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he came in to hug me. We embraced and I instantly felt better. Jon always made me feel safe.

"I think so, I just think I'm going crazy." Tears pooled in my eyes as I had finally admitted out loud the one thing that I feared most.

"Oh, sweetheart. I'm sure that's not true. What's going on?"

I told him about the plants moving for me. I didn't want to repeat myself and I knew Micah would want to know about Seth. I wasn't sure I wanted to share the dancing plants bit with her.

"Watch… "

I leaned over the marigold and brushed the tips of my fingers across the petals, moving my hand in a quick swipe over all the ones I could reach. Each little red, yellow, and gold petal shivered and shook, wiggling like you would when you get a chill, an involuntary movement. And like a newborn, they began searching for their mother, swaying and leaning towards me. My pulse sped up, the heat from my necklace warmed me to my core. It was a perfect heat, a warmth that exhilarated my soul. I turned back to Jon, who watched with intensity. And when I looked into his eyes, I could tell he had seen nothing. His eyes saddened as he realized I knew.

 

Top 10 Favorite Artists to Listen to While Writing

Let me preface this segment with the following: If I had to describe my music taste, I would say it is eclectic. Each key, tone, and beat of the music feels like another language that enhances my overall mood. I love to work in silence, so I could become lost in my world. But, some scenes definitely require music. So, without further ado, here are my Top 10 most inspiring artists for writing.

1. Deftones. Without a doubt, the harsh vocals and pounding beats amplified my adrenaline when I really needed to get into those scenes that were full of energy. The best way for an author to make sure the reader feels the story, is to feel those emotions themselves while writing. That’s one of my favorite things about the whole process! Around the Fur was the best album for getting into the characters heart-pounding, adrenaline-junky rush of excitement.

2. Deadmau5. Another great artist to get the energy pumping. But where Deftones left me aggressive, determined, and ready to go, Deadmau5’s album, 4 x 4 = 12, left me funky, fun, and upbeat. This was the perfect album for those scenes where Terran, my main character, got a little bit ornery. Deadmau5 put me in the perfect mood to write those fast and fun scenes.

3. Mos Def. I fell in love with Mos Def after he played Ford Perfect in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (One of my favorite books). Then of course, who couldn’t love him in Dexter! But, that’s beside the point. J His album The New Danger has been one of my favorites for years. With a nice blend of rock riffs and sexy rhythmic rap, you can’t help but wiggle while you write those flirty scenes.

4. Radiohead. Who doesn’t love the awkward and innocent vocals that OK Computer gives us. There something about the music that taps into that deeply hidden and insecure part of me. Radiohead put me just in the mood to write those scenes where your characters feel vulnerable and emotionally raw.

5. Nina Simone. So one of the best things about the internet in Pandora. J I always knew I loved ‘Feeling Good’ by Nina Simone, but I never knew anything about this soulful beauty until I explored her on Pandora. Her rich voice needs no music. When needing to write a calm and well thought-out scene where character movement was pivotal, Nina Simone was the perfect companion.

6. The Mars Volta. Similar to Radiohead in the sense that it taps into my more vulnerable side, Amputechture by The Mars Volta was perfect for those more whimsical scene and melancholy scenes. Where Radiohead was raw, The Mars Volta and clean, polished, and smooth. The vocals suck me in and let me feel like I was falling into the eerie dream world of Terran.

7. Cake. Fashion Nugget is one of those albums that are perfect for background noise. I think I’ve listed to this album more times than I care to count. The upbeat rhythm and quirky horns is perfect for those transition scenes. I am put in the mood to drive my car down a winding and smooth highway in the Rocky Mountains. And this feeling of smooth passage is exactly what you need when switching scenes.

8. Johnny Cash. I am not a huge fan of country. Not at all. But there’s something about those classic guys that really gets me going. The Legend of Johnny Cash is a great compilation of his greatest songs. You go from fun and laughing with A Boy Named Sue, to the heartbreaking song he recorded after his wife passed, Hurt. His music is a great example of a story arch. You need all those moments of happiness, sorrow, pain, and hope. Not only do you need them in the story, but you need them in your characters to create depth. I love listening to Johnny when doing character profiling.

9. The Lost Highway Soundtrack. Eerie and ranging from elevator type tune of Antonio Carlos Jobim to the blasting a masculine Rammstein, I can’t get enough of this soundtrack. I’ve never seen the movie, but was introduced to the music first by my husband who is a big fan. I almost don’t want to watch it now because I don’t want it to be a disappointment compared to the album. Perfect for those otherworldly scenes, this soundtrack puts me in the mood of dreams, nightmares, and where seduction of the unknown becomes irresistible.

10. Silence. Absolutely nothing. That’s right. This is kind of a cheat since it’s technically not an artist, but I couldn’t do a top 10 without including it. Sometimes life feels like it should have a soundtrack. But at other times, life feels like you’re all alone and the only thing that is comforting is silence. We spin around like crazy in this demanding world, and sometimes sitting and doing nothing but being in your own head is the best thing that can happen. Silence is perfect when writing those reflective scenes where your character is making game-changing decisions.

Thanks for checking out my top 10 favorite artists to listen to while writing!

 

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Born in Germany to a Puerto Rican mother and All-American Military father, who saw fit to give her a Russian name, Sasha Abernathy has always loved storytelling, traveling, and doing all things silly. Raised in Oklahoma, but eventually moving everywhere from Alaska to Spain, Sasha has finally settled in the beautiful state of Colorado. With her loving husband, two wild sons, and neurotic labradoodle, Sasha is surrounded by way too much testosterone and escapes through her mysteriously whimsical and romantic novels.

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Twitter: @EarthRelic