Monday, June 23, 2014

A Darker Rain NBtM

Blurb:
“It’s definitely not a good time to be going into the woods of Hawkley Ridge.”

When a red-eyed wildcat starts threatening ranchers in the Pacific Northwest, Ryan Cole recognizes the danger is far more menacing than the ranchers realize. Cole specializes in tackling unconventional security threats, particularly those with alien origins.

His investigation puts him in the crosshairs of Antoine Drake, an international arms dealer with a penchant for weapons from other worlds. Both men are hot on the trail of powerful alien artifacts known as guardian stones.

Cole and his team of investigators embark on a dangerous quest to recover the guardian stones before they can be assembled into the ultimate alien weapon. To succeed, Cole must also decipher the wildcat’s deadly secrets.

But in the woods of Hawkley Ridge, it’s easy for the hunter to become the prey.

A Darker Rain is the first book in the Ryan Cole series.


Excerpt:
“We now have two stones and the amulet,” said Jackson, barely containing the excitement in his voice. “And you know what they say—you can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.”

“Yeah, and you know what they say about good intentions and the road to hell,” Cole countered. “Our goal is to collect all the stones so we can make sure no one parlays them into some sort of ultimate weapon. That includes us. The last thing we want to do is unleash a weapon like that ourselves.”

“The Rajan understood how the amulet worked, and they decided to take it apart and scatter the pieces across two continents,” Ashcroft added.

“Yeah, but that was hundreds of years ago,” argued Jackson.

“And we’ve evolved so much as a species that we can handle that kind of power now?” countered Cole.

“You’re right,” agreed Jackson. “But as scientists we have to learn more about the stones and how they work.”

“Far be it for me to get in the way of scientific inquiry,” said Cole. “I’m not saying you can’t study the stones or the amulet—just that we’re not putting them all together.” That had been a longstanding rule. Cole wasn’t about to create an unprecedented weapon and unleash it on the world.

“I know what you’re saying, Cole,” said Jackson. “But that’s like saying we should study the atom but not try to split it.”

“Good analogy,” said Cole. “That’s my point exactly.”


Claudine, thanks so much for stopping by. So, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself?
Hello! It’s a pleasure to be here. I’m a writer and I also have a consulting business. I live in Toronto. I recently published my first novel, A Darker Rain, which is a science fiction / action-adventure novel.

How did you get started writing?
I’ve always wanted to be a writer and dabbled in various projects through the years. After setting up my own business a few years ago, I decided the time had also come to get more serious about my writing.

What was the inspiration for your book?
I’ve always enjoyed action and adventure novels as well as a good mystery. Those interests percolated into an idea for a book that wanted to come to life. The book was initially intended to be a straight action and adventure work, but the science fiction element quickly emerged, giving the book its own unique vantage point.

A Darker Rain is the first book in the Ryan Cole series. The series follows the adventures of Cole and his team of investigators as they tackle unconventional security threats, including those posed by beings and technology from other worlds. Cole is committed to protecting Earth from negative alien influences and to keeping technology from other worlds from falling into the wrong hands.

What’s the one genre you haven’t written in yet that you’d like to?
I’m just getting started so there are several genres I’ll likely explore going forward, including mystery, romance, and more traditional science fiction. I may have a few non-fiction works in me as well.

Are there any genres you won’t read or write in? Why?
I tend to stay away from horror novels, so it’s unlikely I’ll write a book in that genre.

So, what are you working on right now? Got any releases planned, or still writing?
I’m currently working on the next book in the Ryan Cole adventure series, which is slated for release in late 2014. In the second book, Cole must locate a spaceship that crash lands in the Mojave Desert before it falls into the wrong hands.

All right, now for some totally random, fun questions. Favorite color?    Purple.

Favorite movie?
I don’t have a single, overall favorite, but a few that I’ve really liked include the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Shawshank Redemption, and the original Airplane.

Book that inspired you to become an author?
While I can’t say that one book inspired me to become an author, I find the works of Richard Bach to be inspiring. I read Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah many years ago and found it really conveyed the power of living in possibility.

All right, you have one superpower. What is it?
I’d love to be able to fly. It would offer such a sense of freedom, as well as a whole new way of looking at the world.

You can have dinner with any 3 people, dead, alive, fictitious, etc. Who are they?
Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, and Jules Verne

Last question: Which of your characters are you most like and how/why?
I think I’m most like Ryan Cole in that I share his curiosity and sense of wonder about what else may be out there.




Author Bio and Links:
A Darker Rain is Claudine Kapel’s first novel. She lives in Toronto and enjoys books, music, and travel. When not working as a consultant, she can be found writing, reading, or contemplating what else may be out there.

The second book in the Ryan Cole series is planned for release in 2014.

Claudine loves to hear from readers. You can reach her at www.claudinekapel.com.

Available for purchase on:
Amazon-US     |     Amazon-CA     |     Apple iBookstore/iTunes-US
Apple iBookstore/iTunes-CA     |     Barnes and Noble     |     Kobo

1 comment:

  1. thanks for the lovely giveaway! this book definitely sounds interesting


    cookiesmasher5(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete