Take it away, Christine!
Cassie Scot: Looking Forward
When
I talk about Cassie Scot I'm usually not talking about the book, Cassie
Scot: ParaNormal Detective. I'm usually talking about the entire
series. This is my third book, but my first series, so it has been an
interesting adjustment for me. In my mind, Cassie's story is complete, even
though for the reader it has barely begun.
In
fact, Cassie's story is complete. There are four volumes in the series, all
written, all under contract, and all pending release within the next year or
so. Each of the volumes is framed by a self-contained mystery, which should
give the reader some sense of closure at the end. Personal, romantic, and
familial problems remain, however, and these issues are what I think of as
Cassie's story. The first book is about Cassie solving a murder/missing person
mystery. The series is about Cassie discovering who she is and what she wants.
I suppose that part doesn't play as well in a teaser, but I think it's
relevant. To some extent, we all strive to figure out who we are and how to
accept ourselves. This is never more true than when faced with the disapproval
or disappointment of parents – something Cassie knows all-too well.
Cassie
isn't the only one going through a period of self-discovery. To a lesser extent
Evan Blackwood is trying to figure out who he is and what he wants. Well, he's
sure about one thing – and if you've read the epilogue to book one you know
what that is. He's confused about much of the rest. In stark contrast to
Cassie, Evan has a lot of magical power and he doesn't want to be like his
father – using that power for his own wealth/comfort and little else. At the
same time, Evan is used to getting his way and he has the power to take most of
what he wants. On the surface this may seem like a good thing, but in Secrets
and Lies, book two in the Cassie Scot series, he will learn differently. It
was a challenge to show him going through this sort of transformation from
Cassie's point of view, but I hope the reader sees it.
When
I look at the series as a whole, one of the choices I have often found myself
questioning is the use of vampires in the first book. This may seem like an odd
thing to say. I mean, it's urban fantasy. Of course it has vampires! Well...
I
didn't plan to write the first book right away. In those early weeks, I thought
I would write a long short story or novella as a sort of proof of concept.
There were a lot of important details popping around in my mind – Cassie
character, her family, the town, the rules of magic, the love interest –
somewhere in the middle of all that I decided to test the waters with vampires
because it's simple. Everyone knows them. They don't require a lot of thought.
I don't know when they became permanent, but somewhere along the line I knew I
was writing a whole novel instead of a short story, and by then the plot had
stuck.
Vampires
are not at all important to the overall story. It's not the last you'll see of
them, but they don't have a huge part to play. If you're a vampire fan, sorry,
but hopefully you love Cassie enough to stick with her. Those who are sick of
vampires in fantasy, bear with me. And know that these vampires are
Stoker-esque (and not even a little bit sparkly :) ).
“There
is
nothing
so
evil
in
the
world
as what
humans
can
do
to
one
another.” –
Edward Scot (Cassie's father). This may have almost seemed like a throwaway
comment in book one, but it wasn't. It definitely becomes important later on,
and it's something I firmly believe. I've never thought fantasy novels needed
literal demons to fight. Give a human being power, and let's see what he
decides to do with it. History has shown us that it isn't always pretty.
The
last time I revised the first book in this series, I had completed the final
volume. This means that I had my plan fully formed and implemented. There are a
couple of little things in the first book that you probably won't even think
about unless you go back and reread it sometime after you finish the series.
Then you'll think, “Oh, she did have a plan!”
I
love it when authors do that. I hope I've pulled it off to your satisfaction as
well.
Book
Two Teasers:
1.
Cassie is going to learn something very important about her mother that she
never knew.
2.
Kaitlin and Madison will take on bigger roles, and each will develop a problem
of her own.
3.
Edward Scot (Cassie's dad) and Victor Blackwood (Evan's dad) will come face to
face. Their mutual enmity will not be in doubt.
4.
The reader will learn one more of the reasons why Edward hates Victor.
5.
The mystery will be the search for two teenage girls who went missing from a
summer camp.
6.
The life debt Cassie owes Evan will be a big deal.
Cassie Scot: Paranormal Detective
Cassie Scot is the
ungifted daughter of powerful sorcerers, born between worlds but belonging to
neither. At 21, all she wants is to find a place for herself, but earning a
living as a private investigator in the shadow of her family’s reputation isn’t
easy. When she is pulled into a paranormal investigation, and tempted by a
powerful and handsome sorcerer, she will have to decide where she truly
belongs.
Secrets and Lies
Cassie
Scot, still stinging from her parents’ betrayal, wants out of the magical
world. But it isn’t letting her go. Her family is falling apart and despite
everything, it looks like she may be the only one who can save them.
To
complicate matters, Cassie owes Evan her life, making it difficult for her to
deny him anything he really wants. And he wants her. Sparks fly when they team
up to find two girls missing from summer camp, but long-buried secrets may ruin
their hopes for happiness.
Excerpt:
Somehow,
I knew it was Evan as soon as his fist hit the door. But unlike my father, I
couldn't put him off because he'd set the wards. This meant he could go through
them. Even if he hadn't, he could have commanded me to let him in.
Framed by
the doorway, he looked impossibly large, though he was only half a foot or so
taller than me, probably 6'1” or 6'2”. He had a lean, well-muscled frame,
usually garbed in fitted, designer jeans and t-shirts. Today, the t-shirt was
in his favorite shade of forest green, with a plea for people to recycle on the
front. He wore his hair long, to just past his shoulders, making it longer than
mine at the moment. (I had recently lost a lot of my hair to a fire.) Somehow,
it heightened his masculinity, framing his hard face, and highlighting his blue
eyes.
He looked
good. He always looked good, only now the sight of him caused an odd fluttering
in my stomach. Twice I had felt his lips on mine, and the result had been...
intense. I was ashamed to realize that part of me wanted to feel them again.
Dangerous.
I summed him up with that single word. Most of the town would agree, although
until recently, I had never thought of him that way. He had been my friend,
even my best friend at times, but now, thanks to a magical debt, he was my
owner.
He was
also the last thing standing between me and a completely normal, magic-free
existence: A powerful, handsome roadblock who could make me forget my resolve
with a kiss. I had wondered how long he would stay away before returning with
all his considerable charm. He was a man who got what he wanted. Now, he wanted
me.
Award-winning author Christine
Amsden has written stories since she was eight, always with a touch of the
strange or unusual. She became a “serious” writer in 2003, after attending a
boot camp with Orson Scott Card. She finished Touch of Fate shortly afterward,
then penned The Immortality Virus, which won two awards. Expect many more
titles by this up-and-coming author.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristineAmsden
Thank you for sharing this with your followers!
ReplyDeleteSound like great books.
ReplyDeleteKit3247(at)aol(dot)com
Sounds like a great story arc!
ReplyDeletevitajex(At)aol(dot)com
Thanks for being here today, Christine, to share your series with us!
ReplyDelete