Omnific Publishing is celebrating all
things Omnific, Romance, and Angels! August 5th-10th,
participating blogs will be featuring different guest posts, interviews, and
excerpts by the authors of The Omnific Angels. Don’t forget to enter the
giveaways and visit the other stops by clicking the linky list below.
Angels
of Omnific Event Trailer: http://youtu.be/ztH_3EC1Fdc
I’ve been using video editing softwear for years, ever since my brother
presented me with my first Adobe program. I’ve edited the trailers for my own
books, Ember and Iridescent, for Crushed Seraphim and Poughkeepsie by Debra
Anastasia, as well as some, as yet, unreleased. So, I did have a little
experience with book trailers when I set out to make this one. Book trailers
are a visual representation of the heart of the book. They shouldn’t tell the
entire story but should set a tone, and entice the reader to turn the first
page and delve in.
Like books, they aren’t created in isolation. They’re a collaboration of
the author, the editor and the many people who create stock images, motion
graphics, music, and sound effects. The main challenge with this trailer was
coming up with something that combines the heart of four very different stories
in one fluid sequence, while conveying the information the viewer needs for the
Angel Event.
The first thing I did was check out the trailer for each book and ask
each author what one thing they felt could uniquely represent their story to
readers. Satan Jack for Debra Anastasia. The city landscape for mine. Patricia
Leever decided on colored lights. Nicki was open to my suggestion of the
falling feather since the black and white tone combined with the cover font for
text brought to my mind, as a reader, the softness, classic nature, and beauty
of her angel, Evan. Each author also provided quotes.
Next, we needed common elements. The color red at the beginning to tie
to the elements of the static promotional images and the book covers, the black
and white feathers at the end also represent elements of the static images and
muted tones of covers. The shattered glass and angel add drama and fluid
movement between themes. Finally, the very appropriate quote from Divine
Temptation conveys the overarching theme of all the books. Ending with
essential contact information.
Now to blend. I turned to the musical talents of Jennifer DeLucy. It’s
important to compliment visuals with an appropriate track. This is the glue and
the backdrop for all the other elements. Luckily, Jennifer has a wide selection
available and it wasn’t difficult to select a track to represent our little
group.
Editing was the easy part, combining all the above elements while using continuous
movement and music to, hopefully, take the viewer on a short journey through
each scene and a glimpse of each book.
About the Books
When Candra
Ember wakes up in hospital after a dangerous encounter with a red-haired woman,
she is shocked to discover that seeing a winged boy wasn’t her imagination.
Candra is exposed to a world of rivalry and sacrifice she never knew existed,
and the aftermath of a war to save humanity thousands of years ago. Soon she
finds herself relentlessly stalked by Sebastian, a beautiful and arrogant
Watcher Angel and romantically pursued by his darkly seductive rival, Draven.
Ultimately, dubious about her own goodness, Candra’s very existence compromises
a tentative peace in the city of Acheron.
From Ember
From Ember
EXCERPT 1
She knew she only had a matter of a minute or
two to make her escape, so she headed straight toward the exit, bursting out
the exterior door to come face to face with Flame-hair.
With the sleekness of an alley cat, she
slinked her way to Candra, a sneer barely concealed on her ruby lips. As usual
she was clad head to toe in leather, accessorized by towering stiletto heels.
“Well, well, it’s about time,” Ananchel
observed scornfully.
Candra approached her with her head held
high. There wasn’t a chance in hell she would ever show Ananchel any weakness.
From what Candra had learned about her so far, she thrived on it.
“I’m not here to make pleasantries,
Ananchel,” Candra countered brazenly. “Just take me wherever I need to go.
Ananchel arched one perfectly manicured
eyebrow and waved her hand, indicating for Candra to walk ahead. It was then
that Candra saw Sebastian watching from the other side of the street, his face
a hard mask of discontent. His brown eyes blazed with a terrible rage like she
had never seen in him, and she wasn’t sure if it was directed at her or
Ananchel. It made Candra nervous about what he was capable of if crossed.
A mist shimmered over his shoulders and
rolled downward at his back before his exquisite gold tipped wings ripped
through his clothes, flexing at mid-extension and stretching out to their full
terrifying expanse. He looked furious; he looked like a man hanging on to his
last thread of reason or an angel about to dispense a brutal, vengeful wrath.
“Hmmm,” Flame-hair purred. “He always was
rather excitable.”
Candra struggled to draw her eyes away from
him as she climbed into the waiting red Ferrari. The heavy carved wooden door
of the school swung open again and Lofi raced out, calling to her. Candra
ignored her and closed the passenger door, looking down to her lap.
“Your boyfriend needs to learn to control his
emotions.”
“He is not my boyfriend,” Candra snorted,
completely paralyzed by her need to not see Sebastian’s face in that moment
before they drove away. She knew and fully accepted he would take this as a
betrayal of all of them.
Ananchel snickered and pulled away from the
curb, the screeching, spinning tires leaving a trail of smoke and burning
rubber behind them.
She had to do this, Candra
kept telling herself as they speeded through the streets and scolded herself
internally for the guilt that settled over her like a black cloak. Right or
wrong, what she was doing was the only way.
EXCERPT 2
“She is not a toy,” she hissed like a cat arching its back and
instinctively unfurled her jet black wings tipped with scarlet, resembling an
oil slick creeping outward in a pool of blood.
Sebastian felt Candra’s weight against him increase when she
leaned forward to look over his shoulder. There was no longer merely a shadow
of Ananchel’s wings. Candra’s warm breath made the hairs on his neck rise when
she gasped at the sight of Ananchel’s magnificent, dark, silken plumage
brushing against the unsuspecting dancers around her.
Sebastian knew Ananchel’s words were for Candra’s benefit. If it
was to her advantage, Ananchel would be just as willing to claim Candra as he
was.
“This isn’t the time or the place for this discussion,” Sebastian
told her pointedly.
“Excuse me,” Candra screeched from behind him, once again pushing
to get past.
He heard her utter a small gasp and felt her breath against the
back of his neck when all the air left her lungs. Just like everything he
seemed to do lately, uncurling his wings wasn’t intentional. His only thought
was to keep Ananchel away from Candra. As soon as his mind thought the word barrier,
there they were. He was sure Ananchel could see his weakness; his desire to
protect Candra at any cost to himself was perfectly apparent. He turned his
head to catch a glimpse of the girl behind him, and her shocked eyes stared
back at him. Her mouth was hidden behind her two hands.
“Go!” Sebastian bellowed fiercely to Ananchel without fully
turning from Candra, his nails digging into the palms of his clenched fists.
“You go,” Ananchel laughed in return, apparently amused by
Candra’s reaction.
When his eyes met Ananchel’s again, he confirmed by the way her
smile faded infinitesimally that he had exposed himself. She had forced him to
prove to Candra once again that he wasn’t human, not even in the smallest
measure. He should have known she wouldn’t stop there. They had played this
game a long time.
The
trembling began in his stomach, shooting downward like tiny electrical pulses,
and his already tense muscles tightened further. All over his body, his skin
felt like it was on fire, and it made him shudder. He fought it, closing his
eyes to keep from looking at Ananchel and keeping Candra out of his peripheral
vision. He couldn’t look at Candra now. The volume of the music seemed to grow
until the bass was an eruption inside his brain and every thump matched his
heart.
Trailer -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fipDjR21sgc
Goodreads -- http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11814613-ember
Candra Ember
used to dream of saving the world one person at a time. She never expected to
become an angelic weapon and the last hope in the battle against ultimate
darkness.
Falling for a Nephilim wasn’t part of Sebastian’s plan. Distraction is something he can’t afford when his rival, Draven, wants what Sebastian has.
Lies, manipulation, and corruption are twisting the lives of the citizens in Acheron. The Arch is missing from Heaven, and a demon is intent on claiming the city. At a time they should be growing closer, grief and paranoia is driving Candra and Sebastian apart.
If the price of restoring the Watchers to Heaven is a human soul, who deserves to be saved?
From Iridescent
Falling for a Nephilim wasn’t part of Sebastian’s plan. Distraction is something he can’t afford when his rival, Draven, wants what Sebastian has.
Lies, manipulation, and corruption are twisting the lives of the citizens in Acheron. The Arch is missing from Heaven, and a demon is intent on claiming the city. At a time they should be growing closer, grief and paranoia is driving Candra and Sebastian apart.
If the price of restoring the Watchers to Heaven is a human soul, who deserves to be saved?
From Iridescent
EXCERPT 1
Clearly sensing her game was up,
the imposter shrugged noncommittally. “So close,” she breathed quietly.
“Get out,” Sebastian repeated and
threw his arm over Candra’s shoulder, drawing her to his side.
She fell against him, too weak to
do much of anything else. “I wanted her to be Ivy,” she murmured and turned her
head to his chest.
“I am Ivy…in a way,” she said
matter-of-factly, and Candra’s head once again snapped around. “What I mean is
she is in here.”
Sebastian’s arm tightened around
Candra to the point she clearly felt his pulse through her skin. The light
around them began to dim again, and she wished for an instant it appeared by
force of will as the angel wings did. She wished for one moment she could
harness whatever locked-up power resided within her and use it against this
thing in her room.
“You’re a monster.” Sebastian spat
the accusation venomously.
The woman tutted, her expression
displaying her indignation. “Come, come, Sebastian. You know how this works for
me: I needed a soul to cross though and I like to travel first class.”
“You could have taken anyone. Why
her?”
“Why not? I think this makes
everything so much more interesting.”
As much as she wanted to, Candra
couldn’t help noticing the familiarity between the two. She seemed to have
Sebastian’s history with unsavory females thrown in her face at every turn. She
would rather ignore it. Rationally she knew his past torrid affairs should be
the last consideration on her mind. Her mind didn’t want to be rational, and
her mind couldn’t block out images playing there. She shook her head to no
avail. All she saw was Sebastian with this creature who had somehow taken Ivy.
“Get out of my head!” Candra
roared, flinching away from Sebastian and pressing her fingers into her temple.
The corners of her eyes stung, but she refused to cry. The images dissipated at
once, like fog burned away on a bright day.
“Ivy wanted him too, you know,” the
encroacher taunted, quirking an eyebrow. She closed her eyes, a lazy smile
spread across her lips, and she hummed as if imagining something enjoyable.
“Ivy had thoughts about him, deliciously dark and sensual. I can feel them now,
making my skin tingle.”
“Stop it!” Candra snapped. “Stop it
now!”
“Or what?” the imposter mocked,
fixing her cold stare on Candra.
Candra struggled not to look away
from the green eyes which reminded her of Ivy.
“What are you going to do? Look at
both of you. You’re a disgrace. The mighty leader of the Nuhra and the Arch’s
weapon…how pathetic love has made you. Look at yourself, Sebastian, so weak you
lack the desire to fight me, so…human. I recall a time when you would have
confronted me without blinking an eye.”
“I’m simply biding my time,
Lilith.”
He knows her.
The words echoed inside Candra’s head repeatedly. It took every ounce of her
remaining reserve of willpower not to show jealousy on her face or the silent
crimson rage hissing through her. How does he know her?
The woman laughed brightly. “We
shall see.”
She disappeared before their eyes,
or moved so fast Candra didn’t see her go. She was there one minute and gone
the next, leaving nothing but remnants of the destruction in Candra’s bedroom.
Sebastian pulled Candra’s against
his chest so fiercely she struggled to breathe, although she knew that wasn’t
the reason she didn’t return the intensity of his embrace. Her face pressed
into his damp skin and his scent surrounded her. Candra’s arms circled his
waist shakily, and her fingers swept over his back to where the elongated
skeletal structure of his shoulder blades supported his wings.
“I should never have let you leave
alone,” he whispered against her scalp.
“I didn’t ask your permission,”
Candra reminded him. She shut her eyes tight and shuddered, powerless against
the images she witnessed in the darkness. Images of Sebastian hungrily tracing
kisses along a bare shoulder and his fingers entwined in sheets of black glossy
hair.
EXCERPT
2
Sebastian had showered and the
scent of death and Guinness no longer clung to him the way it did to her.
Instead, he smelled of soap, spices and heat. His damp hair brushed against her
forehead. In moments like this, his embrace made her feel secure and loved
unconditionally. On other occasions, it was much easier to doubt herself and
doubt him. Watchers perceived an innate goodness in her that Candra wasn’t sure
of. When given a choice between love and war, she was very much tempted to
choose war. Sebastian made no secret of the rage in his heart, a rage she knew
could easily destroy him.
“I do,” she murmured, shifting to
sit across his lap and linking her fingers around his neck. As always, it
brought on a strange little flutter in her stomach. Loving Sebastian was one of
those things that was never meant to happen. It had blindsided both of them. If
there were two people in the world less likely to fall in love, it was
Sebastian and Candra.
She pressed her lips to his
quickly, weaving her fingers up into his soft as silk hair. One of his hands
tightened on her thigh and the other slid up her spine, stopping between her
shoulder blades where his fingers spread out wide.
She pulled back and giggled when
Sebastian’s lips chased her with a playful pout. “I wasn’t finished.”
“I haven’t brushed my teeth,” she
told him, making a show of covering her mouth when she spoke. “Morning breath.”
“It’s eleven at night.” He pushed
forward.
Candra applied pressure against his
shoulders, blocking his advance. “And I need a shower. I smell like an
Irish man.”
Breath left her in a whoosh
followed by a squeal as Sebastian spun her around and pinned her to the bed
beneath him. His full weight pressed down on her, giving Candra a comfort she
didn’t fully understand. He made her feel protected, hidden away and small. She
shivered all the way to her toes. Sebastian would die to keep her safe if he
had to.
“Who would have thought I’d find
the smell of an Irish man so appealing.” He breathed the words close to her ear
and then glided his hot lips to the throbbing artery just below.
Candra felt the warm, grainy flesh
of his tongue peek out and swirl in a small circle over her skin. She bit down
on the inside of her cheek to hold back the whimpering noise she was sure would
escape her lips otherwise. She squirmed below him until she was breathless, and
he dragged his fingers down the length of her forearms to secure her wrists by
the side of her head.
“You fight me on everything,”
Sebastian reprimanded her, slipping his fingers between hers and clasping them
firmly. “When will you ever give in quietly?” His eyes blazed and flickered to
her mouth.
Trailer -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJSGrYC5UOE
Character
Interview
Arriving early to a penthouse suite Inferno Hotel in Acheron for today’s
interview, I’m surprised to find both Draven and Sebastian are waiting. It’s
more surprising to find them both relaxed and engaged in civil conversation.
Draven stands from the red velvet couch, wearing casual jeans and a
fitted white shirt. His sleeves are rolled up over taut forearms. With his
designer clothes, dark hair and movie star smile, he looks right at home in the
opulent surroundings.
“Hello. I’m so glad you made it here safe and sound. I’m Draven and this
is Sebastian.” He gestures to the man
behind him and immediately moves to one of the Queen Anne chairs and pulls it
nearer to the table for me where afternoon tea is set out complete with miniature
sandwiches and scrumptious cakes on a silver stand.
“Jenna Asher, Acheron Globe Weekender.” I don’t offer to shake his hand since
I’m aware Draven doesn’t like to be touched. Sebastian nods in acknowledgement
and throws his arm over the backrest of the couch.
“I’m glad to be here.” I blush despite myself and reach into my bag to
grab my recorder, hoping the color will fade fast.
Apart from disarming good looks, these two couldn’t be more opposite if
they tried. Sebastian’s clothes appeared worn, his blond hair ruffled and in
need of a trim, giving him a fresh from a California beach look. Easy
confidence rolled off him.
“How about we let Draven play mom and pour the tea while we get started
on your questions,” Sebastian smirks, scratching a glass-cut jawline.
Draven rolls his eyes and goes about serving us. I clear my throat and
refer to my notes to avoid direct eye contact with Sebastian. It feels
strangely like the man can peer into my soul.
“There’s been a lot of speculation on the gossip sites about the
relationship between you two. Nobody seems to know much about you, Sebastian.
How did it happen that a man with no past to speak of is holding secret
meetings with one of the most powerful men in the city?”
Sebastian barks a laugh. “Appearances can be deceptive.”
Draven shoots him a warning glare and I already get a sense I won’t hear
many answers.
“What Sebastian means,” Draven tells me as he places a delicate white
china cup in front of me, “is he’s not at all mysterious. Our relationship is
merely that our families go back a long way. Sebastian is helping me with an
on-going project.”
Sebastian is watching him talk, his lips pressed taut. He clearly wants
to say more.
“Oh.” My journalist spidey senses tingle. I sense a scoop. “Is this a
project we’ll be hearing about soon?”
Draven’s face is a perfect mask of calm, too calm. He’s hiding
something. “I certainly hope not.”
“What about the sudden upsurge of violent crime in the city. Are you
concerned your project may be affected?”
Sebastian scoots forward on the couch and lifts his hand to indicate
he’s got this one. “While this “Project”,” he makes air quotes and smiles in a
way I’m sure in meant as a distraction, “is ongoing, security in the city is a
premium concern. We’ve both brought in extra guards to help the authorities.”
“You mean mercenaries?” I ask, confused but positive this is a scoop.
They’ve been protecting the city with their own people.
Sebastian suddenly commits his expression to the same blank mask Draven
wore a moment ago. “I mean individuals who are exceptionally experienced in
protection. It’s not something we are free to discuss further.”
Cut off again, I refer to my notes and change direction. “Given that
there will be photographs accompanying the article, I’m sure our female readers
would love to know if there is a special lady in either of your lives?”
“Yes,” the young men say in unison.
Tension cuts through the air all of a sudden and my china cup rattles on
the saucer as I attempt to lift it. I seem to have crossed into unwelcome
questions again. Neither will look at the other.
“Care to elaborate?” I chance the question hoping for a reply against
all odds.
“I’m seeing someone,” Draven answers somewhat smugly. “But I prefer to
keep my private life private.” His eyes finally settle on Sebastian and an
eyebrow arches.
Sebastian releases a lungful of air and smiles like the cat that got the
cream. He sits back and settles his ankle across his knee. “There is someone
I’m spending a lot of time with. I think you could say we’re closer than
friends.”
Draven’s eyes narrow almost imperceptivity and his careful mask drops
for an instant. I’m about to ask if Sebastian would like to offer the lucky
girl’s name when Draven stands.
“I apologize, Ms. Asher, I’ve just remembered I have something I need to
attend to.”
“Oh, yes.” I haven’t made it half way through my questions. I stand
anyway, sure the interview is over.
“Please feel free to make use of the hotel. Stay and have lunch if you
wish. On me of course.”
“That’s very kind,” I reply but Draven is already out the door.
Sebastian grabs a handful of tiny cakes and smiles. “That was
interesting. Nice to meet you.”
Then he’s gone too and I’m left alone and wondering if it was something
I said.
Some of Carol Oates' favorite quotes from the books
Author information
Carol was introduced to the world of supernatural books when, as a child, her family moved to a coastal suburb on the northern border of Dublin known as Clontarf, famous as the birthplace of Bram Stoker, the prolific author responsible for breathing life into the legendary story Dracula. This stirred in Carol an early passion for reading about all things supernatural. Combine that passion with a deep interest in the history and folklore of Ireland, as well as an active and vivid imagination, and Carol Oates the author was born. Carol's love of writing about anything not entirely "human" emerged, and the premise for her debut novel, Shades of Atlantis, was born.
Picture link --https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22btlDtBDvBJPm-MRUNpiv-qLw9inATHpHCR09RJZy6ujJf6L6IZ_rubt26cLT5TxsbF-7_0Kk3pYGBBHvhFbMo3tsV3hDbZmZruOZq2PEq0MWEs-sI9aOCD2pIOncv6HTIpJp-c7zTco/s200/30066_1326263723355_1433783679_30829889_5124016_n.jpg
Website -- http://www.caroloates.com/
Twitter -- https://twitter.com/CarolOates
Facebook -- https://www.facebook.com/caroloates.author
Goodreads -- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3988619.Carol_Oates
Jennifer Delucy -- http://www.delucycreativearts.com/
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