Interview & Guest Post with Raven Bower

Hello everyone!  LITERAL ADDICTION and Book Monster Reviews are happy to welcome Raven Bower to our sites today!   

Raven is is actually the husband and wife writing team of Raven and Lain Bower. They are avid role-players and love to design mythical and diabolical creatures, characters and fantastic worlds together. They are co-creators of Farath, a new epic fantasy world in the works.

Raven and Lain are the authors of the VENGEANCE urban fantasy and the APPARITIONS supernatural suspense series.   VENGEANCE consists of “Primal” (just released May 7, 2012), “Smoke” (coming in 2013) and “Dead Moon” (coming 2013/14).  APPARITIONS is made up of "Apparitions", "Wendigo" and "Rags Beneath" (set to be released in the spring of 2012)  

They also wrote the WEEPING DARK epic fantasy series. WEEPING DARK includes "Bleeding Edge" (set to be released late 2012/early 2013) and "Sorrow's Gate" (coming in 2013). "Nymph's Lair", an adventure fantasy novella, is also part of their library and is set to be released in 2012 as well.

The rights for the APPARITIONS series have been purchased by Joseph Leroy Studios.  The film will be Directed by Michael Bryant and Produced by Margee Nickola, with the Screenplay by Raven and Lain Bower.

Raven and Lain also wrote the screenplay for 'The Nano Effect', a dark futureistic suspense movie.  The rights for that are currently under consideration.

The writing duo currently lives in northern Michigan with their 4 kids, 2 hellhounds, and a demon cat.

For our readers not yet familiar with Raven's work, we thought we'd give you the synopses of the available books to get you up to speed.  

VENGEANCE series

“Primal”, VENGEANCE Book #1:

Buy on Amazon

Pursued by a ruthless crime lord after witnessing the murder of an FBI agent, Wrey must rebuild the life they stole from her. When she meets mysterious Arvon Night, her precious new life unravels as she’s thrust into a web of betrayal, lust and violence.
 
Arvon knows he must slay Wrey to keep his secret safe from those who hunt him. Each hour his enemies stalk closer, ready to kill.
 
Can Wrey’s powers of nature and spirit help her survive the yearning and dangerous Arvon and the tide of peril he brings with him? Or will an opportunistic hitman take advantage of them both?

APPARITIONS series

 “Apparitions”, Book #1:

Buy on Amazon

Bailey Khane is a renowned author visited by ghostly guests-murder victims seeking the peace of the grave. Unbeknownst to her, they were all slain by the same man. Caught between the growing shadow of his knife and the unholy fury of the dead he has left in his wake, she is forced to call upon obscure knowledge of the occult, superstition and myth to survive. When Andy Bennett searches for the answers to his sister's murder he is drawn into a web of horror and shambling corpses-with Bailey high on his list of suspects. Sheriff Jay Carson and Deputy Raines fight to form a line between their citizens and the creatures that crave to destroy them.

“Wendigo”, Book #2:

Buy on Amazon

Shunned by the man she loves Bailey Khane seeks solitude in the wilds to mend her heart. But her vacation is disrupted when an evil entity is mistakenly released by an ancient spell. As it gorges itself on the citizens of Whisper, Bailey struggles to find the knowledge and courage to defeat it before she too ends up on the menu.

Well, we’re fairly certain that was enough to peak your interests and get you frantically checking your favorite bookseller for purchase information, but we have more for you.  What do you say we get to the Interview and learn some more about Raven, Lain and their books? 

~*~*~*~

LITERAL ADDICTION/Book Monster Reviews:  Hi Raven, hi Lain!  We’re very happy to have you here today.  Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to chat with us and our readers.

RAVEN: Hello! It's great to be here and meet all your wonderful readers. *waves*

LAIN:  Greetings!  It’s an honor to be here with all of you.

LITERAL ADDICTION/Book Monster Reviews:  We always start by getting to know our guest authors a little bit better.

Q1): Can you each tell us 3 things about yourselves (no matter how random) that we couldn’t find out easily on the Internet?

RAVEN: 1. I have an obssession for crystals and rocks, seriously. They're all over the house. 2. Few outside of family know this, but I used to scuba dive. Yup. In the cold, bleary waters of Michigan. I still can't go near a body of water without wondering what lies under the surface. 3. Chips! *hugs bag of chips* They're addictive.

LAIN:  1. I steal beef jerky out of the pantry when I’m deep in thought (yup, it’s me Raven)  2. I repair electronic gadgets 3. I dream more while awake than when sleeping.  

Q2):  What are 3 things that make each of you smile?

RAVEN: In order: Lain, the kids and the cats.

LAIN: In order: Raven, the cats, kids. (well okay they’re a close tie)

Q3):  If you could have 1 superpower, what would you want it to be and why?

RAVEN: Mind reading. Behold the power!!! ahem. Then I could know why that person who just pulled out in front of me was thinking - or if they were thinking at all.

LAIN: Discipline.

Q4):  Besides RPing, what are some of your hobbies and/or things that you both enjoy doing when you’re not writing or taking care of other author business? 

RAVEN: Gardening. We both love working with the land and creating interesting gardens. This year we're doing a Gothic Cemetery :)

LAIN: Listening to music REAAALLY LOUD!!!!

Q5):  Who were some of the authors that inspired each of you and perhaps helped to mold you into the writers you are today? 

RAVEN: Stephen King and Dean R. Koontz were my first true influences. I was reading them back in 3rd grade and still read them to this day. I'd have to say the writer who had the most dramatic affect on me was Les Edgerton. Though I've never met him in person, he's such a stellar mentor in his books. He talks on a 'real person' level that's instantly relatable.

LAIN: C.S. Lewis taught me a lot about ‘space’ in writing. Good writing seems to have a darkness from which the words sparkle in – like stars in the night sky. Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman are so much fun and a pleasure to read – they’ve influenced me greatly in aspects of whimsical, adventurous pacing and style. Then there’s good ole Les – great teacher in most of the troubleshooting one needs with the writing craft.

Q6):  What are the best and worst parts about writing as a team?

RAVEN: For me the best thing is working and creating with Lain. For the most part it's a great deal of fun and we enjoy it. The worst part is when we don't agree. Then there's blood shed! Rwar.

LAIN: The communication required to work together in a creative aspect has enriched our relationship. On the other hand, the communicating required to work together in a creative aspect sometimes makes the small things into big things (but not for long)!

Q7):  What are your favorite types of scenes to write respectively (i.e dialogue, action, sex, etc)? 

RAVEN: I love both dialog scenes and character innards - innards being the character's inner thoughts and processes.

LAIN: (‘thoughts and processes…’ yeah right Raven) Ehem. Definitely action. Painting words that evoke vision and sense is a challenge that never gets dull.

Q8):  What is a typical writing day like for the two of you - Do you have a routine that you each follow?  Are there specific things that you have to have with you to get the creative juices flowing, etc?  Do either of you have any unique writing quirks?

RAVEN: I usually hit the keyboard right after a workout and shower. Splinter (our kitten) observes and puts in his feline opinion throughout the day (and uhm, he says he's never wrong...). For me quiet is essential, I get very distracted by noise, particularly words - conversations, songs with lyrics or loud noises etc. Love having smoke from incense twining in the candlelight...

LAIN: After everyone goes to bed and I have the study to myself, I write until the wee hours of the night. The nighttime seems to be ‘my time’ when it comes to the challenge of writing. As far as the juices flowing – music and videos. Since I’m visually focused, (and I do consider music to be visual) I need to stimulate that part of my brain for the intense work required to get ‘into the pocket’. Still, I’m a sprint writer. I have to take frequent breaks to keep my busy mind in focus. It’s counterintuitive, but I’ve learned that as long as I’m getting things done, it’s okay.

Q9):  Was there any specific inspiration behind the creation of the VENGEANCE series?

RAVEN: Arvon! He was the guy who started it all and dunked us into the primal world of his clan. It was down hill from there.

LAIN: Well, it really was a kind of vengeance. I think we needed an outlet at the time we started that project. So I feel, in a personal sense, we had to fight our way through to the next level of our craft. It turned out to be an incredible story – both on and off page. 

Q10):  How many books do you have planned for the series? 

RAVEN: So far we have three planned with an ending that allows for the series to continue, should we be so inspired.

LAIN: Agreed.

Q11):  Can you tell us a little bit more about the APPARITION series and the movie deal?

RAVEN: The Apparitions series revolves around the heroine Bailey Khane and her struggle to accept herself and her strange gift (curse) in a world of skeptics. Like most of our work, it's cross genre mixing the supernatural with crime fiction and romance.

I wish we could say more about the movie deal, but we're under Non-Disclosure Agreements. I can tell you that we recently did another revision to the Apparitions script after a meeting with the Director and Producer. It was aimed to help keep costs down (getting a budget is a bugger) and illuminate Mace's character a little more on screen.

LAIN: The Apparitions Series is a deep, dark story with a very interesting glory to it. The main character, Bailey Khane, is a unique, beautiful persona that seems to leap off the page and sit right next you while you explore her world. A true ghost of the collective consciousness, she’s not the product of calculated marketing or political correctness – and I think that presents both intrigue and a challenge to readers and producers.

Q12):  What has been the biggest surprise so far in your writing careers?

RAVEN: How much time an author has to spend on the business side of writing vs. the creative side once they've been published. It's quite the juggling act.

LAIN: Indeed.

Q13):  What were some of the challenges in bringing the APPARITION and VENGEANCE series to life? 

RAVEN: Pushing ourselves to the next level with each book we write and upping our game with each new release. We're constantly challenging ourselves and each other to grow and become the best we can be. That can be tough. Especially when it's so easy to fall into slackerhood.

LAIN: That is very true. We’ve had many ups and downs. It’s a relief to finish a book, but at the same time you know it isn’t really over. Staying motivated and in the game is hard. Writing is nothing like moving furniture - unless you have to take all those heavy tables and chairs everywhere you go…upstairs in every direction.

Q14):  What’s next for the two of you?  What do you have going on in the immediate future that your readers and fans should know about? 

RAVEN: Yes! Our first epic fantasy novel, Bleeding Edge, is due for release in late 2012/early 2013. We're really excited about that as the world of Farath is our baby. The final book in the Apparitions series, Rags Beneath is set to be released in June/July as an ebook and in September in print. It won't be a goodbye to Bailey and her cohorts though - they'll be popping up in another series that we're simmering :)

LAIN: We’re not going away anytime soon. Raven and Lain Bower are not a one night stand – we’re an unfolding universe of excitement and drama.

Q15):  Is there anything special that you’d like to say to your readers while we have you here today? 

RAVEN: Thank you for joining us and may you continue to adventure into many wonderful worlds.

LAIN: From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your interest. May you ever find a new, exciting place for your mind to explore and live in.

LITERAL ADDICTION/Book Monster Reviews:  Thank you both so much again for being with us today.  We’re very happy to help you promote the VENGEANCE series as well as your APPARITION backlist, and hope that we can turn some new readers on to your work.  We’d love to have you back to help celebrate your next big release if you’re interested.

RAVEN: Thank you for having us here and we'd love to come back!

LAIN: DITTO!

If you want to keep up with Raven, you can find her here:

Website:  http://www.ravenbower.com/blog

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/RavenandLainBower

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/#!/RavenBower

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1373444.Raven_Bower

CONTEST:

Raven is graciously offering up an eBook copy of “Primal” to a winner from Book Monster Reviews and another winner over at the LITERAL ADDICTION Website. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway