Saturday, August 31, 2013

The Storm and The Darkness Blog Tour - Guest Post, Dream Cadt, Soundtrack

Book Info-
Title- The Storm and the Darkness
Series- The House of Crimson and Clover Book # 2
By-Sarah M. Cradit
Publication Date-July 6, 2013


Blurb-
Ana Deschanel has made a terrible mistake. The only chance of protecting the other people involved is to flee New Orleans, the only home she has ever known, for the quiet solitude of Summer Island.
Summer Island, Maine (population 202) is not the tranquil escape Ana imagined. The locals are distant and cold, especially her neighbor, the reclusive veterinarian Jonathan St. Andrews. Her only lifeline is the kind but odd caretaker Alex Whitman. Showing up at all the right moments, he warns her she is completely unprepared for a Maine winter. As the first winter storm approaches to whispers of an island shutdown- Ana realizes that she may soon be cut off from the rest of the world.
After a surprising encounter with Jonathan’s brother, Finn, Ana finds herself braving the storm to return something to him. Unprepared for the Maine storm, she slips and falls onto the jagged rocks along the shore. The St. Andrews brothers find her in the nick of time, but she remains unconscious. As the storm worsens, the St. Andrews brothers learn there are other, more sinister forces at work closer than they ever imagined.
With no help from the outside world, they must find a way to protect themselves from both the storm, and the growing darkness that looms across the island.
Add The Storm and the Darkness to your Goodreads TBR List!
Visit the Official Page for The Storm and the Darkness for teasers, excerpts, and reader extras!
Also, visit the Facebook Fan Page for giveaway info!
Purchase The Storm and the Darkness on Amazon or BN!
What Reviewers Are Saying About The Storm and the Darkness:
"A suspenseful adult thriller. Reading this book felt much like riding a roller coaster, from the building crescendo, to surprising moments of laughter, to an end that satisfies with a strange mixture of relief, sadness, and a hunger for more."
"The Storm and the Darkness is a very well written fast paced story, I couldn't put it down."
"Sarah Cradit's writing is tight and masterful. There were no points during the journey through reading this novel where I thought anything could have been removed or expanded upon. Her keen sense of how to pace a book and her ability to use just the right language to express the desires, fears and hopes of her characters is flawless."
"I highly recommend The Storm and the Darkness, a tale of mystery, drama, and suspense, and the prequel, St. Charles at Dusk."
"Cradit has the awesome talent of making each character believable. Making the reader sit on the edge of their set waiting for more."
"If you like to read and fully immerse yourself into your reading this is the book for you."
"Now I just have to get my hands on the first book, and the next and next and next until I am satisfied!"
"Wow. Mystery, magic, suspense that even made me slightly jumpy, family and just enough romantic intrigue to keep me well, intrigued :) The writing is fabulously done, I loved how Sarah M. Cradit tells a story."

The Storm and the Darkness Online:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Storm-Darkness-Crimson-Clover-ebook/dp/B00DS86XU2
BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-storm-and-the-darkness-sarah-m-cradit/1115922678

The House of Crimson and Clover Series
The House of Crimson and Clover series follows the lives of two New Orleans families: the august and mysterious Sullivans and Deschanels. The Sullivans, a family of hard-working Irish lawyers, have come from nothing and built a life they can be proud of. The Deschanels, a moderately wealthy family who became extremely wealthy by siding with the North during the Civil War, betraying their people. Both families have a dark and rich history, full of secrets, and full of surprises.
The books in this series unravel the stories of both the individuals as well as the families themselves, discovering the ways these families and their secrets intersect, and each story pulls us even farther into their stories.
While the series is meant to be treated as one long narrative, each book can stand-alone and be enjoyed without having read the other books.
The House of Crimson and Clover Series Online:

Links-

AUTHOR'S DREAM CAST
If ‘The Storm and the Darkness’ was made into a movie and YOU could cast anyone you wanted, who would you choose?

Ana Deschanel
 
Barbara Meier


Nicolas Deschanel
 Max Irons


Jonathan St. Andrews
Colin O’Donaghue


Oz Sullivan

Dan Jongebloed


Finn St. Andrews
 Chace Crawford


GUEST POST (WRITING PROCESS)
My writing process is as particular and varied as my OCD brain. Most of what I am working on for the next long while will be part of The House of Crimson and Clover series, so I generally start with an idea of what I want the next story to be. From there, I start some brainstorming, using all of my writing aids (family trees, histories, etc), and sometimes will bring one or two other trusted friends into the discussion. After I have a rough idea of the story, and a few major components, I begin turning that brainstorm into a rough outline.

Now, my brain does not allow me to do detailed outlines. I am a pantser, though not your typical kind. I need the creative freedom to let the story go where it may, but I also require enough structure that I can stay focused and have a springboard. I actually created my own outlining process that centers around the idea of taking one major idea and then dividing it into three parts. I then continue to divide until I am out of ways to do it. This becomes my working, rough outline. You can learn more about my process here: http://sarahcradit.wordpress.com/2013/03/30/mitosis-or-how-to-outline-when-you-suck-at-outlining/

As NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) occurs three times per year, I use those months to create my first drafts. I always aim for 50k words, so that when it is time to come back and start edits, I have enough of a framework to really turn it into a novel. I usually have about 3-4 NaNo drafts waiting for me at any time.

Once I get into edits, I start with re-reading the story. I make notes on what I think it needs (by the time I get to it, I’ve often changed idea and course several times on the story). I try to piece together some more info into the outline, decide what chapters or holes need filling in. I then start the process of rewrites, which is a sweep through the whole book, adding in chapters, color, detail, and whatever else is needed. Once I feel as if I have most of what is needed from a content perspective, I start the full editing process.

I think of editing like putting together a puzzle. When you start, you’re only able to pick up bits and pieces of what needs fixing. Each full pass colors in more and more of the fixes, and eventually I get to a point where I can no longer see anything to fix, add, or adjust. Once that happens, I put it aside for a few days, come back with a fresh set of eyes, and sweep it once more. If I still can’t find anything, that’s when it goes off to my editor for her thoughts. Though she’s excellent at catching things, its important to me to give her a manuscript that is as clean as my brain can make it. I want to make her job as easy as possible.

Once I get her feedback, the book goes off to the betas for their reading thoughts. After I get that back and incorporate any changes, it goes to my editor one more time. From there, I have a finished manuscript that is ready for publishing.

How long does it all take me? My first draft takes 30 days. Rewrites take about 60. Edits then (including time with the editor and betas) another 60. Final tweaks 30. End to end, it takes about 6 months, and that’s only if I have no major distractions. But, the process works for me, and that is what matters!

AUTHOR'S PLAYLIST

 


Author: Sarah M. Cradit
Sarah is the author of the Southern Fiction series, The House of Crimson and Clover. The series was born of her combined loves of New Orleans, family dramas, and the mysterious nature of love and desire. Her books combine elements of mystery, suspense, intrigue, romance, and even paranormal. She is always working on the next book in the series, and absolutely loves connecting with her fans.
Sarah lives in the Pacific Northwest, but has traveled the world from Asia to Europe to Africa. When she isn't working (either at her day career, or hard at work at writing), she is reading a book and discovering new authors. The great loves of her life (in order) are: her husband James, her writing, and traveling the world.
Sarah M. Cradit Online:
Amazon Author Page-





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