New Release - Ember by Carol Oates

 Today, Omnific Publishing is very happy to bring you a little bit about our next release!

Author Carol Oates second novel, Ember will be available tomorrow, July 19th and we thought it would be great to get a little sneak peek at it and talk with the author.

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.

 

 We asked Carol a few questions about her experience and some fun ones that really I just wanted to know the answer to.

Omnific: Was writing your second novel a different experience from your first? Was it a little easier knowing what to expect from the process?

Carol Oates: Every book is a completely different experience. Ember wasn’t really my second manuscript although it’s my second published novel. I have other works quietly hiding away in my files. Some will never see the light of day again. I never know what to expect starting out. For example, Shades of Atlantis had a very different ending at one time. I changed it about mid-way through writing and changed it back about five minutes later. With Ember I knew exactly how I wanted the story to form, from the first word I knew how it would all pan out for everyone.

The submission process and editing were no less daunting than before. This book writing stuff is hard work. Even with the amazing Omnific Publishing team around me, I still sat with my manuscript open on my laptop channeling Wayne and Garth, We’re not worthy, we’re not worthy. There were some parts I was a little more confident with, the cover art for Ember being one. Isn’t it pretty? Onmific Publishing really hit the ball out of the park with the SoA cover. I don’t know about other authors, but I worry about the cover reflecting how I see the story as well as what the reader will take from the image. This time I didn’t worry at all that the cover and final presentation would be perfect. That is as much an important part of creating a book as writing it.

Omnific: Your books are YA, but you do a great job of making them enjoyable for older readers as well. Do you read a lot of YA yourself? What else do you enjoy reading (if and when you have time to read!)

Carol Oates: Yes, I read a lot of YA. I don’t choose books based on age range, I choose based on a plot that catches my attention or recommendation. There are so many wonderful and intelligent YA books other there. I read as much as I can, it’s hard to fit in with everything else. I always keep books by the bed and in the bathroom. A bath and a good book are a little piece of heaven. I have kindle on my phone for reading on the go.

Omnific: Where would you LOVE to go on a vacation? And if you went, would you truly be on vacation or would you have a notebook with you to write when an idea strikes?

Carol Oates: I would love to go to Camden, Maine. I know there are probably more exotic locations I could choose but there is something very special about seeing places I write about. Another place (I know I’m cheating, picking two) I have included in my work and would love to see again is Paris. Do I need to give a reason for wanting to see Paris again? I always carry a notebook. I have a five-second memory. If I don’t write it down I forget. Sitting on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower or outside a café with an iced coffee and my notebook would make me a very happy lady.

Omnific: Since Omnific is all about the romance...what is your favorite romance scene in a book?

Carol Oates: One of my favorite books, probably my favorite book, is The Princess Bride by William Goldman. It’s hard to choose a favorite scene, but I would probably go for the scene where Westley first proclaims his love for Buttercup. That morning, driven on by jealously of an older woman looking at Westley, she had told him she was in love and he closed the door in her face. When he finally comes to her, she tries to pretend she was playing a joke. He explains the depth of his love for her and how he had shown it every day in every single thing he did, but that she just couldn't see it. I think that can happen a lot in real life too.

Omnific: Now, if they made that into a movie who would you want cast opposite you?

Carol Oates: They have made that scene into a movie, sort of. That particular scene isn’t played out as it is in the book. Cary Elwes played Westley and he was perfect. When I was younger I would have swapped places with Buttercup in the blink of an eye.

Omnific: Finally, because I am lucky enough to be your acquisitions editor for  Shades of Atlantis, this is kind of a selfish question, but I'm impatient for the next book...almost done?

Carol Oates: That’s right, thanks for that. I’m working on it. It’s coming along slowly and I hope to be finished by Christmas. I want it to be just right. I’m working on two projects right now, the sequel to Ember and the sequel to SoA. This year has been sort of crazy so it’s been slow going but I’m getting there.

We also asked Carol to pick one of her favorite excerpts (which I know is VERY hard to do – like deciding which is your favorite child). She was so great to give us this little glimpse of her story…

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.


Thank you so much Carol for letting us see some of you and your story.

Carol created a BEAUTIFUL trailer for Ember. It's another great way to get a glimpse of her story. But, so you don't have to go searching for it on Youtube...guess what? I have it right here for you!

I know Carol loves to hear from her readers, so if you haven’t found her out on the web yet, here are all the places she can be contacted!

Blog: http://www.caroloates.com/
Twitter: @caroloates
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3988619.Carol_Oates
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Carol-Oates/165822436796666?ref=ts


And, if you love Carol’s writing, don’t forget to pick up the Summer Breeze Anthology to read her short story The Summer Prince. You’ll get a great read and help Save the Tatas! Don't forget to follow our new blog for the chance to win our duo of Summer Anthologies signed by all of the authors!

The Reality of Breast Cancer

Hello again!

Hopefully everyone is enjoying their summer. We at Omnific are having a FANTASTIC summer. We were so excited to kick it off with our Summer Lovin’ Anthologies to benefit Save the Tatas Foundation, and it will only keep getting better with some great new releases this summer as well. Next week, on July 19th, Carol Oates will be releasing her second novel with us, Ember. (Check back here in the next few days for a sneak peek and a little Q&A with Carol Oates – or better yet, become a follower to get in on our giveaway.)

We wanted to remind you about our giveaway today. Now through August 15th, if you become a follower of our Omnific Blog, you will be entered to win a FABULOUS prize! We are going to be giving away one copy of each anthology signed by ALL the participating authors! That’s pretty amazing considering our authors live all over the world!

To drive home the importance of what Save the Tatas Foundation does, we asked some of our authors and staff to tell us about how breast cancer has touched their lives.

My mom is a breast cancer survivor.  She got this disease at a time in her life when she was trying to make a new start, and it felt like fate was trying to hold her back. I lived several states away and couldn't help her nearly as much as I wanted to.  On top of all that, her insurance made her life very difficult--as though going through cancer treatment isn't hard enough.  My mom isn't a draw-your-sword-and-charge-into-battle kind of woman.  She's more of a "Cancer--that figures. Well, fine, what do we do now?" kind of woman. So she just did it---chemo, surgery, radiation--without as much help and support as she should have had but with a sort of resigned determination that has gotten her through a million other setbacks.

I always said that if I had money, I would support other women (and their families) struggling with breast cancer.  I don't really have much money still, but I do have this little skill--I can help produce good books.  It's why I work for Omnific, and why I volunteered my time to help edit these anthologies. It's for my mom, who thankfully, is still around to spoil her grandchildren, and it's for everyone else's mom too. Any money raised by these wonderful stories goes to research and support, to save the lives of women and men stricken by this cancer--and maybe to keep others from getting it.  I may be a full-grown woman with kids of my own, but I still need my mom--and a lot of other people feel the same way. And since my mom first taught me to read romances, it seems like a perfect tribute.

Kathy Teel
Omnific Managing Editor

******

My family had been blessed for many years without any instances of breast cancer. My immediate aunts, my mom, my grandmother, none of them have had it, knock on wood and praise God.  That is until a few years ago, when my great aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer.  My mom told me that by the time they found it, the cancer was so invasive that her entire upper body was riddled with pain.  My aunt has always been a smoker, so I'm not sure if that caused or contributed to the cancer, but, who can tell for sure?  My family has always been very close, and all my childhood I knew my aunt as being this tough as nails Portuguese woman. You couldn't shake her, you couldn't break her. She was hearty and seriously...you didn't want to mess with her.  But, when I saw her for the first time in ten years last summer, I couldn't even recognize her.  She was so frail and using a walker and just the antithesis of all I'd known.  Granted, she is pretty well up there in years by now, but I know that the majority of her fragility had to do with the cancer.  Her daughters had to help her into and out of her chair.  It was heart-breaking.   I have faith and wish my family and myself blessings and health, but, you never can tell when or who this disease will hit.

Jennifer DeLucy
Omnific Author

*****

I first became aware of breast cancer as a little girl when my grandmother, who I adored and we had lived with for several years when my parents divorced, was hospitalized. Apparently she had found a lump in her breast, and within weeks they discovered that the cancer was so advanced, it had metastasized and was ravaging her body. I was six years old and only knew that my mom was crying all the time and going to the hospital to visit my grandma every night. My grandma passed away not long after being hospitalized. Even though I was young, I was very attached to her and missed her terribly, but didn’t understand really what breast cancer was.

As I grew up, I started to understand more about breast cancer and the importance of checking for lumps. When you have a history of the disease in your family, all the precautions are in the forefront of your mind. Every year when I would go for that dreaded exam, I would hold my breath during the breast exam…waiting for the doctor to tell me that he found something that I missed. Then it happened last October (of all months, right?). I had been putting off getting my first mammogram (I was 41 with a history in my family so I should have had at least one already). Bad move on my part. My heart nearly sank when I was told that they found something on my mammogram, and I would have to have another one for clarification. Panic flooded me. What would I do if I had breast cancer? What about my kids? Of course the next appointment that I could get was almost a week later. I spent a week silently worrying about my future, my kids’ future, how my husband would be able to manage (I do a lot around here!). I only told one of my friends about it and tried not to let my husband know really how scared I was, but I was TERRIFIED! The week finally passed, and I went back for my follow up mammogram. Fortunately, what they had seen on the first mammogram was only a cyst, and I was given a clean bill of health. But, as I was walking out of the building, I saw a woman who had been in the waiting room with me; her husband had her wrapped in his arms and she was crying…getting good news had never seemed so empty. No matter how lucky I was, there would always be someone else who was going to have to fight this horrible disease.
 

Jessica McQuinn
Omnific Author


We hope that everyone enjoys the anthology stories our authors, editors, marketing, art, and layout departments have put together, but we really hope that we can help make a difference in the fight against breast cancer for all of those who have been affected by it in their lives in some way. If you have a story that you would like to share about how breast cancer has touched your life, please leave us a comment. There are so many stories, and they all deserve to be heard.

Remember to follow our blog, and come back for a great peek at our next release, Ember, by Carol Oates (who, by the way, has a wonderful, magical fairy story in our Summer Breeze Anthology…).

Welcome!

We at Omnific Publishing thought it would be fun to bring a little more of a personal touch to our process, our authors, and our product. And what better way to do that than through a new blog? So here it is, our inaugural post for what we are hoping will be a great, interactive, informative, and interesting journey for our readers, authors, and the curious!

The best thing about starting this blog now is that we have something super exciting to talk about – our Summer Lovin’ Anthologies!

If you haven’t heard about these yet, let us fill you in. Yesterday, two anthologies went on sale at Omnific Publishing with all profit being donated to a great cause:  Save the Tatas Foundation. Yes, that means that YOU get to read thirteen FABULOUS stories by some of Omnific’s favorite authors AND help find a cure for breast cancer at the same time! Really, how could you not run out right now and buy both books?

Okay, if that wasn’t enough for you, let me give you a few more great reasons –

Summer Lovin’ Anthology – Summer Breeze

What’s better than lying on the beach with a great story to read? How about lying on the beach with seven great stories to read?  Whether you're going to the beach or you just wish you were, Omnific Publishing's Summer Lovin' Anthology is a compilation of romantic short stories that will whisk you away on a sweet escape.  

Sweeten up your summer reading and contribute to a great cause at the same time.  Omnific Publishing has partnered with the Save the Ta Tas Foundation and all proceeds will be donated to the charitable organization.  Read the romance and do your part to Save the Ta Tas!  

This collection of sweet summer romances brings together seven of Omnific Publishing’s authors for some “breezy” romantic reading. In just one book, you can find Carol Oates’ Irish mythical storytelling, Jennifer Lane’s sassy swimmer, and Hannah Downing’s second chance at first love. While Nicki Elson spins a beautiful tale of remembered love, Killian McRae employs a modern twist with her technology-based romance, and Sarah Glover tells the story of best friends’ summer discovery. Rounded out with Susan Kaye Quinn’s glimpse into the next chapter of her Life, Liberty and Pursuit gang, this anthology offers something for everyone to get lost in this summer.

Summer Lovin’ Anthology – Heat Wave

Heat up your summer reading and contribute to a great cause at the same time.  Omnific Publishing has partnered with the Save the Ta Tas Foundation and all proceeds will be donated to the charitable organization.  Read the romance and do your part to Save the Ta Tas!  

In this anthology, you'll find six steamy romance stories by some of your favorite authors for some “heated” reading.  Fans of paranormal romance will enjoy Robin DeJarnett’s vampire lovers and Lisa Sanchez’s unexpectedly compatible lovers. While Debra Anastasia  transports you to a long ago time for some steamy romance, Jessica McQuinn brings you back to the hot protectors of modern day. BJ Thornton and Kasi Alexander dip into the exotic with their touch of super sexy. There’s something in this collection to get every reader’s temperature rising!

Now, I know that you can’t resist reading the romance, AND saving the tatas!

AND – to kick off our new adventure, we want to give you all something…the chance to win one copy of each anthology signed by all of the participating authors. This will be a one of a kind prize (our authors are world wide so coordination requires a degree in logistics management!) that you can get in on just by following our Omnific Publishing blog. That’s it! All you have to do is follow us between now and August 15th and your name goes in the “bowl.” And to encourage everyone to spread the word, if you send us a follower and they comment on a post and tell us that you sent them, you'll get an extra name in the hat. (Just a little note – both of these books will be purchased so Save the Ta-tas will still get the donation. The tatas are important to us!)

So, click the little follow button and then make sure to come back to see what else we have in store. In the coming weeks, we will have author interviews, previews of coming attractions, ask an editor, and much more!