Title: Thirst Blood Of My Blood
Author: R.P. Channing
Genre: Young Adult Romance Paranormal Romance High School Vampires, Demons, Witches Dark Fantasy Horror
Release Date: 26th November 2015
BLURB from Goodreads
~ Kira Sutherland ~
After a near fatal accident (and getting cheated on by her 'boyfriend'), and beating up the lead cheerleader (with whom the boyfriend cheated...),and being labeled as having 'issues' in her school because she, uhm, sees ghosts, Kira is left with two choices:
1. Continue her 'therapy' (where she's told the ghost is a hallucination and also gets her legs ogled too often...)
Or
2. Go to Starkfield Academy, a boarding school for "Crazies and Convicts" (as the social media sites call them.)
She chooses the latter...
~ Cory Rand ~
Cory Rand has not had an easy life. His mother died in a car accident when he was twelve, and so did his mother's best friend...sort of. You see, Janice made a promise to take care of Cory just before he died, and so she lingers. Undead. A ghost that watches out for him.
Brought up in an abusive home, Cory quickly falls into a life of disreputable behavior. After his third offense (which was prompted by a girl, as usual - he has a weakness) he's left with two choices:
1. Be tried as an adult and share a cell with a guy named Bubba (he thinks...)
Or
2. Go to Starkfield Academy, which Cory is pretty sure is run by vampires. But, hey, at least he'll get an education.
He chooses the latter...
It's at Starkfield that Kira meets Cory Rand, a boy with an insatiable Rage who sees ghosts, too. As well as other things, other things from his past, things that confuse him, things like fire and witches and demons.
Things he's always ignored.
Until now.
After a near fatal accident (and getting cheated on by her 'boyfriend'), and beating up the lead cheerleader (with whom the boyfriend cheated...),and being labeled as having 'issues' in her school because she, uhm, sees ghosts, Kira is left with two choices:
1. Continue her 'therapy' (where she's told the ghost is a hallucination and also gets her legs ogled too often...)
Or
2. Go to Starkfield Academy, a boarding school for "Crazies and Convicts" (as the social media sites call them.)
She chooses the latter...
~ Cory Rand ~
Cory Rand has not had an easy life. His mother died in a car accident when he was twelve, and so did his mother's best friend...sort of. You see, Janice made a promise to take care of Cory just before he died, and so she lingers. Undead. A ghost that watches out for him.
Brought up in an abusive home, Cory quickly falls into a life of disreputable behavior. After his third offense (which was prompted by a girl, as usual - he has a weakness) he's left with two choices:
1. Be tried as an adult and share a cell with a guy named Bubba (he thinks...)
Or
2. Go to Starkfield Academy, which Cory is pretty sure is run by vampires. But, hey, at least he'll get an education.
He chooses the latter...
It's at Starkfield that Kira meets Cory Rand, a boy with an insatiable Rage who sees ghosts, too. As well as other things, other things from his past, things that confuse him, things like fire and witches and demons.
Things he's always ignored.
Until now.
PURCHASE LINKS
EXCERPT
PROLOGUE
1
The Puppy Eyes
My life was perfect. I had the perfect shoes and the perfect
friends and I lived in the perfect house. My nails were perfect and my hair was
perfect (except on Sundays, it was always windy on Sundays) and I had the
perfect clothes. My lips were a perfect red and my hair perfectly straight. My
eyeshadow was perfect, my hips were...okay, and my waist...well...also okay.
Nothing was wrong in my life. But then there was Jack. Jack was a problem. He
needed to go. I mean, when you’re dead, you’re dead! I had told him this
endlessly. Somehow, Jack didn’t get it. I mean, I felt sorry for the guy. Sure.
Being stuck between this life and the next. But just because I found him, does
that mean I needed to keep him? I think not! Sadly, when Jack got that look in
his eyes, that weary, almost teary (if his tearducts worked) look, I melted. I
just couldn’t send him away. Not even Jack knew where he would go after he
died. Would he, like, die? As in — dead, nada, kaput, finito, gone, no more?
Bye bye, sayonara, ciao, hasta la vista baby and all that? I couldn’t have that
on my conscience. No way. I lay on my bed, wondering what to do about him.
“Jaaaaaaack,” I hollered. “Jaaaaaaack!” Still no answer. “Jack!”
Jack...materialized. His eyes rolled down to the ground. He was making those
puppy eyes again. “Jack, I told you not to do that. I told you not to play on
my sympathies.” His puppy eyes became worse. His skin was gray and, well, dead.
“Oh, brother,” I said. “I have to do something about you. If mom finds out I
have another ‘imaginary friend’ — at my age — well, I’d die of embarrassment.
But, like, really die. Not like you.” I wondered about this. Would I die? Was
Jack a freak accident, or did all people live on like him? Think of the
cemeteries... The idea excited me somewhat. “What would you have me do, Miss
Kira?” “Knock off the Miss Kira crap. I told you it’s just Kira.” “Yes, Miss
Kira.” The dead. There’s just no reasoning. “Fine, Miss Kira it is then.” Rover
barked like a lunatic in the garden. No one else might be able to see Jack, but
I was sure my dog could. “I have to do something about this,” I mumbled.
2
The Rat
Mike knocked on the door before I had time to leave the
house. Mike was the guy I thought (at the time) was perfect. “Who is it?” “It’s
me, baby.” Baby, urgh — I wasn’t his baby. I dated Mike because he was the
quarterback, because girls are supposed to like the quarterback, because it’s
just so darn perfect to be seen with the quarterback, like we’re brainwashed
into thinking these things from the first romantic doll set mom buys us. This
was my previous life. “Mike.” “Uh-huh. Gonna let me in?” So you can try rub me
up and then complain when I don’t let you? This, dear reader, was the big
problem with Mike. The second we first kissed, his hand went way too far south
for me to be comfortable — and I pulled back. Mike suddenly wasn’t so perfect.
“Uhm, I was just on my way out,” I said. “Kira? C’mon, open the door.” He
sounded upset. “Is there someone in there with you?” Boys. As if. I didn’t know
much about love (nothing, actually) but I knew this wasn’t it. “Uhm, now’s not
the time, Mike.” “C’mon, Kira, what’s going on?” He banged harder. When in
doubt...lie. I opened the door a crack. “There’s a dead rat in the house, Mike.
Been here for days. I gotta go get some detergent and stuff to handle the
stench.” Mike stepped back. He peered through the crack of the door. “It’s
really bad,” I said. “I’ll drive you.” “I’m afraid the smell” — I stuck my
armpit to my nose — “has found its way all over me. I’ll drive myself.” “O —
okay. Fine.” And then he grinned like he wanted something. “Later? My place?”
Urgh. “Uhm, sure...er...later. Not sure when though.” “Six.” I fought the urge
to roll my eyes. According to girls at school, he was apparently so damn good
looking — theoretically. But for me personally, he did nothing. Moved nothing.
Twisted nothing. “Look, I gotta go, Mike. I gotta — ” “Kira.” His eyes grew
stern. “You’ve been avoiding me...” Bingo! Well done contestant number one! And
what have you won? A brain! I tilted my head. “Mike, look, this...rat — I need
to deal with it. We’ll talk later, okay? Bye.” I closed the door, not waiting
for an answer, and peered out the peep hole. Mike hung around for a second,
shoulders wide and eyes glaring straight at me through the door. Could he see
me? Did he know I was looking at him? He kicked something off the ground, and I
had the distinct impression he mouthed the word Bitch before leaving. But I
wasn’t sure... –
3
The Mack
“Roll down the
window, Jack.” Jack was recently dead, so he still had a smell about him.
(Which only I could smell...) I had purposely skipped breakfast. Maybe Jack
would help me lose weight. I was (still am) a little wide, although it had
never stopped guys flirting with me. I know how to dress. But I could be
skinnier. Lucy Rogers was skinny. All bones and no boobs. Charlene Carverton
was a babe. Cheerleader. Big chest (which she pushed out generously with a
push-up — if only guys knew). Toned thighs. Charlene only dated college boys
(back then), which I still think is pretty gross for a girl her age. “He’s not
for you,” Jack said out the blue. “Hmm?” “This...Mike — he’s wrong for you,
Miss Kira.” For all Jack’s faults (mainly, being dead), he has a good heart.
Factually, probably it’s why I kept him around at first. “You think I don’t
know that?” “Then why don’t you dump him?” I braked at a stop sign. Looked left
and right. “Because I’d look like an idiot. I flirted with him and showed
interest, and one kiss later I can’t stand the sight of him.” “So dump him.”
“It’s not that simple. Kids at school — they can be vicious. I have to let it
fade slowly. If I drop the bomb on him, I’ll never hear the end of it through
senior year.” “And you care?” Yes, I did. Forget Guantanamo, schools are rough.
“You don’t understand, Jack. Maybe school was different in your day. But in
mine, well, we walk through metal detectors.” “Schools weren’t too different in
my day.” I noted the sadness in his voice. “You okay?” “I’m dead.” Right. “You
miss...your life?” Jack shrugged. “I like being with you, Miss Kira. And I
don’t remember much of my life. I think I’m in limbo.” “Limbo?” “Yes, like I
have some unfinished business. If only I could remember...what...it is...” He
scratched his head. “Any ideas?” “Well, it can’t be love. If it were love, I’d
be a vampire. That’s who teenage girls fall in love with these days.” “A
vampire? That’s just what I need — two undead beings stalking me.” “I feel I
have something to do around you, Miss Kira. I don’t know what, but something.
Something important.” I looked over at him. “Me?” I was still looking at him
when I missed the stop sign. The Mack truck drove straight into us.
***GIVEAWAY***
$20 Amazon Gift Voucher Giveaway
At the back of the book there is
a giveaway link.
Once the book hits fifty reviews on Amazon,
One of those
reviewers will win a $20 (US Dollars) Amazon Gift Voucher!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
R P Channing started writing
three years ago, but never published anything even after churning out over a
million words of fiction. Thirst: Blood
of my Blood is the first book he dared to publish. When asked why, he said,
“Because it’s the first thing I wrote that my wife actually enjoyed reading.”
When not hammering away (most literally) at his keyboard, he can be found
buried in a book, reading anything from romance to horror to young adult to
non-fiction to comedy. If it has words in
it, I’ll take it.
What is the name of your latest
book, and if you had to summarise it in less than 20 words what would you say?
Thirst: Blood of my
Blood
Starkfield Academy is a
school for Convicts and Crazies
only, they're not crazy at all.
There really are vampires
there...
How long did it take you to write
Thirst, Blood Of My Blood, from the original idea to finishing writing it?
No comment. :)
What genre would you place
Thirst, Blood Of My Blood into?
It's a Young Adult Romance /
Young Adult Dark Fantasy. It's about vampires and ghosts
and witches. And it's very mysterious...
What made you decide to write
that genre of book?
I've written over a million
words of fiction, and never published any of it.
After a long hiatus from
writing, I re-evaluated what I truly liked writing and what I wanted to put out
there.
Fantasy suits my tastes
perfectly. So does the Young Adult genre. It's a beautiful genre with no limits
or boundaries.
Would you say you believe in
ghosts and the afterlife?
Maybe ;)
Do you have a favourite character
from your books? and why are they your favourite?
Of course, I loved the main
characters, but aside from them I truly loved all the characters.
Brenda, of course, is someone
anybody would love. She's a down-to-earth girl who's a true friend. And even
though she struggles with her weight, she doesn't let it get her down, and
she's very confident.
Sadie is the English girl.
I've spent a lot of time in England, so I liked her a lot.
I loved Tyra as well, from
Louisiana. She has spunk and confidence and, of course, her connection to
voodoo makes her all the more interesting.
Oh, and Quon, of course - the
geek. He was awesome. I didn't say much about him in this book, but I plan to
give him a bigger role in later ones.
If you had to choose to be one of
your characters in your book/books which would you be? and why?
Kira (if I was female). I
think everyone would want to be like Kira. This will make more sense when you
read the book.
How do you come up with the Title
and Cover Designs for Thirst, Blood Of My Blood? Who designed the Cover?
Title: Last minute choice! The
book was actually called "Starkfield Academy" right up to the end,
but I didn't like the ring of it. So I went with Thirst. It's not an original
title, but it fits completely with the story. Blood of my Blood is a phrase
which will make more sense as you read the book. ;)
Do you choose a title first, or
write Thirst, Blood Of My Blood then choose the title?
I was settled on
"Starkfield Academy" right up to the last minute. I think days before publishing it
I changed it.
How did you come up with
characters names and place names?
I pulled the names out of my
head, from that deep, dark reservoir each writer has which is usually filled
with cobwebs until he starts rummaging around in it.
Some of the
"mythical" terms I took from Romanian mythology, others I invented.
("Sangyani" is an invented word - it means an undead, incorporeal
being...)
Are character names and place
names decided after their creation? or do you pick a character/place name and
then invent them?
I decide on the character name
the moment I start writing about him / her. It's rare that I change the names
of characters, but it has happened.
Do you decide on character traits
(ie shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along?
I write as I go along on the
first draft. The first draft is always a pleasure to write.
The second draft...well...that
starts getting more difficult. In the second and later drafts I have to start
thinking very carefully about traits, and about things making sense.
Did you basic plot/plan for your
Thirst, Blood Of My Blood before you actually began writing it out? Or did you
let the writing flow and see where it takes the story?
In the first draft I just let
things flow, but even then I keep tight tabs on the story. If things stop
making sense, I go back and fix them.
But I'm usually pretty
relaxed in the first draft.
I guess you could call my
first draft the "outline."
The second and subsequent
drafts are pretty painful. I mean that sincerely. It's hard work. Everything
has to fit, entire sections get deleted, new sections get added,
until I feel what I have is as close to perfect as I can get it within my
current skill-level.
Would you say there any hidden
messages or morals contained in Thirst, Blood Of My Blood? (Morals as in like
Aesops Fables type of "The moral of this story is..")
I think messages are to be
determined by the reader. Maybe some readers will think there's a message,
others might not. Some might think there is a message in there that I didn't
even consider.
I write fiction, and I try and
keep it entertaining, and I try and keep my characters within certain
boundaries. I just focus on writing a story that people can enjoy and with
characters they can like and
relate to. If they can take something out of it, that's great.
What can we expect from you in the
future from your writing?
I'm working on Book two now.
Each book will STAND IN ITS OWN and not have any cliffhangers or major
incomplete storylines. But I like this story, and I like these characters, so
there will be more coming for them.
I'm also working on something
else "in my head." I've been working on it for almost a year - one of
these days maybe I'll write it ;)
Where can we follow you & your
writing?
The best way is to subscribe
to my newsletter
All new subscribers will
receive a free bonus chapter of THIRST in their inboxes.
AUTHOR LINKS
Thank you for taking the time to do an interview and provide the information for this post. I've already purchased my copy of Thirst: Blood Of My Blood!
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