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Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Guest Blog by Linda Poitevin - Surprising Characters in The Grigori Legacy

Please welcome the fabulous Linda Poitevin to The Qwillery as part of the Sins of the Son Blog Tour.




Surprising Characters in The Grigori Legacy

This may sound trite, but the truth is that all my characters have, at one time or another, surprised me in some way. Even those I bring into the story as secondary characters have a way of becoming more than I’d planned or anticipated, often extending the story in ways I hadn’t seen coming. I used to try and wrestle them into submission, insisting they follow the way chosen for them—I am, after all, their creator (insert diabolical chuckle here) and so they should listen to me, right?

Wrong. *sigh*

More often than not, the harder I work at getting a character to toe the imaginary line I’ve drawn for him/her, the more likely it is that I’ll find myself staring at a blank monitor day after day after day. Not only do my secondary characters suddenly become mute, but my main characters also turn ominously quiet. Stubbornly so. You’d think there was a conspiracy among them or something.

So what’s a writer to do? For me, I’ve learned to trust my characters because what are they, really, if not an extension of my own instincts? I’ve learned that if my fingers type something into a character—even a secondary one—that wasn’t my idea (you’ll just have to go along with me here, because I swear these people have minds of their own!), there’s always a reason for it. I may not see the reason at the time, but I know that at some point in the story (or in the series story arc), the little detail I consider superfluous will suddenly become a critical element of the plotline. A pivotal point.

Seth’s appearance in Sins of the Angels proved this to me in no uncertain terms.

Seth was intended to play a supporting role to Aramael—at most, he was to be a temporary sidekick. But from the moment he stood on Alexandra’s front porch, his presence was utterly overwhelming…for me as well as for poor Alex. No amount of effort on my part was enough to relegate him to a lesser place in the story. When I tried too hard, the voices—all of them—went quiet. It wasn’t until I began to fully explore Seth’s role in Heaven that I realized exactly who he was and what he was capable of…and to understand that he marked a turning point in the story.

One that ultimately turned a single title urban fantasy into an entire series.

Surprise! ;)


The Grigori Legacy

Sins of the Son
The Grigori Legacy 2
Ace (March 27, 2012)
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 352 pages

A detective with a secret...

When homicide detective Alexandra Jarvis sees a photo of Seth Benjamin on a police bulletin, she knows that Heaven's plan to halt Armageddon has gone terribly wrong. As the only mortal who knows of Seth's true nature, she's also the only one who can save him.

An exiled angel turned assassin...

Aramael was a hunter of Fallen Angels until a traitor forced him into earthly exile. Now, with no powers and only a faint memory of Alex, his mortal soulmate, he will stop at nothing to redeem himself--even if it means destroying Seth in the name of the Creator.

A world with little chance of redemption...

As Alex's need to protect Seth sets her on a collision course with the determined Aramael, the conflict between them may push the world over the edge--and into the very chaos they're trying to prevent.

You may read The Qwillery review of Sins of the Son here.


Sins of the Angels
The Grigori Legacy 1
Ace, September 27, 2011
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 336 pages

A detective with a secret lineage. An undercover Hunter with a bullet-proof soul. And a world made to pay for the sins of an angel…

Homicide detective Alexandra Jarvis answers to no one. Especially not to the new partner assigned to her in the middle of a gruesome serial killer case—a partner who is obstructive, irritatingly magnetic, and arrogant as hell.

Aramael is a Power—a hunter of the Fallen Angels. A millennium ago, he sentenced his own brother to eternal exile for crimes against humanity. Now his brother is back and wreaking murderous havoc in the mortal realm. To find him, Aramael must play second to a human police officer who wants nothing to do with him and whose very bloodline threatens both his mission and his soul.

Now, faced with a fallen angel hell-bent on triggering the apocalypse, Alex and Aramael have no choice but to join forces, because only together can they stop the end of days.

You may read The Qwillery review of Sins of the Angels here.



About Linda

Linda Poitevin was born and raised in B.C., Canada’s westernmost province. Growing up in an era when writing was “a nice hobby, dear, but what are you going to do for a living?”, Linda worked at a variety of secretarial jobs before applying to be a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Due to an error in measurement, however, she was turned down when she didn’t meet the height requirement of that time. Undeterred, Linda became a civilian member in the force and was a dispatcher for two and a half years, during which time she met her husband, a police officer.

Following their transfer to Ottawa, Linda went on to become a real estate agent and then a human resources consultant before starting a family and becoming a stay-at-home mom and homeschooler. Now that she has realized writing can be more than a nice hobby, she continues to vicariously live her dream of being a cop through her characters.

Linda currently lives near Ottawa with her husband, youngest of three daughters, one very large husky/shepherd/Great Dane-cross dog, a cat, two rabbits, and a bearded dragon lizard. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found in her garden or walking her dog along the river or through the woods.

In addition to her books, Linda also does freelance writing and editing. Information about her services can be found at www.lindapoitevin.ca. Linda is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Quebec Writers' Federation, Romance Writers of America, RWA Futuristic Fantasy Paranormal Chapter, and Ottawa Romance Writers' Association.

Linda's Links

Website
Facebook
Twitter


The Giveaway

THE RULES

What:  One commenter will win a copy of Sins of Son (The Grigori Legacy 2) - a Mass Market Paperback copy for a US/Canadian winner or an eBook for an International (non-US/Canada) winner.

How:  Leave a comment answering the following question:

Have any characters you've read about or seen in TV show or movie
surprised you in some way?

Please remember - if you don't answer the question your entry will not be counted.

You may receive additional entries by:

1)   Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2)   Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

3)   Mentioning the giveaway on your on blog or website. It must be your own blog or website; not a website that belongs to someone else or a site where giveaways, contests, etc. are posted.

There are a total of 4 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry), and personal blog/website mention (+1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook, Twitter, or blog/website mentions. You MUST leave a way to contact you.

Who and When:  The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Wednesday, April 25, 2012. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

*Giveaway rules are subject to change.*


But there's more: Winners from each the Sins of the Son Blog Tour stops will be entered for a special Grand Prize from Linda: the first-ever Wings of the Warrior necklace from Cemetery Cat Designs and a set of earrings that goes with the necklace!***

Necklace for the Grand Prize drawing



*** The Qwillery is not affiliated with the Grand Prize drawing at the end of the Sins of the Son Blog Tour  and is providing this for informational purposes only.

28 comments:

  1. This is an amazing book. I have to read it. ADDING IT TO MY LIST.
    DEBBY236 AT GMAIL DOT COM

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so glad you think so, Debbie, and I hope you enjoy! :)

      Delete
  2. I was really surprised by Dmitri the vampire in Nalini Singh's latest Guild Hunter book. I didn't really know how she was going to make him an appealing character, but she did!

    +1 comment
    +1 GFC Follower
    +1 tweeted (https://twitter.com/#!/RebeLovesBooks/status/192610201382301698)

    rwschwarz11ATgmailDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I haven't read that one, yet, Rebe. I can see I'm going to have to give it a try. Thanks for stopping by! :)

      Delete
  3. that is cool, Seth is one of my favorite characters :) don't enter me I already have a copy

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  4. I can't say that any of the characters that I've read about in my most recently read books have surprised me very much. I would love to read a book that was not so predictable.

    +1 comment
    +1 email follower

    debbie at burdeen dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, I've had lots of readers say I surprised them in Sins of the Son, Debbie...maybe worth a try? ;) Thanks for stopping by to comment!

      Delete
  5. I love it when characters surprise me. There have been times when I absolutely hated a character and now I am so digging them. Example Sylar in Heroes, he gave me the willies, but then later I could not help liking the guy (does that make me evil LOL)and now the actor is the young Spock! Thank you for sharing today this interesting and thought provoking post today and for the lovely giveaway opportunity:)

    +1 comment
    +1 GFC follower
    +1 tweeted = https://twitter.com/#!/ZDz59001/status/192661413678952448

    dz59001[at]gmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, I do like that young actor, Denise...he makes a FABULOUS Spock. Glad you enjoyed the post! :)

      Delete
  6. Looks like and exciting series. I am adding it to my to read list. I hope I win!!

    +1 comment
    +1 follower

    laurele5555@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad you think so, Laurele -- thanks for commenting! :)

      Delete
  7. I'd have to say that the character Luna from the book Fated by Benedict Jacka did surprise me a bit, with her curse and what she did to help the main character [not going to spoil it]

    +1 comment
    +1 posted on fb: https://www.facebook.com/dduffield75
    +1 GFC follower: drakenfyre75
    drakenfyre75[at]msn[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Another book I'm going to have to check out. Thank you for stopping by to comment! :)

      Delete
  8. I would say Dorian from Richelle Mead's Dark Swan series. You never know what his motives are- he can be deceptive and selfish, then catch you off guard with sincerity.
    I'm a gfc follower.

    b(dot)cardone(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  9. When I read about the vampire Stefan in Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series, I was surprised between book one and book two what his roll and personality were really like.

    I'm so glad Seth crowded into your book. I loved his character in book one and what a surprise he turned out to be when I discovered who he was. Looking forward to the second installment.

    Thanks for the post and giveaway opportunity.
    sophiarose1816@gmail.com

    Extras:
    +1 GFC: Sophia Rose
    +1 Tweeted as sophiarose1816: http://t.co/lEf9BHFv

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sophia! I hope you'll enjoy getting to know him a little better in book 2. :)

      Delete
  10. I would say Dr. Carlisle from Twilight. He is pretty amazing. To be a vampire and a doctor. I really love his character. Please enter me in contest. I would love to read this book. Tore923@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. Z from the BDB series surprised me... I didn't think I was going to like him when I first read about him, but he really changed my mind and became one of my fav characters when he got his own book.

    +1 Comment
    +1 Follower of The Qwillery
    +1 Tweeted: https://twitter.com/#!/yadkny/status/192797380054233088

    yadkny@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. I will say, character Dr. Carlisle from Twilight Movie make me surprised, because that vampire doctor was to young in my eyes. I always imagine he is very a bit old, about 30 year.
    Thanks for the post and giveaway opportunity.

    1+ GFC as Filia Oktarina
    1+ comment
    1+ facebook : http://www.facebook.com/filia.oktarina
    email : filiafantasy at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  13. i'm don't remember one like that except ian in the first book in the world of the night huntress serie

    all the best

    gfc:miki

    isabelle(dot)frisch(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  14. I recently read masquerade by cambria hebert. I was pretty shocked when the main characters boyfriend turned out to be a hellhound! So haven't read about one of those before!
    +1 comment
    +1 follower
    contact me on twitter - bookworm_sarah
    happy thursday!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I recently read the Demon Kissed series by H.M. Ward and many of the characters surprised me there. Ward loves to throw in those kind of twists so it kept me reading the books.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I was surprised that Aaron from Lords of the Underworld was beheaded.

    I follow the blog.

    Thanks for the giveaway.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  17. I find a lot of characters in books and on tv pretty predictable or reliable anyway. I can't think of any characters that have surprised me.

    GFC: ML
    Tweet: https://twitter.com/#!/Rogue237/status/193892407841001472
    mljfoland AT hotmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  18. I was a little surprised by Mallory's behavior in Drink Deep by Chloe Neill. Great post. Thanks for the chance.

    I am follower
    sariahwalters at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete