Title: Water's Blood
Series: The Elemental Clans, #1
Author: Elaine Calloway
Publisher: The Writer's Canvas LLC
Release Date: February 1, 2013
Pages: 511
Buy Links: Amazon BarnesNoble Smashwords
Blurb:
Nature’s Elementals—Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water—have lived for countless millennia. Disguised as humans, they are charged with one mission: protect the innocent from fallen angel clans, who reap human souls and force them to do their bidding.
Brooke, a Water Elemental stationed in New Orleans, broke the rules once—she mated with a human. For her indiscretion, she is forbidden to share a life with her loved ones: NOPD officer Alex and their half-breed daughter, Ella.
Now Ella is about to turn sixteen, and the local clan of fallen angels is determined to snare her soul by Halloween.
Brooke broke the rules once by allowing love to interfere with her mission. Now she and Alex must put consequences aside to break the rules again—if they wish to save their daughter’s soul.
Interview
1. Why did you choose to write about elemental magic?
Hmm, good question. I believe some stories simply long to be told. Our creative souls want us to discover the joy of meeting and getting to know each character. But why Elementals?
Maybe because these four core forces--water, earth, fire, and wind--affect our lives in such powerful ways, yet we often take this fact for granted. Take Water, for instance. People drink it, brush teeth with it, shower with it--all innocuous activities. But consider the flip side of what Water can do. The same element that can clean your teeth can also wipe out a country with a Tsunami, flatten homes with hurricanes, and destroy miles of hearty crops with flooding.
I liked how a force, an Elemental, could have the potential for miniscule and huge powers, but I went one step further. Rather than create a tale about superheroes who constantly kick-box the villains, I wanted to see how the characters could thrive if they were forced to keep their powers secret. This added a layer of conflict that I hadn’t planned on, but wound up being a good theme for the series.
2. How much research did you have to do for this book?
Strangely enough, this is one book that didn’t require much research. I like to get settings right--inserting real places, intersections, cultures and lifestyles into the story. But WATER’S BLOOD is set in New Orleans, and I grew up there. All the culture, way of life, spirit of the people, was something I already knew. I’m doing extensive research for Books Two, Three, and Four, since those are set in cities I’m not as familiar with.
During a New Orleans trip home to see family and friends, I went to a local bar that became the inspiration for Brooke’s pub and loft. I did speak with several bartenders and police officers, so I could get the job details right for Brooke and Alex.
3. How did you choose your character names?
*Smiles* This took some decision-making! I suppose this is the area of “research” that I spent more time on. For Brooke, the main Water Elemental character, I wanted a water-sounding name but nothing too corny. I’ve always liked the name Alex for the hero. The other Elementals, I did research online to see what their names could be and came up with similar names to their individual element: Phoenix is Fire, Terran is Earth, Tempest is Wind.
Regarding the names for the Fallen Angels, the antagonists, I did research on evil-sounding names that had specific meanings. Then I posted a bunch of them on Facebook and asked people to pick their top three favorites. Soren, Cristos, and Dominick won, so those are the three antagonists in this book. Same method for Book Two, and I don’t have the names of the villains for Books Three or Four yet!
4. Do you have a routine when you write? (food, drinks, day vs. night, etc.)
I’m a morning writer, but I’m more of a fan of writing whenever my creative energy is at its peak. For me, that’s before the errands, chaos, phone calls, etc. of the day sets into my mind. It is easiest for me to just write first thing--then all those errands can be done throughout the day. For a while, I wrote on my lunch hour, too. That worked for a bit, but by the time evening rolls around, my brain is mush. For some, that’s their second-wind time.
I guess the good thing is, my morning writing and caffeine go hand-in-hand!
5. Did you get any input on your cover? It's beautiful!
Thank you so much! I had the general idea that I wanted the close-up eye, but that was all. I showed my ideas to a few people to get their feedback, and then tweaked what I wanted from there. My graphic artist, Taryn Knight of Leafbreeze Creations, was someone I found by sheer luck on the Deviant Art web site. Her work is amazing and she was very responsive to my thoughts and what I wanted to see in the cover.
I agree. I could not be happier with my cover :)
6. Anything you'd like to say to our readers before you go?
I think that WATER’S BLOOD is much like the city of New Orleans itself. There are elements of good and evil in both; there are choices which align our steps along a certain path in both. For anyone who hasn’t seen New Orleans, definitely go! She is a mysterious and paranormal city.
Book Two of the Elemental Clan Series, RAGING FIRE, releases summer 2013.
About the Author: Elaine Calloway is originally from New Orleans and can still do a decent Cajun accent upon request. She is currently writing the Elemental Clan Series, a series of paranormal tales set in iconic cities such as New Orleans. Book One, WATER’S BLOOD, is available now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.
Book Two, RAGING FIRE, will be released summer 2013.
For more information or to connect with Elaine online, visit her web site at www.elainecalloway.com
Website and blog : www.thewriterscanvas.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/writerscanvas
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