Divide and conquer

While walking my dog earlier, watching her adopt her instinct as a herder, barking at and nipping at the heels of people, in order to make them conform to whatever idea she has in her head, something struck me.
Social media does the same. But not by instinct.
No. Their purpose is much more insidious.
They want to herd us.
That part is like Callie, in her playful, loud barks and darts back and forth as people try to run away from her...it's really quite comical, but I have ordered a muzzle.
Social media doesn't have a comical bone in whatever 'body' they inhabit.
They want to divide us. They want to split one group of people, say, sheep herd A, away from sheep herd B.
They want to put A into one box, and B into another.
They want to make us fight one another, because as long as that happens, the fight will keep us blind to the real enemy.
The wolves.
We need to muzzle the wolves. We need to take away their power to herd us, bite us and nip our heels to direct our movements and choices.
We need to tell the wolves that WE are in charge.

Proof readers...should we listen to them?

Many of my reader friends might have heard of editors, formatters, publishers, etc, but perhaps you've never heard of proof readers.

Put simply, proof readers are a step in between when you write your book and when you send your finished manuscript to an editor.

They are there to pick up the niggles, the plot holes, the inconsistencies in your story.

So, should you listen to them?

100% YES!

A good proof reader is as good as the best editor you can afford, and will often offer their services for a fraction of the price, and often for free.

To be honest, I think proof readers are a vital step to improving your book, not so much grammar or punctuation wise, but in the story itself.

My advice...listen to them!

Paying it forward.

The indie author community continues to grow, but that does not mean it's a good thing. Neither is it a bad thing.

It isn't good because so many trash authors are flooding the online bookstores with plumped up books, poorly written manuscripts, and little gems that might have been the next bestseller, if only they'd been edited and formatted.

It isn't bad because there are so many jewels out there. A veritable treasure trove of literature, just waiting for a break.

Just look at some of today's blockbuster movies. You see Hellboy, Avengers, or a rehash of whatever movie grossed millions at the box office.

It's not about originality, it's about profit, and while the public might love the movies, it's sad that they are being denied the concepts of the thousands of insightful minds in the indie authorverse.

So what is this post about?

Trying to persuade you to reach outside your comfort zone, to read a non-traditional author? Yes!

To stop you reading traditional authors? Definitely NOT!

Read what you want. Read every day. Read wherever you can. On the way to work, on your tea-break, on the toilet(my personal favourite, and yes, I know it's too much information, lol). 

But give indies a look. You might find your next favourite author.

Love you all.

CJ

Writing…behold the horror.

Okay, first of all, this isn’t about writing horror, and as I sit here wondering what my currently fucked up mind is about to write next, I should probably write a disclaimer.
This is as much for me as anyone else out there, because you know what? I’m a writer…and I’m terrified of writing. 
It’s been four months since I wrote anything remotely connected with a novel, never mind attempting to complete the two series I have started. So, sorry about that.
I could sit here and spout excuse after excuse. 
I’ve been too busy. 
Real life sucks. 
My characters aren’t talking to me. 
They would all be lies.
I have time. I work night shifts. In fact, one of the reasons I took the job was so I’d have time to write. But I sit most nights doing every thing I can to avoid putting any words down.
Real life is pretty good right now. Yes, like a LOT of people I’m struggling with depression, which was probably the main reason I initially stopped writing. When I finally admitted to myself that I needed help, I found that there are so many ways to get help. Friends were the best, most effective way, but personally I got lucky with medication. The biggest step for me was admitting anything was wrong. I thought, ‘No way. I’m not depressed? It couldn’t happen to me.’ Well, it did, and I’m dealing with it, and thanks to all of you out there who have taken the time to listen, even if it’s just a friendly word or two.
Next, my characters talk to me all the time, filling my head with ideas, moaning at me that they’re bored, etc. They want another book, want their voices to be heard by someone other than the nut job whose head they live in.
So, what’s stopping me?
The truth? I’m terrified. Of writing.
Yup. I never knew that was even a thing. Maybe it isn’t for other people, but it’s pretty real for me. Thing is, I’ve written a few books. Most people even like them, and I think that might be the problem. I’m scared of writing, because what if I can’t write as well as I have done? What if the words won’t come? And if they do come, what if people hate them?
Ever time I write a few words and then read them back, I end up doubting myself even more. It’s a vicious circle, but even as I write this, I feel it is coming to an end. I actually think this is helping, as the same way I confronted the fact I had depression, the admission of being scared is having the sort of effect I imagine alcoholics have that first time the stand up in an AA meeting and admit they’re an alcoholic.

Hi. My name’s CJ Rutherford, and I’m terrified of writing.
There. Baby steps, man...baby steps.

PS…I’ve just opened the manuscript for Treaters 2 for the first time in weeks.

Building a Reader Universe

When I started to write, it was a mess. I wrote a series with so many genres it was freaky lol. 

Tales of the Neverwar(TOTN) encompasses elements of fantasy, science fiction, romance, and time travel/alternate reality fiction.

Imagine my surprise when everything I've written ever since has tied into the same Neverwar universe I love.

Companion of Darkness(CoD) is my latest novel, but it is the earliest story in the Neverwar universe. This epic fantasy series tells how it all begins. Dragons, magic, elves, and faeries combat the force of darkness. 

Then you have Origins of the Never, the prequel novella to the main series(TOTN), which some people say should be read AFTER book one in the main series. 

It's set thousands of years BEFORE the main(TOTN) series, but MILLIONS of years after CoD.

Lost in Time is a separate series, focusing on various characters introduced to us in the main series, more time travel and scifi than fantasy. 

Apparently this is called,'Building a universe.'

Pre-Christmas Tales

Yes, it's a play on words. For the next few days, you can get all the Tales (see what I did there?) of the Neverwar books for just 99 cents or less.

https://www.facebook.com/events/2085742591513060/

But that's not the best of it. Origins of the Never, and Lost in Times will be FREE for the duration of the promo. 

Come get them!

The reason I write.

Sometimes writing can be a hard slog. You sit for hours, weeks, and months, hoping the words that are flashing from your brain to your fingers will awaken a reader's imagination.
Is it worth it? Well, when you get reviews and comments like this, hell yeah!

All right now, kids!
I just finished and five starred 'Companion of Darkness' by CJ Rutherford, and reading this book was like a trip back in time - about twenty years - when I was immersed in the pages of some of the greatest Fantasy books ever written.
I plowed through Jordan's 'Wheel of Time', Fiest's 'Rift War Saga', William's 'The Dragonbone Chair', and the worlds of Salvatore, Goodkind, and Moorcock.
These were the Authors who carried Fantasy forward; beyond Tolkien, White and Lewis - the progenitors of today's new age of Fantasy Writers, and CJ Rutherford, I am certain, shall be riding that wave.
In my humble opinion, Rutherford has created an epic saga quite worthy of worldwide appeal. He has done this with a skillful command of the English Language, (flawless editing), and what I can only describe as good old fashioned storytelling that pushes me to the edge of my seat as I flip the pages.
All of the elements are in place:
His lead, Jesaela, faces insurmountable odds, yet the reader is compelled, driven to her side. Here, we do not see the standard, information dump, trope-filled 'world building', rather a masterful presentation of a planet rich in history, as seen and felt by the characters. For any aspiring Fantasy Author, Rutherford gives us a flawless 'Show don't Tell' worthy of study.
This is Epic Fantasy the way it should be done.

More 5-star reviews for Companion of Darkness :)

For authors, especially indie authors, reviews are like fine food and wine. We don't need them to live and survive on, but they are a welcome treat when they come along.
So, when two 5-star reviews for the same book arrive within a day or two of each other...well, I'm metaphorically stuffed to the gills.

Here's what people are saying...

"A wonderfully written book of fantasy! Full of twists and turns, magic and mystical creatures. Love, hatred, jealousy and pain. It all flows through the pages as you read. The author did an amazing job of world building and character development. I was pulled in from the first page to the last page. And I did not want it to end! I can't wait to read the next book! I highly recommend this book to all fantasy lovers."

"You ever finish a book and want to pull a Misery, kidnap the author and force them to write the next book in the series? Asking for a friend. :) Seriously, I can't wait for the next installment in this series. What a beautiful and at the same time terrible world Mr. Rutherford has created. This novel is filled with emotion: love, hate, pity, angst, wonder. Name it, it's likely in there somewhere. A gift for any fantasy fan. I highly recommend!"

Free now on Kindle Unlimited and paperback, and coming soon on audio.

What is the Neverwar?

The Neverwar is, and always has been, the battle between Light and Darkness. 

Legend says that the Great Maker created the world of Sanctuary at the end of the first age, when all reality was consumed by the gods themselves during the Chaos Wars.

The legend goes on to tell how that at the end of the war, only two beings remained. The Great Maker, and the Great Destroyer. The Light and the Darkness. The final battle took place on the single surviving world of Teralia, the source of the magic that had been the cause of the war between the gods in the first place.

Light prevailed, but at great cost. While Darkness was defeated it was not destroyed, so Light used the last of its consciousness to create Sanctuary, and set into motion the creation of the Never. Over the ages, the realities were reborn, while the Darkness remained imprisoned on Teralia.

But come on, let's face it, the Darkness was never going to give up, was it?

To answer this question, I need to ask another. What is the Never?

Well, the Never is...complex.

No, no. Much more complex than this. This is like comparing a child's drawing to a 3D sculpture. No, the Never is everything. All of the reality we are in right now, plus all the other infinite realities possible.

I based it loosely on the 'multiverse' theory being bandied about, that each decision we make results in a fracture of the timeline to create another universe...and that's sort of what it is.

For instance, one day you choose to wear red instead of blue, and someone who loves the color red notices you as you cross the road. You talk, end up getting married, perhaps, but end up breaking up because 'something' isn't right. The path created by the red/blue choice then blends back into another reality in later life. 

You might divorce the guy wearing the red matching tie, and meet the guy you'd passed on a crossing wearing the blue. The Never draws love to love.

But it's not that simple. Ha! Told you it was tricky ;)

In the Never, time can flow differently in one thread of reality from another, so time travel 'is' possible, though frowned upon. 

There is one constant. The world of Sanctuary, a planet that sits at the center of the Never. All paths begin and end here, and its inhabitants, known as The Walkers, are the only beings capable of navigating the myriad threads of the Never. Sanctuary is a hub of trade and commerce, but by its very nature a terrible danger. What if you ran into a past or future version of yourself while visiting? Might be fun, right? What if you told your past self not to take a certain job offer in your own past. You hated that job. Telling him not to take it might be a good idea, right?

Then you get back to your own reality and find the wife and children you loved have never existed. Well, the woman probably does, somewhere, but your kids were never born because you'd met her at the place of work you'd told your past self to avoid.

Thankfully, this is the sort of thing the Walkers are good at. Sanctuary is so vast, and the artificial intelligence of the computer network so efficient, that this will never happen.

It's like one huge, mammoth, vast, bigly...struggling to come up with more lol...well-oiled machine. 

Unfortunately the same can't be said for events that happen outside.

This is where the Neverwar is fought. 

Beside the Walkers, who might be described at the administrators of the Never, are the Liberi, the police, or warriors, who battle anyone who tries to disrupt the balance.

They seek out and destroy the followers of the Darkness, whose relentless attempts to return their god threaten reality, while at the same time seek the one being prophesied to defeat the Darkness once and for all.

Cue my Tales of the Neverwar series ;) 

Also my Chaos Wars series, which tells the story of the aftermath of the original Chaos War.

Your next Epic Fantasy read

Within beauty, lies darkness.

With the mighty race of dragons bound to the Eldar, the magical world of Teralia struggles under the boot of Eldar tyranny.

Jesaela, a young faerie, is chosen to enter the shining Citadel to serve as prized companion to a girl she's never seen: Lyssa, the Eldar princess.

She doesn’t want to leave her forest home, but defiance will bring the king’s dragons to turn her home to cinders.

Given no choice, Jes goes to the magical Citadel; a glittering jewel from a distance, a den of darkness up close.

Can she find the spell to free the dragons from the Eldar? Or will the darkness spread to consume the world?

Companion of Darkness is book one of a new series set in the Neverwar universe. Suitable for young adults of all ages.

Get it HERE for less than half price on pre-order now, while you still can!

The reviews!

Yes, the reviews keep on coming, and so far everyone has LOVED Treaters. Here's the latest 5-star review:

"Treaters - What an amazing read this is. It's one of those rare books that you want to gallop through but really don't want to reach the end. C.J. Rutherford has skillfully created an apocalyptic 'End of the World' novel that subjects the reader to one suspenseful scene after another. Despite the mayhem generated by the monsters known asTreaters, a love story also unfolds between Jaz an ex marine and Jennifer a young terrified girl he finds sheltering in a diner.

Now what amazed me was the fact that this story was written by an author born and living in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The novel is actually set in the U.S.A. Now any author will know that you write about what you know and it wasn't until I was well into the book that I realised that the writer was not an American. Full marks to Rutherford for his research and attention to detail.

I also have to mention the epilogue...OMG! I wasn't expecting this. To learn what the Treaters actually were, knocked me for a six. I can't wait for the next in the series. Get writing Mr. Rutherford.

A well earned FIVE BIG STARS."

I'm incredibly humbled that anyone would take the time to write anything about my books, never mind something as amazing as this. I get a real buzz, knowing I've written something that gives a reader a little bit of enjoyment.

That said, reviews are an authors currency. They lend your book more worth, and make themrise above the other millions of books on Amazon. 

So, if anyone has read Treaters - or indeed any of my other Tales of the Neverwar books - please, please, PLEASE, leave a review.

Even if it's one sentence saying, 'I loved this book.' Maybe it'll be a sentence saying, 'I hated this book.' That's okay too, though I'd rather you tell me WHY you hated it. I'm not one of those authors who ignore negative reviews, as long as they're constructive.

But seriously, thank you from the bottom of my heart. And Claude's hearts. He said to pass on his thanks as well, even if each good review threatens his teapot. 

Until next time...love you all!

Well, it's been over a week since the release of Treaters, and it's been an odd sort of week.

After the hype of the lead up to the launch, it's all gone incredibly quiet. It's almost as if one of the kids has left for college, sort of empty, you know?

I know the audio version of Treaters is in the works, but I find myself wondering what to do next...then I chuckle inwardly. It's not as if I haven't got enough on my plate.

Besides real life - you know that thing where you leave the house, do stuff, and come back and your kids take all your money? - I've got book stuff to do.

There's books two of the Treaters series which I haven't started yet. Then there's book one of my space opera, which I've barely began. Hmm...I sense a pattern developing here ;)

Now for some good news...yeah, right :P

Companion of Darkness was almost done at 70k words, until those nasty, wilful characters decided otherwise. Perhaps another 25k words will shut them up, but you know characters ;)

But the most exciting news is something I just decided to embark on.

Not many of you know that I wrote a short prequel to the Tales of the Neverwar called Lost in Times.

 It tells of the time when Derren and his twin, Krista, travel back in time to Nazi Poland, and end up in Auschwitz. I haven't plugged it too much as frankly, I'm not 100% happy with it.

Hopefully that's about to change. I've pulled it down from Amazon for a rewrite. No, it won't be a full novel rewrite like Treaters, but I plan to go into the history of Derren and his band of misfits before they meet Katheryne and Perri in book one of the Tales of the Neverwar. I haven't decided how far back into their history to go yet, but I hope to include Toshi and Laren, and a few others who had walk-on parts in TOTN.

Hopefully you'll like it :)

A cover reveal, and a pre-order special offer

Greetings, humans

Claude the imaginary dragon here again, with some news about CJ Rutherford's new release.

Normally I wouldn't blow his trumpet, due to the risks of any praise causing his head to swell,

but now that I have invested in some industrial strength shock absorbers I think it should be safe.

So, first of all, let me share the cover, designed by the incredibly talented Christian Bentulan.

When the world ends on Halloween night, Jaz, a retired US Marine, thinks it’s all over. His friends, his family…they’re all gone. He’s alone and on the run.

He encounters Jennifer, a 19-year-old waitress hiding in her dad’s roadside diner, and together they begin a desperate dash to the desolation of North Dakota, as far away from the slaughterhouses of the cities as they can get.

Their imagined safety doesn’t last long, as Jaz and Jennifer realize the attack was just the first strike in a battle that has raged since the dawn of time.

The book is due for release on Halloween, but you can pre-order it now for the special pre-launch price of just $0.99 HERE.

Alternatively, you can sign up to receive an Advance Review Copy (ARC). You will receive a free copy of the ebook, and one lucky person will win a signed paperback. We will also be giving away ten copies of the audio version when it is available.

The link to the form is HERE.

So, do we all agree Trump is an idiot?

So, apparently twump is attacking any Republican who mentions him by name in a critical manner.

In another twist, Republicans have now decided to use 'code words' to identify twump, so as to not attract his ire. Unfortunately, twump's lawyers are way ahead of them and have demanded all social media sites hand over details of any user that mentions the following.

Trump is a prick.

Twump is a twonk.

45 is not the answer to the question of the life, the universe, and everything.

Trumplethinskin is...well, I'll let you think about this one.

That orange jerk in the White House.

Piss-stained orange snowflake...my personal favourite.

The list is long, and frankly, undistinguished, but twump's lawyers are confident that they can figure out a way to tell the Tangoman that he's won, while paying off anyone who actually grants him time of day to get annoyed.

Check out this awesome website :)

https://www.patricia-rose.co.uk/

My latest 5-star review for my FREE book!

"Fantasy in its pure form, I love it and can't wait to read more and I will be buying more works by Rutherford."Read the whole series for #FREE on #KindleUnlimited here

✫✫✯✯★★ 99 CENTS FOR A LIMITED TIME ★★✯✯✫✫

Hopeless

P. Rose

"What's a safe call?"

Hope Pendleton isn't ready for the answer. Her best friend, Callie, is into kink … serious kink; the kind that hurts. Hope is young and liberal, so she's cool with it … sort of. It's all just a game, right?

When Callie doesn't come home after a play date, the game gets real. Hope learns Callie's last known play partner is wanted for racketeering and human trafficking, and she faces a desperate dash against time to find her friend. She follows Callie's trail, moving blindly into a world of sexual fantasy and deviance, of chains and floggers, pain and pleasure.

The game becomes a nightmare, and before long, Hope's own life is on the line.

Can she survive to save her friend?

Or will she suffer the same fate?

Graphic and explicit sexual scenes, including BDSM. Not intended for anyone under the age of 18. All characters are over the age of 18.

Amazon (Kindle Unlimited)

 Excerpt:

This is not happening.

    This is not happening.

    This is not happening.

    I mouthed the words silently, my lips barely moving, one word for each step I took, one for each breath. The hallway was institutional, harshly lit and silent, except for the slight squeak of my sneakers and the solid, measured steps of the man beside me. He was wearing boots. Not cowboy boots…motorcycle boots, with harness straps. They were black, slightly creased, but shiny and clean. His gray dress slacks covered most of them, but I'd been looking down, staring at my own feet and his, as we walked down the long hallway.

    This is not happening.

    We were in the basement of the building, just like they show on television. The silence echoed around me, pressing in on me, threatening to take the air from my lungs. I glanced up once, to see how much further we had to go, and the fluorescent light fixture above me spun in my peripheral vision. I breathed in and out, and then again, concentrating on the simple act as if my life depended on it.

    This is not happening.

    We stopped in the middle of the hallway, in front of a long window, and he tapped lightly on the glass. I paid attention to my breathing, and I stared at my shoes, noticing the scuff of reddish mud on my left sneaker. I heard a noise on the other side of the glass, and my eyes shot up of their own accord. My heartbeat accelerated and my breathing quickened, the fluorescents hazy in my eyes from the sudden tears blurring my vision.

    I was relieved we weren't going inside the room…ashamed of my sense of relief, but relieved anyway. There was a gurney on the other side of the window, close enough I could have reached through the glass and touched the motionless form of the woman under the green hospital sheet. I felt myself shaking violently, and the bile in my stomach soured, threatening to rise. I felt the man waiting for me, and I didn’t know why. Finally, I nodded once, sharply, lying to tell him I was ready.

    Inside the room, the morgue attendant in surgical scrubs carefully folded the sheet down off the woman's face, uncovering her to below her neck. His movements were precise but respectful, and he smoothed the sheet neatly before stepping away from her. She was beautiful…or she had been. She had short, curly red hair, smooth features, full, bloodless blue lips…and she was so very pale.

    I didn't realize I was holding my breath. I heard the man's voice from far away, gentle, but insistent. "Miss Pendleton? Is this your friend?"

    The tears spilled over, and the window swam in front of me. My knees turned to gelatin, and the man with the gray suit and the motorcycle boots caught me, as the institutional tile floor suddenly came up to meet my face.

 

About the Author:
Patricia Rose was born a bookworm and has never outgrown it. Her love of stories started with The Bobbsey Twins when she was five and continues today with the best offerings of science fiction, urban fantasy, and paranormal romance. An avid animal lover, she shares her home with her husband, Kevin, the wife of her heart, Ellen, three dogs, four cats, and a tarantula. 
Technophobic to a fault, Patricia relies heavily on her friends in the Indie writing community to help her with anything more complex than Microsoft Word, this despite her husband's urgings to put down the stone knives and chisels and join the digital age! Patricia's first novel, Iron Mike, is a dystopian science fiction tale and is available on all Amazon forums. Both Hopeless and Iron Mike are available as audiobooks through www.audible.com.

FB page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorPatriciaRose/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/patricia731rose