Friday, October 21, 2011

Genesis Release Tour

Today I have Kristie Cook, author extraordinaire and fabulous friend, on my blog to talk about her upcoming novella release: Genesis, which you can get right now Genesis: A Soul Savers Novella. I had the privilege of critiquing Genesis and let me tell you, it’s a perfect fit to her Soul Savers Series. I also was the cover designer for Genesis, which was created long before I’d had a chance to review the book. Typically I don’t “design” in the dark, but Kristie described her vision for the cover and knew exactly the elements needed to convey the feeling of the story. Have you ever seen an angel with a bat wing and a feathered wing? It coins the “match made in heaven and hell” so visually, I couldn’t have thought of a better way to describe that saying in her novels better.

Promise and Purpose, the first two books of the Soul Saver Series, introduces Tristan and Alexis with a very vast and complex lineage. Since the books are in Alexis’ perspective, the reader only knows what she knows, which is limited. So Kristie saw the need to explain and set up the history to better. Hence the birth of Genesis. But it’s not a boring history lesson. You get sucked into Cassandra and Jordan’s world right away, intrigued with the evil creatures lurking around them, along with the mystery, the suspense, and oh the passion!! We learn that the Amadis history is quite messy filled with revenge and deception. But it all boils down to a choice: will they see good or evil in their futures.

It’s definitely a must read for lover’s of the Soul Savers!



Take it away Kristie:

Genesis: A Soul Savers Novella releases this month and it’s a bit different from the other Soul Savers books. Although the fantasy world I created is the same, the real world is not. After all, it takes place over 2,000 years ago, around 200 B.C. So it required a lot of research to understand life in Greece during that era. For each stop along the release tour, I’m sharing something I learned and how it ties into the story.


I do a Foodie Friday feature on my blog every week, so it’s a perfect day to talk about food of the time. With Brenda as my lovely hostess, we’ll focus specifically on bread, which I’ll explain in a minute.


The Greek diet consisted of the triptych of bread, olives (including olive oil) and wine. In fact, breakfast was often bread dipped in wine, and the midday meal was the same, perhaps with cheese, figs, olives or dried fish added. They didn’t have forks then, so bread served as the eating utensil and also served as a napkin – after eating, they’d wipe their hands on a piece of bread and then toss it on the floor for the dogs. 


Bread was usually made with barley flour, although by the time of Genesis, wheat was being imported. It was expensive, though, so only wealthier households tended to buy wheat flour for their bakers or they’d buy wheaten bread in the marketplace. By 400 B.C., there were 50-70 different kinds of bread in Greece.


Most ordinary households would have an oven made of pottery, allowing them to make their own bread. These were often flat breads, which is what I imagine the characters in Genesis to mostly eat.


So how does Brenda fit into this? Well, as my critique partner, she challenged me on how Cassandra, one of the main characters, could make bread without an oven. I’d known bread to be around for thousands of years, even in primitive cultures that wouldn’t have “ovens” anything like how we know them. And I’d done my research, so I had an answer.


There are two ways – using clay pots and coals or using a flat pot or metal pan to cook the bread. The first way is done by topping the pot of dough with another rounded pot and surrounding both with hot coals from a fire. The heat would be trapped inside, allowing the bread to bake.


The pan method produces pita or flat bread – the dough is simply cooked in a frying pan, likely with olive oil on the bottom, over coals, and flipped once to cook both sides to a golden brown. Here’s a somewhat quirky recipe to try to make your own flat bread (though the process isn’t quite how Cassandra would have done it, the idea is there).


Thank you for hosting me, Brenda! And thank you for challenging me – that’s what a good crit-partner is supposed to do.


You, good readers, can win a Soul Saves swag pack! AND be entered to win the Grand Prize at the end of the release tour. All you have to do is comment below. For more details on the tour and the big giveaway, check out the tour page.

Sources:
http://historylink102.com/greece3/food.htm
http://www.cooksinfo.com/edible.nsf/pages/greeceancient!opendocument&startkey=greeceancient
http://greekfood.about.com/od/discovergreekfood/a/food_intro.htm



Genesis
A father who reveals his truth.
Twins who take different paths—one light, one dark.
Angels who have plans for them both
And Demons who do as well.
So the Earthly battle for souls ignites…

A tale that is over 2,000 years old, this is the story of the Amadis beginnings.

Promise
When Alexis Ames is attacked by creatures that can’t be real, she decides it’s time she learns who she really is, with or without the help of her mother, who guards their family’s secrets closely. After meeting the inhumanly attractive, multi-talented Tristan Knight, however, Alexis retreats behind her façade of normalcy…until she discovers he’s not exactly normal either. Then their secrets begin to unravel.

Their union brings hope and promise to her family’s secret society, the Angels’ army, and to the future of mankind. But it also incites a dangerous pursuit by the enemy – Satan’s minions and Tristan’s creators. After all, Alexis and Tristan are a match made in Heaven and in Hell.

Purpose
Lost in despair, Alexis teeters on the edge of an abyss, her lifeline of hope fraying into a thin thread. If it snaps, she’ll plunge into complete darkness. With the help of her son and her writing, she’s been able to hold on. Until now. Erratic impulses, disturbing delusions and her own demonic blood threaten her sanity. When she’s forced to choose between hanging onto hope or letting go to serve her Amadis purposes, she faces a decision with inconceivable sacrifices.
Alexis runs to the one place she thinks will provide answers, only to find herself at the center of another battle of good versus evil, not only with the Daemoni, not only within herself…but also against the worst opponent imaginable. But even if she wins, what will she lose?

About the Author
Kristie Cook is a lifelong, award-winning writer in various genres, from marketing communications to fantasy fiction. She continues to write the Soul Savers Series, with the first two books, Promise and Purpose, available now and the third book, Devotion, coming February 2012. She’s also written a companion novella, Genesis, coming October 2011.
Besides writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, traveling and riding on the back of a motorcycle. She has lived in ten states, but currently calls Southwest Florida home with her husband, three teenage sons, a beagle and a puggle. She can be found at:

Author's Website & Blog: www.KristieCook.com

9 comments:

  1. So exciting to see two of my favorite authors working together on a blog tour. Lovely job on the cover design, Brenda! And Kristie, I can't wait to read Genesis! It's sounds so.... intriguing! Thanks for the foodie fun, and giveaway! Blessings to you both!
    www.justapinchofeach.blogspot.com

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  2. Thank you, Sarah! Brenda and I are both swooning over this. ;)

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  3. I think I just stumbled upon another author I am going to have to read by following Kristie Cook! I have Purpose and Promise and can't wait to get started on them. I am checking into Brenda Pandos NOW!!

    christina.irelan@gmail.com

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  4. Loving the tour!! Thanks so much!! Without these, I can't find good books to read!!

    GFC Michele Luker

    jmluker at winco dot net

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  5. I'm really enjoying the tour! I'm so excited for this novella.

    Vivien
    deadtossedwaves at gmail dot com

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  6. Great post! The Genesis tour is amazing. Thank you for the giveaway!

    artgiote at gmail dot com

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  7. Thank you, everyone, for stopping in and participating in the tour. And, thank you, Brenda, for being such a fabulous hostess - and for the great review! :)

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  8. i am really excited to read this! What a great tour!

    meridyth
    meridyth7atgmaildotcom

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  9. I am always curious about food in history and this was great info.

    The story of the two wings on the cover relieve my curiosity that has been ongoing for a while. It is so eyecatching and caught my attention before I knew what the story was about.

    Thanks for posting ladies.
    sophiarose1816@gmail.com

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