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Blog Tour: The Eleventh Hour Trilogy by Kathryn Dionne (spotlight, guest post, giveaway)
The Eleventh Hour Trilogy
written by Kathryn Dionne
published by Kathryn Dionne
Get the trilogy at Amazon.
Book 1: The Eleventh Hour: The Enlightened Ones
find it here: (affiliate links) Amazon, Goodreads
About the book: “…and from these fibers shall emerge the next immaculate conceptions.”
When archaeologist, Sophia Conrad, uncovers an ancient scroll hidden deep in the Judaean hills, a force greater than her conscience compels her to steal it. As she begins to translate the writings she realizes three very important facts. This is a book of prophecy foretelling the end times; it is the personal diary of Jesus; and she has been chosen to save mankind from the next cataclysmic event. But when she discovers a small piece of fabric tucked inside the scroll, she and her husband David, a geneticist, are propelled into a life of science, secrecy and government conspiracy.
BOOK II: The Eleventh Hour: Day Of Atonement
find it here: (affiliate links) Amazon, Goodreads
About the book: “…he who cometh next shall be the spirit and image of the Lamb of God.”
The scroll forewarned David and Sophia about a cataclysmic event that would devastate mankind. So for thirty years they secretly prepared for what Jesus called The Day of Atonement. Now, as that day is upon them, they must do everything in their power to save the lives of seven very special men and get them to Old Beersheba before the Shift of the Ages can take place. But a weapon so evil, so insidious, yet so unassuming threatens their mission, their lives and the lives of all humanity. Who will get there first? The race is on!
Book III: The Eleventh Hour: Resurrection
find it here: (affiliate links) Amazon, Goodreads
About the book: “…if one emerges whose soul is as pure as mine, let him step forth. The salvation of all mankind depends on it.”
One look at the eerie green swirls of light slithering across the night sky, and Sophia Conrad knows the prophecies foretold in the scrolls are true. The Shift of the Ages has begun. And no matter how many times they perform the ancient ritual, nothing seems to work. The Earth is slowing down, the magnetic fields are dropping, and time is running out. One look at the guns pointed at her heart, and Sophia knows that no matter what happens, her life is about to end… unless God grants them a miracle.
Creating Realistic Characters by Kathryn Dionne
My name is . . .
When describing someone, the usual tendency is to say something like; she is tall and thin, has long brown hair, and green eyes. In real life rarely do we take the time to delve into a deeper level of description. But when it comes to writing, it’s the secondary and tertiary levels that really give a character depth and pull a reader in. They want to know what shade of brown her hair is. Is it the color of burnt molasses? Or does it have a golden hue to it like rich aged walnut? It’s up to you to paint a complete and detailed picture for your readers
But how can you do that if you don’t know who your characters are? The answer is you can’t. You can’t successfully describe something you don’t know.
So what is the best way to get to know someone? Have a party!
Before I begin writing my books, I get to know my characters by throwing a party and inviting all of them. I conjure up an invitation with the date and time, and then I tell them to bring a guest. It is in this causal and welcoming atmosphere where I learn so much more about them; their likes, dislikes, idiosyncrasies, quirks, any unusual or interesting ticks . . . everything you might discover when talking with someone over a glass of wine and some fabulous hors d’oeuvres. And yes, I make my imaginary parties fun and exciting!
I came up with this concept while writing The Eleventh Hour trilogy. I threw a party for all my characters, the known ones and the ones yet to be discovered. I also invited an astrologer. I gave my characters actual birthdays and had my imaginary astrologer do an astrological chart on all of them. This gave me a tremendous insight into who they were. It provided a much deeper level of personality traits than I would have ever gotten had I just started writing the story. And it gave me enough interesting and obscure tidbits to make these characters come to life.
So let’s get to know your characters by having a party. Poof! Your first guest is already at the door.
- Hi, my name is . . . When you open the door, and you see your first party guest, (most likely your main character), note the person with them. Is it male, female, old, young, a certain ethnicity, otherworldly, etc.? Allow your character to introduce them to you by name. This person will probably end up being either in your current book or one that is yet to be written.
- Did you know that . . . Sometimes we can learn more about a character when it comes from someone else. Have one of your characters tell you something obscure about another character. It could be something that happened to them or maybe something they accomplished. Be creative and make it out of the ordinary. You never know where this new information might take your character, and your story.
- I can’t believe you invited . . . Every story needs a good and believable antagonist. And chances are, there is going to be someone at your imaginary party that is going to cause a scene. Make it a good one! It could be a husband and wife in the middle of a divorce, a serial killer who just killed a family member of one of your guest, a spy who has been tailing you. Be imaginative and ruthless! This is where you get to see your character’s bad side. And we all have one. Creating flaws is just as important as creating features. You can’t create a convincing character without having both strengths and weaknesses.
Once these details solidify in your mind, you will be surprised how realistic your characters will become. They will seem like living, breathing beings with real strengths and weaknesses that your readers can relate to.
My advice to writers who are struggling with character development is; let your characters talk to you and tell you who they are and who they want to be. Above all, just have fun with the process!
About the author: Kathryn Dionne, the author of The Eleventh Hour trilogy and Derek The Fireless Dragon, lives in Southern California with her husband, Jeff, and their two Shar Peis, Bogey and Gracie.
From an early age, Kathryn’s love of treasure hunting sparked an interest in archaeology. As an amateur archaeologist, she’s been fortunate enough to uncover some very unique artifacts in different parts of the globe. However, she’s still searching for that very special scroll.
In addition to writing, she manages their five-acre property and their grove of Italian olive trees. Her husband has lovingly named their business; Saint Kathryn’s Olive Oil.
In her spare time, she makes cookie jars and throws pottery in her studio. She also creates mosaics from discarded objects and sells them under the category of Found Art.
She is currently writing a new series called, Chasing Time, which she hopes to have published some time in 2013.
